^EfvfS^'
YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

Purchased from the income
of the bequest of
WILLIAM ROBERTSON COE
Honorary M.A. 1949. for
material in the field
of American Studies.

COMMEMORATIVE

BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD

OF-

Central Pennsylvania,

INCLUDING THE COUNTIES OF

Centre, Clinton, Union and Snyder,

CONTAINING

BIOGRAPHICAL, SKETCHES OF PROMINENT AND REPRESENTATIVE
CITIZENS, AND OF MANY OF THE EARL.Y SETTLED FAMILIES.

ILLUSTR AT E D

CHICAGO;
J. H. BEERS & CO.
1898,

FROM THE PRESS OF WILSON, HUMPHREYS & 00.,
FOURTH ST., LOGANSPORT, IND.

F^FeE^.A.GE:.

THE importance of placing in book form biographical history of representative citi
zens — both for its immediate worth and for its value to coming generations — is ad
mitted by all thinking people; and within the past decade there has been a grow
ing interest in this commendable means of perpetuating biography and family genealogy.
That the public is entitled to the privileges afforded by a work of this nature needs
no assertion at our hands; for one of our greatest Americans has said that the history of
any country resolves itself into the biographies of its stout, earnest and representative citi
zens. This medium, then, serves more than a single purpose; while it perpetuates biogra
phy and family genealogy, it records history, much of which would be preserved in no
other way. In presenting the Commemorative Biographical Record to its patrons, the pub
lishers have to acknowledge, with gratitude, the encouragement and support their enter
prise has received, and the willing assistance rendered in enabling them to surmount the
many unforeseen obstacles to be met with in the production of a work of this character.
In nearly every instance the material composing the sketches was gathered from those im
mediately interested, and then submitted in type-written form for correction and revision.
The volume, which is one of generous amplitude, is placed in the hands of the public with
the belief that it will be found a valuable addition to the library, as well as an invaluable
contribution to the historical literature of Central Pennsylvania.
THE PUBLISHERS.

mmf

BIOGRAPHICAL.

EAVER, HON. JAMES AD-
DAMS, a gallant soldier, states
man, jurist and Christian citi
zen of Bellefonte, Centre coun
ty, is another from that galaxy
of great men that noble Belle
fonte — the proud home of gov
ernors and distinguished men — •
has produced, their names and deeds casting an
illustrious halo o'er a finished century.
Although born near Millerstown, Perry Co.,
Penn., it remained for Gen. Beaver to lay
the foundation for his successes in life in Belle
fonte. He has descended on his paternal side
from one of the most forceful, industrious and
successful families in Pennsylvania. A distin
guished characteristic of the Beaver family
through generations is courage, integrity, thrift
and industry, and they have figured gallantly in
all the wars which have been fought in this con
tinent for over a century and a half. In speak
ing of the remarkable traits of the Beavers, a
gentleman of prominence said that he "was well
acquainted with the uncles of ex-Gov. Beaver,
and in all his intercourse with men he found
them to be more successful and having a better
knowledge of business than any men he knew."
Hon. Thomas Beaver, an uncle of the subject of
this sketch, now deceased, and who resided at
Danville, Penn., for many years during his life,
attained a position among the most prosperous
merchants and iron manufacturers of the United
States. While Gov. Beaver inherited valuable
traits from his father's side, he is also indebted
for much of his force, courage and industry to
his mother. She was one of God's noble women,
wise, generous, industrious, a devout Christian,
and was loved and respected by every one that
knew her. Those who knew her from childhood
regarded her as a most remarkable woman. . Her

kind, sweet and generous disposition won the af
fection and confidence of every one. One who
for several years resided near her home speaks in
the highest terms of the respect, confidence and
esteem she enjoyed among her neighbors and
friends. It was these influences, coupled with
his activity, energy and prominence, that have
been the means of elevating this illustrious gen
tleman to the position of high honor and influ
ence he occupies to-day.
George Beaver, the original founder of the
family in this country, arrived here from Ger
many about the year 1740. Tradition says of him
that "he was a man of fine physique, marvel
ous endurance, strong mind and untiring indus
try. " He devoted himself with characteristic
energy to agricultural pursuits. His eldest son,
George, was among the first to shoulder a mus
ket in the war of Independence, serving in the
4th Pennsylvania Battalion, commanded by Col.
Anthony Wayne. This son, after the close of
hostilities, married Catherine Kieffer, the sister
of an army comrade, and from this union came
Peter Beaver, the grandfather of the subject of
this sketch. He was born in Franklin county,
Penn., received a good average education for the
time, and when of age set up in business for him
self as a tanner in Lebanon county. He soon
abandoned this occupation, however, and al
though he afterward engaged in different mercan
tile pursuits, seems to have devoted much of his
time to religious work, and he acquired consider
able distinction as a local preacher of the Meth
odist denomination. He married Elizabeth,
daughter of Samuel Gilbert, who had seen some
service in the Revolutionary army, and by her
had a large family. All of the six sons were at
some period of their lives engaged in general
merchandising in Millerstown, on the Juniata.
Jacob married Ann Eliza Addams, whose father,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Abraham Addams, had come from Berks to Perry
county about 1811. Two. sons and two daugh
ters were born to them, and, of these, James
Addams Beaver is their third child and first son.
The father died in 1840, and the widow in 1844
married the Rev. S. H. McDonald, of Millers
town, and removed with him and her family to
Belleville, Mifflin county. Here James began his
education at the district sthool, but not being
possessed of a robust constitution, the years
1850-51-52 he spent at home, preparing under
the guidance of his stepfather, who was a fine
classical scholar, for an academic course.
In the latter part of 1852 he was entered at
the Pine Grove Academy, and in a remarkably
short time successfully passed examination for
admission to the junior class of Jefferson College
at Cannonsburg, Penn., of which he was the
youngest member. In 1856 he was graduated
from this institution with good standing in a large
class. Some years afterward the Rev. James A.
Reid, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of
Springfield, 111., in a historical sketch of his
class, said: "James A. Beaver, better known
in college days as 'Jim Beaver,' was a little bit
of an enthusiastic fellow, full -of fun and pun and
pluck and frolic, who never did anything bad,
but always looked glad. James has been grow
ing bigger and bigger ever since he was born.
His usual modesty has prevented him from giv
ing me anything from his own pen, but his war
record is so creditable to himself and so well
known that there is no trouble in getting at the
facts. Gen. Beaver is an active and devoted
member of the Presbyterian Church, and as en
thusiastic a general in the Sabbath-school work
of the State as he was in the army of his coun
try." Here we may add that in 1888 Gen. Beaver
was elected by the Presbytery of Huntingdon to
represent it in the Centennial meeting of the Gen
eral Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of the
United States of America. He was appointed,
by the moderator of the Assembly, vice-modera
tor, and as such presided at several meetings of
the Assembly, being the first layman in the his
tory of the Church who ever occupied that po
sition. After leaving college, young Beaver settled in
Bellefonte, and entered the law office of Hon.
H. N. McAllister, one of the most able and dis
tinguished lawyers in the State, who died while
a member of the convention which framed the
new constitution of Pennsylvania. He applied
himself with such assiduity to his studies, that
January 24, 1859, when he had barely reached
his majority, he was admitted to the Bar of Cen
tre County. His industry and the painstaking

care he exercised in all his work, the fact that he
was so thoroughly grounded in the principles of
the law, so ready in speech and argument, at
once made an impression, and he was accounted
a young lawyer of more than ordinary promise.
His preceptor, recognizing his merit, and haying
need of such assistance as he could render in a
large and important practice, took him into
partnership. While preparing himself for the
Bar he joined the Bellefonte Fencibles, under
Capt. Andrew G. Curtin, soon to become famous
as " Pennsylvania's War Governor." Like every
task he undertook, Beaver put his entire soul
into the work, was so attentive and obedient that
before long he had attained great proficiency in
drill. He gave much attention to the study of
tactics, and an opening occurring he was made
second lieutenant of the company. Then came
the war. The firing on Fort Sumter had aroused
the loyal North, but in no instance did the Pres
ident's call for 75,000 volunteers to defend
Washington meet with a more prompt response
than in the picturesque little Pennsylvania town
of Bellefonte. The Fencibles, indeed, had as
sembled, every man equipped for active duty,
before the echoes of firing had died away. Writ
ing to his mother at this time, we find Lieut.
Beaver saying: " A dispatch from Washington
says that hostilities have actually begun. The
South Carolinians fired upon the ' Star of the
West, ' which contained supplies for Major An
derson. If this is true, which God forbid, war
has actually commenced. Where will be the
end? The nation must be preserved. And who
can mistake his duty in this emergency? I have
prayed for direction, guidance, and clear revela
tion of duty, and I cannot now doubt where the
path of duty lies. If required, I will march in
it, trusting in God for the result. There are few
men situated as I am. No person dependent up
on me, and a business which I will leave in able
hands. If we have a nationality, it must be con
tinued, supported, upheld. If we are ordered to
Washington or elsewhere, I will see you before
I go. God bless you, my mother." "No hesi
tation here," says Col. Burr, his biographer,
"but a sword leaping from its scabbard to do
battle for conscience and for country; a noble,
ready patriotism, which saw in the country's
peril the call of a commanding duty." The
young lawyer and lieutenant of militia, who took
this bold stand while older men were hesitating,
was not yet twenty-four years of age; but he dis
played an appreciation of the situation, a fore
sight of events, and a realization of the mighty
issues involved which would have done credit to
much older heads.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

The Bellefonte Fencibles were mustered into
service as Company H, 2d P. V. I., Col.
Frederick S. Stumbaugh commanding, on April
21, 1 86 1, and were immediately dispatched by
rail to Washington. The Confederates, how
ever, by the burning of the bridge at Cockeys-
ville, Md., prevented further progress, and the
command was ordered to return to York. His
regiment joined the column which operated under
the command of Gen. Patterson in the Shenan
doah Valley, being present at the skirmish called
the battle of Falling Waters. In July the term
of enlistment expired, and the men were duly
mustered out at Harrisburg, on the 26th day of
that month. Lieut. Beaver, however, had,
previous to his muster-out, prepared to enter the
service again ; but this time he determined it
would be "for the war." Aided by Thomas
Welsh, lieutenant-colonel of the 2d Regi
ment, of Lancaster county, and J. M. Kilbourne,
of Potter county, he soon organized the 45th P.
V. I., and it was mustered into service on Octo
ber 18, 1 86 1. At the election held for officers,
Thomas Welsh was elected colonel, Lieut. Beaver
lieutenant-colonel, and J. M. Kilbourne major.
On October 21st the command left camp for
Washington, and, shortly after its arrival there,
it started for Fortress Monroe, whence, on De
cember 6, it sailed for Port Royal, S. C. Having
received orders to occupy the Sea Islands, Col.
Welsh divided his regiment, giving Lieut. -Col.
Beaver a separate command, and he was sent to
relieve the gallant 79th New York, at Fort
Walker. In January, 1862, he relieved the 5 5th
P. V. I. and part of the 7th Connecticut, then
stationed at Hilton Head Island. Subsequently
the regiment was ordered north to join the Army
of the Potomac after the disastrous Peninsular
campaign, and after a short sojourn at Newport
News it was assigned to guard the military rail
road from Acquia Creek to Fredericksburg. Col.
Beaver was dispatched with the remainder of the
command to Brooks Station.
On September 4, Lieut. -Col. Beaver, at the
urgent request of his neighbors at home, and of
Gov. Curtin, resigned his commission in the 45th
to accept the appointment of colonel of the 148th
P. V. I., known also as the Centre County regi
ment, and, with his new command, left Harris
burg on September 8. His regiment was posted
along the Northern Central railroad during the
Antietam campaign, and remained in that po
sition until December 10, when it was transferred
to the Rappahannock, and became part of the
1st Brigade, 1st Division, 2nd Corps. As soon
as the regiment arrived at the front, Col. Beaver
rode up to Gen. Hancock's headquarters and re

ported his arrival. "Gen. Hancock," he said,
"I have been ordered to report to you, sir, for
duty." "What is your regiment, Colonel?"
" 148th P. V. I." was the reply; "and, General,
while I would not presume so much as to sug
gest the disposition that is to be made of my
regiment, I shall be glad if it could be placed in
a brigade of your division, where the men can
see a daily exemplification of the good results of
the soldiery discipline I have endeavored to
teach." The great soldier was, of course, no
less surprised than pleased at the enthusiasm
displayed by the young colonel, but could only
reply: " I regret to say that we have no such
brigade. I only wish we had. You will report
for duty, sir, to the commander of the 1st Bri
gade of this division." It is said that the request
which the young officer had made led Gen. Han
cock to keep a careful watch upon his future
course, and it was not long before he observed
that in camp and upon parade the regiment
which he commanded was a model for all of the
others in the brigade. Indeed, so conspicuous
was its excellence that long before the army was
again prepared for battle, Gen. Joe Hooker had
predicted that it would not be long before its
colonel would be a major-general. Gen. Han
cock's estimate of him, written twenty years
after the incident just mentioned, may be here
quoted: "Gen. James A. Beaver joined the
first division of the 2nd Army Corps (then com
manded by me) with his regiment, the 148th P.
V. I., just after the battle of Fredericksburg,
December, 1862, and served constantly under
my command in the 2nd Corps (save when ab
sent from wounds received in battle) until the
fall of 1864. During that period he was en
gaged in some of the most important campaigns
and battles of the Army of the Potomac, and
took a conspicuous and distinguished part in
many of them. I consider him one of the most
intrepid, intelligent, and efficient young officers
in our service during the war, and on several oc
casions mentioned him in my official reports foi
valuable service and distinguished bravery. He
was wounded at Chancellorsville, again while gal
lantly leading his fine regiment and brigade in an
assault upon the enemy's works at Petersburg, Va. ,
June 16, 1864, and at Ream's Station, August
25, 1864. On this latter occasion he had just
joined his regiment on the battlefield, and taken
command of the brigade to which it belonged,
after an absence caused by former wounds, when
he was struck by a musket ball which shattered his
thigh and disabled him for life by the loss of a leg. "
Col. Beaver and his regiment were soon mov
ing forward to the battle of Chancellorsville, and

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

hardly had the firing on this memorable battle
field commenced ere he fell, hit hard below the
waistband. It seemed to all about him that the
wound must eventually prove fatal, but he de
clined the services of those who sprang to his
assistance, saying: "Go to your places; it will
be time enough to bury the dead when the bat
tle is over." An hour later he received the wel
come intelligence from the army surgeon that a
gutta-percha pencil, which had been smashed to
atoms, had turned the ball from its course, caus
ing it to plow a great track through the fleshy
part of the abdomen only, and thus saved injury
to the intestines. He was removed to his home
at Bellefonte, but before the wound was entirely
healed he took command of Camp Curtin, by
order of Gen. Couch, and began organizing the
troops which were then flocking by the thousands
to Harrisburg in response to President Lincoln's
call for 120,000 men for the purpose of defend
ing the State of Pennsylvania against Lee's inva
sion. The satisfactory manner in which he ac
complished this task called forth the following
compliment from Maj.-Gen. Couch, which was
issued in special order No. 35, July 15, 1863:
"The Major-General commanding tenders thanks
to Col. Beaver for the important service rendered
him in the organization of the troops which were
hurried to the capital and placed under his com
mand at Camp Curtin. Notwithstanding he was
absent on leave in this department, on account
of wounds received in battle, the zeal and energy
he manifested in the- cause is worthy of emula
tion." Many years after this, Gen. Couch,
speaking of Col. Beaver's devotion to duty at the
time, said: "He was a soldier who could be
trusted morning, noon and night." Col. Beaver
now made request to be allowed to rejoin his
regiment, and, his request having been granted,
he crossed the Potomac with it and participated
in Gen. Meade's retrograde movement from Cul-
peper Court House, and in the Mine Run cam
paign during the autumn of 1863. Part of the
winter and following spring were spent near
Stevensburg, Va. On May 13, he was assigned
to the command of the 3d Brigade, 1st Division,
2d Corps. He participated in all the battles of
the Wilderness campaign, and received the sur
render of Gen. Stuart at Spottsylvania. In the
assault of Cold Harbor his regiment especially
distinguished itself for its daring and successful
actions, and at Petersburg, on June 16, he com
manded a brigade, but was severely wounded in
the first assault upon the works. He was sent
home, but returned to the army in time to follow
his division, and reached it just as it was receiv
ing the terrible assault of the enemy at Ream's

Station on August 25. By direction of Gen.
Hancock he immediately assumed command of
the brigade, and bad scarcely more than relieved
the officer in command when he received a wound
in the right thigh, in consequence of which it
was found necessary to amputate the leg at the
hip. The loss of his leg, of course, completely
incapacitated him for active service, and at his
own request he was honorably mustered out of
service on December 22, 1864, on account of
wounds received in battle, having previously de
clined a detail for court-martial duty at Wash
ington. Previous to this, however, he had been
brevetted brigadier-general "for highly merito
rious and distinguished conduct throughout the
campaign, particularly for valuable services at
Cold Harbor while commanding a brigade."
General Beaver resumed the practice of his
profession with his partner, Hon. H. N. McAl
lister, who had conducted the business during
his absence, and who had no superior at the bar
in central Pennsylvania. With both members
of the firm actively and devotedly engaged in
the practice of the profession, the business not
only increased but became very exacting in its
demands. He did not on this account, however,
neglect the duties which devolve upon the indi
vidual citizen. Soon after his return he was in
duced, for the sake of securing harmony within
the Republican ranks, to accept the nomination
for representative in the State Legislature. Cen
tre county at that time gave an average Demo
cratic majority of about 1,000. There was no
expectation that this majority could be overcome,
and no special effort was made in the canvass.
He was defeated by his Democratic competitor by
a majority of less than 150. In the following year
he was informally tendered the nomination for
Congress in a district which was then largely Re
publican, the conferees of three of the counties
(the district being composed of five) offering to
support him for the nomination. He declined
to allow the use of his name, however, on the
ground that the representative of the district
who was then serving in Congress had a right to
another term. He also refused to allow his
name to be used in opposition to that of Gov.
Geary for a second term in 1869, although of
fered the support of a powerful faction in Penn
sylvania politics.
. In 1878 his name was brought forward by the
county convention of Centre county as their
choice for the nomination for governor. He did
not regard this as a call for his services, and
therefore paid no special attention to it, and no
effort was made to secure support in other sec
tions of the State. His name was favorably

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

mentioned in the Republican convention of that
year, and although he advised his friends to vote
for Gen. Hoyt, whose nomination had been de
termined upon, he received a number of votes.
This brought his name prominently before the
people of the State, and in the campaign which
followed he rendered efficient service, particu
larly in the northwestern part of the State, where
great dissatisfaction existed. In 1880 he was
elected as a district delegate to the Republican
National Convention which convened at Chicago
in that year, and was unanimously elected the
chairman of the Pennsylvania delegation. Not
withstanding the division of the delegation into
hostile factions, he held himself so fairly in re
gard to both of them that the vote of the Penn
sylvania delegation was never questioned during
the entire period of that exciting convention;
and after the nomination of Gen. Garfield he
was tendered by his co-delegates the unanimous
vote of the delegation for the Vice- Presidency.
Several other delegations, North and South,
made a like tender, and it was believed at the
time that he would have been nominated upon
the ticket with Gen. Garfield if he had not per
emptorily declined to allow his name to be used,
giving for a reason therefor that it was neither
good politics to nominate a candidate for Vice-
President from Pennsylvania, nor had he any de
sire to occupy a place in which, there was little
opportunity for activity. At his suggestion the
Pennsylvania delegation decided to support any
candidate who might be presented by the ma
jority of the delegation from New York. Gen.
Arthur was afterward nominated, and the result
is well known.
In January, 1881, a successor to Hon. Will
iam A. Wallace was to be elected by the Legisla
ture to represent Pennsylvania in the United
States Senate. Hon. Henry W. Oliver was the
choice of the Republican caucus. A large num
ber of Republicans, however, refused to support
the caucus nominee, and a dead-lock ensued
which lasted for several weeks. Without any
consultation with him, and without his knowledge
or consent, the name of Gen. Beaver was pre
sented by a representative of those who opposed
the caucus nominee as a compromise candidate.
He was named by what was known as the regu
lar caucus, but owing to the manner in which
this was done the Independents declined to sup
port him. He went to Harrisburg, assisted to
provide a tribunal which should name a candidate
to be supported by both elements of the party,
and then returned home. The result was the
nomination of the Hon. John I. Mitchell, who
was elected. By these* means, and through his

active participation in the Presidential campaign
of 1880, Gen. Beaver was brought prominently
before the people of Pennsylvania, and in the
preliminary campaign which preceded the nomi
nation for governor in 1882, his name was the
only one prominently mentioned for that nomi
nation. No opposition to his nomination was
known to exist, and he was the unanimous choice
of the convention when it assembled. Dissen
sions arose afterward, however, growing out of
alleged abuses of internal management in the
Republican party, which resulted in the calling
of an independent convention, the nomination of
another Republican ticket, and the consequent
and inevitable defeat of both. The entire Dem
ocratic State ticket was elected.
In 1886 Gen. Beaver was again elected the
unanimous choice of his party for the chief mag
istracy of the State, and after an exciting canvass,
in which the Prohibition party took an unusually
active part, he was elected by a plurality of over
40,000. He was inaugurated January 18, 1887,
and it may be truly said that no man ever assumed
office with a greater or more sacred sense of the
obligation which he then took upon himself. He
entered upon his duties with a fearless determi
nation to faithfully execute the laws for the whole
people, and his administration certainly proved
that no pressure or crisis ever made him swerve
from his resolve. His administration was char
acterized by a familiarity with the conditions of
society, and a knowledge of the wants of the
people, which were acquired by an active partic
ipation in their every-day life, through the varied
means offered him for such a purpose. Provision
for industrial education, in connection with the
common-school system of the State, was strong
ly urged in his inaugural-address, and throughout
his administration this subject received his care
ful consideration, and was insisted upon on every
proper occasion. During his term of office a
commission to consider the whole question of
industrial education was, at his suggestion, ap
pointed, and their report on the subject forms
one of the most important and valuable contri
butions to the practical solution of this question
which has yet appeared. In his first message to
the Legislature he called special attention to the
necessity for improvement in the roads of the
State, and, as essential thereto, a reform in the
road laws. The subject was immediately taken
up by the governors of many other States, and is
now one of the foremost questions demanding a
practical and successful solution.
On May 31, 1889, there occurred in the Cone-
maugh Valley, on the western slope of the Alle-
ghanies, a catastrophe which has probably no

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

parallel, by which some 3,000 lives were lost by
reason of extraordinary heavy rains, and the giv
ing away of an immense reservoir in the mount
ains sustained by a dam originally built for
supplying the canal system of the State with
water, and which had more lately been main
tained for fishing purposes by an outing club.
In response to the appeals made for the be
reaved and destitute people of this region some
three millions of dollars poured into the hands of
the Executive, which were distributed through a
relief commission appointed by him. He also
assumed the responsibility of borrowing $400,-
000, which provided, through the agency of the
Board of Health, for the removal of the debris
in the valley, which, owing to the particular cir
cumstances of the case, seriously endangered the
health of the remaining inhabitants. This work
required months of unusual labor and most care
ful forethought in plan and execution. Subse
quent events proved that the emergency was
wisely and energetically met and mastered. Gov.
Beaver was deeply interested, during his official
term, in the project to connect the waters of Lake
Erie and the Ohio river by a ship-canal. He co
operated very zealously with a commission which
was appointed by him to inquire as to the expe
diency of such a highway, and in his last message
to the legislature gave expression to views which,
in the light of subsequent developments in regard
to the Canadian canal system, show his grasp of
the subject. He said in relation to the subject:
" If the waters of Lake Erie and the Ohio were
connected by a canal such as proposed and
shown to be entirely feasible, and if the present
canal from Albany to Buffalo were enlarged so as
to admit vessels of the same size, these links
would secure a chain of inter-waterway commu
nication between New York and New Orleans
which would be invaluable for commercial pur
poses, and in time of war would furnish an en
tirely safe means of communication between
these important termini and all other interior
points. It would, in addition, give us control for
defensive purposes of our lake front, which we
do not now have, and which it is doubtful
whether we can secure in any other way under
present treaty stipulations."
His was a practical business administration
without any effort at show, but with an earnest
attempt to secure results calculated to advance
the welfare of the people. Rev. Dr. Ready, of
Alabama, who lost an arm in the Confederate
service, and who is a warm personal friend of
Gen. Beaver, at a meeting of their college class
in 1 891, thus summed up his administration,
"in the words of one who watched his course

closely: ' His administration was high-toned,
conscientious, diligent, and clean, without even
the shadow of a suggestion of scandal or of sub
jection to improper influences. He was consid
erate of all legitimate interests, scrupulous in his
selections for appointment to office, and un
flinching in his exercise of the veto power when
ever his judgment so directed, even in the case
of measures supported by his best personal
friends. His career has indeed furnished a true
and honorable type of the American citizen and
public official.' "
In the attempt to reorganize the militia of
the State of Pennsylvania alter the war, Gen.
Beaver was appointed a major-general by Gov.
Geary, and took a prominent part in securing by
legislation and practical effort such reorganiza
tion. It required great labor and persistence.
He with a few others, however, including Gen.
Hartranft, who was afterward elected governor,
and other general officers, gave much time and
effort, and finally succeeded in organizing the Na
tional Guard of Pennsylvania. Gen. Beaver was
continually in service, either as brigadier-general _
or major-general, until the election of 1886,
when he became ex-officio commander-in-chief,
and appeared at the head of the Guard at the
Constitutional Centennial Celebration in 1887,
in Philadelphia, and at the celebration of the
Centennial of Washington's Inauguration in 1889
in New York. He was thus, either as brigade
or division commander or as the commander-in-
chief, connected with the National Guard of
Pennsylvania for over twenty years, and is now
on the honorably retired list, with the rank of
major-general. Upon his return to private life
he again resumed the practice of law with his
former law partners, J. W. Gephart and Jno. M.
Dale. Mr. Gephart retiring from the firm in
1893, the practice was continued for a time by
Beaver & Dale, until the Governor retired from
active practice. He was for several years pres
ident of the Blubaker Coal Co., which is the
owner of a large and valuable body of bituminous
coal lands in Cambria county, Penn., and which
has had a phenomenal growth and development.
He is specially proud of his State and her history,
and is an earnest and efficient advocate of any
and all improvements tending to advance her in
terests and the welfare of her people. He has
for many years taken great interest in the Penn
sylvania State College, has been a member of its
board of trustees for nearly twenty-five years,
and is chairman of the executive committee which
has practical direction of its affairs. He has been
largely instrumental in aiding in the wonderful
development of this institution, which ranks sec-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ond to none in laying broad and deep founda
tions upon which a great industrial university is
to be built. He has been a member of the board
of trustees of Washington and Jefferson College
— his alma mater — and of Lincoln University, in
Chester county, Penn., an institution for the
education of colored young men. He has also
been president of the Alumni Association of
Washington and Jefferson College for a number
of years. In college he was a member of the
Beta Theta Pi fraternity, and he is also a mem
ber of the Phi Beta Kappa Society. In 1889
Dickinson College, of Carlisle, Penn., and Han
over College, of Indiana, both conferred upon
him the honorary literary degree of LL. D.
The General possesses a large and valuable
library, and makes a specialty of collecting
books and data of all kinds relating to the war.
He was selected to act as grand marshal of the
ceremonies at Washington in connection with
the inauguration of Gen. Benjamin Harrison as
President of the United States. Like most
other great men who passed through the war, he
is strongly in favor of burying all sectional ani
mosity connected with it, and in his address of
welcome at Gettysburg, in 1888, by the Army of
the Potomac, to the Confederate soldiers, said,
among other patriotic and appropriate remarks:
I have often busied myself in thought and have some
times spoken on some phases of the question, " Do the
results of the war pay for its cost? " It is difficult for us to
look at your side of that question. It was a great price that
we paid on both sides for that decision. Think of the blood;
think of the tears; think of the treasure; think of the prop
erty; look at the graves in yonder cemetery; think of the
scene of the conflict. Oh, what a cost! and yet, my country
men, think of the result. Think of the new birth of freedom ;
think of the new hopes and the new aspirations for the future;
think of the career which opens up before us as we face the
future; think of the generations to come; think of the herit
age we are preparing for them ; think of the great settlement
of great questions settled, and only to be settled, by the
sword; think of the saving of blood and of tears, and of
treasure, because we took up the sword, and did not leave it
for other generations who were to come after us, when feel
ing would be intensified, when greater numbers would be
involved, and when the conflict would have been more pro
longed and more deadly. The finite mind loses itself in
contemplation of these questions. We can bow to the de
cision; and I think we are learning to say more and more, as
the days go by that, great as was the cost, infinite as was the
price, the result pays — pays now and will pay much more in
the future. I cannot particularize as to the questions which
we face — the great questions of public policy which we must
settle in this generation. I see a grand future for my coun
try. Do I say "my country?" Your country — our country,
North and South. I see a great development of her material
resources; I see a grand upbuilding of her intellectual
power; I see a broad extension of her influence among the
nations of the earth; I see her glorious flag floating at the
topmast in every harbor of the world; I see the principles
upon which she is founded, extending and deepening and
widening for the benefit of mankind; I see the glorious Chris
tianity which underlies and characterizes her civilization, car
ried by human lips of her commissioning throughout the world,
for the healing of nations. And, as this vision arises, the ques
tion is not " What of the past? " but " What of the future? "

How shall we meet its responsibilities? How shall we an
swer its demands? How shall we rise to the heights of its
great possibilities? O, my countrymen of the Gray and of
the Blue, these are the questions about which we should be
concerned. And because the consideration of these ques
tions is pressing and imminent, we who wore the Blue have
invited you men who wore the Gray, to join us here on this
historic field. We welcome you because we need you; we
welcome you because you need us; we welcome you because
we together must enter in and possess this future, and trans
mit this heritage to the oncoming generations. Are we
ready? If so, "Let the dead past bury its dead."
In July, 1895, Gov. Beaver was appointed
Judge of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania,
which had been authorized by an Act of the Leg
islature then lately passed. He was subsequently
nominated by the State Republican Convention
for the full term of ten years from January, 1896,
and was elected at the general election in No
vember which followed. Judge Beaver at his
home is looked upon as a most exemplary citizen
and no one takes a deeper interest in the affairs
of his home town. Some five years ago he was
elected by a handsome majority at the borough
election as one of the councilmenof the borough,
and was one of the most active workers in that
body. He is a bright example for any young
man. He is the embodiment of Christian cour
age, of all that goes to make a true and pure life.
His time, his talents, his money, have been sac
rificed for the good of his country, his State and
his home community. Still in the strength of a
noble manhood, with a will to work, and intelli
gence to direct, he will continue to fill the same
position of usefulness while he lives. When the
true worth of this illustrious citizen is fully ap
preciated, no citizen in the history of this Com
monwealth will occupy a more exalted position
in the annals of the State than Ex-Governor and
General and Judge James A. Beaver.
On December 26, 1865, Judge Beaver was
united in marriage to Miss Mary Allison McAllis
ter, daughter of the late Hon. H. N. McAllister,
of Bellefonte. She is a lady of fine culture and
education, and an air of refinement and taste
surrounds her home. An enthusiastic American,
she is proud of her soldier husband and his rec
ord, and she has the supreme satisfaction of
knowing that she has proved herself a worthy
helpmeet to him. They have two sons living —
Gilbert Addams and Thomas, both bright and
talented young men, who give promise of useful
and helpful lives. A third son, Hugh McAllister,
died August 2, 1897. He was a very remarkable
young man, and although only in his twenty-fifth
year had accomplished more in influencing others
toward right living than often falls to the lot of
much older men. His untimely death was uni
versally mourned in his home community, where
he was greatly esteemed and beloved.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

S\ENATOR HENRY PETRIKIN, of Belle-
) fonte, Centre county, died at the "Merchants
Hotel" in Philadelphia, November 8, 1849. He
was the first white child born in Bellefonte, in
the year 1798, a printer by profession, and for
many years editor of the Bellefonte Patriot. He
was a member of the House in 1828-30, State
Senator in 1826 for Judge Burnside's unexpired
term, and Senator in 1831-35. He was Deputy
Secretary of the Commonwealth from 1839-42,
and from 1845-48. At the close of his life he
was superintendent of the railroad around the
Inclined Plane. He was buried at Harrisburg,
according to his own request.

[ON. JOHN HOLDEN ORVIS, who died at
his home in Bellefonte on November 6,
1893, was one of the town's most prominent
and distinguished citizens. He was descended
from Puritan ancestry upon both his father's and
his mother's side, the original ancestor of the
Orvis family being among the emigrants in the
second vessel that landed on the shores of New
England in 1653. The family subsequently re
moved to Connecticut.
Jesse Orvis (1), many years before the Re
volution, removed from Connecticut to the State
of New York. Several of his sons served in the
armies of the United States in the Revolution.
Jesse Orvis (2), the youngest son, born in 1774,
married Susan Holden, and removed with his
family to Tioga county, Pennsylvania, in 1806.
Prior to this, Jesse Orvis (3), their third son,
was born April 4, 1804. Jesse Orvis (3) married
Elizabeth Rowley, the seventh child of Dr.
Reuben Rowley, who served with personal and
professional credit in the Revolutionary army as
a surgeon. The Doctor's home during the war,
and for some years subsequently, was in the pres
ent State of Vermont. Having married Susan
Campbell, he removed, in 1803, from Vermont,
to the vicinity of Albra, Bradford Co., Penn.
Dr. Rowley died July 6, 1834, in his eighty-
third year; and his wife on February 13, 1840,
in her eighty-first year.
The children of Jesse Orvis (3) and wife were:
Rev. Edward Everett Orvis, a distinguished
divine in the Christian Church; Susan, married
to Samuel Gillette; Lydia, married to Francis
Warner; Irene, married to Victor Gillette; John
Holden, subject of this sketch; Jesse Kilburn;
Augusta, married to Nathan McCloskey; and Sam
uel, who died in childhood. The mother, Eliza
beth, died March 2, 1842, a victim of an epi
demic, and Jesse Orvis (3), in 1844, married El-
mira Austin. Prior to 1850 he lost his property

in Tioga county by reason of some defect in the
original title. Impoverished and somewhat dis
heartened by this event he, in 1853, removed
with his second wife and their children to Harris-
ville, Wis., where he resided until his death in
1 88 1, when he was aged seventy-eight.
John Holden Orvis was born in Sullivan,
Tioga Co., Penn. Owing to his mother's un
timely death, followed by the financial misfortunes
of his father, he was forced at an early age to be
gin his own support. While yet a boy of twelve
years, he came to reside in Howard, Centre
county, with his half-brother, Orrin T. Noble;
attended the common schools and at the early
age of fifteen years became a school teacher in
Curtin township, and as such assisted in the or
ganization of the first teachers' institute of the
county, at Oak Hall, October 1, 1850. In 185 1
he went to Baltimore, and there learned the art
of printing in the office of R. J. Thachett,
From thence he went to Chester county, Penn. ,
where he worked at his trade near New London,
and attended a term at the New London Acad
emy. Returning to Centre county, he followed
his trade of printing, also teaching school, notably
one term, 1853-54, at Rock Hill school house, in
Harris township. Just before this he took charge
of an engineer corps for the purpose of running
an experimental railroad line for the P. & E. R.
R. west through the Brush Valley narrows into
Centre county past the villages of Rebersburg,
Centre Hall and Oak Hall, and ending near the
present site of the Pennsylvania State College.
This he did to the satisfaction of his employers,
but the line was never adopted. It is said that
this was the first railroad survey in Centre county.
In public schools he was noted for his infallibility
as a speller, and was the wonder of his school
mates in mental arithmetic. In his academic
course of one month at a little academy in Ches
ter county, he began algebra, then to him an
unknown science, and passing rapidly two classes,
finished the higher algebra with the graduating
class at the end of four weeks. About the same
time he recited the nine books of geometry in
nine lessons, concluding in so incredibly a short
period of time the work of several years in the
ordinary academic training of boys. He always
intended to make the law his profession, and
when nineteen years old arranged to read under
the tutorship of Nathan L. Atwood, of Lock
Haven. He was born a lawyer. Every instinct
of his nature led him to it; during his preparation
he drank deeply from the well-springs of the En
glish common law; Coke was an especially fav
orite, and he familiarized himself with the lead
ing cases and decisions of the great chancellors

^V7^. K. Onsxj

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

9

and judges of the English courts. He also
thoroughly acquainted himself with the intrica
cies of special pleading and of technical practice,
so that when he was admitted to the Bar in
February, 1856, then just of age, he was grounded
in all the general principles of the common law.
As soon as admitted, he mapped out and entered
upon a wide range of legal, political, historical
and forensic literature. His memory was so re
markable that he could repeat long poems, such
as "Lalla Rookh", or the "Lady of the Lake".
His voluminous reading was done in the early
years of his married life. So intense was his
application to his books that at one time he al
most lost his eyesight; this happened particularly
from his reading aloud to his young wife the five
volumes of Macaulay's "England" in four weeks
time. So retentive was his memory that what
he had read in early years became part of his
mental self, and he retained the power of apt
quotation from the masters of English literature,
that, while rarely indulged in, always surprised
his audience.
At the time of his admission the Clinton
County Bar was composed mostly of men not far
advanced in life, and he at once took a leading
position among them. He read deeply and care
fully the laws of the State, for the purpose of
familiarizing himself with the lines of decisions
in the Pennsylvania courts. In this he was so
successful that in later years no leading case or
general principle laid down in Pennsylvania could
be sprung upon him as a surprise. So complete
was his work in this direction that, when ques
tioned upon it by a brother lawyer within a year
before his death, he stated that ' ' he believed he
could truthfully say, and without egotism, that
he was acquainted with all the leading legal
principles laid down and reported by the Supreme
Courts of Pennsylvania from the beginning of the-
Commonwealth to the present time." Yet he
was not so engrossed in the law but that he did
not deeply interest himself in the political wel
fare of his country. His family had been Dem
ocratic from the time of Jefferson. He there
fore naturally identified himself with the great
party, and just as naturally took a prominent
part in shaping its councils in the county of
Clinton. During the intense agitation preced
ing the war of the Rebellion he took a conserva
tive view of the Calhoun doctrine, and advocated
the rights of the States as opposed to the ex
treme views of the opposite party. While doing
this, he did not sympathize with armed rebellion.
When, in 1861, President Lincoln made his his
toric call for the three-months' men, John Hol
den Orvis at once responded, leaving his prac

tice and his family, and enlisted as a private
soldier in Capt. Jarret's company raised in Lock
Haven. This company was attached to the nth
P. V. I., and at once went to the front. Mr.
Orvis was engaged in the battle of Falling Wa
ters, the first of the bloody drama that followed,
and by his side was killed the first Union soldier
in actual fight. As his company was held in re
serve a few miles away from the battle of Bull
Run, he was saved from sharing in the doubtful
honor as well as danger of that gre'at defeat.
He was a good soldier, and performed good serv
ice on the Potomac and in the vicinity of Mar-
tinsbufg, Va. Unfortunately, from exposure to
the fierce heat of the early summer, he received
a sun-stroke that for a time rendered him unfit
for service. He returned home at the end of his
service in the uniform of a lieutenant, and held
a promotion to a captaincy. He resumed his
practice at Lock Haven, and in December, 1862,
removed his family to Bellefonte. At the first
court in December he took charge of twenty-five
cases and won twenty-four, losing only one.
The great ability with which he conducted the
cases, and the remarkable success that crowned
his efforts, placed him at the head of the Bar,
where he had but one rival, the late Hon H. N.
McAllister. Mr. Orvis at once formed a part
nership with the Hon. C. T. Alexander, subse
quently State senator from the district — a part
nership that remained undisturbed until the
elevation of Mr. Orvis to the Bench. Before
the law firm was dissolved, it was enlarged by
the addition of Mr. C. M. Bower.
Being an ardent Democrat, and finding the
county in the hands of Republican office holders,
he earnestly threw himself into the work of re
forming and reviving the Democratic party. Be
tween the terms of court he zealously advocated
the principles of his party in every village of the
county, and demonstrated his powers as a polit
ical organizer by at once changing the Democratic
minority to a strong and unfailing majority. He
was the author of the rules which govern the
party organization to the present time. It was
his leadership, zeal and service that, more than
other causes, saved the county to his party. In
1872 he was unanimously nominated by his party
to the State Legislature, and that fall was elected
by a flattering and decisive majority; this election
permanently settled the numerical supremacy of
his party in Centre county. As a member of the
Legislature he immediately rose to the front.
His party instinctively gave him the leadership
on the floor. The State administration, though
of opposite party affiliation, consulted with him
upon all proposed important legislation of a non-

10

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

partisan character, and in fact entrusted him with
the introduction and conduct of most important
bills. His work in the committee-room and on
the floor became so great that he was compelled
to employ a private secretary, and pay him a
salary equal to his own as a legislator, so that he
actually served the people without compensation
and at his own expense. As his term of office
immediately preceded the adoption of the new
constitution, that has lopped off much of legis
lative abuse and corruption, he was necessarily
thrown in opposition to a mass of corrupt and
iniquitous bills mostly of a private nature, now
fortunately no longer possible. With the alert
ness of a lynx he detected every job, and danger
ously corrupt "rider," and with the boldness of
a lion opposed and exposed them in the House.
In the midst of unusual legislative corruption he
commanded the respect of his compeers, and
came out of his term without a suspicion on the
part of his enemies. In 1873 he was re-nomi
nated and re-elected by a phenomenal majority.
He received the compliment of his party's nomi
nation for the speakership, and was the acknowl
edged Democratic leader on all partisan questions
and the acknowledged leader of the House upon
all non-partisan ones. During this session he was
more than usually active in attacking and pun
ishing bribery in the "lobby" and the "house,"
exertions which lead the impeachment and expul
sion of the most guilty.
On the creation of the office of Additional
Law Judge by Act of the Legislature of April 9,
1874, in the district composed of the counties of
Centre, Clearfield. and Clinton, the members of
the three bars, without regard to political affili
ations, unanimously petitioned the Governor to
appoint Mr. Orvis. In obedience to this demand,
and in graceful recognition of his merits and dis
tinguished services by a political opponent, Gov.
Hartranft appointed bim to the judgeship. Judge
Orvis accordingly accepted the appointment, and
tendered his resignation from the Legislature.
In November following he was elected by the
people to the judgeship for a period of ten years.
His elevation to the Bench was an epoch in the
criminal history of the district. He immediately
reduced the number of drinking places in the dis
trict, cutting down those in Bellefonte from over
twenty to three. After his first court his name
became a terror to evil-doers; the police were
made efficient; the public were notified and as
sured that criminals would be punished, and un
der the efficient assistance of Col. Spangler, then
district attorney, long trains of criminals were
convicted of most serious crimes and sentenced
to the severest penalties of the State. Judge

Orvis smote crime with an iron hand. He did
more — he crushed and destroyed it. During;the
latter years of his term, the criminal weeks under
his administration ceased to become features. of
his court, while terms would go by without seri
ous crime, so that the office of district attorney
actually became profitless. Judge Orvis was the
greatest reforming agency in the central part of
Pennsylvania. His greatness as a judge mani
fested itself more particularly in the trial of civil
causes. By his fairness and impartiality he at
once won for himself the friendship and compan
ionship of all the members of the Bar. He was
in no sense a case judge, but he was a great
judge, because while giving due deference to the
standing decisions of the Supreme Courts, he
made his own rulings in harmony with the eternal
principles of law and justice. Before his eleva
tion to the judgeship his competitors acknowl
edged him to be a good lawyer, on the Bench
they found him to be a great one. As Gov.
Beaver said of -him in the memorial service held
by the various Bars of the State: "Judge Orvis
not only knew the law, but he knew what the
law ought to be." So that when the circum
stances demanded it, he did not hesitate to start
out in new lines and lay down general principles
consonant with human reason, but heretoforei un
announced in the books. For this reason ap
peals from his decision to the Supreme Court
have established an unusual number of leading
principles. Very few minds could reflect better
than his the legal thoughts and language of the
older judges, but it was not the cold reflection of
some mere judicial satellite; his mind glowed
with its own internal heat and warmth, and shone
with self-created and luminous knowledge. It
was he that first settled the principle that where
lands were divided by a county line, the tax sales
of the county would convey title to the land only
within its boundaries. It was also he that
checked the Supreme Court in its tendency to
destroy the old common-law principle relative to
the character and nature of negotiable paper.
It was also Judge Orvis that established and for
mulated many of the leading principles of land
location in what was probably the most compli
cated system of land law in the world. To be a
good land lawyer in Pennsylvania requires extra
ordinary intellectual power and labor. When
one is a great lawyer, such as Judge Orvis was,
he is necessarily a mental phenomenon. The
general reader cannot realize the force of this un
less he has watched the course of some eject
ment in the county, lasting for weeks and months,
involving knowledge of the most complicated
and artificial system of trial ever invented by

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

11

man, with a mastery over a myriad of technical
points of original locations, of engineering, sur
veying, woodcraft, botany, topography, drafting,
and of new and ancient titles marvelous to even
the most initiated. All these must one be and
have to be a great land lawyer. When Judge
Orvis died he was the greatest land lawyer in the
State. It was he who presided over the cele
brated ejectment brought by Burley against the
Houtz heirs, which involved property to the
value of millions of dollars, and it was his charge
in that celebrated case that has been adopted by
the profession of the State as the best text-book
of land law in existence. In obedience to the
demand for it from every section of the State he
was obliged to have it printed in pamphlet form
for general distribution.
About 1873 Judge Orvis was elected a trustee
of the Pennsylvania State College. The fortunes
of this institution were then languishing. It had
been an experiment in the line of higher educa
tion to the agricultural and mechanical classes in
the direction of their particular trades and occu
pations; the experiment up to that time had
proved a failure. The idea which had given
birth to the college had been lost sight of, and it
had sunk to the level of an ordinary preparatory
school; the general sentiment was that the
scheme had proved a failure, and that the insti
tution should be abandoned. In addition to
these discouraging circumstances, it was over
whelmed with an indebtedness both funded and
floating. The college had, however, a few warm
and faithful friends; these men — like Gen.
Beaver — pursuaded Judge Orvis to interest him
self in the fortunes of the college. Accordingly
he was elected a trustee, and from that time to
his death he gave his best thoughts and purpose
and much of his time to the college. Judge Or
vis and his co-trustees at first met with many
obstacles, yet they never faltered. Year after
year without compensation they worked; slowly
at first, but step by step they reformed the pur
poses of the institution, and brought it back to
its original position. Their first success was in
inducing the Legislature of the State to feel some
thing of its responsibility by paying off the heavy
indebtedness contracted for the building and
plant itself. Conveniences being added, and its
income diverted to the proper channels of edu
cation instead of paying interest, more and abler
professors were engaged, and the scope of the
institution enlarged. Nothing permanent could be
done until the right man could be secured for the
presidency of the institution. For years Judge
Orvis and its other friends felt this, and hunted
through the United States for their ideal presi

dent. At last they found him in Dr. George W.
Atherton. After some delay they induced this
gentleman to accept the responsibility of this
position, and devote his life and strength to this
particular work. After years of experiment and
trial, the trustees have the same confidence in
Dr. Atherton as at first. Things began to look
brighter for the college; more students began to
come; the Legislature manifested increased in
terest in its protege by erecting handsome build
ings and finely-equipped laboratories, until to-day
the institution is fast becoming the pride of the
great State of Pennsylvania. Judge Orvis' am
bition for the State College was limitless. His
scheme for the future was a vast industrial uni
versity that dazzles the imagination. While he
did not live to see the realization of such golden
dreams, he did live to see the success of his favor
ite established beyond question, and doing a
great and acknowledged work in the line of in
dustrial education. His work and services will
never be forgotten in the annals of this great and
growing institution of learning, and he will ever be
recognized as one of the moulding minds and
hands of its career.
During the great railroad strikes in 1877 that
paralyzed the industries of the country from
ocean to ocean, and were particularly dangerous
on the line of the Pennsylvania Company, a
spirit of anarchy and communism penetrated into
every town and county in the State; the masses
sympathized with the rioters and strikers, and
those who did not were cowed into silence.
Bellefonte was not exempt from this; mobs took
possession of her streets; sensational addresses
were made to excited crowds, and prominent
citizens were groaned at and threatened. In
this moment of danger some careless expressions
of three business men were whispered through
the streets and construed by the rioters into dis
approval of themselves. Immediately the wrath
of an irresponsible mob was upon them, and they
were hunted down like wild beasts; stores were
broken into, violence used, and it was only with
the greatest difficulty that the men by the aid of
active friends escaped from violence and fled
from the town. The mayor of the town ha
rangued the people on the streets, read the riot
acts, and ordered the citizens to their homes, but
to no purpose. His constabulary was powerless,
or in active sympathy with the offenders. Judge
Orvis, then on the Bench, took prompt and ef
fective measures to meet the emergency of the
hour. He summoned the sheriff, explained to
him the gravity of the situation, and instructed
him to use his powers and do his duty. Under
his instructions the sheriff summoned several

12

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

hundred resolute and law-abiding citizens, arm
ing and empowering them to act as deputy sher
iffs, and had them patrol the streets night and
day. Before such vigorous measures violence
ceased, and the town at once relapsed into its
wonted quiet. On the trial of the offenders in a
subsequent court, two were convicted and sen
tenced at hard work in the penitentiary. It was
said at the time that Judge Orvis was the one
judge in the State that thus vindicated the out
raged majesty of the law.
At the same time, in the neighboring city of
Altoona, a similar spirit manifested itself; in fact
in greater crowds and still more violent and dan
gerous methods. Gov. Hartranft ordered the
militia of the State to arms, and Maj.-Gen.
Beaver to take command in the city. Unfort
unately the railroads were in the hands of the
rioters, and the transportation of troops both de
ficient and dangerous. Still more unfortunately
the members of the National Guard were badly
disciplined, and too much in sympathy with those
against whom they had been called to arms. It
was a dangerous crisis; the alarm of citizens was
increasing, fires and murders beginning to occur,
and no one could forsee when and where would
be the end. Gen. Beaver needed intelligent and
patriotic assistance. Judge Orvis, D. H. Hast
ings and a few other non-militants offered them
selves as volunteers, and were gratefully accepted
by the perplexed commander. Judge Orvis was
placed upon Gen. Beaver's staff, finally acting as
judge advocate. As a staff officer and in the
councils at headquarters, no one showed superior
discretion or courage. Under these trying cir
cumstances he displayed the same qualities of
judgment, coolness and bravery that distinguished
him as a jurist, and would have made his reputa
tion in the battles of his country. At one time
it became necessary to take ammunition to a point
some fifty miles west of the city; the officer in
command sent secret intelligence of his wants to
Gen. Beaver, but all trains were in the hands of
the rioters, and the task of taking ammunition in
person was one of such imminent danger, that at
first all shrank from it. At once Judge Orvis
•offered himself, and Col. J. L. Spangler volun
teered to be his companion. To be successful
meant relief to troops in danger; to be detected
meant exposure to personal violence if not death.
During the night the two men prepared them
selves, and had large satchels filled with cart
ridges. In the early morning gray the two
friends walked with their heavy loads, and board
ed the train in the midst of suspicion and angry
faces. It took nerve to do this in a moment of
such intense popular excitement. Fortunately

both men had it, and without accident reached
in safety the place to be relieved.
In 1883 the Legislature of the State erected
the counties of Centre and Huntingdon into the
49th Judicial District, and made Judge Orvis its
president judge. In November of the same year
he voluntarily tendered his resignation of the
office for the purpose of resuming his practice of
the law. During the latter part of 1884 he
formed a partnership with J. Frank Snyder, un
der the firm name of Orvis & Snyder, for Clear
field county, and January 1, 1885, formed a
partnership with C. M. Bower and his son, Ellis
L. Orvis, under the firm name of Orvis, Bower
& Orvis, for the county of Centre. Both of
these law firms continued unchanged until his
death. From the time of his resignation until
his last sickness, his practice was large, and as
sumed more and more immense proportions. It
led him into almost every county in the State.
His time was occupied with important legal en
gagements for every day for months ahead, and,
with the exception of short vacations in the sum
mer, his life was one of continuous legal battle
in the various courts of Pennsylvania. Those
who knew him, and had some proper conception
of the stupendous work he was doing, could not
believe that one weak man could stand the
strain. So numerous were his engagements,
that in spite of all his precaution, his presence
would be required at the same time in widely
different courts; the perplexity and anxiety aris
ing from this multiplicity of engagements and the
clashing calls upon his time would alone have
broken down an ordinary man. But Judge Orvis
delighted in legal strife. He loved a hard-
fought legal battle, enjoyed its victories, and
found comparative pleasure even in honorable
defeat. It was because he loved his profession
and enjoyed the society of his professional breth
ren, even when arrayed against him at the coun
sel table; it was because all lawyers were his
friends and companions, and none his rivals; it
was because there was no bitterness to him in
the victory of others, that he lived so long and
stood the tremendous strain upon his vital forces.
What really killed him was overwork — exhaus
tion of the vital forces — whatever other name
physicians may see fit to give it. The uniform
ity of his legal success is astonishing, considering
the extent of his practice. One reason of this is
that he either prepared his own cases, or had
them prepared by others whom he directed how
to do it. Another reason is that he would not
intentionally undertake a case he believed with
out merit. But the main cause of his success is
that he entered the legal arena armed at every

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

13

point, encased in the full panoply of juridic
armor, and that he never failed at the right mo
ment to use the weapon that would pierce his
adversary, if that adversary were assailable. His
mental resources were almost infinite, and he
generally took the enemy unawares; then, again,
it was his habit to keep strong points in reserve
for an emergency, so that many a time he routed
the other side, and convinced the judge at the
very moment his cause seemed weakest. His
last argument to the court, his last reply to his
opponents, his last words to the jury, were al
ways his strongest and most unanswerable. His
argument was always strong and clear, even
from the start, but his clearness and strength in
variably made a crescendo. His power came from
his intense self-reliance, as well as from his in
tense truthfulness. He never misquoted a case
or consciously misapplied a legal principle.
The presiding judge as well as his opponents
could implicitly trust his quotation from authori
ties, and rely upon his citation of cases. He was
too good a lawyer and too great a man to ignore
the decisions that seemed to bear against him.
With extraordinary candor he was always willing
to give these full weight; but his peculiar power
consisted in nice discriminations between the ap
plication of principle to the facts in the cases
cited and the facts in question. More than any
other lawyer living, was he able to turn the
weapons of his opponents against themselves,
and use the case most relied upon by them as
the basis of an argument fatal to their position.
Many of his most brilliant victories were gained
because of his ability to turn the enemy's artil
lery against themselves. Though some few of his
greatest trials were on the calendars of the crim
inal courts, he was only a great criminal lawyer
because he was a great lawyer. That class of
cases was not to his taste, and it was always
with reluctance and under pressure that he ac
cepted such; the great bulk of his practice was in
the trial of causes in the Court of Common Pleas
and Appellate Court of the State; but he was an
all-around lawyer.
In the drawing of the ordinary legal docu
ments, the preparation of pleadings, convey
ancing, in the practice of the Orphans' Court and
settlement of estates, in the drawing of contracts.
between business men, in the formation and con
duct of corporations and partnerships, in the
consultation in his private office, in the courts of
equity — in all alike he excelled. Though he was
remarkably successful in persuading the under
standing of judges, he was equally so in reaching
the convictions of jurors. His arguments upon
facts were as clear and limpid as the magnificent

spring that wells up in the town of his adoption.
Jurors believed him because he never deceived
them. He had a reputation for telling them the
truth. He did not conceal or disguise facts that
were stubborn and seemed contrary to his theory
of the case. He never twisted or distorted such
facts, but gave them their due weight, and cap
tured the understanding of his hearers by giving
unexpected but translucent explanation of their
existence, thereby harmonizing them with the
structure he had been carefully building out of
the evidence and obtaining the verdict of the
jury. At the memorial service it was said of him
that he was a master builder, that he laid his
foundations deep, building his walls of ponderous
but polished granite. His work was beautiful
and admirable because strong and true and en
during forever. He did not delight in useless.
ornamentation, yet it would be a wrong to him
to say that in his mental armory there lay only
the weapons of logic. He could shoot the sharp-
arrows of satire, wit, and humor, and many a
fallacy has he pierced, and many a foe has he
abashed with his truthful wit and genuine humor.
Sometimes, when the occasion demanded, he did
not disdain the weapon of rhetoric, and when he
felt strongly the wrongs of some injured client he
would burst forth into pathos and a tremendous.
indignation that thrilled the crowded court-room
and stormed the jury-box. But in the main his.
triumphs were those of reason and a great legal
and judicial mind, that forced its superiority to-
be acknowledged by all his associates and pro
fessional brethren. To the world at large he was.
known as a distinguished lawyer, a stern expo
nent of justice, and the logical and invincible
speaker in the courts. But in the home and'
inner circles of his chosen friends he was a differ
ent personality. To the public he was a man of
iron; at home he was the tender, loving husbandi.
and indulgent father. He was. possessed of an
exceedingly delicate organism; he could not en
dure the sight of pain or suffering in others.
Any genuine tale of woe would bring tears to his
eyes, and he wept with those that suffered. The
news of the Johnstown horror prostrated him for
days so that he lost his appetite and could not
sleep. No one that had the slightest claim upon
him ever failed of sympathy or came to him for aid
and went away refused. He was generous to-
the detriment of his own fortune; so much so
that he could keep no money about his person,
for every one that asked received. For this rea
son he did not accumulate, and was compelled for
the protection of his family to place all the sur
plus of his earnings in life insurance. He was.

14

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

remarkable in the tenacity of his friendships; his
boyish companions retained his favor to the last,
though many times this favor was sadly abused.
His charity was broad, though never paraded, and
his alms munificent, though never known save to
its recipients. He was a man that bore no en
mities, and kept no resentments.
In early manhood he became a Christian, and
was received into the church by immersion.
From that hour until his death he never faltered in
his belief in the cardinal principles of the Chris
tian religion. He was a Christian by belief from
the outstart of his career, and the clouds of
doubt and skepticism never cast a shadow on his
clear intellect.
Judge Orvis was married in the spring of
1856 to Miss Caroline Elizabeth Atwood,
daughter of Origen Atwood, an iron master of
near Philadelphia. Their children were: Ellis
Lewis, born November 16, 1857; William At
wood, born in October, 1859, died in infancy;
Jennie Irene, born June 30, 1862, now the wife
of Albert E. Canfield; Anna, born January 23,
1864, now the wife of Harry Keller, a member
of the Bellefonte Bar; and Caroline Atwood, born
July 3, 1 87 1. In his family Judge Orvis was
generous and indulgent to a rare degree even for
fathers. His home life was a peculiarly happy
one, and he wa,s crowned with the Jove and ad
miration of his wife and children. The only
regret in the home life was his necessary absence
from home in the line of his professional work.
When at home, where he loved to be with his
own family, he welcomed his friends and neigh
bors. There his social qualities and conversa
tional powers appeared to their best, and there
he showed his love of music, flowers and chil
dren.

MOLLIS L. ORVIS, son of the late Judge John
 'I H. Orvis, and junior member of the law
firm of Orvis, Bower & Orvis, Bellefonte, Centre
county, was born at Lock Haven, Penn., Novem
ber 16, 1857. In 1863 he came with the family
to Bellefonte, where he has since resided.
Mr. Orvis prepared for college at the Belle
fonte Academy, and in the fall of 1872 entered
the freshman class of Pennsylvania State Col
lege, in which institution he took the classical
course, in 1875 carried off the Kaine prize for the
best English oration, and was graduated in 1876.
He subsequently took a post-graduate course for
one year in chemistry and modern languages.
For a number of years after graduation he en
gaged in surveying, becoming quite an efficient
surveyor, and while so engaged he studied law.

In the fall of 1880 he was admitted to the Bar of
Centre County, but he still continued surveying
until the winter of 1883-84, when he purchased
an interest in the Centre Democrat, and became
associated with the late S. T. Shugert as junior
editor of that paper. Soon after his connection
with that journal his health failed, and he was
compelled to abandon the newspaper business.
The summer and fall of 1884 Mr. Orvis spent
in the Rocky Mountains and along the Pacific
coast, traveling as far north as British Columbia.
While visiting the National Park he had a nar
row escape from falling into the hands of a band
of highway robbers. The people in the carriage
just ahead of the one in which he and party were
traveling were attacked and "held up," and had
Mr. Orvis' party not scattered so that the ban
dits could not surround them, they would un
doubtedly have met the same fate that befell
those ahead of them.
On January 1, 1885, Mr. Orvis became the
junior member of the law firm of Orvis,- Bower
& Orvis, since when he has been actively en
gaged in the practice of law, giving his entire
time to his profession. After the death of Judge
Orvis, which occurred in November, 1893, the
business of the firm was continued by Mr. E. L.
Orvis and Mr. Bower, the remaining members,
and they have since been able to retain the ex
tensive practice that they had prior to the death
of Judge Orvis.
Mr. Orvis is a man of excellent character, of
fine attainments, and, although young in years,
is one of the leading lawyers of Pennsylvania.
He is strong in the trial of cases before the jury,
and, in the presentation of questions of law to
the court, has no equal among the members of
the Bar of his county. In the trial of a case,
and in presenting questions of law to the court,
he is extremely courteous, but forceful and con
vincing. Politically he is a Democrat, but has never
been an office-seeker. In 1883 he was unani
mously tendered the nomination of his party for
the office of County Surveyor, and was elected
by the handsome majority of over nine hundred.
Of his nomination the Watchman said:
Ellis Orvis, our nominee for county surveyor, is the only
sop of Judge Orvis— a young man of talent and education,
and already well versed in the art of surveying, having had
considerable practical experience by association with the
best surveyors. He understands the business theoretically,
too, and will make an excellent official. He is an attorney
by profession, and studious and careful in all he does. His
nomination is quite a compliment to him, and he will do it
no discredit. Again, in 1 891, he was honored by a nomina
tion and election by a decisive majority in this
Senatorial District as a delegate to the proposed

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

15

Constitutional Convention. In both instances
these nominations came to him unsolicited. The
following complimentary notices appeared at the
timetof his election as delegate:
Ellis L. Orvis, Esq., who was selected as the choice of
the county for delegate to the Constitutional Convention, is
the junior member of the law firm of Orvis, Bower & Orvis,
and is well fitted for the honorable and important position.
He is a gentleman of quite studious habits, has keen discern
ment and clear ideas, is conservative in his views and careful
and considerate in his actions. There would be no danger, if
men like Mr. Orvis are elected delegates, of rash and radical
changes in the Constitution to the detriment of the people or
injury 'to one's business interests in the Commonwealth. —
Watchman, August 14, 1H91.
At the conference at Lock Haven last week Ellis L.
Orvis, Esq., was chosen as one of the two Democratic nomi
nees of this district as delegate to the proposed Constitu
tional Convention. This is a decided compliment to our
young legal friend and a fitting recognition of his ability.
, Should the Convention be established, Mr. Orvis would serve
in that august body with distinction and credit to his con
stituency. Though the Convention may receive little in
dorsement in this district, we predict for him a handsome
vote. — Centre Democrat, October 1. 1891.
On Christmas Day, 1884, Mr. Orvis was mar
ried to Miss Mary Lowrie Lyon, a daughter of
S. Stewart Lyon and Ann Valentine Lyon, of
Bellefonte, Penn. Mrs. Orvis was born Septem
ber 19, 1863, at Hazelwood, the Lyon home
stead, in Spring township, Centre county. Two
children have come to this union: Anne Valen
tine Lyon, born February 5, 1886, and Caroline
Elizabeth, born March 24, 1 890. Mr. Orvis is
identified with the Christian Church, Mrs. Orvis
with the Presbyterian denomination.
Mrs. Orvis' grandparents on both sides have
, been extensively engaged in developing the early
iron interests of Centre county. John Lyon,
her grandfather, was for many years a member
of the well-known iron firm of Lyon, Shorb
& Co.
Mr. Orvis is of a literary turn, and has an ex
treme fondness for books. His residence, situ
ated on East Linn street, is filled with a well-
selected and magnificent library. Much of his
time is spent among his books, and he is recog
nized as one of the best informed and most cult
ured men of Bellefonte.

TON. ANDREW G. CURTIN, late of Belle-
Jffli fonte, Centre county, lawyer, governor,
diplomat, member of the Constitutional Conven
tion and member of Congress, was born at Belle
fonte, April 22, 18 19.
Roland Curtin, his father, was a native of
Ireland, and was educated in Paris. His mother
was Jane (Gregg) Curtin, the latter the daughter
of Hon. Andrew Gregg. Roland Curtin, while
a resident of Paris, narrowly escaped the guillo

tine during the Reign of Terror. He came first
to Philipsburg, now in Centre county, then start
ed a store at Milesburg as early as March, 1797,
and was a resident of Bellefonte, keeping store in
1800. He was coroner of the county in 1803;
sheriff in 1 806, and soon after became extensive
ly engaged in iron works, and became prominent
ly identified with all public improvements made
within the county. His death occurred in 1850,
and that of the mother of Andrew G. Curtin, in
1854. Andrew G. Curtin completed an academic
course of education at the academy of Rev.
David Kirkpatrick.'D. D., in Milton, studied law
under Hon. W. W. Potter, in Bellefonte, com
pleting a course of legal study under Judge John
Reed, in the Law Department of Dickinson Col
lege, at Carlisle. He was admitted to the Bar at
the April term of 1837. In 1840 he took an act
ive part in politics, in what was known as the Har
rison campaign, and in 1844 canvassed the State
for Henry Clay for President. In 1 848 and' 1852
he was on the State ticket for Presidential elec
tor. On January 7, 1855, he was commissioned,
by Gov. James Pollock, secretary of the Com
monwealth, which position also included that of
superintendent of the public schools. Progress
ive in every station he reached, his superintend
ence of State education has as one of its land
marks the institution of the system of normal
schools, his recommendations and his annual
reports culminating in the passage of the act of
May 20, 1857, "To provide for the training of
teachers for the common schools of the State. "
In i860, Mr. Curtin was nominated by the
Republican party as their candidate for Govern
or, and elected over Henry D. Foster by a ma
jority of 32, 107 votes. His administration of the
gubernatorial office during the dark days of the
Republic made an imperishable name for his
family, and added historic grandeur to the annals
of the Commonwealth. The foresight which im
pelled him to refuse to disband the overflowing
volunteer regiments which the patriotism of
Pennsylvania contributed on the call of the Pres
ident, and his prompt application to the Legis
lature for authority to organize them into a
corps, afterward the famous " Pennsylvania Re
serves," saved the National Government, im
periled by the disaster of Bull Run. The ad
dresses he made, when presenting flags to the
Pennsylvania regiments as they went forth to
fight for the Union, will only be forgotten when
the last volley is fired over the last Pennsylvania
veteran of the war. Those 215 battle-flags,
bearing the aegis of the Commonwealth of Penn
sylvania,' came back blood-stained, tattered, and

16

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

torn, but never disgraced upon any battle-field
of the Republic.
Gov. Curtin's ever-enduring memorial, how
ever, in connection with the war, is the Orphan
School, for the children of those who gave their
lives that the Union might live. Recurring to
his promise to the soldiers, as thousands of men
stood before him for the last time, that Pennsyl
vania would never forget or neglect them or
theirs, and that their children should be the chil
dren of the State, he clung to that purpose with
a tenacity worthy of such a grand and noble
cause. Amid his ceaseless care of the soldiers
on the field and in the hospital, he never forgot
those who were left at home by the gallant fel
lows who had gone forward. It was the grand
undertone of his magnificent speech in the Acad
emy of Music, at Philadelphia, ' ' let the widow
and her dependent offspring in fact and in truth
be the children of the State, and let the mighty
peopie of the great Commonwealth nurture and
maintain them." In January, 1864, in his an
nual message, he brought the subject to the
attention of the Legislature in the memorable
words: "I commend to the prompt attention of
the Legislature the subject of the relief of the
poor orphans of our soldiers who have given or
shall give their lives for us during this crisis. In
my opinion their maintenance and education
should be provided for by the State. Failing
other natural friends of ability, they should be
honorably received and fostered as the children
of the Commonwealth."
Failing in getting through the Legislature a
proper bill, which had been matured with great
care, the Governor started with the noble dona
tion of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company of
$50,000, and laid the foundation for the Soldiers'
Orphan Schools, a work of beneficence, right
eousness and justice which will keep Gov. Cur
tin's memory fragrant for ages to come, the good
results of which, felt all through time, the Judg
ment Day will only fully reveal. His health was
much broken by arduous service during his first
term, and President Lincoln tendered him a for
eign mission, which it was his intention to accept,
but having been renominated for governor, and
the people of the State being unwilling to part
with their war governor, he filled out a second
term of the gubernatorial office. In 1869 he
was appointed, by President Grant, minister to
Russia, returned to this country in the fall of
1872, and took part in the liberal Republican
movement which nominated Horace Greeley.
He was very prominently spoken of for the sec
ond place on that ticket, and was the choice of
the Pennsylvania delegation in the Greeley con

vention for President. His connection with the
liberal Republican movement, and the fact that
his power and influence in the Republican party
which were eminent while he remained in, the
country, but which had been broken by his ab
sence, carried him into the Democratic party.
He was a member of the Constitutional Con
vention of 1872-3, and for a few years after had
little to do with politics. When he wearied of
the quiet of business life, and longed for politics,
Gov. Curtin found a place in the Democratic
party, and was nominated for Congress in 1878,
when he was defeated by the Greenbackers. He
was nominated again, in 1880, by the Demo
crats of his Congressional District, and was
elected for two terms, retiring in 1887 near the
close of his seventy-first year. In Congress
Gov. Curtin was a faithful public servant, and
attracted much public attention. At one time he
was chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Com
mittee. After leaving Congress Gov. Curtin pursued a
quiet life at his mountain home in Bellefonte,
respected and esteemed by people of all classes.
His familiar figure was an everyday sight on the
streets of his native town. Tall, and erect as a
youth, he would walk about for his daily exer
cise. Until within a short time previous to his
death he kept up a lively interest in the politics
of the county, and it was his influence that made
his friend, Dr. J. H. Dobbins, the postmaster
here under the former Cleveland administration,
and not until he had given evidence that it would
prove satisfactory would the department recom
mend the appointment of the present official.
His time was occupied in looking after his business
here and dispensing charities. No more pleas
ant hour could be spent than in a talk with the
ex-Governor; he always loved young people, and
gave them friendly counsel whenever an oppor
tunity presented itself, and those who enjoyed
his intimacy will cherish his charming personality
as long as memory lasts. His death occurred
October 7, 1894. He left to survive him his
wife, a lady of a charming personality, a daugh
ter of Dr. William I. Wilson, three daughters,
all residents of Bellefonte, and one son, William
Wilson Curtin, of Philadelphia.

Hon. hugh n. McAllister, who was
_ a distinguished citizen of Bellefonte, Centre
county, and one of the most prominent lawyers
of this part of the State, was the eldest son of
Hon. William McAllister and Sarah (Thompson),
and was born on the farm owned by his father

fy Safin. SecrtnW l

^CZ^Zl^q^

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

17

and grandfather in Lost Creek Valley, Juniata
Co., Penn., June 28, 1809.
His great-grandfather emigrated from Ireland
to Lancaster county, Penn., about the year 1730.
Major Hugh McAllister, grandfather of HughN.,
was born in Little Britain township, Lancaster
county, in 1736. He served in the Indian war
of 1763, and also in the war of the Revolution.
At the close of the latter he retired to his farm
in Lost Creek Valley, in Juniata county. He
married Sarah Nelson, and reared a large family.
A son, Hon. William McAllister, was born on
the farm in Lost Creek Valley in August, 1774.
He married Sarah Thompson. He served in the
war of 1 8 12, and was for a long time one of the
associate judges of Juniata county.
Hon. Hugh N. McAllister was reared on his
father's farm, living at home and working on the
farm during his minority, and receiving such
elementary education as the neighborhood schools
afforded. He obtained the rudiments of the
classics from Rev. John Hutchinson. In 1830
he entered the freshman class at Jefferson Col
lege, Canonsburg, and stood so high before the
end of the year as to be chosen by his society as
one of its debators, which honor, however, his
modesty and timidity induced him to decline. He
graduated, in 1833, high in a class in which were
many more since distinguished in the Church
and State. As soon as he graduated Mr. Mc
Allister commenced the study of law in the office
of Hon. W. W. Potter, at Bellefonte. After
completing the ordinary course of studies pursued
by students in an office, he attended a law school
then conducted at Carlisle by Hon. John Reed,
president judge of the district, and author of
"Pennsylvania Blackstone." On November 25,
1835, on motion of W. W. Potter, Mr. McAllis
ter was admitted to practice in several courts
of Centre county. He was at once taken into
full partnership by Mr. Potter, and the election
of the latter to Congress soon after threw the
whole labor and responsibility of an extensive
law practice upon the younger partner. As in
every subsequent situation in life, Mr. McAllister
brought so much ability, earnestness, zeal and
indomitable perseverance to bear as to overcome
all obstacles, and to successfully meet all re
sponsibilities resting upon him. The early death
of Mr. Potter, while in Congress, left Mr. Mc
Allister alone in the practice to compete with
one of the ablest Bars in the State. He remained
without a partner until Gen. James A. Beaver
was called to the Bar in 1859. From that time
the law practice was conducted under the firm
name of McAllister & Beaver. During the long
professional career of nearly thirty-eight years
2

he had an extensive, laborious and lucrative
practice. Up to the lasteight or ten years of his
life he regularly attended the courts of Clinton
and Huntingdon counties, and, at times, courts,
of other counties. As a counselor he was al
ways discreet, careful and safe; as an attorney
he was faithful, honest and industrious; as an
advocate, he was earnest, zealous, and, at times,
impressively eloquent. He would embark in no
man's cause unless thoroughly impressed with its
justice, and then he battled, as only a man of
his temperament could battle, for the right. In
the preparation of causes he was most thorough,
and frequently performed an amount of labor
which seemed beyond human endurance. His
arguments before the Supreme Court of the State,
of which the books of reports are full, were al
ways strong, clear and exhaustive.
During the Civil war Mr. McAllister was one
of the most earnest and zealous supporters of the
Administration. He was ever foremost in con
tributing means, and performing work to secure
volunteers, and in supporting the families of
those who were in the service. He did rpore
than any other one man to raise and organize the
many companies which left Centre county, and
finally, almost by his unaided exertions, raised a
full company, of which he was elected captain,
and upon its arrival at Camp Curtin, in Harris-
burg, was assigned as Company F to the 232d
Regiment of Pennsylvania Militia, commanded
by Col. George B. Weistling. Although far be
yond the age when men are relieved from military
duty, and being unfit by education, habits and
the state of his health for the hardships of a
campaign, he accepted the responsibility, went
with his company to the field, and served faith
fully until his place could be filled by a younger
man. Mr. McAllister never held many public offices.
Gov. Bigler, when a vacancy occurred in the
Fourth Judicial District, desired to appoint him
to the presidency of the Common Pleas, and
asked his friends to induce him to grant the use
of his name, and Gov. Curtin twice formally
offered him commissions as president judge,
which he declined.
After the close of the war, he was appointed
by the Governor as one of the commissioners to
investigate, settle and adjust the claims of citi
zens of the border counties, for losses sustained
by the war. This arduous and responsible duty
he performed in a manner highly satisfactory to
the State officials, as well as to the people im
mediately interested. He was elected one of the
delegates at large to the Constitutional Convention
of 1873, and was appointed chairman of the im-

18

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

portant committee on "Suffrage Election and
Representation," and a member of the commit
tee on "Railroads and Canals." He entered
upon his work with the energy and zeal which
ever characterized him. Unfortunately he did
not limit his labor by his physical capacity to
endure it, but by his desire for the permanent
good of his native State. Toward the close of
winter his strength gave way under incessant toil,
and he was compelled by his physician to return
home for rest. He remained at home four or
five weeks, during which time he improved in
strength. Three weeks before bis death, which
occurred at Philadelphia, May 15, 1873, and ac
tuated by an intense desire to take part in the
important discussions then going on in the con
vention, and being in improved health, he went
back to Philadelphia, and at once engaged ardu
ously in the labor of the convention. He made
several important speeches upon questions pend
ing before that body. He had over-estimated
his strength, for his intense labor brought on
disease, which in a few days terminated his
earthly career. Literally he offered himself a
sacrifice upon the altar of his Commonwealth.
He sacrificed his life in his effort to protect the
people from the corruptions of the times, and the
evils of misgovernment. Referring to him in
this connection, his biographer said: "The
delegates at large, elected upon the ticket with
him, will select a successor, but they cannot fill
his place."
As a citizen Mr. McAllister was always enter
prising, public-spirited and patriotic. He took
the lead in every enterprise designed to promote
the public good. He labored hard and contrib
uted liberally for all such purposes. This he did
not in a spirit of speculation to promote his own
good, but to benefit the people.
He was one of the projectors, the constant
friend and liberal supporter of what is now the
Pennsylvania State College. He kept the Agri
cultural Society in existence for years almost un
aided. He was the friend and supporter of the
common schools, academies and seminaries, as
well as Sunday-schools. For many years he was
the recognized head of the organizations in the
county fur the promotion of temperance. As a
neighbor he was ever considerate, kind, obliging
and liberal. As a man he was just, upright and
inflexibly honest. He was not honest from pol
icy, but from an innate love ot right and an intense
hatred of everything wrong. As a husband and
father, he was most kind, gentle and affectionate.
As a Christian, he was sincere, faithful and most
exemplary. For a long time he was not only a
member but an elder in the Presbyterian Church

of Bellefonte, and took an active part in the la
bors of the Sessions, Presbyteries, Synods and
General Assemblies. It would take a volume to
contain an enumeration of his virtues and his la
bors, and in this brief notice we will attempt no
further to detail what all who had the benefit of
his acquaintance knew so well. He was a man
of no vices, and as few of the imperfections in
cident to human nature as is ever found in our
race. Mr. McAllister was twice married — first to
Henrietta Ashman Orbison, of Huntingdon, by
whom he had seven children, four of whom died
in infancy, and one, Ellen E. , a lovely daughter,
died in 1866 at the age of twenty. Two daugh
ters, Mary A. , the wife of Gen. James A. Beav
er, and Sarah B., wife of Dr. Thomas R. Hays,
both of Bellefonte, survived their father. The
first Mrs. McAllister died April 12, 1857, and on
September 12, 1859, Mr. McAllister married
Margaret Hamilton, of Harrisburg, who died
April 27, 1876, aged fifty-three years. She was
the daughter of Hugh Hamilton, an editor of
note, and granddaughter of Capt. John Hamil
ton, under whom her husband's grandfather
served in the Revolution.
On the death of Mr. McAllister the Constitu
tional Convention passed appropriate resolutions,
and, out of respect for his memory and great pub
lic services, adjourned. Extracts from these and
from addresses delivered in the Convention, to
gether with those from a similar meeting of the
members of the Bar of Huntingdon, Clearfield,
Clinton and Centre counties held in the court
house at his home in Bellefonte, follow:
Resolved: That his death deprives the convention of one
of its most enlightened and industrious members, the Com
monwealth of one of her most public-spirited and useful
citizens, the community in which he lived of a man whose
indomitable energy, inflexible integrity and spotless moral
character attracted to him the confidence and affection of
all who knew him, and his family of a kind and devoted
husband and father.
But in no other work of his life did the great character
istics of H. N. McAllister appear to so much advantage as
in the discharge of his Christian duties. As an elder in the
Presbyterian Church, representing his congregation in Pres
bytery, he was uniformly in the lead of the clergy in every
thing with which it was proper for him to deal; he was full
of suggestion, of work and devotion; so he appeared in
the Synod, in the General Assembly, and so also at the great
meeting that united the old and new school of the Presby
terian Church. Becoming chairman of the sustension com
mittee of the Presbytery of Huntingdon, he found opened
before him a field for unselfish labor and charity commen
surate, and only commensurate, with his enlarged desire to
carry forward the work of the Lord. The clergy of his de
nomination throughout the State bear willing testimony to
the wisdom and high ability he displayed in the management
of that work. He had unequaled ability to induce others to
give up their means to the work of the Church, and he pos
sessed in an eminent degree the disposition to give abund
antly himself. I shall excite criticism from no one in this
section when I say that the private charities he has bestowed

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

19

upon the needy, in number and in the aggregate sum, far
exceed those of any other man in the interior of the State.
What a character! Always excitable, at times passionate,
imperious and relentless, and yet generous, benevolent, com
passionate and affectionate. As neighbor, husband and
father, I believe his life was faultless. — Mr. Bigler.
It was in the spring of 1841 — thirty-two years ago — that
I was sent to preside in the courts of the Fourth Judicial Dis
trict of Pennsylvania, consisting then of the counties of Mif
flin, Huntingdon, Centre, Clearfield and Clinton, and there I
first met Mr. McAllister. He resided at Bellefonte, Centre
county, but was growing into a large and lucrative practice
in several counties of the district. For ten years he prac
ticed law before me with great ability and success. I have
never seen so laborious and painstaking a lawyer. His great
forte lay in the preparation of his causes. He never came
into court unfurnished with evidence, if evidence could, with
any amount of research and industry, be obtained to estab
lish the facts of the case. Many ejectments upon original
titles were tried in those ten years, and I have known Mr.
McAllister to give fifty or sixty warrants and surveys in evi
dence, to fix the location of the one tract in suit. He would
sweep over a whole district of country and examine survey
ors as to every mark in miles of lines to verify the conclu
sions he wished to establish in the cause upon trial. In all
lawsuits, but especially in ejectments upon original titles, the
law arises upon the facts in evidence, and he is the most
philosophical and successful lawyer who arranges his facts
most fully, and places them before the court and jury in that
orderly sequence which is most natural and logical. Per
haps I have known lawyers of more subtle reasoning facul
ties than Mr. McAllister possessed, but I never knew one
who could prepare a cause so well. — Hon. G. W. Wood
ward.
Resolved: That we have learned with feelings of pro
found sorrow of the death of Hon. H. N. McAllister, who
for a period of nearly forty years stood in the front rank
of the legal profession, not only in this and the neighbor
ing districts, but who, by his learning, his industry and
integrity, has acquired throughout the entire State a high
and enviable reputation as a lawyer of eminent ability; and
who, by his liberality, his enterprising spirit, his devoted
patriotism, his steady and earnest desire to be foremost
in every good work, whether pertaining to religion, mor
ality, education or patriotism, by his open-hearted benev
olence and his unswerving devotion to duty, and to the
advancement and promotion of whatever he regarded as
right, has won the unbounded esteem, admiration and
confidence of the entire community; and who, by reason of
intense anxiety to perform his whole duty as a member
of the Constitutional Convention regardless of the decline of
his physical strength, fell at his post a martyr to that high
sense of duty which has been the guiding star of his life.
One by one they have gone. And now another is added
to this list of the dead, and our memories are charged with
sorrow at the departure of one more bright and shining light
of this Bar. More than al! that — more than an admiration
of the legal learning, or the strifes and antagonisms which
follow the professional life, we hold in our memories their
character as citizens of the community, and we measure
to them our gratitude by the good they did during their lives.
I know full well that Mr. McAllister never had those
attractive, magnetic qualities which make a man what is
termed popular. He never did; it was not in his nature to
condescend to the arts by which men too often attain to high
official position, or who become popular in the political ac
ceptation of the term; and yet I doubt much whether we
could have stood at the grave of one citizen of Centre county
who would be so universally mourned and whose loss would
be more severely felt. It is not the Bar alone that sustains
this loss. The society in which the man moved; the people
to whom he gave an example of integrity and virtue; the
community which surrounded him, has received a wound
that is bleeding to-day, and throughout all this region of
Pennsylvania there will be sincere mourning, because a use
ful citizen and a good man has died. — Ex-Governor An
drew G. Curtin, Chairman of the Committee of the Con
stitutional Convention.

ON. ANDREW GREGG, who in his life-
 time was a citizen of distinction of Belle
fonte, Centre county, having served in both
Houses of the United States Congress, was born
June io, 1755, about two miles northwesterly of
Carlisle, Penn., on a farm, adjoining the meeting
house farm, in Middleton township.
Andrew Gregg, his father, came from Lon
donderry, Ireland, and his grandfather's name
was John. The family had emigrated from Scot
land to Ireland, and an old-fashioned sword and
espontoon, long in the garret of the old house
on the Conodoguinet, were arms of the ancestor
in the army of King William at the battle of the
Boyne, July 1, 1690. Of Mr. Gregg's grand
father's family, John remained in Ireland; David,
Andrew, and their sister Rachel, who was mar
ried to Solomon Walker, came to America.
David settled in New Hampshire, and raised a
large family there. The Gregg families of Salem,
Mass., Elmira, N. Y. , and Indianapolis, Ind., are
descendants of David. Andrew and Mrs. Wal
ker settled on Christiana creek, near Newark,
Del., in 1732, where his first wife died, and An
drew married Jane Scott, daughter of Matthew
Scott, who had emigrated from Armagh, Ireland,
to Chestnut Level. Andrew Greg?, the elder,
removed to the farm near Carlisle, in 1750,
where he died November 18, 1789. Among his
children were Matthew, who was a wagon master
in the army from January 9, 1779. to August 14,
1790; James and John, who were also connected
with the army. John Gregg was the father of
Elizabeth (wife of George McKee), who died in
Bellefonte, October 11, 1801, and of the first
Mrs. Roland Curtin, Sr.
Hon. Andrew Gregg received his early educa
tion at Rev. John Steel's Latin school, in Car
lisle, and was then sent to Newark, Del., to
complete his education. While thus engaged he
turned out upon several occasions in the militia.
On the march of the British from Turkey Point
to Philadelphia, the academy at Newark was
broken up, and Mr. Gregg returned to Carlisle
to assist his father on the farm, his other brothers
being in the army. In 1779 he went to Phila
delphia, with the intention of going to France
for his health, which had been in a declining
state for some time; but changing his intention,
he accepted the appointment of tutor in the col
lege (now university) there, and continued there
under Dr. Smith's and Dr. Ewin^'s adm'nistra-
tions until 1783, when he removed to Middleton,
Penn., where he resided four years, engaged in
the mercantile business. On January 29, 1787,
Mr. Gregg was married to Martha, daughter of
Maj.-Gen. James Potter, at the latter's old resi-

20

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

dence in Buffalo Valley, now Union county. He
then removed to Lewistown, then being laid out
by Gen. Potter and Maj. Montgomery, where his
daughter Mary, afterward Mrs. McLanahan, of
Greencastle, Penn., was born, November 2, 1788.
In 1789 he removed to Penn's Valley, two miles
east of the Old Fort. His public services com
menced November 8, 1791, as member of the
House of Representatives of the United States.
He was continued in the House by successive
elections for a period of sixteen years, and in
1807 he was chosen United States senator, which
position he occupied until March 3, 181 3. He
was twice elected president of the Senate, the
highest distinction in the councils of the nation
any Pennsylvanian had then attained. In 18 14
he removed from Penn's Valley to Bellefonte for
the purpose of better educating his family. He
was the first president of the Centre Bank, which
was organized under articles of association or
partnership in 181 3, and was re-elected in 18 14.
On the 19th of December, 1820, he was ap
pointed secretary of the Commonwealth by Gov.
Hiester, which office he held when nominated by
a convention that met at Lewistown May 15,
1823, for governor in opposition to Mr. Shultz,
who had been nominated by what was called a
Legislative Convention at Harrisburg on the 5th
of March. After Mr. Gregg retired from the of
fice of Secretary of the Commonwealth, he resided
in Bellefonte until his death, which occurred May
20, 1835. He had strong party predilections,
but was remarkable for his independence of char
acter, always acting according to the con
victions of his own mind, though they sometimes
differed from those of political friends. He was
while in office, in fact what he was elected
to be, the representative of the interests of his
constituents. He was always scrupulously ten
acious of his oath to subserve the public good
according to the best of his judgment and abil
ity, never yielding his duty to the prejudices of
party spirit or the views of interested politicians.
Mr. Gregg's children, ten in number, were:
(1) Mrs. Mary McLanahan, of Greencastle,
mother of Andrew, James, Isabella and Mary.
(2) Jane, mother of Roland Curtin, Sr., father of
ex-Gov. A. G. Curtin. (3) Martha, who married
Dr. Constans Curtin, and died December 11,
1829. (4) Julia Ann, who married Gen. James
Irvin, and died July 4, 1856. (5) Eliza Mitchell,
widow of David Mitchell, of Bellefonte, now de
ceased. (6) Hon. Andrew Gregg, who died May
13, 1869, father of Gen. John I. Gregg, late of
the United States army, of Andrew Gregg, county
commissioner in 1895. (7) James P. Gregg,
married Eliza Wilson, and died in Virginia, Sep

tember 8, 1845. (8) Matthew D., married Ellen
McMurtrie, who also died in Virginia, July 26,
1845, the father of Gen. David McMurtrie Gregg,
now (1895) of Reading, Penn., a distinguished
cavalry officer of the United States army during
the war of the Rebellion. (9) Sarah, who married
Henry Kinney, and died March 28, 1836. (10)
Mrs. Margery Tucker, of Lewisburg, Penn.,
widow of Rev. Charles Tucker, of the Baptist
Church.

ON. WILLIAM F. PACKER, another son
JT1L of Centre county who became Governor of
the Commonwealth, and a distinguished states
man, was born near Howard, April 2, 1807.
When he was but seven years of age his father
died, leaving a widow and five small children—
the eldest under ten years of age. Bereft of
parental care, the sons, Hezekiah B. , afterward
Judge Packer, of Williamsport, William F., and
John P., afterward a merchant at Flemington,
Clinton Co., Penn., as they arrived at a sufficient
age, applied themselves to the task of assisting their
mother in maintaining the family, and cheerfully
sustained whatever hardships their situation im
posed, receiving at the same time such education
as the limited facilities of the country schools of
that time afforded. Directed by their mother,
and relying upon their own resources for their
success, it is no marvel that these young men be
came distinguished, each in his proper sphere in
after life.
In 1820, William F. Packer, then in his thir
teenth year, obtained a place in the office of the
Public Inquirer, published in Sunbury, with
Samuel F. Packer, a kinsman, afterward a
State senator from the Northumberland District,
who was publishing this paper at that time.
When young William became assured of his po
sition he trudged off on foot a distance of eighty
miles, and engaged himself as an apprentice.
After about one year had elapsed the paper was
discontinued and he returned to Centre county,
where he completed hisapprenticeship in the office
of the Bellefonte Patriot,then under the control of
Henry Petrikin, who subsequently became a dis
tinguished member of the State Legislature, and
was deputy secretary of the Commonwealth
under Governor Shunk. After the expiration of
his apprenticeship in 1825, he obtained a clerk
ship in the office of the register and recorder in
Lycoming county, but at the commencement of
the Legislature, in December of the same year,
he went to Harrisburg and engaged as a journey
man printer in the office of the Pennsylvatda
Intelligencer, published by Simon Cameron,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

21

since then United States senator, and David
Krause, afterward president judge of the Bucks
County District. He worked in this office for
two years, and then went to Williamsport and
entered his name as a student at law in the office
of Joseph B. Anthony, who afterward served as a
State senator, member of Congress and president
judge of the Lycoming District. He never ap
plied for admission to the Bar, yet the knowledge
thus acquired of the rudiments of the profession
was of inestimable value to him in the public
stations which he afterward filled. In the fall of
1827, he purchased the Lycoming Gazette, which,
in connection with John Brandon, he published
until the spring of 1836. On December 24,
1829, he was married to Mary W., daughter of
Peter W. Vanderbelt, a most estimable lady,
who still survives him. Mr. Packer took a lead
ing part in the agitation in constructing the West
Branch canal in 1831. He was the author of
the address to the people of Philadelphia, whose
members in the Legislature opposed the appro
priations for the building of this canal, and to
his efforts, as much as to those of any individual,
are the people of that section of the State in
debted for preserving and completing this great
improvement, whose influence was of incalcul
able benefit to the vicinity in which Mr. Packer
was raised. Mr. Packer was appointed as
superintendent of that division June, 1835. He
took a leading and active part in favor of the re-
nomination and re-election of Gov. George Wolf
in 1835. In 1836, with O. Barrett and Benja
min Parke, he established The Keystone at Har
risburg, a paper which at once commanded the
confidence and support of the Democratic party
of the State. In February, 1839, he was ap
pointed a member of the board of Canal Com
missioners, in which position he achieved great
success. In 1842 he was appointed auditor-general of
the Commonwealth, and he continued to dis
charge the duties of that office for a period of
three years, with great distinction. Mr. Packer
served two terms in the Legislature of the State,
from the district composed of Lycoming, Clinton
and Potter counties, and also served as speaker
of the House for two successive terms. He was
a lifelong adherent of the Democratic party,
and was one of the most forcible advocates and
leaders. He was elected State senator in 1849,
over Andrew G. Curtin, who afterward succeeded
him in the executive chair. On all questions
relating to improvements in the Susquehanna
Valley, he especially distinguished himself. In
1 85 1 he introduced a bill to incorporate the Sus
quehanna Railroad Co. This was the means of

the building eventually of a network of railroads
through this Valley, and the development of one
of the richest and most valuable sections of the
State. In the organization of the Susquehanna
Railroad Co., in June, 18,52, Mr. Packer was
made its first president. He was nominated for
governor in 1857, and was triumphantly elected
by a majority of fourteen thousand votes. His
administration of this office was accomplished
with great ability, and although many compli
cated questions involving great and important
decisions, were required, yet he met and dis
posed of all these with great credit and wisdom.
Gov. Packer relinquished the office of State ex
ecutive in i860, to Hon. A. G. Curtin, another of
Centre county's noble sons. Springing from the
people, he was an active and creditable expon
ent of their rights, and opposed with unflinching
firmness every form of intolerance, whether po
litical or religious. His name will ever be on
record as one of Pennsylvania's most capable
and illustrious statesmen.

ON. JOHN MITCHELL, who was for
J3L years a distinguished citizen of Bellefonte,
Centre county, was a son of Gen. David Mitchell,
of Cumberland county (now Perry), who was for
some twenty-two years a member of the Legis
lature. John Mitchell was born about two miles from
Newport, Perry county, March 8, 1791. When
quite a boy he went with his father on his jour
ney to the meetings of the Legislature to bring
the horses home, and returned for him in the
spring. He had little schooling, but a great ca
pacity for mathematics. One of the members
gave him a book, and told him he must run lines
all over the farm before his return in the spring,
which he did, being only about fourteen years of
age. He came to Centre county in 1800, and
engaged with John Dunlop as a clerk in the iron
works. In May, 18 14, he was married to the
widow of Col. W. W. Miles {nee Annie Boggs),
and then entered into the mercantile business
with his brother David, in Bellefonte. In Octo
ber, 1818, he was elected sheriff of Centre coun
ty, and as such became the executioner of Munks.
Mr.. Mitchell's ability as a surveyor and engineer
was so universally recognized that he became
constantly employed in such services. In 1821
he laid out the Centre and Kishacoquillas turn
pike and superintended its construction, and sub
sequently as engineer located many of the turn
pikes, in the middle and northern portions of the
State. In the fall of 1822 he was elected to the
Assembly, and re-elected in 1823. When elected

22

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

to Congress the first time, in 1824, he was in the
mountains surveying, and returned the second
day after the election. He had been gone three
weeks, and James M. Petrikin was about start
ing out to hunt him up and inform him of it. In
October, 1826, when he ran the second time,
there was but one vote against him in the Belle
fonte box. This was attributed to Mr. Norris,
brother-in-law of John Brown, one of the op
posing candidates. He, however, denied the im
peachment. In the summer of 1827, under the
directions of the canal commissioners, he made a
survey and examination of the proposed canal
routes between the Susquehanna and Potomac,
commencing at the mouth of the Conedocwinet,
above Harrisburg, and running west as far as
Green village, in Franklin county; thence con
tinued to Gettysburg, etc. In 1857 he was ap
pointed engineer on the Erie extension, connect
ing with the Beaver division above New Castle,
and running to Erie, superintending the con
struction of the French Creek feeder, which was
the first part of the work. In 1829 he was ap
pointed by the Legislature one of the canal com
missioners, reappointed by Gov. Wolf in 1830,
and continued in office until the advent of Gov.
Ritner's administration. It was in this office that
the peculiar talents of Mr. Mitchell shone most
conspicuously. Possessing strong common sense,
an intuitive sagacity, and a complete knowledge
of mankind, he united with these qualities great
coolness and discretion, an indefatigable perse
verance, supported by an iron constitution. Ac
customed from early life to endure privations,
often voluntarily undergone, neither the storms
of winter nor the heat of summer interfered with
the steady performance of his duty. His habit
was to get up before 5 o'clock in the morning,
and do a large amount of brain-work before
breakfast. He was Presidential elector on the
Van Buren and Johnston ticket in 1835, and
after his removal by Gov. Ritner in 1837 he went
into the iron business, the firm of John Mitchell
& Co. owning and managing Hecla and Mill
Hall Furnaces. He failed in that business in
1838, and in 1839 was appointed superintendent
of the Beaver division of the Pennsylvania canal,
and in 1842 removed from Centre county to
Bridgewater, Beaver county.
In 1844, when Francis R. Shunk, who had
been clerk of the canal board under Mr. Mitchell,
was elected governor, he promised Mr. Mitchell
the office of surveyor-general; but there being
factions in the Democratic party, and Mr. Mitch
ell standing with ex-Gov. Porter, Gov. Shunk
regretted bitterly that he could not keep his
word, saying he could not help it, and was forced

by circumstances. On January 1, 1845, the
State transferred the Beaver division to the Erie
Canal Co. This company reappointed Mr. Mitch
ell, and in the performance of the duties of the
office he passed the remainder of his days. The
last days of his life were clouded by the death of
his son David, who was wounded in battle in
Mexico, and died at Perote. Mr. Mitchell died
at Bridgewater, August 3, 1849, of cholera. His
two children, Mrs. Martha Kephart, of Union-
ville, Centre county, and Mrs. N. H. Dickson,
wife of Dr. Joseph Dickson, at Pittsburg, are
both dead.

ON. WILLIAM W. POTTER, a distin-
Jffli guished lawyer and statesman of Bellefonte,
Centre county, and a grandson of Gen. James
Potter, of the Revolutionary war, was born at
Potters Mills, Centre county, December 18, 1792.
In August, 1809, young Potter commenced
attending the Latin school of Rev. Thomas
Hood, near Lewisburg, from which he was
transferred to Dickinson College at Carlisle.
After he graduated, he read law with Hon.
Charles Huston, of Bellefonte, and was admit
ted to the Bar in April, 18 14, of which for twen
ty-five years he was an honored member. Af
fable, courteous and kind to the junior members
of the Bar, he was looked up to by them as a
father. He was an able and judicious counselor,
and an industrious and successful practitioner of
the law, and his profession was his pride. Left
with an ample patrimony, no child of penury and
want was more indefatigable and industrious in
legal pursuits, and at his death he had no supe
rior in his district in legal standing and acquire
ments. In 1833 the grand jury of Union county
petitioned the governor for the appointment as
president judge of that district. In 18 — he re
ceived the unanimous nomination in the district
for a seat in Congress, and was elected by the
largest majority ever given in the district, and in
1838, which was a fierce and bitter political con
test, was re-elected, and died in office. During
the sessions he represented this district in Con
gress, by his talents, clear and discriminating
mind, his eloquence, and with a mild and gentle
manly demeanor, he gained for himself a high
reputation, and stood at the head of the Demo
cratic delegation from Pennsylvania. Congress
was convened in extra session on the 4th of Sep
tember, in consequence of the financial condi
tion of the country, by President Van Buren,
and on the 27th of September Mr. Potter made
his maiden speech in Congress on the bill to
postpone the fourth installment of deposit with

•JMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

23

the States, wh'ch placed him in the front rank of
sagacious counselors upon our financial policy.
His next speech, January 4, 1838, in reply to Mr.
Cushing upon the Hayes resolution in relation to
the United States Bank, was a masterly consti
tutional argument. On the 12th of April he de
livered a remarkably eloquent speech, exhibiting
extensive historical research, upon the resolution
relative to the Wyoming flag. The people of
Wyoming Valley had asked for the flag their fa
thers had fought under, believing the one cap
tured in Canada in the war of 1812, and in the
State Department, was it; but it turned out to be
the one the British had fought under during the
battle of Wyoming. On June 13, 1838, he de
livered a very able and exhaustive speech on the
independent treasury bill, which acquired for
him great notoriety and popularity. We shall
allude to one other speech of Mr. Potter, that
which was delivered February 28, 1839, on issu
ing treasury notes to meet the expenses of the
government, as a brief, unanswerable, logical
argument. He died at a comparatively early
age, in his forty-eighth year, in the midst of his
professional usefulness, and when rising into na
tional fame. His remains were conveyed to the
family burying-ground at Potters Mills on the
morning of October 1, attended by the judges of
the court and the members of the Bar in a body.
He left no children. His widow, Lucy (Winters)
Potter, died May 30, 1875, in Bellefonte, at the
advanced age of eighty-four years. They were
married March 20, 181 5. She was a sister of
Mrs. Judge Huston and Mrs. Burnside.

HrON. CHARLES HUSTON (deceased), who
 L was one among the honored and distin
guished citizens of Bellefonte, Centre county, was
of Scotch- Irish origin, born in Plumstead town
ship, Bucks county, Penn., January 16, 1771.
He was the eldest son of Thomas and Jane
(Walker) Huston. His grandfather was one of
the early immigrants to the State of Pennsyl
vania. A mere lad during the Revolution, many of
its incidents were indelibly impressed upon his
memory. His education was received at Dick
inson College, Carlisle, Penn. , from which he
was graduated in 1789 with the honors of his
class. During the year 1790-91 he taught a
select school at Carlisle, meanwhile studying law
with Thomas Duncan, with whom he was after
ward associated on the Bench of the Supreme
Court of Pennsylvania. In 1792-93 he was em
ployed by the trustees of the college as tutor of
the languages. Among his pupils was Chief

Justice R. B. Taney, of the Supreme Court of
the United States. In his autobiography the
Chief Justice saysof him: " I need not speak of
his character and capacity, for he afterward be
came one of the first jurists of the country. He
was an accomplished Latin and Greek scholar,
and happy in his mode of instruction. And when
he saw that a boy was disposed to study, his
manner to him was that of a companion and
friend, aiding him in his difficulties. The whole
school under his care was much attached to
him." In October, 1794, Gen. Washington
went through Carlisle on his way to quell the
Whiskey Insurrection. Mr. Huston joined the
expedition, and his vivid description of its vari
ous incidents will long be remembered by the
many who had the good fortune to number him
among their acquaintances.
In those days lawyers traveled the circuits on
horseback, and there remains a description of
Mr. Huston's costume: slouched hat, drab three-
caped overcoat, green flannel leggings tied around
the legs with black tape, homespun dress coat.
Thus attired, with boots and leggings covered
with mud, for want of time to change his dress,
he was compelled to enter the Supreme Court
sitting in Philadelphia, where to the astonish
ment of the Bar, he delivered one of the ablest
arguments they had ever listened to. In the
spring of 1807 he removed to Bellefonte, attend
ing faithfully to an enormous practice until his
appointment by Gov. Findlay to the presidency
of the courts of this district. He was a powerful
advocate before a jury, and the memory of the
remarkable speech he made in the Barber & Kel-
ley case in court at Bellefonte still lingers, a
traditionary witness of his forensic ability.
He presided over the Fourth District for
eight years with distinguished ability. Such
was his influence with the jury, that in the course
of these whole eight years he -granted but two
new trials. In 1826 he was appointed, by Gov.
Shultz, one of the justices of the Supreme Court
of Pennsylvania, in the arduous and responsible
duties of which he continued until the expiration
of his commission in 1845. How ably he dis
charged these duties will be best learned from
his numerous opinions in full thirty-five volumes
of reports. The last four years of his life were
spent in the compilation of bis work entitled
" An Essay on the History and Nature of Original
Titles to Land in the Province and State of
Pennsylvania." Judge Huston's wife, his only son and two
daughters he had followed to the grave, and these
afflictions weaned his thoughts from this world,
and he looked for a better. He was a commun-

24

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

icant in the Presbyterian Church, and died as he
had lived, a firm believer in the truths of Chris
tianity. His death took place November io,
1849, he being in the eightieth year of his age.
He left to survive him two daughters, the one the
wife of the Hon. James T. Hale, of Bellefonte,
and the other the wife of Gen. E. W. Sturdevant,
of Wilkes Barre, both since deceased.

FGRAY MEEK, a citizen of Bellefonte, Cen
tre county, and at present Surveyor of the
Port at Philadelphia, has descended from a long
line of ancestors, who were conspicuous in the
early history of our country and of the State of
Pennsylvania. The ancestral history of our subject appears
in the sketch of Reuben H. Meek, his father.
For nearly forty years P. Gray Meek has edited
and published the Watchman at Bellefonte, and
been prominently identified with the public affairs
of the Commonwealth. He was born in Patton
township, Centre county, Penn., July 12, 1842.
His education was limited to that afforded by the
common schools, and he began life as a school
teacher at Lumber City, Clearfield county, in the
winter of 1856-57. The next year he was a
clerk, then worked on a farm, and followed what
he could find to do that would permit an honest
living, until May, 1861. He then, though but a
boy, became junior editor of the Democratic
Watchman, then a four-page paper, six columns
to the page, with a circulation of less than five
hundred. The paper had practically been aban
doned by its owners on account of the bitter feel
ing that existed against Democratic journals, and
young Meek found no easy task in satisfying his
readers and keeping out of the clutches of the
provost marshals. His first articles attracted at
tention, and it was but a couple of months until
the owners thought him too out-spoken and rad
ical, and he was requested to resign his position.
He then returned to his father's farm, where he
worked until July, 1862, when he managed to
purchase a half interest in the paper, and assumed
editorial control of it. The paper itself, small
and with a limited patronage; the most influen
tial men of the party denouncing it as too radical
and out-spoken; the merchants of the place re
fusing to give it their patronage; its youthful
editor experienced the fact that he was on the
unpopular side of public opinion, but believing
himself right refused to allow these conditions to
stifle his convictions, or change its policy, and
gained a reputation for consistency and plainness
of speech which eventually secured for his paper
that success which has since attended it, and

made his reputation as an editor. Mr. Meek was
not only a sententious but courageous writer, and
during the Civil war the feeling toward him by
those holding opposite views was exceedingly bit
ter and extreme, as was shown by the many ar
rests, he was subjected to. On one occasion he
was arrested and taken before a justice of the
peace in Bellefonte, charged with "high trea
son;" shortly after this a county grand jury pre
sented him for publishing " improper political
matter;" following these he was arrested on oath
of provost marshals three different times, and
taken before the United States Court at Pitts
burg, for his out-spoken denunciation of the
policy of the Republican administration. In all
these cases, except the first, which was never
heard of after being placed on the justice's docket,
nolle prosses were entered by the courts. In
March, 1865, he was taken from his office, with
out notice and without any preferred charge, by
a company of United States soldiers and incar
cerated in the military prison at Harrisburg, from
which he was released after taking an oath to re
turn for trial when demanded, a requirement
that was never enforced.
His constituents never lost confidence in him,
and in 1867, 1868, 1870, 1871, they elected him
to the House of Representatives by large major
ities. While in the House he was instrumental
in having an act requiring railroads to fence their
lines in Centre county, or pay for the stock
killed (known as the railroad fence law) and the
lumberman's lein act passed, which added to his
popularity with those classes of his section, as
both of these measures have proven of material
benefit to laboring men and farmers. In 1872
he was secretary of the Democratic State Com
mittee, and in 1873, 1875 and 1876, he had the
indorsement of the county convention for State
Senator. He was defeated by ex-Gov. Curtin
for the nomination for Congress in 1878 in Centre
county, by two votes in the convention. In
1882 he accepted the position of editorial secre
tary of the Democratic State Committee, and
prepared the greater part of the documents for
the campaign of 1882; and served as one of its
secretaries, during the campaigns of 1883 and
1884. He was elected chief clerk of the House
of Representatives in January, 1883, and filled
that position during the memorable regular and
special sessions of that year. As showing the
manner in which he performed the duties of this
position, we give, out of many of the same char
acter, this single extract from one of the leading
journals of the State: " On Saturday last Mr.
P. Gray Meek, chief clerk of the House of Rep
resentatives, completed the settlement of his ac-

L'-rt-.t; fv AH 'Ritchie

P^U-^, ^^U

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

25

counts, turned over to the Governor the remnant
of the State's property in his charge, and left for
his home. In his departure he carried with him
not only the consciousness of having discharged
his duty with fidelity, but the respect alike of the
members and citizens with whom his official
duties brought him in contact. During the pro
tracted sessions in which Mr. Meek presided at
the clerk's desk, covering a period of eleven
months, he has been an intelligent and zealous
champion of economy and reform. He has been
faithful to every obligation which the arduous
duties of the office imposed. "
"¦ In 189O Mr. Meek was elected to the Senate
by a majority approximating 5,000. He was
made a member of the committee on Appropria
tions, Banks, Insurance and Congressional Ap
portionment, and prepared the Congressional and
Senatorial Apportionment bills presented and ad
vocated by the Democrats. His principal effort
during this session was put forth to secure legis
lation taxing un-naturalized persons for poor pur
poses. At the session of 1 893 he served on com
mittees on Banks, Congressional Apportionment,
Irisurance, Legislative Apportionment, Public
Printing and other committees, and again pre
pared the several Apportionment bills that his
party presented and supported. Before his term
as senator expired he was (in February, 1894)
appointed Surveyor of the Port at Philadelphia
by President Cleveland, which position he con
tinues to hold. The following extracts from the
press speak for themselves :
The well-rounded periods in the life of P. Gray Meek,
the fighting editor of the Bellefonte Democratic Watchman,
would fill a book and provide a good start for another one.
As legislator, senator and proprietor of the best known and
thoroughly successful country weekly paper, his career has
been one alternating storms and sunshine, for he is nothing
if not aggressive, and his type of Democracy is founded on
the ultra- Jacksonian standard, with a mixture of the Jeffer-
sonian article. To know Editor Meek is to know a clever
and genial editor with an opinion and of sterling ability to
back it up. He has literally cut out his career from sur
roundings severely hostile in character, and whether in the
right or wrong he has always had the courage of his con
victions. The Watchman, under the capable management of
Senator Meek, has been a very creditable journal. Its pro
prietor is a natural-born newspaper man, and a thorough
believer in the principles of the Democratic party, and has
been largely instrumental, in his career as a journalist, in
keeping the pa*rty solid in party ranks. His paper is re
garded by the State newspaper fraternity as one of the best
edited and finest printed weeklies in the Commonwealth. It
enjoys a large circulation throughout many of the different
States of this country. One of the finest and best-equipped
job offices in Pennsylvania is connected with it, and the ma
chinery of the entire plant is run by the water power from
the springs, whose waters flow by the building. Mr. Meek
is assisted in the editorial work by his son, George R. Meek,
who is a graduate of Pennsylvania State College, and a very
able and forcible writer.
In January, 1862, Mr. Meek was married to

Miss Susan M., only daughter of George: W.
Meek, of Ferguson township, Centre county, and
to them were born six children: Rachel L.,
Mary Gray, Elizabeth Breckinridge, George R. ,
Eloise and Winifred Barron. The eldest daugh
ter is associated with her father and brother rin
the conduct of the paper. Elizabeth and Eloise
are both graduates of the Bellefonte High School
and of the Pennsylvania State College, as is also
George R., the latter from the High School in
1886 and from the State College in 1890, and
since 1893 he has been the managing editor of
the Democratic Watchman. The family adheres
to the religious faith of their ancestors, that of
the Methodist Episcopal Church.

JfUDGE THOMAS BURNSIDE (deceased),
I who was a resident of Bellefonte, Centre
county, was born near Newton Stewart; in
County Tyrone, Ireland, July 28, 1782. He
came with his father's (William Burnside) family
in 1792 to Montgomery county, his fatherriocat*
ing near Fairview, in Lower Providence, in that
county. In November, 1 800, he commenced the
study of law under Hon. Robert Porter, of Phila
delphia, and was admitted to the Bar February
13, 1804, and in March removed to and settled in
Bellefonte, Centre county.
In 181 1 he was elected to the State Senate,
and was an active supporter of Gov. Simon Sny
der in all the war measures of 1812. In 1815,
he was elected to Congress, and served during
the memorable session of 1816. In the summer
of the same year he was appointed by Gov. Sny
der president judge of the Luzerne District. He
resigned that position in 1818, and resumed prac
tice at Bellefonte. In 1823. he was again elected
to the State Senate, of which body he was chosen
speaker. In 1826, before his senatorial term had
expired, he was appointed president judge of the
Fourth Judicial District, which office he held until
1 84 1, when he was appointed president judge of
the Seventh Judicial District. On January 1,
1854, he Was commissioned one of the justices of
the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, an office
which he filled with honor up to the time of his
death. Gov. Curtin once said: "Judge Burnside
was a man of indomitable will, and had that in
tensity of purpose which baffled want, poverty,
and ill-fortune. He came to this county when
it was comparatively a wilderness, without means
or friends, and supplied the want of early educa
tional training by his energy and perseverance.
His goodness of heart, and open-handed hospi
tality soon surrounded him with a circle of stead-

26

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

fast personal friends, and his large and liberal
views of progress, with his lofty State pride,
made him a captain of men and a ruling spirit."
As a judge he possessed a keen and discrim
inating sense of justice, and extensive knowledge
of law and moral courage to carry its mandates
into execution As remarked by Hon. James
MacManus, one of his students, his great strength
of mind, common sense and quickness of appre
hension enabled him to grasp the main points of
a case, and with a vigorous step and a stately
march he would clear away the rubbish of techni
cality, caring only for the justice of the cause be
fore him. Mr. MacManus relates that upon the
occasion of some eminent visitor arriving at the
judge's house in Bellefonte, Mrs. Burnside sent
Mr. MacManus for the Judge, who was holding
court at Lewistown. It was late in the week,
and a canal case to try, but the Judge asked the
lawyers to continue the-case to oblige him. They
replied that the case was important, and the wit
nesses from a distance. "Well then, go on; I
will try it for you, " said Judge Burnside. Taking
a little time to get the facts accurately, he drove
the case through and charged the jury, and was
ready by the time he had fixed upon to go home,
and, what was remarkable, his opinion was the
only one sustained of several which went up from
different districts the canal passed through, in
volving precisely similar questions of law.
Judge Burnside took a deep and lively inter
est in all public enterprises of the day — turn
pikes, canals, railroads — and there are few pub
lic improvements, whether in his own immediate
neighborhood, or in more remote portions of the
State, which do not owe much of their success to
his exertions and influence. If ever he was biased
on the Bench, it was by delay caused by riots
or tumults obstructing their progress even tem
porarily. The late Judge A. S. Wilson used to
relate an anecdote in point : "I was concerned,
when at the Bar, for a poor Irishman, who with
others had been convicted of a riot on the canal
near Lewistown; to my utter surprise he was
called up with the rest for sentence. • 'Why' I
remonstrated with the Court, 'the evidence
shows clearly my client was on the other side of
the river when the riot took place.' ' It don't
matter, ' said Judge Burnside, 'if he could have
gotten over he would have been in it.'"
In person, the Judge was of medium height,
had prominent nose and eyes, dark complexion,
and was rather noted for want of comeliness of
features. His kindness and blunt honesty made
ample amends for his lack of personal beauty.
In the language of Mr. MacManus, the "judicial
ermine was as unspotted when he laid it aside for

the habiliments of the grave as when he first put
it on." Judge Burnside died at the residence of
his son-in-law, Mr. E. Morris, in Germantown,
March 25, 1857, in the sixty-ninth year of his
age. His first wife, Mary (Fleming), died Feb
ruary 28, 181 3, at the early age of twenty -eight.
Her children were : Mrs. Harvey Mann, of
Boiling Spring; Mrs. Mary Morris, and the late
Hon. James Burnside. By his second wife,
Ellen (Winters), he also had children now resid
ing in Bellefonte: Miss Lucy Burnside, Thomas
Burnside and Mrs. Frances Boal. Mrs. Ellen
W. Burnside died in Bellefonte, June 3, 1859,
aged seventy-three years, eight months and
seventeen days.

ON. JAMES T. HALE (deceased), formerly
JEL of Bellefonte, was one of Centre county's
able men. He was a native of Bradford county,
Penn., born October 14, 18 10, and lived with his
parents on a farm, working thereon, and at inter
vals attending the schools of the neighborhood,
until he was about fifteen years of age, when his
father died, and, he being the eldest son, the
support of the family was chiefly thrown upon
him. Some time after the death of his father,
he became the clerk in the prothonotary's office
at Towanda. He then entered upon the study
of the law under the direction of his uncle, Elias
W. Hale, of Lewistown, Penn., and on February
28, 1832, was admitted to the Bar at that place.
In 1835 he removed to Bellefonte, where on May
6 of that year, he married Miss Jane W. Huston,
daughter of Hon. Charles Huston, associate jus
tice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. He
continued his practice in the courts of Mifflin
county, and also attended the courts in the coun
ties of Clearfield and Clinton. He was en
gaged in the trial of all the principal causes tried
in the several courts for many years, until April
10, 185 1, when a vacancy occurred in what aft
erward became the Twenty-fifth Judicial District,
whereof he was appointed president judge by
Gov. Johnston. He presided in the several courts
of the district until December 1, 1851, when his
commission expired, and he was succeeded by
the Hon. Alexander Jordan. He occupied the
Bench but a short time, but during that brief
period discharged the arduous duties of president
judge with such promptness, dispatch, ability,
and impartiality, that he achieved such popularity
and renown as a clear-headed and excellent judge
as is rarely attained by men who occupy the
Bench for longer terms. After retiring from the
Bench he resumed his profession, in which he con
tinued until about 1856, when he had become so

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

27

largely engaged in other enterprises that he was,
to a great extent, obliged to abandon the active
duties of the profession. Having become inter
ested as part owner in a large body of timber and
coal lands in the counties of Cambria, Centre
and Clearfield, known as the Philips estate, whose
value, development and availability depended
chiefly upon railroad communication, he embarked
his means, industry, energy and financial skill in
the building of the Tyrone & Clearfield railroad.
In 1856, he was elected president of the com
pany, and continued in that position until i860.
During that period, notwithstanding the financial
crisis of 1857, through his indomitable energy
and enterprise, industry and financial ability, and
the application of his own means, the road was,
through much difficulty and many embarrass7
ments, graded and so far advanced toward
completion that it was in a year or two afterward
finished and equipped and put in running order;
and that important branch and feeder of the Penn
sylvania Central railroad opened up and made
available the rich timber and mineral wealth of
parts of Cambria, Centre and Clearfield counties.
In politics Judge Hale was an ardent Whig
and high-tariff man. When the Whig party
passed out of existence he united with the Re
publican party, and in 1858 was elected to the
XXXVIth Congress from the Eighteenth District.
composed of the counties of Mifflin, Centre, Clin
ton, Lycoming, Potter and Tioga. He was re
elected in i860, from the same district, to the
XXXVIIth Congress. In 1862 he ran as an in
dependent candidate, and was again elected over
his competitor, the Hon. Wm. H. Armstrong,
the regular Republican nominee. At the close
of the session on March 4, 1865, he took his family
to Philadelphia, where, after attending to some
private business, he left them, and returned to
Bellefonte, and at once engaged in piofessional
work, tried several cases at a special court held
by his honor, Judge Pearson, and, though not
being well, he argued a cause with great force
and ability on March 31. The day following he
was quite sick, and continued growing worse
until the following Thursday evening, April 6,
1865, when he died.
Judge Hale was an upright man, kind friend
and generous neighbor. From his first entry
into Centre county, he was a consistent friend of
the temperance cause, and the first tb advocate
publicly the passage of laws to prohibit the man
ufacture and sale of liquor as a beverage. He
possessed a bright intellect, a remarkably tena
cious memory (never forgot a legal principle or
a reported case he had read), and an intuitive
knowledge of the law, was quick in his percep

tive power, always ready, and as it has been
said of him, "was a lawyer without a book or
an office. " In the trial of causes he was cool
and calm, amiable and scarcely ever ruffled in
temper, or disconcerted by any turn the case
might take, and by his commanding presence,
pleasing address, persuasive manner, simple but
forcible diction, and, withal, sound argument, he
was sure to carry the court and jury with him.
He was a member and vestryman and prominent
in the councils of the Episcopal Church. His
wife and five children survive him. The widow
and three sons, Capt. Charles Huston, James
T., Jr., and George Natt have all since died.
His daughter Lucy, intermarried with Rev.
George G. Field, and Ellen, intermarried with
N. H. Stone, still survive and reside at Coats-
ville, in Chester county.

^ 'ON. JAMES BURNSIDE (deceased) was a
J^H native of Centre county, born in Bellefonte,
Penn., February 22, 1807. He was the eldest
son of the Hon. Thomas Burnside. In 1824 he
was a student at the Bellefonte Academy, and in
1828 graduated with the highest honors at Dick
inson College. His study of law was prosecuted
in his father's office. He was admitted to the
Bar in November, 1830, by the court over which
his father presided, and at once commenced the
practice of his profession under the same stern
and impartial regime. In October, 1 844, he was
elected a member of the Lower House of the
Pennsylvania Legislature, and re-elected in 1845.
While in that position he gave proof of great
ability. His speech, February 3, 1846, upon an
amendment which he proposed to the State Con
stitution in favor of biennial sessions of the Leg
islature, was a particularly able effort. When the
Twenty-fifth Judicial District was formed, Gov
ernor Bigler commissioned him its judge, April
20, 1853, and in October he was elected without
opposition to the same office. He was eminently
distinguished on the Bench for his calm impar
tiality, yet off of it he was a lenient citizen and
indulgent friend. In his private relations he dis
played many qualities of head and heart which
endeared him to his friends and the people.
Had he lived, higher honors were apparently in
store for him; but, with only half of his years of
usefulness expended, he was called suddenly
away. He was instantly killed by being thrown
from a buggy July 1, 1859, leaving a widow
(since deceased), a daughter and two sons — S.
Cameron and Thomas. His wife was Rachel
(daughter of Hon. Simon Cameron), whom he
married June 2, 1846.

28

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

WILLIAM P. HUMES has descended from
. a family that has been identified with the
interest of Centre county for almost a century.
Hamilton Humes, his grandfather, was born
in Lancaster county, Penn., January 7, 1784, and
removed to Bellefonte in the spring of 18 10. On
April 1, 1 8 19, he succeeded R. T. Stewart, as
postmaster at Bellefonte, receiving his appoint
ment from Return J. Meigs, postmaster-general
under President Monroe, and held that office
until January, 1833, under General Jackson,
when he met the fate of Jackson's opponents in
removal from office. His physical and mental
organization eminently qualified him to become
a useful and enterprising citizen. He established
a large mercantile business, built mills, and
among other pursuits was that of the manufact
ure of paper at Bellefonte, on which the Centre
Democrat was printed for years. His attention
to business, his skill, and his fidelity to his en
gagements secured public confidence. He was a
great friend and patron of young men; kind to
the indigent, and unfortunate; they never called
upon his benevolence in vain. He connected
himself with the Presbyterian Church at an early
age, gave liberally to its support, and served ac
ceptably as an elder for many years before his
death, which occurred February "28, 1859. He
was a most devoted friend of his pastor, Rev.
James Linn, who preached in the Presbyterian
Church for over fifty years, and both families
were intimately connected. He married Ann
Elmira Bailey, who was a most excellent Chris
tian lady, a native of Lancaster county, Penn. ,
born September 28, 1784, and died in Belle
fonte, March 31, 1862. Their children were:
James Humes, who died in infancy; Mrs. Eliza
beth McClure, of Lewisburg; Mrs. Rachel
Humes, of Jersey Shore; W. H. Humes, of
Bellefonte; Miss Caroline Humes, of Bellefonte;
and Edward C. Humes (father of our subject),
who died March 28, 1895, and who survived all
the other children. Hamilton Humes and his
wife were related to and connected with Lancas
ter county's most prominent families, with only
a few of their descendants still living.
Edward C. Humes had been connected with
the business interests of Centre county from the
very beginning of the century. He was one of
Bellefonte's most prominent business men, and
in business he was eminently successful. His
birth occurred at Bellefonte, August 23, 18 10.
He received his education at the Bellefonte
Academy, then under the principalship of Alfred
Armstrong, and later at Dickinson College, Car
lisle, Penn. , and when the latter was still under

control of the Presbyterian Church, from which
institution he was graduated in 1829. After
clerking for a short time for his father, the two
became associated under the firm name of H.
Humes & Son, and afterward (with John Ton-
ner), E. C. Humes & Co., and later on (with Will
iam H. Humes), E.C. Humes & Brother. In 1846,
in connection with the late Hon. A. G. Curtin,
Hon. H. N. McAllister and Hon. James T. Hale,
E. C. Humes established the banking house of
Humes, McAllister, Hale & Co.,, to which he
gave all of his attention, and which soon ob
tained a first-class credit in the State. On June
8, 1864, this institution was merged into the
First National Bank of Bellefonte, of which Mr.
Humes became president, and so remained for
many years, or for the remainder of his life. At
the time of his death he is said to have been the
oldest National Bank president in the United
States. Under his able management, this latter
institution was also most successful, and on ac
count of the prominence of Mr. Humes, as well as
of the several gentlemen referred to (associated
with him), the bank always sustained a high rep
utation, both at home and abroad. Besides his
interests and connection with this bank, of which
he was from its beginning also a director and
largest stockholder, he was a director and stock
holder of the Centre County Banking Co., at
Bellefonte, as well as having other large busi
ness connections through the State. He was
generally acknowledged, in business circles, to
be a most safe counselor and adviser, and those
having large means, as well as those in moderate
circumstances frequently confided in him, and to
them he was always ready and willing to give
his best judgment and experience. He was par
ticularly kind and thoughtful in his home life,
and what was to the happiness of his family was
the oftener adding to his own pleasure. Of Mr.
Humes' life nothing discreditable has ever been
said. He was a man whose close attention to busi
ness made him almost a stranger in political and
social spheres, but his home was always the most
hospitable, and where his many friends always
received a most cordial welcome. Although a
Republican, he had kind feelings toward those
of any other political party, and particularly so
when feeling and knowing the sincerity of their
convictions. He was connected with the Presby
terian Church, of which he was a lifelong mem
ber, an honored ruling elder for many years, and
was a large giver to its support. He was recog
nized as a man of great probity and earnestness.
He was never given to self-laudation, and his
most intimate acquaintances never knew of

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

29

his many kindnesses to those in need of his helping
hand. He has been sadly missed in Bellefonte
by the many beneficiaries of his bounty, and the
simple perfectness' of his straightforward life will
keep his memory bright in the hearts of those
who knew him.
On December 7, 1843, Edward C. Humes
was married to Miss Lucy Alexander (born August
4, 181 1), a niece of Mrs. William W. Potter, and
three children were born to this union, two of
whom are living: William P. and Miss Miley;
Hamilton, the younger, died March 21, 1892.
Mrs. Humes died February 18, 1886, aged sixty-
nine years. She was a devout member of the
Presbyterian Church, and a most gentle-hearted,
generous and in every way excellent Christian
lady. In her death the Church was deprived of
a stanch friend and supporter. Mrs. Humes was
connected with some very prominent families.
Her maternal grandfather, William Winters,
came from Berks county in 1778, and settled on
a farm now within the city limits of Williams-
port, this State. He was twice married; his first
wife was Ann Boone, a sister of Col. Daniel
Boone of Kentucky. The eldest daughter, Han
nah, by his first wife married Thomas Lincoln,
the grandfather of President Lincoln, and shortly
before his death, Lincoln (who was killed by the
Indians) visited William Winters at his home,
now Williamsport, and John Winters, his brother-
in-law, returned to Kentucky with him, whither
Mr. Lincoln had removed, after his marriage,
from Virginia, John being deputed to look after
some lands taken up by Col. Boone and his
father. The second wife of William Winters was
Ellen Campbell, whom he married in 1774.
Mr. Winters died in 1794, and his widow resided
where Williamsport now is, where she remained
and reared her children as follows: Mary be
came the wife of Charles Huston, who adorned
the Bench of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
Ellen became the wife of Thomas Burnside, a
member of Congress, judge of common pleas,
and a justice of the supreme court. Sarah be
came the wife of Benjamin Harris, of Williams
port. Elizabeth became the wife of Thomas
Alexander, of Williamsport. Lucy became the
wife of Hon. William W. Potter, a leading pol
itician, of Centre county, who died a member of
Congress; he was the son of Gen. James Potter,
one of the earliest settlers of Centre county.
On the death of Mr. Potter in 1838, the
widow resided at Bellefonte. and after the mar
riage of her niece to Edward C. Humes, made
her home with them the rest of her lifetime.
She was married in 18 16, and died May 30,
1875, at the ripe old age of nearly eighty-five

years. Her character was a very decided one,
perceiving the right course to pursue and never
swerving therefrom. A consistent Christian, and
member of the Presbyterian ' Church for more
than half a century. She had no children of her
own, and so fixed upon herself the affections of
the children of her niece, to which during her
life she was an always present, ready and willing
friend and ally.
William P. Humes, the subject proper of this
sketch, was born in Bellefonte September 21,
1844. He received his education in the academy
at Bellefonte and at Pennsylvania State College,
returning from the latter to Bellefonte the first
year of the Civil war, where, after assisting in
closing up the business of E. C. Humes & Bro. ,
he became connected with what was more gen
erally known as Humes, McAllister, Hale & Co.,
private bankers, composed of E. C. Humes, H. N.
McAllister, James T. Hale and A. G. Curtin,
which bank later became the First National Bank
of Bellefonte (our subject's father being the hon^
ored president), with which institution William
P. Humes has through all the intervening years
been associated. He is a director in the bank
and also a large stockholder. Enterprising and
progressive in business lines, Mr. Humes sustains
the reputation secured by his father and grand
father in the community in which they so long fig
ured in business affairs, and in which they so long
enjoyed the confidence of all. He is of a diffident ,
unassuming and retiring disposition, very gener
ous and most kind to those in need; a member of
the Presbyterian Church, he is one of its ablest
supporters; in politics he is a Republican; socially,
a member of the Union League Club of Phila
delphia, as well as of several other organizations.
On December 27, 1877, Mr. Humes was mar^
ried to Miss Eliza D., daughter of James D. and
M. A. Harris, and to this union was born a daugh
ter, Lucy Hamilton, who died at the age of six
months. Mrs. Humes died July 1, 1881, in the
forty-fourth year of her age. She, too, was a
most consistent member of the Presbyterian
Church and devotedly attached to its welfare;
was most charitable and kind to all, and her sud
den death, which brought such a shock and so
much sorrow to those nearest and dearest to her,
caused a gloom over the whole community. She
was one of a family of six children, three of
whom are now deceased: James, who died quite
young, with Mrs. T. M. Potter and Mrs. Eliza D.
Humes; those living are: Mrs. Nancy D. Orbi-
son, Mrs. Jane H. Sommerville, and Mrs. Louisa
H. Hoy.
Mr. and Mrs. Harris, father and mother of
Mrs. Humes, were among the early settlers of

80

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Bellefonte, closely identified with its best inter
ests, and connected with its most prominent
families. They were both most worthy members
of the Presbyterian Church, Mr. Harris also
having served as a most efficient ruling elder in
this Church. Mr. Harris died February 26, 1 842,
almost nine years before Mrs. Harris, whose
death occurred February 1, 1851.

©(

\OV. DANIEL H. HASTINGS. The life
history of Daniel Hartman Hastings, gov
ernor 01 the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, can
not be too deeply impressed upon the minds of
the aspiring youth of to-day. It would be dif
ficult to imagine a less promising environment
than that in which' were spent the early years of
this distinguished orator, lawyer, soldier, finan
cier and statesman.
William Hastings, his father, was born in Ire
land, and, not long after marriage with a native
of Scotland, left his home in County Derry, Ire
land, to come to the New World, settling in 1832
in what is now Clinton county, near his father,
who had preceded him to America. The Penn
sylvania canal was then in process of construc
tion, and George Hastings, the grandfather of
the subject of this notice, having obtained a con
tract for the construction of a section of it, his
father worked upon it as a laborer for some time,
but afterward found employment as a farm hand.
Neither parent had been given educational ad
vantages — even of a rudimentary sort — and their
log cabin, two miles from Salona, could be sup
plied with but limited comforts on their meagre
income of fifty cents a day. Nine children
shared its shelter and their parents' love, and
Governor Hastings, who first saw the light there
February 26, 1849, doubtless owes much of his
practical common sense to the lessons learned
amid the close economies and stern realities of a
poor man's home. He was named for Rev.
Daniel Hartman, a venerable minister of the M.
E. Church, to whom the success of his namesake
was a source of joy and pride. The public
schools of that day and locality were not of the
best, but the means required to place thebright
boy under more suitable training could not be
spared from the slender purse of the parents.
Mr. George Hopson, of Farrandsville, however,
generously made provision for his attendance at
a select school taught by Miss Mary A. Crosby.
Through her care and influence he acquired a
fair knowledge of the English branches, but at
an early age he was obliged to leave school in
order to assist in the task of gaining a livelihood.
When the Civil war broke out his elder brothers

took up arms in defense of the Union, and young
as he was the future governor showed his mar
tial spirit by running away repeatedly from his
home with intent to enlist in some fighting regi
ment. On his first attempt he succeeded in
reaching Lock Haven, and on the second he
made his way to Williamsport; but each time he
was captured and taken home. The third time
he reached Carlisle, had actually donned the un
iform of a private soldier, and was rejoicing in
the attainment of his wish when his father again
appeared, and the boy sorrowfully returned to the
Nittany Valley farm, and resumed his distasteful
toil wiih the hoe and the plow.
In the winter of 1863, a school in Wayne
township, Clinton county, became vacant through
the appointment of its teacher. Col. W. W. S.
Snodely, as county superintendent. Although
but fourteen years old the future governor de
termined to apply for the place and, borrowing a
dollar, he trudged eighteen miles through the
snow on a wintry day, and secured a promise of
appointment should he pa?s the examination.
He walk back to Lock Haven on the same day,
gained the required certificate, and the next
morning walked to the school in time to open
the day's session. His dollar had been spent,
however, and during this first trying day in his
new sphere he had nothing to eat. His success
in the school made further employment easy to
obtain, and for some years his winters were
spent in teaching, while in the vacation he as
sisted his father as befoie. His evenings were
devoted to study, and so' rapidly did he progress
in learning and in professional skill that in 1867
he was elected principal of the Bellefonte Acad
emy, and superintendent of the public schools
of Bellefonte, his duties including the oversight
of all the schools in the borough. While there
he pursued a course of study in Latin and Greek
with Prof. W. H. Murray, of the Episcopal
School, as a tutor. From 1867 to1 1875 Gov.
Hastings filled the position of principal with
marked success, and during two years of this
period he displayed conspicuous ability in jour
nalism as assistant editor of the Bellefonte Re
publican. By some means known only to him
self he also found time to read law, and on April
29, 1875, was admitted to the Bar. He became
at once a member of the firm of Bush, Yocum &
Hastings, which continued until the withdrawal
of Mr. Bush in 1877, when the firm name of
Yocum & Hastings was adopted. In 1878, when
Mr. Yocum was elected to Congress, anew part
ner was taken, and the business continued under
the name of Hastings & Reeder.
In the meantime our subject had married (in

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

31

1877) Miss Jane Armstrong Rankin, daughter of
James H. Rankin, who at the time of his death
was the senior member of the Centre County
Bar. His success in his profession and his grow
ing reputation as an orator brought him into
prominence in public life, and he was elected a
member of the school board, then burgess of
Bellefonte, trustee of the M. E. Church, and
trustee of the Pennsylvania State College, of
Dickinson College at Carlisle, and of other edu
cational institutions. In July, 1877, the Penn
sylvania National Guard was called out to sup
press the well-remembered riots, and at Gen.
Beaver's request our subject accompanied the
command to Altoona as an aid on the General's-
staff. His long-suppressed inclination for mili
tary life made this opportunity a welcome one,
and his energy and ability quickly attracted at
tention. In July, 1877, he was appointed a cap
tain in the 5th Regiment; in March, 1878, he
was elected and commissioned lieutenant-colonel
of the 5th. In June, 1883, he was appointed
assistant adjutant-general of the 2d Brigade,
and in March, 1884, he was elected colonel of
the 5th Regiment, which in the annual inspec
tion of 1886 achieved the highest standing of any
in the State.
So capable did he prove himself in military
affairs, that he was offered the appointment of
adjutant-general of the State, and in January,
1887, he resigned the colonelcy to take this
wider sphere of responsibility, in which he won
new laurels. At the time of the division en
campment at Mt. Gretna, in 1887, when Gen.
Sheridan reviewed the eight thousand guardsmen,
the sight of the long ranks of infantry in perfect
alignment, each soldier equipped as for actual
warfare with uniform and accoutrements com
plete, and the cavalry and batteries following in
like perfection of detail, the hero of Winchester
was heard to say, " that looks more like business
than anything I have seen in this country since
the disband ment of the army at Washington in
1865." To the united energies and vigilance of
Gens. Hartranft and Hastings this success was
attributed, and the National Guard had cause on
this and other occasions to note Gen. Hastings'
zeal and efficiency. He was appointed with
Gen. Hartranft and others upon a commission to
revise the military code, and rendered excellent
service in the preparation of the bill under which
the militia has since been given increased strength
and effectiveness.
An ardent Republican from his youth up,
Gov. Hastings has always taken deep interest in
politics, and, fitted as he was by nature and
training for usefulness in that field, it is not sur

prising that he was early called to take an active
place in the front rank of workers. His first
triumph was as a manager of the Congressional
campaign of 1878, when his partner, Seth H.
Yocum, was a candidate. The task was no light
one, as the Democratic majority usually reached
3,000; but through shrewd and tactful manage
ment Mr. Yocum was elected, defeating ex-Gov
ernor Andrew G. Curtin. In 1882, during Gen.
Beaver's campaign for the office of governor.
Gen. Hastings, as a personal friend and political
sympathizer, supported him with untiring energy.
In no wise disheartened by the defeat of that
year, he presented Gen. Beaver's name to the
State Convention of 1886 for renomination, and
succeeded in having justice done to a brave and
generous man against whom misrepresentation
and prejudice had temporarily prevailed. In
1887 Gov. Hastings was chairman of the State
Convention which nominated Henry W. Williams
for Judge of the Supreme Court, and William B.
Hart for State Treasurer. In Pennsylvania his
power as an orator had long been known, but it
was not until the Republican National Convention
of 1888 that the country learned of his ability.
Hon. John Sherman was Pennsylvania's choice
for President, and Gov. Hastings, who was pres
ent as a delegate-at-large, was elected to bring
the name of that candidate before the conven
tion. It was a time, a place, a theme, to arouse
our spokesman to do his best, and in his half-
hour address he gained a national reputation,
and the newspapers throughout the land paid
tribute to his brilliancy and charm as an orator.
' ' Gath " telegraphed to the Chicago Tribune that
day: " Sherman was best put in the field. The
Pennsylvania man who lives in the little mount
ain town of Bellefonte made the best speech
which has been heard at this display. It was
worthy of being the party platform. Hastings,
who made it, they say will some day be heard
in the Senate or run for governor."
Murat Halstead, of the Cincinnati Commer
cial-Gazette, wrote in his paper: "As to the
reception of the presentation of nomination there
was no marked preference shown for any candi
date until the splendid oration of Gen. Hastings,
of Pennsylvania, nominating Sherman. Then
things took a more decided shape. Gen. Hast
ings has a magnificent appearance and delivery,
and his superb ringing sentences fell one after
another, bright as new coin, each word clear as
a bugle note; the mighty multitude felt the magic
of oratory, of a man speaking worthily on a great
occasion. There never was a finer speech made
on such an occasion, and I remember Ingersoll's
nomination of Blaine at Cincinnati. Gen. Hast-

82

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ings walks up at once to a place among the few
of our public speakers. " His success made so
deep an impression that he was called upon by
the presiding officer to take the chair for the day,
and was also invited to second the nomination of
Hon. Levi P. Morton for the Vice-Presidency.
As may be supposed he was the most popular
orator of the campaign of that year, and he did
noble service in New York, New Jersey, Penn
sylvania, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan, contribut
ing greatly to the success of the cause. The in
fluence thus gained has been strengthened and
widened in succeeding campaigns, and in the
memorable struggle of 1896 his rare gifts were
devoted with supreme energy to the task of up
holding his country's honor and integrity.
These and similar triumphs won admiration.
It remains to mention a time when Gov. Hastings
won also the love of every kindly heart. The
story of the Johnstown disaster followed, as the
weeks passed, by the story of rescue and restora
tion under the guidance of the clear brain, keen
eye and sympathetic heart of the man who took
charge of that scene of desolation. On the fate
ful day of May 31, 1889, Gen. Hastings was at
Hastings, a flourishing town in Cambria county,
named in his honor, looking after the extensive
coal-mining operations there in which he is inter
ested in partnership with Gov. Beaver, Robert
Coleman and Col. J. L. Spangler. During the
night news came of the frightful devastation in
the valley of theConemaugh, and with the break
of day Gen. Hastings started with Col. Spangler
to drive over flooded roads and broken bridges
to Johnstown, where they arrived at 4 p. m. He
lost no time in telegraphing to Gov. Beaver for
supplies, and then he took off his coat and bent
his energies to the work of relief. His executive
ability and forceful character, no less than his
official rank, indicated the man for the hour, and
by general consent he assumed the practical man
agement of affairs, and as has been said won "by
his uniform kindness and sympathetic actions the
gratitude of his fellow citizens throughout the
State. " The surviving inhabitants of the stricken
city gave a public recognition of his great work
on the evening of July 13, 1889, when the Gov
ernor took his leave of the place, and the soldiers
of the G. A. R. manifested the appreciation of
his soldierly qualities by presenting a badge of
their order beautifully set with diamonds, claim
ing that by his gallant and faithful service on that
field of death and living agony he had proven
himself a worthy comrade.
Pennsylvania has learned to look to this sec
tion for first-class gubernatorial timber, and the
supply furnished in the past has abundantly tes

tified that confidence. What more natural than
that this distinguished son should be called upon
to administer to the affairs of the State! The
story of his election in 1894 by the largest ma
jority ever given in Pennsylvania to the head of
the State ticket need not be retold here. Since
January 15, 1895, Gov. Hastings has filled his
high office in a manner to disarm criticism, and
his steadily increasing fame points to yet more ad
vanced posts of duty.
In the words of one who knows him well:
"As a citizen he is clever, generous and univer
sally popular, and in thorough and complete sym
pathy with the people. No one hesitates to ask
him a favor, for his disposition is gentle and oblig
ing. Entertaining and agreeable in conversation,
he is a citizen of sterling worth, and exemplary
in the discharge of all his social duties. His
practical acquaintance and thorough sympathy
with all that concerns the public welfare, his
readiness to respond to every just call upon him
as a citizen and as a man at whatever sacrifice,
have had a thorough public test, and the whole
career of his life affords an example worthy of
imitation. Nothing but the louder cry of his
country ever came in conflict with his duty to his
parents; as a teacher he was painstaking, con
siderate and successful; as a lawyer he brings to
the discharge of his duties honesty and earnest
ness of purpose, commendable zeal and energy,
good judgment, strong convictions of duty and
great knowledge of the law. In official position
he has been equal to every emergency that arose,
and in all cases brought great credit to the offices
he has thus far been intrusted with.

/P^EORGE W ATHERTON, LL. D., Presi-
\J$ dent of the Pennsylvania State College, ""as
born in Boxford, Essex Co., Mass., June 20,
1837. The Atherton family came to New Eng
land between 1620 and 1630. The name was
one of the most honorable in the early history of
Massachusetts, one of its members, Ma j. -Gen.
Humphrey Atherton, being to the Massachusetts
Colony what Miles Standish was to the Plymouth
Colony. This family was a branch of the old
English stock whose seat is still at Leigh, near
Manchester, England.
At the age of twelve years, the subject of this
sketch was left, by the loss of his father, to earn
his own living, and to contribute in part to the
support of a mother and two sisters. Circum
stances thus early developed the indomitable will
and tenacity of purpose which have been his
leading characteristics in later life. By work in
a cotton-mill, on a farm, and, later, by teaching,

hi

Atlantic Publishing &Engravmg Co.IT Y

^-t^<^Z^y^^~^^> //^n^-~—>/

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

88

he made his way through Phillips Exeter Acad
emy, and in the fall of 1 860 entered the sopho
more class of Yale College, from which he was
graduated in 1863. Meantime the war of the
Rebellion had temporarily diverted him from his
single and absorbing purpose of obtaining a col
legiate education. On the recommendation of
President Woolsey and other friends, he was ap
pointed to a first lieutenancy in the 10th Con
necticut Volunteers, which formed a part of the
Burnside expedition against North Carolina. He
was constantly on duty in all the preliminary op
erations of the expedition, and was in command
of his company through the battles of Roanoke
Island and Newbern, his captain having been
wounded at the very beginning of the former en
gagement. After the battle of Newbern, he was
promoted to a captaincy, was engaged for some
months in camp and outpost duty at Newbern,
afterward took part in the movement under Du-
Pont and Hunter from Hilton Head, South Caro
lina (to which his regiment had been transferred),
against Charleston. The part assigned to the
land forces in the movement was to take posses
sion of Seabrook's Island, for the purpose of
holding the mouth of the Edisto river as a ren
dezvous for the ironclads. The immediate land
ing was effected without resistance. • The confi
dence of his superior officers was shown at this
time by the fact that Capt. Atherton with his
company was detached from the main body and
ordered to make an independent reconnoissance
up the western side of the Island, without guides,
in a strange country known to be occupied by
the enemy, with instructions to rejoin the main
body at the upper end. This duty he performed
'in a way that secured the warm approval of his
superior officers. The next four or five months
were passed in camp and out-post duty in th*e
constant presence of the enemy, but with no par
ticular incident except occasional reconnoissance
and skirmishes. He was repeatedly detailed as
judge advocate of regimental and brigade courts-
martial. Meanwhile Capt. Atherton had passed
through one period of protracted, and nearly
fatal, illness, and found his health in the sum
mer of 1863 so much impaired that this consid
eration, coupled with the apparent prospect of a
long period of useless inactivity, led him to offer
his resignation. The step was taken with the
greatest reluctance, and only after consultation
with his colonel and chaplain and other trusted
friends in the regiment, and notwithstanding the
assured prospect of early promotion.
After several months of recuperation, our
subject was appointed to a professorship in the
Albany Boys' Academy, one of the best fitting

schools in the country, in which he had taught
before entering college. During the succeeding
years, while continuing his teaching, he com
pleted the branches of study which he had
omitted during his absence in the army. In
June, 1864, he returned to New Haven, passed
examination in those subjects, and, as a special
recognition of his standing in college and the oc
casion of his absence, received his degree (B. A.)
to date back with his own class Of 1863. Dur
ing the next three years he continued teaching in
Albany, and then accepted a prof essorship in St.
John's College, Annapolis, Md., where he also
acted as principal nearly the entire year, in the
absence of Dr. Henry Barnard. In the follow
ing year he left Annapolis, and became a member
of the first Faculty of the Illinois State University,
which was opened for students in 1868, with the
Hon. John M. Gregory as regent. Here his
work and relations were of the. most congenial
kind; but before the close of his first year of
service he accepted a very flattering and urgently
repeated offer of the newly-established chair of
History, Political Economy and Constitutional
Law in Rutgers College, New Brunswick, N. J.
He occupied this chair nearly fourteen years.
During these fourteen years he not only vigor
ously maintained the professional work of the
class-room, but was active in all matters pertain
ing to the general work and interests of the in
stitution, as well as in a great variety of other
and more public duties, such as lectures, ad
dresses, newspaper work, etc. In 1873, he was
a member of the board of visitors to the United
States Naval Academy. In 1875, he was ap
pointed, by President Grant, a member of the
Commission to investigate charges of mismanage
ment and fraud at the Red Cloud Indian Agency.
The charges were, at the time, a matter of great
public notoriety, but the work of investigation
was so thoroughly done, and the report submitted
to the President so conclusive, that the House of
Representatives, which during the succeeding
winter made a point of investigating every branch
of the government service, made no attempt to
traverse the conclusions of this Commission.
In 1876, greatly against his wishes, but in
obedience to what seemed a call of duty from
many who were interested in promoting purer
politics, he accepted the Republican nomination
for Congress, in a district having a very large
majority lor the opposite party. His defeat fol
lowed as a matter of course, though he ran ahead
of the Presidential ticket at almost every polling
place, and his vigorous canvass of the district
elicited the highest praise on account of his un
compromising advocacy of honest money as

34

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

against the green-back folly then prevalent; of
civil service reform as against the spoils system,
and of the purity of the ballot as against corrup
tion in the North, and fraud and violence in the
South. In 1878, he was chairman of a Commis
sion, composed of five citizens appointed by the
Governor of New Jersey, to prepare and propose
to the Legislature, a digest and revision of the
State system of taxation. During this period,
the nature of his professional studies, and his
widening interest in public questions, led him to
take up the study of law. He was admitted to
the New Jersey Bar, and practiced for some time
as consulting attorney, but without relinquishing
his College professorship. All these varied act
ivities he regarded as subsidiary to his principal
work as a teacher and guide of young men. Him
self an ardent believer in one school of political
opinion, he scrupulously avoided everything like
partisanship in the teachings of the lecture-room,
endeavoring only to instil a high sense of the re
sponsibilities and privileges of citizenship, and
especially of the public duties of educated men;
and there can be no doubt that it was his prac
tical experience of affairs which gave that force
and effectiveness to his influence in the class
room, of which his students speak with warmth
and gratitude. The scientific department of
Rutgers College had received from the Legisla
ture of New Jersey the benefits of the United
States Land Grant Act, of 1862, and his connec
tion with the institution naturally led him to an
examination of the provisions and the underlying
principles of that legislation. He became thor
oughly convinced that it was not only a measure
of far-reaching wisdom as a provision for higher
public education, but that it was peculiarly in
keeping with the genius of our system of institu
tions. An unsuccessful effort made in Congress in
the winter of 1872-73, by Senator Morrill, of
Vermont, the author of the original measure, to
increase the endowment of the colleges estab
lished under that Act, led Prof. Atherton to
make a careful study of the results already ac
complished by it. These results he presented in
a paper read before the National Education As
sociation at its meeting in Elmira, N. Y. , in the
summer of 1873. There had been no previous
attempt to make so systematic an inquiry, and
the array of facts showing what the colleges had
already accomplished in the short time since
their establishment was a surprise to friends and
opponents alike. It was shown that the pro
ceeds of the Land Grant had on the whole been
wisely managed, and that the spirit of the Act of
Congress had been promptly met by the action

of States, counties, towns, and private individu
als, from which sources nearly five millions of
dollars had been already received in grants and
gifts, for the purpose of supplementing the funds
set apart by the United States. This address
was the beginning of an active interest in the
subject of government support for higher educa
tion which has given direction to all his subse
quent work, and there has since been no Con
gressional legislation in the shaping and securing
of which he has not taken an active and influen
tial part. The well-known Act of 1887, provid
ing for the establishment of Agricultural Experi
ment Stations in connection with the Land Grant
Colleges in every State in the Union, and under
which fifty principal and several subordinate sta
tions are now in operation, is probably more
largely indebted to him for its passage than to
any other single individual outside of Congress.
While he would be the last to detract from the
credit due to the efforts of others, it is the sim
ple truth to say that, in the midst of the numer
ous and wide-spread agencies which were set in
operation in behalf of that important measure,
his leadership was freely recognized by all who
had part in securing it. The passage of this Act
was followed by the organization of an Associa
tion, including in its membership all these Col
leges and Experiment Stations, which at once
took rank as one of the most influential bodies of
educational and scientific workers in the United
States. This Association, known as "The
American Association of Agricultural Colleges
and Experiment Stations," chose Dr. Atherton
as its first president. In 1890, Congress passed
a third Act intended to strengthen the educa
tional work of the Land Grant Colleges, in dis
tinction from the work of experiment and re
search which has been especially provided for by
the Act of 1887. In promoting the passage of
this measure, also, Dr. Atherton rendered im
portant service.
Meantime, in the summer of 1882, he re
ceived and finally accepted a call to the Presi
dency of the Pennsylvania State College, one of
the Land Grant Institutions. After having re
ceived the income of the Land Grant Act for fif
teen years, the institution had less than one hun
dred students, a meagre equipment, with a pub
lic sentiment either hostile or indifferent, and
this, notwithstanding the fact that its Faculty and
Board of Trustees had never been without strong
and able men. The task of building it up and
making it worthy of so rich and powerful a Com
monwealth as Pennsylvania seemed almost a
hopeless one, but to this task Dr. Atherton de
voted himself with a courage and enthusiasm

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

35

which astonished even his friends, and the spirit
of which was in itself an inspiration to others.
At the end of ten years the results have been
greater than the most sanguine friends of the
College had dared to anticipate. A total change
in public sentiment has shown itself in a steady
increase in the number of students, and the ap
propriation of nearly four hundred thousand dol
lars by the Legislature has given the College a
substantial equipment of the buildings and ap
paratus required for its work. The foundations
of future growth have been laid on so broad and
comprehensive lines that it is rapidly taking a
place among the leading technical institutions of
the country. In 1883, the degree of LL. D.
was conferred upon him by Franklin and Mar
shall College. In 1887, he was appointed, by
the Governor of Pennsylvania, chairman of a
Commission created by authority of the Legisla
ture of the State to make inquiry and report
upon the practicability of introducing manual
training into the public-school system. The re
port of this commission has been widely recog
nized in this country, and in Europe as the most
complete single presentation of the subject pub
lished up to that date. At sixty years of age,
after a life filled to an unusual degree with exact
ing labors, it may still be said of the subject of
this sketch, as Cecil said of Sir Walter Raleigh,
"he can toil terribly," and, like Raleigh, he pos
sesses the extraordinary mental grasp and breadth
of intellectual interests and sympathies which
render him "an equally congenial companion to
men of letters and men of affairs.

T*HE PENNSYLVANIA STATE COLLEGE
is, as its name implies, a State and not a
denominational institution. It is situated in the
small village of State College, in one of the most
picturesque and healthful localities of central
Pennsylvania. Practically surrounded by mount
ains, with Nittany on the east, Tussey on the
south, and Muncy on the north, it is, as the poet
says of Lake Constance, ' ' girt round with rugged
mountains," yet the rugged mountainous view is
relieved by the more restful and peaceful beauty
of the foot-hills and lowlands, forming a well-
contrasted panorama of natural scenery. The
college campus of sixty acres, containing the
numerous college buildings and professors' resi
dences, is artistically laid out with drives, ave
nues and walks, with here and there a secluded
bower or romantic walk, and well merits the title
of the ideal College campus so often bestowed.
The College is one of the so-called land grant
colleges, established under the Act of Congress of

July, 1862. The section of the Act relating
directly to the character of the work to be pur
sued by the institution reads: "The leading
object shall be, without excluding other scientific
and classical studies, and including military tac
tics, to teach such branches' of learning as are
related to agriculture and the mechanic arts in
such a manner as the Legislature of the State
may prescribe, in order to promote the liberal
and practical education of the industrial class in
the several pursuits and professions of life."
The State Legislature accepted this Act of Con
gress, and further " pledged the faith of the State
to carry it into effect." The College was opened
in 1859 as a school for instruction in practical
agriculture. An active movement in this direc
tion had begun several years earlier, and had en
listed the enthusiastic support of some of the
most intelligent and public-spirited citizens of the
State, among them Hon. Frederick Watts, of
Carlisle, and Hon. Hugh N. McAllister, of Belle
fonte. After prolonged consideration of the vari
ous plans presented, a charter was secured' in
1855, superseding one granted the previous
year, and two officers of the State and twelve
other gentlemen were constituted a Board of
Trustees. There was thought to be at that time
a considerable prejudice among farmers against
the word " College," and, for that reason, as
subsequently explained, the institution was called
The Farmer's High School of Pennsylvania^
Donations of land as a site for the institution
were offered in several parts of the State and,
after a very careful examination, the Board ac
cepted the gift of 200 acres in Centre county
from Gen. James Irvin, to which they soon after
ward added, by purchase, 200 acres more. For
the purpose of providing the necessary funds for
erecting and equipping buildings, the State Agri
cultural Society gave $10,000, the trustees raised
$25,000 by subscription, and the Legislature in
1857 appropriated $25,000, absolutely, and $25,-
000 more on condition that a similar amount
should be raised by private subscription, which
was done. In 1861, the Legislature made an
additional appropriation of $49,900, for the com
pletion of buildings, though the institution had
been opened February 20, 1859, with such ac
commodations as were then available.
The first president of the school was Dr.
Evan Pugh, who had become deeply imbued with
the fundamental conceptions underlying modern
methods of teaching the applied sciences. He
had studied in Germany at a time when very few
American students went abroad for that purpose,
and had spent several months at Rothamstead,
England, working under the direction of Messrs.

36

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Lawes and Gilbert. He entered upon this work
here with great energy and enthusiasm, and the
scheme of instruction was put upon a college ba
sis from the beginning Dr. Pugh stated in 1862,
that "the school, on being organized, adopted a
course of instructions in mathematics and the nat
ural sciences more extensive than that in any
agricultural college in Europe, required corres
pondingly longer time for graduation, and that
the trustees only awaited the time in which they
would be able to complete its buildings to change
its name." Accordingly in 1862 the name was
changed to "The Agricultural College of Pennsyl
vania. " From 1855 to 1867 the sum of $99,900
was the total amount given to the institution by
the Legislature, and the entire amount was ex
pended in the erection of the original building;
but, owing to the great advance in the cost of
building material, occasioned by the war which
broke out in 1861, the resources at the disposal
of the trustees proved inadequate to complete the
one main building, and the Legislature, by an act
approved April 11, 1866, authorized them to
borrow $80,000 and secure the same by a mort
gage. The institution had no endowment and no
source of revenue except the fees of students,
and the attempt to make such an institution self-
supporting failed as it has everywhere and always
failed. Since 1873 it has received an income of
$30,000 annually from the United States fund.
In 1878 the Legislature provided for the payment
of the debt of the $80,000, whioh it had author
ized twelve years before, and that sum is the total
amount given by the State to the College between
1867 and 1887, except an appropriation of $3,000
made for the erection of a barn on one of the ex
perimental farms. From 1857 to 1887, a period
of thirty years, the State appropriated a total
amount of $179,900 for the erection of the main
building and $3,000 for the erection of a barn.
It is doubtless true that the institution during that
period largely failed to satisfy the public expecta
tion. It is also true that from the passage of the
Act of 1 867 until 1 887 the Legislature of the State
was directly responsible for its administration,
but, though it heard and entertained complaints
from time to time, it took no step to ascertain
and supply the needs of the institution, and
seemed to feel no responsibility for the proper
execution of the trust which it had assumed. In
1874, in recognition of the fact that the Law of
Congress necessarily widened the scope of its
work, the name of the institution was again
changed, and it has since been known as The
Pennsylvania State College. In 1887 the State
entered upon a new era in its dealings with the
College. All the work of the institution was then

carried on, as it had been from the first, in the
one original building, except that a small frame
building for mechanical work had been erected
three years before. All the lecture rooms, labora
tories, dormitories, society halls, boarding club,
armory, chapel, library, and everything else re
quired for the work of the institution, besides five
families of professors, were crowded together un
der that single roof. In the meantime other
States had taken active and continuous steps, and
made large appropriations for carrying out the
Congressional Act, and leading men, in our Leg
islature and elsewhere throughout the Common
wealth, felt that Pennsylvania had too long disre
garded her own interests as well as the obliga
tions she had assumed toward the United States.
It is not necessary to recall the long and not very
agreeable record from 1867 to 1887, during which
the College maintained a difficult struggle for ex
istence. It is easy now to see that a different
policy on the part of the State might have brought
about different results during that period; but
that has become a part of ancient history. In
1887 the attention of the Legislature was called
to the situation, and the sentiment became gen
eral that if Pennsylvania was to maintain a State
institution, it should be kept up at least to the
standard of her penal and reformatory and charita
ble institutions; and, after a careful and detailed
examination, $112,000 was appropriated with a
view to beginning the work of reconstruction and
placing the institution on a footing that would be
creditable to Pennsylvania, and in keeping with
what other progressive States were doing for
their institutions which had been established in
accordance with the same Act of Congress. The
total amount then and since appropriated up to
1895 inclusive was: Buildings $303, 500; repairsv
improvements and insurance, $36,220; equip
ment, $102,200; maintenance, $38,300; making
$480,220. For these recent expenditures the
College has buildings to show which are worth
every dollar they cost. They are: an armory, a
botanical building, with conservatory and green.
houses, a chemical and physical building, with
lecture rooms and laboratories, an experiment
station building, with offices, laboratories, etc.,
a cottage for the ladies' department, a residence
for the United States military detail, a residence
for the director of the experiment station, four
professors' houses, and an engineering building,
arranged for the departments of civil, mechanical
and mining engineering, which is believed to be
the best for its purpose in the United States.
Besides these, the barns and outbuildings on the
two farms have been greatly enlarged (one of the
barns being entirely new), and a central boiler

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

37

house and steam plant erected for heating all the
public College buildings, while a smaller plant
serves the same purpose for all the experiment
station buildings.
In 1 88 1, a very important rearrangement and
enlargement of courses of study was made by the
Faculty and approved by the Trustees, which
may be said to mark a distinct epoch in the educa
tional organization of the College, and one from
which may be dated a new era in its growth.
The substance of the new scheme was specializa
tion, in technical lines. A classical course and a
general educational course, called the "General
Science Course" were substituted for the three
previously maintained ("Agricultural," "Classic
al" and "Scientific") and four Technical Courses
added, viz: — Agriculture, Chemistry and Physics,
Civil Engineering, and Natural History. These
courses began with the Junior year, all alike
being based on the general training given in the
Freshman and Sophomore years. The number.
of full four-years' courses now organized is thir
teen, as follows:
I. Classical Course. II. General Courses:
A General Science course; a Latin Scientific
course; a course in Philosophy. III. Technical
Courses: A course in Agriculture; a course in
Biology; a course in Chemistry; a course in Civil
Engineering; a course in Electrical Engineering;
a course in Mathematics; a course in Mechanical
Engineering; a course in Mining Engineering; a
coursein Physics. Besides these regular courses,
there are eight short courses — four in Agriculture,
one in Chemistry, two in Mining, and an element
ary course in Mechanics. The scheme was
necessarily incomplete, but, while it has since
been modified and enlarged in nearly every de
tail, the fundamental principle of differentiated
(rather than elective specialties), based on a
common foundation of training, has been ever
since substantially maintained, and the growth of
the College has followed along the main lines of
the plan thus sketched out. In addition to these
courses there exists the military drill and disci
pline which furnishes, as it were, the brawn for the
healthful growth of the brain. The military or
ganization consists of the entire student body as
a battalion, divided into companies, with their
respective cadet captains. All the necessary
territory for the various military manoeuvres is
readily afforded by the large campus, and in win
ter the spacious armory is utilized as a drill hall.
The National Government has furnished the
College with two field pieces of modern pattern,
and a large number of cadet rifles similar to
those used at West Point. By a recent law of
the State, commissioned officers of the battalion

are eligible to appointment as brevet second
lieutenants in the National Guard.
Based upon this broadened foundation, the
special work of the State College is the training
of youth in those branches of learning which lie
at the foundation of modern industrial pursuits.
In accordance with the purposes of its founders
and the terms of its original charter, it aims to
give special and prominent attention to agricult
ure, both theoretical and experimental; but it
also provides "a liberal and practical education"
in the leading branches of mathematical, natural
and physical science, in order to prepare youth
for "the several pursuits and professions of life."
In other words, while the College is no longer
exclusively agricultural, it is doing more in the
direction of progressive and scientific agriculture
than when that was its principal object; and at
the same time it has increased its subjects and
courses of study, and its teaching and illustrative
equipment, to such an extent that now, "with
out excluding classical studies," its leading ob
ject is to teach the various sciences in such a
manner as to show their applications in the more
important industries — to combine with every
branch of instruction such an amount of actual
practice in the shop, the field and the laboratory
as will serve to illustrate and apply the theory,
but without subordinating it.
Dr. Evan Pugh served as president of the
college from 1859 to 1864, his death occurring
April 29 of the latter year. He was a profound
scholar and a man of wonderful intellectual pow
ers. He spent six years abroad; he was three or
four years in Europe at the Universities of Leip-
sic, Gottingen, Heidelberg and, as stated above,
in the laboratories of Lawes and Gilbert. Dr.
Pugh by his scientific investigations while in
Europe settled several important scientific ques
tions, and gained for himself a world-wide repu-
ation as a scholar and investigator. Dr. Pugh
was succeeded by William H. Allen, LL. D. , of
Girard College, who served two years, and re
signed to accept his old position as president of
Girard College. On the resignation of Dr. Allen,
Gen. John Frazer, A. M., professor of mathe
matics and astronomy and lecturer on astron
omy, was elected president. President Frazer
was mainly instrumental in securing to the Col
lege part of the National land grant. He re
signed his position in 1868, and was afterward
president of the University of Kansas, and also
State superintendent of public instruction of that
State. Thomas H. Burrows, LL. D., became
president in December, 1868, and died in office
in 1 87 1. Of Dr. Burrows, J. P. McCaskey, ed
itor of the Pennsylvania School fonrnal, said :

38

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

No other man in the history of Pennsylvania has
touched our common-school system so nearly, so powerfully,
or throughout its whole range to such a degree, as Dr. Bur-
rowes. He put the system into working force in 1835-8; he
established The Pennsylvania School Journal in 1852, and
was its editor for eighteen years; he was the first president of
the Pennsylvania State Teachers' Association, and the first
president of the Lancaster County Teachers' Institute, called
to both positions by the unanimous choice as the leading
spirit among the advocates of general education by the State
and of an improved common-school system; he wrote the
Pennsylvania State Book, which we recall as a reader in a
country school, in 1847, before we knew anything of its
author; he wrote the Pennsylvania School Architecture, which,
being supplied to all the school districts, did much to im
prove the plans of school buildings and their surroundings
in 1856 and thereafter; he wrote the Normal School Law at
the request of Hon. H. C. Hickok, who tells elsewhere in the
present issue of The School Journal the interesting story
of the origin of that law of vital importance to our educa
tional progress; he was called by Gov. Curtin — who origi
nated that most worthy public charity — to organize the sys
tem of Soldiers' Orphan Schools, which was done with his
customary energy and strong practical sense; and he died,
after thirty-five years of almost continuous effort in behalf of
general education, at the head of the school that, we believe,
is destined soon to be recognized as the last essential feature
which rounds out into satisfactory completeness our Penn
sylvania system of public instruction.
In March, 1871, Dr. Calder, the president of
Hillsdale College, Mich., was chosen president,
and during his administration ladies were ad
mitted to the privileges of the institution. Dr.
Calder resigned in 1880, and was succeeded by
President Shortlidge, and the latter in 1882 by
Dr. George W. Atherton, the present executive.
A writer in referring to the College in 1894 said:
The rapid growth of the institution into a position of na
tional prominency has taken place within the last decade,
and has been the result of the policy adopted by the present
executive, Dr. George W. Atherton. Previous to his inaugu
ration the College had gained scarcely a local reputation,
and was on the verge of a retrograde movement. He im
mediately outlined the present courses of technical work,
and the degree of success which they have attained is
sufficient evidence of their practicability, and the demands of
the times for instruction of such character.
Referring to a visit to the college in 1892,
Editor J. P. McCaskey said:
The president, Dr. Atherton, was absent in attendance
upon a meeting of the Association Of College Presidents and
Professors then in session at Swarthmore, where he had a
paper upon the relations of the High Schools of the State to
the Collegiate institutions. It was a disappointment not to
see him. But what was better still, we saw everywhere evi
dence of his devotion to the interests of the College, every
where the master hand in the work that has been done and
is doing under his administration. We heard also on every
hand admiration of his good judgment, broad plan, execu
tive ability, tireless energy, and unlimited capacity for work.
Dr. Atherton, we may add, is a soldier as well as a scholar,
holding one of the honor medals awarded by Act of Congress
during the late war for gallantry in action.
In an address delivered in 1894, Wm. Pep
per, M. D., LL. D., said:
I feel that it is impossible to let such a day as this pass
without some word of tribute, such as I as an outsider might
fitly speak, of what President Atherton has done for this
place, and for the people of Pennsylvania. Twelve years
ago, in 1882, State College had thirty-four students in the col
lege classes, one building on this campus, and a very un
savory reputation. To-day, after twelve short years of vig

orous administration, we see this fine group of buildings, we
k'now there are three hundred students in attendance, that
the curriculum has been enlarged, and the standard grearty
raised, and that all over the State thoughtful men and
women are turning their eyes to this College as one where
excellent educational results are secured.
The Faculty and Instructors in 1897-98 are:
George W. Atherton, LL.D., president, profes
sor of political and social science; William A.
Buckhout, M. S., professor of botany and horti
culture; I. Thornton Osmond, M. S., M. A., pro
fessor of physics; Harriet A. McElwain, M. A.,
lady principal, professor of history; Louis E.
Reber, M. S., professor of mechanics and me
chanical engineering; William Frear, Ph. D.,
professor of agricultural chemistry; George Gil
bert Pond, M. A., Ph. D., professor of chemis
try; Henry p. Armsby, Ph. D., lecturer on stock
feeding; Henry T. Fernald, M. S., Ph. D., pro
fessor of zoology; Benjamin Gill, M. A., profes
sor of Greek and Latin; Magnus C. Ihlseng, E.
>M. , C. E. , Ph. D., professor of mining engi
neering and geology; John Price Jackson, B. S.,
M. E., professor of electrical engineering; Fred
E. Foss, B. S., M. A., professor of civil engi
neering; Joseph M. Willard, B. A., professor of
mathematics; Fred Lewis Pattee, M. A., profes
sor of English and rhetoric; George C. Watson,
B. Agr., M. S., professor of agriculture; Law
rence M. Colfelt, D. D., preacher to the College,
professor of ethics; Martin G. Benedict, M. A.,
Ph. D. , professor of pedagogics, in charge of sub-
freshman class; Daniel C. Pearson. Captain 2d
Cavalry, U. S. A., professor of military science
and tactics; George C. Butz, M. S., assistant
professor of horticulture; Harry H. Stoek, B. S.,
E. M. , assistant professor of mining engineering
and metallurgy; Madison M. Garver, B. S., as
sistant professor of physics; Franklin E. Tuttle,
M. A., Ph. D., assistant professor of chemistry;
William Mason Towle, B. S., assistant professor
of practical mechanics; Erwin W. Runkle, M.
A., Ph. D., assistant professor of psychology and
ethics; Joseph H. Tudor, C. E. , M. S., assistant
professor of mathematics; Thomas C. Hopkins,
M. S., M. A., assistant professor of geology; Carl
D. Fehr, M. A., assistant professor of German;
Harry K. Monroe, M. A., assistant professor of
English; T. Raymond Beyer, B. S., C. E., as
sistant professor of civil engineering; Charles L.
Griffin, B. S. , assistant professor of machine de
sign; Silvanus B. Newton, A. B., M. D., director
of physical education; Anna E. Redifer, instructor
in industrial art and design; Herbert E. Dupkle,
B. S. , M. E., instructor in mechanical drawing;
John A. Hunter, Jr., B. S., M. E., instructor in
mechanical engineering; Henry A. Lardner, B. S.,
E. E., instructor in electrical engineering; Harry

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

89

Hayward, B. S. , instructor in dairy husbandry;
John H. Leete, B.A. , instructor in mathematics;
Irving L. Foster, M. A. , instructor in the romance
languages; Francis J. Pond, M. A., Ph. D., in
structor in assaying; Walter J. Keith, M. A., Ph.
D.. instructor in chemistry; Paul B. Breneman,
B. S., instructor in civil engineering; Thomas H.
Taliaferro, C. E. , Ph. D., instructor in mathe
matics; F. H. Greenwood, B. S., instructor in
practical mechanics; Budd Frankinfield, B. S. ,
E. E., instructor in electrical engineering; Lloyd
A. Reed, B. S. , assistant in the electrical labor
atories; Warren P. Smiley, B. S., assistant in the
chemical laboratories.
Other Officers — Helen M. Bradley, libra
rian; Clara Dayton Wyman, in charge of music;
Anna Adams McDonald, assistant librarian.
Agricultural Experiment Station. — Of
ficers and Assistants. The President of the
College; Henry Prentiss Armsby, Ph. D., direct
or; William Frear, Ph. D., vice-director and
chemist; William A. Buckhout, M. S., botanist;
George C. Butz, M. S., horticulturist; George
C. Watson, M. S., agriculturist; William C. Pat
terson, superintendent of farm; Miss Julia C.
Gray, secretary; William S. Sweetser, B. S., J.
August Fries, Milton E. McDonnell, M. S. ,
Charles Albert Browne, Jr., M. A., and Cassius
W. Norris, assistant chemists; Harry Hayward,
B. S., instructor in dairy husbandry; Enos H.
Hess, assistant to the director; Miss Minnie
Edith Gray, stenographer.

J

TUDGE ADAM HOY (deceased), late a dis
tinguished citizen of Bellefonte, and member
of the Centre County Bar, was a native of
the county, born in Spring township, September
6, 1827. George Hoy, the grandfather of the Judge,
came into what is now Centre county, near the
close of the eighteenth century, and in connec
tion with a brother, Charles, purchased (jointly)
400 acres of land, dividing it equally. His birth
occurred September 10, 1773, and his death on
April 16, 1863. Of his twelve children, Albert,
who married Magdala Weckerly, was the father
of our subject. When but four years of age, the
latter was sent to school, his first teacher being
George Padget, a noted teacher of sixty years'
experience in Buffalo and Penn's Valleys, and
who then held school in Swartz' school house,
on the Eckenrode place, in Spring township.
In 1851-52 he attended the Mifflinburg Academy,
and from there went to Airy View, near Perry-
ville, to the academy kept by David Wilson. In
the fall of 1854 he entered the sophomore class

in Pennsylvania College, Gettysburg, and was
graduated in 1856. He read law with the late
Hon. H. N. McAllister, and was admitted to the
Bar April 27, 1858. Upon the invitation of the
late Judge J. T. Hale, Mr. Hoy occupied a room
in his law office, and became more or less asso
ciated with the Judge in his extensive business
up to the death of the latter. He was appointed
president judge of the district in 1883, by Gov.
Pattison, which position he held with great credit
until January, 1885, when he was succeeded by
Judge Furst.
During the Civil war Judge Hoy acted with
the Republican party, but shortly after its ter
mination he joined the Democratic party, and up
to the time of his death he was an active and in
fluential member of that party. In 1873, and
again in 1876, he was a candidate for the Senate,
but failed to procure the nomination. In 1884
he was the Democratic nominee for president
judge, but was defeated in consequence of local
dissensions and political complications in the
Congressional District. He bore his defeat man
fully, and the faithful and earnest manner in
which he fulfilled the duties of chairman of the
Democratic County Committee, to which he was
elected the year following his defeat, proved how
devoted he was to the principles he espoused,
and how true to the cause he advocated. His
death occurred August 23, 1887. "As a lawyer,
Judge Hoy had few, if any, superiors at the Bar;
as a judge, he was cdoI, fair, and fearless, and
won the respect of all by the conscientious, able
and impartial manner in which he discharged the
duties of the position; as a citizen, he was
large-hearted, liberal and progressive, and as a
neighbor, he was kind and obliging to a fault.
He was a consistent and active member of the
Presbyterian Church, and a trusty, good man;
one whose work and actions in life would make a
worthy example for others to follow."
On December 26th, 1865, Judge Hoy was
married to Miss Louisa M., daughter of the late
James D. Harris. He left, surviving him, his
widow and seven children, namely: Anna H.,
Mary, Albert, Louise, J. Harris, Edward L. and
Randolph Hale.

ON. FREDERICK KURTZ was born in
_JJL York, Penn., December 28, 1833, and
came from there to Aaronsburg in the fall of
1846. After conducting the Centre Berichter for
upward of ten years, he removed to Centre Hall.
Here he established the Centre Reporter on the
ist of April, 1868. From the start Mr. Kurtz
conducted the business of his office in business

40

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

style, editing its columns with vigor and to the
best interests of his party, and diversifying his
reading-matter with more original matter than is
contained in the majority of inland journals.
Success has crowned his efforts, and the
Reporter is now one of the largest of the county
papers, and is a dominant factor in county poli
tics. Mr. Kurtz has at all times stimulated
public enterprise, and is the embodiment of a
go-ahead man. He was elected to the Legisla
ture in 1866 over Gen. James A. Beaver, and re
elected in 1867 by a largely increased majority,
and the highest vote upon the Democratic ticket.
His record as a legislator was unsullied, and
rendered him still more popular among his con
stituents. Among other indications of this is the
fact that at a public meeting of the citizens of
the county, irrespective of party, held at Belle
fonte in the winter of 1867, his course in oppo
sition to the railroad monopoly was heartily in
dorsed by Hon. H. N. McAllister and other
leading citizens. It is to the credit, too, of Mr.
Kurtz that he was one of the hardest and most
earnest workers for railroad facilities for Penn's
Valley, devoting days and weeks canvassing for
subscriptions, and giving the enterprise continued
editorial support, while he was' also one of the
most liberal subscribers for the stock.
Mr. Kurtz always has taken high ground in
support of educational interests, especially advo
cating the establishment of teachers' institutes,
and speaking on that behalf at various points in
the Valley. He served some twelve years as a
school director. For over a dozen years he was
president of the joint council of the Lutheran
charge; for about sixteen consecutive years he
has been elected president of the Farmers' Mutual
Fire Insurance Co., of Centre county; for some
twenty-six years has been president of the Centre
Hall WTater Co. ; was chairman of the building
committee in the erection of the handsome Luth
eran church building at Centre Hall, and for
nearly ten years has been an elder in that
Society — all of which positions he has filled with
characteristic zeal and efficiency. Centre Hall
is also indebted to him for the reconstruction of
its water-works, and change of the wooden
pipes to iron pipes of the best modern style, and
he has added to the improvement of the town
itself a large roller flouring-mill and five dwel
lings. Moreover, the beautiful little town owes
much of its reputation abroad to the columns of
the Reporter, through which its exceedingly
healthful location has become far famed.
On January 26, 1861, Mr. Kurtz married Miss
Anne Harter, who was born September 6, 1835,
daughter of William Harter, of near Aaronsburg,

and children as follows were born to them: Will
iam L. , April 12, 1862; Charles R. , October
31, 1864, John F., May 23, 1868; George W. ,
March 21, 1874.

JUDGE DANIEL RHOADS. On one of the
elevated points adjacent to the mountain
town of Bellefonte, Centre county, is the lit
tle burying ground of the Society of Friends, in
which rest the remains of "one of the grandest
characters that ever lived anywhere," those of
Daniel Rhoads, whose grave is marked by a plain
granite slab, on which is the simple inscription:
"Daniel Rhoads, born 9th month, 25th, 1821,
Died 3d month, nth, 1893."
Encircling the inscription and climbing about
the stone are sprigs of ivy, while the family lot
is a plain grassy sward under the shadow of one
of Nature's grandest forest trees; the picture pre
sented, suggested, as we stood by the grave, the
thought of how like the life and taste of him who
rested there.
The Rhoads family is a most historical and
interesting one in both this and the Mother coun
try. For upward of two hundred years the fam
ily have lived in Philadelphia, the old homestead
now at Haddington, in the 28th ward, being still
in the possession of the family, occupied by the
eighth generation. The progenitor of the family
here in America was John Rhoads (1), who came
over from Derbyshire, England, in 1687. How
ever, previous to this two of his sons — John (2)
and Adam — had preceded him a number of years,
being contemporaries with William Penn. John
(1) was the son of Sir Francis Rodes II, whose
grandfather, the first Sir Francis, built, in 1583,
Barlborough Hall, in' Derbyshire, England, the
palatial, castle-like home of the family. Barl
borough Hall is situated in the parish of the
same name in Derbyshire. The village of Bad- '
borough is on the estate which is on the verge of
the county southeast of Sheffield and northeast
of Chesterfield. James P. Pilkington, in "Pres
ent State of Derbyshire," 1789, writes:
Barlborough Hall is a handsome mansion of the age of
Elizabeth; the inside has been modernized, but the principal
front retains its original appearance [still the same in 1884],
having projecting bows terminating in octagon embattled
turrets and large transom windows with very small panes set
in lead. In the space between the first and second stories in
the fronts of the octagonal turrets are busts of Sir Francis
Rodes and his wife in bas-relief.
AnnaV. Bailey, a cousin of Daniel Rhoads, who
visited Barlborough Hall in 1884, thus alluded to
the place:
The grounds are very picturesque, noble trees scattered
profusely, and groves in the distance The house is approached
by beautiful avenues of limes or lindens, a quarter of mile in
length, very ancient and grand-looking trees. The DeRodes

tsAjs tZ^t^-^L^- S&tx. — z?-a — *£-~<r

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

41

arms are over the great front door, and the forearm with the
o,ak branch and clusters of acorns beautifully carved in sev
eral places around the house. The drawing room, a very
spacious square room, filled with paintings, busts, portraits,
etc., contains a very magnificent stone chimney-piece, origi
nally in " the great chamber;" it is enriched with fluted Doric
pillars supporting statues of Justice and Religion, and coats
of arms and various articles in bas-relief. In this room is
an immense stained-glass window, very rich in color and
design, divided in small, octagonal panes, each pane con
taining the name and crest of the different families with
whom the Rodes had intermarried. There are hundreds of
old miniatures done on ivory, very antique, a magnificent col
lection of old china, said to be the finest in Derbyshire, con
tained in beautifully inlaid antique cabinets, also very richly
inlaid tables. The furniture of this room is covered with
very old Gobelin tapestry, of mythological subjects, and the
curtains are of rich, wine-colored velvet, with strips of tapes
try, down the fronts. The buff coat and sword of Sir Francis
Rodes, worn in the time of Charles I, are preserved in this
house. They are engraved in Groses' Ancient Armor, Plate
XXXIX, as are also the armor, breast-plates, helmets, gaunt
lets, sword-proof coats of heavy chamois skin, lances, spears,
swords, , etc., contained in the great hall.
Washington Irving writes:
I had been passing a merry Christmas in the good old
style at Barlboro' Hall, a venerable family mansion in Derby
shire, and set off to finish the holidays with the hospitable
proprietor of Newstead Abbey. A drive of seventeen miles
through a pleasant country, part of it the storied region of
Sherwood Forest, brought me to the gate of Newstead Park.
During my recent sojourn at Barlboro' Hall, on the skirts of
Derbyshire and Yorkshire, I had witnessed many of the rus
tic festivites peculiar to that joyous season, which have rashly
been pronounced obsolete by those who draw their experi
ence merely from city life. I had seen the great Yule log
put on the fire on Christmas Eve, and the wassail bowl sent
round brimming with its spicy beverage. I had heard carols
beneath my window by the choristers of the neighboring vil
lage, who went their rounds about the ancient hall at mid
night, according to immemorial custom. We had mummers
and mimers, too, with the story of St. George and the Dragon,
and other ballads and traditional dialogues, together with the
famous old interlude of the Hobby Horse, all represented
in the ante-chamber and servants' hall by rustics who inher
ited the custom and the poetry from preceding generations.
Sir Francis Rodes, the builder of the Hall,
was of the eleventh generation from Gerard De-
Rodes, who lived during the reigns of Henry II,
Richard I, John, and Henry III, from all of whom
he received great favors. Gerard DeRodes was
one of the greater barons, the capital seat of
whose barony was Horn Castle in Lincolnshire.
It would appear from the following quotation from
Old ballads that this family had at one time a
seat either in Scotland, or nearer the border than
Horn Castle, Lincolnshire — "The House of the
Rodes on the Hill:"
" The Gordon then his bugle blew,
And said, 'Awa, awa,'
This house of the Rodes is a' in a flame;
I haud it's time to g'a."
Gerard DeRodes would have been one of the
signers of the Magna Charta but for his absence
as an ambassador to foreign ports, whither he
had been sent by King John, March 29, in the
ninth year of his reign, 1208. Burke says Ger
ard DeRodes was one of the noble Armagnac
family of the ancient French nobility. The

family at Bellefonte have a record of their lineal
descent from generation to generation from Ger
ard DeRodes along the line of which are inter
esting and historical characters prominent for
their ability and interesting from their nearness
to royalty. Pictures of Barlborough Hall, of the
old Philadelphia homestead, with those of some
of their occupants, together with family treasures
of "ye olden times" grace their home. The or
thography of the name has undergone a number
of changes. One Samuel Rhoads of the family was mayor
of Philadelphia about the year 1765, and pre
sided as vice-president over the deliberations of
the American Philosophical Society during the
absence of the president, Benjamin Franklin, at
the court of France. Another ancestor of whom
Daniel Rhoads was a lineal descendant was John
Blunston, a minister of the Society of Friends,
who came frem Derbyshire, England, in 1682,
and settled at Darby, near Philadelphia, he being
"An Original Purchaser" of fifteen hundred
acres of land, comprising several tracts of various
sizes situated mostly, if not entirely, within the
limits of the present Delaware county, Penn.
He was a member of the first Provincial Assem
bly of Pennsylvania, and one of the committee
appointed to receive William Penn on January
12, 1683. He was several times Speaker of the
Assembly, being a member for thirteen years.
He was also one of the justices of the Court, and
in 1690 a member of the Council of State. He
frequently acted as attorney for persons residing
in England who held lands in this country. For
the years i70i-'02-'03-'04 and '05, he was again
a member of the Governor's Council. William
H. Egle, in his "History of Pennsylvania," in
speaking of him says: "he was regarded as a
person of great ability and probity."
The father of Daniel Rhoads was Joseph
Rhoads, who was the son of Adam and Sarah
(Jeanes) Rhoads. Joseph Rhoads was born at
"the old homestead " 5th Mo. 2, 1779. On ist
mo. 16, 1806, at Friends Meeting House, Rad
nor, Penn., he married Naomi Thomas, daughter
of Abel and Zillah (Walker) Thomas. Joseph
Rhoads was a leading member of the Society of
Friends, and was active in the anti-slavery
cause, being president of the Delaware County
Anti-Slavery Society, and was always willing to
give work and shelter to any who appealed to
him as having escaped from bondage. His home
was a station on the ' ' underground railway. "
His son, Daniel, in his younger days, frequently
conducted fugitive slaves to the next station,
twenty-five miles farther north. He was also
one of the earliest in the temperance movement,

42

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

and a pioneer in abolishing whiskey from the
harvest fields. He died August 28, 1852, and
his wife, Naomi, died August 9, 1842. Both are
interred in the Friends graveyard, at Darby,
which piece of ground was given to the Society
by the John Blunston mentioned above, great-
great-grandfather of Joseph Rhoads. Naomi
Thomas, the mother of Daniel Rhoads, was born
10th mo. 23, 1783. She was of ancient Welsh
and English ancestry, the progenitors of the vari
ous branches of her family, being Friends, were
among the first settlers of Chester Valley and of
Radnor, which were of the earliest of Pennsyl
vania settlements. They came from Wales and
England in the years 1683-84 and 1687'. Her
great-grandfather, Isaac Walker, owned the
historic Valley Forge property, which included
the ground on which Washington's Headquarters
now stand, and considerable of the encampment
site. Gen. Anthony Wayne was a kinsman of
hers. Both he and Gen. LaFayette were fre
quent visitors to her grandfather's house, and it
is said that her aunt, " The Little Naomi," as a
little girl was a special favorite of the gallant
young Frenchman. Naomi (Thomas) Rhoads,
like her husband, was an active and consistent
member of the Friends Society. She was a de
voted wife and mother and one of the most ex
emplary of women, possessed of great strength
of character and rare intelligence, and of the
sweetest disposition.
The family of Rhoads have for generations
been stanch adherents to the principles of the
Society of Friends. A number of the name suf
fered repeated persecutions in the Mother coun
try for conscience' sake, and it was doubtless the
hope of enjoying religious liberty which led John
Rhoads and his sons to leave their Derbyshire
homes and seek the wilderness of Pennsylvania.
Daniel Rhoads early in life was sent to a
Friends boarding school at Burlington, N. J.
Later he attended the schools at Philadelphia, re
ceiving a liberal education. At the time of his
birth, which happened in the old homestead re
ferred to, the latter was "out in the country";
the Judge used to remark that: " I was born
and raised in Philadelphia, although no one knew
it at the time, nor was it dreamed of then that
the old Quaker city would in time stretch to the
extent it is to-day." In 1850 John K. Smith,
uncle of the wife of Daniel Rhoads, of Trenton,
N. J., bought in the neighborhood of ten thou
sand acres of the Levy lands, and on Miles run,
some three miles south of the river in Burnside
township, Centre county, Penn., built a large
sawmill of the capacity of six million feet yearly,
equipped with two circular saws; the firm operat

ing here in 1853 was Smith, Taylor & Smith.
That year Mr. Rhoads came from Philadelphia
to engage in the lumbering business with them,
buying the interest of Mr. Taylor, the firm be
coming Smith, Rhoads & Smith, with Mr. Rhoads
as manager. The business was one of considera
ble scope, and employed many men in cutting
timber, and in sawing and shipping timber. For
four or five years the firm was most successful in
the extensive operations, cutting and shipping
about three million feet annually, until in 1858,
when their mill — the ' ' Sterling " — was destroyed
by fire. In the latter year Mr. Rhoads returned
to his native city to take charge of the Market
street horse-car line. In i860 he accepted the
superintendency of the Bellefonte & Snow Shoe
railroad, a position he held with honor and credit
for twenty-one years until the road was sold to
the Pennsylvania Company on March 17, 1881.
In the meantime the firm continued to operate at
Burnside, and until 1876 manufactured considera
ble square timber and sawed lumber, later the
business being confined to nothing but square
timber. After retiring from the railroad office
Mr. Rhoads, with Richard Downing, Wistar Mor
ris and other Philadelphia stockholders, formed a
company known as the Dunkirk Ore Association,
purchased the James Love farm at Loveville,
Centre county, and went into the business (Mr.
Rhoads being engaged at the same time in mer
cantile business at that point) of mining and ship
ping ore. In addition to his own large business
interests he had shared for twenty-six years the
responsibility and care of the William A. Thomas
estate, of which he was sole trustee after the
death of Mr. John Irwin, and so well was the
trust kept that the property more than tripled
itself. On the death of Associate Judge Smith of
Centre county, in thespringof 1887, Mr. Rhoads
was appointed by Gov. Beaver to fill out the un
expired term. In this capacity he showed such
good judgment and honest purpose that in the
same fall he was nominated, much against his
own wishes, and elected to the Bench by a large
majority, notwithstanding the fact that the
county was strongly Democratic, and he was an
ardent Republican. He loved his party and be
lieved in its principles, but he was a Republican
from honest convictions and not for expediency's
sake, for he never sought an office, and was very
loath to accept the one that sought him. As a
judge he gave general satisfaction, and was often
appealed to for advice by the president judge,
who had the greatest respect for his sound judg
ment. Editor Meek, of the Democratic Watch
man, said:

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

43

Of all the eulogies uttered this week in his praise, he
would undoubtedly value most highly that spoken by his
friend, Rev. Dr. Monroe, at the simple funeral services •
Tuesday morning: " He was a good man." Judge Rhoads
was a good man — good without the narrowness of an over-
zealous fanatic; but good in the fullest sense of the term —
in his love for God and his fellow-men, in his devotion to
truth, in his sense of honor, in the purity and nobility of his
life, in the fine courtesy of his manner, and the unfailing
kindness of his heart. Although towering away above the
average man mentally and physically, and of an independ
ent temperament, he was so gentle, so kind, and so unassum
ing, that the inspiration of his example will live and his
name remain honored as one of our best and noblest citizens
long after the records of the many more ambitious and con
spicuous have faded from the memory of men.
Another of the home papers referred to him:
Judge Rhoads as an empjoyer of labor, while superin
tendent of the Snow Shoe railroad, became well acquainted
with the laboring men in that section of the country, and of
him they always spoke in the highest terms. Kind, generous
to his men, he was always held in the highest esteem by his
fellowmen. Among the poor he will be greatly missed, his
missions of charity were more numerous and of larger extent
than the public ever knew; more than one humble home has
been warmed and cheered, and the hungry mouths of little
ones made to rejoice by his timely gifts of fuel and food,
from purely charitable motives. Tender-hearted as a child,
he was still as firm as a rock when grave situations arose
and principles of right were involved. Judge Rhoads was
an ideal man in many respects, and while the vital spark
has flown, we can still study with instruction the record of
that noble life just closed.
The Public Ledger of Philadelphia said:
Judge Rhoads was held in high esteem not only on ac
count of his well-known character for integrity and trust
worthiness, but also by reason of the sweetness and gentle
ness of his disposition, combined with great firmness and
strength. On April 25, 1861, Mr. Rhoads was married
to Miss Maria Dick Smith, and from that time
until his death he was a resident of Bellefonte.
Their children are: Edward Keasbey, Joseph
James, Francis Sinnickson and Rebecca Naomi.
The eldest child, Samuel Jeanes, died in infancy.
Mrs. Rhoads is of an historic family, of Revolu
tionary stock, and of an ancestry that formed a
part of the Colonies upward of 200 years ago.
Her paternal ancestor Smith acquired from King
Charles II, of England, a grant of land at Salem,
N. J., in 1662, and about that year came over
from England and located thereon. The original
parchment on which this grant was written is
now in the possession of Mrs. Rhoads. Her
grandfather, John Smith, was a captain in com
mand of a New Jersey troop in the war of the
Revolution, and her grandfather on her mother's
side, Andrew Sinnickson, served as colonel of a
New Jersey regiment in that war. The Sinnick-
sons were of Swedish descent, being among the
first settlers of New Jersey. Many of Mrs.
Rhoads' ancestors held positions of responsibility
and trust during the Colonial period. Her father,
Edward Smith, was a native of Salem, N. J.,
born in 1797;, he was liberally educated, and by
profession was a civil engineer. In early man

hood he represented the people of his locality in
the General Assembly of New Jersey.
In 1833 he removed to the West, locating at
Mt. Carmel, 111. Such were his attainments and
popularity that his services were sought by the
citizens of his adopted State, and he was elected
a member of the Legislature, and had the honor
of serving in that body with the afterward Presi
dent Lincoln. He soon rose in the ranks of his
profession, and at his death in 1839 was chief
engineer in charge of all internal public improve
ments of the State of Illinois. He was a man of
great force of character and ability, but died be
fore attaining the prominence his ability would
have commanded had his life been spared. . Mrs.
Rhoads was born at Mt. Carmel, 111., in 1839.
The Rhoads homestead at Bellefonte is just
such a one as the reader of the family history
would picture. The house and surroundings
suggest the poetical; sitting on an eminent point
well studded with trees and bowers, it reaches
out to a commanding view of the picturesque
country of the beautiful " mountain town."

C\OL. JAMES GILLILAND, whose death oc-
i curred at Linden, near Washington, D. C. ,
on April 1, 1889, when he was at the advanced
age of eighty-five years, belonged to one of the
pioneer families of Centre county, in which he
was an official and well-known business man up
ward of fifty years ago.
Joseph Gilliland, his father, in 1796 removed
from near Downingtown, Chester Co., Penn., to
White Deer township, in what is now Union
county, and in 1805 moved to Spring Mills, Cen
tre county. In 18 14 he moved up to the end of
Egg Hill in George's Valley, where his death oc
curred in 1840. He was an active member of
the Presbyterian Church, and was elected an
elder of Sinking Creek Church in 18 15. He ad
hered to the Scotch-Irish Presbyterian training,
and the Colonel often remarked that he did not
think that as long as he remained at home, a
Sabbath ever passed without the Shorter Cate
chism being repeated by himself and his broth
ers and sisters. The wife of Mr. Gilliland was
Catharine Cowden, and their children were: Ann,
Allen, Joseph A., Jennet and Julia (twins), Rob
ert, Jennet, James, John, David, William, Speer
and Samuel. The death of the wife and mother
occurred July 18, 1830.
Col. James Gilliland was born in Buffalo Val
ley, Penn., January 27, 1804, and his early days
were spent at Spring Mills, where his father kept
a hotel. Young Gilliland was a keen observer of
events, had a retentive memory, and his father's

44

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

associations being with Judge Potter, Andrew
Gregg and the prominent residents of Penn's
Valley, the early incidents of the settlements of
Penn's Valley were derived from listening to the
conversation of his father's friends, and to Col.
Gilliland, the local historian at Bellefonte is in
debted for many important occurrences and in
teresting tales that otherwise would have passed
into oblivion. While yet a young man, Mr.
Gilliland was engaged by Hon. Isaac McKinney
as a clerk in his store near Jacksonville, where
he received good business training. In 1825
Judge McKinney built Hecla Furnace, and while
with the Judge he assisted in taking "arks"
down Bald Eagle and then West Branch to Port
Deposit and Baltimore, and on one of these oc
casions the Judge insisted on his visiting Wash
ington city. His business connections with Judge
McKinney made him well acquainted through
Centre county, and he soon became influential
in politics, and when William L. Smith, the
prothonotary, died in office, March 11, 1831, Mr.
Gilliland was appointed his successor. He served
as such until January 12, 1836.
After retiring from this office he erected the
fine stone residence on Alleghany street, in
Bellefonte, later owned by Mrs. Pifer, and en
gaged in the mercantile business therein. In
1837 he was one of a committee, with John Irvin
and John Hall, which erected the Presbyterian
church edifice that preceded the present build
ing. He was engaged several years in settling
the estate of Gen. Philip Benner. In the spring
of 1847 he purchased from the Gratzes three
tracts of land in Snow Shoe township, and in
partnership with Henry Van Dyke and John Mc-
Cormick immediately built a first-class sawmill,
established a blacksmith shop, and completed an
elegant flouring-mill on the purchase. In 1849
Messrs. Gilliland and Van Dyke laid out the town
of Moshannon, and in 185 1 the Presbyterian
church there was built on ground donated by
them. Mr. Gilliland was chosen one of the elders
and became clerk of the Session. On the break
ing out of the war, he was made captain of a
company raised at Snow Shoe, but on going to
Harrisburg, owing to his advanced age, he was
assigned to duty in the quartermaster-general's
office under Gen. Hale, where he served some
time, when Gov. Curtin appointed him commis
sary and quartermaster of the ist Regiment of
Pennsylvania Veterans, from which position he
was transferred to Washington city as assistant
agent of the State of Pennsylvania, to look after
the interests of the soldiers of that State; this
office he filled during the war, according to the
testimony of Gov. Curtin, " admirably and with

great fidelity." This is also the unanimous testi
mony of the soldiers from Pennsylvania. On the
close of the war he moved some seven or eight
miles out of Washington, where he resided the
rest of his life.
Col. Gilliland was twice married, the first time
to Eliza, daughter of John Rankin, of Bellefonte,
who died in 1854. While on their wedding trip
they stopped at Washington city and called on
President Jackson. They were received in the
east room, and the President honored the bride
by taking a seat on the sofa, between her and the
bridesmaid. He entertained the party for an
hour. His second wife was Mary Hampshire, to
whom he was married December 30, 1857.
Col. Gilliland was a genial, pleasant man,
had great conversational powers, was a ready
writer, and was all his life a great advocate of
temperance and religion. He went down to his
grave with the respect of all who knew him inti
mately, for his promptness and diligence in
performing his official duties, and deeply re
gretted by his friends and kindred for the kind
ness, gentleness and affection he always showed
them. Two sons, Capt. John R., late of the 51st
Pennsylvania Regiment, and James C. , and three
daughters, Mrs. Isabella Wright (wife of Rev.
W. O. Wright, of Milesburg), Henrietta and
Catherine, survived him.

G\EORGE TOMB BUSH. Beginning his ca-
_fi reer with the prestige of a well-known name,
with health, and seemingly all the good gifts that
a reasonable mind could ask at Fortune's hand,
the subject of this sketch has made such use of
his advantages as to have already attained dis
tinction in his chosen lines of effort. A son of the
late Daniel G. Bush, of Bellefonte, Centre coun
ty, he was born in that city September 24, 1867.
At six years of age he was sent to school in Bucks
county, Penn., and prepared for a course at col
lege. He went to Swarthmore College, near
Philadelphia, where he spent four years. He
then entered the Pennsylvania State College, and
remained until 1887, taking a complete course in
chemistry. At his father's death he was called
home, and has since remained there, assisting his
mother in the settlement and handling of the
estate, and later engaging in business.
Real estate and insurance (principally life)
occupied his attention for a time, and in 1890 he
purchased his present store where he carries a
large and well-selected stock of stationery and
sporting goods, but still keeping up his work in
life insurance, of which he has made a thorough
study, and is considered a well-posted man on

a:>

£ ,.,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

4&

that subject. He is an active member of the
Board of Trade of Bellefonte, and often partici
pates earnestly in the various discussions that
arise. An enthusiastic Democrat, Mr. Bush takes an
active share in political work, and enjoys a large
acquaintance among the party leaders. For
several years he was a member of the city coun
cil of Bellefonte, and in 1894 he was made a
delegate to the Democratic County Convention,
serving as secretary of that body; was also
chosen as delegate to the State Convention of
that year, and has served in like capacities several
times since.
Mr. Bush possesses a remarkable physique,
and is noted for his achievements as an athlete.
His interest in cycling dates back to 1 890 when
he became prominent in the League of America.
He was first elected to the State Board of Rep
resentatives of that organization, and soon after
elected a member of the National Assembly of
that body, and his legislative abilities have been
so well recognized that he has been continued a
member of those bodies ever since, and he is now
one of the most active workers in the League
and its work for good roads. As a referee in
bicycle races he has a reputation for accuracy
and impartiality, and is called to attend many of
the noted contests in this and other States in
that capacity. Early in life, while at college, he
took great interest in football, and in this line he
has also been active for many years, managing a
team at Detroit, Mich., in 1892. Of late his
energies in that line have gone from the player
to officiating as referee at games, his accustomed
impartiality and good judgment standing him in
good stead.
With all his other gifts Mr. Bush wields the
pen of a ready writer, and for many years he has
been a general correspondent for leading dailies.
His pet hobby is philately, and his collection of
stamps, comprising about eight thousand varieties,
is the envy of most other devotees in that line.
He is also a charter member of the American
Philatelic Association, the leading society of
philatelists in the world. Fraternally, he is a
member of the Bellefonte Lodge of Free Masons,
the Royal Arch Chapter, and Constans Com-
mandery No. 33, Knights Templar, all of Belle
fonte, and takes great interest in these organiza
tions, holding many minor offices, and is at
present captain-general of the Commandery.
Mr. Bush inherits much of his father's fore
sight and quickness of decision and thought, as
well as administrative ability, and his word is his
bond, as his father's was before him. His .good
judgment and impartiality in all matters is well

known, he many times being called in as arbi
trator in business affairs. He is a member of the
Pennsylvania Society Sons of the Revolution,
and also of the Nittany Rod and Gun Club, a
hunting and fishing organization which has for
its home the old Gregg mansion at Hecla Furnace,.
Centre county, Pennsylvania.

w

ANIEL GRIFFEN BUSH, the father. of
George T. Bush, was a man of remarkable
foresight, ability, and energy, and played a lead
ing part in the development of Bellefonte and
vicinity. He was a self-made man, and his his
tory shows a marvelous degree of pluck and am
bition. He was born in Granville township,
Bradford Co., Penn., March 28, 1826, and is a
descendant of an ancestry which was distin
guished in the early history of this country. On
the paternal side his great-grandfather, John
Bush, was a captain in the French and Indian
war, and was with Gen. Braddock, at Fort Du-
Quesne, July 9, 1755, at the memorable defeat.
Daniel Bush, the son of Capt. John Bush, and
the grandfather of Daniel G. Bush, was an able
man of much more than ordinary education, and
although crippled through the improper setting
of a broken leg, he was one of the leading sur
veyors of his time. He surveyed the site of the
present city of Auburn, and was employed by
the Spanish Government in 1798 to make sur
veys in Louisiana. In 1807 he established his
home in Litchfield, Bradford Co., Penn. His
son, Joseph Bush, the father of D. G. Bush,
was a millwright by trade, and married Lucretia
Putnam, a relative of Gen. Israel Putnam, of
Revolutionary fame, and a daughter of John
Putnam, who came from Great Barrington„
Mass., in 18 18, and made his home in Granville,
Penn. John Putnam served three years as a
soldier in Washington's forces, having entered
the service at the early age 'of thirteen years,
and throughout his life gave evidence of the pos
session of the honesty, firmness, and persistence
that characterized his illustrious kinsman. Jo
seph Bush was unfortunate in his financial affairs,
unprofitable investments and losses through giv
ing security for neighbors exhausting his estate.
He died when his son Daniel was a lad of six
teen, and, the family being separated, the, boy
was sent to work upon a farm at six dollars per.
month for nine months of the year with the
privilege of attending school in the winter.
These meagre advantages did not satisfy his
eager longing for knowledge, and many an even
ing he spent in study by the light of the fire..
Reading, writing, spelling and arithmetic were
the only studies included in the curriculum of the

46

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

district schools of that day, and one who had
reached the "rule of three" was looked upon
as a prodigy. Grammar and geography were al
most an unknown field to the pupils, and proba
bly to the teachers. Under these circumstances
Mr. Bush made his way until he was himself
qualified to assume the duties of a teacher, his
first school being at New Albany, Bradford Co. ,
Penn., where in 1846 he received $10.00 per
month and " boarded round." In the same year
he began the study of law, and was enrolled as a
student in the office of Ulysses Mercur, of To-
wanda, Penn. , afterward a judge of the supreme
court of this State. The close of his first term
as a teacher found Mr. Bush more desirous than
ever of securing a thorough education, and he
determined to enter Whitestown Academy, near
Utica, N. Y. The pay for his first term of school
was not forthcoming, however, as the treasury
was empty, and he was told that he would have
to wait until the money was collected at some
time in the future, perhaps three months, per
haps a year. Six dollars represented his entire
available funds, but in spite of this fact and of
the opposition of his friends, Mr. Bush packed
his effects in an old valise, and swinging it over
his shoulder he started, staff in hand, to walk
to Whitestown, a distance of 200 miles. On his
arrival, about the ist of April, 1847, he found
that the rooms of the school were only partially
furnished, and that he would be obliged to buy a
bed. As he had but three dollars and fifty cents
left, this news had a discouraging effect, and for
a time he felt inclined to join a regiment which
Major Schofield, one of the proprietors of the
hotel where he was stopping, was recruiting for
the Mexican war. On hearing his story the Ma
jor, who was delighted with the young man's
pluck, told him by all means to continue his
studies, and settled the difficulty about the bed
by advising him to buy a bedtick and fill it with
straw, and promised to lend him a pillow and
other necessaries. To this good friend Mr.
Bush owed much, not only for this kindly turn
but for practical advice on various points. The
payment of his bill at the hotel left Mr. Bush
only fifty cents. The mornings were cold, and
half this amount was paid for five large sticks of
wood, with which he managed to get through the
term. Candles were an unattainable luxury,
and he was obliged to visit the rooms of other
students in order to study at night, making the
excuse of lonesomeness.
He had heard nothing from home for some
time, but finally the postmaster informed him
that there were three letters for him on which
fifteen cents postage must be paid. In after days

Mr. Bush must have often thought of the time
when the lack of this trifling sum meant so much
to him. Telling the postmaster that he had no
money, he said he would come for the letters the
next day; but credit was offered and accepted,
and with many bright hopes Mr. Bush took the
missives and rushed to his room to open them. But
al'as! instead of the expected remittance he found
only excuses and censure for his folly in pursuing
such an unprofitable course. The disappointment
was keen, and soon Mr. Bush realized that he had
the new difficulty on hand of raising, before the
next day should end, the immense sum of fifteen
cents. He knew no one from whom he could
borrow; but fortune favored him, and learning
that Mr. Williams needed help in his garden near
the school, he went to him and offered to work
during the four hours which were allowed for ex
ercise. Six and one-fourth cents per hour was
the compensation, and, by working two hours
that night and two next morning, the debt was
paid. This employment continued until the gar
den was planted, and Mr. Bush also found work
for his Saturdays, at fifty cents a day, with some
farmers in the neighborhood; but notwithstand
ing these efforts he found himself in debt for
board and tuition at the close of the first term.
The vacation was spent in work at twenty dollars
a month, to which his employer voluntarily
added five dollars, saying that he richly deserved
it for his unusual efficiency. Two weeks in the
harvest field followed, and then came the open
ing of the second term. Board was furnished at
the rate of one dollar per week; but he decided
that he could not afford this, and purchasing
some corn, meat and molasses he began boarding
himself, and finding that he could accomplish
this for about thirty-one cents per week he con
tinued the plan as long as he remained in school.
The following winter he spent in teaching
near Owego, N. Y. , and in the spring of 1849
he went to White Deer Valley, Lycoming Co.,
Penn., and taught one year. Here he became
acquainted with Pelton's outline maps for teach
ing geography, and he decided to go to Philadel
phia and, if possible, secure the agency, which he
accordingly did, Mr. Pelton being so impressed
with his abilities that he made him general agent
for this State. He held this position until 1856,
when he settled at Bellefonte to complete his
preparation for the Bar. His first practical knowl
edge of legal procedure was connected with an
unfortunate experience. He had saved about
$3,000, which he had placed in the hands of a
cousin, D. B. Colton, of Athens, Penn., with
whom he formed a partnership in certain real-es
tate investments in that city. The firm failed

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

47

under Colton's management, and Mr. Bush's
earnings of eight years were irretrievably lost, and
a debt of $200 against the firm took the place of
the expected profits. Thus Mr. Bush found him
self again at the foot of the ladder. His un
daunted energy did not fail him, however, at this
crisis, and after his admission to the Bar April
29, 1857, he devoted » himself to the practice of
his profession with a zeal and ability which com
manded success. He had taken an active part
in the local work of the Democratic party in 1856,
and his abilities being noted by the county lead
ers he received an appointment as mercantile ap
praiser, in 1857. As time progressed, he became
interested in real-estate business, and turned his
legal practice into the hands of a partner, the
late George M. Yocum, with whom he became
associated in 1862. The present Gov. D. H.
Hastings was taken in as student-at-law by Mr.
Bush, and was afterward taken into partnership
with him, and Gov. Hastings owes to his pre
ceptor much of his later energy and push that he
has since exhibited.
Naturally Mr. Bush became a power in the
political affairs, being an eloquent and fluent
stump speaker, but although he was an ardent
and tireless worker in emergencies, he seemed
indifferent to reward. In 1868 his county pre
sented his name as a candidate for Congress, but
at Mr. Bush's own request it was withdrawn in
favor of the Clinton county candidate, Hon. L.
A. Mackey, and when in 1876 the Democracy of
Centre county again urged his candidacy, Mr.
Bush again declined to oppose Mr. Mackey's no
mination. In later years ill health prevented his
active participation in political affairs.
As may be inferred from the incidents of his
life, Mr. Bush has been altogether the artificer
of his own fortune and reputation. He has been
an intensely busy man all his life, and has de
monstrated in the improvements he has made in
Bellefonte his capacity for business upon a large
scale. He may be characterized as a man of
great administrative ability, quick to think and
to decide, pushing with energy to completion
whatever he undertakes. In 1867 he erected his
own magnificient residence on Spring street, in
Bellefonte, and the large business block known
as the "Bush Arcade," which was burned in
1887, but was rebuilt by the estate. In 1868 he
erected the "Bush House " and several dwellings,
and in 1869 he erected a block of three brick
dwellings on Spring street above the Centre
County Bank, and the brick block opposite the
"Bush House" known as the " McClain Block,"
besides erecting at many different times upward
of sixty frame houses.

Mr. Bush's activity in the development of
Bellefonte was not confined to Bellefonte alone,
as he was prominently identified with railroad in
terests, being the chief promoter and the first
president of the road from Norfolk, Va. , to Eliza
beth City, N. C. (now known as the Norfolk
Southern), where he owned large tracts of land
and made many improvements.
In addition to all the building enterprises in
Bellefonte to which Mr. Bush did not confine
himself, he was also the leader in every industry
that was founded in that time. In 1868 he went
to Pittsburg and obtained the best method of
building a glass furnace, with minute details as
to cost of building and running the same, came
home, raised a company, and built the works,
subscribing considerable stock himself.
The car works was started in 1873, Mr. Bush
contributing the use of the valuable water power,
and subscribed $10,000 stock, he being elected
the first president of the company.
He was also chiefly interested in getting the
nail works here. Mr. Achenbach having«come to
town for the purpose of trying to raise a com
pany, but without success, Mr. Bush met him at
Lock Haven after he had left, brought him back,
and immediately called together a few of the in
fluential citizens, and a company was formed
headed by Gen. Beaver, and the nail works
built. In order to show their appreciation of Mr.
Bush's public spirit, all the leading citizens of
Bellefonte, on the fourth of May, 1869, joined in
a letter of thanks to him, and the tender of a
public dinner at the "Bush House," which Mr.
Bush accepted, designating June ist for the occa
sion, which passed with great eclat.
Constans Commandery No. 33, Knights Tem
plar, was chartered June 10, 1868, Mr. Bush
being one of the first signers for the charter, but
yielded the right of eminent commander to the
Hon. S. T. Shugert, he being the next elected
eminent commander. He was a charter appli
cant and the first high priest of the Royal Arch
Masons, Chapter No. 241, which was chartered
in 1872; he also took a prominent part in the
lodge of Free Masons, and was a thirty-second
degree Mason of the Scottish Rite Consistory.
Mr. Bush was married to Miss Louisa Tomb,
a daughter of George Tomb, of Jersey Shore,
whose ancestors settled at Sunbury about 1750,
on the 14th day of December, 1858, and settled
permanently in Bellefonte. Their issue was three
daughters and two sons, two of the daughters
dying in infancy; Elizabeth married Chas. L.
Calloway, of Baltimore; George T., at home, is
the subject of another sketch; and Harry is at

48

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

present the general manager for a lumber com
pany at Carthagena, Columbian Republic, South
America. Mr. Bush died on the morning of
September 23, 1886. The following notice, ap
pearing in the Democratic Watchman the next
day, would best indicate the feeling of the com
munity at such a bereavment:
"Bellefonte's Benefactor Gone. The
death of D. G. Bush Esq., which occurred at
his residence in this place yesterday morning,
of a complication of diseases which have kept
him in poor health for several years, removes
from our midst one of the biggest-hearted, liberal-
minded and enterprising citizens this section of
the State has ever had. In his death Bellefonte
loses one who has done more to build up the
town, to enlarge its business facilities, to add to
its real wealth, and to improve it in every way,
than all its other capitalists combined. It loses
a citizen whom every one respected; a neighbor
who was loved by all; a man who needed no seals
or written contracts to require him to keep his
word; whose integrity was above suspicion and
whose liberality in public enterprises others might
feel proud to emulate."
The remains of Mr. Bush were committed to
the grave at three o'clock on the Saturday after
noon (September 25) following his death, in the
Union Cemetery. During the funeral services and
burial all places of business were closed, and the
people of the town, irrespective of age or sex,
mournfully did honor to him who had done so
much for the town. The Commandery of Knights
Templar from Lock Haven, together with the
Bellefonte Commandery, performed the last im
pressive services of that order. The Bar Asso
ciation attended in a body, he having been one
whose counsel was often sought by both older
and younger members. The ministers of all the
Churches in Bellefonte delivered addresses, and
the attendance upon this solemn occasion was
the largest ever witnessed in Bellefonte, as every
one felt it to be a duty to pa}' their last respects
to him who had done so much for his fellowmen.
In the evening the court house was crowded to
participate in the memorial services of the Bar
Association, and many feeling addresses were de
livered by Hon. A. G. Curtin, Hon. Judges Furst
and Hoy, Col. J. L. Spangler, Hon. John G.
Love, Wilbur F. Reeder, E. C. Humes and
others.
Ck)L. J. P. COBURN, president of the First
_> National Bank of Bellefonte, is one of the
leading citizens of Centre county, and in fact is
well-known throughout eastern Pennsylvania.
For forty years he has been identified with al

most every important enterprise in his locality,
and his influence has been helpfully exerted in
all the varied activities of social, religious, busi
ness and political life. His title was gained
through service upon Gen. George Buchanan's
staff, and he was also a member of Gov. A. G.
Curtin's staff with the same rank. The peer of
the best, he enjoys a wide acquaintance among
prominent men, and was a personal friend of
James G. Blaine for many years.
The family name was originally Cockburn, and
the Colonel's ancestors came from England about
1620, settling in Connecticut. Col. R. Coburn,
our subject's great-uncle, did gallant service in
the Revolutionary army, and was killed in the
battle of Saratoga. The branch of the family
in which our interest is especially centered came
from Connecticut in the latter part of the last
century, and bought lands in Bradford county,
Penn., where they located. These estates were
later taken from them by the decision in the con
test over the adverse titles granted by Penn and
the English Crown.
Dr. Charles Coburn, the Colonel's father,
was born in Woodstock, Windham Co., Conn.r
October 30, 1785. Having prepared for his
profession during his early years, he located at
Aaronsburg in 1814, where he continued to prac
tice successfully for many years. He was a man
of fine intellect, and advanced ideas, a thorough
"Yankee," jovial, good-natured, outspoken yet
dignified, and was rarely gifted as an agreeable and
entertaining conversationalist. Politically, he was
an active, earnest and influential Whig, after ^
ward a Republican. His nature was deeply and
sincerely religious; from his youth he was a sincere
and earnest member of the Presbyterian Church,
and during his early life, when the locality in
which he resided was comparatively a wilderness,
he carried with him and distributed the Bible while
making professional calls among his people with
out cost to those unable or too poor to pay.
He organized the first Sunday-school in Aarons*
burg, where he resided, and was largely instru
mental with others in founding the Presbyterian
Church there, and at Spring Mills, seven miles
west of his home, in Penn's Valley, in which he
held the office of elder for many years until his
death. On January 15, 1824, Dr. Coburn was united
in marriage with Miss Peggy C. Potter, daughter
of Gen. James Potter, of Potter township, Cen
tre county, of Revolutionary fame. She died
leaving no issue, and on June 24, 1830, Dr. Co-
bum married Miss Margaret Huston, also of Pot
ter township, who was born September 18, 1800,
the daughter of James and Catherine (Ewing)

/^Qgfvvvrn^

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

49

Huston, a family noted among the people of
Penn's Valley for their modest, unostentatious
generosity, and sterling integrity. Her father's
early home was in the Cumberland Valley, but
he became a pioneer settler of Potter township,
Centre county, and owned one of the largest and
best farms in that locality, his systematic meth
ods of cultivation being an important factor in
his" successful management. Mrs. Catherine
Ewing Huston was during her childhood cap
tured by the Indians in a corn field on her
father's home farm near Spruce creek, Hunting
don Co., Penn., and made to tramp barefooted
to Niagara Falls and Montreal, where she spent
two years or more wandering about with the sav
ages. From constantly hearing and using their
language, she had almost forgotten her native
tongue, when she was finally exchanged and sent
back in safety to her home. Dr. Coburn's long
and eminently useful life ended April 25, 1858,
and his wife did not long survive him, her death
occurring August 21, 1861. Of their five chil
dren, only two lived to adult age — our subject
and his sister Margaret, who married Morgan F.
Medlar, a banker and broker at Allentown, Penn
sylvania. Col. Coburn was born July 11, 1831, at
Aaronsburg, and the common schools of that
town afforded him an entrance to the path of
knowledge. Our subject spent three years in
school at Owego, N. Y., two at Harrisburg
Academy, and then entered the "Old Tenant
School," at Hartsville, Bucks Co., Penn., where
he prepared for Yale College. He did not take
a collegiate course, however, as both his parents
had become invalids, and for their sake he re
turned to Aaronsburg and tenderly cared for
them until they passed away, his filial love
making this sacrifice a pleasure. For seven
years he was engaged in mercantile business as
clerk and proprietor, and in the meantime he
read law in the office of Hon. A. G. Curtin and
Edmund Blanchard, at Bellefonte, Penn., and in
i860 was admitted to practice. His business
ability has made him a valued adviser and helper
in important ventures. For thirty years he la
bored unceasingly to secure the assistance and
aid of capitalists and others in the construction
of the Lewisburg & Tyrone railroad, of which he
is a director, and which was finally built at a
cost of $2,500,000, and is now in successful oper
ation via Coburn, Lemont and Bellefonte.
Although he was acquainted for many years with
the route which the road must eventually take,
and had the best of opportunities to enrich him
self by purchasing land along the line, he re
frained from taking advantage of the opportunity,
' 4

out of a high sense of personal honor and a loyal
consideration of the rights of the community.
He has served as director of the First National
Bank of Bellefonte, with acceptability, and July
1 , 1 896, he was elected to the office of president.
This bank is known as one of the oldest, most
reliable and successful banking institutions in -this
part of Pennsylvania. It is a noteworthy fact
that no paper of his was ever discounted or dis
honored, notwithstanding the extensive business
operations in which he has engaged. • He was
married October 17, i860, to Miss Jane E. Hus
ton, daughter of Thomas Huston, late a well-
known and prominent resident of Nittany Valley,
Centre county.
Kind and considerate in all the relations of
life, the Colonel cherishes enmity toward none.
Politically he is a Republican. He has never
sought office although frequently ^offered to him,
and no mart takes a keener interest in the success
of his party, and the prosperity of the country
than he, and his counsel is valued by those who
know him, while his influence is felt by both
friend and opponent.

^ ON. JOHN BLAIR LINN, of Bellefonte,
JKL is one of Centre county's many men who
have been called to positions of honor and trust
in the public affairs of the State, which, to
gether with his connection with works on local
history and genealogy of Pennsylvania families,
has given him a large acquaintance and a repu
tation not confined to the State.
William Linn, his great-great-grandfather,
emigrated from the North of Ireland, in 1732,
and settled in Chester county, Penn. Accord
ing to family tradition, his wife died in Ireland,
and he brought with him an only son, William.
They remained in Chester county but a few years,
when, following the tide of emigration, they set
tled upon the frontier of the Purchase of Octo
ber, 1736, near what is now known as Roxbury,
in Franklin county. The names of William
Linn, Sr. , and William Linn., Jr., appear on the
assessment list of Lurgan township, Cumberland
county, for the year 1751, one year after the
erection of Cumberland county (1750). Here
the ancestor died, having nearly reached the one
hundredth year of his age. His father fought
on the side of " the Orange " at Boyne, July 1,
1690, and was said to have been in Capt. Hugh
Wilson's company, the first Irish officer who
crossed the river. William Linn, Jr., born in
1722 in Ireland, was an officer in Middle Spring
Church. In June, 1755, he was in Philadelphia
with his, wagon, and with his team was pressed

50

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

into the service to haul supplies to Gen. Brad-
dock's army, and was present at the noted defeat.
He died April 16, 1812, and is buried in the
graveyard attached to Middle Spring Church.
He was twice married; his first wife, the one
from whom our subject descended, was Susanna
Trimble, who died, according to tradition, in
Shippensburg, in November, 1755, wherein con
sequence of an Indian raid the frontier inhabit
ants had gathered. The children by this union
were William and John.
The former, William (3) was born in Lurgan
township, February 27, 175 2; graduated atPrince-
ton, N. J., class of 1772; studied theology un
der Rev. Robert Cooper, D. D. ; appointed
chaplain of 5th and 6th Penn. battalions Feb
ruary 15, 1776; pastor at Big Springs (now
Newville), Cumberland county, until 1784; presi
dent of Washington College, Md., 1 784-1 785;
pastor of Collegiate Dutch Church, N' Y., 1786-
1808; the first chaplain of the House of Repre
sentatives, U. S., May 1, 1789. His published
works are "Sermons, Historical and Character-
istical," N. Y., 1791 ; "Signs of the Times,"
N. Y. , 1 794; ' ' A Funeral Eulogy on Gen. Wash
ington, delivered February 22, 1800, before the
New York Society of Cincinnati;" "Sermon on
the Death of Alexander Hamilton, "etc. Shortly
before his death Dr. Linn was elected president
of Union College, Schenectady, but was never
inaugurated. He died in Albany, N. Y. , Janu
ary 8, 1808. Dr. Linn married (first) January
10, 1774, Rebecca Blair, daughter of Rev. John
Blair, vice-president of the College of New Jer
sey, at Princeton, 1 767-1 768.
John Linn, the other son of William Linn
(2) by the first marriage, was born in Lurgan
township, April 2, 1754. He came from Lurgan
to Buffalo Valley (now Union county), Penn., in
1775; on November 7, 1780, he married Ann
Fleming, born September 6, 1761, daughter of
John and Ann Fleming, of Cumberland county.
Their children were: Susanna married William
Thompson; Ann married Andrew McBeth; Will
iam married Jane Morrow; John married Mary
F. Chamberlin; Margaret married Joseph Mc-
Calmont; James F. ; and Jemima (died unmar
ried). The parents of these children died, the
father on March 18, 1809, and the mother on
September 4, 1841.
James F. Linn, next to the youngest child of
John Linn, was born December 6, 1802. He
worked on the farm at his mother's until 181 8.
Later he attended school at Milton, and in 1823
began reading law under the direction of James
Merrill.' He was admitted to the Bar in 1826,
and began the practice of his profession at Lewis-

burg, which place he made his residence through
out life. Beside the profession of law, he was a
practical surveyer and very fond of it, which
went well with his legal profession in matters of
settlements of estates and in the land law trials.
He made copies of all surveys, and preserved a
copy of every one he made; the copies were in a
book, and the others were all filed away separ
ately into townships and counties, and all were
indexed in a pass-book, so that a stranger could
turn to them and understand. There are over
six hundred, and they are a complete history of
the early transfers, and many titles would be in
explicable without them. He also preserved a
memorandum of every business transaction in
which he was engaged. The little slips of paper,
on which the calculations and memorandums of
the transactions happened to be made, were all
gathered up and put away with the case. He
kept a common pleas docket, copied precisely
from the prothonotary's docket, in which there
was no entry except what was to be found there,
a collection docket, a brief book, issue lists; in
fine, from 1826 to the day he did his last, there
is in his office a history of his business. He was
an accurate and careful lawyer. He was learned
in his profession, and withal, in the early part of
his life, carried with it his reading of poetry and
history ; in later life he was much devoted to the
ology. He was a Democrat, along with the old
Democrats of Jefferson , Jackson and Martin
VanBuren, became an Abolitionist, voted for
Birney, and lived to see the day when his favor
ite themes — Temperance and Abolition of Slav
ery — were triumphant. He was a Scotch-Irish
Presbyterian, and with all his dignity and appar
ent austerity very friendly to all the amusements
of life. His death occurred October 8, 1869.
Mr. Linn married July 20, 1826, Margaret I.
Wilson, daughter of Hugh Wilson (4) and Cath
erine Irvine, and their children were: Mary L.
married Rev. Henry Harbaugh, D. D. ; Wilson I.
married Elizabeth Brown; John Blair is our sub
ject; J. Merrill married Mary E. Billmeyer; Oli
ver D. died young; Anne C. married Dr. John S.
Angle; Laura S. was the first wife of Dr. John
S. Angle. Hugh Wilson (4) was the great-grandson of
Thomas Wilson, and was a native of Northamp
ton county, Penn., born October 21, 1761; died
on his farm near Lewisburg, Penn., October 9,
1845. He served a number of tours during the
Revolution as a militiaman, under Col. Nicholas
Kern, and removed to Buffalo Valley (now Union
county), Penn., and kept store at Lewisburg,
1 798-1 804. He married February 17, 1790,
Catherine Irvine, born November 16, 1758, died

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

51

August 21, 1835, daughter of Capt. William
Irvine, of the Revolution. Thomas Wilson,
from whom Hugh is the fourth generation, was
an officer in King William's army, among the
first to cross the river Boyne, on horseback on
the morning of July 1, 1690. He was specially
rewarded, for his bravery, with a grant of land.
He resided in County Cavan, Ireland, having an
extensive bleach-green within a mile of Coote
Hill, hot far from the county town. His an
cestors had emigrated from Scotland to Ireland.
Thomas had one son Hugh, born in 1689, in
County Cavan, Ireland; married Sarah Craig, in
Ireland; emigrated to America and settled in the
" Irish Settlement" as early as 1736. His home lay
northwest of what is now known as Howertown,
in Allen township, Northampton Co., Penn. His
land comprises 730 acres. He erected a flour-
ing-mill which was torn down as late as the
spring of 1857. Upon the erection of North
ampton county, in 1752, he was commissioned
one of the justices of the peace for the county.
His last commission as justice was issued March
15, 1766. His death occurred in the autumn of
1773, and his remains rest in the old graveyard
at the settlement.
John Blair Linn was born at Lewisburg,
Penn., October 15, 1831, and inherited his incli
nation to genealogy and local history from his
father, James F. Linn, whose memorandums
and newspaper files were the sources from which
much of whatever is valuable in the " Annals of
Buffalo Valley " was derived. He was prepared
for college at the Lewisburg Academy, under
John Robinson, Esq., late of the Philadelphia
Bar; entered Marshall College at Mercersburg,
Penn., in May, 1846 ("sophomore class), half ad
vanced, where he graduated at the age of seven
teen in the same class with the Hon. Charles A.
Mayer, some years ago president judge of Clinton
and Centre counties. He read law in his father's
office, and was admitted to the Bar September
16, 185 1. The years 1852 and 1853 he spent in
Sullivan county, which had just been opened out,
where he was elected district attorney. He re
turned to Union county in 1854, where he prac
ticed his profession until his removal to Belle
fonte, in April, 1871. On April 10, 1873, he
was appointed deputy secretary of the Common
wealth by the Hon. M. S. Quay, and May 15,
1878, upon the resignation of Mr. Quay, he was
commissioned Secretary of the Commonwealth,
in which incumbency he remained until after
Gov. Hoyt was inaugurated, and then returned
to Bellefonte. Mr. Linn and Dr. Egle were
made editors of the Second Series of Pennsyl
vania Archives, the publication of which was rec

ommended by Gov. Hartranft in his annual
message, January 7, 1874, and they were is
sued in twelve volumes, under Mr. Quay's su
pervision. In 1879 Mr. Linn published the
"Annals of Buffalo Valley, " a local work em
bracing the history of Union county principally.
It is a book of 620 pages, replete with interest,
though largely local, and involved an immense
amount of painstaking labor. While he was
Secretary of the Commonwealth, there was pub
lished under his direction " Duke of York's laws,
1676-82, and Laws of the Province, 1682-1700."
In 1882 he edited a " History of Centre and Clin
ton counties" in a handsome volume of nearly
700 pages, which has preserved all that is of
value of " Men and things in these counties" in
a readable and entertaining shape. Mr. Linn
has not only inherited from his father his incli
nation to genealogy and local history, but also
that same methodical and systematic manner of
looking after his business affairs, and that same
sense of right, justice and honor and Christian
manhood — characteristic of his father — is pos
sessed by him. He is an exemplary citizen,
known and beloved by all. His work in the line
of history and genealogy has been one of labor
and love — he being fond of research and inves
tigation. He possesses that love of books, and
a literary taste that has been characteristic of a
distinguished ancestry. He is identified with the
Presbyterian Church. Politically he is a Re
publican. During the war of the Rebellion he
was a patriot, and served his country.
Mr. Linn was twice married ; (first) October
22, 1857, to Julia J. Pollock, born February 2,
1 83 1, daughter of F. W. Pollock, of Milton,
Penn. , and their children were : Sarah P. G. ,
born April 9, 1859; and Bessie W. , born Sep
tember 13, i860. Was married (second) to
Mary E. D. Wilson, daughter of Samuel Hunter
and Mary Benner Wilson, and their children are:
Mary H., born July 26, 1869, and Henry Sage,
born January 18, 1873, at Bellefonte, Penn.
The latter is a member of the Society of Cincin
nati. He is associated in the office with his fa
ther under whom he is preparing himself for the
profession of the law. A well-educated, bright,
genial and affable young man, he surely has be
fore him a promising future.

JUDGE AUSTIN O. FURST. Every profes
sion has its prominent men; some made such
by long membership, and others by their pro
ficiency in their calling. The subject of this
sketch is made conspicuous among the jurists of
Centre county both by the length of time he has

52

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

devoted to the pursuit, and by the eminent suc
cess he has made of it. He is one of those men
who may be said to have chosen well in the se
lection of a profession. Possessed of a keen
sense of discrimination, mature judgment and a
natural taste for the various branches of legal
business, he has by years of study and practice
placed himself among the foremost members of
the learned Bar of the great State of Pennsyl
vania. Judge Furst has descended from honored fore
fathers who came to America from Holland after
the Reformation, his paternal ancestors being
followers of Martin Luther. John George Furst,
the grandfather of Judge Furst, purchased from
the Commonwealth, of Pennsylvania a large tract
of land in the eastern portion of Nittany Valley,
which he laid out into farms for his four sons —
George, John, Samuel and Thomas — and daugh
ter — Catherine. These sons and daughter were
reared in the Valley referred to, married there,
and settled on that tract of land. George, how
ever, afterward located in the vicinity of Free-
port, 111. , where he passed the rest of his days.
Two of the sons, Samuel and Thomas, were
noted hunters of this section of the country, in
which they were reared. The five children above
named were strongly attached to the Church of
their forefathers. John George Furst died in
Clinton county (formerly Centre) in 1821, and his
wife, Agnes, in 181 3.
John Furst, the second son of John George
Furst, and the father of Judge Furst, was born
in the Susquehanna Valley, August 18, 1785, and
was given one of the farms referred to, on which
he resided until his death, which occurred April
14, 1859. when he was nearly seventy-four years
old. He was a man of ordinary education, but
possessed good common sense; a man of practi
cal ideas which made him a useful citizen, and
he was a lifelong agriculturist. He was inter
ested, and took an active part, in the local af
fairs of the county; was a Jacksonian Democrat,
and in his religious views was a Lutheran. His
wife, Barbara (Shuman), was a daughter of John
and Catherine Shuman, of Millerstown, Perry
county, this State. John Shuman died March
7, 1807, aged forty-five years, his wife, Cather
ine, passing away in 1826, at the age of sixty
years. In religious faith the Shumans were
Methodists. To the marriage of John Furst and
Barbara Shuman were born eleven children,
Judge Furst being next to the youngest. The
mother, who was a woman of great force of
character, lived to the advanced age of eighty-
seven years, being remarkably well-preserved
both physically and mentally. Her death oc

curred September 9, 1878. One of her sons,
John S., was a very successful merchant, and one
of the most influential men of Clinton county,
an ardent Republican, and* an elder of the Pres
byterian Church.
Judge Austin O. Furst, the subject proper of
this sketch, is a native of the State, born on his
father's farm in Lamar township, Clinton county,
in the east end of Nittany Valley. In the schools
of the neighborhood he acquired his early educa
tion, after which he went to the academy in Sa-
lona, conducted by Prof. McGuire and Prof. Car
rier, respectively. Later he entered Dickinson
Seminary, at Williamsport, from which he was
graduated in 1853, with the honors of the class.
In the fall of that year he entered the junior class
of Dickinson College, Carlisle, Penn., but after
a brief period sickness caused him to leave. Re
turning home, he in 1858 began the study of law
in the office of his brother, Cline G. Furst, Esq.,
at Lock Haven, Penn., and he was admitted
to the Bar of Clinton County at the September
term, i860. A short time afterward he located
at Bellefonte, and at the January term of Court
in 1 86 1, he was on motion made by the late Hon.
H. N. McAllister, admitted to the Bar of Centre
County, and has ever since followed the profes
sion of law.
Prior to the session of the State Legislature
of 1882-83, Centre county was a part of the
Twenty-fifth Judicial District. At that session
Centre and Huntingdon counties were united, and
constituted the Forty-ninth Judicial District,
Judge Mayer continued as president-judge of the
Twenty-fifth District, composed of the counties of
Clinton, Elk and Cameron, and Judge Orvis,
who was the additional law judge of the old
Twenty-fifth, became president-judge of the
Forty-ninth. In the fall of 1883 he resigned,
and Judge Hoy was appointed by Gov. Pattison.
He continued as president-judge of the Forty-
ninth District until the first Monday of January,
1885. At the general election of 1884 Austin O.
Furst was elected president-judge, entered upon
the duties of the office on the first Monday of
January, 1885, and continued in service for a
period of ten years, his term of office expiring on
the first Monday of January, 1895, since which
time he has engaged in the practice of his pro
fession. He has an office in Bellefonte, one in
Huntingdon, and one in Philadelphia, the last
being in connection with his son, William S.
Furst, as senior counsel.
Prior to the Judge's elevation to the Bench,
he was engaged in many important suits both in
equity and law, as well as in the criminal courts,
and was often pitted against the foremost lawyers

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

,53

of this section of the State, and has been con
stantly associated in cases with them. The dis
trict was a very large and important one, com
prising a population of 80,000 people, and during
his judicial term a great many corporation cases
were tried in court, besides an unusual number
of homicide cases. The most interesting of the
latter class was that of Alfred Andrews, a young
Englishman, who was tried at Bellefonte, at the
January session, 1890, which case lasted for six
days, and which was closely listened to by a
crowded court-room daily. It resulted in a ver
dict of murder in the first degree. The Judge's
pathetic and touching address to the prisoner be
fore pronouncing sentence was highly commended
and considered by the profession as an expression
of high order of thought and language. Address
ing the prisoner, the Judge said:
It is seldom,' and hitherto unknown in this county, that
one so young as you has committed a crime so revolting in
its details. Lying in wait' for your victim, and with the
frenzy of lust in your heart, without a moment's warning,
you made your assault, and to cover your shame, you added
to your attempt at rape the foul crime of murder. No won
der that this community stood aghast at your crime. It is
not surprising that the officers of the law were vigilant in
seeking you out and bringing you here to answer for that
crime. It is sad, indeed, to think of the deed you have com
mitted. Without pity or mercy you made a criminal assault
upon Clara Price, and failing in your brutal attempt, you
took her life to suppress the evidence of your guilt. She
was a beautiful young lady, just ripening into womanhood —
pure and virtuous — and happy in the bright prospects of life
before her. Alone and unprotected in a lonely place, you
made your assault upon her. She sacrificed her young life
to save her virtue. Her noble efforts to protect her honor
and purity ought to be written in granite above her grave.
The law, in mercy, hitherto, has extended to you every
means to prove your defense; it has thrown around you the
presumption of innocence. It has given you a jury of your
own selection; it has required the Commonwealth to prove
you guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. You have had the
benefit of able counsel and the process of the law to compel
the attendance of your witnesses; the county has furnished
means for your defense; youhave had a patient, fair and im
partial trial before a jury of your peers — the jury has- found
you guilty of murder in the first degree; no other verdict
could have justly been rendered under the evidence. The
truth of the verdict has been made manifest by your own
confession since the language of the law has been changed.
It now demands that satisfaction shall be done. You have
forfeited your life to the law, and justice requires that forfeit
shall be paid. While you canpot restore the innocent life
you have taken, the law requires that society shall be pro
tected from the assassin and murderer, and that your igno
minious death upon the scaffold shall be a warning and a
terror to the evildoer. You need not expect or hope for a
change in the verdict, by an appeal to any earthly tribunal.
No constituted authority in the land can read the record of
your trial without pronouncing your guilt. There is no ap
peal left for you, but to your God. To Him and Him alone,
may your appeal for mercy be made. That mercy, which
you denied your helpless victim, may yet through sincere
repentance and faith in Christ be accorded to you. We
earnestly commend you to a merciful God, who, in his infin
ite love granted pardon to the thief upon the cross, and who
is able to save the penitent, however wicked he may have
been. We have no desire to review the facts in connection
with your crime, The confession you have made relieves
the court from further delay in your case. It now remains
only to pronounce the death sentence according to law. The

sentence of the law is that you, Alfred Andrews, the pris
oner at the bar, be taken hence to the jail of Centre county,
whence you came, and from thence to the place of execu
tion, designed by law, and that you there be hanged by the
neck until you are dead, and may God have mercy upon
your soul.
The following quotations from the press, and
from his fellow-townsmen, who have known
Judge Furst for years, are evidence of his rank as
a lawyer and judge, of his high Christian char
acter as a man, and faithful performance of his
duty as a citizen, and of his scholarly attain
ments: "We congratulate the Republicans on
their excellent nomination. Mr. Furst is a gen
tleman whose learning and legal ability, integ
rity and faultless Christian life have placed him
above the reach of slander. Should he be elected
to the high office to which he aspires, he will dis
charge his duty fearlessly and well, and as be
comes an upright judge and arbiter. He is a
clear and forcible writer, using his brilliant
rhetoric and his admirable gift of humor only
when they are aids to the enforcement of his
argument. He is entitled to be called, without
any exaggeration, an accomplished orator"
' 'Judge Furst is firm, honest, positive and inde
pendent". Judge Furst is an ardent Republican. Of
him the Democratic press says: ' ' He has always
been an uncompromising Republican, but always
a fair fighter." He has been a member of the
Presbyterian Church since the age of twenty-five
years, and a ruling elder of the Church at Belle
fonte since 1863. He has been for years presi
dent of the Dickinson Alumni Association, which
includes in its membership some of the brightest
and cleverest lawyers, ministers, and professional
men of the State. He possesses a keen mother
wit, which serves him well in that capacity, and
his well-put sallies provoke unlimited merriment
at these famous gatherings. He is one of the
incorporators of the Law School of Dickinson
College at Carlisle. He was a member of the
school board of Bellefonte nine years. He is a
home man, and his beautiful residence is an ideal
one. His taste for agriculture is pronounced, as
is his liking for the sport of Izaak Walton.
The Judge has been twice married, first to
Miss Frances M. , daughter of William C. Sander
son, of Clinton county, a lady of rare beauty,
both in character and in Christian virtue, and by
this union there are two sons:. William S., born
June 12, 1868, and John S., bornApril 19, 1871.
William S. graduated with honor in his class at
Princeton in 1890; then spent the summer abroad,
and in the fall entered the Law Department of
the University of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia,
and in three years was graduated and admitted

54

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

to the Bar in Philadelphia; at once he began
practice in that city, and has since been located
there. John S. also went to Princeton, but pre
ferring a business life he entered the Williamsport
National Bank, of which he is now assistant
cashier. The Judge's second wife was Miss
Caroline W., daughter of Moses and Jane (Wat
son) Chamberlain, of Milton, and they have three
children: Jane W. Watson, born October ,9,
1879; James C, born December 1, 1882, and
Walter B., born May 2, 1887.

fACKSON LEVI SPANGLER, of Bellefonte,
Centre county. Achievements more than
words, things done rather than things said,
have constituted the contribution of the German
element of our population to the great political
and industrial fabric which has been reared upon
the foundations laid by William Penn for the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania more than two
hundred years ago.
Johannes Spangler, who came to the port of
Philadelphia August 17, 173 1, from the Palati
nate, in the ship "Samuel," Hugh Piercy master,
was no exception to the rule. He and his de
scendants have had their full share of the solid,
every-day work in making the Commonwealth
what it is.
Col. Jackson Levi Spangler, the sixth genera
tion from Johannes, the elder, is the eldest son
of John Spangler and Annie Berger, and was
born in Adamsburg, Snyder Co., Penn., Septem
ber 27, 1849. His early life was without special
incident. He attended the common schools of
Snyder county until i860, when his father re
moved to Centre county, and has resided at Cen
tre Hall, in one of the most beautiful valleys of
Pennsylvania, from that time until this, except
during his official term as sheriff of Centre
county, to which office he was elected in the year
1877. Col. Spangler attended the common
schools in Centre county, and was there fitted for
Dickinson Seminary at Williamsport, from which
institution he graduated with honors in June,
1 87 1 . His relations with the seminary have been
very cordial ever since. He delights in attending
its commencements, and at the last commence
ment was the alumni orator, and entertained a
large audience by his graphic and vivid descrip
tion of the development of this portion of Penn
sylvania. He entered the office of Orvis & Alex
ander in the latter part of 1871, pursued the
study of the law diligently and with success, and
was admitted to the Bar of Centre County in Jan
uary, 1874. He at once took his rank in the legal
profession, and his abilities were so quickly recog

nized that in the summer of the same year he was
nominated for the office of District Attorney of
Centre county, and was elected by a large. majority
in the fall of the year. He filled the office ably and
acceptably to the people for the full term of three
years, and would have undoubtedly been renomi
nated and re-elected in 1 877 but for the fact that
he declined a renomination, apparently for the rea
son that his father was" a candidate for sheriff in
that year. Col. Spangler continued the practice
of his profession, after his official term ceased,
for a number of years alone, and, subsequently,
as the senior member of the firm of Spangler &
Hewes. He had high standing at the Bar, and
was an especially persuasive advocate, his genial
disposition and temper making him an especial
favorite with the jury. During his professional
life he was also interested in local politics, in
reference to which he was always an influential
adviser in his party. He was the chairman of
the Democratic County Committee during the
celebrated • campaign of 1880, when Gen. Han
cock received a majority of 996 — an unusual one
in Centre county, and larger than that of any
other Presidential nominee since. In 1890 he
was the cordial choice of his county for the nomi
nation of Congress in the Twenty-eighth District,
and would have undoubtedly been nominated at
the conference of the representatives of the sev
eral counties, but the fact that his nice sense of
honor forbade his making an arrangement which
he thought was not in accordance with an implied
promise he had made. His mental equipment
and education would have fitted him admirably
as a successful candidate of his party, and, if
nominated, he would undoubtedly have been
elected, and those who knew him best are satis
fied that the district would have been worthily
represented, in case of his election.
Col. Spangler's services in the National
Guard of Pennsylvania have been valuable and
almost unique. In 1877, at the time of the great
railroad riots which convulsed the country, he
accompanied Gen. Beaver, then commanding the
5th Division of the National Guard, as a volun
teer aide, when the Division was- called into ac
tion. The headquarters were established at
Altoona, where there was great unrest and much
dissatisfaction on the part of the employees of the
Pennsylvania railroad. A careful investigation of
the situation revealed the fact that the ferment was
largely maintained by the demagogical appeals
of a man who had lately come into the commun
ity, and was little known, but who had exerted
a great influence by his street-corner addresses
to the crowds which assembled to hear him.
The civil powers seemed to be paralyzed, and

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

55

neither mayor nor sheriff would undertake to ar
rest the disturber of the peace. At the request
of Gen. Beaver, Col. Spangler (then without
military rank) and Major M'Farlane were sworn
in by the mayor as deputy policemen. The second
day after their arrival at Altoona, they located
this man in a saloon, had a carriage driven to the
door, arrested him, hurried him to the carriage
and drove to Hollidaysburg, the county seat of
Blair county, before the fact of his arrest became
known. From that day the spirit of unrest at
Altoona decreased, and it was not long before
complete order was restored. In recognition of
his services, Gen. Beaver recommended him for
aide upon his staff, with the rank of major, which
was promptly confirmed by Gen. Hartranft, then
Governor of the Commonwealth.
Immediately after the unprecedented disaster
caused by the flood at Johnstown in the latter
part of May, 1889, Col. Spangler, who was in
that part of Cambria county, hurriedly repaired
to Johnstown in company with Gen. Hastings,
and was so overwhelmed with the necessity for
prompt action on the part of all who could
render service to the afflicted people there, that
he remained upon the ground and volunteered to
render such service as he might, in the distribu
tion of provisions to those who were in need.
He organized the Commissary Department, and
was so efficient in the discharge of his duties con
nected therewith that, in recognition of his serv
ices, he was appointed by Gen. Beaver, then
Governor of the State, assistant commissary-gen
eral, with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Most
men discharge their duties in National Guard serv
ice because of rank previously bestowed; in
Col. Spangler's case, however, the services were
rendered, and the rank followed in recognition
of them. So much impressed were the officers
and men who were on duty in connection with
the Commissary Department at Johnstown, that
at the conclusion of their term of service they
presented Col. Spangler with a handsome sword
as a recognition of their appreciation of the abil
ity with which he had met all the requirements
of the position.
In the fall of 1887, Col. Spangler became ac
quainted (through several gentlemen who had the
control of a number of options upon coal lands
in the northwestern corner of Cambria county)
with the marvelous mineral wealth of this region.
He visited this locality, and was impressed with
its extent and value. As a result of it, he en
listed the interests of others in such a way as to
induce an effort to secure control of a large body
' of coal in this neighborhood. As a result, the
Blubaker Coal Co. was formed, of which he may

be said to be the original founder. Others united
with him, and the business was followed so intel
ligently and persistently that the company be
came the owner of some 12,000 acres of the best
coal land in this region. Col. Spangler has con
tinued as a director of the Blubaker Coal Co.
since its organization, and is one of the prominent
stockholders. As a result of this business con
nection, he became interested in the Sterling
Coal Co., and, when the business interests of
the latter company increased in the region to
such an extent as to demand active and energetic
supervision, Col. Spangler was appointed general
manager, and has resided in Hastings, acting in that
capacity for several years. He had considerable
experience at Bellefonte in the development of
real estate, and became interested in this region
in the Hastings Improvement Co., and was one
of the original and energetic movers in the devel
opment of the Spangler Improvement Co. In
recognition of the services rendered by him as
treasurer and trustee of the latter company, the
village on the West branch of the Susquehanna,
which is destined to be the center of a larger
number of coal operations than any locality out
side of Houtzdale basin, was named " Spangler."
On March 24, 1890, Col. Spangler was mar
ried to Mrs. Eliza Wagner Holliday, and enjoys
the domestic comfort to which he is entitled in
his elegant and hospitable home at Bellefonte.
Although so largely interested in this locality,
and spending most of his time either at Hastings
or Spangler, he maintains his residence in Belle
fonte. We are persuaded that to no one man
does northern Cambria county owe more of its
recent development than to the subject of this
sketch.

T=*\DWARD T. TUTEN. The influence of a
JtL/ journalist, though silent, is all-pervasive,
and in the United States, where the newspaper
is the universal medium of information, not only
on the events of the time but upon the principles
and policies which move our vast social or
ganism, it has more than once proyed itself a
mighty power. In this work the subject of this
sketch, as editor and proprietor of the Bellefonte
Republican, has borne a worthy part, and the
following brief biography will interest a wide
circle with whom his name is a household word.
The Tuten family originated in France, but
migrated to Holland, whence in the times of King
William our subject's ancestors moved to Ire
land, settling at Belfast. The first to come to
America was John Tuten, our subject's grand
father, who followed the sea, and was mate of a

56

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

vessel: He was married in Boston to Miss
Sarah Partridge, a lady of English descent, and
a sister of Sir Robert Partridge, of Boston. John
Tuten established his home in Boston about
1800, but while on one of his voyages he was
drowned at Archangel, Russia, at the age of
thirty years. He left one son, Robert P. Tuten,
and two daughters, one of whom married Henry
C. Smith, and lived and died at Nashua, N. H.,
while the other married David Wilson Putney,
and passed her last years at East Cambridge,
Mass. The widowed mother subsequently wed
ded James Luke, of Cambridge, Mass., and her
remaining years were spent at that place. There
was a large family of children by this union.
Robert P. Tuten, our subject's father, was
born February 6, 1806, and grew to manhood in
Massachusetts. He learned the glass-cutter's
trade, and at his death September 7, 1 851, he
was foreman of the cutting shop in the works of
the New England Glass Co. In politics he was
an Old-line Whig, and he was a member of the
Universalist Church. His third wife, Nancy S.
Smith, our subject's mother, was born at Deer-
ing, N. H., in 1819, and died in 1883. She had
seven children, one of whom died in childhood,
and of the others. Edward T. is the eldest;
Nancy M. married Alonzo S.. Bruce, and resides
at Mount Vernon, N. H. ; Susan R. is a resident
of Ayer, Mass.; Robert P. lives at Iron Mount
ain, Mich. , and is editor of the Iron Mountain
Range; Sarah T. is treasurer of the Ayer Sav
ings Bank, at Ayer, Mass. ; Esther P. resides in
New York City.
Mr. Tuten (our subject) was born September
1, 1842, at Cambridge, Mass., and his youth was
spent at that place and in Mount Vernon, N. H.
He attended an excellent school, and was fitted
for college; but at this point his student life
closed. For some time he worked in the same
glass works in which his father had been em
ployed, and then he engaged in agriculture at
Bedford, Mass.; but in 1873 he moved to Belle
fonte and purchased the Republican, which he
has ever since edited with marked ability. Its
columns have always reflected his own sturdy
Republican principles, and for years it was the
only paper of that political faith in the locality.
Although Mr. Tuten is very quiet in manner, he
is firm and decisive in business dealings, and as
a citizen and a journalist he is ever responsive to
to the best interests of the place which he has
chosen for a home.
In February, 1870, Mr. Tuten was married
at Brookline, Mass., to Mrs. Maria P. Gray, nee
•Fifield, who was born in 1834. She passed to
her eternal rest in May, 1894, leaving one son,

Earle C, born December 4, 1870, now editor
and publisher of the Bellefonte Daily News. He
is not married, and resides with our subject.
Mr. Tuten is a member of the Unitarian Church,
and is affiliated with the I. O. O. F., Centre
Lodge No. 156, holding the rank of Past Grand.

€\OL. DANIEL SCHNECK KELLER, late of
_/ Bellefonte, Centre county, closed an hon
ored career as citizen, soldier and lawyer, on
August 12, 1894.
The Kellers have lived in Centre county for
nearly a hundred years. Jacob Keller (1), the
great-grandfather of Col. Keller, who was born
in 1753, came to Potter township, Centre coun
ty, in 1806, hailing from Dauphin county, of this
State. He purchased what was known as the
Red Mill property. He was a patriot of the
Revolution, having served in Capt. Daniel Old-
enbruch's company of militia in 1777. He was
an elder in the Reformed Church, and did much
to advance the work of that Church in Centre
county. One of the sons of Jacob Keller (1) was
also named Jacob, and, of his seven children,
Henry Keller, later ofBoalsburg, was the father
of our subject. He was for a time engaged in
the foundry and mercantile business, and later
in farming. His wife was Margaret Schneck,
whose brother. Rev. Benjamin S. Schneck, D.
D. , was a distinguished divine in the Reformed
Church. The late Col. Keller was born at Oak Hall,
in Harris township, September 5, 1844; he at
tended the public schools of his native township,
and Boalsburg Academy, where he prepared for
the Freshman class of Franklin and Marshall
College, and was expecting to enter in Septem
ber, 1862; but before this time the long-sup
pressed antagonism between the North and the
South broke out into open warfare, and being
too patriotic to remain a mere spectator he joined
in the contest, enlisting, in 1862, in Company
G, 148th Regiment, P. V. I. He was made a
corporal; in the battle of Chancellorsville, May
3, 1863, he was shot in the shoulder, and the
wound proving serious, a tedious period in hospital
followed. On February 15, 1864, he was trans
ferred to the 112th Company, 2d Battalion,
Veteran Reserve Corps, and remained in the
service until peace was established, being dis
charged by general order August 19, 1865. Dur
ing his term of service he was detailed for spe
cial duty in the office of the Quartermaster-gen
eral of the army at Washington, D. C. , and
later developed such facility and accuracy in his
work that he was retained in that office, and

£^

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

57

subsequently in the Census Bureau, where he
was chief of a division until 1873. In the mean
time he was pursuing a course in the Columbia
Law School, and by night study prepared him
self for the practice of his profession; having
completed a full course in that institution, he was
admitted to practice in the District of Columbia.
In 1873 he resigned his position in the Bureau,
and returning to his native county settled in the
charming little city of Bellefonte.
On April 29, 1873, he was admitted to the
Bar of Centre County, and began an independent
practice in which he succeeded remarkably, build
ing up a large business in connection with the
Orphans' Court. He continued his professional
work until about two years before his death,
which ended at a comparatively early age, a life
that seemed destined to reap higher honors. He
was prominent in the councils of the Republican
party in this State, though never anxious for
official position. He was an active member of
Gregg Post, and of the Masonic fraternity, hold
ing rank in the latter as past master of the lodge,
and past high priest of the Chapter. He acquired
his military title as assistant adjutant-general of
the 5th Division of the National Guard of Penn
sylvania, with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He
served in this capacity, and subsequently as as
sistant adjutant-general of the 4th and 2nd
Brigades of the National Guard of Pennsylvania,
almost continuously from 1873 to 1887, upon
Gen. Beaver's staff. In these relations, as in all
others he sustained in life, he was faithful, dili
gent and conscientiops in the discharge of every
duty. "As a member of the Bar his strength was in
his conscience, and in his ability, by close and
searching analysis, to reach the foundation prin
ciples of the subject, and when he reached a con
clusion, he was irresistible in following to the
legitimate results what he believed to be right.
He devoted himself without stint to the interests
of his clients. It can be said without reserve
that in all his relations, personal and professional,
he was absolutely honest.
"As a citizen he was faithful in the discharge
of every duty. He followed his convictions as he
followed the flag of his country, without waver
ing, and with an eye single to what he felt to be
duty. His chairmanship of the committe, who
had in charge the conduct of the campaign at
the time of the submission of the constitutional
amendment prohibiting the manufacturing and
sale of intoxicating liquors, is an illustration of
the manner in which he followed his convictions,
and of the faith in which he met and discharged
every duty. As the result of that campaign,

which was due very largely to his leadership,
and to the active work of his, associates on the
committee, the county gave a majority of 2,000
in favor of the prohibitory amendment. "
Col. Keller was a member of the Reformed
Church, and was sound in faith, and believed
that the cause of temperance and sobriety was
one of God's laws. He had been a Sabbath-
school superintendent, deacon and elder in his
Church. He always had the welfare of Belle
fonte at heart — was one who always did his part
toward its prosperity.
In May, 1866, Col. Keller married his first
wife, Miss Martha E. Huestis, a native of Ver
mont, who was born January 5, 1842, and died
March 17, 1876. A second matrimonial union
was formed, in 1878, with Miss Martha E. R.
Schroeder, of Reading, Penn., who survives him.
By the first marriage there were four,, children,
of whom Harry is the eldest. (2) William H. is
now a successful attorney at Lancaster, Penn.
He is a graduate of Franklin and Marshall Col
lege, where he took the highest honors of his
class, and of Columbia Law School. His wife,
formerly Miss Anna Dickey, is a daughter of
Hon. Oliver J. Dickey, who for many years
served as Congressman from the Lancaster Dis
trict, and was at one time a law partner of Thad-
deus Stevens. William Keller has two children
— Daniel S. and Elizabeth. (3) Martha E. died
in 1892, at the age of twenty. (4) Ellen Mar-
garetta died in infancy. There were three chil
dren by the second marriage: Daniel S., Jr.,
Rose Louise and John S., all of whom are now
living. Harry Keller is a native of Washington,
D. C. , where he was born December 22, 1866.
He was carefully educated,, his course in the
public schools being supplemented by further
study in a private school. Making early choice
of the legal profession under his father's guidance,
he began bis preparation; but his course was par
tially interrupted from 1887 to 1890 by a term
as clerk in the office of the adjutant-general at
Harrisburg. Returning home, he was admitted
to the Bar, April 16, 1891, and at once began to
practice with his father. Since the death of his
father he has continued alone, and while making
a specialty of practice in the Orphans' Court he
has also a large general practice. He is a stead
fast Republican in politics. Socially he is prom
inent, and belongs to the F & A. M., the R. A.
and the K. T. On May 7, 1891, he was married
to Miss Anna Orvis, daughter of Judge John H.
Orvis, of Bellefonte. Four children have blessed
this union — John Orvis, Martha (who died at the
age of six months), Henry, Jr., and Ellis Orvis.

58

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

BERNARD LAUTH (deceased) was an in
ventor of note, and for a period one of Cen
tre county's most successful iron manufacturers.
He was a genius in the mechanical line, and his
inventions crowned him with glory and pecuniary
success. He was a broad-gauged, public-spirited
business man, who spent several hundred thou
sand dollars in improvements to develop the iron
interests of the country.
Mr. Lauth was lineally descended from Dr.
William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury, who
was beheaded in 1645 by an arbitrary decree of
Parliament during the troublous times in the lat
ter years of the reign of Charles I. Archbishop
Laud's widow, with eleven sons, migrated to
Alsace, and the name of the family, through the
idiom of the German language, changed to that
of Lauth. Here in this province, August 23,
1820, our subject was born. He came with his
parents and grandparents to America, arriving at
Pittsburg, Penn., in the spring of 1831. The
worldly possessions of the family at this time did
not exceed ten dollars. The father went to work
at fifty cents a day, and Bernard, not yet having
completed his eleventh year, went to work in Dr.
Peter Shoenberger's iron works at one dollar per
week. He commenced at the lowest round in
the business ladder, pulling up the furnace door,
he passed through every stage until he became a
boss roller, and was enabled to earn as high as
twenty-eight dollars per day.
At these works he remained seven years, and
was then employed as boss roller at the works of
Hoke & Hartman on the east side of the river,
with which concern he remained until 1844. In
1 847 he commenced business for himself at Zanes-
ville, Ohio, and in company with others built a
rolling-mill. He was at Zanesville some five
years, when he removed to East Birmingham,
Pittsburg, and in connection with his brother
built a rolling-mill; this enterprise developed into
the immense "American Iron Works " of Lauth
& Jones, until the former retired and the firm be
came Jones & Locklin. While thus engaged in
1857 Mr. Lauth made his invention for the manu
facture of cold-rolled shafting. The one-half of
the shafting used in the great Centennial building
at Philadelphia, in 1876, was rolled at these
works. Mr. Lauth sold his right to Jones &
Laughlins for one hundred thousand dollars, and
then went to England. While there he made his
second important invention, which he patented
in the United States — for rolling plates — Lauth's
three high-plate rolls. He had his family with
him in Europe for four years, in order to give his
children good educations. Mr. Lauth's third
invention was a continuous mill for rolling band

iron of every description, for hoops, bands, etc.
Its value may be judged from the fact that he
sold a half-interest in it to the Bethlehem Iron
Company for seventy-five thousand dollars and a
royalty of fifty cents per ton.
Mr. Lauth made his fourth invention in 1866;
it was for straightening and angling beam iron
mostly cold. On his return from Europe he be
came engaged in business at Reading, Penn.,
where he built a sheet-mill for rolling sheets and
plates, which was finished just as the war closed.
In 1 87 1 he removed from Reading to Howard,
and took hold of the iron works there which were
in a dilapidated condition. He remodeled and
renewed them almost entirely, built new and
handsome dwelling houses, erected a beautiful
Catholic chapel, and, with a new rolling-mill
erected in 1882, had one of the best iron works in
Centre county. They consisted then of rolling-
mills, two charcoal blast furnaces and forge, pud
dling furnace, etc., and in the premises known
as the Howard Iron Works there were 612 acres
of land, and 528 acres of oie land appurtenant.
Upward of two hundred thousand dollars was ex
pended in improvements, and the works gave
employment to over two hundred men. He was
a most active and energetic business man, and
kept pace with the advancing world in which he
moved. He was greatly interested in politics,
but took no active part, never having any desire
to hold public position. He was a Republican.
His death occurred at his country home near
Howard June 25, 1894; f°r several years he had
been failing in health, and when the end came it
came peacefully, for he died in his chair and as
though just falling into asleep. Pie possessed a
tender heart, was ever willing and ready to do
anything that would help his neighbor. By faith
he was a Roman Catholic, and was consistent in
his belief. He was one of eight children, the
others being: John N., Catherine, Magdalene,
Barbara, Josephine, Mary and Caroline, all of
whom are now dead excepting the last named.
In 1840, Mr. Lauth was married to Miss
Elizabeth Wilhelm, and their children are: (1)
Bernard C, born September 21, 1840, married
Magdalene Berg, of Pittsburg. (2) John N.,
born December 14, 1842, married (first) a Mrs.
Smith, of Pittsburg, and (second) a Mrs. Dr.
Knoor. (3) Mrs. M. L. Comerford, who makes
her home with her mother, and has three chil
dren — Mary Louise, Arthur A. and Bernard L.
(4) Mrs. Caroline Comerford, a resident of Pitts
burg, who has three children — -William B.,
Elizabeth and Caroline. (5) Mrs. Elizabeth C.
Greth, of Reading, Penn., the mother of five
sons and one daughter — Charles B., Bernard,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

59

Philip, Harrold, Robert, and Louise (who died
at four years of age). (6) Mrs. Josephine Wil-
helm, 'of Buffalo, N. Y. , whose children are —
Grace, Walter, Louis, Paul and Elizabeth. (7)
Mrs. Cameron Burnside, of Philadelphia, who
has one daughter — Rachel.
Mrs. Elizabeth (Wilhelm) Lauth is a native
of the village of Roeschwoog, near the river
Rhine, Alsace, then a province of France, born
September 30, 1821; she is the daughter of
Mathias and Magdalene (Huck) Wilhelm. When
she was six years of age her parents, with their
family, came to America, being forty-seven days
on the ocean en route. They located at Pitts
burg, Penn., where the father for many years
was engaged in the hotel business, keeping a
tavern first on Third street, called the "Sun,"
and subsequently one on Penn Ave., where he
died. His children were: Mathias, Elizabeth,
Magdalene, Francis, Catherine (1), Mary, Caro
line, Catherine (2), Josephine and Jacob. All
are now dead excepting Elizabeth, Francis,
Catherine (2) and Josephine. Mrs. Lauth is
now passing the evening of her life in her com
modious and comfortable home near Howard,
enjoying the fruits of a well-spent life.

C\ALVIN M. BOWER, a prominent lawyer
'/ and citizen of Bellefonte, was born in Haines
township, Centre county, Penn., April 20, 1849
a son of Jacob Bower, who was a prosperous and
well-to-do farmer living near the village of
Woodward. The mother was a daughter of
Jacob Motz, of Woodward; both parents being
members of two of the oldest and most prom
inent families of that section of the county.
The subject of this sketch spent his early
days as a farmer's boy, working on his father's
farm during the summers and attending the pub
lic schools during the winter months. In No
vember, 1866, he entered the Aaronsburg Acad
emy to prepare for college. In the following
spring he went back to his father's farm, and re
mained there until the fall of 1867, when he re
turned to the academy and spent the winter at
his studies. In the spring of 1863 he again
returned to the farm, and remained at work (ex
cept for five months spent in teaching a term of
school in the neighborhood) until August, 1870,
when he entered Central Pennsylvania College,
at New Berlin, Penn. During the time spent on
the farm he was a faithful student, making use
of his spare time in finishing his preparations for
college. He remained at college until October,
1 87 1, when he came to Bellefonte to begin the
study of law. He entered the law office of Orvis

& Alexander, then one of the most noted law
firms in central Pennsylvania. There he pur
sued his studies with the same zeal that charac
terized his school work, and in December, 1873,
he was admitted to the Bar of Centre county.
Immediately upon his admission to the Bar he
was offered and accepted an interest in the law
firm with whom he had been a student, and in
January, 1874, he became a member of the firm
of Orvis, Alexander & Bower. When Judge Or
vis, the senior member of the firm, was appointed
to the Bench, the remaining members of the firm
continued the practice under the firm name of
Alexander & Bower. This partnership continued
for a period of eleven years, during which time
they were engaged in most of the important cases
tried in Centre county. Mr. Bower was soon rec
ognized as a careful and conscientious lawyer,
and soon attained an influential position at the
Bar. He early acquired a large practice at the
Orphans' Court, and was looked upon especially
strong in this class of cases. The firm during
its existence had a large practice, and taking an
active part in the work soon became one of the
leading lawyers of the county. One of the
strongest evidences of Mr. Bower's ability as a
lawyer is the fact that when Judge Orvis retired
from the Bench he chose him as his law partner.
The law firm of Orvis, Bower & Orvis, consisting
of Judge Orvis, Mr. Bower, and Ellis L. Orvis,
was organized January 1, 1885. This partner
ship at once came into prominence, and was rec
ognized as one of the leading law firms of Penn
sylvania. Mr. Bower has always taken an active
and prominent part in their practice, and his
success has placed him prominently among the
leading lawyers of the State. For many years
he was concerned in the trial of many of the im
portant ejectment cases tried in Centre county,
and he is recognized as a well-equipped lawyer
in this important branch of the law. The rec
ords of the court in the central part of the State
show the extent of his practice, and the supreme
court reports, for years, attest his prominence at
the Bar, showing that he frequently appeared be
fore that tribunal in the leading cases from the
the courts to which his practice extended.
Mr. Bower has always been an uncompro
mising Democrat, faithfully devoted to the prin
ciples of his party. These principles, as laid down
by Jefferson, Jackson and Tilden, have always
found in him an earnest and faithful supporter.
As early as 1875 be was chairman of the Demo
cratic County Committee, and by his untiring
work succeeded in effecting an organization that
brought out a.full party vote, resulting in a ma
jority of 1,500 in the county for the Democratic

60

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

nominee for governor. He has frequently been
a delegate to State Conventions, and in 1880
he was honored with a place on the Electoral
ticket. In 1894 he was unanimously nominated
by his party for President Judge of the 49th Ju
dicial District, then comprised of the counties of
Centre and Huntingdon. In the disastrous cam
paign of that year he was defeated with the rest
of the Democratic candidates, but he ran 1,529
votes ahead of his ticket in the district. When
Mr. Bower was nominated, one of the Demo
cratic papers in the district said: " The nomi
nation comes to him without a contest. His
eminent position at the Bar in this section of the
State makes him the natural candidate of his
party, and he is conceded by Democrats and
Republicans alike to be the strongest Democratic
nominee to be found in the district. " In the
following yearthe Democratic County Committee
instructed the delegates from Centre county to
present Mr. Bower's name before the State Con
vention for the nomination of Justice of the
Superior Court, and passed a resolution instruct
ing the delegates to use all honorable means to
secure his nomination. Huntingdon and other
counties took similar action, and it soon became
evident that there was a strong sentiment in
his favor in various sections of the State. His
friends made a strong fight for his nomination,
and he was only defeated by an unfortunate
ruling of the chairman of the Convention, which
gave the nomination to Judge Magee, of Pitts
burg, by twenty-eight majority.
Mr. Bower is a prominent and an active
member of the Reformed Church. Frequently
he has been a delegate to Classis and Synods,
and has filled various other positions with credit
to himself and honor to the Church. While he
is thoroughly devoted to his Church, he is inter
ested in the cause of religion without regard to
denominational lines. He has also been active
in Sunday-school work, and is at present district
and county chairman of the State Sabbath-school
Association. He has also been an active worker
in the cause of education. For years he has
been a member of the board of trustees of Frank
lin and Marshall College, at Lancaster, Penn.,
and as a mark of appreciation of his work for the
college, and his literary attainments, that insti
tution some years ago conferred upon him the
degree of Master of Arts. He owns one of the
finest libraries in Bellefonte, and by earnest and
careful study he has become as prominent in lit
erary circles as he has in his profession. Judge
Orvis, when on the Bench, fittingly recognized
Mr. Bower's legal and literary attainments by
appointing him a member of the examining com

mittee; and he is in point of service the oldest
member of that committee, having been reap
pointed by Judges Hoy, Furst and Love, and
is the President of the Board.
Mrs. Bower is a daughter of John Meyer, of
near Rebersburg, and a lady of culture and re
finement. She is particularly noted for her love
of plants and flowers, and the home of the fam
ily on the extreme eastern end of Linn street is
one of the finest in Bellefonte. The grounds
surrounding the house are one mass of vines and
flowers, all under the immediate care of Mrs.
Bower. The only child, John Jacob Bower, is a
student of Franklin and Marshall College, a
member of the class of 1898.
Socially, Mr. Bower is of a retiring disposition,
absorbed in his books and his profession; yet he
has acquired a large circle of acquaintances, and
formed strong friendships. He is a representa
tive of one of the oldest families in Centre county,
and his ancestors on both sides were some of the
earliest settlers in the eastern end of Penn's
Valley. Many of the Bowers and Motzes still re
side in that section of the county, and some of
them own and occupy the lands where their an
cestors settled about the time of the Revolu
tionary war, the title thereto not having passed
out of the family name in which it was originally
acquired. Jacob Bower, the great-grandfather of Calvin
M., and the son of John and Catherine Bower,
came into what is now Haines township from
Hanover township, York county, in 1776. He
married Christena Nease, daughter of Philip
Nease. John Motz, the great-grandfather of Mr.
Bower on his mother's side, came to the site of
Woodward from Penn township, in what is now
Snyder county, in 1786. He bought land under
date of April 29, 1785, and is credited with being
the first settler on the town site named. Shortly
after locating, he built a mill, and in a small scale
manufactured soda. He was highly educated,
a sculptor by profession, and had to leave the
Fatherland in consequence of his devotion to the
cause of liberty. At his death he left quite a
valuable collection of books on Church history,
astronomy, etc. His wife's maiden name was
Mary Whitmer.

DAVID F. FORTNEY, postmaster at Belle
fonte, and a prominent member of the Cen
tre County Bar.
At the time of the birth of David Fortney
(father of David F., the subject of this review),
February 12, 1807, his father, whose name, too,
was David, resided at Cornwall, in Lebanon

».

&^-&&£

7^. rfa

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

61

county, this State. When a young man of
twenty-two or twenty-three years of age, David
(2) came to Centre county, and, as was the cus
tom in iiose days, became an apprentice to
learn the trade of a carpenter under John Kim-
port, a brother-in-law. After he had learned the
trade, he for many years followed the business of
a carpenter, and very many of the large bank-
barns and dwelling houses in Penn's Valley, built
from 1840 to 1856, were constructed by him or
by his assistance and with his labor. He was a
man of great energy, an excellent mechanic, a
good citizen, large hearted, honest, kind and of
the most tender disposition. He was a great
hand to take care of and look a±ter the sick, and
was very frequently called upon by neighbors in
times of sickness and distress, to help to care for
their sick. He married Susan Sellers, a native
of York county, Penn. , who was born February
17, 18 1 2, a daughter of Daniel and Hannah Sel
lers. Daniel Sellers, her father, soon after her
birth, entered the army in the war of 181 2, and
died in the service, whether from wounds or dis
ease contracted in the service is not now certainly
known. To this marriage were born six children:
(1) Mary, who married William Stover, died
April 23, 1877. (2) John H., who was a mem
ber of Company D, 148th P. V. I., entering the
service of the United States in August, 1862,
along with his brother, David F. , and serving
throughout the war; his death occurred April 3,
1887, from disease contracted in the army. (3)
James G. is a successful and prosperous farmer
near Pine Grove Mills, Centre Co., Penn. (4)
David F., the subject of this sketch. (5) George
William, a faithful and devout minister of the
Gospel in the Luthern Church. (6) Sarah Ellen,
a lovely girl of fifteen, the first of the family called
upon to pass over the dark river, dying April 1,
1863. This date also recorded the death of the
father, David Fortney, Sr., who died just eleven
hours after the daughter, both dying from what
was then called "spotted fever". They were
buried on the same day, April 3, 1863, in one
grave. The wife and mother died at the home
of her son James in Ferguson township, July 19,
1883, full of years and good deeds. She had
been early consecrated to God by her parents in
the sacred ordinance of baptism, and at the time of
her death had been a consistent Christian and
member of the Lutheran Church for fifty years.
After her husband's death, she generally passed
the winters at the home of her son, David F. , in
Bellefonte, and the summers at the old farm with
her son James. She was a sincere woman, kind-
hearted, generous and thoughtful, exemplary in
life, she became endeared to all who knew her.

Her influence for good was remarkable, and she
filled a place in the family and Church from which
she has long been missed. Her son in an obit
uary notice thus speaks tenderly and beautifully
of "Mother"- The early training of the family devolved almost entirely
upon her. For weeks at a time, and almost continually,
father was from home, of necessity, following his trade. She
met the duties and responsibilities thrown upon her with un
faltering courage and firm faith that, if she did well her part,.
the end would also be well. She left nothing undone that
would add to the interest, happiness or welfare of her chil
dren. To say that she was a good mother, a royal woman,
and give the words all the force the language will imply, is
but to feebly express her crowning glories.
David F. Fortney, practically speaking, was
reared among agricultural pursuits. His early
education was such as the neighboring schools of
the township afforded. He was in attendance
at the academy at Pine Grove Mills, during which
time he walked over three miles each way every
day in the week, and was never tardy. While
at the academy in August, 1862, young Fortney,
with others, the principal included, enlisted for
the war in Company D, 148th P. V. I., under the
command of Col. James A. Beaver, afterward
Governor of Pennsylvania, and now judge of the
Superior Court. In less than a year, however,
the young man Fortney was discharged from the
service for disability arising from fever contracted
while therein. He then returned to Pine Grove
Academy for some months, and later taught a
five-months term of school at White Hall school
house, in Ferguson township, receiving $20 per
month for his services. From April 20, 1864, to
the last of September, 1866, he attended what
was known as Vermillion Institute, at Hayesville,
Ohio, which was in charge of Rev. S. Dieffen-
dorf, and was an excellent school, where he rer
ceived quite a liberal education in higher mathe
matics, sciences, and in the Latin and Greek
languages. On returning from Hayesville, he
taught one term of school in Decatur township,
Clearfield county. Early in life he made up his
mind to be a lawyer, and with this end in view,
he attended school, and taught probably longer
than he otherwise would have done. In the
spring of 1867 he entered the law office of Hon.
John H. Orvis, of Bellefonte, and while reading ¦
law did, for his board, whatever work was to be
done on his preceptor's place of some three acres,
which comprised an orchard and garden. He
was admitted to the Bar April 30, 1869, having
practically worked his own way through school,
and maintained himself by working part of the
time while studing law.
From the very first he- took high rank as a
lawyer, and gained and held the respect of his
colleagues, and had acquired a fine practice,.

62

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

when he, to some extent, lost his hearing. While
this in no way injures his ability as a lawyer, nor
interferes with him as a counselor, it does to a
certain extent prevent him from engaging in
trials in court. As an advocate his ability was
recognized by the Bar and the public, and he was
frequently employed in cases simply to make the
argument to the jury because of his recognized
ability in this line. But for this misfortune, there
is no public position his friends would not have
been willing to give him, and which he would not
have honorably filled. He was chairman of the
Democratic County Committee in 1871, and again
in 1879, and in 1877 was elected district attorney
of the county for a term of three years, by the
largest majority, which up to that time, in a
straight contest between two candidates, had
been given for many years. He has been fre
quently importuned to be a candidate for the
Legislature, and just as often refused. He is
widely known as the Democratic "War-horse "of
Centre county. For many years he has taken an
active part in State and county campaigns. He
is always in demand as a campaign orator, and
is a great favorite with the people of the county.
" No man in the county has at any time done
more or better work for the continued success of
the party, in both county and State, than has
Mr. Fortney, and no man in the party has more
loyal and devoted friends than he." The feffer-
sonian of West Chester, in 1872, paid him the
following tribute:
Of the speakers who aided in the late campaign, none
did more efficient or willing service than David F. Fortney,
Esq., of Bellefonte. Mr. Fortney is a robust, energetic and
earnest man, who went into the contest determined to do his
full duty, and most admirably did he perform it. Mr. Fort
ney spent two weeks with us, and spoke in almost every sec
tion of the county, and his praises are sounded by all who
heard him.
From January, 1882, to January, 1888, Mr.
Mr. Fortney was solicitor of the county, and from
January, 1891, to the present time (1897) he has
held the same office, and in examining accounts
that pass through the commissioner's office he
has been no respecter of persons in lopping off
unnecessary expense or in cutting down bills.
The public will never fully know the actual serv
ice he has been to them in this capacity. Dur
ing his first term (January, 1882, to January,
1888) through his efforts there was collected and
paid over to the treasury of the county over
$32,000. The fund arose from a lot of old
claims which the county held against various
townships in and outside of the county. Every
member of the Bar was arrayed against him, but
feeling sure he was right, he pushed the claims,
and at the end of about three years' litigation,
the county was successful in every case. As so

licitor he hewed to the line, and many irregulari
ties which had grown up in the transaction of
the public business were lopped off and de
stroyed. The people of the county have been
reaping, and for many years to come will con
tinue to reap, the benefit of his work, eneFgy and
ability as a lawyer.
Mr. Fortney is a writer of recognized ability,
and editorials occasionally from his pen have
been well received and favorably spoken of.! In
April, 1894, he was appointed postmaster at
Bellefonte, and it is worthy of note that in the
contest for the place he was backed by the entire
Bar and the largest and best business interests" of
the place. The office is conducted in a business
like manner on business principles. Strong par
tisan as he is, politics no not enter into the dis
charge of his official duties. As a citizen he
stands high among the energetic and progressive
men of the community in which he lives, and
has likely done as much for the good of the pub
lic and its advancement as any of the prominent
men among whom he lives. Since June, 1882,
he has been a member of the school board of
Bellefonte, and since 1884 he has been continu
ously president of the board. During this time
the schools have made great progress. Under
his watchful eye and the enthusiasm of his na
ture, the schools have been transformed from
machines into living moving things in which to
educate boys and girls. He takes more pride for
what he has done in this line, for the good of the
children of the community, than anything else in
the course of his life. Through his influence a
very fine school library has been started, stocked
with the best of books for the young people.
Through his efforts alone, a number of prizes
have been offered by wealthy citizens of the town,
for various excellence in studies and conduct to
be competed for by the pupils of the High
School. Much good has come from this ; the prizes
often coming to those to whom they were a great
help. He spares no effort to do good and add to
the welfare and happiness of the many young
people in the schools. He is a leader in educa
tional lines, and his reputation is not confined to
his locality but reaches out into the State.
For many years Mr. Fortney has been a
member of the board of trustees of the Presby
terian Church, of which he is also a member.
His whole life and influence have been on the
side of right.
In 1879, when the Amendment to the Con
stitution of the State, prohibiting the manufact
ure and sale of intoxicating liquors in the State,
was before the people for adoption, he went into
the campaign for the Amendment with all his

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

63

well-known energy and enthusiasm, and for a
period extending over two months he made
speeches in every part of the county, and did
much to aid in securing for the Amendment the
very large majority that was given it by the peo
ple of Centre county. He has a commanding
personality, tall and well-built; with a face force
ful and expressive of human feelings, he meets
his associates and even strangers with frankness,
both socially and officially. On September 19,
1876, he was married to Sarah E. Huey, a na
tive of Harris township, Centre Co. , Penn. , and
to them have been born two children (twins):
David Paul, the fourth in line to be called David;
and Katy H., a lovely child who died August 15,
1886, in her tenth year. Her death was keenly
felt by her parents, who took great delight and
pride in their children. David Paul is now a
student at the State College.
Robert Huey and Katy Glenn Huey, the
parents of Mrs. Fortney, were natives of Centre
county, Penn. Adam Huey, the father of
Robert, came to America in 1798 or 1799 to
escape punishment for engaging in the rebellion
led by Robert Emmet against the English Gov
ernment. One son of Robert, William C. , served
in the Civil war as a member of Company C,
148th P. V. I., and was severely wounded at the
battle of Chancellorsville.

TMOMAS B. POTTER, M. D., and his son,
William M. Potter, are prominent among
the substantial citizens, of Philipsburg, Centre
county, and worthily represent a family which
has been held in high esteem in this section from
pioneer times.
James Potter, the grandfather of Dr. Thomas
B. Potter, was one of the early settlers of Penn's
Valley, and his son, John Potter, the Doctor's
father, who was born at Potters Mills in 1800, be
came a leading business man there, operating
woolen-mills and gristmills, and owning several
farms. He died at Fond du Lac, Wis., in 1886,
while on business connected with his lumber inter
ests there. His wife, Amelia (Burnside), a na
tive of Centre county, lived to the age of sev
enty. Only three of their children attained adult
age: James G. (deceased) was formerly a book
keeper at Fond du Lac; Thomas B. is the sub
ject of this sketch; and William W. , is a dentist
in Marinette, Wisconsin.
Dr. T. B. Potter was born at Potters Mills
November 21, 1829, and his early years were
spent in that vicinity. After the local educa
tional resources were exhausted .he attended
school at Lewistown, and later studied at Prince

ton College. His medical studies were begun
under the supervision of Dr. George L. Potter,
of Bellefonte, and finished at the University of
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, where he was grad
uated April 6, 1 85 1. Locating at Stormstown,
Half Moon township, Centre county, he practiced
there five years, and then removed to Philips
burg and became the leading practitioner there.
After forty years of successful practice he with
drew to private life. He has acquired wealth,
and owns one of the most valuable brick blocks
in Philipsburg, the "Potter House," the princi
pal hostelry of that city being a part of it. His
residence is in the Centre county portion of the
city. Dr. Potter was married, in 1858, to Miss
Mary E. Myers, a native of Stormstown, who
died in 1869, leaving two sons: William M.,
who is mentioned more fully below; and Dudley,
who died at the age of nineteen years. In 1880
Dr. Potter formed a second matrimonial union,
this time with Miss Ellen McMullen. They have
no children. When Dr. Thomas B. Potter came to Philips
burg it was but a small village, with grass grow
ing in the streets, and he has lived to see great
improvements and solid growth, in the bringing
about of which he himself was among the fore
most. During the first five years of his residence
in the then village, he was the only physician in
the place. In 1869 he built the block where he
now resides; in 1871 he erected the Arcade,
and in 1879 the "Potter House," all adjoin
ing one another. In politics the Doctor is a
stanch Republican; he was the second burgess
elected in the borough; was member of the first
council, and was president of the school board
some six years. Socially, he is a Master Mason,
and he is a member of the Centre County Medi
cal Society. During the war of the Rebellion
he served as assistant surgeon of the 77th P.
V. I., from October, 1862, to May, 1863, serv
ing in the Western army, in Tennessee and
Georgia, and was present at the engagements
at Pittsburg Landing, but had to resign on account
of impaired health.
William M. Potter was born in Philips
burg, March 27, 1863, and obtained his elemen
tary education in the public schools. He at
tended State college for two years and a half,
and then took a course in bookkeeping at Lewis
burg Academy. Thus equipped for business life,
he returned home, and for some time was em
ployed in the office of Hoover, Hughes & Co.,
also working for W. P. Duncan, in his mine and
coal office, and then spent four years as clerk in
the Moshannon Bank. During the next two

64

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

years he visited various points in the West, and
on his return he remained two years with the
Pardee Mine Co., as check weighman; then,
after a short time in I. V. Gray's store as book
keeper, he took a position as paymaster for R. B.
Wiglan & Sons, remaining with them six years.
For two years past he has been secretary for the
Philipsburg Electric Light Co. , and the Philips
burg Water Co., being a stockholder in both.
In May, 1888, Mr. Potter was married to
Miss Rachel M. Steiner, who was born in Ches
ter Hill. His residence is in that portion of the
city which lies in Clearfield county, and he is
one of the leading workers in the Republican
party there. As candidate for county treasurer
he greatly reduced the normal Democratic ma
jority.

C\OL. WILBUR. F. REEDER, junior mem-
/ ber of the law firm of Hastings & Reeder, of
Bellefonte, who has the reputation of being one
of the most industrious and studious members of
the Centre County Bar, in which he has taken
high rank, is in direct line of descent from one
John Reeder, who came from Norfolk, England,
in 1656, and settled at Newtown, L. I., the Col
onel representing the sixth generation of the fam
ily in America.
Charles Reeder, one of the sons of John (1),
was born in 171 3, married in 1736, to Eleanora
Menick, and died in 1803. John Reeder (2) was
a pioneer of what is now Northumberland county,
Penn., coming probably from New Jersey prior
to the Revolutionary war. and locating near the
present town of Elysburg. He was driven out
by the Indians at the time of the general exodus,
and remained away about seven years. Subse
quently he returned and married Elizabeth
Fisher, who was born in Sussex county, N. J.,
in 1774, and died in Northumberland county,
Penn., in 1840. Some few years after 1799 they
removed to Allegheny, Penn., where he was con
nected with the iron industry of that vicinity, and
there died in 1813. Elizabeth Fisher was the
daughter of Joseph and Catherine Mineger Fisher,
the former the progenitor of the Fisher family in
America, born in Saxony in 1734, and with
friends and a sister Elizabeth, immigrated to this
country about 1747, locating in West Jersey, a
German colony at that time. In 1788 he lo
cated in Northumberland county, Penn., where
the remaining years of his life were passed. He
was a patriot, and served his country in the Rev
olutionary war. His wife was born in Holland in
1746. One of the sons of John Reeder (2),
Joseph Reeder, was born at Bear Gap, Northum

berland county, in 1799, married Catherine
Mutcheler, who was born in 1792 and died in
1852. Not long after the father's death the fam
ily of John Reeder (2) removed from Allegheny
county back to their old farm. Joseph Reeder,
after his marriage, located in the vicinity of Elys
burg, Penn., where they lived until 1853, own
ing an extensive and valuable plantation. From
that time until 1859 he was a merchant at Pax-
inos, Penn., again a farmer in Northumberland
county until 1870, then lived retired at Elys
burg where his death occurred in 1881. He mar
ried the second time. He and his wife Catherine
were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Catherine Mutcheler was the daughter of Samuel
and Mary Fisher Mutcheler, the father from
what is now Warren county, N. J., and the
mother, the daughter of Joseph Fisher above re
ferred to, were married in 1788, and in 1791 lo
cated on a tract of undeveloped land in Colum
bia county, Penn., on Little Roaring creek where
they subsequently resided; she was born in 1769;
both were members of the Presbyterian Church;
in after years he engaged in the business of weav
ing in flannels and woolen fabrics.
Hiram J. Reeder, one of the sons of Joseph
Reeder, the father of Col. Wibur F. Reeder, was
born in Rush township, Northumberland county,.
March 5, 1826, married, in 1849,. Elizabeth,
daughter of Joseph and Sarah Tietsworth Yocum,
born in 1830. After marriage they removed to a
farm near Catawissa, Penn., where they resided
until 1870 when they moved to Catawissa, where
they continue to reside. From 1863 until 1870
Mr. Reeder served as a justice of the peace. He
has occupied a prominent position in local affairs,
having filled various local offices; was elected
one of the county commissioners in 1870 for a
term of three years; in 1873 he was again elected
a justice of the peace for five years. He is a prom
inent Mason. He has been an active worker
in the M. E. Church all his life, of which Church
he and his wife are members. Their children
are: Joseph B., born in 185 1, died in 1869;
George C, born in 1853, died in 1863; and
Wilbur F.
Wilbur F. Reeder was born near Catawissa,
Penn., on January 7, 1855. He entered Dickin
son Seminary, at Williamsport, Penn., in 1872,
and in 1875 was graduated, receiving a degree of
B. A. and taking the first honors of his class. In
the fall of 1875 he came to Bellefonte, and com
menced reading law with the firm of Bush, Yocum
& Hastings, and in May, 1877, was admitted to
the Bar after passing a rigid examination, of
which circumstance the Democratic Watchman
made this comment:

'COiyC/Ovvr v, OOi^^Ci^

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

65

Mr. Wilbur Reeder, late a law student with Bush, Yocum
& Hastings, was admitted to the Bar a couple of weeks ago
after standing one of the best examinations ever gone through
with by any young lawyer in this county. The examination
was an exceedingly strict and thorough one, the committee
putting in some twenty-five hours hard work. But they
found Mr. Reeder booked on all points and in all phases of
the law, showing the most ample preparation and an ex
haustive course of reading. The young gentleman was
highly complimented by his examiners and the lawyers gen
erally. He is now a full-fledged attorney. We wish him
success, hoping that he may go up until he reaches the top
most round in the ladder of legal fame and honor.
He at once commenced the practice of law,
and in 1 88 1 formed a partnership with D. H. Hast
ings, since adjutant-general and now Governor of
the Commonwealth. In the study of law Mr.
Reeder applied himself closely, which was a dis
tinct characteristic of the man, and which has so
remained, and to which his success thus far in his
practice is attributed. Early in his career he be
came recognized as a safe counselor and reliable
attorney, which resulted in procuring for the firm
a large and lucrative practice. During Gen. Hast
ings' four-years' term of service as adjutant-general
of the State Mr. Reeder most successfully man
aged their large business; this he is continuing to
do while Mr. Hastings is serving his gubernatorial
term. In January, 1889, he was concerned for
the defense in a murder case, the first one after
his admission to the Bar, and succeeded in pro
curing a verdict of acquittal after a vigorous and
most bitter fight. Again, in November, 1889, he
was retained for the accused in a murder case,
when the press at this time remarked :
The defense was represented by W. F. Reeder, Esq.,
singly and alone. Mr. Reeder had already made a reputa
tion for himself as a criminal lawyer, but his effort in behalf
of the man charged with the murder of his wife and mother-
in-law have added a new lustre of unusual brilliancy to his
professional reputation. Under the circumstances connected
with the case, which were so clear, it seemed almost an ab
surdity to set up any defense, and any man who sat in the
court house on Wednesday afternoon and heard the case
Mr. Reeder presented to establish the plea of emotional in
sanity could easily recognize in it the work of a great lawyer.
And anyone who sat in the court house on Thursday after
noon, and listened to his eloquent appeal in behalf of his
client, will readily coincide with us that the star in the pro
fessional firmament of Mr. Reeder now shines with unusual
brilliancy, and that he is destined ere long to stand in the
first ranks of the most noted criminal lawyers of the land.
Outside of his professional life he has taken
an active part in politics, and has several times
served as chairman of the Republican County
Committee, and of his services in this line the
press on January 18, 1895, observed:
W. F. Reeder, Esq., who has been chairman of the Re
publican committee of Centre county for the last three years,
has resigned and laid down the scepter for another leader to
take it up. Wilbur F. Reeder has made a noble leader,
and is the man who led the Republican party to victory in
Centre county. He is possessed of an indomitable will
power and sound judgment, so that where he would lead his
party was not afraid to follow. In the year 1887 he was
chairman, and through his devotion and loyalty to the cause
a full board of county officers was elected, something that

had not happened for thirty years. His party recognized in
him a man of sterling worth and ability, and in the year 1892
he was called again to take up arms and wage a battle
against the principles of Democracy. He made a good
fight and finished his course that year by again winning old
Centre county into the line of Republicans by an overwhelm
ing majority. His shots were well-aimed and the enemy
fell back. The resignation of Mr. Reeder may be thought
a loss to the party, but in time of war he will be found a vol
unteer in the front rank. The cause of his laying off the
official uniform was the large and increasing law practice de
manding his close attention.
In 1 891 Mr. Reeder was elected mayor of
Bellefonte. ' ' His nomination and election is but a
slight recognition of his many excellent qualities,
and the judicial bench of Centre county might feel
perfectly safe and justly proud of such a thor
oughly qualified jurist and legal practitioner. In
W. F. Reeder the people of Bellefonte will have
an able and dignified mayor. He will make one
of the best officials the borough has ever had."
Mr. Reeder has proven himself a force in
everything hehasundertaken; his name was prom
inently mentioned at one time in connection
with the judgeship. His ability and general
make-up is such as will qualify him to fill high
positions with honor and credit. As a citizen he
is progressive, and commands the utmost respect
and confidence of all who have the pleasure of
his acquaintance. He has been identified with
the National Guard of Pennsylvania since 1880,
his record being as follows: a private of Com
pany B, 5th Regiment; corporal, July, 1880; dis
charged, February, 1882; first lieutenant. Com
pany B, July 22, 1889; re-enlisted July 23, 1894;
appointed assistant adjutant-general on the staff
of the commander-in-chief January 25, 1895,
which position he now holds. Col. Reeder per
formed active duty at Homestead, Penn., in
July, 1892, and at Punxsutawney, Penn., in
June and July, 1 894. As a member of the National
Guard of Pennsylvania he has taken an active
interest in everything pertaining to that organi
zation. With his ability, industry and perse
verance Col. Reeder hascertainlya brilliant future
before him. In 1896 he received the indorse
ment of the County Convention for Congress.
On September 11, 1897, Col. Reeder was
appointed Deputy Attorney-General of the State
of Pennsylvania, and at once assumed the duties
of his office. This appointment was regarded
by the press of the State as being merited on the
one side and worthily bestowed on the other.
Col. Reeder is a member of the Union League
of Philadelphia, as well as of other patriotic and
social organizations. He is also' prominent in
Masonic circles, where he has attained to the
thirty-second degree. ,On December 19, 1878,
he was married to Lillie S. Got wait, and they
have one son, John Wallace, born December 26,

66

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1 879. Mrs. Reeder is a daughter of Rev. Thomas
and Mary J. Gotwalt, and a lineal descendant of
Gov. Schultz.
BEV. JAMES P. HUGHES. Bellefonte
 may well take pride in her excellent acad
emy in which so many men who have attained
distinction in business, professional and political
life have been equipped for their work. Its
widely recognized value as a factor in the prog
ress of the community does honor to its efficient
corps of instructors, and especially to the able
principal, Rev. J. P. Hughes, who has directed
it for more than a quarter of a century. Who
can estimate the influences for good which in that
time have been set in motion under his watchful
guardianship? In home and business office, in
pulpit and in legislative halls, the silent, un
noticed, but all-potent force of his teachings may
mold and shape issues of which he had no
thought, and which will in their turn bring into
operation new centers of helpful inspiration.
The personal history of Prof. Hughes will be
read with interest, as revealing in striking man
ner the direct, consistent and unwavering pur
suit of a high purpose. Born in New Jersey De
cember 15, 1827, he left home in boyhood and
was prepared for college at Lewistown, Penn.
In 1847 be entered Princeton College, in his na
tive State, and after completing the literary
course he spent three years in the Theological
Seminary, his graduation being soon followed by
his ordination to the ministry. He is a born
educator, and his ability in this direction was
soon discovered, and after a short period of
teaching in Wyoming Valley he was called to be
come one of the principals of the Edgehill school,
Princeton, N. J. , where he taught mathematics
for seven years. For the three years next fol
lowing he was principal of the academy at Lo-
gansport, Ind., and in 1868 he came to Belle
fonte, and has now been the presiding genius of the
academy here for thirty years. He has five assist
ants, while he himself is constantly active in class
room work, and the curriculum embraces classi
cal, mathematical, scientific and literary courses.
On June 27, 1861, Prof. Hughes married
Miss Emily W. Roberts, who was born in New
York City, September 6, 1840, and passed from
earth in June, 1889, leaving the memory of a
devoted life as wife, mother and friend. Of this
happy union eight children were born: (1) James,
December 29, 1864, a graduate of Princeton
College, is a teacher in the classical department
and associate principal of Bellefonte Academy;
(2) Emma, March 13, 1863, married A. B.
Alexander, of New York City; (3) Elizabeth,

March 13, 1865, married A. B. Connor, of Chi
cago, 111.; (4) Charles, April 2, 1870, resides in
Baltimore, Md. ; (5) Marian, November 16, 1872,
married Frank Basset, and has two children —
Emily and Eugene; (6) Edward, February 25,
1876; (7) Luther, March 16, 1878; and (8) Otti-
lie, March 9, 1881. All are members of the
Presbyterian Church, with which the Hughes
family has been identified for many years.
Prof. Hughes is naturally interested in all the
questions of the day, and while not an active
worker in politics is an influential supporter of
the principles of the Republican party.
The old homestead of the Hughes family is
situated on Cape May, and the Professor's pa
ternal grandfather, Jacob Hughes, was born
there. He married Ann Lawrence (daughter of
Rev. Daniel Lawrence), a lady of English de
scent. Their son, James R. Hughes (our sub
ject's father), was born in New Jersey, and spent
his life at the old home on Cape May, where,
having been carefully educated at Bridgeton,
N. J., he followed teaching in connection with
agricultural pursuits. He and his wife, Eliza
Eldridge, had twelve children, as follows: (1)
Jeremiah, a merchant (now deceased); (2) Ann
(Mrs. Downs Foster), who died at Cape May;
(3) Daniel L. , a Presbyterian minister at Cape
May; (4) Joseph E., a merchant at Cape May
and associate judge of the court there; (5) Will
iam, who died in infancy; (6) Harriet, wife of
Rev. Mr. Oakley, a Presbyterian minister; (7)
James P., our subject; (8) Hannah, Mrs. Will
iam McMin (deceased), formerly of Altoona,
Penn.; (9) Mary (Mrs. A. Fletcher); (10) Emma,
wife of Rev. John Roberts, a clergyman of the
Presbyterian Church; (11) Amelia, who married
Rev. John Kershaw, a Presbyterian minister;
and ( 1 2) Jacob, who is also a well-known preacher
in the Presbyterian Church.

ELLEFONTE ACADEMY.* Among the
3> first settlers of what is now Centre county,
were many persons of intelligence and culture,
who fully appreciated the importance of educa
tion, and desired to establish some plan by which
the youth of the vicinity — those of their own day
and after generations — would be insured a liberal
course of instruction.
None were more desirous to accomplish this
end than James Dunlop and James Harris, pro-
•Origtnal Trustees of Bellefonte Academy (Act of Assembly of
January 8, 1805. Section 2, P. L. pag-e 12.)— Henry R. Wilson (mlnisler of
the Gospel), James Dunlop, Roland Curtin, William Petriken, Robert
McClanahan, John Hall (of the town of Bellefonte).-William Steward
(minister of the Gospel), Andrew Gregg, James Potter (of Potter town
ship), James Duncan. John Hall, Jacob Hosterman (of Haines townshlp).-
Jphn Krlder (of Miles township). Thomas Ferguson (of Ferguson town- .
ship).-Jacob Taylor (of Halfmoon township).-fiavid Whitehill (of Patton
township) .-BlohardvMlles, Robert Boggs^ Joseph Miles, John Dunlop (of
Spring .township).- William McEwen, Thomas McOalmon (of Centre
township).- John Fearon, Matthew Allison, James Boyd (of Bald Eagle

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

67

prietors of the town and the owners at that time
(1800) of the land on which Bellefonte is located.
When Centre county was organized by Act of
February 13, 1800, these gentlemen granted to
Andrew Gregg, William Swanzy and Robert
Boggs, as trustees of the new county, certain
" lots and lands in and adjoining the town of
Bellefonte," one-fourth of the proceeds of which
was to be used for the erection and support of an
academy or public school in said county.
By the Act incorporating " Bellefonte Acad
emy," approved January 8, 1805, the lands de
signed especially for educational purposes were
transferred to the control of the board of trustees
of that institution. In accordance with the re
quirements of the Act of incorporation, the trus
tees held their first meeting at the house of Ben
jamin Patton, in Bellefonte, on the first Monday
of May, 1805. By Act of January 9, 1806, two
thousand dollars were granted to the Academy
out of the State treasury for the erection of a
building, one provision of said Act being that " a
number of poor children, not exceeding six, were
to be educated gratis, but no such child should
be taught longer than two years."
The first principal of the Academy was Rev.
Henry R. Wilson. He remained in charge till
October, 1809, when he was transferred to the
Presbytery of Carlisle. He was succeeded as
principal by the Rev. James Linn (a sketch of
whom appears elsewhere in this volume), who
was installed pastor at Bellefonte, April, 18 10,
and about the same time entered upon the duties
of principal. During all his active years in Belle
fonte he exercised a watchful care over the school
and labored continually to promote its interests.
For many years he was president of the board of
trustees. After Dr. Linn, as a regular principal,
came Chamberlain, who is spoken of, by one
who knew him well, as a fine scholar and an
estimable man. After him came Robert Baird,
who taught from the summer of 1818 to the fall
of 1819, when he entered Princeton Theological
Seminary. Another of the early principals was
Rev. J. B. McCarrel. He was a member of the
Associate Reformed Church. Most of the teach
ers of the Academy were of the Presbyterian
faith, though the institution was not, as some
suppose, under the especial control of that denom
ination. It always was, and still is, free from
so called sectarianism, and open to all religions.
The reason assigned for the Presbyterian com
plexion of the institution is, that the leading and
most active educational spirits of the early times
in Centre county were of that belief.
The title to the land on which the Academy
is situated was not vested in the trustees till June

12, 1823, when by deed of James Harris, the
surviving proprietor of the town, and Nancy his
wife, the title to the property was formally
vested in the Academy corporation. Col. James
Dunlop, the other proprietor, interested in this
educational project, had died on September 15,
1 82 1. A full settlement for proceeds from sale
of lots had previously been made by the proprie
tors of the town with Jos. B. Shugert and John
Benner, then commissioners of the county, on
the 27th of April, 18 16; there having then been
paid to the commissioners the final balance of
$2,716.38, a copy of which receipt is still "in
hand." This project, represented in this settle
ment, was thus finally completed by this convey
ance of the property.
In October, 1824, Prof. Alfred Armstrong, a
graduate of Dickinson College, became principal.
At the time he assumed control there were but
twelve pupils in attendance. The trustees at the
beginning of Prof. Armstrong's principalship
were Rev. James Linn, John Lowrey, Andrew
Gregg, Sr., Thomas Burnside, Charles Huston,
Hamilton Humes, John Norris, William Potter,
John Blanchard and Franklin Smith, none of
whom are now living. The next in order as prin
cipal seems to have been William E. Hamilton,
but, as was the case with a number of Prof.
Armstrong's successors, he occupied the position
but a short time. John Livingston, perhaps,
taught longer than any other. Like two at least
of his predecessors, he was a graduate of Dickin
son College. He entered upon his duties as
principal in 1837, and continued to faithfully dis
charge them till 1845, when, owing to ill-health
he was compelled to sever his connection with
the institution, and not long after died. On
September 28, 1846, John Philips was employed
as principal. He was probably also a graduate
of Dickinson College, as he was recommended to
the board of trustees by Prof. William H. Allen
of that institution. Philips resigned September
4, 1847, when an invitation was extended to the
former principal, Prof. Alfred Armstrong, to
again take charge of the Academy, which he did,
continuing several years. Rev. Mr. Pratt also
acted as principal for several years.
During the early history of the Academy it
appears to have been attended only by boys —
there being no female department, and the co
education of the sexes seems not to have been
adopted. There were times, however, during
a temporary suspension of the Academy proper,
when classes of young ladies Were taught in the
building by various teachers, among them Dr.
Linn. About 1840 or '45 an additional building
was erected adjoining the original structure, and

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

occupied for a number of years as a "Female
Seminary," under the control of a distinct and
separate board of trustees.
At a meeting of the trustees of the Academy,
held in 1852, Samuel Linn, James T. Hale and
James Armor were appointed a committee "to
take into consideration the propriety and expedi
ency of uniting the two boards of the Academy
and Female Seminary, and of using the building
as a high school in connection with the public
schools of this borough, and that they be instructed
to correspond with such persons as they may
choose in Carlisle and Philadelphia for the pur
pose of becoming acquainted with the high-school
system adopted in those places." At a subse
quent meeting this committee reported as follows:
' ' That they have conferred with the board of
trustees of the Female Seminary, and they express
a willingness to surrender their rights, on condi
tion that the Academy board pay the outstanding
indebtedness of the Seminary; and thereupon re
solved that the said committee be authorized and
instructed to accept the proposition made by the
Seminary board, provided the said indebtedness
be specified by the trustees of the Female Semin
ary, and does not exceed one hundred and fifty
dollars." It seems that the above terms proved
to be satisfactory, for in a short time the Acad
emy trustees had possession of the Seminary
building, and thereafter conducted a co-educa
tional school within its walls. For a number of
years after 1854 the Academy, as a classical in
stitution, was not in operation, the buildings be
ing used for public and select school purposes.
In 1868 the trustees of the Academy again took
possession of the buildings, and at a meeting held
March 23d of that year elected the Rev. J. P.
Hughes principal.
Besides the principals already mentioned as
having had charge of the Academy at different
times, there were quite a number of others who
served in that capacity but short periods, or
merely conducted English schools when the Acad
emy was not in operation.
On the 10th of November, 1874, a reunion of
the pupils of the Academy was held in Bellefonte,
it being the fiftieth anniversary of the institution.
In an address delivered by Prof. Armstrong on
that occasion, he gave the following description
of the school room as it was when he took charge
of it in 1824: "A room of moderate dimensions,
with four windows, two facing the town on the
east and two on the west toward the spring.
The furniture — a few pine benches and two heavy
oaken tables, sufficiently large for eight or ten
boys to sit around each. These old-fashioned
school desks bore the marks of sharp knives if

not the sharp wits of preceding generations of
youth. They were fearfully hacked from end to
end, but the hardness of the material and thick
ness of the planks resisted the desolations of the
knives and the ravages of years. There they
stood through my time and perhaps long after.
* * * A heavy old six-plated stove standing
in the middle of the room, and a hickory broom
in the corner, completed the accommodations of
this classic apartment. " In regard to the branches
taught at that time, Mr. Armstrong said: " For
three years jor more, nothing was taught in the
Academy, save sometimes a little mathematics,
but the classic authors. It was Latin in the
morning, and Latin and Greek in the afternoon;
it was Latin and Greek on Monday, and Greek
and Latin on Tuesday. Wednesday brought the
same studies and Thursday the same. And Fri
day, what a blessed " repetition day," as it was
called — a review of the whole week's previous
study. The present principal is Rev. J. P. Hughes,
who assumed the principalship in 1868 with fif
teen pupils in attendance. The thoroughness of
the work done immediately attracted many stu
dents to the school, necessitating improvements
for their accommodation. In 1872 the facilities
were further increased by the erection of a large
brick dormitory. In 1 892 the increasing interest
in the institution demanded a thorough renova
tion of the school rooms, and the erection of a
private residence for the Principal and his family,
to which demand the trustees responded most
cheerfully and fittingly. In the summer and
fall of 1897 the trustees again were called upon
to afford larger accommodations, the application
for rooms coming from students from far and
near. And again, equal to the occas'on as they
always had been, they fitted up several more
rooms in an unused section of the main school
building, furnishing every convenience of steam
heat, etc. , for every room, and making the Acad
emy in every particular one of the most attract
ive and comfortable institutions to be found
anywhere. The buildings, rooms and furniture of Belle
fonte Academy of to-day, as compared with the
small buildings, single room, and "accommoda
tions, of fifty years ago, present a most striking
and pleasing contrast. As Latin and Greek con
stituted the principal studies of Prof. Armstrong's
pupils, so they are yet, under Mr. Hughes, daily
pursued, together with the Friday's reviews, to
which have been added other branches, both
useful and ornamental. Until September, 1876,
the sexes were educated together under Mr.
Hughes; at that time they were placed in sepa-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

69

rate apartments with a lady principal in charge of
the female department.
During Mr. Hughes' principalship the school
has grown from the small class of fifteen to about
one hundred scholars, about equally divided be
tween the sexes, and a corps of five assistants.
Many of the pupils prepared by Mr. Hughes are
taking high rank in some of the leading colleges
of the country. In the year 1895 James R.
Hughes, a graduate of Princeton College, be
came associate principal of the institution.
The location of the academy is most beauti
ful, and the wisdom of those who placed it there
cannot be too highly commended. Affording, as
it does, a fine view of the entire town, and a large
scope of the surrounding country, it is essentially
attractive and desirable. The view to be had
from the Academy is beautifully varied — the
town lying below and encircling the eminence on
which it is built, verdure-covered mountains in
the distance, hills and valleys, cleared fields and
blocks of woodland, winding streams, snow-white
cottages,- all spread in panoramic loveliness be
fore the eye. Such a scene, combined with the
healthfulness of the climate, the morality and in
telligence of the community in which it is located,
the course of training, both intellectual and
moral, pursued at Bellefonte Academy, render it
a most desirable place for the education of youth.

¥ALENTINE. The Valentines of Bellefonte
and their connections have descended from
early and historic families of the State. The
Valentine family is in direct line of descent from
Robert Valentine (1), who died in 165 1. His
wife was Elizabeth Warren, a native of Lambs-
town, County Wexford, Ireland, whose death
occurred in Ballynocassick in 1695. Their son,
George, of Bally Brummel, County Carlow, Ire
land, had a son Thomas, who in 171 5 married
Mary, daughter of Thomas and Mary (Hooper)
Parke, of Battytean, County Carlow, and be
came the progenitor of the family in America.
He was born in 1693, and about 1720 came to
America, locating in Chester county, Penn. Later
he moved into what became Montgomery county
of the same State, where his death occurred in
1747. Thomas Parke appears to have been a
farmer in Ireland, owning in 1720 land in Balli-
leau, Ballaghmore and Coolissnactah. In 1724
he came to America bringing with him his family,
and located in the great valley on the west side
of what is now Downington, where he had pur
chased 500 acres of land. He died January 31,
1738, and his widow on June 21, 1749. He was

an elder in Cain Meeting, and esteemed by
Friends. Thomas Valentine and family were Friends,
and identified with the Kilconnor Monthly Meeting
in Ireland. Of their children, Robert, a native of
Bally Brummel, Ireland, married, in 1747, Rachel
Edge, of Providence, Chester Co., Penn., and his
son Robert, born in 1752, married, in 1773, Ann
Bond. Robert, the son of the emigrant, became
a recommended minister in 1764, and traveled
considerably in that capacity, including a visit to
Great Britain at the close of the Revolutionary
war. John Edge, the maternal grandfather of
Rachel Edge, came to the country from St. An
drews, Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
England, and settled in Nether Providence about
the year 1685. He was an earnest member of
the Society of" Friends. He had been subjected
to heavy fines and imprisonment in his native
county for refusing to act contrary to his con
scientious scruples, and on one occasion had to
stand public trial.
From Robert Valentine and Ann Bond came
descendants of the name in Centre county.
Their children were: Robert married Elizabeth
Downing; George married Mary Downing; Sam
uel and Jacob D. died unmarried; Reuben B.
married Sarah Downing; Abraham S. married
Clarissa Miles; Bond married Lydia Fairlamb;
Thomazine married Reuben Miller; and Rachael
married Maj. Jonathan Kersley, of Detroit, Mich.
Ann Bond was the daughter of Samuel and
Thomazine (Downing) Bond, of West White-
land, Chester county, and the granddaughter of
Joseph Bond, who settled at Bristol, in Bucks
county, Penn. , in the early part of the eighteenth
century; he was a large land owner, and was
one of the petitioners for the incorporation of
the borough, which was incorporated by letters
patent from the Crown, November 14, 1720. Jo
seph Bond and John Hall were the first Bur
gesses of the town. The former represented his
county in the Colonial Legislature.
In 18 1 5, Samuel, Jacob D. , George, Reuben
B., Abram S. , and Bond Valentine, sons of
Robert and Ann Bond, came from Chester
county to Centre county, accompanied by Jacob
Thomas, and leased the old Dunlop iron furnace
erected by John Dunlop in 1802, and in 1821
purchased it. Mr. Thomas withdrew in 1817,
and was succeeded by his son, William A.
Thomas. They were all iron-masters, and for
years were largely identified with the develop
ment of the iron interests of Centre county.
They built additional forges and in 1824 built the
first rolling-mill in Centre county. In 1842 they
abandoned the old furnace, and built one just

70

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

outside of the borough of Bellefonte. Many of
the sons of these men succeeded them to the
business, and some are still connected with it.
Referring to these men who built the first Friends
Meeting House at Bellefonte, and who by birth
were members of the Society, a writer says:
"The rise of the Friends Meeting in Bellefonte
seems worthy of some notice. It was established
by four or five men, who, making no especial
profession of religion, yet yielded to a simple ap
prehension of duty, and built a house for the
worship of God. All of them became faithful
humble followers of the Lord Jesus, and to one of
them was committed the ministry of the Gospel
of Christ. Friends Meeting is still regularly
held in Bellefonte, and is largely composed of the
descendants of those who established it."
Of the Valentine brothers who came to Cen
tre county, George, born in East Cain, Septem
ber i, 1788, died in Bellefonte, July 13, 1857,
married Mary Downing, born in Philadelphia,
January 22, 1792, died January 27, 1879, issue:
(1) Jacob Downing, born at Bellefonte October
4, 1823, died September 16, 1896, in the house
in which he was born, it being one of the first
houses built in Bellefonte. He was an iron-mas
ter, "upright and honest, and lived in accord
ance with the Quaker faith." He married De
borah Downing, a daughter of Richard and
Sarah G. (Mount) Downing, issue: George,
Jacob, Louise, Ellen and Robert. (2) Sarah
married Dn George Fox. (3) Eliza married
Thomas S. Downing. (4) Reuben B., born in
Bellefonte in 1829, where he died in 1871, was
an iron-master, and one of the most successful
managers of the Valentine Iron Works. He was
also engaged extensively in farming, and was a
conscientious and upright member of the Soci
ety of Friends. In 1857 he married Mary B.
Jacobs, who was born at East Whiteland, Ches
ter Co., Penn., a daughter of Joseph and Ann
(Bowen) Jacobs, issue: Mary and Emily (de
ceased); Anna J.; Julia (deceased); and Caroline
M. (5) Caroline married Thompson Millikin. (6)
George married Emily Jacobs (a sister of Mary
B. Jacobs), issue: Jane H., Mary D., Sarah W.
and Emily J.
Taking up the history of the Downing fam
ily: Mary Downing (who married George Val
entine) was the direct descendant of Thomas
Downing, who was born in Bradninch, in Dev
onshire, England, in 1691, and who, as early as
171 8, resided in Chester county, Penn., and
from whom descended the numerous families of
Downings in that county. For generations the
Downings were farmers and millers. Richard
Downing, a son of Thomas, married Mary Edge,

and, of their children, Jacob Downing married
Sarah Drinker, of Philadelphia, and they became
the parents of Mary (Downing) Valentine. A
son of Richard, also named Richard, married
Sarah G. Mount, and their daughter Deborah
became the wife of Jacob Valentine. Elizabeth
Drinker, the grandmother of Mary (Downing)
Valentine, kept a diary from 1759 to 1807, which
was published in book form in 1889. She was a
direct descendant of Philip Drinker (1), who was
born in 1597 and died in 1647; came in 1635
from Exeter, England, and settled at Charles-
town, Mass. Henry Drinker, the great-great-
great-grandson of Philip, the grandfather of Mary
Downing, married Elizabeth Sandwith. The
latter descended from John Jervis, of Roscoe,
Kings county, Ireland, who came to America in
1688, with a son Martyn, and purchased large
tracts of land in New Jersey now called Jervis
Sound. John Jervis was appointed a justice of
the peace of New Jersey. Charles, another son,
was court painter to King George II, a corre
spondent of the poet Pope, and translator of
" Don Quixote. " Henry Drinker was an iron
master and ship owner of Philadelphia; was ar
rested in 1777 and sent to Virginia under pre
tense of hostility to the American cause; he was
a member of the common council of Philadel
phia, and a large land owner; he was born in
1734, and died in 1809. The mother of Deb
orah (Downing) Valentine, Sarah G. Mount, was
the daughter of James Mount, whose father was
Ezekial, the son of Thomas Mount, who came
from England and was the owner of the land
on which the city of Louisville, Ky. , was built.
He had many slaves, and was a man of wealth.
Referring to the history of the Jacobs family,
Mary B. and Emily (Jacobs) Valentine are in di
rect line of descent from John Jacobs (1) (the first
of the family in America), who in 1700 settled on
a portion of the Vanbibber tract of land in Prov
idence, Philadelphia county. His death oc
curred in 1730. His grandson, John Jacobs (3),
was the Speaker of the first General Assembly of
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. His
brother, Israel, was a member of Congress in
1 79 1, and another brother, Jesse, held a cap
tain's commission and served in the Revolution
ary war, participating in a number of important
battles. Ann Bowen, mother of Mary B: and
Emily (Jacobs) Valentine, was in direct line of
descent from John Bowen (1), of Whiteland,
Chester county, who died in 171 5. The pa
ternal grandmother of Mary B. and Emily (Ja
cobs) Valentine was Mary Brinton, of Thorn-
burg, Delaware Co., Penn., who was in line
from William Brinton (1), of Staffordshire, En-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

71

gland, who settled in Concord, Birmingham
township, Delaware Co., Penn., in 1684, and
Was among the earliest converts of George Fox.
He bought large tracts of land in Chester county.
He was born in 1630, and died in 1700. His
son, William, was a member of the Provincial
Assembly in 1666, and died in 1 75 1 . Joseph, of
Thornbury, Delaware Co., Penn., the son of
William (2), was an associate judge of
Pennsylvania, and a member of the Provincial
Assembly. Reuben B. Valentine, of the Valentine broth
ers coming to Centre .county in 1815, was born
in 1793, and died in 1841; married Sarah Down
ing (a sister of Mary Downing, the wife of his
brother George), born June 17, 1797, died No
vember 30, 1843, an(i their children were: (1)
Mary married Dr. Elias W. Hale, a wealthy
gentleman of influence, of Lewistown, born June
6, 1824, and died February 20, 1892; issue:
Sarah, died young, and Ellen, the wife of G.
Murray Andrews. (2) George was killed in a
rolling-mill at the age of five years. (3) Will
iam Valentine died unmarried.
Abraham S. Valentine, another of- the origi
nal brothers locating in Centre county, died Au-
nust 29, 1862, aged sixty-eight years; married
Clarissa Miles, who died March 3, 1857, aged
forty-nine years; was a member of the original
firm and the inventor of the ore-washing machine
since in general use, the adoption of which
effected a revolution in the ore mining of this
region, •. He was possessed of great business
ability and foresight (being ' ' a man far ahead of
his time"), and it was due largely to his inven
tions and improvements that the Valentine char
coal iron achieved its wide-spread reputation. At
the outbreak of the war of the Rebellion he was
one of the liberal contributors to a subscription
for the support of the soldiers' families. Two of
his sons, Abram and Bond, were in the service
for a time. Clarissa Miles, wife of Abram S., was
a daughter of Evan Miles, who died May 10,
1838, in his sixty-ninth year, and of Rebecca
George (of the family of George's Hill, Phila
delphia), who died July 28, 1845, in her seventy-
sixth year; both are buried in the graveyard at
Milesburg. Evan Miles was the son of Richard
Miles, and the nephew of Col. Samuel Miles, of
Revolutionary fame.. The latter served as a
lieutenant in the expedition to Fort Duquesne;
was wounded at Ligonia in an attack made by
the French and Indians; commanded a regiment
in 1760, and at the end of the campaign was left
in command of the forces at Presque Isle (now
Erie), Penn. He commanded a regiment in the
Revolutionary war under Gen. Washington.

While leading his regiment at the battle of Long
Island, August 27, 1776, he was captured, and
while a prisoner was made a brigadier-general
for distinguished service. He was no less dis
tinguished in civil life after the war, holding
many responsible positions, among them that of
mayor of Philadelphia. Richard Miles married
Mary Pugh, who was a member of the Society of
Friends, and in 1792 they located at Milesburg,
Centre county, where both are buried. He was
a captain of militia in the Revolution. His death
occurred December 16, 1823, in the eighty-fifth
year of his age, and that of his wife, December
20, 1794, aged forty-four years. Richard Miles
was the grandson of Richard, one of the brothers
who came from South Wales in 1682 or 1683,
and settled at Radnor, Pennsylvania.
The children of Abram S. Valentine and
Clarissa (Miles) were: (1) Anna married S.
Stewart Lyon, and their issue are — John; Anna;
Clara, the wife of William Jasper Nicholas; Mary,
the wife of Ellis L. Orvis; and Rebecca. (2)
Rebecca M. married Evan Pugh, Ph. D., who
lived only a few months after marriage, and left
no issue; he was a scholarly gentleman and dis
tinguished educator, and was the first president
of the Pennsylvania State College. (3) Bond,
born March 22, 1834, died April 19, 1889, mar
ried Mattie Kenney, who died August 25, 1882,
in her forty- sixth year; their children are — Evan
and Jane (died in infancy); Bond; and Edward
K. The father of these was for years a member
of the firm of Shortlidge & Co., of Bellefonte,
dealers in grain and coal, and latterly he was en
gaged in the insurance business. "He was
closely attached to the Society of Friends, and
was very devoted to their teachings. He was a
man possessing a pure Christian character, whom
everyone honored. His friends were numbered
by the hundreds, who looked upon him as a man
worthy of imitation, because he followed as near
as he could in the paths of divine teaching. He
was courteous, genial, and enjoyed being genial
whether in social or business life." (4) Abram
S. , w ho resides at Atlantic City, N. J., married
Eliza U. Natt, of Philadelphia, daughter of
Thomas J. and Anne Natt, of England, and their
children are — Charles, Arthur and Edward.
Abram S. is connected with the Valentine Iron
Works at Bellefonte, and for years took an act
ive part in the business interests of Bellefonte
and vicinity. During the war of the Rebellion
he was for a time in the service, and contributed
largely toward the support of the soldiers and
their families. (5) Evan M., who resides in
Philadelphia, married Mary J. Taylor, of Doyles-
town, who died. Their children are Harry S. and

72

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Abram S. (6) Samuel and (7) Blanchard died in
infancy. (8) and (9) Clara and Mary, respect
ively, unmarried. (10) Henry C. , now con
nected with the Valentine Iron Works, married
Sarah, a daughter of Thomas, and grand
daughter of. Judge Thomas Burnside, and their
children are- — Stanley, Helen, Rebecca and
Henry. Henry C. is a member of the borough
council. Bond Valentine, the youngest of the original
Valentine brothers, did not remain in the iron
business long, but early turned his attention to
the law. His birth occurred in 1798. His early
paternal training was such as to instill in his
mind those principles of morality which were the
guiding and controlling influence of his after life.
He became a distinguished lawyer, and served in
the General Assembly, 1830-32, from Centre
county. In 1842, influenced by conscientious
convictions, he abandoned the law that he might
devote his life to the public ministry in the Soci
ety of Friends. The Friends Review, in an
obituary notice, said: "His sterling integrity
and the well-known simplicity of his character,
averse to mere forms, won for him the increased
confidence and respect of the community, and
his addresses have been marked by impassioned
earnestness. In social circles our friend was very
attractive, without reserve, original, genial and
simple." To his first wife, Lydia, daughter of John
and Susannah (Ashbridge) Fairland, farming peo
ple of near West Chester, Penn., and of English
descent, two children were born, the elder of
whom died in infancy; the other is Robert Valen
tine, who has long been at the head of the firm
of Valentine & Co., of Bellefonte. Robert Val
entine is one of the prominent and wealthy citi
zens of Bellefonte. His second wife, to whom
he was married in 1861, was Mary Natt, daughter
of Thomas J. and Anne Natt, born in England,
and their children are: Emily and Julia, the
latter being the wife of Dr. Bond, of Baltimore.
The homes of Robert Valentine and family,
and the family of Reuben B. Valentine, are par
ticularly striking, and are of the several imposing
and beautiful places of the mountain town of
Bellefonte. The former, a modern built, native
stone structure, commodious and substantial,
stands on one of the highest points of the town,
and is very commanding in point of view. While
the other is located a short distance from the
town on a beautifully situated farm, ' ' Burnham, "
this suburban country seat is surrounded by spa
cious grounds, and the old grey limestone house,
built by Reuben B. Valentine in 1856, is of the
Colonial style.

PHILIP B. CRIDER. The lumbering in
terests of central Pennsylvania is one of the
great industries which have been an important
factor in the development of that section, and
one of the chief sources of its great wealth. For
nearly fifty years few men have played a more
conspicuous part in this development than the
venerable gentleman of Bellefonte, Centre
county, whose name introduces this sketch, and
who, though nearing his four-score, years, is yet
"in harness," hale and hearty, bidding fair
for an unusually vigorous old age.
For probably more than one hundred and
fifty years the Crider family have resided in this
Commonwealth. Upward of one hundred years
ago, the ancestors of our subject came from
from Lancaster county, and located on Chatham
run, some five miles below the present borough
of Lock Haven, then in Northumberland county,
where William Crider (1) and William Crider (2),
the grandfather and father respectively of Philip
B., figured as wood-workers and millwrights,
and where now reside a number of their descend
ants. William Crider (2) was married to Mary
Walker, and among their children were: Gabrial,
Elizabeth, William, Catherine, Philip B. (our
subject), Mary Ann, Susan, Jacob, Washington,
Joseph, Emily, Ruth and Enoch. William, the
father of these children, and his wife were plain
everyday people, industrious, good citizens, and
kind neighbors whose remains now rest, as do
those of some of the older generation, in the old
Plum Creek graveyard in the Crider neighbor
hood above located. William died May 15,
1880, at the home of his son, Philip B. , at Snow
Shoe, Penn., aged ninety-four years, and his
wife died at the old homestead in Gallagher
township, Clinton Co., Pennsylvania.
D. S. Maynard, in his ' ' Historical Views of
Clinton County," thus alludes to Mr. Crider
under the head of Gallagher township:
In 1845, Mr. William Crider moved from Pine Creek
and settled near the Irish settlement, not far from one of the
branches of Queens run. He is still living there at the ad
vanced age of eighty-seven years, having raised to manhood
and womanhood a large family of children, among them be
ing P. B. Crider, of Lock Haven. Though having lived
some years beyond the time allotted man, Mr. Crider is still
in good health, with faculties unimpaired, and takes pleas
ure in talking of his pioneer experience in Gallagher town
ship. As was the case with most of the early settlers, he was
a good marksman, and delighted in the chase. The first
year he lived in the township he killed five bears, and the
next year six, to say nothing of the deer, and other smaller
game. ' Philip B. Crider was born at the mouth of
Young Woman's creek, January 9, 1822, then in
Lycoming county, now in Clinton county, Penn.
That country being then new,, and his parents
poor, he had very meager school privileges, and

s^Mfy. ^ &Z4&*-

/Pi

c/

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

73

early in life started to be self-supporting. He
learned the business of manufacturing woolen
goods in the employ of John Rich and John Hill-
ard, at their factory in the western part of the
town, of Pine Creek, Clinton county, and re
mained with these gentlemen some thirteen
years. He then purchased the old homestead,
where he farmed for several years, when he became
identified* with the lumbering interests of Centre
county, operating first between the Moshannon
creeks, where he was engaged with Samuel Crist,
of Lock Haven, then the most extensive lumber
operator in the county, owning upward of four
teen thousand acres of good pine timber lands.
He was so occupied several years, when he began
manufacturing lumber for the Snow Shoe Rail
road Company. Following this, Mr. Crist and
himself purchased the plant and stock of the firm
of Holmes & Wigton.and the new firm carried on
extensive operations in the same line for a period
of years. Mr. Crider was next associated with
Gen. Beaver, Edward Humes and others of Belle
fonte, who had formed a company and controlled
several thousand acres of timber land in Clear
field county, where he met with a severe acci
dent, receiving a bad cut in one of his limbs by
an awkward workman, from which he was dis
abled for two or three years. This led him to
make a change in his business affairs, resulting in
an exchange of business interests between him and
Mr. Crist, which subsequently took him to Snow
Shoe, where for many years himself and son, F.
W. Crider, were extensive lumber operators, also
having mills and yards in other localities. Some
seventeen years ago they made the borough of
Bellefonte their headquarters and principal point
of operations. Their plant, which is located at
the corner of Race and Lamb streets, together
with mills in the woods, is one of the largest and
best equipped in this section of Pennsylvania.
The planing mills, lumber shedding, and other
necessary buildings in all cover an area of five
acres, while in the various departments of the
business from fifty to one hundred hands are em
ployed, and the proprietors have with character
istic enterprise availed themselves of every late
and meritorious device in the way of machinery
and appliances calculated to insure rapid and
perfect production. The firm manufacture and
deal largely in white pine, yellow pine, hard
wood and hemlock lumber, lath, pailing and
and shingles, window and door frames, sash,
doors, blinds, mouldings, stair work, and every
description of mill work and building material as
-well as butchers' skewers. As foreshadowed
above, the firm of P. B. Crider & Son operate
mills and have large lumber interests in a num

ber of the neighboring counties, which places
them in the front rank of the manufacturers of
lumber in this section, contributing to the com
mercial importance of these various places.
Owing to the extent of their operations, the large
capital invested, and many hands employed,
they distribute large sums of money, and they
are leading factors in the success of those com
munities. Our subject has been a most successful busi
ness man. Possessed of good common sense,
accompanied with business tact, and that energy
which is characteristic of his German lineage, he
has overcome obstacles and gradually forged
steadily to the front until he occupies an envious
position in business circles. His entire business
career has been one of uprightness. Fair in all
of his dealings with his fellow men, and of the
strictest integrity, he now enjoys that satisfac
tion which such a life gives. He is an esteemed
citizen of Bellefonte, and a man of considerable
means, and of retiring disposition, modest and
unassuming. In 1844, our subject was married to Catherine
Miller, a daughter of John Miller, of Clinton
county, Penn., a lady of uncompromising integ
rity, from the Crider neighborhood on Chatham'
run. To this union were born three children,
namely: Fountain W. , a sketch of whom fol
lows; Isaac S., born August 31, 1847, who was
a successful farmer on Beech creek, Clinton
county, where his death occurred November 17,
1877, as the result of an accident while out hunt
ing; and Josephine H., who was born August 22,
1850, and died May 4, 1870. The mother of
these was born at Milton, Penn. /August 1 5, 1829,
and died September 26, 1885. Their remains
rest in the beautiful Cedar Hill Cemetery at
Lock Haven.

F

OUNTAIN W. CRIDER. Foremost among
the business men of the Bellefonte of to
day, whose enterprising handiwork in the city's
progress and beauty, is conspicuously noticed in
the several imposing business blocks — the pride
of its citizens and the admiration of strangers —
which stand as monuments to his enterprise,
taste and thrift, is our fellow townsman — Foun
tain W. Crider. Though yet a young man, Mr.
Crider occupies a prominent position in the busi
ness circles of the Commonwealth, and is an ex
ample of what may be accomplished in a few
years, comparatively speaking, by industry, econ
omy and a fixed purpose with a determination to
succeed. Our subject is a native of Clinton county, this

74

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

State, born near Lock Haven, September 7,
1845. His ancestors and the family are noticed
in the sketch of his father, Philip B. Crider,
which precedes this, as is also there given, in
main, the history of the large manufacturing
plant of P. B. Crider & Son. His early boy
hood up to the age of fourteen years was passed
on the farm, not unlike that of general farmer
lads, receiving the benefit of the neighboring
schools at the Plum Creek School House. In
1859, then a boy of fourteen years, he entered
the employ of John F. Rich & Son, then operat
ing a woolen-mill on Chatham run below Lock
Haven. He had, in object, the learning the
business of manufacturing woolen goods, and ac
complished his purpose, remaining in the mill
some three years, excepting a period of three
months each year, which were reserved for at
tending school at Lock Haven. At eighteen he
turned his attention to the business portion of his
education, and began clerking in the store of J.
J. Bisel & Co., of Lock Haven, and after serv
ing for a period as salesman he became book
keeper, and remained with them two years,
during which time he made his first venture in
the line of speculation, investing his savings in
oil, which he lost. At the age of twenty years
he entered the Eastman Business College, at
Poughkeepsie, N. Y. , and was graduated there
from in 1 865. While young Crider was deprived
of much of his boyhood, he was practically
schooled in business, and before reaching his
majority was well equipped for the battle of life,
and entered the business world not without some
knowledge of the roughness of the road he was
to travel. But fully prepared and eager for the
fray, he launched out, and though he has by no
means ever sailed under a cloudless sky, he has
stood nobly at the helm, and so wisely directed
the barque that he has weathered the storms en
countered, and to-day sails under a triumphant
banner upon a smooth sea.
On January 1, 1866, young Crider joined his
father at Snow Shoe in the manufacture of lum
ber, and formed the firm of P. B. Crider & Son,
which still exists, and is one of the great manu
facturing industries of central Pennsylvania.
Their business has constantly grown until it has
extended into the neighboring counties of War
ren, Jefferson, Huntingdon, Clinton and Mifflin,
having mills at various points in this territory
with general headquarters at Bellefonte. The
new life given to the business in the addition of
young Crider, who took hold with that energy
that youth possesses, and which was so char
acteristic of his make-up, was marked, and it was
not long until the extensions referred to were

made, and the firm was in possession of large
tracts of timber land, which were so judiciously
handled as to result in great profits to the firm —
some of the tracts involving upward of one hun
dred thousand dollars. These men became en
gaged in great interest outside of their lumber
deals and the special business of manufacturing;
they were large manufacturers of charcoal also.
In the sale of timber lands, they reserved the
oil, gas and mining rights, and are now possessed
of these privileges in Jefferson county; merchan
dising and farming have been no small part of
the business of P. B. Crider & Son, and they are
now cultivating in the neighborhood of 1,500
acres. The annual output of lumber at their
several mills amounts to millions of feet. In
their varied extensive interests they have for
years given employment-to many men, and kept
in circulation great sums of money, which have
been of great benefit to this section of the State.
Our subject is a most capable and broad-
minded business man, enterprising and progress
ive. In 1888 after the great fire which destroyed
some of the best business buildings in Bellefonte,
he purchased the site of the present "Crider's.
Exchange," and erected that most imposing
business block which would be a credit and an
ornament to a much more pretentious city. It is
the finest business block in Bellefonte, and is a
structure of modern scientific architectural beau
ty; built of brick and stone and occupying one
of the most conspicuous corners of the borough.
His palatial residence, which crowns one of the
hills of the mountain-town- — one of elegance and
grace — is but another evidence of his enterprising
spirit and love to see the place of his adoption
the ideal " Home of the Governors. "
Mr. Crider's life has been one of great ac
tivity — a busy one; and like most men whose
lives are absorbed in great business interests he
has given little time to politics, and has evinced
no desire for public office. He is in no sense a
politician, though he takes an interest in all pub
lic questions affecting the good of mankind and
the elevation of the race. Since early boyhood
he has been identified with the M. E. Church,
giving liberally of his means to its support. He
has served in the borough council, and made a
most efficient record. As may be inferred, Mr.
Crider is a man of wealth, and of influence,
which is not confined to Bellefonte alone, but
extends throughout the State where his connec
tion with great business interests have given him
a wide acquaintance. Mr. Crider, too, is a self-
made man — a man that has risen from the poor
country boy to the head of a great industry, and
to the presidency of the great banking company

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

75

of Jackson, Crider & Hastings; a man of wealth
and influence, which, however, has in no way
affected his manhood — his feelings and sympathy
for mankind — these are the same as when he
himself walked the paths of doubt amid the early
struggles, and he is easily approached, greeting
one with a smile and extending one that hearty
welcome which makes the timid one feel at ease.
Commanding in appearance, fine looking, with
an intelligent face, his personality is striking, and
but to know him is to account for his popularity.
He is a great home man, and outside of business
hours may be found with his family. Individually,
he owns considerable property in Bellefonte and
Centre county, other than the block referred to.
In politics he is a Republican.
On July 21, 1868, Mr. Crider was married to
Miss Mary Adeline Sullivan, a daughter of Will
iam and Ann (Henderson) Sullivan, of White
Deer Mills, Union Co. , Penn. Her parents died
when she was young, and she was reared by her
grandparents, Samuel and  (Barber) Hender
son, of Union county, the grandfather being a
substantial farmer and a citizen of some promi
nence there. The wedding occurred at Elmwood,
111., where Miss Sullivan was visiting an aunt,
Mrs. Rynearson. Mrs. Crider was a woman
of education and refinement, and a very interest
ing lady, possessed of the virtues that won her a
host of friends. Her birth occurred in Union
county, Penn., May 25, 1845, an(l her death at
Bellefonte, April 6, 1879. "She was a very
earnest Christian lady, and died in the full hope
of a glorious immortality." The children born
to this marriage were: (1) Burns H., born Au
gust 2, 1869, now a photographer at Easton,
Penn., of the firm of Kreidler & Crider. (2)
Carrol Low, born August 20, 1872, died August
30, 1 891. In January, 1891, Carrol had entered
the Freshman class, Dickinson College, at Car
lisle, Penn., with many bright hopes and a prom
ising future, but his young life was cut short and
the hopes of his father blasted, for in less than a
year he was summoned higher, having contracted
a fatal disease at college. His life had been one
of purity and simpleness, and in his last breath
he exclaimed: " I am the child of a King; I am
not dying but am only going home to see Jesus. "
(3) May S. , born August 28, 1877, is now in
school at Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.
On December 14, 1882, our subject was again
married, this time to Rebecca Jane North, and
they have two children, Hugh North, born Sep
tember 27, 1883, and Mary Isabell, born March
28, 1886, both attending the Bellefonte Academy.
The mother of these is a native of Juniata coun
ty, Penn., born June 9, 1850, daughter of Hon.

James and Susana Matilda (Strouse) North, of
Juniata county. She is a lady of refinement and
culture, and presides with dignity and grace at
their elegant home, which is often the scene of
social gatherings.
Hon. James North, father of Mrs. Crider,
though now nearly four-score years of age, is
quite active in the business affairs of Juniata
county, where he has long been a resident of
prominence in public affairs and in business cir
cles. He has represented that county in the
General Assembly of the State, and has been
conspicuously connected with the railroad inter
ests of the Commonwealth; prominent, too, as a
merchant and banker. His wife died on Novem
ber 21, 1896. Their children were six in number,
namely: Nathaniel, died in infancy; Caleb is in
the Columbian National Bank at Washington, D;
C. ; Washington is in the employ of the Penn
sylvania Railroad Company, as ticket and freight
agent (also a dealer in coal and lumber) at Mifflin,
Penn.; Rebecca Jane (Mrs. Crider); Hon. Her
man H., a lawyer at Bradford, Penn., who has
served three times in the General Assembly of
the State; and Mrs. W. M. Jacobs, widow of
George Jacobs, formerly a lawyer at Mifflin,
Pennsylvania.

CsHARLES R. KURTZ, of Bellefonte. The
_' ability to meet the emergencies of an exact
ing profession in a quiet, yet prompt and effi
cient manner, is a test of a well-disciplined mind,
and a visit to the sanctum sanctorum of the gifted
editor of The Centre Democrat, one of the leading
Democratic papers of Centre county, impresses
one with the value of this rare acquirement,
the large and rapidly developing business of the
establishment being managed with apparent ease.
Mr. Kurtz, the editor and publisher of The Cen
tre Democrat, has had unusual advantages in the
way of preparation for journalism, having been
practically trained to it from boyhood in the office
of The Centre Hall Reporter, of which his father,
Hon. Frederick Kurtz, is editor. Notwithstand
ing the arduous labors which have brought the
Democrat to its present prosperity, Mr. Kurtz
has also found time to share in the various pro
gressive movements of his locality, and is es
pecially prominent in political work. Gifted as
an orator, his services in that line are frequently
in demand, which shows growing appreciation,
and points to a brilliant future.
Mr. Kurtz has been identified with Centre
county from his birth, which occurred at Aarons
burg, October 31,' 1864. His academic educa
tion was mainly obtained in the schools of Cen-

76

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

tre Hall, where he attended until the age
of seventeen. He then entered the Univer
sity of Lewisburg (now Bucknell University),
completed a scientific course, and was gradu
ated in 1886. Returning home, he took charge
of The Centre Hall Reporter for two years,
and in 1888 went to Bellefonte to conduct
The Centre Democrat. At that time, and for
.many years previous, the paper was financially
involved, and had proven a bad venture from its
inception. It then had a very small circulation,
but little advertising and little or no patronage.
Under the able management of Mr. Kurtz, it
soon showed marked improvement in both re
spects. The subscription list has grown from
seven hundred to almost two thousand substan
tial names, and its columns are patronized by
the leading business men of the vicinity. In July,
1895, Mr. Kurtz purchased the entire business,
which had previously been owned by a stock
company, The Centre Democrat Co., and has
equipped it throughout with late and improved
type, fast presses, folder and engine. When Mr.
Kurtz took charge of the plant it had a small
circulation. Now it boasts of having the largest
number of readers of any Democratic paper in
Centre county.
With the past as a basis for judgment, we
may safely predict for this clever and energetic
worker an enviable success, and many friends
whom his gentlemanly bearing has won for him
will rejoice to see the realization of his plans and
hopes.

C>\OL. WILLIAM POTTER WILSON, who
'/ in his lifetime was a resident of Bellefonte,
where his death occurred August 3, 1878, de
scended from ancestors of prominence and dis
tinction in the history of the State. His parents
were Samuel Hunter and Mary (Benner) Wilson,
the father being a son of Capt. William Wilson,
and the mother a daughter of Gen. Philip Ben
ner. Capt. William Wilson was an officer of the
First Regiment Pennsylvania Continental Line,
and was a member of the Society of Cincinnati,
his certificate of membership being dated at
Mount Vernon October 31, 1785, and signed by
Gen. Washington, as President of the Society,
and by Gen. Henry Knox, as Secretary. Gen.
Benner served in the Revolutionary war, and his
father, an active Whig during the war, was cap
tured and imprisoned. After the close of the
struggle in 1792, he purchased what was called
Rock Forge lands, and removed to Spring
Creek to engage in the iron business, and from

that time on until his death, in 1832, he was
prominently identified with that business and the
business interests of Centre county. He was an
earnest Democrat, and was twice Presidential
elector, notably on the Jackson and Calhoun
ticket in 1824.
William Potter Wilson was born at Rock
Forge, Centre cbunty, Penn., December 5, 1825.
His preparatory studies were received at Belle
fonte Academy, and his college course at Dart
mouth College, where he graduated in June,
1847. His legal studies were pursued at Mc
Cartney's Law School, at Easton, and in the
office and under the direction of the late Hon.
James Burnside, before he occupied the Bench.
He was admitted to the Bar at the August term
of 1849, and continuously practiced his profes
sion with great fidelity to the interests intrusted
to his care up to the time of his death. He was
an entire stranger to the tricks of the profession,
and heartily despised them; was the soul of honor
in his professional intercourse with his brothers
of the Bar, and left a record of honorable prac
tice which will be remembered by all who were
associated with him as colleagues, or engaged
against him as adversaries. He was appointed
an aide upon the military staff of Gov. Bigler
during his administration, which entitled him to
the rank and gave him the title of "Colonel."
He was a candidate for district attorney of
his county in 1856, and for the State Senate in
the double district composed of the counties of
Blair, Centre, Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata and
Perry in 1870. He was appointed chairman of
the Republican State Central Committee, and
conducted the campaign of 1877, and it may be
truthfully said that the earnest efforts to dis
charge faithfully the duties of his honorable po
sition tended largely to hasten the end of his
earthly career, having been undertaken at a time
when an enfeebled constitution required quiet
and rest rather than excitement and efforts of a
political campaign. He was decided in his po
litical convictions, but never offensive in their ut
terance or enforcement. As a citizen his place
was worthily filled. He exercised a great in
fluence in municipal affairs, having occupied a
seat for many years, and the place of presiding
officer, in the borough council and school board.
As a business man outside the walks of his pro
fession, he was successful in an unusual degree.
The railroad, turnpike and other semi-public in
terests of this region have contributed in a large
part to this success, and have in turn been made
to feel in their management, the influence of his
judicious and conservative business views. He
was at the time of his death secretary and treas-

'<z

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

IT

urer of the Bald Eagle Valley Railroad Com
pany,- and treasurer and almost sole manager of
the Centre and Kishocoquillas Turnpike Road
Company. The personal and relative duties of life were
faithfully discharged by him in his sphere, and
whilst we would not invade the sanctity of home
and family, it is proper to say that where the
duties which those relations involve were per
formed his death will be keenly felt. Of great
kindness of heart, his affections embraced and
led him to cherish and maintain those who were
strangers to his blood but brought within his
sphere of home life. He was a Christian man;
quietly and unobtrusively he discharged his
Christian duties and came down to the end of
his life ' ' unstained and soothed by an unfalter
ing trust. " One of his great anxieties of his last
year on earth was the welfare of the Church with
which he was connected, and of which he was a
trustee. On October 21, 1856, Mr. Wilson was united
in marriage with Margaret H., daughter of Rev.
James and Isabella (Henderson) Linn, of Belle
fonte, where Mrs. Wilson was born. They had
no children of their own, but raised as their
daughter Blanche Moran Hays, a cousin of Mrs.
Wilson's. Both Mrs. Wilson and Miss Hays re
side in a beautiful and comfortable home at
Bellefonte. They are identified with the Pres
byterian Church, and are active in its auxiliary
societies. Mrs. Wilson's name has for years
been associated with much good work done by
' the women of Bellefonte in charitable directions,
and for the elevation of the morals of the com
munity. Rev. James Linn, D. D., who died at Belle
fonte, February 23, 1868, was a remarkable
man, and enjoyed the rare distinction of having
served the pastorate of the Presbyterian Church
there the unusually long period of fifty-eight
years. He was born in Sherman's Valley
(now Perry county), Penn., September 4, 1783.
His grandfather came over from Scotland in
the early part of the eighteenth century, and was
of solid Presbyterian stock. His father, John
Linn, was born in Adams county, Penn., in 1749,
was graduated at Princeton College in 1773;
studied theology with Rev. Robert Cooper, and
during his entire ministerial life, including a term
of nearly forty-four years, was settled as the pas
tor of Centre Church, Sherman's Valley. He
died in 1820 in his seventy-first year. He was
married to Mary Gettys, daughter of the founder
of Gettysburg. Dr. James Linn was graduated at Dickinson
College in 1805, and studied theology with Rev.

Joseph Williams at Newville. He was licensed
to preach the Gospel September 27, 1808, by
the Presbytery of Carlisle. He himself consid
ered it an honor of no small measure to have
been licensed by such a body of ministers as then
composed that Presbytery: "A noble band of
venerable men, and men of talents." In the
spring of 1809 he visited the congregations of
Spruce Creek and Sinking Valley, since in the
bounds of Huntingdon Presbytery, and from
there he shortly after came to Bellefonte. The
Presbyterian Church here had just been left va
cant by the removal of Rev. Henry R. Wilson, to
Carlisle. His preaching here and at Lick Run for
a few Sabbaths resulted in unanimous calls from
both Churches, each for one-half of his time.
On April 17, 18 10, he was installed pastor of
the Presbyterian Church at Bellefonte, the in
stallation taking place in the court house, which
was then used as the place of worship. His.
time was divided between charges at Lick Run
and Bellefonte. In 1839 the Bellefonte Church
received his undivided labors, and as the pastor
of this Church he remained until his death. His.
labors among the people were greatly blessed.
He took an active interest in the cause of educa
tion, in the early years of his ministry taught
the Bellefonte Academy, and was for many years.
president of the board of trustees. His labors.
in the temperance cause and in the interests of
the Bible Society and Sabbath-schools were in
cessant all through the long years of his active
life. He was eminently hospitable, and his gen
erosity spontaneous and unpretending. There is
a sublime eloquence in the career of such a man,
and the reputation he won he bequeathed to-
enhance the dignity, honor and usefulness of his
fellow laborers in the ministry. His strong indi
viduality, clear mind, and sound judgment com
manded the respect of men of character, while-
his large-hearted hospitality, his genial humor,
and his kind and cheerful disposition won upon
all classes of the community, and made him a
man of the largest influence. Yet, though gen
tle, yielding and forgiving in his temper almost
to an extreme, his decision was uncompromising
in all questions of principle. His preaching was.
characterized by the pointed and impressive pres
entation of truth, and was doctrinal and practi
cal rather than rhetorical. With a full, round
voice, and a commanding presence, his personal
advantages were more than ordinary. His man
uscript sermons show thoroughness and accuracy
in preparation for the pulpit.
Dr. Linn was twice married: First to Jane
Harris, February 28, 181 1, and their children
were: Claudius B., James H., Hon. Samuel,.

78

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Anna and Jane. This wife died August 14, 1822,
and on April 15, 1829, he married Isabella Hen
derson, and a daughter, Margaret H., was born
to them. Col. Philip Benner Wilson, a brother of
Col. William Potter Wilson, and a resident of
Bellefonte, where he died March 2, 1878, served
with distinction in the Civil war. He was born
at Chillisquaque Mills, Northumberland Co.,
Penn., December 8, 1822, and received his edu
cation at Milton. He entered the army in 1861
at Harrisburg, Penn., as captain of Company F,
2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry, and was later pro
moted to the majorship of the regiment. At the
close of the war he returned to Bellefonte and
entered the hardware business with John Irwin,
Jr., the firm soon establishing a large trade and
erecting a beautiful building. Later Mr. Irwin
retired, and Col. Wilson associated with him in
the business Thomas Hicks, the firm becoming
Wilson & Hicks. The Colonel finally retired
from the firm, and in connection with Col. Mc-
Farlane established another hardware store in
the Humes block. At the time of his death he
was the colonel of the 5th Regiment National
Guard of Pennsylvania.

jVLIAS W. HALE, M. D., late of Bellefonte,
Centre county, was born in Lewistown,
Penn., in June, 1824, being in direct line of de
scent from Samuel Hale, the first of the family
known in this country, who was one of the
founders of Hartford, Conn., in 1637. He served
in the Pequot war, for which service he received
a grant of land. He was deputy for Norwalk.
He died at Glastonbury, Conn., in 1693. His
son was Capt. Samuel (2), who was a deputy,
and married a granddaughter of Thomas Welles,
third governor of the Colony of Connecticut.
The latter's son was Benjamin. Benjamin's son
was Gideon, and the grandson of Gideon was
Elias W. Hale, father of the subject of this
sketch. Elias W. Hale (1) was born in Glastonbury,
Conn., April 18, 1775. He was graduated from
Yale College in 1794, and soon thereafter began
the study of law with Charles Hall at Sunbury,
Penn. After completing his law studies he lo
cated in Lewistown, Penn., where he followed
his profession and became one of the ablest law
yers in that section. He married Jean Mulhol-
lan, an estimable lady, who survived him many
years. His death occurred February 3, 1832.
One of his daughters was the wife of the Hon.
Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy under
President Lincoln.

Dr. Elias W. Hale, the fourth child and last
survivor of six children, read medicine under the
direction of J. B. Ard, M. D. , graduated from
the University of Pennsylvania, and for a num
ber of years practiced the profession at Lewis-
town, then removed to Reedsville, Penn., where
he pursued the same calling. In the spring of
1864 he located in Bellefonte, at which place his
practice was somewhat limited. In 1874, in
connection with William P. Duncan & Co., he
bought the old mill, and went into the milling
business under the firm name of Duncan, Hale &
Co. Mr. Duncan retired in 1882, and the firm
was changed to Gerberich, Hale & Co., Mr.
Gerberich managing the business. Dr. Hale was
prominently connected with the Masonic frater
nity, and he was well up in agricultural circles in
the county and State. He always took a decided
interest in agriculture, and invariably lent a hand
to its advancement. He was one of Bellefonte's
shrewdest business men, and was an influential
citizen from 1864 until the time of his death.
He was probably one of the largest property
owners in Bellefonte, possessing, in addition to
his real estate in the town, a number of fine
farms in Centre and adjoining counties, and his
wealth would foot up hundreds of thousands of
dollars. He was «a partner in the Moshannon
Banking Co., of Philipsburg, Penn. His death
occurred in Mentone, Southern France, February
20, 1 892, whither himself and family had gone the
October before for his health.
Dr. Hale was twice married, his first wife be
ing Miss Ellen Louise Steely, of the Kishaco-
quillas Valley, in Mifflin county, this State, by
whom he had a son, Harry. His second wife,
to whom he was married April 29, 1857, was
Mary, daughter of Reuben B. and Sarah (Down
ing) Valentine, and their issue were: Sarah, who
died in infancy, and Ellen, who is the wife of G.
Murray Andrews. The widow of Dr. Hale has
descended on both sides from Quaker families,
who for nearly two hundred years have been
prominently identified with the history of the
the State. She is of the fifth generation
from Thomas Valentine, who in about 1720
came to America from Ireland, and with his
family settled in Chester county, Penn. He was
born in County Catherlough (now Carlow), Ire
land, 9th month, 18, 1693, and died in 1747.
Her father, Reuben B. Valentine, was an iron
master, and in 181 5 with several brothers came
to Centre county, where all were closely iden
tified with the development of the iron industries
of the county, and their sons after them! Reuben
B.'s death occurred at Bellefonte, March 27,
1 841. His wife, Sarah Downing, was of the

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

79

fourth generation from Thomas Downing, who
was born 12th month, 14, 1691, at Bradninch,
in Devonshire, England, and who in 171 8 was a
resident of Conccrd township, Chester county,
Penn. Later he resided at Sadsbury, and still
later at Downington, in the same county. Many
of the name were farmers and millers.

LIEUT. -COL. HARRY S. HALE, the only
_j son of the late Dr. Elias W. Hale, of Bellefonte,
Centre county, was born at Lewistown, Penn.,
August 12, 1852. In early boyhood he attended
school at Reedsville, Mifflin county, and in 1864
came with his father to Bellefonte, where he
continued his studies under the tuition of the
Rev. J. C. Laverty, an Episcopal minister, and
at the academy under the presidency of Prof.
Murray. In 1869-70, he was in attendance at
Phillips Academy, in Exeter, N. H. He next
was one year at Hopkins Grammar School, of
New Haven, Conn. Afterward he spent two
years at Lehigh University, at Bethlehem, Penn.
At this time he was in poor health, and he passed
a year or more in the lumber regions of Minne
sota. He returned East and spent a year on
his father's farm at Mill Creek, in Huntingdon
Co., Penn. In 1874 he took an interest in the
flouring-mill of Gerberich, Hale & Co., of Belle
fonte, and remained actively engaged in that
business until the time of his death.
Perhaps the military history of Harry Hale
was the most notable part of his life, and by
these relations he became widely known among
some of the most prominent military officers in
the State. In June, 1880, largely, through his
efforts, Company B,of Bellefonte, was organized,
he being one of the signers of the application.
He was at that time elected second lieutenant of
the company, in all the affairs of which he took a
prominent part. This company became Com
pany B, of the 5th Regiment of the N. G. of
Pennsylvania. He was soon appointed adjutant
of the regiment, and in 1887 he was elected
lieutenant-colonel, which relation he sustained
to the 5th Regiment until shortly before his
death, filling the position with credit to himself,
and to those he represented; but in April, 1889,
he was compelled to resign the office on account
of failing health. He was a stanch Republican,
and in 1886 the party nominated and elected
him, over a strong opposition, chief burgess of
Bellefonte. During this time he gained the
confidence of the people, and was re-elected.
for a second term. While serving in this ca
pacity, he was always kind and affable to
many who at times did not deserve his sym

pathy. He was obliging, and at all times ready
to bestow a favor. Brave and courageous,
standing up for the right, whether politically or
in pursuance of his duty as a public officer, Col.
Hale was a young man possessing these qualities,
which claimed the admiration of all, and made
him a man of great promise. He was a gentle
man of commanding appearance, being six feet
in height, and otherwise magnificently propor
tioned. When appearing in rank he was a
very conspicuous figure. He was kind, honest
and true, having a large heart, not only for the
rich, but for the poorer class of people, aiding
them by deeds of generosity. He was promi
nent in Masonic circles, having been for ten
years or more a member of the fraternity, be
longing to both the Commandery and Chapter.
He took a great interest in all of their proceedings.
The death of Col. Hale occurred at Bellefonte
on May 24, 1889, and he was given one of the
most imposing and impressive funerals. His re
mains were interred at Lewistown, Penn., whither
they were accompanied by Company B, with
the field and staff officers of the 5th Regiment,
and a body of Masons from Bellefonte. Col.
Hale was unmarried.

JOHN CURTIN, one of the oldest and most
highly esteemed residents of Bellefonte, Centre
county, was born in that beautiful mountain
town, September 24, 18 10, and has been promi
nently identified with the development of his sec
tion throughout his active business life.
Roland Curtin, father of our subject, a native
of County Clare, Ireland, came to Centre county
when a young man, and after a short period
spent in mercantile pursuits engaged in the iron
business, building a furnace which he operated
for many years. By his first wife, Margery
(Gregg), he had four sons who lived to adult age:
Austin (who was in the iron business), James,
Roland and John. His second wife, Jane (Gregg),
daughter of Hon. Andrew Gregg, was the mother
of the following children: Constance, Andrew
(Pennsylvania's famous War Governor), Martha
(who married Dr. W. Irwin, and both are now
deceased), Norah (who married President Allen,
of Girard College); Margery (Mrs. Thomas Rey
nolds); Nancy (the wife of Dr. Clark, of Phila
delphia, Penn.), and Julia (who is not married,
and resides in Philadelphia).
Mr. Curtin attended school in his youth at
Bellefonte, Harrisburg and Milton, Penn., re
ceiving excellent preparation for his future career.
His business opportunities were most fortunate
and, engaging in the iron industry with his father,

80

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

he continued in active work until 1874, when he
retired, being at the time a member of the firm
of R. C. & J. Curtin. Since his retirement from
business, his time has been mainly spent in his
pleasant home at Bellefonte.
In 1837 Mr. Curtin was married to Miss Julia
Ann Barnhart, who was born March 14, 181 1,
in Bald Eagle Valley. Of the seven children of
this happy union two died in infancy; the others
are: (1) Margery I. married Irvin Curtin, and has
two children — Roland I. and Gregg. (2) James,
who was a cavalryman during the Civil war,
married Miss Jane Holder, and has three chil
dren — Latimer, Fred and Harry. (3) Sarah C,
wife of Dr. J. F. Larimer, of Omaha, Neb., has
three children — John C. , Robert G. and Fred
W. (4) Henry Roland, who is at present in
charge of the iron works, married Miss Lydia
McMinn, and has four children — J. Mack, John,
Laird H. and Catherine. (5) John G. is in the oil
business, and resides in Philadelphia; he married
Miss Estella Louden, and has four children —
Loula, Julia, Allen and Walton.
Mr. Curtin is a stanch Republican, and in the
stirring campaign of 1896 supported McKinley
with an enthusiasm and patriotic fervor which
bridged the years, and recalled for him the days
of his youth. Always a thoughtful student of
current questions, local and national, he has
given throughout his life loyal assistance to every
movement which promised to benefit the public.

MDL. WILLIAM SHORTLIDGE. The per
sonal history of the men who lead in the de
velopment of any section always holds an unus
ual interest, not only for those who, as members
of the community, share in the results of its prog
ress, but for all students of human nature. The
generalship, the faith, the determined will, which
distinguish these pioneer workers in any line, il
lustrate some of the best phases of our manifold
life, and these qualities are none the less deserv
ing of honor when directed to the peaceful arts
which feed and sustain our civilization rather
than to deeds of daring on the field of battle.
The lime industry at Bellefonte, of which
Col. Shortlidge is the pioneer, so far as its mod
ern aspects are concerned, has for many years
been a constant source of wealth to that locality.
It is probable that the men employed in it have,
during the past twenty years, more steady work
at better wages than any other industry in this
section has supplied, and in periods of business
depression they have had special reason to con
gratulate themselves upon the constant demand
for their labor. In 1 86 1 , when Col. Shortlidge first

entered this business, the production of lime in
the vicinity of Bellefonte was estimated at thirty-
five bushels per day, and at the present writing it
has increased to 3, 500 bushels per day, owing
mainly to the foresight and energy of Col. Short
lidge, who brought the superior- quality of the
product to wider notice. After the completion
of' the Bald Eagle Valley railroad, he shipped the
first carload of lime ever sent from that locality
to a point outside of Centre county. For man
ufacturing purposes the Bellefonte lime is consid
ered better than others, and it finds a ready
market in all parts of the Union. The limestone
from which it is obtained contains as high as
ninety-eight per cent of carbonate of lime, and
the product is noted for its whiteness as well as-
for its purity. Under the improved methods of
burning adopted by Col. Shortlidge the causticity
and plasticity are retained, and the superiority of
this lime is shown by the fact that one bushel of
it makes as much mortar as one and two-thirds
of other kinds, while the adhesive quality is
greater. Of late years other manufacturers of
iime have located at Bellefonte, but the strata of
stone which they use extends over twenty miles
east and west, and there is no fear that the sup
ply may be exhausted. As there is a steadier
market for the lime for manufacturing purposes
than' for any other, greater attention is paid to
meeting that demand, but agricultural and build
ing interests are also supplied, and the McCal-
mont & Co. Sunny Side Lime Kilns, established
in 1 86 1 by Col. Shortlidge and others, produce
limes which under careful tests are declared to be
eminently suited to these purposes. McCalmont
& Company are also extensive dealers in coal,
agricultural implements, seeds and fertilizers, and
they control the agency for the celebrated Geisee
saw mills, traction engines and separators, the
American Road Machine Company's Champion
Rock Crusher and Road Machine, and the Conk-
lin wagons and carriages. They are large deal
ers in farm products, never losing an opportunity
to buy grain, for which they pay the highest
market price, their invariable rule in their trans
actions being to make the farmers' interests their
own. Their business requires a correspondence
which is second in volume to but one other as
compared with all the other interests at Belle
fonte. Col. Shortlidge and Robert McCalmont
are the managers of the firm, and others con
nected with it are Isaac Underwood, John S.
Walker, J. W Barnhart, Robert W. McCalmont,
John H. Woomer and Wentworth H. Shortlidge.
The personal and ancestral history of Col.
Shortlidge will be of general interest. The name
was formerly Shortridge and is of English origin^

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

81

and the family has been identified with the So
ciety of Friends from a very early period. Our
subject's direct ancestors were pioneers of Ches
ter county, Penn., and his grandfather, Swithin
Shortlidge, was born in New Garden township,
and became a farmer in the same locality. He
and two of his sons died within two weeks, dur
ing an epidemic of dysentery. His wife, Hannah
Gawthrop, also a native of Chester county, and
of Quaker origin, survived him many years.
They had a large family of children, of whom
five grew to adult age: (i) George, our subject's
father; (2) Jane, who married Isaac Tussey, of
Pocopson. Chester county, and died in March,
1892, at the age of ninety-two years; (3) Phoebe,
who married Jacob Shortlidge (a cousin), and
died in early womanhood; (4) Joel, who married
Sarah Ann Boyer, and died in Chester county,
and (5) Evan, who married Sarah Holand, the
former dying in Chester county at an advanced
age. Hannah G. Darlington and Catharine T.
Michener, daughters of Isaac and Jane Tussey,
are highly esteemed relatives, as well as Phoebe
S. Hobson and Isabel G. Shortlidge.
Hannah Gawthrop Shortlidge had three sis
ters and four brothers, viz. : Elizabeth, Jane,
Isabella, Thomas, James, George and William.
All but William settled in Chester county, and
he made his home in Baltimore, Md. One of his
grandsons, William G. Huey, is at the head of
the firm of William G. Huey & Co., bankers of
Philadelphia. Elizabeth married Nicholas Tay
lor, an extraordinary business man of Baltimore,
Md. ; Jane married Daniel Thompson, and reared
a family; Isabella did not marry; all the brothers
married, and left descendants.
George Shortlidge, the father of our subject,
was born in New Garden township, Chester
county, in 1800, and passed his life there as a
farmer, his death occurring in 1875. Like all of
the family in religion, he was a Quaker. In pol
itics he was at first a Democrat, but he took a
decided stand against slavery, and in 1856 he
voted the Republican ticket, and from that time
he adhered to that party. He married Martha
Hutton, who was born in the same locality in
1802, and died in 1887. Her father, Hiatt Hutton,
a native of Chester county, was of Irish descent,
and her mother, Sarah Pugh, was a member of
an old Chester county family. The Huttons
and the Pughs were all of Quaker faith. Our
subject was the eldest of six children: (2) Jo
seph, a successful teacher, conducts an academy
at Concordville, Del. ; (3) Anna P. married W.
H. Walker, of Hockessin, Del.; (4) Lydia H.,
widow of Augustus A. Norris, resides at Woods-
town, N. J.; (5) Swithin C. , a well-known edu

cator, is at present in London, Eng., for his
health; (6) Evan G., a prominent physician of
Wilmington, Del., where he located in 1870, is a
man of marked ability and influence, and has
been mayor of that city. During the Civil war
he served in the 1 5th Pennsylvania Cavalry for
some time, and after he completed his medical
studies he was appointed, at the instance of the
Friends, a surgeon to an Indian agency.
Col. Shortlidge was born February 20, 183 1,
and his childhood was spent at the old home
stead in New Garden township, Chester county.
After attending the local schools for a time, he
was sent to the Greenwoodell Academy, Marshall-
town, Chester Co., Penn., of which Jonathan
Gans was then principal. Two years were spent
there in diligent study, and then our subject be
gan teaching, following that occupation in his
native county and in the State of Delaware. In
the fall of 1853 he entered the office of the
Howard Iron Works, in Centre county as an ap
prentice to learn the business, and was employed
there as bookkeeper and manager until the busi
ness was suspended in 1857, when he resumed
the work of teaching. On May 25, 1857, he
married MissRosanna G. McCalmont, a native of
Marion township, Centre Co., Penn., born March
16, 1833, and this happy event did much to
shape his future course. For a time he contin
ued teaching, and August 25, 1858, he took charge
of a school in Bellefonte. In the following
spring he made an engagement with Valentines
& Co. , proprietors of the Bellefonte Furnace and
Forge, to manage their office for two weeks
during the absence of the members of the firm.
At the end of that time he was requested to re
main longer, and in the course of a few months
the firm decided that they could not dispense
with his services, for which a liberal salary was
offered and accepted, and Col. Shortlidge spent
the next six years in their employ. As has been
stated, he, in 1861, engaged in the lime business,
with which he had become somewhat familiar dur
ing boyhood in Chester county. His extensive
business interests have never prevented him from
taking an active part in the general progress of
the community. He is a firm supporter of the
principles of the Republican party. He is a
member of the F. & A. M. ; also of the borough
council, now in the tenth year of service in that
body. He is president of the Board of Trade,
and a trustee of the Presbyterian Church.
Col. and Mrs. Shortlidge have a most pleas
ant home, and of their six children two are living:
Martha Elizabeth married John S. Walker, and
has one son, Robert. Anna W. is at home.
Jennie McCalmont, a daughter,. and a young lady

82

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

of much intelligence, who assisted her father as
stenographer and typewriter, died February 16,
1890, at the age of twenty-two, from " la grippe. "
George and William died in infancy, and James
McCalmont, their eldest son, lived to the age of
only six months.

F\ H. VAN VALZAH, M. D., of Spring Mills,
Centre county, one of the most successful
physicians in that region, comes of a family
which has for three generations been prominent
ly identified with the medical profession. His
ancestors were originally from Holland, but set
tled in New York long before the Revolutionary
war. Dr. Robert Van Valzah, Sr. , his great
grandfather, was born April 17, 1764, near the
Croton river, in New York, and was the only son
of his parents to leave descendants. It is a re
markable fact that there is no other family of the
name in this country, but, as will be seen, the
line is not likely to die out. The father of Dr.
Robert Van Valzah, Sr., died, and the mother
married a wealthy man who gave his clever step
son an excellent education. Tradition has it
that about the time that Dr. Robert Van Valzah
graduated and began his professional career, he
was paying devoted attention to a young lady,
when he discovered that she had been making in
quiries as to his chances for inheriting his step
father's property. Angered at this, and believing
her to be wholly mercenary, he left the neighbor
hood and, in 1786, came to Pennsylvania, his
earthly possessions consisting only of a horse, sad
dle and bridle. On his arrival in Northumber
land county he made the acquaintance of a man
named Beatty, who took a strong liking to him,
and knowing him to be a poor but ambitious
"M. D. " in search of a location, advised him to
go to Dry Valley, where an epidemic was causing
much suffering at the time. This advice was fol
lowed with satisfactory results, Dr. Van Valzah
practicing there successfully until his removal to
Buffalo Cross Roads, Penn., where he continued
his professional work during his remaining years,
his death occurring April 18, 1850, when he was
aged eighty-six years.
Of his numerous descendants seventeen have
entered the medical profession — a record which
few, if any. families can equal. He had eight
children, of whom our subject's grandfather was
the eldest. (2) Thomas was a physician at Lewis-
town, Penn., for many years, and was notably
successful. He had four sons, and three prac
ticed medicine, Robert, at Freeport, 111., How
ard, at Lewistown, Penn., and John, at Free-
port, 111. (3) John was a wealthy farmer and

miller at Buffalo Cross Roads. (4) William also
resided at the old home, and was engaged in agri
cultural pursuits. He had four sons, two of
whom became physicians, Robert T. locating at
Ashland, Penn. (now deceased), and William in
New York City. A daughter of Dr. Van Valzah,
Sr. , married Peter Wilson, and of her three sons,
one, Dr. Robert Wilson, who practiced at Clear
field, Penn., and another, Rev. James D. Wil
son, of New York City, are both deceased.
Dr. Robert Van Valzah, Jr., our subject's
grandfather, was carefully educated for his pro
fession, and located at Mifflinburg, where he
practiced successfully until his death, which oc
curred when he was between sixty and seventy
years of age. He was a prominent member of
the Presbyterian Church, and was regarded as a
substantial and well-to-do citizen. He mar
ried Miss Nancy Montgomery, a descendant of a
leading family of Northumberland county, which
is still numerously represented in that locality.
They had eight children: Robert F. is men
tioned more fully below; Thomas was a well-
known physician at Boalsburg. Penn. , where he
died; John H. studied medicine, but never prac
ticed, and his death occurred in the Far West;
Samuel B. is a successful practitioner at Durand,
111. ; S. L. (deceased) was a physician at Mifflin
burg and later at Milton; Mary J. married J. W.
Pennington, and died in Philadelphia, Penn. ;
Ellen resides at Mifflinburg; Ada married Col.
Churchill, of St. Louis, Missouri.
Dr. Robert F. Van Valzah, the father of our
subject, was born in Mifflinburg, January 10,
1 8 1 7, and attended the schools of that place some
years. As the need of better opportunities be
came apparent, he was sent to Milton, where he
studied under that noted instructor, Prof. Kirk-
patrick. His progress was rapid, and he began
the preparation for his profession at an early age,
and at twenty-one held a diploma from Jefferson
Medical College, Philadelphia. He located for
a time at Rebersburg, taking charge of the prac
tice of Dr. Strohecker, who had been elected to
the Legislature, but later he settled at Millheim,
where he practiced independently ten years, gain
ing a reputation as the leading physician there.
He removed to Aaronsburg in 1852, and re
mained until the fall of i860, when he located
permanently at Spring Mills. In 1842 he mar
ried Miss Sarah W. Forster, who was born in
1 8 19, the daughter of Capt. John Forster, a
wealthy merchant and prominent citizen of Mif
flinburg. She died in November, 1871, and his
death occurred in 1874, the remains of both be
ing laid to rest in the cemetery at Spring Mills.
He was a large man, about six feet in height,

vummjujuORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

83

weighing usually 190 pounds, and was never sick
until he was taken with the brief illness which
suddenly cut short his life. He was very unas
suming in manner, and was never known to
boast of his successes. His attention was de
voted entirely to his professional work, and had
he given half as much thought to his accounts as
to the scientific and humanitarian side, he would
have accumulated much property. However, he
had a comfortable competence and always lived
well. He spent more than $10,000 in the edu
cation of his sons, of whose talents and charac
ter he was justly proud. He built the commo
dious residence where our subject now lives, and
which as lately remodeled is among the best in
Spring Mills. Pplitically he was a Democrat un
til the nomination of Gen. Irvin, a personal
friend, for Governor of Pennsylvania. He then
became a Whig and in later years was a Repub
lican, but while he was a regular voter, and took
much interest in the success of his principles, he
was not a politician. In religious faith he was a
Presbyterian, but he did not attend church regu
larly on account of his professional duties. This
negligence was, however, more than made good
by his wife, who was very devout, and whose
kindly nature showed the consistent follower of
Christ. Their children were: John F. , a pros
perous merchant and banker, and one of the
founders of the firm of Van Valzah & Wilson,
of Tyrone, and of the First National Bank, of Ty
rone, Penn., where he died March 28, 1891; F.
H., our subject; Henry B., who died June 8,
1 89 1, at Clearfield, Penn., after a successful
career as a physician, being known as one of the
leaders of his profession in that county; and Rob
ert W., a dentist at Terre Haute, Indiana.
With such an ancestry it is not strange that
the subject of this sketch easily established him
self in the front rank among the medical frater
nity of his locality. He was born at Millheim
February 18, 1847, but as his parents removed
to Aaronsburg during his childhood his education
was begun there, his first teacher being ex-County
Superintendent D. M. Wolf, D. D. When he
was thirteen the family settled at Spring Mills,
and as the schools there did not offer an ad
vanced course he was later sent to Tuscarora
Academy, in Juniata county. Wrhile there he
enlisted, on July 6, 1864, at a call for one-hun
dred-day men, in Company H, 195th Penn. V. I.,
and serve"d about four months, doing guard duty
on the B. & O. R. R. west of Harper's Ferry,
the greater part of the time being spent at Mar-
tinsburg, W. Va. In 1865 he entered Dickinson
Seminary, at Williamsport, Penn., and in the
spring of the following year he began his pro

fessional duties under his father's guidance. He
graduated from Jefferson Medical College, Phila
delphia, Penn., in March, 1870, and a few
months later began practicing at Loganton,
Penn. , where he spent eighteen months. He then
located at Potters' Bank, Centre county, but in
November, 1874, he moved to Spring Mills to
take the practice left vacant by his father's death.
While he is thoroughly progressive in his ideas
he is notably cautious and conservative in prac
tice, and he has met with signal success. Finan
cially, he ranks among the leading capitalists of
Penn's Valley.
On June 23, 1880, he was united in marriage
with Miss Jane R. Van Valzah, daughter of John
A. Van Valzah, of Buffalo Cross Roads. Three
children brighten their home: Robert, born No
vember 1, 1882; Sarah, born November 2, 1884,
and James W., born June 6, 1889. Mrs. Van-
Valzah is a member of the Presbyterian Church,
and is prominently identified with the various
lines of social and philanthropic work. The
Doctor is a Republican, and although he is a
stanch defender of the doctrines of the G. O. P.,
he is not an office seeker. Socially, he belongs
to the Masonic lodge at Centre Hall, and to
Samuel Shannon Post No. 282, G. A. R., at the
same town. He is also a member of the Penn
sylvania State and the Centre County Medical
Societies.

ON. HARRY R. CURTIN is the present
representative from Centre county in the
State Legislature, and is one of the prominent
citizens, not only of his locality, but of Pennsyl
vania. Pie belongs to one of the old and hon
ored families of the State, whose members have
been prominent in public affairs, and as promo
ters of leading commercial industries. The name
is indissolubfy linked with the history of Centre
county, and the gentleman whose name intro
duces this article has added new luster to the ex
cellent record of the family by his course in both
public and private life.
Roland Curtin, Sr. , the grandfather, was a
native of Ireland, and during the war of the
French Revolution he was attending school in
France. He, with other students, escaped and
came to this country. He first located in Phil
ipsburg, Centre county, where for a short time
he engaged in merchandising, and then turned
his attention to the iron industry in connection
with a Mr. Boggs. In 18 10 he erected the Eagle
Iron Works, and operated the same until 1842
when the business was turned over to his sons.
This became one of the most important factors

84

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

in the development of the locality, and Roland
Curtin took a most active interest in the work of
progress and upbuilding in Centre county. He
also located a large tract of land, upon which
the subject of this sketch is now living. ¦ After
his arrival in Pennsylvania, he married Miss Mar
garet Gregg, a native of this State. One of their
sons, Andrew G. , was Pennsylvania's governor
during the period of the Civil war. For two
terms he held that office, being re-elected in
1863, and for two terms he also represented his
district in Congress.
John Curtin, father of Harry R., was born in
Bellefonte, Penn., in September, 1810, the
youngest son of Roland and Margaret Curtin.
On the retirement of his father from business he
joined his brother, Constance, in the operation
of the extensive iron works, which they con
ducted until 1864, when they were joined by an
other brother, Roland, Jr., under the firm name
of R. , C. & J. Curtin. This connection was con
tinued until 1874, when Roland and John sold
their interests to their sons, and John Curtin re
tired to private life. He is now residing in
Bellefonte, in the enjoyment of a well-merited
rest. He married Julia A. Barnhart, and they
became parents of seven children — three sons
and four daughters— namely: Margery B., wife
of Gen. John I. Curtin, of Bellefonte; James B.,
deceased; Sarah C, wife of J. F. Larimer, a
physician of Omaha, Neb.; Harry R. ; John G.,
who is engaged in the oil business in Philadel
phia; Francis and Nancy, who died in childhood.
Harry R. Curtin was born at his present
home, January 12, 1850, and has here spent his
entire life. He remained with his parents until
1865, when he entered the Pennsylvania State
College, pursuing his studies there for two and
one-half years. He afterward continued his edu
cation in Dickinson Seminary, at Williamsport,
Penn., where he remained for a year and a half,
when he returned home and entered upon his
business career, putting to a test in the practical
affairs of life the knowledge that he had gained
in the school room. He accepted a position as
salesman in a general mercantile store in Curtin,
where he remained for a year and a half, then as
sumed the duties of bookkeeper for the firm of
R. , C. & J. Curtin, serving in that capacity un
til 1874. In that year he and his brother James
bought out the interest of their father, and An
drew and Austin Curtin succeeded to the interest
of their father, Roland Curtin, thus leaving the
business in the hands of the four cousins and their
uncle, Constance Curtin, at which time the firm
name of C. Curtin & Co. was assumed. Busi
ness was thus conducted until 1877, when the

uncle retired, and the partnership between James
B. , Harry R. , Andrew G. and Austin was con
tinued under the name of Curtin & Curtin. They
operated the factories until 1890, when opera
tions were suspended, due to the increased facili
ties for manufacturing steel and taking the
market for charcoal iron. When Harry R. Cur
tin first became a partner in the business he as
sumed the active management of the forge and
furnace work, and was thus engaged until sus
pension of the business in 1890. He was then
appointed special agent, under Robert P. Porter,
for gathering statistics concerning iron and steel.
A year later he was appointed administrator of
the Constance Curtin estate, and now has. in
charge the business interests connected with that
property, which includes ten thousand acres of
land. Upon this has been built the little village
of Curtin, which contains a railroad station, grist
mill and post office, and has a population of
about two hundred. Mr. Curtin has also been
engaged in the sawmill business for the past three
years, and is one of the successful lumber mer
chants in this section of Centre county.
On June 9, 1875, Harry R. Curtin was mar
ried to Miss Lydia G. McMeen, who was born in
Milesburg, November 6, 1852. Her parents, Dr.
William and Nancy J. (Lipton) McMeen, were
also natives of that place; the father died in
Milesburg in 1854; the mother, who was born in
1829, is now living with Mrs. Curtin, her only
daughter. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Curtin
has been blessed with four children, namely:
Joseph McMeen; Curtin John; Hugh L. and
Catherine. Mrs. Curtin is a member of the
Baptist Church, and is a most estimable lady,
regarded as a leader in the social circles in which
they move.
Mr. Curtin is a Republican in politics, and
on that ticket was elected to the State Legisla
ture in the fall of 1894 by over 500 majority,
although the county had always been a Demo
cratic stronghold. His election is certainly a
tribute to his personal worth, and indicates the
confidence and high regard which his fellow citi
zens entertain for him. He has also held a
number of township offices. His course in the
General Assembly has been most commendable.
He has ever labored for the best interests of
county and State, placing country before party
and the public good before self-aggrandizement.
He is again his party's nominee for the same
office, and will probably for a second time be
chosen to represent his District in the House.
In business he is honorable, straightforward and
energetic, carrying to successful completion what
ever he undertakes, and his life is characterized.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

85

by the genuine worth which everywhere com
mands respect. On January i, 1897, he was
appointed, by Gov. Hastings, one of the food
commissioners of the State.

iP«\EORGE ASHBRIDGE FAIRLAMB, M. D.,
\^f of Bellfefonte, Centre county, one of the
oldest and most highly esteemed medical prac
titioners of that section, was born June 24, 1826,
in Chester county, Penn., where his ancestors
in both the paternal and maternal lines were
early settlers.
The Doctor is of sixth generation in descent
from Nicholas Fairlamb, of Durham, England,
who brought to the Society of Friends at Phila
delphia' a certificate of membership from the
Durham Monthly Meeting, dated June 13, 1700.
This Nicholas Fairlamb purchased a farm at
Middletown, Chester county, and settled there
in 1704. He was sheriff of the county 17 17-
17 19; associate judge of the Court of Common
Pleas 171 5, and member of the Colonial Assem
bly 1 704-5-1 1-12-13. In 1703 he was married
to Catherine Crosby, daughter of Richard and
Eleanor Crosby. John Fairlamb, a son of Nich
olas, was born in Chester county, and passed his
life there, attaining an honorable place in the
history of his time. He was sheriff of the county
in 1755-56, justice of the common pleas court in
1 76 1 and 1764, and member of the Colonial As
sembly in 1764-65, his death occurring in 1766.
He was married November 13, 1742, to Susanna
Engle. John Fairlamb (2), the grandfather of our
subject, was born in 1759, and resided upon a
farm near Westchester, Penn. , where he died at
a comparatively early age. His wife's maiden
name was Susan Ashbridge. Their son, George
A. Fairlamb, M. D. , our subject's father, was
born in 1787, and died in 1829. He was a grad
uate of the University of Pennsylvania, and be
came a successful physician at Downingtown,
Chester county. His first wife was Thomasine
Whelen. His second wife (our subject's mother)
was Annette Miller, a descendant of a well-known
family of Chester county, the first of the line
coming from Cornwall, England, in 1702. Her
father, Joseph John Miller, a merchant in Phila
delphia, died at Lyons, France, while collecting
a claim against the French government for gun
powder furnished to Napoleon Bonaparte.
Dr. G. A. Fairlamb came to Bellefonte at
the age of ten years, and he has ever since made
that his home. After completing a course in the
Bellefonte Academy he entered the University of
Pennsylvania, and in 1 848 received his degree in

medicine from that noted institution. Returning
home, he engaged in practice; but at the open
ing of the Civil war his patriotic spirit led him to
join in the defense of the old flag. He raised
Company H, 148th P. V. I., and entering as
captain was promoted later to the rank of major,
and after the battle of the Wilderness became a
lieutenant- colonel. He was wounded at the
battle of Chancellorsville, and twice at Spottsyl-
vania in the charge made in the early morning of
the 1 2th by the Second Corps, his right elbow
being shattered by a ball, necessitating a re
section of the joint. He did not escape that
worst of the fortunes of war, captivity, for' the
summer of 1864 he spent amid the horrors of
Libby Prison. He was paroled September 12,
1864, at Annapolis, Md., and February 24, 1865,
he was discharged from service on a surgeon's
certificate of disability from wounds received in
battle. No one can estimate the amount of
strength and vigor which the sufferings and pri
vations of those brief years consumed for each
man who passed through them, and the heart of
the nation beats warmly for those who made the
sacrifice of energies which should have sufficed
for years of ordinary effort. After the war was
over Col. Fairlamb was surgeon at the Lazaretto
below Philadelphia for two years, being ap
pointed by Gov. A. G. Curtin.

ON. JOHN HARBISON HOLT. The sub
ject of this biography, one of the honored
sons of Centre county, is a most distinguished
resident of Snow Shoe. He is a man of pro
gressive ideas, fine attainments, high minded,
who has made the most of his opportunities in '
life, and is recognized as one of the leading and
representative citizens of the community.
Mr. Holt was born September 28, 1828, in
the village which is still his home, a son of Squire
John and Mary (Harbison) Holt, the former of
whom was a lifelong farmer. He was the first
child to whom the ordinance of baptism was ad
ministered in that place. His education was
acquired mainly in the local schools, his early
teachers being Samuel Baker, Miss Woodward,
Jesse Comley, Daniel Irvin and R. Ephraim Will
iams. He learned rapidly, at the age of fourteen
began hearing classes in different studies, and
three years later was given a teacher's certificate.
For some time he taught vocal music. Before
attaining his majority he went to Blair county,
Penn., where he learned engineering, but not
liking the occupation, he gave it up two years
later, and has since given his attention to the
lumber business and farming. At the time of

86

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

the Johnstown flood he was a member of the firm
of J. H. Holt & Co., lumber dealers on the Sus
quehanna, and their losses at that time, in mill
and lumber at Belford station, between Kart-
haus and Sinnamahoning in Clearfield county,
amounted to $20,000.
On April 5, 1852, Mr. Holt was united in
marriage with Miss Letitia T. Askey, who was
born in Clinton county, Penn., in 1831, and died
in January, 1894. They became the parents of
the following children: Oscar, a coal miner, re
siding in Snow Shoe township, Centre county;
Ida, deceased wife of John R. Gilliland, who is
now filling some official position at Washington,
D. C. ; John Edgar, an extensive lumber merchant
of Northumberland, Penn., who married Alice
Gardner; Frank H., who is a noted marksman,
and is now superintendent of a sawmill at
Panthers Run, Centre county; Laura, deceased
wife of WilliamLoveland, also deceased, who was
proprietor of an axe factory in Lamar, Clinton
Co., Penn.; Samuel and Wilber H., both con
tractors, of Panthers Run; and Harry, who is
attending the Sunbury Commercial College.
For his second wife Mr. Holt, on January 9,
1896, married Miss Mary H. Denlinger, a native
of Wrhite Hall, Cumberland Co., Penn., and a
daughter of Prof. David and Mary A. (Diffendal)
Denlinger, natives of Lancaster and Cumberland
counties, respectively. Her paternal grand
father, Jacob Denlinger, was a farmer of Lancas
ter county, where he spent his entirelife. Abra
ham and Elizabeth (Washmood) Diffendal, the
maternal grandparents, were also natives of the
Keystone State, the former born in Adams county,
and the latter in Cumberland county.
Prof. David Denlinger spent his entire life as a
teacher, following that profession up to within a
week of his death, which occurred March 26,
1892, when he was seventy years of age. He
was the principal of White Hall Academy, which
he founded, and conducted for seventeen years.
It was later converted into the Soldiers' Orphan
School, which he disposed of in 1865, and next
had charge of the Union Seminary at New Berlin,
Penn. , for five years. During the following six
years he was piincipal of the Cedar Hill Semi
nary at Mt. Joy, Penn., which position he re
signed in 1 879, and then went to Manchester, Md. ,
where he became principal and proprietor of the
Irving Institute, which he successfully conducted
up to the time of his death. He was a distin
guished professor, with remarkable ability as an
instructor, and the schools which he conducted
took high rank among the educational institu
tions of the kind.
Mrs. Denlinger is still living, at the age of

seventy years, and now makes her home with
her surviving children. A brief record of the
family is as follows: Anna E. died at the
age of five years; Mary H. is the wife of our sub
ject; John W. has for the past twenty years been
a leading attorney of Lancaster, Penn. ; Austin
F. is a practicing physician of Lansford, Penn.;
Lillie D. is the wife of Walter Snyder, a mer
chant of Pottsville, Penn. ; David W. is private
secretary for the general superintendent of the
freight department of the Central railroad, with
headquarters at Mauch Chunk, Penn. ; Clara B.
is the wife of Howell Souder, of Tamaqua,
Penn. , who is stenographer and private secretary
of W. D. Zehner, general superintendent of the
Lehigh Coal & Navigation Co. ; Laura K. is
residing in Tamaqua; and Alice I. is the wife of
Howard Ring, a farmer of Baltimore county,
Maryland. Mr. Holt has ever taken a prominent part in
public affairs, is a recognized leader of the Dem
ocratic party in his community, and has repre
sented Centre county four years in the State
Legislature. He has also filled many minor offi
ces, including those of clerk of election, which
he held nine years, school director, thirty-three
years, and justice of the peace, one year. For
a great many years, in connection with his lumber
trade, he engaged in surveying. He is now serv
ing as president of the Salt Lick Gas Co., of
which A. C. Hechendorf is secretary and treas
urer. He is now endeavoring to secure a large
fortune left in England by the Holt family,
which amounts to millions of dollars. Since at
taining his majority he has affiliated with the
Masonic fraternity, now belonging to the Blue
Lodge and Chapter of Bellefonte; for the past
twenty-five years he has been an elder in the
Presbyterian Church, of which he is a consistent
and active member. Mr. Holt is a genial, court
eous gentleman, a pleasant, entertaining com
panion, and has many stanch and admiring friends
among all classes 'of men. As an energetic, up
right and conscientious business man, and a gen
tleman of attractive social qualities, he stands
high in the estimation of the entire community.

WILLIAM A. BUCKHOUT, M. S., profes
sor of botany and horticulture at The
Pennsylvania State College, Centre county, was
born at Oswego, N. Y., December 26, 1846. He
attended the public schools of that place until
1864. In 1866 he entered the second class of
Agricultural College, from which institution he
was graduated in 1868, and that year returned to
engage in post-graduate study of botany. From

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

87

1869 to 1 87 1 he was occupied in farming at Os
wego, N. Y. In the latter year he returned to
Agricultural College, and was engaged as in
structor in natural science, and later was elected
professor of the same. In 1888 he was ap
pointed, by the Governor, a member of the State
Forestry Commission.
On July 12, 1876, Prof. Buckhout was mar
ried to Miss Mary L. Harkness, of Philadelphia,
and their children are: Albert T. , Nathan W. ,
William H. , Margaret W. and Carolyn Reed.
Prof. Buckhout is the botanist of the Agri
cultural Experiment Station of the College, where
a farm of one hundred acres is devoted to experi
ments upon crops, soils, etc., the results of which
experiments are published in bulletins and dis
tributed free by the Station.

?ILLIAM FORSMAN HOLT, a wealthy
mine operator residing at Philipsburg, is
a leading spirit in the varied activities of the com
munity. His family has been prominent in this
section from the days when the unbroken forests
marked the "frontier line," and Col. John Holt,
who settled in Bald Eagle Valley in 1782, is said
to have been the first white man who followed
the Indian trail to Snow Shoe to hunt game.
To go back to the origin of the family in
America we find from Gilliland's sketches of the
Snow Shoe region that a son of Sir John Holt,
of England, emigrated to the New World and set
tled in the Cumberland Valley before the Revolu
tion. It is supposed that he was killed by the
Indians, as he was never heard from after leaving
home for a business trip to Philadelphia. He
left a son, Thomas, and two daughters, who were
among the first settlers at Lewistown, Penn.
Thomas Holt had four sons and three daughters.
Of the sons, William, the ancestor of Judge Holt,
postmaster-general during President Buchanan's
administration, migrated to Kentucky; James
was killed by Indians; Thomas went to Ohio, and
John was the settler in Bald Eagle Valley, the
love of hunting leading him to enter the Snow
Shoe region, and it was his custom to spend a
few weeks in the fall of each year in this pastime.
He gained his title of "colonel " in the Revolu
tionary war, and took part in several battles,
among them being the engagement at German-
town. He died in the summer of 1831 in his
seventy-sixth year. Eight children survived:
four sons — Thomas, James, John, Robert — and
four daughters — Mary (who married Jacob Barn
hart), Elizabeth (Mrs. Henry Barnhart), Jane
(wife of Frederick Antis), and Nancy (Mrs. James
Patterson).

John Holt, our subject's grandfather, married
Mary Harbison, daughter of John Harbison, an
Englishman, who settled at Milesburg in the
early days, and whose numerous descendants are
among leading people of the locality as members
of the Baird, Holt, Swanzy, and McKibbin fami
lies and others equally well known. Mrs. Mary
Holt was a woman of more than ordinary mental
powers, while her devoted Christian life and sym
pathetic care for the sick and afflicted, whether
rich or poor, won the esteem of all who knew
her. John Holt and his wife were both natives
of Bald Eagle Valley, and it was not until the
spring of 1822 that he located in the Snow Shoe
region, being the third settler there. He selected
for his home a picturesque and fertile tract of
land about a mile equidistant from Betchtol and
Askey, and engaged in farming and lumbering.
His life was one of great usefulness, and he was
universally respected, being frequently called upon
to serve in township offices, including that of
justice of the peace, which he held for . many
years. His wife died July 9, 1867, at the age of
seventy-two, and November 23, 1869, he breathed
his last at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Hugh-
ey, in Princeton, 111. , while on a visit. His re
mains were brought home and now rest in Snow
Shoe Cemetery. This estimable couple reared a
family of three daughters, and two sons: Will
iam, our subject's father; and Hon. J. H. Holt,
a prominent citizen of this section, at one time a
member of the State Legislature.
William Holt was born in Bald Eagle Valley.
He married Mary Forsman, a native of White
Deer Valley, Lycoming Co., Penn., and daugh
ter of William Forsman, a lumberman, and his
wife, Eliza (Buchannan), who were both born in
that locality, coming to Centre county in the
pioneer days, but later moving to Illinois, where
they spent their last days. William Holt set
tled in Snow Shoe township, Centre county, in
1822, and was prominently connected with the
development of his locality as a farmer and lum
berman. He was the only person who was
killed in the accident on the Snow Shoe railroad,
June 1 1, 1878. As he was on his way to a po
litical meeting the train, a local freight with a
coach attached, broke through a trestle and fell
sixty-four feet- His death was a great blow to
his family, and caused sincere mourning through
out the community. He belonged to the Ma
sonic order, and was a Knight Templar. His
widow now resides at Philipsburg. They had
the following children: Sue is the deceased wife
of Capt. John Gillen, lieutenant of the Watch
in the Patent Office, at Washington, D. C. ; Isa
bella, widow of C. G. Hirlinger, resides in Phil-

88

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ipsburg; Charles H. is a successful physician at
Grand Rapids, Mich. ; William F. is mentioned
more fully below; Clara died at the age of eight
een; Sarah M. died when three years old; Lida
married Frank Whitman, a merchant at Pied
mont, W. Va. ; Maud married Harry McD. Lo
rain, of Philipsburg, and died in February, 1897;
Norman A. is a storekeeper at the Snow Shoe
mine. W. F. Holt, the subject proper of this sketch,
was born at the old homestead in Snow Shoe
township, Centre county, December 14, 1856,
and there his youth was mainly spent, his ele
mentary education being supplemented by a
course of study during 1874 and 1875 in the
Normal School at Millersville, Lancaster Co.,
Penn. At his father's death he was appointed
administrator of the estate, and at present he is
the attorney for the estate. Until 1892 he was
engaged in the lumber business; but since that
date his time has been occupied with his exten
sive coal operations. In June, 1894, he organ
ized the Snow Shoe Mining Co. , of which M. D.
Kelley has since become president, with T. B.
Budinger, treasurer, and which he as manager
has successfully conducted. The mine has a ca
pacity of from 250 to 300 tons per day.
Mr. Holt has an interest in the old home
stead, and at times resides there. He has never
married. Socially, he is prominent, and he be
longs to Bellefonte Lodge, F. & A. M., and Mo-
shannon Commandery, K. T., of which he is at
the present time E. C. In politics he is a Dem
ocrat.
C\LEMENT DALE, of Bellefonte, in whom is
1 worthily represented the fourth generation
of a family that has reflected honor to citizen
ship and credit to the name for upward of a
hundred years in Centre county, is the son of
Christian and Eliza (Neff) Dale.
Clement Dale was born on his father's farm
at Oak Hall, Centre county, February 25, 1851,
and on the farm where his father and all of his
children were born, and where now reside chil
dren of the fifth generation, who likewise were
born there. Until the age of twelve years he at
tended the public schools of the neighborhood,
then a private school at Rev. Dr. Hammil's, a
neighbor; at the age of sixteen he went to the
Boalsburg Academy, and was there prepared for
college under the tuition of G. W. Leisher,
working ad interim on his father's farm, who
taught his children habits of industry and econ
omy, as well as to direct their lives into channels
that would lead to usefulness and honor, in the
various walks of life. In the fall of 1870 young

Dale entered the Freshman class of Pennsylvania
College, at Gettysburg, and was graduated in a
classical course in June, 1874. After his gradu
ation he came to Bellefonte, read law in the
office of Judge Furst, and was admitted to the
Bar August 29, 1876. He immediately opened
an office in Bellefonte, on the site of the build
ing he now occupies, and in which he has contin
ued to conduct the practice of the law from that
day to this. Mr. Dale, though only in middle
life, with years of service ahead of him, has al
ready attained success, not only financially, but
as a man and citizen. His life has been an ex
emplary one, always in the line of right in all
questions pertaining to the elevation of the
morals of the community in which he has lived.
A member of the Lutheran Church, he has ever
taken a great interest in the cause of Christian
ity, and given much time and contributed largely
to the upbuilding of his Church in Bellefonte,
in the service of which he has labored as a Sab
bath-school teacher and superintendent, and the
policy of which Church at large he has helped to
shape. He was twice chosen a delegate to the
General Synod of the Lutheran Church of the
United States of America, the first time when it
met in June, 1881, at Altoona, Penn., and the
second time in June, 1895, at Hagerstown, Md.
This honor was conferred by the District Synod,
comprising the counties of Centre, Clinton, Un
ion, Mifflin, Juniata and Perry. He is at pres
ent a trustee in his home Church; a director in
the Theological Seminary at Gettysburg; and
also a trustee of the Bellefonte Academy.
Mr. Dale has been active in politics, and has
contributed largely to the success of the Repub
lican party in Centre county, having been an
available speaker and worker during the cam
paigns. In 1877 he received the nomination of
the Republican party for the office of District
Attorney, and was paid the following compli
ment by the press:
" We favor the election of Mr. Dale because
we believe he is the best fitted for the position.
He is a rising lawyer at our Bar, and, what is
important, he is honest — no money which may
pass through his hands will be misappropriated.
His record is pure and spotless, and, if he is
elected, every citizen may feel confident that no
defalcation will arise through any negligence or
want of honesty on his part.
' ' Mr. Dale is so well known in the county
that no word of recommendation that we can
utter can add anything to his popularity. He
belongs to one of the oldest and most respectable
families in our midst, was born here, as were also
his father and grandfather before him. He is a

^^U^u^-^J-ClA/

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

89

young man of untarnished reputation, a thorough
scholar, a reliable and trustworthy gentleman,
and, if elected to the office to which his friends
aspire to elevate him, will make one of the most
efficient officers this county ever had. With
such a candidate in the field, it would seem as
though his success ought not to be a question of
doubt. There is no candidate yet mentioned by any
man or party that offers a cleaner record, a more
honorable name, or who, if elected, would re
flect more honor or more credit upon the people
whom he serves."
In 1880 Mr. Dale was elected by a decided
majority to the office of Chief Burgess of Belle
fonte, and very acceptably to the people and with
credit to himself, served the borough in that
capacity. For ten years he had been the City
Solicitor of Bellefonte, which long term of serv
ice is of itself a , sufficient evidence of his capa
bility and popularity. Having descended from
Revolutionary stock, he belongs to a patriotic
family, having lost one brother in the Civil war,
and had another who distinguished himself and
added honor to the family name in that struggle.
Mr. Dale, himself, was but a lad at that time,
too young for service, but for the last decade or
more there has hardly passed a Decoration Day
that his voice has not been heard proclaiming
the heroism and sacrifice made by the ' ' boys in
blue." Our subject is a self-made man, and to
him is due the position in life he occupies — a
useful citizen and a lawyer whose energy, integ
rity, ability and honorable life adorn his pro
fession. On May 15, 1884, Mr. Dale was married to
Miss Sarah Davis Wilt, of Philadelphia, and
their children are: Mary Edith, born February
28, 1886, died suddenly in Philadelphia, June
22, 1889; Arthur Clement, born September 24,
1889; and Marion Ethel, born September 6,
1891. Mrs. Dale is a native of Allegheny, Penn.,
a daughter of Benjamin and Susannah H. (Dobbs)
Wilt, natives of Blair and Butler counties, Penn.,
respectively. When a child of five years of age,
Benjamin Wilt's parents, George and Margaret
Ann (Kuhns) Wilt, moved' to the vicinity of Kit-
tanning, in Armstrong county, Penn. , and there
passed their lives; both were born in Blair coun
ty. Mrs. Dale's grandparents on her mother's
side were Francis Dobbs and Sarah (Davis)
Dobbs, the former a native of Ohio, and the
latter of Lancaster county, Penn. After their
marriage they lived at Kittanning. Originally the
Wilts and Kuhns were from Germany, and the
Dobbses and Davises from England. The chil
dren of Benjamin Wilt and wife were: Sarah
Davis; Mary E., deceased; Lemuel and Edwin

M. The father was for many years a merchant
at Kittanning, and during Mrs. Dale's childhood
moved to Philadelphia, where he also engaged in
business, and where he was reared and educated.
He died in 1888.

CHRISTIAN DALE (I), the progenitor of
' the Dale family here in Centre county, came
to this country, arriving at Philadelphia, in 1749.
Ludwig Derr, in 1772, owned the tract of
land on which Lewisburg now stands, and that
year Christian Dale was living on that part of
the land known in 1877 as Col. Slifer's upper
farm near the iron bridge, which place Dale
cleared in 1772. He resided in Buffalo Valley,
in which he was one of the first settlers, during
the stirring times of the Revolution. In 1790 he
removed to the end of Nittany Mountain, now
College township, Centre county, where in 1796
he built a gristmill and sawmill. He was one of
those sterling old Germans to whom Pennsyl
vania owed so much, and whose walk in life was
measured by the rule: "Be just and fear not".
He died in July, 1805, at the age of seventy-two
years ; his wife Rachel passed away in Decem
ber, 1808, aged seventy-six years, and their
remains rest in the old Dale burying ground on
the hill back of Lemont. These pioneers came
to a vast wilderness, poor, and died at a ripe old
age, comparatively wealthy, leaving to their
children fine farms, and the inheritance of
names made noble by a long life of toil and
hardship. Their children were: Henry, Philip,
Felix, Frederick, Christian, Cornelius, Mary
(wife of Nicholas Straw, a soldier of the Revolu
tion), Eve (wife of Peter Earhart), and Rachel
(wife of Lewis Swinehart). Of these, Christian
and Frederick moved to Ohio ; the descendants
of the others are living in Centre county — they
are quite numerous and have always been exem
plary citizens. Henry Dale, the eldest child,
was born in Northampton county, in 1758. He
was a soldier with Washington at Trenton and
Princeton, in 1776-77, and served in militia
tours under Capt. Forster, of Buffalo Valley. On
November 19, 1787, he married Rebecca
Weberin, and their children were: Samuel, born
November 23, 1788 ; Henry, born November 17,
1793 ; and John, born November 25, 1797. His
second wife was Phillena  , whom he
married April 22, 1804 ; she died September 11,
1836. The children by this union were:
Christian, born December 20, 1806, and Henry
(2), born April 2, 18 13. The father of these
children died in the vicinity of Oak Hall March
14, 1844, aged eighty-six years. The gun, pow-

90

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

der-horn and fork, carried by him in the Revolu
tionary war, are in the possession of Clement
Dale, Esq., of Bellefonte.
Christian Dale (3), son of Henry Dale, died at
his home near Oak Hall, November 7, 1885.
His birth occurred December 20, 1806. His an
cestors had bought a large tract of land, which
they cleared and converted into several large
farms. Christian Dale (3) often said to his
children and others, that he well remembered
when there was no land cleared between Le-
mont and Bellefonte except a small piece where
William Grove lived in 1885 — a short distance
from Lemont. By strict integrity and close
economy Mr. Dale accumulated a large amount
of wealth, and his personal influence was of the
purest, and extended all over this section of the
country. He had a memory stored with more
unwritten or traditional history than, perhaps,
any other man in Centre county. He often re
marked to his children that where he used to
play when a child there he saw his grandchildren
play, meaning more particularly at a beautiful
spring of sparkling water, that finds its way from
the ground near the old homestead. He took
great delight in gathering his children, as well as
grandchildren, around him, and relating incidents
of early and pioneer life. Many an incident was
related by the venerable old man that will be re
membered through life by those who listened.
In politics he was a Republican, and in 1883 was
the nominee of the party for the office of associ
ate judge. His popularity in the county was
evidenced by the large vote he polled. He re
ceived the vote of many Democrats who full well
knew him to be a man eminently qualified in
every respect for such an important county office.
He was a consistent member of the Lutheran
Church from youth up, and always contributed
freely toward all religious and charitable pur
poses. The high esteem in which he was held
by all who knew him could not be more forcibly
manifested than by the large number of friends
that attended the funeral, which was one of the
largest in that part of the county for many years.
Mr. Dale was described as "a tall, portly, gray-
haired old gentleman, and as fine a type of man
hood as one can well imagine." On June. 20,
1826, Mr. Dale was married to Hannah Shoene-
berger, who died April 7, 1844, in her fortieth
year. Their children were: Susan, born April
29, 1827, married John Musser, of near Filmore;
Henry, born November 9, 1828, deceased;
George, born August 1,1831, resides near Lemont ;
William J., born June 22, 1833, lives near Pleas
ant Gap; Christian, born October 6, 1835, is
deceased; Solomon, born October 21, 1837,

served in the Civil war in Company A, 148th P.
V. I., and was lost at the battle of Spottsyl-
vania Court House, May 12, 1864; Mary C., born
October 1, 1839; Catherine married John Musser,
Jr.; Philip S., born May 31, 1842, resides near
Oak Hall; and Martin L. and Margaret L.
(twins), born April 3, 1844. By a second mar
riage, this time to Eliza Neff, there were born:
Austin W. , who is now living on the old home
stead; Alfred A., born July 29, 1849, of Belle
fonte; and Clement, born February 25, 185 1.
The mother of these died November 4, 1874, in
the sixty-second year of her age.
Capt. Christian Dale (4), son of Christian (3),
whose death occurred at his home in Benner
township, on December 1, 1895, m ^e sixty-
first year of his age, like his ancestor of the
Revolution, was a patriot. He was born and
raised on the old homestead, where he worked
through the summer season, and taught school
during the winters. On the breaking out of the
Civil war, he offered his services to his country,
enlisting at Boalsburg, and was made fourth cor
poral Company G, 49th P. V. I. On January 1 1 ,
1863, he was transferred to Company Ct and
promoted to sergeant. On December 24, 1863,
he re-enlisted as a veteran; on March 4, 1864, he
was commissioned a second lieutenant, and De
cember 18, following, was promoted to first lieu
tenant. On May 17, 1864, he received a shell
wound, and on June 9, 1865, he became captain
of Company H. He participated in every en
gagement in which his regiment took part, and
his record was a brilliant and daring one through
out the war. At the close of the war he re
turned with the regiment, and, coming home, re
sumed the life of a farmer. He started a grist
mill on his place near Pleasant Gap, which was
known as Logan Mills. For many years Capt.
Dale was secretary of the Centre County Fire
Insurance Company, P. of H. He was a mem
ber of the Union Veterans Legion No. 59, of
Bellefonte, and was their colonel in 1894; he
was also a member of Post No. 95, G. A. R., of
Bellefonte. Capt. Dale was a man of firm de
cision of character, and took a common-sense
view of everything. He had a kind word for
everybody, poor or rich, and was a Christian
His wife, who was Catherine Musser, and

man.

whom he married in 1867, preceded him to the
grave, dying in 1890.
Henry Dale, a brother of the Captain, died
at his home at Oak Hall in 1896. He was born
at the Dale homestead November 9, 1828, and
thronghout life was one of the county's most
successful farmers. He took a deep interest in
the Patrons of Husbandry, of which he was an

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

91

influential member. He belonged to the Lu
theran Church of Boalsburg, and was one of its
main supporters and pillars. He was an honest,
upright Christian gentleman, highly honored and
respected by a large circle of friends. He left,
surviving him, a widow and four children, namely:
Charles is a farmer near Lemont; Catherine M.
is residing at Centre Hall; Alice is the wife of
H. F. McGirk, of Altoona; and Miss Anna M.
is at home.
Austin W. Dale was born April 22, 1847, at
the Dale homestead near Oak Hall, where he is
now residing occupied in farming. He was mar
ried, in 1868, to Catherine Keller, a daughter of
David Keller, of Boalsburg, and the children
born to the marriage were: Luther K. , April
20, 1870; Clement G., October 8, 1871; Chris
tian K. (deceased), December 14, 187-; Mar
garet E., April 3, 1878, died January 20, 1879;
and Ellen E., January 10, 1880. The mother
of these died March 29, 1883, in her thirty-
fourth year, and September 25, 1884, Mr. Dale
was married to Rachel E. Meyer, who was born
August 8, 1847, a daughter of Henry and Cath
erine (Hoffer) Meyer, of near Boalsburg. Henry
Meyer was a son of Henry Meyer, Sr.
Alfred A. Dale, a well-known attorney at
Bellefonte, where he has been engaged in the prac
tice of law for nearly a quarter of a century,
was born and reared on his father's farm, where
his early years and young manhood was passed
not unlike that of the general farmer's son. His
early schooling was received in the common
schools of the neighborhood, and in a private
school held on the Dr. Hammil homestead. He
was prepared for college at the Boalsburg Acade
my, and was graduated from Pennsylvania Col
lege, Gettysburg, in 1874. Immediately after
ward he began the study of the law, under the late
D. S. Keller, of Bellefonte, and was admitted to
the Bar of Centre county at the August term of
court, in 1876. "Al Dale," as he is familiarly
called, has taken quite an active part in politics,
and in 1892 was one of the Republican nominees
for the General Assembly; but with the rest of
that ticket he was defeated at the election in the
Democratic land-slide of that year. The home
paper in commenting on Mr. Dale's nomination
said: "In A. A. Dale the voters of Centre
county have a man whose ancestors were among
the very earliest settlers of Centre county. Mr.
Dale was born here, raised on the farm, and
always took a deep interest and active part in all
that pertained to the best interests of the county.
He is, without doubt, one of the best qualified
men for the Legislature that has been nominated
in the county for years."

OBERT McCAY FOSTER was born No
vember 14, i860, at the old Foster home
stead, State College, Penn. He is a son of Capt.
Robert M. Foster, who was born in Union county,
in 1826, where he grew to manhood, and married
Miss Delilah Smith, a descendant of a well-
known German family, of Snyder county.
Soon after his marriage, Capt. Foster pur
chased a tract of land, about 130 acres, adjoin
ing the lands owned by State College, and settled
down to agricultural pursuits. He was a devout
Presbyterian, and in his political affiliation he
was a Democrat, patriotic to the core, and pos
sessing the qualities which fitted a man for
leadership. The war of the Rebellion called him
from his private life to serve in defense of the
government. He raised Company C, 148th Reg
iment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, of which he
was commissioned captain, and so distinguished
himself by his gallant conduct, that at the battle
of Gettysburg he held the rank of acting colonel.
On the second day of that momentous struggle,
while in charge of his command, in the wheat
field, he met a soldier's death. His widow died
December 27, 1895, and both lie buried in
Branch Cemetery, State College, Pennsylvania.
Robert M. Foster was the youngest of six
children, of whom Thomas and William are now
engaged in the wholesale grocery business, in
Philadelphia., three daughters having died in in
fancy. The subject of this sketch was very early in
life thrown upon his own resources, but with a
noble mother's care, and by his own industry and
economy, managed to get a good public-school
education, and finally in 1878 entered Pennsyl
vania State College. After completing his course,
he accepted the position of bookkeeper for the
firm of Smith, Foster & Co., the prominent
wholesale grocers of Philadelphia, with whom he
is now connected. His knowledge of business,
his integrity and faithful services, so endeared
him to his firm that, upon the recent death of
the senior member, he was honored by being
made one of the executors. In 1896 he received
nomination for member of the House of Repre
sentatives. The campaign of that year was hotly
contested, and notwithstanding the Republican
nominee for president, Hon. William McKinley,
carrying the county by over 400 majority, he, as
a candidate on the Democratic ticket, carried the
county by 580. His work as a legislator was so
pleasing to the G. A. R., that, when the vacancy
on the Commission of Soldiers' Orphan Schools
was caused by the death of Hon. McCauley Cook,
his appointment for this position was requested
by them. The Speaker of the House, Hon. H.

92

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

K. Boyer, when making this appointment said
that "it gave him much pleasure to do so,"
owing to the fact that Mr. Foster's father, Capt.
Robert M. Foster, was killed at the battle of
Gettysburg. His Legislative record is above re
proach. His work, pertaining to measures bear
ing upon educational matters, has been very
commendable. In 1 893 Mr. Foster was married to Mary Ella
Snyder, a daughter of Thompson A. Snyder, a
retired engineer and veteran of the Civil war.
They have one son, Robert M. Foster, Jr. In
private life Mr. Foster is very domestic. His
home is, at all times, open to his friends, of
whom he has many. He is popular among all
classes, generous to the fault, and a native of
the place. It is his pride to be most honored
where he is best known, and, as his influence
has extended, none have given him more hearty
esteem and appreciation than the people who
have watched his progress from boyhood.

fAMES HAMILTON. This venerable Chris
tian gentleman, and esteemed citizen of Belle
fonte, who has lived a score or more of years
beyond man's allotted time on earth, and who is
probably the oldest native citizen of Centre
county now living — at the age of ninety-three
years — is residing in a comfortable lgome made
happy by the presence of the good wife — an
octogenarian — the two passing the evening of
their lives amid plenty and in the enjoyment of
good health. At this writing (January 4, 1898),
Mr. Hamilton is in reasonable health for a man
of his age, and, as has been his usual habit, he
has just completed making presents to his wife,
children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Mr. Hamilton's parents were Joseph and
Rachel (Carr) Hamilton, the parents of both of
whom came from Ireland and settled in Centre
county some time in the latter part of the
eighteenth century. Joseph Hamilton was a son
of a sea captain, and was only a boy when
brought to America by his mother, and by trade
became a shoemaker. The grandfather of our
subject on his mother's side was James Carr, a
farmer in the vicinity of Pine Grove. Our sub
ject was the only child of Joseph Hamilton; the
mother was twice married, her second husband
being John Morris, whom She married when
young Hamilton was small, so that Mr. Morris is
the only father that he remembers. By the
second marriage were born: Wharton, Jonathan,
Reuben, Elizabeth. Margaret and Jane. When
James was a mere lad Mr. Morris met with an
accident by which he was crippled, so from

necessity he early began to labor and assist in
the support of the family, receiving his schooling
at intervals in the subscription schools of his
neighborhood as best he could. At the time of
his birth (April 4, 1804) his parents were living
about a mile west of Pine Grove, on what is now
the Ross farm. Subsequently they removed
down to Dunlop's, and at the age of six or eight
years the lad, James, entered the employ of
Boggs & Boyer, then operating Logan Forge
and Furnace, as successors of John Dunlop. He
began by sifting iron with a hand riddle, which
occupation he followed four years at 30 cents a
day, commencing his work before sunrise and
continuing until sundown. From the age of
thirteen until he was nineteen he worked at
Stop's Gap, driving team, or working at whatever
he could do, and during this time he had the
advantage of three months' schooling, at night
only. In 181 5 the iron works were leased by the
Valentine Brothers, who subsequently, in connec
tion with William A. Thornas, purchased them
and enlarged them, and with these gentlemen
young Hamilton remained employed at the
works, rising step by step until he became their
manager at the Furnace. While with both these
men he was regular in his business habits — not
losing a day's time in upward of sixteen years;
learned habits of industry and economy, was
courteous, kind and affable to all, which made
him a popular and useful citizen, and led the
way to the success in life he has attained. He
received $300 a year, and boarded with George
and Abram Valentine. From his savings early
in the ' ' forties " he purchased two hundred acres
of land of George Meese, the father of John
Meese, a merchant of Bellefonte; some twenty or
more acres were cleared and under fence, and on
it was the stone house built by George Meese in
1824. Here Mr. Hamilton retired and led a
farmer's life for upward of forty years, when he
moved to Bellefonte. He was one of the active
men of Pleasant Gap neighborhood in religious
matters, and in 1850, when the Methodist Church
Society was formed, he and M. P. Weaver were
appointed a building committee for erecting a
house of worship. Subsequently, in 1875, anew
church edifice was built costing some $3,000,
which later became the property of the two gen
tlemen above named.
In January, 1841, Mr. Hamilton was united
in marriage with Hannah Waddle, a native of
Centre county, born at Rock Forge April 26,
1817, a- daughter of Thomas and Hannah (Ben
ner) Waddle, and to the union were born:
Abram V. married Catherine Marton; Sarah mar
ried E. D. Satterfield, now v deceased; Laura is

JAHES HAHILTOH

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

93

the wife of Capt. Samuel H. Williams, promi
nent in business circles of Bellefonte; Merrilla
married William Dawson; and Mary is the wife
of John Noll; all are residents of Bellefonte.
Mr. Morris, stepfather of our subject, died about
1824, and the former's wife, whose declining
years were made pleasant and comfortable by the
son, James, died near the end of the year 1865.
Mrs. Hannah (Waddle) Hamilton descended
from one of the many prominent families of Cen
tre county. Her maternal grandfather, Gen.
Philip Benner, and his father before him, were
both patriots of the Revolution, the latter being
captured and imprisoned. After the Revolution,
the General was engaged in the iron business in
Chester county, this State, the place of his nativ
ity. He married Ruth Roberts, and in 1792 pur
chased the Rock Forge lands on Spring creek,
Centre county, to engage in the iron business,
and from that forward until his death was prom
inently identified with that business and the busi
ness interests and property of Centre county.
He brought workmen with him from Chester
county and commenced his improvements in May,
r793. at Rock, erecting a house and sawmill; and
in 1794 he erected his first forge, and the first in
what is now Centre county, the forge making
iron that year. He then erected a gristmill, and
in 1799 a slitting mill. In 1800 he built another
forge, and afterward added a nailmill, furnace,
etc. He was an earnest Democrat, and was
twice a Presidential elector.
Thomas Waddle, the father of Mrs. Hamil
ton, came from Chester county with Gen. Ben
ner; was his bookkeeper and general utility man,
married one of his daughters, and passed an act
ive business life, dying in Centre February 25,
1825, aged forty-eight years. His wife Hannah
died April 11, 1854, aged sixty-seven years. Re
ferring to some early surveys of what is now
Centre county, a writer says: " The old Wad
dle place is on the survey in the name of Edward
Crawford, Warrantee of July 1, 1784. The
Waddle farm, owned by Joseph Allender at his
death, and sold to Gen. Benner in 1805, was
probably one of the oldest settled places on Lo
gan's Branch. Allender bought of Col. Thomas
Hartley in 1793."
The children of Thomas Waddle were nine in
number: Ruth B. , married to William Wilson,
of Cedar Springs; Eliza; Philip Benner, late of
Patton township; Mordecai, late of Spring town
ship, who served as sheriff of Centre county from
1854 to 1857; Mary, the wife of Samuel Griffith,
of Bellefonte; Hannah, the wife of our subject;
Thomas, a resident of Jersey Shore; James; and
Sarah, who married Mark Williams; all are now

deceased excepting Sarah, Mary, Thomas and
Hannah; seven were living in 1882. The family
was remarkable for longevity of life. Philip Ben
ner Waddle was one of the constituent members
of the M. E. Church of Fillmore, organized in
1843, at which time he was appointed a class
leader, and served as such uninterruptedly fifty-
two years.
Returning to our subject and wife, we will
add that they are a remarkable couple — their
lives spanning almost a century of an eventful
period of the country's history, and a wedded
life of fifty-seven years. Hale and hearty for one
of his years, father Hamilton retains a face almost
free from wrinkles, one that wears a kindly smile
for every one. He retains his mental faculties,
and both the senses of seeing and hearing are
good. He has been almost free from sickness
throughout his long life, hardly experiencing an
ache or pain. His first Presidential vote was
cast for Gen. Jackson. Later he became a Whig
and then a Republican. He has been a member
of the M. E. Church since 1840. The wife, too,
is well preserved, and is as active and sprightly
as most women, of fifty. She, too, has been
identified with the M. E. Church from her early
years.

PROF. LOUIS E. REBER, M. S. The
Pennsylvania State College has enlisted in
its service a corps of instructors whose intelli
gence and professional skill are an honor to the
institution, and their loyalty and devotion to her
best interests has brought to a happy realization
that noble ideal which has established, in the name
of the Commonwealth, the means whereby the
pathway to knowledge is made easy of access.
Among those who have labored most effectively
to build up the college, Prof. Louis E. Reber,
Dean of the School of Mechanical Engineering,
is deserving of special mention, as it is mainly
to his zealous efforts that the department owes
its foundation and steadily increasing success.
Prof. Reber's ancestry on both sides was of
German stock; both parents, however, were na
tives of Pennsylvania, the father, Jacob Reber,
born in 1809, and the mother, Elizabeth Ehr-
hart, in 18 — -. Their marriage occurred in Cen
tre county, and here they afterward made their
home, in Nittany Valley. The father died in
1877, and the mother in 1881. They were suc
cessful farming people. Their children were:
Amanda, wife of John H. Beck, a farmer and
merchant of Lock Haven, Penn. ; Abigail, wife
of John M. Krape, a retired merchant of Salona,
Penn. ; William F., who was the Executive clerk

94

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

of Pennsylvania under Gov. Pattison, and now
a resident of Philadelphia; Henrietta, the wife
of H. H. Walker, of Lock Haven, Penn. ; Mary
E., who died at the age of seventeen; and Louis
E., our subject.
Prof. Reber was born at Nittany, Centre coun
ty, February 27, 1858. In 1880 he was gradu
ated from The Pennsylvania State College. After
two years spent in teaching and further study at
that institution, he devoted one year to post
graduate work at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology. In 1884 he returned to The Penn
sylvania State College to take charge of the de
partment of Mechanic Arts. In 1886 the chair
of Mechanical Engineering having been estab
lished, he became Professor of Mechanical En
gineering, a title which, in connection with that
of Dean of the School of Engineering, he still
holds. Prof. Reber is a member of the American So
ciety of Mechanical Engineers; of the Society of
Naval Architects and Marine Engineers; of the
American Association for the Advancement of
Science, and the American Society for the Pro
motion of Engineering Education. He was com
missioner for the State of Pennsylvania to the
Paris Exposition of 1889, and assistant executive
commissioner, in charge of collecting and in
stalling Pennsylvania's Mining Exhibit at the
World's Fair in Chicago, and, later, judge of
awards in the Machinery Department.

WON. PHILIP E. WOMELSDORF, ex-
 member of the General Assembly of the
Commonwealth from Centre county, and a prom
inent mining engineer, was born in Pottsville,
Schuylkill Co., Penn., September 17, 1859.
The ancestry of the Womelsdorf family on
the paternal side emigrated from the province of
Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, sometime in the
seventeenth century, and founded the beautiful
little town of Womelsdorf in Berks county, Penn.
From them has descended a large number of the
Germans of that region, who for their great
patience, confidence and steadfastness of pur
pose, are distinguishable as the true types of the
Pennsylvania Germans. Womelsdorf was laid
out in 1762, by John Womelsdorf, and is noted
as being one of the points at which the "Father
of his Country " stopped — Gen. Washington
having remained over night there, November 13,
l793- On his mother's side, the Mills were
Puritans, and the records show that many of
them have won distinction in the Revolutionary
war for their loyalty and bravery. Mr. Womels
dorf was educated in the common schools of the

town in which he was born, and was graduated
therefrom in June, 1876. He then spent one
year in a business college, and another in work
ing in the tanneries of Warren county. Early in
1878 he entered the services of his brother, A.
J. Womelsdorf, and the Girard estate in 'Schuyl
kill county, as a mining engineer, and for four
years worked in a very large number of the great
anthracite coal mines of that region, in his pro
fession. He came to the bituminous region in
1882, operating at Houtzdale, Osceola and Phil
ipsburg, and since that time he has been inter
ested in the development of the mines of these
and other bituminous regions, and is still actively
pursuing that profession. In September, 1894,
he was nominated for the Legislature by the Re
publicans of Centre county, and was elected the
same fall. He served the county in this position
very creditably to himself and acceptably to his
constituents. His colleague from the county
was the Hon. Harry R. Curtin. Two years
later both gentlemen were again nominated for
the same position', but were defeated at the elec
tion by the present members of that body, who
are Democratic in politics. After their second
nomination the press in October, 1896, thus al
luded to them: " For Assembly our candidates
are Harry R. Curtin, of Boggs township, and P.
E. Womelsdorf, of Philipsburg. They have
both served one term in the Lower House; they
have both been candid, upright and unceasing in
the discharge of their legislative duties. Each
one has come up to his present position from the
ranks of labor. They are both examples of what
honest labor, good morals and intelligent action
will achieve."
Mr. Womelsdorf is a man of acknowledged
ability, honorable, honest and upright in his deal
ings with his fellow men, and as a recognition of his
manly qualities he was elected a member of the
town council of Philipsburg, a position he held three
years. On September 21, 1882, our subject was
married to Mary A. Bechtel, and their children
are: Philip Campbell and Frances B.

1JR V. HOYT, of Philipsburg, Centre county,
Jt&j^ is an expert civil and mining engineer, and
his success demonstrates the wisdom of choosing
an occupation that is in line with one's inclina
tions. He is of a studious turn of mind, and
aside from his scientific work has read extensively
of the best literature. His family, which is of
English origin, has been identified with Clear
field county for many years, his paternal grand
father, with several brothers and sisters, having
come from Vermont to Pennsylvania in 18 19.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

95

Mr. Hoyt was born at Clearfield, Penn., Jan
uary 30, 1851, and his early years were spent at
the old home in Clearfield county. At the age
of thirteen he accompanied his parents to Osceola
and there took advantage of the public schools,
preparing for a collegiate course. His bent
toward engineering manifested itself with unusual
clearness, and in 1865 he began to study in that
line-. Later he attended St. Francis College, at
Loretto, Penn., for two years, and then began
practical work in his chosen profession, assisting
in railroad surveys. After a time he opened an
office in Philipsburg, but in 1875 he went west
to engage in professional work in California and
Nevada. During his stay of five years on the
Pacific coast, for fifteen months he edited the
Independent, a weekly newspaper at Cherry
Creek, Nev. The price — $10.00 per year or
twenty-five cents per copy — would indicate to an
Eastern journalist that he had struck a bonanza;
but in that land of inflated prices he was able
merely to hold his own, and finally sold the paper
and went out of the business. Returning to
Philipsburg, he resumed his regular work, and
has since continued it with signal success. Mr.
Hoyt is married and has five children, four girls
and one boy: Edwin F. , Mary, Juanita, Joseph
ine and Jenevieve. Mr. Hoyt is racognized as a
progressive and scholarly man, being secretary of
the Philipsburg Board of Trade. In political
faith he is a Republican, and is recognized as one
of the active workers of his party. Mr. Hoyt's
one brother is in the Government employ under
the civil service law, as an architect, and at
present writing is U. S. superintendent of con
struction at Little Rock, Arkansas.

C\OL. JAMES F. WEAVER. The history
_' of a State as well as that of a nation is
chiefly the chronicle of the lives and deeds of
those who have conferred honor and dignity upon
society. The world judges the character of a
community by that of its representative citizens,
and yields its tribute of admiration and respect
for the genius, learning or virtues of those whose
works and actions constitute the record of a
State's prosperity and pride. Among the prom
inent and leading citizens of central Pennsylva
nia is Col. Weaver, whose home is in Boggs
township, Centre county.
A native of that county, he was born in
Spring township, November 6, 1830, and is a
son of John and Elizabeth (Poorman) Weaver,
natives of Dauphin and Centre counties, Penn.,
respectively. During his early life the father, in
company with his brother, Daniel, engaged in

milling, leasing a mill at Bellefonte in 1808, but
his later days were spent in farming in Spring
township. He and his brother Daniel erected
the stone building on Allegheny street in Belle
fonte, then known as the Centre County Bank,
now known as the late residence of R. C. Cur
tin, Esq. During the war of 18 12 he was
drafted, but sent a substitute. In religious be
lief he was a Presbyterian, and his political sup
port was ever given the Democratic party. He
died in 1841, aged fifty-eight years. His wife
was called to her final rest in 1847, at the age of
sixty-two years. She was the daughter of Mi
chael and Mary A. Poorman, natives of Pennsyl
vania, who early became residents of Centre
county, where they spent their remaining days.
The paternal grandfather of our subject was
John Frederick Weaver.
The Colonel is one of a family of nine chil
dren, who in order of birth are as follows: Mary
A. (widow of W. A. Davidson), residing in Chi
cago; David, who died in 1879; Harriet, who
married John P. Harper, but both are now de
ceased; George B. , deceased; Michael P., of
Centre county; John J., of West Union, Iowa;
William, who died when young; and James F.,
the subject of this sketch.
When Col. Weaver was but ten years of age,
his father died, and Hon. James Gilliland was
appointed his guardian; but he continued to live
with his mother until the age of sixteen. After
reaching that age he was bound out to learn the
carpenter's trade; but owing to ill health he was
compelled to give it up. He then entered a
printing office, with his brother George B. , in
Clarion county, Penn., and on the completion of
his apprenticeship worked at the business in New
York, Philadelphia and Baltimore for about a
year, after which he returned to Bellefonte,
where for the following year he followed mer
chandising. In 1852 he purchased the Centre
Democrat, remaining as the editor and proprie
tor of that paper for two years and a half, when
he sold out and engaged in mercantile pursuits at
Milesburg until after the outbreak of the Civil
war. On August 8, 1862, Mr. Weaver was com
missioned second lieutenant, by Gov. Curtin,
with the power to raise a company, which be
came Company B, of the 148th P. V. I. In
September of the same year he was commissioned
captain, and subsequently promoted to major,
lieutenant-colonel and colonel of the same regi
ment. With the Army of the Potomac he par
ticipated in many of the engagements in which
they took part, leading his men on many a
Southern battle field. By his gallant service and

96

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

agreeable manner he won the respect of his fel
low officers, and the love and confidence of those
under him. The war being ended, he was hon
orably discharged June 8, 1865, near Alexandria,
Va. At Poe River, Va., May 8, 1864, he re
ceived a scalp wound, caused by a piece of shell.
On returning to his home at Milesburg, he re
sumed merchandising, which he carried on for
three years in connection with J. P. Shope, and
then sold out to his partner, and purchased his
present homestead in Boggs township, where he
has since continuously resided.
On December 23, 185 1, Col. Weaver was
married to Miss Mary M. Hall, who was born at
Milesburg, September 25, 1831, a daughter of
Thomas M. and Euretta (Roberts) Hall, also na
tives of Centre county, where they spent their
entire lives. By occupation the father was an
ironworker. He was elected high sheriff, in
1845, and served as sheriff of the county for
three years. He died in 1879 at the age of sev
enty-two years, his wife in 1876 at the age of
sixty-nine years. Mrs. Weaver is one in a fam
ily of eleven children: James S. is deceased;
Benjamin R. is a resident of Chicago; Henry B.
is deceased; William T. lives in Milesburg; Dr.
George, M. D., is deceased; Joseph G. lives in
Kansas City, Mo. ; Mary M. is now Mrs. Weaver;
Ellen B. , the widow of Joseph Swyers, lives in
Howard, Penn.; Elizabeth is the wife of J. T.
Reed, Esq., of Williamsport, Penn.; Isabella B.
is the wife of J. C. P. Jones, of Milesburg; and
Clara is the deceased wife of A. Thompson Boggs,
a merchant of Milesburg. Four children were
born to the Colonel and his wife, viz: Eliza
beth, at home; J. Willis and James H., specially
mentioned farther on; and one who died in
infancy. Col. Weaver has taken a prominent and in
fluential part in public affairs, was elected county
treasurer in October, 1871, for two years, and in
the fall of 1876 was elected to represent his
county in the State Legislature. He has also
held various local offices, all of which he has
filled with credit to himself, and to the satisfac
tion of his constituents, proving a most efficient
and popular official. In January, 1885, Gov.
Robert E. Pattison appointed him a member of
the Commission whose duties were to erect the
State Industrial Reformatory at Huntingdon.
He continued to serve on said commission until
the institution was completed, and turned over
to the State. He is a stanch supporter of
Democratic principles. He has been an earnest,
energetic member of the order of Patrons of
Husbandry for the last twenty-five years, and
deeply interested in. the education and elevation

of the great Agricultural class of the country, and
has devoted much time in Grange work in Centre
and other adjoining counties. Since 1853 he
has been a faithful member of the Methodist
Church at Milesburg, and filled the positions of
trustee, Sunday-school superintendent, class lead
er and steward. His entire life being passed in
Centre county, he is numbered among its most
valued citizens who have been devoted to the
public welfare; and his honorable, upright life
has won him a host of warm personal friends.
He has manifested the same loyalty in days of
peace as in days of war, and all who know him
have for him the highest regard.
J. Willis, the elder son of Col. Weaver, mar
ried Miss Blanche Holmes, daughter of Robert
F. and Bethsheba Holmes, and they have two
sons: Ralph and Max. James H. , the younger
son of Col. Weaver, married Alice M. Wagner,
daughter of John M. Wagner, of Boggs town
ship, and they have seven children: J. Fred Wea
ver, Stella, Nellie, Edith, Clarence, Mary Mar
garet and Paul, all yet living except Mary
Margaret, who died October 27, 1897.

SVAMUEL H. WILLIAMS, one of Bellefonte's
) able and enterprising merchants, is a man
whose history bears witness to a high ideal of
citizenship. A gallant soldier, a successful busi
ness man, a progressive and public-spirited citi
zen, his example is worthy of emulation.
On his father's side, Capt. Williams descended
from an old Dutch family that lived in Lancaster
county; Penn. His ancestors, however, had re
sided farther east prior to their location in this
State. David F. Williams, his grandfather, a
hatter by trade, was born in Lancaster county,
and married Miss Lydia Scott, a member of one
of the pioneer families of Chester county. He
passed the last years of his life with a daughter,
Elizabeth, who had married James Canon and
lived at Port Matilda, in Centre county. Of his
other children: one son was killed in the Mexican
war; Thomas F. died in Lancaster county, Penn.;
and John F. became the father of our subject.
The latter was a native of Chester county, and
he, too, made choice of the hatter's trade, and
located at Downingtown, in that- county. He
married Eliza Bunting, a daughter .of Samuel
Bunting, who came from the North of Ireland
with his wife and settled on a farm on Muddy
run in Chester county, which is still in the pos
session of the Bunting family. Of the six chil
dren of John F. and wife, our subject was the
eldest, the others being: Morgan R. , who en
tered the army from Chester county, serving in

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

97

the io6th.P. V, I., and died from the effects of
wounds received in the battle of Fair Oaks;
David, who died from inflammatory rheumatism;
Horatio, now engaged in business in California;
and John and Annie, both of whom died in in
fancy. Capt. Williams is a native of Chester county,
where his birth occurred March 19, 1839. At
the age of fifteen he left his early home to learn
the trade of house painting with his uncle by
marriage, a resident of Stormstown, Centre
county. His apprenticeship was barely ended
when the Civil war broke ojjt, and he was among
the first to answer President Lincoln's call for de
fenders, enlisting April 19, 1861, in Company H,
7th P. V. I. In August of that year he returned
home, his term having expired; but in February,
1862, he re-enlisted in Company H, 56th P. V.
I., and served until hostilities ended, receiving
his discharge July 1, 1865. His regiment was
incorporated in the Army of the Potomac at its
organization, and his entire service was in con
nection with it, and ended only with its disband-
ment. Capt. Williams was a gallant soldier, and
his military record is a highly honorable one,
and is one to which his children and his chil
dren's children can refer to with pride. Enlist
ing as a private soldier, he rose step by step until
he became captain. For a time he served as a
musician; became a sergeant, was commissioned
second lieutenant of Company H, 56th P. V. I. ;
was breveted first lieutenant and commissioned
October, 1864; was breveted captain of Com
pany I, same regiment, and commissioned in Feb
ruary, 1865. He shared the fate of the Army of
the Potomac from the beginning to the end, par
ticipating in the numerous skirmishes and en
gagements of the regiment, among which were:
Gainsville, Croveton, Second Bull Run, South
Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancel
lorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Cold Har
bor, in front of Petersburg, Hatcher's Run, Yel
low House and Five Forks. The Captain re-
enlisted in 1S64 as a veteran.
At the close of the war Capt. Williams lo
cated at Philipsburg, in Centre county, where he
followed his trade until 1868, when he moved to
Bellefonte, which borough has since been his
place of business and home. He has for years
been engaged in business in the line of paints,
oils, wall paper, picture frames, etc. He is
active and influential in business circles and es
pecially interested and prominent in military
affairs. For the past fifteen years, or longer,
Capt. Williams has been identified with the N.
G. P.; in 1880 and 1881 he was on Gen.
Beaver's staff; and for several years following

this he was on the staff of Gen. Wylie as ¦brigade
commissary sergeant of the 2nd Brigade of the
N. G. P. He served eight years as quartermas
ter of the 5th Regiment N. G. P., commanded
by Col. Birchfield, his term expiring February
28, 1897. I11 politics he is a Republican, and
for five years he served as a school director, and
six years as a member of the borough council.
Socially he is a member of the F. & A. M. ; of
the G. A. R. Post at Bellefonte, of which he is
past commander; also past colonel of Camp 59,
U. V. L.
On November 1, 1865, Mr. Williams was
married to Miss Sarah McMillen, a native of
Huntingdon county, Penn., and to this marriage
were born four children, namely: Horatio C. , a
painter by trade, who married Miss Delia Osmer;
John H., also a painter, who married Miss
Myrtle Bullock; Ella, the wife of A. Lincoln Mc-
Ginley, and has two children — Sarah and Mar
gery; and Willis Edgar, at home. Mrs. Williams
died in 1880, and in 1880 Mr. Williams was
united in marriage with Miss Laura E. Hamilton,
and they have one child, Marilla, born at Belle1
fonte on December 4, 1883, and now one of the
bright girls of the Bellefonte High School. The
mother, Mrs. Laura E. Williams, a daughter of
the venerable James Hamilton and wife, of Belle
fonte, a record of whose lives is given elsewhere
in this volume, was born on the old Hamilton
homestead near Pleasant Gap, in Centre county,
where she received the benefit of the neighbor
hood schools, but later was sent to the boarding
school at Jacksonville, where her education was
completed. Mrs. Williams has been a member
of the M. E. Church from girlhood, and is active
in the Ladies Auxiliary society of. the, Church.
She is an estimable lady. ..::. -\

JOHN IRVIN THOMPSON, Jr.;, M. S. A,, the
able and efficient bookkeeper at the Penn
sylvania State College, is also well known in
that section as a progressive agriculturist and a
reliable and substantial business man. He was
born October 11, 1843, at Centre Furnace, Cen
tre county, and is a son of Moses and Mary
(Irvin) Thompson.
The early years of our subject were spent at
his native place, and in 1859, having progressed
beyond the somewhat limited course offered in
the local schools, he entered The Farmer's High
School for a wider range of study. His course,
however, was interrupted early in the war of the
Rebellion by his enlistment in the Pennsylvania
State Militia; but, after a few weeks of guard

m

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

duty at Chambersburg, he returned to his books.
In 1863 another call to arms met his response,
and he spent two months in service in Somerset
and Bedford counties. He should have gradua
ted with the class of '62, but owing to these
hindrances he did not receive his diploma until
the following year. From 1 864 to 1 869 he was
engaged in bookkeeping at the Milesburg Iron
Works and at Centre Furnace, and then he and
his father and brother William formed the firm
of John I. Thompson & Co., and opened a bank
at Lemont. For a time it was successful, but, a
panic threatening, the firm decided to return all
deposits and close up the business. Mr. Thomp
son next became interested in the coal and grain
business at Lemont, and continued in the busi
ness until 1890, since which time he has filled
the position of bookkeeper at the Pennsylvania
State College, and has also kept the accounts of
the Experiment Station there.
On October 12. 1870, Mr. Thompson was
united in matrimony with Miss Elizabeth Boal,
who was born at Boalsburg, January 8, 1846.
'Five exceptionally bright and intelligent children
are entering upon useful and honorable careers
under the watchful care of their parents: Mary
Irvin is a student in the Woman's Medical Col
lege at Philadelphia; Helen assists her father in
the office; George Boal is attending dental col
lege in Philadelphia; Bess B. is a member of the
class of 'gy at State College; and Charles is also
a student at State College. Mr. Thompson has
a pleasant home at Lemont, is an elder in the
Presbyterian Church at that place, and takes a
generous interest in all enterprises that promise
to result in good to the community. He is an
ardent friend of temperance, and votes the Pro
hibition ticket.
The Thompson family is of Scotch-Irishstock,
and our subject is of the fifth generation in de
scent from the original emigrant who crossed the
ocean about 1745. Gen. John Thompson, our
subject's grandfather, married Elizabeth McFar-
lane, whose grandfather, Matthew Louden, a
Covenanter, was driven from his home in Scot
land by the religious persecutions of his day.
Elizabeth McFarlane was the daughter of James
McFarlane, a lieutenant in the Continental army,
who was attached to Gen. Morgan's brigade, and
who was captured by the British at Fort Green
in the Hudson river above New York City, re
maining a prisoner until the close of the war,
after which he married Mary Louden. Gen.
Thompson's wife moved from Mifflin county,
Penn., in 1809, and settled upon a farm in what
is now College township (then Ferguson, and,
later, a part of Harris township). In 1814 Gen.

Thompson built a substantial stone house near
the log cabin in which he had first made his
home. Moses Thompson, the second son of this wor
thy pioneer couple, was born March 25, 1810,
and his reminiscences cover an interesting por
tion of the early history. Young as he was at
the time, yet he remembered the excitement
caused by the soldiers of the war of 18 12, the^
troops passing his father's house in going to or
returning from Erie by way of Bellefonte. His
mother, a devout woman of lovely character, in
structed him in the feith of her forefathers until
her death, which occurred in the spring of 1822,
when he was twelve years old. The educational
advantages offered by the subscription schools of
that time and locality were meager, as the funds
available were not sufficient to secure competent
teachers, and men who had failed in every other
line of work, or who through age or ill health
were fit for nothing else, were usually employed,
and Mr. Thompson fared no better than other
farmers' sons. At the age of nineteen or twenty
he assumed the responsibility of the farm, thus
relieving his father from care, and one of his first
acts was to banish liquor from the place, not
withstanding the fact that it was universally
used, especially in harvest time. After his
father's death, in 1832, the care of the family
devolved upon him, and this heavy burden on
him while yet a youth so aged him that he was
at that time considered by all his acquaintances
as an "old man." He managed the farm with
economy, energy and industry, until 1839, when
he left it to his brothers.
Mary Irvin, to whom he was married, was a
daughter of John and Ann (Watson) Irvin, of
Harris township, Centre county. For a year
they lived at the old homestead, but on April r,
1839, they moved to a farm which he had pur
chased a short time before. It lies near Oak
Hall factory, and is now owned by the heirs of
Dr. E. W. Hale. During this three-year resi
dence and ownership, he made many improve
ments, and ,his industry and economy were re
warded by a profit of $500 per year. On April
1, 1842, he removed to Centre Furnace, having
purchased from Gen. James Irvin, his brother-in-
law, a sixth interest in Centre Furnace and Miles
burg Iron Works. In 1848, in company with
his brother, William Thompson, he purchased of
William Irvin a sixth interest in the same works,
but, later, Moses Thompson bought his brother's
interest, thus becoming owner of one-third of
both properties. In August, 1864, he bought
one-half of Gen. Irvin's interest, the other half
having been taken by Dr. J. M. McCoy and

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

•99

James H. Linn. On September 23, 1865, he
sold his half interest in the Milesburg Iron Works
to Messrs. McCoy and Linn, and bought their in
terest in Centre Furnace, becoming the sole
owner. His real-estate transactions were a
source of profit, and at his death he was the
largest land owner of Centre county, one of his
estates comprising 6,000 acres in one tract.
Many enterprises have felt the influence of
his energetic support. He, with his partners,
Gen. James Irvin and Hon. Andrew Gregg, sub
scribed a large part of the stock of the Bald
Eagle Valley canal. He also contributed liber
ally to the building of the Bald Eagle Valley
railroad, and gave more than any one else of
money, time and oversight to the construction
of the Boalsburg and Bellefonte turnpike and
the Agricultural College and Junction turnpike.
He was one of the largest (if not the largest)
contributors in the county to the Lewisburg, Cen
tre & Spruce Creek railroad, and assisted greatly
in establishing upon an efficient basis the Penn
sylvania State College, of which he was treasurer
for many years.
The influence of his mother's moral teachings
was never lost, and at an early age he united
with the Spring Creek Presbyterian Church, in
which he long held the office of ruling elder. He
never permitted his name to appear as a candi
date for public office, although as a private citi
zen he took keen interest in the country's welfare.
Despite the anxieties of his life, and his un
remitting devotion to business, he lived past the
allotted term of man. He was possessed of
splendid physique, stood six feet high, straight as
an arrow, and weighed over two hundred pounds.
Eminently successful in all his undertakings, he
was one of Centre county's representative self-
made men. He began life with only a seventh
interest in his father's farm, and the courage, en
terprise and judgment which enabled him to gain
his fortune teach an encouraging lesson. His
endurance, foresight and business tact were tested
to the utmost during the panic of 1857, when
only the closest attention to his imperiled inter
ests saved them from failure. He died June 19,
1 89 1, aged eighty-one years, two months and
twenty-five days. His wife died August 22, 1890.
In his old age Moses Thompson had the su
preme satisfaction of seeing his children settled
near the old home, all occupying honorable posi
tions in life. He had eight children, two of whom
died in infancy. Of the others all are living ex
cept Sarah Irvin, who was married to Dr. Theo
dore S. Christ; those surviving their father being:
Elizabeth McFarlane, wife of John Hamilton, of
State College; John Irvin, of this sketch; Will

iam, who married Anna Elliott, of Lewisburg;
James Irvin, who married Jeanie Shaw, of Clear
field; and Annie, who is not married.

ARRISON KLINE, the efficient and popu-
^L lar treasurer of Centre county, is a native
of Snyder county, Penn., born May 12, 1841, a
son of George and Elizabeth (Fetterolf) Kline,
who brought their family to Centre county in
1851, locating first in Penn's Valley, and are
still honored residents of College township, where
the father engaged in agricultural pursuits. Both
are of German lineage, and are prominent and
highly respected people. The mother is a
daughter of Andrew Fetterolf, of Snyder county,
a blacksmith by trade, also owning and operat
ing a farm.
Ten children were born to the parents of our
subject, of whom one son and one daughter died
in infancy. The others are as follows: Harrison
is the subject of this sketch; Robert, a minister
of the Episcopal Church, now located in Allen-
town, Lehigh Co., Penn., married Anna Erdman
and has four children; Margaret is the wife of
William Ishler, ex-sheriff of Centre county, by
whom she had nine children, three of whom are
yet living, and they now reside in Bellefonte;
John, an attorney of that city, married Kate
Olwine, whose father was a prominent farmer of
Centre county, and they bave two children;
William married Adaline Myer, of Boalsburg,
Centre county, died in 1 890, leaving a wife and
four children, and was buried in Shiloh cem
etery; Sarah is the wife of Harvey Meese, a car
penter of Benner township, Centre county, and
they had ten children; Wesley, a practicing
physician of Centre county, married a Miss Boal,
of Centre Hall, and died several years ago, and
Alice lives with her parents in College township.
The boyhood and youth of our subject were
passed upon the home farm, where he assisted
his father in the labors of the fields, attending
at the same time the public schools of the neigh
borhood, where he acquired a good practical ed
ucation which would fit him for the responsible
duties of life. As his vocation he chose agricult
ure, and has become one of the most prosperous,
energetic and progressive farmers of Spring town?
ship. On November 12, 1863, he was married
to Miss Annetta Gentzel, who died in 1869, leav
ing four children, namely: Elizabeth, wife of
Elmer Showers, an engineer living in Buffalo, N.
Y. ; D. M., a farmer of Spring township, Centre
county, who married Alka Keller, and has one
child; Henry, a miner, having charge of the men
at Washau Banks, in Spring township, who mar-

100

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ried Bertha Miller, and has three children, and
Robert, a resident of Bellefonte, who married
Margaret Swartz, and has one child. Mr. Kline
was again married April 7, 1872, this time to
Miss Sarah Gephart, of Zion, and to them were
born two children: Anna C. , at home with her
parents, and Orian, who is attending school in
Bellefonte. In politics Mr. Kline is a steadfast adherent
of the principles formulated by the Republican
party, and on November 3, 1896, he was elected
(on that ticket) treasurer of Centre county by the
handsome majority of 326 votes. Methodical
and systematic in business, he will undoubtedly
prove a most capable official, and serve with
credit to himself and to the satisfaction of his
constituents. He has been very successful in his
life work, and being endowed with many virtues
and a genial, hospitable manner, he receives the
respect and confidence of the entire community.
He is a worthy member of the Evangelical
Church, and is an active and prominent member
of the Grange, at present serving as steward of
that organization, also of the Royal Arcanum at
Bellefonte, being one of the charter members of
the lodge there.

AN KIN FAMILY (the) of Centre county, of
which William B- Rankin, of Bellefonte, is
a worthy and respected representative, is of old
Pennsylvania stock. The first of the line to set
tle in Centre county was William Rankin, the
grandfather of the gentleman named, and a na
tive of Franklin county, Penn., born November
5, 1770. He took a prominent place among the
pioneers of this section, and was the second
sheriff of Centre county, and from 1806 to 18 10
a member of the State Legislature. His resi
dence was in Spruce Creek Valley, where he
died November 29, 1847, at the age of seventy-
seven years. By his first wife, a Miss Maginley,
he had eight, children: (1) William M. and (2)
James Munsey w.ere prominent physicians, the
former of Shippensburg, Penn., and the latter of
Muncy, Penn. ; (3) Joseph Alexander is men
tioned more fully below; (4) Abigail married
Ephraim Bailey, and now resides in Kossuth,
Iowa; (5) Adam, deceased, was a farmer at
Stormstown, Penn. ; two daughters, Mary and
Elizabeth, died unmarried. By a second mar
riage (the last time), with Miss Huston, there
was one daughter, Susannah, who died in early
womanhood. The late Joseph Alexander Rankin, father of
William B. Rankin, was reared upon a farm in
Penn's Valley, at Centre Hill, near Potters Mills,

the district schools of the vicinity furnishing, the
usual educational opportunities, of , which he
made the utmost, preparing himself for teaching.
He followed this occupation until 1850 when,
his approaching marriage causing him to seek
more remunerative work, he engaged in the in
surance business. On April 17, 1851, he was
united in wedlock with Miss Mary E. Blair, a
native of Penn's Valley, born October 23, 1824,
and six children blessed this union: (1) Abigail
(deceased), who married Charles F. Cook, and
had five children— Annie M., William H., Nettie
J., Joseph R. and Abbie; (2) William B., of this
sketch; (3) Sarah C, who died in the spring of
1896, in her fortieth year; (4) Annie M., who
died in 1882 at the age of twenty-four years; (5)
Caroline E. , who resides in Clearfield county; and
(6) John, who died Nov. 14, 1893, in his thirty-
first year. After his marriage Joseph A. Rankin
made his home for twelve years in Spruce Creek
Valley near the line between Centre and Hunt
ingdon counties, but the remainder of his life
was spent in Bellefonte. He made a specialty
of fire insurance, and built up a large business
which he continued until five years before his
death. In political faith he was first a Whig
and later a, Republican, and he was a leading
member of the Presbyterian Church, with which
the family had been identified many years, his
father having been a ruling elder in the society
at Spruce Creek. Joseph Rankin died February
15, 1888, but Mrs. Rankin, who is a lady of fine
intelligence, is still living and enjoying excellent
health for one of her age.
William B. Rankin was born January 3, 1854,
and as a boy was given the advantage of the
public schools of Bellefonte, his course there
being supplemented by an attendance at the
Bellefonte Academy. His first employment was
as a clerk in a store, but the growth of his
father's business caused him to be called to assist
in that, and on the retirement of the father, in
1883, William B. Rankin purchased the entire
interest, and has since carried on the enterprise
as sole proprietor. Fire insurance is still the
chief line, and the business extends throughout.
Centre county, Mr. Rankin's high character and
sound judgment having gained the confidence of«
the general public. He represents twelve fire
insurance companies, one life and one accident
company. He has been an Odd Fellow since
1878, and has filled all the chairs in the Subordi
nate and' Encampment, and has been district
deputy grand master two terms. He is secretary
of the school board, of which he has been a mem
ber for fifteen years. He was auditor of Belle
fonte for three years. Politically, he gives his-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

101

influence to the support of the Republican party.
His wife, formerly Miss Adelaide Bailey, was
born March 27, 1854,' in Wellsboro, Tioga Co.,
Pentti . Both take great interest in all that con
cerns the. welfare of the community. They
have six children: Lillie B., Elsie M., Walter
B., John A., Adelaide and Mary.
The Blair family, of which Mr. Rankin's
mother is a member, is of Irish origin, her grand
father, William Blair,- having come from County
Antrim, Ireland, to settle in New Jersey, where
he spent the latter part of his life. His son
Samuel (Mrs. Rankin's father) was a native of
that State, but left in early manhood and lo
cated for a time in Pennsylvania. Later he re
sided for twenty years in Wayne county, Ohio,
and then spent one year in Illinois; but after this
opportunity for observation he wisely chose to
pass his remaining years in this section. He
settled at Milesburg, Centre county, and his
death occurred in Spruce Creek Valley. By oc
cupation he was a chainmaker and wheelwright,
and held various political offices in his township,
and, in Ohio, he served as justice of the peace
for some time. He married Margaret Eakin, a
native of Penn's Valley, and had five children,
Mrs. Rankin being the first in order of birth; (2)
Eleanor married Miles Read, of Clearfield county;
(3) Sarah J. is not married; (4) Catherine died
at the age of thirty; and (5) William J. lived
only fifteen months.

JC. HARPER, an able and successful attorney
of Bellefonte, Centre county, was elected in
November, 1896, to the office of County Re
corder. As his abilities have already been thor
oughly tested in public office as Prothonotary,
there is no doubt that his administration in his
new position will be acceptable to the people.
Mr. Harper is a native of Centre county, and
was born November 1, 1854, upon a farm in Miles
township, where his family has been well-known
for many years. His grandfather, George Har
per, came from the lower tier of counties to make
his permanent home in that township, where his
death occurred. Our subject's grandmother died
some years later at Centre Hall, at the age of
ninety. John Harper, our subject's father, was
born in Miles township, Centre county, and al
ways resided there, following agriculture as an
occupation, and exerting a quiet influence as an
upright citizen and a consistent member of the
German Reformed Church. In politics he was a
Democrat. About ten years ago, at the age of
sixty, his earthly career closed ; his widow, whose

maiden name was Jane Magee, is still living at
Centre Hall. Her parents came from Ireland
before her birth, which occurred in Union county,
and after a short residence in Buffalo Valley they
settled in Penn's Valley, Centre county, their
last days being spent in Miles township. Our
subject was the second of three children: (1)
Maggie (deceased) married G. W. Stover, Jr. ;
(3) Emma married George Emerick, and resides
in Centre Hall.
During Mr. Harper's early life he enjoyed the
benefits of farm life, but was given the advan
tage of study at the normal schools at Centre
Hall and Rebersburg in addition to the usual dis
trict-school course. In 1872 he began teaching
school, and continued for sometime, his summers
being spent in other work and in attending
school. In 1876 he was appointed Deputy
Prothonotary, and after proving his capacity by
about three years of service in that position he
was (in 1878) elected Prothonotary, taking his
seat in 1879. He was re-elected in 1881 for three
years, and at the close of his term began to read
law. Since his admission to the Bar he has been
in active practice, meeting with gratifying suc
cess, and he has now been chosen to the office
of Recorder, as stated. He is a man well calcu
lated to gain and retain public confidence and
esteem, and as a worker in the Democratic party,
and as a citizen, he wields wide influence.
On September 16, 1879, Mr. Harper was
united in marriage with Miss Laura Graham, who
was born in Bellefonte, October 2, 1854. Their
pleasant home is gladdened by three children,
Clarence, Helen and Arthur.

C'WAPTAIN AUSTIN B. SNYDER, whose
^ death occurred at his home in Bellefonte on
February 6, 1892, held an honor and distinction
that few of his fellow townsmen shared in, that
of a patriot of two wars — the war with Mexico
and the war of the Rebellion.
As the name indicates, Capt. Snyder was of
German lineage on his father's side, and de
scended from Gov. Simon Snyder. He was a
son of Jacob and Jane (Allen) Snyder, industri
ous and frugal people, who lived at the time of
their son's birth (October 3, 1824), in a stone
house then standing on the site of Gerberich,
Hale & Co. 's mill, at the foot of Race street in
Bellefonte. Jacob Snyder was a millwright and
also a miller, and had. followed these occupa
tions in Bellefonte and elsewhere in Centre
county. The Aliens were of Irish extraction.
The children of this couple were: Austin B. ,

102

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Ellis and Latimar, all now dead. The mother
of these dying, Mr. Snyder then married Eliza
Gray, of Half Moon township.
When our subject was but thirteen years of
age, his father died, and he was thrown on his
own resources, and at nineteen he enlisted in
the United States army, served with distinguished
honor through the Mexican war, and was
one of the first to scale the wall at Chepultepec.
He returned with a lieutenant's straps. Learn
ing the tailor's trade with Charles Calathan at
Bellefonte, he followed that occupation until the
breaking out of the war of the Rebellion. The
echo of the guns at Fort Sumter had hardly died
away before the veteran of the Mexican war had
recruited the Eagle Guards, and as Capt. Snyder
he was mustered, with his command, into the
4th Regiment under Col. Hartranft, April 19,
1 86 1, as Company H, of that regiment. The
regiment was assigned to the First Brigade,
Third Division, of Gen. McDowell's army, and
during their three-months' term of service were
at Perryvillle (Md.), Annapolis, Washington
City, Alexandria and Centreville. On October
1, 1 861, Capt. Snyder left Bellefonte in com
mand of the McAllister Rifles, which was mus
tered in, October 17, as Company G, 51st P. V.
I., under command of Col. Hartranft. The reg
iment was assigned in the corps organization to
Brig. -Gen. Reno, and formed a part of the Burn
side expedition to North Carolina. From the
very outset the expedition was subjected to se
vere storms, having encountered one after an
other from the time of setting sail in January,
1862, and were at the mercy of the waves and
wind for nearly two weeks. Their first en
counter with the enemy was at Roanoke Island,
where the enemy's entire force was captured.
Capt. Snyder's delicate constitution could not
withstand the exposure incident to the swamps
and at so trying a time in the year, hence he was
compelled to resign from the service, which he
did February 12, 1862. In September, 1862, on
the call of the Governor of Pennsylvania for
50,000 militia, several companies volunteered
from Centre county, and were arranged in the
23d Regiment, and of the militia concentrated
near Hagerstown, under Gen. John F. Reynolds,
at the time of the battle of Antietam, Col. Sny
der served on the staff as lieutenant-colonel.
Again on the call of the President for men in
June, 1863, at the invasion of the State by Gen.
Lee's army, Capt. Snyder organized Company
C, and served with themjn the southern part of
the State until discharged August 8, of that year.
He served several times as provost marshal, and
after the war followed his trade and carried on

business for himself, residing in Bellefonte. For
the last five or six years of his life, owing to fail
ing health, he was compelled to retire from busi
ness. A consistent member of the Presbyterian
Church; an honored comrade in G. A. R. Post
No. 295, a beloved and loving father and a faith
ful husband, he has gone to answer ' ' present "
on the golden shore of Eternity. He was a
member of the Masonic fraternity.
On October 27, 1858, Capt. Snyder was mar
ried to Margaret Wolf, a daughter of Joseph and
Sarah (Zones) Wolf, natives, the former of
Boalsburg, Penn., and the latter of Muncy,
Penn.; both died and are buried at Bellefonte.
The children of Capt. Snyder and wife are:
Emma married Edward Cook, and lives at
Jeannette, Penn.; Mary; Isabella T. died Sep
tember 18, 1885; Ellis, of Dunkirk, Ind. ; and
George, of New Kensington, Pennsylvania.
Miss Mary Snyder is a native of Bellefonte,
and received her education in its schools. She is
conducting an extensive and fashionable millinery
establishment, in the display of which is evi
denced ability and taste. She is popular with
the masses, and her business efforts are being re
warded with success. Both she and her mother
are members of the Presbyterian Church.

HUGH S. TAYLOR. One who makes trial ,
of his talents in the profession of law is
judged by the public upon his individual merits
to a much greater degree «than is a man who
chooses a. business career, and the young attor
ney whose name opens this sketch may well be
proud of the estimate which the people of Cen
tre county and of his native city of Bellefonte
have placed upon his abilities. As he possesses
an abundant fund of energy, there is every reason
to believe that their high hopes for his future
will be fulfilled, and their confidence justified.
Mr. Taylor was born January 12, 1868, of
Scotch-Irish parentage, and his home has always
been in Bellefonte. The late Hugh Taylor, his
father, a native of County Monaghan, Ireland, on
arriving in America at the age of twenty years,
settled at Bellefonte, where his death occurred.
Our subject's mother, whose maiden name was
Annie Starr, is a native of Bellefonte, born in
1848, and is still living. As the eldest of a
family of fourteen children, Mr. Taylor learned
to depend upon his own exertions, and the value
of thrift was early impressed upon him by the
difficulties experienced in gaining a livelihood for
himself, and securing the means to help those
who looked to him for more or less assistance.
"Where there's a will there's a way," it is said,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

103

and he to6k a complete course in the Bellefonte
High School, graduating in 1886; was then ap
pointed to the West Point Military Academy by
Hon. Andrew G. Curtin, M. C, but resigned,
and in 1891 entered the Pennsylvania State Col
lege. His legal studies were carried on under
the supervision of Orvis, Bower & Orvis, and
after his admission to the Bar in 1894 he re
mained with them a year and a half before start
ing in practice independently.
Mr. Taylor has gathered around him many
friends, and he has a lucrative business, his sound
judgment on legal principles having been already
demonstrated in his professional work. As an
advocate he has few equals of his age, and his
oratorical gifts have brought him into prominence
as a political campaigner for the Democratic par
ty, of which he is a devoted supporter. In June,
1896, he was elected chairman of the Demo
cratic Executive Committee of Centre County,
was re-elected County Chairman in June, 1897;
since February, 1894, he has held the office of
tax collector of the city of Bellefonte. His
abilities have' a wide and varied scope, as he is a
first-class mechanical engineer, having studied
practical engineering and drafting at Pennsylva
nia State College, and at present he is superin
tendent of the Bellefonte Steam Heat and Gas
Co.'s works.
Mr. Taylor was married November 8, 1894,
to Kittie L. Bauer, second daughter of Nicholas
Bauer, a merchant of Bellefonte, and they have
two sons: Hugh and Vincent Nicholas.
Socially our subject is a member of the K. of
G. E. , and of the I. O. O. F. , Centre County
Lodge No. 156, and of Logan Fire Company
No. 1. For eleven years he has been in military
service in Company B, 5th Penn. National Guards,
and now is captain of the company.

DANIEL C. KELLER, of Bellefonte, Centre
county, the well-known proprietor of the
"Hotel Haag, " formerly known as the " Cum-
mings House," is a member of one of the most
prominent pioneer families.
His great-grandfather, Elder Jacob Keller, a
native of Lebanon county, Penn., born in 1753,
was an influential worker in the German Re
formed Church, and took a leading part in the
establishment of his Church in Centre county
after he made his home there. He was a patriot
and served his country in the Revolutionary war.
His children were: Jacob, grandfather of our
subject, born February 21, 1779, died September
12, 1835. John, born January 27, 1781, died
November 15, 1871. Elizabeth, born March 11,

1785. Margaret, born April 26, 1787. Chris
tian, born in October, 1789. Peter, born Janu
ary, 1 79 1. Philip, born December, 1794. Jacob
Keller (2), our subject's grandfather, was born in
Lebanon county, coming with his father to Cen
tre county, and settling in Potter township, at
the old Red Mill. He married Elizabeth Korn-
man, and had seven children: John, born in
November, 1801, died in Harris township, Centre
county, October 11, 1865. Jacob (3), our sub
ject's father, of whom mention is made farther on.
Catherine, born April 11, 1804, married John
Stauffer, who died January 15, 1898, at the age
of ninety-four years; she passed from earth De
cember 31, 1897. George, born May, 1806,
died September, 1865, near Ravenna, Ohio.
Elizabeth, born 1808. Henry, born February
3, 181 1, died February 6, 1884. David, born
January 25, 181 8, a resident of Boalsburg. Dan
iel, born August 15, 1825, who lives at Warren,
Ohio. Jacob Keller (3) was born January 28, 1803,
and became a weaver by trade, later engaging in
agriculture. He was married December 15,
1826, to Miss Christina Dinges, a native of Cen
tre county, born in Penn township April 22,
1807. Their union was broken by the death of
the husband February 10 (or March ? ), 1848, and
she did not long survive him, her death occur
ring November 25, 1850. Our subject is now the
only living member of a family of seven children,
the names with dates of birth and death of the
others being as follows: Samuel, May 16, 1828
— October 5, 1875, a farmer in Centre county,
and married to Elizabeth Wright; Andrew, Feb
ruary 1, 183 1 — December 8, 1881, a laborer,
married to Sarah Bubb; Catherine, March 16,
1833 — December 28, 1890, married to John
Moyer, of Potter township, Centre county; Eliza
beth .February 11, 18 — , lived only twenty days;
Christina, September 13, 1838 — August23, 1881,
was the wife of Isaac Gift; Lydia, July 6, 1845 —
June 18, 1893.
Daniel C. Keller who is the sixth in the order
of birth, was born July 18, 1841, and was reared
at the old farm in Potter township, receiving but
meagre educational advantages. He remained
at home until his marriage, December 23, 1862,
to Miss Julia A. Stump, who was born in Snyder
county, June 8, 1844. Her father, William
Stump, is now living in Virginia; her mother died
in- 1865. For three years following his marriage
Mr. Keller conducted a hotel at Milroy, Mifflin
county, and he spent one year in farming, and man
aging a hotel at Centre Hall. He then became in
terested in dealing in implements, and in the cat
tle business, and remained at Centre Hall until

i04J

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1881, when he was elected county treasurer, and
moved to Bellefonte. He entered upon the
duties of his office January 1, 1882, and served
three years, returning to Potter township at the
close'of his term, and erecting one of the finest
residences in that section. Farming and dealing
in stock occupied his time while there, but in
1883 he sold his farm and moved to Turbotville,
Northumberland Co., Penn., to take charge of
the "Union Hotel," which he gave up later for
his present business at Bellefonte. Success has
attended his efforts in these various lines, and he
is one of the substantial citizens. He still owns
valuable property at Centre Hall, and during his
residence there he for several years held the
office of justice of the peace. In political faith
he is a Democrat, and the same genial nature
which has so materially aided him to success in
the hotel business has given him great influence
in local affairs. Like his ancestors, he belongs
to the Reformed Church, and he is also a mem
ber of the Masonic order, having been one of
the nine charter members of the Old Fort Lodge.
Mr. and Mrs. Keller have had four children, of
whom two are deceased: Jacob W. , who was
born January 29, 1864, died January 12, 1866,
and James D. , born August 11, 1868, died Janu
ary 20, 1872; those living are: John R. , born
October 14, 1871, and Mary A., born August 19,
1875, both at home.

S\AMUEL T. GRAY, of Patton township, one
) of the substantial and prominent citizens of
Centre county, descended from ancestors who
came to what is now the county, upward of one
hundred years ago. Peter Gray (I), from Fred
erick Co. , Md. , came to what was then known as
the Half Moon country in 1788, and was assessed
and regarded as belonging to Franklin township,
Huntingdon county. Accompanying the Grays
was the Hartsock family from the same place,
and these families became the earliest settlers of
Patton township of which there is any record.
From this Peter Gray has descended the many
families of Gray in this section of Pennsylvania,
a number of whom have never moved very far
away from the lands he first occupied, and repre
sentatives of these families are found occupying
honorable and useful stations in the various call
ings of life.
John Gray, one of the sons of Peter Gray (I),
and the one from which Samuel T. descended,
was born in 1767 and died in 1848; he married
Catherine, a daughter of Conrad Hartsock, the
head of the first family of the name to settle
here; she died in 1847. Their children were:

Elizabeth, married to Jonas Stine; Catherine,
married to Samuel Stine; John (2), married to
Mary Mattern ; Samuel P. , married to Sarah
Gray; Barbara, married to George Mattern;
Sarah, married to Franklin Johnson; Susanna,
married to Robert Blakely; Hannah, married to
David McKinney; Eve, married to John Cham
bers; Isaac, married to Catherine Mattern; and
Mary, married (first) to Thomas Shivery, and
(second) to John Mattern. It will be observed
that four of these children married Matterns,
and of the same family, so that their children
were doubly related. The children of John Gray
(2) and Mary Mattern were: Samuel T. is our
subject; Catherine married James Love; JohnC.
married Rebecca Lias; Miles D. married Anna
Wilson, and died in 1884; Isaac married Sarah
Liggett, and died in 1889; George died aged
twenty-one years; Elizabeth married James Ebbs
(deceased); Mary married George Thompson (de
ceased); Harriet married Capt. William C. Dale,
of Harrisburg, and Margaret married A. C.
Hutchinson. The parents of these children died,
the father in 1856, in his fifty-seventh year, and
the mother in November, 1871, in her seventy-
third year.
Samuel T. Gray, the subject of this sketch,
was born July 24, 1824, in Patton township,
where his father and grandfather before him had
lived, and within sight of his present home, where
he has resided for forty-five years past: Like the
sons of the general farmer, he received such edu
cational privileges as the schools of the neighbor
hood afforded, John W. Bowen and Reuben H.
Meek being among his early teachers. He re
mained at home until his marriage in 1852, when
he came to his present farm and began life for
himself. This farm comprises some three hun
dred acres of land, much of which he has cleared
and improved himself; it is well watered and lies
beautifully; on it are large and commodious
buildings, both barn and dwelling, and in goodly
shape, presenting an inviting appearance — indic
ative of the careful and tasteful farmer that Mr.
Gray is. The barn was built in 1855, and the
house in 1859. Through industry, economy and
good management, Mr. Gray has accumulated a
competency. He has given his life to the pur
suits of an agriculturist, and is to-day one of the
successful farmers and substantial and influential
men of Centre county. While in no sense an
office-seeker, he has for years served the people
of his township as overseer of the poor; was for
a number of years justice of the peace, and for
six years served as auditor of Centre county, his
term of office expiring some three years ago.
Samuel T. Gray's wife, whose death occurred

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

105

Juile 25, 1893, was Harriet Hutchison, a daugh
ter of Benjamin Hutchison, of Warrior's Mark,
Huntingdon county, Penh. , in his day one of the
most prominent men of that section of the State.
The children of. Mr. and Mrs. Gray were Emma,
born in 1853, died in 1870; George H, born in
1855, died in 1856; Mary R., born in 1854, died
in 1859; William E., born in i860; Annie Her
man, born in 1863, died in 1864; Minnie W.,
born in 1865, died in 1892; Nora; Samuel E.,
born in 1872, died in 1891. In an obituary no
tice of Mrs. Gray it was stated that:
Within the last two years death has entered the home
three times and broken the family circle. First within this
limit, Samuel was called; then Miss Minnie, a bright and
charming young lady who had hosts of warm friends; last,
but not least, was the dear mother, who has always been a
true and faithful friend and guardian to both husband and
children, whp will never forget her loving kindness and
tender mercy. ' She leaves a husband and three children to
mourn her death: W. E. Gray, Esq., one of the rising young
lawyers in Bellefonte, and Misses Annie and Nora, who live
at home. Samuel Gray, the venerable husband, is one of the
most prosperous and highly respected farmers in Centre
county. He is also one of the auditors of Centre county, and
is an honest and upright man. Mrs. Gray was a Methodist,
and was sincere and devoted to the cause of Christianity.
She was one of those Christians who live by faith and not by
sight, letting her " light so shine that men might see her good
works and glorify her Father in Heaven." She had a kind
heart and was always trying to do some kindness.
Mr. Gray has for many years been identified
with the M. E. Church, having served as trustee
and steward! In politics he is a Republican as
was his father before him.

HON. WILLIAM E. GRAY, who has just re
tired from the office of Burgess of Belle
fonte, is a prominent member of the Centre
County Bar, and one of the most active and
popular members of the Republican party of his
locality. A deep thinker and a thorough student,
his success in legal lines has been won by sound
logic, his speeches always possessing the rhetori
cal graces of the orator that he is, and the energy
with which he carries out any project marks him
a leader of men.
Born June 14, i860, he has the best part of
his life yet before him, and his friends predict for
him, with reason, a brilliant future. He is the
son of Samuel T. and Harriet N. (Hutchison)
Gray. His early life was passed at the old farm
in Patton township, the district schools of the
neighborhood furnishing him educational facilities
until at eighteen he entered the preparatory de
partment of Pennsylvania State College, where
in 1883, after a five-years' course, he was gradu
ated with the degree of B. S. In 1882 he took
the junior oratorical class prize at the contest in
oratory. Subsequently he took the degree of M.
S. After his graduation he spent two years in

teaching school, the summers being devoted to
the study of law with Messrs. Hastings & Reed
er. He then entered the Law School, at Albany,
N. Y., and in May, 1886, graduated from that
institution, receiving the degree of LL. B. At
the commencement exercises he was one of the
four orators chosen, and the only one from Penn
sylvania. On August 23rd, of the same year, he
was admitted to the Bar in his native county, and
has since been successfully engaged in general
practice. In 1894, he was elected Burgess of
Bellefonte for a term of three years, and in Jan
uary, 1895, he was elected chairman of the Re
publican County Committee, to which position he
was re-elected in August, 1895, and again in
June, 1896, and in August, 1897, he was again
re-elected Republican County Chairman, his pres7
ent term extending until January 1, 1899. The
following extracts from the press evidence his
growth as a young attorney and citizen:
W. E. Gray is an orator and makes an eloquent as well
as argumentative address before a jury or audience. He is
true to his client in every detail, and is bound to succeed in
his chosen profession. For the brief practice he has had, Mr.
Gray ha£ built up a reputation far better and more promi
nent than the average attorney of his age and experi
ence. He has made a big success in the quarter sessions,
where he is employed more frequently than any young at
torney at the Bar.
Mr. Gray has proven himself a worthy chieftain of the
rapidly advancing Republican ranks, wide-awake, cautious,
quick to perceive, and ready to act, combining all the ele
ments of a first-class leader and safe counselor. The in
terests of the Republican party of Centre county are safe in
his hands, and in a fair field and a fair fight we are bound
to win. W. E. Gray is one of our rising young lawyers, and is a
young man who would fill the office with dignity, and to the
best interests of the people. A Burgess of a town ought to
be a lawyer, and a man who knows how to dispense law.
The next office of importance that expires this year is
that of Burgess. W. E. Gray, Esq., has acquitted himself
manfully during the last three years as chief magistrate of
the borough, and, although he has to step down and out, he
has made one of the best officers that we have had for years.
On October 2, 1889, Mr. Gray was united in
marriage with Miss Ellen Green, who was born
at Barre Forge, Huntingdon Co., Penn., Sep
tember 21, 1862; in 1874 she removed with her
father's family to Patton township, Centre county.
She was educated in the public schools in that
locality and in the academy at Bellefonte. She
is the daughter of G. Dorsey and Mary Gregg
Green. One son, Samuel Hutchison Gray,
born September 3, 1893, has brightened their
pleasant home.

DANIEL GARMAN, of Bellefonte, Centre
county, proprietor of the "Hotel Garman"
and of the handsome opera house in the same
block, has been for many years one of the sub
stantial business men of that charming town.

106

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

While achieving success as a Boniface he has
been no less fortunate in other lines, and notably
so as the owner of extensive livery barns and as
a dealer in horses. Although he has of late
delegated the active work to his sons, who seem
to have inherited his capacity for business, he
has by no means lost his influence and prestige
in financial circles.
Daniel Garman is a Pennsylvanian by birth,
having been born near Harrisburg, Dauphin
county, February 12, 1820. His parents, George
and Rebecca (Betzer) Garman, were both born
and reared near Lancaster, Penn., but moved in
1806, shortly after their marriage, to Dauphin
county. The father operated a distillery in con
nection with his agricultural pursuits, and pros
pered so well that at the time of his death, which
occurred when he was fifty-eight years old, he
owned three good farms. In politics he was a
Democrat, and in religious faith he was a Luth
eran. The mother lived to the age of sixty-two
years, and, of eleven children, nine — seven sons
and two daughters — lived to adult age.
Our subject, the fifth child in order of birth,
grew to manhood at the old home, and at twenty-
three started out. to seek his fortune, locating
first at Jersey Shore, 'Penn., where he learned the
jeweler's trade, and was for three years in that
business with his brother. He also began there
his career as a liveryman, which now dates back
over forty-six years. In 1856 he went to Lock
Haven, Penn., and opened a jewelry store and
livery stable, and engaged in the buying and sell
ing of horses. In 1857, while there, he was
married to Miss Louisa Schroyer, who was born
at Milton, Northumberland Co., Penn., in 1834,
and in i860 he moved to Bellefonte. A large
stock of horses which he bought at that time en
abled him to establish himself in a profitable
business at once; in 1861 he purchased a hotel,
and has ever since been connected with that line.
His present hotel and opera house were built in
1880, and his residence and barn in 1887.
In 1886, his pleasant home was darkened by
the death of his faithful partner in the joys and
sorrows of life. Nine children of this happy
union survive: (1) Edward is a merchant at
Bellefonte. (2) Allen S., who was born in Belle
fonte, March 3, i860, took a course in the high
school, and then learned the harness maker's
trade, which he followed for three years. In
1890, as his father desired to be released from
active business, Allen S. Garman assumed the
management of the hotel and opera house, which
he still conducts in partnership with his brothers,
Carney M. and Charles B. Allen S. is alert and
intelligent, and finds time, notwithstanding his

business cares, to take an influential share in the
work of the local Democratic organization, and
in public affairs generally. On all questions of
the day he keeps well informed, and in discus
sion he is amply qualified to hold his own ground.
(3) Ira D. Garman, third son of our subject, is a
jeweler in Philadelphia, Penn. (4) Minnie mar
ried Isaac Matland, of Williamsport, P*nn. (5)
Carney M. is a partner in the hotel and opera
house management. (6) William is a clerk in
the post office at Bellefonte. (7) Charles B. is
one of the partners in his father's business. (8)
Rebe married Charles Cruse, of Bellefonte. (9)
Robert is a jeweler at Coatesville, Chester Co.,
Pennsylvania. Daniel Garman in his younger life took an
active part in politics, and served in the borough
council and on the school board. He has been
a Master Mason for forty-six years, and for thirty-
five years has been identified with the Episcopal
Church.

JOHN WAGNER, of Bellefonte. The salu
brious air of this mountain region is favora
ble to longevity, and the subject of this sketch,
a hale and hearty citizen of ninety years, is evi
dence of the fact if any doubter were to be found.
With his stalwart frame, six feet in height, his
healthy complexion, Roman nose and intelligent
eyes of bluish gray, Mr. Wagner is a fine speci
men of manhood, and his vigor makes one think
of the times long past when three-score years and
ten were not the ordinary limit of mortal exist
ence. Mr. Wagner is a son of the Keystone State,
having first seen the light in Northumberland
county November 9, 1806. His father, John
Wagner, was born in Berks county, Penn., in
1773, and died in 1850, and the mother, whose
maiden name was Catherine Kuntzman, was
called from earth at the age of sixty-seven years.
The grandfathers on both sides were soldiers in
the Revolutionary army, and Grandfather Wag
ner was taken prisoner by the British and placed
with others upon an island, where he died of starv
ation. An uncle who was with him survived the
hardships, and returned home to tell the sorrow
ful story. Our subject's father saw the martyr
to the cause of freedom for the last time when
the Hessians went into camp near Reading, Penn
sylvania. John Wagner, Sr. , was a weaver by trade,
but later became interested in agriculture, which
he followed during the remainder of bis life. In
18 12 he moved to Haines township, Centre
county ,'where he made his permanent home, and

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

107

until his death he was a prominent member of
the German Reformed Church there.
The personal history of the subject of this
sketch is most interesting, as his reminiscences
cover incidents which seem far removed from this
generation. He remembers seeing soldiers dur
ing the war of 1812, and his experiences in help
ing upon the farm with the primitive methods of
that day would reconcile the modern farmer's boy
to his lot, as Mr. Wagner had to "tramp out"
the wheat on the barn floor, and to thresh clover
and rye with the old-fashioned flail. What
schooling he had was obtained in the neighbor
hood of his home in Haines township, and in
early manhood he settled upon a farm there. In
1827 he married his first wife, Miss Helen Collier,
by whom he had two children: (1) Katharine
E. married Daniel Gathagan, and had five chil
dren, of whom two, Julia and Webster, are liv
ing. (2) Peggy married William Harmon, and
both are now deceased; their children are: John
(who lives in the country), Clark and Belle.
Mrs. Helen Wagner died in 1828, and Mr. Wag
ner afterward wedded Miss Sallie Weisser, born
in June, 18 16. By the last marriage there were
four children: (1) Emeline, who married Mr.
Hess, and has six children; (2) Sue, the wife of
Adam Wagner, of Bellefonte, now retired from
business. (3) Henry F. , who died" unmarried in
his forty-seventh year; and (4) John C, who
when last heard from was in St. Paul, Minn.
Mr. Wagner has lived to see his great-grandchil
dren and other descendants make an interesting
group. In 1837 Mr. Wagner left his Haines township
home for the vicinity of Boalsburg, and in 1859
he established his home in'Benner township, but,
on his retirement from active work in 1868, he set
tled permanently in Bellefonte. He is a leading
adherent of the Reformed Church there. In his
political sympathies he is a Democrat, and he is
an advocate of free silver at "16 to 1."

JC? MEYER. The reader of these memoirs
will find the conviction borne in upon his
mind that underlying all differences of train
ing and environment there lies another factor
from which the history of each individual takes
its bias. An ideal, a steady purpose, needed,
and where this is found life is simplified and all
things tend to bring about, sooner or later, the
desired end. Truly, "where there's a will there's
a way," and fortunate is the man who early in
life finds the right channel toward which to di
rect his energies. Among those who seem to
have solved the problem thus, is the subject of

this biography, now one of Bellefonte's success
ful attorneys. Mr. Meyer was born January 31, 1861, on a
farm called Pleasant View, lying south of Aarons
burg. The family is numerously represented in
this section, and a sketch prepared by Hon.
Henry Meyer, of Centre county, the author of
"the Genealogy of the Meyer Family," will be
found elsewhere in this volume. The first of the
line to settle in this State was Henry Meyer, who
came from the Palatinate, Prussia, with his wife
and several children, and located in Lebanon
county. His son Christopher had a son George,
who had a son Jacob G. , the father of our sub
ject. Jacob G. Meyer was born near Camp-
belltown, Penn., October 16, 1824, and was
twice married, first to Henrietta Christina Furst,
our subject's mother, and second to Lydia A.
Dutweiler (ne'e Strohm). Jacob G. Meyer set
tled near Aaronsburg in early manhood, and
cleared the farm now known as ' ' Pleasant View, "
but in October, 1865, moved to the town to en
gage in general mercantile business. At the
time of his removal our subject was about four
years old, and from his sixth to his twelfth year
he attended the public schools of Aaronsburg.
He then entered the employ of B. F. Phillips, in
a general store at that place, and remained two
years, but his inclination for study was too strong
to be suppressed, and he determined to prepare
for college under the tuition of Prof. D. M.
Wolfe, of Penn Hall. To carry out this plan he
walked five miles each Monday morning and Fri
day night, and in 1878 he entered the sophomore
class of Franklin and Marshall College at Lan
caster, Penn. In June, 1881, he was graduated
with the degree of A. B., being chosen valedic
torian of his class. He desired to enter the legal
profession, but like many others in like circum
stances he turned temporarily to teaching. In
August of the same year he was elected assistant
principal of the schools of Bellefonte, his duties
beginning in September, and so successful was
he in this work that when the Bellefonte High
School was organized, in the fall of 1883, he was
chosen principal. The first class was graduated
under his charge in June, 1884, and his career as
an educator promised to be a most brilliant one;
but he had been spending his spare time in prep
aration for his profession, reading for the previ
ous year under the direction of Alexander and
Bower, and wishing to give his entire time to
this work he resigned at the close of the school
year. Devoting his attention to his books, he
soon completed his course of reading, and was
admitted to the Bar, December 24, 1884. He
began to practice in partnership with Judge

108

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Adam Hoy, and secured an enviable reputation
early in his career.
Being an ardent Democrat, he became prom
inent in political circles also; in August, 1886, he
was nominated by his party for the office of dis
trict attorney, being elected in November fol
lowing by 666 majority. In 1889 he was again
chosen to the office by a majority which was just
twice that of 1886. During the last term he had
a peculiar experience, there being five homicide
trials; for fifty years previous, there had not been
a case of that nature. Of the five offenders, two
received the extreme penalty of the law, and the
others were convicted in lesser degrees. In 1894
Mr. Meyer was given the unanimous support of
the Democratic party in his county for the State
Senate; but as Centre county had furnished the
last representative the nomination fell to Clear
field county. In municipal affairs Mr. Meyer
has also been active, and in 1893 he was elected
burgess of Bellefonte, overcoming an adverse ma
jority of 120. He is now giving his attention
exclusively to his legal practice, which has as
sumed handsome proportions.
In 1887 Mr. Meyer married Miss Lizzie S.
McAlmont, who was born near Jacksonville, Cen
tre county, February 14, 1865. One daughter,
Edna E., blesses this union. Mr. Meyer and his
accomplished wife are popular socially, and
although he belongs to the Reformed Church
they have for four years past been members of
the choir of the Presbyterian Church. Socially
Mr. Meyer has been identified with the I. O. O.
F. for four years, and has passed the chairs in the
Encampment. At present he is a member of the
board of directors of the Odd Fellows' Orphans'
Home at Sunbury.

T THOMAS RENICK HAYES, M. D., of Belle
fonte, Centre county, is of Revolutionary
stock, and of ancestry that is of the hardy and
sturdy Irish race, which so early came to the
Susquehanna country and played so important a
part in the development of that country and so
ciety. In the old Derry churchyard, in Dauphin
county, rest the remains of Patrick Hayes and
wife. He was a native of Ireland, born in
County Donegal in 1705, and in 1725 came to
America and located in what is now Derry town
ship, Dauphin county. The records of the war
rantees of lands in that township show that Jan
uary 10, 1737, he became warrantee to 300 acres
of land. His death occurred January 31, 1790.
Robert, their second son, was born in 1733, and

in 1 762 married Margaret Wray, of Derry town
ship. John Hayes, eldest son of Robert, became
deputy surveyor of Northumberland county, and
later of Union county. Many of the surveys in
Centre county were made by him as a deputy-
surveyor of Northumberland county. His birth
occurred in 1765, and in 1786 he came to Buffalo
Valley, in what subsequently became Union
county. In 1796 he married Margaret Gray, a
daughter of Capt. William Gray, of the Revolu
tion [Capt. Gray, as a lieutenant, was prisoner
from August 27, 1776, to December 8, 1776; he
died at Sunbury, July 18, 1804, at the age of
fifty-four], and resided on the river just above
the town of Lewisburg. Robert Hayes, in 1790,
bought the old Andrew Forster farm, located
above Mifflinburg, which at his death was pur
chased by his son John. The latter died May
16, 1844; his children were: Robert Goodlow
Harper, Nancy, David, Samuel, Joseph, Will
iam, Margaret, Anne and James; of whom the
first named was the father of the subject of this
sketch. Robert Goodlow Harper Hayes was born in
1797, and December 27, 1827, was married to
Esther Renick Forster. He resided on the old
home of his grandfather and father, where he
died May 2, 1854. His wife's death occurred
August 2, 1856. He had been an elder in the
Presbyterian Church nineteen years.
Dr. Thomas Renick Hayes received his edu
cation at Academia, in Juniata county, under
Prof. J. H. Shumaker, and at Lafayette College.
In 1 864 he was graduated from the Chicago Med
ical College, then practiced some years at Ocon-
omowoc, Wis. , successfully. In 1870 he located
in practice at Bellefonte. In 1876 he assisted
in organizing the Centre County Medical Society,
of which he became an original member, and of
which he has served as president. He has served
as vice-president of the Pennsylvania State Med
ical Society. Dr. Hayes is the author of the
' 'Medical History of Centre County. " He stands
deservedly high in his profession. As a citizen
he has contributed substantially to the interests
of his adopted city in the erection of elegant
dwellings. He has served in various positions;
has been director of the First National Bank,
and of the Bellefonte Building and Loan Asso
ciation. Dr. Hayes, on December 28, 1871, was mar
ried to Miss Sarah B., daughter of Hon. H. N.
McAllister (deceased), formerly of Bellefonte.
Adhering to the faith of his ancestors for many
generations back, he is a member of the Presby
terian Church, active and zealous for its pros
perity.

^^s>.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

109

TVHE POTTERS of Centre county. A. Boyd
Hamilton, late of Harrisburg, Penn. , says
that John Potter, the first American ancestor of
the Potter family, was a native of Tyrone, Ire
land, of Scotch parentage, born about the year
1705. He immigrated with his family to Amer
ica in 1 74 1, aboard the good ship Dunnegal,
landing at New Castle, Delaware, in September
of that year. He removed west of the river as
early, as 1746, and settled in Antrim township
(now Franklin county), near Greencastle. In the
early French war of 1747-48, he was in the serv
ice as a first lieutenant, and took an active part
in the Indian war following Braddock's defeat.
On the erection of Cumberland county, in 1750,
he, on October 6th of that year, was commis
sioned its first sheriff, and again commissioned
sheriff in 1753. On February 17, 1756, he was
commissioned a captain in the Second Pennsyl
vania Battalion, and accompanied Col. Arm
strong's expedition against Kittanning September
7, 1756. He died about 1758. His children
were: James^ who was a general in the Army
of the Revolution, Thomas, who was killed by
the Indians, Samuel, Margaret Annie, Catherine,
Mary, Hannah and Isabella.
Gen. James Potter, son of John Potter, ac
cording to Mr. Hamilton, and Hon. John B. Linn,
in his "Annals of Buffalo Valley" and "History
of Centre County," was born on the bank of the
river Foyle, Tyrone, Ireland, in 1 729, and was
twelve years old when his father landed at New
Castle in 1741. He was commissioned ensign in
a company of which his father was captain, in
Lieut. -Col. John Armstrong's battalion, and
served as such in Armstrong's expedition against
Kittanning: September 7, 1756, and was wounded
in the: attack. On October 23, 1757, he was
commissioned lieutenant of the second battalion,
and February ,17, 1759, he was promoted to
captain. /On October 2, 1764, he was command
ant of three companies on the northern frontiers.
On July 27. 1764, he was in command of a com
pany which pursued the Indians who had killed.
a school master, named Brown, and his ten
scholars, near the present site of Greencastle,
Penn, , and: Capt. Potter was the first white man
to enter Penn's Valley.
Chief Justice Tilghman says: "Capt. James
Potter was a man of a strong and penetrating
mind, and one to whom early habits as an officer
of the British provincial army, engaged in the
defense of the frontier, rendered a life of peril,
toil and enterprise familiar. " He conceived the
natural idea that, inclosed by the range of moun
tains which on every side met his view on his re
turn, htom.' Kittanning, there must be a "fine coun

try beyond, and on being ordered to Fort Au
gusta, his idea of a fine country to be discovered
returned to • him. Having obtained leave of
absence, he set off with one attendant, passing
up the West branch to the mouth of Bald Eagle
creek, then passing up Bald Eagle creek to the
place where Spring creek enters it, they took to
the mountains, and having reached ¦. the top of
Nittany mountain, Capt. Potter, seeing the
prairies and noble forest beneath him, cried out
to his attendant: "By Heavens Thompson I
have discovered an empire." Immediately de
scending into the plain, they came to a spring at
a place which was in after days of some distinc
tion, and known by the appellation of ' ' Old
Fort." Here they found themselves out of pro
visions, and for two days and as many nights the
flesh scraped from a dried beaver's skin was their
only subsistence. From here they started to re
turn to Fort Augusta, and by good fortune hap
pened on a creek, to which they gave the name
of John Penn's creek. Pursuing the stream, they
arrived where provisions could be had, and finally
reached Fort Augusta. This was in all proba
bility in 1759, just after the purchase of 1758,
when Potter was at Bedford, and had been first
promoted captain of William Thompson's com
pany, and that Thompson was his companion.
He afterward returned to Penn's Valley, and in
the spring of 1774 removed his family, and made
the first improvement at the spring, a little north
of where the ' ' Old Fort Hotel " now stands on
the turnpike in Potter township, where he built
a log house which was fortified in 1777, and
known as the " Upper Fort in Penn's Valley."
He owned in this Valley, in 1782, 9,000 acres of
land. On January 24, 1776, he was elected colonel
of the. Upper Battalion, and in July a member of
the Constitutional Convention. Hejwasin com
mand of a battalion of Northumberland, County
Militia at Trenton, December 26, 1776, and at
Princeton, January 3, 1777. On April, 5, 1777,
he was appointed third brigadier-general of the
militia of the State, and was in command of his
brigade at Brandywine and Germantown. He
served with great ability upon the outpost of
Gen. Washington's army while encamped at
Valley Forge, and by particular request of the
State Council he remained in the field during that
winter. The house he occupied as headquarters
during the time he was at Valley Forge is still
standing, and is occupied by J. Ralter Rayser.
It stands back a hundred yards: from Trout
creek. On January 9, 1778, he obtained leave
of absence in consequence of the condition of his
business and the illness of Mrs. Potter, whose

110

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

" indisposition is with me a more urgent reason
than any other for my return." During the sum
mer of 1778, he was in Penn's Valley assisting
in repelling inroads of the Indians. He remained
in Penn's Valley as late as July, 1779, when he
retired with the rest of the inhabitants, and took
his family to Middle Creek, in Snyder county.
On November 16, 1780, when he became a
member of the State Council, he still resided at
Middle Creek. On November 14, 1781, he was
elected Vice-President of the State, and May 23,
1782, he was unanimously elected major-general.
In 1784 he was elected a member of the Council
of Censors, taking his seat July 7, 1784. Mean
while he had resumed his residence on his farm
above New Columbia, now Union county. In
a letter dated White Deer, April 26, 1785, he
says: " I have just come home from Philadel
phia, and will have to return, which will prevent
my visiting Penn's Valley at this time." In that
year he was appointed one of the deputy sur
veyors of the "Old Purchase." In 1786 and
1787 he was largely interested, with Hon.
Timothy Pickering, in lands in the Purchase of
1784, and in 1788 turned his attention to im
provements in Penn's Valley, erecting the first
house at Potter's bank, and the mills there. In
the fall of 1789 he was injured in raising a barn
on what was lately Foster's farm, east of the
" Old Fort," and went to Franklin county for
the benefit of Dr. McClelland's advice, and died
therein during the latter part of that year.
Gen. Potter's first wife was Elizabeth Cath-
cart, who died near Greencastle, in Franklin
county (then Cumberland), leaving two children:
John, who died at Middle Creek, when he was
aged about eighteen years; and Elizabeth C. ,
who was married to Hon. James Poe, of Frank
lin county. Mrs. Poe died September 11, 1819,
and Hon. James Poe on June 21, 1822, in An
trim township, Franklin county. Only one of
their children, Susan M., wife of Samuel Van-
Tries, who died in Bellefonte, December 10,
1882, aged seventy-seven years, came to Penn's
Valley. Gen. Potter's second wife was Mary,
widow of Thomas Chambers, daughter of James
and Mary Patterson, of Fermanagh township
(now Juniata county), and a sister of Capt.
William Patterson. The second Mrs. Potter
died in 1791 or 1792, in Penn's Valley, and is
buried in the old Stanford or Cedar Creek grave
yard, near Linden Hall. The children born to
the second marriage were: (1) James is mentioned
farther on; (2) Martha, born on the Conoco-
cheague, April 10, 1769, married Hon. Andrew
Gregg; (3) Mary married George Riddles, a mer
chant of Middletown, and after his death she

wedded William McClelland; Mary H., her
daughter by the first marriage, married W. H.
Patterson; another daughter, Eliza, married Dr.
Joseph B. Ard, of Lewistown, whose heirs owned
the old Potter place in White Deer, Union
county. (4) Margaret, the youngest daughter,
married Edward Crouch, of Dauphin county.
Judge James Potter, son of Gen. James
Potter, was born at his father's place on Conoco-
cheague creek, Antrim township (now Franklin
county), July 4, 1767, a son of the second mar
riage. On December 15, 1788, he married Mary
Brown, daughter of William Brown, the first set
tler at Reedsville, Mifflin county, and in 1789 es
tablished himself at Potters Mills. On the death
of his father, he acquired large land interest, and
carried on a store, mills and distillery at that
place, and succeeded him as deputy surveyor of
the Sixth District in the Purchase of 1784. In
connection with Capt. Samuel Montgomery, of
Carlisle, he owned the site of Lewistown, and
laid out that village in 1790. On October 2,
1790, he was commissioned one of the judges of
the several courts of Centre county, which office
he held during life. In 1807 he was appointed
major-general of the Tenth Military District.
Judge Potter died November 2, 18 18, when he
was aged fifty-one years; his widow, Mary Pot
ter, who was born June 15, 1770, died January
6, 1823. Their children were: James, born
December 1, 1789; William W. ; George Lati
mer; Mary, married to Dr. William I. Wilson;
John; Peggy Crouch, married to Dr. Charles
Coburn; Martha Gregg, married to Abraham
Valentine; and Andrew Gregg.
James Potter, son of Judge James Potter,
was born at Potters Mills, Centre county, De
cember 1, 1789. On December 20, 18 14, he
married Maria Wilson, daughter of Gen. William
Wilson, and by her he had the following chil
dren: James, Susan (married to O. P. Duncan),
William W. , John, Dr. George L. and Andrew
Gregg. For his second wife, James Potter mar
ried Susan Irvin, widow of Thomas Duncan (de
ceased), by whom he had children as follows:
Thomas D. , Irvin W., Maria (married to Dr.
Hendricks), Annie A. (married to Dr. W. C.
Spaulding), Jacob Lex, Charles H., and Mary
Ellen (married to Simeon H. Crane and residing
in Chicago). The father of these, in connection
with his brother John, was extensively engaged
in mercantile and manufacturing business. In
1856 he removed to Watertown, Wis., and aft
erward to Madison, Ind., where he died March
22, 1865.
William W. Potter was born at Potters
Mills, Centre county, March 8, 18 19. He at-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Ill

tended the academy of Rev. David Kirkpatrick,
D. D. , at Milton, and later was engaged with his
father in the mercantile and milling businesses,
in the transaction of which he made frequent visits
to Philadelphia on horseback. He resided, re
spectively, at Potters Mills, Linden Hall, Centre
Furnace, Milesburg, Iron Works and Bellefonte,
and at his death, July 7, 1884, he was agent for
the Pennsylvania Railroad Co., at Bellefonte.
He was held in high esteem by his employers and
the community, which was manifested by the re
spect shown him at his death, when all places of
business were closed during the funeral services.
On February 6, 1844, he was married to Sarah
Irvin, youngest daughter of John Irvin, of Lin
den Hall, and of their two children, John Irvin,
the elder, who was born November 23, 1844,
succeeded his father as agent of the Pennsylva
nia Railroad Co., which position he occupies at
the present time. George Latimer Potter, the
younger son, was born at Potters Mills, April 6,
1847. He attended school at State College
(Centre county), Lawrenceville (N. J.), and
Washington and Jefferson College (Washington
county, Penn.), but as his health failed he did
not complete the college course. He read med
icine for one year, but owing to an accident by
which his father lost an arm, he took up the lat-
ter's work, which he continued in until 1874,
when he was obliged to relinquish it on account
of failing health. In 1874 he engaged in the
insurance business, and has since made that his
permanent work. On June 21, 1876, he was
married to Elizabeth J. Sanderson, daughter of
W. C. Sanderson, of Eagle Mills, Clinton county,
and they have two daughters: Marguerite, born
July 29, 1877; and Sarah Irvin, born March 14,
1883. Through her mother, Mrs. Potter is a
descendant of the famous Indian scout, Robert
Copenhoven. The family attend the Presbyte
rian Church, in which Mr. Potter is an elder.

WILLIAM F SMITH, prothonotary of
Centre county, and clerk of the Courts
of Quarter Sessions and of Oyer and Terminer,
is one of the most able and popular officials
whom the administration of county affairs has
called to Bellefonte. Born and reared upon a
farm in Penn township, Centre county, he has
from youth displayed the qualities which mark
the typical American, and, by his work as a
teacher and farmer in early manhood, he strength
ened and developed those traits which have
brought him success in a wider sphere of use
fulness. Mr. Smith is of Scotch-Irish blood, on the

paternal side, but his ancestors crossed the ocean
at an early date. Francis Smith, his grand
father, was born in Union county, Penn., but
later settled in Penn township, Centre county,
where he died at the age of eighty-two years.
True to his descent, he was a forceful, independ
ent character, and as an Old-time Democrat
never hesitated to declare his convictions. The
late John B. Smith, our subject's father, was a
native of Centre county, having first seen the
light in Penn township, October 3, 1824. He
was a blacksmith by trade, and made his home
at Millheim, where he departed this life October
18, 1892, leaving an honored memory as an up
right man and faithful citizen. • His widow, Mrs.
Amelia Gilbert Smith, who was born in Snyder
county, Penn., January 8, 1830, survives him
and resides at Millheim.
William F. Smith, the only child of his par
ents, was born February 3, 185 1, and the district
schools at Millheim furnished him an elementary
education. Not content with that, he sought
wider opportunities, walking a long distance
morning and evening during three successive
terms to attend Penn Hall Academy, and later
he studied at Aaronsburg Academy, two miles
distant. The County Normal School at Rebers-
burg, where he spent two terms, gave him special
training for the work of teaching, and this call
ing he followed successfully for fourteen winters
in succession. As indisputable evidence of his
ability in this line we may mention that his work
was done in his native township, among those
who had no glamor of novelty to blind them in
their criticisms, five terms being passed at Mill
heim Grove and eight in his home district. Dur
ing seven years of this time he employed his
spare moments at the blacksmith's trade, and he
afterward engaged in farming, which he followed
for about ten years. He has also been in the
life-insurance business, and has traveled over
several States in that interest. As school director
and assessor of his township he did good service,
strengthening public confidence in his ability, and
when he was nominated for the office of prothon
otary by the Democrats in the fall of 1892, he
was elected by a majority of 805. He was in
stalled January 1, 1893, and so well did he per
form his duties that he was renominated by ac
clamation at the close of the term, and again
elected. Mr. Smith married Miss Margaret E. Kim-
port, who was born in Harris township, Centre
county, September 19, 1850. They have one
daughter living, Anna M. Smith, Another,
Mary I., passed from earth at the age of one
year and eight months.

112

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

fOHN T. JOHNSTON, late a venerable citi
zen of Bellefonte, Centre county, in the pub
lic affairs of which city he figured promi
nently for upward of a third of a century, and
who at the time of his death was chief clerk in the
Department of Internal Affairs at Harrisburg,
Penn., was a native of Centre county, born in the
village of Pine Grove Mills, October 20, 1829.
John and Charlotte Johnston, his parents,
were natives of Pennsylvania, born, the former
on November 12, 1790, and the latter on Febru
ary 14, 1 80 1. To them were born five children,
of whom our subject was the youngest. The par
ents during the latter's infancy moved to the
headwaters of Spruce creek, now known as Rock
Springs, where the mother died July 9, 1832.
About 1835 the father moved to Bellefonte,
where he engaged in the mercantile business, in
which he continued until his death, which oc
curred October 13, 1839.
John T. Johnston received his education at
the common schools and academy at Bellefonte.
His mother dying when he was but an infant,
and his father when he was ten years of age, he
was thus left an orphan early in boyhood to be
gin alone the battle of life, the greater part of
which struggle took place in Bellefonte, where,
later, his victories were achieved, and where his
every vote had been cast. At the age of fifteen
he entered the office of the Democratic Whig,
then published by John K. Shoemaker, for the
purpose of learning the art of printing, and in
the spring of 1851 he became a partner with Mr.
Shoemaker in the publication of that paper. He
entered politics as a Whig, and was the last
chairman that that party ever had in Centre
county. During the years of 1854-55, he took
an active part with the American or Know-noth
ing party; and in 1856 espoused the cause of the
Republican party, advocating through the col
umns of his paper the election of Fremont and
Dayton, the first candidates of that party for
President and Vice-President, respectively, of the
United States. He was chosen chairman of the
Republican Committee of the county eight times,
and was also very active, zealous and consistent
in the support of the principles of his party, and
its candidates, although he never "hunted with
a brass band." In the winter of 1855 he was ap
pointed to a clerkship in the State Department
at Harrisburg, under the administration of Gov.
James Pollock. After serving several months he
resigned and returned to Bellefonte, when he
took sole charge of the Whig, which he con
tinued to publish until June, 1858,. He was
clerk, to the town council of Bellefonte for a
number of years, and was president of the school

board two years. During the years i859f-6o he
served as clerk to the commissioners of the
county, and in the fall of the latter year was
elected prothonotary, being the first , and only
Republican ever, chosen to that office in the
county. During the session of 1866 he served
as a transcribing clerk in the Senate at Harris
burg, and in the years 1 867-68 he filled the posi
tion of chief clerk in the Internal Revenue office
of the then Eighteenth District of Pennsylvania.
In the spring of 1869 he was appointed post
master at Bellefonte, and served in that capacity
until July 1, 1885 — a period of over sixteen
years. In May, 1887, he was appointed railroad
clerk in the Department of Internal Affairs at
Harrisburg, and entered upon the duties of that
position on June 1 of that year. One of the
Bellefonte papers, referring to the death of Mr.
Johnston, said: "In all the different positions
of honor and emolument held by Mr. Johnston,
covering more than a third of a century, it can
be truthfully stated that he performed his whole
duty intelligently, honestly, faithfully and well.
He could always be relied upon, was never
weighed in the balance and found wanting."
On February 19, 1852, oursubjectwasmarried
to Miss Mary A. McKinney, a most estimable
lady, who was a resident of Bellefonte, and al
though at times she and her husband were called
upon to bear their share of the vicissitudes of life
— its afflictions and sorrows — their union proved
an entirely happy one. Six children were born to
this marriage, namely: Edward C, who died
when four years of age ; Augustus C. , who died in in
fancy ; Eliza F. , who is now Mrs. Roland Kelly, of
Beaver Falls, Penn. ; Finley E., who married Kate
Kellond, resides at Hastings, Mich. >, and has two
children — Edward and Lida M. ; George B., who
married Lillie Aikens, resides at Beaver Falls,
Penn., and has two children — Jennette A. and
Mary Ann; and Harry E. , an electrician, who
married Sadie J. Walker, of Bellefonte, who died
June 19, 1897.
Mrs. Johnson, the widow of our subject, is
the daughter of Samuel and Eliza (Flack) McKin
ney, and was born at Bellefonte, Penn., her fa
ther being of Scotch descent and her mother of
Irish parentage. The mother died at the home
of Mrs. Johnston in Bellefonte in 1885, the father
having died when Mrs. Johnston was a child of
ten years. He left four children, namely :> Nancy
J. married Edward McBride, and died at James
town, N. Y., leaving seven children;, John is a
farmer, married, has four children, and resides
in Texas; Samuel, a tailor by trade, died at Al
toona unmarried; and Mrs. Johnston, who was
the second child in the order of birth.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

118

H

ON. LEONARD RHONE. "Life," says a
well-known writer, "is meaningless unless
it is universal and coherent. " It is in a helpful
relation to our time, a sympathetic union with
the surrounding current of thought, feeling and
purpose, that we can realize the worth of our
own identity. To consciously ally one's self
with any of the mighty movements that are shap
ing the future, is to invest life with new dignity
and power. The present is a time of combina
tions for varied aims, for man sees more and
more clearly his weakness, as an individual as
compared with his strength in union with others.
One of the most significant and hopeful signs
of the times is the awakening in that large body of
hitherto isolated workers, the agriculturists, of
this desire for united effort for their mutual good.
The organization known as the Patrons of Hus
bandry is already a power in the nation, and if
its force is wisely directed and energetically ap
plied the results must be momentous.
In the subject of this biography, who has
been for seventeen years the master of the Penn
sylvania State Grange, the farmers of this State
have found a progressive, yet cautious, leader.
He is prominent also in the National Grange, in
which he is chairman of the executive commit
tee, and he has attended every annual meeting
since 1880. His work in originating the Grange
picnic and exhibition at Centre Hall, which meets
annually in September, and lasts one week, has
produced great and lasting benefit to the order.
Every year sees an increase in attendance and
exhibitions, and the opportunity for conference
among the farmers is prized more and more.
Mr. Rhone was born at the Rhone homestead
near Centre Hall, July 21, 1838, and was mainly
educated at the old Fairfield school in that vi
cinity. In 1857-58, he attended Kishacoquillas
Seminary one year, but it is to his own observa
tion and private reading that his wide range of
information is due. In the winter of 1858-59
he taught the Tusseyville school. Reared as a
farmer boy, and later engaging in agriculture as
an occupation, he has always ' been in complete
sympathy with the tillers of the soil, and his at
tention was early attracted to the need of union
among them for mutual instruction and informa
tion, and definite work for desired ends. From
the organization of the Patrons of Husbandry he
has always been an active member. His first
official position was connected with the State
society, but he was elected master of Pomona
Grange of Centre county in 1875, re-elected five
times, and in 1877 was chosen master of Centre
Hall Grange. In April, 1874, he was appointed
first deputy of the county by the then master of
8

the State Grange, and this position he held until
1878, when he was elected overseer of the State
Grange, and two years later was elected to his
present post. In the latter year he was elected
trustee of State College, and nominated by the
Greenbackers to the Legislature, but the latter
honor was declined, as was a similar nomination
in 1882. In that year he served as a delegate to
the National Convention of Agriculture under ap
pointment by Gov. Hoyt, and later he was named
byGov. Hastings as a member of the State Board
of Agriculture. In 1885 the Democrats nomin
ated him for the Legislature, and the special is
sues of that time overcoming his disinclination
for political life, he accepted, was elected, and
in 1887 became his own successor.
Mr. Rhone owns 215 acres of excellent land,
and its fine condition shows that he is as strong
in practice as in theory. In 1 864 he was married
to Miss Mary Margaret Sankey, daughter of the
late James Sankey, Esq., of Potters Mills, and
their union has been blessed with two clever and
attractive daughters: Miss Mae V., a graduate of
the seminary at Lutherville, Md., is now chief
clerk in the Department of Zoology of Pennsyl
vania at Harrisburg. Miss Florence S. was grad
uated from Lewis Academy at Wichita, Kans. , in
1893, with first honors, and at present assists her
father as his private secretary. The family is
prominent socially, and Mr. Rhone is identified
with the Masonic lodge at Centre Hall. He be
longs to the Lutheran Church at Tusseyville, but
his wife is a devout Methodist in faith.
Mr. Rhone comes of our best pioneer stock,
as is shown by the fact that his beautiful farm
near Centre Hall has now been owned and occu
pied by the Rhone family for more than a cen
tury. The first of the name to leave the ances
tral home in Hamburg, Germany, was John
Rhone, or Rahn, our subject's great-grandfather,
who was born in that city in 1698, during a win
ter so severe as to be referred to in the history of
the Fatherland as ' ' the cold winter. " There is
now no record of his ancestry, and nothing is
known of his immediate relatives except that two
brothers came to America some time after his
emigration, one locating in the East, and the
other in the South.
John Rhone was a youth when he first came
to America, and after spending a few years in
Pennsylvania he returned to his native land,
where he married, his bride accompanying him
on his second voyage to the New World. At
that time emigrants were forbidden to carry
money out of the country, on account of some
movement political, commercial or military, and
in order to evade the edict our pioneer invested

If 4

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

his patrimony in Bibles and merchandise, which
he brought with him. A few copies of these
Bibles still remain and are cherished in the family
as priceless heirlooms.
On his return to Pennsylvania, John Rhone
located in Tulpehocken township, Berks county,
near the Norskill Lutheran Church, where he
followed the blacksmith's trade for many years.
At the close of the Revolutionary war he moved
to Franklin county and engaged in farming.
While there his first wife died, but he afterward
re-married. He was a temperate man, a consist
ent Christian, and a strict Lutheran in faith.
He died in March, 1823, at the extraordinary age
of 125 years — extending over portions of three
centuries. To the last he retained his strength
of mind and body, and when 105 years old he
paid a visit to his native land. His remains were
interred at Pleasant Hall, Franklin county, with
those of his wives. He had eighteen children,
most of whom lived to maturity, and some at
tained great age, one daughter dying in Cumber
land, Md., when 103 years old. But little is
known of the others.
The founder of the Centre county branch of
the family was Michael Rhone, one of the elder
sons of this modern patriarch. He was born in
Berks county, Penn., June 8, 1759, and received
a liberal education for the time in the parochial
school of the German Evangelical Church near
his home. The Revolution was in progress dur
ing his early manhood, and his father being en
gaged in furnishing supplies to the army, he
assisted in this business, often undergoing great
danger and suffering in conveying provisions to
camp, especially during the memorable winter at
Valley Forge. He was of temperate habits, and
possessed unusual strength and endurance, his
well-proportioned frame with its powerful sinews
seeming capable of any task. When peace was
restored, he traveled for several years in what
was then the '"wild west," most of the time be
ing spent in Pennsylvania and New York.
In 1792 Michael Rhone removed from Berks
county to Haines township, Centre county, then
a part of Northumberland county, where he
purchased a tract of land and began to clear it
for a farm. For some reason he sold the place
two years later, and went to the present home
stead, which he purchased from Jacob Straub,
September 15, 1794. This place was a part of
the first survey in that Valley, the Manor of Not
tingham survey, made September 23 and 24,
1766, and the land had previously been deeded
to Straub on June 24, 1794, by John Penn, the
younger, and John Penn, the elder, by their at
torney, Anthony Butler, of Philadelphia, as

shown by documents in the recorder's office in
Lewistown, Penn. The deed to Michael Rhone
was recorded at Bellefonte.
Before leaving Berks county, Michael Rhone
married Miss Catherine Elizabeth Wagner, who
was born October 24, 1769. She seems to have
been amply endowed with physical strength and
a spirit capable of overcoming all hardships, while
her foresight is revealed by the fact that she car
ried in her pocket a package of seeds of various
kinds, from which came, a few years later, ex
tensive orchards of apple, pear, peach, plum and
cherry trees, covering about twenty acres. Many
of these trees are still standing. When the pio
neers settled at their new home it was in its
primitive state, except for a small log- cabin
covered with clapboards, an insignificant stable
and a few acres ready for tilling. The location
was beautiful, however, and an excellent spring
added to the attraction of the place as a resi
dence, modern methods of obtaining a bountiful
supply of water being then unknown. It was
known as the Indian spring, and bands of Red
men frequently camped there, a "trail" running
past it from Logan's Gap to Tussey mountain.
This ancient path was visible for many years
after the aborigines left the region, and arrow
heads and other relics were often found near by.
The land proved fertile, and Michael Rhone
and his good wife found themselves, in later
years, the owners of one of the best farms
in all that section. In 1 805 a better house was
erected, 30x40 feet in size, with a stone founda
tion, and having its logs deftly notched at the
corners. It was two stories high, with an im
mense fireplace on each floor, and a high stone
chimney stood outside at either end. A barn
was built in 1810, and about 1820 the present
substantial and commodious barn was erected.
Intelligent, progressive and upright, Michael
Rhone was universally esteemed, and his home
was the center of a generous hospitality, which
has been continued by its later occupants. In
August, 1836, his faithful wife, who had shared
his early labors and his well-earned reward,
passed away at the age of sixty-seven, and he
followed her on September 16, 1844, in his
eighty-sixth year, both being interred at Tussey
ville, Centre county, in the cemetery of Eman
uel's Church (Lutheran), of which they had long
been members.
They had two sons — John and Jacob — and
seven daughters, two of whom did not live to
maturity. Anna Maria married John Sholder,
and moved to Ohio, where they and their only
child died. Jane married Joseph Crotzer, of
Potter township, Centre county, and had a large

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

115

family. Katherine married Jacob Grossman,
and moved to Lena, 111., where several children
survive them. Nancy married David Harshber-
ger, near Zion, and left a numerous family.
Elizabeth married John Rishel, of Gregg town
ship, Centre county. John Rhone, who was born
in 1800, married Miss Bottorf, of Pine Grove
Mills, and settled in Clinton county, engaging in
lumbering and other occupations. Some of his
descendants still reside in that county.
Jacob Rhone, our subject's father, was born
in September, 1 807, and spent his entire life on
the homestead. Although the local schools fur
nished his only educational advantages, he se
cured an excellent fund of knowledge by individ
ual effort, being a constant reader of the best
literature. He was a leading worker in local
affairs, always favoring beneficial enterprises,
and was especially prominent in religious mat
ters as a member of the Lutheran Church, serv
ing as an elder for a number of years. An
ardent Democrat, he possessed much influence
in political affairs, and was often a delegate to
county conventions.
In 1846 Jacob Rhone purchased the home
stead from the other heirs, but on March 19,
1853, he was suddenly called from earth, a vio
lent attack of typhoid pneumonia baffling the
skill of his physician. He had just been elected
justice of the peace, but his commission had not
yet been signed by the governor. His wife,
formerly Miss Sarah Karstetter, survives him,
and in taking up the management of the estate at
a critical time, and successfully carrying forward
the plans for the new residence then in process
of erection, showed remarkable sagacity and ex
ecutive ability. In rearing their numerous
family to take honorable and useful places in so
ciety she won yet more notable distinction.
She was born in 181 1, the daughter of Leonard
Karstetter, who resided at the confluence of Penn
and Pine creeks, in what is now Penn township,
Centre county. Her twin sister is still living, and
they are probably the oldest pair of twins to be
found in the county, if not in the State. Mrs.
Rhone conducted the farm until April 1, 1869,
when it was taken in charge by our subject, who
afterward bought out the other heirs.
Nine children were born to Jacob and Sarah
Rhone: (1) John W., born in 1832, died May
15, 1894; he graduated in 1863 from the Penn
sylvania College of Dental Surgery, and became
the leading dentist at Bellefonte; in 1856 he
married Miss Caroline E. Keller, of Boalsburg,
who survives him with one son and one daugh
ter. (2) Leonard is the second in order of birth.
(3) Mary Magdalene, born in 1834, is the wife of

William J. Dale, of Pleasant Gap, Penn. (4)
Sarah Ann, born in 1836, married John Hess, of
Pine Grove Mills, Penn. (5) Elizabeth Emily,
born in 1841, married H. P. Sankey, a farmer
near Potters Mills. (6) Margaret J., born in
1845, is the wife of Lewis F. Mason, of Grinnell,
Iowa. (7) Lydia A., born in 1845, died in in
fancy. (8) Alice, born in 1849, married John
W. Hixon, of Newton, Iowa. (9) Franklin died
at the homestead at the age of nineteen.
On June 13, 1894, the family held a centen
nial celebration at the old home, and a throng of
relatives, neighbors and friends met to rejoice
with them. An elaborate program preceded a
bountiful dinner, which was spread under an im
mense tent in the handsome grounds. Some
well-trained singers rendered appropriate selec
tions, and a number of speeches were made, Mr.
Rhone welcoming the guests in a felicitous man
ner. H. H. Harshberger responded, and Col.
J. F. Weaver, of Milesburg, delivered an inter
esting historical address, which was followed by
an anniversary poem by Miss Emma Brewer,
superintendent of public schools of Crum Lynne,
Penn. At the dinner table a number of witty
speeches were made, and the remainder of the
day was given to social diversions and impromptu
musical selections, Grandmother Sarah Rhone,
despite her eighty-four years, sang in a strong
sweet voice two stanzas of a German song. One
of the happiest features of this delightful reunion
was the presence among her descendants of this
honored lady, who conversed among the guests.
all day without apparent fatigue, and all joined
in the wish that she might live long to enjoy the
prosperity to which her own wisdom and energy
so largely contributed.

JOHN O. TODD (deceased), in his lifetime a
prominent citizen of Philipsburg, was for
many years connected with the mining in
terests of Centre county, and through diligence
and economy secured a competency which en
abled him to spend his declining years in ease
and retirement. He was born in Durham, Eng
land, November 24, 1823, a son of John and
Mary J. (Waistle) Todd, who were natives of
that country, where the father died November 3,
1823. Later the mother wedded Joseph Boothe,
and in the fall of 1848 they came to America,
locating at Tamaqua, Schuylkill Co., Penn.,
where they remained for three years. They
then took took up their residence in Philipsburg,
Centre county, where the mother died in No
vember, 1868, and her husband on February 23,
1870.

116

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

On April 12, 1847, Mr. Todd sailed for
America, landing in New York May 22 follow
ing. Proceeding at once to Schuylkill county,
Penn., he there worked in the coal mines for
three years, and then came to Philipsburg, where
he was employed in the lumber woods and in a
sawmill, while during the spring he rafted lumber
on the Susquehanna river. In i860 he began
mining for his father-in-law, and served as min
ing boss until 1893, when he laid aside business
cares, and sought the enjoyment of a well-earned
rest. A practical and skillful miner, he was well
fitted for the responsible position which he filled.
On September 14, 1862, Mr. Todd married
Miss Susannah Nuttall, and ten children graced
their union, namely: Martha J., now the wife
of Andrew Allport, a farmer in Virginia; John T.,
who is a stockholder and superintendent of mines
near Philipsburg; Frederick C. , who is also inter
ested in mines at the same place; Charles (de
ceased); Mary W. and Harry W., both at home;
Herbert, Albert and Edna (all three deceased);
and Ethel N. , at home. Mrs. Todd was born
July 19, 1847, in England, whence when two
years of age she was brought to the United
States by her parents, John and Betty Nuttall,
natives of Lancaster, England, who located in
New York for a few years, later in Centre
county. Mr. Todd died June 8, 1897. Socially he
affiliated with the Knights of Pythias; politically
he was identified with the Democratic party,
whose principles he strongly advocated and
whose candidates he always supported by his
ballot. A public-spirited, progressive citizen,
he manifested a deep interest in all that per
tained to the welfare of the community, where
he found a pleasant home for so many years,
while throughout the county he made many warm
friends, and his departure from their midst was
deeply mourned.

JE. WARD, D. D. S., one of Bellefonte's
leading dentists, has shown a rare degree of
foresight and prudence in the choice of a
career. It is an excellent thing for a young
man to take account of his circumstances, abil
ities and inclinations, and make judicious choice
of an occupation early in life, when he may bend
his best energies to his self-imposed task, and
Dr. Ward's example is worthy of emulation.
Our subject is a native of Centre county, born
October 27, 1858, at Pine Grove Mills, Fergu
son township, where he was given good educa
tional advantages in the district schools and in the
Pine Grove Academy. At an early age he began

to display his characteristic energy and business
acumen, and while still in his "teens" began
teaching school, which occupation he followed
six years, then became a traveling salesman for
an art firm, his duties taking him all over the
United States and familiarizing him incidentally
with the various phases of human life. His prac
tical mind gleaned many lessons from his expe
riences and observations, and seeing the value of
a settled location and profession, he returned to
his native county and continued his studies for a
time. He then took a course in the Baltimore
Dental College, at Baltimore, Md., graduating in
1888, and after a few months located at Belle
fonte, where he has built up an extensive and lu
crative practice. Although devoted to his pro
fession, he is too public-spirited to fail in any of
the duties of a true citizen, and he is highly es
teemed among all classes. In his political views
he is a Democrat. He is a member of the school
board, elected in 1895; also one of the stewards
in the Methodist Episcopal Church; and a mem
ber of the State Dental Society. On March 5,
1890, he was united in marriage with Miss Belle
M. Stiver, who was born in Penn's Valley, near
Tusseyville, in 1865. Three children have
brightened their home, of whom two, Thomas
A. and Harold Stiver, are living. The third in
order of birth passed away in infancy.
The Doctor's ancestors were early settlers in
Pennsylvania. His grandfather, Simon Ward,
was a native of Lebanon county, born in 1802,
and died in Centre county in 1877. By occupa
tion he was a merchant tailor. He married Miss
Sellers, and they had ten children: Lusetta,
Joseph Simon, John, Uriah, William, James K.
Polk, Albert, Washington and Jacob. Seven
sons served gallantly in the Union cause in the
'Civil war. Two, Washington and Jacob, lost their
lives, and John was wounded at Gettysburg and
had a leg amputated. Jacob died at Crab Orchard,
and Washington, although young, had been pro
moted from private to corporal, and was killed at
Chancellorsville. Joseph Ward, our subject's father, was born
in Lebanon county, Penn., May 2, 1825, and
was brought to Centre county in his childhood
by his parents. He learned the carpenter's trade
and became a house builder and cabinet maker,
every carpenter's shop being, in those days, a
little factory. His wife, Mary Gill, was born in
Centre county, May 26, 1827. Her father, Will
iam Gill, was a native of Bucks county, Penn.,
whence he came to this section in early man
hood, and died at Bellefonte, November 21, 1876,
at the age of ninety years; he was a soldier of
the war of 181 2. Our subject's parents made

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

117

their home at Pine Grove Mills, and the father
breathed his last there August 27, 1895; the
mother is yet living at the homestead. They
had the following children: (1) William Bigler,
a carpenter at Pine Grove Mills; (2) Augusta,
widow of Rev. Joseph King, a Methodist min
ister; (3) Clara, who is at home; (4) James A.,
who has for sixteen years been a successful
teacher at Salina, Kans; (5) Lusetta, who is at
home; (6) Joseph Edward, our subject; (7) John
H., a resident of Centre county; (8) George W.,
a well-known teacher at Pittsburg, Penn. ; (9)
Ira C, a dentist in Chicago, 111., at No. 1123
N. Clark street; (10) Mary E., with her brother
Ira C, in Chicago.
Mrs. Belle M. Ward is the daughter of Thomas
and Mary (Bike) Stiver, whose children were as
follows: Samuel L. is the principal of the Mili
tary Academy at Bunker Hill, 111. ; William B.
is a physician of Freeport, 111. ; Perry O. con
ducts a newspaper at Freeport, 111. ; Roland J.
is a physician at Lena, 111. ; Thomas J. is a phy
sician at Denver, Colo. ; David A. is a dentist at
Chicago; and Margaret is at home with her mother
at Centre, Hall, Centre Co., Penn. The father
died about 1871.

JG. IRVIN. Among the foremost families of
Centre county the Irvin family ranks high,
both in the business and social world. John
and Anne (Watson) Irvin, the grandparents of
our subject, were of Scotch-Irish extraction, and
from Scotland came to America in the early
1790's. They took up their abode at what is
now Linden Hall, Harris township, Centre coun
ty, where the grandfather owned and operated a
mill and distillery until his death in 1825.
To this worthy couple were born nine chil
dren, as follows: Susan, wife of Gen. James
Potter, of Potters Mills, Centre county; Gen.
James Irvin, who was a member of Congress and
at one time was a candidate for the office of gov
ernor of Pennsylvania; John, the father of our
subject; William, who made his home in Centre
county, but died in China while serving as United
States embassador; Lot W. , who was engaged in
the iron business in Mercer county, Penn. ; Mar
garet, wife of Andrew Gregg, who was engaged
in the same business in Hecla, Centre county;
Nancy, wife of Benjamin J. Berry, of Lemont,
Penn. ; Eliza, widow of Roland Curtin, brother
of Gov. Curtin, and proprietor of the Eagle Iron
Works, of Centre county; and Sarah, wife of
Capt. W. W. Potter. The last two are still liv
ing in Bellefonte.
John Irvin, Jr., the father pf our subjegt, was

born in Linden Hall, Harris township, and in the
country schools near his home secured his educa
tion. Leaving school at an early age, he went
to Oak Hall, College tdwnship, where he became
proprietor of the Oak Hall grist and saw mills
and a store at the same place. He built the
Monroe furnace in Huntingdon county, Penn.,
where he lived for several years, but finally re
turned to Oak Hall. Subsequently, however, he
removed to Iowa, where his death occurred, sur
viving his last wife three years.
John Irvin, Jr., married Miss Hannah Greene,
a daughter of Joseph Greene (owner of the Cen
tre Furnace of College township), who lived and
died in Milesburg. The only child born of this
union was our subject, and his mother died in
1832, when he was but two years old. Later
his father wedded Miss Isabella Rankin, a daugh
ter of John Rankin, of Bellefonte, and to them
were born five children, namely: Mary, who died
in Iowa; William, a commission merchant of
Chicago, 111. ; Sarah, wife of D. H. Annabel, a
dry-goods merchant, of Keokuk, Iowa; John, a
farmer of the Hawkeye State; and Isabella, wife
of C. C. Cox, a broker of Chicago.
J. Greene Irvin, of this review, was born in
Linden Hall, January 23, 1830, and there ob
tained his early education, which was supple
mented by a course of study in both Harrisburg
and Lawrenceville, Penn. On the completion of
his literary education, he entered the woolen
business in Oak Hall, becoming the owner and
manager of the large woolen-mill at that place.
For many years he continued its operation, but
has now laid aside active business cares, though
he still owns the factory. He was a prominent
representative of the industrial interests of the
.county, and the product which the mills turned
out was of such superior quality that it com
manded the highest market price. He has the
strictest regard for the ethics of commercial life,
and his business methods commended him to the
confidence and regard of all.
On November 8, 1854, Mr. Irvin was married
to Miss Jane Riley, who was born February 19,
1836, and is a daughter of Daniel Riley, of
Boalsburg, Harris township, Centre county.
They have become the parents of three children,
namely: (1) Annie, born February 22, 1856, is
the wife of William F. Mitchell, manager of
a general store at Williamsburg, Blair Co.,
Penn., and they have two /children — Mary Mar
garet, born December 17, 1884, who died in 1889;
and Joseph Irvin, born June 8, 1891. (2) Sarah
Letitia, born December 26, 1857, was married
June 15, 1 88 1, to Thomas F. Johnson, secretary
of the Hollidaysburg Iron & Nail Works, at Hoi-

118

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

lidaysburg, Penn., and they have two children —
Joseph Irvin, born May 9, 1882; and Mary Jane,
born July 19, 1890. (3) Hannah Mary, born
July 12, i860, died February 10, 1863.
Mr. Irvin has a pleasant home in College
township, surrounded by beautiful grounds com
prising ten acres, and there he is spending his
declining years surrounded by many warm
friends. For thirty-five years he has been a
consistent member of the Presbyterian Church.
He cast his first Presidential vote for Gen. Scott,
and is now an ardent Republican in politics, but
no politician in the sense of office seeking, though
he has creditably filled the offices of overseer of
the poor, election inspector, township treasurer
and township clerk. He lends his aid and influ
ence to all matters calculated to advance the ed
ucational, moral or material welfare of the com
munity, and is ranked among the valued citizens
and leading business men of the township.

WILLIAM U. IRWIN, M. D., who is en
gaged in the practice of medicine at Ju
lian, Centre county, has attained an enviable
position in the ranks of the medical fraternity of
central Pennsylvania. Earnest study, broad re
search, and the thoughtful application of the
knowledge that he has acquired, have given him
a skill as a practitioner which makes him a most
worthy representative of the profession.
Born on the 9th of July, 1863, in West Un
ion, Iowa, ' our subject was two years of age
when brought to Centre county by his parents,
Daniel and Eliza G. Irwin. The father is now
a prominent merchant in Julian. The literary
education of our subject was obtained in the dis
trict schools and at Bellefonte Academy, where
he prepared himself for the study of medicine,
desiring to make its practice his life work. Dur
ing his youth he often assisted his father in the
store, and while there began reading medicine,
after which he entered Jefferson Medical College,
Philadelphia, where he graduated in 1890 on the'
completion of the three-years' course. He has
since successfully engaged in practice at Julian,
and throughout his professional career has been
a close student of the science of medicine, keep
ing fully abreast with the progress which char
acterizes this nineteenth-century development.
His worth is acknowledged by his professional
brethren, and is attested by a large and lucrative
practice. On May 14, 1894, Dr. Irwin was married
to Miss Susie Williams, and they have a son,
John Boyd, born July 3, 1896. Mrs. Irwin was
born in Huston township, Centre county, August

6, 1 87 1, is a cultured and refined lady, and suc
cessfully engaged in teaching previous to her
marriage. Her father, Abednego Williams, a
general farmer of Huston township, was born
there August 4, 1848, and is a son of Samuel S.
and Eleanor (Peters) Williams, who spent their
entire lives in Centre county. Since twenty-
three years of age he has resided upon the pres
ent farm, and is one of the most successful agri
culturists of the locality. On January 4, 1871,
he was united in marriage with Miss Catherine
M. Hartsock, whose birth occurred January 4,
1850, in Huston township. Her parents, Hays
and Susan (Williams) Hartsock, were also natives
of Centre county, where they always made their
home. Mr. and Mrs. Williams are active mem
bers of the Baptist Church, and highly re
spected and valued members of society, their
true worth being fully recognized by their many
friends and acquaintances. He is connected
with the Grange in Unionville, and in politics is
a Republican, favoring the gold standard.
Mrs. Irwin is the eldest in a family of seven
children, the others being as follows: Martha
J., born October 25, 1872; John R., born Janu
ary 26, 1875, and Harry S., born February 14,
1877, are all at home with their parents; Theo
dore L., born February 3, 1879, died July 30,
1892; Roger G., born February 24, 1881, is at
home; and Chester M., born June 25, 1883, died
August 29, 1892.
Politically, Dr. Irwin affiliates with the Dem
ocratic party, in the success of which he takes a
deep interest. He is a member of Huston town
ship school board, and takes active part in the
cause of education. A prominent member of
the medical fraternity, he is now serving as pres
ident of the Centre County Medical Society, and
is also a leading member of the Pennsylvania
State Medical Society and the American Medical
Association. Socially, he is affiliated with the
I. O. O. F., holding membership in the lodge at
Unionville. Financially as well as profession
ally, the Doctor has met with success in his
chosen calling, and owns a pleasant home in
Julian, where he and his amiable wife delight to
entertain their many friends.

JH. REIFSNYDER, county surveyor of Cen
tre county, with residence at Millheim, is
one of the leading business men of Penn's
Valley, being connected' with some of the most
important enterprises in that section.
Mr. Reifsnyder was born near Annville,
Lebanon Co., Penn., July 18, 1837, and his fam
ily, which is of German origin, has been repre-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

119

sented in this State for several centuries. His
father, the late William Reifsnyder, a native of
Berks county, Penn., born in 1805, came to
Centre county in 1841, locating first at Aarons
burg. He started in life a poor boy, and for a
time followed the weaver's trade; but after his
removal to Aaronsburg he engaged in butchering,
selling the meat about the vicinity, while in the
fall of the year he would go into the country and
assist the farmers in butchering. In 1848 he
moved into Penn township. Centre county, a
short distance to the northwest of Millheim, and
in 1850 he removed to another part of the town
ship, which is now a part of the village site. He
worked by the day at whatever employment pre
sented itself. In 1857 he resumed the business
of butchering, with our subject as an assistant,
and in the winter season did some huckstering
also. He was an industrious man, and as a citi
zen was highly esteemed by all who knew him.
He was a Democrat, but though a regular voter
he was not a politician. From an early age he
was an active member of the Reformed Church,
and an earnest advocate of the Temperance
cause. William Reifsnyder was married in 1830, in
Lebanon county, to Miss Rachel Gass, a native
of Lancaster county, born July 27, 1808. She
was a daughter of John Gass, and one of a nu
merous family of children. William Reifsnyder
died at Millheim, May 7, 1883, but our subject's
mother is still living now, in her ninetieth year,
and makes her home with her daughter, Mrs.
Armbruster. The children of this estimable
couple were: Uriah, a carpenter of Millheim,
who died in the fall of 1895; Mina, the wife of
Davis Evans, of Potters Mills, Penn. ; Malinda
B., now Mrs. George Armbruster, of Farmers
Mills; Leah A., who resides at Millheim; Will
iam H. , a resident of Millheim; and J. H, whose
name opens this sketch.
As our subject came to Centre county in child
hood, his elementary education was chiefly ac
quired in the schools of Aaronsburg and vicinity,
his first teacher being James Aikens. The meth
ods and apparatus of the . schools of that day
were not of the best, and Mr. Reifsnyder views
the improvements in the present system with en
tire approbation. Owing to the poverty of his
parents, he went to work at the age of ten years
at such employment among the farmers as his
strength would permit, and until the age of
twenty his time was spent in different places and
at various kinds of labor. From 1857 until
1867 he was associated with his father in the
butcher business, and for two years afterward he
traveled through southeastern Pennsylvania sell

ing patent rights. He had fitted himself for
teaching through home study, and at different
times taught in Haines and Penn townships,
Centre county — five terms in all, and having ac
quired also a knowledge of surveying he in 1868
purchased the instruments belonging to Jacob Bol
linger, former surveyor, and began his successful
career as a worker in that line. Other business
enterprises in which he has engaged are the pur
chasing of the Duncan farm, south of Millheim,
part of which was laid out in building lots, and
forms part of the town, and is also known as the
"Southern Addition." He was also an appli
cant to a charter for the Millheim Building &
Loan Association and held the position as treas
urer and solicitor for a number of years. He
was also one of the incorporators of the Millheim
Turnpike road, extending from said place to Co-
burn, and as contractor constructed part of the
road; he was the first secretary and treasurer of
that company; and at one time was a stock
holder in the Millheim Banking Company. He
is the owner and operator of the Keystone Ce
ment and Lime quarries, which were opened in
1872. He has been dealing extensively in im
proved and timber lands.
In January, 1861, Mr. Reifsnyder was mar
ried to Miss Mary L. Kreamer, who was born in
Miles township, Centre county, August 16, 1837,
the daughter of Joseph and Rebecca (Reitzeil)
Kreamer. They established their residence at
Millheim, and their home has been brightened by
seven children, of whom one son and one daugh
ter are the only survivors — Jennie K. and Joseph
W., both students at Bucknell University, Lew
isburg, Penn. Mrs. Reifsnyder died July 23,
1892, leaving a large circle of friends to grieve
with the stricken family. She was a devout
Christian and a member of the Lutheran Church.
In his political affiliations, Mr. Reifsnyder is a
Democrat, and he is regarded as a leader in his
locality. From 1862 to 1866 he served as con
stable of Penn township, and during that time he
was also tax collector. In the fall of 1869 he
was elected justice of the peace, and served con
tinuously until May, 1896, giving entire satisfac
tion to the public. He is now serving his seventh
year as county surveyor. Since 1889 his activi
ties in all lines have been somewhat curtailed on
account of an attack of "La Grippe," which left
him less robust than before.
His real-estate buildings are valuable. His
comfortable home in Millheim was remodeled in
1876, and he owns a number of other residences
there, and twenty-two acres of improved land
within the corporation limits; also several large
farms west of Millheim. He has always been

120

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ready to encourage any local improvement.
Self-made in the fullest sense, his intellect and
his attainments are remarkable, and his sound,
clear judgment of men and affairs make his opin
ions valued, and his advice eagerly sought.

MON. JAMES SCHOFIELD, Representative
 of the Bellefonte District in the General
Assembly of the State. An honorable ambition,
sustained by practical ability and unyielding en
ergy, is a passport to success, and the biographies
of our distinguished men furnish interesting illus
trations of the rule. It is a pleasure to present
to our readers such a forceful example as the fol
lowing sketch conveys.
Mr. Schofield has become so thoroughly and
prominently identified with the leading interests
of this section that it is not difficult to imagine
him making^ his way against heavy odds to his
present position in the community, yet his brave
and successful struggle is doubtless one factor in
his popularity. He was born in Belfast, Ireland,
March 20, 1848, the first child of William Scho
field and his second wife Ellen (Allen). The
father was a native of County Monaghan, Ire
land, born in 1 809, and in early life was a farmer,
but later had charge of the shipyards of McClel-
lan & Co., at Belfast, where his death occurred
in 1896. Our subject's mother is still living in
Belfast at the age of sixty-seven years. Both
parents were connected with the Presbyterian
Church from early years.
Our subject, James Schofield, received a good
elementary education in the schools of his native
city, and learned the harness-maker's trade.
When thus prepared for the practical work of
life, he failed to find contentment in the pros
pects which lay before him. For one thing the
idea of being a subject in a monarchy was dis
tasteful to him, and the thought that by crossing
the Atlantic he could become a citizen in a Re
public, and be himself a recognized factor in the
government, filled his soul with longing. He did
not hesitate long. With characteristic prompt
ness and decision he made his choice, and at the
age of eighteen sailed for America, where he soon
found a suitable location at Bellefonte, the cli
mate and the people both proving congenial. A
livelihood was, of course, his first consideration,
and he applied himself diligently to his trade,
working as a journeyman until 1871, when he-
went into business on his own account. Thor
oughly competent in all branches of harness and
saddle making, his masterly workmanship, coupled
with upright and honorable business methods,
attracted an increasing custom until he became

the leading dealer in his line in Centre county.
His genial nature and well-informed mind gained
him warm friends, and his shop became a meet
ing place for the discussion of the live topics of
the day.
As his prosperity became established, he had
time to take an active part in political affairs,
and, first as school director and later as overseer
of the poor, he did efficient service. In 1892 he
was elected on the Democratic ticket to the
State Legislature, where he succeeded in getting
some valuable measures passed. He was a mem
ber of the committee on Mining and Agriculture.
At that time there were only seventy Democrats
in the House. In 1894 he. was again a candidate,
but his party was slaughtered everywhere that
year, and he went down with the rest. In 1896,
he was again the choice of the Democrats of his
county, and, although the party was divided, he
was elected by a majority of 105, while Major
McKinley carried the county by 400 votes. Mr.
Schofield is now serving on a number of import
ant committees, among them being those of
City Appropriations, Manufactories and Election
Laws. No progressive movement in his locality
fails to receive Mr. Schofield's appreciation and
support, and his friends and admirers are by no
means limited to any party or class. He is act
ive in fraternal society work as a member of the
I. O. O. F. and the K. G. E. ¦
The wife of Mr. Schofield, formerly Miss
Ellen Fleck, is a native of Philipsburg, Centre
county, Penn., born in 1856. Their children
are: Mary (who married George Parker, and has
two children — Ferguson and Jennie), Edward,
Elizabeth and Nancy, the son Edward being in
the grocery business at Bellefonte.

^KF HARRISON WALKER, Esq., junior
jbM. member of the law firm of " Fortney &
Walker," Bellefonte, Centre county, was born
near Salona, Clinton Co., Penn., August 30,
1874, and is the youngest son of Samuel E.
Walker, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere.
Born and reared on a farm, his early educa
tion was received in the township schools. At
the age of fifteen he was admitted to Class '94 of
the Susquehanna University at Selin's Grove,
Snyder Co., Penn., but was only in attendance
at that institution for several terms. Then he
went to Lock Haven and entered the Central
State Normal School and pursued special studies
for preparation for the legal profession. While
at the latter institution he read law during his
vacation, in the offices of T. M. Stevenson, Esq.,,
of Lock Haven.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

121

In the fall of 1894 Mr. Walker entered the
Dickinson School of Law, at Carlisle, Penn.,
and also registered as a law student in the law
offices of ex-Judge W. F. Sadler, of the same
city, which gentleman manifested a great inter
est in Mr. Walker and his work. After two
years of faithful study in the law department, to
gether with the office work entrusted to him by
his preceptor. Judge Sadler, he was graduated
from the Dickinson School of Law, June 8, 1896,
receiving the degree of LL. B., ranking very
high in his class.
Mr. Walker was a member of the Clionian
Literary Society, and also of the Henry Clay
Debating Club, of the Susquehanna University;
of the Shakespeare Literary Society, of the Cen
tral State Normal School; and of the Dickinson
Law Society and Moot Court Club, of the Dick
inson School of Law, also of the Dickinson Col
lege Orchestra & Glee Club. He was the editor
and business manager of " The Shakespearean," a.
paper published at Lock Haven, by the Shakes
peare Society in 1893. He is also a member of
the Dickinson Chapter of the Delta Chi Legal
Fraternity, an organization exclusively for law
students and lawyers.
Politically, Mr. Walker is a Democrat. He
took an active part in the campaign of 1896, and
was considered one of the best young speakers
in the field. He is a member of the Bellefonte
Lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows,
and also of the Bellefonte Lodge of the Knights
of the Golden Eagle.
As a student in the law school, he was re
markably faithful to his duties — a painstaking
and conscientious worker — and he commanded
the esteem and confidence of both faculty and
students. He is a gentleman of good moral
character, of the highest probity, studious and
energetic. He was admitted to the Cumberland
County Bar at Carlisle, Penn., at the age of
twenty-one, and to the Centre County Bar at
Bellefonte, Penn., on the 20th day of July, 1896.
On August 1, 1896, he joined in partnership, for
the practice of his profession, with David F.
Fortney, Esq., one of the leading members of
the Bar, as well as one of the greatest educa
tional leaders in the State, under the firm name
of ' ' Fortney & Walker. "
The subject of this sketch has laid a good
foundation for legal knowledge, and his industry,
ambition and perseverance, with his ability, jus
tify us in the prediction of a brilliant future for
him. He is a clear, eloquent and forcible,
speaker. Upon entering his professional life at
the Centre County Bar we find in the columns of
one of the leading papers published in the

county, the following: " W. Harrison Walker,
Esq., the junior member of the law firm of Fort
ney & Walker, has spent years in faithful study
and preparation for the practice of the law. He
comes to the Bar more thoroughly prepared than
any young man who has been admitted in recent
years."

E\DWIN J. BURD, M. D., is one of the most
 'I eminent and skillful physicians of Centre
county, and is now located in Snow Shoe, where
he has built up a large and lucrative practice.
In a comparison of the relative value to mankind
of the various professions and pursuits, it is widely
recognized that none is so important as the med
ical profession. From the cradle to the grave
human destiny is largely in the hands of the phy
sician. Although our subject is one of the
younger members of this honored profession, he
has already won an enviable reputation.
Dr. Burd was born, May 5, 1866, in Rebers-
burg, Miles township, Centre county, a son of
John R. and Susanna (Gephart) Burd, natives of
Northumberland and Union counties, Penn., re
spectively. The father's birth occurred in Au
gust, 1 8 19, and in 1826 he was brought by his
parents, John and Eleanor (Reynolds) Burd,, to
Centre county, and is still an honored resident of
Rebersburg, where he is engaged in the saddlery
business. The grandparents, who were natives
of Ireland, first located in Northumberland coun
ty, where the grandmother died at the advanced
age of ninety-two years, and the grandfather was
killed while at work in the lumber woods.
The mother of our subject was born in Jan
uary, 1 8 19, and was a daughter of Michael and
Hannah Gephart, the former a native of Union
county, Penn. , and the latter of Ireland. In
1 82 1 they came to Centre county, where they
spent their remaining days. The great-grand
father Gephart was of German birth. Mrs. Burd
was called to her final rest, June 19, 1892. She
was the mother of six children: Emma, wife of
John Beck, a cabinet-maker, of Duncannon,
Penn.; Ella, who is with her father; Angie, wife
of James Tharp, a conductor on the Lehigh Val
ley railroad, and residingin Easton, Penn.; Mary,
wife of Horace Breisch, who is also a conductor
for that company and a resident of Easton; Win-
field S. , a dentist of Bellewood, Blair Co. , Penn. ;
and Edwin J., of this sketch.
At the age of thirteen years, Dr. Burd began
the battle of life for himself, at first working in
a brick yard, where he was employed for four
years during the summer months, while in the
winter he attended school. In 1883 he began

122

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

the study of medicine under the direction of Dr.
J. W. Bright, with whom he remained two years,
and in the winter of 1885-86 he attended a course
of lectures at the University of Maryland, in
Baltimore. On his return home he resumed
work in the brick yard, where he remained until
the following winter, when he went to Bellefonte.
In that city he secured a position in the drug
store of Dr. M. A. Kirk, but two. months later it
was destroyed by fire. He next engaged in clerk
ing in Easton for two months, and during the
following six months filled a similar position in
the store of Cyrus Jacoby, at South Bethlehem,
at the end of which time he was taken ill with
typhoid fever and was compelled to return home.
In the summer of 1888, Dr. Burd resumed
the study of medicine, and in October of that
year entered Jefferson Medical College, Phila
delphia, where he graduated April 3, 1889. He
at once opened an office at Rebersburg, but two
years later came to Snow Shoe, where his skill
and' ability were soon recognized. Besides his
large general practice he is also serving as sur
geon for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company,
which important position he has filled since com
ing to Snow Shoe. His political support is ever
given the men and measures of the Republican
party, and in religious belief he is a Lutheran.
On July 28, 1888, Dr. Burd was married, in
Rebersburg, to Miss Katherine S. Stover, who
was born in Aaronsburg. Centre county, August
12, 1870. She is the youngest of the three chil
dren born to Thaddeus and Mary (Geuseweite)
Stover, who are still residents of Rebersburg,
where the father is engaged in farming. The
sisters of Mrs: Burd are Carrie, wife of Henry
Detwiler, professor of the public schools of Re
bersburg; and Lula, at home.

JW. BRIGHT, M. D., of Rebersburg, Centre
county, is a physician whose professional at
tainments place him in the front rank among
the practitioners of this section. European travel
and study in the most noted centers of clinical
work have supplemented the thorough prepara
tion of our own schools, while natural talent has
enabled him to improve to the utmost these ad
vantages and the no less valuable training gained
in years of practice. His success is the more
creditable from having been gained by his own
efforts in the face of financial difficulties in early
life. John Bright, great-grandfather of our subject,
was born in Pennsylvania of pioneer stock, his
family having been among the early settlers in
the eastern counties of that State, and after

spending the greater part of his life there as a
farmer, he came to Centre county to spend his
last days. This was in the latter part of the
eighteenth century, and he was then too old to
work. His son George, our subject's grandfather,
who was born, probably, in Lehigh county, was
married in Centre county, about 1788, to Eve,
daughter of John and Barbara (Wolf) «Stover.
George Bright, who possessed much mechanical
ability, located at Aaronsburg, and having learned
the hatter's trade in the East before the removal
of the family, he followed that business, and was
also interested in farming. He and his wife
reared a large family, all of whom are dead ex
cept George, Jr. : (1) David, who never married,
was a hatter at Aaronsburg; (2) Sophia married
Adam Guiswite, a farmer of near Aaronsburg;
(3) Margaret never married, and her death oc
curred at the old homestead; (4) Catherine was
the wife of Samuel Shafer, a farmer, who lived
at Madisonburg; (5) John, who married Martha
Hill, was a brick maker and tanner at Aarons
burg; (6) George, a carpenter and cabinet maker,
married Sarah Bower, and is living in retirement
at Aaronsburg at the age of eighty-five years; (7)
Michael, who married Elizabeth Robinson, was
a slave-holder before the war, in which he par
ticipated on the Confederate side, and his death
occurred in Memphis, Tenn., in 1893.
Another member of this family was Samuel
Bright, our subject's father, who was born, about
1 81 8, at Aaronsburg, near the present site of the
Lutheran cemetery. He was educated in that
town, attending both the common schools and
the academy, and then learned the carpenter's
trade under the instruction of his brother George.
He was of ordinary stature, was active and sup
ple, and possessed decided genius in his line. As
a citizen he was well known. He was the drum-
major of an organization in Aaronsburg, and was
a consistent, if not an active, member of the Lu
theran Church.
In politics, he was first a Whig, later a Re
publican, but he had no taste for the life, of a poli
tician, and he followed the business of carpen
tering and cabinet making until his death; he died
at the early age of thirty-eight, from the effects
of being over-heated, and he was buried at
Aaronsburg. His wife, Eve Weaver, a daughter
of Daniel and Elizabeth (Keplinger) Weaver, was
born and reared in Haines township, Centre
county. Six children blessed their union: (1)
Mary E. (Mrs. Thomas Miller), of Winfield,
Kans. ; (2) Anna (Mrs. John Walton), of North
Bend, Penn. ; (3) Jennie (Mrs. Huston Hunter),
of Mill Hall, Penn.; (4) James W., professor of
English Language in Johns Hopkins University,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

123

Baltimore, Md. ; (5) John W., our subject, and
(6) Margaret, who died in infancy. After the
father's death the mother formed a second union,
this time with Levi Conser, and now resides at
Logantown, Penn. By this marriage there are
three children: Harry N., Ph. D., now princi
pal of the high school at Sunbury, Penn. ;
Thomas C. , M. D. , practicing medicine at Sun
bury; and Minnie M., now Mrs. James Stoman,-
of Loganton, Penn.
Dr. Bright was born November 17, 1854, in
a house which stood upon land now inclosed
within the Lutheran cemetery at Aaronsburg.
During his boyhood he was taken by his mother
to Loganton, where he attended school under
the tutorship of Rev. W. H. Gotwald. Later he
pursued a course in the normal school at Millers-
ville, and taught successfully for a time in Dauphin
county, Penn. Being entirely dependent upon
his own resources for his education, his ambition
found many hindrances but " where there's a will
there's a way," and his was not the sort of a na
ture to be easily daunted. As he could save
funds, he would pursue his studies, and thus in
time he entered Jefferson Medical College at
Philadelphia, and was graduated in 1880. In
the fall of the same year he located at Rebers
burg, where Dr. Hilbish, a successful physician,
then well advanced in years, welcomed Dr.
Bright as his successor. A young physician could
scarcely find a better opening than this, and Dr.
Bright succeeded from the first, his ability, skill
and devotion to his chosen work winning and
retaining confidence. Each year saw his prac
tice increasing; but so far from being content
with the attainments which had won his success,
Dr. Bright showed the true scientific spirit by
determining upon still further study under the
best guidance obtainable. In the fall of 1888 he
went to Europe, and remained until the spring of
1890, attending lectures under several eminent
teachers, notably those of Leipsic and Vienna.
On his return he resumed his practice at Rebers
burg, and has since continued it with growing
popularity. In August, 1892, the Doctor was married to
Miss Sarah M. Meyer, a native of Rebersburg,
and a daughter of Reuben and Mary (Cosman)
Meyer, prominent citizens. Mrs. Bright is a
member of the Reformed Church and a leader in
social life, her talents making her an acquisition
to any circle. She is especially accomplished in
music, and taught the art previous to her mar
riage. Three interesting daughters — Mary E. ,
born February 1 1, 1894, and Florence and Lucile
(twins), born December 28, 1896 — brighten their
home.

While not a politician, Dr. Bright takes great
inferest in the success of his party, the Repub
lican, and at various times when placed upon the
ticket for a township office in opposition to his
expressed wishes, he has acquiesced gracefully
and given most acceptable service. His unusually
thorough preparation for his profession gives him
much influence within as well as without the
charmed circle of the medical fraternity, and he
is a valued member of the American Medical As
sociation, the State Medical Society, the West
Branch Medical Society, and the Centre County
Medical Society. He is a member of the Re
formed Church. Socially, he belongs to the Ma
sonic lodge at Centre Hall.

F

RANCIS ALEXANDER (deceased) was a
.IT1 worthy representative of an honored pioneer
family of Penn's Valley, which was founded in
Centre county by his father, James Alexander, who
located in what is now Potter township, in 1795,
becoming a tenant of one of the Potter farms,
a short distance east of the "Old Fort," where he
and his family lived for many years. The grand
father, Joseph Alexander, died in Potter township,
in 18 1 8, to which he had removed at a later date
than his sons, James and Henry. After remain
ing for a short time in Penn's Valley, the latter
removed to Venango county, Penn. To the
grandparents of our subject, Josiah and Elizabeth
Alexander, were born seven children: James,
Mrs. Nancy Boozer, Mrs. Abigail Evans, Mrs.
Nettie Palmer, Henry, Mrs. Jane Jackson and
Mrs. Margaret McCalmont. The mother of this
family departed this life in 1825.
James Alexander was a native of Cecil county,
Md., and was a farmer by occupation. While
he never accumulated any property, he reared an
excellent family, and lived an upright, honorable
life, respected by all who knew him. He was
called to his final rest in July, 1830, and left six
children, all born of his first marriage, namely:
Josiah died in Potter township; Francis; Ames
died March 1, 1881, in Millheim, Centre county,
where he had been a merchant for several years;
James died in Potter township; Elizabeth mar
ried John Sweetwood, and died May 30, 1841,
in Potter township; and Rachel, wife of J. H.
Keller, died April 6, 1878, in Potter township.
The birth of Francis Alexander occurred in
July, 1806, on the old Potter farm in Potter
township, where his father had located on com
ing to the county. There he spent the days of
his boyhood and youth, and obtained such an
education as the schools of the locality afforded.

124

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

In the same township he was married to Miss
Letitia McElroy, a native of Huntingdon county,
Penn., born in 1804, and a daughter of John and
Elizabeth (Gardner) McElroy. Seven children
blessed their union, as follows: Margaret, who
died in infancy; John, who died in Potter town
ship at the age of thirty years; Emily, a resident
of Centre Hall; James, who is also living in Cen
tre Hall; Isaac, who died in Potter township at
the age of twenty-three; Mary, widow of John P.
Ross, and a resident of Centre Hall; and Lucy,
wife of Hon. W. A. Murray, of Boalsburg, Cen
tre county. Mr. and Mrs. Alexander began housekeeping
upon the farm where he was born, which he
rented, but in 1847 removed to the first farm
west of the "Old Fort," which he purchased of
James and John Potter. There he made his
home until his removal to Centre Hall, where he
bought a pleasant residence and gave up active bus
iness life. He died in that village in February,
1874, and two years later his wife was laid by
his side in the cemetery of Centre Hill, having
died in April, 1876. Both were earnest, consci
entious Christians, faithful members of the Pres
byterian Church, and were held in the highest re
gard by all who knew them.
Mr. Alexander, was a thorough and skillful
farmer, whose success came as the just reward
of honest labor, perseverance and enterprise,
and at his death he left his family in comfortable
circumstances. He gave liberally to the support
of public enterprises, and in every way was a
worthy citizen. Politically, he was a Democrat,
and took an active interest in the success of his
party, but had no inclination for public office,
though he acceptably served as overseer of the
poor, school director and supervisor in his town
ship.

EUBEN H. MEEK. Among the sturdy
Scotch who came from Edinburgh, Scot
land, to America before the Revolutionary war,
was Rebert Meek and his family, who located in
Maryland. From there six of his sons enlisted
in the war of Independence, and three of them
gave up their lives for their country. John and
William were taken prisoners, and while their
fate was never definitely known, it was generally
supposed they were among the victims that were
fed on lime bread. Jonathan Wales, their body
servant, as he was called, watched the prison
until he saw two boxes of unusual length carried
out; then he was convinced they were dead, as
the Meeks were remarkably tall, one being six
feet seven inches, and the other six feet four

inches high. A third brother, Robert, was killed
in battle. Capt. George Meek entered the service with
his brothers. The father, Robert Meek, owned
property in Cumberland county in 1761. The
family of George Meek lived near Lewistown
(now Mifflin county) in 1780, and he came into
Centre county with James Harris on a surveying
.expedition in 1784. On the 21st of January,
1790, he took up a tract of land in Ferguson
township, which is still owned by the Meeks.
His children were: Mary, John, Robert, David,
William, Sarah, Isabella and Jane.
William married Elizabeth Breckinridge,
whose family had settled in Huntingdon county
about three miles southeast of McConnellstown,
on the road leading from Huntingdon to Bed
ford, and where the father, eldest sister and
younger brother had been murdered by the In
dians. He settled on that part of his father's
tract now known as the David G. Meek farm,
and died in 1806, leaving his wife and four sons
and a daughter born three months after the. fath
er's death. The children were: John B., born
June 5, 1797, died in Washington, D. C. , No
vember 28, 1868; George W. , born September
14, 1799, died May 27, 1877; Reuben H. ; Will
iam J. ; and Harriet Jane, who married James
McCartney, and died in Bolivar, Penn., in 1881.
Reuben Heron, the third child of William
and Elizabeth Breckinridge Meek, was born on
the 6th of October, 1801, at his father's home
in Ferguson township. His mother, a woman
of wonderful energy and ability, coveted for her
children a good education, and gave them the
best she could; John and Reuben were sent to
Lewistown to school, but she compelled her boys,
each one, except George, who looked after the
farm, to learn a trade. Reuben she apprenticed
to a blacksmith. Some time after learning his
trade he went to Philipsburg where he taught
school, and studied with his brother John, who
lived there. He began the study of medicine
in the office of Dr. Lorraine; but was obliged
finally to give up his cherished plan of becoming
a physician, on account of his health, broken by
sickness. In 1832 he married Mary Ann Gray, youngest
daughter of Peter Gray, one of the pioneers of
Patton township, and settled on a part of the old
Gray homestead, where he lived until his death,
March 7, 1873.
Few men are endowed with a nature so af
fectionate and lovable, a mind so clear and bright,
an exceptional memory, a personality pleasing
and attractive, and so great a love of humor.
Fond of books, he was a careful and a constant

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

125

reader, an excellent talker, and his sweet voice
and genialpresence linger yet in the memory of
those who heard him sing at camp meetings,
address an assembly, or relate a good story. As
long as he lived he was genuinely kind to every
one, and ever considerate of others. His home,
ever a pleasant meeting place for his friends, was
always open to the needy and distressed.
In politics he was an ardent Democrat, and
loved his party; but his devotion to its principles
were actuated by honest conviction. He never
aspired to an office nor would he accept any.
Converted at the age of seventeen, he was a
thorough and loyal and lifelong Methodist, es
pecially concerned about immortal things, hold
ing both God and man .near his heartj and giving
himself out in the interest of both. He was in
strumental in organizing the first Sabbath-school
in Half Moon Valley, and was devoted to the
work always.
On April 14th, five weeks after his death, his
wife died, in the fifty-sixth year of her age. She
was well known for her beauty in her younger
days, and all through her life, hospitality, gentle
ness, unselfishness and devotion to duty distin
guished her character.

G\EPHARTS of Penn township, Centre county.
T This honored family has for more than
seventy years been prominently identified with
the interests of the community, and the name is
widely recognized as a synonym for good citizen
ship. Michael Gephart, grandfather of A. J. and
M. C. Gephart, residents of Millheim, Centre
county, was born near Philadelphia, and in 1826
came from Union county, Penn., to what is now
the corporation of Millheim, locating on what is
at present known as the Gephart homestead.
His ancestors served in the Revolutionary war.
He was a thorough and skillful farmer, a man of
marked business tact, and a prominent citizen of
the community. In Union county he was mar
ried, October 18, 1825, to Elizabeth Emmert, and
they became the parents of the following chil
dren: J. Philip, who was born in January, 1827,
and is now an ex-representative, residing in
Bellefonte, Centre county; Michael, born No
vember 30, 1829; Jacob, born August 9, 1831';
John, born November 27, 1833, died July 22,
1852; Daniel, born September 23, 1836; Cathar
ine, born February 3, 1839; and Elizabeth A.,
born May 26, 1846. The mother of this family
died May 7, 1852, the father in 1873.
Jacob Gephart, father of A. J. and M. C.
Gephart, was born on the old family homestead,

where he spent his entire life, and where his
widow still resides. His education was obtained
in the local schools, which were superior to most
schools of those times, yet inferior to those of
the present day, and well did he appreciate the
value of good education, for to his children he
gave excellent advantages in that respect. The
sacrifices that he made in their behalf have been
fully rewarded, for they are filling honorable
and responsible positions. A farmer by occupa
tion, the old homestead fell to him, and in addi
tion to agricultural pursuits he engaged in the
lumber business at times, and became quite well-
to-do, owning at his death (in 1893) 225 acres of
valuable land. He was an officer in the Evan
gelical Church, to which he was a liberal contrib
utor. A stanch Democrat in politics, he took a
deep interest in the success of his party, but was
no politician in the sense of office seeking, though
he filled numerous minor positions with credit to
himself and the community. He was an earnest
and judicious advocate of the Temperance cause,
giving time and money to advocate it when the
noble cause was yet so unpopular. He was an
affectionate husband, kind and indulgent father
and true friend, one whose upright, honorable
life gained for him the esteem and confidence of
all with whom he came in contact. His faithful
wife, who still survives him, is a consistent mem
ber of the Evangelical Church, and one of the
most highly respected ladies of Millheim. Al
though now nearly three score and ten years of
age, she is still well preserved and enjoys excel
lent health.
On November 7, 1852, Jacob Gephart was
married to Miss Catherine Decker, who was
born in Centre county in 1829, a daughter of
Adam Decker (now deceased), and seven chil
dren graced their union: (1) Calvin F. , (2) Mar
garet E., (3) Anna C, (4) James M., (5) A. Je
rome, (6) M. Clair, and (7) M. Salina. Of these,
(1) Rev. Calvin F. Gephart was born Octo
ber 16, 1853. After attending the home public
schools and the local academy, he took a colle
giate course at Central Pennsylvania College,
New Berlin, Penn., and at the Northwestern
College, Naperville, 111., also a course of study
in the Binghamton Music School, of Bingham-
ton, N. Y. Entering the ministry, his health
failed, and he then embarked in business at Mill
heim, Penn., establishing the musical instrument
trade now carried on by his brother, M. C. For
a number of years he was an instructor in vocal
and instrumental music, meeting with success in
this line in connection with his studies and busi
ness. Believing the ministry of the Gospel to
be his proper calling, he completed his Theolog-

126

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ical course at the Gettysburg Theological Sem
inary, graduating with the class of 1889. Being
ordained to the Evangelical Lutheran ministry,
Rev. Gephart has served the Church faithfully.
When at college he was commended for his hard
work and oratorical efforts. As a clergyman he
is said to be a good preacher, a faithful pastor
and of pleasing manner, having the aptness of
winning people to the Church. As a business
man he has been very successful in having wiped
out ' ' old " Church debts, at the same time increas
ing, and keeping the membership in good cheer.
He has many friends among both clergy and
laity. He was married in November, 1882, to
Miss Sallie A. Heagy, of Middlesex (Balfour),
near Carlisle, Cumberland Co., Penn., and they
have a daughter enjoying home and student life
with them, their sou having died in 1885 at Ha-
gerstown, Maryland.
(2) Mrs. Margaret Schoch (nee Gephart) was
born, January 6, 1855, at Millheim, Penn. Her
education was received in the local schools and
at Central Pennsylvania College, New Berlin,
Penn. After her school days she devoted her
time to music and social and home duties. She
was a consistent member of the Church, active
in Sabbath-school work, and was a favorite in
the best society of the community. In 1879 she
became the wife of James Schoch, of New Berlin,
Penn., a prominent business man, having landed
business interests in the West as well as in his
native community. They have one daughter and
one son to share the comforts of their comforta
ble home, over which Mrs. Schoch presides with
grace to the enjoyment of their many guests.
Mr. and Mrs. Schoch and family are prominent
members of the local Evangelical Lutheran
Church. Her sister (3), Anna C. , was born Feb
ruary 9, 1856, and died November 19, 1858.
(4) James M. Gephart was born, October 6,
1857, at Millheim, Penn. After completing the
common-school course in his native town, he
entered Central Pennsylvania College, at New
Berlin, Penn., remaining there for several years.
Then, in 1880, he entered Dickinson College, at
Carlisle, Penn., and, completing his education at
that institution, he engaged in teaching school
for several years with success. Following Horace
Greeley's advice, he "went West," locating at
Holton, Kans. There he took up the study of
law and was admitted to the Bar. From Holton
he went to Seattle, Wash., where he formed a
co-partnership with another young man in the
practice of law under the name of Steel &
Gephart, which firm did a good business for
several years, when Mr. Steel was elected to a
city position on the Republican ticket. The firm

having dissolved by mutual agreement, Mr. Gep
hart then entered law practice alone, in Seattle,
and has continued with marked success. He is
regarded as a good, reliable practitioner, inas
much as he has been appointed to take charge of
important interests by the judge of the city courts.
He is a Democrat in politics, and has served as
delegate to State Conventions. In religion he is
a Presbyterian, and among his associates he is
well liked.
(5) A.J. Gephart was born March 11,1859,
at Millheim, was given an excellent edu
cation, and was reared, in much the usual man
ner of farmer boys, upon the old homestead. On
leaving the parental roof in 1886 he went West,
traveling as far as Washington; but on the death
of his father, in 1893, he returned home, and
has since had the management of the farm,
where he and his mother live. Although a
painter by trade, he now gives his exclusive time
and attention to agricultural pursuits. Politic
ally he is identified with the Democratic party,
and in religious faith is a member of the Presby
terian Church. He stands deservedly high in
the estimation of his fellow citizens, and has
many warm friends throughout the community.
(6) M. C. Gephart was born May 1, 1861, at
the old homestead, Millheim, Penn. Having
completed the common-school course, he taught
school for several years with success in the com
munity in which he was reared. Entering Cen
tral Pennsylvania College, at New Berlin, Penn.,
he pursued his studies there for several years,
then entered Northwestern College, at Naper-
ville, 111. , and graduated from the business de
partment in 1883. After teaching several terms
of public school in his native borough, he, in
1888, again engaged in the music business in
Millheim, which he and his brother had con
ducted several years before. This business he
has since carried on successfully. He has been
elected to political positions in his home borough,
and is popular among the people. He is a
man of temperate habits, a member of the United
Evangelical Church, and interests himself in
matters which are for the people's good.
(7) Mrs. M. Salina Goodhart (nee Gephart)
was born at Millheim, Penn., February 26, 1863.
Being the youngest of the family she was re
garded as the favorite, yet was a very dutiful
and helpful daughter in the advancing years of
-?the parents. Being of a bright mind, she stood
well in her classes at school, although she attended ,
none but the home borough schools, which were
accounted good. In 1892 she was married to
W. L. Goodhart, a teacher in the borough
schools at Millheim, since which time they have

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

127

resided at Millheim, where he has been engaged
in business. Two children — one son and one
daughter — have come to brighten their home.

SMMON HARPER, president of the Penn Val-
') ley Banking Co., Centre Hall, and a retired
merchant, is one of the substantial citizens of
Penn's Valley, and few as good examples of self-
made men are to be found in the locality, cer
tainly none better.
Mr. Harper comes of an old family, and was
born July 31, 1842, at Spring Bank, Miles town
ship, Centre county, youngest living child of
George Harper, who was born in Berks county,
Penn. , a son of Henry Harper. George Harper
received but limited schooling, chiefly in the Ger
man language, and was reared to farming pursuits.
In Brush Valley he married Elizabeth Kreamer,
who was born, in 1804, in Bethel township, Berks
county, Penn., a daughter of Jacob Kreamer, who
came to Brush Valley in 18 14, and where Mrs.
Harper was reared from the age of ten years.
Her youth was passed amid pioneer times and
scenes, and she was well fitted to endure the
hardships and trials destined for her later life.
At the time of their marriage, her husband had
little or no means, and his parents were not in a
position to aid him. However, nothing daunted,
Mr. Harper bought a farm, at Spring Bank, in
Brush Valley, going heavily in debt for the same;
but he prospered, and with the help of as noble
a wife as ever lived, the debt was soon decreased.
He died May 20, 1843, at the comparatively e^rly
age of forty-one years, leaving a widow with a
family of children, our subject being but an in
fant. The husband and father was buried in the
cemetery at Rebersburg. The following is a
brief record of the children: Sarah married
George Weaver, and lives in Rebersburg; John,
a farmer, died in Potter township; Mary A. mar
ried Jonathan Gramley, and died in Brush Val
ley;, Jonathan, by occupation a merchant, died
in Bellefonte; Isabella is the widow of Philip
Royer, of Nittany Valley; William is retired, and
makes his home in Bellefonte (he served three
years, during the Civil war, in Company A, 148th
P. V. I.); Rebecca married Absalom Harter, and
died in Millheim, Centre county; Jared, a mer
chant, lives in Bellefonte; Simon, our subject,
comes next; and George, the youngest in the
family, died in infancy. Of these, Simon bears
a striking resemblance to his father, who was a
man of slight build. He was a Democrat, but
took no especial interest in politics, simply re
cording his vote quietly and unostentatiously. In
religious faith he was a member of the Reformed

Church, which his wife also attended, although
not a member thereof, she being a Lutheran, but
later also joined the Reformed Church.
Dying a comparatively young man, George
Harper had not opportunity to pay off all the
indebtedness on the farm, and his dying request
to his wife was that the homestead should not be
sold, as he felt certain that by her careful and
frugal management the debt thereon would be
fore long be cancelled. It was a heavy under
taking for her. the widowed mother of a large
family, none of whom yet out of their "teens;"
but her husband's dying words inspired her with
fresh hope and courage, and with a will she went
bravely to work. Early and late she ' ' kept her
shoulder to the wheel," doing a man's labor in
the fields, and in the evening returning to the
home never so wearied but that she would com
plete the domestic duties of the day. In course
of time her self-denying efforts were crowned
with success, and this noble woman found her
self and children under a roof free at last of all
encumbrance. The homestead property re
mained in the family until 1856, in which year
they moved to Rebersburg, and there Mrs.
Harper resided until 1866, when she removed to
Bellefonte with her son Simon, to whom her at
tachment was very great. Our subject paid for
her support until, in 1866, he got a home of his
own, from which time she passed her declining
years with him, dying September 27, 1892. She
was laid by the side of her husband in Rebers
burg cemetery, an elegant monument, erected
by our subject, marking their last resting place.
Mrs. Harper was a true Christian woman, a con
stant reader of the Bible, in both English and
German, while during the later years of her life
a great part of her time was spent in prayer.
Simon Harper, the subject proper of these
lines, received his education in part at the
schools of the Harter district, in Miles town
ship, in part at those of Rebersburg, whither the
family had removed when he was about fourteen
years old,* and as a farmer's boy his boyhood
days were passed. At the age of seventeen we
find him, for the first time in the arena of busi
ness life, in the capacity of clerk for Thomas
Wolf, at Wolfs store, Brush Valley, his first
salary being $75.00 per annum, with four weeks
vacation during the harvest season, although the
usual amount paid a new clerk was $50.00, so
valuable already were his services, and so well
appreciated. Later he clerked for W. J. Hoster-
man, in Rebersburg, from there going to Belle
fonte, where he was in the employ of John Awle,
when, the Civil war being at its height, he en
listed in August, 1862, in Company A, 148th P.

128

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

V. I. In this regiment he served faithfully until
compelled by sickness to retire into the Veteran
Reserve Corps, much against his inclination, for
he persisted in remaining with his company
longer than his health warranted. At the close
of the war he was a member of Company E, 3rd
Veteran Reserve Corps. After the war was over
he was sent to Augusta, Maine, to muster out
Maine troops, after which he was mustered out
at that city, and he then returned to Rebersburg.
On May 18, 1866, Mr. Harper and his widowed
mother removed to Bellefonte, where, along
with his two brothers, Jonathan and William, he
commenced the general mercantile business, with
which he was identified some fourteen years.
During that long period of activity, his natural
industrious disposition and consequent hard
work impaired his health so much that he had to
retire from the firm. In March, 1880, he took
up his residence in the village of Centre Hall,
where he recuperated, buying a nice home, to
the improvement of which he spent no little
time and money. At this time there were but
two stores in Centre Hall, and after four years
Mr. Harper decided to open a third, trusting to
his previous experience and natural business
qualifications for success of his venture. It re
quired enterprise and energy, both of which
characteristics he amply possessed, and possesses,
and in 1884, in partnership with H. W. Krea
mer, he opened a general merchandise store,
which ere long became the leading one of the
kind in the vicinity. In April, 1896, our sub
ject disposed of his interest therein, and retired
from active business life. .He still owns a one-
half interest in the store building; a one-fourthin-
terest in the bank building and bank at Centre
Hall; a substantial residence in the same village,
and 350 acres of land in Potter township. As
already stated, he is president of the Penn Val
ley Banking Co., at Centre Hall, and is a leader
in enterprises tending to the advancement of his
section of. the county.
On December 28, 1879, at Bellefonte, Simon
Harper was married to Miss Maggie E. Klinger,
who was born at Buffalo Run, Penn., May 29,
1854, youngest in the family of ten children —
five sons and five daughters — born to Jesse and
Mary (Kocker) Klinger, who came from Dauphin
county to Centre county some years ago. Mr.
Klinger was a blacksmith by trade, in politics a
stanch Republican, and for several years was
justice of the peace at Bellefonte, where he died
October 1, 1889, his wife passing away March
18, 1893, and they sleep their last sleep in the
cemetery at Bellefonte. They were members of
the Reformed Church. Mr. and Mrs. Harper

have one child, Harry W., born October 17,
1882, living at home.
In politics Mr. Harper is a lifelong Democrat,
always interested in the success of the party, but
never an office-seeker. For one term he served
as chief burgess of Centre Hall, and has been
elected to other offices, which, however, he de
clined to accept. Socially, he is a member of
the F. & A. M. Lodge at Centre Hall* and of
the I. O. O. F. Lodge No. 153, at Bellefonte.
In matters of religion he and his wife are mem
bers of the Reformed Church, and he was one of
the committee who had charge of the church
building, a handsome one, at Centre Hall, and it
was at his suggestion that brown stone was used
in its construction. He is an elder in the Church,
and is one of the most liberal contributors and
leading members, and has served as superintend
ent of the Sunday-school. Taken all in all, Mr.
Harper is a typical representative self-made man,
one who by his own perseverance, energy and
sound judgment, has risen, rung by rung, to, the
summit of the ladder of success. On business and
financial matters he is an acknowledged author
ity, and his opinion and counsel, which are often
sought, are sure to be respected. His acquaint
ance in Penn's Valley is thorough, and he is held
in the highest esteem.

ISAAC GRAY (deceased), late of Patton town-
 ship, Centre county, was one of the most
prosperous and successful farmers of the Half
Moon country, and a very substantial citizen of
the community in which his entire life had been
passed. . \- ¦
The Grays are numerous in central Pennsyl
vania, descendants of one Peter Gray, who came
to Half Moon Valley in 1788, from Frederick
county, Md., and located in what is now Patton
township; at that time he was assessed and re
garded as belonging to Huntingdon county. John
Gray, one of the sons of Peter Gray (1), and
the one from whom Isaac descended, was born
in 1767 and died in 1848; he married Catherine,
daughter of Conrad Hartsock, the head of the
first family of the name to settle in Half Moon
Valley; she died in 1847. Of their children,
John Gray (2) married Mary Mattern, and they
became the parents of Isaac Gray (deceased)
(their fifth child), of whom we especially write.
John Gray (2) died in 1856, in his fifty-seventh
year, and his wife in November, 1871, in the
seventy-third year of her age.
Isaac Gray was born on the old homestead
in the vicinity of Gray's Church, in Patton town
ship, February 22, 1834, where his father and

Q&^c,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

129

grandfather before him had lived, and there his
life of over half a century was passed. Descend
ing from a pious and Christian ancestry through
several generations, he inherited a Christian
spirit and a desire to live in keeping with the
commands of our Savior, which were so strength
ened by the example of those older lives abou
him that he early espoused the cause of Christ
and enlisted in the work of His vineyard. In
Half Moon Valley, Methodism took earliest root
among the religiously inclined, and Methodism
has prevailed since the pioneer era as the popular
creed. About 1790 Peter Gray so arranged it
that M. E. Circuit preachers stopped at his
house occasionally to hold services, and for
nearly thirty years his home was a temple where
the surrounding community gathered once a
month, and sometimes oftener, to enjoy the
privilege of worship. In 1826 a rude log church
was built near Peter Gray's home. He was
chosen a leader when the class was formed in
1790, and for full thirty-five years stood faith
fully at the helm. His successor was his son
Peter B. , who was likewise a local preacher.
After him followed Samuel P. Gray and Jacob
Gray, and later, Isaac Gray, of this sketch.
Since the formation of the class a Gray has been
one of its leaders. The old log church stood
from 1826 to 185 1, when it was destroyed by
fire. It was replaced by a more pretentious
structure, which was used until the building of
the present beautiful edifice, still called "Gray's
Church." Imbibing by tradition, and reared in
such an atmosphere as pervaded the Gray fam
ily, it is not to be wondered at that young Isaac
followed in the footsteps of his pious ancestry.
It was mainly through his efforts and generous
contributions that the new church was built.
He went on through life assuming the duties of
the day as his conscience directed, and led a use
ful life. He held all the offices of the Church,
such as class-leader, trustee, steward, district
steward and lay electoral delegate to the annual
Conference. Like most of the Grays, he was in
politics a Republican, though not active in the
sense of a politician, but only interested as citizen
ship seemed to demand. He served his State as
juror at a session of the supreme court held at
Erie, Penn. . He served in various township
offices, always acceptably to his people. He
was a most successful farmer, and considered a
solid and substantial citizen, highly esteemed.
His death occurred March 27, 1889. The press
at this time said:
Half Moon Valley loses one of its best citizens, and the
county one of its most successful farmers; he has been ailing
for years from an affection of the lungs, and although his
case was known to be hopeless, death was not anticipated.

He was a consistent and devout member of the Methodist
Church, a good neighbor and a devoted husband and affec
tionate father, and will be sorely missed in the community of
which he was a leading member.
Born of pious Methodist ancestry, early he professed
Christ, and joined the M. E. Church; for twenty-three years
he was class leader, and also either Sunday-school superin
tendent or teacher. He always took an active interest in
the Sabbath-school, and all the means of grace. Largely
through his lead, and the active co-operation of a few others,
he saw completed in his native community a most beautiful,
substantial and convenient country church. By unavoidable
delay it was not dedicated until two weeks after his death.
On November 4, 1862, Mr. Gray was married
to Sarah Liggett, who was born in Liberty town
ship, Centre county, Penn., February 5, 1837,
and is a daughter of John and Susannah (Neff)
Liggett, natives of what is now Centre county,
Penn. To the marriage came: Lulu, Mary,
Ruth, Esther and Bond. Lulu married Rev.
George Glenn, who is a minister of the M. E.
Church, now (1897) stationed at Gettysburg,
Penn., and they have five children, namely:
Randolph, Foster, Sarah Liggett, Elizabeth
Meek, John Gray, and George, Jr. Mary died
June 8, 1871, in the sixth year of her age; Ruth
married Rev. Frank Hartsock, of the M. E. De
nomination, now preaching at Marathon, N. Y. ,
and they have one child, Robert Gray; Esther
Katherine is a home; Bond died in infancy.
The Liggetts were originally from the North
of Ireland and of Scotch-Irish stock. Oncoming to
America they settled in Virginia, and from there
moved to Washington county, Md. , whence
came George, John and Absalom Liggett (broth
ers) into Bald Eagle Valley, then Northumber
land county, Penn., now Centre county; the
date of the location of these brothers in the Bald
Eagle Valley is not definitely known, but is fixed
by one of the grandsons of George Liggett as be
ing as early as 1760, or in the decade following.
They were among the earliest settlers of the Val
ley. John Liggett, the son of George Liggett,
who came into Bald Eagle Valley as above
stated, was born in the Valley in 1797. He was
one of a large family, all of whom (including the
parents), excepting himself and David, who died
about 1842 at Eagleville, moved to Ohio years
ago. John Liggett married Susannah Neff,
whose ancestors came from Germany; four of
their children are living, namely: Benjamin,
now (1897) sixty-five years of age, resides in Kan
sas City, Kans. ; John is a resident of Beech Creek,
Clinton Co., Penn., aged sixty-three; Mrs.
Sarah Gray, widow of the subject of this sketch,
resides on Buffalo Run, aged sixty years; and
Fisher D. is a resident of Canton, Ohio, aged
fifty-seven ; three died in infancy, namely : Fisher,
Elizabeth and one whose name is not given.
The parents of these died, the father at St.

130

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Louis, Mo., in 1857, while en route to Kansas
prospecting in that State for a future home, and
the mother, in May, 1887, aged eighty-seven
years, at Beech Creek, in the home of her son
John Liggett. The older Liggetts, who came from
Maryland, were slave owners, and brought some
with them on coming to Bald Eagle Valley, and
some of the descendants of those slaves reside
here at the present time.

^ j'ERBERT WILLIAMS, who departed this
JEL life November 3, 1886, was an honored vet
eran of the Civil war, and a valued and repre
sentative citizen of Snow Shoe township. He
was born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, in June,
1826, a son of William and Ann Williams, who
were also natives of that city, where they con
ducted the "Iron Bridge Inn."
On coming to the United States, our subject
first located in Pottsville, Penn., but later removed
to Snow Shoe, where he engaged in blacksmith-
ing until the outbreak of the Rebellion. Feeling
that his adopted country needed his services, he
put aside his individual interests, and in 1861 en
listed in Company E, 5th Reserve Volunteer In
fantry, under Capt. Landimore, joining his com
pany on the ist of June. During most of his
service he engaged in blacksmithing. He was
wounded during the seven-days battle of Rich
mond, was captured, was for eleven weeks con
fined in Libby prison, and on his release was sent
to Bellevue Hospital, New York City, where he
remained for eleven months. When hostilities
had ceased he returned to his home in Snow Shoe,
where he successfully engaged in blacksmithing
for a number of years, but at the time of his
death was living practically retired. His sym
pathy, his benevolence, his kindly greeting, will
lony be remembered by those who knew him.
His duties were performed with the greatest care,
and throughout his life his personal honor and
integrity were without blemish. Ardent and
constant in his affections, he was a most tenderly
devoted husband. In politics he was a stanch
Democrat, but did not aspire to office; in relig
ious faith he attended the Presbyterian Church.
In Snow Shoe Herbert Williams was married
to Rebecca (Hinton), who was twice married,
her first husband being William Walker, of En
glish descent, who was killed while a soldier in
the Federal army. By that union she had one
son, who was born September 7, 1852, and died
March 16, 1896, leaving a widow and eight chil
dren, who reside in Snow Shoe. The birth of
Mrs. Williams occurred in Spring township, Cen
tre county, May 19, 1829. In the same county

her parents, Isaac and Margaret (Lucas) Hinton,
spent their entire lives, the father dying October
3, 1854, and the mother on January 29, 1880.
Their family numbered the following children:
Austin, born in 181 1, died in Snow Shoe; Will
iam died suddenly in a hayfield in Centre county;
Stacy married Daniel Wyland, and both are now
deceased; Benjamin died in Snow Shoe; Martha
is the widow of William Shuck, of Milesburg,
Centre county; Rebecca (Mrs. Williams) is the
next in order of birth; Isaac and Constance are
twins, of whom the former was a Union soldier,
and was killed at Charles City Cross Rdads June
30, 1 861, while the latter is a farmer of Iowa;
Margaret died unmarried; and George died June
1 1 , 1 890.
The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Williams
were William and Martha Hinton, natives of
England and Chester county, Penn., respectively.
When a boy the former was kidnaped and brought
to America. Later he made his home in Centre
county, where he followed the occupation of a
farmer. Joseph and Rebecca (Askey) Lucas, the
maternal grandparents, were born in Centre
county, of German parentage.
Mrs. Williams is a most highly respected lady,
an excellent conversationalist, and has many
warm friends throughout the community. In
the course of her life she has met with two pain
ful accidents — breaking her right arm by falling
from a cherry tree when thirteen years of age,
and breaking her left arm on the 17th of April,
1896, while assisting a neighbor in papering a
room.

LB. McENTIRE, the popular and efficient
 / postmaster at Fillmore, has the reputation
of a strictly first-class business man, reliable and
energetic, and is a citizen of whom Centre county
may be justly proud. In the discharge of his
official duties he is prompt and courteous, and
thus wins the commendation of the many patrons
of the office. He is also serving as express
agent, and is engaged in merchandising, carrying
a large and complete stock of everything found in
a first-class general store.
Mr. McEntire is a native of Centre county,
born on the ist of January, 1825, to Edward
and Isabel (Bathurst) McEntire. The paternal
grandfather spent his entire life in Ireland, dying
in County Donegal; but the maternal grandfather
came to the New World and aided the Colonies
in their struggle for independence in the Revolu
tionary war. The latter was a descendant of
the Earl of Bathurst, who died in England, and
was heir to the estate, but through legal techni-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

131

cality lost it. The father of our subject was born
in Ireland, and when eighteen years of age came
to the United States. For a number of years
he served as bookkeeper for Roland Curtin, in
the Curtin Iron Works, of Centre county, and
here died at the ripe old age of eighty years.
In his family were nine children, namely:
Mary E. became the wife of Isaac Carter, and
died September 30, 1892. Her husband is now
a resident of Hutchinson, Kans. Barnard B., a
resident of Clarion, Penn., married Elizabeth
Cramer, and has seven sons. L. B., of this
sketch, is next in order of birth. Eliza is the
wife of Jackson Rarer, of Callensburg, Clarion
Co., Penn., and has one son and five daughters.
James C, of Reynoldsville, Jefferson Co., Penn.,
wedded Margaret Maxel, and has five sons.
Nancy is the wife of John Coax, of Reynolds
ville, by whom she has three sons and six daugh
ters. Rebecca is the wife of James Hassey, of
Beaver Falls, Penn., and they have two sons and
five daughters. The other two children of the
family died in early life.
At the age of twenty-three years, Mr. McEn
tire, the subject of this review, was married to
Miss Nancy Houser, a daughter of Martin and
Catharine (Rumbarger) Houser. Her maternal
uncle, John Rumbarger, was the founder of Du-
Bois, Penn. Six children have been born to our
subject and his estimable wife: (1) J. C, the
eldest, studied under Dr. Rothrock, of Belle
fonte, Penn., and is now engaged in the practice
of dentistry in that city; he married Fannie La-
verty, of Lock Haven, Penn., and has four chil
dren. (2) Dr. O. W. , of .Howard, Centre
county, married Fannie Sellers, of Fillmore, and
has one child. (3) E. C. , an attorney at law of
Williamsport, Lycoming Co., Penn., married
Frances Lipton; he prepared for his profession
in Aurora Springs, Mo. , where he made his home
for nine years. (4) Harry H., who is engaged in
the lumber business, married Ruby Lunt, and
has two children. (5) Ella is at home with her
parents. (6) Carrie M. is the wife of A. B.
Cowher, a policeman of Hunters Park, Fillmore,
Centre county.
Mr. McEntire has been very successful, and
by his systematic methods of conducting his
business, his strict attention to it in all its details,
and his thoroughly upright dealings, has made
an honorable record in the business world. Be
sides his fine store, he is also the owner of prop
erty in and about Fillmore. Both himself and
wife are consistent and faithful members of the
Methodist Church, and she belongs to the Order
of Rebekah. He takes an active interest in
political matters, and in the discharge of his

elective franchise votes with the Democratic
party. His culture, intelligence and geniality
make him an important factor in social circles,
and have secured him many warm friends.

JfONATHAN WALKER (deceased), who in his
j lifetime was one of the most substantial and
highly respected citizens of Brush Valley,
and the owner of a fine farm near Wolfs Store,
Centre county, was a member of a prominent
pioneer family of that locality. The farm on
which he resided is situated about two and a
quarter, miles east from Wolfs Store, and in
earlier days was known as the "Erhard Home
stead." Jonathan Walker bought it from his
parents, Daniel and Hannah Walker, and Daniel
Walker purchased it from Michael Erhard, his
(Daniel Walker's) wife's father, he (Daniel) mak
ing an agreement to keep Mr. and Mrs. Erhard
the rest of their lives.
Born April 11, 1843, our subject saw many
changes in the locality, and in no place in life is
progress more apparent than in the schools.
While he made good use of such facilities as the
district schools of his day afforded, he realized
their deficiencies, and always was in hearty sym
pathy with the movement to provide the best
possible instruction for the rising generation. As
the youngest son of his parents, he was made
useful at home during his boyhood, his chief work
being to drive a team. He never worked away
from home, and in early manhood he made ar
rangements to purchase the place, agreeing to
support his parents during the remainder of their
lives. Prior to this, some ten years, October 20,
1867, Mr. Walker married Miss Amanda Dubbs,
from New Berlin, Union Co., Penn., but a na
tive of Snyder county, Penn. , and a daughter of
Jacob Dubbs, a well-known farmer and merchant.
Six children were born of this union: John W. ,
now at home; Ida (Mrs. W. Edward Weaver), of
Miles township, Centre county; and Emma, Will
iam, Annie M. and Harry M., who are at home.
When Mr. Walker bought the property he
lived on, the old milling property was included,
and he afterward conducted the sawmill on the
old plan. For some time he carried on the
manufacture of flous in the gristmill, but, after
the improved roller machinery was introduced
into other establishments, he used this plant
chiefly for chopping. His estate comprises about
five hundred acres, including some timber land,
and the agricultural work has been carried on
successfully, the portion under cultivation mak
ing one of the best farms in the locality. In his

132

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

later years Mr. Walker's sons took the active
work of the place, but he did much severe labor
in his time, and the toil and exposure undergone
in hauling logs and similar work, left their im
press upon his frame in chronic kidney troubles,
culminating in Bright's disease, the final cause of
his death, which occurred September 4, 1897.
He was buried in Rebersburg cemetery, where
his parents also sleep their last sleep.
Although a shrewd manager, Mr. Walker was
thoroughly fair and honest in his dealings, claim
ing only his dues in any transaction. In politics
he was a Democrat, but while he supported his
convictions earnestly, he was no office seeker.
However, in February, 1897, he was elected a
school director of Brungart's and Stover's schools
(Miles township), east precinct. The religious
movements of his vicinity had his generous co
operation, and he was a member of the Lutheran
Church. His widow is an adherent of the Re
formed Church. She has a pleasant home and a
family of which any parents might well be proud,
each one giving promise of upholding the good
name which the previous generation have now.

ipIBBONY F. HOOP, M. D., consulting and
^^f prescribing physician, residing in Philips
burg, Centre county, was born December 6, 1827,
on the line between Washington county, Md.,
and Bedford county, Penn., a son of Jacob and
Sarah A. (Gibbony) Hoop, who were married at
Greencastle, Franklin Co., Penn., April 6, 181 3,
by Rev. William Rothrough. The father was
born in Chester county, Penn., September 22,
1788, was a farmer in his younger years, but was
later interested in a nail factory and in merchan
dising. He served as a volunteer soldier under
Col. (later Gen.) Scott in the war of 1812-14,
and marched from near Baltimore to Lake Erie.
In religious belief he was a Lutheran, while in
politics he was a Jackson Democrat. His death
occurred, in Kylertown. Clearfield Co., Penn.,
June 22, 1856, and his wife, whose birth occurred
in Lancaster county, Penn., November 6, 1790,
also died in Kylertown, August 15, 1858.
In their family were seven children, as fol
lows: Sarah A., born in January, 18 14, married
Joshua Carr, a ship carpenter, who was killed in
the Mexican war, in 1846, and-in 1852 she wedded
Adam Jury, of Clearfield county, who, as a
prisoner of war, was starved to death in Salisbury
prison during the Civil war. Willis Davis, born
November 13, 1816, died in 1834. Mary Star,
born June 10, 1820, married David Cole, of Lan
caster county, Penn., but both are now deceased;
no children living. Elizabeth, born February

18, 1824, is the deceased wife of George Dunkle,
of Franklin county, who is now living with his
children in Philipsburg. The Doctor is next in
order of birth. Rebecca, born March 17, 1831,
married Samuel Hile, who is now residing with a
son near Reedsville, Mifflin Co., Penn.; Mrs.
Hile died in Huntingdon county, in 1893.
The Hoop family is of English origin, and the
name was originally spelled Hooper. From Som
ersetshire, England, the founders of the family
have been traced back to Rev. John Hoop, rec
tor of Gloucester, and later bishop of Worcester.
He was a man of great learning, and had a large
following; but having imbibed the religious opin
ions of other reformers in those days, he was
called a dissenter from the old Roman Catholic
faith, and about 1 553 was arrested and imprisoned
as a heretic, and finally condemned to death at the
stake, and executed in February, 1555, by order
of Her Majesty "Bloody Mary," Queen of Eng
land. This sad event so terrorized all the broth
ers and sons of the families that they fled from
England, leaving a large estate unsettled, and,
then changed their names to avoid the vindictive
searches of the English Government upon the
high seas, and into every country where they
could press the power of reclaiming English sub
jects. Ever since that time the name has been
variously spelled by dropping or adding letters
for causes unknown to the writer hereof. But
since the American Revolutionary war it is well
known by the numerous families of America that
the Hoop, Hoopers and Hoopes families all spring
from the same paternal trees in Somersetshire,
England. William Hooper, of Boston, Mass.,
and a signer of the Declaration of Independence,
was of the same original English family accord-,
ing to the information obtained at this writing.
John Hoop, the paternal grandfather of the-
Doctor, was a native of Delaware. The mater
nal grandparents were Willis D. and Sarah (Fre-
lingheisen) Gibbons. The Gibbons family were of
Scotch-Irish descent, and the name was changed
from Gibbons to Gibbony.
The boyhood and youth of Dr. Hoop were prin
cipally passed on a farm in Duncanville, Blair
Co. , Penn., where for three years he served an ap
prenticeship to the tailor's trade, and subse
quently worked for James Morehouse, in Holli-
daysburg, until June, 1846, when he started
westward. On reaching the Ohio line he changed
his mind, and came to Centre county, Penn., and,
traveling by the way of Half Moon Valley and
Bellefonte, came to Phillipsburg, March 4, 1847.
After conducting a tailor shop for a year, he began
reading medicine with Dr. William P. Hill and:
Dr. Henry Lorain, of Clearfield, with whom he

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

138

remained for several months, and then engaged
in teaching school in Morris township, Clearfield
county, for three months, after which he returned
to Philipsburg and continued his reading under
the direction of Dr. Charles R. Foster, until
September, 1849, when he entered the City and
Marine Hospital in Baltimore, Md. , where he con
tinued his medical studies until March 4, 1851,
when he was granted a diploma; then returned to
Philipsburg and engaged in practice with Dr. Fos
ter for a few months. He was next located at
Frenchville, Clearfield county, where he engaged
in practice until 1854, at which time he sold out
to Dr. F. Antes Canfield (who now resides in
Necedah, Wis. , the most prominent medical man
in the State), and moved to Kylertown. In i860
we again find Dr. Hoop in Philipsburg, but on
the outbreak of the Civil war he was commis
sioned, by Gov. Curtin, surgeon of the 84th
P,,V. I., and remained in the service until Sep
tember 13, 1864. He was twice wounded, the
first time at Winchester, in the spring of 1862,
this being a slight flesh wound in the hip. In
1863, in Loudoun county, Va., during a running
cavalry fight, he was struck in the right leg, and
on the 31st of August in the same year he was
overcome by sunstroke near Beverly Ford,
Va. , which caused him to resign in September.
After a short time spent in Philipsburg, Dr.
Hoop went to the oil fields and carried on opera
tions as a member of the Norwich Oil Co. , clear
ing a large sum of money in a short time. He
soon, however, returned to Philipsburg and be
came interested in the lumber business, organ
izing the companies of Hoop, Jones & Co. and
Munson, Jones & Co., and erecting the first
planing-mill in the town of Philipsburg; but in
1876 he sold out, though he continued a resident
as druggist until 1880, when he removed to Idaho
Springs, Colo. There he engaged in gold and
silver mining with good success for a time, but
later, through the decline in silver ore, he found
the business unprofitable, and returned to Philips
burg in 1 89 1, where he has since made his home.
Dr. Hoop was married May 11, 185 1, in
Philipsburg, by Rev. Daniel Ayers, to Miss Anna
Test, of Philipsburg, who died December 7,
1873. To them were born five children, namely:
Laura B. , born in Frenchville, Clearfield county,
May 12, 1852, was married December 31, 1868,
to William H. McCausland, a jeweler, of Philips
burg; Henrietta F., born June 26, 1854, died in
1855; Lizzie, born February 27, 1857, died in
childhood; James W., born January 30, 1859,
married Ida Barrick, of Huntingdon county, and
died April 19, 1896; and Ellen M., born January
.24, 1 86 1, is the wife of A. E. Lingenfeltor, an

express agent of Tyrone, Penn. The Doctor
was again married, this time, April 24, 1879, to
Miss Josephine Flegal, the wedding ceremony be
ing performed by Rev. William H. Dill, of Clear
field. Her father, Rev. John Flegal, was a na
tive of Maryland, and a licensed minister of the
Methodist Protestant Church. Two children
grace the second union: Rex Carroll, born No
vember 12, 1880; and Lenore, born at Idaho
Springs, Colo., November 8, 1886.
Socially, Dr. Hoop is a Knight Templar, and
is a member of the Blue Lodge, Chapter and
Commandery at Philipsburg, while in religious
belief he is a Baptist. His political support is
always given the Democratic party, and he is an
earnest advocate of the free coinage of silver,
having large interests in Colorado. He is widely
and favorably known throughout this section of
the State, and his genial and affable manner has
gained him the friendship of a wide circle of
acquaintances, who esteem him highly for his
sterling worth and many excellent traits of char
acter.

3) OBERT COOKE (deceased). As a repre-
_ PL sentative of a family that has been promi
nent throughout the formulative period of the
government of this country, there, perhaps, could
be found none in whom the hardy, but noble
traits of the Colonial pioneer were so truly
mingled with the progressive spirit of the nine
teenth century, than in the character of the man
whose name opens this sketch — Robert Cooke,
Sr. He was born near Northumberland, Nor
thumberland Co., Penn., April 22, 181 3; and
was a son of Capt. John and Jane (Cooke) Cooke,
who were both natives of Northumberland county,
where they remained all their lives.
When the Thirteen Colonies determined to
become independent of the Mother Country,
Capt. John Cooke took his place in the ranks of
the "embattled farmers " who "fired the shot
heard round the world." His father, William
Cooke, a native of England, turned against his
native land, and as a colonel in the American
army, bravely bore his part in Freedom's cause.
To Capt. John Cooke and his wife were born
the following children: Jacob; William; Sarah,
who married John Bropes (both are deceased);
Charles, who died in September, 1 896, at the age
of 84 years, 7 months and 15 days; Robert, our
subject; Elizabeth, who married John Jones, and
John, all of whom are deceased.
On December 1, 1837, Robert Cooke was mar
ried to Miss Mary Quinn, a native of Muncy,
Lycoming Co., Penn., and a daughter of Will-

134

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

iam and Jane (White) Quinn. William Quinn
was a native of Lycoming county, the son of
Arthur and Jane (Walton) Quinn, natives of the
same county. Both Mr. Quinn and his father
were farmers by occupation, and lived and died
at the place of their nativity. Mrs. Jane (White)
Quinn was the daughter of James and Fannie
(McConnell) White, who were natives of Scot
land and came to America at an early day. Mr.
White was a millwright and followed his trade
after coming to Lycoming county, where he
died. William Quinn, the father of Mrs. Robert
Cooke, was a man of much prominence in the
community, and was a number of times honored
by his fellow-citizens by being elected to local
offices, at one time being deputy sheriff. In pol
itics he was a pioneer of the Republican party, but
his early death in 1856, at the age of fifty-eight,
prevented his seeing his chosen party become a
national power. His wife survived him until
September. 1884, when at the age of eighty-
seven she, too, passed into the unknown land.
To this worthy couple were born seven children,
as follows: Mary; Jane, who died in childhood;
Arthur (deceased); Nancy, wife of Henry Cable,
a tailor of Muncy, Penn; Fannie (widow of
Hunter Brown), residing in New York; John, a
saddler of Muncy, Penn. ; Elizabeth, deceased
wife of Andrew Peterman, who was a soldier in
the Union army during the Civil war, was cap
tured, and died in Libby prison.
The union of our subject and his wife were
blessed with ten children, namely: (1) John is
a contractor and builder, of Philadelphia. (2)
Charles is a traveling salesman for a shoe house,
and resides in Mifflinburg, Penn. (3) Jacob has
a large hotel at Charlotteville, Va. (4) Rosette
is the wife of Perry Long, a merchant at Howard,
Penn. (5) Irwin is deceased. (6) Robert is in
the livery business at Howard, and is a man of
no little importance in the community in which
he lives, as an office holder he has been unswerv
ing in his fidelity to duty; he was elected sheriff
in November, 1887, and during his term of office
two executions occurred, one on February 20,
1890; his integrity and upright character have
made him a man in whom the people at large
repose perfect confidence. (7) Clarence is a
lumberman at Howard. (8) Edward is de
ceased. (9) Walter L. is mentioned farther on.
(10) Alice is at home.
In 1855 Robert Cooke removed from Lycom
ing county, Penn. , to Howard, where he engaged
in mercantile business with his brother, Jacob,
and continued in that line until his death. He
was Express agent, and for eighteen years was
the agent for the Bald Eagle Valley railroad.

On February 28, 1889, after a long life of useful
labor and thoughtful care of others, Robert
Cooke laid aside the cares of the world, and en
tered upon his final rest. He was a man among
men, earnest and self-reliant, ever ready to aid
in anything that tended to the uplifting of hu
manity. He left a name untarnished, and a
family well-trained in those qualities of mind and
heart, that will be to him a monument more last
ing than sculptured stone.
At the time he gave up the agency of the
Bald Eagle Valley railroad, his son, Walter L.
Cooke, was appointed, and is still holding that
position, his duties comprising those of operator,
express agent, ticket agent, etc. He is a young
man of rare ability and fine attainments; was
educated at the schools of Howard, and later,
during the year 1875, at the academy at Belle
fonte. He has attained to a degree of promi
nence seldom equalled by men of his years. His
strict attention to his business, his upright deal
ing, together with his courteous manner, win
him friends among all classes of people. He and
his sister Alice lived at home with their mother
until the latter's sudden death, October 25, 1896.
She was stricken with paralysis the day before,
and remained unconscious to the last. In her
death the community at large could well sym
pathize with the bereaved family, as this aged
lady was most highly esteemed for those beauti
ful virtues of true womanhood, that find the
largest happiness in the home and family, and so
typify the ' ' mission of woman on earth born to
nurse and to soothe, to help and to heal, the
sick world that leans on her. "
Walter L. was married November 11, 1896,
to Emma E. , daughter of William Harrison Long,
gunsmith and general farmer, residing at Jack
sonville, Centre Co., Penn. He was born there
October 19, 1836, and is a son of Joseph and
Elizabeth (Benner) Long, natives of Milton and
New Berlin, Penn., respectively, and early set
tlers of Adamsburg, this State, where they both
died in advanced life.
Joseph Long, paternal grandfather of William
H., came to America from England at an early
day, located first in White Deer Valley, Nor
thumberland Co., Penn., later moving to Union
(now Snyder) county, where he followed farming
and shoemaking. Henry Benner, maternal
grandfather of William H., served in the war of
18 1 2, enlisting from Union (now Snyder) county,
Pennsylvania. William H. Long was married November 28,
1866, in Mifflin county, Penn., to Miss Sarah J.
McAulay, and children as follows were born to
their union: Emma E., wife of Walter L.Cooke;

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

135

Mary M., wife of E. E. Schenck, a hardware
merchant of Howard, Penn.; and Margaret C,
at home. The- mother of these was born in
Mifflin county, Penn., May 8, 1847, a daughter
of Jacob and Elizabeth (Burkholder) McAulay,
of that county, the former of whom, a farmer by
occupation, was a man of prominence, an elder
in the Presbyterian Church, and a Democrat in
politics. He died in 1889, at the age of sixty-
three years.

WW. ANDREWS, M. D. Despite the
healthfulness of this favored region, the
aid of medical science is still invoked to counter
act the encroachment of disease. Among the
able men who have devoted their lives to this
work is the subject of this sketch, a well-known
physician of Philipsburg, Centre county, whose
careful and thorough preparation for his profes
sion, together with his native ability, early won
him an enviable standing.
A word concerning his ancestral history will
be in order before proceeding to an account of
the Doctor's own career, especially as his forefa
thers were among the pioneers of this State.
His grandfather, John Andrews, a Pennsylvanian
by birth, was a packet-boat builder at one time,
later becoming a farmer. He purchased a large
tract of land in Columbia county, Penn., and al
though he disposed of portions of it as suitable
opportunity appeared he retained a fine home
stead, where he passed his last days and died at
the age of seventy-six years. W. C. Andrews,
our subject's father, was born in Columbia county
in 1838, and after receiving a common-school
education engaged in business as a cabinet maker.
During the Civil war he enlisted in the Union
army, served until the close of the struggle, and
on his return to the ways of peace he became in
terested in mercantile pursuit, first at Lock Haven
and for some years past at Philipsburg. His
wife, Mary Lemmon, a native of Columbia coun
ty, died in 1884 aged forty-five years.
Dr. Andrews, who was born April 2, 1861, in
Columbia county, was the only child of his par
ents. The public schools of Lock Haven afforded
him good preliminary training, and after grad
uating from the high school he took the scientific
course in the State Normal School there. Pur
suing his studies further, he was graduated from
Dickinson Seminary in 1884, from the scientific
course, receiving the degree of B. S., and in
1888 he obtained the degree of M. D. from the
University of Pennsylvania. From boyhood he
had had an inclination for the medical profession,
and before leaving Lock Haven to attend school

he had begun to read medicine with Dr. Walls,
of that city.
An excellent opening for practice he found at
Peale, Clearfield county, as surgeon for the
Clearfield Coal Co. , and there Dr. Andrews re
mained three years. In 1891 he located at
Philipsburg, and in his six years of residence
there has established an extensive practice among
the best people of the community. Among his
professional confreres his talents are recognized,
and he is a member of the County and State
Medical Associations, and of the West Branch
Medical Society. He is surgeon at the State
Cottage Hospital in Philipsburg, and has been on
the medical staff of same since it was organized
in 1892. In 1888 Dr. Andrews was united in marriage
with Miss Jennie Jones, an attractive young lady
of Philipsburg, daughter of Alfred Jones, a prom
inent hardware merchant. One daughter, Ruth,
brightens their home. In politics the Doctor is
a stanch Republican; socially he is a member of
of the F. & A. M. and I. O. O. F., both of
Philipsburg.

COJRTIN C. TAYLOR. Among the highly
_Jl respected and honored citizens of Spring
township, Centre county, no one is more worthy
of consideration than the gentleman whose name
opens this sketch. Here his entire 'life has been
passed, his home having always been within a
half mile of his present residence at Pleasant
Gap. In that village he was born October 24,
1824, but in the years that have since come and
gone he has witnessed many changes in the sur
rounding country, which was then but sparsely
settled and few improvements made.
George Taylor, father of our subject, was also
a native of Centre county, born in Half Moon
township, whence at an early day he removed
from Bellefonte, to the foot of the mountain,
locating at the place now known as Pleasant Gap,
where he kept the toll-gate and conducted a
hotel in which our subject was born. He died at
Unionville, Penn., twelve miles west of Pleasant
Gap, at the ripe old age of eighty-seven years.
He was by birth a Friend, and always adhered
to the faith of that society. By his wife, Mary
Dunlap, he had two children: George (our sub
ject), and Thomas, now a resident of Unionville,
Centre county.
In the old tavern at Pleasant Gap, Curtin C.
Taylor spent the days of his boyhood and youth,
and his educational privileges were very limited
as the school house nearest to his home was two
miles distant. In 1844 he was united in mar-

136

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

riage with Miss Harriet Noll, who was born in
Dauphin county, Penn., November 26, 1824, a
daughter of George and Mary (Smith) Noll, na
tives of Lebanon and Berks counties, Penn., re
spectively. Her father lived to the age of sev
enty-five years, while her mother was sixty-nine
years of age at the time of her death. In their
family were four children: Harriet, the wife of
our subject; John, deceased; Sallie, wife of
Henry Harman, of Ross county, Ohio; and Em
manuel, a resident of Sunbury, Penn. Four
children — two sons and two daughters — grace
the union of Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, as follows:
(1) George, an iron molder, living in Bellefonte,
Centre county, married Kate Wian, and has four
children — Jennie, Hallie, Willie and, Mary. (2)
Mary is the wife of John Griffith, of Pleasant
Gap, by whom she has four children — Hallie,
Walter, Harry and Millie. (3) Irvin, also a res
ident of Bellefonte, married Jessie Gross, and
has three children — Harry, Curtin and Charley.
(4) Carrie is the wife of Abner Armstrong, and
has one son — Curtin.
After his marriage, Mr. Taylor worked by
the month for a time, and was then for thirty-six
years employed on the turnpike. On April 1,
1896, he was appointed toll-gate keeper, which
position he is now acceptably filling. He has
never cared to travel, and has never yet been on
a railroad train. He is an earnest Democrat in
politics, while his wife is a member of the Meth
odist Church. They are quietly passing down
the hill of life, enjoying the esteem and confi
dence of their neighbors and the affection of their
children and many friends.

fARED Y. DALE, M. D., of Lemont, Centre
county, has descended from one of the early
families of Buffalo Valley and of Centre coun
ty, where for several generations its representa
tives have been prominently identified with the
history of this section.
Dr. Dale is of Revolutionary stock. The
early history of the family is given under the
head of Christian Dale (1) elsewhere. Felix
Dale, son of Christian Dale (1), and the grand
father of our subject, was born February 2, 1767,
and died March 12, 1833, in the sixty-seventh
year of his age. He married Catherine Dorothy
Pinogel, of the family of Pinogels, of Pinogel's
Church, near Harrisburg, Penn. As early as
1780 we find the name of Pinogel on record in
Londonderry township, Dauphin county. Felix
Dale and wife had two sons: David and Felix.
The mother of these died April 15, 1844. Felix

Dale, Sr. , inherited from his father's estate. the
mill property, and by occupation was a miller
and farmer.
David Dale, the father of Dr. Dale, was
born at Dales' Mills, January 8, 1798. He re
ceived such schooling as the neighborhood schools
of his youth afforded, and became a miller by
occupation, also carrying on agricultural pursuits
in connection with the milling business. He was
a man of practical ideas and a genius in a me
chanical line, building his own carding machine,
which branch of the woolen-mill business, to
gether with a hemp-mill, he added to the grist
and saw mill that had descended from his fore
fathers. He was a man of good judgment and
business qualifications, and made a success of
life. The Dales for generations were Lutherans,
and David was not an exception. In politics he
was a Whig. On May 6, 1824, he married Miss
Margaret Hennigh, born January 11, 1799, a
daughter of Major Frederick Hennigh, who re
sided just below Aaronsburg, Centre county, and
their children were: (1) William, born Febru
ary 20, 1825, a woolen-factory man, married
Mary Mitchell, daughter of John Mitchell, of
Harris township, and their only surviving child —
John M. — is practicing law at Bellefonte. Will
iam died December 20, 1871, aged forty-six
years. (2) Felix, a farmer, born November 26,
1826, married Rache Jane Mitchell, born in 1833,
daughter of David Mitchell, and died in 1891,
Felix dying in 1892; no issue. (3) Thomas, born
May 6, 1828, and died in 1889; married Mary
Boal, a daughter of Hon. George Boal, of Boals
burg, Centre county, who died in 1892 without
issue. Thomas Dale was an intelligent gentle
man and a very capable business man. He was
a man of high sense of honor, and was greatly
esteemed by all who knew him. He was a
woolen-factory man, merchant and farmer. (4)
Abner, born November 17, 1829, a minister of
the German Reformed Church, was educated at
Marshall College, in Mercersburg; married Sarah
Adams, of Butler county, where he died in 1875.
His widow, and one son, David E., who survived
him, are still living in the town of Butler. (5)
Mary M. Dale, born March 3, 1832, died July
24, 1875, in her forty-fourth year. (6) David,
born February 13, 1834, who was engaged in
the woolen-manufacturing business at Dales'
Mills, and died unmarried, July 25, 1880. (7)
Cornelius, born February 7, 1836, a farmer, mar
ried Georgianna, daughter of William Furey, of
Bellefonte; they reside on the old homestead,
and have four daughters living — Emma, Cor
nelia, Mary and Ethel, of whom, Emma married
Edward Lingle. (8) Alfred, born January 21,

rfj? O^rrl^ <%k^2^

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

137

1838, a coachmaker, married Lila Bartol, and
died in Tyrone, Penn., in 1876, of disease con
tracted while in the war of the Rebellion. He
had one daughter, Florence, who is living in
Philadelphia with her mother. (9) J. Y. Dale,
the subject of this sketch. David Dale, Sr.,
died July 13, 1854, in the fifty-seventh year of
his age, and his wife, Margaret, died January 1 1 ,
1864, in her sixty-sixth year; both are buried at
Boalsburg, in Harris township. Mrs. Dale was
identified with the German Reformed Church.
Dr. J. Y. Dale is a native of Centre county,
born at the old homestead at Dales' Mills, Octo
ber 31, 1840. In boyhood he assisted in the
work on the farm and in his father's mills. He
went to the common schools in the neighbor
hood, attended the academy at Boalsburg, and
for two years pursued classical studies under the
tuition of his brother, the clergyman, then read
medicine with Dr. Benjamin J. Berry at The End
of the Mountain, a graduate of the University of
New York, and one of the most widely known
and prominent physicians of the county. Later,
young Dale attended the Medical Department of
the University of Pennsylvania, from which he
was graduated in the spring of 1863; and while a
medical student he had valuable experience in the
military hospitals at Philadelphia and Pittsburg.
In April, 1863, he located for practice in partner
ship with Dr. E. Greene, at Bellefonte, and in
May, 1864, on the death of Dr. Berry, who had
been engaged in practice at The End of the
Mountain (now Lemont), for thirty-four years, he
removed to that place, where he has ever since
been actively engaged in the pursuit of his pro
fession, amid the scenes of his boyhood and
among the descendants of the friends and ac
quaintances of his ancestors. Dr. Dale was pro
fessor of Anatomy and Physiology, and lecturer
on Hygiene at the Pennsylvania State College,
1867-71. He is a member of the American
Medical Association; of the State Medical Soci
ety of Pennsylvania; of the Clinton County Med
ical Society; of the Centre County Medical Soci
ety, and of the West Branch Medical Association,
of which he is now (1897) the president. This
Association, which was organized in 1892, is
made up of members in good standing of county
societies in affiliation with the State Medical So
ciety of Pennsylvania, in the counties of Cam
eron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Lycom
ing, Northumberland, Potter, Tioga and Union.
He is Deputy Inspector for the State Board of
Health. He is also a member of the Shake
speare Society of New York, and of the State
College Scientific Association; and is a Free
mason, connected with the Blue Lodge, Chapter

and Commandery at Bellefonte. In politics he
is a Republican.
On September 29, 1870, Dr. Dale married
Matilda Allport, of Phillipsburg, formerly of
Morrisdale, Clearfield county, born June 23,
1845, a daughter of James and Matilda (Hunter)
Allport, and their children are: Frederick, born
August 7, 1 87 1, graduated at the Pennsylvania
State College in 1893, served one year in the
regular army, and is now a medical student at
the University of Pennsylvania; Katharine, born
July 27, 1.874, is at home; David, born February
26, 1876, is a student of the Pennsylvania Col
lege at Gettysburg; and Edith, born July 4, 1878,
is at home. Dr. Dale's family are members of
the Episcopal Church.
Mrs. Dale, too, is of Revolutionary stock,
and has descended from pioneers of the State
and of Centre county. There is a family tradi
tion that the first of the Hunters to come to
America was the son of a family of note, who
had married a Miss Craig, a governess, and for
that reason was disinherited. He located in
what was then Lancaster county, but which sub
sequently became Dauphin county. They had
three sons: Andrew, Robert and David. After
the father's death, the widow made her home
with a Miss Craig, her sister, until the Revolu
tion. Robert and David went into the war, but
Andrew being only nineteen, this relative would
not let him go, but he ran off and entered the
service, and for this act of theirs all three were
disinherited by their aunt. After the war the
three sons returned to Dauphin county. The
mother married a Mr. Crane, whose son became
Secretary of State. Andrew Hunter married
Rachel Moore, and their children were: Eliza
beth, born December 2, 1781; John, born March
1, 1783; William, born July 24, 1786; Andrew,
born July 25, 1788; Nancy, born April 12, 1791;
Robert, born October 8, 1793; James, born
March 1, 1798; and Craig, born August 27, 1800.
Andrew Hunter removed with his family to what
is now Centre county (his brother, Robert, ac
companying him), prior to July 25, 1788, the
date of birth of his son, Andrew, which occurred
in Potter's Fort in what is now Potter township.
Subsequently the family removed to Slab Cabin,
a branch of Spring creek (so called from a cabin
built of slabs that stood on the banks of the
creek), and there resided many years. The par
ents finally removed to Indiana county, where
they died. Robert, the brother, moved to Ohio.
Major Andrew Hunter, the son of the pio
neer, and the grandfather of Mrs. Dale, married
Mary Evans, daughter of Eliezer and Christiana
(Bard) Evans, and their children were: Matilda,

138

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

born April i, 1814; and Catherine, born October
16, 1819. Major Hunter died July 11, 1870,
and his wife on November 19, 1868, and their
remains rest in the Spring Creek graveyard.
Their daughter Matilda was married on Novem
ber 29, 1 83 1, to James Allport, and their chil
dren were: James C. , born January 19, 1833;
Mary A., born December 16, 1834; Samuel C,
born August 2, 1838; Catherine, born December
11, 1841; Matilda, born June 23, 1845; and Ho-
bart, born March 3, 1848. James Allport was
born at Hartley, Worcestershire, England, May
!I> J799, and was brought up by his uncle
Charles, who was a commissary-general in the
English army. James went with his uncle in his
campaigns, and was educated by private tutors,
who were sometimes Protestants and sometimes
Roman Catholics. He was with his uncle in the
Peninsular war in Spain, and also accompanied
him in the campaign with the "Iron Duke,"
which resulted in the defeat and final overthrow
of Napoleon at Waterloo. The boy James was
an eye witness of the battle of Waterloo, and
brought away many interesting relics of the bat
tlefield, which are still in the possession of the
family. Through the influence of his uncle he
was pensioned by the English Government,
which pension was to descend to his heirs so
long as he or they remained subjects to the
Crown. After making America his permanent
home Mr. Allport became a naturalized citizen of
the United States, declaring that he would not
for any pension forego his rights as a citizen of the
land of his adoption. In 18 16 his uncle sent him
to New York, as an importer of hardware, which
business he followed until 1828, crossing the
ocean sixteen times. Prior to 1828 the firm of
Corp, Ellis & Shaw, with whom he had been
doing business, failed, and he was compelled to
take of them, as pay for money due him, large
tracts of land in Clearfield county, near Phillips-
burg. In 1828 he came from New York to see
his lands, and after a short time passed in look
ing over the country he returned to New York.
The following year he again visited his lands, and
in the midst of the forests he built a cabin, and
alone commenced life in a new country. He
was married as before stated, and to his home in
the wilderness took his young bride on horse
back. Mr. Allport at once identified himself with the
Democratic party, and was a sturdy advocate of
its principles, and became one of its leaders in
Clearfield county and the surrounding country.
The first railroad speech made in Phillipsburg
was delivered by him, when the question was
first being agitated, and in favor of its construc

tion. In the later years of his life his lower
extremities were partially paralyzed, which
greatly impeded his physical but not his mental
activity. It prevented him from taking the
active part in public affairs which his qualifica
tions so well fitted him to fill. The Allports
trace their genealogical line back to the time of
Charles the Second, and it was their ancestors
who hid that monarch in the oak-tree, when
pursued by the minions of Cromwell. . After the
King ascended the throne, he bestowed on the
family the coat of arms which still distinguishes
them in the mother country. Mr. Allport died
October 4, 1854. His widow still resides at
Phillipsburg. Referring to the Evans and Bard branch of
the ancestry of Mrs. Dale: Eliezer Evans came
to Centre county in company with Gen. Philip
Benner, as a bellows-maker, doing the General's
work in that line, and also such work at the
other forges built at about that period, and for
years afterward in Centre county. The date of
Gen. Benner's coming to the county was in
1792, and he was from Chester county. The
Evans family came from the vicinity of Morgan-
town. Eliezer Evans was born December 17, 1758,
and died August 6, 1820; his wife, Christiana
Bard, was born February 12, 1771, and died
April 25, 1824; both are buried in the Spring
Creek graveyard. Their children were: Jeremiah,
born August 27, 1792; Sarah, born December 8,
1793; Mary, born December 25, 1795; Joseph,
born May 24, 1798; Susan, born November 6,
1800; Enoch, born June 2, 1803; Jane, born
April 22, 1805; Ruth, born August 18, 1807;
Christian, born June 7, 18 10; Elizabeth, born
March 3, 1813. Christiana Bard was the daughter
of Michael and Susanna (Sprogle) Bard. Sus
anna Sprogle was the daughter of John Henry
Sprogle, an English clergyman, who died in
Berks county, Penn. He was descended from
an English nobleman, and his body was sent
back to England. A memoir of his life and
ministry was published.

JOHN GUNSALLUS, who is now retired from
active business, is one of the prominent and
representative citizens of Snow Shoe township,
Centre county. Throughout his business career he
was engaged in various enterprises, and by sound
judgment, excellent management and fair deal
ing, acquired sufficient property to enable him to
give up business cares and enjoy the result of his
former labor.
Mr. Gunsallus was born in Snow Shoe town-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

189

ship, Centre county, December 19, 1837, and >s
a son of Meese and Ruth (Lucas) Gunsallus,
natives of Clearfield and Centre counties, respect
ively. The former came to Centre county in 1820,
and was here employed as a farmer and coal
mine operator until his death, which occurred in
1882, when he was aged seventy-eight years. His
wife passed away in 1 889, at the age of seventy-six
years. She was the daughter of John P. Lucas, a
farmer of Centre county, while the paternal grand
father of our subject, James Gunsallus,' was an
agriculturist of Clearfield county.
Eight children blessed the union of the parents
of our subject: Lovy, deceased wife of William
McKinney, a miner of Clearfield county; John;
Adeline, wife of Richard Miles, superintendent of
a stationery store and bindery in Harrisburg,
Penn. ; Samuel, who was killed during the Civil
war; Taylor, a coal miner of Ehrenfeld, Cambria
county; Mattie, wife of Gust Holt, a lumberman
of Snow Shoe; Ellen, wife of William R.Haines,
who is engaged in the liquor business in Clarence,
Centre county; and Eliza, wife of James Moore,
a shoe merchant of Irvona, Pennsylvania.
John Gunsallus, the subject of this review,
remained under the parental roof until the out
break of the Rebellion, when, in April, 1861, he
enlisted for three months in Company B, 10th
P. V. I., and in September following enlisted in
Company G, 51st P. V. I., under Capt. Snyder.
He took part in many of the most important bat
tles of the Civil war, including those of Roanoke,
Newbern (N. C), Cedar Mountain, second battle
of Bull Run, Cold Harbor, Antietam, Spottsyl-
vania, Wilderness, Petersburg, Weldon Railroad,
Black and White Stations, Jackson (Miss.), and
Knoxville (Tenn.). He also participated in vari
ous skirmishes, and was twice slightly wounded,
both times in front of Petersburg. On July 27,
1865, he was honorably discharged and returned
home with an enviable war record. He served
as a private until after the battle of Antietam,
Md., when he was made a corporal; later he was
appointed orderly sergeant of the company. On
January 1, 1864, he with his regiment re-enlisted
to serve during the war, and soon after he was
promoted to the second lieutenancy; later he was
promoted to first lieutenant, and mustered out
as such. During the period of his service he was
never in the hospital or away from his regiment.
Mr. Gunsallus resumed work on his father's
farm, where he remained a short time, and also
engaged in lumbering. Subsequently he went to
West Union, Iowa, where he rented a farm for a
year, after which he returned to the county of
his nativity, and once more engaged in lumber
ing, following that pursuit for four years. He

next engaged in cutting prop timber for the coal
mines for fourteen years, and later followed min
ing for about a year, and is now living retired.
On October 11, 1865, at West Union, Iowa,
John Gunsallus was married to Miss Pamelia A.
Lucas, who was born in Centre county, Penn., in
July, 1840, and is the only survivor in the family
of eleven children of Samuel and Rachel (Leech)
Lucas, who died at West Union, Iowa, where
the father carried on agricultural pursuits. Seven
children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Gunsallus,
namely: Samuel, a teamster at Winburne;
Maggie, deceased wife of Charles French, an in
surance agent of Philipsburg, Centre county;
Anna, who is the widow of John Houston, and is
residing with our subject; Harry, a clothing mer
chant of Snow Shoe; Edith, at home; Nora, who
died when young; and Ruth, at home.
In his political affiliations, Mr. Gunsallus is an
ardent Republican, and has served his fellow
citizens in the capacity of supervisor four terms,
and tax collector three terms. Socially he is a
member of the I. O. O. F. and the Encampment,
of the Knights of Pythias, and of the order of
American Mechanics. He is a public-spirited,
enterprising man, one who takes an active inter
est in everything which seems to promise a bene
fit to the community, and enjoys the esteem and
confidence of all who know him.

WILSON POTTER ARD, M. D., although
but comparatively a few years established
in Woodward, Centre county, has built up a
practice which places him among the leading
physicians of Penn's Valley. He is a native of
Lewistown, Penn., born April 15, 1845, and is
descended on the paternal side from an old Scotch
family, his ancestors having crossed the Atlantic
before the Revolutionary war, in which members
of the family played a gallant part.
Joseph B. Ard, M. D., grandfather of our
subject, was born September 18, 1784, and prac
ticed medicine successfully in Lewistown for a
number of years; but on retiring from active life
he settled in Philadelphia, where his death oc
curred February 27, 1861, his remains being
taken to Lewistown for burial. He accumulated
a large estate, and at the time of his death was
worth several hundred thousand dollars.
George Ard, our subject's father, was born in
Lewistown, May 14, 1814, and enjoyed through
out his life the advantages of inherited wealth.
He was a large man of good build. In politics
he was a Democrat, and in his younger days
manifested much interest in the party. His wife,
Emeline (Harvey), was a daughter of Nathan

140

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Harvey, of Mill Hall, Penn. They had four
children: Eliza, who married Francis Shoe
maker, a wholesale druggist of Philadelphia; Jo
seph B., now a resident of Pine Grove Mills,
Centre county; and Wilson P. (our subject) and
Ellen (twins), the latter of whom married R. K.
Lovett, and resided for a number of years in
Paris, France (she died in Charleston, S. C).
The mother passed away in 1846, the father on
August 20, 1892, and the remains of both were
interred at Lewistown. Mr. Ard left a good in
heritance to his children, and during their youth
provided them with more than ordinary educa
tional advantages.
Dr. William P. Ard attended the schools at
Lewistown and Philadelphia, and the academies
at Tuscarora and McVeytown, Penn., spending
several years in the latter institution. His med
ical studies were begun under the preceptorship
of Prof. W. H. Pancoast, of Philadelphia, and
his degree of M. D. was obtained from Jefferson
Medical College in 1880. Thus prepared for
his professional work, the Doctor located at Bis
marck, Lebanon Co., Penn., remaining more
than a year, but in the fall of 1882 he removed
to Woodward, Centre county, where he estab
lished a large and lucrative practice. He was
married in Reading, Penn., to Miss Amanda B.
Moser, a native of that city, and a daughter of
Franklin Moser, a prominent farmer, and this
union has been blessed with children as follows:
Laura E., Joseph B.,- George, Wilson S. and
Mary M. Mrs. Ard is a leading member of the
Reformed Church, and their charming home is a
social center.
The Doctor is a man of culture, his reading
extending beyond professional literature, in
which he keeps well posted. During his residence
in Philadelphia, he was pleasantly associated
with some eminent practitioners; but the restful-
ness and peace of a life in the country appealed to
him strongly, causing him to seek a home there.
Politically he is a Democrat, and he takes great
interest in the success of his party.

HON. HENRY MEYER. The history or gen
ealogy of a family, whose members are
scattered over an area extending beyond the
limits of the counties embraced in this work, must
necessarily be fragmentary and incomplete. The
further division and sub-division of the material
by the respective county lines, as contemplated,
and by township lines, increases the difficulties in
the way of a satisfactory presentation. This
task has, however, fallen to the capable hands of
Hon. Henry Meyer, a prominent and highly re

spected resident of Miles township, Centre coun
ty, and as he has just completed, after several
years of tedious labor, the manuscript of a second
edition of his "Genealogy of the Meyer Family,"
he is peculiarly qualified to furnish the desired in
formation. At the request of the publishers he
has prepared the following scholarly and accurate
sketch. The Meyers are a numerous family, and are
largely represented in most of the States west
ward from Pennsylvania to California. There
are many more members of this tribe beyond the
limits of the counties embraced in this work — a
subject, which, if treated fully, would be quite ex
tensive; a simple record of names alone would
fill many times the space allotted for this sketch,
there being in number more than five thousand,
and we will therefore state merely a few facts in
reference to the early Meyer settlement in this
country, and trace the lineage of such descend
ants of the Meyer who immigrated from the old
country, as were citizens at one time or other of
the counties of Centre, Clinton, Union and Sny
der, Penn., thus forming in a manner a connect
ing link between the many individual sketches of
those members of the family.
A brief reference to the name itself it is
thought would be proper since it is written in so
many different ways. It is German, and like so
many other family names of that and other lan
guages, it has undergone changes in its transla
tion into English and its transmission from gen
eration to generation. It is spelled in at least
eleven different ways, viz. : Meyer, Mayer, Myer,
Meyers, Myers, Mover, Moyers, Mire, Meier,
Meire, and Maire. In German it is written 'TOejttr
which anglicised becomes Meyer.
The records show that a large number of
Meyer immigrants came from the old country
from 1725 to 1776. and no doubt quite a number
before that period and since. It is not assumed
that they were all of kin. In all parts of Holland
and Germany the name is as frequently met with
as the name Smith in this country.
Henry Meyer, the ancestor of the branch to
which 'this article is devoted, came from the Palat
inate, Prussia, and settled permanently at the
head or spring of a small stream which he then
named "Muhlbach," situated in the southeastern
part of the present limits of Lebanon county,
Penn. He was accompanied by his wife, and the
couple then had one or two children. Their
earthly possessions, consisting of some clothing,
several pewter-plates, an axe, a German hymn-
book and Bible, and several other indispensible
articles, they carried in bundles, and began house
keeping under the friendly protection afforded by

^fi^ X

SLAAS^I InAJL^i ¦

JA^

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

141

the spreading branches of a large white oak tree
close to the spring just mentioned. The family
arrived at the place at about four o'clock in the
afternoon of a certain day in the month of Au
gust. The woman sat on the ground and wept;
the father took his axe and began to clear the
ground. The country then was a vast wilderness
in which wild animals and Indians were abun
dant. The family had neighbors, but they were
few and far between, and all equally poor. It is
said two brothers of Mr. Meyer accompanied him
to this country, one of whom also settled in Pennr
sylvania, and the other moved to South Carolina.
The date of the arrival of the Meyer immigrants
in the new country is only approximately known,
but it appears to have been about the year 1 7 1 9.
Henry Meyer, who emigrated from Germany,
had nine children that grew to maturity and were
married, viz.: John died December 11, 1786,
aged sixty-seven years, and lies buried in the
Muhlbach Cemetery, Lebanon county, Penn.
He was married, and his descendants, of whom
there are many, reside principally in the eastern
section of this State. No further reference to
his family will be made in this sketch.
Henry, born in May, 1730, died November
17, 1812; married Catherine Ruth, born May 30,
1837, died May 3, 1801, and both are buried in
Muhlbach Cemetery. The descendants of this
couple reside in the eastern part of this State
principally, and some in the Western States.
Jacob, born at Muhlbach, Heidelberg town
ship, Lebanon Co. (then Lancaster county),
Penn., in 1732, moved in 1768 to a locality
about half a mile west of the present site of
Freeburg, Snyder Co., Penn., then called
Straubstown; died when aged about seventy-five
years, and lies buried in the old graveyard near
Freeburg. He married Susan Ream. The de
scendants of this couple are a multitude. A
number of them are found in Centre and Clinton
counties of this State, but the majority of them
are settled in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and other
Western States.
Michael, who lies buried at Schaefferstown,
Penn., died about the year 1794. He was twice
married; his second wife was Catharine Becker,
by whom he had two children, daughters. His
descendants are in the eastern part of Pennsyl
vania and in Illinois.
Christopher, the youngest son, was born in
Mulhbach^ and died near Campbelltown, Penn.,
August 2, 1 801, aged sixty-seven years. He
married Anna Maria, daughter of Alexander
Schaeffer, the founder of Schaefferstown, Penn.
She was born February 19, 1744; died January
1, 1823, and both are buried in the Reformed

Cemetery at Campbelltown, Penn. He moved
to the village last named when still single,
and became the owner of a large tract of land,
part of which is still owned by his descend
ants. The couple had nine children, most of
whom moved into Snyder and Centre counties,
and will be named at the proper places in this
sketch. Of the four daughters of the Meyer
who came from Germany and settled at Muhl
bach but little is known. One was married to
Alexander Schaeffer, one to Jacob Tillman, one to
John Christopher Aahlschmidt, and one to Lou-
dermilk. Tradition says one or two moved to
South Carolina.
The rest of this sketch will be devoted to the
descendants of the two sons, Jacob and Christo
pher, above named, many of whom are residing
in Centre, Clinton and Snyder counties, this
State. In order to avoid confusion in repre
senting successive generations it is necessary to
employ some system to distinguish them; there
are various schemes of the kind made use of by
genealogists, and for this sketch the following is
adopted: The children of a family are numbered, be
ginning with the eldest, by Roman or Arabic
numerals, the different styles or forms of which
will denote different successive generations.
The children of Jacob and Christopher (sons of
the Meyer who came from Germa'ny) will be
designated by Roman numerals, thus: I, II, etc. ;
their grandchildren, by Roman numerals with
parentheses, thus: (I), (II), etc. ; their great
grandchildren, by Arabic numerals, thus, 1, 2,
etc. ; next generation by Arabic numerals within
parentheses, thus: (1), (2), etc. Henry (Henry,
Henry, Jacob, Henry), reads as follows: Henry
Meyer, son of Henry Meyer, son of Henry
Meyer, son of Jacob Meyer, son of Henry Meyer
(who came from Germany).
Jacob Meyer was the third son of Henry
Meyer, who came from Germany, and as already
stated he moved from Muhlbach to Straubstown
(now Freeburg), Penn., about the year 1768,
purchasing a large tract of land near that town;
he devoted his time to farming and to keeping a
tavern. He and his wife Susan had eight chil
dren, six sons and two daughters.
I. Catharine (Jacob, Henry) was married to
John Meyer, not of kin. The couple were
among the first settlers of Brush Valley (1792)
near what is now Wolfs Store, in Miles town
ship, Centre Co., Penn., but moved to Kentucky
about the year 1797. Their descendants live in
the South and West.
II. Barbara (Jacob, Henry) was married to
Michael Motz. The couple lived on a farm at

142

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

East End, Penn's Valley, in Haines township,
and both are buried at St. Paul's Church, near
their old homestead. Left issue.
III. Philip (Jacob, Henry), born at Muhl
bach, moved his family from Straubstown to a
farm about a mile east of Wolfs Store. He was
a soldier in the Revolutionary war. His wife,
Anna Margaret, was a daughter of Andrew Morr,
one of the first settlers in the neighborhood of
Freeburg (then Straubstown), Penn. Philip
died April 27, 1831, aged seventy-five years, five
months, thirteen days; his wife, born August 20,
1759, died March 12, 1829; buried side by side
in the Union Cemetery, Rebersburg, Penn. ;
they had eleven children — seven sons and four
daughters. Their later descendants are legion,
and are nearly all residents of Ohio.
IV. John Jacob (Jacob, Henry), born at
Muhlbach, died in November, 181 5; lies buried
in Pine Creek Cemetery, about two miles west of
Jersey Shore, within a short distance of his home
stead farm. He was married to Julia, daughter
of Andrew Morr, named above. Their descend
ants are found principally in Lycoming county,
Pennsylvania. V. John George (Jacob, Henry) owned his
father's homestead farm near Freeburg, Penn. ;
died about the year 18 10; lies buried in
the old cemetery near Freeburg; was twice mar
ried, first, to Elizabeth, daughter of John Buch-
tel; second, to Mary Brosius. His ten children
were widely scattered in later years.
VI. Henry (Jacob, Henry), born near Muhl
bach, October 15, 1764, died May 17, 1820; was
twice married, first to Mary, daughter of Jacob
Steese, of Penn township, now part of Snyder
county, Penn. ; second, to Margaret, daughter of
Hon. Adam Harper, of Penn's Valley, who was
formerly one of the associate judges of Centre
county. Husband and both wives lie buried in
the Union Cemetery, Rebersburg. Mr. Meyer
moved into Brush Valley (nearly all of which is
included within the limits of Miles township),
Centre county, on a farm near Wolfs Store in
1797 or 1798, and devoted much of his time to
farming from that time until his decease, though
his trade was that of a millwright. He built
many gristmills and sawmills in central Pennsyl
vania, now within the limits of Union, Snyder,
Mifflin, Juniata, Centre and Lycoming counties.
He served as justice of the peace for many years;
he was commissioned, February 28, 1794, major
of the First Battalion Third Northumberland
Brigade' January 4, 1802, lieutenant-colonel of
131st Regiment, Militia, First Brigade, Tenth
Division, counties of Mifflin, Huntingdon and
Centre. When but sixteen years old he belonged

to some organization recruited for protection
against the Indians. He was widely known,*and
had a host of friends. There were eleven children,
ten of whom reached maturity — from the first
wife, three; from the second, seven. Since all
of these became residents of either Centre or
Clinton county, as well as most of their descend
ants, a brief record of this, family will here be
made: (I) Infant. (II) Henry (Henry, Jacob,
Henry), born near Straubstown (Freeburg),
Penn., September 2, 1795, died at his home,
three miles east of Rebersburg, December 28,
1 881; lies buried in the Union Cemetery in the
town just named; married to Hannah, daughter
of Nicholas Bierly; she was born May 26, 1800;
died December 16, 1893; lies buried in the
Evangelical Cemetery, same town. He was but
two or three years old when his father moved
into Brush Valley, and remained a citizen of the
place all his lifetime, engaging in business as a
millwright and farmer. Issue nine: 1. Mary,
born January 30, 1824, married (first) Rev.
George Weirich, and (second) John F. Price,
now also deceased. Resides in Green township,
Clinton county, Penn. 2. Matilda, born January
9, 1826; died February 4, 1853; buried at St.
Paul Church, Penn's Valley; was married to S.
G. Mingle. 3. David, born September 15, 1827;
married to Fyetta, daughter of Anthony Bierly;
owns his father's homestead farm near Wolfs
Store, Brush Valley. 4. Catharine, born Feb
ruary 8, 1829; married to Samuel G. Mingle;
husband now deceased; family resides in Lock
Haven, Penn. 5. Daniel, born February 24,
1 83 1, married Matilda, daughter of Peter Smull;
reside at Dakota, 111. 6. Samuel B., born Feb
ruary 12, 1833, married to Maggie E. Moore; he
is a millwright by trade; resides near Milesburg,
Centre county. 7. Judith, born March 20, 1835,
married to Joseph C. Bierly; resides on a farm
near Centre Mills in Miles township, Centre
county. 8. Henry (subject of this sketch). 9.
Selena, born October 28, 1844, died June 27,
1845. Henry Meyer, our subject, was born near
Rebersburg, Penn., December 8, 1840, and mar
ried Martha J., daughter of Thomas J. Taylor,
and a native of Rock Forge, Benner township,
Centre county, born April 25, 1850. They have
resided at Rebersburg (Miles township), Penn.,
from 1872 until now (1897). Mr. Meyer was
brought up on his father's farm, doing such work
as usually falls to the lot of farmer boys, and dur
ing the winter season attended, two or three
months in a term, the common schools of the
neighborhood. He left home in the spring of
i860 to learn the millwright trade with John

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

143

Todd, who then resided at Potters Mills, Penn.,
and his spare moments were devoted to reading,
and the study of mathematics and other branches
which had a bearingon mechanical pursuits. He
enlisted at Rebersburg, Penn., August 19, 1862,
with almost a hundred young men of the same
place (Brush Valley), in the army for "three
years or during the war. " Became, a few days
after enlistment, a member of Company A, 148th
Regiment, P. V. I., at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg,
Penn., the regiment being placed under the com
mand of Gen. (then Col.) James A. Beaver, and
joined afterward with the Second Army Corps,
Army of the Potomac. He went through the
usual disciplinary stages of the volunteer soldier,
and had his first practical experience in warfare
in the battle of Chancellorsville, Va. , May, 1863;
then followed Gettysburg, Auburn Mills, Mine
Run, the Wilderness; and Laurel Hill, besides
several skirmishes of less importance. He was
slightly hurt at Chancellorsville, but more seri
ously at Laurel Hill, May 10, 1864, by a minie
ball passing through the left hand near the wrist,
necessitating amputation of the left hand, which
operation was performed at Campbell Hospital,
Washington, D. C, May 17, 1864. On receiving
his discharge, September 12, 1864, he returned
home, entered the Rebersburg Select School for
a few weeks, taught school the winter following,
and continued teaching a number of terms. In
1866 he attended the Union Seminary, New Ber
lin, Penn., for a term, and in the fall of 1868,
entered the Keystone State Normal School at
Kutztown, Penn. , graduating therefrom with first
honors of the class in the spring following. He
then continued his work as an educator, and as
sisted Prof. Reuben M. Magee, county superin
tendent of common schools of Centre county, in
the Centre County Normal School a number of
terms. In May, 1875, he was elected county
superintendent of common schools of Centre
county, for a term of three years, and was re
elected without opposition in May, 1878; was
elected in the fall of 1882 a member of the House
of Representatives of the Legislature of Pennsyl-
avnia, and is at present serving a second term as
a justice of the peace, having been elected the
first time February 18, 1890.
The foregoing sketch being only a brief
record of the principal events in the biography
of Mr. Meyer, it is deemed desirable in justice
to himself that a few facts be mentioned which
will give a better view of his every-day life,
character and disposition. His progress as a
pupil in the district school was seriously ham
pered from the very beginning until a youth of
sixteen by the difficulties encountered by all

pupils whose mother tongue is different from the
language of the books which they study in school.
His parents were Pennsylvania-German; all his
neighbors then spoke the dialect of those people;
the sermons then were nearly all German, as
were also many of the periodicals, and much of
the correspondence between people was in that
language. Under such circumstances the pro
gress of pupils was slow and wearisome; they
listlessly repeated the words of their reading
lessons, committed definitions in grammar and
geography, but the exercises were as unintelligi
ble to them as so much Hebrew would have
been. Gradually Mr. Meyer overcame these ob
stacles, the printed page began to disclose ideas,
and a taste for reading was rapidly acquired. He
subscribed for English periodicals, bought and
borrowed histories, biographies, books of travel
and explorations, and eagerly read, during the
few spare moments which work on the farm al
lowed, everything that came within his reach.
His books were his cherished friends. He has
ever been loyal to the Pennsylvania-German
race, and has little respect for those shallow-
pated dudes who would ignore their ancestry.
He is aware that before many years the dialect
which these people brought from the old coun
try will be superseded by the English language,
but the noble qualities which they brought with
them, and which make for the moral and mate
rial improvement of a community and the stabil
ity of a State, are still the heritage of their de
scendants. Of late years he has taken a special
interest in the early history and traditions of
these people who were the early settlers of his
native Valley, and has prepared a historical sketch
of the same, with biographical sketches of almost
a hundred of the old settlers. He has been prom
inently connected with nearly all enterprises of
his time which had for their object the improve
ment of his town and neighborhood. He has
ever taken a prominent part in the work of his
Church and Sunday-school. While officially
connected with the common schools either as
teacher or county superintendent, he labored
faithfully in the discharge of his duties, and his
labors were crowned in these positions with a
commendable degree of success. Politically he
is a Democrat, but of quite liberal views. In
his dealings he has ever been strictly honest in
his intercourse with those around him, courteous
and obliging; to the poor he has been charitable
beyond his means. He is unostentatious and re
served in his manner, and despises shams and
the blusterer. Physically he is six feet tall, but
not heavy set; blue eyes; temperate in habits.
Mrs. Meyer, as stated above, is a daughter of

144

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Thomas J. Taylor, of Unionville, Centre Co.,
Penn. Her great-grandfather, Thomas Taylor,
was a native of Chester county, Penn. , or at
least resided in that section in his younger days.
He was married to Sarah Bebberly, whose parents
resided on the ground fought over by the British
and the American troops during the battle of
the Brandywine, September n, 1777. This
young lady (his future wife) was then not quite
sixteen years old, and was an eye-witness of the
battle. She used to relate many stirring incidents
of the fierce contest, and among other facts
stated that as she and others roamed over the
battlefield they observed that the waters of the
Brandywine were dyed red from the blood of men
and horses killed along its banks. After their
marriage the couple moved, in 1800, to Half-
moon Valley, Centre Co., Penn., where they
settled permanently and raised a numerous fam
ily. The old lady died in 1849, aged eighty-
seven years, nine months, twenty-five days.
Her husband had preceded her to the grave
many years. Among their children was a son,
George, born in Chester county, November 20,
1798; died at Unionville, Centre county, Sep
tember 6, 1887. For many years he kept the
tollgate at the foot of Nittany mountain on the
pike leading from Lewistown to Bellefonte.
Later he became proprietor of a hotel at
Unionville, just named. He was married to Mary
Kyser Dunlap, daughter of Daniel Dunlap; she
was born in Lancaster county, December 12,
1796; died at Unionville, Centre county, July 21,
1875; both lie buried in the Friends Cemetery
near Unionville. The couple had only two
children — Curtin and Thomas J. The latter (the
father of Mrs. Meyer) was born at Bellefonte,
Penn., August 2, 1822; he was married to Sarah,
daughter of Jacob Homan, of Penn's Valley,
Centre county; she was born March 19, 18 18,
died February 22, 1859, and lies buried in the
old cemetery at Milesburg, Centre Co., Penn.
Mrs.^ Meyer while still single taught in the public
schools of Centre county, a number of terms, and
was quite successful as a teacher.
Mr. and Mrs. Meyer have five children liv
ing, whose names with dates of birth are as fol
lows: (1) Hannah Jane, January 11, 1872. (2)
Henry T., October 3, 1882. (3) Mary M., Au
gust 14, 1885. (4) Sarah E., September 1, 1887.
(5) Robert T., August 14, 1889.
(III). Jacob (Henry, Jacob, Henry), born
near Straubstown (now Freeburg), Penn., April
30, 1797, died near his father's old homestead
August 19, 1873, and lies buried in the Union
Cemetery, Rebersburg, Penn. He was never
married.

(IV). Benjamin (Henry, Jacob, Henry);
youngest son of first wife, was born in Brush
Valley? died in April, 1824, no definite dates
found; he was married to Mary B., daughter of
Melchoir Poorman. Lies buried' in the Union
Cemetery at Rebersburg, Penn. His widow
married Benjamin Beck, and is now also de
ceased. They had one child, Mary, who moved
to Illinois. (V). William (Henry, Jacob, Henry) was
the eldest son of second wife, and was born in
Brush Valley, July 30, 1804; died March 15,
1824, and lies buried in the Union Cemetery
at Rebersburg, Penn. ; was not married.
(VI). John (Henry, Jacob, Henry), born in
Brush Valley, June 30, 1806, died at his home
near Wolfs Store, Penn., March 14, 1892, and
lies buried near his father and brothers Benjamin
and William in Union Cemetery, Rebersburg,
Penn. He was twice married, first to Mary
Catharine, daughter of Daniel Poorman, a near
neighbor of the Meyer family; second to Susan
Confer. He was a cabinet-maker and undertaker
by trade, and conducted his business at or near
his father's old homestead all his life. He never
enjoyed any educational privileges beyond those
afforded by the country subscription schools of
that period, and these even could not be attended
regularly by pupils because the constant demand
for assistance on the farms kept children out of
school; yet by assiduous reading his mind was
well stored with useful knowledge on many sub
jects. He was a stiff Democrat, and used to
take great interest in politics in his younger days,
but was never an office-seeker himself. He was
quite enthusiastic in military matters, and held
various grades in the service, at different periods,
the last and highest being that of major.
With his first wife he had seven children,
with his second, one child: 1. Sarah, born
February 18, 1840, married Daniel S. Miller; re
sides at Kantz, Snyder county, Penn. 2. Abi
gail, born April 17, 1841, married Daniel T.
Harter; resides at the old homestead, Brush
Valley, near Wolfs Store, Penn. 3. Thomas
P., born August 29, 1842, married Lucetta,
daughter of John and Priscilla Bierly. He is a
dentist by profession, and resides in Lock Haven,
Clinton county, Penn. 4. Oliver P., born No
vember 17, 1845, died June 23, 1858. 6. Ed
ward H , born July 3, 1847, married Maggie
Richards. He went West when quite a young
man, and makes his residence in Cedar Rapids,
Iowa; an extended sketch of him would there
fore be contrary to the scope of this work. , 7.
Margaret J., born April 23, 1849, died August
23, same year. 8. Ellen, born May 25, 1855

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

145

married F. H. Custard, Williamsport, Pennsyl
vania. (VII). Reuben (Henry, Jacob, Henry), born
November 15, 1808, died January 8, 1891, and
is buried in the.. Union Cemetery, Rebersburg,
Penn. He owned part of his father's farm. His
wife was Mary, daughter of George and Sallie
Corman, and they had the following children:
1. William C, born June 17, 1844; single. En
listed August, 1862, at Rebersburg, Penn., be
came a member of Company A, 148th Regiment,
P. V. I., which organization became subsequently
a part of the Second Army Corps, Army of the
Potomac. He was killed in an engagement at
Deep Bottom, Va. , August 14, 1864, by a shell
which passed through his breast. He was a
brave soldier. 2. -Joanna, born June 21, 1847,
married J. B. Kreamer; Centre Hall, Penn. 3.
Jerome A., born February 18, 1849, married
Clara J., daughter of John Wolf. He owns his
father's old homestead, and follows the occupa
tion of farming. 4. Henry Amazon, born May
29, 185 1, married Mary Theressa Snook; lives at
Booneville, Clinton county, Penn. 5. G. Cal
vin, born January 12, 1853, married Lillie Mason;
he lives in Pueblo, Colo. 6. Daniel T., born
April 18, 1858, married Lizzie E. Snyder; lives
at Renovo, Penn. 7. Sarah, born December
29, 1862, married Dr. J. W. Bright; lives at
Rebersburg, Pennsylvania.
(VIII). Judith (Henry, Jacob, Henry), born
February 27, 18 n, married Philip Walker; she
resides at Clintondale, Clinton county, Penn. ;
husband deceased.
(IX). Susan (Henry, Jacob, Henry), born
August 15, 1813, died November 23, 1883; mar
ried Griffin Rote, also deceased, and both lie
buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery, Salona, Clinton
Co., Pennsylvania.
(X). Jonathan (Henry, Jacob, Henry), phy
sician, born in Miles township, Centre county,
June 14, 1 816; married Elizabeth, daughter of
Melchoir Poorman. Dr. Meyer established him
self at Loganton, Clinton Co., Penn., where
for many years he enjoyed a large and lucrative
practice. He died September 15, 1880, and lies
buried at Loganton.
(XI). Abigail (Henry, Jacob, Henry), born
March 10, 1819, died December 5, 1849; lies
buried in the Union Cemetery, Rebersburg, Penn.
She was not married.
VII. Michael (Jacob, Henry), seventh child,
was born near Mulhbach, March 20, 1765; died
at Uniontown, Ohio, August 5, 1843; was mar
ried to Agnes, daughter of John Buchtel. The
family moved from Straubstown (Freeburg) to
Brush Valley, on a small farm near Rebersburg,
10

in 1805; thence to Stark county, Ohio, in 1814.
Most of his descendants are living in Summit and
Stark counties, Ohio, and none remain in Centre
(now Snyder county), this State.
VIII. Christopher (Jacob, Henry) was the
youngest son of Jacob Meyer, and was born prob
ably after the family moved from Mohlbach to
Straubstown (Freeburg). He died when aged
about twenty years, and lies buried at Freeburg,
Penn. No datecouldbe found ; he was not married.
This Christopher must not be confounded with
the one mentioned below, of whom he was a
nephew. It is almost impossible to prevent con
fusion when the same name belonging to persons
of different families occurs so frequently.
Christopher Meyer, the youngest son of
the Meyer who came from Germany and settled
at Muhlbach, was born at his father's old home
stead near the post village just named, located in
the southeastern part of Lebanon county, but
then belonging to Lancaster county. While still
single, he migrated to the neighborhood of Camp-
bellstown, same county, where he and his brother
Michael purchased a large tract of land, about
the year 1769. He later became sole owner of
this tract, cleared it, with the aid of his sons, and
lived there until his death, which occurred August
2, 1 80 1 , when he was aged sixty-seven years. He
was joined in matrimony with Anna Maria,
daughter of Alexander Schaeffer, the founder of
Schaefferstown. Several of these facts are stated
at the beginning of this sketch, and are repeated
here simply to designate clearly the position of
Christopher, in the relationship. His children,
of whom there were nine, nearly all became set
tlers of Centre county, and of the section which
is now Snyder county. They left such a numer
ous train of descendants in the counties named
that the briefest record possible would far exceed
the limits assigned for this sketch.
I. Catharine (Christopher, Henry) married
Philip Fishburn, Penn. ; no dates.
II. Henry (Christopher, Henry), born near
Campbelltown, Penn., in 1767, died April 19,
1844; married Elizabeth Hurst; family moved
from Campbelltown into Centre county, near
Boalsburg, in 1823. Six children — four sons and
two daughters: (I) Philip (Henry, Christopher,
Henry), born August 24. 1800, married Rachel,
daughter of William Early, Esq. ; lived on a farm
near Boalsburg, Penn.; died November 26, 1863.
(II) Anna Mary (Henry, Christopher, Henry),
born near Campbelltown, February 11, 1799,
died December 25, 1880; married John Keller;
lived at Boalsburg, Penn. (Ill) Jacob (Henry,
Christopher, Henry), born February 2, 1802,
died on the 30th day of September, 1882;

146

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

lived at Linden Hall, Penn. ; lies buried at Boals
burg; was not married. (IV) Catharine (Henry,
Christopher, Henry), born January 16, 1804,
died June 25, 1878; married to Daniel Durst;
Centre Hall, Penn. (V) Henry (Henry, Chris
topher, Henry), born September 30, 18 10, died
October 5, 1888; married Catharine Hoffer; both
dead and are buried at Boalsburg. They lived
on a farm near the village, and reared a family
of eight children, one of whom, Prof. Philip H.
Meyer, was one of the candidates nominated in
the fall of 1896, on the Democratic ticket, for
county commissioner of Centre county. (VI)
Joseph (Henry, Christopher, Henry), born June
12, 18 1 8, died October 10, 1868; married Beckie,
daughter of George and Sallie Corman, of Miles
township, Centre county; no issue.
III. John (Christopher, Henry), born near
Campbelltown, Penn., October 26, 1769, died at
his home near Freeburg, Penn., July 17, 1842;
married Esther Burkholder, and moved to
Straubstown (now Freeburg), Penn., in 1801.
On account of his giant stature, he was familiarly
known as "big John Meyer." His descendants
are quite numerous; most of them still reside in
Snyder county, and several in Centre county.
IV. Michael (Christopher, Henry), born
near Campbelltown, Penn., August 2, 1 77 1 , died
at his home at Spring Bank, Brush Valley, Cen
tre Co.', Penn., April 1, 1842, and lies buried at
Rebersburg; was married to Elizabeth Derstine,
who was buried at Boalsburg. The family
moved into the Valley in the spring of 1834; Mr.
Meyer was a giant in stature and strength, and
was a farmer by occupation. There were eight
children — five sons and three daughters:
(I). Henry (Michael, Christopher, Henry),
born near Campbelltown, Penn., November 14,
1796, died January 3, 1873; married Eleanor,
daughter of Henry Meyer, and granddaughter of
John Meyer, who was married to Catharine
Schaeffer, of Schaefferstown. The couple were
second cousins. They remained in Lebanon
county, and were farmers by occupation.
(II). Anna Mary (Michael, Christopher,
Henry), born near Campbelltown, Penn., May 5,
1802, died January 28, 1882; buried at Shilo
Church, near Bellefonte, Centre county; was
married to Jacob Fishburn, a farmer, and lived
near Bellefonte.
(III). Michael (Michael, Christopher, Henry),
born near Campbelltown, Penn., February 10,
1864; died June 24, 1875; buried at Hummels-
town, Penn; married Sarah Fox. He remained
near the old homestead all his life.
(IV). George (Michael, Christopher, Henry),
born near Campbelltown, Penn., March 1, 1806,

died at his home near State College, Centre
county, February 15, 1889, married Anna Fox,
and left a number of descendants. He was a
miller by trade, and also followed farming in his
later years.
(V). Elizabeth (Michael, Christopher, Henry),
born December 26, 1807, died July 26, 1893;
married Felix Burkholder. This family lived
near Centre Hill, Centre county.
(VI). Samuel (Michael, Christopher, Henry),
born January 9, 1810, died at his home near
Hiawatha, Kans. , December 28, 1894; married
Elizabeth Behler, and left many descendants.
(VII). Catharine (Michael, Christopher, Hen
ry), born May 13, 1816, died February 11, 1846;
married to Daniel Dubbs; lived at Rebersburg,
Penn. ; both are buried in Union Cemetery of that
place; no issue.
(VIII). Solomon (Michael, Christopher, Hen
ry), born February 26, 18 19, died in Potter
township, Penn's Valley, July 19, 1872; married
twice, first to Margaret Spicker, second to Em-
eline M. Embich. He was a school teacher and
a noted instructor of vocal music. Not many of
his descendants remain in Centre county.
V. Jacob (Christopher, Henry), born near
Campbelltown, Penn., March 25, 1774, died
September 25, 1853; married Anna Sheller, who
was born December 25, 1775; died March 25,
1850, and both were buried in the old Heckman
Cemetery, near Penn Hall, Centre county. The
family moved from Lebanon county, in March,
1826, upon a farm near the village just named.
There were eight children — three sons and five
daughters: (I). Elizabeth (Jacob, Christopher, Henry),
born near Campbelltown, Penn., February 26,
1801; died at Centre Hall, Penn., in 1868, mar
ried to Henry Whitmer; they left issue, and Mrs,
William Wolf, Centre Hall, is one of the daugh
ters. (II). Jacob (Jacob, Christopher, Henry),
born near Campbelltown, Penn., August 5, 1802,
died April 14, 1867; buried at Penn Hall, Penn.;
single. (III). Nancy (Jacob, Christopher, Henry),
born near Campbelltown, Penn., September 14,
1804, died September 23, 1886; lies buried near
Cedar Springs, Clinton county, Penn. ; married
Samuel Kryder.
(IV). Catharine (Jacob, Christopher, Henry),
born January 1, 1806; died at her home near
Penn Hall, Penn., March 3, 1894; single.
(V). Mary (Jacob, Christopher, Henry), born
December 7, 1807; married Jacob Fisher, of
Illinois. (VI). Susan (Jacob, Christopher, Henry),

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

147

born Noyember 30, 1808, died August 13, 1873,
at her home near Penn Hall, Penn. ; single.
(VII). Christopher (Jacob, Christopher,
Henry), born in October, 1812, died June 2,
1873, married Mary Ann Glass; owned and culti
vated a farm near Penn Hall, Penn. ; no issue.
(VIII), John (Jacob, Christopher, Henry),
born September 14, 18 14, married Eleanor
Smith; live on a farm near Penn Hall, Penn.;
issue two sons: (1) Jacob S. , born April 13,
1854, married Susan C. Bitner, and lives on a
farm near Penn Hall, Penn. ; they have four
children as follows — John F. , born March 11,
1875, is a teacher and a graduate from Franklin
and Marshall College. [A more extended sketch
will be found among those of Penn township.]
Harry, born May 17, 1877; Eleanor Blanche,
born September 26, 1879; Catharine S., born
January 22,. 1890. (2) John F., born December
12, 1856, died December 16, 1863.
VI. Christopher (Christopher, Henry), born
near Campbelltown, Penn., January 21, 1776,
died at Freeburg, Penn., June 11, 1840. He
married Betty Howerter, and settled at Free
burg (then Straubstown), in the year 1800.
There were ten children, nearly all of whom set
tled in Freeburg and vicinity. They and their
descendants have been in the past, and are still
in the present, prominent citizens of that local
ity, and, no doubt, will be properly represented
in that part of this work allotted to Snyder
county. VII. Christina (Christopher, Henry), born
near Campbelltown, Penn., married Samuel
Carper, and moved to Bedford county, this State.
VIII. George (Christopher, Henry), the
youngest son, was born near Campelltown,
Penn., March 25, 1782. He came into Penn's
Valley in 1827, locating on Pine creek, south of
Aaronsburg, where he purchased a farm and a
mill-site on which a gristmill was erected. He
was married to Catharine, daughter of his first
cousin, John Jacob Meyer, of Jersey Shore,
Penn. He died January 1, 1854, and his wife,
who was born December 2, 1788, died March 13,
1858. Both are buried in the Reformed Ceme
tery at Aaronsburg, Penn. There were seven
children — five sons and two daughters:
(I). George (George Christopher, Henry),
born January 13, 1806, near Campbelltown,
Penn., married Lydia Harter. He was a miller
by trade, and resided in Penn's Valley. Left
issue. (II). John (George, Christopher, Henry),
born December 30, 1806, died at his home at
Aaronsburg, Penn., January 28, 1878; lies buried
in the Reformed Cemetery there. He married

Mary Klose, who was born April 23, 18 10; died
at their home, which was then on a farm near
Rebersburg, Penn., May 26, 1865, and was in
terred in the Union Cemetery of the town last
mentioned. He was a miller by trade, but de
voted his later years to farming. There were
seven children, of whom but one, Joseph K., is
now a resident of Miles township, Centre county,
and his sketch is inserted.
(III). Catharine (George, Christopher,
Henry), born January 22, 1808, died October 3,
1872; married Andrew Harter, Penn's Valley.
They lived a short distance west of the present
village of Coburn, Penn's Valley; left issue.
(IV). Henry (George, Christopher, Henry),
born near Campbelltown, Penn., July 27, 1809,
died south of Aaronsburg. Penn., at his home,
April 15, 1877. He married Elizabeth Stover,
and had two children, of which, one is still liv
ing, Mrs. Harriet Ard.
(V). Mary (George, Christopher, Henry),
born January 20, 18 14, married Andrew Stover.
They reside in the eastern part of Penn's Valley,
and have a number of children.
(VI). Philip (George, Christopher, Henry),
born March 24, 1819, died June 25, 1876; mar
ried (first) Magdalena Stover, and (second) Mary
Stover, who is still living. This family resided
on Pine creek, south of Aaronsburg, Penn. ; there
were thirteen children.
(VII). Jacob G. (George, Christopher,
Henry), born near Campbelltown, Penn., Octo
ber 16, 1824, was twice married. His first wife
was Henrietta C. Furst, and after her decease he
wedded Lydia A. Dutweiler, nee Strohm. The '
family reside at Aaronsburg, Penn., in Haines
township; his sons, William T. and J. Calvin, re
side in Bellefonte. Jacob G. Meyer died sud
denly November 6, 1897.
IX. Mary (Christopher, Henry), born near
Campbelltown, Penn., died in Dauphin county,
Penn., was married to John A. Carper. The
writer failed to secure any definite information in
reference to this family. There were five chil
dren, one of whom, the late John Carper, of
Linden Hall, Centre county, Penn., was very well
known in the county.

T\HOMAS STOVER, a venerable resident of
Miles township, Centre county, universally
esteemed among his acquaintances for his kindli
ness of heart and unwavering integrity, is at more
than four-score years still hale and hearty. He
is a native of Centre county, having been born near
Aaronsburg, September 15, 181 5, and his ances-

148

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

tors were among the pioneer settlers of Penn's
Valley. Adam Stover, his great-grandfather, came
from Berks county at an early period with four
sons, all well grown, named John, Jacob, Fred
erick and Adam. John Stover, the grandfather
of our subject, was a buckskin dresser, and was
exempt from service in the Revolutionary war on
the ground that his labor was essential for the
production of clothing and other articles of ne
cessity. He was married in Penn's Valley to a
Miss Wolfe, by whom he had the following chil
dren, all of whom died in Haines township,
Centre county: George had two sons, John and
Jacob; John reared a large family; Henry is men
tioned more fully below; Thomas had one son
and three daughters; Jacob left a family; Eve
married a Mr. Bright, and Catherine married
Adam Harper.
Henry Stover, our subject's father, was born
and reared in Haines township, Centre county,
and was married there to Margaret Guiswite, a
lady of more than ordinary ability and culture,
and a successful teacher. Her father, Henry
Guiswite, was a pioneer educator. Henry Stover
settled upon a farm near Aaronsburg, obtained
from his father, and passed his life there.
He was of medium height and slight build. His
education was but limited, as his father never per
mitted his children to attend any but the Ger
man schools, and even left a provision in his will
disinheriting any child who should break this
rule. Henry Stover made a comfortable living
for his family, but never accumulated much, his
death at the early age of forty-seven years cut
ting off the chance to reap the full reward of his
previous toil. He was a Whig in politics, a
Lutheran in religion, and was respected by all
who knew him. His wife, who attained the age
of eighty-eight years, adhered to the Reformed
Church. They had nine children: Charlotte
(Mrs. Adam Stover) died in Brush Valley Nar
rows; James died in Rebersburg; Carolina (Mrs.
Jacob Dinges) died in Ohio; Thomas was the
fourth in order of birth; Leah (Mrs. William
Shaffer) died at Madisonburg; Malinda (Mrs.
Absolom Confair) died at Aaronsburg; Sebilla
(Mrs. William Burd) and Levi also died at
Aaronsburg; Elias is now a resident of Rebers
burg; Jacob only lived to the age of three and
one-half years.
As a boy Mr. Stover attended a German
school at what has always been known as
" Wolfe's School;" but work was considered more
important than study, and he could not even
profit fully by the limited advantages offered by
his German teacher. His mother, however,

came to his rescue with home instruction, and as
he possessed an excellent memory the foundation
of a practical education was laid. Considering
the good use which he made of his meagre op
portunities one must regret that such a bright
mind could not have enjoyed better facilities in
youth. He chose the plasterer's trade as an oc
cupation, and served an apprenticeship under
William Shaffer, and so great was his mechanical
skill that later he " picked up " for himself the
trades of brick laying and stone masonry. Until
1840 he remained in his native township, and
then he went west, via Pittsburg, traveling on
the Ohio from that point to Cairo, and then by
the Mississippi river to northern Illinois, his
destination being Stephenson county. At that
time there were but few houses in Freeport, the
county seat. Mr. Stover remained in Illinois
about thirty years, working as a brick layer,
plasterer, and stone mason, and engaged also in
agriculture. He owned an excellent farm in
Lancaster township, Stephenson county, and
much other valuable real estate. In October,
1848, he was married near Freeport to Miss
Susan Newcomer, a native of Northumberland
county, Penn., born March 30, 1828. Her par
ents, Philip and Elizabeth (Lantz) Newcomer,
went to Illinois, in 1844, and later moved to
Iowa, where they passed their remaining years.
Mr. Stover found his health declining after a
time, and being threatened with consumption he
returned to Pennsylvania in 1868, locating in the
eastern end of Bush Valley. There he conducted
a shingle and saw mill for many years, cutting
excellent white pine, and he is now known as a
pioneer of that industry in the locality. His
present home at or in Livonia has been cleared
by him from its primitive burden of trees and
stone piles, and its comfortable and commodious
buildings were all built by him. He has a goodly
competence despite the fact that his dislike of
contention has at times made him the victim of
unscrupulous people. Free from guile himself,
he has never found it easy to believe evil of
others, while he has such a contempt for wrang
ling that he has more than once submitted to
imposition rather than undertake to do battle for
his rights. It is said that some of the most
valuable land in Freeport, 111., rightfully belongs
to him, but he has practically been robbed of it.
In early years Mr. Stover was a Whig, and
later he became a stanch Republican. His first
vote was cast for Gov. Ritner as governor of
Pennsylvania. Not being disposed to be active
in politics, he has held few offices, but his inter
est in better education has led him to serve at
times as school director. His estimable wife is-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

149

one of the leading members of the Reformed
Church, but he is not formally identified with
any denomination, although he contributes liber
ally to religious work as occasion arises. He
helped to organize the first Sunday-school at Li
vonia P. O., and can always be relied upon to
give effective aid to any progressive movement.
Mr. and Mrs. Stover have one daughter,
Asenath, born February 16, 1859, in Lancaster
township, Stephenson county, 111. She was
married June 19, 1881, to J. H. DeLong, and
has had four children, as follows: Thomas S.,
born April 28, 1882, died when two years and
ten months old from bleeding at the nose; Au
brey C, born November 19, 1883; and Arctura,
born July 6, 1886, are at home; and Susan L.,
born December 1, 1888, died March 23, 1890.
John H. DeLong is the third son of John and
Lucretia (Jayne) DeLong, who were among the
first settlers in Livonia. He is a teacher by pro
fession. Although not a graduate, he has taken
several terms at Cornell University, and Ship-
pensburg State Normal School. He holds a State
teachers' certificate, and has taught in all (at this
writing) twenty-four terms in Centre, Clinton
and Lyconing counties, fourteen being at his
home in Livonia, where he is also postmaster,
having held the position since the establishment
of the office.

WILLIAM IRWIN. Longfellow wrote:
' ' We judge ourselves by what we feel
capable of doing, while others judge us by what
we have already done. " If this golden sentence
of the New England poet were universally ap
plied, many a man who is now looking down
with haughty stare upon the noble toilers of land
and sea, sneering at the cut of a neighbor's coat,
or the humbleness of his dwelling, would be vol
untarily doing penance in sackcloth and ashes, at
the end of which he would handle a spade, or,
with pen in hand, burn the midnight oil in his
study in the endeavor to widen the bounds of
liberty or to accelerate the material and spiritual
progress of his race. A bright example of one
of the world's workers is the man whose name
introduces this review, for by earnest labor and
perseverance he has won a high degree of suc
cess. William Irwin, who now resides on the old
family homestead in Marion township, Centre
county, was born October 31, 1828. His grand
father, James Irwin, spent his entire life as a
farmer in Ireland. His father, John Irwin, was
also born on the Emerald Isle and, emigrating
to America, was married in Union county, Penn. ,

to Miss Mary McClelland, who was born near
the city of Lancaster, in Lancaster county, Penn.
They resided in Union county until 1800, when
they came to the farm which is now occupied by
our subject, and the father continued its cultiva
tion until his death in 1844, when he was aged
sixty-four years. The mother made her home
there until 1857, when with her children, Mary
A., John J. and William, she removed to Jack
sonville, Centre county, where she departed this
life in 1858, at the age of seventy years. The
father was a farmer by occupation, and was a
man of prominence in the community, holding a
number of township offices. He supported the
Democratic party by his ballot, and in religious
belief both he and his wife were Presbyterians.
Mr. and Mrs. Irwin had a family of six chil
dren: Samuel M., a former resident of Belle
fonte, who served as justice of the peace there,
died while visiting at the old homestead; Sarah
J. died at the age of eighteen years; Mary A. be
came the wife of R. Connelly, who served as
sheriff of Centre county, and both are now de
ceased; John J. died at the age of thirty-seven
years in Centre county; Louisa M., who died at
the age of forty-five years, was the wife of J. P.
Hughes, who served in the army during the Civil
war, and died in Benner township, Centre county;
and William completes the family.
Mr. Irwin, the subject proper of this sketch,
remained with his parents until they were called
to the home beyond, spending his boyhood days
midst play and work. The district schools of the
neighborhood afforded him his educational priv
ileges. In 1858 and 1859 he was engaged with
William Allison in mercantile business at Jack
sonville, Centre county; but after two years he
sold his interest in the store and purchased a
small farm in Benner township, Centre county.
It was his intention to remain there only a short
time, but he continued to make it his home for
fourteen years, and then returned to Marion
township, where he bought a farm on which he
lived some nine years. He then purchased the
old homestead, and has since made it his place
of residence. It is improved with a handsome
two-story brick dwelling, with good barns and
outbuildings, and all modern accessories and
conveniences. The land is 'highly cultivated,
and in addition to this property he owns another
valuable farm, deriving from the two a handsome
income. On Christmas Day, of i860, in Clinton county,
Penn., Mr. Irwin was married to Miss Susan J.
Allison, a native of Porter township, Clinton
county, born November 15, 1833. Her parents,
David and Lucetta (McKibben) Allison, were

150

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

natives of Centre county, and died in Clinton
county. The father was a farmer and a man of
prominence in the community in which he made
his home. His children were: William M., de
ceased; Archibald, of Spring Mills, Centre county;
Susan J. (Mrs. William Irwin); James, a retired
farmer of Adams county, Ohio; Eleanor L., wife
of James T. Nixson, a farmer of Clinton county;
Henry C, an agriculturist of the same county;
Matilda L., deceased; and Joseph M., who is
farming on the old family homestead.
To Mr. and Mrs. Irwin were born children as
follows: Gertrude M., at home; D. Allison;
William J., who died at the age of seventeen
years; Eleanor L., teaching school, and living at
home; Edith J.; Anna L. ; Susan B., a school
teacher, living at home, and Florence L., also at
home. Of these, D. Allison (the only son) is
now manager of the home farm, and is a young
man of superior business and executive ability,
carefully looking after the interests of the prop
erty, the labors of which he is conducting with
success. As an ardent Republican, he stands
well in his party, of which he is one of its advis
ers, and he is a delegate to county conventions.
Edith J. was married April 7, 1897, to J. Will
Mayes, a marble dealer, of Howard, Penn.
Anna L. was married December 29, 1896, to
Samuel L. Allen, of Pittsburg, Penn., where he
is city inspector of public works. The mother of
this family died September 25, 1893, deeply
mourned by many relatives and friends, for her
excellencies of character had made her a general
favorite in the community.
Our subject gives his political support to the
Republican party, has been honored with a num
ber of township offices, and served as township
auditor several years, but has never aspired to
political preferment. His duties of citizenship
are faithfully performed, and he is active in the
promotion of all interests calculated to prove of
public benefit, especially in the matter of schools,
jn which he takes great interest, being a director
of the board; for many years he was overseer of
¦the poor. He is a valued member of the Lick
Run Presbyterian Church, of which he is an
elder. In his early life he was a strong temper
ance advocate, and was a charter member of the
Sons of Temperance Society formed in his town.

JOHN C. STOVER, of Aaronsburg, Centre
county, is one of the representative citizens
of the county, and his influence is recognized
as a helpful factor in all the varied movements
which promote the welfare of his locality. His
family has been prominent in Penn's Valley from

the earliest times, and is probably more numer
ous at the present day than any other in Centre
county. The first to come to. that beautiful and fertile
region was Jacob Stover, Sr. , our subject's great-
great-grandfather, a Huguenot, who was born,
about 171 5, in Alsace-Lorraine, then a part of
France, and came to America with many other
persecuted followers of his faith to settle in
Lyken's Valley, Dauphin Co., Penn. About
1772 he visited Penn's Valley, and entered a
large tract of land in what is now Haines town
ship, Centre county, extending from mountain to
mountain. He never resided there but, being
well advanced in years, gave the estate to three
of his sons, Jacob, Jr., our subject's great-grand
father, taking the northern portion, Adam the
southern, and John the central. Another son of
this worthy pioneer went to Canada, another,
Michael, to Maryland, and (later) another, Fred,
located in the eastern part of what is now Haines
township, near Woodward. The four who set
tled in Centre county are the ancestors of this
prosperous and highly respected family who have
always displayed the characteristic thrift, indus
try, independence and uprightness of their fore
fathers, together with a love of nature which has
led them to choose almost invariably the calling
of agriculture. No member of the family has
ever taken a conspicuous part in politics.
During the Revolutionary war several battles
were fought in Penn's Valley, and traces of a
stockade, which was built on the farm of Adam
Stover, were still visible a few years ago. On
July 3, 1778, occurred the massacre of Wyoming,
in which old men, women and children were
brutally slaughtered, and the news of this hor
rible butchering caused a stampede among the
settlers on what was then the "frontier," and
all fled " down country " for protection, the event
being known as the "the big runaway. " When
the dwellers of Penn's Valley returned to their
former homes they found the property in ruins,
the only evidence of their occupancy to escape
the flames lit by the savages being an apple tree
planted some years before at the homestead of
Jacob Stover, Jr. This interesting reminder of
early days is still standing. In time the settle
ment was rebuilt, and in 1789 Jacob Stover, Jr.,
donated seven acres of land for a school site and
for the use of the teacher, and thirty acres for a
church, parsonage and cemetery. Most of this
land is still devoted to these purposes, and the
more modern buildings which have taken the
place of the original structures are used partly
for a school and partly as a chapel for holding
funeral services. In the cemetery but few have

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

151

been interred except the members of the Stover
family, and prominent among these are Jacob
Stover, Jr., and his wife, Anne M. Weaver, the
great-grandparents of our subject. Jacob StOver,
who was born in 1749 and died in 18 — , seems
to have been very influential in his day. Of the
other three brothers, Fred married Anne Hetzle,
and Adam married Pauline Troutner.
Jacob Stover, Jr., had two sons of whom
there is especial record. John, Jr., passed his life
quietly as a farmer at the old homestead, two
and a half miles east of Aaronsburg, and is noted
as having been the only Whig in the family, all
the others having been stanch Democrats. He
married Barbara Wolf, and has seven children:
(1) George died in Aaronsburg. (2) Eve married
George Bright, Sr. , of Aaronsburg, and J. W.
Bright, whose biography appears elsewhere, is
their grandson. (3) John married Miss Cather
ine Brown, and lived on a farm two miles east of
Aaronsburg. (4) Henry married Miss Gredle
Guiswite, and made his home on a farm north of
the same town. (5) Catherine married Adam
Harper, a farmer who lived three miles east of
Aaronsburg. (6) Thomas, with his wife, Abilene
France, occupied the old homestead. (7) Jacob
W. married Catherine Yeagley, and resided two
miles and a half northeast of Aaronsburg. His
son Moses is now a resident of Haines township.
All of this family attended the Stover school in
youth, and all were Lutherans in religious faith.
Adam Stover, son of Jacob, Jr., and the
grandfather of our subject, reared a large family
of children, among whom were Michael, now re
siding in Haines township, and Jacob, our sub
ject's father, who married Polly Kersteter, and
after spending some years at the old homestead
with his parents moved to another farm in the
same township. His wife died at the age of sev
enty-four, and was buried in St. Paul's cemetery,
but he lived to be over eighty years of age be
fore his remains were laid to rest beside hers. «
He was six feet, two inches tall, stout in propor
tion, and was active until a short time before his
death. Like the rest of the family, he was a
successful farmer, and although he voted the
Democratic ticket regularly, he was not espe
cially interested in politics. He was a member
of the Reformed Church, to which he contributed
liberally. Of his twelve children, nine are still
living. Elizabeth, widow of David Corman, and
Christina, widow of Jacob Bowers, reside in
Haines township, Centre county. Harriet died
in early womanhood. Benjamin is a resident of
Haines township. John C. is mentioned more
fully below. William K. is a farmer of Haines
township. Julia was taken away in early woman

hood. Sally married Jacob Detwiler, of Tus
seyville, Penn. Nellie married Charles Smith,
of Haines township. Leonard died in childhood.
Lydia married Moses Eby, of Haines township.
Susan L. (now Mrs. William Musser) resides in
the same locality.
J. C. Stover was born July 18, 1834, and was
educated in the schools near his father's farm,
his first teacher being Hon. J. G. Meyer. Farm
work was done by primitive methods in his boy
hood, and he has spent day and day in "tramp-
ping out" wheat. At nineteen he began to learn
the blacksmith's tra.de with Jacob Condo, of
Boalsburg, and for two years' work received $50.
After completing his apprenticeship he returned
home, assisted his father during one summer,
and then spent a year as a journeyman black
smith with "Squire" Hosterman, of Haines
township. On November 5, 1857, Mr. Stover married
Miss Amelia Hosterman, a daughter of John and
Polly (Bower) Hosterman. She was born Au
gust 9, 1834, in Haines township, and was edu
cated there, her first teacher being Mercy Hill.
At the time of his marriage, Mr. Stover had no
capital, save his native abilities, supported by a
strong will; but he fearlessly faced his responsi
bilities, and has prospered as he deserved. In the
spring of 1858 he bought a blacksmith shop and
residence at Aaronsburg from John Guiswite at a
cost of $1,100, borrowing money' for the first
payment, and there he carried on his trade until
March, 1871, when he sold out to settle upon a
farm in Haines township. For two years after
his removal he followed his trade at the farm, but
later devoted his attention exclusively to agricult
ure. In March, 1890, he rented the property
and moved to Aaronsburg. His farm consists of
seventy-four acres, and he also owns several acres
of land adjoining Aaronsburg.
Mr. Stover and his wife have been members
of the Reformed Church for more than forty-five
years. For fifteen years he held the office of
elder, and at present he is a trustee. He has a
neat residence in Aaronsburg, and he and Mrs.
Stover are socially prominent. They have had
seven children: (1) Clara V., formerly a suc
cessful teacher, married John A: Grenoble, of
Spring Mills, and has five children — Charley E.,
Margaret A., William, Roberd R. and Anna M.
(2) Tamma C. died in childhood. (3) Mary
L. (now Mrs. E. E. Ardery, of Bellefonte) has
two children — Lela A. and Verna A. (4) Annie
R. (Mrs. Franklin Guiswite, of Woodward) has
two children — Fred S. and Mary A. (5) Katy I.
married George Weaver, of Haines township,
Centre county. (6) Cora E. is at home. (7)

152

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Clymer H., a merchant and tinsmith of Aarons
burg, married, Miss Anna C. March, and has two
children— Mary Jane A. and John L. Politically,
our subject has always been a Democrat, and
while he has never been especially desirous of
public office he has served ably as school director
and supervisor.

T* M. GRAMLEY, secretary of the Spring
Mills Creamery Company, at Spring Mills,
Centre county, and one of the substantial citizens
of thatpleasant village, is a man, who while giving
close attention to business, has not lost sight of
the value of the things which make for progress
in ways that cannot be estimated in dollars and
cents. Well-read, intelligent and public-spirited,
his influence in the community has always been
exerted in helpful ways and to worthy ends.
Mr. Gramley was born in Rebersburg, July
31, 1856, the third son and fourth child of Sam
uel and Sarah J. (Smull) Gramley. At an early
age his intellectual bent became apparent, and
after attending school in the Harter district in
Miles township, Centre county, until he had com
pleted the course offered there, he pursued his
studies in the County Normal School at Miles
burg, preparing himself for teaching. His plans
were carried out in the face of discouraging cir
cumstances, l.he work at home requiring much of
his time. Through strenuous efforts he suc
ceeded, however, and when but a few months
past sixteen he took charge of a school in Porter
township, Clinton county, where he at once estab
lished a reputation as an efficient disciplinarian
and instructor. This success stimulated his ambi
tion, and he entered Penn Hall Academy, then
conducted by Prof. Wolfe, and fitted himself for
college; but he was then persuaded to return to the
district where he had taught his first term, and
again take the school. He spent three terms there,
receiving an increase of salary each term, and
then taught the grammar school at Mackeyville.
His abilities once shown, his services were in de
mand, and he continued to teach for fourteen
terms, the summer seasons being spent in farm
work. He holds certificates of all grades, includ
ing a State certificate. On retiring from the
work of teaching, he entered into partnership
with his brother, C. L. Gramley, in a general
mercantile business at Rebersburg; but his health
becoming impaired he sold out after two years of
successful work in this line, and decided to fol
low agricultural pursuits. In connection with
farming he taught school during the winter sea
sons until 1888, and in July of that year he
formed a partnership in the creamery business

with R. G. Eisenhart in the Spring Mills Cream
ery Company, limited, a stock company which is
now the oldest concern of the kind in Centre
county. Mr. Gramley is industrious, system
atic, and persevering, carrying out with firm de
termination any plan once fixed upon, and the
success of the firm is due in no small measure to
his work and influence. He has a reputation for
integrity in his dealings, which is in itself a
source of strength to any enterprise with which
he may be connected.
On December 18, 1877, Mr. Gramley was
married in Miles township, Centre county, to Miss
Agnes Loose, who was born at Millheim, Septem
ber 7, 1856, the daughter of Samuel and Eliza
beth (Brickley) Loose. They have one of the
most comfortable and tasteful homes in Spring
Mills. Mr. Gramley has remodeled the house
formerly known as the "Old Peter Wilson" home,
adding all modern conveniences. They have a
bright and interesting family, to whom they are
giving the best educational advantages at their
command: Orpha L. , born October 19, 1878, is
in the senior class at Irving College at Mechanics-
burg, Penn.; S. Ward, born December 29, 1880,
is in the sophomore class at Susquehanna Uni
versity, Selins Grove, Penn.; Windon C. , born
November 3, 1882, and Bruce S., born June 15,
1888, are at home.
Mr. Gramley and his wife are leading mem
bers of the Lutheran Church, and he has held
office in the Church ever since he was confirmed.
His interest in the work has been demonstrated
many times, and when the Rebersburg parsonage
was built, he was one of the chief promoters of
the enterprise. In politics he has always been a
Republican, but though a stanch supporter of the
doctrines of the party he is not a politician. On
one occasion he was nominated for the office of
Register, without solicitation on his part, and al
though no canvass was made in the county in his
• behalf, he was defeated by a bare plurality of
thirty-two votes.

WILLIAM W. SPANGLER. Among the
progressive and enterprising farmers of
Centre county, the record of whose lives fills an
important place in this volume, it gives us pleas
ure to commemorate the name of this gentleman.
He was born July 20, 1835, at Eagleville, on the
farm which is still his home, and comes of a fam
ily that has long been prominently identified with
the business and social interests of the commu
nity. Jonas Spangler, father of our subject, was
born May 1, 1800, in York county, this State,

$~.7K. ^TT^uiyiM^j

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

153

where his parents, who were of German birth,
passed the greater part of their lives. As early
as 1820, however, he came to Centre county, and
for a number of years ran a stell-bottomed boat
on the Susquehanna river between Sunbury,
Penn. , and Centre county. He built three boats
while a resident of Liberty township, where he
also engaged in agricultural pursuits, and became
one of the most prominent and wealthy citizens
of the locality. He was a faithful member of the
Church of Christ, and a strong Democrat in poli
tics, on which ticket he was elected to several
township offices.
In Centre county Jonas Spangler was married
to Mary Kunes, a daughter of Daniel Kunes, one
of the honored pioneers of the county, where he
located during the 18th century and followed the
occupation of farming. Five sons blessed this
union: Hiram, who for four years served in the
Union army during the Civil war, taking part in
twenty-six battles, and died from the effects of
wounds received at the battle of the Wilderness;
William W., the subject of this sketch; Samuel,
who helped to take Fort Fisher during the Civil
war, and is now a resident of Eagleville; George
W. , who died in Philadelphia; and Jonas, who
died from the effects of wounds received at the
battle of Appomattox, after four years of arduous
service. The mother of these children departed
this life in 1839, at the age of thirty-five years,
and the father passed away May 1, 1855.
William W. Spangler never left the parental
roof, and after the death of his father he assumed
the management of the home farm, which he has
placed under a high state of cultivation and im
proved with good and substantial buildings.
Upon the place his father laid out the village of
Eagleville in 185 1, but the remainder of the farm
is devoted to agriculture.
In December, i860, at Lock Haven, Penn.,
Mr. Spangler was united in marriage with Miss
Emily A. Seyler, who was born in Stephenson
county, 111. , April 19, 1842, a daughter of George
and Mary (Potts) Seyler, who were natives of
Penn's Valley, Centre county, but at an early day
migrated to Illinois, where the father engaged
in tailoring and farming throughout the remain
der of his life. His family included seven chil
dren: George, a carpenter of Greenwood, Wis.;
Elizabeth, wife of Samuel Shaffer, of Freeport,
111. ; Annie, widow of Daniel Smith, of Shabbona,
111.; A: Jackson, a mechanic of Freeport; Emily
A. ; Alice, wife of a Mr. Agnew, a farmer of Ben-
net, Iowa; and Mrs. Ellen Moses, of Livermore,
Iowa. To Mr. and Mrs. Spangler were born five
children: Tacy, wife of Ross Martin, a carpenter

of Lock Haven, Penn. ; George, a resident of
Liberty township, Centre county; Mary, wife of
Albert Kunes, who is engaged in farming in
Eagleville; Henry, a druggist of Middleburg,
Snyder Co., Penn. ; and Millie E., at home. The
faithful wife and mother was called to her final
rest March 12, 1873, and her death was widely
and deeply mourned.
In 1863 Mr. Spangler enlisted in the 149th
P. V. I., known as the " Bucktail Regiment,"
and was under the command of Capt. Hancock
for eighteen months, or until he (the Captain)
was wounded, when another captain was put in
his place. Our subject participated in a number
of engagements and skirmishes, and when hostil
ities had ceased was honorably discharged May
20, 1865, after which he returned home and re
sumed agricultural pursuits. He belongs to a
prominent and well-known family of Centre
county; and is related to Col. Jack Spangler, of
Bellefonte. For seven years he filled the office
of supervisor of his township, and for the long
term of twenty years acceptably served- as con
stable, holding the position continuously (with
the exception of two years) from 1873 until Feb
ruary, 1896. Socially he holds membership in
Blanchard Lodge No. 420, I. O. O. F., of
Eagleville, and politically is identified with the
Democratic party. He is an earnest, conscien
tious Christian, who since 1873 has been a prom
inent and active member of the Church of Christ,
and as a citizen is held in the highest respect
and esteem.

WILLIAM FOSTER, History of. John
Forster, or Foster (as many of his de
scendants now write the name), the ancestor of
one branch of the Forster family, of Buffalo
Valley, was a son of David Forster, of Derry,
formerly Lancaster, now Dauphin, county, Penn.
This appears by the will of David Forster, dated
September 2, 1745, and recorded in Lancaster
county. It is believed, though not certainly
known to be a fact, that David Forster, with
some of his family, came from the North of Ire
land about the year 1733, with the Scotch-Irish
immigration of that period, and was among the
first settlers of Donegal, Derry and Paxtang.
He died in 1754, leaving a widow, Mary by name,
and five sons, named respectively: William, John,
David, James, and Robert. One of these sons,
John Forster, the ancestor, became the owner, by
purchase, of 271 acres of land situated in Hanover
(then Lancaster) county, which had been sur
veyed to John Young under a warrant granted to
him in 1740. This tract of land was confirmed

154

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

to John Foster by a patent deed from Thomas
and William Penn, bearing date the 1 7th day of
November, 1752, and he resided upon the tract
until about 1773 or 1774, when for some reason,
probably with a view of bettering his condition
ahd that of his family, he disposed of it by sale
and became one of the pioneer settlers of Buffalo
Valley. That delightful and charming Valley,
then an almost untra versed forest of stately oak,
hickory, walnut and pine, was within that part
of Pennsylvania known as the last purchase made
from the Indians by the Proprietary Government
of the Colony in 1768.
The first surveys in the Valley were made in
1769, and from that year sturdy, adventurous and
self-reliant settlers, among whom was John
Forster, began to occupy, clear and cultivate its
beautiful virgin acres, even then rich and invit
ing with the promise of future fertility and pro
ductiveness. Among the first surveys made in
1769, after the land office had been opened on
the 3d of April of that year to receive applica
tions for land within the Purchase of 1768, a
number of tracts, aggregating eight thousand
acres through the heart of the Valley, were re
turned for certain officers of the ist and 2d bat
talions of the Pennsylvania regiment that served
under Col. Henry Boquet in the expedition that
marched under his command in 1764 to the re
lief of Fort Pitt, the site of the present city of
Pittsburg, then beleaguered by the Indians. In
the allotment of these surveys to the officers who
were to receive them, were two that fell respect
ively to Lieut. Charles Stewart and Lieut. James
McCallister. These tracts were at the western
part of the survey, lying about two miles west of
the present town of Mifflinburg. The first tract,
that of Lieut. Stewart, was called in the patent
"Joyful Cabin," and contained 340 acres and 63
perches. The other, that of Lieut. McCallister,
was called " Chatham," and contained 340 acres
and 60 perches. Before removing from Han
over to Buffalo, John Forster had become the
owner of these two tracts. On the western
tract near Buffalo creek, he built his cabin, liter
ally the beginning of a new home in the wilder
ness for himself, wife and children, and there he
lived until his death, which occurred in 1783.
In the tax list of Buffalo township, Northum
berland county, for the year 1775 — the list for
the previous years not being in existence — the
name of John Forster appears; on this list his
property returned for taxes consists of twenty
acres of cleared land, two horses, three cows and
three sheep, probably for that time a substantial
return. The property adjoining on the west of
where he lived was the farm so well known in the

Valley for many years as the William Young
farm. His life seems to have been quiet, unob
trusive and moderately successful, though no
knowledge of his personality or traits of charac
ter have come down to his present descendants.
As before stated, he died in 1783, and among
some old family papers now in the possession of
a friend at Paxtang, Dauphin county, is a letter
written from Buffalo to Paxtang announcing his
death, from which the following extract is taken:
"John Forster was taken sick of a fever on the
10th of September, 1783, died on the 20th, and
was buried on Sunday, September 21, 1783."
Of his wife nothing is known except that her
name was Margaret. Eight years later another
letter announced her death, as follows: "Mar
garet Forster was taken sick on December 31,
1 79 1, and died January 8, 1792, about 9 p. m.,
and was buried on Tuesday, January 10, 1792."
The interments, though there are no marks to
show where they lie, were in the old Lewis grave
yard, about three miles southwest of Mifflinburg,
then the common burial place for the inhabitants
of the upper end of the Valley, where also rest
in the peaceful sleep of death others of their
family — children and grandchildren. By his
will, on record at Sunbury, after providing for
the support of his widow, he directed that his real
estate, consisting of the two tracts of the land
already mentioned, and containing together 680
acres, should be divided into three equal parts to
be given to his three sons then living, a third to
each, and that his daughters should receive cer
tain bonds, which he described as " Bonds I re
ceived from the sale of my plantation in Hano
ver. "
The children of John and Margaret Forster
were four sons and four daughters. The sons
were: Thomas, Andrew, John, Jr., and Robert.
The daughters were Christena, who became the
wife of John Montgomery; Jane, who became the
wife of William Irvine; Elizabeth, who became
the wife of Joseph Gray; and Rebecca, who be
came the wife of William McFarlane.
A marriage record of the Derry and Pax
tang Presbyterian congregation, published in
Vol. VIII of the second series of the Pennsyl
vania Archives, shows that Thomas Forster,
the eldest son," was married to Jane Young No
vember 4, 1777, and that Robert, the young
est son, was married to Esther Renick Decem
ber 14, 1784. Andrew, the second son, was
married to Susanna Gray. She was a daughter
of Capt. William Gray, of Revolutionary fame,
and was first married to William Hudson. After
his death she became the wife of Andrew Forster.
John, Jr. , the third son, died young and unmar-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

155

ried, the victim of an Indian massacre. His
death occurred on the 16th of May, 1780, in an
attack made by a band of raiding Indians on what
was known as French Jacob's Mill (Jacob Gro-
shong), about five miles north of Mifflinburg, and
near where' the road through the Brush Valley
narrows enters Buffalo Valley. He was one of a
company of enlisted rangers whose duty it was to
patrol the northern side of the Valley along the
Buffalo mountain to guard against Indian incur
sions. A sudden and unexpected foray, how
ever, was made by the savages, and in the smart
skirmish that followed four of the rangers were
killed, among them being John Forster, Jr. The
names of the others were James Chambers,
George Etzweiler and James McLaughlin.
Thomas Forster was the Revolutionary soldier
of the family — a sincere patriot and lover of
liberty, he was early in the field for the independ
ence of the American Colonies. In 1776 he is
the first found in the record as Major of the
Fourth Battalion of the Northumberland County
Associators, of which Phillip Cole and Thomas
Sutherland, another ancestor of some of the
presentForster family, was the lieutenant-colonel.
This battalion was sent to Reading, but anxious
to be at the front, Major Forster became a lieu
tenant in Capt. John Clark's company of Col.
Potter's regiment. This company was detained
in Reading until it was too late to reach the scene
of actual hostility in time to take part in the en
gagements at Trenton and Princeton, but par
ticipated actively in several subsequent skirmishes,
in which a number of casualties occurred, and in
which the members of the company won honor
able distinction.
Returning to the quiet life of a farmer- after
his patriotic military service, Thomas Forster,
on the death in 1783 of the oldest son, inherited,
together with his third of the real estate, the
homestead of the family, where he lived a prom
inent and highly respected citizen of the Val
ley until his death in the month of November,
18 10. His body also lies in the Lewis burying
ground. , In religious faith and belief the Forsters were
strict Scotch-Irish Presbyterians, and were early
members of the Buffalo Cross Roads Presby
terian Church, founded in 1773, and the parent
congregation of that denomination within the
bounds of the present county of Union. Accord
ing to Linn's Annals, the pews of the Buffalo
church were just rated- and rented in 1791, and
among the pew holders of that year were Thomas
Forster and his brothers, Andrew and Robert.
The marriage of Thomas Forster and Jane
Young was blessed with six children — three sons

and three daughters. The sons were John,
William and Thomas; the daughters, Margaret,
Elizabeth and Jane. It is only William, how
ever, the second son of the family, who demands
our attention on this occasion.
He was born in 1784 at- the home of his
father in Buffalo Valley. The means then pro
vided in that newly settled locality for education
were not great, and it is probable that in youth
but few opportunities were afforded him for book
learning. But he is still held in pleasant remem
brance as an intelligent and upright man, of
sterling integrity in business affairs, possessed of
a genial, cheerful disposition, the head of a
household noted for its hospitality, a devoted
husband and father, and an excellent citizen. In
the second war with Great Britain (in 1812), like
his father, he found it a duty to enter the mili
tary service in defence of the right of his coun
try. With his older brother, John, and his
cousin, William, son of Robert Forster, he be
came a member of a company of Pennsylvania
Militia, commanded by Capt. John Donaldson.
The company was attached to a regiment com
manded by Col. Snyder that marched to Mead-
ville, thence to Erie, and then to Buffalo, N. Y. ,
remaining in service about three months.
He was first married to Esther Young, who
was born in Dauphin county, and their children
were William and Esther (twins); the latter mar
ried NeillMcCay, of Fredericksburg, Ohio, where
they celebrated their golden wedding in 1892.
Mr. McCay died soon afterward; his widow still
lives in Ohio, and by the favor of a kind Provi
dence was able to come from her distant home
on December 28, 1897, to be present to mingle
her congratulations with other friends at the
fiftieth anniversary of her twin brother's mar
riage. The mother of William and Esther Forster
died, and the father married Rachel McCay. The
children of this second marriage were: Christena,
who became the wife of Mark Halfpenny, and
reared a family; he died in 1889, and she in
1877. He was an extensive manufacturer of
woolen goods at Lewisburg, Penn. , and his chil
dren still own considerable property there. Mar
garet, who became the wife of Dr. Seabold, had
four children, and died in 1879. Robert M. mar
ried Delilah Smith. In 1862 he enlisted in the
Union army, and was killed in the battle of Get
tysburg; he left three sons; his widow died De
cember 28, 1895. Thomas died at the age of
seventeen; and Catherine married William Wit-
mer, a lumber merchant of Philadelphia. Will
iam Forster died at his home in Hartley township.
Union county, March 26, 1853, at the age of

156

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

seventy years, and found interment in the same
burial ground where his father and grandfather lie.
William, son of William and Esther Forster,
was born in Buffalo Valley (now Union county),
Penn., March 22, 18 19. He was reared on a
farm, and had the usual school privileges of the
day and locality. Among his early teachers
were Miss Ruth Campbell and a Mr. Hanna, a
Quaker. This was at Mifflinburg. He remained
at home until 1848, then came to Centre county,
locating on the Centre Furnace lands (now Dr.
Christ's farm). In the spring of 1856 he moved
to his present home in the upper part of Penn's
Valley where he owns a beautiful farm, and upon
which he built the house he now occu
pies. His farm comprises one hundred acres.
Formerly a part of the town site of State Col
lege belonged to the farm. Mr. Foster is one of
the substantial citizens of State College, and by
good management and industry has accumulated
a competency. As were all his ancestors, he is
a Democrat in his political views. The Forsters,
too, were Presbyterians for generations, and our
subject adheres to the same faith. He is now
the only man in the community who was there
when the Pennsylvania State College building
was erected, making him the oldest pioneer of
the locality left.
In 1847 Mr. Foster was married, in Union
county, to Maria Corl, who was born in the Buf
falo Valley, Union Co., Penn., in 1827, a daugh
ter of Joseph and Elizabeth Wyley Corl. To
this happy union have come children as follows:
Elizabeth, who in 1872 married William Ever-
hart; they went to Chicago on their wedding
trip, and she died there. Charles H., a trusted
United States Mail Agent employed since 1885
on the main line of the Pennsylvania railroad
between New York and Pittsburg. James is a
chemist in Alabama. Mary A. lives with her
parents. John is a chemist in Alabama. The
sons are all graduates of Pennsylvania State
College. Joseph Corl, the father of Mrs. Foster, came
from Chester county, Penn., to the Buffalo Valley,
and his ancestors were originally from Germany.
Her mother, Elizabeth Wyler, came from Lan
caster county, Penn., and her ancestors from
Ireland.
PROF. CEPHAS L. GRAMLEY. It is a
pleasure to note that many of our most suc
cessful citizens are natives of this section, and
have here developed the talents which their ma
ture years have devoted to well-chosen activities.
Prof. Gramley, the able and culturedsuperintend-
ent of the schools of Centre county, is a typ-

cal example, and the story of his earnest pursuit
of a worthy ambition cannot fail to convey a
helpful lesson.
Prof. Gramley was born September 17, 1852,
at Rebersburg, Centre county, where he now
resides, and is of Pennsylvania- Dutch stock.
The earliest records of the family place their
home in southeastern Pennsylvania, but the Pro
fessor's grandfather, Philip Gramley, was prob
ably born in the central part of the State. He
located in Centre county in early manhood, and
with the exception of a comparatively brief resi
dence in Clinton county, he made his home there,
gaining by his ability and energy a prominent
place among the pioneers of his locality.
Samuel Gramley, the Professor's father was born
in Rebersburg, March 4, 1827, and is still a resi
dent of that town, where he has always enjoyed
the respect and esteem of the people. He at
tended the district schools there for a time in his
youth, and completed his course of study at
Mifflinburg Academy, afterward entering into
business as a teacher, surveyor and farmer. As
county commissioner, and justice of the peace
for many years, he demonstrated his capacity for
public affairs, while his popularity is shown by
his election to these positions in the face of an ad
verse partisan majority. In religious faith' he is
a Lutheran. His wile, who was Miss Sarah J.
Smull, and who was also a native of Rebersburg,
was born March 15, 1832. and passed from earth
May 14, 1880. The children of this marriage
now living are: Prof. Cephas L. , our subject;
Titus M. is in the creamery business at Spring
Mills; Clement H. is a farmer at the old home
stead in Miles township, Centre county; Naomi
J. is the wife of Charles Heckman, of Clinton
county, Penn. ; and Ada E. is the wife of W. T.
Hubler, and resides at the old homestead.
Our subject had the benefit of life upon a farm
during his boyhood. When his intellectual ad
vancement demanded better opportunities than
were to be obtained in the local schools, he spent
two terms at Clinton Seminary; but with the
ardor of the genuine student he determined to
secure further advantages. By teaching for a
time he provided himself with the funds where
with to carry him through two years at Susque
hanna University, at Selins Grove, Penn. After
this he again engaged in teaching, and for seven
teen years he taught in the Grammar School at
Rebersburg. Since 1875 he has been more or
less engaged in Normal School and institute
work during the summer up to the time of his
appointment to the county superintendency of
schools in 1892. This work he helped to carry
on at Milesburg in i875-'76 and '77, and there-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

157

after at Rebersburg. He has had as high as
seventy young men and women at a time whom
he was preparing to follow the profession of
teaching. He served out the unexpired term of
his predecessor, and in 1 893 was elected to the
same office, and re-elected in 1896. He is a most
efficient and able superintendent of the county's
schools. In 1878 Prof. Gramley was married to Miss
Joanna Weaver, a lady of good qualities, who
was born in August, 1852, at Wolfs Store, Centre
county. They have had two children: Gertrude,
born in 1880, died in 1895, and Almah, born in
1882, is at home. The parents are identified
with the Lutheran Church, the Professor having
been the chorister in both the Church and the
Sabbath-school since 1875. He is a charter
member of Rebersburg Lodge No. 103 1, I. O.
O. F., organized in February, 1892, and he was
the first Noble Grand, and first to fill all the
chairs. In 1893 he represented his lodge at the
General Lodge held at Reading, Penn. Prof.
Gramley is also a practical surveyor and does
work at times, as a recreation and relief, to his
father, who works in this line. In politics he is
a Republican. He has given many evidences of
deep and generous sympathy with the welfare
and progress of the community.

IE F. KREAMER, who is classed among the
l&L successful farmers of Penn township, Cen
tre county, is well worthy to be ranked among
the individuals who have distinguished themselves
as useful and enterprising citizens. He was born
in the same township, January 6, 1847, and was
but a child when brought by his parents, Jona
than and Susannah (Strohm) Kreamer, to the
farm which he now occupies, and which at one
time was owned by his great-grandfather, Daniel
Kreamer, who was the first of the family to come
to Centre county. In his family were three chil
dren: Daniel, John and Mrs. Saloma Keen.
Daniel Kreamer, Jr., the grandfather of our
subject, was a farmer by occupation, as was also
his father before him. He married a Miss Neese,
by whom he had eight children — seven sons and
one daughter — namely: Jacob who died in Kan
sas; John, who became an Evangelical minister,
•and died in the same State; William, an auction
eer and farmer, who died in Iowa; Jonathan, the
father of our subject; Elias, a resident of Union
county, Penn.; Daniel, once a minister, now liv
ing in Illinois; Henry, a painter in the same
State; and Betsey, who married William Guitilus,
and died in Mifflinburg, Penn. In 1876 the sons

were all together, at which time their combined
weight was over two thousand pounds.
Jonathan Kreamer was born in Miles town
ship, Centre county, in 1821, and was reared to
farm life. When a young man he married Su
sannah Strohm, a native of Lebanon county,
Perm., and a daughter of Jonathan Strohm, who
brought his family to Potter township, Centre
county, when Mrs. Kreamer was but a small
child. After their marriage the parents remained
upon his father's farm until 1848, when they re
moved to the place now owned and occupied by
our subject, having purchased it at the sale of
his grandfather's estate. In 1868 the father re
moved to Millheim, where he conducted what -is
now known as the " National Hotel" for a time,
and died in that village in 1883. Like the other
members of the family he was very large, being six
feet, oneinch in height, and weighing at one time 365
pounds. He was an enterprising, energetic man,
succeeding in accumulating a comfortable prop
erty; he was a Democrat in politics, and held a
number of township offices to the satisfaction of
all concerned. His religious views were those
held by the Evangelical Church, of which he was
a faithful member. His wife, who still survives
him, makes her home with her daughter, Mary,
at State College. In their family were six chil
dren: A. F. , the subject of this review; Mary,
wife of Ab Miller, of State College; Sarah A.,
wife of Pierce Musser, of Millheim; Emma, wife
of A. A. Frank, of the same place; John, express
messenger for the Adams Express Company at
Harrisburg, Penn.,, and Cora, wife of Greely
Bowman, of St. Louis.
During his boyhood, A. F. Kreamer attended
the Liberty school during the winter months, his
first teacher being Thomas Strayhorn. He re
mained upon the home farm until the removal of
the family to Millheim in 1868, where he as
sisted his father in the hotel business for four
years. On October 10, 1872, he was united in
marriage with Miss Jestie Keen, who was born
in Penn township, February 28, 1847, a daugh
ter of Jacob and Mary (Dininger) Keen, farming
people. Two children were born of this union:
Nora F. died in infancy; and N. F. , born Octo
ber 12, 1874, was married in November, 1893,
to Miss Jennie, a daughter of Jacob Breon, of
Gregg township, and they have one child — Helen,
born April 11, 1895.
Mr. and Mrs. Kreamer began housekeeping
upon the farm where they are now living, but
later removed to Haines township, where he
rented land for fifteen years. On April 1, 1892,
they returned to the old family homestead, which
he had purchased in January, 1891. It com-

158

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

prises seventy-one acres of highly improved land,
on which six generations have made their home,
the grandchild of our subject, who with its par
ents resides thereon, being of the sixth genera
tion. Mr. Kreamer has always been identified
with the Democratic party, and although no
office-seeker, has filled anumber of local positions.
Socially, he affiliates with the Grange, and relig
iously, both himself and wife are connected with
the Evangelical Church, in which he has served
as class leader. He is honest, industrious, and
thoroughly honorable in all the walks of life, and
enjoys the esteem and respect of the community
to a large extent.

QEORGE R. STOVER, the efficient agent of
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and
also of the Adams Express Company, at Coburn,
Centre county, has descended from one of the
pioneer families of the county.
As early as 1775 Jacob Stover and a son,
Adam, settled^ in what is now Haines township,
originally a part of Potter township, Centre
county. Michael Stover, the great-grandfather
of our subject, was a native of Bucks county,
Penn. , of German parents. He was a farmer by
occupation and owned a fine body of land in
Penn's Valley, on which he passed much of his
days. Late in life he went into Sugar Valley,
now a part of Clinton county, where he made his
home with his son David, who cared for him in
his declining years. His death occurred in 1855,
and his remains rest in Union Cemetery, Logan
township, Clinton county. In Penn's Valley he
married Margaret Miller, who was a native of
Lebanon county, Penn. Their children were
eight in number, namely: Adam (deceased);
Jacob (deceased); Jonathan, living a retired life
at Booneville; David, grandfather of our subject;
Elizabeth, now Mrs. William Bethlehem; Cath
erine, now Mrs. Samuel Esteiline, of Logan
township; Christina, unmarried; and Lydia,
widow of John Sellers, of Sugar Valley; the
mother of these died in September, 1873, at the
old homestead, and was buried in the Booneville
cemetery. David Stover was born December 8,
1808, in Penn's Valley, and was reared on his
father's farm. He received a fair education in
German, and when a man grown, in connection
with his brother Jacob, bought a farm of 160 acres
in Sugar Valley known as the Bickle place, lo
cated in Logan township. This farm the two
brothers operated jointly for twenty-five years,
during all of which time not a cross word passed
between them. They improved the place great
ly, erecting a neat dwelling house, a barn, etc.

In 1872 David retired, and for fifteen years there
after so lived, of which period four years were
passed in the village of Booneville in a comfort
able house which he had purchased for himself
and wife. He died March 31, 1887, and was
.buried in the Booneville cemetery. He was a,
pious man, a good Christian, being a member of
the Evangelical Association for some twelve
years. He was a class leader; he also served as
teacher and superintendent of the Sunday-school.';
In politics he was a Democrat, and he held the
office of overseer of the poor of his township.
He was a man well and extensively known, was
held in high esteem, and was greatly respected
for his exemplary Christian life. His wife, Eliza
beth (Hahn), whom he married in 1844, was born
in Logan (now Green) township. May 3, 1822,
and the children born to this union were: John
M.; and Mary E. , the wife of J. L. Boone, a
merchant of Loganton, Penn. The mother of.
these was the daughter of John and Sarah
(Schrack) Hahn, the former of German and the
latter of Scotch-Irish descent. She is still living,
making her home with her son.
John M. Stover is a native of Sugar Valley,
born on the Stover homestead, in Logan town
ship, Clinton county, April 17, 1845. He was
raised on that farm, and has been occupied.
through life as a farmer and stock raiser. He
received his education in the public schools of
his neighborhood, and at the Normal School in
Rebersburg. When a young man he taught
school for nine months in Rebersburg} in Clinton
and Centre counties, and during the summer
worked on the home farm. In 1872, on the re
tirement of his father from active work, he took
charge of the farm on which he soon made many
improvements. He was industrious, ener
getic and ambitious, and has met with that suc
cess his efforts have merited. He has been a
careful manager, and has advantageously handled
his stock, and farmed systematically. In poli
tics he is a Democrat; he is a member of the
Lutheran Church, and is a teacher in the Sab
bath-school; socially he is identified with Sugar
Valley Lodge No. 429, I. O. O. F., at Loganton.
On October 16, 1865, at Lock Haven, Mr.
Stover was married to Louisa Kleckner, who was
born in Sugar Valley, March 6, 1 844, a daughter
of Robert and Catherine (Brumgart) Kleckner,
and a granddaughter of Anthony Kleckner, now
deceased, who was the first settler of Sugar Val
ley. The children born to the marriage of John
M. Stover and his wife are: Calvin C. died at
the age of seven years; George R. is the subject
of this sketch; Lizzie S. is the wife of Clement
M. Mark, agent at Pine Station on the Pennsyl-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

159

vania railroad, and has two children — John C.
and Mary L. ; Lula K., Edna E. and Mary Es-
tella, all are unmarried and at home.
George R. Stover, the subject proper of this
sketch, was born June 2, 1868, near Loganton,
Clinton Co., Penn., the second child and son of
John M. and Louisa (Kleckner) Stover. Up to
the age of fifteen years he was on his father's
farm, occupied as a general farmer's lad is. He
attended the schools of the neighborhood, and
on November 30, 1885, he went to Coburn to
become a student of the duties in the office of
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company under W.
H. Kreamer, the agent of the company at that
point. In this capacity he remained for about
one year, then became a clerk and filled such po
sition two years. Next he worked on the P. & E.
division of the same road as an extra man be
tween Harrisburg and Renovo. He worked as
an extra man in the service till November, 1890,
when he came to take charge of the office he
first entered as a student five years previously, and
where he has ever since been located. The sta
tion at Coburn is one of the most important,
from a business standpoint, of any on the divi
sion, and in the handling of the great volume of
business with dispatch, together with the manner
in which the general* affairs of the office have
been conducted under the supervision of Mr.
Stover, have reflected credit to his capacity and
business tact. He is an affable and accommo
dating official.
On November 13, 1889, our subject was mar
ried at Elmira, N. Y. , to Miss Lillie M. Charles,
of Mifflinburg, Penn., daughter of S. F. Charles
(deceased). They have one child, George R. ,
Jr., born June 13, 1891. Mrs. Stover is identi
fied with the Lutheran Church.

GEORGE M. BOAL is a representative of one
of the oldest families of Penn's Valley, and
his own honorable record has added new lustre
to a name that has ever been synonymous with
goad citizenship.
James Boal, grandfather of our subject, was
born in Ireland, March 17, 1764, and in that
country married Elizabeth Welch, who was born
February 17, 1766. They were married in 1787,
and two children were born to them on the
Emerald Isle, the elder being Margaret, who was
born May 16, 1788, and died near Bellefonte,
Penn., in April, 1841, unmarried. The second
child, George Welch Boal, the father of our sub
ject, was born in County Londonderry, February
9, 1790. In the spring of that year, James Boal
brought his family to America, and as he was in

limited circumstances the trip was made by the
cheapest passage. The voyage of three months
was a stormy one, during which the ship sprang
a leak, and much of the cargo, including some of
the goods belonging to the Boal family, was thrown
overboard. The grandfather first made a loca
tion in eastern Pennsylvania, and in the latter
part of the eighteenth century established a home
in Penn's Valley. He was one of its pioneers and
developed a farm from the wild land. He was
a linen and carpet weaver by trade, and having
brought his loom with him to the United States
did considerable work in that line of industry as
well as at farming. He and his wife were devout
members of the Presbyterian Church. His death
occurred June 22, 1836, and he was laid to rest
in Centre Hill cemetery near his wife, who had
died December 16, 1832.
The children born to this worthy couple in
America were as follows: (1) Martha, born July
21, 1792, married Abraham Pastorius, and died
in Venango county, Penn., April 4, 1853. (2)
Jane, born April 16, 1795, died unmarried, near
Bellefonte, August 15, 1861. (3) William, born
June 22, 1801, removed to Iowa, and died August
10, 1880. (4) Elizabeth, born July 21, 1803,
died in Penn's Valley, February 3, 1832. (5)
James, born September 8, 1805, died near Belle
fonte, March 7, 1840. (6) Mary, born Novem
ber 12, 1807, married John Swords, and died
near Bellefonte, July 26, 1841. (7) John C,
born June 22, 181 1, wentsouth in 1836, and aft
er about a year all trace of him was lost.
George Welch Boal was but a child when his
parents came to Penn's Valley. He was reared
as a pioneer farmer boy, and was married Octo
ber 29, 1822, near Milton, Penn., to Miss Sarah
Cummins Shannon, who was born in Lancaster
county, Penn., June 20, 1796, a daughter of John
and Martha (Caldwell) Shannon, who were of
Scotch-Irish extraction, and were natives of Ire
land. The father was a farmer and an excellent
citizen, living near Milton, where he located at
an early day. His children were: John C. ,
Ellen, Sarah C, Samuel, Martha J., Daniel,
Anna Maria, James and Elizabeth M. At the
time of his marriage George W. Boal located in
George's Valley, Centre county, where he owned
a small farm. In 1835 he removed to what is
now Harris township, where he became the
owner of a most excellent farm. He was a
highly industrious man, and after following the
plow all day would burn log heaps at night. By
his unflagging energy he at length accumulated a
handsome competence. He was a powerful man,
compactly built, and well fitted for his pioneer
experiences. During the later years of his life

160

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

he lived retired. In early life he was a Whig,
and supported that party when only two Whig
ballots were cast in the township; later he was a
stanch Abolitionist, and in 1856 voted the Re
publican ticket. He died September 15, 1858,
his wife on October 24, 1864, and they were
buried in Centre Hill cemetery. They, too, were
consistent members of the Presbyterian Church,
and the Boal family has for a century been one
of the most highly respected in Potter township.
The children of George W. and Sarah Boal
are as follows: Martha C., born April 6, 1824,
is the widow of Dr. Henry Orlady, and the
mother of Judge Orlady; James C. , born Decem
ber 27, 1826, was a well-known citizen of Potter
township, and died March 27, 1895; his widow
resides in Centre Hall. John S., born January
18, 1829, married Elizabeth R. Cunningham,
and lives in Centre Hall. George A. , born Jan
uary 16, 1 83 1, died in George's Valley December
28, 1834. Samuel R. , born November 7, 1832,
died October 29, 1841. William A., born Sep
tember 13, 1835, resides in Potter township.
George M. is the next of the family. Elizabeth
E., born June 21, 1842, died August 13, 1844.
George M. Boal, whose name begins this
record, was born in Harris township, Centre
county, March 17, 1839, and when he had at
tained a sufficient age began his education in the
Rock Hill school, under the direction of Chris
tina Wieland. He mastered the rudimentary
branches in the district schools, was a student in
Boalsburg Academy when Rev. Austin was its
principal, and attended Kishacoquillas Seminary
for one term. When not in the school room he
assisted his father in the cultivation of the home
farm, with the exception of two years when he
served as salesman in the general store of Ard &
Dunlap, at Pine Grove Mills, Centre county. On
August 16, 1862, he enlisted as a private in
Company D, 148th Infantry, and his first active
service was at Chancellorsville. After that bat
tle he served on detached duty as clerk at the
headquarters of the First Division, Second Army
Corps, under Gen. Hancock. Later he was in
the general recruiting service at Harrisburg. On
March 10, 1865, he was commissioned first lieu
tenant and quartermaster of the 83d P. V. I.,
joined that command at City Point, and was
with the regiment in the field until the close of
the war, when in June, 1865, he was honorably
discharged. While home on a furlough in February, 1863,
Mr. Boal had married Miss Ellen Love, and on
the close of the war hastened to his wife. She
is a native of Potter township, born February 29,
1840, a daughter of Judge W. W. and Agnes

(Williams) Love. On his return to civil life, Mr.
Boal located on the old homestead of his father
in Harris township, the property being owned by
himself and brother Shannon. In the spring of
1867, he sold to his brother Shannon, and pur
chased the John Durst farm in Potter township,
where he has since carried on agricultural pur
suits. He owns more than 200 acres of valuable
land, and has one of the best improved farms in
the township, its well-tilled fields and neat ap
pearance indicating his careful supervision. He
and his wife have five children: Martha J., wife
of D. A. Boozer, of Centre Hall; Mary A., wife
of Charles Meyer, of Centre Hall; Margaret L. ,
wife of Charles Slack, of Potter township, and
Blanche and Mabel, at home. This family
occupy a leading position in social circles, and
have the warm regard of many friends.
Mr. Boal is a stanch Republican, and as he
cares naught for office it is easily seen that his
earnest support comes from a firm belief in the
principles of the party as productive of the great
est good to the greatest number. He has a broad
understanding of the questions which divide
parties, and is also well informed on all general
topics. He is a member of the Grange, and a
charter member of Samuel Shannon Post, No.
282, G. A. R., at Centre Hall. He and his wife
hold membership in the Presbyterian Church. A
substantial farmer, he has won success by his
own efforts, and he is a man of kind and gener
ous impulses, widely and favorably known, and is
best liked where best known.

T^HOMAS H. HARTER. A definite purpose
in life, pursued with resolute, vigorous
will, is the distinguishing mark of a successful
career, and no one who reads the following biog
raphy can fail to join the many friends 'of the
able and energetic editor of the Keystone Gazette,
of Bellefonte, in their confidence in his future.
Mr. Harter's early perception of the path best
suited to his talents was the first step, and a
most important one, in the pathway to prosper
ity and honor, and his aleit, forceful and judi
cious use of all the resources at hand has already
placed him in a position to command success.
A ready writer, an efficient manager, and a
thoughtful student of every phase of human life
and effort, he is well equipped for his chosen
work, and we may add also that his characteris
tic honesty — fearless, outspoken, clear-sighted
honesty — has had much to do with his building
up and maintaining his influence.
Mr. Harter belongs to a representative "Penn
sylvania-Dutch " family, and his history is an in-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD,

161

teresting one. He was born May 28, 1854, at
Aaronsburg, Centre county, upon a farm which
formerly belonged to his grandfather, Andrew
Harter, a pioneer of what is now Haines town
ship, Centre county, who came from Lancaster
county, Penn., about the year 1800, and located
at the lower end of Penn's Valley in the primeval
forest, clearing and improving his property after
the custom of that early day. For some twelve
years a blanket took the place of a door in his
humble home, and oiled paper served as glass
for the windows. Wild beasts from the sur
rounding woods were frequent visitors, and one
night his large bull-dog was thrown over the
fence by one. Andrew Harter and his wife, Sallie
(Rupp), had seven children: George (who died
in Penn township, Centre county), Andrew,
Jacob, William, John, Mrs. Henry Swartz and
Mrs. George Noyer.
William Harter, our subject's father, was
born at the old homestead near Aaronsburg in
18 12, and passed his life there in agricultural
pursuits, his death occurring in 1885. He was a
Democrat, in politics, and in religious faith was a
Lutheran. He married Miss Rebecca Hess, who
was born in Penn's Valley, Haines township,
Centre county, in 18 15, and is still living in
Aaronsburg. Our subject was one of twelve chil
dren: (1) Israel, a resident of Canal Fulton,
Ohio; (2) Anna (Mrs. Fred Kurtz), of Centre
Hall, Penn. ; (3) Jonathan, a retired farmer in
Millheim; (4) Sarah (Mrs. Mench), who resides
at the old homestead; (5) John, a resident of Os
ceola, Crawford Co., Ohio; (6) William, a
butcher at Hartertown, Union Co. , Penn. ; (7)
Daniel, a tanner at Smithville, Ohio; (8) Re
becca (Mrs. Levi Murray), of Centre Hall; (9)
Andrew, a tanner at Rockford, 111. ; (10) Aaron,
the chief engineer of the Harrisburg electric light
works; (11) Thomas H., our subject; and (12)
Kate (Mrs. Samuel Campbell), of Millheim. The
eldest of these is upward of sixty years of age,
and the youngest thirty-six, all living, only one
death having occurred in the family in sixty
years. Thomas Harter's education was not obtained
without difficulty, as his parents objected to much
learning for fear that it ' ' might make him a ras
cal." Perhaps we may find here the basis of
that sensitive conscience, inherited and developed,
which makes him so careful to avoid the least
misrepresentation as to known facts. Conscious
of his own rectitude, and not sharing his parents'
fear of perversion, the lad kept up his search for
knowledge, obtaining his books by employing
his spare moments on the farm in the service of
others. He attended school until i87i,whenhe
11

went to Smithville, Ohio, to learn the tanner's
trade with his brother Dan, and while there he
pursued his studies at the Smithville Normal
School. On his return in 1872, he learned the
printer's art with his brother-in-law, Hon. Fred
Kurtz, of the Centre Hall Reporter, and then at
tended Penn Hall Academy for a year. In 1876
he purchased the Nevada, Ohio, Enterprise, a
weekly paper of limited circulation, which he soon
established on a paying basis. But he longed to
plant his feet on his "native heath," and in 1882
he sold the Enterprise and bought the Post, of
Middleburg, Snyder county. This also was in
an unsatisfactory condition, but his industry and
zeal again worked wonders, and the paper soon
came to be recognized as one of the most sprightly
and interesting of its class. The advertising in
creased, and the Post was enjoying well-earned
prosperity, when, desiring a wider field, Mr. Har
ter disposed of it and, in March, 1894, purchased
the Keystone Gazette, at a bargain. His success
there was a certainty from the first, and the in
creased popularity of the paper is no surprise to
those who knew the efficiency of its new proprie
tor and editor.
Mr. Harter is the author of the famous "Boon-
astiel " letters, in the Pennsylvania-Dutch dialect,
which were begun in the Middleburg Post, and
later published in book form in answer to a de
mand from the public for their preservation in
accessible form. As a critic has said, it is a vol
ume of legend, story and song, full of fun and
philosophy, and every chapter points a moral or
adorns a tale. One thousand copies have been
issued, and a second edition will soon be pre
pared which will, no doubt, be illustrated.
In 1876 Mr. Harter married Miss Mary Izora
Musser, daughter of James Musser, a well-known
citizen of Harterton, Union county. In his po
litical affiliations our subject is a Republican, but
although firm in that faith he has never taken
part in partisan work as a candidate for office,
wishing to deal with the principles rather than
the machinery of the organization. Socially, he
is a member of the F. & A. M. His chief recrea
tion is hunting and fishing, for which he has in
herited a liking, and his cheery nature is always
ready to take advantage of the pleasures which
lie within his reach.

JfL LEXANDER McCOY is one of the most
J&L enterprising and progressive citizens of
Centre county. He has a wide circle of friends,
and by his genial manner and kindly disposition
is constantly adding to that number. He is
descended from honored ancestry of Scotch-Irish

162

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

blood, those races being largely represented in
the settling of Penn's Valley, which thus became
the home of a prosperous, reliable and substan
tial people.
Mr. McCoy belongs to the third generation of
the family in America, his grandfather, Alexander
McCoy, being the first to come to the United
States. He located in Mifflin county, where he
married Miss Elizabeth McDowell. After re
moving to Centre county, he became the well-
known host of the "Old Fort Hotel," and sub
sequently he purchased of the Potter family the
farm upon which our subject now resides. He
located thereon in 1847, and continued his res
idence there until his death, which occurred in
1870, when he was aged seventy- eight years; his
wife died several years previously, and both were
buried in Centre Hill cemetery. They were
members of the Presbyterian Church, and in pol
itics the grandfather was an Old-line Whig. He
was a large, portly man, very robust, and was
never ill until seized with the sickness that ter
minated his life. His children were John, father
of our subject; Mary A., who became the wife of
Dr. A. S. Harshberger, and died in Mifflin
county; John F. , who died on the home farm;
Margaret, who died in Lock Haven, Penn. ; and
Hannah, widow of H. H. Van Dyke, of Lock
Haven. John McCoy, father of our subject, was born
in Mifflin county, in 181 7, and was reared in the
usual manner of farmer lads of that period. His
school privileges were limited, but he eagerly
perused much of the literature that came in his
way, and in his later years was an almost con
stant reader, so that he became a well-informed
man. From 1847 until his death he lived on the
old family homestead. He married Agnes Mc-
Cormick, who was born in Penn's Valley, in
1827, and was a daughter of John and Hannah
(Shannon) McCormick. Her death occurred at
the age of seventy-four years, and Mr. McCoy
died November 26, 1895, the result of an injury
done to his hand in a corn husker; their remains
were interred in Centre Hill cemetery. He sup
ported the Whig party until its dissolution, when
he became a stanch Republican, firm in support
of its principles. His children are Jane A. , wife
of Robert Sartain, of Mercersburg, Penn. ; Bettie,
wife of J. W. Wolf, of Centre Hall; Emma;
Alexander; and John, of Harrisburg, Pennsyl
vania. Alexander McCoy, whose name introduces
this review, was born at "Old Fort," in Potter
township, August 3, 1845, and during his early
boyhood accompanied his parents to Potters
Mills, where he acquired his education. When a

boy he attended a select school, of which Prof.
Love was principal, and also pursued his studies
in the public schools. Realizing the value of
mental training, he is a warm friend of the cause
of education, and does all in his power to advance
the interests of the schools of his locality. His
boyhood days were spent under the parental roof,
and when a young mart he began dealing in live
stock. Soon he became an excellent judge of
stock, and his business transactions were there
fore crowned with success. He purchased stock
which he shipped to Philadelphia and to Dela
ware county, Penn., and throughout his life he
has followed that pursuit in connection with farm
ing. After his marriage he took up his residence
in one of the two houses on the home farm, and
at various times was his father's partner in busi
ness. He rented land of his father, and August
15, 1896, purchased a portion of the old home
stead. He now owns a valuable tract of 150
acres of arable land, together with some mount- '
ain land and a small tract near Potters Mills.
He readily sees the advantage to be derived from
improved machinery, and is one of the truly pro
gressive farmers of the township, utilizing the
most advanced methods and improved imple
ments in his farm work. In October, 1895, he
suffered a very painful accident, losing the third
and fourth fingers of his left hand while operat
ing a corn husker and fodder cutter.
At the age of twenty-five, in Boalsburg, Mr.
McCoy wedded Mary E., daughter of Samuel
and Catherine (Jack) Wilson, and a native of
Boalsburg. Their children are Agnes, wife of
A. D. Potts, a Lutheran minister of Youngstown,
Ohio; Samuel W. , who married Merab Randol,
of Williamsport, Penn., and John F. and Katy
(twins); the last named died at the age of five
years, and John F. is now a merchant at his
home, Potters Mills.
Mr. McCoy is unwavering in his allegiance to
the Republican party, which he has supported
since casting his first Presidential vote for Lincoln
in 1864. He warmly advocated the Republican
doctrine, and does all in his power to insure the
success of his party. He served most effectively
as chairman of the Republican committee of
Potter township, and is the advisor and counselor
of his party in this section, but has never sought
office for himself. His wife belongs to the Pres
byterian Church, to the support of which he con
tributes. He is a man of scholarly tastes, one
who has read extensively, and is widely informed
on matters of general interest. His business has
brought him into contact with many, and the
circle of his friends is almost as extensive as the
circle of his acquaintances. He is most hospit-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

163

able, is pleasant and genial in manner, and
wherever he goes his genuine worth wins him the
respect of all classes.

H. HARSHBERGER, of Bellefonte, is a
JEL prominent member of the Centre County
Bar, and in his chosen profession, and previously
in his work as an educator, he has manifested
abilities of, a high order. He was born June io,
1849, in Walker township, Centre county, and
is a descendant of a German family long resident
in Pennsylvania. Various members settled in
Lebanon county at an early day, Christian, Bar
bara and Ann locating there in 1737, Caspar and
Jacob in 1749, Johannes in 1754, Henrich in
1768, and David in 1770.
Christian Harshberger, our subject's great
grandfather, passed his remaining years in Leb
anon county, but he took up new lands in Bern
township, Berks county (then Lancaster county),
in 1745, 1753 and 1755. His son, Abraham
(who died in 1818), the grandfather of our sub
ject, became one of the pioneer farmers of Penn's
Valley, Centre county, and helped to drive the
Indians from that locality. His children were:
(1) John, a farmer in Penn's Valley, who died
there at the age of eighty years; (2) Joseph, who
died in Ohio at an advanced age; (3) David, our
subject's father; (4) Abraham (deceased), a well-
known physician at Milroy, Penn., who served
as a surgeon during the Civil war; (5) Henry
(deceased), a successful physician in Juniata
county, Penn. ; (6) Catherine, who never mar
ried, and is now eighty-nine years old.
David Harshberger was born in Penn's Val
ley in 1804, and was there married to Miss Nancy
Rhone, also a native of the Valley, born in
18 10. They passed their wedded life upon
farms in Snow Shoe and Walker townships,
Centre Co., Penn., and were active members of
the Lutheran Church, and leaders in many pro
gressive movements, the father being prominent
in the early days as an Abolitionist and later as
an ardent Republican. He died in 1 88 1 , and
the mother in 1878. Of the twelve children of
this esteemed couple all but three are living:
John is a farmer and peppermint distiller in
Michigan; Jacob was a soldier in the Civil war, a
member of Battery M, 3rd N. Y. Light Artillery,
and was killed at the taking of Richmond; David,
a member of Company I, 3rd Mo. Cav., lost his
life in the service, and was buried near Browns
ville, Ark. ; Abraham is a practicing physician in
Philadelphia; Elizabeth married John Baney, of
Zion, Centre county; Fannie died at the age of
eighteen years; Mary A. married James J. Lower,

and resides in Grand Junction, Colo. ; Zachariah
resides in Milesburg, Centre county; H. H. is
mentioned more fully below; Nancy. J. married
John S. Yerick; Samuel is a physician at Port
Matilda, Centre county, and Jeremiah died in
childhood. Mr. Harshberger's early years were spent on
his father's farm in his native county, but his liter
ary education was completed at Dickinson Sem
inary, in Williamsport, Penn. He then became
a teacher, and after three years as superintend
ent of the Orphans' School at Chester Springs,
Penn,, he prepared for the legal profession, tak
ing a course in the law school at Albany, N. Y. ,
graduating in 1872, and subsequently spent a
year in the office of the late Judge A. Hoy, and
traveled extensively in quest of lost health. As
he resumed the work of teaching temporarily, it
was not until 1882 that he established himself in
practice at Bellefonte, entering into partnership
with the Hon. Seth H. Yocum, since deceased.
Since that time he has been devoted to his pro
fessional work, and has met with well-deserved
success. Besides his professional duties, he
finds pleasure in agriculture, and superintends
the work on several large farms besides his own,
and is eminently successful.
On November 9, 1882, Mr. Harshberger
married Miss Julia C. Barnhart, a native of Cen
tre county, born May 12, 1852. She died Jan
uary 29, 1894, leaving four children: Ralph C. ,
James B., Mary R. and David R.
As an intelligent observer of current events,
Mr. Harshberger is naturally interested in polit
ical questions, his allegiance being given to the
Republican party. In religious faith he is a
Methodist, an official member of his Church, and
superintendent of the Sunday-school for the last
ten years. • As an educator he was in advance of
his fellows, for as early as 1878 he, in a lecture
delivered before the Centre County Teachers In
stitute, advocated a compulsory and free text
book law, and asked that body to memorialize
the Legislature to enact such a law, which reso
lution was defeated, and his hopes were not real
ized until he had gone out of the profession,
when, in 1895, the Legislature enacted just such
a law as was mapped out in his lecture.

LOT R. HENSYL, M. D., an eminent physi-
_¦ cian and surgeon of Howard, Centre county,
was born on the 6th of January, 1840, near
Trevorton, Northumberland Co. , Penn., of which
county his parents, John D. and Susan (Rother-
mel) Hensyl, were also natives. The father was
an extensive lumber merchant and farmer, and

164

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

a prominent and influential man in his commu
nity, in which he served with destinction in sev
eral local offices. He was a Republican in poli
tics, and a consistent member of the Evangeli
cal Church. He died November 26, 1895, at the
ripe old age of eighty-two, and his wife passed
away December 30, 1894, at the age of eighty.
She was own cousin to Peter Frederick Rother-
mel, the celebrated artist, who painted the
"Battle of Gettysburg" for the State of Penn
sylvania, for which he was paid $35,000.
Dr. Hensyl is the second in order of birth in
their family of ten children, as follows: Cathe
rine, wife of Levi Conrad, a miner of Trevor-
ton, Penn. ; Nathan, a railroad engineer residing
in Shamokin, Penn. ; Lot R. ; Daniel, who died
at the age of thirty-eight years; Mary, who died
in infancy; Silas, also an engineer, living in
Shamokin; Rev. John, pastor of the Evangeli
cal Church of Mahanoy City, Penn. ; Louisa,
wife of William Vanzandt, a railroad engineer
of Shamokin; Sallie, wife of Peter Neidig, a
merchant of the same place; and W. L., a prac
ticing physician of Shamokin.
George and Eva (Dunkelburger) Hensyl, the
paternal grandparents of our subject, spent their
entire lives upon a farm in Northumberland
county, Penn., but the great-grandfather was a
native of Germany, whence he came to America
when he was twelve years of age. Abraham
and Mary (Hunter) Rothermel, the maternal
¦ grandparents, made their home in Reading, this
State. Our subject remained under the parental
roof until seventeen years of age, when he went
to Philadelphia, and began clerking in the coal
office of his uncle, Samuel H. Rothermel, where
he remained for several months. Returning
home, he worked for his father during the sum
mer in a sawmill, while through the winter sea
son he attended school until twenty years of age.
thus acquiring a good literary education. He
then began reading medicine with Dr. S. S.
Smith, but on the outbreak of the Civil war laid
aside his books and enlisted in Company D, 52nd
P. V. I., under Capt. James Chamberlain. For
over three years he valiantly fought for the preser
vation of the Union; he helped to storm all the
forts in South Carolina; at Morris Island he was
detailed as shipping clerk, and by special order
was sent to Jacksonville, Fla. , where he served
in that capacity for three months. By order of
Gen. Foster, he then returned to Morris Island,
and was in the Ordnance Department until dis
charged in 1864. He was a brave and valiant
soldier, always found at his post of duty. Re
turning home, our subject again resumed the

study of medicine with Dr. C. P. Herington, of
Ashland, Schuylkill Co., Penn., with whom he
remained for two and one-half years, and in 1866
and 1867 attended lectures at the Jefferson Medi
cal College. On receiving his diploma Dr. Hen
syl located at Howard, where he soon built up a
large and flourishing practice, which his skill and
ability justly merits.
Dr. L. R. Hensyl married Miss Sarah E.
Heim, who was born in Lebanon, Penn., Octo
ber 15, 1849, a daughter of Rev. William and
Lydia (Hepler) Heim, the former a native of
Northumberland county, and the latter of Schuyl
kill county, Penn. Rev. Heim was born in
Upper Mahanoy township, a son of John and
Sophia (Kohl) Heim, and his paternal grand
father was one of the pioneers of that locality.
He bore the name of George Heim, and in the
early records of Northumberland county, we find
him paying taxes in 1778. He often 'traded with
the Indians, and was never molested by the Red-
men but once, which was a short time before the
French and Indian war and the Wyoming mas
sacre. He had sent his family and drove of cat
tle to Reading, and while all alone the Indians
knocked at his door and were admitted. After
giving them milk and such food as the early set
tlers, had at that time, a young Indian began
flourishing a tomahawk around him, showing
what he intended to do, but Mr. Heim arose and
with his closed fist knocked him out of the house.
After thus disposing of the leader, the rest be
came his friends, telling him that he had done
right. John Heim, the grandfather of Mrs. Hensyl,
and a farmer and school teacher by occupation,
died in 1824. He was twice married, by the
first union having one son and seven daughters,
while by the second there were six sons and two
daughters. Sophia (Kohl), his second wife, lived
to the advanced age of eighty-eight years. Her
children were as follows: John, of Richfield,
Juniata Co., Penn.; George, of Upper Mahanoy
township, Northumberland county; Diana, wife
of John Straub, of Lykenstown, Penn.; Mollie,
wife of Peter Beisel, of Upper Mahanoy; Peter,
of Watsontown, Northumberland county; Will
iam, the father of Mrs. Hensyl; Daniel, of Nor
thumberland county; and Jonathan, a resident of
Illinois. Rev. William Heim remained upon the home
farm until twenty years of age when he entered
the ministry of the Evangelical Association, and
ever afterward devoted his time to the preaching
of the Gospel. His death occurred at Millers-
burg, Dauphin county. He was the father of five
children: Frederick, Catherine, Charles and

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

165

Sophia, all of whom died in infancy; and Sarah
E. , wife of our subject. Her maternal grand
parents were John and Catherine (Maurer) Hep-
ler, natives of Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania.
Five children grace the union of Dr. Hensyl
and his excellent wife, namely: (i) Blanche
E., who acquired her education in the Union
Seminary of New Berlin, Penn., is now the wife
of William Weber, a merchant of Howard. (2)
L. Louise is a most accomplished young lady,
and an artist of considerable merit, several of her
elegant paintings adorning the walls of their home ;
for a time she attended the Central Pennsylvania
College, and was also a student in Miss Wilson's
Female Seminary, at Williamsport, and of Biick-
nell Institute, Lewisburg, Penn. (3) Annie I.,
also at home, is a fine musician. (4) William
C. and (5) George S. are still under the parental
roof. Fraternally, Dr. Hensyl holds member
ship in the I. O. O. F., and the G. A. R. and
Veteran Legion, belonging to the local orders at
Howard. His political support is ever given the
Republican party. A talented, cultured gentle
man, he holds an honorable position among his
professional brethren, and in social circles also
stands high.

JAMES A. LUKENS, a retired contractor' and
builder, of Philipsburg, is well worthy of rep
resentation jn any history of Centre county,
for his life record has long been interwoven with
its history and he has done much for the ad
vancement and general progress of the commun
ity in which he resides.
Mr. Lukens was born in Mifflin county, Penn. ,
October 31, 1829, and comes of a family that
has long been prominently connected with the
interests of the State. His great-great-grand
father, Gabriel Lukens, came to America from
Germany, one of two brothers' sons, Charles and
John, both surveyors appointed by the governor
under King George. The former did much of
the early surveying in Centre county; John was
killed by the Indians near Standing Stone, Hunt
ingdon Co., Pennsylvania.
David Lukens, the father of our subject, was
a native of Pennsylvania, a son of Abraham and
 (Brown) Lukens, of Juniata county, Penn.,
where the father engaged in farming and lum
bering. He was twice married, his second wife
being, in her maidenhood, Maggie Sanderson.
David Lukens wedded Elizabeth Sunderland, a
daughter of David and  (Hamilton) Sunder
land, of Mifflin county, Penn., who were of
Scotch descent. Four children graced their
union: James A., of this sketch; William B.,

who died in Mifflin county, in 1889; Sarah A.,
wife of E. B. Jones, a railroad official living in
Selins Grove, Snyder Co., Penn., and David, a
wealthy miller of Atchison, Kans. The parents
both died upon the old home farm in Wayne
township, Mifflin county, the father on January
28, 1834, aged thirty-two years, and the mother
on January 8, 1834, aged twenty-six. They were
consistent members of the Presbyterian Church,
and were widely and favorably known.
Left an orphan at an early age, James A.
Lukens made his home with his paternal grand-
' father until ten years old, when he began work
ing upon the farm of William A. Moore, with
whom he remained for two years, and has since
been dependent upon his own resources. For
the following seven years he was with William
Ward, working upon his farm until Mr. Ward's
death, and then served an apprenticeship to the
carpenter's trade. His literary education had of
necessity been very limited, but in the winter of
1847-48 he attended school, so that he might
better be prepared for active business life. In
1850 he fulfilled his first contract, preparing the
timber for the first six bridges erected between
Tyrone and Spruce creek on the Pennslyvania
railroad. On November 20, of the same year, Mr.
Lukens came to Philipsburg, and for the first
two years worked in a fanning-mill factory, and
also engaged in peddling for same in summers to
some extent. For some time he was employed
in the lumber woods during the winter season,
while through the summer months he worked at
his trade of carpentering. In 1864 he began
contracting and building on his own account, and
he successfully followed the same until 1894,
when he turned over the business to his son, and
has since lived retired. He erected most of the
fine residences in Philipsburg, on an average com
pleting sixteen buildings a year, and his business
amounting to from $ 10,000 to $12,000. He was
numbered among the most reliable and enterpris
ing business men of the city, promptly and faith
fully fulfilling his part of every contract. He is
now, however, enjoying a well-earned rest, and
can look back over a long and well-spent life.
On November 6, 185 1, Mr. Lukens was mar
ried to Miss Nancy Maguigan, and they became
the parents of eight children: Cynthia E. , wife
of A. C. Shaff, a lumberman and farmer of Ma
dera, Clearfield Co., Penn.; William A., fore
man of a planing-mill in Allegheny, Penn. ; Clara
B., a teacher in the public schools, who is resid
ing at home; Blanche A., who died at the age of
twenty-three years; Jesse W. , a carpenter and
builder of Philipsburg, who married Agnes Cou-

166

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

perwait; Bertha, wife of W. C. Smith, steel in
spector and shipper for the Johnstown Iron Co. ,
of Johnstown, Penn. ; Emma, wife of G. C. Ro
land, a teacher and carpenter of Wall Station,
Penn. ; and Lucy Olga, who died in infancy.
Mrs. Lukens was also a native of Mifflin
county, born in 1830, and is a daughter of John
and Nancy (Cross) Maguigan. Her father was
born in Ireland, whence when four years of age he
was brought to America, and was reared in Lan
caster, county, Penn., where his wife was born.
Throughout life he followed farming. His death
occurred in Mifflin county, after which his wife
with her family removed to La Salle county, 111.,
in 185 1, where she spent her remaining days.
Their children were as follows: John, a veteran
of the Mexican war, now residing in Oregon;
Jonathan, who died at New Orleans while return
ing from the same war; Martha, deceased wife of
John T. Errinfelt, a farmer of Armstrong county,
Penn.; Nancy, wife of our subject; Mary A., de
ceased wife of Isaac Signor, who died in Cali
fornia; and Sarah, wife of Jesse Vanamie, a
farmer of Wisconsin, who died in December,
1897. A man of firm convictions, Mr. Lukens is
fearless in the defense of what he believes to be
right. None question his integrity or honorable
business, and, his record as a business man and
as a private citizen alike commands respect and
admiration.
JOHN THOMAS FOWLER needs no special
introduction to the readers of this volume.
He is a worthy representative of the lumber in
terests of this section of Pennsylvania, and be
longs to that class of enterprising citizens who
are the glory of the American Republic, for their
well-spent lives, their energetic efforts and re
liable business methods bring to them the pros
perity which should ever reward honest toil. He
is now residing at Hannah Furnace, and is ex
tensively engaged in the lumber business, owning
about 2,500 acres of timber land in Centre and
Blair counties. He was born in Hartford
county, Md., October 8, 1839, but much of his
life has been passed in Pennsylvania.
David P. Fowler, father of our subject, was
a native of Pike county, Penn., where his par
ents were also born, the .father of German, and
the mother of Swedish, origin. By trade he was
a blacksmith, and while shoeing a mule was se
verely kicked, from the effects of which he died
in August, 1849, in Maryland, about five miles
from Baltimore. In 1833, m Northampton
county, Penn., he had married Mrs. Elizabeth
Kirkendall (formerly Miss Elizabeth Stockham),

the ceremony being performed by Joseph Ink,
justice of the peace. To them were born seven
children, namely: (1) Harriet M. married Joseph
Williams, in Philadelphia, and after his death
wedded George Jones, but is again a widow; she
is now residing in Philadelphia, the mother of
seven children. (2) Emily M. is the wife of
Adam Grissom, a politician, of Philadelphia,
Penn. (3) John T. , of this review, is next in
order of birth. (4) Charles D. and his twin
brother, who died in infancy, are the next of the
family; the former became a member of the
2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry during the Civil
war, and died of brain fever. (6) William T. is
a machinist and sawyer, of Centre county, who
also served his country during the whole war, in
the 2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry. (7) Mary Anna
died unmarried.
The mother of our subject was born in Penn's
Manor, Bucks Co., Penn., October 5, 1803, and
died at the age of eighty-six years. She was a
daughter of John and Alice (Smith) Stockham.
John Stockham, our subject's grandfather, was
born in Bucks county, Penn., and our subject's
great-grandfather, also named John Stockham,
came from Bristol, England, and his two brothers,
George and Thomas, came to America soon after
and joined him. They all settled in Bucks county,
Penn. Our subject's grandfather (John Stock
ham) and his granduncle married sisters — John
wedding Alice Smith and Thomas- wedding Eliza
beth Smith. Thus it will be seen that our sub
ject's great-grandfather and great-granduncles
were named John, Thomas and George, respect
ively, as were also his grandfather and grand-
uncles. They were all Quakers or Friends. The
Smiths came into this country with William
Penn, as did also the Marshalls. Our subject's
great-grandfather and his brothers followed the
building of dykes or ditches — reclaiming land.
All that country north of Philadelphia, along the
Neshamoney creek, they reclaimed from swamps.
From them are descended all of the Stockhams
in America. The grandfather became a large
land owner in Maryland, where he engaged in
merchandising, milling and farming, and there
died. By her first husband, Aaron Kirkendall, Mrs.
Elizabeth Fowler had the following children:
(1) Isaac was lost from the family for about
thirty-six years, but was found in Ohio by our
subject, who brought him back to his mother's
home, where he died three years later. (2)
Alice is the deceased wife of John Peterson, now
of Baltimore county, Md. (3) Amos is also a
farmer of that county. (4) Rebecca, (5) Hulda
and (6) Mary S., all died unmarried. (7) George

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

167

was killed by jumping over a fence, a picket
passing through his stomach. Mrs. Elizabeth
Fowler's third husband was Charles Buckley, an
English miner, who died in California during the
great "gold fever." He was killed by a cave-in
of dirt and rock. By this marriage she had no
children. It is a remarkable coincidence that all
three of her husbands met with accidental deaths,
Aaron Kirkendall (her first husband) having been
killed by his wagon, laden with grain, passing over
and crushing in his breast, he having fallen in
front of the wheels, from the effect of which he
died shortly after. Her people (Smiths and
Marshalls, of Bristol, England) originally came to
this country with William Penn, and during the
first winter they spent in America they lived in
" dug-outs ", in the sand hills on the bank of the
river Delaware, where Burlington, N. J., now
stands. Just across the river in Pennsyl
vania they named and started the large
town of Bristol, in Bucks county, Penn. It
was our subject's ancestor "Marshall" who
traveled with the Indians and laid off the land
that Penn was to get by trade. He afterward
was the delegate of Penn to settle the disputed
line, with Lord Baltimore of the Colony of Mary
land. John T. Fowler, the subject proper of this re
view, was only eight years of age when his father
died, and soon after his mother's third marriage
he left home, as he disliked his step-father, walk
ing eleven miles to an ore mine, where he secured
work at driving two teams. Six months later
he was taken home by his parents, but soon after
ward again returned to the mine, giving up his
wages to his mother. Later she secured homes,
for her six children, after first trying to get them
work in the mines at Pottsville, Penn. Their
step-father had gone to California, and our sub
ject went to live with a farmer in Bucks county,
where he remained fifteen months, and then went
to Burlington, N. J. , with the intention of going
to school through the assistance of his uncle,
John Stockham, a lumberman of Philadelphia.
On his arrival, however, he was placed in a family
who misused him, making him work and not al
lowing him to attend school, although his board
was paid by his uncle. A year later, after the
marriage of Mr. Stockham, he joined him and at
once entered school, attending the Morris Gram
mar School, at Philadelphia, later graduated,
and then went to the Philadelphia High School,
and there took up both French and German. It
was his ambition to secure a good education, and
he made the most of his opportunities.
For one year after laying aside his text books,
Mr. Fowler served an apprenticeship to the car

penter's trade, and was then persuaded to return
to his uncle, for whom he worked in a sawmill
for three years at one dollar per week and board.
For the following two years he was employed
in a sawmill at one dollar per day, and from
the money thus received he paid the carpenter,
with whom he began learning that trade, for the
clothes given him while in his employ. Subse
quently he was connected with another sawmill,
manufacturing bridge and ship timber, and there
remained eleven years, receiving $900 per year.
With the money thus accumulated, Mr. Fowler
purchased a sawmill in Chester, Delaware Co.,
Penn., which he sold out to advantage after
operating the same for two years. Going to
Clearfield county, he afterward located in Bald
Eagle Valley, at Fowler, a place named in his
honor, and erected two sawmills which he suc
cessfully conducted some fifteen years. On Marsh
creek, in Centre county, he next purchased a
tract of timber land from the Curtins,' and erected
two sawmills, but four years later he sold out
and returned to Fowler where he built two
mills, which he operated for three years. There
in 1877, he erected an elegant home, one of
the handsomest in the county, and began farm
ing operations which he continued until 1893,
when he removed to Dix, Blair Co., Penn. At
one time he was one of the largest property
owners in Centre county, meeting with success
in his ventures until 1880; but through mis
placed confidence in supposed friends he has lost
heavily, now having on his hands $40,000 worth
of notes which have no value.
Oh May 26, 1857, Mr. Fowler was married to
Miss Harriet Matilda Atkinson, who was born in
Cecil county, Md., October 3, 1833, and was
closely related to the noted Cameron family of
Scotland. She departed this life October 23,
1889, and was laid to rest in the Tyrone ceme
tery. Her last words to her husband were,
"Darling, I have shared your joys and sorrows
to the end." Her death was widely and deeply
mourned, as by her gentle ways and genial man
ner she made hosts of warm personal friends,
and won the regard of all with whom she came
in contact. For his second wife, Mr. Fowler
wedded Miss Elizabeth J. Beck, and by her he
has two children: Harriet M. A., born in Fowler,
Centre county, September 29, 1891; and Mary
E., born September 3, 1893. He also has an
adopted son, James D. Dobson, born December
3, 1883. Mrs. Fowler is a native of Huntingdon
county, Penn., a daughter of Reuben and Mary
(Holland) Beck, natives of Huntingdon and
Cambria counties, Penn. , respectively. The

168

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

father died December 23, 1892, upon the old
homestead farm where he was born. He was a
son of John and Elizabeth (Grazier) Beck, the
former a native of Maryland, the latter of Hunt
ingdon county, Penn. John Beck's father was
one of the earliest settlers in Warrior's Mark
Valley, Penn. Mrs. Fowler's mother, who is
still living on the old homestead in Huntingdon
county, was born in 1834, and is a daughter of
Thomas and Bellcina (Wilson) Holland, natives
of Cambria county, Penn. Mrs. Fowler is one
of a family of nine children, namely: Cerinus
M., deceased; Blooming M., a railroad employe
living at Altoona, Penn.; Catherine C, athome;
Emma F. , wife of Lawrence Howe, a carpenter
of Blair county, Penn.; Elizabeth, wife of our
subject; Simon E. and Lillian M., deceased;
and John W.. and David H., with their mother.
The ancestors of Mrs. Fowler (on her mother's
side), the Hollens, came to this country from
London, England, during the reign of George
III, and settled on a large estate near Reading,
Penn. Her great-great-grandfather died on the
estate near Reading, after which the family,
consisting of three brothers and their aged
mother, leaving the eldest daughter on the
estate, migrated to Mill Hall, Centre Co., Penn.,
being among the earliest settlers in that county.
These three brothers Hollen were millwrights
by trade, and the place (Mill Hall) takes its
name from them.
While living at Dix, Blair county, Mr. Fow
ler met with a severe loss July 3, 1895, most of
his fine library being destroyed by fire. It was
very large and contained many valuable books
which he can never replace, including a complete
set of "Harpers Magazine" and "Weekly,"
bound, since the war. He succeeded in saving
a few numbers. He is a life member of the Ma
sonic Order, belonging to Lodge No. 494, F. &
A. M., of Tyrone, Penn., and was a member of
the Union League of Camden, N. J. He holds
membership in the Presbyterian Church of Ty
rone, to which he liberally contributed when
erecting its house of worship. His political sup
port is always given the Republican party, and
for many years he served as auditor and tax col
lector in his township. The success that he has
achieved in life is the merited reward of his own
labors. He has earned the proud title of a self-
made man, and his life is an exemplification of
what can be accomplished through determined
effort and diligence when guided by sound judg
ment and characterized by thorough reliability.
His life has been manly, his actions sincere, his
manner unaffected, and his example is well wor
thy of emulation.

JAMES CALVIN WEAVER, one of Belle-
fonte's progressive and ' ' up-to-date " business
men, is a leading worker in the important field
of insurance, wherein his characteristic tact and
practical sagacity find ample scope for use.
His father, David Weaver, was born January
27, 181 1, and lived most of his lifetime on the
Weaver Homestead, about three and one-half
miles east of Bellefonte, where he followed most
successfully his chosen occupation, that of a til
ler of the soil, up to the year 1873, when he
removed with his family to Bellefonte, where he
lived up to his death, which occurred on the 22d
of March, 1879. He was always regarded as
one of the most influential men of the commu
nity in which he lived, and was always ready to
take the initiative in every movement that tended
to elevate and improve society. He never as
pired to public life, but he was almost continu
ally kept at the head of township affairs,
either filling the office of school director, or that
of road supervisor; and was for many years the
active superintendent of the Sunday-school work
in the community.
His mother, Susannah (Bridge) Weaver, was
born July 15, 1823, near Farmers Mills, in Penn's
Valley, and survived her husband nearly thir
teen years, her death occurring on the 7th of
December, 1891. In their immediate family
there are five children, the subject of our sketch
being the eldest; the second, Henry C. , resides
in Harrisburg, Penn.; the third, Miss Ida M.;
the fourth, Miss Belle E.; and the fifth, Miss
Carrie A. — the three latter living in Bellefonte.
J. C. Weaver was born July 7, 185 1. He
remained at home until he was twenty-one years
of age, his early educational advantages being
those of the district school, but these were sup
plemented by a course of study in the Bellefonte
Academy, and two terms at the County Normal
School at Centre Hall. He then engaged in teach
ing, his work being confined to district schools,
and he continued in this work for about seven
years, during which time he secured the highest
credentials possible in that profession, that of a
Permanent Certificate from the State Depart
ment at Harrisburg. Early in the fall of 1878
he began the study of law with Stitzer & Magee,
but not finding this congenial to his tastes, he
laid it aside, and entered the business of Life In
surance, which he followed very successfully up
to November, 1887, when he undertook a gen
eral-insurance business, in which he has engaged
ever since, although having added to it the Real-
Estate and Loan Agency business.
Mr. Weaver was united in matrimony to Miss
Laura G. Barnhart, a daughter of Philip W.

4 <~~

-^a-t^t/Y?

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

169

Barnhart, of Roland, Centre Co., Penn. They
have the following children: Elsie, Maude, Harry
C, Philip B., Fred D. and Robert.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Weaver are actively in
terested in religious and philanthropical move
ments, and, inheriting many of the sterling quali
ties of their honored ancestry, they are held in
the highest esteem, this being notably so in the
Church to which they belong, which is evidenced
by the fact that Mr. Weaver enjoys the honor of
being one of the ruling elders of the large and
influential Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte, to
which office he was elected in the year 1887.

FETER KEICHLINE, whose death occurred
at his home in Pine Grove Mills, Centre
county, on June 20, 1895, belonged to one of the
early German families to settle in Pennsylvania,
and a family that was conspicuous in the Revo
lutionary war.
The Keichlines ir> America descended from
John Peter Keichline, who emigrated from Heidel
berg, Germany, as early as 1742, and settled in
Bedminster township, then Bucks county, Penn.
He had three sons — Peter, Andrew and Charles
— all of whom entered the Colonial army during
the dark days of the Revolution. Peter lived at
Easton as early as 1749, and was one of the four
representatives of the county of Northampton at
a meeting of Provincial deputies held at Phila
delphia on July 15, 1774, to take measures for
public safety, and when the Revolutionary war
began raised a company of riflemen in North
ampton and Bucks counties for Col. Miles' regi
ment, was in command at the battle of Long
Island in 1776, and was taken prisoner. Lord
Stirling wrote to Gen. Washington that the Eng
lish Gen. Grant was killed by Keichline's rifle
men. He was a patriot and warrior. Andrew
Keichline was promoted to major on the battle
field of Monmouth, N. J. Charles, who entered
the army later than his brother, took the oath of
allegiance in June, 1788. Jacob Keichline, son
of Andrew, was the landlord of what was known
as "Keichline's Tavern" for thirty-six years.
This tavern, which stood at the intersection of
the Dunham and Easton roads, has been a noted
tavern for 125 years past. The Centre building
was erected about 1759. Col. George Pifer was
the landlord from 1778 till his death in 1823,
when he was succeeded by Jacob Keichline.
This hotel sheltered many of the most distin
guished men of the country — Gen. Anthony
Wayne, Benjamin Franklin, Gov. Mifflin, Tim
othy Pickering, Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush,
Judge Tilghman Bish, Stephen Girard, Joseph

Bonaparte (ex-Emperor or King of Spain), and
many others. ,
Peter Keichline (1), the grandfather of our
subject, built the first flouring-mill on Bashkill
creek in Northampton county. He had a son
Peter (2), and he a son Peter (3), of whom we
especially write.
Peter Keichline (3) was born in Forks town
ship, Northampton county, Penn., on September
11, 1814. He left home in boyhood and walked
from Easton to Aaronsburg, Centre county, and
there served an apprenticeship of three years at
the blacksmith's trade. From Aaronsburg he
moved to Pine Grove, and from Pine Grove to
Rock Springs, where he engaged in farming, and
where he reared his family of seven children. He
had married, on August 15, 1838, Sarah Long,
then of Aaronsburg, but who was a native of
Buffalo Valley in Union county, Penn., a daugh
ter of Peter and Sarah Long, who lived and died
there. The children referred to were: Mary,
Margaret, George, Sarah, John M., Susan and
Peter. Later, Mr. Keichline moved back to
Pine Grove Mills, where, with the assistance of
other members of the Reformed Church, he built
a neat Church. He was a highly-esteemed citi
zen. In 1877 he wrote a letter to a friend in
which heistated he had been a resident of Centre
county forty-five years, first locating at Aarons
burg; that his ancestors were all Democrats and
believers in the Lutheran and Reformed Church.
John M. Keichline, whose life thus far has
been passed in Centre county, his birth occurring
at Boalsburg October 12, 1846, received his edu
cation in part at the schools of the locality in
which his father lived, attending for a time the
Normal School at Rebersburg, and then the Boals
burg Academy. Later he was engaged in teach
ing school, and then read law in the office of
Bush & Yocum at Bellefonte. He was admitted
to the Bar in 1876, and located in the practice
at Bellefonte, where he has since followed his
profession with that success his industry, studious
habits and ability merited. For some fifteen
years he most acceptably filled the office of tax
collector for Bellefonte, and for three terms — the
years i884-'85-'86 — served as overseer of the
poor. He has been a most trusted and careful
public servant. In 1889 the press, in referring
to his candidacy and official relations, remarked:
"At the request of the citizens of the town, irre
spective of party, Mr. John M. Keichline has con
sented to be a candidate for re-election to the
position he has so acceptably filled for the past
twelve years. No community has ever been fa
vored with a more gentlemanly, careful and suc
cessful collector of taxes than Mr. Keichline has

170

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

proven himself to be, and our citizens without re
gard to political belief, religious opinion, color,
class, creed or condition will be glad to have an
opportunity of continuing him in the position he
now holds. It is to the interest of the town, to
the interest of every tax payer that they do so."
On nth of October, 1876, Mr. Keichline was
married to Miss S. L. Wagner, of Central City,
Boggs township, who was then 22 years of age,
a daughter of John Wagner and Susan (Hahn),
and their son John M. is a graduate of the Belle
fonte High School; he was two years at the Penn
sylvania State College, where he was initiated
into the Sigma Chi Fraternity, and is now read
ing law in the office with his father; the daughter,
Daisey, is attending the Bellefonte High School;
the son Edward and other daughter, Annie, are
going to school.
In politics our subject is a Democrat. He is
a member of Centre Lodge No. 153, I. O. O. F.,
a member of the Encampment No. 72, I. O. O.
F., of Bellefonte, Penn., a member of K. G. E.,
Bellefonte Castle No. 357.

JOHN D. McGIRK, M. D., of Philipsburg,
Centre county, is an able and successful
physician whose many years of unremitting ap
plication to his professional work have given him
a place in the front rank among the practitioners of
his section. He is a native of Philipsburg, born
October 21, 1834, and the family name is asso
ciated with some of the important events of pio
neer times in that locality.
Steven McGirk (his paternal grandfather), a
native of County Tyrone, Ireland, was a Roman
Catholic in faith, and during the troubles be
tween the Protestants and the Romanists he was
forced to leave his home to avoid persecution.
For some time he remained in hiding, but find
ing an opportunity to make his escape to Amer
ica he crossed the ocean with his family and
made his home in Shippensburg, Penn., where
he spent many years as a successful stock dealer.
He died September 30, 1804. His wife, born
July, 1757, died December 18, 1831, at Philips
burg. They had five children: (1) Isabel mar
ried James Test, a tanner at Philipsburg, where
both died; their children were — Steven, Char
lotte, Margaret, James, Jessie, Annie and Israel.
(2) Nancy married Major Davis, of the United
States army, who served on Gen. Jackson's staff
during the war of 1812; later he was sent to
Fort Hawkins, Ala., and his wife died there.
(3) Jane (deceased) never married. (4) James is
mentioned more fully below. (5) Rachel mar
ried John B. Meek, and both died at their home

in Pine Grove, Centre county; they had the fol
lowing children — Wesley, Marvin, Fletcher,
Hattie, Lottie, and Franklin.
James McGirk, our subject's father, was born
in Ireland, and when a child accompanied his
parents to the New World. Previous to his
marriage he spent some time in the South with
his brother-in-law, Major Davis, but in early
manhood he settled in Philipsburg where he en
gaged in business as a farmer, miller and hotel
keeper. He was a man of unusual mental abil
ity, and having read medicine to some extent, he
was often called upon to use his skill and knowl
edge for the relief of suffering humanity. He
never attended medical college, and did not at
tempt to build up a regular practice; but being
many times the only physician at hand, he ac
cepted the responsibility, often taking long
journeys at the call of some afflicted family.
These timely services endeared his name to the
pioneers throughout that region. He was mar
ried in Philipsburg to Miss Eleanor Ashman,
daughter of Col. Ashman, of Huntingdon county,
Penn. , an officer in the Revolutionary army. Of
their two children, our subject was the younger.
Henrietta (the elder) was born at Philipsburg,
April 15, 1 83 1, and after pursuing the course of
study offered in the local schools was sent to
Chambersburg, Penn. , to complete her educa
tion. She was married November 19, 1846, to
Hon. C. R. Foster, M. D., who was born in
Cape May county, N. J., June 30, 1822. He
studied medicine in Jefferson College, Philadel
phia, and after his graduation in the spring of
1844 located at Philipsburg, where he acquired a
large practice, extending over a wide range of
country. He became interested in the lumber
business also, but ten years prior to his death in
1867 he retired from active business and pro
fessional cares. He was prominent in public
affairs, a member of the M. E. Church, and a
leader in the Democratic organization, serving
two terms in the State Legislature. Dr. and
Mrs. Foster had one daughter, Helen Louise,
who married George A. Ziegler, of Huntingdon
county, and died leaving two children. Helen
and Henrietta, who reside with their widowed
grandmother in her elegant and hospitable home.
Dr. McGirk laid the basis of his education in
the schools of his native town and in the acad
emy at Williamsport, Penn. , but for the most part
his education has been gained by private study.
Medical science early attracted his attention, and
he practiced with marked success for some years
before entering medical college; but in the spring
of 1 87 1 he completed the regular professional
course at the University of Pennsylvania, ob-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

171

taining the degree of M. D. Returning to his
old home he resumed his work with renewed
zeal, and has since remained in active practice.
On November 20, 1856, he was married to
Miss Mary F. Hand, a native of Cape May coun
ty, N. J., born May 11, 1837. They have had
three children: Loretta, who died at the age of
seven years; Annie, at home; and Charles E.,
born September 17, 1869, now in practice with
his father; his literary education was secured at
Dickinson College, Carlisle, Penn., and then, en
tering the University of Pennsylvania, he pur
sued the medical course, graduating in 1895.
Studious, progressive, and endowed with fine na
tive abilities, he is a young man of whom the
community expects much. Dr. McGirk and
family are members of the M. E. Church. So
cially he is affiliated with the F. & A. M., in
which fraternity he in his younger days took an
active interest. In politics he invariably votes
the Democratic ticket. Besides his elegant and
comfortable residence, the Doctor owns a fine
block in Philipsburg; for several years he kept a
popular drug store in the city.
Mrs. McGirk is a descendant of a well-known
family of English origin. The first ancestor of
whom we have any record was John Hand, who
was born in 161 1,. at Stanstead, near Maidstone,
in the County of Kent, England. Coming to
America, he settled first in Massachusetts in the
vicinity of Lynn. In 1634 he moved to Con
necticut, to South Hampton in 1644, and to
East Hampton in 1648, his death occurring at
the last named place in 1660. He married Miss
Stamborough, and had seven sons and one
daughter. Shamgar Hand, the first son, mar
ried, and had five sons and two daughters. Zel-
ophephad Hand, the next in line of descent, mar
ried, and had four sons and three daughters.
Nathaniel, the first son married, had three sons
and three daughters, his eldest son, Jeremiah,
being Mrs. McGirk's grandfather. He was born
in 1763 and died in 181 5. He married Deborah
Hand, his cousin, and had four sons and one
daughter, as follows: Joseph, Jeremiah, Jesse,
Aaron and Deborah. Aaron Hand, Mrs. Mc
Girk's father, was born May 30, 1786, and died
May 31, 1852. He and his wife, Eliza (Foster),
had four children: Aaron S., Elizabeth, Deb
orah and Mary (Mrs. McGirk).

S. FRANK, M. D., of Millheim, one of the
leading physicians of Penn's Valley, has
gained by force of merit an enviable rank in his
profession, and this success is more notable when
one considers the high average of ability and at

tainment which is found in the fraternity in this
section. In giving an account of the life of Dr.
Frank it will be well to review the history of the
family, and see the sturdy, progressive stock from
which he has descended.
Christopher Frank, his great-great-grand
father, came from Germany to America at an
early period. Philip Frank, the great-grand
father, was for some time a resident of Hagers-
town, Md. , but in 1795 came to Centre county,
and located near Aaronsburg, upon a farm now
owned by Jacob Reed, the first farm to the north
of the pike on the west side of the town. He
was in comfortable circumstances, and being a
man of intellect and enterprise was highly re
spected by all. In political faith he was a Dem
ocrat. His wife, Catherine Harper, was a sister
of Adam Harper, who in 1802, became one of
the first associate judges of Centre county. This
worthy couple were among the early members of
the Lutheran Church at Aaronsburg, where both
were buried, the wife dying in 1831, and the
husband in 1832. Their children were George,
who is mentioned more fully below; Philip and
John, who died at Aaronsburg; Eve, who mar
ried Judge John Shaeffer, and died in Miles
township, Centre county; Elizabeth, who died in
Lebanon county, Penn., unmarried; and Cath
erine, who married a Mr. Shade, and died in the
West. George Frank, the grandfather of our sub
ject, was born near Hagerstown, Md., in 1779,
and from the age of sixteen made his home in
this section, engaging in farming as an occupa
tion. He was of ordinary height and compactly
built, and a most industrious worker, although
he never accumulated much. His schooling was
limited, but he possessed much native intelli
gence. He always took an interest in public
affairs, and in politics was a Democrat. He was
married in Aaronsburg, to Christina Kramer,
who was born in Jonestown, Lebanon Co.,
Penn., in 1780, the daughter of Andrew and
Margaret (Haine) Kramer. Her father died in
Lebanon county, and her mother removed to
Haines township, Centre county, where the young
people first met. For some time after his mar
riage our subject's grandfather lived at Aarons
burg, but in 1809 he leased a tract of land in
Sugar Valley, where he remained until 18 14.
He then removed to Brush Valley, and later re
turned to Aaronsburg, where he died in 1837,
his interment taking place there. His widow
survived him many years, passing away in 1863,
at the home of her son Samuel (father of our
subject) in Rebersburg, where her remains now
rest.

172

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Fourteen children were born of this union, of
whom eleven lived to adult age. Ten were liv
ing at the time of their father's death. Jacob, a
miller by trade, died in Sugar Valley at the age
of ninety; David, a millwright, died in Pickaway
county, Ohio; John, a carpenter, died in Miles
township, Centre county; George, a farmer, is
living in Mercer county Ohio, at the age of eighty-
nine years; Michael, a farmer and carpenter,
died in Mercer county, Ohio, aged seventy-four;
Samuel is mentioned below; Mary (Mrs. Solo
mon Confer) died at Millheim; Sally (Mrs. An
drew Stover) died in Haines township, Centre
county; Elizabeth (twin to Sally) married John
Hetzler, and died in Illinois; Catherine (de
ceased) never married; and Eve (Mrs. Jacob
Minich) died in Aaronsburg.
Samuel Frank, our subject's father, was born
April 25, 1 82 1, in Miles township, Centre county,
one and one-half miles south of Rebersburg,.
near the mountain, in a one-story cabin built of
logs'. When he was four years old his parents
moved to Aaronsburg, where he attended the
subscription schools of the day, his first teacher
being Andrew Ebraght, who taught his classes
in his own home. As his parents were very
poor, the young student, who lived near the
school, made the fires to pay for his tuition dur
ing the winter. One of his later teachers, Mr.
Kerr, would hire his brightest and most advanced
pupils to teach the primary class, and this work
falling to Samuel Frank, he was enabled to se
cure free tuition for some time. The death of
his father caused the separation of the family,
and February 5, 1838, he left Aaronsburg to go
to Rebersburg. He had nothing in the world
but the few belongings he carried upon his per
son, and on arriving at Rebersburg he was bound
out by the overseer of the poor, John Moyer, to
learn the tailor's trade under* Daniel Winters.
Four years, two months and twenty days were
spent in this service without a cent of pay or a
day's schooling, his clothing only, and that of
the poorest sort, being given bim. During the
last year he ran a shop at Wolfs Store for Mr.
Winters; and at the end of his term he contin
ued business there on his own account.
On February 28, 1843, Samuel Frank was
married in Miles township, Centre county, to
Miss Sarah Brungart, a native of that locality,
born April 22, 1825, the daughter of a well-to-
do farmer, George Brungart, and his wife, Sarah
(Kahl). This marriage was a most fortunate
one, Mr. Frank gaining an excellent wife who
helped him in every way. He remained at
Wolfs Store until 1854, and in the meantime
was for three years in partnership with Thomas

Wolfe in a general mercantile business. . Wish
ing to try a farmer's life, Mr. Frank then spent
four years upon a farm at Spring Bank, in the
same township, but in 1858 he sold out and re
moved to Rebersburg, where he purchased a gen
eral store from William Hosterman. He con
tinued this business successfully for some time,
Dr. J. H. Hilbish being his partner for two years,
but in 1865 he sold his store and residence and
bought a mill property and a small farm in the
same township. Two years later he sold them
and, returning to Rebersburg, purchased a resi
dence which he still owns and a store adjoining,
and also a small farm in the vicinity. He was
engaged in mercantile business until 1879, when
he sold out to Gramley Brothers, and for some
years he has lived a retired life, although still
enjoying excellent health. All things considered,
his career is a remarkable one. Could he have
had a thorough education, in his youth, so that
his intellectual abilities would have had free
scope, his life might have been spent in other
lines, but he could have won no stronger, truer
friends and admirers than he now has among the
people of Centre county.
Any political position in the gift of his circle
of acquaintances was his: he was associate judge
of Centre county for five years (1 877-1 881);
county auditor three years (1 871-1874); and he
held almost every township office, including that
of justice of the peace, in which he served five
years. In 1843, at the age of twenty-two, he
was chosen overseer of the poor. For a quar
ter of a century he was regarded as one of the
most influential Democrats of Miles township,
and he was no less active in other movements of
his time. In 1841 he and his wife united with
the Lutheran Church in Rebersburg, and he has
been among its chief supporters, holding every
office except that of preacher, and contributing
liberally, especially to the building of the new
church. As a recreation he has always been
fond of hunting, and he has tramped hundreds
of miles over the mountains in search of game.
On September 1, 1886, his faithful helpmeet
passed from earth, and her mortal remains lie
buried at Rebersburg. Since her death he has
made his home with his son James. Four chil
dren survive: James P., a farmer near Rebers
burg; Luther B.,'a clerk in the same town;
George S., our subject; and Paulina, now Mrs.
R. D. Bierly, of Rebersburg.
We will now return to the subject proper of
this sketch. Dr. Frank was born October 22,
1859, in Rebersburg, where he received an ele
mentary education in the district schools, Hon.
Henry Meyer being his first teacher. Later he

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

173

attended the normal schools of the locality and,
with private instruction in science and the lan
guages, he prepared for teaching. At eighteen
he took charge of a school, and after three years
as a successful teacher in his native township he
began the study of medicine with Dr. Daniel
J. Hilbish, a noted practitioner of Rebersburg.
His preliminary reading finished, he took a
course in the Jefferson Medical College, graduat
ing in 1883. His first professional work was at
Spring Mills, but after a short time he located at
Rebersburg, where he remained until 1886. He
then settled permanently in Millheim, and now
enjoys a large and constantly increasing practice,
the territory covered being probably as large as
that of any practitioner in the county and not
excepting the oldest. He keeps well informed
on the various lines of professional progress and
is identified with leading medical associations,
being a member of the Centre County Medical
Society; Pennsylvania Medical Society; West
Branch Medical Society; and the American Med
ical Association.
In 1885, the Doctor was married in Rebers
burg to Miss Melissa G. Miller, daughter of J. A.
and Mary (Esterline) Miller, and they have an
elegant home at Millheim, a model of conven
ience and comfort. Agreeable in manners and
in conversation, he easily gains friends, whom
his sterling qualities of character bind firmly to
him. As a progressive citizen he manifests a
keen interest in all local affairs, serving on the
village council and the school board. At present
he is coroner of Centre county; but while he is an
enthusiastic supporter of the Democratic party,
he does not aim at political distinction. He is a
charter member of the Knights of the Golden
Eagle at Millheim, aud he and his accomplished
wife are leading members of the Lutheran
Church, to which they contribute liberally, not
only in money but in time and in strength, the
Doctor being an elder in the Church and super
intendent of the Sunday-school.

JAMES T. STUART was born December 9,
1837, near Linden Hall, Harris township,
Centre county, the second in the family of
seven children born to David A. and Martha
(Johnson) Stuart.
There he began his education in the school
house at Rock Hill, his teacher being Matthew
Woods, later a practicing physician of Clearfield,
Penn. Subsequently our subject attended school
in Clearfield county, and at the age of seventeen
completed his literary education in Boalsburg
Academy. On beginning his business career he

served as a clerk for George W. Johnson & Co.,
of Huntingdon county, Penn., for three years,
and during the following four years engaged in
teaching school in Centre county, at $1 per day..
On his return from the war he again entered the
mercantile establishment of Mr. Johnson in Peters
burg, Huntingdon county, where he remained
some four years, and later, in partnership with
William D. Keller, engaged in the manufacture of
woolen goods in Houserville, College township,
Centre county. At the end of three year, how
ever, he returned to Boalsburg, where he em
barked in mercantile pursuits, and also served as
postmaster from 1873 until 1882. On removing
to State College in the latter year he, in con
nection with his brother, John W., conducted a
general store for three years, but since 1885 has
been engaged in his present business in Boals
burg. His home and hotel is a beautiful stone
structure, erected in 18 19 by Col. James John
son, and here everything is done for the conven
ience and comfort of his guests.
On June 16, 1875, Mr. Stuart was wedded to
Miss E. E. Hunter, a daughter of Dr. Reuben
Hunter, who died in 1864 while serving as sur
geon of the 54th P. V. I. Four children bless
this union, whose names and dates of birth are as
follows: William, August 3, 1876; George J. r
July 23, 1880; David A., October 1, 1882; and
Rueben R., October 8, 1884.
Hardly had the echoes of Fort Sumter's guns
died away when Mr. Stuart offered his service to
the general government to assist in putting down
the Rebellion, enlisting April 20, 1 861, in the 7th
P. V. I. , for three months. He was discharged
July 20, 1 86 1, but on the 31st of the following
August was made sergeant in Company G, 49th
P. V. I., under Capt. John Bool; was promoted
to second lieutenant March 16, 1862; and to first
lieutenant December 1, of the same year. On
January 12, 1863, he was transferred to the field
and staff roll as adjutant; promoted to captain of
Company G, February 25, 1864; commissioned
brevet major of the United States Volunteers,
April 6, 1865; promoted to major of the 49th
P. V. I., in June, 1865; and to lieutenant-colonel
July 14, 1865. His war record is one of which
he may be justly proud, for he entered the serv
ice as a private, and for meritorious and gallant
conduct on the field of battle steadily arose to
the rank of lieutenant-colonel.
Col. Stuart participated in the following en
gagements: Williamsburg, May 5, 1862; Har-
net'sHill; Golding's Farm; Savage Station; Mal
vern Hill; Antietam; Fredericksburg, December
13, 1862; Chancellorsville; Gettysburg; Rappa
hannock Station; Mine Run; Wilderness; Spott-

174

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

sylvania Court House; Winchester; Cedar Creek;
Petersburg, April 2, 1865; Little Sailor's Creek,
April 6, 1 865 ; and, on the 9th of the same month,
Appomattox Court House, where Lee surren
dered to Grant, and the war was practically over.
Col. Stuart was wounded at Rappahannock, No
vember 7, 1863, and in the shoulder at Spott-
sylvania, May 10, 1864. After his return home
he contemplated joining the regular army, and
wrote to Gen. W. S. Hancock for a letter of rec
ommendation, which he still has in his possession,
and which reads as follows:
Canondolet, Mo., August 6, 1866.
Lieut.-Col. James T. Stuart, late of the 49th P. V. I., is
known to me to have been a faithful officer; he served under
my command during the Peninsula and Antietam cam
paigns. He has been severely wounded in action, and was
promoted to the lieutenant-colonelcy of his regiment for
gallant and meritorious services. I have no hesitation in
recommending him for a commision in the regular army of
the United States.
(Signed) Winfield S. Hancock, Major-General U. S. A.
In December, 1 864, our subject was detailed
to headquarters of the 6th Army Corps, as com
mander of a battalion of sharpshooters, with
the rank of captain. Subsequently he was re
quested by Gen. Edwards to take a position on
his staff as brigade inspector, which he accepted
and filled until discharged, Gen. Wheaton re
lieving him from his former position.
Col. Stuart is now an honored and prominent
member of the Grand Army Post No. 95, and
the Union Veteran Legion, both of Bellefonte.
Since casting his first Presidential vote for Abra
ham Lincoln, he has been a stalwart Republican
in politics, and in 1866 was the candidate of his
party for State representative. He acceptably
served as county auditor from 1879 until 1882,
and has filled various township offices to the
satisfaction of all concerned.

JOHN F. HARTER, D. D. S., a prominent
dentist of State College, Centre county, is a
representative citizen whose influence is felt
no less in public life than in his professional
sphere. He was born in Millheim, January 5,
1857, and is a member of a family that has held
a leading place in that city since the time of his
grandfather, John Harter, who came there as a
young man.
John Harter was a native of Lebanon town
ship, Dauphin Co., Penn., born November 16,
1792, and became a prosperous carriage and
wagon maker, employing a number of men, and
his business was one of the most important in
Millheim in his day. In religious faith he was a
Lutheran, and in politics a Democrat, and while
his attention was chiefly given to business mat

ters, he took part, in a quiet way, in the varied
movements of the time and locality. He was
more then ninety years old at the time of his
death, which took place at the home of his son,
Dr. W. S. Harter, our subject's father.
On August 30, 18 1 3, he married Miss Mollie
Shreffler, who was born November 29, 1794. and
died February 15, 1861, both being buried at
Millheim. They had twelve children, whose
names with dates of birth are as follows: Julia
A., July 21, 1 8 14, married Henry Royer, and
died at Millheim, June 7, 1896; Elizabeth, May
22, 1 8 16, married Michael Cooney, and died in
Akron, Ohio; Sarah, August 16, 181 8, is the
widow of John Purman, of Loganton, Penn.,
and the mother of Hon. William J. Purman,
once a member of Congress from Florida; Will
iam S., June 9, 1820, is mentioned more fully
below; John, December 18, 1822, died in Mif
flinburg, Penn.; Margaret, December 12, 1824,
is now Mrs. R. B. Hartman, of Millheim; Dan
iel, December 10, 1826, died November 29,
1829; Henry, September 23, 1828, resides in
Joliet, 111. ; Hannah M., November 5, 1830, died
in Millheim, unmarried; David, March 6, 1832,
died January 30, 1833; Amelia, August 7, 1835,
married J. D. Foote, and died in Millheim; and
Mary M., December 24, 1837, is the wife of
John West, of Chicago, Illinois.
Dr. William S. Harter, the father of our
subject, was born in Millheim and grew to man
hood there. He learned the painters' trade
in his father's shop, and having great me
chanical ability he became familiar also in an
incidental way with all the details of carriage
and wagon making. He had extraordinary abil
ity as an artist, though lacking entirely a suit
able opportunity to develop his powers. His
work with a pen was unusually fine, and one
cannot but regret that his talent remained un
utilized. He was well advanced toward middle
age when he began the study of dentistry with
Dr. Swartz, a successful practitioner, with whom
he later went into partnership. After a time
Dr. Harter established an independent practice,
continuing in all over twenty years. While he
made much money and lived in comfortable
style, he never became wealthy. As a citizen he
was highly respected, and he held a prominent
place in the Republican organization in his sec
tion. For some years previous to his death he
was government gauger and store keeper in the
Eighteenth District of Pennsylvania.
Dr. William S. Harter was married in Mill
heim to Mrs. Sarah (Detrich) Messinger, widow
of David Messinger, who died shortly after his
marriage, leaving no children. Mrs. Harter was

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

175

a native of Mifflinburg, but her parents died
there during her childhood, and she was reared
by Frederick Gutelius. She possessed much
artistic skill combined with business ability, and
at the time of her last marriage was conducting a
millinery store. Both parents were Methodists,
and the father was one of the foremost workers
in the Church, giving his time and thought as
well as money. He died April 30, 1877, from an
illness contracted during a visit to the Centennial.
Exposition. His widow survived him until
December 29, 1893, when she passed away, and
was laid to rest beside him in the cemetery at
Millheim. Their children were William C. , who
died in childhood; Lydia J., who died in 1893,
unmarried ; Anna C, who married William S.
Musser, and died in Millheim; Willis H. B., who
died in infancy; John F. , our subject ; Robert
H, engineer of a school at Chicago, 111.; and
Emma C, now Mrs. W. H. Miller, of Millheim.
Dr. J. F. Harter's literary education was
acquired in the schools of his native town, and
his professional studies may be said to have been
begun while a boy in his father's office. How
ever, he did not determine upon dentistry as a
life work without testing other occupations. For
some time he clerked for Daniel Gross, a mer
chant at Lock Haven, and later he took a course
in telegraphy at Oberlin, Ohio, and worked as an
operator in the Western Union office at Belle
fonte. On definitely deciding to adopt his pres
ent calling, he completed his preparation with
Dr. A. J. Orndorf, a successful practitioner at
Pine Grove Mills, Penn. He then established
himself in business at Millheim, and continued
afterward, with the exception of three years as
county recorder, to which office he was elected
in 1887, until his removal to State College in
the fall of 1896.
His political work and influence are worthy of
more than a passing reference as he is one of the
valued advisers of the Republican party in Cen
tre county. His popularity as a man is not lim
ited by partisan ties, and he has warm friends
among those of opposite political faith. In 1893
he was defeated for the office of sheriff by only
260 votes, while the other on his ticket had an
adverse majority of 800 or more. He has held
numerous local offices, serving upon the city coun
cil and the school board of Millheim, and in all his
public work his ability, discretion and fidelity
have been fully proven. Always thoroughly
awake to the best interests of his town, he has
been active in various movements of a non-par
tisan sort. He is secretary of the Millheim
Building & Loan Association, and a leading
worker in the Methodist Episcopal Church, con

tributing liberally and serving at present as
trustee, steward and superintendent of the Sun
day-school. In 1874 he joined the Millheim
Cornet Band, of which he became leader four
years later, and under his able direction the
organization has become known throughout cen
tral Pennsylvania for its excellence, having gained
valuable prizes at various contests in competition
with bands from much larger cities. Fraternally,
he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows at Millheim. He has been successful
financially as well as in other lines. He owns
two residences at Millheim, and his home is
among the pleasantest in the place.
Dr. Harter was married September 17, 1878,
in Pine Grove, Penn., to Miss Charlotte Meek,
daughter of F. E. and Eliza (Glenn) Meek, and they
have two children, Sadie B. and Jessie M. , both
at home. In November, 1896, the Doctor and
his family removed to State College, where he is
building a fine home, and where he expects to
remain to educate his children.

C\LEMENT H. GRAMLY, one of the pros-
_* perous young farmers of Brush Valley, Cen
tre county, and one of its excellent citizens, is a
descendant of that grand old pioneer family of
Gramlys or Gramleys, who for nearly a century
have been prominent and active in the growth
and development of ' ' the garden spot of Centre
county." The family, which is a numerous one,
has given to the county many of its best citizens,
and in Brush Valley the name of Gramly is al
most synonymous with good citizenship.
Our subject was born November 14, 1862,
on the farm where he now lives, it being the old
homestead of his parents, Samuel and Sarah
(Smull) Gramly, and in the schools of the
neighborhood began his education, which was
mostly obtained in the Harter district, though
completed in Rebersburg, where his brother,
Prof. C. L. Gramly (now county superintend
ent of schools; , was then teaching. He was
reared in much the usual manner of farmer boys,
early becoming familiar with the duties of an ag
riculturist, and continued to remain upon the
home farm with the exception of a short time
spent as a farm hand in the employ of Jacob
Krape, of Nittany Valley. On July 20, 1884, in
Rebersburg, Mr. Gramly was married to Miss
Elizabeth Krape, who was born in Clintondale,
Penn., January 3, 1866, and is a daughter of
Michael and Hannah (Bierly) Krape. They have
one son, Samuel C, born December 5, 1885.
Mr. Gramly brought his bride to the home
farm, which he operated for his father for two

176

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

years, but in 1886 purchased the stock and nec
essary machinery and rented the farm, which he
still successfully cultivates. He is one of the few
Republicans in Brush Valley, and comes of a
family whose members are practically the nu
cleus of that party in Miles township. On more
than one occasion he has served as delegate to
the county conventions from the township, and
takes an active and commendable interest in po
litical affairs. He is one of the leading and pop
ular citizens of the community, and those who
have known him from boyhood are numbered
among his stanchest friends. With the Lutheran
Church he and his estimable wife hold member
ship, and at present he is serving as secretary of
the Sabbath-school.

WAJOR LORENZO LORAIN, who passed
_ away at Baltimore, Md., March 6, 1882,
while yet in the prime of manhood, was one of
the brightest, strongest and most gifted sons
Centre county ever had. Soldier, teacher,
scientist, civil engineer — a brilliant success in
each field of endeavor. His wonderful ability
and remarkable qualities were justly recognized,
and he was held in the highest regard by all with
whom he came in contact in the various walks of
life. Many men of world-wide fame possessed
fewer of the qualities that command success and
those in less degree than he.
Our subject was born in Philipsburg, Penn.,
August 5, 1 83 1. a son of Dr. Henry Tilden and
Maria (Taylor) Lorain, the former of whom was
born December 15, 1799, in Kent county, Md.,
the latter in Clearfield county, Penn. Dr.
Henry Lorain was a son of John and Martha
Lorain, who were born in Maryland. Thomas
Lorain, the father of John was born in England,
and on March 24, 1759, received letters of
marque from the Captain-general of Jamaica,
Henry Moore, Esq., to command the ship,
"Viper," to prey upon the French. He served
with distinction, and on leaving the sea settled in
Kent county, Md., about 1771. He had three
children: John, Jr., Eliza and Thomas. The
first named took quite a prominent part in public
affairs, and served as postmaster df Philipsburg,
at an early day in its history. His. son, the
Doctor, was a skilled surgeon and physician of
Clearfield county, whose practice extended over
a wide stretch of country.
The early education of Major Lorain was
rather limited, but was enough to develop the
bent of his mind, and to lay the foundation for
the mathematical and mechanical ability he
evinced in later years. Unexpectedly and unsolic

ited by him, he was offered the cadetship from
his district, and concluded to give up civil engin
eering, which he was then studying, and accept
the same. Accordingly, in June, 1852, he en
tered the fourth class at West Point, and gradu
ated with honor in 1856. He was then commis
sioned second lieutenant in the Third Artillery,
andwas constantlyon duty at distant frontierposts
until the beginning of the Civil war. In one of the
earliest engagements of that terrible struggle, that
of Blackburn's Ford, on July 18, 1861, he was
severely wounded, and for eight months was un
able to do even the lightest duty. He then ac
cepted the position of assistant to Prof. Ken-
drick in the chemical department at West Point,
entering upon his duties March 23, 1862.
During his convalescence, Major Lorain was
married February 18, 1862, to Miss Fannie
Moseley McDonald, a native of Washington, D.
C. , and a daughter of William J. McDonald, who
for forty-five years was attached to the, office of
the Secretary of the Senate, during fifteen years of
which time he was chief clerk of the United
States Senate. Four children were born to them:
Henry McDonald, a prominent mining engineer
of Philipsburg; Fannie B., who died in infancy;
Mertie M. , wife of Lieut. E. A. Anderson, of the
United States Navy; and W. J., who died in
childhood. In May, 1862, Major Lorain's wounds be
came worse, but he continued to hold his posi
tion at West Point, for which he was well fitted,
and with tireless energy devoted day and night
to his work. He was offered several important
volunteer commands, but knew it was unwise to
accept until his physical condition was improved.
While at West Point he received the brevets of
captain and major, the former for gallant and
meritorious service at the battle of Blackburn's
Ford, Va. Although his wounds prevented
active service in the fields, for nine years he did
faithful service in the chemical department at the
military school. He afterward commanded Fort
Jefferson, Florida, and subsequently was stationed
at Charleston, South Carolina.
For one year he held the professorship of
physics and mechanics at the Lehigh University,
at Bethlehem, Penn., but his love for the army
forced him to resign. He also refused other im
portant professorships in different colleges. Sub
sequently he served at Fort Hamilton, New York
Harbor, but, owing to ill health in his family,
he asked to be relieved, and accepted the detail
to the Artillery School at Fort Monroe, Virginia,
which post had been repeatedly offered him, but
which, owing to the dislike captains of artillery
had for such duty, he had always previously de-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

m

clined. Here he was again in his element, and
in many ways promoted the interests of the
school, making it far more efficient. His advice
was often sought and freely given in the various
departments, and he was instrumental in enlarg
ing its facilities. When compelled to leave the
school his loss was severely felt. During his
service there he recognized the fact that im
proved telescopic sights' were necessary for the
large guns, and devised a sight which bears the
name of "Lorain." He also introduced firing
by electricity at the School.
Major Lorain was always an active man, fond
of fields sport, and excelled in gunning and fish
ing. Up to the last two years of his life he took
a prominent part in all such sports, his pleasant,
social manner making him a valued addition to
parties organized for that enjoyment. He par
ticularly delighted in sailing parties, and was
remarkably skillful in his management of sail
boats. At last he was compelled to give up
these pleasures on account of his health, and on
the 6th of March, 1882, he departed this life.
His death was widely and deeply mourned for
he had the happy faculty of making friends of
all with whom he came in contact. Throughout
his career of continued and far-reaching useful
ness, his duties were performed with the greatest
care, and his personal honor apd integrity were
without blemish. His memory will ever be a
sacred inheritance to his children ; it will be cher
ished by a multitude of friends.
William J. McDonald, the father of Mrs. Lo
rain, was born in September, 1813, and on reach
ing man's estate he married Ann B. Holt, who
was born in March, 18 13, and died on the ist of
June, 1878. His death occurred June 5, 1878.
In their family were four children : Fannie Mose-
ley, widow of Major Lorain; Eugenia, wife of
Col. William Sinclair, of the United States
Army; William J., who is connected with the
Pension bureau at Washington, D. O; and H.
Bowyer, clerk of the Senate at Washington.
John G. McDonald, the paternal grandfather
of Mrs. Lorain, was of Scotch parentage. He
became attached to Congress on its removal
from Philadelphia to Washington, and also served
as chief clerk of the Senate for many years. In
1 8 14, when the British troops fired the capitol,
he and a negro saved all the archives of the
Senate. His death occurred in' that city, with
whose interests he had been prominently con
nected for so many years. The maternal grand
parents,. John E. and Clara (Mosely) Holt, were
natives of Williamsburg and Norfolk, Va. , re
spectively. For a quarter of a century the
grandfather served as mayor , of the latter place,
is

which position he was filling at the time of Gen.
La Fayette's visit to this city, and his daughter,
Mrs. McDonald, served as flower girl during the
services. Henry McDonald Lorain, the only surviv
ing son of Major Lorain, was born in West
Point, N. Y., June 26, 1863, where he remained
until 1870. At the age of eighteen he entered
the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, with the
view of taking a four-years' course of civil en
gineering, but at the end of three years was com
pelled to leave school on account of ill health.
During the winter of 1885-86 he attended Bry
ant & Stratton Business College, at Baltimore,
Md. Coming to Philipsburg in April, 1886, he
entered the service of Holt & Chipman as mining
engineer, and has since been with the company,
although it has several times changed hands, be
ing now known as the Coaldale Mining Co. He
first studied to be a civil engineer, but gave it up
as he preferred mining engineering, in which he
has been very successful.
On June 6, 1894, Mr. Lorain was, united in
marriage with Miss Maud Holt, a daughter of
William and Mary (Foresman) Holt, and one
son, Sinclair, was born to them June 23, 1895.
Mrs. H. McD. Lorain died February 10, 1897,
and is buried in the Philipsburg Cemetery. The
family is one of prominence, holding a high po
sition in social circles. Mr. Lorain votes with
the Republican party, and in business as well as
social circles stands deservedly high.

DUNLOP, HARRIS, STEWART, PAXTON
genealogies, and other families with whom
inter-married, and explanatory remarks of their
contemporaries, indicating their enterprise and
character as citizens of the County and State!
DUNLOP.
The Dunlop family were Scotch-Irish Presbyte>-
rians residing in ' ' Dunlop Parish, " Ayrshire, Scot- ¦
land, during the period in the reign of Charles
II (1660-1685) when he attempted to enforce
Episcopacy upon the Scottish nation, in conse
quence of which persecution they abandoned
their estates and sought a new home in the
County Donegal, North of Ireland (which had
then become a refuge for Presbyterians and
Covenanters who adhered to the "Westminster
Confession of Faith" adopted by the Scottish
people in 1643, and ratified by the General
Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1647).. '• ¦
From recent correspondence with the Rev.
W. E. Lattimer, of English Dungannoh,,Iji,elahdj

1*78

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

we have obtained a copy of the record of the
Presbytery of Conway, County Donegal, ordain
ing John Dunlop (I)*, a minister. From tradition
we learn he was the father of William Dunlop
(II), who sat as a Ruling Elder in the Presbytery of
Tyrone, Ireland, in 17 12, and at an advanced
age emigrated to this country with his family — a
wife and four children — prior to the year 1730,
first Ideating at Donegal, now Lancaster county,
in this State (near the farm of that name now
owned by the Camerons), and in the neighbor
hood of which were residents by name: Harris,
Boggs, Lowry, Johnston and other well-known
Scotch-Irish families, largely intermarried, and
who later sought homes in other parts of the
State. William Dunlop (II) we find as early as
1730 petitioned the Court of Lancaster county
to recommend him to the Governor for appoint
ment as an Indian trader. He moved from
Donegal to a farm adjoining the town of Shippens-
burg, where he died (his granddaughter, Elizabeth
Simpson, said at the age of 115). A deed dated
January 15, 1752, and of record in Carlisle, from
Margaret, William and Ephraim Dunlop to their
brother, James Dunlop, conveying the farm above
mentioned, recites: "it being partly in consider
ation that he forever maintain their Mother De
borah Dunlop, wife of William Dunlop, who died
intestate." James Dunlop (III) soon after married Jane
Boggs, daughter of Andrew Boggs and sister of
Col. John and Capt. Alexander Boggs, of the
Revolution, and provided his mother a home
until her death some years later. His sister
Margaret, having married, moved to one of the
Southern States. William was the commander
of a vessel, and also the Indian trader mentioned
in Pennsylvania Archives, and Ephraim moved
to Tennessee, where he purchased a large plan
tation, and where he died leaving a large estate.
James pursued the practice of law in Cumberland
county, and was also engaged in the manufacture
of iron at what was then known as the " Dunlop
Furnaces" in Path Valley, now Franklin county,
until about the time that Congress passed the
Act authorizing a battalion for immediate serv
ice to be raised in Cumberland county (Jan. 4,
1776), when he abandoned all pursuits and de
voted his energies to raising and equipping of the
regiment which was afterward known as the
' ' 6th. Pennsylvania of the Continental line, " and
was on the 10th day of January, 1776, commis
sioned its major. The history of this regiment
will be found in Pennsylvania Archives under that
name, and further details of its service in notes

*A11 the Roman numerals refer to the generations from the
known ancestor, and not to the number of children.

first

of the 2nd Pennsylvania, Col. St. Clair, in Gen;
Anthony Wayne's command. On the 25th of
October, 1776, Major Dunlop was promoted to
lieutenant-colonel of the 10th Pennsylvania.
He participated in all the numerous engagements
of that year with the British under Gen. Burgoyne
at "Three Rivers", "Isle Aux Noix", "Isle La
Motte", "Ticonderoga", Crown Point", etc., "in
which the battalion suffered severely in killed and
wounded, and their exposure in the swamps
without proper food or clothing, as expressed by
Col. Dunlop, "rendered their condition pitiable,"
and is so reported by Gen. Wayne to the Com
mittee of Safety in Pennsylvania Archives, Vol. x;
page 79. On the 23rd day of January, 1777,
Col. Dunlop resigned his command [see letter in
Vol. I, Pennsylvania Archives, page 694] because
seniority in rank was not recognized. Col. Dun-
lop's epaulets, sword and his discharge papers,
together with the Continental money in which he
was paid for his services enclosed therein, are
preserved by his descendants in Bellefonte. On
the 2nd of October, 1779, he was appointed
lieutenant of Cumberland county, and on the 28th
of October, 1784, was commissioned a Justice of
the Common Pleas in Cumberland county. Dur
ing all these years the family tradition recounts
many hardships endured by himself and family,
many narrow escapes and thrilling adventures;
fleeing to the forts to avoid capture by the In
dians; destruction and burning of their property,
himself twice a captive; devices of escape from
them, etc. Col. Dunlop's wife Jane (nee Boggs)
was a lady of fine education, quick perception,
reliant, prompt to act in an emergency, and pro
tected herself and small children by flight on
horseback through forest pathways to places of
refuge from pursuing Indians on more than one
occasion. In the quiet routine of family life
her loving disposition and motherly care, as well
as her neat and methodical management of the
household appointments, were an example for all,
and her advice and sympathy sought by many,
other than her family relations.
She was a daughter of Andrew Boggs (I)
who located on the Susquehanna at Logan's
Ferry in 1730 (now Bainbridge). He had 200
acres of land adjoining the Ferry, and died there
in 1765. Andrew Boggs' wife was a Miss Pat
ton, sister of James who married Mary Allison,
(Mr. Patton died in 1746, and his wife the year
following without issue). Colonel John Boggs
(II), son of Andrew Boggs and Miss Patton, was
an officer of the Revolution and a prominent
man in Cumberland county, paymaster of militia,
sheriff of the county from 1780 to 1783, and Jus
tice of the Common Pleas of Franklin county in

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

179

1786. He moved to Centre county in 1795, and
resided on the farm now owned by Henderson on
Buffalo run, west of Bellefonte, and died in De
cember, 1 796, aged sixty-four years. His wife, who
died July 11, 181 5, was Miss Elizabeth Johnston,
daughter of Col. Johnston, who was of Scotch-
Irish origin, and a colonel in the English army,
who came to this country about 1700, and ob
tained from the government a large body of land
partly (now) in Franklin county and in the State
of Maryland adjoining, upon which he erected a
large fine house, for those days, more like a fort
than a dwelling, in old English style with wine
cellars, etc. Col. Johnston's wife was a Mrs.
Findlay (1), a widow with two sons, one of
whom was the father of Gov. William Findlay
{2), Mrs. Gov. Shunk and Jane Findlay, who died
in Harrisburg in 1836, leaving a large number of
grandchildren. The other son resided in Balti
more, where he and his wife both died leaving
one child, Eliza Findlay (HI), a little over two
years old. The children of Col. Johnston and
wife (nee Findlay) were all grown and married
before the Revolution, except one who was not
married until he was sixty-five ; his sons were all in
the American army, as were also his stepsons.
His son, Dr. Robert Johnston, was a celebrated
surgeon of the Revolution, and about 1750 Dr.
Robert went to China with a cargo of ginseng;
was there some years, and upon his return mar-
Tied Miss Nellie Pauline, to whom he had been
engaged, bringing with him the silk for her wed
ding dress (samples of which are still preserved);
they both died leaving no children. His son,
Thomas Johnston, was also distinguished for his
bravery on many occasions during the war, and
his son, James Johnston, who had obtained the
same rank in the American army, was also
known as Col. Johnston (and in the family, as a
means of designation, '' Uncle Jimmy"). After
the war he went to England, and while there
had a carpet woven with a blue ground, and the
American Coat of Arms as a center piece, which
was the first imported carpet in this country.
Col. Johnston, Sr. , had four daughters,
whose married names were: Beatty, Brown,
Campbell and Boggs, one of whom was a widow,
and she and " Uncle Jimmy" (Col., Jr.) occupied
the home of their father and kept open house for
all of the relations. "Uncle Jimmy" went to
Baltimore upon the death of his half-brother,
Findlay, and took home with him the child,
Elizabeth Findlay, to whose education and train-
ng he gave special attention. He was a mem
ber of the Legislature when it met in Philadel
phia, and boarded with a Mrs. Parker, a widow
with four children — one son and three daughters

— whose reverses in fortune, it is said, induced
him at the age of sixty-five to marry the widow
and take the flock home. The daughters were
very handsome; one was the mother of Maj.
Linton, great-grandmother of the beautiful Miss
Chamberlain, who had such fame both here and
in Europe. Col. Boggs was the first person
buried in Bellefonte, on the hill now occupied by
the residence of Daniel Rhoads, west end of
Linn street, his remains afterward being removed
to the new cemetery. His wife died July 11,
181 5. Their children are as follows: Andrew
Boggs Jr., (Ill), who was an attorney [see Bar
list, Centre county], was born September 1,
1 773, was also in the iron business in Centre
county with his cousin, John Dunlop; went west
from Bellefonte, and married his cousin, Jane
Johnston; lived in Pittsburgh for a time, then on
the Kiskiminitis, where he made salt; the great
flood of 1832 destroyed his works, entailing a
loss of $30,000. The Legislature voted him
$15,000 damages, as it had partly been occa
sioned by the building of the Pennsylvania canal.
He owned the farm on which Saltsburg is now
built. He had eight children, and some years
after the death of his wife, married Sarah Bid-
die, cousin of Nicholas Biddle, of National Bank
fame; they had four children, and finally moved
to Springfield, Ohio, where he and his wife both
died. His descendants live in the West; one
daughter married Simon Drum, of the regular
army, who was killed at the taking of the City of
Mexico (two of whose sons are now in the army) ;
his (Andrew's) eldest son died unmarried, also
two daughters, Jane and Rebecca. His second
son was lost on the Isthmus of Darien in 1852.
His daughter, Mary, married her cousin, John
Miles; they died in Kentucky, leaving no de
scendants. Anna Bella, his eldest child, mar
ried Jacob Drum, and has two daughters living
in Cleveland, Ohio. Elizabeth (2), daughter of
Col. John and Elizabeth Johnston Boggs, was
born in 1775, married James McLanahan before
the family left Franklin county, and moved to
Baltimore where they both died, leaving a num
ber of children: Craig McLanahan (4), eldest
son, lived in Hollidaysburg. Robert (5) never
married. William did live in St. Louis. Eliza
Bell was married to Dr. Johnston Boggs.
Dr. Johnston Boggs (3), son of Col. John
and Elizabeth Johnston Boggs, was born
June 7, 1776; married his cousin, Eliza
Bell McLanahan (above mentioned); moved to
Natchez and died there. Francis Boggs (4), son
of Col. John and Elizabeth Johnston Boggs, was
born February 25, 1778, and died when twelve
years old. Ann (5), daughter of Col. John (3)

180

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

and Elizabeth Johnston Boggs, was born Octo
ber 24, 1779, married William Wistar Miles, son
of Col. Samuel Miles, of the Revolution, who
owned the land upon which the town of Miles
burg is situated, Centre Furnace and all of
Brush Valley in Centre county. William W.
Miles died in 1808, leaving two sons, John (4)
and William (4).
John (4) married his cousin, Mary Boggs,
leaving no descendants; William married Mary
Kephart; had numerous posterity about Tyrone
and Kittanning, Pennsylvania. In 18 14 Anna
Boggs Miles was married (again) to John Mitchell,
who was an iron-master of Centre county, after
ward a member of Congress, canal commis
sioner, and held many offices of profit and trust
in Centre county. He first came to Centre
county as a manager at the iron works
of John Dunlop. In May, 18 14, he was mar
ried, and then engaged in the mercantile busi
ness in Bellefonte with his brother David. In
October, 18 18, he was elected sheriff of Centre
county, and as such was the executioner of
James Monks, convicted of murder, a crime so
unusual in those days that the trial and execu
tion attracted to the town a vast throng of people
from all the surrounding counties. Mr. Mitchell
was a surveyor and engineer of recognized abil
ity. In 1 82 1 he laid out the Centre and Kish-
acoquillas turnpike. In the year 1826 he made
a survey for the State of the proposed canal
routes between the Susquehanna and the Poto
mac rivers. In 1827 he was appointed engineer
of the Erie extension from New Castle to Erie.
In 1829 he was elected by the Legislature one
of the canal commissioners, again appointed by
Gov. Wolf in 1830. He had three children:
David, the only son, was killed in the Mexican
war. Martha married P. B. Kephart, and
they had four sons: J. Matlock, killed in the
Rebellion. William died recently. J. Miles
and Harry survive; both are married, but have
no descendants. Nancy Harris Mitchell was
married to Dr. Joseph H. Dixon, of Pittsburgh,
a highly esteemed and prominent physician, well
known throughout Pennsylvania; he came of a
family of noted physicians; was a son of John
Dixon, of Cecil county, Md. He died March,
1897. His wife, who died several years previous,
was almost as well known as her husband; her
life being devoted to charity and the alleviation
of suffering, she was beloved by all, and her
death was deeply lamented. They had no chil
dren. Mary Boggs (6), daughter of Col. John
and Elizabeth Johnston Boggs, was born No
vember 19, 1781, died June 14, 1809. Jane
Boggs (7), daughter of Col. John and Eliza

beth Johnston Boggs, was born March 13, 1784,
and married John Royer, an iron-master of
Huntingdon county, and a prominent politician;
Mrs. Royer died at the residence of her son-in-
law, Hon. Cyrus L. Pershing, in Johnstown,
October 28, 1869. Dr. John Boggs (8), son
of Col. John and Elizabeth Johnston Boggs,
was born August 18, 1787, married a Miss Alli
son; one of their daughters married a Bishop de
Schweintz, and lives in Bethlehem; one died
young, and the eldest married a Mr. Wharton, of
Philadelphia, who was an elder in the Presbyter
ian Church, and they had two sons, Allison and
Johnston, who were Methodist ministers.
Ann Boggs (II), daughter of Andrew Boggs (I)
and Miss Patton, married Joseph Lowry, son of
Lazarus Lowry, who came from the North of
Ireland and located at Donegal, Penn., in 1729.
His (Joseph's) brother, Col. Alexander Lowry,
was an officer in the Revolution, whose grandson
of the same name, Alexander, married Miss
Margaret Speer, of Williamsburg, Penn., and re
cently died in Butler, Penn. , leaving seven sons
and one daughter. Joseph Lowry was engaged
in two French and Indian wars, his family twice
driven from their homes, and it burned to the
ground ; he afterward moved his family to May-
town to educate their son, John G. Lowry; he
was placed in a classical school conducted by
Rev. Colin McFarquhar. John G. went into the
army to quell the "whiskey rebellion" in 1792
or '3; afterward accompanied his cousin, John
Dunlop, to Centre county, and became a man
ager at his Iron Works, and later, in connection
with Judge Huston, the administrator of John
Dunlop. He was an elder of the Presbyterian
Church almost from its organization in Bellefonte
until the time he left the town, a year or two
before his death. He was appointed treasurer
for several terms, and when the office was made
elective, was the first to fill the position. His
first wife was Abigail, daughter of Richard
Miles, who was a brother of Col. Samuel Miles;
they had one child, Edward, who died when a
young man, unmarried; his second wife was-
Rachel, widow of Capt. John Lightner; they
moved to St. Louis, where Mr. Lowry died.
(2) James, son of Andrew Boggs and Miss Patton,
born  ; Andrew, son of Andrew Boggs and
Miss Patton, born  ; Mary, daughter of Andrew
Boggs and Miss Patton, born  ; Alexander,
son of Andrew Boggs and Miss Patton, born

He (Alexander) was an officer of the Revolution:
and was a captain in Col. Clark's command in
Bertram Galbraith's battalion, and with the bat
talion during the celebrated "Flying Campaign"
in New Jersey in 1776, was at the battles of

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

181

King's Bridge, Long Island, &c. , on many occa
sions distinguishing himself for great bravery.
The children of Col. James Dunlop (III) and Jane
Boggs (II) are, viz. : William Dunlop (i), born Jan
uary 17, 1763, died unmarried. (IV) Andrew Dun
lop (2), born September 22, 1764, was admitted
to the Bar of Franklin County in 1785, and was
one of the attorneys admitted to practice at the
first court held in Centre county in November,
1800. He represented Franklin county in the
Legislature from 1796 to 1800. Andrew married
Sarah Bella Chambers, daughter of Col. James
Chambers, of Chambersburg (son of Benjamin
Chambers, who founded the town), and Cather
ine Hamilton, aunt of Martha Hamilton Alrichs,
mother of Jane Alrichs, who was the wife of Ovid
F. Johnston, the distinguished Attorney-General
of Pennsylvania; their children: Ovid F Johns
ton, prominent attorney in Philadelphia. Fannie
A., widow of Hon. S. T. Shugert. Miss Hannah
and Miss Martha. The children of Andrew and
Sarah Bella Chambers Dunlop are as follows:
(V) James Dunlop (1) was born at Chambers
burg on the — day of  , 1795, and died on the
•9th of April, 1856. He was married to Maria Ma-
deria. He was an eminent lawyer; graduated in
Dickinson College, Carlisle, in 181 2; was admitted
to the Bar in 18 17; a member of the Senate in
Franklin county about 1825. He was the com
piler of Dunlop's Digest of the Laws of Pennsyl
vania, and a Digest of the Laws of the United
States. In 1838 he moved to Pittsburgh, and
was a member of the firm of Dunlop & Maderia
(George A. Maderia, his brother-in-law), proprie
tors of the celebrated Siemans Edge Tool Fac
tory. In 1855 he moved to Philadelphia; he was
stricken with paralysis in Baltimore, and died
there April 9, 1856; their children were as fol
lows: Sarah Bella and Helen. Sarah Bella mar
ried John A. Wilson, a Pittsburgh merchant, at
one time very rich, and who afterward lived in
Elizabeth, N. J., where Mr. Wilson died; they
had four children: Tieman, Dunlop, Nellie (mar
ried to a Dr. French) and Sarah Bella. Helen,
daughter of James and Maria (Maderia) Dunlop,
was married to John Motter, of St. Joseph, Mo.,
and had three children: Wilson, Dunlop, and
Helen (who was married to W. D. Cook, of Pu
eblo, Colo.).
Jane Catherine Dunlop (2), daughter of An
drew (IV) and Sarah Bella Chambers Dunlop, was
married to Col. Casper Willis Weaver, of Weav-
erton, Md. ; she was quite an authoress, and con
tributed many scientific articles worthy of publi
cation in the Department reports issued by the
U. S. Government. They had nine children:
Adam, Catherine Willis (who married William

Oliver Collins), Charlotte Dunlop (who married
Dr. Carlton Clare), Sarah Bella, Elizabeth, An
drew Dunlop, Patrick Henry, Mary Josephine
and Virginia Hadessa. Charlotte Rhuhannah (3),
daughter of Andrew (IV) and Sarah Bella Cham
bers Dunlop, was married to Charles S. Clark
son, a major in the Mexican war, and afterward
a colonel. They had six children: John (1) Minor,
who was married to  , and by a second wife,
Mrs. Bettie had Catherine (2), unmarried. James
Dunlop Clarkson (3), married to Ella Scott.
David (4), unmarried, resides in St. Louis. Jo
sephine (5), married a Mr. Clarkson; and Marga
ret (6), unmarried.
Josephine (4), daughter of Andrew (IV), and
Sarah Bella Chambers Dunlop, married Col.
James Ludlow, son of Israel Ludlow, one of
the founders of Cincinnati. They resided at Lud
low Station (a military post during the Indian
wars). The fine large estate and hospitable sub
urban home was the resort of all the family connec
tion. They had eight children : ( 1 ) James Dunlop
Ludlow was married to Susie  , and in 1864
lived near Peoria, 111. (2) Charlotte mar
ried Charles Jones; they had a daughter, and a
son, Ludlow, who in 1.864 was a practicing attor
ney in Cincinnati. (3) Saraha Bell was married
November 6, 1846, at Mr. Justice McLean's,
Fourth street, Cincinnati, by Rt. Rev. C. P. Mcll-
vaine, to Salmon P. Chase, a prominent lawyer,
statesman, diplomat, Judge of the United States
Court, and a member of President Lincoln's cab
inet. Their children were: Jenette Ralston
Chase, born September 17, 1847, a lady whose
delightful letters and literary genius are known
under the nom de plume of " Mrs. Hoyt ". Jos
ephine Ludlow Chase, born July 3, 1849, and
Kate Chase, who was married to Gov. Sprague,
of Rhode Island. (4) Catherine (Ludlow) mar
ried Jacob Baker; her second husband was
Lewis Whiteman, and now resides at Ludlow
Station, which she has purchased. (5) Benj. C.
was married to Fanny Jones; he was a physi-
ian of high standing in the Union army during the
Rebellion, after which he resumed his practice in
Cincinnati. (6) Josephine was unmarried, and
died in 1866. (7) Rhuhannah married Randall
Hunt, and resides in New Orleans; and (8) Israel
was an officer, also, in the Union army, and now
practicing law in Cincinnati. Sarah Bella (5),
daughter of Andrew (IV) and Sarah Bella Cham
bers Dunlop, married (first) Hon. Jeptha D. Gar
rard, of Kentucky, and (second) Hon. John Mc
Lean, of Ohio, postmaster-general and Justice
of the U. S. Supreme Court. Hadessa (6), daugh
ter of Andrew (IV) and Sarah Bella Chambers
Dunlop.

182

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

HARRIS.
(IV) Ann Dunlop (3), daughter of Col. James
and Jane Boggs, was born March 15, 1768; was
married June 15, 1790, to James Harris, a direct
descendant of Edward Harris, of Scotland, who
abandoned his large estates, which were confis
cated (and never recovered) in consequence of
the persecution of the Covenanters in the reign of
Charles II, or his successor, James II (1660 to
1689), and settled in the County Donegal, near
Rapho, in Ireland, his brother Charles accom
panying him and receiving like treatment.
Edward Harris ( 1 ) was married to Flora Doug
lass, of the famous family of that name who re
sided near the borders of England. Their chil
dren were Edward, Robert and James. Edward
(II), son of Edward (I), married and had children:
Robert, William and Mary. Robert (II), son of
Edward (I), married Dorothy Wiley, and had
children: John, William, James, Margaret,
Thomas, Samuel, Robert and Charles. James
(II), son of Edward (I), married Mary Simpson,
and had children: William, Ann and James, and
by a second marriage (with Janet McClure) had a
son, John. William (III), son of James and Mary
Simpson, married Catharine Wilson, and emi
grated from Ireland to the Swatara, below Har
risburg (Donegal). Their children were: James,
John, William, Sarah, Mary and Robert. Ann
(III), daughter of James and Mary Simpson, mar
ried David Caldwell, who emigrated to Pennsyl
vania and then moved to Carolina, and had a
family of children. After the death of David
Caldwell she married Robert Harris, son of Rob
ert (II) and Dorothy Wiley. James (III), son of
James and Mary Simpson, never married. He
was a surveyor, and lived with his half-brother
John, at Mifflintown, where he died September
8, 1804, and was buried in the Presbyterian
graveyard. He was appointed deputy surveyor
for part of Cumberland county on April 19, 1785,
and his name is to be found among many of the
old surveys.
John (III), son of James and Janet McClure,
was born in Ireland in 1723, immigrated to this
country in 1752, locating on the Swatara (Done
gal). He was first married to Jane Poen, who
died without issue. His second wife was a cousin,
Jean Harris, daughter of John Grizzele Steel
(son of Robert), and she died January 11, 1807,
aged eighty-three, leaving the following children:
Jane, James, William, Grizzele, Margaret and
Ann. "Donegal" was settled by Scotch-Irish
Presbyterians, nearly all of whom occupied promi
nent positions in Colonial times, and the records
of the Revolutionary war, and that of 18 12, fully
establish the fact of their purest patriotism and

love of country. Every soldier and officer of the
Third Battalion was from this place, John Harris
early taking an influential part. He was one of
the leading spirits at the meeting at Carlisle July
12, 1774, to express sympathy for the oppressed
at Boston, and adopt measures for their relief.
He was a member of the Provincial Conference
which met at Carpenters Hall June 28, 1776, and
of the subsequent Convention July 15, 1776. He
was appointed sub-lieutenant of Cumberland
county March 12, 1777. From 1778 to 1781 he
served as a member of the General Assembly.
He was one of the commissioners who met at
New Haven, Conn., in November, 1777, to regu
late the price of commodities in the States. The
Act for the gradual abolition of slavery in Penn
sylvania received his support, although himself a
slave owner. He was commissioned a Justice of
the Peace on 6th of February, 1779. In 1790
he laid out the town of Mifflin, Juniata county,
upon his estate, which comprised 375 acres, and
with characteristic forethought and consideration
reserved a portion for public use, now occupied
by the court house, Presbyterian and Lutheran
churches, cemetery, &c. ; he died there February
28, 1794, and was buried in the Presbyterian
burying grounds there. (IV) Jane, daughter of s
John and Jean Harris, married James Patterson,
son of Capt. James Patterson, who settled at Mex
ico, Penn. . at a very early date, and had a warrant
for 407 acres of land dated February 4, 1755, be
ing the day after the land office opened for the
sale of lands west of the Kittatinny Mountains.
This land he had surveyed on the 29th of the
same month, and it is the first land patented
within the limits of the present county. They
had children: John and William, of whom, Will
iam married Mary Riddle, whose son Riddle Pat
terson is the father of William H. Patterson, su
perintendent of public grounds at Harrisburg
(1878). Grizzelle (IV), daughter of John and Jean
Harris, married James Knox, Esq., a prominent
citizen of Mifflintown, a J. P. and a merchant
from 1794. Their children were Thomas, John,
Maria, Jane and Hannah. All moved to the
West. William (IV), son of John and Jean Harris,
died unmarried April 20, 1807, aged forty-eight
years ; he was a surveyor. Margaret (IV), daughter
of John and Jean Harris, married John Stewart,
Esq., a justice in Tuscarora. Ann (IV), daughter of
John and Jean Harris, married Samuel Bryson,
Esq. , formerly a distinguished citizen of Mifflin
town, who had served five years in the army dur
ing the Revolutionary war, was wounded at Ger
mantown and as County Lieutenant refused to
commission two colonels elected by the regi- .
ments, which so incensed the people that on his

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

183

being appointed judge, a small army marched to
Lewistown to drag him from the Bench and force
him to resign. The effort did not succeed, but
there was great excitement and it was on the
verge of serious trouble and bloodshed. Their
children were James, Samuel, Polly and Jane
(Mrs. Ann B. died October n, 1831).
James, Harris (IV), son of John and Jean
Harris, was born on the Swatara in 1755; with
ample means and access to the extensive library
of his father; his early education was thorough.
He adopted the occupation of a civil engineer
and April 19, 1785, was appointed deputy sur
veyor of Cumberland county, and on November
19, 1789, for all of Mifflin county. In Septem
ber, 1787, he laid out the road from Frankstown
to the Conemaugh river. He was married on
June 15, 1790, to Ann, daughter of Col. Dun
lop; he moved to Spring creek in 1795 (the old
home known as " Willow Bank "), and in that
year, in connection with his father-in-law, laid
out the town of Bellefonte upon their own prop
erty, and to their generous appreciation of the
future needs of the town much is due. First
donating the beautiful spring from which the
town derives its name, the ground for the court
house, jail and public buildings, cemetery, Pres
byterian church, parsonage and academy. They
then appropriated one-half of all the proceeds
from the sale of not only the town lots but of out
lots, covering a considerable portion of their
adjoining property, to the erection of the public
buildings and academy, and for an endowment of
the latter. Accurate land books of sales made,
and receipts of the commissioners of the county and
trustees of the academy for the proceeds to which
each were entitled, are still in the possession of
the family. James Harris was also a State Sen
ator from Mifflin county, and the first postmaster
of Bellefonte. After the erection of the county
he was State Senator from the District, from
1800 to 1808. From 1789 his name is connected
with all the land titles of Centre county, and his
acquaintance with all the lands from the west
branch of the Susquehanna to the Conemaugh,
afforded the large Eastern land owners the only
means of information in relation to their property
in that region. He was an intimate friend and
relation, by marriage, of Governor William Find
lay; his correspondence with him in relation to
"Frontier Defence " will be found in Pennsyl
vania Archives Vol. IV, 710. Mr. Harris was
also largely engaged in milling operations and
other business enterprises in Bellefonte, and is
justly regarded as one of the fathers of the place;
he died there December 2, 1828, aged 71 years.
His wife (nee Ann Dunlop) who survived him,

died in Bellefonte, April 8, 1844, aged 77 years.
She was a woman of more than ordinary mind
and cultivation. Her taste for metaphysical
reasoning led the ablest theologians of her day to
seek her society, and she was the author of a book
entitled "The Alphabet of Thought," that was
regarded by all as a work of great merit, elucidat
ing principles requiring much study and great
research. The children of James and Ann Dunlop
Harris were: (V) John (1) was a practicing physi
cian for some years, and afterwards engaged in the
wholesale drug business in Philadelphia, and im
porters under the firm name of Harris, Hale &
Co. He was married first to Eliza Hoge, a
niece of Judge Walker, his second wife being
Miss Ellen Orbison, of Huntingdon, Penn., who
acquired such celebrity during the Rebellion in the
organization of help, collection and distribution
of supplies and delicacies for the Pennsylvania
soldiers in home and field hospitals. She is now
residing in Vienna, where Dr. Harris died while
serving as U. S. consul. Dr. Harris had no chil
dren. (V) Jane (2), daughter of James and Ann Dun
lop Harris, was married February 28, 181 1, to
Rev. James Linn, who died in Bellefonte
February 23, 1868, after a pastorate of 58
years. We copy the following from Linn's
History of Centre county: "James Linn was
born in Sherman's Valley, in Cumberland Co. ,
Penn., September 4, 1783, and was one of seven
children. His grandfather came over from Scot
land in the early part of the last century, and
was of solid Presbyterian stock. His father, John
Linn, was born in Adams county, Pa., in the year
1749, was graduated at Princeton College in 1773,
studied theology with Rev. Robert Cooper, and
during his entire ministerial life, including a term
of nearly forty years, was settled as the pastor of
Centre Church, Sherman's Valley. He died in
1820 in his 71st year. He was married to Mary
Gettys, daughter of the founder of Gettysburg.
Mr. Linn was graduated in Dickinson College in
1805, and studied theology with Rev. Joshua
Williams at Newville. He was licensed to preach
the Gospel September 27, 1808, by the Presby
tery of Carlisle. He himself considered it an
honor of no small measure to have been licensed
by such a body of ministers as then composed that
Presbytery — a noble band of venerable men
and men of talent. In the spring of 1809 he
visited the congregations of Spruce Creek and
Sinking Valley, now in the bounds of Huntingdon
Presbytery. From there he shortly after came
to Bellefonte. The Presbyterian Church in this
place had just been left vacant by the removing
of Rev. Henry R. Wilson to Carlisle. His

<1$4

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

preaching here and at Lick Run for a few Sab-
'batbs resulted in unanimous calls from both
Churches, each for one half of his time. The or
dination and installation took place April 17th,
18 10, in the court house, which was then used as
the place of worship. In this service the Rev.
Mr. Coulter preached the sermon, and the Rev.
Mr. Grier presided and gave the charge to the
pastor. In 1839, the Bellefonte Church wishing
to secure his undivided labors, he was released
from the Lick Run charge, and by an unanimous
vote was chosen a second time as pastor in Belle
fonte. In this relation he continued to the day
of his death. In October of the year 1859, which
marked a half century in his pastorate, the Pres
bytery of Huntingdon celebrated the occasion by
special exercises of great interest, holding their
fall meeting in Bellefonte for this purpose.
Shortly after this his strength began perceptibly
to fail to such an extent that it was decided to
relieve him from regular labors by calling a co-
pastor. In the spring of 1861 the Rev. J. H.
Barnard was called to the co-pastorate, and re
mained until 1866, and was succeeded by the
Rev. Alfred Yeomans in December of the same
year ". Dr. Linn's wife Jane (ne'e Harris) died
August 14, 1822; he (again) married, April 15,
1829, Miss Isabella Henderson.
The children of Rev. James Linn by his first
wife were: (VI) Claudius B. Linn (1), of Philadel
phia, who was engaged in the wholesale drug busi
ness, and was married to a Mrs. Baldwin, a widow
with two children, Sue Baldwin, unmarried, and
William Baldwin, married to a daughter of John
A. Wilson, and at present superintendent of the
Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago railroad, re
siding at Fort Wayne. Claudius B. Linn had
two children, a son, Lewis, and a daughter,
Carrie, married to Dr. Carl Siler, has several
children. James Harris Linn (2) was an iron
master. For a short time engaged in that busi
ness in East Tennessee, afterward at Howard
Iron Works, in Centre county, and for the last
forty years of his life was a member of the well-
known firm of McCoy & Linn, of Milesburg Iron
Works, at which place he died April 6, 1876.
He was married September 15, 1843, to Harriet
Stewart (daughter of Robert T. Stewart), who
died July 16, 1895. They had no children.
(Vi) Hon. Samuel Linn (3) was a leading at
torney of Centre county, enjoyed a large general
practice for many years, and was the foremost land
lawyer in this part of the State, where the con
flicting titles and interfering warrants were the
subject of litigation involving difficult legal ques
tions, and there were few questions of this na
ture in the surrounding counties in which he was

not employed. He was elected President Judge
of this District, then composed of Clear field, Centre
and Clinton counties. He was a most eloquent
advocate, as a judge clear, explicit, conscientious
and just, but owing to his dislike for criminal
jurisprudence (which the position included), and
which he avoided when at the Bar, unless
duty clearly pointed to the advocacy or de
fense in extreme cases involving the good order
of society or malicious persecution, he resigned
the judgeship in May, 1868, and returned to the
practice. He was an author of legal works, and
his "Analytical Digest" of adjudged and paral
lel cases was a work involving immense labor
and of incalculable value to the profession. Some
years after his retirement from the Bench he
formed a partnership in the practice of law with
Hon. William H. Armstrong, of Williamsport,
and went there to live, where he died. Socially]
he was highly esteemed; few persons had the
fund of anecdotes, or the happy faculty of relat
ing them. He was an elder in the Presbyterian
Church, and a representative of the same in all
the high courts. He was born on the 20th of
February, 1820, and married on the first of De
cember, 1847, to Miss Augusta Moore, of Car
lisle, Penn. They had seven children: James
(1) died when a young man; Mary (2) married a
Mr. Hemingway, and resides in New Jersey;
Harry (3) died recently; Claudius (4); Anna
(5), married to Dr. Cheney, resides in Williams
port; Blanche (6); Herbert (7).
(VI) Anna Linn (4), daughter of Rev. James
Linn, who died March 25, 1847, married Judge
John Irvin, Jr., a son of John Irvin and
Mary, daughter of William Fisher, who was
born on the 21st of January, 1754, in Chester
county. Thomas Fisher, the grandfather of
William Fisher, was among the original pur
chasers of land in Chester county from the
Penns, and at whose death it was inherited
by his nephew, and in the fall of 1800 he
moved to Centre county (then Upper Bald Eagle,
now Union township), where he purchased land,
built a dwelling, sawmill, and in 1812 erected
the stone mansion now known as the old stone
house at Snow Shoe Intersection. John Irvin,
the grandfather of Judge John Irvin, Jr., was a
Chester County Friend, came to the Bald Eagle"
Valley in 1801, and settled on the place known
as the Loughry farm, containing 400 acres of
land, where he died in 1829, aged eighty years,
leaving two sons, William and John. The for
mer, well known as one of the early school
teachers in the Valley, died in Unionville when
over eighty years of age. The latter, John, Jr.,
father of Judge John Irvin, Jr., died in his pew

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

185

in the Bellefonte Friends Meeting House one
Sunday in 1859. His other sons were Ellis and
William, of Clearfield county, and Dr. James, of
¦Colorado, and two daughters — Melissa, married
to Lewis Hagerman (two children surviving, John
Irvin and Sarah), and Mary Jane, married to Augus
tus Whiteman. Judge John Irvin, Jr. , early in life
engaged in mercantile pursuits, and in 1841 en
tered into partnership in Bellefonte with Henry
Brockerhoff, conducting perhaps the most ex
tensive business of the time in this part of the
State, their business extending over many of the
adjoining counties. On the 26th of December,
1846, he retired from the business to engage in
the manufacture of iron at "Howard Iron
Works," under the firm name of Irvin, Thomas
& Co., which in 1854 was changed to John Ir
vin, Jr., & Co., and continuing until 1865, when
he sold the property to Grescom Bright & Co.,
and moved to Bellefonte, expecting to retire
'from business, but the great change from an act
ive life induced him to engage with Col. P. B.
Wilson in the hardware business, under the name
of Irvin & Wilson, and they erected a fine brick
lalock for that purpose, conducting a prosperous
business for sveral years, when he retired to as
sume the management of some large trust estates,
in which he continued to the time of his death,
August 14, 1889. He was elected an asso
ciate judge of the county, serving out his full
term. He was an enterprising citizen, trusted
adviser and warm friend. He had two children,
¦viz.: (VII) Mary T. Irvin (1) was married to
Edmund Blanchard, a prominent attorney at
law, and partner of Ex-Gov. Curtin. He was
a son of the Hon. John Blanchard (hereinbe
fore mentioned), and was, until the day of
his death, on the 27th day of Dec, 1886,
the senior law partner of the firm of E. &
E. Blanchard. He was well known through
out the State, and was largely engaged in
other business interests. He was an enter
prising citizen, and perhaps no one in Bellefonte
ever had the material interest of the place at
heart, or contributed more in time or means to
promote its welfare. Every enterprise and im
provement had his assistance, and the personal
ambitions or preferment of any of its citizens
had his unselfish and cordial support. They had
the following children: (VIII) Rebecca, Fred,
Anna and Christine. (VII) Jennie Irvin (2) was
married to Joseph R. Bright, of Pottsville, who
is extensively engaged in the iron and coal inter
ests of that region. They have the following chil
dren: (VIII) Anna, John, Howard, Edmund,
Harris Linn and Stanley.
(VI) Jane Eliza (5), daughter of Rev. James

Linn, was married to Daniel Welch, of Belle
fonte, who was early engaged with his brother-
in-law, Jas. H. Linn, and cousin. Dr. J. H.
Dobbins, in the iron business in Tennessee;
afterward a railroad contractor and business
man, now deceased. They had no children.
The Rev. James Linn, D. D., was married (a
second time) to Miss Isabella Henderson, whose
ancestor, Daniel Henderson, lived and died in
Chester county before the Revolution. He had
a number of children, one of whom removed to
Carlisle and married Margaret, daughter of Dr.
Jonathan Kearsley, who came from Dublin and
then removed to Shippensburg; he was a deputy
surveyor of Cumberland and Franklin counties,
and died on the 8th of April, 1796. He had
seven sons and four daughters, one of whom,
Isabella, was married to the Rev. James Linn,
D. D., on the  day of  , 18 — . His
sons all occupied positions of trust or prominence
in the professions, as was also the case in the
preceding generations. Rev. James and Isabella
(Henderson) Linn had one daughter, Margaret
H., who was married to Wm. P. Wilson, a
prominent attorney of Bellefonte, for many years
the law partner of his brother-in-law, Judge Sam
uel Linn. He was well known throughout the
State, and interested in many large business en
terprises; died August 3, 1878.
(V) Eliza G. Harris (3) was married to Dr.
Daniel Dobbins, whose father was a clergyman
of the Covenanter Church, and emigrated from
Ireland to this country, locating in the Cumber
land Valley near Gettysburg. Dr. Dobbins was
an eminent physician and practitioner in Belle
fonte for more than thirty-seven years, he re
ceived a classical education under the care and
tuition of his father, who for a number of years
was engaged in teaching, and by whom were
educated many men who in after life became
eminent in the different learned professions. The
Doctor was a student of Dr. Church, of Phila
delphia, and graduated from the University of
Pennsylvania in 1807, when he came to Belle
fonte and commenced the practice of medicine,
which he continued with unremitting industry
until the day of his death, February 27, 18 14.
He was a man of strong mind, sound judgment,
an accurate and profound scholar, as skillful and
eminent in his profession as any man in Pennsyl
vania, and a great excellence was that he never
turned from his door, night or day, any one who
needed medical aid. The humble child of pov
erty, the rich and the powerful, were all alike to
him, all commanded his services and in any
severity of weather. He died a martyr to his
profession, universally regretted, esteemed and

186

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

respected, and the citizens of Bellefonte claimed
the privilege of being permitted to erect a
monument to his memory. His wife died about
three years previous. They left two children:
Eliza, who has since died, and Dr. James H.
Dobbins, for many years and at present (1898) a
leading physician of Bellefonte, who inherits
many of the sterling qualities of his father.
(V) James Dunlop Harris (4) was born in
1797, and married in 1824 to Mary Ann Miller.
He was one of the ablest civil engineers this
State ever produced. Linn's History records
very briefly some of the important undertakings
in which he was engaged, viz. : "In the incipient
operations preparatory to the legislation which
authorized the commencement of the Pennsyl
vania canal, he, in 1825, explored one of the pro
posed routes for the canal to connect the eastern
and western waters, and the Act having passed
February 25, 1826, he was immediately appointed
principal assistant to N. S. Roberts, Esq., who
was charged with the location and construction
of the section adjoining Pittsburgh and extending
thirty-one miles to the mouth of the Kiskiminet-
as. On Mr. Roberts' resignation, in May, 1827,
Mr. Harris was appointed to take charge of that
line, which was so far advanced by the first of
June, 1828, that the Board of Canal Commis
sioners appointed him to the additional duty of
locating and constructing that part of the canal
extending from Blairsville to Johnstown, twenty-
eight miles. He had this line, including four
dams, thirty locks and two large stone aqueducts,
so near completed in July, 1829, in substantial
manner, that they could have been finished dur
ing the season, when he was suddenly removed
by adverse influence of James S. Stevenson, act
ing canal commissioner on the Western Division.
Mr. Harris' memorial on the subject to the Leg
islature in 1830 caused the defeat of Stevenson
for U. S. Senator. In 183 1 John Mitchell and
James Clark, overruling Stevenson, appointed
Mr. Harris, in connection with Robert Faries,
engineer to locate the whole West Branch line of
the Muncy Dam to the mouth of the Bald Eagle.
Mr. Faries and Mr. Harris were associated in the
location of the canal, and the line was then
divided for construction, Mr. Harris taking the
western portion. In June, 1834, he was princi
pal engineer of the Pennsylvania and Ohio canal,
and was shortly after offered charge of the Bald
Eagle canal, which he declined as he had pledged
himself to stay with his friend, Gen. Abner La-
cock, in the former enterprise. On March 25,
1836, he was appointed principal engineer upon
the extension of the North Branch Division, and
to have general supervision of that and the Sus

quehanna Division. In the fall of 1838, he was
designated, at the request of the citizens of Schuyl
kill county and other counties interested in the
trade of the Union canal, as an able and disin
terested engineer, to make examinations relative
to its enlargement. His exceedingly able report
will be found among the records of the House of
Representatives at Harrisburg for the year 1839".
In speaking of his death and funeral ceremonies
attended by an immense concord of friends and
neighbors, to testify their regard for his mem
ory, the Centre Democrat, published by S. T.
Shugert, in its issue of the 28th of February,
1842, among other things, says: "He acted his
part in many important places, in all of which
he sustained the character of an able, honest and
conscientious man. He was the patron of all
public improvements, and also of more limited
and local pertaining to our town. He was the
efficient advocate of everything that was good
and useful in civil and religious society. The
temperance cause, the Sabbath-school, the Pres
byterian Church, of which he was a ruling elder
and a very cheerful supporter, have experienced
a severe stroke, and all deeply lament his loss."
He died on the 26th day of February, 1842. His
wife, who survived him, died February 1, 185 1,
She was the daughter of  Miller, who
married a Miss Valentine, sister of Bond, Abram
and George, the well-known iron-masters of Cen
tre county. The children of James D. and Mary
A. Miller Harris were as follows:
(VI) James (1) died in 1846. Thomazine(2)
was married to Dr. George L. Potter, grandson
of Gen. Potter, of the Revolution. Dr. Potter
was a leading physician of Bellefonte for many
years, and a skillful surgeon of the 148th Penn
sylvania during the Rebellion. Their children
are: (VII) Mary Potter (1), who married John C.
Miller and resides in Bellefonte; have a son,
Charles. James H. Potter (2) (of the hardware
firm of Jas. Harris & Co.), married Mary Som-
merville, and have children: Donald, Thomazine
and Janet. Lucy Maria (3), unmarried. George
Potter (4), residing at Fort Wayne, is married
and has two children. Thomazine Potter (5),
unmarried. (VI) Nancy Dunlop Harris (3) was
married to Rev. James Orbison. They devoted
the early years of their life to missionary work
in India, in which country their four children
were born. Mr. Orbison's health being impaired
they returned to Bellefonte, where he died and was
buried. Their children: (VII) Rev. James Harris
Orbison (1), who is married and now also engaged
in missionary work in India. Nellie Orbison (2),
married to Rev. Beach, now the Presbyterian
pastor at Bridgeton, N. J. Miss Agnes Orbison

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

187

(3), unmarried, and residing with her mother in
this county, returned to India, but her health
did not admit of her remaining. Thomas J. Or
bison (4), now a student at the University of
Pennsylvania. (VI) Jane Harris (4) married James
S. Sommerville, a civil engineer and extensive
coal operator of this county; (VII) their children:
Elizabeth (1); Bond (2), married Nina Ramsey,
and they have two children — Ellen D. and Jane
H.; Mary (3); John S. (4); James H. (5); Allen
O. (6) ; Robert H. (7) ; Donald Lang (8);
Claudius L. (9) died in infancy. (VI) Eliza Dob
bins Harris (5) was married to William P.
Humes, a banker of Bellefonte, and a grand-
nephew of Hon. W. W. Potter and Hon. Charles
Huston, of the Supreme Court, and son of E. C.
Humes, for many years and until his death, re
cently, president of the First National Bank of
Bellefonte. They had one child that died when
quite young.
(VI) Louisa Harris (6) was married to Hon.
Adam Hoy, a prominent attorney of Bellefonte.
He died in the prime of life, the exacting duties of
an extensive practice contributing to the result.
He was appointed by the Governor to fill out the
unexpired term of Judge Orvis as President Judge
of the District composed of Centre and Hunting
don counties. Their children: (VII) Nancy H.
(1), Mary (2), Albert (3), Louise (4), married to
Col. W. Fred Reynolds, a banker and capitalist
of Bellefonte, James Harris (5), Edward L. (6),
Randolph (7).
(V) William Harris (5), son of James and Ann
(Dunlop) Harris, born in Bellefonte on the 12th
of July, 1799, adopted the profession of a civil
engineer, and early in life look part with his
father, James Harris, in the location and construc
tion of the various public works of that day, and
the later public improvements in connection with
his brother, James D. , from which time until his
death October 25, 1865, his services as civil
engineer, or in connection with the land titles of
the county, were constantly in demand as a re
sult of his skill, efficiency and painstaking accuracy.
He was for several years largely engaged in the
foundry and machine business, which in those
days embraced the manufacture of all the more
important articles of farm and home use, as
plows, harrows, and all kinds of stoves, etc. He
located and had charge of the construction of the
Bald Eagle canal, of which he had also direction
and control of the business management, as well
as the engineering department, directing its main
tenance, improvement, repairs and contracting
for the same until 1865 when it was so damaged
by flood as to be abandoned. He located and
constructed the Bellefonte and Snow Shoe R. R. ,

and when built he had the supervision of all the
engineering work as well as the exclusive charge
of the lands and coal mines of the Snow Shoe
Land Association, a corporation connected with
the Railroad Company, establishing the lines of
tracts, locating of the mines, and the improve
ments thereon, and to whose careful and prudent
management was mainly due the largely appre
ciated value of the stock of the company. He
had fine social qualities, was fond of the society
of his friends and acquaintances, kind hearted
and liberal even to his injury, beloved by young
and old. He was the most popular man in the
county, and although the Whig party, of which
he was an adherent, was largely in the minority
in the county and district, he could be elected to
any office for which he would permit his name to
be used as a candidate, and without effort upon
his part, as he was naturally averse to political
preferment. In the councils of the different po
litical parties the common remarks heard were
"I wish we could persuade William Harris to
accept," or "I fear they will persuade William
Harris to run." He was elected treasurer of the
county for two terms, and was State Senator
from 1847 to 1850. He was married  ,
1820, to Margaret McLanahan, daughter of Rob
ert McLanahan, of Franklin county, and Re
becca Dunlop, and their children were: Rebecca,
and Ann and William, all of whom died early in life
unmarried; (VI) Jane, who resides in Bellefonte;
James, who was born on the 24th of September,
1832, was married September 24, 1878, to Miss
Lavinia Catharine Slaymaker, of Lancaster coun
ty. After completing his education, James Har
ris early in life engaged in the tanning business
in Snow Shoe township (from 185 1 to 1856). In
1857 he engaged in business at Milesburg Iron
Works, operated by his cousins, J. H. Linn and
J. M. McCoy, with whom he remained until the
beginning of the Civil war, when he enlisted in
the service of the United States, attaining to the
rank of Major, and upon his return at the close of
the war organized, in connection with his cousin,
John Harris (son of Joseph), the hardware house
of J. & J. Harris. In 1884 and '85 he erected
the large brick block, northwest corner of High
and Water streets, with a special reference to
the future home of the now extensive wholesale
and retail hardware business of James Harris &
Co., John Harris having in the meantime dis
posed of his interests to their cousin, James H.
Potter. James Harris is an elder in the Presby
terian Church. He is one of the best known men
in Bellefonte, and always abreast in any enter
prise for the improvement of the town or the alle
viation of suffering or want wherever found. Will-

188

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

iam Harris (V) married (again) October 12, 1837,
Miss Mary Fairlamb, of West Chester (sister of
Dr. George A. Fairlamb, of Bellefonte). She
died July 13, 1845, leaving one child: George F.,
now Dr. George F. Harris, a prominent physician
of Bellefonte, who is married to Mary W. Curtin,
eldest daughter of ex-Gov. Curtin. Their chil
dren are Kate C. and Adaline F. William Har
ris' (V) last wife was Miss Adaline Miles, daughter
of Evan Miles, whom he married December 21,
1847. (V) Joseph Harris, son of James and Ann
Dunlop Harris, was born in the year 1801,
and died July 14, 1845; was married to
Miss Jane Miller, a sister of his brother James'
wife. Like all his brothers, Joseph Harris had a
thorough education and training. He early in
clined to a general business life. He was a man
of great energy, and perseverance, and particular
in business details, prompt and honorable in all his
engagements. He was a warm and devoted
friend, fond of society, and his hospitable home,
the resort of all the connection, always had room
for one more. He was an iron-master, and in
1829 erected and carried on the furnace and
works at Howard; some years later William A.
Thomas and Jacob Lex, of Philadelphia, became
interested with him in the firm name of Harris,
Lex & Thomas. In 1837 Joseph Harris built
the dam for the Canal Co., finished the canal
from Marsh Creek and cut a passage from the
creek near the dam'to the works. The company
then built another furnace stack in 1840, and
built an expensive rolling-mill, putting it in op
eration that fall. Joseph Harris died July 14,
1845. His children are: William A. (1) and
Joseph D. (3), first and third sons of Joseph and
Jane Miller Harris; both died when they were
young men and unmarried. John (2), the sec
ond son, was in the drug business in Bellefonte,
and afterward, in connection with his cousin,
James Harris, founded the large hardware estab
lishment under the firm name of J. J. Harris,
now the largest hardware house in the county.
He was married to Miss Rachel Wagner. Their
children: Joseph (1), Guy (2), Charles (3),
Jane M. (4), Anna (5), George (6), Mary (7).
John Harris died in Bellefonte,' Dec. 19, 1894.
(VI) Mary (4), daughter of Joseph and Jane
Miller Harris, was married to Wistar Morris, a
very wealthy gentleman of Overbrook, near Phila
delphia. Mr. Morris was the leading director of
the Pennsylvania railroad for many years, and in
whose judgment the officials of that corporation
had the utmost confidence and chief reliance.
They had one child, Holly Morris (1), who was
married to Dr. Wood a celebrated Philadelphia

divine. They had children: Morris (1), Mar
guerite (2). It was at their elegant country
home President and Mrs. Cleveland were enter
tained when they visited in Philadelphia.
(VI) Eliza T. (5), daughter of Joseph and
Jane Miller Harris, was married to Evan M.
Blanchard, a practicing attorney of Bellefonte.
He was a son of the Hon. John Blanchard, of
Bellefonte, of whom Linn's History says: "Hon.
John Blanchard was born atPeacham, Vt, Sept.
30, 1787. When fifteen years of age his father
died, and he assisted in carrying on the farm, at
tending the public schools in the winter. Sup
porting himself by school teaching, he prepared
himself for college, and graduated at Dartmouth,
in 1812. He then removed to York, Pa., where
he taught school and studied law, and was ad
mitted to the Bar of York County March 31st,
[815. He first settled at Lewistown, and in the
fall of 181 5 removed to Bellefonte, which contin
ued to be his residence up to the time of his
death. He at once became largely engaged in
the practice of law, and took a high position at
the Bar. He was married in 1820 to Mary,
daughter of Evan Miles. He was a Whig in pol
itics, but not an active politician, and after much
persuasion became the candidate of the party
for Congress in the fall of 1844. His speeches
in Congress, particularly on the tariff question,
are characterized by great logical ability, and
abound in evidence of great research of statistics.
He took sick about the close of his second term,
and died at Columbia, Penn., on his way home,
March 8, 1849. His widow survived him until
January9, 1857. She was born at Milesburg March
23> l799- Their sons, Edmund and Evan M.
Blanchard, Esq., are members of the Bellefonte
Bar. " The following brief estimate of Mr.
Blanchard's character is from the pen of Ex-
Gov. Curtin, at one time Mr. Blanchard's law
partner: " Mr. Blanchard was a thoroughly
educated man, and it is not an exaggerated
eulogy to say a ripe scholar. He retained
his fondness for the classics, and read Latin
and Greek habitually in his hours of relax
ation from professional labor. He was act
ive and zealous in the cause of education
and participated in all means intended to im
prove and enlighten the people who surrounded
him. In his professional reading, except in the
preparation of his cases for trial, he preferred
books and writers in which elementary principles
are discussed, and had the fondness of the thor
oughly educated and accomplished lawyer for the
common law. There were other phases of Mr.
Blanchard's nature which were scarcely known
except to his intimate friends. He had a keen,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

189

sense of. the . ludicrous, and enjoyed wit and hu
mor with rare zest. Those who knew him well
only realized the extent and variety of his liter
ary acquirements. Remarkable for his agreeable
conversation, he was always the leader in the so
cial circle when not too ill, and then he gave
real enjoyment by his knowledge of modern
classic literature, and amused by apt and quaint
illustration drawn from his well-filled memory.
A man of positive convictions on all questions
that engaged his attention. Mr. Blanchard was
bred and educated a Federalist in his political
opinions, and never abandoned the principles of
that party, which he had closely studied and well
understood. It was a high compliment to him
and a just appreciation of his character, as well
as to the generosity and good sense of the people
of the district in which he lived, to elect him
twice to Congress when it was well known he
was an avowed Federalist, when the name was
odious and the party was defeated, disbandoned
and its leaders in retirement. As an advocate,
Mr. Blanchard was persuasive, clear in his logic,
and always truthful in his statements. In his
forensic efforts, he was remarkable for the sim
plicity of his language. His speeches were never
long enough to weary the court or jury, or to lose
him the interest of the Court room. That he
was learned and truthful to his clients was the
foundation of his professional success is true to
his memory; and the purity of his social life and
his integrity gave him the sobriquet of 'Honest
John Blanchard,' and more than all other quali
fications gave him power in the forum and influ
ence in the community."
The law firm composed of Hon. A. G. Cur
tin and Edmund Blanchard, being dissolved when
Mr. Curtin was elected Governor of Pennsylva
nia, E. M. Blanchard and his brother Edmund
became partners under the firm name of E. & E.
Blanchard. They enjoyed a very large practice,
and were also solicitors for a number of large
corporations: Pennsylvania R. R. Co.; Bellefonte
& Snow Shoe R. R. Co. ; Beaver Mills & Lumber
Co. ; Moshannon Land & Lumber Co. ; Snow Shoe
Land Association; Valentine Iron Co., and oth
ers requiring much of his brother Edmund's time
from home. The confining office and detail work,
for many years devolving entirely upon him, grad
ually impaired his health, yet no one ever heard
a complaint or met him without a pleasant smile
and cordial greeting that reflected the best of
health and spirits free of the really many troubles
and exacting duties that he bore so well. He
had not an enemy on earth, on the contrary all
who knew him were more than is implied in the
word "friend," if occasion had required it. He had

rare musical talent, and a melodious voice that
was the principal feature in entertainments given
by the Churches and Societies, whose requests
for his assistance were always cheerfully granted.
And he, too, enjoyed the sobriquet of his father,
"Honest". He died in Bellefonte on the 7th day
of Nov., 1894, deeply lamented by all, leaving to
survive him his wife and four children: (VII) Miss.
Elizabeth; Miss Mary; Edmund, a law student
in the University of Pennsylvania; and John Blan
chard, an attorney of this county in full practice,
the solicitor of the Pennsylvania railroad and other
large interests.
Jane (VI), daughter of Joseph and Jane Miller
Harris, was married to John S. Hendrickson, of
Red Bank, N. J., the owner of large property
interests in that vicinity; they at present reside
in Bellefonte, and have the following children:
Mary (t), Charles (2). Mrs. Hendrickson died
in Bellefonte Dec. 29, 1897. Joseph Harris' (V)
second wife was Jane Huston, sister of Gen. Hus
ton, iron-master at Heela Works. They had one
child: Sally Hopkins, who died quite young.
Andrew Harris (V), son of James and Ann Dun
lop Harris, was born  , and married Anna
Bella Johnston (sister of Elizabeth Livingston
and Jane Mulholland); they had one child, Dr.
Lucien Harris, who died unmarried.

(IV) John Dunlop (4), son of Col. James and
Jane Boggs Dunlop was born April 22, 1770, and
was married June 9, 1797, to Eliza Findlay, of
Franklin county, a granddaughter of Col. John
ston (her father and the father of Gov. William
Findlay were brothers). John Dunlop was the
first one of the family to locate in Centre coun
ty, and purchased among other lands the Griffith
Gibbon tract, upon which the town of Bellefonte is
situated, which he afterward conveyed to his
father, Col. James Dunlop, and his brother-in-
law, James Harris, who laid out and became the
proprietors of the town. He was the most ex
tensive land owner in the county; among other
lands, owning those adjoining the town of Belle
fonte, for a distance of six or seven miles east
and west, and forty thousand acres of timber
land (now Snow Shoe and- Burnside townships),
comprising the valuable bituminous coal field of
that region. In the order of essentials first re
quired by the settlers of the region, being re
mote from supplies, he contracted for the digging
of a head and tail race, and the erection of a
grist or flouring mill and a sawmill, which after
ward became the property of his brother-in-law,
James Smith, now (1897) Hale estate, and de
voted his time to the development of the iron ores
and erection of furnaces, the product of which

190

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

were hauled west to Pittsburgh with teams, or
east by arks on the spring floods in Bald Eagle
creek. He first built, in connection with Col.
Samuel Miles, Harmony Forge on Spring
creek (now (1897) Milesburg Iron Works, of
McCoy & Shugert). He then built Logan
Furnace, on Logan branch, south of the town,
now the Valentine Iron Co., in the meantime
having built the stone house, corner of the Dia
mond, known as the Judge Burnside property
(now "Crider's Stone Building"), in which he
for a time resided, and then moved to the large
stone house he had built at Logan Furnace. He
owned the furnace run by Boggs and Royer (both
his relatives), and in 1810, in connection with
William Beatty (whom he had brought with him
from Franklin county), built Washington Fur
nace, east of Bellefonte, now in Clinton county.
He was the most energetic iron-master in the
county. On the morning of Saturday, October
S, 1 8 14, he returned home from a business trip
to Pittsburgh, stopping at his home only long
enough to get a fresh horse, determined to visit
one of his mine banks before dinner, and imme
diately upon entering the bank noticed the dan
ger of the earth falling, and succeeded in getting
all the miners out safely, but was himself buried
beneath the fall and killed. His death was se
verely felt and lamented. He was fine looking,
of commanding appearance, being over six feet in
height, amiable in disposition and temper, and
his moral and religious character irreproachable.
His wife (ne'e Eliza Findlay) died August 16, 1 836.
Their children: (V)Jane (1) was born December
3, 1800, was married June, 1817, to William Cal
houn Stewart, a direct descendant of (i)John Stew
art, a Scotch Covenanter of the seventeenth
century, who fled from Scotland to the County
Down, in the North of Ireland, the refuge for
proscribed Presbyterians and Covenanters in the
reign of Charles II (1660-1685), and died in 1720;
had a son, (2) Robert Stewart, born near Glas
gow, 1665, in reign of Charles II; died in 1730.
Upon the death of his father he moved to Dru-
more township, County Down, twelve miles from
Belfast. The lives of father and son, John and
Robert Stewart, therefore embraced an important
period in the history of England, commencing
in the reign of Charles I, under Cromwell,
Charles II, James II, William and Mary, Queen
Anne, George I, and into the reign of George II.
Robert Stewart had a son (3) Samuel, born in
1698 near Glasgow, Scotland, died in 1770. He
emigrated to the North of Ireland with his fa
ther in 1720. In 1735, accompanied by his
brother Hugh, he crossed the ocean, landing in
Philadelphia, and settling in Drumore township,

Lancaster Co., Penn., near Chestnut Level, a
Scotch-Irish Presbyterian settlement ministered
to by Rev. John Thompson, of Donegal Presby
tery. He was married in Ireland to Mary Mc-
Clay; among other children they had a son (4)
Samuel. STEWART.
(IV) Samuel Stewart, born in the County
Down, Ireland, and brought to Pennsylvania in
the emigration of his father's family in 1735, and
on arriving at age settled as a farmer in Hanover
township, Lancaster county, about 1750. His
warrant for one hundred acres of land was dated
May 17, 1754, and assessed for the King's use,
1759. From the date of this settlement therein, in
1750, until 1764, this region was subject to Indian
raids, from which the inhabitants suffered fear
fully, and continued until the massacre in Lan
caster by the Conestoga Indians. The historic
meeting in Hanover township, June 14, 1774, as
the earliest recorded movement toward independ
ence, found faithful and active participants in
the Scotch-Irish. Samuel Stewart entered as a
private in Col. Timothy Green's battalion, June,
1776, in Capt. Rogers' company, destined for the
camp in the Jerseys. On the erection and or
ganization of the county of Dauphin he was
upon the first grand jury, composed of prominent
citizens. He was a member of the old Hanover
Church, eleven miles east of Harrisburg, the
records of which show that on November 2,
1788, he and his wife were admitted to the Lord's
Table. He died September 16, 1803, and was
buried in Hanover church graveyard. He was
married to Nancy Templeton, daughter of Rob
ert and Agnes Templeton, of Hanover, who
died in 1788, and they had among others the
following children :
(V) Robert Templeton Stewart, born June
J5> T773> who married Mary Dunlop, daughter
of Col. James Dunlop. His father, Samuel
Stewart, was married a second time, in 1789, to
Agnes (Nancy) Calhoun, who was born in 1763,
died August 29, 1823, and buried in the ceme
tery at Graysville, Huntingdon Co. , Penn. She
was a daughter of William and Hannah Calhoun,
of Paxtang township, Dauphin county. They
had a son, (V) William Calhoun Stewart, born in
1790 in Hanover township, Dauphin county,
died May 31, 1850, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was
an iron-master and member of the firms of Lyon,
Shorb & Co. , and Shorb, Stewart & Co. , of Cen
tre county, Huntingdon and Allegheny county
iron firms, and represented their interest in Cin
cinnati. He was married, as stated above, June,
1817, in Bellefonte, to Jane, daughter of John
Dunlop and grandaughter of Col. James Dunlop

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

191

(she was a niece of his half-brother, Robert T.
Stewart's, wife), and died in Cincinnati, April
27, 1841. Their children are as follows:
(VI) Helen, born in Bellefonte, died when a
child. (VI) Laura born in Bellefonte, married
Col. Charles Jones, planter of Red River, Cata
houla Parish, La. Col. Jones had some fifteen
hundred slaves on his- various plantations, and
strenuously opposed the ordinance of secession
until it was useless to contend against the over
whelming sentiment in the State, when he entered
the Confederate service as an officer, and was
shot in a dispute with Gen. Liddell, of Missis
sippi, in which also his eldest son William, as
well as Gen. Liddell, lost their lives. Mr. Jones'
family were all educated at Heidelberg, Germa
ny, and are as follows: Ella (1), married in
Swizerland, and died abroad. William (2), shot
in the dispute above referred to. Rosa (3), re
siding with her mother at Jonesville, La. Cuth-
bert Bullett(4), of Washington, D. C. Francois
(5), a linguist in the State Department, Wash
ington, District of Columbia.
(VI) Rev. John Dunlop Stewart, born Febru
ary 23, 1824, married Margaret Schell, daugh
ter of John and Margaret Schell, of Birming
ham, and had a numerous family, of whom the
survivors are: Alice (1), born February 25, 1849,
married November 26, 1867, to Samuel Berlin.
John A. Collins (2), born January 19 , 1856, mar
ried Bertha K. Martin, of Hollidaysburg. Laura
(3), born December 12, 1857, married Decem
ber 12, 1876, W. F. Meminger, Evangelist, and
have children — William S., Paul Jones and
Charles Richard. Jesse Smith (4), born May
16, 1866, a civil engineer in Tyrone. Charles
B. (5), born December 31, 1868, married Car
rie E. Gray. Harry Lawrence (6), born Au
gust 13, 1873. (VI) Rev. William Calhoun Stew
art, born June 17, 1829, died in New York City,
April 10, 1894; married (first) Mary Forgey
Conklin, and had a son, William Calhoun (1), re
siding in California; he married (second) Laura,
a sister of his first wife, and (third) Agnes, and
had children — Deborah (2), Agnes (3), Anna
(4) and Nemeha (5). (VI) Jesse Smith Stewart,
born in Cincinnati, April 24, 1832, was first lieu
tenant of Company A, 125th Regiment Pennsyl
vania Volunteers, was killed in the battle of
Chancellorsville, in 1863; was married to Mary
M. Clark, of Birmingham, and had children —
Jesse (i) and William (2); both died in infancy.
(VI) Ella Stewart married Robert G. Bushnell, of
Pittsburgh (of Park Brothers & Co. steel works),
who died December 28, 1894. Their children
are — Jesse Stewart (1), Elinor Gray (2), Douglas
Stewart (3). (V) Eliza J., daughter of John and

Eliza (Findlay) Dunlop, was born April 15, 1803,
and died April 29, 1826, unmarried. (V) Cath
erine Findlay, daughter of John and Eliza (Find
lay) Dunlop, born September 1, 1806, died in
Bellefonte, August 27, 1881, unmarried. (V)
Nancy Harris, daughter of John and Eliza (Find
lay) Dunlop, was born May 25, 1809, and died in
Bellefonte, June 23, 181 1. (V) Deborah Moore,
daughter of John and Eliza (Findlay) Dunlop, was
born February 24, 1812, and died September 8,
1869; she was married, by the Rev. James Linn,
on the 2d of September, 1836, to the Hon. S.
T. Shugert, son of Joseph Bishop and Mary
(Mendenhall) Shugert, who was a descendant of
Benjamin Mendenhall, who with his brothers,
Moses and John Mendenhall, and sister, Mary Men
denhall, emigrated from England to this country
with William Penn; they came from Wiltshire.
(I) Benjamin Mendenhall was held in high
esteem both in his religious society and as a citi
zen. In 1 7 14 he served as a member of the
Provincial Assembly, and died in 1740' at an ad
vanced age. His wife, Ann, who was a daughter
of Robert Pennell, of Chichester, survived him.
They were married in Chichester Friends Meet
ing, of which they were both members, in 1689,
and had nine children. (II) Moses Mendenhall
was a son of Benjamin and Ann Pennell Men
denhall. (Ill) Caleb, son of Moses Mendenhall,
had two sons, Moses and Caleb. They were or
phaned by the death of their father, when quite
young; their mother married (again) a man by
the name of Adam Redd, of Centreville, Del.,
by whom she had one daughter, Miriam, who
has descendants in that region. The two boys,
Moses and Caleb, when they arrived at age, took
the farm of three hundred acres on the right
bank of the Brandywine creek, a mile below the
battle ground, September 11, 1777, owned by
their father, and held it as a divided inherit
ance until their death, the former dying in 1821,
and the latter in 1825. Moses' part of the farm
descended to his son Caleb, and Caleb's farm
to his son Moses, who continued to hold them,
respectively, until 1830, when the former sold
and the latter died, and it passed out of the fam
ily, being held for over a century.
(IV) Moses, son of Caleb Mendenhall, the
elder of the two brothers, married Mary, daugh
ter of Aaron and Ann James, then of the town
ship of Williston, county of Chester, and Prov
ince of Pennsylvania, on the 26th day of the
second month, 1771 , at a meeting of the Friends
at the Kennett meeting house, in the county of
Chester, a copy of which marriage certificate,
with the signatures of those present, is given be
low (the Adam and Miriam Redd, whose names

192

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

appear, were the half-sister and stepfather of
the bridegroom):
Copy — Marriage Certificate of Moses Mendenhall of the
fourth generation of Benjamin's line and Mary James (Daugh
ter of Aaron and Ann James) of the Township of Williston
County and Province aforesaid. Having declared their in
tentions of Marriage with each other before several monthly
meetings of the people called " Quarterly," one of which
was held at Kennett in the county of Chester, and the other
at Centre, in the County of Newcastle, according to the good
order used amongst them, and having consent of Parents
and others concerned, their said proposals of marriage was
allowed of by said Meetings.
Now these are to certify all whom it may concern that
for the full accomplishing their said intentions this twenty-
eighth day of the second month, 1771, they, the said Moses
Mendenhall and Mary James, appeared in a public meeting of
the aforesaid people at Kennett Meeting House and the said
Moses Mendenhall taking the said Mary James by the hand
did in a solemn manner openly declare that he took her to
be his wife, promising with Divine assistance to be unto her
a loving and faithful husband until it shall please the Lord to
separate them by death (or words to the same effect), and
then and there in the same assembly, she, the said Mary
James, did in like, manner declare that she took him to be her
husband, promising through Divine assistance to be unto
him a loving and faithful wife until it shall please the Lord
to separate them by death (or other words to the same effect),
and moreover the said Moses Mendenhall and Mary James
(she according to the custom of marriage assuming the name
of her husband) as a further confirmation thereof did then
and there to these present set their hands:
Moses Mendenhall.
Mary Mendenhall.
And we, whose names are here under also subscribed
being present at the solemnization of said marriage and sub
scription have as witnesses thereunto set our hands the day
and year above written.
Thomas Carlton. Jane Temple.
Thomas Temple. Ann Lamborn.
Thomas Mithous. Ann Way.
Caleb Pierce. Hannah Baily.
Benjamin Ring. Mary Way.
Thomas Carleton, Jr. William Levis.
Jesse Cloud. William Harvey.
Mary Cloud. James Wickersham.
John Lamborn. James Bennet.
Isaac Mendenhall. Isaac Baily.
Miriam Redd. Enoch Wickersham.
Adam Redd. Aaron James.
Lydia Kirk. Joshua Pierce.
Phoebe White. Jacob Heald.
Joshua Gibson. Isaac Mendenhall.
John Gibson. Samuel Grubb.
Hannah Levis. Phoebe Kirk.
Mary Smedley. Esther Marshall.
Abigail Kirk. Caleb Mendenhall.
Adam Kirk.
(V) Moses and Mary James Mendenhall had
eleven children. (V) Ann (ii), their second child,
married Bennett Auge, a son of Daniel Auge, a
wine and shipping merchant of Bordeaux, France,
originally from Amsterdam, Holland. Bennett
Auge was born in Bordeaux, France, 1778, and at
twelve ye'ars of age joined an elder brother in
business in the West Indies, and was overseer of
the plantation at the time of the insurrection at
San Domingo in 1791. He was in the army of
defence, and left when the whites generally took
refuge in the vessels, and came with his brother
to the United States in 1801, and married in
Chester county; had five children, one. of whom,

Moses Mendenhall Auge, born in Centreville,,
Delaware county, in 1842, married Mary Cow^
den, of Plymouth. He was of a decided liter r
ary turn, and author of Biographies, Essays, &c.
One of the early Anti-slavery advocates, editor,
of The Norristown Republican; moved to Phila
delphia, where he died February 21, 1892, leav
ing two daughters, Annie and Ella Auge. •,.,,,,
(V) Mary, daughter of Moses and Mary James.
Mendenhall, the eighth child, born nth month
4th, 1782, married Joseph Bishop Shugert,
whose father was a prominent citizen of York
county, and sheriff as early as 1759. Joseph-
B. had received a fine education, was a great
reader, fine penman and chose the employment
of civil engineer and surveyor, and was for some
years employed on the Pennsylvania canal be
tween Lewistown and York. Soon after his
marriage he moved to Centre county. He was-
one of the earliest principals, if not the first, of
the Bellefonte Academy, and one of the commis-;
sioners of Centre county in 18 15 and 18 16, and
as such settled and receipted to Dunlop & Harr
ris, proprietors of the town of Bellefonte, for the
final payments due the county from the sale^of
town and out lots appropriated to the erection
of the county buildings hereinbefore mentioned;
A great portion of his active life was spent in
the location of the public works of the State,,
and later in life as a surveyor and manager of
the large land interests of Gen. Patton, Col.!
Samuel Miles, Gilbert Lloyd, and others rin the-
region or neighborhood of his home in the Qua,-
ker settlement in Half Moon Valley, near War,--
riorsmark, at which place he died on the 14th
day of November, 1853. They had eleven chilT
dren, viz.: , , . 1
SHUGERT. ¦'/' .:,
(VI) John Wilson Shugert, for many years ed-y
, itor of the Democratic paper published at Harrisr,
burg, and afterward in an official position,, at
Washington, D. C. , where he died, leaving a}
wife and two daughters. (VI) Moses M. Shugetft
married, and had a family residing near Cincin
nati. (VI) Aaron James was engaged in the iron
business at Hannah Furnace, where he was killed,
by accident. (VI) Eliza Keitley married Elijah;
Merriman, and had two sons and two daughters.;
(VI) Mary Ann married Rev. Hugh Mulhollan, and
had a large family. (VI) Caleb Mendenhall mar-j
ried, and has a family living at Titusville. (VI)
Hannah married. (VI) Dr. William Brind^e, for
many years a practicing physician at Titusville,)
Penn., commenced practice in 1844 and continues
until his death February 12, 1866, leaving a family'
residing at Titusville. (VI) Dr. Thomas Burnsidej;
also a practicing physician at Titusville»...n°W

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

198

deceased, leaving a family residing at that place.
(VI) Delinda married a Mr. Elder, and has a fam
ily residing at Corsica, Jefferson county. By a
second marriage Joseph B. Shugert had two
children. (VI) Lloyd, who was married, and killed
in the battle of Gettysburg. (VI) Almeda was
married, and had a family all now deceased.
Joseph B. and Mary (Mendenhall) Shugert's
fourth child was (VI) Hon. Samuel Townsend
Shugert, bprn February 20, 1809, and married
(V) Deborah Moore, daughter of John and Eliza
(Findlay) Dunlop, on the 2nd of September,
1836. (VI) S. T. Shugert commenced the publication
of the Centre Democrat in Bellefonte, in 1835,
and continued its publication until 1845 when he
received an appointment in the U. S. Patent
Office, Washington, D. C. , where he remained
until the administration of President Buchanan,
when he was promoted to the office of Commis
sioner of Patents, retiring at the expiration of
that administration. During his residence in
Washington, the old Centre Democrat having
passed out of Democratic control, and the party
without an organ at the county seat, he purchased
and established, with Henry Hays -as editor, the
Democratic Watchman, the first issue of which ap
peared on the 28th of November, 1855, and upon
his return from Washington he was elected to the
Legislature and the State Senate, after which time
he established another newspaper in Bellefonte,
taking the old name of the Centre Democrat,wh\c\\
he continued a publication of until a few years
prior to his death, which occurred on December 2 1 ,
1895. His wife, Deborah M. (nee Dunlop) having
died September 8, 1 869, he was (again) married to
Fanny Alrichs Johnston, daughter of Ovid F.
Johnston, a distinguished attorney general of
Harrisburg, Penn. ; by his first wife he had the
following children:
(VII) John Dunlop Shugert (1) was mar
ried on the 23d day of December, 1869, to
Mary S., the daughter of Dr. John and Jane
Ann Stewart McCoy. He read law in the office
of the Hon. Samuel Linn, and was admitted to
practice on the 2d of February,' i860. In 1865
he was elected treasurer of the county, and upon
the expiration of his term, on the 6th of January,
1868, was elected cashier of the Centre County
Banking Company, which he, in connection with
Hon. A. G. Curtin, Hon. James Milliken, Hon.
James A. Beaver, E. C. Humes, H. N. McAllis
ter, William P. Wilson, P. B. - Wilson, F S.
Wilson,^ John T. Hoover, Constance Curtin and
J. P. Harris, had then organized, and in which
he is still engaged. Mary S., his wife, died Sep
tember^, 1883, leaving the following children:
13

(VIII) John McCoy (1); Deborah Dunlop (2),
died October 13, 1872; Frank McCoy (3);
Jean Stewart (4); Kate Dunlop (5); and William
Findlay (6), died October 4, 1882. (VII) Mary
M. (2), daughter of S. T. and Deborah M. Dun
lop Shugert, was married to John Moran; they
have one child: (VIII) Townsend Shugert. John
Moran died on — day of  , and she was married
(again) to William E. Burchfield, and now resid
ing in Philipsburg. (VII) William Findlay Shu
gert (3), son of S. T. and Deborah M. (Dunlop)
Shugert, was married — day of August, 1895,
to Miss Margaret Mills, of Washington, D. C. ,
sister of the wives of General William Mitchell
and Major Dunwoody, of the regular army.
(VII) Eliza Dunlop (4), daughter of S. T. and
Deborah M. (Dunlop) Shugert died when young.
PAXTON.
(IV) Jane Dunlop (5), daughter of Col. James
and Jane (Boggs) Dunlop, was born in Cumber
land county, Penn., February 13, 1772, and died
at Gettysburg, Penn., November 14, 1862. She
was married on June 20, 1794, to Rev. William
Paxton, D. D., of Adams county, who was born
in Lancaster county, Penn., April 1, 1760, died
in Adams county, Penn., April 16, 1845, and was
a son of Capt. John Paxton, of Lancaster county,
Penn. Rev. William Paxton, D. D., was a sol
dier in the Revolutionary war, being a private in
a company of which his father, John Paxton, was
captain (Associated Company Pennsylvania Mili
tia, September 11, 1776, and Second Battalion
Lancaster County Militia^ Col. James Watson,
in 1777). He was for fifty years pastor of the
Presbyterian church at Lower Marsh Creek,
Adams county, Penn., and was considered a
wonderfully good preacher, and a man of excel
lent ability as a theologian. Their children were
as follows: (V) Jane (1), died in infancy.
(V) Col. James Dunlop (2), son of Rev. William
and Jane (Dunlop) Paxton, was born on June 1 1,
1796, died at Baltimore February 10, 1864; was
married March 18, 18 19, at Millerstown, Penn.,
to Jane Maria Miller, who was born at Millers
town, Penn., January 18, 1797, and died at
Baltimore April 29, 1870. She was the daughter
of Hon. William Miller and Margaret Craig, and
their children were as follows: (VI) Margaretta
Eliza (1), daughter of Col. James Dunlop and
Jane Maria Miller Paxton, was born at Millers
town, Penn., November 29, 18 19, and died at
Lake George, N. Y. , July 15, 1895, and was
married at Gettysburg, Penn., May 9, 1854, to
John McPherson Stevenson, who was born in
Bedford county, December 6, 181 8. He was a
son of John Mitchell Stevenson and Nancy Rus-

194

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

sell.i He was engaged in the mercantile business
in Baltimore,: Md., from 1850 to 1870. Their
children are as follows: (VII) William Paxton
(1), sqnof John McPherson and Margaretta Eliza
Paxton Stevenson, was born February 24, 1855,
and married on September 29, 1881, Marianne
Witherspoon Woods (VIII); their children are:
Walter Woods (1), born September 9, 1882, and
Margaretta Paxton (2), born September 1, 1883.
(VII) Rev. Alexander Russell (2), son of John
McPherson and Margaretta Eliza Paxton Steven
son, was born December 29, 1856, and was mar
ried, on April 11, 1882, to Mary Margaret Ken
nedy (VIII); their children are: Thomas Kennedy
(1), born November 10, 1883. Caroline Paxton
(2), born March 5., 1888, died November 28,
1895.- Alexander Russell, Jr. (3), born May
28, 1893, and Stuart Riddle (4), born November
14, 1896.
, (VII) James Dunlop Paxton (3), son of John
McPherson and Margaretta Eliza Paxton Steven
son, was born February 9, 1859, and died Feb
ruary 1, i860.
(VI) Rev. William Miller, D. D. (2). son of
Col, James Dunlop and Jane Maria Miller Pax
ton, was born near Millerstown, Adams county,
June 7, 1824, married (first) August 11, 1852,
Hester V. B. Wicks, and had one child, Francis
Herron, born January 3, 1854, died September
7, 1854. He was (again) married on November
8, 1855, to Caroline S. Denny; their children as
follows: (VII) Elizabeth Denny (1), born Decem
ber 30, 1858; (VII) Rev. James Dunlop (2) was
married May 22, 1883; they have no children;
(VII) Amelia Maria (3) was married May 27, 1 886,
to Frank C. Roberts (8), and they have four chil
dren — Caroline (1), died in infancv; Catharine
(2); Paxton (3); and Frank (4); (VII) William
Miller (4); (VII) Caroline Denny (5) was married,
on February 11, 1896, to the Rev. Lewis S.
Mudge; (VII) Hanna Denny (6) died February 27,
1896, unmarried; (VII) Margaretta (7) and (VII)
James Donaldson (8).
(VI) Dunlop (3), son of Col. James Dunlop
and Jane Maria Miller Paxton, born in October,
1829, and unmarried. (V) Dr. John (3), son of
Rev. William and Jane Dunlop Paxton, was
married to Jane Wilson, and had the following
children: (VI) Mary Jane (i)died in infancy, and
(6) James Wilson (2) was married to Margaret
Dunlop Smith, and had the following children:
(VII) Helen Jane (1) was married, on May 22,
1883, to her cousin, Rev. James Dunlop Paxton,
son of Rev. William Miller and Caroline S.
Denny Paxton; (7) John (2) and Margery (3)
both died in infancy; (7) James Wilson, Jr., be
ing the fourth child.

(V) Eliza King (4), daughter of Rev. Will
iam and Jane Dunlop Paxton, was married
to Thomas Johnston; their children were: (VI)
William Paxton (1) died young and unmarried;
(VI) John Thomas (2) married Margaret Pinney,
and had three children. Eliza (1). (V) Harriet
daughter of Rev. William and Jane Dunlop
Paxton, married John Crawford, of Gettysburg,
and had the following children : (VI) Anna Dodd
(1) was married to the Hon. McPherson, and had
five children, namely: (VII) John Bayard (1),
William Lenhart (2), Norman Bruce (3), Donald
Paxton (4), and Annie Crawford (5). (VI) Mar
garet (2) and Harriet (4), daughters of John and
Harriet Paxton Crawford, died in infancy, and
Sally Bruce (3), their third daughter, is unmarried
and resides in Gettysburg.

(IV) Elizabeth Dunlop (6), daughter of Col.
James and Jane Boggs Dunlop, was born in
Cumberland county February 13, 1774, and died
in Bellefonte on the  day of  ,  .
She was married in the First Presbyterian
Church of Carlisle, October 26, 1795, to James
Smith, Esq., of Cumberland county, afterward
a large land owner in the neighborhood of Belle
fonte. She was a woman of more than ordinary
mind, fond of reading and the examination and
discussion of all the leading questions of the day.
It was then so -unusual for ladies to express opin
ions on public policy and conduct, that by reason
of her advanced Anti-Slavery views she was
thought eccentric. They had two children: (V)
William Smith (1) never married, and is now de
ceased; (V) James Smith(2) never married, and is
now deceased. She was married (a second time) to
Michael T. Simpson, a gentleman of fine educa
tion. He held an official position in Washing
ton, D. C. They had one child: (V) Martha
Simpson (3), who was married to Brooke Mack-
all, a wealthy banker of Washington, and their
children were as follows: (VI) Lily (1) died un
married; (VI) Leonard (2) was married to Miss
Rosa Gretta, of Richmond, Va. ; they had no
children, and he was married (again) to a daugh
ter of John Hancock, of Washington, D. C,
brother of Gen. Hancock; (VI) Brooke (3) is un
married; (VI) Louise (4) married a Mr. Owen, a
surgeon of the U. S. Navy; they have two chil
dren— Dunlop (1) and  (2); (VI) Kate (5)
married Robert Christy, a practicing attorney of
Washington, D. C. , and author of "Proverbs,
•Maxims and Phrases of all Ages." They had
three or four children; (VI) Covington (6) died
when young; (VI) Benjamin (7); (VI) Barton (8).
(IV) Deborah Dunlop (7), daughter of Col.
James and Jane Boggs Dunlop, was born in

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

195

Cumberland county, May 9, 1776, and was mar
ried to James Johnston, of Franklin county; they
moved to Centre county and settled at the mouth
of Wallace run. They had six children, of whom
the first three died unmarried: (V) Rebecca (1);
(V) James Dunlop (2); (V) Mary (3); (V) Anna
Bella (4) married Andrew Harris, son of James
and Ann Dunlop Harris; they had one child; (VI)
Dr. Lucien Harris (1), who died unmarried. (V)
Jane Johnston (5) was married to Mr. Mulholland;
they had no children. (V) Eliz. Johnston (6)
married John Livingston, principal of Bellefonte
Academy. (IV) Rebecca (8), daughter of Col. James and
Jane Boggs Dunlop, was born May 19,. 1778, and
died on Wallace run, in Centre county. She
was first married to Robert McLanahan, of
Franklin county, and moved to Wallace run,
Centre county ; they had two children : (V) James
Dunlop McLanahan (1), who was married to
Eliza Welch, daughter of William C. and 
Leyden Welch; their children were as follows:
James (1) died when young; William (2) married,
and had one child, both now deceased; Mary (3)
never married, and died recently in Bellefonte at
her cousin's, Harriet Linn. (V) Margaret (2),
daughter of Robert and Rebecca Dunlop McLan
ahan, was married to Hon William Harris, son
of James Harris, one of the proprietors of Belle
fonte, whose family is hereinbefore enumerated.
(IV) Rebecca Dunlop McLanahan was (again)
married to Robert Steele, of Centre county, and
had the following children: (V) William Steele
(3) never married, and now deceased; (V) Mary
Steele (4) was married to James Gordon, a large
land owner of Centre county, and had the follow
ing children: (VI) Robert ( 1 ) was never married ;
was a member of the Anderson Troop, and killed
early in the war of the Rebellion; (VI) William
Leslie (2) married to Miss Muffly, and had a nu
merous family residing in Kansas; (VI) Theodore
(3) was married to Esther Graham, and died
leaving no children; (VI) James D. (4) was a civil
engineer, and was killed in a railroad accident in
New York State; he was never married; (VI) Mar
tha (5) married Joseph R. Muffly, a broker of
Philadelphia; they have two children: Eliza
beth (1), married June 2, 1897, to Joseph L.
Montgomery; and Lillian (2); (VI) Hon. Cyrus
Gordon (6) was married to a daughter of Hon.
John F. Weaver, of Clearfield. Cyrus studied
law in Bellefonte, was admitted to practice, and
then moved to Clearfield, where he enjoyed a
large practice, and was two years ago elected
President Judge of that District, although the po
litical party to which he was an adherent was
largely in the minority. (They have several chil

dren); (VI) Isaac Newton (7) is a civil engineer,
and also a graduate in mechanical engineering;
is not married.
(IV) James Dunlop, Jr. , (9), son of Col. James
and Jane Boggs Dunlop, was born October 18,
1780; was an attorney, admitted to practice law
in Centre county, in August, 1801 [see Bar list].
He went south, and died there in 1824. He was'
married to a Miss Dunbar, and had a daughter
married to a Mr. Smith, of Natchez, Mississippi.
(IV) Mary Dunlop (10), daughter of Col,
James and Jane Boggs Dunlop, was born. De
cember 26, 1784, and died June 12, 1827, and
buried in the First Presbyterian Churchyard in
Pittsburgh, Penn. She was married January 10,
1809, in Bellefonte, by the Rev. Henry R. Wil
son, to Robert Templeton Stewart (5) (a half-
brother of William C. Stewart, who married
Jane, daughter of John and granddaughter of
Col. James Dunlop). He was born June 15,
1773, and died in October, 1835, at Hollidays-
burg, while en route to Pittsburgh, and buried at
Saltsburg, Indiana county. He was a son of Sam^
eul(IV), Samuel (III), Robert (II), John (I), here
inbefore mentioned. He settled in Bellefonte in
the year of 1800, and was admitted to the Bar of
Centre County, at the November term of court,
1800. He was retained in the famous slander
suit of McKee vs. Gallagher, August term, 1801,
in which there were fourteen lawyers for the
plaintiff, and twenty-two for the defendant. In
1 810 he was appointed postmaster and continued
in office until 18 19. In 18 10 he engaged in mer
cantile pursuits with his half-brother, William C. ,
and in 18 19 entered into partnership with John
Lyon in the manufacture of iron; residence at
Coleraine Forges, Huntingdon county. In 1828
Lyon and Stewart sold Coleraine Forges to
Joseph and James Barnett and Anthony
Shorb. He moved to Pittsburgh in 1823, and
built the Sligo Rolling Mill. Represented Alle
gheny county in the Pennsylvania Legislature
in 1831-1832. Disposing of his interests in the
iron business, Mr. Stewart went to manufacturing
salt in the Kiskiminetas. He was a man of
genial disposition and social habits, and of great
practical humor. In person he was above the
ordinary size, and of very dark complexion, which
he inherited from his grandmother Stewart.

Robert T. and Mary Dunlop Stewart had the
following children: (V) James Dunlop Stewart
(1), born April 4, 1810, died September 26, 1812.
(V) Jane Ann Stewart (2), born December 2,
181 1, died October 3, 1812. (5) Stephen De
catur Stewart (3), born January 22, 18 14,
died September 5, 1858; he was married July 9,

196

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1839, and had five children, the survivors of
whom are: Jane (1), married to Edward Fos
ter, who have several children; Ellen (2), mar
ried to Frank E. Taylor, resides at Philips
burg and have four children; Harriet (3), unmar
ried, and Elizabeth (4), married to I. Lose, and
have several children. (V) Harriet Stewart (4)
born June 10, 1816, and married September 15,
1843, by the Rev. Samuel Cooper, to James Harris
Linn, son of the Rev. James Linn, D. D. She
died July 16, 1895, and Mr. Linn died April 6,
1876. They had no children. (V) Samuel Robert
Stuart (5), born November 2, 181 7, died Sep
tember 23, 1 85 1, unmarried.
(V) Jean Ann Stewart (6), born June 13,
1820, and was married on February 13, 1843, by
the Rev. James Linn, D. D., to Dr. John M. Mc
Coy, in relation to whom Linn's History of Centre
County says: " Dr. McCoy was born in what is
now the town of Belleville on the 4th. of Febru
ary, 1 8 16. His parents died when he was quite
young and he came to his uncle Alexander McCoy,
who lived at Potter's Fort, and made his home
with him, attending Mr. Breckinridge's school. He
studied medicine with Dr. W. I. Wilson, between
whom and himself there existed the most inti
mate friendship. His parents were Francis and
Mary (Michall) McCoy, natives of Mifflin county.
One of their sons, Francis, was a merchant at
Hollidaysburg, Penn., and another, Robert H.,
was engaged in the iron business at Philadelphia,
in which city his death occurred. Francis, Sr. ,
was married a second time, and by the last wife
had three children, namely: William, who was
a soldier and died during the Civil war; Susan,
who became the wife of James Patterson, of
Williamsburg, Penn. , and Catherine, who mar
ried George Fay, of Williamsburg, Pennsylvania.
In 1837 Dr. McCoy graduated in the Medical
Department of the University of Pennsylvania,
and located first in the practice of medicine at
Penn Hall (then known as Centreville), whence
he moved to Bellefonte in 1841.
He occupied an office upon Allegheny street,
and had among his students Dr. Geo. L. Potter,
Dr. J. B. Mitchell, Dr. George A. Fairlamb, Dr.
Woods and others, all having become noted
practitioners. In 1845, in connection with Dr.
Potter, Dr. McCoy purchased the drug store of
Dr. John Harris, and the firm of McCoy & Pot
ter continued until July 17, 1848. At that time
Dr. McCoy withdrew from active medical practice,
and entered into the iron business with Gen.
James Irvin, Moses Thompson and James Harris
Linn, under the firm name of Irvin McCoy &
Co. After the death of Gen. Irvin, and the with
drawal, of Moses Thompson, the name took its

present form. James H. Linn died April 6y
1876, but the firm name has remained un
altered since. Dr. McCoy was an excellent
manager and first-class business man, and to his
tact, good judgment and general information the:
success of McCoy & Linn's Iron Works is to a;
great extent to be attributed. He was a kind-,'
hearted employer, and much esteemed by the men
in his service. He in every way tried to add to
the happiness and comfort of those over whom
he had control. He kept the works moving
nearly all the time when financial distress and,
want of orders induced many to shut down, in-
order to give the employees work, though at a pe
cuniary loss to the firm. The medical profession
lost much by his withdrawal from practice, as he<
was a cheerful and valuable adviser, never failing
to proffer his best advice upon all occasions. As
a physician he was extremely pleasant in the sick
room, always encouraging a patient, and curing
nearly as much by his cheerfulness as by his
medicine. He stood high as a physician, and
his skill and success are still highly spoken of.
He was a member of the Presbyterian Church;
for many years, and an amiable gentleman,.
whose loss was both a public and private calam
ity. He died at Milesburg Iron Works suddenly,
of heart disease, on Sunday morning, January 19,
1879.'* The children of John M. and Jean Anru
Stuart McCoy were: !
(VI) Frank McCoy (1) graduated at the
Pennsylvania State College, and, preferring the
iron business, became the manager of McCoy &
Linn at Milesburg Iron Works, the prosperous con-i
dition of which is largely due to his efficient serv-:
ices, economical methods and good judgment. He
succeeded to the principal ownership of the works;;
and now successfully conducts the same. He was-
married October 30, 1879, to Esther Eleanor
Allison, daughter of William Allison, a well-
known and prominent business man of Centre
county for many years. His ancestor, Archibald;
Allison, landed with his family in America June
18, 1773. His wife Mary was the third daughter:
of John Kennedy, and was born in Scotland, shire:
of Galloway, parish of Kirkmaiden, November 1,;
1 730. He died in Paxton township (now Dauphin
county) October 6, 1783, and his widow Mary ia
Potter township, Centre county, June 6, 1808.
They had a son, Archibald, Jr., who, though;
young in years, took an active part in the- de
fense of the frontiers, to which proper reference!
is made in Linn's "Annals of Buffalo Valley,"
page 174, and was an exceedingly bold andi
courageous man. After the war he pushed on>
up into Penn's Valley, where he married Elean-'
or, third . daughter of George and. Margaret Mfi-i

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

197

Cormick, May 7, 1789. George McCormick
Was the first settler at Spring Mills, bought his
land of Reuben Haines, and built the first mill
there; He bought of the Penns the eastern third
-of what was known as the Manor of Succoth,
morth of the Great Spring tract, and died May
3, 1845, on the place still owned by his descend
ants. He left a widow, Eleanor, who died Jan
uary 27, 1848.
A numerous family blessed this union, the
names with dates of birth being as follows:
George, August 18, 1792, died September 28,
j 866; William, April 5, 1794; James, February
26, 1796, married Margaret Hutchinson, and died
September 18, 1863, at North Liberty, Ohio; Mar
garet, May 26, 1 797, married William Kelley, son
-of Col. John Kelley, and died in Union county, May
12, 1846.; David, May 22, 1799, married Lucetta
McKibben, and died December 22, 1877, in Clin
ton county; Mary, May 11, 1801, died Septem
ber 27, 1856, in Adams county, Ohio; John, No
vember 22, 1803, died January 23, 1844; Jane,
September 22, 1805, married Thomas Riley, and
died in Kansas; Eleanor, February 8, 181 1, mar
ried Dr. John Grossman, of Adams county, Ohio.
William Allison, Mrs. McCoy's father, resem
bled his father in character, and was one of the
prominent men of this section in his day. His
first employment was as a clerk in a store at
Harrisburg, where he remained six or seven years.
He then went to Brown's Mills, in Mifflin coun
ty, now Reedsville, and in July, 1827, opened
a store in partnership with J. & J. Potter.
After the dissolution of the firm, in 1829, Mr.
Allison conducted the business for a few years,
and then returned to his old home near Spring
Mills. The death of his father in 1845 brought
to him a large amount of work in connection
with the settlement of the estate, and this with
the improvement of his share of the property,
occupied his time for many years. In Decem
ber, 1847, the failure of J. & J. Potter, of whom
he was a creditor to a large amount, occasioned
a protracted litigation, but Mr. Allison's claims
were finally sustained. In the meantime he pur
chased a hotel and factory, and considerable
real estate at Potters Mills, and made his home
there in the old residence of James Potter. His
¦declining years were marked by uninterrupted
prosperity, his business tact and great executive
ability enabling him to manage his extensive in
terests with success. He possessed a remarkable
memory, and having kept himself well-informed
upon passing events he became in later years a
veritable encyclopedia. During his late years
he was confined to the house by a paralytic
stroke; but his cheerful spirit did not fail him.

He died February 11, 1877, and his remains
rest in the family burial lot near Spring Mills.
His wife, to whom he was married June 25,
1847, was Miss Sarah A. McNitt, a daughter of
William R. and Esther (McCoy) McNitt, and
granddaughter of Robert McNitt, one of the ear
liest settlers in Kishacoquillas Valley. They had
the following children: William M. , born No
vember 4, 1850; Esther E., January 15, 1852;
Edward, August 2, 1855; Lillie E., September
28, i860, and Archibald, June 27, 1863.
The children of Frank and Eleanor Allison
McCoy are as follows: Anna Allison (1); Mary
Stewart (2), died in infancy; and John (3).
(VI) Harriet Linn McCoy (2) was born July
15, 1845, and died September 8, 1 8 5 3 ; (VI) Mary
Stewart McCoy (3) was born July 9, 1847, and
died September 29, 1883. She was married
December 23, 1869, leaving a family hereinbe
fore mentioned.
(IV) Joseph Dunlop (11), son of Col. James
and Jane Boggs Dunlop, was born March 19,
1786, and died unmarried.

m DAM H. KRUMRINE, a well-known and
2&L progressive farmer of Ferguson township,
is one of the representative men of that portion
of Centre county. He is the owner of a valuable
and well-improved farm of 120 acres, where he
was born December 23, 1854. The well-ap
pointed place, with its substantial buildings and
highly cultivated fields, testifies to his earnest
labors and careful management. His paternal
grandfather was a member of the Continental
army during the Revolutionary war, serving
under Gen. Washington, and the trunk which he
then used is still in the possession of a member
of the family.
John Krumrine, the father of our subject, was
a native of Millheim, Penn's Valley, Penn., and
on reaching man's estate was united in marriage
with Miss Christina Decker, by whom he had
nine children, as follows: Lydia, wife of D. M.
Neidig, a retired farmer of State College, Penn.,
by whom she has two children; Sally J., wife of
M. D. Snyder, a butcher of State College, by
whom she has eight children; Catharine E., wife
of William Kemmerer, a retired miller, by whom
she has one child; Adam H. ; Jacob, who wedded
Margaret Dreibelbis; Margaret, wife of S. S.
Greibe, proprietor of a livery stable and the
" State College Hotel," by whom she has two
children; J. N., a merchant of State College,
who married Lizzie Martel, and has one child;
Sydney, a druggist of Bellefonte, Centre county,

198

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

who married Jennie Bubb; and Christina, who is
living with her mother in State College. On
coming to Centre county, at the age of eighteen
years, the father had located in Ferguson town
ship, but he died in College township, in 1891.
In the usual manner of farmer lads, Adam H.
Krumrine spent the days of his boyhood and
youth, and from the time he was old enough to
handle the plow has followed farming, meeting
with excellent success in his chosen calling.
Since attaining his majority he has been identi
fied with the Democratic party, always support
ing its men and measures by his ballot. He is a
consistent member of the German Reformed
Church, and socially affiliates with the Grange.
He is a wide-awake, enterprising farmer, and as
a citizen stands deservedly high in the estimation
of his neighbors and friends.

JOHN GILLEN DUBBS. The hope of suc
cess inspires each man who makes his en
trance into the business arena, but it is not
all who find their bright anticipations realized.
Among the successful ones is numbered the sub
ject of this sketch, a well-known business man of
Bellefonte, Centre county, whose industry and
judicious management have won for him goodly
rewards of a substantial nature.
Mr. Dubbs is of German descent, his paternal
grandfather having come from the Fatherland to
settle in Lebanon county, Penn. Of his five
children, Joel is a carpenter in Sharon, Penn. ;
Rosa married Mr. Schire, and lives in Steelton,
Penn.; Eliza, who never married, resides on the
edge of the city of Lebanon, Penn. ; and another
sister, Mrs. Labe, made her home in Altoona,
where her descendants still live. The other
member of the family, Jeremiah, our subject's
father, was born in Lebanon county, in 1829, and
became a shoemaker near the old fort, where he
resided for many years previous to his death in
1 89 1. His wife, Eliza Reynolds, who passed
from earth about twenty-five years ago, was born
at Potters Mills, Centre county. They had seven
children: (1) May M. (Mrs. William Reed), now
deceased; (2) Cecelia (Mrs. Harry Ross), of Al
toona; (3) George, who resides at the old home
stead; (4) James, a resident of Philipsburg; (5)
John G., our subject; (6) Thomas, who lives at
Philipsburg; and (7) Andrew, who lives at the
old home.
Our subject's youth was spent in Penn's Val
ley, where he was born in January, 1849. After
acquiring a plain but practical education in the
schools of that locality he engaged in agriculture
at Nittany, continuing until 1886, when he went

to Bellefonte and established himself in business,
as a dealer in implements of all kinds, including
a full line of agricultural tools. Although his ex
panding business has demanded close attention,
Mr. Dubbs takes much interest in local affairs
and in the Republican party, and he is an active
member of the I. O. O. F. Encampment at Belle
fonte. In 1868 he wedded Miss Eliza Ulrich, a
native of Union county, Penn., born in 1849.
They have two living children : May G. and John
E., and four others gladdened their home for a
short time only.

WILLIAM S. MUSSER, agent for the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company, at
Spring Mills, Centre county, is a descendant of
one of the oldest and most numerous families of
Penn's Valley, This family may be said to be
divided into two factions, the Republican and
Democratic. Our subject comes of the for
mer, who are as devout in their support of the
doctrines of that party as the other faction is in
support of Democratic principles.
Mr. Musser was born on a farm near Spring
Mills, Gregg township, July 20, 1866, and is the
eldest son and child of his parents, M. M. and
Kate (Fisher) Musser, who removed to Haines
township, Centre county, when he was quite
young, and there he first attended school near
Fiedler. He did not wish to take the collegiate
course which his parents had decided upon, but
attended school in Bellefonte and Gettysburg.
In 1883 he returned home, and being desirous of
obtaining a good business education, he borrowed
$200 of his uncle, Nicholas Harper, giving only
his word for its return, but it has long since been
paid in full. With the money he thus obtained
he paid his tuition in the Eastman Business Col
lege, at Poughkeepsie, N. Y. , where he com
pleted the prescribed course and received a di
ploma. In December 1884, Mr. Musser entered the
office of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company at
Spring Mills, as a student under Stephen Soars,
the agent at that time, and June 20, 1885, be
came extra agent and operator on a branch of
that road. He next, in April, 1866, took charge
of the office at Nesbit, Penn., where he remained
until the following February, when he was made
weighmaster at Williamsport, Penn., later serv
ing as clerk in the freight office of that place. In
July, 1888, he was transferred to the. office at
Spring Mills, where he has since acted as agent
and operator, and also agent for the Adams Ex
press Company.
In Centre Hall, July 21, 1890, Mr. Musser

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

199

was married to Miss Clara S. Hettinger, of
Spring Mills, daughter of Michael and Amelia
(Grove) Hettinger, and they have one child,
Marion K. , born June 9, 1891. Although a
young man, Mr. Musser is recognized as one of
the best and most enterprising citizens of Spring
Mills, and is a credit to the excellent family to
which he belongs. He is a prominent and active
member of the Lutheran Church, where at pres
ent he is serving as trustee, and socially is a
Master Mason, affiliating with the lodge at Centre
Hall. 
WH. BLOOM is a leading and influential
member of the agricultural community of
Ferguson township, Centre county. The im
provements upon his place reflect great, credit
upon him; the buildings are of a handsome and
substantial character; and the surroundings of his
residence are extremely beautiful. He is an able
financier and a substantial citizen, always mak
ing the most of his opportunities, and in his chosen
vocation has met with a well-deserved success.
Mr. Bloom was born August 7, 1850, and is
a son of William and Sarah (Lesch) Bloom. The
father, who was of German descent, was a native
of Berks county, Penn., and came to Centre
county from Union county, Penn., whither he
had moved. His family constituted six children:
Jemima, who married Daniel Heckman, and
died in October, 1870, leaving three children;
Amelia, wife of John Frantz, a farmer of Centre
county; Adam G., a dairyman and farmer of Lock
Haven, Clinton Co., Penn., who married Ellen
Runkle and has two children; W. H., of this
sketch; Peter F. , who died in 1863, during boy
hood; Clara A., wife of William Smith, a farmer
living near Pine Grove Mills, Centre county, by
whom she has eight children.
Our subject is indebted to the free schools of
White Hall, Penn., for his educational privileges.
He early became familiar with agricultural pur
suits, and chose farming as his life work, now
owning and operating a valuable tract of 150
acres four miles from State College, Centre coun
ty. The land is under a high state of cultiva
tion, and yields bountiful harvests in return for
the care and labor expended upon it. On De
cember 24, 1867, Mr. Bloom was married to
Miss Sarah E. Carter, a native of Centre Furnace,
Penn., whose mother was from Centre county,
Penn. Her father, who was also a native of
Centre county, enlisted in 1862 in the 148th
P. V. I., in Capt. Foster's company, and laid
down his life on the altar of his country at the
battle of Chancellorsville. He also had two
brothers in the Union service, both of whom

were wounded — William losing a leg, and Jacob;
Lee being wounded in the hip. Her family is of
German and English extraction. She has two
brothers, Frederick K. and Joseph Carter, and
one sister, Henrietta (wife of James Mowery).
Eleven children have been born to Mr. and
Mrs. Bloom, in order of birth as follows: Will
iam A., who died in infancy; Emma V., wife of
Oscar Heckman, a farmer of Penn Hall, Centre;
county; Anna M., who was born May 15, 1872,.
is the wife of Elmer E. Royer, of Pine Grove
Mills, Centre county, by whom she has a son,
William H. ; Henry C. , at home; Frankie, who
was born September 23, 1875, an<^ died in in
fancy; Oliver P., born October 27, 1878; Bessie
R., born July 10, 1880; Lizzie M. , born May 5/
1882; Grover Cleveland, who was born May 9,'
1884, and died April 3, 1886; E. Orvis; born
January 17, 1890; 'and Margaret C, born No
vember 4, 1 89 1,
In politics, Mr. Bloom is a straight and stanch
adherent to the principles formulated in the plat-*
forms of the Democratic party, and exercises
his elective franchises in support of the can
didates offered by that organization. Religiously
he is a member of the Reformed Church, and
socially is a member of the Grange. A genial,
whole-souled American citizen, he is a leading
and representative man of Ferguson township;)
and merits and receives the warmest confidence
and esteem of his fellow-citizens.

^H^ILLIAM H. STOVER, a prominent citi-
m/mI zen of Aaronsburg, Centre county, now
retired from active business cares, is one of the»
men who make old age seem the better portion
of life. His fine presence and dignified manners
would attract attention anywhere; while, to those
who have the pleasure of his personal acquaint
ance, his well-stored mind and conversational
powers are a source of perpetual pleasure.
Mr. Stover is a native of Aaronsburg, having
been born January 1, 1825, in the house in which
the greater part of his life has been spent. His
father, Jacob E. Stover, was born at Williams-;
port, Md., on the Potomac river, and, losing his
parents while yet a boy, began his business
career at a great disadvantage. He learned the
tanner's trade in Maryland, and as a young man
settled in Haines township, Centre county, where
numerous relatives had already located. There he
built a tannery which he conducted for many,
years, and being an excellent workman enjoyed'
a large trade. He was industrious, but a lack of
the distinctive qualities of the financier prevented1
him from acquiring more than a moderate conA

2,00

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

petence. Politically he was a Whig, steadfast in
principle and a regular voter, and in religion he
was a Lutheran.
.', Jacob E. Stover was married in Aaronsburg,
to Catherine, daughter of Jacob Hubler, one of
the first settlers in the township. Mr. Stover
died at the age of sixty-seven, but his wife lived
to be nearly eighty years old before she, too,
passed away. The remains of both were interred
at Aaronsburg. Their children were seven in
number, and three sons did active service in the
Civil war. Samuel H. died at Boalsburg, Penn.
Isaac died in Aaronsburg. Catherine married
Christian Kaup, and died in Milesburg. George
H., who was quartermaster of the 179th P. V.
I., was a resident of Morgan county, Mo., and
died in 1897. William H. is mentioned more
fully below. Michael, who held the rank of
lieutenant in the 179th P. V.T., died in Morgan
county, Mo. John H., an attorney, was active
in raising the 179th Regiment, and served gal
lantly through the war as its colonel. When the
struggle was ended he removed to Morgan coun
ty, Mo., where he died. At one time he repre
sented that district in Congress.
Although the subject of this sketch displayed
from an early age a particularly retentive memory,
andwould have profited by a good education, his op-
opportunities were limited to those of the usual dis
trict school privileges. As his father owned a farm
as well as a tannery, there was always work in one
place or the other to keep his boys from mischief.
Mr. Stover remained at home until he attained
his majority, and shortly after was married in
Aaronsburg to Miss Sarah S. Ettinger, a native
of Haines township, Centre county, and a daugh
ter of Emanuel and Elizabeth (Bike) Ettinger.
The young couple went to housekeeping in the
house where Mr. Stover was born. Four chil
dren were born of this union: Edward W. died
at the age of six years; Emma married Cyrus G.
Bright, of Aaronsburg; Luther E. is a tanner at
Aaronsburg; and Charles H. is a baker at Mifflin
town, Penn. Mr. Stover engaged in business as
a tanner, purchasing his father's old establish
ment, which had been sold to George Royer.
After following the business successfully from
1847 to 1876, he retired, leaving the manage
ment to his son Luther E., who has proven an
able successor. With a comfortable home and
with leisure for reading and other intellectual
pursuits, Mr. Stover has passed a quiet life since
giving up business. The family circle was in
vaded by the hand of death July 15, 1892, when
the beloved wife and mother passed to the unseen
life, and her mortal remains now rest in the
Aaronsburg cemetery,

Taking keen interest in all forms of progress, '
Mr. Stover has been an active member of the
Lutheran Church for many years, holding nu
merous offices, including those of deacon and
elder, and at different periods, amounting in all
to thirty-five years, he has been superintendent
of the Sunday-school. He has strong convic
tions and the courage to express them, neither
money nor friendship having power to make him;
acquiesce in anything which he does not approve.
In early life he was a Whig, and later he became
a Republican, but although his support could al
ways be relied upon, he has not cared to run for
office. In fact he declined various offers of a
place on the party ticket, even as a candidate for
the legislature.

UGH MCALLISTER BEAVER, named for
his maternal grandfather, Hon. Hugh Nel
son McAllister, was born at Bellefonte, Penn.,
March 29, 1873. He was the third son of Gen.
James Addams and Mary McAllister Beaver, and
spent his entire life prior to entrance to College
(with the exception of short periods while his
father occupied the executive office of Pennsyl
vania) in his native town.
His preparatory education was pursued at
Bellefonte -and Harrisburg Academies, at which
he was prepared for entrance to the Freshman
Class of the Pennsylvania State College, in 1891.
He graduated in the General Science course in
1895. His ancestors of the fourth preceding genera
tion were all born in Pennsylvania, and all of the
male members of his immediate ancestry of that
generation served in the Revolutionary war, ex
cept Benjamin Elliott, who was a member of the
Convention which framed for Pennsylvania the
Constitution of 1776. On his father's side his
ancestry was English, German (Palatine) and
French (Huguenot), and on his mother's side,
English and Scotch-Irish. The distinguishing
characteristics of this varied ancestry combined
to produce a personality which, in early boyhood,
was characterized by earnestness, intensity,
vivacity, courage and perseverance. These
characteristics increased and developed with his
growth, and found full play in his short, active
life. He developed very early a strong taste for
military pursuits, and was, for several years,
captain of a boys' company called the "Belle
fonte Guards." It was difficult to communicate
his own earnestness in this play service to his
company, however, and his own views in regard
to such service changed with his years. His

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

201

father, knowing his tendency in that direction,
and thinking that he had an opportunity of secur
ing an appointment to West Point for him, wrote
to him upon the subject, advising him to deter
mine the matter for himself, and give his answer.
His characteristic reply indicated the change
which his views had undergone upon the subject.
Although then only in his seventeenth year, he
replied, after careful consideration, that "life
was too real and too earnest to be spent in keep
ing Indians on their reservations or playing the
dude at a swell fort," the latter part of the re
mark having been doubtless induced by what he
had seen a year or two before at the " Hygeia
Hotel " at Fort Monroe.
A signal illustration of his intensity of pur
pose and determination was exhibited in his last
year in college. During a snow blockade which
prevented the running of trains and all inter
course "between the State College and his home,
twelve miles away, by the ordinary means of
conveyance, he walked the entire distance, most
of the way on the tops of the fences. He was
naturally much exhausted by the journey, and as
a result had a serious affection of the eyes,
which prevented his carrying on his studies.
He was fortunate, however, in having several
young lady friends who had graduated at college
and who were familiar with the subjects then
•engaging his attention. Three or four of them
were willing to. give him an hour each day and,
availing himself of their invitation, he took up
the studies of the senior year with them and, by
having them read to and discuss the subjects
with him, was enabled to keep up with his
studies and to graduate with his class.
During his college course he was a member
of the Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, and was largely
instrumental in securing the fine Chapter House
which is occupied by that Fraternity at the Penn
sylvania State College. In this, as in every
thing which he undertook, he manifested the
most determined zeal and activity. One of his
fellows in the Fraternity has said in regard to it:
¦" His marked business ability well fitted him for
the work. He consulted on plans, supervised
the work, negotiated the finances and, in fact,
gave himself so completely to the task that he
was familiar with the smallest details. His time
and money were freely offered. When the fire
swept away the beautiful structure, in a few
months after it had been occupied, no disconso
late cry went up from him. His first message
was: 'We must prepare to rebuild at once;'
and it was done. He immediately took hold of
the rebuilding, and we now have a house better
than the one destroyed. Hugh lived long enough

to see the work finished and the Chapter at home
once more."
During his senior year in college a call from
the Young Men's Christian Association of Penn
sylvania, to become its College secretary, in the
place of his older brother who had been called to
the service of the International Committee at
New York, came to him. His plans had been
carefully thought out and, to some extent, laid,
but the call was carefully considered. The re
sult was a contest between inclination and duty,
which finally resulted in his acceptance of the
call, and a complete dedication of his life to the
highest welfare of the young men of this country
or elsewhere, wherever God, in his providence,
might call him. To this work he gave two years,
diverging at different times to take the Bible
work at College Conferences at Lake Geneva,
Wis., Knoxville, Tenn., and Northfield, Mass.
To this work he gave the best that was in him,
and in it achieved marked and marvelous results. .
In the spring of 1897, he received a call to be
come the secretary of the Inter-Collegiate Young
Men's Christian Association of New York City,
which was then regarded as one of the vital
points in College work for young men throughout
the world. He accepted the invitation, and was
to have begun his work on the ist of September
of that year, under auspices which seemed to
promise immediate and far-reaching results.
His last public work was at the College Con
ference of young women at Northfield, which
was held in July, 1897. He was selected as the
teacher of the Bible Training Class and, al
though even more boyish in appearance than in
years, as was said by one of the members of his
class " old and young sat at his feet and delighted
to learn from him." Many of the hundreds of
letters which were received by the family aft,er
his death were from members of this class, and
testified to the remarkable power which he ex
ercised not only in his public teaching, but in his
private interviews with its members. One of these
letters, from a distinguished medical missionary,
contains this tribute: " When we saw him, so
young and so attractive, we felt the dangers of his
position. He was such a good comrade, and so
absolutely without self-consciousness or affecta
tion. He was enthusiastically earnest, and filled
with the Holy Spirit. His marvelous influence
seemed due but little to his attractive personality.
To that winsomeness was added an intangible
something which warded off all foolish sentiment
ality, and drew the girls to him, because of the
Christ in him. We sometimes wondered how
the man in him was not spoiled, when nearly the
whole Conference sat at his feet. It is clearer

202

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

now — like his Lord he was not to be touched,
because not yet (but oh, so soon to be !) ascended
to his Father. What we felt and dimly under
stood was the radiant likeness which now in His
Presence satisfied his loving heart. "
Upon his return home, after his service in
this Conference, he seemed unusually tired, but
made no complaint. In a few days there devel
oped an attack of appendicitis — of which, as was
afterward learned, he had unheeded premoni
tions — which ran its course so rapidly that not
withstanding the most distinguished medical and
surgical advice and assistance a fatal termination
seemed inevitable, and so proved. The earthly
life of Hugh Beaver, so consecrated to high aims
and holy purposes — so full of loving service and
so rich with promise — ended on the 2nd day of
August, 1897.
At the same hour as the funeral services at
his home, memorial services were held at the
general Christian Conference at Northfield, Mass. ,
at which Mr. D. L. Moody spoke very feelingly,
and alluded to the fact that he had urged young
Beaver to accept the chair of the English Bible
at the boys' school at Mt. Hermon, for which
he regarded him as especially qualified.
An earnest effort is now being made to erect
a Y. M. C. A. building at Lincoln University for
the use of its students, to be known as the Hugh
McAllister Beaver Memorial, so that the memory
of this devoted young man may be perpetuated
along lines of service to which his short life was
so unreservedly given.

WB. HENDERSON, M. D., physician
and surgeon in the borough of Philips
burg, Centre county, Pennsylvania.

JAMES H. RANKIN, whose death occurred
in July, 1893, at Bellefonte, Centre county,
where he had passed a life beyond man's al
lotted years, and where he had been an honora
ble member of the Bar for fifty years, repre
sented one of the first families to locate in the
place. John Rankin, the father of James H., was
born in Franklin county, Penn., May 1, 1779,
and became one of the early settlers in Penn's
Valley, Centre county. His father was born in
Ireland. Before John's removal to the village
of Bellefonte he was an elder in Mr. Stuart's
Church, and after his location there he connected
himself with the Presbyterian Church. He
opened a store in Bellefonte in 18 10. He was
sheriff of Centre county in 1812; prothonotary

in 1 81 8; and a justice of the peace, 1840-44.
On June 7, 1804, he married Isabella Dundas,
who was born on the ocean en route from Scot
land, and their children were: Mary, who mar
ried Alfred Armstrong; Isabella, who married
John Irvin; Jane, who married George S. Arm
strong; Ellis, who married James Gilliland;
William D. ; Dr. John C. ; James H., our sub
ject; J. Duncan; and L. Calvin. The father of
these died April 22, 1848.
James H. Rankin was born in the old Mc
Allister home, on the corner of Allegheny street
and Cherry alley, Bellefonte, March 3, 1819.
His early education was acquired in the public
schools and at the academy at Bellefonte; later
he was graduated from Jefferson College, Can-
nonsburg, Penn. Returning to Bellefonte, he as
a law student in the office of William Potter dis
played an unusual talent, which had its reward
in a brilliant examination for the admission to
the Centre County Bar, which he passed in Jan
uary, 1 840. The Bar of Centre County at that
time was reputed one of the best in the State.
In 1850 he was elected district attorney over
Robert G. Durham, Whig; in 1853 and 1856 he
was re-elected, defeating Edmund Blanchard and
William P. Wilson. On October 13, 1861, Mr.
Rankin was mustered into the service as first
lieutenant of Company H, 56th P. V. I., and
went to the front in defense of the Union; sick
ness, however, necessitated his return home in
the following spring, and he resigned on March
27, 1862. At the close of the war he was ap
pointed to one of the leading positions in the In
ternal Revenue Department, which he filled with
integrity. After the expiration of his term of
office he resumed the practice of the law, which
with a general insurance business he kept up un
til the last few days of his life. "As a citizen
none could have been better than he, as a hus
band and father he was faithful and honored.
As a friend we can offer no more expressive eu-
logism than to say that the death of no other
man will cause more profound regret in the
hearts of all classes of people in our town. His
life, always simple and unassuming, was that of
an honorable man. His character beyond re
proach and his spirit fraternal and God-like to a
fault. He had no enemies because all who knew
him were friends."
Mr. Rankin was a charter member of Gregg
Post No. 95, G. A. R. He married Miss Barbara
Furey, who was born on her father's (Robert
Furey) farm near Pleasant Gap, and their chil
dren are: Alice, who married R. A. Kinsloe,
editor of a paper at Philipsburg, Penn. ; Hon.
John I., of Washington, D. C. ; Jennie, the wife

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

203

of Gov. D. H. Hastings; Miss Bella, at home;
and Edward, the operator of the Western Union
Telegraph at Bellefonte. The parents of Mrs.
Rankin were natives of Centre county, Penn.,
where the greater part of their lives were passed,
and' where they died, the father on May 19, 1846.
Robert Furey was the son of John and Barbara
(Lebo) Furey, early residents of Centre county,
and here died, the former in February, 1826,
and the latter on March 5, 1850, aged eighty-
eight years. The other children of this couple
were: William, Jeremiah and Nancy.

HARVEY D. VAN PELT (deceasd) was for
 many years one of the leading citizens of
central Pennsylvania. He was prominently con
nected with the development of the industrial
interests, and his industry and enterprise were
important factors in the material welfare of the
community in which he lives. Monuments of
brass or stone are not needed to perpetuate his
memory, for he is enshrined in the hearts of
many friends who witnessed his upright life and
recognized his sterling worth.
Mr. Van Pelt was born in Tomkins county,
N. Y. , in 1840, and during his youth lived the
free open life of a farmer boy on the family
homestead near Slaterville, N. Y. In the sum
mer months he followed the plow and aided in
the harvest fields, while in the winter season he
attended the public schools of the neighborhood.
His parents were Lorenzo and Betsy (Rice) Van-
Pelt, and he was the eldest of three children,
the others being E- G., of Ithaca, N. Y., and
Romelia, wife of R. G. H. Speed, of Slaterville
Springs, N. Y. .The father of this family followed
farming in his early life, and was afterward a
dealer in patent rights.
After mastering the rudimentary branches of
learning in the common schools, Mr. Van Pelt
pursued an academic course of study in Ithaca
and Groton, N. Y. , after which he took a com
mercial course in Cleveland, Ohio. He then
went on a trip down the Mississippi river with
the Government Engineer Corps, and soon after
his return to the North removed to Centre Hall.
He came to that town as a patent right salesman;
but seeing that there was a favorable opening
for the foundry business, he turned his attention
to that industry, and for a time was employed
as bookkeeper in a foundry. Subsequently he
purchased an interest in the business, and became
the leading partner in the 'firm of Van Pelt,
Shoop & Co. Throughout his remaining days he
was identified with that industry, and his capable
management made it a profitable source of in

come. His business ability, however, was by
no means limited to one undertaking, for he suc
cessfully controlled a number of interests which
resulted not only to his own material benefit,
but proved of value to the community as well.
He was associated with Gov. Beaver, Gen. Hast
ings, and Col. Spangler in the founding and
upbuilding of the town of Hastings, Cambria Co. ,
Penn. In April, 1888, he went to the site of
the village, which was then a wilderness, cut
down the trees, blocked out the town, measured
the streets and staked off the houses; in brief,
he was the active manager and promoter of
Hastings, which in two years attained a growth
nearly as great as Centre Hall.
On February 21, 1878, in Centre Hall, Mr.
Van Pelt was married to Miss Anna Spangler,
daughter of ex-Sheriff Spangler. She was born
in Adamsburg, Snyder Co., Penn., December 12,
1853, and completed her education with an aca
demical course. She is a cultured lady, presid
ing with grace over her hospitable home, and to
her husband was a cherished companion and
helpmeet. They had three children: John, born
January 21, 1880; Helen R. , born February 27,
1882, now attending Wilson College in Cham
bersburg, Penn. ; and Bessie M., born in Septem
ber, 1888, died in September, 1889.
In politics, Mr. Van Pelt was a Democrat who
loyally supported his party, but never sought of
fice. In 1890 he went to Hastings to look after
his business interests in that place, returning
home in April. Three weeks later, on the 3d of
May, he died, and a noble life was thus ended.
While he made no profession of superiority to
his fellowmen, all recognized him as a man of
unquestioned integrity and irreproachable char
acter. He was upright in his dealings, courteous
at all times, considerate of the feelings of those
with whom he was associated, and ever a true
gentleman in the highest and best sense of the
term. All who knew him mourned his death,
and the sympathy of the entire community was
extended to his family. His wife and children
still reside in the pleasant home which he left to
them in Centre Hall, and their circle of friends
is extensive. ON. C. A. FAULKNER, associate judge of
^L Centre county, is one of Philipsburg's lead
ing citizens. An able and successful business
man, he is also a forceful worker in local affairs,
and is an influential representative of the old-
school Democracy. ,
Mr. Faulkner comes of good New England
stock, and was born in New Hampshire, March 25,;
1840. His father, W. A. Faulkner, a native of

204

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD*

Massachusetts, was born in 1811, and is now
living in Philipsburg in good health and possess
ing remarkable strength for one of his years. He
is a constant student of the Bible, and takes
much interest in the questions of the day, being
in his political views a stanch Democrat. He
was married in early manhood to Miss Clarissa
Hinds, a native of New Hampshire, who died in
Philipsburg some years ago at the ' ' Potter
House." They came to Pennsylvania- in 1846,
locating first in Erie county, where W. A. Faulk
ner was engaged in business as a carpenter and
millwright until 1857, when he removed with his
family to Philipsburg. There he followed car
pentering and lumbering for a time, but he has
now retired from active business. Of his four
children two are living: (1) Clarissa J., the wife
of B. F. Morgan, of State College; and (2) C. A.,
our subject. The others were: (3) Louisa M., who
died at the age of eighteen, and (4) Henry, who
was a remarkable boy, having six toes on each
foot, and weighing, at the age of thirteen years,
.213 pounds; he died of typhoid fever.
Judge Faulkner's school days were spent in
Erie county, where he attended Girard Academy.
He also became familiar with the details of the
carpenter's trade by assisting his father. After
the removal of the family to Philipsburg he en
gaged in the hotel business, and at three differ
ent times he had charge of the old " Moshannon
House," a brick hotel. In the spring of 1877 he
opened the ' ' Potter House " there, and after
conducting it some six or seven years he went
into the wholesale liquor business, which he fol
lowed two years. His genial disposition and
•quiet manner have made many warm personal
friends, while his abilities have won even wider
appreciation, as is shown by his election in 1892
to the office of associate judge in his county to
serve until 1897, and his faithful performance of
the duties of that place has amply justified the
expectations of his supporters. Socially, he is a
member of the Independant Order of Odd Fel
lows, and of the Royal Arcanum.
Judge Faulkner married Miss Florence Shoop,
.a native of Philipsburg, born in 1 86 1 . Their
pleasant home is gladdened by an interesting
family of seven children: C. A., Grace, Irvin,
Pierre, May, Florence and Pauline.

[ON. JOHN C. HENDERSON has won a
distinguished position among the leading
business men of Centre county, for many years
ibeing identified with the mercantile, lumber and
agricultural interests of this section of the State,
but now practically living a retired life upon his

farm on Mud Lick branch, in Huston . township.
A native of Centre county, he was born Decern?
ber 6, 1832, in Patton township, then called
Pond Bank.
Rev. William B. Henderson, father of our
subject, was born in Morris county, N. J. , April
!0, 1793, of which State his parents, Eleazor
and Margaret (Barton) Henderson, were also naj
tives. At one time they came to Centre county,
but not being satisfied returned to New Jersey,
where they died. By occupation the grandfather
was a lumberman and coal miner. Until eight
een years of age Rev. Henderson followed ore
mining, and two years later became a local min
ister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, being a
circuit rider for twenty-five years. He contin
ued the work of the ministry up to his death,
which occurred October 22, 1856. He was three
times married, his first union being with Miss
Rachel Connor, who was born in 1798, and died
in October, 1839. To them were born six sons
and one daughter, as follows: Samuel, who died
at the age of six years; Eliza, deceased wife of
Rudolph Light, of Blair county, Penn. ; Robert
E., deceased, who was a merchant and local
minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church;
William B., who died at the age of twenty-five
years; John C, of this sketch; David S., also a
minister and school teacher, who died at the age
of twenty; and James F., who died in the army.
Rev. Henderson next married Mary A. Fugate,
who died in 1845, at the age of twenty -eight
years, and later he wedded her sister, Martha J.
Fugate, by whom he had two children: Grant,
who died in infancy; and Martha, who died at
the age of one year. The mother of these chib
dren passed away at Altoona, Penn., in 1892, at
the age of sixty-four.
Our subject was provided with very meagre
educational privileges, being able to attend school
for only about a year and a half. He remained
under the parental roof until his marriage, March
27, 1855, to Miss Elizabeth J. Cooper. Ten
children graced their union, namely: Martha M.,
who died at the age of twelve years; Frances A.,
wife of W. P. Parsons, a farmer of Huston town
ship; Mary E., wife of Rev. S. J. Taylor, of
Berlin, Somerset Co., Penn.; Elmer E., a mer
chant of Julian, Centre county; Emma, wife of
Rev. L. N. Fleck, of Stoyestown, Somerset
county; Grant, who died at the age of one year;
Lillie L. , wife of G. F. Steverson, a farmer of
Patton township, Centre county; Ollie M., at
home; Curtis D., who died at the age of seven
teen years; and Verrus G. , at home.
Mrs. Henderson was born in County Down,
Ireland, December 5, 1835, and was the only

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

205

child of Thomas and Mary (Reed) Cooper^ also
natives of the Emerald Isle. By occupation the
father was.a fisherman, and was drowned in 1836
during: a big storm. In 1848 the mother and
daughter crossed the Atlantic, taking up their
residence in Buffalo Run, Centre Co., Penn.
During the last forty years of her life Mrs.
Cooper found a pleasant home with our subject,
whefe she passed away in 1893. Mrs. Hender
son is also deceased. She was an earnest, de
vout Christian, a true and faithful wife and ten
der mother. She left many friends who deeply
mourn her taking away, as her quiet, unassum
ing manner and pleasant ways endeared her to al'
with whom she came in contact.
After his marriage, Mr. Henderson rented a
farm in Bald Eagle Valley for two years, which
he operated, during : the summer season, in the
winter ¦working in the lumber woods. For the
following two years he lived upon a rented farm
in Patton township, and then removed to a rented
place in the lower end of the county, but while
there purchased a farm in Huston township.
However, he went to Julian Furnace, where for
three years he conducted a hotel, and on selling
out there purchased the large " Hotel Elsworth,"
in Osceola, Clearfield Co., Penn., which he con
ducted from 1867 until 1875. On the 20th of
May. of the latter year it was destroyed by fire,
which also reduced to ashes eight other buildings
belonging to our subject, thus causing a heavy loss.
The previous January, he had been appointed, by
President Grant, postmaster at Osceola, which
positioni he filled for three years and a half, when
he resigned and began the cultivation of his pres
ent farm in' Huston township, Centre county.
Here he made his home from May, 1877, until
1894, when he went to the village of Julian,
where in the spring of 1889 he had opened the
mercantile establishment now conducted by his
son. The building was destroyed by fire in May,
1 896, but business was at once resumed at an
other location. In the spring of the same year,
Mr. Henderson returned to his farm, but leaves
its management to his son, and after a long life
of toil is now calmly resting from his labors. In
the flood of 1889, which caused so much damage
in Centre county, he lost considerable, but he
has steadily overcome all the difficulties and trials
that have beset his path, and is enjoying a com
fortable competence which is well deserved.
Mr. Henderson has served his fellow citizens
in the capacity of school director twenty-eight
years, mayor of Osceola one year, tax collector
of Huston township, and county commissioner
six years,, the. duties of which he discharged with
credit to himself and. to the. satisfaction of his

constituents. Although an ardent Republican,
and the county strongly Democratic, he was
elected county commissioner with a majority of
739, which fact plainly indicates his popularity,
and the confidence and trust the people repose in
him. For twenty years he was the efficient
president of the school board, and was treasurer
two years. He is a devoted Christian, a faithful
worker in his Master's vineyard, and the poor
and needy always find in him a friend.

ICHAEL MILLER, a highly respected resi*
J3KL dent of Madisonburg, Centre county, is
one of the genial, kind-hearted men whose influ
ence is a power for good in any community. An
able business man and an active promoter of all
lines of local progress, he well deserves mention
in this work.
Mr. Miller belongs to a well-known pioneer
family, his grandfather, Michael Miller, having
come from the southern part of the State at an
early day to settle upon a farm in Centre county,
at Pine Creek, where John Miller, our subject's
father, was born and reared. Starting in life
with but little help from his father, John Miller
made his way through his, own efforts to a place
of prominence among the agriculturists of the
county. His first farm was in Walker township,
and at one time he owned three farms, his estate
being inventoried, at his death, at about $30,000.
Although farming was his chief occupation, he
did much profitable work in threshing in the days
of the small horse-power machines, and while
the canal was in process of construction he was
engaged in butchering. He was a Democrat in
politics, but neither sought nor held public office.
In early manhood he was united in marriage with
Miss Eve Bartholemew, who, like himself, was a
devout member of the Reformed Church, in
which he held office for many years. Both died
at Hublersburg, Centre county, the father at the
age of seventy-three, the mother when sixty^
eight, and their remains were laid to their final
rest at that place. They had eleven children,
of whom nine lived to adult age: Catherine
married Gideon Dunblazer, and died in Clinton
county; Henry died in Walker township, Centre'
county; John, a farmer, is living in semi-retire
ment at Hublersburg; Eliza is the widow of Dr.
Samuel Adams, of Illinois; Fannie married Ben
jamin Reich, and died at Jacksonville, Penn. ;
Sarah married Job Long, of Clinton county;
Michael and Mary were twins, the former being
our subject, and the latter now the widow of
Samuel Goodhart, of Centre Hall; .Amelia A.

206

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

married (first) John Stover, and (second) Amos
Ertly, of Jacksonville.
Michael Miller, our subject, was born May
12, 1838, at the old home in Walker township,
Centre county, and his education was such as
the schools of the district then afforded, compris
ing only " the three Rs. " As the son of a thrifty
farmer, his time was well employed at home, and
he did much hard work in his youth although he
was not of large build. On March 16, 1862, he
was married in Clinton county to Miss Sarah
Brungart, who was born March 29, 1840, the
•daughter of George Brungart, a leading farmer
•of that county, and his wife, Elizabeth (Wol-
ford). During the first four years of his married
life Mr. Miller rented the home farm from his
father, but in the spring of 1866 he bought, at a
•cost of $6,000, a farm of eighty-three acres in
Miles township, Centre county, known as the
George Shaffer farm. He made his home there
until 1880, when he sold the place and purchased
the " old Schmeltzer farm " near Madisonburg.
In the spring of 1886 he removed to that town,
where he has since resided, and at the same time
he bought an eighty-three-acre farm in the same
township, on which he built a new house, now
occupied by his son, George E. In addition to
this property and his fine residence in town, he
owns 107 acres of mountain land.
Mr. and Mrs. Miller have had seven children,
whose names, with dates of birth, are as follows:
Mary I., June 23, 1863, died January 19, 1868;
George E., October 25, 1864, is a prosperous
farmer in Miles township; Sarah K. , November
23, 1865, married Clark Gramly, of Miles town
ship, Centre county; Elmira M., August 11, 1867,
married Charles Smull, of Rebersburg; Maggie
H., March 11, 1869, died at the age of eighteen;
Minnie E., October 11, 1873, and Bertha G.,
April 16, 1880, are at home. Mrs. Miller is a
Lutheran in religion, but our subject is a mem
ber of the Reformed Church, in which he has
been a deacon and is now an elder. He is a
steadfast supporter of Democratic principles, and
has been supervisor and overseer of the poor,
while as school director he has done effective
work in securing for later generations the educa
tional advantages of which he was deprived in
his youth.

JONATHAN SPANGLER. The Spangler
homestead near Rebersburg, Centre county,
has now been in the possession of that fam
ily for more than a century, and its present occu
pant, the subject of this sketch, is the third
owner in direct line of descent from its original

purchaser, Christopher Spangler, who made his
home there in 1794 or '95. This pioneer was
born in Moore township, Northampton Co.,
Penn., May 17, 1766, and lived for some time in
early manhood in Union county, Penn., east of
New Berlin, before locating at the present home
stead. He bought the interest of George Hoerr-
ner in the tract, and was the first settler, al
though a log cabin stood there at the time of the
purchase. George Christopher Spangler, the father of
Christopher, was born in Prussia, and came to
Brush Valley some time after this settlement, ac
companied by three other sons. They were:
Henry, who was a pioneer settler in Sugar Val
ley, locating near the present site of Tylersville;
George, who went to Ohio; and Peter, who was
the first settler in Bald Eagle Valley, later mov
ing to Ohio. Another son, John, settled along
the Sinnamahoning.
Christopher Spangler always lived at the
present homestead, and he died there February
21, 1855, aged eighty-nine years. His wife,
Anna Margaret (nee Krider), died July 14, 1832,
and both were buried in the Reformed cemetery
at Rebersburg. He was a powerful man, well
built and robust, and, while farming was his chief
occupation in Centre county, he also followed
weaving at times, having learned the trade in
youth. He was a man of strong convictions —
moral, religious and political — and fearlessly car
ried them out. The Sabbath breaker and the
tippler slunk away at his approach. The pro
fane man and the bully subsided into silence as
he passed, all evil-doers dreading his reproof.
He was unusually intelligent, and was a warm
friend of education, heartily supporting the com
mon-school system when that question was sub
mitted to a vote of the people. At one time he
was a Lutheran, but in 1 806 he united with the
Evangelical Association, in which he became a
leader. He was well versed in Scripture, and at
one time was a local preacher. His house, which
was built in 1805, was a rendezvous for preachers,
and services were often held there before any
churches were erected. In politics, he was a
stanch Democrat, and he voted regularly, con
sidering it a duty. His family consisted of ten
children, as follows: Samuel and Jacob died in
Potter township, Centre county; the third child
(name not known) was drowned in the water
trough at home; Jonathan, Sr., is mentioned
more fully below; Anna ' M. married Conrad
Hare; Susan married Solomon Gerheart; Magda-
lena married Jacob Wise; Christina married a
Mr. Evans; Esther married John Betts; and Re
becca married Jacob Kreamer.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

207

Jonathan Spangler was born in 1803, on the
same farm and in the same house in which his
son, our subject, now resides. He was reared
as, a farmer boy, with such schooling as his time
and locality afforded. His education was prac
tical and mainly self-acquired, and, as he was
fond of reading and had a good memory, he be
came conversant with the issues of his day in
Church and State. His hearing was deficient,
or he would doubtless have taken the same in
terest in Church affairs which was shown by his
father, as-he was a devout member of the Evan
gelical Church and a prominent contributor. His
word was as good as his note, his promise for
anything being all that his friends would ask.
Intoxicating drinks had in him a bitter enemy,
and he was the first farmer in his locality to
abolish the use of the whiskey jug in the harvest
field. In politics he was a Democrat until 1862,
when he became a Republican, and his change
was the occasion of much surprise at the time.
He held office in Miles township, and took in
terest in the success of the party, keeping always
well posted on issues. Progressive and enter
prising in his own affairs, he was no less so in
advocating good roads and other improvements.
He owned a large farm, which he has partially
cleared, and was one of the leading agriculturists
in his township.
Jonathan Spangler, Sr. , was married in Union
county, Penn., to Miss Catharine Maize, of Union
county, the daughter of Michael Maize, a well-
known farmer. The children of this union were
Reuben, who died in Stephenson county, 111. ;
Matilda, who married George Dauberman, and
died in Kane county, 111. ; Ira, who died in Brush
Valley, at the age of twenty years; Margaret,
who married Benjamin Gramley, and died in
1895, m Kane county, 111.; Charles, who died
when nineteen years old in Miles township;
Simon, now of Harvey county, Kans. ; Jonathan,
our subject; Anna B., now the widow of Perry
Condo, of Jacksonville, Penn. ; Edward, of Kane
county, 111. ; and Uriah, of Harvey county, Kans.
The mother died February 24, 1857, and her re
mains were interred in Rebersburg in the family
burial, plat. The father married a second wife,
Rebecca Lutz, of Penn Valley, who died in May,
1888, leaving no children. The father breathed
his last November 4, 1888.
Jonathan Spangler, the subject proper of
this sketch, was born April 26, 1842, at the old
homestead. He attended the Gramley school
during boyhood, and later studied a short time
at New Berlin. He has seen great impsovements
in the schools, and heartily endorses them. He
was reared as a farmer boy according to the cus

tom of his time, and remained at home except
for one winter, when he lived with his sister,
Mrs. Dauberman.
Mr. Spangler was married December 25, 1863,
to Miss Sarah A. Condo, a native of Aaronsburg,
and a daughter of Joseph and Anna (Poorman)
Condo, and they went to housekeeping on the
old Spangler farm, where they now live. At
first Mr. Spangler rented the farm, and they lived
three years in the tenant house; but in 1835 he
bought the homestead, the property comprising
117 acres of tillable land, and some that is still
in a primitive condition. He has a pleasant
home, and six children who are unusually tal
ented: Charles C. , of Filmore county, Neb., is
a teacher. Joseph E. is a farmer of Ce'ntre Hill.
Ira, now of Sullivan county," Penn., is a minister
of the United Evangelical Church. Catherine
resides in Nebraska, and is not married. Annie
is the wife of O. F. Stover, of Miles township.
Agnes L. is at home.
Mr. Spangler's first vote was cast, in 1864,
for Abraham Lincoln, and since that time he has
been a stanch supporter of Republican doctrines,
but always looks to principle, however, more
than partisan ties. He is an enemy to the liquor
traffic, and hopes to see it abolished. He and
his wife are active members of the United Evan
gelical Church, and he has served in various
offices, having been a class leader for ten or
twelve years, and at present he is assistant super
intendent of the Sunday-school. Reading is a
favorite pastime with him, and, while his mem
ory is not especially retentive, he is familiar with
many more topics than the average man. He is
one of the best citizens as well as a substantial
farmer, and kindliness is a prominent and at
tractive characteristic with him.

JS. DAUBERMAN, who to-day occupies alead-
ing position in business circles, is one to
whom prosperity has come in return for un
tiring labor, enterprises and well-managed busi
ness interests. He is identified with the agricult
ural, industrial and commercial interests of
Centre county, and wherever known is held in
high regard, for his business record is most hon
orable, and his private life is above reproach.
Mr. Dauberman was born in Potter township,
Centre county, near Sinking Creek, October 26,
1832, and is of German lineage, his grandfather,
Israel Dauberman, having been a native of the
German Empire. He became the founder of the
family in America, and his son John was the first
of the name to locate in Centre county. The
latter was one of the first agriculturists in Penn's

208

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Valley. He owned considerable land in Potter
township; and was widely known as a substantial
farmer and prominent citizen. In his boy
hood he learned the cabinet-making and car
penter's trades, and could also follow blacksmith
ing with good success, so that several industries
contributed to his prosperity. He was the prin
cipal donator to the building fund of the first
church at Egg Hill; in politics he supported the
Democratic party. He married Margaret Hafern,
who lived to be seventy-six years of age, he dying
at the age of eighty-one, and they were buried
in Egg Hill cemetery. John Dauberman, the
father of our subject, was the eldest of their
family; a daughter became the wife of Mr. Shreff-
ler, and died in Illinois; Margaret married Sam
uel Spangler, and died in Potter township; Polly
married Michael Dillman, and died in Plainfield,
Illinois. John Dauberman, the father of our subject,
was born in 1800, and acquired a good practical
education, for after attending the public schools
he spent one term in study at Millheim. He
possessed resourceful business ability, and was
an energetic farmer, also carrying on the foun
dry business when his father retired from that in
dustry. He always lived on what is known as
the Dauberman homestead, with the exception
of three years spent on a farm near by. His
later life was passed in retirement from active
business cares, save the management of his prop
erty interests. He then traveled to a considera
ble extent over the country, and made a number
of investments in Western lands, mostly in Kane
county, 111. He married Catherine Swartz, of
Penn township, a representative of an old fam
ily, and their children are: Sarah, who married
Isaac Tressler, and died in Oak Hall, Penn. ;
Margaret, widow of John Rishel, of Centre Hall;
George, who died in Kane county, 111.; Cath
erine, who died in childhood; and J. S. , of this
review. The father was a man five feet, eight
inches in height, and during most of his life was
a hard worker, accumulating a competence as
the result of his industry and frugality. He died
when about seventy-seven years of age; his wife
had passed away previously when about seventy-
five years of age. Their remains were interred
in Egg Hill cemetery.
J. S. Dauberman, our subject, began his edu
cation in the Egg Hill school under the guidance
of William Toner, who belonged to a family that
furnished a number of teachers to that school.
He received good advantages for the time, and
on the home farm received ample training in the
labors required in the cultivation of the field.
He was also a natural mechanic, and without in

struction learned the cabinet makeV's trade. ! He
was married December 27, 1859, to Mary E.
Goodheart, who was born in Mifflin county ,.
Penn., July 30, 1836, the only daughter of John
and Martha (McEwen) Goodheart, who came to
Centre county when Mrs. Dauberman was a girl.
Her maidenhood was there passed, and her edu
cation was obtained in the public schools.
Mr. Dauberman began his domestic life upon
the old homestead, where he followed farming
and also did much mechanical work in the line
of cabinet making, carpentering and blacksmith
ing. He shod his own horses, and even manu
factured the horse-shoe nails. These pur
suits occupied his attention until 1890, when in
connection with his son he embarked in the fur
niture and undertaking business, in Centre Hall,
as successors to William Camp. After a few
years, however, the firm became Dauberman &
Goodheart, and in 1895 our subject became sole
proprietor. He still owns 150 acres of land
which he rents. A man of broad capabilities,
resourceful and persevering, his able manage
ment has brought to him prosperity. He is a
member of the executive committee in charge of
the Central Hall picnic grounds, of which he is
superintendent. He purchased one of the first
kerosene lamps used in Penn's Valley. He is a
stanch Democrat in politics, has served in nu
merous township offices, and has been street com
missioner of Centre Hall. He belongs to the
Grange, and to the Evangelical Church, in which
and in the Sunday-school he has held various
offices, while for several years he was superin
tendent of the Union Sunday-school at Egg Hill..
His wife is a member of the Presbyterian
Church. Mr. and Mrs. Dauberman have two children:
J. G., born March 10, 1862, is now proprietor
of the Centre Hall Meat Supply Co. ; Laura M. ,,
born January 13, 1864, became the wife of
Charles Knarr, and died March 9, 1885, leaving'
one son, John H. , who has made his home with
his grandfather since four months old. Mr.
Dauberman removed to Centre Hall in March,
1887, and in that year erected his substantial
brick residence. His career has been straight
forward and manly in all the relations of life, and
he well deserves representation in any history of
Centre county.

[TILLER STEWART, M. D., of Forest
'{M±. Home, Centre county, has been one of the
most important factors in promoting the devel
opment of the great lumber interests of this sec
tion of Pennsylvania, and belongs to that' class

XW, §Vu^y^WvV

y/^^/c^u^y^/e^ya^

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

200

of typical American citizens whose business
careers not only advance their individual pros
perity, but add to the public welfare also. There
is much in his life that should serve as an inspi
ration and encouragement to others, for his
career is that of a self-made man — one who has
been the architect of his own fortunes and has
builded wisely and well.
Dr. Stewart was born at Penn Manor, Hunt
ingdon Co., Penn., October i, 1819, a son of
Robert and Margaret (Miller) Stewart, natives of
Scotland and Ireland, respectively. The pater
nal grandparents always remained in the former
country. They were representatives of the old
Stewart family, famous in Scottish history. Both
the maternal grandparents were centenarians at
the time of death. The parents of the Doctor
met and married in Huntingdon county, where
the father purchased from the agent of William
Penn '300 acres of land, paying for it seven
pounds and three shillings. There he remained
until his death in 1820, and was extensively en
gaged in farming. The mother died on the old
homestead in 1886, at the age of eighty-seven
years, she, having, after the death of Mr. Stewart,
married Elisha Green. Their children were:
John, who died at the age of seventy-seven
years; James, who died aged eighty-two years;
David, who died aged seventeen years; William,
who died at the age of seventy-six; Margaret,
who married Benjamin Burns, and died at the
home of our subject, at the age of seventy-
three; and Miller, the subject of this review.
At the age of eighteen years Dr. Stewart
started out in life for himself as a clerk to the
prothonotary of Huntingdon. In 1839 he se
cured a clerkship in the collector's office at Hol-
lidaysburg, and in the fall of 1841 entered the
Allegheny Literary College, where he pursued
his studies for a year. He then went to Hunt
ingdon, and in 1842 began reading medicine
under the direction of Dr. William Swope, at
Huntingdon, after which he took a course in
Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, where
he was graduated in the spring of 1845. Re
turning to Huntingdon county, Dr. Stewart en
gaged in practice there until 1849, then spent
one year in traveling in the West, and in 185 1
established a home at Fairmont, Marion Co.,
Va., where he practiced until January, 1854.
At that time he came to Snow Shoe township,
Centre county, and became interested in the de
velopment of the lumber business, in connection
with his brother William, the business relation
between them existing until the latter's death in
1886. Subsequently the Doctor increased his
operations, conducting an extensive enterprise in
14

that line until 1889, when, his labors having
brought to him an ample fortune, he retired to
private life. In 1879, while working in a saw
mill, he had four of the fingers of his right hand
cut off by a buzz-saw, after which he learned to
use his left hand in writing.
On September 29, 1853, Dr. Stewart wedded
Miss Patsy E. Shaw, a native of George Creekr
Allegany Co., Md., born in February, 1833. Her
parents, Major William and Patsy (Burns) Shaw,.
were natives of Maryland, and their parents of
England, whence at an early day they came to
America, locating in Maryland. Major Shaw's
children were: William and James, both de
ceased; John, a farmer of Iowa; Andrew, who is
living on the old homestead in Maryland; Mrs.
Stewart; Margaret, wife of Samuel Rees, a
farmer and cattle dealer of West Virginia; Henry
C, a farmer of West Virginia; and Benjamin, a
physician, now deceased.
The children of Dr. and Mrs. Stewart are
William, who is engaged in the canning of salm
on, in Seattle, Wash.; Walter S., a physician
of Wilkesbarre, Penn. ; David, who is living with
his parents; MaryE., wife of J. B. Miller, a phy
sician of Westernport, Md. ; De Laune G. , a
dentist; Margaret Ann, who is living with her
brother Walter; and Robert F. , of Seattle,
Washington. In 1864 Dr. Stewart erected his present
handsome and commodious residence. He is
heavily interested in Pennsylvania Railroad stock,
but aside from looking after his investments has
'no active business interests. In politics he is a
stalwart Republican. The spirit of self-help is
the source of all genuine worth in the individual,
and it is this that has brought to him prosperity.

WILLIAM STEWART, late of Snow Shoe,
Centre county, was a brother of Dr.
Miller Stewart, who is now a resident of that lo
cality, and a son of Robert and Margaret (Miller)
Stewart, whose lives were passed in Huntingdon
county, Pennsylvania.
William Stewart was born at the Stewart
homestead in Huntingdon county, December ir
181 1. He received only a limited education,
and began his business career as a clerk in a
general store at Huntingdon in the employ of
Thomas Reed. From this store of Mr. Reed,
young Stewart went into the office of the pro
thonotary of Huntingdon county, in the same
county. He was a good penman, became a
quick and accurate clerical man. and after the
election of Governor David R. Porter to the guber
natorial chair was chosen by that gentleman as

210

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

his private secretary, which took him to Harris
burg, Penn. After years of service in this capac
ity be went to Nanticoke, this State, as business
manager of the Governor's affairs. In 1849 he
came to Snow Shoe in search of health, his con
stitution having been somewhat impaired by pre
vious confinement at close office work. Here he
bought a large tract of timber land in connec
tion with John S. Miller, who sold out to Robert
Dorsey, and it is said built the firststeam sawmill
in Centre county. These gentlemen carried on an
extensive business in the sawing of lumber and
in the shipment of square timber. Until the
completion of the Snow Shoe and Bellefonte
railroad they rafted their logs and sawed lumber
to market via the Moshannon creek and Sus
quehanna river. In January, 1854, the interest
of Mr. Dorsey was purchased by Dr. Miller
Stewart, and since that time up to the death of
William, the Stewart brothers conducted a most
extensive and successful lumbering business, and
accumulated a large fortune. They usually
rafted from one to one and one-half mill
ion feet of lumber annually. William's death
occurred at his home in Snow Shoe, May 5,
1886. He was quite a philanthropist, giving
liberally of his wealth where he thought it would
do good and relieve distress. He was most
kind and charitable, and died as he lived, uni
versally respected and esteemed. The older
Stewarts were formerly Democratic in their polit
ical affiliations, but with the beginning of the
Civil ,war they became Republicans, and William
was no exception. He never married.

W LBERT C. MINGLE, the well-known re-
<&& tail boot and shoe dealer of Bellefonte,
Centre county, is a representative of the best
type of American citizenship, his public spirit be
ing no less noticeable than is his ability and en
terprise in business lines.
The history of the Mingle family is one in
teresting in many respects. It dates back into
another century, and is closely connected with
the development of the country from that time
to the present day. They were among the first
to settle in Pennsylvania, and, at the time of
their coming here, the State was still under the
English rule. This was in 1732 when the first of
the Mingle family settled in Berks county. In
1802, the great-grandfather of A. C. Mingle, the
subject of our sketch, located in Union county.
His son David, who was still quite young, ac
companied by a brother, joined the army during
the war of 1812, David becoming a member of
Capt. Henry Miller's company, stationed at Mar

cus Hook. At the close of the war he learned
the art of shoemaking, and later married a Miss
Grove, of Union county, a member of the fam
ily noted for their prowess in battling with the In
dians. About the year 1823 he settled in Mifflin
burg, but later moved to Haines township, Centre
county, where he lived until 1854. He then
went to Stephenson county, 111., remaining there
to the time of his death, in 1872. He had
twelve children, and was twice married, his first
wife dying in Centre county. The children of
the first wife were: Henry A., the father of our
subject; Samuel, a boot and shoe maker, who
diedsome years ago at Lock Haven, Penn., and
Susan Motz, who died at Woodward, Penn., De
cember 1 1, 1897.
Henry A., the father of Albert C. Mingle,
was born at Mifflinburg in the year 1818, and,
when he was but two or three years old, his fa
ther moved to Centre county. At the age of
fourteen years Henry worked with his, father at
the trade of shoemaking, going, as was the cus
tom at that time, from house to house, making
and repairing shoes for the farmers and their
families. When about twenty-one years old he
settled in Aaronsburg, bought a home, and there
lived until the year 1891, when he died. He fol
lowed his trade as a shoemaker until 1865 when
he engaged in mercantile business for a number of
years. While still quite young, he was for five
years captain of the Patriotic Riflemen; was jus- .
tice of the peace for eighteen years; held nearly
all of the township offices during different periods
of his life, and after retiring from the mercantile
business, was elected county commissioner, which
office he creditably filled for three years. He
was a man who had the respect and confidence
of all who knew him, and throughout his entire
life was a consistent member of the Reformed
Church. He was married to Miss Eve Bower, who still
survives him. Her family, who are of Swiss
origin, settled in Lebanon county at an early
date, and from that point the grandfather of Mrs.
Mingle moved to Penn's Valley, Centre county,
and became one of the first settlers of the Val
ley where numerous of his descendants still live.
Henry A. Mingle raised five children: Will
iam B., who since 1873 has been cashier of the
Penn's Valley Banking Company at Centre Hall;
Dr. D. H., a practicing physician at Maxwell,
Iowa; Thomas J., who is in the employ of the
Singer Sewing Machine Co., at Minneapolis,
Minn. ; Albert C, the subject of our sketch, and
Edward G., who lives with his mother at the old
homestead. Albert C. Mingle was born at Aaronsburg,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

211

Penn., September 26, 1854. He received a
thorough education in the public schools and the
Aaronsburg Academy. At the age of eighteen
-years he was apprenticed to the printer's trade
on the Millheim fournal, which at that time was
published in both English and German, thus
giving him an excellent training in the two
languages. After serving his time at the case,
he abandoned the trade of printing and accepted
a position in the mercantile establishment of
William Wolf, at Centre Hall, Penn., where he
remained for five years. Being desirous of em
barking in business for himself, he moved to
Bellefonte, and opened his present establishment.
Strict attention to business and honest dealings
have placed him among the foremost of the busi
ness men in Bellefonte. His success in life,
however, has not been achieved without hard
work, but with an untiring energy, and a practi
cal knowledge of what is essential in his respect
ive calling, he has built up for himself a busi
ness and a name of which he can well feel
proud. In 1882 he was married to Miss Maggie Hof-
fer, of Centre Hall, Penn., and his home is now
graced by a charming wife and two bright daugh
ters, Helen and Roxie. While never aspiring to
public office, he was several years ago elected
mayor of the Republican city of Bellefonte, on
the Democratic ticket, and at the present time is
a member of the Bellefonte school board. So
cially he is also prominent, being a Mason, Royal
Arch Mason, and a Knight Templar, also a mem
ber of the I. O. O. F. In all of these Societies
he is a past officer, and has represented them all
in the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.

JE&L

NDREW HARTER, the able and efficient
GL postmaster at Coburn, Centre county, and
president of the Millheim & Coburn Pike Com
pany, is a man whose exemplary life and upright
dealings with his fellowmen have won for him
that priceless treasure — a good name. Prosper
ous also in a material sense, he stands among
the leading business men of his section, while his
generous interest in the progress of the com
munity has been demonstrated in many ways.
Mr. Harter was born in Penn township,
Centre county, March 7, 1839, and is the third
in direct and consecutive order to bear the same
name. Andrew Harter, bis grandfather, was a
farmer in Haines township, Centre county; An
drew Harter, our subject's father, was born there
July 31, 1802, arud was educated in the German
schools of that day and locality.
On arriving at manhood's estate the latter re

ceived from his father, who had but little means
beyond his modest home, about $150 worth of
goods, and with this outfit he set up a home of
his own, taking unto himself a wife, Catherine
Moyer, who was born in 1808 in Lebanon county,
Penn. Her father, George Moyer, a farmer,
settled in Haines township, Centre county, when
she was but a child, and his remaining days were
spent there. Our subject's father first rented a
farm in his native township with a brother-in-
law, Henry Moyer, but later removed to Penn
township, Centre county, and rented land from
James Duncan. He was an energetic man and
capable of much work, being six feet, one and
one-half inches in height, and very wiry and mus
cular, and each year saw an improvement in his
financial condition. In time be purchased the
farm in the same township, which is now owned
by our subject,, but he never became very
wealthy. He could never refuse, a favor, and his
generosity was often imposed upon. He and his
estimable wife were both members of the Luth
eran Church, and in politics he adhered to the
Democratic faith, taking much interest in party
work, and serving in various township offices.
He died suddenly at the age of fifty-nine, and his
wife passed away when sixty-four years old, the
remains of both being interred at Aaronsburg.
They had ten children: Polly, who died in
infancy; Catherine (Mrs. Philip Shook), of Gregg
township, Centre county; Sarah (Mrs. Henry
Behm), of Haines township, Centre county; John
M., of Coburn; Julia A. (Mrs. Henry Stemm), of
Illinois; Margaret (Mrs. Jacob Sanders), of Penn
township, Centre county; Andrew, our subject;
Harriet (Mrs. Daniel Geutzel), of Gregg town
ship; George M. , of Potter township, Centre
county; and Jacob M., of Coburn.
The schools in which our subject received his
education were not of the best, and he felt deeply
the need of wider opportunities. But his parents
needed his help on the farm, for although not the
oldest he was much depended upon, so he virtu
ally sacrificed his future in order to assist at
home. When his father died, Mr. Harter and a
brother-in-law, Mr. Shook, were appointed ad
ministrators. The business affairs were in a
much more complicated state than they probably
would have been had the sad event been antici
pated, and in order to meet certain urgent obliga
tions against the homestead, Mr. Harter rented
it, and by hard work and good management se
cured the money in time. Later he and his
brother George bought the place, which contains
156 acres, and conducted it in partnership until
the brother sold his interest, purchasing a farm
adjoining. Since that time Andrew Harter has

212

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

been the sole owner. He has a comfortable com
petence gained by methods which enable him to
look any man in the face with no fear of any ac
cusation of dishonesty. In April, 1893, he re
moved with his family to Coburn, where he owns
a good home, one of the finest in the place.
In April, 1863, Mr. Harter was married, in
Haines township, Centre county, to Miss Cath
erine Kleckner, who was born February 9, 1843,
in Hartley township, Union Co. , Penn. She was
the second child and daughter in the family of
seven children born to Joseph and Sally (Boop)
Kleckner. Her father died during her girlhood,
and at the time of her marriage she was em
ployed as a domestic. Three children have been
born of this marriage: (1) George A., a physi
cian of Maytown, Lancaster Co., Penn., and a
graduate of Susquehanna University and Jefferson
Medical College, Philadelphia; he married Libbie
Gaugler, of Selins Grove, Snyder county, a daugh
ter of Jackson Gaugler, a railroad contractor,
and they have three children — Charles Andrew,
Marie Catherine and Helen G. (2) Andrew J.,
a- music dealer and accomplished musician at Al
toona, Penn., of the First Lutheran Church of
which city he is organist; he received his musical
education in part at the New England Conserva
tory of Music, Boston, Mass., where he studied
two years; on December 4, 1890, he married
Miss Sallie B. Shirk, who was born in Potter
township January 8, 1867, a daughter of Joseph
and Agnes (Shires) Shirk, farming people; Mrs.
Harter died December 10, 1896, leaving two chil
dren — May Kathleen, born May 1, 1892, and
James Andrew, born August 17, 1894. (3) James
E. is a professor of music at Coburn; he also was
a student at the New England Conservatory of
Music at Boston; he married Jennie Hosterman
February 12, 1891; he is at present engaged in
the mercantile business, at Coburn, Penn. ; pres
ent tax collector of Penn township; and has been
officer and organist in the Lutheran Church since
1890. Mr. Harter has given his sons much more
favorable opportunities for education than he
himself enjoyed, and they have proven themselves
worthy of their advantages. All occupy honora
ble positions in their respective communities, and
are active in Church affairs and in all progressive
movements of the day.
Mr. Harter, himself, is a leading worker in
the Lutheran denomination in his locality. While
attending the Millheim Church, he held the office
'of deacon, and he is now an elder in the Coburn
congregation. He has always been a liberal
giver, and was the largest contributor toward the
new church at Coburn. He is much interested
in local affairs of every sort, and as a leading

stockholder in the Millheim & Coburn turnpike
and as president of the company has been a
factor in the success of that enterprise. He be
longs to the Grange, and is prominent in the
councils of the Democratic party, having held
numerous township offices, including those of
auditor and supervisor. In September, 1893, he
was appointed postmaster at Coburn, and has
since discharged the duties of the place with
characteristic fidelity. He has always been a
leader in musical advancement, and to his un
tiring efforts are due many of the grand musical
successes for which the community, in which he
lives, is noted. His characteristic energy and
determination have always made of him a leader
and not a follower, and among his neighbors he
has many friends and few enemies.

L. CARLISLE, M. D. It is not every
professional man who finds in his own na
tive place, and among his old-time acquaint
ances, the best field for the efforts of mature
years, and that Dr. Carlisle, a rising young phy
sician of Philipsburg, Centre county, should thus
tempt fate, and win success under circumstances
usually considered most trying, is evidence of
more than ordinary ability and worth.
Dr. Carlisle was born December 28, 1862,
and is a son of Samuel and Martha (Lorain) Car
lisle, who died when he was a child of less than
three years. Samuel Carlisle was a native of
this State, and came to Philipsburg from Cham
bersburg in early manhood to engage in mercan
tile business. The Doctor's mother, who was
born in Centre county, was a granddaughter of
Philipsburg's honored pioneer, John Lorain,
and his wife Martha, both natives of Maryland.
Thomas Lorain, great-grandfather of Mrs. Car
lisle; commanded the ship in which he came to
America, and, locating in Maryland at an early
period in its history, took a leading part in the
development of the place, in which he settled.
Dr. Henry Lorain, Mrs. Carlisle's father, was
born in Maryland, but locating in Clearfield
county became one of the most prominent physi
cians of that section, his practice extending over
a wide range of territory. He married Miss
Maria Taylor, a native of the county.
Dr. Carlisle being left an orphan at such a
tender age, was taken in charge by his mother's
brother, Major Lorenzo Lorain, one of the ablest
and most noted sons of Centre county. A keen
and well-balanced intellect and rare executive
ability, combined with a genial nature which won
the lasting regard of all sorts and conditions of
men, gave him extraordinary influence. His

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

213

capabilities seemed almost limitless. As soldier,
teacher, scientist, civil engineer, and inventor, he
did work of permanent value. He was born in
Philipsburg, August 5, 1831, and during his boy
hood, while studying civil engineering, he was
offered a cadetship at West Point, which he ac
cepted. Entering in June, 1852, he was gradu
ated with honors in 1856, and received a com
mission as second lieutenant in the Third U. S.
Artillery, his duties taking him to various points.
At the outbreak of the Civil war he naturally
took a post of responsibility, and in one of the
first battles, that of Blackburn's Ford, Va. , in
July, 1 86 1, he was severely wounded. He never
entirely recovered (in fact his death was the re
sult of disease superinduced by the wound); but
in March, 1862, he accepted a position as assist
ant in the chemical department at West Point,
which he held for over eight years. He was
offered several volunteer commands, but much as
he desired to join the army in the field his phy
sical condition prohibited it. He received, how
ever, the brevet rank of captain for his gallant
conduct at Blackburn's Ford, and later that of
major was bestowed. On leaving West Point he
was stationed at Fort Jefferson, Florida, as com
mander, and later at Charlestown, S. C, and
then he took the chair of physics and mechanics
at Lehigh University, at Bethlehem, Penn. His
liking for military surroundings and connections
led him to resign this position, and to refuse
other important posts in different colleges. For
a time he served at Fort Hamilton, New York
Harbor, and later became an instructor in the
United States Artillery School at Fortress Mon
roe, Va. , and remained until a short time before
his death which occurred March 6, 1882, at Bal
timore, Md., while on sick leave. While at the
school he made, or was instrumental in bringing
about, many improvements, and he invented a
gunsight, which bears his name.
He left a widow, formerly Miss Fannie Mose-
ley McDonald, of Washington, D. C. , and two
children: Henry McDonald, a mining engineer
in Philipsburg, and Mertie M., wife of Lieut. E.
A. Anderson, of the United States Navy.
Under the fostering care of this noble man
our subject passed his most impressionable
years. The frequent changes of location had
their educational effect, and he attended various
schools also — one at Norfolk, Va. , the academy
at Troy, N. Y. , and a school at Gettysburg,
Penn. In 1882 he became a clerk in the office
of the Philipsburg Banking Company, and held
the position ten years, resigning in 1 892 to take
a similar place in a coal company's office. He
had by this time discovered his real bent, and

after one year in the last position he entered the
medical department of the University of Penn
sylvania, and in 1896 received the degree of M.
D. Returning to Philipsburg, where he had
long been deservedly popular, he began his pro
fessional labors.

ICHAEL STROHM, of Centre Hill, Cen
tre county, has rounded the Psalmist's
span of " three-score years and ten," and in his
declining years can look back over a'well-spent
life, honorable in both business and social rela
tions. Such a career has won him the unqualified
respect of all with whom he has been brought in
contact. Mr. Strohm was born in Lebanon township,
Lebanon Co., Penn., October 29, 18 16, and is a
son of John and Susanna (Graybill) Strohm.
His great-grandfather, who was of German birth,
left the Fatherland to found a home in America.
The grandfather, John Strohm, a farmer by oc
cupation, had a family of two sons and two
daughters. John Strohm, the father of our sub
ject, was married in Lebanon county, and in 1835
removed to Centre county, locating in Potter.
township, near Centre Hill, the journey being
made in a large wagon with several horses. Be
ing .a man of considerable means, he here pur
chased a valuable property of 270 acres, which
he successfully operated until his death. His
earnest labor brought to him a comfortable com
petence, and he was known as one of the sub
stantial citizens of the community. In politics
he was an Old-line Whig, and manifested his re
ligious belief by his membership in the Evangel
ical Church. He died in 1846, at the age of
sixty years, and was laid to rest in Egg Hill
cemetery, near his wife, who had passed away in
1 84 1. Their children were Jonathan and Henry,
who both died in Stephenson county, 111. ; Maria
(wife of Peter Albright), who died in Mifflin
county, Penn. ; Michael, the subject of this sketch;
Jacob, of Tusseyville, Centre county; Susan,
widow of Jonathan Kreamer, of State College;
John, who died in Potter township; and Lydia,
wife of J. G. Meyer, of Aaronsburg.
The educational privileges which Michael
Strohm enjoyed were very limited; he lived in a
German community, and the teaching was in the
German tongue. He could not speak English
until, at the age of nineteen years, he came to
Centre county with his parents, but by contact
with those who used the English tongue, he be
came familiar with the language, and by ex
perience and observation he has gained a good
practical education. His training at farm labor,

214

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

however, was not meager, for at an early age he
became familiar with the duties that fall to the
lot of the agriculturist. In 1841 he drove a two-
horse team to Freeport, 111., for a man who was
moving to the West. The town of Freeport at
that time contained but twelve houses. Mr.
Strohm worked in Illinois for a year and a half
as a farm hand; but with the exception of that
period he remained with his parents until his
marriage. In Potter township, October 30, 1845, Mr.
Strohm was married to Miss Catherine Wagner,
who was born in Potter township, a daughter of
Bernard Wagner. The young couple began their
domestic life on the old homestead, and Mr.
Strohm settled upon his father's estate. He aft
erward purchased a part of the farm, and erected
all the buildings thereon with the exception of
the barn, which was only partially completed
when he became the owner. On that place he
lived until the spring of 1877, when he came to
Centre Hill, and embarked in general merchan
dising, which he has since followed. He now
owns a valuable farm of 130 acres, together with
a house and lot, his store room and his stock of
goods in Centre Hill. His property is the visible
result of the energy and perseverance which are
numbered, among his marked characteristics.
In 1895 Mr. Strohm was called upon to
mourn the loss of his wife, who died March 30,
and was buried in Sprucetown, her death occurring
only a few months before their fiftieth wedding
anniversary. She had been to her husband a
faithful companion and helpmate, and his loss
was deeply felt. Their children were: John,
who died at the age of nineteen years; William,
of Red Cloud, Nebraska, who was accidentally
shot while hunting; Elmira, wife of W. A. Kerr,
of Potter township; James B. , county commis
sioner of Bellefonte; Sallie and Annie (twins),
who died in infancy; Horace, who died in Centre
Hill; and Laura, wife of W. W. Bayard, of
Philadelphia. The mother of this family was a
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and
carefully reared her children.
Mr. Strohm is one of the veterans of the
Tippecanoe campaign, and cast his first vote for
William Henry Harrison. Since the organiza
tion of the Republican party he has been one of
its supporters. He is a faithful member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, has served as trus
tee and as a member of the building committee,
and was for years a member of the Quarterly
Conference. He has been very active in Church
work, and does all in his power to advance those
interests which are calculated to promote the
moral welfare of the community. His life has

been well spent, winning him high regard, and he
is still active in business affairs although he has
passed the age of four-score years.

JOHN GLEN HALL (deceased), who in his
lifetime was an active, prominent and enter
prising citizen of Union township, Centre
county, carried on farming pursuits on the Dicks
run road up to his death. He was born Decem
ber 10, 1829, within a couple of hundred feet of
where he died of pneumonia, January 31, 1897.
Robert Hall, father of our subject, first saw
the light December 26, 1800, the first white child
born at Bellefonte, Penn. , became a blacksmith
by trade, but his later days were spent in farm
ing on the place where our subject now resides.
There his death occurred October 10, 1883. He
was a consistent member of the Methodist Epis
copal Church, and in politics was a stalwart
Democrat. On August 23, 1827, he was mar
ried, by Rev. Amos Smith, to Elizabeth Hut
ton, and they became the parents of three chil
dren: Aaron, who was born July 29, 1828, and
died March 11, 1892; John G., the subject of
this sketch; and Rachel, who was born June 12,
183 1, and is now the wife of Henry Peters, of
Minnesota. The mother, who was born January
12, 1806, passed away January 25, 1835. She
was the daughter of John and Mary (Parsons)
Hutton, who also spent their entire lives in Cen
tre county engaged in agricultural pursuits.
Their parents were natives of Maryland.
For his second wife Robert Hall was married,
September 15, 1839, by Rev. James Amos, to
Mrs. Mary (Armgost) Baum, who was born in
Centre county, September 26, 181 1, and died
July 3, 1849. To this union came the following
children: William, born July 30, 1840, is a
farmer of Minnesota; Eliza, born February 20,
1842, is the wife of William Peters, of Minne
sota; Andrew was born September 9, 1843;
David and Daniel (twins) were born April 27,
1846, the former being now an agriculturist of
Union township and the latter a blacksmith of
Unionville, Centre county; Mary E., born June
30, 1849, is the wife of Henry Holter, a carpen
ter in the borough of Howard.
For his third wife, Robert Hall wedded
Mrs. Catherine (Kline) Shaw, December 11,
185 1, and three children graced this union:
Lawrence, born March 26, 1853, died June 21,
1 871: Thomas, born July 12, 1854, is a lumber
merchant of Wisconsin; and James, born Octo
ber 31, 1856, is a farmer of Centre county,
Penn. The mother of these children was born
in Berks county, Penn., December 2, 1816, a

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

215

daughter of John and Elizabeth Kline, and now
makes her home with our subject.
The parental grandparents of John* G. Hall
were Hon. John and Hannah (Armont) Hall,
natives of Delaware county, Penn., where they
were married and remained until 1896, when
they removed by keelboat and wagons to Belle
fonte. There the grandfather started the first
blacksmith shop in the place, conducting the
same until his removal to the present homestead
of pur subject, where he and his wife died. His
grandfather was a native of England, and came
to America with two brothers, locating in Pennsyl
vania, where he spent his remaining days. For
two terms Hon. John Hall represented his county
in the State Legislature, and was re-elected, but
declined to accept the office. He was very fond
of hunting, and our subject now uses his powder-
horn, and the bone from a turkey's wing, with
which he used to decoy those birds, imitating
their call.
Mr. Hall, the subject proper of this review,
never left the parental roof, but remained at
home, caring for his parents until their life's
labors were ended. He obtained his education
in the schools of the neighborhood, and worked
some in the lumber woods of the locality. Like
his grandfather, he was very fond of hunting,
was ever a good marksman, and the first game
which he killed was a deer a half mile from his
home, bringing it down with a flintlock musket.
From that time he killed many wild animals,
including bears. On January 17, 1882, he
married Miss Minerva J. Hutton, and two sons
were born to them: Robert C. , January 31, 1883;
and Joseph A., August 10, 1890. Mr. Hall
affiliated with the Democratic party in politics,
but had no aspirations for office, though he filled
several township positions of honor and trust.
As an enterprising, progressive farmer he had
few superiors in Union township, and as a citizen
he had the confidence and respect of all.
Mrs. Hall, widow of the late John G. Hall, is
a native of Clarion county, Penn., a daughter of
Joseph and Martha (Delp) Hutton, who were
born, the former on May 25, 1824, in Centre
county (about two miles from the birthplace of
John G. Hall), the latter born in October, 1829,
in Clarion county, Penn., and died April 15,
1897, °f pneumonia and heart trouble. Three
daughters, as follows, constitute their family:
Minerva J. is the widow of John G. Hall;
Susanna is the wife of Joseph Logan, a farmer
and lumberman, of Osceola, Penn. ; and Mary is
the wife of John Gearhart, of Clearfield county,
Penn. John Hutton, grandfather of Mrs. Min
erva J. Hall, was born March 29, 1778, married

Ndvember2, 1802, to Mary Parsons, born Novem
ber 20, 1779. The names and dates of birth of
their children are as follows: Hannah, May 10,
1803, died May 12, 1827; Thomas, June 22,
1804; Elizabeth, January 12, 1806; Mary, June
6, 1808; Amos, June 22, 18 10; Rachel, Septem
ber 3, 1812; Catherine, October 20, 1814; John,
March 22, 1817; Sarah, October 23, 1819, died
May 15, 1897; and Joseph, May 25, 1824. The
father of this family died September 16, 1833,
the mother on November 21, 1839. Of their
children, Elizabeth was married to Robert Hall,
August 23, 1827; Thomas was married to Mary
Bathurst, January 1, 1828; Mary was married to
Aaron Hall, August 19, 1828; Rachel was married
to Charles Appleton ; Sarah was married to Adam
Smith, May 10, 1840; Catherine was married to
Robert McCown.

W. KREAMER, the leading merchant of
JF1L Centre Hall, Centre county, is the senior
member of the well-known firm of Kreamer &
Son, the owners and proprietors of an excellent
general store. He is also one of that beautiful
little town's best citizens, and is a worthy repre
sentative of one of Penn's Valley's oldest pioneer
families, which was founded here over a century
ago, and has since been prominently identified
with the progress and development of the county.
Mr. Kreamer was born September 28, 1837,
in Brush Valley, on a farm adjoining the village
of Kreamerville, Centre county, and is the sec
ond child and only son of his parents, Daniel
and Susannah (Weaver) Kreamer. The father
was born in Brush Valley, November 7, 181 5,
and he was the youngest son of Jacob Kreamer.
He obtained such an education as the district
schools of that early day afforded, and was
reared upon a farm, early becoming familiar with
its arduous labors, as but crude machinery was
then used. In Brush Valley he wedded Susan
nah Weaver, who was born there, October 6,
1 8 14, a daughter of John and Barbara (Brun
gart) Weaver. Five children blessed their union:
Sarah (now Mrs. John Wolf), of Miles township,
Centre county ; H. W. ; Amanda, who first
married George Wolf, and after his death
wedded A. Lukenbach, of Bellefonte ; Hannah,
who married S. S. Wolf, and died in Brush Val
ley ; and Emma, widow of E. Wolf, of Rebers
burg, Centre county.
Daniel Kreamer followed farming near
Kreamerville until his removal to Rebersburg,
where for several years he successfully engaged
in the hotel business. He died at that place at
the ripe old age of eighty years, his wife passing

216

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

away a short time previously, at the same age,
and they now sleep side by side in the Rebers
burg cemetery. For years the father was a
singing teacher, and served as leader of the
choir of the Reformed Church, of which he was
a consistent member. He was a medium-sized
man, being five feet, eight inches in height, and
was quite active and energetic. In politics he
was a stanch supporter of the Democratic party,
and efficiently filled a number of local offices.
Mr. Kreamer, whose name introduces this
sketch, obtained a fair education in the district
schools near his home, which, however, were
much inferior to those of the present time. On
leaving the farm at the age of fourteen, he en
tered the store of Gross Boger & Co. , in Rebers
burg, where he began clerking for $4 per month,
but during the five years he was in the employ
of that firm his wages were increased. Later
he embarked in general merchandising on his
own account in the same place, and subsequently
engaged in farming at Spring Bank, Miles town
ship, Centre county, for eleven years. Coming
to Centre Hall, in 1884, he became a member of
the well-known and reliable firm of Harper &
Kreamer, general merchants, who were the first
to successfully compete with the old established
stores of that place. In April, 1896, he became
sole owner of the business, which is now con
ducted under the firm style of Kreamer & Son.
They carry a large and well-selected stock of
general merchandise, and by fair and honorable
dealing have built up an excellent trade, which
is constantly increasing.
Mr. Kreamer married Miss Emma Stroh-
ecker, of Rebersburg, a daughter of Hon. Sam
uel Strohecker, who represented Centre county
in the General Assembly, and was one of the
prominent doctors of Brush Valley. Three chil
dren were born of this union: Samuel S., who
like his father is also an only son, and is now the
former's partner in business; Jennie (now Mrs. S.
H. Heckman), of Lock Haven, Penn. ; and
Tacy, at home. The mother of these chil
dren departed this life in 1886. For his second
wife Mr. Kreamer wedded Miss Maggie Hanna,
a successful teacher of Spring Mills, Centre
¦county. Like his father, Mr. Kreamer is a firm ad
herent of Democratic principles, and has served
with credit to himself, and to the satisfaction of
his constituents in a number of official positions
of honor and trust, for the past six years being
treasurer of Centre Hall. He and his wife are
sincere and conscientious Christians, he as a
prominent member of the Reformed Church, in
which he has also held various offices, including

those of deacon and elder, she as an equally prom
inent member of the M. E. Church. He owns an
elegant home, besides a half interest in the best
business block in Centre Hall, and the success
that he has achieved is due entirely *to his own
energy, enterprise and good executive ability.
He is one of the most methodical, popular and
reliable business men of Centre county, and in
social as well as business circles holds an envi
able position.

D'

ex-sheriff of Centre
county, is one of Bellefonte's oldest and
most highly respected citizens, owning a large and
valuable farm in the vicinity, and being identified
with the various progressive movements which
have contributed to the welfare of the city.
Michael Kline (his grandfather), who was of
German birth, was a farmer in New York State,
but purchased an extensive tract of land near
Watsontown, in Union county, Penn. John
George Kline, our subject's father, was a native of
Berks county, Penn., and was placed in charge
of the Union county estate at an early age. While
there he married Miss Amy Zimmerman, and
later moved to the vicinity of Lock Haven. He
died at Howardville at the age of sixty-three
years. His wife passed her last days in bur sub
ject's home, and at the time of her death she was
eighty-two years old. Her children were: John,
a farmer by occupation, died years ago; Daniel
Z. is the subject of this sketch; Samuel F. is a
resident of Howardville; Lucinda married Daniel
W. Hall, and resides in Iowa; and Barbara, Mary
Ann, Washington, and David all died young.
Daniel Z. Kline was born December 1, 1818,
in Union county, but his long and useful life has
been mainly spent in Centre county. He at
tended the Union school near Lock Haven, and
later assisted his father upon the farm in How
ard township, Centre county. When ten years
old he began working by the month for neighbor
ing farmers, and after his marriage in 1856 to
his first wife, Miss Lucetta Kiester, he continued
this work for a time, and also taught successfully
in the country schools, making his home in How
ardville. Finally he engaged in farming for his
own behalf on his present property, one mile east
of Bellefonte. By his first marriage he had a daughter, Jose
phine, who married Harry C. Brew, who is in
terested in the Fairbanks scale works at Pitts
burg, but makes Bellefonte his residence with
his wife, and their children — Lucetta and Austin
D. Our subject's present wife, whose maiden
name was Sarah Hall, is the mother of one daugh-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

217

ter, Nellie, who is now the wife of Judge Love,
of Bellefonte, and has two children — John G.
and Catherine.
In the fall of 1866 the people of Centre
county called Mr. Kline from his agricultural
labors, electing him to the office of sheriff, which
he held three years, serving with ability and
credit. During that time he removed to Belle
fonte, and he has since left to other hands the
active work of his farm, which contains 217 acres,
all in one tract. He has been a lifelong Demo
crat. His interest in local affairs has been
evinced in practical ways, and, as one instance
among many, we may note his generous activity
in securing the collections for the new M. E.
Church at Bellefonte, of which Mrs. Kline is
a member. Our subject is a Master Mason of
Bellefonte Lodge No. 268.
Mrs. Kline was born in Bellefonte, January
8, 1829, a daughter of John and Sarah (Weaver)
Hall, the former of whom, a native of Delaware
county, Penn., died in 1850. The mother's
death occurred in 1876. Of their children, seven
in all, four are still living, namely: Daniel, resid
ing in Iowa; Hannah, who married Rev. Thomas
Barnhart, and resides in Iowa; John N., who re
sides near Howard, Penn., and Sarah.

DANIEL B. WEAVER, a prosperous miller
of Miles township, Centre county, residing
near Wolfs Store, is a citizen of the best type.
In the hour of our country's danger through re
bellion he served gallantly in her defense, while
in peace he has maintained an honorable and
useful position among his fellows. He was born
July 2, 1840, near Wolfs Store, where his father,
John Weaver, a son of John Weaver, Sr , also
first opened his eyes to the light.
Our subject's father was reared as a farmer
boy, enjoying but meagre educational privileges
in the subscription schools of that day, and
working upon the home farm until his marriage.
His wife, Susan Brungart, was born and reared
in Brush Valley, and her father, Jacob Brungart,
was a well-known agriculturist living east of
Wolfs Store. After their marriage the young
couple located on a farm belonging to John
Weaver, Sr. , where they resided many years,
and then after a short stay upon a farm south of
Wolfs Store they returned to the farm where
our subject was born. There both passed away,
and their remains now rest in the burial ground
at Rebersburg. John Weaver, Jr. , was of or
dinary build, but of a strong constitution, and
usually enjoyed robust health. He was indus
trious and lived in . comfortable style, but never

acquired riches. His honesty was unwavering,
and throughout the community he was held in
high esteem. As a Democrat he always took
keen interest in political issues, being a regular
voter, and for two terms he held the office of
supervisor. He was a member of the Reformed
Church, his wife of the Lutheran. They had
the following children: Thomas, a shoemaker
at Tylersville, Penn. ; Israel, who died in boy
hood; Daniel B., of this sketch; Mary (Mrs.
John Breon), of Miles township, Centre county;
Chestie (Mrs. William Meyer), of Wolfs Store;
John H. , who died in early manhood at Potters
Bank; William H. , a miller at Millheim; Maggie
(Mrs. John Minich), of Brush Valley; and
Charles A., a miller at Osceola, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Weaver (our subject) attended the dis
trict schools of his neighborhood during his
youth, his first teacher being Mrs. John DeLong
at Wolfs Store. The value of, indeed the neces
sity for, better educational facilities for the peo
ple became impressed upon his mind at an early
period, and the present free-school system finds
in him a warm friend. He did but little work
away from home, and practically lived there until
his enlistment at Rebersburg, August 22, 1862, in
Company A, 148th P. V. I. The company went
via Lewistown to Harrisburg, where the members
were instructed in the duties of a soldier and
equipped for service. Mr. Weaver's first battle
was the memorable struggle at Chancellorsville,
and he took part in all the engagements of his
regiment until after the fight at Deep Bottom,
where he was wounded by an exploding shell.
He lost three months in consequence, spending
most of the time in hospital at Philadelphia, with
a thirty-days' furlough home. After rejoining
his regiment at Falmouth, he served until the
close of the war. His record was a most cred
itable one, and at his discharge in July, 1865, he
held the rank of sergeant. On his return from
the front he spent a short time at home, and in
1866 he began farming on his own account, rent
ing the farm where he was born. In 1867 he
married Miss Mary C. Kreider, born May 31,
1842, in Penn township, Centre county, a daugh
ter of Philip Kreider, a prominent farmer and
merchant. He was born in Lebanon county,
Penn., in 1803, and died in January, 1842. In
December, 1828, he married Leah Bowman,
who was born in Cornwall township, Lebanon
county, January 3, 1803, and died April 4, 1856.
Eight children were born to them : Melinda Ann,
widow of George W. Stover, of Penn township;
William S., who died in 1855, aged twenty-three;
Rozanna, who died in infancy; John Philip, who
died leaving a family in Miles township; George,

218

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

deceased in infancy; Reuben H., who died young;
J. B. Kreider, M. D., practicing medicine in Bu-
cyrus, Ohio; and Mary C. (Mrs. Weaver). The
father was fairly well-educated for his day and op
portunities, and was reared as a farm boy by an
uncle, John Boumberger, he being a mere lad
when his father died. As he grew to maturity
he proved a good business man, and for several
years he carried on a store, also kept a hotel in
Lebanon. In 'addition to this he learned the
carpenter's trade, and worked at same for a time.
In 1835 he located at Centre Hall, and four years
later moved to Penn township, where he died.
In religious faith he was a member of the Re
formed Church, and in politics he was a Demo
crat. Daniel B. Weaver had only his own savings
to depend upon, and as has been said he rented
a place from his father in order to make his start
in business. One year he spent there, and he
then rented from John Moyer a farm near Penn
Hall. His next removal was to a farm of his
own in Gregg township, Centre county, com
prising eighty acres. For this he went heavily
in debt; but through hard work and good man
agement he prospered, and each year saw the
obligation decreased. He finally traded the
place for his present property at Wolfs Store.
There was a sawmill and a gristmill on this lat
ter estate, and a residence which Mr. Weaver
occupied for some time; but later he purchased
more land and built a new home. He now owns
about 100 acres of land, improved with the
buildings mentioned, and still conducts the mill
ing business successfully.
Mr. Weaver and his wife are leading mem
bers of the Reformed Church, and for several
years he held the office of deacon. They have
had ten children, viz.: Elmer K., who died at
the age of three years; Edwin T. , deceased;
Clayton D., a miller, at home; Rosa E., who
died in childhood; Amnion P., a successful
teacher; Calvin J., a miller; Orlando W., Ma-
linda A. and Susan G., who are at home, and
one that died in infancy. Of these, Edwin T. was
a highly respected young farmer of Brush Val
ley, but he was cut off in the prime of his useful
ness, dying April 25, 1897, from injuries received
in a run-away, his team getting frightened when
they were hauling a drill; he left a widow, Ida
M. (Walker) Weaver, and two children: Mi
riam Grace and Edwin Theodore.
Our subject has had his times of discourage
ment and loss like most business men, but per
severing and well-directed effort has carried him
through. He bears a most enviable reputation
for integrity in his dealings. Politically he is a

Democrat, and wherever he has resided he has
taken an active and influential part in , local
affairs, serving as school director and supervisor
in Gregg township, and as supervisor in Miles
township.

F

RED S. DUNHAM, editor and proprietor of
the Weekly Hornet, published at Howard,
Centre county, was born at Lock Haven, Penn.,
November 7, 1862, a son of David S. and Mary
A. (Blake) Dunham, natives of Indiana county,
Penn., and Portland, Maine, respectively. The
mother died in Beach Creek, Clinton Co., this
State, in November, 1876, but the father is still
living. Our subject remained at home until after the
death of his mother, and then began working in
a pottery at Howard in order to pay off the in
debtedness on a home which his mother had
started to build. Out of the fifty cents per day
which he received for his services, he drew out
only twenty cents, letting the remainder go on the
debt. Besides himself he also supported his
father and sister, the former being an invalid at
that time. At the end of two years he left the
pottery, and entered the rolling mills of B.
Lauth, in Howard, where he remained for four
years, a part of the time serving as watchman.
Mr. Dunham next became fireman in a sash
factory in Addison, Steuben Co., N. Y. , where
he remained for one year, and on the expiration
of that time returned to Howard. For three
years he was employed at painting and other odd
jobs, and then went to Altoona, Penn., where he
ran an engine in the planing-mill of John Cline
for a year, when it was destroyed by fire. Re
turning to Howard, he worked in a sawmill for
twelve months, and next began learning the
printer's trade in the office of the Bellefonte Re
publican, where he was employed for two years.
For the following six years he was with the
Bellefonte Gazette, but in 1894 he came to How
ard, and established the Weekly Hornet, which
he has since conducted with good success, having
a circulation of about sixteen hundred copies.
He also does job printing, and the work turned
out is first-class in every particular. Being pos
sessed of an energetic spirit, good executive abil
ity, and excellent judgment, he has met with a
well-deserved success in this undertaking.
On August 1, 1883, Mr. Dunham was married
to Miss Clara K. Neff, and to them were born two
children: William N., who died at the age of
six years, and Alverda M., who died at the age
of eight. Mr. Dunham is an ardent supporter
of the principles of the Republican party; socially,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

219

he is a member of the Patriotic Sons of America,
and the Independent Order of Heptasophs, both
of Bellefonte. Religiously, he holds member
ship in the Evangelical Church. He is a self-
made man, whose advancement has come through
his own efforts, and who by industry and honest
toil has won a place among the representative
business men of Howard.

BF. MILLER, a highly-respected resident
of Madisonburg, was for many years a
prominent agriculturist in Miles township, Cen
tre county, and has but recently taken posses
sion of his pleasant home in town. As a native
of Centre county, he has seen no reason to quar
rel with the fate which cast his lot in so desira
ble a spot, and throughout his life he has re
sided there, and in a quiet but effective way has
taken a helpful part in the progressive move
ments of the locality. He was born February
28, 1844, in Ferguson township, the son of Elias
and Cecelia (Marsh) Miller, of whom a biogra
phy appears elsewhere. His first schooling was
obtained at the Glade school in his native town
ship, and his first teacher, a Mr. Thompson, was
of the kind whose ideas of discipline begin and
end with a " sound whipping." This was a dis
couraging introduction to the path of knowledge
and it speaks well for Mr. Miller's innate ability
that he continued to make the best of the mea
ger opportunities offered by the country schools,
laying a foundation upon which his subsequent
reading has been carried on with excellent re
sults, making the greater cause for regret that
so able an intellect did not have better opportu
nity for early development. Like all intelligent
men whose early aspirations were cramped by
similar circumstances, Mr. Miller is an earnest
advocate of better schools for the rising genera
tion, thinking money spent for good teachers and
suitable buildings well invested. He was but a
boy — not yet in his "teens" — when his par
ents removed to a farm in the vicinity of Madison
burg. Work was, of course, plenty, and Mr.
Miller acquired familiarity with the details of farm
management at an early age. After some years
his parents removed to Madisonburg and Mr.
Miller with his brother Harvey conducted the
farm. In 1867 Mr. Miller was married in Brush Val
ley, Centre county, to Miss Hannah C. Schmelt-
zer, who was born near Madisonburg, April 18,
1847. Her parents, John and Rebecca (Shaffer)
Schmeltzer, moved to Illinois during her child
hood, but the father dying there not long after
ward the family returned to Miles township.

After his marriage Mr. Miller continued to reside
at the old home until March 17, 1896, when he
removed to Madisonburg, where he owns a home.
His farm consists of 145 acres with 100 acres
cleared, and the elder of Mr. Miller's two sons,
John E., who was born July 27, 1868, now has
charge of it. The other son, Kline A. , born Oc
tober 4, 1877, has fine musical ability and is now
a student in, Warren, Ohio. A third child, Will
iam D. , a promising boy, died at the age of ten
years. Mr. Miller met with a sad accident when
about three years old. He was playing with his
brother Harvey (a year and a half older;, and a
stone was thrown which injured his left eye,
causing its loss, and ever since a few weeks after
the accident there has been intense pain also.
Mr. Miller and his wife are prominent mem
bers of the Reformed Church, in which he has
been deacon and elder, and is at present the
treasurer. Sunday-school work has always
claimed his active aid, and at the age of twenty
years he became superintendent. He has held
the office at intervals since, and now fills it. Po
litically he is a stanch Democrat, but although
he is a regular voter, and has served in various
township offices, he is not a politician in the
modern sense of the word. He has taken an
active part in local affairs, and in the Grange.
His sound judgment and integrity are valued
among his associates, as has often been shown by
his appointment to posts of responsibility such as
the guardianship of children. He has often
served as a juror, both grand and traverse, and
in whatever capacity his abilities have been tested
he has proven himself competent and faithful.

JOHN W. CONLEY, an influential and popu
lar agriculturist of Potter township, Centre
county, was born April 3, 1836, in Armagh
township, Mifflin Co., Penn. His father, Rich
ard Conley, was a native of the same county,
born September 2, 1809, just six weeks after his
parents, John Conley and wife, had come to the
United States from the North of Ireland. In
their family were eleven children, two sons
(Richard and Joseph H.) and nine daughters, of
whom only one is now living : Catharine, wife
of P. W. McDowell, of Mackeyville, Clinton
Co., Penn. The grandfather died in Mifflin
county, where he had followed his trade of
coopering. Richard Conley was early thrown upon his
own resources for a livelihood, and when a boy
learned the blacksmith's trade, but did not fol
low the same. In the county of his nativity he
married Mrs. Hannah L. Bryson, who was born

220

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

in Chester county, Penn., April 16, 1800, a
daughter of William Cottle, who was a member
of the Society of Friends. By her first marriage
she had two children, who died in infancy, and
three children were born of the second union :
Bethsheba M., who married Robert Holmes and
died in Benner township, Centre county ; John
W., of this sketch; and Mary J., wife of John
Holmes, of Jacksonville, Pennsylvan^.
After his marriage, Richard Conley rented a
farm in Mifflin county for four years, after which
he removed to Earlystown, Penn., where for the
next decade he made his home, and then located
on a farm on the Brush Valley road in Gregg
township, Centre county, near the Potter town
ship line, which he operated until the spring of
1863. Upon that place the mother of our sub
ject died in August, i860, and was buried in the
Stone Church cemetery in Mifflin county. After
coming to Centre county she had united with
the Presbyterian Church, although by birthright
she was a Quaker, and was ever afterward a
consistent member of that denomination.
In the spring of 1863 the father sold his stock
and farm tools, and enlisted in the Emergency
Regiment, of which he was appointed quarter
master. It was stationed in Somerset and Bed
ford counties, this State, to resist the Confederate
invasion, and later was sent to Gettysburg, but
arrived too late to participate in that battle.
After doing guard duty at Harrisburg, the regi
ment was disbanded. In the fall of 1863, Mr.
Conley was elected sheriff of Centre county, as
suming the duties of the office on the fourth
Monday in November, and acceptably served for
three years, during which time he made his home
in Bellefonte. There he wedded Miss Mary A.
Irvin, by whom he had one child, Edith, who
died in infancy. The wife and mother died in
September, 1895. On his retirement from office,
Mr. Conley removed to a farm in Benner town
ship, Centre county, which he hired a man to
operate, and there made his home until called to
his final rest September 2, 1881. His remains
were interred in the cemetery of Jacksonville.
He was a Mason, and for years was an elder in
the Presbyterian Church. He was a fine speci-
man of physical manhood, being six feet, one
inch in height, and weighing 215 pounds. Al
though in youth his school training was limited,
he acquired a good practical knowledge by read
ing and observation in later years.
When four years of age, John W. Conley ac
companied his parents to Earlystown, and can
distinctly remember the journey. There he be
gan his education, which was all obtained in the
district schools until he was twenty years of age,

after which he attended the Boalsburg Academy
(then taught by Rev. Austin) for two years. Be
ing the only son, he rendered much assistance to
his father in the labors of the farm, and thus
early became familiar with the duties that fall to
the lot of the agriculturist.
In February, 1861, in Potter township, Mr.
Conley was married to Miss Catharine Keller,
who was born in that township, May 1 1, 1840, a
daughter of John H. and Rachel (Alexander)
Keller. Three children graced their union:
William J., born in Gregg township, October 14,
1 86 1, is a resident of Bellefonte, and by his
marriage has one daughter, Nellie; Richard N. ,
born January 8, 1864, died at the age of fifteen
months; and James K. , born January 1, 1868, is
living in Freeport, 111. Mr. Conley engaged in
farming in Gregg township until 1870, when he
removed to Centre Hall, and became connected
with the foundry of that place, selling machinery
in Virginia and Maryland. On July 9, 1872, he
removed to his present place, a portion of the
old Keller farm, and all of the improvements
found thereon stand as monuments to his thrift
and industry. His home being destroyed by fire
in 1878, he erected his present commodious brick
residence. Although not strictly partisan, Mr Conley by
his ballot generally supports the Democratic '
party at State and National elections, but at
other times votes for the man whom he consid
ers best qualified to fill the office. A jovial, gen
ial gentleman, he has made hosts of warm
friends throughout the county, and he and his
estimable wife hold an enviable position in social
circles. Reared in the Presbyterian Church, he
has always adhered to that faith, while she is a
consistent member of the Reformed Church.

WILLIAM I. HARTER, one of the most
enterprising and prosperous business men
of Eagleville, Centre county, and numbered
among its liberal-minded and public-spirited cit
izens, has for some years been engaged in the
manufacture and repair of furniture and wagons,
in which he has achieved an enviable reputation.
One of his leading characteristics in business af
fairs is his fine sense of order and complete sys
tem, and the habit of giving careful attention to
the details, without which success in any under
taking is never an assured fact.
A native of Centre county, Mr. Harter was
born in Marion township, June 15, 1853, and be
longs to a family that was early established within
its borders. His paternal grandfather, Jacob
Harter, of Penn's Valley, removed to Nittany Val-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

221

ley in 1835, locating on the old Harter home
stead, where he followed farming for the rest of
his life. He was of German descent.
Andrew Harter, the father of our subject, was
a native of Penn's Valley, Centre county, born
June 7, 1823, and on reaching manhood married
Miss Eve Smith, who was born in Clinton county,
Penn., January 2, 1823, a daughter of Peter
Smith, who died on the old homestead in that
county. His great-grandfather, who also bore
the name of Peter Smith, was a soldier in the
Revolutionary war. Eight children were born to
Mr. and Mrs. Harter, namely: John S. , born
May 8, 1846, for many years engaged in teach
ing, but now following the carpenter's trade in
Clintondale, Penn.; MaryE., born April 8, 1848,
is the wife of Daniel Gordon, a machinist of
Spring township, Centre county; Susannah, born
March 16, 1850, is the wife of Frank Buck, a
farmer of Lycoming county, Penn.; William I.
is next in order of birth; Jacob A., born Novem
ber 8, 1855, is a merchant of Centre county;
Jennie R. , born April 30, 1857, is the wife of
George Fatzinger, a railroad man of Milton,
Penn.; Sarah E., born November 23, 1859, is
the wife of Calvin Woomer; and Emily, born
April 2, 1862, is the wife of William Dale, a
farmer of Centre county. The mother of these
children died in June, 1862, on the old home
stead in Marion township, where the father still
resides. He is a faithful member of the Meth
odist Episcopal Church, and a Democrat in pol
itics. For his second wife Andrew Harter wedded
Mrs. Susan (Arbegust) Shears, widow of Jacob
Shears, and to them were born the following
children: Samuel, who is now living in the West;
Laura, wife of Eli Brehen, a carpenter of Axe-
mann, Centre county; Bell, wife of Larry Heil,
an engineer of Centre county; Frank, who is in
the bicycle business in Clinton county; Clement,
a lumberman; Harry, a carpenter of Axemann;
George, who is still on the homestead with his
parents; and Cora and Bertha, also at home.
During the boyhood and youth of William I.
Harter he attended the public schools, and aided
his father in the labor of the farm until nineteen
years of age, when he left home, and for a year
a half worked as a farm hand. Going to Jack
sonville, Centre county, he began serving an ap
prenticeship to the wagon and coach maker's
trade under Ira C. Johnson, who failed nine
months later, and he then went to Mackeyville,
Clinton Co., Penn., where he embarked in busi
ness on his own account. Wishing to learn the
cabinet maker's trade, he disposed of his busi
ness and went to Brush Valley, where he served

a six-months' apprenticeship to that trade. He
then resumed business at Mackeyville, where he
remained for three years, and in 1882 came to
Eagleville, where he built his present house and
shop. He is a natural mechanic, always having
been handy with tools, and the success that he
has acheived in life is due entirely to his industry,
perseverance and good management. Socially he
affiliates with the I. O. O. F. Lodge at Eagle
ville; is an active member of the Methodist
Episcopal Church; and is an uncompromising
Democrat in politics. On February 9, 1882, in
Liberty township, Centre county, he was married
to Miss Mary A. Bitner, and they have two in
teresting children: May C, born December 25,
1890; and Norris I., born February 13, 1893.
Although so young, the son seems to have in
herited his father's taste for mechanics, and shows
a marked talent for the use of tools.
Daniel Bitner, the father of Mrs. Harter, is a
retired farmer of Liberty township, born at his
present homestead September 7, 1822. His
parents, John and Susan (Nestlerod) Bitner, were
natives of Germany and Centre county, respect
ively, and were married in the latter place.
George Bitner, the grandfather, on coming to
America was accompanied by his two sons, John
and Abraham, and they first located in Lancaster
county; but on reaching his majority John came
to Centre county, where he followed the trade of
shoemaking, later engaging in farming. He was
a member of the Mennonite Church, and a Dem
ocrat in politics. He was born in 1797 and died
in 185 1, while his wife passed away in 1835, at
the age of fifty years. In their family were the
following children: Christian, John, Nancy,
Susan, Catherine, Barbara, Lida, Martha, Abra
ham, Susan, Daniel, Lavina. Daniel Bitner was
married February 23, 1843, to Miss Mary Wen-
sel, who was born in Prussia, Germany, Novem
ber 10, 1823, a daughter of Abraham and Cath
erine (Rhumsbutt) Wensel, who, on coming to
America in 1829, located in Columbia county,
Penn., but in 1839 came to Centre county,
where both died, the former in 1846 and the lat
ter in 1867. Their family numbered seven chil
dren: Eliza, Margaret, Peter, Mary, Catherine,
George and Elizabeth.
The following children graced the union of
Mr. and Mrs. Bitner: Catherine, wife of William
Scantlin, a farmer of Liberty township, Centre
county; John I., a real estate and insurance
agent, of Hagerstown, Md., who married Alice
Newcomer; William N. (deceased), who married
Mary Hesing, and after her death wedded Mary
C. Lucas, now residing in Eagleville; J. Albert,
a farmer of Liberty township, who married

222

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Carrie Gardner; Howard W. (deceased), who
married Frances Johnson, now residing in Liberty
township; Alice, the wife of our subject; Clara,
wife of Thomas Bechdel, a farmer of Marsh
Creek, Centre county, and Ida M., at home.
Mr. Bitner still resides upon the farm where
his birth occurred, and to its cultivation and
improvement devoted his attention throughout
his active business career, but is now enjoying a
well-earned rest. For twenty-five years he served
as school director, and has also acceptably filled
the offices of overseer of the poor, supervisor,
collector and treasurer of his township. In
politics he is a firm Democrat, and for forty-five
years has been a consistent and earnest member
of the Christian Church.

WH. STIVER, a thorough, energetic and
prosperous farmer of Potter township,
Centre county, is a native of the county, his birth
occurring in Boalsburg, July 18, 1840. His great
grandfather, Michael Stiver, who was a Revolu
tionary hero, was the founder of the family in
the county, and on his death was laid to rest in
the Tusseyville cemetery. Among his children
was Samuel Stiver, who was born July 3, 1769,
and became a farmer by occupation, at one time
owning the farm where our subject now resides.
On June 18, 1801, Samuel Stiver was married
to Margaret Shimp, of Mifflin county, Penn., who
was born March 15, 1784, and they became
parents of the following children: Margaret,
born January 15, 1802, married Henry Selick
and died in Ferguson Valley, Mifflin county;
Thomas J., born October 10, 1802, was
a farmer and died in Potter township; John S. ,
born October 31, 1803, died, when a young man,
in Mifflin county; Mary, born March 5, 1805,
wedded John Farner, and died in Potter town
ship; Elizabeth, born December 22, 1806, mar
ried Daniel Shirk and died in Potter township;
Jane, born August 9, 1808, married Frederick
Leathers, and died in Bald Eagle Valley, Novem
ber 11, 1892; Samuel was born November 15,
1809; Michael, the father of our subject, is next
in order of birth; David, born January 18, 18 13,
died in Bedford Springs, Penn. ; Charlotte, born
June 17, 181 5, died when young; Catherine, born
September 7, 1817, died unmarried; George W.,
born January 2, 1819, died in Potter township;
Martha P., born July 29, 1820, married Henry
Mower, and died in Bedford, Penn.; James P.,
born September 3, 1824, is single and lives near
Pittsburg, Penn. ; and Sarah A. , born February
10, 1826, died when young. The father of these
children died August 13, 1846, the mother August

13, 1863, and they both lie buried in a private
cemetery on the farm of our subject. She was a
consistent member of the Methodist Church.
On the home farm in Potter township, Mi
chael Stiver was born, July 26, 181 1, and was
there reared until old enough to learn a trade.
As the family was very large, and his parents in
limited circumstances, he was a young man be
fore he became the possessor of his first pair of
boots. The little farm not only had to supply
the family with food, but from its products which
were sold they obtained the other necessaries of
life. Under John Stauffer, Michael Stiver
learned the carpenter's trade, at which he worked
in Boalsburg until the fall of 1852, when he
came to Potter township. His brother George
owned the homestead farm, but being a loser by
the failure of the Potters, to help him, the father
of our subject took the place. He owned prop
erty in Harris township, and also a farm in "The
Barrens," but to assist his brother sold these and
purchased the old home, where he continued to
reside throughout the remainder of his life.
After coming to Potter township, he gradually
abandoned his trade, despite the protest of his
former patrons, as he was a thorough workman,
and his work always satisfactory performed. He
improved the buildings on the farm, but took no
very active part in the cultivation of the land.
On September 27, 1838, by Rev. Daniel
Moser, a Lutheran minister, at Spruce Creek,
Michael Stiver was married to Mary A. Hen-
neich, whose birth occurred in Aaronsburg, Cen
tre county, September 4, 1816. They began
housekeeping in Boalsburg, where he owned a
home, and four children came to brighten the
household, of whom our subject is the eldest.
Mary E., born February 1, 1844, is the wife of
Samuel Barr, of Tyrone, Penn. Martha M. , born
January 14, 1848, is the wife of Sylvanus Lane,
a Methodist Episcopal minister. Abner D.,
born November 4, 1856, died on the 19th of the
same month. The father's death occurred De
cember 1, 1888, and his remains were interred
at Centre Hall. He held membership with the
Reformed Church of Boalsburg and Tusseyville;
was first a Whig in politics, voting for William
Henry Harrison, and as a Republican supported
Benjamin Harrison for the Presidency. He took
quite an active interest in the success of his
party, was well posted on political issues, and
although the township is strongly Democratic,
was elected supervisor, a fact which indicates
his popularity. He was a man of ordinary build,
strong and robust, and by hard work and good
management secured a comfortable competence,
though he lost some money by going security for

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

223

friends. Of the strictest integrity and honor, he
commanded the respect and confidence of all who
knew him. The mother, who is also a faithful
member of the Reformed Church, finds a pleas
ant home with our subject, and is surrounded by
many warm friends and acquaintances.
Mrs. Stiver is the second in order of birth in
the family of six children born to William and
Margaret (Shreffler) Henneich, the others being
Sarah and another daughter who died in infancy;
Philip, a resident of Missouri; Charles, who died
in Penn Hall, Penn. ; and William, a prominent
railroad man, who died in Illinois. The father
of these children died at the early age of thirty
years, and was buried at Aaronsburg, but the
mother, who afterward married again, lies in the
cemetery at Millheim. By some of the family
the name has been changed from Henneich to
Hennich, and Haney. Mrs. Stiver was only nine
years of age at the time of her father's death,
and as the children became scattered she made
her home with her uncle, David Dale, who lived
near Lemont, and there remained until her mar
riage. Her education was obtained in the dis
trict school near Lemont. The last two years
of her school life were under Prof. William War
ing at Oak Hall.
Mr. Stiver, whose name introduces this sketch,
began his literary training in the schools of Boals
burg, George Livingston being his first teacher,
and after his removal to Potter township, at the
age of eleven years, he attended the district
schools. Later he was a student in the academy
at Potter's Mills, then conducted by Prof. David
son. Soon after the outbreak of the Civil war,
Mr. Stiver wished to join the Union forces, but
as he was an only son and his services were
needed at home, he did not enlist until August,
1864, when he became a private of Company
G, 210th P. V. I. He participated in all the
engagements in which his regiment took part,
including the Weldon raid and the first and sec
ond battles of Hatcher's Run, where the regi
ment lost heavily. On March 31, 1865, at Grav
elly Run, he was struck by a bullet which passed
through the right forearm, shattering the bone,
and he was sent to City Point hospital, but a
few days later was transferred to a hospital in
Washington, D. C. After a short time there,
he was sent to a hospital in West Philadelphia,
where he was honorably discharged June 27,
1865. Mr. Stiver's arm has never fully recov
ered, and for two years after his return home he
was unable to work, while later he only assisted
in the lighter labors of the farm. At one time
he made all arrangements to go West, but as his

parents objected he never left the parental roof.
Previous to his father's death he bought the farm
tools, and engaged in the operation of the land on
his own account. He isia systematic, progressive
farmer, one who ably manages his affairs, but
hires most of his work done.
Mr. Stiver was married in Hublersburg, Cen
tre county, in November, 1886, to Miss Anna
Carner, of that place, a daughter of John and
Barbara Carner, who are farming people. Our
subject is well informed on the leading questions
and issues of the day as he is an extensive reader,
and gives his political support to the Repub
lican party. Originally he held membership with
Gregg Post No. 95, G. A. R., of Bellefonte,
but now belongs to the order in Centre Hall.
Since 1858 he has been a consistent member of
the Presbyterian Church, and has served as a
teacher in the Sabbath-school. He holds a
prominent position among the leading represent
ative citizens of Potter township, is genial and
hospitable, and a friend to the poor and needy,
who are never turned away empty-handed from
his door.

WW. SPANGLER. The name of this
well-known resident of Potter township,
Centre county, has long been familiar to the
people of this section as that of one of their
most valued citizens, resolute, energetic and en
terprising, and one who has made his mark in
the building up of the township, socially and
financially. He belongs to an honored pioneer
family of Centre county, which made its first set
tlement in Brush Valley, Miles township.
Mr. Spangler was born November 30, 1839,
in Potter township, a short distance east of Cen
tre Hill, a son of Jacob Spangler, who was a na
tive of Miles township, and was the youngest son
of Christopher Spangler. When a young man,
Jacob Spangler came to Potter township to work
as a farm laborer for his older brother Samuel,
and here married Rebecca Wagner, a daughter
of Bernard Wagner, who was one of the leading
and prominent citizens of the township. Six
children graced this union, namely: Mary, now
the wife of M. L. Leitzel, of Potter township;
W. W. , subject of this sketch; Catharine, wife
of Jacob Wagner; Ellen, who married John
Slack, and died in Potter township; J. B., a
farmer of that township; and Anna, wife of
Aaron Rishel, of Jasper county, Missouri.
At the time of his marriage, Jacob Spangler
located upon a farm, and lived on two different
places in Potter township before he was able to
purchase a farm of his own. His first land is

224

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

that now owned and occupied by our subject and
was bought from Jacob Bottorf. He was very
successful in his farming operation, as he was in
dustrious, energetic and progressive, and became
the owner of two good farms, which he placed
under a high state of cultivation. Although his
early opportunities were very meagre, he ob
tained a fair education for his time, which was
mostly acquired in the school of experience. In
later years he was a great reader, was well
posted on the leading issues and current events,
and took quite an active interest in the success
of the Democratic party, which he always sup
ported by his ballot; he was called upon to serve
as supervisor of his township. He was a promi
nent and consistent member of the Evangelical
Church, in which he held various offices, and at
his death was buried in Zion Church cemetery
by the side of his wife, who died at the age of
fifty-four years, while he was sixty-two when
called to his final rest. Though not a large
man, he was robust, seldom being ill, and was
very active and industrious.
In the Pine Grove school, taught by Jane
Taylor, Mr. Spangler, the subject proper of this
review, began his education, and his advantages
were confined to the district schools of his time.
He learned rapidly, however, and as a result of
his fitness, was often selected as extra teacher,
in which capacity he served for a short time on
various occasions. He heartily endorses the im
provements that have since been made in the
public schools, is a warm friend of a better and
thorough education, and as a school director has
done efficient service in their interests. His
farm training and first ideas of business were ob
tained on the farm where he still lives, and, be
ing the elder son, rendered his father valuable
assistance. He never left the parental roof, but
continued to aid in the operation of the farm
during the lifetime of his parents. In 1880 he
purchased the place, which comprises 140 acres
of rich and arable land under a high state of cul
tivation and improved with good buildings. On
October 1, 1894, his barn was destroyed by fire,
but on the same site a new structure was raised
by the 30th of November.
At the age of thirty-one years, Mr. Spangler
was married in Haines township, Centre county,
to Miss Adella Bollinger, a native of Aaronsburg,
in the same county, and a daughter of George
Bollinger. She was the recipient of a good edu
cation, enabling her to successfully engage in
teaching for ten or twelve years. Mr. and Mrs.
Spangler began their domestic life upon his
present farm, which he rented until 1880, and
there the birth of their four children occurred.

Bernard E. , the eldest, is a stenographer by pro
fession, and occupies a responsible and confiden
tial position in a wholesale house in Chicago, 111.
Gertrude M. is a graduate of the Lock Haven
Normal School, and now follows teaching, Will
iam E. is also a stenographer and typewriter of
Chicago. Harry B. is at home. This is one of
the most noted families in the township, and re
flects great credit upon the parents.
Mr. Spangler is a prominent and active mem
ber of the Democratic party, and although he
cares nothing for political distinction, he has
creditably served in a number of minor offices,
being at the present time a school director and
the postmaster at Potters Mills. He and his es
timable wife hold membership in the Spruce-
town Methodist Episcopal Church, where he has
served as class leader and steward, and is at
present one of the trustees of the Church. The
family is one of prominence, standing second to
none in the community, and is well worthy of
honorable mention in a work of this character.

OBERT JAMES HAYNES (deceased), late
of Snow Shoe, was one of Centre county's
most popular and highly esteemed citizens. The
ancestors of the Haynes family were always
British subjects, and emigrated in the time of
Cromwell to the Island of Barbados, 'where they
have, always been landed proprietors. Mr.
Haynes' parents, Thomas Haynes (son of Robert
James Haynes), and Williamina, his wife (daugh
ter of William Eversley of Barbados), came to
the United States in 1832 and settled in George
town in the District of Columbia, where in Sep
tember of that year Robert James was born, only
son and second child. His education was ob
tained at Dr. Smith's School at Alexandria, Dr.
Vollmer's at Westchester and Bishop Doan's Col
lege at Burlington, N. J.; and, his parents having
removed to Philadelphia, his youth was largely
spent there. Being devoted to out-door sports,
and especially to hunting and fishing, he was at
tracted to Central Pennsylvania. He was in
business for varying periods at Howard, at Salt
Lick, and at Snow Shoe, where for a number of
years he kept the "Mountain House." He took
no active part in politics, refusing the many
offers of his neighbor citizens, serving only as a
justice, auditor and school director. His death
occurred at Snow Shoe, March 3, 1894, dying
suddenly and unexpectedly while sitting talking
to Mr. George Boak, without a word or indica
tion of pain. Commenting: on his death one
paper said: "No man was ever kinder, more
considerate or generous than Robert J. Haynes,

4t-

ROBERT J. HAYHES,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

225

indeed he was the balancing wheel for the whole
community in which he lived, with a pleasing
personality and a mind as liberal as the mount
ains, on which he loved to hunt and fish, were
broad; he was liked and respected by young and
old, rich and poor."
A friend writing of Mr. Haynes from Snow
Shoe said: " When a young man, fond of hunt
ing and fishing, he started for the West branch
of the Susquehanna, then abounding with fish,
and the forests along its banks running through
Clearfield, Centre and Clinton counties, abound
ing with game. His first landing was at Schutac,
in Clinton county; thence going to Salt Lick,
Clearfield county, where he married Miss Martha
Watson. After his marriage he returned to Salt
Lick and started in the mercantile business. At
this time the writer's (a boy of seven years) ac
quaintance began, dating back to 1857 and con
tinuing up to the day of his death. He built a
large and commodious house at Salt Lick. The
friends he entertained were many, and in the
spring of the year accommodated raftsmen, so
that he became known all over Clearfield coun
ty. He was kind-hearted and of a jovial disposi
tion. Well do we remember the first lesson he
gave us, the skating in our boyhood days. He
enjoyed immensely to get a crowd of young peo
ple together skating or playing, and he was gen
erally the youngest in the part he took in the
crowd. In the sick room he was grand. His
jovial disposition and cheerfulness would make
the patient forget all his aches and pains, and
before he was aware of it would be sitting up.
The writer went through a six-weeks' spell of
sickness, and he was there most every day. His
presence was worth more than doctor's prescrip
tions. About twenty-five years ago he moved
from Salt Lick to Snow Shoe, and took charge of
the ' Mountain House, ' and remained in charge
about ten years, and a guest once stopping there
never passed the house without stopping while
he was in charge. Such was the reputation he
gave the house far and wide. After leaving the
' Mountain House ' he retired to private life, but
his fellow citizens called him to office in township
affairs, justice of the peace, auditor, school di
rector, etc. A man of fine social qualities, finely
educated, and one who would, have graced our
Legislative halls with honor, but he was not am
bitious for political honors. He was a Cyclope
dia of knowledge, a great reader, and was well
versed in transpiring events. His death brought
a public loss to our town and community. Of
all the men I ever met his temper was the most
even; always the same kind, genial disposition.
He was a great favorite with little boys, always
15

a name and a kind word for them. Liberal, no
subscription paper for benevolent or charitable
purposes ever left his hand without responding to
the call. His familiar face will be missed upon the
street and in public gatherings."
On January 2, 1855, Mr. Haynes was married
to Martha, a daughter of James and Eliza (Lucas)
Watson, then of Karthaus, Penn., and their sur
viving children are: William Rotherock, and
Robert James; five others died in infancy..
Mrs. Haynes was born in Centre county, August
28, 1837, and his parents were also born there.
Both the Watson and Lucas families were early
settlers of Boggs township, Centre county.

OBERT J. HAYNES. The thriving little
village of Snow Shoe has a full quota of
live, energetic and persevering business men,
among whom is the subject of this sketch, a gen
eral merchant. He is a native of Clearfield
county, Penn., born in Karthaus township, Oc
tober 3, 1863, son of Robert J. and Martha
(Watson) Haynes, a sketch of whom appears
above. Our subject was educated in the public
schools, and at the age of fifteen began working
in the coal mines of Snow Shoe, where he re
mained for one year. During the following
eight months he drove a team for a merchant of
that place, and then embarked in business on his
own account, beginning with a small stock of
confectionery, to which he added as his financial
resources increased, until he had an excellent
general store, which he successfully conducted
for nine years. In 1891 he opened the " Karthaus
House " in Clearfield county, which he carried
on for two years, but on the death of his father
returned to Snow Shoe, where he engaged in
the livery business for a year and a half. On
February 1, 1895, he purchased the mercantile
establishment of Gillen & Murray, and has since
successfully conducted the same, having by fair
and honorable dealing built up an excellent
trade. In June, 1892, in Clearfield, Mr. Haynes
wedded Miss Gertrude Smith, a daughter of
Squire Joseph S. and Margie (Barthurst) Smith,
residents of Snow Shoe. Three children bless
the union of Mr. and Mrs. Haynes, namely:
Elsie, Eversley H. and George R. In politics
Mr. Haynes is an uncompromising Democrat,
and socially is a member of the I. O. O. F.
Lodge No. 226, Snow Shoe, which he has repre
sented in the Grand Lodge. He is one of the
prominent and highly respected citizens of the
community, and deserves honored place in the

226

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

record of the best people of Centre county. He
is an excellent marksman, and his chief recreation
is hunting. William R. Haynes, a brother of Robert J. ,
was born in Howard, March 23, 1857, and re
mained with his parents until 1877, during which
time he obtained a good education in the public
schools. He began his business career as an
employee of the Snow Shoe & Bellefonte Rail
road Company, and subsequently weighed coal
for Burrell, White & Co. , for two years, while
the following year he served as weighmaster for
the Kado Mining Co. In 1892 he established
his present saloon at Clarence, Centre county,
which he has since carried on with good success.
Like his brother, he supports the principles of
the Democratic party; socially he holds a mem
bership with the Knights of Pythias at Snow
Shoe. A pleasant, genial gentleman, he has
made hosts of warm friends throughout the
county where he is so well known.
On August 28, 1877, William R. Haynes was
married to Mary E. Gunsallus, and their union
has been blessed with seven children: Franklin;
Robert; George, who died at the age of three
months; Bessie; Eversley, who died in infancy;
Ida; and Ada, who died at the age of three years.

MH. KLINE. Sometimes " Dame Fortune "
__ seems to test to the utmost the courage and
endurance of her followers before finally turning
upon them a smiling face. In the life of Mr.
Kline, now a successful merchant of Madison
burg, Centre county, there were surely hardships
and losses enough to dishearten any ordinary
youth, and his history furnishes a remarkable ex
ample of pluck and determination.
Mr. Kline is still a young man, having been
born May 15, 1863, in the Russian province of
Finland. His parents, who were of Jewish de
scent, were poor, and the death of the father
when our subject was but two and one-half
years old, left the mother and a family of three
boys and three girls to make a livelihood for
themselves. Mr. Kline was the youngest son
and fifth child, and began to make himself use
ful at an early age. At eleven he took a small
stock of notions, and started in business as a
peddler, and so well did he succeed that at six
teen he had saved $500. This seemed to justify
an enlargement of his operations, and in the fall
of 1879 he purchased a horse and wagon and a
stock of dry goods; but in a few weeks after un
dertaking this new line, his entire outfit, includ
ing the horse and wagon, was stolen from a
country tavern where he had made a stop. To

a man such a loss would be severe, and it must
have been overwhelming to a boy of his age and
inexperience. He had but $5.00 left, and his
sad predicament excited so much sympathy
among the peasants of the neighborhood that,
notwithstanding their poverty, they raised $80,
by popular subscription, and gave it to him.
With this he bought a new stock, and again be
gan carrying a pack on his back. At the end of
a year he had $205 saved, but he was then (in
the fall of 1880) compelled to enter the Russian
military service, in which he remained five years.
The pay was so small that his savings were ex
hausted before the expiration of his term, and
when he was again free to enter business life he
decided to seek, in the United States, a better
chance than his own country afforded. He had
a brother, Julius Kline, in New York, who sent
him $40 and a ticket, and thus provided for, Mr.
Kline sailed from Hamburg, after thirteen days
on the ocean landing in New York in the latter
part of March, 1885. For a time he made his
home with his brother, a fish merchant in Hester
street, who employed him as a clerk, but city air
and life proved uncongenial, and Mr. Kline began
to long for the country. At first the brother was
unwilling to let him go; it was agreed, however,
after a time that, Mr. Kline should resume his
former business of peddling. He could not yet
speak a work of English, but in June, 1885, he
left New York with a stock of goods worth forty
dollars which his brother had helped him to pro
cure. His destination was Kantz P. O., near
Selins Grove, Snyder county, where a cousin,
Mr. Milner, resided, but naturally the young
stranger, ignorant both of the language and the
country, had no little difficulty in finding the way
there. Mr. Milner, who was a merchant, en
couraged him in his enterprise, and taught him
how to greet people whom he would meet, and
to say "good bye," and although for some time
Mr. Kline was apt to use the words of salutation
in a hap-hazard way, he gradually became famil
iar with their use and added others to his vocab
ulary. Mr. Kline left Kantz P. O. with his pack on
his back, and started for Centre county; but not
being very strong the weight soon told upon him.
To add to his discomfort he contracted ague, and
in the spring of 1886, while at Madisonburg, he
was taken seriously ill. It being evident that he
could not continue to carry a pack, some kind
friends assisted him to get a horse and wagon.
The former cost $22.50 at a sale in Penn town
ship, Centre county, and the wagon was pur
chased from L. B. Stover, of Madisonburg, for
$15. With this equipment Mr Kline made an-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

227

other start and fortunately no more reverses
were met, and in the spring of 1894 he had be
come so prosperous that he decided to open a
store. During the first year in the United States
he bought his goods from Mr. Milner, as he had
not the ready cash with which to purchase in
New York to the amount that he desired; but
later he readily secured loans from substantial
citizens of this section and was enabled to buy
his goods to better advantage. On establishing
himself in Madisonburg, Mr. Kline spent several
months in settling up his accounts, and Septem
ber 20, 1894, he opened a general store, where
he has already built up a large and profitable
trade. His establishment is a model of neatness,
comparing favorably with any in this section, not
even excepting those in the largest towns. It
speaks well for his honesty and fair dealing with
the past that he could settle among his former
patrons and command their custom, and his
straightforward yet courteous manner wins the
confidence of all who meet him. Considering
the short length of time that he has been in the
locality, his rise to a place among the leading
merchants of Brush Valley is extraordinary.
Mr. Kline's prosperity has not caused him to
forget his brothers and sisters in the old country.
He has helped them in a substantial way, send
ing several hundreds of dollars at various times.
Three of the family are now in the United States
— a sister, Gussie (Mrs. Jacob Goldstein), being
a resident of Paterson, N. J. On October 7,
1897, Mr. Kline was married to Miss Rachel
Paris, of Altoona, Penn. As a public-spirited
citizen he is interested in political questions, but
he is not an active worker. While sympathizing
in the main with the principles of the Democratic
party, he votes for the "best man" as occasion
arises.

1

EDWARD ALLISON. If the title of "lead

ing farmer'' can consistently be given to any
one agriculturist of Potter township, Centre
county, the subject of this, sketch certainly de
serves it. He belongs to one of the prominent
and representative families of Penn's Valley,
which has borne an important part in the upbuild
ing and development of this region, and has
done much to promote its moral and material
welfare. On the farm which is still his home Mr.
Allison was born, August 2, 1855, a son of Hon.
William and Sarah A. (McNitt) Allison, the
former of whom died in 1877, the latter on
December 18, 1896.
In a subscription school at Potters Mills,
our subject began his education under the in

struction of Frank Hess, and continued to pur
sue his studies in the district schools until the
fall of 1871, when heenteredthe State College,
where he was a diligent student for three years.
The knowledge that he thus acquired has been
greatly supplemented by extensive reading and
observation in later years, and he is well-informed
on all the leading questions and topics of the
day. On leaving the school room, Mr. Allison
returned to the home farm, which he has since
successfully operated, and is also engaged in look
ing after the extensive interets of the family in
and around Potters Mills, his sister Lillie Eliza
beth living with him. In addition to his agricult
ural pursuits, he was connected with his broth
ers, William and Archibald, in a woolen-factory
up to about 1892, which proved a paying invest
ment. He is a wide-awake, energetic business
man, a progressive farmer, and always secures
the best results from his labors.
Since casting his first vote, Mr. Allison has
been a firm adherent of Republican principles,
taking a deep interest in the success of his party,
but is no politician in the sense of office-seeking.
He always attends and supports the Presbyterian
Church. "Ed," as he is familiarly known by
his hosts of friends, is unassuming, and well
liked by all who know him, and is a worthy rep
resentative of the honored family to which he
belongs.

MEZEKIAH K. HOY, who is prominently
_ identified with the agricultural interests of
Benner township, Centre county, was born in
1835, a son 0I John and Susannah (Hoy) Hoy,
who came from Union county, Penn., as did also
the grandparents of our subject. By trade the
father was a miller, which occupation he con
tinued to follow until 1840, when he purchased a
farm in Benner township, on a portion of which
Hezekiah H. now resides. He died in 1864, at
the age of sixty years, and his wife passed away
at the age of forty-six.
Their family comprised eight children, in or
der of birth as follows: Henry, born in 1829,
died in 1895, in Arkansas, where his family still
make their home; Lydia married Jacob Hartman,
and died in 1893, leaving a family who reside in
Illinois; Sarah is the wife of John Rishel, a
farmer of Centre county, Penn. ; Hezekiah K. is
next in order of birth; Catharine is the Wife of
John Houser; Mary A. is the wife of W. H. Mil
ler; Susannah is the wife of Michael Corman, of
Walker township, Centre county; and Emeline is
the wife of Samuel Fravel, of College township,
Centre county.

228

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

The boyhood and youth of our subject were
passed after the manner of most farmers' sons,
he aiding in the labors of the fields and attending
the district schools when his services were not
needed at home. He chose farming as his life
occupation, and is now the owner of the old
homestead, a tract of 138^ acres. The well
tilled fields and neat appearance of the place
show his careful supervision, and the neat and
commodious building are models of convenience.
In i860 he married Miss Mary E. Fishburn, and
eight children have come to bless their union,
namely: Ettie, born in 1861, is the wife of Dr.
Austin Shuey, pf Prospect, Ohio; Anna M. is the
wife of Grant Pifer, a clerk in a railroad office in
Wilkinsburg, Allegheny Co., Penn.; Catharine
and Harry (twins), the former being the wife of
Rev. W. J. Wagner, of Muncy, Lycoming Co.,
Penn., while the latter married Sally Garbrick;
Jacob and Minerva (twins) are next in order of
birth; Ursinus H married Blanche Dale, and
lives in Benner township, Centre county; and
Caroline is at home.
Politically, Mr. Hoy has ever been an ardent
supporter of the principles of the Democratic
party, and favors the free coinage of silver. He
is a valued citizen of the community, has been
an active agent in promoting the various schemes
for its advancement, and has taken a conspicuous
part in the administration of public affairs. He
is an earnest and useful member of the Reformed
Church, and upright and honorable in all the re
lations of life.

FELIX BURKHOLDER (deceased) was for
many years one of the prominent and repre
sentative citizens of Potter township, Centre
county, where his memory is held in reverence
and honor. A native of the Keystone State, he
was born January 4, 1806, in Annville township,
Lebanon county, and was a son of Felix Burk
holder, Sr. , who never lived in Centre county,
but often visited his son after his removal to the
county. In the family were four sons and three
daughters, of whom, our subject is the fourth in
order of birth. His father being in comfortable
circumstances he was provided with fair educa
tional advantages, but generally attended schools
where only German was taught.
On February 7, 1833, in the county of his na
tivity, Mr. Burkholder was united in marriage
with Miss Elizabeth Meyer, who was born in
Annville township, Lebanon county, December
26, 1807, and was the fourth daughter of Michael
and Elizabeth Meyer. They began their domestic
life in Dauphin county, this State, where Mr.

Burkholder engaged in milling for a number of
years, and where were born to them the follow
ing children: Mary, born January 9, 1835, died
on the 29th of the following February. John,
born April 13, 1836, was a miller by trade, and
died September 23, 1893, in Miami county, Ohio,
where his family are still living. The next child
died unnamed. Catharine, born September 6,
1838, is a resident of Centre Hill, Centre coun
ty. Felix M., born September 24, 1839, died
May 24, 1893. Elizabeth is the youngest.
In the spring of 1840 the family migrated to
Centre county, traveling by boat through the
canals to Lewistown, and thence by wagon to
their destination. Mr. Burkholder rented what
is known as the Red Mill ,in Potter township,
which he successfully conducted until the spring
of i860, when he purchased the William Milli-
gan farm near Centre Hill, and turned his atten
tion to agricultural pursuits for the first time,
having engaged in milling for over thirty years
with good success. Upon that farm he spent his
remaining days, dying on the 7th of May, 1883,
and now lies buried in the cemetery of Tussey
ville. His wife, who survived him for some time,
passed away July 26, 1893, and was laid to rest
by his side.
After coming to Centre county, the family
circle was increased by the birth of four children,
the oldest of whom, a son, died in infancy, un
named; Michael M., born March 5, 1843, iS a
farmer of Potter township; Elizabeth, born Sep
tember 17, 1844, married Daniel Seltzer, by
whom she had one child — Elmer B. , who was
born September 12, 1868, and died October 17,
1876 (she and her sister now make their home to
gether in Centre Hill, where they have many
warm friends) ; Mary, the youngest in the family,
was born August 12, 1849, and died September
10, 1887.
Mr. Burkholder was an energetic, hard-work
ing man, who met with success in his business
ventures by honest and fair dealing, and whose
word was ever considered as good as his bond.
His wife was a consistent member of the Re
formed Church, and although not connected with
any religious denomination he was a great Bible
student, and gave liberally to the support of
Churches. In politics he was an ardent supporter
of the Republican party.

F\ M. BURKHOLDER (deceased) was one of
the valued and highly esteemed citizens of
Potter township, Centre county. He was born
September 24, 1839, in Derry township, Dauphin
Co., Penn., but in infancy was brought to Cen-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

229

tre county by his parents, Felix and Elizabeth
(Meyer) Burkholder. Although he never served
an apprenticeship to the miller's trade, he learned
that business while assisting his father in the
operation of his mill, but throughout his early
life was principally engaged in agricultural pur
suits upon the home farm.
While cradling wheat during the harvest of
1 86 1, Mr. Burkholder sprained his left leg in
such a way as to necessitate its amputation five
years later, and for two or three years during
that interval he suffered untold agony and was
obliged to use crutches. His early education
was somewhat limited, but after the loss of his
limb he resolved to further continue his studies
in order to support himself by teaching, and at
tended school at various places, including Penn
Hall, Millersville and Potters Mills. Obtaining
a certificate, he successfully engaged in teaching
some nine years, and became one of the leading
educators of Potter township.
In Centre Hall, September 7, 1876, Mr.
Burkholder was married to Miss Mary E. Mc-
Clintock, who was born in Potter township, June
11, 1845, and is one of the four children of
Alexander and Elizabeth (Reichley) McClintock,
the others being Sarah C. , wife of William H.
Mapes, of Camden county, N. J.; Samuel R.,
of Harris township, Centre county; and Ann E. ,
who died in childhood. The McClintock family
is of Scotch-Irish extraction, the great-grand
father of Mrs. Burkholder being a native of the
North of Ireland. Her grandfather, Samuel
McClintock, was a carpenter and farmer. The
father, a farmer by occupation, died in Potter'
township at the age of sixty-six years, the mother
at the age of seventy-one, and they now rest in
the Sprucetown cemetery. In religious belief
they were Methodists, and were highly respected
citizens of the community in which they made
their home.
After his marriage, Mr. Burkholder located on
the same property where his widow still resides.
He remodeled the house, erected a good barn, and
made that place his home until his death on May
24, 1893. His remains were interred in the Tus
seyville cemetery. About 1873 he commenced
the sale of agricultural implements throughout
Centre county, and became quite a successful
agent. This business gave him a wide acquaint
ance, and his circle of friends was extensive.
His funeral was the largest ever held in Centre
Hill, people coming from miles around to pay
their last tribute to the deceased, whom all hon
ored and respected for his sterling worth and many
excellent traits of character. He was a success
ful business man, leaving to his family a comfort

able competence; a kind husband and a loving fa
ther, whose interests centered around his home.
An earnest Christian, he was a devout member of
the Reformed Church, in which he was serving as
elderat the time of his death. His political sup-
portwas given the Republican party. Mrs. Burk
holder still resides at the home left her, and in
the settlement of her husband's affairs displayed
excellent business ability. She is a lady who has
the respect of all who know her, and her circle
of friends is only limited by her circle of acquaint
ances. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs.
Burkholder, their names and dates of birth being
as follows: EffieE., March 13, 1878; Morris A.,
October 20, 1879; Wilbur E., July 4, 1881;
Harry F. , May 13, 1883; and Amnion R. , April
3, 1886 — all at home except Morris, who is work
ing on a farm, and Wilbur, who is attending
school.

S\OLOMON PECK, senior member of thewell-
) known mercantile firm of Peck & Son, has
been prominently identified with the commercial,
industrial and agricultural interests of Huston,
Centre county, and vicinity for many years. His
honorable business methods and untiring energy
have brought to him a well-merited success, and
have been of material benefit to the community
by advancing its interests.
A native of Pennsylvania, he was born in
Dauphin county, September 21, 1837, and in
1846 was brought to Centre county by his par
ents, Simon and Mary Ann (Singer) Peck, the
former a native of Dauphin county, and the lat
ter of Perry county, Penn. His paternal grand
parents, Conrad and Barbara (Lyter) Peck, were
also born in Dauphin county.
Our subject is second in order of birth in a
family of eleven children, as follows: (1) Sarah
A. is the wife of George Rossman, a laborer of
Illinois, to which State they removed in 1888,
and 'they have five children. (3) Anna M. is
the wife of Ira C. Walker, a farmer, by whom
she has one child, and they removed from Cen
tre county to Illinois in 1865. (4) Conrad,
born April 23, 1841, married Lydia Arney, of
Centre Hall, Centre county, by whom he has
three daughters, and they have made their home
upon a farm in Kansas since 1883. (5) Cath
arine, born September 6, 1843, is the wife of
Nathaniel Bowersox, a. farmer of Brush Valley,
Centre county, and they have eight children.
(6) Anna E. is the wife of J. I. Jones, a farmer,
by whom she has two children, and they have
lived in Kansas since 1887. (7) Joseph, born
August 15, 1848, married Minerva Spangler, by

230

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

whom he has two daughters, and is a farmer of
Kansas, to which State he removed in 1878.
(8) Barbara, born May n, 1851, married Sam
uel Leopold, of Sugar Valley, Penn., but they
now live on a farm in Missouri. (9) Martin,
born December 3, 1853, married Magdalene
Weaver, by whom he has two daughters, and on
leaving Centre county in 1880 went to Kansas,
but finally located upon a farm in Missouri. (10)
Austin, a farmer of Illinois, born June 25, 1857,
married Alice Snyder, by whom he has one son.
(11) Myron, born May 20, i860, is married and
living upon a farm in Kansas.
After obtaining a good practical education in
the common schools of Centre county, Mr. Peck,
the subject of this review, learned the cabinet
maker's trade, at which he worked until 1885,
when he embarked in merchandising in Huston ;
he is also engaging in undertaking and farming.
He is a wide-awake, enterprising business man,
of known reliability, and his straightforward^
honorable course has gained him the confidence
of all with whom he has come in contact. He
married Miss May E., daughter of John Wolf,
of Miles township, Centre county, and they have
one child, Edwin J., who was born June 18,
i860, and is now connected with his father in
business. On May 23, 1893, the son was wed
ded to Miss Tillie E. Yearick, a daughter of
Henry Yearick, a retired farmer of Marion, Cen
tre county. One child blesses this union — Earl
Henry, born June 24, 1894.
A man of broad and liberal views, well in
formed on the leading issues and questions of the
day, our subject is one of the prominent, influen
tial citizens of Walker township. In connection
with his store in Huston, he also owns a fine
farm just a half mile from the city limits, but
makes his home in the village. A strong Demo
crat in politics, he has been honored by his
party with several official positions of honor and
trust, including those of county auditor, overseer
of the poor, school director, and justice of the
peace for the past fifteen years, and it is needless
to say that his duties were ever promptly and
faithfully performed. Religiously, he holds mem
bership in the German Reformed Church. He
bears a remarkable resemblance to Governor
Altgeld, of Illinois.

/P^EORGE SHAFFER, one of the few surviv-
%^ ors of the brave band of pioneers who took
an active part in transforming Brush Valley from
a primitive wilderness to a region of fertile farms,
is now the oldest citizen in the vicinity of Madi
sonburg. Under his observant eyes great changes

have taken place, and it is interesting to listen to
his reminiscences of the early days, his clear and
active mind retaining well the memories of his
youth. Mr. Shaffer is a native of Brush Valley, hav
ing been born at the old Shaffer homestead near
Madisonburg, December 1, 181 1, and is a mem
ber of the well-known pioneer family. His
grandfather, John Adam Shaffer, was born in
Berks county, Penn., October 31, 1752, and did
gallant service in the Revolutionary army. He
was second lieutenant of a company of Associa-
tors, during the campaign of Trenton and Prince
ton in 1776-77, and was noted for his Herculean
fame, being the strongest man in the company.
He came from York county, Penn., with a
brother, Nicholas, and settled in Brush Valley
about the beginning of the present century, pur
chasing the interest of Valentine Ertle'sin a tract
of land one-half mile east of Madisonburg, where
he passed his remaining days, his death occurring
January 14, 1840. He was married in York
county to Elizabeth Klinefelder, a native of that
county, born December 27, 1760. She died in
November, 1835, and the remains of both were
interred at Madisonburg. They had eleven chil
dren, of whom the following record is given:
John died in Miles township, Centre county;
Michael in Walker township, Centre county;
George in Indiana; Jacob in Ohio; Adam and
Samuel in Pennsylvania; Barbara in Ohio;
Catherine in York county, Penn. ; Lizzie in
Indiana; Eve in Venango county, Penn., and
Magdalena in Ohio.
Judge John Shaffer, our subject's father, was
born in York county, January 31, 1780, and was
a young man when he came with his parents to
Brush Valley, where he made his permanent
home, his death occurring at the farm near Madi
sonburg, September 21, 185 1. He was well
known throughout Centre county, and was in
fluential politically as a member of the Demo
cratic party. He served four terms as county
commissioner, and was associate judge of Centre
county from 1841 to 1846. At one time he
owned five thousand acres of mountain land
which he sold in portions at different times. He
was prominent in the Lutheran Church, serving
as deacon and elder, and in fact took an active
part in all progressive movements of that day
and locality. Well built physically, he took
pride in the fact and in the resemblance of all
his sons in this respect. He was married (first)
in Penn's Valley to Miss Eve Frank, daughter
of Philip Frank, of Aaronsburg. The three
children of this union — John, Daniel, and Eliza
beth (Mrs. Frederick Johnsonbaugh) — all died in

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

231

Indiana. Their mother died and was buried at
Rebersburg, and Judge Shaffer afterward mar
ried Miss Sarah Kren, who was born October 9,
1778, and died January 16, 1867. Of their fam
ily, our subject was the eldest; (2) Catherine,
widow of Edward Houtz, resides in Gregg town
ship, Centre county ; (3) Adam will be mentioned
elsewhere; (4) Sarah married Michael Hazel, and
died in Brush Valley; (5) Andrew died at Madi
sonburg; (6) Joseph resides in Nittany Valley;
(7) Philip died in Illinois; (8) Hannah, widow of
Samuel Royer, lives in Indiana; (9) Susanna,
widow of Samuel Winter, resides at Kramers-
ville. George Shaffer, our subject, passed his youth
upon his father's farm, his time being largely em
ployed in clearing and burning brush. There
were no free schools in his time, and he never had
a day in an English school. At the age of twen
ty-four he married Miss Lydia Wolfe, who was
born in November, 1807, the daughter of Anthony
Wolfe. Three children were born of this union:
(1) Daniel E. served in the Civil war in Company
A, 148th P. V. I., as first lieutenant, but was
taken ill while at the front and returned home,
where he died September 12, 1864; (2) Rosetta
married Abraham Lukenbach, and died at Rock-
ville, Penn., April 23, 1862; and (3) George W.
died in Missouri. The mother of this little fam
ily, who was a devout Lutheran in faith, died
November 10, 1862, and her remains lie in the
cemetery at Madisonburg. Mr. Shaffer for his
second wife married Sarah, daughter of Peter
Rodebaugh and widow of William Bair, who was
at one time a merchant andhotel keeper at Madi
sonburg. She was born October 16, 18 15, and
died at Madisonburg November 29, 1894, leaving
no children by this union. She belonged to the
Reformed Church, of which Mr. Shaffer is a
leading member, having held various offices. To
one Church he has given $1,000, including the
bell and other fixtures donated by himself and
his wife.
After his first marriage Mr. Shaffer remained
five years at the old home, and then bought a
portion of the farm and put up suitable buildings
for his use. He followed agriculture there until
i860 when he removed to a farm near Madison
burg and continued his work. In 1889 he gave
up the active management of the estate, and in
his eighty-third year he ceased to do the various
chores with which he had whiled away a portion
of his time. Thus the evening of his life is spent
in peaceful contemplation of the past, and the
hope of the future reunion with his loved ones
who have preceded him to the "better land."
Mr. Shaffer is a Democrat in politics, and has

voted for every Presidential candidate of his party
from Andrew Jackson down. He has always
been a valued counselor in the local organization,
and has held various township offices.

S\AMUEL HOOVER, a leading citizen and
) extensive farmer and cider manufacturer, re
siding at Hannah Furnace, Taylor township,
Centre county, was born February 21, 1838, in
York county, Penn. , of which county his parents,
Philip and Lena (Grenewolt) Hoover, were also
natives, the former born July 27, 18 10, and the
latter February 3, 1816. In 1841 they removed
to Huntingdon county, where they remained un
til the spring of 1850, when they went to Tyrone,
Blair Co., Penn., and in the spring of i860 came
to Centre county, locating on the farm where
our subject now resides. The father was a
prominent and wealthy farmer, and held several
local positions of honor and trust to the satisfac
tion of all concerned. Politically, he was a stanch
Democrat, and attended the Lutheran Church, in
which his wife held membership. Both died on
the farm at Hannah Furnace, the father on De
cember 23, 1 871 , and the mother on April 20,
1888. The paternal grandfather of our subject,
Henry Hoover, and the maternal grandfather
were of German descent, and spent their entire
lives in York county, this State.
Samuel Hoover is third in order of birth in a
family of ten children, the others being as fol
lows: Susan, born January 22, 1833, died at the
age of six months; Henry, born July 1, 1835,
died in Texas while serving in the Union army
during the Civil war; Daniel, born May 4, 1840,
died from effects of fever contracted in the army;
Philip, born October 29, 1843, was a Union sol
dier, and is now engaged in the butchering busi
ness in Arizona; John, born April 6, 1845, con
ducts a meat market in Blair county, Penn. ; Zach
ariah, born October 25, 1847, died at Tyrone,
Penn. , by being thrown from a mule; George M. ,
born April 4, 1850, died of fever; James F., born
April 14, 1853, died of typhoid fever; and Alex
ander, born November 27, 1855, is a farmer of
Centre county.
While quietly an inmate of his father's house,
the storm of civil war broke over the country,
and in response to the call of the general gov
ernment for men, Samuel Hoover enlisted in
1 86 1, in Company C, 14th P. V. I., under Cap
tain Crouder, and remained in the service until
the expiration of his term of three months. Re
turning home, he there remained until 1863,
when he embarked in the dairy business at Al
toona, Penn. , but in 1 864 enlisted for one year

232

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

in Company C, 208th P. V. I., which was or
ganized at Harrisburg, Penn., September 13,
1864, and was assigned to the First Brigade,
Third Division,. Ninth Army Corps. He was
mustered into the United States service at Camp
Curtin, and participated in many battles and
skirmishes, including the engagements at Fort
Steadman, Petersburg and Appomattox. He was
never wounded, and at the close of the war he
received an honorable discharge and returned
home, where he has since engaged in agricultural
pursuits. On December 25, 1862, Mr. Hoover was mar
ried to Rosanna V. Rush, who was born in 1839,
and died in 1869. Three children graced this
union: William T. , now engaged in the imple
ment business at Port Matilda, Penn. ; Sallie, at
home; and Philip A., also at home, who married
Flora Beckwith, and has one son, Samuel L. On
February 9, 1872, Mr. Hoover, for his second
wife, wedded Mrs. Maria (Keysj Benn, widow of
Josiah Benn, by whom she has one daughter,
Anna, now the wife of Harry Chaney, general
manager of a coal mine at Broadtop, Penn. By
his second marriage, Mr. Hoover had two chil
dren: Olga F., now deceased; and Linnie R. ,
at home. Mrs. Hoover is a native of Centre county,
and a daughter of George O. and Mary (David
son) Keys. The former was born in New York,
January '5, 1788, was a scholarly gentleman, a
school teacher by profession, and an artist of
considerable prominence. He held membership
in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and was a
pronounced Republican in politics. His death
occurred August 4, 1855, an<^ the mother of Mrs.
Hoover departed this life June 21, 1874. She
was born in Centre county, Penn., September 18,
1800, and was a daughter of James and Rebecca
(Brown) Davidson, natives of Ireland and Hunt
ingdon county, Penn., respectively. The paternal
grandparents of Mrs. Hoover were Jacob and
Jemima Keys, who came to America from Eng
land, and located in New York City, where the
grandfather engaged in merchandising through
out his remaining days.
To George O. and Mary (Davidson) Keys
were born nine children: Andrew J. is deceased.
Dr. William S. H. was born in Centre county,
in 1826, and attended the Lewistown Academy.
He became a minister of the United Brethren
Church, and in recognition of his scholarship and
theological eminence the degrees of A. M. and
D. D. were conferred upon him, by Otterbein
University of Lebanon, Penn. In 1878 he left
that Church and joined the Presbyterian, of
which he was ever afterward a prominent min

ister. He died at the age of sixty-six years.
Rebecca J., the third child, is now the widow of
George Sharrer, of Philadelphia. David is de
ceased. Maria is the wife of our subject. Al-
mira is the wife of Jacob Condo, a carpenter of
Altoona, Penn. Harriet O. married Adam Goss,
but both are now deceased. James W. is a pat
ternmaker of Harrisburg, Penn. The father 'of
this family was twice married, his first union be
ing with Eliza Funk, who was born April 28,
1788, and died August 27, 1822. Two children
were born to them: Henry K., now deceased;
and George W. , now a farmer of Ohio.
Mr. and Mrs. Hoover occupy a most elegant
residence, situated on an elevation and com
manding a fine view of the surrounding beautiful
country. There they delight to entertain their
many friends, their latchstring always hanging
out. Politically, he is an ardent Democrat, and
socially is connected with the Grand Army Post
at Tyrone, and the Odd Fellows Lodge at Port
Matilda, Penn. A man of unquestioned integ
rity in business and social circles, he stands de
servedly high, and has the happy faculty of
easily making friends and always retaining them.

T^HOMAS BOWMAN BUDINGER. The
industrial and commercial history of Centre
county would be very incomplete and unsatisfac
tory without a personal and somewhat extended
mention of those whose lives are interwoven so
closely with the business development of the
State. Mr. Budinger has been prominently
identified with various enterprises of Centre
county, and his business record is one that any
man might be proud to possess. Beginning at
the very bottom round of the ladder, he has ad
vanced steadily step by step until he now occu
pies a position of prominence.
Mr. Budinger was born in Lycoming county,
Penn., December 13, 1852, and is ason of Will
iam and Lucretia (Hoffman) Budinger, natives
of Luzerne county, Penn. Emigrating to Ly
coming county, they located near Williamsport,
where the father engaged in the lumber business
and farming. His wife died there in 1894, but
he is still residing on the old homestead. Their
children are: Sarah E. is the deceased wife of
D. V. Plummer, who is engaged in the mail
service in Williamsport, Penn. ; Johanna L. is
the wife of James O'Brien, proprietor of the
" Elkins Hotel," at Elkins, W. Va.; Thomas B.
comes next in the order of birth; Philip is now
engaged in fruit growing in Los Angeles, Cal. ;
and William is engaged in the livery business in
that city.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

233

Mr. Budinger is one of Centre county's self-
made men, one of her most prominent citizens,
and his business interests are to-day extensive.
From the time he was thirteen years old until he
was twenty-one, he worked in his father's saw
mill in the summer time and attended public
school in the winter. At the age of twenty-one
he hired out to his father at $20.00 per month; but
after working for one year he concluded to start
in business for himself, so he obtained $ 1 o. 00 from
his father and went upon the road securing or
ders for enlarging pictures. He traveled through
Cameron and McKean counties, and during the
first trip of three months he cleared $375.00; he
then remained at home for a short time, after
which he went on the road and traveled through
Elk and Jefferson counties, and during this sec
ond trip cleared about $400.00 in cash. He then
went to Salladasburg, and while visiting his father
met with a severe accident, by having his ankle
broken, which caused him to put all business
aside for one year; when he had recovered, how
ever, he endeavored to travel and sell pictures
again, but the injury he had received from his
broken leg made it impossible to continue in
that business. He then obtained employment
in a sawmill at Williamsport, where he was em
ployed taking charge of a lath mill for about
three years. He then purchased from his father
nine acres of land and a small home, upon
which he lived for about four years, and during
that time he received employment from the Tide
Water Pipe Co. , first as a day laborer for a few
months, and he then secured the contract from
the Tide Water Pipe Co. , to bury their pipe three
feet under ground. During the first three months
he cleared $700.00, and lived in tents and boarded
his own men.
Mr. Budinger then contracted to lay the pipe
between Williamsport and Muncy, and during
the six weeks thus engaged he cleared $750.00.
The oil was running through the pipes at the
time, and it was a very difficult matter to bury
the pipe underground without breaking it, but
he was so successful in burying over fifty miles of
pipe for the Tide Water Pipe Co. without an ac
cident or the loss of a single barrel of oil, whilst
other parties who were employed at the same
business, broke the pipe and lost several thou
sand barrels of oil at one time. He was then
employed by the Standard Oil Co. , to bury pipe
through a section of Clinton county, at a salary
of $100.00 per month. After finishing this work,
he was out of employment, and meeting a gen
tleman in Jersey Shore he was induced to come
to Snow Shoe, Centre county, Penn., with a
promise of a position on the Beech Creek rail

road; but after remaining in Snow Shoe for sev
eral days he learned that the party had no au
thority to hire him, and that the salary offered
by the contractors was not sufficient to induce
him to engage in that business.
A successful business man is he who is quick
to recognize and take advantage of opportunities,
and this element Mr. Budinger possesses in a
high degree, and it has been one of the most im
portant factors in his prosperity. While in Snow
Shoe he noticed that potatoes were being
sold at $1.00 per bushel, so he went to Wat-
sontown, Penn. , and purchased a carload of
that vegetable, then shipped them to Snow
Shoe and sold them at a good profit. He also
noticed that large quantities of bread was being
shipped to Snow Shoe, and believing that he could
make that article of food cheaper than it could
be sent there, he rented an old oven, and in an
old shed, the best accommodation that could be
secured, he embarked in the bakery business,
and his expenditures for rent and improvements
for the first year amounted to over $475.00; but
by hard work and strict attention to business, he
made a clear profit of $2,000.00 the first year.
He continued in that line of business until 1886,
when, the railroad being completed, he aban
doned the bakery business and established a gen
eral mercantile store, which he successfully op
erated until the first of May, 1887; and as the
property he then occupied was wanted by its
owner for other purposes, he purchased a lot and
put up the buildings he now occupies, and his
trade has steadily increased until the volume of
his sales are very large. He carries on two
stores — one at Clarence, Penn., and the other at
Snow Shoe, Penn., with a stock of fully twenty-
five thousand dollars (the store at Clarence,
Penn., he purchased of W. B. Masters on Janu
ary 1, 1892).
In 1 89 1 Mr. Budinger began operating in the
coal business in a small way on the land owned
by Potter & Co., hauling the coal on wagons,
that had to be shoveled into the railroad cars,
and he contrived an ingenious invention to dump
a three-ton load of coal from an ordinary road
wagon into the cars, which operated very success
fully; but in 1895 the price of soft coal became
so low that it became unprofitable to load coal
in that way, and on September 1, 1895, in con
nection with Kelley Brothers, he purchased the
property of the Snow Shoe Mining Co., and he
is now treasurer of the company. Under the
capable management of the present officers, the
output of the mines have been largely increased.
In July, 1874, at the home of the bride, at Mt.
Eagle, Centre county, Mr. Budinger was mar-

234

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ried to Miss Alice Leathers, and they had twelve
children: Delia and Emma Blanche are grad
uates of the Birmingham Seminary, of Blair Co.,
Penn. ; Samuel and Arthur are students in the
Dickinson Seminary at Williamsport; Effie is at
home; Alice is deceased; Edith, Maud, Thomas
J., Philip, Robert and Sarah are all still under
the parental roof.
In his social relations, Mr. Budinger is an Odd
Fellow, and in politics is a Republican. He
holds membership with no religious denomina
tion, but his wife and family are members of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. He is a man of
great energy, one who carries forward to success
ful completion whatever he undertakes. Through
his entire business career he has been looked
upon as a model of integrity and honor, and his
life to-day is an example of what can be accom
plished by a man of natural ability and strength
of character. He is respected by the community
at large, and honored by his business associates.

SQUIRE JOSEPH M. GREEN, one of the
oldest citizens of Milesburg, Centre county,
where he has passed an active, busy life of nearly
three-score and ten years, is a descendant, on
both sides, of prominent families in the history
of the State.
Born December i, 1829, at Milesburg, Squire
Green is the son of Joseph Green and Catherine
(Miles), both natives of Milesburg, and the grand
son of Joseph Green, Sr., and of Joseph Miles,
and the great-grandson of Gen. Samuel Miles, of
the war of the Revolution, mention of all of whom
appears in the sketch of G. Dorsey Green, to be
found elsewhere. Joseph Green, Jr., was born
in 1800. He became a clerk for Hamilton
Humes at Bellefonte, going there to take charge
of Centre Furnace as manager. He was the
manager of the Milesburg Iron Works for Irvin,
Green & Co. In 1830, in connection with his
father-in-law, Joseph Miles, he opened a store in
Milesburg. On the death of the latter, in 1840,
Mr. Green carried on the business alone until
1852, then took as a partner a son, Joseph M.
He served several times as burgess of Milesburg.
Politically he was first a Whig, then a Republic
an. He was identified with the Baptist Church.
His death occurred in May, 1879. His wife is
also deceased. Their children are: Joseph M.,
our subject; Edward A., who is living on the old
furnace property on Mill creek; and F. Potts
Green, a druggist of Bellefonte.
Joseph M. Green at the age of seventeen
years began and subsequently served an appren
ticeship at the machinist's trade. Later he was

engaged in lumbering and merchandising in part
nership with W. M. McMeen, a cousin, under the
firm name of W. M. McMeen & Co. The firm
later became Joseph Green & Son, and was so
continued until in 186 1. On the breaking out
of the Civil war Mr. Green enlisted in Company
A, 49th P. V. I., and was with the Army of the
Potomac. While on the Peninsula campaign he
was taken sick at Yorktown, Va. , and owing to
the nature of the disease he was compelled to re
tire from the service, and was honorably dis
charged. He returned to Milesburg, where he
was disabled for a number of years as the result of
his military service. Later he took charge of the
gristmill at that point, and has at periods from
that time to this operated the same. For many
years he has served the people of Milesburg in
various capacities, and has a clear and good rec
ord, as one will readily judge when he learns that it
has been "Squire" Green now for thirty years,
as his service as a justice of the peace is nearing
the third of a century milestone. He has filled
all the borough offices — member of the council,
of which he has been the president, burgess, etc.
He is a Thirty-second Degree Mason, being a
member of Lodge at Bellefonte. Politically he
is a Republican.

W NDREW HARTER, who follows general
-**1L farming in Marion township, Centre county,
is a representative of one of the pioneer families
of Penn's Valley, whose identification with its in
terests has proved a material factor in its devel
opment and upbuilding. He was born in Harris
township, Centre county, June 7, 1823. His
paternal grandparents, Andrew and  (Roop)
Harter, natives .of Lancaster county, Penn., re
moved at an early day to Penn's Valley, where the
grandfather followed farming throughout his re
maining days. The maternal grandparents, An
drew and  (Kramer) Kern, were also born in
Pennsylvania, and came to Penn's Valley at an
early period in its development. They too, were
farming people.
Jacob and Elizabeth (Kern) Harter, the par
ents of our subject, were both natives of Haines
township, Centre county, whence they removed
to Marion township. The father became one of
the leading farmers of that community, and took
a prominent part in public affairs, serving in sev
eral local offices, including those of supervisor
and tax collector. He and his wife were mem
bers of the Lutheran Church in early life, after
ward uniting with the Evangelical Church.
Jacob Harter died in the spring of i860, at the
age of sixty-four years, and his wife passed away

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

235

in 1866, at the age of sixty-six years. Their chil
dren were as follows: John, of Hamburg, Clin
ton Co., Penn., who was drowned in the Johns
town flood; Jacob (twin brother of John), who
died at his home in Illinois in 1895; Sarah, who
became the wife of Jacob Garbrick (now a re
tired farmer of Marion township), and died in
1896; Andrew, subject of this sketch; Ann, wife
of George Danberman, of Illinois, where both
died; Samuel, a farmer of Illinois; Mary, de
ceased; David, a resident farmer of Marion town
ship; William, a merchant of Tylersville, Penn.,
and Daniel, of Jacksonville, Pennsylvania.
Quietly passed the early boyhood days of An
drew Harter, who remained with his parents until
twenty-three years of age, during which time he
worked on the farm and also followed carpenter
ing. On leaving home he assisted in the devel
opment of land, by grubbing out the roots and
other labors incident to the improvement of tim
ber tracts. After three years he rented a farm
in Marion township, and continued its cultiva
tion for eight years, but he did not meet with the
success that he had anticipated, and in conse
quence turned his attention to the sawmill busi
ness, which he followed at Hoy's Gap, for three
years, and then sold out. In the spring of i860,
he purchased his present home, and has since
given his attention to agricultural pursuits.
On June 10, 1845, in Clinton county, Mr.
Harter married Miss Eve E. Smith, a native of
Clinton county, who died June 28, 1862, at the
age of thirty-nine years and five months. By
her marriage she became the mother of the fol
lowing children: John S., now of Clinton coun
ty, justice of the peace and school teacher; Mary
E., wife of Daniel Gordon, of Clinton county;
Susanna, wife of Frank Buck, a farmer of Centre
county; William I., a wagonmaker of Centre
county; Jacob R., merchant, of the same county;
Rebecca J. , wife of George Fatzinger, a baggage
master in Northumberland county; Sarah E.,
wife of Calvin Womer, who is employed as a
cook in Chicago, 111. ; and Emily, wife of Will
iam Dale, a farmer of Centre county.
On March 5, 1863, Mr Harter was united in
marriage with Mrs. Susan (Arbegust) Sharer, who
was born in Perry township, Snyder Co. , Penn. ,
December. 4, 1836, a daughter of Jacob and Polly
(Dutter) Arbegust, natives of Snyder county,
where they were married, and where they made
their home for many years. The father, who was
a potter by trade, died in 1883 at the age of sev
enty-two years; the mother died in 1851, at the
age of forty. Their children were Sarah, who
became the wife of Joshua Roush, and both are
now deceased; Harriet, deceased wife of Jacob

Howard, of Juniata county, Penn. ; Savilla,
deceased wife of George Myers, a miller,
residing in Coburn, Penn. ; John, a miller of
New Berlin, Penn.; Mrs. Harter; Eva, deceased
wife of Joseph Rifter; Jacob, a shoemaker
residing near Freeburg, Penn. ; Peter, who was
killed in the army; and Aaron, deceased. The
paternal grandparents of Mrs. Harter were Nich
olas and Eva (Metz) Arbegust, farming people of
Union county, Penn. Her maternal grandfather
was a native of Ireland.
The children by Mr. Harter's second marriage
are: Laura, wife of Elias Breon, a carpenter of
Centre county; Lucy B., wife of Lawrence Hyles,
an engineer of Mine Bank, Pleasant Gap, Centre
county; Samuel, a carpenter of Indiana; Frank
lin P., a machinist of Renovo, Penn.; Clemen
tine, a carpenter, residing at home; Harry E. , a
carpenter of Axemann, Penn-; George, a miner
of Centre county ; Albert, at home; Cora, wife of
George Aikey, a farmer residing in Centre county;
and Edna S., at home.
Mr. Harter votes independently, supporting
the candidates whom he thinks best qualified for
office. His fellow townsmen have manifested
their confidence in his ability and worth by elect
ing him supervisor for two terms, school director
two terms, and auditor one term. He was also
assistant assessor under Harry McDowell, and
was elected constable,, but declined to serve. He
formerly belonged to the Evangelical Church,
but now holds membership in the Methodist
Church.

JOSEPH C. BIERLY. The Bierly family has
held for so many years a prominent place in this
section, that the purpose of this work would
not be fulfilled if the part which they have taken
in local history were not given a place. Like
most of the early settlers, they are of German ex
traction, the name having been formerly written
Bherly. The founder of the line in this region,
Melchoir Bierly, came from Bavaria, Prussia,
with his wife, before the Revolutionary war,
probably before the French and Indian war,
and about the time of the Revolutionary war, lo
cated in Snyder county, near Mahantango creek.
During that war they were obliged to flee from
the Indians, probably at the time of the "Run
away" in 1778, which has become a historical
event, and they never returned, 'as Melchoir Bierly
found employment in the iron works of Lancasi-
ter county, and made his home there. He met
his death while crossing the mountains to visit
friends. He had two sons, of whom the elder,

236

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Nicholas, settled in Ohio; and Anthony was the
grandfather of our subject.
Anthony Bierly was the progenitor of all the
Bierlys in Sugar Valley, Clinton county, and
Brush Valley, Centre county. He came from
the region of the Mahantango, nearMcKee's Half
Falls (now in Snyder county), in 1 791 or '92, and
leased from Col. Samuel Miles a tract of 300
acres of land a short distance north of the pres
ent site of Rebersburg. Tradition says that he
was the first man to travel over the Brush Valley
Narrows with a team after the completion of the
road there, and a tedious journey it was, accord
ing to all accounts, the way being extremely
rough, and for lack of other accommodations the
party was compelled to camp out at night. On
arrival at their destination a log, cabin was con
structed, and the work of subduing the wilder
ness and creating a home was begun. Natur
ally, Anthony Bierly became a leader among the
pioneers of the locality, and his foresight and
public spirit deserve recognition at this day. He
was one of the leading men in the building, in
1804, of the first church in Rebersburg. He died
April 7, 1825, aged about eighty-two years, and his
wife, Anna Maria Warner, who was born No
vember 15, 1752, passed away April 3, 1844, the
remains of both being laid to rest in the Luth
eran and Reformed cemeteries at Rebersburg.
They had twelve children: (1) Margaret married
(first) John Phillips, (second), Peter Greninger, and
(third) a Mr. Carter, and died in Venango county,
Penn. ; (2) Nicholas died near Rebersburg, July
25, 1848, in his seventy-fourth year (his wife,
Lucy (Buchtel), died March 26, 1851); (3) Liz
zie married Peter Berry; (4) Catherine, a tailoress
by occupation, never married; (5) John, who was
born in Northumberland county, February 8,
1779, married Catherine Berry, and died in 1870
in Sugar Valley, near Tylersville; (6) Sarah mar
ried (first) Henry Greninger, and (second) George
Lesh; (7) Eva married Michael Ketner; (8)
Rosina married Christian Gramly, and died in
Miles township, Centre county; (9) Barbara mar
ried Fred Womeldorf, and died in Sugar Valley,
(10) Anna married Philip Glantz, of Sugar Valley;
and her death occurred there; (11) Anthony, Jr.,
is mentioned more fully below; and (12) Mary
(Mrs. Michael Kahl) died in Brush Valley, and is
buried at Rebersburg.
Anthony Bierly, Jr., the father of the
subject of this biography, was born Sep
tember 8, 1787, and was but a child at the time
of the removal to Centre county. He learned
the blacksmith's trade in Aaronsburg, and fol
lowed it for many years in Brush Valley and later
in Rebersburg. His parents were well-to-do, and

gave a liberal start in life to all the other chil
dren; but owing to some misunderstanding he re
ceived but little if any assistance from them.
He succeeded, however, and had an extensive
business, employing several hands. Of large
build and active temperament, he was capable of
doing an immense amount of work; but although
he made a great deal of money he never became
wealthy, as his kind and generous disposition was
often imposed upon to his loss. He was a stanch
Democrat, and a leader in many local movements,
serving for some time in the Home Militia as
chief musician.
In 1 8 14 he married Miss Maria Kratzer, who
was born near Shamokin, Penn., in February,
1793, and died February 9, i860; his own death
occurred July 18, 1857. Both were devout mem
bers of the Evangelical Church of Rebersburg,
where their remains now rest. They had eight
children, as follows: Melchoir, born July 20,
181 5; John is a blacksmith at Tylersville, Penn.;
William, born September 19, 18 18, is a farmer
and shoemaker at Rebersburg; Susan, born June
20, 1824, is now Mrs. Joseph Miller, of Rebers
burg; Rachel, born in 1826, married Rev. George
Young, an Evangelical minister, who died at
Baltimore; George is a blacksmith and miller in
Nittany Valley; Daniel, born September 9, 1828
(now deceased), was a blacksmith at Tylersville,
and Joseph C. , born February 22, 1 834, is referred
to below. Joseph C. Bierly is one of the substantial cit
izens of Brush Valley, and the history of his life
reveals a character which is well worthy of re
spect. As a boy he attended the schools of Re
bersburg but with no regularity. From eight to
twelve years of age he began to learn the black
smith's trade. Few men of his standing have
had such meagre opportunities, and knowing as
he does the value of an education he has ever
been a firm friend of progress in our common-
school system, and his two sons have enjoyed
every advantage that he could procure for them
in their preparation for life's duties. Mr. Bierly
learned his trade in Rebersburg with his brother
Melchoir, receiving at the end of a three-years'
apprenticeship one pair of shoes and a Ken
tucky jean "womise." His annual vacation
of two weeks he spent in the harvest field, earn
ing a little money for clothes, and other neces
saries; but when his term as an apprentice ex
pired he was in debt to the amount of $30. He
began work at Tylersville as a journeyman at $15
a month; later he worked elsewhere, and being a
thorough master of the trade he commanded ex
cellent wages. After saving a considerable sum
of money, he returned to Rebersburg and formed

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

237

a partnership with his brother Melchoir; later,
however, he built a shop of his own and carried
on his trade successfully for several years.
In February, 1866, he was united in marriage
with Miss Judith Meyer, a native of Brush Val
ley, born March 20, 1835, and a daughter of
Henry and Hannah (Bierly) Meyer. Desiring
the wholesome surroundings of farm life for his
family, Mr. Bierly purchased first from S. S.
Wolfe a farm of 140 acres near Rebersburg, and
has since resided there, except during four years
spent on the farm of his father-in-law, east of
the same town. Building a shop upon his prop
erty, which now includes more than 200 acres,
he followed his trade for some years. In the
fall of 1879 he had the misfortune to lose his left
arm by accident, a fall entangling him in the
machinery of a thresher; but this handicap has
not prevented him from continuing his habitual
activities, seeming in fact to stimulate him to
greater efforts. For thirty-seven years he gave
much attention to veterinary practice, being a
friend and admirer of that noble animal, the
horse, of whose fine points he is an excellent
judge. His success in this line of work has been
marked, his services being often sought from a
distance. Despite his shrewdness and caution in busi
ness affairs, Mr. Bierly has at times met with re
verses, one individual alone causing him a loss
of $5,000, which would have been greater had
he not sought the protection of the courts. Quiet
and unassuming in manner, he yet impresses one
as a strong character, and his influence among
those who know him is great. He is a stanch
adherent of the principles of the Democratic
party, but in local affairs he disclaims the neces
sity for partisan bonds, and votes for the best
man. He speaks with manly pride of the help
ful influence of his estimable wife, attributing no
small portion of his success in life to her. Their
two sons are a credit to them, and the money so
freely spent in giving them a thorough education
was well invested.
Prof. H. E. Bierly was born in the house now
owned by Hon. Henry Meyer, Rebersburg, Penn. ,
January 28, 1866. He attended the common
schools of Miles township, until he was eighteen
years of age, not having a chance to attend the
summer schools on account of too much work on
the farm. He then determined to get a better edu
cation, and in 1884 entered Union Seminary (now
Central Pennsylvania College), New Berlin, Penn.
This institution he attended most of the time be
tween the years 1 884-1 888, during which time
he nearly completed the classical course and pre
pared himself for Princeton University, which he

entered in 1888 as a member of the class of '92.
He spent five years at Princeton University, four
as an under-graduate, taking the "A. B. course,"
and one year as a post-graduate, studying physi
ological psychology under Prof. Ormond, also the
philosophy of religion, under the same professor.
The next year, 1893-94, he was unanimously
elected "Professor of the Natural and Physical
Sciences" in Belleview Collegiate Institute, at
Caledonia, Mo. , where he taught one year, at the
expiration of which time the Institute was par
tially closed. The next year he attended Har
vard and Boston Universities, studying metaphys
ics under Prof. Royce and cosmology under Prof.
James, of Harvard University, and comparative
theology and history of religious history of Chris
tian doctrine, in the School of Theology, of Bos
ton University. It was then that he became
acquainted with Pres. G. Stanley Hall, John
Fiske, Joseph Cooke, Professors Carpenter and
Davids, of Oxford University. This year in Bos
ton, and as a student of both of these Universi
ties, was of the greatest value in his educational
history. The next year he was ' ' Professor of
Mathematics and Science" in Missouri Military
School, Mexico, Mo., which was destroyed by
fire at the expiration of that year. During the-
following year he was engaged in writing a thesis
on the ' ' Origin and Development of the Concep
tion of God", also in child-mind investigations in
central Pennsylvania, in connection with Pres. G.
Stanley Hall, of Clark University, Mass., and
Prof. Earl Barnes, of Leland Stanford University,
Cal. At present (1898) he is professor of phil
osophy and science in Virginia College for Young-
Ladies at Roanoke, Va. , one of the best of the
Southern female colleges, in which he occupies a
very responsible position, next to the presidents
thereof. As a student Prof. Bierly became intensely
interested in philosophy, through Sir William
Hamilton's lectures on metaphysics, the various.
works and writings of James McCosh, primarily,
and through the edited works of Kant, Fichte,
Schelling and Hegel, having a natural inclination
to speculative studies. At the same time he is
greatly interested in biology, through a Natural
History Society, which was organized by Prof.
H. N. Conser, Ph. D., at Central Pennsylvania
College, and which led him to reading of nearly
all the works of Darwin, Huxley, Romanes and
Herbert Spencer. It was the works of James
McCosh that took him to Princeton University,
whose lectures on metaphysics he attended in
his freshman year, this being the last course on
that subject given by McCosh, with whom he as
a student was very well acquainted, and upon

238

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

whom he called quite often, having received spe
cial recognition, encouragement and kindness
from McCosh while alive. While a student of
Princeton University he made a special study of
philosophy and biology, having taken all the
branches the university offers on both philosophy
and' biology. He took honors in the latter sub
ject, and was offered a fellowship in osteology by
the Chicago University, which he, however, did
not accept, as he did not desire to give so much
time in that particular line of investigation, hav
ing decided to make the study of philosophy a
life vocation. He attended and was a member
of the World's Congress of Philosophy held at
Chicago during the World's Fair, at which time
he became personally acquainted with Prof.
Josiah Royce, professor of philosophy in Har
vard University, who has been his private ad
viser and director in philosophy ever since.
Prof. Bierly is a member of the Pennsylvania
German Society, and of several Psychological
and Scientific Associations. He contributes a
series of articles on the various conceptions of
God for "The Preachers Helper." Just now
(1898) he is more extensively engaged in child-
mind investigations than ever, with Pres. Hall,
Prof. Earl Barnes, Prof. Royce, also contributing
a series of articles on child-mind study for several
child-study magazines. He has also addressed
and lectured before quite a number of teachers'
associations and institutes in Missouri, Pennsyl
vania and Virginia on various, but mostly psycho
logical, subjects. During the Bryan campaign in
1896, on account of not being hard pressed for
work, he became very much interested in pol
itics, through his cousin, Hon. Willis R. Bier
ly, of North Dakota. On acceunt of the Demo
cratic party splitting, Mr. Bierly was requested
by the foremost politicians of the county to take
a hand in politics and rally the Silver forces, as
he did, and has done valuable service for his Val
ley and the county, having been elected presi
dent of the Bryan and Sewall Club of Brush
Valley, which was composed of about two hun
dred members. He is a member of the M. E.
Church, which he joined while a student of
Princeton University. He was one of the three
first members of the M. E. Church at Kreamer
ville, and rendered very effectual services in the
building up of the Methodist Church at this
place, having been appointed for this especial
work, lasting several years, by the Quarterly Con
ference (Methodist).
Edwin S. Bierly, the younger, was born at
Rebersburg, Penn., in 1869. A few years after
his birth his parents moved on a farm two miles
southwest of Rebersburg, where his early boy

hood was spent. After attending the schools
of Brush Valley he in 1888 spent one winter term
at Central Pennsylvania College with his brother
Elmer. Here he completed the junior year of
the Elementary (Normal) Department with the
class of 1 89 1. Being unable to pursue his stud
ies until January of 1891, he then was admitted
into the Junior class of the State Normal at Lock
Haven. At the middle of the spring term he
was compelled to leave the- Normal through sick
ness (the measles) contracted through his chum.
He then returned to Central Pennsylvania Col
lege, and completed the "Elementary (Normal)
Course" with the large class of 1892. Aft-
ter attending Central Pennsylvania College sev
eral more terms as a student of the scientific
course, he, on the following year, entered Dick
inson College, Carlisle, Penn., where he remained
during the winter term of 1895; but had to
leave college on account of sickness before the
expiration of the college year. He then remained
at home the greater part of the year on ac
count of sickness and then entered Dickinson
Seminary at Williamsport; but after being there.
six weeks he was again compelled to leave school
through lack of health. Shortly afterward he
was appointed general book agent for the "Min-
ter Book Company", Harrisburg, Penn., and
was quite successful in this work in the summer of
1896. On October 8, 1896, he was married by
Rev. Faus, his M. E. pastor, to Miss Sadie Er
hard, a daughter of Cyrus and Catherine Er
hard, of Rebersburg. Mrs. E. S. Bierly was
and is a dressmaker by trade, but worked almost
all the time in Lock Haven. She is a very in
dustrious and ambitious young woman, and high
ly respected by all. She has a good common-
school education, having attended the Normal Se
lect School conducted by Supt. C. L. Gramley,
at Rebersburg. The following year he and his
wife spent with his parents until January, 1898,
when he regained his health and returned to Dick
inson Seminary as a student of the Theological
Department. In politics, he too is a " chip off the old block "
namely a Democrat. He is a member of the M.
E. Church, and has always taken an active part
in Church work at Kreamerville, his- home Church,
as one of the principal officials.

W BRAM V. MILLER. Among the citizens
,/^Il of mark in Centre county no one is more
worthy of consideration than the gentleman
whose name introduces this biography. In days
of peace he has not only proved a valued member
of society, but on Southern battle fields during

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

239

the dark days of the Rebellion he fearlessly
fought for the old flag and the cause it repre
sented. He is now, however, living retired at
his pleasant home in State College, surrounded
by a wide circle of friends and acquaintances,
who delight to show their appreciation of his
sterling worth and many excellent traits of char
acter. The Miller family was among the very earli
est settlers of Pennsylvania, locating on the banks
of the Delaware river about 1675, several years
before William Penn took up his residence here.
Later members of the family made their home
at what is now Downingtown. Reuben Miller,
the grandfather of our subject, was a resident of
Chester county, this State, and was a miller by
trade as well as by name. He married Thoma
zine Valentine, and had eight children: William,
who became a wealthy citizen of Kentucky, and
whose daughter is now living in Harrisburg,
Penn.; Robert V.; Isaac; Mordica, who also
lived in Kentucky; Mrs. Eliza Thomas; Mrs.
Mary Ann Harris; Mrs. Jane Harris; and Mrs.
Rachel Miles.
Robert V. Miller, the father of our subject,
was a native of Chester county, and after the
death of his father he went to Alexandria, Va. ,
and lived with his uncle, Mordica Miller, until
1 81 5, at which time he came to Centre county
with his uncles, Valentine Bros., and worked in
an iron store at Bellefonte. He hauled iron from
that city to Pittsburg, thence carrying it by rafts
and arks on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to
Louisville (Ky.), Natchez and New Orleans.
Subsequently he went to Lexington, Ky. , and
there kept an iron store for Valentine & Thomas,
of Bellefonte, Penn., and was engaged in pros
pecting for a time; he also for a brief space kept
an iron store in Louisville, Ky. Returning to
Centre county, he for some time prior to 1827
was proprietor of the Mill Hall Iron Works in
partnership with his brother Isaac and his brother-
in-law, Joseph Harris, but on October 29, that
year, he joined the regular army, enlisting in
Company A, First Regiment of Artillery, U. S.
A., and was stationed at Camp Holback, under
Capt. (later Gen.) W. J. Worth, and First Lieut.
W. A. Patrick (who was provost marshal general
of the Army of the Potomac during the Civil war),
until the fall of 1830, when he returned to Centre
county, and engaged in the iron business for sev
eral years. He was also the owner of 300 acres
of valuable land in the county near Pleasant Gap,
which he left to his children. He died from ex
citement on the 7th of July, 1863, three days
after the battle of Gettysburg, in which two of
his sons participated.

Robert V. Miller was united in marriage with
Miss Elizabeth Lytle, a native of Centre county,
and they became the parents of twelve children,
as follows: Reuben, who died at the age of four
months; one that died in infancy unnamed; Will
iam, a civil engineer, who died while surveying
for a railroad in Honduras, Central America;
Eliza, a resident of Bellefonte; Abram' V., sub
ject of this sketch; Isaac, who is living retired
near Bellefonte; Thomazine, a resident of Phila
delphia; Jacob, who was killed in the battle of
South Mountain, September 14, 1862, and was
buried at home; Mary Ann, who is living with
her brother, Robert V. ; Clarissa, wife of Henry
Pennington, of Abilene, Kans. ; Jane, wife of
Alfred Russell, who is also a resident of Abilene,
and is serving as county clerk; and Robert V.,
a contractor of Bellefonte.
Our subject was born April 24, 1838, in
Spring township, Centre county, and there se
cured a good practical education. After leaving
the schoolroom he engaged in teaming until the
breaking out of the Civil war On April 15,
1 861, spurred on by a spirit of patriotism, he be
came the second to enlist in the Bellefonte Fen
cibles, and took part in the first battle of the war,
that of Falling Waters, July 2, 1861. On the
26th of July he was honorably discharged and re
turned home, where he recruited for the 45th P.
V. I. , the Second Pennsylvania Cavalry and the
57th P. V. I.
In the winter of 1861 Mr. Miller again en
listed, becoming a member of the First Pennsyl
vania Cavalry, and participated in the battles of
Falmouth, Strasburg, Mt. Jackson, Cross Keys
and Fort Republic. While on picket duty in
1862 he had an arm and several ribs broken,
which caused his confinement in the hospital at
Washington, D. C, for some time. Rejoining
his regiment, he took part in the engagements of
Fredericksburg and Gettysburg, and was dis
charged December 28, 1863. On the 29th of
the following February, however, he again en
listed, this time in the 184th P. V. I., and with
that command was in the battles of Bethesda
Church, Cold Harbor and Petersburg. In the
first attack on the Weldon Railroad he received
a shot in the shoulder, one in the leg, one in the
head, and a piece of shell took off a part of his
lower jaw, together with eleven teeth. For
twenty-four hours he lay on the battle field in
this condition, when he was finally found and
taken to City Point, Va., and thence to Camp
bell Hospital, Washington, D. C. On May 12,
1864, he had been commissioned first lieutenant
of Company E, 184th P. V. I., and with that
rank was mustered out. His army record is one

240

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

of which he may be justly proud, for he was ever
found at his post of duty and in the. thickest of
the fight.
On September 29, 1865, Lieut. Miller was
married to Miss Jane Potter, and of the four
children born of their union, the births of three
occurred in Iowa. John, born March 18, 1866,
and Robert, born July 23, 1867, both died in in
fancy; and Elizabeth, born October 13, 1868,
and George P., born October 1, 1871, are at
home. Since 1874, Lieut. Miller has served as United
States gauger and store keeper for his collection
district, and in the fall of 1895 was the Repub
lican candidate for prothonotary. Although the
county was Democratic, by 800, he was beaten
by only 69 votes. In 1 896 he was the candidate
for sheriff of Centre county on the Republican
ticket, and was beaten by only 16 votes with the
largest vote ever polled in the county. He is a
noble type of the citizen soldier, equally true to
his country on the battle field or in the peaceful
surroundings of his home, and his family may
well feel proud of his honorable and manly rec
ord.
JOHN M. DALE, of Bellefonte, is of the fifth
generation of the Dale family who have lived
in Centre county.
Christian Dale (1), his great-great-grandfa
ther, came to this country, arriving at Philadel
phia in 1749. In 1772 he cleared and was living
on that part of a tract of land known as Col.
Slifer's farm, near the iron bridge in the vicinity
of Lewisburg, the land in 1772 being owned by
Ludwig Derr. Mr. Dale resided in Buffalo Val
ley, in which he was one of the first settlers dur
ing the stirring times of the Revolution. In 1790
he removed to the end of Nittany Mountain (now
College township, Centre county), where, in 1796,
he built a gristmill and a sawmill. He was one
of those sterling old Germans to whom Pennsyl
vania owed so much, and whose walk in life was
measured by the rule — "Be just and fear not."
He died in July, 1805, aged seventy-two years;
his wife, Rachel, passed away in December,
1808, aged seventy-six years, and their remains
rest in the old Dale burying ground, on the hill
back of Lemont. These pioneers came to a vast
wilderness, poor, and died comparatively wealthy,
leaving to their children fine farms, and the in
heritance of names made noble by a long life of
toil and hardships. Their children were Henry,
Philip, Felix, Frederick, Christian, Cornelius,
Mary (she married Nicholas Straw, a soldier of the
Revolution), Eve (she married Peter Earhart),
and Rachel (she married Lewis Swinehart). , Of

these, Christian and Frederick removed to Ohio.
Henry was born in Northampton county, August
29- 1758 ; he was a soldier of Washington at
Trenton and Princeton in 1776-1777, and served
in military tours under Capt. Forster, of Buffalo
Valley. Felix Dale, son of Christian (1), was
born February 2, 1767, and died March 12, 1833,
in the sixty -seventh year of his age; his wife, who
was Catherine Dorothy Pinogel, died April 15,
1 844, aged seventy years, and both lie buried in
the Dale graveyard. By their side is a stone
bearing the inscription:
Maria Elizabeth Bindnogle,
died August 11, 1822,
aged 86 years.
She was likely the mother of the wife of
Felix Dale. The Pinogels were from near
Harrisburg, Penn., where there was a settle
ment bearing the family name. We find
the name Pinogel on record in Londonderry
township, Dauphin county, as early as 1780.
Felix Dale inherited from his father's estate the
mill property, and by occupation was a miller and
farmer. He had two sons, David and Felix.
David Dale was born in the vicinity of Dales'
Mills in January, 1798. He received such school
ing as the neighborhood schools of his youth af
forded, and became a miller by occupation, also
carrying on agricultural pursuits in connection
with the milling business. He was a man of
practical ideas and a genius in a mechanical line,
building his own carding machine, which branch
of the woolen-mill business, together with a hemp-
mill he added to the grist and saw mill business
that had descended from his forefathers. He
was a man of good judgment and business qual
ifications, and made a success of life. The Dales
for generations were Lutherans, and David was
not an exception to the rule. He married Mar
garet, a daughter of Maj. Frederick Hennigh,
who resided below Aaronsburg, Centre county.
Both lie buried in the cemetery at Boalsburg,
David dying July 13, 1854, in the fifty-seventh
year of his age, and his wife, Margaret, on Jan
uary 11, 1864, aged sixty-five years. Of the nine
children, William, the eldest, was the father of
the subject of this sketch.
William Dale was born at the home farm,
where he grew to manhood, assisting in the work
on the farm and about the mill. Subsequently
he was employed in the woolen-mill at Oak
Hall, where he learned the business under John
Irvin. In i860 he was married, and in connec
tion with a Mr McCarns, located at Neshan-
nock, Lawrence Co., this State, where they were
for several years engaged in carrying on a wool-

%JL^ frclv

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

241

en-factory. Mr. Dale then returned to Dales'
Mills, and, in connection with his brothers, con
verted the old flouring-mill at that point into a
woolen-mill, where he was engaged in business
for several years; then sold his interest and lo
cated at Lemont, where his widow now resides,
and where his death occurred December 20,
1871, when he was in his forty -seventh year.
Like his father and forefathers, he was an indus
trious, upright and honest man, and a highly re
spected citizen. He was a Christian man, ad
hering to the faith of his ancestors, that of the
Lutheran Church. In politics he was a Repub
lican. His wife was Mary M. (daughter of John
and Sarah Thompson Mitchell), born in the
neighborhood where she now resides, and their
children were: John M., born November 10,
1 861; and Edgar, who died in infancy.
The Mitchell and Thompson families were
of Scotch-Irish origin, and have resided in Cen
tre county for nearly a century. John Mitchell
(I), the grandfather of Mrs. Dale, presumably
from Scotland or Ireland, lived for many years
in Mifflin county, and died there. His children
were: Susannah married Frank McCoy (grand
father of the present Frank McCoy, of Belle
fonte); Mary married William Thompson; Eliza
beth married a Roderick; Samuel; David; Rob
ert; William; James and John. The latter and
David, during the war of 181 2, located in Cen
tre county, John on a farm in the vicinity of the
present village of Lemont, where he followed
agricultural pursuits throughout life, dying Jan
uary 18, 1865, in the seventy-sixth year of his
age; and David, in Ferguson township. John
Mitchell married Sarah Thompson, and their
children were: Moses Thompson married Maria
Lock, of Mifflin county; John Hutchinson mar
ried Nancy Johnson, of Boalsburg; Nancy Cul-
bertson died young; William also died young;
Susan Margaret, unmarried; and Mary M. (Mrs.
Dale), all of whom are now dead excepting the
last named. John Mitchell, after the death of
his wife (which occurred March 5, 1832), mar
ried again, the second wife being Letitia Patton,
of his neighborhood, but formerly from Lancas
ter county. The Mitchells were men of influ
ence in the county, and the best of citizens.
David married a daughter of John Barron, a
woman of rare intelligence and much ability.
John B., one of ber sons, was treasurer of Centre
county. Of Scotch-Irish parentage, the elder
Mitchells' Presbyterianism was inherited from a
long line of ancestors. The father of Sarah
(Thompson) Mitchell emigrated from the North
of Ireland about the year 1745, and Matthew
Louden, her maternal grandfather, was one of the

Scotch Covenanters who were driven from home
by persecution. The Thompsons were residents
of Mifflin county before coming to Centre county
early in the present century.
John M. Dale was born at Neshannock Falls,.
Lawrence Co., Penn., on the nth of November,
1 86 1. His parents removed from there to the
old homestead in Centre county about three
years afterward, and continued to reside there.
He entered The Pennsylvania State College in
1878, and graduated with the class of 1882. The
same year he began the study of law and, in
1883, entered the law offices of Beaver & Gep
hart at Bellefonte, and, under their direction,
read law and was admitted to the Bar of Centre
County on the ist of January, 1886. Directly
after his admission to the Bar, he went to Lock
Haven, where he engaged in the practice of law
in connection with Capt. W. C. Kress, of that
place, now the State Law Reporter.
OnApril 12, 1886, Mr Dale returned to Belle
fonte and entered the office of his former precep
tors, and, on the election of Gen. Beaver, in the
fall of 1886, to the gubernatorial chair, he be
came a member of the firm, which was styled
Beaver, Gephart & Dale. This partnership con
tinued until November 1, 1893, when Mr. Gep
hart withdrew, in order to give his entire time to
the Valentine Iron Co., and the new Central
Railroad Co. , of Pennsylvania, of which he was
chosen general superintendent. Gen. Beaver
having returned to Bellefonte upon the expira
tion of his official term, and once more actively
engaged in the practice of law, a new firm was
formed under the name of Beaver & Dale. This
firm continued the practice of law until the first
of July, 1895, when, owing to the fact that Gen.
Beaver was appointed to the Bench of the Supe
rior Court of Pennsylvania, it was dissolved, and
Mr. Dale has since been practicing law alone.
Mr. Dale has always been a Republican in pol
itics, and has taken considerable interest in the
success of the Republican party. He was con
nected with the County Committee in 1889 and
1890, and in 1891 was elected chairman of the
County Committee, in which capacity he served
for one year.
On the 1 8th of October, 1888, he married
Miss Florence G. Fox, a daughter of Thomas J.
E. Fox, of Leesburg, Virginia, and their chil
dren are: Virginia Dale, who was born in i8giv
and John M. Dale, Jr., who was born in 1893.

TfSRAEL WEAVER, one of the progressive and
JL enterprising agriculturists of Haines township,
is a worthy representative of one of the honored

242

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

pioneer families of Centre county, his grand
father, John Weaver, having located in that
township at a very early day in its history, and
there reared a large family. He was. a weaver
by trade, and also engaged in farming, owning a
valuable and well-improved farm at the time of
his death.
Frederick Weaver, the father of our subject,
was born in Haines township, in 1803, and being
the youngest of seven sons, according to the old
saying, " should be a doctor. " Strange enough,
he naturally possessed a talent for the medical
profession, and from youth was called "Doc
tor." Although he never studied medicine, he
used to bleed many people when the custom was
in vogue, and manufactured and dealt in medi
cine, selling throughout the township. He was
reared to farm labor, but when quite young
learned stocking weaving at New Berlin, Penn.,
and later engaged in general weaving, manufact
uring carpets, bed spreads, cloth, etc.
In Haines township Frederick Weaver was
married to Catharine Mark, who was born there
in 1798, a daughter of Rudolph and Margaret
(Walterbarger) Mark, in whose family were eight
children — four sons and four daughters. Her
father was a farmer by occupation. To Mr.
and Mrs. Weaver were born the following chil
dren: William, a farmer of Gregg township,
Centre county; Mary, who became the wife of
Jesse Wert, and died in Aaronsburg, Centre
county; Israel, the subject of this sketch; Aaron
D. , a resident of Aaronsburg; and Frank J. The
mother of these children died in 1876, and the
father afterward wedded Mrs. Elizabeth Krull
(ne'e Lutenbach), who is still living in Haines
township. Frederick Weaver and wife began housekeep
ing in Haines township, where he had erected a
small dwelling upon a couple of acres of land,
and there followed his trade of weaving until the
spring of 1834, when he removed to a farm he had
purchased one mile east of Aaronsburg, compris
ing sixty acres. This he cultivated in connection
with weaving, and added to the original tract
until he had 128 acres of excellent land. Al
though his father's estate was quite large, it had
to be divided among so many children that each
received only a small amount. According to the
provisions of the will, the next to the youngest
son received the farm, and was to pay each of
the fourteen children $200, at intervals of two
years each, beginning with the eldest, so that it
was thirty years before Frederick received his
$200. He therefore had to start out in life with
no capital, and the success which he achieved
was due to his own unaided efforts. He died

upon his farm near Aaronsburg, in January, 1885,
and was laid to rest in the cemetery of. that
place. His political support was given the Dem
ocratic party until the formation of the Repub
lican party, when he joined its ranks. Religious
ly, both he and the mother of our subject were
consistent members of the Lutheran Church,
and they were highly respected citizens of the
community. Israel Weaver was born in Haines township,
March 28, 183 1, and in the subscription schools
acquired a limited education, his first teacher be
ing James Polly. As soon as old enough to
handle a plow he began to assist in the labors of
the farm, which he continued until seventeen
years of age, when he entered the shop of his
cousin, John Weaver, in Haines township, and
learned carpet and coverlet weaving. On attain
ing his majority he formed a partnership with his
father in that business, which he continued until
his marriage.In August, 1853, Mr. Weaver married Miss
Luzetta, daughter of Solomon Confer, a farmer
by occupation, and they began their domestic
life in an old log house upon his present farm, a
tract of sixty-five acres, for which he went in
debt. Upon the place stood a sawmill which he
has since conducted in connection with the labors
of the farm, and has made many valuable and
useful improvements upon his land, including the
erection of a fine residence, which cost $3,000.
Mr. and Mrs. Weaver have no children of
their own, but have given homes to several, in
cluding Lucetta, now the wife -of B. F. Edmunds,
who was taken when a child and reared in their
home, as was also her mother, Agnes, and made
her home with them from three years of age.
At the present time they have a boy, Weaver
Edmunds, now eleven years of age. They have
not only given homes to the children, but treated
them as if they were their own, providing them
with excellent advantages. Kind hearted and
generous almost to a fault, no couple in Haines
township are held in higher regard or have more
friends. They are earnest, devoted Christians,
faithful members of the Lutheran Church, with
which he has been officially connected for years.
Like his father, Mr. Weaver was originally a
Democrat, but now gives his unwavering support
to the men and measures of the Republican
party.

ATHANIEL BEERLY, who for eighteen
years past has held the office of justice of
the peace in and for Boggs township, Centre
county, is a typical American, and has record as

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

243

a soldier and a successful business man, who as
a public-spirited citizen commands admiration
and esteem. He possesses rare talent for music
also, and this gift has been devoted to the public
service in the leadership of the Milesburg band,
which under his able direction won the first prize
in the famous tournament at Hecla Park, August
30, 1894, as the best band in central Pennsyl
vania. The biography of this gentleman is of unusual
interest. He was born September 28, 1843, in
Clinton county, and is a descendant of one of the
most prominent pioneer families. The name was
originally written Bierhley, later Bierly, and this
form is still adhered to by other branches of the
family; but our subject's father, Peter Beerly,
chose to adopt the new spelling, which has been
continued by his children. The first ancestor,
of whom there is authentic record, was Mekhoir
Bierly, our subject's great-great-grandfather, who
came from Bavaria, Prussia, in Colonial times
with his wife and two sons — Nicholas, who set
tled in Ohio and was never married, and Anthony,
our subject's great-grandfather. Melchoir Bierly
located in what is now Snyder county, on the
banks of the Mohantango creek, but during the
great " Runaway " caused by the Indian troubles
of 1778 he left that locality and went to Lancas
ter county, where he remained. His wife brought
from the old country a beautifully ornamented
bottle, which is now a cherished relic in the
family of a great-grandson, Melchoir Bierly, of
Rebersburg. Anthony Bierly, our subject's great-grandfa
ther, was a man of note in his day, possessing an
unusually keen intellect and forceful character.
He was versed in the ancient science of Astrology,
and practiced it for a time at Guy. In 1791,
probably in the spring, he came to Brush Valley
and settled with his family upon a tract of 300
acres, which was leased from Col. Samuel Miles.
Mr. Bierly and his son Nicholas, our subject's
grandfather, had come to the place in the fall
previous to clear a portion of it and plant grain
for the next summer's harvest. About half an
acre had already been cleared by Mr. Strawbridge,
who had also built a hut there, and when Mr.
Bierly first came, there were a few huts standing
in the woods through other parts of the Valley.
Mr. Bierly's house was situated about half-way
between the present "homes of Peter S. and An
thony Bierly. There are upon the place several
apple trees which were brought from the old
home, and one now measures thirteen and one-
half feet in circumference. During the Revolu
tionary war Anthony Bierly while living on the
Mohantango served in the militia, but it is not

known what engagements he took part in. On
one or two occasions, he with other parties fol
lowed Indians who had murdered white families.
When he brought his family to Centre county he
came through Brush Valley Narrows, over the
road which Col. Samuel Miles had opened but a
short time before, and it is said that Mr. Bierly
was the first man. who traveled over it in a ve
hicle. He took an active part in the develop
ment and improvement of his locality, and was
especially interested in the village of Rebersburg,
which was established upon his tract of land. He
died in 1825 at the age of eighty-two, and he and
his wife, whose maiden name was Warner, were
both buried in the Lutheran Reformed Cemetery
at Rebersburg. Neither has a tombstone with
an inscription. Their children, none of whom
are now living, were: Nicholas, our subject's
grandfather; John; Anthony, Jr.: Margaret, who
married John Philips; Mary, wife of Michael
Kehl; Sarah, who married (first) Henry Gren
inger, and (second) George Lesh; Anna, wife of
Philip Glantz; Barbara, wife of Frederick Wom-
eldorf; Rosina, who married Christian Gramley;
Elizabeth, wife of Peter Berry; Eva, wife of
Michael Ketner, and Catherine, who never mar
ried. Anthony Bierly, Jr. , made his home upon a
portion of the original tract, and died there July
18, 1857, aged sixty-nine years, ten months and
ten days. He married Maria Kratzer, and had
the following children: Melchoir; John; William;
Susan, who married Joseph Miller; Rachel, wife
of Rev. George Young, a minister of the Evan
gelical Church, who died many years ago; George;
Samuel; and Joseph.
John Bierly, second son of Anthony Bierly,
Sr, was born February 8, 1779, in Northumber
land county, Penn., and was about twelve years
of age when he came to Brush Valley. His
mother used to tell him how she secreted him in
a sugar trough in the wood when he was a few
months old, while the rest of the family fled on
account of an attack upon the settlement by the
Indians. The savages did not discover him, and
he was found uninjured on the return of the fam
ily when the danger had passed. He married
Miss Catherine Berry, of Lancaster, and lived
near Rebersburg for forty-five years, but later re
moved to Sugar Valley, where he died in 1870 at
the age of ninety-one. Most of his children set
tled in Sugar Valley. Hon. Willis R. Bierly, his
grandson and a son of Peter S. Bierly, was a
member of the State Legislature from Lycoming
county. Nicholas Bierly, the grandfather of our sub
ject, located upon the original tract, and passed his

244

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

life there, dying July 25, 1848, at the age of sev
enty-three years. His wife Lucy was a daughter of
John Buchtel, who came to Centre county about
the same time as the Bierlys. She died March
26, 1 85 1, aged seventy-three years, and both
were laid to rest in the Lutheran Reformed cem
etery at Rebersburg. They had ten children,
whose names with dates of birth are as follows:
Nicholas, February 12, 1799, died in Sugar Val
ley, aged seventy-eight; Hannah, May 26, 1800,
married Henry Meyer; Michael, November 25,
i8oi;John, September 25, 1803;  , December
6, 1 805 , moved to Ohio ; Anthony, August 26, 1 807 ;
Reuben, March 8, 1809, moved to Missouri; Pe
ter, April 13, 1 8 14, is mentioned more fully be
low; Simeon, March 25, 1 81 7 ; George, July 17,
1 8 19, settled in Ohio.
Peter Beerly, our subject's father, was a
wagonmaker in Clinton county until 1847, when
he moved to Boggs township, Centre county,
and continued that business throughout his
remaining years. He was a man of influence,
and in his last years was a Republican in politics.
His death occurred December 7, 1868. His
wife, Sarah Karstetter, daughter of Rudolph and
Margaret Karstetter, was born June 26, 1814,
and died March 30, 1887. They were married
February 19, 1837, and had eight children, whose
names with dates of birth are here given: Rob
ert, December 2, 1837, is "a wheelwright and
manufacturer at Central City, and a leading citi
zen, of whom a biography appears elsewhere;
Rebecca, April 2, 1839, widow of David Wat
son, resides in Boggs township, Centre county;
Messulan, September 14, 1841, enlisted in the
army during the Civil war, and died a soldier's
death February 8, 1863; Nathaniel, September
28, 1843, is the subject proper of this sketch;
Tartulious, June 20, 1846; Agnes, September 24,
1849, married Byron Teller, a pumpmaker in
Boggs township, Centre county; Newton, Sep
tember 29, 1852, died March 4, 1853; and Lem
uel, May 30, 1858, who is also a musician.
Squire Beerly began his business career in his
father's wagon shop, but at the age of nineteen
he enlisted in Company B, 148th P. V. I., under
Col. James F. Weaver. He spent three years
in the service, and was detailed as member of a
brass band. He fortunately escaped all wounds,
although he took part in many hotly contested
battles, including those of the Wilderness,
Spottsylvania, Gettysburg and Petersburg. Not
until peace was restored did he return home. He
worked with his father for three years, and after
the death of the latter continued the business in
partnership with Robert Beerly, the brother
mentioned above, until 1891. They were also

engaged for some time in cider making. In 1894
Squire Beerly became interested in mercantile
business at Central City with Louis F. Wetzler,
his present partner, and has since conducted it
successfully. On June 1, 1874, Squire Beerly was united in
marriage with Miss Ellen Heaton, but no chil
dren blessed their union. Mrs. Beerly was born
February 12, 1853, a daughter of Andrew and
Liddie (Poorman) Heaton. Politically the Squire
is a Republican, with a decided leaning toward
free silver; and in religion he favors the doctrines
of the Presbyterian Church. Socially he belongs
to the Grange, the G. A. R. and the Veteran
League, and at times held various township
offices, having been a justice of the peace since
1879. As director of the Milesburg band Mr. Beerly
has achieved a success in which every one in the
community feels personal pride. On the occa
sion of the band tournament referred to above,
the citizens of Milesburg sought to give expres
sion to the popular feeling by giving an ovation
to the hero of the hour, Squire Beerly. The
borough council took appropriate action, and an
elegant banquet was prepared by the ladies of the
town at Bogg's Hall. The affair was a surprise
to the Squire, who, on his arrival at Central City
from Bellefonte, was met by the constable and
given to understand that he was wanted in Miles
burg to answer to a serious charge. Much be
wildered, but willing as a loyal citizen to submit
to the authority of the law, he entered one of
the carriages in waiting and soon found himself
the chief figure in a triumphal procession headed
by the Milesburg band, the chief burgess and the
members of the borough council. On arriving
at the banquet hall in Milesburg the assemblage
was called to order by the clerk of the council,
and various speeches were made during the even
ing, the Squire being presented with a beautiful
gold-mounted ebony baton, which he modestly
received with a few well-chosen words.

D.R. F. K. WHITE was born November 24,
_' 1866, in Mechanicstown, Frederick county,
Md., and is a descendant of a well-known family
of that State. His grandfather, John White, who
was of Irish stock, owned and cultivated a fine
estate in Carroll county, Md." The Doctor's fa
ther, William White, M. D., was born in that
State in 1824, at Taneytown, and, after graduat
ing from the medical department of the Univer
sity of Maryland, located at Mechanicstown,
where he followed his profession with signal suc
cess until his death in 1885. He served for some

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

245

time as a member of the Legislature of the State.
His wife, Emily J. Cover, who was a German by
descent, was born in Ladiesburg, Md. , in 1835,
and died in 1880. They had seven children:
John and Thomas died in childhood; William P
resides in Baltimore, Md.; Minnie E. at Thur-
mont (formerly Mechanicstown) ; F. K. , our sub
ject, was the fifth in order of birth; May E. re
sides in Philipsburg; Howard, a graduate in den
tistry, is practicing his profession at Cuero,
Texas. Until the age of fourteen Dr. White remained
at home, then attended Pennsylvania College,
Gettysburg. He prepared for his profession at
the Baltimore Dental College, graduating March
5, 1885, and since 1887 he has been established
at Philipsburg.

lOBERT JONES HEPBURN, whose indus
try and prudent management in business
affairs, and many excellent qualities as a citizen,
long ago gained for him the esteem of the people
of Bellefonte, Centre county, is a native of Ly
coming county, Penn., born September 7, 1822.
He is of pioneer stock, his grandfather, John
Hepburn, an Irishman by birth, having settled
in Lycoming county when that region was as yet
but sparsely populated. Samuel Hepburn, the
father of our subject, was born there, and spent
a long life as a farmer near Jersey Shore, where
he was numbered among the leading adherents
of the M. E. Church, and took an active inter
est in politics as a Democrat. He lived to the
age of ninety-one years, three months and one
day, and his wife, Mary Crawford, who was born
in Pennsylvania of Scotch-Irish parentage, also
attained a good old age, passing away in her
eighty-seventh year. Nine children of this es
timable couple lived to maturity, viz.: (^Will
iam, who after two years of gallant service in
the Union army died a soldier's death at Suffolk,
Va. ; (2) R. J., our subject; (3) Margaret (de
ceased), formerly the wife of Ira Martin, of New
York State; (4) Mary (Mrs. JohnGheent), of Jer
sey Shore; (5) Martha (deceased), who married
Warren Clark, of Limestone Valley; (6) Nancy,
now the second wife of Warren Clark; (7) Jane,
who married Robert Davidson, of Jersey Shore;
(8) Charles, who resides at Lovel Corners, near
Jersey Shore; and (9) John, a resident of Linden,
Lycoming county.
As a farmer's son, Mr. Hepburn had an op
portunity to acquire industrious habits in youth.
At eighteen he began to learn the carpenter's
trade, and after working at it several years he
, moved from Lycoming county to Centre county,

locating at Bellefonte, where since 1844 he has
been employed by the Valentine Iron Co., in the
fashioning of the wood work required in their
business. He is an expert in this line, and for
years has done the work of three men. On De
cember 3, 1846, he was united in marriage with
Miss Mary E. Wonsley, who was born March 28,
1828, in Monongalia county, W. Va. (then partof
the Old Dominion), and came to Bellefonte with
her foster parents when she was about eighteen
years old. After nearly half a century of wedded
life she passed away January 26, 1895.
Ten children blessed this union. The first
two, the younger of whom was born May 4,
1848, died in infancy. (3) J. W., born July 20,
1 85 1, is a carpenter near Bellefonte; he was
married February 4, 1875, to Miss Betty Fall;
they have no children. (4) Thompson, born Sep
tember 29, 1855, was married in September^
1877, to Miss MaryE. Walker; he died May 10,
1886, leaving one daughter, Maude. (5) Ira M.,
born May 15, 1858, died August 21, i860. (6)
Charles E., born May 4, 1861, died October 17,
1864. (7) Alpheus, born April 12, 1864, a car
penter by trade, married Miss Jennie Cushing, a
native of Ohio, born July 4, 1863. (8) Sanford
S., born March 12, 1867, died February 24,
1872. (9) Carmina, born June 2, 1870, married
Robert Fry, a painter. (10) Samuel E., born
November 23, 1872, married Miss Emma J.
Bridge, who was born near Bellefonte in January,
1867, and they have two children — Mary E. and
Pearl C. ; he was formerly in the grocery business
but is now a carpenter.
Mr. Hepburn has been for many years a mem
ber of the M. E. Church, and all his children have
followed this worthy example. In his political
views he is a Democrat.

S\AMUEL BURRELL. When one reaches
) the age of three-score and ten there can be
no more keener satisfaction than that given by a
review of a life of usefulness, spent in contented
labor in one's appointed sphere, and marked by
the approval of one's own conscience and the re
spect and affection of those with whom one's lot
has been cast. To an agricultural worker living
"close to Nature's heart," such a retrospect
must show long years of peaceful routine toil,
and assuredly this is the case with the subject of
this sketch, who in a hale and hearty old age is
now living in retirement at Penn Hall, Centre
county. Mr. Burrell is a native of George's Valley,
Centre county, born March 22, 1827. His fa
ther, John Burrell, a native of Shamokin. Penn. ,

246

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

born April 20, 1798, was married in early man
hood at Sunbury, Penn., to Miss Rachel McKin
ney, daughter of Abraham McKinney. They
came to George's Valley soon after this event,
accompanied by Samuel Burrell, an uncle of our
subject. For some time both brothers followed
the mason's trade, which they had previously
learned, and, in company with George Ilgen,
they purchased a tract of timbered land on Egg
Hill, where John Burrell cleared a farm and
built a home for himself. Samuel finally settled
in Nittany Valley, and, giving up his trade, fol
lowed farming exclusively until his death.
John Burrell continued his trade for many
years, the work of his farm being left to others
while he was thus employed. He often had a
large force of men at work for him, and he was
himself a most industrious man. Although not
remarkably tall, he was known as "Big John
Burrell, " because of his great muscular power,
his feats of lifting at " raisings " being extraor
dinary. Despite his hard work he never accumu
lated much, but at the time of his death he had
a comfortable home and 175 acres of land, prac
tically clear of indebtedness. For some years
previous to his death he had devoted his atten
tion to farming. He was much given to driving
a fractious team, and was considered an excellent
horseman; but on December 19, 1856, while re
turning from a trip to Bellefonte with a load of
mill feed, he stopped at Spring Mills and loos
ened his horses, intending to lead them to the
mill, but a short distance away. They took
fright at something, and made a spring which
broke the bridle bit, so that he was thrown under
their hoofs and so injured that he died the fol
lowing day at 10 A. M. His remains were in
terred in the cemetery in George's Valley. He
was a man of prominence in the locality, and a
leading member of the Lutheran Church, hold
ing various offices and contributing liberally to
the work of the society. Politically he was a
Whig, but his abolition principles led him to en
ter the Republican party on its organization, and
at the election just prior to his death he voted
for Fremont.
Our subject was the eldest child of John and
Rachel Burrell. Of the other children by this
marriage: (2) John went to Illinois, and during
the Civil war enlisted from that State, and was
wounded. He returned home, but later rejoined
the army, and in May, 1864, he met a soldier's
death. (3) Mary A. married Jacob Breon, of
Altoona, Penn. (4) A. Gregg is a farmer in
Gregg township, Centre county. (5) David, who
served in the Civil war in the 148th P. V. I., is
a mason at Centre Hall. (6) Rebecca (Mrs.

James Yeakley) resides at Cleveland, Ohio. (7)
William H. H. enlisted in the 148th P. V. I.,
and was killed at Gettysburg. The mother of
this family died in 1844, and was buried in Heck
man Cemetery, and for hissecond wife the father
married Mrs. Polly (Gill) Dunkle, widow of Jacob
Dunkle. She died in 1889. The children of
this union were: Thomas, who died in infancy,
and Eliza, now Mrs. Benjamin Smith, of Belle
fonte. The free-school system had not been inaugu
rated when the subject of this sketch was a boy,
and he attended only the subscription schools of
the day, a Mr. Kannedy being his first teacher.
As the eldest son he was obliged to assist in the
farm work from an early age, and owing to his
father's frequent absences, while working at his
trade, much responsibility devolved upon him.
In those days farm labor was not lightened by
machinery, and there was plenty to do the year
round. Before Mr. Burrell attained his majority
he learned the mason's trade, working first under
his father's direction, and completing his appren
ticeship with "Big John Emerick." When he
came of age he began working at his trade on his
own account. In November, 1848, he was mar
ried in George's Valley to Miss Lydia Hettinger,
who was born in Haines township, Centre county,
in August, 1829, a daughter of Isaac and Mary
(Bartges) Hel;tinger. For the first year after his
marriage Mr. Burrell lived. at the home of his fa
ther-in-law, farming, and working at his trade.
He then rented a farm in Haines township, and
at the end of seven years had saved $250, and
acquired also a lot of farming implements, mostly
of a cheap grade, purchased second hand at sales
in the neighborhood, and stocked the farm. At
this time he bought the farm which he had been
renting, and having but a small proportion of the
purchase price, he went in debt to secure the
place. Industry, thrift, and shrewd management
enabled him to pay the obligation, and in the
spring of 1881 he bought another farm, the "Old
David Musser farm ", in Gregg township, Centre
county, contracting a debt of $7,000, which he
also paid off in due time. He has retained both
estates, and is now possessed of a fine compe
tence. In the spring of 1891 he removed to Penn
Hall, where he owns a comfortable home; but,
although he is supposed to have retired from active
business, he may be found almost any day work
ing as busily as if his livelihood depended upon his
efforts, his industrious habits not losing their
force with advancing years.
Mr. and Mrs. Burrell have had six children:
John, who died at twenty-two years of age;
Polly M., now Mrs. David Gentzel, of California^

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

247

Harriet, now Mrs. Samuel Ulrich, of Millheim;
Mary, now Mrs. John Wagner, of Haines town
ship; Ida, at home; and Speer.a farmer of Gregg
township. Mr. Burrell was a Democrat until
recent years, but he now votes the Prohibition
ticket from principle. He has always been active
inlocalaffaifs,andhas served as supervisor of both
Gregg and Haines townships. He served three
times as judge of election in Haines township, and
was also overseer of the poor there. He and his
wife are both devout members of the Lutheran
Church, in which he is at present an elder.
Years ago he began to give $30 a year to foreign
missionary work, and added $5.00 each year un
til the donation became $105, when he dropped
back to $100, and this amount he has given an
nually for several years. In addition to this, he
has always given liberally to other branches of
Church work. His time has been bestowed
freely in the same good cause, and for twenty
years he was either superintendent or assistant
superintendent of the Sabbath-school at Pine
Creek School House, in Haines township, Centre
county. The following is a copy of the original pass,
from Germany to America, given to Antonius
Bourrell, ancestor of our subject:
We, the graciously appointed magistrate of His Serene
Highness, the Duke or Wittenburg, in the princely borough
and ducal village of Dornsletter, hereby announce and
affirm to all whom it may concern to read this that — Where
as Antonius Bourrell, burger and tailor of said borough,
and legitimate son of Paul, Bourrell, late burger of Perrose,
duly declared to us that he was determined, with the help of
God and in the hope of a fairer fortune, to emigrate to the
territories of America, there to settle in domestic life, and —
Whereas he confirmed testimony as to his legitimacy with
freedom and conduct and in due form requires us to give him
the necessary certificate therefor; and — Whereas we deem
his desire to be fully justified and in account with the most
recent laws of the Kingdom — Therefore, for the sake of
truth and for the love of it by means of this open and pub
lic letter, and in virtue of our present office we declare of the
aforesaid Antonius Bourrell from evidence placed before us,
from the Church and Baptismal register that he was begot-
ton in lawful wedlock of the aforementioned Paul Bourrell
and of his lawful wife, Anna Felicetas, as true and natural
parents, that he was born into the world on the 5th of May,
in the year 1716, and was brought to holy baptism here.
Thus, that no reproach can be brought against his family,
and its posterity, but rather that a true and honorable birth
is his, and that he was never held in servitude by any man.
Furthermore as far as we know he has conducted himself in
daily life and deed in such wise that we can testify all things
kind, honorable and good of him. To all magistrates, high
and low, our humble and dutiful request is that they will be
pleased to receive Antonius Bourrell kindly and graciously
together with his 25-year-old wife, Anna Maria Barbara Hin-
dernachin, and their three children, Johannes, aged ten;
Christina seven, and Elizabeth seven years, professors of the
Lutheran faith, and in servitude to no man. In consequence
of these presents we desire that they (the family) be indeed
permitted to enjoy prosperity. Such service we will re
quite gladly, and as in duty bound in all cases of a similar,
or of any other nature, and further testimony whereof we
have begged and interested the worthiest, the most learned
and venerable of His Serene Highness' bailiffs, Mr. Ludwig
Achatius Wohren, openly to affix hereunto his seal of office.

Given in Dornstetter, the 12th of May, 1752. Ducal Wurt-
emburgish, bailiff and officers in Dornstetter.
[Signed] Ludwig Achatius Wohren.

w

TLLIAM KREAMER is one of the most
prominent and substantial citizens of the
pleasant little town of Millheim, Centre county,
and his history shows that he possesses the char
acteristic qualities of the typical business man.
He is a native of Centre county, and was born
June 5, 1839, in Miles township, where his fa
ther, John Kreamer, was a prominent farmer.
John Kreamer was born in Berks county,
Penn., and when he was a boy of twelve sum
mers accompanied his parents to a new home
upon a farm near Rebersburg. He grew to man
hood there, and married Miss Sally Weaver, by
whom he had six children: Jonathan, a resident
of Jefferson county, Kans. ; Reuben, of Rebers
burg; Mary, who died unmarried in Miles town
ship, Centre county; William, our subject; Jes-
tie Ann (deceased), who did not marry; and Jerad,
a resident of Potter township, Centre county.
The father was an industrious man and prospered
in his affairs. He was influential in local and
religious movements as a member of the Lutheran
Church, and was active in politics as well, being
elected to various township offices on the Demor
cratic ticket. He attained the good old age of
eighty-six years, and his wife, who was a devout
member of the German Reformed Church, passed
away at eighty-eight years of age, the remains
of both being interred in the cemetery at Rebers
burg. William Kreamer's early opportunities for
schooling were none of the best, being limited
to the country schools of the time and locality,
and this is probably one cause of his earnest ad
vocacy of improved methods for the training and
instruction of the youth of to-day. His inter
est has been shown by his many years of service
as a member of the school board of Miles town
ship, Centre county, and for six consecutive
years he was the secretary of that body.
Mr. Kreamer grew to manhood on the farm
where he was born, and at the age of twenty-five
he was married in Rebersburg to Miss Annie M.
Ruhl, who was born in the same township, July
14, 1839, a daughter of John Ruhl. Mr. Kreamer
took his bride to the old homestead, where they
resided until the spring of 1895, when they re
moved to their present home in South Penn
street, Millheim.
He has not only been a most successful farmer,
but has been largely interested in buying and
selling stock, having paid out thousands of dol
lars to stock raisers in his county and those ad-

248

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

joining. At present he . is retired from active
business with the exception of the care of certain
investments and loans. His home in Millheim
is both comfortable and tasteful, making a pleas
ant spot in which to spend the leisure which his
prosperity gives. He and his wife are prominent
members of the Lutheran Church, and have be
come identified with its varied helpful activities.
They have one daughter, Ida V. , now the wife of
W. H. Klepper, a teacher in the Grammar
School at Lock Haven, Penn. ; they have had
four children: Lee R. , Paul K. , Fairy G. (de
ceased in 1892) and Anna M.
Politically, Mr. Kreamer is a Democrat, but,
while he is a stanch and influential supporter of
his party, he has never been a politician in the
ordinary sense of the term. The different town
ship offices which he has held from time to time
have been filled most creditably, the same shrewd
judgment and energetic management which have
won him his success in the business arena having
been devoted to the discharge of his official du
ties.

T«EO. S. CHRIST, M. D., of State College,
Centre county, is a physician of wide repu
tation and large experience. His skill as a sur
geon has won for him the appreciative recogni
tion of the profession at large — a supreme test of
merit — and his contributions to medical litera
ture, and the reports of notable cases in his prac
tice, mark a degree of success seldom attained.
Dr. Christ is a Pennsylvanian by birth, and
belongs to a well-known pioneer family, his great
grandfather Christ having come from Germany
in early manhood with two brothers. Jacob
Christ, our subject's grandfather, was born in
Pennsylvania, and became prominent in the trans
portation business long before the days of rail
roads. He hauled goods on contract from Phila
delphia to Pittsburg, making use of a large
wagon drawn by six black horses. He had
three children: Levi B., mentioned below;
Eliza, who married William DeHaven, of Miners-
ville, Schuylkill county, Penn. ; and Jacob, who
met a soldier's death at Gettysburg.
Levi B. Christ, our subject's father, was born
in Philadelphia, July 4, 1804, and when a boy
was taken by his parents to Lewisburg, Union
county, where he made his home throughout the
later years. He became a successful merchant
and foundryman, and was highly esteemed as a
citizen. His wife, Hester (Sterner), was a na
tive of Berks county, Penn., born in 1797, and
came to Union county in childhood with her par
ents. She died in August, 1863, and the father's

death occurred in 1 876. Of their six children two
did not live to adult age. The others are: (1)
Theo. S., subject of this sketch; (2) Edward
B., a merchant at Murphy, Cal. ; (3) Mary
Priscilla, wife of Daniel S. Kremer, of Philadel
phia; and (4) Emily, who married John De-
walt, of Freeport, 111. She is an aunt of Mrs.
William McKinley, wife of the President of the
United States.
Dr. Christ was reared in the city of Lewis
burg, where ho was born April 21, 1830. He at
tended the academy there in boyhood, and also
made himself useful in his father's store. Hav
ing decided upon the medical profession as a life
calling, he began his preparation under a precep
tor at Lewisburg, Penn. ; and later took a course
in the Medical Department of the University of
Pennsylvania, graduating in March, i860. Es
tablishing an office at Lewisburg, he commenced
his practice with flattering prospects; but at the
first call to arms in 1861 he responded, enlisting
April 18, and was made assistant surgeon of the
4th Regiment P. V. I. He assisted to raise the
company, and was to have been its captain, but
being advised to go in his professional capacity,
he in preference accepted a commission as assist
ant surgeon. On April 21, 1 861, he saw active
service, his regiment going first to Harrisburg,
then to Philadelphia, where they marched
through the streets in silence at night. From
there they went to Perryville, where they guarded
the ferry some ten days; thence proceeded to
Annapolis, Md., helping there to build a railroad,
later moving to Washington, D. C. After the
death of Col. Elsworth, the regiment went into
Virginia, and was stationed at Alexandria, thence
marching to Bull Run. At the end of their
three- months' term of service they were mustered
out at Alexandria.
Dr. Christ remained at home for two months
after his return, but on receiving notice of an ex
amination at Harrisburg for army physicians, he
entered it and secured one of the thirteen posi
tions offered, there being 208 applicants. On
October 12, 1 861, he was made assistant surgeon
of the 45th P. V. Vol., which regiment went first
to Baltimore, Md. , where it embarked for Hilton
Head Island, S. C, arriving December 8, 1861.
Here it was divided, part moving away to Otter
Island, while the part to which Dr. Christ was
attached remained on the Island under com
mand of Lieut. -Col. (afterward Gen.) James
A. Beaver. Though the Doctor was only
assistant surgeon, yet he filled the position of
medical director on the Island, and had his hands
full, as smallpox had broken out severely among
both men of the regiment and the negroes living

9rvuf^_J^ V^(

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

249

on the Island. In one day he vaccinated as
many as 97 colored people. In July, 1862, the
regiment returned to Fort Monroe, where it en
camped. On August 4, 1862, it was assigned to
the First Brigade, First Division, Ninth Army
Corps, and it was afterward attached to the
First Brigade, Second Division, of the same corps.
On August 4, 1862, Dr. Christ was promoted
to the rank of surgeon, and in the fall of the
same year he was made brigade surgeon. On
September 6, the regiment moved by water to
Washington, D. C. ; on the 9th proceeded to
Brookville, Md. ; thence to Frederick City on the
1 2th, and to Middletown on the 13th. On the
14th it fought the battle of South Mountain,
and had 129 men killed and wounded ; then
Antietam, where it lost 30 killed and wounded.
On October 19th, they pitched their tents op
posite Fredericksburg, Va., and were engaged in
the fight there December 13,14 and 1 5. On Feb
ruary 12, 1863, they were ordered to Newport
News, and remained there until the 22d of May.
The regiment was then sent to Baltimore, Md. ,
then by rail to Kentucky, June 4th. When an
order came to Gen. Burnside, to re-inforce Gen.
Grant, at Vicksburg, Miss. , it moved at once by
rail, via Lebanon, Louisville and Cairo (111.),
and then by boat to near Vicksburg, 19th. On
July 4th, Vicksburg was captured by Gen. Grant.
In the afternoon of same day, the regiment went
in pursuit of Gen. Joe Johnston's forces, whom
it chased to Jackson, Miss., on the 10th, form
ing line of battle, fighting began, frequent as
saults being made daily. On the 17th the enemy
retreated across Pearl river, destroying part of
their bridge. The regiment then destroyed about
fifteen miles of M. C. railroad, and returned to
Jackson, on the 20th. Next morning it started
back to its old camp near Vicksburg, arriving
there on the 23d, having suffered much from the
heat and want of water. On August 4th, it
embarked on steamer for Cairo, 111. ; from Cairo
it proceeded to Cincinnati; thence to Covington,
Ky. , thence to Crab Orchard Springs, where it
was recruited, and was fitted for hard and active
service. It then started for Knoxville (East
Tenn.), via Cumberland Gap; here it surprised
the Rebel Gen. Frazer, and captured him and
his active command — some 2,500 officers and
men— guns and supplies. The men of the Doc
tor's regiment all enjoyed their marching out
of quarters much more than they (the Rebels)
did. The regiment arrived at Blue Springs
(Tenn.), October 8th, had a battle there, and
drove the enemy away so hurriedly that they
left their dead and wounded on the field.
On the 1 3th the regiment moved by rail to

Knoxville (Tenn.), where it remained for two
weeks, then moved twenty-five miles southwest
of Knoxville, to near Loudon. On the 16th, it
fell back to Knoxville, to protect that place from
the enemy, and there remained until January 1,
1864, when 426 men of the 45th Regiment Penn
sylvania Volunteers re-enlisted ' ' for three years
or during the war," thus securing to themselves a
veteran furlough. Being mid-winter, with scanty
provisions upon which to subsist, it became a
question with the officers in command whether to
remain and longer wait for rations, or take up the
line of march and forage*on the way. The lat
ter alternative was chosen. An example of heroic
endurance and patriotic devotion to the flag
worthy of imitation was manifested in the conduct
of the men on the march. With only a quart
of meal and five pounds of fresh meat per man,
and no certainty of obtaining more on the road,
barefooted and poorly clad, it required a patriot
ism as earnest, and a purpose as fixed, to pa
tiently endure the privations and hardships of
the march, as to achieve victory in the face of
the enemy. At one time during the engagement
with Longstreet, the Doctor was glad to get any
sort of food, and often ate corn roasted on the
cob, from which they made their coffee; it was
also their bread for days at a time. At the end
of this term of service in 1863, he was re-mus
tered as a veteran for three years, or during the
war, and came home on a thirty-days' furlough
before resuming duty.
On January 16, 1864, the regiment com
menced this perilous march, via Cumberland
Gap. On the 2 1 st it arrived at Barboursville,
where the men received full rations and were
supplied with shoes. On the 8th of February it
arrived at Harrisburg, Penn., and were granted
a veteran furlough. It was the first regiment to
re-enlist for the war, and reported as such to
Gov. A. G- Curtin. This Veteran Regiment,
with many new recruits, proceeded on the 19th
of March to Annapolis, Md. , the place of rendez
vous for the veterans of the 9th Army Corps. It
was assigned to the First Brigade, Second Divi
sion, and moved to Washington, passing on the
25th in review before the President, and en
camped near Alexandria, Va. On the 27th, via
Fairfax Court House, and the Bull Run battle
field, it encamped at Bristoe Station, on the
evening of the 28th, and remained guarding the
station until May 4th. On the 5th the Wilder
ness campaign opened. The regiment marched
through dense woods and almost impenetrable
thickets, bivouacking at night in line of battle.
At one A. m. of the 6th the men were aroused,
and the battle opened at daylight with great

250

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

fury. The fighting was most desperate. Night
coming on, the contest closed. The regiment
lost 145 men killed and wounded. Then it pro
ceeded to Chancellorsville, Spottsylvania Court
House, Po River, North Anna, Cold Harbor,
ist, 2d and 3d of June. In the three days of
fighting here its loss was 163 killed and wounded,
out of the 300 who were engaged in battle.
The 45th Regiment participated in all the
movements of the army until it reached the
James river, on the evening of the 14th. Cross
ing on the following morning, it moved on to in
front of Petersburg (Va.), arriving there on the
16th at 10 A. M. — at two p. m. it formed line of
battle, then fighting began, and lasted a number
of days; the loss of the regiment was small —
three killed and eighteen wounded. On the 25th
the 48th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, as
sisted at times by the 45th Regiment, began the
work of excavation under the Rebel fort in front
of the 45th's division, and the explosion 'took
place on the morning of the 30th. It was a grand
success. The Doctor witnessed it in front of the
fort. Here his regiment lost twenty-eight men
in killed and wounded. Thus it went on, battle
after battle, until the final surrender at Appomat
tox, April 9, 1865.
The Doctor says he always loved the officers
and men of the noble 45th Regiment Pennsyl
vania Veteran Volunteers. Everywhere the reg
iment performed manful and soldierly service,
and won for itself and its State an honorable
fame, having been engaged in forty-one reg
istered battles, besides a great number of heavy
and light skirmishes, and was one of the twelve
regiments that were the heaviest losers during
the war. It helped to carry our country through
the hour of its extreme peril, and proved to all
nations of the world that "the government of
the people, by the people and for the people"
was not to " perish from the earth.".
During the last year of his service, Dr. Christ
was medical director on the staff of Major-Gen.
Robert B. Potter, and was surgeon-in-chief of
the Second Division, 9th A. C. He was honor
ably discharged October 20, 1864, expiration of
term, and returned home, resuming his practice in
May, 1865, at Chester City, Delaware Co., Penn.,
where he remained thirteen years, before locat
ing at his present home in Centre county. He
purchased a farm of 187 acres about a mile from
Lemont, and has since spent his time in agricult
ure and in the practice of his profession. In ad
dition to his homestead he owns 219 acres of
timber land in the Valley, and he also had an
interest in a store at Lemont, since sold.
On December 6, 1871, Dr. Christ was united

in marriage with Miss Sarah Irvin Thompson,
who was born in Centre county, July 4, 1839,
and died February 20, 1887. Four children
blessed this union: M. Thompson died at the
age of two years, six months and seventeen days;
Theo. S., Jr., lived only eight months and seven
days; Hester S., born December 5, 1875, was ed
ucated at Birmingham Seminary, and Mary Irvin,
born March 15, 1878, was graduated from the
same institution June 10, 1896. The Doctor
and his daughters are members of the Presbyte
rian Church; socially, he affiliates with the F.
and A. M. , and has been a Master Mason since
1853, and a Knight Templar since 1865. In pol
itics he has been a Republican since 1856, and
while in Chester City he was president of the city
council. As may be supposed from his war rec
ord, Dr. Christ is a member of the G. A. R. , and
indeed he was one of the first to join that gallant
band. Before its organization he helped to form
a Soldiers' Union at Chester City, Penn., which
was incorporated with the G. A. R. as Post No.
25, and he was made Post Surgeon. On his re
moval to Centre county, he helped to organize
Post No. 197, at Lemont, and has held the rank
of commander for fifteen consecutive years. He
is a member of the Veteran Legion, Encampment
No. 59, Bellefonte.
Dr. Christ takes an active interest in the var
rious medical societies of the regular school, and
belongs to the American Medical Association and
to the State and County Medical Societies.
For several years he served as president of the
board of stockholders of Pennsylvania Military
Academy at Chester, and for six years he was sur-
geon-in-charge of the institution. He was elected
the first Burgess of State College, Penn. He
contributed generously to the medical and surgical
history of the war of the Rebellion, and honor
able mention is made of thirteen difficult opera
tions made by him, while his work receives
well-merited notice also in Atkinson's ' ' Physicians
and Surgeons of the United States."

JAMES A. KELLER, secretary of the Centre
County Mutual Insurance Co., is one of the
most prominent business men and well-known
citizens of Potter township, his acquaintance ex
tending all over Centre county. He was born
June 10, 1843, on the farm where he still re
sides, which is located a short distance east of
Centre Hall, his parents being John H. and
Rachel (Alexander) Keller. The father was born
September 2, 18 13, in Potter township, a son of
Christian and Catharine (Haney) Keller. The

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

251

great-grandfather, Jacob Keller, who was born
February 15, 1753, came to Potter township,
Centre county, in 1806, from Bethel township,
Dauphin Co., Penn., and purchased what is
known as the Red Mill property. He was a sol
dier in the militia during the Revolutionary war,
and after serving two months was discharged at
Lebanon, Penn., November 2, 1777. His dis
charge papers are still in the possession of his
descendants. Of his large family the sons were
Jacob, John, Christian, Philip and Peter.
The first of the Keller family to locate in the
portion of Potter township where our subject
now resides was Christian Keller, his grandfa
ther, who secured a tract of land from the Potters
in 1828. By trade he was a miller. He died
August 12, 1 83 1, at middle age. An interesting
incident in his life is related in Linn's History of
Centre County, as follows: "In 1806, when
Christian was but a boy, Conrad Dillman lived
near Potter's Fort, and had a beautiful farm,
which excited the admirationof all. Mr. Dill-
man was an adept at extracting teeth, and young
Christian one day, with some companions, among
whom was Catharine Haney, his future wife,
called at Dillman's to have a tooth pulled. After
the completion of their errand the party started
for home. Their path lay over the hill, and
when Christian reached the top, he looked back
over Dillman's fine farm, and made the remark
to Catharine, at the same time pointing back to
the farm, ' If you and I had that place it would
be all I'd wish for' She smiled, but said noth
ing. Twenty-five years later he related the cir
cumstance, and during the meantime his wish
had been realized. " In his family were the fol
lowing children: William, who died while serv
ing as county commissioner; John H., the father
of our subject; Elizabeth, who became the wife
of Amos Alexander; Catharine, wife of John
Boozer; Lydia, wife of Peter Hoffer; Rebecca,
wife of Watson Pennington; Sarah, wife of Isaac
Pennington; Leah, wife of John Hoffer (de-
deased);, David C, who died in 1854; and
Christian, deceased in 1895. Of these children,
but two are now living.
The father of our subject was reared in much
the usual manner of farmer boys, and his educa
tion was limited to a course in the district schools
of that early day. In Potter township he was
united in marriage with Rachel, a daughter of
James Alexander, who belonged to one of the
old and highly respected families of the town
ship, that originally came from Maryland. Of
the children born to this union, three grew to
adult age, namely: Catharine, now Mrs. J. W.
Conley, of Potter township; James A. ; and Mag

gie E., who married Levi Murray, and died at
Centre Hall; the others died in infancy.
On the death of his father, John H. Keller
assumed the responsibility of caring for the large
family in connection with his brother William,
and provided for their support for a number of
years. Afrer his marriage he located on the
farm where our subject now resides, and there
made his home until 1868, when he removed to
Centre Hall, and became connected with the
Centre Hall Manufacturing Co. Ten years later
he returned to the farm, where the mother
suffered from paralysis and died April 7, 1878.
The father's death occurred at the same place,
June 7, 1895, and he was laid by her side in the
cemetery of Centre Hall. In politics he was a
stalwart Democrat, and held various offices in his
township. When a boy of sixteen years he
united with the Reformed Church, and contem
plated studying for the ministry; but as his serv
ices were needed at home he gave up the idea,
though he always took an active part in Church
work, and no matter what the condition of the
weather his familiar face was always seen in the
house of worship on Sundays. He held various
offices in the Church, and represented the same
in the Synod and elsewhere. To all good works
he was a liberal contributor, and had the confi
dence and high regard of all who knew him. His
wife was a consistent member of the Presby
terian Church.
James A. Keller, whose name introduces this
sketch, first attended the Plum Grove school,
which was then taught by J. H. Shoemaker,
and later pursued his studies in the Tuscarora
Academy and Dickinson Seminary. At the age
of seventeen years he obtained a teacher's certi
ficate, which he held for eight years, and for a
short time engaged in teaching in Boggs town
ship, Centre county; but after his return from
Dickinson Seminary, he aided his father in the
work of the farm as the war was then in prog
ress and help was scarce.
On January 8, 1867, in Mifflinburg, Penn.,
Mr. Keller was united in marriage with Miss
Charlotte Kleckner, who was born in Union
county, in November, 1844, a daughter of David
and Esther (Wingard) Kleckner. She is the
youngest in a family of nine girls, all of whom were
school teachers with the exception of herself and
eldest sister. Six children were born to Mr. and
Mrs. Keller: Esther R., who died in infancy;
Annie M., an accomplished musician, who is
now the wife of Frank Fisher, of Penn Hall,
Centre county; David K. , a well-educated young
man, who resides at home and has engaged in
teaching since the age of seventeen years; John

252

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

H., who is attending Franklin and Marshall Col
lege; and Christian D. and William F. , both at
home. For eight years after his marriage, Mr. Keller
rented the home farm, and then purchased 112
acres of the same for $100 per acre. In 1877 he
erected his present substantial brick residence,
has made many other valuable improvements
upon the place, and now has a highly cultivated
tract of 116 acres. He is a man of more than
ordinary business capacity, is shrewd and ener
getic, and of the strictest integrity. In connec
tion with his farming operations he is also secre
tary of the Centre County Mutual Insurance Co. ,
which office he has now held for three years,
while he was president of the company eight
years and vice-president three years. He is also
a member of Penn's Valley Banking Co. at Cen
tre Hall, and in business circles stands deservedly
high. Politically, Mr. Keller has always been a firm
supporter of the Democratic party, and his fel
low citizens recognizing his worth and ability
have elected him to various official positions of
honor and trust, including those of school di
rector, overseer of the poor, tax collector, asses
sor and registration assessor. For eighteen
years he has been a member of the registration
board, and was elected justice of the peace, but
refused to qualify. Both himself and wife are
earnest and active members of the Reformed
Church, and during the erection of their new
church, which was completed in 1896, he was a
member of the building committee; and at one
time he took a very active part in Sabbath-
school work. Socially, he affiliates with the
Grange and the Masonic fraternity. Understand
ing the advantages to be derived from a good ed
ucation, he has provided his children with excel
lent opportunities along that line, so that they
might be fitted for any position in life. He is
one of the most progressive and wide-awake
business men of Potter township, but is unas
suming and in no way seeks notoriety. He is a
worthy representative of one of the most illustri
ous and popular families of Centre county, and
is universally held in high esteem.

iTVEORGE W. KREAMER, one of the most
\^ reliable and promising young business men
of Centre county, now conducts a general mer
chandise store in the little village of Kreamerville.
Joseph Kreamer, father of our subject, was
born near Pine Grove, Schuylkill Co., Penn.,
whence when two years old he was brought by
his parents to Centre county, they locating at

what is now known as Kreamerville. The grand
father became an extensive land owner and
farmer of that place, where he spent his re
maining days. He bore the name of Jacob
Kreamer, and his wife in her maidenhood was
Catherine Geisler. In their family were eight
children: John, a farmer, who died in Rebers
burg; Daniel, a hotel keeper and farmer of the
same place, where his death occurred; Elizabeth,
deceased wife of George Harper, a farmer of Re
bersburg; Catherine, who married Henry Smull,
and died at Rockville, Miles township, Centre
county; Mary, deceased wife of Frederick Burk-
ert, a merchant of Rebersburg; Hannah, who
married Daniel Dubbs, a farmer, and is still liv
ing in Rebersburg; and Sarah, wife of David
Wolfe, who makes her home near that village.
The elementary education of Joseph Kreamer
was received in the common schools near his
home, and for a time he was a student in "Wolf's
Store school." When he was sixteen years of
age his father died, and the year following he left
school, completing his education with a short
course in the Muncy high school. Returning
home, he took charge of the farm which his fa
ther had left him, and although quite young was
very successful, as he was honest and industrious.
Being of an amiable disposition, he naturally
found many who would help him in various ways,
either by their advice or security when buying
horses, stock, etc.
In 1834, Joseph Creamer wedded Miss Re
becca Reitzel, and to them were born two chil
dren: Catherine, born April 7, 1835, is the wife
of William Wolfe, of Buena Vista, 111. ; and Mary,
born in 1837, is the wife of John H. Reifsnyder,
of Millheim, Centre county. The mother of
these children died in 1856, and March 14, 1861,
Mr. Kreamer married Miss Maria Haine, by whom
he had four children: George W. , whose name
introduces this sketch; Margaret, wife of W. S.
Musser, of Centre county; Ada K., wife of Harry
Brown, foreman of a large manufacturing estab
lishment in Colchester, 111. ; and Harry H., book
keeper for the Sterling Bicycle Works of Chicago.
Mrs. Kreamer was reared and educated in Read
ing, Penn., and is the seventh in order of birth
in the family of twelve children of Samuel and
Margaret (Hoff) Haine. Her father was a tan
ner of Pine Grove, Schuykill county. She is
still living in Millheim with her son-in-law, W.
S. Musser, and is a highly respected lady who has
many warm friends.
The father continued the operation of the
farm now owned by our subject until his death,
which occurred at Kreamerville, October 11,
1892, at the ripe old age of eighty years. He

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

258

was a liberal, kind-hearted gentleman, a true
friend, and lost many thousands of dollars by go
ing security for others. He made no enemies,
but had the love and confidence of all with whom
he came in contact, and was a consistent member
of the Lutheran Church, to which he was a gen
erous contributor. Politically he was an ardent
Democrat, and was well posted on the questions
and issues of the day, always voting intelligently.
George W. Kreamer is a native of Brush Val
ley, born near the present village of Kreamer
ville, January i, 1862, and in the district schools
of the neighborhood obtained his education. He
began his business career as a clerk in the general
store of Harter & Loose, of Rebersburg, and was
later with C. C. Loose, of the same place. Sub
sequently he worked in the lumber woods, tak
ing contracts for getting out lumber, and oper
ated the home farm for some time. In the fall
of 1893 he erected his present building, and be
gan dealing in general merchandise in Kreamer
ville. Courteous and obliging, he has built up
an excellent trade, his customers coming from
miles around.
In September, 1885, in Brush Valley, Mr.
Kreamer was united in marriage with Miss
Rachel Hartman, a native of Rebersburg, and a
daughter of Fred and Abigail (Bierly) Hartman.
They have one child, Earl T. , born June 13,
1889. Mr. Kreamer follows in the political foot
steps of his father, supporting the men and meas
ures of the Democratic party, and has served as
inspector of elections, and constable of his town
ship five years. Socially, he affiliates with the
Grange, and religiously he and his wife are both
faithful members of the Lutheran Church, while
he has served as superintendent of the Sabbath-
school for several years. His uprightness, in
tegrity and public-spiritedness have won him the
confidence and esteem of his neighbors, and he
is classed among the most respected representa
tive citizens of Centre county.

^ILLIAM THOMAS LEATHERS, a well-
WW known and reliable business man of How
ard township, Centre county, is the senior mem
ber of the firm of W. T. Leathers & Son, roof
painters and dealers in the Excelsior Graphite
Roofing paint for iron, tin, shingle and paper
roofs, with headquarters at Howard. He was
born on a farm near Mount Eagle, December 25,
1844, a son of Frederick and Rebecca (Working)
Leathers, who spent their lives upon that farm.
His paternal grandparents, Jacob and Mary
(Slick) Leathers, were natives of York county,
Penn. ,. where they were married, but as early as

1795 they became residents of Howard township,
Centre county. The maternal grandparents, Ja
cob and Christina Working, made their home in
Penn's Valley, Centre county, whither they had
removed by ox-teams when the place was an un
broken wilderness.
Frederick Leathers was three times married,
his first wife being Nancy Barthurst, of Mount
Eagle, by whom he had four children: Hannah,
who married James Antes (both are now de
ceased); Elizabeth, deceased wife of Reuben Id-
ings, a farmer of Centre county; Martha, who
wedded Eastings Guthrie (both are now de
ceased); and Mary, wife of John N. Barnhart, a
retired school teacher living in New Jersey. For
his second wife, Mr. Leathers wedded Rebecca
Working, who died December 25, 1849, at the
age of forty-five years, leaving four children;
James K., a farmer of Howard township; Nancy
E., widow of James Antes, of Jersey Shore,
Penn. ; William T., our subject; and Frederick
M. , a farmer of Farnhamville, Iowa. The third
wife of Mr. Leathers bore the maiden name of
Jane D. Stiver, and was a native of Penn's Valley,
Penn. She died in 1891, at the age of eighty-
five years, and her husband passed away April
1, 1877, when aged seventy-nine years.
At the age of sixteen years, on August 16,
1 86 1, young Leathers enlisted in Company A,
45th P. V. I., then commanded by Capt. John
I. Curtin (later, Gen. Curtin), and until in July,
1862, the command served under Sherman. It
participated in the battle of James Island and in
many skirmishes. The command took part in
the battle of Antietam, Md., on September^,
1862, after which engagement Mr. Leathers was
transferred to the 6th U. S. Cavalry, Troop I,
in which he served until September, 1864. He
was engaged at Beverly Ford and in other minor
battles, and in the battle of Gettysburg almost
his entire regiment was captured, he narrowly
escaping. After the battle he served principally
as a messenger at the headquarters of Gen. Sher
idan. Mr. Leathers was twice wounded, once
while with the infantry and again while carrying
a dispatch from Gen. Sheridan to Gen. Kilpat-
rick, receiving a bullet in the left thigh, which
he carried some six months or more. On Septem
ber 21, 1865, Mr. Leathers was married in Cana
da, Centre Co., Penn., to Miss Mary E. Hughes,
who was born in Howard township, July 22,
1844, a daughter of Rev. John and Mary A.
(Goodfellow) Hughes, natives of Blair and Centre
counties, Penn., respectively. When a small
boy- her father had come to Centre county with
his parents, Corney and Margaret (Brown)
Hughes, who were born in Ireland. His mother

254

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

died in Huntingdon county, Penn., but his father's
death occured in Centre county. The maternal
grandparents of Mrs. Leathers, Thomas and
Mary A. (Graham) Goodfellow, were also natives
of Ireland, but at an early age became residents
of Howard township, Centre county, Penn. , where
they spent the remainder of their lives, and
where for several years the grandfather engaged
in farming, and then lived retired.
Rev. John Hughes was a devout Christian,
and a local minister of the Methodist Episcopal
Church. He was quite prosperous in his business
undertakings, and was an extensive dealer in coal
and wood. He departed this life in Canada,
Centre county, February 14, 1876, at the age of
sixty-three years; his wife died in the same house
May 14, 1 87 1, at the age of seventy-four. In
their family were three daughters: Eliza, who
died at the age of one year; Martha, wife of
George D. Johnson, who is operating the old
homestead farm in Canada; and Mary E.
Twelve children graced the union of Mr.
and Mrs. Leathers: (1) Mary A. died at the
age of six years; (2) James L. , a roof painter,
of Mt. Eagle, married Edith Leathers December
19, 1888; (3) Frederick resides at home, and
assists his father in roof painting; (4) Lott H.
died in infancy; Lucy B. is at home; Ida R. was
married to Howard B. Neff October 14, 1897;
Mattie M. is at home; George H. travels for his
father; Gilbert C. died when fourteen months
old; and Cookman A., Jessie and Milton W. are
all three at home. For seven years after his mar
riage, Mr. Leathers lived with his wife's parents,
and then located on the old Leathers homestead,
where he resided until April 7, 1897, when he re
moved to Howard. In 1884 he began the paint
business, and July 2, 1895, patented the Excel
sior Graphite Roofing Paint, which is highly
commended by those who have used it. He
has some excellent testimonials from prominent
citizens of Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York State,
etc., among whom may be mentioned President
McKinley (all of whose roofs in Canton the firm
covered in September, 1897), Lieut-Gov. Jones.
The business of W. T. Leatbers & Son has ever
been conducted on the strictest principles of
honesty, and their prosperity cannot be attributed
to a combination of lucky circumstances, but
rather to their well-directed energy, enterprise,
integrity and intellectual effort.
In February, 1895, Mr. Leathers was elected
justice of the peace, and he has also held other
local positions, which he has filled to the satisfac
tion of all concerned. Fraternally he is con
nected with the Veteran Legion of Bellefonte, the
Grange, and Grand Army Post No. 262, of

Howard, while politically he is prominently iden
tified with the Republican party. He and his
amiable wife are consistent and worthy members
of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and occilpy
a high social position among the residents of the
community.
PETER BREON (deceased), who in his life
time was a well-known agriculturist of Pot
ter township, justly deserves to be ranked among
the self-made and prominent citizens of Centre
county, where his entire life was passed. He
was born in Gregg township, where his father,
Peter Breon, Sr. , was also born. The family
was founded in Centre county by his grandfa
ther, Valentine Breon, of Berks county, Penn.,
who, with his brother, Jacob, located here at an
early day, and from these two are descended all
who bear the name of Breon in Penn's Valley.
By trade the grandfather was a shoemaker. His
death occurred in Confer Valley, Gregg town
ship, and he was laid to rest in the Mountain
Cemetery of that place. In his family were the
following children: Peter, the father of our sub
ject; Daniel and George, who both died in Gregg
township; Valentine, who lives in Illinois; Cath
erine, who married John Wenerich, and died in
Centre county; Elizabeth, wife of Benjamin
Ripka, of Gregg township; Hannah, widow of
John Crater, and a resident of Gregg township;
and Sally, who married Simon Weaver, and died
near Centre Hill, Centre county.
After acquiring a limited education in the
German language, Peter Breon, Sr., learned the
shoemaker's trade, at which he worked through
out the greater part of his life, never accumula
ting much property, however, having only a
small home at the time of his death, which oc
curred when he was over seventy years of age.
He was buried in Cross Roads Church Cemetery
by the side of his second wife. In his younger
years he was a robust man, politically was a life
long Democrat, and in religious faith he was a
member of the Reformed Church. In Gregg
township he married Miss Rebecca Sunday, and
they became the parents of the following chil
dren: Daniel, who died in Gregg township;
George, of Sugar Valley, Clinton county; Peter,
the subject of this sketch, born April 16, 1828;
Sally, who married Jacob Crater, and died in
Haines township, Centre county; Betsy, de
ceased; Hannah, widow of John Smelzer, of Pot
ter township; Caroline, who married Jonathan
Yeagly, and died in Gregg township. The
mother of these children passed away in Gregg
township, and her remains were interred in
Heckman Cemetery. Later the father wedded

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

255

Rebecca Ream, and to them were born seven
children, namely: John, of Gregg township;
Henry, of Penn township; Samuel, who died in
Centre Hill; Valentine, of Sugar Valley; Will
iam, of Kansas; Rebecca, who married Daniel
Decker, and died in Gregg township, and Annie,
who married Abraham Alters and removed to
Kansas, where he died, and where she has since
married and now lives.
His parents being in very limited circum
stances, Mr. Breon, the subject of this review,
was unable to attend school until twelve years of
age, and then pursued his studies in the school
house that stood over the hill from Tusseyville
toward Colyer. During the first winter he had his
feet frozen as his shoes were very poor, and from
that injury did not recover until the following har
vest. He was at that time living with Judge W.
W. Love, and continued to make his home with
different farmers until his father's second mar
riage, therefore his school privileges were very
meagre. After his return home he assisted his
father for one year, and then again worked for
others, including John Grove who resided in the
east end of George's Valley, and with him he re
mained some nine years, during which time he
worked very hard, but his wages were poor.
Later he was with William Grove, in George's
Valley, and subsequently he learned the carpen
ter's trade under Daniel Lose. During the sum
mer he would work for $5 per month, while
throughout the winter season he worked for his
board at whatever he could find to do. After
serving a three-years' apprenticeship, he worked
at his trade for one year, and then turned his at-
ention to farming.
At the age of twenty-one years, Mr. Breon
married Miss Catharine Grove, daughter of Will
iam Grove, and to them were born three children:
Rosetta, now Mrs. James Runkle, of Snyder
county, Penn. ; Amanda, who died at the age of
seven years; and Henrietta, who married Adam
Ripka, and died at the home of her father. (Ripka
lived in the same house where she died a few
years later). The wife and mother died, and was
buried in Cross Roads Church cemetery in
George's Valley, and for his second wife Mr.
Breon wedded Catharine Ripka, a native of
Gregg township, and a daughter of John Ripka.
Five children blessed their union: Howard, who
died in childhood; Perry W., a farmer of Potter
township; Lavina, wife of William Flory, of
Centre Hall, Centre county; Savilla, wife of Rob
ert Foreman, of Centre Hall; and Celesta, wife
of Gotleib Strohmeier, of the same place.
For sixteen years Mr. Breon rented the Dr.
Smith farm, near Centre Hill, then lived on the

Spangler farm above Tusseyville for one year,
and for the following twelve years operated the
Samuel Huston farm. On leaving the last place
m 1888, he purchased his late home, and contin
ued to live a semi-retired life, enjoying the fruits
of his former toil. He died November 29, 1897,
at the age of 69 years, 7 months and 1 3 days. He
had ever been a hard working, industrious man,
and the success that came to him was assuredly
well merited. He was a man of the strictest in
tegrity and honor, his word being considered as
good as his bond, and he lived peaceably with his
fellow-men, having never been engaged in a law
suit. As a tenant farmer he worked for some of the
most particular and precise land owners in Centre
county, but his labors always proved satis
factory. An incident, which plainly indicates the con
fidence and trust reposed in him, is as follows:
During the war he was drafted, and being poor
his wife and little ones would have been left des
titute had he gone to the front. However, he
had not a penny with which to hire a substitute,
nor a single dollar's worth of property to give as
security. He had concluded to join the army,
but, without his solicitation, Reuben Keller, a
merchant of Centre Hill, offered to furnish him
with $1,000, not even asking an individual note,
and declining the same when Mr. Breon offered
it. It is unnecessary to say that the money was
in due time returned. He enjoyed the esteem
and respect of all with whom he came in contact
in the various walks of life, and was a consistent
member of the Lutheran Church. Although he
usually supported the Democratic party, he was
not strictly partisan, and at one time he effi
ciently served as supervisor of Potter township.
He sleeps his last sleep in the Centre Hall cem
etery.
WILLIAM ROTHROCK GARDNER. The
prosperity and advancement of a com
munity depends upon its commercial activity,
which is the result of the enterprising efforts of
its business men. One of the leading and influ
ential citizens of Howard borough, Centre coun
ty, is the gentleman whose name introduces this
review, proprietor of the Howard Handle &
Spoke Company, located at Howard.
In that village, Mr. Gardner was born Octo
ber 24, 1 86 1, a son of Andrew J. and Catherine
(Lucas) Gardner. The father is also a native of
Howard borough, he having been born Novem
ber 12, 1 82 1, in Howard township, of which
Howard borough was formerly a part. His par
ents, Washington and Jane (Austin) Gardner,
were natives of Sherman's Valley, Cumberland

256

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

county and Centre county, respectively. Wash
ington Gardner was born March 3, 1791, and
was a son of John and Nancy (Thornton) Gard
ner, natives of Ireland, who came to this coun
try in 1795, while his wife was born April 4,
1796, and was a daughter of William and Jane
Austin, natives of Pennsylvania and early set
tlers of Centre county. To the grandparents of
our subject were born the following children:
Hannah, wife of Jacob C. Smith, a farmer of
Centre county; Nancy, widow of Nathan H.
Lucas, of Eagleville, Centre county; Andrew J. ;
Caroline, wife of Daniel Smith, a retired carpen
ter of Illinois; John D., a farmer of Centre
county; Washington, who died when young;
. Anthony W. , a farmer of Howard; Bersheara,
widow of Joseph Williams, of Eagleville; Ellen,
deceased wife of James DeLong, a merchant of
the same place; William, a farmer of Centre
county; and Matilda, who died in early life.
The parents of these children have both passed
away, the father dying March 3, 1872, and the
mother on December 25, 1883. They were
highly-respected farming people of Centre coun
ty, and members of the Church of Christ.
In 1845, Andrew J. Gardner began his busi
ness career as a carpenter and farmer in Howard
township, but since 1894 he has lived retired in
the village of that name, enjoying a well-earned
rest. On December 18, 1849, he married Miss
Catherine P. Lucas, and the following children
grace their union: Frances D., born December
31, 185 1, is the wife of Roland Leathers, a deco
rator and general laborer, of Mt. Eagle, Penn.;
Jane A., born August 31, 1854, is the wife of
K. G. Shutt, a carpenter and millwright of Kane,
Penn. ; Wickliffe H, born July 21, 1856, is a
bookkeeper for the A. French Spring Co., Pitts
burg, Penn.; Mitchell I., born August 6, 1858,
is bookkeeper for the Valentine Iron Co. , of
Bellefonte, Penn. ; William R. is next in order
of birth; and Ira, born December 14, 1866, died
February 21, 1867. For the past forty-eight
years the father has been a consistent and ear
nest member of the Church of Christ, and with
the exception of three years of that time has
served as elder. His well-spent life justly en
titles him to the high regard in which he is uni
versally held.
The mother of our subject, a most estimable
lady, was born in Centre county, February 23,
1825, and is a daughter of Thomas and Anna
(Peters) Lucas, natives of New York, who early
became residents of Centre county, where they
engaged in agricultural pursuits. Her father died
March 9, 1871, at the age of seventy-two, and her
mother on July 7, 1883, at the age of seventy-

nine years. A family of twelve children were born
to them, of whom, Catharine P. was the third.
The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Gardner, Bap
tist and Anna (Erskin) Lucas, were natives of
Ireland, whence in an early day they came to
Centre county, Pennsylvania.
William R. Gardner was married December
16, 1896, to Miss Gertrude McKean Bennison,
daughter of Jonathan and Margaret (McKean)
Bennison. On October 6, 1897, a son — Donald
Bennison — was born to them. Mr. Gardner is
widely and favorably known throughout the com
munity. During his boyhood and youth he aided
in the labors of the farm, and for three years,
after starting out in life for himself, he was in
the postal service on the Pennsylvania and Erie
railroad, his route lying between Williamsport
and Erie. For a time he was also operator for
the Pittsburg & Lake Erie railroad at New Castle
Junction, Lawrence Co., Penn. The business of
which he is now proprietor was organized by
Shutt & Poulson in 1879; in 1893 our subject
purchased an interest from K. G. Shutt, and has
since served as manager. It is one of the lead
ing industries of the locality, and much of its
success is due to Mr. Gardner, whose courteous
treatment of patrons and honorable dealing in
sure future prosperity. Politically, he is an
earnest supporter of the Democratic party; in
religious faith he is a faithful member of the
Church of Christ.

ARRY P. KELLEY, a successful and pros
perous coal operator of Snow Shoe, Centre
county, and a member of the Snow Shoe Mining
Company, was born in Howard, Centre county,
Penn., February 5, 1856, a son of Patrick and
Sarah (Flack) Kelley. He acquired his educa
tion in the common schools, and continued under
the parental roof until twenty-two years of age,
when he went to Marion county, Iowa, where
for seven months he worked in the coal mines.
He was next employed in the John Deer plow
factory at Moline, 111., but at the end of two
months was called home by the death of his
brother, who was killed while unloading sand.
For seven months after his return, Mr. Kelley
worked in the lumber woods, and then resumed
mining, which he continued to follow uninter
rupted from 1 88 1 to 1889. In the latter year he
became connected with the firm of Tobin & Kel
ley, in Snow Shoe township, of which firm his
father was a member, but the latter died in May,
1889, and in the following July our subject pur
chased the interest of Mr. Tobin, the firm be
coming Kelley Brothers. Under that name busi-

fe^f(?^4^

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

.257

ness was continued until 1894, when a number of
their mines gave out. The year previous they
had purchased the Gansallus property (which
they are now operating), comprising sixty-eight
acres of excellent coal-land in Snow Shoe, town
ship. In 1895 was organized the Snow Shoe
Mining Company, of which M. D. Kelley, a
brother of our subject, is president; T. B. Bud
inger, treasurer; W. D. O'Bryan, secretary; and
William F. Holt, manager. They are doing an
excellent business, much of which is due to the
capable management of our subject, who has
charge of the Snow Shoe Colliery Mines Nos. i,-
2 and 3.
On May 24, 1882, in Cooper township, Clear
field county, Penn., Harry P. Kelley was mar
ried to Miss Mary Mosebarger, and to them were
born six children, whose names and dates of
birth are as follows: John, June 3, 1883; Logan,
September 21, 1884; Thomas, September 3,
1886; Paul, May 30, 1889; Mary, April 20, 1892;
and Justina, June 19, 1895. All are still living
with the exception of Paul, who died on August
22, 1892.
Mrs. Kelley is a native of Clearfield county,
and a daughter of John and Eva Mosebarger,
who were born in Germany, where they married,
and whence in 1857 they emigrated to America,
locating in Clearfield county, Penn. There the
father engaged in farming until his death, which
occurred October 3, 1893; the mother is now re
siding at Peale, in that county. They had four
sons and three daughters: John, who is operat
ing the old homestead farm; George (deceased);
Frank, who is conducting the "Coal Exchange
Hotel" at Philipsburg, Centre county; Frederick,
who is in the hotel business in Grassflat, Clear-
field county; Lizzie (the eldest daughter) is mar
ried to John McGowan, a prosperous farmer in
Moshannon; Mrs. Mary Kelley, the second
daughter, taught school five terms in Clearfield
county, and one term in Centre county; Annie
(the youngest) is married to Richard Sheehe, who
is proprietor of the " Columbus House " at Lock
Haven, Clinton county, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Kelley is an ardent supporter of Demo
cratic principles, and has served for three years
as school director in the village of Snow Shoe;
fraternally he is a member of the Ancient Order
of Hibernians of that place, while in religious
faith he is a Roman Catholic.

TrJAVID H. SHIVERY, of Benner township,
j*d> Centre county, was born in 1859, on the
farm on which he now makes his home, a son of
Andrew J. and Jane (Wilson) Shivery, both of

17

whom were of German descent. The father,
also a native of Centre county, was born in 1828,
and spent his entire life here engaged in agricult
ural pursuits. He was called to the home beyond
in 1893, at the age of sixty-five years, but his
wife, who was born in 1828, is still living. They
had a family of four children, namely: David
H. ; George B. , a practicing physician of Wood
land,' Clearfield Co., Penn., who married Bessie
Dale, and has two children; and Margaret E.
and Sallie E. , who reside with their mother in
Bellefonte. The boyhood days of David H. Shivery passed
quietly and uneventfully. He remained under
the parental roof and assisted his father in the
development of the home farm during the sum
mer months, while in the winter season he at
tended the public schools, completing his educa
tion in an academy in Bellefonte. The occupa
tion to which he was reared, he has made his life
work, and his early experience well fitted him for
his present duties. His landed possessions aggre
gate 140 acres, the greater part of which is under
a high state of cultivation. The latest improved
machinery is used in planting and caring for his
crops, substantial outbuildings shelter his grain
and stock, and a comfortable residence forms the
hospitable home of his family. He is progressive
in his methods of farming, systematic in the man
agement of his affairs, and energetic in the prose
cution of his business. Enterprise and industry
are the predominant traits in his character, and
have been the stepping stones on which he has
risen to a place among the substantial citizens of
the community. He has only been once beyond
the boundaries of Pennsylvania, in the summer
of 1893 visiting the World's Columbian Exposi
tion at Chicago. A man of intelligence and genu
ine worth, he is recognized as a valued citizen of
the community.
On February 16, 1882, Mr. Shivery was
united in marriage with Miss Mary Etta Marshall,
a native of Centre county, as were also her par
ents. They had three children: Joseph Law
rence, Andrew J. and Russell Burton. The last
named died February 11, 1895 (at the age of
four years), of congestion of the brain caused by
an attack of measles. On November 23, 1897,
Joseph Lawrence, the elder of the other two,
had climbed a tree in pursuit of squirrels, but
while standing on a decayed limb it broke, and
he was precipitated to the ground, a distance of
some forty feet, whereby his neck was broken,
death ensuing instantly. He was born August
30, 1884, and was consequently thirteen years,
two months and twenty-four days old at the time
of the fatal accident.

$sa

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

IN MEMORY OF JOSEPH LAWRENCE SHIVERY.
The autumn leaves were gold and red,
The summer birds had flown,
When Lawrence's spirit took its flight
To worlds of joy unknown.
He was dashed down so cruelly;
We gathered by his side —
In agony we stood about
When we found that he had died.
When smoothing down his glossy locks,
We laid his hands to rest,
From all the cares and toils of earth,
Upon his manly breast.
His voice, his step, no more we hear,
At morning's early gleam;
But on his face a farewell smile,
As if in pleasant dream.
His body sleeps upon a hill,
Beside his little brother,
And may his spirit rest in peace
Forever and forever.

We miss thee from our home, dear —
We miss thee from thy place;
A shadow o'er our life is cast —
We miss the sunshine of thy face.
We miss thy kind and willing hand,
Thy fond and earnest care;
Our home is dark without thee —
We miss thee everywhere.

EMANUEL MUSSER* is recognized as one of
, the most intelligent men and skillful farm
ers of College township, Centre county, though
he is now practically living a retired life. He is
pursuing the even tenor of his way as an honest
man and good citizen, furthering the good of his
community as he has opportunity, and enjoying
the respect of his neighbors. Almost his entire
life has been passed in Centre county, his early
home being in Gregg township, where he was
born June i, 1834.
The paternal grandfather of our subject,
Michael Moser, who was born in that part of
Northampton county, now Lehigh county, early
in the latter half of the eighteenth century, was
twice married, having by his first wife five chil
dren: George and Jonathan, residents of Gregg
township; Mrs. Betsy Kepler (deceased); Mrs.
George Haring, of Gregg township; and Mrs.
John Confer, of Illinois. At an early day the
father of these children came to Centre county
and took up government land in Haines (now
Gregg) township, where he passed away about
1859 at a ripe old age.
George Moser, who was born July 7, 1804,
attended school at the Cross Road school house
in Gregg township, but his educational privileges
were very limited. After operating his father's
farm for a few years he purchased 161 acres, on
?This name has been changed by local custom. The original name
having been Moser. as it appears farther on in this review.

which he spent the balance of his life, dying on
the 2nd of February, 1846,- when our subject
was only eleven years old. He was, of the
Christian faith, a member of the Lutheran
Church, and a Whig in politics, casting his Pres
idential vote for William Henry Harrison. His
wife, who was born October 10, 181 1, was a
daughter of Philip and Elizabeth (Ilgen) Moser,
and died in Gregg township, January 7, 1846.
In their family were eight children, namely: Ro-
setta, widow of John W. Krumrine, late of State
College, Centre county; Elias, a farmer, who
died in Gregg township, in 1888; Emanuel, of
this review; Mrs. Rebecca Wolf, who died in
Logansville, Penn., in 1883; Maria, wife of
Henry Gramley, of Iowa; George M., who died
in childhood; William H. H., of Mercer, N. Dak.:
and Elizabeth, wife of Isaac Gates, of Illinois.
Upon the old homestead in. Gregg township
Emanuel Musser passed the days of his boyhood
and youth, and acquired his educatidn in the Cross
road and Heckman schools of the same township,
which he attended until sixteen years of age,
when he started out to earn his own livelihood as
a farm hand at $6.00 per month. After one year
spent in this way he learned the tanner's trade,
which he followed for four years in Boalsburg,
Harris township, Centre county. On the expir
ation of that period, he went to Illinois, where
for six months he worked at the carpenter's
trade; but failing health caused him to return
home, and for four years he again followed
farming. After his marriage he operated
his father-in-law's farm two years, at Buffalo
Run Valley, and then rented a place for the
same length of time in Pine Grove, after which
he purchased sixty-seven acres near Houserville.
After cultivating that tract for nine years he sold
out and bought 164 acres of good land near State
College, where he has made his home since
1874. He has made many noticeable improve
ments upon the farm which add to its value and
attractive appearance, including an extensive
dairy, which he has conducted for fifteen years
with excellent success.
The lady who now bears the name of Mrs.
Musser was in her maidenhood Miss Katharine
Bottorf, a daughter of Jacob and Lydia (Ans-
pach) Bottorf, and was born in Centre county,
February 29, 1836. By her marriage she has
become the mother of nine children: Luther
Willis, a teacher in the borough of State College;
Lillie Curtis, wife of David O. Etters, superin
tendent of public schools of Bellefonte; George
Frederick, insurance agent, of that city; Jacob
Arthur, who has charge of agents' furnishing de
partment in Allegheny; James Franklin, a ma-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

259

chinist of Williamsport, Penn. ; Boyd Anspach,
assistant principal in the Bellefonte High School,
Bellefonte; Lydia Catherine, wife of Roger Bow
man, commission merchant of Philadelphia; and
Nanie Lingenfelter and Helena Dale, at home.
The children have been given good collegiate
educations, and now occupy honorable positions
in society. Mr. Musser uses his right of franchise in sup
port of the Democratic party, but supported
Abraham Lincoln when he was the Presidential
candidate. He is an active worker in the Luth
eran Church, and a charter member of Oak
Hall Grange. For many years he was one of the
most energetic and industrious farmers of the
community, but to a certain extent has laid aside
business cares, and is now enjoying a well-earned
rest at his elegant home, which is situated on a
prominence a quarter of a mile north of State
College. Surrounded by many warm friends
and acquaintances, he and his estimable wife are
passing their declining years in the rest and re
tirement that should always follow useful, and
well-spent lives. They are valued members of
society, their intelligence, pleasant and courteous
manners making them welcome guests wherever
they visit.

JOHN SHAFFER, who for many years past
has been a leading citizen of Miles township,
Centre county, is known far and near as
"Uncle Shaffer," his genial, kindly nature hav
ing won the affectionate regard of all who
knew him.
Born November i, 1825, on the farm adjoin
ing that upon which he now resides, he is now
passing an honored old age amid the scenes upon
which he first opened his eyes, and where his ances
tors were among the earliest settlers. He erect
ed his present commodious residence upon the
site of a house built and occupied by his grand
parents, John Adam and Catherine (Klinefelder)
Shaffer. Adam Shaffer, our subject's father, was born
November 22, 1796, and was a mere child when
his parents settled in Brush Valley, where he was
reared as a farmer boy, and afterward engaged
in agriculture on the old homestead as he was
one of the youngest of a large family of children.
Later, he purchased the property from his father,
and his death occurred there April 4, 1862, his
remains being interred at Madisonburg. He pos
sessed great mechanical skill, and could turn his
hand to various trades without special instruction.
He was greatly respected in the community and
was a leading Democrat, holding various town

ship offices. In Church affairs he was also prom
inent, being one of the founders of the Lutheran
society in his locality, and helping to build the
church in Madisonburg which preceded the pres
ent structure. He was married three times. By
his first wife, a Miss Musser, of Penn's Valley,
he had one daughter, Rebecca, who married (first)
John Schmeltzer, and (second) John Hoy, and
died in Madisonburg. The second wife, Miss Lydia
Bailey, our subject's mother, was born in 1801 at
White Deer, Penn., the daughter. of Jacob Bailey.
She came to Brush Valley before her marriage, and
made her home with a sister, Mrs. John Ruhl.
She died in 1847, and six children survive her,
our subject being the eldest. (2) Eliza married
John Yearick, and died in Clinton county; (3)
Abigail married Rev. Samuel Yearick, a Meth
odist minister, and died in Brush Valley; (4)
Henry lives in Indiana; (5) Adam F. died in
Madisonburg March 21, 1862, aged twenty-three
years, eight months and two days; (6) Aaron
resides in Illinois. By his third marriage, with
Miss Lydia Shull, Adam Shaffer had two children:
Annie, now Mrs. David Bacher, of Centre Hall,
and another daughter who died at an early age.
Like other members, Uncle John Shaffer's early
educational opportunities were extremely limited,
the free schools of the present time not being
heard of until his school days were about ended.
As the eldest son, there was plenty of work found
for him at home, and many days were spent in
riding the horses which tramped out the wheat in
the barn after the old-fashioned way. A bright,
observant mind can learn much outside of books,
however, as any one will discover who talks with
Uncle Shaffer. As a young man he visited Indi
ana, Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin, making the
return journey from Indiana to the vicinity of
Wheeling upon a horse which he sold at that
point, continuing the trip by stage and by wafer.
Since that time he has made three other visits to
the West, stopping in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa,
Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and Ohio, and - he
has also seen the principal points of interest in
the East. In order to cure him of any early
attack of the ' ' Western Fever, " his father offered
him the home farm under advantageous circum
stances, and Mr. Shaffer accepted the offer under
conditions which were complied with.
In 1848 he married Miss Frances Schmeltzer,
who was born December 3, 1825, the daughter
of George and Margaret (Beckle) Schmeltzer, a
sketch of whom is given elsewhere. Over forty
years of happy wedded life were spent, but on
November 18, 1892, the beloved and loving wife
passed over the borders of the unseen world
there to await the coming of her dear ones. Of

260

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

her six children, four are still living: (i) Ed
mund F., born March 28, 1849, died February 18,
1858; (2) Johanna married John Roush, of Gregg
township, Centre county; (3) Washington is a
farmer in Miles township; (4) Emma married
Wilson Hazel, of Madisonburg; (5) Thomas re
sides in Dakota, 111. , and (6) Mary A. , born May
8, 1863, died August 13, 1867.
Since his marriage Mr. Shaffer has made his
home on the old farm near Madisonburg, with
the exception of five years in Clinton county. It
formerly contained 200 acres, but Mr. Shaffer
sold about sixty acres to his son, Thomas. The
farm is in excellent order with good buildings,
and in all portions shows the progressive man
agement of its owner, who has, however, delega
ted the active work to other hands for nearly six
years past. Possessing rare mechanical ability,
he has always delighted in working at the black
smith's trade, also in coopering, and in two
shops which he has fitted up on his farm he has
carried on these trades as occasion offered, doing
the work more for pastime than for anything
else. For years he had done most of his own
blacksmithing. Jolly and good natured, he en
joys a hearty laugh even at his own expense, and
he has a host of friends among young and old.
His wealth has not been gained through penuri-
ousness and self-denial; he has enjoyed life, and
has tried to make those around him do the same.
Whatever he does is done well, and the best is
none too good for his own use, while in choosing
for his family or friends the same spirit is shown.
A liberal giver to every worthy cause, he has
been for years a "pillar" in the Lutheran
Church, and has held " about every office except
that of preacher. " In politics he is a Democrat,
first, last and all the time, but he has never
cared for office, although for twelve years he
was. overseer of the poor

"^H^ILLIAM RISHEL, one of the honored
M/jII and most highly respected citizens of Tus
seyville, was for many years actively identified
with the agricultural interests of Potter township,
Centre county, and is a worthy representative of
a prominent pioneer family that has been an im
portant factor in the progress and development
of central Pennsylvania.
The grandfather of our subject came from the
southern part of the State to what is now Centre
county, long before it was organized, and the fa
ther, George Rishel, was born in Gregg township
in the latter part of the past century. When
but a boy he came to Potter township, and
cleared and developed a good farm near Centre

Hill, where his death occurred when he was over
seventy years of age. As a farmer he Was highly
successful, owning three large farms at the time
of his death. He adhered to the principles of
the Democratic party, and in religious faith was
a member of the Evangelical Church. He was
united in marriage with Catharine Ream, who
died when past her eightieth birthday, and to
them were born eleven children — five sons and
six daughters, of whom our subject is the ninth
in order of birth. One son, David, was an Evan
gelical minister, and three daughters were married
to Evangelical ministers, viz. : Rebecca to Rev.
Daniel Kerr, Susan to W. W. Or wig, and Sarah
to John Kreamer.
In George's Valley, Centre county, William
Rishel, the subject proper of this review, was
born July 25, 1820, and was reared in much the
usual manner of farmer boys, assisting in the
work of the home farm, and obtaining such an
education as the district schools afforded at that
early day. He remained under the parental roof
until. twenty-one years of age, when he was united
in marriage with Miss Margaret Heltman, who
was born in Clinton county, Penn., in January,
1820. One child blessed their union: Mary J.,
now the wife of Samuel Swartz, of Tusseyville.
After his marriage, Mr. Rishel operated the
old home farm in connection with his brother
John, until 1862, when he purchased a farm near
Tusseyville, but in i860 removed to his present
excellent farm, to which he has added until at
present it comprises over 240 acres, divided
into two farms, for which he paid $20,000. To
its care and cultivation he devoted his entire
time and attention for many years, but has now
practically laid aside business cares, and is en
joying a well-earned rest. He was not only a
thorough and skillful farmer, but also a shrewd
and reliable business man, whose success in life
was due to his own untiring and persistent efforts,
guided by sound judgment. Having purchased
different farms, he would improve and cultivate
them for a short time, and then sell at a hand
some profit. By this means he has become one
of the most substantial agriculturists of the com
munity. Mr. Rishel is a stanch Democrat in politics,
and has been elected to official positions, but re
fused to qualify. He is one of the prominent and
leading members of the United Evangelical
Church, and to the erection of their new house
of worship he was one of the most liberal con
tributors. He has faithfully filled various Church
offices, and is an active as well as devout mem
ber of the congregation. His name is a synonym
for honesty, his dealings have been characterized

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

261

by a straightforward, honorable business policy,
and he, therefore, merits and receives the confi
dence and esteem of all who know him. His
noble wife has shared his trials , and hardships,
and to her no little credit is due for the success
he has achieved.

JOHN HOFFA, Jr., a grain dealer and coal
merchant of Coburn, Centre county, is one
of the most energetic business men of that
thriving town. He was born in Kelly town
ship, Union county, Penn., April 4, 1870,
a son of Cyrus Hoffa, who is a wealthy and
prominent business man of that locality, the
present manager of the Buffalo Milling Co. , of
Lewisburg. The paternal grandfather, ' Jacob
Hoffa, was a native of Berks county, Penn.,
where he worked at his trade of cabinet making,
and also engaged in the lumber business. He
died in Reading, at the advanced age of eighty-
two years.
Cyrus Hoffa was born in 1838, about four
miles east of Milton, Penn., and was the fourth
in order of birth in the family of four sons and
one daughter. He secured a good education,
being a student for a time at Gettysburg College.
On reaching man's estate he married Miss Mar
garet Auten, a daughter of Robert Auten, and to
them were born seven children: Regina, at
home; Franklin, who died at the age of two
years; Carrie, wife of Dr. Ralph Steans, a prac
ticing physician of Mifflinburg, Penn. , Hattie A.
and Maize E., at home; John, the subject of this
sketch; and Robert A., bookkeeper in a bank of
Lewisburg. The mother of these children de
parted this life in 1872, and was buried in Fall-
mer Church cemetery, in Northumberland county,
Penn. For his second wife the father wedded
Lizzie Angel. After his first marriage Mr.
Hoffa located upon the farm where our subject
was born, and where he still makes his home.
Upon the place was standing a gristmill of forty-
barrel capacity, which he operated, and he later
became identified with the grain business at
Lewisburg, "carrying same on in connection with
his farming and milling interests. He is con
nected with other enterprises in Lewisburg,
although he still makes his home in Kelly town
ship, being director of the Union National Bank,
and also of the Milton Trust Company of Mil
ton, Penn. Prominent in milling circles, he is
the efficient secretary of the State Millers Asso
ciation, and is one of the most substantial and
reliable business men of Union county. His
political support is always given the men and
measures of the Democratic party. In May,

1896, he made a trip to Europe, spending sev
eral months in visiting its principal cities and
points of interest.
The primary education of John Hoffa was se
cured in the district schools, after which he at
tended a select school at Bloomsburg, Penn.,
for a time, and completed his education by a busi
ness course in the Eastman Business College, at
Poughkeepsie, N. Y. During his vacations he
aided in the work of the home farm, and while
still in his " teens " engaged in the flour and feed
business in Lewisburg. In August, 1891, he
came to Coburn to take charge of the grain ele
vator for the Buffalo Milling Co. , of Lewisburg;
and has since been identified with the business
interests of the place. He is also successfully
engaged in dealing in coal on his own account,
and although young in years is one of the most
energetic and enterprising business men of the
community. On January 17, 1892, in Mifflinburg, Penn.,
Mr. Hoffa was united in marriage with Miss Altha
M. Reedy, a native of Buffalo Cross Roads,
Penn., and a daughter of Levi Reedy. To this
union has been born a daughter, Margaret, March
23> 1895. Mr. and Mrs. Hoffa are both mem
bers of the Presbyterian Church, and hold a high
position in social circles. Mr. Hoffa is a strong
Democrat in politics, and cast his first Presiden
tial vote for Cleveland in 1892.

C^HARLES EDWIN DORWORTH, ex-editor
' of the Bellefonte Daily News, and at pres
ent a newspaper correspondent and story-writer,
of. Bellefonte, was born in Bellefonte, Centre
'Co., Penn., September 9, 1876. Of German-
Welsh extraction, Mr. Dorworth inherits the
perseverance of the former with the ingenuity of
the latter class of people. He is the third of
four children, and from youth has had a talent
for writing. Dr. E. S. Dorworth, his father, was born at
Emaus, Lehigh Co., Penn., February 19, 1834,
and is of German descent. He was graduated in
medicine from the Universities of New York and
Pennsylvania, and since 18*65 has been a prac
ticing physician in Bellefonte. Mrs. Hannah J.
Dorworth, wife of Dr. Dorworth and mother of
our subject, was a daughter of William Reese
Jenkins, and was born in Blaina, South Wales,
in 1845. In 1852 she came to this country
with her father, who was an extensive iron man
ufacturer up to the time of his death, in 1886,
the Jenkins name being still associated with
some of the extensive iron foundries and ma
chine shops in central Pennsylvania.

262

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Charles Edwin Dorworth received his first
scholastic training in the Bellefonte public
schools. During his senior year at the Belle
fonte High School he left that institution to take
a three-years' elective course at the Bellefonte
Academy to prepare himself especially for jour
nalism. In 1 89 1 he entered the office of the
Keystone Gazette, at Bellefonte, and, realizing
that he must have a practical, as well as a theo
retical, knowledge of newspaper work, began at
a case. In this way he soon became thoroughly
conversant with all the details of newspaper
making. Occasionally he was sent out on as
signments in order to give him an opportunity to
do reportorial work. It was not long, however,
until he did nothing else, and the summer of
1893 found him the regular correspondent of
several large Pittsburg and Philadelphia dailies.
He continued doing local work for the city pa
pers until the fall of 1894, when the Philadelphia
Inquirer detailed him to report the Hastings
gubernatorial campaign itinerary. He traveled
with the party all over the State, and his stories
in the Inquirer made that journal one of the
most interesting reflectors of what was, in many
respects, the most noted political battle ever
fought in Pennsylvania.
In September, 1895, he was tendered and
accepted the editorship of the Bellefonte Daily
News. His conduct of that paper revived it at
once from a state of almost total dilapidation to
a bright, newsy daily, ranking with any of the
inland publications. A year later he resigned
this position to pursue his studies in journalism
further, and at the present time is again em
ployed by several Eastern dailies, doing news
correspondence and story writing. Mr. Dor
worth is a pleasing writer, and does not lack
that force which makes forethought in the pro
duct of his pen. Socially he is bright and popu
lar with all classes, and embodies a rare com
bination of good nature with good common
sense.

OBERT J. YOUNG, M. D., an eminent
physician and surgeon of Snow Shoe, Cen
tre county, was born January 15, 1862, in
Broomhill, Northumberland, England, a son of
Thomas and Isabella (Wood) Young, natives of
Scotland and England, respectively. The pater
nal grandfather, James Young, a tailor by trade,
spent his entire life in Scotland. Thomas Wood,
the maternal grandfather, was a mountaineer,
living among the Cheviot Hills, on the dividing
line between England and Scotland. Through
out life he principally engaged in cattle dealing.

In Kelso, Scotland, was celebrated the mar
riage of the parents of the Doctor, who brought
their family to America in 1883, and located at
Snow Shqe, where the father died in the spring
of the following year, at the age of forty-six.
The mother, who was born in 1834, now makes
her home in Punxsutawney, Penn. As was her
husband, she is a consistent member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, and highly re
spected by all who know her. In their family
were five children, namely: James, who was
born in 1859, and died at the age of eleven years;
Robert J., of this sketch; Thomas, a coal opera
tor of Oshanter, Clearfield Co. , Penn. ; William,
an engineer of Punxsutawney, who resides with
his mother; and Elizabeth, wife of Frederick
Wilson, also an engineer of that place.
In the land of his nativity, Dr. Young at
tended a high school, where he acquired a good
practical education. At the age of nineteen
years he crossed the Atlantic, locating at Irwin
Station, Westmoreland Co., Penn., in 1881.
For some time he was engaged in mining and at
various other occupations by which he could
earn an honest dollar, until 1886, when he be
gan reading medicine with Dr. L. C. Harmon,
of Philipsburg, Centre county. At the end of
two years he attended the University of Mary
land for one session, and then entered the Col
lege of Physicians and Surgeons, Baltimore, from
which he was graduated with the class of 1889.
He at once "hung out his shingle" in Snow
Shoe, where he now has a large and lucrative
practice. His thorough knowledge of medicine,
and his skill in surgery have won for him the con
fidence of the people, and he therefore enjoys an
excellent patronage.
Dr. Young was married in Baltimore, Janu
ary 20, 1891, to Miss Minnie M. Yarnell, whode-
parted this life February 17, 1895. She was a
native of Centre county, born October 15, 1871,
and was a daughter of James I. and Barbara R.
(Fetzer) Yarnell, also natives of Centre county,
who now reside in Snow Shoe, where the father
served as postmaster from 1888 to 1893. He is
a son of Thomas and Phoebe (Akley) Yarnell,
early settlers of Centre county, where were born
John A. and Mary A. Fetzer, the maternal
grandparents of Mrs. Young. Four children
were born to Mr. and Mrs. Yarnell: John T.
and Jesse B., lumbermen, who are living with
their parents in Snow Shoe; Nora M., who died
November 17, 1895; and Minnie M.
Fraternally, Dr. Young is a member of the
Knights of Pythias and the Independent Order of
Odd Fellows, both of Snow Shoe; politically, he
is a supporter of the Democratic party. He is a

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

268

progressive physician, possessed of that true love
for his work, without which there can be no suc
cess; is constantly improving on his own and
others' methods, and gaining further encourage
ment and inspiration from the performance of
each day's duties.

HENRY: N. TWITMYER. There is prob-
 ably no man in Spring township, Centre
county, more widely or favorably known than
the gentleman whose name introduces this re
view, and who is now successfully following the
carpenter's trade in Pleasant Gap. Throughout
his entire life he has been identified with the in
terests of the county, his birth occurring in
Walker township. His parents, Emanuel and
Lucy (Gephart) Twitmyer, who were also na
tives of Centre county, died in that township, the
former passing away in 1882, and the latter in
1894. To them were born the following children:
Henry N., subject of this sketch; John, a prac
ticing physician of Mercer county, Penn., who
married Donah A. Hull; Aaron, who died in
childhood; George W., principal of the public
schools of Honesville, Penn., who married Jo
hanna Reese; Jeremiah, a contractor and
builder, residing in Illinois, who married Ger
trude McCalmont; Mary E. , . wife of Albert
Shreffler, of Mill Hall, Clinton Co., Penn.; Ed
win, principal of the high school of Seattle,
Wash.; Harvey B., who is married, and is a
teacher in a seminary near Pittsburg, Penn. ; and
Nancy M., wife of Samuel Decker, of Zion, this
State. During the dark days of the Civil war, our
subject bade adieu to home and its influences,
and went to the front to aid in the preservation
of the Union, as a member of Company H, 4th
P. V. I., commanded by Col. Hartranft, Capt.
Austin B. Snyder, First Lieut. William H. Blair
and Second Lieut. William Raphile. At the expi
ration of his term he veteranized, re-enlisting in
September, 1864, and serving until hostilities
had ceased. He was honorably discharged and
mustered out in July, 1865.
On February 1, 1866, Mr. Twitmyer mar
ried Miss Elmira M. Brooks, and to them were
born eight children: Delia B., wife of Abner
Noll, a merchant of Pleasant Gap, Centre
county; Cora B., at home; Rosa J., wife of
Harry Hile, a plasterer of Pleasant Gap; Ella
E., wife of James Coral, a school teacher of the
same place; and Harry E., Mary G., Minnie A.
and Lillie E., who are still under the parental
roof. The family occupy a beautiful home in

Pleasant Gap, where they are surrounded by
many warm friends and acquaintances, Politic
ally, Mr. Twitmyer is a stanch Republican,
strongly upholding those principles for which he
was ready to sacrifice his life in the early days
of the party. He is a true citizen in every re
spect, and has an excellent reputation as a
straightforward, upright man. A conscientious,
earnest Christian, he is a faithful member of the
United Evangelical Church.

C\APTAIN WILLIAM H. FRY, one of the in-
' dustrious and thorough agriculturists of Fer
guson township, Centre county, was born July
18, 1843, on the farm where he still resides, and
is a son of Conrad and Mary Ann (Custenbauder)
Fry. His paternal great-grandparents were na
tives of Germany, while his grandparents were
born in Easton, Northampton Co., Penn. The
grandfather, Conrad Fry, was a soldier in the
war of 18 12.
Our subject is the eldest in a family of nine
children, and in order of birth was followed by
Jonas, who was born in 1845, and was killed at
the battle of Chancellorsville during the Civil
war; Stephen, who died in childhood; Sarah A.,
wife of E. E. Young, a carpenter of Bellefonte,
Centre county; Polly A., wife of G. W. Ward,
of Bellefonte; Hannah, who died in infancy;
George W. , who died in childhood; another child
who died in infancy; and Robert B., who is mar
ried, and is a carriage painter of Bellefonte.
Capt. Fry, whose name introduces this
sketch, secured a good education in the Pine
Grove Academy, of Centre county. On October
1, 1 861, he enlisted in Company E, 45th P. V.
I. At the battle of South Mountain, Md., he
had his skull fractured by a bullet, and was left
on the field for dead. By careful treatment,
however, he recovered, and was honorably dis
charged at Baltimore, April 24, 1863, after
which he returned home. For a number of
terms he taught the Pine Grove Grammar
School, and he still takes an active part in every
thing tending to the advancement and promotion
of education. On September 12, 1865, Mr Fry was mar
ried to Miss Sally E. Laurimore, and to them
were born seven children, namely: John W. ;
Mary R. , wife of Charles Dale'; S. E. ; Bella C. ;
Conrad M. ; Mabel L. ; and W. H. After the
death of this wife, Mr. Fry wedded her sister,
Rebecca C. Laurimore, December 25, 1883.
Three children grace this union: Hugh L. ;
George B. McClellan; and A. F. Reno. The
second was named for a noted general in the

264

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Union army, and the last for Gen. Reno, who
was killed in the Civil war.
Our subject is the owner of the old home
stead farm, a valuable place of no acres, which
is located in the garden spot of the Valley. It
is beautifully and tastefully laid out, adorned
with evergreens and ornamental shrubbery of all
kinds, making it one of the most attractive farms
in the locality. To its cultivation he devotes
his time and attention with most gratifying re
sults. In public affairs he takes a prominent
and influential part, and has been called upon to
serve in several official positions of honor and
trust. He has been assessor for the last fifteen
years; overseer of the poor; was secretary of the
school board before attaining his majority; was
re-elected director secretary, and was census
enumerator in 1880. Since casting his first
Presidential vote for Gen. McClellan in 1864, he
has been a patriotic Democrat in politics, and
has served as chairman of the County Demo
cratic Central Committee, a position he still
holds. He has been commander of J. O. Camp
bell Post No. 272, G. A. R., of Pine Grove
Mills, Centre county, has been a delegate to the
State Encampment, and is its present quarter
master. He assisted in organizing Grange No.
252, of which he is past master, and is also
prominently identified with the I. O. O. ¥.,
filling all the principal chairs in the local lodge,
and was a delegate to the Grand Lodge; he be
longs also to the Independent Order of Hepta-
sophs; and is the captain of the Jr. O. A. M.
He was also a charter member and sergeant of
Company B, Fifth Regiment Pennsylvania Na
tional Guard, in which organization he served
his term of enlistment.
Capt. Fry is a man of good address, genial
in disposition, hospitable in his home, and re
spected by all who know him. A fluent writer,
he is correspondent for various newspapers. He
is now scrying as trustee of the Presbyterian
Church, of which he is a faithful member, and
is secretary of the Sunday-school, also secretary
of the Church council. Besides general farming,
he is engaged in stock-raising and in the prac
tice of veterinary surgery. In addition to the
above, he is a member of the Centre County Vet
erinary Association, of which he is vice-president
and member of the executive committee; and is
president of the Pine Grove Academy Alumni
Association. His associates are the young peo
ple, as his general deportment and appearance
are those of a man much younger in years. His
name has frequently been mentioned as a candi
date for county office, but thus far he has de
clined the honor.

ICHAEL DAVID KELLEY. While ' ¦ the'
race is not always to the swift nor the bat
tle to the strong ", the invariable law of destiny
accords to tireless energy, industry and ability a
successful career. The truth of this assertion is
abundantly verified in the life of Mr. Kelley, who
is one of the most energetic and progressive busi
ness men of Centre county. He is an extensive
mine owner in the vicinity of Snow Shoe, where
he makes his home, and is a member of several
different mining companies.
Mr. Kelley was born May 20, 1861, in the
village where he still resides, and is a son of Pat
rick Kelley, a native of Ireland, in which country
his mother died. In 1842 Patrick accompanied
his father, Michael Kelley, to the United States,
as did also his brother and sister, Thomas and
Mary. They are all now deceased, Thomas be
ing killed while a soldier in the Union army dur
ing the Civil war. The father of our subject was
fifteen years of age when he crossed the At
lantic and located in Centre county, where he first
worked in the iron mills. Later he removed to
Snow Shoe township, where he found employ
ment in the woods, subsequently engaged in min
ing for ten years, and during the remainder of his
life followed agricultural pursuits. His death
occurred May 30, 1889.
In Centre county Patrick Kelley was married
to Sarah Flack, who was born in Howard town
ship, that county, a daughter of Thomas and
Catherine Flack, and is now residing in Williams
port, Lycoming Co., Penn.. By her marriage
she became the mother of the following children:
Harry P. , an extensive coal operator of Snow
Shoe; John, who was killed while unloading a car
in 1880; Mary, wife of William Casher, who is
operating the old homestead farm in Snow Shoe
township; Michael D. ; Annie, widow of James
Tobin, and a resident of New York; Sadie, wife
of James McGilley, a chemist for Sweet & Co. ,
of Williamsport, Penn. ; and Catherine and Mil
lie, who are with their mother in Williamsport.
Mr. Kelley, of this review, began attending
school as soon as he had reached a sufficient age,
and when thirteen years old entered the mines.
where he worked throughout the year with the
exception of the winter months, which he spent
in school until he was eighteen. He then de
voted his entire time and attention to mining
until he had attained his majority, when he re
turned home and assisted in the labors of the
farm for two years. Since that time he has
been extensively interested in mining.
On June 11" 1888, Mr. Kelley and his brother,
Harry P., formed, a partnership with James To
bin, and leased a mine known as the Snow Shoe

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

265

Colliery, No. i, which they continued to operate
until July 31, 1889, when the brothers purchased
Mr. Tobin's interest, and the firm became Kelley
Brothers, They operated the mines Nos. 1 and
2, until November 1, 1891, when they bought
the interest of Charles Watson in the Tacoma
colliery mine, known as the Watson & Morgan
mine, and the name of the firm was changed to
Kelley Bros. & Morgan. They are the owners of
a tract of 160 acres of excellent coal land which
they operate, while the firm of Kelley Bros.
have 200 acres. The Snow Shoe Mining Co. , of
which our subject is president, has a valuable
tract of 433 acres three miles northwest of the
village of Snow Shoe, in Snow Shoe township.
The other stockholders, besides our subject, are
H. P. Kelley, T. B. Budinger and W. F. Holt.
Mr. Kelley was married in Snow Shoe, Janu
ary 13, 1884, to Miss Sarah Haggans, who was
born in 1868, a daughter of James Haggans,
who died there from the effects of exposure while
at work in the woods. Her mother now resides
at Houtsdale, Clearfield Co., Penn. There were
only two children, of whom John died at the
age of three years. To Mr. and Mrs. Kelley
have been born six children, May, James, Pat
rick, Edward, Leo and Theresa, and the family
circle yet remains unbroken by the hand of death.
Politically, Mr. Kelley is a stanch Democrat,
and in religious belief is a Catholic. The record
of his life is that of a man who has by his own
unaided efforts worked his way upward to a po
sition of affluence. His life has been one of
industry and perseverance, and the systematic
and honorable business methods which he has
followed have won for him the support and con
fidence of many. Without the aid of influence
or wealth, he has risen to a position among the
prosperous business men of the county, and his
native genius and acquired ability are the step
ping-stones on which he has mounted.

WERBERT D. MEEK, one of Centre county's
_ intelligent and energetic sons, is a success
ful druggist and pharmacist at State College, and
his prospects for the future are most promising.
He was born March 7, 1869, in Patton township,
Centre county, where his parents, D. L. and M.
E. (Waddle) Meek have for many years been
prominent and highly respected residents.
The district schools of that locality furnished
Mr. Meek an elementary education during boy
hood, and he was also trained to habits of indus
try upon his father's farm. Excellent as were
his surroundings, discontent found lodgment in
his youthful mind, and he decided to seek a

wider range of activity. Four years were spent
in State College in the Mechanical Engineering
Departments, and then the ambitious young man
went to Pittsburg, where he was employed by
the Westinghouse Machine Company for two
years; but the Homestead strike had a demoral
izing effect upon the business of the firm, and
Mr. Meek found his occupation gone. At this
junction he determined upon his future business,
and entering the National School of Pharmacy at
Washington, D. C, he took a complete course,
graduating in 1894. For some time he was
employed as a pharmacist with J. W. Drew, of
Washington, and in April, 1896, he went to
State College and opened his present drug store.
His store of drugs is complete, and their arrange
ment and neatness of all the appointments of the
store show the characteristic precision which Mr.
Meek carries into all his business operations.
Mr. Meek was married October 22, 1896, to
Nannie M. Campbell, daughter of Ex-Commis
sioner Campbell, of Fairbrook, Penn., and they
have one child, born December 8, 1897.
A typical American in thought, our subject
has always taken great interest in public ques
tions, and he is a stanch supporter of the princi
ples of the Democratic party.

WF. ROCKEY, who is successfully engaged
in buying and shipping produce in Potter
township, Centre county, has from an early age
made his own way in the world, unaided by cap
ital or influential friends, but by industry, per
severance and good management he has stead
ily worked his way upward until to-day he is do
ing a large and prosperous business and has se
cured a comfortable home.
In Nittany Valley, Mr. Rockey was born,
September 10, 1854, a son of Jacob Rockey,
who was also a native of Centre county, born
May 15, 1825, in Penn Hall, and his grand
father, John Rockey, was an early settler of
Penn's Valley. At Penn Hall, Centre county,
in 1853, was celebrated the marriage of Jacob
Rockey and Miss Elizabeth Rossman, who was
born in Potter township, January n, 1835, and is
the eldest daughter and third child in a family
of twelve children — five sons and seven daugh
ters — whose parents were Jonathan and Mar
garet (Fye) Rossman. Her mother was born
June 26, 181 1, and died October 23, 1875, while
her father was born March 22, 1808, and died
March 26, 1863. As they were quite poor she
was forced to earn her own living during her girl
hood, and therefore lived much among strangers.
After his marriage, Jacob Rockey made his home

266

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

in Nittany Valley, where he worked as a farm la
borer, and in that way secured enough capital
with which to purchase a small home near Tus
seyville, where his death occurred March 8, 1873,
and his remains were interred in the cemetery of
that village. He was a Union soldier in the Civil
war, a member of the 210th P. V. I., and his
arduous service left him in poor health for the re
mainder of his life. Politically, he was a sup
porter of the Republican paity, and in religious
faith he was a member of the Reformed Church.
Seven children were born to the parents of
our subject, namely: W, F. , of this review;
Sarah C. , wife of John Nugard, of Cleveland,
Ohio; Mary R., wife of Wilson Kline, of the
same city; Margaret E. , wife of John Davis, of
Altoona, Penn. ; Flora A., wife of C. H. Perkins,
of Cleveland; Elizabeth S. , wife of Samuel Jor
dan, of Lewistown, Penn.; and Jacob J. R. , an
employee of our subject in the produce business.
As the father left little property at his death, the
family soon became scattered, as the children
were obliged to earn their own livelihood. Later
the mother married William From, now de
ceased, and she finds a pleasant home with her
son, W. F. Like the father, she is a consistent
member of the Reformed Church, and she is a
most estimable lady.
Mr. Rockey, the subject proper of this review,
was but a mere child when brought by his par
ents to Potter township, and in its district
schools he obtained his education; but at the
early age of twelve years he had to lay aside his
books and assist his parents in the support of the
family. The first wages that he received was
$50 for eight months' work, which was used to
ward paying for their little home. For some
time he was employed by different farmers in
Potter township, and with the money thus earned
paid off the few outstanding debts left at his fa
ther's death.
In 1872, Mr. Rockey embarked in his present
business on a small scale, in connection with
George Meese, and at first was obliged to borrow
a horse with which to gather up the produce pur
chased. This he sold in Bellefonte at a good ad
vantage, and was soon able to buy a horse. As
his business prospered he needed two, one for
use in buying the butter, eggs and other produce
from the farmers, and the other in selling the
goods in the cities. He is one of the oldest deal
ers along this line in Potter township, and his
straightforward, honorable business policy has
gained him a liberal share of the public pat
ronage. After making his home for several years with
his uncle, Michael Rossman, of Potter township,

he in the spring of 1888 purchased fifteen acres
of land from Abraham Horst, of which he has
since sold two and one-half acres, paying for the
tract $1,000. The old clovermill .standing
thereon he converted into a dwelling, but this
has since been replaced by an elegant home; and
he also erected a cold storage warehouse and
other substantial outbuildings. After securing a
home, Mr. Rockey naturally wished some one to
preside over it, and in December, 1889, in Har
ris township, Centre county, he married Miss
Jennie Mayer, a daughter of Henry and Almira
(Bryman) Mayer. Four children were born to
them: Myra E. ; Verna M., who died at the age
of two years; Margaret C, at home; and William
Henry. The parents are both active members
of the Reformed Church, in which he is serving
as elder. In politics he is identified with the Re
publican party. He deserves great credit for the
success that he has achieved in life, and certainly
is entitled to a place among the honored and
valued citizens of Potter township.

JOHN W. STUART is a prosperous business
man and influential citizen of State College,
Centre county, and the following brief bi
ography is interesting as showing in outline the
influence and events which have marked his life.
Mr. Stuart had the advantage at the outset
of a name which has been held in high esteem in
this section from pioneer times, his paternal
grandfather, Rev. William Stuart, a well-beloved
minister of the Presbyterian faith, having in early
days come from Donegal, Ireland, to make his
home in Centre county. An able, fearless, and
devoted preacher, the effect of his labors at that
formative period cannot be estimated. His cir
cuit extended from the Susquehanna at Lewis
burg to Clearfield, the entire region being then
known as Union county. Of his three children:
Priscilla married Dr. Montgomery, and resided
in Lycoming county, Penn. ; Isabella died in early
womanhood; and David (our subject's father),
who was born in Harris township, Centre county,
in 1812, is now living in Boalsburg. His life
has been spent quietly, agriculture being his
main pursuit, although he has also been engaged
in lumbering. His patriotism is of the stalwart
type, and he was a stanch advocate of the doc
trine of "America for the Americans'' in Know-
nothing times. Later he became a Republican,
and in 1862 was one of the emergency men
who volunteered to protect the State from the
invasion of the Rebel army, while in local affairs
he has always exerted much influence in a quiet
way. His wife, Martha (Johnson), was born in

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

267

Harris township, Centre county, in 1813, and
passed from earth in 1885. Col. James John
son, her father, a native of Lancaster county,
Penn., was a prominent merchant and hotel
keeper at Boalsburg. Mrs. Stuart was one of
eight children, the others being: George, a
prosperous iron-master, who held the offices of
sheriff and associate judge of Huntingdon county;
James, who died in 1862 or 1863; Nancy (Mrs.
J. H. Mitchell, of College township), who died
abo'ut a year ago; Ann, who married a Mr. Mont
gomery; Ellen, who married Alexander Johnson,
of Boalsburg, and are both now deceased; Han
nah, the widow of the late Judge Birchfield, of
Centre county; and Margaret (deceased), who
was the first wife of Judge Birchfield.
Seven children blessed the union of David
and Martha Stuart: Priscilla Ann, who has
never married; Col. James T., a resident of
Boalsburg; Esther E. (Mrs. Samuel B. Wilson),
deceased; William, who died in infancy; John W. ,
our subject; George, who died in childhood; and
Harry S. , now residing in Boalsburg.
John W. Stuart was born August 23, 1844,
in Harris township, Centre county, and his edu
cation was acquired in the common schools of
that section, and in Pine Grove Academy. When
the Civil war broke out, he was only a boy in
years, but the stirring events of that time brought
quick development to natures which were capa
ble of high resolution and courageous action. In
1862 he enlisted in Company G, 148th P. V. I.,
and served until mustered out June, 9, 1865.
Entering with the rank of private, he was soon
made sergeant, and January 1, 1864, he was
commissioned lieutenant. For three months he
served as quartermaster of his regiment, but the
greater part of his time was spent at more dan
gerous work, as he participated in all the impor
tant engagements of the regiment from Chancel
lorsville to Appomattox Court House. On May
10, 1864, he was wounded at Poe river, necessi
tating his absence from" duty until September 1 ,
1864, when he rejoined his comrades in front of
Petersburg, Virginia.
After his return to peaceful avocations, our
subject followed agriculture for ten years, and
then spent three years in the hotel busines at
State College. Since that time he has con
tinued in business there, as a general mer
chant for eight years, and later as a dealer in
coal and grain. He is one of the leaders in these
lines, and owns two elevators, one at State Col
lege and one at Oak Hall, Penn. On December
23, 1869, Mr. Stuart married Miss Margaret
Ellen Musser, a native of Boalsburg, born August
1, 1850, and they have five children. Elizabeth

Musser, a young lady of fine intellectual gifts,
was educated at State College; William A. is at
home; George died at the age of six months;
Daniel is a student at State College; and Maggie
Johnson is at home.
Mr. Stuart's gallant record as a soldier entitles
him to membership in the G. A. R., and he be
longs to Capt. Foster Post, No. 197, at Lemont.
He is also a member of the Union Veteran Le
gion at Bellefonte, holding the rank of colonel.
He served as postmaster through the Garfield-
Arthur administrations, and was again appointed
postmaster by President McKinley in 1897, in
which capacity he is now serving.

OBERT H. REED is one of the native sons
• of Centre county, his birth having occurred
in Patton township, April 26, 1848.
William Reed, father of our subject, was born
in Ireland, in 18 10, and married Rose Ann Han
nah, also a native of the Emerald Isle. They
were married in that country, and soon afterward
came to America. The mother died in 1873,
and was laid to rest in Gray's cemetery, Patton
township; the father has now reached the ad
vanced age of eighty-six years. They had seven
children — five sons and two daughters: William
H. carries on agricultural pursuits in Huntingdon
county, Penn. ; Jane is the widow of Christ Hart
sock, who died leaving two children; Nicholas
E. , who in early life was a railroad engineer, and
is now a wealthy citizen of Kansas, married Anna
Hartsock, and has eight children; Catherine E.
is the wife of J. J. Kline, a resident farmer of
Huntingdon county, Penn.; David J., who mar
ried Amelia Irvin, by whom he had three chil
dren, is a wealthy farmer of Kansas, owning sev
eral hundred acres of land (during the Civil war
he was a faithful Union soldier, and was wounded
while fighting for his country); Robert H. is the
sixth in order of birth; and John E. is a< farmer
of Huntingdon county, and has had a family of
five children, three of whom are living.
Robert H. Reed has spent his entire life in
Patton township, Centre county, with the excep
tion of two years passed in Stormstown. He ac
quired his education in the Waddle school, and
is a well-informed man whose practical knowl
edge and business experience have enabled him
to secure a comfortable competence. His life
has been one of earnest industry, and he is now
the owner of 135 acres of good land, situated
about a mile from the Scotia mines. His farm
is well improved with substantial buildings, and
his land is richly cultivated. In his methods of
farming he is progressive and enterprising, and

268

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

the success which he has achieved is richly mer
ited. On February 22, 1877, Mr. Reed was mar
ried to Miss Mary C. Kelley, a daughter of Jere
miah Kelley, of Benner township Centre county.
They have seven children — four sons and three
daughters — and the family circle yet remains un
broken by the hand of death. Their names and
dates of birth are as follows: William G. Clif
ford, August 19, 1878; Irvin G, May 5, 1880;
Katrine, January 23, 1884; Anna M. , September
16, 1885; Ethel J., August 26, 1890; John E.,
July 26, 1893; and Robert E., March 23, 1897.
In his political adherency Mr. Reed is a Demo
crat. He is a man of sterling worth, genial and
kindly in disposition, affable in manner, and pos
sessing that true nobility of character which
everywhere commands respect and confidence.

S\YLVESTER RITTS PRINGLE, a leading
_j) merchant and undertaker of Port Matilda,
Centre county, is a native of Pennsylvania, born
December 13, 1839, in Summer Hill, Cambria
county, and is a son of Philip and Elizabeth
(Ritts) Pringle. The father was born in Cam
bria county, January 29, 181 3, and in early life
followed mercantile pursuits in Summer Hill and
Claysburg, Penn., but later turned his attention
to farming. His parents were Philip and Mary
Pringle, who were of Scotch-Irish origin. In
politics, Philip Pringle, Jr., was a Democrat until
i860, after which he gave his support to the Re
publican party, and, being one of the prominent
men of the community where he made his home,
served in several official positions. He and his
wife were earnest Christians, faithful members of
the United Brethren Church.
The mother of our subject was born in Blair
county, Penn., November 23, 1820, a daughter
of Thomas and Catherine (Lower) Ritts, natives
of Pennsylvania, who died in Taylor township,
Blair county, then part of Bedford county. By
occupation her father was a farmer and saddler.
In 1870 Mrs. Pringle, her husband and one
daughterall died of typhoid fever ; the father passed
away September 21, and the mother on October
16. Six children were born to them: Sylvester
R., of this sketch; Mary C. and Sarah A., who
died unmarried; John S., who died in infancy;
Jane, wife of James Dively, of Altoona, Penn.,
and David A. , a resident of Mahaffey, Pennsyl
vania. The boyhood and youth of Sylvester R.
Pringle were spent upon his father's farm, where
he remained until fifteen years of age, when he
began clerking in the mercantile establishment

of his uncle at Sharpsburg. Owing to ill health
he resigned his position two years later and re
turned to the home farm, where he remained till
he was twenty years old, and then entered the
employ of Hasting & Coolbroth, from Portland,
Maine, who were engaged in the shook business in
Blair county, and served as their foreman for
twelve years, during which time he got out tim
ber in Blair, Bedford, Cambria, Clearfield and
Centre counties. In 1872 he embarked in the
shook business and the manufacture of staves in
Centre county on his own account, and was thus
engaged for three years. Purchasing a farm in
Taylor township, he operated the same until
1 88 1, when he removed to Port Matilda in order
to better educate his children, and in 1884 he
erected his present comfortable home and neat
store building. He has met with success in mer
chandising, and is one of the representative and
prominent business men of the place.
In Blair county, December 29, 1859, Mr,
Pringle was married to Miss Catherine Ickes,
who was born August 7, 1837, in what was then
Bedford county, but is now part of Blair county,
Penn., a daughter of John and Eve (Emler)
Ickes. Ten children graced this union, namely:
Lloyd S., a merchant of Mahaffey, Penn.; Mary
A., wife of S. R. Mansfield, of Bedford county;
Clara A., who died in infancy; Amanda J., wife
of William Lingerfelder, of Altoona, Penn., who
works in the railroad shops; Arthur G., deceased;
Minnie B. and Effie L. (twins), the former at
home, and the latter the wife of Martin McKel-
vey, who is employed in the railroad shops in
Altoona; John F., of Altoona; and Elizabeth and
Chester M., at home.
John Ickes, the father of Mrs. Pringle, was
born August 2, 1802, at what is known as Dutch
Corner, Bedford county, and was a son of Philip
and Elizabeth Ickes, who spent their entire lives
in that county, engaged in agricultural pursuits.
At Dutch Corner, John Ickes married Eve Em
ler, a daughter of Jacob and Christina Emler,
also farming people of Bedford county. The fol
lowing children were born of their union: Polly,
who married H. Walter, but .both are now de
ceased; Elizabeth, wife of A. J. Berget, a farmer
of Blair county ; Sallie S. , wife of Jacob Diebert,
a merchant and farmer of Claysburg, Penn.;
Mary A., deceased wife of H. Hedrick, a retired
farmer of Blair county; Catherine, wife of our
subject; Adam, a resident of Cambria county;
Christina, wife of Moses Barkcomer, a farmer
of Blair^ounty; Hannah, wife of Jacob Dotson,
a farmer of Blair county; John, who operates the
homestead farm; Rosanna and Lucinda, de
ceased; Eliza J., wife of Alexander Butler; Eve,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

269

wife of Samuel Smith, a miner of Lilly Station,
Penn. ; Harrison, a railroad employee; and Beckie,
wife of Alexander Butler, of Blair county. The
father of this family was a Republican in politics,
and a member of the German Reformed Church,
to which his wife also belonged. He died Sep
tember 14, 1896. In his family were fifteen chil
dren, 106 grandchildren, 1 39great-grandchildren,
and seven great-great-grandchildren.
During President Harrison's administration,
Mr. Pringle was the efficient postmaster at Port
Matilda, and has ably filled several other local
offices. He is a firm supporter pf the Repub
lican party, fraternally is a member of the Odd
Fellows Society, No. 845, at Stormstown, and
with his family holds membership in the Meth
odist Episcopal Church. He started out in life
with nothing but his indomitable energy, and
his accumulation of this world's goods is attrib
utable to his sound judgment and persevering ef
forts. His word in business transactions is con
sidered as good as his bond, and he is justly
recognized as one of the energetic and repre
sentative citizens of Centre county. He has
taken a prominent part in public affairs, always
lending his influence to promote the best inter
ests of the community where he resides.

D. BIERLY, a leading contractor and
builder of Brush Valley, Centre county, is
a member of a family that has been so promi
nent in this section from the pioneer days as to
need no introduction to our readers.
Mr. Bierly is a great-grandson of Anthony
Bierly, the famous old pioneer, and a grandson
of Nicholas Bierly, who was born in 1775, and
came to Brush Valley with his father. As the
latter 's health became impaired, the support of a
numerous family devolved upon the two elder
sons, Nicholas and John, the former naturally
taking the lead. He married Lucy Buchtel, who
was born in 1778, the daughter of John Buchtel,
an early settler of Brush Valley. For many
years this worthy couple lived in Rebersburg,
where both died, he on July 25, 1848, and she
on March 26, 1851, their remains being interred
in the Lutheran and Reformed cemetery at Re
bersburg. They had ten children, whose names
with dates of birth are as follows: 'Nicholas, Jr. ,
February 12, 1799, died in Sugar Valley, in 1877;
Hannah, May 26, 1800, married Henry Keyer,
and died in Miles township; Michael, September
25, 1801, and John, September 25, 1803, died in
Miles township after reaching adult age; David,
December 8, 1805, lives in Montgomery town
ship, Wood county, Ohio; Anthony, August 26,

1807, is mentioned more fully below; Reuben,
March 8, 1809, removed to Missouri; Peter,
April 13, 1 8 14, died near Milesburg, Centre
county; Simeon, March 25, 1817, is also de
ceased; and George, July 17, 1819, resides in
Montgomery township, Wood Co.^ Ohio.
Anthony Bierly, the father of our subject,
was born August 26, 1807, at the old Bierly
homestead, near Rebersburg, and after attending
for a time the local schools, such as they were,
he learned the cooper's trade, completing his ap
prenticeship dnder Robert Smith, of Penn's Val
ley. He was married in Miles township, Centre
county, to Miss Rachel Ruhl, a native of York
county, Penn., born in February, 181 1. Her
father died when she was a child, and an uncle,
John Ruhl, who died in Lock Haven, brought
her to Brush Valley, where she grew to woman
hood. Neither of the young couple had any as
sistance from home to give them a start in life,
but Anthony Bierly made a comfortable living at
his trade, which he followed during his active life.
As his boys became old enough for work, he kept
them busy upon a farm which he owned, but he
did not devote his own time to it, farther than to
direct their labors.
On retiring from business Anthony Bierly re
moved to Kreamerville to a comfortable residence
built by our subject, who traded it as part pay
ment on the home farm, agreeing as a further
consideration to support his parents as long as
they should live. The mother died October 21,
1886, and the father on July 2, 1890, both de
vout members of the Lutheran Church. He never
acquired more than a fair competence, and was
disinclined to contend for his rights, preferring
to lose an account rather than sue any one.
This peaceable dispositionj together with his
unshaken integrity, won him friends among all
classes, -and he was highly esteemed throughout
the community. He was a Democrat in politics,
and in early life voted regularly, but, as old age
came on, his feeble health prevented him at
times from getting to the polls. He had nine
children, namely: Catherine, who married (first)
John W. Barker, and (second) Elijah Sharp,
who died at Kreamerville; Hannah, now the
widow of Michael Krape, of Clintondale, Penn. ;
Lydia (now Mrs. Samuel Loose), of Rebersburg;
Abigail, who married Frederick Hartman, and
died in Clinton county, Penn. ; Cornelius, a
farmer and plasterer of Bradner, Ohio; Mar
garet, the widow of Gideon Kreamer, of Brush
Valley; R. D., our subject; Paulina (now Mrs.
Jacob Wolheiser), of Kreamerville; and Fauette-
(now Mrs. David Meyer), of Miles township.
R. D. Bierly's birth occurred February 3,.

270

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1844, in Miles township, Centre county, and he
was educated in the common schools of that lo
cality, improving his opportunities so well that
before he was twenty-one he taught successfully
at the Gramley school. He was reared to farm
work, but, as he possessed unusual mechanical
skill, he decided to learn the carpenter's trade,
and after one summer at the work was as com
petent as most apprentices after a full term.
For one year he was employed as a skilled
workman, and then went into business on his
own account, his reputation increasing with the
progress of time until he holds to-day a foremost
place among the workers in that line in his sec
tion. As a contractor he is noted for his hon
esty and fair dealing, and he has built many of
the best residences in Centre county, including
some of the most elegant homes in Millheim and
Rebersburg. Other buildings which stand as ev
idences of his skill are the Lutheran churches at
Millheim and Rebersburg, and the school houses
there and in Coburn. Financially, he has pros
pered, and he owns two houses in Rebersburg,
as well as 115 acres of timber land and forty
acres of cleared land. His home in Rebersburg,
built in 1897, is a model of tasteful architecture.
In 1867 Mr. Bierly was married to Miss Pauline
Frank, only daughter of Samuel and Saloma
(Brungart) Frank. After his marriage, Mr.
Bierly made his home in Kreamerville for some
time before removing to Rebersburg. Seven
children have blessed his marriage: Sally, the
wife of Thomas Auman, of Rebersburg; Willis
F. , residing at Rebersburg; Charles C. , a car
penter at Rebersburg; Melvin C. , who died June
10, 1882, at the age of four years; and Curtis M.,
Samuel A. and Raymond S., who are at home.
As a citizen, Mr. Bierly's influence is felt in every
progressive movement as a helpful force. He
and his wife are leading members of the Luther
an Church, in which he has held the office of
deacon for many years; he is also identified with
the Grange, being master for several years of
Miles Grange. Politically he is a Democrat, but
he is not at all bigoted, and when occasion seems
to demand it he votes independently. He has
never sought office, his attention being confined
to other matters..

MJ. DECKER, one of the leading citizens
and self-made men of Potter township,
Centre county, has made his home upon his
present farm since November, 1892. Under his
able management the land yields bountiful har
vests, and the excellent improvements seen there

on stand as a monument to his thrift and enter
prise. He started out in life for himself with no
capital save a pair of willing hands and a deter
mination to succeed, and by the exercise of per
severance, industry and economy is now the
possessor of a handsome competence.
Mr. Decker was born in George's Valley, Cen
tre county, April 26, 1833, a son of Michael and
Barbara (Price) Decker. The father's birth
occurred December 15, 1795, in the southern part
of the State, where his father, Casper Decker,
died. When a young man, Michael Decker
came to Centre county, accompanied by his
mother, who lived with bim for some time. Here
he worked at the carpenter's and millwright's
trades, or in fact anything by which he could earn
an honest dollar. In Centre county he married
Barbara Price, who was born in George's Valley,
May 7, 1800, a daughter of Jacob Price. In the
place of her birth they spent their entire married
life, and from its primitive condition the father
developed a farm, but never accumulated much
property. He was a Democrat in politics, and
at one time served as overseer of the poor. His
death occurred in March, 1880, that of his wife
in August, 1 87 1, and both were laid to rest in the
Sprucetown cemetery. After her death he was
again married, and by the second union had five
children, of whom one died in childhood.
Michael J. Decker, the subject of this review,
is the seventh in order of birth in the family of
ten children born of the first marriage, namely:
Mary, born December 12, 18 18, wedded Nicholas
Sheriff, and died in Juniata county, Penn.; Ann,
born September 9, 1821, married John Gall, and
died in Ohio; Casper, born June 28, 1824, died
in boyhood; Elizabeth, born March 18, 1826, is
the wife of Lot Evans, of Stephenson county,
111.; Margaret, born September 12, 1829, is the
widow of John McNeal, and lives in Chicago,
111. ; Barbara, born July 9, 1831, married Samuel
Leitzel, and died in George's Valley; Michael J.;
J. Thomas, born December 12, 1835, died in
Flemington, Penn. ; Catharine, born August 2,
1837, died February 13, 1897 (she had been a
mute from the time she was two years old); and
Greene V., born October 25, 1839, is a resident
of Gregg township, Centre county.
In George's Valley our subject was reared to
manhood, and his education was such as the dis
trict schools of the locality afforded at that early
day. During the winter time he assisted his fa
ther in the sawmill at the expense of his school
ing, while his summer months were passed in
farm work as soon as he was able to handle a
plow or be of any service in the cultivation of
the land. He remained at home until his mar-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

271

riage, giving his father the benefit of his labor.
On October 17, i860, in Millheim, Centre coun
ty, he was united in marriage with Miss Eliza
beth Stahl, who was born in Crawford township,
Clinton Co., Penn., September 7, 1837, a daugh
ter of Jacob and Nancy (Shaw) Stahl. Her fa
ther, a farmer by occupation, was born in White
Deer Valley, near New Columbia, Penn. , and
when a young man removed to Clinton county,
where he purchased land and made his home un
til his death. Mrs. Decker was the second in a
family of ten daughters, and at the age of ten
years left home and lived with relatives until her
marriage. Like her husband she obtained her
education in the district schools. They have six
children, whose names and dates of birth are as
follows: Nannie W. , October 29, 1862; Barbara
E., May 3, 1866; Francis W., May 4, 1868;
Anna May, May 9, 1871; James L. , May 20,
1874; and Maurice J., March 19, 1885. Of
these, Barbara E. is the wife of W. O. Rearick,
of Centre Hall, and Anna May is the wife of
Hiram Lee, of Potter township, the others being
at home. For three years and a half after his marriage,
Mr. Decker lived upon his father's farm in
George's Valley, and the first property he owned
consisted of sixty acres in Nittany Valley, near
Hublersburg, upon which he made his home un
til able to sell at an advantage. He then re
moved to Potters Mills, where for a short time he
conducted a store, and on disposing of his inter
ests there he bought land in George's Valley,
where he resided for some time. Subsequently
he engaged in the grain business in Coburn, Cen
tre county, and was very successful along that
line, continuing the same until his removal to his
present farm, which at that time was not in a
very flourishing condition. He has erected sev
eral new buildings upon the place, and made
other valuable and useful improvements. He is
the owner of two fine farms, aggregating 230
acres of rich and arable land, and his accumula
tions are but the just reward of his own untiring
labors. Mr. .Decker uses his right of franchise in sup
port of the men and measures of the Democratic
party, and is at present serving as overseer of the
poor. He has also held the office of school di
rector, but declined to serve a second term.
Both himself and wife are faithful members of
the Methodist Church, of which he was steward
for several years, and is at present trustee. The
family is one of prominence in the community,
holding a high position in social circles, and their
pleasant and hospitable home is always thrown
open for the reception of their many friends.

JOHN MULHOLLAN, who was born in 1800,
and died on the nth of June, i860, was one
of the most prominent and influential citizens
of Clearfield county. Carlisle wrote that ' ' biog
raphy is the most universally pleasant and prof
itable of all studies, " and in the life record.of this
gentleman there is certainly much of interest
and of benefit. He was a self-made man, one
whose energy and perseverance enabled him to
pass on the highway of life many who had a more
advantageous start. His labors brought to him
a handsome competence, and by his well-spent
life he won not only success but the high regard
of all with whom he came in contact. He was a
son of Rudolph and Mary M. (Werham) Mulhol-
lan, the former a native of Ireland, the latter of
Ohio, of Irish and German extraction, respect
ively. Their children were James, Rudolph,
George, Mrs. Mary Schwitzer, Alfred, Nancy
(who died in infancy), John, Mrs. Nancy Clark,
and Mrs. Rebecca Bowers, all now deceased.
John Mulhollan was one of the early settlers
of Centre county, where he made his home dur
ing the rest of his days. In early life he en
gaged in rafting on the river, and developed an
extensive lumber trade which brought to him a
handsome income. In later life he turned his
attention to agricultural pursuits, and was thus
engaged at the time of his deatn. His business
career was characterized by great energy, well
regulated and guided by sound judgment. He
would brook no obstacles which could be over
come by determined purpose and honorable
effort, and thus worked his way upward to pros
perity, leaving at his death a large estate. On
February 20, 1851, in Union county, Penn., he
was married to Miss Barbara Betlion, who was
born in Perry county, Penn,, October 3, 182 1, a
daughter of David and Mary (Rafter) Betlion,
natives of the Keystone State and of German de
scent. Both are now deceased. The father
was a farmer, also a pilot on a boat that plied
between Lock Haven and the ocean. In poli
tics he was a Democrat, and both he and his
wife were members of the Baptist Church. In
their family were the following children: Will
iam (deceased); Barbara; John (deceased); Mary,
wife of Christian Burns; Andrew (deceased);
Joanna, wife of Cornelius Kaylor, a farmer of
Union county, Penn. ; Louisa, widow of John
Richardson, also of Union county; Montgomery
(deceased); and Kate, wife of Frank Speaker, a
merchant of Montandon, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Mulhollan also gave his political support
to the Democratic party, and his widow is a
warm advocate of the principles of that party.
He was a leader in business circles, and alto-

272

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

gether a prominent citizen of Centre county.
Industrious and persevering, he made the most of
his opportunities, and in all the relations of life
was a man whom to know was to honor. His
widow still resides on the old homestead, which
is a valuable property, the land being underlaid
with coal and oil. With the many womanly
qualities which bring to her friends, she combines
excellent executive ability, and capably looks
after her property interests. Mr. and Mrs. Mul
hollan had children as follows: Elizabeth E.,
born October 31, 1851, died October 4, i860;
David R. , born March 24, 1854, is a farmer of
Burnsides township; William O., born March 23,
1856, died January 5, 1880; John A., born No
vember 16, 1857, is now in Buffalo, N. Y. ; Cath
erine A., twin sister of John A., is living with
her mother.
David R. Mulhollan, the eldest son, whose
home is only a short distance from 'that of his
mother, is one of the enterprising and progressive
agriculturists of Burnside township. He was mar
ried June 4, 1873, to Miss Alice J. Flegal, of
Goshen township, Clearfield county, and they
have had nine children, namely: Ida (deceased),
John P., Millie C. , Ella V. (deceased), James R. ,
W. O., Preston E., Bernice E. and Ernest M.
They have a pleasant home, and are highly es
teemed people of the community.
The Mulhollan family is especially worthy of
mention in this volume. Mrs. John Mulhollan
and her children all rank among the best repre
sentatives of this section of the county, and did
also Mr. Mulhollan, her deceased husband.

[ARTIN B. GARMAN. Leisure, the curse
of an undisciplined intellect, is to the intel
ligent and cultured an opportunity for continued
advancement. The subject of this sketch, a
prominent resident of Bellefonte, is one of the
favored few who, having a taste for the* refine
ments of life, have also the wealth to make their
ideals, in some measure, realities.
Mr. Garman is a native of Pennsylvania, hav
ing first seen the light in the ' ' City of Brotherly
Love," September 4, 1875. His father, the late
Martin Garman, was born in Dauphin county,
Penn., in 1820, and in early manhood went west,
engaging, when he was about twenty-one, in the
management of a trading boat on the Mississippi
river. He continued the business for many years,
but at the approach of the Civil war his trips up
and down the stream were interfered with, and
life itself became unsafe. Suspending his oper
ations, he returned to his native State, and after
looking about for a suitable business opening he

decided to locate in Philadelphia, where he pur
chased the old " Blue Anchor Inn," famous as the
hostelry where William Penn first stopped when
he came to America. This investment proved
extremely profitable, a handsome fortune being
realized under the wise management of the new
owner. Mr. Garman was a member of the Epis
copal Church, and in politics adhered to Dem
ocratic principles. His death occurred in 1891.
Our subject's mother, whose maiden name was
Lydia Scott, passed from earth in 1879 at the
age of thirty. She was a native of Philadelphia
and a daughter of William Scott, who was for
many years the manager of the Asylum for the
Blind at that city. Being blind himself, he un
derstood the peculiar difficulties under which his
charges labored, and had overcome them as to be
able to do most artistic work in various lines,
specimens being now preserved among his rela
tives as precious souvenirs. He lived to the age
of eighty years. Of his three daughters — Mrs.
William Wood, Mrs. Garman and Mrs. Roach —
the eldest and the youngest reside in Philadel
phia. Martin B. Garman was the only child of his
parents. His youth was spent in his native city,
his education being obtained there. After com
pleting his studies with a. course in LaSalle Busi
ness College, he settled at the beautiful little city
of Bellefonte, the ample income from his father's
estate enabling him to make his home wherever
he chose, and to secure the books, the compan
ionships, the artistic surroundings which were
most congenial. He is a genial host, and his
residence is a center of social life. On January
16, 1896, he was united in marriage with Miss
Grace Lukinbach, a native of Indianapolis, Ind. ,
born in November, 1875, who was reared in
Bellefonte and graduated from the high school
there. Mr. Garman takes keen interest in the
various questions of the day, and in political
faith is a Democrat.

JOHN M. WAGNER was for many years a
prominent citizen of Centre county, and a
leading representative of its business interests.
His thoroughly American spirit, his resolute pur
pose and unfaltering industry, enabled him to rise
from a lowly position to one of affluence. He was
connected with the milling interests of the county,
and his name was a synonym for honorable busi
ness dealing. The record of such a man fur
nishes its lessons of incentive and inspiration, and
his life is one worthy of emulation.
Mr. Wagner was born in Lebanon county,
Penn., August 31, 1823, and died in Centre

^.

ft /'///fS.-ff .

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

273

county, May 23, 1892. His parents were David
and Catherine (Maulfair) Wagner, natives of
Lebanon county, where they spent their entire
lives, the father following tKe occupation of
farming. Their family included the following
named: Mrs. Mary Siegler (a widow), of Goshen,
Ind. ; Elizabeth, deceased; Jacob, David and
John M., who have passed away; Henry, a farmer
of Lebanon county; Sarah, wife of Charles
Fritz, of the same county; Amanda, who is mar
ried and living in the West; Fannie, wife of Ste
phen Bolts, of Annville, Penn. ; Gideon, of Leb
anon county; Daniel, of Dauphin county, Penn.;
and Joseph, of Lebanon county.
John M. Wagner spent his childhood in his
parents' home, and acquired a fair education in
the public schools. He came to Centre county
in 1848, locating in Bellefonte, where he worked
for his brother for several years. He then
turned his attention to farming, and later rented
the mill known as the Wagner & Thomas Mill at
Bellefonte. He afterward became proprietor of
the Central City Rolling Mill at Central City,
erecting the same in 1875. It was supplied with
all the latest improved machinery and most im
proved processes for manufacturing flour, and
was successfully operated by Mr. Wagner until
Ms death. It was one of the leading industrial
¦ concerns of the county, and the capable manage
ment, well-directed effort, honorable dealing and
business ability of the owner brought to him a
large patronage. He was thoroughly reliable at
all times, and his extensive business yielded him
a handsome income.
On January 2, 1849, Mr. Wagner was united
in marriage with Susanna Hahn, who was born
in Clinton county, Penn., February 1, 1824,
a daughter of John and Sarah (Shrack) Hahn,
also natives of Clinton county, where they spent
their entire lives. The father was a shoemaker
by trade, and also followed the occupation of
farming. He was a member of the Reformed
Church, and in politics was a Democrat. His
death occurred in 1847, when he had reached the
age of sixty-six years, and his wife died in 1837,
at the age of forty years. They were the par
ents of seven children namely: Elizabeth,
widow of David Stover, of Clinton county; Kath-
erine, widow of T. Bailey, of Centre county; Mrs.
Susanna Wagner; Sarah, widow of Samuel Get-
tich, of Centre county; Mary, deceased wife of
John Fenstermaker, of Lycoming county, Penn. ;
John, of Ohio; and David, of Clinton county.
Mr. and Mrs. Wagner are the parents of ten
children — three sons and seven daughters — as
follows: William, proprietor of the old roller
mill in Central City; Frank, deceased; Mary,
18

wife of Frank Weaver, of State College, Penn..;
Sarah, wife of John Keichline, of Bellefonte;
John C, a general farmer of Centre county; Jen
nie, wife of Peter Keichline, of Bellefonte; Allie,
wife of James Weaver, of Milesburg, Centre
county; Annie, deceased wife of James Williams,
of Bellefonte; Carrie, wife of Louis Wallace, of
Milesburg; and Ella, at home.
In connection with his milling operations,
Mr. Wagner carried on farming. Improving his
opportunities, he worked his way steadily up
ward, and became the possessor of a handsome
estate, which he left to his family. In 1871 he
erected a beautiful brick residence, two stories
and a half in height, and surrounded the home
with many excellent improvements, which added
both to its value and attractive appearance. He
was deeply interested in the welfare and progress
of town and county, and gave a liberal support
to measures calculated to prove of public bene
fit. His death was deeply regretted, and caused
the loss to Centre county of one of its valued
citizens. Mrs. Wagner and her daughter, Miss
Ella, occupy the home place, extending its cor
dial hospitality to their many friends.

JESSE D. REARICK (deceased) in his life
time was a representative agriculturist of
Centre county, his farm being finely located
in Union township, where he maintained his
place among the progressive and intelligent citi
zens around him.
A native of Pennsylvania, Mr. Rearick was
born in Union county, August 5, 1830, a son of
George and Mary C. (Steme) Rearick, who were
also natives of that county, the former born in
July, 1796, and the latter on October 13, 1805.
In 1 840 the family removed to Clinton county,
Penn. , but two years later came to Centre coun
ty, where the mother passed away February 7,
1869, and the father on April 15, 1876. He was
a shoemaker by trade, but also engaged in farm
ing. His political support was given the Re
publican party, and both himself and wife were
consistent members of the Reformed Church.
The paternal grandparents of our subject, John
and Maria Rearick, were natives of Germany,
and on coming to America first located in New
Jersey, but later removed to Union county,
Penn., where the grandfather engaged in black
smithing until his death; there his wife also de
parted this life. The maternal grandparents,
David and Catharine Steme, both died in Clinton
county, where the grandfather had followed the
tailor's trade for many years.
Jesse D. Rearick was the third in order of

274

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

birth in the family of six children, the others be
ing: William B., born September 20, 1824,
died, in September, 1891. David, born January
25, 1826, died in October, 1867. Mary, born
January 6, 1833, wedded John Sheckler, now of
Boggs township, Centre county, and died Janu
ary 9, 1874. Rachel, born September 29, 1843,
died in April, 1844. Hannah, born November
22, 1844, married Daniel B. Malone, of Beach
Creek, Penn., and died March 9, 1895. When
our subject was about sixteen years of age light
ning struck the team which his father was driving
and so injured him that he was unable to per
form any manual labor, while for seven years
before his death he was totally disabled. Jesse
D. therefore remained at home, taking care of his
parents and managing the home farm until he
was twenty-eight years of age. He was indebted
to the common schools for his educational privi
leges. On January 30, 1858, Mr Rearick was mar
ried to Miss Leah Hassenplug, and they became
the parents of five children: George, born Oc
tober 24, 1858, is at home; Mary C, born Feb
ruary 10, 1 86 1, is also at home; Hannah M.,
born January 11, 1863, is the wife of Calvin Lu
cas, a farmer of Centre county; John A. C. , born
January 12, 1865, is also a farmer of Centre
county; and Ella B., born August 2, 1867, died
December 26, 1871.
Mrs. Rearick was born September 23, 1828,
in Union county, where her parents, Henry and
Catherine (Stem) Hassenplug, spent their entire
lives. The father was a saddler by trade, but
spent his later life in farming. He died in 1861,
at the age of sixty-two years, and her mother
passed away in 183 1, at the age of thirty; they
were members of the Lutheran Church. In their
family were the following children: Amelia, de
ceased wife of Reuben Spotts; Charles, a farmer
of Ohio; Mary, who died at the age of eighteen
years; Susanna, wife of Edward Hendricks, of
Union county, Penn. ; Israel, a miller and farmer
of the same county; Leah, wife of our subject;
and Zacharius, deceased. After the death of his
first wife, Mr. Hassenplug wedded Miss Mollie
Frock, by whom he had five children: Matilda,
wife of John Cline, of Mifflin county, Penn.;
Henry E., a farmer of Indiana; Sarah J., deceased;
Samuel F., of Tyrone, Penn.; and Jane, wife of
Isaac Shirk, a tanner of Tyrone. The paternal
grandparents of Mrs. Rearick, John and Rebecca
Hassenplug, were natives of Germany, and after
coming to the United States spent the remainder
of their lives in Union county, Pennsylvania.
For several years after his marriage, Mr.
Rearick engaged in teaming, and then rented a

farm near Milesburg, in Boggs township, Centre
county for two years. During the Civil war he
enlisted in the Union service, becoming a mem
ber of the 200th P. V. I., which was organized
at Harrisburg, September 1, 1864. He served
under Capt. Franklin K. Hoffman, First Lieut.
Thomas C. Crawford, and Second Lieut. Joseph
Miles, and participated in the battles of Fort
Steadman and Petersburg, as well as in various
skirmishes. He was several times slightly
wounded during the nine months he was in the
service, and while on the Warrenton raid in
North Carolina was wounded in the head, which
caused the loss of his left eye. He was then hon
orably discharged and returned home. Subse
quently for five years he was engaged in the man
ufacture of galvanized iron at the Milesburg Iron
Works, and then purchased his late farm, a valu
able tract of 187 acres, which he brought under
a high state of cultivation, and well improved.
Mr. Rearick passed from earth March 12,
1897. He was an ardent Republican in politics,
a member of the Lutheran Church, and of the
Grand Army Post No. 262, of Milesburg. In
his home he was ever an indulgent father, kind
and devoted husband, and his genuine worth and
many manly virtues were and still are widely
recognized. His wife, who is noted for her
excellent cooking, proved a most faithful helpmeet
to him, and with him shared in the respect and es
teem of all who knew them. He valiantly went forth
in the defense of his country during her hour of
peril, and in times of peace manifested the same
loyalty that characterized his army career. For
the injury sustained in the service he received a
pension.

/GEORGE P. REARICK (deceased), who in his
^L^f lifetime was one of the systematic, progress
ive and intelligent farmers of Gregg township,
spent his entire life in Centre county, and was
prominently identified with its agricultural in
terests. He was born in Potter township, near
Potters Mills, March 8, 1830, and is a son of
Philip Rearick, a native of Pennsylvania, whose
father was born in Germany.
Philip Rearick came to Centre county, and
for some years was employed as a teamster by
Mr. Potter, at Potters Mills. He married Miss
Jane Feath, daughter of James Feath, a native
of Ireland, and a tailor by trade. Mrs. Rearick
also worked at the tailor's trade, and after her
marriage made the clothing for her family. Mr.
Rearick died when our subject was only eight
years of age, and was buried at Centre Hill.
During the later years of his life he followed

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

275

farming, and he left his family in comfortable
circumstances. While teaming he hauled goods
and grain to Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Pitts
burg, two weeks often being required in making
the trip. In the family were five children: Mary,
wife of David Hoover, who resides near Belle
fonte; George P. ; William F., of Gregg township;
O. P. , of Webster county, Mo. ; and Margaret,
who was born after the father's death, and is now
the widow of Jonathan Royer, of Bellefonte. For
a few years the family lived in Gregg township,
and then removed to The Loop in Potter township.
For some years the mother resided with our sub
ject, but died at the home of her youngest
daughter, at the age of sventy-seven years, and
was buried at Centre Hill.
George P. Rearick began his education in
Colyer, and his advantages were only such as
the common schools afforded. He was the eldest
son of a widowed mother, and much of the sup
port of the family devolved upon him. During
his early boyhood he began working for his board
and clothing, and when he was first given money
for his services he received only $2 per month.
When working for $3 per month he gave his
earnings to help his mother buy a cow. Until
he had attained his majority his wages went to
ward the support of the family, and most of the
time he received $10 per month. He began
farming on his own account in Gregg township,
in what was known as the George Woods farm,
and his live stock consisted of a few head of cat
tle, about fifteen sheep and two horses. He had
gone in debt for these; but his economy and in
dustry enabled him soon to pay off all indebted
ness. In this humble manner he got his start in
life. After a year he rented the Peter Wilson
farm, which he operated nine years, and in 1864
purchased a farm in George's Valley, thus be
coming owner of 205 acres, for which he paid
$10,000. He lived there until the spring of
1888, and during that time made many excellent
improvements, erecting good buildings and
transforming the land into richly cultivated
fields. In the spring of 1888 he removed to his
late home, whereon he built an excellent house
and barns.
Mr. Rearick was married December 5, 1861,
in Potter township, to Miss Mary Heney, who
was born April 24, 1841, a daughter of David
and Mary A. (Rishel) Heney. The paternal
grandfather was Adam Heney, and the maternal
grandfather was George Rishel. Mrs. Rearick
was the sixth child and fourth daughter in a fam
ily of seven children. Her educational privileges
were limited in early life, but she made the most
of her opportunities, pursued her studies in

Aaronsburg, and when about eighteen years of
age entered school in New Berlin, Penn. Subse
quently she engaged in teaching for one term.
Mrs. Rearick has had seven children: William
O. born September 27, 1862, is engaged in deal
ing in agricultural implements in Centre Hall,
Centre county; Ida V., born December 12, 1863,
is the wife of Isaac Y. Moyer, of Cleveland,
Ohio; Ora Jane, born October 4, 1865, died
March 12, 1889, in Cleveland, Ohio, where she
had been attending school, after a few days' ill
ness from fever and heart trouble, and was buried
in Centre county; David H., born October 14,
1867, is living in Farmers Mills, Penn.; Mollie,
born December 11, 1869, died at the home of
her sister, Mrs. Isaac Moyer, in Cleveland, Ohio,
June 20, 1895, after a brief illness from cerebro
spinal menengitis, and was buried in Centre Hill
cemetery (a tribute of respect, and condolence
for her untimely removal from the field of her
labors was passed by local members of the For
eign Missionary Society of the Sinking Creek
Presbyterian Church); Calvin A., born Decem
ber 10, 1 87 1, died at the age of thirteen years;
Maggie R. , born January 21, 1874, died at
the age of six years; John E. , born Aug
ust 21, 1876, Jesse P., born October 14,
1878, George Leroy, born March 16, 1881, and
Savilla B., born April 24, 1884, are at home.
Mrs. Rearick is a member of the Sinking Creek
Presbyterian Church, and is highly esteemed in
the community.
Mr. Rearick died at his residence on the farm
February 19, 1897, at the age of sixty-six years,
eleven months and eleven days. His illness was
of about four months' duration, and the cause of
his death was an ulceration or catarrh of the
stomach, and he suffered much, but bore it all
bravely. He was able to be about, and it was
only about ten or twelve days before his death
that he was compelled to take to his bed. Con
sciousness did not desert him until near the end,
and his death was calm and peaceful. He was
buried in the cemetery at Centre Hill. He was
a member of the Presbyterian Church, having
united with that body some forty years ago.
For about fifteen years he was an elder in the
Church, and always contributed liberally to its
maintenance. Resolutions of respect and con
dolence were unanimously adopted by the Session
of the Sinking Creek Presbyterian Church, of
which he was senior member.
In politics Mr. Rearick was a stanch Repub
lican, but steadily refused to become a candidate
for office, though frequently urged to do so. He
was a warm friend of education and all interests
which tend to uplift mankind and advance the

276

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

welfare of the community. His success in farm
ing was the result of his own well-directed ef
forts, and he may truly be called a self-made'
man.

DANIEL BRUNGART (deceased) was a
member of one of the oldest families of
Brush Valley, their settlement dating back a full
century. The family originated in Germany,
where our subject's great-grandfather was born.
Martin Brungart, the grandfather of our subject,
was the first to settle in Centre county, Penn.,
having left his former home in the neighborhood of
Hanover, York county, Penn. , in 1 798 to locate in
the east end of Brush Valley, where he died, his
remains being laid to rest in the old graveyard at
Rebersburg. He had a large family of children,
namely: Martin, Jacob, Johan George, John
and several daughters, two of whom remained in
York county.
Johan George Brungart (commonly known as
George), our subject's father, was born July 20,
1788, in Manheim, York county, and was but a
lad when his parents removed to Centre county.
He was married April 9, 181 1, to Salome Kahl,
who was born January 14, 1787, at Heidelberg,
Berks county, Penn., a daughter of Jacob and
Catherine Kahl. Seven children were born of
this union, the names with dates of birth being
as follows: Catharine, January 20, 1812, mar
ried Jacob Erhard, and died in Miles township,
Centre county; Jacob, January 9, 18 14, died in
Rebersburg; Johannes, March 9, 181 7, died in
January, 1825; Susan, March 10, 18 19, married
Jeremiah Haines, and is deceased; George, Feb
ruary 4, 1821, lives at Rebersburg; Daniel, July
4, 1823, is the subject of this sketch; Sarah,
April 22, 1825, married Samuel Frank; and Mar
garet, March 15, 1827, married John Hosterman,
and died in Miles township.
George Brungart was a farmer, also an ex
tensive land owner, and was one of the substan
tial citizens of his time. In 1820 he built on his
farm a tannery, which was superintended by Ja
cob Steffy, also from York county, and the
leather he took to Philadelphia by team, bring
ing back goods for the merchants, the trip occu
pying three weeks. He never learned the trade,
but was a most skilled mechanic, and spent most
of his time in a sbop on his farm, where he made
tools and instruments of various kinds. He made
a plow which was an improvement over the
clumsy ones then in use, and which became well
known. It was the one alluded to in the old
saying common in Brush Valley, that "no man
was much unless he owned a long-barrelled shot

gun, a red wamus, and a Brungart plow. " He
was a Democrat in politics, and a member of the
Lutheran Church, in which he held an influen
tial place. Tall and slender in person, he pos
sessed much vitality, and lived to see his ninetieth
year, dying December 21, 1877. His wife died
some years previously, being over seventy years
of age, and both were buried at Rebersburg.
The subject of this sketch had but meager
educational privileges, and attended the old-time
subscription schools for a few weeks in winter
each year. Reared as a farmer boy, he always
followed that occupation, and, after working for
his father several years in early manhood, he
bought the old farm in Miles township, Centre
county. In May, 1846, he was married in Miles
township, to Miss Phoebe A. Royer, who was
born in that township, February 19, 1825,. the
daughter of Col. Henry and Polly (Gross) Royer.
Col. Henry Royer came from Berks county, and
at one time owned much of the land around Re
bersburg, as well as a large tract of mountain
land. In 1877, Mr. Brungart removed to Re
bersburg, where he built the present substantial
brick residence. He had two children: Elmira
E. , born February 6, 1847, died February 15,
1850; and Jasper R., born June 17, 185 1, of
whom special mention will presently be made.
Daniel Brungart died April 8, 1897, and is buried
in the cemetery at Rebersburg.
Politically, Mr. Brungart was a Democrat,
and he held several minor offices in his township,
but was never a politician. He was a leading
member of the Reformed Church, as is his widow,
and he was at one time an elder therein. He
owns an excellent farm containing over 165 acres,
and two valuable lots in Rebersburg. While he
never posed as a philanthropist, he contributed
to almost every worthy movement seeking aid,
and he and his estimable wife were noted for
their kindness of heart.
Jasper R. Brungart, the only living child of
our subject, received his education in the schools
of the township, after which he followed teach
ing some five years. In 1879 he entered mer
cantile business in Rebersburg, buying out J.
Spiglemyer, and continued same for five years,
at the end of which time he commenced farm
ing, which vocation he followed up to 1890, when
he built his pleasant home at Rebersburg, where
he has since lived retired. In December, 1894,
he graduated from the Chautauqua University at
Syracuse, N. Y. , and is at present taking a read
ing course from that institution.
On October 3, 1876, Jasper R. Brungart was
married in Union county, Penn., to Mary E.
Long, who was born June 28, 1850, a daughter

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

277

of Ephraim and Margaret' (Slear) Long, highly
respectable farming people. Her father was a
native of Berks county, Penn., born April 8,
1 8 14, and died January 13, 1856, a son of Lud
wig and Hannah Long, natives of Pennsylvania.
Ephraim Long was twice married, first time to
Sarah Snook, by whom he had two children —
Esther and Isaac — who lived to maturity. For
his second wife, Ephraim was married, May 12,
1848, to Margaret Slear, and three children were
born to them, two of whom died in" infancy,, and
Mary E. (Mrs. Brungart). Mr. and Mrs. Eph
raim Long are both deceased, he having passed
away January 13, 1856, and she on July 27,
1863. ¦
Mr. and Mrs. Jasper R. Brungart are active
members of the Reformed Church. In politics
he is a Democrat, and has filled various township
and school offices.

PHILIP W. BARNHART (deceased), late
justice of the peace, and an honored resi
dent of Boggs township, Centre county. Prom
inent among the pioneers of Centre county who
have witnessed most of the marvelous develop
ment of this section of the State, and who, by
honest toil and industry, have succeeded in ac
quiring a competency, is the gentleman whose
name introduces this sketch. He was born just
one mile from his late home, April 13, 181 3, a
son of Judge Henry and Isabella (Holt) Barn
hart, who were also born in Pennsylvania, and
married in Centre county. For many years the
Barnhart family have made their home in the
county, and five generations now lie buried in
the Eagle Cemetery, Boggs township.
Judge Henry Barnhart was quite prominent
and influential in public affairs; in 1832 was
elected a member of the Legislature from Cen
tre county, serving two terms, and was also as
sociate judge for ten years. He was a stanch
supporter of Democratic principles, and during
the war of 18 12 was commissioned a colonel in
the militia. He was an extensive lumber mer
chant, and one of the leading business men of the
county, as well as one of its representative and
most public-spirited citizens. ' Although not a
member of any religious organization, he regu
larly attended the services of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, and in all the relations of life
was upright and honorable. He died in 1 874,
at the age of eighty-seven years. His parents,
Philip and Elizabeth (Antis) Barnhart, were na
tives of Montgomery county, Pennsylvania.
Mrs. Barnhart, the mother of our subject,
was a consistent member of the Methodist Epis

copal Church, and died in that faith in 1877, at
the age of eighty-six years. She was a daughter
of Col. John and Sarah (Milligan) Holt, who
were born in England, but came to Pennsylvania
at an early day, locating first in Cumberland
county (now a part of Dauphin county). In
1779 they removed to Bald Eagle Valley, Centre
county, locating on a farm, where Mrs. Barnhart
was born July 4, 1790, and there her death also
occurred. She was descended from Thomas
Holt, a brother of Lord Chancellor Holt, who
became a resident of Carlisle, Penn., at an early
period in its history. The records of the Holt
family were destroyed by the burning of the
court house of Cumberland county.
On May 17, 1809, was celebrated the mar
riage of the parents of our subject, and to them
were born twelve children, five of whom died in
infancy; the others are as follows: Julia is the
deceased wife of John Curtin, a resident of
Bellefonte, Penn. ; Philip W. is the subject of
this review; Sarah married Thomas R. Sellers,
but both are now deceased; Henry, who married
Mary Joslin, deceased; Nancy married D. Kim-
port, but both are now deceased; Mary is the1
wife of Irvin Davis, of Hollidaysburg, Penn. ;
and Katherine is the wife of James M. Kimport,
of West Virginia.
In the common schools of Centre county
Philip W. Barnhart acquired a fair education,
and for two terms engaged in teaching, receiving
a salary of $18 per month, and boarding himself.
He began his business career as a farmer and
lumberman, following the former occupation
during the summer months, and working in the
lumber woods during the winter season. He re
mained at home until his marriage, at the age of
twenty-seven, when he located upon a rented
farm, which he operated for four years. He
then purchased a small portion of his late farm,
the boundaries of which he extended from time
to time, until at the time of his death he had a
valuable place of 230 acres.
On September 17, 1840, Mr. Barnhart wed
ded Miss Rebecca Leathers, and they became
the parents of ten children — four sons and six
daughters — namely: Mary I. is the deceased
wife. of Samuel H. Orris, a decorator, of Miles
burg, Centre county; Lucy is at home; Warren
is deceased; Joseph is a resident of Renovo,
Clinton county, Penn. ; Amanda is at home;
Julia is the deceased wife of H. H. Harshburger,
of Bellefonte, Penn., Laura is the wife of J. C.
Weaver, a merchant of Bellefonte; Harry lives
in Punxsutawney, Penn. ; Alice is the wife of H.
G. Herd, of Farnsville, Penn. ; and James K. is
bookkeeper in the First National Bank of Belle-

278

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

fonte. The family holds a high position in
social and intellectual circles, and is one of prom
inence in the community where they are so
widely known.
'Squire Barnhart departed this life November
4, 1896. For the long period of forty years he
most acceptably served as justice of the peace,
and in 1895 was again elected by every vote cast
in Boggs township, but declined to further accept
the office. For three years he also served as
county commissioner. Politically, he was iden
tified with the Democratic party, in religious be
lief was a Methodist, and socially he was a mem
ber of the Grange of Pennsylvania. In manner
he was pleasant and genial, in disposition kindly,
and the high regard in which he was universally
held was well deserved.

TARTIN LUTHER RISHEL. About the
KL year 1800 there came to Centre county, as
a pioneer settler, Henry Rishel, a young man of
German descent and probably of German birth.
He settled in Green Grove, near the present site
of Penn Hall, Gregg township (then Haines
township), purchasing 1 30 acres of land where he
and his wife Maria Hull, made their home until
about 1824, when they moved to a farm of 100
acres in the same township, near Farmers Mills.
Henry Rishel was fairly educated, and was suc
cessful as an agriculturist and prominent as a
citizen. He died July 25, 1847, of apoplexy, and
his remains were interred in the Union cemetery
near Farmers Mills.
His son, Col. John Rishel, the father of the
gentleman whose name opens this sketch, was
born near Penn Hall, December 26, 1808, and
attended the schools of that place until the age
of sixteen, when the family removed to the
present homestead near Farmers Mills. His
education was good for the time, and his excel
lent judgment and practical knowledge of affairs
gave him much influence in the community. His
title was gained by long service as colonel of a
Regiment in the Pennsylvania National Guard.
He was a heavy-set man, weighing about 200
pounds, and had a full round face. Like his fa
ther, he followed farming as an occupation,
occupying the homestead until his death,
which occurred June 8, 1878. He never ac
cumulated a fortune, but he added sixty-one
acres to the original one hundred, and built an
elegant residence which is still used by his heirs.
His liberality and public spirit were shown in
many ways, and for years he was a leading worker
in the Evangelical Lutheran Church at Farmers
Mills, holding all the various offices at different

times. In 1872 he was sent by the Central Penn
sylvania Conference as a delegate to the Luth
eran Synod at Fort Wayne, Ind. When the
building of St. John's Church near his home was
proposed, he gave the movement his hearty sup
port, donating all the ground necessary, and
many other Churches were assisted by him. In
local politics his influence was marked, and
throughout his career he was one of the chief
supporters of the Democratic party in his sec
tion, holding numerous offices. He served as
county commissioner for two terms, from 1849 to
1855, and was justice of the peace in Gregg town
ship from 1845 to 1865, and again from 1867 to
1878 — a total of thirty-one years and one month,
his death interrupting his service. At the time
of his decease he also held the office of jury com
missioner. On November 22, 1832, he married Miss
Rachel Reynolds, by whom he had three chil
dren: Henry, born August 9, 1833, died April
9, 1835, and twins, born February 28, 1836,
of whom, the elder, a son, never breathed, and
the younger, Sarah Ann, died February 22, 1894.
The mother passed away March 14, 1841, and
on January 10, 1842, Col. Rishel married Miss
Catherine Homan, who died February 18, 1897,
of pneumonia, at the age of eighty years, nine
months and nineteen days, while living with her
son, our subject, at the old homestead. There
were four children by this union: Mary Eliz
abeth, born November 13, 1842, died November
12, 1881; Samuel, born April 18, 1846, died
April 25, 1850; Martin, who is mentioned more
fully below; and Rosetta, born November 27,
1853, who married E. F. Smith, a professor of
music at Dakota, Illinois.
Martin Luther Rishel was born at the old
homestead January 3, 1850, and was reared to
farm life, his education being limited to an attend
ance at the schools of the neighborhood for about
two months and a half each year. He began
his schooling at the age of four, with Wesley
Plotner as his first teacher, and did not discon
tinue entirely until he reached the age of twenty-
one. After attaining his majority he conducted
the farm two years in partnership with his father,
receiving one-fourth of the value of the products
sold, and furnishing nothing. Later he rented
the place on shares, and he afterward managed
it on the same plan by an arrangement with the
other heirs. [Since this was written, the afore
said homestead has been sold through proceed
ings of court, and about 1 12 acres of the original
homestead are now owned and occupied by M.
L. Rishel and family.]
On January 12, 1871, Mr. Rishel was mar-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

279

ried to Catherine Houtz, daughter of Edward
and Catherine A. Houtz, and this union has been
blessed with five children : John E. , Carrie E. ,
William F., Elizabeth J., and Rosa I., who are
all at home. His family also includes his wife's
mother, who is quite infirm, and was eighty-four
years of age December 17, 1897. Edward
Houtz died April 7, 1884, at the age of seventy-
seven years and one month.
Since his father's death Mr. Rishel has taken
his place in local affairs, assisting with the same
liberal spirit in all progressive movements. He
is active in the support of the same Church, and
during his twenty-five years of membership has
held all the various offices therein, including
those of deacon and elder. He differs from his
father only in outward appearance, being six
feet, one inch in height, and very slender. As
a worker in the Democratic party, he has cer
tainly fallen heir to his father's influence, and he
has filled numerous township offices with char
acteristic ability and faithfulness. As school di
rector he has sought to improve the usefulness of
the local schools. In the spring of 1879 he was
elected justice of the peace, to succeed his father,
and has served ever since, even occupying the
same room formerly used by his father as a court
room, making forty-eight years that the duties of
that office have been discharged by one family in
one room. Mr. Rishel is fond of reading, keep
ing well-informd on the issues of the day, and
his sterling qualities of character have won the
respect of all who know him.

DAVID FOR'CEY, the well-known and popu
lar proprietor of a leading drug store at
Philipsburg, Centre Co., Penn., is a man whose
sound judgment and ready tact have won him
success in many lines of business, and who holds
a high and enviable position among the progress
ive citizens of the county.
Mr. Forceyis a native of this section, having
been born in Clearfield county, November 20,
1837, one of the family of seventeen children
born to Mathew and Margret (Murry) Forcey.
His youth was spent mainly at his birthplace
and in Huntingdon county, Penn. On leaving
school he engaged in mercantile pursuits at
Green Tree, Huntingdon Co., Penn. While
there he was married, in 1861, to Miss Mary A.
Myton, a native of Huntingdon county, Penn.,
and in 1862 they moved from Green Tree to
Clearfield county, where he was engaged in mer
cantile and lumbering pursuits for about eighteen
years. Mr Forcey is the father of two sons:
Mathew J. and William W.

The Forcey family is of German and Irish
lineage, and has been represented in this section
since the latter part of the eighteenth century,
Thomas Forcey, the grandfather of our subject,
having about the year 1 790 come from Delaware
to settle upon a farm in Clearfield county. He
lived to the patriarchal age of ninety-nine years,
and consequently the greater part of his life was
spent in Clearfield county. He married Eliza
beth Arnola, and had five children: Jane, Cath
erine, Tamar, Nancy and Mathew.

JAMES IRWIN KUNES. a member of the firm
of S. PI. & J. I. Kunes, is one of the leading
and enterprising business men of Eagleville,
Centre county, where he is successfully engaged
in general merchandising and in the lumber trade.
His success has come to him not as a result of
propitious circumstances, but as a reward for far-
sighted dealing, executive ability and discrimina
tion. With a laudable ambition he has grasped
eagerly every opportunity for raising himself to
the level of the high standard he has set up, and
his resolute purpose and commendable diligence
have secured for him the goal of his hopes.
Mr. Kunes was born June 17, 1839, in the
village which is still his home, and is a son of
Daniel and Mary (Bechdel) Kunes, the former a
native of Eagleville and the latter of Liberty
township, Centre county. During his early life
the father engaged in farming, later conducting
a hotel in Eagleville for many years, but spent
his last days in retirement there, where his death
occurred. His wife died near Beach Creek,
Centre county, in 1847, at the age of thirty-six
years. Both were earnest members of the Chris
tian Church; in politics he was first a Whig, later
a Republican. To the parents of our subject were born the
following children: David, who died in infancy;
Samuel H. ; Joseph B., who died in 1894; Ma-
hala, deceased wife of William Clark, a farmer
of Marsh Creek, Penn. ; James Irwin; Daniel B.,
a brief sketch of whom follows; Fannie P., wife
of Mills Linn, a farmer of Clinton county, Penn.
After the mother's death the father wedded
Elizabeth Potts, of Millheim, Centre county, who
is still residing in Eagleville.
The paternal grandparents of our subject,
Daniel and Hannah (Roerbanck) Kunes, were
natives of Pennsylvania and among the founders
of Eagleville, while the great-grandfather, who
also bore the name of Daniel and was a Revolu
tionary soldier, made his home in Centre county,
and died at Eagleville. David and Susan (Hell-

280

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

man) Beckdell, the maternal grandparents, made
their home on Marsh creek, Centre county, where
the grandfather engaged in farming and the dis
tillery business.
At the age of sixteen, James I. Kunes began
life for himself by working on the farm of his
brother, Samuel H., with whom he remained
some four years, and for the. following six years
engaged in boating on the canal. Subsequently
he conducted the " Kunes Hotel" for three years,
and then purchased a farm, which he operated
at intervals some five years. In 1873, in part
nership with his brother, Daniel B., he engaged
in merchandising in Eagleville for three years,
at the end of which time he became sole owner,
but since 1894 he and his brother, Samuel H,
have conducted a general store at that place,
and have built up an extensive and lucrative
business. In connection with his mercantile
pursuits, our subject is also interested in lumber
ing and farming, in which he has met with a
well-deserved success.
On October 14, 1867, in Eagleville, Mr.
Kunes was married to Miss Margaret E. Graham,
and to them was born one daughter, who died
when only nineteen days old. Eight years ago
Mr. and Mrs. James I. Kunes adopted a bright
two-year-old boy, Charles Graham, a nephew.
He is a smart little lad, learning very fast, and a
source of much gladness and pleasure to his
adopted parents. Their residence, which is the
finest in Eagleville, is a two-story-and-a-half
brick building, and their hospitality reigns su
preme; there their many friends are always sure
to find a hearty welcome. As will have been
seen, the family has long been prominently identi
fied with the business interests of Eagleville and
vicinity, and the name of Kunes deserves an
honored place in a work of this character. Our
subject uses his right of franchise in support of
the men and measures of the Republican party;
is a public-spirited, progressive man, giving his
influence and support to all worthy enterprises
for the benefit of the community; and is a faith
ful and consistent member of the Christian
Church. Daniel B. Kunes, brother of our subject, was
born in Liberty township, Centre county, Feb
ruary 11, 1841, and on the 28th of March, 1869,
was married to Miss Mary D. Mapes, by whom
he has three children: Lloyd B. , bookkeeper for
the Berwick Stove Company (limited), of Ber
wick, Penn.; Josephine at home; and one that
died in infancy. For the past sixteen years Mr.
Kunes has acceptably served as justice of the
peace in Eagleville, and he is one of its most
highly respected and valued citizens.

£

J. DESHLER, M. D, (deceased). On Sep
tember 27, 1890, there passed away at his
home in Aaronsburg, a well-beloved physician,
whose many years of faithful toil in his profession
made his name a household word in that commu
nity. Nor had his influence- and his efforts been
confined to professional lines only, for in all the
varied activities of our common life he had taken
a helpful part as a loyal citizen, devoting his
abilities to the cause of progress.
Dr. Deshler was born at Weaversville, North
ampton county, Penn., April 7, 1826, the son of
Jacob Deshler, and the grandson of Peter Desh
ler. Jacob Deshler was a native of eastern
Pennsylvania, as was his father before him, and
several years of his early life were spent in Phil
adelphia. His educational advantages were bet
ter than those of the average youth of his time,
and he became prominent as a civil engineer.
For years he held the office of justice of the
peace, which in that day was filled by appoint
ment and carried much honor with it. In his
later years he moved from Northampton county,
where he had an elegant home, and settled upon
a fine farm near Milton, Penn. , to spend the re
mainder of his life. Of his four children, our
subject was the youngest; Mary M. married Dr.
Edward Martin, and died at Weaversville,
Northampton county; Joseph died in Northum
berland county, Penn. ; Elizabeth married George
Stahl, and died in Northumberland county. Ja
cob Deshler and his wife were members of and
active workers in the Reformed Church.
Dr. Deshler's early education was obtained in
the schools of his native county, and he was a
young man at the time of the removal to Milton.
He attended Marshall College before its consol
idation with Franklin College, at Lancaster,
Penn., and at one time thought of studying for
the ministry, but concluded to enter the medi
cal profession. His brother-in-law, Dr. Martin,
was his first preceptor, and he also studied in the
office of Dr. Charles Dougal, of Milton, before
beginning his course in the Pennsylvania Medical
College at Philadelphia, where he graduated in
1853. For a few months he located at Buffalo
Cross Roads, Penn., and then moved to Turbut-
ville, Penn., where he continued to practice until
1858, when he settled permanently in Aarons
burg. As a practitioner he was very successful, keep
ing well abreast of the advance of modern science
by his extensive reading. Unassuming in man
ner, he never indulged in self-praise, but his in
nate worth and thorough intellectual training
were readily recognized among the best people.
He possessed a knowledge of surveying, and at

Irlc^^H XT JJle?4££<r

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

281

one time was elected without any effort on his
part to the office of county surveyor. For five
years he served as justice of the peace, having
been chosen to that position without his solicita
tion. He was a stanch Democrat, an active
member of the Masonic order, and at the time of
his death was trustee about twenty years, of the
Reformed Church, in which he had for years been
a leading member. He joined the Church when
a young man, and was among its foremost work
ers, donating toward it liberally both of time and
money. He was a leader in the Sabbath-school
up to within some fourteen years prior to his
death, when owing to impaired health he was
obliged to give way to younger people, although
he never missed attending divine service, even to
the last Sabbath before his death, he dying sud
denly of heart disease.
On September 22, 1853, the Doctor was mar
ried at Tusseyville, Centre county, to Miss Maria
Jordan, a native of Spring Mills, Penn. , born
March 4, 1829. Four children blessed this union:
Elizabeth died in infancy; J. Jordan is a physi- /
cian at Glidden, Iowa; M. Emma, who died at
the age of twenty-two, was a highly accomplished
young lady and a graduate of Bethlehem Mora
vian Female Seminary; and Ellanora died at the
age of twelve years.
Mrs. Deshler still occupies the comfortable
home which her lamented husband left her, and
her fine social gifts and well-stored mind make
her a favorite in the most cultured circles of
Aaronsburg society. She is a member of the
Reformed Church, as were also her parents and
grandparents. Her parents, Joseph and Eliza
beth (Bair) Jordan, were highly esteemed resi
dents of Centre county, and she was the eldest of
a family of six children, of whom five — two sons
and three daughters — lived to adult age. She
attended the country schools of her time in her
girlhood, and later pursued her studies in the
seminary at Jacksonville, Penn., while a con
tinued course of reading, guided by a fine liter
ary taste, has given her an unusually wide range
of information upon current topics, making her a
most interesting conversationalist. She has
spent much of her time in travel, and has visited
various cities in both the East and the West.

MA. BUMILLER, editor and proprietor of
 the Millheim fournal, is a well-known
journalist of Centre county,' and one of Millheim's
foremost citizens. He was born January 1 , 1855,
in Munich, Bavaria, the only child of Francis and
Creszentia (Von Kepple) Bumiller. The father
was a well-educated man, of scholarly tastes, who

served as district surveyor in Munich, and also
occupied the position of instructor in surveying
in the government schools of that city, where his
death occurred. The mother, who belonged to
a noble family of Germany, is still living in
Munich. Our subject was provided with excellent edu
cational privileges, being educated in one of the
gymnasiums for which Munich is justly famed,
and continuing his studies in that institution
until he had attained his eighteenth year. In
the summer of 1873 he left his native land to
seek his fortune in the United States, sailing from
Bremen on the nth of July, and arriving in New
York City two weeks later. His destination was
Millheim, Centre Co., Penn., where his uncle,
Adolph Miller (Bumiller), was living, and here he
entered the printing office of George W. Foote,
editor of the Centre Berichter, which paper was
established at Aaronsburg, Centre county, in
1827. During the winter of 1873-74, Mr. Bumiller
conducted an evening school, where the German
language was taught, being well equipped for
this task by his previous scholastic training in
Germany, where he had acquired a thorough
mastery of his mother tongue. This instruction
was all given in addition to his duties in the
printing office. The years 1874 and 1875 were
spent in Bellefonte in the office of the Republican,
where he gained a good practical knowledge of
the art of printing, and on his return to Millheim,
in the latter part of 1876, became German editor
of the Berichter, which at that time was pub
lished half in English and half in German. In
1880 the paper became entirely English, and the
name was changed to the Millheim fournal, at
which time Mr. Bumiller became half owner and
associate editor. Three years later he purchased
the paper, of which he has since been editor and
proprietor, and under the able management the
circulation has been greatly increased, and the
plant newly equipped with the latest improved
machinery, run by steam power.
In Millheim, Mr. Bumiller was married April
4, 1876, to Miss Ella, the eldest daughter of
Squire B. O. Deininger, one of Millheim's lead
ing citizens, and they have two children: Ida A.
and Frances C.
Politically, Mr. Bumiller gives his unwaver
ing support to the Democratic party, and has
served as councilman and school director. In
October, 1894, he was also appointed notary
public by Gov. Pattison, and during the Centen
nial celebration of Millheim was a member of
the committee to which was mainly due its grand
success. He affiliates with the Odd Fellows

282

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Lodge of Millheim, and is a prominent and con
sistent member of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, now serving as secretary of its Sunday-
school. He ranks among the leading journalists
of the county, and as a citizen also holds an en
viable position.

WJ. CARLIN, one of the representative
business men and prominent citizens of
Brush Valley, Centre county, and a leading mer
chant of Rebersburg, was born February 23,
1850, at Potters Mills, in Potter township, Cen
tre county. George Carlin (father of our subject), who was
weaver by trade, was employed in the woolen-
factory at that place. He was a native of the
North of Ireland, whence when quite young he
came to the United States with his parents, who
located in Philadelphia, where both died. They
possessed but limited means, and the father
dying when the children were yet small, much
responsibility rested upon George, who was the
eldest. The others were James, a railroad en
gineer, who served in the Confederate army as
colonel of an Alabama regiment, and died at
Carthage, Mo. ; William, also a railroad engineer,
running on the Pennsylvania Central between
Harrisburg and Philadelphia, who was a skilled
mechanic and constructed an engine from the
metal contained in a gold dollar; and Jane, who
became the wife of John Hoyt, and died in Reeds-
ville, Penn. John Hoyt was bookkeeper for Will
iam Mann, Jr., & Co., axe makers. He was
killed by the cars while crossing the tracks at the
axe factory, in 1872.
In Philadelphia George Carlin learned to
weave carpets, blankets, cassirneres, etc., and
when a young man came to Potters Mills, Cen
tre county, in order to obtain work at his trade.
There he married Miss Catherine Toner, . also a
native of Ireland, who came to America with her
parents, Thomas Toner and Catherine his wife.
As the Potter Mills had closed down, Mr. Carlin
removed to Mifflin county, Penn., in 1850, and
obtained employment in Mann's axe factory as a
temperer, which position he held until 1869,
when he returned to Centre county, and pur
chased a home in Sprucetown, where his death
occurred in 1875, when he was aged 68 years.
He was a large and powerful man, weigh
ing about 200 pounds, and his death was
caused by a third stroke of paralysis. His
wife was called to her final home in 1884,
and was laid by his side in Sprucetown cemetery.
He was an intelligent, well educated man and
fine penman, and during his early life engaged in

teaching in Chester county, Penn. Politically he
affiliated with the Democratic party.
Our subject is the fifth in order of birth in a
family of seven children, a brief record of the
others being: John T. was a member of Com
pany A, 46th P. V. I., during the Rebellion, but
after serving eighteen months was discharged in
1863, on account of disability; he later became
ticket agent for the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany at Spruce Creek, Hollidaysburg and Indi
ana, Penn. , respectively, and died at Yeagertown,
Mifflin Co., Penn., in 1869; Sarah died at Pot
ters Bank, Penn.; Mary died in infancy; Maria
died at Potters Bank, at the age of twenty-eight
years. George died at the same place ; and Jane
died at the age of nineteen.
W. J. Carlin was an infant when taken by
his parents to Mifflin county, and in the public
schools of Reedsville he obtained his primary ed
ucation, which was supplemented by a course in
the Lewistown Academy, where he paid his own
tuition, earning the money as an employee in
Mann's axe factory. After the return of his par
ents to Centre county, he attended the schools
of Potters Mills for a time, his teacher being
George Peters. He then began teaching in Ty
lersville, and successfully followed that profes
sion for six years. In Boalsburg, Centre coun
ty, he married Miss Emma Leitzell, a daughter
of Aaron and Alvina (Hackman) Leitzell. Mr.
Carlin's first experience in. the mercantile busi
ness was as a clerk in a store in Reedsville when
small but a boy, and later he held a similar position
in the store of W. J. Thompson & Brother at Pot
ters Mills, while for a time he served as bookkeeper
for J. S. Shipman, a wholesale grocer of Titus
ville, Penn., with whom he remained through
the year 1872 until the spring of 1873. Pre
viously, however, he had also served as clerk in
the establishment of R. H. Duncan at Spring
Mills. On leaving Mr. Shipman he came to Re
bersburg, where for a time he taught school, and "
was also agent for various sewing machines. In
August, 1893, he purchased the general store of
L. B. Frank, which he has since successfully
conducted, now having the leading mercantile
establishment in the place.
In politics Mr. Carlin is a stanch Democrat,
and is a leader and counsellor of his party in his
locality, taking a keen interest in .its success.
For three years he ably served as constable of
Miles township, and since 1882 has served as jus
tice of the peace. He is a prominent member of
the Odd Fellows Society, No. 1031, of Rebers
burg, which he represented in the grand lodge at
Pittsburg, in May, 1896, and both himself and
wife are active members of the Lutheran Church,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

283

while he has also served as secretary of the Sab
bath-school for ten years. They have a comfort
able home in Rebersburg, whose latch-string is
always out, and their many friends are always
sure to receive a hearty welcome. A man of
known reliability, Mr. Carlin has often been
called upon to act as administrator of estates,
and as agent in settling other business .transac
tions, the duties of which he has always promptly
and faithfully discharged. In connection with
his mercantile pursuits and official duties, he also
acts as agent for W.. B. Rankin, of Bellefonte,
who represents various insurance companies. He
isa careful, methodical business man, whose suc
cess is due entirely to his own perseverance, en
terprise and good management. ' ' Squire Car
lin," as he is familiarly known, is one of Rebers-
burg's best citizens, and stands high in the esteem
of all who know him.

TEMPEST SLINGER, a well-known hotel
keeper at Philipsburg, Centre county, fur
nishes in his career an admirable example of
British pluck and enterprise. He was born in
England, December 23, 1847, and is a descend
ant of an old Yorkshire family.
His paternal grandfather, for whom he was
named, was a native of Slaidburn, in that county,
and followed agricultural pursuits there all his
life, his death occurring in 1847 when he was
aged seventy-five years. He married a Miss
Wilkinson, and reared a family of eight or nine
children, all of whom lived to a good old age.
Nicholas Slinger, our subject's father, was born
in Yorkshire in 18 16, and after a busy life as a
farmer is now enjoying his declining years in well-
earned leisure. His wife, Jane Seed, also a na
tive of Yorkshire, was born in 1820, and is still
living, the fifty-sixth anniversary of their mar
riage being celebrated in November, 1896. She
is of a long-lived family, her father, Thomas
Seed, having attained the age of eighty-four.
Our subject was one of a family of eleven chil
dren: (1) William died at seven years of age;
(2) Ann died attw(enty-six; (3) Jane is the widow
of Henry Slater, of England; (4) Tempest is the
subject of this sketch; (5) John Thomas, who is
married, is superintendent for T. Barnes, of
Philipsburg; (6) Elizabeth Alice is the wife of
Major Nutter, of the English army; (7) Mary
Ellen is the wife of William H. Heath; (8) Emma
G. is not married; (9) Margaret, who married
Robert Hindle, lives in the old country; (10)
George N. is an attorney at law in England; (11)
Nancy died at the age of two years.
Mr. Slinger attended the schools of his native

place until he reached the age of fifteen, and he
was early trained to practical work upon his fa
ther's farm, where dairying was an especial feat
ure. His active and aspiring mind was not sat
isfied with the outlook for business, and he deter
mined to seek a more promising field for his ef
forts. On January 1, 1884, he landed at Phila
delphia, and in the course of a prospecting tour
he visited Philipsburg, but after four months he
went to Cuba and became interested in the man
agement of a sugar plantation, remaining four
months. He then returned to Philipsburg, where
for a time he was engaged at a coal mine as
weigh boss, but later devoted his attention to the
hotel business with a diligence that has won him
success. In April, 1893, he took unto himself a
life partner, Miss Elizabeth Ann Goshorn, a resi
dent of Philipsburg. They are prominent mem
bers of the Episcopal Church. Mr. Slinger has
always shown an active interest in local progress,
and in the political problems of his adopted coun
try, voting the Democratic ticket.

LS. BRICKER is a representative of the
 1 mercantile interests of Boalsburg, Centre
county, and in his life there is an exemplification
of what can be accomplished through diligence
and earnest application, guided by sound judg
ment. He is now conducting one of the best
groceries and general provision stores in the place,
and by courteous treatment of his customers and
fair dealing has built up a good trade, receiving a
liberal. share of the public patronage.
The Bricker family has long been identified
with the interests of Centre county. Joseph
Bricker, the grandfather of our subject, came
from Lebanon county, Penn. , and was a carpen
ter of Millheim at an early day in its history.
There his death occurred in 1855. In his family
were the following children: Henry (now de
ceased), who was a blacksmith at Salona, Penn. ;
John C, the father of our subject; William, a
farmer; Samuel, a tailor and merchant; Joseph,
a farmer — all of Fremont, Ind. ; Mrs. Louisa
Hoffnagle and Mrs. Elizabeth Lingle, also of
Fremont, Ind. ; Mrs. Rebecca Miller, of Mill
heim, Penn.; Mrs. Malinda Best, of Kansas; and
Catherine, wife of JohnMcGill, of Lock Haven,
Pennsylvania. John C. Bricker, father of our subject, was
born in Millheim, August 18, 1827, where he
obtained a meagre education in its public schools,
and at an early age served an apprenticeship to
the shoemaker's trade. About 1840 he estab
lished a shop in Boalsburg which he conducted
a number of years, when he moved to Pine Grove

284

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Mills, Penn., and in i860 bought a farm two
miles west of Boalsburg, where he lived till
1874, when he removed into Boalsburg, and
died there in 1877. He married Rosanna Condo,
who still lives in Boalsburg, and by her he had
six children, two of whom died in infancy, the
others being as follows: Emma, now the wife
of B. B. Cramer, an inn keeper of Punxsutawney,
Penn. ; Mitchell, a coachsmith, living in Lewis-
town, Penn. , who married Sarah Hassinger; Laird,
also a coachsmith, who married Clara Wirtz,
and died of typhoid fever February 9, 1880; and
L. S., the subject of this review.
Our subject was born May 12, 1859, at Pine
Grove Mills, Ferguson township, Centre county.
While at the Branch school in College township
he obtained his primary education, his first
teacher being John Bathurst. As he was eighteen
years of age when his father died, he immedi
ately took up the shoemaker's trade under Rob
ert Gunsollus, of Boalsburg, and continued to
follow the same in that place for eleven years.
In 1889 he was appointed postmaster at Boals-
f>urg, which position he satisfactorily filled for
four years and a half, when he was removed for
political reasons, and he left the office as he had
entered it with the confidence and respect of all,
and has the satisfaction of knowing that his
office was one of five fourth-class offices in Cen
tre county, graded as "excellent." Since 1893
he has successfully conducted his present store.
Mr. Bricker was united in marriage with Miss
Laura E. Stover, a native of Unionville, Centre
county, and the ninth in order of birth in the
family of twelve children born to William and
Sophia (Richard) Stover, the former a native of
Hartslog Valley, Huntingdon Co., Penn., the
latter born at "Rattlesnake Inn," on the sum
mit of the Alleghany Mountains. For a time
Mrs. Bricker was a student in Eden Seminary
(since dissolved), but completed her literary edu
cation in the Boalsburg Academy, after which
she successfully engaged in teaching school in the
village of Unionville and Union township, Cen
tre county. By her marriage she has become
the mother of three children: Maud, who was
born February 9, 1881, and died November 3,
1883; John W., born November 27, 1883; and
Howard, born October 22, 1888.
Mr. Bricker is a recognized leaders in the
ranks of the Republican party in his community,
and for ten years served as chairman of the
township committee, while in 1896 he was a
candidate on that ticket for the office of treas
urer of Centre county. His honorable business
methods and his upright life have gained him pres
tige in the community where he has long made

his home, and his genial manner enables him to
make friends easily, and when once a friendship
is gained it is always his.

©OTTLIEB HAAG, a well-known resident of
Bellefonte, Centre county, is one of the
prosperous German-born citizens of that thriving
town, and his success is the more notable from
the fact that at the time of his landing in New
York, when a young man of twenty-five years,
he had only two dollars in his pocket.
Mr. Haag was born in Wittenberg, Mehrstet-
ten, Germany, June 14, 1829, the son of George
Haag, and grandson of George Haag, Sr The
father was a native of the same place, born in
1804, and was a carpenter by trade. He mar
ried Catherine Mantz, who was born in Hunder-
sengen in 1805. Both were devout members of
the Lutheran Church. The father died at sev
enty years of age, and the mother lived to be
fifty-six. Of their ten children, the subject of
this sketch is the eldest. George is a lockmaker
in Switzerland. Magdalene married Mr. Ruse,
and resides in Germany. Ludwig was killed by
an accident in Germany. Margaret married John
Scheidenberger, a miller at Warrensburg, Mo.
Philip resides at Williamsport, Penn. Christina
met her death by accident at the age of seven
years. Elizabeth, widow of John Reutter, re
sides at the old home. The youngest child died
at an early age.
Gottlieb Haag learned the carpenter's trade
in his native land, and in 1854 he came to
America in search of better opportunities for ad
vancement in life. Naturally he had to spend
some time in prospecting, for a suitable field for
his labors, and he worked at West Hoboken,
N. J., and Union Hill, N. J., before locating in
Schuylkill county, Penn, where he remained
twelve years. He then passed a number of years
at Cressona and Pottsville, and several years at
Williamsport, when he established himself in
business at Pleasant Gap, Centre county, build
ing a hotel and distillery there, the latter being
put into operation June 24, 1874, for the whole
sale whiskey trade. In addition to this distillery,
he owns, at that place, a gristmill and ten acres
of land. Mr. Haag is an adept in the hotel
business, having been engaged in it some thirty
years altogether, at Pottsville, Pleasant Gap and
Bellefonte. For nine years past he has been a
resident of Bellefonte, where he bought two
valuable lots, upon which he erected two double
houses and a commodious stable, with other
first-class improvements. He also is the owner
of the "Hotel Haag" property at Bellefonte.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

285

He adheres to the religion of his parents, being a
member of the Lutheran Church, and, in his
political views, he is a Democrat of the Free-
silver type.
On November 13, 1854, Mr. Haag married
Miss Catherine Treyz, a native of Germany,
born September 7, 1828, about fifteen miles
from his early home. They have had no chil
dren of their own, but have reared two boys,
who are now like sons to them: John C. Mul-
finger, who was born February 3, 1859, was
taken into our subject's home at the age of six
years, and at present has charge of the hotel
and distillery at Pleasant Gap. He married
Miss Kate Mundreich, and has had eight chil
dren: Kate, Maggie, John, Gertrude, Gottlieb,
David (deceased), Edward and Frederick. Harry
Haag, who was formally given the name of his
adopted parents, is in charge of the stable de
partment of the "Hotel Haag" at Bellefonte,
under Daniel C. Keller, who keeps the hostelry.
He married Miss Maggie Noll, and has four chil
dren: Mabel, Ralph, Gottlieb and Philip.

V

foANIEL FLISHER, one of the old and hon
ored residents of Potter township, Centre
county, was born June 12, 181 1, in Lower Pax
ton, Hanover township, Dauphin Co. , Penn. , a
son of Daniel and Catharine (Keller) Flisher.
He is the fourth in order of birth in their family
of seven children — three sons and four daugh
ters — the others being as follows: Elizabeth,
who married John Osman, and died in Centre
Hall, Centre county; Michael, who died in Stone
Valley, Huntingdon Co., Penn.; Polly, who mar
ried Daniel From, and died in Nebraska; Susan,
who married Dr. James Powley, and died at
East Liverpool, Ohio; John, who died in Car-
rollton,. Ohio; and Katy, widow of John Gentzle,
of Penn township, Centre county.
The father, who was a farmer by occupation,
died about 18 18 in Upper Paxton, Lykens Val
ley, Dauphin county, whither he had removed
during the infancy of our subject. He left a
good farm of 160 acres, but a small debt of $900
rested upon it, and the times being hard had to
be sold for $1,000, and afterward was sold for
$90 per acre by the sheriff. His death was
caused by falling from a hay mow, which in
jured him internally. He was a brave and loyal
man, and had served as a soldier in the war of
1812. About 1823 the mother, with her children,
came to Centre county, where her brother, Jacob
Keller, had previously located. They came the
entire distance in a covered wagon, and narrowly
escaped being drowned while crossing the - Sus

quehanna river at Liverpool, Penn. , after a
freshet when the water was very high. The few
dollars that the family possessed was invested in
a small tract of land near Tusseyville. The-
mother died at the home of her daughter in
Gregg township, Centre county, at the age of
seventy-three years.
The privileges afforded our subject for se
curing an education were very poor. He hadl
just begun the study of arithmetic when he was.
forced to lay aside his books and aid in the sup
port of the family. By experience and observa
tion, however, he has acquired a good practical!
knowledge. At the age of eleven years he was
hired out by his mother, at first receiving only
fifty cents per month, although he did all the
plowing on the farm. When sixteen years of age-
he began learning the shoemaker's trade in Pot
ter township, under his brother, Michael, and
after mastering the business worked at the same
for about fifteen years in that locality.
Before he had attained his majority, Mr.
Flisher was married near Spring Mills, Centre
county, to Miss Polly Boone, who was born in
Berks county, Penn., in 1812, and they became
the parents of seven children, namely: William,
who died at the age of twenty-three years; Jared,
a resident of Jamestown, N. Y. ; Eliza J., now
Mrs. William Jordan, of Adams county, Ohio;
Isaiah, a traveling salesmen of Philadelphia,
Penn.; Catharine, at home; Uriah S., of Los.
Angeles, Cal. ; and Ellen, who married Julian
Fleming, and died in Centre Hall, Centre coun
ty. The wife and mother died in January, 1876,
and was buried in Tusseyville cemetery. On
April 10, 1879, in Centre Hall, Mr. Flisher was-
again married, this time to Miss Mary A. Shirk,
a native of Potter township, and a daughter of
Joseph and Eliza (Benner). Shirk. Before her
marriage she successfully carried on dressmaking.
She is a most excellent woman, and- a member
of the Presbyterian Church.
After his first marriage, Mr. Flisher lived for
a short time with his widowed mother, and later
rented a small house, which was so meagerly
supplied with household goods that his young
wife had not even a dough tray. For several
years he gave his entire time and attention to.
his trade, and after embarking in farming also
did odd jobs at shoemaking. The first property
he owned consisted of forty acres of land in Pot
ter township, near Colliers, which he operated
until 1844, when he sold the same and purchased^
eighty-five acres, known as the Flisher home
farm. Upon that place he continued to reside
until 1879, when he removed to Centre Hall and
bought his present comfortable home. He is.

286

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

the owner of two fine farms in Potter township,
aggregating, over two hundred acres, one of
which, a tract of over one hundred acres, cost
him $105 per acre; he also has 450 acres of tim
ber land.
Mr. Flisher has been a stanch Democrat in
politics since casting his first Presidential vote
for Andrew Jackson, and has never missed a
Presidential election. His recollection of the
issues of the various campaigns is remarkable,
and, for his years, not one man in a thousand re
tains their mental faculties, or is as active in
body as our subject. As a systematic farmer he
was foremost among the best of Potter township,
and still continues to manage his business inter
ests. He has held different township offices, and
at the present time is serving as overseer in Cen
tre Hall. When a young man he was elected
captain of a militia company, but being of a re
tiring nature he declined the honor. Reared by
a Christian mother, religious influences have
clung to him, and he has long been a faithful and
active member of the Reformed Church, of
which for years he has been elder, and has also
served as deacon. The object of respect by
young and old, Mr. Flisher is greeted with affec
tion and esteem, and in his declining years is en
joying the reward of a well-ordered life, and one
in which he has exerted himself to do good to
those around him.

D'

foANIEL DAUP, one of the most skillful and
thorough farmers of Potter township, be
longs to an honored and highly respected family
of Centre county. His father, Joseph Daup, a
native of Wurtemburg, Germany, was born March
9, 1 8 16, and is one of the eight children (six of
whom grew to adult age) born to Xavier and
Christina Daup. He is the only one of the fam
ily to come to the United States.
At the age of fifteen years, Joseph Daup be
gan learning the blacksmith trade, and later
worked as a journeyman in various country shops
and towns until he received letters from friends
in America, telling him of the excellent opportu
nities here afforded poor young men. Saving
his money until he had enough to pay his passage,
he, in March, 1849, embarked on a schooner at
Bremen for New York, which port he reached
after a long and stormy voyage of sixty-five days,
during which time the vessel was driven as far
north as Greenland. For a short time he re
mained with acquaintances in New York City,
and then went to New Jersey where his friends
were living, but found it difficult to obtain work.
He was first employed in Lewistown, Penn. , on

the construction of the canal and in the stone
quarries, where he contracted ague, and the few
dollars that he had saved went for board. As
soon as he had sufficiently recovered to travel he
crossed the Seven Mountains to Potters Mills,
Centre county, where he arrived October 14,
1 849, and secured his first work at his trade in
the United States, being employed by John Haney
at $7 per month and board. After working for
others for two years he started a shop of his own.
In the fall of 1850, at Potters Mills, Joseph
Daup was united in marriage with Catharine
Decker, who was born at the Loop, in Potter
township, November 6, 1823, a daughter of Nicho
las and Mary (Pecht) Decker, in whose family
were five children, the others being Sarah, widow
of Daniel Auman, of Potter township; Henry,
who died in that township; John, who died near
Boalsburg, Centre county; and Mary, a resident
of Potter township. The father of these children
was a mason by trade, but the later years of his
life were spent in farming. He died at the age
of seventy-one years, his wife at the age of sev
enty-three, and they were buried in the Tussey
ville cemetery. Six children were born to Mr.
and Mrs. Daup: Elizabeth, now the wife of
Aaron Zerby, of Penn township, Centre county;
Amelia, wife of A. C. Ripka, of Potter township;
Daniel, of this sketch; Sarah, wife of William
Ertel, of Penn township; Ellen, wife of Jefferson
Heckman, of Gregg township; and Hettie, wife
of Charles Leister, of Sprucetown, Centre county.
After his marriage, Joseph Daub located in
Centre Hill, where he owned his first shop, and
carried on business there some four years, after
which he went to Penn township, and bought
another shop and several acres of land. Two
years later, however, he sold out, and from 1858
made his home in Sprucetown, where he followed
his. trade continuously until recent years, when
failing health compelled him to abandon it. He
died April 27, 1897, aged eighty-one years, one
month and eighteen days. For many years he
was an active member of the United Evangelical
Church, in which he acted as class leader, ex-
horter and trustee, and enjoyed the esteem and
confidence of all who knew him. In politics he
was a Democrat, but never cared for official dis
tinction. He and his estimable wife reared a
family of which they were justly proud, all occu
pying honorable positions in society.
Daniel Daup was born March 17, 1856, in
Penn township, and when a child accompanied
his parents to Sprucetown, where he was reared
to manhood. His early education was obtained
at the Egg Hill school, where his first teacher
was Mary Hennigh. At an early age he began

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

287

assisting his father in the shop, where he soon
acquired a good knowledge of the trade, though
he never served a regular apprenticeship. He
remained with his parents until his marriage, at
the age of twenty-seven, to Miss Jennie A.
Evans, a daughter of Evan and Anna (Miller)
Evans, who belonged to one of the best families
of Potter township. They began their domestic
life in Sprucetown, where Mr. Daup was em
ployed by his father for one year, and then
removed to the Rankin farm, in George's Valley,
which property he rented for two years. He
then took up his residence upon the Dauberman
farm, in Potter township, where he was a tenant
until the spring of 1897, when he returned to the
Rankin farm, which he had purchased in 1895.
It comprises 1 1 5 acres of excellent land, which
he has placed under a high state of cultivation,
and made many useful improvements thereon.
Mr. Daup is a stanch Democrat, yet no poli
tician or office-seeker, content with regularly
casting his vote for its men and measures at State
and National elections, but on local affairs he
votes independent of party ties. He and his wife
are earnest members of the United Evangelical
Church, in which he is serving as steward and
trustee, and also as teacher in the Sunday-school.
He is one of the steady-going, prosperous farm
ers of Potter township, one who has .made his
own way in the world, whose integrity is unques
tioned, and who, as a citizen, holds a prominent
place in the estimation of his neighbors and
friends.

^/ D. THOMAS, of Aaronsburg, Centre coun-
§Uj ty, is well known as a successful educator
through twenty-two years of faithful and efficient
service. Although be has recently retired from
that profession, his work will not readily be for
gotten by the many who have been helped by
him in the steep and sometimes weary paths of
knowledge. Prof. Thomas was born in Haines township,
Centre county, April 26, 185 1, and so far his life
has been spent mainly in that locality. Jacob
Thomas, his grandfather, was born December 9,
1767; confirmed April 12, 1795, by Rev. Loch-
man (Lutheran); married in 1797 to Christiana
Ensminger, and died December 31, 1824. His
wife Christiana was born about 1768, and died
1855 or '56; both are buried in the vicinity of
Annville, Lebanon Co., Penn., where they
resided. Jacob and Rebecca (Dutwiler) Thomas,
parents of our subject, were both natives of
Lebanon county, Penn. The father was born
April 24, 1808, and received his early education

in the German schools of that day, his knowledge
of English being " picked up " incidentally. Be
ing bereft of his father at the age of sixteen, he
found himself obliged to assume the manage
ment of his mother's farm, which he continued
until his marriage to Miss Dutwiler, who was
born near Palmyra, September 14, 181 1, daugh
ter of John and Anna Mary (Williams) Dutwiler,
who resided on a farm near Campbelltown, 'Leb
anon Co., Penn., and are both buried at Camp
belltown. Mrs. Thomas, who lost her father
when she was fourteen years old, received fair
educational advantages for that day, and was a
woman of fine mental ability. • For a time after
their marriage they remained in Lebanon county,
and one child was born there: Elizabeth, who
married George Y. Stover, and died in Stover,
South Dakota.
In 1832, Jacob Thomas, of Annville town
ship, Lebanon Co., Penn., in company with two
other gentlemen, started to seek a place whereon
to locate. Land in Lebanon county having ad
vanced in price beyond his means of acquiring a
farm (he having only limited means), and hav
ing in view the western part of Ohio, they trav
eled as far west as Dayton, but for some reason not
finding a satisfactory place to locate. On their
way home they came to Centre county, Penn.,
their first point of observation being Boalsburg;
from there they came to Haines township and
bought the farm upon which Mr. Thomas located.
He had traveled the whole distance of 1,060 miles
on horse-back, being gone about six weeks, and in
April, 1833, Jacob Thomas and his wife settled
upon this farm in Haines township, Centre county.
There nine children were born to them, our sub
ject being the youngest of the family. The
others were John, now of Clinton county, Penn.;
Christiana, who married George Hoover, and
died in Shingletown, Penn.; Anna M., who re
sides in Aaronsburg; Rebecca, who married Jesse
Snyder, and died near Penn Hall, Penn. ; Jacob
D., a resident of Illinois; Adam J., a carpenter
at State College; Jeremiah, now of Illinois; and
Aaron, a carpenter at Centre Hall.
Jacob Thomas made farming his lifelong oc
cupation. He was over six feet in height, and
enjoyed excellent health, even his last ailment,
rheumatism of the heart, afflicting him only a
short time. He was very industrious, and while
rearing a large family, managed to secure a fair
competence. His death came just at the time
when he was in a position to realize the benefits
of his labors. While he was a firm believer in
the principles of the Republican party, he did
not allow his partisan prejudice to blind him, and
at times voted independently. Never a politician

288

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

in the strict sense of the word, he yet took an
active interest in local affairs and held the office
of school director several times, as well as other
township offices. He was also active in religious
work as a member of the Reformed Church,
holding various official positions. His death oc
curred at the old homestead March 29, 1 864 ; his
wife passed away January 7, 1884, and the re
mains of both are interred at Aaronsburg.
As a boy the subject of this sketch found the
outlook for an education most unpromising. The
schools near the homestead were none of the
best, but he made good use of the facilities which
they offered. His first" teacher was Thomas
Erhart, and Mr. Thomas has had the satisfaction
of presiding over the same school room in which
he spent his first day as a pupil. He remained
at home until his widowed mother removed to
Aaronsburg and then as she, though in comfort
able circumstances, was not able to spare the
funds necessary to secure him better educationa
advantages, he determined to secure them him
self. For several years he worked as a farm
hand for leading agriculturists, his first employer
being Clay Allison, of Nittany Valley, who paid
him $8 per month. With the money thus earned
he attended the academy at Aaronsburg, also the
County Normal at Centre Hall, alternately work
ing and studying.
In his twentieth year, Mr. Thomas began his
successful career as a teacher in the St. Paul dis
trict of Haines township, Centre county, and,
with the exception of one term in Miles township,
the entire twenty-two years of work were spent
in the former locality, six successive years being
passed at Aaronsburg. He was never content
to merely " keep school," the responsibilities of
his position as a guide to those entrusted to him
were too keenly realized for that, and the inces
sant care incident to the work when conscien
tiously done caused him to retire in 1894 from the
profession. A taste for carpentering seems to be
hereditary in the family, and many of Mr.
Thomas' vacations have been given to that work.
One summer was spent in Effiingham county,
111. He owns a house in Centre Hall, but since
the death of his mother he has made his home in
Aaronsburg, where he owns a residence and
several lots. His success, won as it has been by
his own efforts, is well deserved.
Mr. Thomas is a Republican on national
issues, but does not believe that party allegiance
should extend to local affairs, and he has at times
supported other candidates for township and
county offices. He is no place seeker himself,
but has held some minor positions. As a mem
ber of the Reformed Church, he contributes to

the work of that society, and as a good citizen
takes a loyal interest in all that tends to promote
progress.
S\AMUEL FOSTER LYTLE, M. D., de-
^J ceased October 9, 1 896, occupied for a score
of years a prominent position in his profession,
and was recognized by his colleagues, far and
near, as one of the leading physicians of Centre
county. He was a member of the County, State
and National Medical Associations. President of
the Board of Health, and State Health Inspector
for his District. Esteemed as he was by the
members of his profession, the people, whose
good fortune it was to be subject to his ministra
tions, loved him for his sympathetic nature, and
venerated him for his rare ability and skill.
Possessing as an inheritance the qualities of
an ancestry whose lineage was noble in the
highest sense, not because of descent from pro
genitors of rank and title, but because of that in
trinsic strain of valor, firmness and fineness of
character, and integrity of purpose which is the
measure of worth and constitutes true nobility
and gentility. He was also richly endowed by
nature with a talent for the profession he loved
and to which his life was devoted.
The remote history of Dr. Lytle's family goes
back to County Donegal, Ireland, where the
name still adheres, honored and respected, and
begins in this country with the settlement of a
branch of the family in Lancaster county, Penn.,
more than a century ago, where they became
distinguished for their patriotism during the
period of the Revolution. Foremost in loyalty
was Col. Andrew Lytle, who was commissioned
as colonel of the 8th Pennsylvania Regiment in
the Revolutionary army, July 23, 1781, in com
mand of which he served with distinction, re
ceiving the personal commendation of Gen.
Washington, and honorable mention in the
Archives of the State. He was a charter member
of the Order of the Cincinnati, and died in 1784
of camp fever. His son, Isaac Lytle, grandfa
ther of Dr. Lytle, was born in Lampeter, Lan
caster county, in 1772, and was married in
1802, to Jane, daughter of Zaccheus Piersol, of
Pequa Valley, a descendant of an ancient and
honorable Scotch family in direct line from Archi
bald Douglas. He removed to Harris township,
Centre county, in 18 14, where he died Septem
ber 30, 1854. His eldest son, Griffeth, father of
Dr. Lytle, was born in 1806, coming with his
father to Centre county in 18 14, where he en
gaged in agriculture. He married Susan Foster,
born in Huntingdon county in 1812, a woman of
remarkable beauty of charater and refinement of

^.^Z^^tf

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

289

manner. Purchasing a farm near Lemont,
which is still the home of his eldest son, William,
he resided there until 1855, when he bought a
farm in the vicinity of State College, where his
death occurred in 1875, his wife, Susan, surviv
ing him fifteen years. Of their ten children, Dr.
Lytle was the youngest son.
Dr. Lytle was born March 14, 1851, and
from early childhood evinced a decided trend of
mind toward medicine and surgery, which in
creased with years until in early manhood it be
came his passion and determined his career.
Graduating from State College, he pursued the
study of medicine under Dr. J. Y. Dale, of Le
mont, with the eagerness and intensity of one
whose aspiration was to master the science. En
tering Bellevue Hospital Medical College as the
next step forward in his profession, he graduated
honorably in 1875. Still bent on the acquire
ment of learning, he pursued a post-graduate
course at Columbia College before entering upon
the active duties of a physician. At this time he
received an appointment as surgeon in the regu
lar army, but the death of his father led him to
decline the position. In the autumn of 1875 he
came tp Philipsburg, rapidly acquiring a prac
tice. Four years later he married Nannie,
daughter of Thomas Crissman (deceased) and
Margaret Crissman, whose family still occupy a
position of high standing in the community.
With the increase of his clientage as the Doc
tor's popularity increased, the demands upon him
became so great that his health suffered from the
strain; but through his deep sympathy with others
and his great fortitude, he bore his own suffering
silently and bravely, ministering to the sick when
needing help himself, and struggling against
physical disability that would have broken a less
heroic spirit. Gentle and generous to the last,
courteous and hrave, he died literally with har
ness on, coming from the bedside of a patient
where with all his skill he was fighting for the
life of another against the dread destroyer, to
yield suddenly his own life up to that relentless
hand. Dr. Lytle was a man of broad culture, studi
ous habits, in touch with the most advanced
movements in the science of medicine, and a
type of the scholarly professional gentleman, be
loved and mourned by the community which he
served and healed.

DAVID F. BOWERSOX, a prominent agri
culturist of Haines township, Centre county,
is also known throughout that section as a suc
cessful veterinary surgeon, and for years his serv-

19

ices have been in demand whenever an injury or
ailment of any live stock required skillful treat
ment. He possesses mechanical ability of a high
order, and with no instruction has mastered the
blacksmith's trade, being an expert at horse shoe
ing, and he has repaired rifles, guns and other
fire-arms, and in many ways displays unusual
talent in this line. '
Mr. Bowersox belongs to one of the oldest
families of Centre county, his great-grandfather,
George Bowersox, a native of Hanover, Penn.,
having settled in Potter township as a pioneer,.
following the blacksmith's trade and farming.
He and his wife, Catherine Kister, each lived to-
be more than eighty years old, and they reared
a family of six children: Jacob, David, George,
Catharine, Elizabeth and Susan.
David Bowersox, our subject's grandfather,
was born in Centre county, and being reared to
farming followed that occupation all his life. He
married Elizabeth Stover, of Haines township,
Centre county, a daughter of Adam and Catherine
(Weaver) Stover. In his later years he purchased
the Stover homestead, and settled there. He
was short and spare in build, and died at the
comparatively early age of fifty-eight years. In
politics he was an ardent Democrat, and he be
longed to the Lutheran Church. His wife sur
vived him with two sons, John (our subject's fa
ther) and Philip (who died in Woodward, Penn.).
The widow made her home for twenty-eight years
with her son John, and died in Coburn when more
than eighty years old, her remains being laid to
rest beside those of her husband at Stover's
Chapel. John Bowersox, the father of our subject,
was born April 13, 1825, in Haines township,
Centre county, and is now living in retirement
at Coburn. His education was that which the
schools of the time and locality afforded, being
confined to an attendance for a few months of
each year at the log school house at Stover's
Chapel. A family lived in one part of this build
ing. The work at home was plentiful at all
seasons, as in winter he could ride the horse
while tramping out the grain in the barn, and
the summer brought an increase of outdoor work.
At eighteen he began to learn the trade of
cigar maker and tobacconist with James Powley,
in a shop that stood where the Coburn toll-gate
has since been built. After finishing his appren
ticeship he worked at his trade for a year, but
it did not agree with him, and he learned the
tanner's trade in Aaronsburg with George Royer.
This business he followed successfully for thirty-
five years, devoting especial attention to prepar
ing leather for gloves, which were made by his

290

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

employees. His wife, whose maiden name was
Mary Frederick, has been of great assistance to
him, and at that time she made hundreds of
dozens of pairs of gloves which our subject
would take about the country for sale. Their
marriage was celebrated October 8, 1846, in
Hartley township, Union Co., Penn., where the
bride's birth occurred May 14, 1823. Her fa
ther, John Frederick, was a weaver by trade,
and depended upon his earnings for the support
of his family of ten children — five sons and five
daughters. He and his wife, Barbara Catherman,
were each nearly eighty-four years old at death,
and both were buried at Laurelton, Penn. Our
subject's mother was the third child and third
daughter. Her educational advantages were
meagre, but a bright and active mind has enabled
her to gather much practical information on va
rious subjects.
After the death of David Bowersox, our sub
ject's father took the old homestead and followed
farming there for several years; but in the spring
of 1883 he removed to Coburn, where our sub
ject built for him a residence. He owns a farm
of 123 acres and a great deal of timber land.
His industry and thrift, with the help of his
economical wife, have won a notable success,
and both are enjoying the fruits of their past la
bors in well-earned leisure. An excellent mem
ory enables him to review the incidents of his
life with remarkable precision, and he recalls
events that occurred in his third year. Our sub
ject is the eldest of three children, the others be
ing Chestie A., who married (first) Henry J.
Musser, and (second) A. P. Maize, of Aarons
burg; and J. A., who resides in Coburn.
David F. Bowersox was born December 21,
1849, at the old home in Haines township, Cen
tre county, and the district schools of the time
furnished him his elementay instruction. Between
the farm and the tannery there was plenty of
work for him to do, and forty days of schooling in
winter was considered a liberal amount for him.
Every opportunity for study was eagerly seized
by the bright boy, and as his parents permitted
him to sit up late at night he was able to lay the
foundation for a good practical education.
Throughout his life he has been a warm friend
of good public schools, his own experience em
phasizing their value.
On March 11, 1872, Mr. Bowersox was mar
ried, in Aaronsburg, to Miss Margaret A. Swanger,
a native of Penn township, born December 19,
1852. Her father, Philip Swanger, was a shoe
maker, and he and his wife, Sarah (Womer),
reared a family of eight children to adult age.
For twelve years after his marriage, Mr. Bower

sox rented the home farm from his father, and
although he then removed to another rented
farm he returned later to the old place. In Feb
ruary, 1885, he purchased a farm of twenty acres,
where he now resides, going in debt for it, and
to this he has since added some mountain land,
making a fine estate. Under his careful man
agement the farm has been greatly improved,
the barn having been remodeled and some new
buildings put up. His extensive veterinary prac
tice began in November, 1872, when the epizootic
was prevalent, and his attention being once
turned in that direction, his success in treating
horses and other live stock was so great as to
create a constant call for his services. While he
has never graduated from a school in which this
science is made a specialty, he has read all the
authorities on the subject, and with his wide ex
perience in practical treatment is now an author
ity himself. Mr. Bowersox and his wife are leading mem
bers of the Lutheran Church, in which he holds
the office of deacon. He also takes an active
part in Sunday-school work. Two children,
Sarah and John F. D., brighten their home.
Courteous and intelligent, Mr. Bowersox is a
pleasant companion, socially, his conversation
being always interesting, while in business cir
cles he is equally esteemed as a reliable, success
ful man. Politically he was a Democrat until a
constitutional amendment upon the temperance
issue was called for, when, having long been a
foe to intoxicants, he became a pronounced Pro
hibitionist. While deeply interested in political
questions, he is not an office seeker, but has
served as a judge of election.

B. HARTMAN. In the career of this gen
tleman we find an excellent example for
young men just embarking in the field of active
life, of what may be accomplished by a man be
ginning poor, but honest, prudent and industri
ous. He is a native of Pennsylvania, his birth
having occurred in Heidelburg township, Lehigh
county, April 19, 1820, and he is a son of Simon
and Elizabeth (Bysell) Hartman. The father,
who was born, reared and married in the same
county, was a son of Jonathan Hartman, who
there died. The maternal grandfather of our
subject was Peter Bysell.
About 1824 Simon Hartman removed to
Hartley township, Union Co., Penn., where he
engaged in farming for a time, when there were
a great many wild animals in the forests, such as
wildcats, wolves, panthers and bears, who would
approach the house and carry off sheep and .hogs

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

291

as their prey, and could often be heard at night.
Later Mr. Hartman followed weaving in the
town of Hartleton, in the same county, where
his death occurred at the age of seventy-one, and
he was there buried. He was a Whig in politics,
and an earnest member of the German Reformed
Church, as was also his wife. She passed away
in Millheim at the age of seventy-three years,
and was laid to rest there. In their family were
the following children: Lydia, who married Will
iam Hazel, and died in Wooster, Ohio; Saloma,
who married George Catherman, and died in
Union county, Penn. ; Peter, who died in Woos
ter, Ohio; R. B., subject of this sketch; Eliza
beth, who married John Royer, and died in
Hartleton, Penn.; Rebecca, who married John
Swartz, and died in Millheim; Caroline, who
married James Rouch, and died in Clearfield
county, Penn. ; and Henry, and another that died
in infancy. The early educational privileges which our
subject received were not of the best, and his
teachers often permitted the scholars to play
rather than study. He was reared in much
the usual manner of farmer boys, and on leaving
home worked at farm labor for others. In 1839
he started out to fight life's battle, and on the
19th of May of that year arrived in Millheim
with all his possessions on his back, his capital
being his ambition. He first worked for John
Harter, the pioneer carriage and wagon maker of
the place, with whom he remained for several
years. During that time, Mr. Hartman was married,
June 1, 1843, to Margaret Harter (.a daughter of
his employer), who was born in Millheim, De
cember 12, 1824, and whose mother bore the
maiden name of Mollie Shreffler. Eleven chil
dren blessed this union: Sarah J., who died in
infancy; C. W., a molder, of Millheim; Mary E.,
wife of John Harshbarger, of the same place;
Anna M., wife of Willis Weber, of Rebersburg,
Centre county; Amelia M., wife of Leonard Sto
ver, of Haines township, Centre county; Lydia
R., wife of Philip P. Leitzel, of Millheim; John
H. B. , who is in partnership with our subject;
William, a machinist, of Millheim; Minnie, wife
of Adam Harter, of the same place; and Thomas
and Gertie, who died in infancy,
Soon after his marriage, Mr. Hartman began
peddling the old Hathaway cook stoves, manu
factured by Search & Rockey, selling them
throughout several counties in Pennsylvania, and
later became foreman in their foundry. After
acquiring considerable experience, he in company
with his brother-in-law, J. D. Foote, purchased
the foundry then owned by Haupt, Cummings &

Haupt, which they conducted under the firm
style of Foote & Hartman, manufacturing stoves,
implements, mill gearings, plow points, and cast
ings in general. At the end of seven years, Mr.
Hartman sold out and made a trip to Illinois,
with the view of locating in the West, but soon
returned to Millheim. He stopped at Bellefonte
on his way back, and at a sheriff's sale purchased
the property which he now owns. To the coach
shop already standing he added a foundry, with
which he has since J been connected; but is now
practically living retired, leaving the active busi
ness management to his son. Besides his own
comfortable residence he has also erected five
others for his children. Always willing to lend a
helping hand to those in need, he has sold many
thousand dollars worth of goods on credit to men
who were unable to pay for them at the time,
and much of which he never collected. Integrity,
honesty and fair dealings have characterized all
his transactions, and his word has ever been con
sidered as good as his bond.
Mr. Hartman was a Democrat in politics un
til 1892, since which time he has voted the Pro
hibition ticket at State and National elections,
but on local affairs votes independent of party
ties. He has served as a member of the council
and school board of Millheim, but cares nothing
for official preferment. Socially he is an Odd
Fellow, while, religiously, both himself and wife
have been active members of the Methodist
Episcopal Church since 1842, and for half a cen
tury he has served as class leader. They are
earnest, sincere Christians, and their home has
ever been the headquarters for visiting ministers.
During the fifty-three years that have passed
since they were made man and wife, they have
been true to the vows taken, and Mrs. Hartman
has proved a true helpmeet to her husband, cheer
ing him in hours of sorrow and adversity, and
aiding in securing their present prosperity, which
is so richly merited.

JOHN WOLF, a representative and promi
nent citizen of Potter township, Centre county,
was born August 21, 1824, upon a farm near
Sprucetown, where the birth of his father oc
curred October 22, 1796.
The family, which is quite numerous in
Penn's Valley, was founded in Centre county, by
Peter Wolf, the great-grandfather of our subject,
who came from Carlisle, Penn., in the latter part
of the seventeenth century. He had previously
visited what is now Centre county, and being im
pressed with the locality returned to Cumberland
county, where he owned considerable property,

292

COMMEMORATIVE. BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

which he at once disposed of with the intention
of buying in Centre county. He received Conti
nental money for his property in Cumberland,
and by the time he got to Penn's Valley he found
it was worthless to pay for his land there. He
located in the portion of Potter township which
was known as Wolf's Den, wild wolves being
very plentiful in that neighborhood, and with the
aid of his family succeeded by improvement in
securing a home. The deed to the land was ob
tained by Abraham Wolf, June 18, 1810 (after
the death of his father), grandfather of our sub
ject, and a portion of it is now in the possession
of John Wolf, the subject of this review.
Abraham Wolf, who throughout life followed
the occupation of farming, was married in Cum
berland county, Penn., to a Miss Shauffner, and
to them were born seven children — three sons
and four daughters — namely: (1) Catharine,
who married (first) John Hennigh, and (second)
Phillip Grove. There was one daughter by her
second marriage, who when about seventeen
years of age, along with two other children, dur
ing the absence of their parents in Penn's Valley,
at a camp meeting, was burned to death, their
house it is supposed being set on fire by some
men who were fishing at night by the aid of light
from pine knots. , Mrs. Grove, some years after
her husband's death, went to live with her son,
Jacob Hennigh, in Illinois, and there died. (2)
Peter was the father of our subject. (3) Peggy
married John Decker, and died in Potter town
ship. (4) Jacob's death occurred in Illinois. (5)
Polly K. married James McBride, and died in
Venango county, Penn. (6) John, who was twice
married, died in Kansas. His first wife was
Mary Wagner, a cousin of our subject (daughter
of his mother's sister); she died when her first
child, a daughter, was born, and both were
buried in one coffin. They resided at Spruce
town, Penn., and the interment was made in
Egghill cemetery, the second grave made there.
(7) Elizabeth married Samuel Friese, and resides
in Wisconsin. The parents of this family passed
away in Centre county, and lie buried in what is
now known as Tusseyville cemetery (then the
Loop cemetery), Potter township.
Peter Wolf, the father, was a weaver by
trade, which occupation he followed through the
winter season, while in the summer he engaged
in farming. He married Sally Ream, of Penn
township, Centre county, after which he located
upon the old home farm of his father (at that
time deceased), taking the farm at the appraise
ment. Here his wife died in 1831, and her
remains were interred in Tusseyville cemetery.
To this marriage there were born five children:

Mary, who married Samuel Harter, and died in
Iowa; Margaret, the wife of George Newcomer,
of Iowa; John, the subject of this sketch; George,
a prominent citizen of Freeport, 111., who served
for one term as judge in Stephenson county, and
died in September, 1896; and Peter, a resident
of Dakota, 111. After the death of his first wife,
the father married Catharine Karr, of Union
county, Penn., who also died on the old home
stead, and lies buried at Egghill. Two children
were born to this union: Leah, who died when
young; and Catharine (now Mrs. Thomas Toot),
of Bellefonte, Penn. After the death of his
second wife, the father broke up housekeeping,
and died at the home of his son, Peter, near
Dakota, 111. , at the age of eighty-six years. He
was a tall, robust man, and was successful in his
farming operations, succeeding in accumulating a
comfortable competence. In early life he was a
Lutheran, but later joined the Albright Church;
in politics he regularly supported the Democratic
party. John Wolf began his education at the Long
Bridge school, in Potter township, under the in
struction of Timothy Ladd, who came from the
State of Maine. He was a cripple, and had
always to keep his seat, being unable to walk.
Mr. Ladd returned to Maine, and lived to be
ninety-six years of age. This was a subscription
school. The first free school that Mr. Wolf
attended was at Egghill, one of the best country
schools of the township, his teacher, at that
time, being William Toner. When about seven
teen years of age, he left home to learn the
cabinet-maker's trade, in Millheim, under Samuel
Harter. During his apprenticeship of two and
one-half years, he received only his board and
clothes and a two-weeks' vacation in harvest, at
which interval he worked for fifty cents per day,
thus securing spending money. For some time
he continued to follow that trade, and when it
was dull, he worked at carpentering. He went to
Pittsburg, Penn. , after the big fire there, in the
spring of 1 8*45, but not finding desirable employ
ment, he, along with five other men and a
woman, went by boat to Cincinnati, Ohio. The
fare from Pittsburg to Cincinnati was seventy-five
cents each, and provisions twenty-five cents
each, the trip, which occupied two days and two
nights, thereby costing the party one dollar
apiece, the woman doing the cooking for them,.
and at the end of their journey they still had
some provisions left over.
While in Cincinnati Mr. Wolf worked for one
week for his board; then he worked two weeks in
Dayton, Ohio, and after paying for his board had
just $2.25 left. Later he found employment i»

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

293

the harvest fields in Perry county, Ohio, at fifty
cents per day. From Ohio he went with another
man, helping him for his expense in taking horses to
N Washington, D. C. , where he had the pleasure of
seeing President Polk, and from there he re
turned on fcpt to his old home in Potter town
ship. To this Mr. Wolf adds the following:
"On my way from Ohio to Washington, D. C. ,
I traveled through Maryland and Virginia, and
was there an eyewitness to some of the effects of
slavery. I saw one woman and her daughter
(about eight years old) driven away, while the
husband and father had to remain behind. The
little girl cried for her ' papa ' to go along, but
not being sold with the 'lot', he could not go.
It was this selling and breaking up of families
that was so hard for the poor slaves, otherwise
they were cared for better than the free negroes,
or even most poor white people are". While on
this trip Mr. Wolf saw the first railroad cars that
his eyes ever beheld. They were on the road
from Baltimore to Cumberland, Md. In the
spring of 1846 he went to Freeport, 111., in com
pany with his sister Margaret, and her husband,
finding board and doing the cooking on the way,
the journey being made in a wagon. Their trip
was one that took them six weeks to make. This
route was by way of Chicago, in which city they
passed along Lake street, which was the muddiest
piece of road on the route from Centre Hill, Penn. ,
to Freeport, 111. During the summer at Freeport
he assisted in roofing the first brick house in the
city. During the following winter and spring he
worked at the carpenter's trade in Plainfield,
Will Co., 111., for $10 per month and board, and
in 1847 went with surveyors to the Black river
valley in Wisconsin, before that State had been
admitted to the Union, and while there were still
Indians there. The country was very wild, the
party walking for days and days through dense
pine forests and over swamps.
In the fall of 1 847 Mr. Wolf returned to Pot
ter township, Centre Co., Penn., where, on Jan
uary 1, 1852, he was married to Miss Rebecca
P. Sankey, who was born in 1828, in Nittany
Valley, Clinton county, a daughter of James and
Rebecca (Pennington) Sankey. Three children
blessed their union: (1) Virginia, wife of David
R- Sweet wood, of Potter township; they have
four children— Charles M., Franklin W., Jennie
A. and Verna C. (2) James, who died at the
age of twenty-three years. (3) Sally, who was
twice married, the first time to James Lee, by
whom she had one son — Rufus Lee; her second
husband is Jacob Kamp, of Lock Haven, Penn.,
by whom she has two children— Edna C. and
John W. The mother of this family died in De

cember, 1876, and was buried in the Sprucetown
cemetery. Later, the father married Miss Jen
nie E. Kohler, and they have one child — Mary
M., at home. Our subject had purchased prop
erty near the Sprucetown Church, where for two
years after his first marriage he made his home,
working at carpentering, then removing to a
farm owned by his father, and located in the
northwest part of Potter township. On this
farm, years before the Indians left the Valley,
they killed a white man and took a young lady a
prisoner. During the eleven years he resided
on that place, Mr. Wolf followed farming ex
clusively. In 1865 he purchased a portion of
the old Wolf homestead near Sprucetown
Church, and erected thereon good and sub
stantial buildings, where he continued to reside
until his removal, in 1890, to his present place
adjoining the farm. Renting his farm, he has
now practically laid aside business cares, and is
enjoying a well-earned rest. Mr. Wolf began
life without means, and may properly be num
bered among the self-made men of Centre coun
ty, who have attained a good position among
their fellow-citizens by the exercise of their na
tive resolution and industry. At the time he
started for Illinois he had just thirteen dollars in
money to go on. To secure a competence he
has also kept in view the good of the community,
and he is one of the first men to be approached
in the inauguration of any enterprise tending to
build up the township and the welfare of its peo
ple. He cast one of the only two votes deposited
in Potter township for Fremont in 1856, and also
supported Lincoln at each election; but for the
past twenty years he has been a Prohibitionist.
During the Civil war (in the last draft made in
1865) he was drafted, but sent another man in
his place, paying him $550. He keeps himself
well posted in regard to current events, espe
cially matters pertaining to prohibition, and
justly deserves to be numbered among the hon
ored and valued residents of Centre county. He
has never united with any Church.
The following account of a trip made by Mr.
Wolf, as one of a surveying party, from Free-
port, 111., into Wisconsin in 1847 when the coun
try was new, in thus graphically described by
him: "We started from Freeport, 111., went
on foot with two horses with pack-saddles to the
Mississippi river, which we crossed on a ferry
boat to Dubuque, Iowa. We had to wait there
nearly a week before there was any boat going
up the river. While there I saw the first Indians
coming east to Indiana, where they had a Re
serve. The chief could talk some English and
told us there was no game in Iowa, and couldn't

^94

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

live there. They crossed the river on the ferry
boat, which required several trips. After the
first load had gone the chief knew what the
price was for each Indian, pony and so on. He
then got his money ready for the next load, and
he appealed to Mr. Strohm, who was also from
Centre county, Penn., and myself to see whether
he was correct in his count, and said to us
'whiteman will cheat Indian.' We finally got
a chance to go on a steamboat as far up the river
as LaCrosse, Wis. , which was as far as the boat
went. We had to stay there several days (as
boats seldom went farther up the river). At
that point, and at that time there were seven
little buildings only, in all were kept flour,
whiskey and some few groceries. The day after
we arrived at LaCrosse, we were looking around,
and were told by those keeping one of the larg
est stores there, that all of them were out of
flour and whiskey. The day before when the
boat came they all got a new supply, and he had
retailed one barrel .of whiskey and half a barrel
of flour, mostly to the Indians, as there were
scarcely any white people at that place. The
boss of our party hired a small boat, about thirty
feet long, which we pushed along with long
poles, which reached the bottom of the river.
There was one place the water was so deep that
we could not reach the bed of the river and we
had to cross over to the Iowa side, and had to
paddle the boat with our hands and with little bits
of boards that happened to be on the boat. We
were taken some distance down stream and the
same occurred in getting back to the Wisconsin
side, where we found the mouth of the Black
river. ' ' The second evening after, on Black river, we
stopped to get our supper, there came a few Indians
to us and wanted some whiskey, but we had none.
We had two barrels of mess-pork, which they
thought were barrels of whiskey, so we had some
trouble to make them understand the situation
as they could not speak English, and we couldn't
talk to them only by motions. They could say
'whiskey,' and would point to the barrels
and to their mouths. They went away,
but soon returned and brought a few more In
dians with them, and a large fish weighing about
thirty pounds, and also about a gallon of whor
tleberries which they wanted to trade for whis
key. We showed them the barrel of pork that we
had opened, but they insisted for us to open the
other barrel. Finally we got them convinced
that we had no whiskey. We gave them some
pork, bread and some money for the fish and
berries, and then they left in peace. After we
got up the river we stopped at a lumber camp

and then we went about seven miles south of the
river where some surveyors had been before we
went there. They had run the land into town
ships, and we were to run the section lines. At one
place we got on a high ridge, one side of which
was straight up and down, and on looking around
to see the sights I stepped on a big rock that lay
nearly on a balance over-hanging the other
rocks. This nearly pitched me over, but I
stepped back and told Strohm that it wouldn't
take much to tumble it over, which we did with
very little lifting, and when it struck below it
broke into many pieces, which we could see roll
ing down into ' the valley. I just thought we
would put it out of the way for somebody might
go there some time, and step on it as I did, and
tumble over. Well we did not finish the sur
veying as one of our men got hurt in one of his
legs, and we had nothing with us to doctor him
with, so the boss took him to the river, and
he went home. After this I did his work (which
was that of flagman) and my own, too (which
was marking lines and corners). About a week
later one of the chain carriers ran away. He
went to the Black river, where he picked up a little
boat and went back to Galena, 111. Mr. Strohm
and I helped him away without the boss knowing
it, we were both tired of the job; then we could
not go on with the work, so the four of us that
were left started for Freeport, 111. , on foot withi
the two horses. We were four days in getting to
the first little settlement, and we had only taken
provision for three days, the distance being some
ninety miles, so the last day we had nothing but
coffee. The settlers were out of flour, but had
a little cornmeal and milk, so we had mush and
milk for supper. The settlers had sixty miles to
go for flour. The next day we got to another
settlement and soon were provided for. "
The reason for Mr. Wolf's going to Illinois
was that in the east there was little work to be
found at such wages as would satisfy him. Wages
were low. He had been offered work at his
trade at eight dollars per month, but he was to
furnish his own tools, and was required to pay
his board on Sundays, and his laundry. He had
been offered six dollars a month and board to
drive a team, but this he declined as the hours
were long — from 6 a. m. to 6 p. M.- — with other
unsatisfactory features about it. This was in
the spring of 1846. That same year, while in
Chicago, he applied to a cabinet-maker for work,
and was offered employment at piece work as
follows: for making a breakfast table, seventy-
five cents; for making a bedstead, forty cents;.
and all other kinds of work in proportion. At
that time it took a workman two days or longer

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

295

to make a table, so Mr. Wolf figured that at
such prices he could make about thirty-eight
cents per day. These prices were without board
and lodging, which was three dollars per week.
On Mr. Wolf's stating that he did not see how
men could work for such prices, his reply, in
substance, was that foreigners coming to that
city would do it as they could live on about five
cents a day. Mr. Wolf could then do about as
much work as any other man, but he could not
live on five cents a day or compete with men
who did.
C\HARLES GUMMO is numbered among the
' leading and enterprising farmers of Patton
township, Centre county, and is also a stone
mason by trade. He comes from ' ' over the
sea," his birth having occurred in Wittenberg,
Germany, March 24, 1827, and is a son of
Charles and Elizabeth (Behrer) Gummo, both
now deceased, the former dying in 1830, and the
latter in 1888. They were the parents of four
children, the others being Madaline, wife of B.
Ruskin; Caroline, who married, and reared a
family; and John, who married, and spent his en
tire life in the Fatherland.
In the land of his nativity Charles Gummo
was reared and educated, and in 1852 he married
Frederica Bardt. In the following year he sailed
with his wife for America, landing in New York
May 19, 1853. He was the only one of his fam
ily who ever sought a home in the New World,
but here he has prospered, and is the owner of a
good farm of forty acres in Patton township,
Centre Co. , Penn. , which is under a high state
of cultivation and well improved with good and
substantial buildings. Before coming to this
country he had served for four years in the Ger
man army, was therefore well drilled and dis
ciplined, and during the dark days of our Civil
war, enlisted in the Union army September 14,
1864. On the battle field he was a brave and
fearless soldier, and for meritorious conduct was
promoted to lieutenant in the spring of 1865.
Among the important engagements in which he
participated was the battle of Stony Creek.
When the war was over and his services were no
longer needed he was honorably discharged June
7, 1865, and returned home.
Thirteen children have been born to Mr. and
Mrs. Gummo, namely: Charles F., who is mar
ried, and living in Wisconsin; Frederick, who is
married, and is a farmer of Pine Grove Mills,
Centre county; Elizabeth, wife of Samuel Dun
lap, also of Pine Grove Mills; Andrew, married,
and engaged in farming in Patton township, Cen
tre county; George, married, and also a farmer

of the same township; William, a resident of
Wisconsin; John, who is married and is an agri
culturist of Pine Grove Mills; Emma, wife of Ed
ward Louck, a farmer of Ferguson township,
Centre county; David, who is married and is
fireman in a sawmill in Patton township; Katha
rine, now a resident of California; Minnie, at
home; and two children who died in early child
hood. Since casting his first vote in i860, Mr.
Gummo has been a stalwart Democrat in politics.
Socially he is connected with the Grange, while
in religion he is a member of the United Breth
ren Church. That he is true and loyal to the
interests of his adopted country was manifest
by his service in the Civil war, and for injuries
sustained in that struggle he now receives a pen
sion of $12 per month.

/GEORGE B. WEAVER, a valued and es-
^yp teemed resident of Rebersburg, was formerly
an agriculturist of Miles township, Centre coun
ty, and enjoyed more than ordinary success, but
has now laid aside the cares and responsibilities
of active business life, and is enjoying a well-
earned rest. He was born in Miles township, in
August, 1 82 1, a son of John Weaver, also a na
tive of Centre county, whose father was one of
the pioneers of Brush Valley, coming from
southern Pennsylvania to Centre county in the
latter part of the eighteenth century. He was a
farmer, and reared a large family, several of
whom died in Brush Valley, others being scat
tered over the West.
John Weaver for his first wife wedded a Miss
Fallgate, by whom he had one daughter, Sally,
who became the wife of John Kreamer, and died
in Brush Valley. After the death of the mother,
Mr. Weaver wedded Polly Brungart, and to them
were born five children: Jacob, who died un
married at the age of fifty-five years; John, who
died in Brush Valley at the advanced age of eighty
years; Henry, who died in the same place;
George B., of this review; and Susan, who mar
ried Daniel Kreamer, and died in Rebersburg.
The father was a distiller and farmer by occupa
tion, and was very successful in his business
ventures, owning three valuable farms. He was
a man of about five' feet, eleven inches in height,
very robust in his younger days, and at the time
of his death, which occurred when he had
reached the advanced age of ninety years, he
was still well preserved, retaining his vitality to a
remarkable degree. His second wife died at the
age of seventy-seven, and was laid by his side in
the cemetery of Rebersburg. They held mem-

296

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

bership in the Reformed Church, and in politics
he was a Democrat.
Upon the home farm George B. Weaver was
reared, his education being obtained in the sub
scription schools of the neighborhood, which he
was only able to attend about three months dur
ing each year as his services were needed on the
farm. After the plowing, sowing and reaping
were completed, the grain had to be threshed by
tramping it out, and this was done during the
winter season, so that it left little time for him
to attend school. At the age of ten years he be
gan hauling wood by ox-team for his father's dis
tillery. In January, 1843, he was married, in
Miles township, to Miss Sallie Harper, who was
born in Brush Valley, in 1822, a daughter of
George and Elizabeth (Kreamer) Harper. They
became the parents of three children: Fietta
(now Mrs. S. Krumrine); Joanna, wife of Prof.
C. L. Gramley; and Delia, at home.
' Mr. Weaver began his domestic life upon
one of his father's farms, which he later pur
chased and still owns. In the early days he had
to haul all his grain and produce to Lewisburg,
and it took two or three days to make the round
trip as the road was very rough and steep, and
often four or six horses were required to haul a
load of fifty or sixty bushels of grain. Mr.
Weaver remained upon the farm until April 4,
1868, when he removed to Rebersburg, where
he is now living a retired life in the pleasant and
comfortable home which he there purchased.
However, he still own? an excellent farm in
Miles township.
In his political views Mr. Weaver is a Demo
crat, and has served his fellow citizens in the
capacity of overseer of the poor. He is a genial,
jovial gentleman, always cheerful, and therefore
an excellent companion. He has endeavored to
live peaceably with all men, having never had
but two lawsuits, both of which he won. Straight
forward and honorable in all things, he enjoys
the confidence and respect of his. fellow citizens
in a high degree. For many years he and his
estimable wife have been active members of the
Reformed Church of Rebersburg, to which they
have been liberal contributors, and Mr. Weaver
served on the building committee at the time of
the erection of the house of worship. They have
celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary, and
during the many years that have come and gone
since they started out on life's journey together
they have shared with each other its joys and sor
rows, and faithfully born their part of its trials, so
that now in their declining years they can look
back over a useful and well-spent life with no re
grets.

WILLIAM WALKER. But few men live
beyond their eighth decade, and fewer
still attain that age with faculties unimpaired and
a memory that records vividly the events of the
past. The gentleman whose name opens this
sketch, a highly respected citizen of Rebersburg,
Centre county, enjoys this distinction, and he
and his estimable wife, now seventy-six years of
age, are spending the fifty-eighth year of wedded
life, free from the ills which too often accompany
advanced age.
Mr. Walker is a worthy representative of a
prominent pioneer family, and was born in Brush
Valley, Centre county, March 24, 1816, the son
of John Walker, who died in 1858, at the age of
eighty-six, and his wife, MaryM. (Gramley), who
lived past the limit of three score and ten, dying
in 1852. John Walker was a native of North
ampton county, Penn. , and came to this section
about 1790, as a young man, finding employ
ment at driving a team for the furnaces of Nit
tany Valley. He was the first of the family to
come to Centre county, but later his brother
Philip settled there and became prominent as a
pioneer, Walker township being named in his
honor. John W7alker's marriage took place in Brush
Valley, where his wife's father, Francis Gramley,
was a leading citizen. Soon after this event Mr.
Walker returned to his old home, and spent a
short time before settling permanently in Centre
county. He chose agriculture as an occupa
tion, and his first farm, in Brush Valley, is
now, after the lapse of more than a century, still
in the possession of the family, Thomas W.
W7alker, a son of our subject, owning and occu
pying it at present. John Walker also became
the owner of a farm in Sugar Valley, and his in
dustry and systematic and judicious management
of his property gained him a substantial fortune.
He was a heavy-set man, and our subject re
sembles him greatly in build. His interest in
public affairs, national and local, was keen, and
his regard for the Democratic party was second
only to that which he felt for his Church, the
Lutheran. He and his wife were both devout
followers of that faith, and he held office in the
Church for many years. Their remains were
laid to rest in the cemetery at Rebersburg.
Our subject was the youngest in a family of
six children, and is the only survivor. Catherine
(Mrs. Jacob Snyder) died in Clinton county in her
ninety-fourth year; John, a farmer, died in Illi
nois; Daniel, who died in Miles township at the
age of eighty-two, was one of the wealthy farm
ers of his time ; Rebecca married George Neff, and
died in Sugar Valley, Clinton county; and Mary

rypr) ffam^-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

297

married Benjamin Wheland, and lived to be
more than eighty years of age, her death occur
ring in Illinois.
Mr. Walker, of thisreview, was educated ac
cording to the customs of the early day, attend
ing school for a few weeks in the winter season
in a small log house that stood on one corner of
his father's farm. Threshing was then a winter
occupation, and it was his duty to guide the
horses as they tramped out the grain on the
barn floor. Only when this annual task was
completed could he secure an opportunity for
study at school. His life was that of the typical
pioneer farmer, with home-spun clothes, plain but
abundant food, and plenty of work. He devel
oped into a stout, healthy youth, and at -sixteen
could work beside any hired man, and ' ' keep up "
without difficulty. His liking for system in his
work was early shown, and even when a boy his
furrows when plowing were always straight. His
father was not active in farm work, and the elder
sons left home as they reached manhood, and
thus much responsibilty fell" to our subject, who
at sixteen had practically assumed the manage
ment. In 1849 he bought the place, which con
tained about 165 acres. He was unusually suc
cessful financially, and at one time owned three
large farms, one of 140 acres, being in Stephen
son county, 111. At present he owns 172 acres
near Rebersburg, and several town lots aside from
that upon which his handsome residence stands.
This he bought in 1872 at a cost of $3,000, the
lot covering five acres, and since that date he has
resided there.
In January, 1840, Mr. Walker was married,
in Miles township, to Miss Polly Smull, who was
born near Rebersburg in 1821, the daughter of
Henry and Elizabeth (Royer) Smull. The chil-
•dren of this union were Amanda (now Mrs. Peter
Kessler, of Rebersburg); Ira J., a farmer of Ste
phenson county, 111. , married Maria, daughter of
Simon Peck; Jestie M., who died at the age of
forty- four years, unmarried; Wilson T. , residing
near Dacotah, 111., married Kate Zimmerman;
Thomas W. , of Miles township, living on a farm
which has been in the Walker family over one
hundred years, married Annie, daughter of Sam
uel and Elizabeth Loose, of Rebersburg, Penn. ;
Emma (now Mrs. A. F. Vonada, of Coburn);
Mary M. (now Mrs. J. F. Garthoff, of Coburn).
Mr. Walker is justly proud of his children, and
has given nearly $5,000 to give them a start in
life. The mother departed this life in May, 1897,
aged seventy-six years.
Mr. Walker has always been prominent in
local affairs, and has held various township offi
ces. He is a Democrat, and votes regularly,

having missed but one election since 1837. He
and his wife are leading members of the Lutheran
Church, in which he has served as deacon, elder
and trustee. He is a liberal giver to the cause,
and donated $400 when the church was built at
Rebersburg.

iT^VEORGE DURST is now retired from the
%£t active labors of life, and occupies a com
fortable home in Centre Hall, Centre county.
His has been a long and busy career, with little
time for idleness along the thoroughfare of life,
where he has left his mark, and may truly feel
that he has not lived in vain. He is a native of
Centre county, born January 3, 1832, in Potter
township, where for many years he was exten
sively and successfully engaged in agricultural
pursuits. George Durst, Sr. , father of our subject, was
born in Lebanon county, Penn., October 12,
1 80 1, whence when a boy he was brought to
Centre county by his parents, Peter and Barbara
(Peters) Durst, also natives of Lebanon county.
They located in Potter township, one mile west
of Earlystown, where Peter Durst followed
farming throughout his active business life, own
ing at one time three good farms. He lived to
be quite old, and was buried at Tusseyville by
the side of his wife, Both were devout members
of the Lutheran Church. In their family were
the following children: Peter, who died in Cen
tre Hall; John, who died in Mercer county,
Penn. ; George; Daniel, who died in Potter town
ship; William, who died in Kansas; Maria, who
married Daniel Musser, and died in Freeport,
111. ; Sarah, who married John Smith, and died
in Union county, Penn.; Elizabeth, who married
George Smehl, and died in Clearfield county,
Penn. ; and Catharine, who married John Neff,
and died in Centre Hall.
When a boy, George Durst, Sr., began
learning the wagon maker's trade, but, not liking
it, turned his attention to farming, in which he
met with excellent success. After his marriage
he located upon a place his father owned in Pot
ter township, and later purchased a farm one
mile west of Earlystown, where our subject was
born. There he continued to live until the
spring of 1848, when he removed to a farm in
Potter township, near the Gregg township line,
having purchased the same of Col. Andrew
Gregg. There he made his home during the. re
mainder of his active business career, and going
to Centre Hall lived retired for several years.
Trading his town property for country land, he
lived upon the place for a short time, but again

298

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

returned to Centre Hall, where his death occurred
March 8, 1882. He was buried at that place, as
was also his wife, who died while visiting her son
Hiram in Gregg township, June 25, 1878. She
was a member of the Reformed Church, while
Mr. Durst held membership in the Lutheran
Church. In politics he was always a Democrat,
but cared nothing for official distinction. He
was a robust man, of powerful build, and being
industrious, energetic and progressive, met with
remarkable success in his undertakings, owning
at one time five excellent farms. When his chil
dren started out in life for themselves he also
assisted them very materially.
In Harris township, Centre county, George
Durst, Sr. was married to Catharine Meyers, who
was born in Campbelltown, Penn., January 16,
1804, and in 1823 came to Centre county with
her parents, Henry and Elizabeth (Hurst)
Meyers. They located near Boalsburg, where
her father purchased a large tract of land. He
was born in 1767, and died April 19, 1844. He
was a representative of the third generation of
this numerous family in the United States, his
father being Christopher Meyers. The grand
father came from Germany and located perma-
manently near the source of Mill creek, in what
is now Lancaster county, Penn. Mrs. Meyers
was born in 1779, and died May 22, 1859. She
was the mother of six children: Philip, Jacob,
Catharine (the mother of our subject), Henry,
Joseph and Mary.
Mr. Durst, the subject proper of this review,
is the fourth in order of birth in a family of eight
children, the others being as follows: Joseph is
a retired farmer living near Mifflinsburg, Penn.
Cyrus is a retired farmer living near Boals
burg, Centre county; Priscilla married Henry
Dale, and died in Ferguson township, Centre
county; Elizabeth makes her home in Centre
Hall; John H. , who was a member of the 148th
P. V. I. during the Civil war, was wounded at
the battle of Gettysburg, and died at the hospital
in Harrisburg, Penn; Philip is an agriculturist
of Potter township, and Hiram is a farmer of
Gregg township, Centre county.
Our subject began his education at the Fair
field school house in Potter township under the
direction of Uriah Slack, but as his services
were needed on the home farm his education was
limited. At the age of sixteen he accompanied
his parents to Gregg township, where he assisted
in the development and cultivation of his father's
extensive farm, comprising over 400 acres, and
continued under the parental roof until his mar
riage, giving his parents the benefit of his serv
ices even after he had attained his majority.

In Juniata county, Penn., February 8, 1859,
Mr. Durst wedded Miss Sabina Shellenberger,
who was born in Fayette township, that county,
July 26, 1828, a daughter of John and Catharine
(Kiester) Shellenberger, the former also a native
of Fayette township, and the latter of Buffalo
Vailey, Union Co., Penn. By occupation the
father was a tanner and farmer. Mrs. Durst
was the second in order of birth in a family of
nine children — four sons and five daughters —
and obtained a fair education for her time. By
her marriage she has become the mother of two
children: William H., born April 9, 1861, is a
farmer of Potter township; and Adda J., born in
April, 1863, is the wife of A. P. Krape, of Cen
tre Hall.
Mr. Durst began housekeeping upon a part
of his father's large farm, which had been sold to
his brother, Joseph, who, at that time, was
desirous of selling out. The house was an old
log structure, which served as a dwelling until
1887, when our subject built as good a residence
as is to be found in Potter township. In 1886 he
removed to a small house, which he had pur
chased, near his farm, while his son-in-law
operated the home place; but in 1889 he returned
to the farm. In the spring of 1894, however, he
came to Centre Hall, where he is now enjoying a
well-earned rest, free from the cares and respon
sibilities of business life. However,' he still owns
a farm of 125 acres in Potter township, and nine
acres adjoining Centre Hall. Although he has
ever been a hard-working man, he is still well-
preserved. Politically, he is a supporter of Dem
ocratic principles; in religious faith he is a mem
ber of the Reformed Church. He takes a genu
ine interest in the enterprises set on foot for the
progress and welfare of his adopted county, and
takes high rank among the leading and repre
sentative citizens of the community.

JACOB S. MEYER, a leading citizen and
farmer of Penn township, Centre county, is a
representative of one of the oldest and most
highly respected families of central Pennsylvania.
The first of the family to cross the Atlantic
to America is supposed to have borne the name
of Henry Meyer, who was a native of Palatinate,
Prussia, and arrived here some time between the
years 1721 and 1725. The spelling of the name
has often been changed, and the Mayers and
Moyers of Centre county belong to the same
family of which our subject is a member. His
father has always spelled the name Moyer, which
practice had its origin in rather a peculiar way.
While at school, a copy was written by his

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

299

teacher, in which the. name was spelled Moyer,
and the pupils told that such was correct. Im
pressed with theknowledge of their teacher, they
have retained the spelling until recent years,
when the error was rectified, and the proper
spelling adopted by quite a number, including our
subject. An extensive genelaogy of the Meyer
family has been compiled by Hon. Henry Meyer,
of Rebersburg, Centre county — a volume which
reflects credit upon the author, as it has required
years of research and much travel to complete.
On coming to the New World, Henry Meyer
located in the southeastern part of Lebanon
(then Lancaster county), Penn., near the beau
tiful spring which forms the source of Mill brook.
In his family were four sons and one or two
daughters, but nothing is known of the latter.
John lived upon the old farm in Lebanon county,
where he died December n, 1786. Jacob left
Lebanon county in 1768, and with his family
located in that part of Penn township, Centre
county, which is now Snyder county, where he
died, and he now lies buried in Freeburg, Penn.
Christopher was the great-grandfather of our
subject. Michael never married.
Christopher Meyer owned a large tract of
land near Campbelltown, Lebanon county,
where he made his home, and there died August
2, 1810. His children were Henry, John, Mi
chael, Jacob, Christopher, George, Catharine,
Christina and Mary. Of this family, Jacob
Meyer was the grandfather of our subject. He
was born March 25, 1774, and on reaching man
hood married Anna Sheller, who was born in
Lancaster county, December 25, 1775, and was
a daughter of Adam Sheller. Eight children
graced their union, namely: Elizabeth, born
February 26, 1801, married Henry Witmer, and
died in Centre Hall, Penn., in 1868; Jacob, born
August 5, 1802, died September 14, 1867, at
Penn Hall; Nancy, born September 14, 1804,
married Samuel Kryder, and died September
23, 1886; Catharine, born January 1, 1806, died
in Penn township, Centre county, in March,
1894; Mary, born December 7, 1807, married
Jacob Fisher, and died in Illinois; Susan, born
November 30, 1808, died in Penn township,
August 13, 1873; Christopher, born in October,
1 8 12, was a farmer of Penn township, where he
died June 2, 1 873 ; and John, the father of our sub
ject, completes the family.
In March, 1828, the grandfather came to
Penn township, locating on the pike west of
Millheim, and became one of the most substan
tial farmers of Penn's Valley. On coming to the
county he had practically laid aside active busi
ness cares, but purchased 270 acres of fine land

for the benefit of his children, whom he left in
comfortable circumstances. His death occurred
September 25, 1853, while his wife died March
25, 1850, and both were interred in the Heck
man cemetery. He was a man of fine physique,
over six feet in height, of a most kindly dispo
sition, making no enemies, and always sacrificing
himself to avoid a quarrel. He was a prominent
member of the Penns Creek Church , Reformed and
Lutheran, to which he was a liberal contributor,
and was a stanch Democrat in politics.
The birth of John Meyer occurred in Annville
township, Lebanon county, September 14, 18 14,
and he was therefore fourteen years of age at the
time of his removal with his parents to Centre
county. In school he learned very rapidly, and
was soon able to read and write both English
and German, whilst in mathematics he surpassed
most of the scholars who were several years his
senior. When a young man he clerked in the
store of his brother-in-law, Mr. Witmer, at
Aaronsburg, but, aside from this and several
terms passed in teaching, his life has been that
of a farmer. He taught the Cross Road school,
in Gregg township, Centre county, in 1842, when
seventy-five pupils were enrolled, some studying
German, the others English. Teachers were
then required to pass an examination only in
reading, writing, orthography and arithmetic,
and never but once was he examined in geogra
phy. For four terms he engaged in teaching at
$17 per month, out of which he had to board
himself. On June 16, 1853, in Penn township, John
Meyer was united in marriage with Miss Eleanor
Smith, who was born October 1, 1827, in what
was then Gregg but is now Penn township. Her
parents, Francis and Anna (Koons) Smith, were
natives of Dauphin county, Penn. , but were mar
ried in Centre county, and had seven children::
John, who died in Smithtown, Penn township;
Joseph, who lives in Gregg township; Eleanor,
mother of our subject; William, who died in
Penn township; Mary, wife of Eli Smith, of
Penn township; Robert, who died in Gregg town
ship; and Jacob, formerly a resident of Potter
township, Centre county, now deceased. The
father of this family died when over eighty years
of age, while his wife had passed her eighty-fifth
birthday. Both were members of the Evangelical-
Church, and politically he was a Democrat. By
trade he was both a mason and cooper. To the
parents of our subject were born but two chil
dren, the other being John F. , who was born
December 12, 1856, and died December 16,
1863. After his marriage, John Meyer located on

300

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

the farm where he has since resided, it being the
homestead of his father, who left it to his three
sons, John, Jacob and Christopher, while to his
daughters he gave money. For many years John
operated the place in partnership with Jacob, but
on the latter's death purchased the entire amount,
to which he has since added the farm of his fa
ther-in-law, making a valuable tract of 275 acres.
His political support has always been given the
Democracy, and he has been called upon to fill
almost every township office, beiag assessor for
three terms, school director, tax collector, over
seer of the poor, supervisor, auditor and clerk of
election. On Octobor 23, 1880, he was elected
elder of the Salem Reformed Church, of which
he has been a prominent member for years, and
he not only contributed liberally toward the erec
tion of the house of worship, but boarded the
mechanics during its construction at the lowest
possible price. Previously to being made elder
he served as deacon of the congregation. He is
exceptionally well preserved for a man of his age,
in full possession of his mental faculty, and as
his tastes have always inclined him to reading
and study, he is well informed on the current is
sues and questions of the day.
Upon the farm which is still his home, Jacob
S. Meyer, the subject proper of this review, was
born April 13, 1854, and in the country schools
of the neighborhood he obtained his elementary
education, his first teacher being Mary Stephen.
After completing his literary course in the acad
emy at Penn Hall, he was licensed to teach, and
for one term had charge of the Murray school in
Gregg township.
On December 20, 1874, in Aaronsburg, Mr.
Meyer was married, by Rev. Cyrus H. Reiter, of
the Reformed Church, to Miss Susan C. Bitner,
who was born in Potter township, Centre county,
September 7, 1854, and was the fourth in order
of birth in the family of eight children of Jacob
and Catharine (Catherman) Bitner, farming peo
ple. The Catherman family was a remarkable
one, Mrs. Bitner attending a re-union when the
entire family of seventeen were all present, and
this being after they had reached adult age.
Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs.
Meyer: (1) John F., born March 11, 1875, is a
very bright and promising young man, a graduate
of Franklin and Marshall College, which he en
tered at the age of fifteen, in September, 1890.
He graduated in June, 1894, having taken first
honor of his class. He then turned his attention
to the profession of teaching, and in September,
1894, was elected principal of the public schools
of Alexandria, Huntingdon Co., Penn. In the
fall of 1896 he resigned his position, being elected

assistant principal of F. an.d M. Academy, where
he taught one year, but resigned in June, 1897.
Not being satisfied with the standard of his pro
fession, he entered Johns Hopkins University,
Baltimore, Md.,in September, 1897. (2) Harry
N., born May 19,. 1877, is a successful teacher
with a bright future before him. Not being sat
isfied with what he received in the public schools
at home, he entered the Millersville State Nor
mal, Lancaster county, Penn., in September,
1897, in order to fit himself for the profession of
teaching. (3) Eleanor B., born September 26,.
1879, has inherited a taste for music, possessing
great natural talents for the art, which are stim
ulated to rapid development by the atmosphere
of music prevading her father's home. (4) Cath
erine, born January 18, 1890, and (5) Helen G.,
born July 20, 1892, are also at home.
Being a fine vocalist, Mr. Meyer has engaged
in teaching singing during the winter seasons.
He is a warm supporter of the Democratic party,
and has served as assessor five terms, supervisor
and school director. In the Salem Reformed
Church, in which he and his wife hold member
ship, he is at present secretary of the Consistory,
and leader of the choir; is very active in all
Church work, and in fact gives his earnest sup-
port to all worthy objects which are for the ben
efit of the community. A great reader, he is
well posted on all the questions of the day, and
does all in his power to advance the educational
interests of the township by elevating the stand
ard of its schools.

JOHN A. DALEY, an enterprising and pro
gressive agriculturist of Centre county, now
living in Curtin township, was born in Spring
township, April 19, 1842. His father, Jeremiah
Daley, was a native of County Donegal, Ireland,
whence he came to Centre county, in the sum
mer of 1830. His parents, John and Bridget
(Mennan) Daley, also natives of County Done
gal, crossed the Atlantic in 1834, and the grand
father and father were employed in an iron in
dustry near Bellefonte. John A. Daley's grand-
uncle, Jerry Mennan, was a member of the town
council of Bellefonte that extended to Gen. La_
Fayette an invitation to visit that town on his
second trip to America as he passed through to
Lake Erie from Philadelphia.
The father of our subject was engaged in
iron working, for Valentine & Thomas, until
1852, when he located on the farm where John
A. Daley now resides. It was then an unbroken
wilderness, but he continued to improve it until
his death in 1866, when he was sixty-six years

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

301

old. He married Isabella Mungen, also a native
of County Donegal, Ireland, as were her par
ents, Patrick and Isabella Mungen, who spent
their entire lives there, the father following the
occupation of shoemaking. Jeremiah Daley,
after two years spent in America, sent for Miss
Mungen, to whom he was betrothed in his native
land, and who came to Centre county with his
friend, John Love. They were married in Belle
fonte, and Mrs. Daley died in 1 844, at the age
of twenty-eight years. They had two children—
pridget M., deceased wife of William Lunnen;
and John A.
Mr. Daley, the subject proper of this review,
lost his mother when he was only two years of
age, but remained at home with his father until
the latter's death, and assisted in the cultivation
of the old homestead; also attended school. He
continued on the farm until 1861, when,, the
Civil war having broken out, he enlisted in Com
pany A, 45th P. V. I., under Capt. John I. Cur
tin, who afterward became a general. On Jan
uary 1, 1863, he re-enlisted, and remained at
the front until July 18, 1865, when the war hav
ing ended, he was. mustered out. Three times
he was wounded, receiving a flesh wound in the
nose at the battle of South Mountain; on June
3, at Cold Harbor, he was wounded in the left
side, and was obliged to remain in the hospital
until September 28, when he rejoined his regi
ment; two days later he was shot in the right
hip, where the ounce ball still remains. At the
time of his discharge he was serving with the
rank of sergeant. He participated in twenty-
eight battles, including the engagements at South
Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Vicksburg,
Crab Orchard, the siege of Knoxville, Blue
Springs, the battle of the Wilderness and others.
On his return from the war Mr. Daley resumed
farming, and has cleared one hundred acres of
his land, transforming it into rich and, fertile
fields, which yield to him a handsome income.
His methods are progressive, his labors con
ducted with system, and his careful manage
ment and enterprise have brought to him success.
On Christmas Day of 1867 Mr. Daley was
married to Miss Mary J. Haines, who was born
in Liberty township, Centre county, February
18, 1849, a daughter of John and Rachel (Baker)
Haines, the former a native of New York, and
the latter of Centre county. The father came to
Centre county at an early day,' and made it his
home until his enlistment in the Union army.
He died in Andersonville prison in 1864, at the
age of forty-six years, thus giving his life in
defense of his country. His widow, who was
born June 12, 1826, is still living in Liberty

township. Their children are: Mrs. Daley;
Emeline, wife of Joseph Bechdel, of Liberty
township; Kline S., who is living with his mother
on the old homestead; Annie M., who died in
1895; William, who served as deputy sheriff in
Kansas, and is now a school teacher of Liberty
township, Centre county; Lea M., a school
teacher and seamstress; and Fannie, wife of John
Boone, a lumberman of Howard, Penn. The
paternal grandparents of Mrs. Daley were John
and Jane (Packer) Haines, natives of Centre
county, where they spent their entire lives. The
maternal grandparents, Jacob and Mary (Boon)
Baker, were also natives of the same county, and
the former was a carpenter by trade.
The children of Mr. and Mrs. Daley were:
Jeremiah, who was employed as clerk in the
Record and Pension division of the War Depart-.
ment, was killed in the Ford Theatre disaster in
Washington, D. C. , June 9, 1893, at the age of
twenty-four years and ten months; Charles C. is,
at home; Robert C. is now auditor of Curtin
township; William H. died of typhoid fever in
Washington, D. C, in 1889; Mary B. is the.
wife of William A. Everley, a lumberman of
Curtin township; James died in his parents'
home; Franklin, Anna L. and Sarah M. are still
under the parental roof; and Nellie died in
infancy. Mr. Daley has been honored with a number
of local offices, and in 1889 received an appoint
ment to a clerical position in the office of the.
Secretary of the Interior Department, where he
remained four years, four months and four days.
He then returned to his farm, which he is now
successfully operating. He is a valued member
of the Odd Fellows Society of Howard, also of
the Grand Army Post at Milesburg, Penn. , and
belonged to the Union Veterans Union in Wash
ington. In religious faith he is a member of the.
River Brethren Church. He takes quite an
active interest in political affairs, giving his sup
port to the Republican party, and is a man whom
to know is to esteem and honor.

JOSEPH ROSS KESSINGER is one of the.
enterprising merchants of Hublersburg, Cen
tre county, and his activity in business has
been of material benefit to the village as well
as to himself. Gifts of money may be used in
beautifying or adorning a town, but the. real bene
factors of a corporate community are those who
promote its business interests, for prosperity de
pends upon the exchange of commodities, where
by men are employed, and thus secure- the means.
of establishing homes and caring for their fam-_

302

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ilies. Mr. Kessinger is a wide-awake, enterpris
ing business man, and well deserves mention
among the representative citizens of Centre
county. Our subject was born in Clinton county,
March 18, 1834, and is a son of Adam and Eliza
beth (Hunsicker) Kessinger. The father was
born in Lancaster county, Penn., and was mar
ried there to Miss Hunsicker, a native of Switzer
land, who came to America when about fifteen
years of age. About 1828 they removed to Cen
tre county, and Mr. Kessinger built the Lamar
furnace for the firm of Kurtz & Irvin. He finally
located in Mill Hall, Clinton county, where his
death occurred in 1858. Just thirty-six years be
fore, to the day and hour, he was married, and
by that union were born ten children: (1) De-
Witt Clinton wedded Miss Mary Ann Fetterhaff,
and has six children. He served through the
Civil war, and now receives a pension in com
pensation for injuries sustained. His trade is
that of an iron molder, and he lives in Lock
Haven, Penn. (2) Thomas M. also served in the
Civil war; he was an iron molder, but is now re
tired; he is married, and resides in Mill Hall.
(3) Joseph R. is the next in order of birth. (4)
Francis M., who is married and has a family of
six children, served throughout the Civil war, and
is now a traveling salesman for the house of
Strickler & Co., of Mifflinburg, Penn. (5) Fan
nie R. is the widow of George Roffe, of Mill Hall,
Penn., and has a family of eight children. (6)
Mary P. is the wife of George Bowers, an axe-
maker of Mill Hall, where they live with their
family. (7) Jacob G. was killed in the battle of
Cold Harbor during the war of the Rebellion.
Three of the children died in infancy.
Under the parental roof Mr. Kessinger, the
subject of this review, spent the days of his boy
hood, and is indebted to the common schools for
his educational privileges. Like his father he
learned the foundry business, becoming a profi
cient workman in that line. His life has been a
busy and useful one, and from humble surround
ings he has steadily worked his way upward to a
position of affluence, overcoming the difficulties
and obstacles in his path by resolute and honora
ble purpose. He is now engaged in merchandis
ing in Hublersburg, and his enviable reputation
as a straightforward business man insures him a
liberal patronage.
On May 22, 1857, Mr. Kessinger married
Miss Julia, daughter of Peter Heller, a promi
nent citizen, who served for more than thirty
years as justice of the peace of Walker township,
Centre county. They have eight children: (1)
William E. , who was born October 30, 1858,

and is an iron molder by trade, wedded Mary
Tucker, and has eight children; (2) Thomas L.,
born October 6, 1862, is also an iron molder by
trade, but is now assisting his father in the
store; (3) Laura B. is the wife of James H.
Rathmell, a bookkeeper residing in Germantown,
near Philadelphia, Penn.; (4) Harvey A., born
May 27, 1866, married Minnie M. Decker, by
whom he has a daughter, and now resides in Pit-
cairn, Penn., where he follows the machinist's
trade; (5) George C. , an iron molder, married
Gertrude Struble, and has two children; (6)
Sarah J. is the wife of Joseph Emerick, a farmer
of Walker township, Centre county, by whom
she has two children; (7) Maud A., born in July,
1878, and (8) Arthur D., born in August, 1883,
are still at home.
In his political views Mr. Kessinger is a Re
publican. Both he and his wife hold member
ship in the Methodist Church, and are people of
sterling worth. He is a self-made man, indus
trious and intelligent, his sterling worth gaining
him the confidence of all, while his genial man
ner has made him a popular citizen.

JB. REAM, one of the most intelligent and
highly esteemed citizens of Penn's Cave, was
born in Gregg township, November 28, 1829.
His father, Michael Ream, was a native of Penn
township, and a son of Abraham Ream, who
came to Centre county at a very early day, and
made one of the first settlements in Haines town
ship. There in the midst of the forest he devel
oped a farm, but subsequently removed to Penn
township, where he opened up another farm, up
on which his last days were spent. He was
twice married, and had quite a large family of
children. By the second union there were three
sons: George, David and Michael.
The last named learned the weaver's trade,
which he followed for some time. Afterward he
purchased a farm on the Brush Valley road in
Gregg township, and gave his attention to agri
cultural pursuits. He passed away in November,
1884, at the age of eighty years, and was buried
in Green Grove cemetery. His first wife was
Lydia Musser, daughter of Philip Musser, and
their children were: George; John Bangaman;
Rebecca, wife of Daniel Homan, of Penn's Cave;
Lydia, wife of Japob Henn, of Des Moines, Iowa;
Hannah, wife of A. P. Lose, of Centre Hall; and
George Philip, married to Lucy Houts, and liv
ing at Green Grove. The mother of these died
about 1843, and was buried in Union cemetery.
The father afterward married Catharine Mark,
and their children were: Susan, wife of Samuel

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

303

Long, of Penn's Cave; Samuel, married to Sarah
Musser, and living at Madisonburg, Penn. ; and
Michael, married to Canses Weaver, and living
at Millheim, Penn. The father was a successful
farmer, and left his family in comfortable cir
cumstances. He not only cultivated his land, but
during the winter season also engaged in weav
ing. In politics he was a Democrat. In his
early life he adhered to the faith of the Reformed
Church, but afterward became a member of the
Evangelical Church, and took a very active part
in its work, also served in many official positions
connected therein.
J. B. Ream began his education in a school
that stood on the site of Union cemetery, in
Gregg township, and his first teacher was George
Consort. His school privileges were somewhat
limited, but practical experience, observation and
extensive reading in later years have made him
a well-informed man, and he is not only familiar
with current events but also has quite a wide
knowledge of classical literature. During his
boyhood he spent considerable time at the home
of his grandfather Musser in Penn Hall. His
time was largely devoted to farm work, and he
had little leisure for enjoyment.
When twenty-one years of age, Mr. Ream
married Miss Susan Rishel, who was born in No
vember, 1829, on the farm where our subject
now resides, a daughter of Jonathan and Eliza
beth (Phone) Rishel. They began their domestic
life in George's Valley, Gregg township, where the
lady's father owned a farm and there lived until
1 85 1, when they removed to a farm owned by
Mr. Ream's father in Gregg township. In 1856
he purchased the farm which he yet owns in
Brush Valley, and there continued to reside until
1883, when he took up his residence in Penn's
Cave. He now owns 175 acres of valuable land
upon which are two sets of substantial farm
buildings. His life has been a busy and useful
one. A heavy indebtedness rested upon him
after the purchase of his farm, but he worked
early and late, and in course of time this was not
only paid off but a comfortable competence was
secured to keep him and his family through his
declining years.
Mr. and Mrs. Ream had ten children, as
follows: (1) Lucetta, born September 12, 1850,
married William Losie, January 9, 1873, and
they had three daughters; but in March, 1892,
the husband and father and the three children
all died of diphtheria within the space of sixteen
days. (2) Susan Alice, born August 14, 1853,
married Emanuel White, of Axemann, Centre
county, August 24, 1871, and they have three
sons and two daughters. (3) George W., of

Penn's Cave, born April 24, 1855, married Anna
Shrackangost, August 24, 1879, and they have
three sons and one daughter. (4) Sarah Emma,
born February 25, 1857, died May 6, 1857. (5)
Mary L. , born May 22, 1858, married Isaiah
Prossman, of Penn's Cave, August 19, 1869, and
they had four sons and two daughters. (6) John
Benjamin, born September 17, i860, died Janu
ary 26, 1866. (7) Magdalene Catherine, born
April 4, 1-863, married Israel Spade, of Madison
burg, Centre county, May 19, 1889, and they
have one son and one daughter. (8) Noah, of
Penn's Cave, born October 4, 1865,. married
Maggie Weaver, October 27, 1885, and they
have three daughters. (9) Julia Caroline, born
November 18, 1867, married Samuel Frederick,
of Farmers Mills, May 24, 1885, and they have
one son and one daughter. (10) Hannah Mar
tha, born April 1, 1870, died March 14, 1892;
she also was a victim of that terrible diphtheria,
having caught the disease while attending the
sick ones at her sister's (Mrs. Losie) home, and
dying in about one week from the time she was
attacked. In his political adherency, Mr. Ream is a
Democrat, and he has served as overseer, super
visor and school director, in all of which offices
he has discharged his duties with a promptness
and fidelity that has won him high commenda
tion. He holds membership in the Reformed
Church, and his wife belongs to the Lutheran
denomination. He is now serving as elder in
Union Church, and is one of its most active and
influential workers. Socially, he belongs to the
Grange. His high personal character, his prob
ity and his fidelity to duty have won him the un
qualified regard of all with whom he has been
brought in contact.

TrTfRIAH D. OSMAN, who is now practically
%J) living retired upon his farm in Potter town
ship, Centre county, was born September 22,
1 83 1, near Millersburg, Dauphin Co., Penn., a
son of John and Elizabeth (Flisher) Osman.
The grandfather, Andrew Osman, was a farmer
of Dauphin coun y, where his death occurred.
The family was originally from Ireland, but was
founded in this country at a very early date in
its history. In the fall of 1837, John Osman, with his
family, removed to The Loop, in Potter town
ship, Centre county, making the journey in
four-horse wagons, via Lewistown and over
Seven mountain. They stopped with the ma
ternal grandmother while the father was look
ing up a location, and decided to make their

304

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

home in Potter township. By trade the father
was a weaver, at which he worked to some ex
tent after coming to Centre county. After the
death of his wife February 12, 1875, he resided
with our subject in Centre Hall, and there passed
away December 28, of the same year. Their
remains were interred in the Centre Hall ceme
tery. They were faithful members of the Evan
gelical Church, and highly respected by all who
knew them for their sterling worth. In politics
the father was a Democrat.
To this worthy couple were born eleven chil
dren, namely: Amanda, wife of William Au-
man, of Spring Mills, Centre county; Mary A.,
widow of David Rhue, of Wallace Run, Penn. ;
Uriah D. ; Jeremiah, a resident of Iowa; Israel,
who was a member of the 210th P. V. I. during
the Rebellion, and is now living in Millhall,
Penn. ; Hiram, who was also a Union soldier,
and is now a resident of Altoona, Penn. ; James,
who belonged to Company D, 148th P V. I.,
and is now a resident of Michigan; Daniel, who
belonged to the same company as James, and was
killed at the* battle of Chancellorsville; Catharine,
widow of Lewis Muselman, of Centre Hall; John,
of Lamar, Penn.; and Canada, who died at the
age of nine years.
The first school which Uriah D. Osman at
tended was held in what was known as the Sink
school house at The Loop; but his educational
advantages were very meagre, for at the tender age
of eight years he began to earn his own living. Aft
er living for six weeks with James Powley, afarmer,
he began learning the tailor's trade under Henry
Holtzman, of Centre Hall, and during his appren
ticeship received only his board and clothes.
When he had mastered the trade, his employer
left Centre Hall, and Mr. Osman assumed charge
of the business at the same stand. For over
twenty years he was the leading tailor of the
place, and only laid aside his trade when com
pelled to do so by ill health, removing to. his
present farm in February, 1871. It comprises
sixty acres, which he purchased for $6,000, and
to its cultivation and improvements devoted his
time and attention for many years with most
gratifying results.
Mr. Osman married Dorothy Stover, who
lived near Centre Hall, and to them were born
three children: William F. , now a resident of
Worth county, Mo.; Clara A., wife of Horace
Zerley, of Salt Lake City, Utah; and John A., a
bricklayer of Bellefonte, Centre county. For
his second wife he wedded Catharine Royer, of
Potter township, by whom he had one son,
Thomas M. , a teacher, of Mercur, Utah. In his
political views, Mr. Osman is a Democrat, but is

not radical, reserving his right to support the best
men regardless of party affiliations. He is a man
of more than ordinary intelligence, whose educa
tion has been almost wholly self-acquired, and
through his own untiring labor he has secured a
comfortable competency, which enables him to
spend his declining years in ease and retirement
from active labor. He is a member of the Lu
theran Church, in which he has filled . various
offices, and he has the respect and esteem of all
who know him.

EMMA JORDAN. One of the pleasantest
homes in the beautiful little city of Aarons
burg, Centre county, is the Jordan homestead,
now the property of the lady whose name opens-
this sketch, and whose admirable qualities of
mind and heart have endeared her to a large
circle of friends and acquaintances. Miss Jordan's
ancestors settled in Lancaster, Penn., many
years ago. Her great-grandfather was Elias
Jordan, of Lancaster; his wife (nee Bruner) was
a native of Holland. To them were born, Oc
tober 31, 1 76 1, twin sons (the only sons),Casper;
and Martin.
Casper Jordan, grandfather of Miss R. Emma
Jordan, was born in Lancaster county, Penn.,.
October 31, 1761, and died in 1826, at the age
of sixty-five years. In 1820 he removed with his-
family to Union county, Penn. , to pass his re
maining years, and he and his wife, Mary (nee-
Bender, the daughter of a highly respected mer
chant of Lancaster city), who died in 185 1, aged
ninety-two years, are buried at Mifflinburg. They
had six sons — Isaac, David, John, Henry, Adam<
and Joseph— and four daughters — Elizabeth,
Marie, Susan and Sarah. Of this family, Isaac,
who was twenty-five years older than his brother
Joseph, moved to Ohio, and died at the age of
eighty-two years; David went south; John was
killed while tearing down a building at Mifflin
burg, Penn. ; Henry and Adam moved with their
families to Clyde and Bellevue, Ohio, respectively;
Joseph moved to Centre county; Elizabeth was
twice married, (first) to a Mr. Lowry, (second) to •
a Mr. Moore, and died in Lewisburg; Marie mar
ried a Mr. Parmer, and moved to Toledo, Ohio;.
Susan died in infancy; Sarah was twice married,
(first) to a Mr. Goode, (second) to a Mr. Maver,.
and died at the age of ninety-three at Fayette,
Fulton Co., Ohio.
Joseph Jordan, the youngest son in the above'
mentioned family, and the father of Miss Emma
Jordan, was born at New Holland,. Lancaster
Co., Penn., November 17, 1804, and being stills
a youth when the family came to. Union, county,.

&V\

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

305

he spent some years there with his father. At
twenty-three years of age he went to Gregg town
ship, Centre county, and purchased a farm; a
year later he was married in Rebersburg to Miss
Elizabeth Bair, a native of Brush Valley, born
September 23, 1806, a daughter of Squire George
Bair, who for years held the office of justice of
the peace, and was one of the leading citizens of
the Valley.
Mr. Jordan made his home upon his Gregg
township farm for some time, and two of his
children were born there: Maria J., the widow
of Dr. E. J. Deshler, of Aaronsburg; and Eliza
beth, widow of Rev. D. O. Shoemaker, and now
residing at Lock Haven with a daughter, the wife
of T. M. Stevenson, Esq.
Mr. Jordan was an excellent judge of lands,
and found it profitable to buy farms, which he
would improve and dispose of at an advance,
and in this way it came about that the family
residence was changed about a number of times.
He removed from Gregg township to Sugar Val
ley, and one son, George B. , now a merchant of
Chicago, was bom there ; he is married to Miss
Henrietta J. Leitzell. The next home was in
Nittany Valley, and there a son was born, Will
iam F., who is a farmer at North Liberty, Adams
county, Ohio; he married Miss Eliza J. Flisher.
Later the family removed to Tusseyville, Potter
township, Centre county, where two children
were born: R. Emma, the subject proper of this
sketch, and James I., who died at the age of
thirteen. The various deals in real estate made by Mr.
Jordan brought him a profit (except his last pur
chase of two farms just previous to the deprecia
tion of land values), proving him to be all in all
a successful man, and he was considered unusually
shrewd and "long-headed." In 1859 he settled
in Aaronsburg, where he died September 6, 1893.
His estimable wife (lovely in person and charac
ter) had passed to the unseen life January 8,
1889, and the remains of both now rest side by
side in the Reformed Church cemetery at Aarons
burg. They had passed together over sixty
years of married life in unbroken harmony and
affection. Both were devout and consistent mem
bers of the Reformed Church (in which Mr. Jor
dan has been an elder over fifty years), to which
he was one of the most liberal contributors, and
his advice in Church affairs was much valued.
Being extremely fond of reading, especially works
on theology, he was well-informed, and on. sev
eral occasions while attending the Church Synod
he spoke with much effectiveness, and displayed
such thorough knowledge as to attract consider
able attention. He took much pleasure in travel,

20

also, and in his early days made extensive jour
neys, visiting points of interest in the United
States. Although Mr. Jordan was a firm believer in
the doctrines of the Democratic party, and at
times held township offices, he was never a poli
tician as that word is usually understood. ' ' He
was honorable in all his dealings with his fellow-
men, and his word was as good as his bond."
One notable feature of his character was his pro
gressive, liberal view of life and affairs; he was
always advancing, keeping fully abreast of the
times, and showing keen appreciation of new in
ventions. His home, which his abundant means
enabled him to supply with every comfort, bore
evidence of the trait mentioned in its convenient
arrangements and appliances. His children have
done credit to the pious home training of their
youth, and all are occupying honorable stations
in life. Martin, the twin brother of Mr. Jordan's
father (Casper Jordan), passed all his life in the
city of Lancaster, Penn. His wife (nee Hoof-
nagle), who at the time of her death had been
a widow fifty years, requested that her body
should be buried in the grave of "her Mar
tin," and their remains lie in the Reformed
Cemetery at Lancaster, Penn. They had an
only son, Casper, who was on his way, on
the ocean, to some foreign country, when the ship
he was on sank in a storm, and he was drowned
at the age of twenty-four years. His sisters
married, and had large families, of whom the fol
lowing named are now the only survivors: Mrs.
James H. Cochran, of Broad street, Philadelphia;.
Mrs. Dr. Barton, of the same locality; Harry J.
Wentz, also living in Philadelphia; Miss Hattie
Wentz and Mrs. Dr. Longenecker, both of Lan
caster county, Penn., and George M. Frame, a
dentist in New York City.
The grandchildren, now living, of Joseph Jor
dan are: J. Jordan Deshler, M. D., of Glidden,
Iowa; Edwin Jordan, Esq., of Chicago; Howard
C. Jordan, of Nebraska; Emma K. , wife of Rev. J.
F. Kerlin, of Williamsport, Penn. ; Margaret,
wife of T. M. Stevenson, Esq., of Lock Haven;:
Dr. D. E. Shoemaker, of Washingtonville, Penn. ;,
H. P. Shoemaker, of Watsontown, Penn. ; and
Miss Grace Jordan, of North Liberty, Ohio.
Miss R. Emma Jordan was born January 11,
1842. Her health was not sufficiently strong
during girlhood to permit her to gratify her wish
for a collegiate education, but after completing a
course in the common schools she attended the
academy at Aaronsburg, and her fine mental
powers have assimilated through reading and ob
servation an unusual amount of information.
She is highly accomplished, and was at one time

306

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

especially proficient in music, in which she gave
lessons. During the last years of her parents' lives
she gave them the most devoted and watchful
care, ministering to their every need, and bright
ening their hours of pain or weariness with her
filial love. Her kindliness of heart has found a
wide field of expression in generous assistance to
different charities, and she has done much for
the Reformed Church, of which she is a consistent
member. Always active in its various lines of
work, she was especially helpful at the time of
the building of the new church edifice, being
one of the leaders in the Ladies Aid Society,
which work had been effective and successful,
after a career of six years succeeding in raising
funds to the amount of $1,093. Neither is she
lacking in practical business ability, her manage
ment of her father's estate, as executrix under
the will, showing rare tact, discretion and firm
ness of character.

*\ FETTEROLF, a well-known and highly
respected citizen of Spring Mills, Centre
county, is now enjoying, in well-earned ease, the
reward of previous years of toil. He is a native
of this section, having been born October 3,
1830, at Troxelville, in what is now Snyder
¦county. His family has been identified with that
locality since the time of his grandfather, who
•was a pioneer settler. The grandmother, Mrs.
Catherine Fetterolf, attained the age of ninety-
nine years, and was held in high esteem by later
•generations in the community which she had
seen arise upon the spot where stood the forests
that her contemporaries cleared away.
Peter Fetterolf, our subject's father, was
born there in 1801, and always made his home
in the same locality, farming being his occupa
tion until, having acquired a comfortable fortune,
he retired to Troxelville to pass his declining
years, purchasing a lot and building a residence.
He was six feet, one inch in height, bony and
muscular, and in his day was a powerful man.
Quiet and unobtrusive in manner, he never
sought public office or official position, but his
neighbors were not blind to his abilities, and he
was called upon to fill the office of supervisor.
He took much interest in politics, first as a
Whig, and later as a Republican, and was promi
nent in religious work, he and his wife being
leading members of the Lutheran Church. Mrs.
Fetterolf, whose maiden name was Sally Swartz,
was also a native of Snyder county, born in 1802.
Both lived to the age of seventy-five years, the
father dying in 1876 and the mother in the year
following. Their children were: Henry, a

farmer in Kansas; Susan (Mrs. John Hendricks),
of Snyder county; Polly, who married George
Karn, and died soon afterward; Hannah S. , who
married George Huffman, and died in Sioux City,
Iowa; Catherine (Mrs. Jacob Bingerman), who
died in Snyder county; E., the subject of this
sketch; Philip, who died in Snyder county, leav
ing a family; Daniel, who died (unmarried) in
Snyder county; and Elizabeth (Mrs. Frederick
Schrayder), of Selinsgrove.
As the son of a busy farmer, Mr. Fetterolf's
education was subordinate to the demands of the
farm work, which during his boyhood was unre
lieved by labor-saving machinery, and often oc
cupied a large part of the winter season as well
as the summer. The schools were not of the
best, either, the community where he then lived
retaining the old-fashioned subscription schools,
until after his time, notwithstanding the efforts
of his father and a few other progressive citizens
to secure the modern system. A remarkably
retentive memory, which enables him to recall
certain events that happened when he was but
two years old, has given Mr. Fetterolf a wide
range of information, and his intelligent views of
men and things reveal an active rnind which
would have made effective use of a thorough
education. In the fall of 1848 Mr. Fetterolf began an
apprenticeship to the blacksmith's trade with
John Kessler, seven miles from Selinsgrove,
receiving at the end of two years' work the sum
of $25.00. In 1850 he went to Potter township,
Centre county, and worked "The Loop" as a
journeyman blacksmith, and later he was simi
larly employed at Milroy, Troxelville and Laurel-
ton, where he finally engaged in business on his
own account. After a year and a half there he
moved, in 1853, to Spring Mills, and rented a
shop, which he conducted for some time. Two
years he then spent in Nittany Valley, Benner
township, Centre county, but he returned to
Spring Mills later, and after continuing his trade
a short time, he decided to give it up and engage
in agriculture. The change was made in 1856,
Mr. Fetterolf renting a farm in Gregg township,
Centre county, from William Allison. As pros
perity smiled upon his efforts, he purchased some
adjoining land, which he cultivated, while still
occupying the other farm as a tenant. In 1886
he sold his property, and, relieved from business,
removed to Spring Mills, where he bought a sub
stantial brick residence.
Mr. Fetterolf was married in Union county,
in the fall of 1850, to Miss Rachel Wyand,
daughter of George Wyand, a prosperous farmer.
She was a native of Snyder county, born July

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

307

.27, 1829. After nearly half a century of wedded
life, she passed away February 11, 1896,
lamented by all who had come within her sphere
of helpful influence. Her remains were interred
in the cemetery at Spring Mills. Seven children
blessed this union: Edward, who died in infancy;
Mary E., now Mrs. George Crawford, of Spring
Mills; Sarah M. (Mrs. Philip Meyer), of Boals
burg; Elizabeth (Mrs. J. K. Bittner), of Gregg
township, Centre township; Birdie (Mrs. C. A.
Krape), of Spring Mills; R. F., a Lutheran min
ister, stationed at Millersburg, Dauphin Co.,
Penn. ; and Priscilla E. , who died at the age of
eleven years. Mr. Fetterolf has reason to be
proud of his children, and he has given them the
best educational opportunities which his means
enabled him to secure, his own experience teach
ing him the value of such privileges.
Upright in character, and honest in dealings,
Mr. Fetterolf has won the respect of his asso
ciates wherever he has gone. Since 1850 he has
been an active member of the Lutheran Church,
and has been almost continuously in office. For
eight consecutive years he served as elder, and
for eight years he was superintendent of the"
Sunday-school, to which, in his younger days, he
devoted much of his time and attention. His
political allegiance was first given to the Whig
party, but in the readjustment which followed
the discussion of the slavery question, he became
a Republican, and has ever since supported the
principles of that organization.

JEREMIAH E. WALKER. Among the pio
neer families of Centre county none holds a
^higher place in the esteem of the public than
does the Walker family, which was established in
Brush Valley about a century ago, our subject's
grandfather, John Walker, having gone there
from Northampton county, Penn., as a young
man, settling permanently, and marrying Miss
Mary M. Gramley, a member of another well-
known family.
Their son Daniel, the father of our subject,
was born in Brush Valley, July 9, 1807, and was
reared to manhood at the old farm. He married
Hannah Erhard, a native of Brush Valley, born
October 9, 1807, a daughter of Michael and
Anna Mary (Wildeson) Erhard, well-known resi
dents of Miles township, Centre county. Six
children were born of this union: Samuel, an
ex-teacher now residing in Salona, Penn. ; Jere
miah E., our subject; Jonathan, of Brush Valley;
Harriet, who married Samuel Brungart, and died
in Miles township; Mary, who married Ruben
Snook, and died in Nittany Valley; and Sarah,

now Mrs. James Carman, of Rebersburg, Penn
sylvania. Daniel Walker was by occupation an agricult
urist, and passed his active life upon the first
farm he ever owned. Although of small stature
he was an industrious man, and was successful
for his day. At the time of his death he owned
over 500 acres of land in Brush Valley, 200 acres
in Nittany Valley, and other tracts elsewhere.
In politics he was a steadfast Democrat, but no
office seeker. He took much interest in relig
ious work as an active member of the Lutheran
Church; his wife was identified with the Re
formed Church. She died May 26, 1884, and
his death occurred May 27, 1887, the remains of
both being buried in the cemetery of Rebers
burg. J. E. Walker was born at the old home in
Brush Valley, July 18, 1837, and his education
was acquired at the Brungart school house, his
opportunities being decidedly inferior to those of
the present time. His father owned a sawmill
and gristmill in connection with his large farm,
and was able to find plenty of work for his boys.
The consciousness of the value of a good educa
tion has made Mr. Walker an advocate of a more
liberal school system than was common in his
youth. On February 5, i860, he was married
in Brush Valley to Miss Anna Brungart, a native
of Clinton county, Penn., born December 16,
1838, daughter of John and Mary (Barner) Brun
gart. Her father was a blacksmith and farmer
and a well-known citizen. Mrs. Walker was the
tenth child and seventh daughter in a family of
twelve children — three sons and nine daughters,
and her educational opportunities were limited
to the schools of that locality.
Mr. Walker established his home in his na
tive township, at Walker's Mills, and conducted
the gristmill for his father, having learned that
business in Mill Hall when about seventeen
years old. He spent twenty-five years as a
miller in Miles township, operating only two dif
ferent mills, and yet he has made thousands of
barrels of flour and sawed thousands of feet of
lumber. Hard work and careful management
have gained him a comfortable competence,
while he is highly respected among his associates
for his honesty and uprightness. Failing health
compelled him to give up milling for agricultural
work, and a few years later, in the spring of
1890, he removed to Rebersburg. He still owns
a farm of fifty-eight acres in Miles township,
which he oversees.
Mr. and Mrs. Walker have had six children,
of whom five are living, and make a family of
which any parent might be proud. Jane married

308

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Newton Brungart, of Sugar Valley; Emma C.
died in childhood; Emma resides in Bellefonte;
and Lewis E. , Elizabeth M. and Meta O. are at
home. Mr. Walker and his wife are Lutherans
in faith, and have always been in sympathy with
the various progressive movements in their vicin
ity. As a steadfast believer in Democratic prin
ciples, Mr Walker takes keen interest in his
party, but he has neither sought nor held office.

JOSEPH W. FOLMAR, a skillful farmer, and
the present efficient supervisor of Boggs town
ship, Centre county, residing in Bald Eagle
Valley, was born March 8, 1839, at Milesburg,
Centre county, and within the borders of that
county has always made his home. His father,
John Folmar, was a native of Prussia, and was a
son of Joseph W. Folmar. The former was a
soldier under Napoleon, and on coming to the
New World located at Bellefonte, Penn. , where
he married Cresintha Windelin, who was born
in Switzerland, and came to America with her
parents, Joseph and Ocello Windelin, also na
tives of that country. They located at Clear
field. Penn., where her mother's death occurred,
but her father died in Centre county,
John Folmar and his wife began their domes
tic life in Milesburg, where they remained until
1 851; when they went to Clearfield county,
Penn. There both died, the father on June 20,,
1888, at the age of seventy-eight years, and the
mother on January 10, 1888, at the age of sev
enty-seven years. Both held membership in the
Catholic Church. In early life the father fol
lowed the trade of blacksmithing, but later en
gaged in farming and lumbering. In his family
were the following children: Joseph W., sub
ject of this sketch Jacob and John Z. , of Clearfield
county; Andrew C. , of Peale, Penn.; Francis, a
farmer of Clearfield county; James, a carpenter
and wheelwright of Peale City, Penn. ; William,
a farmer of Clearfield, Penn.; and Mary M., de
ceased wife of F. D. Volmont.
At the age of four years, Mr. Folmar, the
subject of this review, entered the schools of
Milesburg, which he attended until he had at
tained his twelfth year, and then went to Clear
field county, where he was variously employed
until 1 86 1, mostly in the lumber woods He
then became a member of Company C, 5th
Pennsylvania Reserves, under Col. Simmons.
While cutting wood on duty at Camp Pierpont,
through an accident of some kind he cut himself
with an axe in the right foot, and later was
wounded at Bethesda Church, Virginia, in the
left hip. He participated in many important en

gagements including the battles of Antietam and
Gettysburg, also the seven-days' fight at Rich
mond, and in 1864 was honorably discharged at
Harrisburg. On being mustered out, he engaged
in lumbering for nine years, and then returned to
the old home farm, which he operated until
1889, when he came to Centre county, and has
since lived on his present farm. He is a stal
wart Democrat in politics, and in 1895 was
elected on that ticket to the office of supervisor
of Boggs township, which he is now so capably
filling. He holds membership in the Catholic
Church, and with the Grand Army of the Re
public. Mr. Folmar has been twice married, his first
union being with Miss Catherine Piffer, whom he
wedded in 1876, and to them were born two
children: Mary C. , deceased; and Catherine,
deceased wife of John Hill. The mother of
these died in October, 1882, at the age of thirty-
seven years, and November 8, 1886, Mr. Folmar
was united in marriage with Mrs. Mary A. Rolley,
who was born in Paris, France, November 19,
1826, and is a daughter of Peter and Jeanne C.
•(Henry) Fontenoy, who came from that country
to the New World in 1824, locating at French
ville, Clearfield Co., Penn., where the father
died April 28, 1871, at the age of seventy-two.
years, and the mother on May 31, 1853, at the
age of fifty-seven years. In their family were
three children: John, who died March- 17, 1894;.
Mary A., wife of our subject; and Josephine,.
wife of Frank Jennie, of East Farmington, Wis.
The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Folmar were
Peter and Jeanne C. Fontenoy, who never left
France, their native land, while the maternal!
grandparents were Louis P. and Mary Henry,
also natives of that country, where the last
named died; the grandfather's death occurred at
Frenchville, Pennsylvania.
On April 21, 1845, John Bronel was married to
Miss Mary A. Fontenoy, and to them were born
children as follows: Frank, of Osceloa, Penn.;
Augusta, of Gettysburg; Leopold, of Piano, 111.;
Jennie, deceased wife of James Derr, of Belle
fonte; Sidonie, who makes her home at West-
field, N. Y. ; Pauline and Justin, at home; Mary, (
wife of P. Hayes, of Spangler, Cambria county;
and Minnie, of Philadelphia. Mr. and Mrs.
Bronel removed to her present home in 1864,
but six months later he was killed by a train at
the Milesburg cross road in Bald Eagle Valley.
He had formerly resided at Frenchville, and was
a lumber merchant by occupation. In 1869,
Mrs. Bronel married John Rolley, who died in
1882, at the age of forty-six years. He was a
general farmer and lumberman. Two children

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

309

blessed their union: Flora, wife of Emil Lioret,
of Michigan; and Odilla, wife of A. M. Mott, of
Bellefonte, Penn. Both Mr. and Mrs. Folmar
are widely and favorably known, and have many
friends throughout the community where they
reside.
/PV\EORGE B. HAINES, a prosperous agricult-
%£i urist residing in Rebersburg, Centre county,
is one of the progressive men who, taking a
broad and liberal view of life and its opportun
ities, avoid the dull routine into which too many
dwellers in the rural neighborhoods fall. Fond
of reading, he keeps well informed on the issues
of the day, while the advantages of scientific
knowledge are seen in his successful management
of his estate.
His family is of English origin, and for at
least three generations his ancestors have been
tanners by occupation. His great-grandfather,
John Haines, was the first to come to America..
The grandfather, John Haines, Jr., was in early
manhood a resident of York county, Penn., but
came to this section about 1816, locating at
Aaronsburg, Centre county, where he followed
his trade until his death.
Jeremiah Haines, our subject's father, was
born in Aaronsburg, about 1820, and was one of
five children — two sons and three daughters —
who lived to adult age. He was quite young
when his father died, leaving but little means,
and his early education was extremely limit
ed, a fact which, in view of his later success
in lines requiring accurate knowledge of a kind
not commonly possessed, indicates unusual men
tal power. He learned the tanner's trade near
Woodward, and with a cash capital of $100
started a tannery in the eastern end of Brush
Valley, where he remained until 1855, when he
removed to Rebersburg and bought out a tannery
owned by Henry Flickinger, and in connection
with this business he followed farming on a small
scale, as his purchase included sixteen acres of
land. He was a shrewd financier, and as a busi
ness man was of more than ordinary ability. At
the time of his death he owned 550 acres of
land, which has been kept in the family. His
extensive business required a knowledge of cer
tain legal points, upon which he posted himself
by reading. He was justice of the peace for
twenty years, and was looked upon as a. man of
excellent judgment. His reading covered a wide
range, and his library contained many valuable
works on theology, in which he was well versed.
For many years he held the office of elder and
deacon in the Lutheran Church, and he always
contributed toward the work of that organiza

tion. In politics he was a Democrat, but he did
not seek official honors.
Jeremiah Haines was twice married, first
time to Susan Brungart, daughter of George
and Salome (Kahl) Brungart, and two children
were born to this union: Emma, now Mrs.
Thomas E. Royer, of Miles township; and
George B., our subject. The mother died in
1862, and the father married a second wife, Mrs.
Sarah Heckman, ne'e Oswalt, widow of George
Heckman. She was also taken from him by
death, but left no children. Squire Haines^as
a man of ordinary build, but above the average
height, and his health was uniformly good. His
death occurred quite suddenly in April, 1893, his
remains being buried in Rebersburg. He was
fond of his home and was of a peaceful disposi
tion, conceding to every man the right to an
opinion, and if it happened to differ from his, he
made no effort to change it by argument. Many
of the noted men of Centre county were his per
sonal friends, and a visit to Rebersburg by such
men was also marked by a visit to "Squire"
Haines. The subject of this sketch was born August
6, 1849, S1X miles east of Rebersburg, and first
attended school in that town with Samuel Gram-
ley as his teacher. As soon as he was old enough
he began to learn the tanner's trade under his
father, work of various kinds being assigned him,
but his education was fair for his time, although
it was obtained in the common schools of Miles
township, and in the Rebersburg Normal School,
which was then in existence, he was licensed to
teach, but never taught. He lived at home with
his parents until the time of his marriage, but
never entirely completed the trade of a tanner,
although he was sufficiently familiar with it to
perform work in almost any department.
In December, 1870, Mr. Haines was married
in Miles township to Miss Emma J. Burkert, a
native of Miles township, born August 10, 1852,
a daughter of Jacob Burkert who is mentioned
more fully below. Mrs. Haines is a lady of fine
intellectual ability, and had a license as a teacher,
although she never entered the profession. After
his marriage, Mr. Haines located on his father's
farm in Brush Valley, and followed agriculture
for eighteen years; in the spring of 1888 he re
moved to Rebersburg, where he now occupies
the old Burkert homestead, which he greatly im
proved, remodeling the house and erecting a
new barn and other buildings. After the death
of his father, he and his brother-in-law were ap
pointed executors to the estate. In addition to
his pleasant home in Rebersburg he has 200
acres of farming land.

310

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Mr. Haines and his wife are leading members
of the Lutheran Church, and he is a trustee of
that society. Their children are a credit to
them, all taking prominent places in social life:
William B. is a farmer of Miles township.
Charles M. (single) resides in Baltimore, Md.
Elizabeth L. is at home. Melville C. , a licensed
teacher, lives at home. Of these, William B.
was married in 1890 to Lida J. Oakes, and they
have one son, Harry O. , born in 1891. All the
rest are single. Mr. Haines is a Democrat in
politics, and, while not radical, is a stanch sup
porter of his party, and has held various offices
in the township, his sound judgment and well-
known public spirit making him a popular candi
date. Jacob Burkert, the father of Mrs. Haines,
was an excellent citizen, noted for his liberality
and practical sagacity. He was a hatter by trade,
and before coming to Brush Valley had lived in
Berks county, Penn. Politically, he was a stead
fast Republican, and he took a prominent part
in local affairs, serving ten years as justice of the
peace of Miles township, Centre county. He
and his wife, Elizabeth Smull, died in Rebers
burg, each being about seventy-two years old,
and both sleep in the cemetery at that place.
Mrs. Burkert was a devout member of the Re
formed Church. Mr. and Mrs. Burkert had the
following children: Cyrus J., a minister of the
United Brethren Church, is presiding elder of
the Dayton (Ohio) district; George was a soldier
in the Civil war with the Bellefonte Invincibles,
and died in camp at Carlisle, Penn. ; C. Milton,
now of Germantown, Ohio, was formerly a rail
road conductor on the Vandalia route; John C. ,
of Oskaloosa, Jefferson Co. , Kans. , is probate
judge of his county; Edwin is a physician at
Dayton, Ohio; Clayton resides at Valley Falls,
Kans.; Charles died in childhood; Elizabeth died
in infancy; Effinger died at the age of fifteen
years; and Emma J. (now Mrs. Haines) completes
the family.

C\HARLES LUCAS is one of the most enter-
1 prising, industrious and most highly respected
farmers of Centre county, his home being at
Wallace Run, Boggs township. He was born
one mile from that place September 30, 1833, and
is a representative of one of the honored pioneer
families of the county.
Joseph and Mary (McKibben) Lucas, grand
parents of our subject, were natives of Merlin,
Penn., and came to Centre county at an early
day. His parents, Charles and Elizabeth (Shirk)
Lucas, were natives of Centre county, spending

their entire lives in Bald Eagle Valley. The fa
ther was the first white man who located there,
and crossed the Alleghany Mountains to what is
now known as Snow Shoe, Centre county. He
was a ship carpenter and a millwright, and went
with Perry as ship carpenter during the war of
1812-15, serving with that commander when he
won the famous naval victory. Mr. Lucas spent
his last days at farming. In politics he was a
Democrat, but never sought office. He died on
Wallace run, in 1875, at the age of seventy-eight
years, and his wife passed away in 1865, at the
age of seventy-four. They had five children:
James M., a farmer of Centre county; Rebecca,
wife of Jacob Brower, of Minnesota; Charles;
and Morgan, a farmer of Boggs township.
Charles Lucas, our subject, spent his boy
hood days in his parent's home, and attended the
district schools. He afterward engaged in lum
bering and in farming, and was connected with
the nursery business for five years. At the age
of twenty-seven he left the old homestead, was
married and rented a farm in Union township,
whereon he resided some eight years. He then
purchased the old homestead, where he has since
lived, giving his time and attention to agricultural
pursuits. His life has been one of industry and
honest toil, and his energy and perseverance are
the factors which have brought to him his suc
cess. On November 30, 1858, he married Eliza
Brower, who was born in Union township, Cen
tre county, February 4, 1840, a daughter of Will
iam and Hannah (Resides) Brower, also natives
of Centre county, where they spent their entire
lives. The father, who was a manufacturer of
charcoal, died in 1869, at the age of seventy-two;
the mother died in 1872, aged seventy-one years.
They had children as follows: Mary A. , A. Even-
son and John, all deceased; Margaret, widow of
James McClincy, of Centre county; Ellen, de
ceased wife of Benjamin Lucas; Elizabeth, widow
of Hiram Talbert, of Union township; Jacob, of
Minnesota; William, deceased; Nancy, wife of
J. M. Lucas; Sarah, deceased wife of Thomas
McClincy, of Oregon; Philip, a farmer of Centre
county; Eliza; and Emeline, wife of Enoch
Hugg, a merchant of Milesburg.
Mr. and Mrs. Lucas became the parents of
nine children — five sons and four daughters:
Edward, who is living in Pleasant Gap, Centre
county ^ Elizabeth, wife of William Johnson, of
Snow Shoe: Hannah, deceased wife of William
Rogers, of Tyrone; William E., Mary, Charles
S., James S., Franklin M. and Maggie, all at
home. The mother of this family died April 2,
1895, and her taking off was deeply mourned by
many friends as well as her immediate family.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

311

Mr. Lucas has served as school director for
the past five years, and takes a deep and com
mendable interest in education, as well as all
things calculated to upbuild the community and
promote the general welfare. In politics he is a
Democrat. Religiously he is connected with the
United Brethren Church, and is serving as trus
tee in the congregation in which he holds mem
bership. He belongs to one of the oldest fam
ilies of the county, and his own identification
therewith covers a period of almost two-thirds of
a century. He has not only been a witness of
much of the growth and development of the
county, but has ever borne his part in the work
of improvement, and is numbered among the
worthy and valued citizens of his section.

WENRY C. WARFEL, of Philipsburg, Cen-
 tre county. Among the only series of
medals of honor granted by Congress for hero
ism during the Civil war is one inscribed: "The
Congress to Private Henry C. Warfel, Company
A, First Pa. Cavalry." The deed of valor thus
commemorated was in truth worthy of such dis
tinguished notice, being the capture of the colors
of a Virginia regiment at the battle of Paines
Cross Roads, April 5, 1865. Private Warfel's
military record is one in which any American
would take pride, and the medal and the docu
ments relating to his soldierly achievements are
cherished possessions.
The opening of the Civil war found Mr. War
fel a boy of sixteen, an apprentice in a tin
ner's shop at Alexandria, Huntingdon Co., Penn.,
and notwithstanding his youth his heart was
fired with patriotic ardor, and he longed to do
battle in the defense of the Union. As the out
look grew darker, and it was seen that the strug
gle, would be longer and more deadly than was at
first anticipated, he prepared to go, and in August,
1862, enlisted in response to the call for men for
nine months' service, joining Company I, 125th
P. V. I. His regiment was assigned to McClel-
lan's forces, and the time was mainly spent in
Maryland. His first term of enlistment was sig
nalized by the fierce engagements at Antietam
and Chancellorsville; but nothing daunted by this
baptism of fire he re-enlisted, in 1863, in the
195th P. V. I., and was immediately transferred
to Company A, ist P. V. C. He served until
the close of the war, participating in all the
movements of his regiment, including the cam
paign before Petersburg, and was at Appomat
tox at the time of Lee's surrender, also marched
in the Grand Review at Washington. After re
ceiving his discharge on May 27, 1865, he re

turned to his work as an apprentice, and when
his trade was learned was employed by a rail
road company for about two years. A trip to
Illinois occupied six months, and in February,
1869, he went to Philipsburg, where he has ever
since followed his trade, and has established him
self in business as a tinner and plumber. On
May, 15, 1892, he was commissioned postmaster
at Philipsburg, by President Harrison, and served
four years with ability and credit. A steadfast
Republican, he wields some influence in the
councils of the party in his locality, and he has
also been active in affairs in his borough, serving
as Burgess for four years. In religious faith he
is a Presbyterian.
Mr. Warfel was married in Philipsburg, in
1874, to Miss Sarah A. Du Bree, a native of
Bucks county, Penn., born in 185 1. Three chil
dren have brightened their home, of whom the
eldest, Emma D. , is the only survivor. (2) Juni
ata F. died in 1889 at the age of eight and
one-half years. (3) D. DuBree lived to the
age of only three years and two months.
The early life of our subject was spent in
Huntingdon county, Penn., where he was born
September 14, 1844, and he was educated in the
schools of Mill Creek district, His family has
been long established in Huntingdon county, his
grandfather, George Warfel, having settled there
in early manhood. He was of German descent,
but was a native of this State. He had a nu
merous family of children, our subject's father
being the eldest, but the names of all are not now
recalled. John died at Frankstown, Blair coun
ty; Philip is living in the West, probably in Iowa:
Margaret married Jacob Baker, of Alexandria,
Penn. ; and Sarah (deceased) was the wife of
Jacob Walters, of Huntingdon county.
Adam Warfel, the father of our subject, was
born in Huntingdon county in 18 13, and passed
his life there, his death occurring in 1880. By
occupation he was a blacksmith, and he was a
highly respected citizen, a member of the Bap
tist Church, and an influential worker in the Re
publican party. In 1863 he was elected county
commissioner. His wife, Barbara Foster, was
born in Bedford ccunty, Penn., in 1820, and is
now living near Huntingdon, Penn. Of their
children, eight lived to adult age, viz.: (1) Nancy
is the widow of Simon Bales, of Huntingdon
county; (2) George is a blacksmith in that coun
ty; (3) Henry Clay is our subject; (4) James is a
clerk and bookkeeper in Pittsburg; » (5) Elias H.
W. is a tinner in the same city; (6) William is
a blacksmith at Pittsburg; (7) John is a machin
ist in Philadelphia; and (8) Juniata is the wife of
H. H. Pensyl, of Altoona.

812

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

DANIEL PONTIUS IRWIN is an enterprising
merchant of Julian, Centre county, whose
systematic methods, executive ability and sound
judgment, combined with energy and industry,
have made him one of the substantial citizens of
Huston township. He is a native of Pennsyl
vania, born in Union county, December io,
1818, and for many years he has been identified
with the commercial interests of Centre county.
John Irwin, father of our subject, was also
born in this State, of English parentage, his
father coming to this country from England be
fore the Revolutionary war, in which struggle he
aided the Colonies, and died from the effects of
wounds received. In Union county, Penn.,
John Irwin married Catherine Pontius, also a
native of Pennsylvania, a daughter of Andrew
and Dorothy Pontius, who spent their entire
lives in Union county. Her paternal grandpar
ents were of German birth, and were among the
earliest settlers of that county. In 1835, Mr.
and Mrs. Irwin came to Centre county, where he
engaged in farming until 1850, when they mi
grated to Fayette county, Iowa, he carrying on
agricultural pursuits there until his death, which
occurred in 1864, when he was aged eighty-one
years. The mother died at West Union, Fay
ette county, in 1867, at the age of seventy-one.
Their six children were as follows: Andrew, a
farmer, who died in Centre county, Penn. ;
James, a farmer of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where
he died; John, a deceased farmer of Iowa; Dan
iel P., subject of this sketch; Rachel, deceased
•wife of Hon. P. F. Sturgis, a banker of Iowa,
who represented his district in the Legislature;
and Louis, who died in Iowa.
The boyhood of our subject was spent in
Union county, he attending the public schools
and assisting in the labors of the farm until six
teen years of age, when he began serving an ap
prenticeship to the carpenter's trade, which busi
ness he followed for five years. He next en
gaged in clerking in a mercantile establishment
in Bellefonte, Penn., where he remained for sev
eral years, and later was in partnership with
John B. Awl in the same business. Subsequently
he was bookkeeper for the Washington Iron Co.
for a few years, and then again clerked in a store
at Bellefonte. Still later he engaged in mercan
tile pursuits at Milesburg, Penn., until i860,
when he went to West Union, Iowa, where for
three years he served as bookkeeper. In 1 863 he
located at Julian, Penn., becoming railroad station
;agent and conducting a general store, in partner
ship with T. E. Griest, which connection con
tinued for two years. He then purchased his
partner's interest, at the same time giving up the

station, and has since successfully conducted his
store alone.
On February 8, 1859, Mr. Irwin was united
in marriage with Miss Eliza G. Underwood, and
nine children blessed their union: John, born
January 4, i860, died January 12, 1861; Clara
M., born May 2, 1862, died July 29, 1862;
William U., born July 9, 1863, is a prominent
physician of Julian; Edwin P., born October 28,
1865, is a hardware merchant of Tyrone, Penn.;
Louis C, born August 9, 1869, is engaged in the
same business in Bellefonte; Catharine Alvina,
born April 17, 1872, is at home; James B., born
April 9, 1875, died September 25, 1882; and
Alfred T. , born December 23, 1877, and Charles
A., born December 1, 1880, are both at home.
Mrs. Irwin was born in Milesburg, Penn., Oc
tober 28, 1839, and is the third child in the
family of Dr. William and Alvina (Griest) Under
wood, the others being as follows: Amanda, de
ceased wife of Benjamin Rich, also deceased;
Phoebe J. , deceased wife of Leander Griest;
Joseph, deceased; Newton, a lumber merchant of
Elizabeth City, N. C. ; and Hannah Alvina, de
ceased wife of John G. Greenleaf, of Cleveland,
Ohio. Dr. William Underwood was born in York
county, Penn., October 7, 181 1, and during his
mature years engaged in the practice of medicine
at Unionville, Penn. He was also an extensive
lumber merchant, and built the plank roads from
Unionville to Tyrone, and from Julian over the
mountains to Beaver Mills, at a cost of $50,000.
He was one of the prominent and representative
business men of this section, was largely inter
ested in the milling company at Beaver Mills,
and was the first president of the Bald Eagle
Valley railroad. For many years he was a
preacher in the Society of Friends. In Adams
county, Penn., Dr. Underwood married Alvina
Griest, a native of that county, born 7th mo.
15th, 1812, died 3d mo. 31st, 1853, and he
later married her sister, Lorana Griest, who was
born in the same county, in 1826. One daugh
ter was born to them: Ida, wife of Emmerson
Bosworth, a railroad man of Buffalo, New York.
Politically, Mr. Irwin affiliates with the Dem
ocratic party, and for three years he served as
postmaster at Julian, while for six years he was a
member of the school board. In religious belief
he is a Presbyterian; socially he has for many
years been a member of the I. O. O. F. He
is liberal in his support of every worthy enter
prise for the good of the community, is public-
spirited and progressive, and has the confidence
and high regard of all with whom he has come in
contact.

oo^^^cY uW^w

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

313

MOBERT BEERLY. In past ages the his
tory of a country was the record of wars
and conquests; to-day it is the record of com
mercial activity, and those whose names are
foremost in its annals are the leaders in business
circles. Our subject is unquestionably one of the
strongest and most influential business men of
Centre county — the proprietor of a large wagon
factory at Central City — and the place which he
occupies in business circles is in the front rank.
Mr. Beerly was born December 21, 1837, in
Clinton county, Penn., and traces his ancestry
to Nicholas Beerly, a German astrologer. The
latter's son, Nicholas, was born in Pennsylvania,
and wedded Lucy A. Buchtel, also a native of
this State. Both died at Rebersburg. Their
son Peter, the father of our subject, was born in
Centre county. He married Sarah Karstetter, a
native of Clinton county, and a daughter of Ru
dolph Karstetter, who died in that county. To
this worthy couple were born children as follows:
Robert, subject of this sketch; Rebecca, widow
of David Watson, of Boggs township; Masulam,
who died in the army in 1863; Nathaniel, a mer
chant and justice of the peace of Central City;
Tartonlius, deceased; Agnes, wife of Byron Tay
lor, of Boggs township; Lemuel, of Boggs town
ship; and Newton, who died in childhood. The
•death of both parents occurred in Boggs town
ship, the father dying in 1868, at the age of
fifty- four years; the mother in 1889, at the age
of seventy-three years. He was a wagon manu
facturer by trade, working at the same in Clinton
county until 1847, when he located in Centre
county, and in i860 became a resident of Boggs
township, where he carried on wagon making
and repairing until his death. His political sup
port was given the Republican party.
As a life work Mr. Beerly chose the occupa
tion of wagon-making, which trade he learned
under his father's able directions, and in the dis
trict schools he obtained his literary education,
which was somewhat meagre, he being the oldest
son, and obliged to assist in the support of the
family. He continued with his father until
his marriage, when he removed to Milesburg,
where, for five years, he worked for Jonathan
Bullock, and then returned to Boggs township,
and here, for twenty-one years, carried on oper
ations at his father's old plant. In 1890, how
ever, he erected his present steam factory, which
he has since successfully operated with the assist
ance of his two sons, Albert and Ellis, and enjoys
a large and lucrative patronage. He has the
most complete wagon factory in the county, and
for the past nineteen years has also engaged in
the manufacture of cider. Tireless energy, keen

perception, honesty of purpose, genius for devis
ing and executing the right thing at the right
time, joined to every-day common sense, guided
by resistless will power, are the chief character
istics of the man, and have been the important
factors in his success.
In 1 86 1, Mr. Beerly was united in marriage
with Miss Hannah J. Worts, and to them were
born three sons and two daughters, as follows:
Roland, who died in childhood; Laura, who died
at the age of thirty years; Albert, associated with
his father in business; Cora, who died when
young; and Ellis, also with his father. Mrs.
Beerly was born in Centre county, July 20, 1835,
and is one of the thirteen children of Jacob and
Annie (Hanser) Worts, also natives of Centre
county. In order of birth the children are as
follows: Barbara married J. Moore, and both
are now deceased; John is also deceased; Eliza
is the wife of J. McGonigle; Jacob is deceased;
Samuel lives in Houserville, Centre county;
Mattie; George; Joe; Philip, also of Houserville;
Catherine is deceased; Mary is the wife of Will
iam Gross, of Centre county; Abraham is a
farmer of Perry county, Penn. ; and Hannah J. is
the wife of our subject. The father was a prom
inent farmer of Centre county, and a stalwart
Republican in politics.
Since 1864, Mr. Beerly has lived at his pres
ent home, and has been elected to several town
ship offices, but has declined to accept the same,
as political distinction has no attraction for him.
Until the past nine years he was a Republican,
but he now affiliates with the Prohibition party.
His religious views are those of the Presbyterian
Church, but at present he is connected with no
Church organization. A man of fine musical
talent, he has won several prizes at musical
contests, and is a prominent member of a band
and an excellent orchestra. He is one of the
representative citizens of the community, held
in the highest regard by all who know him

ISAAC BECK. Prominent among the repre
sentative citizens and respected men of Half
Moon township, Centre county, is found the
subject of this biographical notice, who has a
valuable farm of 160 acres. This is well im
proved and highly cultivated, and shows conclu
sively that the owner has not mistaken his calling
in adopting agriculture.
Mr. Beck was born in Half Moon township,
October 8, 1835, a son of Daniel and Elizabeth
(Cryder) Beck, who are now deceased, the
former having died in 1883, the latter in 1884,
and were laid to rest in the Lutheran cemetery,

314

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

in Half Moon township. They were of German
descent, born near the city of Warriors Mark,
Huntingdon Co. , Penn., and were the parents of
seven children. Our subject is indebted to the
public schools of Centre county for his educa
tional privileges, and upon the home farm be
came familiar with agricultural pursuits, which
he decided to make his life work.
On October 21, 1859, Mr. Beck married
Miss Barbara Rider, a daughter of Michael and
Barbara Rider, of Gatesburg, Penn. Her father
was born in Dauphin county, this State, Febru
ary 18, 1797, and died January 30, 1881, while
her mother was born November 15, 1799, in
Lebanon county, Penn., and departed this life
March 9, 1874. In their family were twelve
children, namely: Mary, born August 2, 18 17,
died August 22, 1869; Catharine was born Janu
ary 29, 1 821; Elizabeth, born December 21,
1822, died May 8, 1883; Lydia, born December
25, 1824, died September 11, 1890; Sarah A.,
born December 13, 1826, died November 23,
1896; Jacob K., born February 15, 1829, makes
his home in Gatesburg, Centre county; Michael
C. , born March 14, 1832, lives in Nebraska;
Nancy, born August 13, 1834, is the wife of
Samuel Musser, of Fairbrook, Centre county;
John G., born May 15, 1836, is a resident of
Gatesburg; Barbara, born April 22, 1838, is the
honored wife of our subject; Mathias, born April
28, 1840, also makes his home at Gatesburg;
and Ellen, born April 25, 1843, is the wife of
William Hastings, of the same place.
Four children grace the union of Mr. and
Mrs. Beck, as follows: (1) Elmer E., born
September 3, 1861, was married January 8,
1 89 1, to Alice Whippo, by whom he has three
children, and is now serving as superintendent
of the farm in connection with the Huntingdon
Reformatory, of Huntingdon county, Penn. ; (2)
Mary E., born October 1, 1863, was married
June 27, 1889, to J. L. Corle, a clerk in the
postal service, and they have two children: Sa
lome and Barbara E. (3) William F. , born
January 18, 1866, married Sarah Campbell,
daughter of Cornelius Campbell, of Altoona,
Blair Co., Penn.; (4) Daniel J., born June 4,
1869, is still at home with his parents.
Mr. Beck has been an ardent Republican in
politics from the time he voted for Lincoln in
1 86 1, and takes a deep interest in the success of
his party; since the organization of the Grange in
his community he has been identified with that
movement; in religious faith he is an active and
faithful member of the Lutheran Church. He
is one of the most popular citizens of Half Moon
township, thoroughly honest, upright and reli

able, and is highly honored and respected by' all
who have the pleasure of his acquaintance. In
his beautiful home hospitality abounds, the fam
ily delighting to entertain their many friends.

B. BOOB, a leading blacksmith of Aarons
burg, was born December 13, 1845, in
Hartley township, Union Co., Penn., and is a
son of Adam and Susannah (Adams) Boob, the
former born in the same county July 14, 181 5,
and the latter in Dauphin county, this State,
April 26, 1 82 1. The paternal grandfather was
Michael Boob, while the mother's father was
Samuel Adams.
Adam Boob was reared amid humble sur
roundings in the county of his nativity, as his
parents were in limited circumstances, and after
his marriage located upon a small tract of land
near Laurelton, Union county, where he worked
at the mason's trade and later engaged in farm
ing. He is now the owner of a small farm in
that county, where he still makes his home, and
is well preserved for one of his years. His po
litical support is ever given men and measures of
the Democratic party, and in religion he is a
German Baptist. His faithful wife was called to
her final rest in the spring of 1895.
In their family were the following children:
Hannah, born August 24, 1838, is the wife of
John Pick, of Union county; Levi, born April 3,
1840, lost his arm in the Union service while a
member of Company A, 148th P. V. L, and died
in Union county from accidental shooting while
bear hunting; William, born February 13, 1842,
was also a member of Company A, 148th P. V. I.,
was wounded and died in a Rebel prison; Na
thaniel, born October 24, 1843, was a member
of the same company, and is now a resident of
Union county; R. B. , of this sketch, is next in
order of birth; Ellen, born July 16, 1847, is the
wife of Joseph Hartley, of Union county; Sarah,
born December 17, 1851, married William Beck,
and died in Shingletown, Penn. ; Frank, born
November 21, 1854, 1S a farmer of Union coun
ty; Amanda, born November 13, 1857, is the
wife of Joseph Smith, of Juniata county, Penn. ;
and- Maria, born July 6, 1 861, is the wife of
John Frederick, of Union county.
The educational privileges of our subject
were rather limited, and the schools which he
attended were much inferior to those of the pres
ent day. Until eighteen years of age he re
mained upon the home farm, assisting in its de
velopment and cultivation, and then began learn
ing the blacksmith's trade at Mifflinburg, Penn.,
in the shop of Miller, Diehl & Co. , his compen-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

315

sation to be $60 for two years, but for the eight
een months he was with them only received $30.
The following eight months he worked for Isaac
Sellers, of the same place, and then formed a
partnership with Perry Catherman, but after
conducting a shop in Mifflinburg for a few
months the connection was discontinued, our
subject being alone for a short time. Coming
to Centre county, he opened a smithy in the
country near Hartleton, but a year later located
in Aaronsburg, buying out the business of John
C. Stover in March, 1871. He has greatly en
larged his shop, adding coachmaking to the reg
ular blacksmith business, and has built up a fine
trade, which his skillful work justly merits.'
In Mifflinburg, September 19, 1867, Mr.
Boob was married to Miss Sarah Sheary, who
was born in East Buffalo township, Union coun
ty, September 5, 1844, a daughter of George E.
and Leah (Young) Sheary. Three children have
come to bless their .union: William W. , born
June 15, 1868, is a carriage hardware jobber of
Centre Hall, Penn., and a wide-awake, energetic
young business man; Lewis E. , born December
24, 1874, is also a promising young man, pos
sessing excellent musical talent; George C. , born
October 25, 1881, completes the family.
At the time of his marriage, Mr. Boob had
not a dollar with which to begin housekeeping,
and went in debt for his home, which cost $2, 300;
but being an honest, hard-working man, he soon
paid off the indebtedness and has secured a com
fortable competence, all through his own unaided
exertions. Originally he was a Democrat in
politics, but since 1892 has supported the Prohi
bition party, as it embodies his views on the tem
perance question. He is now serving his second
term as water works trustee, and is a valued and
efficient member of the school board. Since
1863 his wife has been a consistent member of
the Lutheran Church, while he is a Methodist in
religious belief. They have made many friends
since coming to Aaronsburg, and by all who know
them are held in the highest regard.

HENRY CLAY HOLTER, a veteran of the
T_ Civil war, and a prominent resident of
of Howard borough, Centre county, is a descend
ant of three well-known pioneer families. On the
paternal side, his grandfather, Jacob Holter, Sr. ,
who was born in Maryland in 1776, came to Cen
tre county in 1800, and opened a blacksmith
shop in Howard township, where he later en
gaged in farming. He died at the age of eighty-
six years. His first wife, who was a Miss Miller,
died leaving two children, and he afterward mar

ried Miss Catherine Neff, a native of the Bald
Eagle Valley, who died at the age of eighty- five
years. By this last union there were eleven children,
among whom was a son, Jacob, Jr., the father of
our subject, who was born January 19, 18 19,
and lived in Howard township until recent years,
having now retired to Liberty township, in the
same county. In his more active days he was a
successful agriculturist, and also took an influen
tial part in local affairs and in the Republican
party, serving as school director, overseer of the
poor and supervisor. He married Miss Cath
erine Pletcher, a native of Howard township, and
a daughter of Henry and Magdalena (Schenck)
Pletcher, who were born, reared and married in
Lancaster county, Penn., but located in 1796
upon a farm in Howard township and made their
permanent home. Mrs. Catherine Holter died
at the old homestead September 9, 1889, aged
seventy-four years, six months and eighteen days.
She was a devout Christian, and for forty-nine
years had been a member of the Mennonite
Church, to which her husband has belonged for
about fifty years.
To Jacob Holter, Jr., and his wife, Catherine
(Pletcher), were born children as follows: (1)
Joseph L., a resident of Howard, married Mar
tha Kaup, and has one child — Anna J. (2)
Henry C. is our subject; (3) Michael P., a car
penter at Howard, married Susan B. Schenck,
and seven children were born to them — Minnie
M., Lydia J. (Mrs. Pletcher), Charles E. , Albert
L. , James A., Samuel B., and Herbert J., who
died September 28, 1895. (4) John B., a stone
mason and plasterer, of Howard, married Carrie
B. Smith (no children). (5) Magdalena died in
1852. (6) Catherine M. married Isaac Williams,
a barber at Eagleville, Penn., and has had eight
children — Harry G. , Shuman S., Eliza C. ,
Henry S., Dela, Frankie, Laura and Juhn J. (7)
Nancy J. married Albert Schenck, a farmer of
Liberty township, Centre county, and had seven
children, all yet living — Carrie, May (Mrs.
Coder; she has two children — Albert and Rey
nold), Elsie, Wilber, Catherine, Irvine and
Viola; Mrs. Nancy J. Schenck died March 11,
1893. (8) Christian died in infancy. (9) Jacob
S., a plasterer at Howard, married Mary E. Mil
ler, and has one child — Sherman M. (10) Mary
A. married Bower Schenck, a farmer of Liberty
township, and they have three children — Charles,
Morris and Lydia. (11) Susan E. married J. Z.
Loder, of Howard, and they also have three
children — Joseph M., Mary B. and Mabel E.
The subject of our sketch was born Septem
ber 21, 1843, and remained at the old home in

316

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Howard township, Centre county, until he was
about nineteen years of age, assisting in the farm
work and attending the neighboring schools. He
displayed decided mechanical ability, and making
choice of the carpenter's trade began an appren
ticeship in 1862. The " dark days " of the Re
bellion were drawing on, and every loyal man
felt the prompting within to aid as he could in
the preservation of the Union. Young as he was,
Mr. Holter left the carpenter's bench after six
months of his apprenticeship had passed, and
went to the front as a member of Company D,
45th P. V. I., under Capt. Austin Curtin. He
continued in the service until the army was dis
banded, and received but one wound, and that a
slight one, although he saw much severe fighting,
especially in the battles of the Wilderness,
Spottsylvania, Bethesda Church, Cold Harbor,
North Anna, the long struggle before Petersburg
and the final combat with Lee's forces. He was
mustered out July 17, 1865, but he has since
been for some time a member of the 46th Regi
ment Pennsylvania Militia. In 1876 he joined
Centre County Veteran Club.
On his return from the war Mr. Holter re
sumed his work as an apprentice, and completed
his preparation for his trade, which he has since
followed successfully, six sawmills being among
his list of large buildings constructed. In 1876
he added undertaking; and in this branch of
work he formed a partnership in 1892 with J. H.
Schenck. Mr. Holter is highly esteemed in busi
ness circles, but his popularity does not end
there by any means. To mention the various
offices which he has held would be to enumerate
all the important places on the local ticket. He
has been school director nine years; town coun
cilman six years; overseer of the door two years;
chief burgess one term; assessor one year;
county collector two years; supervisor one year;
and for three years was secretary of the school
board. He is a prominent member of the Grand
Army Post, No. 262, at Howard, and served five
years as commander and three as adjutant. He
also held the leading offices in the Patriotic
Order Sons of America before their disbandment.
While he is not identified with any Church, he
gives generous support to all religious and phil
anthropic enterprises.
On June 30, 1868, Mr. Holter married Miss
Mary E. Hall, who was born June 30, 1849, the
daughter of Robert and Mary (Armegast) Hall,
natives and lifelong residents of Union town
ship, Centre county. Mr. and Mrs. Holter have
a bright, clever family of children. The eldest,
Daniel W., born April 26, 1869, is at home;
Frank E., born February 11, 1872, died May 5,

1874; Nannie K., born January 16, 1874, mar
ried Lot Thompson, of Liberty township, Cen
tre county, and their children were — Annie M.,
born June 2, 1895, died November 23, 1895;
George C, born June 21, 1896; and Clarence
Cameron, born December 1, 1 897 ; Lizzie M. , born
August 1, 1875, is a successful school teacher,
and resides with her parents; John S., born
March 7, 1877, ls an intelligent young man with
fine literary taste, and is now employed as clerk
in the "Syracuse Hotel" at Howard; Robert B.,
born January 19, 1879, is at home; Ella L., born
May 23, 1 88 1, died March 13, 1897 (She was
a member of the M. E. Church and Epworth
League); Mary A., born June 18, 1883, is at
home; Jacob L. , born April 12, 1885. died De
cember 26, 1888; David A., born February 19,
1887, Philip C, born January 28, 1889, Simon
C. B., born September 4, 1892, and Henry W.,
born July 26, 1894, are at home.

JESSE CLEAVER, one of the representative
and prominent citizens of the borough of
Unionville, Centre county, is a native of that
county, born February 5, 1844, on the banks of
the Bald Eagle creek, not far from the present
site of Unionville. He traces his ancestry back
to Joshua Cleaver, who came to America from
Wales, locating in New Jersey. He wedded
Margaret , who lost her membership in
the Society of Friends by her marriage, he being
a member of the Church of England. He died in
1783, at Philadelphia, leaving his widow with
four children: Nathan, Jesse, Eunice and An
drew. The youngest of this family, Andrew Cleaver,
was bound out to Benjamin Tompkins, of Bucks
county, Penn., with whom he remained until
reaching the age of twenty-one, and then re
turned to his mother. He married Hannah
Clark, a daughter of William and Hannah
Clark, and one of their twelve children was Will
iam, the father of our subject. The grandfather
was born December 4, 1783, and died January 8,
1840, about one mile east of Curwensville, Penn.
He was laid to rest in the Friends cemetery at
Grampian Hills, Clearfield county.
William Cleaver was born in Clearfield,
Penn., April 20, 181 1, and died March 30, 1857.
He was four times married, his first wife being
Anna Way, whom he wedded in Centre county,
and they had one son, Thomas W. , who was
born October 13, 1834, and is now a farmer of
Bedford county, Penn. After the death of his
first wife, Mr. Cleaver married Keziah Griest, of
Bald Eagle Valley, who was born September 3,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

317

1810, and died May 14, 1846. She was a daugh
ter of Amos and Phoebe (Swain) Griest, natives
of Chester county, Penn. , who removed to York
county, where her father spent his remaining
days. By this union Mr. Cleaver had three
children: Charles G., who was born November
22, 1841, and is now engaged in farming in Bed
ford county, Penn.; Jesse, subject of this sketch;
and a daughter who died in infancy. For his
third wife, Mr. Cleaver wedded Hannah Kirk, of
Lumber City, Clearfield county, and to them
was born a son, Isaac K., now residing in the
State of Washington, whose birth occurred March
28, 1850. After her death he married Louisa
Garretson, widow of Isaac Garretson, and one
child graced their union: William P., born in
February, 1857.
Jesse Cleaver obtained a good practical edu
cation in the common and select schools of his
day, and subsequently followed the profession of
teaching during the winter seasons, while the
summer months were spent in agricultural pur
suits. Soon after the death of his mother he
went with his father to Clearfield county, where
he remained until the latter was called to his final
rest in 1857. He then made his home with
friends for about three or four years, after which
he served a three-years' apprenticeship under a
carpenter and cabinet maker of Curwensville,
and later followed those occupations for a time.
During the oil excitement he was induced to go
to the oil regions, where he assisted in the erec
tion of many of the first derricks and engine
houses in the famous Pithole City, which rose,
flourished and faded, as it were, in a day. Later,
for a time, he boated oil on Oil creek and the Al
legheny river to Franklin. In the meanwhile he
had studied surveying under the direction of an
old and competent surveyor, and has now for
over twenty-two years followed that occupation.
On March 31, 1869, Mr. Cleaver was united
in marriage with Miss Edith Wickersham, of
Adams county, Penn. , and the names and dates
of births of their children are as follows: Eva W. ,
August 17, 1870; Florence N., September 9,
1872; Bertha K., August 23, 1876; and Edgar
W., June 29, 1 88 1. They are all still at home
with their parents, and constitute a most inter
esting family.
Mrs. Cleaver was born in York county, Penn. ,
September 22, 1835, a daughter of Abner and
Anne (Griest) Wickersham, who spent their en
tire lives in that county. The father was born
September 11, 1788, and died February 9, 1853.
He was married in March, 1821, to Anna Griest,
who was born May 16, 1796, and died April 25,
18,63. Mr Wickersham studied medicine, but

never engaged in its practice, turning his atten
tion exclusively to agricultural pursuits. He
was a son of James and Sarah (Garrison) Wick
ersham, who were born in Chester county, and
spent their last days in York county. The pa
ternal great-great-grandfather of Mrs. Cleaver
was of English birth; her maternal great-grand
father, John Griest, came from England, and his
son Willing (her grandfather) was born near
Wilmington, Del. The latter married Anne Mc
Millan, a native of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Cleaver
is one of a family of four children, the others
being as follows: Maria (born March 15, 1822,
died July 27, 1890), married William Cook, also
deceased; Josiah (born May 12, 1825, died Feb
ruary 19, 1882), and Mary A. (born May 15,
1 83 1) is a resident of Adams county, Pennsyl
vania. From the age of sixteen years until 1891
(with the exception of two years at boarding
school) Mrs. Cleaver successfully engaged in
teaching, at different times having charge of
both public and select schools. She is a highly
cultured and refined lad}', who with her husband
belongs to the Society of Friends.
In politics Mr. Cleaver is an ardent Repub
lican, and is now the candidate of that party for
the office of county surveyor, for which position
he is eminently fitted, as by private surveying he
is thoroughly familiar with the lands of Centre
county. In all respects he is accounted as a
useful and desirable member of society, and is
universally held in high esteem.

JOHN A. STOVER, who is probably one of
the most highly respected agriculturists of
Walker township, Centre county, has been an
important factor in the development of the com
munity, promoting its material and moral inter
ests. His parents, George and Catharine (Welt-
barger) Stover, were of German descent, and
born near Spring Mills, Centre county. He was
the eldest of their four children. (2) Benjamin,
a farmer, living at Centre Hill, Centre county,
married Sadie Byrd, and has four children —
three sons and one daughter. (3) Howard, a
farmer of Madisonburg, in the same county,
wedded Mary Klinefelter, and has two children —
Clark and Maud. (4) Samuel, whose home is on
a farm near Zion, Centre county, married Emma
Hull, and has two children — James and Mary.
Our subject was born near Farmers Mills,
Centre county, and in the usual manner of farmer
boys he was reared to manhood. In 1865 he
was united in marriage with Miss Eliza Markel,
who died in 1870, leaving two children — one son
and one daughter: Catharine, born October 7,

318

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1867, is now the wile of Noah Breon, a farmer
of Walker township, and they have two chil
dren — Elmer and Mary; Samuel W., born April
21, 1870, is still at home with his father. For
his second wife, Mr Stover wedded Johanna
Dietz, in 1873. Her father, Jacob Dietz, by
occupation a farmer, was a native of Germany,
and in early manhood came to America, where he
married. By Mr. Stover's second marriage there
is a son, Harry, born June 2, 1875, and married
to Kate Tate, of Nittany.
Mr. Stover has an excellent farm of twenty-
five acres in Walker township, near Hublersburg,
which he has under a high state of cultivation
and well improved with good buildings. Like
his ancestors for the last half century, he is a
stalwart Democrat in politics, always casting his
ballot with that organization. A sincere and
•conscientious Christian, he is a worthy member
of the German Reformed Church, and is in fa-
A'or of any movement tending to benefit the com
munity, or calculated to elevate the tone of so
ciety in general. By his neighbors he is classed
among the leading agriculturists of Walker town
ship, and by his honorable upright life has gained
many friends.
T'Tr S. SHAFFER, the able and popular pest
le master at Madisonburg, Centre county, is
a member of one of our oldest and best-known
families. John Adam and Sarah (Kern) Shaffer, grand
parents of our subject, were pioneer settlers, in
Brush Valley, Centre county, and their son,
Adam Shaffer, Jr. , our subject's father, was born
September 12, 181 5, at the " old Shaffer home,"
near Madisonburg, and was in his day one of the
leading men of the community, a successful
farmer and influential Democrat, and a generous
friend to every form of local improvement. Al
though the late Adam Shaffer was reared as a
farmer's boy, with but limited educational ad
vantages, his native abilities enabled him to
gather a goodly fund of practical information
upon various subjects, and his shrewd judgment
and well-known public spirit caused him to be
selected by his fellow-citizens to different local
offices, including those of overseer of the poor,
assessor, tax collector, school director and super
visor, notwithstanding the fact that he cared
little for public honors. He was a regular voter,
considering it every citizen's duty to register his
choice of men and measures. He was a large,
well-built man, robust and a hard worker, ac
complishing much more by his systematic man
agement than others could in the same time.
Aside from a short trip in the West his life was

spent in his native locality, and largely upon the
homestead which he rented for some years pre
vious to his father's death, and then purchased
from the other heirs. In 1874 he bought an
other home in the same locality, where he passed
his declining years. His death occurred in Feb
ruary, 1889, and his remains now rest in the
cemetery at Madisonburg.
On September 12, 1840, he was married to
Miss Mary Schmeltzer, daughter of George and
Margaret (Beckle) Schmeltzer (of whom more
extended mention is made below). She still
occupies the home which his thoughtful care
prepared for her. Both united with the Luth
eran Church in youth, and became devout and
consistent followers of its teachings, and liberal
contributors to its work. Adam Shaffer held
various offices in the Church, and for twenty
years was superintendent of the Sunday-school.
It was never his habit to say to his children "Go
to Sunday-school " the persuasive " come ", being
typical of his attitude in leading them into paths
of right doing, to which his own feet were famil
iar. Of four children, our subject was the eldest;
(2) Maggie married C. F. Yearick, and died in
Marion township, Centre county; (3) Emma,
now Mrs. J. W. Hazel, resides at Spring Mills;
(4) Ellis S. lives in Madisonburg.
U. S. Shaffer was born at the old home in
Miles township, Centre county, May 21, 1848,
and his early education was obtained mainly in
Madisonburg, his first teacher being Jonathan ¦
Shaffer. His limitations in this respect have
made him an earnest supporter of better facili
ties for the youth of to-day. At eighteen he
was examined and licensed to teach, and a sec
ond application for a certificate proved success
ful also, but he never taught school. Two trips
were taken to the West, during which he visited
points in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin,
but he has been too much attached to the old
home to leave it permanently, On December
25> 1873, he was married in Marion township,
Centre county, to Miss Mary Yearick, who was
born August 25, 1850, daughter of Henry and
Catherine (Linebaugh) Yearick. The young
couple settled at the ' ' old Schmeltzer farm, "
then the property of our subject's parents, and
after renting for some years he purchased, in 1882,
the "old Shaffer farm," which he sold after
ward to buy his present farm of 148 acres in
Miles township, Centre county, a fine estate
with good buildings showing liberal and progress
ive management. In the spring of 1890 Mr.
Shaffer bought a pleasant residence in Madison
burg, where he has since resided. Two children
— Estella A., and Ellis B. — brighten the home;

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

319

the latter had a twin brother, who died in infan
cy, unnamed.Mr. Shaffer and his wife found a ready wel
come in the best social circles of their new
home. Mrs. Shaffer is a member of the Re
formed Church, but our subject is a Lutheran,
at present holding the offices of elder and super
intendent of the Sunday-school, and since he
was sixteen years old he has been an active
worker therein as an official. He is a great
reader, and keeps well-informed upon the issues
of the day. Politically, he is a stanch Demo
crat, and he has held various positions, serving
as tax collector at his old home and as school
director in the Madisonburg district. In July,
1893, he was appointed to his present office of
postmaster, and in the discharge of his duties he
displays ability and faithfulness. In the councils
of his party his advice is highly valued, and he
takes an unfailing interest in the practical work
of the organization.
Mrs. Adam Shaffer, our subject's mother, is a
member of the well-known Schmeltzer family,
which is now without a male representative in
Miles township, Centre county, where her ances
tors were early settlers. Her grandfather, Con
rad Schmeltzer, was born February 27, 1768, in
Germany, where he was married in early man
hood to Miss Margaret Ginder, also a native of
the Fatherland, born December 17, 1767. They
were poor, and in order to make their way to
the wider opportunities of this new country they
mortgaged their labor as is shown by the follow
ing copy of an indenture which is preserved by
U. S. Shaffer as an interesting relic of the past :
Philadelphia. This indenture Witnesseth — That Conrad Schmeltzer
and Margaret, his wife, of their own free will have put them
selves as servants to Henry and Fdk. Spang— for the consider
ation of forty-one pounds, three-eighths of which paid George
Meade for their passage from Rotterdam— as also for other
good causes the said Conrad and Margaret Schmeltzer have
bound and put themselves, and by their presents do bind
and put themselves, servants to the said Henry and Fdk.
Spang, to serve them, their executors and assigns from the
day and date hereof for and during the full term of Three
Years and six months from thence next ensuing. During all
which term the said servants, their said masters, their execu
tors, or assigns, faithfully shall serve, and that honestly, and
obediently in all things, as good and dutiful servants ought
to do. And the said Henry and Fdk. Spang, their executors
and assigns, during the said term shall find and provide for
the said servants, sufficient meat, drink, apparel, washing,
and lodging, and at the expiration of their terms they shall
give said servants two complete suits of clothes (one whereof
to be new), or fifteen pounds specie in lieu of the new suits,
likewise to give them a cow. And for the true performance
hereof both the said parties bind themselves unto each
other by the said present. Two witnesses whereof they
iLave hereunto interchangeably set their hands and seals.
Uated the twenty-seventh day of August, seventeen hundred
and ninety-one. Conrad Schmeltzer,
Lewis Farmer, Margaret Schmeltzer.
Register.

The young couple arrived in the United States
in the spring of 1791, and in February, 1795,
they were free to seek a home for themselves.
For some time Conrad Schmeltzer worked as a
forgeman, having previously become familiar
with that business, and in this manner he secured
money to buy his first land, a new farm in what
is now Kelly township, Union county. Their
first home was a humble cabin, but their industry
and economy brought prosperity, and it was re
placed by a large stone house, which is still stand
ing. He had a good store of gold and silver
also, and as his sons grew to manhood he deter
mined to secure land for them. A trip through
Ohio and Indiana failed to show a suitable loca
tion, and returning to Pennsylvania he bought a
tract in Brush Valley a short distance west of
Madisonburg and extending from mountain to
mountain. To this place Conrad and his wife,
with those of their children who were at home,
removed in the fall of 1830, and there the last
days of the brave old couple were spent, the wife
dying October 8, 1850, and the husband on
April 11, 1853. Both were buried at Madi
sonburg. At the time of their settlement upon
the place a tenant was conducting a distill
ery, but Mr. Schmeltzer put a stop to that
business at once. Six children were born to
Conrad and Margaret Schmeltzer: (1) John,
who died at an early age; (2) George, who is
mentioned more fully below; (3) Margaret, Mrs.
Tatusman; (4) Mary (Mrs. John Heckle), who
died in Kelly township, Union county; (5) Jacob,
who died in Ohio, and (6) Katy, who never mar
ried, and was for years prior to her death her
father's amanuensis and bookkeeper.
George Schmeltzer, Mrs. Shaffer's father, was
born August 3, 1794, in Bucks county, Penn.,
and was but a child when his parents moved to
their first farm, where as he grew to manhood
he learned the business of farming, in which the
greater portion of his after life was spent. He
was a man of rather short stature and stout
build, very energetic as a worker, peaceable and
friendly in disposition, and although he talked
very little he always meant what he said. In
politics he was a Democrat, and various town
ship offices were creditably filled by him, while
he was also active in religious matters as a devout
member of the Lutheran Church. He was mar
ried, in 18 1 5, in Bucks county, to Miss Margaret
Beckle, who was born December 27, 1792, and
they had eight children, whose names with dates
of birth are here given: Esther, July 21, 18 16,
is the widow of Joseph Gramley, of Rebersburg;
John, September 4, 18 17, was a farmer in Steph
enson county, 111., where his death occurred;

320

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Mary, born in May, 1819, is the mother of our
subject; George, Jr., November 1, 1820, was at
one time a practicing physician at Madisonburg,
but died at the opening of his career; Jacob,
March 5, 1823, died in Dakota, 111., where he
was in business as a grain dealer; Frances, De
cember 3, 1825, married John Shaffer; Benjamin,
March 13, 1828, resides in Dakota, 111.; Hannah
M., November 28, 1832, married John Laurer,
and died in Stephenson county, 111. The mother
of these children died December 10, 1845, and
on October 14, 1850, Mr. Schmeltzer married
Miss Regina Wagner, a native of Sugar Valley,
born June 15, 1806. She died January 25, 1879,
leaving no issue.
After his first marriage George Schmeltzer
remained at his father's farm for a few years, and
then moved to the vicinity of White Deer Hole
and rented a farm on the Muncy river. At the
time the dam was built there, he took charge of
the boarding shanty for the contractors, and dur
ing the summer of 1830 he had often as many as
200 men to feed. In the fall of that year he
would have accompanied his father to the new
home in Brush Valley, but extra inducements
were offered him to remain where he was, and he
did not rejoin the family until the spring of 1831.
He located on the northern portion of the new
tract in an old log house, the ends of the logs
being not yet sawed off. Later a dwelling was
built, which is still occupied by the owners of the
farm. After the death of his first wife he re
moved to Madisonburg, where he built a new
residence, and his death occurred there April 26,
1878.

W BSALOM SHADE TIPTON, who departed
J&L this life February 25, 1884, was one of the
leading and influential citizens of Howard town
ship, Centre county.
William Tipton, his father, was of English
origin, born in Cumberland county, Penn. , Jan
uary 13, 1773, and as early as 1796 came to
what is now Centre county. He married Eliza
beth Shade, who was born May 30, 1780, and
their children were: Mary, born August 26, 1802,
married James Heverly, and died December 10,
1836; Sarah, born February 27, 1806, married
Isaac W. Meese; William, Jr., resided at How
ard, and died January 21, 1850; Washington
died April 16, 1839; Nancy, born April 22, 181 5,
married Samuel Gardner; Caroline M., born
August 16, 181 7, married George Spearing, and
died in 1879; Absalom S., born January 26,
1820; and Jemima E., born June 3, 1826, mar
ried Levi Fuller.

The old homestead, where our subject was
born and lived to manhood, is now the site of
much of the town of Howard. In early life he
was of a delicate constitution, and after he re
ceived an education in the neighborhood schools,
at the age of seventeen began teaching school,
which he followed several terms; but finding it
too confining, he gave it up. While yet young,
at his father's death he assumed the management
of the estate, assisted by his mother and sisters.
In 1 846 he bought out the other heirs. He laid
out the town of Howard, selling the first lot to
Samuel Brickley. After he quit the occupation
of a teacher he became engaged in the lumber
business, which, in connection with farming, he
carried on throughout life. He farmed exten
sively, and took a great interest in the vocation;
his buildings were fine and modernly equipped,
while all other improvements corresponded, evi
dencing the neat and progressive farmer that he
was. In the lumbering business he gave employ
ment to many men, often having on his pay roll
as many as eighty men. At the time of his death
he had arranged plans all drawn and much of the
material purchased, for the erection of an elegant
residence on the old Tipton homestead, which
later, however, was abandoned.
Mr. Tipton was one of the most enterprising
citizens of the township, and did much for the
town of Howard, restoring the water privilege to-
the place by replacing the old canal banks.
Despite his bodily infirmities he was one of the
most energetic men of Centre county, and made
a success of life, accumulating a valuable estate,
owning at the time of his death three fine farms
on Marsh creek, 230 acres of timber land in the
same locality, and other property in and around
Howard. He imbibed from his early surround
ings the principles of Jeffersonian Democracy,
but later became an ardent advocate in opposi
tion to Slavery, and subsequently became a Re
publican. As a citizen he was honorable, prompt
and true to every engagement; as a man he held
the honor and esteem of all classes of citizens of
all creeds and political proclivities; as a husband
he was a model worthy of all imitation. He was
a man of the times, broad-minded, public-spirited
and progressive. He was an active and earnest
member of the M. E. Church.
On December 27, 1859, Mr. Tipton was mar
ried to Miss Rebecca J. Garman, and to them
were born the following children: (1) Mary E.,
born January 27, 1861, married Jerry Ryan, who
is engaged in the hotel business in East Buffalo,
N. Y. ; their children are — Ethelyn A., Edward
Tipton, and Ralph R. (2) George W., born
April 28, 1862, married Elizabeth L. Cox, and

c*~h/

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

321

is a lumberman of Howard; their children are
Claremont, Jr., Bernice V., Alice M., and Leon
ard W. and Lester (twins). (3) Frances T. ,
born September 12, 1863, is the wife of Edward
C. Mclntire, an attorney of Williamsport, Penn.
(4) Sarah C. , born April 11, 1865, died in in
fancy. (5) Laura T. , born July 1, 1866, is the
-wife of M. M. Hunter, an attorney of Carthage,
Mo. ; their children are — Harold T. and Frances
R. (6) John Howard, born.November 16, 1867,
is a traveling salesman, residing in Bellefonte,
Penn. ; he married Anna Hopton, of Tyrone, and
has one child — Mary Helen. (7) William F.,
born January 14, 1870, graduated with honors
from the Eastman Business College, Poughkeep-
sie, N. Y. ; he married Sallie Askey, and died
October 9, 1891, leaving one child— William
Fuller. (8) Isabella J., born July 18, 1871, died
in infancy. The widow of our subject, a most estimable
lady, was born in Salona, Clinton Co., Penn.,
June 19, 1836, and is a daughter of Michael and
Margaret (Lovell) Garman, natives of Cumber
land and Huntingdon counties, Penn., respect
ively. They were married in Mill Hall, Centre
county, December 24, 1828. The mother's
death occurred February 18, 1869, when she
was sixty-eight years, while a resident of Salona.
In their family were seven children: William E.,
born December 20, 1829, died February 7, 1854;
Foster, born February 13, 1832, died October
17, 1857; Mary C. , born February 7, 1834, first
wedded William Martin, and after his death mar
ried George Kustenboarders, a farmer of Centre
county; Rebecca J. is next in order of birth;
Mathew B., born January 5, 1839, died August
30, 1850; Austin, born November 3, 1840, served
for three years in the Union army, and is now a
carpenter of Colorado; John M., born December
2, 1842, was under age when the Civil war broke
out, but ran away from home and joined the
army, and died from the effects of his service
December 26, 1861.
Michael Garman, the father of Mrs. Tipton,
was born April 15, 1800. Her mother was Mary
(Slutterbeck) Garman. The father died before
the son's birth, and the latter was reared by
strangers. In 1828 he came to Centre county,
and throughout his active business career engaged
in lumbering and farming, but in his later years
he lived retired with his daughter, Mrs. Tipton,
where he passed from earth May 24, 1897. He was
an energetic, hard-working man, and prosperity
crowned his efforts; but through bad investment
he lost much of his property, being a stockholder
in the National Bank of Lock Haven at the time
it failed. A conscientious Christian, he, during

the last forty-five years of his life, was a faithful
and active member of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, and his was a useful and well-spent life.
He was a strong advocate of temperance, and
spent both time and money in the cause. Dur
ing the Civil war he strongly supported the
Union, giving of his means to the support of the
the soldiers' families, and using his influence for
its suppression.

IE J. STOVER, a prominent citizen of Coburn,
J&L Centre county, is a retired agriculturist who
after many years of well-directed labor can gather
the rewards thereof at leisure. He was born
January 27, 1846, in Haines township, Centre
county, where his ancestors settled at a very
early day, his grandfather, Adam Stover, having
been a pioneer farmer.
Andrew Stover, our subject's father, was born
and reared there and learned the carpenter's
trade. His parents having a small farm and a
large family, he was obliged to make his own way
in life from the start. He was industrious and
frugal, and won a high place in the esteem of the
community. In politics he was a Democrat,
and he was a leading member of the Lutheran
Church. At an early age he married Miss Polly
Moyer (or Meyer, as the name was originally
spelled), a daughter of George Moyer, a well
known farmer. They began housekeeping near
Coburn, and for a number of years Andrew
Stover was engaged in general carpenter work,
but when nearly forty years old he purchased
forty acres of land in Haines township, Centre
county, and followed farming until his death.
He died at the age of fifty-four, and his mortal
remains were laid to rest in Wolfe's Chapel
cemetery. His widow, who was born January
20, 1 8 14, and is consequently eighty-four years
old, is now living with our subject. They reared
a large family, as follows: Julia is Mrs. Enoch
•Kramer, of Haines township, Centre county;
George M. is a carpenter of Aaronsburg; Daniel
M. is a carpenter of Haines township, Centre
county; Israel M. lives in Berrien county, Mich. ;,
Catherine married Franklin Detwilder, and died at
Aaronsburg; John is a resident of Berrien county,,
Mich. ; A. J. is our subject; Benjamin lives in
Haines township, Centre county; Jacob, Monroe,
Jeff and James, all resided in Berrien county,
Mich. ; Henrietta died at the age of twenty-one
years; and Elizabeth, who married Henry Kramer,
went west, and for twelve years has not been
heard from.
A. J. Stover's early education was such as the
common schools of his day afforded. As his

322

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

parents had but limited means most of the chil
dren left home early to make a living, and he
was the only one of the boys who remained
until of age. He was eighteen years old when
his father died, and the will confided to his care
the mother and younger children. This com
mission he fulfilled, all his work at the home
stead being done for the mother and family. At
twenty-one he was married in Haines township,
Centre county, to Miss Annie Stover, a native of
the township and a daughter of Martin Stover.
His savings at this time amounted to nearly $i 50,
and he made a beginning as a farmer by renting
forty acres of land in Penn township, Centre
county, where he spent six years. Having pros
pered, he rented a larger farm in Haines town
ship, Centre county, and lived there three years.
In the spring of 1878 he purchased his first farm,
a tract of eighty-seven acres in Haines township,
Centre county, and although he went $3,600 in
debt, he enjoyed at last the satisfaction of hav
ing a home that he could call his own. He re
mained there until the spring of 1895, when he
removed to his present home in Coburn. He
now owns over 240 acres of land, and is regarded
as one of the substantial citizens of the lo
cality. Mr. Stover's four children by the first mar
riage are all residents of Centre county: Ammon
A. is a farmer of Haines township; Warren F. is
a farmer of Gregg township; William resides in
Haines township; and Katy married John Hess,
of Haines township. The mother of this little
family died in February, 1886, and was buried
in Wolfe's Chapel cemetery. On February 16,
1888, Mr. Stover was married in Haines town
ship to Miss Eve Stover, a sister of his first wife,
and there is one child by this union, Martin A.,
who is at home.
Mr. Stover has not only proved himself a
successful business man, but he has always taken
a prominent part in the local work of the Demo
cratic party, and has held the office of supervisor
for three terms. He is a member of the Re
formed Church, in which he has been a deacon,
and he is interested in all that tends to promote
the good of the community.

M LBERT YOUNG WILLIAMS, proprietor
Jlzk of the Port Matilda Flouring Mills, which
are located at Port Matilda, Worth township,
Centre county, is one of the representative and
prominent citizens of the community, and has
done much to promote the commercial and in
dustrial activity, advance the general welfare,
and secure the materiavelol depment of the coun

ty. As a business man he has been enterprising,
energetic and always abreast with the times,
and has been rewarded with a comfortable com
petence. Mr. Williams was born in Worth township,
September 1, 1849, a son of Joseph and Mar
garet' (Wagner) Williams, in whose family were
five children: Thomas (deceased), who was a
wagon maker by trade; Ebenezer, who operates
a flouring mill in Bald Eagle, Penn.; Wagner
W. (deceased), who was a miller and merchant;
Albert Y. , of this sketch; and Jane, who died in
infancy. The father's birth occurred in May, 1809, in
Centre county, at the home of his parents, Jos
eph and Jane (Williams) Williams, who were
natives of Wales, and were married in Centre
county, Penn., February 3, 1796. In their fam
ily were the following children: Margaret, Will
iam, Susan, James, Mary, Ellen, Joseph, Maria,
Philip, Jane, Nancy and Ebenezer. By trade
the grandfather was a farmer and weaver. The
parents of our subject were married in Centre
county, where they spent their remaining days.
By occupation the father was a farmer, carpen
ter and lumberman, and at the time of his death
was operating a water sawmill in Worth town
ship. He was Democratic in politics, served in
several local offices, and held membership in the
Baptist Church, to which his wife also belonged.
He died in May, 1856.
The mother of our subject was born in Union
county, Penn., December 22, 18 19, and was a
daughter of Adam and Mary (Scherfler) Wagner,
who were born and married in Union county,
where they remained until 1829, when they took
up their residence in Worth township, Centre
county, and there spent their last days. They
were of German extraction, and the parents of
the following children: Catherine, Sarah, Mary,
Leah, Eliza, Margaret, Jane, John and Nancy.
After the death of her first husband, Mrs. Will
iams married John G. Jones, who was born in
Centre county in May, 1821, and is now a resi
dent of Port Matilda, where he is engaged in
shoemaking. In early life he engaged in mer
chandising, lumbering and the manufacture of
tile. Living with him is Margerie B. , the only
child born of the second union of the mother of
our subject. She passed away September 5,
1896, leaving many friends as well as her im
mediate family to mourn h'er de^th.
Albert Y. Williams was nine years of age
when he became a resident of Port Matilda, and
for seven years attended its schools, acquiring a
good practical education. At the age of eighteen
he left home, and for two years was in the em-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

323

ploy of the Bald Eagle Valley railroad, after
which he served an apprenticeship in the flouring
mills of Irwin Brothers at Curwensville, Clear
field county, operated by William D. Smith.
Eight months later Mr. Smith bought the Union
ville flouring mill, and our subject accompanied
him to that place, remaining in his employ until
May, 1870. The following two years he worked
in a mill at Grahamton, Penn., and then came
to the mill of which he is now proprietor, pur
chasing the same in May, 1886. Being a prac
tical and skilled miller, he has met with a well-
deserved success in his operations, receiving a
liberal share of the public patronage, and the
quality of flour turned out is of a most superior
grade, commanding the highest market price.
On July 2, 1 87 1, Mr. Williams was united
in marriage with Miss Delilah McDowell, and
they have nine children, whose names and dates
of birth are as follows: Abbie M. , June 15,
1872; Margaret B., November 19, 1873; John
M., October 16, 1875; Florence E. , December
23, 1877; Edith W., February 12, 1880; Mabel
E., September 11, 1882; Edgar W., January
29, 1885; Belva L., August 5, 1888; and Blake,
December 29, 1891. All are still at home with
the exception of Abbie M., the eldest, who is
now the wife of Rev. J. C. Young, of Three
Springs, Huntingdon Co., Pennsylvania.
A native of Clearfield county, Mrs. Williams
was born June 20, 185 1, in Graham township,
a daughter of David and Maria (Snell) McDow
ell, who were born in the same county and
died in Graham township, the former in August,
1870, aged fifty-four years, and the latter in 1893,
aged seventy-six. He was a man of great promi
nence, a farmer and lumberman by occupation,
and held several official positions of honor and
trust in his township. He voted with the Demo
cratic party, and in religious belief he and his
wife were Methodists. In their family were six
children, namely : Elizabeth, wife of Jacob
Heinhart, a farmer of Clearfield county; John,
who resides on the old homestead in that county;
Sarah, wife of James Little, an agriculturist of
Clearfield county; Margaret, who died in infancy;
Eliza J., wife of E. Bush, a farmer of Clinton
county, Penn.; Catherine, wife of John Powell,
a farmer of Clearfield county; and Delilah, the
worthy wife of our subject.
Mr; Williams uses his right of franchise in
support of the principles and candidates of the
Republican party, and has most creditably served
as school director, auditor, and overseer of the
poor for the past eight years. His life has been a
success owing to his own perseverance, industry
and good management, and his career is illus

trative of the fact that certain actions are fol
lowed by certain results. Honorable and up
right in all his dealings he justly deserves the
high regard in which he is universally held.
With the Methodist Episcopal Church he and his
wife hold membership, and their standing in so
cial circles is high.

JOHN BARNES. The history of the able and
energetic men who have participated in the
development of this section will always hold
a deep interest, and the subject of this sketch, a
well-known coal operator residing at Philipsburg,
Centre county, is a notable example of success
ful effort. Like many of the best financiers and
business men of the country, Mr. Barnes comes
of English stock, his family having been estab
lished in Lancashire, England, for many genera
tions. The authentic records go no farther back
than to the grandfather, James Barnes, and in
his life we find a romance which parallels the
most beautiful dreams of fiction. He and his
wife were born on the same day of the same
month, but the grandmother a year later than
the grandfather. They were married upon one
anniversary of their birth, and died on another
anniversary of their birth. From the time of
their marriage they had never been separated for
a single day and night, and their mutual sympa
thy was so remarkable that each shared pain felt
by the other. On the day of their death they
lay side by side, and after the devoted wife
breathed her last the children attempted to re
move the lifeless body, but the husband waved
his hand as a signal that they should not disturb
it, and eighteen minutes later his soul had fol
lowed hers to the vast unknown. They were
seventy-five and seventy-four years old respect
ively. This couple reared a large family of children,
among whom was a son, John, our subject's fa
ther, who became a farmer as was his father be
fore him, and lived and died in Lancashire. He
married Miss Jennie Hayes, and twelve children
were born of their union: James is deceased;
Hannah married Edward Riley, and lives in
England; Samuel and Lawrence are both living
in England; John is our subject; Henry died in
Philipsburg; Isabella is the wife of James East
wood, of England; Thomas is a prominent resi
dent of Philipsburg; William resides in England;
Alice Ann; Jane married George E. Smith, and
also lives in England; Rachel is deceased.
The subject of this sketch was born in March,
1836, and his early years were passed at the old
home where he worked upon the farm and in

324

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

the neighboring mines. On coming to America
in 1862, he found his first employment at Powel-
• ton, Penn., in the mines, and after spending
about two years in work there and elsewhere, he
located permanently at Philipsburg. He had
only a few dollars in his pocket, but he had a
strong constitution, and his shrewd judgment
and high ambitions were supported by untiring
energy. He began his career there as a digger
in a coal bank, but he had already formed a deter
mination to make his way to wealth, and after a
few years he began the more profitable work of
clearing away drift on contract. He and his brother
Thomas soon acquired a fund which enabled
them to begin operating the Cuba mines, and
they followed their success there by working the
Derby mines and then the Lancashire mines
Nos. 1 and 2, employing 150 men. From this
point their progress was rapid, and they are now
recognized as leaders in their lines of business.
Their experience covers the entire range of min
ing operations, from the hard manual labor of
digging to the prospecting and purchase of coal
lands. Mr. Barnes is a prominent member of the
Episcopal Church; in his political affiliations he
is a Republican. He was married in April, 1865,
to Miss Elizabeth Pilkington, and their home
has been blessed by thirteen children: James
conducts a clothing store in Barnesboro along
with his brother John; he married Letitia Laffin,
and has two children — Edith and Maggie. Mag
gie married R. Miller, of Zanesville, Ohio, and
has three children — John, Elizabeth and Mar
garet. Thomas is proprietor of the "Ramsdale
House," Philipsburg; he married Martha Alice
Ramsdale, and has one child — William John.
Jane Anna died at the age of four months. Will
iam lived only one month. Joseph is at home.
Alice died at the age of twenty-one years. John
conducts a clothing store in Barnesboro, along
with his brother James. Mary is at home.
Alfred died when eight months old. Harry and
George are at home. Arthur died at the age of
three months. Despite their many cares, our
subject and his wife are models of physical
health and vigor. Mr. Barnes owns valuable
real estate in Philipsburg, and, besides his ele
gant home, has built a fine block on Main street.
Mrs. Barnes is also a native of Lancashire,
England, and was born September 12, 1845, the
daughter of John and Margaret Pilkington.
Her father died in England, and when she was
seventeen years old she was brought by her
mother to America, together with two brothers
and a sister. They made their home in Powel-
ton, where Mrs. Barnes grew to womanhood.

The mother died at the age of sixty years. The
other children were: Joseph, who lives in Kan
sas; Mary E., the wife of Charles Cutshaw, who
lives in Illinois; and John, who is deceased.

JOHN D. LONG. In the eye of an American
there can be no higher honor than the record
of service in the war which established be
yond further question the permanent union of
the States, and made the country truly "one
and indivisible ". Happily we still have with
us many of the veterans of that struggle, and
prominent among them is the highly respected
citizen of Spring Mills, Centre county, whose
name introduces this biography. Mr. Long not
only served with distinction himself, his devotion
to the cause crippling him by a painful and per
manent injury, but he belongs to a family which
sent five sons to the front, and would have sent
another had he been old enough.
Mr. Long's family is of German extraction,.
and his immediate ancestors in this country on
both sides were engaged in agricultural pursuits.
His father, George Long, was born in Berks
county, Penn., in 1805, his parents being farmers
there of limited means, his youth was spent in
agricultural work, except one winter when he
worked at the cooper's trade. He was married
in his native county to Miss Mary Deck, who
was born there in 1807, the daughter of a farmer
and a member of a family which is now largely
represented in that section. After his marriage
George Long settled upon a rented farm in Berks
county, but in the spring of 1841 he removed
with his family to Centre county. Our subject
was then only four years old,, but he remembers
vividly the journey in a covered wagon such as
was commonly used in that early day by travelers.
For about five years George Long lived upon a
rented farm one and one-half miles northeast of
Aaronsburg, and then' he removed to a rented
farm in Gregg township on the Brush Valley
road. His remaining years were passed in that
township. He was a small man, and did not at
tain the ordinary limit of three-score years and
ten, his death occurring in March, 1864. Mrs.
Long, who was of large build, and weighed about
200 pounds, survived him until 1871, making;
her home with their son, Levi; her remains now
rest beside those of her husband in Union ceme
tery. They belonged to the sect known as the
River Dunkards, and in accordance with the
tenets of that faith Mr. Long refrained from
participation in politics, and seldom or never voted.
In. early years he sympathized with the Demo
cratic party, but after the opening of the Civil

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

325

war he expressed his hearty indorsement of Re
publican principles. Although he was a most
industrious worker he never accumulated any
thing beyond a meager competence. He and
his wife reared a large family of children, who in
character and standing are a credit to their par
ents. Levi resides in Madisonburg; William,
who served in the war as a member of Company
D, 148th P V. I., is now a farmer in Brush
Valley; Jacob, a resident of Philadelphia, served
in the 205th P. V. I., and being a harness maker
by trade was detailed as brigade saddler; Rebec
ca, Mrs. Peter Zeigler, died in Gregg township;
Caroline is the wife of H. J. Limbert, of Madi
sonburg; John D. is mentioned more fully below:
Henry, who enlisted in Company D, 148th P. V.
I., died a soldier's death at Chancellorsville May
3, 1863; George, a shoemaker by trade, lives in
Stephenson county, 111. ; Mary is the wife of
John F. Breon, of Gregg township; Polly (Mrs.
Johnson) lives in Kansas; Daniel, who served in
Company A, 148th P. V. I., was captured and
died in a Southern prison; Jonathan was too
young to enlist with his brothers, but his patriotic
zeal led him to enter the army during the recon
struction period, when he served in Alabama;
Michael resides in Oklahoma; and Lizzie is the
wife of George Greninger, of Clinton county,
Pennsylvania. J. D. Long (our subject) was born February
12, 1837, at Stouchsburg, Penn., and his expe
rience in youth was that which the conditions of
farmers' life in those days imposed upon the sons
of poor and hard-working parents. He remained
at home until the age of nineteen, receiving but
little schooling and that not of the best, and in
the spring of 1856 he went to Spring Mills to
learn the carpenter's trade under Michael Nofsker,
his wages being $5.50 per month and board, his
washing not being included. After becoming fa
miliar with the details of the trade he worked two
years for Samuel Loose, and was also employed by
other carpenters in the locality, but in the spring
of i860 he found similiar work in Montgomery
county, Ohio, where he remained until his re
moval, in March, 1861, to Fort Wayne, Ind.
There he enlisted, June 14, 1861, in Company C,
15th Ind. V. I. His first battle was at Rich
Mountain, West Virginia, only a portion of the
15th Regiment being engaged, and he took part
in all the engagements of his regiment until after
the battle of Stone River, where he was wounded
at 11 a. m. December 31, 1862. His left limb
was struck near the ankle by a shell and instantly
severed, the bone being splintered almost to the
knee. He spent three weeks and a half in the
field hospital and the same length of time in a

hospital at Nashville, when he was sent to Louis
ville and there, on February 24, 1863, he was
honorably discharged on account of disability.
Before returning to Centre county he visited
Ohio and Indiana, but the serious problem of a
livelihood confronted him, and as he could no
longer follow his trade he decided to become a
saddler, his injuries not interfering with that
work. Accordingly he went to Petersburg, Hunt
ingdon Co., Penn., in January, 1864, to learn
the trade with his brother Jacob. A few months
sufficed to give him a knowledge of the business,
and in August of the same year he took charge
of the shop while his brother joined the army for
the final desperate struggle which brought definite
victory to the Union cause. In the spring of
1866 Mr. Long moved to Penn Hall and later
settled in Spring Mills, continuing his trade suc
cessfully in both places. After a time he en
gaged in mercantile business at Spring Mills, but
a few years ago he retired, leaving his store to
the care of his son. A goodly competence has
rewarded his efforts; he owns 144 acres of land
in George's Valley, and a comfortable residence
which he built for himself at Spring Mills; another
dwelling house which he built there was sold.
Mr. Long is most kind and generous, and
during his business career he made many friends
by whom he is held in the highest esteem. He
wields a potent influence in local affairs, and al
though he has never been an office seeker he is
one of the Republicans of Penn's Valley. Under
Harrison's administration be held the position of
postmaster at Spring Mills, receiving his appoint
ment June 15, 1879. Previous to the Rebellion
he had been a supporter of the Democratic party,
but since that time he has been a steadfast
adherent of the G. O. P. -On June 15, 1897, he
was appointed postmaster at Spring Mills, Penn.
As might be inferred from his war record, he is a
member of the Grand Army of the Republic,
belonging to Post No. 282, at Centre Hall.
On February 12, 1865, Mr. Long was mar
ried at Centre Hall to Miss Mary A. Leitzel, a
native of Gregg township, Centre county (born
May 8, 1839), and a daughter of Philip and Julia
(Nofsker) Leitzel. They have six children:
Charles P. and George H. are in the mercantile
business at Spring. Mills; Philip P. is a merchant
at Potters Mills; Susan E. is the wife of Robert
Neese, of George's Valley; and Ida M. and Frank
A. are at home.

CsHARLES BEIRLY, a prominent agriculturist
_' of Brush Valley, residing near Rebersburg,
is a man whose patriotism has been tried amid

326

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

the hardships and exposures of the battlefield,
the camp and the march, and survived the still
more trying test of hospital life. At the age of
twenty-two, in obedience to his country's call,
he enlisted, August 22, 1862, at Rebersburg, in
Company A, 148th P. V. I. After a short stay
at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, for equipment and
drill, the new recruits went to the front, their
first experience in battle being at Chancellors
ville. Mr. Beirly took part in the other engage
ments of his regiment until he was wounded in
the evening of the second day at Gettysburg
while he was crossing the stone fence. He was
removed from the field in an ambulance, and
spent nine months in a hospital in Philadelphia.
Nothing daunted by this experience, he deter
mined to remain in the service, but being inca
pacitated for active work in the field he was
transferred to the Invalid Corps, and for .some
time was on guard duty in New York City.
Later he was detailed for hospital work at Wash
ington, and he did not leave the service until the
war was ended, being mustered out June 26,
1865. Mr. Beirly is a member of a pioneer family of
Brush Valley. The name is properly spelled
Bierly, but at the time of his enlistment it was
placed on the army rolls as Beirly, and he has
since adhered to that form. He is a grandson of
Anthony and Maria (Kratzer) Bierly, and a son
of Melchoir Bierly, who was born in Miles town
ship, July 20, 181 5, and became a leading citi
zen there. At twelve years of age he began to
learn the blacksmith's trade in his father's shop,
and always followed that occupation. Melchoir
Bierly was married December 3, 1836, in Miles
township to Catharine Gephart, who was born
in Berks county, Penn., November I, 181 1. Her
parents, Daniel and Hannah Gephart, removed to
Union county when Catharine was but a babe, and
after nine years there they settled at Madison
burg, Centre county. Mr. Gephart followed the
weaver's trade. Later they went to Seneca
county, Ohio, and died there. Mrs. Bierly was
the eldest of ten children — six sons and four
daughters. Of the five children of this marriage,
two lived to adult age: Charles; and Mary J.,
now the wife of William Brumgart, of Nittany
Valley; three children — one daughter and two sons
— died in childhood.
Melchoir Bierly was a Republican and strongly
loyal, being an ardent admirer of Lincoln and
opposed to slavery. In local affairs he was in
fluential but he never sought office. He was a
large man, well built, a hard worker, and was
nearly eighty years when he died, January 11,
1894. He had but fifty cents when he was mar

ried, and he fought his own fight, winning a
comfortable competence. He and his wife both
united with the Lutheran Church, and were always
in aympathy with religious and philanthropic
work. Mrs. Bierly still lives in Rebersburg, and
is well preserved for one of her age. Since his
father's death our subject has given his mother
a good home, and has cared for her with filial
devotion. Charles Beirly was born near Rebersburg,
April 18, 1840, and attended the schools of his
day at Rebersburg, John Burket being his first
teacher. He had some difficulty in committing
his lessons to memory, but was an apt scholar
in some respects. He began to learn the black-
mith's trade when he was twelve years old, and
when not in school he was to be found in his
father's shop, where there was always plenty of
business, several men being constantly employed.
After his return from the army he resumed work
at his trade.
Mr. Beirly was first married September 10,
1865, in Brush Valley, to Miss Amelia Snook,
the daughter of Levi and Margaret (Wolford)
Snook. They began housekeeping in Rebers
burg, and Mr. Beirly became a partner in his fa
ther's business, which they continued until they
came to his present farm in 1874. He rented
the place at first from his father, and in Novem
ber, 1893, acquired the title. The farm contains
106 acres, and Mr. Beirly has erected every
building on it except the residence and corn crib.
He owns a home in Rebersburg and also has a
small tract of mountain land. The children of the
first marriage were : Margaret J. , now Mrs. C. 0.
Mayer, of Selins Grove, Penn.; Warren M., of
Franklin county, Penn. ; Alvin M. , who died at the
of age sixteen years; George A., who died in in
fancy; and Charles H., a farmer of Brush Valley.
The mother, who was a devout Christian and a
member of the Lutheran Church, died in Novem
ber, 1874, and her remains now lie buried at
Rebersburg. For his second wife, Mr. Beirly was married,
March 12, 1876, to Miss Mary M. Moyer, born
in Penn's Valley, Penn township, Centre county,
May 12, 1845, daughter of Elias and Susan
(Young) Moyer, who removed to Boone county,
Iowa, when she was ten years old. She was
reared there, and taught a subscription school
when but seventeen years old. Her father died
there in 1864, and soon afterward she returned
with some of her family to Pennsylvania, where
she met Mr. Beirly. She was the eldest of nine
children — six sons and three daughters — and is
now the only one of this family left in Brush Val
ley and Penn's Valley. Two children were born

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

327

of this marriage: Lowell S. and Orpha C. , both
at home. Politically, Mr. Beirly is a Republican, but
while he is a stanch member of the party he is
no office seeker. He and his wife are prominent
members of the Lutheran Church, and he has
held the office of deacon therein. Socially he
belongs to W. W. Beirly Post, G. A. R., at
Millheim, of which he was one of the organizers.
A substantial, industrious and honest farmer, he
is one of the best of citizens, and he is held in
high esteem by all who know him.

DAVID H. RUHL, proprietor of the "Spring
Mills Hotel," is one of the noted citizens of
his town, and one of the best known hotelmen
in Penn's Valley, where his genialty and social
disposition have won him a host of warm friends.
He was born in Warwick township, Lancaster
county, Penn., December 30, 1840. His father,
Peter Ruhl, was born in the same county, June
11, 1820, and was a son of George Ruhl, a
farmer in affluent circumstances who left to his
children considerable property.
Peter Ruhl was reared in his native county,
and was married to Miss Mary Heagg, who was
born near Manheim, Penn., in April, 1820. Mr.
Ruhl followed farming in Lancaster county until'
our subject was five years of age, when he re
moved with his family to Anville township, Leb
anon county, and subsequently located near
Campbelltown in that county, where he operated
a rented farm. While residing there the mother
died, February 28, 1875, and was buried in
Hirschey Cemetery, near Campbelltown. The
father has since married a Mrs. Selmire, and is
now living a retired life in Annville. He was a
stanch Whig and is now a stalwart Republican.
By his first wife he had two children: David and
Abraham, who died at the age of five years. By
his second marriage he has a daughter, Emma,
at home. He is highly respected for his sterling
worth, and has many friends in the community
where he lives.
David H. Ruhl had meager educational priv
ileges, for during his boyhood the schools were
somewhat primitive in character, and moreover,
his services were needed on the farm, for his
parents were in but limited circumstances. At
the age of nineteen he gave up school, and when
twenty-one years of age he left home. Previous
to that time his labors had all been for the bene
fit of his parents. Since early manhood he has
been engaged in auctioneering, and has added
not a little to his income thereby. In 1862 he
came to Centre county, and began work as

a farm hand for J. H. Fishburn, in Benner town
ship. On January 1, 1863, he accepted a clerk
ship in the store of D. M. Wagner, of Bellefonte,
at a salary of $13 per month, but his wages were
considerably increased during the seven years
which he remained in the employ of that well-
known merchant. In 1870 he and his brother-
in-law, Samuel Gault, purchased the grocery
business of Levi A. Miller, of Bellefonte, and
the firm of Ruhl & Gault conducted the store for
two years, when the former became sole proprie
tor. A year later he sold out and again entered
the store of D. M. Wagner, with whom he re
mained for six months.
On the expiration of that period, Mr. Ruhl
came to Snow Shoe, and accepted a clerkship
with May, Loeb & Co., with whom he continued
until the store was closed out a year and a half
later. He then conducted a licensed house in
Snow Shoe for a year and a half, and for two
years conducted a temperance house in Snow
Shoe, called the "Snow Shoe House." In 1879
he located at Potters Mills, Centre county, where
he conducted a licensed house until April 1,
1887, when he came to Spring Mills. In July,
1896, he purchased his present hotel property,
and now has a popular hostelry.
Mr. Ruhl was married November 13, 1866,
in Boalsburg, Penn., to Miss Sarah S. Poorman,
of Benner township, where she was born in
April, 1845, a daughter of Henry (a farmer) and
Hannah (Friese) Poorman. The children of Mr.
and Mrs. Ruhl are: Edwin, born March 13, 1868,
now a hotel keeper in Centre Hall; Lydia, born
June 7, 1870, is now the wife of W. W. Rishel,
proprietor of the "Kline House," at Lewistown,
Penn.; William, born December 16, 1879; and
Harry, born June 20, 1885. Mr. Ruhl is a
stanch Republican in politics, and served as
judge of election in Gregg township in 1894 and
1896. He does all in his power to advance the
interests of the party, but has never been an of
fice seeker. Socially, he belongs to Spring Mills
Castle No. 169, K. G. E., and in matters of re
ligion he and his wife attend the Presbyterian
Church. They conduct one of the best hotels in
Penn's Valley, and the hospitable disposition
and friendly manner of the proprietor have made
him very popular with the traveling public, and
secured him a liberal patronage.

JOHN MANN. On the Marsh Creek road, in
Curtin township, Centre county, stands the
home of this gentleman, who is one of the
most progressive agriculturists and lumbermen of
the community. Mr. Mann was born in Nittany

328

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Valley, March 9, 1828. His parents, Robert
and Catherine (Kline) Mann, were natives of
Lycoming and Centre counties, respectively. At
an early day the father took up his residence in
Nittany Valley, where he remained until 1838,
and then removed to the farm which is now oc
cupied by the subject of this review. The tract
of land on which he located was then an un
broken wilderness, but he converted the timber
into lumber and transformed the raw land into
richly cultivated fields. By trade he was a
blacksmith, and followed that pursuit until lo
cating upon the homestead farm. He died in
1864, at the age of sixty-five years, and his wife
passed away in 1881, at the age of seventy-one.
Their children were Betsy, wife of Henry For-
inger, both now deceased; Mollie, wife of David
McClosky, a lumberman and farmer of Curtin
township; George, deceased; John; Robert, de
ceased; Anna, wife of Fred Bortley, of Hublers
burg, Penn. ; Beckie, wife of Michael Confer, a
retired farmer of Centre county; and James, de
ceased. The paternal grandparents, William and
Betsy Mann, were natives of Ireland, and at an
early day came to America, locating in Lycom
ing county, Penn., where the former followed
agricultural pursuits. The maternal grandpar
ents, William and Betsy Kline, were natives of
Centre county and of German extraction. Mr.
Kline was a cooper by trade.
On the old homestead farm John Mann spent
the days of his boyhood, remaining with his par
ents until twenty-two years of age. During that
time he attended the common schools, worked
in the woods and aided in the development of
the fields. At the age of twenty-two he left
home and began lumbering and teaming. He
also drove logs on Beach creek for eleven suc
cessive years during the spring season, and en
ergetically prosecuted his labors until, as the result
of his industry and economy, he had accumu
lated sufficient capital to purchase the old home
stead in 1865. He had previously been working
on contract at Sandy Creek, and now turned his
attention to the development of his property and
to lumbering. So wild was some portions of this
region that since the date of his locating here
he has killed many deer, bears and wild cats,
and on several occasions has had narrow escapes
from wild animals. The amount of game that
he has killed probably exceeds that of any other
man in the county, and he spent a portion of
each year in hunting up to 1895.
On December 21, 185 1, at Beach Creek,
Clinton Co., Penn., Mr. Mann married Miss
Louisa Huff, who was born in that county Sep

tember 29, 1830. Her parents were William
and Anna (Barnes) Huff, tke former a native of
Williamport, and the latter of Lancaster, Penn.
The father, who was a farmer, died in 1886 in
Grundy county, 111., when over ninety-seven
years of age. In 1852. he removed to the West
and was extensively engaged in farming there.
' His wife died in the same county in 1 890, at the
age of eighty-seven. Their children were James,
who died in Illinois; Mrs. Mann; Sarah, widow
of Joseph Thomas, of Oklahoma; Jonathan; and
Silas, a farmer in Ponca, Nebraska.
The children of Mr. and Mrs. Mann were:
Beckie, who died in infancy; William T. , a farm
er of Centre county;*Catherine, wife of John G.
Packer, foreman of the chemical works in McKean
county, Penn.; Robert J., a farmer of Curtin
township; Mary J., wife of Green Watson, a farm
er of Centre county; Sarah E., wife of James
R. Frye, a farmer of Centre county; Beckie, wife
of William Lyons, a lumberman, of Castanea,
Penn. ; Anna, wife of George Dietz, a farmer of
Centre county; Carrie, wife of William Rocken-
brod, a carpenter of Castanea, Penn. ; and Susan,
wife of James Niman, a farmer of Boggs town
ship, Centre county.
In political views, Mr. Mann is a Republican,
but has had neither time nor inclination for pub-
' lie office. His life has been a busy and useful one
and all that he possesses has been acquired
through his own efforts and the able assistance of
his estimable wife, who has indeed been to him
a true helpmate. Steadily has he worked his
way upward and his tireless energy and resolute
purpose are the stepping stones on which he has
risen. In his hunting days he had many exciting
experiences, and is now giying his attention to the
more quiet and lucrative pursuits of farming and
lumbering.

JOHN WITHERRITE was called from this
life June 11, 1896, and was laid to rest in
Messiah Cemetery, Boggs township, Centre
county. He was born in that township, June 27,
1 82 1, and with its interests was closely indenti-
fied throughout his entire life. He was one of
the family of seven children born to Michael and
Mary (Dickson) Witherrite, natives of Pennsyl
vania, the others being: William, Michael, Isaac
and Elizabeth (twins), James and George. All
are now deceased with the exception of James,
who makes his home at Julian, Pennsylvania.
Our subject was entirely a self-made man,
having started out in life with no capital save a
pair of willing hands and a determination to suc
ceed. His early days were spent in the coal

HRS. HARY WITHBRRITE

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

329

mines and in chopping wood, but later in life he
turned his attention to general farming and by
perseverance, industry and economy succeeded in
accumulating a good property, owing at the time
of his death a fine farm of ninety-four acres. His
political support was ever given the Democratic
party and its nominees.
On February, 20, 1845, Mr. Witherrite was
united in marriage with Miss Mary Swagret, who
was born October 6, 1818, in Huntingdon county,
Penn., a daughter of Peter and Catherine
^Walker) Swagret. Her parents spent their en
tire lives in that county, where the father engaged
in farming, and in religious belief they were Dunk-
ards. The mother died in 18 19, at the age of
twenty-six years, and the father in 1850. Mrs.
Witherrite was the only child born of their union,
and was reared by her maternal grandparents, Ja
cob and Margaret Walker, natives of Germany
and Scotland, respectively. On coming to Amer
ica they located in Huntingdon county, where
they continued to live until their deaths. Her
paternal grandparents, John and Christina Swa
gret, were both born in Germany, and on coming
to the New World made their home in Mifflin
county, Pennsylvania.
Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs.
Witherrite, as follows: (1) Martha J., born No
vember 30, 1845, was married in September,
1873, to Samuel Furl, a farmer of Boggs town
ship, and they have five children — Sarah, John,
Clara, Alfred and Michael. (2; Alfred, born
March 3, 1848, was married January 18, 1888,
to Ellen Holderman, and they make their home
in Boggs township. (3) Mary M. , born December
7, 1849, was married August 7, 1879, to Charles
Hall, of Centre county, and they have seven chil
dren — Betsy, Carrie, Jessie, Polly, Toner, JohnB.
and Clara. (4) Michael, born November 3, 1852,
was married March 14, 1889, to Cora Clark, and
they have one son — Arburtis H., born Octo
ber 29, 1893; they make their home in Centre
county. (5) Clara E., born July 17, 1865, was
married March 19, 1886, toHarry Bottoff, of Cen
tre county, and they have one daughter — Elsie V.,
born December 9, 1891.
Mrs. Witherrite is a woman of more than or
dinary business capacity, and manages her farm
with excellent skill, displaying sound judgment
and careful consideration. Since girlhood she
has been interested in bee culture, upon her place
has fifty hives, and three years ago she secured
1000 pounds of honey. In early life, like her
husband, she endured many hardships and trials,
and upon their marriage they started out in very
humble circumstances, their household effects
consisting of a bed and a skillet which she bor

rowed. They had no chairs and neither knives
nor forks, but together they worked, persistently
and earnestly, until they had secured a good home
neatly and tastefully furnished. Mrs. Witherrite
has often split rails, which she carried up the
mountain, and even now she is a great worker.
On removing to her present farm it was still an
unbroken wilderness, and her home was a small
cabin, which in 1853 was replaced by her present
comfortable residence. It is picturesquely lo
cated in a valley between two mountains, and on
the farm are several elegant springs, and a beau
tiful stream which runs through its entire length.

IE W. ULRICH, one of the excellent citizens
J?3^. and well-known farmers of Penn township,
Centre county, was born June 8, 1842, in Mill
heim, a son of Daniel and Sarah (Yeakley) Ul-
rich. The birth of the father occurred near the
old fort in Potter township, Centre county, April
.17, 18 10, while his father, Christopher Ulrich,
was born in August, 1774, in Dauphin county,
Penn., and became the founder of the family in
Centre county, locating here during the latter
part of the eighteenth century. For a time he
conducted a hotel in Aaronsburg, later lived
upon a farm which he had purchased in Brush Val
ley, but died while a resident of Potter town
ship, August 1, 1813. His wife, who bore the
maiden name of Catharine Showers, was born in
Dauphin county, in March, 1778, and survived
him many years, dying March 30, 1858. In
their family were four sons: Adam, who died
at Millheim; Samuel, a tanner, who died in Leb
anon county, Penn. ; Michael, a tailor and farmer
by occupation, who died in Potter township; and
Daniel, the father of our subject. After the
death of her first husband, the mother of these
children married a Mr. Gilbert, and died near
Tusseyville, where her remains were interred.
After the death of his father, Daniel Ulrich
went to Dauphin county, Penn. , where he had
numerous relatives living, and there made his
home until eighteen years of age, when he re
turned to Centre county. In Aaronsburg he
served an apprenticeship with Henry Whitmer,
a saddler and harness maker, and after learning
the trade established himself in business in Mill
heim in 1832. In that same year he wedded
Sarah Yeakley, who was born in Penn's Valley,
Penn township, in 1809, a daughter of Jacob and
Sarah (Haine) Yeakley, farming people who
lived on Penn creek. For many years Mr. Ul
rich continued to follow his trade in Millheim,
where he later engaged in the butchering and

330

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

tanning business. There his death occurred
December 18, 1888, and when his wife departed
this life in 1891, she was buried by his side in
the cemetery at Millheim. Formerly A\e was a
Whig in politics, later a strong Abolitionist, not
afraid to express his views on the slavery ques
tions, and when the Republican party was formed
to prevent the further extension of slavery, he
joined its ranks. He was a worthy member of
the Evangelical Church, and from her early girl
hood his wife held membership in the Lutheran
Church. After the death of her husband she
made her home with her children who tenderly
cared for her until she, too, passed away. The
father was industrious and energetic, and through
his own unaided efforts succeeded in accumula
ting considerable property, but nearly the entire
amount was appropriated by unscrupulous parties,
so that his heirs^ received but little. During the
dark days of the Civil war he was one of the
most patriotic and loyal citizens, and in every
respect was a reliable, trustworthy man, univer
sally esteemed.
In the family were the following children:
Maria, now the wife of ¦ George Gramley, of
Miles township, Centre county; Michael, a sad
dler and harness maker of Millheim; Harriet,
widow of Daniel Luse, and a resident of Johns
town, Penn. ; David, a tanner living in Missis
sippi; George, a harness maker of Millheim, who,
during the Civil war, was a member of the three-
months' service, and later re-enlisted in Ander
son's Cavalry, serving until the close of the war;
Sarah, widow of Benjamin Orndorf, of Haines
township, Centre county; A. W., of this sketch;
Lydia, who married Jacob Beame, and died in
Penn township; Daniel, a harness maker of Mill
heim; Catharine, wife of John Auman, of Juniata
county, Penn. ; and Hettie, wife of Jacob Cath
erman, of Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania.
From the age of four years, A. W. Ulrich
made his home with his uncle and aunt, Samuel
and Annie (Yeagly) Krape, farming people of
Penn township, who had no children of their
own, and upon his present farm he has since
made his home. His education was such as the
country schools of the locality afforded at that
time, bis first teacher being a Mr. Bollinger. At
intervals he was able to attend school until at
taining his majority, and, being studiously in
clined, has supplemented the knowledge there
acquired by extensive reading and study in later
years. On September 30, 1866, in Pine Grove,
Centre county, he married Miss Sarah Weaver,
who was born in Miles township, in 1844, a
daughter of Henry and Maria Weaver, and they
have three children: Annie, wife of Alvin Har

ter, of Penn township; Lizzie, wife of John
Zerby, of Gregg township, Centre county; and
Charles, at home.
Mr. Ulrich brought his bride to the home of
his foster parents, whom he devotedly cared for
until called to their final rest. He became the
owner of the farm, a valuable tract of seventy-
nine acres, which he has placed under a high
state of cultivation and improved with good
buildings, and also owns fifty-six acres of timber
land. Politically, he is identified with the Dem
ocratic party, and has acceptably filled several
local offices, being assessor four years, tax col
lector two years, overseer of the poor three
years, supervisor one year, and inspector of elec
tions one year. Earnest, conscientious Chris
tians, he and his wife are active members of the
Reformed Church, in which he has served as
deacon for several years. Fraternally, he is
connected with the Grange.

ENRY WHITELEATHER, who is en
gaged in general farming in Marion town
ship, Centre county, is a gentleman whose well-
known devotion to all the duties of public and
private life has made him a valued citizen of the
community. He has been prominently connected
with the political and agricultural interests, and
his upright career has won for him the unqual
ified regard of many friends.
Mr. Whiteleather was born in Gregg town
ship, Centre county, February 19, 1842, and is a
son of Jacob and Catherine (Frazier) White-
leather, the former a native of Maryland, and
the latter of Centre county. The grandfather,
Andrew Whiteleather, lived in Maryland until
after the death of his wife, and in 1830 he
accompanied his son Jacob to Pennsylvania.
The latter established a home in Marion town
ship, on the farm where our subject now resides,
and continued to make it his place of abode unt 1
1879. He died in February, 1885, at the age of
seventy-six years; his wife passed away in
December, 1873, at the age of seventy-three
years. They were members of the Reformed
Church, and in politics he was a Democrat.
Their children were: Elizabeth, who married
Elias Mosier, and after his death wedded Levi
Long, who is now living retired in Centre county;
Julian Nicholas, a grading gardener and farmer
of Centre county; David, deceased; Amos, of
Williamsburg, Blair Co. , Penn. ; and Henry, of
this review.
Henry Whiteleather was reared to farm life,
and worked for his father until twenty-four years
of age. He was then married in Centre county,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

331

April 3, 1866, to Miss Catherine E. Dorman, who
was born in Union county, Penn., in January,
1848. Her parents, Louis and Catherine (Den
nis) Dorman, were natives of Union county, and
came to Centre county in 1856, since which time
they have been residents of Penn's Valley.
Their children are: John, a farmer of Nittany
Valley; Sarah, wife of John Orendorf, a farmer
of Centre county; Peter, who is living retired in
Illinois; Rebecca, widow of George Geiswhite,
of Centre county; Mary, wife of Henry Snavely,
a resident farmer of Centre county; Lavina, wife
of John Geiswhite, an agriculturist and shoe
maker of the same county; Lida, wife of John
Confer, who is engaged in agricultural pursuits in
Millheim; Vietta, wife of Newton Hess, a farmer
of Centre county; Catherine E. (Mrs. White -
leather) and David; who is living on the old home
stead in Penn's Valley.
The children of Mr. and Mrs. Whiteleather
are as follows: Emma J. (at home), John F. (a
lumberman of Centre county), Sarah L. (at
home), Jacob (who is also engaged in the lumber
business), William H., Catharine E-. Clara R.,
Mary A. and Rosie B.
Upon his marriage, Mr. Whiteleather rented
a farm in Gregg township, where he remained
for five years. After he left his home his parents
broke up housekeeping and went to live with
him. On his removal from Gregg township, he
located in Brush Valley, Centre county, where
he remained for eight years, and on the expira
tion of that period he rented of his father his
present home. Seven years later, in connection
with his brother Amos, who now resides in Will
iamsburg, Penn., he purchased the old home
stead, which they have since operated. He is a
progressive, enterprising agriculturist, and his
capable management of affairs has brought to
him success. He gives his political support to
the Democracy, and on that ticket has been
elected to the office of supervisor two terms, and
to the office of tax collector. He has also served
as school director, and is deeply interested in edu
cation and all movements calculated to prove of
public benefit. He belongs to the Reformed
Church, and is a highly respected citizen, whose
upright career commends him to the confidence
of all.

ip^EORGE W. LONG is now practically living
\& a retired life at Eagleville, Centre county,
enjoying the fruits of his former toil. His has
been a long and busy career with little time tor
idleness, and through his own untiring efforts he
has succeeded in accumulating a competence

which enables him to lay aside business cares,
though to some extent he still engages in the ex
press business. The money that he had suc
ceeded in saving he now has out on interest.
On January 27, 1833, Mr. Long was born in
Bucks county, Penn., and is a son of Jacob and
Ann (Van Horn) Long, natives of Selins Grove,
Snyder county, and Yarleyville, Penn., respect
ively. Both died in Harrisburg, Penn., the for
mer in 1876, aged eighty years, and the latter in
1 87 1 , aged seventy-six. Throughout his business
career the father served as superintendent of a
tannery. In their family were the following
children: Joseph, a brick manufacturer of Ohio;
George W. , of this review; Lewis, who was
kiUed in 1882, when in the employ of a railroad
company; Jerome B., a brick maker of Harris
burg, Penn. ; Jacob, who died in 1886; and Mar
garet, who is living in Harrisburg. The paternal
grandparents of our subject were Joseph and
Juliet Long, the former a native of Germany,
and the latter of Little York, Centre Co., Penn.,
where the grandfather located at an early day
and engaged in merchandising and milling on
Penn creek. The maternal grandfather, Joseph
Van Horn, was of English extraction.
George W. Long remained with his parents
until twenty-six years of age, during which time
he obtained a fair common-school education, and
worked at brick-making in Harrisburg. In 1852
he came to Eagleville, though he did not locate
permanently there until 1858. For a number of
years he spent the winter seasons in lumber
woods, while through the summer he was en
gaged in boating, owning three good vessels.
On September 25, 1858, in Howard, Centre
county, he was married to Miss Jane R. Courter,
and to them were born eight children, namely:
William, weigher and shipper, of Homer, Centre
county; Edward, who died when young; George,
who died at the age of eleven years; Albert, a
resident of Johnsonville, Penn. ; Charles and
Eldra, engineers of that city; Minnie U., who is
with her parents, and is serving as organist of a
Church; and Joseph H., who is also with his
parents. Mrs. Long was born in Liberty township,
Centre county, where her parents, Abraham and
Nancy (Rogers) Courter, who were of English
descent, had located at an early day. Both died
in Eagleville, where the father had worked as a
laborer. His parents, Abraham and Elizabeth
Courter, were natives of Lycoming county, Penn. ,
and became pioneer settlers of Centre county,
where they spent the last years of their lives.
Michael and Susan Rogers, the maternal grand
parents of Mrs. Long, were of Scotch-Irish de-

332

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

scent. The family of Abraham Courter and
wife, were as follows: William, a shoemaker
of Eagleville; Lucinda, a widow of Hiram Spang
ler, and a resident of Eagleville; Peter, deceased;
Charles, who died in 1890; Mary A., widow. of
Andy Kline, of Bloomsburg, Penn. ; Jane E. ,
wife of our subject; Lidda, wife of John W.
Long, a farmer of Clinton county, Penn. ; Re
becca, wife of Nathan Minnick, a miner of
Wilkes Barre, Penn. ; David, who died in infan
cy; and one who died unnamed.
In 1864, Mr. Long enlisted in Company B,
nth P. V I., under Capt. Ben Haines, and at
the battle of the Wilderness was shot through
the right .leg. He was then confined in the
hospital at Chester Hill, Philadelphia, until Ho-
"vember, 1864, when he rejoined the command
at Petersburg, but two weeks later became ill,
though he remained with his regiment. At the
battle of Five Forks, in 1865, he was shot
through the left hip joint, and was confined in
the hospitals at Alexandria and Washington until
honorably discharged in June, 1865. On return
ing to his home in Eagleville, he became fore
man in a sawmill, where he was employed dur
ing the summer, working in the woods for two
winters. In 1878 he purchased a boat which he
ran on the river, and later handled coal and en
gaged in general freighting at Eagleville. A
straightforward, honorable business man, he won
the confidence and respect of all with whom he
came in contact, and in his declining years is en
joying the reward of a well-ordered life. He is
a stalwart Republican in politics, and fraternally
is a prominent member of the Grand Army of
the Republic, and of the Patriotic Order of Sons
of America.

JOHN T. LUCAS, who is prominently identi
fied with the commercial and industrial in
terests of Centre county, is pre-eminently a
self-made man. He began life with a definite
purpose in view, worked faithfully, honestly and
with a will for its accomplishment, and is now
enjoying a comfortable competency. He is now
the efficient and popular postmaster of Moshan-
non, where he is also engaged in general mer
chandising, operates both a saw and flouring
mill, and is interested in the lumber business.
He is a man of good executive ability, fair and
honorable in all his dealings, and has thus gained
a liberal share of the public patronage.
Mr. Lucas was born at the Eagle Iron Works,
Centre county, September 9, 1842, a son of
William H. and Margaret (Bathurst) Lucas, also
natives of Centre county, where the father

worked at his trades of a mill and wheel wright
throughout life. The family was founded in
America by Benedict Lucas, a native of Ireland,
who located in Pennsylvania, where his son,
Charles, the great-grandfather of our subject,
was born. The grandparents, Joseph and Abbie
(McMullen) Lucas, were both natives of Centre
county, where they spent their entire lives.
Henry and Margaret (Tate) Bathurst, the ma
ternal grandparents, were born in England, but
at an early day came to the United States and
located in Centre county, as did also the great
grandfather, Lawrence Bathurst, who was disin
herited for aiding the Colonies in the Revolu
tionary war.
Our subject is the eldest of five children, the
others being: Margaret, who died in infancy;
Nelson, who is in the Pension Department at
Washington, D. C. ; Andrew, J., a retired ma
chinist of Altoona, Penn.; and William H., a
farmer of Snow Shoe township, Centre county.
The mother of these children died in 1852, at
the age of twenty-eight years, and the father
afterward wedded Mrs. Elizabeth (Price) Wat
son, who now resides in Milesburg, Centre coun
ty. He died in 1876, at the age of fifty-nine
years. He was a firm Democrat in politics, and
a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, as
was also the mother of our subject.
During his boyhood and youth John T. Lucas
attended the local schools and assisted his father
in his work, remaining with him until September,
1 86 1, when he enlisted iu Company D, 45th P.
V I., under Capt. Curtin, for three years' serv
ice. He participated in many important battles
and skirmishes, including those of Fredericks
burg, Vicksburg, Jackson (Miss.), Blue Springs,
the siege of Knoxville, and the battle of the
Wilderness, where he was wounded in the right
shoulder, May 6, 1864, but remained with his
company, though for two months he was unable
for active service. On the expiration of his term
of service he was honorably discharged and re
turned home, where he was employed in the
iron works with his father until his marriage,
June 16, 1866, in Huntingdon county, Penn., to
Miss Annie P Isenberg. To them were born
eleven children, as follows: Edith L. , at home;
Harry, who died at the age of twenty years;
Clyde C. , a merchant of Clearfield county, Penn.,
who married Minnie Edmond, of Chicago; Carrie
E., John F., James W. , Clarence T. and Anna
I., who are with their parents; Marion, who died
in infancy, and Jennie M. and Albert C, at
home. Mrs. Lucas was born in Emlenton, Venango
Co., Penn., December 25, 1843, a daughter of

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

333:

Daniel and Caroline T. (Taxis) Isenberg, natives
of Huntingdon and Centre counties, respectively,
who removed to Emlenton shortly after their
marriage, which was celebrated in Venango coun
ty. On coming to Centre county in 1870, they
located at Milesburg, where they remained until
1884, when they removed to Moshannon. The
father, who was born in March, 18 15, died in
Moshannon, February 6, 1893. He was a cooper
by trade, a Republican in politics, and a consist
ent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
to which his wife also belongs. She was born
August. 1 5, 1820, and now finds a pleasant home
with our subject. Their family consisted of two
daughters: Annie P., and Jennie E. , wife of
William Lucas, a brother of our subject.
The Isenberg family was founded in the New
World by Amick Isenberg, a native of Germany,
whose son, George, was born in Huntingdon
county, Penn., and married Anna Wise, also a
native of that county, where they made their
home upon a farm throughout life. They were
the paternal grandparents of Mrs. Lucas, while
her maternal grandparents were John B. and
Jane (Stump) Taxis, natives of Germany, but
who were married in Centre county, where the
grandfather worked at his trade of cabinet mak
ing. In their family were the following children:
Joanna married John Mim, but both are now de
ceased; Mrs. Isenberg is next in order of birth;
Penniah married John Cripps, and after his death
wedded John McGwin, a stone mason of Indiana
county, Penn. ; Priscilla, deceased, was three
times married; Gideon is a retired cabinet maker
of Joliet, 111. , and has served as circuit clerk of
his county; John B. is a practicing physician of
Gardner, 111. ; Maria wedded Hugh Carson, but
both are now deceased; Irene married John Eck-
Ier, and after his death wedded William Dunlay,
a merchant of Pepin county, Wis. ; and-Harriet
married William Eckler, and after his death
wedded L. Place, a farmer of Wisconsin.
After his marriage, Mr. Lucas worked in the
iron works of McCoy & Linn, and was also em
ployed in the lumber woods until 1870, when he
was appointed assistant superintendent of iron
works, which position he continued to fill until
1873. He then served as superintendent of the
Curtin works until 1881, in which year he came
to Moshannon, where he first operated a grist
mill. As his financial resources have increased
he has added to his business until it has assumed
its present extensive proportions and embraces
several lines of trade. The success of his life is
due to no inherited fortune, or to any happy suc
cession of advantageous circumstances, but to his
own sturdy will, steady application, studious hab

its, tireless industry and sterling integrity. Mr.
Lucas gives his unwavering support to the prin
ciples of the Democratic party, and has served-
his fellow citizens as school director and auditor.
In religious faith, he is a member of the Method
ist Episcopal Church; fraternally, he is affiliated
with the Royal Arcanum, belonging to the lodge-
in Bellefonte. He is a man who has ever been
found in the foremost ranks of citizens who are
devoted to their country's best interests and to
the welfare of their fellowmen, and he well de
serves the high regard in which he is universally
held.

J

OHN J. ORNDORF, of Haines township,.
Centre county, is a progressive and well-to-do
agriculturist, and a citizen of recognized in
fluence in political, social and business life. His
ancestors were among the early settlers of that
locality, and he has the distinction of occupying
the same farm on which his father, grandfather
and great-grandfather lived. The family must
have been established in this State at a very early
period, as the great-grandfather, John Orndorf,
was a farmer and storekeeper in Berks county
during the Revolutionary war. He came to
Centre county and settled on the old homestead
near Woodward about 1790, becoming owner of
an extensive tract of land, and passing his re
maining days in agricultural pursuits.
One of his children, Henry, our subject's
grandfather, remained at the homestead and mar
ried a Miss Hess, by whom he had seven chil
dren, only one of whom, Samuel, is now living:
Henry was a carpenter at Jacksonville, in the
Nittany Valley; Betsy married Mr. Kleckner, a
farmer of Union county, Penn. ; Catherine never
married; John, a carpenter and farmer in Centre
county, died when seventy-seven years old;
Samuel, a carpenter, of near Woodward, Centre
county, is still living, now eighty-eight years old;
Benjamin was a farmer and carpenter in the same
locality; and David, our subject's father, lived
and died on the old homestead.
David Orndorf was a man of good native
abilities, but his education was limited to an
attendance of a few months each winter during
boyhood at the Vonada school. Choosing farm
ing as his occupation, he made his start in life by
purchasing from the other heirs, after the father's
death, sixty-five acres of land, including the old
homestead with the first house that was built
there. The land was then held at $35 an acre.
He made many repairs and improvements, and
added more land until at the time of his death,
May 8, 1876, he had 249 acres under cultivation

334

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

and a large amount of forest land. He was a
Democrat in politics, and a leading member of
St. Paul's Reformed Church, two miles west of
Woodward. His wife was Miss Catherine Morti
mer, of Pottsville, and five children were born to
them, our subject being the eldest. William
died near Woodward in 1887, leaving a widow.
Isaac is a farmer in Haines township, Centre
county. Alice married Isaiah Boob, a farmer of
Union county, Penn. ; Alfred, a graduate of State
College, became insane from overstudy, and is
now in an asylum.
The subject of this biography was born on
the old homestead, August 18, 1847, ar*d re
ceived his education at the Vonada school dur
ing boyhood, attending until the age of twenty,
with the exception of two years lost on account
of sickness. On leaving school he assisted his
father until his marriage, on April 3, 1866, to
Miss Sarah L. Dorman. He then settled upon
a farm two miles north of Woodward, belonging
to his uncle John, and remained there seventeen
years. In 1885 he removed to the old home
stead, and now owns 136 acres of fine farming
land with a good-sized tract which is yet uncul
tivated. Mr. and Mrs. Orndorf have bad seven
children, whose names with dates of birth are as
follows: Charles, August 21, 1867, is at home;
Susannah, October 28, 1868, married Warren
Hosterman, and resides near Woodward; Louis
D. , January 8, 1872, postmaster at Woodward,
married Miss Lydia Weaver, and has one child,
Ray; Catharine A., twin to Louis D., married
John Hosterman, and lives near Woodward;
Howard B., February 28, 1876, died at the age
of twenty; Anna R. , March 20, 1877, and Sadie
L. , April 20, 1885, are at home.
Mr. Orndorf is a man whose advice is sought
by his acquaintances upon business and legal
matters, his sound judgment making him a
leader in the community. He is a member of
the Reformed Church, and also belongs to the
Patriotic Order Sons of America at Woodward,
and to the Patrons of Husbandry, Goodwill
Grange No. 1030. As a Democrat he is influ
ential and active, and has repeatedly held office
in his township.

JOHN ROSSMAN. The life of this gentle
man, who is now living retired in Gregg town
ship, Centre county, is a striking example of
what can be accomplished by perseverance and
industry, when guided by sound judgment. He
has had a somewhat remarkable experience
in his struggle with the world. In addition to
being thrown upon his own resources at a tender

age, he has been the victim of misplaced confi
dence and treachery in business practices where
his kind-heartedness induced him to help others.
Mr. Rossman was born in Walker township,
Nittany Valley, Centre county, September 22,
1827, of which county his father, John Rossman,
was also a native, while his grandfather, Henry
Rossman, was a German by birth. The last named
was a highly educated man, who taught school
in Rebersburg in early life, and later' became a
licensed minister of the Reformed Church. He
was one of the pioneer preachers of this section,
known far and near, and would ride from charge
to charge on horseback. His death occurred at
The Loop, in Potter township, Centre county,
when in his eightieth year.
John Rossman, Sr, was the eldest in the
family of four sons and three daughters, and
during his boyhood he learned the weaver's trade,
which was a more profitable business in those
days than at the present time. In Walker town
ship he married Miss Sarah, a daughter of Philip
and Margaret (Brown) Walker, and in 1833, wun
his family, he started for East Germantown, Ma
rion Co., Ind. The journey was made in covered
wagons, the covers for which he wove, and they
cooked their meals along the road and slept in
the wagons. On arriving at his destination, Mr.
Rossman was not pleased with the prospects; the
climate did not agree with him, and in the follow
ing spring he was taken ill and died, and his re
mains were interred at East Germantown. In
politics he was a Democrat.
At the death of the father, the mother was
left with eight children to care for among stran
gers. Subsequently her father came for the fam
ily, and they returned to Pennsylvania, where
she purchased a home near the junction in Nit
tany Valley, and kept the two younger children
with her,* while the others were sent out to .make
their own way in the world. They were as fol
lows: Henry, a carpenter, who died in Nittany
Valley; Elias, also a carpenter, who died in that
place; Nancy, widow of Reuben Loveland, and a
resident of Yankeetown, Nittany Valley; Sarah,
who married Daniel Wolf, and died in Mill Hall,
Clinton county; John, subject of this sketch;
George, a carpenter of Stephenson county, 111. ;
Jane, who married Thomas Shook, and died at
Washington Furnace, Penn. ; and David, a resi
dent of Potter township. The mother passed
away at The Junction at the age of seventy-five
years, and was laid to rest in the Snydertown
cemetery. In early life she was a member of
the Reformed Church, but later united with the
Evangelical Association.
For two years after the return of the family

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

335

from Indiana John Rossman lived with his uncle,
Isaac Walker, in Nittany Valley. Robert Smith
was his guardian; but at the age of eight years
he was hired out for his board and clothes to
Jonas Pauley, whose home was distant one mile
from Penn Hall, near Brush mountain. With
him our subject remained until attaining his ma-
•jority, during which time he was allowed to
attend school for only six months. He worked
on the farm of his employer, and when not em
ployed in this way was given the privilege of
learning the trade with Mr. Pauley, who was a
shoemaker. When his term of bondage had ex
pired he worked for his preceptor for three years
at $10 per month^ with the exception of one
month during the harvest season, at which time
he worked in the fields, where he could earn fifty
cents per day. Being economical, during the
first year he succeeded in saving $100. He next
worked at his trade by the piece for two years,
which was more profitable.
While thus employed, Mr. Rossman was
married in Gregg township, October 2, 1851, to
Miss Elizabeth Ziegler, who was born in that
township February 19, 1832, the ninth in order
of birth in the family of thirteen children born
to Peter and Barbara (Walterparger) Ziegler.
Her father, a farmer by occupation, was a native
of York county, Penn. Mr. and Mrs. Rossman
have four sons: Josiah C. , born May 10, 1856,
and Lewis E., born February 6, 1859, are both
residents of Gregg township; Howard' F. , born
March 7, 1862, has a store in Spring Mills; and
Harvey D., born May 16, 1863, is a farmer of
Gregg township. With them resides a grand
child, Alverta M. (the daughter of Josiah), who
was born April 9, 1878, and has made her home
with them since two years of age.
Upon his marriage, Mr. Rossman rented a
house and lot in Brush Valley, Gregg township,
until 1853, when he purchased a farm, shop and
home of sixty acres of Mr. Pauley, where he
lived for fifteen years. In 1868, in partnership
with Edward Houtz, he bought 304 acres, of
which he has 168 acres in the same township,
and upon his share erected all the buildings. He
continued to follow agricultural pursuits until
1884, when he built his present comfortable res
idence on the same place, and has since lived
retired, enjoying a well-earned rest. In politics
he has always been a Democrat, but not strictly
partisan, and has creditably filled the positions
of tax collector, overseer of the poor, school di
rector thirteen years, and supervisor five years,
being for twenty consecutive years an office
holder. Earnest and conscientious Christians,
he and his wife are active members of the Re

formed Church, in which he has served as dea
con and elder, and delegate to Classes twice, and
delegate to the General Synod at Akron, Ohio.
They enjoy the friendship of a wide circle of
acquaintances, who esteem them highly for
their sterling worth and many excellent traits of
character.

JOHN NEWLIN HALL. The subject of this
sketch stands second to none among the
prominent agriculturists of Howard township.
Centre county, and his record it has been deemed
wise to preserve in this manner for the perusal
of the coming generation. As a judicious tiller
of the soil he has met with success, and as a man
and citizen he holds a good position among his
neighbors. He is also one of the honored pio
neers of the township, in whose development and
progress he has borne an active part. A practi
cal and skillful hunter, for forty years during its
early history, he engaged in hunting and trap
ping with remarkable success, having killed many
buffaloes, bears, deer, wild-cats, panthers, etc.,
and trapping one of the only two black wolves
ever caught in the county.
Mr. Hall was born in Bellefonte, May 1, 1831,
and is a son of John and Sarah (Weaver) Hall,
the former a native of Chester county, and the
latter of Berks county, Penn. His paternal
grandparents, Hon. John W. and Hannah Hall,
were born in Pennsylvania, and in 1796 located
in Centre county; thus for a century has* the
family been prominently identified with the
interests of that county. The grandfather, an
expert blacksmith by trade, established one of
the first smithies in the county, but spent his last
days in retirement upon a farm. He took a
prominent part in public affairs, and was the first
member of the Legislature sent from Centre
county, being elected in 1 800.
The father of our subject accompanied his
parents to Centre county and located in Belle
fonte. In his family were seven children, namely:
Joseph B., who died at Howard, in March, 1894;
Daniel W. , an extensive farmer of Fayette county,
Iowa; Hannah, widow of Rev. Thomas Barn
hart, of Red Oak, Iowa; Sarah, wife of ex-Sheriff
Daniel Z. Kline, of Centre county; John N., the
subject of this review; William M., an expert
blacksmith, who died in October, 1880, and Mary
J., who died September 27, 1895.
Since the early age of six years the subject
of this sketch has resided upon his present farm
in Howard township, whose well-tilled fields and
neat appearance testify to his skill and ability as
a practical farmer. His literary education was

336

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

obtained in the schools of Centre county. On
April 17, 1856, Mr. Hall was united in marriage
with Miss Susannah Allbaugh, of Blair county,
Penn., and to them have been born six children,
namely: John D., of Bellefonte, is a conductor
on the Pennsylvania Central railroad, and made
the first trip on that road in which an accident
occurred, the engine turning over owing to the
rails being spread, but no one was hurt. Ida M.
is the wife of D. N. Johnson, a farmer of Marion,
Linn Co., Iowa. Sarah Alice is the wife of
George R. Stifner, and both are school teachers
in Blair county, Penn. Temperance, who has
engaged in teaching for fifteen years, is at home.
Mollie K. , who has also taught for eight terms,
resides with her parents. William H. is also at
home. Mrs. Hall is a native of Blair county, her
birth having occurred in Hollidaysburg, Novem
ber 16, 1829, and she is a daughter of Rev.
David and Elizabeth (Snyder) Allbaugh, the for
mer a native of West Virginia, and the latter of
Blair county, Penn., where their marriage was
celebrated in 18 14. By occupation the father
was a farmer and miller, and he also served as a
minister of the German Baptist Church. He
was born August 23, 1776, and died at the home
of his daughter, Mrs. Mary A. Harris, in Cam
bria county, Penn., March 4, 1865; his wife
passed away in Blair county, January 25, 1855,
at the age of sixty-nine years. Their family
consisted of ten children: Sallie, widow of Levi
Hoover, of Linn county, Iowa; Jacob, John and
Thomas, who all died when young; Mary, widow
of William Harris, residing near Johnstown, Cam
bria county; Catherine, who married Abraham
Good, but both are now deceased; Susannah A.,
wife of our subject; Joseph, who served for three
years during the Civil war, and is now a gardener
of Cambria county; David, who died when
young; and Daniel W. , who was also a Union
soldier, and was killed at the battle of Nashville.
The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Hall, David
and Florence Allbaugh, were natives of Virginia,
and died upon a farm in Blair county, Penn. ,
while the maternal grandparents, Thomas and
Mary Snyder, were born in Hagerstown, Md.,
and also spent their last days upon a farm in
Blair county.
Politically, Mr. Hall supports the men and
measures of the Democratic party, and has
served his fellow citizens in several official posi
tions. In 1874 he was elected county commis
sioner, and so acceptable was his service that he
was re-elected the following year for a three-
years term. After faithfully serving for six years
as school director, he retired from office in 1895,

during which time he had been secretary ftf the
board, and attended every meeting, 108 in all.
For two years he was also overseer of the poor.
Socially he is a member of the Grange at How
ard, and religiously holds to the faith of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, and possesses a
large share of the benevolence which induces
him to take an active interest in that which is
going on around him, and which most nearly af
fects the welfare of the community.

DANIEL A. MUSSER (deceased). Among
the sagacious, farsighted and enterprising
business men who have contributed to the devel
opment of Penn's Valley, Centre county, the sub
ject of this memoir deserves a place. He was a
native of that county, with which throughout his
life he was identified, and was a descendant of a
well-known pioneer family. The name was for
merly spelled Moser, and while the Penn's Val
ley branch has adopted the spelling used by our
subject, various forms are found among the other
branches in the different parts of the United
States. Sebastian Musser, the grandfather of our sub
ject, and the first of this line to settle in Centre
county, was born in Linn township, Northamp
ton Co., Penn., January 3, 1760, and his wife,
Anna Maria Miller, a native of the same town
ship, was born July 15, 1762. They had only
one child, Philip B., born in Northampton coun
ty, August 27, 1785, and a few years later the
little family came to this section.
Philip B. Musser, our subject's father, was a
shrewd and successful business man and a lead
ing farmer of his day, accumulating a handsome
competence. He was a prominent member of
the Lutheran Church, and an influential worker
in local affairs, serving at one time as justice of
the peace. On November 4, 1806, he was mar
ried in Centre county to Elizabeth Ilgen, who was
born August 26, 1790, the daughter of Rev. Lud
wig A. Ilgen, an old-time Lutheran minister.
Thirteen children were born to them, the names
with dates of birth being as follows: John Se
bastian, March 29, 1808, was a farmer and min
ister of the Evangelical Church, and his death
occurred in Penn township, Centre county, Jan
uary 9, 1887; Ludwig A. W. (later W. L. ), Au
gust 10, 1810, died at Millheim, October 4, 1889';
Maria E., October 10, 181 1, married George
Musser, and died in Gregg township, Centre
county; John P., November 4, 1813, died in in
fancy; Philip A., December 9, 18 16, a farmer,
died in Penn township, Centre county, October
11, 1894; Anna B., July 3, 1818, married John

DAHIEL A. HUSSER

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

337

Hubler, and died in Brush Valley; John G., De
cember 12, 1820, died in Millheim; Daniel A.,
June 28, 1822, is the subject proper of this
sketch; Maria C, February 16, 1826, widow of
Thomas Frank, resides in Millheim, as do also
Lydia E., March 16, 1828, John F. Ilgen, Janu
ary 23, 1830, and Sarah C, now Mrs. Frederick
Catherman, February 20, 1833; James J., No
vember 19, 1834, is a resident of Hartleton,
Union Co., Penn. The mother of this family
died July 15, 1854, and was buried at Aaronsburg.
The father, for his second wife, married a widow,
but there were no children by this union. He
died November 29, 1874.
The late D. A. Musser was reared as a farm
er's boy, attending only the country schools of
his day. Early in life he learned the miller's
trade at what is now known as Fisher's Mill, of
which his father was then the owner. In June,
1846, his parents removed to Millheim, and our
subject ran a gristmill there for some time. On
June 29, 1 85 1, he was married in Mifflinburg to
Miss Lydia A. Shreffler, a native of Millheim,
born March 5, 1826. She was one of the eight
children — four sons and four daughters — of Daniel
and Rachel (Moyer) Shreffler, and was educated
at Millheim, her first teacher being John Toner,
a noted penman and one of the pioneer educators
of this region.
At the time of his marriage, Mr. Musser had
$400 saved from his earnings, and this sum he
invested in mountain land in Poe Valley, in part
nership with his brother, W. L. Musser. The
venture proving successful, he built a residence,
and a sawmill which did a profitable business.
Later he was' associated with J. P. Gephart in
the same line, his success continuing undimin
ished. In 1855 he built the present home at
Millheim,' in which his widow still resides, and
where he spent his last years, his death occur
ring June 30, 1 888, very suddenly. Of seven
children, five are living. The names of all with
dates of birth are here given : F. Pierce, Octo
ber 31, 1852, resides at Millheim; Junie A.,
August 5, 1855, married A. Walter, of Millheim;
Elizabeth A., September 16, 1857, died in in
fancy; Jane Mary Belle, April 6, i860, married
C. A. Sturgis, and died in Millheim; Rose E.,
August 4, 1863, married T. R. Stam, of West
Union, Iowa; H. Clymer, September 6, 1866,
and Milton O., February 2, 1870, are well-known
shoe dealers at West Union, Iowa; both are
married. Mr. Musser was so intimately connected with
the varied activities of his locality, that his in
fluence seemed to touch all phases of life. As a
business man he identified himself with many

enterprises, notably the Millheim Banking Co.
At the time of his death he owned two large
flouring-mills, several farms and much valuable
real estate in and near Millheim, aside from the
family residence. Despite the constant labor
and thought which enabled him to secure his
handsome fortune, he found time for public
affairs. He was a lieutenant in the militia in
the "olden time," and always took keen inter
est in local politics. He was a leader in the
Democratic organization, holding many town
ship offices, and at the time of his death was
president of the Millheim borough council. In
county politics his advice was sought and influ
ence felt. He was deputy sheriff during the
term of his brother, W. L. Musser, as sheriff,
and in 1875 was elected county treasurer with an
increased Democratic majority. His son, Pierce,
filled the office by Mr. Musser's appointment.
The centennial celebration of Millheim was an
event in which he manifested great interest, and
it was a source of grief to all classes in the com
munity that he could not share in the successful
realization of the plans which he had so warmly
approved. In religious work he was active,
contributing both time and means. In i860 he
united with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and
until his death was a leading worker in the
Church and Sunday-school. His chief recreation
was the chase, and he annually spent several
weeks in the mountains in search of deer and
other game. Of all his various interests, how
ever, his home and family stood first in his affec
tions, and throughout his wedded life the dearest
place on earth was his own fireside.

22

M. MUSSER, a well-known retired mer-
jp^li chant of Aaronsburg, and an honored veter
an of the Civil war, is a representative of a fam
ily that has been identified with the development
of Penn's Valley for more than a century, and
at a still earlier day had become prominent
among the pioneers of Linn township, North
ampton Co., Penn., where the first American
ancestors settled on their arrival from Germany.
About 1789, Philip Musser, the grandfather of
our subject, located in Penn's Valley, and was
engaged in agriculture there until his death, July
19, 1804. Of his eight children, the three sons
were named Philip, David and John.
John Musser, our subject's father, was born
in Gregg township, Centre county, January 8,
1793, and was married May 15, 1822, to Miss
Susan Fiedler, a native of Penn township, Cen
tre county, born July 19, 1801. He followed

338

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

the carpenter's trade until 1832, when he moved
to the farm of his father-in-law, Jacob Fiedler,
but soon afterward went to Miles township, Cen
tre county, to start a fulling-mill. This he dis
posed of after a time and returned to Gregg
township, the remainder of his life being spent
in farming. In 1842 he moved to Spring town
ship, Centre county, and died there April 29,
1 880, at the age of eighty-seven. His wife passed
away in the same township, in January, 1875,
and both were buried in the Union Cemetery
at Bellefonte. John Musser was small in stature, but heavy
set, weighing about 1 50 pounds. While he was
not a learned man, he had excellent judgment,
and was noted for precision of thought and
speech, and for that most uncommon quality —
common sense. He was "self-made," and by
his industry and thrift accumulated property to
a considerable amount. In early life he was an
Old-line Whig, later becoming a steadfast Re
publican, and at times he held township offices.
During many years he was an elder in the Lu
theran Church, to which he and his wife both be
longed, and he had a great influence in the so
ciety. He had ten children, whose names, with
•dates of birth are as follows: Philip, January
19, 1823, is a carpenter at Lena, 111. ; Catherine,
May 6, 1824, married Joseph Keller, and died in
Rudd, Iowa; Molly, November 6, 1825, married
George Breon, and resides at Lena, 111.; Re
becca, March 12, 1827, married William A. Kes-
lin, and died at Rudd, Iowa; John, March 31,
1829, is a farmer in Spring township, Centre
county; Susan, January 26, 183 1, is the wife of
John Wetzel, of the same township; Samuel, De
cember 7, 1832, formerly of Millheim, now re
sides in Scranton, Penn.; M. M., October 11,
1834, is mentioned more fully below; Israel, Jan
uary 30, 1838, was second lieutenant of Com
pany D, 148th P. V. I., and lost his life in the
service, dying May 26, 1863, in the hospital at
Falmouth, Va. ; and Mary, July 1, 1842, is the
wife of Rev. William Schoch, a Lutheran minis
ter of New Berlin, Pennsylvania.
M. M. Musser was born in Miles township,
Centre county, and he first attended school in
the Beaver Dam District, in Gregg township,
with John S. Price as teacher. He lived at
home until he was twenty-five, and during that
time he attended, for one term, a school at
Aaronsburg taught by Prof. Burrell. His own
experience as a teacher was limited to one term
in the Roupsburg District, in Benner township,
Centre county; but his attention was soon turned
to mercantile pursuits, and he began clerking in

Bellefonte in the store owned by David Wagner
John B. Awl and Isaac May.
In August, 1862, Mr. Musser enlistedin Com
pany K, 1 5th Pennsylvania Cavalry, better known
as the " Anderson Cavalry. " Their first engage
ment was at Stone River, and Mr. Musser was
one of the gallant three hundred who were sent
out by Gen. Rosecrans as an advance guard. At
Chickamauga he was one of the orderlies of Gen.
Rosecrans, with the rank of sergeant. Promotions
came in the regular order, and at the time of his
discharge at Nashville in June, 1865, he held a
commission as second lieutenant. He never had
a leave of absence, and never lost any time
through wounds or sickness.
In September, 1865, our subject was mar
ried at Farmers Mills to Miss Catherine Fisher,
who was born in Heidelberg township, Berks
Co., Penn., September 9, 1838, a daughter of
Adam and Mary (Brussman) Fisher. In the fol
lowing year Mr. Musser located at Farmers
Mills, purchasing a store from his father-in-law,
and in 1867 he removed his stock of goods to the
place now called Fiedler P. O., in Haines town
ship, Centre county. In the fall of 1873 he
bought his present property in Aaronsburg from
Jacob Wile, and during the next year he remod
eled the building, making it more convenient for
a dwelling as well as for business purposes. His
business was continued successfully at that loca
tion until 1894, when, owing to ill health, he
sold his stock and retired.
Mr. Musser has a refined and courteous man
ner, and through his wide reading has kept well
informed on current topics. His judgment is
sound, and has gained great influence for him
among his acquaintances. To his children he
has given good educations, and they have done
justice to their opportunities. William S., who
was born in Gregg township, July 20, 1866, is
station agent for the Pennsylvania railroad at
Rising Spring; Irene C, born October 8, 1867,
in Haines township, is at home; Charles H., a
twin of Irene C. , is in Kirkbride Hospital, Phila
delphia; Mary S., born in Haines township,
April 17, 1870, married Mr. Mertis; and Edward,
of Bloomsburg, Penn., is an insurance agent
in Philadelphia. In his political affiliations Mr.
Musser has always been a Republican, and is
one of the influential workers of the party, rep
resenting his locality in the county conventions.
He is a leading member of the Lutheran Church,
in which he is a trustee, and has held every office
except that of minister. He helped to organize
the Grand Army Post No. 298, at Millheim, and
at present is its commander; and is postmaster
at his home, Aaronsburg.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

339

BO. BRAUCHT, the genial and popular
proprietor of the "Coburn Hotel," is one
of the prosperous business men of Penn's Valley,
one who has made his own way in the world un
aided by capital or influential friends, and at one
time' served as stable boy at the hotel of which
he is now the owner. He was born in Penn
township, Centre county, September io, 1865, a
son of William and Harriet (Geary) Braucht.
George Braucht, grandfather of our subject,
was the first of • the family to come to Centre
county, his home being previously in Lancaster
county, Penn., and in Penn township married
Elizabeth Kersteter, a daughter of Leonard Ker-
steter. They lived upon the farm where the
father of our subject spent his entire life, and
there reared their seven children, namely: John,
of Penn township; Daniel, of Coburn; William,
who died near Coburn; Dena, who died near
Penn Hall; Sarah, who married John Heckman,
and died near the same place; Lydia, wife of Ja
cob Breon, of Penn Hall; and Elizabeth, wife of
William Neese, of Gregg township, Centre coun
ty. Upon the homestead farm the parents of
these children spent their entire married life, and
at their death were buried in the cemetery at
Aaronsburg. Both were earnest members of the
Reformed Church, and highly respected citizens
of the community.
William Braucht was born in Penn township,
January 11, 1838, and was educated in the
country schools near his home. In January,
1865, he married Miss Harriet Geary, who was
born in the same township", August 6, 1846, a
daughter of Reuben and Catherine (Musser)
Geary, in whose family were eight children: Sam
uel and Mary (twins), the former a resident of
Lewisburg, Penn., the latter being the widow of
Andrew Stover, and a resident of Coburn; Dan
iel, of Penn township; Sarah, widow of Michael
Rishel, of Brush Valley, Centre county; Philip
and Catharine, who died in childhood; Harriet,
the mother of our subject; and Diana, who mar
ried Simon Wolf, and died in Sugar Valley,
Penn. The father of these children, who was
an agriculturist, died at the age of seventy on the
farm where he had made his home for many
years. He was buried at Millheim by the side of
his wife, who had died previously in the faith of
the Reformed Church, of which he was also a
member. When a young man, William Braucht
learned the carpenter's trade, and, although he
located on a farm after his marriage, was prin
cipally employed at his trade. After suffering
for two years from heart disease, he died sudden
ly in September, 1873, and his remains were in

terred at Aaronsburg. He was a stanch Demo
crat in politics, but cared nothing for political
distinction. In his family were four children:
R. O., subject of this sketch; Elizabeth; Abigail,
who died at the age ot thirteen years; and Will
iam, a resident of Glen Union, Penn. The
mother continued to reside upon the farm left by
him, and is now the wife of Jonathan Dingles,
by whom she has two children: Cloy and
Frank. She is a consistent member of the
Evangelical Church.
R. O. Braucht was but a small boy at the
time of his father's death, and as his mother's
financial condition was not very good, he was de
prived of many privileges afforded most boys.
Being robust and strong, he left home at the age
of twelve years, and began working as a farm
hand for' Daniel Kramer for $2. 50 per month.
By nature steady and industrious, he could always
find employment, and remained with Mr. Kra
mer, of Penn township, for two years. His edu
cational privileges were necessarily limited to a
few months' attendance, at the country schools
during the winter season, and often he was
obliged to work for his board. He worked as
hostler at the hotel which he now conducts, and
also as a farm hand for many of the best farmers
of Penn township. At the age of seventeen he
went to the lumber woods, where he was vari
ously employed, his first contract being for
trucking logs at Poe Mills, and later worked in
the sawmill for Luther Guiswite, at Engleby.
In the spring of 1886, he went to Stephenson
county, 111., where he worked as a farm hand
one summer, and on his return to Centre county
again worked at Poe Mills for four years and a
half. In the spring of 1891 he became connect
ed with the livery business in Coburn, buying
out the establishment of William Kremer, which
he conducted for three years, and then purchased
the "Coburn Hotel." This property he has
greatly improved, making it one of the best
hostelries of Penn's Valley. Of an agreeable
disposition, and unusual willingness to adminis
ter to the wants of his guests, his house has be
come a favorite with the traveling public.
In 1889, in Millheim, Centre county, Mr.
Braucht was joined in wedlock with Miss Mary
L. Gates, a native of Sunbury, Penn., where
her parents, Amos W. and Louisa Gates, still
reside. Two children grace their union: Bes
sie, born March 5, 1890; and Daniel, born April
24, 1893.
Mr. Braucht uses his right of franchise in
support of the men and measures of the Demo
cratic party, while fraternally, he is a member
of the Odd Fellows Lodge at Millheim, and the

340

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Patriotic Order Sons of America at Coburn.
Honest in his business dealings, public-spirited
and liberal, he has won the confidence and re
spect of the entire community, and for the
success that he has achieved in life he deserves
great credit.

iTV\REEN C. DECKER, a prosperous agricult-
%3£{ urisf of George's Valley, Centre county, is
a man of recognized influence in .the community
in which he lives. His parents, Michael and
Barbara (Price) Decker, were highly esteemed
residents of that locality, and our subject was
born October 22, 1839, on the same farm which
he now owns and cultivates.
The Decker district school in Gregg town
ship, Centre county, was named in honor of his
family, and Mr. Decker received his education
within its walls, Thomas Toner being his first in
structor. The order and discipline of the olden
time impressed Mr. Decker most favorably, and
he is an advocate of a return to the old system
when the control of the schools was vested in the
directors, and county superintendents were un
known. As a farmer's son, Mr. Decker was
trained to. habits of industry, and his work at
home was varied during his boyhood with em
ployment in a sawmill, where he gained a knowl
edge of that business. Until the age of twenty-
six he remained at home receiving nothing in the
way of remuneration except his board and home
spun clothes. He used to assist his mother in
preparing flax, as she wove most of the material
used in clothing the family, making the green
baize cloth so common in that day, as well as the
linen required.
In 1865 Mr. Decker was married in Huston
township, Centre county, to Miss Keziah Will
iams, daughter of Scott Williams, and he took
his bride to the old homestead which he rented
from his father. In 1880, after his father's death,
he purchased the place, and he has since built a
new residence and made other substantial im
provements, all the buildings, except the barn,
having been erected by him. The farm com
prises 168 acres of excellent land, and he also
owns 180 acres of mountain land. He has a
handsome competence gained by his own efforts.
Over confidence in others has caused him losses
to the amount of $1,000 or more; but fortunately
he has not suffered seriously. Possessing re
markable mechanical ability, he has done all of
his own work in wood, iron and stone, and his
comfortable home displays many evidences of his
skill. Mr. Decker is an active member of the'Evan-

gelical Church, in which he was class leader for
years. He has always been a generous supporter
of religious and philanthropic movements and
before he united with the Church he helped to
organize the Sunday-school at Locust Grove,
and has served as secretary and treasurer, while
assisting in other ways to bring it into its present
flourishing condition. He has always attended
the " Locust Grove Church, " where he is equally
active, contributing liberally of time and means
to aid its work. His first wife, who was also a
devout and consistent member of the Evangeli
cal Church, passed to the unseen life, and her re
mains now repose in the Sprucetown cemetery.
Mr. Decker for his second wife wedded Mrs.
Allie Nicolls (ne'e Wilcox), a widow, who was
born in New York State. There were twelve
children by the first marriage: Michael died in
infancy; Ella and Scott are at home; the fourth
child, a son, died in infancy; Thomas, Katy (Mrs.
Wm. Rishel), Colonel G. , Joseph, DensmoreD.,
Edward D. and Jennie are at home, and Robert
died in infancy.
Mr. Decker is much respected as a man of
sound principles. He takes great interest in
local affairs, and as a progressive farmer is a
member of the Grange. In politics he is a Dem
ocrat, but while he is ever ready to assist in party
work he has never sought reward in official
position.

IRVIN M. HARVEY. This .gentleman occu
pies no unimportant position among the lead
ing farmers of Boggs township. He was born
in Huntingdon county, Penn., February 1, 1851,
a son of Henry L. Harvey, whose birth occurred
September 2, 1824, in Clinton county, this State.
At the age of seventeen years the father went
to Huntingdon county, where he operated a
foundry and machine shop until the spring of
1865, when he came to Centre county, and here
engaged in farming until 1 890. He now makes
his home at Altoona, Penn. He is a son of
Isaac and Catharine Harvey, who were born in
Berks county, Penn. , but at an early day became
residents of Centre county, Pennsylvania.
Attaining to man's estate, Henry L. Harvey
was united in marriage with Miss Isabella Irvin,
who was born at Jersey Shore, Penn. , a daugh
ter of William and Mary Irvin, natives of Ire
land, who on coming to the United States loca
ted in Lycoming county, this State. Our sub
ject is the eldest of the four children born of
this union, the others being Anderson F. , now
of Olean, N. Y. ; Ellery B. , of Williamsport,
Penn. ; and William, who died in infancy. The

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

341

mother died in Huntingdon county, May 21,1857,
at the age of twenty-seven years, and afterward
the father wedded Miss Lizzie Gardner, who was
born in Blair county, Penn., and died in 1888 at
the age of fifty-five years. Six children graced
the second marriage: George C. and Martha B.,
both of Altoona, Penn. ; Cora, wife of Frank
Strunk, of Bellefonte, Centre county; Walter
C., deceased; John H., of Toledo, Ohio; and
Charles I., deceased.
At the age of twenty-five years, Irvin M.
Harvey left home and began life on his own ac
count. For twc years he operated rented land
in Clinton county, and at the end of that time
removed to Centre county, where he also engaged
in agricultural pursuits. After renting for three
years, he purchased his present valuable farm of
140 acres in Boggs township, to the cultivation
and improvement of which he has since- devoted
his time and attention with most gratifying re
sults. On February 24, 1876, Mr. Harvey was mar
ried to Miss Julia C. Curtin, and to them have
been born four sons and three daughters, namely:
Joseph W. , Rebecca A. , Oscar C. , Katie, Isa
bella, Harry and John F., all at home. Mrs.
Harvey was born October 9, 1853, in Boggs
township, at what is now known as Curtin, and
is a daughter of Austin and Rebecca (Bathurst)
Curtin, also natives of that county, the mother
born July 16, 18 17. The father, who was born
August 26, 1 80 1, was interested in the noted
Curtin Iron Works, at Curtin, but his later days
were spent upon the homestead farm where his
widow now resides. He died July 21, 1871.
Mr. Harvey gives his political support to the
Democratic party, but has never aspired to office.
Socially, he holds membership with the Grange,
and religiously is a faithful member of the Church
of Christ. He holds a prominent place among
the intelligent farmers of the community, and
his integrity, manliness and true Christian char
acter have won the respect of all.

)EUBEN T. COMLY, a thorough and skill-
L ful farmer and business man of more than
ordinary capacity, is a representative of the agri
cultural and commercial interests of Union town
ship, Centre county, his home being on Dick's
Run road. He was born in Centerville, Elk
Co., Penn., March 26, 1850, but he has long
made his home within the borders of Centre
county, where he is both widely and favorably
known. His father, John T. Comly, now a saddler,
harness and shoemaker of Unionville, Centre

county, was born in Adams county, Penn., No
vember 16, 1822, and is a son of Jesse and Naomi
(Howell) Comly, who were born and married in
Adams county, where they remained until 1836,
when they came to Centre county. They located
near Bellefonte, where the grandfather engaged
in tanning and farming. He died in October,
1853, at the age of seventy-nine years, and his
wife passed away December 24, 1865, at the age
of seventy-seven years and six months. In their
family were the following children: Jacob, a
retired tanner of Centre county; Joseph, de
ceased; Benjamin, who is also living retired in
Centre county; Jesse, who died shortly after his
return home from the war; Eleanor, widow of
Jerry M. Hench, of Perry county, Penn. ; and
John T. , father of our subject. The paternal
great-grandfather was of English birth, while his
wife was born in Scotland. On coming to
America they located in Centre county, where
they spent tbeir remaining days. The maternal
great-grandparents of our subject, who were
natives of Scotland, located in Union county,
Pennsylvania. On March 5, 1848, John T. Comly was mar
ried to Catherine Green, who was born in Elk
county, Penn., February 13, 1830, and is a
daughter of John and Mary (Thompson) Green,
natives of Centre county, but who met and were
married in Elk county, where they spent their
remaining days on a farm. Her father was born
October 12, 1799, and died October 24, 1883;
her mother was born August 9, 1809, and died
September 1, 1889. In their family, Catherine
T. , the mother of our subject, is the eldest; the
others are as follows: Rebecca, born July 8,
1 83 1, married J. Nolf, and since his death has
become the wife of W. Rudolph, of Elk county;
Mary, born November 2, 1832, died July 14,
1833; James R., born July 12, 1835, is living in
Elk county; Reuben T., born March 12, 1838,
died March 26, 1840; Elizabeth, born August 18,
1 84 1, married Louis Zimmerman, and after his
death wedded J. L. Bonaham, of Olean, N. Y. ;
and John C, born August 6, 1847, is a farmer
of Elk county.
John Green, the maternal grandfather of our
subject, was twice married, his first wife being
Ann Kyler, who was born September 15, 1802,
and died July 31, 1827. To them were born two
daughters: Elizabeth, born March 29, 1826,
died August 8, 1826; and Eliza A., born July 10,
1827, died January 27, 1861. John Green was
the son of James and Elizabeth (Fisher) Green,
natives of Centre county, where her death oc
curred, but he died in Elk county. The maternal
grandmother of our subject was a daughter of

342

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Robert and Catherine (Wantz) Thompson, also
natives of Centre county, but the former died in
Clearfield county, and the latter in Elk county,
Pennsylvania. John T. Comly continued to engage in the sad
dlery business in Elk county until September,
1864, when he came to Centre county, locating
first at Nittany Valley, where he followed farm
ing for three years, but since that time he has
successfully carried on the saddlery business and
shoemaking at Unionville. He is a valued and
highly respected citizen of the community, and
a Republican in politics. In his family are two
children, our subject being the elder; William
H., born May 25, 1854, is a resident of Union
ville. He was married July 3, 1879, to Mary A.
McCune, and they have two children: Raymond
and Boyd.
Reuben T. Comly remained with his parents
until he had attained his majority, during which
time he attended school and served an appren
ticeship to the saddlery business with his father.
He then taught school on Dick's run, in Union
.township, Centre county, for one term, and for
the same length of time had charge of a school
at Unionville. The following Christmas (De
cember 25, 1871), he was married to Miss
Amanda Davidson, and they have four children,
all at home, namely: John A., born September
5, 1872; Ella E., born September 20, 1874;
Olive B., born January 26, 1878; and T. Ell-
wood, born February 28, 1887.
Mrs. Comly was born in Half Moon, Centre
county, March 30, 1848, and is a daughter of
Alexander and Sarah (Hicks) Davidson, whose
births occurred at the same place. There her
parents were married and remained for fifteen
years, when they removed to Union township,
where the mother died in 185 1, at the age of
forty years, and the father in April, 1884, at the
age of seventy-seven. He engaged in the manu
facture of charcoal, was a Republican in politics,
and with his wife held membership in the Mes
siah Church. In their family were seven chil
dren: Martha, born January 3, 1832, is the wife
of W. Irwin, a farmer of Union township; Mary,
born in 1834, died in 1836; Hannah, born in
September, 1839, is the widow of Harris Way,
of Union township; Eliza, born January 11, 18 — ,
is the wife of William Taylor, of Centre county;
Joseph H. and James are both prominent farm
ers of the same county; Amanda is next in order
of birth ; and one died in infancy. The father of
this family was a second time married, Mrs.
Mary (Walker) Watson becoming his wife. She
was the widow of Green Watson, by whom she
had four children: Lemuel; Roxanna; Miriam,

wife of a Mr. Marshall, of Clearfield county,
Penn. ; and Green, who was killed by a falling
log. By his second wife, Mr. Davidson had three
children: Michael, a butcher of Philipsburg,
Penn. ; Grant, a farmer of Centre county ; and Ida,
wife of William Brower, a farmer of Union town
ship. After his marriage, Mr. Comly purchased his
present farm in Union township, and has made
his home there since 1871. Besides general
farming he is successfully engaged in dealing in
agricultural implements, and he is a straightfor
ward, reliable business man of unquestioned in
tegrity. Fraternally he holds membership with
Blooming Lodge No. 639, I. O. O. F., of Union
ville, the Encampment of Bellefonte, No. 72,
and with the Grange. He is a pronounced
Republican in politics, and in 1893 was the can
didate of that party for county treasurer, but was
unable to overcome the strong Democratic
majority. He is public-spirited and progressive,
and no man takes a deeper interest in the pros
perity of the county, whose interests he has
largely promoted.

Di B. GEARY, a prominent resident of Penn
_J township, Centre county, is a man whose
genuine worth has won for him the esteem of his
acquaintances, while his industry and judicious
management have brought a material reward in a
handsome competence. Born in Penn township,
March 23, 1839, he has always made his home
there, being engaged until recent years in the
blacksmith's trade, and also following agricult
ural pursuits to some extent.
His grandfather, Valentine Geary, and father,
Reuben Geary, came to Centre county from Berks
county, Penn. , when the latter was a child, the
family residing in Gregg township for some time
after their removal. Valentine Geary was a
tailor by trade, and was remarkably healthy, liv
ing to almost ninety years of age without a trace
of disease, except for the illness which resulted
in his death. His last days were spent in Boals
burg, where his remains were interred. He was
twice married, his second wife, Rebecca, accom
panying him to Centre county. His children
were : John, who died in Woodward ; Reuben,
our subject's father; William, who died in Gregg
township; Washington, now residing in Iowa;
Daniel L., a resident of Millheim; Valentine,
Jr. , who was killed in Gregg township by a fall
ing tree; Lucinda, widow of John Runkle, of
Penn Hall; Matilda, widow of John Schitz, of
Sugar Valley; Polly (Mrs. Michael Lamy), of

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

343

Millheim; Lydia, who lives in Iowa; Rebecca
(Mrs. William Stuart), residing near Bellefonte;
and Mary, who married John Painter, and died
in Pleasant Gap, Centre county.
Reuben Geary was a son of his father's first
wife. His training in youth was similar to that
of most country boys in his day, and he devel
oped into a robust man, six feet in height, with
energy and ability, fully equal to the task of
gaining a livelihood, which, owing to the straight
ened circumstances of his parents, was laid upon
him at an early age. As a young man he was
married in Penn township, Centre county, to
Miss Catherine Musser, a daughter of Philip Mus
ser, a well-known citizen of Gregg township,
residing near Penn Hall. For some time after
his marriage Reuben Geary worked as a farm
hand, but in 1849 he bought a small farm in Penn
township, where he spent his remaining years.
He was between fifty and sixty years old at the
time of his death, and his wife, who was older
than he, passed away a few years before, the
remains of both being buried at Millheim. He
was a steadfast Democrat, and with his wife
belonged to the Reformed Church. They had
eight children, of whom the first two — Samuel,
a resident of Union county, Penn., and Mary,
widow of Andrew Stover, of Coburn — were twins.
D. B. is mentioned more fully below. Philip
died at the age of nineteen. Sarah, widow of
Michael Rishel, resides in Brush Valley. Cath
erine died young. Harriet married (first) William
Braucht, and (second) Jonathan Dinges, of Penn
township. Diana married Simon Wolf, and died
in Sugar Valley.
Two, or at the most three, months' attend
ance in the year at the subscription schools of the
time was supposed to be sufficient for the mental
needs of a boy when our subject was seeking an
education, and this, with a short attendance at
Dr. Stamm's school, save what he received in
later years at public schools, was all the instruc
tion he ever had. He remained at home, assist
ing in the work of the farm until he was seven
teen, when he began to learn the blacksmith's
trade in Millheim with Samuel Wiser. He worked
three years for his board and clothes, acquiring
a thorough knowledge of the business, which he
then followed a short time as a journeyman. He
owned three and one-half acres of land near
Coburn, and in i860 he began business for him
self in a shop there, boarding at a house near by.
In 1864 he was married in Penn township, Centre
county, to Miss Julia Zerby, a native of Gregg
township, and a daughter of Adam and Susan
(Snavely) Zerby.
For two years after his marriage Mr. Geary

rented Feidler's house, later a dwelling house
belonging to Samuel Krape, and then built his
present home. His farm is small, but has been
well improved by him with suitable buildings, in
addition to which he owns fifty-six acres of tim
ber land in the same township, and in 1877 he
bought four and one-half acres of farm land.
When he began housekeeping his mother gave
him an old bed, and this was the only help that
he received from his parents until his father's
estate was divided. He has been very successful,
and notwithstanding some losses through going
bail for certain parties, he has a fair share of
this world's goods. Lung trouble interfered with
his business for about eight years, but except for
that he followed his trade continuously until 1891,
when he was disabled for hard manual labor by a
fall of twelve feet into a well which he was
digging, a rope breaking while he was being
lowered. In politics he is a Democrat, and he
holds an influential place in the local organiza
tion. For many years he has served as con
stable of his township.
Mr. Geary's first wife, who was a devout and
consistent member of the Evangelical Church,
died in October, 1894, her burial taking place at
Paradise Church. His present wife, formerly Miss
Susan C. Wise, is a daughter of the late John
Wise, formerly a well-known resident of Penn
township, Centre county. John Wise was married
to Cathryne Stover, of Haines township, daughter
of Valentine Stover, one of the early settlers of
that township. Mr. Wise built (1839) the shop
in which Daniel Geary commenced work in i860.
Mr. Wise died April 11, 1869, in Shelby county,
111., after an illness of eleven days, of pleurisy
and finally dropsy of the heart, at the age of
fifty-seven years, seven months and twenty-one
days. There is a peculiar providence connected
with the above case. Mr. Wise started for
Shelby county, 111., about the middle of March, in
company with his daughter-in-law, and after being
with his son (in said county) a few weeks, he took
sick and died there. His son brought the corpse
back (in compliance with his father's request
before he died) to his bereaved family in Haines
township, Centre county, from which place, on
the 1 6th of April, his last remains were followed
to the tomb, at Aaronsburg, by a large concourse
of sympathizing and weeping relatives, friends
and neighbors, to pay their last tribute of respect.
Cathryne Wise, his wife, died January 25, 1887,
aged seventy-four years, eleven months and
twenty-three days, and was buried in the ceme
tery of the Reformed Church at Aaronsburg.
She died in the triumph of the true Christian
faith.

344

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

JAMES H. HOLMES, one of the representa
tive and prominent citizens of State College,
is numbered among the self-made men of
Centre county, his accumulations being the re
sult of his own industry, obtained by self-denial,
economy and the exercise of a naturally good
judgment, in regard to both agricultural pursuits
and business matters. This county has ever
been the field of his operations and the center of
his interests and hopes.
Mr. Holmes traces his ancestry . to James
Holmes, a wealthy Scotch-Irish gentleman, a
copy of whose will is now in our subject's posses
sion. His son Robert was the father of Jonathan
Holmes, the grandfather of the gentleman whose
name introduces this sketch. The last named
was born in the city of Belfast, Ireland, Septem
ber 25, 1760, and on coming to the New World
located in Mifflinburg, Union Co., Penn., where
he conducted an inn until his death. He mar
ried Jennet Laird, who was born March 24,
1764, and they became the parents of five chil
dren, whose names and dates of birth are as fol
lows: Rachel, February 19, 1788; Jennet, Octo
ber 25, 1789; Elizabeth, April 26, 1792; Mary,
August 9, 1794; and Robert, November 9, 1799.
Robert Holmes, the father of our subject,
was born in Union county, and there acquired
his education. He worked at his trade as a
millwright until forty years of age, when he pur
chased 1 50 acres of land near Bellefonte, which
he sold a year later; then bought 167 acres in
Marion township, Centre county, removing to
the same in 1835, when it was still unimproved.
He at once began its development and cultiva
tion, and added to the tract until, at his death,
September 16, 1874, he had 300 acres of valu
able land. He was a Democrat in politics, and
an elder in the Lick Run Presbyterian Church of
Jacksonville, of which he was a consistent and
devoted member.
On November 5, 1.822, Robert Holmes was
married to Mary Snyder, who was born August 8,
1803. Nine children blessed their union, whose
names and dates of birth are as follows: Sarah
Jane, January 20, 1824; Caroline, December 8,
1825; William Laird, July 20, 1827; James, Oc
tober 18, 1 83 1 ; Robert, November 11, 1833;
Mary Amanda, March 24, 1836; Harriet Eliza
beth, November 4, 1838; John, August 4, 1840;
and Margaretta, August 31, 1844. The mother
of these children passed away on the 16th of
April, 1893, the father on the 16th of Septem
ber, 1874.
The birth of our subject occurred in Belle
fonte, and in the schools of Marion township,
Centre county, he acquired his early education,

his first teacher being Samuel Kline, who is still
living in Howard. His opportunities, however,
for securing an education were poor, and at the
age of sixteen he laid aside his text books to as
sist his father in the labors of the farm, which he
continued until he was twenty-one, when he
rented a farm for a year.
On January 2, 1854, Mr. Holmes wedded
Miss Emily McKibben, and to them were born
twelve children, namely: William J., born No
vember 3, 1856, died in infancy; Robert E. , born
May 4, 1859, is a practicing physician of Spruce
Creek; Mrs. Mary A. Deal, born January 7, 1864,
is living in State College; Olivia R. , born Sep
tember 18, 1865, is deceased; Clayton I., born
January 18, 1866, is a dry-goods clerk; J. Laird,
born February 17, 1868, is a school teacher of
State College; Hamill, born September 5, 1870,
is a carpenter of that place; and James H., born
February 28, 1873, Emily Augusta, born Decem
ber 25, 1875, and Jennie Mabel, born November
9, 1878, are all at home; and Mandella, born
March 10, 1881, died in infancy.
Mr. Holmes continued to reside in Marion
township until his enlistment in the Union army
during the Civil war, October 3, 1 861, in Com
pany G, 51st P. V. I., and served as corporal
under Capt. Snyder in the battles of Roanoke,
Newberne and Camden. He was wounded at
the last named, and was taken to the hospital in
Georgetown, D. C, where he was honorably dis
charged November 8, 1862.
In 1865 Mr. Holmes purchased 135 acres of
land in Ferguson township, Centre county, on
which he continued to make his home until 1888,
when he removed to State College, where for
four years he engaged in merchandising, but is
now living retired. He is the owner of consider
able property, including the Holmes Block, a
beautiful three-story business block on College
avenue, erected in 1896. His business dealings
have ever been characterized by a straightfor
ward, honorable policy, which has won the con
fidence of all. For forty-five years he has been
a faithful member of the Presbyterian Church,
and was a member of the Grange and Good
Templars at Centre Furnace for several years.
He also holds membership in the Grand Army
Post No. 57, of Lemont, and his political sup
port is given the Republican party; but he has
neither time nor inclination for public office, pre
ferring to devote his energies to his business in
terests, which being well conducted along honor
able lines have brought to him a comfortable
competence. Mrs. Holmes was born July 22, 1839, a
daughter of Joseph and Mary (Smith) McKibben,

JAHES H. HOLHES

HRS. JAHES H. HOLHES

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

345

who were the parents of seven children, viz. :
Mary J. , Sarah G. , William S. , John (deceased
in infancy), Margaret J., Nancy S. and Emily
(Mrs. Holmes). Joseph McKibben (Mrs. Hol
mes' father) was among the earliest settlers of
Clinton, Pennsylvania.

JACOB and JOHN H. BEHRER. There
are numerous fine farms in Centre county
which will compare favorably with any
others in the State as regards production, and
also as to the improvements which have been
made upon them. Many of these places are
owned by men comparatively young in years,
but who have succeeded in .an eminent degree in
making their places the most desirable in the
locality. As representatives of this class of agri
culturists we take pleasure in presenting the
names of the subjects of this notice, who have
a fine farm of 160 acres in Patton township, near
Waddle. Jacob and John H. were both born at Buf-
alo Run, Centre county, the former on Septem
ber 16, 1864, the latter on May 9, 1872. They
are sons of Jacob and Mary (Augenstine) Behrer,
in whose family were thirteen children, the others
being: Mary, wife of C. B. McCormick, a farmer
living near State College, Centre county, by
whom she has one son; Regina, wife of Elmer
Rumbarger, a farmer of Stormstown, Centre
county, by whom she has six children; Elizabeth
E. , wife of John Wirtz, a farmer of Houserville,
Centre county, by whom she has two children;
Lena, wife of Richard Palmer, who is operating
a woolen-factory at Oak Hall Station, Centre
county, and by whom she had one child; Amanda,
who is living with her mother near Buffalo Run,
Centre county; Hannah, who is keeping house
for our subjects; Kate; Sallie; Anna; David, who
married Eva, daughter of John Ward, of Storms
town, by whom he has one child (he has now
leased a farm near Tyrone, Sinking Valley, and
operates the same); and Charles, at home. The
father of these children died October 17, 1891,
and was laid to rest in the Pine Hill Cemetery;
the mother is still living. They were both sin
cere and earnest Christians, faithful members of
the Methodist Church, with which their family
is also connected, while in politics the father sup
ported the Democratic party, and the sons also
give it their allegiance.
The family is widely and favorably known
throughout Centre county, and its members hold
a high position in social circles, where intelli
gence and true worth are received as the pass
ports into good society.

JONATHAN O. DEININGER. It is given
to but few to attain eminence in political
life, but the strength of the nation lies not
in its political leaders but in the citizens who in
the business walks of life faithfully discharge the
duties that devolve upon them. The proud title
of a self-made man is within the reach of each
individual who has the will to dare and to do, who
will bravely face all obstacles and conquer them
by determined purpose and honorable effort.
Such a man is he whose name introduces this re
view, and his life is in many respects well worthy
of emulation. Mr. Deininger was born in Womelsdorf, Berks
Co., Penn., April 17, 1830, a son of August E.
and Johanna (Obenland) Deininger, natives of
Germany. His grandfather, Christian Deininger,
was a, man of education, and, as was customary
in the Lutheran Church in those days, served as
a school teacher, and as that was a salaried posi
tion he earned his living in that way. August
E. Deininger was born in 1797, and in 18 18
came to America to try his fortune. He was
married in Pennsylvania, and for a time supported
his family at the weaver's trade, but subsequently
followed stone cutting and the marble business.
In the winter of 1843 he started with his wife
and children for Millheim, and between Young-
manstown (now Mifflinburg) and New Berlin the
sled in which they journeyed stuck in the snow,
and they were thereby delayed for a day. The
father purchased property in Millheim, where he
followed the business of marble cutting during
his active life. He died at the age of seventy-
seven, and his wife passed away in 1861, both
being interred in Millheim cemetery. He was a
stanch Democrat in politics, but never sought
office. He held membership in the Evan
gelical Church, and was a member of its board of
trustees. Five of his children died in infancy,
and those who reached mature years were: Anna
Maria, widow of Jacob Keen, of Millheim; C. F.,
a minister of the Evangelical Church, who died
in York, Penn.; Jonathan O. ; B. O., a printer
and marble dealer, who died in Millheim; and
August O., of Hughesville, Pennsylvania.
Jonathan O. Deininger acquired his education
in the school near his home, but illness prevented
his continuous attendance. At the age of seven
teen he began the trade of cabinet making in
Millheim, and served a two-years' apprenticeship
under John Poorman. He worked from daylight
until dark, and often in the winter months con
tinued his labors by the light of a candle. In
compensation for his services he received $15 per
year, and was allowed two weeks time during the
harvest season that he might earn extra money

346

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

on the farms. After his apprenticeship he worked
for three years as a journeyman, mostly in Belle
fonte, and then began business on his own account
at that place. Later he carried on a shop of his
own in Millheim, and in April, 1855, removed to
Centre Hall, locating on the present site of
Kreamer's store, where he purchased a small shop
and in the same building maintained his residence
and carried on business until 1857. He then
erected a home on the site of the post office. He
carried on cabinet making until 1873, when he
sold out and established the first hardware busi
ness in the town. He has since continued in
that line, but is now living in semi-retirement,
enjoying the fruits of his former labors.
Mr. Deininger was married October 14, 1852,
in Bellefonte, to Miss Anna M. Neiman, who
was born in Berks county, Penn., September 2,
1 83 1. Her parents, William and Barbara (Kin-
sell) Neiman, came to Centre county when she
was six years of age, journeying in a large coal
wagon. They made their home near the Valen
tine Works, and her father engaged in hauling
coal from Snow Shoe to that well-known furnace.
Two years after their arrival he was killed by a
coal wagon, and from that time until her marriage
Mrs. Deininger lived among strangers, the first
home that she could really call her own being
the little one in Millheim, to which she went as
a bride. Mr. Deininger at that time had only $20 in
money. About a year previous his shop in Belle
fonte was destroyed by fire, which left him in
very limited circumstances; but his diligence has
enabled him to surmount all difficulties, and he
has steadily worked his way upward to prosper
ity. He erected the store room in which Kreamer
& Son are now doing business, and has probably
put up more buildings than any other man in
Centre Hall. He now owns a business block and
his own home, and is also interested in the hard
ware store. His political support was given the
Democratic party until 1864, since which time
he has been unswerving in his allegiance to the Re
publican party, which he ever supports by his
ballot, although he never seeks office for him
self. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Deininger were
as follows: Lucy, wife of J. W. Haney, of Cen
tre Hall, by whom she has one son — Wilbur;
Mary, wife of Samuel Shoop, of Centre Hall, by
whom she has two children — Anna and William;
Clara and Emanuel, who died in childhood;
Sarah, at home; Clement F. , teller in the bank
at Centre Hall, and one of the prominent and
popular young men of that place; and Allen, who
died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Deininger hold

membership in the United Evangelical Church,
and the family is one of prominence in the com
munity. Mr. Deininger commands the highest
respect of all. He has a genial nature, is a
whole-souled man and delights in a good joke..
His extensive readinghas made him well-informed,.
and no man has more friends in the community.

JOHN WEAVER, a self-made man, whose en
ergy and well-directed efforts have brought
to him a comfortable competence, and whose
sterling worth has won him the high regard of
many friends, is now living a retired life upon his
farm of 206 acres at Dick's Station, in Taylor
township, Centre county. He was born in Sink
ing Valley, Huntingdon Co., Penn., March 22,
1829, but almost his entire life has been passed'
in Centre county, where he experienced all the-
trials and hardships of pioneer life.
Samuel Weaver, our subject's paternal grand
father, was born in Pennsylvania of German de
scent, and at an early day became a resident of
Huntingdon county, where he followed farming-
throughout life. The maternal grandparents,.
Jacob and Elizabeth Isett, were also natives of
Pennsylvania, of German extraction, and early
located in Huntingdon county, there residing upon;
a farm. John and Rachel (Isett) Weaver, parents of
our subject, were also natives of Huntingdon.
county, where their marriage was celebrated, and
where they remained until 1834, when they came
to Centre county, locating near our subject's
present home. For a time the father worked for
the Huntingdon Furnace, later engaged in char
coaling and chopping cord wood, but spent his-
last days in farming. He was first a Whig in
politics, afterward a Republican, and by his fel
low citizens was called upon to serve as supervisor
and school director in Taylor township. In re
ligious belief he was a Presbyterian. He died
June 23, 1872, at the age of seventy-seven years;
his wife passed away March 5, 1857, at the age-
of seventy-six. Our subject is the eighth in order of birth in
their family of twelve children — seven sons and
five daughters, as follows: Solomon and Jacob
are both deceased; Sallie married John Lewis,
and both are now deceased; Samuel was scalded
to death by the explosion of a steamboat; Bar
bara married William Robinson, and both are
now deceased; Joseph is a farmer of Blair coun
ty, Penn. ; Margaret is the deceased wife of
Thomas Hamer, also deceased; John is our sub
ject; Franklin is deceased; Rachel is the widow
of Adam Waltermeyer; David is a retired lum-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL 'RECORD.

347

berman, of Tyrone, Penn. ; and one died in in
fancy, unnamed.
Until he had reached the age of twenty-one
years, John Weaver remained under the parent
al roof, assisting his father in the labors of the
farm, and attending school when the opportun
ity afforded. For a time he crossed the mount
ains into Huntingdon county to school, a dis
tance of three miles, through the unbroken for
est, and later pursued his studies at a school in
Centre county, to which he walked a distance of
five miles through the woods. On a winter
morning he would start before dawn with the
other children, carrying pine lights, and they
would take turns in breaking the path through
the snow. On coming to Taylor township with
his parents, the country was a dense wilderness,
inhabited by wild animals of many varieties, in
cluding bears, panthers, wildcats and deer, and
they experienced all the difficulties of frontier
life. On leaving home, Mr. Weaver went to Bald
Eagle Furnace where he worked as a farm hand by
the month for a year and a half, and then engaged
in chopping wood in Huntingdon county during
the winter, and in charcoaling in the summer for
the same length of time. Subsequently he was
employed in various iron works in this section
of the State, after which he returned to the old
homestead, and again engaged in chopping wood
and charcoaling for some time. In connection
with William Robinson and Jacob Ridering,
Mr. Weaver next contracted to grade three
miles of the Bald Eagle Valley railroad, but for
this work he says they got nothing, ' ' as the
head contractor ran away with the funds ".
After another company had taken charge of the
road Mr. Weaver contracted for three-quarters
of a mile of grading, and later was made track-
foreman over a crew of men. When the track
was laid he was appointed division foreman,
and continued his connection with the rail
road service for thirty-one' years, during which
time he graded for the round house at Tyrone.
His faithfulness to the company's interests is
plainly shown by his long retention in their serv
ice. On leaving the road he purchased his pres
ent fine farm, which he continued to operate un
til 1893, but is now enjoying a well-earned rest.
During his service with the P. R. R. Co. as
track foreman, no less than eleven men were pro
moted from his subdivision as track foremen.
On November 22, 1849, Mr. Weaver was
married to Miss Nancy Nearhoof, and to their
union came the following children: The eldest,
Mary, died when young; Jeremiah, born Decem
ber 3, 1851, married Etta Woomer, and is a

merchant of Altoona, Penn. ; Miles, born Feb
ruary 17, 1853, died from the bite of a rattle
snake; Anna Eliza, born October 4, 1854, is the
wife of Henry Sharer, a mechanic in the railroad
shops of Tyrone, Penn. ; Sarah J., born July 15,
1856, is the wife of W. S. Johnson, a farmer of
Blair county, Penn.; Samuel, born February 22,
1858, married Bertie Brisbon, and is railroad
foreman at Lemont, Penn.; John W., born
December 10, 1859, married Elizabeth Walk,
and is still on the home farm; Harriet, born
October 25, 1 861, is the wife of S. C. McAlister,
clerk at Morrisdale Mines, Penn. ; George, born
December 10, 1863, is at home; Alice, born Sep
tember 22, 1866, is the wife of W. O. Irwin,
hostler at the Punxsutawney (Penn.) round
house; Ellen, born May 8, 1869, is the wife of
W. H. McAlister, flagman on the Beech Creek
railroad, Penn.; and Nannie B., born July 11,
1874, died young.
Mrs. Weaver was born in Huntingdon county,
April 2, 1825, and is a daughter of -Andrew and
Mary (Kephart) Nearhoof, also natives of that
county, who came to Centre county in 1835,
where the father engaged in farming until his
death about 1871, when he was aged seventy-
two years. His wife passed away May 30, 1889,
at the age of eighty-three years, eleven months,
twenty-three days. Both held membership in
the Dunkard Church, and in politics he was a
Republican. They were the parents of eleven
children, namely: Nancy, wife of our subject;
Mary, who wedded Jacob Rider, but both are
now deceased; Henry (deceased) was a farmer
of Blair county; Simon is an employee in a planing
mill at Tyrone, Blair county; Eliza is the de
ceased wife of Joshua Beck, of Philipsburg,
Penn.; John is a farmer of Centre county; An
drew is a farmer of Taylor township; Catherine
is the deceased wife of E. Lewis, a farmer of
Blair county; George is an agriculturist of Cen
tre county; Martha is the wife of Fulton Mc-
Monagle, a butcher living near Pittsburg, Penn. ;
and Abner, an iron worker of Mifflin county,
Penn. The paternal grandparents of Mrs.
Weaver — Henry and Mary Nearhoof — were early
settlers of Huntingdon county, where they re
sided upon a farm, while the maternal grand
parents, Henry and Kate Kephart, also farming
people, came to Centre county at an early day.
Mr. Weaver served his fellow citizens in the
capacity of school director for many years, and
was also elected supervisor of his township, but
got another man to serve in his stead. He was
drafted during the Civil war, but owing to illness
in the family he sent a substitute. He was ever
a hardworking, energetic man, and the success

348

commem6rative biographical record.

that has come to him is but the just reward of
earnest, persistent effort. The obstacles and
difficulties in his path he overcame, and worked
•his way steadily upward until he can now spend
the evening of life in retirement, surrounded by
all the comforts and many of the luxuries of
life. He is an ardent Republican in politics,
though has never aspired to public office. Him
self and wife hold membership in the United
Brethren Church, and they have the respect and
confidence of the entire community.

H. ARNEY, a well-known and popular cit
izen of Centre Hall, Centre county, is a
worthy representative of one of Potter town
ship's best families. He is a native of the
¦county, born December 5„ 1840, in Gregg town
ship, a son of Jacob and Rachel (Meyers) Arney,
who when he was thirteen years of age removed
to Potter township, where the greater part of his
life has been passed. In the Musser school,
Gregg township, he began his education under
the guidance of Robert Cook, at which time dis
cipline and order were the principal features of
the school room. As his father owned and oper
ated a clover-hulling mill, in which business win
ter is the busiest season, our subject for two
years assisted him in his work at the expense of
his schooling. In 1856 he entered an academy
at Lock Haven, Penn., where he completed his
literary studies.
Soon after leaving the school room, in the
fall of 1857, Mr. Arney began clerking in the
store of Arney & Ross, at Centre Hill, his father
being a member of the firm. Previous to this
time he had lived upon a farm, and had early
become familiar with the duties that fall to the
lot of the agriculturist. Following his services
as clerk at Centre Hill, he was similarly employed
in the general store of William Wolfe, at Centre
Hall, and Daniel Hess, at Linden Hall, both of
which stores did a large business at that time.
Subsequently he was for two years and a half
¦employed as clerk in the dry-goods establishment
of Bisel & Everett, of Lock Haven, Penn., and
later by Troxal & Bridgens, of the same place.
In 1863, Mr. Arney went west, and entered
the employ of what was then the Toledo &
Wabash railroad, serving in the capacity of yard-
master at its western terminus — State Line, Ind.
While the business was new to him, he readily
adapted himself to his duties, and was made
ticket agent at Danville, 111., after the consolida
tion of that road with another, at which time it
became known as the Wabash railroad. Having
contracted ague and malaria, he was forced to

abandon that section of the country after four
years of railroad life, and was compelled to
decline an offer of a substantial salary to remain
with the company. The business possessed for
him the usual fascination, and it was with reluc
tance that he gave it up. Returning to his native
state, the healthy mountain air hastened his recov
ery, and he was soon able to accept the position
of manager of the store belonging to C. C. Mc
Clelland, at Round Island, Penn. , where he spent
one winter. About this time his father removed
to a farm near Centre Hall, where, in 1868, was
erected the brick house now occupied by our sub
ject, and he returned home in order to assist his
father in the improvement and cultivation of the
place. On July 24, 1870, in Millheim, Centre county,
Mr. Arney was married to Miss Mary A. Ziegler,
who was born at that place June 1, 1848, a
daughter of Michael and Lydia (Gephart) Zieg
ler. Her father, a well-known citizen of Mill
heim, was born in Penn township, Centre county,
a son of Peter Ziegler, and belonged to one of
the prominent families of the community. Dur
ing the Civil war he supplied the government
with many hundred horses. He died in October,
1894, at the age of seventy-four years; his wife
in May, 1877, at the age of fifty-six, and both
were interred in the cemetery at Millheim. In
their family were the following children: Daniel,
a saddler, of Millheim; John, postmaster at
Swengel, Union Co., Penn.; Sarah, now Mrs. J.
A. Reeseman, of Centre Hall; Emma, wife of
Geary Van Pelt, of Ithaca, N. Y. ; James, of
Union county, Penn ; Mrs. Lydia Smith, of
Tyrone, Penn., and Mary A., wife of our sub
ject. In 1 87 1 Mr. Arney removed to a part of
the Philip Foster farm, where he continued to
live until 1893, when he located upon his present
place. It is the old home of his father, compris
ing 135 acres of rich and arable land, which he
and his brother, Dr. G. F. Arney, now own. A
great reader, he keeps himself well informed on
the leading questions and topics of the day, and
is numbered among the best and most popular
citizens of Centre Hall.
Mr. and Mrs. Arney have one son, A. Miles,
one of the brightest young men of the neighbor
hood, who was born August 22, 1878, and is now
a student in Pennsylvania State College, taking
a four-years' course in electric engineering.
The parents are devout members of the Re
formed Church, in which Mr. Arney has served
as deacon. At State and National elections his
unwavering support is given the Democratic-
party, but on local affairs he votes independently,
endeavoring to support the best men regardless

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

349

of party ties. At present he is acceptably serv
ing as treasurer of the Farmers' Mutual Fire
Insurance Company of Centre County, also as
township auditor, and has held other official
positions, including those of school director and
election officer. He is a wide-awake, enterpris
ing citizen, one who has the good will and high
regard of all who know him.

BUDOLPH MULHOLLAN (deceased), a na-
__ tive of Carlisle, Penn., died at his home in
Centre county, in August, 1883. Success in busi
ness may be achieved by industry, perseverance
and capable management, and he who adds to
this the record of straightforward, honorable
dealing, commands the respect and confidence of
all. Such in brief was the business career of Mr.
Mulhollan, who possessed untiring energy, quick
perception and the ability to plan and success
fully execute business undertakings. His life
demonstrated the truth of the saying that success
is not the result of genius, but the outcome of
resolute and honorable purpose.
John and Mary (Werham) Mulhollan, parents
of our subject, natives of Ireland and Ohio, re
spectively, came to Clearfield county at an early
day, making their home near Pine Glenn, in Burn
side township. Their children were James,
Rudolph, George, Mrs. Mary Schwitzer, Alfred,
Nancy (who died in infancy), John, Mrs. Nancy
Clark, and Mrs. Rebecca Bowers, all now de
ceased. No event of special importance occurred dur
ing the boyhood of Rudolph Mulhollan, who
divided his time mid play and work, while in the
public schools he acquired his education. He
was married in 1 864, in Tyrone, Penn. , to Car
oline Swimer, a native of Germany, born in Jan
uary, 1845. Her parents, Michael and Regina
(Kaltenburger) Swimer, were also natives of the
Fatherland, where they spent their entire lives,
the father following the stone mason's trade. In
the days of her maidenhood their daughter, Car
oline, came to America with her aunt, Mrs.
Wilds, who located in Clearfield county, but after
a few years went to Kansas, and was never heard
from again. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Mul
hollan are Mary, wife of Samuel Emrick, a mer
chant of Karthaus; Martha, wife of Eugene
Meeker, who conducts a meat market in Kart
haus; Clara, wife of Thomas Brown, a druggist
of Belle Vernon, Penn.; Blanche, wife of Dr.
John Hays, of Karthaus; and Nancy J.
Rudolph Mulhollan at an early day engaged in
hotel keeping in Burnside township. He after
ward carried on farming on an extensive scale,

and was also one of the largest lumber dealers in
that section, his business constantly increasing
until it had assumed extensive proportions. He
possessed keen sagacity, and in consequence made
judicious investments on which he realized hand
some returns. Steadily his capital increased^
until he thus became one of the wealthiest men
of Centre county. In his dealings he was always.
honorable, straightforward and true, and no con
fidence reposed in him was ever betrayed. After
his wife had received one-third of the estate,
there still remained property sufficient to give
each of his children $13,000. In his political
adherency he was a Democrat, and in religious
belief a Catholic. His wife, who died February
21, 1897, held membership with the Lutheran
Church, and was a most estimable lady, receiv
ing the warm regard of all. She died, of dropsy,
at her home near Pine Glenn, and was buried
Thursday, February 25, in Snow Shoe Cemetery.

)ALSER WEBER. It has been said that
biography yields to no other subject in
point of interest and profit, and it is especially
interesting to note the progress that has been
made along various lines of business by those
of foreign birth who have sought homes in Amer
ica — the readiness with which they adapt them
selves to the different methods and customs of
America, recognize the advantages offered, and
utilize the opportunities which the New World
affords. In Mr. Weber we find the true type of
a progressive German- American citizen.
Our subject was born in Bavaria, Germany,
July 4, 1829, the only child of Paul and Cather
ine (Roemer) Weber, natives of the same coun
try, where they spent their entire lives. The
mother died in 1832, at the age of twenty-eight
years, and the father was again married, having
by the second union five children, namely: An
drew, a lumber merchant of Germany; John, who
died in that country; Michael, who died a few
years after his arrival in the United States, in
1856; Barbara, wife of Paul Kammerer, a cop
persmith of Germany: and Caroline, wife of Mel
choir Krauss, of New York. The father's death
occurred in 1870, at the age of seventy years.
He was a tanner by occupation, and a devout
member of the Catholic Church.
Until twenty years of age Balser Weber re
mained at home with his father, whom he assisted
in the tanning business, and in the schools of his.
native land secured a good education. For two
years before leaving the Fatherland he worked
for others. In 1849 he sailed for America, ar
riving in New York after being twenty-eight days.

350

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

upon the water, his possessions being a cash cap
ital of $3.25. After a short time spent in that
city, he went to Schenectady, where he worked
in a broom factory for two months and in a tan
nery for a month.
On leaving that place Mr. Weber came to
Howard, Centre county, Penn., in November,
1849, where he was first employed by Abraham
Sussman, a merchant, who was born in Germany
and was a friend of our subject. His work was
peddling, during two years carrying his mer
chandise, and for the following four years travel
ing with a horse and wagon. In 1857, by
economy and persistent labor, he was able to
purchase the store of Robert J. Haynes, which
he successfully conducted until 1889, when he
turned over the business to his three sons — Abra
ham, John Paul and William — and is now fiving
a retired life, enjoying a rest which he so richly
-deserves. On September 30, 1852, Mr. Weber was
united in marriage to Miss Anna Pletcher, and
to them have been born eight children: Abra
ham; Mary, wife of C. M. Muffly, a real-estate
broker, of Chicago, 111. ; Caroline, Laura and
Henry, all three deceased; Clara, wife of Thomas
E. Thomas, of Howard, where he is engaged in
farming, and John P. and William. The sons
¦will be more fully spoken of farther on.
Mrs. Weber was born in Howard township,
'October 28, 1828, and is a daughter of Henry
and Magdelina (Schenck) Pletcher, natives of
Lancaster county, Penn., and married in Centre
county, where they had come in 1795, and here
engaged in farming. Her father was born Sep
tember 17, 1789, and died January 10, 1876,
while her mother was born September 5, 1786,
and died May 11, 1861. In their family were
¦eleven children: Nathan, deceased; Catherine,
deceased wife of Jacob Holter, a retired farmer
of Liberty township, Centre county; Michael, a
carpenter of Howard; Daniel, John, Henry,
Christ, and Jacob, all five deceased; Mollie, who
married Henry Holter, but both are now de
ceased; Anna, wife of our subject; and Joseph,
deceased. The paternal grandparents of Mrs.
Weber came to Centre county from Lancaster
county in 1795, and here spent the remainder of
their lives.
Mr. Weber was reared in the Catholic Church,
to which faith he has always adhered. Socially
<he is a member of the I. O. O. F., and in poli
tics is a stanch Democrat. He has never had
any inclination for public office, but has faithfully
served as a member of the town council, and as
overseer of the poor for four years. He has
made many warm friends since becoming a resi

dent of Howard, and has the respect and confi
dence of all with whom he has come in contact
in either business or social life.
Abraham Weber, the eldest son of our sub
ject, is now the popular chief burgess of. Howard,
ane senior member of the well-known firm of B.
Weber's Sons. He was born in Howard, Feb
ruary 9, 1853, and after attending its public
schools for some time, was a student in the Iron
City School of Pittsburg, Penn. , for five months.
He remained, under the parental roof until his
marriage, January 21, 1879, to Miss Rachel J.
Moore. To them have been born six children:
Mary, Anna, Balser, Emma and Edith, all at
home, and one that died in infancy. Abraham
Weber was first elected chief burgess of Howard
in 1880, and was re-elected in 1886 and 1894, so
that he is now serving his third term. His ad
ministration of the duties of his high official posi
tion is characterized by an enlightened policy,
which is well calculated to advance the interests
of the town. Politically, he follows in the foot
steps of his father, always voting the Democratic
ticket; socially he is a member of the I. O. 0. F.
Lodge at Howard, and of the F. & A. M., at
Bellefonte. John P. Weber, the second son, was born at
Howard, January 15, 1868, and received a lib
eral common-school education. He married Kate
Yearick on September 19, 1889, and has three
children. He, too, is a member of the firm.
William Weber, the youngest son, also a
member of the firm, was born December 4, 1870,
and received his education in part at the com
mon schools, in part at a business college in
Lock Haven, at which he graduated July 15,
1887. On December 8, 1891, he married Blanche
Estella Hensyl, eldest daughter of Dr. L. R.
Hensyl, of Howard, and to them has been born
one child, Dorothy Elizabeth. Although he is a
Democrat, and the town council always very
strongly Republican, that body elected him the
clerk of the council three years in succession, and
also elected him borough treasurer three years in
succession, which position he now holds.

/PV\EORGE B. SIMLER, Sr. The merited and
\JT fitting reward of a well-spent life, and active
business career, is an honored retirement in
which to enjoy the fruits of former toil. For
many years this gentleman was prominently con
nected with the business interests of Philipsburg,
but in 1 88 1 he laid aside all care, and is now
resting from his labors in a comfortable home,
which was acquired through his own efforts. He

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

351

is widely and favorably known in Centre county.
and his name occupies a high place on the roll
of leading and influential citizens.
The first of the Simler family of which there
is any authentic record is John Henry Simler, a
native of Germany, who became a soldier in the
Revolutionary war, enlisting in France, in 1780,-
as a private in Capt. Bart's corps of the first
troops of Light Dragoons, Free Legion, under
command of Col. Armand. On arriving at Bos
ton, Mass., the troops proceeded to Yorktown,
Va., and in the memorable siege and capture of
that place Mr. Simler took part, it being taken
by the United forces of America and France. He
remained in the service until regularly discharged
at Philadelphia. At Yorktown he had received
wounds in the left eye and forehead from a sabre
which is now in the possession of our subject,
and the scars he carried to his grave. On the
termination of the war he located at Philadel
phia, where he married, and two children were
born: George and Sarah. His first wife died
of yellow fever in 1793, and four years later he
was again married. By this union he also had
two children, Charles and Mrs. Sarah A. Cow-
fer. Later John H. Simler migrated to Philips
burg, Centre county, where he erected the first
house, and worked at his trade of shoemaking.
Here his daughter married and continued to make
her home until her death. In Philipsburg his wife
died in 1822, and two years later, when his son
George brought a flock of sheep to Centre coun
ty, he was persuaded by him to return to Phila
delphia, where his death occurred, October 14,
1829. With his father, Charles Simler had come to
Philipsburg, by ox-team, in 1797, and here in
February, 18 14, he had married Sallie Morrow,
a native of Bellefonte, and a daughter of John
Morrow, who was one of the early settlers of
Centre county. To this worthy couple were born
eleven children, as follows: John D., born
March 9, 181 5, conducted a bakery in Philips
burg, where he died February 2. 1875; Jane,
born December 1, 1816, married Franklin R.
Street, now deceased, and died in November,
1895; J- Henry, born August 2, 1820, died in
Philadelphia; George B., born August 2, 1820,
is the subject of this sketch; S. Annie, born July
24, 1822, married John Huston, now deceased,
and she died in 1844; Charles, born November
10, 1824, was a carpenter of Philadelphia, where
his death occurred December 28, 1889; William
B., born April 15, 1827, a painter by occupa
tion, was a Union soldier during the Civil war,
and came to Philipsburg in 1864, where he died'
July 19, 1874; Theodore, born May 26, 1832, is

a brass fitter of Philadelphia; Margaret, born
March 9, 1835, is the widow of Alex Adams, and
resides in Chester Hill, Penn.; and Mary A.,
born November 26, 1837, died when young. In
1825, with our subject, the father returned to
Philadelphia, his native city, where he passed
away May 7, 1845, at the age of fifty-four years.
George B. Simler remained under the pa
rental roof until twenty-seven years of age. His
early education was rather limited, and at the
age of seventeen years he began serving an ap
prenticeship to the carpenter's trade with William
Cobb, a contractor and builder of Philadelphia,
receiving $40 and board per year. On attaining
his majority he started out as a journeyman, and
was thus employed until twenty-eight years of
age, when he was appointed a policeman of
Philadelphia, which position he acceptably filled
for eighteen years. Returning to Philipsburg,
he here engaged in the express business until
1 88 1, since which time he has lived retired, his
son, George B., now conducting the business.
On May 6, 1847, m Philadelphia, Mr. Simler
was married to Miss Amanda Carpenter, and to
them were born nine children. : (1) Harry, born
February 25, 1848, married Ellen Tarr, by whom
he had thirteen children, three now deceased; he
is a constable of Philipsburg. (2) Charles L. ,
born April 27, 1850, died September 26, 1853.
(3) Sallie, born June 25, 1852, is the wife of
Albert Jackson, a machinist of Johnstown, Penn.
(4) John, born June 8, 1855, died when young.
(5) George B., born December 13, 1857, is en
gaged in the express business in Philipsburg.
(6) Hester, born January 12, 1861, died in in
fancy. (7) William N., born August 15, 1864,
fnarried Lizzie G. Osier, by whom he had two
children, Charles Albert and Mary Estella (the
wife and one child are deceased) ; he is an expert
taxidermist, and a resident of Philipsburg. (8)
Susannah A., born February 13, 1867, is the
wife of William Cronover, a carpenter of Philips
burg, by whom she has one son, Clarence. (9)
Jacob R. , born May 4, 1871, is also a taxider
mist. With the exception of George B. and
Jacob R. , who were born in Philipsburg, the
other children were all born in Philadelphia.
Mrs. Simler is also a native of Philadelphia,
her birth occurring April 8, 1829. There her
parents, Conrad and Hester (Sowers) Carpenter,
spent their entire lives, the former dying August
2, 1867, at the age of seventy, and the latter on
May 12, 1886, at the age of seventy-five years.
In their family were the following children: Con
rad (deceased); Amanda, wife of our subject;
William, a motorman on the street cars of Phil
adelphia; John (deceased), Andrew J. and Martin

352

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

V. (twins), who died when young; Elizabeth and
Mary, who died in childhood; John N., a detect
ive of Philadelphia; Wilhelmina, also a resident
of that city; and George and Jacob, who died
in childhood. The father of this family was a
butcher by trade. He was a son of Benjamin
and Margaret (Miller) Carpenter, natives of Eng
land and Germany, respectively. The former
was a cooper, and a member of the Society of
Friends. The maternal grandparents of Mrs.
Simler, W7illiam and Hester (Miley) Sowers,
were also natives of Germany, and when quite
young came to Philadelphia, where the grand
father followed the butcher's trade.
Mr. Simler is one of the honored pioneers of
Philipsburg, with whose interests his family have
been identified since the very beginning of the
city, and have been important factors in its up
building and advancement. When he first went
to Philadelphia with his father in 1825, the jour
ney through the almost unbroken wilderness re
quired nine days; but all this has since been
changed, and now good roads and railroads cross
and recross each other all over the country. In
politics Mr. Simler is a Republican, and for fifty
years has been a member of the I. O. O. F. ,
joining Lodge No. 15 in Philadelphia. He is
well known as a man whose integrity is above
question, whose word is as good as his bond, and
is held in the highest regard by his man}' friends
and acquaintances. He has filled with honor
many offices of trust in Philipsburg; was burgess
one term, member of the council two terms, and
president of the board. In township matters he
was assessor of Rush township two terms. The
following inscription is taken from the headstone
that marks the last resting place, in the old cem
etery, of our subject's maternal grandmother: "To
the memory of Letitia Morrow, who departed
this life the 6th of April, A. D. 1833, aged 65
years, 3 months and 6 days."

JOHN C. MOTZ (deceased). On January 17,
1893, there passed away at his home in
Woodward, Centre county, a man who had
for many years been a leader in the development
of Penn's Valley, his untiring efforts in the pro
motion of large commercial operations preparing
for him an enduring place in the history of that
region. Progressive and clear-sighted, his work
was of a nature to build up the community while
enlarging his own fortune, and his shrewd, ener
getic and forceful management of his varied
enterprises commanded the admiration of the
public.

Mr. Motz was born June 22, 1832, at the old
homestead in Woodward, which had been the
residence of two previous generations, his grand
father, John Motz, born in 1758, having been the
first settler in that locality, which, in fact, once
bore the name of " Motz's Bank." The family
to which he belonged was obliged to leave the
Fatherland on account of. religious persecutions,
then so prevalent. The extensive collection of
books which he left at his death contained valu
able works on Church, History, Astronomy and
other subjects. His wife, Mary (Whitmer), who
was born October 9, 1767, was a noble charac
ter, devoted to the care of the sick and feeble of
the neighborhood, and was so skillful in this work
that her services were esteemed as much as a
physician's would have been. In 1786 they
moved to the site of Woodward from what is
now Snyder county, and spent their remaining
years there, the grandfather dying in 1802, and
the grandmother on March 13, 1839. They left
seven children — three daughters and four sons —
the names of the latter being: Jacob, John,
George and James.
John Motz, Jr., our subject's father, was born
January 6, 1792, and lived and died at the old
homestead. He was married December 11,
1827, to Elizabeth Fisher, who was born No
vember 1, 1800, at Fisher's Ferry, Northumber
land Co., Penn., and died January 3, 1882.
They had three sons and four daughter, viz.:
Daniel Alexander, born June 15, 1829, died Oc
tober 1, 1833; John C, our subject; William
Henry, born March 13, 1839, died July 22, 1848;
Lydia, Sarah C. , Catherine A. and Mary Eliz
abeth. One of the daughters, Lydia, married
C. H. Gutelius, of Mifflinburg; she was an able
and active business woman, and at one time
traveled 600 miles by ox-team from Omaha to
Denver, where she was successfully engaged in
extensive real-estate deals; she died May 4, 1882.
Sarah C. married Dr. P. D. Neff, who died at
Centre Hall. Catherine A. married Dr. George
P. Weaver, late of Hanover, Penn., and now of
Philadelphia. Mary Elizabeth, born February
11, 1845, died November 30, 1861.
The common-school system of the present
day was in its infancy during the period in which
our subject was acquiring his education, but his
studies in the local schools were supplemented
with a course in the academy at Mifflinburg. At
an early age he began to manifest rare business
ability, and at twenty he became a merchant at
Woodward. As time passed he sought still
other fields of activity, operating a gristmill and
distillery, and finally purchased the entire estate
left by his father. His close attention to busi-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

353

ness, and thorough knowledge and supervision of
its details, made success sure, and when an en
terprise was once undertaken he spared no pains
in its prosecution. His mill property was im
proved atheavy expense in 1852, and again in 1878
in order to secure the latest machinery and meth
ods. His early success was not won without
some sacrifice, however, and after fifteen years
he was compelled by impaired health to give up
all care for a time. A trip to the Rocky Mount
ains, in 1867, greatly benefited him, and on his
return he resumed his accustomed activities, soon
embarking in other and larger enterprises.
On March 15, 1872, he, with others, estab
lished the banking house of John C. Motz & Co ,
at Millheim, of which he was the chief promoter
and first president. This position he held for
many years, and the bank weathered the finan
cial storms of that time bravely under his judi
cious yet bold management. The failure of Jay
Cooke lost for the firm all their Eastern ex
changes; their credit, however, was sustained by
paying over their counters thousands of dollars
in cash, as the bankers would not wait for the
ordinary return by -mail, but sent special messen
gers with checks. For many years he was the
principal stockholder in the Bellefonte, Aarons
burg and Youngmanstown Turnpike Co., and as
its president conducted its affairs to the great
advantage of the people of the Valley as well as
that of the shareholders. He was one of the
capitalists who secured a charter in April, 1879,
for the Millheim Turnpike Co. , of which he was
the heaviest stockholder, and his interests are
still retained by his family. He dealt extensively
in lumber and grain, and shipped the first carload
of grain over the Lewisburg & Spruce Valley
Creek railway; and indeed, were we to mention
all the enterprises in which he was a leader, we
would bring in review all the varied elements of
material progess in his locality during his time.
No project was broached indicating benefit to
the Valley that he did not encourage in a practi
cal and effective way. He left a large estate,
comprising several mill properties, extensive
tracts of farm and mountain land in this State,
valuable real estate in Kansas, Colorado and
Iowa, together with stock in gold mines and
other interests. As a loyal friend to the best
interests of his native village, he gave especial
attention to its improvement. He was a royal
entertainer, always glad to see his friends, and
socially as well as in business circles he was held
in high esteem. A stanch Republican, he took
great interest in the success of his party, and he
23

was also a liberal supporter of religious work,
giving not only of his money but of his time and
personal influence. In 1865 he became a mem
ber of the Evangelical Association, and for many
years was superintendent of the Sunday-school.
On November 14, 1869, Mr. Motz was mar
ried to Miss Maranda A. Reigard, a lady of fine
intellectual powers, and gracious womanliness,
whose gifts of mind and heart have made their
home a social center. T(hey had three sons,
who are all taking prominent places in the com
munity, and make a trio of whom any parent
would be proud. [Sketches of these will be
found elsewhere.]
Mrs. Motz is a daughter of Dr. Jacob Reigard
and his wife, Lucinda Wagner, who are now liv
ing at the age of eighty-six, in the possession of
unusual health and vigor. Dr. Reigard prepared
for his profession under the guidance of Dr. Big-
elow, of Millheim, and began to practice when
only nineteen years old, locating at Orangeville,
Columbia Co., Penn., where he met and married
Lucinda Wagner. Notwithstanding the opposi
tion of the older physicians, he succeeded, his skill
in surgery enabling him to perform some opera
tions with which the others were not familiar.
Later he moved to Shirleysburg, where he re
mained many years, and then spent twelve years
on a farm five miles from the city of Doyle's
Ford. There malaria seized him, and after suf
fering from ague, for eighteen months he sought
a change of air at Woodward, remaining three
years. During this time his daughter was wooed
and won by Mr. Motz. In 1852 Dr. Reigard and
his wife removed to Freeport, 111., where they
now enjoy the rewards of past labors. The
Doctor amassed a considerable fortune through
his practice and by judicious speculation, and at
one time he owned the only gristmill at Freeport.
Mrs. Motz was born May 25, 1835, in Col
umbia county, and was educated in the schools
of Shirleysburg, and at a select school in Dan
ville, Penn. She was the first born in a family
of ten children; (2) Ira G. died at Shirleysburg,
aged eleven years; (3) Francis M., deceased, was
a farmer at Freeport, 111. ; (4) Shepherd W. is in
the clothing business at Freeport; (5) Amanda
M., deceased, married F. G. Welsh, a machinist
at Chicago; (6) Juniata is at home; (7) Mary
Belle, who married Mr. Welsh after her sister
Amanda's death, is a journalist, and resides at
Williamsburg, Kans. ; (8) Louisa A. married R.
S. McWilliams, a farmer; (9) Scioto M. died at
Freeport, 111.; and (10) Blanche Eugenia is at
home with her parents.

354

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

J J. SHULTZ. This highly respected gentle
man, who is one of the most industrious and
energetic farmers of Miles township, Centre
county, was born in 1857, in Sugar Valley, Clin
ton Co., Penn., and is a son of Jacob and Re
becca (Gramley) Shultz, the latter of whom was
a daughter of Christian Gramley. The paternal
grandfather of our subject, who also bore the
name of Jacob Shultz, disappeared suddenly
from home, and has never been heard of since.
The parents were married in Brush Valley,
Centre county, whence they removed to Sugar
Valley, where two years and a half were passed,
and they then, in the spring of 1861, returned to
the former place, locating near Rebersburg. The
father not only provided for his own maintenance
from a very early age, but also helped to support
his parents, who were in limited circumstances,
so that at the time of his marriage he had only
one summer's wages with which to begin life.
Being a hard worker and economical, he man
aged to save some capital, which he invested in
land, having at the time of his death over 150
acres of good land. There his widow, an ear
nest Chistian woman, still resides. He died at
the age of seventy-four years, and was laid to
rest in the cemetery of Rebersburg. Like his
wife, he was a consistent member of the Luth
eran Church; in politics he was a Democrat.
They had nine children, namely: Rebecca, now
the wife of George Miller, of Madisonburg, Cen
tre county; J. J., of this sketch; Henry, who
died in infancy; Hannah, who died in childhood;
Bevie, who died in infancy; Frank and Charles
(twins), now farmers of Brush Valley and Sugar
Valley, respectively; Annie, wife of Jonathan
Shott, of Miles township; and a son, who died
in infancy. In addition to rearing his own fam
ily, the father also cared for his widowed mother
and brother. He was an honest, straightforward
man, whose word was never questioned nor his
integrity doubted.
J. J. Shultz was afforded but limited educa
tional privileges, but he made the most of his
advantages and learned rapidly, so that he is
now a well-informed man. As soon as he was
large enough to handle a plow he began work in
the fields, and continued to assist in the labors
of the home farm until he had reached his twen
ty-seventh year, with the exception of a few days
at a time when he would find employment else
where. After he had attained his majority he
hired out to his father by the year, and on his
marriage his capital consisted of what he had
managed to save from his wages. He then lo
cated on the old Smull farm, which his father
had purchased, near Kreamerville, and there con

tinued to reside until coming to his present farm
in the spring of 1887. It comprises sixty-seven
acres, pleasantly located at Spring Bank, in Miles
township, and under his able management has
become very productive. He married Miss Sarah
J. Bressler, of Brush Valley, and they have two
children — Ira E. and Ida M., both at home.
Sincere and earnest Christians, the parents are
faithful members of the United Evangelical
Church, and their genial, courteous manners
have attracted to them many warm friends.
Fraternally, Mr. Shultz is connected with the
Grange, and in politics he is an earnest advocate
of Democratic principles. He has served his
fellow citizens in the capacity of election judge
and supervisor of his township two terms, but
prefers to give his time and attention to his busi
ness interests, in which he is meeting with excel
lent results.

EUBEN GRIMM, a prosperous retired farm
er residing in Madisonburg, Centre county,
is one of the leading citizens of that pleasant
little town, and takes an active and helpful place
in the life of the community, being especially
interested in furthering the work of the Lutheran.
Church, of which he has been a leading member
for many years.
Mr. Grimm was born January 18, 1828, in
West Beaver township, Union county, now a
part of. Snyder county. His father, Daniel
Grimm, was born in 1795 in Berks county, Penn.,
and was the only son of a German settler there,
who did not succeed well enough in this new land
to give his sons a start in life. Accordingly,
Daniel Grimm, seeing the necessity for making
his own way, came as a young man to Union
county, and began farming and lumbering, in
which he made a notable success. He became
the owner of two farms and a sawmill, the latter
being his chief source of wealth. He married
Miss Magdalena Smith, a native of Beaver town
ship, Union county, born in 1795, and they had
thirteen children, all of whom are now living: (1)
Leah, widow of Edward Kinney, resides at Sel
insgrove, Penn. ; Levi, a resident of Marysville,
Venango Co., Penn., enlisted from that locality
during the Civil war, and lost a leg in the service;
Daniel is a retired farmer at Orangeville, Steph
enson Co. , 111. ; Catherine married Joseph Shaf
fer, of Walker township, Centre county; Isaac,
a bachelor, resides in Orangeville, 111. ; Susan,
widow of John Walters, lives near Milesburg,
Penn. ; Reuben is mentioned more fully below;
Mollie (Mrs. Weary) lives in Missouri; Mary,
widow of Jacob Nestlerode, resides in Madison-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

355

burg; Christena married Lewis Pellman, of Har
tleton, Penn. ; Adam, a farmer of Cherokee
county, Kans., was a soldier in Company A,
148th P. V. I., was taken prisoner and suffered
much before released; Louisa married William
B. Shaffer, of Walker township, Centre county;
John, a farmer in Oklahoma Territory, was a
soldier in Company A, 148th P.- V. I.
In 1840 our subject's father sold his property
and removed to Brush Valley, where he pur
chased, from Jacob Reber, a farm of 1 50. acres
.adjoining Madisonburg. Seven wagons, each
drawn by four horses, conveyed the family and
household goods to their new home via Penn's
Valley Narrow, and they arrived at Madisonburg,
April 3, 1840. Daniel Grimm followed agricult
ure until 1856, when he rented the farm to our
subject and retired to Madisonburg, building a
home there for his declining years. He was a
shrewd yet honest business man, no speculator,
depending upon hard work and judicious manage
ment for his success. His education was entirely
practical, but he acquired through observation a
goodly fund of information on various subjects.
Being opposed to slavery, he was among the first
to join the Republican party, having previously
been a Whig. At times he held office in the
township, serving as school director and super
visor, and although not a politician he never
missed a chance to vote. He was very fond of
company, and made an annual visit to Snyder
county, preferring to go always on foot. In the
Lutheran Church, of which he and his wife were
both members, his counsel was held in high es
teem, and he was chosen to various offices, in
cluding those of deacon and elder. His wife
died June 2, 1865, he passing away July 23,
1882, and the remains of both now rest at Madi
sonburg. Reuben Grimm, the subject proper of these
lines, was twelve years old at the time of the re
moval to Centre county, and his education, which
had been begun in the schools at the old home,
was continued in Madisonburg, his first teacher
there being William Yearick, who later became
a clergyman. His opportunities did not compare
with those which a more liberal and judicious
policy has placed within the reach cf the youth
of to-day, and as a farmer's son much of his time
was spent is work at home. At eighteen he be
gan to learn the blacksmith's trade at Madison
burg under Edward Houtz, his wages for the first
year being $2.00 per month, and for the second
and third years, $3.00 per month. For a time
after completing his trade he followed it inZion,
but in the spring of 1850 he went to Stephenson
county, 111., and worked at his trade and at farm

ing for seven months. News came to him of the
burning of his father's barn, and he returned
home to help in rebuilding it. He spent three
years and three months at his trade in Zion, work
ing for a brother-in-law, Joseph Shaffer, and then
assisted his father for a year at the old farm.
On February 22, 1855, he was married to Miss
Elizabeth Shaffer, who was born in Miles town
ship, Centre county, July 3, 1835, a daughter of
Samuel and Catherine (Bright) Shaffer. Mr.
Grimm's savings at the time amounted to less
than $400, but, renting the old homestead from
his father, he began farming on his own behalf,
and continued successfully for thirty-two years.
In 1875 he purchased the farm, and still owns
124 acres of farm land in Brush Valley, with
twenty-five acres of. timber land in Sugar Valley.
In 1888 he removed to Madisonburg, where he
owns two lots, on one of which he built a new
home, one of the best in the place. Since re
moving to town Mr. Grimm has for four years
carried the mail between Madisonburg and Mill
heim, but has not undertaken any other business.
Of his two sons, Lewis S. is a jeweler at Leb
anon, Kans., and Charles L. is at home.
Mr. Grimm's first Presidential vote was cast
for Gen. Winfield Scott; on the dissolution of
the Whig party he became a Republican, and has
since remained steadfast in that political faith.
While never an office seeker, he has at times
shown his keen interest in educational progress
by serving as school director in his township. In
the Lutheran Church he has held various posi
tions, having been deacon for many years, and
he is now an elder. He has always given liber
ally to the work of the society, and was one of
the building committee when the new church at
Madisonburg was built.

DAVID L. ZERBY, teller of the Millheim
Bank, Millheim, Centre county, is one of
the most substantial and conservative business
men of Penn's Valley. He is a native of Penn
township, Centre county, having been born at
Penn's Creek, January 28, 185 1, the fourth son
and child of Adam and Susan (Snavely) Zerby,
well-known and highly respected residents.
Mr. Zerby, for a time, attended the schools
of his district, W. E. Shirk being his first teacher.
In 1868 he attended the Aaronsburg Academy,
and later the academy at Penn Hall, receiving
instruction from such able educators as W. H.
Gottwalt, Prof. Salm, George W. Ebrightand D.
M. Wolf. At eighteen he was competent to
teach, and undertook the management of the
"Mountain School" in Gregg township, Centre

356

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

county. Finding the work congenial, he decided
to continue it, and his pronounced success mak
ing it an easy matter for him to secure positions,
he taught for thirteen "years, or twenty-six terms,
all but one term being in his native township.
Six years were spent at Liberty school, and his
success there indicates his efficiency as both an
instructor and disciplinarian. He was especially
gifted in mathematics, the most difficult prob
lems being solved by him with ease.
On November 5, 1874, Mr. Zerby was mar
ried to Miss Margaret Keen, a native of Penn
township, Centre county, and daughter of Jacob
and Anna Mary (Deininger) Keen, who are men
tioned below. Since his marriage Mr. Zerby has
made his home in Millheim, and on giving up
teaching as a vocation, he entered mercantile
life as a clerk for W. K. Alexander in his general
store. He remained there some time, and was
also employed at odd intervals in the Millheim
Bank, in which he took his present responsible
position as teller in January, 1893. Since enter
ing upon the duties of the place he has gained
hosts of friends, the public having learned that
in their dealings with him they can be sure of
courteous treatment and the most scrupulous
honesty. He is a self-made man, and, although
his father assisted him in securing an education,
the money was repaid from the earnings of the
first term as teacher.
In 1877 Mr. Zerby purchased his residence in
Millheim, and extensive improvements have
made it one of the pleasantest homes in that
charming village. His only child, Stella E. , an
accomplished young lady, is now a teacher in the
high school at Millheim. The family attend the
United Evangelical Church, and all are promi
nently identified with its activities. Mr. Zerby
is a trustee and steward, and for many years has
been superintendent of the Sunday-school. His
zeal for the welfare of the Church has been shown
in many ways, and during the negotiations for
the transfer of certain properties in Penn's Val
ley to the new Church, he has ably represented
the adherents of Bishop Dubbs. His interest in
public affairs is not less keen, any project for
the advancement of Millheim borough receiving
his hearty support. In political affiliations he is
a Democrat. He was the first burgess of the
borough, and has served on the school board,
while in May, 1889, and again in 1894, he was
elected justice of the peace. As an official he
has shown characteristic efficiency and public
spirit, winning the confidence and esteem of all
classes. Mrs. Zerby's family is of German extraction,
the name having been Kuhn originally. Her

great-grandfather, Johan Jacob Kuhn or Keen,
was the first to leave the Fatherland, and after a
brief residence in Berks county, Penn. , he came
to this section and settled upon a farm in Centre
county, one mile west of Millheim. This is still
known as the Keen farm, and has been contin
uously in the possession of his descendants since
his day. He reared a large family of children,
seventeen in all. His son George (Mrs. Zerby's
grandfather) accompanied him from Berks coun
ty, became a leading farmer of Centre county,
and in later years a prominent member of the
Evangelical Church. His wife, Saloma Kramer,
was a daughter of Daniel Kramer, a pioneer
settler. Nine children were born of their union, the
names with dates of birth being as follows;
Jacob, October 22, 1809, died at Millheim when
between seventy and eighty years of age; Re
becca, November 5, 181 1, died while young;
Elizabeth, January 15, 1814, married Samuel
Runkle, and died in Illinois; Mary, November
22, 1 8 16, married George Mark, and died in
Millheim; Jacob, January 11, 1818; Daniel,
January 5, 1820, went west, and all trace of him'
was lost; Samuel, September 24, 1822, resides
in Williamsport, Penn. ; Peter, January 20, 1826,
is a resident of Cass county, Mich. ; Katie, Sep
tember 22, 1 83 1, is now Mrs. John Gutileus, of
Mifflinburg, Penn. The father of this family
died in his seventieth year, and the mother in
her eighty-fifth year, the remains of both being
interred at Aaronsburg.
Jacob Keen, the father of Mrs. Zerby, ob
tained a practical education, partly in the local
schools of his day, and partly through, observa
tion. Although he was not the oldest son, his
capacity for leadership was made evident at an
early age, as he always "went ahead." On Jan
uary 5, 1843, he married Miss Anna M. Deinin
ger, a native of Bernville, Berks Co., Penn., borra
December 4, 1823. Her parents, Emanuel and
Johanna H. (Obenland) Deininger, both came
from Wurtemberg, Germany, in their youth, and
were married in the United States. Emanuel
Deininger was a well educated man, though not
as familiar with English as with German, and an
excellent musician. By occupation he was a
marble cutter and candle maker,, the latter busi
ness proving especially profitable. He movedi
with his family to Philadelphia when Mrs. Keen
was a young lady, and after a short stay came to-
New Berlin, Union Co. , Penn. ..where he remained*
ten months before locating permanently, in 1843,
at Millheim. His wife died in 186 1, aged sixty-
two years, and he passed away in 1876 at the-
age of seventy-seven, both being laid to rest in>

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

357

the cemetery at Millheim. Of ten children, five
lived to maturity: Anna M. (Mrs. Keen); C. F. ,
an Evangelical minister, who died at York, Penn. ,
in July, 1888; Jonathan, a resident of Centre
Hall; Benjamin 0. , who died in Millheim; and
Augustus 0., a resident of Hughesville, Lycom
ing Co., Pennsylvania.
Jacob Keen and his bride began housekeep
ing at the old homestead, and lived these until
1882, when he removed to Millheim, retiring
from business cares. His death occurred Novem
ber 11, 1890, and his remains were buried there.
He was a lifelong Democrat, but no politician,
although he took much interest in' local affairs,
and at one time served as constable of the vil
lage of Millheim. In religious belief his sympa
thies were with the United Evangelical Church,
to which his entire family belonged. He left a
large estate, including the old homestead farm of
more than 100 acres and some mountain land, as
well as the comfortable home in Millheim, where
his widow, a highly respected lady, still resides.
There were thirteen children, whose names
with dates of birth are here given: Sarah,
October 28, 1844, now Mrs. Christopher Alexan
der; John D., October 7, 1845, a farmer of Penn
township, Centre county; Justina J., February
28, 1847, now Mrs. A. F Kramer; Rebecca,
August 16, 1848, who died in infancy; E. D.,
July 26, 1849, a minister of the United Evan
gelical Church at Red Lion, Penn. ; Anna M. ,
January 14, 1852, Mrs. Zerby; Henry Franklin,
March 30, 1853, residing near Curtin, Centre
county; George W., May 13, 1855, a stock
farmer of Lee county, 111.; William E. , March 7,
1857, a resident of Millheim; Mary A., June 14,
i860, who died in childhood; Rosa E., April 4,
1862, wife of Rev. M. I. Jamison; and Katie E.,
May 30, 1866, and Ada O., January 17, 1869,
both at home at Millheim. Mr. Zerby is a char
ter member of Providence Grange at Millheim,
was its secretary some twelve years, and is its
present master. John Snavely, his maternal
grandfather, was a soldier in the Mexican war.

BENJAMIN JONES. In a brief sketch of
any living citizen it is difficult to do him
•exact and impartial justice, not so much from
lack of space or words to set forth the familiar
and passing events of his personal history as for
want of the perfect and rounded conception of
his whole life, which grows, develops and ripens,
like fruit, to disclose its true and best flavor only
when it is mellowed by time. Daily contact
with the man so familiarizes us with his many

virtues that we ordinarily overlook them, and
commonly underestimate their possessor. With
the business interests of Philipsburg, Centre
county, Mr. Jones has been prominently identi
fied for many years, and has also done much
to advance the welfare of the city while pro
moting his own interests.
Our subject was born in Chester county,
Penn., December 10, 1823, and is a son of Ben
jamin and Sarah (Waters) Jones, also natives of
that county, where they remained until the spring
of 1824, when they removed to Huntingdon
county. In connection with his brother Samuel,
the father operated a large farm which they had
inherited, and which they later divided. He
also engaged in hauling iron to Pittsburg, and
while on one of these trips contracted a fever,
from which he died September 21, 1828. He
was a Whig in politics, and a prominent and in
fluential man of the community where he made
his home. He was born November 28, 1781, a
son of Benjamin and Elizabeth Jones, of Ches
ter county, who were of Welch extraction. They
were farming people, and members of the So-
sciety of Friends.
The mother of our subject was born June
19, 1786, and died November 23, 1872. Her
father, Jacob Waters, was a soldier under Wash
ington during the Revolutionary war. From his
old home in Chester county, Penn., he removed
to Newark, Ohio, at an early day, where the
parents of our subject visited him, riding the
entire distance from Rockville, Chester county,
on horseback. Mr. Jones, of this review, is the ninth in order
of birth in a family of ten children, as follows:
Ann, born June 26, 1806, married James Hunter,
but both are now deceased; Samuel, born January
23, 1808, married Betsy Matren, who died in
1896, and his death occurred in 1894; Caleb,
born May 28, 1809, married Catherine Matren,
and both died in Minnesota; Hannah, born April
20, 18 1 1, married John D. Bell, and they have
also passed away; Mary A., born May 3, 1813,
is the deceased wife of John Laport, a retired
farmer of Spruce Creek, Huntingdon Co., Penn. ;
Sarah, born April 9, 181 5, died in infancy; Eliza
beth, born December 2, 181 7, also died in in
fancy; Jacob W., born November 30, 18 19, is a
retired contractor of Tyrone, Penn. ; Sarah, born
December 18, 1825, is the wife of W. O. Myers,
a retired potter.
After his father's death, and at the age of
eight years, Benjamin Jones went to live with his
sister Hannah, with whom he remained until he
had attained his majority. When fourteen he
began serving an apprenticeship to the carpenter's

358

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

trade with his brother-in-law in Huntingdon
county, and on leaving the home of his sister
went to Pittsburg, Penn., where he worked at
that trade for a few months. Later he was
again with his brother-in-law until forming a
partnership with his brother, Jacob W. , in the
business of contracting and building. About the
same time the city of Tyrone was being laid out,
and there the brothers purchased a couple of lots
and erected homes of their own in the fall of 1 8 5 1 ,
when only about three houses adorned the pres
ent site of that now flourishing city.
Coming to Philipsburg in 1861, Mr. Jones be
came superintendent of the planing-mill of D. J.
McGan, in which capacity he served for five years,
and then, in connection with Dr. Hoops and Mr.
Munson, built the planing-mill operated under the
firm name of Munson, Jones & Co. A few years
later he sold out his interest, but continued to
serve as superintendent for the firm of Munson &
Hoops. Subsequently he was a member of the
firm of Jones, Mullen & Co., but in 1890 disposed
of his share, and has engaged in the manufacture
of shingles in Rush township, Centre county. He
has also dealt and operated in coal quite exten
sively. He is a progressive, wide-awake business
man, and his success has come as a just reward
for honest toil.
On January 5, 1848, Mr. Jones was united in
marriage with Miss Margaret A. Rye, and they be
came the parents of five children: Oliver P., who
is engaged in the coal business, and is also a
stockholder in and cashier of the First National
Bank of Philipsburg; Ella, wife of James Perks,
a railroad conductor, residing in Philipsburg; Lot
W. , who is engaged in the planing-mill business
in Philipsburg, as a member of the firm of Mur
ray, Jones & Co. ; Mary A., at home, and Dwight
M. , also residing at home, who is now a "boss"
in the coal mines. Mrs. Jones was born in
Centre county in 1821, a daughter of Thomas
and Sarah (Kitley) Rye, who lived upon a farm
near Bellefonte, where they died when she was
quite young. Their other children — Thomas,
William, John and Isaac — all died in childhood.
Mr. Jones has taken the third degree in the
Masonic lodge of Philipsburg, and is an ardent
Republican in politics. Surrounded at his home
by a circle of friends who appreciate his true
worth, and admired and esteemed by the citizens
of the community, Mr. Jones will be honored for
many generations as one of the most enterprising
men of Philipsburg — a man who acted well his
part, and who has lived a worthy and honorable
life. He and his family hold a high position in
social circles, where true worth and ability are
received as the passports into the best society.

C. SHOWALTER, proprietor of the Phil
ipsburg Steam Laundry, and of property to
some extent in his section, "is a man of marked
business ability and enterprise. His versatility
and resource have been successfully displayed in
various occupations, and his recent entrance into
the laundry business upon a large scale, and with
improved modern appliances, is a distinct advan
tage to* the city of Philipsburg, while promising
to bring due rewards to himself. His landed
interests have come to him by inheritance, but
previous to his father's death he had made his
own way in the world of business.
The Showalter family is of German origin,
and has been established in Pennsylvania for sev
eral generations. Our subject's grandfather, John
Showalter, settled in Clearfield county early in
the present century, coming from Lancaster
county, Penn., and he died when this grandson
was still a child. His wife, Elizabeth (Dorley),
was of Irish descent.
The late Russel D. Showalter, the father of
our subject, was born in Half Moon township,
Centre county, in 1825, and lived to the age of
sixty-seven years and three months. Until his
retirement from active business, ten years pre
vious to his death, he was engaged in agriculture
and lumbering, furnishing logs on contract.
Thrifty and far-sighted, he made extensive pur
chases of real estate, and the wisdom of this pro
vision is seen in the fact that land which cost him
$1,350, would bring at least $60,000 at the pres
ent time, and is constantly increasing in value,
the coal deposits being very rich. R. D. Sho
walter was a man of great influence, his upright
character, no less than his abilities, giving his
opinions weight with all who knew him. Until
the Civil war broke out he was a Democrat in
politics, but the logic of events in those stirring
times led him into the Republican fold, and later
he became an ardent Prohibitionist. From his
youth up he was an active member of the M. E.
Church, serving in various official positions, and
allowing no extreme of wealth to keep him from
his place at the regular meetings. Storm or calm
found him equally ready, and his house was at
all times a hospitable home for the itinerant
preachers of his day. His first wife, Lydia Ann
(Tate), who was also a devout Methodist, was
born in Clearfield county in 1828, and died in
1877. Her father, Joshua Tate, was an honored
resident of that county in his time, and died there
when between sixty and seventy years of age.
On July 9, 1878, R. D. Showalter married for
his second wife Mrs. Acda C. Wilson, of Sa
lona. By the first marriage there was a family
of eight children, three of whom died at an early

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

359

age. Of the others: Jennie died at the age of
fifteen; G. C. is the subject proper of this sketch;
Emma T. married C. H. Davis, a jeweler of
Philipsburg; Charles resides in Kansas City, Mo. ;
and Norah married W. W. Junkins, of Erie,
Pennsylvania. G. C. Showalter was born March i, 1854,
and he spent his youth at his birthplace in De
catur township, Clearfield county, attending the
district school and working upon the home farm.
On attaining his majority he taught school for
two terms. At the age of twenty-four he mar
ried Miss Maggie V. Sankey, a native of Centre
county, born in 1855. Their only child, Nannie
V.', died in her fifteenth year. After marriage
Mr. Showalter worked in a planing-mill for some
time, and then followed agriculture for ten years.
Later he removed to Philipsburg, and in 1895 he
opened the steam laundry mentioned above, the
first ever established there. He is executor of
his father's estate, and owns half the surface of
the land comprised in the inheritance. Two
coal mines are now in operation on the property.
The habits of industry, gained in years when he
depended entirely on his own exertions, have
not been altered by his present wealth, and Mr.
Showalter is active not only in business but in
local affairs. In politics he is a Republican; so
cially he belongs to the Knights of Malta, and
since 1877 he has been a member of the I. O. O.
F., in which he is now past grand. In religion
he abides by the faith of his honored parents,
and is a member of the M. E. Church.

D. ROYER. The fertile farms of Brush Val
ley, Centre county, have attracted a superior
class of agriculturists, men who bring to their
work scientific knowledge, and whose progressive
ideas are demonstrated in substantial improve
ments not to be excelled elsewhere. Among the
most successful and progressive of these is the
subject of this sketch, who resides near Re
bersburg. Mr. Royer is a grandson of Christopher Royer,
who settled in Brush Valley in 1807, and a son
of Jefferson Royer, a native of Miles township,
Centre county, born August 28, 1808, near
Rockville. Jefferson Royer became a successful
farmer, having been reared to that occupation by
his father, who owned a large amount of land,
which he cultivated in addition to his work as a
miller and distiller. The subscription schools of
that day were far from good, and the one south
of Rebersburg, at which Jefferson Royer attended
as a boy, was no better than others of its class.

One teacher named Parkinson had a peculiar and
unpleasant little habit of calling his pupils
"d  d blockheads." A neighboring barn
caught fire one day, and the scholars all ran out
without asking permission. When they returned
the teacher had disappeared, and he was never
heard of afterward.
Jefferson Royer grew to manhood at his fa
ther's home, much of his time being spent in
driving a team and taking products to market.
He and his brother Daniel formed a partnership
in farming, and he thus managed to save some
money of his own. On November 20, 1834, he
was married, in Brush Valley, to Hannah Gram-
ley, a native of Miles township, Centre county,
born July 17, 181 5, a daughter of George and
Polly (Walburn) Gramley. He began house
keeping at the Royer homestead, but later bought
a farm in Miles township which he improved and
sold. He then rented a farm in Clinton county,
and after a time purchased one there, but after
ward he bought a new tract of land, heavily tim
bered, near Zion, Centre county, and lived there
fifteen years, improving the place in every way.
In 1869 he moved to Brush Valley, where he had
bought a farm the year before, and at this place he
remained until his retirement from active business,.
in his sixty-fifth year, when he built a home in Re
bersburg in which to spend his declining years.
He was fond of home, and, while he had a roving
disposition, as shown by his frequent changes, he
always wanted his family to accompany him.
His wife died May 1 1 , 1 890, and he breathed his
last November 26, 1895, both being interred at
Rebersburg. He was five feet, ten inches in
height, well built,* and very hardy and robust,
retaining his faculties fully up to his death, which
occurred when he was aged eighty-seven years.
In business he was successful, and his high char
acter won him the esteem of all classes. As a
Whig and later as a Republican, he was a regu
lar voter and took keen interest in the success of
his party. He served several terms as supervisor
in Clinton county. He was also much interested
in religious matters, and he and his wife were
both members of the Evangelical Association, in
which he held various offices, and was a class
leader for thirty years.
Jefferson Royer had five children, whose
names with dates of birth are as follows: Mag
dalene, October 13, 1835, died in infancy; Jon
athan, October 16, 1836, resides near Zion,
Centre county; J. M., February 3, 1830, who
served in Company G, 148th P. V. I., during the
Civil war, died at the age of forty-seven at
St. Louis, Mo., where his home was; he was
married. D. D., August 15, 1846, is mentioned

360

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

more fully below; and Chesty A., July 8, 1850,
is now Mrs. Perry Geutzel, of Nittany Valley.
D. D. Royer was born in Clinton county, one
mile east of Clintondale, and attended his first
school in Clinton county with Benjamin Winters
as teacher. The schools of that time were in
ferior to those of the present, but such as they
were Mr. Royer could not take full advantage of
them . For two winters in succession he attended
only twenty-three days in each. He was the
oldest at home much of the time, and clearing
land and other work interfered with his educa
tion. His own experience makes him a warm
friend of better schools, in which every child may
find thorough instruction.
Mr. Royer was always at home except for a
day now and then in harvest time when he could
earn fifty cents for spending money, and after he
came of age he worked for his father for ten
years. On June 21, 1877, he was married to
Miss Mary A. Roush, who was born in Gregg
township, Centre county, February 11, 1855, a
daughter of Benjamin and Margaret (Hoy) Roush.
Her father, who is a farmer and shoemaker by
occupation, lives near Madisonburg, and is a lead
ing citizen of that locality. Three children were
born of this union: Edwin L., Kline H. and
Anneata H., who are all at home. At his mar
riage, Mr. Royer located on his father's farm,
which he now owns. The farm is a valuable one,
comprising 256 acres and including a tenant farm
with separate residence and other improvements.
In 1892 the farm was divided and new buildings
erected by Mr. Royer, which are among the most
complete and modern farm structures in Centre
county. Mrs. Royer owns a one-half interest in
170 acres in Spring township, Centre county.
Mr. Royer takes great interest in the issues
of the day, and in State and National affairs al
ways votes the Republican ticket. He is, how
ever, no office seeker, having always had plenty
of his own business to occupy his time. He at
tends and contributes to the Evangelical Associ
ation. He is a member of the Grange, and can
always be relied upon to assist in any beneficial
movement in his locality.

JOHN MATTERN (deceased), formerly of
Centre county. The Mattern family in
America sprang from Peter Mattern (formerly
spelled Matthorn), who was a native of the Valley
of the Rhine, born near the Matterhorn, one of the
Swiss mountains, or Pennine Alps, Canton Valais.
About the year 1750 Peter Mattern and his wife
came to America and settled in the State of
Maryland, where nine children were born to

them. In 1779 three of the family — Jacob,
David and George — moved into the Spruce Creek
Valley (now Huntingdon county), Penn., where
for 1 17 years the homestead has remained in the
possession of the descendants of the patriarch of
the now numerous family. In the cemetery of
the old Lutheran Church at the Seven Stars,
which is part of the old homestead, George Mat
tern and his wife lie buried, and around them
many of their posterity sleep their last sleep.
John Mattern, who was the great-grandson of
the emigrant, Peter (1), and the son of George
(2) and Catherine (Hiskel), was born on the old
farm of his father in Franklin township, Hunt
ingdon county, March 26, 1794. In 1828 he lo
cated in Centre county, and eight years before,
in November, 1820, was married to Mary, daugh
ter of John Gray and Catherine (Hartsook), of
Patton township. The Hartsook and Gray fam
ilies were the first settlers of the township, com
ing from Frederick county, Md., to what was
known as the Half Moon country. Mr. Mattern
purchased from his father-in-law a tract of 300
acres of land lying one mile south of the present
village of Matternville, where he made his home
for nearly fifty years, dying there September 30,
1877, in the eighty-fourth year of his age. He
was a good citizen, a kind neighbor, and a suc
cessful farmer. His good wife, whose birth oc
curred August 12, 1800, passed away at the old
homestead, June 7, 1888, in her eighty-eighth
year; she was an affectionate wife and mother,
and her many deeds of kindness will long be re
membered and cherished by her many friends.
Both led exemplary lives, and were devout Chris
tian people. Their remains rest in the Gray
graveyard in the western part of Patton town
ship. The children of this couple were: Cath
erine married Martin Shaunk, and is now a resi
dent of Huntingdon county, Penn. ; Samuel is a
resident of Half Moon township; Elizabeth is the
wife of Joseph Kreider; John B. died July 7,
1896, in his sixty-sixth year; George; Jacob G. ;
David and Miles. It is worthy of note that not
one of the six sons mentioned has ever used to
bacco in any form ; all have followed agricultural
pursuits chiefly, and have dwelt in the same
neighborhood from boyhood. They are capable
business men and the most successful of farmers;
at one time they possessed an aggregate of 2,013
acres of land, which was the result of years of
toil, economy and judicious management. They
are all upright and honorable men, and are among
the best of Centre county's citizens. All adhere
to the religious faith of their forefathers — that of
the M. E. Church — and all are Republicans in
politics.

-0

'w^y

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

361

George Mattern was born December 1 1 ,
1832, and when about twenty-two years of age
went to live with his older brother, Samuel, with
whom he remained some two years and a half.
On February 3, 1859, he was married and located
on his present farm of nearly 400 acres. His
wife was Lydia, daughter of David Shivery and
Ellen (Moore) Shivery, pioneers of that part of
Centre county, born in July, 1831. The children
of George Mattern and wife were: Mary E.,
David B., John H. (deceased), Clara B. (de
ceased), and George S. Mr. Mattern has been
afflicted with rheumatism for many years, since
188 1 has not been able to walk at all, and for
nine years past has been confined to his bed.
Jacob G. Mattern was born on the home
stead farm February 5, 1835. He worked on
the farm during the summer, and in the winters
attended the neighborhood school at Stony Point.
Subsequently it was his privilege to attend for a
short time the old seminary at Warrior's Mark,
in Huntingdon county, under the principalship of
Ebenezer Smith. Later he was engaged in
school teaching, having been examined for the
profession by a Mr. Gibson, the first to hold the
position of county superintendent of schools of
Centre county. In 1863, in connection with his
brother, John B. , he purchased the old Gray
foundry at Matternville, and in 1867, in addition
to carrying on the foundry business, they built a
store-house and engaged in merchandising, This
building was destroyed by fire, was immediately
rebuilt, but again burned in 1873; the building
was replaced and occupied until the death of John
B., in 1896, Jacob having withdrawn, however,
from the partnership, in 1879. Since the latter
year Mr. Mattern has given his entire attention
to farming. In 1867 he was married to Eleanor
Wasson, daughter of John and Mary (Jack) Was-
son, of College township. They have had no
children of their own, but have reared several;
one, named Gertrude, an adopted daughter,
whom they took at the age of three years, mar
ried W. H. Smull, of Rebersburg, and died Sep
tember 1, 1889, leaving one child, Jacob Henry;
they reared another by the name of Ruth, and
one, Eleanor H., is still living; they are also now
caring for Albert S. , whom they took from the
Childrens' Home. Mr. Mattern is genial and
whole-souled, being one of those jovial, sunny-
dispositioned men, who will greet you with a word
of good cheer, his face wearing a kindly expres
sion and smile for all.
The Wassons were early settlers of Harris
township. John Wasson, a carpenter by trade,
came from Chester county, Penn., and settled in
Boalsburg, in 1810. He married a daughter of

Michael Jack, in 1814. In 1825 he removed
from Boalsburg to near where Lemont now is,
where, in 1857, his death occurred; his wife died
at the same place eight years later. They had
seven children, of whom Mrs. Mattern was one,
her birth occurring in April, 1834. Michael
Jack came from Lancaster county, Penn., to the
vicinity of Boalsburg about 1789, where he pur
chased land of Reuben Haines. He was a sol
dier of the Revolution.
David Mattern was born March 6, 1838,
and lived on the old home farm until not quite
twenty-one years of age, when he went to live
with his eldest brother, Samuel, with whom he
remained some five years. He then returned
home, and there remained' until married, which
event occurred April 16, 1867, his wife being
Mary Way, daughter of John and Mary (Moore)
Way; both the Moore and Way families were
early settlers of that locality. After his mar
riage he located on his present farm. Two chil
dren, Anna B. (married) and Mary M. , were
born to this union. The mother of these died
December 30, 1869, and on October 10, 1872,
Mr. Mattern married Anna Leitzell, a daughter
of Samuel Leitzell, and their children are:
Emma, Benera W., Miles F. , Ozula and Sarah
E. Mr. and Mrs. Mattern are members of the
Gray's M. E. Church, in which the former is a
class leader, and has been for a number of years.
Mr. Mattern is one of the industrious and sub
stantial men of his township.
Miles Mattern was born in 184 1, in the
house in which he now resides. He, too, at
tended the old Stony Point school house, his
first teacher being the present Squire Samuel T.
Gray, of Patton township. With little excep
tion he has resided continuously where he now
lives, engaged chiefly in agricultural .pursuits.
In 1867 he was united in marriage with Miss
Sarah Leitzell, a daughter of Samuel and Mar
garet Leitzell, who were married here in Centre
county in 1832. The Leitzells were from Ger
many, Mrs. Mattern being one of the third gen
eration in this country. She was born in Centre
county in 1843. Her father came here from
Snyder county, Penn. Mr. and Mrs. Mattern
have no children of their own, but have fur
nished a home for and reared several, namely:
Eva Leitzell, now married; John Clapper, Frank
L. Cole, and Sadie Cross, the latter of whom, a
girl of ten years, is now with them.

C\URTIN P. STONEROD, the well-known and
'1 efficient passenger and freight agent of the
Pennsylvania railroad at Milesburg, Centre coun-

362

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ty, was born March 25, 1841, at Birmingham,
Huntingdon Co., Penn. His father, John M.
Stonerod, is a native of Mifflin county, Penn. ,
born in 1823, and is now serving his second term
as postmaster of Birmingham. He has held a
number of local offices in his community, being
constable for a number of years and justice of
the peace for about seventeen years. He is a
son of John and Mary Stonerod, whose births
occurred at Lewistown, Mifflin county, where
both died. By occupation the grandfather was
a farmer, while the father of our subject worked
at the carpenter's trade until 1885. The for
mer served as sheriff of his county.
At Birmingham, July 19, 1840, John M.
Stonerod was married to Rachel Parker, who
was born at Stone Valley, Huntingdon county,
July 13, 1820, and died January 14, 1890, at
Birmingham, after an illness of three days. She
was attacked suddenly with "la grippe, " fol
lowed by pneumonia, which caused her death.
Besides her husband she left the following chil
dren to mourn her death: Curtin P., of this
sketch; Mrs. Martha Strouble, of Dudley, Hunt
ingdon county; Theodore and Fielding, of Pitts
burg, Penn. ; Mrs. Cecelia Parker, of Sharps-
burg, Allegheny Co., Penn.; Mrs. Elizabeth
Sprangle, of Fostoria, Blair Co., Penn.; and
David K., of Altoona, Penn., all prominent and
highly respected in the localities where they
make their homes. Another child, Wesley, died
at the age of four years. There are also thirty
grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. In
1 83 1 the mother joined the Methodist Episcopal
Church, but later in life joined the Presbyterian
Church, being a member in good standing of the
same at the time of her death. The father has
also been a consistent member of the Presbyte
rian Church since 1861, and in politics is a pro
nounced Democrat.
The subject of this memoir remained under
the parental roof until June, 1858, when he left
home and assisted in the construction of three
tressels for the Bellefonte & Snow Shoe railroad,
which were six hundred feet long and seventy
feet high. For two years he then served as
brakeman on the railroad, but in 1861, the Civil
war having broken out, he enlisted, on the first
call for troops, in Company H, as drummer, 2nd
Regiment, P. V. I. The officers of the company
were Capt. Mitchell, First-Lieut. James A. Beav
er, and Second-Lieut. Charles Hale. At the end
of his three-months' service, our subject returned
home and re-enlisted, September 17, 1861, this
time in Company G, 51st P. V. I., Ninth Army
Corps, under Capt. A. B. Snyder, First-Lieut.
W. H. Blair, and Second-Lieut. P. A. Gaulin,

Col. (in 1864 commissioned Brig, and Maj.-Gen.)>
John F. Hartranft. The last named was after
ward governor of Pennsylvania, but is now de
ceased. From drummer Mr. Stonerod was ap
pointed sergeant-major, of his regiment, after
ward was made second lieutenant and finally com
missioned captain of his company. On the field
of battle he was brave and fearless, always found
at his post of duty, and won the confidence of
those under him as well as the respect and es
teem of his fellow officers. He was twice
wounded, the first time at the battle of Antic
tarn, September 17, 1863, when making a charge
on Antietam Bridge, known as Burnside Bridge.
This was only a deep flesh wound in the left side,.
the shot cutting off his sword belt. Concluding
it was not a healthy place to stop, among shot
and shell, he went on over the bridge in the
charge with the regiment. On August 19, 1864,
at the Weldon railroad, in front of Petersburg,
Va. , he was wounded in the right thigh, which.
has shortened the limb two and one-half inches,.
and for seventy-one days he was confined in the
Alexander Hospital. After almost four years of
arduous and faithful service, he was mustered
out January 1, 1865, but was unable to work for
a year after his return home. He participated
in every battle fought by the 51st Pennsylvania
Regiment up to August 19, 1864, at which time
he was wounded and carried off the field. The
following battles are engraved on the 51st Regi
ment Battle Flags*: Roanoke Island,. Newbern,
Camden, Second Bull Run, Chantilly, South
Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Vicksburg,.
Jackson, Campbell Station, Siege of Knoxville,
Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor,. Peters
burg (W7eldon Railroad, he was wounded in this
battle), Ream Station and Hatcher's Run. He
was under fire, and skirmishing, almost daily
from the time Gen. Grant crossed the Potomac,
until wounded in August, 1864.
Mr. Stonerod then went into the oil regions
of Venango county, Penn., where he remained
one year, and later was appointed agent at Snow
Shoe for the Bellefonte & Snow Shoe railroad,
which position he filled for the long period of
fourteen years. The road was then sold to the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and August 1,
1 88 1, he was appointed agent to his present po
sition at Milesburg. His long retention in the
service of one company plainly indicates his
fidelity to duty and the confidence and trust they
repose in him.
On November 25, 1867, Mr. Stonerod was
?These battle flags (three) are in charge of the State archives at the
State Capitol at Harrisburg, Penn., in glass cases; two of these flags are
riddled with bullets {a cannon ball passing through the field of one of
them), leaving them in ribbons and rags, so much so that they cannevef
be unfurled again.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

363

married to Miss Annie E. Dickson, and they now
have five children: Boyd H., a telegraph oper
ator of Bradford county, Penn.; Sarah B., at
home; Stella M. and Gertrude, milliners, of New
York; and Jane D. , at home. Mrs. Stonerod
was born at Bellefonte, August 9, 1 844, and is a
daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Lucas) Dickson,
who were of Scotch-Irish extraction. The fa
ther was born in Lancaster county, Penn. , but
the mother was a native of Centre county, and
and both died at Bellefonte, the former in 1846,
and the latter in 1859, at the age of fifty-two
years. By occupation the father was a black
smith. In their family were the following chil
dren: Philip, deceased; Silas, a blacksmith and
farmer of Snow Shoe, Centre county; Catherine,
wife of R. Mulholland, of Nebraska; Martha,
wife of Joseph Clark, of Du Bois, Penn. ; Samuel,
an undertaker of Snow Shoe; Sarah, deceased;
Hezekiah, of Philipsburg, Penn. ; Amelia, widow
of Levi Boes, of Driftwood, Penn. ; Clarissa, wife
of George Quigley, a farmer of Driftwood; and
Annie E., wife of our subject.
Mr. Stonerod never fails to cast his ballot for
the principles of the Republican party, and takes
a prominent part in public affairs, supporting all
enterprises calculated to benefit the community.
Socially, he holds membership in the Grand
Army of the Republic and the Union Veteran
League. For fourteen years he was chairman of
the Republican Town Committee.

T THOMAS M. WEAVER is an enterprising
and progressive agriculturist who follows
his chosen calling in Spring township, Centre
county. He belongs to that class of citizens
whose devotion to public and private duty makes
them valued factors in any community. He was
born November 5, 1848, in Centre countv, the
younger child of M. P. and Ellen (McClellan)
Weaver. Their first child, Ann, born in 1846,
died at the age of ten years and seven months.
At the farmstead home Thomas M. Weaver
was reared to manhood, and as soon as old
enough began assisting his father in the cultiva
tion of the fields. His preliminary education was
acquired in the district schools, which he at
tended until sixteen years of age. He then pur
sued a course in Dickinson Seminary, and after
ward engaged in teaching school for three years
with excellent success. He is a man of broad
general information; and extensive reading has
made him thoroughly well informed on all cur
rent questions.
Mr. Weaver has been twice married, his first
union being with Esther Ellen Eckenroth (daughter

of John and Elizabeth (Shatzer) Eckenroth), who
died leaving four children: Walter L., Michael
M., Thomas M. and Nancy E. Mr. Weaver was
afterward again married, his second union being
with Miss Rebecca M. Runkle, daughter of Will
iam and Mary (Treaster) Runkle. By this union
have been born two children: Lizzie A. and?
Nerr D.
With the exception of the time spent in
teaching, Mr. Weaver has always followed agri
cultural pursuits, and he thoroughly understands
every branch of the business. His management
is capable, and his keen sagacity and sound judg
ment enable him to so control his affairs as to
win a comfortable competence. He owns in his
home farm 1 1 5 acres of rich and fertile land, and
in addition has 120 acres of mountain land. The
former constitutes one of the desirable farm prop
erties in Centre county. It is improved with a
fine dwelling, commodious and substantial, while
well-built barns and outbuildings afford ample
shelter for grain and stock. All the accessories.
of a model farm of the nineteenth century are
here seen, and the neat appearance of the place
indicates the careful supervision of the owner.
Mr. Weaver gives his support to the Republican.
party, and stanchly advocates its principles as set
forth in the platforms framed at its national con
ventions. In religious belief he is a Methodist,
and his life is in harmony with his professions.
He is a man of culture and intelligence and a
worthy citizen, manifesting acommendable inter
est in all that pertains to the welfare of the com
munity.

w

ILLIAM H. MILLER resides in Spring
township, Centre county, and comes of a
family whose history has been long and honora
bly interwoven with that of Pennsylvania. His-
paternal grandfather, a tanner by trade, removed
from Berks county to Centre county, and for
many years was a well-known citizen here. The
father of our subject, Henry Miller, was born in
1817, and died in 1881, at the age of sixty-four.
He married Miss Catherine Meiss, and they had
a family of five children, the subject of this
sketch being the eldest; the second child died in
infancy, and the others are Sarah J., John A.
and Anna E.
No event of special importance occurred dur
ing the boyhood and youth of our subject, who
was reared on the home farm and early became
familiar with its duties. He assisted in the
labors of the fields through the summer months,
and in the winter season attended the public
schools, where he acquired a good practical Eng-

364

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

lish education that has been supplemented by
reading, experience and observation. He mar
ried Miss Mary Ann Hoy, a daughter of John
and Susan (Hoy) Hoy. Her father, who was
born in 1804, departed this life in 1864 at the
age of sixty years, and his wife, whose birth oc
curred in 181 1, was called to the home beyond
in 1858. By trade he was a miller, and followed
that occupation for many years. In early man
hood he came to Centre county, and resided
in Jacksonville, Walker township. To Mr. and
Mrs. Miller were born four children, only two of
whom are now living: Sarah E., the eldest,, is
the wife of Charles H. Garis, and has four chil
dren; Catherine E. is the wife of Charles E.
Wetzel, to whom were born twin girls, one of
whom died in infancy; Margaret M. sustained in
juries in a railroad accident which resulted in her
death when twenty-three years of age. She was
on her way to Bellefonte to receive instructions
preparatory to entering the Church and taking
the communion, when struck by a passenger
train. For three days she suffered most intensely,
but bore her pain with heroic fortitude. At
length death came to her release, and on Novem
ber 15, 1893, her young life was ended. The
fourth child of the family was a son, who through
out his short life was a cripple. He passed away
in his fifteenth year, and the loss of these chil
dren has proved the greatest affliction that has
ever come to the parents, but they live in the
certainty of a happy reunion beyond the grave.
Farming has been the life work of Mr. Miller,
and his affairs are ably conducted, so that suc
cess has come to him in return for his diligence,
close application and perseverance. He exercises
his right of franchise in support of the Republic
an party, but has neither sought nor desired po
litical preferment. He and his wife are members
of the Reformed Church, and are most consist
ent Christian people, ever ready to defend the
weak against the strong and aid the needy or dis
tressed.

FRANCIS M. ALEXANDER is one of the
most prominent and influential citizens of
Huston township, Centre county, residing on the
Bald Eagle Valley road. He is the owner of
much valuable property, which has been accumu
lated by his own thrift and industry, guided by
sound judgment. His tastes have always in
clined him to agricultural pursuits, and he is
recognized as one of the most progressive, skill
ful and energetic farmers of the community.
A native of Centre county, our subject was
born in Union township, July 21, 1843, a son of

Joseph and Ellen (Blair) Alexander, who were
also born in that township, and there the father
died in the fall of 1 876, aged sixty-three years
soon after his return from the Centennial Expo
sition at Philadelphia. He was a son of Joseph
Alexander. Throughout life he engaged in farm
ing and the manufacture of charcoal, and also
aided in the construction of the Bald Eagle Val
ley railroad, which passes through our subject's
farm. In politics he was a Democrat, and in
religious belief a Methodist, to which Church
his wife also belonged. She passed away while
on a visit to our subject, July 14, 1894, at the
age of seventy-six years. She was the mother
of five children: Francis M. ; Nancy J., wife of
Wilbur T. Twitmeyer, a hardware merchant of
Bellefonte, Penn. ; Katie, wife of John Stover,
a farmer of Centre county; Julia, wife of Sam
uel Emerick, a farmer of the same county; and
Joseph B., also an agriculturist of Centre county.
Francis M. Alexander pursued his studies in
the schools of his native county, and remained
upon the home farm until thirty years of age.
For some time he was then employed at various
occupations, including teaming and lumbering,
until the spring of 1873, when he located upon
his present farm, a tract of 133 acres, which he
rented for one year and then purchased. So
successful has he been in his business ventures
that he has added to his property from time to
time, until he is now the owner of about one
thousand acres of valuable and productive land
in Centre county, being one of its most exten
sive land owners.
In 1868, Mr. Alexander married Miss Hannah
Idding, and five children were born to them:
Ella, now residing in Union township, Centre
county; Mary, wife of Walter Tallhelm, railroad
agent at Julian, Centre county; Reuben, a farmer
of the same county; and two that died in infancy.
On April 7, 1890, Mr. Alexander was again mar
ried, this time to Miss Josephine Richards, and
they have three children: Kyle, born June 26,
1892; Gladys Elmira, born February 14, 1895;
and Carey, born August 12, 1896.
Mrs. Alexander was born July 28, 1857, in
Huston township, Centre county, was provided
with excellent educational advantages, and for
sixteen years successfully engaged in teaching,
for one term each having charge of schools in Cass
and Audubon counties, Iowa. She attended the
Centre County Normal School at Centre Hall,
and is a lady of cultured and refined tastes,
widely and favorably known. Reuben W. and
Elmira (Harrison) Richards, her parents, were
natives of Centre county, where the father en
gaged in general farming until he died, April n,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

365

1892, at the age of sixty-two years. He was a
son of George and Tamar Richards, who spent
their entire lives in the same county. The mother
of Mrs. Alexander, who is still a resident of Hus
ton township, was born December 20, 1836, a
daughter of Thomas and Ruth (Furey) Harrison,
who spent their entire lives in Centre county, and
were buried at Bellefonte. Mrs. Richards, like
her husband, is an earnest member of the United
Brethren Church; in politics he was a stalwart
Democrat. The seven children born of their
union are as follows: Josephine is the wife of our
subject; Nettie is the wife of Robert Radkey, ol
McKeesport, Penn. ; Zilla died at the age of five
years; Julia is the wife of W. B. Parsons, of
Unionville, Penn.; Roland is a farmer of Centre
county; Morgan is on the old homestead with
his mother; and Milton B. is a fireman on the
Beach Creek railroad, residing at Clearfield,
Pennsylvania. Being a strong temperance man, Mr. Alexan
der is an adherent to the principles of the Prohi
bition party, but cares nothing for the honors or
emoluments of public office. Socially he is con
nected with the Grange at Unionville. He is an
active member of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, of which he is trustee; she of the Bap
tist Church, and they are true and sincere Chris
tian people. They give a large portion of their
time and liberally from their means to aid in the
religious and moral elevation of the community.
A generous hospitality is shown at his comfort
able home, and few men are more genial in social
circles, or have a more happy faculty of making
every one feel at their ease.

JOHN J. ARNEY, of Centre Hall, Centre
county, is an agriculturist of the progressive
type, and his intelligence and enterprise make
him a leader in local affairs. One instance of his
foresight can be found in his work in founding a
branch of the Patrons of Husbandry in his vicini
ty. He had read of the usefulness of the order,
and desiring to secure its benefits for his com
munity he agitated the question of organization
so effectively that soon afterward, February 12,
1873, Progress Grange No. 96 was organized
at Centre Hall. He was chosen to the post of
master, his peculiar fitness for the place being
no less a factor in the choice than the recognition
of his efforts in behalf of the society. His inter
est in the order has never flagged, and nothing
that he could do to add to its usefulness or pres
tige has been left undone. In other lines of
effort he has been equally energetic, and he has
been prominent in various religious, social and

business movements which have brought benefit
to the locality. Quiet and unassuming, a super
ficial observer might not at first realize the power
of his personality, but these qualities cover a re
serve force which give irresistible influence to.
his words. Mr. Arney's ancestors were probably German,
but no definite record exists on the subject. The
name as first known in America was spelled
Erney, and our subject's grandfather, John
Erney, was a blacksmith in Berks county, Penn. ,
and owned a body of land in Upper Tulpelocken
township, which is still known as Arney's tract.
He died there about 1 824, leaving three sons and
three daughters, who received little benefit from
his possessions.
Jacob Arney, the father of our subject, was
born at the old home in 1808, and was left at an
early age to make his own way in the world with
but scanty preparation in the way of education.
The subscription schools of his day and locality
were too expensive for any but the wealthy, and
at that they were none of the best. In the spring
of 1824, while still in his "teens, " he accom
panied his brother George to Centre county, and
sought for any employment that his years would
permit him to undertake. His first work was grub
bing a tract of land near Centre Hill, his pay be
ing the privilege of taking ' off the first three
crops, and later he grubbed another farm for a
certain amount per acre. He managed to buy a
farm of 112 acres in Gregg township, Centre
county, and August 8, 1838, he married Miss
Rachel Meyers, a member of a well-known fam
ily whose history appears elsewhere. She was
born in Benner township, Centre county, August
9, 1 818, a daughter of Adam and Sarah Meyers,
and owing to the poverty of her parents was reared
from the age of fourteen by Adam Bartges, who
resided near Penn Hall, Pennsylvania.
The young couple began housekeeping on
their farm, the rude log buildings with thatched
roofs furnishing a truer home than many a palace
wall has enclosed. In 1853 Jacob Arney bought
175 acres of land in Potter township, Centre
county, near the Gregg township line and lying
on the Brush Valley road. There he resided
until 1867, when he removed to a farm adjoining
Centre Hall on the east and on the Brush Valley
road. The buildings were poor, but he replaced
them with modern structures, including a fine
brick residence.
Jacob Arney was of medium height and
square-shouldered, but had no superfluous flesh.
Industry was a notable trait, but he had also the
business sagacity to turn his efforts to good ac
count financially, and while neighboring farmers.

366

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

accepted such returns for their crops as they could
get from local traders, he found good markets by
sending his produce away. At one time he was
engaged in mercantile business at Centre Hill as
a member of the firm of Arney & Ross. Strictly
honest in his dealings, he won success while re
taining the entire respect of his associates. His
investments were mainly in real estate, and he
owned about 400 acres of farming land, with
considerable town property. Politically he up
held Democratic doctrines at all times, and he
held various offices, including those of supervisor,
school director and assistant assessor. He was
very domestic in his habits, seldom leaving home
except on business or to visit a relative, and he
regularly attended the Reformed Church, in
which he and his wife were leading members.
For many years he served the society as deacon,
and at the time of his death was an elder. He
died from old age at the home near Centre Hall
on February 19, 1886, and the faithful partner of
his joys and sorrows did not long survive him, her
death occurring April 18, 1891. The remains of
both now rest in the cemetery at Centre Hall.
Our subject was the eldest of eleven children.
The second son, Benjamin H., occupies the old
homestead at Centre Hall; Sarah A. married
Henry Dasher, of Kalamazoo, Mich. ; William J.,
a Presbyterian minister, resides at Port Alleghany,
Penn. ; Rebecca S. married Moses Richard, of
Centre Hall; Lydia is the wife of C. C. Peck, of
Rosette, Lincoln Co., Kans.; Mary married
James Herring, of Altoona, Penn. ; George F. is
a physician at Altoona; Laura A. married John
T. Lee, of Centre Hall; Charles M. is a resident
of the same town; and Elizabeth is the wife of
John Mullen, of Renova, Pennsylvania.
We will now return to the subject proper of
this memoir, who was born at the Gregg town
ship homestead February 10, 1839. His educa
tion was begun at the Musser school house in the
same locality, which was afterward marked off
as the " Independent District," and "Old John
Price " was his first teacher. As the eldest son,
Mr. Arney found many home duties, his work
there often interfering with his attendance at
school. From ten to fourteen years of age he
was kept at home during the winters to assist in
his father's clover mill, four of his best school
years being thus lost. When twenty years old
he attended a select school in his native town
ship taught by H. Y. Stitzer, and later he studied
for a short time at Pine Grove Academy, and in
this way he prepared himself for teaching. His
first term as teacher was spent at Chapel school
house in Haines township, Centre county, in the
"winter of 1859-60, and he taught the next three

winters successfully, two in Potter township and
one in Centre Hall.
On October 15, 1864, Mr. Arney was mar
ried in George's Valley, Gregg township, to Miss
Sarah J. Sweetwood, a native of Potter town
ship, Centre county, born March 12, 1836. Her
father, the late John Sweetwood, was born in
Berks county, Penn., September 10, 1800, and
became a leading farmer of Potter township,
where he died July 19, 1887. He married Miss
Elizabeth Alexander, a native of the same town
ship, born January 1, 1809, a daughter of James
Alexander. She died May 30, 1841, when Mrs.
Arney. who was her youngest daughter and fifth
child, was but five years old, and as time passed
the little girl assumed the duties of the household
to the detriment of her education. After his
marriage Mr. Arney located upon a rented farm
in Potter township with the intention of follow
ing teaching in addition to his agricultural work,
but the plan proved impracticable. After three
years as a tenant on the land of strangers, he in
1867 rented his father's farm in Potter township,
where he remained until the spring of 1889. He
then removed to his present farm adjoining Cen
tre Hall on the west, formerly known as the
Christian Hoffer farm. He bought the portion
improved by the homestead buildings, and has
135 acres of excellent land, making one of the
best farms in the vicinity. His original purchase
consisted of 171 acres, of which a portion was
held in partnership, and was sold after a time,
going to make the Centre Hall picnic grounds
and an addition to the town, known as "Hoffer
street," and containing a number of building
lots. His only son, Isaac M. Arney, now takes
much of the responsibility of the farm work.
Mr. Arney is an influential supporter of the
Democratic party, but is too intelligent and, we
may add, too honest to sacrifice his own convic
tions as to the issues at stake to mere partisan
prejudice, and at local elections he votes for the
"best man." He has held office in his school
district, and his best efforts have been given to
educational advancement, his own privations in
that regard having emphasized the value of good
schools, open to all. Socially, he is a member
of the Masonic lodge at Centre Hall, and he and
his wife are both members of the Reformed
Church, in which he has held the office of
deacon.

JOHN W. EBY, proprietor of a feed and
coal business at Zion, Centre county, is an
energetic, progressive man who has achieved
success through his own undertakings.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

367

John Eby, paternal grandfather of our subject,
married May Greybill, a native of Lebanon coun
ty, and children as follows were born to them:
Samuel (father of our subject); Michael, Henry,
Moses and Elizabeth (all four residents of Wood
ward, Centre county) and Mary (Mrs. Yearick).
The maternal grandparents of our subject were
George and Mary (Finley) Vonada, the former a
native of Centre county, the latter of Union coun
ty, Penn. Their children are David and John,
who are residents of Hublersburg; Jacob, of
Mackeyville, Clinton Co. , Penn. ; Eve, who is
living with her sister, Mrs. Samuel Eby; and
Amelia, wife of John A. Swartz, of Hublersburg.
Samuel Eby, father of our subject, was born
July 22, 1824, in Lebanon county, Penn., and
being the eldest in his father's family remained
at home assisting in their support, during a few
winter months attending the common schools.
In politics he was a Democrat, and he was a
member of the National Guard. In December,
1866, he married Mary Vonada, who was born
February 10, 1830, a daughter of George and
Mary (Hinley) Vonada, the former of whom was
a farmer, a Democrat in politics, and a Lu
theran in religious faith. In March, 1868, Mr.
and Mrs. Samuel Eby settled on a farm in Walker
township, where he died October 6, 1882, and
he was buried in Zion cemetery; his widow has
since made her home in Zion;
John W. Eby, whose name introduces this
sketch, was their only child. He was reared on
the homestead farm, and acquired his education
in the public schools. On July 17, 1887, he
married Miss Jennie Sharer, a daughter of David
Sharer, a prosperous farmer of Spring township,
Centre county, born in Lancaster county, Penn.,
and who married Jemima Foster, a daughter of
Joseph Foster, a successful farmer of Union
county, where Mrs. Sharer was born. Both
came to Centre county in childhood, and were
married there. David Sharer, Samuel Sharer and
Jennie Sharer (both deceased) belonged to a fam
ily of which the following are also members:
Mrs. Elizabeth Mallory and Henry, who are liv
ing in the West; Mrs. H. J. Garbrick, of Zion;
and Elmira, wife of George Gingrich, of Centre
Hall. In the Foster family were Mrs. Belle Jor
dan; Mrs. J. Hirsch, of Forest Hill,' Union coun
ty, Penn.; Mrs. Nelson Biddle, of Union county;
and Andrew and Thomas, both of whom served
in the Civil war, the last named losing his life in
battle. David Sharer, the father of Mrs. Eby, died
December 9, 1894, and the mother on November
11, 1896. Both were buried in Zion cemetery.
They had a family of four children: (1) Foster,

now a resident of Spring township, Union coun
ty, married Pearly Stover, and has two children
— David M. and Minnie. (2) Mary is the wife
of Elmer Swartz, a farmer residing near Pleasant
Gap, Centre county, by whom she had six chil
dren — Delia M., Edith, Gertrude, Harry, Blaine
and Roy. (3) Zada B. is the wife of William
T. Royer, of Bellefonte, Penn., a printer, and
they have five children — Pearl, Lena, Carl, Grace
and Paul.
Mr. and Mrs. Eby became the parents of four
children, two of whom died in infancy; the others
are: William C. (born December 25, 1887) and
Mary Edna (born February 1, 1891).
Mr. Eby was engaged in farming for a num
ber of years, successfully following that pursuit
until 1896, when he came to Zion and established
his present business, dealing in meal, feed and
coal. He receives from the public a liberal pat
ronage, which he well merits, for his energy, per
severance and honorable dealing justly entitle
him to the success which he may achieve. He
also owns two farms, one in Walker township,
Centre county, comprising 120 acres of -well-im
proved land, the other, of 130 acres, being sit
uated near Centre Hall, in Potter township. It
is a splendid property, and he also has valuable
real estate in Zion. He is a most progressive
and energetic man, and ranks among the leading
business citizens of the community. In politics
he is a Democrat. Socially, he belongs to the
Grange, and to the Knights of the Golden Circle.
Mrs. Eby is a member of the Lutheran Church.
All who know them esteem them highly for their
sterling worth, and they have surrounded them
selves with many friends.

ATHANIEL BOWERSOX. The history of
JilL this gentleman, now a prosperous agricult
urist of Miles township, Centre county, shows
what may be accomplished by a man of intelli
gence, pluck and perseverance, especially when
he has the assistance of an equally clever" and in
dustrious wife. Mr. Bowersox was born August
25, 1835, in Centre township, Snyder Co., Penn.,
a son of Frederick and Hannah (Long) Bowersox,
both of whom lived and died at their farm in that
locality. As the eldest of a family of eleven children — •
seven sons and four daughters — Mr. Bowersox
was plentifully supplied with work during his
boyhood, his educational opportunities being
sadly interfered with by his home duties. He
attended the first free school opened in his native
township, and by making the most of his time
managed to lay the foundation for a fair practical

368

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

education, which, under the circumstances, re
flects great credit upon him. He remained at
home until 1850, when he went to Centre county
to work as a farm hand, his wages being sent
home during his minority. Though the amount
thus obtained was small, it was a great help to
his parents, and Mr. Bowersox cheerfully saved
his earnings in order to send it. He worked at
this employment ten years, five in Harris town
ship, Centre county, near Boalsburg, and during
this time had but two employers.
On December 20, i860, Mr. Bowersox was
married, in Centre county, to Miss Catherine J.
Peck, a native of Upper Sweet Arrow township,
Dauphin Co., Penn., born September 6, 1843.
Her parents, Simon and Mary (Singer) Peck,
came to Centre county in 1845, locating near
Wolfs store, where her father followed farming
and also worked as a carpenter and mechanic.
Mrs. Bowersox was the fifth child and third
daughter in a family of six boys and five girls,
and her education was that afforded by the local
schools. When but fifteen years old she went to
work as a domestic, receiving fifty cents per week
at one place where there were nine cows to milk.
At the time she met her future husband both were
employed near Boalsburg, at the home of Joseph
Mayer. In the eyes of many persons the outlook
would have been discouraging, but they were
strong in their mutual affection and the conscious
ness of health. Mr. Bowersox had saved about
$200, but it was out on interest, and for two
years he worked for his father at fifty cents per
day, in the meantime learning the cooper's trade.
On his return to Centre county he entered
the employ of J. K. Hosterman, of Miles town
ship, and later learned the carpenter's trade with
his father-in-law. During the winter season he
usually worked at hewing timber, and by dint of
close economy he managed to purchase, in the
fall of 1864, a tract of land containing fifty-two
acres, at a cost of $975, from John F. Beck. It
was in a most unpromising condition, ' ' all stones
and brush, " but he and his wife both went to
work with a will to clear it up. The first year
he raised only nine bushels of wheat, and his
stock consisted of one cow, a few chickens and a
"three-legged horse." During the day, Mr.
Bowersox would work for neighboring farmers,
and on returning home he would continue his la
bors there far into the night, and in time, by the
unremitting efforts of his wife and himself, the
farm was cleared and the debt incurred at its
purchase was paid off. It was five years before
they had a carpet in their house, but they now
have a fine competence, and have improved the
place with modern buildings and surrounded

themselves with the comforts which were denied
them in their early wedded life. At different
times, Mr. Bowersox has added to the original
purchase until he now owns 1 30 acres, including
some timber land. In addition to his other work
he has operated a tread-power machine, and one
horse, "Barney," has "tramped it" since 1868.
Mr. Bowersox realizes the helpfulness of his
estimable wife, and takes manly pride in acknowl
edging its value. She is a woman of intellect,
fond of reading, and is no less noted for her
kindly heart. Their home is a hospitable one,
and their family is one of which any parent
might be proud. They have had children as fol
lows: Mary A., now Mrs. Harvey Bierly, of Re
serve, Kans. , who has one son — Clyde E. ; Emma
E. , who married Charles Bressler, of Brush Val
ley, and has five children; Cora V. and Katie N.
(twins), who died in infancy; Ida V. , now Mrs.
W. E. Bair, of Rebersburg; Floyd E., a black
smith at Spring Mills; Allen E. and William S.,
farmers at Reserve, Kans.; Clement M. , of Nit
tany Junction; and Tammie E. , an intelligent
young lady, now at home.
Mr. and Mrs. Bowersox are members of the
Evangelical Association at Wolfs Store, and he
has held various offices, serving as trustee, stew
ard, class-leader and treasurer. The latter office
he has held continuously since the church was
built. He is a Democrat, but takes a broad and
liberal view of public questions, and in local
affairs votes for the "best man." Official posi
tion has no charm for him, but his keen interest
in educational progress has been shown by his
service as school director in District No. 3.

S\AMUEL GRAMLY will have a lasting place
) in the history of this region as one of the
pioneer educators of Brush Valley. Although he
has made a success of other and more lucrative
lines of effort, his influence has perhaps been
most helpfully and directly brought to bear upon
the community through his long service in early
years as a teacher in the country schools of that
time. Kind-hearted, genial, wise with the ripe
experience of his well-spent life, he is for many
a chosen adyiser in perplexity and trouble.
The early history of the Gramly family has
been made the subject of careful research, but it
is found impossible to trace it farther back than
the time of Francis Gramly, the grandfather of
the gentleman whose name opens this sketch.
About the middle of the last century a number of
people bearing the name of Gramly came to
America from Germany, and it is supposed that
Francis Gramly was among them, that he set-

'/tl&S^VIs

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

369

tied in Pennsylvania and married here. It is
certain that he came into Brush Valley in 1793,
from Northampton county, Penn. , with his wife,
Margaret (Spangler), and from them all of the
name in Brush Valley are descended. Francis
Gramly carried with him a sack full of hard
money when he rode into Brush Valley on
horseback, and he became the owner of an im
mense tract of land in that " Garden of Centre
County," where he operated a sawmill while
clearing and improving the property. Several of
his sons, all of whom remained at home', received
at his death valuable estates. He died in the
early "thirties," aged about seventy years,
and he and his wife, who attained the age of
eighty-six, were buried at Rebersburg. They
were Lutherans in religion. Their children
were: Adam, a maker of windmills; John, who
lived in Brush Valley; Christian and George, who
were farmers on the old tract; Francis, Jr., who
lived in Sugar Valley,. Clinton county; Philip,
who is mentioned more fully below; Daniel, who
met his death in boyhood while carrying break
fast to his father and brothers working in the
clearing in the woods; Jacob, a machinist and
operator of a gristmill, fulling-mill and carding-
machine in Brush Valley; Margaret (Mrs. John
Walker), of Brush Valley, and Susanna, the
wife of William Krape, of Gregg township. All
are now deceased.
Philip Gramly, our subject's father, was born
in 1798 in the lower end of Brush Valley, and
was reared as a pioneer farmer's boy, his work
necessarily consisting largely of clearing. At
eighteen he began to learn the blacksmith's trade
in Haines township, Centre county, and later he
opened a shop of his own in Rebersburg. About
1820 he was married in Brush Valley to Miss
Barbara Poorman, a native of Lehigh county,
Penn., born in February, 1800. Her father,
Daniel Poorman, a blacksmith, was an early set
tler in that Valley. Philip Gramly lived at
Rebersburg until April, 1832, when he moved to
a. 200-acre tract of land which he had purchased
in Sugar Valley, Green township, Clinton county.
It was in its primitive condition, with not one
stick cut, and there he built a log house for a
residence and a shop for his work. He and his
wife toiled energetically at the work of clearing
and improving the land, and in five years' time
had one hundred acres in cultivation; but Mrs.
Gramly so injured her health by her labors in
burning off the brush that she never recovered.
After five years there they returned to Brush
Valley and occupied the Francis Gramly home
stead, about two miles from Rebersburg, and,
later, Philip Gramly purchased the place, and

while cultivating it carried on also a blacksmith
shop and sawmill. In his day axes and other
edge tools had to be made by smiths, and he be
came an expert in that line. He was an indus
trious man, and gave his entire attention to his
own affairs, taking no interest in politics farther
than to vote the Democratic ticket regularly. He
gave liberally to religious movements, however,
and was a prominent member of the Lutheran
Church. His success in his varied enterprises
enabled him to accumulate a handsome compe
tence, and he left a large estate at his death,
which occurred September 14, 1869. His first
wife (our subject's mother) died in February,
1845, and the remains of both now rest at Re
bersburg. His second wife was Miss Phoebe
Dubs, of New Berlin, Union county. There
were eight children by the first union: Regina,
who died at the age of sixteen; Catherine (Mrs.
Henry Wolfe), who died at Wolfs Store, in Brush
Valley; Samuel, our subject; Susannah, now
Mrs. John K. Hosterman, of Brush Valley;
Reuben, a resident of Rebersburg; Mary A., now
Mrs. Reuben Kreamer, of Rebersburg; and Dan
iel Franklin and Francis Simon (twins), who
died at the age of four years and thirteen years,
respectively. By the second marriage there was
one daughter, Barbara J., now Mrs. J. H. Cha-
tam, of Wayne township, Clinton county.
Samuel Gramly's birth occurred March 4,
1827, and until he attained his majority his
time was mainly spent in clearing land, that '
work being deemed of prime importance and
schooling a secondary matter. He attended the
local school for a few months one winter before
he was ten years old, and learned rapidly, but
his desire to continue was not often gratified
later. He delighted in mathematics, solving ex
amples which none of his schoolmates could un
derstand. He excelled in penmanship also, and
even now his writing is beautifully done. The
changes which have brought educational privi
leges within reach of all in the present day meet
with Mr. Gramly's entire approval, and he has
done all in his power to further them. In the
summer of 1848 he taught a subscription school,
and then attended Mifflinburg Academy for eight
een weeks, preparing for better work in his
chosen profession. His next school was in his
home district, where many of his former mates
were pupils. The first blackboard ever placed in
a school in Miles township, Centre county, was
secured through his efforts for the benefit of his
scholars. In the spring of 1849 Mr Gramly
spent another term of ten weeks at the academy
in Mifflinburg, and during the winter term of
1849-50 he taught in the home school. From

370

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

this time on he taught regularly till the spring of
1 86 1, when he removed to a farm of his father's,
and while cultivating that in summer continued
his former work in winter till the spring of 1870.
In the meantime he mastered surveying by private
study, and when competent found plenty of work
to do in that line. He bought the farm upon
which he lived, and in 1875 purchased another
home with a small piece of land in Rockville,
Centre county, where he resided until 1892,
when he removed to his present home in Rebers
burg. He still owns the two properties near that
town, and is accounted one of the substantial
men of the locality. For twenty-five years he
has represented the Centre Hall Mutual Insur
ance Co. at that place.
On August 7, 1849, Mr. Gramly was married
in Aaronsburg, to Miss Sarah J. Smull, a native
of Miles township, Centre county, born March
15, 1832, and a daughter of Henry Smull. Seven
children were born of this union, namely: Isa
bella and Tiras J. died in infancy; Prof. Cephas
L. is mentioned elsewhere; Titus M. is in the
creamery business at Spring Mills; Naomi J.
married Charles Heckman, of Clinton county;
Clement H. is a farmer at the old homestead in
Miles township, Centre county; Ada E. married
William T. Hubler, and resides at the old home
stead. Mr. Gramly has spent money liberally to
educate his children, who have shown their ap
preciation by making good use of their opportuni
ties. The mother of this family died May
14, 1880, and was buried at Rebersburg. Mr.
Gramly has since married a second wife, Mrs.
Catherine A. Ocker, daughter of Daniel Spang
ler, of Union county, and widow of the late Will
iam Ocker, of Snyder county.
In his political views Mr. Gramly is a pro
nounced Republican, although he was a Demo
crat until Lincoln's first term. In 1870 he was
chosen county commissioner of Centre county,
and served nearly three years; in 1869 he was
elected justice of the peace, which office he has
held for fifteen years, despite the fact that his
township is the most strongly Democratic of any
in the county. Early in life he united with the
Lutheran Church, for forty years was secretary
of the society, and at present he is an elder. He
has always been active in the Sunday-school, in
which he held the office of superintendent thirty-
four years.

w

ILLIAM PEALER. Penn's Valley can
justly lay claim to the title of the " Gar
den Spot of Centre county ;"which is indeed freely
accorded her by any one who has viewed the

charming scenery dotted with beautiful homes
and productive farms. With the same consist
ency that locality can claim among her merchants
some of the best business men in the county, and
to substantiate this claim, we introduce a bio
graphical sketch of a man who, beginning his
business career as a poor though honest and am
bitious youth, has won for himself full right to
this classification.
William Pealer, of Spring Mills, was born
near Hublersburg, Penn. , April 24, 1 844, the son
of Daniel- and Elizabeth (Dunkle) Pealer. His
father was a native of Northampton county,
Penn., and being the son of poor parents, his
schooling was very limited — what instruction he
had being all in German. At the age of eighteen
he went to Nittany Valley, and worked as a farm
hand, having never learned a trade. He was
married in early manhood, in Centre county, his
wife being a native of Walker township, and
daughter of Henry Dunkle, a farmer by occupa
tion, and one of the leading citizens of that lo
cality. They lived for some time on rented
property, but after a few years Mr. Pealer was
able to purchase a home and a few acres of land,
with a sawmill, which he carried on in connec
tion with his little farm . In 1 8 56 he sold this place
and bought a tract of eighty acres of land in its
primitive condition with not even a log cabin on
it. This he cleared and improved, erecting a
dwelling house and other buildings, and he lived
there until after the death of his wife, when for
a few years he resided in Lock Haven. His
wife died at the age of fifty-six, but he was in his
seventy-third year when he was called from earth.
They now sleep in Snydertown cemetery. Both
were devout Christians, Mr. Pealer being a Luth
eran and his wife belonging to the Reformed
Church. He was always prominent in religious
work, and held various offices in the Church. In
politics he was a Democrat, but while he had
great regard for his party he was no office seeker.
He served as school director in his township,
however, his interest in education making him
an earnest supporter of the -schools. He was a
hard-working man, and although he started poor,
and lived an honest life, he gained a compe
tence. Our subject is the second in the family
of three children — Henry the eldest, is a car
penter and contractor at Rockford, 111. ; Mary,
the youngest of the trio, is now the widow of
Dennis Barner, of Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
The subject of this sketch first attended school
at the "Stone School House " near Hublersburg,
his first teacher being Allen Bartholomew; later
he pursued his studies at the Snydertown school,
but in those times the sessions lasted only a few

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

371

months each year, and the instruction was greatly
inferior to that in schools of similar grades at this
day. He worked at home while attending school ;
but when he was twelve years old the removal of
the family to the new farm in the woods brought
extra work and seemingly ended his chances for
study. His desire for a better education was not
to be thwarted, for he worked at lumbering in
the woods for some time, and with the hard-
earned money thus gained he paid his expenses
at more advanced schools.
His fellow workmen used to laugh at him for
spending his earnings on schooling, and often
suggested that a horse and buggy would do him
more good. But the clever boy knew better,
and kept steadily to his purpose. He attended
a select school at Jacksonville, and later the
academy at Pine Grove, preparing himself for
teaching, which he followed successfully at War
rior's Mark, Huntingdon county, Penn. , one term;
Milesburg, Penn., one term; and Eagleville,
Penn. , two terms, having charge of the grammar
school in the latter place. While the occupation
was congenial, it had its disadvantages, and he
began to look out for a profession that furnished
employment twelve months in the year, and
where better wages and greater chances for ad
vancement could be found. On September 22,
1868, he entered the general store of Jared B.
Fisher, at Penn Hall, Penn., as a clerk, and re
mained three and one-half years. He then took
a similar position with R. H. Duncan, at Spring
Mills (a general merchant), but soon after re
turned to his former employer at increased wages,
taking a more responsible position, that of book
keeper and general superintendent of the entire
business. This position he held ten years, when
he resigned in order to go into business for him
self. Having by his courteous treatment and
obliging manner won a host of friends, he speed
ily attracted a large and profitable trade. In
1882, he associated himself with J. D. Long, un
der the firm name of Pealer & Long, and carried
on a general mercantile business at Spring Mills,
but after one year the partnership was dissolved.
In 1884 he began business at his present stand
(then a rented building), and has ever since con
ducted one of the largest and leading mercantile
houses of Penn's Valley, his stock being extensive
and well-selected. His thorough knowledge of
his business, his close attention to detail, his
sound judgment in planning and energy in execu
tion have gained him an enviable reputation in
financial circles, and his advice is frequently
sought in important movements. Honest in
every way, there is no transaction of his in which.
the slightest tinge of dishonesty or unfairness can

be found. A handsome fortune has rewarded his
efforts. He owns eighty-two acres of excellent
farming land in Gregg township, and also the old
homestead of his parents in Nittany Valley, as
well as his store building at Spring Mills, and his
pleasant residence in the same place. He owns
stock in and is a director of the Millheim Tele
phone Company, the Lewisburg & Tyrone rail
way, and in a Building and Loan Association; he
also loans money on security. As a further safe
guard against disaster he carries $5,000 life insur
ance, paid up.
Mr. Pealer was married in Aaronsburg, in
1872, to Miss Jane E. Leitzel, a native of Gregg
township, Centre county, and daughter of Philip
Leitzel, a well-known citizen. They have no
children. In local affairs, Mr. Pealer is a loyal
friend to progress. He is a devout member of
the Lutheran Church, contributing liberally, and
he has held various offices in the Church and
Sabbath-school. As a stanch Democrat Mr.
Pealer has always been active in the interests of
his party, but he is not a politician. He has
filled creditably such township offices as auditor
and assessor, and has served as school director
in his district. Owing to popularity he was ap
pointed to fill the unexpired term of a former Re
publican postmaster at Spring Mills, and this
service under a Republican administration was
followed by an appointment as a Democrat to the
same position during Cleveland's first term. On
May 20, 1893, he was again appointed, and is
now serving with characteristic ability and faith
fulness.

|p\EORGE H. LEYMAN needs no special in-
%3ft troduction to the readers of this volume.
No man in Centre county has been more promi
nently identified with the agricultural and polit
ical history of the community, or has taken a
more active part in its upbuilding and progress.
He is one of the extensive and energetic farmers
of the county, his own place being pleasantly lo
cated in Boggs township.
A native of Centre county, Mr. Leyman was
born June 22, 1843, at Mt. Eagle, Howard town
ship, and the birth of his father, John Leyman,
occurred in the same county in 181 1. For many
years the latter engaged in cabinet-making and
carpentering in Mt. Eagle, and also extensively
followed contracting, framing the Bald Eagle
Navigation Company's canal. He took quite a
prominent part in public affairs, served in several
township offices, and was an ardent Democrat in
politics. At Salona, Clinton Co., Penn., he was
united in marriage with Miss Nancy McGee, born

372

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

in Ireland in 1813, a daughter of Thomas and
Ellen (Kilpatrick) McGee, who were also born in
that country, whence, in 1822, they came to the
New World, locating in Ohio, where the father's
death occurred. Later the mother removed to
Clinton county, Penn., where she married George
Hastings, and in 1854 she died there. The
paternal grandparents of our subject, Michael
and Rachel (Neal) Leyman, were natives of Phil
adelphia and Buffalo Valley, Union Co., Penn.,
respectively. As early as 1806 they became res
idents of Centre county, where they spent their
remaining days. The grandfather was a cabinet
maker by occupation, and as a Revolutionary
soldier he valiantly fought with a small squad at
the battle of Brandywine.
Our subject is the third in order of birth in
the family of ten sons and one daughter, the
others being Robert, now deceased; Franklin,
who is engaged in the oil business at Titusville,
Penn.; Henry, who died in infancy; Michael M.,
of McKeesport, Penn.; Mary, wife of Forest Dean,
of Lebanon, Penn.; Thomas, who died in 1890;
William, a merchant of Bradford City, Penn. ;
James B. , an engineer of Austin, Penn. ; and
John, who is in the oil business in Indiana.
The mother died in October, 1887, a faithful
member of the Methodist Church; the father
passed away February 19, 1 891 .
Since the early age of eight years, George H.
Leyman has been dependent upon his own re
sources, and for six years after starting out on
his business career engaged in teaming on the
canal. He then purchased a boat, the "Isaac
Buffington," which he ran until 1861, when the
flood broke the canal. He then went to the oil
regions in Warren, Venango, Crawford and other
counties, Pennsylvania, returning to Centre
county from Bradford county, in 1880. He then
purchased his present beautiful homestead of 170
acres, to the cultivation and improvement of
which he has since devoted his time and atten
tion. He also owns three other good farms in
Centre county, and is a most skillful and thor
ough agriculturist.
In 1866 Mr. Leyman was married to Miss
Annie Graham, who died in 1867, at the age of
twenty-four years, leaving one daughter, Lena,
now the wife of John Carson, of Johnsonburg,
Penn. On July 4, 1869, in Cattaraugus county,
N. Y., Mr. Leyman was married to Miss Amer
ica Meacham, who was born June 27, 1847, at
Ellicottville, N. Y., and of the six children born
of this union but one survives: Daniel H., born
December 25, 1889; Lola and Emily M. are
both deceased, "and the others died in infancy.
Mrs. Leyman is the daughter of Daniel and Em

ily (Bowan) Meacham, natives of Cattaraugus
county, N. Y. , where the father, who was a gen
eral farmer and dairyman, was accidentally killed
by a threshing machine in 1876. His widow
who still resides on the old homestead farm in
New York State, was born March 30, 1825, and
is the mother of ten children, as follows: Louisa
wife of C. Greene, of New York; Recinna, wife
of H. Hopkins, of the same State; America-
Lewis D., of New York; Janet, wife of D. Milks,.
of New York; Josia A., wife of L. Jones, of the
same State; Altha, wife of F. Chamberlain, of
New York; and three that died in infancy.
Politically, Mr. Leyman is a stanch supporter
of Democratic principles, and for the past fifteen
years has been the popular chairman of the cen
tral committee of his party, in whose success he
takes a deep and commendable interest. He is
a prominent and influential citizen, cheerfully
giving his support to those enterprises tending to
public development, and with hardly an ex
ception he has been connected with every inter
est that has promoted general welfare. His
name is a synonym for honorable business deal
ing, and he is always mentioned as one of the
invaluable citizens of Centre county.

JOHN GOWLAND, of the Gowland Manu
facturing Company at Philipsburg, Centre
county, is one of the leading foundrymen as
well as an active and influential political worker.
He is a native of England, as are many of our
prominent citizens; but as he was but two years
old when he crossed the ocean the claims of the
mother country are but light. Certainly there
exists no more loyal American than he, as is
proved by his gallant service in the Union cause
during the Civil war.
Mr. Gowland was born at Middlesborough,
Yorkshire, Eng!, May 30, 1847, and is a grand
son of William Gowland, a railroad contractor,
who constructed the first railway in England, the
line extending from Darlington to Stockton, and
lost his life through an explosion in 1837. Mat
thew Gowland, our subject's father, was born
May 12, 1825, at Darlington, in the County of
Durham, England, and became a machinist by
occupation. He married Miss Jane Dawson, a
native of Stockton, Yorkshire, Eng., born Sep
tember 1, 182 1. They came to America in
1849, and located first at South Boston, Mass.,
whence, on February 8, 1850, they came to Will
iamsport, Penn., from there to Philipsburg to
reside, Matthew Gorland establishing a foundry
and machine shop there, and carrying on busi
ness successfully until his death, which occur-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

373

red July io, 1889. He was a leading mem
ber of the Episcopal Church, and in his political
views was a Republican. Mrs. Jane Gowland is
still living and, notwithstanding her advanced
age, is in excellent health. Of five children, our
subject is the eldest. (2) Jane Anne, wife of
Thornton G. Dunkle, resides in Ninth street,
Philipsburg, Penn. ; (3) Francis D. , born at
Williamsport, April 28, 1855, is foreman in the
Gowland Manufacturing Company's shop; (4)
George A., born May 29, i860, died September
9, 1885; (5) Fred, born December 18, 1861, is
engaged in the plumbing and steam-fitting busi
ness at Philipsburg.
John Gowland attended the schools of Will
iamsport during boyhood, and learned the ma
chinist's trade there. As a youth of seventeen
he shouldered a musket during the dark ages of
the Civil war, enlisting February 8, 1864, in
Company G, 8th P. V. C. , which was consoli
dated at Lynchburg, Va., June 24, 1865, with
Company M, 16th P. V. C, and mustered out
of service at Richmond, August 11, 1865. Mr.
Gowland saw some hard fighting, taking part in
the battle of the Wilderness and in the final
campaign which ended with Lee's surrender.
For a time after his return he worked at his
trade in the West Branch Iron Works at Will
iamsport, and February 8, 1869, he went to
Philipsburg to go into business with his father.
Since the latter's death the foundry and machine
shop have been conducted under the present firm
name. On December 23, 1869, Mr. Gowland was
married at Fairport, Monroe Co., N. Y. , to Miss
Alice A. La Ransieur, a native of Clyde, N. Y. ,
born January 12, 1850. They have two chil
dren: (1) Matthew Francis, born December 4,
1870, a machinist in his father's shop, married
Miss Bessie Ratcliffe, and has two children —
John and Alice M. ; (2) Alice Jane, born Febru
ary 24, 1878, is at home. Mrs. Gowland is a
Presbyterian in religious faith, but our subject is
an Episcopalian. He is a Republican in poli
tics, and his advice is esteemed in the party coun
cils. On May 15, 1884, he was appointed to
the office of postmaster at Philipsburg, by Presi
dent Arthur, and served until June 30, 1888.
For one year he held the office of burgess of the
city, and since that has been a member of the
city council. He is also president of the board
of health of Philipsburg. Five years ago he be
came identified with the Ancient and Illustrious
Order of the Knights of Malta of the Continent
of America, with headquarters at Glasgow, Scot
land. At present he is Deputy Grand Com
mander, and he was a delegate to the Supreme

Grand Commandery which convened at Brook
lyn, N. Y. , on the 13th, 14th and 15th of Octo
ber, 1896. He is also a member of the G. A. R. ,
John W. Gerry Post No. 90, of Philipsburg, and
served as quartermaster two years, and also as
commander of the Post two years. In the Knights
of Malta he is at present Grand Generalissimo of
the order in Pennsylvania, and was one of the
supreme representatives of the order to Boston
in October, 1897.

P. SANKEY. It would be difficult to find
^HL in Potter township a man who has more
friends than this gentleman, who has spent his
entire life here, and has so lived as to win the
high regard of all. In an old log-house, which
was weatherboarded and painted red, and which
stood on his present farm, he was born June 19,
1834. Different branches of the family claimed
descent from French, English and Scotch ances
try, and probably there flows in the veins of the
progeny the blood of all these races. Thomas
Sankey, the great-grandfather of our subject,
was the first to locate on the farm which the lat
ter now owns. He died in 1797, and his will,
which is dated August 17, 1794, and was recorded
at Lewistown, Penn., is now in the possession of
H. P. Sankey.
Jeremiah Sankey (grandfather of our sub
ject), and his brother Thomas, purchased the
old family homestead, on which their father had
located, buying the same in 1802 from the exec
utors of the estate of Gen. James Potter. The
grandfather started out in life a poor man, but
after a few years purchased his brother's interest
in the farm, and later became an extensive and
successful agriculturist. He married Margaret
Neil, and they now rest in Centre Hill cemetery,
the grandfather dying when about sixty years
of age. James Sankey, the eldest son of the family,
was born in Potter township, Centre county, in
1798. He was married in his native township
to Rebecca Pennington, who was born in Potter
township, in 1802, a daughter of Henry and
Margaret Pennington. They began their do
mestic life in the Nittany Valley, near Salona,
where James Sankey and his father purchased a
farm. About six years later he removed to Pot
ter township to occupy the old homestead, which
was left vacant by his father's death, and there
he remained until he, too, was called to the
home beyond, June 10, 1868. His wife died
December 20, 1887, and they were buried in
Sprucetown cemetery. In politics he was a
Democrat until the organization of the Know-

374

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Nothing party. When the Republican party
sprang into existence he joined its ranks and con
tinued as one of its supporters through his re
maining days. During the war he was a loyal
and stanch Unionist. For several years prior to
his death he was an invalid. In religious belief
he was a Methodist, took a very active part in
the local work of that denomination, and held a
number of official positions in the Church.
The children of James Sankey were as fol
lows: Mary A., who died in childhood; an infant
daughter, who died unnam'ed; Sarah C. , who
married Adam Stahl, and died at Potters Mills;
Rebecca, who became the wife of John Wolf, and
died in Potter township; Nancy J., deceased;
James W., who served in Company G, 49th
P. V. I., and is now in Humbolt county, Iowa;
H. P., of this review; Jeremiah A., who served
in Company I, 148th P. V. I., and died at City
Point, Penn.; Robert A., who served for three
months in an emergency company during the
Civil war, and is now an attorney of Wichita,
Kans. ; Isaac P., who died at the age of nineteen
years; Mary M., wife of Leonard Rhone, of Pot
ter township; and John E., who died in infancy.
The history of the Sankey family cannot fail
to prove of interest to many of our readers, for
its representatives have been connected with the
history of Centre county for more than a century).
H. P. Sankey has likewise been a prominent res
ident of the community, and is looked upon as a
leader in questions that concern the public wel
fare. He began his education in an old school
house, long since destroyed, in Potters Mills, his
first teacher being John Gilliland. After leaving
the common schools he spent'a year in study in
Mount View Academy, at Potters Mills, after
which he began teaching in Potter township,
having charge of a four-months' school. Subse
quently he attended school in Williamsport, and
throughout his life he has added to his knowl
edge by extensive reading, carrying his researches
far into the fields of literature. He is a man
of scholarly tastes, of retentive memory, strong
mentality and broad general information. He
remained at home until his enlistment in the
Union army, April 19, 1861. Hardly had the
thunder of Fort Sumter's guns ceased ere he
offered his service to his country, and throughout
the war he was a valiant defender of the Nation's
honor. He met the enemy on one battlefield,
was taken prisoner, and confined in Confederate
military prisons for one year; his term of service
as a soldier was fourteen months. Returning to
his home, he was married, October 10, 1865, in
Potter township, to Elizabeth E. Rhone, who
was born in Potter township, October 12, 1841,,

a daughter of Jacob and Sarah (Kerstetter)
Rhone. On April 1, 1866, they moved to their
their present home, and the following children
have come to bless their union: Edith M., a
graduate of Lutherville Seminary; James A.,
who operates the home farm; Mabel S., a teacher;
and Marcellus A., a student in the Lock Haven
Normal School. The family occupy a high po
sition in social circles, and one of the charms of
their home is its free-hearted hospitality.
For four years Mr. Sankey has been unable
to attend to the duties of the farm owing to ill
health, resulting from hardships which he en
dured as a prisoner of war, but he gives to the
farm his careful supervision, and its business in
terests are ably managed. In politics he is a
Republican with Prohibition proclivities, and is
well informed on the issues of the day. He has
held various offices in Church and Sunday-school,
and he and his family are prominent in Church
work. Few men in Potter township are more
widely known than Mr. Sankey, and he com
mands the highest respect of all. He is a man
of the strictest integrity, benevolent and kindly,
and his life has been ever upright and true.

JAMES C. CONDO, a blacksmith and wagon
and carriage dealer, of Penn Hall, Centre coun
ty, is a representative of one of the old families
of Penn's Valley. He was born in Gregg town
ship, Centre county, April 23, 1851, the second
son and third child of Daniel and Sarah (Lutz)
Condo. His grandfather, Daniel Condo, was a
blacksmith by trade, but in the latter part of his
life followed farming. He held membership in
the Lutheran Church, and in politics was a stanch
Whig. He died of typhoid fever in Penn Hall. His
children were: Jacob, a blacksmith, of Illinois;
Eunie, who died in Centre Hall; Daniel; Elias,
who was killed in the army; John who died in
California; Emanuel, who started to return from
the gold fields, and was never heard from again;
Joseph, who died in Penn Hall; Susan, wife of
Philip Musser; Polly, deceased wife of Rev.
Kreamer; Rebecca, wife of Daniel Swartz; Lydia,
wife of George Musser, of Illinois; Sarah, widow
of Christian Musser, of Ohio; and Mrs. Rosanna
Bricker, of Boalsburg, Centre county.
Daniel Condo, the father of our subject, was
born in Gregg township, April 29, 1822, attended
the common schools and learned the blacksmith's
trade. He was married in September, 1843, to
Rebecca Shreffrer, born November 17, 1820.
They had two children: One died in infancy;
and Jared F. , born February 4, 1844, served
in the Union army, and is now a blacksmith and

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

375

weaver of Spring Mills. The mother died April
20, 1 846, and the father on March 4, 1847, married
Sarah Lutz, who was born in Haines township,
Centre county, March 22, 1826, a daughter of
Jacob and Catharine (Stover) Lutz. Mr. and
Mrs. Condo became the parents of the following
named children: Cyrus, of California, was born
April 10, 1848; Harriet C. , born January 2,
1850, is the wife of Amos Koch, of Ferguson
township, Centre county; James C. ; Susan M.,
born January 5, 1854, died in September, 1869;
John P., born August 11, 1855, is ex-sheriff of
Centre county; Lot, a blacksmith of Potters
Mills, was born September 10, 1857; Jonas was
born January 6, i860; Daniel H., born July 18,
1862, died October 6, 1869; Sarah R. , born
January 26, 1867, died October 29, 1869; Mary
L. , born January 19, 1869, is now the wife of J.
W. Rouch, of Penn township; and Adeline, born
in September, 1871, died in January, 1872.
The father of this family followed blacksmith
ing in Penn Hall and Spring Mills. In 1847 he
located in George's Valley, and during the Civil
war he served in the Union army nearly three
years. He followed blacksmithing until the day
before his death, which was occasioned by heart
disease and occurred February 11, 1 87 1 . He be
longed to the Lutheran Church, and in politics
was a Whig and Republican. His wife has been a
member of the Reformed Church since the age
of eighteen years. For five years after her hus
band's death she lived in George's Valley, and has
since made her home among her children.
James C. Condo, whose name introduces this
sketch, began his education under the direction
of Frederick Jamison, and after completing his
elementary studies in the district schools became
a student in Penn Hall Academy. He remained
at home until 1862, when his father and half-
brother went to the army, and he started out in
life for himself, although only eleven years of
age. He worked as an errand and stable boy
around a hotel in Penn Hall, and in the winter
of 1863-64 was employed by George Dale, near
Lemont. While thus engaged a horse fell on the
lad's left leg, breaking the bone in two places,
and he was disabled for almost a year in conse
quence. When he had recovered he began
learning the blacksmith's trade in his father's
shop, but before he had completed his appren
ticeship his father died. He then went to Haines
township, Centre county, and entered the employ
of Squire Hosterman, who also died a few
months later. Mr. Condo afterward went to
Woodward, where he worked a few months for
Mr. Miller, and then entered the employ of
Daniel Geary, of Penn township. Subsequently

he purchased his employer's shop, and for ten
years engaged in blacksmithing there. He was
very energetic, and the excellent quality of his
work secured him a liberal patronage. When
the old Condo homestead was for sale he pur
chased that property, thus providing a home for
his mother and the younger children of the
family. In March, 1879, he purchased the prop
erty of J. B. Fisher, of Penn Hall, and has since
retained his residence and smithy there.
In November, 1875, in Aaronsburg, Mr.
Condo married Miss Jennie Wolf, of Penn town
ship, daughter of William and Catharine (Kramer)
Wolf, and a native of Miles township, Centre
county. Five children bless their union: Carrie
M., Clara L. , Ella V., Charles F. and Sarah C,
and the family circle yet remains unbroken. Mr.
Condo votes with the Democratic party on State
and National elections, but at local elections,
where no issue is involved, he pays no regard to
party ties. He has served as clerk of his town
ship several terms. Socially, he belongs to the
Masonic fraternity of Centre Hall, and in religious
faith he is identified with the Reformed Church.
His life has been successful, and he may well be
proud of his achievements, for his prosperity is
the just reward of his own labors.

JW. HARTER, a substantial and valued cit
izen of Rebersburg, Centre county, is a na
tive of the county, having been born in Gregg
township, April 5, L855, and is a worthy repre
sentative of an honored pioneer family of the
county, which is of German origin. His great
grandfather, Andre'w Harter, who lived one mile
south of Aaronsburg, was a farmer by occupation
and a large landowner. In religious belief he was
a Lutheran and in politics he was a Democrat.
His death occurred in 1844, while his wife, who
bore the maiden name of Julia Moyer, died a few
years previously, and both were interred in the
Aaronsburg cemetery. In their family were John,
Jacob, Mrs. Julia Moyer, George, Andrew and
William, all now deceased.
John Harter, the grandfather of our subject,
was born on a farm south of Aaronsburg, and in
that village was educated. He married Barbara
Musser, a daughter of Philip Musser, a farmer
living near the cemetery at Millheim, Centre
county, and they became the parents of six chil
dren; Sarah, Katie and Mollie, who all died when
young; Annie, who died of diphtheria, at the age
of twenty years; Mrs. Rebecca McCool, who is
living at Spring Mills, Centre county; and Sam
uel, the father of our subject. For twenty-one
years the grandfather operated a rented farm be-

376

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

longing to James Duncan, but the last eleven
years of his life were passed upon a farm of 133
acres near Spring Mills, which he purchased and
greatly improved. He was entirely a self-made
man, whose success was due to his own unaided
exertions, and overwork hastened his death,
which occurred in 1855. Politically he was iden
tified with the Democratic party, and in religious
belief he was an active member of the Penn's
Creek Lutheran Church, in which he was an
officeholder. His faithful wife survived him only
about six years.
The birth of Samuel Harter, the father of our
subject, occurred September 14, 1832, two miles
and one-half west of Millheim, and in the free
school near Hickman's cemetery he began his
education, which he completed in the Beaver
Dam school at Penn's Creek, to which he had to
walk a distance of two miles. At the age of
twenty-one, he was united in marriage with Miss
Lydia Ann Grove, a daughter of William and
Catharine (Hasterman) Grove, who lived upon
the farm where Mr. Harter now makes his home.
Five children were born of this union, namely:
John W., of this review; Alice, deceased wife of
Philip Auman, who lives near Spring Mills; Jared
Howard, a farmer, who married Louise Breon,
and died of typhoid fever in 1886; Ezra, who
married Minnie Coldron, and lives upon a farm
near his father; and Annie R. , wife of Calvin
Finkle, also a farmer living near Mr. Harter.
For about fifteen years, or until his father's death,
Samuel Harter rented the old home farm, and a
year later purchased it at $50 per acre. Subse
quently he bought 186 acres, upon which he now
resides, and in addition also owns some timber-
land. He is an active supporter of the Demo
cratic party, and has been called upon to fill sev
eral official positions of honor and trust, including
those of overseer of the poor, supervisor and
school director. A sincere and earnest Christian,
he is a prominent member of the Cross Church
in Gray's Valley.
The district schools of Gregg township fur
nished our subject his educational privileges, and
his first teacher was F. F. Jamison. He began
his business career by clerking in the general
store of Shook Brothers, at Farmers Mills, for $96
per year and board, and there he remained for
over a year and then spent a short time on his
father's farm, after which he was employed for a
year and a half in the general store of T. I.
Ilgen, of Logan Mills, Clinton Co., Penn. Re
turning to Fiedler, Center county, he engaged in
clerking for the same length of time for Fiedler
& Runkle, and after a short time spent at home
he accepted a position in the general store of

Whitmer & Co. , at Spring Mills. Subsequently
he made a trip to the West, visiting portions of
Ohio, Illinois, Iowa and Michigan, and shortly
after his return home, in the fall of 1883, came
to Rebersburg, where he entered the employ of
C. C. Loose as clerk. In February, 1886, he
purchased the Stock of his employer, and con
ducted the store alone until February, 1888, when
Mr. Loose bought back a half interest. Owing
to ill health Mr. Harter was compelled to give
up merchandising, and in 1889 disposed of his
interest in the store, since which time he has
principally devoted his attention to the lumber
and stock business. On April 1, 1891, he had
his store room and residence destroyed by fire,
but the same year he erected one of the best
homes in Rebersburg, and the year following
completed the best business block in Brush Val
ley, which is also located in Rebersburg. He is
an enterprising, wide-awake business man of
known reliability, and his success is but the just
reward of his untiring labor. On April 15, 1897,
he again engaged in mercantile business in Re
bersburg, under the firm name of Harter, Mor
ris & Co.
On June 7, 1887, Mr. Harter was married to
Miss Ida A. Wolfe, a daughter of John and Sarah
(Kreamer) Wolfe, and they now have one child,
— Ethel W, born July 29, 1895. The parents
are both consistent members of the Lutheran
Church, in which he is serving as deacon and as
sistant superintendent of the Sabbath-school.
He is a charter member of Rebersburg Lodge
No. 103 1, I. O. O. F. , and is an earnest advo
cate of Democratic principles, on which ticket
he was elected supervisor. Like his ancestors, he
is held in the highest regard by all who have the
pleasure of his acquaintance, and as one of the
highly respected and useful citizens of the coun
ty, we take pleasure in presenting this record of
his life to our readers, knowing that it will be re
ceived with interest by his many friends.

C\ SUMNER MUSSER, M. D., of Aarons-
^1 burg, Centre county, is one of the leading
physicians of Penn's Valley, and in the thorough
ness of his preparation for the profession far out
ranks the practitioners usually found in a small
town. To an extended course of study in differ-
erent institutions in this country there has been
added the advantage of observation in the hospit
als of Europe, thus developing native talents
which had already shown themselves in an early
choice of this arduous profession.
Dr. Musser was born at Millheim, Centre
county, November 19, 1856, and is a descendant

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

377

of one of the pioneer families of Pennsylvania,
his ancestors having come from Germany during
the Colonial period to settle in Linn township,
Northampton county. The first of this branch
of the family to locate in Penn's Valley were
Philip Musser (the great-grandfather of our sub
ject) and a brother, Sebastian, to whom numer
ous descendants trace their lineage. According
to the best authority, in the year 1789 Philip
Musser located upon a farm in Gregg township,
Centre county, where he remained until his
death, July 19, 1804. He left eight children —
five daughters and three sons — the names of the
latter being: Philip, Jr., David and John.
Philip Musser, Jr., the grandfather of our
subject, was the eldest child, and, like his fa
ther, became a tiller of the soil, locating in Gregg
township, Centre county, two miles east of
Spring Mills, where he died in 1834. He was
twice married, the first time to a Miss Kreamer,
daughter of Daniel Kreamer, the founder of the
old family of that name in Penn's Valley. She
bore three children, one son, Samuel, and two
daughters. His second wife, to whom he was
married in November, 1827, was Mrs. Catherine
Stover, a widow, daughter of Joseph Reichard,
who had settled near Millheim. Among the
children of this union were Philip T. , who is
mentioned below; and Rachel, who married
John Lord, and died November 6, 1863, without
issue. Dr. Philip T. Musser, our subject's father,
was the eldest son of his parents, and as he was
only six years old when his father died, he, dur
ing his boyhood, made his home with his half-
brother, Samuel. Reared upon a farm, his early
education was limited to the subscription schools
of the day, and it was not until 1847 that he began
to attend school at Mifflinburg, where he spent
two years. Having been thrown upon his own
resources, he had a hard battle to fight, but he
made his way manfully to the goal of his ambi
tion. His acute and active intellect enabled
him to secure a good elementary education,
notwithstanding his disadvantages, and then,
under an excellent preceptor, Dr. Robert Van-
Valzah, of Millheim, he in 1850 began to qualify
himself for the laborious and exacting duties of
the medical profession, and in 1853 he was grad
uated from Jefferson Medical College, at Phila
delphia. Until 1861 he practiced with his pre
ceptor, and in 1866 he located in Aaronsburg,
where he built up an extensive practice, which
continued until his death, December 31, 1889.
While he stood high in his profession, he was no
less prominent as a citizen. An ardent Abolition
ist, he became a steadfast supporter of the Re

publican party, but he never sought political
office for himself. During the war his influence
was felt upon the loyal side, and it was not
through a lack of patriotism that he did not go
to the front in person, but although he volun
teered his services as a surgeon, and was com
missioned by Gov. Curtin, he was finally rejected
on account of his frail physique.
On November 30, 1854, Dr. Philip T. Musser
was married, in Millheim, to Miss Mary J. Mum-
bauer, who was born in Penn township, Centre
county, January 2, 1832, the only child of Peter
and Mary (Krumrine) Mumbauer, who both died
at Aaronsburg and were buried there. Her fa
ther came from Bucks county, Penn., to this sec
tion in early life, and became an extensive farmer
and a representative citizen. Mrs. Musser is still
living at the family residence at Aaronsburg, a
comfortable home, and is one of the most highly
respected residents of that place. Three children
also survive, to whom were given every educa
tional advantage which could be obtained, the fa
ther thinking no sacrifice too great which would
secure for them the opportunities which he had
vainly desired for himself. His efforts in their
behalf were not wasted, and all occupy honorable
and useful positions in society. The eldest, Ella,
was graduated from the female seminary at Lew
isburg, Penn. ; she married Rev. A. J. Irey, a
Baptist minister of Warren, Penn. The young
est of the trio, Harvey, is a graduate of Franklin
and Marshall College, and of the law department
of Michigan University; he is now a practic
ing attorney at Akron, Ohio.
Dr. Musser was the second child and first son
of his parents. His education was begun in Mill
heim, one of his early teachers being Israel Mus
ser. When a lad of ten he accompanied the
family to Aaronsburg, where he grew to man
hood, and the rudimentary education received in
the common schools of that town was supple
mented with a course in the Aaronsburg Academy,
an excellent institution. He also attended Penn
Hall Academy, also a popular school. In the
fall of 1873, he attended Dickinson Seminary, at
Williamsport, Penn., for two years, and in the
fall of 1875 he entered Franklin and Marshall
College, at Lancaster, Penn., and was graduated
in 1878. In the fall of the same year he began
his professional studies in the Jefferson Medical
College, at Philadelphia, and in 1880 received
his degree of M. D. from that school. Under
the firm name of P. T. Musser & Son he began
his practice with his father at Aaronsburg, and
their partnership lasted until the latter's death.
In 1882 our subject took a post-graduate course
at Jefferson Medical College, and in 1884 availed

378

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

himself of the opportunity for further study in
advanced lines at the Philadelphia Polyclinic.
As will be inferred, Dr. Musser is an untiring
student of his chosen science. In May, 1885, he
sailed from New York on the Red Star liner
" Westerland," and on landing at Antwerp he
proceeded to Vienna, where he spent a year in
the "Vienna General Hospital" and the Poly
clinic. Before his return to the United States
he visited, as a tourist, other parts of Europe, in
cluding England, seeing the leading cities and
most noted scenery. The voyage home was
taken on the " Germanic," of the White Star
line. Dr. Musser's progressive spirit is recognized
among his professional brethren, and he is a wel
come member of various societies — the Centre
County Medical Society; the Pennsylvania Med
ical Society; the West Branch Medical Society;
the Northwestern Medical Society of Philadel
phia; the American Medical Association; and the
American Academy of Medicine. He was a mem
ber of the Ninth International Medical Congress,
which convened in Washington in 1887, and of
the Pan-American Medical Congress in 1893.
He also belongs to the American Academy of
Social and Political Science, the headquarters of
which are at Philadelphia, and at present he is
one of the consulting staff of the Philipsburg
Hospital, a State Institution at Philipsburg, Penn.,
and now U. S. Examining Surgeon for Pensions
at Bellefonte, Penn. Socially he is a member
of the Masonic Lodge at Centre Hall, of the Com
mandery at Bellefonte, and of the well-known
college fraternity, Phi Kappa Psi. So far he has
not donned the Hymeneal yoke.
The Doctor is no politician, but he takes keen
interest in the success of the Republican princi
ples, and has represented his township at conven
tions and in the central committee of his county,
while his advice is sought and heeded in every
emergency.

ACOB WAGNER. Among the reliable and
energetic and successful agriculturists of Pot
ter township, Centre county, is the gentle
man whose name introduces this sketch. He
was born in the same township, April 30, 1837.
a son of Jabob Wagner, Sr., whose birth oc
curred near Sunbury, Penn., August 17, 1803.
On coming to Centre county the family first
located in Penn township, where its members
operated rented land, as they were in rather lim
ited circumstances, but by perseverance and dili
gence they became quite well-to-do. For some
time the grandfather, John Wagner, and his son

Jacob engaged in farming together in Potter
township, but later the former removed to Har
ris township, where he died at an advanced age.
There also occurred the death of his wife, who
bore the maiden name of Catharine Kunsman, and
both were buried at Boalsburg. They were faithful
members of the Reformed Church, and in poli
tics the grandfather was a stalwart Democrat.
In their family were four children; Henry, a
minister of the Reformed Church, who died in
Lebanon county, Penn.; Jacob; Elizabeth, who
married Frederick Krumrine, and died in Fergu
son township, Centre county; and John, of Belle
fonte. The early advantages of Jacob Wagner, Sr.,
were very meagre, and his education was of a
practical kind and almost wholly self-acquired.
On accompanying his parents to Centre county,
he was still single, and in Penn's Valley he was
married, January 23, 1834, to Miss Anna Hoster
man, who was born in Haines township, Centre
county, June 17, 1808, a daughter of John Hos
terman, a farmer by occupation. They had five
children, namely: Mary E., born December 29,
1834, died February 23, 1835; John H., born
December 31, 1835, died July 10, 1890, was a
farmer of Potter township, where his family still
reside; Jacob is next in order of birth; Catha
rine A., born February 18, 1840, married Samuel
Slack, and died in Potter township, September
20, 1865; and Sarah C, born January 14, 1843,
is the wife of David Geiss, of Centre Hall, Cen
tre county.
Soon after his marriage (about 1835 or 1836)
the father came to Potter township, where he en
gaged in farming with his father for some time, and
then purchased the entire farm, to which he sub
sequently added the James Love farm of seventy-
five acres, making in all a valuable tract of over
260 acres. Although he went heavily in debt
for the amount, he was a very industrious, ener
getic man, and soon had his farm cleared from
all incumbrance. Upon that place he contin
ued to reside until 1859, when he removed to the
farm now owned and operated by our subject,
and repaired and remodeled all the buildings.
There his wife died October 5, 1866, and was
buried in Tusseyville. He afterward married
Mrs. Henry Bittner, whose maiden name was
Rachel Bingerman, and who died February 29,
1888, and was also buried in Tusseyville. In
the same house where our subject now resides
the father died very suddenly May 31, 1886.
He was an upright, honorable man, free from all
ostentation or hypocrisy, and held the office of
deacon in the Reformed Church, to which both
parents belonged. His political support was

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

379

ever given the Democratic party, and at one time
he efficiently served as supervisor of his town
ship. As a boy, Mr. Wagner, the subject proper of
this review, attended the Tusseysink school, and
obtained only a district-school education, but he
made the most of his opportunities, and has be
come a well-informed man. He early began to
assist in the work of the farm, and continued to
give his father the benefit of his labors until his
marriage, November 18, 1858, to Miss Susan K.
Geiss, who was born in Berks county, Penn.,
June 20, 1 841, a daughter of David B. and Sarah
(Kerlin) Geiss, farming people of Potter town
ship. Four children blessed their union: David
G., born December 17, 1859, is a farmer of
Will county, 111.; Ida J., born July 11, 1861,
is the wife of A. E. Kerlin, of Centre Hall,
Penn. ; William J., born March 16, 1864, is a
minister of the Lutheran Church, residing in
Cambria county, Penn. ; and Mary C. , born April
4, 1866, is living in Illinois.
After his marriage Mr. Wagner located on
the old homestead, which his father had vacated
shortly before, and lived there until the spring of
1867, when the property was divided, and he took
the northern end of the place. His wife died
there November 2, 1868, and was buried in the
Tusseyville cemetery. He then sold his farming
implements and household goods, and spent one
summer in Will county, 111., after which he re
turned to Pennsylvania. Mr. Wagner was again
married, August 4, 1870, this time to Miss Cath
arine A. Spangler, who was born in Potter town
ship, Centre county, October 20, 1841, a daugh
ter of Jacob and Rebecca (Wagner) Spangler.
Her first teacher was Jane Taylor, who conducted
the Pine Grove school, where much of her edu
cation was obtained. To Mr. and Mrs. Wagner
were born five children, namely: James B., born
February 27, 1872, is engaged as a telegraph
operator at Linden Hall, Penn. ; John K. , born
March 3, 1874, died August 6, 1890; Susan B.,
born June 4, 1876, died August 13, 1890; E.
Clayton, born November 21, 1879, and Samuel
S., born January 31, 1885, are both at home.
During the winter following his second mar
riage Mr. Wagner lived in the old stone house on the
old homestead farm, and then removed to the place
where his first wife had died. There he con
tinued to reside until the spring of 1 891, when
he removed to his present farm in Potter town
ship, which he is now successfully managing.
His landed possessions aggregate 270 acres, di
vided into three farms. They are well-improved
and under a high state of cultivation, being in
keeping with the enterprise and progressive spirit

of the owner, who justly ranks among the best
farmers of the community. For years he has
been an elder and active worker in the Reformed
Church, while his wife holds membership with
the United Evangelical Church. Their hospit
able home is ever open for the entertainment of
their many friends, and they receive the respect
and esteem of all who have the pleasure of their
acquaintance. Socially Mr. Wagner is a mem
ber of the Grange, while politically he is a Dem
ocrat, and has been elected school director in his
township.

ISAIAH BECK. Among the influential mem
bers of the agricultural community of Centre
county, and one of its most prosperous and prom
inent citizens, is the gentleman whose name here
appears, and who is familiarly known as "Col.
Beck." He is a well read, accomplished gentle
man, one who has made a close study of the
leading questions and issues of the day, and is
well informed on all topics of general interest.
Of German descent, Mr. Beck was born in
Half Moon, Centre county, April 27, 1843, and
is a son of Daniel and Elizabeth (Cryder) Beck,
natives of Huntingdon county, Penn. , their births
having occurred near Warrior's Mark. About
1800 they came to Centre county, where both
died, the father in 1883, the mother in the year
following, and their remains were interred in the
Lutheran cemetery of Half Moon township. In
their family were seven children.
On December 24, 1865, Isaiah Beck was mar
ried to Miss Emeline, daughter of Jacob Musser,
a prominent farmer of Harris township, Centre
county, and seven children bless their union, as
follows: (1) Harry E., born December 27, 1866,
was educated in the schools of Lock Haven and
Westchester, Penn., the State Normal, and is
also a graduate of the Pittsburg Business College;
he now holds the position of bookkeeper for a
coal company at Osceola, Clearfield Co.,
Penn., where he makes his home; he married
Minnie Wood, of Coalport, and has two chil
dren. (2) Barbara E., born September 12, 1868,
became the wife of Harry Ebbs, and died June
12, 1895, leaving two children — Helen and Ma
bel. , (3) Irene S., born March 18, 1871, is the
wife 'of Wilton Dunlap, a Lutheran minister liv
ing in Indiana, by whom she has one son. (4)
John C, born April 11, 1874, married Bessie
Whippo, and has one son; they live at Osceola
Mills, Clearfield county. (5) Anna E., born
November 1, 1875. (6) Malan B., born Decem
ber 28, 1877, and (7) Clyde O., born May 26,
1880, are all still at home.

380

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Prompted by a spirit of patriotism, Mr. Beck
enlisted during the Civil war in the 22nd Penn
sylvania Cavalry, and on the expiration of his
term of service re-enlisted in the 98th P. V. I.
When hostilities had ceased he returned home
with an honorable war record, and has since de
voted his time and attention to agricultural pur
suits. His fine farm of 160 acres is under a high
state of cultivation and improved with excellent
buildings, which stand as monuments to his thrift
and industry. Since 1874 he has been a valued
and prominent member of the Grange, is a Luth
eran in religious belief, and in politics supports
the men and measures of the Republican party.
He is a leading and active member of society,
honored and respected by the entire community,
who look upon him as one of their most wide
awake farmers and model citizens.

F\RANK T. WALLACE. To a student of
human nature there is nothing of greater
interest than to examine into the life of a self-
made man, and to analyze the principles by
which he has been governed, the methods he has
pursued, to know what means he has employed
for advancement, and to study the plans which
have given him prominence, enabling him to
pass on the highway of life many who have had
a more advantageous start. Our subject has
worked his own way upward from a humble be
ginning until to-day he is at the head of one of
the important industries of Central City, Boggs
township, Centre county — proprietor of a large
brick manufactory.
Mr. Wallace was born at Toluca, Mexico,
May 31, 1836, and is a son of Louis and Maria
(Carmonia) Wallace, natives of Spain and To
luca, respectively. In the latter place they met
and married, and there spent their remaining
days, the father dying in 1846, at the age of
forty-five years. He was a drover and weaver by
occupation, and both were devout members of
the Catholic Church. In their family were four
children: Rosa, Philip, Donaciano and Frank T.
The paternal grandparents of our subject were
both natives of Spain, while the maternal grand
parents were born in Mexico of Spanish extrac
tion. At the age of thirteen years Frank T. Wallace
started out to fight life's battles alone. He came
to the United States, and from 1848 until 1850
engaged in farming at Penn's Valley, Penn. He
then served an apprenticeship to the brick-mak
ing business in the same place, and at the end of
two years went to the western part of the State,
where he was thus employed some three years.

Returning to Centre county, he located at Belle
fonte, where he contracted in the manufacture of
brick until 1861, in which year he laid aside per
sonal interests and enlisted for three years in Com
pany F, Second Penn. Cav. , under Capt. P. B.
Wilson, of Bellefonte. The regiment was organ
ized at Harrisburg, Penn., and sent to Washing
ton, D. C. , where our subject remained until
honorably discharged December 25, 1863. He
re-enlisted, however, in the same company and
regiment, and remained in the service until hos
tilities had ceased. He was wounded in the
head and face, which caused confinement in the
hospital for two weeks, and the loss of his left
eye. On August 16, 1864, at Deep Bottom, he
was taken prisoner, and was incarcerated in
Libby prison until September, when he was sent
to Salisbury, N. C. Three times he made his
escape, once by digging a tunnel seventy feet
long, but was twice recaptured. Finally, on
February 11, 1865, he succeeded in gaining his
freedom, and reported at headquarters at Knox
ville, Tenn., where he received transportation
home and was given a thirty-five days' furlough,
but was soon afterward discharged.
At Bellefonte, Penn., February 2, 1858, by
Rev. James Linn, a Presbyterian clergyman, Mr.
Wallace was married to Miss Lucy C. Clyde,
who was born at Boalsburg, Centre county,
March 29, 1838, and thirteen children were born
to them: William F. , Tyrone, a railroad man;
Robert B., Frank and Louis, all of Central City;
Mary, wife of William C. Pletcher, of Chartiers,
Penn. ; Margaret, wife of Edward Williams, of
Hagerstown, Md. ; Cora J. and Clare, deceased;
Ethel, wife of Cornelius Blair, of Lock Haven,
Penn.; and Harry R. , Anna Belle, James G. and
Winfield B.., all at home.
On his return from the war, Mr. Wallace
resumed the manufacture of brick at Willow
Bank Bellefonte, but soon afterward established
his present plant at Central City, where he is
doing a large and prosperous business. He is
sagacious and far-sighted, but upright and hon
orable in all his dealings, and has gained the con
fidence and esteem of all with whom he comes in
contact, either in business or in a social way. In
politics he is a pronounced Republican, while fra
ternally he is connected with the Grand Army of
the Republic, the Veteran Legion, and the#Union
ex-Prisoners of War. An earnest Christian, he
is a worthy member of the Presbyterian Church.
In all the relations of life, whether public or pri
vate, he has been true to every trust reposed in
him, and his loyalty to his adopted country has
been manifested in days of peace as well as when
following the old flag on Southern battle fields.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

381

MIRAM DURST, one of the leading stock-
dealers of Gregg township, Centre county,
was born July io, 1842, at his father's home, a
mile west of Earlytown, in Potter township, a
son of George L. and Catharine (Moyer) Durst.
He began his education in the Fairfield school,
and during his early boyhood accompanied his
parents on their removal from his birthplace to
another farm in Potter township, whereon he was
reared to manhood; he then continued his educa
tion in the Plumb Grove school. He has always
been a stanch advocate of good schools, and has
done all in his power to promote educational
interests. On the home farm he was trained to
habits of industry and economy, and his father,
who was one of the leading agriculturists, taught
him excellent farming methods. He remained
at home until his marriage.
On January 1, 1864, in Hartley township,
Union Co., Penn., Mr. Durst wedded Miss
Amelia Schnure, a native of that county, and a
daughter of Christian and Lydia (Kiester) Schnure.
After a short married life the wife died and was
buried at Centre Hall. Not long after his mar
riage, Mr. Durst and his brother Philip began the
operation of the old homestead farm, and in 1 868
the farm which he now owns and operates, com
prising 103 acres, was set off from the remainder
of his father's large property. This tract was
entirely unimproved save for new buildings which
had just been completed, and were ready for his
occupancy. He was again married, December
26, 1867, in Potter township, Centre county, the
lady of his choice being Miss Sarah Bible, who
was born in Potter township about 1842, and is
a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Bitner)
Bible. During her infancy her parents removed
to Nittany Valley, where she obtained her educa
tion. She was one of a family of three daugh
ter and one son, and was the eldest to reach
adult age. When a young lady she was sent to
a select school at Potters Mills, and afterward
secured a certificate, but her health would not
permit her to engage in teaching. Her father
followed farming throughout his life, and died at
the age of eighty-four years. His wife passed
away at the age of seventy-six, and both were
buried in Centre Hall cemetery.
Mr. and Mrs. Durst are the parents of the
following children: (1) William B., born No
vember's, 1869, died October 20, 1887 (he was
a bright young man, and received good educa
tional privileges); (2) Katie E., born April 11,
1874, has engaged in teaching from the age of
eighteen years; (3) Anna Lizzie, born June 4,
1880, is attending school in Spring Mills.
Mr. Durst now gives his entire time and atten

tion to his farm, and has placed his land under a
high state of cultivation, its neat and thrifty ap
pearance well indicating his careful supervision.
He is also extensively engaged in raising stock,
and has some fine thorough-bred Shorthorn cat
tle, as well as a good grade of hogs. His life has
been one of industry and activity, and his resolute
purpose and tireless energy are the important
factors in his success. As a citizen he is true to
all the duties that devolve upon him. His polit
ical support is given the Democratic party; in
religious belief his wife is identified with the Re
formed Church.

JOHN J. MUSSER. The representatives of
the farming interests of Centre county ac
knowledge this gentleman as one of the most
progressive and energetic agriculturists of Spring
township. He is a man of more than ordinary
business capacity, intelligent and well-informed,
and has identified himself with all enterprises
which have for their object the advancement of
the community.
Our subject was born in Brush Valley, Penn.,.
March 31, 1829, a son of John and Susan (Fied
ler) Musser, who were natives of Penn's Valley,
Centre county. The latter was a daughter of
Jacob Fiedler, a farmer by occupation, who was
born in Pennsylvania of German lineage. The
paternal grandfather of our subject, Philip Mus
ser, was a farmer of Penn's Valley. In his fam
ily were nine children: Philip (now deceased),
who married, and reared a family; David, who
died on the old homestead in Centre county;
Catharine, wife of Michael Musser; Barbara, wife
of John Harter; Sarah, wife of George Schwartz;
Pollie, who married George Elgin, and died in
Stephenson county, 111. ; Elizabeth, who married
John Housman, and died in Ohio; Mary, de
ceased; and John, the father of our subject.
The last named was reared upon a farm at
Spring Mills, Centre county, and followed the
carpenter's trade until 1830, when he located
upon his maternal grandfather's farm, a mile
above Coburn, Centre county, and engaged in its
operation. He was born in 1794, and departed
this life at the age of eighty-seven years and six
months. Ten children constituted his family,
namely: Philip, now a resident of Stephenson
county, 111.; Catharine, wife of Jo Keller, of
Iowa; Mollie, wife of George Breen, of Lena,
111. ; Rebecca, wife of W. Kerlin; John J., of this
review; Mrs. Susan Wetzel, of Spring township,
Centre county; Samuel, who was quartermaster
in the 148th P. V. I. during the Rebellion, and
is now a resident of Scranton, Penn.; Michael,

382

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

who was a member of Anderson's Cavalry in the
same war, and is now living in Aaronsburg,
Centre county; Israel, who belonged to Company
D, 148th P. V. I., and died in the service; and
Mary, wife of William Schuch, a Lutheran
minister. Mr. Musser, whose name introduces this
sketch, secured a good education in the public
schools of Centre county, attending school where
now is located the city of Bellefonte. In 1857
he was joined in wedlock with Miss Nancy Jane
Baird, a native of this section of the State, who
died at the age of forty-two years. Three chil
dren were born to them: Frank W., who mar
ried Minnie Rhinesmith (now deceased), by whom
he had one child — John Baird; Eva, wife of Dr.
Kirk, by whom she has three children — Harold,
Norman and Lois; and Carrie, wife of Daniel
Rhinesmith, of Clearfield, Penn., by whom she
has two children — Mary and Nannie. For his
second wife, Mr. Musser wedded Sarah J. Miller,
and they have one daughter, Katie S., living at
home. Mr. Musser never left the parental roof, but
as soon as he had obtained sufficient capital pur
chased most of the old homestead farm in Spring
township, where he still resides, having 103 acres
of valuable and productive land near the city of
Bellefonte. Its neat and thrifty appearance
plainly shows its careful supervision, and the
cultivated taste and ample means of the owner.
On casting his first Presidential vote, Mr. Musser
supported Henry Clay, and continued to affiliate
with the Whig party until its dissolution, since
which time he has been an ardent Republican.
He is a Presbyterian in religious belief, and a
member of the Grange. Public-spirited and en
terprising, he aids all worthy enterprises tending
to promote the welfare of the community, and is
assuredly deserving of a place among the promi
nent citizens of Spring township.

JOHN K. HOSTERMAN. A problem which
has perplexed every soul conscious of its re
sponsibilities on the earthly plane is the find
ing of a right aim in life, a work to which one
may safely and with entire contentment devote
one's energies; and it is not strange that amid
the disappointing and annoying complications of
modern life there are those who regard the sim
ple routine of a farmer's calling as furnishing, for
them at least, a satisfactory answer. Like Count
Tolstoi, they hold that whatever may be said of
the value of the work of the poet, the lawyer,
the physician, they can at least be absolutely
sure that in raising grain and fruits to feed the

hungry they are meeting, and meeting wisely, a
vital need of humanity. It is doubtless for the
best that each should choose his work according
to his inclinations, but it is' quite in accordance
with reason that we should find among our agri
cultural communities some of the best types of
manhood and womanhood, whose lives and speech
and manners reveal, in their straightforward ad
hesion to first principles, a grasp of realities
which is not always found in more artificial
modes of life.
The many friends of Mr. and Mrs. John K.
Hosterman, of Miles township, Centre county,
will be gratified to find in this brief history a per
manent record of their useful life. Mr. Hoster
man is a member of a pioneer family of Miles
township, Centre county, where he was born De
cember 26, 1826. His father, George Hoster
man, a native of Haines township, was a tanner
by trade, and at the time of his death, which oc
curred when he was aged thirty-three years, he
was residing at Millheim. His wife, Catherine
Kramer, was born in Berks county, Penn., and
was brought to Miles township, Centre county,
by her father, Daniel Kramer, who at one time
resided in Kramerville. Our subject was the
eldest of four children; Sarah died in childhood
before her father's death; Amanda married Sam
uel Wolfe, and died at Tylersville; William, once
a merchant at Madisonburg and Rebersburg,
died at St. Louis. The mother married a sec
ond husband, Henry Smull, of Brush Valley; she
died in Rockville when more than seventy-five
years of age, and was buried in Rebersburg. By
her second marriage she was the mother of six
children. Mr. Hosterman was but a boy of eight years
when his father died, and soon after this event
he went to Brush Valley to live with relatives,-
spending a short time at the home of John Kram
er, and then going to an uncle, David Wolfe,
near Wolfs Store. He attended the schools of
his time, which were decidedly inferior to those
of the present day, and was reared as a farmer
boy, his work being chiefly clearing land. After
several years with Mr. Wolfe he began to learn
the tanner's trade under Jeremiah Haines, but
the work did not agree with him, and he returned'
to the farm.
In 1848, Mr. Hosterman was married in
Brush Valley to Miss Margaret Brungart, daugh
ter of George Brungart. She bore one child,
but it died in infancy, and she passed to the un
seen life in less than a year. Later Mr. Hoster
man married his present wife, Susanna Gramley,
who was born May 15, 1828, in Rebersburg,
daughter of Philip and Barbara (Poorman) Gram-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

383

ley. Eleven children were born of this union-
Olevia, February i, 1850, is now Mrs. Uriah
Spangler, of Harvey, Kans. ; William A. , February
23, 1853, died August 29, 1859; George W.,
February 22, 1855, took the degreee of D. D. S.,
and is now practicing dentistry at Centre Hall;
Emma J., February 3, 1858, married Washing
ton Shaffer, of Brush Valley; Annie V. , April 17,
i860, died October 28, 1864; Mary A., July 27,
1862, died November 4, 1864; Edwin G. , May
9, 1865, is- a farmer of Brush Valley; Ida M. ,
April 14, 1867, died March 25, 1870; Ella A.,
May 12, 1868, is now Mrs. Wallace Kreider, of
Brush Valley; Lizzie V., March 22, 1871, is at
home; and Thomas C. , April 4, 1873, is a den
tist at Rebersburg. Mr. Hosterman has educat
ed his sons well, and is in favor of better schools
for all. From 1852 until 1886 he rented a farm
from his uncle, David Wolfe, which he bought
at the latter's death. He lived on the place un
til April, 1893, when he purchased his present
comfortable home at Wolfs Store, and removed
there. Even at his advanced age he can often
be seen at work on his farm, the habits of in
dustry, strengthened by more than sixty years of
active work at his business, being difficult to lay
aside. Mr. Hosterman is well known, and by his
courteous manners has made many friends. His
methods of doing business have always been
such as to secure for him a reputation for the
strictest integrity. He is a Democrat in politics,
but while taking keen interest in the success of
his party he is not a politician. He has
served as judge of elections, and for twenty-one
years was overseer of the poor. He belongs to
the Reformed Church, while his estimable wife
is a Lutheran in faith. Both are descended
from prominent and highly respected families of
Centre county, and both do credit to their an
cestry. Kind-hearted and hospitable, their home
is a most pleasant place, and the serene influence
of their lives has done good which cannot be
measured by earthly standard.

JOHN M. HARNISH is one of the enterpris
ing and prominent business men of Boggs
township, Centre county, located at Snow
Shoe Junction, where he is successfully engaged
in general farming, merchandising and in the
millwright business, and is also serving as post
master. He was born December 31, 183 1, in
Bald Eagle Valley, in the same township, and has
since been actively identified with its interests,
and is recognized as one of the progressive and
representative citizens of the community.

Martin Harnish (father of our subject), whose
birth occurred in Maryland, was a molder by
trade, following the same during his younger
years, but later in life engaging in agricultural
pursuits. In Centre county he was united in
marriage with Catherine Parson, a native of that
county, and to them were born twelve children,
namely: Antis, a resident of Lock Haven, Clin
ton Co., Penn.; Andrew, of Illinois; Margery,
deceased; John M., of this sketch; Julia A. , wife
of George T. Michaels, of Lock Haven; Jacob,
of Snow Shoe township, Centre county; Will
iam, of the same county; Allen,' who was killed
in the Civil war in the seven days' fight at Rich
mond; Catherine, wife of J. C. Showers, of
Bellefonte, Penn.; and three that died in infancy.
The father died April 6, 1855, at the age of fifty-
four years, the mother in November, 1872, at
the age of sixty-two years. Both were consist
ent members of the Methodist Church, and in
politics he was a Whig.
Our subject obtained his education in the
public schools of his native county, and at the
age of fifteen years began to earn his own liveli
hood by working at odd jobs. Five years later
he entered upon an apprenticeship to a mill
wright, a trade he soon mastered. He continued
under the parental roof until he had attained his
twenty-fifth year. On April 7, 1859, he married
Miss Elizabeth A. Gowar, and they have become
he parents of eighteen children — nine sons and
nine daughters — as follows: Clara E., wife of
Joseph Iddings, a farmer of Boggs township;
Catherine, wife of William U. Becker, transfer
agent on the railroad at Harrisburg, Penn.; John
T. , a carpenter of Cincinnati, Ohio; Milton and
Minnie (twins), now deceased; James G. , who
died in 1886; Martha A., Martin, Elizabeth,
Silas E. and Minerva, all at home; Rosalie, de
ceased; Mira B., Marcella and Charles B., at
home; the others died in infancy.
Mrs. Harnish was born in Morgantown, W.
Va. , October 23, 1840, a daughter of James and
Elizabeth (Boyd) Gowar, natives of Baltimore,
Md., and Glamorganshire, Wales, respectively.
They were married in Ellicott City, Md. , where
they remained for one year and then removed to
West Virginia, locating at the iron works seven
miles from Morgantown, where the mother died
in July, 1 841, at the' age of thirty-four years. In
1845 the father removed to Bellefonte, Penn.,
but six years later returned to Morgantown, where
the following seven years were passed. He then
went to Pittsburg, where his death occurred Oc
tober 23, 1869. By trade he was an iron worker.
He was twice married, his second union being
with Mrs. Phoebe McVicker, widow of Britton

384

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

McVicker. She had no children by either hus
band. The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Har
nish were James and Elizabeth (Tampelton) Go-
war, who spent their entire lives in Glamorgan
shire, Wales, and the maternal grandparents
were William and Elizabeth Boyd, natives of
Ireland and Germany respectively. The last
named died on her way to America.
During the dark days of the Rebellion, Mr.
Harnish, in 1861, enlisted in Company F, 56th
P. V. I. After serving for two years he re-en
listed, and remained in the service for three years
and six months, or until hostilities had ceased,
when he was honorably discharged. For gallant
and faithful service he was promoted to the rank
of captain, which position he was filling when
discharged near Washington, D. C. The regi
ment was disbanded at Philadelphia. On July
1, 1863, at the battle of Gettysburg, he was shot
through the right arm. On being mustered out,
he went to Pittsburg, Penn., and for several
months was in the employ of the Keystone Bridge
Builders. He then entered the service of the
Everson & Preston Iron Works, of the same
city, but in 1868 came to his present home at
Snow Shoe Junction, where he has since success
fully engaged in business. He is an enterpris
ing, intelligent, honest man, who started out in
life poor, but has become one of the leading
business men of Boggs township, prompt and re
liable in all his dealings, and has gained the con
fidence and esteem of those with whom he has
come in contact. His political support is ever
given the Republican party.

WS. GLENN, M. D., a leading physician
at State College, Centre county, a gradu
ate of the Eclectic School of Medicine, is a rep
resentative of an old and highly respected pioneer
family of that county, of which other members
have achieved success in professional life: W. S.
Glenn is the eldest son of Ephraim and Eliza
beth (Meek) Glenn.
John Glenn (the grandfather of our subject),
who was of Irish descent, was for many years a
successful agriculturist near Pine Grove Mills,
Centre county, born in Ferguson township, in
the same county, January 14, 1800; he died in
that township January 30, 1867, at the age of
sixty-seven years. His wife, Hannah (Bailey),
was a native of Ferguson township, born March
21, 1801, was married February 18, 1823, and
died April 14, 1895, aged ninety-four years.
Their children were: David, born December 6,
1823, died May 10, 1862, in hospital at Paducah,
Ky., from wounds received at the battle of Pitts

burg Landing, on April 6, 1862, having served in
the 2 1 st Missouri regiment, commanded by Col.
Moore. Mary C. married William McCauley;
he was killed in the war, and his widow now re
sides at Huntingdon, Penn. ; Ephraim is deceased;
Eliza is the wife of F. E. Meek, and resides at
Altoona, Penn. ; Nancy is the wife of M. F.
Burket, of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa; Margaret is the
wife of James McCormick, and resides at Dan
ville, Iowa; John W. died in 1835; Sarah is a
resident of Altoona, Penn. ; Susannah J. married
Robert Meek, and is a resident of Altoona, Penn. ;
Henrietta is the wife of P. W. Burket, and lives
at Stormstown, Penn.; and Thomas S., who
served a short time in the Home Guard during
the Civil war, died February 27, 1868.
Ephraim Glenn was born at Pine Grove Mills
August 14, 1827, and spent his life in Centre
county in agricultural pursuits, enjoying the es
teem of all who knew him. He was a thorough
Christian, being a member of the Methodist
Church all his life, never was known to utter an
oath, every day he lived as though it was his last.
He passed to the unseen life February 4, 1894.
He married Elizabeth Meek, daughter of Rheuben
Meek, a native of Centre county, born in 1835,
who survives him. They had six children: (1)
W. S., our subject; (2) George, who was grad
uated from Dickinson Seminary, then from Wes-
leyan University at Middletown, Conn. , and later
took a year's course in the Boston School of
Theology, is a successful minister of the M. E.
Church, and is now located at Gettysburg. (3)
D. Lee, is assistant master mechanic in the John
son Steel Works, at Lorain, Ohio. (4) Anna
died at the age of twenty-five. (5) Thomas C.
is a graduate of Pennsylvania State College and
of the Eclectic Medical Institute at Cincinnati,
Ohio, and is now practicing medicine at Rixfprd,
Penn. (6) Rheuben is in the hardware business
at State College.
Dr. W. S. Glenn was born April 4, 1858,
and his youth was passed with his father on the
farm. His father, desiring better educational
facilities for him than the schools of the neigh
borhood could supply, had him pursue studies at
Bellefonte Academy and at the different normal
schools in the county. After this our subject,
for some time, was successfully engaged in
teaching. He began to read medicine under the
guidance of Dr. Kirk, of Bellefonte, and then
took a full course in the Eclectic Medical Insti
tute at Cincinnati, graduating in 1883. No time
was lost in the selection of a suitable place for
practice, as he at once located at State College,
where he has built up an extensive practice. A
large share of the practice at the College falls to'

%£££—&'£«

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

385

him, while the people of the village and the sur
rounding country place full confidence in his skill.
He is an able preceptor, and of five students
of whom he has taken in charge, all are now in
successful practice. Dr. Glenn married Miss
Mary Henderson (daughter of Robert Henderson),
a native of Clearfield county, born in 1862, and
six children have blessed their union: Olin,
Harold, Bessie, Grover, Willie and Anna.
In politics the Doctor is a Democrat, and he
is actively interested in the various social, relig
ious and philanthropical movements of his local
ity. He is a member of the M. E. Church, the
P. 0. S. of A., the I. O. O. F. and is also con
nected with the National State and Local Medi
cal Societies of the Eclectic School of Medicine.
He takes a great interest in educational affairs
and has been a member of the school board for
the past two years.

fENRY MARK. In these days of change
and restlessness it is unusual to find a fam
ily occupying the same farm for a century, but the
subject of this sketch, a prosperous agriculturist
of Gregg township, Centre county, enjoys this
distinction, as he resides upon an estate which
was first opened in the primeval forest by his
grandfather, and has ever since been held by de
scendants. The family is of Swiss origin, and the first of
the American line was Killian Mark, who crossed
the ocean in 1735, and settled in what is now
Lebanon county, Penn., then a part of Lan
caster county. He had a large family, and his
eldest child, Conrad, was the first to locate within
the present borders of Centre county, but the
panic which resulted in the "Great Runaway" in
1778 caused him to leave and make his home else
where, and none of his descendants are to be
found in the county. Another son, Jacob, came
about 1 800 to Centre county, where he passed the
rest of his days, and where many of his descend
ants now live. Rudolph, another son, located
permanently in Haines township, Centre county,
where he reared a large family of daughters, of
whom one married a Mr. Weaver and left a nu
merous family.
The progenitor of the Centre county branch
of the Mark family was another son of Killian
Mark, David, our subject's grandfather, who was
born in Lebanon county (then Lancaster), in
1766, and was married there to Miss Gertrude
Kupp. He removed to Centre county in 1800,
settling in Gregg township upon the present
homestead, which he cleared and improved. At
one time he owned more than 230 acres, but later
25

he sold all but 108 acres, and finally reduced his
holdings to seventy-five acres. He was a large
man, active both mentally and physically, and
had remarkable ability as a mechanic, which
was, however, never developed by training. He
engaged in different trades and seemed equally
successful in all, though he probably did more
work in blacksmithing and shoemaking than in
any other lines. After removing to his new home
he espoused the doctrines of the Democratic
party, which he continued to hold during the
rest of his life. He was an active member of
the Evangelical Church at Millheim, founded in
1806, and was one of the first four members of
the class connected with the society. He died
April 14, 1844, and was buried in Heckman
Cemetery beside his wife, who passed away in
1826. They had ten children, of whom our sub
ject's father was the youngest; George and Eliza
beth did not survive their childhood; John died in
Snyder county; Elizabeth (2) married Philip
Swartz, and died in Snyder county; David, Jr.,
died in Sugar Valley in 1874; Catherine married
George Heckman, and died in Gregg township,
Centre county; Rebecca (Mrs. Henry Jacoby)
died in Clinton county; Mary married (first)
John Kern, and (second) Michael Gephart, and
died in Millheim; and Lydia (Mrs. Jacob Hen-
ney) died at Cedarville, Illinois.
George Mark, the father of our subject, was
born at the homestead August 17' 18 10, and
passed through the usual experience of the sons
of pioneer farmers with limited means, his early
education being confined to the subscription
schools of that day. He was fond of sports,
especially fishing, and was a robust man, his
health being excellent until a few years prior to
his death, which occurred December 17, 1880, at
.the homestead where his entire life was spent.
Among other improvements which he made upon
the estate was a commodius barn, built in 1847.
A man of domestic tastes, the old home was al
ways dear to him and being the youngest son he
remained in charge of it during his father's de
clining years, and after the latter's death he set
tled the claims of the other heirs in order to re
tain it. He was an earnest and thoughtful student
of the Bible, and while ijot a member of any
Church he helped liberally in religious work
and contributed to the building of the churches
in his neighborhood. His convictions were
formed through his own investigations, but while
he held them firmly he never argued, not caring
either to convert or condemn any one who dif
fered from him in the belief.
On February 17, 1838, Mr. Mark was mar
ried in Gregg township, Centre county, to Miss

386

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Margaret Rager, a daughter of Simon Rager.
She was born in Dauphin county, Penn., Sep
tember n, 1806, and came to Centre county
with a brother. In stature she was small, but
she possessed much artistic taste and sound
judgment, and having been in business as a mil
liner and dressmaker at Philadelphia and Har
risburg, previous to her removal to this section,
she continued those occupations at Aaronsburg
until her marriage. She died October 21, 185 1,
leaving one son, our subject, and her remains now
rest in Heckman Cemetery. She was a devout
and consistent member of the Evangelical
Church. The father was married a second time,
this wife being Miss Mary Keen; they had no
children. She survived her husband about two
years, her death taking place at Millheim in
August, 1882.
The subject of our sketch was born May 13,
1840, and has always had his home at the old
farm, to which as the sole heir he succeeded at
his father's death. During boyhood he attended
the neighboring schools regularly in winter, his
first teacher being Dr. William Stemm. Study
was a pleasure to him, mathematics being espe
cially easy, and his progress was rapid in all
lines. He never cared to teach, and remained
at home, gradually assuming the management of
the place.
On January 15, 1863, he was married in
Aaronsburg to Miss Amanda Heckman, who was
born in Gregg township, Centre county, April
20, 1842. Her father, Frederick Heckman, was
a son of Peter Heckman, who settled in that
township in 1797, and her mother was Elizabeth
Miller, the daughter of Christopher Miller, who
served in the Revolutionary army for seven
years. Mrs. Mark was the eleventh child and
youngest daughter in a family of thirteen chil-,
dren, and as a young girl used to assist her par
ents in the outdoor work of their farm, as was
then customary. She was given good educational
advantages for that time and locality, as she at
tended the schools of Penn Hall after complet
ing the course offered in the schools of the Heck
man district. Ten children blessed this union:
(1) George F. W. and (2) Margaret E. (twins),
born September 21, 1863, the former being now
the principal of the public schools at North East,
Penn. He married, and has one child — F. Wood
ward. Margaret E. married William Fiedler,
and resides in Gregg township, Centre county.
{3) A son born March 14, 1865, died in infancy,
unnamed. (4) Ida M., born April 6, 1866, mar
ried Harry W. Weaver, of Gregg township. (5)
William H., born January 4, 1871, married Miss
Vianna Styers, in February, 1895, and resides in

Coburn, Penn. (6) Sarah E., born May 4, 1872,
died May 28, 1880. (7) Harvey H., born Janu
ary 10, 1874, is now a farmer at the homestead.
(8) Andrew F. , born April 26, 1880, (9) Albert
C., April 1, 1882, and (10) Loeda, November
26, 1888, are at home.
Mr. Mark and his wife are prominent mem
bers of the United Evangelical Church, and
he has held every office in the society. At
present he is class leader and assistant superin
tendent of the Sunday-school. As a citizen he
stands high in the esteem of the community. He
is a man of progressive ideas, his farm, which
contains 145 acres of good land, showing excel
lent management. All of the buildings, except
the barn, were built by him. In business trans
actions he is honest and upright, and his com
fortable fortune is not tainted by the memory of
any unscrupulous act. He has always been fond
of reading, the information thus gained covering
a wide range, and including the varied issues of
the day.

6EORGE W. GLACE, one of the representa
tive farmers and self-made men of Potter
township, Centre county, began life for himself
at an early age without means, and by the exer
cise of his resolute will and persevering industry
has succeeded in obtaining a comfortable com
petency. His straightforward methods of doing
business, and his value as a member of the com
munity, have gained him a wide circle of friends
and acquaintances, who have watched his career
with interest, and are not slow to acknowledge
that he is deserving of all the good that has fallen
to him. Mr. Glace was born September 3, 1850, in
Snyder county, Penn., a son of Abel and Eliza
beth (Michael) Glace, farming people of that
county. When three years of age the father
died, leaving to the care of the mother the fol
lowing children: John W. , now a resident of
Cataract, Clearfield Co., Penn.; Rebecca J.;
Samuel, of Oriental, Juniata Co., Penn.; George
W. ; and Sarah, wife of Charles Stroup, of Cou-
dersport, Penn. The father's death occurred at
Mahantango, this State. Later the mother
wedded William Kane, by whom she had one
daughter, Mary, wife of Charles Baumgartner, of
Clearfield county. Mrs. Kane departed this life
in that county at the age of seventy-one years.
The limited education which our subject re
ceived was obtained in the public schools of
Snyder county, but at the age of eleven years he
left the farm and began earning his own livelihood
by driving a mule team on the tow-path. When

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

387

sixteen he left his native county, being then able
to do a man's work, and obtained employment in
the lumber woods of Clearfield and adjoining
counties. For fifteen years he continued to fol
low the lumber business, during which time he
worked in all its various branches. On attaining
his majority he married Miss Anna Confer, who
wasborninPottersdale, Clearfield county, in 1855,
and was a daughter of John Confer, a farmer by
occupation. They went to housekeeping in the
place of her birth, where they made their home
while he was at work in the woods. In 1884 he
erected a hotel at Cataract, Clearfield county,
known as the " Cataract House," which was the
first hotel in the town, and which he successfully
conducted until the spring of 1896, when he came
to Potter township. Here he purchased the John
Sankey farm, a tract of seventy-five acres, which
he is now operating with skill and ability.
Mr. Glace has been called upon to mourn the
loss of his faithful wife, who died December 29,
1895, and was laid to rest in Oak Hill cemetery
in Clearfield county. Eight children were born
to them, namely: Tacy E. , now the wife of
James Good, of Clearfield county; and John M.,
Maude M., Lulu B., George W. , Alice P., Bessie
J. and. Ceylon W. , all with their father. Mr
Glace has encountered many obstacles all
through the highway of life, but has overcome
them and steadily pushed his way forward until
he now has a comfortable home and fine farm.
Politically he is a Democrat, and while a resident
of Clearfield county served his fellow citizens in
the capacity of supervisor and tax collector.

ITENRY HEATON. The entire life of this
ZfL gentleman has been spent in Boggs township,
Centre county, and his name is inseparably con
nected with the agricultural and commercial in
terests of this region. His thorough American
spirit and his great energy have enabled him to
mount from a lowly position to one of affluence.
One of his leading characteristics in business af
fairs is his fine sense of order and complete
system, and the habit of giving careful attention
to details, without which success in any under
taking is never an assured fact.
Mr Heaton was born September 1, 1830, one
mile northwest of his present home in Boggs
township, a son of Michael and Mary (Walker)
Heaton. The father was also a native of Boggs
township, born March 10, 1800, in Bald Eagle
Valley, while the mother's birth occurred in Mif
flin county, Penn., July 7, 1808. Their mar
riage was celebrated in the latter county, but

they began their domestic life in Boggs township,
where they continued to make their home until
called from this life, the father dying March 7,
1877, and the mother in February, 1892. By
occupation he was a farmer and contractor in
lumber, and he efficiently served as supervisor of
Boggs township. Both were faithful members
of the Baptist Church, with which they united
March 24, 1850, and in politics he was first a
Democrat, but after the war joined the ranks of
the Republican party.
The paternal grandparents of our subject,
Enoch and Eve (Fetzer) Heaton, were natives
of England and Germany respectively. At the
age of seven years the former accompanied his
parents to the New World, becoming a resident
of Bucks county, Penn., where he remained until
1798, when he came to Spring township, Centre
county, but later removed to Boggs township.
There he passed his remaining days. By occu
pation he was a hunter and laborer. The ma
ternal grandparents were also of foreign birth.
They were Jacob and Margaret (McElwaine)
Walker, the former born in Germany, and the
latter in Scotland. At an early day they removed
from Bucks county to Centre county, Penn.,
where the grandfather engaged in agricultural
pursuits. Henry Heaton is the second in order of birth
in the family of thirteen children — six sons and
seven daughters — of whom are mentioned: Jane
C. , widow of M. G. Williams, and a resident of
Liberty township, Centre county; Henry; An
drew, deceased; Mary, who wedded James W.
Harrison, of England, but both are now de
ceased; Michael, a farmer of Boggs township;
John, deceased; James, a farmer of Milesburg,
Penn. ; Mrs. Sarah M. Poorman, of Centre
county; David W., a farmer of Huston township,
in the same county; Hannah, wife of F. Robb,
an agriculturist of Liberty township; Isabella,
wife of William Robb, a merchant of Curtin
township, Centre county; and Matilda, who died
when quite young.
Until he was twenty-four years of age Mr.
Heaton, the subject proper of this sketch, re
mained upon the home farm, assisting in its cul
tivation, and acquiring a limited education in the
schools of the neighborhood. For three years
he then worked in the lumber woods, and for the
following year was employed upon a farm, dur
ing which time he saved enough money to pay
his tuition at Belleforite Academy for one year.
On leaving school he then traveled for a short
time. On May 24, 1 861, he was married to Miss
Sarah E. Shroyer, who was born in Spring town
ship, Centre county, March 10, 1833, a daughter

388

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

of Adam and Catherine (Rarrick) Shroyer, the
former a native of Penn's Valley, Penn., and the
latter of New Berlin, Union Co., Penn., where
their marriage was celebrated. From New Ber
lin they removed to Milesburg, where they spent
their remaining days, the father dying April 9,
185 1, and the mother on February 22, 1880. He
followed the occupation of farming through
out life. In their family were the following chil
dren: Mary, wife of Jacob Schope, of Miles
burg; Sarah E., wife of our subject; Emanuel,
who died in 1894; William and James, who both
died in the army; George, deceased; Adam A., a
railroad man, of Milesburg; and Ellen, wife of
John Schwartz, a farmer of Boggs township. Six
children grace the union of Mr. and Mrs. Heaton,
namely: Mary C. , who died when small; Alice
M., wife of O. J. Stover, a hotel man of Eagle
ville, Centre county; Lucy B., wife of George N.
Neff, an agriculturist of Centre county; J. Frank
and George S., who are still on the home farm;
and Lida J., wife of John R. Eckley, of Jackson
ville, Pennsylvania.
Mrs. Sarah E. Heaton never was a stout or
robust woman, but has always been possessed
of good courage, and in her younger days must
have had no small amount of muscular strength,
as the following incident in her life will serve to
prove. When she and her husband first settled
on their farm, deer and other wild animals were
plentiful in the mountains, and one day a large
dog chased a fine deer down to near the old
stable. Mrs. Heaton seeing the animals ap
proaching, ran down in the direction they were
coming, by which time the dog had caught the
deer, and she then leaped over the fence, suc
ceeded in getting hold of the deer and keeping
its head under the fence stake for some consid
erable time until her aunt reluctantly brought
her a knife, with which she (Mrs. Heaton) cut
the animal's throat. The two ladies then suc
ceeded in dragging the deer into the field, and
Mr. Heaton returning home shortly after, he
dressed the venison. This was truly a heroic
act on the part of Mrs. Heaton, one that elicited
much comment at that time, and is to this day
the subject of no little mirth.
Upon his marriage, Mr. Heaton located upon
his present farm in Boggs township, which was
then in its primitive condition, but he at once be
gan its improvement and cultivation, which he
continued until August, 1862, when he enlisted
in Company F, 148th P. V. I., under Capt. Mar
tin Dolen and Gen. James A. Beaver. He was
brave and fearless on the field of battle, and
with his regiment participated in the following
engagements: Potomac, Chancellorsville, Ac-

quia Creek, Manassas Gap, Spottsylvania, Deep
Bottom, Rapidan, Fredericksburg, fourteen days
battle of the Wilderness, Gettysburg, South
Gravely Run and Peach Orchard. On March
31, 1865, just nine days before the surrender of
Gen. Lee, he was wounded by a minie ball in
the left arm, which the surgeons said would have
to be amputated; but the head physician would
not allow this as he was ill at the time with ty
phoid fever. From the 5th of April until the
31st of September he was confined in Douglas
Hospital at Washington, D. C. On October 1,
1865, Mr. Heaton returned home and began teach
ing while his arm was still in a sling, following
that profession for two terms. Owing to ill health
he resigned, and for four years worked at the
carpenter's trade, but on the expiration of that
period he resumed farming, which he has since
continued with most gratifying results. He also-
conducts a general store at his place on the Marsh.
creek road, in Boggs township, and is a most
reliable and wide-awake business man.
Mr. Heaton uniformly votes the Democratic
ticket, and is a stanch advocate of free silver..
Being an influential, public-spirited citizen, be
takes a prominent part in public affairs, and has
most acceptably served as overseer of the poor
and supervisor of his township. Socially, he is
connected with the Grange, the I. O. O. F., and
the G. A. R., while both himself and wife have
been consistent members of the Baptist Church
for over forty years. At the present time (winter
of 1897-8), he is engaged in erecting a Baptist
church building, which is approaching comple
tion, and will cost altogether about $1,200. On
March 24, 1850, he was immersed by Rev. D.
W. Hunter, which faithful minister labored for
six years at Milesburg, where he began his first
charge. The first candidates he led into the Bap
tismal waters was Mr. Heaton's sister, Jane C.
Williams, and his (Mr. Heaton's) paternal grand
mother, who was in her seventieth year at the
time; that was in December, 1849, then on March
24, following year, Mr. Heaton's father and him
self were immersed. In 1889 Rev. D. W. Hunter
again came to Milesburg and baptized two of
Mr. Heaton's daughters (now Mrs. Neff and Mrs.
Eckley, respectively), from which time on Mr.
Hunter advised them to build a house of worship,.
and Mr. Heaton then generously commenced the-
good work (as above related), which has been
slowly but steadily progressing as his means
would permit, and when completed it is his in
tention to grant the deed of the church building
to the Centre Association.
The hospitable home of Mr. and Mrs. Heaton
is ever open for the reception.' of their many

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

389

friends, and the family hold a high position in
the social circles of the community, where they
are so widely and favorably known.

^ILLIAM HESS. Among the substantial
and enterprising business men of Philips
burg, whose names are scattered through the
pages of this volume, none are more worthy of
mention than the gentleman whose name intro
duces this biographical notice. He is one of the
leading grocery merchants of that city. A native
of Centre county, he was born in Haines town
ship, February 27, 183 1, a son of Michael and
Margaret (Musser) Hess, who spent their entire
lives there. Only two children were born to
them, the other being Harriet, now the widow of
Jonathan Stover, a machinist by trade.
When our subject was only three months old
his father died, and his mother afterward mar
ried the latter's brother, Samuel Hess. They
became the parents of six children: Jonathan, a
retired merchant of Williamsport, Penn. ; Lydia,
widow of Samuel Stover; Sarah, deceased; Mary,
wife of Frederick Bostorf, a retired farmer of
Pine Grove, Centre county; and Samuel, de
ceased. The father of these children served
as county commissioner of Centre county in
185 1-2-3; he died in 1892, at the advanced age
of ninety- three years. The mother died in 1855,
at the age of fifty-seven.
Michael Hess, the paternal grandfather of our
subject, was a native of Germany, and during
the Revolutionary war came to the New World
with Count Raushambau in 1786, and aided the
Colonies in their struggle for independence. After
peace had been declared he located in Snyder
county, where he operated a flouring-mill and
engaged in farming. He became quite wealthy,
but later sold his property to an Eastern man,
who paid him in Continental money, which in a
short time was worthless. In this way he lost
almost everything. Subsequently he came to
Centre county, and purchased the farm on which
our subject's birth occurred, and where he spent
his remaining days. He married a Miss Crider.
Upon the home farm, William Hess remained
until sixteen years of age, when he started out to
seek his own livelihood, first working in a tannery
in Centre county for three and one-half years.
During the following two years he was similarly
employed in Lewisburg, Penn. , and then worked in
the lumber woods until 1873, when he returned
to Philipsburg, and was employed in a tannery
for two years. Subsequently he began contract
ing and dealing in lumber, which business he ear
ned on until 1881, when he embarked in the

manufacture of brick. Four years later he es
tablished his present store, which he has since
successfully conducted, receiving a liberal share
of public patronage.
Mr. Hess was married in Snyder county,
Penn., in March, 1854, to Miss Sarah Eisenhauer,
and they became the parents of three children:
Charles C. , born January 26, 1856, married Kate
Miller, by whom he has seven children; he is a
gardener and florist of Philipsburg. W. Frank,
born August 3 1 , 1870, married Annie Swaggart,
and has one son, William H. ; Frank is now serv
ing as manager in his father's store, and is chair
man of the Democratic club of Philipsburg, and
county auditor. Ida M., born May 19, 1861, is
the wife of C. J. Rothrock; a carpenter of Phil
ipsburg, by whom she has a daughter, Ida M.
Mrs. Hess was born February 28, 1832, in
what was then Union county, but is now Sny
der county, Penn., and is a daughter of Abra
ham and Eva (Bollander) Eisenhauer, natives of
Berks and Union counties, Penn., respectively.
The father became an extensive farmer of the
latter county, where both spent their remaining
days. They were faithful members of the Ger
man Reformed Church, and in politics he was a
Whig. He died March 24, 1-875, at the age of
eighty-one years, and his wife passed away in
September, 1840, at the age of forty-three. His
father, Martin Eisenhauer, was born in this
country, and was a soldier in the Continental
army during the Revolutionary war. By trade
he was a blacksmith, but spent his last years in
retirement, dying at the ripe old age of eighty-
one years.
Mrs. Hess is one of a family of ten children, in
order of birth as follows: Eliza, deceased wife of
Henry Rearick, a farmer, by whom she had six chil
dren ; Harry, a retired farmer of Union county, who
first married Hettie Agler, by whom he had
eleven children, and by his second marriage,
with Symira Baker, had one child; Catherine,
wife of Jacob Walter, a farmer of Michigan; Am
elia, deceased wife of George Ott; Philip, who
died in childhood; Mary, widow of Reuben Ag
ler, of Beavertown, Penn. ; Barbara, deceased
wife of William Engle, also deceased; Sarah,
wife of our subject; Lucinda, wife of Samuel
Bowen, of Snyder county; and Robert, who mar
ried Elmira Nearhoof, and died upon his farm
in Michigan. In 1895, Mrs. Hess met with a severe acci
dent, slipping on the ice in front of her home;
she has since had to use crutches, but the doctor
thinks she will fully recover; otherwise both she
and her husband enjoy excellent health. They
are worthy and devoted members of the Method-

390

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ist Episcopal Church, and have the respect and
esteem of all who know them. Politically, Mr.
Hess is a firm supporter of the Democratic party,
and advocates the free coinage of silver. His
business career and his private life are alike
above reproach, and his history is that of a man
who has faithfully performed all duties and been
ever true to the trust reposed in him.

W

tion stone which holds its place under an
important structure, the subject of this sketch
occupies an immovable position among the solid
and reliable business men of Eagleville, Centre
county, where he is a successful dealer in drugs,
stationery and tobacco. He was born in Beaver
county, Penn., November 28, 1833, and comes
of good old Revolutionary stock, his paternal
great-grandfather having served in that struggle.
His grandparents, John and Elizabeth (Kaup)
Snyder, were natives of Snyder county, this
State, as were also his parents, Wilhelm and Mar
garet (Marshall) Snyder, but it was then a, part
of Northumberland county. While a resident of
the same county, the maternal grandfather, John
Marshall, was drowned in the Susquehanna river
when on his way to market; his wife departed
this life in Liberty township, Centre county.
The parents of our subject spent the last
years of their life in Eagleville, the father dying
January 18, 1895, aged eighty-six years, and the
mother in 1866. Both held membership in the
Baptist Church, and in politics he was a strong
Republican, on which ticket he was elected to
several offices of honor and trust. By occupa
tion he was a sawyer.
Henry A. Snyder is the second in order of
birth in the family of seven children, the others
being as follows: Mary, wife of Richard Berry-
hill, a coach maker and merchant of Beach
Creek, Centre county; Sarah E., a resident of
Eagleville; Margaret, wife of Roland Smith, a
farmer of the State of Washington; William H.,
who will be more fully spoken of farther on;
Thomas A., who is engaged in clerking in State
College, Centre county; and Lydia E. , deceased
wife of Daniel W. Glossner, a carpenter of
Eagleville. There were also two other children
who died in infancy.
Until he was twenty-two years of age, Mr.
Snyder, the subject of this review, still made his
home with his parents, and in the meantime at
tended school and assisted in the labors of the
farm. At the age of nineteen he began teaching,
which profession he successfully followed for
three years, and then began his business career

as a clerk in a mercantile establishment in Beach
Creek, where he remained for seven years. He
then served as agent for the Bald Eagle Valley
railroad at that place and Eagleville for six years,
after which he engaged in clerking and working
in the lumber woods until 1889, when he estab-
lisned his present business in Eagleville, where
he has made his home since 1866. For some
time he was the only telegraph. operator between
Lock Haven and Bellefonte, Penn. , serving in
that capacity before the railroad was constructed.
The business interests of his village are well rep
resented by him, and he deserves a leading place
among the progressive and prominent merchants
of Centre county.
Mr. Snyder was married at Beach Creek, in
May, 1862, to Miss Susan E. Linn, who was
born at that place in 1840, a daughter of Joseph
and Elizabeth (James) Linn, residents of Clinton
county, Penn., where the former died, but where
the latter is still living. He was a farmer by oc
cupation, a Democrat in politics, and a consist
ent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
to which Mrs. Linn also belongs. Four children
blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Snyder,
namely: Cora B., at home; Maud E., wife of
Charles Foster, a railroad mail agent residing in
State Cqllege; Harry B., a bookkeeper for a
lumber firm in New York City; and Mabel G.,
at home. An enterprising, wide-awake, business
man, Mr. Snyder endeavors to keep abreast with
the times, is well posted on current events and
issues, and gives his support to worthy enter
prises which have for their object the welfare of
the community. Socially he is a prominent
member of the Odd Fellows Lodge and the Grand
Army Post, No. 302, both of Eagleville, while
politically he is an ardent supporter of Republican
principles. William H. Snyder, the brother of our sub
ject, was born in Snyder county, February 2,
1843, and remained at home until i860, when he
began work for G W. Leuffer, chief engineer for
the Pennsylvania railroad, with whom he re
mained until 1 88 1, when that gentleman retired.
Mr. Snyder then served as division engineer with
the Beach Creek railroad for three years, and for
a year and a half engaged in contracting on the
Clearfield & Mahoning railroad. At different
times he has also been with other railroad com
panies. During the battle of Gettysburg he was
engaged in surveying a railroad to be constructed
to that place for the purpose of carrying ammu
nition and troops, and was obliged to work night .
and day. On January 1, 1882, he was married,
in Eagleville, to Miss Laura E. Spray, and they
have three children: William B., Helen V. and

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

391

John M. Like his brother, he is an ardent sup
porter of the Republican party; socially he is a
member of the Order of Elks and of the F. &
A. M.

E*\ZEKIEL CONFAIR, a prominent lumber
 ^ dealer and agriculturist residing on the Can
ada road, in Boggs township, Centre county, is a
man of marked influence in that locality. He is
connected either by descent or marriage with a
number of well-known families of this section,
and is himself a native of Howard township,
Centre county, having been born there June 30,
1839. On the paternal side the first ancestor to set
tle in this locality was his grandfather, Philip
Confair, a native of Germany who came at an
early day with his wife, Elizabeth, who was born
in Ireland, passing their last years in Centre
county. Their son, Philip, Jr. , was born there,
and became by occupation an agriculturist in
Howard township, engaging also quite extensively
in tar burning. He was active in local affairs as
a Democrat, and was a leading member of the
Disciple Church, as was also his wife, Margaret
Wants, a native of Centre county, and a daugh
ter of John and Margaret Wants. She died De
cember 30, 1888, aged seventy-four, and on De
cember 2, 1890, at the advanced age of ninety
years, he followed her to the unseen world. To
this estimable couple fourteen children were born:
Samuel (deceasd), who married and had one
child; Mary (deceased), who married George B.
Lucas, of Howard township, Centre county;
Michael, a farmer in Howard township; Philip,
a farmer in Curtin township, Centre county;
Henry, a farmer and lumberman in Clearfield
county; Philinda, . widow of Henry Handless,
and a resident of Clearfield county; Ezekiel, our
subject; Margaret, who died when fifteen months
old; Lavina (deceased), formerly the wife of
John Mann, of Clinton county; Emeline (de
ceased), who married Henry Antis, of Centre
county; Franklin, a farmer in Howard township,
Centre county; Nicholas, now residing at the
old homestead ; and Elizabeth, wife of William
Unguard, of Watsontown, Northumberland coun
ty, Pennsylvania.Ezekiel Confair's early life was spent at the
old homestead, and the public schools of the lo
cality furnished the foundation of a good practi
cal education. On December 8, 1859, he was
united in marriage with Miss Charity A. Packer,
and soon after established his home upon a
rented farm in the same township, belonging to
Hiram Baker. Three years later he rented a

farm in that township from Gov. Packer, and
after four years there he moved to Boggs town
ship, where, after occupying and renting prop
erty for five years, he purchased (in 1873) his
present estate, a fine farm of 158 acres. In
July, 1865, he was drafted, but paid $300 to the
government for a substitute. Socially, he is a
leading member of the Grange at Milesburg, and
in religious faith, since the age of thirteen he has
been connected with the U. B. Church, with
which his wife united when sixteen years old.
In his political affiliations he is a Democrat.
Mr. and Mrs. Confair have had thirteen chil
dren, whose names with dates of birth are as fol
lows: John R. , August 20, i860, died September
12, same year; Martha J., May 4, 1862, married
Robert B. Lucas, a farmer and lumberman of
Boggs township, Centre county; William H.,
December 26, 1863, died September 12, 1864;
Ira, January 1, 1865, is engaged in the lumber
business in Boggs township; George W. , July
22, 1866, is a fanner in the same locality; James
T. , October 13, 1868, is a farmer in Curtin
township, Centre county; Jerome A., August 21,
1 87 1, is engaged in lumbering in Curtin town
ship; Jessie P., December 12, 1873, is at home;
a daughter, April 11, 1875, died unnamed;
Emma L. , June 4, 1876, married John Watson,
a farmer of Boggs township, Centre county ;
Irvin M. L., September 17, 1877, Nancy E.,
June 15, 1879, and Edward N., January 9, i88"2,
are at home.
Mrs. Confair was born in Howard township,
Centre county, a daughter of Jesse P. Packer, a
native of Germany. The first ancestor of the
Packer family of whom we have record was Aaron
Packer, Mrs. Confair's great-grandfather, who
married Mary Phipps, a native of the Province of
Maine, and a sister of Sir William Phipps, who
figured prominently in the history of Massachu
setts, and was Governor of that State in the lat
ter part of the seventeenth century. He followed
the sea for some time, and was knighted by King
James on account of his search for sunken treas
ure. Having gone to London and obtained an
audience of the King, he told him of vast wealth
lying beneath certain waters. The King listened
attentively, and approving the plan outlined for
the recovery of the prize, he appointed Sir Will
iam Phipps captain of the " Rose Algier, " a vessel
carrying eighteen guns and ninety-five men. Thus
equipped, Sir William sailed from England on his
quest. The estate of the Phipps family in Eng
land is now in litigation, and Mrs. Confair, as
one of the heirs, is entitled to a large fortune.
Jesse Packer, Mrs. Confair's grandfather, was a
native of Germany, and his wife, Catherine Will-

392

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

iams, was born in Ireland. Jesse Packer was a
leading man of his day in this section, and fol
lowed the calling of civil engineer.
Jesse P. Packer, the father of Mrs. Confair,
was born in Chester county, Penn., and was
there married to Sarah Swisher, who was born in
the Fatherland and accompanied her parents,
Joseph and Elizabeth (Linnes) Swisher, to this
country, where they remained, their last days
being spent in Centre county. Jesse P. Packer
became prominent among the agriculturists of
Howard township, Centre county, where he died
September 9, 1874, at the age of seventy-five.
His wife passed away December 2, 1884, aged
seventy-seven years. Ten children were born to
them, their names and dates of birth being as fol
lows: Michael, July, 1823, Joseph, November
25, 1826, a farmer, Nancy, August 11, 1828, wife
of James P. Haines, a lumberman, and John,
August 16, 1 83 1, a farmer by occupation, all re
side in Howard township, Centre county; Cath
erine, August 29, 1834, married James Packer,
of Curtin township; Rowland, June 27, 1837,
was drowned at the age of fourteen; Charity A.,
August 16, 1840, married Mr. Confair; Jane, July
30, 1843, resides at Howard, and Susan T. ,
August 8, 1846, married Ira Packer, a farmer in
McLeod county, Minnesota.

riCHAEL M. FISHBURN. Among the
E|L progressive and industrious farmers of Ben
ner township. Centre county, the subject of this
sketch occupies a prominent and honorable posi
tion. A son of Jacob and Mary Ann (Moyer)
Fishburn, he was born in Dauphin county, Penn. ,
in 1827, and in 1832 was brought to Centre
county, with whose interests he has since been
identified. He is the second in order of birth in
a family of five children, the others being Henry
J., Jacob, Anna M. and William H.
Philip Fishburn, the grandfather of Michael
M., was a native of Pennsylvania. He served in
the Revolutionary war, was a farmer of Dauphin
county, where his death occurred about the year
1840. His son Jacob, our subject's father, was
born in Dauphin county, and at his death, in
1889, had a farm of some 197 acres of land in
Centre county. On coming to the latter coun
ty in 1832, he settled near where Michael M.
now resides. He was a man of honor and in
tegrity and a good citizen; a member of the Lu
theran Church, and, in politics, first a Whig,
then a Democrat. His wife died in 1883.
Michael M. Fishburn had but meagre educa
tional advantages. He remained with his father
until twenty-seven years of age, then went with

an uncle, Felix Burkholder, who resided in Penn's
Valley, with whom he learned the trade of a
miller, remaining one and a half years, and re
ceiving for his services sixty-five dollars. He
then returned home, and in connection with his
brother worked the home farm for two years.
He next moved to Jacksonville, in Walker town
ship, and for three years rented a farm there and
followed agriculture as an occupation. After
the expiration of this time he went to College
township, and for twelve years resided on a farm
of 125 acres which he rented of Major Reynolds,
and during that period he bought eighteen acres
of the farm on which he now resides, since which
he has added to it forty acres, making fifty-eight
acres in all.
In 1857, Mr. Fishburn was married to Cath
erine Rossman, who was born in Potter town
ship, Penn's Valley, March 11, 1833, a daughter
of Jonathan R. and Rebecca (Fie) Rossman, the
former of whom, born in 181 5, died in 1866, and
the latter, born in 1810, died in 1882, the par
ents of eleven children, namely: Catherine,
Elizabeth, Sarah, May, Susan, Henry, John,
Margaret, Michael, Calvin, and one that died in
infancy. Our subject and his wife have had no
children. He has been a lifelong Democrat, and
takes an interest in political affairs. He is a
member of the German Reformed Church, and
his upright moral character and sterling worth
have won him the confidence and high regard of
all who know him.

OWARD M. STUART. Among the lead-
JKL ing and influential agriculturists of Huston
township, Centre county, who thoroughly under
stand their business, and pursue the avocation
of their lives in a methodical and workmanlike
manner, is the subject of this biography, whose
farm is in the Bald Eagle Valley on the Bald
Eagle plank road. He was born September 13,
1854, in that same township, one mile from his
present home, and continued under the parental
roof until after the death of his parents, when he
assumed charge of the farm, and has since suc
cessfully engaged in agricultural pursuits.
John W. Stuart, father of our subject, was a
native of Blair county, Penn., and a son of Will
iam and Hannah Stuart, who spent their entire
lives in that county. On reaching manhood he
married Patience Williams, who was born in
Centre county, a daughter of George and Han
nah Williams. Her parents were also natives of
Centre county, and lived upon the present farm
of our subject, which has been in the Williams
family for years. By occupation John W. Stuart

HICHAEL M. FISHBURH.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

393

was a farmer and carpenter, but was principally
engaged in the latter pursuit. On coming to
Centre county in 1846 he located in Huston
township, and for five years engaged in merchan
dising. Here his death occurred October 3,
1893, when he was aged eighty-five years, six
months and four days, and his wife passed away
September 1, 1894, at the age of eighty-three
years, three months and six days. They were
.both earnest and. consistent members of the
Baptist Church, and in politics he was a Repub
lican. Of their four children, John died when
young, and Alice and Junietta died in infancy,
our subject, therefore, being the only one living.
On October 12, 1874, Howard M. Stuart, our
subject, was married to Miss Elizabeth J. Mc
Donald, and they have seven children, whose
names and dates of births are as follows: Annie
P., January 25, 1876; Alda B., February 20,
1879; Allie J., October 8, 1881; Hannah, June 19,
1884; Bardens, June 19, 1889; John W., August
1, 1893; and Harry, August 6, 1895. All are
still with their parents, though Annie P. is now
the wife of J. R. Williams, a school teacher, by
whom she has one son, Theodore, born Septem
ber 1, 1894.
Mrs. Stuart was born in Huston t6wnship,
Centre county, August 12, 1859, andis a daugh
ter of Alexander and Sarah (Records/McDonald,
also natives of Centre county, the/ former born
in 1 83 1, and the latter in 1829, in Huston town
ship, where they still reside. The father was a
member of the Union army during tthe Civil war,
and was wounded in battle. Throughout his
business career he has followed farming and lum
bering. His parents John and Elizabeth (Irvin)
McDonald, were natives of Clearfield county,
Penn., but spent their last days upon a farm in
Centre county. The maternal grandfather of
Mrs. Stuart was WTilliam Records. To Alexan
der and Sarah McDonald were born eight chil
dren, namely: Joseph, now a farmer of Clear
field county; Abner, a farmer of Huston town
ship, Centre county; Elizabeth J., the honored
wife of our subject; Alexander, a railroad engin
eer residing at Blairville, Westmoreland Co.,
Penn.; Emma, at home; Mary, wife of a Mr.
Lane, a farmer of Iowa; Nora, wife of Calvin
Hall, a carpenter of Clearfield county; and one
who died in infancy.
Mr. Stuart exercises his right of franchise in
support of the men and measures of the Repub
lican party, and has served his fellow citizens in
the capacity of supervisor and overseer of the
poor as well as school director. He was first
appointed to fill an unexpired term as overseer,
and so acceptably did he discharge the duties of

that office that he has twice been re-elected, and
is the present incumbent. He holds member
ship in the Grange of Unionville, Penn., and
both himself and wife are members of the Bap
tist Church. They are representative and valued
citizens of the community in which their entire
lives have been passed, and none are held in
higher regard.

w

ALTER O'BRYAN is one of the most
Ifc active and energetic agriculturists of Col
lege township, Centre county. His grandfather,
Daniel O'Bryan, a native of Ireland, came to the
United States when in his "teens," and kept an
inn — a sort of half-way house — at Pine Grove,
between Bellefonte and Huntingdon, Penn.
There he died in 1880, at a ripe old age. In
his family were three children: Nancy, who be
came the wife of Walter Graham, a stage owner,
and died in Bellefonte in 1883; James, the father
of our subject; and Martha, wife of William
Butz, of California.
James O'Bryan was born at Pine Grove in
1 8 14. He received very ordinary educational
advantages, but became a well-informed man,
and engaged in teaching in early life. In 1840
he opened a hotel in Pine Grove, where he died
in 1868, of typhoid fever. In 1838 he married
Miss Sarah Wingard, and they became the parents
of eight children: Mrs. Mary Wingart, who for
some time lived in Michigan, but is now a resi
dent of Huntingdon, Penn. ; George, who was
born in 1838; and is engaged in merchandising in
Adrian, Mich.; Daniel, who was born in 1840,
and died during his service in the Union army;
Walter, the subject of this review; James, who
was born in 1844, and is a cabinetmaker of
Bellefonte; Sarah, who was born in 1846, and
died in Pine Grove in 1887; Joseph, who was
born in 1848, and is a contractor of Detroit;
and Nancy, who was born in 1851, and is now
Mrs. Glasgow, living near Anderson, Mifflin Co. ,
Pennsylvania. The early home of our subject was near Yel
low Springs, Blair Co., Penn., where he died
May 29, 1842. In the schools of Pine Grove he
received a very meagre education, his first teacher
being Mrs. Margaret Patton, and at the age of
fifteen he began learning the miller's trade, which
he followed for eight years in Pennsylvania Fur
nace. Subsequently he worked at lumbering in
Clearfield county, this State, for two years, and
then started on a prospecting tour through the
Northwest, returning home April 14, 1867.
On October 4, of the same year, Mr.
O'Bryan was united in marriage with Miss Char-

394

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

lotte Lytle, a daughter of Piercel and Lydia
(Johnsonbaugh) Lytle, who resided near Pine
Grove. Three children graced this union:
James Piercel, born May i, 1869, is at home;
Gertrude, born July 21, 1873, is the wife of
Homer Decker, a farmer living near Bellefonte;
and George, born September 29, I878, is a stu
dent at the State College. After his marriage,
Mr. O'Bryan purchased his present farm in Col
lege township of ninety-five acres, pleasantly
situated on Whitehall road one-half mile south
of State College. He has converted the place
into one of the best farms of the locality, placing
the fields under a high state of cultivation and
making many excellent improvements.
In his political views Mr. O'Bryan is a Demo
crat but takes no active part in politics aside from
voting. Socially he was formerly a member of
the Knights of Pythias lodge at Bellefonte, and
now holds membership in Oak Hall Grange No.
169; in religious belief he is a worthy mem
ber of the Presbyterian Church. He has con
formed his conduct to the old maxim that honesty
is the best policy, and to-day no one is held in
higher esteem in College township than Walter
O'Bryan.

S\OLOMON D. TICE, one of the self-made
) men and leading farmers of Howard town
ship, Centre county, commenced life with a cash
capital of ten cents. He now represents a very
valuable property, all of which he has accumu
lated through his own perseverance and indus
try, guided by sound judgment and resistless will
power. In Miami county, Ohio, Mr. Tice was born
October 9, 1848, a son of George and Susannah
(Dohner) Tice, who were natives of Lebanon
county, Penn. , but were married in Miami coun
ty, Ohio, where they continued to make their
home throughout the remainder of their lives.
During his younger years the father followed the
carpenter's trade, but later gave his attention to
farming. Both were members of the River
Brethren in Christ Church, and in politics he
was identified with the Republican party, on
which ticket he was elected to several township
offices of honor and trust. He died July 12,
1887, at the age of eighty-five years, and the
mother of our subject died in 1854, at the age of
forty-two. After her death he had wedded
Sarah Myers, and when she, too, was called away
he married Mary Musselman. His parents,
George and Elizabeth Tice, were natives of
Switzerland, and on coming to the United States
located upon a farm in Lebanon county, Penn.,

where they spent their remaining days. The
maternal grandparents of our subject, Rev. Chris
tian and Mary (Long) Dohner, were natives of
Lebanon county, but at an early date emigrated
to Ohio, where the grandfather served as a min
ister of the River Brethren Church.
Eight children were born to the parents of
our subject: Jonah, a railroad contractor resid
ing in Ohio; Noah (deceased); Mary, deceased
wife of Samuel Crider, a farmer of Lebanon-
county; Solomon D., the subject of this sketch;
Levi (deceased); Elizabeth, wife of Rev. Martin
Heisey, a farmer and minister of the Dunkard
Brethren Church of Lebanon county; and Eli
and Aaron, both deceased.
Solomon D. Tice early became familiar with
agricultural pursuits upon the home farm, and
in the public schools of the neighborhood ac
quired his education. On attaining his majority
he started out in the world for himself, and has
since been dependent upon his own resources.
Although he had no capital, he was the possessor
of a good name, and began his farming opera
tions on rented land in Lebanon county, which
he stocked and cultivated for five years. For
the same length of time he also lived upon a farm
in Clinton county, after which he came to How
ard and worked in a gristmill for a year. He
then removed to his present farm in Howard
township; but at the end of four years returned
to the village, where for five years he served as
pike manager of the Bald Eagle, Nittany, Brush
& Penn's Valley Pike Road Co. Since that time,
however, he has made his home upon his present
farm, which is under a high state of cultivation
and well-improved with good buildings. For the
past twelve years he has also served as pike
manager, which position he has faithfully and
capably filled.
On December 1, 1870, Mr. Tice was married
to Miss Emma B. Long, and to them have been
born six children: Elizabeth W. and Cyrus M.
(an engineer), at home; William A., who mar
ried Maggie M. Fisher, a farmer of Howard town
ship, Centre county; Ira E. , who is attending
the Central State Normal School at Lock Haven;
Ellery W., at home; and Florence, who died in
childhood. Mrs. Tice was born in Nittany Valley, Clin
ton Co., Penn., October 31, 1853, and is
daughter of Conrad and Hannah (Kaufman)
Long, natives of Lancaster and Centre counties,
Penn., respectively. They were married in Cen
tre county, where the father died March 18,
1896. He was born August 23, 1822, in his
younger days followed boating, and later became
an extensive grain dealer, farmer and miller,, but

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

395

spent the last seven years of his life in retire
ment. He also served as a minister of the River
Brethren Church. His faithful wife, who was
born November 27, 1825,. still survives him, and
is a resident of Howard, Centre county.
Mr. Tice uniformly votes the Republican
ticket, and in religious faith is a consistent mem
ber of the River Brethren in Christ Church. To
such men of progressive and liberal ideas, gener
ous and benevolent in spirit, is Centre county in
debted for its great prosperity.

JACOB REED, a prominent retired agricult
urist, residing in Aaronsburg, ranks among
the leading owners of farm lands in this sec
tion. In these days of selfish monopoly in land
it is to his credit that his extensive holdings are
all made productive instead of being allowed to
lie uncultivated for purely speculative gains. As
a shrewd manager and a deservedly successful
one, Mr. Reed has found his profits in ways
which promote the general good.
Mr. Reed is a native of Centre county, born
August 2, 1832, in Haines township, on the same
farm land and in the same house where his father,
Daniel Reed, was born and reared. Oursubject's
grandfather, Benjamin Reed, a carpenter, came
from Berks county, Penn., at an early day, and
as a pioneer farmer secured a tract of excellent
land for a permanent home, where five sons and
three daughters were trained to lives of useful
ness. Daniel Reed, who was born in 1802, and was
among the youngest of the family, became one of
the substantial citizens of the locality, owning two
farms in Penn township, two in Haines township,
and one in Sugar Valley. He was more than six
feet in height, an industrious worker, and ex
celled in the management of his enterprises. In
religious faith he was a Lutheran, and in politics
a Democrat. He was married in Berks county,
Penn., to Miss Elizabeth Tobias, by whom he
had six children, of whom, two only lived to
adult age; Jacob; and Rebecca, who married
Noah Stover, and died in Penn township, Centre
county. The father passed away in 1872, his
remains being laid to rest at Wolf's school house,
and the mother lived to be more than ninety years
old, breathing her last September 28, 1886.
Jacob Reed enjoyed the usual educational ad
vantages of a country boy of his day, and the
contrast between his early opportunities and
those afforded by our present school system is
marked. Realizing the advantage of free educa
tion to the community as well as to the individ
ual, he endorses all efforts for the improvement

of our facilities in that direction. Being the only
boy, the work of the farm devolved upon him, as
his father became too feeble to carry on his busi
ness, and he always resided at the old homestead
until 1886, when he moved to Aaronsburg, and in
his turn surrendered the active work of his estates
to other hands. He has four farms, 541 acres in
all, and still looks closely after their manage
ment, doing the "head work" for them all to a
great extent.
In 1866 Mr. Reed was married in Haines
township, Centre county, to Miss Lydia Winkel-
blech, a native of that township, born June 17,
1843, a daughter of Adam Winkelblech, a well-
known farmer, and his wife, Sarah (Fisher).
Two children bless this union: Sarah E. , Mrs.
George M. Homan, of Haines township, Centre
county; and Amanda R., Mrs. A. Stover, of
Aaronsburg. While Mr. Reed has gained a rep
utation as an able financier, he has not been so
closely devoted to business as to neglect public
affairs. He is not desirous of official position,
but has always been an ardent supporter of the
principles of the Democratic party. He and
his wife are leading members of the Lutheran
Church.

Tj^LIAS HANCOCK, a general farmer, and the
El// present efficient superintendent of the Sab
bath-school of Wallace Run, Centre county, now
makes his home at that place, where he is suc
cessfully engaged in agricultural pursuits and also-
in teaching. He was born in Elk county. Penn.,
March 6, 1841, but for many years he has been
one of the prominent and representative citizens
of Centre county.
James R. and Sarah (Taylor) Hancock, par
ents of our subject, and natives of Bedford and
Juniata counties, Penn. , respectively, were mar
ried in Elk county, where they continued to re
side until 1866, when they removed to Boggs*
township, Centre county. Here the mother, who
was born March 9, 1806, died in 1867, and the
father, who was born June 11, 1802, died in
1876. He was a cooper by trade, following the
same in Bedford county, but in Elk county he
engaged in farming, and on coming to Centre
county lived retired. In early life he was a
Whig in politics, later a Republican, and for
many years served as supervisor of Fox town
ship, Elk county.
Our subject is one of a family of eleven chil
dren, namely: William T., born August 4,
1824, died when young; Mary, born April 12,
1826, married Jacob Taylor, but both are now
deceased; Sarah, born April 9, 1828, is the de-

396

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ceased wife of George Taylor, of Central City,
Penn.; James, born August 19, 1830, Josiah,
born October 20, 1832, George W. , born March
9, 1835, and Elizabeth, born July 20, 1836, are
all deceased; Joel, born June 1, 1839, is a farmer
of Nebraska; Elias and Eliza (twins) were born
March 6, 1841, and the latter is now the wife of
James R. Green, of Elk county; and Benjamin
F. , born October 6, 1843, is deceased.
Until sevetneen years of age, Prof. Hancock
assisted in the labors of the farm, but at that
time met with a painful accideut. While en
gaged in chopping down a tree with two others,
he slipped and fell, his hand going under the axe,
which his brother-in-law was just bringing down,
his right hand being severed at the wrist, and
for three months he was confined to his bed.
On his recovery he began teaching in Elk coun
ty, which profession he there followed some
eight terms. In the meantime, however, he
¦attended the State Normal College at New
York for one term. He has since engaged in
teaching in the schools of Centre county, where
in the spring of 1896 he finished his fortieth term.
For three terms he did not follow the profession,
his time being spent as school director, collector
and treasurer of the school board. He has
proved a most competent and able instructor,
and holds high rank among the leading educators
of the county.
On April 7, 1870, Mr. Hancock was married
to Miss Mary E. Taylor, by whom he has two
children: Edward R. , who was born April 4,
1 87 1, and is'now engaged in teaching in Boggs
township; and Sarah B., born August 20, 1878,
at home. Mrs. Hancock was born July 6, 1843,
at Farmers Mills, Centre county, of which coun
ty her parents, Thomas J. and Sarah (Homan)
Taylor, were also natives, and there the mother
died February 14, 1861, at the age of thirty-
nine years; the father, who was born August 2,
1820, now makes his home at Unionville, Penn.
For several years during early life he also en
gaged in teaching, later followed clerking, book
keeping and photographing; then conducted a
hotel at Unionville; but is now engaged inweav
ing carpets. He is a member of the Baptist
Church, in politics is a Democrat, and has held
a number of local offices of honor and trust. His
parents, George and Mary (Dunlap) Taylor,
spent their entire lives in Centre county.
Mrs. Hancock is the eldest in the family, the
ethers being as follows: Sarah E., wife of
Charles McGlocklin, superintendent of coal mines
in Clearfield county, Penn.; Martha J., wife of
Prof. H. Meyer, who was for a time superintend
ent of the schools of Centre county, and now re

sides at Rebersburg, Penn.; Susan C, who died
at the age of five years ; and George W: , who is
engaged in clerking in Bedford county, Penn.
The father of these children was twice married
his second union being with Susan Swyers, by
whom he has one daughter, Clara B. , wife of T.
F. Leathers, a government employee in the print
ing department at Washington, D. C.
Prof. Hancock casts his ballot in support of
the men and measures of the Republican party,
and has most acceptably filled the offices of sup
ervisor, assessor, assistant assessor, and clerk of
his township, holding the last position at the
present time. Promptness and fidelity mark the
discharge of all duties entrusted to his care,
and he has proved a most popular official. He
holds membership in the Presbyterian Church but
attends the United Brethren Church, to which
his children belong, while his wife is a member
of the Baptist Church. They are earnest, con
sistent Christian people, and the son is contem
plating entering the ministry. They hold a high
position in the social circles of the community,
have the confidence and respect of all who know
them, and hosts of warm friends.

WILLIAM A. TOBIAS, one of the most
prominent citizens of Millheim, Centre
county, is a self-made man in the fullest sense of
the word. Not only has he won a financial suc
cess through his own efforts, but his excellent
practical education has been gained mainly from
private study.
Mr. Tobias is a native of Bloomsburg, Co
lumbia Co., Penn., and is a son of Rev. D. S.
Tobias, a minister of the German Reformed
Church, whose talents and devotion to the cause
of religion made him prominent in his day.
Reared in a rural community in Berks county,
Penn., where he was born March 3, 1804, Rev.
Mr. Tobias had but limited educational advan
tages in his youth, and his preparation for his
chosen calling was obtained with unusual sacri
fice and effort. His studies in theology were
directed by Rev. C. J. Hermann, and in all lines
his instruction was in the German language, in
which all his preaching was done. His first ser
mon, delivered November 23, 1823, at "the
Swamp, " in Lancaster county, Penn. , was found
ed upon the first five verses of the 103d Psalm.
For a time he served as a local preacher in dif
ferent parts of Berks county, and his first settled
charge was at Bloomsburg, Columbia county, in
1824. About 185 1 he moved to Rebersburg,
Centre county, where he died October 29, 1864,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

397

in his sixty-first year. He was a small man,
weighing about a hundred pounds, and was never
robust physically, yet his mental powers were of
an unusually high order. He lived comfortably,
but never accumulated much property. In the
course of his active service in the ministry he
preached 4, 500 regular sermons, officiated at 750
funerals, 657 confirmations and 576 marriages.
He was a member of the Masonic fraternity.
On February 9, 1824, Rev. Tobias was mar
ried in Berks county to Miss Elizabeth Fisher, a
native of that county, born July 3 , 1 802 . She sur
vived him many years, living for more than twen
ty-five years in the home of our subject, where
she breathed her last October 13, 1891, in her
ninetieth year. The mortal remains of this
worthy couple now rest in the cemetery at
Aaronsburg, Centre Co., Penn. Their children
were ten in number, the names with dates of
birth being as follows: Methusalem, February
16, 1825, died in infancy; John F. , January 28,
1827, was a physician at Sedalia, Mo., where he
died; Silisa S., August 9, 1828, is the widow of
P. E. Bomboy, of Espy, Columbia Co., Penn.;
Calvin J. R., September 29, 1830, is a railway
engineer residing in Keene, N. H. ; William A.,
January 10, 1833, is mentioned more fully be
low; Andrew J., February 13, 1835, resides in
Almedia, Columbia county; Amelia, September
24, 1837, married John H. Auman, of Mill
heim; Snyder D., August 1, 1840, died at Mill
heim, January 30, 1894; Elizabeth A., June
19, 1845, married Henry Miller, of Millheim;
and Lewis C, July 17, 1848, resides in the same
town. Mr. Tobias, our subject, first attended the
public schools of Bloomsburg, which were by no
means equal to those of the present. His un
fortunate deprivation of suitable opportunities
for an education has deeply impressed upon him
the need of better schools in which all children
may find thorough instruction. By diligent use
of such means as lay within reach, he prepared
for teaching, and in 1858 he took charge of a
school in Haines township, Centre county, known
as "Fowler's School," at $20 per month, not in
cluding board. This school was very small in
numbers, the average being about five. While
there he began to chew tobacco to put in the
time, which hung heavily. He had already
learned the harness maker's trade under Alexan
der Best, at Danville, Penn., but after serving a
portion of his term of apprenticeship he became
so proficient that he began work as a journey
man. In the early part of 1861, he was local
editor, foreman, pressman, devil and carrier, of
the Berwick Gazette, a weekly paper published

by A. B. Tate, at Berwick, Columbia Co., Penn
sylvania. On October 21, 1861, Mr. Tobias enlisted at
Bloomsburg, in Company D, 84th P. V. I., with
Capt. Alexander G. Frick. His first battle was
at Hancock, Md., and his second at Winchester,
Va. He was in Banks' retreat from Winchester
to Williamsport, Md. , and after that event he
came home for a short time. Soon after rejoin
ing the regiment at Washington, D. C. , he was
taken ill and sent to the hospital at Washington,
D. C, from there to York, Penn., and Octo
ber 23, 1862, he was discharged at Baltimore,
Md., on a surgeon's certificate of disability. He
returned to Centre county, and for thirteen years
was engaged in teaching during the winter sea
sons, chiefly the schools of Rebersburg, three
terms, and those of Clinton county, also three
terms, his vacations being devoted to other work.
His last term of school was in Boggs township,
Centre county, winter of 1874, where he received
$45 per month. In the fall of 1875 he was
elected County Recorder of Deeds of Centre
county for three years, and re-elected in 1878.
Before his term expired he was appointed by
the president judge of the court, C. A. Mayer,
to make a new index for miscellaneous papers
and deeds and mortgages of Centre county,
which occupied his time for a year, two clerks
helping him. In 1876 he moved to Bellefonte
in order to discharge conveniently the duties of
the office of County Recorder of Deeds. In 1882
he came to Millheim, where he has since resided.
In 1894, in company with W. H. Culverson, he
established a small general store at Paddy's
Mountain, Mifflin county, but sold out at the end
of a year to his partner. Prior to this he had
charge of a bankrupt stock of goods at Millheim.
He has also to some extent dealt in real estate,
and at the present time he is connected with the
Building & Loan Association, of Millheim.
Mr. Tobias has always taken an active inter
est in politics, is one of the leading Democrats
in his section, and was a delegate to County
Convention several times. At present he is serv
ing as president of the city council of Millheim.
He has a wide acquaintance, and is deservedly
popular, with all classes. His kindliness of heart
is shown in his care of his parents and for others
of the family who have been less fortunate than he
in worldly matters. One brother, Snyder D., an
invalid for many years, found a home with him also
during his last days, and passed away there.
Our subject's intellect is acute and active, and
he is gifted as a writer, finding much enjoyment
in corresponding for various papers. Frater
nally, he belongs to W. W. Bierly Post No. 298,

398

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

G. A. R. , at Millheim, and to Centre Lodge No.
153, I. O. O. F., at Bellefonte; was initiated at
Lock Haven, Penn., in Great Island Lodge No.
320, I. O. O. F., in 1863, and transferred to Cen
tre Lodge No. 153, Bellefonte, in 1876; he was
formerly a member of the Knights of Pythias and
the Order of Red Men, but as neither had a lodge
in the county he withdrew after a time. In
1890 he made an application for pension under
the Act of June 27, was examined and rejected.
On August 4, 1897, he was again examined, and
on November 16, 1897, his pension was granted,
$10 per month and 55 months and 25 days back
pay. Mr. Tobias has never married.

JEROME A. CONFER is engaged in general
farming on the Marsh Creek road, in Boggs
township, Centre county, and is one of that
honorable class of self-made men who owe their
success in life to their own efforts. His energy,
perseverance and capable management have been
the essential factors in his prosperity, and the
record of his career furnishes an example which
might profitably be followed by many others. A
native of Centre county, he was born August 3 1 ,
1840, a son of Richard and Margaret T. (Packer)
Confer, who were also natives of Centre county.
The father was a miller by trade, and followed
that pursuit throughout his entire life. His
political support was given the Democracy. He
died in 1846, at the early age of thirty-two years,
and his wife who still survives him, is now living
in Jefferson county, Penn., where she located in
1856. She was born November 4, 1823. They
had four sons, namely: Jason who is living in
Jefferson county; William, of Potter county,
this State; Jerome A.; and John, of Centre
county. No event of special importance marked the
boyhood days of Jerome A. Confer, who re
mained with his mother until twenty years of
age, when he was married and began working in
the lumber woods. He was thus employed until
1875, when he turned his attention to farming
and located at his present home. For a year he
rented and then purchased his farm, which com
prises 184 acres of good land, the greater part
of it being under a high state of cultivation and
yielding to the owner a golden tribute in return
for the care and cultivation he bestows upon it.
In the midst of the well-tilled fields stands a
handsome residence, while good barns and out
buildings have been provided for the care of
grain and stock.
On September 20, i860, Mr. Confer was
united in marriage with Margaret Elizabeth

Walker, who was born in Boggs township, on
May 5, 1844, a daughter of James and Rachel
(Heaton) Walker, also natives of Centre county.
For many years the father was engaged in the
lumber business in Snow Shoe township, but
his last years were devoted to farming. He
was a member of the Baptist Church, and in pol
itics was a Democrat. He died January 8, 1892,
at the age of seventy-seven; his wife, who was
born February 16, 18 18, is still living. They
were parents of ten children, as follows: Mary
J. is the deceased wife of P. Slacker, of Miles
burg, Penn. ; James W. is also deceased; Mrs.
Confer; John is deceased; Isaiah, twin brother of
John, is a resident of Centre county; Edward H.
and Miles are also residents of that county; Tay
lor is in McKean county, Penn. ; Eliza is the wife
of Frank Strickland, of Jefferson county, Penn. ;
and Harvey is deceased. The grandparents of
Mrs. Confer were Jacob and Margaret Walker,
natives of Centre county and Germany, respect
ively; both died in this county. The maternal
grandparents, Enoch and Eve Heaton, were for
many years residents of Centre county.
Mr. and Mrs. Confer have a family of twelve
children: Rachel M., born February 10, 1862,
is the wife of Irvin Butler, of Boggs township;
Susan M., born May 9, 1863, is now deceased;
Mary E., born August 8, 1865, is the wife of
Wilson Heaton, of Milesburg; Anna, born May
22, 1867, died in infancy; Richard S., born Au
gust 19, 1868, is living in Milesburg, Penn.;
James E. , of Milesburg, was born Septembers,
1870; Alma, born May 22, 1873, is deceased;
Lydia M., born May 5, 1874, is also deceased;
Clara M. , born June 20, 1876, has also passed
away; Nelson A. was born April 20, 1878; Ethel
E. was born August 12, 1880; Gertrude E. was
born May 20, 1885; and Fannie M. was born
August 28, 1887.
Mr. Confer is a man of great energy, of strong
determination and resolute purpose, and carries
forward to successful completion whatever he
undertakes. All that he possesses he has se
cured through his own efforts, and his prosperity
is certainly well merited.

C\ O. MALLORY, the efficient manager of the
J) Kreamerville Creamery, ranks among the
self-made men of Miles township, Centre county,
who from humble circumstances has worked his
way upward. He has had very little time to
spend in idleness, and when not busy with his
hands has added to his store of knowledge, and
thus kept well posted on current events.
Mr. Mallory comes of New England and

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

399

Scotch-Irish extraction, and was born in Miles
township, January 21, 1855, a son of James B.
and Elizabeth (Reed) Mallory. His paternal
grandfather, Isaac Mallory, was a Yankee from
Connecticut, who during pioneer days came to
Centre county. While en route for the West, he
and his family stopped at Milesburg, where was
born the father of our subject, and in the mean
time the grandfather sought employment in the
numerous iron works of this section.
His parents being poor, James B. Mallory was
bound out to Mr. Sheets, a blacksmith of Sugar
Valley, when quite young, and after learning the
trade established a shop of his own in Rebers
burg, where he carried on business until his death,
dying at the age of eighty years. He married
Elizabeth Reed, who was born in Williamsport,
Penn., and whose father was a splendid speci
men of physical manhood, six feet, six inches in
height, and was a "stiff" Presbyterian. Mrs.
Mallory was also about eighty years of age at the
time of her death, and they now sleep side by
side in the Rebersburg cemetery. They held
membership in the Evangelical Church, and,
politically, Mr. Mallory was identified with the
Democratic party. Although he started out in
life a poor boy, he succeeded in acquiring a com
fortable home and competence.
Our subject is sixth in order of birth in the
family of seven children, the others being as fol
lows: Jeremiah was a blacksmith of Rebersburg,
where he died from the effects of a hammer ac
cidentally striking his knee; W. J., formerly a
school teacher, is now a silver and copper mine
owner of Arizona; Jane is the wife of Henry
Shool, of Rebersburg; Ellen, the wife of Charles
F. Dubbs, an operator on the Chicago, Rock
Island & Pacific railroad, died in March, 1883;
Belle is the wife of J. W. Cole, of Loganton,
Penn.; Catharine married Frank Snyder, who
was killed by a falling tree, and she later wedded
Daniel Stabley.
On reaching a sufficient age, Mr Mallory, the
subject of this review, entered the schools of
Rebersburg, his first teacher being R. M. Magee,
and after attending the common schools for some
time was a student in the New Berlin Seminary
(now the Central Pennsylvania College). Previ
ously he had also pursued his studies in the County
Normal at Rebersburg, and as he learned well
and rapidly was able to begin teaching at the age
of sixteen. His first school was on Pine creek,
in Haines township, Centre county, and was an
exceedingly hard one, where his predecessor had
signally failed; but he was so successful that he
at once established his reputation as a teacher,
although so young. He had many scholars older

than himself, andphysically much his superior; but
under his able direction the school became one
01 the most orderly in the township. For four
teen years he successfully followed the teacher's
profession, and during his course in the New
Berlin Seminary paid his tuition by teaching
some of the lower classes. After an attack of
pneumonia, his physician advised him to aban
don the profession, and going to Antesfort, Ly
coming Co., Penn., he served under a skilled
creamery manufacturer. He then located at
Spring Mills, where he took charge of the cream
ery which he successfully conducted for two years,
after which as an employee of R. G. Eisenhart,
of Horseheads, N. Y. , he built the creamery at
Kreamerville, which he now operates.
On January 11, 1880, in Brush Valley, Mr.
Mallory was married to Miss Minnie Loose, who
was born in Millheim, Centre county, Septem
ber 18, 1 86 1, a daughter of Samuel and Eliza
beth (Brickley) Loose. Five children bless their
union, their names and dates of birth being as
follows: Lottie, January 11, 1881; Charles B.,
March 16, 1882; Stanley O., November 3, 1883;
Pearl M., December 27, 1885; and Bessie E.,
September 12, 1887. The family circle still re
mains unbroken by the hand of death.
Mr. Mallory casts his ballot in support of
Democratic principles, has held township offices,
and at one time was the candidate of his party
for county recorder. Being a temperance man,
he strongly sympathizes with the Prohibition
movement, and gives his earnest support to all
worthy enterprises which have for their object
the good of the community. As members of the
Evangelical Church, he and his estimable wife
give much attention to religious work, are earnest
and sincere Christians, and he has served as class
leader and superintendent of the Sabbath-school.
In 1896 he erected a comfortable residence in
Rebersburg, and he also has a pleasant home in
Kreamerville, where the family now reside.

S\ W. SMITH is a general farmer, pursuing
) his pleasant and profitable occupation in
Potter township, Centre county, of which county
he is a native son, his birth having occurred near
Centre Hall, February 21, 1863. His father,
Dr. Peter Smith, was born in Blackhole Valley,
Lycoming Co., Penn., April 29, 1825, and, as
his parents were farming people of rather limited
means, his early educational privileges were lim
ited. Desiring to make the practice of medicine
his life work, he was obliged to borrow the
money with which to prosecute his studies, and

400

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

in January, 1848, he graduated at the medical
college of Geneva, New York.
Dr. Smith began the practice of his chosen
profession in Hublersburg, Centre county, where
he was unknown, and was therefore dependent
upon his skill and ability for success; but he soon
succeeded in obtaining a large patronage. There
he married Mary Kopp, the wedding ceremony
being performed by Rev. Fisher, a Reformed
Church minister. She was born in Limestone
township, Union Co., Penn., March 15, 1822,
and came to Centre county with her parents,
George and Elizabeth Kopp, who later removed
to Sandusky county, Ohio; but she remained in
Centre county, where she was working as a do
mestic at the time of her marriage.
On leaving Hublersburg, Dr. Smith went to
Centre Hall, and in the spring of 1871 removed
to the George Hoffer farm, which he had pur
chased the previous fall. He was living there
at the time of his death, October 4, 1877, and
was buried in the cemetery of Centre Hall. He
was a successful practitioner, and many would
have made more money from the same volume
of business, but he was never given to exorbitant
charges, and often made no charge at all. He
never refused to make a visit because the patient
was poor and he knew that he would receive
nothing for it, but went as readily as if his fees
were sure. At his death he left his family in
comfortable circumstances, and the priceless
heritage of an untarnished name. The Doctor
was well posted on current issues and questions,
was a supporter of the Democratic party, on
which ticket he was a candidate for the Legisla
ture at one time, and socially he was connected
with the I. O. O. F. and the Grange, being a
charter member of the latter organization. He
was also an officer in the Lutheran Church, with
which he held membership.
The following children came to the marriage
of Dr. and Mrs. Smith: Sarah A., born October
8, 1850, died in infancy; Susan A., born April
19, 1852, married A. Q. Stover, and died in
Clifford, Mich., in October, 1893; Alice C, born
January 26, 1854, died June 29, 1855; John J.
W. , born May 24, 1855, died in childhood; Sa-
loma M. , born October 20, 1856, died October
7, 1868; William B., born April 21, 1858, died
December 25, 1883; Mary M., born March 24,
1 86 1, died July 21, 1865; and S. W., our sub
ject. In 1872 the family removed to Centre
Hall, but in 1890 they returned to the home
farm, where our subject is living. His mother
resided with him until March 6, 1897, when she
died after a short illness. She was laid to rest
by the side of her husband.

In the public schools of Centre county Mr.
Smith was educated, his first teacher being Col.
J. L. Spangler, and on laying aside his text
books, at the age of eighteen, he began learning
the printer's trade in the office of the Centre Re
porter, of Centre Hall. There he remained un
til September, 1886, when he became associate
editor of the Centre County Times, of the same
place, and was the mainstay of the office, doing
the greater part of the editorial and mechanical
work from the very start. After two years' con
nection with this paper he went to Bellefonte,
where for nearly a year he worked on the Key
stone Gazette, and then was with the Democrat
and Sentinel, of Lewistown, Penn., in the ca
pacity of local editor. Failing health compelled
him to abandon the business, and in 1888 he re
turned to the home farm in Potter township,
which he has since successfully operated, and
half of which he now owns.
On November 12, 1885, in Spring Hills,
Penn., Mr. Smith was married to Miss Jennie
L. Kuhn, of Boalsburg, who was born in Spring
township, Centre county, September 24, 1866,
a daughter of William H. and Margaret (Relph)
Kuhn, the latter now residing at Jersey Shore,
Penn. Mr. Smith has always given his political
support to the Democratic party; fraternally he
is a member of the Grange. Although a young
man, he is classed among the most progressive
and enterprising farmers of Potter township, is
straightforward and reliable, and is well posted
on various topics. He and his estimable wife are
faithful members of the Lutheran Church, in
which he has served as deacon, and for fifteen
years has been a teacher in the Sunday-school.

S\AMUEL BRUGGER. There are no rules
) for building characters; there is no rule for
achieving success. The man who can rise from
the ranks to a position of eminence is he who
can see and utilize the opportunities that surround
his path. The essential conditions of life are
ever the same, the surroundings of individuals
differ but slightly; and, when one man passes
another on the highway to reach the goal of
prosperity before others who perhaps started out
before him, it is because he has the power to use
advantages which probably encompass the whole
human race. To-dayamong the most prominent
business men of central Pennsylvania stands Mr.
Brugger, whose work as a civil engineer covers a
wide radius of territory.
Johann Rudolph Brugger (grandfather of our
subject), a son of Samuel Brugger, was born in
October, 1772, in the District of Brugg, Canton

^id^ptX- dl/ri

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

401

Aargau, Switzerland, and after his marriage with
Catherine Wildi located at Veltheim, in the same
canton, where he engaged in linen weaving. In
1817, with his family, consisting of wife and six
children, he started for the New World; but dur
ing the three-months' voyage one of his three
sons died and was buried in the ocean. On land
ing at Philadelphia, Grandfather Brugger went
up the Susquehanna river to McKee's Half Falls,
and located at Grubb's Church, five miles from
the river, where he made his home for several
years. He then removed to what was then
Union county, but is now Snyder county, Penn.,
locating a few miles from the mouth of Mohan-
tongo creek, where his death occurred at the age
of eighty-two years.
Gabriel Brugger (the father of our subject)
was born in Veltheim, Switzerland, June 1, 1804,
and was thirteen years old when he came with
the family to this country. He wedded Cath
erine Arnold, who was born in Chapman town
ship, Union county, Penn., May 19, 1805, and
was a daughter of George Arnold. Ten chil
dren were born of this union: Saloma, now the
widow of Nathan Forrey, of Sandusky county,
Ohio; Rudolph, a farmer of the same county;
Samuel, the subject of this review; Gabriel, also
a farmer of Sandusky county, Ohio; Benjamin, a
farmer of Murfreesboro.Tenn. ; George, deceased;
Jonathan, a carpenter of Berrysburg, Penn.;
Mary A. , deceased wife of Joseph Vogt, of Clyde,
Ohio; William, deceased; and Mary E., wife of
Silas Malich, of Wayne, Neb. After his mar
riage the father of our subject removed to the
old Stone Valley church, in Lower Mahanoy
township, Northumberland county, Penn. , where
he resided until October, 1839, when he went to
Perry township, Union county, Penn. (now Sny
der county), and located upon a small farm near
Mt. Pleasant Mills.
The birth of our subject occurred near the
old Stone Valley Church in Northumberland
county, August 26, 1830. His early education
was rather limited, he at first attending a Ger
man school for a part of a year in his native
county, where the public-school system had not
yet been adopted. During the last two years he
attended school there, he learned to read English,
but did not understand what he read. After the
removal of the family to Union county, he at
tended the public schools for three months, the
length of the winter term. By the law then ex
isting the citizens of the district could take a vote
every three years, and reject or adopt the pub
lic-school system, and for several years afterward
there were no public schools.
At the age of ten years, Mr. Brugger started
36

out to fight life's battle,' at first working for his
board and clothes with an uncle, Jonathan Gel-
nett, of Juniata county, Penn., where he re
mained three years and one-half. Returning
home, he was a student in a private school for
two months during the winter for a couple of
years, taking up reading, arithmetic and a little
penmanship. In the fall of 1846 he taught a
two-months' term of school in Greenwood town
ship, Juniata county, and so successful was he in
this venture that he followed the profession for
several years, alternately teaching and attending
school. In 1849 he pursued his studies for one
session in the Dickinson Seminary, at Williams
port, Penn., under Rev. Thomas Bowman, now
a retired bishop of the Methodist Episcopal
Church. In the year previous his father had
given him his time, and he left home with his
small stock of clothing and school books in a
trunk, going to Boalsburg, Centre county, where
he clerked in the general store of George Jack
for $5 per month for three months. He next
cooked for a party of lumbermen in Clearfield
county, Penn. , for his board. In the winter of
1848-49 he taught school at Grahamton, in that
county, but in the following spring he returned
home. After attending the seminary at Williamsport
foroneterm, Mr. Brugger's funds were exhausted,
and he engaged in teaching for a time at Mt.
Pleasant Mills, Union county, and near Union
ville, in Centre county. In the summer of 185 1
he traveled on foot through Pennsylvania, Mich
igan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Ohio, and back
again to his old home. He then taught school
until 1853, when for five months he attended
Joshua Hoope's school for boys at Westchester,
Penn. He then entered the railroad service,
with which he has since been mainly connected,
first going to Unionville, where he was chainman
on the Bald Eagle Valley railroad. During the
summer of 1854 he was rodman on the Tangas-
cootak railroad, later taught school at Union
ville, and in April, 1855, he went to Minnesota,
for a time being employed as assistant city en
gineer on the streets of St. Paul. In the fall of
the same year he was engineer in charge of the
survey of the Minnesota & Northwestern railroad
from St. Paul to Cannon river, the first railroad
projected in the territory.
On February 14, 1856, Mr. Brugger was mar
ried to Miss Margaret Peters, who was born at
Unionville, Penn., February 29, 1836, and is a
daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Iddings) Peters,
also natives of Centre county. Her paternal
grandparents, Lawrence and Elsie (McGinnis)
Peters, were born in Lancaster county, Penn. ,.

402

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

and were among the early settlers of Centre
county, where they spent their, remaining days
upon a farm. Joseph and Margaret (Henry)
Iddings, the maternal grandparents, were natives
of Chester county, Penn., and were also pioneer
farming people of Centre county. ' The brothers
and sisters of Mrs. Brugger are as follows: John
died in the Union service during the Civil war;
Joseph died from the effects of his army serv
ice; Mary A. is the wife of Daniel Schuman, of
Missouri; and Sarah F. is the wife of Daniel
Hall, a blacksmith, of Unionville, Penn. Six
children blessed the union of our subject and his
wife: Walter M., a carpenter by trade, but now
on the road; Nora I., wife of William F. Becker,
stationery agent at Harrisburg, Penn. ; Caroline
A., wife of John C. Rumberger, agent for the
Central railroad of Pennsylvania at Salona, Clin
ton county, Penn. ; Joseph, a farmer of Union
township, Centre county; and John P. and Eliz
abeth C. , at home.
After his marriage, Mr. Brugger erected his
pleasant home at Unionville, Centre county,
where he has since resided. From October,
1856, until November, 1864, he was connected
with the construction of the Bald Eagle Valley
railroad; was next with the Sterling Mountain
railroad at New York; in 1866 located about fifty
miles of the Winslow Colliery & Clarion River
road; and in 1867 helped to construct the West
ern Maryland railroad. In the following January
he went to New York as principal assistant en
gineer on the Boston, Hartford & Erie railroad,
with which he was connected until 1870, when
on account of lack of funds work was abandoned.
Returning to the Western Maryland road, he was
resident engineer for three and one-half years, or
until its completion, when he returned home.
For several years he was then with the Pennsyl
vania & Western railroad, and subsequently for
three years was with the Susquehanna & South
western, now called the Beach Creek railroad,
, which extends between Jersey Shore and Ma
haffey, Penn. Since 1882 he has located the
Dickerson Run & Red Stone railroad between
Dawson and Uniontown, Penn.; the Kettle
Creek railroad, between Westport and Trout
Run, Clinton county; a part of the Southern
Central between Sunbury and Harrisburg; Chest
Creek, between Patton and West Dover, Penn. ;
Clearfield, Conemaugh & Western railroad, be
tween Clearfield and Johnstown, Penn. ; and at
present is their civil engineer. The Clearfield &
Mahoning railroad, between' Clearfield and Du-
Bois, Penn., was located by him in 1892.
As a civil engineer, Mr. Brugger has few
equals in this section of the State, and that his

work has been eminently satisfactory is shown by
his long retention with important railroad com
panies. A great student, he owns one of the
most elegant libraries in Centre county; is a man
of broad general information, and well-informed
on the leading topics of the day. He is one of
the most prominent and influential citizens of the
community, honored and respected by all, and
the confidence which he receives is justly merit
ed. For the past twenty-two years he has been
a consistent member of the Methodist Epicopal
Church, of which he is steward and trustee.
He casts his ballot in behalf of Democratic prin
ciples, but cares nothing for political office,
though in 1880 he was elected county surveyor.
During all the time he has been engaged in his
profession he made his home on his farm at
Unionville, consisting of about 160 acres of land,
100 of which have been improved. Besides this
he owns a piece of land in the Alleghany Mount
ains, which he is clearing and converting into a
fruit farm.

M NDREW KORMAN, one of the most sub-
J&L stantial, thorough and painstaking agricult
urists of Gregg township, Centre county, is a
native of Pennsylvania, born in Huntingdon
county, in March, 1845. When a mere child he
was brought to Centre county by his parents,
George and Christina (Royer) Korman, where
the father followed farming throughout the re
mainder of his life. He was called to his final
rest at the age of seventy years, and was buried
in the Union cemetery in Gregg township. He
was a highly respected and valued member of the
community, where he had hosts of warm friends*
His widow now makes her home with a daughter
in Gregg township. This worthy couple were
the parents of eight children, in order of birth as
follows: Aaron, deceased; Catharine, wife of B.
Yearick, of Potter township, Centre county; An
drew; Mary, wife of Washington Garvick, of
Centre county; Maggie, wife of Jesse Long, of
Gregg township ; Ellen, wife of Samuel Long, of
the same township; Alfred, deceased; and Louisa,
wife of John D. Honer, of Creston, Pennsylvania.
The education of Andrew Korman was prin
cipally obtained in the schools of Spring Mills,
but his opportunities were much poorer than
those afforded the children of the present day,
and, feeling the lack of a good education, he has
become a firm friend of our common-school sys
tem. Upon the home farm he was reared, and
under his father's able instruction acquired an
excellent knowledge of that business, remaining
with him until his marriage, when he was twenty-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

403

five years old, to Miss Julia A, Tibbens, who
was born in Brush Valley, Gregg township, No
vember' 19, 1 85 1. She is the oldest child of
Michael and Anna M. (Ziegler) Tibbens, farming
people, in whose family were nine children — two
sons and seven daughters. Mrs. Korman was
provided with a good education, to which she
has added greatly by reading in later years. By
her marriage she has become the mother of five
children: Oliver T., of Gregg township; Agnes
D., wife of R. B. Gentzel, of the same township;
Anna M., at home; Irvin W. , who died at the
age of nine years; and Harry A., at home.
After his marriage, Mr. Korman located upon
his father-in-law's farm, in Gregg township, along
the pike west of Spring Mills, where he remained
until 1883, when he purchased the Rev. P. Fisher
farm in the same township — a tract of 148 acres
— and paid $6, 158 for it. He has greatly im
proved the farm and placed it under a high state
of cultivation. In 1888 he built his present com
fortable residence, which is one of the best in
the township. Being a skillful and progressive
farmer, the fields are made to yield abundant
harvests and the entjre appearance of the place
indicates a thrifty and prosperous owner.
Politically, Mr. Korman follows in the foot
steps of his father, supporting the men and meas
ures of the Democratic party as a general rule,
but endeavors to vote for the man best qualified
to fill the office, regardless of party affiliations.
His excellent wife, who is a member of the Re
formed Church, has been a most faithful help
meet to him, and to her no little credit is due
for the success that he has achieved in life.
Their family all belongs to the Reformed Church,
and is one upon which they can look with pride,
all holding honorable positions in society, and
the name of Korman certainly deserves an hon
ored place in the records of Centre county.

JB. ARD. One of the prominent represent
atives of the commercial and industrial
interests of Centre county is the gentleman
whose name introduces this brief notice, the
well-known merchant miller of Pine Grove Mills.
He belongs to one of the leading and influential
families of Central Pennsylvania. His paternal
grandfather, Dr. Joseph B. Ard, was for many
years an eminent physician of Mifflin county,
making his home in Lewistown, but finally re
tired from active life, and spent his remaining
days in Philadelphia, where his death occurred
February 27, 1861. He was born September 18,
1784, and was of Scotch extraction, his ances

tors coming to this country prior to the Revolu
tionary war.
George Ard, the father of our subject, was
born in Lewistown, Penn., May 14, 18 14, and
on attaining to man's estate was united in mar
riage with Miss Emeline Harvey, a daughter of
Nathan Harvey, of Mill Hall, Clinton Co., Penn.
She died when our subject was but six years of
age, but her husband long survived her, passing
away in 1892. He was laid to rest in the ceme
tery at Lewistown. In their family were four
children, namely: (1) Eliza R. married Francis
Shoemaker, of Philadelphia, where they made
their home for about thirty-five years. There
she died some twenty years ago, leaving three
children — Ellen A., wife of Duncan L. Buzly,
an attorney at law of Philadelphia; George A.,
who died in 1883, at the age of twenty-two
years; and Francis, an importer of drugs. (2)
J. B., subject of this sketch, is next in order of
birth. (3) Dr. Wilson P., a practicing physician
of Woodward, Centre county, married Amanda
Body, of Berks county, Penn. , and has four chil
dren. (4) Ellen R, , twin sister of the Doctor,
became the wife of Robert A. Lovett, and died
in 1878, in Florida, whither she had gone for
her health, being troubled with pulmonary dis
ease. Her.remains were interred at Lewistown.
For a number of years she and her husband had
lived in Paris, France, where he was engaged in
the banking business. When last heard from he
was in the West.
Being left without a mother's tender care at
an early age, J. B. Ard and his brother, Wilson
P. were placed by their father in school at McVey-
town, on the Juniata river, near Lewistown, Penn.,
where they remained some five years, and were
subsequently students in the Pine Grove Mills
Academy for the same length of time, there com
pleting their literary educations. On leaving the
school room our subject entered a store as clerk,
where he was employed for two years, and then
held a similar position in the dry-goods estab
lishment of Cooper & Conard, of Philadelphia.
In 1864 he took a course in Pollock's Mercantile
College. Returning to Pine Grove Mills, Mr.
Ard, in 1868, established himself in mercantile
business, which he successfully carried on until
1 87 1, when he disposed of his business, and has
since given his attention to merchant milling.
In 1885, Mr, Ard was united in marriage with
Miss Mary C. Lytle, a daughter of Piersol and
Lydia Lytle, of Ferguson township, Centre
county. Two children were born to them, one
of whom died in infancy; the other, a bright lit
tle boy, was born August 16, 1893. In politics,
Mr. Ard is a stalwart Democrat, and in religious

404

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

belief is inclined toward the Presbyterian doc
trine, to which his wife adheres. They occupy
a most elegant home, tastefully and luxuriantly
furnished, and here their many friends are sure
to receive a hearty welcome.

ISAAC S. FRAIN. The spirit of self-help is
the only true worth in the individual. It is
this which enables man to rise above his sur
roundings, overcome obstacles and work his way
upward to prominence. The space between
what a man is and his ideal is his opportunity,
and he who utilizes every advantage, by which
he may rise to the level of his ideal, must ulti
mately win success. Such has been the life
record of Mr. Frain, who by his own efforts has
risen to a position of affluence, and to-day stands
among the most substantial and highly-respe'cted
farmers of Centre county. He is the proprietor
of the Fair View stock farm, in Marion town
ship, and is one of the best known citizens of
his locality. Mr. Frain was born in Berks county, Penn.,
February 3, 1834, a son of Henry and Catherine
(Shoemaker) Frain, also of Berks county. The
latter was a daughter of Jacob Shoemaker, of
that county, who served in the Revolutionary
war, and after its close his father and all his
.brothers and sisters removed to Waterloo, On
tario, Canada, where several of his descendants
still reside, engaged in farming and stock raising.
Jacob Shoemaker and his family remained in
Berks county. In 1840 Henry Frain removed
with his family from Berks to Union county,
where his wife died in July, 1852, at the age of
forty-four years. He then went to live with our
subject and another son, remaining with them
until his death in September, 1874, when he was
aged seventy-seven years, his birth having oc
curred August 17, 1797.
Henry and Catherine Frain were the parents
of the following named: Isaac, subject of this
sketch; Henry, who is engaged in the hotel
business in Kansas City, Mo. ; George, a car
penter of Altoona, Penn. ; John, of Kansas, who
served in the 56th P. V. I., and had the fingers
of his left hand shot off; Samuel, proprietor of
a grocery in Harrisburg, Penn. , who served in
the 149th P. V. I. and was wounded in the ankle;
Charles, who was a member of the same regi
ment, and was wounded in the arm (he is now a
farmer of Salina, Kans.); Frank, of Williams
port, Penn., who served as a member of the first
cavalry regiment from this State, and lost his
right arm in the war.
Until seventeen years of age, Isaac S. Frain

remained under the parental roof, during which
time he attended the public schools, and assisted
his father in the cultivation of the farm. He
then served a two-years' apprenticeship at the
carpenter's trade under Jacob Hazel, after which
he worked as a journeyman one year. On April
1, 1855, he embarked in business on his own ac
count as a contractor and builder, and success
fully followed that pursuit until April 1, 1865,
when, with the capital he had acquired through
his own labors, he purchased his present farm.
The buildings were then dilapidated, and" much
of the land was at that time uncultivated; but
with characteristic energy he began the work of
improvement, and to-day has one of the finest
farms in Centre county, supplied with excellent
buildings and all the accessories and conveniences
found upon a model farm in this latter part of
the nineteenth century. In addition to the culti
vation of the fields, he has extensively and suc
cessfully engaged in the raising of thoroughbred*
stock, making a specialty of Percheron and
French coach horses. In his stables are found a
Percheron horse, "Royal" (registered as No.
15,862), a French coach horse, "Bison" (No.
190), and another French coach horse, "Ignor"'
(No. 752). Mr. Frain was president of the first
French horse company of Centre county, and to
no man is due in a greater degree the result of
raising the high standard of horses bred in this
locality. On February 5, 1855, Mr. Frain was joined'
in wedlock with Mary A. Ziegler, who died May
1, 1884. They had nine children, three of whom
died in infancy; William A. died at the age of
five months and five days; Davis Z. is a farmer
of Marion township, Centre county; John H., a
graduate of the college at New Berlin, went to-
Kansas March 4, 1885, engaged in school teach
ing in that State for some years, went to Pueblo,
Colo., in the spring of 1891, and remained until
his death, November 1, 1894; Cephas W. resides
with his father: Mary K. is the wife of Prof. G.
F. W. Mark, principal of the High School at
Northeast, Penn.; Clara E. is the wife of A. N.
Womelsdorf, of Mill Hall, Penn. ; E. Frank is a
graduate of the Potts Shorthand and Commer
cial College, Williamsport, Penn., and of the
Rochester Business University, Rochester, New
York. In June, 1886, Mr. Frain was again married,
this second union being with Mrs. Sarah E.
(Wallis) Moore, widow of David A. Moore, for
merly a native of Blair county, Penn. , who died
in August, 1875, at the age of thirty-two years.
Mrs. Frain was born in Cumberland county,.
Penn., a daughter of Joseph and Mary R-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

405

(Campbell) Wallis, natives of Dauphin and Cum
berland counties, respectively. Her paternal
grandparents were John L. and Mary (Cook)
Wallis, of Lycoming, Penn., the former of
whom was the first white child born in Muncy
Valley, Lycoming county. Her maternal grand
parents were John and Mary (McKnight) Camp
bell. Mrs. Frain's father was a school teacher
in early life, but spent his later years upon a
farm, and for some time before his death he was
blind. His children were: Sarah E. , wife of our
subject; John L. and Mary A., who died in in
fancy; and William N. , a minister of the United
Evangelical Church of Williamsport.
Mr. Frain has not confined his attention
alone to one enterprise or to one class of inter
ests, but has devoted his energies to the further
ance of many business and public concerns. He
is associated with the Centre County Mutual Fire
Insurance Co., of the Patrons of Husbandry,
which was organized in 1886, was made presi
dent on its organization, served in that capacity
eight years, and was re-elected president of said
company in 1893, and serves in that capacity at
the present time. It started with a guaranty of
-$50,000, and now has two million dollars in
outstanding risks. The business has been man
aged at an expense of only $1.41 per thousand
on the actual insurance. For eight years Mr.
Frain was master of the Centre County Pomona
Grange No. 13, retiring from that office in 1895,
after serving eight years in all. He belongs to
Marion Grange No. 223, Patrons of Husbandry;
to Howard or Lick Run Lodge No. 312, I. O.
0. F. ; and to the United Evangelical Church.
In his political adherencyhe is a Democrat. He
now lives practically retired, enjoying a well-
earned rest.

S\TANLEY K. WATSON. Among the more
) prominent farmers of Boggs township is the
subject of this biography, whose name stands
high on the military records of the Civil war, as
well as in the annals of Centre county. By per
severance and industry he has gained a foothold
in the world, being a self-made man, and is one
of the honored and highly respected citizens of
the community. His home is pleasantly located
in Boggs township on the Marsh Creek road, just
four miles south of where his birth occurred De
cember 14, 1841..
His parents, Thomas and ' Annie (Mackey)
Watson, were natives of Ireland and Pennsyl
vania, respectively, and were married in Centre
county, where they spent their remaining days,
the father dying December 14, 1856, at the age

of seventy-seven years, and the mother on Feb
ruary 28, 1879, at the age of eighty-one years.
In their family were the following children:
Hannah, born November 21, 18 16, is the de
ceased wife of Thomas McMullen; Joseph, born
January 29, 181 8, and George, born July 22,
1819, are both deceased; Jane, bom April 1,
1 82 1, is living in Boggs township; Margarie,
born September 28, 1823, is the widow of Will
iam Stanley, of Boggs township; Green, born
February 4, 1824, was killed by some lumber
falling on him; Nancy, born October 23, 1824,
is deceased; Julian, born September 24, 1827,
married Henry Pownall, but both are now de
ceased; Margaret, born August 1, 1829, is the
wife of Perry Akins, of Boggs township; Eliza
beth, born August 3, 1831, David, born April
29, 1833, Sarah, born January 10, 1835, Ed
ward, born April 11, 1837, and Lucinda, born
November 9, 1839, are all deceased; and Stanley
K. completes the family. The father was twice
married, and by the first union had five children,
all now deceased, namely: James, born July
23, 1804; Abraham, born May 23, 1807; John,
born August 31, 1809; Thomas, born September
14, 18 12; and Mary, who was born January 25,
1 8 14, and became the wife of Joseph Akley. In
early life the father engaged in the manufacture
of charcoal, and later followed farming. He
took an active part in political affairs, always
supporting the Democratic party, and acceptably
served in several local offices, including that of
school director. Religiously he was a member
of the Messiah Church.
At the age of sixteen, on the death of his
father, Stanley K. Watson left home, and for two
years worked in a sawmill, after which he was in
the lumber woods until 1863. Filled with
patriotic ardor, in that year he enlisted in Com
pany E, 184th P. V. I., and remained in the
service until honorably discharged March 21,
1865, on account of disability. While under
Capt. John McCabe, at the battle of Cold Har
bor, in front of Richmond, June 3, 1864, he re
ceived a gunshot wound, which incapacitated his
right arm; he also received a slight wound in the
hip at North Ann River, Va. He was first sent
to Lincoln Hospital at Washington, D. C, but
was afterward transferred to White Hall Hos
pital in Bucks county, Penn., where he remained
until receiving his discharge.
For one year after his return home, Mr. Wat
son engaged in no occupation, but spent the time
in trying to regain his usual health. He then fol
lowed lumbering on Brush creek until 1881, when
he purchased his present home, to the cultivation
and improvement of which he has since devoted

406

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

his time and attention with most gratifying re
sults. Although he has the use of but one arm,
he is an energetic, industrious man and a most
skillful farmer. The government grants him a
pension of $36 per month.
On October 21,1 866, Mr. Watson was united
in marriage with Miss Mary E. Poorman, who
was born May 1, 1842, and they have three chil
dren: Laura A., born March 26, 1868, is the wife
of William S. Walker, a puddler of Milesburg;
John T. , born March 3, 1869, married Emma
Confer, by whom he has one son, Clyde M., and
they reside with our subject; and Ellen J., born
September 13, 1870, is the wife of James E. Con
fer, a farmer of Boggs township. Politically,
Mr. Watson adheres to the Republican party,
and he has faithfully served as road supervisor,
school director for six years, and is now serving
his third year as township auditor. A conscien
tious, earnest Christian, he is a consistent mem
ber of the Messiah Church at Marsh Creek, of
which he is deacon and trustee, while, socially,
he is connected with George L. Porter Post No.
261, G. A. R. , of Milesburg, of which he is the
popular commander. In all the relations of life
he has been found true and faithful to every duty,
and as loyal to his country in days of peace as
when following the stars and stripes to victory on
Southern battlefields.

JH. DEIBLER. Probably there is no other
town in Centre county or, indeed, in any
county, where the leading mercantile establish
ments are conducted by men so young in years
as are those of Millheim, and foremost among
this class of business men is the subject of this
sketch, who controls the largest trade in general
merchandise of any one in the place. Born
March 25, 1865, his career may be said to be
only at its beginning, yet he has already achieved
a success such as most merchants gain by the
work of a lifetime.
Mr. Deibler is a native of Berrysburg, Dau
phin Co., Penn., a son of John W. and Hen
rietta (Ubdegrave) Deibler, who are still living
in that town, though advanced in years. Both
were born in Schuylkill county, Penn. John W.
Deibler began life as a poor man, and for some
time was a huckster and farmer, but he has ac
cumulated a handsome competence, and his old
age is spent in comfort. Through going bail for
others he has lost considerable money, but for
tunately he has not suffered seriously. He is
highly respected, and is one of the leading Re
publicans of his locality. Of his family of six
sons and five daughters, all are living.

N The subject of our sketch began his educa
tion in the public schools of his native town,
supplementing this instruction with a course at
Berrysburg Seminary, an excellent institution
from which a number of people have graduated
who later became eminent in various callings.
Mr. Deibler seems to have had a clear perception
of his peculiar fitness for a mercantile career, as
he began to prepare for it at an 'early age by
taking employment as a clerk for Cornelius Swab,
a general merchant at Berrysburg, at a salary of
$9 per month, board not included. After six
months in that place, he obtained a situation in
the general store of J. B. Enders, where he re
mained three years.
In 1883, Mr. Deibler went to Millheim to
clerk for J. W. Snook, and during the eight years
spent in that store, five different firms were in
possession. As a clerk he formed an extensive
acquaintance, and when he engaged in business
for himself in 189 1, he speedily established a fine
custom. Courtesy, attention to business, and
fair dealing with all, characterize his. conduct,
and his business has rapidly grown to be one of
the most profitable in Penn's Valley. In addi
tion to his mercantile business, Mr. Deibler is
interested in several building and loan associa
tions. As the architect of his own fortune, he
has certainly made a phenomenal success which
promises even better things for the future. On
March 17, 1891, he was united in marriage with
Miss Maggie H. Miller, a native of Centre Hall,
a daughter of John H. Miller, now a leading res
ident of Williamsport. Mrs. Deibler is a mem
ber of the Lutheran Church, and is prominent in
the best social circles of the locality.
In politics Mr. Deibler is a Republican, stead
fast in the faith, and a regular voter, but he takes
no share in partisan work, believing that either
it or his business would be neglected if both were
attempted. However devoted he may be to his
private affairs, he is much too public-spirited to
suppress his keen interest in all progressive move
ments, and he is a generous and prompt helper
of any measure which promotes the common
good.

RLANDO WESTON, an active and ener
getic farmer residing at Mt. Pleasant, Tay
lor township, Centre county, is a native of Penn
sylvania, born July 20, 1854, in Huntingdon
county, at what is known as the Cross Roads,
and is a son of Elijah and Ellen (Gill) Weston,
natives of Huntingdon and Centre counties, re
spectively. They were married in the former
county, where they remained until 1858, when

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

407

they removed to Sandy Ridge, Centre county,
but in 1862 returned to Huntingdon county,
where the mother died two years later, at the
age of forty-six. In early life the father followed
the tanner's trade, operating a tannery at Osce
ola, Penn., until the panic of 1875, since which
time he has engaged in carpentering at that place.
He has been a prominent member of the Method
ist Episcopal Church since 1 866, and class leader
for many years.
Our subject is the eldest in the family of five
children, his sisters being as follows: Anna,
wife of Samuel Winters, a farmer of Michigan;
Emma, wife of Charles Baker, a farmer and
lumberman of Clearfield county, Penn. ; Mary,
deceased wife of James Edward, a carpenter of
Osceola; and Elizabeth, who died at the age of
twenty-two years. After the death of his first
wife, Elijah Weston married Miss Nancy Merry-
man, and to them were born the following chil
dren: Clara, wife of Levi Richie, a farmer of
Bedford county, Penn. ; William and Elijah, de
ceased; Fannie, at home; and Naomah, wife of
William Crane, who is assisting her father in the
butchering business at Osceola. The paternal
grandparents of our subject, Elijah and Polly
(Merryman) Weston, were natives of Huntingdon
and Centre counties respectively. The former
was of English extraction, and was a well-read
and intelligent farmer. The maternal grand
father, William Gill, was of Scotch descent, and
died at Bellefonte, Penn., at the advanced age
of nearly one hundred years.
At the age of twenty-two years, Orlando
Weston started out in life for himself, but he had
previously worked with his father both at farm
ing and tanning, assisting in the operation of the
tannery at Osceola. Later he was employed by
others in that business, being connected with
steam tanneries at Osceola, Philipsburg, Clear
field and Curwensville until 1883, when he em
barked in farming .upon his present place, which
he now has under a high state of cultivation and
well improved. In the fall of 1880 he married
Miss Maggie Nearhoof, who died the following
year at the age of twenty-two, leaving one daugh
ter, Maggie, now residing with her grandmother
in Tyrone, Penn. Mr. Weston was again mar
ried May 3, 1885, this time to Miss Maggie Mer
ryman, and to them have been born three chil
dren: Anna M., Sherman B. and Verna E.
Mrs. Weston was born in Taylor township,
Centre county, February 27, 1863, and is a
daughter of Thomas and Anna (Miller) Merry-
man, who spent their entire lives upon a farm in
the same county, where the former died in 1889
at the age of sixty-six, and the latter in 1891 at

the same age. They held membership in the
United Brethren Church, and in politics the fa
ther was a Republican. He was honored by his
fellow citizens with several local offices. His
family consisted of six children: Nancy, wife of
Henry Melcher, a farmer and lumberman of Cen
tre county; Mollie, who lives with her sisters;
Emma, wife of W. S. Weston, a farmer of Tay
lor township; Laura; wife of Pius Richards, also
a farmer of Taylor township; William, a railroad
fireman residing at Tyrone, Penn. ; and Maggie,
wife of our subject.
Mr. Weston is a firm supporter*of the Repub
lican party, and his worth and ability have re
ceived due acknowledgment from the hands of
his fellow citizens, who have called upon him at
different times to serve the people in several
township offices, the duties of which he has
promptly and faithfully discharged. He has been
an active member of the United Brethren Church
since locating in Taylor township, and is one of
the highly respected citizens of the community.

PHILIP DURST is the owner of one of the
best and most highly productive farms of
Potter township, Centre county, to which he has
given' his close attention with results which can
hardly fail to be satisfactory to himself, and
where his labors have met with success. The
highly cultivated fields and neat and thrifty ap
pearance of the place denote the supervision of a
careful, painstaking and progressive business man
of sound judgment.
Mr. Durst was born on March 28, 1840, a son
of George and Catharine (Meyer) Durst. In the
Fairfield school he began his education under
the direction of James Davis, and when quite
young he was brought by his parents to his pres
ent farm, after which he attended the Plum
Grove school. At the age of nine years he was
able to handle a plow, and has since devoted his
time and attention principally to agricultural pur
suits. His father being one of the best managers
and successful farmers of the community, our
subject, under his able direction, has also be
come one of the most skillful and thorough agri
culturists and business men of Potter township.
He uses the most advanced methods and ma
chinery in the operation of his land, which has
been an important factor in his success. Until
his marriage he assisted in the labors of the home
farm with the exception of one summer, when he
worked as a farm hand for Henry Dale, of Har
ris township, Centre county.
On February 28, 1864, Mr. Durst was mar
ried to Miss Sarah Schnure, who was born in

408

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Hartley township, Union Co., Penn., in May,
1842, and is one of the ten children — five sons
and five daughters — of Christian and Lydia
(Kiester) Schnure. One brother, John Schnure,
was a Union soldier during the Civil war, and
died in Libby prison. Her parents died in Union
county, Penn., the father at the age of eighty-
two years, and the mother at the age of sixty-
nine. They started out in life in limited circum
stances, but through their own industrious efforts
became prosperous and well-to-do citizens, own
ing two good farms. They were held in the
highest esteeYn by all who knew them. Like
her husband, Mrs. Durst received only a com
mon-school education. Eight children grace
their union, namely: John H., born June 11,
1866, is at home; Francis M., born November
14, 1869, died in infancy; Christian, born May
16, 1871, is living in Illinois; Ida M., born Sep
tember 30, 1872, is the wife of Milton Snyder,
of Centre Hall, Centre county; Minnie M., born
May 25, 1874, is the wife of George W. Condo,
of Centre Hall; and Charlie W., born February
28, 1878, Verna L. , born February 24, 1884,
and Mary B., born June 12, 1886, are all at
home. After his marriage, Mr. Durst located upon
the home farm, which he and his brother, Hiram,
operated together until 1868, and after renting
it for several years our subject purchased the
same in 1879. He has made many valuable im
provements upon the place, including the erec
tion of good buildings, and, like his father before
him, is a systematic, energetic farmer of progress
ive ideas. In his undertakings he has been uni
formly successful, so that he is now numbered
among the most reliable and substantial farmers
of Potter township. The Democratic party has
ever found in him an earnest supporter, and both
himself and wife are faithful members of the Re
formed Church, in which he has served as dea
con. They hold a high place- in the esteem and
confidence of their fellow-citizens, and none are
more worthy of representation in a work of this
character than Mr. and Mrs. Philip Durst.

WILLAM Y. GRAY, of the firm of Gray &
Guelich, the well-known carriage manu
facturers of Philipsburg, Centre county, is one of
the most highly esteemed citizens of the county,
being not only an able and successful man of
business, but an active worker in all the lines of
effort tending to the welfare, of the community.
He was born July 30, 1833, in Northumberland
county, Penn., a son of George and Susan
(Keffer) Gray, and his ancestral history is of

especial interest as in the maternal line he rep
resents the fifth generation of the famous pioneer,
Morris Lawrence, who was the first permanent
white settler of this section of whom we have
authentic record . Morris Lawrence was a native of
Alsace, France (now in Germany), born May 5,
1682, and in 17 10 made his home at the site of
the present town of Milton, in Northumberland
county. At that time there was not a white
man within ten miles of his primitive abode, and
the solitude of the forest avenues was broken
only by the passing of the Indians, while the
swiftly gliding canoe darted over the surface of the
quiet Susquehanna river. There Mr. Lawrence
passed a long and peaceful life, passing away
June 14, 1792, at the advanced age of one hun
dred and nine years. His daughter, Mrs. Marie
Eve Keffer, died in 18 15, aged ninety-seven
years, five months and twenty-four days, and her
husband, Martin Keffer, died in 181 5, aged nine
ty-eight years, ten months and twenty-one days.
At the time of Mrs. Keffer's death her twelve
children were all living, and she had 138 great-
great-grandchildren, and two great-great-great
grandchildren. Morris Lawrence had a brother,
a Catholic priest, who remained in France, and
left a large estate which the heirs have not been
able to secure. The Lawrences of Minersville,
Penn., among whom are Frank and Jacob Law
rence, the operators of the Lawrence colliery at
Mahanoy Plane, Penn., are of this family.
On the paternal side Mr. Gray belongs to an
old and highly respected family of German ori
gin. His father, who was a native of Pennsyl
vania, and a tobacconist by trade, was eighty-
three years old at the time of his death, which
occurred in Pittsburg, Penn. By his marriage
with Susan Keffer, George Gray had four children:
John A., formerly of Decatur, 111., now deceased;
James L., and Jane C. (twins), the former of
Wooster, Ohio, the latter married to a Mr. Buck-
heister, of Philadelphia, Penn., but now deceased;
and William Y., the subject of this sketch. The
mother of these dying, the father married a Miss
McClure, and by this union there were seven
children: George, Mattie, Lydia, Emma, Tillie,
Hattie and Edith.
William Y. Gray spent his youth in Milton,
Northumberland county, attending the district
schools and learning the carriage makers' trade.
After prospecting for a suitable location, he set
tled at Salona, Penn. , and worked at his trade
for eleven years, and then he went to Clearfield
for eleven months, finally establishing himself in
Philipsburg, where in 1880 he opened his pres
ent shop. His careful workmanship and admir
able business methods have given him the leader-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

409

ship in his chosen line of work, his custom being
extensive. For about eleven years his son-in-
law, C. H. Guelich, has been a partner in the
business. In 1853 Mr. Gray was married to Miss Mary
J. Lunger, a native of New Jersey, born in 1834.
They have four children living: (1) Anna (Mrs.
C. H. Guelich) has one son — Paul L. ; (2) Jos
ephine (wife of W. S. Jones, of New Castle) has
one child — Ruth G. ; (3) Sarah (wife of E. F.
Townsend, of Philipsburg) has four children —
Helen M., Warren G., Harry A. and William
McKinley; (4) Cora married John H. Apgar, of
Clearfield, Penn., and has one son — William
A. Mr. and Mrs. Gray have had four children
who did not long bless their home with their
presence: Lucy died at the age of three years;
Amelia also passed away, at the age of twelve;
James lived to the age of eighteen; and Harry
M. was taken from his bereaved parents Febru
ary 9, 1885, under peculiarly painful circum
stances. He was out hunting with some com
panions, when a gun carried by one of the boys
was accidentally discharged, and the bullet
passed through young Gray's body. A neighbor
who was passing in a vehicle was quickly sum
moned by the boys, but death had already set
his seal upon the frame which but a few moments
before had been full of vigor and energy, and be
fore the sad group could reach the home in Phil
ipsburg, life was extinct. The grief of the
stricken family touched all hearts, and the sym
pathy of the community has seldom been so
deeply stirred. Mr. and Mrs. Gray are members
of the Baptist Church, he for forty-seven years,
.and he has been a deacon therein for seventeen
years. Mr. Gray is a Republican in politics, and has
always shown a genuine interest in local progress,
and has taken an active part in any movements
for the public good. Fraternally he is a member
of the Masonic order, and for years past he has
held a high rank, having devoted much time to
the work which has been to him the pleasantest
occupation of his life. An interesting and pro
tracted correspon dence with M. Etienne Stephanos,
Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Greece,
was only interrupted by the latter's death, of
which Mr. Gray was especially notified by Madam
Stephanos, the widow of' the deceased. The fol
lowing record will be of interest as showing Mr.
Gray's progress in the order. He is a member of
Milton Lodge No. 256, where he was entered
April 18, 1864, passed May 16, 1864, raised July
18, 1864, installed junior warden, December 26,
1868, senior warden, December 20, 1869, wor
shipful master, December 27, 1872. In Clear

field Chapter No. 228, Clearfield, Penn., he
was marked January 17, 1887, received Feb
ruary 21, 1887, exalted March 21, 1887. He
is a Knight Templar also, and was first con
nected with Mountain Commandery No. 10,
Altoona, and knighted March 30, 1888, but
withdrew to become a charter member of Mo
shannon Commandery, K. T. , No. 74, Philips
burg, Penn., of which he has been installed as
prelate. He has been a welcome visitor of Mo
shannon Lodge No. 391, for twenty years. De-
sides the correspondence above mentioned, he
has had extensive intercourse by letters with
many other leading Freemasons all over the
world, and without doubt has the largest collec
tion of photographs of prominent and foreign
Masons, of any one in the State. Mrs. Gray,
also, has quite an assortment of mementoes
and souvenirs sent her by many of her hus
band's friends in various parts of the world.
The most valuable are those from the Island of
Malta; Athens, Greece; Madras, India; *Buda-
Pesth, Hungary; Sophia, Bulgaria; London, Eng
land; Kingston, Jamaica; Havana, Cuba; and
Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands.
Mr. Gray was a soldier. in the Union army,
served until the close of the war, and was mus
tered out at Clarksburg, W. Va. He is a mem
ber of John W. Geary Post No. 90, G. A. R. ,
of Philipsburg, of which he has been chaplain
since 1891.

w

WILLIAM H. TEMPLE, a representative
MI1L and valued citizen of Snow Shoe, Cen
tre county, has for many years been connected
with the railroad service in this section of the
State, and is now engineer on the Tyrone division
of the Pennsylvania railroad, running between
Bellefonte and Snow Shoe.
Mr. Temple is a native of Petersburg, Hunt
ingdon Co., Penn., born December 25, 1842,
and a son of James and Margaret (Long) Tem
ple, natives of Chester and Centre counties,
Penn. , respectively. For a number of years the
father served as a patent-right agent. In 1855
he removed to Bellefonte, where his home was
at the time of the accident in which he lost his
life; in 1874, while returning from Philadelphia,
he was in a wreck on the Pennsylvania railroad
in which he was killed, at the age of fifty-seven
years. His wife, the mother of our subject, was
born in 1822, and was the first white child born
in Snow Shoe, where her parents, John and
Margaret Long, had located at a very early day,
and were the owners of much of the present site
of that village. Our subject is the eldest of five

410

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

children, the others being: Mary J. ,wife of
Robert Thompson, a railroad engineer residing
in Bellefonte; John R. , also a railroad engineer,
making his home in Florence, S. C. ; Ellen,
deceased; and Sallie, wife of 'William Reasoner,
a watchman on the Pennsylvania railroad, living
in Bellefonte. At the age of fifteen years William H. Temple
became connected with the railroad service, as
brakeman on the Bellefonte & Snow Shoe rail
road, and coupled the first cars to an engine at
Bellefonte, or in fact, in Centre county, the cars
and engine being built at Philadelphia, Penn.,
and sent to Bellefonte on canal boats. After
serving for a time as brakeman, he was promoted
to conductor, was later made fireman, and since
June 13, 1863, he has been a locomotive engin
eer. On June 11, 1878, he was in a terrible
wreck on the Snow Shoe railroad, his engine
with four cars going through a trestle seventy-
two feet high. He had three of the ribs in his
right side broken, but on the 8th of the following
July he was able to again take charge of his en
gine. He is a most cautious and, careful engin
eer, knowing that in his hands are entrusted
many lives and much property, and his service
has ever proved satisfactory to the company by
whom he is employed. Mr. Temple has had
many narrow escapes in railroad accidents; at
one time his engine jumped the track, went down
an embankment and turned over. At another
time his engine ran off an open switch and turned
over, he jumping and sustaining a broken shoul
der. At still another time, on the main track
near Bellefonte, his engine collided with the day
express. He has been a member of the Brother
hood of Locomotive Engineers some twenty
years. In 1864 Mr. Temple enlisted in Company B,
210th P. V. I., under Capt. John Nye, and par
ticipated in a number of hotly contested battles.
While in front of Richmond, March 31, 1865,
he was wounded in the left leg, which caused his
confinement in Columbian Hospital at Washing
ton, D. C. , for six months. He had served as
color guard, a most perilous position, but was
always found at his post of duty. On June
14, 1865, he was honorably discharged and re
turned home. ,
Mr. Temple was married in Snow Shoe, May
10, 1 87 1, to Mrs. Victoria Lucas, and they have
six children, all at home, namely: John S., born
March 17, 1873, died of typhoid fever December
12, 1897; Elizabeth Bella, born May 8, 1874;
married October 29, 1897, to Leo J. Hopton;
Harry, born November 27, 1876; Edward W.,
born January 6, 1880; Mary L., born October 6,

1 881; and Charles R., born December 30, 1886.
The older sons now conduct a livery stable at
Snow Shoe, of which Harry is manager, and also-
runs a bus line between that place and Clarence.
Mrs. Temple was born September 2, 1847, in
Schuylkill county, Penn., a daughter of James-
and Mary L. (Hirsch) Walker, who were natives
of Tamaqua, in the same county, and at an early
day came to Centre county, where the father
died. The mother, who is still living, now makes
her home in Brisbin, Clearfield Co., Penn. She
is a daughter of Nicholas and Margaret (Smith)
Hirsch, who came to America from France in
1826, and located at Tamaqua, where her father
followed huxtering. The paternal grandparents
of Mrs. Temple, John and Hester (Wenchum)
Walker, were natives of England, and also
crossed the Atlantic in 1 826, locating at Tama
qua, where the grandfather was a coal operator
until his death. Mrs. Temple is the eldest in a
family of nine children, who in order of birth
were as follows: Henrietta, wife of Jerry Nolan,
a railroad engineer of Bellefonte; Emma, wife of
Jacob Rapp, who is also an engineer residing at
that place; Edward, a merchant of Brisbin, Penn.;
Martha, wife of Robert Forsyth, a coal mine
prospector living in Houtsdale, Penn. ; George, i|
who is engaged in clerking in Brisbin; Daniel, a
merchant tailor of Trenton, N. J. ; Seneca, a
railroad fireman living in Bellefonte; and John, a
merchant tailor of Trenton, New Jersey.
Politically Mr. Temple is a firm adherent of
the Republican party, and an active supporter of
its principles, while socially he has been for
twenty-seven years a member of the I. 0. 0. F.
at Bellefonte, and has filled many offices therein..
Religiously he belongs to the Presbyterian Church,
of which he has been a trustee for the past four
years. He is a broad-minded, enterprising citi
zen, winning the confidence of all with whom he
comes in contact, and has the happy faculty of
easily making and retaining friends. The first
husband of Mrs. Temple was Samuel Lucas, whc-
was a conductor on the Snow Shoe railroad, and
died June 10, 1869. By that marriage she had
one son, James S., born May 24, 1868, and who-
now resides with Mr. Temple.

T\ E. ROYER, one of the most extensive
land owners of Miles township, Centre
county, is a veteran soldier whose gallant service
in the war of the Rebellion won him lasting
honor. Born September 17, 1840, he was in the
full flush of manhood when, on August 25, 1862,
he offered himself in his country's cause as a pri
vate in Company A, 148th P, V. I., which was

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

411

recruited at Rebersburg. His first battle was at
Chancellorsville, and he took part in the engage
ments at Mine Run, Gettysburg, Bristol Station,
Auburn Mills, and all others of his regiment until,
during the fierce charge made by the 148th at
Spottsylvania Court House, he was disabled for
such work as the members of that famous regi
ment were usually assigned to. The thumb and
third finger of his right hand were shot away, but
as soon as his wounds were healed Mr. Royer
joined the Convalescent Corps, 51st Company,
and remained on duty until mustered out with
the rank of corporal August 25, 1865, when he
returned to Brush Valley.
The Royer family were among the early set
tlers of Berks county, Penn. , but have long been
identified with Brush Valley, Christopher Royer,
our subject's grandfather, having settled there in
1807. He was born June 19, 1768, and died
October 16, 1849. The mill north of Rockville
was built by him, and he owned a large tract of
land in that vicinity. In addition to his farm
work he carried on a distillery. His children
were Daniel, Henry, Amos, Jefferson, Joel, Cath
arine, Elizabeth, Sarah and Barbara.
Henry Royer, our subject's father, was born
in Snyder county (then Union county), near Mid-
dleburg, and was next to the youngest of the
sons. He was a boy in his "teens" when his
father came to Brush Valley, and his schooling
was such as the times afforded, but his good sense
and judgment made up in a large measure for
lack of training. He was married in Brush Val
ley, when a young man, to Susan Wolfe, daugh
ter of George Wolfe, and a native of Haines
township, Centre county. He then located near
Rockville on one of his father's farms, and fol
lowed agriculture during his. active life, acquiring
a fair competence, although he only lived to the
age of forty-one years. He died in Sugar Val
ley, and his wife, who passed away before him at
the age of thirty-eight, died in Brush Valley,
both being buried at Rebersburg. He was a
Whig, later a Republican, and was a stanch sup
porter of the principles of the party. In relig
ious work he was active, as a member of the Re
formed Church, and he always showed hearty
sympathy with any worthy improvement.
He had nine children, namely: Joseph, who
died at Howard, Centre county, was a prominent
merchant and grain dealer; T. E. is mentioned
more fully below; Frank, a lumberman, resides
at Loganton, Penn; Henry G. is a resident of
Johnstown, Penn. G. Scott, of Easton, is a rail
road conductor; Annie married David Guswite, of
Greene township, Clinton Co., Penn.; Abigail
married Thomas Brungart, of Sugar Valley;

Rachel is now Mrs. Andrew Ocker, of Madison
burg, and Isabella married J. D. Johnston, of
Easton. T. E. Royer was born September 17, 1840,
the family then living near Rebersburg. His first
school was at Tylersville, where his parents lived
for awhile, and a Mr. Divens was his first teaqher
Great improvement in educational facilities has
been made since that time, and no one can be
more heartily in favor of this progress than Mr.
Royer. He certainly deserves credit for his
effective use of his opportunities, his studies be
ing pursued until he was himself qualified to
teach. After he had completed the course offered
in the country schools, he studied higher branches
at Rebersburg under Prof. Magee and Samuel
Gramley, and when a young man he taught
school in Sugar Valley, but the occupation did
not agree with him and he decided to find other
employment. As he was but a child when his
father died, he made his home with Col. Henry
Royer, near Rebersburg, and there became fa
miliar with farm work, and he also learned the
carpenter's trade under Jacob Frederick, of
Aaronsburg. In 1868 Mr. Royer married Miss Emma
Haines, a native of Brush Valley, and a daugh
ter of Jeremiah and Susan (Brungart) Haines.
Two children bless this union: Susan M., now
the wife of John Long, of Red Oak, Iowa; and
Harry H., at home. Mr. Royer has a comfort
able home, and believes in taking what pleasure
life may afford, but his present prosperity was
not gained without hard work and shrewd man
agement. After his marriage he located in the
east end of Brush Valley on his father-in-law's
farm. Later he removed to Sugar Valley, and
rented a farm for three years, and then returned
to Brush Valley. The first land he ever owned
was eighteen acres at his present home, and by
subsequent additions he has acquired about forty-
eight acres, of which has been made a fine prop
erty. At two different times Mr. Royer has been
engaged in mercantile business in Rebersburg,
four and one-half years in all, and he formerly
worked a little at his trade. He has been very
successful in business. He has 563 acres of land
in Brush Valley, and is one of the largest land
owners in his township. He owns a home in
Rebersburg, also several acres of land there, and
has a partnership interest in over 235 acres of
timber land. While he does no manual labor,
the oversight of his property requires much time
and attention.
Previous to his enlistment, Mr. Royer's sym
pathies were with the Democrats owing to the
influence of those around him, as he lived in a

412

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Democratic community; but after his first fight
as a soldier, he became a Republican, and has
ever since been a steadfast adherent of that
party. He is influential in local affairs, and has
been school director and supervisor, although he
lives in a strong Democratic locality and is no
office seeker. He is noted for his sound judg
ment and common sense, strongly resembling his
father in these respects as he does in outward
appearance. He and his wife are prominent
members of the Lutheran Church, in which he is
an elder. He is a liberal contributor to that
cause, as well as to any other which seems to
him worthy. At the organization of W. W.
Bierly Post, G. A. R. , at Millheim, he was a
charter member, and has been commander of that
post. He also belongs to the I. O. O. F. Lodge
No. 103 1, at Rebersburg.

D

AVID RHINESMITH is an active and ener
getic farmer of Benner township, Centre
county, the owner of a good farm of sixty-two
acres. By the manner in which he carries on
his business, he evidences that he thoroughly
understands the vocation in which he is engaged,
and that success is attending his efforts toward
acquiring a competency. Neatness and order
prevail upon his place, which is managed, with
regard to its cultivation, in a manner that reflects
great credit upon the owner.
Mr. Rhinesmith was born in Perry county,
Penn., in 1832, and is one of the twelve children
born to John and Elizabeth (Earnest) Rhine-
smith, the others being Mary A., John, Henry,
Samuel, Maria, George, Eliza, and four who
•died in infancy. In the county of his nativity
our subject was reared and educated, but in
1856 he left home, and has since been a resident
of Centre county, where he has always followed
farming. He was united in marriage with Mary
Jane Mothersbaugh, who was also one of a fam
ily of twelve children. In politics her father
was a Republican, and in religious belief a Uni-
versalist, while her mother was a member of the
Presbyterian Church. Five children grace the
union of our subject and his wife, namely: Dan-
del M. , Elizabeth E., Iris V., Minnie H. and
William S.
In politics Mr. Rhinesmith affiliates with the
Republican party, deeming that organization the
•most progressive and best suited to the genius of
the American people. Fraternally he is a mem
ber of the Grange, and in religious faith he holds
membership in the Reformed Church. He is a
worthy representative of an old and honored

Pennsylvania-Dutch family, and as a citizen has
the esteem and respect of all with whom he
comes in contact.

JACOB KERSTETER, one of the best known
agriculturists of Penn township, Centre
county, might almost be said to have estab
lished a standard of success in his calling through
his successful management of his large farm.
Although he has lately retired from active work
and made his home in the pleasant little town of
Coburn, he has by no means lost the prestige
which his shrewd application of the principles of
modern science to the business of farming won
for him. Mr. Kersteter is a native of Penn township,
born May 2, 1838, and was the second son and
child of John and Anna (Musser) Kersteter. As
a boy he obtained an education in the subscrip
tion schools of the neighborhood, but after the
age of fourteen he attended but little. Realizing
to the full the value of a thorough prepara*-
tion for life's duties, he gives his hearty endorse
ment to the later improvements in our educa
tional system. At fourteen he began to learn
the millwright's trade under Thomas Strayhorn,
of Hartleton, Union Co., Penn., strving an ap
prenticeship of three summers, and receiving dur
ing the first year only $5 per month. The first
mill that he worked upon was the one known as
the Pine Creek mill. After becoming a full-
fledged workman, he followed the business four
teen years, most of the time as a master mill
wright, and was employed at various points in
Centre county and the region adjacent.
In November, 1861, Mr. Kersteter was mar
ried in Aaronsburg, by Rev. Mr. Welker, to Miss
Harriet Fiedler, who was born in Penn township,
Centre county, August 3, 1840, the daughter of
Henry and Susan (Stover) Fiedler. Some years
after his marriage Mr. Kersteter turned his at
tention to agriculture, settling upon the farm
called the "old Jacob Fiedler farm," which he
still owns. In 1882 he built a comfortable home
in Coburn, and March 20, 1894, he took up his
residence there, turning over the active work of
his estate to other hands. He owns 265 acres of
land aside from his place in Coburn, and is one
of the substantial citizens of the locality.
In political affiliations, Mr. Kersteter has al
ways been a Democrat, and his advice carries
much weight in the local councils of the party.
He has served ably in various township offices,
such as assessor, auditor, supervisor, overseer of
the poor, school director and tax collector He
is also a member of the Grange, and he and his

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

413

wife are both actively interested in the work of
the Lutheran Church, to which they are liberal
contributors. They have one son, James W. ,
born August i, 1864, who is now engaged in ag
riculture. He married Miss Annie Alexander, of
Penn township, Centre county, a daughter of
Christ Alexander, and they have three children —
Bertha, Marion and Alfred.

W P. ZERBY, a wide-awake and progressive
M^ farmer of Penn township, Centre county,
is descended from one of its earliest families.
His paternal grandfather, Philip Zerby, located
in what is now Penn township, Centre county,
about the beginning of the present century. He
was born in Blue Mountain Hollow, Schuylkill
Co., Penn., a son of Jonathan Zerby, and in
the county of his nativity married Barbara Lin-
gle. A short time afterward they made what was
then a long and tedious journey to Centre coun
ty, and located upon a farm between Millheim
and Coburn, in Penn township, where they made
their home a few years, and then removed to
Gregg township. By trade Philip Zerby was a
linen weaver, but principally supported his family
by day labor. He was an honest, hard-working
man, and a stanch supporter of the Democratic
party. His death occurred in Gregg township,
when he was fifty-five years of age.
To Philip and Barbara (Lingle) Zerby, were
born the following children: John, born Sep
tember 27, 1804, was blind for some years prior to
his death, which occurred in Snow Shoe, Centre
county; Johan Philip, born March 27, 1806, died
near Pottsville, Penn. , while seeking treatment for
threatened blindness; David, born November 1,
1807, was blind for thirty-five years, and died in
Gregg township; Jacob, born November 10, 1809,
died near the Loop, in Potter township, Centre
county, after being blind for nearly twenty-five
years; Adam, the father of our subject, was next
in order of birth; Michael, born May 7, 18 14,
died in Stephenson county, 111. ; Henry, born Octo
ber 23, 1815, died in the same county; Catherine,
born October 27, 1817, and died in 1896, mar
ried Abram Hoover, also now deceased; and An
drew, born March 1, 1821, is living in the same
township. The mother of these children died
March 9, 1821, and was laid to rest in Gregg
township. For his second wife, Philip Zerby
wedded Hannah Sunday, a native of George's Val
ley, and a daughter of Adam and Hannah Eliza
beth (Minich) Sunday. Eight children blessed
this union: Elizabeth, born May 16, 1822, mar
ried Charles Ripka, and died in Gregg township;

Mary, born April 26, 1824, married Henry Gar-
ver, and died in Potter township, Centre county;
Susannah and Sarah (twins) were born August
26, 1826 (Susannah is now the widow of George
Wirt, late of Penn township, and Sarah is the
widow of Peter Auman, late of Gregg township);
Joseph, born November 4, 1830, died in Gregg
township; William is a resident of that town
ship; Hannah is the wife of Peter Confer, of
Millheim; and Amelia died at the age of twenty-
one years.
The birth of Adam Zerby occurred in Gregg
township, August 19, 1 8 1 1 , and as his parents
were in limited circumstances he was given no
educational advantages. When a young man he
learned the weaver's trade, which he followed in
connection with farming, and also operated a
sawmill for many years. In 1847 he removed to
Penn township, on Penn creek, where he pur
chased eighty acres of land, going in debt for the
same, but fortunately his sons were of much as
sistance to him, and he soon had a comfortable
home. Upon that farm his death occurred when
he was nearly seventy years of age. He was a
quiet, unassuming man, six feet, three inches in
height, who enjoyed excellent health up to the
time of his last illness. His remains were in
terred in Paradise cemetery by the side of the
mother of our subject, who died at the age of
fifty-seven years. He was a firm supporter of
Democratic principles, but cared nothing for pub
lic office, and was a faithful member of the Evan
gelical Church.
In early life Adam Zerby married Susanna
Suavely, by whom he had the following children:
Henry, a resident of Haines township, Centre
county; A. P., subject of this review; Reuben,
who died in Penn township; David L., teller in
the Millheim Bank; Sarah, widow of F. F. Jami
son, of Gregg township; and Julia A., who mar
ried Daniel Geary, and died in Penn township.
After the death of his first wife, Adam Zerby
wedded Mrs. Catherine Confer, ne'e Heckman,
widow of Joseph Confer. She is still living in
Stephenson county, Illinois.
A. P. Zerby was born April 21, 1845, and was
an infant when brought by his parents to the
farm which he now owns, and where he has since
resided. His first literary training was under
the instruction of John Strayhorn, and his entire
education was obtained in the district schools,
which were much inferior to those of the present
day. He strongly endorses the changes that
have since been made in educational institutions,
and has served as an efficient member of the
school board in his district. At the age of eight
een he left the schoolroom, and worked for some

414

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

time in a mill and in the lumber . woods, being
thus employed until twenty-seven years of age.
In February, 1872, in Haines township, Cen
tre county, Mr. Zerby was married to Miss Eliza
beth Daup, the oldest of the seven children born
to Joseph and Catherine (Decker) Daup, the
former a blacksmith by trade. Five children
have been born of this union:. Susan O., at home;
Joseph A., who died at the age of five years;
William D. and Emory P., school teachers, re
siding at home; and Nina A., also at home.
After his marriage Mr. Zerby began house
keeping upon the old home farm, comprising
sixty-five acres of rich and arable land, where he
still resides, and which he has under high culture.
For nearly a half of a century it has been his
home, and after the death of his father he bought
it at a public sale. Although he went in debt
for much of the amount, it is now free. In con
nection with his farming operations, he also
operates a sawmill, which he has equipped with
modern machinery. No man in Penn township
is more industrious, energetic and enterprising,
and all that he now possesses has been obtained
through his own unaided exertions. He has
always supported the men and measures of the
Democratic party, and has been called upon to
serve in several official positions, including those
of auditor, overseer of the poor, judge of elec
tion, school director and assessor. With the
United Evangelical Church Mr. and Mrs. Zerby
hold membership, and they enjoy a prominent
position among the best and most highly re
spected citizens of the community.

JOHN WETZEL occupies a position in the
front rank among the leading agriculturists
of Spring township, Centre county, where he
owns and operates a good farm of sixty acres,
which he has placed under a high state of culti-
-vation and improved with excellent buildings.
For many years he has made his home in Centre
county, but was born in Snyder county, Penn. ,
January 2, 1827, a son of Henry and Elizabeth
(Ertly) Wetzel. His grandfather, Henry Wet
zel, at an early day removed from Lebanon
county to what is now Snyder county, and there
died at a ripe old age. By trade he was a
weaver, but throughout the greater part of his life
followed the occupation of farming. He served
as a soldier during the " whiskey rebellion. " In
his family were four children: Jacob, Mrs. Wag
ner, Henry, and one that died in infancy.
The father of our subject was also a native of
Snyder county, and there passed away at the age
of eighty-three years, while his wife, who was

born in the same county, died at the age of sev
enty-seven. He was a mechanic, engaged in the
manufacture of gun barrels and grain sickles,
and he was a consistent member of the Reformed
Church. In his family were the following chil
dren who grew to manhood and womanhood:
Aaron, who makes his home in Delaware; John,
subject of this sketch ; Frank, a resident of Sil-
verton, Colo.; Henry, of Snyder county; Samuel,
of Missouri; Miles, of Steelton, Penn. ; and
Sarah, wife of Boyer Kartz, of Snyder county,
Pennsylvania. In the public schools of the county of his na
tivity John Wetzel secured a good education, and
on leaving the school room learned the carpen
ter's trade with Jacob Gildron, of Turburtville,
Northumberland county, At the age of twenty-
two he came to Bellefonte, and has since made
his home in Centre county with the exception of
about four years and one-half. In 1852 he re
moved to Snow Shoe, where the following three
years were passed, and then emigrated to Cedar-
ville, Stephenson Co., 111.; in the fall of 1859,
however, he returned to Centre county. Until
1876 he was a resident of Bellefonte, where he
followed contracting and building, but in that
year removed to his present farm in Spring town
ship. On March 25, 1852, Mr. Wetzel was married
to Miss Susan Musser, whose birth occurred Jan
uary .27, 1831. To them have been born thirteen
children, in the order of birth as follows: (1)
Frank and (2) his twin brother, born November
13, 1852, the latter dying in infancy; the former
graduated from Franklin Marshall College, was
ordained in the Reformed Church, and is now
preaching in Stoystown, Somerset Co., Penn.
He married Ellen Yearick, and has seven chil
dren — John A., Walter N., Beulah, Grace, Veda,
George and Harvey. (3) Samuel D. , born Oc
tober 12, 1854, was educated in the public
schools of Bellefonte, and learned the carpenter's
trade which he now follows; he makes his home
with his parents, and is a free-silver Democrat
in politics. (4) John Henry, born May 14, 1856,
graduated from a law school, and for some time
engaged in practice in Nebraska; he is now an
attorney and civil engineer at Bellefonte; he mar
ried Susan S. Yearick, and has five children —
Paul, Nevin, Lucile, Ruth and Sarah. (5) Allen,
born September 18, 1857, died May 9, i860. (6)
Oscar, born March 6, 1859, graduated from the
Eastman Business College, at Poughkeepsie, and
is now employed in the lumber office of Mr.
Crider, in Bellefonte; he married Emma Beck
and has one child— Ethel. (7) Mary E., born
September 24, i860, the wife of Jared Harper,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

415

a groceryman of Bellefonte, and they have one
child— John Wetzel. (8) Clyde, born July I,
1862, is engaged in the butcher business in Nel
son, Neb. ; he married Maggie Bush, by whom
he has one child — Nova. (9) Harvey Musser,
born February 23, 1864, graduated in civil en
gineering at the Lehigh University, and is now
in the employ of a New York company surveying
for a railroad in San Domingo, West Indies; he
married Emma Himmelwrite, and has two chil
dren — Helen and Mildred. (10) Charles E.,
born February 17, 1866, married Kate Miller, by
whom he has one child — Mary; he is a carpenter
of Bellefonte. (11) Louis C. , born August 24,
1869, is in the bicycle business in Bellefonte, and
•owns a machine shop in the same town; he was
married June 9, 1897, to Miss Ida Gerberich, of
Bellefonte. (12) William, born May 13, 1871,
•works upon the home farm and at the butcher
business in Bellefonte, alternately. (13) Walter,
a twin brother of William, died in June, 1871.
Mrs. Wetzel was reared and educated in
what is now the thriving city of Bellefonte. Both
she and her husband are still well preserved both
physically and mentally, and are worthy mem
bers of the Reformed Church. These estimable
people have well performed their part in uphold
ing the intellectual, social and moral status of
the community, and have gained the respect and
confidence of the entire people. Politically, Mr.
Wetzel is a Democrat, as are also all of his sons.
The children as well as the parents are all mem
bers of the Reformed Church.

BERTEL POULSEN. Among the repre
sentative and prominent business men of
Howard borough, Centre county, is numbered
the gentleman whose name introduces this sketch
— a member of the well-known firm of B. Poul-
sen & Co. , who own and operate a sawmill and
are engaged in the manufacture of handles,
spokes, etc., at Centre Hall. A business man of
known reliability, he has the confidence and re
spect of all with whom he comes in contact.
Mr. Poulsen was born January 25, 1857, in
Ravehede, near Aalborg, Denmark, a son ' of
Poul Christian and Maren (Bertelsdatter) Neil-
sen, who were also natives of that country,
where they still reside. During his active busi
ness career the father engaged in farming and
speculating, but is now living a retired life. In
religious belief he is a Lutheran. . He is a son of
Neils Poulsen and Maren Larsdatter, who spent
their entire lives in Denmark. The maternal
grandparents of our subject were Bertel Chris-
tensen and Anna Poulsdatter. Six children were

born to Poul C. Neilsen and his estimable wife —
three sons and three daughters, namely: Amalia,
now the wife of Jens Peter Jensen, a stonemason
and farmer of the northern part of Denmark;
Neils, who owns and operates a planing, handle
and spoke mill at Round Hill, Va. ; Christine,
wife of Neils Peter Neilsen, a merchant of Den
mark; Bertel, subject of this sketch; Marie, wife
of Christian Jeppesen, a school teacher of west
ern Denmark; and Lars, who is in partnership
with his brother at Round Hill, Virginia.
During the boyhood and youth of Bertel
Poulsen he attended the schools of his native
land until fourteen years of age, and assisted in
the work of the home farm for two years longer,
when he began learning the carpenter's trade.
At the age of nineteen he emigrated to the New
World, first locating at Irvine, Warren Co.,
Penn., where for three years he was engaged in
the manufacture of handles and spokes, and then
returned to the land of his nativity. During the
eight months he remained there he attended
high school, knowing how essential to a suc
cessful business career is a good education. On
again coming to America, in the following spring,
Mr. Poulsen took up his residence in Titusville,
Penn., where, through the summer, he was em
ployed in a cabinet factory, and the next year
worked for K. G. Shutt at the carpenter's trade
in Irvine. Subsequently he came to Howard,
Centre county, where he erected a plant tor the
manufacture of handles and spokes, and success
fully engaged in that business there until the fall
of 1896, when he removed to Centre Hall and
established a similar manufactory. He is an en
terprising, wide-awake business man, thoroughly
abreast with the times, and his straightforward
course commends him to the confidence of all.
In Howard, August 20, 1884, Mr. Poulsen
married Miss Lena K. Reber, and they have
three children: Victor H., born May 26, 1885;
Clara K., born February 24, 1887; and Myra R.,
born July 27, 1890. Mrs. Poulsen was born in
Howard township, Centre county, October 23,
1862, and is a daughter of Theodore L. and Re
becca E. (Kunes) Reber, also natives of Centre
county, the former born in Howard in 1836, and
the latter in Eagleville. She died in July, 1863;
the father is now a resident of Santa Fe, N. M.,
where he is engaged in the manufacture of soda
water. In 1867 he left Centre county, where he
had followed the occupation of farming, carpen
tering and boating, and also engaged in the meat
business in Milesburg. By his first marriage he
had three children, one of whom died in infancy,
the others being James O. , who died when young;
and Lena K., wife of our subject. After the

416

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

death of their mother, Mr. Reber wedded Re
becca J. Rogers, a native of Bellefonte, Penn. ,
and a daughter of William Rogers. His parents
were Samuel and Mary A. (Askey) Reber, who
spent their entire lives in Centre county, where
the father followed tailoring and farming. The
maternal grandparents of Mrs. Poulsen, John and
Nancy (Gardner) Kunes, were also natives of
Centre county, where they made their home upon
a farm. Mr. Poulsen is a keen, practical man, well
gifted with mental and physical vigor. In poli
tics he casts his vote for the candidates of the
Republican party, and, although he does not take
an active part in public life, he conscientiously
performs his duties as a good citizen.

WILLIAM ELLIS IRWIN, a well-known
progressive business man of Philipsburg,
Centre county, prominently identified with insur
ance interests, was born February 23, 1834, in
Clearfield county, where his family have long held
a noted place. Until the age of fifteen Mr. Irwin
attended the academy in Clearfield borough, and
then, finding employment at a sawmill, he began
the serious work of gaining a livelihood. After a
time he entered the Howard Iron Works, in Cen
tre county, where his uncle was iron master,
spending ten years in the employ of that firm.
The Civil war breaking out, Mr. Irwin re
sponded to his country's need, on September 13,
1862, enlisting in Company L, 5th P. V. C, aft
erward reorganized as Company E. His regi
ment was, after three months' drilling at Carlisle
Barracks in Pennsylvania, assigned to the Army
of the Cumberland, later to the Army of the
Tennessee, and Mr. Irwin took part in a number
of important battles, including those of Antietam
and Murfreesboro, or Stone River. He spent
one year in the field, and was then detailed in the
quartermaster's department, with which he was
connected until May 1 , 1 866. While at Nashville,
Tenn., in 1864, he voted for Abraham Lincoln.
On his return home Mr. Irwin engaged in a
general mercantile business at Philipsburg, which
he gave up in 1875 to enter the lumber trade.
His connection with the fire insurance dates back
to 1887, and at present he represents various
well-established companies in fire, life, plate
glass, and accident. He is a charter member of
the Steam Heat Co., of the Electric Light Co.,
and of the " Philipsburg Water Co. " — in fact,
is interested in all enterprises calculated to benefit
the city and community at large.
As a citizen his intelligence and genial man
ners have won him many sincere friends. He

takes great interest in school affairs, and has
been a director for many years. It is said that
some one lately told Gov. Hastings that William
E. Irwin, and another in the county, "ought to
receive a life pension for their activity on the
school board. " His political allegiance was from
the first given to the Republican party, and he is
still an unwavering supporter of its principles.
Socially, he has been a Freemason since 1868,
affiliated with Moshannon Lodge No. 391, of
Philipsburg, has filled all the chairs as a Master
Mason, and was secretary of the lodge sixteen
years. On June 15, 1869, Mr. Irwin married Miss
Susannah H. Tussey, a native of Canoe Valley,
Huntingdon Co., Penn., and they have three
children: (1) Frank F. married Miss Cora Min-
niam Row, and has one child — William Ellis
Row Irwin; (2) Dorothy Harnish is the wife of
C. B. Holly, and has one child — Harold Irwin
Holly; and (3) H. Ruth is at home.
As has been said, Mr. Irwin is a descendant
of a pioneer family of Clearfield county. His
great-grandfather, John Irwin, Sr. , came from
Ireland in 1774, accompanying his widowed
mother and two brothers, Matthew and Nathan
iel, all three of whom located in Washington
county, Penn., after a short residence in Pitts
burg. John Irwin, Sr. , settled in Centre county,
and although he was by trade a shoemaker he
followed agriculture until his death, which oc
curred April 29, 1829. He was married in Ches
ter county, Penn., to Miss Sarah Iddings, and
had four children : William, who died in Centre
county; John, Jr., mentioned below; Isabella,
who died at the age of sixty, and Sarah, who
died in 1865.
John Irwin, Jr., our subject's grandfather,
came to Centre county as a young man, from his
early home in Chester county, and there located
and improved a farm; he also manufactured
shoes at Bellefonte for a time. He was married
in Centre county to Mary Fisher, daughter of
William Fisher, a gentleman of large property
and great influence in that section, probably of
English birth. Nine children were born of this
union, as follows: Hannah, who married Will
iam Way; Ellis, who married Hannah Iddings;
John, who married Anna Linn; Sarah, who mar
ried Thomas Brooks; William F., who married
Susan Antes; Malissa, who married Lewis Hager-
man; James, who married Matilda Trumbell;
Martha A., who .married James C. Williams; and
Mary J., who married Augustus Ryman.
Ellis Irwin, the eldest son of John and Mary
(Fisher) Irwin, and father of the subject of this
sketch, was born, in Bald Eagle Valley, Centre

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

417

Co., Penn., near Bellefonte, June 17, 1805, and
is still living in good health, with the exception
of an affection of the lower limbs which followed
an attack of " La Grippe " a few years ago. He
was educated at Bellefonte Academy, and spent
much of his time in his youth working upon the
homestead and in the shoe factory. For four
years he carried the United States mail through
the mountains on horseback. On January 10,
1827, he married Hannah Iddings, a lady of
great intelligence and worth, and a daughter of
John and Ann (Carroll) Iddings. On her moth
er's side she was related to Charles Carroll, one
of the signers of the Declaration of Independ
ence. Eight children were born of this union:
(1) Lewis died in 1882; (2) John F. is a druggist
in Clearfield; (3) Mary and (4) Henrietta are at
home; (5) William E. is our subject; (6) Joseph
R. is a druggist at Curwensville; (7) Malissa died
of heart trouble December 11, 1862, aged twen
ty-seven years; and (8) James died January 3,
1853, of scarlet fever, aged eleven years. In
February, 1881, after a wedded life of more than
fifty years, Mrs. Ellis Irwin passed to the other
world, leaving many mourners outside the fam
ily circle, upon whom the loss fell the heaviest.
The early ancestors of the Irwin family were
Quakers, and subsequent generations have held
tenaciously to the same beautiful and inspiring
faith. Ellis Irwin has always been an adherent
of the Society, and among the reforms advocated
most zealously by him was that of the abolition
of slavery, upon which the Quakers spoke out
boldly when others were as yet silent. In po
litical affiliations he was first a Wrhig, later a
Republican, and he gave every possible aid to
the Union cause during the Civil war, sending
three sons to the field of battle, all of whom re
turned safely. In financial lines he has been an
able and successful worker. Soon after his mar
riage he began farming on his own account, and
in 1829 moved to Clearfield county, buying a
farm at Grampian Hills (now in Penn township),
and four years later engaged in the hotel busi
ness at Curwensville, remaining t'hree years. In
1835 he was appointed to the office of prothono
tary, register, recorder, and clerk of the courts
in Clearfield, to fill a vacancy, and at the end of
the term was elected for a full term of three
years. In 1838 he engaged in mercantile busi
ness in Clearfield. In 1840. he was appointed
postmaster there; in 1843 he was elected sheriff
for a term of three years, and in these as in
other positions of public trust he served with
ability and faithfulness. In 1850 he purchased
a large tract of land in Goshen township, Clear
field county, to which he added until he owned
37

at one time some three thousand acres. This
estate he has developed, with energy and judg
ment, with mills, farms and other improvements,
and the population of the locality is now so
large that a post office, known as Lick Run
Mills, was established there mainly through his
influence. Since 1872 he has been postmaster
at Lick Run Mills.

W CLARK MUSSER, who holds a leading
jD3^ place among the enterprising and promi
nent business men of Millheim, was born there
April 22, 1848. His father, J. G. Musser, was
born in Gregg township, Centre county, Decem
ber 12, 1820, a son of Philip B. and Elizabeth
(Ilgen) Musser, and in the subscription schools
held near his home acquired his education, which
was principally in the German language. On
December 8, 1842, at Millheim, he wedded Miss
Julia Hubler, who was born August 15, 18 17, a
daughter of Adam Hubler, who was for years
identified with the milling interests of the county
as owner of the Hubler mill, and was killed by
falling from a barn that occupied the present site
of the residence of Mrs. D. A. Musser.
A short time after his marriage the father of
our subject removed to the hotel now conducted
by W. S. Musser, having purchased the same
from Jacob Widener, and was its host for some
years. Prior to thishe had engaged in mercantile
pursuits in connection with his brother, W. L.
Musser. He was a great hunter and fisher, in
which sports he found his greatest pleasure, and
in politics he was a stanch Democrat. His
death occurred January 12, 1892, that of his
wife on February 26, 1884, and the remains of
both were interred in the Millheim cemetery.
The family of this worthy couple numbered
the following children: Ralph M. is a miller of
Williamsport, Penn.; Clarence died May 1, 1846;
Emma C. is the wife of J. H. Swartz, of Renovo,
Penn. ; A. Clark is next in order of birth; Charles
died February 1, 1852; Mary died February 10,
1854; James B. is a resident of California; and
Anna died April 28, 1861.
In the public schools of Millheim the subject
proper of this review received his literary educa
tion, his first teacher being George M. Swartz. He
continued under the parental roof until he had at
tained his majority, aiding in the support of the
family, till, in April, 1869, he entered the shop
of B. O. Deininger to learn the trade of mar
ble cutter. ' At the end of two years and a
half, however, he went to Lock Haven, Penn.,
where he worked for five months, and after his re
turn to Millheim in the spring of 1872, he pur-

418

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

chased a third interest in the establishment of Mr.
Deininger. Three years later he secured a half
interest, and in 1885 became sole owner; but after
conducting the business for a short time he sold
a half interest to W. K. Alexander, and the firm
has since been Musser & Alexander. Their work
is first-class in every particular, and, by courte
ous treatment and fair and honorable dealing,
they have succeeded in building up a large and
lucrative business.
On July 5, 1874, Mr. Musser was married to
Miss Margaret C. Kister, of Aaronsburg, Centre
county, who was born in that village March 15,
1841, a daughter of Jeremiah and Elizabeth (Mil
ler) Kister. Twelve children have graced their
union: Bertha E., a printer of Millheim; Lulu
C. , at home; Norman Lester; Thomas B. and
Frederick W. , both deceased; John F. ; Grover
G. ; Lizzie (deceased); Orvis; Paul; May and
Claude E.
Jeremiah Kister, the father of Mrs. Musser,
war born in Greene township, Clinton Co.,
Penn., October 7, 1825, a son of Lawrence Kis
ter. During the Civil war he became a member of
Company F, 12th P. V. C, and in battle was
shot in the face. After lingering two weeks,
he died in the hospital at Chester, Penn., in
August, 1864, and was there buried. He was
a shoemaker and plasterer by trade, a Democrat
in politics, and a consistent member of the Re
formed Church. He left a widow and six chil
dren, of whom, Mrs. Musser and her twin sister,
Susan, were the second and third in order of
birth. The other four were sons. The mother,
who was a native of Aaronsburg, Centre county,
and a daughter of Benjamin Miller, died in July,
1889, at the home of her son, B. F. Kister, of
Millheim. Mr. Musser began his domestic life in Mill
heim, where he has since made his home, and
is numbered among its most progressive and
wide-awake business men, of undoubted integrity
and honor. His political support is ever given
the Democratic party, and he has been called
upon to fill several official positions of honor and
trust, including those of assessor, tax collector,
chief burgess and councilman, and was a mem
ber of the school board for some years. With
the Lutheran Church both he and his excellent
wife hold membership.

MILTON J. HENDERSON holds a good po-
 sition among the agriculturists of Taylor
township, Centre county, where he is engaged in
general farming, and from which he derives an
nually a comfortable income. He was born

February 7, 1858, on the farm where he still re
sides — the old Henderson homestead on the
Fowler road, which has been occupied by four
generations of the family.
David and Mary (McMamagh) Henderson,
parents of our subject, were also natives of Tay
lor township, the father born on the old home
stead October 13, 18 19, where he continued to
extensively engage in farming throughout life.
He was drafted for the Civil war, but was re
leased on account of being a few days too old.
His death, which occurred December 23, 1886,
was caused by falling in a threshing machine.
He was a conscientious, earnest Christian, for
forty-two years holding membership with the
United Brethren Church, to which his estimable
wife also belonged. She was born May 21, 1821,
and departed this life September 7, 1888.
Our subject is one of a family of nine chil
dren, namely: Robert, a lumberman of Clear
field county, Penn.; Eve, wife of John L. Spit-
ler, a miner of Sandy Ridge, Centre county;
Mary, wife of John Orwick, a farmer of Taylor
township; Malinda, deceased wife of John Beck-
with, a merchant and farmer of Hannah Furnace,
Penn. ; Samuel, a resident of Madera, Clear
field county; William, section foreman on the
Colorado railroad ; Anna, wife of John McCrawf-
ton, of Clearfield county; Milton J.; and John,
who resides with our subject and is a partner in
business. Robert and Mary (Jackson) Henderson, the
maternal grandparents, were also natives of Tay
lor township. The grandfather was born on the
old homestead, where he engaged in farming and
where he died. The maternal grandparents of
our subject were Stephen H. and Eve (Frantz)
McMunagle, the former of Irish and the latter of
Dutch descent.
Milton J. Henderson spent his boyhood and
youth after the manner of most farmers' sons,
becoming familiar with plowing, sowing and
reaping, and amid the quiet scenes of country
life grew up with a healthy constitution and a clear
brain. He is indebted to the public schools for
his elementary education, and by reading and
observation has become a well-informed man.
He remained at home until after attaining his
majority, when he removed to Clearfield county,
and for two years was engaged in lumbering.
Returning to Taylor township, Centre county,
he operated a farm for his brother Robert for
two years, but during the following three years
he was again engaged in lumbering in Clearfield
county. He next purchased a small farm in
Taylor township, which he cultivated some three
years, and subsequently operated a rented tract

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

419

in Huntington county, Indiana, for two years.
In connection with his brother John, he then
purchased the old Henderson homestead, to the
cultivation and improvement of whichjthey have
since devoted their time.
On attaining to man's estate, Mr. Henderson
was united in marriage with Miss Emma Weaver,
who died in November, 1878, at the age of twen
ty-four years, leaving one son, Elmer, still at
home. She was a daughter of David and Har
riet (Feaster) Weaver, the former now a resi
dent of Tyrone, Penn., and the latter deceased.
On December 23, 1882, Mr. Henderson was
again married, this time to Mrs. Elizabeth
(Dougherty) Parks, widow of Charles W. Parks,
by whom she had one daughter, Mary A. , now
the wife of James Goss, a farmer residing near
Hannah Furnace, Centre county. Mrs. Goss
has one son, William O. Mrs. Henderson was
born in Huntingdon county, Penn., August 8,
1854, a daughter of John and Hannah (Hamilton)
Dougherty, both now deceased, the former dy
ing in July, 1855, and the latter on March 15,
1 89 1, at the age of sixty-seven years. In their
family were the following children: Ann, wife of
Simon Hencebanger, an undertaker of Clear
field county; Caroline, wife of Frank Pettitt, an
extensive farmer of California; Susan, widow of
Patrick Haulton, of Philipsburg, Penn. ; James, of
Clearfield county; George, deceased ; Maggie, wife
of Elias Miles, a railroad man of Tipton, Penn. ;
and Elizabeth, wife of our subject. The father
of this family was a farmer of Huntingdon, Hunt
ingdon county.
Mr. Henderson is a firm believer in the prin
ciples of the Republican party, which he always
supports by his ballot; socially he is connected
with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and,
religiously, both himelf and wife are esteemed
members of the United Brethren Church. They
are respected and valued members of the com
munity, and possess the entire confidence and re
gard of their neighbors.

DANIEL F. POORMAN, residing on Wal
lace run, is one of the enterprising, indus
trious farmers of Boggs township, Centre county,
where he also owns and operates a stone quarry.
He was born on Marsh creek, in the same town
ship, January 12, 1848, and his parents, John
and Catherine (Fetzer) Poorman, spent .their en
tire lives in Centre county. His paternal grand
parents, John and Elizabeth B. (Harper) Poor-
man, were also natives of that county, born at
Brush Valley, while his maternal grandparents,
Michael and Mary (Homier) Fetzer, were natives

of Germany and New Jersey, respectively, com
ing to the county at an early day. During his
younger years the father of our subject engaged
in lumbering, later turned his attention exclusive
ly to agricultural pursuits, becoming an extensive
farmer. In politics he supported the Democ
racy, and religiously was a member of Messiah
Church. He died November 25, 1893, at the age
of seventy-eight years, and his wife passed away
in 1884, at the age of seventy.
Nine children graced their union, as follows:
Maria is the deceased wife of Jacob Yarnal, a
farmer of Boggs township; Jane is the wife of
Morgan M. Lucas, a farmer of the same
township; Mary is the wife of Stanley Wat
son, also a farmer of Boggs township; Will
iam is an agriculturist of Central City, Cen
tre county; Daniel F. is the subject of this
sketch; Edward is a merchant of Boggs township;
Arminta is the wife of Joseph Williams, and en
gineer of Williamsport, Penn. ; Alice is the wife
of William Fetzer, of Marsh Creek, Boggs town
ship; and Fleming is a farmer of the same town
ship. Until 1 88 1, Daniel F. Poorman remained
under the parental roof, from the time of his
marriage operating the old homestead farm on
shares, and then purchasing his present farm.
Upon his place he has a valuable stone quarry,
which he began to operate in 1888. He is a wide
awake, progressive business man, straight-for
ward and honorable in all dealings, and gained
the confidence and esteem of all with whom he
comes in contact. In manner he is pleasant and
genial, easily winning friends, and has the happy
faculty of retaining them. He is a stalwart
Democrat in politics, but cares nothing for the
honors or emoluments of public office, preferring
to give his undivided attention to his business in
terests, in which he is meeting with good success.
He is a public-spirited citizen, and all worthy
enterprises find in him a friend and supporter.
On January 21, 1872, he married Miss. Nettie
Walker, and to them have been born five chil
dren: Willis N. , a farmer of Boggs township;
Eva M., at home; Toner, who was scalded to
death at the age of two years; Claude, at home;
and one who died in infancy.
Jacob and Margerie (Lucas) Walker, the par
ents of Mrs. Poorman, were natives of Mifflin
and Centre counties, Penn., respectively. They
were married in the latter county, where the
father died September 8, 1884, at the age of
seventy-five years; the mother, who was born
March 4, 1 81 8, still resides on the old homestead
in Boggs township. Both were earnest mem
bers of the United Brethren Church, and in pol-

420

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

itics he was a Republican. Throughout life he
followed general farming. Nine children were
born of their union, namely: Matilda, wife of
Philip Resides, a farmer of Boggs township;
William and David, who both laid down their
lives on the altar of their country during the
Civil war; Maria, deceased wife of David Snider,
of Northumberland county, Penn. ; Jane, de
ceased wife of William Confer; Milligan, who is
residing on the family homestead in Boggs town
ship; Rankin, deceased; Nettie, the honored wife
of our subject; and Mary B., wife of Cyrus Lu
cas, of Boggs township. William and David
Taylor enlisted in Company A, 149th Pennsyl
vania Volunteers, in the spring of 1861, and
William was corporal of the company. In the
the spring ,of 1862 he was shot while on picket
duty, being the first man that was killed from
Centre county. His remains were sent home
and buried in the cemetery at Milesburg. David
fought in all the battles except the last one,, be
ing taken sick and sent to Lincoln Hospital,
where he died, and he was buried at the same
place. William Lucas, the maternal grandfather of
Mrs. Poorman, died at Snow Shoe, Centre
county. The grandmother's name was Maryan
Johnson.

G

>\LIAS MILLER. To grow old gracefully, to

keep the youthful spirit, and adding the
ripening and enriching influences of years of ex
perience and useful effort, is a rare distinction.
Although now "eighty-three years young," the
honored pioneer whose name opens this biogra
phy shows few traces of the flight of time, weak
ened eyesight being the only serious sign of im
paired vigor. This is the more remarkable be
cause his life has been more than ordinarily filled
with hardships and labors, as the following in
teresting account will show.
Mr., Miller was born June 10, 18 14, in Moore
township, Northampton county, Penn., on Blue
Mountain. His father, David Miller, was a na
tive of the same county, born October 3, 1786,
and as a boy was bound out to a hotel keeper
near Bethlehem, Penn. When he came of age
he learned the tailor's trade, which he followed
for some years. He married Miss Barbara Reich-
ner, who was born in Moore township, North
ampton county, May 26, 1 791, and as his chil
dren grew to mature age he determined to seek a
home where land could be procured more easily
and a better start secured for them. In 1832 he
moved to Boalsburg, Centre county, a one-horse
and a two-horse wagon serving to bring the fam

ily and the household goods. He continued
his trade while looking about for the desired1
opening into agricultural work, his lack of capital
making the search a difficult one. Finally he
rented a farm near Rock. Springs, Centre county,
and five years later took another near Pennsyl
vania Furnace. He prospered, and after a time
purchased 100 acres of timbered land in the
"Barrens," and building a log house started in
true pioneer fashion to clear a farm. As old age
came on he sold this tract and bought twenty-
five acres from a farm then owned by our sub
ject, and putting up a good log house and stable
he and his estimable wife lived there some years.
Elias Miller, however, removed to Miles town
ship, and wishing to have his parents near him,
purchased a small but comfortable home near
Madisonburg, in which they passed their remain
ing years, the father's death occurring May 18,
1866, and the mother's on February 8, 1875.
Their remains were first laid to rest in the Lu
theran cemetery, but later Elias Miller had them,
transferred to the German Reformed Cemetery,
both parents having been devout followers of
that faith.
David Miller was a man of small build. In
early life he enjoyed excellent health, but he be
came crippled in the left leg through a crookedr
ness caused by white swelling. This disadvan
tage did not prevent him from working and try
ing to realize his hopes of a competence for him
self and his family. Of eleven children only two
are now living. (1) Charles was drowned in
Huntingdon county; (2) Elias is the subject-
proper of this sketch; (3) Thomas was drowned
in Lehigh county, while employed as a lock
tender on the canal between Mauch Chunk and:
Easton; (4) Hettie married (first) Samuel Bloom,
who died in Ferguson township, Centre county,
and (second) she wedded Henry Garner; (5)>
Julia A. married William Davis, and died in
Ferguson township, Centre county; (6) Gideon
died young; (7) Mary Ann, widow of Daniel
Diebler, lives in Shamokin, Penn. ; (7) Reuben,
(8) Sarah, and two others died in childhood.
The schools of the early days in this section'
afforded but meagre opportunities for an ambi
tious boy, and Mr. Miller's help was needed at
home too much to admit of any extended course
of study. He was a willing worker, strong for
his age, and has chopped many hundreds of cords
of wood._ At thirteen he was hired out with the
understanding that he should have two months'
schooling each year; but this bargain was not
observed, as his employer kept him at work all
the time. He was eighteen at the time of tbe
removal to Centre county, and he remained at-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

421

home working for his parents until he was twenty-
three years old lacking three months. In the
meantime he had made numerous journeys on
foot to Northampton county, 175 miles each way,
to visit an early friend. Miss Cecelia Marsh,
daughter of John and Polly (Deemer) Marsh,
who lived upon a farm in Moore township near
Mr. Miller's birthplace. The young lady was
about his own age, and a native of the same
township, born September 24, 18 14. In the fall
of 1836 Mr. Miller started on foot to claim his
bride. His clothes were poor, and he had in his
pocket less than $2. 50, half of which had been
secured by working at fifty cents per day at husk
ing corn, and the rest had been saved, a few cents
at a time, from chance earnings.
There was a young man in Northampton
county who wished to go to Centre county with
the young couple and board with them while
working in the woods for Mr. Miller, and through
an advance of $26, to be repaid in board, Mr.
Miller was greatly assisted at this critical period
in his fortunes. After his marriage Mr. Miller
walked back to his home to make arrangements
for bringing his bride, and early in December,
1836, he returned for her with a covered wagon.
A heavy snow fell, and the roads becoming almost
impassable with drifts, the trip, which should
have been made in nine days, occupied six weeks.
For a part of the way the wagon was transformed
into a sled, and when the snow melted, the
wheels, which had been strapped to the load,
were again put 'in place, and thus the journey
was finished. By this time Mr. Miller's funds
were exhausted, but youth, health, and a definite
purpose in life seemed a guarantee of success,
and so they proved. He rented a small house
in Ferguson township, Centre county, and began
chopping wood in ' ' The Barrens " for the Penn
sylvania Furnace, managing to save a portion of
his earnings. He built a small house on land
owned by the company, and later leased a tract
of timber land from them for twelve years. In
eleven years he cleared 300 acres, the company
putting up buildings for him. Before the lease
expired he bought 1 1 5 acres of land, incurring a
debt of nearly $4,000. This was the first home
•of his own, and six years were spent there. Dur
ing that time he bought 209 acres from the com
pany, and cleared nearly 100 acres of it, building
a plain but good house. In 1855 he bought the
"Old Musser farm" of 130 acres in Brush Val
ley, and in the following spring settled there, re
maining eight years, when he went to Madison
burg and bought the hotel where he now resides.
It cost him $3,000, and he has made, many im
provements from time to time. For several years

he rented the hotel, but for the greater part of
the time he has conducted it himself. He bought
other property in the town, upon which he erected
new buildings, and now owns two places there
and fifty acres of mountain land. At one time
he owned three farms in Brush Valley, but this
land has either been sold or given to his sons.
In looking back over the years in which his
present handsome competence has been gained,
Mr. Miller can have the supreme satisfaction of
knowing that all has been accomplished without
taking advantage of any man. Never penurious,
never extravagant, generous whenever a worthy
cause appealed to his sympathies, his life has
been one to emulate and admire. His integrity
is so well established that in his more active days,
when making large purchases of land, men of
capital have come to him and offered to loan
him whatever he might need. The shrewdest
and most conservative money lenders have thus
shown their confidence in him.
The faithful helpmeet of his early struggles
passed from earth April 9, 1886, and her remains
were interred in the Reformed Church Cemetery.
Mr. Miller subsequently married Miss Amanda
Grimes, a native of Miles township, Centre
county, and a daughter of Anthony Grimes.
There were three children by the first marriage:
Harvey and Benjamin F. , farmers of Brush Val
ley, now residing in Madisonburg, and Gideon,
who died November 3, 1863. One daughter by
the second marriage, Ancenetta, born April 5,
1887, is at home. Mr. Miller is a stanch Demo
crat, as was his father before him, but he has
never been an office seeker. He takes an active
interest in religious movements, and for many
years has been a leading member of the Reformed
Church.

T^HOMAS E. VONADA, whose entire life has
been passed in Centre county, now makes
his home in Haines township, one-half mile
northeast of Woodward. The first of the family
in this country came here a long time ago, and
at first settled under a large hemlock tree in
what is now Haines township, later by hard labor
clearing land, and raising stock. The old fam
ily was a very good-natured class of people, hon
est and honorable in all their dealings, and pros
pered well.
Henry Vonada, father of our subject, was
born near that place, and acquired his education
in the Vonada school. -At an early age, how
ever, he left school, and began work upon the
home farm, operating that place for several years.
On starting out in life for himself he had 270

422

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

acres, to which he added from time to time until
at his death, in 1887, he had about 660 acres of
land, which he left to his children. He was an
industrious, energetic man, devoting his entire
time and attention to the cultivation and im
provement of his farm, whereon he erected a
comfortable residence and substantial outbuild
ings. Politically he was an earnest Democrat,
and religiously was a consistent member of the
Reformed Church, to which his wife also be
longed. In 1852 Henry Vonada wedded Miss Mary
Rishel, and they became the parents of five chil
dren, namely: Louisa C. , born in 1853, is the
wife of E. J. Vonada, living near Coburn, Cen
tre county; F. Pierce, born in 1855, is an engin
eer of Coburn; Andrew J., born in 1857, married
Maggie Rote, and is proprietor of a planing-mill
in Coburn; Thomas E. is next in order of birth;
and Susan, born in 1862, is the wife of Emanuel
Eungard, a farmer of Penn's Cave, Centre
county. Thomas E. Vonada, our subject, was born on
the old homestead in Haines township, Septem
ber 1, 1859, and during his boyhood he attended
the Vonada school, while later he was a student
in the schools of Woodward until twenty-one
years of age. He operated the home farm on
shares for about five years, and then worked at
general labor near Woodward for a few years,
after which be purchased seven acres of land on
which he still resides, and some timber land.
On November 23, 1891, Mr. Vonada married
Miss Almeda, the youngest daughter of Philip
and Mary (Undergobler) Vonada, and they have
two children: Florence May, born June 14, 1892;
and Tammie R. , born March 18, 1895. Mr.
Vonada takes an active interest in the success of
the Democratic party, which he always supports
by his ballot, and is recognized as one of the
representative and influential citizens of the com
munity, with whose interests he has ever been
prominently identified.

JACOB M. KEPLER. There are few men
more worthy of representation in a work of
this kind than the subject of this biography,
who is passing the later years of his life on a
comfortable homestead in Ferguson township,
Centre county, the land of which he commenced
operating in 1892. His has been a long and
busy career, rich with experience, and in which
he has established himself in the esteem and con
fidence of all who know him.
Mr. Kepler was born in Ferguson township,
March 9, 1833, a son of Jacob and Katharine

(Musser) Kepler, both of whom were natives of
Centre county, and of German extraction. In
their family were five children, who in order of
birth were as follows: (1) Mrs. E. K. Shadman,
of Conneaut, Ohio, who is still living, and who
raised a large family. (2) George M. , a resident
of Corry, Penn., is married and has two chil
dren — one son and one daughter. (3) Jacob
M., subject of this sketch. (4) John M., of
Shippensville, Clarion Co., Penn., who died in
the summer of 1897, was married and reared a
family; his wife is also dead. (5) Mary became
the wife of Corthlow, of Clarion county, but died
several years ago.
The primary education of our subject was ob
tained in the common schools, and this he sup
plemented with an academic course in the Pine
Grove Mills and Potters Mills schools. When a
young man he successfully engaged in teaching
during the winter seasons, while the summer
months were spent in farm labor. In 1859 he
embarked in the hotel business at Philipsburg,
Centre county, which he continued until 1871,
when he went to Petroleum Center, Venango
Co. , Penn. , where for some time he was success
fully engaged in the oil business. Removing to
Tionesta, Penn. , he associated himself with N.
S. Foreman, of that place, in the lumber trade,
and was also connected with the Salmon Creek
Lumber and Mining Company, serving as their
superintendent for seven years. In 1880, Mr.
Kepler founded the Forest National Democrat,
the first Democratic newspaper in Forest county,
and continued in the capacity of editor and pro
prietor until 1892, when he suspended its opera
tion on account of ill health. Leaving Tionesta,
he removed to his large and fertile farm in
Ferguson township, Centre county, where he has
since been actively and successfully engaged in
agricultural pursuits.
In 1863, Mr. Kepler was united in marriage
with Mary Jane Hutton, and to them were born
four children, two of whom are still living,
namely: Nellie, wife of James D. Davis, a book
keeper of Tionesta, Forest Co., Penn., by whom
she has one child; and John W., who was born
August 26, 1873, a printer by trade, who is asso
ciated with his father in the agricultural business,
and who was also associate editor of the Forest
National Democrat for four years; he completed
his education at Chamberlain Institute, at Ran
dolph, New York, and is still under the parental
roof. Mr. Kepler has never cared for official dis
tinction, but has always taken an active part in
promoting the interests of the Democratic party,
which he supports by his ballot, and has served

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

423

as chairman of the County Democratic Central
Committee. He has ever cheerfully given his
support to those enterprises that tend to public
development and, with hardly an exception, he
has been connected with every interest that has
promoted general welfare. His name is a syno
nym for honorable business dealing; he is always
mentioned as one of the invaluable citizens of
this section of the State, and on the rolls of
Centre county's most honored men his name
should be found among the foremost.

T\ W. HOSTERMAN, of Coburn, who has
won a high reputation among the agricult
urists of Penn township, Centre county, for his
able management of his fine farm, is still more
widely known as a forceful and effective speaker
upon religious topics, having been for years a
local preacher of the Evangelical Church. Al
though he has not had the advantages of col
legiate training, a mind well stored through
private study and the diligent use of such in
struction as fell to him in his youth, makes him
more than ordinarily well informed.
Mr. Hosterman was born in Haines town
ship, Centre county, April 15, 1845, upon a
farm which had originally belonged to his grand
father, Jacob Hosterman, a prosperous agri
culturist, who had two sons and three daughters.
At his death he left the estate by will to his only
surviving son, Thomas, then eighteen years old.
Thomas Hosterman, our subject's father, ac
cepted at this early age the responsibilities thus
devolving upon him, and conducted the farm
throughout his active life. He was married in
Haines township to Miss Hannah Yearick, and
took his bride to the old home. Not long after
ward he provided for his mother's comfort by
building a good house for her in the same yard,
where she spent the remainder of her life, dying
when between seventy and eighty years of age.
In like manner he arranged in his own later years
for the quiet which the old crave, building a new
home on one end of the farm when he retired
from active business. There he died at the age
of sixty-three, his wife having passed away four
years before, aged fifty-five.
Thomas Hosterman had only a district-school
education, and for that he had to walk three
miles daily; but he possessed a remarkable intel
lect, and as a public speaker on religion or poli
tics wielded wide influence in his day. As a
debater he was unusually successful, and men
who had enjoyed superior educational advantages
feared to meet him in open discussion. An ar
dent Abolitionist, he turned from the Democratic

party to the Whig, and later to the Republican
party. He was an active member of the Evan
gelical Church, in which he was an exhorter, and
his estimable wife was also a devout adherent.
Their children were Brumille, who died in
youth; Paulina, who married Samuel Moyer, and
died in Haines township, Centre county; Eman
uel, who died at the age of fourteen; Amelia
(Mrs. Jeremiah Vonada), who died at Wood
ward, Penn.; Thomas W, our subject; Charles
W., a resident of Woodward; Clara, now Mrs.
James Weaver, of Fiedler, Penn. ; Lizzie (Mrs.
William Wolf), of Fiedler; Hannah M., who died
in early womanhood; and Anna (Mrs. Howard
Musser), of Woodward.
The subject of this biography attended the
local schools of his day, one of his first teachers
holding the sessions in an upper room of his fa
ther's spring house. His schooling, such as it
was, ended at eighteen, when he began to devote
his attention seriously to farming on the old
homestead. In September, 1866, when but nine
teen years old, he was married in his native
township to Miss Rachel Vonada, who was born
in the Nittany Valley, March 15, 1844, the
daughter of Philip and Mary (Harback) Vonada.
After this happy event Mr. Hosterman settled at
the homestead to work for his father. Later he
rented the place, and two years before his fa
ther's death he made arrangements to purchase
it. When the estate was settled he became the
sole owner, and continued to reside there until
1886, when he moved to his present residence in
Coburn. A sad affliction befell him in that. year,
a chestnut burr destroying the sight of his right
eye. The homestead, which contains 180 acres,
still receives his superintendence, but except for
that he has now retired from active care. He
has built two houses in Coburn, each of which
has a store room on the lower floor. In May,
1889, he was appointed postmaster of the village,
and reappointed 'in August, 1897. He is a
stanch Republican, taking great interest in the
success of the party, and is regarded as a leader
in his section.
For more than forty years, Mr. Hosterman
has been a member of the Evangelical Church,
to which Mrs. Hosterman also belongs, and his
labors for the cause have been manifold, as local
preacher, exhorter, class leader, trustee and
steward and in the work of the Sunday-school.
Mr. and Mrs. Hosterman have reared a large
and interesting family, of which any parent might
be proud. There were sixteen in all, three of
whom have been removed by death: Phoebe died
at Coburn, Penn., May 2, 1897, at the age of
thirty-three years; Ida married Thomas Motz, of

424

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Woodward, Penn. ; Warren is a farmer in Haines
township, Centre county; Annie M. married
Clayton Bower, of the same township; Edith
married N. B. Shaffer, of Zion, Centre county;
Luther is a farmer of Haines township; Gertie
married John Waite, of Rebersburg, Penn. ; Will
iam is a farmer of Haines township; Tome,
Thomas A. and Nathan are at home; Hannah
died in infancy; Lizzie, Mabel and Bertha are at
home; and an infant son still-born in 1887.

WJ. THOMPSON, of Potters Mills, ranks
among the most prominent business men
of Centre county, with whose commercial and
industrial interests he has been identified for
many years. He is now the senior member of
the well-known firm of Thompson & Smith, deal
ers in general merchandise at Potters Mills, car
rying a large and well-selected stock. In busi
ness circles he occupies a prominent -place, and
to-day is the oldest active merchant in Penn's
Valley. Mr. Thompson was born in Milroy, Penn.,
September 9, 1834, and is a son of William and
Margaret (McFarlane) Thompson, both natives
of Mifflin county, Penn., the former a son of
Moses Thompson, and the latter a daughter of
Col. James McFarlane. The father was a farmer
by occupation, and was a man of considerable
means. He was three times married, the mother
of our subject being his second wife, and to them
were born five children. Both parents died in
Mifflin county, the father at the age of eighty-
four years, and the mother at forty-seven. His
family numbered nine children in all, of whom
our subject was next to the youngest.
In Milroy, Mr. Thompson, of this review,
was reared and obtained his elementary educa
tion at his boyhood home, and at the age of
eighteen years was sent to Tuscarora Academy,
where he pursued his studies one season, at the
end of which time the school was destroyed by
fire. The following winter he attended school at
Perrysville, Penn., for one term, there complet
ing his literary education. In 1854 he came to
Centre Furnace, Centre county, and secured a
position as clerk in the company's store at that
place, this being his first experience in the mer
cantile business. After five years in that employ
he came to Potters Mills, where his father had
purchased property, and in connection with his
brother, James M. , established his present busi
ness under the firm name of W. J. Thompson &
Brother. This partnership continued until the
death of the latter during the "seventies," when
our subject became sole owner. In 1877 the

store was destroyed by fire, but with his charac
teristic energy, Mr. Thompson at once resumed
operations, erecting his present substantial brick
block, where he has since successfully conducted
business. In addition to his mercantile pursuits,
he has also been extensively interested in the
lumber business, and still owns considerable land,
from which he has cut the timber.
Since the organization of the Republican
party, Mr. Thompson has been one of its stanch-
est supporters, and on that ticket was elected
justice of the peace (in which office he served
some fifteen years), although his party was
greatly in the minority, which fact illustrates his
popularity and the confidence and trust reposed
in him by his fellow citizens. He acceptably
served in that office for ten years. While not a
member of any religious organization, he gives
his support to the Presbyterian Church, to which
he has ever been a liberal contributor.
Mr. Thompson is a charter member of the
Grand Army Post No. 282, of Centre Hall,
having been a faithful soldier in the Union army
during the Civil war. In October, 1861, he en
listed in an independent company, which later
became a part of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania
Cavalry, and was made body-guard to Gen.
Anderson. The regiment was sent to Camp
Louisville, Ky., where it remained during the
winter of 1861, being ordered, in the latter part
of February, 1862, to Nashville. It participated
in the battle of Pittsburg Landing, and in many
other engagements, after which it was with Gen.
Buel. In the spring of 1863, Mr. Thompson
was honorably discharged, and is now the only
surviving member of his company in Centre
county. Since 1 893 he has been afflicted with
paralysis. No man in Potter township is more
deserving the high regard and esteem in which
he is universally held than our subject, who is
kind-hearted, generous and genial, with always
a pleasant word for all.

D

., H. ROTE. It is a matter of just pride to
V our self-made men that they have made
their own way in life from poverty to a compe
tence, having started upon their various car
eers with no capital except health of mind
and body and a strong will. The subject of
this sketch, though handicapped by a lifelong
physical disability, has attained to a place among
the business men of Aaronsburg which would do
credit to any man. When four years old he met
with an affliction which left him crippled for life,
while lack of means, coupled with an honorable
ambition, compelled him to take up against all

o-i^-^

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

425

odds the struggle for a livelihood which so many
have found too difficult under our present in
dustrial system.
Mr. Rote is a native of Aaronsburg, born
March 21, 1842, and is a descendant of one of
the pioneer families of Union county, Penn. , his
great-grandfather, George Rote, having been
among the first settlers at Mifflinburg. Peter
Rote, the grandfather, and Simon Rote, the
father of our subject, were born there, but the
latter Went to Penn's Valley in early manhood,
- and learned the blacksmith's trade at Woodward.
He married Susan Diehl, a native of Union
county, Penn., and a daughter of Abraham
Diehl, whose later years were spent in Union
county. After learning his trade, Simon Rote located
in Aaronsburg, where he followed it successfully
throughout his active life. He died there April
1, 1884, aged sixty-seven years, and just forty-
five years to a day, when he moved into
his home, he was carried from it a corpse,
and laid to rest in the cemetery near town.
He was an industrious man, self-made, and
built his home by his work at the anvil. As
a member of the Reformed Church he was active
in religious work, and in politics his influence
was felt first as a Whig and later as a Republic
an, different township offices being filled by
him creditably. His widow, now in her eighty-
fourth year, still lives in the old homestead
which his care provided for her. They had eight
children — four sons and four daughters, of whom
but four reached adult age. Of these, our sub
ject was the eldest; John, now a resident of
Axemann, Penn. , was a soldier in Company D,
148th P. V. I., during the Civil war. Sarah
married F. P. Fisher, and died in Dakota, 111.
Thomas resides in Orangeville, Illinois.
Owing to Mr. Rote's physical ailments he did
not attend school regularly during boyhood, but
under the loving guidance of his mother, a woman
of ordinary education but very energetic, he
learned rapidly at home, being prepared at the
age of fifteen to take a position as teacher.
After continuing this work for about two years,
he began an apprenticeship, in i860, with J. B.
Edmunds, a watchmaker at Aaronsburg. His
employer enlisted in the army, however, before
the term was completed, and was killed in the
battle of the Wilderness. Consequently, Mr.
Rote changed his plans, and in 1862 began to
learn the art of type-setting in the office of the
Centre- Reporter, which was then printed in
Aaronsburg. For Some time he worked as a
journeyman in different places, but the rough
class of associates which this trade brought him

caused him to abandon it finally, and in 1868 he
resumed the work of teaching.
This proving more congenial, he continued it
until the spring of 1883, when he opened a jew
eler's shop in Aaronsburg, which he has con
ducted successfully since, doing a large amount
of repair work. His industry seems untiring,
and when his fine native ability is considered, one
cannot but believe that with even ordinary op
portunities he would have carved out for himself
a remarkable career. Gifted with unusual me
chanical skill, he is able to duplicate anything,
tools and materials being the only requisites.
His brave and successful struggle with an adverse
fate has won him the esteem and admiration of
all who know him and given him a host of warm
friends. In politics he is a Republican, and
from 1884 to 1894 he served as justice of the
peace. In 1869, he. was married in Aaronsburg to
Miss Susan Cronmiller, a native of that town,
and a daughter of Thomas Cronmiller, a well-
known citizen. They have an adopted daughter,
Mamie. Mrs. Rote is an active member of the
Reformed Church, and has taken a generous in
terest in many lines of philanthropic work.

MENRY A. BRUMGARD is a retired farmer,
 one whose well-spent life and activity in
business have brought to him a competence
that now enables him to lay aside business cares.
He was born June 9, 1843, in Clinton county,
and is the eldest child of Martin and Sarah
(Wholford) Brumgard. He is descended from
one of the old Pennsylvania families, and on
both sides is of German descent. Several of his
ancestors took an active part in the war of 181 2.
His grandfather, Jacob Brumgard, removed from
New York to Pennsylvania, at a very early day.
The father of our subject was born and reared
in Brush Valley, Centre county, and throughout
his life followed the occupation of farming. In
the spring of 1845 he removed from Clinton
county to Centre county, where he passed the
rest of his days, dying November 16, 1893. He
was laid to rest by the side of his wife, who had
departed this life June 18, 1885. She was a
daughter of George Wholford, of Brush Valley.
Mr. and Mrs. Brumgard had three children, the
daughters being Catherine R., wife of D. T.
Johnson, a prosperous farmer of Ferguson town
ship, Centre county, and Alice, wife of George
Garbrick, a farmer of Spring township, Centre
county, by whom she has two children, Sarah
and Clarence.
In the common schools Henry A. Brumgard

426

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

acquired his education, while on the old home
stead he received ample training at farm labor,
and learned many valuable lessons of industry
and economy, On June 14, 1866, he married
Miss Mary A. Homan, who was born July 26,
1843, a daughter of John Homan, who resided in
Ferguson township, Centre county. He died
very suddenly of heart disease, on the 2nd of No
vember, 1893, and his wife passed away March
22, 1894, their remains being interred in Pine
Hall cemetery, Ferguson township. Mr. and
Mrs. Brumgard have- three children: John. Cal
vin, who was born April 2, 1871. and died at the
age of three years; Sarah A., wife of Newton J.
Hockman, a farmer of Walker township, by
whom she has three sons — Austin F. , born Sep
tember 7, 1890, Clyde E. , born June 1, 1893,
and Fern, born May 28, 1896; and Hannah G.,
who was born December 25, 1874, is still at
home with her parents.
Mr. Brumgard is the owner of some valuable
real estate, including a farm of one hundred acres
pleasantly situated one mile from Zion. He also
owns a fine residence in the town, ten acres of
land adjoining the corporation limits, and a
twenty-acre timber tract near the town. He also
has a third interest in a valuable tract of ore land
near State College. All his property has been
acquired through his own efforts, and his under
takings have been crowned with the success that
follows consecutive effort, well directed energy and
determined purpose. He is now living retired in
the well-earned enjoyment of the fruits of his
former toil. He has traveled quite extensively
over the country, having visited many of the
western States, and is an intelligent, public- spir
ited and progressive man, honorable in all the re
lations of life and extending to his many friends
the cordial hospitality of his home. He formerly
held membership with the Grange; he and his
wife are members of the Lutheran Church. In
politics he is a Democrat, and held the office of
assessor one year in Walker township.

ip\RANT HOOVER. Although the subject of
\^ this sketch is one of the younger business
men of Bellefonte, Centre county, he has already
won a high reputation for ability. In his chosen
lines of insurance and real-estate business he
takes a leading place, and he is well and favora
bly known throughout the northern part of the
State. The Hoover family were among the early set
tlers of Bald Eagle Valley, Centre county, and our
subject's grandfather, George Hoover, was born
and reared there, becoming a farmer by occupa

tion, and continuing that occupation until his
death in August, 1870, when he was aged sixty-
nine years. The grandmother of our subject,
Mrs. Esther Ann Hoover, who was born in 1810
is still alive and active, residing at Port Matilda,
Centre county. Ten children were born to this-
estimable couple: Sarah Ann, who married S..
Ludwig, and lives in Kansas; Harvey, our sub
ject's father; Henry W., deceased, September
13, 1897, who was a lumberman of Bald Eagle
Furnace, Blair Co., Penn.; Mary J., widow of
L. Parker, of Kansas, residing in Penfield, Clear
field Co., Penn.; Martha, wife of George R
Eastman, of Curwensville, Penn.; John C, a
wealthy resident of Julia Ann Furnace, Centre
county; George W. , president of Hoover, Hughes
& Co., a well-known lumber firm of Philipsburg,
Penn. ; Jackson, a farmer, who died in 1875;
Clarissa, who married A. W. Resse, of Port Ma
tilda; and Philena, who died at an early age.
Harvey Hoover, the father of our subject,
was born in 1833, and received his education in
the schools of Union township, Centre county.
In early manhood he engaged in lumbering, but
for some years he has followed agricultural pur
suits. He married Miss Mary Catlow, a grand-
niece of Sir Robert Peel, and of this union nine
children were born: Laura, who married J. E.
Dailey, of Penfield, Clearfield county; Richard
C. , who lives in Bellefonte; Grant, our subject;
Sherman, who is at home; Sallie C, who mar
ried Harry Esterline; the others, J. Clyde (a
teacher in the public schools), George, Martha
and Mary, reside with their parents.
Grant Hoover was born August 6, 1865, in
Bald Eagle Valley, Centre county, and was there
reared to farm life, working for an uncle during
boyhood while attending school. At sixteen he
engaged in the lumber business, which he fol
lowed until 1892, conducting two or three mills
in McKean county, in connection with contract
work. After selling out his interest in this busi
ness to his partner, he went to Buffalo, and spent
a short time as a traveling salesman in the lum
ber trade, but since his return to Centre county
he has engaged in the real-estate business, and
in an insurance agency, taking life, fire, and acci
dent risks. Mr. Hoover is highly esteemed wher
ever he is known. He is an active and influen
tial Republican, and was lately a candidate for
the office of prothonotary, but withdrew in favor
of Abraham B. Miller, a veteran of our Civil war.
On January 2, 1890, he was united in marriage
with Miss Edith B. Moore, a native of Milesburg,
Penn., born August 5, 1870, but their happiness
was brief, the young bride passing to the unseen
life October 18, 1890.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

427

Mr. Hoover's mother was a daughter of the
late Richard Catlow, nephew of Sir Robert Peel,
and a learned and eloquent preacher in the U.
B. Church. He inherited a fortune from the
family estates in England, but preferred to reside
in this country. For some time his home was in
Clearfield county, but later he removed to a farm
in Bald Eagle Valley, where for many years he
followed the peaceful calling of agriculture. His
death occurred in Unionville at the age of eighty-
two years. His children were: David, who lives
in Iowa; Mary (Mrs. Hoover); Sarah, widow of
Philip Teats; Martha, deceased, who married
Orange Hart, of Iowa; and William, who died
in his youth.

ARON W. HAFER, D. D. S., a leading
WL dentist of Bellefonte, Centre county, is one
of the self-made men of his section, who in
making their own path to success reflect credit
upon human nature, and furnish encouragement
to all others to make use of their best powers,
and " put foundations under their air castles."
The ancestors of the Hafer family, in both
paternal and maternal lines, were pioneers in this
State. Moses Hafer, our subject's father, was
born in 1812, of a well-known Pennsylvania-
Dutch family, and as a young man settled in
Centre county, where he met and married Miss
Catherine Gramly, a native of Miles township,
born in 18 13. Her family had been prominent
in Centre county from the earliest times, her
grandfather having been born there; he was a
business man of Miles township, carried on the
milling business, operating a sawmill, gristmill
and a woolen-factory. Moses Hafer followed the
fuller's trade, and met with his death through an
accident with an overshot wheel in 1852; the
mother survived him until 1895. They had five
children: (1) Elizabeth (Mrs. Foster Tate), of
Coleville, Penn.; (2) Mary E., the widow of J.
Kuhn, of Ridgely, Md. ; (3) Louise (deceased),
who married W. H. Poorman; (4) Aaron W., our
subject; and (5) John W., a retired contractor
and builder, who resides at Coleville, Pennsyl
vania. Mr. Hafer, our subject, was born in Miles
township, Centre county, July 29, 1845, and his
youth was spent there, the common schools
affording him the usual educational opportunities.
Later he attended the Normal School at Rebers
burg, and then began teaching, the next five
winters being given to that work, while in sum
mers he would resume his student life. He
taught his last term of school in 1868 near Belle
fonte, and during that time he began his prelimi

nary reading for his profession, under the direc
tion of Dr. H. H. Rotherick, of that city. For
three months his evenings and Saturdays were
devoted to study, then he served a regular ap
prenticeship of four months, and with this prep
aration he started out in practice on his own
account at Osceola, Penn. He remained there
eight years, enjoying a fine practice; but wishing
to attend a dental college he disposed of his busi
ness. Circumstances conspired to defeat his
plans, however, and he concluded to establish an
office at Rebersburg, where he met with success.
In 1883 he again made arrangements for taking
a course of lectures, and in 1884 he was gradu
ated from the Pennsylvania Dental College at
Philadelphia with the degree of D. D. S. The
following year he spent in practice at Millheim,
Penn's Valley, Centre county, but since that time
he has been located at Bellefonte, where his skill
and ability won him quick recognition as a prac
titioner. Dr. Hafer's first wife, who in her maiden
hood was Miss Martha J.- Beck, who was born
June 12, 1845, in Indiana county, Penn., was
the mother of four bright and talented daugh
ters: Laura K., Mary E., Alpha G. and Florence
Jane. Miss Laura K. Hafer, D. D. S., was the
first lady graduated from the high school at
Bellefonte to enter State College, where she pur
sued the study of the higher branches for one
year. She then entered Pennsylvania State Den
tal College, and received her diploma just ten
years after her father's graduation from that in
stitution. She was one of the first three-year
dental students, and a remarkable fact is that she
had graduated in the High School, spent one year
at the State College, and completed a three-years'
course at the Dental College, graduating at the
latter when but twenty-one. On June 20, 1894,
Dr. Hafer married his second wife, Miss Laura
May Hess, a native of Penn's Valley, born Feb
ruary 16, 1867. One son, William Talmage, has
blessed this union. As a public-spirited citizen,
the Doctor takes keen interest in all that concerns
the community. He is a Republican in politics,
and in religion is a Methodist.

/GEORGE D. HOOVER, who, in connection
%gl with his brother, William E., is engaged in
general farming and the manufacture of shingles
in Union township, Centre county, was born May
12, 1852, on a part of the farm where he now
resides, and is a son of Jacob and Rachel (Fisher)
Hoover, also natives of Union township. His
paternal grandparents, John and Mary (Ashen-

428

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

f elder) Hoover, came to that township in 1796,
where the grandfather engaged in farming
throughout the remainder of his life. He was
a son of William and Sallie (Packer) Hoover.
The maternal grandparents of our subject, Will
iam and Rachel (Meridoth) Fisher, farming peo
ple, were natives of Chester and York counties,
Penn., respectively, and came to Centre county
in 1800, locating in Union township when it was
part of Mifflin county. They were members of
the Society of Friends.
Jacob Hoover was born October 11, 1808,
and died March 24, 1880; his wife was born Feb
ruary 20, 1 8 14, and died March 31, 1894. The
following children blessed their union: Mary,
born January 26, 1841, died March '3, 1843;
William E., born January 11, 1844, is in busi
ness with our subject; Edwin and Irwin (twins),
born April 26, 1846, died May 14, 1846, and
June 18, 1846, respectively; Arlander and
Amanda (twins), born February 10, 1848, died
•October 2, 1853, and March 17, 1870, respect
ively; George D. is next in order of birth; and
John B., born February 14, 1855, died March
28, 1856.
Upon their present farm, George D. Hoover
and his brother) William E., passed their boy
hood and youth in much the usual manner of
farmer lads, aiding in the work of the fields, and
attending schools of the neighborhood during
the winter season. They remained at home and
cared for their parents until after their deaths,
when they came into possession of the place,
which they have under a high state of cultivation
and well improved. Besides their farming oper
ations they also embarked in the manufacture of
shingles in 1893, erecting a plant for the purpose,
and have carried on the enterprise with good suc
cess. On July 30, 1878, George D. Hoover was
united in marriage with Maria F. Peters, and
they have seven children, whose names and dates
of birth are as follows: Harry T., March 15,
1879; Lulu M., June 22, 1881; Christy B., Au
gust 17, 1884; Clara E., November 10, 1886;
Rachel, February 14, 1888; Hannah E. , June
18, 1890; and Charles W., February 19, 1893.
Mrs. Maria Hoover was born February 16,
1855, on Dick's run, Union township, Centre
county, and is a daughter of George L. and
Emily (Record) Peters, who were married May
16, 1854, and spent their entire lives in Centre
county. The other children born to them are as
follows: Hannah, born June 13, 1857, died Oc
tober 15, 1877; Daniel, born February 2, 1859,
is railroad foreman at Heckley, Penn. ; Jacob,
born March 31, 1861, is a farmer of Iowa; Julia,
born February 5, 1863, died February 9, follow

ing; Orvis, born April 10, 1864, is a farmer of
Centre county; Albina, born August 7, 1867, is
the wife of Perry C. Moran, a railroad man re
siding at Unionville, Centre county; and Emily
born November — , 18—, is the wife of Jacob
Meese, a decorator of Tyrone, Pennsylvania.
George L. Peters, the father of Mrs. Hoover
was born July 10, 18 12, a son of Lawrence and
Elsie Peters, farming people of Centre county,
where they spent their entire lives. During his
younger years he engaged in the butchering busi
ness, but later he followed farming. His death
occurred August 3, 1891. He was three times
married, his first wife in her maidenhood being
Mary Williams. To them were born the follow
ing children: Tabitha, wife of Benjamin Brisbon,
of Lemont, Penn. ; Elsie, deceased wife of Will
iam Kenner, a farmer of Union township, Cen
tre county; Harriet, deceased wife of Calvin
Peters, also a farmer of Union township; Law
rence, a resident of Iowa; William, of Union
ville, Penn. ; and George, deceased. The mother
of Mrs. Hoover was the second wife of George
L. Peters, and for his third wife he wedded Miss
Catherine Glenn.
The mother of Mrs. Hooverwas born in 1820,
and on the 17th of February, 1848, she was
united in marriage to Andrew Brown, who was
born July 19, 1825, and died September 1, 1853.
She later became the wife of George L. Peters,
and died in 1870.
On February 11, 1879, William E. Hoover,
brother of our subject, was wedded to Harriet E.
Carter, and they have two children: John C. and
Newell A. , both at home. Mrs. Hoover was
born February 9, 1855, in Lewistown, Mifflin
Co., Penn., a daughter of John and Maria
(Straight) Carter, natives of Centre county,
Penn., and New Jersey, respectively. In their
family were six children: Harriet E. , wife of Mr.
Hoover; Daniel, Sarah C. and David, all de
ceased; and two who died in infancy. The father
departed this life in Nittany Valley, Penn. , in the
spring of 1 861, at the age of fifty-five years.
Later the mother became the wife of George
Carson, a collier, by whom she had two children:
Martha and Mary, deceased. Mr. and Mrs.
Carson are now living retired at Milesburg. She
is a consistent member of the Methodist Episco
pal Church.
The Hoover brothers are ' ' free silver " Dem
ocrats in politics, and are deeply interested in the
success of their party. They are enterprising,
wide-awake business men, skillful and thorough
farmers, and are highly esteemed and respected
members of the society that surrounds them, en-'
joying the confidence and regard of all.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

429

E ELIJAH I. WALKER, a well-known lumber-
 \j] man and proprietor of a sawmill located on
the Marsh Creek road, in Boggs township, Cen
tre county, was born April 15, 1843, on a farm
adjoining the one on which he now resides. His
father, Adam Walker, was also a native of Cen
tre county, a farmer by occupation, and a son of
Andrew and Margaret Walker, who were born in
Germany, and were the first settlers of Boggs
township, locating there in 1 796. The grandfa
ther cleared and improved a farm, on which he
and his wife spent their remaining days.
Adam Walker, the father of our subject, on
reaching man's estate was united in marriage
with Miss Margaret Walker, a cousin,' who was
born in Mifflin county, Penn. , and was a daugh
ter of Jacob and Margaret Walker, natives of
Germany and Virginia, respectively. They also
became early settlers of Centre county, where
they continued to live until called from this life.
The parents of our subject began their domestic
life upon a farm in the same county, and reared
their family, comprising the following children:
Martha, deceased; Catherine, wife of Andrew
Walker, a farmer of Boggs township; Jacob, a
farmer of the same township; Margaret, who
wedded Thomas Fey, but both are now deceased;
Michael, who was a member of Company A, 45th
P. V. I., during the Civil war, and died in the
service; Andy, a contractor of Jeannette, Penn. ;
Adam, a farmer of Tyrone, Penn.; Elijah I. and
Elisha H. (twins), the latter of whom is a real-
estate and insurance agent of Woodland, Penn. ;
Eve J., wife of Ben Hummel, of Wallaceton,
Penn.; James and Martha, deceased; and one
that died in infancy. The father died in 1881,
at the age of seventy-four years, and the mother
in 1876, at the age of sixty-eight years. Both
were lifelong members of the United Brethren
Church. Until he was twenty-three years of age, Eli
jah I. Walker remained upon the home farm,
assisting in its operation during the summer sea
son, and attended the district schools in the win
ter months in his early boyhood. He is, how
ever, mostly self-educated, paying for his own
tuition at Otterbein University, Ashtabula, Ohio,
for one year. After leaving school in 1864, he
returned home and enlisted in Company K, 82nd
Penn. V I., under Capt. J. F. Reen. He par
ticipated in a number of important engagements,
including those of Sailors Creek and Petersburg,
and was present at the surrender of Gen. Lee.
He was never wounded, and at Philadelphia re
ceived an honorable discharge when the war was
over. On arriving home he embarked in the
lumber business, which he has since continued.

He erected his present comfortable residence in
1867. On the 15th of January, same year, Mr.
Walker was united in marriage with Miss Aman
da Ackley, who was born in Centre county, Oc
tober 4, 1847, a daughter of John and Nancy
Ackley, natives of Buffalo Run, in the same coun
ty, where they spent their entire lives engaged
in agricultural pursuits. Six children graced
this union, namely: Harry E. , who is engaged
in the sawmill business at Spruce Creek, Hunt
ingdon Co., Penn., and Clarence, Stella, Wil-
burn, Chester and Charles, who are still with
their father. The wife and mother departed
this life September 18, 1888, and November 4,
1895, Mr. Walker was again married, the lady
of his choice being Mary M. Leister, and to them
has been born a daughter, Esther L.
Politically, Mr. Walker is independent, vot
ing for the man whom he considers best quali
fied to fill the position. Formerly he was a Re
publican, twice being the nominee of that party
for the Legislature, but was defeated owing to the
county having a large Democratic majority. He
is an intelligent, enterprising man, well informed
on the leading questions and issues of the day,
and is fully abreast with the times in every par
ticular. His success in life is due entirely to in
dustry, perseverance and good management, and
he holds a high place in the esteem of his fellow-
citizens.

DANIEL ROUSH, a well-known and honored
citizen of Madisonburg, is the oldest shoe
maker actively engaged at his trade in Brush
Valley, Centre county. He was born February
1, 1824, at Freeburg, in what was then Union
county, but is now Snyder county, Penn., and is
a son of Frederick and Dorothy (Nagal) Roush.
His education was such as the district schools of
the locality afforded. At the early age of ten
years he began learning the shoemaker's trade
with his father, and after he had attained his six
teenth year gave his entire time and attention to
that business.
During his boyhood, Mr. Roush accompanied
his parents to Miles township, where he continued
to work with his father until twenty-one years of
age, and then established a shop of his own in
Madisonburg, where he has since successfully
carried on business, with the exception of two
months spent in Bellefonte. He owns an excel
lent home in Madisonburg, and also twelve acres
near the village, for which he paid $125 per
acre, and twenty-seven acres of mountain land.
He has made his own way in the world, having

430

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

started out in life for himself empty-handed, but
by industry, perseverance and economy has se
cured a comfortable competence, which is assur
edly justly merited.
In May, 1845, in Madisonburg, Mr. Roush
wedded Miss Mary Wise, a native of Brush Val
ley, and a daughter of Frederick Wise, a black
smith by trade, and to them were born three
children: Anna and Louisa, who died when
young; and Elizabeth, now the widow of Jacob
Keller, of Bellefonte. The mother of these died
and was buried in Madisonburg, and in that vil
lage, August 16, 1864, Mr. Roush was again
married, this second union being with Miss Ma-
linda Bickle, who was born in Madisonburg, May
31, 1836, a daughter of Simon and Hannah
Bickle. With the Reformed Church they hold
membership, and enjoy the confidence and high
regard of all who know them. During his leisure
hours, Mr. Roush has done much reading, and is
therefore well informed on leading questions and
issues of the day as well as on general topics of
interest. He has always given his political sup
port to the men and measures of the Democratic
party, and for two years served as overseer of
the poor.

SAMUEL ERTEL. The history of this gen
tleman, who is one of the leading farmers of
Gregg township, Centre county, is a forcible
illustration of the exercise of perseverance
and resolution under the pressure of financial
difficulties as well as amid the sunshine of pros
perity. His ample possessions comprise 460
acres, and his homestead with its appurtenances
forms one of the most attractive features of the
landscape. Mr. Ertel was born December 27, 1837, near
Penn Hall, in the township which is~ still his
home, and comes of a family that has long been
identified with the interests of Centre county, his
grandfather being a resident of Brush Valley at
an early day, where he engaged in farming
There the father, Philip Ertel, was born in No
vember, 1796, and at Aaronsburg he learned the
tanner's trade, which he followed for many years
in Gregg township in connection with his farm
ing operations. His tannery was located on his
farm, and there he did an extensive business.
He was a strong and robust man who started out
in life empty-handed; but by perseverance and
industry became one of the substantial citizens of
the community, where he was widely and favor
ably known. His political support was also
given the men and measures of the Democratic
party, and in religious belief he was a Lutheran,

Philip Ertel was joined in wedlock with Cath
arine Bartges, who was born in November, 1799,
a daughter of William Bartges. Six children
blessed their union: David, who died in Green
Briar, Penn township, Centre county; Daniel, a
resident of Marshall county, Iowa; Elizabeth,
wife of A. G. Burrell, of Gregg township; Sam
uel, of this sketch; Adam, of Gregg township;
and Caroline, wife of George Gentzel, of the
same township. The mother was called to her
final rest in 1846, and the father in June, 1875.
His remains were interred in Green Grove ceme
tery, while the mother was buried in the Heck
man cemetery.
Samuel Ertel began his education in the
Cross Roads school under the instruction of John
Mayer, and for several years built the fires in the
school house for the different teachers for $1.50
per winter He saved the wages thus earned
until he had $9, with which sum he purchased
his first watch — a long-cherished possession.
Upon the home farm he was reared to manhood,
and continued under the parental roof until his
marriage, in Aaronsburg, May 1, 1859, to Miss
Mary A. Minich, the ceremony being performed
by Rev. Joseph Welker. She was born in Penn
township, November 16, 1835, a daughter of
Daniel and Lydia (nee Kuhns) Minich, and re
ceived very limited school privileges, her parents
being poor. From the age of fifteen years until
her marriage she was employed as a domestic.
By her marriage she has become the mother of
two children: Amanda C. , born December 25,
1859, is the wife of John W. Gobble, of George's
Valley, Centre county; and Ida C. , born Sep
tember 19, 1868, is the wife of Seward C. Beck
er, of Altoona, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Ertel took his bride to the home farm in
Gregg township, which he operated until 1881,
and then removed to his present place, known
as the "Hettinger farm," in George's Valley,
Gregg township, which he had purchased the
year previous. During the twenty-two years he
lived upon his father's farm he had often worked
along into the night, and, saving his money, was
able to buy his own farm without going into debt
for any of the amount. It comprises 125 acres
of excellent land, which he has transformed into
richly cultivated fields, and in addition to this
he owns other tracts, aggregating 460 acres, all
the result of his untiring labor, energy and good
management. In securing his comfortable for
tune he has been ably assisted by his excellent
wife, who has indeed been a true mate to him,
and they now expect to spend their declining
years in ease and retirement and enjoy the fruits
of their former toil. They are active and cori'

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

431

sistent members of the Lutheran Church, in
which he has served as both deacon and elder
for a number of years. Fraternally he affiliates
with the Grange, No. 158, at Spring Mills, and
in politics is an ardent Democrat.

LW. WALKER is one of the most reliable
__' and skillful carpenters of Ferguson township,
Centre county. He is a native of the county,
born December 26, 1853, and there he attended
school during his boyhood and youth, acquiring
an excellent education which well fits him for the
practical duties of life. Learning the carpenter's
trade, he has since followed that vocation with
good success.
Andrew Walker, father of our subject, was of
Irish descent, his grandfather coming from the
Emerald Isle to the New World. In early life
he followed the blacksmith's trade, but subse
quently turned his attention to farming, engaging
in the same. He married Katharine Stine, a lady
of German origin, who is still living at the home
near Fairbrook, Centre county. In their family
were seven children, namely: Mary, wife of Joseph
Hettinger, a farmer of Boalsburg, Centre county,
by whom she has three children; M. E., wife of
Henry Myers, a farmer of Virginia, Clarion
county, by whom she has seven children; A. S.,
a resident of Stormstown, Centre county, who
married a Miss Battus, who died in 1892, leaving
six children; I. G., who married Catharine
Smith; L. W. , of this review; Miles W., ex-
sheriff of Centre county, and a resident of Belle
fonte, who married Katie Powers, and has five
children; and C. C, who is living with his mother
in Ferguson township.
As a stanch adherent of the Democratic
party, L. W. Walker takes an active interest in
political affairs. He is an intelligent, industrious
and upright citizen, whose sterling worth is rec
ognized by his many friends and acquaintances.
In religious belief he is a Methodist.

?ILLIAM LOVE is the owner of one of
the beautiful homes and fine farms of
Benner township, Centre county. He is num
bered among the native sons of the Emerald Isle,
his birth having occurred in County Donegal, Ire
land, September 11, 1825. His parents, John
and Margaret (Fleming) Love, were also natives
of that country, and were Presbyterians in relig
ious faith. The father died in his eighty-second
year, the mother in the eighty-third year of her
age. During his boyhood, about the year 1835,

William Love came to America, finally settling
in Centre county, Penn., in 1850, and for forty-
six years has resided continuously within its bor
ders, one of the leading representatives of its
agricultural interests. He now owns forty-four
acres of highly-improved land, and also 240
acres of mountain land, besides a house and
three acres in Spring township. His business
affairs are managed with great energy, directed
by sound judgment, and in the conduct of his
agricultural interests he has gained a comfortable
competence. His home is one of the fine resi
dences of Benner township, and its tasty sur
roundings make it one of the most attractive and
desirable country seats in this part of Pennsyl
vania. Mr. Love was married to Sarah Daily, and
children as follows were born to them: Margaret,
Catherine, Mary J., Thomas, William, John and
David. The mother of these died in 1864, and June
10, 1866, Mr. Love married Mrs. John K. Rankin,
widow of a Union soldier who died in the Civil
war. She is a daughter of Abram and Sarah
(Campbell) Myers, and was born in 1835, in Bed
ford county, Penn. , whence she came to Centre
county during her childhood. By the second
marriage Mr. Love has no children. The family
is held in high esteem in the county, and the sev
eral members of the household have many warm
friends. In his political views, Mr. Love is a
Republican, and stanchly advocates the princi
ples of that party, while by his ballot he sup
ports its men and measures. Public-spirited and
progressive, he is deeply interested in all that
pertains to the advancement of the community,
and withholds his support from no worthy enter
prise. In his dealings his integrity is beyond
question, and the sterling worth of his character
has won him high regard,

C.\ C. SHUEY, a wide-awake business man of
^'1 Bellefonte, Centre county, is not only a pru
dent and successful manager of his own interests,
but a loyal and active sympathizer in the general
advancement of the community. He was born
February 1, 1857, on a farm in the southwest
ern part of Centry county, and is a descendant
of a German family long resident in this State.
Peter Shuey, grandfather of our subject, was
a native of Schuylkill county, but in manhood
made his home at Centre Furnace, Centre coun
ty, where he was employed at the furnace. He
died there at the age of seventy-two, and his
wife, whose maiden name was Etters, passed
away in her sixty-sixth year. This estimable
couple reared a large family of children: (1) Ben-

432

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

jamin, who died recently at his home in Iowa;
(2) Barbara, widow of Jeremiah Mayes, of Fill
more, Buffalo Run Valley; (3) John, a resident
of Dalton, Muskegon Co., Mich.; (4) Jonathan,
who lives near State College, Centre county; (5)
Jacob, our subject's father; (6) Lavina, widow
of John Wasson, residing near Lemont; and (7)
Catharine, who married Cornelius Houtz, and re
sides at Lemont.
Jacob Shuey, who is an industrious and suc
cessful agriculturist, was born in Harris town
ship, Centre county, September 6, 1830. He
was married there in 1852 to Miss Sarah Srohim,
a native of Haines township, Centre county, born
November 4, 1830. She, too, is of German de
scent, and her father, who resided in Penn's
Valley, died when she was a child, leaving three
sons and two daughters, viz. : Charles, now in
Iowa; Elizabeth (Mrs. Robert Ray), now de
ceased; John, who resides near Zion, Centre
county; Sarah (Mrs. Shuey); and Christ, a resi
dent of Grace Hill, Washington Co., Iowa.
For some time after his marriage Jacob Shuey
lived near Centre Furnace, and later he located
upon a farm at Buffalo Run, but for thirty-four
years past he has made his home in the Nittany
Valley. He is a leading member of the Evan
gelical Church, and is highly esteemed among
his associates. Of his seven children four died
at an early age. The others are: (1) Ellen
(Mrs. William Johnstonbrough), of Marion town
ship, Centre county, in the Nittany Valley; (2)
Peter, night watchman for the Berwin-White
Coal Mining Co., at Anita, Jefferson county,
Penn. ; and (3) C. C, the subject of this sketch.
C. C. Shuey remained at his father's farm
until the age of twenty, his education being ac
quired in the country schools. He learned the
carpenter's trade near Lemont, and for about six
years followed that calling in summer, spending
the winter seasons in logging. Deciding upon a
mercantile career, he became a clerk for C. U.
Hoffer & Co., and remained with them three
years. With this practical experience he felt
justified in venturing into the business arena on
his own account, and January 12, 1886, he opened
a grocery store in partnership with Mr. Erhard.
The partnership lasted three and one-half years,
when Mr. Shuey purchased Mr. Erhard's inter
est, and he has since conducted the business
alone, enjoying a fine trade. On November 29,
1883, he married Miss Mary Herkimer, who died
soon afterward, and on September 7, 1886, he
wedded Miss Rebecca Mulholland, a native of
Bellefonte. They have four interesting children:
Bernice, Rachel, Anna and Sarah. Mr. and
Mrs. Shuey are prominently identified with the

M. E. Church. Mr. Shuey is much interested in
reform work, and is an ardent temperance man,
voting the Prohibition ticket. Fraternally he is
a member of the order of Heptasophs.

JACOB M. NEIDIG, one of the prosperous
agriculturists of Penn's Valley, is the owner
of a fine farm of 140 acres in Haines township,
Centre county, near the village of Woodward.
Solomon Neidigh, great-grandfather of our
subject, came from Berks county, and purchased
the place, which was then in Haines township,
Northumberland county. The deed in the pos
session of our subject is dated April 30, 1791,
and the property has been in the family ever
since. Solomon Neidigh was born August 17,
1744, died January 28, 1797, and was buried on
the estate. Marie Elizabeth, his wife, was born
March 2, 1745, and died September 7, 1821.
They had several children, among whom was a
son John Neidigh (our subject's grandfather),
born September 9, 1776, in Berks county, Penn.,
and died March 4, 1838, who came into the
ownership of the farm by will, and being a pro
gressive man, and well supplied with the means
to improve it, built the present substantial brick
residence, between 18 15 and 1820. The barn
dates back to 1834. Catherine, his wife, was
born August 8, 1780, and died December 25,
1841. The remains of both were interred upon
the farm. Of their thirteen children — nine
daughters and four sons — one son died in infancy,
the others being as follows: Catharine; Solo
mon, born June 8, 1801; John, born July 20,
1802; daughter, born May 3, 1804; daughter,
born July 7, 1805; daughter, born August 16,
1806; daughter, born December 16, 1807; David
(third son, and father of our subject) is men
tioned farther on; Ellen, Sophie, Annie and Leah;
and a son, born March 25, 1820.
David Neidig, the father of our subject, was
born in 1809, and died April 1, 1863. He was
one of the leading men of that locality in his day,
a shrewd and successful manager, and although his
early education was limited, he acquired practi
cal knowledge upon a wide range of subjects. He
settled his father's estate, and while farming was
his principal occupation he engaged in lumbering
and other enterprises, conducting a sawmill for
many years. While he gave due attention, as a
private citizen, to political questions, attending
elections regularly, he never sought office or
joined in partisan work beyond the deposit of a
Democratic ticket in the ballot box at every law
ful opportunity. He was a captain in the militia,
and was a leading worker in religious affairs, con-

&

esrt /h., %wbL:#

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

438

tributing liberally to St. Paul's Church (Reform
ed), of which he was a member. His wife, Bar
bara, was a daughter of Jacob Moyer, a well-
known citizen of Snyder county. She was born
in 1814, and passed away in 1886, her remains
being laid to rest beside those of her husband in
St. Paul's Cemetery. She was a devout Chris
tian, of the Lutheran faith. There was a large
family of children, of whom six lived to adult age,
our subject (sketch of whom follows) being eldest;
(2) Mary Ann, born January 13, 1841, married
Michael Hess, of Haines township. (3) Susan,
born March 22, 1842 (now Mrs. Samuel Kramer),
also resides in that locality. (4) John, born
February 11, 1845, sold his share in the farm to
his brother Daniel, and being a single man lives
most of the time with his sisters. (5) Daniel M.,
born July 6, 1847, married Lydia Ellen Krumer-
ine, and has two children — one son and one
daughter; he is now a retired farmer, and lives
at State College. (6) Augustus David, born May
5, 1853, is a farmer in Wisconsin.
Jacob M. Neidig (our subject) was born March
30, 1839, and was reared at the old homestead,
his educational advantages being confined to an
attendance at the subscription schools of that
day. His first school was in the -home of his
father, and his first teacher was a Mr. Hoy. In
those times labor-saving machinery had not been
introduced to any great extent, and wheat was
threshed during the winter season by the tramp
ing of horses. As ma)' be supposed, there was
plenty of work for our subject to do, and when
the "chores" on the farm failed the sawmill
could be relied upon to keep him employed, es
pecially in the spring of the year. However
irksome this continuous round of work may have
been at the time, the habits of industry and
knowledge of detail thus gained were of great
service to him in after life, and the old home
stead, with its carefully-kept buildings, shows
the good results of his labors. He has not only
repaired the old structures, but has added new
ones from time to time. The farm contains 140
acres of excellent land, and Mr. Neidig also
owns some mountain lands. Lumbering has en
gaged his attention at times, and his success in
his undertakings has given him a high reputation
among the progressive business men and farmers
of Penn's Valley.
On May 30, 1880, Mr. Neidig was married
in Aaronsburg to Miss Catherine Rishel, a native
of Gregg township, Centre county, and the elder
of the two daughters born to David and Mary
M. Rishel. Mr. Neidig and his wife are leading
members of the Lutheran Church, in which he
has held the offices of deacon and elder. Lib-
28

eral in his donations to every worthy cause, quiet
and peaceable in his mode of life, Mr. Neidig is
one of the best of citizens. He is steadfast sup
porter of the doctrines of the Democratic party,
and votes regularly, but has never entered the
political arena for any office whatever.

F

*RANK B. STOVER. The life of this well-

known citizen of Bellefonte, Centre county,
has been marked by unusual enterprise and en
ergy, and the success which has attended* his
efforts is but their due reward. Although he is a
native of Union county, where he was born,
December 7, 1836, his family has been identified
with Centre county for three generations. His
paternal grandfather, Jacob E. Stover, was born
at Williamsport, Md., on the Potomac river,
and, losing his parents while yet a boy, began
his business career at great disadvantages. He
learned the tanner's trade in Maryland, and when
a young man settled in Haines township, Centre
county, where numerous relatives had already
located. There he built a tannery, which he con
ducted for many years. He had the following
children: Samuel H., Isaac, William H., George
Hubler, Michael, John H, and Catherine, who
married a Mr. Kaup. Three of the sons served
with distinction in the Union army during the
Civil war. George Hubler Stover, who died in
the year 1897, gained the rank of major;
Michael was connected with the quartermaster's
-department, while John H. became a colonel,
and after the war he was a resident of Mor
gan county, Mo., and represented that district
in Congress. Samuel H. Stover, our subject's father, was
born at Aaronsburg, Penn., in 18 12. He was
married in Centre county to a lady of Dutch
descent, byname Catherine Dingers, whose father
was a farmer in Lebanon county, Penn., where
she was born in 18 13. For about three years
after their marriage they made their home in
Hartleton, Union county. They then returned
to Centre county, and located at Boalsburg, Har
ris township, for three years, after which they
made their home in Bayleyville until 1865, at
which time they again moved to Boalsburg, and
lived there some eighteen years, or until their
death in 1883, the father dying in March, the
mother in May. They were Lutherans in relig
ious faith, and the father was a stanch adherent
of the Republican party. Of their thirteen chil
dren eight lived to maturity: (1) Matilda mar
ried Jonathan Musser, and resides in Altoona,
Blair county; (2) Frank B. is mentioned more
fully below; (3) Johanna married George Kaup,

434

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

of Centre county; (4) Catherine is the wife of
Jonathan Hess, of the same county; (5) Mary G.
married Dr. J. K. Krider, and now lives in Ohio;
(6) Ellen is the wife of Henry Gingrich, of Cen
tre county; (7) Sadie and (8) Nannie, who are
not married, reside in Bellefonte.
As the only son of his parents, Mr. Stover
found his help much in demand upon the farm
during his early years, but he was given good
educational advantages, supplementing his course
in the district school by an attendance at Pine
Grove Academy and Central Academy in Juniata
county, Penn. After leaving school he worked
for some time upon the farm and in his father's
hotel at Rock Springs, and then entered business
life on his own account as a clerk in a dry-goods
store, where one of his transactions was the sale
of six yards of calico to a lady for a dress. Later
he clerked in a hardware store in Bellefonte, and
in 1 88 1 he engaged in the meat business, which
he has ever since followed, enjoying a large cus
tom. As a business man he holds a high place,
and he also exerts much influence in local af
fairs and in the Republican organization. He
belongs to the Royal Arcanum, and is a leading
member of the Lutheran Church, and, in fact, is
interested as a good citizen in all the varied
movements of his locality.
In 1 86 1 Mr. Stover was united in marriage
with Miss Mary M. Musser, a native of Pine
Grove Mills, Centre county, born in 1838, daugh
ter of William and Catherine Musser, the former
of whom died in 1870, the latter in 1885. Mr.
and Mrs. Stover have four children — two sons,
Samuel and Alvin H., in business with their fa
ther, and both living in Bellefonte, and two
daughters, Lula C. , at home, and Lottie E. , who
was married September 15, 1896, to H. E.
Stover, and now resides in Hagerstown, Md.
Samuel, the elder son, was born at Rock Springs,
Centre county, in January, 1863. Alvin H., the
younger son, was born in April, 1865, at Locust
Grove, Centre county, and was married in
August, 1887, to Miss Ida Rishell, daughter of
John Rishell, Centre county, and they have three
children: Frank R., Helen S. and Harold M.

iTV\EORGE B. SIMLER, Jr., who is success-
^yp fully engaged in the express business, holds
a leading place among the enterprising and
prominent men of Philipsburg, Centre county,
materially aiding in the development and prog
ress of the municipality. There he was born
December 13, 1857, a son of George B. and
Amanda (Carpenter) Simler, well known and
and highly respected citizens of Philipsburg.

Until twenty-two years of age our subject
worked for his father at the express business, and
then purchased of him a horse and wagon and
began operations on his own account. From
1878 until 1880 he served as baggage agent at
Philipsburg for the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany. At present he uses two double teams in
his business, and so successful has he been that
he is now the owner of several pieces of real es
tate, besides his own good residence property. In
1879 he was married to Miss Henrietta Lewis, and
they have eight children, whose names and dates
of birth are as follows: Amanda C. , March 20,
1880; Arthur C, September 8, 1881; Hester J.,
September 9, 1883; John L., April 2, 1885;
Mary L. , January 14, 1887; George L., Novem
ber 27, 1892; Donald, August 21, 1894; and
Margaret, November 3, 1896.
Mrs. Simler was born in Johnstown, Penn.,
August 13, 1858, and is a daughter of John and
Mary (Thomas) Lewis, natives of Tredegar,
Wales, where they were married. With one
child, they crossed the Atlantic to America in
1848, and located at Brandy Bend, Penn.,
whence they removed to Johnstown, and still
later to Houtzdale, Clearfield Co., Penn., where
the father died February 3, 1893, at the age of
seventy-nine years. The mother died the day be
fore the Johnstown flood, at the age of sixty-eight.
They were consistent members of the Welch
Baptist Church, and had the esteem and confi
dence of all who knew them. By occupation the
father was a coal operator, and in politics he was
a Republican. In the family of Mr. and Mrs.
Lewis were eight children, namely: William,
who was smothered to death in a coke pit in
Johnstown; Mary A., wife of John Hopwood, a
cabinet maker of Waynesboro, Franklin Co.,
Penn. ; Elizabeth, wife of Michael Erhart, of
Philipsburg; Margaret, wife of Alfred Mallory, a
machinist of Altoona, Penn. ; Letitia, wife of
J. M. Rolles, a carpenter of Clearfield, Penn.;
Tallion T., a blacksmith of Hastings, Penn.;
Henrietta, wife of our subject; and Emma, wife of
Peter Camoran, superintendent of coal mines in
Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Simler has taken a prominent part in
public affairs, and has been called upon to serve
in official positions of honor and trust. He is
now filling the office of school director, and dur
ing the years 1893, 1894 and 1895, was an influ
ential member of the city council. In February,
1897, he was elected burgess of Philipsburg. He
is an ardent Republican in politics, and frater
nally is a member of the Red Warrior Tribe,
Royal Arcanum, of Philipsburg. In the estima
tion of his fellow citizens he is one of the repre-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

435

sentative men of the community, and he enjoys
the confidence and highest regard of all with
whom he comes in contact either in business or
social life.

JOHN F. GARTHOFF, one of the leading
and able educators of Penn township, Centre
county, was born June 5, 1863, nearBanner-
ville, Snyder Co., Penn. His father, John H.
Garthoff, was a native of Westphalia, Prussia,
born December 29, 1822, and was a son of John
H. Garthoff, a tanner by trade. In the family
of three children the father was the only son and
the only one to come to America, where he ar
rived after a stormy voyage. In New York he
learned the tanner's trade, which he afterward
followed in Philadelphia, Lewisburg, and in
Adamsburg, Penn., where he first met the lady
that afterward became his wife.
In the spring of 1 8 5 1 , in Union county, Penn. ,
John H. Garthoff was married to Miss Caroline
Robenold, who was born in Lehigh county,
Penn., January 23, 1829, a daughter of Solomon
and Mary (Ocker) Robenold. Her father was
born May 5, 1798, in Northampton county, this
State, a son of Michael Robenold, and through
out life followed the occupations of shoemaking
and farming. When Mrs. Garthoff was eight
years old her father removed with his family to
Union county, where his wife spent the remainder
of her life upon a farm which he had there pur
chased, dying at the age of fifty-five years. A
few years later he removed to Nittany Valley,
Centre county, where he made his home with his
daughter, Mrs. Vonada, until he, too, was called
to his final rest at the ripe old age of eighty
years. He was interred in the cemetery of Zion,
Centre county, while his wife was Juried at Lau-
relton, Union county. Both held membership in
the Lutheran Church, and he was a Democrat in
politics. In their family were the following chil
dren: Lucy, wife of Adam Vonada, of Zion;
Jonathan, a tanner and farmer, who died in Mis
souri; Caroline, the mother of our subject; Will
iam, a farmer, who died in Orangeville, 111.,; Sa
rah, wife of George Kauffman, of Zion, Centre
county; David, who died from sickness con
tracted while in the army; Solomon, who was a
member of an Illinois regiment, and also died in
the army; and Christia Ann, wife of Daniel Roy
er, of Valley Falls, Kansas.
The parents of our subject began their do
mestic life in Bannerville, Penn. , where the fa
ther died May 6, 1865, and was there laid to rest.
He left a widow, and five children, as follows:
Joseph S., a farmer of Dewar, Iowa; William,

who died at the age of eight years; Mary, wife of
John Lint, of Dixon, 111. ; James D., a lumber
man of Mt. Eagle, Centre county; Catharine A.,
a resident of Bellefonte, Penn.; and John F., of
this review. Although Mrs. Garthoff was left a
home, the support of her children fell upon her,
and a year or so after her husband's death she
came to Zion, Centre county, where she bought a
small home and reared her family. Since 1887,
she has found a pleasant home with oursubject in
Coburn. She is a highly respected lady, be
loved by all who know her, and a Lutheran in
religious belief; her husband was a member of
the Reformed Church, and a Democrat in poli
tics. Mr. Garthoff, the subject proper of this re
view, was a child when brought by his widowed
mother to Centre county, and in the common
schools he acquired his primary education, his
first teacher being William P. Dasher. He sup
plemented the knowledge there acquired by two
terms' attendance at a select school in Rebers
burg, and by reading and study has become a
well informed man. He remained with his
mother until his marriage, preparing himself for
the teacher's profession, and when twenty years
of age he taught the Logan school at Hecla, Pa.
On August 23, 1885, in Rebersburg, he was
united in marriage with Miss Maggie M. Walker,
who was born in Miles township, Centre county,
August 29, 1859, one of a family of seven chil
dren — three sons and four daughters — of Will-
liam and Mary M. (Smull) Walker, now residents
of Rebersburg. By occupation the father is a
farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Garthoff have one child,
Mary A., born March 23, 1886.
In 1886 our subject bought his present home
in Coburn, and since the following year has
there resided. From the time he conducted his
first school he has successfully engaged in teach
ing, and his vacations have been spent at other
work, such as clerking. Financially as well as
professionally, he has met with well-deserved suc
cess, and is now interested in the Central Building
& Loan Association of Lincoln, Neb., and the
Empire Savings, Building & Loan Association of
Syracuse, N. Y. He formerly belonged to the
Knights of the Golden Eagle of Millheim. Al
ways a stanch -Democrat in politics, he was
elected on that ticket justice of the peace, when
not yet twenty-four years old, and when he had
been a resident of Penn township for only a few
months. So acceptably has he filled the office
that he is still the incumbent, and has also served
for several terms as township clerk. He is one
of the representative citizens of the community,
and enjoys the respect and esteem of all. He

436

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

and his excellent wife are members of the Luth
eran Church, of Coburn, of which he is at pres
ent serving as trustee, and superintendent of
the Sunday-school, connected with said Church.

ipEORGE GREEN FINK. Centre county
%^ has many well-to-do and successful farmers,
men who have accumulated what they have of
this world's goods through individual effort, and
among this class the name of the subject of this
notice is entitled to a place. He is residing on
the Elevens run road, in Huston township,
where he is industriously engaged in the prose
cution of his noble calling, and is meeting with
far more than ordinary success.
Mr. Fink was born May 9, 1863, in Ferguson
township, Clearfield Co., Penn. His father,
George W. Fink, was born in Centre county,
May 16, 1837, a son of Jacob and Hannah Fink,
who were natives of Indiana county, Penn., and
at an early day came to Centre county, locating
near the Martha Furnace, but later went to
Clearfield county, where the grandfather died at
the age of ninety-four years. In early life he
was a blower in a furnace, but later followed the
carpenter's trade. In 1855, in Ferguson town
ship, Clearfield county, George W. Fink mar
ried Mary I. Miles, who was born in that county
September 18, 1834, a daughter of John and
Betsy (Williams) Miles, who were natives of
Centre county, but spent their last days upon a
farm in Clearfield county. Mr. and Mrs. Fink
have spent their entire married life in the latter
county, where he was for many years a lumber
man; he died February 28, 1897; he was a most
exemplary man, having never uttered an oath or
used tobacco or liquor in any form, and he en
joyed the confidence and esteem of all who knew
him. His faithful wife, who is still enjoying ex
cellent health, is a consistent member of the
Methodist Church.
Our subject is one of a family of ten children,
namely: Elizabeth, who was burned to death at
the age of four years; Lela A., who died March
15, 1874, at the age of fifteen years; Elmer E.,
a merchant of Clearfield, Penn. ; George G. ;
Ulysses S., who died at the age of two years;
William McC. , a school teacher of New Millport,
Penn.; Emma, who married George W. Bratton,
telegraph operator at Woodland, Penn., and
died July 16, 1890, at the age of twenty-two
years; Emeline, twin sister of Emma, who died
in infancy; Minerva V., wife of Harvey Strong,
a butcher of Ansonville, Clearfield county; and
Ella L. , at home.
At the age of fourteen years, George G. Fink

left home, and began working for an uncle, but
gave his salary to his parents until he became of
age. He was permitted to attend the public
schools during the winter season, and for one
term was a student in the Normal School at New
Washington, Clearfield county. On leaving his
uncle, at the age of twenty-three, he entered a
mercantile store at New Millport, where he was-
employed as clerk for a few months, and subse
quently worked in the lumber woods and at
teaming. In the fall of 1889 he located on the
farm of J. Q. Miles, which he operated on shares
for four years, working at farm labor during the
summer months, while in the winter he cut logs-
upon land which he had purchased in the spring
of 1889. So successful was he, that March 24,
1890, he was able to purchase his present farm,
a valuable tract of 196 acres, and he now, along
with his wife and her sister, also owns an adjoin
ing place of 228 acres. He has made a specialty
of stock raising, in which he has been remark
ably successful, having upon his place a high
grade of Jersey cattle and Yorkshire and Poland-
China hogs.
On November 13, 1887, Mr. Fink was mar
ried to Miss Selina Williams, and they have an
interesting family of five children: Telford N.,
born February 21, 1889; Clair V., born October
20, 1890; Iva P., born July 19, 1892; and Joseph
L. and George L. (twins), born April 26, 1895.
Mrs. Fink was born in Huston township, Cen
tre county, January 14, 1862, and is a daughter
of Joseph F. and Hannah (Records) Williams,
who spent their entire lives in Centre county.
The father was an extensive land owner, having
about one thousand acres in the county, and
besides farming also engaged in the mercantile-
and lumber business. He was a prominent and
influential citizen, and was called upon to serve
in several official positions, including that of
justice of the peace. His political support was
given the Republican party, and in religious faith
he and his wife were active members of the Bap
tist Church. He was born June 19, 18 13, and
died February 18, 1885, and she passed away
July 20, 1 869, at the age of fifty years. Eight.
children were born to them: Thaddeus S., who
was a graduate of a business college at Philadel
phia, and died in Centre county soon after his
return from the Civil war; Catherine, wife of
David Henderson, a farmer of Huston township;
Susan A., wife of W. A. Hartsock, a farmer of
Centre county; Abigail, who died at the age of
five years; Lois, who died at the age of two years;.
Jasper A., a farmer of Blair county, Penn. ; New
ton, a school teacher by profession, who died at
the age of thirty-two; and Selina, the wife of our

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

437

subject. Her paternal grandparents, Jessie and
Susanna (Thalenburg) Williams, were natives of
Scotland, but at an early day became prominent
citizens of Centre county, where the grandfather
carried on agricultural pursuits and was an ex
tensive land owner.
Politically, Mr. Fink is a pronounced Repub
lican; socially he is a member of the Grange, No.
395, of Unionville, and in religious belief he and
his estimable wife are members of the Bald Eagle
Baptist Church. They hold an enviable position
in social circles, and are widely and favorably
known throughout the county. In 1891, he was
elected school director, which office he accepta
bly filled for three years, and in the spring of 1 894
he was elected township supervisor. On the ex
piration of his term he resigned, but was again
elected in February, 1896, to both positions. On
November 3, 1896, he was elected county auditor
of Centre county. His prominent characteristics
have been manifested in the success that he has
achieved in his business career — determination,
self-reliance and undaunted perseverance — and
his name deserves an honored place among the
representative and progressive citizens of Centre
county.

JOHN THOMAS MANN, proprietor of a con
fectionery and tobacco store, is one of the
leading and energetic young business men of
Eagleville, Centre county. He is a native of
Pennsylvania, born August 27, 1863, in Clinton
county, whence, in 1881, he came to Centre
county with his parents, Nicholas and Hannah
(Rohn) Mann, also natives of that State. They
located in Eagleville, where the father was chiefly
engaged in lumbering throughout the remainder of
his life. He was born February 25, 1825, and
departed this life July 29, 1896; his wife passed
away January 27, 1894, at the age of fifty-seven
years. Both were worthy members of the Dis
ciple Church, and enjoyed the love and esteem
of all who knew them. In politics the father
was an ardent supporter of. the Democratic party.
To this worthy couple were born the follow
ing children: Alfred and Samuel, who died in
infancy; Eliza, deceased wife of John W. Creak,
a hotel proprietor of Williamsport, Penn.;
George W., a lumberman of Eagleville, who
married Maggie Thiel, and had four children,
one now deceased; William and Robert (twins),
who are lumbermen of Eagleville; Jacob, who
left for parts unknown in 1889, and has never
been heard of since; John Thomas, subject of
this sketch; Ellen and Edward, both residents
of Eagleville; Cora, who died at the age of

eighteen years; Sadie, also of Eagleville; and
Anna, born May 7, 1872, who was married April
3, 1892, to C. H. Long, and has one child. The
paternal grandparents, Thomas and Nancy Mann,
were farming people of Clinton county, Penn.,
where their deaths occurred.
During his younger years, Mr. Mann, the sub
ject proper of this review, was employed in the
lumber woods, but at the age of twenty he suf
fered a severe attack of typhoid fever, which left
him in a crippled condition, so that he now has to
use crutches. In 1890 he embarked in his pres
ent business, and by fair and honorable dealing
has secured a liberal share of the public patron
age. His genial, pleasant manner has gained
him a host of warm friends, and has won for
him the regard of all with whom social or busi
ness relations have brought him in contact. He
takes an active interest in political affairs, and
uses his right of franchise in support of the men
and measures of the Republican party.

JE. ROYER, a prosperous agriculturist of
Miles township, Centre county, was born
November 4, 1863, in Franklin township,
Snyder Co., Penn., a son of Aaron C. and Mary
B. (Hertz) Royer, and a descendant of Christo
pher Royer, who came to this country from Ger
many in 1748.
Aaron C. Royer, father of our subject, was
a native of the same county, born in 1828 on the
old Royer homestead and in the Royer settle
ment. His father, John Royer, was a farmer by
occupation, died when Aaron was but eight years
of age, and the latter then lived with a maternal
uncle in Union county, Penn., where he learned
the tanner's trade and secured a limited educa
tion. After a trip to the West he returned to his
native county, and operated the old homestead
farm, where his death occurred October 26, 1864,
and he was laid to rest in the Hassinger Church
cemetery. Though he took no active part in
politics, he always supported the Republican
party; in religious belief he held membership in
the Reformed Church.
On February 28, 1856, in Union county,
Aaron C. Royer was married to Mary B. Hertz,
who was born in Kelly township, that county,
December 3, 1836, and is a daughter of John and
Mary (Keim) Hertz, farming people, in whose
family were ten children, seven of whom reached
adult age. Three children were born to Mr. and
Mrs. Royer: Eve A., now the wife of Byron Ed
munds, of Cleveland, Ohio; Ellen V., wife of
John S. Kauffman, of Snyder county, Penn. ;
and J. E., the subject of this sketch. After the

438

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

death of the father, the mother remained upon
the farm, and later married Moses Specht, a
merchant and hotel keeper of Beavertown, Penn. ,
since deceased. She now finds a pleasant home
with our subject. Religiously, she is a Luth
eran. During his boyhood and youth, J. E. Royer
attended the Hassinger school of Franklin town
ship, Snyder county, and on completing his edu
cation went to western Ohio, working for a time
in Hardin and Hancock counties as a day laborer
on the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago rail
road. For eight years he was variously em
ployed in different States in the West, and then
returned to his old home in Snyder county, where,
on February io, 1886, he was united in marriage
with Miss Alice Bingman, who was born in that
county November 16, 1862, a daughter of Fred
erick and Mary (Smith) Bingman, farming people
of Beavertown. Mr. and Mrs. Royer have three
children: James S., born September 4, 1889;
Mary B., born September 1, 1892; and Helen E.,
born July 9, 1896.
After his marriage, Mr. Royer rented a house
and lot near Beavertown for a year, while he
worked at general labor and looked up a loca
tion. On February 22, 1887, he came to Miles
township, Centre county, where in the fall of
1885 he had purchased the old Smull homestead,
consisting of 107 acres-. He has remodeled the
house and made' many valuable and useful im
provements upon the farm, which is now under
a high state of cultivation. In connection with
this property he also owns a tract of timber land,
He is numbered among the most energetic and
prosperous young farmers of the community,
and, while a resident of the township but a few
years, has already made for himself a prominent
place among the better class of citizens. He is
systematic in his methods of farming, and the
neat and thrifty appearance of his place testify
to his industry and capable management. In
politics he is a steadfast Democrat, and as a man
and citizen contributes his full share toward en
hancing the intellectual and moral welfare of the
community. Both he and his excellent wife are
members in good standing of the Reformed
Church.

WILLIAM G. FURST, whose farm is pleas
antly located in Patton township, near
Buffalo Run, Centre county, was born thereon
May 10, 1864, and comes of an old and highly re
spected Pennsylvanian family, which was founded
in America during the early days of the Republic.
He has many relatives in the eastern portion of

the State, and is a cousin of Judge Austin 0.
Furst, attorney at law, of Bellefonte.
William I. Furst, the father of our subject,
was born in Clinton county, Penn., June 28,
1 8 14, and on reaching manhood married Mary
Ann Gray, who was born in Patton township,
Centre county, April 26, 1822, and died March
24, 1896. His death occurred December 6, 1883,
and they now rest side by side in the Gray ceme
tery. Of the five children born to them, Fannie
and P. Purdue died in childhood. Mary B. is
the wife of John B. Way, a. farmer of Williams
burg, Blair Co. , Penn. , by whom she has three
children — Lulu, at this writing aged ten years;
Nora, aged eight; and Bud, aged four; our
subject is next in order of birth, and Lizzie E.,
who resides on the old homestead with her
brother, completes the family.
In the schools of Stony Point, Centre county,
Mr. Furst, the subject of this review, acquired a
good practical education, and since laying aside
his text-books has engaged in agricultural pur
suits, operating the old homestead farm, of which
he is part owner. The neat and thrifty appear
ance of the place indicates the supervision of a
painstaking and skillful farmer, who thoroughly
understands his chosen calling. On January 29,
1884, he was married to Miss Eva M. Penning
ton, of Patton township, daughter of Thomas
Pennington, and they have five interesting chil
dren, as follows: Clarence E.. , at this writing
aged nine years; Carl M., aged seven; Ethel M.,
aged six; Mary E. , aged four; and Russell C,
aged a year and a half.
Mr. Furst uses his right of franchise in sup
port of the men and measures of the Republican
party, in the success of which he takes a deep
interest. He is an intelligent, wide-awake farm
er, held in the highest esteem by his fellow cit
izens. In religious belief he is a Methodist.

EORGE DAVID GLOSNER, a leading
farmer and cattle dealer of Marion town
ship, Centre county, is a native of that county,
his birth having occurred in Curtin township,
March 5, 1864. His father, Sampson Glossner
(as the name was spelled by his ancestors), was
born in Pine Creek, Clinton Co., Penn., a son of
Christian and Margaret (Teal) Glossner, who
were born, reared and married in Germany, but
at an early day crossed the Atlantic and located
in Clinton county, whence they came to Centre
county. Here the grandfather carried on farm
ing throughout the remainder of his life. His
other children were Henry, who died in Howard,
Centre county; Margaret, widow of Conrad.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

439

Singer, of Curtin township, Centre county; and
Jacob, a laborer of Eagleville, in the same
county. By occupation Sampson Glossner was a
farmer and carpenter. In October, i860, he
married Miss Mary Wensel, who was born No
vember 29, 1842, in Germany, of which country
her parents, John and Margaret (Felder) Wensel,
were also natives. In 1844 they came to Amer
ica accompanied by his father, John Wensel,
Sr., and, located upon a farm in Centre county,
where they spent their remaining days, John
Wensel, Jr., dying in 1895, at the ripe old age
of eighty-four years. Only two children were born
to and Mr. Mrs. Glossner, the sister of our sub
ject being Margaret A., wife of Peter Robb, Jr.,
a farmer of Romola, Curtin township, Centre
county. The father died in the fall of 1867, at
the early age of twenty-seven years; the mother
is still making her home in Curtin township.
George D. Glosner continued to assist in the
operation of the home farm until he had attained
his majority, and then started out in life for him
self as an agriculturist. On January 10, 1879,
at his present home, he married Miss Emma M.
Hoy, who was born upon that farm April 19,
1864. They have four children, whose names
and dates of birth are as follows: Edna M.,
January 25, 1890; Beulah M. , April 11, 1891;
Doyle E., July 14, 1892; and Inez M., Decem
ber 2, 1893. The parents of Mrs. Glosner,
George S. and Catherine A. (Yearick) Hoy, were
both natives of Brush Valley, Centre county,
where they were married November 27, 1851.
For a short time they remained there, and then
came to Marion township, where the father died
December 11, 1889. He was born February 7,
1827, his wife on May 10, 1832, a daughter of
John and Saloma (Riechel) Yearick; she now re
sides with our subject and his wife.
Mrs. Glosner is the youngest of eight chil
dren, namely: Tabitha A., born June 30, 1853,
is the wife of I. W. Gates, a farmer of Clearfield
county, Penn.; Samuel C, born February 7,
1855, is a farmer of Hublersburg, Centre coun
ty; Angeline G, born February 28, 1856, is the
wife of H. D. Vonada, also a farmer of Hublers
burg; Semanda J., born September 7, 1857, is
the wife of P. C. Gates, a carpenter of Clearfield
county; Malissa C, born November 10, 1858, is
the wife of A. A. McClintic, an undertaker of
Coalport, Clearfield county; Henry F., born
February 9, i860, died June 12, 1874; and Su
sannah M., born December 29, 1 861, is the wife
of E. L. McClintic, of Lewistown, Pennsylvania.
For two years after his marriage, Mr. Glosner
lived upon a farm which he owned in Curtin

township, and then removed to the old Hoy
homestead, where he still resides. He is a thor
ough and skillful farmer, and as a cattle dealer
has met with excellent success, so that he is now
numbered among the substantial and well-to-do
citizens of Marion township. Religiously, he is
a member of the Reformed Church; politically,
he is identified with the Republican party, and
he is at present creditably serving as auditor and
school director in his township.

C\HARLES B. NEFF, an intelligent and en-
'l ergetic young agriculturist of Potter town
ship, Centre county, is unusually successful as a
manager, his fine farm near Centre Hall being
conducted in a model manner.
Mr. Neff was born in Potter township, Sep
tember 20, 1867, and belongs to one of the lead
ing families of that locality. Major John Neff,
his grandfather, a native of Lebanon county,
Penn., born February 20, 1791, settled in Centre
county in early manhood, and for some years
followed the blacksmith's trade at Potters Mills.
Later he purchased a large tract of land in the
township on the Brush Valley road near the Har
ris township line, and engaged in agriculture, but
continued to work somewhat at his trade in a
shop which he built at the farm. As old age
drew on he retired from active business and re
moved to Centre Hall, where he died April 4,
1870. He was a prominent citizen, one of the
wealthy land owners of that locality, and his suc
cess was more notable from having been gained
through his own exertions. In the Lutheran
Church, of which he was a member, he took an
active part, while in politics he was one of the
leading Democrats of Ce'ntre county, and at one
time was a candidate for the Legislature.
Major Neff was married in Potter township,
Centre county, to Miss Catherine Durst, who
was born October 19, 1794, and died October
17, 1868. Her parents, Peter and Elizabeth
(Herring) Durst, were well-known residents, and
her father, who was an extensive farmer, wielded
much influence in local affairs. In later life he
removed to Centre Hall, and was identified with
the development of the town. At the time of
the introduction of the water works there he was
a member of the company in charge of the en
terprise. To Major John Neff and his wife the follow
ing children were born: Eliza (Mrs. Christian
Dale), who died in Harris township, Centre
county; Josiah, a farmer near Centre Hill, now
deceased; Isabella (Mrs. Joseph Bittner), who
died at Centre Hall; Peter D., at one time a

440

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

physician at Centre Hall, now deceased; John, a
resident of Centre Hall; Lafayette, our subject's
father; George W. (deceased), who was by occu
pation a miller and later a farmer in California;
Catherine (Mrs. Joseph Crotzer), who died in
Potter township, Centre county; Maria (Mrs.
John Whittaker), who died in Petersburg, Penn. ;
Susan, who died at an early age; Daniel, who
was killed in boyhood, while coming down Nit
tany Mountain, by a runaway horse that had
been used to haul a heavy load up the mountain
from Centre Hall; Barbara (Mrs. John Bittner),
of Potter township, Centre county; Isaac P., a
Lutheran minister at Milroy, Penn. ; Evaline,
who married Jacob Grove, and now resides in
Kansas; William, a resident of Missouri; Luther,
who met a soldier's death in the second battle of
Bull Run, and was buried on the field; and
Sarah, widow of John Sankey, of Centre Hall.
The late Lafayette Neff, our subject's father,
was born at the old home in Potter township, De
cember 15, 1826, and was reared as a farmer boy,
receiving such education as the local schools of
that time afforded, the free system not being in
troduced until he was quite a lad. On Decem
ber 26, 1854, he was married, by Rev. P. S.
Fisher, to Miss Mary A. Ruble, who was born in
Potter township, April 7, 1836, the daughter of
Peter and Margaret (Miese) Ruble. Lafayette
Neff located at the homestead, but later bought
part of the old homestead, where he made his
home until March 1, 1883, and then purchased
the Peter Durst farm, where he passed away,
April 23, 1895. His wife breathed her last Feb
ruary 12, 1894, and the remains of both were in
terred at the Centre Hill cemetery. He was a
man of spare build, a hard worker, and always
active, nothwithstanding a lameness caused by a
horse falling upon his left limb. As a farmer he
was successful, securing a handsome competence
by his able management, and 260 acres of land
in excellent condition were left at his death. Pub
lic affairs received intelligent attention from him,
and he was deeply interested in the Grange
movement; also in the Democratic party, in
which latter he was a prominent worker, holding
various township offices. At one time he was a
Lutheran in religion, but he afterward united with
the Reformed Church.
Our subject was the youngest of four children,
the others being: James B., born March 18,
1857, is a merchant in Denver, Colo.; William
R. and Calvin R. (twins), born March 19, i860,
both reside in Pennsylvania, the former in Potter
township, Centre county, and the latter in Mifflin
burg, where he is principal of the Mifflinburg
high school. Charles B., was born September

20, 1867, in Potter township, Centre county, and
was twelve years old when his parents removed
to the farm which he now conducts so admirably.
He and his brother, Calvin R., now own it 'in
partnership, but as the latter is absent much of
the time the responsible management falls upon
our subject. He also prepared for the profession
of teaching, his education being begun at the
Pine Stump school, with Ferguson Potter as his
first teacher. Twice he made arrangements to
take charge of a school, but other duties inter
fering, he has always remained at home, where
there is no lack of work to employ his energies.
As a citizen he is progressive and public-spirited,
but beyond giving his influence and his vote to
the Democratic ticket he is not active in politics.
On September 26, 1895, Mr. Neff was mar
ried, in Potter township, to Miss Maggie Moyer,
who was born near Tusseyville, Penn., May 26,
1 874, the third child and daughter of Henry and
Elmira (Braman) Moyer. She has four sisters
and one brother. Mrs. Neff is prominent in re
ligious and social circles, and is a member of the
Reformed Church.

T\HOMAS BARNES. Among the self-made
men of Centre county are many citizens of
foreign birth who have become conspicuous in
business and financial circles for their ability,
integrity and enterprise, and the story of one
who began with empty pockets, and has made his
way to prosperity and wide influence, is a helpful
inspiring study. Thomas Barnes, who is now a
wealthy coal operator of Philipsburg, Centre
county, and president of the Moshannon National
Bank at that place, was born May 13, 1843, in
Lancashire, England, where his ancestors have
had their homes for many generations.
James Barnes, grandfather of our subject,
was a farmer there, and, although his life was
passed without exciting incident, it embodied in
its domestic phases a beautiful romance, so sim
ilar to certain portions of the widely-read novel,
"John Halifax, Gentleman," as to make a most
striking coincidence. Like the hero and heroine
of that work, James Barnes and his wife were
born on the same day of the same month, but the
grandmother a year later than the grandfather.
They were married on their common birthday,
and died on another anniversary of their birth.
They were never separated for even the space of
twenty-four hours, and so closely were they
united by love and sympathy that one could
scarcely suffer a pain that did not affect the
other. They were seventy-five and seventy-four

THOHAS BARHES.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

441

years old, respectively, when the last illness fell
upon them. When the final summons came the
wife expired first, and as the children attempted
to remove the corpse from its place by his side
the dying husband motioned to them to leave it,
and eighteen minutes later he, too, breathed his
last. This devoted couple left a numerous family.
Their son John, our subject's father, who spent
his life in Lancashire, followed agricultural pur
suits. He and his wife (whose maiden name was
Jennie Hayes), had twelve children, viz. : James
(deceased), Hannah (now Mrs. Edward Riley),
Samuel, Lawrence, John, Henry, Isabella (now
Mrs. James Eastwood), Thomas (our subject),
Alice Ann, Jane (now Mrs. George E. Smith),
William, and Rachel (the last named being
deceased). Of these, only three — Henry, John
and Thomas — came to America, the others re
maining in their native land.
Thomas Barnes crossed the ocean at the age
of twenty-one to test his fortunes in the New
World. His sole inheritance was comprised in
his sound mental and physical health and his all-
conquering energy. He located near Philipsburg,
and having but a few dollars at hand he promptly
began at the first work that he could find, which
happened to be coal mining. This occupation
he followed until 1872, when he secured a con
tract for clearing away drift, and later he and his
brother John began operating the Cuba mine.
Their next venture was with the Derby mines and
Lancashire mines No. 1 and No. 2, and since
that period the two brothers have carried on
many profitable mining enterprises in that vicin
ity and in Cambria county. At the present time
Mr. Barnes is a partner in the Baltic mines and
others, and is recognized as a man of great sagac
ity and one of the leading operators of his local
ity. As is well known, coal mining includes many
incidental details, and Mr. Barnes and his brother
conduct stores and supply places, and in every
way meet the demands of the business. In May,.
1897, the Moshannon National Bank was organ
ized at Philipsburg, Mr. Barnes being appointed
its president. In 1864 Mr. Barnes married Miss Anna Ash-
croft, also a native of Lancashire, England, and
seven children were born of their union: Jane,
Margaret, Ruth, John, Rachel, Anna and Esther.
Of these, Jane married J. Johnson, who is now
conducting our subject's store in Philipsburg, and
they have one daughter, Ruth. Mr. Barnes is
prominent in local affairs, is a vestryman in the
Episcopal Church, takes great interest in school
matters, and is liberal in his donations. In poli
tics he is a Republican. He has been deservedly

successful in his undertakings, and now owns a
fine home on Centre street, Philipsburg, besides
an elegant block, a hotel, and a gristmill.

WILLIAM W. BOOB, one of the most re
liable, progressive and capable business
men of Centre Hall, Centre county, was born
June 15, 1868, in Mifflinburg, Penn., and is the
eldest child- of R. B. and Sarah (Shearer) Boob.
When two years old he was brought by his par
ents to Aaronsburg, Centre county, where he
was educated, his first teacher being Julia Wolf,
and at the age of twelve he left the school room
and began assisting his father in the blacksmith
shop, where he soon learned the trade, and dur
ing the six years he remained there became an
expert workman.
In Aaronsburg, August 6, 1886, Mr. Boob
was united in marriage with Miss Cora B. Reif
snyder, of Millheim, Centre county, a daughter
of Urush Reifsnyder, and have one child, Grace
L. , born in August, 1887. For a time after his
marriage, Mr. Boob worked in a blacksmith shop
in Boalsburg, Centre county, for Mr. Webber,
later was in the employ of Samuel Foust, of
Spring Bank, and while living in Millheim worked
as a blacksmith in the foundry at Centre Hall.
Subsequently he established a shop of his own in
Coburn, which he conducted for two and one-
half years, and then removed to Centre Hall,
where he purchased the carriage business of J.
W. Haney, and also the millinery establishment
of Mrs. Haney, which his wife' now conducts.
After one year spent in carriage making, he
converted his shop into a factory for the manu
facture of buggy and wagon wheels, and now
does almost an exclusive wholesale business, sell
ing his wheels throughout the Eastern States, in
Norway, Belgium, Germany, Java, Jamaica, Aus
tralia, and India. He gives employment to a
number of hands, and has succeeded in building
up one of the most important and prosperous in
dustries in the county. Although still quite young
in years, he is possessed of more than ordinary
business sagacity, is enterprising and industrious,
which qualities have been the important factors
in his success, and his business, which is still in
its infancy, is growing rapidly through his tire
less efforts. His familiarity with its every detail,
and the close attention he gives it, insures its
success, and in the near future he will undoubt
edly be one of the most prosperous and well-to-do
citizens of the community. By his own unaided
efforts he has worked his way steadily upward
from a humble position to one of affluence, and
deserves to be numbered among the representa-

442

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

tive and prominent business men of Centre coun
ty. Politically he has always been identified
with the Democratic party. Taking a deep inter
est in the cause of education, he is at present an
efficient member of the school board. Mr. Boob
has an office in New York City, No. n Broad
way, for his export trade exclusively.

F

RANK HAINES, a popular young photogra-
JT1 pher of Philipsburg, Centre county, shows a
happy combination of artistic taste and business
ability which promises well for his future. He
is a native of Philipsburg, born January 2, 1869,
and he is descended from an old and highly re
spected Quaker family of New Jersey, his ances
tors having come from England at a very early
period, to escape the religious persecutions of
their day.
Daniel Haines, our subject's grandfather,
lived and died in New Jersey, and, like his ances
tors, was a steadfast adherent of the Friends
Society. Joseph Haines, the father of our sub
ject, was born in Morristown, N. J., February
26, 1 841, and in early manhood came to Penn
sylvania, locating in Bellefonte, where he learned
the photographer's trade. In 1865 he established
himself in business in Philipsburg, where he met
with the success which his fine abilities deserved.
He was a Democrat in politics, and in religion he
followed the faith of his forefathers. His death,
which occurred August 29, 1887, cut short a life
which seemed to be entering upon the rewards of
his earlier labors. He was married in Bellefonte
to Miss Prudence Stone, a native of England,
who came to America with her parents at the
age of five years and grew to womanhood at
Bellefonte, where her father, Martin Stone, was
in his later years a prosperous merchant. He
was born in Germany, but went to England when
about eight years old, and in early manhood en
gaged in mercantile business, owning two stores
in London, which he sold before coming to the
United States. Mrs. Haines is still living at
Philipsburg with her four children, of whom our
subject is the eldest; (2) Orrin is the city elec
trician; (3) Cora is at home; and (4) Harry is
attending school.
Frank Haines received his education in the
public schools of Philipsburg, and at the same
time became proficient in the art of photography
through assisting his father as need required.
This early and constant association with the
business, familiarizing him with every detail, en
abled him to take full charge after his father's
death, and continue it with undiminished suc
cess during the past nine years. In the social

life of his native city he takes an active part, and
is a valued worker in various organizations.
Since 1888 he has been a member of Reliance
Fire Company No. 1 , of which he has been pres
ident, having been elected in September, 1896.
He also belongs to the Knights of Malta, the
Improved Order of Red Men, the American
Photographers Association, and the Order of
Mechanics, in which he is a past officer. Polit
ically he is a Democrat.

JACOB R. SIMLER, of Philipsburg, Centre
county, is a native of that city, born May 4,
1 87 1, and a son of George B. and Amanda
(Carpenter) Simler, who have for many years
been prominently identified with its interests.
He acquired a common-school education, and re
mained under the parental roof until his marriage
at the age of twenty-two years.
On November 22, 1893, Mr. Simlerwas mar
ried to Miss Sallie B. Beamer, and they have an
interesting little daughter, Evelyn, born April 16,
1896. The mother was born in Clearfield, Clear
field Co., Penn., October 13, 1874, a daughter
of Owen A. and Lucetta (Elder) Beamer, natives
of Centre county, the former born February 6,
1853, and the latter on July 5, 1853. They now
reside in Latrobe, Westmoreland Co., Penn.,
where the father is serving as clerk in a hotel.
Their family consisted of eight children: Will
iam H., who died in childhood; Sallie B., wifeof
our subject; Clara A., at home; Orlando, who
died in childhood; Eva, who is residing with Mr.
Simler and attending school; and Charles, Laura
and Oscar, all three at home. The paternal
grandparents of Mrs. Simler, Jacob A. and Re
becca (Fister) Beamer, were of German extrac
tion, and the grandfather was a forgeman by
occupation. Jacob A. Beamer served in Com
pany C, 208th Regiment P. V. I. , Army of the
Potomac. At the age of seventeen years, Mr. Simler
began working for his brother, George B., in the
express business, and was thus employed for eight
years. He belongs to the Order of Red Men, of
Philipsburg, is a stalwart Republican in politics,
and is a member of the Episcopal Church. He
is a prominent and energetic young man, of an
upright moral character, and possesses the true
spirit of progress and enterprise which character
izes the American people. In April, 1897, he
commenced the business of selling oil to the con
sumers of Philipsburg, and is working up a nice
trade, having already on his list some two hun
dred customers.
For several years, Mr. Simler has displayed

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

443-

a remarkable talent for hunting. In connection
with his brother William N. , he has carried on
the business of taxidermist for his own use, and
they have elegant collections of mounted birds
and animals. Since 1889 they have made a busi
ness of taxidermy in every branch of the art.
The collections referred to contain the following
specimens: Blue-wing teal duck, barred owl,
Virginia rail bird, sandpiper, snipe, plover, wood
cock, meadow lark, Virginia warbler, Kentucky
warbler, blue swallow, brown thrush, flocker
screech owl, duck hawk, chimney swallow, nuv-
vin, brown creeper, snow owl, pheasant (two
days old, and an old one), falks sparrow, flying
squirrel, humming bird, hoot owl, brown screech
owl, pigeon hawk, loon, butter duck, bullfinch,
Baltimore oriole, cedar bird, golden bird, night
hawk, sparrow hawk, teal duck, red bird, black
head warbler, chicken hawk, Indian hen, red
headed woodpecker, black-headed woodpecker,
great squaw duck, Indigo bird, red-eye verrio,
red-headed bee bird, winter rew, green hern,
partridge, great bittern, chippie, snowbird, sap
sucker, pine finch, chickadee, great squaw duck,
kingfisher, bluebird, martin, red-winged black
bird, bluejay, squirrel hawk, jack snipe, white-
headed sparrow, skylark, pallerope, water thrush,
killdeer, yellow breasted woodpecker, small bee
bird, robin, least bittern, chewink, goslin, bona-
parte seagull, butcher bird, shore lark, cuckoo,
sparrow hawk, crown kinglet, blackburn warb
ler, chestnut warbler, Virginia warbler, horned
grieb, black cot, Jersey red bird, Kennedy rail
bird, snow bunting, American cot, blue heron,
Tom Lee, Church Will widow, whippoorwill,
black-headed tern, red-tail hawk, white spar
row, and herring gull. These lovely specimens
the brothers have in glass cases in their par
lors, where they may be admired by the many
friends of the family.
William N. Simler, a skilled and expert taxid
ermist, also makes a business of mounting ani
mals and birds, and tanning furs for rugs, etc.
He was married December 30, 1884, to Miss
Elizabeth G. Osslare, a native of Brookfield,
Penn., and a daughter of Bernard and Malinda
(Verbeck) Osslare, in whose family were ten chil
dren.

J MALCOLM LAURIE, an enterprising and
deservedly successful young business man of
Bellefonte, was born January 19, 1871, in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
As his name suggests, his ancestors trod the
heather hills of " Auld Scotia," and he possesses
m a marked degree the shrewd practical mind

which is characteristic of the Scotch race. His
father, the late John Laurie, was born in Scot
land in 1834, coming to America when a young
man, and was married in San Francisco, Cal. , to
Miss Mary Connor, now deceased. He was a
traveling salesman for some time. Before the
war he was engaged in the cotton trade in the
South, but left that occupation in 1 860 and went
to California. In 1868 he made his home in
Bridgeton, N. J., and became interested in the
Cohansey Glass Company in that city. While
in that business he made two trips through South
America. To John and Mary Laurie six chil
dren were born: William, now residing at Colo
rado Springs, Colo. ; Miss Mary Laurie, who lives
in Glasgow, Scotland; Helen, the wife of Blythe
Wilke, of Glasgow, Scotland; and J. Malcolm,
of this sketch. Annie and Jennie died in infancy.
The first years of our subject's life were
spent in New Jersey, but as his parents died dur
ing his boyhood he was taken into the home of
an uncle in Bellefonte, Rev. William Laurie,
D. D., a well-known Presbyterian clergyman.
His education was continued at the Bellefonte
Academy, and on completing his course there he
worked for four years as a bookkeeper in Belle
fonte. In 1893 he established the Bellefonte
Steam Laundry, of which he has made a decided
success, and in 1895 he erected a building spe
cially designed for his business, the formal open
ing taking place July 18 of that year. Mr.
Laurie is not married, and is prominent socially
as a member of the Bellefonte Club. He also-
belongs to the Presbyterian Church, and his high
character has won the esteem and friendship of a
large circle of acquaintances.

JfOHN Q. MILES, treasurer of Centre county,
is one of the most popular officials at the
county seat, and illustrates the best type
of American citizenship in both public and private
life. Mr. Miles was born March 17, 1843, in Clear
field county, a son of John and Elizabeth (Wil
son) Miles, and has always been identified with
this section. The schools near his early home
afforded him a practical education, and in 1861,
while yet a mere boy, he gave proof of his cour
age and patriotism by enlisting from Clearfield
county in Company I, 84th P. V. I. His gal
lant conduct at the front won him a reputation
as a brave fighter, but after nine months of serv
ice a fever, brought on by exposure and hard
ships, so weakened his system that he was dis
charged for disability. In May, 1862, he located
in Centre county, where in 1865 he married

444

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Lydia A. Richards, a native of that county,
and three children: Lizzie, Maggie and John,
brighten their home. John Q. Miles' election in
1893 to the office of county treasurer caused him
to remove to Bellefonte, but previously he had
his residence at Martha Furnace in Bald Eagle
Valley. Witty and genial, Mr. Miles has the
happy faculty of making friends, whom his ster
ling qualities of character bind to him with the
lasting tie of respectable esteem. In politics he
is a Democrat.
The ancestors of. our subject were early set
tlers in the City of Brotherly Love, where Gen.
Samuel Miles, his great-grandfather, of Revo
lutionary fame, resided, and of which city he was
mayor. John Miles, our subject's grandfather,
was born there. He became prominent in the
iron industry, and at one time was interested in
the development of Centre county. Our sub
ject's father, John Miles (2) was born in the ar
senal at Philadelphia. With an uncle he came
to Centre country, and built and operated Cen
tre Furnace and the McCoy Iron Works. Miles
burg was named in their honor, and at that time,
as in the present, the family name was a synonym
for business ability and enterprise combined with
public spirit.

ALEXANDER FAMILY. This family,
M^, which has been prominent in central
Pennsylvania from an early day, is of Scotch
•origin. The earliest member, of which there is
record, was Thomas Alexander, who was promi
nent in Lanark, Scotland, about 17 10. His son
John, who was born in Scotland in 1700, married
Margaret Glasson, daughter of Donald Glasson,
of the city of Glasgow, Scotland, and migrated
to County Armagh, Ireland, a few years later.
In 1736 he came to America, and besides his
three sons — Hugh, James and John — and his
daughters — Rachel and Margaret — there came
with him his two nephews — Hugh and James —
and his niece, who had married a Mr. Polk in
Ireland. Their first settlement was made in Not
tingham, Chester Co., Penn., on the east side of
Octorara creek, near the Maryland line. After
residing there a few years the little colony di
vided and dispersed. The nephews, Hugh and
James, with Mr. and Mrs. Polk, went to Meck
lenburg, N. C, while John, with his son of the
same name, remained in Pennsylvania and
settled, first, near Carlisle, and, later, near Cham
bersburg. James Alexander, second son of John and
Margaret (Glasson) Alexander, was born in
County Armagh, Ireland, in 1826, and came

with his parents to America in 1836. He re
moved with his father to Cumberland county
Penn., and there married Rosa Reed, who died
in 1792. James Alexander was a man of re
markable energy and enterprise, and having mar
ried Rosa Reed, near Chambersburg, Penn., the
associations of the locality led him to deter
mine to explore the new territory adjacent, and
if possible found a new colony. In carrying out
this project in 1755, he traveled about a hundred
miles north through the wilderness, and his at
tention being arrested by the beauty of the Val
ley, he located there and took out a warrant for
one thousand acres of land across the middle of
the Valley and reaching from Jack's Mountain to
Stone Mountain. He returned home for his
family, and took back with him to help found the
new settlement a friend who also had his family.
They carried all their effects on horseback. James
Alexander settled at the spring which forms the
source of Spring run, and a short distance away
at another spring stood the house of the Indian
Chief "Logan"— the renowned head of the
Mingo tribe, who lived long on friendly terms
with his white neighbor. One day soon after
James Alexander settled at his new home,
" Logan" went to the house, and, having gained
the confidence of his neighbor's little son, carried
him to his cabin; the father was absent, and the
terrified mother dared not resist; but after sev
eral hours of terrible anxiety she determined to
rescue her child at any hazard. Her relief can
be imagined when she met the friendly chief car
rying her boy, who was wearing a beautiful pair
of beaded moccasins, which he had made for his
little friend. This story has often appeared in
print concerning a little daughter of William
Brown, but "Logan " was doubtless in the habit
of showing his friendship in this way.
James Alexander was active in Church work,
and assisted in establishing the first Presbyte
rian Church in the Valley. He took part in the
Revolutionary war, and was in the commissary
department of Washington's army at Valley
Forge, during the memorable winter of I777~7%-
For these services he received sixteen hundred
acres of land, which he located in Clearfield
county. He died in 1791, and was buried at
the brick Presbyterian church at West Kishaco-
quillas. Eleven children were born to James
Alexander and Rosa Reed, the names with dates
of birth being as follows: Jane, born in 1763;
Robert, born in October, 1766; Elizabeth, born
in 1768; John, in 1769; James, in 1 77 1 ; Hugh,
in November, 1772; Joseph, in 17 — ; Rachel,
in 1780; William, in 1782; Rosanna, in 1784;
and Reed, in 17 — .

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

445

Of the above, Robert Alexander was the next
in the line of ancestry which we are now tracing.
Upon the death of his father he settled upon
that part of the Kishacoquillas land which he
named " Stone Mountain." He became a pros
perous farmer and respected citizen, and was a
man of incorruptible integrity, sound judgment,
and most remarkable powers of memory. So un
usual was the development of the faculty that after
hearing a sermon he could repeat it almost ver
batim. This trait has been inherited by many of
his descendants. He was justice of the peace
for forty-five years, but so kind, just and peacea
ble was he that in all that time only two cases
came to the point of a trial before him, and both
of these were finally settled without costs. In
1823 he was sent to the Legislature by the larg
est Democratic majority ever given in his district,
yet no persuasion could induce him to become a
candidate for re-election. He married Elizabeth
McClure (born March 8, 1768, died in 1832),
and had the following children : Elizabeth,
James, Mary, Robert, McClay, Nancy, Robert,
William, and Cyrus and Silas (twins).
Of the above, James Alexander was born
January 17, 1793, and died December 18, 1850.
On November 27, 1 821, he married Ann Lewis,
who was born April 22, 1799, and died in 18 — .
Their children were: Robert, born October 9,
1822, died January 20, 1847; Elizabeth, born
June 9, 1824, married James Alexander in 1848,
and lives in Kansas; Celia Ann, born March 3,
1826, married Owen Copelin, of Milroy, Penn.;
James Read, born April 7, 1828, married May
Wolfe; Euphemia, born April 21, 1830, died
May 8, 1835; Louisa J., born July 7, 1832, mar
ried Daniel Leyden; Samuel, born August 15,
1834, died November 29, 1861, as assistant sur
geon of the 2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry, being
killed in battle; Cyrus T. is mentioned more
fully below; Mary Jane, born December 18,
1838, died May 26, 1841; Alice Annette, born
July 29, 1844, died December 6, 1847.
Hon. Cyrus T. Alexander was born Sep
tember 10, 1836, in Mifflin county, Penn., and
was educated at Dickinson Seminary, graduating
in 1853. In August, 1859, he was admitted to
the Bar of Centre county, and locating at Belle
fonte, began a successful professional career.
For eleven years he was in partnership with Hon.
J. H. Orvis (since a judge of the 25th District),
and afterward Mr. Alexander became the senior
member of the well-known firm of Alexander &
Bower. Mr. Alexander was pre-eminent among
his professional brethren for his ability in dealing
with the vexatious problems arising in connec
tion with overlapping surveys under the land

grants in this State. Always a close student, a
remarkable memory made his researches in any
chosen branch a permanent possession. He was
an ardent Democrat, and in 1861 and 1862 he
became part owner of the Democratic Watchman,
which he edited during that time in addition to
his other duties. His abilities gave him promi
nence in political circles also, and in 1864-65 he
was elected on the Democratic ticket to repre
sent Centre county in the State Legislature. In
November, 1878, he was elected to the State
Senate, and served four years with distinction.
As a business man he displayed the same remark
able energy and sagacity which brought him suc
cess in other lines, and in 1868 he and his
brother, J. R. Alexander, purchased about 200
acres of land lying north from Buffalo Run creek
to the gap between Milesburg and Bellefonte.
Here they developed the finest limekilns in the
State, which they continued, in connection with
a coal business, under the firm name of J. R. &
C. T. Alexander. In 1880 they opened the first
implement and seed store ever established at
Bellefonte, and conducted it until January 1,
1885, when they leased the plant to McCalmont
& Co., and withdrew, About the same time C.
T. Alexander contracted a severe cold which set
tled in his throat, and this, in spite of the best
medical treatment, resulted in his death. He
left a widow and two children — Roberta T. , now
Mrs. H. S. Yarrington, and J. W., a leading at
torney of Bellefonte, of whom further mention
is made below. Mrs. Yarrington was born Sep
tember 15, 1859, and was carefully educated,
being a graduate of Wilson College, at Cham
bersburg, Penn. Her husband, the late H. S.
Yarrington, was for thirty years previous to his
death the treasurer of the Richmond & Freder
icksburg and the Potomac, Richmond & Danville
railroads. She has three children: Cyrus A.,
Louise, and Greyson.
Mrs. Cyrus T. Alexander, who still resides in
Bellefonte, was formerly Miss Margaret Potter.
She was born near Boalsburg, Penn., May 8,
1837, ancl was married to Mr Alexander in Oc
tober, 1858. Her grandfather, Fergus Potter,
an early settler in Penn's Valley, came from Ire
land about 17 — , and spent his remaining years
there. He left a large family, among whom was
a son Samuel, Mrs. Alexander's father, who be
came a prominent citizen of Bellefonte, where
for many years he was engaged in business as a
tanner. He died in Centre county at the age of
eighty-six; his wife is also deceased. They had
five sons — William, John, James, Samuel and
George — and four daughters — Jane (who mar
ried Abram V. Miller), Susan (deceased), Mar-

446

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

.garet (now Mrs. Alexander), and Sarah (who
married Donald McBride, and resides in Law
rence, Kansas).
J. W. Alexander, of Bellefonte, whose an
cestry we have thus traced, is a worthy repre
sentative of this honored family. He was born
August 24, 1864, and had his early home upon a
farm in Spring township, Centre county, on the
outskirts of Bellefonte. After attending the
public schools of that borough for some time, he
•entered Bellefonte Academy and was in attend
ance there three years. _ In 1880, on the six
teenth anniversary of his birth, he was enrolled
in the freshman class of Pennsylvania State Col
lege, and in 1884 he completed the scientific
course, graduating with the degree of B. S.
Owing to ill health he did not begin his profes
sional studies immediately, but after his father's
death he prepared for the Bar under the direction
of Judge John G. Love, and March 4, 1890, was
admitted to the Bar. He inherited his father's
law library, a large and valuable collection, and ¦
has already won a name as an accurate student.
As he is somewhat retiring in disposition, he in
clines to those branches of professional work
where good memory, deep research and sound
logic are of more account than rhetorical ability,
but he has nevertheless made a success, of court
room business, making pleas which have been
highly complimented for their strength and effect
iveness. He has always practiced alone, and
does a general law business.
In the social world Mr. Alexander holds a
high position. Genial and companionable, he
has a host of Iriends, and he is identified with
several fraternal orders. He has been an active
member of the K. G. E. since its organization in
Bellefonte, and was instrumental in organizing
the Bellefonte Conclave of the Independent Order
of Heptasophs. On July 10, 1894, he joined
Company B, 5th Penn. N. G. , entering as a pri
vate, and has been promoted until he now holds
the rank of second sergeant. He is thoroughly
versed in military tactics, having graduated as a
captain of a military company at State College.

"V\ A. WEAVER, deputy sheriff of Centre
county, and a prominent resident of the pic
turesque city of Bellefonte, has been for some
years an influential factor in political affairs in
his county. His family, which is of German ex
traction, is well-known there, his grandfather,
George Weaver, having come from southern
Pennsylvania many years ago to make his home
upon a farm in Haines township, where he and

his wife, Sallie (Harper), reared a family of three
sons: Noah, who died at Woodward in 1894, was
a farmer and at one time oil operator; Henry A.
is mentioned more fully below; Adam shot him
self by accident while hunting foxes.
Henry A. Weaver, our subject's father, was
born at the old home in Haines township in 1825.
He served three years in the war for the Unioij,
as a private in Company D, 148th P. V. I. By
occupation he was a farmer; -in religious faith he
was a leading member of the Reformed Church;
and he took much interest in political questions,
voting with the Democratic party. By his first
wife, Rosetta (Stover), also a native of Haines
township, he had four children, of whom our
subject was the eldest; Anna married Oliver
Wolf; Katie married C. C. Bell, and George G.
is a farmer in Haines township. The mother of
this little family was called from earth in 1864,
and the father subsequently married Effie Gram-
ley, a native of Miles township, Centre county.
Two children were born of this union: Maggie
S. and T. C.
C. A. Weaver, our subject, was born February
r3> 1853, and his education was secured in part at
the schools near the old homestead, in part at those
of Miles township, Centre county. Shortly after
the death of his mother, the necessity for mak
ing his own way in the world became apparent,
and when twelve years old he began working for
his board and clothes in Brush Valley, where he
remained two years. He then spent some time
working for farmers and at driving teams, and
for one year was a clerk in Wolfe's store. Re^
turning to Haines township, he clerked for B. F.
Philips, at Aaronsburg, for a year, and then for
the same length of time he drove a meat wagon,
but the next two years he passed in the coal
region in Schuylkill county, working in a whole
sale flour and feed store. He then went to Penn
Hall, and remained there six years as clerk for
Major Fisher, his next employment being in a
store at Shamokin, Northumberland county. De
siring to go into business for himself, he returned
to Aaronsburg and engaged in huckstering, con
tinuing thereat three years, later becoming inter
ested in the bottling business and the manufact
ure of soft drinks. After three years of success
ful effort in these lines he sold out, and has ever
since been in political life. For three years he
had held the office of assessor, and in 1893 he
was a candidate for the office of register, but was
defeated. On June 9, 1896, he received the
nomination for county treasurer. His interest in
public affairs extends beyond political lines, how
ever, and he is always ready to forward any
measure for local improvement. He is an active

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

447

member of the Reformed Church, while, socially,
he is identified with the Order of the Golden
Eagle. In 1 89 1 Mr. Weaver married Miss Mabel Ed
munds, a native of Haines township, born in
1872, and their home is brightened by a daugh
ter, Edna Lucretia.

JOHN SPANGLER. The lives of honored
ancestry and of Revolutionary heroes fur
nished many valuable lessons both of en
couragement and inspiration; but one need not
look to the past, for ofttimes in the lives of those
around us is shown what can be accomplished by
diligence, perseverance and putting to practical
use the opportunities which come to all. Mr.
Spangler is one in whose career may be traced
these qualities, and who, as a result, occupies a
place among the leading and substantial citizens
of Centre county.
Our subject was born in what was then Un
ion, but is now Snyder, county, Penn., March
18, 1828, and is a representative of one of the
old families of Lebanon county, Penn., where
his grandfather, Christian Spangler, was born
and reared. He had a family of four sons —
John; Christian, who enlisted for service in the
war of 1 8 12, and died at Sunbury,- Penn., while
en route to the field of battle; Daniel and Jona
than. The sons all reached adult age and had
families, as did several daughters, two of whom
went to Ohio in an early day.
Jacob Spangler, father of our subject, was the
second child of the family, and was born about
1783, in Union county, two miles below Centre-
ville. He learned the weaver's trade, and in
what is now Snyder county wedded Miss Mary
Schroyer. From the home farm he obtained a
horse, and began the operation of a hill farm
near New Berlin. Subsequently he purchased
the homestead property of his father-in-law, and
there his wife died at the age of forty years, and
he at the age of sixty-seven years. He made
farming his life work, and became the possessor
of a valuable property and considerable money,
which would have amounted to a much larger
sum had he not lost considerable through going
security for others. In politics he was a Demo
crat. He held several offices in the Lutheran
Church, to which he belonged, and was a man
whose well-directed business efforts brought him
success, while his honorable life won his high re
gard. The children of Jacob and Mary Spangler
were nine in number, namely: Catharine, who
married John Kessler, and died in New Berlin,

Penn. ; Elizabeth, who wedded John Seebold,
and died near New Berlin; Nancy, who became
the wife of Joseph Seebold, and died near New
Berlin; Susanna, who married Michael Miller,
and died near New Berlin; Elias, who -resides
near that town; Jacob, who died near the same
town in the spring of 1896; John; William, of
Millerstown, Penn. ; George, who is living near
New Berlin; Samuel, of Milroy, Penn. ; and Lewis,
who died in New Berlin in 1895.
John Spangler could attend school but irregu
larly during his boyhood, for his services were
required on the home farm until eighteen years
of age. He then began learning the blacksmith's
trade under the direction of John Kessler, who
owned a smithy three miles below Middleburg, in
Snyder county. His apprenticeship covered
three years, and during the first two years he re
ceived no wages, but was allowed four weeks
during harvest time when he might earn money
in the fields. During the third year he was given
$10 per month in the summer and $11 in the
winter. He saved almost every cent of his earn
ings, and thus on the expiration of a year was
enabled to engage in business on his own account
in Adamsburg, Snyder county, where for fourteen
years he followed his trade. On April 1, 1862,
he came to Centre Hill, where he rented a black
smith shop and also kept a tavern.
After two years he came to Centre Hall, where
from 1864 until 1867 he had charge of a hotel.
He then purchased a hotel property for $7,000,
and a month later sold it for $8,100. In the
spring of 1867 he removed to Millheim, and pur
chased the " Kreamer Hotel," but after one sum
mer he sold and removed to Bellefonte, where
he leased the "Garman Hotel " and purchased
the furniture; but possession was not given, and
in consequence he never conducted business there.
From the spring of 1868 until 1878 he carried
on the "Centre Hall Hotel," and was then
elected sheriff of the county, entering upon the
discharge of his duties on the first Monday in
January, 1879. After an incumbency of three
years he returned to Centre Hall, where for sev
eral years he engaged in stock dealing, buying
cattle in the West and selling in Centre county.
Later he purchased a butcher shop, which, in
connection with his son Reuben, he operated for
four years. His next investment made him the
owner of ninety-six acres of land in The Loop,
and he has since been interested in agricultural -
pursuits. On April 25, 1848, in Snyder county, Mr.
Spangler was married to Miss Susanna (Barger)
who was born August 2, 1828, in Snyder county,
a daughter of Abraham (a shoemaker) and Cath-

448

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

arine (Boyer) Barger, who were the parents of four
children: Simon, now of Kansas; Levi, who died
in Mifflin county, Penn. ; Barbara, who became the
wife of Henry Mitchell, and died in Snyder coun
ty; and Susanna (Mrs. Spangler). Our subject
and his wife have four children;' Hon. J. L. , a
man of prominence; Howard J., editor of the
Parsons Constitution, of Parsons, W. Va. ; Annie,
widow of H. D. Van Pelt, of Centre Hall; and
Reuben B. , manager for a coal company in Cam
bria county, Pennsylvania.
In his political adherency, Mr. Spangler is a
stalwart Democrat, and does all in his power to
promote the growth and insure the success of his
party. He and his wife belong to the Lutheran
Church, in which he has served as trustee and
deacon, and he formerly held membership in the
Odd Fellow and Masonic fraternities. He has a
pleasant home, and has reared a family of which
he has just reason to be proud. Realizing the
disadvantage caused by limited school privileges
he has given his children excellent educational
opportunities, and the family ranks high in the
community. Mr. Spangler's acquaintance is ex
tensive, and his friends accord him the esteem
which is ever given to true worth.

C\HARLES THEODORE FRYBERGER, a
'i leading and influential resident of Philips
burg, Centre county, is well worthy of promi
nent mention in the pages of this work, as a
more eventful history than his would be difficult
to find, for in both war and peace he seems to
have the faculty of being in the midst of the most
important happenings.
Capt. Fryberger was born January 15, 1844,
at "Near Mackelavy's Forge," on the Schuylkill
river in Schuylkill county, Penn. , and was named
after Charles Theodore Knuskie, of Berks county,
Penn. He is of German descent, his paternal
grandparents having come from Germany to
America early in the present century. Their son
John, father of our subject, was born in Schuyl
kill county, Penn., in 1809, and not long after
ward they consigned him to the care of some
maiden aunts, and set out on a return voyage
to the Fatherland, but were never heard from
again. John Fryberger m'arried Sarah Moyer,
who was born in Berks county, Penn., June 13,
1817, a descendant of an old and highly re
spected Pennsylvania-Dutch family, and she now
resides at Milesburg, Penn. Of her nine chil
dren, the eldest, Reuben by name, died when four
years old; John died in infancy; Amanda married
Adam Grim, and lives in Jasper county, Mo. ;
Mary is the only deceased sister, and was the

wife of Emanuel Shuey; the subject of this sketch
comes .next in order of birth; Anna married Jo
seph Garbrick; Eliza wedded Dr. Fisher, of
Zion, Penn. ; Sadie married George W.- Camp
bell, of Milesburg; and Mahlon C. died at the
age of thirty-two years.
On April 1, 1845, John and Sarah (Moyer)
Fryberger moved to Reber's Mill, on the
Union canal, six miles northwest of Reading,
Penn., and April 2, 1850, the family, then con
sisting of father, mother, our subject, and three
daughters, went to Farmers Mills ("Fishers
Mill "), in Pennsylvania, one and one-half miles
from ' ' The Penn Cave, " in Centre county. On
April 1, 1852, the family again moved, this
time to the brick gristmill belonging to James
Gordon, within a half mile from Hecla Fur
nace (and now known as Hecla Park, on
the line of the Central Railroad of Pennsyl
vania). About the year 1855 the family re
moved to Sugar Valley, Clinton Co., Penn.,
where for three years they lived at or near
Tylersville, in 1858 returning to Centre county,
and making their home at what is known as the
old McKinney Mill, belonging to the Hecla Fur
nace Co. (destroyed by fire in 1866).
We now come to the outbreak of the war of
the Rebellion, at which time the subject of this
sketch springs into prominence, having previous
ly been employed at milling, and such out-door
work as the management of the, then, Hecla Iron
Co. saw fit to have him do. Having to work
hard in order to provide for the family (the fa
ther having been disabled by an accident in the
machinery at the mill), also being constantly put
to work that should have been given to stronger
men, he tired of the yoke and decided to volun
teer into the Union army, under the lead of Dr.
James P. Gregg and of Austin Curtin, with Evan
R. Goodfellow and others — all uniting to sound
the war slogan. At Harrisburg a company was
formed September 14, i860, with Austin Curtin,
captain; Dr. James P. Gregg, first lieutenant;
Evan R. Goodfellow, second lieutenant, with
Charles T. Fryberger as one of the privates of
Company D, 45th Regiment, P. V. Infy., which
served during the entire struggle. Promotions
came rapidly to Private Fryberger, he being ad
vanced successively to corporal, sergeant, order
ly-sergeant, first lieutenant, and, lastly, captain
of the company. For a time his regiment was
attached to Sherman's forces in South Carolina,
and then served under Grant in the West, later
being assigned to the Army of the Potomac, and
taking part in the campaign which ended in Lee's
surrender. Capt. Fryberger participated in some
of the most important battles of the war, includ-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

449

ing the engagements at South Mountain, Antie
tam, Fredericksburg, Vicksburg, Jackson, Blue
Springs, Lenore Station, Campbell's Station, the
siege of Knoxville (where for four days his rations
were limited to one ear of corn a day), the bat
tles of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania Court House,
Bethesda Church, Cold Harbor, the siege of
Petersburg, and the sanguinary conflict at the
Weldon railfoad. At the close of the war he
gave up army life, having received an honorable
discharge by general order from the War Depart
ment, and in 1865 retired to civil life, in good
health, having escaped everything that could in
jure him in any way, save an attack of chills and
fever while serving in East Tennessee in the win
ter of 1864.
Two days after his discharge our subject ar
rived at Bellefonte, Centre Co., Penn., where
the family were then residing, and commenced
clerking for John W. Cook & Co., dealers in dry
goods, etc. On April 1, 1866, he commenced in
the cigar and tobacco trade at Bellefonte, for his
own account, retiring from same in 1870, and
forming the firm of Fryberger & Grim, general
merchants. In 1873 an additional firm (Fryber
ger & Moran) was started in the general grocery
business. Both these stores were in Bellefonte,
and both proved profitable ventures. The sud
den death of Mr. Moran, of the one firm, and
the withdrawal of Mr. Grim (who removed to
Missouri) from the other, brought about the first
reverses and second serious trouble in Capt.
Fryberger's life (for in the meantime he had lost
his first wife, as will be related in due course);
so, disposing of both stores in Bellefonte, he as
sociated himself with the extensive lumber firm
of Hoover, Hughes & Co., of Philipsburg, Penn.,
at which time a general store was started in con
nection- with their lumber and planing-mill busi
ness. For eight years after this Capt. Fryberger
managed the various stores connected with the
mills, his interest therein being one-fourth of the
profits. At the same time he was chief of the
office force for the lumber and mill company; also
assistant manager of the various sawmills, as
well as confidential assistant to G. W. Hoover.
On February 15, 1884, Capt. Fryberger formed
a partnership with L. G. Kessler, under the firm
style of Kessler & Fryberger, proprietors of a
general store in Philipsburg, Penn., which con
tinued until February 15, 1888, when the firm
dissolved, Capt. Fryberger retiring.
In the meantime, from 1884 to 1888, oursub
ject also held a one-third interest in the firm of
Fryberger & Co., of Tipton, Blair Co., Penn.,
and of Fryberger, Aurand & Co. ,of Irvona, Clear
field Co., Penn. In 1887, in company with John
29

Butterworth and John Fenton, he opened up the
land on Kentuck Hill, in Decatur township,
Clearfield Co., Penn., and they formed the com
pany known as the Kentuck Coal Co., which did
a successful business until the death of Mr. But
terworth, when the interests of both partners
were secured, and the business was continued un
der the same firm name. On November 1 1 , 1 889,
Capt. Fryberger's present grain, flour and feed
business was established on North Front street,
where a general wholesale and retail trade has
since been successfully conducted in connection
with the coal firm, and is still increasing. In
1893 the heirs of the J. F. Steiner estate selected
our subject to act as agent for the entire estate,
and he was in part instrumental in effecting a
lease to remove the coal underlying the lands of
the estate; by his personal effort about 300 acres.
of the surface of the Centre county side of the
estate's land was placed on the market and sold
to various parties.
Capt. C. T. Fryberger has been twice mar
ried, first time on January 23, 1869, to Mary J.
Brackbill, of Bellefonte, and one son, John Ed
gar, was born to them February 7, 1870, who is
now a clerk in the First National Bank, of Phil
ipsburg. On April 25, 1875, the mother died,
and was laid to rest in the cemetery at Bellefonte.
On April 22, 1879, at " Hill Side," the home of
the bride, our subject wedded Miss Ida V. Stein
er, of Clearfield county, by whom he had seven
children: Alton (deceased), Mahlon S., Eliza
beth S., Mary S. , William S. , Philip S., and
Dorothy S.
Socially, our subject was, in 1873, eminent
commander of Constance Commandery No. 33,
Knights Templar, at Bellefonte. In 1890 he was
commander of John W. Geary Post No. 90, G.
A. R. ; in 1891 was president of Mountain Lodge
No. 144, Order of Tonti; in 1892 was regent of
Centre Council No. 803, Royal Arcanum; in 1888
was elected trustee of the Grand Army Post No.
90, and has since been continuously re-elected to
that incumbency, holding it at the present time.
In 1892 he was appointed aid-de-camp to A. G.
Weissert, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army
of the Republic of the United States of America,
with rank of colonel. Politically, Capt. Fryber
ger is a Republican, and his popularity, both
within and without the party, has been frequently
practically demonstrated. In 1888 he was on
the Republican ticket for Assemblyman to the
Pennsylvania Legislature, facing a Democratic
majority of 1,100, and was defeated by but 21
votes, reducing the formidable majority practic
ally to a minimum.
The Captain is a leading member of Trinity

450

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

M. E. Church at Philipsburg; for five years, from
1876 to 1 88 1, he was secretary of the board of
stewards of the Church, and in 1889 he was ap
pointed one of the eight trustees, which office he
has held continuously ever since.
To give a detailed account of all the pleasure
trips that have filled Capt. Fryberger's leisure
time would fill a book in itself, so we can but
simply refer to the more important among them:
In 1876, in company with his wife, Ida, he visited
the Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia; in
1878 they were present at the Juniata Valley
Camp Meeting of the M. E. Church; in 1879
they visited Philadelphia on the occasion of the
reception accorded Gen. Grant on his return
from his trip around the world; the same year
they enjoyed a three-months' sojourn at Pen-
field, Clearfield Co., Penn., on Bennett's branch
of the Susquehanna river. In 1884, along with
John, Mahlon, Elizabeth, Mary and William,
Capt. and Mrs. Fryberger passed a week visiting
the historic battlefield at Gettysburg. In 1890
Capt. and Mrs. Fryberger paid Boston a visit,
"taking in" Bunker Hill, Boston Common,
Cape Cod, Plymouth and Plymouth Rock, where
the Pilgrims from Holland landed in 1616. Re
turning homeward via New York, they visited
Grant's tomb; the Hudson river; the Brooklyn
bridge across East river; Wall street; Trinity
Church; Castle Garden; the Bartholdi "Statue
of Liberty," which they ascended until the giddy
height caused our subject to beat a retreat, whilst
his wife, though of the " weaker sex," continued
the ascent regardless of any danger, imaginary
or real. In 1891 they were present at the Pitts
burg Industrial Fair, at the same time visiting
uncle S. H. Keller at Williamsburg, Penn. In
1892 they found themselves at Washington, D.
C, with headquarters opposite the White House,
and during their week's stay there they called at
the Soldiers' Home, Smithsonian Institute, Ar
lington National Cemetery and the War Depart
ment; attended a reception held at the White
House, and Mrs. John A. Logan's reception at
the Capitol. They also visited the Treasury
Building, Washington's tomb at Mt. Vernon,
the Confederate Monument at Alexandria, Va. ,
the Alexandria Episcopal Church, at Alexandria,
Va., and sat in the pews occupied by Gen. (and
Pres.) George Washington and Gen. Robert E.
Lee, respectively. While in the Senate Chamber
of the United States they sat in the chairs 'occu
pied by the two Pennsylvania Senators — Hon.
Donald Cameron and Hon. Matthew S. Quay.
In 1893 Capt. and Mrs. Fryberger visited the
"World's Fair" at Chicago ("the greatest city
we ever saw, " says the Captain), spending one

week viewing, among other objects and places of
interest, Lincoln Park, Lake Michigan, and had
a sail on the ' ' Whaleback, " the only vessel of the
kind in the world for passenger service exclusive
ly; the Masonic Temple; Hay market Square
(where the Anarchists threw the bomb some
years ago, killing several policemen); the Audi
torium; the Stockyards; " Libby Prison, " which
originally stood in Richmond, Va. , (fcc. , &c. In
1894 they attended the National Encampment of
the Grand Army of the Republic, held at Pitts
burg, Penn., one of the most pleasing and enter
taining reunions ever held by that body, and they
also visited Hiland and Schenley Parks; also
Wilkinsburg, Penn. ; the heights above the city
of Pittsburg; the Monongahela; and the Car
negie Library, together with all the attractions
of the city of Allegheny. On August 22, 1897,
they visited the Falls of Niagara, the "Bison
City" (Buffalo), and all the attractions of those
great and grand places. During their week's
sojourn in and about Buffalo, the President of
the United States, Maj. William McKinley, re
ceived the old soldiers of the war of the Rebel
lion, who were there in force as an organization
of the G. A. R. During this trip Capt. and Mrs.
Fryberger visited the oil fields of Pennsylvania,
and beheld all the wonders of that marvelously
thrilling, oily, greasy section of this fair land.
Thus the life of Charles Theodore Fryberger
bears testimony in language not to be misunder
stood, to what it is possible for man, with willing
heart and hands to accomplish; how, from the
bottom rung of the ladder, upward, to work out
for himself an honorable competency, a solid
reputation and a good name.

JOHN KERSTETER (deceased) in his life
time was a highly esteemed resident of Penn
township, Centre county, where he was born
November 13, 181 3. His family were among
the early settlers of Lyken's Valley, Northum
berland Co., Penn., and his father, Leonard Ker
steter, was born there February 17, 1783. Hav
ing been married in that county to Miss Elizabeth
Schrecengost, he came about the year 1800 to this
section, locating in what is now Haines township,
Centre county. A few years later his father,
Leonard Kersteter, Sr. , the grandfather of our
subject, came to Centre county, but he afterward
moved to Stark county, where he died.
Leonard Kersteter, Jr., followed the car
penter's trade for many years, but finally engaged
in farming, in which he was quite successful. He
was very tall, and in his younger days was re
markably powerful, but his long years of toil ex-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

451

hausted his strength, and he died May 12, 1869,
literally worn out. In political faith he was a
Democrat, and in his active years he attended
the Lutheran Church regularly, he and his esti
mable wife both being members. He was born
October 30, 1781, and died January 9, 1857, his
remains being laid to rest at Aaronsburg. They
had children as follows: Leonard, a carpenter,
died in Haines township, Centre county; Susan
(Mrs. David Neese) died in Penn township, Cen
tre county; Catherine (Mrs. Benjamin Moore)
died in Ashland county, Ohio; Elizabeth (Mrs.
George Braucht) died in Penn township; Lydia
and Sarah (twins), born January 28, 181 1, are
both living in Centre county, the former being
the widow of John Young, of Woodward, and
the latter the widow of Jacob Rhone, of Potter
township; John is mentioned more fully below;
Jacob died at Coburn, Penn., at the age of
twenty-one; Daniel resides at Loganton, Penn. ;
Samuel is a resident of Wayne county, Ohio;
Mollie married John Nugert, and died in Penn
township, Centre county; and Polly (Mrs. Jacob
Stover) died in Haines township.
The free-school system had not yet been es
tablished when our subject was of an age to
avail himself of its privileges, and he found but
meagre opportunities for an education in the
schools of his locality. He was reared to farm
work, but at nineteen began to learn the shoe
maker's trade with George Eisenhuth, of Mill
heim. The business proving uncongenial, he en
gaged in carpentering, in which he became pro
ficient under the instruction of his brother Leon
ard. On March 30, 1835, Mr. Kersteter was
married in Haines township, by Rev. Mr. Asely,
a Lutheran minister, to Miss Annie Musser, a
native of the township, born May 7, 1813. Her
father, Jacob Musser, was a farmer by occupa
tion, and his family comprised eight children:
Michael, Andrew, Mollie, Rebecca, Annie, Philip,
John and Lydia.
For two years after his marriage, Mr. Ker
steter lived with his father on the homestead
just west of Coburn, but in 1837 he moved to his
late farm in the same vicinity. On June 17,
1 89 1, his pleasant home was bereft of the be
loved wife and mother, a devout Christian lady
and a consistent member of the Lutheran Church.
Eight children survive out of a family of nine:
Michael resides in Pleasant Gap, Penn. ; Jacob
lives at Coburn; Rebecca married John Brant,
of Penn township; Harriet is the wife of Daniel
Hosterman, of Penn township; William died in
that township; Emanuel is a farmer there; John, a
skilled mechanic, is a carpenter and contractor at
Millheim; and Daniel resides in Penn township.

Mr. Kersteter did much hard work in his day,
and was a well-preserved man. He possessed a
handsome competence, secured by strictly honest
methods, and his life may well be held up as an
example to the youth of to-day. Several years
ago he retired from active work, his declining
years being thus made free from care. In poli
tics he was a Democrat, first, last and all the
time, having voted that ticket at every Presiden
tial election from Van Buren down. He served;
as supervisor, overseer of the poor and school
director in his township, doing efficient and sat
isfactory service in every case. In religious work
he was prominent as a member and official of
the Lutheran Church, with which he united be
fore he was twenty years old. Mr. Kersteter
died November 29, ii

LUTHER GUISWITE, one of the most pro-
 ' gressive and public-spirited citizens of Co-
burn, Centre county, has done much to promote
the welfare and upbuilding of the community,
giving his support to all worthy enterprises cal
culated in any way to advance its interests. A
native son of the county, he was born in Haines
township April 22, 1857, a son of John and Susan
(Wolfe) Guiswite, who spent their entire lives in
that township. In their family were four chil
dren: George, Rebecca, Elvina and Luther. Of
these, the first named is now deceased; Rebecca
is the wife of Nathaniel Buchtel, of Union county,
Penn. ; and Elvina is the wife of Daniel Brum
gard, of Loganton, Penn. Reared to agricult
ural pursuits, the father followed farming
throughout life in connection with the lumber
business, and succeeded in accumulating consid
erable capital; but misfortune overtook him, and
he lost heavily.
Upon the home farm in Haines township,
Luther Guiswite grew to manhood, and in the-
district schools of the neighborhood he obtained
his education. In 1880 he began lumbering,
which business, in connection with the operation
of a sawmill, he followed until 1893. During his
career as a lumberman he was an extensive oper
ator, often making considerable money, while at
other times he lost large amounts. In 1893 he
embarked in the grain and produce business, buy
ing- out M. G. Decker, of Coburn, and in con
nection with this he has also dealt in lumber and
bark. On December 17, 1895, a disastrous fire
destroyed his entire plant, but with characteristic
energy he soon overcame his loss, and is now at
the head of a profitable business. His newly
erected elevator is by far the most commodious
in Penn's Valley, and he also has one of the best

452

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

equipped creameries in Centre county. In buy
ing grain, bark, lumber, produce and also milk
for his creamery, he disperses thousands of dol
lars among the farmers of the entire eastern por
tion of Centre county, and thus materially pro
motes the interests of that section. The volume
of business done by Mr. Guiswite is probably
without an equal in a village of the size of Coburn
in central Pennsylvania, and he certainly deserves
a prominent place among the leading and repre
sentative citizens of the county.
In 1885, Mr. Guiswite married Miss Mary
Gramley, of Miles township, Centre county, a
daughter of Reuben Gramley, a farmer by occu
pation. One child has been born of their union,
named Grace E. Mr. and Mrs. Guiswite are
consistent members of the Lutheran Church, and
their circle of friends is only limited by their
circle of acquaintances. An ardent Republican
in politics, he takes a deep and commendable
interest in the success of his party, but cares
nothing for public office, preferring to give his
entire time and attention to his extensive busi
ness interests.

"V\ DORSEY GREEN, of Patton township,
Centre county, has descended from a fam
ily prominent in civil and military affairs of the
Commonwealth. In 1791-2 Col. Samuel Miles and Col. John
Patton, two officers of the Revolutionary war,
erected Centre furnace, in what is now Boggs
township, Centre county, which, with a store at
that point, was in operation under the name of
Miles, Patton & Miles as early as May 2, 1792 —
the first blast furnace erected in the county.
Col. Patton died in 1802, and Col. Miles, who
was a resident of Montgomery county, and whose
interests were represented by his sons, Joseph
and John, residents of Centre county, died in
1805. The furnace was blown out in 1809, and
laid idle until about 1825, when Joseph Green,
Sr. , and Joseph Miles started it again. Col.
Miles had, in 1792, purchased large tracts of
land on Spring and Bald Eagle creeks, and he,
with his sons, laid out Milesburg and established
the Milesburg Iron Works in 1797, which, for a
time, were carried on in connection with the
Centre furnace. After Joseph Green, Sr. , came
in 1825, the firm name was Joseph Miles & Co.
John Miles died in 1829. In 1832 Joseph Miles
sold his interest to Gen. James Irvin, and until
1836 James Irvin & Co. conducted the business.
Joseph Green, Sr. , then retired, and was suc
ceeded by Gen. Huston.
In the Revolutionary war Gen. Miles was

colonel of one of the rifle battalions, and was
taken prisoner at Long Island in 1776. He was
subsequently judge of the Court of Errors and
Appeals, and mayor of Philadelphia. Joseph
Green, Sr., his nephew, was a carpenter, and
came from Chester county with Joseph and John
Miles to assist in building the Iron works, and,
as stated above, later became a partner. He
built and lived in a house that stood upon a lot
occupied in 1882 by Harry Levi's residence; the
kitchen, constructed of stone, was then still stand
ing. In 1836 he moved to Milesburg, and be
came the first postmaster at that place. His
wife, Hannah (Griffith), was also from Chester
county, Penn., and their children were: Capt.
William G, of the U. S. A. (died in 1815 at
Lexington, Ky.); Gen. Samuel Miles; Esther,
married to Joseph Butler; Joseph; Eliza, mar
ried to H. L. McMinn; and Hannah, married to
John Irvin, Jr.
Of this family, Gen. Samuel Miles Green was
the father of G. Dorsey Green. The General
was born at the iron works near Milesburg,
April 13, 1797. He read law with Hon. John
Blanchard, and was admitted to the Bar in 1821,
contemporary with the late Hon. A. S. Wilson
and John G. Miles. Shortly afterward he was
appointed deputy attorney-general for Clearfield
county, and subsequently removed to Meadville,
Penn., where he remained five years, during
which time he was employed by the attorney-
general in the prosecution of some important
criminal cases, in which he acquitted himself
with great credit. He retired from the Bar in
1834, became the manager of the Centre County
Iron Works, and in 1836 he removed to Barre
Forge, on the Little Juniata, in Huntingdon
county, where he was extensively engaged in the
manufacture of iron until 1874, when he returned
to his native county, and passed the evening of
his life on a farm on Buffalo run, with his son,
G. Dorsey, dying December 21, 1878, in the
eighty-fourth year of his age. He was a good
type of the old-school gentleman, with a hearty
and sincere manner. Carrying the weight of
almost an additional span to the years of man's
allotted life, he stood as erect as a boy of twenty,
and retained to a remarkable degree the manly
strength and vigor of early life, worthy his Revo
lutionary ancestry. While a resident of Hunt
ingdon county he was commissioned a brigadier-
general of militia by Gov. Porter. Gen. Green
was a very genial and kind-hearted gentleman,
beloved by all. In politics he was originally a
Whig, later a Republican.
He married Rachel E., daughter of Green-
berry and Elizabeth (Bartholomew) Dorsey, of

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL REGORD.

453

Philadelphia. Rachel E. Dorsey was born at
Barre Forge, and there died. The children of
the General and his wife were: G. Dorsey,
Hannah E. and Joseph A. Greenberry Dorsey
and Edward Bartholomew (the father of Eliza
beth) erected Barre forge on the Little Juniata in
1790. G. Dorsey Green was born at Centre Furnace,
March 13, 1832. He attended the academy at
Lewisburg, and subsequently entered college at
Lawrenceville, N. J. from which institution he
was graduated at the age of eighteen years. He
afterward was in the employ of his father and
Gen. Irvin, the latter's associate in business at
Barre Iron Works, first as clerk, then as store
keeper, and later as manager. In 1856 he be
came proprietor of the works, and until 1 874 was
most extensively and successfully engaged in the
manufacture of iron. From his works went out
the blooms from which the wire was made that
was used in the construction of the suspension
bridge across the river at Niagara Falls; also the
iron work in the bridge across the Allegheny river
at Pittsburg came from the Barre works. The
works made money rapidly; but the proprietor
was heavily caught in the failure of Jay Cooke,
after which he sold the plant and retired to a
beautiful farm of about 400 acres of land on
Buffalo run, near Bellefonte, where he has since
made his home and followed farming.
Mr. Green in his active business life, and in
his earlier career, had opportunities not afforded
to many young men. In i860 it was his privilege
to attend the National Republican Convention at
Chicago, at which President Lincoln was nom
inated. His brother was a delegate to that con
vention, and he accompanied him. He was an
aide on the staff of Gov. Packer, which entitled
him to the rank of colonel, a -title, however, he
was too modest to assume. In politics he is a
Republican. He is identified with the Presbyte
rian Church, and for years was superintendent of
the Sabbath-school. He is one of the highly es
teemed citizens in the community in which he re
sides, and one of the substantial men of Centre
county. Mr. Green was united in marriage with Miss
Mary Gregg, a daughter of Matthew Gregg, of
Centre county, and their children are: Ella
Gregg, now the wife of W. E. Gray, a lawyer of
Bellefonte; Samuel Miles, in the employ of a
railroad- company in California; Elizabeth Dor
sey, unmarried; Allen McGregor, a resident of
California; and George Dorsey, now attending
medical lectures at the University of Pennsyl
vania (he graduated from the State College in
1896, taking the class honors).

JAMES LINGLE. As a representative of the
intelligent and hardy pioneers who opened
up Boggs township, Centre county, for set
tlement, and have since taken a conspicuous part
in developing it, we are pleased to place in this
volume the life history of the gentleman whose
name introduces this sketch, one of the leading
dairymen and farmers of the township, as well as
one of the most prominent citizens.
Mr. Lingle was born November 9, 1825, on a
farm that was then in Centre county (but is now
a part of Clinton county), Penn., a son of Paul
and Mary (Spoon) Lingle, natives of Dauphin
county, Penn., of German descent. They were
married in Dauphin county, and in 1802 moved
to Kishacoquillas Valley, this State, where they
remained until 1823, which year witnessed their
arrival in Bald Eagle Valley, now in Clinton
county. In 1838 they went to Holmes county,
Ohio, where six months were passed, after which
they returned to Centre county, spending the fol
lowing three years at Beach Creek. They then
removed to what was known as the Brown
farm, in the same county, near Blanchard,
then called Eagleville, where the father's death
occurred February 1, 1856. He was born Janu
ary 25, 1775; his wife was born March 31, 1781,
and died October 14, 1863. In their family
were the following children: Mary, born June
26, 1800, became the wife of Samuel McNitt
(now deceased), and she died in 1862; John, born
November 16, 1801, is also deceased; Catherine,
born August 28, 1803, died November 16, 1804;
Simon, born December 22, 1805, died September
28, 1883; Thomas, born October 21, 1807, is
deceased; Jane, born July 8, 1809, married John
Baker, and is now deceased; Joseph, born March
2, 181 1, died August 25, 1892; David, born De
cember 18, 1 812, makes his home in Nebraska;
Elizabeth, born January 26, 181 5, is the wife of
A. Packer, of Michigan; William, born March 8,
1 817, is deceased; Ann M., born March 4, 18 19,
was the wife of W. Williams, of Clinton county,
Penn., and died September 17, 1897; Alexander,
born February 28, 1821, is a resident of Dauphin
county, Penn.; George, born April 6, 1823, lives
at Beach Creek, Clinton county; and James, of
this review, completes the family. By trade the
father was a carpenter, which he followed until
1823, the year of his moving to Bald Eagle Val
ley, where he passed the rest of his days. He
was a stalwart Democrat, and was called upon to
serve in several local offices. In religious faith,
he held membership in the Christian Church.
Until twenty-two years of age, James Lingle
remained under the parental roof, and during two
autumns worked at the carpenter's trade. The

454

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

summer seasons he spent as a captain of a canal
boat for about twelve years, when he purchased
a boat of his own, which he operated the follow
ing five years. One year was then spent on his
present farm, at the end of which time he. sold
out and went to Tazewell county, 111. , where he
engaged in farming for three years. Since that
time, however, he has continuously lived upon
his present valuable farm, a tract of 104 acres,
which he has placed under a high state of culti
vation and improved with many substantial mod
ern buildings. In 1875 he also embarked in the
dairy business, which has proved a profitable
venture, and to-day he is regarded as one of the
reliable and well-to-do citizens of Boggs town
ship. His dairy is one of the neatest and tidiest
in the county, and his entire farm is the reflex of
a careful and judicious manager.
On February 17, 1858, Mr. Lingle was united
in marriage with Miss Marcella Malone, who was
born November 3, 1839, on the homestead where
she still resides, a daughter of Frederick and
Eliza (Borlen) Malone. Nine children blessed
this union, namely: Lycurgus, born March 12,
1859, is a farmer of Penn's Valley, Penn.; Ed
ward P., born February 18, 1861, a telegraph
operator, is married, and is living with our sub
ject; Mary S., born October 12, 1863, is the wife
of Thomas Boggs, a merchant of Milesburg,
Centre county; Harry M., born April 16, 1866,
is living in Kansas City, Mo.; Charles B., born
in Tazewell county, 111., March 8, 1869, is at
home: John, born April 20, 1872, is a druggist in
Philadelphia; Elizabeth A., born December 27,
1874, is the wife of Frank Wetsler, of Central
City, Penn. ; and Florence, born February 28,
1878, and James B., born March 20, 1881, are
both at home.
Mr. Lingle is a progressive, public-spirited
citizen, giving freely to all enterprises having for
their object the advancement and welfare of the
community, with whose interests he is identified;
and while he has never aspired to public office
he has filled the several positions to which he
has been elected, with great credit to himself
and to the satisfaction of his constituents. He is
a worthy member of the Disciple Church, and in
politics is an ardent Democrat. He has watched
with interest the growth and development of
Centre county, and holds the esteem and respect
of the entire community.
Thomas Lingle, grandfather of our subject,
was a general farmer, and owned a farm whereon
Harrisburg, Penn., now stands. His son Paul
(our subject's father) drove his five-horse team
from Harrisburg to Philadelphia, hauling his
grain and other farm products to market.

W. EMIGH, M. D., a successful physician
of Philipsburg, Centre county, is a self-
made man whose history affords a striking illus
tration of the possibilities which lie before one
in whom mental ability is combined with high
purpose and resolute will.
Dr. Emigh is a descendant of a pioneer fam
ily of Clearfield county, and the sturdy qualities
of the race has been shown there in three pre
vious generations. His great-grandfather, Chris
tian Emigh, came from Germany when a young
man, and settled upon a tract of land at the
stream since known as Emigh's run, it having
been named in his honor. He was a farmer by
occupation and, so far as can now be ascertained,
spent his life there. His son and namesake,
Christian Emigh (2), who was born at Emigh's
Run, possessed decided mechanical genius, and
following his inclination he learned the carpen
ter's trade early in life. The demand for such
labor was not constant in that vicinity, however,
and although he was kept busy during the sum
mer months his winters were spent in chopping
wood and such employment as he could find
around the furnaces. For some time after his
marriage he resided at Julia Ann Furnace, Cen
tre county, but later he settled in Philipsburg,
where he became known as a most skillful me
chanic. His declining years were passed upon
his farm in Clearfield county, about three and
one-half miles from Philipsburg, and his remains
now rest in the cemetery at that town.
Jonathan Emigh, the father of our subject,
was born at Julia Ann Furnace, and was a mere
child when his father removed to Philipsburg,
where he grew to manhood, in the meantime
learning the carpenter's trade. He was of a liter
ary turn of mind and very studious, and many
a night was spent in reading while lying on his
back in order to catch the light emitted from a
burning pine fagot, as he could not afford candles,
and his days were necessarily devoted to assist
ing his father. At seventeen he was qualified to
teach a country school, and entered upon that
work with such earnestness and zeal that he, es
tablished a reputation as one of the best in
structors in his section. In mathematics he won
especial notice by his ability. Those were the
days of the primitive log school houses, and his
small pay was left clear through the custom of
"boarding round."
While teaching at Fairview he observed the
unusual beauty of one of his pupils, a bright,
healthy girl with a cheery disposition, and de
termined to make her his wife. The attraction
was mutual, and in due time Miss Mary E. Evans
became Mrs. Emigh. A home was made upon,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

455

a tract of wild land in Clearfield county, and
Mr. Emigh's time was thenceforth devoted to
clearing and cultivating land in addition to teach
ing. During the Civil war he was drafted into
the Federal service, and although he was then
in the "forties" he was found to be physically
sound. His regiment was assigned to the Ninth
Corps of the Army of the Potomac, and during
his short term he had some severe experiences
which he would relate in after years. On one
occasion he and a few other Union soldiers were
surrounded in a swamp, and the Rebels kept up
a constant firing at them all night long. The
rain poured down in torrents, and the adjacent
river overflowed and flooded the swamp. There
they were, their bodies submerged in water, and
their heads were with difficulty kept in a safe
shelter behind stumps or trees from the bullets
that flew thick and fast above them. Their pain
ful efforts availed them nothing in the end, for
when morning came tbey were obliged to sur
render to their captors. This was near the close
of the war, and fortunately they were detained
only a few days in prison.
On his return from the army Mr. Emigh re
sumed his former occupations. His abilities
made him influential among his acquaintances,
and for many years he served as justice of the
peace. He was also school director for a long
time, and even taught school in the same dis
trict while holding that position. This was clearly
against the law, but the community wanted
his services, and technicalities were waived.
His widow resides at the old homestead, which
Dr. Emigh purchased that he might surround
her with every material comfort which could
brighten the evening of her life. The following
children lived to adult age: (i) Hiram died at
twenty-two years; (2) Priscilla (deceased) mar
ried James Hummel; (3) Lucretia (deceased)
was the wife of William Quick; (4) G. W. is
mentioned more fully below; (5) Jonathan re
sides in Graham township, Clearfield county;
(6) Henry lives at the old homestead; (7) Ann
married George Pierce, and resides upon a part
of the old farm; (8) Frank is attending medical
college in Baltimore, Md. ; (9) Florence married
Thomas Reynolds, and resides at the old home;
(10) Andrew Jackson died in 1873.
Dr. Emigh was born at the family home
stead, March 10, 1857, and as a farmer's son he
early learned the necessity and value of labor.
The constant and outdoor employment gave him
healthful physical development, much of his
time being spent in wielding the axe and hauling
logs with an ox-team. He attended the local
school and a normal school in the same county,

but as his parents were unable to give him a col
legiate education his later progress was made
through private study. Once fitted for teaching
he felt that he had found the stepping stone to
success, and so rapidly did he advance in that
honorable calling that at the time he left it for
the medical profession he was principal of the
public schools of Houtzdale, Clearfield county.
He began to read medicine under the instruction
of Dr. M. Gard Whittlier, of Clearfield, one of
the most expert surgeons in this section, and aft
er a course in the medical department of the
University of New York, he was graduated in
1884 with the degree of M. D. Locating at
Woodland, Clearfield county, he built up an ex
tensive and lucrative practice. He married Miss
Eleanor Howe, daughter of Robert Howe, a
a well-known resident of Philipsburg. She is a
lady of unusual mental force and fine culture,
and prior to her marriage was a successful
teacher. Like the Doctor she has developed
her intellectual gifts through the discipline of
private study. They have one son, George Wal
ton. On February 21, 1893, Dr. Emigh removed
with his family to Philipsburg, and then, going
to New York City, he pursued a post-graduate
course at his Alma Mater. Since his return to
Philipsburg he has continued his professional
work with marked success, his popularity in
creasing as his acquaintance widens. Alert and
vigorous mentally, and an earnest student, he
keeps well abreast of the advances in medical
science, while his fine physique supports well the
strain of professional duties. As a citizen he is
held in high esteem for his sterling integrity.
He is a member of the I. O. O. F. , and the Ma
sonic order, and in politics is an outspoken ad
herent of the Democratic party.

WT. BAIR. If all journalists allowed a
 keen sense of honor, and a due regard for
the public welfare, to dictate the contents of
their columns; if evil were not emphasized, and
the records of the various classes of "degener
ates" were not constantly spread before the
world to impress the minds of the morbid and the
vicious, can we doubt that crime would speedily
grow less? It is refreshing to find in the scholarly
editor of the Philipsburg Daily fournal, a man
whose conscience is recognized as a guide even
in the ' ' sanctum sanctorum," and who would pre
fer to lose a subscriber, if necessary, rather than
to lower the moral tone of his bright, clean, and
progressive paper.
Perhaps Mr. Bair derives his sturdy inde-

456

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

pendence in the cause of right from the ances
tors who through past centuries breathed the
the pure air of Alpine heights in their home in
Switzerland. Coming to this country in Colon
ial times, the less remote members of his line be
came prominent among the pio'neers of Lancaster
county, Penn., and his grandfather, Abraham
Bair, a native of that county bore the title of
"Squire" (which then meant much), for many
years. He passed a long life in agricultural pur
suits, being more than eighty years of age when
he passed to the unseen world.
D. H. Bair, our subject's father, was born in
in Lancaster county in 1828, and was engaged in,
and identified with, mercantile business for many
years, and is now living in Philipsburg. He has
always taken keen interest in public affairs, and
in politics is a Democrat. His wife, Catherine
Long, was born in 1832, and is also living. She
belongs to one of the old Pennsylvania-Dutch
families, her ancestors having been among the
first settlers in Germany Valley, Huntingdon
county. They were Dunkards in religious faith.
Her father, Judge John Long, associate judge of
Huntingdon county, was a prominent merchant
and land holder, owning several farms in that
county. He died at the age of eighty-two years.
Our subject was one of a family of six children,
of whom, four lived to mature age, viz. : J.
Frank, Webster T., William L., and Harry H.,
all now engaged in different departments of the
Philipsburg fournal.
W. T. Bair was born in Huntingdon county,
June 26, 1859, and received his early education
in the public schools at Mount Union. He had
a clear perception as to his proper vocation, and
lost no time in preparing for it by learning the
printer's trade. In the fall of 1874 he established
the Mount Union Herald, which he afterward
sold. He then purchased the Mount Union
Times, but two years later went to Philipsburg
to take charge of the fournal, then a weekly
paper. In July, 1881, after two years as man
ager, he became its proprietor and has ever since
continued to give it his close attention as editor.
Under his care it has prospered; on November 1,
1888, he added a daily edition, and the result
has justified his confidence in its growing popu
larity. It is independent in politics, and Mr.
Bair's determination to exclude all news of prize
fights or other demoralizing matter has made of it
a paper that may safely be placed in any home.
In 1 88 1 Mr. Bair was married in Shirleysburg,
Penn., to Miss Annie M. Elliott, who was born
in Franklin county, Penn., and was reared by an
aunt. Four children bless this union: Viola,
Edna, Ethel, and Joyce.

Progressive and liberal in his views, Mr. Bair
is interested in all phases of our common life.
Since 1885 he has been a Prohibitionist in politics
and he has always been active in various religious
and philanthropical movements. He is a lead
ing member of the M. E. Church, and for years
has served as secretary of the board of trustees
while he is a prominent worker in the Epworth
League, and is now president of the Altoona
District League, also recording secretary of the
Central Pennsylvania League.

iTVEORGE G. HASTINGS. History shows
^yp that the most prosperous nations of the
world have had large agricultural interests to up
hold their commercial and other business rela
tions, and it is conceded that the stability and
progress of this country is largely due to the
farming class. Among the leading agriculturists
of Centre county is numbered Mr. Hastings, who
is now successfully operating a rich and valuable
tract of land in Benner township, near Belle
fonte. Thomas Hastings, grandfather of George G.,
was by occupation a surveyor, and came to Belle
fonte in the early settlement of the place where he
resided. He took up large tracts of land in Centre
county. His children were: Daniel and Mary,
the latter of whom never married. Daniel was
born on Cedar creek in Haines township, Centre
county, June 2, 1794; on April 16, 1846, he mar
ried Mrs. Mary A. Hartsock, who was born in
Half Moon township, Centre county, October 14,
1 8 14, a daughter of George and Sarah (Flegel)
Gray, and granddaughter of Peter Gray, who
came from Frederick, Md., to the Half Moon
country in 1788, and their children were: Enoch
and George G. The former was a member of
the 53rd P. V. I. during the Civil war, and is now
a merchant at Beech Creek, Clinton county,
Pennsylvania. George G. Hastings was born April 11, 1848,
in Centre county, Penn. , and spent the days of
his boyhood and youth in the county of his na
tivity. He is indebted to the public-school
system for the educational privileges which he
enjoys. Throughout the greater part of his busi
ness career he has followed agricultural pursuits,
but in 1869 he embarked in the lumber trade,
and for four years carried on operations along that
line. In the spring of 1873 he commenced farm
ing in Benner township on land belonging to the
estate, and three years later he bought his present
farm, then comprising one hundred acres, to
which he has since added from time to time until
he has now 260 acres of good land. On the farm

Mj.lk fyaAjfciv

&

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

457

are substantial buildings, and his improvements
are all modern. In farming methods he is pro
gressive, and his labors have resulted in the
acquirement of a comfortable competence. In
1 87 1 Mr. Hastings was married to Miss Loretta
Rogers, and to them have been born children as
follows: Mary Agnes, April 1, 1872, at Beech
Creek, married Edward P. Gray February 9,
1897, and they reside on the old homestead in
Patton township; Enoch T. , November 12, 1873,
in Benner township; George Gray, June 2, 1875,
in Benner township; Harriet Belle, January 8,
1877; Sarah Loretta, September 27, 1878; Henry
B., May 17, 1880; Anna Elizabeth, May 17, 1882;
Eliza O., August 9, 1886; and Nellie Jennette,
August 8, 1888. Mrs. Loretta Hastings was born
at Beech Creek on December 9, 1846, a daugh
ter of T. A. S. and Agnes Ann (Miller) Rogers.
The latter was a native of Lancaster county,
Penn., born in 1819, and died in July, 1883, at
Beech Creek, in Clinton county. He was by
trade a blacksmith. Agnes Miller was a native
of Mifflin county, Penn., born in 18 14, and died
in August, 1882, at Beech Creek. Their chil
dren were: Clarinda, Loretta, Henry B., John
Thomas, Robert W., Susan E., and one that
died in infancy.

Y. STITZER. An early struggle with ad
verse circumstances is quite commonly held
to be an advantage to an aspirant for success in
life; but sometimes, when one sees a gallant effort
made against heavy odds, the thought arises that
the energy and concentrated will which inspired
it, might, under happier conditions, have been
applied to other issues, seemingly more impor
tant. But if the development of character is the
main work of our sojourn upon earth, if "the
deed in the doing reaches its aim," then the years
spent in overcoming such hindrances are really as
rich in fruit as any which win the approving no
tice of the public.
The history of the subject of this sketch, a
well-known attorney of Bellefonte, Centre county,
possesses the interest which invariably attaches
to the life of a self-made man. His paternal
ancestors were early settlers in Pennsylvania, and
his grandfather, John Stitzer, a native of this
State, was for many years the proprietor of the
principal hotel in Mifflinburg. William Stitzer,
our subject's father, was born in that city May
13, 181 1, and was married there September 13,
1833, to Miss Judith Yearick, a native of the
same place, born November 23, 181 1. After his
marriage he moved to Millheim, Centre county,
and followed the hatter's trade for some time,

but fortune did not smile upon his efforts, and
later he became a day laborer . at various places
in Centre county. His death occurred in Belle
fonte, September 17, 1873, at the home of our
subject. He was an Old-line Whig in politics
in his early years, but after the change in party
lines which followed the agitation of the slavery
question, he became an Independent, with ten
dencies toward the Republican party. He and
his estimable wife were members of the Evan
gelical Church. She survived him many years,
breathing her last October 24, 1891. They had
seven children, whose names with dates of birth
are as follows: John, April 16, 1834, is a saddler
at Mifflinburg; Lydia, born June 17, 1835, at
Millheim, married William J. Bollinger (now of
Salt Lake City), and died in 1871 at Illinois; H.
Y. , our subject, is the next in the order of birth;
William D., October 31, 1838, died January 13,
1840; William W. , December, 1840, is a farm
er in Gregg township, Centre county; Sarah,
December 15, 1842, married John Zerby, of Pot
ter township, Centre county; Amelia, August 21,
1844, resides with our subject.
H. Y. Stitzer was born February 25, 1837,
at Millheim. He had no settled home during
his childhood owing to his father's frequent
changes of location, and at an early age he was
apprenticed to a merchant tailor in Mifflinburg,
learning that trade. Despite the difficulties in
the way of securing an education, his naturally
bright and active mind had enabled him to make
fair progress, and inspired by a determination to
seek a more congenial field of labor than his trade
promised to be, he attended the academy at
Mifflinburg for one summer, and in the following
winter, when about twenty-one, he began teach
ing school in Snyder county. In 1861, after
several years of successful work in this calling,
he was made principal of the High School at
Bellefonte, which position he held but a short
time when he was admitted to the Bar, having
previously studied law under the direction of
Judge Hoy, of Bellefonte, and established him
self in practice. During the battle of Gettys
burg he was one of the Emergency men called
out by the Governor, and served for eight weeks
in Capt. Boal's company. In 1866 he was
elected district attorney and served ably for two
terms, but on retiring from office in 1872, he
purchased the Livingston Book Store, which he
continued until 1895. Since disposing of that he
has resumed his practice with gratifying success.
He was deputy sheriff under Richard Conley.
On December 25, 1867, Mr. Stitzer was mar
ried to Miss Hannah M. Hess, a native of Boals
burg, born in February, 1837. They have no

458

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

children of their own, but took two, a girl and a
boy, into their home, whom they reared and ed
ucated; the girl, Mira E. Shaffer, is now the wife
of H. A. McKee; the boy, Randolph P. Nighten
gale, a son of Dr. Nightengale, of Doylestown,
Penn. , died when nearly twenty years of age. In
his younger days Mr. Stitzer took an active part
in politics, and has served as chairman of the
Democratic Central Committee of the county.
Himself and wife are members of the Lutheran
Church ; they take great interest in Church work,
and in the Sabbath-school, of which Mr. Stitzer
was for many years the superintendent.

J WESLEY GEPHART, general superintend
ent of the Central Railroad of Pennsylvania,
and for a decade one of the foremost lawyers
at the Centre County Bar, is the son of John P.
and Mary M. (Swartz) Gephart, the former an
honored citizen of Bellefonte, a notice of whom,
with that of his ancestors, appears elsewhere in
this volume.
J. Wesley Gephart was born at Millheim, May
25, 1853. The foundation for his education was
laid in his native town, and in the schools of
Bellefonte; he was prepared for college at the
Bellefonte Academy, and was graduated from
Princeton in 1874. He read law in the office
and under the direction of Gen. James A. Beaver,
of Bellefonte, since Governor of Pennsylvania,
and now one of the judges of the Superior Court
of the Commonwealth. Young Gephart was ad
mitted to the Bar December 13, 1876, and, at
the time, the press thus noticed the event: ' ' Our
young friend, Mr. J. W. Gephart, was admitted to
practice law in the several courts of Centre coun
ty, on Wednesday last. Mr. Gephart's admission
is the first that has occurred under the new rule
of the Court appointing a permanent board of
examiners, who are guided by a certain set of
rules in the examination of applicants. Mr.
Gephart is said to have given complete satisfac
tion to the board, who complimented him highly.
He is a very diligent young man, of much natural
ability, and his reading has been quite extensive.
He has a logical mind, and a retentive memory,
and his future promises brilliant things. We
congratulate him." Less than two years after
ward the press again remarked that: "Mr. Gep
hart, though young, is an exceedingly fine speaker,
and gives promise of becoming a brilliant orator."
After his admission to the Bar, Mr. Gephart
became a partner of his preceptor, Gen. Beaver,
which partnership continued until in November,
1893, when he retired in order to give his entire

time to the Valentine Iron Company, with which
he was connected from January 1, 1891, to No
vember 1, 1895, and the new Central Railroad of
Pennsylvania, of which he had been made the
general superintendent. Ten years after his ad
mission to the Bar the press said : ' ' The distin
guished law firm of Beaver & Gephart has added
a new man to its membership in the person of
John M. Dale, one of its former students. Up
to 1873 the firm was McAllister & Beaver, and
was continued under that name until January 7
1877, when J. W. Gephart, son of Hon. J. P.
Gephart, was taken into partnership. Just ten
years later the firm became as above stated.
The new member of the firm is a graduate of the
State College, and about a year ago was admitted
as a practitioner to the several courts of Clinton
and Centre counties. Since then he has spent
the major portion of his time in the office of
Beaver & Gephart, with whom he read law. He
is a young man of excellent qualities, and is well
prepared for the profession upon which he so
conspicuously entered. Both sides are to be
congratulated — the firm in securing so able a
young man, and the new member in becoming
associated with so popular a firm. Mr. Gephart,
a graduate from Princeton, made a right record
during the first ten years. " This firm enjoyed
an extensive practice, and owing to the senior
member's absence much of the time in his rela
tions to the public affairs of the' Commonwealth,
a great deal of work fell upon the junior mem
bers, who, however, always proved themselves
equal to the task. Mr. Gephart has ever had the
reputation of a close student, and is an indefati
gable worker, and whatever he has taken hold of
moved. Through the inspiration that his youth,
energy, and ability gave to one of the languishing
industries of Bellefonte, it became a success, and
he is the president of the company. He is a suc
cessful man. He stood deservedly high at the
Bar, both as a counselor and as an advocate.
He is an eloquent and forcible speaker. He has
always been found on the side of right on all
questions, and in all movements tending to the
elevation of mankind. His influence has been
felt in the cause of temperance, and for years he
has been an active worker in the Presbyterian
Church, and the superintendent of its Sabbath-
school. Being a man of letters, and possessing
the qualities of a leader, capable and willing, he
adorns citizenship.
In 1888 Mr. Gephart supported Harrison for
President. He had been educated a Democrat.
Commenting on a letter he had written express^
ing his views on the tariff question, and in justifi
cation of his intention of voting with the Repub-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

459

licans, the press said: "Never was so power
ful a political bomb thrown into the Democratic
camp of Centre county, as the able letter written
by J. W. Gephart, Esq., and published in last
week's issue of the Gazette. Everybody has
read the letter — Protectionists, irrespective of
politics, heartily endorse it, and Cleveland Free-
trade Democrats are unable to refute or explain
any part of it. They are simply dumbfounded,
and know not where to look for relief. No one
ventures to express the_ least doubt about Mr.
Gephart's Democracy, for everybody knows that
he has always stood by the Democrats through
thick and thin. No one can raise the cry of dis
gruntled politician, for Mr. Gephart has never
sought any office either large or small. No one
can say aught against his professional or business
qualifications, for he stands far above reproach
in any capacity or department you choose to
take him. So then Mr. Gephart cannot be at
tacked personally, politically or professionally.
What are the Freetraders going to do about it ?
Inquiries have been received by mail, telegraph
and personally for copies of the Gazette, contain
ing the letter. A large number of extra copies
of this week's issue were run off, and yet they
were all gone before night of Friday last. ' A
large addition of Gazette supplements containing
the Gephart letter is now in print."
In October, 1879, Mr. Gephart was married
to Miss Ella Hayes, and the Watchman remarked
on the occasion: "He is, beside being a lawyer
and a capable one, an accomplished printer, hav
ing learned his trade in the Watchman office,
and to a great extent secured his college educa
tion by working at the business in Princeton, N.
J. His bride is the accomplished Miss Ella
Hayes (daughter of W. W. Hayes, Esq., for
merly of this place, but now of Washington, D.
C), who almost since her childhood has been an
inmate of the family of W. P. Wilson, deceased,
on High street, a modest, excellent girl, with a
fair share of personal attractions, who will make
'Wes' a faithful, good and loving wife. The
marriage took place in the church, being solem
nized by Rev. Mr. Laurie, in the presence of a
dense congregation of people. The bridal pair
were attended by six ushers, and as they ad
vanced up the aisle they were greeted by looks
of eager anticipation and delight — so susceptible
are the multitude to the charms of.a nuptial cere
mony. Excellent music was rendered, and the
floral decorations of the church were admirable.
After the performance of the marriage rite the
happy pair returned to the residence of Mr. Wil
son, where they viewed the handsome gifts pre
sented to them, among which were $140 silver

service as a compliment from the members of
the Bar, and $150 in pure gold."
The children of this marriage are: Wallace,
Wilson and Elizabeth. Mrs. Mary M. Gephart,
the mother of our subject, was the granddaugh
ter of George Swartz (I), who built one of the
first sawmills on Elk creek in Penn township.
He was a leading member of the Evangelical
Church, and of his eleven children, George was
the father of Mrs. Gephart. The latter's death
occurred on December 14, 1874. "She was a
quiet, unpretentious, good woman, with a heart
overflowing with kindness and sympathy toward
every one, and with a hand always ready to as
sist and comfort in every time of distress. As a
neighbor none could be better, and the families
who lived near her all bear testimony to the ex
ceeding loveliness of her character. Her nature
was all womanly, tender, charitable, forbearing
and sympathetic. She won the love and the es
teem of all with whom she was thrown in con
tact. It was her own family, however, where
her worth was best known and appreciated, and
there will her loss be most grievously felt. It was
her hand that managed, her eye that saw, her
heart that felt for each member of that little cir
cle. The father, the son and the daughter all
drew their comfort from her. For them the
fires were bright, the room cheerful, the table
invitingly spread. For them there was peace
and quietness and domesticity in every depart
ment, and no happier family ever assembled
around the hearthstone. She was the wife and
mother in the fullest sense of those significant
and tender words, and in her intercourse with her'
family she was careful to order her walk and con
versation in accordance with the injunction of the
law of her God and Master. She had been a
member of the M. E. Church from her child
hood."

/GEORGE REIBER is prominently identified
%3& with the agricultural interests of Potter
township, Centre county. He has achieved suc
cess by his own unaided exertions, and is, in
fact, a self-made man, starting out in life with
nothing but youth in his favor, and his endow
ments of fine health, a vigorous muscle and a
clear,- cool brain. After all, a man possessing
these need fear nothing; with a determination to
succeed, success is his almost from the start, al
though it may be that years of patient waiting
and hard toil are necessary before his endeavors
are crowned with the full measure of success.
At Sinking Springs, Berks Co., Penn., Mr.
Reiber was born February 15, 1830, a son of

460

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Jacob and Mary (Flisher) Reiber, who, with their
four children, came to Centre county, in 1836,
locating near Tusseyville. They drove the en
tire distance from Butler, Penn. , whither they
had removed from Berks county; but being dis
satisfied with the locality, they came to Centre
county, where the father first rented land and
worked at his trade of blacksmithing. Later he
bought a farm of Potter Brothers, with whom he
had deposited $1,000, which amount was ap
plied on his place just before the failure of that
well-known firm. There he continued to reside
until his death, which occurred when he was
over sixty years old. His wife was about the
same age when she, too, was called to her final
rest, and they now sleep side by side in the Tus
seyville cemetery. They were earnest and con
sistent members of the Lutheran Church, in which
the father had held office, and in politics he was
a Democrat. Their family consisted of four
children: Elizabeth, now Mrs. Adam Stemm,
of Berrien county, Mich.; George; John, a tin
ner of St. Jo. , Mich. ; and William, a retired
physician of Berrien Springs, in the same State.
Until the free schools were established the
educational privileges of our subject were limited,
but in the common schools he obtained a fair
literary training, his first teacher being James
Powley. At the age of thirteen, however, he
laid aside his text books and learned the black
smith's trade in his father's shop, where he contin
ued to work until the age of twenty-four years.
He was then married in Potter township to -Miss
Esther Mayer, a native of that township, and a
daughter of Jacob and Julia A. (Trion) Mayer.
By trade her father was a tanner, and for many
years followed that business near Colyer. Mr.
and Mrs. Reiber have a son, William, born in
Potter township, Decemhbr 25, 1854. He was
educated in the district schools, and has always
remained at home. Being very handy with all
sorts of tools, he does all kinds of repairing of
watches, clocks and jewelry, and in 1896 he built
an excellent home and workshop near Colyer.
In 1879 he was married in Potter township, to
Miss Mary E. , daughter of Conrad Decker, and
they have three children — William A. , Clara and
Blanche — all at home.
After his marriage, Mr. Reiber, the subject
of this sketch, rented a house near his father-in-
law's tannery, where he worked for some time,
and later owned an interest in the business, which
he continued to follow for about sixteen years,
when he sold out to Mr. Mayer. In 1874 he
bought from the Peter McMinn estate his present
farm of 112 acres, at $60 per acre, but the
buildings were all poor, and those now standing

on the place have been erected by our subject
His first real estate consisted of a half interest in
the Red Mill property in Potter township. In
1894 he also purchased the old Slack homestead
of 100 acres.
In politics, Mr. Reiber is a strong Democrat
which party his son also supports. In religious
belief he is a Lutheran, has been a liberal con
tributor to the Church, and has served as deacon
and in other official positions. By hard work
and unrelenting toil he has accumulated a very
comfortable competence, and his success is all
the more creditable, knowing that he has been
handicapped by the lack of a good education.
His reputation for integrity, fair and honorable
dealing and justice in all things has gained him
the confidence and good will of all who know
him. His faithful wife died in January, 1887,
and was laid to rest in the Tusseyville cemetery.

BENJAMIN F. BECK. The fine farm be
longing to our subject in Walker township,
Centre county, is conspicuous for the manner in
which it has been improved and cultivated, and
is evidently the homestead of one of the most en
terprising men of the community. The build
ings are of a neat and substantial character, the
fields are well tilled, and in fact the whole place
betokens the thrift and energy of a progressive
farmer. He was born October 20, 1841, in
Walker township, only a few rods from his pres
ent residence, which is pleasantly situated in
Snydertown, and his parents, Henry and Ann
Eliza (Furst) Beck, were also natives of Centre
county. His paternal grandfather, John Beck,
was born in Northampton county, Penn., but
shortly after his marriage with Miss Snyder,
came to Centre county, where his descendants
still live.
To the parents of our subject were born six
children — three sons and three daughters — name
ly: (1) Lydia married Adam Decker, a promi
nent farmer of Walker township, living near
Snydertown, and they reared a family of nine
children, some of whom are now married and
have families of their own; she departed this life
in 1 890, and was buried in the Hublersburg ceme
tery. (2) Benjamin F. is the next in order of
birth. (3) Amanda J. is the wife of Frederick
Schenck, a farmer of Bald Eagle Valley, Centre
county, and they have two children. (4) Char
lotte E. is the wife of William Decker, a leading
farmer of Walker township, residing near Hub
lersburg, and they have two children — a son and
daughter. (5) Martin L. , a wealthy farmer,
making his home near Snydertown, Walker town-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

461

ship, married Agnes A. Beck, daughter of Joseph
Beck, of Shelby county, 111. (6) William H.,
a blacksmith by trade, married Clara Singer,
daughter of Conrad Singer, of Centre county,
and they have one daughter.
In the common schools of his native county,
Mr. Beck, the subject proper of this sketch, ob
tained his education, and he remained upon the
' home farm, assisting in its care and cultivation
until his marriage to Miss Henrietta Eggers, a
daughter of Louis Gustavus Eggers, who was
born in Germany, whence when a lad of ten
years he came to the New World. He became
a Lutheran minister, his first charge being the
church at Snydertown, Centre county, and he
died in 1883, at Palmyra, this State, in the cem
etery of which place he was laid to rest. Mrs.
Beck, an excellent lady, was born May 25, 1840.
By her marriage to our subject she has three
children: Lydia J., born October 29, 1870;
Emma J., born February 23, 1876; and Louis
H., born April 12, 1878. The family is an in
telligent and cultured one, and the young ladies
are beautiful and accomplished, holding a prom
inent position in the social circles of the com
munity. Coming of an old Democratic family, Mr.
Beck has always given his allegiance to that
party, believing that through it can be secured
the best form of government. With his family
he holds membership in the Lutheran Church.
As a man he is looked upon by the community
as one whom they can trust, ' ' who breaks no
promise, serves no private end; who gains no
office, but who has lost no friend."

ISRAEL CORL, a stalwart and sturdy repre-
_ sentative of the noble yeomanry who make
up the agricultural population of Centre county,
is a resident of Ferguson township. He is a
native of the county, born in Haines township,
in 1835, a son of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Vo
nada) Corl, who were natives of Chester and
Centre counties, Penn., respectively. From
Chester county, the father removed to Union
county, and when still a young man came -to Cen
tre county. For twenty years he followed the
blacksmith's trade, but the remainder of his life
was passed in farming.
In the public schools Israel Corl acquired a
fair education, and upon the home farm became
familiar with the duties that fall to the lot of the
agriculturist. In March, i860, he was united
in marriage with Miss Harriet McBath, a daugh
ter of William and Lucinda (Coble) McBath, of
Centre county. Of the ten children who were

born of this union the first died in infancy; Will
iam R. died at the age of nine months; George
E., a resident of Struble Station, Centre coun
ty, married Anna Lytle, and has four children;
Elizabeth is the wife of Scott Meese, of State
College, Centre county; John C. , a resident of
State College, married Emma Corn; Elmer S.
is married, and lives in Ferguson township; Ben
jamin F. wedded Mary Yarnell, a daughter of
H. B. Yarnell; and Susie V.. Charles W., Mabel
E. and Annie are still at home.
On the death of his father, Mr. Corl came
into possession of his present farm, but he has
made his home thereon since 1861. It is a tract
of thirty-eight acres of rich and arable land,
which he has placed under a high state of cultiva
tion, and improved with a comfortable residence
and neat and substantial outbuildings. It is con
veniently located within a mile of State College.
Mr. Corl is a charter member of Washington
Grange No. 157, and holds membership in the
Reformed Church. He takes quite an active in
terest in political affairs, voting with and sup
porting the principles of the Democratic party,
although not desirous of surrendering the quiet
of home life for the perplexities and turmoil of
political office. He is also an advocate of free
silver, and is ranked as a man of ability and en
terprise, on account of which he holds a good
position among the people of Ferguson town
ship.

S\ MITCHELL BECHDEL, a retired farmer
') residing in Eagleville, Centre county, is
worthy of the highest respect, and enjoys the es
teem of the entire community, in which he la
bors to bring about every enterprise that is cal
culated to elevate mankind and advance the
welfare of the county. Here he has always
made his home, having been born in Liberty
township, December 7, 1849, and he is a worthy
representative of one of its honored pioneer
families. John and Sarah E. (De Long) Bechdel, par
ents of our subject, were also natives of Liberty
township, Centre county, the former born Sep
tember 6, 1806, the latter on July 17, 18 14, and
there they continued to make their home until
called to the world beyond. The father died in
1870 at the age of sixty-four years, while the
mother was seventy-three years of age at the
time of her death. By occupation he was a
farmer, and he was called upon to serve in sev
eral local offices, including those of tax collector
and supervisor. He used his right of franchise
in support of the Republican party, and faithfully

462

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

performed every duty of citizenship. In the
Disciple Church he and his estimable wife held
membership, and by all who knew them were
held in the highest regard for their sterling'worth
and many excellent traits of character. On Oc
tober 23, 1836, they were married, and their
union was blessed with children as follows:
David, born August 12, 1837, died on the 28th
of the same month; Susannah H., born August
25, 1838, is the wife of Joseph Wagner, a lum
berman, of Eagleville; Frances S., born July 17,
1840, is the wife of William Kunes, of Eagle
ville; Margaret J., born December 2, 1841, is
the wife of Samuel Spangler, of the same place;
Sarah E., born May 1, 1843, is the wife of Dan
iel Kunes, a farmer of Liberty township; Mary
A., born November 21, 1844, is the deceased
wife of Joseph Pletcher, a lumberman of Eagle
ville; Lydia E. , born April 1, 1846, died July
13, 185 1 ; John A., born February 21, 1848, died
in 1889; and S. Mitchell, our subject, completes
the family.
In 1 87 1, in connection with his brother John,
Mr. Bechdel, the subject proper of this sketch,
purchased the interests of the other heirs in the
old homestead farm, which they operated to
gether until John's death, when our subject came
to Eagleville, and has since made his home with
his brother-in-law, Joseph Pletcher. He is one
of the honored and valued citizens of the com
munity, with whose interests he has ever been
actively identified.
John Bechdel married Miss Susan H. Wag
ner, and they became the parents of ten children:
John I., now a resident of Du Bois, Penn.; David
M., who occupies a position as cook in Eagle
ville; Sarah F., who died at the age of nine
years; Franklin M., who died in infancy; Mary
B., at home; Almeda, wife of Silas Weaver, a
cigarmaker of Du Bois; James, a cook, who re
sides at home; Harvey, of Eagleville, who mar
ried Annie Canar; George, at home; and Joseph,
who died at the age of nine years.

'\LIAS E. SMITH, who materially assists in

'4 maintaining the reputation of Centre county
as a first-class farming region, is carrying on his
chosen occupation in Penn township. On Feb
ruary 22, 1848, he was born in Limestone town
ship, Clarion Co., Penn., a son of Joseph W.
and Mary (Armagast) Smith, who were natives
of Union county, Penn., but were married in
Clarion county. The birth of the father occurred
in 1 82 1, and when a young man he went to the
latter county, where he followed his trade of
shoemaking until 1861, when he removed to

Stephenson county, 111. There he operated
rented land for ten years, and then migrated to
Butler county, Neb., Where he " homesteaded "
160 acres of raw land, on which he died at the
age of fifty-two years ; his wife died at the age
of forty-six, and both were buried in Nebraska.
He took quite an active interest in politics, al
ways supporting the principles of the Democratic
party by his ballot, and was called upon to fill a
number of township offices.
To the parents of our subject were born the
following children: Catharine E. , now the wife
of Jacob Balliet, of Butler county, Neb.; Elias
E., of this sketch; Jacob P., who died in child7
hood; Rachel, wife of William Woods, of Seward
county, Neb.; George W., John C. and D. J.,
all of Butler county, that State; Mary, living in
Polk county. Neb. ; Mrs. Margaret Ruth, of But
ler county; Daniel, a farmer in the West; Fred
erick, of Butler county; a daughter that died in
infancy; and Sarah, wife of Edward Maize, of
Butler county, Nebraska.
At the age of seven years our subject went to
live with a neighboring farmer, where he re
mained for eight years, or until his parents re
moved to Stephenson county, 111., when he ac
companied them. Up to this time he had at
tended school in Clarion county, and as he
learned rapidly, acquired a fair education. In
Illinois he began working by the month, receiv
ing for the first year $20 per month, and for the
five subsequent years, $25 per month, In con
nection with general farming he operated a
thresher for his employer, and later purchased an
outfit and engaged in threshing on his own ac
count until the removal of the family to Ne
braska. After eleven months spent in that State
he returned to Illinois, where he remained until
the fall of 1873. Coming to Centre county,
Penn. , Mr. Smith visited the widow of his uncle;
Jacob Smith, of Penn township, who had re
cently died, and as she had no children of her
own, was persuaded to remain and look after her
farm. Two years later she became quite help
less, and for almost six years required constant
attention. At her death our subject came into
possession of the property.
In Penn township, Centre county, June 1.2,
1877, Mr. Smith was married to Miss Mary, a
daughter of Francis and Anna (Koons) Smith,
and who is a native of that township. They
now have a good farm of fifty acres in Penn
township, and another tract of 120 acres in Gregg
township, Centre county. She is a most estima
ble woman, and a sincere member of the United
Evangelical Church. Mr. Smith manifests a
keen interest in the success of the Democratic

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

463

party with which he has always voted, and on
completing his present term will have served for
ten years as justice of the peace in his township.
He "is industrious, energetic and progressive in
his nature, and is highly esteemed and respected
by all who know him.

JOSEPH H. DAVIDSON. Among the in
fluential and wealthy citizens and progress
ive farmers of Union township, Centre
county, the subject of this sketch occupies an
honorable position. His beautiful farm of 140
acres, which he purchased in 1881, is located on
the Bellefonte road, in Bald Eagle Valley, and
is one of the most highly productive and desira
ble places in the locality.
Our subject was born at Buffalo Run, Centre
county, June 11, 1842, and is a son of Alexan
der and Sarah (Hicks) Davidson, also natives of
Centre county, where they spent their entire
lives, and the father engaged in farming. He
died in March, 1873, at the age of seventy-six
years, and the mother passed away in 1857.
Both were worthy members of the Advent
Church, and in politics he was a Republican.
Eight children blessed their union: Martha,
wife of W. Irwin, a farmer of Union township;
Mary, who died in infancy; Hannah, widow of
Harris Way, of Union township; Eliza, wife of
William Taylor, of Centre county; Joseph H, of
this review; James, a leading agriculturist of
Centre county; Amanda, wife of Reuben T.
Comly, of Union township; and one who died in
infancy. After the death of his first wife, the
father wedded Mrs. Mary (Walker) Watson, and
to them were born three children: Michael, a
butcher of Philipsburg, Penn.; Grant, a farmer of
Centre county; and Ida, wife of William Brower,
a farmer of Union township. The paternal
grandfather of our subject, Joseph Davidson,
throughout life engaged in farming in Centre
county, where he died at a ripe old age.
Mr. Davidson, the subject of this sketch, re
mained updn the home farm until his father's
second marriage, when at the age of sixteen
years he started out in the world to seek his own
livelihood. He had previously acquired a fair
education in the public schools of the county,
and became familiar with agricultural pursuits,
under his father's able direction. On leaving
home he worked on different farms during the
summer months, while his winters were spent in
attending school. Subsequently he operated
rented land until 1881, when he purchased the
interest of the other heirs in the old homestead,
and has since resided there, giving his time and

attention to its cultivation and improvement with
most gratifying results.
In February, 1861, Mr. Davidson wedded
Miss Lucy A. Hoover, who was born February
5, 1844, on the farm where she now resides, and
is a daughter of Joseph and Rebecca (Orvill)
Hoover, who spent their entire lives in Centre
county. Her parents were both consistent mem
bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and
her father gave his political support to the Re
publican party. He died in 1863, at the age of
forty-five years, and his wife departed this life in
1 88 1, at the age of fifty-seven. In their family
were the following children: Mary E., now of
Altoona, Penn., widow of Col. John H. Stover,
a lawyer by profession; Lucy A., wife of our sub
ject; Helen, wife of Rev. R. H. Colburn, a Meth
odist Episcopal minister of Williamsport, Penn. ;
Willis, a merchant of Altoona; Adeline, wife of
Harris Stover, an attorney of Altoona; and Ar
nold P., manager of the Northern Pacific rail
road office at St. Paul, Minn. The paternal
grandfather of Mrs Davidson, John Hoover, was
a large land owner of Centre county, where his
death occurred.
Ten children graced the union of our subject
and his estimable wife: James, a farmer of
Centre county; Blanche, wife of William Flick,
a farmer of Unionville, Penn. ; Ella, who died
when young; and Bertha L. , Sarah R., Ina,
Mary L. , Willis P., Adeline A. and Helen C. ,
with their parents. The children have all been
provided with excellent educational advantages,
several of them attending college, and the family
is one of the most intellectual and prominent in
the community. (Socially, Mr. Davidson is a
member of the Grange at Unionville, and po
litically is a Free-silver Democrat. He has most
acceptably served as school director three years
and road supervisor for two terms. His genial,
social manner has gained him a host of friends,
and his sterling worth and strict integrity com
mend him to the confidence and respect of all.
He is one of the most energetic, enterprising and
successful agriculturists of Union township, and
has a high reputation in business circles as a
man of sound judgment and excellent business
qualifications.ISAAC THOMAS. Prominent among the pros
perous and progressive residents of the charm
ing city of Bellefonte, Centre county, is the sub
ject of this sketch. He is, moreover, a native of
the place, having been born there April 17, 1837,
and throughout his life has been identified with
its interests.William A. Thomas, his father, was the

464

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

youngest son of the fourth Richard Thomas, hav
ing descended fr6m Richard Thomas, of Whit-
ford Garden, Flintshire, North Wales, who in
1661 purchased a grant or lpcation of five thou
sand acres in Clinton Valley, came to America
in William Penn's first migration, and came to the
present site of Philadelphia, with an only son,
Richard, and died there in 1683. Richard, the
son, being only eleven years of age, and the es
tate passing into trustees, the grant was never
all located; however, one portion, some 600
acres, embraced a part of what is now the county
seat — WestChester. The son returned to Wales,
where he married Grace Atherton, an English
maiden, and in a short time again came to Amer
ica and settled (in 171 1) in the Great Valley on
one of his places called Calamornshirk, in West
Whiteland township, where he died in 1744.
He left several children, and among them a son
Richard, who married Phoebe Ashbridge, one of
whose sons was Richard, the fourth in line. He
was born in 1744, and married Thomazine Down
ing, of Downingtown; they were the parents of
William A. The latter was born in Chester
county in 1795. In 1817 he came to Centre
county, and became identified with the several
Valentine Brothers who were operating iron works
here, having in 181 5, in connection with Jacob
Thomas, elder brother of William A., established
the business here. Mr. Thomas remained act
ively connected with the iron industry of Belle
fonte and vicinity, and throughout his life, which
closed December 4, 1866, "he was closely
identified with the Mill Hall Iron Works, with the
Howard Iron Works and with Willow Bank at
Bellefonte. He was variously connected with
the business interests of Centre county, actively
concerned in advancing its material prosperity
by public improvements — turnpikes, canals, rail
roads — and in the development of the bituminous
coal region. As a business man, he had no su
perior in ability and enterprise in central Penn
sylvania, and has left the impress of his ability
in the training he gave some of our most distin
guished business men."
In August, 1817, William A. Thomas was
married to Elizabeth Miller, who was born in
1793, and died June 16, 1879, and their children
were: Jacob V., who died in 1893, was a mer
chant and interested in the iron and glass indus
tries; William A. was captain of Company H,
49th P. V. I., in the Civil war, was engaged in
the iron business, and lost his life by accident,
falling into a mine in 1865; Isaac is our subject,
and is mentioned more fully below; Thomazine
died of typhoid fever when in her twenty-second
year; Marion and Richard died young.

The parents of these were devout members
of the Society of Friends. Isaac Thomas re
ceived a good practical education in youth, at
tending the Westtown Quaker school and, later
the schools in Westchester and in Kennett
Square. On completing his course of study he
sought the necessary experience and training for
business life, and for a time clerked in a hard
ware store. In early manhood he engaged in the
glass business with Jacob V. Thomas, and con
tinued about two years. During the Civil war
Mr. Thomas proved his patriotism by being one
of the first to go to the defense of the Union.
He enlisted in Company H, 2d P. V. I., and at
the end of his term of three months he re-
enlisted in the famous 49th P. V. I., and took
part in the battle of Falling Waters. In his
political sympathies he is a Republican, and he is
a member of the Society of Friends. Frater
nally he is connected with the I. O. O. F. En
campment at Bellefonte.
In October, 1872, our subject and Miss Maria
J. Reed, a native of Huntingdon county, Penn.,
were united in marriage, and to this union eight
children were born. Lidie is at home; Thomazine
died at an early age, of diphtheria; Debbie also
passed away in childhood; and the others — Will,
Isaac, Joseph, Arthur and Lulu — still remain to
brighten the home.

PROF. GEORGE C. BUTZ, M. S., assistant
professor of Horticulture at Pennsylvania
State College, and horticulturist at the Experi
ment Station, is a young man of marked ability,
already known as an expert in his branch of
science. The trend of his genius may be attrib
uted to hereditary influences, as his father, the
late Paul Butz, a native of Basel, Switzerland,
was distinguished for his skill as a florist and
horticulturist as well as for fine artistic taste in
landscape gardening.
Paul Butz was born April 25, 1821, and
came to America at the age of thirty, locating at
New Castle, Penn., where his death occurred
April 5, 1894. The extensive nurseries which
he established there are still conducted by his
sons. His trade in trees of all kinds, and in
other departments of the nursery business, was
very large, bulbs and plants from the garden be
ing sent to all parts of the United States and
Canada. Many wealthy men of refined teste
availed themselves of his practical advice in the
arrangement of their grounds, the estate of Gov.
l\>d, at Youngstown, Ohio, being one among those
which were beautified according to his designs.
The Professor's mother, whose maiden name was

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

465

Margaret Wiegand, was born in Wurtemburg,
Germany, November 1 1 , 1 8 3 1 , and at the age of ten
crossed the Atlantic with her parents, who set-
tied at Allegheny, Penn. Her father, a cabinet
maker by trade, was killed by accident soon
after his arrival; her mother died in 1883 at the
advanced age of eighty-three. Mrs. Butz is still
living at the old home in New Castle. Of four
teen children, two died in infancy; the others
are: William Tell, who succeeded his father in
business, and with another brother now conducts
the Croton Gardens at New Castle; John M., a
trusted employee of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Co., stationed at Lawrence Junction, Ashtabula
division; Caroline, who is at home; Emma and
Mary A. (twins), both at home, the former being
a successful .teacher in the schools there; Frank
P., now associated with his brother William in
the nursery business; George C, the subject of
this sketch; Maggie E., a graduate of New Castle
High School, at present teaching in the primary
department of the public schools of that town;
Effie, a graduate of Edinburg Normal School,
and a teacher in the New Castle schools; Albert
E., who was graduated from Curry University at
Pittsburg, and is now employed in that city as a
mechanical draughtsman; Rosa S. , a high school
graduate, now stenographer for the Mercantile
Bank at Pittsburg; and Harry E., a student at
Western University, Allegheny.
Prof. George C. Butz was born February 1,
1863, and was reared at the old home in New
Castle, preparing for college, in the high school
there. In 1880 he entered the sophomore class
at State College, taking the general scientific
course, and graduating in 1883. In 1884-85 he
taught in the Preparatory Department, pursuing
at the same time a post-graduate course in bot
any and zoology, and he then started upon an
extensive tour for the purpose of studying the
flora of the United States. A year was spent in
Southern California, and during this time he did
some excellent work in landscape gardening,
with which he had been familiar from boyhood,
laying out one estate of 1600 acres, and making
artistic use of flowers, ornamental trees and
shrubs, fruit trees, olives and other means of
adornment, natural and artifical. On his return
to Pennsylvania, in July, 1887, he accepted the
position of horticulturist at the Experiment Sta
tion. In 1894 he was appointed assistant pro
fessor of horticulture in the Pennsylvania State
College. In 1888 his Alma Mater conferred upon
him the well-merited degree of Master of Science.
In 1892 Prof. Butz was married to Miss
Emma Robinson, a native of Centre county —
born at Hecla Furnace, February 18, 1866.
30

They have two children, Gerald R. and Charles
A. The Professor and his wife are members of
the Presbyterian Church, in which he is an elder.
As a citizen he takes generous interest in all the
movements of the time, and in political faith is
a Democrat. The town of State College was
organized into a borough August 29, 1896, at
which time our subject was elected a member of
the council and president of the same. In the
spring of 1897 he was re-elected to that position,
although the town is strongly Republican.

E

EDWARD L. POWERS, of Bellefonte, is

the proprietor of the oldest boot and shoe
store in Centre county. It was established twen
ty-six years ago by his father, the late John
Powers, in the days when every shop was a little
factory, and although the conditions of the
trade have changed greatly the business has been
adapted to them.
John Powers, whose death occurred May 30,
1896, was born in Kilkenny, Ireland. An ex
ceptionally bright and able man, well-informed
through his constant reading of the best litera
ture of the day, he was extremely popular among
all classes, and was twice elected mayor of Belle
fonte, on the Democratic ticket. His energy
and "nerve" in business brought him to the
front in his line of work also, and he shipped his
boots and shoes to all parts of the country, in
cluding California. Socially, he was a member
of the I. O. O. F. After coming to this coun
try he met and married Miss Nancy Kearns, a
Roman Catholic lady of Irish parentage, but
born probably in America. Of their four chil
dren, the subject of this sketch was the first in
order of birth. (2) Kate, the wife of ex-sheriff
Walker, resides in Lamb street, Bellefonte; (3)
Mary (deceased), married William Brockville, and
(4) John served an apprenticeship of three years
in the jewelry business, but concluded to follow
the ancestral occupation, and is now the mana
ger of a shoe store at Lebanon, Pennsylvania.
E. L. Powers, our subject, is a native of
Bellefonte, born June 18, 1857, and has been a
resident of the place all his life. His education
was begun in the parochial schools, continued in
the public schools and Bellefonte Academy, and
he entered upon his business career with a goodly
fund of practical knowledge, being especially ex
pert as a bookkeeper. In 1875 he became a
partner in his father's business, having previously
spent three years on the bench, learning the de
tails of the work. In 1886 he purchased his fa
ther's interest, and has since conducted the es
tablishment alone. Genial and polished in man-

466

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ner, he is successful in dealing with the public,
while his judicious yet enterprising management,
has kept the business in a satisfactory state.
In 1884 Mr. Powers wedded Miss Lizzie Key-
ser, who was born in New York State in 1857,
and passed her early life there. Two daughters,
Ada and Pearl, brighten their home. The suc-
ful prosecution of his business has demanded
close attention, but Mr. Powers finds time to per
form the duties which good citizenship requires,
and takes much interest in political questions as
an ardent believer in Democratic doctrines. He
is a member of the Knights of the Golden Eagle.

DANIEL IRVIN JOHNSON, one of the most
thorough and skillful farmers of Ferguson
township, is a native of Centre county, born July
19, 1838, in Walker township. His parents,
Jonathan C. and Sarah (Coldron) Johnson, were
natives of Union and Northumberland counties,
Penn., respectively, the former being of Scotch
and the latter of German lineage. It was some
time in the "twenties" when they came to
Centre county, where they first took up their
residence upon the Curtin farm, about a mile be
low Bellefonte, where they continued to make
their home some ten years. Finally they re
moved to Walker township, where they spent
the remainder of their lives. The paternal
grandfather of our subject, Christopher Johnson,
held a captain's commission in the Continental
army under Gen. Washington, during the Revo
lutionary war, and in the early days was very
friendly with the Indians, often feeding them.
Our subject is the youngest in a family of
nine children, in order of birth as follows: (1)
Josiah married, and reared a family, but his wife
is now deceased; he has met with a terrible mis
fortune in the loss of his sight, being blind for
the past ten years; he now lives in Walker town
ship with his son Claude. , (2) William E., a
carpenter of Des Moines, Iowa, is married and
has reared a family. (3) Maria wedded Levi
Dixon, but both are now deceased; they had two
daughters. (4) Jonathan C. is living with his
family in Lock Haven, Penn., where he is en
gaged in carpentering. (5) Peter C. is married,
and is engaged in the coal business in Milton,
this State. (6) Sarah J. died when young. (7)
Joel H, whose wife has been helpless from
paralysis for the past five years, has a family of
nine children. (8) Emily is the widow of Am
brose McMullen, and the mother of three chil
dren. (9) Daniel I. is our subject.
In the usual manner of farmer boys, Daniel
I. Johnson was reared and educated. During

the Civil war he was drafted, but was exempt as
he was the only support of his father. For the
past seven years he has resided upon his present
farm, a valuable tract of 323 acres in Ferguson
township, a mile and a half west of State Col
lege. After renting for about three years he pur
chased the place in 1892. It evinces, both in
its culture and in the good and substantial build
ings erected upon it, the diligence and thrift of
the owner, and prosperity seems to await upon
his steps. Being endowed with a remarkable
amount of energetic spirit and good business
tact, he has since coming here succeeded in
achieving a fair amount of success. In 1865 he
married Miss Catharine Rebecca Brumgard, and
to them have been born six children, all sons,
and the family circle yet remains unbroken by
the hand of death. They are as follows: Austin
L., a resident of Axemann, Centre county, mar
ried a Miss Steele, and has four children; Cyrus
M., a farmer of Ferguson township, wedded
Marian Miller, and has two children; William E.,
of Ferguson township, wedded Mary Wilson, and
has two children; and Joseph N., Olin A. and
Emery C. are still at home.
Mr. Johnson is highly esteemed in the com
munity as an honorable, upright and trustworthy
man, true to every trust reposed in him whether
public or private. He uses his right of franchise
in support of the men and measures of the Demo
cratic party, socially is connected with the Grange,
and in religious belief is a Lutheran. He is a
man of much force of character, strong individu
ality, and his pleasant, social manner has won
for him a host of warm friends, whom he delights
to entertain at his beautiful home.

ENRY F. KESSINGER is one of the most
energetic, enterprising and prosperous citi
zens of Liberty township, Centre county. Not
on the plains of affluence did he start out on
life's journey, but in the valley of limited cir
cumstances with the rough and rugged path of
hard undertaking before him. He started on the
ascent, worked his way steadily upward, climb
ing higher and higher until he stands on the
mountain top of prosperity.
Mr. Kessinger was born at Queen's Run, Clin
ton county, Penn., May 3, 1856, a son of Jeffer
son and Fannie (Nestlerod) Kessinger, who were
natives of Salona, Clinton county, and in that
county their deaths occurred, the former being
killed in a sawmill May 24, 1856, when our sub
ject was only three weeks old, and the latter
dying in 1857, at the age of twenty-eight years.
In their family were three children: William F.,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

467

a farmer and stone mason of Salona, Clinton
county; Amanda, who died when quite young, of
whooping cough; and Henry F., of this review.
The paternal grandparents, Hunsecker Kessinger
and wife, were pioneers of Clinton county, where
they spent the remainder of their lives. Daniel
and Margaret (Frey) Nestlerod, the maternal
grandparents, were natives of Centre and Lan
caster counties, Penn. , respectively. Grandfather
Nestlerod died in Clinton county; his wife passed
away on the farm where our subject now resides.
After the death of his father, Henry F. Kes
singer was taken to the home of his maternal
grandmother, with whom he resided until her
death in 1882. During this time he worked for
her until two years prior to her death, when he
operated the farm on shares, and there continued
to reside until 1883, when the' place was sold,
and he purchased his present valuable farm,
which at that time was rented. Being a natural
mechanic, he then turned his attention to the
carpenter's and stone mason's trade, which he
successfully followed for four years, although he
had never served an apprenticeship to either.
On the expiration of that period he removed to
his farm, two years later erecting his handsome
brick residence, and he has made many other
valuable and useful improvements. In connec
tion with general farming he has also engaged in
the baling and shipping of hay and straw, sell
ing sixty-four carloads during the past season;
he also operates a steam cider press.
On January 1, 1874, in Clinton county, Mr.
Kessinger was married to Miss Annie Nestlerod,
who was born in Centre county in i860, a
daughter of Daniel and Frances (Schwartz)
Nestlerod. To this worthy couple have been
born five children: William F. , who assists his
father in his business; Maggie, wife of Charles
Ruppert, who is also connected with our subject
in business in Liberty township; Hugh C, at
home; Frank, who died May 15, 1896; and
Sadie E. , at home. They also have an adopted
son, Henry Kessinger, at this writing a lad of
fourteen years, who has found a pleasant home
with them since he was six months old. He is
an industrious, energetic boy, and prefers to be
called by the name of his foster parents.
Mr. Kessinger is a prominent member of the
Republican party, and takes a deep and com
mendable interest in public affairs, always sup
porting those measures which tend to, benefit the
community. He has grown wealthy, prosperous
and an honored citizen by the exercise of integ
rity, industry and intelligence. Although at the
time of his marriage his capital consisted of but
$5. through honorable, business methods, he has

succeeded in accumulating a handsome fortune,
to-day being worth between $20,000 and $30,000.
He is a courteous, pleasant gentleman, widely
and favorably known throughout the community,
and well deserves the high regard in which he is
universally held.

WILLIAM GROVE, Jr., is one of the reli
able and progressive farmers and repre
sentative men of Benner township, Centre
county. Through his earnest, persistent labors
his fine farm of 125 acres is in a high state of cult
ure and improved with excellent buildings, which
stand as monuments to his thrift and enterprise.
A native of Centre county, Mr. Grove was
born in Gregg township, July 28, 1840, a. son of
John and Louisa (Klinesmith) Grove. The
family has long been identified with the interests
of this section of the State. The maternal
grandfather of our subject was killed and scalped
by the Indians, in the Penn's Valley massacre of
1776. The father was born in Middleburg, Sny
der Co., Penn., of German lineage, and on com
ing to Centre county located in Harris township,
where he followed farming throughout life.
In 1 86 1 oursubject wedded Miss Sarah Neese,
a daughter of David and Sarah (Kerstetter)
Neese, who are also of German descent. Her
grandfather took up his residence in Penn's Val
ley in 1780. Seven children have been born to
Mr. and Mrs. Grove, as follows: Emanuel H.,
who is married, and is living in College township,
Centre county; Alice R., wife of Jacob Mayer, of
Spring township, Centre county; Susan, wife of
David Shearer, of Jefferson county, Penn.; Will
iam H., who is married and living in Penn town
ship, Centre county, on his grandfather's old
homestead; John F. ; Emma V., wife of Warren
Minnimire, of Bellefonte, Penn. ; and Anna H. ,
at home. In his political affiliation, Mr. Grove is an in
flexible adherent to the doctrines and principles
of the Democratic party, but has no aspirations
for popular preferment. He is a public-spirited,
enterprising man, and takes an active interest in
everything which seems to promise benefit to the
community. He enjoys the esteem and confi
dence of his neighbors, is a consistent member of
the Lutheran Church, and, fraternally,, is con
nected with the Grange.

W DAM H. VONADA, a prosperous agricult-
Jslt urist of Brush Valley, residing near Madi
sonburg, Centre cpunty, is an industrious, pro
gressive citizen, whose success has been won by

468

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

methods which have gained him the sincere re
spect of his community.
The Vonada family is too well known in this
section to need an introduction to our readers.
The first of this branch of the family to leave
the ancestral home in Germany was Philip Von
ada, our subject's great-grandfather, who settled
in Union county at an early day. Henry Von
ada, the grandfather of our subject, was born in
Berks county, Penn., and accompanied his par
ents to Union county, where he grew to man
hood. He was married in Centre county to Miss
Catherine Wallerbyer, a native of Lebanon
county, Penn., and settled in Penn's Valley, Cen
tre county, in the woods, with not even a log
cabin to shelter them at first, their household
goods being unloaded beneath a large tree. These
truly primitive arrangements did not last long,
however, and in due time the place was cleared
and transformed into an excellent farm. These
worthy pioneers reared a family of six children:
John, David, Philip, Henry, Adam and. Cathe
rine, none of whom are now living except Adam,
the father of our subject. John died in Illinois;
Catherine, who married John Hoss, died in Cen
tre county.Adam Vonada, now a highly esteemed resi
dent of Ziort, Centre county, was born in Haines
township, that county, February 17, 1819, and
in early manhood learned the tailor's trade,
which he followed until his marriage in 1844 to
Miss Lucy Rabenolt. He then engaged in farm
ing, in which he was unusually successful, ac
quiring a goodly competence. He was a man of
note in his community, and has always been a
stanch Democrat. With advancing years, the
strain of his former labors has told upon his
frame, rendering him quite feeble, but his estima
ble wife still enjoys good health, and is well pre
served for one of her years. Their children
were: Mary C. , wife of Emanuel Garlrick, a
farmer of Centre county; the twins, Adam H.,
our subject, and Benjamin F. , a farmer near
Jacksonville, Penn.; Harvey D., a farmer near
Hublersburg, Penn. ; Philip, an attorney, now
deceased; and William, a farmer of Walker
township, Centre county.
Our subject's mother was born in Lehigh
county, Penn., March 21, 1824, the daughter of
Solomon and Mary (Ocher) Rabenolt, and a
grandaughter of Michael Rabenolt, a farmer in
the same county. Both parents were natives of
Lehigh county, and they removed to this section
some years after their marriage, the mother dying
in Union county, and the father in Centre county.
They had eight children: Mrs. Vonada, Jona
than, William, David, Solomon, Sarah (who mar

ried George Kaufman, a farmer of Centre
county), Caroline and Christian. Of these but
three are living — Mrs. Vonada, Caroline, widow
of John Garthoff, residing in Coburn, Penn.
and Christian, who lives in Kansas.
The subject of our sketch was born August
30, 1850, in the Nittany Valley, at Zion, and re
mained at the old home until he attained his ma
jority. He received a common-school education,
and as the son of a busy farmer was plenti
fully supplied with work at all times, unless ill
ness excused him. On leaving home he found
employment as a farm hand. On September 10,
1875, he was married in Rebersburg, Penn., to
Miss Sarah J. Roush, a native of Gregg township,
Centre county, born September 3, 1852, and a
daughter of Benjamin Roush. The first year of
his married life was spent upon his father's farm,
and he then removed to a farm in Sugar Valley,
belonging to his father-in-law, where he remained
until the spring of 1882. The next six years-
were spent in Gregg township, Centre county, on
a place which was formerly occupied by John
Hoy, and in the spring of 1888 he settled upon
his present farm near Madisonburg, then known
as the old Smeltzer farm. He has made many
improvements upon the estate, especially in the
buildings, and in 1892 he erected a new barn of
modern style.
Four children brighten his home: Anna M.,
Katy, Mabel M. and Ella. Another daughter, Ada,
the fourth in order of birth, died in infancy. It is-
a matter of great regret to Mr. Vonada that he did
not have better educational opportunities, and he
has always been a strong advocate of better
schools. While residing in Sugar Valley he served
for some time as a school director. Politically his
sympathies are with the Democratic party, but he-
is not such a narrow partisan as to surrender his
individual judgment. Atpresentheholdsthe office
of overseer of the poor. He and his wife are
prominent members of the Reformed Church, in'
which he was deacon for nine years, and is now
an elder. He is also a leading worker in the
Grange, and was a charter member of Madison
Castle No. 360, at Madisonburg.

FETER CORL, one of the active and ener
getic farmers of Ferguson township, Centre
county, is the subject of this personal narrative.
Believing that ' ' from labor, health, from health,
contentment springs, " he has bent every energy
toward perfecting his agricultural projects, and
has proved himself eminently one of the best cit
izens of the community.
A native of Centre county, Mr. Corl was born

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

469

February 16, 1839, in Haines township, a son of
Benjamin and Elizabeth (Vonada) Corl. The
father was born in Chester county, Penn. , whence
he removed to Union county, and later came to
Centre county, where the mother was born. By
trade he was a blacksmith, which occupation he
followed for the first twenty years of his business
career, and then he turned his attention to farm
ing. The family was founded in America during
Colonial days, and ancestors of our subject
•served in the Revolution under Gen. Washing
ton. To Benjamin Corl and his wife were born
eight children, namely: Catharine is the wife of
Jacob L. Roup, a farmer of Ferguson township,
by whom she has five children. Samuel, an ag
riculturist, wedded Maria Strouse, and has eight
children. Benjamin first wedded Mary Neidigh,
by whom he had five children, and after her
death he married Catharine Roush. Israel, also
a farmer by occupation, married Harriet McBath, 4
and had ten children. Anna is the wife of Henry
Bloom, of Ferguson township, by whom she has
•eight children. Peter is next in order of birth.
Mary E. is the wife of Daniel Houser, living near
Centre Hall, Centre county, and they have two
children. William died in 1853, at the age of
¦ twenty-one years.
The educational privileges of Peter Corl were
such as the free schools of Pine Hall afforded.
He was married May 28, 1863, to Miss Barbara
Reish, daughter of Jacob Reish, of Union county,
Penn. Ten children — seven sons and three
daughters — have been born to them, as follows:
W. K. , a farmer by occupation, who married Et-
tie Garner; Jacob C. , of Centre county, who
married Elsie Kreps; Samuel I. and Peter M., at
home; Maria, who married a Mr. Kreps, by whom
she has one child; Daniel O. ; Elizabeth E. ; Al
vin K. ; Cora M., and James M.
During the Civil war Mr. Corl manifested his
loyalty by enlisting in the Union service; but as
his parents objected he remained at home. He
belongs to a good old Democratic family, and the
principles of that party he also supports. He is
an earnest Christian, holding membership with
the Reformed Church, and is a charter member
of the Grange in Centre county. He takes a
genuine interest in the enterprises set on foot for
the progress and welfare of his adopted county,
and does all in his power to secure their advance
ment.

DAVID NEESE, a prosperous and highly re
spected agriculturist of Penn township,
Centre county, residing near Penn Hall, is a de
scendant of a prominent pioneer family, one of

the few which still retain in their own possession
the lands entered by their ancestors over one
hundred years ago. The first of the line to settle
in Centre county was William Neese, the great
grandfather of our subject. He came from Ger
many before the Revolutionary war, and after a
short residence in Snyder county located per
manently in Penn township. His son Peter, our
subject's grandfather, served in Washington's
forces during that struggle, although at the time
he was but a boy in years. He married Chris
tina Hess, and had ten children, among whom
was a son, David, the father of our subject.
David Neese, Sr. , was born at the Neese
homestead about 1799, and became a successful
farmer and influential citizen. By his marriage
with Miss Susan Kerstetter, a member of another
pioneer family, he had twelve children: Eliza
beth, William, David, John (deceased), Jacob,
Samuel, Benjamin (deceased), Harriet, Sarah,
Rebecca, Emanuel, and Daniel, who died in
childhood. David Neese, our subject, was born March
28, 1828, in Penn township, Centre county, and
was seven years old when his parents acquired
the old homestead, a portion of which he now
owns. The schools of that time and locality
were not suited to the mental development of a
clever boy, and he deserved much better oppor
tunities, but he did not even have a chance to
improve fully those that he had, as in his time
the lack of machinery made farm work last longer
than now. When the harvest was finished at
the homestead, which was a large estate, the fa
ther would permit his boys to work for other
farmers and earn money for their own use,
although the wages were very small. The trap-'
ping of foxes .furnished another source of revenue
for the boys, and Mr. Neese has caught a goodly
number. His outdoor life made him a strong,
robust youth, capable of much labor, and until
the age of twenty-seven he assisted his father and
lived at home.
Then came his marriage to Miss Amelia
Gentzel, who was born about 1841, on Penn
creek, in Penn township, Centre county, the cer
emony being performed at Aaronsburg. She
was a daughter of Henry and Caroline (Eppley)
Gentzel, and was the eldest in a family of seven
children — five sons and two daughters. At the
time of his marriage Mr. Neese was practically
without money, and for five years he worked as
a farm hand at fifty cents a day. During this
time his devoted wife, who has always been a
most efficient helpmeet, often assisted him in the
field, earning twenty-five cents a day, or in rak
ing and binding, in which she could do as much

470

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

as any man, she would receive a man's wages,
fifty cents per day. With such a spirit animat
ing both, they were bound to succeed. When
they began farming on their own account they
were obliged to rent, settling first on the old
"Smith farm" west of Millheim, then on a farm
in Penn township, and later upon land in the Nit
tany Valley.
In 1879 Mr. Neese came into possession of an
unimproved portion of the old homestead, there
being no buildings whatever. He put up suitable
and convenient buildings and made other improve
ments of a substantial kind, and has since made
his home there. The place contains nearly 125
acres of choice land, and under his careful manage
ment it ranks among the best farms in the locality.
Mr. and Mrs. Neese deserve great credit for their
successful struggle in their early years. Mrs.
Neese has been a constant helper indoors and
out,, and her husband acknowledges with manly
pride the value of her efforts. With all her work
she is to-day a well preserved woman, and her
kindly heart has won the esteem of a large circle
of friends. The children of this worthy couple
are Clara C. (Mrs. John Witmer), who resides
near Pine Grove, Penn. ; Sevilla (Mrs. Washing
ton Tharp), of Virginia; James H., of Nittany
Valley; Ellen C. and Minnie S., who are at
home; and Nettie A., who married Percival
Tharp, a school teacher, who also conducts the
home farm at present, as Mr. Neese has retired
from the active management.
Although he is no office seeker, Mr. Neese is
influential in the local Democratic organization,
and has served as supervisor. He has always
been actively interested in the progress of the
community, and he and his wife are leading mem
bers of the Evangelical Church.

|?*V\EORGE W. KELLEY, proprietor of an ex-
%£! cellent farm of 300 acres in Worth town
ship, Centre county, is numbered among the
most substantial and enterprising agriculturists
of the community. He located at his present
place in 1853, and from the uncultivated soil has
built up a valuable homestead, which will remain
as a monument to his industry and energy for
generations to come. He has been particularly
wise in his investments, and possesses excellent
business capacity, making the most of his oppor
tunities, and all through the changes of a busy
life, and while laboring for his own interest, has
in nowise set aside the interests and well-being
of the community around him.
Mr. Kelley was born October 10, 1830, in Leb
anon county, Penn., where the birth of his par

ents, John and Elizabeth (Felty) Kelley, also oc
curred. In 1835 they came to Centre county,
where the father engaged in blacksmithing
throughout his business career. He was an ar
dent Demdcrat in politics, and in religious belief
was a Lutheran, dying in that faith in 1893, at
the ripe old age of seventy-eight years. He was
three times married, his first wife being the
mother of our subject; she died in 1842. To
them were born six children: Mary, deceased
wife of Martin Houser, of Bellefonte, Penn.-
John, a retired tanner, of Greenville, Ohio; an
other daughter, the deceased wife of Samuel
Burkes, also deceased; George; Jeremiah T, a
farmer of Centre county; and Samuel, who died
when young. For his second wife John Kelley
wedded Sarah Hutton, who died one year after
their marriage, and he then married 
Wirts, who died in 1871. Two sons were born
of this union: William D., who is employed in
the car shops of Altoona, Penn. ; and one (name
not given) who was killed in the army.
During the first fourteen years of his life
George W. Kelley lived upon the home farm, and
then served an apprenticeship to the carpenter's
trade, which he followed until twenty years of
age. Not liking that employment he then se
cured a position on a farm, working for one man
for four years and a half, after which he pur
chased one hundred acres of his present farm, at
that time still in its primitive condition. From
time to time, as his resources would permit, he
added to the original tract until he had 500 acres
but has given two of his sons one hundred acres
each. On January 20, 1853, Mr. Kelley wedded
Miss Lida Frantz, who was born in Bald Eagle
Valley, Centre county, November 15, 1833, a
daughter of Daniel and Mary (Woodring) Frantz.
Eight children — five sons and three daughters —
have been born to them: Samuel, born Novem
ber 17, 1853, was drowned while logging in
Clearfield county, in March, 1879; Mary, born
August 16, 1856, is the wife of Alfred Dodge, a
lumberman of Worth township, Centre county;
Benjamin, born January 20, 1861, is a farmer in
the same township; Peter, born Soptember 17,
1862, is an agriculturist of Worth township: Sar
ah J., born October 1, 1864, is the wife of
Thomas Merriman, a farmer of Taylor township,
Centre county; John, born August 30, 1869, is
a farmer of Worth township, and Eveline V.,
born February 15, 1872, and Robert, born De
cember 23, 1877, are still with theirparents.
Daniel Frantz, the father of Mrs. Kelley, was
born in Berks county, Penn., September I3>
1805, and was a son of Jacob and Christiana

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

471

(Walk) Frantz, who were born, reared and mar
ried in Berks county, but later became residents
of Worth township, then called Half Moon town
ship, Centre county. The mother of Mrs. Kelley
was born January 3, 1810, in Dauphin county,
Penn., where her parents, Samuel and Maria E.
Woodring, were also born. When thirteen
years of age she walked from there to Centre
county, and her parents came a few months later.
Here her father followed farming, but had pre
viously been engaged in the milling business.
To Daniel Frantz and his wife were born
twelve children, namely Nancy, now the widow
of S. Cowher, a farmer of Centre county; Sam
uel, deceased; Lida, wife of our subject; Chris
tiana, widow of John Thomas, of Centre county;
Jacob, an honored veteran of the Civil war, who
operates the old homestead farm in Worth town
ship; Abraham, who was also a Union soldier,
and is now a farmer of Blair county, Penn. ;
Peter, who died at Philadelphia from the effects
of wounds received in the service of his country;
Hannah, who died when young; David, a farmer
of Pine Grove, Penn. ; John, a farmer of Bald
Eagle; Rachel, wife of Martin Funk, who was
disabled while a member of the Union army,
and is now a resident of Port Matilda, Centre
county; and Belle, who has been twice married
(her first husband was George Brindle, who was
killed in a logging camp, and she afterward wed
ded William Shay, a coal miner and farmer of
Blair county). The mother of these children
departed this life May 13, 1886, and the father
passed away November 26, 1895, atthe advanced
age of ninety years.
In August, 1864, Mr. Kelley was drafted for
service in the Union army, and became a mem
ber of Company I, 102nd P. V. I., First Brigade,
Sixth Army Corps. He participated in a num
ber of battles and skirmishes, including the en
gagements of Winchester and Petersburg. Po
litically, he adheres to the Democratic party, and
by his fellow citizens has been elected school di
rector, overseer of the poor, tax collector and
constable, the duties of which he discharged in a
prompt and most efficient manner. He is an in
telligent, keen-sighted man, of good financial
ability, and his upright and honorable course
commands the respect and confidence of all with
whom he comes in contact either in business or
social life.

JONAS STINE, Sr., is one of the representa
tive agriculturists of Patton township, Cen
tre county, whose residence is near the little
village of Buffalo Run, and the home with its

surroundings denotes the supervision of an intel
ligent farmer and capable business man, who at
the same time has proved a useful member of
society, and one deserving of the esteem and con
fidence of the people around him.
Mr. Stine was born in Lancaster county,
Penn., June 18, 181 8, and is a son of Jonas and
Elizabeth (Gray) Stine, both also natives of the
Keystone State. They died in Centre county,
Penn., the father in August, 1862, and were
laid to rest in Gray's cemetery. Our subject
is the sixth in order of birth in their family
of seven children, the others being as follows:
John a cabinet-maker by trade, married Rachel
Leary, and died in 1876. Hannah married
Jesse Whippo, by whom she had eight chil
dren, and several years after his death she wedded
John Hicks, who died in 1 890. Leah, a resident
of Bald Eagle Valley, Centre county, is the
widow of Michael Myers, who died in 1887. Cath
arine married Joel Lauder, had eight children,
and died in 1885. Samuel H. is a farmer in
Patton township. Elizabeth died in girlhood.
The family is of German origin.
In the public schools of Patton township,
Mr. Stine, the subject of this sketch, obtained a
limited education. On March 12, 1841, he was
united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Myers,
daughter of William Myers, of Patton township,
and to them were born fourteen children, as fol
lows: (1) Amanda married a Mr. Sweitzer, and
they had three children — Eva, wife of Frank
Harris, of Patton township; Alice, wife of Miles
Taylor, of the same township; and Susan, wife
of George Kline, of Virginia; after the death of
her first husband, Amanda married David Kline,
of Huston township, Centre county; she receives
a pension of $12 per month. (2) William, who
is employed in a paper-mill in Johnsonburg, Elk
Co., Penn., married Amelia Quigley, of Centre
county, and to them were born six children, four
of whom are still living. (3) Mary is the wife of
David R. Thomas, a farmer of Patton township,
by whom she has eight children. (4) George,
who is employed in the Scotia mines of Centre
county, married Mary McDivitt, and has six
children; they make their home in Patton town
ship. (5) John was married, but his wife died
February 18, 1896, leaving a twelve-year-old
daughter. (6) Jonas, who is clerking in a store
in Tyrone, Penn., married Annie Huffman, of
Clearfield county, and has two children. (7)
Catharine is the wife of William Sellers, a farmer
of Patton township, by whom she has four chil
dren. (8) Susan is the wife of Harry Gates, a
horse dealer of Elmira, N. Y., by whom she has
three children. (9) Emma is the wife of Arthur

472

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Thomas, of Matternville, Centre county, by
whom she has a daughter twelve years of age.
(io) Sarah is the wife of John Hoy, a merchant
and also postmaster, express and ticket agent for
the Bellefonte Central Railroad Company; they
have four children. The other four children of
our subject died in childhood.
Mr. Stine is a stanch supporter of the men
and measures of the Democratic party, and for
years has served as chairman of the township
central committee. Both himself and wife are
sincere and earnest Christians, holding member
ship in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and by
a blameless life set a most excellent example be
fore the rising generation.

JOHN P. CONDO, ex-sheriff of Centre county,
has made his way to popular favor by gen
uine worth and merit, his personal character
inspiring and retaining the confidence and esteem
of all who come within his influence. He is a
born leader of men, and especially qualified for
public life, to which inclination and ability both
point as a suitable sphere. He has a good edu
cation, which with his refinement attract to him
the best class of people, while his geniality makes
all sorts and all conditions of men at ease in his
presence. Our subject was born at Spring Mills, Centre
county, August ii, 1855, and his parents, Daniel
and Sarah (Lutz) Condo, were both natives of
Penn's Valley, the father born February 11, 1821,
and the mother in 1835. Daniel Condo followed
the blacksmith's trade during his life, and he was
one of the nation's gallant defenders in the Civil
war, serving three years with marked courage
and devotion. He died February 11, 1871, and
the widowed mother now resides with her daugh
ter Sarah. Of their numerous family seven
children live to maturity, our subject being the
youngest. The others are: (1) Cyrus, who had
been a resident of California since 1875, and died
in May, 1897; (2) James C, now living at Penn
Hall; (3) Harriet, the wife of Amos Koch, a
farmer of Ferguson township, Centre county;
(4) Lot C. , a blacksmith at Potters Mills; (5)
Jonathan, a merchant at State College; and (6)
Mary, who married James Rouch, a blacksmith
of Penn township.
John P. Condo left home at the early age of
nine years to do for himself, going to live with
James G. Evans, a farmer, with whom he re
mained six years, receiving for his services his
board and clothes. When fifteen years of age
he began working out, on wages, for different
farmers, being two years of this time with J. W.

Evans, son of his former employer. He worked
in this line until he was twenty, when he returned
home; however', he had during all the time
assisted in the support of the family, there being
three children younger than himself. On his re
turn home he went to a select school under Prof.
Wolf. He next began clerking in a store at
Logan Mills for Thomas L. Elgin, remaining so
occupied for two years. Following this he went
to Lock Haven, and there clerked in a general
store for J. W. Bridges. In 1878 he became a
traveling salesman for W. J. & I. Smith, grocers
of Philadelphia, his territory being in central
Pennsylvania. He remained with this firm until
1894, when he was elected sheriff of Centre
county. He ably and very satisfactorily filled
this office until the expiration of his term of
office, January 1, 1897, and did not lose a pris
oner throughout his term.
Mr. Condo has taken an active part in poli
tics from early manhood, beginning when only
twenty-three years of age. He was an advisor
in party affairs, often being a delegate to con
ventions. In 1877 he was a delegate to the State
Convention. For three years after his marriage
he made his home in Clinton county, and while
there was offered the nomination in that county
for the office of register of wills and recorder of
deeds, which he declined. His next place of res
idence was at Penn Hall, then at Spring Mills,
where he resided until elected sheriff. Since
retiring from the sheriffalty he has made his home
at Millheim, where he is engaged in the mercan
tile business.
Mr. Condo's wife, formerly Miss Lucilla Mil
ler, who is referred to in the sketch of John S.
Miller, of Sugar Valley, Clinton county, is a
native of Clinton county, Penn. , born September
21, 1 86 1. Two children — Lizzie May and Harry
K. — make the home merry. Mr. Condo is a
member of the Evangelical Church; socially he
is identified with the Masonic order, being a
member of Old Fort Lodge No. 527 at Centre
Hall, and of the Royal Arcanum at Bellefonte.

S\AMUEL GARNER. The splendid farm
) owned by this gentleman in College town
ship, Centre county, is a standing monument to
his industry, perseverance and good management.
He comes under the category of "self-made"
men, having been dependent upon his own re
sources from an early age, and has succeeded
only by the exercise of his steady, plodding labor.
At the present time, however, he is one of the
prominent representatives of the agricultural in
terests of College township.

f \0^>^f

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

473

Marks Garner, his paternal grandfather, died
in Centre county, leaving four children: Daniel,
who died when a young man; Joseph, a farmer,
who died in 1881, in Crawford county, Penn.,
where his family are still living; Jacob, who was
a farmer of Mercer county, this State, where he
died in 1891, leaving a family; and Samuel.
The last named, the father of our subject, was
born and reared in York county, Penn. , where
he was married, about 1828, to Anna Sellers,
also a native of that county. They became the
parents of ten children, namely: William, a
blacksmith by trade, who married Sarah Bloom,
of near Pine Hall, Penn. ; Elizabeth, wife of
John Ludwig, who owns a factory in Ebensburg,
Cambria Co., Penn.; Maria, who wedded Jacob
Houts, and died in 1872; Daniel (deceased), who
married Sarah Houtz, and lived near Branch, in
College township, Centre county; Samuel, of
this review; Susan, deceased wife of Henry
Sampson, a miller, living near Humes Mills,
Spring township, Centre county; Nancy, who
married Henry Sampson after the death of her
sister; Margaret, wife of George Williams, a
plasterer of Lemont, Centre county; John, of
State College, who married Sarah Stover, now
deceased, and is in the employ of the college di
rectors; and Henrietta, wife of a Mr. Coughler,
a carpenter in Kansas. In 1833, the father came
to College township, Centre county, where for
forty years he lived upon rented farms in the
vicinity of Branch cemetery, and there died in
1873, just a week prior to his son Daniel's death.
His wife departed this life at the same place in
1872. The gentleman whose name introduces this
sketch was born in Boalsburg, Harris township.
Centre county, October 19, 1837, and attended
school at Shingletown until about sixteen years
of age, when he left the school room in order to
aid his father in the work of the farm, remaining
with him until twenty-four. He and his brother
Daniel then undertook the management of the
farm, taking care of their parents, and paying off
an indebtedness of more than $1,500. So suc
cessful were they that they concluded to purchase
a tract of 140 acres near State College, at a cost
of $9,800, or $70 per acre, but in less than a
year the brother died, leaving our subject with
the entire debt and accumulating interest to pay.
He not only has discharged the same, but has
made many valuable and useful improvements
upon the place, including an excellent barn
erected at a cost of $1,400, and deserves great
credit for the success he has achieved, as both
land and farm products have since greatly
depreciated in value.

On September 18, i860, Mr. Garner was
joined in wedlock to Miss Julia Aumerman, a
daughter of John Aumerman, a farmer of Pleas
ant Gap, Centre county, and they have had a
family of ten children, as follows: Anna, wife of
Fred Krumrine, living near State College; Ida
M., wife of Samuel Sankey, a joiner of Philips
burg, Centre county; Blanche, who died of
pneumonia, at the age of twenty; Ella, who died
of the same disease at the age of twenty-four;
Elizabeth, wife of William Rosier, a civil engin
eer, of Spiras Point, Md._; William, a graduate
of the State College; John, a farmer living near
State College, who married Margaret Wise; Net
tie, who is attending the State College; Mildred,
at home; and Emma, who died in infancy.
For the past twenty-three years Mr. Garner
has been a worthy member of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, of which he has been trustee
for several years, and was a member of the build
ing committee at the time of the construction of
the house of worship in State College, donating
$200 toward the same and $100 toward the
parsonage. He is very charitable and liberal,
aiding in all worthy enterprises for the good of
the community, and the poor and needy ever find
in him a friend. His sterling worth is recognized
by all with whom he comes in contact, and he is
therefore held in the highest regard. Politically
he is identified with the Democratic party.

J AUSTIN GRAMLY, the popular proprietor
of the "Rebersburg Hotel" at Rebersburg,
and a veterinary surgeon, is one of Brush
Valley's well-known and highly respected citi
zens, and belongs to a family that have long been
prominently identified with the interests of Centre
county. His grandfather, John Gramly, was
born December 22, 1783, a son of Francis and
Barbara (Spangler) Gramly, and on reaching
manhood married Catharine Royer, by whom he
had ten children — eight sons and two daughters.
The grandmother was a native of Snyder county,
Penn., where their marriage was celebrated.
Joseph Gramly, the father of our subject, was
bornJuly22, 181 1, on the old homestead near Re
bersburg, where he was reared, and was educated
in the schools of the neighborhood. On February
20, 1834, he married Miss Esther Schmeltzer,
who was born in Kelley township, Union Co. ,
Penn., July 21, 181 5, the eldest of the eight
children — four sons and four daughters — of
George and Catharine (Beckley) Gramly. Her
paternal -grandparents, Conrad and Hannah (Gin-
ter) Gramly, natives of Germany, paid their pas
sage across the water by work after their arrival

474

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

in the United States, it being customary at that
time to hire out to the vessel owners, who would
sell their services to the farmers or to any others
that would buy them. Her grandfather passed
the later years of his life in Brush Valley, near
Madisonburg. He became quite wealthy, his
money being in gold and silver, which he kept in
the cellar in a barrel supposed to have contained
vinegar. Calling his children together, five in
number, he divided his capital among them.
There were two sons, George and Jacob. The
former, who was a farmer by occupation, lived
to be over seventy years of age, and was twice
married, but all of his children were of the first
wife. After his marriage, Joseph Gramly took
his bride to the Gramly home, west of Re
bersburg, where he engaged in farming for
several years. They became the parents of the
following children: Margaret H., born April 5,
1835, married David Kahl, and died in Freeport,
111., August 24, 1872; Benjamin F. , born No
vember 14, 1836, lives in Kane county, 111.;
Catharine A., born July 7, 1838, died in infancy;
Sylvester, born October 8, 1839, died in Miles
township, Centre county, June 17, 1868; Mary
L. , born June 12, 1841, is the wife of Reuben
Samuel, living near Rebersburg; James J., born
January 23, 1843, is an ex-treasurer of Centre
county, and makes his home in Rebersburg; Geste
A., born March 14, 1845, married Simon Smull,
and after his death wedded Jesse Wirt, of Aarons
burg, Centre county; George S., born April 10,
1846, is a farmer of Nittany Valley; Charles H.,
born September 20, 1847, is a Methodist minis
ter of Kansas; J. Austin is next in order of birth;
Andrew J., born May 24, 1851, is an Evangeli
cal minister of Inland, Ohio; John C. , born Feb
ruary 8, 1853, died in July 18, 1855; the next
son died in infancy; William Byron, born March
12/1855, died October 25, 1857; Emma J., born
October 23, 1857, died April 20, 1877; and a
son, born February 4, 1 861 , died in infancy.
After the removal of the parents to Rebers
burg in May, 1875, the father lived retired until
his death, March 9, 1884, and was buried atthat
place. His widow still lives in the comfortable
home left her. For over fifty years they had
traveled life's journey together, sharing its joys
and sorrows, its adversity and prosperity, and had
the esteem and confidence of all who knew them.
In politics, Mr. Gramly was a Democrat, and held
a number of local offices to the satisfaction of all
concerned. He was well posted on the Scrip
tures, being a constant reader of the Bible, had
the strictest regard for truth and honor, was tem
perate in all things, and was an active member

of the Evangelical Church, with which he was
officially connected.
J. A. Gramly, our subject, whose name in
troduces this review, was born in Miles town
ship, Centre county, May 10, 1848, and in the
schools of the neighborhood began his educa
tion, his first teacher being Samuel Gramly. He
completed his literary course in the Rebersburg
Academy. Upon the home farm he remained
until thirteen years of age, when he started to
learn the blacksmith's trade with Simon Smull,
of Madisonburg, receiving only his board in
compensation for his services, but after one year
he gave this up and later worked at the wagon-
maker's trade with Joseph Weber, of Rebers
burg. At the age of twenty he rented his father's
farm, and after operating it for two years, he
sold off his stock and obtained employment as a
carpenter. A natural mechanic, he has been
able to work at almost any trade, including those
of a stone mason and saddler.
Before he had attained his majority, Mr.
Gramly wedded Miss Abbie Weber, a daughter
of Joseph and Rebecca (Heckman) Weber,
and by this union a family of ten children were
born, namely: William, who at present is em
ployed in a mill at Spring Mills, Centre county;
Vernie, wife of Floyd Bowersox, of Spring Mills;
Charles, at home; Edward, a teacner of Rebers
burg; Esther, at home; Herbert, who died at
the age of two years; Oliver, Pines and Emma,
all at home; and a son, who died in infancy.
The wife and mother, who was a consistent
member of the Evangelical Church, departed
this life in December, 1887, and was buried at
Rebersburg. Later Mr. Gramly married Miss
Annie Blint, a native of Loganton, Penn., and
a daughter of Jacob Blint.
The first land which our subject owned was
seventy-five acres known as the old Kleckner
farm, which he improved and subsequently sold,
but never lived thereon. Later he purchased1
fifty acres of the old home farm, and erected!
all the buildings thereon. There he resided
until the fall of 1895 when he came to Rebers
burg to take charge of the "Rebersburg Hotel,"
which he has since successfully conducted.
When a boy he became interested in the stock
belonging to his father, and under Dr. Hilbish,
who recognized his talent for veterinary surgery,
he began the study of that science. During the
twenty-five years he has practiced that profession,
he has been very successful in his treatment or
stock, and his practice covers a radius of twenty-
five miles. Of a most generous, kindly nature,
he often makes no charges when he knows that
his patron is in limited circumstances.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

475

Politically, Mr. Gramly has always been
identified with the Democratic party, and has
creditably served as school director of District
No. 4, six years, assessor, three years, and is at
present overseer of the poor, which office was
entirely unsolicited by him. He is a charter
member of Rebersburg Lodge No. 103 1, I. O.
0. F. His strict integrity and his honorable,
upright life, have gained him hosts of warm
friends, as well as the confidence of all with
whom he has come in contact, and at one time
was called upon to act as guardian for fourteen
children.

WILLIAM MILLER is one of the prosper-
WW ous and intelligent farmers of Taylor
township, Centre county, residing on the Mount
ain road. He was born September 28, 1831,
at Yellow Springs, Huntingdon Co., Penn., a son
of Charles and Ann (Bird) Miller, the former a
native of Centre county, and the latter of Sinking
Valley, Huntingdon (now Blair) county, Penn
sylvania. By occupation the father was an iron worker,
and on his return to Centre county in 1840, he
located at Hannah Furnace, where he died in
1852, at the age of forty-five years. He was an
Old-line Whig in politics, and was a member of
the United Brethren Church, to which his faith
ful wife also belonged. She passed away in 1850,
aged forty-five years. In their family were the
following children: William, of this sketch; Mar
garet, a resident of Bellefonte, Penn.; John,
who is operating a sawmill in Clearfield county,
Penn. ; Mary A. , of Philipsburg, Penn. ; George
W., who was killed at the battle of Spottsylvania
during the Civil war; Jane, a resident of Belle
fonte; and two who died in infancy. The pater
nal grandfather of our subject died in Philadel
phia, of yellow fever, while on a visit to his
daughter. William Miller remained at home until it was
broken up by the death of his parents. At the
eariy age of nine years he began work at the
Hannah Furnace, where he was employed until
he had reached his twenty-first year, and later
was connected with different iron works until
i860, when he located upon his present farm,
and has since devoted his time and attention to
agricultural pursuits with excellent success. In
January, 1851, he married Miss Susan Caraher,
and to them eight children have been born,
namely: Clara, wife of Lewis Sheets, a lumber
man of Janesville, Penn. ; Daniel, a farmer of
Osceola, Penn. , who married Annie Miller, a rel
ative; Wesley (deceased); Annie, wife of D. S.

Fleming, of Du Bois, Penn. ; Frances, wife of
George Cbpenhaver, a farmer of Osceola; George
W. , railroad freight agent at Houtzdale, Penn.,
who married Laura McMunagle; Harry, a pho
tographer, of Tyrone, Penn., and Bertha, at
home. Mrs. Miller was born March 19, 1832, in
Sinking Valley, Huntingdon Co., Penn., and is a
daughter of Daniel and Catherine (Waite) Cara
her, natives of York county and Huntingdon
county, respectively. They were married in the
latter county, where they remained until 1848,
when they came to Centre county, locating at
Hannah Furnace, where the mother died in 1850,
at the age of fifty-three years. A year later the
father removed to the farm on which our subject
now resides, and there continued to make his
home. He died, however, in Blair county, while
on a visit to a daughter. He followed black
smithing in early life, but later lived retired, en
joying a well-earned rest. The following chil
dren were born to Mr. and Mrs. Caraher: Sam
uel (deceased); Margaret, widow of David Brat-
ton, a blacksmith and later a farmer; Eva E.,
Michael and Abraham, all three deceased;
Alfred, ablacksmith, of Houtzdale, Penn. ; Susan,
wife of oursubject; Mary, wife of William Clark,
of Houtzdale; Catherine, widow of Jacob Rider,
of Guthrie county, Iowa; Henrietta, widow of
John Cline, of Bellefonte, Penn., and one who
died in infancy.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Miller remember when
their homes seemed to be on the frontier, and
game and other wild animals were very plentiful.
One day, while in the timber looking for her
cows, she was approached by three wolves, which
she at first took to be her dogs, and on realizing
what the animals were was very much frightened,
but succeeded in driving them away. In April,
1892, Mr. Miller met with a misfortune in the
loss of his home, which was destroyed by fire.
Not only did he lose his nine-room house, but
the family records and most of the furniture and
personal effects were also consumed. He has
since erected his present comfortable and com
modious dwelling, about twenty feet from the
former site, whose exterior surroundings denote-
thrift and comfort, while the interior domestic
economy and arrangements show the intelligence,
culture and refinement of the owners.
Politically, Mr. Miller is identified with the
Republican party, has served as school director
for four years, supervisor ten years, overseer of
the poor one year, and collector twelve years.
Public-spirited and enterprising, he gives his sup
port to all worthy objects tending to promote the
welfare of the community, and was instrumental

476

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

in building the plank road running from Union-
•ville to Tyrone. He is widely and "favorably
known, and enjoys the confidence and respect of
all with whom he has come in contact.

J'fASPER N. BROOKS, U. S. storekeeper and
j gauger at Pleasant Gap, Centre county, is
one of the native sons of that locality, and
has spent his entire life there. He is both widely
and favorably known, and the acquaintances of
his boyhood are now numbered among his stanch-
est friends — a fact which indicates a well-spent
life. He was born in Spring township, May 26,
1845, a son °f Richardson and Jane E. (Ralston)
Brooks, highly respected citizens of the locality.
The former was born in Centre county, and his
-father was a native of Chester county, Penn.
Throughout his life Richardson Brooks followed
the occupation of farming, and in 1894 he passed
from earth. His wife was born in Lancaster
county, Penn., and her father was a native of
England. Mr. and Mrs. R. Brooks had a family of ten
children, the subject of this review being the
second in order of birth. The others are (1)
James R. , who married Sarah Evey, by whom
he had four children; after her death he wedded
Sarah Caldwell, by whom he also had four chil
dren; his home is in Spring township, Centre
county. (3) Elmira is the wife of Henry Twit
myer, of Pleasant Gap. (4) Rebecca is the wife
of Dr. John Bilger, who is engaged in the prac
tice of veterinary surgery; they have six chil
dren. (5) William S- resides in Pleasant Gap;
he married Mary Gross, and they have seven
children. (6) Lillie D. is the wife of John Show
ers. (7) Samuel is engaged in school teaching.
(8) Annie is the wife of Coke Bell, of Bellefonte,
Penn. (9) Lemuel married Annie Bell, and is
employed as a traveling salesman. (10) Fanny
died in infancy.
Jasper N. Brooks obtained his education in
the public schools of Spring township, and has
always lived in that locality. He belongs to one
of the old families of the county, and for fifty-
one years he has been identified with its inter
ests. In his early life he learned the carpenter's
trade, and for a number of years followed that
vocation, many evidences of his handiwork and
skill being seen in his section of the county.
Recently he has established a planing-mill and
carpenter shop in Pleasant Gap, and in his busi
ness efforts is meeting with good success, having
now a liberal patronage. He is also serving as
U. S. storekeeper and gauger.
In 1872 Mr. Brooks was married to Miss

Sarah Watson, and they have three children:
Anna, Paul P. and Helen. In his political ad-
herency Mr. Brooks is a Democrat, giving his sup
port to the men and measures of that party. In
religious belief he is an Adventist, and all who
know him regard him as a worthy citizen and
straightforward business man, well meriting the
respect in which he is held.

LC. RERICK, a worthy representative of the
 / agricultural interests of Benner township,
Centre county, was born August 16, 1845, and is
a son of Daniel and Polly (Neff) Rerick, both
now deceased, the former dying of heart disease
when in his sixty-eighth year. The mother,
whose birth occurred October 28, 1806, was
called to her final rest October 24, 1885. By
trade the father was a shoemaker, but for the
last twenty years of his life he followed agricult
ural pursuits.
Our subject is the sixth in order of birth in a
family of seven children, the others being as fol
lows: Israel and Elizabeth both died in infancy.
John, born February 28, 1835, married Kate Mc
Clintock, and died March 20, 1865, in Benner
township, Centre county, where his entire life
had been passed. Sarah J. is the wife of Will
iam A. Thompson, of Brookville, Penn. Mary
A. resides with our subject. William died at the
age of six years, nine months and ten days. The
paternal grandfather made his home in Union
county, Penn. L. C, our subject, remained be
neath the parental roof during his youth, and
drew his excellent education from the schools of
the locality. Having always been studiously in
clined and fond of reading, he has added mater
ially, through the course of a busy life, a large
amount of useful information to his stock of
knowledge. For fourteen years during the winter
season he successfully engaged in teaching school,
and still holds a teacher's certificate issued by
Prof. J. P. Eickersham, once State superintend
ent of schools. Early in life he was made ac
quainted with the theory and practice of agri
culture, and is now one of the most thorough
and skillful farmers of Benner township. He is
also interested in a steam thresher.
On October 23, 1869, Mr. Rerick married
Miss Lizzie D. Eckley, and to them have been
born seven children: Newton J. ; Aggie B. ; Lloyd
M., who is a member of Company B, Pennsyl
vania State Guards; William B. ; Harry D. ; Ed
gar D. and Lillie T. Mr. Rerick is an earnest
supporter of the principles of the Democracy,
which he always supports by his ballot, and is
now serving as assessor of Benner township.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

477

Socially he holds membership in the Grange, and
in religious belief is a Lutheran. He is highly
respected and honored by a wide circle of ac
quaintances, and is one of the representative
men of Centre county.

fv 0. HOSTERMAN, of the firm of Hoster-
_ man & Stover, leading hardware merchants
of Millheim, Centre county, is but a recent ac
quisition to the goodly array of progressive busi
ness men in that thriving town, but his ability,
enterprise and upright methods have already es
tablished for him an enviable reputation. Al
though he is still a young man comparatively,
his popularity is established on a firm basis —
that of his own well-tested merit.
Mr. Hosterman was born March 5, 1859, in
Haines township, Centre county, where his an
cestors were early settlers. His father, Jacob
Hosterman, a son of John Hosterman, was born
July 13, 1814, and was reared to manhood in
Haines township, near Fiedler post office. His
early education was mainly obtained in the Ger
man schools of the day, but his native talents en
abled him to gain an honorable place in life by
almost unaided effort. For twenty-five years he
was justice of the peace, and he was known as
" Squire " Hosterman throughout that section.
He was a large man, well built and very robust,
and did much hard work in his day, gaining a
comfortable competence. While he was never
a politician, he gave his hearty support as a citi
zen to the Democratic ticket on all occasions.
He was married in Haines township, to Miss
Anna Bower, a native of the township, born Au
gust 3, 1 8 16, the daughter of Adam and Elizabeth
(Ocks) Bower.
Soon after marriage Squire Hosterman locat
ed near Fiedler P. 0., upon a farm which he
owned there, and to which he devoted most of
his time. As he was a blacksmith by trade, he
established a shop on the place and continued
the business many years. His wife, a most es
timable woman, was a Lutheran in faith, but he
belonged to the Reformed Church, and was an
active worker, attending regularly and holding
various offices. He died May 28, 1871, and Mrs.
Hosterman afterward made her home with her
son Robert until her death, which occurred
February 12, 1879. The mortal remains of
both now rest in St. Paul's cemetery. Their
children were Susan, now Mrs. W. K. Stover, of
Haines township; Charles, who died in Nittany
Valley, leaving a family; Robert P., a farmer of
Haines township; Mary, who died at an early age:
A. Jackson, who died at Aaronsburg leaving a

family; James M., who died in infancy; and Fred
erick O., our subject.
When F. O. Hosterman began his studies,.
the schools of this section were by no means on
a par with those of to-day, and the remembrance
of his limited opportunities makes him, though
childless himself, a stanch friend of improvement
in this line for the benefit of coming generations.
At thirteen, being large and strong for his age,
he began working as a farm hand for an uncle,
D. O. Bowers, in Union county, receiving $7 a
month. He remained there but a short time,
however, and returning to Haines township he
made his home with a brother, his father being
dead. He enjoyed the advantages of one season
in school at Aaronsburg before his days as a stu
dent were ended. In 1880 he went to the vicin
ity of Bellevue, Ohio, and spent the summer as
a farm hand, returning to Pennsylvania in the
fall. Shortly afterward he became a clerk in
the store of Fiedler & Runkle, at Fiedler, Cen
tre county, and his three and a half years there
gave him his first practical knowledge of mercan
tile business. Later he purchased the store from*
Mr. Fiedler, giving his note for the entire amount,
as his available capital was needed to buy stock.
This transaction is noteworthy as indicating the
confidence which his former employer reposed in
him. Mr. Hosterman conducted the business
successfully for eight years, and having been in
strumental in securing a post office at Fiedler he
was placed in charge, and served six years as
postmaster in addition to his other business. In
the spring of 1893 he disposed of his interests,
which were then in a flourishing condition, and
moved to Millheim, but did not engage in any
enterprise until the fall of 1894, when he bought
the hardware business of J. C. Smith. In this
he has made a great success, as has been said,
and the business is now the most extensive of
the kind in Penn's Valley.
On December 28, 1884, Mr. Hosterman was
married, in his native township, to Miss Susan
Stover, daughter of Noah and Rachel (Shirk)
Stover, prominent residents of that locality.
Mrs. Hosterman was the second child and daugh
ter in a family of six — four daughters and two
sons. In 1895, Mr. Hosterman built one of the
finest homes in Millheim — where fine homes are
no rarity — and the beauty of its location, com
bined with architectural effect, make it an ideally
attractive spot. Mr. and Mrs. Hosterman have
had one daughter, Maud, who died in infancy.
One important factor in Mr. Hosterman's
success is his unfailing courtesy and willingness
to oblige others. As a citizen he is no less pro
gressive and enterprising than in his private af-

478

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

fairs, and that this is appreciated by his fellow-
citizens is seen by his election to his present seat
in the city council after a shorter residence in
the place than any other member who ever
served therein. He is a steadfast Democrat, but
the life of a regular politician has for him no
charms.

JSPIGELMYER is unquestionably one of the
most influential and wide-awake business
men, whose lives have become an essential
part of the commercial and industrial history of
Centre county. Tireless energy, keen percep
tion, honesty of purpose, genius for devising and
executing the right thing at the right time, joined
to every-day common sense, guided by resistless
will power, are the chief characteristics of the
man. He is not only one of the most enterprising
merchants of Millheim, but also conducts the
leading livery stable in the place, and is exten
sively engaged in the coal and sawmill business,
thus giving employment to many men, and ad
vancing the interests of the community.
Mr. Spigelmyer was born July 23, 1853, in
Hartleton, Union Co., Penn., and is a worthy
representative of one of the old families of that
place. His father, Shem Spigelmyer, was there
born, and was a son of Daniel Spigelmyer, a
prominent merchant and farmer of that locality.
Shem Spigelmyer wedded Mary J. Lashell, and
to them were born seven children who are yet
living, and four now deceased. Those who still
survive are G. R. , a merchant of Bellefonte,
Centre county; Mary, widow of James Haas, of
Mifflinburg, Penn.; Shem, also a merchant of
Bellefonte; J., of this sketch; Hannah J., wife of
James Chambers, of Mifflinburg; Charles D., of
Williamsport, Penn. ; and Lydia L. , wife of James
Aurand, of Milroy, Penn. The father was for
many years successfully engaged in mercantile
pursuits, but is now living a retired life at the age
of seventy-four, a highly respected and valued
citizen of the community where he makes his
home. He was practically thrown upon his own
resources when a young man, and through his
own efforts amassed a comfortable competence.
He faithfully performs every duty of citizenship,
and at the polls uniformly votes the Republican
ticket. For years he has been a worthy mem
ber of the Presbyterian Church, to which his es
timable wife also belonged. She departed this
life in Mifflinburg when over sixty years of age,
and there her remains were interred. She was
of Scotch descent, while her husband was of
German origin.
During his boyhood our subject attended the

public schools of his native place, and later was
a student in the seminary at New Berlin, Penn
When old enough to see above the counter he
began assisting his father in the store, out of
school hours, and thus early acquired a good
practical knowledge of business methods. Be
fore attaining his majority he became a member
of the firm of Spigelmyer & Sons, who were then
conducting stores in Hartleton and Woodward,
Centre county. At the age of twenty-one he
was married, in Mifflinburg, to Miss Mary C.
Aurand, a native of Lewisburg, Penn., and a
daughter of John Aurand, a farmer by occupa
tion. She received the benefit of more than or
dinary education, being a student in advanced
institutions of learning. By her marriage she
has become the mother of one daughter, Carrie
M., an accomplished young lady.
On dissolving his business connection with
his father and brothers, Mr. Spigelmyer first es
tablished a store in Centre Hall, Penn., but after
one year removed to Rebersburg, Centre county,
and in 1880 established his present general store
in Millheim, which he has since successfully con
ducted. In connection with his various business
enterprises he also owns three good residences
and three store buildings. He is one of the
most progressive, public -spirited and enter
prising citizens of Millheim, doing all in his
power to further the interests of the place, and
promote the general welfare. In manner he
is pleasant and genial, in disposition kindly, and
the high regard in which he is universally held is
well deserved. He is a stalwart Republican in
politics, and though the town has a strong Dem
ocratic majority, he was elected chief burgess, a
fact which plainly indicates his popularity and
the confidence and trust reposed in him. Soci
ally he is a member of the Knights of the Golden
Eagle No. 353, of Millheim, and his estimable
wife is a member of the Evangelical Church.

S\IDNEY W. BAIRFOOT, who in his lifetime
) was one of the prominent and representative
citizens of Centre Hall, Centre county, passed
away on the 26th of October, 1888, after a life
of industry, and rich in those rare possessions
which only a high character can give. He had
labored with all the strength of a great nature
and all the earnestness of a true heart for the
bettering of the world about him, and when he
was called to the rest and reward of the higher
world his best monument was found in the love
and respect of the community in which almost
his entire life had been passed.
In Milroy, Penn., Mr. Bairfoot was born

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

479

July io, 1854, and he first came to Centre county
when he was seven years of age, going with his
mother to the home of ex-County Treasurer D.
C. Keller, of Potter township, where she was em
ployed as a seamstress. When she was ready to
leave, such an attachment had sprung up between
Mr. Keller and the child that she concluded to
allow him to remain for a time; but each day
tightened the bands of friendship and the in
tended temporary stay became permanent.
Being an excellent boy, he fortunately had a
home with one of the best families of Potter
township, where his traits of character were ap
preciated, and he was treated as one of the
family. In the schools of Centre Hall he
obtained a good practical education.
When a young man, Mr. Bairfoot began his
business career as a clerk in a general store in
Lewistown, Penn., where he remained for eight
een months, and subsequently for several years
served as manager of a store for his uncle in
Chicago, 111. During that time, however, he
contracted malaria, which necessitated his re
turning "home", as he called it. Mr. Keller
being engaged in the buying and selling of stock in
Centre Hall, he became familiar with the business,
which he followed after that gentleman's election
to the office of treasurer of Centre county, and
for some time was his partner in business. He
was the trusted confidant of Mr. Keller, and in
no instance was that confidence ever abused. In
all the relations of life he was upright and hon
orable, and thus had the respect and esteem of all
with whom he came in contact. On July 14,
1886, in Centre Hall, he wedded Miss Flora O.
Neff, who was born February 2, 1855, the only
child of Dr. P. D. and Sarah C. (Motz) Neff.
Herbirth occurred in Aaronsburg, Centre county,
but since the age of three years she has made her
home in Centre Hall. When twelve she entered
the Moravian Academy at Bethlehem, Penn. ,
where she graduated July 1, 1873.
Dr. Neff, one of the most successful practi
tioners and business men of Centre county, was
born in 18 17, and was the son of Major John
Neff, who was prominent in the early history of
Penn's Valley. The latter was born in 1790,
and died April 4, 1870, in Centre Hall. In 1858
the Doctor left Aaronsburg and located in
Centre Hall, where he soon built up an excellent
practice and accumulated a handsome property.
He continued the prosecution of his profession
up to his death, which occurred April 7, 1880,
at the bedside of a patient in Potter township.
His loving wife survived him until April 7, 1887,
and both now rest in the cemetery of Centre
Hall. She belonged to the well-known Motz

family of Woodward, Penn., a daughter of John
and Elizabeth (Fisher) Motz. The Doctor and
his wife were held in the highest regard through
out the community, with whose interests they
had long and prominently been identified. His
father being a farmer, the Doctor passed his
early life on a farm, but he was always a great
student, and his daughter has often heard him
speak of his studying at nights and working hard
to secure his education. He was a graduate of
Jefferson Medical College. In politics he was a
Democrat, but not active or obtrusive in the
work of the party.
Early in the year 1886, Mr. Bairfoot pur
chased a stationery store in Bellefonte, which he
conducted in partnership with Oscar Wetzel for
a time, and then became sole owner, but failing
health necessitated his selling out, which he did
in May, 1888. He then removed to the old
homestead of Dr. Neff in Centre Hall, where his
death occurred. Politically he was a Democrat,
but never aspired to public office. As a young
man he was steady and reliable, which traits
characterized his entire career. He was quiet
and unassuming, a man of few words, but a great
reader and excellent penman. When a boy, in
Lewistown, Penn., he committed to memory a
certain amount of the catechism, and far excelled
the other competitors who were striving for the
prize — a dictionary — which he presented to the
Sabbath-school where he won it. He was a
great Bible student, followed closely its teach
ings, and was a faithful member of the Lutheran
Church. His name will be cherished for many
generations, as that of a man who acted well his
part and lived a worthy and honorable life. Mrs.
Bairfoot, who still survives her husband, occu
pies the old homestead of her parents, and is
surrounded by many warm friends and acquaint
ances, who have for her the highest regard.

JOHN ANDREW HUNTER, B. S. ahd M.
E. , instructor in mechanical engineering at
Pennsylvania State College, is rapidly win
ning distinction as an able and successful educa
tor. To judge of his future by his past, we may
well believe that ' his steady purpose will carry
him forward to increased effectiveness and wider
influence. Mr. Hunter is a native of Half Moon Valley,
Centre county, having first seen the light at
Stormstown, May 15, 1868. His father, John A.
Hunter, Sr., a native of Pine Grove, has been
for many years a prominent agriculturist at
Stormstown, and he and his wife, Elizabeth El-

480

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

der, are among the most highly esteemed resi
dents of that vicinity.
Prof. Hunter enjoyed in boyhood the benefits
of wholesome country life, and in 1884 he left
the old farm to enter the preparatory department
of State College. In 1890 he completed the
course in mechanical engineering, graduating with
the degree of B. S. In the same year he began
his professional career as an instructor in Me
chanic Arts at Macon, Ga. , and soon after was
appointed principal of Parson's Technological
School at Savannah, Ga., where he remained un
til 1893. He then returned to his Alma Mater
for a post-graduate course in mechanical and
electrical engineering, gaining the degree of M.
E. In 1894 he assumed the duties of his present
position, for which his abilities and training have
admirably fitted him.
Prof. Hunter is a member of the Scientific
Association of State College, and, while thor
oughly devoted to his chosen line of study, he
takes an intelligent interest in all questions of the
time. In his political views he is a Democrat.
So far Prof. Hunter has not joined the ranks of
the happy benedicts.

WILLIAM H. DENLINGER, of the well-
known firm of Denlinger Bros., whole
sale jobbers in oil, with offices in Pittsburg and
Philipsburg, is a citizen whose history and char
acter are especially deserving of portrayal in a
volume which aims to preserve the records of
leading men. An able, energetic business man,
he is actively interested in many important enter
prises, while at the same time his public spirit is
manifested in his hearty co-operation in the varied
phases of local progress — social, political, and
philanthropic. Our subject is a native of the Keystone State,
born November 13, 1853, and is descended from
an old Pennsylvania-Dutch family, his ancestors
having located in Lancaster county at a very
early period. His grandfather, Christian Den
linger, left that locality with two brothers, Mar
tin and Henry, to make their homes in Blair
county, Penn. The descendants of the brothers
are now located mainly at different points in the
West. Christian Denlinger settled near Holli-
daysburg, and married Miss Jane Holliday, a
member of the honored pioneer family for whom
that city was named.
Our subject's father, Christian Denlinger (2),
was born in Blair county, in 1823. He had one
brother, William, now a resident of Michigan,
and formerly a prominent journalist of Weston,
Penn. A half-sister, Elizabeth, married John

Jones, of Westmoreland county, Penn., and died
in 1865. Christian Denlinger (2) followed the
carpenter's trade in early life, and later was for
many years an official in the Allegheny County
Work House. He was married in Pittsburg to
Miss Fannie Shidle, a native of that city, born
in 1825, who died in April, 1865, his own death
occurring in June, 1891. The Shidle family is
of Maryland stock, and James Shidle, grand
father of our subject, left his home in Baltimore
to locate in Pittsburg, walking the entire distance
on the old National turnpike. He was born in
1800, and died in 1879. His wife's maiden name
was Elmira Crosby, and they had six children:
Geter, John, Henry, James, George, and Fannie
(Mrs. Denlinger). To Christian and Fannie Den
linger four children were born: Jennie, who died
in infancy; Elmira C. , wife of John Van Bus-
kirk, of Pittsburg; William H., subject of this
sketch; and James S., who was born January 2,
1856, and was reared in Pittsburg. He married
Miss Alice Goff, and has four children: Fannie,
William Holliday, Christian and Charlotte.
William H. Denlinger received his education
in Pittsburg, but as a boy he spent seven years
in Minnesota, his parents having gone there
temporarily. His unusual ability attracted at
tention before he had outlived his "teens,"
and he was appointed to the office of deputy
gauger of Pittsburg, in which capacity he served
for nine years. In 1879 he and his brother-
James S., formed the firm of Denlinger Bros,,
with the main house at No. 804 Duquesneway,
Pittsburg. In order to accommodate their rapidly
developing trade, they opened the branch office
at Philipsburg in 1883, with W. H. Denlinger in
charge. By his characteristic energy and tact he
has greatly increased the scope of the business,
and at the same time he has identified himself
thoroughly with the interests of the locality
which he has chosen for a home. Few men,
perhaps none, are more active and influential in
the various public and semi-public movements
there, certainly no other man of his years can
compare with him in this regard. He is presi
dent of the Board of Trade; president of the
Citizens Building & Loan Association; was presi
dent of the Borough Council in 1896; a director
in the Welivar Manufacturing Company, and
president of the furniture factory.
Mrs. Denlinger is a member of the Catholic
Church, while Mr. Denlinger, though no mem
ber of any religious persuasion, is a liberal con
tributor to all. Socially, he and his accom
plished wife are an acquisition to Philipsburg.
He was married June 4, 1889, to Miss Nann M.
McLaughlin, a native of Clearfield, born August

*nr

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

481

13, 1865. Her father, James McLaughlin, was
formerly treasurer of Clearfield county. ' Two
sons, William H., Jr., and James McLaughlin
Denlinger have blessed this union. Mr. Den
linger is an active worker in the Masonic order,
and is a past master of Moshannon Lodge No.
391 ; past high priest of Clearfield Chapter No.
228; and post E. C. commander of Moshannon
Commandery No. 74. In politics he is a Demo
crat, but takes no active interest therein except
for his friends.
Christian Denlinger, our subject's father,
served three years in the war of the Rebellion,
as corporal in the Second Minnesota Battery of
Artillery, was never wounded, but was taken
prisoner near Shelbyville, Tenn., confined in
Libby Prison a short time, and exchanged in the
spring of 1 864. At that time he was sick, and
his son, our subject, went to Annapolis to visit
him, and there entered the service of Dr. Van-
degrift, surgeon-in-charge, as orderly, and served
till the close of the war.

PERRY H. STOVER, senior member of the
well-known firm of Stover & Whitmyer,
lumber merchants of Coburn, Centre county, is
an able business man and a public-spirited citizen
whose genial disposition and high character have
attracted to him a host of friends.
As he is descended from two leading families, a
review of his ancestral history will be of interest.
His great-grandfather, George Stover, had but
two children, Jacob and John, of whom the
former went to California during the ' ' gold fever ' '
of 1849, and while at sea on his way home a few
years later, had a sunstroke, from the effects of
which he died at La Crosse, Wis. John Stover,
the grandfather of oursubject, was killed in early
manhood while blasting rock in the construction
of the first railroad from Millheim to Brush Val
ley, which lay along Elk creek, but on the oppo
site side from the present road. His wife, Mary
(Yeagley), died from colic, neither of them having
attained the age of twenty-one. Both were
buried at Aaronsburg, where they resided when
their only child, George W., was born, February
17, 1826.
The late George W. Stover, the father of our
subject, was reared by his maternal grandmother,
Anna Maria Yeagley, wife of John Yeagley, in
what was then Haines (now Penn) township,
Centre county. After a course in the district
schools he studied higher branches at Mifflintown
and Mifflinburg, and, thus prepared, began the
work of teaching, in which he continued success
fully for three or four years. In 1842 he began
31

to learn the miller's trade at Pine Creek Mills,
and after acquiring a knowledge of the work re
mained there for a time as an employee. Later he
engaged in mercantile business at Nittany Hall. In
1848 Mr. Stover was married in Haines township,
by Rev. Mr. Reese, a Lutheran minister, to Miss
Malinda A. Kreider, who was born September
13, 1829, in Lebanon, Penn., where her grand
father, Jacob Kreider, was a well-known citizen
in his day. He and his wife, Catherine (Smith),
reared a family of five children — two sons and
three daughters — Philip, Mrs. Stover's father,
being the eldest. The other son, Jacob, died in
1811. Philip Kreider married Leah Bowman, and in
April, 1834, removed with his family to the pres
ent site of Centre Hall, traveling in a wagon,
the journey from Lebanon county requiring three
days. He and Christian Hoffer, who with his
family made the trip at the same time, purchased
what was then known as the James Lyons farm,
and divided it, Mr. Kreider taking the lower por
tion where Centre Hall now stands. Four
years later he moved to Linden Hall, and after
one year there located in what is now Penn
township, Centre county. He was a carpenter
in his younger days, later becoming a merchant
and hotel keeper, his thrifty and industrious life
enabling him to secure a comfortable competence-
He and his wife were devout members of the Re
formed Church, and were highly esteemed in the
community. The wife died April 4, 1836, the
husband on January 7, 1842, and the remains of
both were laid to rest at Aaronsburg. Their
children were Malinda A. (Mrs. Stover); Will
iam S., who died in 1855 in Penn township,
Centre county; Rosanna, who died in infancy;
John P., who died in Miles township, Centre
county, at the age of forty-four; George B. and
Reuben H., who died in infancy; Jacob B., a
physician at Bucyrus, Ohio, and Mary C, now
Mrs. Daniel Weaver, of Miles township, Centre
county. Our subject's parents began housekeeping at
Nittany Hall, and remained until June, 1849,
when they settled upon the farm now occupied
by Mrs. Stover. It had belonged to her father,
and the claims of the other heirs were purchased
in order to acquire it. There was only a log
cabin upon the place, once used as a distillery,
but they made their home there until the pres
ent comfortable residence could be built. The
first purchase was five acres, and later eighty
acres adjoining were secured to make the farm
as it is to-day. Before leaving Nittany Valley,
Mr. Stover had bought tracts of. timber land,
which he afterward developed profitably. In

482

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

the spring of 1859 he engaged in the distillery
business in a small way, continuing more than
twenty-five years, and this and other enterprises
so engrossed his time that the care of the farm
was left to the other members of the family or
to hired help. During the last five years of his
life he suffered from paralysis. His death oc
curred May 2, 1889, and he was buried at Aa
ronsburg. For more than forty-five years he was a promi
nent member of the Reformed Church, serving
often as deacon, and being always ready to con
tribute toward the advancement of the work.
He helped to build three churches of this denom
ination, his liberality in this direction being one
phase of a lifelong interest in all the movements
which would promote the public welfare. He
was a Democrat, although the family had in the
main belonged to other parties. His interest in
public affairs was keen, and he served in various
township offices — auditor, school director, asses
sor and justice of the peace — and he was a warm
friend of improvement in the schools of his dis
trict. At his death he left his property to his
widow, a woman of kindly heart and noble char
acter, who was of great assistance to him in his
career. She is well preserved, and although she
has met with accidents at various times which
have caused seven bone fractures, she has un
usual vitality and is very active for one of her
age. Her memory is remarkable, especially of
dates, her reminiscences of early life being very in
teresting, and her natural abilities are of a high
order. Since 1844 she has been a constant
member of the Reformed Church. Our subject
was the first child in a family of five, the others
being: Mary E., born October 29, 1853, mar
ried Thomas B. Motz, of Penn township, Centre
county; John C. , born May 27, 1855, died Octo
ber 20, 1893, leaving a widow; Oscar J., born
July 25, i860, lived only two years; Kreider H.,
born July 12, 1873, is a telegraph operator.
Perry H. Stover was born at Nittany Hall,
Centre county, October 4, 1848, and was but a
child when his parents removed to the present
homestead. He attended the local schools,
which were much inferior to those of the present
day, and then pursued his studies further at Re
bersburg under Supt. Magee, and at Aaronsburg
with Prof. Gotwalt.- His parents being well-
to-do, and having a high estimate of the value of
a good education, gave to all their children much
better opportunities than fell to the lot of most
young people of their time. On leaving school,
Mr. Stover taught successfully for three years in
Penn township, Centre county, and Long Swamp,
Berks Co., Penn. All his spare time, either as

student or teacher, was spent at home, his father's
numerous and varied enterprises affording an
abundance of work for him as the eldest son
Later he gave his entire attention to these inter
ests, residing with his parents until October
1877, and his services were of no small value.
In 1875, Mr. Stover was married in Miles
township, Centre county, to Miss Eliza J. Wolf
who was born August 1, 1851, the daughter of
Henry Wolf, a leading farmer of Brush Valley.
In the fall of 1877, Mr. Stover and his young
wife removed to Coburn, where he opened
the "Coburn Hotel, "a well-known hostelry built
by his father. He remained there four years
and a half, conducting also a livery business. In
the meantime he became associated with his
father in a grain business, which, with the coal
business connected with it, came into his hands
in 1 880. As sole owner he continued until Feb
ruary, 1884, when he sold out to Smith & Co.
In 1887 he entered the employ of William Whit-
mer & Sons, lumber dealers, and occupied a re
sponsible position with them until 1894, when
the present partnership was formed.
Mr. Stover is a member of the Reformed
Church, and his wife is a Lutheran. They have
no children. Their home in Coburn is a pleasant
one, and at the time it was built by Mr. Stover
it was considered one of the best in that section.
Politically he is a Democrat, but his keen interest
in the success of his party is quite impersonal as
he is not anxious for office. He has served one
term as justice of the peace, however. Frater
nally he belongs to the Odd Fellows Lodge at
Millheim, and is a charter member of the Patri
otic Order Sons of America at Coburn.

J SWIRES, one of Philipsburg's leading citi
zens and most successful business men, dis
plays in his career the characteristic American
versatility, energy, and clear-sighted judgment.
As merchant and coal operator, he conducts his
extensive interest with dispatch, while in the
various other lines of work in which he previ
ously gained knowledge of the world and devel
oped his business tact, he was equally efficient.
Mr. Swires is a native of Cambria county,
Penn., born March 26, 1854, and of German
parentage. His father, Anthony Swires, was
born in the Fatherland, and came to Pennsyl
vania as a young man, engaging in the lumber
business, and conducting a sawmill on his own
account. During the greater part of his brief
business career he lived in Cambria county, but
at the time of his death (in 1864 or '65) his resi
dence was in Blair county. He was married in

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

483

Pennsylvania to Miss Mary Dunmyer, a native of
Germany, who survived him, her death occurring
in 1893. She married a second husband, John
Beck. By her first marriage she had four chil
dren, of whom our subject was the eldest; (2)
Mary (Mrs. Anthony Beck) resides in Altoona;
(3) John is a railway conductor, and resides at
Bellwood, and (4) Joseph is a resident of Al
toona. There were two children by the second
union: Annie, now Mrs. Boehm, and Amanda,
who lives at Altoona.
Until the age of seventeen Mr. Swires made
his home in Cambria and Blair counties, with
three years in Clearfield county, but, on attain
ing that stage of life when ambition prompts a
youth to prepare for the serious tasks of gaining
a livelihood, he went to Philipsburg, and learned
the blacksmith's trade with Joseph Jones. He
followed this trade until 1885, when he became
interested in the livery business, which he sold
three years later to engage in a mercantile part
nership under the firm name of Swires & Baker.
After a year he began operating in the coal fields,
and is now conducting the work at the Montana
mines in addition to his general mercantile busi
ness with the Swires Store Company.
Mr. Swires has a pleasant home in Philips
burg, where he was married in 1888 to Miss Ber
tha Hunter| a native of Clearfield county, born
in 1858. They have four children; Eva, Joseph,
Jesse, and Ralph. Notwithstanding the fact
that Mr. Swires has won his success by his de
votion to business, he has always been able to find
time to forward public interests as opportunity
has arisen. He is chairman of the Second Ward
Democratic Committee, and is an active member
of the Altoona Fire Company, having been its
president since its organization.

JABEZ C. P. JONES, the present popular
mayor of Milesburg, and proprietor of a res
taurant at that place, is classed among the
•enterprising and wide-awake business men of
Centre county. He is ever ready to assist in
any movement tending to advance the interests
of the community in which he resides, and is
highly respected by his fellow-citizens.
A native of Centre county, Mr. Jones was
born in Bald Eagle Valley, July 12, 1833. His
parents, David and Sarah E. (Carter) Jones,
were natives of Vermont and Connecticut, re
spectively, were married in the former State,
and in 1806 came in a sleigh to Centre county,
Penn., where they spent their remaining days,
the father dying in February, 1854, at the age of
sixty-eight years, and the mother in September,

1883, at the advanced age of ninety-three years.
They were the parents of seven children, as fol
lows: Hannah, who married John Glenn, but
both are now deceased; Chauncey, Silvey and
Harvey, all three deceased; Henry, a resident of
Clinton county, Penn.; Sarah J., deceased; and
Jabez C. P., of this review. By occupation the
father was a general farmer, was a Whig in poli
tics, and for ten years served as justice of the
peace of Union township, Centre county. He
was a devout member of the Methodist Church,
in which he was class leader for twenty-one
years. His father, Jabez Jones, was born in
New Hampshire of Welch extraction, while his
(Jabez's) wife's father was a native of the Green
Mountain State. Neither ever lived in Centre
county. In the usual manner of farmer boys our sub
ject spent the days of his boyhood and youth,
and at the age of seventeen entered upon an ap
prenticeship to the cabinet maker's trade, which
he followed until i860. For one year thereafter
he was engaged in a mercantile establishment.
The Civil war having broken out, he enlisted, in
1 86 1, in Company B, 148th P. V. I., but he
was taken ill, and after seven months and fifteen
days spent in the service, he was honorably dis
charged and returned home. For four years he
then engaged in clerking, after which he was em
ployed as a huckster and peddler for some years.
Subsequently he followed contracting and gen
eral carpenter work two years, and then opened
his present restaurant at Milesburg, which he has
since successfully conducted.
In March, 1854, Mr. Jones was married to
Miss Elizabeth Parsons, a native of Milesburg,
who died March 25, 187 1. To them were born
nine children — three sons and six daughters — five
of whom died in infancy. Those living are Mary,
wife of Thomas Dougherty, of Oakpond, Penn. ;
James T., of Clinton county, this State; David,
of Bellefonte, Centre county; and Silvey, of
Pittsburg. On July 23, 1873, Mr. Jones was
again married, his second union being with Mrs.
Bella Murray, and they have eight children, all
at home, namely: Erma E., Grace T. , Lester
V., Bella V., Fenetta J., Edna R. , Clara V. and
Iva J. Mrs. Jones was born at Milesburg, March
15, 1843, and is a daughter of Thomas M. and
Euretta (Roberts) Hall, in whose family were the
following children: James, deceased; Mary, wife
of Col. James F. Weaver; Mrs. Ellen Swires, a
widow; Benjamin, a resident of Chicago; Clara,
who married A. T. Boggs, of Milesburg, but is
now deceased; Henry and George, both deceased;
Dr. William, who is living in Milesburg; Bella,
wife of our subject; and Joseph, a resident of

484

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Missouri. The father of these children con
ducted a hotel at Milesburg, was a prominent
Democratic politician, and served as sheriff of
Centre county.
Mr. Jones has been called upon to fill several
official positions of honor and trust in his local
ity, the duties of which he has discharged in a
most capable manner. He has served as coun
cilman, assessor, and school director for twenty-
two years, being secretary of the board for six
teen years and president two years of that time.
He has also been a member of the board of
health, and auditor of the town for eleven years.
In January, 1895, he was appointed burgess,
which responsible office he is now acceptably
filling. On account of the injurious effects of
his army service, he now receives a pension of
$30 per month. He is an ardent Republican in
politics, and fraternally is a member of the Grand
Army Post of Milesburg, of which he was com
mander for one year.

iPVEORGE WIRT, who in his lifetime was one
%£i of the representative and leading citizens of
Penn township, Centre county, began his ca
reer at the foot of the ladder without other re
sources than his own indomitable will and steady,
plodding industry, and worked his way upward
until he became possessed of a handsome com
petence. Mr. Wirt was born in Dauphin county, Penn.,
in July, 1826, a son of Solomon and Mary (Noll)
Wirt, who brought their family to Centre county,
when our subject was seventeen years old. A
farmer by occupation, the father located upon
Penn creek, in Penn township, where he oper
ated rented land, but later purchased a tract in
Haines township, where he spent his remaining
years. He died, however, in Dauphin county,
in 1867, while on a visit, but his body was
brought back and interred in the cemetery at
Aaronsburg, where his wife, who died at the age
of eighty- four years, was also laid to rest. They
were consistent members of the Evangelical
Church, and held in the highest regard by all who
knew them. Although the father began life a
poor man, by dint of hard work he succeeded in
becoming well-to-do.
Our subject was the eldest in a family of
eight children, the others being as follows:
Elias, a resident of Brush Valley, Centre county;
Josiah, of Aaronsburg; William, of Sugar Valley;
Mary A. , widow of William Guismite, and a res
ident of Woodward, Centre county; Amanda,
wife of Frank Weaver, of Aaronsburg; Susan,
wife of William Bear, of Rebersburg, Centre

county; and Caroline, wife of Emanuel Swartz
of Brush Valley.
George Wirt, was reared in the usual manner
of farmer boys, and in the German school near
his home received a fair education. In Novem
ber, 1848, by Rev. Sebastian Musser, Mr. Wirt
was married to Miss Susannah Zerley, who was
born in Gregg township, Centre county, August
20, 1826, a daughter of Philip and Hannah (Sun
day) Zerley. Her twin sister, Mrs. Sarah Au-
man, is also still living. To Mr. and Mrs. Wirt
were born five children: Sarah, who married
John Breon," of Millheim, and has one child;.
Emma, wife of Al Keen, of Penn township, by
whom she has nine children; Mary, widow of
William Grimes, of Penn township, by whom
she had three children; and Henry and Catharine,
who died in childhood.
Mr. Wirt began his domestic life upon the
old Wilson farm in Haines township, which he
rented for twelve years, and for the long period
of twenty-one years lived on the farm of Philip
Gephart, near Millheim. In March, 1882, he
purchased from his brother William a farm con
sisting of eighty acres of fine land. In his en
deavors to secure a home he was ably assisted by
his faithful wife, who indeed proved a helpmeet
to him, and is one of the best house-keepers to
be found anywhere. They were widely and fa
vorably known throughout this section of the
county, with whose interests they were identified
for so many years. The political support of
Mr. Wirt was given the principles and candidates
of the Democratic party, with which his father
was also identified. That he was a thorough and
skillful farmer was evidenced by the long period
which he operated the two rented farms, where
his successors have signally failed. In August,
1896, Mr. Wirt laid aside the cares of life, and
passed to the realms of rest and peace.

OBERT SMITH, a prominent resident of
Spring Mills, Centre county, now retired
from active business, is a self-made man whose
present prosperity shows unusual ability as a
financier, the foundation of his success having
been laid by his savings as a mechanic. He is a
man of few words, and in manner is quiet and
unassuming; but while devoting himself exclu
sively to his own business he has always won a
degree of respect from his fellow citizens which
some who seek popular favor fail to secure.
Mr. Smith was born February 5, 1841, in
Haines township, Centre county, near Fiedler
P. O., where his parents, Charles and Elizabeth
(Schnure) Smith, owned a farm. He was the

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

485

youngest of a family of five children — three sons
and two daughters — and was reared after the
usual custom in that time and locality, assisting
in the "chores" at home, and securing such in
struction as he could in the schools of the neigh
borhood. His first teacher was J. G. Meyer,
who conducted a subscription school in the St.
Paul district. At that time the present system
of free schools had not been introduced there,
but a few years later the change was made, his
first teacher under the new order being Jake
Lukenbach. The opportunities afforded were
much inferior to those of the present time, and
Mr. Smith feeling his own deprivation is a firm
friend to the policy of securing«for every child in
the commonwealth a chance to receive a thor
ough education.
At eighteen he began to learn the carpenter's
trade with Squire Rinehart, and after one year
engaged in work as a journeyman. Having a
laudable desire to see something of the world, he
spent some years in traveling about, working at
his trade in varibus places from the Atlantic to
the Pacific, and visiting the main, points of inter
est in this country. In 1873, weary of roving,
and with a mind well stored with the practical
information thus gained, he returned to Centre
county and located at Bellefonte, entering the
«mploy of W. V. Hughes, as an ordinary work
man. By the end of a year he had shown such
marked ability in all lines of work, that he was
made foreman, and this responsible position he
held some thirteen years, overseeing the con
struction of many important buildings from foun
dation to roof. He then undertook, on his own
account, the contract for the Reformed church
building at Aaronsburg, and after the successful
completion of that work he went to Cali
fornia, and spent two years visiting friends
and doing some work as occasion offered. On
his return in 1889, he resumed his old position
with Mr. Hughes and superintended the con
struction of two buildings at Johnstown, Penn. —
the Library and the Cambria Iron Company's
store — replacing those destroyed by the flood.
In the fall of 1891 he gave up his position
and in the latter part of 1892 he- purchased from
the Barcroft estate some valuable property, at
Spring Mills, comprising a hotel, which he sold in
1896, two residences, and two store buildings.
These he placed in thorough repair, and since
February, 1893, he has made his home at Spring
Mills, his elegant and luxuriously furnished resi
dence being a delightful spot in which to pass his
well-earned leisure. He was married at Belle
fonte, in 1890, to Miss Emma Heckman, of Penn
Hall, daughter of John F. and Fietta (Fisher)

Heckman. Two children have blessed this union:
Rosa, born in January, 1891, and Ruth, born
May 1, 1896. Mr. Smith and his wife are lead
ing members of the Reformed Church, and he
has held office as deacon and elder therein. He
also belongs to the I. O. O. F. of Bellefonte.
Mr. Smith has worked hard and made a
thrifty disposition of his earnings, and has neither
been extravagant nor practiced undue self-denial
in order to accumulate his fortune. In his polit
ical views he is a Republican, and his first vote
in a Presidential campaign was cast, in 1 864, for
Abraham Lincoln. He is a regular voter, and
takes much interest in the success of his party,
but has never been an office seeker.

B. HARTSWICK. This gentleman, who
spent his early manhood in active business,
and mainly in agricultural pursuits, is now living
retired on a fine farm in Ferguson township,
Centre county, where he has made his home
since 1868. It is a most beautiful place, pleas
antly situated within a half mile of State College,
and plainly indicates the thrift and enterprise of
the owner. A man of great energy and more
than ordinary business capacity, his success in
life has been largely due to his own efforts, and
the sound judgment by which he has taken good
advantage of his own resources.
Mr. Hartswick was born in Harris township,
Centre county, and is a son of Christian and Mary
(Miller) Hartswick, also natives of Centre county,
where they were married January 2, 1830. By
trade the father was a blacksmith. His father,
who was a native of Holland, crossed the Atlan
tic to the New World in 1792. landing at Phila
delphia, while his wife (who was a Miss Boozer)
was born in Switzerland. Our subject was third
in order of birth in their family of eight children,
the others being as follows: (1) Dr. John G. was
successfully engaged in the practice of medicine
for forty years in Clearfield, Penn. , and for two
years in Hublersburg, Centre county ; he died in
March, 1896, leaving a widow and one son and
one daughter. (2) Margaret is the widow of
Henry Evey, who was killed at the battle of
Spottsylvania during the Civil war, and left seven
children. (4) Adam M. married Sarah Mothers-
baugh, of Altoona, Penn. (5) Christian died in
1853, in his seventeenth year. (6) Elizabeth
died in May, 1841, at the age of six years. (7)
May J. died in Clearfield, Penn., in 1891. (8)
William H., born in 1841, died the same year.
In the free schools of Centre county, H. B.
Hartswick acquired his literary education, and in
1852 he began teaching before there was a super-

486

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

intendent of schools in Pennsylvania. For a
time he followed that profession, but throughout
the greater part of his business career he engaged
in farming with good success. On March 20,
1861, he married Miss Margaret Neidigh, and-to
them were born seven children (three of whom
survive): (1) Anna M. died in infancy. (2)
Clara E. died August 1, 1890, when in her twenty-
fifth year; she would have graduated the follow
ing year from the State College of Pennsylvania.
(3) J. Milton, born November 4, 1868, married
Helen McCalmont, and has three children; he
was educated in the State College, and is a
teacher by profession, making his home in Fer
guson township. (4) Naomi died in infancy. (5)
Newton Neidigh, born August 10, 1872, married
Elizabeth Thomas, and lives in Ferguson town
ship; he also was educated in the State College,
and is now successfully engaged in teaching. (6)
Adam H., born February 16, 18 — , married
Annie dinger. (7) Christian W., born January
29, 1879, died July 26, 1884.
Mr. Hartswick is not an active politician, but
quietly votes, as his sentiments and beliefs dic
tate, with the Republican party. A conscientious,
Christian gentleman, he is a faithful member of
the Reformed Church. Intelligent, affable and
courteous, he is a true type of an American citi
zen, and his circle of friends throughout the
community is only limited by his circle of ac
quaintances.

JAMES HENDERSON. Among the active
and energetic agriculturists of Centre county,
there is probably no more prominent figure
than this gentleman, who owns and operates a
good farm in Benner township. On starting out
in life for himself he engaged in the lumber busi
ness, which he continued to follow for twenty
years, but since 1871 he has turned his attention
to farming, in which he has met with a fair de
gree of success.
Mr. Henderson is a son of Hugh and Mar
garet (Gamble) Henderson, the former of whom
was a native of County Tyrone, Ireland. In
their family were six children: Thomas, who died
in Clearfield county, Penn., in 1893; Robert, a
retired farmer of College township, Centre coun
ty; one whose name is not given, a farmer, who
died in Clearfield county; Samuel, a retired
farmer of Blair county, Penn. ; James, of this
sketch; and Margaret, who is living in Clearfield
county. On reaching manhood, James Henderson was
united in marriage with Miss Margaret Mathers,
who was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, and in

1 847, with her parents., came to America, locat
ing in Clearfield county, Penn. Of this union
six children were born, as follows: (1) Robert M
a resident of Benner township, Centre county'
married Rachel Hinton, and has two children.'
(2) Sophronia married C. L. Knox, and in 1884
removed to Minnesota, where the husband died
after which she returned to Centre county in
1 89 1, and now makes her home in Bellefonte-
she has five children. (3) B. K. , also a resident
of Bellefonte, was married in 1895 to Jennie
Taylor. (4) Mabel E. and (5) Calvin L. are
next in order of birth. (6) Emma L. , a most
accomplished lady, is still with her parents.
Mr. Henderson is practically a self-made man,
having commenced life with no capital except
strong arms, an iron constitution, and an energy
of purpose that was bound to win. His fine farm
is a standing monument to his industry, perse
verance and good management, coupled with
economy and a praiseworthy frugality. He is a
stalwart Democrat in politics, and a consistent
and active member of the Presbyterian Church.

D

AVID ATHERTON, a member of the well-
known firm of Jackman & Atherton, Philips
burg, Centre county, is widely known in business
circles as a man of undoubted integrity, conduct
ing his interests with ability and strict regard to
details. He is a worthy representative of a
prominent English family, and was born in Liver
pool, England, February 11, 1858, a son of Will
iam and Sophia (Bessett) Atherton, who spent.
their entire lives in that country. The father
was a quiet, unassuming man, a coal operator by
occupation, and a member of the Wesleyan
Church, to which his wife also belonged. He
died in 1875, ar the age of sixty-six years, and
she passed away two years previously at the age
of sixty-two. Ten children were born to this worthy couple,
namely: Robert, who is now living a retired life
in Liverpool; Thomas, who is engaged in the.
butchering business in Leigh, Lancashire, Eng-,
land; Abraham, a lead-pipe manufacturer, of
Prescott, England; Hannah, wife of James Baines,
ex-police superintendent of Lancashire; James
B. , a manufacturer of insulating electric wire in
Prescott, England, owning one of the largest
plants in the country, worth a million dollars;-'
Sarah, wife of James Kerfoot, who is interested
in a grist mill in Leigh, England; Jacob, who is
with his brother James in business; Job, who is>
connected with coal mining in England, and died
in 1893, at the age of twenty-six years; and Da
vid, of this review. Our subject, who is the only

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

487

one of the family living in this country, has
twenty-six nieces and twenty-eight nephews.
Until sixteen years of age David Atherton at
tended school, thus acquiring a good practical
education. He then began his business career as
a bricklayer, and for eight years successfully
engaged in contracting along that line in his na
tive land, making his home with his parents un
til twenty years of age. In 1881 he crossed the
Atlantic to America, and for a year and a half
was a resident of Wellsville, Ohio, where he
contracted in brick laying. Coming to Philips
burg, he was for several years engaged in the
same business here, and erected all of the State
College buildings in Centre county with the ex
ception of the old stone one. He also put up a
National Bank building in Huntingdon county,
Penn. For the past three years, however, he
has been connected with the coal interests of
Centre county in partnership with E. R. Jack-
man, owning and operating the Colorado mine
No. 3, located on Beach road, Cambria Co.,
Penn., which covers 420 acres. It has a capac
ity of 100,000 tons per year of the best bitumi
nous coal. Mr. Atherton is also sole owner of
the Juniata Coal mine, located on the Pennsyl
vania railroad in Cambria county, which covers
106 acres and has a capacity of 60,000 tons an
nually. He has met with a well-deserved suc
cess in his business venture, is straightforward
and reliable in all transactions, and from the pub
lic receives a liberal patronage, for his honorable
dealing and courteous treatment commend him
to the confidence of all.
In Philipsburg, May 16, 1888, Mr. Atherton
was united in marriage with Miss Emma L.
Goldman. They are consistent and earnest mem
bers of the Presbyterian Church, and in politics
he is a Republican. He is a leader in musical
circles, taking a prominent part in promoting
that art throughout the county. He comes of a
family which is noted for its musical talent, its
members being naturally good instrumental and
vocal musicians. In disposition he is genial, in
manner courteous and affable, and those who
know him recognize the true worth of his char
acter, and therefore entertain for him the high
est regard.

HA. MOORE, the well-known druggist and
.._ postmaster at Howard, Centre county, is a
native of the county, having been born at Pleas
ant Gap, March 15, 1854, a son of Agnew and
Mary (Furey) Moore, who were born, reared
and married in Centre county.
There the parents continued to remain until

1878, when they removed to Missoula, Mont.,
where the father engaged in contracting and
building until his death, December 28, 1892,
when he was aged sixty-four years. He was one
of the prominent and influential citizens of the
place, a leader in the ranks of the Democracy,
and serving as alderman at the time of his death.
He held membership in the Methodist Episcopal
Church, to which his wife also belongs. She
was born March 13, 1836, and is still a resident
of Missoula. Her parents, William P. and
Rachel (Williams) Furey, spent their entire lives
in Centre county. Her father was called upon
to serve in several official positions, being county
commissioner nine years, commissioner's clerk
six years, and justice of the peace at the time of
his death, which occurred in Bellefonte. The
paternal grandparents of our subject, Thomas
and Mary (Riddle) Moore, were natives of Scot
land and County Down, Ireland, respectively.
At an early day they came to America, and they
were married in Centre county, Penn. , where
they spent the remainder of their lives. For a
number of years the grandfather served as man
ager of the Hickley ore mines in the county, and
also engaged in farming.
Our subject is the eldest in a family of eleven
children, the others being: Rachel J., wife of
Abraham Weber, a merchant of Howard, Penn. ;
MaryR., who is with her mother; Clara, wife of
John Bloilean, of Missoula, Mont. ; William, who
died at the age of twenty-two years; Thomas, a
jeweler of Bellefonte, Penn.; Emma, at home;
Ralph, second assistant bookkeeper for the
Northern Pacific railroad at Missoula; and three
who died in infancy. Until he was eighteen
years of age, Howard A. remained under the pa
rental roof, attending school, and assisting his
father at carpentering during the summer months.
After leaving home he served an apprenticeship
under Dr. C. H. Else, a druggist, of Milesburg,
Penn., with whom he remained for three years.
He then established his present store in Howard,
and has since carried on a large and profitable
drug business.
On June 24, 1876, Mr. Moore married Miss
Laura Ryman, and they have three children:
Claude C, a jeweler, of Bellefonte; and Mabel
C. and Chester A., at home. Mrs. Moore was
born in Milesburg, Centre county, March 27,
1854, a daughter of Jacob and Ellen (Lucas)
Ryman, who were also natives of that county.
Her father was a well-known miller of Milesburg,
where he died December 28, 1876, at the age of
fifty-five years. Politically he gave his earnest
support to the Republican party. His wife passed
away January 4, 1894, at the ripe old age of sev-

488

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

enty-eight years and six months. In their family
were four children: Elizabeth, widow of D. H.
Parsons, of Altoona, Penn.; Augustus, who died
at the age of forty-three years; Miles, a huxter;
and Laura, wife of our subject. Her paternal
grandparents were David and Elizabeth Ryman,
who died in Milesburg, where the former had fol
lowed milling. Her maternal grandfather, Charles
Lucas, was a native of Centre county.
Mr. Moore has won for himself a place among
the representative business men of Howard, and
is also numbered among its leading and influen
tial citizens, whose sterling worth and many ex
cellent traits of character have found just recog
nition. In 1876 he was elected town clerk, which
office he filled for one year; was a mem
ber of the school board nine years; council
man three years; and in May, 1885, was
first appointed postmaster at Howard, which
position he has since filled to the satisfaction of
all concerned, being reappointed in May, 1890,
and again on September 21, 1893. He has
proved a most popular and efficient officer, dis
charging his duties with the utmost fidelity. Fra
ternally he holds membership in Lick Run Lodge
No. 311, I. O. O. F., of Howard; and Bellefonte
Lodge No. 268, F. & A. M. Politically he is a
Democrat. In manner he is genial and affable,
and has the esteem of many friends and acquaint
ances.

T THOMAS F. BRUNGART, one of the lead
ing agriculturists of Centre county, residing
near Wolfs Store, has evidently solved the
problem of making farming pay even in "hard
times." A shrewd and systematic manager, he
adapts his crops to the market, and when one
article falls in price he takes pains to cultivate
some other in which there is more profit, thus
securing good returns. He belongs to one of the
old families of Miles township. Centre county,
and was born upon the same farm upon which
his father, Samuel Brungart, first saw the light.
Martin Brungart, his great-grandfather, was
one of the first settlers there, bringing with him
his family, among whom was Jacob, the second
son, who was born January 15, 1786, and died
Septembers, 1862. Jacob Brungart owned and
cultivated the homestead which is now the prop
erty of our subject, his grandson, and was one
of the successful farmers of his day. In 18 13
he was drafted; but being so situated that he
could not enter the army without great sacrifice,
he hired William P. Brady, of Aaronsburg, as a
substitute, giving him $60 and a pair of shoes.
Jacob Brungart had six sons — John, George,

Frederick, Martin, Jacob and Samuel; and six
daughters — Mary (Mrs. John Heckman), Susan
(Mrs. John Weaver), Catherine (Mrs. Adam
Bair), Margaret (Mrs. Jacob Smeltzer), Regina
(who married John Shaffer), and Sarah (wife of
William Johnson). Of this family, those yet
living are Frederick, and Sarah, the wife of Will
iam Johnson.
Samuel Brungart, our subject's father, born
April 21, 1825, was among the younger children
of this large family. Farm work was then as
plentiful in winter as in summer, and conse
quently he attended school but little. He pos
sessed unusual mental ability, however, and an
excellent memory enabled him to make the most
of such opportunities as came in his way, mak
ing him quite competent to transact business so
great that, although he had never been instructed
in a trade, he could make the various kinds of
tools required in farm work. This faculty was
also displayed in the management of his farms,
his success being so uniform that his plans and
methods were eagerly adopted by the progressive
farmers of the neighborhood. He was larger
than the average man, and did much hard work
in his lifetime, gaining a success which, all things
considered, was remarkable. Firm and steadfast
in his ideas, he remained throughout life a stanch
Democrat, and in religion he adhered to the
Lutheran faith, contributing liberally to the
Church and holding various offices therein. He
married Harriet Walker, who was born in Brush
Valley, February 20, 1831, a daughter of Daniel
and Hannah (Erhart) Walker. The young couple
began housekeeping in ' a small home in Brush
Valley, near the present site of Walker's Mill,
and from there removed to Madisonburg, where
our subject's father rented land for four years.
¦He wished to buy the old homestead out, but as
his father declined to sell it he rented it until his
father's death, when, in the division of the estate,
Samuel Brungart secured the farm by paying
about $4,000 to the other heirs. In 1868 he
built a fine barn, 102 x 45, and he also remodeled
the other buildings. He and his wife spent their
last days at the old homestead, the latter dying
July 6, 1892, while his own death occurred Feb
ruary 19, 1893. Both were buried at St. Luke's
Evangelical Lutheran cemetery, in Miles town
ship, Centre county, where our subject has
erected a handsome monument to mark their
resting place.
Thomas F. Brungart, our subject, was born
March 12, 1849, and the Brungart School, near
the old homestead, furnished him his first educa
tional privileges. As he was but a child when
his parents removed to Madisonburg he had the

"r.^fi-

OsljL

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

489

advantage of attending the schools there until
the return of the family to the eastern end of
Brush Valley, where he completed his studies,
with the exception of a portion of one winter at
Rebersburg. As there was always plenty of
work to be done at home he never "worked
out," his father paying him wages after the age
of twenty, and this arrangement was only inter
rupted by our subject's marriage and settlement
in a home of his own. His wife, to whom he
was united in Rebersburg, February 16, 1881,
was formerly Miss Emma Corman. She is a
daughter of Henry and Rachel (Bair) Corman,
and was born and reared in Brush Valley. Their
first home was upon a farm rented by our sub
ject's brother-in-law, James Corman, but later
Mr Brungart rented the old Poorman farm, in
Miles township, Centre county, where he re
mained about eleven years. In the spring of
1893, the homestead having been left vacant by
the death of his parents, he settled there. He
has in that estate 268 acres, and in another farm
near Wolfs Store, known as the old Wolf
Homestead, he has 147 acres more. While Mr.
Brungart does not do much manual labor, he
oversees all the details of the work upon his farm,
and the results of his careful management are
seen on every side.
Five children brighten his home: Mabel O.,
Samuel C, Celia V., Tacie H. and Elda R.
Mrs. Brungart is a member of the Reformed
Church, but our subject is a Lutheran, and is an
active worker in the Church, having held office
as deacon and treasurer. He takes great interest
in all movements for the advancement of the
community, and is a prominent member of the
Grange. In politics he has always been a Dem
ocrat, but nothwithstanding his hearty support of
the doctrines of his party he never has held
office, preferring to devote his time to his own
affairs.

WICHAEL WOODRING, who after the
_ labors of a long and busy life, is spending
the evening of life in ease and retirement on his
farm on the Philipsburg pike, in Worth township,
Centre couny, is a native of Pennsylvania, his
birth occurring in Berks county, August 14, 1820.
There his parents, Abraham and Saloma (Sni
der) Woodring, were also born, reared, and mar
ried, later removed to Huntingdon county, and in
1857 came to Centre county, locating in Worth
township, where the mother died May 1, 1872,
aged seventy-four years, nine months and twenty-
seven days. Subsequently the father went to
Cambria county, Penn., where his death occurred

in 1886, at the advanced age of ninety years.
He buried his family record in the casket with
his wife. He was an extensive horse dealer and
farmer, and in early life he was a member of the
Lutheran Church, but later he became a devout
Roman Catholic. His parents, Samuel and
Maria (Yorick) Woodring, were natives of Berks
county, where their marriage was celebrated, but
in 1823 they became residents of W'orth town
ship, Centre county. The former was of Ger
man extraction, and a farmer and miller by occu
pation. Our subject is second in order of birth of the
children, the others being as follows: John, who
died in Tyrone, Penn. ; Samuel, born October 15,
1823, died December 6, 1886, in Philipsburg;
Polly, deceased wife of Rank Seek, also deceased;
Betsey, wife of Anthony Gill, a farmer of Coal-
port, Penn. ; Catherine, who died unmarried; and
Beckie, deceased wife of Joseph Gill.
Until he had attained his majority, Michael
Woodring remained upon the home farm, and
then started out empty-handed to make his own
way in the world. After working by the month for
two years, he and his brother John rented a farm
at Huntingdon Furnace, Huntingdon Co., Penn.,
which they operated for fifteen years, and then
dissolved partnership. For one year our subject
then engaged in hauling ore, and in i860 came
to Centre county and located upon his present
farm, which was still in its primitive condition,
covered with a heavy growth of timber, in which
deer and other wild animals abounded. To the
cultivation and improvement of the place he at
once devoted his time and attention, and con
tinued his labors until he now has one of the most
desirable farms in the locality. Politically, he
affiilates with the Democratic party, and main
tains his principles in this regard with the same
steadfastness which has characterized him in all
the relations of life. He is a valued and honored
citizen of the community, enjoying the confidence
and esteem of all who know him.
On September 30, 1845, Mr. Woodring was
united in marriage with Miss Nancy Halderman,
who was born in Centre county, in 1824, and is
a daughter of Jacob and Mary (Wise) Halder
man, who spent their entire lives upon a farm in
Centre county. They were members of the
Lutheran Church, and in politics her father was
a Democrat. Mrs. Woodring was one of their
tamily of eleven children, namely: Catherine,
deceased wife of John Stover, of Bellefonte,
Penn. ; Jane, widow of John Woodring; Eliza
beth, deceased; Lavina, deceased wife of James
Bailey, also deceased; Margaret, wife of Aaron
Woodring, a farmer of Centre county; George,

490

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

who is a cabinet maker in Ohio; Jacob, who
died in the army; Susan, who married Samuel
Turner, and after his death wedded Samuel Stine,
a farmer of Centre county; and Fannie, who
married Samuel Woodring, but both are now
deceased. To Michael Woodring and.his estimable wife
were born the following children: William, a
farmer residing near Port Matilda, Centre county;
George W., a lumberman of Virginia; Abraham,
a lumberman of Port Matilda; General J., pro
prietor of a hotel at that place; John Q. , who
was killed in 1892 on the railroad while working
at Altoona, Penn.; Mary and Ella, deceased;
Harry E. , and Matilda, wife of W. W. Thomas,
a farmer of Blair county, Pennsylvania.
Harry E. Woodring, of this family, is one of
the energetic and progressive young farmers of
Worth township, and is engaged in operating the
old home farm with good success. There his
birth occurred October 2, 1867, and in the usual
manner of farmer boys he was reared to habits
of industry. He married Miss Sadie Frantz, a
native of Centre county, and they have a daugh
ter, Ruth L., born June 4, 1894.
Abel and Nancy E. (Williams) Frantz, par
ents of Mrs. Harry Woodring, were natives of
Centre and Blair counties, Penn., respectively.
Their children were: Emeline; Mary E., wife of
Lawrence Gill, a farmer of Cambria county,
Penn.; Sarah (or Sadie) is next in order of birth;
Ephraim is farming in Worth township for his
uncle, John Frantz; Jennie lives in Port Matilda;
and Bradie is a resident of Coalport, Clearfield
county. The father of these, who was a farmer
and huxter, was born March 10, 185 1, and died
August 14, 1884. He was a son of Reuben and
Katie (Woodring) Frantz, who spent their entire
lives in Centre county, following farming. The
mother of Mrs. Harry Woodring was born in
1 85 1, a daughter of Caleb and Peggie (Edmon
son) Williams, farming people of Blair county.
After the death of her first husband she married
James Payscole, and they now reside in Taylor
township, Centre county. Two children have
been born to them, namely: Pearl and Rhoda,
both at home.

WILLIAM COLYER is one who has risen
from the ranks of the many to stand
among the successful few. Among the promi
nent citizens of Centre county no one occupies a
position of relative greater importance than Mr.
Colyer, who has been the promoter of varied enter
prises that have resulted to the material benefit
of the community. He has not only won pros

perity for himself, but his enterprise has been
the means of providing labor to many who thereby:
have achieved success. His career is unparal
leled in Potter township. Reared without edu
cational advantages, ofttimes amid adverse sur
roundings, and without even careful business
training in his youth, he has surmounted obsta
cles that would have utterly disheartened many,
and to-day stands upon the high plane of pros
perity. Such a life cannot fail to contain many
valuable lessons, if others will but heed its
teachings. William Colyer was born December 13, 1835,
at what is known as The Loop in Potter town
ship, a son of Daniel and Mary (Humel) Colyer..
His father was born at The Loop, and the grand
father was a native • of New England. He was;
a farmer in very limited means, and married a
lady whose first name was Dolly. She was of
German extraction, and lived to be ninety-six
years of age.
The father of our subject was a hard work
ing man, yet lacked the executive ability neces
sary to a successful management of his affairs.
He never accumulated property, but lived in a
rented home, and supported his family by work
ing at the stone mason's trade. His life, how
ever, was honorable, and he had the respect of
all. His political support was given the De
mocracy, and he and his wife were members of
the Reformed Church. He djed at the age of
fifty-six, his wife at the age of forty-seven, and
they were buried in Luke Church cemetery.
Their children were as follows: John, who dieriV
at the age of sixteen years, William; Rachel,
who married Jacob Neville, and died in Potter
township; Sarah, who married John Miller, and
died in Potter township; Mary, wife of Franklin-
Wright, of Potter township; and Susan, wife of
William Burrell, of Pocahontas, Iowa.
William Colyer, as the only surviving son in,
the family, was his father's assistant, and to him
gave the benefit of his services through the sum
mer months until he was nineteen years of age.
His educational privileges were extremely limited,.
but he became familiar with the rudimentary
branches of learning in the district schools, which
he sometimes attended in the winter. At an
early age, however, he began working, and
sometimes received only his clothes, and some
times the meager sum of $3 per month, as a.-
compensation for his services. At the age of
fifteen he began learning the stone mason's trade
with his father, and with him worked for several
years. Possessed of executive ability and sagac
ity, which his father lacked, he soon saw that
affairs were not properly managed, and conse-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

491

quently laid plans to conduct the business along
different lines. He suffered many hardships,
and his possessions were few, his best suit of
clothes often being the one in which he worked
daily. When nineteen years of age, Mr. Colyer left
his father and started out in life for himself. He
rented a house and lot near what is now Colyer
post office, and by hard work and economy was
enabled to save some money. His first real es
tate consisted of a three-acre lot on which stood
a small house, for which property he paid $560,
going in debt for the same; but six years later
the little home was destroyed by fire after he
had spent that length of time in labor to pay for
it. With a stout heart and resolute purpose,
however, he continued his labor, and later pur
chased a sawmill property in Potter township.
His acquaintances prophesied a failure, but that
word he did not consider had a place in his vocab
ulary, for he re-constructed the mill and began
the manufacture of lumber. In 1862 he was
drafted for service in the army, but feeling that
he could not leave his business he hired a substi
tute for $300. During the first year in which he
engaged in the sawmill business he made $1,000.
He continued to prosper, and as he secured capi
tal purchased timber land and extensively en
gaged in the lumber business. He built up and
improved the little town of Colyer, which was
named in his honor, and its growth and prosper
ity were due to the industries which he there es
tablished. He now owns three large sawmills
and two stavemills, and manufactures more than
one hundred thousand nail keg heads per month,
together with thousands of shingles and much
general building material. His landed posses
sions aggregate more than fifteen hundred acres
of timber and farming land. In the spring of 1894
he began the erection of the many substantial
buildings which he owns in Centre Hall, and in
March, 1896, he removed to the town, where
he had previously conducted business. He now
owns grain warehouses, extensive coal sheds,
and a large handle factory in Centre Hall, all of
which he has erected, together with his own
home and a good residence which he rents. He
personally looks after his extensive lumber inter
ests, and in addition is largely engaged in coal
and grain dealing.
Mr. Colyer married Frances Luse, of Gregg
township, daughter of George and Sally (Long)
Luse. Their children are: Emma, widow of
John Cooney, of Punxsutawney, Penn. ; Almira,
wife of George Ishler, of Tusseyville, Penn. ;
Anna, wife of James Spiker, of Patton, Centre
county; Ida, wife of Ambrose Lambert, of Will

iamsburg; Mamie, at home; Reuben W., a
farmer of Potter township. Mr. Colyer's pres
ent wife was the widow of Daniel Gunder. She
is a native of Dauphin county, Penn., and her
maiden name was Stiffler. They have one son,
William, at home. Mr. Colyer votes with the
Democracy at State and National elections, and
believes strongly in Democratic principles, but
when no issue is involved supports the man whom
he thinks best qualified for office. He is a mem
ber of the Odd Fellows Society of Centre Hall.
It was through his instrumentality that the post
office was established at Colyer, and too much
credit cannot be given him for his promotion of
the material interests of the community. His
life has been eminently successful, and it is the
success which is the pride of America — that of a
self-made man.

OBERT ARMSTRONG. Industry, frugal
ity, and honesty make an excellent founda
tion for success in life, and the subject of this
brief biography, a prosperous citizen of Belle
fonte, Centre county, has shown that he possesses
in a high degree all of these desirable character
istics. Like many of the leading citizens of the
county, he is of Irish stock, having been born in
County Monaghan, Ireland, in July, 1839.
John and Jane (Mullen) Armstrong, parents
of our subject, were both natives of that locality
and passed their lives there, the father being by
occupation a farmer. Neither lived to an ad
vanced age. Of their three sons, our subject
was the eldest. John and James, the younger
members of the trio, are still living in Ireland,
and are engaged in agricultural pursuits. As a
boy our subject worked upon his father's farm,
at the same time attending the schools of a neigh
boring town. His desire to come to America
was not fulfilled until 1867, when he crossed the
ocean and speedily found employment and es
tablished his home at Bellefonte. Faithful and
diligent in the discharge of any work undertaken,
he has won the confidence of all with whom he
had any dealings. On June 1, 1877, he took
charge of the gas works for the Bellefonte Steam
Heat and Light Co., and every day for more
than nineteen years he has been at his post of
duty. A goodly share of prosperity has rewarded
his well-directed efforts, and he owns some val
uable property.
In 1 88 1, Mr. Armstrong married Miss Sarah
Clark, also a native of Ireland, born in 1844,
and their home is made bright by three children,
John, Walter and Jennie. A typical Irishman,
our subject's warm heart and alert mind brings

492

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

him into sympathy with all phases of progress
in his adopted country. In religious faith he in
clines toward the Episcopal Church.

IK LFRED WALTER, cashier of the Mill-
J&L heim Banking Company, at Millheim, Cen
tre county, has won a high position in the com
munity despite heavy odds. Born of poor, though
respectable, parents, left fatherless at the age of
ten years, without rich relatives or influential
friends, and coming as a stranger to Centre
county in his boyhood, he won the confidence
and good will of all who met him by his upright
conduct, his attention to his business, and his
straightforward manner. Among those who
were thus attracted to him was J. C. Motz, one
of the shrewdest business men of Penn's Valley,
and the last person to repose confidence where
he was not convinced of the existence of sterling
worth and integrity. Judging only by what he
had seen of Mr. Walter as a boy clerking in a
store, he placed him, in 1872, as cashier in the
bank organized then at Millheim by J. C. Motz
& Co. No security was asked or offered, as he
placed implicit faith in the integrity of his pro
tege, and the result has demonstrated the sound
ness of his judgment.
Mr. Walter was born at Middleburg, Snyder
Co., Penn., February 3, 1850, the son of Isaac
and Lucinda (Reninger) Walter, both natives of
Snyder county. The father, who was a brick
layer and farmer by occupation, died in i860,
and the mother in 1867. Of five children our
subject was the eldest; Emma J. married Mr.
Hilbish, of Bristol, Ind. ; Thomas died in Phila
delphia; Christian resides in Union county, Penn. ,
and Amelia married W. M. Miller, of Union
county. The little family was scattered at the father's
death, and thus it happened that, when only ten
years old, Mr. Walter went to live with Chris
tian Walter, of Kreamer, Snyder county, upon
whose farm he worked for five years, attending
the district school in the meantime. He then
began clerking for Walter & Smith, merchants
at Kreamer, receiving only his board and clothes.
After two years the firm dissolved partnership,
and Mr. Walter went to Woodward, Centre
county, to clerk for J. W. Snook at $15 per
month; when the business changed hands he still
retained his situation, remaining three years in
all. His salary there was the first money that he
had ever earned, and his savings enabled him to
take a course at the Eastman Business College,
in Poughkeepsie, N. Y. On his return to Centre
county, he went to Millheim to enter the store of

J. W. Snook as a clerk; six. months later, at the
organization of the banking firm of J. C. Motz
&Co., he-became cashier of the institution, and
has since continued in that capacity. In 1878
six years after its foundation, the firm was re
organized under the name of the Millheim Bank
ing Company, as at present known.
Mr. Walter is a safe and trusty counselor in
financial matters and in local affairs, and although
he is unostentatious in manner and retiring in dis
position, he wields an influence in the community
that is difficult to measure. He is ever ready to
encourage any enterprise which will promote the.
interests of his locality, and his substantial sup
port is freely given when required.
In May, 1877, Mr. Walter was united in mar
riage with Miss Junie A. Musser, who was born
in Millheim, August 5, 1855, the daughter of D.
A. and Lydia A. (Shreffler) Musser. No children
were born of this union. Mr. Walter and his
wife are prominent socially, and he is a member
of the Masonic order. He is also a leading
worker in the Methodist Episcopal Church, hav
ing held the office of trustee for some time.
In politics, Mr. Walter is a Randall Democrat.
He does not endorse any Democratic platform in
every part. In this respect he shows the same
conservatism which governs his business transac
tions, and no issue is fully accepted until he thor
oughly understands it as a result of careful study
and research.

Ilf A. REDELIN, M. D., a leading physician
,/hL of Boalsburg, whose professional reputation
and social acquaintance extend beyond the bounds
of Centre county, was born in Philadelphia, Feb
ruary 28, 1869, a son of Charles and Ella
(Bishop) Redelin. The father was a native of
Sweden, born in Tidhola, near Stockholm, and
for twenty years was a sea captain.
In 1865 he emigrated to the United States,
and was employed in rigging vessels in Philadel
phia, when he met Miss Ella Bishop, who be
came his wife January 1, 1867. She was a
daughter of an Adams county (Penn.) farmer.
In 1 87 1 the parents removed to Mifflin county,
this State, where the father became foreman of
the Burnham Steel Works, but was killed by a
fall from some rigging, in 1882. The family cir
cle included seven children, namely: Louisa,
born in September, 1868, died in infancy; A. A.
is the second; J. S., born in 1872, is a machinist
in Mifflin county; Sarah M., born in 1874, is at
home; Anna, born in 1876, is also with her
mother; Charles, born in 1878, died in infancy;
and Gertrude, born in 1881, is at home.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

493

The primary education of our subject was re
ceived in the public schools of Lewistown, Penn.,
and in the academy of that place he completed
his literary course. In 1890 he entered Jefferson
Medical College, at Philadelphia, from which in
stitution he was graduated in the class of 1893,
but in the meantime had served as bookkeeper in
the Burnham Steel Works during his vacations,
and in that way earned the money with which to
pay his expenses through college. He began
practice in Burnham with Dr. McKim, but in
1893 located in Boalsburg. Although he came
into active competition with older physicians of
large experience, he soon gained the public con
fidence, and has now a practice which might well
be envied by many who have been much longer
in business than he. He has been a close stu
dent of the profession, and his broad knowledge
and devotion to the interests of his patients have
won him a skill and gained him a reputation that
is ind.eed enviable.
Dr. Redelin was married January 12, 1892,
to Miss Clara Kreig, fifth in the family of six
children born to Joseph and Elizabeth Kreig, of
Yeagertown, Mifflin county, where the father
was engaged in the manufacture of axes. The
Doctor and his wife have two interesting chil
dren: Albert N., born April 15, 1893; and Cath
erine A., born November 4, 1895. The family
occupy a pleasant home on Main street, and hold
a high position in the social circles of the com
munity. Politically, Dr. Redelin is an earnest
Democrat, and is secretary of the Boalsburg
school board. He is a prominent member of
the Centre County Medical Society of Bellefonte.
In religious faith he is also an active member of
the Lutheran Church, in which he is now serving
as class leader.

S\AMUEL H. STINE, a well-known and highly
) respected agriculturist of Patton township,
Centre county, was one of the brave ' ' boys in
blue " who so gallantly went forth to aid their
country in putting down the Rebellion. He was
born July 22, 1825, in Mifflin county, Penn.,
whence in 1830 he was brought to Centre coun
ty, by his parents, Jonas and Elizabeth (Gray)
Stine, both also natives of the Keystone State.
To this worthy couple were born seven chil
dren, as follows: John; a cabinet maker by
trade, married Rachel Leary, reared a family,
and died over twenty years ago. Hannah mar
ried Jesse Whippo, who died leaving a large
family of children, and some years after his death
she wedded John Hicks, who passed away about
1890. Leah is the widow of Michael Myers,

who died about nine or ten years ago leaving a
family, and she now resides in Bald Eagle Val
ley, Centre county. Jonas, a farmer of Patton
township, is married and has a family. Cathar
ine became the wife of Joel Lauder, and died in
1885, leaving eight children. Samuel H. was
next in order of birth. Elizabeth died in girl
hood. The education of Samuel H. Stine was such
as the public schools of Patton township afforded,
and he early became familiar with all kinds of
farm labor, so that he is now a thorough and
skilled agriculturist. On attaining to man's
estate he was united in marriage with Miss Rachel
Myers, and they became the parents of thirteen
children, six of whom died in childhood. The
wife died in August, 1876, and in 1881 Mr. Stine
wedded Mrs. Susanna Turner, widow of Samuel
Turner. The children of our subject who are
still living are: Elmira, wife of Scott Woods, of
Philipsburg, Penn. ; Margaret E., wife of William
Lytle, a farmer of Centre county; Harrison, who-
has lived in Philipsburg since 1888; LaFayette
and Daniel, who are residents of the same place;
William E. , who is married, and is connected
with the lumber interests of McKean county,
Penn. ; and Bert, who enlisted in July, 1895, for
three years in the United States standing army.
On February 11, 1862, Mr. Stine laid aside
personal considerations and joined Company H,
56th P. V. I. He participated in many impor
tant engagements, including those of Gettysburg,
Antietam, South Mountain and the second battle
of Bull Run, and at the battle of Cold Harbor
was wounded,-June 2, 1864. When his term of
enlistment had expired he was honorably dis
charged and mustered out February 18, 1865.
He now receives a pension of $12 per month,
and is the owner of a good home of fourteen
acres in Patton township, near Paradise. He
uniformly votes the straight Republican ticket,
and in religious belief is a Methodist. No man
takes a deeper interest or greater pride in the
moral and material welfare of the community, or
is held in higher esteem by his fellow citizens
than Samuel H. Stine.

T?<\ W. KRUMRINE. This gentleman occu-
Jr' pies no unimportant position among the
leading citizens and farmers of Ferguson town
ship, Centre county. He was born September
6, 1857, in the township where he still resides,
and is a son of John W. and Rosetta (Musser)
Krumrine, also natives of Centre county. In their
family were six children, namely: Sarah, who
married Calvin Myer, and died eighteen months

494

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

later, leaving a daughter, May; Susan R. , wife of
D. H. Fye, a farmer of Ferguson township, by
¦whom she has six children; F. W. , of this re
view; Laura M., a resident of Johnstown, Penn.;
Lizzie, wife of Benjamin Roup, of Spruce Creek,
Penn. ; and Elsie, who is living with her mother
at State College, Centre county. Our subject is
•descended from good old Revolutionary stock,
his ancestors having aided the Colonies in their
struggle for independence.
Mr. Krumrine, whose name opens this sketch,
is indebted to the public schools of Ferguson
township for his educational privileges, and since
laying aside his text books he has turned his at
tention to agricultural pursuits. He is the owner
of a valuable farm of 106 acres, which he has
placed under a high state of cultivation, and im
proved with good, substantial farm buildings.
On September 18, 1879, he was married to
Miss Annie Garner, and one child — John Frank
lin — graces this union. Politically, our subject
is a Jeffersonian Democrat, strongly favoring the
free coinage of gold and silver. He holds a
prominent place among the intelligent farmers of
the county, and his integrity, manliness and true
Christian character have won for him the respect
of the entire community. Religiously, he is a
faithful member of the German Reformed Church.

WILLIAM J. MYERS, of Pine Grove Mills,
Centre county, is a native of the county,
born in Harris township, August 18, 1846, a son
of Joseph and Elizabeth (Weaver) Myers. The
latter was a daughter of Jacob Weaver, of Union
county, Pennsylvania.
Our subject is one of a numerous family, the
others in the order of birth being as follows: (1)
Amos was killed during the three-days' battle of
Gettysburg, in July, 1863, and was buried on the
battlefield, but nine days later was disinterred,
and laid to rest in the cemetery of Boalsburg,
Centre county. (2) John, who died in June,
1884, was also buried at Boalsburg. (3) Mary
is living with our subject. (4) Sarah C. married
John Hummel, a hotel-keeper of Lilyville, Mif
flin Co., Penn., and died three years ago leaving
seven children. (5) D. W. , a butcher of Boals
burg, married Emma Stover, and has three chil
dren. (6) Wesley, also a butcher of the same
place, married Lizzie Heintzelman, and has two
children — John and Edward. (7) J. F. , a farmer
of Ferguson township, Centre county, wedded
Mary Lutz, and has three children. (8) John
and (9) Calvin died in infancy. (10) Henry F. ,
a coach maker of Alexandria, Huntingdon Co.,
Penn. , married Laura Foster, by whom he had

two children, and after her death he wedded
Jennie Rishel. (11) The next child died in in
fancy. (12) Adaline is the widow of William
Kline, a farmer of Benner township, Centre
county, who died in 1889; she has four children,
and now makes her home in State College, Penn
sylvania. The elementary education of W. J. Myers
was obtained in the schools of Singleton, Centre
county, and this was supplemented by a course
in the Boalsburg Academy, under Prof. Lescher,
who afterward became a Lutheran minister.
Learning the trade of a carriage maker, Mr,
Myers has since followed that occupation, and
the work which he turns out is first-class in every
particular. He was married in April, 1874, to
Miss Jennie F. Knode, a daughter of Daniel P.
Knode, of Alexandria, Huntingdon Co., Penn.
Four children have been born of this union: H.
C, born March 17, 1875, on September 29, 1896,
entered the University of Pennsylvania, in Phil
adelphia, where he expects to take a four-years'
course in medicine; and D. E., Hattie P. and
Franklin K. , at home.
For twenty-three years Mr. Myers has affili
ated with the Independent Order of Odd Fel
lows; in religious faith he is identified with the
Reformed Church. In politics he is a stalwart
Democrat, and favors the free coinage of silver,
believing that prosperity is doubtful with the
single standard. He is a man whom to know is
to admire, amiable in disposition, courteous in
manner, and honorable in his dealings with his
fellow men. With these characteristics it is not
strange that he enjoys the friendship of a large
circle of acquaintances.

WILLIAM NEESE. The Neese family of
Penn township, Centre county, is of our
oldest and best pioneer stock, and one of its most
esteemed representatives in this day is the gen
tleman whose name introduces this sketch. The
first American ancestor was William Neese, a
German by birth and a sailor by occupation, who
came to this State in Colonial times and settled
first in Snyder county, in the locality which is
still known as "Neese Hollow," having been
named in his honor. Later he moved to what is
now Centre county, and secured a large tract of
land in Penn township, where he made his home
over a hundred years ago.
Among his large family was a son Peter, our
subject's grandfather, who as a boy volunteered
as a soldier during the Revolutionary war, and
served gallantly in the ranks. He was a man of
great muscular power, and until a few years be-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

495

fore his death enjoyed perfect health. As a
farmer he was very successful, and he was the
first to improve the portion of the original tract
now occupied by our subject, and built the first
building there, the log dwelling house remaining
still as an interesting relic of the past. He died
there, at the age of ninety-one years, his wife,
Christina (Hess), surviving him some time. They
had ten children — four sons and six daughters —
but all did not live to maturity.
David Neese, the eldest son, and the father
-of our subject, was born at the old home about
1799, and was reared at the old home. He, too,
was a successful farmer, and at one time owned
about 250 acres of land. As a citizen he was
highly respected, and he contributed generously
to Church work and to other progressive move
ments. Politically, he was a Democrat, but,
while he served in various township offices, he
never became a politician as that word is gener
ally understood. He died in 1872, and his wife,
Susan, who was a daughter of Valentine Ker
steter, survived him only two months, the re
mains of both being interred in Heckman ceme
tery. Twelve children blessed their union: Eliz
abeth, the widow of Henry Alexander, and who
for more than forty years resided with our sub
ject, died in November, 1896; William is men
tioned more fully below; David is a farmer on a
portion of the original homestead; John died at
Spring Mills; Jacob is a blacksmith at Farmers
Mills; Samuel resides with oursubject; Benjamin
died in Wisconsin; Harriet makes her home with
cur subject; Sarah married William Grove, Jr. ,
of Benner township, Centre county; Rebecca
married Henry Moyer, of Gregg township, Cen
tre county; Emanuel also resided in Gregg town
ship; and Daniel died in childhood.
William Neese was born July 16, 1826, and
since the age of seven years has resided on the
eld farm, which has now been in the hands of
some member of his family for more than a cen
tury. As a farmer's son he was reared after the
customs of the times, his education being ac
quired in the local schools, with his uncle, Jacob
Neese, as his first teacher. A few years before
his father's death, Mr. Neese rented a part of the
home farm, and later he purchased the interest of
the other heirs, paying them in all over $6, 000.
Both parents dying about the same time, there
were two payments falling due very close to
gether, causing Mr. Neese great inconvenience,
but he was equal to the effort required. He now
owns about 1 19 acres of fine land, representing a
handsome competence, and is regarded as one of
the substantial citizens of the township. He has
never married. A nephew, W. H. Grove, son of

William Grove, Jr., and Sarah (Neese), resides
with him, and two of Mr. Neese's sisters and a
brother also make their home there, as stated
above. In the spring of 1895. Mr Neese retired
from active work, and enjoys in peace the fruits
of his past years of labor. He has always shown
a loyal interest in the advancement of the com
munity, contributing freely to religious and other
movements. He is an intelligent observer of
political affairs, and while he is a Democrat on
national issues, he is not at all bigoted, voting
independently when local interests only are in
volved. William Grove, the foster son of our subject,
was born January 30, 1867, and his mother was a
sister of William Neese. He was educated in the
common schools of Penn township, and came to
live with his uncle when but two years of age; in
fact was born on this farm, working for his uncle
till he was twenty-eight years old, since when he
has operated the farm. On February 5, 1895,
he was married, and then he took charge of the
farm. He married Tarn mie N. Corman, daughter
of John Corman, and they had one child, Dor
sey Monroe, born January 27, 1897, died June
24, 1897. ln politics Mr. Grove is a Democrat;
in religious faith he is a member of the Lutheran
Church.

JB. SPANGLER. Among the progressive,
enterprising and energetic farmers of Centre
county there are very few who are the peers
of the subject of this biographical sketch. His en
tire life has here been passed, having been born
April 4, 1847, in Potter township, where he still
makes his home. His parents, Jacob and Cath
arine (Wagner) Spangler, are both now de
ceased, the former dying in 1874, and the latter
in 1873. Our subject began his education in the Rock
Grove school, John McMinn being among his first
teachers. His advantages along this line were
limited to the district schools of his boyhood,
which were much inferior to those of the present
day; but he learned well and rapidly, and is a
well-informed man. His training at farm labor
was not so meagre, and his first lessons in agri
culture were upon the place of his birth, where
he continued to live with his parents until his fa
ther purchased the farm on which he now re
sides, and the family removed thereon. By the
provisions of his father's will he was to have the
use of the farm for a period of five years, which
he took advantage of, and on the expiration of
that time purchased it. It is a valuable tract of
114 acres, which he has transformed into richly

496

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

cultivated fields, and placed thereon many use
ful improvements. In February, 1880, in Potter township, Mr.
Spangler married Miss Euphemia Fortney, a
daughter of John Fortney, and they have two
children, namely; J. J., born in January, 1881;
and Myra R.
In his political affiliations, Mr. Spangler is a
stanch Democrat, an adviser and counselor of his
party in his section, and an earnest worker for its
success. He has served in a number of local po
sitions, such as tax collector, supervisor, overseer
of the poor and assessor, and has always dis
charged the duties of the office with promptness
and fidelity. He is one of the most prosperous,
energetic and industrious agriculturists of his
township, securing the best results from his work;
is numbered among its better class of citizens,
and enjoys the friendship of a large circle of
acquaintances. His estimable wife holds mem
bership in the Lutheran Church.

F

J. WEAVER has throughout his entire life
JT1 been connected with the agricultural and
commercial interests of Haines township, Centre
county, being at the present time a successful
butcher in the village of Aaronsburg. He was
born in that township, August 29, 1837, the
youngest son of Frederick and Catherine (Mark)
Weaver, and his early education was such as the
country schools of the locality afforded. His
health being poor, he was unable to attend school
much of the time during his boyhood.
Upon the home farm Mr. Weaver was reared
in the usual manner of farmer boys, assisting in
the work when his health would permit, and then
at the age of twenty-one he rented the old home
stead, which he successfully operated some thirty
years, the place yielding to him a golden tribute
in return for the labor devoted to its cultivation.
On the death of his father he purchased the farm,
where he continued to make his home until his
removal to Aaronsburg in 1886, since which time
he has engaged in the butchering business with
the exception of the year 1895, when he rented
his shop. He is a wide-awake, progressive busi
ness man, and a well-deserved success has
crowned his efforts. He was married, when 21
years old, in Haines township, to Miss Amanda
West, a native of Millersburg, Dauphin Co.,
Penn. , and a daughter of Solomon West. Three
daughters were born of this union: Olivia, wife
of George Kister, of Haines township; Joanna,
wife of Willis Musser, of Millheim, Centre county;
and Mary K., twin sister of Joanna, and the wife
of William Auman, of Millheim.

In connection with his business in Aaronsburg
Mr. Weaver, still owns a valuable farm of 200
acres in Haines township, and has one of the
most beautiful homes in the village. He has al
ways been a stanch supporter of the principles of
the Republican party, and has never missed an
election since casting his first ballot after reach
ing the age of twenty-one. He has always cheer
fully given of his means for the promotion of the
welfare of the community, and is truly one of the
representative and prominent citizens of Aarons
burg.

C\HARLES C. LOOSE. One of the chief
'l benefits of biographical research is found in
the examples thus brought to life of men who, by
persistent and well-planned effort, have won sub
stantial success. The story of the life of C. C.
Loose, now a prominent resident of Rebersburg,
Centre county, and one of the most prosperous
business men of Brush Valley, is a case in point.
He is a native of Millheim, Centre county,
and a son of Samuel Loose, a well-known car
penter and builder of Rebersburg, whose skillful
work is shown in many important structures in
this section, including the German Reformed
church at Madisonburg. The grandfather of our
subject was Abraham Loose, a cooper, who fol
lowed that trade for many years in Lebanon
county, Penn., where he also owned and culti
vated a farm of thirty or forty acres. Later he
sold this and rented a farm in Dauphin county,
six miles from Harrisburg, but his last days were
spent on a farm near Hogstown, Cumberland Co.,
Penn. , where he died at a ripe old age. His wife,
Elizabeth Petry, died some years before him at
the same place. He was an industrious man, al
though he never accumulated much property.
He stood well in the community where he made
his home, and was a consistent member of the
German Reformed Church. In politics he was a
Democrat. Of his large family of children all
lived to adult age, and all married. There were
thirteen in number, as follows: Daniel, John,
Dennis, Samuel and Joe (twins), Henry, Elias,
Catherine, Elizabeth, Mary, Susannah, Sarah
and Matilda. Tw6 are still living — Dennis, at
Millheim, and Henry, at Elkhart, Indiana.
Samuel Loose was born in Lebanon county,
August 1, 1 8 19, and received but meagre educa
tion in his youth. The schools of his native
county were all German, and when he went to
Dauphin county, where the instruction was given
in English, he had to begin again in all branches.
Among so many boys his help was not needed at
the farm, and in April, 1838, he returned to Leb-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

497

anon county to learn the carpenter's trade with
his brother Daniel. In the spring of 1839 the
latter moved to Aaronsburg, Centre county,
where the young apprentice completed his term.
He spent one summer at farm work in Cumber
land county, and then came back to Centre
county, and followed his trade at Millheim until
1847, when he removed to Morrow county, Ohio.
Here he located upon a farm, and in addition to
the work of the place carried on his trade suc
cessfully. In 1850 he returned to Millheim, and
after some years he settled in Brush Valley,
where he again engaged in farming in connection
with his other business. With advancing years
and increasing wealth he decided to make his
home in Rebersburg, where he might the better
enjoy the fruits of his years of toil. His sterling
qualities of character won the respect of all who
met him, and as a citizen he was influential in a
quiet way. Although he was not a politician, he
was a stanch Democrat. He died in October,
1896. On January 2, 1845, Samuel Loose was mar
ried, in Millheim, to Miss Elizabeth Brickley,
who was born January 18, 1821, in Union county,
Penn. Her family is noted for intellectual abil
ity, several of her brothers being Evangelical
ministers, and one a physician. Eight children
were born of this marriage, their names with dates
of birth being as follows: Sarah C, December
11, 1845, married John Ocker, of Miles town
ship; Mary L. , July 22, 1848, died March 13,
1849; Annie E., September 28, 185 1, is now
Mrs. Thomas Walker, of Miles township; Mag
dalena, June 13, 1853, died January 14, 1857;
Agnes, September 7, 1856, married Titus Gram-
ley, of Spring Mills; Charles C, April 14, 1858,
is the next in the order of birth; Alice R. ;
August 14, 1859, is the wife of Charles Gram-
ley, of Kane county, 111. ; and Ellen M., Septem
ber 18, 1 86 1, is now Mrs. Calvin Mallory, of
Miles township. The mother of this family, who
was a devout Christian, and a member of the
Evangelical Church, died February 6, 1889, and
her remains now lie buried in Rebersburg ceme
tery. Samuel Loose for his second wife married
Miss Lydia Bierly, of Miles township, who is yet
living. The early boyhood of our subject was spent
in Millheim, where he attended school for a time,
his first teacher being Miss Lizzie Cook. After
the removal of the family to Miles township, he
attended the country schools near his father's
farm, and in 1876 he attended the County Nor
mal School at Milesburg for a term, preparing
for teaching. In the fall of 1878 he took charge
of a school at Madisonburg, where he taught
32

two terms, and afterward he taught one term in
the Harter school, in Miles township.
On March 4„ 1879, Mr. Loose was married
in Millheim to Miss Ella Harter, a native of
Miles township, and a daughter of Emanuel and
Alvina (Bierly) Harter. He began housekeep
ing on his father's farm, which he rented from
the spring of 1880 to the spring of 1884, when
he moved to Rebersburg and engaged in mercan
tile business, remaining four years. With capital
secured by the sale of his stock and goodwill he
began the lumber business. His first purchase
of timber land was in the mountain north of Re
bersburg, and his timber cut from it was sawed up
at another man's mill. Later other tracts were
bought, and Mr. Loose engaged in milling on
his account. Since then he has often had as
many as three mills at work, two of his own and
one leased, and he now operates extensively in
Union and Centre counties, employing on the
average thirty men the year round. In 1891 he
built his present home, and his grounds, which
were merely a vacant lot when he bought them,
are now beautifully laid out and adorned. He
owns two houses in Rebersburg and considerable
farming land in Miles township. He also has
135 acres of farming land near Rebersburg with
250 acres of timber land in connection.
As a Democrat, Mr. Loose has been active in
local politics, and has held township offices at
various times. Thoroughly progressive in his
ideas, he is in sympathy with all movements
which he thinks beneficial to the community. He
has served several years as school director, and
is now in his fifth year as secretary of the board.
He is also one of the^ stockholders of the Mill
heim Electric Telephone Co., and president of
the Rebersburg Water Co. This last organiza
tion was chartered in the fall of 1896, prior to
which one-third of the town of Rebersburg was
formed into a company and furnished water for
themselves, while two-thirds of the town were
without water. Mr. Loose was one of the eight
men who applied for a charter, and after same
had been granted was the chief one to effect a
compromise between the two companies (not
without much opposition, however), so to-day the
entire town is consolidated into one company,
satisfactory to all.
Mr. and Mrs. Loose are prominent members
of the United Evangelical Church, and at present
he is superintendent of the Sunday-school, and
trustee in the Church, to which he is one of the
most liberal contributors. He is a charter mem
ber of Rebersburg Lodge No. 103 1, I. O. O. F.,
a' member of Bellefonte Encampment, I. O. O.
F. , and belongs to the Rebersburg Grange

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

C.\ A. KRAPE, a representative and prominent
^i citizen of Gregg township, Centre county, is
successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits, and
is a business man of more than ordinary capac
ity, enterprising and energetic. He belongs to a
family that has been long and prominently iden
tified with the interests of this section of the State,
and has been an important factor in its advance
ment and upbuilding. It was founded in Centre
and adjoining counties by four brothers — Jacob,
Adam, William and Abraham Krape — who came
from Dauphin county, and located in Brush,
Nittany and Penn's Valleys, and their descend
ants are now numerous throughout this region.
One of these, William Krape, the grandfather
of our subject, was born in Dauphin county,
about 1784^ and, on coming to Centre county
when a young man, located in Miles township.
In Brush Valley he married Miss Susannah,
daughter of Francis Gramley, after which he
removed to Gregg township, and about 1827
took up his residence upon the farm, in the same
township where the father of our subject now
resides, and there spent his remaining days, dy
ing in i860. His wife had passed away many
years previously, and they now sleep side by side
in the Union cemetery. In early life he worked
at the weaver's trade in Spring Mills, but later
turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, be
coming one of the most extensive farmers of
Gregg township. Originally he was a Whig in
politics, and later a Republican, while in religious
faith both himself and family were active mem
bers of the Lutheran Church. To the grandpar
ents were born the following children: Maria,
who married John Royer, and died in George's
Valley at an advanced age;* George, the father of
our subject; Peggy, who married John Emerick,
and died in Potter township, Centre county;
David, a resident of Haines township, Centre
county; Betsey, wife of William Ziegler, of Farm-
ville, Va.; Christina, who married Peter Yearick,
and died in Brush Valley; Susannah, who mar
ried Aaron Weaver, and died in Aaronsburg, Cen
tre county.
George Krape was born June 21, 1816, in
Gregg township, where he acquired his education
in the public schools. As a boy he was a natur-
ral mechanic, displaying a fondness for tools and
an aptness in their use, and in early life worked
at various trades, while in later years he did
much of his own work along those lines. He in
vented acorn planter, which proved quite success
ful, and sold several of them. After reaching
man's estate he was mostly employed upon the
home farm, much of which he cleared. At the
age of twenty-six years, he was married in Sa

lona, Clinton Co., Penn., to Miss Annie Best
who was born near that city in 1825, and was a
daughter of Peter Best, a farmer by occupation
For one year after their marriage they lived upon
a rented farm in Gregg township, and then lo
cated near Salona, Clinton county, where Mr.
Krape purchased eighty acres of land from his
father-in-law, and there made his home some
fifteen years. In 1856, however, he returned to
the old homestead in Gregg township, which he
purchased a year or two after his father's death,
and to which he has added thirteen acres, so
that he now has a valuable and productive tract
of 200 acres.
Eleven children constituted the family of
George and Annie (Best) Krape, namely: Mary
S., who died at the age of seven years; William
B., a resident of Spring Mills, who was born July
2, 1844, and during the Civil war served for two
years and seven months as a member of Com
pany D, 148th P. V. I. ; Jennie R., wife of John
Potter, of Milesburg, Centre county; James S. ,a
carpenter of Seattle, Wash.; Samuel S,, of
Spring Mills; Harriet, wife of Stephen H. Best,
of Gregg township; Alfred P., of Centre Hall;
Chesty, an accomplished musician, who is en
gaged in teaching instrumental music in Pasa
dena, Cal. ; C. A. and Howard G. (twins), the
latter a music dealer of Rebersburg, Centre
county; and Florence M., wife of Prof. F. F.
Rearick, of Spring Mills. The mother of these
children, who was a consistent member of the
Reformed Church, died in July, 1877, and was
buried in the Union cemetery.
Soon after the death of his wife, Mr. Krape
laid aside active business, and erected a very
commodious and substantial home upon hisfarm,
where he is now living retired. On November
16, 1880, he wedded Miss Catharine Decker, who
was born in Gregg township, November 11,
1832, a daughter of Jacob and Lydia (Weiland)
Decker. He has ever enjoyed perfect health,
although throughout his active business life he
toiled early and late in all sorts of weather. His
first vote was cast in support of the Whig party.
Later he became a Know-Nothing, and is now a
stanch Republican. Taking an active interest in
the improvement of schools, he served for ten
years as an efficient member of the school board,
and has also served his fellow citizens in the
capacity of supervisor for several terms. A
faithful member of the Reformed Church, he
took an active part in Church work for years,
and has always given his support to all worthy
objects which tend to promote the welfare of the
community. His estimable wife is a Lutheran
in religious belief.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

499

C. A. Krape, whose name introduces this
sketch, was born near Spring Mills, Gregg town
ship, November 3, 1859, and received the greater
part of his education in the schools of Penn Hall.
At one time it was his intention to attend col
lege, but he later gave up the idea, and at the
age of twenty taught for one term in Gregg
township, after which he began learning telegra
phy in the railroad depot at Spring Mills, where
he remained for fifteen months. Entering the
store of G. R. Spigelmyer, of that place, he
followed clerking for seven years, and subse
quently purchased the half interest in the Spring
Mills Creamery belonging to R. G. Eisenhart,
which in connection with T. M. Gramley he con
tinued for several years, meeting with excellent
success in the undertaking. He next embarked
in merchandising, owning the store now con
ducted by C. A. Mayer, and successfully carried
on operations along that line until failing health
compelled him to retire. He is now engaged in
the cultivation of his fine farm of eighty-five
acres in Gregg township, and also handles cream
separators, of which he sells more than any
other agent in Centre county. Besides his own
comfortable home, he owns another good resi
dence and business block in Spring Mills. The
success that he has achieved is due to his own
untiring efforts, enterprise and good manage
ment, and he well deserves to be numbered
among the leading and most capable business
men of Gregg township. f
On December 31, 1885, in Gregg township,
Mr. Krape was married to Miss Birdie R. Fetter-
alf, a native of Spring Mills, and a daughter of
Elias and Rachel Fetteralf. She is a faithful
member of the Lutheran Church, while Mr.
Krape is connected with the Reformed Church,
to which he has been a liberal contributor, aiding
greatly in the erection of the house of worship.
He has served as deacon, and secretary of the
Sunday-school, as well as chorister, his excellent
tenor voice well fitting him for such service. He
is one of the leading and most active members
of the Republican party in his community, work
ing hard for its success, and has been elected
auditor of Gregg township, overcoming a large
Democratic majority, a fact which plainly indi
cates his popularity. Socially, he affiliates with
the Grange.

LAWRENCE C. HARMAN, M. D., a well-
_j known physician and surgeon of Philipsburg,
Centre county, is no less noted for his ability in
business and finance than for his skill in his pro
fession. He is president of the Mahoning Lum

ber Co., and has extensive real-estate holdings,
including a fine brick residence in Philipsburg
and a tract of 145 acres of land at Aughwick
Mills, Huntingdon county, Penn., where he
erected a beautiful villa about eight years ago.
His professional interests are not sacrificed to
any others, however, as his best energies are
given to his practice. For three years he was
assistant surgeon of Philipsburg hospital, and for
almost four years he was surgeon-in-chief.
Dr. Harman was born in Huntingdon county,
October 7, i860, and is the son of Jackson and
Mary (Slack) Harman. His father is a native of
Mifflin county, Penn., was in early life engaged
in the furniture business, and for eleven years
was superintendent of the County Home in Hun
tingdon county. He is now living at the age of
sixty-eight years, and takes charge of our sub
ject's lands, spending his winters in Philipsburg
and his summers at the villa at Aughwick Mills.
He is a stanch Republican in politics, and a
prominent member of the M. E. Church. His
wife was a daughter of Jpab Slack, a leading
resident of Salisbury, Penn. , and a manufacturer
of plows and other iron implements and utensils.
Her mother died at the age of fifty, and her
grandmother, whose maiden name was Crown-
over, attained the age of ninety. The Crown-
overs were prosperous millers and agriculturists
of Huntingdon county. Jackson and Mary
(Slack) Harman had seven children: (1) Clara,
Mrs. J. B. Shipton, of Ennisville, Huntingdon
county; (2) John A. .a farmer at Manor Hill, Penn. ;
(3) Oscar, who died in infancy; (4) Lawrence
C, of this sketch; (5) Sadie (Mrs. George W.
Miller), who died in June, 1895, leaving a son —
Frank Lawrence Miller — who resides with our
subject; (6) Annie M., and (7) Minnie, both of
whom also make their home with our subject.
The Doctor's youth was spent in his native
county, where he attended the common schools.
When prepared, he entered Stone Valley Acad
emy, and later studied at Dickinson Seminary,
afterward teaching for one year. His medical
studies were then begun under the direction of
Hon. W. P. McKnight, of Shirleysburg, and con
tinued in Jefferson Medical College, Philadel
phia, where he was graduated in 1882. For a
time he practiced with his preceptor, and he then
located in Philipsburg. Here his professional
abilities won speedy recognition. He is an active
member of the State Medical Association, of the
West Branch Medical Association, and of the
County Medical Association. As a citizen he is
deeply interested in the movements of the time,
and he firmly believes in the doctrines of the Re
publican party. Socially he belongs to the

500

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Royal Arcanum. He is a director of the Moshan
non National Bank, which was established May
12, 1897, he being one of the organizers, and is
a director of the Citizens Building & Loan Co.,
serving his second term. Up to this time he has
maintained a state of single blessedness.

WILLIAM J. SINGER, an able and ener
getic lawyer of Bellefonte, now serving
his second term as district attorney, is deserving
of especial mention in these records as one of
Centre county's enterprising sons. Like many
of the most successful citizens of this country,
he is of German descent in both paternal and
maternal lines.
Conrad Singer, father of our subject, was
born near Wetzlar, in southwestern Prussia, in
1837, and came to America with his widowed
mother in 1850. He was the eldest of four chil
dren, the others being: (2) Margaret, who mar
ried John Creger, of Centre county; (3) Eliza
beth, who married John Glassner (both are now
deceased); and (4) William, also deceased. This
little band landed at Baltimore, Md. , and a per
manent home was soon found in Bald Eagle Val
ley, , Centre county. Conrad Singer became a
blacksmith, and carried on his trade at Romola
for many years. His wife, Margaret Glassner,
was born in Centre county in 1840, her father,
Christian Glassner, having come from Germany,
soon after his marriage, to settle in Curtin town
ship. He had been in the military service in his
native land, but fortunately his adopted country
made no call upon him for other than deeds of
peace. He was a good citizen, a man of deep
religious feeling, and a member of the Reformed
Church. Our subject's mother, who resides in
Nittany Valley, was the youngest of a family of
four children, the others being: Henry (de
ceased) was a resident of Centre county; Samp
son (deceased) was by occupation a farmer and
cabinet maker; Jacob is a laborer in Centre
county. *
Of the six living children of Conrad and Mar
garet Singer, our subject is the eldest; (2) Fran
ces married John Royhorm, of Clearfield; (3)
Malinda is not married; (4) Clara is the wife of
William Beck, of Snydertown, Penn. ; (5) Mabel
and (6) Benjamin are not married; one child died
in infancy. W. J. Singer, our subject, was born April 21,
1862, in Curtin township, Centre county. Until
the age of fifteen he attended the public schools
of Romola, but his further progress requiring bet
ter opportunities, he subsequently attended the
academies at Howard and Spring Mills, prepar

ing for the work of teaching, the usual stepping
stone of ambitious legal aspirants who depend
upon their own resources. He was just seven
teen when this hope was realized, and by teach
ing one term he secured funds for a summer's
study in the Normal School at Lock Haven
Penn. He taught school for four winters, and
then entered the freshman class in State College.
his studies there being supplemented with one
year under a private tutor, and a short time in
the academy at Spring Mills. In April, 1886,
he went to Bellefonte and began to read law
with Orvis, Bower & Orvis, and April 22, 1889,
he was admitted to the Bar. He remained with
his preceptors until the fall of 1892, when he was-
elected on the Democratic ticket to his present
office, which he has filled satisfactorily since Jan
uary 1, 1893, having been re-elected in Novem
ber, 1-895, f°r another term.
On November 20, 1890, Mr. Singer married^
Miss Edna Clark Trafford, who was born March
9, 1868, in Huntingdon county, Penn. They
take great interest in various social and religious
movements, and are identified with the Reformed*
Church. Two sons, Edward L. and John Traf
ford, brighten their home. Mr. Singer has been
a member of the Fifth Regiment Pennsylvania
National Guard since 1885, having entered as a
private. In 1888 he was promoted from the
ranks to the post of commissary sergeant of the-
brigade. In May, 1892, he was appointed com
missary of the Second Brigade. His post is no
sinecure, and he had charge of the commissary of
the brigade at Homestead and Punxsutawney.

LYMAN T. EDDY, the efficient and popular
 / manager of the McCoy & Linn Cold Blast
Charcoal Furnace, Rolling Mills and Chain
Works, located at Milesburg, Centre county, was
there born January 30, 1841, and is a son of
Thomas H. and Sarah M. (Moses) Eddy, natives
of Connecticut, where they were married and re
mained until 1838, when they came to Centre
county, locating near the Harvey Mann's Axe
Factory. For about four years the father was a heater
and striker in the same, and then removed to
Milesburg, where, in connection with his brother-
in-law, Reuben Loveland, he opened an axe fac
tory of his own, conducting the same for three
years. On going to Clinton county, this State,
on the expiration of that time, he operated an
axe factory under the firm name of Loveland &
Eddy until his death, which occurred in August,
1865, when he was aged fifty-two years. He was
an active member of the Methodist Episcopal

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

501

Church, a great Sunday-school worker, and be
ing an excellent vocalist took quite a prominent
part in the singing at camp meetings. He was
first a Whig in politics, later giving his support
to the Republican party. After his death our
subject took charge of his business interests for
two years, and then leased his share of the fac
tory to Mr. Loveland for three years, who later
purchased the same.
The mother of our subject, who was born
August 2, 1818, died February 6, 1897; she, too,
was an earnest member of the Methodist Episco
pal Church. In her family were four children:
Walter, who was scalded to death at the age of
two years; Lyman T. , of this review; Nancy,
wife of Samuel Watson, of Lamar; and Ira C,
a bookkeeper, of Williamsport, Pennsylvania. .
The educational privileges afforded Lyman
T. Eddy were rather meagre, and as a farm hand
he earned the money with which to pay his tui
tion at Dickinson Seminary, which he attended
at intervals for six years. At the age of sixteen
he was compelled to lay aside his text books,
and in October, 1857, began teaching in the pub
lic schools of Lamar, his term there covering a
period of seven months. For the two succeed
ing winters he taught at Hublersburg, Centre
county, then again at Lamar, and the next winter
at Flemington, Clinton county, while the follow
ing year he had charge of a school at Williams
port, Penn., from the ist of September until the
ist of November. For thirty-eight months he
followed that profession mostly during the winter
season, before attaining his majority, while the
summers were spent in farm work and in attend
ing the seminary at Williamsport. Mr. Eddy
then entered the employ of the Washington Iron
Works, at Lamar, where he remained some ten
years, filling the positions of bookkeeper, sales
man and manager. On November 1, 1872, he ac
cepted his present responsible position, which he
has so capably and acceptably filled, as his long
retention plainly indicates.
On August 10, 1862, Mr. Eddy was married
to Miss Margaret E. Walker, and to them have
been born two children: Alma F., wife of Calvin
Zimmerman, of Milesburg; and Clarence P., de
ceased when one year old. The mother's birth
occurred in Clinton county, October 30, 1837,
and she is a daughter of Philip and Judith (Moyer)
Walker, of Centre county, where the father died.
He was a prominent farmer, was called upon to
fill several official positions of honor and trust,
and was an active worker in the Evangelical
Church. The mother, who was born in 1808,
is still living on a farm at Clintonville, Penn. In
their family were six children, namely: Margaret

E., wife of our subject; Cyrus, who operates the
old homestead farm in Clinton county; Nannie
B., at home with her mother; Harry A., a
merchant of Lock Haven, Penn. ; James, who was
killed by the kick of a horse; and Abigail J., de
ceased. For almost a quarter of a century, Mr. Eddy
has been prominently identified with the business
and political interests of Milesburg, being elected
to several important official positions, the duties
-of which he has always promptly and faithfully
discharged. He has served as school director,
councilman and auditor, filling the last named
office at the present time. Fraternally he is con
nected with Bald Eagle Lodge No. 410, I. O.
O. F. , in which he has passed all the chairs.
Like his honored parents, Mr. Eddy is also a
prominent Church worker, belonging to the
Methodist Episcopal Church of Milesburg, in
which he has served as steward, recording stew
ard, trustee, secretary of the board of trustees,
president of the Epworth League, and class
leader for seventeen years. For thirty years he
has also been teacher in the Sunday-school, ten
years of which time he served in that capacity
in Lamar, and the past twenty ye'ars he has been
superintendent of the Sunday-school at Miles
burg. He takes great delight in music, which
he reads readily, is a vocalist of much ability,
and has devoted his talent in this respect toward
raising money for Church work. The poor and
needy always, find in him a warm friend, and no
man in Milesburg is more universally beloved and
respected than Lyman T. Eddy.

OBERT NELSON LOYD. A unique in
terest attaches to everything which is asso
ciated even indirectly with the days when this
section was a "waste, howling wilderness," and
its thriving towns existed not even in the fertile
imagination of the hardy pioneer who cleared the
forest from the sites upon which they have since
been established.
The subject of this sketch, who was born No
vember 9, 1825, in Philipsburg, Centre county,
at what is now known as Grant's Corner, is a son
of Charles Loyd, an Englishman by birth, who
went to that locality as a young man, with Dr.
Plumb, and for some time conducted a boarding-
house for Philips and Plumb. He was also the
"boss farmer" for Mr. Philips, who was then en
gaged in clearing extensive tracts of land. Charles
A. Loyd was married at Philipsburg to Miss Mary
A. Nelson, and his death occurred a few years
later, when he was aged thirty-one. Being a
member of the State militia, he was buried with

502

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

military honors. Three children were born of
this union, viz.: (i) Robert N. is our subject.
(2) Sarah Ann married Joshua Carney, of Phil
ipsburg, and both died and were buried at that
place. (3) Martha married William Washburn,
and died at Philipsburg. Our subject's mother
was born in Delaware about the year 1 800, and
died in 1875. In early womanhood she accom
panied her mother and stepfather, Mr. McClos-
key, to Centre county. She was of old New
England stock, her ancestors having come to
America in early Colonial days. After the death
of her first husband, she married a Mr. McClos-
key, whose mother taught the first school at
Philipsburg, the sessions being held at night.
As Mr. Loyd was a mere child when his fa
ther died, he was placed under the care of an
uncle, William Parker, residing at Bellefonte,
and he afterward kept the " Black Bear Hotel,"
four miles east of Philipsburg. In the spring of
1840 he returned to Philipsburg, where he has
since resided. In 1842 he learned the wagon-
maker's trade, which he followed until 1859,
when he engaged in the hotel business, building
the "Loyd House." This he conducted for
twenty years with gratifying success, and in the
meantime he was interested also in the lumber
business to some extent. Since retiring from the
hotel he has given but little attention to business,
looking well to his property. He was one of the
six who organized the old Moshannon Bank in
1 88 1. He is interested in mining at Winburne,
and owns some real estate at N. Philipsburg.
Mr. Loyd was married the first time, in 1849,
to Miss Amanda J. White, a native of Philips
burg. They had two children: (1) Charles, who
is married and resides at Vulcan, where he is en
gaged in mining, and (2) Martha, who was edu
cated at Tipton Seminary, in Blair county, Penn.
She married E. W. Bradner, and has four
children: Robert, John, Josephine and Carrie
Russell. The mother of these died in 1852, and
Mr. Loyd for his second wife married Miss Eliz
abeth Ayers, who died leaving one daughter,
Miriam, now the wife of George W. Morrison, of
Jersey Shore, Penn.; they have three children —
Edwin Loyd, Louis and Frederick.
After the death of his second wife, Mr. Loyd
married Miss Mary Ann Stewart, by whom he
had five children: (1) IdaM., who married Will
iam E. Tyson, and has one son — Edwin Loyd;
(2) Lula Belle, who was educated at Bordentown,
N. J., and is now at home; (3) Robert P., (4)
William P. and (5) Harry A. Death again en
tered our subject's home, taking the mother of
this little family; and Mr. Loyd formed a fourth
matrimonial union, this time with Miss Margaret

Cross, his present wife. They have no children.
Mr. Loyd is an Episcopalian in religious faith-
socially he has for many years been a member of
the Masonic fraternity; politically he is a Repub
lican, and he has always taken great interest in
public questions. He has been a councilman for
several years, also served on the school board
and was supervisor several terms. In 1863,
when the State was invaded, he responded to the
Governor's call for "emergency men," and
served under Capt. Ganoe and Lieut. Williams,
of Bald Eagle.

^MANUEL HARTER, a prominent and well-
to-do agriculturist of Miles township, Cen
tre county, is deserving of mention in this vol
ume not only for his own achievements, but be
cause of his being a member of a well-known
pioneer family.
Andrew Harter, his grandfather, was reared
on the banks of the Tulpehocken river, and
shortly after marriage with Miss Sally Rupp set
tled (about 1790) in Haines township, Centre
county, near Aaronsburg, upon a farm of 100
acres which he had previously purchased. The
journey was made in a covered wagon, and a
shoemaker accompanied the party to its destina
tion. Andrew Harter was a carpenter by trade,
but most of his time was given to clearing and
cultivating his land, which he took in a primitive
state. He built a cabin of hewed trees in one
day, occupying it the next, and in this humble
abode blankets two years served as the only
doors they had. Although he never became
wealthy, he acquired a competence, and after
twelve years the original cabin was replaced by
a more commodious structure. In religion he
was a Lutheran, and he helped to found the
Aaronsburg Church. One noticeable trait was
his frankness of speech, even the minister being
subject to this outspoken critic on occasion.
Honest and upright, his " word was as good as
his bond " in a business deal. His political con
victions as a Democrat were maintained with
characteristic firmness. During his later years he
did no work at his trade except in improving his
own property, but throughout his life he was often
called upon to doctor horses, as he seemed to
have a talent for understanding and treating
their ailments. At the time of his death, which
occurred during the Civil war, he was in his
eighty-eighth year, yet every one of his teeth
was in place and perfectly sound. His wife had
died many years before, and the remains of both
were interred at Aaronsburg. They had nine
children, of whom six lived to adult age; John

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

503

died in Gregg township, Centre county; Jacob,
in Nittany Valley; Andrew, in Penn township,
Centre county; George is mentioned more fully
below; William died in Haines township, Centre
county; and Lydia (Mrs. Henry Swartz) died
near Pleasant Gap, Centre county.
George Harter, the father of our subject, was
born in Haines township, Centre county, in
1805, and was reared to farm work. There
were no free schools then, his early instruction
being secured entirely in the German schools of
the day. He was an excellent penman, and in
later years became a prominent citizen of the
locality, noted for his successful management of
his farms, his estate being at his death estimated
at $17,000. He was five feet, eight inches in
height, and weighed 155 pounds, was strong and
robust, and an industrious worker. Although he
was never afraid to give voice to his opinion, he
was not quarrelsome, and never sued or was
sued in court. He was a Lutheran in early life,
later becoming an active member of the U. B.
Church, and he always took great interest in all
that pertained to local improvement. In politics
he was a Democrat. His first wife, Mary (Wolfe)
(our subject's mother), was born in Haines town
ship, in 1808, a daughter of George Valentine
and Sally (Wise) Wolfe. The young couple set
tled upon a rented farm in Haines township,
Andrew Harter giving to this son, as to all the
others, two horses, a wagon, a cow and two pigs.
Nearly all of the boys prospered after being thus
started in life, and George Harter was able, in
1 84 1, to buy from Jefferson Royer a farm of 210
acres near Rockville, Centre county. Later he
sold this and purchased the old Haines farm, in
Penn township, Centre county, where he lived
until old age caused him to retire from active
work. His last days were spent at Millheim,
and there he died at the age of seventy-eight.
His first wife passed away in Penn township,
aged fifty-three years, and his remains rest beside
hers at Millheim. His second wife, Mrs. Sally
Droxel, a widow, survived him, and after his
death returned to her early home at Annville,
Lebanon Co., Penn., where she died. There
were no children by the second union, but by the
first there were twelve, namely: Polly, widow
of George Royer, of Rebersburg; Lydia, who died
in childhood; Emanuel, our subject; Absalom, a
farmer of Haines township, Centre county; Susan
(Mrs. Michael Fiedler), of Millheim; Sarah, who
married Rev. Lewis Fleisher, a minister of the
U. B, Church, and died in Lebanon county,
Penn.; Daniel, a farmer of Brush Valley; Cath
erine, widow of William Neese, of Brush Valley;
Reuben, of Penn township, Centre county ; James,

who died in childhood; Phoebe (Mrs. A. R. Alex
ander), of Penn township, Centre county; and
George W. , of Millheim.
Emanuel Harter was born on the old farm in
Haines township, Centre county, July 31, 1831,
and while he was a boy his parents removed to
Brush Valley. As he was the eldest son and his
help was needed at home, his school attendance
was irregular, and he could not even take full
advantage of such opportunities as the locality af
forded. His father was engaged for many years
in hauling merchandise to and from Lewistown,
Lewisburg, Lock Haven, Flemington and other
points, and often hauled coal from Snow Shoe
for the use of blacksmiths. Emanuel proved him-
•self so capable and trustworthy that at an early
age he was placed in charge of a team, helping
even to haul clover seed to Little York, a trip
requiring fifteen days, and in all his work he
never had a horse die or a wagon break down, or
met with any serious accident of any kind.
After the age of eighteen he did not go to school
at all, but remained at home until he was about
twenty-five years old, his labor being given to
his father. He was a dutiful son, and there was
never an impatient word passSd between him and
his parents. On January 19, 1856, he was mar
ried in Millheim to Miss Lavina Bierly, of Brush
Valley, a native of Rebersburg, and a daughter
of John aud Priscilla (Wolfe) Bierly. Mr. Har
ter rented the old Jacob Brungart farm in Brush
Valley, and established himself there temporarily,
his outfit being entirely second-hand and pur
chased mostly "on time." He also lived for a
time upon rented farms in Penn township, Centre
county, and in the Nittany Valley, Clinton coun
ty, but in 1868 he purchased 218 acres of land
near Rebersburg, and has ever since resided
there. He sold 102 acres immediately after its
purchase to Samuel Loose, and for the portion
retained, which was worth $9,000, he went in
debt, having only about $7,000, which he had
saved, to apply upon it. About 1875 he pur
chased an additional thirty acres from William
Foster for $3,000, and this is now a part of his
farm. At various times Mr. Harter has owned
extensive tracts of mountain land, and still has
some of it, although he has sold portions as oc
casion offered. His farm is well-improved, and
a number of substantial buildings have been
built by Mr. Harter, in addition to those upon
the homestead. His home is well-furnished, the
equipment including a fine piano, one of the few
in Brush Valley. While both Mr. and Mrs. Har
ter have received property from their parents,
their losses have been greater than the amount
thus obtained, and their present prosperity is due

504

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

to their own effort. They had three children:
James C. died at the age of five years; Susan
Ella married C. C. Loose, of Rebersburg; and
Sally, an accomplished young lady, is at home.
Mr. Harter's sympathies are with the Demo
cratic party in the main, but when the best men
are on the other ticket he is sufficiently patriotic
and independent to vote for them. He has been
supervisor and overseer of the poor, and his pub
lic work has been marked by the same quiet de
votion to duty which has won his success in his
private business. For nineteen years he was
manager of the Bald Eagle, Nittany, Penn, and
Brush Valleys Turn Pike, this long term of suc
cessful service reflecting great credit upon him.
He is not connected with any Church, but has
lent more substantial assistance to various re
ligious movements than many who are members.

WILLIAM M. ALLISON. The Scotch-
Irish race, with its mixture of the practi
cal common sense of the "canny Scott" and
the warm impulses of the impressionable Celt,
has produced a large proportion of the men who
have led and are leading in the varied lines of
effort upon which our modern civilization is
based. The Allison family, which is so prominently
identified with the development of Penn's Valley,
furnishes many notable examples of this class,
and a brief review of their history will enhance
the interest in the sketch of our- subject, who is,
himself, a worthy representative. The first
American ancestor, Archibald Allison, Sr., the
great-grandfather of the gentleman whose name
opens this sketch, was a native of Ireland, and
was married there to Mary Kennedy, who was
born November i, 1730, in Scotland, Shire of
Galloway, Parish of Kirkmaiden, the third
daughter of John Kennedy. They came to
America with their family in 1773, landing on
the 1 8th of June, and settled in this State.
Archibald Allison, Sr. , died in Paxton township,
in what is now Dauphin county, October 6, 1783,
and his widow passed away June 6, 1808, in
Potter township, Centre county.
Of their children, Matthew, who was born
in 1750, was a young man at the time of the ar
rival of the family in this country, and the Revo
lutionary war breaking out soon afterward he
served as a soldier on the side of freedom.
Later he settled in the Nittany Valley, and be
came an influential pioneer citizen of Centre
county, being one of its first commissioners. He
died in Lamar township, February 9, 1828, at
the age of seventy-eight, leaving a numerous

family. By his first wife, Sarah Mahaffey, there
were four children: Margaret (who married Jo
seph Johnston), William, Mary and Sarah. His
second wife, Catherine Lamb, had six children:
Jane, Catherine, Samuel L., Eleanor, Archibald,
Jr., and John. His third wife survived him with
five children, all young: Jackson, Mary, Robert
C, Fred'rick E. and an infant in arms. The
youngest son of Archibald Allison, Sr. , was
John Allison, the father of Senator William B.
Allison, of Iowa.
Archibald Allison, Jr. , the grandfather of our
subject, was born in Ireland April 15, 1761, and
young as he was at the time of the Revolution
he took an active part in the defense of the front
ier during the troublous times which accompanied
the struggle for independence. He was stout
and heavily built, with a round, ruddy face and
flaxen hair, and possessed great muscular power
together with a bold and courageous spirit. In
politics he was a Federalist, and in religious
faith he was a Presbyterian. After the
close of the Revolutionary war he sought a
home for himself in Penn's Valley, purchasing
from the Penns the eastern third of what was
then known as the Manor of Succoth, north of
the Great Spring Tract. The homestead which
he founded is still in the possession of his de
scendants. On May 7, 1789, he married Eleanor
McCormick, third daughter of George and Mar
garet McCormick. Her father was the first set
tler at Spring Mills, having bought land of Reuben
Haines, and he built the first mill there. In
1787 he took up a tract of land south of the
creek, but owing to financial reverses this passed
into the hands of James Cook, who sold it to
James Duncan. Archibald Allison, Jr., died May
3, 1845, and his widow passed away January 27,
1848, at the age of eighty-four. They had nine
children of whom eight are deceased, their names
with dates of birth and death being as follows:
George, August 18, 1792 — September 28, .1866;
William, April 5, 1794 — February 11, 1877;
James, February 26, 1796 — September 18, 1863,
died at North Liberty, Adams county, Ohio;
Margaret, May 26, 1797 — May 12, 1846, mar
ried William Kelly, son of Col. John Kelley, and
died in Union county; David, May 22, 1799 —
December 22, 1877, married Lucetta McKibben,
and his death occurred in Clinton county; Mary,
May n, 1801 — September 27, 1856, died in
Adams county, Ohio; John November 22, 1803 —
January 23, 1844; Jane, September22, 1805, mar
ried Thomas Riley, and died in Kansas. The
youngest child, Eleanor, was born February 8,
181 1, married Dr. John Grossman, and died in
Adams county, Ohio, April 10, 1895.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

505

William Allison, Esq., the father of our sub
ject, inherited the sterling traits of his ancestors,
and at an early age entered upon his business ca
reer as clerk in a store at Harrisburg, where he
remained six or seven years. In July, 1827, in
company with James and John Potter, he opened,
a store at Browns Mills, now Reedville, Mifflin
county. In 1829 the firm was dissolved, and
Mr. Allison carried on the business alone for a
few years, when he moved to his old home near
Spring Mills. The death of his father in 1845
left him and his brother James and David and
James Potter executors of a large estate, with
many powers and trusts to be executed, and these
duties, together with the work of improving the
farms, buildings, barns and sawmills brought a
large amount of business upon his shoulders
which he managed with great success. On June
25, 1847, he married Miss Sarah McNitt, daugh
ter of William R. and Esther (McCoy) McNitt.
Her father was son a of Robert McNitt, one of
the first settlers in Kishacoquillas Valley. In
1847 occurred the failure of James and John Pot
ter, of whom Mr. Allison was a creditor to a con
siderable extent. He was preferred by them on
account of old intimacy and business relations,
and the judgment they gave him resulted in pro
tracted litigation, Mr. Allison sustaining his claim
ultimately. Meanwhile having purchased the
factory, hotel, and real estate at Potters Mills, he
removed thither, occupying the old residence of
James Potter. Here he managed his large inter
ests with his accustomed business skill, and,
backed by large experience, as a result uninter
rupted prosperity marked his declining years.
He was a man of great executive ability, laying
his plans with much discretion, and following
them up with vigor and determination. While
always well-informed on current events, he was
especially noted as a chronicler of the past. His
wonderful memory coupled with opportunities de
rived from his father's great age and unusual
fund of reminiscence, made him a veritable en
cyclopedia — a walking digest of the history of
Penn's Valley.
Mr. Allison was a stanch Republican in later
years, and previously a Whig, but while he man
ifested great interest in the success of the prin
ciples which he espoused, he was not a politician.
He was a loyal supporter of the government dur
ing the Rebellion, and his devotion was shown
in many ways. Many regiments from the north
ern tier of counties passed over the pike on their
way to the railroad at Lewistown, and in a sin
gle year he donated nearly a thousand dollars
worth of provision and meals. Although he was
confined to his home for a number of years pre

vious to his death by a paralytic stroke, yet he was
always cheerful, and glad to see his friends. His
remains now rest in the private cemetery of the
Allisons near Spring Mills. His widow, who was
a highly respected resident of Potters Mills, died
December 18, 1896. Five children also survive:
William M., the subject of this sketch; Esther
E. , born January 15, 1852, now the wife of
Frank McCoy, of the firm of Linn & McCoy,
iron-masters; Edward, born August 2, 1855, a
farmer in Potter township; Lillie E., born Sep
tember 28, i860; and Archibald, born June 27,
1863, now a plumber of Bellefonte.
With this introduction we may now turn to
the personal history of Hon. William M. Allison,
who now holds an enviable position in this sec
tion as a substantial business man, and an
honored and influential citizen. Illingworth, in
his work, " A Passing Glance at Penn's Valley,"
says of him: "Associating himself with busi
ness enterprises, he developed the talent neces
sary to manage successfully a large estate, and
to-day, besides his many interests, he is interested
in a large tract of the finest farming land in the
Valley." In disposition and manner he bears a
marked resemblance to his father, and his career
has added new luster to the family name. He
was born November 4, 1850, in Gregg township,
Centre county, about half a mile west of Spring -
Mills. His education was carefully provided for,
his elementary instruction being obtained at Penn
Hall, where unusually good opportunities for
that time were to be found. Later he pursued
his studies at Perrysville, Penn., and at State
College. His first business venture was the
management of the woolen factory at Potters
Mills in partnership with his brothers, Edward
and Archibald, and his ability and tact were dem
onstrated in its success. In 1887 he moved to
Spring Mills, and, in connection with the firm
of Allison Bros., purchased the gristmill prop
erty then belonging to the Barcroft estate. In
the following year the mill was thoroughly re-'
paired and remodeled at an expense of $9,000.
The John I. Noye rolls were introduced, and the
Smith system inaugurated, the establishment being
" up-to-date " in every respect. In addition to
this enterprise Mr. Allison is interested in the
coal business and in the marketing of farm prod
uce, his purchases in this line disbursing annu
ally many thousand of dollars in his locality.
His own extensive farming interests require and
receive his supervision, but despite his cares
and his high position in the community he is easy
of approach and friendly to every comer, even
the smallest boy being certain of kindly and
prompt attention to any errand.

506

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Mr. Allison is fond of good horses, and his
stables have held some fine specimens. He be
lieves in making proper use of all the good things
of life, and his elegant home near Spring Mills,
one of the finest in Penn's Valley, is supplied with
every possible convenience. Socially he is very
popular, his intelligence and geniality making
him a most pleasing companion. He is a mem
ber of the Masonic lodge at Centre Hall; also
belongs to the State Millers' Association, and in
1896 accompanied that body on an excursion to
Duluth and other points on Lake Superior.
On June 2, 1880, Mr. Allison was married to
Miss Lurana B. Higman, daughter of John Hig-
man, of Corning, Steuben Co., N. Y. She is a
member of one of the well-known families of that
section, and is highly accomplished, her educa
tion having been completed at the Elmira Col
lege, Elmira, N. Y. Four children — Charles E. ,
Mabel, William H. and Frank — brighten their
home. Mrs. Allison was formerly a Baptist, but
there being no church of that denomination at
Spring Mills she united with the Presbyterian
Church. Possessing in a high degree the public spirit
which has always characterized his family, Mr.
Allison has great influence in local affairs, and is
one of the leading Republicans of Centre county.
He has served creditably in several official posi
tions, and when a candidate he receives the sup
port of many political opponents, his popularity
not being limited by party lines. His first office
was as judge of elections at Potters Mills, a
strongly Democratic locality. In 1887 and 1888
he represented Centre county in the State Legis
lature, being elected in the face of a normal Dem
ocratic majority of 1000, which speaks volumes
for the confidence which his character and career
had inspired among all classes. His defeat in
the previous campaign for the same office was
caused by members of his own party, who under
estimating his strength, sought to "trade him
Aoff " in the interests of another candidate. Not
withstanding this defection, he came within thir
teen votes of winning the place, which, taking
all the circumstances into consideration, was a
remarkable test of strength. He is a generous
supporter of all local movements which tend to
promote progress, being especially interested in
educational affairs, and is now serving a third
term as member of the school board at Spring
Mills.

A'

the self-made business men of this land
show such marvelous changes from poverty to

wealth, and such pluck and endurance in the
face of misfortune, that the reader is constrained
to believe that prosperity can be attained by any
one who patiently and diligently makes the best
of his opportunities. Luck, some say, is a
factor, but the subject of this sketch, now a
prosperous business man of Philipsburg, did not
trust to luck when he left his early home in Ger
many at the age of twenty and landed at New
York, and it was by determined and well-directed
effort that he established a foothold in the busi
ness world, as the following biography will show.
Mr. Mayer was born near the "storied
Rhine," September 26, 1834, in the village of
Geiselberg, county of Waldfischbach, Rhine-
Bavaria, the son of Adam Mayer, and grandson
of Peter Mayer, who died before our subject was
born. Adam Mayer, who was a native of the
same locality, was born in 1812, and died in
1893. By occupation he was a farmer and stone
mason. He married Eva Edinger, who was born
in 1 8 16, and departed this life in 1872. In 1854
he and his eldest son, the subject of this sketch,
came to America, spending thirty days on the
ocean. They had not money enough to pay
their way from New York City to their destina
tion at Philipsburg, and consequently they
walked the entire distance amid the bleak and
wintry scenes of the month of February. They
found employment about eight miles from Philips
burg, with Capt. Grove, a lumberman, and
worked for him in the woods at cutting logs, for
three years. A small farm was purchased in
Clearfield county, and in 1856 the mother and
other members of the family came over, and
the interrupted home life was again enjoyed by
all. There were nine children besides our sub
ject: (2) Elizabeth, the widow of Jacob May,
resides in Kylertown, Clearfield county; (3)
Catherine married Jacob Mesenbagh, and lives
in LaSalle, 111. ; (4) Peter is a farmer at Kyler
town; (5) Michael is a resident of Centre county;
(6) Henry died a soldier's death as a member of
the famous Forty-ninth Regiment, P. V. I. ; (7)
Jacob lives in Helena, Mont. ; (8) Philip is a
farmer in this State; (9) Gottlieb went to the
West, and now resides in Wyoming; (10) John
died at Kylertown, Pennsylvania.
Before coming to this country Adam Mayer
had attended the schools of his native land, mak
ing good use of the opportunities they affordedt
and he had also learned the details of carpenter
ing and stonemasonry. He did not understand
English at all, however, and as he had but five
cents in his pocket when he arrived at Philips
burg he took the first work that could be ob
tained. After working in the woods for some

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

507

time he secured more congenial and profitable
employment as a carpenter and a stonemason,
and for twenty-five years he followed those occu
pations, and at the same time conducted his farm
of 125 acres in Clearfield county. He still owns
this estate, but about fourteen years ago he moved
to Philipsburg, where he bought a two-story
building for business purposes, 155 x 25 feet
with an "L" 25x40. For several years he was
engaged in the flour and feed business, but after
disposing of that he was no't especially engaged
in any line until 1891, when he took charge of
his present furniture store. In this enterprise he
has succeeded, as might be supposed from his
past triumphs, and he carries a large and well-
selected stock. Some years ago, after learning
the methods employed in the lumber business,
he made some profitable ventures in that line
himself, buying and clearing land and rafting on
the river. Land was cheap, and at one time
he owned about eight hundred acres. He in
tended to give a farm to each of his children,
but during the coal excitement it was found that
his lands were very valuable for mining, and he
sold them at a good price.
In 1857, Mr. Mayer went to De P6re, Wis.,'
and spent four years in a sawmill. While there
he met Miss Christina Switzer, who was born in
the town of Nurtingen, Kingdom of Wurtemberg,
Germany, November ,28, 1833. They were mar
ried in Milwaukee, Wis., November 17, 1859,
and have had eleven children, of whom nine are
living. The first was born in Wisconsin, and
died in infancy at De Pere, five miles above
Green Bay; at that time there were no railroads
in that vicinity, and boats furnished the only
convenient means of travel. (2) Mary married
Andy Neubauer, a farmer of Clearfield county,
and has six children — Jennie, Charlie, Effie,
Harry, Perry, and Henry; of these, the eldest,
Jennie, is married to August Johnson, who was
born in Sweden, and is now a merchant at All-
port, Clearfield Co., Penn. (3) Henry, who
conducts his father's farm, married Miss Tillie
Hoover, and has three children — Grover, and
May and Duff ^(twins). (4) Ellen, the wife of
John Stewart, of Clearfield, has two children —
Statie and Christie. (5) Elizabeth, the wife of
Herbert Caldwell, has two children — Gordon
and Samuel. (6) Clara married John Williams,
of Punxsutawney, Penn., and has two living chil
dren — Clara and Ruth, three others having died
at an early age. (7) Adam, who resides in Punx
sutawney, married Ruth Neal, and had two chil
dren, neither of whom is now living. (8) Beckie
married Louis Ernst, of Pittsburg, and has no
children. (9) Barbara and (10) Herman are at

home; and (11) Perry died at the age of eleven
years, and seven months.
Mr. Mayer and his family are prominent mem
bers of the Lutheran Church, and he has always
been interested in local progress. In politics he
was formerly a Republican, but of late he has
voted the Democratic ticket, and in 1896 he was
an advocate of free silver at " sixteen to one."
He is a director and stockholder in the New Mo
shannon National Bank (belonging to the Free
masons), which was organized in May, 1896.
Mrs. Mayer is a daughter of Jacob and Mag
dalena (Aberly) Switzer, both natives of Ger
many, where they died, the father when
Mrs. Mayer was but a child, the mother about
1862. They had six children who reached ma
turity: George, Jacob, Wilhelm, Rebecca, Henry
and Christena, none of whom came to America
except the last named, who was twenty years old
at the time of his emigration.

OBERT HUDSON. No country has af
forded greater opportunities to the poor
man than America; it is indeed the poor man's
land. Here an industrious, frugal man has a
chance to accumulate wealth. Many fail to do
so, but the best lay by some of their earnings,
and soon find themselves in the possession of a
handsome property. Among them is the gentle
man whose name introduces this article, a lead
ing harness maker and saddler of Philipsburg.
Mr. Hudson was born November 13, 1830,
in the city which is still his home, a son of John
and Hannah (Gattice) Hudson, natives of Stock
port, Lancashire, England, and Glasgow, Scot
land, respectively. They met and were married
in Philipsburg, whither the father had come with
Hardin Philips in 1 79-. He was a butcher by
trade, and a consistent member of the Episco
pal Church. He was twice married, his first
wife being a Miss Dale, by whom he had three
children: Hannah, widow of Serines Howe, who
served as sheriff of Clearfield county, Penn. ;
Mary A., deceased wife of William Henfield,
who is now living at the Soldiers' Home in Erie,
Penn. ; and Lloyd, who died when young. By
his marriage with the mother of our subject
he had three sons and one daughter, namely:
John, who is living retired in Philipsburg; Robert;
William, ex-street commissioner of Philipsburg;
and Emma, who married Thomas Freeman, and
after his death wedded a Mr. Clark, of Madison,
Maine. Since the tender age of ten years, Robert
Hudson has been dependent upon his own re
sources for a livelihood, first being employed by

508

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Rev. Lord, an Episcopal clergyman, with whom
he remained for one year. During the following
two years he was engaged in farming, and then
spent nine months in teaming. Subsequently he
made his home with Dr. Hill for three years,
during which time he was allowed to attend
school. On leaving the Doctor, he served an ap
prenticeship of three years to the saddlery busi
ness with James Alexander, but later was in the
employ of Dr. Foster, of Philipsburg, for one year.
After a short time spent in Pittsburg, Penn., he
returned to his native city, where he worked five
years for Jesse L. Test, a saddler and harness
maker, when he purchased the business, becom
ing proprietor in 1859. After successfully con
ducting the establishment for two years, the
Civil war broke out, and prompted by a spirit of
patriotism he laid aside personal interests and
enlisted in Company H, 148th P. V. I., under
Capt. Furland, a physician of Bellefonte. He
was never wounded, and when the war was over
was honorably discharged, June 1, 1865.
Returning to his home in Philipsburg, Mr.
Hudson resumed business, and soon built up a
large and profitable trade. Owing to ill health
he was obliged to lay aside active labor on June
9, 1896, but after six weeks spent in Anson,
Maine, he had so far regained his usual health as
to be able to again open his store in Philipsburg.
He is widely known in business circles as a man
of undoubted integrity, conducting his interests
with ability and a strict regard to details. He is
a stalwart Republican in politics, and fraternally
is a member of the I. O. O. F. Lodge No. 206,
of Philipsburg, of the G. A. R. , and of the R. O.
V. L. As a citizen he deserves the high regard
in which he is universally held, and in social
circles he and his estimable wife hold an enviable
position. On the 24th of December, 1868, at Philips
burg, Mr. Hudson was married by Rev. Foster,
to Miss Susan Harpster, and seven children came
to bless their union: Margaret M. (wife of N. N.
Davis, a jeweler of Philipsburg), Laura, Charles
R. , Thornly B. and Stanley J., all at home;
Lewis, deceased; and Jesse L. T. , at home.

JOHN G. PLATT, of Philipsburg, Centre
county, is one of the most energetic and en
terprising citizens of that thriving city, his
extensive wholesale grocery business being con
ducted after metropolitan methods, and reflect
ing unusual judgment and skill. Although the
business is owned by a stock company, he was
its chief promoter, and has been its manager and
chief from the start, achieving a success which

would have done credit to a much older head.
Besides the store in Philipsburg, which is equal,
in magnitude and business, to any large city
establishment, he has another at Du Bois, in
Clearfield county, of equal proportions, and six
salesmen are kept constantly on the road. The
business is exclusively wholesale, and stands
second to none of the kind in the State.
Mr. Piatt was born May 7, 1863, at Ypsil-
anti, Mich. , and is a descendant of a family whose
various members haVe held honorable positions
in life wherever they might be placed. His line
of descent is traced to one of two brothers who
came from France at an early day to make their
homes in America, one locating in New York City,
and the other at the site of the present city of
Plattsburg, N. Y. From the latter was de
scended James Piatt, our subject's great-grand
father, who lived and died in Rensselaer county,
New York. Edwin A. Piatt, the grandfather of
our subject, was born at Stephentown, Rens
selaer county, N. Y. , whence in 1833 he removed
to Michigan, where he passed his remaining years
in agricultural pursuits. His wife, Caroline Par
dee, also died in Michigan. Of their five chil
dren, Alfonso Piatt, our subject's father, was the
eldest: (2) Pardee, now a resident of Detroit,
married Miss Fannie Alger, sister of Gen. R. A.
Alger, formerly governor of Michigan, and for
many years past a prominent figure in national
politics. (3) Henry D. is a farmer at the old
homestead (bought in 1833), near Ypsilanti,
Mich. (4) Susan married John Roreson. (5)
Lenota, who has not married, resides at Luding-
ton, Mich. The Michigan branch of the family
is highly connected, and Mrs. Don M. Dickenson,
of Detroit, was a Miss. Piatt, and full cousin to
our subject's father. Mrs. Caroline (Pardee)
Piatt, grandmother of our subject, was of Scotch
descent, and related to an old family of Rensse
laer county, N. Y. She was a sister of Ario
Pardee, of Hazelton, Penn., a millionaire lumber
and coal "king." The Pardee family, in com
pany with the Platts, moved to Michigan in 1833,
settling near Ypsilanti.
Alfonso Piatt was born November 19, 1825,
at the old home in Rensselaer county, N. Y., but
accoinpanied his parents to the West when a
child, and was reared there. Mercantile life at
tracted him, and after clerking in a store for
some time, he engaged in business for himself
at Ypsilanti, remaining until he was forty-five
years old, when he moved to Hazeltort, Penn.,
to take charge of a store for A. Pardee & Co.
Later he spent six years in Virginia, but return
ing to Hazelton he resided there eight years be
fore finally locating in Philipsburg, where he is

"$£^.<5&uxs

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

509

now living in retirement. He is a Republican in
politics. His first wife was Miss Martha E.
Tower, who died in 1865, aged thirty-two years;
only two of their six children lived to maturity,
John G. and Ario Pardee. His second wife was
Harriet (Redner) Tower, and two children, Pearl
and Harcy, were born to this union.
J. G. Piatt was five years old when his father
removed to this State, and he attended the first
school in Hazelton.' After a brief residence in
Virginia, he spent some time in Michigan, and
acquired a practical education in the State Nor
mal School at Ypsilanti. He then clerked in a
wholesale grocery store in Detroit, for a time,
and on his return to Hazelton he became book
keeper for J. F. Barber & Co., remaining with
them several years. With his abilities thus devel
oped by experience, he went to Philipsburg in
1888, and established his present mammoth es
tablishment, speedily winning a high rank in
business circles. His offices are well adapted
for business, and are thoroughly up-to-date in
equipment. Mr. Piatt's wife, formerly Miss Alice Turn-
bach, is a native of Black Creek township, Lu
zerne Co., Penn., born in January, 1863. One
daughter, Lucile, brightens their home. The
entire family are members of the Presbyterian
Church, and active workers therein. Socially
Mr. Piatt is a Freemason, and member of the
Royal Arcanum. In his political predilections
he is a Republican, and has efficiently served on
the city council three years.

F

«ANK McFARLANE. Among the best cit-

JT1 izens of the country, there are few that are
the peers of the representatives of the Scotch-
Irish race, who have taken so active and prom
inent a part in the development and upbuilding
of theNew World. Their sturdy physical strength
and inborn frugality, thrift and industry, are still
characteristically developed in their representa
tives in America. The subject of this sketch,
who is a well-known farmer of Harris township,
is a magnificent specimen of this hardy race.
He occupies an elegant brick residence one-half
mile east of Boalsburg, surrounded by a beauti
ful lawn, and is on the site of the old Springfield
mill, near the head waters of Spring creek.
Oursubject traces his ancestry back to James
McFarlane, who made his home in Huntingdon
county, near Lewistown, Penn., and on March
14, 1782, wedded Mary Smith. Their family
numbered ten children, as follows: Mary Eliza
beth, who was born May 16, 1783, and married
John Thompson; Rosanna, born February 23,

1786; Janet, who was born July 15, 1788, and
became the maternal grandmother of our subject;
James, who was born November 3, 1790, and be
came the paternal grandfather of our subject;
Mary, born April 15, 1793; William, born Jan
uary 30, 1796; Margaret, born July 17, 1798;
Robert, born December 9, 1800; Andrew, born
February 20, 1803; and Nancy, born May 14,
1805. James McFarlane, Jr., when a young man
became a resident of Harris township, Centre
county, his home being near Branch, where he
owned and cleared a tract of land. On March 30,
1824, he was united in marriage with Miss Lilly
Henry, whose death occurred May 21, 1828. He
survived her many years, dying near Lemont,
Centre county, October 8, 1869. Two children
were born to them: William, the father of our
subject; and Robert, who was born November 6p
1826. Thelatter held a colonel's commission in
the Civil war, was engaged in the hardware busi
ness in Bellefonte, but died in his store in Belle
fonte May 18, 1 89 1.
The birth of William McFarlane, father of
our subject, occurred at Branch, Harris town
ship, January 8, 1825, and in the common
schools of that place and Shingletown he se
cured his early education, which was supple
mented with a course in the academies at Boals
burg and McAlistervilie, Penn. On leaving
school at the age of twenty, he returned to his
father's farm, which he operated for several
years. He was married May 30, 1849, to Miss
Margaret Kyle, who died February 21, 1869.
Four children blessed their union: James, born
May 3, 1852, died August 20, 1853; Joseph K.,
born January 30, 1854, is a farmer of Buffalo
Run Valley, Centre county; Frank is next in or
der of birth; and Janet, born October 23, 1861,
is living with our subject. For a year after his
marriage, the father continued to reside at
Branch, and then for five years made his home
at Buffalo Run, Centre county, while for fourteen
years subsequently he lived at Puddingtown,
near Lemont, College township. In 1872 he
purchased 195 acres near Boalsburg, on which he
made many excellent improvements, and there
died August 12, 1893, honored and respected by
all who knew him.
At Buffalo Run, Centre county, Frank Mc
Farlane was born June 14, 1857, and in the
common schools of Centre Furnace began his
literary education. After taking a preparatory
course in Boalsburg Academy, he entered the
agricultural department of State College, but at
the end of two years was obliged to give up
study on account of his eyesight, which had been

510

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

affected by an attack of typhoid fever. He then
became overseer of the estate near Boalsburg,
which position he is still acceptably filling, and
with him resides his sister Janet. They are
widely and favorably known throughout the com
munity, and enjoy the friendship of a large circle
of acquaintances. He is a prominent and active
member of the Christian Endeavor Society, and
an ardent Republican in politics, advocating the
gold standard. He has two relics which he
values very highly — one, a gold-mounted sword
presented to his uncle Robert by the men of the
148th P. V. I., of which regiment he was colo
nel; the other relic is a cane of straight-grained
hickory, whittled from an octagonal piece of
wood by his great-greatuncle, William McFar
lane, a captain in the Continental army during
the Revolutionary war. This was done while he
<was in prison in New York City, held as a British
captive. The cane is forty-eight inches long,
and bears the inscription : ' ' Capt. William Mc
Farlane, prisoner one year, ten months and five
days, New York, September 21, 1776."

WILLIAM E. CRUST, well known through
out Benner township and vicinity, has
spent his entire life in Centre county. He is
now the owner of a valuable farm of 1 50 acres,
to the cultivation and improvement of which he
devotes, his time and attention with most satis
factory results. The well-tilled fields and sub
stantial farm buildings stand as monuments to
his thrift, industry and enterprise.
Mr Crust was born in College township, and
is a son of James and Mary (Osmer) Crust, both
natives of England. During his youth the fa
ther crossed the Atlantic to America, while the
mother was brought here when two years of age,
by her parents, who spent their last days in Ben
ner township, Centre county. In the family of
Mr. and Mrs. Crust were the following children:
Mary Ann, widow of Samuel Saxon, who was
killed in the Scotia mines; Sarah J., deceased
wife of George Singleton, who has again married
since her death, and is now living in Canoe Val
ley, Blair Co., Penn.; James H., who died leav
ing a family, now residents of Scotia, Centre
county; Katharine, wife of Edward Marshall, of
Patton township. Centre county; Emeline, wife
of William Lutz, of Benner township; George,
who died in infancy; Sophia, wife of John Reed,
of Huntingdon county, Penn.; R. H., who mar
ried Jennie Shope, and is living in Patton town
ship; William E., of this sketch; Adaline, wife of
Joseph Shope, of Renovo, Clinton Co., Penn.;

Amelia, wife of David Hoover, of Altoona, Penn.;
T. L. , a school teacher of Peru Station, Centre
county; Ira, who died at the age of two years;
and Eva L., wife of Robert Coral.
On reaching a sufficient age, William E.
Crust entered the. public schools of College town
ship, but completed his education in Spring
township, Centre county. He was reared to
farm work, which he made his life occupation.
On February 5, 1880, he was united in marriage
with Mary Martin, and they became the parents
of six children: Miles, who died November 2,
1 881; Mary A.; Edgar, who died in infancy on
the 15th of May, 1883; Charles T. ; James F. ;
and Clarence W. Mr. Crust is an earnest sup
porter of the men and measures of the Republic
an party, and in religious faith is a Methodist. ¦
He enjoys the esteem and confidence of his
neighbors, and is regarded in all respects as an
honest man ana a good citizen.

J'OHN B. WETZEL, a typical, self-made
man, is one of those, who, without extraor
dinary family or pecuniary advantages at the
commencement of life, have battled earnestly
and energetically, and by indomitable courage
and integrity achieved both character and for
tune. By sheer force of will and untiring effort
he has worked his way upward. He is now the
proprietor of the Empire Iron Works, located at
Howard, Centre county.
Mr. Wetzel is a native of Centre county, born
in Hublersburg, March 1, 1863, and is a son of
Tobias B. and Mary (Mitchell) Wetzel, who
were natives of New Berlin, Union Co., Penn.,
where they were married and remained until
1855, which year witnessed their arrival in Cen
tre county. They first located near Hublersburg,
whence, in 1865, they removed to Millheim, later
to Flemington, Clinton county, and are now resi
dents of Lock Haven, Penn., where the father
is engaged in farming and dairying. He is a
public-spirited, energetic man, taking a promi
nent part in public affairs, and has held several
local offices. His political support is given the
Republican party, and in religious belief he is a
Lutheran. Four children constitute his family,
namely: Howard, a machinist of Lock Haven;
Curtin, a well driller of the same place; John
B., of this sketch; and Emma, wife of Isaac
Aullabaugh, who is connected with the W. A.
Hileman Furniture Co., of Lock Haven.
Until 1883 our subject remained with his par
ents, attending school and aiding his father in
the work of the farm. He also served an ap-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

511

prenticeship to the machinist's trade in the Nov
elty Iron Works of Lock Haven, and- after leav
ing home went to Moshannon, Centre county,
where in partnership with John McCartney he
established the Empire Iron Works. At the end
cf two years he purchased his partner's interest,
and continued the business alone for a year,
when his plant was destroyed by fire. He then
came to Howard and erected his present iron
works, which he has since successfully operated,
manufacturing plows, building engines, and do
ing general repair work of all kinds. He started
out in life for himself with a cash capital of but
$35, and from this small beginning has built up
his present extensive business.
On July i, 1886, Mr. Wetzel was mar
ried to Miss Mary E. Bechdol, and to them
have been born five children : David and Edward
{twins), who died in infancy; Mamie L. , who also
died in infancy; and Harry T. and William G. ,
at home. Mrs. Wetzel was born at Marsh
Creek, Centre county, March 15, 1855, and is a
daughter of David and Elizabeth (Thiel) Bechdol,
natives of Eagleville, Centre county. The fa
ther was a farmer by occupation, and a mem
ber of the Disciple Church, while the mother
held membership in the German Reformed
Church. He died March 4, 1891, at the age of
seventy-eight years and twenty-six days, and
she passed away March 13, 1867, at the age of
thirty-seven years. In their family were seven
children, as follows: Lida, who resides on the
old homestead; Susan, wife of William Wentzel,
a blacksmith of Flemington, Penn.; Mary E.,
wife of our subject; Sarah, also residing on the
old homestead; David, deceased; Emma and
Jacob, residing with their sisters at the old home;
and Edward, deceased.
Although a young man, Mr. Wetzel has al
ready attained to a measure of prosperity that
many a one who started out on life's journey be
fore him might envy. He has a wide reputation
as a most capable workman and an upright, reli
able business man, progressive and energetic.
He was reared in the Lutheran faith, but now
holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal
Church, in which he is an active worker. In
politics he is identified with the Republican party,
giving his influence and vote to secure the pas
sage of its measures and the election of its can
didates.

C GEORGE B. UZZELL. The subject of this
j history is one of the prominent citizens' of
Clarence, Centre county, and the owner and pro
prietor of the leading hotel of the place. A

native of Centre county, he was born in Snow
Shoe, May 10, 1863, and is a son of John G.
Uzzell, a Welchman by birth. In 1843, the
father accompanied his parents on their emigra
tion from Wales to the United States, being at
that time ten years of age. They located at
Karthaus, Clearfield Co., Penn., where the
grandfather obtained employment at the furnace.
In 1854 John G. Uzzell came to Centre coun
ty, and at first engaged in blacksmithing in Snow
Shoe, where in 1862 he erected a hotel, which
is still in use. He is now principally interested
fn agricultural pursuits, and upon a tract of 500
acres in the Alleghany Mountains makes a
specialty of raising deer, while the streams he
has well stocked with fish. An enterprising,
progressive man, he was one of the first to clear
land in Snow Shoe township. He married
Elizabeth Etters, born in Centre county, in 1838,
and to them were born three sons: John, who
died at the age of six years; George B., of this
sketch; and James F., at home. George B. ob
tained a good practical education in the public
schools of Centre county, and continued to assist
his father in the work of the farm and in the
hotel until 1893, when he purchased his present
hotel in Clarence, and has since successfully con
ducted the same. The interests and comforts of
his guests are the great objects that he is striving
for, and no more genial and pleasant landlord
can be found in a wide range of country. The
house is well fitted up, is convenient and com
fortable, and the cuisine is unexceptionable.
In May, 1886, at Snow Shoe, Mr. Uzzell was
married to Miss Fannie Kramer, and five children
were born to them: Bernice, who died of diph
theria, at the age of seven years; Elizabeth, who
died at the age of two; Annie, who also died of
diphtheria when two and one-half years old;
James G., who is with his parents; and one who
died unnamed. Mrs. Uzzell was born in Pine
Glen, Centre county, June 24, 1866, a daughter
of John H. and Rebecca J. (Fye) Kramer, na
tives of Penn's Valley, Centre county, the former
born December 16, 1830, and the latter May
27, 1841. They were married in Burnside town
ship, same county, and became the parents of
five children: Annie, wife of James Emerick, a
hardware agent residing in Somerset county,
Penn. ; Carrie, wife of Edward Davis, a mine
foreman of Clearfield county, Penn.; Fannie;
Harry, a blacksmith of Holt Mines, Centre
county; and Theodore, a railroad fireman of
Clearfield. For a short time after their marriage,
Mr. and Mrs. Kramer made their home in Clear
field county, and then returned to Centre county,
where they are now living retired. • By trade the

512

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

father is a carpenter. The maternal grandpar
ents of Mrs. Uzzell, John and Margaret (Bowes)
Fye, were natives of Ireland.
Mr. Uzzell takes an active interest in civic
societies, and is a prominent member of the
Golden Eagle, the American Mechanics and the
Odd Fellows fraternities, while politically he is-
a stanch adherent to the principles formulated by
the Democratic party. He and his wife hold an
enviable position in the social circles of the com
munity where they make their home, and have
many warm friends throughout the county.

J ALBERT WALTON, postmaster at Philips
burg, Centre county, is a genial young
gentleman whose efficiency in any line of effort
undertaken bespeaks unusual ability and energy.
He was born in England, May 13, 1867, a son
of John and Mary (Cook) Walton, both also na
tives of that country, who came to America
when our subject was about two years old, and
located at Philipsburg, Penn., before the develop
ment of the coal fields of this section was begun.
In that work John Walton took an active part,
becoming' one of the leading prospectors, and
he also developed and operated some valuable
coal lands. He had been a contractor in Eng
land, and had gained a practical knowledge of
coal mining there. He still owns an interest in
certain properties, but has retired from active
business, and with his estimable wife is enjoying
a quiet life at their home in Philipsburg.
J. Albert Walton is the only child of his par
ents, and as he has lived in Philipsburg from
childhood, he is thoroughly identified with the
place. After completing a course of study in
the public schools there, he became a book
keeper in the office connected with his father's
mining business. At an early age he began to
show a liking for politics, and time has demon
strated his possession of decided ability in that
line. In June, 1896, he was commissioned post
master at Philipsburg, by President Cleveland;
confirmed by the Senate, and re-commissioned
by President McKinley in March, 1897. He has
since filled the office to the entire satisfaction of
all concerned. On July 18, 1889, Mr. Walton was united in
marriage with Miss Annie Laura Burchfield,
daughter of William E. Burchfield, ex-register
of deeds of Centre county. Three children
have blessed this union: Sue E., John and
William B. In musical and social life Mr. Wal
ton and his wife hold a leading place. The fam
ily is connected with the Episcopal Church, and
our subject for several years has been secretary

of the vestry. He affiliates with the F. & A.
M., Lodge 'No. 391, at Philipsburg, and with
the Royal Arcanum, Centre Council No. 803,
etc. In politics he is a Democrat.

WILLIAM T. HILLIBISH, of Bellefonte,
Centre county, enjoys an exceptionally
high reputation in business circles as a manager
of large enterprises, and the same qualities which
have won him this distinction, when applied to
municipal affairs, have made him prominent in
that line also, the people in their corporate ca
pacity recognizing in him one to whom they may
wisely delegate the power to carry their wishes
into practical effect.
Mr. Hillibish is a native of Bellefonte, born
May 20, 1858, and his father, the late Nicholas
Hillibish, who died at an advanced age, was for
fifty years a prominent business man of that.city,
having gone there from his native place in Lan
caster county, Penn., early in life, to establish a
hardware store and tin shop. His wife, whose
maiden name was Johanna McKean, was born
near Lewistown, Mifflin Co., Penn., and died at
the age of sixty-seven. They had nine children:
Lydia T. , wife of Maj. Chessman, of Washing
ton, D. C, an employee in the Pension Depart
ment; Maria L. , who is not married; James B. ,
who died some years ago; Franklin S., of Can
ton, Ohio ; Joseph R. , formerly a member of the
city council of Bradford, Penn., where he died in
1893; George P. and Edward, who reside in
Canton, Ohio; William T., our subject, and John
M., of Canton, Ohio.
The excellent advantages offered by the
schools of Bellefonte enabled Mr. Hillibish to
acquire a good practical education, a course in
the high school being followed by one in the
academy of which he is a graduate. On leaving
school he learned the machinist's trade with W.
P. Duncan & Co. ,* and later spent several years
with them as foreman. He was chief engineer
at the nail works for three years, and then form
ing a partnership opened the Bellefonte Supply
House; but he disposed of his interest not long
afterward, and went to Lorain, Ohio, to take
charge of the shape mill in Johnson's steel
works. He returned to Bellefonte recently, and
is now in the employ of the Jenkins Iron and
Coal Co. , at Howard, as their superintendent.
Mr.' Hillibish is an ardent supporter of the
doctrines of the Republican party, and, as has
been intimated, the confidence reposed in him by
all classes makes him a popular candidate, lo
cally, for positions of trust. In 1884 he was
elected a member of the Bellefonte council from

Wa&£r-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

513

the West ward, serving three years, and then
after one year of absence was again returned,
and still holds that office. He is also a candi
date for the post of city tax collector. Socially
he is prominent as a member of the I. O. O. F.
and the Encampment, and for twenty years he
has been identified with the Logan Steam Fire &
Engine Company.

GsEORGE NOLL. Among the leading and
? representative agriculturists of Boggs town
ship, Centre county, stalwart and sturdy tillers of
the soil, there is none who stands a more promi
nent figure than the gentleman of whom this no
tice is written. Besides being engaged in gen
eral farming, he is the proprietor of what is
known as the "Washington Dairy," which he es
tablished in 1 891, and has since conducted very
profitably. Since 1872 he has resided upon his
present farm' of seventy acres, previous to which
time he had rented land in Spring township,
Centre county.
Our subject was born in Spring township,
October 25, 1841, and he is a son of Emanuel
and Mary P. (Wegley) Noll, natives of Berks
county, where their marriage was celebrated,
after which they came to Centre county. The
father had previously been a resident of the
county, coming here with his parents, but in
1828 he returned to Berks county. Here his
death occurred in May, 1886, at the age of sev
enty-six years. By occupation he was a general
farmer, and in his younger years was a member
of the Reformed Church, to which his wife also
belonged. She died in 1884, at the age of sixty-
eight years. Her father, William Wegley, was
also born in Berks county, of German descent,
and was a colonel in the war of 1812. The
paternal grandparents of oursubject, George and
Margaret (Lape) Noll, were natives of Berks
county, whence in 1820 they came to Centre
county, where the grandfather engaged in farm
ing until called from this life.
George Noll, of this review, is the third in
order of birth in a family of twelve children, the
others being as follows: Hannah, deceased wife
of Elias J. Markel, a wagon maker, of Hublers
burg, Penn.; Liddie, deceased wife of James B.
Grove, of Johnstown, Penn. ; Rebecca, wife of
H. Walker, of Bellefonte, Centre county; John,
of Marion county, Kans.; Emanuel, of Belle
fonte; two who died in infancy; Mary, wife of J.
Schwartz, who is living retired in Somerset coun
ty, Penn.; William T. , a stone mason, of Spring
township; Henry L., deceased; and James B., of
33

Milesburg, Centre county. In the public schools,
George Noll obtained a rather limited education,
and at the age of thirteen years started out to
make his own way in the world, working as a farm
hand for six years. Prompted by a spirit of
patriotism, he, in 1861, enlisted in Company F,
Second Pennsylvania Cavalry, the company
starting out with P. B. Wilson, of Bellefonte,
as captain, and Thomas Snyder as first lieuten
ant. He was with this regiment in all the im
portant engagements in which it took part until
February 22, 1863, when he was taken prisoner
and incarcerated in Libby prison until the nth
of April, at which time he was paroled. He was
never in hospital, and was honorably discharged
August 15, 1865. For a year and a half he
served as corporal of his company. Arriving
home at twelve o'clock at night, the next morn
ing found him at work upon a farm, and he has
since devoted his time and attention to agricult
ural pursuits.
On March 10, 1870, Mr. Noll was married to
Miss Annie Garlrick, by whom he has four chil
dren: Urbah M., wife of G. H. Moore, of Erie,
Penn., a conductor on the Pennsylvania & Erie
railroad; and Emanuel L. , James O. and George
H., all three at home. Mrs. Noll was born Au
gust 3, 1849, in Centre county, and is a daughter
of George and Susannah (Vonada) Garlrick, na
tives of Union and Centre counties, respectively.
Their deaths occurred in the latter county. Dur
ing his younger years the father followed carpen
tering, but after his marriage turned his attention
to farming, and at his death owned some valu
able land. He was twice married, his first wife be
ing Anna Hoy, and to them were born six childen:
Catherine, wife of P.,Shory, who operates the
old Garlrick homestead in Centre county; Amos,
of Coalville, Penn. ; Rebecca J. , wife of Martin
Meese, of Michigan; Henry, deceased; Emeline,
deceased wife of John Meese; and John, of Coal
ville, Penn. Mrs. Noll is one of the three chil
dren born of the second union, the others being
Levi and George W., both deceased.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Noll are faithful members
of the Presbyterian Church, to which he has be
longed for twenty-three years, and for the past
eighteen years has been an elder in the same.
Socially, he holds membership in the U. V. L.
and of the P. O. H. R. His political support is
given the Democratic party, but he cares nothing
for official distinction, preferring to give his time
and attention to his business interests. He is
one of the prominent and representative citizens
of Boggs township, widely and favorably known,
and enjoys the confidence and respect of the en
tire community.

514

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ENJAMIN ROUSH, of Madisonburg, Centre
county, is one of those wholesome, gen
erous, sociable individuals to whom old age brings
a strength of spirit and breadth of view which
make youth, however beautiful and charming,
seem crude and incomplete. Born July 19, 1820,
in Washington township, Snyder (now Union)
county, he has spent his entire life in the section
to which this volume is devoted.
Frederick Roush, his father, was born in Sny
der county, and made his home there until 1832,
when with his wife, Dorothy Nogle, and their lit
tle family, he moved to Brush Valley, Centre
county. He was a shoemaker by trade, and,
after living for a time in a rented house in an
other part of Miles township, he settled in Mad
isonburg, where he continued his business until
a few years before his death, which occurred
when he was sixty-two years old; his wife lived
to be ninety-three years old, and both are buried
at Madisonburg. The father was a man of in
fluence among his associates, and was elected on
the Democratic ticket to various township offices.
Although a hard worker, he never accumulated
much, his earnings sufficing only to give the fam
ily a comfortable living. He was a good-sized
man, and enjoyed excellent health previous to
his last illness. In religious faith he and his
wife were Lutherans, and for many years he held
office in the Church, as deacon and elder. Their
children were: (1) Catherine, now Mrs. Abra
ham Snyder, of Nittany Valley; (2) Benjamin,
our subject; (3) Daniel, of Madisonburg; (4)
Mary, who married John Smith, and died at
Reedsville, Penn. ; (5) Louisa (Mrs. Noah Mus
ser), who died in Half Moon Valley; (6) Eliza
beth, widow of John Rachua, of Gregg township,
Centre county; (7) Susannah, widow of Israel
Vonada, of the same township; and (8) Henry,
who died in Stephenson county, Illinois.
Benjamin Roush spent his early years in
the vicinity of Freeburg, Snyder county, and
received such educational advantages as the
schools of that locality then afforded. Under his
father's instructions he became familiar with the
details of the shoemaker's trade, which he fol
lowed until he was about twenty-five years old,
saving from his wages $600. On March 13,
1849, he was married in Gregg township, Centre
county, to Miss Margaret Hoy, the only child of
John and Margaret Hoy. As his wife and her
parents desired the family life to continue un
broken, Mr. Roush gave up his trade and be
came a farmer on the Hoy homestead, remaining
there until 1880, when he moved to Madisonburg.
He purchased a large stone house opposite the
"Miller Hotel," and made his home thereuntil

after the death of his wife, which occurred May
30, 1889. She was a lady of fine Christian
character, a devout member of the Reformed
Church, and her death was deeply mourned by
all who knew her. Five children survive her:
John H. is a farmer in Gregg township, Centre
county; Sarah J. 'married A. H. Vonada, of Miles
township, Centre county; Mary A. married D.
D. Royer, of the same township; Jeremiah L.,
a minister of the Reformed Church, resides
in Pennsburg, Montgomery Co., Penn.; Emma
J. married Jacob Deitrich, of Miles township,
Centre county, and for some years Mr. Roush has
lived at their pleasant home near Madisonburg.
His sons and daughters have without exception
taken honorable positions in life, and make a
family of whom any parent would be proud.
Few, if any, fathers in this section have con
tributed so liberally to start their children in life
as has Mr. Roush, no less than $7,000 having
been given to each as the time came to leave
the home nest. Each has received a farm, and
he has thus disposed of the five which he for
merly owned. He believes that help should be
given to the children while they are young and
can benefit by it; and certainly the results jus
tify the theory. Fortunately he still has plenty
to keep "the wolf from the door," as he is yet
rated among the wealthy men of the county.
Mr. Roush has been an industrious worker
and shrewd manager, and well deserves his suc
cess in life. His time has been given mainly to
the care of the estates, but for three and one-
half years he conducted a mercantile business in
Madisonburg, having been obliged at one time to
secure certain bail money for which he was liable
by buying a stock of goods. Politically, he is a
steadfast Democrat, and his fellow citizens have
called him to the service of the community at
different times as supervisor and school director.
He has always been a cheerful giver to religious
movements, and especially to the Reformed
Church, in which he is at present a trustee. He
was one of the building committee of two at the
time the society built their church edifice at
Madisonburg, and he gave liberally of both time
and money to insure the success of the under
taking. JOHN A. CONFER, undertaker and furniture
dealer, is one of the leading and successful
business men of Milesburg, Centre county.
He is a native of Pennsylvania, having been born
September 30, 1859, in Porter township, Clinton
county, and is a son of Solomon Confer, who
was born in Snidertown, Centre county, in No
vember, 1838. The father is also an undertaker,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

515

and engaged in that business for twelve years at
Unionville, Penn., but since 1883 has made his
home in Milesburg. At Aaronsburg, Centre
county, Solomon Confer was united in marriage
with Miss Mary J. Shields, a native of Clintbn
county, Penn., who died March 17, 1889, at the
age of sixty-one years. Six children were born
of this union, but with the exception of our sub
ject all died in infancy. The parents were both
consistent member of the Evangelical Church,
and in politics the father is a Republican.
Mr. Confer, of this review, remained at home
with his parents until his marriage, but began his
business career at the age of fourteen, working
for the first four years at the carpenter's trade
with his father. He then engaged in clerking
for the Washington Iron Co. , of Clinton county,
for two years, and subsequently helped to re
build a tannery at Lock Haven, Penn,, where' he
remained one year. He then returned to Lamar,
Clinton county, but a few months later removed
to Millheim, Centre county, where he engaged
in farming for one year. During the winter he
clerked in a store, and the following spring went
to Hublersburg, Penn., where he worked in the
mines for six months, at the end of which time
he came to Milesburg, doing the carpenter work
for the McCoy & Linn Iron Foundry for one year.
In 1885 he embarked in the furniture business at
Milesburg, in connection with his father, who
was the undertaker, but on September 11, 1894,
he purchased the latter's interest, and has since
been alone. He began business on a small scale,
but as his patronage steadily increased, he en
larged his facilities, and is now at the head of an
extensive trade. In 1895 be removed from his
old stand to a handsome new store building.
On March 18, 1879, Mr. Confer was joined
¦ in wedlock with Miss Eva E. Clark, a daughter
of Josiah and Naomi (Mann) Clark, and to them
were born five children, all yet at home, namely:
Mary J., Sarah E., Solomon, Clark and Marian.
The mother of these died April 30, 1892, at the
age of thirty-six years. Mr. Confer was again
married, March 21, 1893, the lady of his choice
being Miss Ida M. Loveland, by whom he has
one son, Wilbur F. Mrs. Confer was born July
11, 1 86 1, in Clinton county, Penn., and is the
only child of Wilbur F. and Hannah (Watson)
Loveland, also natives of Clinton county, where
the father is now living retired. In early life he
engaged in the axe business. The mother died
in 1865, at the age of thirty-six years, and he
later married Josephine Custard, who bore him
two sons, Harry and Reuben. Both parents of
Mrs. Confer were members of the Methodist
Episcopal Church.

Politically, our subject adheres to the princi
ples of the Republican party, takes an active part
in its work, and for the past eight years has
served as chairman of the central committee.
For four terms he has filled the office of overseer
of the poor, and has also been auditor and school
director in his township. Fraternally, he is con
nected with the Odd Fellows Society of Miles
burg, No. 410. He is a straightforward, reliable
business man, and in his work is ably assisted by
his wife, who is also a practical embalmer, hav
ing attended the Oriental School of Embalming,
and becoming quite proficient in that art. Both
are well known throughout the community, and
have many warm friends.

TfSAAC MILLER, a well-known and highly es-
Ji teemed citizen of Bellefonte, is a native son
of Centre county, born in Spring township,
August 23, 1839. His parents, Robert V. and
Elizabeth (Lytle) Miller, were natives of Chester
and Centre counties, Penn., respectively, the
former born in 1795, and the latter in 1807. In
Chester county, the paternal grandfather, Reuben
Miller, who was of English descent, spent their
entire life, while the maternal grandfather was
born in Centre county, but passed his last days
in Clearfield county.
Robert V. Miller was a nephew of the Valen
tines of Bellefonte, in which place he made his
home for some time, working in the iron mills
until 1833, when he removed to a farm four
miles east of the city, and operated the same un
til 1858. In that year he became a resident of
Pleasant Gap, where his death occurred in 1863;
his wife departed this life in 1869. For five
years before his death he was totally blind. He
was a loyal, patriotic citizen, devoted to the in
terests of his country, and always supported the
party whose principles he thought would best
advance its interests, being at different times an
Abolitionist, Know-Nothing and Republican. A
conscientious, earnest Christian, he was a faith
ful member of the Society of Friends, and a just,
upright man in all things.
In Spring township Isaac Miller grew to man
hood, assisting his father in the work of the farm
and learning to " read, write and cipher " in the
district schools of the neighborhood. He re
mained upon the home farm until his marriage,
January 17, 1865, to Miss Catherine Pennington,
who was born in Penn's Valley, May 2, 1841.
Four children have been born to this union:
Elizabeth L. , wife of Ed P. Moore, of Tyrone,
Penn., by whom she has one child — Catherine
P.; Isaac P., who is clerking in a dry-goods

516

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

house in Philadelphia; Annie, who was born in
1869, and died in 1871; and Mordecai, at home.
The wife and mother has served as toll-gate
keeper since October, 1891.
For some time after his marriage, Mr. Miller
was interested in the coal business, later owned
and operated a threshing machine, and ran a
delivery wagon for the Valentine store, Belle
fonte. He then became a puddler in an
iron furnace, where he is still employed. In
1865, during the Civil war, he was drafted for
service, but hostilities had ceased before his com
pany was called upon for duty. He is an ardent
Republican in politics, and a worthy member of
the Society of Friends. Enjoying the esteem,
confidence and respect of the whole community,
Mr. Miller may well be classed among the prom
inent and representative citizens of Centre coun
ty. He is a man of the strictest integrity and
honor, and assuredly merits the high regard in
which he is universally held.

DAVID FIEDLER. The subject of this
sketch is one of the prominent and repre
sentative farmers of Penn township, Centre
county, and has made his home upon his present
fine farm of sixty acres for more than forty years.
The fields are well tilled, the farm buildings neat
and substantial, and, in fact, the whole place
presents an air of thrift and prosperity, which
is always seen about the place of an industrious
and thorough agriculturist.
A native of Centre county, Mr. Fiedler was
born in Haines township, August 28, 1826, a son
of David and Catharine (Neese) Fiedler. The
father, who was a son of Jacob Fiedler, died
when our subject, his only child, was but six
years of age, after which he and his mother
went to live with her father, Peter Neese, who
was a farmer of Penn township, located on Penn
creek. There he was reared in the usual man
ner of farmer boys, and acquired his early educa
tion in the subscription schools, his first teacher
being Henry Raughhauser. He completed his
literary course in the "Heckman School," but
his advantages along that line were meagre. In
1855 he married Miss Mary J. Wise, who was
born in Haines township, February 23, 1837, a
daughter of John and Catharine (Stover) Wise.
One daughter blessed their union: Susan C. ,
now the wife of Emanuel Neese, of Gregg town
ship, Centre county.
Previous to his marriage, Mr. Fiedler had
worked for some time upon his present farm,
then owned by his aunts, Elizabeth and Chris
tina Neese, and after his marriage he began his

domestic life there. After the death of his
aunts he purchased the farm, for which he had
to go greatly in debt, but by industry, persever
ance and economy he soon paid off the indebt
edness. Politically, Mr. Fiedler is an ardent Demo
crat, and served his fellow citizens in the capac
ity of inspector of elections, overseer of the poor,
supervisor and school director, the duties of
which offices he discharged in a prompt and effi
cient manner. A man of unquestioned integrity
and honor, he has lived peacefully with his
neighbors, having never been involved in a law
suit, and is held in the high regard by all who-
know him. He and his estimable wife are ear
nest and sincere Christians, faithful members of
the Lutheran Church.

H. YEARICK, a prominent general mer-
¦liHL 6hant, and postmaster of Jacksonville, was
born in Marion township. Centre county, August
25, 1850, and is a worthy representative of a
family that has long been identified with the ag
ricultural and commercial interests of the county.
His father, Henry Yearick, was born in Gregg
township, Centre county, January 10, 1822, a
son of John and Sarah Saloma (Rishel) Yearick,
natives of the same county, where they spent
their entire lives, the former dying in 1876, aged
sixty-seven years, and the latter in 1882, aged sev
enty-seven. In their family were the following chil
dren: Mary, who wedded John Zupler, but both
are now deceased; Rebecca, who married Jacob-
Royer, and both are deceased; William, a minis
ter of the Reformed Church, who was crippled
through rheumatism, and died at the age of sixty-
three years; Elizabeth, who became the wife of
Elias Hoy, but both are now deceased; Henry,
the father of our subject; Sarah, who married
Samuel Phillips, and located in Ohio, where her
death occurred; John, a retired farmer of Nittany
Valley, Clinton Co., Penn.; Samuel (deceased),
who was a local preacher of the Evangelical
Church, but spent his last days in retirement
upon a farm; Adam, a farmer of Walker town
ship, Centre county; Catherine, widow of George
S. Hoy, of Centre county; and Julian, deceased
wife of John Spay, also deceased. The paternal
grandparents of these children, Adam and (Will-
iman) Yearick, were natives of Dauphin county,
but were among the first settlers of Centre
county, where they made their home upon a farm
during the remainder of their lives. The mater
nal grandfather, Adam Rishel, a native of Centre
county, became one of the early pioneers of Clin
ton county, Penn. , where he speculated exten-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

517

sively in land, but spent his last days in Clear
field county.
Henry Yearick, the father of our subject, was
for many years actively engaged in agricultural
pursuits and merchandising, but is now enjoying
a well-earned rest at his pleasant home in Jack
sonville, where he has lived retired since 1886.
Being very fond of reading, much of his time is
devoted to that enjoyment. In 1845, he was
united in marriage with Miss Catherine Leinbach,
who was born in Northumberland county, Penn.,
in October, 1826, and is a daughter of Samuel
and Polly (Foreinger) Leinbach, natives of Berks
and Lehigh counties, Penn., respectively. In
1850 Mr. and Mrs. Yearick removed to Marion
township, Centre county, where for several years
they made their home upon a farm. They are
faithful members of the Reformed Church, and
are held in the highest esteem and respect by all
who have the pleasure of their acquaintance.
To Henry Yearick and wife were born chil
dren as follows: Samuel Alfred, a carpenter of
Superior, Neb.; Sarah, wife of J. J. Hoy, a
farmer of Marion township, Centre county; N.
H., of this review; Mary, twin sister of our sub
ject, and the wife of Hugh S. Shaffer, who is
serving as postmaster of Madisonburg, Centre
county; Laura, wife of James S. Martin, a farmer
of Jacksonville; Cicero, a dentist of Detroit,
Mich.; Ida, wife of J. W. Holmes, who operates
a steam thresher and also engages in carpenter
ing in Jacksonville; Charles E. and John W.,
both fanners of Marion township; and Tillie E. ,
wife of Edwin Peck, a merchant of Walker town
ship, Centre county.
The boyhood and youth of our subject were
passed in attending the district schools and assist
ing in the labors of the home farm until nineteen
years of age, when he began clerking for his fa
ther in a general mercantile store at Zion, Cen
tre county, where he remained for two years.
They then formed a partnership in Bellefonte,
and in 1876 they established a business at Jack
sonville, under the firm name of H. Yearick &
Son. This connection continued until 1886,
when they sold out to W. W. D. Yearick &
Brother, but two years later our subject re-pur
chased the store, becoming sole owner, and has
since successfully conducted the same. He car
ries a large and well-selected stock of general
merchandise, and does an annual business of
$7,ooo. For some time he also traveled on the
road, and now, in connection with his mercantile
pursuits, engages in farming. In January, 1872,
in Zion, Centre county, he was married to Miss
Jennie E. Rockey, a native of Mifflinburg, Union
county, Penn., born May 2, 1851, and they have

six children, whose names and dates of birth are
as follows: John H., May 12, 1874; Charles N. ,
December 31, 1876; Earl W., February 18, 1880;
Alta A., January 24, 1889; Arthur F. , March 7,
1 891; and Nevin A., July 10, 1896. All are at
home with their parents with the exception of
John H. , who is engaged in farming in Marion
township. John L. and Amelia (Katherman) Rockey,
the parents of Mrs. Yearick, were natives of
Mifflinburg, Penn., where the father was exten
sively engaged in farming until 1851, when he
removed to Zion, Centre county. There he died
January 7, 1881, at the age of sixty-one years;
the mother still resides at that place with her
son, John P. She was born June 3, 1820, a
daughter of Frederick and Christine (Stitzer)
Katherman, who were natives of Union county,
Penn., where they died at an early age. The
paternal grandparents of Mrs. Yearick, George
and Elizabeth (Loher) Rockey, were also natives
of Union county, where the grandfather exten
sively engaged in milling and became quite
wealthy. John L. Rockey was twice married,
his first wife in her maidenhood being Miss Mary
A. Rule, of Union county, and to them was born
a daughter, Mary A., the deceased wife of Sam
uel Himmelright, a lumber merchant of Lewis
burg, Penn. By his second union .Mr. Rockey
had seven children, namely: Sarah K., who died
at the age of six years; Jane E., the wife of our
subject; George H., an agriculturist of Zion; Re
becca A. ,the wife of Christian Dicker, also a farm
er of Zion; John P., a farmer of the same place;
and William, a farmer of Boalsburg, Centre coun
ty. The parents of these children were consistent
members of the Lutheran Church, and in politics
the father was a Democrat. He was a self-made
man in the truest sense of the term, but by in
dustry and good management became quite
wealthy. Mr. Yearick uses his right of franchise in sup
port of Democratic principles, and takes a deep
and commendable interest in public affairs, giv
ing his aid to all worthy enterprises which will
advance the welfare of the community. He is
one of the leading and influential citizens of
Marion township, and enjoys the confidence and
high regard of all with whom he comes in con
tact. In religious faith he holds membership
with the Reformed Church.

JOHN LEECH COLE, the present postmas
ter of Zion, and a leading and energetic
farmer of Walker township, Centre county,
was born October 25, 1863, in Belleville, Mifflin

518

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Co., Penn., a son of Edward T. , and Margaret
E. (Leech) Cole, who have made their home in
Centre county since the spring of 1868, and are
now living retired upon a farm near Zion. The
father's birth occurred May 5, 1832, in Mifflin
county, where his parents, who were of English
descent, were also born, but died in Huntingdon
county. His great-grandfather died in the war
of 1 81 2. The mother of our subject is a native
of Huntingdon county, born July 17, 1836.
To the parents were born ten children, in or
der of birth as follows: Lawrence S., born Sep
tember 8, 1855, married Eva Mahin, a native of
Ohio, by whom he has one daughter; he is a mil
ler of Dayton, Ohio, where they make their
home. William E., born October 31, 1857,
married Emma West, by whom he has a daugh
ter, and is now living in Golden, Colo. , where he
is superintendent of an irrigating company.
Anna I., born in 1859, is the wife of Azor C.
Kountz, a carpenter of Dayton, Ohio. Leah A.
died in childhood. John L. is the next in the
order of birth. David S. is still with his parents.
Hannah E. , born in 1868, is at home. Samuel
Sugart, born April 23, 1870, married Cora Robb,
a daughter of Henry Robb, of Nittany, Centre
county, by whom he has one child, and is a resi
dent of Walker township, where he is employed
in the iron- mines. Mary P. is the wife of Alfred
Robb, a school teacher of Nittany. James Wil
son, an engineer living in Dayton, Ohio, was
born November 7, 1875, and was therefore four
days too young to cast his ballot for W. J. Bryan,
whom he would have supported, being a Demo
crat in politics.
The education of John L. Cole was such as
the common schools of Centre county afforded,
and upon the home farm, under his father's able
instruction, he became familiar with the duties
of an agriculturist. On starting out in life for
himself he decided to follow the vocation to which
he had been reared, and has become a thorough
and skillful farmer, energetic and progressive.
He has always given his political support to the
Democratic party, and in religious belief is a
Lutheran. On November 1, 1887, he was mar
ried to Miss Ida B. Shaffer, daughter of John
Shaffer, a farmer of Walker township, Centre
county, and they have one son, Nevin E. , born
February 19, 1890. Mr. and Mrs. Cole are
widely and favorably known throughout the com
munity, and have hosts of warm personal friends.

f ENRY J. LIMBERT, who is properly ranked
as one of the self-made men of Centre coun
ty, began his career at the foot of the ladder in

life, without other resources than his own indom
itable will and steady, plodding industry. From
a humble position he has risen to that of one of
the representative men of a more than ordinarily
intelligent community. He was born August 10,
1834, four miles west of McKees Falls, in what is
now Snyder county, Penn., but was then Union
county. His parents were John and Catherine
(Wise) Limbert, the former a son of Peter Lim
bert, a farmer by occupation, and the latter a
daughter of Frederick Wise, a carpenter.
When a young man John Limbert came to
Centre county, and being a carpenter by trade
aided in the construction of the "Miller Hotel"
in Madisonburg. While thus employed he fell
from the roof to the cellar, and it was thought
he was killed, but he finally recovered. At that
place he was married in 1833, and at once re
moved to Union county, where he worked at his
trade until the early " fifties," when he returned
to Madisonburg. There he followed carpenter
ing for a time and later worked at day labor.
He died at the ripe old age of seventy-eight
years; his wife passed away 'when over eighty-
five years of age, and they now sleep side by side
in the Madisonburg cemetery. Both were active
and prominent members of the Reformed Church,
with which he was officially connected, and his
political support was ever given the Democracy.
Henry J. Limbert is the oldest in the family
of seven children, the others being Rebecca,
wife of Aaron Smull, of Rockville, Centre coun
ty; John, a hotel keeper of Dauphin county,
Penn. ; Frederick, a retired farmer of Aarons
burg, Centre county; Benjamin, a resident of
Gregg township, Centre county; Catharine, wife
of Jacob Frank, of Madisonburg; and Samuel,
who makes his home in Lock Haven, Penn. The
education of our subject was all acquired in Ger
man schools, and at the age of thirteen he was
obliged to lay aside his books and earn his own
livelihood. He obtained employment with a
farmer near McKees Falls, Snyder county, where
he received only his board and clothes the first
year, and, in addition, $36 the second, and $48
the third. Later he was with another man who
gave him $60 per year, his time there being
passed principally at work in the woods. Be
fore he had attained his eighteenth year he began
learning the carpenter's trade with his father,
with whom he came to Madisonburg, and when
he had mastered the business began work with
John B. Shaffer, serving as a journeyman until
i860. In connection with different partners he
then engaged in business for himself until 1863,
when he resolved to try his fortune alone, and
was very successful in his undertaking until the

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

519

fall of 1876, often employing as many as fourteen
hands, and in the summer of 1868 paying out as
muchas $2,500 for wages. In 1877 he em
barked in farming, which he continued until the
spring of 1892, when he turned his attention to
mercantile pursuits as a partner of Benjamin
Roush, but four years later returned to his farm,
where he is now living.
In Rebersburg, Mr. Limbert was married
March 20, 1856, to Miss Caroline Long, who was
born in Berks county, Penn., January 12, 1835,
a daughter of George and Polly (Deck) Long,
and they have six children, as follows: Josiah
A., a resident of Seneca county, Ohio; Harvey
M., of Bellevue, Ohio; JohnD., of Madisonburg,
Centre county; George E., a German Reformed
minister of Grove City, Mercer Co. , Penn. ; Will
iam H., a school teacher of Rebersburg; and Ann
E., at home.
In Madisonburg, Mr. and Mrs. Limbert began
housekeeping in an old dwelling which he had pur
chased, together with four lots, having paid $60
down, and going in debt for the remainder of the
amount. He borrowed many pieces of the fur
niture, and was compelled to borrow the money
to purchase the remainder of his scanty house
hold goods; but as time advanced and he pros
pered in business, he was able to build a sub-
' stantial and commodious residence in Madison
burg in i860, which was neatly and tastefully
furnished. There the family made their home
until their removal to the farm in the fall of 1875.
This adjoins the village and comprises ninety-two
acres, which he has converted from a wooded,
stony tract into richly cultivated fields, taking
from it as many as 3,000 loads of stone. How
ever, it is now one of the most desirable farms in
the locality, and adjoining it he also owns sev
enty-five acres of timber land. The success that
he has achieved in life seems almost marvelous.
as from a humble position he has worked his way
upward until to-day he is one of the most pros
perous and substantial citizens of Miles town
ship. A man of the strictest integrity and honor,
Mr. Limbert is able to look the whole world in
the face with a clear conscience. He and his
excellent wife are both prominent members of
the Reformed Church, in which he has served as
elder for several years. His political support is
unwaveringly given the Democratic party.

TjTfENRY GRIMM, the well-known

merchant
JFH tailor of State College, Centre county, is a
man of marked ability and enterprise, and al
though he has only been a resident of that place

since 1892 his excellent qualities have won for
him the high regard of all with whom he has been
associated. Mr. Grimm is a native of Bavaria, and a de
scendant of an old and honored family, the
patronymic having been known in Bavarian his
tory for more than nine hundred years. His
grandfather, John Grimm, was a merchant in
that country, and Henry Grimm, our subject's
father, spent his entire life there, his death oc
curring in 1862. The mother is still living in
Bavaria, and one of their three children, our
subject, the youngest, is the only one to seek a
home in the New World. (1) Charles is an offi
cial in the Bavarian government, and (2) Freder-
ica married, and resides in her native land.
Our subject was born March 4, 1857, and was
but five years old when he lost his father. On
arriving at a suitable age he learned the tailor's
trade, and worked as a journeyman at his old
home until 1883, when he came to America.
Locating at Philadelphia, he continued to work
at his trade as a journeyman, but in 1892 he re
moved to and settled at State College, where he
went into business on his own account, as a mer
chant tailor, purchasing a shop which at present
monopolizes the business of the vicinity in that
particular line. As Mr. Grimm is an expert in
high-class tailoring, keeping thoroughly up-to-
date in style, and is, withal, moderate in his
prices, he is likely to retain his leadership in his
chosen calling. He has a fine residence at State
College, purchased in 1892.
His wife, formerly Miss Carrie Miller, was
born thirty-four years ago at Philadelphia. Their
home is made merry by the presence of four
children — Harry, Liza, Latta and Charles. Since
choosing America as an abiding place, Mr. Grimm
has made constant and thoughtful study of all
questions which affect the public welfare, and he
is active in the support of measures of which he
approves, his influence being given politically to
the Republican party. In religious faith he is a
Lutheran, but there being no Church of that de
nomination at his present home, he attends the
Presbyterian one.

G\ENERAL JACKSON WOODRING, the gen-
_f ial and popular proprietor of the "Wood-
ring Hotel," Port Matilda, Centre county, was
born September 30, 1853, at Huntingdon Fur
nace, Huntingdon Co., Penn., 'a son of Michael
and Nancy (Halderman) Woodring. He was
twelve years of age when he accompanied his
parents to Centre county, locating on the farm
where his father still resides, and assisted in its

520

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

cultivation and improvement until 1871, when he
started out to earn his own livelihood, working
for one year in a gristmill at Roopsburg. Later
he entered the mill of Joseph Wilkerson, where
he remained until 1874, when he returned home
and assisted his father during the following sum
mer. Subsequently he was employed in various
mills, either as a miller or millwright until 1880,
when he began the operation of a mill, where he
had previously been employed, conducting the
same for two years. For five years he operated
a flouring-mill for his brother, G. W. Woodring,
in Martha Furnace, and then returned to Port
Matilda, where, after conducting a mill for one
year, he opened his present hotel. It is conven
iently arranged and well furnished, and in all its
appointments, under its present able manage
ment, a first-class hotel, and is well patronized.
Mr. Woodring was married December 5,
1874, to Miss Bella J. Moore, and they became
the parents of four children: George, Margerie
V., Edith L. and Vera E. ; the last named died
October 6, 1887. The others are still with their
parents, and Margerie V. is now organist of the
Methodist Episcopal Church of Port Matilda,
with which the mother and children are all identi
fied. Mrs. Woodring was born at Roopsburg,
Centre county, May 5-, 1854, and is a daughter
of Patrick and Margerie (Calhoun) Moore, na
tives of Roopsburg and Unionville, Centre coun
ty,' respectively. The father engaged in farming
at the former place, where the mother died Nov
ember 23, 1874, at the age of thirty- four years,
and he later removed to Milesburg, where his
last days were spent in retirement, dying in Feb
ruary, 1886, at the age of eighty years, at the
home of his daughter, Maggie, wife of Samuel
Myers. He was a prominent and influential man,
a Democrat in politics, and a member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, to which his wife
also belonged. He was born on the old home
stead farm, which his father, Hamilton Moore,
had cleared and improved. The latter was a na
tive of Ireland, and on coming to America at an
early day located at Roopsburg. He became
one of the leading and wealthy citizens of the
community, honored and respected by all who knew
him. To Patrick Moore and wife were born
seven children, as follows: Alfred C, general
agent for a sewing machine company at Harrisburg,
Penn. ; Maggie, wife of Samuel Myers, a mill
wright of Milesburg, Penn. ; Charles H., a resi
dent of Bellefonte, Penn. ; Thomas T. , of New
Washington, Penn. ; Bella J., wife of our subject;
Anna, wife of Peter Cowher, a decorator, of Ty
rone, Penn. , and Clarence, who died in infancy.
Politically, Mr. Woodring affiliates with the

Democratic party, and has been called upon to
serve in a number of local offices, being tax col
lector three years, supervisor one year, and
school director for the past three years. He has
also been prominently connected with the elec
tion board. Pleasant and genial in manner he has
made many warm friends, and all who know him
have for him the highest regard.

F

>\RANK H. CLEMSON occupies the respon-
JT1 sible position of manager of the Scotia ore
mines, and though yet a young man ranks among
the leading representatives of business interests
in his locality. His integrity is above question,
while his devotion to the interests intrusted to
his care is proverbial, and he has the respect and
confidence of all with whom he has been brought
in contact. Mr. Clemson was born in Baileyville, Centre
county, Penn., April 22, 1867, and is a son of
Amos E. and Lydia (Rider) Clemson, the latter
of whom was a daughter of Michael Rider, of
Gatesburg, Centre county. The father was born
near Milton, Northumberland Co., Penn., and
was a blacksmith by trade. The mother died in
September, 1891, and was buried in the Luther
an cemetery at Gatesburg. Grandfather Clem
son, who was a man of no means, and his pros-*
pective bride, who on the other hand was an
heiress, came in an early day to America, where
the opposition of her relatives to the match would
be of no avail, and they were here married. The
great-grandparents of our subject were consistent
members of the Church of England, and were
buried in Pequay churchyard, in Lancaster
county. The parents of our subject had a family of
six children: Jonathan, who died at the age of
twenty-six years, and was buried in the cemetery
at Gatesburg, Penn.; Daniel M., who wedded
Alice Gardner, by whom he has two sons, is a
member of the board of managers of the Carne
gie Steel Co., limited, and makes his home in
Pittsburg; Ellen is unmarried; Emma is the wife
of Nathan Dale, a farmer of Pleasant Gap, Centre
county, by whom she has one child, a daughter;
Clarence C. , who is living in Williamsburg, Blair
county, Penn., married Ida Clark, and had one
son and one daughter (the son, Berwin, died in
October, 1896, in his third year).
Frank H. Clemson, whose name introduces
this review, has spent his entire life in Centre
county, being reared under the parental roof, and
educated in the public schools. On April 26,
1892, he married Eva Gray, by whom he has
three children: Frederick Gray, Daniel Robert

T^rT^n^t (yQ), h5^^>^^^.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

521

and Sarah C. His wife is a daughter of G. W.
Gray and a niece of Dr. E. J. Gray, president of
Dickinson Seminary, Williamsport, Penn. , and
is a cultured lady who presides with gracious hos
pitality over their pleasant home.
In 1890, Mr. Clemson was appointed to his
present position as superintendent of the Scotia
•ore mines, owned by the Carnegie Steel Co.,
limited. This company purchased the land in
1880 for $96,000, and the plant was erected at a
•cost of more than $100,000. Something of the
volume of business done -may be imagined from
the fact that more than $40, 000 is paid out an
nually for labor alone. The mines are situated
in Patton township, and Mr. Clemson gives to
their operation his personal supervision. While
he demands good work from the men in his em
ploy, he is always considerate in his treatment
of them, and extremely just in all things, so that
he has their confidence and high regard. He
fully merits the trust that is reposed in him, and
no duty given to his care is ever slighted.
In religious belief Mr. Clemson is a Presby
terian, while his wife belongs to the Methodist
Church. Since 1890 he has been a member of
the Masonic fraternity, and he is a benevolent
and charitable man, ever ready to. extend a help
ing hand to the needy or distressed. In politics
he is a Republican, and for the past five years
has been chairman of the township committee,
and done effective work for the party. In busi
ness he is most accommodating and courteous,
and at all times is a genial, affable gentleman,
whom to know is to respect.

JOHN GINGERY. Among those agricultur
ists of Centre county whose places manifest
to the most casual observer the energy and
ability of the owner in his chosen calling, is the
subject of this personal history. His fine farm
in Huston township is on the Beaver Mill road
in Bald Eagle Valley.
Mr. Gingery was born August 13, 1827, in
what is now Mifflin county, but was then a part
of Juniata county, Penn. , and is a son of Joseph
and Fannie (Stouffer) Gingery, who were na
tives of Lancaster county, Penn. , but were mar
ried in Juniata county, where they remained
until 1840, which year witnessed their arrival in
Centre county, they locating at Houserville, in
Spring township. Two years later they removed
to a farm belonging to the Pennsylvania Furnace
Co., where they remained for the same length of
time, and then went to Half Moon township.
There the father died in 1871, at the age of
sixty-six years, and the mother afterward went

to Port Matilda, where she passed away in 1874,
at the age of sixty-eight. The father always
followed agricultural pursuits, and by his- fellow
citizens was elected to several township offices,
which he capably filled. Both were consistent
members of the United Brethren Church. The
mother was a daughter of Christian Stouffer, of
Lancaster county. By the German emigrants
who founded the Gingery family in the New
World, the name was spelled Gingrich.
Our subject is one of a family of eleven
children, in order of birth as follows: Amos,
deceased; Samuel, a farmer of Huston town
ship; John, of this review; Betsy, deceased wife
of George Gates, a farmer of Half Moon town
ship, Centre county; Sarah who makes her home
with her brother Rudolph in Tyrone, Penn. ;
Abel, deceased; Fannie, wife of Michael Rider,
a farmer of Nebraska; Mary, deceased wife of
Jerry M. Berley, also deceased; David, who is
engaged in the dairy business in Missouri; Katie,
who makes her home in Harrisburg, Penn. ; and
Rudolph, in the coal business in Tyrone.
Until eighteen years of age, John Gingery
spent his boyhood and youth in a manner similar
to most farmers' sons, aiding in the labors of the
fields, and attending the public schools. He
then worked in the lumber woods on the Susque
hanna river for a time, after which he returned
to Huston township, where for seven years he
was employed in a sawmill, and subsequently
operated rented land until 1887, when he pur
chased his present farm. He was married Au
gust 31, 1856, to Miss Rachel R. Dillen. who was
born in Huston township, June 21, 1836, and is
a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Fulton) Dil
len, natives of Centre county and Pittsburg,
Penn., respectively. The father, who was a
prominent farmer of that county, died in 1871,
at the age of seventy-five years, and the mother
was called to the world beyond in 1840, at the
age of thirty-two. Four children blessed the
union of Mr. and Mrs. Gingery, namely: Cur
tin, born January 17, 1858, married Minnie Mor-^
ris, and resides in Lock Haven, Penn. ; Ann,
born August 27, 1861, is the wife of George
Stevens, a farmer of Centre county; William,
born April 20, 1864, died June 23, 1893; and
David, born May 30, 1866, married Cella Bul
lock, and is a farmer of Huston township.
Mr. Gingery is a man of sound common
sense, just and honorable in his business transac
tions, very public spirited, and in every essen
tial a good citizen. He is a strong Prohibition
ist, and gives that party his hearty support, as
he, in fact, warmly favors any movement that
will elevate the moral status of the State. As

522

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

a school director and supervisor, which offices he
held for two years, he did good service. He is
a member of the Baptist Church, as is also his
excellent wife, who shares with him the respect
of the entire neighborhood.

'\\jlj|FILLIAM S. MUSSER, the genial propri-,
WSL etor of the " Hotel Musser " at Millheim,
is an up-to-date, systematic manager, whose
hostelry is regarded by the traveling public as
second to none in Centre county for comfort,
neatness and attractive cuisine.
The Musser family is well known in Centre
county, Sebastian Musser, great-grandfather of
our subject, having located there at an early day.
His only child, Philip B. Musser, married Eliza
beth Ilgen, and reared a large family, among
whom was a son, Major William L. Musser, our
subject's father, a prominent merchant, land
holder and hotel keeper in his day. He was
born April io, 1810, near Spring Mills, Gregg
township, Centre county, and after attending the
common schools of that village for some years he
began business life as a clerk for a Mr. Petrikin.
On August 13, 1835, Maj. William L. Mus
ser married Miss Elizabeth Hubler, one of the
four children of George and Elizabeth (Kepler)
Hubler, and by this union there were three
daughters: Maggie, born September 29, 1837, died
January 31, 1854; Elizabeth, born August 24,
1840, now the widow of George Condo, formerly
of Indianapolis, and for twenty-one years a rail
road employee; and Sarah J., born February 3,
1843, married to Samuel P. Resman, then a
merchant and farmer at Millheim, and now a
farmer in Nebraska. The mother of these chil
dren died at Millheim, March 28, 1845, of ty
phoid fever, and August 4, 1846, the father
married Miss Elizabeth Yeager, by whom he had
two daughters (twins), born June 5, 1848 — Clara
M., who died in infancy, and Emma, now the wife
of Capt. Heimbach, of the United States army,
.who is living in retirement at Muncy, Lycoming
Co., Penn. He was. wounded in the Civil war.
Mr. Musser had been commmissioned sheriff of
Centre county under Gov. William F. Johnson,
October 10, 1846, and had removed to Belle
fonte, where his second wife died September 20,
1849, from typhoid fever. He was married (a
third time) January 24, 1850, to Miss Rebecca
Stine, the second of the four children of Isaac
and Elizabeth Zergar Stine, wealthy and prom
inent residents of Lebanon county. Her eldest
sister, Maria, now the widow of Henry
Weaver, lives in Millheim. The third member
of the family, Elizabeth, married Dr. Wagner, a

dentist of Lebanon, Penn., and the youngest
David, is a car inspector at Bellefonte.
Our subject is the eldest of the four
children of this marriage, the others being:
George W. , born September 4, 1852, died in in
fancy; Alice R., born June 12, 1854, married J.
W. Toner, a resident of Philadelphia; Agnes T.
born March 4, 1857, married John L. Noggle, of
Philadelphia, who has been employed in the
custom house for twenty-one years. The father
of this family continued to reside in Bellefonte
until the expiration of his term as sheriff, when
he returned to Millheim, and for three years fol
lowed mercantile pursuits. He then engaged in
the hotel business in a hostelry formerly occupied
by Samuel Haupt. . This was a licensed house
and a central stopping place between Mifflinburg
and the Old Fort in Potter township, Centre
county. In 1877, after twenty-one years in the
hotel, Mr. Musser retired from business owing
to ill health, and spent his remaining days in
quiet in a pleasant home built by his wife in Mid
dle Penn street, Millheim. He died October 4,
1889, of old age. He was a man of large build,
well-proportioned and straight, full-faced and
very active both physically and mentally. As a
conversationalist he was unusually gifted, and at
times he made political speeches of more than
ordinary power. An ardent Democrat, he was
always ready to defend his views, and was one
of the leading politicians of the county. Al
though he was not a Church member, he was a
liberal contributor to religious movements and to
relief work among the poor. His title of " Ma
jor " was gained by service in the First Battalion,
First Regiment Pennsylvania National Guards,
his commission dating September 25, 1845. He
was fond of fishing and hunting, and was very
successful in these pursuits, reliable authority
having credited him with having killed 106 deer
in his lifetime. His love of family and home was
great, and he was a kind husband and father.
Our subject's mother, who inherited wealth from
her parents, still resides in her luxurious home in
Millheim, and at seventy years of age is in excel
lent health, enjoying life's blessings heartily.
William S. Musser was born at Bellefonte,
December 3, 1850, during his father's term as
sheriff. His parents removed to Millheim before
his school days began, and he acquired his edu
cation there mainly, although he attended Aarons
burg Academy for a time, studying under Prof.
Gutwalt and Prof. Hoy. When a boy of twelve
he traveled in the West with his parents, going as
far as Iowa, where they spent one summer.
He naturally became familiar with the hotel
business as he grew to manhood, and at an early ,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

523

age he became a partner in a tannery with his
father. .
In 1875 Mr. Musser married Miss Annie C.
Harter, daughter of Dr. W. S. Harter. One
daughter was born of this union, Loda S., an
accomplished young lady now attending school
in Philadelphia. Her mother died in May, 1889,
of inflammation of the bowels, after an illness of
only three days. Afterward Mr. Musser married
his present wife, Margaret, daughter of Joseph
Kreamer, a well-known resident of Brush Valley.
She is a woman of much talent, and was edu
cated in the Reading High School. Of three
children, the first, Hyle, died in infancy; Ada R.
and Margaret, both at home, are beautiful and
interesting children.
Previous to his first marriage, Mr. Musser,
while out hunting, was accidentally shot in the
shoulder, resulting in a permanent injury. On
this account the tannery was sold, and he en
tered the hotel business, renting his father's es
tablishment. The place soon showed the effects
of his progressive management. He built addi
tions to the dining room and kitchen, furnished
the entire house in excellent style, with conven
iences far beyond what might be expected, in a
town of the size of Millheim, and in fact trans
formed it from a country inn to a first-class hotel.
"Billy," as he is called by a host of friends, is
jovial and kind-hearted, and his genuine interest
in the comfort and welfare of his guests makes
the remembrance of a sojourn at his house a
pleasing one. Mr. Musser is prominent in the
local Democratic circles, but is not an office
seeker. Socially he is a member of the I. O. O.
F. and of the Knights of the Golden Eagle.

T THOMAS MERRYMAN. The stability or
substantial progress of a county or State is
due largely to its agriculturists, and of this class
our subject is a worthy representative. He was
born July 31, 1853, on his present homestead
on the Fowler road in Taylor township, Centre
county. Leonard Merryman, father of our subject,
was born in the same county, March 2, 1812, a
son of Elijah and Elizabeth (Hartline) Merryman,
natives of England. On reaching manhood he
wedded Miss Maria Am a, who was also born in
Centre county, a daughter of John and Hester
(Cox) Ama. They spent their last days upon the
present farm of our subject, the father dying Fe
bruary 28, 1885, and the mother on April 19,
1875, at the age of fifty-eight years, three months
and a few days. Both were earnest members of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, and in politics

he affiliated with the Republican party. By trade
he was a blacksmith, but during the later years
of his life carried on agricultural pursuits. He
was one of the prominent and representative men
of the community, widely and favorably knpwn.
Thomas Merryman is the youngest in a family
of eight children, the others being as follows:
Nancy, born September 19, 1838, is the wife of
John McMunagle, a sketch of whom follows;
John, born September 23, 1840, died January
27, 1848; Elizabeth, born May 27, 1842, is the
widow of George Calderwood, of Philipsburg,
Penn. ; Esther, born March 8, 1844, died April
25, 1862; Elijah, born October 17, 1846, died
September 15, 1850; Julian, born May 21, 1849,
died September 9, 1850; and Josephine, born
February 15, 1851, makes her home with her
brother Thomas. Our subject has spent his
entire life upon his present farm, and in the
public schools of the locality acquired a good
practical education, which has well-fitted him
for the responsible duties of life. He is a thor
ough and skillful farmer, industrious and en
ergetic, and the well-tilled fields and neat appear
ance of his place indicate the thrift and enterprise
of the owner.
On July 2, 1885, Mr. Merryman married'.
Miss Sarah J. Kelly, and they have had six chil
dren, in the order of birth as follows: Harry,
born April 6, 1886, died January n, 1887;
Gertrude, born December 16, 1887; George T. ,
born January 2, 1890; Cicero, born February 21,
1892, died on the nth of the following June;
Lona, born September 23, 1893; and one, born in
1896, died in infancy. Politically, Mr. Merryman
casts his ballot in support of the men and meas
ures of the Republican party. As a business man
he possesses excellent judgment, has been suc
cessful in his farming operations, and in all respects
is accounted a useful and desirable member of so
ciety, and he is a representative and leading citizen
of the community. His estimable wife belongs to-
the United Brethren Church, which he also at
tends, though not a member.
John McMunagle, brother-in-law of Thomas
Merryman, is a prosperous farmer of Taylor
township. He was born in that township, Feb
ruary 26, 1834, one mile from where he now
resides, and is a son of Stephen H. and Eve
(Frantz) McMunagle, natives of Centre county.
The father died June 30, 1875, aged eighty-one
years, seven months and four days; the mother
passed away in April, 1884, at the age of eighty-
six years. They were members of the United
Brethren Church; in politics he was first a Whig,
later a Republican, and served as poor overseer,
supervisor, and justice of the peace ten years.

524

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

They were the parents of children as follows:
Mary is the deceased wife of David Henderson,
also deceased; David is also deceased; Henry is
a farmer in Kansas; Christina is the widow of
John Melcher; Jacob lives in Altoona, Penn.;
Lucy is the widow of Abraham Burns, and lives
in Centre county; James is farming the old home
stead; Lair is the deceased wife of David Hard-
man, also deceased; Lavina is the wife of David
Frantz, a farmer of Centre county; Betsey was
married (first) to Henry Vaughn, and after his
death she wedded Leonard Merryman, also now
deceased; Daniel is a farmer in Colorado; Stephen
died in infancy; John is the one of whom we now
write; and Samuel died in infancy.
. At the age of twenty-two years John McMun
agle left the parental roof and purchased his
present farm in Taylor township, which at that
time was a wilderness, teeming with wild ani
mals. On December 18, 1856, he married Miss
Nancy Merryman, and eight children, as follows,
were born to them: Mary is the wife of Joseph
Lewis, a railroad conductor at Altoona, Penn. ;
Robert R. is a lumberman at Port Matilda, Penn. ;
Leonard died at the age of two years; Francis
M. married Miss Maude Clawson, a lumberman
at Tyrone, Penn. ; Stephen died at the age of
two months; Thomas is unmarried, and lives
with his parents; Emma is the wife of Samuel
Cowher, a farmer of Centre county; and Daniel,
also a farmer of Centre county, married Emma
Ewings. Mr. McMunagle in his political prefer
ence is a Republican, and he is looked upon as
one of the leading progressive farmer citizens of
his township and county.

jpEORGE H. SMULL. In endeavoring to
^yJf give in this volume due recognition to all the
prominent families of the section, we have found
the most intelligent and progressive spirits the
most helpful to the enterprise, and it is through
the courteous co-operation of the subject of this
sketch that we are enabled to present the follow
ing interesting account of the Smull family, which
has been well-known in Brush Valley from pio-
;neer times.
The first of the line in America was 
Smull, the great-grandfather of our subject. He
was a native of Ireland, whence he came to this
country in the latter part of the eighteenth cen
tury to locate in the eastern part of Pennsylvania.
Six of his children lived tp adult age — two daugh
ters and four sons, the names of the latter being
Henry, Jacob, Peter and Jesse. The Smull
family in Brush Valley is descended from the first
three sons, who were skilled masons, and all

went at the same time to Rebersburg to build the
wall for the Lutheran Reformed Church. They
remained in the Valley, and, living in German
settlements, they and their children adopted the
language and customs of their neighbors. Of the
brothers, Jacob, in later years, did an extensive
business in cutting tombstones for the Rebers
burg cemetery from native rock, and several of
these monuments are still standing. Jacob died
at his home below Aaronsburg, and was buried at
Rebersburg. Peter removed in later life to Ste
phenson county, 111., and died there.
Henry Smull, our subject's grandfather, was
born in eastern Pennsylvania, February 2, 1799,
and, coming to Brush Valley in early manhood
with no capital except his own abilities and strong
physique, was obliged to work for many years as
a day laborer. He saved his money, however,
and in time managed to buy a farm between
Kreamerville and Centre Mill. The care of the
place devolved mainly upon his family as he con
tinued to work at his trade. Politically he was
a Democrat, but aside from voting regularly he
took no active part in public affairs. He be
longed to the Lutheran Church, and was a con
stant attendant and active worker, holding vari
ous offices. His last years were spent in Rock
ville, Penn. , in well-earned leisure, his toil hav
ing gained him a comfortable competence, and
his death occurred February 2, 1879, his burial
taking place at Rebersburg. He was highly
respected among his associates for his integrity,
being known far and near as a "man of his
word." After his removal to Brush Valley Henry
Smull married Miss Elizabeth Royer, by whom
he had the following children: Polly (Mrs. Will
iam Walker); John, now postmaster at Rebers
burg; Harrison, a stonemason by trade, who
died at Rebersburg; Abigail, the widow of Fran
cis Brownlee, of Freeport, 111. ; Lovina, wife of
William Bierly, of Rebersburg; Sarah, who mar
ried Samuel Gramley, and died at Rebersburg;
and Jefferson, residing in Mackeyville, Penn.
The mother of this family died in 18 — , and her
remains were laid to rest in the family lot in
Rebersburg cemetery. Henry Smull for his sec
ond wife married Catherine Kreamer, who was
born near Kreamerville, October 22, 1806, a
daughter of Jacob Kreamer, and died November
24, 1887, her funeral being held at Rebersburg.
There were five children by this union: Aaron,
a resident of Rockville, Penn. ; Reuben, our sub
ject's father; Simon, a blacksmith by trade, who
died in Madisonburg; Hannah, now Mrs. Levi
Fullmer, of Rebersburg; and Henry, of Kream
erville.

ku

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

525-

Reuben Smull, the father of our subject, was
born October 30, 1838, at the old home near
Kreamerville. He first attended school at Re
bersburg, with John Burkett as his teacher, and
he afterward pursued his studies as he could in
the intervals of farm work. Short as the winter
terms were, he could not attend full time, his
help being required at home. At the age of
fifteen he began to learn the mason's trade with
his father, and two years later, having become
proficient in all branches of the work, he formed
a partnership with his brother Harrison, and fol
lowed the business for several years.
In January, 1862, Reuben Smull was married
in Brush Valley, at the home of the bride's par
ents, to Miss Louisa Gramley, who was born near
Rebersburg, June 12, 1841, the daughter of Jos
eph and Esther (Schmeltzer) Gramley. The fol
lowing year they spent in Rebersburg, and in
1863 they removed to a farm adjoining Kreamer
ville on the north, and then belonging to Joseph
Kreamer. Mr. Smull rented this, and remained
there until 1864, when he went to a farm near
Rockville, and while engaged in agriculture did
some work at his trade. In the spring of 1888
he purchased the Joseph Kreamer estate, and re
turning to it has since resided there, giving his
attention to farming exclusively. The place
makes an attractive homestead, and under the
able management of its owner is a profitable in
vestment. Reuben Smull is a man of no pretensions,
minding his own business, and this, by the way,
is a characteristic trait of his family, which has
produced a number of substantial, successful, yet
unassuming citizens. He upholds the principles
oi the Democratic party on national issues, but
where local questions only are involved, he de
clines to surrender his judgment blindly, and
votes as he thinks the interests of the people de
mand. Official honors have no particular charms
for him, but he has served as tax collector in
Miles township. In religion he is a Lutheran,
and he and his wife are both members of the
Church. The subject of this sketch, who is the only
son of his parents, was born at Rockville, June
23, 1869. Inheriting the sterling qualities of his
ancestry, he has the added advantage of good
schooling, and the modern spirit of enterprise
makes his talents practically available in lines in
which former generations took no part. After
completing the course of study in the local
schools, he pursued other branches at Spring
Mills and Selins Grove, Penn., and at Dakota,
111. He was an apt student, learning rapidly,
not only from books but also from observation,

and several years spent in the West in his early
"twenties" served to broaden his views of men
and things in a practical way.
On returning to Pennsylvania, Mr. Smull
was associated for some years with the circula
tion department of the Keystone Gazette of Belle
fonte, bis duties taking him to all parts of cen
tral Pennsylvania. In February, 1896, he
became identified with the New York Life Insur
ance Co. , as a subordinate agent, and his abilities
quickly won the approval of the highest officials.
His promotion followed not through any "in
fluence," but because the shrewd men at the
head of the company needed just such tact, en
ergy and sound judgment as they saw revealed
in his work. He is now the general agent for
Centre, Clinton, Union and other counties, and
exacting as are the requirements of the post, they
are met promptly and satisfactorily.
On July 4, 1 89 1, Mr. Smull was united in
wedlock with Miss Daisy Blanche Stover, a na
tive of Rebersburg, born May 15, 1873. She is
a member of one of the oldest and most re
spected families of Brush Valley, and is the eld
est of three children of Cornelius and Chestie
Stover. She is an attractive, accomplished lady,
and held in high esteen by all her many friends.
Mr. Smull built a pleasant residence in Rebers
burg, which he now rents, he and his wife pre
ferring to remain at their country home. Mr.
and Mrs. Smull are members of the Lutheran
Church, and are living supporters of its work.
In fact Mr. Smull has already shown his public
spirit in many ways, being always ready to en
courage any. movement that might tend to prog
ress. At one time he was a Democrat in poli
tics, but of late he has endorsed the doctrines of
the Republican party, and he is one of its advis
ers and counsellors in his locality. He is a di
rect descendant from John A. Smull, the author
of Smull's "Legislator's Hand Book and Man
ual of Pennsylvania."

BjENJAMIN CORL, a well-known, wide-
_J awake farmer of Ferguson township, Centre
county, was born December 3, 1830, in Union
county, Penn., a son of Benjamin Corl, Sr. ,
whose birth occurred in Chester county, this
State. During his youth the father had re
moved to Union county, and later came to
Centre county, where he spent the remainder of
his life. For twenty years he followed black
smithing, but later in life gave his exclusive at
tention to agricultural pursuits. The mother of
our subject, who bore the maiden name of Eliza
beth Vonada, was a native of Centre county.

526

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

In June, 1863, Benjamin Corl, our subject,"
was married to Miss Mary Neidigh, who was
called to her final rest after a married life of
eighteen years. Four children graced their un
ion, namely: Henry, born April 24, 1868, assists
his father in the operation of the home farm;
Amanda C, born June 21, 1872, is the wife of
Milton Zeigler, a sawyer by trade, living in Luth-
ersburg, Clearfield Co., Penn. ; Bella is the wife
of Philip Grenable, a farmer of Huntingdon
county, Penn.; and Alfred, born August 12, 1879,
is living in Half Moon, Centre county. In 1882,
Mr. Corl was again married, his second union
being with Mrs. Young, who has a son by
her former husband, named George D. Young,
who was born June 4, 1881, and is still with his
mother. Mr. and Mrs. Corl have a daughter,
Mary F., who was born August 27, 1884.
Mr. Corl is one of the most enterprising, in
dustrious and energetic farmers of Ferguson
township, where he owns a good farm, the neat
and thrifty appearance of which plainly indicates
the supervision of a careful manager. He casts
his ballot in support of the men and measures of
the Democratic party, but cares nothing for the
honors or emoluments of public office. He is
an earnest and consistent member of the Re
formed Church, and, socially, affiliates with the
Grange. He is held in the highest esteem and
respect by his neighbors, and has the confidence
and regard of all with whom he comes in con
tact, whether in a business or a social way.

PETER LAUCK, a leading and prosperous
farmer of Ferguson township, Centre coun
ty, is a native of Pennsylvania, having been born
in York county, November 26, 1825, and is of
German and Scotch descent. His paternal grand
father was a Revolutionary hero, having fought
under Gen. Washington. Our subject is the
youngest of the five children born to Peter and
Elizabeth (Lephart) Lauck, the others being as
follows: John, who reared his family in Illinois,
and there died; Catharine and Hannah, who
spent their married lives in Ohio, where their
deaths occurred; and Elizabeth, who died in
York county, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Lauck is the owner of a splendid farm in
Ferguson township, but is now practically living a
retired life, having laid aside the cares and re
sponsibilities of a business career, and enjoying
a well-earned rest. In 1840 he came to the
county, and since 185 1 has resided upon his
present farm. In early life he engaged in the
manufacture of windmills, but later gave his en
tire time and attention to agricultural pursuits,

becoming a most prosperous and well-to-do
farmer. On February 8, 1847, Mr. Lauck wedded
Miss Sarah M. Crumrine, and their union has
been blessed with thirteen children: John H.
who died in infancy; Rebecca, who first married
William Heberling, and after his death wedded
John Hicks; D. F. , who married Catharine Shoe
maker; Margaret B., who was born March 12,
1855; Anna C, wife of William Dutrow, by
whom she has five children; William, who mar
ried Lillie McGivitt, and has four children; Sally,
wife of William Dougherty; Adam F. , who mar
ried Emma Gummo, and has three children; J.
W. , who died April 6, 1880; Green, who was
born January 16, 1863, and died September 18,
1864; George B. McClellan, who was born March
3, 1864, and died on the 16th of the following
September; James, who died in infancy; and
Alice C. , who was born January 17, 1871, and
died in childhood.
Of a social, generous disposition, Mr. Lauck
has made many warm friends and acquaintances
during his long residence in Centre county, and
has the confidence and respect of all with whom
he has come in contact either in business or social
life. He is a typical American, progressive in
his ideas and active and energetic in manner. In
politics he is an earnest Democrat, and an advo
cate of free silver.

AX SHELL. Among some of the most
£L enterprising citizens of Centre county are
those who were born in Germany, and who have
brought to this fertile and productive country the
thrift and economy of the Old World. Among
these there is no figure that stands out more
prominently in the history of Taylor township
than Mr. Shell, whose fine farm is located near
Dix Station on the old plank road.
Mr. Shell was born in Witzberick, Germany,
May 20, 1825, a son of John and Andonia (Miller)
Shell, also natives of that country, where the
mother died in 1828, at the age of thirty years.
There the father was again married, his second
union being with Rosilla Hoover, and in 1847,'
with seven of the children, they emigrated to
the United States, one son, Joseph, remaining
behind. In the following year, however, he
joined the family in America. By trade the
father was a nail maker, but spent his last days
in retirement at the home of his son, Rev. John
Shell, at Altoona, Penn., where he died in 1876,
at the age of eighty-four years. In religious be
lief he was a Catholic. His second wife de
parted this life in 1863, at the age of sixty years.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

527

By his first marriage John Shell had six chil
dren, in order of birth as follows: Joseph (de
ceased) was a machinist of Altoona, Penn. ; Caro
line is the deceased wife of Joe Sedar, who died
in the West; Considine is a farmer of Blair coun
ty, Penn.; Max is the subject' of this sketch;
Andonia married Jake Snider, and after his death
wedded Adam Clacy, but both are now deceased;
and Rechina was also twice married; her first
husband, a Mr. Pittner, was accidentally drowned,
and she afterward wedded Mike Long, who is
also deceased. Two sons were born of the sec
ond union of John Shell: George L. , a railroad
bridge builder of Tyrone, Penn. ; and Rev. John,
a prominent priest of the Catholic Church, who
died at Altoona.
Max Shell was twenty-two years of age when
he embarked with his parents on a sailing vessel
bound for Baltimore, Md., where they arrived
after a voyage of four weeks. He had been pro
vided with excellent school advantages in his na
tive land, and is an intelligent, well-read man.
He was drafted for service in the German army,
but being in delicate health was rejected. Dur
ing the Civil war in this country he was also
drafted, but was again discharged, as at this time
he was past the age for service. After reaching
the shores of the New World, Mr. Shell went to
Hollidaysburg, Blair Co., Penn., where for a
short time he worked on a farm, and then for
nine months was employed in an ore bank.
Coming to Bald Eagle Furnace, Centre county,
he was employed by the furnace Company at sta
ble work for the long period of twenty years,
after which he returned to Blair county, where
for six years he worked on the railroad. He
then purchased his present farm in Taylor town
ship, Centre county. This fine property, on
which he has made some very valuable improve
ments, is the result of his own diligence, energy
and good management, and stands to-day a
monument to the industry and • thrift that he
possesses. In October, i85i,Mr. Shell, oursubject, was
joined in wedlock with Miss Jane Reed, and to
them have been born five children: Jennie, now
residing at Snow Shoe, Penn., is the widow of
Martin Vail, who was superintendent of the Beach
Creek railroad, and died, leaving seven children;
Mary is the wife of William McNeallis, employed
in the paper-mill of Tyrone, Penn.; William, a
railroad conductor, of Renovo, Penn., married
EUa  ; Joe, a railroad engineer of Tyrone,
wedded Mary Flinn; and Agnes is the wife of
James McNeallis (brother of her sister's husband),
a flagman on the railroad at Tyrone. There are
also twenty-two grandchildren.

Mrs. Shell was born in Blair county, Penn.,
November 23, 1828, and is a daughter of Joseph
and Jane W. (Logan) Reed, natives of Maryland
and Ireland, respectively. When quite young
her father ran away from home, going to Blair
county, where he married a Miss Logan, then
only sixteen years of age. He was crushed while
working in an' ore bank in that county, and died
from the effects a few days later, when Mrs. Shell
was quite small. In religious belief ne was a
Presbyterian. His last words to his wife were:
" Go to Maryland and attend to a fortune which
has been left us;" but this has never been done,
though it is supposed an estate was left to the
Reed family. Mrs. Reed long survived her hus
band, dying at the home of her son Joseph, in
Hollidaysburg, in 1892, at the ripe old age of
seventy-eight years. She was the mother of the
following children: William, who died in Ten
nessee; Mary, deceased; Dennis, who died at
Bald Eagle Furnace, Centre county; John, an
iron worker in the West; Joseph, a railroad en
gineer of Hollidaysburg; Jane, the estimable wife
of our subject; and Catherine, who first wedded
William McAteer, and after his death married
James Hawkins, a machinist of Altoona. Her
death was caused by the explosion of a coal-oil
lamp. Mr. Shell is a devout member of the Catholic
Church, in which faith he was reared, and both
himself and wife are highly respected and es
teemed as valued members of the community.
In politics he affiliates with the Democracy,
deeming that in that party is the best guarantee
for the perpetuation of our principles of free gov
ernment, and is an advocate of free silver. He
is a very liberal and public-spirited man, and
takes a foremost position in every movement or
enterprise which promises to accrue to the bene
fit of the people in general.

ORGAN M. LUCAS. Everywhere in our
land are found men who have worked
their own way up from humble beginnings to
leadership in the commerce, the great productive
industries, the management of financial affairs,
and in controlling the veins and arteries of the
traffic and exchanges of the country. It is one
of the glories of the nation that it is so. It
should be the strongest incentive and encourage
ment to the youth of the country that it is so.
Prominent among the self-made men of Centre
county is the subject of this sketch, now residing
on Wallace run in Boggs township. He is one
of the leading business men of the community,

528

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

extensively engaged in general farming, the man
ufacture of charcoal, and in the lumber busi
ness. Mr. Lucas was born October io, 1835, in the
township which is still his home, and is a worthy
representative of one of its pioneer families. In
Centre county his parents, Charles and Eliza
beth (Shirk) Lucas, spent their entire lives, the
former dying in 1875, at the age of seventy-
eight years, and the latter in 1865, at the age of
seventy-four years. In their family were four
children: James M. , a farmer of Boggs town
ship; Rebecca, wife of Jacob Brower, of Minne
sota; Charles, a farmer of Boggs township; and
Morgan M., of this review.
The father was the first white man to cross
the Alleghany Mountains to Snow Shoe, and was
at that place when it was given its name. Several
hunters were there stopping when a big snow
storm came up, and they were obliged to make
snow shoes in order to get away. Thus the vil
lage derived its name. Mr. Lucas was with
Commodore Perry when he won his famous victory
on Lake Erie. He had enlisted in the militia,
but it was found that he could be of more service
as a carpenter, and while he remained in the
service was employed at that trade. On being
discharged he returned to his home and resumed
work as a millwright, which trade he had learned
in early life. He became a large land owner,
but his property was operated by his sons. His
last days he spent in retirement at the home of
our subject, but he died when on a visit to his
daughter, Jane, who also resided in Boggs town
ship. Morgan M. Lucas spent his early life in lum
bering and farming, and at the age of nineteen
years started out in life for himself, working at
anything which he considered profitable. On De
cember 25, 1858, he married Miss Nancy J. Poor-
man, and to them have been born the following
children: Adella, wife of Daniel Shopp, a farmer
of Union township, Centre county; John A., a
farmer of Boggs township; George B., an agri
culturist of Union township; Adeline, deceased
wife of Andy Hugg, a farmer of Union town
ship; Catherine, wife of Edward Hancock, a
farmer of Boggs township; Annie M., wife of
Martin Brower, a farmer of Union township;
Rebecca, wife of Thomas Griffith, a farmer of
Boggs township; and Reuben and Alice, who are
still at home. After his marriage Mr. Lucas
operated a rented farm on Wallace run, Boggs
township, for a time, then moved to the farm
belonging to William Marks, where he remained
for five years, and then came to his present
place, and has recently bought another tract.

Besides general farming, however, he is also
engaged in the manufacture of charcoal, and in
the lumber business.
Mr. Lucas is a straightforward, reliable busi
ness man, honored, respected and esteemed
wherever known. He never acts except from
honest motives, and, in all of his varied relations in
business affairs and social life, he has maintained
a character and standing that has impressed all
with his sincere and manly purpose to do by
others as he would have others do by him.- In
politics he is a Democrat, and has faithfully
served in several township offices. An earnest
Christian gentleman, he is a consistent member
of the United Brethren Church, of which he is
trustee.

WILLIAM R., JOHN C. F. and JACOB
F. MOTZ, of Woodward, Centre county,
are the three surviving sons and only children of
the late John C. Motz and his wife, Maranda A.
(Reigard) Motz, of whom mention is made else
where in this volume.
William R. , the eldest son, was born in Wood
ward September 1, 1870, and received his ele
mentary education in the local schools, and then
after studying for some time at New Berlin and
Williamsport entered State College in 1889. He
left that institution during the Sophomore year,
and took a course at the Eastman Business Col
lege, at Poughkeepsie, N. Y. He resides at
Woodward, and conducts the business of his fa
ther's estate, which has never been divided. He
is a leader in the social life of the Valley.
John C. F., the second son, born April 25,
1872, was educated at Williamsport, at State
College, Penn., and at the Eastman Business
College. He got a good insight into business six
years under the preceptorship of his father, who
one year before he died gave John, individually,
the store in Woodward, which the latter has
since successfully carried on under the name of
J. C. F. Motz.
Jacob F. , the youngest son, born February 5,
I874, completed a course of study at State Col
lege, graduating in 1896, and he also graduated
in electric engineering. He is now in the em
ploy of the Carnegie Works, Homestead, Penn
sylvania. The three brothers are all taking prominent
places in the community, in which they are held
in the highest esteem as bright young men pos
sessed of more than ordinary ability, and the
two elder are classed among the leading young
business men of the community. Their father"

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

529

carefully instructed them in the details of his
business, and although he suffered from rheuma
tism he remained at the helm until he con
sidered his 'sons properly fitted for the task of
life. They are all Republicans in their political
preferences, while in matters of religion they are
identified with the Evangelical Association.
None of them has as yet enlisted in the noble
army of benedicts.

J. MUSSER. The Musser family is one of
the most prominent in Penn's Valley, and
while its members are not all descended from the
same pioneer settler, their ancestors seem to
have all located at their first coming in what is
now Gregg township, Centre county.
Of the different branches, the subject of this
sketch, a highly respected resident of Gregg
township, is now the only male representative in
his generation (the third) from Philip Musser, one
of the original settlers who located at the present
homestead in 1802. It was then known as the
" Rev. James Martin farm," and in an old ceme
tery on the place there are still to be found
tombstones which mark the graves of a number
of pioneers. One bears the following inscription :
"Here lies the body of Rev. James Martin, Pas
tor of the First Presbyterian congregation in
Penn's Valley, who died June 20, 1795, aged
about sixty-five." This is without doubt one
of the earliest interments in the cemetery,
which was abandoned long ago. When our sub
ject's grandfather took the estate it was but little
changed from its primitive condition, and he
cleared and improved it, some of the buildings
which he erected being still in use, the barn dat
ing back to 18 12. He was a Whig in politics,
and a devout member of the Lutheran Church.
Thrifty and industrious, a typical German farm
er, he acquired a goodly competence. He lived
to be nearly eighty years old, and his wife,
Elizabeth Oswalt, also attained an advanced age,
but the mortal remains of both were long since
laid to rest in the Heckman cemetery. Their
children were: John, who died in Trumbull
county, Ohio; Philip (2), the father of our subject;
Daniel, who removed to Trumbull county, Ohio,
and died there; Elizabeth (Mrs. John Durst), who
died in Potter township, Centre county; Han
nah, who married Adam Shaffer, and died in
Madisonburg, Centre county; Lydia (Mrs. Mi
chael Ream), who died in Gregg township, Cen
tre county; and Catherine (Mrs. Elias Wasser),
who died in Kansas. At the time that Philip
34

Musser, Sr. , came to Centre county, his brother
Michael also located there. He had a large fam
ily, among whom were several daughters and two
sons, Jonathan and George.
Philip Musser (2), our subject's father, was
born in Lehigh county, Penn., in September,
1790, and was a boy of twelve when his parents
settled at the present homestead. As a pioneer
farmer's son, his educational advantages were
limited, and what instruction he had was given
in German. He was a well-built man, weighing
from 180 to 185 pounds, and was an active and
successful business man, conducting his farm, and
also a sawmill, which was built by his father, and
is still run by water power. He always took a
prominent part in religious movements as a mem
ber of the Lutheran Church, in which he held
various offices, and he was also interested in poli
tics first as a Whig, and later as a Republican. Al
though firm in his convictions, he was never ag
gressive in proclaiming them, being a man of few
words, and he was universally respected as an up
right citizen. He died in November, 1871, and
his remains were interred in Heckman cemetery.
He was married four times. By his first wife, a
Miss Walburn, he had three children: Mary
A. married John Oswalt, and died in Gregg
township, Centre county; Elizabeth married
Jacob Condo, and moved to Illinois, where
her death occurred: and Rebecca, the widow
of Charles Hennich, resides in Penn Hall. The
second wife, our subject's mother, was formerly
a Miss Rush, who first married a Mr. Peters,
and at the time of her marriage to Mr. Musser
was a widow. She died about 1831. Her chil
dren were John, who died at two years of age;
George, who died when fourteen; D. J., oursub
ject; and Hannah (Mrs. William Adamson), who
died in Kansas. By the third wife, Polly Musser,
widow of Daniel Condo, and the fourth, Susan
Miller, widow of David Oswalt, there were no
children. D. J. Musser was born at the old homestead,
March 19, 1829, and as a boy attended the
neighboring district schools, the instruction being
mainly in German. The labor-saving devices of
the present time were then unknown, and work
was plenty even in the winter season, it being his
duty to ride the horses while threshing out the
grain in the old-fashioned way. His time was
sometimes so taken up with his work that dur
ing one whole winter he was allowed to attend
school only seven days. Hauling furnished con
tinued employment also, as coal was brought
in wagons from Snow Shoe, and grain was taken
to market at Lewistown, Mifflin county, over
Seven Mountains, by the same means. He has

530

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

always lived at the homestead, and as he grew
older he assumed the management of the estate,
conducting the farm and the old mill. At the
age of twenty he married Miss Catherine Rearick,
who was born in Haines township, Centre coun
ty, in October, 1827, the daughter of William and
 (Friese) Rearick. Twelve children blessed
the union: Alice R. married John Swarm, of
Centre Hall; John P. died at an early age; Mary
A. is at home; Charles A. died in July, 1896, at
the age of forty-two, leaving a widow and one
son, Wallace, who is of the fifth generation of
this family to reside at the homestead; William
H. is a farmer in Penn township, Centre county;
Cornelius, a farmer, lives in Miles township,
Centre county; Melancthon is an agriculturist of
Potter township, Centre county; Luther resides
in Gregg township; George lives at Rebersburg;
Calvin F. is employed in the freight office of the
Reading R. R. Co. at Williamsport, Penn. ;
Frank resides in Gregg township, Centre county;
and Lucy is at home.
Mr. Musser has an excellent farm, containing
124 acres, and in 1883, when he retired from act
ive business, he built for himself a substantial res
idence on the farm some distance from the old
home, which is occupied by one of his sons, who
now manages the estate. He has always taken
a deep interest in public affairs, though never an
office seeker, and was first a Whig, then a Re
publican, and since 1892 he has been a Prohi
bitionist, being strongly opposed to the liquor
traffic. He and his wife are leading members of
the Lutheran Church, and for many years he
took an active part in the affairs, holding office
as deacon and elder. Notwithstanding the fact
that he has done much hard work in his life, he is
well preserved for one of his age, and his mental
faculties are unusually good, bis memory being
remarkable.

WILLIAM H. MEYER, the leading mer
chant of Coburn, Centre county, is a rep
resentative of a prominent and well known
family of central Pennsylvania, who trace their
ancestry back to a gentleman of German birth
who came to the New World at an early day in
its history. His fourth son, Christopher Meyer,
was born in Muhlbach, Lancaster Co., Penn., in
1744, from which place he removed to Camp
belltown, Lebanon county, this State, where he
owned a large tract of land. There his death
occurred August 2, 1801. He wedded Anna
Maria Schaeffer, who was born in Heidelberg
township, Lancaster county, February 19, 1744,

a daughter of Alexander Schaeffer, who came
from Palatinate, Prussia, to the United States in
1740. She died January 1, 1823. In their fam
ily were nine children, namely: Henry, John,
Michael, Jacob, Christopher, George, Catharine,
Christina and^Mary.
George Meyer was the first of the family to
come to Haines township, Centre county. He
was born in Campbelltown, March 25, 1782, and
in 1827 came to Centre county, buying a farm
and millsite on Pine creek, where he erected a
mill. He was a giant in strength, yet inferior
to his brothers, Henry, John and Michael. He
married Catharine Meyer, who was born Decem
ber 2, 1788, a daughter of John Jacob Meyer,
and died March 13, 1858. He passed away
January 1, 1854, and was buried with his wife at
Aaronsburg, Centre county. Their family con
stituted the following children: George, born
January 13, 1806, was the grandfather of our
subject; John, a farmer by occupation, died in
Penn's Valley, January 28, 1878; Catharine mar
ried Andrew Harter, and died in Penn's Valley,
October 3, 1872; Henry died in Haines town
ship, Centre county, March 9, 1877; Mary wed
ded Andrew Stover, and lives in Penn's Valley;
Philip died in Haines township, June 25, 1876;
and Jacob G., a resident of Aaronsburg, at
one time represented his district in the State
Legislature. The grandfather of our subject was reared
upon a farm, and was married in Haines town
ship to Miss Lydia Harter, who was there born
May 16, 1807, a daughter of Andrew Harter, and
they became the parents of six children: George
J. is the father of our subject; Julia A., born
December 20, 1831, is the wife of John Weaver,
of Penn township, Centre county; Maria, born
January 26, 1837, is the wife of Jacob Ketner,
of Haines township; Samuel, born July 13, 1839,
was a miller by trade, and died in Millheim,
Centre county; Sarah, born April 12, 1842, is
the widow of Daniel Miller, of Haines township;
and Andrew, born January 17, 1848, is a miller
of the same township. The father of these chil
dren taught two terms of school after his mar
riage. He began housekeeping upon a rented
farm in Haines township, and to agricultural
pursuits mainly devoted his attention until his
death at the age of forty-seven years. He was
never a robust man, and catching cold, it de
veloped into consumption, which caused his
death. Politically he was a Democrat, and re
ligiously he was a member of the German Re
formed Church. His wife survived him only
about two and one-half years.
George J. Meyer, the father of our subject,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

531

was born in Haines township, January 17, 1830,
and acquired his education in the primitive
schools of early times. At the age of eighteen
he began learning the miller's trade with his un
cle, John Meyer, of Pine Creek, serving a two-
years' apprenticeship, during which time he re
ceived $60 for his services. He then worked as
a journeyman at the Pine Creek Mill for one
year, and then returned and conducted it on his
own account for the same length of time. Re
moving to Lewis township, Union county, Penn.,
he operated a rented mill there for a time, and
later worked for the owner. On leaving his
employ he conducted a rented mill in Haines
township, Centre county, for eight years, after
which he removed to Penn township, where his
family resided, while he was at Oil City, Penn.,
a part of one summer. For a period of two
years and a half he then engaged in farming,
later operated a grist and saw mill at Pine Creek
eleven years, and for nine years was in the mill
ing business at Linden Hall, Centre county. In
the spring of 1889 he came to Coburn, where he
was engaged in mercantile pursuits for a time,
but later sold out to his son William, and is now
living a retired life, making his home with his
children. He is a highly respected and honored
citizen, an earnest supporter of Democratic prin
ciples, and a faithful member of the Reformed
Church. In Haines township, in June, in 1852, George
J. Meyer was wedded to. Miss Mary S. Arbogast,
who was born in 1832, in Freeburg, Snyder Co.,
Penn. (then Union county), a daughter of Jacob
Arbogast, a potter by trade. Six children bless
this union: Emma J., wife of Nicodemus Lose,
of Haines township; Agnes, wife of Daniel Kra-
der, of Gregg township, Centre county; William
H., whose name introduces this sketch; Austin
E., a miller of Linden Hall; Thomas F., a' mer
chant of Coburn; and Temmie E. , wife of John
H. Rishel, a merchant of Farmers Mills, Penn.
The mother was called to her final rest March
26, 1894, and her remains were interred in the
cemetery of Aaronsburg. Like her husband, she
was an earnest member of the Reformed Church.
In Hartle township, Union county, William
H. Meyer was born July 31, 1855, whence,
when a child, he was brought by his parents to
Woodward, Centre county, of which county he
has since been a resident. He was educated in
its common schools, first attending school at
Woodward, where his teacher was "Old Hill."
At the age of fifteen he began learning the mill
er's trade with his father at Pine Creek, and
later worked at that business in various places in
Centre county, and also at York, Penn., for a

time. In 1890 he embarked in merchandising
at Coburn, first occupying a building opposite
the depot, and later succeeded E. L. Auman in
business at his present stand. He had never
stood behind a counter previous to starting in
business for himself, but seemed naturally adapt
ed to the pursuit, and, has met with a well-
deserved success, having now one of the leading
general stores in Penn's Valley, and by far the
most complete one in Coburn.
At the age of nineteen Mr. Meyer was mar
ried in Bellefonte to Miss Hulda Lee, a native of
Tusseyville, Penn., and a daughter of Robert
Lee, a farmer. They have one child, Verna,
born in November, 1875. The parents are both
consistent members of the Reformed Church,
while in politics Mr. Meyer is a stalwart Demo
crat, and fraternally is a member of Blanchard
Lodge, I. O. O. F., of Eagleville, Penn. He is
a prosperous, obliging merchant, one who has
made his own way in the world, and deserves no
little credit for the wonderful success he has
achieved. As a business man he enjoys the con
fidence of a wide circle of patrons, and he and
his wife hold an equally high position in social
circles.

JOHN CARVER, an intelligent and energetic
farmer of Benner township, Centre county,
is a native of the county, his birth having oc
curred in Bald Eagle Valley, in 1848. His par
ents, Joseph and Mary (Neiman) Carver, were
also natives of that county, and highly respected
and honored people. In their family were eleven
children, in order of birth as follows: Sarah A.
is the wife of John Stonebreaker, of Sandy Ridge,
Centre county; Joseph enlisted in the 148th P.
V. I. , and was killed in the battle of Gettysburg.
Maria wedded Gabriel Fike, who was also a
Union soldier, and both are now deceased.
Elizabeth is the wife of Henry Sharrow, of
Johnstown, Penn. , where they were living dur
ing the memorable flood at that place. Henry,
who was also a brave defender of the Union, was
taken prisoner in the battle of the Wilderness and
died in Libby prison. Frederick, who wasa member
of a Pennsylvania regiment during the Rebellion,
died in January, 1896. William died in boyhood
in Bald Eagle. Mary Ann died in childhood.
John is next in order of birth. Jacob is married
and living in Snow Shoe, Penn. Barbara is the
wife of Samuel Ginger, of Roopsburg, Centre
county. In the public schools of Centre county, Mr.
Carver, the subject of this review, secured a good
practical education, and early became familiar

532

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

with farm work in its various departments. Since
1858 he has been a resident of Benner township,
arid for the past quarter of a century has made
his home upon his present farm, a tract of
twenty-five acres of rich and arable land, which
he has placed under a high state of cultivation.
It is chiefly owing to his own industry and good
management that he is the possessor of this well-
improved place. In politics he is a Democrat,
and is in favor of any movement which is for the
benefit of the community, or calculated to elevate
the tone of society in general. By his neighbors
he is classed among the leading agriculturists of
Benner township.

JOHN H. ROUSH, a prominent agriculturist,
residing near Madisonburg, Centre county, is
one of the progressive, wide-awake men who
naturally take the lead in any calling which they
may undertake. He was born March 22, 1850,
on the same farm which he now owns and occu
pies, and was the eldest child of Benjamin and
Margaret (Hoy) Roush. The estate was formerly
known as the "John Hoy homestead," and the
Hoy family were from early times identified with
that locality. The neighboring district school
was called Hoy's school, and there Mr. Roush re
ceived his education, one of his first teachers be
ing John Houtz.
Farm life presents many advantages to a
youth, healthful work, relieved by pleasant out
door recreation, forming wholesome habits and
developing and strengthening the physique.
There was always plenty to do at home, and
Mr. Roush's parents being well-to-do, he never
' ' worked out " for other farmers. As he became
familiar with the management of the farm he as
sumed much of the responsibility, and as a young
man he gave evidence of the qualities which have
contributed to his later success. In January,
1873, he was married at Rebersburg to Miss
Margaret J. Shaffer, daughter of John and Fran
ces (Schmeltzer) Shaffer. She was a native of
Sugar Valley, Clinton county, born in December,
1850, but her early life was mainly spent in
Brush Valley. After his marriage Mr. Roush lo
cated in Sugar Valley, renting the farm upon
which Mrs. Roush was born. He remained
there until the spring of 1876, when he removed
to a farm in Spring township, Centre county,
near Axemann. In the spring of 1888, he left
this place to take his permanent residence in
Gregg township, at the old homestead, which he
has greatly improved in various ways. The es
tate contains 182 acres of choice land, and is con
sidered one of the best farms in the locality.

Mr. and Mrs. Roush have three daughters:
(1) Carrie E. married A. J. Hazel, of Madison
burg, and has two children; (2) Minnie E. and
(3) Frances E. , are at home. The family holds
a leading place in the social life of the com
munity. Mr. Roush is a member of the Re
formed Church, in which he has served as dea
con, and Mrs. Roush is a Lutheran in faith.
Politically he is a stanch and steadfast Democrat,.
and has much influence in the local organization.
While living in Spring township he held office as
school director and assistant assessor, and at
present he is the director of the " Hoy district
school," which he attended in boyhood. He is
a member of the Grange, and of the I. O. 0. F.
Lodge No. 955, at Millheim, and is a charter
member of Madison Castle No. 360, K. G. E.,
at Madisonburg.

WILLIAM M. LUTZ. Prominent among
 the successful and enterprising farmers of
Centre county will be found the subject of this
biographical sketch, whose home is situated in
Benner township, and who is considered one of
the most industrious and worthy citizens of that
part of the county. He was born in Spring
township, Centre county, in 1850, a son of John
and Margaret (Martin) Lutz, the former of Ger
man descent and the latter of Irish parentage.
The father, who was a native of Schuylkill
county, Penn. , died at the age of sixty-nine years
and seven months.
Our subject, who is one of a family of thirteen
children, obtained a good common-school educa
tion, and upon the home farm became familiar
with the duties that fall to the lot of the agricult
urist. On attaining to man's estate he was
joined in wedlock with Miss Emma Crust, a na
tive of England, who when five years old was
brought to the New World by her parents, James
and Mary (Osmer) Crust. The pleasant home
circle of Mr. and Mrs. Lutz consists of four chil
dren, namely: Charles E. , James, Mary and
Nettie. They also lost one, who* died at the age
of five months.
Politically, Mr. Lutz affiliates with the Demo
cratic party, and is a strong and earnest advo
cate of its principles. For the past five years he
has held membership in the Grange. An indus
trious, intelligent farmer, he is systematic in his
methods, and his fields are made to yield bounti
ful harvests. The improvements upon his prop
erty are of a substantial character, and every
thing manifests the thrift and prosperity of a
wide-awake farmer and capable business man.
He is a highly respected citizen of the comma-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

533

nity, and an excellent specimen of the genial,
hospitable people who are born and reared in
Centre county.

CEORGE WASHINGTON STEELE. The
f subject of this notice is certainly entitled
to be considered not only one of the enterprising
farmers of Huston township, Centre county, but
one of its respected and honored citizens, and a
man of more than ordinary ability. He has al
ways turned his attention to agricultural pursuits,
in which he has been very successful, and since
his marriage has resided at his present home in
Bald Eagle Valley.
Mr. Steele is a native of Huston township,
iborn February 20, 1853. His father, William
Wilson Steele, was born in Mifflin county, Penn.,
November 19, 1824, and is a son of Martin and
Mary (Moore) Steele, natives of Chester and
Centre counties, Penn. , respectively. The former
was a son of Francis and Margaret (Steele)
Steele, who were born in Ireland, and on coming
to America at an early day located in Centre
county, where they spent the remainder of their
lives upon a farm. The paternal grandmother
of our subject was a daughter of Robert and
 (Wilson) Moore, also natives of Ireland and
early pioneers of Centre county. Martin Steele
and wife were married in Centre county, and in
1 824 removed to Mifflin county, but in the fol
lowing year returned to their former home,
where they passed away in 1 844 and 1 864 re
spectively. He was an iron ore miner, and
served as supervisor of Patton township, Cen
tre county. In their family were the following
children: Jane, wife of Hubert Glenn; Marga
ret, wife of David Aters; Robert, of Ohio; Vi
enna, wife of James Peoples; Hestrane, wife of
Robert Moore; Mary E. , wife of Jacob Jobnson-
baugh; William W. ; and Martha, wife of George
Mays. All are deceased with the exception of
the father of our subject.
In early life, William W. Steele engaged in
lumbering during the winter season, while the
summers were spent in farm work. In 1835 he
located at Buffalo Run, but in 1853 removed to
his present farm, to the cultivation and improve
ment of which he has since devoted his time and
attention. He is a prominent member of the
Republican party, and has served as constable,
school director, and supervisor of his township.
He was also elected justice of the peace, but de
clined to accept the office. On March 19, 1849,
ne married Elizabeth Mays, who was born in
Huston township, May 10, 1826, a daughter of
Samuel and Sarah (Decker) Mays, natives of

Penn's Valley, Centre county, who spent their
last days at the home of Mr. Steele, the former
dying at the age of eighty and the latter at the
age of eighty-five years. In their family were
nine children: Catherine, widow of J. Saxton,
of Kansas; Jane, deceased wife of James Mc
Clelland, also deceased; Sarah, deceased wife of
Joe Sinker; Mary, widow of James Flick, of
Forest county, Penn. ; Elizabeth, mother of our
subject; George, who died in Forest county;
Eberhart, a farmer of that county; Jesse, who
died in Kansas; and Washington, a veterinary
surgeon of Clarendon, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Steele, whose name introduces this
sketch, is the second in order of birth in a family
of children, the others being as follows; Sarah,
wife of David Richards, a farmer and carpenter
of Centre county; Robert, who died when young;
William M., who also died when young; Jasper,
a farmer of Huston township; and Warren, at
home. Our subject obtained his literary educa
tion in the public schools, and became familiar
with agricultural pursuits upon the home farm,
where he remained until his marriage, May 29,
1879, to Miss Nettie E. Mays. To them were
born six children: Mattie is at home; Gordon
is deceased; William died in infancy; Elwood is
at home; Elizabeth died at the age of seventeen
months; and one died in infancy.
In Clarendon, Forest Co. , Penn. , Mrs. Steele
was born January 29, 1859, a daughter of George
I. and Martha C. (Steele) Mays, natives of Cen
tre county, where they remained until 1848,
when they removed to Forest county. The fa
ther followed the occupation of farming and
blacksmithing throughout life, dying in April,
1893, at the age of seventy-one years. His wife
passed away in January, 1892, at the age of
sixty-five years. In early life they belonged to
the Methodist Episcopal Church, but later joined
the United Brethren. Their family constituted
ten children: Ella, wife of Alex Chatley, a mill
wright of Forest county; Sarah, deceased wife of
William Burkwalter, a lumberman; Josephine,
wife of Joseph Showber, a farmer of Centre
county; Jennie, who is now the wife of William
Burkwalter; Nettie E., wife of our subject; Mag
gie, wife of Loren McGee, a carpenter; Priscilla,
a resident of Forest county; Laura, who died at
the age of nine years; Warren, of whom nothing
is known; and Bertrand, of Forest county. The
paternal grandparents of Mrs. Steele were Sam
uel and Sarah A. (Decker) Mays, who located in
Centre county at an early day, and there their
deaths occurred. The maternal grandparents,
Martin and Mary (Moore) Steele, spent their en
tire lives in the same county.

534

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Mr. Steele is a clear-headed, intelligent man,
with sound common-sense views of life and its
duties; he is active in well-doing, sober, indus
trious and of good business habits; in fact, pos
sessing in an eminent degree all the qualifications
that go to make up a good citizen and honorable
man. In politics he sides with the Republican
party, and for three years was an efficient school
director.

JOHN C. WAGNER is extensively engaged
in farming in Centre county, and makes his
home in Central City. He is a representa
tive of one of the pioneer families of the locality,
and is one of the native sons of the county
wherein he now resides. He was born in Belle
fonte, June io, 1857, a son of John M. and Su
sanna (Hahn) Wagner, natives of Lebanon
county and Centre county, Penn., respectively.
Their family numbered ten children: William,
who operates a gristmill in Boggs township, for
merly owned by the father; Franklin, deceased;
Mary, wife of Frank B. Weaver, of State College,
Penn. ; Sarah, wife of John M. Keichline, of
Bellefonte; Jennie, wife of Peter Keichline, of
Bellefonte; John C. ; Alice, wife of James Weaver,
a farmer of Boggs township; Carrie, wife of Louis
Wallace, of Boggs township; Annie, deceased
wife of James Williams, of Bellefonte; and Ella,
who is living with her mother at the family home
stead. The father of this family was prominently
connected with the business interests of Centre
county, and largely promoted its commercial ac
tivity. From 1867 until 1869 he was engaged in
merchandising in Milesburg, and throughout the
greater part of his life owned and operated a
farm. In 1875 he erected a gristmill in Central
City, which he conducted until 1884, when he
was joined in the business by his son, John C,
under the firm name of John M. Wagner & Son.
This connection continued until the father's
death, which occurred May 3, 1892, when he had
reached the age of sixty-nine years. He achieved
a handsome competency through his own labors.
His religious views were greatly in accord with
the doctrine of the German Reformed Church,
but he held liberal ideas. In politics he was a
stanch Republican. His wife, who was born in
1824, is still living on the old homestead. She
is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and a
most estimable lady.
John C. Wagner spent the first seven years
of his life in the city of his nativity, and in the
fall of 1864 accompanied his parents on their re
moval from Bellefonte to the farm in Boggs town
ship. He was there reared to manhood, and in

the public schools of the neighborhood acquired
his- education. He continued at home until he was
twenty-seven years of age, at which time he
joined his father in the gristmill business, being
connected with that enterprise for eight years
when his father died, and he sold his interest in
the mill. He then removed to his farm, which
is a valuable and richly cultivated tract of land
that he has placed under a high state of cultiva
tion. Among the excellent improvements upon
it is a two-story brick residence, built in a modern
style of architecture and tastefully and comfort
ably furnished.
On October 8, 1884, Mr. Wagner was married
to Miss Ella De Long, and they have an interesting
family of three children: Mabel E., John M. and
Mira E. They have a wide circle of warm friends
who esteem them highly for their sterling worth.
Mr. Wagner exercises his right of franchise in
support of the Republican party, and was ap
pointed and served as township supervisor one
term. He is a member of the Royal Arcanum,
of Bellefonte. His life record is that of a straight
forward business man, true to the duties of home
and country, and of public and of private life.

J'' A.. DIETRICH. The subject of this sketch
occupies a prominent position among the en
terprising farmers and successful stock-raisers
of Miles township, Centre county, where he owns
a fine farm of 102 acres, known as the old Grimm
homestead, which he purchased in the spring of
1889, and has made many valuable and useful
improvements thereon. Having commenced life
with small means, his financial position is ample
evidence of the manner in which he has em
ployed his time, and the good judgment of which
he is the fortunate possessor. He has one of the
best appointed homesteads in the township, and
on account of his strict integrity and high char
acter is numbered among its most valuable
citizens. Mr. Dietrich was born near Hublersburg, in
Nittany Valley, Centre county, September 29,
1856, and is of Swiss extraction, his grandfather,
Martin Dietrich, being a native of Switzerland.
He was an energetic, industrious man, who suc
ceeded in securing a small home in Haines town
ship, Centre county, near the mountains north
of Aaronsburg, and there engaged in general
farming and fruit growing, by which he made a
comfortable living for himself and wife. They
had two children: John, the father of our sub
ject; and Annie, who married a Mr. Furrow, and
died in Tioga county, Pennsylvania.
Being a naturally bright boy, John Dietrich,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

535

the father, secured a good practical education
even though the schools of his time were poor,
and in later years participated in many local de
bates, in which he took great enjoyment. As
the little farm of his father did not furnish enough
work for two, he left home at the age of thirteen
years, and worked for others, giving his wages to
his parents until he: had attained his majority.
Learning the plasterer's trade, he worked at it
for some time in Big Sugar and Nittany Valleys.
In the latter place he was married to Miss
Sarah A. Dunkle, who was born on the old
Dunkle homestead near Hublersburg, and was a
daughter of a well-to-do farmer, from whom she
inherited some property. By working at his
trade, Mr. Dietrich was able to add to this until
at the time of his death they had 144 acres of
good land, now owned by their two sens, Lewis
C. and Henry M. The father was an adherent
of Democratic principles, and a member of the
Reformed Church, to which his wife also be
longed. After a lingering illness he died in the
fall of 1887, and she passed away in 1891, both
when over sixty-seven years of age, and their re
mains were interred in the Hublersburg cemetery.
In the Dietrich family were eight children, as
follows: Lewis C, a farmer in Nittany Valley;
Elizabeth, wife of William Fulton, of the same
place; John, a plasterer and painter of Belle
fonte, Centre county; Sarah A., who married
John White, and died near Hecla, Penn. ; Henry
M., who is living on the old homestead ; J. A. and
D. A. (twins), the former being our subject, and
the latter the railroad agent at Hublersburg; and
B. F., of Bellefonte.
J. A. Dietrich began his education in the old
"Eight Square school house" under the instruc
tion of Martha Gordon, and later pursued his
studies with William Mallory, William Decker
and Jasper Wolfe as teachers. Upon the home
farm he was reared until sixteen years of age,
when he began working for others, giving his
parents his wages with the exception of what
was needed for his clothes. He was employed
by farmers in Brush Valley until nineteen years
of age, when he began working in the woods for
Ocker & Royer, and continued to follow the lum
ber business for over four years.
In Madisonburg, Mr. Dietrich was married in
July, 1882, to Miss Emma J. Roush, .who was
born in Gregg township, Centre county, in May,
1859, and is the youngest child of Benjamin and
Margaret (Hoy) Roush. Mr. and Mrs. Dietrich
have two children, Alma M. and Mary E. The
parents began their domestic life upon her fa
ther's farm, where they remained until their re
moval to their present place in the spring of

1889. They are members in good standing of
the Reformed Church, in which he is serving as
deacon, of the Sunday-school of which he for
several years was secretary. They are greatly
esteemed in their community as representing the
best type of its moral and social element. Po
litically, Mr. Dietrich is a Democrat; has served
as overseer in the west precinct of Miles town
ship, and is at present a director of the Madison
burg schools. Socially, he affiliates with the
Grange, and was at one time a member of
the Knights of the Golden Eagle.

FLEMING POORMAN. a leading and ener
getic agriculturist of Boggs township, Cen
tre county, was born February 14, 1858, on the
farm where he now resides, a son of John and
Catherine (Fetzer) Poorman, who were also na
tives of Centre county, where they spent their
entire lives.
In their family were nine children, as fol
lows: Maria, deceased wife of Jacob Yarnal, a
farmer in Centre county; Jane, wife of Morgan
M. Lucas, a farmer of the same county; Mary,
wife of Stanley Watson, an agriculturist of
Boggs township; William, of Central City, Penn. ;
Daniel F. , a prominent farmer of Boggs town
ship; John E., a merchant of Boggs township;
Arminta, wife of Joseph Williams, an engineer
of Williamsport, Penn. ; Alice, wife of William
Fetzer, a farmer of Boggs township; and Flem
ing, of this review. The father was a farmer by
occupation, socially a member of the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows, in religious belief a Lu
theran, while politically he supported the Demo
cratic party, as did his father before him. The
latter was a son of John and Elizabeth B. (Harper)
Poorman, who were born at Brush Valley, Cen
tre county, where they were engaged in farming.
The maternal grandparents of our subject, Mi
chael and Mary (Homier) Fetzer, were natives of
Germany, and New Jersey respectively. At an
early day they took up their residence in Centre
county, where they both died.
In the public schools Fleming Poorman ac
quired a good, practical education and at the age
of fifteen years began his business career in the
woods of Centre county, peeling bark during one
season. In the following year he worked as a
farm hand, and then went to Bellefonte, where
he served a two-years' apprenticeship as engineer
at the pump station of the reservoir. For the
following six months he ran an engine in Blair
county, Penn. , after which he removed to Ber
wick, Penn., where he learned the puddling
trade, at which he was employed some seven

536

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

years. Returning to the old homestead farm, he
rented the same until 1895, when he purchased
it, and to its cultivation gives his time and at
tention. Mr. Poorman was married April 27, 1882, to
Miss Ida Lucas, by whom hei has five children:
Maud, Malcolm, Charles, Clyde and Linn. Mrs.
Poorman was born at Snow Shoe, Centre county,
January 28, 1863, a daughter of William and
Lynn (Askey) Lucas, who are also natives of
that county. They now reside at Chester Hill,
where the father is engaged in merchandising.
He served as captain during the Civil war, and in
politics is an ardent Republican. His wife holds
membership in the Methodist Episcopal Church,
and both are highly respected and valued citizens
of the community where they make their home.
His parents were David and Elizabeth (Green)
Lucas, of Centre county, and her parents were
David and Elizabeth (Whiteman) Askey, of
Clearfield county, Penn. Mrs. Poorman is the
eldest in the family of seven children, the others
being Laura, now the wife of James Stott, of
Philipsburg, Penn. ; Harry, attending Westches
ter College; Effie, residing at Williamsport, Penn. ;
John, an express messenger on the Beach Creek
railroad; and Gertrude and Cameron D., who
are still with their parents.
Fraternally, Mr. Poorman is a member of the
Grange at Milesburg, in politics is an earnest
Democrat, and in religious faith attends the serv
ices of the Big Church. He is meeting with a
well-deserved success in his chosen calling, and
his fine, well-ordered farm, with its carefully cult
ured fields, its neat buildings and all their sur
roundings, denote the skillful management, in
dustry and well-directed labors of the owner. He
is eminently worthy the trust and high regard in
which he is held by his fellow-citizens.

E\DWARD M. KERLIN is one of the prom-
 'I inent and reliable young men of Benner
township, Centre county, The business interests
of the community are well represented by him,
and whether in public or private life he is always
a courteous, genial gentleman, well deserving the
high regard in which he is held. His occupation
is that of a miller, and he now has charge of the
Roopsburg Mills, which he is managing with skill
and ability.
Mr. Kerlin was born in the county which is
still his home, October 31, 1864, and is a son of
Daniel K. and Catharine (Poorman) Kerlin, the
former a native of Berks county, Penn., and the
latter also a Pennsylvanian by birth. The father,
who was of Welsh descent, was a miller by

trade, and at one time operated a foundry in
Bellefonte, Centre county; he died in Roopsburg.
To them were born six children, of whom he was
the youngest, the others being as follows: Anna
C. , now the wife of Mitchell Baker, of Norwalk
Warren Co., Iowa, by whom she has one child-
Jacob W., deceased; Mary V., wife of John
Archie, of Roland, Centre county; Alice A., wife
of Thomas P. Cowdrick, of Bellefonte, by whom
she has a son, Morris; and one who died in
childhood. The elementary education of Edward M. Ker
lin, which was obtained in the free schools of
Bellefonte, was supplemented by a course in the
Bellefonte Academy, where he completed his lit
erary training. He is a prepossessing young
man, upright and honorable in all his dealings,
and has the confidence and esteem of all with
whom he has come in contact either in business
or social life. Since attaining his majority he
has given his allegiance to the Democratic party,
and in religious belief is a Lutheran.

JAMES E. MUSSER. Among the prominent
and progressive young men, who regard Cen
tre county as their home, and are turning
their attention to agricultural pursuits, is James
E. Musser, of Ferguson township. Although
young in years, still, having excellent business
abilities, he has already placed himself in a posi
tion to be regarded as a successful and scientific
farmer. * He has been chiefly interested in the
cattle and sheep business, in which line success
has been his portion. His political support is
ever given to the Republican party, and in re
ligious belief he is a Lutheran.
Mr. Musser was born April 27, 1868, and is a
son of William and Eliza A. (Ruble) Musser, the
latter a daughter of Peter Ruble, of Tusseyville,
Penn. The family is of German origin. To the
parents of our subject were born eight children,
as follows: Mazella, who died in infancy; Flora
A., wife of J. H. Ross, a merchant of Linden
Hall, Centre county, by whom she has six chil
dren; Alvin C. (bookkeeper for Booker & Elder,
of Altoona), who married Ettie Hartzell, and has
two children; Anna M., a milliner of Pine Grove
Mills, Centre Co.; James E., of this sketch;
Ella M., who died in childhood; J. William, a
farmer, who removed to Illinois in the spring of
1896; and Alka E., a resident of Pine Grove
Mills. About 1840 the parents came to Centre
county, where their marriage was celebrated, and
for many years the father owned and operated
the farm where a part of the family yet reside.-
During the Civil war he was drafted, but was

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

537

never called into service. The family has long
been identified with the interests of Centre coun
ty, and is widely and favorably known.

T. HUBLER. Among the young men
WM. of Centre county who have selected agri
culture as their vocation in life, and judging from
their present indications are bound to succeed in
their chosen calling, is the subject of this bio
graphical notice, who is a resident of Miles town
ship, where he has thirty-five acres of excellent
farming land. He was born in that township,
July 17, 1869, a son of George M. and Margaret
E. (Stover) Hubler. John George Hubler, the
paternal grandfather, who was the founder of
the family in Miles township, was born in 1785,
and died August 2, 1857, at his home near Rock
ville, in Brush Valley, where he was one of the
earliest settlers. He was twice married, his first
wife being Miss Anna B. Musser, by whom he
had three children: George M. ; J. P., who died
in Miles township, in 1894; and Sadie E., wife
of Aaron Bartges, of Loganton, Pennsylvania.
George M. Hubler was born in Haines town
ship, Centre county, along Pine creek, at what
is known as Myer's Mill, which his father then
owned, but subsequently they removed to near
Rockville, Miles township. He assisted his fa
ther to some extent in the mill, but mainly gave
his attention to agricultural pursuits. In 1865,
he was married, in Brush Valley, to Miss Mar
garet E. Stover, who was born in Rebersburg,
December 17, 1845, a daughter of Elias and
Harriet (Hippie) Stover. Her father, a son of
Henry and Margaret (Guiswite) Stover, was born
April 14, 1820, in Haines township, where he
was reared, and in 1845 came to Brush Valley,
making his home in Rebersburg, where he worked
at his trade of carpentering, and still lives at that
place. His wife, whose birth occurred in Mid-
dleburg, Penn., December 4, 1822, was the
daughter of Frederick and Elizabeth (Leib) Hip
pie. Her father, a carpenter by trade, died
when she was quite young, and she was reared by
a half sister. Her death occurred May 27, 1895.
To Mr. and Mrs. ,Stover were born three chil--
dren: Margaret E., the mother of oursubject;
William F., a tinner of Pittsburg, Penn., born
June 28, 1850; and Sarah J., who was born April
J7, 1855, and is now the wife of H. G. Krape,
of Rebersburg. After his marriage, George M. Hubler located
upon the home farm, and cared for his parents
until they were called to their final rest, when
he inherited the place, which he cleared from
debt. He always turned his attention to agri

cultural pursuits, in which he was quite successful,
leaving at the time of his death 100 acres of good
farming land and 250 acres of timber land, and
being fond of hunting, found his chief recreation
in that sport. He was rather stout in appear
ance, and in height was five feet, ten inches.
His political support was always given the Dem
ocratic party, and though never an office seeker,
was chosen by his fellow citizens to serve as su
pervisor, tax-collector and constable. In early
life he was a member of the Reformed Church,
later becoming a Lutheran, and always contrib
uted liberally to all Church or religious work.
His death occurred August 5, 1896, having sur
vived his wife for about a year, as she passed
away September 1, 1895, and both were laid to
rest in the Union Cemetery of Rebersburg.
They were the parents of three children: Frank
A., a farmer of Miles township; W. T. , of this
sketch; and Anna H., wife of T. J. Ocker, of
Rebersburg. The parents were people of prom
inence in the community, and justly deserved the
high regard in which they were universally held.
Like most farmer lads, W. T. Hubler spent
the days of his boyhood and youth, aiding in the
labors of the farm and attending the local
schools. On first starting to school in Rebers
burg his teacher was Libbie Royer. He contin
ued with his parents until April, 1893, when he
located upon his present farm at Rockville,
Miles township, which he now has under a high
state of cultivation, and the neat and thrifty ap
pearance of the place testifies to his industry and
enterprise. On October 19, 1891, in Rockville, Mr. Hub
ler was married by Rev. Rearick, a Lutheran
minister, to Miss Ada E. Gramley, who was born
near that place November 19, 1869, and is the
youngest child of Samuel and Sarah J. (Small)
Gramley. Two children came of this union: Har
ry G. , born June 15, 1893, and Samuel L. The
parents are both members of the Lutheran Church,
and in his political views Mr. Hubler is an ar
dent Democrat. They hold an enviable position
in the social circles of the community, and their
friends throughout the county are many.

SVAMUEL W. WAIT^i, a progressive, wide-
) awake business man of Rebersburg, Centre
county, who has made his own way in the world
from an early age, is a native of the county, his
birth having occurred in Miles township July 4,
1852. His father, John F. Wate (as the name
was originally spelled), was born January 18,
1825, in Huntingdon, Huntingdon county, Penn.,
a son of Samuel and Polly (Oswalt) Wate, also

538

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

natives of Huntingdon county. Samuel was one
of five sons, whose father was a native of Ger
many, while his wife was a daughter of Adam
Oswalt, who was of Scotch descent. The grand
father of our subject was a day laborer, driving a
team for different furnaces in central Pennsyl
vania for many years. In .early life he made his
home in Clinton county, but later removed to
Montour county, his death occurring in Danville,
November 2, 1879. His wife survived him some
years, and passed away in Milesburg, Centre
county. Both were earnest members of the
Lutheran Church, while in politics he was first a
Whig and later a Republican.
John F. Wate was the eldest of the seven
children of the family who grew to years of ma
turity, the others being as follows: Bartholomew,
born April 23, 1830, is a resident of Danville,
Penn. ; Samuel, born February 28, 1832, lives in
Jersey Shore, Penn. ; Alexander, born November
13, 1834, lives in Danville, Penn. ; William, born
February 10, 1837, makes his home at Beach
Creek, Penn.; Elizabeth, born March 30, 1839,
is the wife of Josiah Miller, of Nittany Valley,
Centre county; and John H. McGill, born June
18, 1842, is a resident of Danville. The educa
tional privileges of John F. Wate were limited to
one year's attendance at the common schools, as
his parents were quite poor, and at an early day
he started out to fight life's battle. At the age
of sixteen he began weaving carpets, coverlets,
table cloths, etc., under John H. March, of
Salona, Centre county, with whom he remained
until 1849, when he, removed to Kramerville,
Brush Valley, where he has since been employed
at his trade or general labor. On State or Na
tional questions he votes with the Democratic
party, but at local elections is not bound by party
ties. Since 1849 be has been a faithful member
of the Evangelical Church, to which his wife also
belongs. On December 28, 1845, J°hn F. Wate mar
ried Mary M. Gramly, who was born in Brush
Valley, Centre county, August 6, 1825, a daugh
ter of Jacob and Mary M. (Kline) Gramly. They
have now traveled life's journey together for
over half a century, sharing its joys and sorrows,
its adversity and prosperity, and in 1895 cele
brated their golden wedding. Ten children
blessed their union, namely: Sarah E. , born
December 16, 1846, died at the age of eighteen;
Elmeda F. , born June 15, 1849, died when
young; Samuel W. is next in order of birth;
Harvey E., born December 30, .1853, died at the
age of two years; Mary C. , born September 24,
1856, is the wife of Charles L. Beck, of Brush
Valley; Franklin, born January 4, 1859, is a res

ident of Rebersburg; Emma T. , born August 1
1 86 1, is the wife of William Breon, of Clinton
county, Penn.; Hester A., born November 24,
1863, died young; George B. Mc, born Decem
ber 17, 1866, is a resident of Brush Valley; and
John W., born May 9, 1869, makes his home in
Loganton, Pennsylvania..
The advantages afforded our subject for se
curing an education were very meagre, and at an
early age he started out to earn his own liveli
hood, first working as a hostler for Dr. Hillbish,
of Rebersburg, with whom he remained for four
years. His first experience in mercantile pur
suits was in the employ of W. F. Bailey, of the
same place, his wages being $3 per week. He
accompanied his employer on his removal to
Woodward, Centre county, and later to Gales-
burg, 111. , where he remained for several years,
but finally returned to Spring Mills, Penn., clerk
ing there for a time. Later he rented a farm
near Sprucetown, Centre county, for a year,
and for the following six years operated rented
land in Gregg township, in the same county.
Subsequently he lived for one year upon the farm
of Abram Miller, at Pleasant Gap. In the spring
of 1892 Mr. Waite purchased a lot in Rebers
burg, on which he erected a residence and store
building, and the following spring began general
merchandising, which he has since continued
with excellent 'success, his courteous manner and
fair dealing winning him a liberal share of public
patronage. On August 22, 1885, Mr. Waite married Miss
Anna, daughter of G. W. Lonberger, a farmer
of Pleasant Gap, and their wedding ceremony
was performed at Spring Mills by Rev. Stam-
baugh. Three children have been born to them:
Annie M., who died in 1894; and Mary P. and
Paul L. , at home. Mrs. Waite is a consistent
member of the United Evangelical Church. Mr.
Waite uses his right of franchise in support of
the principles of the Republican party. He de
serves no little credit for the success he has made
in life, and is now one of the leading and promi
nent business men of the village, where during
early life he served as a stable boy and hostler,
a fact that shows what can be accomplished by
industry, perseverance and economy.

ON. JOHN P. GEPHART. Among the
honored citizens of Bellefonte, Centre
county, is the subject of this brief biography,
whose able service in various positions of public
trust is too well known to need comment. Fear
less in his advocacy of the right as he sees it, he
has won the confidence of all classes, but he has

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

539"

never hesitated to make enemies for the sake of
a good cause, and his record speaks for itself of
his devotion to the interests of his constituents.
Mr. Gephart was born at Bellefonte, January
9, 1827, and his family, which is of Dutch origin,
has been identified with this State for several
generations. His grandfather, John P. Gep
hart, a native of Bucks county, married a Miss
Gephart, who, though of the same name, and
born in the same county, was no relation. Some
years after their marriage they moved, in 1809,
to Union county, Penn. , locating in Buffalo Val
ley, two miles west of Lewisburg. During the
Black Hawk war our subject's grandmother
patriotically furnished entertainment to the sol
diers en route. She died in 18 12, and the grand
father, who was a farmer and distiller by occu
pation, passed away in 18 16. They had several
children, among whom was a son, Michael Gep
hart, born September 30, 1803, in Bucks coun
ty, Penn. He.accompanied his parents to Union
county; but in 1826 he located in Centre county,
in what is now Penn township, then a part of
Haines township. He owned a fine farm near
Millheim, and was more than ordinarily success
ful. His wife, Elizabeth Emmert, who was born
January 29, 1803, in Lebanon county, Penn.,
died at the homestead near Millheim May 7,
1852; he survived her many years, his death oc
curring August 26, 1873. Only two of their
children lived to mature age, and of these, the
younger, Jacob, died in the fall of 1892.
The subscription schools of Millheim, fur
nished rudely with slab benches with smooth
side up, and offering a no less primitive curriculum,
furnished our subject an elementary education,
to which observation and private study had
added largely. From the age of fourteen until
he was thirty-one he worked upon the home farm,
and then for seven years he was engaged in mer
cantile business at Millheim. His popularity had
in the meantime led to his entrance into the polit
ical arena, and in 1863 he was elected clerk and
register and recorder of the Orphans' Court.
After serving two terms he entered the law office
of Orvis & Alexander as clerk, and remained
there until his election, May 30, 1870, to the
office of justice of the peace for the South and
Westwards of Bellefonte. In 1875 he was re
elected on the Democratic ticket, this time for
the North ward, with a majority of forty-eight,
overcoming the usual Republican majority of
ninety. In 1878 he became chairman of the
Democratic County Committee, and in the same
year he was elected to the State Legislature, his
re-election in 1880 marking the people's apprecia
tion of his efforts. While in that body he held

positions on several important committees, in
cluding those on Appropriations and Schools,
and he was active in securing the defeat of the
Pillsbury Bill.
Mr. Gephart owns the old farm in Penn
township, comprising about 400 acres. As ad
ministrator he was under heavy bonds for the
settlement of the estate, but he and his brother
never divided it, sharing its proceeds in peace.
On August 1, 1847, Mr. Gephart was united in
matrimony with Miss May M. Swartz, who was
born at Millheim, September 18, 1829. Three
children blessed this union: (1) Sarah E., born
June 14, 185 1, married L. T. Munson, and has
one son, named for our subject. (2) J. Wesley,
a sketch of whom appears elsewhere. (3) May,
born November 2 1 , 1856, married J. W. Dix, of
Dayton, Ohio. The mother of this family died
December 14, 1874, and Mr. Gephart for his-
second wife married Miss Sarah E. Corshells, of
Loganton, Clinton county, Pennsylvania.

W. McENTIRE, M. D., of Howard, Centre
county, where he is also engaged in the drug
business, has descended on his mother's side
from one of the first families to settle within the
territory now comprising Centre county.
Dr. McEntire is a son of Lawrence B. McEn
tire (now and for many years past a merchant
and postmaster, and a respected citizen "of Fill
more, Centre county) and Martha (Houser) Mc
Entire. The McEntires were originally from
Ireland, and the Housers from Germany. The
first of the latter family to come to America was-
the great-great-grandfather of our subject. He
came as a redemptioner, and was obliged to
work an entire year for one of his more fortu
nate countrymen in order to pay his passage.
Jacob Houser, son of this emigrant, came in
1788 from Dauphin county, Penn., to Spring
Creek, now the site of Houserville, having th&
year previously bought a large tract of land of
Josiah Matlack, known as the Isaac Catherell
Survey. December 5, 1774. He was prosperous
and became a wealthy farmer. Of his eight
children, Martin was the father of Mrs. Lawrence
McEntire. Dr. McEntire, as is his mother, is a native of
Houserville, having been born there in 1859. As
he grew to manhood he clerked in his father's
store at Fillmore, receiving his early education
in the schools of the neighborhood. Later he
was prepared for college at Penn Hall Academy,
and at Centre Hall, then, late in the "seven
ties, " entered Pennsylvania State College, where-
he pursued his studies for a year and a half..

540

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

After this he went to Washington, D. C, and
studied medicine in the office, and under the di
rection, of Thomas B. Hood, M. D. He at
tended lectures in the medical department of
Howard University, in that city, and was gradu
ated in 1884. After his graduation he returned
to Fillmore, Penn., and there began the practice
of medicine, remaining at that point one year.
From there he went to Mill Hall, and followed
his profession for several years, thence going to
Philadelphia, where in 1891 he was graduated
from Jefferson Medical College. While attend
ing lectures at this institution, he also was a
student at the Pennsylvania School of Anatomy.
Returning to Centre county, he located in prac
tice at Howard, where he has since remained.
He is a member of the Clinton and Centre
County Medical Society; also of West Branch
Medical Society. Socially, he is a member of
the Knights of the Golden Eagle; P. O. S. of A. ;
and of the Junior Order American Mechanics. In
politics he is a Democrat. The Doctor is well
equipped for a successful career, and is already
in the midst of a busy practice.
In 1886 Dr. McEntire was married to Miss
Fannie A. Sellars, daughter of Agnew and Cath
erine (Kephart) Sellars, highly respected farmers
of the vicinity of Fillmore. To this marriage
was born, in 1887, a daughter named Josephine
Catherine.

JOHN GHANER. Among the worthy citi
zens that Germany has furnished to the New
World is numbered this gentleman. The
best justification for our Republican form of gov
ernment lies in the fact that it gives to all equal
opportunities that the people of other lands may
come here and seek to establish comfortable
homes and secure success through honorable deal
ing, unhampered by the repressing influences of
caste or class, being allowed to exercise to the
full their business abilities and their energies.
This Mr. Ghaner has done, and as a result he has
acquired a comfortable competence which classes
him among the substantial citizens of the com
munity in which he makes his home.
John Ghaner was born January 24, 1827, in
Wurtemberg, Germany, and spent the days of
his boyhood and youth in that land. He was
one of a family of four children, the others being
Magdalene, who died in Germany; Regina and
Jacob. Mr. Ghaner, of this review, was drafted
for service in the German army in 1848,' and for
four years his life was that of a soldier. When
a young man of twenty-five he resolved to seek
a home in America with its better opportunities,

more liberal advantages and livelier competition.
He took up his residence in Centre county,
Penn. , where he has since made his home, and
for a number of years thereafter followed the
stone mason's trade, which he had learned in
the land of his nativity. He was very industri
ous and energetic, and his close application, per
severance and economy at length enabled him
to acquire the capital with which he purchased
his present farm. He now gives his attention to
agricultural pursuits, and has a well-developed
place, the highly-cultivated fields yielding to him
a golden tribute in return for the care and labor
he bestows upon them.
In the year 1853, Mr. Ghaner was united in
marriage with Miss Magdalene Behrer, who died in
1863. On July 21, 1864, he wedded Susan Sny
der, daughter of Peter Snyder, of Penn's Valley. Of
the seven children by the first union and four by
the second, we have record as follows: Jacob is a
shoemaker residing in Scotia, Centre county;-
Wilson married Ella Meese, and is engaged in
working with ore in Scotia; Mary, is the wife of
Reuben Cronemiller, a machinist of Scotia; Dora;
Susan; William; David married in Michigan,
and makes his home there. Mr. Ghaner is a
member of the United Brethren Church, and of
the Grange. His political support is given the
Democracy, but he has neither sought nor de
sired public office, preferring to give his attention
to his business interests. Honorable in all his
dealings, in business transactions his word is as
good as his bond.

PETER SMITH, who for upward of twenty
years has been a resident of near Centre
Hill, Potter township, Centre county, is one of
the substantial agriculturists of this section.
Born December 27, 1837, in Northumberland
county, Penn., Mr. Smith is the son of Dr.
Charles and Rebecca (Trion) Smith, born, the
former in August, 181 1, in Lycoming county,
Penn., and the latter in Northumberland county,
the daughter of Dr. Frederick Trion. Dr. Charles
Smith was one of the early physicians of Potter
township, his practice extending as far as Wood
ward in Penn's Valley. He began life a poor
boy, and the success he achieved was due to his
own efforts. At one time he followed his pro
fession at Penn Hall and also in Snyder county.
Later he removed to Nittany Valley, where he
still resides at an advanced age, making his home
in Lamar township. His wife passed away in
1882, aged sixty-four years. She was a good
woman, and she and her husband were ever held
in high esteem. To their marriage were born

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

541

four children, the subject of this sketch being the
eldest. Peter Smith was but a child when his parents
located in Potter township. He recalls that the
first school he attended was held in an old build
ing which stood near Colyer, and his first teacher
was Squire Hahn. When a child his health was
poor, which prevented him from getting full
benefit of the opportunities presented. He re
mained at home until in his twenty-ninth year,
when he was married at Aaronsburg to Miss Julia
Neese, born in Haines township, a daughter of
Jacob Neese. He then located on his father's
farm in Lamar township, Clinton county, where
he remained until moving to Potter township,
Centre county, March 2, 1876, where he has
since resided and carried on agricultural pursuits
on a farm that his father had owned many years.
Our subject is fond of good horses, and has given
considerable attention to this class of stock. He
has owned some fine animals, and is a most ex
cellent judge of a horse. He is an enterprising
and public- spirited citizen. To his marriage one
son, Calvin F., was born, who is now a physician
at Howard, Penn. The parents have given a
home to two boys, one of whom lived with them
ten years and the other eighteen. In their re
ligious belief the father is of the Evangelical and
the mother^of the Lutheran persuasion. In pol
itics he is a Democrat, but is in sympathy with
the Prohibition party. Socially he is a mem
ber of the Grange. Mr. Smith has met with suc
cess in life. He is an exemplary citizen, and a
prosperous farmer.

HM. SWARTZ, a prosperous and honored
 citizen and well-known agriculturist of Penn
township, Centre county, was born June 7, 1837,
in that township, near Millheim. He is a wor
thy representative of one of its pibneer families,
his grandfather, George Swartz, having located
in Penn township in the latter part of the eight
eenth century, and built the first sawmill on Elk
creek, which was erected on the site of the pres
ent mill of our subject. He also followed farm
ing in connection with its operation. He reared
a large family, and died in Millheim.
George Swartz, Jr., the father of our subject,
was born on the family homestead in Penn town
ship, about 1798, and during his boyhood and
youth aided his father in the work of the farm
and mill. He also erected a clover mill, where
the farmers hauled their clover to be hulled, and
he often threshed 1600 bushels in one season.
After his marriage he made his home at various
places in Penn and Gregg townships, Brush Val

ley, and on the old homestead farm where he
lived for several years, but finally built the pres
ent residence of our subject, where he died at
the ripe old age of eighty-one years. His faith
ful wife passed away at the age of seventy-six,
and they now sleep side by side in the Millheim
cemetery. He was an ardent supporter of the
Democratic party, and a member of the Evan
gelical Association.
To this worthy couple were born eleven chil
dren, namely: Michael, a resident of Stephen
son county, 111. ; John, who is also living in that
State; Philip, who died in Penn township; Cath
arine, widow of Joseph Luse, of Michigan;
George, who died in Punxsutawney, Penn.; Molly,
who married Philip Gephart, and died in Belle
fonte, Centre county; Daniel, who died in Lew
isburg, Penn.; Mary, who died in childhood;
Samuel, a resident of Potter township, Centre
county; David, who died in infancy; and H. M. ,
of this sketch.
Our subject obtained his early education in
the schools of Millheim, and was for two terms a
student in the Aaronsburg Academy. He was
reared to farm work, but being of a mechanical
turn of mind, he at the age of eighteen began
learning the carpenter's trade under Joseph Luse,
and also became a skilled millwright. On Sep
tember 7, 1862, in Aaronsburg, Mr. Swartz was
married to Miss Susan Frank, who was born in
Haines township, Centre county, February 11,
1 840, and is the second daughter and third child
in the family of eight children whose parents are
Michael and Annie (Homan) Frank. Five children
graced their union: Sarah A., who married H.
O. Bower, and died in Penn township, in 1895;
Ella, wife of N. H. Fiedler, of Brush Valley,
Centre county; Maggie, wife of Ammon Snook,
of Penn township; W. H. , residing at home, who
married Lizzie M. Bierly, daughter of Joseph
Bierly, of Madisonburg, Penn., and has one
child — Carrie; and Katy, wife of Luther Seyler,
of Nittany Valley, Centre county.
After his marriage, Mr. Swartz located upon
a rented farm near Millheim, but remained there
only a short time, and then removed to what is
known as Weavers Mills, above Millheim, where
he made his home for eight years. Since 1872
he has occupied his present residence, at first
purchasing twenty acres of land, but now owns a
valuable tract of seventy-two acres, which is un
der a high state of cultivation. He operated the
old sawmill standing thereon until the great flood
of 1889, when it was destroyed, but with charac
teristic energy he soon replaced it, and the new
mill has been equipped with the latest improved
machinery.

-542

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Mr. Swartz casts his ballot in support of the
men and measures of the Democratic party, and
has held some offices, including that of school di
rector. A man of the strictest integrity and
honor, his word is considered as good as his
bond, and he receives the respect and confidence
of the entire community. For over a century the
Swartz family has been identified with the mill
ing interests of Penn township, and is justly en
titled to mention among the valued and repre
sentative citizens of Centre county.

^JUJT ^' SMITH, an industrious and thorough
MlMl farmer, who has a pleasant home in Penn
township, Centre county, was born in that town
ship October 17, 1840, a son of Capt. Henry and
Annie (Behl) Smith.
The father of our subject was also a native
¦of Centre county, and the youngest in a family of
.nine children — five sons and four daughters.
During his youth he learned the blacksmith's
trade, but as his strength was not sufficient to
:stand such arduous labor he abandoned the busi
ness and turned his attention to agricultural pur
suits. He owned and operated a small farm, in
addition also working by the day in order to sup
port his family. His title of " Captain" was ob
tained by serving as such in a militia company.
At the polls he always cast his ballot in support
-of the Democratic party, in the success of which
he took a deep interest, and creditably filled the
position of constable and other township offices.
In early life he was a Lutheran, but later joined
the Evangelical Church. He died at the age of
eighty years, and his wife passed away when
about in her seventieth year.
Mr. Smith, whose name introduces this
sketch, was reared upon the home farm until
twenty years of age, attending the public schools
of the neighborhood, and becoming familiar with
the duties that fall to the lot of the agriculturist.
On leaving the parental roof he began learning
the carpenter's trade under the direction of Henry
Bartley, a brother-in-law, but after one summer
took up shoemaking as he did not like the former
occupation. He served a two-years' apprentice
ship with a certain party, and was to have re
ceived $40 and some tools, but was given only a
few clothes. For almost a year he worked at his
trade in Sugar Valley, after which he returned to
Penn township, and at his father's home carried
on shoemaking for a time, supporting his father
for the rent of the farax Often he would work all
day in the fields, while he would spend the night in
work at the bench in order to get along. At the age

of twenty-three years, he was married in Aarons
burg, Centre county, to Miss Rebecca Frank a
daughter of Michael and Annie (Homan) Frank
and to them were born three children: Annie
now the wife of David Stover, of Potter town
ship, Centre county; William E. , a resident of
Millheim; and Herbert, at home. After his mar
riage, Mr. Smith continued to live upon his fa
ther's farm for a time, and then removed to Smith-
town, where he rented a farm for five years
which he operated in connection with work at
his trade. In the spring of 1880 he removed to
his present place, known as the old Swartz home
stead, which he rented for three years and then
purchased. It is a good farm of sixty-six acres,
which yields a golden tribute in return for the care
and labor expended upon it, and is one of the
most desirable places in the locality.
Politically Mr. Smith follows in the footsteps
of his father, always voting the Democratic ticket,
and has served his fellow citizens as overseer of
the poor, supervisor and school director. He and
his wife are earnest members of the United Evan
gelical Church, of which he has been treasurer.
for the past ten years. A man of unquestioned
integrity, he has never intentionally defrauded
any one, and has the confidence and esteem of
all who come in contact with him in the various
walks of life. His success is but the just reward
of his own industry and good management, as on
starting out in life for himself his capital consisted
of naught save a pair of willing hands and a
determination to succeed.

JOHN H. REESER, a well-known merchant
of Snow Shoe, Centre county, where he suc
cessfully conducts a butcher shop, bakery and
grocery, also interested to some extent in farm
ing and mining, is a native of the county, born in
Haines township, June 2, 1842.
Henry Reeser, father of our subject, was also
born in Pennsylvania, and was reared in an Irish
family, as his parents died when he was quite
young, and when a boy he came to Centre coun
ty, where he died in 1884, at the age of seventy-
four years. He married Rebecca Musser, who
departed this life in 1878, aged fifty years. They
became the parents of seven children, namely:
Jacob, who was wounded at the battle of the
Wilderness, after which he was taken prisoner
and died in a Rebel prison; John H., of this re
view, who was also drafted, but his father hired
a substitute for him; Elizabeth, deceased; George
M., who is engaged in the butchering business in
Mahaffey, Clearfield Co., Penn.; Susan, wife of

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

543

Daniel Heckler, a farmer of Benner township.
Centre county ; Emeline, wife of Wilson S. Scholl,
a carpenter of Bellefonte; and William, a farmer
of Ohio. In the usual manner of farmer lads John H.
Reeser was reared and educated, and remained
under the parental roof until twenty-five years of
age, when he rented the old homestead farm,
which he operated for two years. Subsequently
he removed to Spring township, Centre county,
where he made his home until coming to Snow
Shoe, in 1895, at which time he purchased his
present business from his brother. He is one of
the most progressive, wide-awake and enterpris
ing business men of the place, and has already
succeeded in building up an excellent trade which
is constantly increasing. His political support is
ever given the men and measures of the Repub
lican party.
On February 4, 1867, in Bellefonte, Mr.
Reeser was married to Miss Anna M. Musser,
and to them have been born four children:
Andrew M., Minnie K., Harry A. and Bessie K.
Mrs. Reeser was born in Spring township, Centre
county, May 12, 1842, a daughter of Andrew and
Rachel (Hoobler) Musser, both of whom were
natives of Penn's Valley, in the same county. In
1842 they removed to a farm in Spring township,
where they spent their remaining days, the fa
ther dying in 1869, at the age of fifty-three years,
and the mother in 1874, at the age of sixty-five.
They were earnest members of the Lutheran
Church, and in politics the father was a Repub
lican. Ten children have graced the union of
Mr. and Mrs. Musser, namely: Noll, who died
in Centre county, in 1890; William and Michael,
deceased in childhood; Samuel, agent for agri
cultural implements in Kansas City, Mo. ;
Rosetta, living with our subject; John, in the
agricultural implement business in Colfax, Iowa;
Anna M., wife of our subject; Phoebe, wife of
Landis Gerberick, who is now living retired in
Lebanon, Penn.; Ellen, wife of Silas Manspeak-
er, a railroad engineer of Saxton, Penn.; and
James G. , a seed agent at Fillmore, Pennsyl
vania. Jacob and Elizabeth (Hagenberger) Musser,
the paternal grandparents of Mrs. Reeser, were
the maternal grandparents of our subject. Both
were natives of Pennsylvania, the latter born in
Centre county, where the grandfather located at
an early day and there engaged in farming
throughout life. His father, a native of Germany,
came to America when a young man, and be
came a land owner in Pennsylvania. The ma
ternal grandparents of Mrs. Reeser were John
and Christian (Johnsonbaugh) Hoobler, the former

a native of Germany, and the latter of Centre
county. The grandfather emigrated to the
United States in early life, making his home in
Centre county, but returned to Germany to ob
tain a fortune left him. After securing it he
again started for the New World, and it is sup
posed he was murdered on the vessel as nothing
has since been heard of him.

RS. MARTHA P. ODENKIRK, widow of
JJPIl George Odenkirk, is one of the highly re
spected and honored citizens of Centre Hall.
She was born in 1830, in Mifflin county, Penn.,
one mile east of Milroy, and is a daughter of
Leonard and Elizabeth (Allison) Lingle, who
came to Potter township, Centre county, when
Mrs. Odenkirk was but a child, and located near
Centre Hall. In early life the father was a
miller, but later turned his attention to farming,
and became the owner of a comfortable home
and two valuable farms. His wife, a native of
Mifflin county, was a faithful member of the
Presbyterian Church. They now sleep side by
side in the cemetery at Centre Hill.
Mrs. Odenkirk is the youngest and the only one
now living in a family of ten children, of whom
the others are as follows: William, who died
unmarried in Mifflin county; Mary, who was also
single, and died in Potter township, Centre coun
ty; James, who died in Centre Hall; John, who
died in Potter township; Eliza, who died unmar
ried in Potter township; Matilda and Jane, who
were also single at the time of their deaths, which
occurred in Potter township; Sally, who married
John Shannon, and died in the same township;
and Thomas, who married Elizabeth Sinclair,
and died in Potter township, leaving four chil
dren. Upon the home farm, Mrs. Odenkirk was
reared, and in the district schools of the neigh
borhood obtained a good, practical education.
She remained under the parental roof until her
marriage, which was celebrated in Potter town
ship, April 7, 1863. Mr. Odenkirk was also a
native of Mifflin county, born January 25, 1805,
and in Armagh township, that county, he was
married March 22, 1832, to Nancy Porter, a na
tive of Mifflin county. They had five children,
namely: Mary J., born December 31, 1832,
died September 15, 1842; Elizabeth, born No
vember 16, 1835, died October 6, 1842; Nancy,
born March 14, 1837, is now Mrs. William Ben
ner, of Potter township; John H., born July 6,
1839, in connection with farming was proprietor
of the " Old Fort Hotel " in Potter township for

544

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

twenty years, and died November 6, 1893; and
James P., born January 14, 1842, is now a resi
dent of New Mexico. The mother of these chil
dren departed this life June 9, 1861. Mr. Oden
kirk, who was one of the most reliable and sub
stantial citizens of his community, was the owner
of a large estate surrounding and including the
old fort in Potter township, all of which he ac
cumulated by industry, economy and good man
agement. He was widely known and honored
throughout the county as a man of inflexible
honor and stability of character, and had the re
spect and confidence of all with whom he came in
contact. He was called to his final rest October
4, 1877, and his remains were interred in the
cemetery of Centre Hall.
After her marriage, Mrs. Odenkirk and her
husband lived in Centre Hall for a year or two,
and then removed to her present comfortable
home, where she has since continued to reside.
She is a woman of good business ability and
sound judgment, and has ably managed the prop
erty left her. With the Presbyterian Church of
Centre Hall she holds membership. She merits
and receives the highest respect and esteem of
the whole community, and is much beloved by
every one with whom she comes in contact for
her gentle ways and genial manner.

ME. ZIMMERMAN. Prominent among the
 more intelligent, active and enterprising cit
izens of Benner township, Centre- county, is the
gentleman whose name introduces this biography.
His reputation for integrity and industry is second
to none in the county, and, being a man of rare
intellectual attainments, his advice is often
sought by the people of the community. His
pleasant home is surrounded by a fine farm of
180 acres, which is well improved and highly
cultivated. Of German descent, Mr. Zimmerman was
born in Marion township, Centre county, in 1844,
and is a son of Elias and Eve (Pontius) Zimmer
man, the former born in 18 10, the latter in 1812.
When twenty-five years of age the father came
to Centre county, where for a time he worked at
his trade of carpentering, but for the last thirty-
four years of his life he engaged in agricultural
pursuits. The mother departed this life in 1882,
and was laid to rest in the cemetery of Miles
burg, Centre county. Their family consisted of
ten children, namely: Lucy A. is the wife of
David Harter, of Marion township, by whom she
has three children ; John P. , who is living in Mor
ris county, Kans., married a Miss Thomas, and

has two children; Jacob died in 1874; Isaiah, of
Jefferson county, Kans. , married Bella Thomas
of Pineville, Penn. ; Catharine is the wife of
William Tibbins, of Virginia, by whom she has
five children; our subject is next in order of birth;
Mary E. is the wife of Gersham Biddle, of Lew
isburg, Union Co., Penn., by whom she has one
child; Charles T. died in Perry, Kans., in 1878;
Sarah J. is the wife of William Thomas, of Miles
burg, by whom she has four children; and Lewis
F. died in 1881.
In 1879 Mr. Zimmerman wedded Miss Jennie
Martin, and seven children bless their union,
whose names and dates of birth are as follows:
Oscar Martin, 1880; Eva I., August 10, 1882;
Marian S., September 10, 1884; Roy F., 1886;
Paul Peritan, 1888; Homer David, 1890; and!
Alta, 1893. Mr. Zimmerman is a Republican at
all times, and uniformly supports the principles
of his party, while, religiously, he is a consistent
member of the Presbyterian Church. His life is
exemplary in all respects, and he has ever sup
ported those interests which are calculated to up
lift and benefit humanity, while his own high
moral worth is deserving of the highest com
mendation.

WH. CLOSE, the well-known postmaster
at Oak Hall Station, Centre county, was
born in Mifflin county, Penn., September 27, 1844,
a son of John and Rachel (Longwell) Close, also
.natives of that county. The -paternal grand
father, Peter Close, was born in Germany,
whence, during the latter part of the eighteenth
century, he came to America and took up his resi
dence in Mifflin county, Penn., where his death
occurred March 24, 1838. His wife, who bore
the maiden name of Jane Orr, died March 26,
1864, at the age of eighty-six years. Six chil
dren constituted their family: John; William,
who died in infancy; Henry, who died in Mifflin
county, in 1894; Adam E. , who died in the same
county in 1893; Eliza J., who married William
Aitkens, a blacksmith, and died in 1856; and
William T., a farmer of Mifflin county, who died
in 1892. In the common schools of Siglerville, Mifflin
county, John Close obtained his education, but at
an early age he left school and learned the shoe
maker's trade with Matthew Longwell, whose
daughter, Rachel, he afterward married. Mr.
Longwell lived to the extreme old age of one
hundred years and ten months. After his mar
riage, Mr. Close operated rented farms in his
native county some twenty years, and then lo
cated in Penn's Valley, near Spring Mills, Centre

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

545

county, where he made his home for two years,
while the following three years he passed near
Callensburg, Clarion Co., Penn. He died, how
ever, in Mifflin county, of dropsy, December 24,
1862. His wife, who was born March 4, 18 14,
in that county, died of pneumonia, December
30, 1873-
To this worthy couple were born eight- chil
dren: Eliza J., born September 27, 1833, is the
widow of John D. Miller, a school teacher, for
merly of Pleasant Gap, Centre county, who died
in 1892; Catherine E., born March 9, 1835, is
the wife of Christian Lowry, of Rock Forge,
Centre county; Mary H, born May 25, 1837, is
the wife of William Benner, of Lemont, Centre
county; Sarah M., born May 20, 1840, is the wife
of Adam Thomas, a carpenter of State College;
John A., twin brother of Sarah, died on his re
turn from the war, June 20, 1865; W. H. is next
in order of birth; a daughter, whose name is not
given, born January 7, 1847, is the wife of Fran
cis McBath; Frances M., born September 21,
1849, became the wife of A. J. Hassinger, of Le
mont, and died March 16, 1888.
The first school which our subject attended
was held in the Beatty school house, in Mifflin
county, and was taught by John Swartzel. He
was ten years of age before beginning his educa
tion, and at the age of sixteen it was completed,
since which time he has made his own way in
the world. On coming to Centre county in
1862, he rented land for a time, but December
22, 1863, he laid aside personal interests and en
listed in Company H, 148th P. V. I., under Capt.
George Baird, of Bellefonte. He participated in
the battles of the Wilderness, Poor River,
Spottsylvania Court House and Antietam. He
received two wounds in the knee joint,, which
makes the leg stiff, and one in the jaw which
completely severed' the bone, and knocked out
several teeth.
Mr. Close was married December 15, 1867,
to Miss Sarah A. Benner, a granddaughter of Gen.
Benner, who received his title in the Revolution
ary war. Four children bless their union: Eva,
born October 6, 1868. is the wife of J. C. Car
man, an implement agent at Oak Hall Station;
John Henry, born March 15, 1871,- is a lumber
man by occupation ; and Milo M., born Novem
ber 21, 1875, and Clifford E., born May 24,
1884 are at home. After his marriage, Mr.
Close operated rented land in Benner township,
Centre county, until 1883, when failing health
compelled him to abandon it, and for two and
one-half years he was ill. In 1887 he was ap
pointed postmaster at Oak Hall Station, which
position he has since acceptably filled. Casting

his first Presidential vote for George B. McClel-
lan, he has ever been a stalwart Democrat in
politics, is a member of Robert M. Foster Post
No. 197, G. A. R. , and for twenty-three years
has held membership in the Methodist Episcopal
Church. He is widely and favorably known
throughout Centre county, and is held in the
highest regard by all with whom he has come in
contact, either in business or social life.

ISAAC GUSS, M. D., dentist and physician in
_ the borough of Philipsburg, Centre county,
Pennsylvania, where he resides.

DAVID A. DEITRICH, the well-known ex
press and ticket agent for the Pennsylvania
Central railroad at Hublersburg, is a native of
Centre county, his birth having occurred in
Walker township, September 29, 1856. On the
paternal side his ancestors came to this country
from Switzerland, but hisfather, John H. Deitrich,
was born in Aaronsburg, Centre county, and died
there September 15, 1885. The mother, who
bore the maiden name of Sarah A. Dunkle, was
of German origin. They were highly respected
by all who knew them, and were laid to rest in
the Hublersburg cemetery.
To this worthy couple were born eight chil
dren: Elizabeth is the wife of William C. Ful
ton, a farmer and miner of Walker township,
Centre county,' and they have six children; Lewis
C. , also an agriculturist of Walker township,
married Ettie Markle, daughter of Joseph
Markle, and they have five children; John, a
plasterer living at Bellefonte, Centre county,
married Minerva Hiller, who died in 1890, leav
ing two children; Sarah is the wife of John H.
White, a farmer and laborer, by whom she has
five children; Henry M., a farmer of Walker
township, married Amanda Hubler, and has six
children; Jacob A., an agriculturist of Miles
township, Centre county, married Emma Roush,
and has two children; David A., of this sketch,
is the twin brother of Jacob A. ; and Benjamin
F-, who makes his home in Bellefonte, married
Emma Dugan, and has two children.
David A. Deitrich received an excellent edu
cation, attending the common schools until he
had attained his majority, and completing his
literary course in a select school in Spring Mills.
For twelve years he then followed the profession
of teaching through the winter months, proving
a most able and competent instructor, while the

546

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

summer season he passed in farming. For the
past three years he has capably filled his present
position, and not only have his labors been per
formed to the satisfaction of his employers, but
he has also proved a most obliging and accom
modating agent, very popular with the traveling
public. On March 26, 1882, Mr. Deitrich married
Miss EmmaL. White, a daughter of John White,
of Walker township, and they have four children:
Emery M., born August 9, 1883; Lillie Annetta,
born October 31, 1886; Ezra M., born March 22,
1888, and died on the 28th of the same month;
and David A., born September 9, 1892. Mr
Deitrich is a stalwart Democrat in politics, and
in religious faith is a consistent member of the
Reformed Church. He is a well-educated gentle
man, of pleasing address, has made hosts of
friends, and enjoys in a marked degree the re
spect and confidence of the entire community.

B. YARNELL was born in Centre county,
J£1L in 1840, a son of H. B. and Mary McCle-
lathan) Yarnell, who were also natives of Centre
county, and of Irish descent, the maternal grand
parents being natives of the Emerald Isle.
To the parents of our subject were born
eleven children, the others being as follows: (1)
Mary became the wife of Squire George Jack, a
merchant of Boalsburg, Centre county, who died
in 1876, and her death occurred in November,
1890. (2) William, who made his home in Mis
souri, enlisted in the Union service, and was
probably killed as he was never afterward heard
from. (3) Ruth died in 1870, and was buried in
Mt. Pleasant cemetery, Boggs township, Centre
county, where her parents were also interred.
(4) Thomas married; his wife died in February,
1894, and he died in September, 1892, leaving
ten children. (5) Isaac, who was married and
reared a family of twelve children, was killed in
a railroad accident in February, 1892. (6)
Charles died in infancy. (7) Jane is the wife of
John Shuey, of Michigan. (8) Samuel died in
infancy. (9) Nathan enlisted August 21, 1862,
in Company C, 148th P. V. I., was a brave
and gallant soldier, and was killed at the battle
of Chancellorsville, where he was three times
slightly wounded before receiving his death
wound. (10) Heber, who enlisted September 16,
1862, in Company G, 148th P. V. I., is married
and has a family.
Hardly had the echoes from Fort Sumter's
guns died away when our subject joined the
Union army, enlisting April 14, 1861, in Com
pany H, Seventh Pennsylvania Reserves.

ISAAC SHAFER, one of the earliest men to
engage in the business of lumbering on the
west branch of the Susquehanna, a business which
has been a great factor in the growth and wealth
of Clinton county, is now, with his estimable wife
living retired at Lock Haven, Clinton county,
where they are passing the evening of their lives
in a comfortable home surrounded by a host of
friends. The Shafer family located in Centre county
in the beginning of the present century. Philip
Shafer, father of Isaac, was born in Birdsbor-
ough, Chester Co., Penn., and in early manhood
came to Centre county, and here, and in Clinton
county, passed the rest of his life; however, his
death occurred in 1878, at some point in the
West, very probably in Arkansas, while on a trip
to that section. His father was from Germany.
On March 8, 181 1, Philip Shafer married Mary
Resides, who was born in Centre county, her
father being a native of Ireland. She died in
Centre county, in 1824. Their children, who
are now living, are: Reuben, born in 1820, is a
resident of Flemmington, Penn., and Isaac,
our subject. Those deceased are: Eliza, John,
James, Reuben and Mary.
Isaac Shafer was born January 12, 1822,
near the borough of Bellefonte, Centre county.
The schools of his neighborhood and his sur
roundings were not such as to afford him an op
portunity toward an education. His father was
occupied in burning charcoal, and from the age
of twelve years young Isaac had to assist him in
the work. He worked through the summers and
until about the time snow began to fall, when he
would attend a two-months' term at school; he
attended about two of these schools, then began
the battle of life for himself. About this time,
along in the thirties, the West Branch division of
the Pennsylvania canal was being constructed,
and on this he worked two years. Next he went
to work for John Skinner, a neighboring farmer,
with whom he remained five years, receiving for
his services fifty cents per day. He then went
to Farrandsville, Clinton county, and began
lumbering, a business with which he continued
with little exception throughout life. He cleared
off the timber from Lick run, and in 1849-50
floated the logs down the stream, the first work
of the kind ever performed there. Reared, as it
were, in the woods, with but limited advantages
and no means, our subject early became self-de
pendent and self-reliant, and was, through his
industrious habits and economy, enabled gradu
ally, and yet surely, to move forward, and finally
attained that position and success in life reached
only by a few. In politics he is a stanch Repub-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

547

lican. He has never cared for public notoriety,
and though elected to several minor offices he
has paid a fine rather than serve. He, how
ever in 1893, did accept an election to the office
of county commissioner and served one term,
and his acts in that body were always character
ized with that prudence and wisdom with which
his whole business career abounded. An earnest
Christian, and an upright business man, he has
the respect of everybody.
In 1846, Mr. Shafer was married to Miss
Sarah Proctor, a daughter of Thomas Proctor, of
Clinton county, and five children came to this
marriage: Perry is in business in Jefferson
county; Clara is deceased; Dollie is the wife of
0. E. Aldrich, cashier of the bank at Johnson-
burg, Penn.; Katie is deceased; John is at John-
sonburg, Penn. The mother of these died in Oc
tober, 1890. Our subject was again married, on
March 20, 1892, this time to Fredericka Kinz-
ing; both himself and wife are members of the
Presbyterian Church.

D'

fcAVID O. ETTERS, Superintendent of the
City Schools of Bellefonte, Centre County,
Pennsylvania.

JOSEPH F. McGUIRE has demonstrated the
true meaning of the word success as the full
accomplishment of an honorable purpose.
Energy, close application, perseverance and good
management — these are the elements that have
entered into his business career and crowned the
efforts of prosperity. He now resides in Wayne
township, Clinton county, where he is success
fully engaged in general farming and the raising
of tobacco. Mr. McGuire was born near the "Half-Way
House, "in Pine Creek township, Clinton county,
January 18, 1845, and belongs to one of the old
and honored families of that community. His
grandfather, Joseph McGuire, was a , native of
one of the lower counties of Pennsylvania, and
came to this section of the State at an early date,
taking up his residence in Pine Creek township
when it was still a part of Northumberland coun
ty. His home was near the well-known " Half-
Way House " between Lock Haven and Jersey
Shore, and there he owned 137 acres of land,
which he greatly improved, building thereon one
of the first brick dwellings in the township. He
became the owner of the "Half-Way House,"
but rented it to othe» parties. In his family he
reared Matthew Rogers, one of the oldest set
tlers in Pine Creek township, who made his home

with Mr. McGuire for forty-five years. The
grandfather of our subject, one of the valued and
honored citizens of this community, died on his
farm in Pine Creek township, in 1878, and was
buried at Jersey Shore. In politics, he was a
Whig, and, in religious belief, a Presbyterian, to
which Church his estimable wife also belonged. In
their family were four children, namely: Ellen,
deceased wife of James Ferguson; Mary A.,
widow of Woods Ferguson; Jane, wife of Ed
mund Love, and David, father of our subject.
David McGuire received only a limited edu
cation in the subscription schools, and, as he was
the only son, he spent his entire life on the old
homestead with his father and mother, operating
the farm until his death, which occurred March
13, 1865, when quite young. He was a Repub
lican in politics, and widely and favorably known.
In Pine Creek township he had married Cather
ine Staver, who was of German descent. She is
still living, and now makes her home in Jersey
Shore. By her marriage she became the mother
of five children, of whom our subject is the eld
est. (2) Margaret died unmarried, August 7,
1894. (3) Jane is the wife of Thomas Bartholo
mew, of Dunnstown, Clinton county, and had six
children — Torrance, Nora, Nellie, Stella, Joseph
and one who died in infancy. (4) Perry, a
farmer in Wayne township, Clinton county, mar
ried Elizabeth Sour, of that township, and has
one son, George S., born in 1878. (5) David R.
died at the age of nine years.
The subject of this sketch pursued his studies
in the McGuire school house in Pine Creek town
ship, under the direction of Alexander Hamilton,
and has made the most of his opportunities, be
coming a well-read man. He is a subscriber to
several daily papers and magazines. After his
father's death he remained on the old home
stead with his grandfather and mother, and at
the age of twenty started out in life for himself.
He first rented a part of the Brown farm, where
he engaged in raising tobacco until 1879, when
with his mother he removed to Pine Creek town
ship and bought sixty acres of land, on which he
has made many improvements, including the
erection of a barn. For four years he there car
ried on tobacco raising, and then sold the place
and purchased fifty-eight acres in Wayne town
ship, where he followed farming for three years,
and he has since rented the place. In 1886 he
removed to his present farm in the same county,
and he is now devoting his time and attention to
the raising of tobacco and in general farming with
most satisfactory results. The Republican party
finds in him a stanch supporter, and although he
has never cared for office, he has acceptably

548

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

served as tax collector of the township. He is a
strong temperance man, and a useful and valued
citizen. In the Methodist Episcopal Church he
and his wife hold membership, and they receive
the merit and high regard of the entire commu
nity. His public and private life are above re
proach, for his career has ever been one character
ized by the utmost fidelity to duty.
On February 19, 1880, in Pine Creek town
ship, Mr. McGuire was married to Miss Mar
garet E. Emery, who was born there March 2,
1858. Her father, Jacob Emery, was born Au
gust 22, 1812, in Lycoming county, Penn., where
his father, Henry Emery, engaged in farming.
The former also made that occupation his life
work, and on coming to Pine Creek township,
Clinton county, in 1840, bought the Thomas
farm of 180 acres, which he operated with good
success until his death September 23, 1890. In
connection with general farming he engaged in
stock raising and the culture of tobacco. He,
too, was a Republican in politics, and a faithful
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, to
which his wife and family also belonged. In Ly
coming county, he married Rebecca Martin, who
was born at Larry's Creek, that county, in May,
18 17, a daughter of Alexander and Sarah Mar
tin, of English descent. She was one of a fam
ily of three children, and died September 6,
1880. Mr. and Mrs. Emery now sleep side by
side in the Jersey Shore cemetery. In their fam
ily were nine children: Henry J., a resident of
Pine Creek township; Sarah, wife of Frank Al
len; Mary, wife of Clayton Peppeman; Martin A.
and Margaret A., who died when young; Rebec
ca J., wife of James Shaw, son of Squire Shaw;
George W., of Pine Creek township; Clara N. ,
wife of Jacob Bannell, a railroad man of Jersey
Shore; and Margaret E., the honored wife of our
subject.

[ON. CHARLES A. MAYER, of Lock Ha
ven, Clinton county, has now held for
thirty years the position of President Judge of
the Twenty-fifth Judicial District of Pennsjlva-
nia, and his ability, learning and high character
make him one of the leading jurists of the State.
He has more than once been suggested as a suit
able candidate for the Bench of the Supreme
Court of this State, but his strong attachment
for old associations and friends — a most amiable
trait in his character — has led him to steadily
oppose any movement toward securing the nom
ination. Judge Mayer was born December 15, 1830,
in York county, Penn., and his youth was spent

mainly in Chambersburg, Franklin Co., Penn.,
his parents having located there during his boy
hood. He was educated in the academy at that
place, then an institution of high reputation,
under the able management of Prof. W. V.
Davis. After completing a course of study there
he entered Franklin and Marshall College,
located near Mercersburg, Franklin county, and
in 1848 he was graduated. He then entered
upon the study of medicine, and continued about
two years, when he decided to change this pro
fession for that of the law. In January, 1852,
he went to Lock Haven to enter the office of
White & Quiggle as a student, devoting himself
to his studies with great diligence. In 1854 he
was admitted to the Bar of Clinton county, and
at once entered upon a lucrative practice as the
successor of his preceptors. He was subsequent
ly elected District Attorney of Clinton county,
served two terms in that position to the eminent
satisfaction of his constituents, and with credit
to himself. In 1868 he became a candidate for President
Judge of the Twenty-fifth Judicial District, com
posed of Centre, Clearfield and Clinton coun
ties. His competitors were Hon. J. H. Orvis,
who was presented by Centre county, and ex-
Judge George R. Barrett, presented by Clear
field county. After a tedious struggle, in which
Judge Mayer was sustained by friends and sup
porters in all the counties, he was nominated and
elected by a large majority over Hon. J. B. Mc-
Enally, then President Judge of the District, by
appointment. In 1878 he was renominated by
the concurrence of his party convention in all
three of the counties, and re-elected over Charles
S. McCormick. Esq. , a member of the Clinton
County Bar, who was announced as an Inde
pendent candidate. In 1888 Judge Mayer was
again nominated and re-elected, and is thus serv
ing his third term, and will be renominated by
both the Republican and Democratic parties of this
district for a fourth term. In 1883 the Judi
cial District was changed from Clearfield, Centre
and Clinton counties to Cameron, Elk and Clin
ton, which counties have since comprised the
Twenty-fifth Judicial District. A natural adapta
tion to the law, and an extraordinarily retentive
memory, together with intellectual qualities of a
high grade, and habit of close study of legal
problems, have placed the Judge at the head of
his profession. His decisions on the Bench are
marked by strict impartiality and integrity, and
a strong sense of duty governs his conduct at all
times. •
On January 2, 1861, Judge Mayer was
united in marriage with Miss Helen McCormick,

£— . &-, ^^^2-^-£

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

549-

daughter of Saul McCormick, of Lock Haven.
She died February 16, 1893, leaving two daugh
ters: Mary B., wife of Col. James B. Coryall,
of Williamsport, Penn., colonel of the Twelfth
Pennsylvania Regiment, N. G. , and Miss Helen
E. Mayer, who is at home. Socially the family
is prominent, and the Judge is a member of the
Masonic fraternity, belongs ' to the Chapter, and
is a Knight Templar. In politics he is an un
swerving Democrat.

CfcAPTAIN ROBERT S. BARKER, deputy
'1 sheriff of Clinton County, Pennsylvania, re
sidence at Lockhaven.

T^HOMAS M. WOLF. Among the reliable,
substantial and prosperous farmers of Pine
Creek township, Clinton county, there is prob
ably none who stands higher in the public esti
mation than the gentleman whose name introduces
this article. On the farm where he still con
tinues to reside he was born November 4, 1852.
His grandfather, Michael Wolf, was a native of
Germany, and came to this country prior to
the Revolutionary war, in which struggle he
took a very active part. He located in Berks
county, Penn., where he reared his family and
continued to reside for some years, but spent
his last days at the home of his son, Michael,
in Clinton county. He was one of those hardy
pioneers who were noted for their industry, in
tegrity and sterling worth. In politics he was a
Democrat, and in religious belief he was a
Lutheran. Michael Wolf, Jr., the father of our subject,
was born, reared and educated in Berks county,
receiving instruction in both German and Eng
lish. He continued under the parental roof
until his marriage to Miss Catherine Miller,
also a native of Berks county, and, with his
bride and two brothers, he then removed to
Brush Valley, Centre county, Penn., locating
near Rebersburg, where he spent several years.
He then came to Pine Creek township, Clinton
county, where he purchased 300 acres of land,
the greater part of which he cleared and im
proved with good, substantial buildings. In con
nection with the cultivation of his land he operated
a gristmill in the same township, and was a very
hard-working, energetic and progressive man. He
cared for his aged parents during their declining
days, was an active and prominent member of the
Lutheran Church, and was a stanch Democrat
in politics. On one occasion, while riding a
horse to Jersey Shore, it fell upon him, injuring

his arm in such a way as to render it useless to
him during the remainder of his life. He died
in 1 85 1 , on the old homestead in Pine Creek town
ship, where his wife also departed this life. In
the family of this worthy couple were eleven
children, namely: John, deceased; Elizabeth,
deceased wife of John Hegarty; Michael, who
died when a young man; George, deceased;
Henry A., a resident of Tioga county, Penn.;
Catherine, wife of John Stout, of Illinois; Sarah,
deceased wife of Jacob Bonnel; Jacob, of Kan
sas; Susan, deceased wife of Thomas Bonnel;
Thomas M. , the subject of this review; and
William, deceased.
Thomas M. Wolf was provided with only a
common-school education, his farm training, how
ever, being not so meagre. At the age of four
teen he left home and began working among the
neighboring farmers, but his wages were given to
his parents until he attained his majority. He
then obtained seventy-five acres of the old home
stead farm, on which he has made many excel
lent improvements, which add greatly to its value
and attractive appearance, including the erection
of a good residence, barns, sheds, etc. Since
1 88 1 he has been interested in the cultivation of
tobacco in connection with general farming, and
in that undertaking he is also meeting with a
well-deserved success.
In 1847, in Pine Creek township, Mr. Wolf
was married to Miss Esther Kline, a native of
Berks county, and a daughter of Jacob Kline, a
farmer of that county, who was of German de
scent. Eleven children blessed this union, in
order of birth as follows: Catherine, now the
wife of David Saladay, of Pine Creek township;
Mary, wife of Peraville Snyder, a farmer of Col
orado; Louisa, wife of William Stevenson, of
Jersey Shore, Lycoming Co., Penn.; William, at
home; Jacob, a railroad man living at Jersey
Shore Junction; Elizabeth, who died in child
hood; Ida, widow of James Kissel; Alice, wife of
George Guff, of Pine Creek township; Minnie,
who died in childhood; Edward, of Williamsport,
Penn. ; and Thomas, who died when young.
The Democratic party finds in Mr. Wolf an
earnest advocate and a stalwart supporter, and
he has been honored by his fellow-citizens with
the offices of president of the school board and
county commissioner of Clinton county, having
been elected to the latter position in 1869 for a
term of three years, during which time the court
house was completed, two iron bridges built and
many other improvements made in the county.
He is regarded by all as one of the most public-
spirited and representative men of Pine Creek
township, and merits and receives the warmest

550

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

confidence and esteem of the community. He
is one of the active and leading members of
the Lutheran Church, was a member of the
building committee at the time of the rebuilding
of the present house of worship in 1869, and is
now serving as trustee of the Cburch.

PATRICK McMAHON (deceased) was one of
the honored and highly respected citizens of
Renovo, Clinton county, where his death oc
curred in 1884. He was a native of County
Clare, Ireland, where he spent the greater part
of his life engaged in agricultural pursuits, but in
i860 he bade goodbye to friends and native land,
and with his family came to America. He first
located in Lock Haven, Penn., where he resided
for a few years, and then came to Renovo, mak
ing it his home until called to his final rest.
In Ireland Mr. McMahon had wedded Miss
Mary Crowley, a daughter of Michael and Brid
get (Chambers) Crowley, who spent their entire
lives in that country. To our subject and his
worthy wife were born five daughters, who are
yet living, namely: Margaret, now the wife of
Lewis Kramer, a resident of Australia; Mrs.
Joseph Swartzfish, of Renovo; Anna, wife of M.
J. Dillen, of Geneva, N. Y. , and Mollie and Sue,
who make their home with their mother in Re
novo. There were also two sons: John, who
died in 1871, and Michael, who died in 1891.
Mrs. McMahon and her daughters, Mollie and
Sue, occupy a comfortable home at No. 12 16
Erie avenue, Renovo, and socially they stand
high, being numbered among the most highly
respected families of the place. In religious
belief they are Catholics, to which Church Mr.
McMahon also belonged. He was a kind and
indulgent husband and father, and his memory
will be a sacred inheritance to his children, and
will also be cherished by a multitude of friends.
Throughout his career of continued and far-
reaching usefulness, his duties were performed
with the greatest care, and during a long life
his personal honor and integrity were without
blemish.

fON. JAMES W. FREDERICKS, of Lock
Haven, who has been twice chosen to rep
resent Clinton county in the State Legislature,
is a man of commanding influence in this section,
and his popularity is shown by the fact that he
is the second Republican ever elected as a repre
sentative from his county. He bears an excel
lent record, and his career carries out the prom
ise of earlier years, when, as a mere boy, he did

gallant service in the Civil war in defense of a
righteous cause.
He was born in Clinton county in 1843, a son
of Benjamin H. and Margaret (Dunn) Fredericks,
both of whom were also natives of Pennsylvania.
The father, who died in 1880, was engaged in
farming and lumbering during the greater portion
of his life, and although he was an intelligent
and progressive citizen he took but little part in
public affairs. The mother passed away in 1895,
leaving three children: James W., Miss Ella M.
and J. H.
Major Fredericks was reared upon a farm un
til he reached the age of fifteen, his educational
opportunities being limited to the rural schools
of his time. The questions at issue between the
North and South interested him deeply, and,
when the war broke out, he enlisted, although
he was but seventeen years old, in Company D,
nth P. V. I., the first troops that went from
the "West Branch." His regiment was among
the first to enter the Shenandoah Valley, and
July 2, 1 861, he took part in the battle of Fall
ing Waters, where he first experienced the un
pleasant sensation of seeing men killed or wound
ed by shot and shell. At the expiration of his
term of nine months he returned home and
raised a new company of 105 men, who were
enrolled in the 207th P. V. I. For eleven
months he served as captain, participating in
several fierce engagements, including the bat
tle of Dutch Gap, and a number in the vicin
ity of Petersburg. At Fort Steadman he was
promoted to the rank of major, and his next
important engagement was at Hatcher's Run. He
remained in the army as long as there was any
fighting to be done, but fortunately escaped
capture or serious wounds. When hostilities
ceased he came back home and engaged in busi
ness, meeting with success from \he start, and
since 1885 he has conducted a hardware and
stove business at Lock Haven.
His active work in support of the Republican
party was recognized some years ago by an ap
pointment in the United States revenue service
as gauger and deputy revenue collector, which
position he held for eight years. In 1894 he was
elected to the Legislature, and so well did he
please the good people of Clinton county by his
service that he was re elected in 1896, for an
other term. He. is now a member of the com
mittees on Railroads and on Labor Reform.
On January 25, 1865, our subject married
Miss Emily J. Walton, a daughter of Ebenezer
Walton, of Lycoming county, Penn. The Wal
ton family is one of the oldest in the State, and
now holds deeds signed by William Penn and his

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

551

son. Two children have blessed our subject's
home: Benjamin W., a resident of Chicago, and
Edith M. Maxwell, of Troy, Penn. Socially the
family is prominent, and Mrs. Fredericks is an
active member of the Presbyterian Church, while
the Major is identified with several fraternal
orders, including the F. & A. M., the P. O. S.
of A. and the G. A. R.

BH. FURST, of the firm of Furst Brothers,
manufacturers of and dealers in all kinds of
grain, flour, feed, plaster, salt and general mer
chandise, Cedar Springs, Pennsylvania.

fATHEW ROGERS, one of the oldest and
most honored citizens of Clinton county,
has spent almost his entire life in Pine Creek
township, where his birth occurred December 2,
1812, and is a son of Seth and Elizabeth (Books)
Rogers, the former a native of Kilkenny, Ireland,
and a farmer by occupation. From the age of
ten years he was reared by a Mr. McGuire, and
was provided with fair school privileges and a
good moral training, which well fitted him for
life's responsible duties.
Until he had attained the age of forty years,
Mr. Rogers continued to make his home with Mr.
McGuire, though in the meantime he often
worked for neighboring farmers in Pine Creek
township, and was also employed in the lumber
woods, pealing bark, or in rafting or boating on
the river. In 1852 he purchased his present
farm of fifty acres, upon which he has made all
of the improvements, but at one time had the
misfortune to lose his barns, sheds and other out
buildings by a flood, which damaged his property
to the amount of $5,000; but with 'characteristic
energy he at once rebuilt, and now has a well-
improved and highly-cultivated farm which stands
as a monument to his thrift and industry. He
was the first in this section to raise tobacco, and
he continued to actively engage in business until
1896, when he was eighty-four years of age. At
this writing he is living retired, enjoying a well-
earned rest.
Mr. Rogers was married in 1845, in Pine
Creek township, to Miss Mary Staver, who was
born in that township, in 182 1, a daughter of
Frederick Staver, who was a farmer by occupa
tion. Three daughters blessed this union:
Martha J. ; Mary E. ; and Margaret, wife of A.
K. Hamilton. For the long period of thirty-five
years the wife and mother was an invalid, but
finally, in 1894, death released her from her suf
ferings. The two older daughters tenderly cared

for her, making great sacrifices in her behalf, and
they now look after the business interests of their
father, being ladies of good business ability and
sound judgment. Wherever known they are
held in high regard, and their friends are many.
Politically, Mr. Rogers was first a Whig and
is now a Republican, casting his first Presidential
ballot in 1883, and his last in 1896 for Major
McKinley. On election days he is always found
at the polls, has taken a deep and commendable
interest in political affairs, and now advocates
sound money. For some eighty-five years he
has been identified with the interests of Clinton
county, and his has been a long and busy career.
His life has ever been such as to commend him to
the confidence of all with whom he came in con
tact, and he has the respect and esteem of old
and young, rich and poor.

LEWIS ARMSTRONG (deceased). Of the
 / middle-aged business men of Clinton county,
probably none developed so early in life, and at
tained so prominent a position among the busi
ness men of the State, as did Lewis Armstrong,
who was born in 1859, in Sullivan county, Penn.
Peter Armstrong, his father, also a native of
Pennsylvania, was a manufacturer of paper, be
ing identified with mills at Philadelphia and else
where, having his residence in Philadelphia. He
married Miss Hannah Taylor, who, too, was born
in the Keystone State.
Lewis Armstrong, at the age of seven years,
went to Philadelphia to live, and in the public
schools of that city he received his school train
ing. When but fourteen he started out on the
road traveling as a salesman for the mills with
which his father was connected, and he was
reared and trained in the paper business, and
understood it thoroughly. His traveling experi
ence brought him early in touch with men prom
inent in the same business throughout the State
and beyond State lines, and he became exten
sively known to and prominently identified with
the manufacturers of paper throughout the East.
He and his brother built the paper mills at Lock
Haven, as well as other mills elsewhere, and he
was associated with some of the leading business
men of Philadelphia and New York City. At the
time of his death he was vice-president of the
New York and Pennsylvania Paper Co., and pres
ident of the Armstrong Real Estate Improve
ment Co. of Johnsonburg, Penn., where some of
the mills of the company with which he was con
nected were located. He was ambitious, and
hoped to control the paper mills of the country,
but overworked himself, which resulted in his

552

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

death. He had left home on a business trip to
New York when his death, coming suddenly, was
caused by the bursting of a blood vessel at the
base of the brain. Socially he was a member of
the Manufacturers Club, and of the Manhattan
Athletic Club, both of New York. He led a
most active and busy life, and his death was
greatly deplored in business circles.
In 1878 Mr. Armstrong was married to Miss
Ida M. Kelly (who was born in Philadelphia, and
was educated there), a daughter of Samuel J.
and Mary (Ferarie) Kelly. The marriage of our
subject and wife was blessed with the following
children: Grace, Calvin, Russell, Ervin Scott,
and Dorothy; the sons are now preparing for
college, and the daughter is attending a college
in Virginia. Mrs. Armstrong, who is a woman
of culture and refinement, is identified with the
Methodist Episcopal Church.

HENRY S. BAKER, a prominent resident of
 Lock Haven, has been engaged in the hard
ware business there for many years, and his judi
cious management, fair dealing and unfailing
courtesy have won for him a substantial success.
Mr. Baker was born in November, 1842, in
Berks county, Penn., a son of Henry and Mary
(Shutter) Baker, who were both natives of the
Keystone State. The father was a weaver by
trade in early life, but afterward engaged in farm
ing, and continued until his death, which oc
curred in 1890. Our subject's mother passed to
the unseen life in 1883, and of a large family of
children only five are now living: Susan, wife
of John Fitzgerald; Mary, wife of William Mayer;
Sarah, wife of Levi Reitnauer; Christine, who
married John Stires; and Henry S., of this
sketch. H. S. Baker was reared in Montgomery coun
ty, Penn., having been taken there in his boy
hood. He attended the public schools until he
reached the age of fourteen, when he began to
learn the tinner's trade, an apprenticeship of
three years giving him a complete knowledge of
the business. Settling at Lock Haven, after
working nearly four years as a journeyman, he
established a business of his own, which he has
successfully conducted ever since. His stock has
been gradually enlarged as his custom has grown
in volume, until he probably has the largest line
of hardware, stoves and household utensils to be
found in Clinton county. He is devoted to busi
ness, and has never given any time to politics,
although he is a stanch Democrat and a firm op
ponent of monopolies.
In 1 86 1 Mr. Baker married Miss Mary E.

Waggner, whose father, a resident at one time
of Mechanicsburg, Penn., met a soldier's death
during the Civil war, at the battle of Atlanta.
Three children were born of this union, all now
deceased. Mr. Baker and his wife are leading
members of Trinity Methodist Church at Lock
Haven, and at present he holds the office of
trustee. He also belongs to numerous social or
ders, including the K. G. E., the K. of P. (in
which he is a past chancellor), the I. 0. 0. F.,
Great Island Lodge No. 320 (in which he is a
past noble grand), and the Masonic fraternity,
being a Knight Templar.

EV. DR. R. W. PERKINS. "To make
the world within his reach somewhat the
better for his being, and gladder for his human
speech " is an ambition which calls forth a man's
noblest energies, and in the helpful life of this
well-known clergyman it has been brought to full
fruition. As pastor of the First Baptist Church
of Lock Haven, Clinton county, he has intro
duced and maintained numerous movements
which have already produced good results, and
which promise to wield still greater influence in
the future.
Dr. Perkins derives his zeal and enthusiam
from a long line of religious ancestors, dating
back to the old Brandywine Baptist Church on
the battlefield of that name of the Revolution,
and covering more than two hundred years. The
one branch of his maternal ancestors were of
Quaker origin, buying their land directly from
Penn. They became Baptists before 1700 — the
other branch was a Baptist family from Wales,
who in 1755 settled in Chester county. The four
sons entered the Revolutionary army in the same
company, holding, in order of age, the four high
est commissions in the company — one afterward
became a Baptist minister. Their descendants
have been mostly well-to-do farmers or school
teachers, a number were lawyers, some judges of
the Courts, principals of academies and higher
schools of learning, and college and university
professors and ministers of the Gospel.
The family was a very large one, and were ar
dent patriots, but kept out of active politics, and
were nearly all Church members. A few years
ago Dr. Perkins was one of sixteen cousins in the
Baptist ministry. Joseph Perkins, the father of
Dr. R. W. Perkins, of a race of prosperous farm
ers of Revolutionary stock, lived and died on the
farm where he was born, following agriculture as
an occupation, and giving in his useful yet quiet
existence an example worthy of the imitation of
all men. He died in 1887, and his estimable

{^t&^^-^r

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

553

wife, Margaret T. Frame, who was also a native
of the same county, died in 1884. Dr. Perkins
is the eldest of four children; the others living are:
Martha J. and Joseph W., who reside at the old
homestead near Elam, Delaware Co., Penn
sylvania. The Doctor's birth occurred March 12, 1847,
and his elementary education was received in the
public schools near his home. At the age of
eighteen he completed his academic course and
engaged in teaching, which he continued for
about four years. He then entered Bucknell
University, and in 1872 was graduated with the
degree of A. B. In pursuance of a long-cher
ished wish to enter the ministry, he took a course
in the Crozer Theological Seminary, and, after
graduating in 1875, he remained there over a
year, taking a post-graduate course in philosophy
and theology. In the meantime he served as
assistant to the pastor of the Upland Baptist
Church, and on leaving the seminary was or
dained pastor (in 1877) of the Third Baptist
Church at Camden, N. J., where he spent over
ten years. He was very successful in his work,
and, aside from his labors in behalf of denomi
national Church work and Union Sunday-school
work, took an active part in the local charitable
organizations and in temperance work, serving as
president of the Camden County Temperance
Society for several years. During this time he
was also examiner of Sunday-school books for
the American Baptist Publication Society. In
1887 he took charge of the First Baptist Church
at Lock Haven, and under his ministrations the
spiritual life of the congregation has been quick
ened and the enrollment increased four-fold, the
once crushing debts have all been paid off, the
church edifice, a handsome and commodious
structure, has been renovated, and everything is
in a prosperous condition. Dr. Perkins is an
earnest student, especially in theology, philoso
phy and history, his very large library containing
a very fine collection of works on these subjects.
Since locating at Lock Haven he has devoted
some time to teaching languages, literature and
philosophy in the State Normal School, and for
one year he conducted a large Monday-evening
union Bible-class in the Presbyterian Church.
His sympathetic nature, his wide culture and his
unfailing energy have made him a helpful factor
in all charitable and evangelistic enterprises. He
has given much study to hymnology, sacred mu
sic and congregational singing, and has been
president of the Lock Haven Chorus since its
organization. He began advocating a public
hospital that culminated in the Lock Haven Hos
pital. Some years ago his alma mater conferred

upon him the Doctorate. For several years he
has been chairman of the Book Committee of the
Lock Haven Library.
In 1893 Dr. Perkins was married to Miss
Sallie E. Rhoads, widely known as a successful
teacher in the Lock Haven High School. She be
longs to a well-known family, and her father,
Joseph A. Rhoads, formerly a student at Buck
nell University in its first class, is a highly re
spected resident of Lock Haven. Her father's
family were religious refugees from the Palatinate,
early in the eighteenth century, settling in Berks
county, Penn. Like the most of the Germans,
they kept aloof from the governmental affairs
until the struggle for freedom against George III,
and then they entered the Revolutionary army.
Mrs. Perkins' ancestors in three lines fought in
the Revolution. One of her great-grandfathers
was an officer of distinction. She is a charter
member and historian of a successful chapter of
the Daughters of the American Revolution. The
families of Dr. and Mrs. Perkins were loyal dur
ing the Civil war, and rendered all the aid in
their power to the government. Both Dr. and
Mrs. Perkins took an active part in a flourishing
Shakespeare Society, and in the University Ex
tension Society. While Dr. Perkins is a man of
affairs whose advice is widely sought, still his
greatest pleasure is in fulfilling the simple duties
of the Gospel minister.

First Baptist Church. — The records of the
early history of the First Baptist Church of Lock
Haven are very fragmentary. The Church was
gathered under the auspices of Rev. George Hig-
gins, then pastor of the Baptist Church in Jersey
Shore, Lycoming county. It is very probable
that it was organized in 1836, as the first item of
Church record states that the first communion
season of the Church was held December 15,
1836. The formal public recognition occurred
June, 1838. The services were conducted in a
private house by Revs. George Higgins, Charles
Tucker and G. M. Spratt, D. D. On December
1, 1 841, a call was extended to Rev. J. F. Jones,
who labored successfully for two years in enlarg
ing the membership. That able and distinguished
minister, Rev. Charles Tucker, having succeeded
to the pastorate of the Jersey Shore Church,
began to supply this Church January 4, 1843,
and continued to do so somewhat regularly
for more than a year; upwards of thirty per
sons were added to the Church as the result
of meetings held in the old court house in
the spring of 1843. Mr. Tucker is spoken of as a
man of marked ability and fine oratorical powers.
On April 1, 1845, K-ev- J- G. Miles became pastor

554

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

of the Church; he was then young and commended
himself to the community, and had a successful
pastorate, and his going away was unfortunate
for the Church, for his labors had been abund
antly blessed and at the end of his pastorate the
Church numbered 150 members. They should
have gone forward and built, but timid coun
sels prevailed, some removals occurred, and
from 185 1 to i860 the Church was without a
pastor, and had only an occasional sermon. It
will take at least three generations to get over
the crippling effect of that blunder. They had
occasional supplies from the professors of the Un
iversity at Lewisburg, now Bucknell University,
especially from the president, Dr. J. R. Loomis,
and G. M. Spratt, D. D., secretary of the Penn
sylvania Baptist Education Society, but the
Church dwindled almost to disorganization. In
i860 Rev. A. J. Furman, a graduate from Buck
nell, was ordained pastor, and after two years of
very successful labor in gathering the scattered
Church, and baptizing thirty-three, resigned to
become chaplain in the army. He was succeeded
by the Rev. J. A. Kirkpatrick, who bought the
present site of the Church, and added one hun
dred and thirty-four to the membership, but his
pastorate was only two years; and from about
the middle of 1864 until April, 1866, the Church
was supplied part of the time by the Missionary
Committee of the Northumberland Association;
at that date Rev. J. G. Miles was again induced
to take charge of the Church. He gave his at
tention to the erection of the present house of
worship, which was so far completed as to enable
the Church to worship in the lecture room, for
up to this time the Church had been hindered
and cramped for want of a permanent place of
worship. Mr. Miles labored hard and planned wise
ly, but resigned in 1868. The Church soon called
Rev. A. B. Runyan, who began in April, 1869, and
served until August 15, 1871. He was success
ful in putting the dome on the meeting-house, in
reducing the debt, and resigned to take charge
of an out-station of the Church at Eagle
ville, now Blanchard, Centre county. Then
Rev. George W. Snyder became pastor, who
completed the main audience room and dedicated
the Church in June, 1873; the Church property
is a fine, commodious structure. Mr. Snyder
was a successful and judicious minister, but
his health was completely broken, and he soon
afterward died. Mr. Snyder was succeeded by
Rev. C. E. Barto, pastor from January 1, 1874,
to January 1, 1875; and Rev. R. Dunlap, pastor
October 17, 1875, until March 3, 1877. From
this time for five years the Church was again
pastorless (George Cooper, D. D. , of the First

Baptist Church, Williamsport, tried to have
somewhat regular supplies for the Church). In
1882, Rev. F. H. Cooper, a graduate of Buck
nell, was ordained pastor, in June, and served
until the spring of 1886. After another dis
organizing interregnum of eighteen months,
the present pastor, Rev. Dr. R. W. Perkins, be
gan his labors, in November, 1887; the church
edifice has been frescoed, many repairs and im
provements have been made, and the debts have
been paid; an additional adjoining lot purchased;
the membership largely and materially increased,
and the Church is in a flourishing condition.
The present officers (1898) are: John Mac-
Naul, Archibald Munro, Theodore Myers, Prof.
W. J. Wolverton, Thomas Gummo, S. H. Laird,
O. G. Munro, William Munro, H. E. Chamber
lain, E. C. Loveland, R. F. Bowers. President
Board of Trustees, Archibald Munro; Church
Clerk, Theodore Myers. Two young men, grad
uates of Bucknell University, sons of deacons of
this Church, are esteemed and able Baptist
ministers — Rev. Henry C. Munro, son of the
late Deacon Alexander Munro, and Rev. Willard
C. MacNaul, son of Deacon John MacNaul.
Mr. MacNaul was a student at Yale Divinity
School, and was graduated at Divinity School of
the University of Chicago.

The Lock Haven Hospital. — On June 27,
1896, Rev. Dr. Perkins wrote an article for the
Daily Democrat, and one of like import for the
Lock Haven Express, urging the necessity and
possibility of starting a hospital here and outlin
ing the general work of a hospital. The project
met with general favor, and the physicians, meet
ing a few days later, gave the enterprise their
heartiest endorsement and published in the pa
pers what had been done in surrounding towns
of the same class in general hospital work, and
the possibility of Lock Haven doing the same,
The project was often the subject of favorable
private remark. The ministers and physicians
met at Dr. R. B. Watson's office, July 22, 1896.
Dr. Perkins presided. An earnest and frank dis
cussion of the needs, the possible resources and
co-operation was participated in by Drs. Ball,
Armstrong, W^atson, Hayes, Shoemaker and
Dumm, and the ministers Rev. J. E. Wright, D.
D., Revs. J. H. Black, L. Nichols, W. H. Lil-
ley, T. Derr, H. Arlt, and C. S. Long. The
company believed the project feasible. A com
mittee on public meetings, Drs. Perkins, Arm
strong and Ball, was appointed. On account of
tabernacle meetings and revival meetings, it was
February 16, 1897, before a general meetingwas
called by the committee in the Y. M. C. A.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

555

rooms. Wilson Kistler, Esq. , presided, and Dr.
Perkins was secretary. Addresses highly com
mending the feasibility and necessity of the hos
pital were made by T. C. Hippie, Esq., H. T.
Harvey, Esq,, Rev. J. Harper Black, Rev. Dr.
Wright, Drs. Ball, Church, Hayes, Watson and
Armstrong. By unanimous vote, standing com
mittees were appointed on charter and nomina
tion of officers: Rev. Dr. J. E. Wright, Rev. L.
Nichols, T. M. Stevenson, Esq.; and on finance:
David Salmon, J. F. McCormick, E. A. Monag
han, T. R. Mann, George Loder, Dr. H. E. Brady,
C. H. Myers, Wilson Kistler, and the following
ladies: Dr. R. B. Church, Miss Clara Kreamer,
Mrs. L. A. Scott, Mrs. T. C. Hippie, Mrs. D.
Salmon, Mrs. R. W. Perkins. The various com
mittees did a very great deal of earnest work,
and the newspapers from time to time commend
ed the work. Miss Clara Kreamer was made
secretary of the finance committee. At last a
public meeting was called for May 27, at the
court house, over which Wilson Kistler presided
and S. M. McCormick, Esq., was secretary. Dr.
Perkins gave a brief history of the movement.
Dr. Wright offered the charter, which was adopt
ed, making provision for a general annual meet
ing, with general officers of president, vice-presi
dent, secretary and treasurer, with a board of
managers of fifteen, who should have charge
of the management of the hospital, and who
should make an annual report to the mem
bers and subscribers. The following board of
managers was elected: Drs. R. Armstrong, F.
P. Ball, R. B. Watson, J. H. Hayes, W. H.
Shoemaker, R. G. Furst, Rev. Dr. R. W. Per
kins, Rev. Lewis Nichols, Messrs. W. Kistler,
J. A. Bickford, E. A. Monaghan, David Salmon,
Joseph B. Furst, J. A. Marshall and F. L. Whit-
aker. David Salmon, chairman of the finance
committee, reported pledges and money amount
ing to $2,062.50. The meeting adjourned to
meet June 10, in the Y. M. C. A., to perfect the
organization, Dr. Perkins presiding, S. M. Mc
Cormick, Esq. , secretary. The following officers
were elected for the society: President, W. Kist
ler; vice-president, Charles Kreamer; secretary,
W. A. Kinsloe; treasurer, T. R. Mann. The
committee on place, Dr. Armstrong, chair
man, reported in favor of the Proctor- Myers
Estate, on Water street. C. H. Myers then
offered the property until the following spring
rent free. The offer was accepted, and the
place selected for the hospital. The committee
on charter, Dr. J..E. Wright, Rev. L. Nichols
and T. M. Stevenson, Esq., were instructed to
take the necessary legal steps to secure the char
ter. The board of managers organized with:

President, Dr. R. Armstrong; Secretary, Rev. L.
Nichols; Executive Committee, Dr. F. P. Ball,
Dr. R. B. Watson, Dr. R. W. Perkins, W. Kis
tler, E. A. Monaghan. Dr. R. B. Church was
elected superintendent and matron, and the
work of gathering supplies has slowly progressed,
for the magnitude of the work has made the
progress necessarily slow. Every one whose
name is mentioned has given much time to the
enterprise, and many, whose names are not men
tioned here, have given invaluable aid. The
heaviest burdens have naturally fallen on the
physicians who have labored with the self-sacri
ficing public spirit characteristic of that learned
profession. The Ladies Aid Society, of the Lock Haven
Hospital, was organized with Mrs. R. W. Per
kins, president; vice-presidents, Mrs. S. D. Ball,
Mrs. Herman Simon, and Miss Puella Dorn-
blazer; recording secretary, Mrs. William Keiner;
corresponding secretary, Mrs. C. G. Furst;
treasurer, Miss Eleanor Gearhart; executive
committee, Mrs. David Salmon, Mrs. J. E.
Wright, Mrs. T. C. Hippie, Mrs. D. M. Fred
ericks, and Miss Kate Monaghan. The hospital
is doing a good work and is meeting with general
favor. The Lock Haven Chorus. — The Lock Ha
ven Chorus owes its existence to the untiring
zeal and musical talent of its accomplished di
rector, Mr. T. C. Hilton, one of Lock Haven's
prosperous druggists. The Chorus was organ
ized in 1893 with Rev. Dr. R. W. Perkins,
president; E. E. Adams, vice-president; S. D.
Furst, Esq., secretary; S. M. McCormick, Esq.,
treasurer; T. C. Hilton, musical director; and
Messrs. T. C. Hilton, James Snyder and W. J.
Wolverton, executive committee. The Chorus
is composed of the best people of the city, num
bering at various seasons from eighty to one
hundred members. They have rendered Gaul's
Holy City, Joan of Arc, Haydn's Creation, and
many choice selections from the great masters.
Their annual May Festival is a society event.

The Lock Haven Library. — The Lock Ha
ven Library Company was chartered May 31,
1866, and was fully organized in July, 1868, with
the following officers: President, Rev. G. W.
Shinn; secretary, L. D. Squire; librarian, Dr. J.
H. Barton; treasurer, John C. Zellars. The or
ganization owes it origin to that public benefactor,
Philip M. Price, Esq., who provided in his will
for the maintenance of a public library and read
ing room. The object of this society is to pro
vide choice reading at a trifling expense for all

556

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

who choose to avail themselves of the opportun
ity thus afforded. Dr. J. H. Barton, for many
years librarian, did a great deal for the library.
There are now over 5,000 volumes in the library.
The officers are: President, S. D. Ball, Esq.;
vice-presidents, Hon. C. A. Mayer and Moore
Fredericks; secretary, T. C. Hilton; librarian and
treasurer, Mrs. Elizabeth Karskaddon; directors,
Rev. Dr. R. W. Perkins, H. T. Hall, Esq., T.
M. Stevenson, Esq., Dr. F. P. Ball, and A. S.
Grow. The rooms of the library in Mayer's
Block, Water street, are open every day, Sun
days excepted.

#TV\EORGE W. HIPPLE, a prominent manu-
\^S facturer of Clinton county, and senior mem
ber of the extensive lumber firm of Hippie &
Kintzing, doing business in the city of Lock
Haven, is descended from one of the substantial
families of this Commonwealth. He was born
in Philadelphia, Penn., July 23, 1833, and is the
eldest son of Henry and Catharine Graeff Hippie.
The subject of our sketch removed from the
Quaker City with his parents, when he was about
one year old. His childhood and youth were
passed at Jersey Shore, Lycoming Co., Penn.,
where he attended the public schools and the
Jersey Shore High School, the latter being an in
corporated institution of considerable repute in
its day for its thorough methods and high educa
tional standard. He completed the course at
this High School when about nineteen years of
age, and then entered upon the study of the law
in the office of Hon. James Gamble, of Jersey
Shore, a leading lawyer of that section, and con
tinued the same upward of two years. He, how
ever, did not entirely fancy the law, and discon
tinued his studies, having determined to learn
and pursue the trade and vocation of his father,
who was a well-known and successful builder
and contractor. Having served a thorough ap
prenticeship, Mr. Hippie soon became a partner
with his father in contracting and building. His
brother, Henry G., subsequently became a mem
ber of the firm, which was known as Henry Hip
pie & Sons. Their firm operated extensively,
and their handiwork exists throughout this sec
tion as good evidence of their energy, skill and
reliability. They also engaged considerably in
lumbering with satisfactory success.
In 1867 Mr. Hippie went to Michigan, where
his wife's parents then resided, intending to lo
cate permanently at Saginaw, in that State. He
purchased timber lands in that locality, erected
a sawmill and engaged in the lumber-manufact
uring business, in connection with merchandising,

for about three years. He did not, however, re
main there steadily, because of indifferent health.
Having meanwhile purchased the interest of Alli
son White in the planing-mill and sash and door
factory, then conducted by White, Hippie & Co.,
at the same place as that now operated by Hip
pie & Kintzing, he returned to Lock Haven in
1868, where he has ever since been in that busi

ness. The present firm of Hippie & Kintzing engage
extensively in the wholesale manufacturing of
doors, sash and house-building supplies, having a
large trade in Philadelphia and other cities, and
ranking high among dealers in their line. Their
establishment is one of the reliable and impor
tant industries of the West Branch Region, and
gives steady employment to a large number of
men. Mr. Hippie was married December 2, 1858,
at Jersey Shore, to Miss Helen A. Chapman,
daughter of George W. Chapman, an extensive
railroad contractor, and member of the firm of
Dillon & Chapman, then of New York City.
Mrs. Hippie was born June 8, 1839, at Richmond,
Mass., and died at Lock Haven, July 6, 1897.
She possessed many kindly and Christian traits
which endeared her to the people of the commu
nity in which she lived.
Our subject is an active and efficient member
of the Trinity M. E. Church of Lock Haven, in
which he has for many years held official posi
tion. He served twelve years continuously as a
member of the City Council of Lock Haven, and
was for a number of years president of that body.
He has for a long time been one of the trustees
of the flourishing Central State Normal School
of Lock Haven, and is at present vice-president
of the board of trustees of that institution.

J'OEL H. HERB, a well-known citizen of Lo
gan township, Clinton county, is numbered
among the self-made men of Sugar Valley,
his accumulations being the result of his own in
dustry, obtained by self-denial and economy and
the exercise of a naturally good judgment, both
in regard to agricultural pursuits and business
matters. He was born near Reading, in Berks
county, Penn., July 2, 181 7, and is a grand
son of John Herb, a native of Germany, who on
coming to this country located in Berks county,
where he followed the occupation of farming
and spent his remaining days.
Abram Herb, the father of our subject,
was also born in Berks county, where he received
a German education, and engaged in agricultural
pursuits throughout life, his farm being situated

£*£-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

557

in Oley township, where his death occurred in
1872. He was a pronounced Democrat in pol
itics, and was widely known and highly respected.
He married Catharine Bachtel, also a native of
Berks county, by whom he had thirteen children
—Rachel, Hattie, Isaac, Mary, John H., Cath
arine, Abram, Hannah, David, Harriet, Daniel,
John, and one whose name is unknown. The
mother, who was a faithful member of the Re
formed Church, died while making her home
with one of her children in Schuylkill county,
Pennsylvania. The subject of this sketch received only a
limited education in the German language, and
was reared in his native county, working on the
home farm until fourteen years of age, when he
left the parental roof and started out to make his
own way in the world empty-handed. He first
worked among farmers, and his small wages
were all given to his parents. Two years were
spent in Schuylkill county, and at the age of
twenty he went to Dauphin county, where he
learned the miller's trade with Henry Reninger,
remaining there for four years. Hearing that
the business prospects were better in central
Pennsylvania, Mr. Herb came to Clinton county
in 1841, and located in Sugar Valley, where he
rented the Klickner Mills at Loganton and en
gaged in the manufacture of flour for nine years.
The following two years were spent in the mill
ing business in 'Woodward, Centre county, and
he was similarly employed in Greenbriar, Penn
Valley, for the same length of time. Renting
the Logan Mills in Logan township, Clinton
county, he operated them quite successfully for
four years, and in 1859 bought the Jacob Miller
farm of ninety-seven acres in the same town
ship. He cleared and improved the place with
good and substantial buildings, and devoted his
energies to agricultural pursuits until 1887, when
he rented the farm, and now lives retired, enjoy
ing the rest that he so well deserves.
In Logan township, Mr. Herb married Miss
Mary Brungart, a native of Sugar Valley, and to
them were born five children: Harriet, wife of
William 0. Groninger, of Jasper county, Mo.,
by whom she has seventeen children; Joseph,
who is now living retired in Booneville, Clinton
Co., Penn. ; Jefferson B., a farmer of Green town
ship, same county; Calista, wife of Harvey
Wise, of Woodward township, Clinton county;
and John, of Madisonburg, Centre county. Mrs.
Herb was called to her final rest January 21,
¦091, and her remains were interred in the Sugar
Valley cemetery. She was an earnest Christian
woman and a faithful member of the Reformed
Church, to which her husband also belongs. In

his political affiliations Mr. Herb is a Democrat.
On reaching Sugar Valley his cash capital con
sisted of twenty-five cents, and the old clothes
that he wore constituted his other property; but
by hard work, strict ceconomy, perseverance
and honorable dealing, he succeeded in accumu
lating a comfortable competence, and is now able
to lay aside business cares and enjoy the fruits of
his former toil. He has won the respect and
confidence of the entire community, and his
friends are many.

WILLIAM HUFF was for many years act
ively identified with the lumber and farm
ing interests of this section of the State, but is
now living retired in Bald Eagle township, Clin
ton county. He is a man of keen discrimina
tion and sound judgment, and his executive abil
ity and excellent management gained for him
a well-deserved success in his undertaking, so
that he is to-day numbered among the prosper
ous and substantial citizens of his community.
Mr. Huff was born March 10, 181 7, at Far-
randsville, Clinton county, when it still formed
a part of Lycoming county, and he is a son of
James and Susan Huff. The father was a na
tive of that portion of Northumberland county
which afterward became Lycoming county, and
throughout the greater part of his business ca
reer followed the occupations of farming and
lumbering. Both he and his estimable wife
passed away in 1855, and, with the exception of
our subject, their four children have also de
parted this life.
The opportunities afforded our subject for
obtaining a good education were very poor. The
nearest school house was three miles from his
home, and to reach it he was obliged to cross
the river twice. The terms were also short, and
the teachers but poorly equipped for their duties.
Until he reached the age of twenty-five he
worked for his father, who was a lumberman
and farmer, and then followed those occupa
tions on his own account. Although he has re
sided in Clinton county for sixty-five years, the
greater part of the time he has spent in the lum
ber woods of Clearfield county, where he has
owned large tracts of timber land. He now has
two valuable and well-improved farms, and one
hundred acres of timber land in Bald Eagle and
Beech Creek townships. As a business man he
has been progressive, upright and honorable,
and succeeded in winning the confidence and re
spect of all with whom he came in contact.
On October 6, 1855, Mr. Huff was united in
marriage with Miss Susan McCormick, a daughter

558

COMMEMORA TIVE BIO GRAPHICAL RECORD.

of Joseph McCormick, who was widely and favor
ably known throughout Lycoming and Clinton
counties during pioneer days. Two children
blessed this union: Joseph H. , a prominent
farmer, of Bald Eagle township, and Anna E.,
wife of Charles Salmon, a farmer of Beech Creek
township, Clinton county. The wife and mother
was called to her final rest in 1889. Although
Mr. Huff has never been an aspirant for official
honors, he has been called upon to serve in many
local positions in his township. He is a stanch
supporter of the Democratic party, and is identi
fied with the Christian Church. At this writing
he is nearing the eighty-first milestone on life's
journey, but in spirit and interests seems yet in
his prime. There is an old age that is a bene
diction to all that comes in contact with it, that
gives out of its rich stores of learning and ex
perience, and grows stronger intellectually and
spiritually as the years pass. Such is the life of
Mr. Huff, an encouragement to his associates
and an example well worthy of emulation to the
young.

E\PHRAIM W. BIGONY, late of Lock Haven,
 '/ Clinton county, where he carried on a coal-
yard and was also engaged in the ice business,
had been identified with the business and social
affairs of the place for thirty-five years, an hon
ored and esteemed citizen.
Joseph Bigony, his father, was born in Mont
gomery county, Penn., and there was married
to Rachel Wesley, also a native of Montgomery
county. They passed the greater part of their
lives in their native county as farming people,
plain, substantial and good citizens. While a
general farmer Mr. Bigony dealt largely in stock,
and for years was a venue crier. His death oc
curred in November, 1869, that of his wife in
May, 1867.
Ephraim W. Bigony was born March 9, 1828,
in Berks county, Penn. His father had a large
family, and being a man of but limited means
was enabled to afford our subject only meagre
school privileges. In his boyhood the schools
of the neighborhood were pay schools, and kept
only three months in the year, the children of
the family going generally by turns. From four
teen to twenty-one years of age Mr. Bigony
served a seven-years' apprenticeship at the trade
of manufacturing woolen goods, in the woolen-
mills of Marlsboro, Montgomery county, Penn.,
but strange as it may seem, after the completion
of the long apprenticeship he never worked at
the business. On leaving the woolen-mills, and
from 1849 to 1853, he clerked in a dry-goods

store at Reading, Penn. From this employment
he engaged in the hotel business, and for a period
of fourteen years was a most popular and agree
able landlord, having an extended acquaintance
with the thousands of traveling men and the
farmers of that locality that stopped with him
during that long period. Some of the hotels he
kept were located at Troy (Penn.), Allentown
(Penn.), the " Fallon House," at Lock Haven,
and the " Bush House," at Bellefonte. Follow
ing this he became interested in the coal busi
ness in Bellefonte. Penn., with W. W. Rankin
until 1877, when from his large experience in
and thorough knowledge of the hotel business,
he was tendered and accepted the stewardship
of the Central State Normal School at Lock
Haven. This position he filled very satisfacto
rily some six years. In 1884 he managed a sum
mer resort at Ronceverte, W. Va. , but never
gave up his residence in the former city. He
then resumed the coal business, keeping also flour
and feed, which he conducted until his death,
November 17, 1897. His life had been an active
one, a business career characterized by integrity
and honor, and one which his posterity can re
view with pride.
In January, 1853, Mr. Bigony was united in
marriage with Mary B. Knause, a daughter of
Solomon Knause, of Allentown, Penn. To this
marriage were born: Alpheus Joseph, who is
engaged in the coal business at Lock Haven;
Charles Solomon, who is a resident of Sunbury,
Penn.; and Ephraim Keck, who is at Lock Ha
ven. An adopted daughter is now Mrs. E. E.
Stewart, whose husband is a business man of
Reynoldsville, Penn. The mother of these, the
youngest son, and the one next to him, are iden
tified with the Episcopal Church. The father,
too, affiliated with that denomination. The eld
est son is a Presbyterian. Socially, our subject
was identified with the F. & A. M.

T'HOMAS B. REED, of the firm of Mussina
& Reed, of Lock Haven, Clinton county,
is a representative business man of this section
of the State. The firm is known far and near as
one characterized by fair dealing, promptness,
and for the care exercised in carrying out all
promises made to their patrons.
Samuel Reed, father of Thomas B. Reed,
was born in Lycoming county, Penn., and was
occupied in early life in agricultural pursuits. On
the excitement and impetus given to what later
became Farrandsville, on the Susquehanna, four
miles above Lock Haven, when that vicinity was
being opened up and coal and iron industries

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

559

established, he located there, and in the latter
part of the "thirties" became engaged in the
hotel business, keeping one of the old-time tav
erns. At that period Farrandsville was a point
of considerable importance and business. Some
years later, early in the "forties," he located at
Lock Haven, was there engaged in the hotel
business for a time, and subsequently carried on
farming. By his marriage with Mary Clenden-
ning, a native of Lycoming county, he had chil
dren as follows: John R. , of Shamokin, Penn.;
Rebecca (Mrs. Samuel S. Seeley), of Jersey
Shore; Mary (Mrs. L. Mussina), of Lock Haven,
Penn.; Jane (unmarried), of Lock Haven; Daniel
T, of Lock Haven; Thomas B. (our subject);
Samuel S. , of Lock Haven, who was in the Civil
war, served in Company C, 52nd P. V. I., and
contracted a disability from which he never re
covered; and Lizzie (Mrs. Charles Worthman),
of Philadelphia. The father of these children
died in 1862, and the mother in 1865; both were
estimable people.
Our subject was born December 25, 1840, at
Farrandsville, Penn. , and received his education
in the common schools of Lock Haven, in which
city the greater part of his life has been passed.
Until out of his 'teens he was occupied chiefly in
performing farm work for others, and at the age
of eighteen years he may be said to have become
his own boss, as at that time he reaped the re
ward of his own labor. Later on he became engaged
in tobacco growing and canal-boating. About
the year 1870 he formed his present partnership
with L. Mussina in Lock Haven, at first handling
only coal, later adding ice, and they have the
largest ice house on the river; still later they
added grain and groceries. They have com
modious buildings. Mr. Reed has earned the rep
utation of being a conservative and careful busi
ness man. In politics he is a Republican, and is
quite active in public affairs. He has served
three terms in the city council, and two as water-
commissioner, in both capacities with credit to
himself and very acceptably to the public. In
his religious views he leans toward the doctrine
of the Baptist Church. Socially he is a member
of the Lock Haven Business Men's Club. He is
a typical and successful self-made man, a thor
oughly representative American. In addition to
other property, he owns improved real estate
both in and out of Lock Haven. He has never
married.

1LJ| T. KESSLER, a prominent business man
*4L and a successful general merchant of Pin
Station, Clinton county, is a native of Pennsyl

vania, his birth having occurred in Allentown,
Northumberland county, June 22, 1844. His
father, Jacob Kessler, was born near Easton,
in Northampton county, of German ancestry,
and received a very limited education. He made
farming his life occupation, following that pur
suit both in his native country and in Northum
berland county. Later he rented a farm in New
Jersey, where he continued to live until 1865,
when he came to Clinton county, Penn., and lo
cated on the Cook farm, in Porter township,
renting that place for three years. Subsequently
he rented another farm in the same township,
and from there removed to Jersey Shore, Ly
coming county, where the following two years
were passed in retirement from active labor.
He next lived with his son John in Dewart,
Northumberland county, and spent his last days
in Watsontown, same county, where he died at
the advanced age of ninety-one years and eight
months. In politics he was first a Whig, later a
Republican, and in religious belief was a Lu
theran, to which Church his wife also belonged.
She bore the maiden name of Jane Marks, was
of English descent, and died at Jersey Shore.
In the family of this worthy couple were nine
children, namely: Annie L. , deceased wife of
Edward Sheckler, of Lehigh county, Penn. ;
Maria, wife of Mr. Regellnee, of Berks county;
Susanna, who died unmarried; Mary, deceased;
William, a resident of North Carolina; George
W. , who was a soldier in the Civil war; John
M., who also fought in that war; H. T. , the
subject of this sketch; and Alfred, of Jersey
Shore. The opportunities afforded our subject for ob
taining an education were very meagre, as his
parents were in very limited circumstances. At
the age of fifteen he started out to fight life's bat
tles, at first working as a farm laborer at $4 per
month. From his birthplace he went to Hunter
don county, N. J., where he was employed on a
farm for two years, and in Belvidere, that State,
spent the following two years, after which he
came to Clinton county, Penn., and worked in
the lumber woods for six years. He was next
employed in a sawmill in Williamsport for two
summers, and clerked in the store of John Greggs
at Pine Station, for a time. Buying out his em
ployer, he conducted the store for a short time,
and then sold it to its original owner, and re
turned to Williamsport, where he clerked in the
store of M. Greggs. Returning to Pine Station
in 1 88 1, he embarked in the general merchandis
ing, and by the courteous treatment of his cus
tomers, and fair and honorable dealing, he soon
built up an excellent trade, which he still enjoys

560

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

He also owns and operates a small farm, and
has erected a good store building and residence
at Pine Station, the former at the cost of $1,000
and the latter costing $1,800.
In Easton, Northampton county, Penn., Mr.
Kessler enlisted, in 1865, in Company E, 215th
P. V. I., under Capt. W. Wallace, and served
for four months in the Army of the Potomac,
doing guard duty at Camp Dover, Fort Dela
ware and Fairfax Court House. When the war
was over he was mustered out at Fort Dennison
and returned home; he now holds membership in
Bitner Post No. 112, G. A. R., of Lock Haven.
He is an uncompromising Republican in pol
itics, and served as postmaster at Pine Sta
tion from 1890 to 1894. An earnest Christian
gentleman, he is an active member of the Meth
odist Episcopal Church, has taught in the Sun
day-schools, and served as trustee of the Church.
He to-day enjoys the reward of his painstaking
and conscientious work. By his energy, prese-
verance, and fine business ability, he has ac
quired a comfortable competence, and has also
gained the confidence and respect of all with
whom he has come in contact.
On December 28, 1870, Mr. Kessler was
married in Pine Station to Maggie A. Henry,
who was born in Wayne township, Clinton coun
ty, May 17, 1845, and as they have no children of
their own they have adopted a daughter, Grace
M. Thomas Henry, Mrs. Kessler's father, was
born in the same township, August 17, 18 12, and
was a son of Robert and Ann (Love) Henry.
The grandfather, a farmer of Wayne township,
was drowned while crossing the west branch of
the Susquehanna, and his wife died in Pine Creek
township, Clinton county. Thomas Henry ac
quired his education in the common schools, and
during his youth he learned the shoemaker's
trade, which he followed throughout his active
business life. He also owned and operated a
small farm of forty acres in Wayne township,
but since 1885 he has lived retired, and finds a
pleasant home with our subject. Since 1895 he
has been blind. His political support has ever
been given to the men and measures of the Re
publican party, and in religion both he and his
wife are devout members of the Methodist Epis
copal Church. In the community where they
have so long made their home they have a host
of warm friends, and all who know them enter
tain for them the highest respect.
On March 28, 1842, in Wayne township, Mr.
Henry was united in marriage with Miss Eliza
beth Shaner, who was born in Pine Creek town
ship, Clinton county, May 15, 1820, a daughter
of Adam and Jane (Wisner) Shaner. Ten chil

dren have blessed this union, namely: Maggie
A., wife of our subject; Sarah, wife of Benjamin
Shirk, of Watsontown, Northumberland Co.,
Penn. ; Albert and Harvey, residents of Indiana;
Matilda, wife of Lewis Carson, of Williamsport;
Flora, wife of William Quiggle, of the same
place; Cordia H., wife of Walter Thompson, of
Illinois; Dora, who died unmarried; and Alice
and Emily J., who died when young.

ip\ L. MORLOCK, assistant cashier of the First
%^ National Bank, Lock Haven, Clinton Coun
ty, Pennsylvania.

C\HARLES STEWART McCORMICK, a prom-
._' inent member of the Clinton County Bar,
and an influential citizen of Lock Haven, where
he has passed nearly forty years in the practice
of law, is one of the representatives of a family
which for upward of 125 years has been identi
fied with the history of the Commonwealth.
The McCormick, McCormack, McCormic,
etc., family derive their surname from an ancient
kingly source, meaning, literally, the son of Cor-
mac, and, etymologically, ' ' the son of a chariot. "
Cormac ruled Ireland, as King, in the third cen
tury, and whose interference was called for in the
continuous quarrels of the two rival tribes of
the Scotch-Irish, a branch of the great Celtic
family, that found their way into the North of
Ireland, across the channel, from the western
shores of North Britain and established them
selves at a very early period in what is now called
Ulster. Cormac's palace at Tara, County Meath,
was the seat of this celebrated monarch. This
was the magnificent royal residence of the Kings
of Ireland — especially of Cormac, with his retinue
of 150 brave champions and 1,050 soldiers, and
his bards, druids and law-givers. It is related
as a fragment of Breton Law, that Ceallach
McCormack, a kinsman of'King Cormac, having
carried away, by force, the niece of another chief
tain, the latter determined to take revenge for
the insult, hurried to Tara, where the offender
was then a guest. He arrived after sunset.
Now there was a law prohibiting any person com
ing armed into the palace after sunset, so he
went unarmed, and taking down Cormac's spear
from the place where it hung in the hall, he killed
Ceallach McCormac on the spot, and drawing
back the spear with great force, the ferrol struck
out the King's eye. Soon after the King abdi
cated, in obedience to a law or custom that pro
hibited one executing sovereignty whose person
was blemished.

£ S.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

561

Cormac's Round Tower and chapel upon the
Rock of Cashel, County Tipperary, are also as
sociated with the annals. of this family, and are,
perhaps, "the most interesting assemblage of
architectural ruins in the British Isles." Part of
these ruins consists of a beautiful stone-roofed
church of what is called the Norman style, and
familiarly known as Cormac's chapel. The in
terior of the cathedral is crowded with monu
ments of great antiquity. The tomb of Cormac
is near the north porch to the entrance to the
chapel. This Cormac, King of Munster, was
born in 831, and spent a large part of his time
in a monastery. He was nearly seventy years
old when he came to the throne, and was killed
in battle A. D. 908.
Londonderry, as a city, has been the scene
of violence for ages, so much so that only the
ancient walls remain, which are almost as per
fect as they were during the memorable siege of
1688-9, when it became the great stronghold of
the Protestants, who resisted effectually the ef
forts of James II., with his French allies, to sub
jugate them. The siege lasted one hundred and
five days, during which 2,300 citizens suffered
death from famine and violence. This victory,
followed a year later by that of the battle of
Boyne, gave liberty, civil and religious, broad
lands, and dominant sway to the Protestants as
supporters of William and Mary. Ulsterland
thenceforth became the permanent and peaceful
possession mainly of the Scotch Presbyterians.
Somehow a branch of the McCormac family
sprang up in Scotland as if a twig from the par
ent trunk in some political convulsion had been
torn and borne by k ^oring winds from the land of
the Shamrock to ti ; land of the Thistle. At
any rate we find the names spelled exactly the
same in both of these lands, yet having distinctly
different armorial bearings, all of Scotch origin.
James McCormick, evidently a Scotch Presbyte
rian, was in the siege of Londonderry. His
name appears as one of the signers of the ad
dress of the " Governor officers, clergy and other
gentlemen- in the City and Garrison of London
derry, to William and Mary, July 29, 1689."
He left sons: Hugh, Thomas and another, it is
supposed, bearing his own name, James. From
this Scotch-Irish ancestor (fames McCormick),
through his sons and daughters, have come many
Americans who honor his name and memory in
their different walks and vocations, and whose
lives have been a beneficence to the human race.
According to history of the McCormick family,
from which the foregoing is extracted — James
McCormick— the missing brother of Hugh and
Thomas, all the sons of Tames of Londonderry,
36*

was probably the McCormick who came to this
country about 1761, and whose son John, born
in the North of Ireland in 1748, became the pro
genitor of the Clinton county family as follows:
The great-grandfather of the well-known citizen
of Lock Haven whose name introduces this
sketch, immigrated to this country about the
year 1761, leaving one of his sons, named John,
behind him to be educated by his grandparents.
John was then about thirteen years of age, hav
ing been born in 1748, and being of an enterpris
ing disposition, and having a natural longing to
see his parents, brothers and sisters, he soon re
solved to follow them. After much anxiety and toil
and many hardships he reached his parents in Ches
ter county, Penn. , and as he arrived in the evening
he thought he would play a joke on his mother.
Pretending to be a stranger, he asked her to give
him a night's lodging, and she refused, telling
him that he must go to the, tavern; but after he
made himself known " the fatted calf was killed, "
metaphorically speaking, and he. was received
with great rejoicing. In 1772,. the year North
umberland county was organized, John McCor
mick removed to Loyalsock, Lycoming county,
and in the following spring he went to Great
Island where he built the house familiarly known
as the " Sassafras Cabin." Subsequently he
purchased a tract of land from Joseph Fleming
known as the " point ", lying immediately west
of the junction of the Susquehanna with the
Bald Eagle. There he spent his remaining years,
his death occurring when he had reached the
ripe old age of ninety-six. Among the eventful
scenes in which he participated was the "Big
Runaway" in June, 1778. In due time he re
turned with the rest of the fugitives, and from
this to its close his life was smooth and trandquil.
He was an honored and useful member of the
community, taking part in the various progressive
movements of the time. The Great Island
Presbyterian Church of Lock Haven, of which
he was a member, has still in its possession a
subscription paper showing the provision that
was made for the support of the Gospel in the
year 1788. The heading is as follows:- "We
the subscribers do promise to deliver to the
house of Robert Fleming or David Hannah the
quantity of -wheat, rye and- corn that is annexed
to each of our names, on or before the first day
of February next. We do also constitute and
appoint David -Luck, William Rei.d, Sr, and
James Rogers to make sale of said grain to the
use of paying the Presbyterian ministers that
come to preach the ensuing year. In witness
whereof we have hereunto set our hands this
first day of December, 1787. " Following this

562

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

is a list of names, thirty-three in all, and oppo
site them the quantities of wheat, rye or corn
which the subscribers agreed respectively to give.
In this honorable list, along with the names al
ready mentioned, is that of John McCormick
with a liberal contribution. John McCormick
married Elizabeth Fleming, and they had the
fellowing children: Alexander, Benjamin, John
Fleming, David, Mollie, Elizabeth, Robert and
Saul; all deceased. Elizabeth, the last survivor,
died in 1868, Benjamin was drowned in early
life and David and Saul were both leading elders
in the Presbyterian Church at Lock Haven.
Alexander bequeathed to the same Church $500,
and the interest of it had been paid annually
since April, 1850, as a small but welcome addi
tion to the pastor's salary. All of his children
are deceased, but numerous grandchildren and
great-grandchildren perpetuate his name and
cherish his memory.
Robert McCormick, our subject's father,
passed his life in Clinton county, and was en
gaged in agricultural pursuits. He was a man
of quiet habits, and was held in high esteem by
his associates. His death was caused by an ac
cident. As he was returning from a trip to a
mill, where he had taken a load of wheat, his
wagon was struck by an engine of the Philadel
phia & Erie railroad, and he was thrown vio
lently to the ground, fracturing his skull and one
of his thigh bones. He was carried to the resi
dence of his son, Charles, in Lock Haven, where
he died on the following Sabbath morning, Oc
tober 20, 1867. The community felt the shock,
and gave free vent to the expression of its sym
pathy. A valuable citizen, extensively con
nected and universally respected, had been
stricken down with fearful suddenness. The
stoutest hearts were touched, and eyes unused to
weeping, wept. His character was bright and
beautiful. While unswervingly upright, he was
in an unusual degree kind and courteous. His
was an eminently successful life, a continuous
growth in all that tends to ripe manhood, faith
ful in the discharge of his duties, liberal toward
public charities, a sincere friend; he lived in the
fear of God, quietly and peaceably during the
days that were given him. In 1821 he was hap
pily married to Mary, daughter of Col. John
White, who possessed in an eminent degree the
qualities of wife and motherhood. She died
November 12, 1878. To be able to trace ances
try to such a source is enough to thrill any
American heart with pride. It should be an un
failing stimulant to good citizenship in this, our
new world. The motto on the coat of arms,
"sine timore," is characteristic of the race.

Robert and Mary (White) McCormick had
eight sons, of whom Charles Stewart is the sev
enth. Four of these sons still survive, viz.; M
John is a physician in Kansas. (2) Robert W.
and (3) William H. reside in Lock Haven.
Charles Stewart McCormick was born in
November, 1836, at the old homestead near
Lock Haven, and received his elementary educa
tion in the schools of that city. Later he at
tended Dickinson Seminary at Williamsport,
Penn., for two years, then took a course in La-
Fayette College at Eastern, Penn., and graduat
ing from that institution in 1858, he at once
entered the office of C. G. Furst, of Lock Haven,
as a law student, and since being admitted to
practice in December, i860, he has been active
ly engaged in professional work. His close
attention to his business is a leading factor in his
successful career, and in his nearly forty years of
practice he has not absented himself from his
office two weeks at any one time. He is widely
known throughout central Pennsylvania, and
stands high socially and professionally. In 1862
he was married to Susan Fleming, widow of T.
M. Reesman and daughter of Algernon Sidney
Fleming. Four sons blessed this union: Allison
White, born March 1, 1864, graduated at La-
Fayette College in 1885, read law with his father,
was admitted to the Bar in 1888. Charles
Stewart, born May 4, 1866, died November 7,
1867. Sidney Fleming, born July 21, 1869,
dealer in real-estate. Robert B., born July,
1873, graduated in LaFayette College in 1894,
read law with his father, was admitted to the
Bar in 1896. All three reside in Lock Haven,
and are members of the Presbyterian Church, of
which their father is an elder. Politically
Charles Stewart McCormick has been identified
with the Democratic party for many years, but
aside from district attorney he has held no public
office, as he prefers to give his entire time to his
profession. Elizabeth Fleming (wife of John McCormick)
was the daughter of Jbhn Fleming, who de
scended from the Earl of Wigtown; the latter's
descendants still prize and use his Coat of Arms.
Mr. Fleming was among the early settlers of the
West Branch Valley; an account of his settle
ment and family is given farther on. The sur
name of the Fleming family, according to the
sentiments of the most approved historians and
antiquarians, was at first assumed from a person
of distinction, who in the days of King David I.
(1124), a Fleming by nation, transplanted him
self into Scotland, and took the surname Flan-
derenis, or Le Fleming, from the country of his
origin. Robert Le Fleming, the direct and im-

tfjP&Wcr-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

563

mediate ancestor of the earls of Wigtown, was
one of the great barons of Scotland, under King
Edward I. of England (1272-1309). In Fur-
ness Abbey, Lancashire, England, an ancient
burial place of the Fleming family, may be seen
the statue of an armed Knight with a fret upon
his shield; hands elevated in a praying posture.
Robert Le Fleming was succeeded by his son,
Sir Malcolm Fleming, Lord of Fulwood, also in
great favor with the King, who made him a large
grant of land in Wigtownshire, and also Gover
nor of Dumbarton Castle and sheriff of the coun
ty. Sir Malcolm Fleming was succeeded by his
son of the same name, who was a forwarder and
assister of the right and title of David II. , Bru-
cian line. He succeeded his father as Governor
of Dumbarton Castle. During the whole of the
usurpation of Baliol, this castle was a place to
which the royalists did freely and with great
security resort. Here Sir Malcolm had the
honor to shelter and protect, in that evil time,
Robert, Lord High Steward of Scotland, after
ward King Robert II. (1371). His highness
was graciously 'pleased in reward to Sir Mal
colm's signal loyalty and fidelity in his service,
to create him Earl of Wigtown. On his death
he left his estates and title to his grandson,
Thomas Fleming, second Earl of Wigtown. Mal
colm Fleming, Earl of Wigtown, was in great
favor with James V., by whom he was consti
tuted Lord High Chamberlain of Scotland. He
was slain in the service of his country at the bat
tle of Pinky, September 10, 1545. He married
Janet, daughter of King James IV. , and by her
had a son, James Fleming, who, being a noble
man of fine and polite parts, was by special
favor of Mary, Queen of Scots, made her Lord
High Chancellor. He accompanied Queen Mary
to Scotland, and died in Paris, December 1,
1558- He was Governor of Dumbarton Castle,
and distinguished himself for his zeal and loyalty
to his queen.
The Flemings who became Lords of the Bar
ony of Slane, County Meath, Ireland, descended
from Archibald Fleming, who went from Eng
land to Ireland, A. D. 1173, with Gilbert de
Clare, Earl of Pembroke, and took part in the
Norman Invasion and Conquest of Ireland. The
Lords Fleming, of Slane Castle, numbered suc
cessively, twenty-three. This branch of the
family came also originally from Flanders, with
William the Conqueror, whose wife is known
in history as Matilda of Flanders. Sir Thomas
Fleming, son of Earl of Wigtown, emigrated
to Virginia, in 1616. Many of the family fol
lowed him to the same colony, one of whom
was Col. William Fleming, and another, the

father of James Fleming, who was born in Iredell
county, N. C, in 1762. He served in the Rev
olutionary war; afterward removed to Ohio,
where he died in 1832. He was the great
grandfather of Hon. Josiah Mitchell Fleming, of
Denver, Colo. Another descendant of these
Wigtownshire Flemings was Col. John Fleming,
who migrated from Virginia to Kentucky in
1790. He was the grandfather of Hon. John
Donaldson Fleming, late United States District
Attorney for Colorado.
A grandson of Sir Thomas Fleming, who
came to Virginia in 1616, removed, in the latter
part of the seventeenth century, to Chester
county, Penn., and located upon lands what
were known as the London Cross Roads. Here
his son John married Susan Chatham, who was
born in Dublin, Ireland, and came to this coun
try when quite an infant. About the year 1765
Col. Chatham and his son-in-law, John Fleming,
visited the West Branch Valley. The former
purchased a body of lands on what is now Chat
ham's run, and from whom, it is said, the run
derives its name. In 1773 John Fleming bought
the tract of land, containing over 1,600 acres, in
the warranty name of Dr. Francis Allison.
There either was erected, or Colonel Chatham
built a mill on Chatham's run, and there lived
out the balance of his days. John Fleming built
a house near where the southern abutment of the
dam was afterward located, the hearthstones of
the chimney of which were found by the work
men in making excavations for the abutment.
In 1798 he was appointed associate judge of Ly-
comingcountybyGovernorMiffiin. Judge Fleming
died in the house at the south end of the abut
ment in 1777, leaving to survive him six sons and
three daughters. By a provision in his will the
tract of land in the warranty name of Dr. Fran
cis Allison was in 1784 divided into nine shares
or purparts, one of which was taken by each of the
children. The Lot No. 1 extended from the conflu
ence of the Bald Eagle creek and the west branch
of Susquehanna river to the eastern line of what
is now the Fleming farm. The city of Lock Ha
ven is built on lots No. 4 and No. 5, and Flem-
ington borough is also upon a part of this same
land. John Fleming was called for his father,
and. occupied a portion of this land, east of the
city, until the time of his death in 1863. i He
was one of the first associate judges of Clinton
county, his term of office extending from De
cember, 1839, until February, 1845. His chil
dren and grandchildren who still survive have
occupied the land down to the present time.
Algernon S. Fleming, a son of John Fleming,
who purchased the lands in 1773, was elected

564

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

sheriff of the county in 1866, and died before the
expiration of his term, leaving four sons and three
daughters; one of these, Susan C-, who retains
the ancient family name, is the wife of the person
whose name opens this article. At the time of
his death the preamble and resolutions by the
Bar of Clinton county bearing testimony of his
unblemished character, rare fidelity, truth and
honor were spread upon the records of the court.

OBERT W. McCORMICK, who through a
long life has been extensively and success
fully identified with the great lumber and agri
cultural interests of this section, is a representa
tive of one of the pioneer families of Clinton
county — a family of prominence in its history.
A sketch of the McCormick family, and of Robert
McCormick, our subject's father, will be found
elsewhere in this volume.
Robert W. McCormick was born on the old
homestead, near Lock Haven, Clinton county,
April 15, 1830. He attended the public schools
of the neighborhood and was for a time in school
at Oswego, N. Y. He followed farming exclu
sively as an occupation until 1864, when he
came to Lock Haven, and was one of a company
that built the bill sawmill near the junction of
the R. & E. & Bellefonte R. R., this being the
first mill built to saw all kinds of timber in this
section of the State'. The company conducted
this business four or five years when they sold
out, and Mr. McCormick bought a mill called
the Satterlee mill, which was one of the first built
in that locality. After the death of his partner,
Mr. Robert G. Cook, Mr. McCormick sold out
his interest in the mill and purchased an interest
in the mills of N. Shaw & Co. After a time he
sold his holdings in the concern, and bought the
products of the N. W. Frederick sawmills at
Farrandsville, which consisted of some 40,000,-
000 feet of different kinds of lumber. During
all of these years, since 1869, he has been more
or less engaged in the square-timber business,
and has handled in that period many million feet
of lumber. Mr. McCormick has also, all his life,
been interested in farming, carrying it on quite
extensively. He now owns a very fine farm of
some 130 acres located at the head of Great
Island. He has led a very active and busy life,
all of which has been passed in Lock Haven and
its vicinity. He sustains the reputation made
by his Scotch ancestors, whose integrity was be
yond question, and whose reputation for good
citizenship was proverbial. He has been a suc
cessful man.
On June 5, i860, our subject was married to

Miss Emily W., daughter of Judge Fleming, a
sketch of whom is given in the Robert McCor
mick biography. Fivechildren came of this union,
three of whom are living: John is a partner of his
father in the lumber business; William is an at
torney at Pittsburg; Mary W. is at home. The
parents are members of the Presbyterian Church.
Ip politics Mr. McCormick has been a lifelong
Republican.

ipEN. JESSE MERRILL, of Lock Haven,
\^f Clinton county, is one of the city's repre
sentative citizens, his ability as a lawyer, his
high character as a man, and his gallant record.
as a soldier, affording an example that is well
worthy of emulation.
He was born March 28, 1836, at New Ber-.
lin, Penn., and is a member of an excellent fam
ily, his father, Hon. James Merrill, having been
a leading lawyer of central Pennsylvania, and a.
delegate to the Constitutional Convention of
1838. The General's mother, Sarah Bonde
Lewis, was a daughter of the late Rachel Lewis,
a well-known resident of Buffalo Valley, Union
county. Gen. Merrill attended the public schools of
New Berlin until he was sixteen years old, when
he entered Tuscarora Academy, in Academia,
Juniata Co., Penn., and spent one year. He
then began the study of law with his brother in
New Berlin, and a year later he went to Milton,
Penn. , to enter the office of Lawson & Brown,
with whom he remained until April, 1859, when
he was admitted to the Bar at Sunbury, Penn.
In the following August he settled at Lock Ha
ven, and from the start his success was assured, -
and his gentlemanly bearing and address won
the friendship and esteem of the people, while
his professional ability was speedily demon-1
strated. He is a man of fine presence, being
over six feet in height, and, it is safe to say that,
there is but one thing to prevent him from at
taining the highest distinction, and that is the >
lack of self-assertion. When the Civil war
broke out he was among the first to offer his
services to the Government, enlisting from Clin
ton county on April 24, 1861, in Company D,
7th P. V. C. , with the rank of second lieutenant.
On June 26, 1861, he was elected first lieuten
ant, and on July 27th the regiment was mus-i
tered into the United States service. In Sep
tember he was assigned to detached duty as as
sistant signal officer in the Army of the Potomac,
and in- December of the same year he was or
dered to report to Maj.-Gen. D. C. Buell, com-i
mander of the Army of the Ohio, with head-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

565

quarters at Louisville, Ky. On May 9, 1862, he
was elected captain of his old company, but early
in the same year he became chief signal officer
in the Army of the Ohio, joining that army im
mediately after the battle of Pittsburg Landing.
He participated in the campaign around Hunts-
ville, Ala., and through Tennessee and Kentucky,
being in the battle of Perryville. When the
Army of the Cumberland was re-organized he
was made chief signal officer, and as such took
part in several important engagements, including
the battles of Stone River, Chickamauga, and
Missionary Ridge. Later he served in the Army
of the Potomac as chief signal officer for the De
partment of Virginia and North Carolina, but
during the summer of 1864 he was assigned to
the Department of the South, where he served
in the same capacity until October 3, 1865, the
date of his discharge from the army under a
special order of the War department. On the
1 6th of the same month he was given a brevet as
major, by the President of the United States, as
a reward "for long, faithful, and meritorious
service." In November, 1865, he resumed his
practice at Lock Haven, but he has always felt
a keen interest in military affairs, and on April
24, 1 87 1, he was appointed by the governor of
Pennsylvania as major-general of the Eleventh
Division, National Guard of Pennsylvania. Dur
ing his term this division was called out to assist
in quelling the riot at Williamsport. The Gen
eral is a member of the G. A. R., and of the
Pennsylvania Commandery of the Loyal Legion.
In politics he is a stanch Republican, but his
only official position has been that of postmaster
at Lock Haven, which he held one term.
In 1866 he married Miss Julia J. McCleery,
daughter of Dr. William McCleery, a leading
physician of Milton, Penn. She died January 5,
1893, her death causing sincere grief throughout
the community, where all classes had felt the in
fluence of her kindly heart. Seldom is there
found such a union of gentleness and sympathy
with strong character and executive ability, and
her effective memoriaUn the hearts of the people
of Lock Haven. For many years the General
has been identified with the Presbyterian Church,
and for ten years he has held the office of pres
ident of the board of trustees.

WILLIAM WEBSTER BARROWS (de-
IW ceased). For nearly a half century the
name of William Webster Barrows was identi
fied with the history of Lock Haven, Clinton
county. He was one of the pioneer lumbermen
on the West branch of the Susquehanna river,

and throughout a busy life was prominently
identified with the lumbering interests of this
section. Atwood and Mary (Webster) Barrows, his
parents, were of prominent families of the State
of Maine. The former was a man of distinction
and prominence in the community in which he
resided, and in the public affairs of the State.
He was a member of the General Assembly of
Maine, contemporaneous with Hon. James G.
Blaine. He was born July 17, 1798, and died
at Lock Haven, Penn., December 23, 1873; and
his wife's birth and death, respectively, were
September 7, 1799, and December 18, 1877.
Oursubject was a native of Maine, born at
Hebron, November 14, 1822. He received his
education at Fryburg Academy, an institution in
which the Hon. Daniel Webster in his young
days was an instructor. In 1850, in company
with Dudley Blanchard, Mr. Barrows located at
Lock Haven and became one of the pioneer lum
bermen on the West branch of the Susquehanna
river. It has been said that he was the. first
man of the locality to drive short logs, i. e. , in
length, for the mill, down that branch. In his
old age he enjoyed recalling his early experien
ces in this, line, and especially delighted in telling
of the difficulties he had in making the people
owning the lands understand that they did not
own the logs left on the banks of the river when
the water receded. Mr. Barrows led a very active
and busy life, and succeeded in accumulating
considerable means. He was a successful busi
ness man, a useful citizen, always interested in
everything pertaining to the development of the
county's resources and the growth of its seat of
justice. On February 14, 1854, Mr. Barrows was
married to Elizabeth, daughter of the late Will
iam White, of Lock Haven; she was born April
14, 1829, at Clearfield, Penn. Their children
are: Mary W. B. ; Ross B., who is engaged in
the lumber business; Nancy, who is now in Paris
studying art; and Mrs. John W. Peale, of New
York City. All are identified with St. Paul's
Episcopal Church, in which our subject was a
vestryman. He died on June 19, 1893.

J'' B. G. KINSLOE (deceased), who at the
time of his death was one of the oldest print
ers, editors, and publishers in Pennsylvania,
was born near Mexico, Mifflin (now Juniata)
county, this State, April 5, 1820.
In the spring of 1827 his parents removed to
Lewistown, the county seat, and on the evening
of their arrival young Kinsloe made the acquaint-

566

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ance of Levi Reynolds, editor and proprietor of
the Mifflin Eagle, and was a daily visitor to the
office, spending his leisure hours in acquiring a
knowledge of the "art preservative J' until in
1834, when he became a journeyman printer, at
$16 per month in the office of the Lewistown
Gazette. During the administration of Joseph
Rittner, Mr. Kinsloe served as clerk in the pro-
thonotary's office under William Brothers. In
1838, in company with his oldest brother, W.
A. Kinsloe, he published the Eagle, afterward
called the Clintonian, in Lock Haven. At the
close of the memorable campaign in 1840, the
paper was suspended, when Robert McCormick
and the subject of this sketch soon after renewed
it under the name of the Clinton County Whig.
In 1841 Mr. Kinsloe purchased an office in Mif
flintown, and removed it to Thompsontown , where
he became the publisher of the Juniata Free
Press, at onetime edited by Hon. A. K. McClure,
and a monthly journal called the Temperance
Agent. In 1842 he removed the office to Ship-
pensburg, Penn., where in connection with his
brother he commenced the publication of the
Cumberland Valley, also continuing the Temper
ance Agent at the same point. Afterward we
find him in Philadelphia during the exciting times
of the native American riots, and up to 1846 in
the office of the daily Spirit of the Times, as
foreman and night clerk.
During 1849-50 he was in the employ of L.
Johnson & Co., the oldest type founders in Amer
ica, as general jobber, engaged in getting up
their magnificent specimen book. In that estab
lishment he acquired muth useful knowledge re
lating to the secret of fine printing. Soon after
this he received a " call " to Knoxville, Tenn.,
where he removed in 185 1 and took charge of
the Presbyterian Witness with Rev. A. Black
burn as editor. ' The Knoxville Register was put
up for public sale in a few years after his removal
to the place, and he purchased it. Rev. A.
Blackburn's interest was sold to W. A. Kinsloe,
and under the firm name of Kinsloe & Brother,
the first power press was introduced into East
Tennessee. In 1854 they purchased Brownlow's
Knoxville Whig, retaining Mr. Brownlow as ed
itor. W. A. Kinsloe remained in Philadelphia,
while J. B. G. had the entire management and
control of the large establishment, to which he
had added a first-class bindery and a monthly
medical journal, edited by Dr. Richard O. Curry.
Soon after W. A. sold his one-half interest
to Charles A. Rice, to whom J. B. G. also sold
in 1859, and shortly after this W. G. Brownlow
purchased it at sheriff's sale, and J. B. G. con
tinued with him as business manager until the

Whig ceased to exist. When Tennessee was
declared out of the Union — the last paper being
printed and sent out after Brownlow had left the
city, with the hope of stealing through the Rebel
lines at Cumberland Gap, or some other point
in the mountains — Mr. Kinsloe remained in
Knoxville throughout the fearful struggle, and
until six months after Burnside's army captured
the place. This occurred about the middle of
the afternoon, and as Kinsloe had purchased a
job office of J. A. Sperry, just before the evacua
tion of Knoxville by the Rebel forces, he issued
a small daily the next morning, and continued
its publication until the return of Parson Brown
low, who at once resuscitated the Whig.
Mr. Kinsloe then took a position in the cus
tom house, where he remained until April 14,
1864, when he returned to Pennsylvania and pur
chased a one-half interest in the West Branch
Bulletin, at Williamsport, of P. C. VanGelder,
about the ist of June, 1864, and in May, 1868,
he was elected city clerk of the select branch of
city councils, of Williamsport, which position he
filled acceptably for two years, and until that
branch discontinued. In November, 1868, the
Bulletin and Lycoming Gazette were consolidated,
and the Gazette and Bulletin Publishing Associa
tion organized, with J. B. G. Kinsloe as business
manager and treasurer. On September 9, 1871,
he disposed of his stock in the association, but
remained in the office until February 28, 1874,
performing whatever duties were required of him.
In March following, he purchased the Clinton
Republican, and at once made Lock Haven his
home, being up to his death deeply interested in
everything connected with the city. In March,
1882, the Evening Express, a daily newspaper,
was established by Kinsloe Brothers, sons of J.
B. G. Kinsloe, and issued from the office of the
Cli?ito?i Republican. From the spring of 1894,
the Clinton Republican and Evening Express
were published by J. B. G. Kinsloe & Sons, and
since the death of the senior partner they have
been conducted by the two sons. Mr. Kinsloe
died July 30, 1896, aged seventy-six years, three
months and twenty-five days.
He was a man of deep religious convictions,
and failed not in doing his duty as a citizen and
a Christian. He was, moreover, a useful and
prominent citizen. He had been one of the
trustees of the Central State Normal School
sinee June 14, 1881, and always took a deep in
terest in the welfare and success of that institu
tion. For a number of years he gave annually
a free scholarship to some deserving young man
or woman, and to his generosity some of the
Normal graduates are indebted for the higher

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

567

education they received at the' Normal. For
many years he was one of the trustees of Trinity
M. E. Church, and in 1875 he was among the
foremost in Sunday-school work.
On July 3, 1851, J. B. G. Kinsloe was mar
ried to Kate Hefflefinger, and three children
were born to them, two sons and one daughter,
William A., Frank G, and Lucy E., now Mrs,
Duncan E. Shaffer, of Frostburg, Md. Mr.
Kinsloe was a man of active, energetic habits,
faithful to all his trusts, and a true friend. His
life's work is ended, and he has passed into the
great beyond. Peaceful in death, he has laid
down life's cares for a well-earned rest, but the
influence for good which he leaves behind can
never be measured.

JUDGE JAMES W. CLARK, the manager
and one of the publishers of the Clinton
Democrat, Lock Haven, is a native of Clin
ton county, born July 28, 1843, at Mill Hall.
His parents were David and Eliza Clark, who
were born, David, February 28, 1809, in Nit
tany Valley, and Eliza, December 8, 1809, in Bald
Eagle township. David Clark died November
12, 1879, at Mill Hall, and Eliza Clark died
March 27, 1883, at Mill Hall. Their children
were: Joseph F., W. W., John F. , Wilbur H.,
James W. and Sutton G.
James W. Clark received his education in
the public schools of Mill Hall. In 1857 he en
tered the office of the Clinton Democrat at Lock
Haven, as an apprentice to the printer's trade.
He remained in that office until in August, 1862,
when he enlisted in Company C, 137th P. V. I.,
commanded by Capt. Samuel H. Brown. The
regiment formed a part of the Army of the Po
tomac, and it was first assigned to Gen. Han
cock's Brigade, Smith's Division, 6th Corps.
The regiment was at South Mountain, and at the
battle of Antietam; it was in pursuit of Stuart
when that general made his cavalry raid into
Pennsylvania. Next it maneuvered in the de
fenses of Washington; it performed duty about
Fredericksburg under Gen. Burnside. Later,
it was assigned to the Third Brigade, First Di
vision, First Army Corps, and was in the cam
paign under Gen. Hooker; it fought at Franklin
and figured about Chancellorsville. Mr. Clark
shared the fortunes of the command, and was
mustered out with it June 1, 1863. He returned
to Lock Haven, where he secured a clerkship in
the post office under Postmaster A. M. Coe. In
June, 1864, under the President Lincoln admin
istration, he was appointed mail-agent and as
signed to duty on the route from Lock Haven to

Ridgway. He remained in the service several
years, and then entered the office of the Clinton
Democrat, at the time conducted by Whaley &
Orth, and followed his trade until the summer of
1876. At this time he received the nomination
for the office of register of wills and recorder of
deeds, to which he was elected that fall. He
was re-elected to the same office in 1879, and
again in 1882. On the expiration of his third
term, in 1888, he opened a bookstore at Lock
Haven, and continued in that business until in
February, 1890. The following August he was
nominated by his party for the office of associate
judge of Clinton county. That fall he was
elected to the office and served one term. At its
close he became one of the publishers and the
manager of the Clinton Democrat, a weekly
newspaper, and the Lock Haven Democrat, an
evening publication. He is a large stockholder
in the Democratic News and Publishing Co. , at
Lock Haven. The career of Judge Clark has
been an honorable one. As a public servant he
was efficient, careful and just, and as a business
man he is able and successful. He has ever
been interested in seeing the affairs of his native
country advanced, and is friendly to all move
ments having for their objects the building up and
improvement of Lock Haven. He is a stanch
Democrat. On June 19, 1881, Judge Clark was married
to Barbara Brady, a daughter of Samuel and
Margaret Brady, of Lamar township.

JOSEPH H. HAYES, M. D., a representative
citizen of Lock Haven, Clinton county, and
one of the most prominent men of the medi
cal profession of his section, has descended from
one of the early families to settle in the State.
John Hayes, his great-great-great-grandfa
ther, came from Londonderry, Ireland in 1740.
Robert Hayes, his great-great-grandfather, born
in Chester county, removed to Northampton in
1742; he was a lieutenant in the army in 1776.
William Hayes, the Doctor's father, was born in
Northumberland county, Penn., in 18 17, and in
1 841 he was married to Sarah Reeder, a native
of Northumberland county, Penn., born in 1823,
a daughter of Henry and Betsey Reeder; their
children now living are: Albert R. , Bruce, James
B., Mary W. and Joseph H., oursubject. The
father of these died in 1861, and the mother in
1896. The father for years was a merchant of
McEwensville, Penn., a respected and esteemed
citizen; he was a quiet and unassuming man,
whose life was given to his family and to his own
business affairs.

568

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Our subject was born April 9, 1841, in Nor
thumberland county. He was graduated from
Lafayette College, Easton, Penn., at the age of
seventeen years, and then began the study of
medicine under Dr. Armstrong, of Lock Haven.
In the spring of 1862 he was graduated from the
Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia. The
same year he offered his services to his country,
and was appointed assistant surgeon of the 88th
P. V. I. In 1863 he was made surgeon of the
90th P. V. I., and as such served until the close
of the war, early in 1865, when the regiment was
mustered out of the service. Dr. Hayes is said
to have been the youngest surgeon of the Army
of the Potomac; his army experiences were var
ied and hardships many, but the satisfaction of
having performed his duty in so noble a cause is
more than a recompense for the privations under
gone, a heritage that will be treasured by his
children and children's children. At the close of
the war the Doctor returned to Lock Haven and
engaged in the practice of his profession, and has
sinde been so occupied. He is a physician of
ability, and has enjoyed a good practice. In 1869
he was united in marriage with Anna H. Mackey,
a native of Lock Haven, Penn., a daughter of
Hon. L. A. Mackey* of Lock Haven. Two sons
were born to the union: Mackey and W. Bruce.
Mrs. Hayes, a woman of culture and refinement,
is esteemed for her many virtues; she is a mem
ber of the Presbyterian Church, and enjoys a. large
circle of friends and acquaintances. Dr. Hayes
in politics is a Republican. He is now the cor
oner of Clinton county; also is member of the
pension board of examining surgeons. He is
identified with the order of B. P. O. E., as are also
his two sons.

HON. WILSON CONRAD KRESS, of Lock
Haven, Clinton county, is one of the best-
known lawyers of the State. His. success as a
practitioner, his services in the War of the Re
bellion, and his general conduct as a man have
demonstrated his fitness for any office requiring
ability and fidelity. Few men enjoy in as great
a degree the respect and confidence of their fellow-
men. His paternal grandfather, Conrad Kress, was
born in Germany, and when he was two years of
age came with his . parents to the Colony of
Pennsylvania in the year 1760. At the breaking
out of the Revolutionary war he enlisted and
served with the patriots until peace was declared.
Subsequently he married Mary Iddings, a daugh
ter of Jonathan Iddings, who had emigrated from
Wales to Chester county, Penn., many years

before the Revolutionary war. The wife of
Jonathan Iddings was a native of England
and their daughter Mary was born in Chester
county in 1761. Jonathan moved into Buffalo
Valley (now Union county), Penn., before the
Revolutionary war, and he and his five sons
served in that war In 1778, when Mary was
seventeen years of age, she and her mother, with
her sisters, were in what was called the "Big Run
away, " when the inhabitants of central Pennsyl
vania were compelled, for fear of the Indians, to
abandon their homes and go to the eastern
counties of the State, there to remain until the
close of the war.
Conrad and Mary Kress had four daughters,
and one son, George B. , who married Eliza Dun
lop, of Penn's Valley, whose sweetness of dispo
sition, true piety and many virtues endeared her
to all ber acquaintances. Of this union the sub
ject of this sketch was born, July 14, 1836, in
Lycoming township, Lycoming county, Penn.
His father was a farmer with a large family, and
was unable to give his children more than the
customary common-school education. This son,
therefore, taught school in order to obtain funds
for a course at Dickinson Seminary, at Williams
port, Penn., where he was graduated in 1859,
after which he continued to teach school and
study law at the same time. In June, 1861, he
established the Lock Haven Press,& Republican
newspaper, of which he was both publisher and
editor. In August, 1862, his newspaper work
was interrupted by his entering the army, enlist
ing in the 137th P. V. I. He was elected first
lieutenant in Company E, of said regiment. In
December of that year his printing office was de
stroyed in the great fire that devastated Lock
Haven. In June, 1863, he was discharged from
his regiment by reason of expiration of term of
service, and . in the following month he was
elected captain of Company K, 37th Regiment
of Pennsylvania militia, and assigned to service
in the Army of the Cumberland. When his
regiment was mustered out, he received the ap
pointment of deputy provost marshal of his district,
which position he held until the close of the war.
In October, 1864, while in Keating township,
Clinton county, in the discharge of his duty, he
was shot by Isaac Gaines, Jr., a deserter from
the army. The ball entered his body on the
right side, wounded, both lungs, and was extracted
from the left side. The wound was very serious,
and his life for a time was despaired of, but he
astonished the surgeons and his friends by a rapid
recovery. In May, 1864, a brother, George
Guyer, a member of the 62d P. V. I.-, was shot
and killed at the battle of Spottsylvania Court

UTsC/kAiM

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

569

House. Another brother, Mortimer Newton,
served during the war in the First Regiment
Pennsylvania Cavalry.
After the war Col. Kress finished his law stud
ies, and was admitted to the Bar of Clinton county
in May, 1866. He soon gained a large and lu
crative practice, which he has enjoyed ever since.
In politics he has always been a Republican, and
while not desiring political office, he has given
considerable attention to the interests of his
party. He has frequently represented his party
in Republican State conventions, has often been
a member of the State committee, and has served
a number of times as chairman of the county
-committee. From 1881 to 1884 he was a mem
ber of the city council from the First ward of the
city of Lock Haven. In 1888 he was elected
councilman at large under the Act of 1887, and
served as president of select council for more
than a year, when the Act was declared uncon
stitutional. In 1888 he was a member of the
Electoral college, which cast its vote for Gen.
Harrison for President. In 1891 he was chosen
as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention.
His interest in military affairs has always been
active. He served at one time in the Pennsyl
vania militia as assistant adjutant-general, with
the rank of lieutenant-colonel. While acting in
this capacity his division was called into active
service during the great Williamsport riots in
1872, and the Colonel served two weeks in the
field.. In 1895 he was appointed State reporter,
his duties being to report the decisions of the Su
preme Court of the State of Pennsylvania, and
when the Superior Court of the State was organ
ized in 1896, he became, by virtue of his office',
the reporter of that court also.
In 1869 he married Eliza J. Chatham, daugh
ter of Hon. James Chatham, who was a well-
known citizen and a' leading lawyer of Lock
Haven. Mrs. Kress' mother was Henrietta De-
Haas, who was a great-granddaughter of Brig.-
Gen. John Philip De Haas, whose honorable
services in the Revolutionary war are well known,
ancf a granddaughter of Gen. De Haas' son,
Major De Haas, who was also a gallant officer in
the Revolutionary war. Major De Haas' wife
was Ann Shippen, a daughter of Captain Ship-
pen, who was killed in the battle of Princeton.
Col. and Mrs. Kress have had seven children,
five sons and two daughters. The youngest son
died in infancy, and the others are still living.
The family is identified with the Presbyterian
•Churchy and is prominent in social life in Lock
Haven. The Colonel belongs to various fraternal
•orders, including the F. & A. M. and the G. A.
R., in which he is a past commander of the

John S. Bittner Post No. 122, Department of
Pennsylvania. Although Col. Kress' labors have always been
assiduous, yet he retains the remarkable consti
tution with which nature so generously provided
him, while his energies continue unabated, and
his working powers seem now to be only attain
ing their highest degree of efficiency.

ON. JOHN UPTON SHAFFER has gained
J^IL a distinguished position in journalistic and
legislative circles, and ranks to-day among the
public-spirited and representative men of the
State, whose force of character have made them
leaders of thought and action. A man of strong
mentality, a close student of the signs of the
times, he views with a broad outlook the needs
of the people, and in the General Assembly and
through the columns of the press has advocated
the measures best calculated to advance the gen
eral welfare. His influence has been strongly
felt, especially in behalf of educational interests,
and Clinton county numbers no more valuable
citizen than this gentleman.
Mr. Shaffer, who is now the editor of the
Renovo Record, was born in McConnellsburg,
Penn., March 27, 1843, and at the age of five
years was left by his parents at the home of an
uncle for whom he was named, while they re
moved to the West. His uncle liberally educated
him through private instruction, and in the pub
lic schools, and at the age of seventeen he was
apprenticed to the printing business, serving a
usual term of years. From the position of com
positor he was promoted to that of local editor
in the Fulton Republican, and ably served in
that capacity for a year, when he went to Pitts
burg and readily found employment on one of
the leading dailies in that city. In February,
1862, he returned to his native town, where he
purchased a half interest in the Fulton Democrat,
forming a partnership with Hon. Henry G.
Smith, who afterward became an associate edi
tor of the Lancaster Daily Intelligencer, and a
member of the State Constitutional Convention
of 1873. Shortly after his return to McConnellsburg,
Mr. Shaffer was united in marriage to Salinda, a
daughter of William B. Shaffer, of the same
county. In 1865 our subject sold his interest in
the Fulton Democrat and accepted a position in
the printing department of the New York World,
being connected with that journal for nearly a
year. Returning then to Pennsylvania, he pur
chased an interest in two Democratic papers in
Hanover — -one English and one German, but

570

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

after a time he disposed of his interest in both
these, and went to Baltimore, where he obtained
a position on the Daily Gazette, with which he
was connected for four years.
On account of failing health, in the fall of
1869, Mr. Shaffer resigned his position and again
came to Pennsylvania, joining the staff of the
Clinton Republican, published at Lock Haven,
by George B. Bowman. After serving in that
position for two years, his attention was called to
the rapid growth of the new railroad town of
Renovo, and he was induced by several of its
prominent citizens to establish a weekly news
paper here. Accordingly, on December 21, 1871,
the first issue of the Renovo Record was given to
the public. The venture has proved a financial
success, and the paper has been an important fac
tor in molding the political sentiment of the coun
ty. It is a well-edited sheet, neat in appearance,
and fair in its treatment of the questions and
issues of the day.
Mr. Shaffer had not long resided in Renovo
before he was accorded a position of prominence
in public affairs. He served as clerk of the town
council for thirteen consecutive years (from 1872
until 1885), and in the last year became the reg
ular Democratic nominee for representative to
the State Legislature, to which position he was
elected over the Republican candidate, A. J.
Schuyler, by a majority of 515. Mr. Shaffer
was also opposed at the same election by Hon.
Joseph W. Merrey, who had represented the
county in the State Legislature in 1881. Dur
ing his term at Harrisburg, Mr. Shaffer introduced
and secured the passage of a bill appropriating
$15,000 for the completion of the east wing of
the Central Normal School building at Lock
Haven, which had remained in an unfinished
condition for over ten years. The lumberman's
lien bill was also introduced by him during the
same session, which passed the House by a large
majority and made him ver}' popular in the lum
ber districts of the State. He also took much
interest in and labored earnestly to secure legisla
tion benefiting the educational and industrial
interests of the State. After the adjournment of
the Legislature he was appointed, by Speaker
Boyer, a member of the legislative State com
mission of lunacy and charities, being the only
Democratic representative in the House appointed
on that commission. In 1 889 Mr. Shaffer was
renominated by the Democracy of Clinton coun
ty by an almost unanimous vote, and re-elected
by a large majority over the Republican, Labor
Reform and Prohibition candidates. During
the winter of that year, the Central Normal
School building of Lock Haven was burned to

the ground, entailing a loss of over $100,000,
upon which the State had only $10,000. Dur
ing the session of the Assembly Mr. Shaffer in
troduced an appropriation bill for $100,000 to
replace the burned building. The committee on
appropriations, was at first reluctant to make an
appropriation, but after careful consideration
agreed to report the bill to the House for $85,-
000, which subsequently passed both houses and
became a law. During the same session several
important bills in the interest of lumbermen and
other industrial interests became laws. During
his service Mr. Shaffer served on various impor
tant committees, including that of congres
sional and legislative apportionment, constitu
tional reform, retrenchment and reform, print
ing, mines and mining, and a number of special
committees appointed by the speaker. During
the session of 1891 he went to Harrisburg at the
urgent solicitation of the officers of the Central
Normal School at Lock Haven to assist the
Clinton county member in getting through that
body a further appropriation for that institution,
and was largely instrumental in securing the
passage of a bill giving $20,000 to the school.
While performing effective service in the in
terest of the State at large, Mr. Shaffer has not
been neglectful of his duty to the community in
which he resides. He has been a very impor
tant factor in local affairs, advancing the interest
of Renovo by a liberal support of all public meas
ures calculated for the general good. Eulogy
would be superfluous in connection with the rec
ord of Mr. Shaffer. His career speaks for itself,
and he finds his reward in the gratitude and es
teem of the people who recognize his beneficent
service, and accord to him their warmest regard
and confidence.

J:ON. JAMES C. QUIGGLE, one of the
_! most prominent representative citizens of
Clinton county, is a native of same, born De
cember 29, 1 85 1, at Lock Haven. He is a son
of the late Hon. James W. Quiggle and Cordelia
Mayer, a sister of Judge C. A. Mayer. She is
still living.
In 1856 our subject's parents removed to
Philadelphia, and in 1859 he accompanied them to
Antwerp, Belgium, his father being United States
consul at that port, where he sojourned for about
two years and a half, and attended French and
German schools. In November, 1861, he re
turned to Philadelphia with his parents, where
he resided, and attended school and commercial
college. He was intended for the law, and was
regularly entered as a student in the court of

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

571

common pleas of Philadelphia, but after reading
about a year he was obliged, owing to defective
eyesight, to abandon his intentions to follow the
profession. In October, 1871, before he was
twenty years of age, he was tendered the office of
United States consular agent at Cornwall, Can
ada, which he accepted, serving until March 10,
1872, when he resigned. In 1873 he removed
to his father's farm in Wayne township, Clinton
county, where he has since resided (except while
in Canada), engaged in agricultural and lumber
ing pursuits. In 1876 he was selected to fill an
important position in the office of the chief secre
tary of the United States centennial commission
at Philadelphia, which he held for five months.
He has been treasurer and auditor of Wayne
township, and in February, 1879, was unani
mously elected justice of the peace, and served
until September 1, 1887, when he resigned to
accept the United States consulship, at Port
Stanley and St. Thomas, Canada, to which he
had been appointed by President Cleveland on
August 31, 1887, which office he held until April
19, 1890, when he was superceded for purely po
litical reasons by the Harrison administration, he
having represented his country so acceptably as
to call forth the commendation of the Depart
ment of State in a special dispatch, thanking
him for the satisfactory and economical manner
in which he conducted the business of his office.
Before his return from Canada Mr. Quiggle
was unanimously re-elected justice of the peace
of Wayne township for five years from May,
1890, but resigned December 1, 1890. In Au
gust, 1890, he was nominated by acclamation for
member of the Assembly, by the Democratic
convention of Clinton county, and was elected in
November following over Capt. James W. Fred
ericks (Republican) by 546 majority. He served
in the Legislature as a member of the commit
tees on Ways and Means, Federal Relations,
Manufactures and Bureau of Statistics. In 1892
he was again nominated for the Legislature, and
elected without opposition by an overwhelming
majority. In the session of 1 893 he served on the
committees of Appropriations, Elections, Federal
Relations, and Printing. On October 10, 1893,
he resigned to accept the appointment of U. S.
consul at Collingwood, Canada, and served till
September 6, 1897, when he resigned. Mr.
Quiggle has always been a consistent Democrat,
and taken an active interest in politics. He has
been a delegate to county conventions, and in
1885 was a delegate to the Democratic State
Convention, and for five years he was a member
of the Democratic Standing Committee, serving
as its secretary in 1884.

On February 23, 1882, Mr. Quiggle was
married to Miss Ella L. Quiggle, eldest daughter
of Jacob Quiggle, of Pine Station, and three
children were born to them: James W., Jr.,
Edmund B., and one that died in infancy. Our
subject owns a fine property of some 3,500
acres, on which he has an excellent residence
and other commodious buildings.

JON. S. WOODS CALDWELL, of Lock
^L Haven, Clinton county, is one of the in
fluential men of his locality, his ability and pub
lic spirit being recognized by all classes. When
a mere youth he spent three years in the Union
army during the Civil war. In 1880 and 1881 he
represented his county in the State Legislature,
and for many years he has been active in the
Democratic party.
Mr. Caldwell was born May 18, 1845, in
Montour county, Penn. , and comes of good pio
neer ancestry. John Woods Caldwell, his father,
was a prosperous farmer, of Irish blood, while
his wife, Susanna (Fuhlmer), traced her descent
from some of the early German settlers of the
State. Mr. Caldwell spent his boyhood upon
the old farm, attending the Limestoneville Acad
emy to complete his education. In 1861 he en
listed for three years in Company C, 14th P V.
I., and went to the front. In 1865 he formed a
business partnership with his brother, James H.
Caldwell, of Titusville, Penn., and for .three
years they operated in oil in western Pennsyl
vania. In 1 87 1 he purchased the " Irvin House,"
maintaining it as the leading hotel in the city of
Lock Haven.
As our subject always took a deep interest in
politics, he was naturally drawn into public life.
In the winter of 1880 he received the Democratic
nomination from Clinton county for the Legisla
ture. An exciting campaign followed, which re
sulted in his election by a majority of 751 votes
over Gen. Jesse Merrill. In 1882 his name was pre
sented as the unanimous choice of the Democrats
of Clinton county fpr the State senatorship; but
after protracted balloting and several adjourn
ments from place to place, Mr. Caldwell with
drew from the contest on account of an attempt
to bribe his conferees. In August, 1890, he was
elected county treasurer for a term of three years,
which he filled satisfactorily, and in 1894. he be
came a candidate for the nomination to the State
Senate from the Thirty-fourth District, composed
of Clinton, Centre and Clearfield counties. For
more than twenty years the Democratic party in
that district had made its nominations for this
office by a conference of nine delegates, three

572

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

from each county, the manner of choosing the
delegates being left to their respective counties.
As each had one vote, the counties had an equal
voice, but in 1891 Centre county adopted a new
rule which provided in substance that the repre
sentatives in district conferences or conventions
should be apportioned according to the Demo
cratic vote in each, county. Clearfield county
had subsequently adopted the same rule, and at
the conference in 1894 they sought to put it into
force, Centre county sending nine delegates and
Clearfield twelve. Clinton county, having de
cided to maintain the time-honored precedent,
sent but three, Mr. Caldwell being their choice,
while Clearfield county presented the name of
Matthew Savage, and Centre county the name
of Calvin Meyer. The meeting was never or
ganized, but later the twenty-one delegates from
Centre and Clearfield counties met and nominated
Mr. Savage, while the three from Clinton county
formally announced the candidacy of Mr. Cald
well. Both nominations were declared irregular
by the Dauphin county court, so the two contest
ants filed petitions, and were each placed on the
ticket, the result being the election of the Re
publican, Mr. Cowan, of Clearfield county.
In 1870 S. Woods Caldwell was married to
Miss Anna Myers, daughter of Benjamin Myers,
a well-known citizen of Lock Haven. One child
has blessed this union, Clarie W. The family is
identified with the Presbyterian Church, of which
Mrs. Caldwell is a member, and Mr. Caldwell is
a member of the John S. Bittner post, G. A. R.

JOSEPH MACKEY CORSON, M. D. Not
by gift or purchase or by influence can one
rise in the medical profession, but solely by
merit must he gain his reputation, his ability
winning him greatness and enabling him to pass
on the highway of life many who, perhaps, had
accomplished part of the journey ere he started
out. Among the most successful physicians and
surgeons of Clinton county is Dr. Corson, of
Charlton, whose practice extends over a radius
of ten miles.
The Doctor was born September 7, 1868, in
Shrewsbury township, in the east end of Ly
coming county, Penn., a son of Jacob F. Corson,
who was born in the same township, April 4,
1831, of French ancestry. The latter attended
the subscription schools in the neighborhood of
his boyhood home, and afterward completed a
course at the Muncy State Normal School, being
one of its first graduates. On the old homestead
where his birth occurred he spent his entire life,
owning and operating the farm of 300 acres, on

which he made many valuable and useful improve
ments, including the re-erection of a good frame
residence, barns and other outbuildings. In
connection with general farming he was exten
sively engaged in the stock business, buying and
selling cattle, sheep, etc. He was a lover of
fine horses, of which he kept several for driving
purposes, and was regarded as an excellent judge
of cattle. He has also been interested in the
real-estate business, owning several building lots
in both Picture Rock, and Hughesville, Lycom
ing county, but is now living practically retired
upon the old family homestead in that county,
enjoying the ease and quiet which should always
follow a long and useful career. -He is an advo
cate of the free coinage of silver and the prin
ciples of the Democratic party, served as tax
collector of his township for sixteen jears, and
has also been assessor, school director and treas
urer. A Lutheran in religious belief, he has
taken an active and prominent part in Church
work, and has filled various Church offices, in
cluding that of elder.
In Muncy township, Lycoming county, Jacob
F. Corson was united in marriage with Miss
Emma J. Neece, who was born in that township
in 1 840, a daughter of Joseph Neece, a merchant
of Pennsville, Lycoming county. Six children
were born of this union, namely: Clara B. , wife
of Dr. H. M. Essick, the well-known owner of
the Essick home, of Highland Lake, Penn. ;
Thomas N., who married Iola Taylor, by whom
he has one child, and now operates the old home
farm. Will S., who graduated from a commer
cial college, and engaged in bookkeeping until his
death in 1 896, leaving a wife, formerly Miss Sadie
Eddy, of Picture Rock, and a son and daughter;
Joseph Mackey, of this sketch; Flora A., at
home; and Ernest, who died at the age of two
years and a half.
During his early boyhood our subject pursued
his studies in the public schools of his native
township, for. two years attended the Muncy Uni
versity, of Lycoming county, and after his grad
uation there he entered the Factoryville Acad
emy, where he also graduated at the end of a
two-years' course. He then spent one year at
Bucknell University, Union county, Penn. Hav
ing a strong desire from boyhood to become a
professional man, he began reading medicine un
der the direction of his- brother-in-law, Dr. Es
sick, at Picture Rock', where he spent two years,
and in 1889 matriculated at Jefferson Medical
College, Philadelphia, graduating from that noted
institution April 27, 1892, with the degree of M.
D. Then for one year he was in partnership
with, Dr. Essick, but in March, 1893, established

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

573

an office at Charlton, Pine Creek township, Clin
ton county, succeeding the late Dr. A. S. Stokes,
and has since built up a large and lucrative prac
tice. He is the only physician between Lock
Haven and Jersey Shore, and his practice ex
tends over a large territory.
On June 15, 1893, at Hughesville, Lycoming
county, Dr. Corson was married to Miss" Ella
May Boak, who was born in that place, where
her father, James K. Boak, is engaged in the
manufacture of furniture. The Doctor and his
wife now have two children: J. Alan, born July
12, 1894, and James K., born August 2, 1896.
The parents are both active workers in the Meth
odist Episcopal Church and Sunday-school, and
Mrs. Corson is also a member of the Epworth
League. The Doctor is censor of the County
Medical Society, and is also secretary of the West
Branch Medical Society. Politically, he is what
may be termed a gold Democrat, being greatly
opposed to the free coinage of silver. Constant
study and close application to the details of his
profession have made him a leader in the medi
cal fraternity, and as a pleasant, affable gentle
man he occupies an enviable position in social
circles.

HON. JOSEPH W. MERREY, a leading resi-
 dent of Beech Creek borough, Clinton
county, has for many years held an influential
position in the business and political life of this
section, and has several times been called upon
to fill offices of trust and responsibility.
Mr. Merrey was born December 15, 1846, in
England, a son of James Merrey (merchant) and
his wife Sarah (Staley), both of whom were also
natives of England, where they passed their entire
lives. They had seven children, as follows:
Michael died in infancy; Emily married Thomas
Philips (deceased), and, if living, is somewhere
in the West; Clara died in England; Joseph W.
is our subject; Charles R. is a clerk in England;
Sarah died in that country; James T. resides in
Beech Creek, Clinton county.
Our subject received his education in the
schools of his native land, and when twenty years
old came to this country to seek his fortune,
making his home in Pennsylvania. Within two
months after his arrival he engaged in the busi
ness of brewing ale and beer at Flemington, Clin
ton county, and two years later he became
interested in lumbering, merchandising, and
hotel-keeping at Keating, in the same county.
These enterprises he conducted successfully for
twenty years, and in the meantime he invested in
good farming land at different points, also in

valuable mining property in Clearfield county,
the management of these interests occupying
much attention at times. He has also been
associated with various brewing companies as
manager, and at present he has charge of the.
Lock Haven branch of the business of the Hoster
Brewing Company, of Columbus, Ohio. In
politics he is a stanch Democrat, one plank in his
platform being the principle of opposition to
monopolies. He is active in party work, and
has served on the State central committee and
on the County committee, over which he has.
several times presided as chairman. Among the
local offices which he has held we mention those
of justice of the peace, school director, treasurer,
and president of the borough council. His
abilities have also been displayed in a wider
sphere, as he served in 1883 and 1884 as a repre
sentative from Clinton county to the State Leg
islature. While in that body he was chairman
of the committee on Federal Relations, and a
member of the committee on Ways and Means,
and of the committee on Corporations. In 1888
he was a delegate to the Democratic National
Convention. In 1868 Mr. Merrey was married to Mrs.
Eliza Bailey, ne'e Magnus, a daughter of George
Magnus, of Lewistown, Penn. She died Feb
ruary 2, 1896, leaving two children: Josephine,
who married Harry C. Clark, and Lillian, who
is at home. By her marriage to Mr. Bailey Mrs.
Merrey had two daughters: Ella and Sadie,
Sadie being now the wife of F. T. Quigley, of
Keating, Penn. Mr. Merrey's family has always
been identified with the Episcopal Church, of
which he is still an adherent. Fraternally, he is
a member of the B. P. O. E. of Lock Haven.

WILLIAM FRANKLIN ELLIOT. For
nearly twenty years the Novelty Iron
Works, at Lock Haven, conducted by him whose
name introduces this sketch, has been an indus
try that has contributed to the growth and pros
perity of that city and of Clinton county.
The Elliot and Spangler families have been
represented in the Commonwealth by their de
scendants since the years 1732 and 1727, respect
ively, and William Franklin Elliot has a com
plete genealogical record in the form of a family
tree on both sides dating back to the year 11 50.
The Elliots were from Scotland and the Spang-
lers from Germany. William D. Elliot, the fa
ther of oursubject, was born November 19, 1828,
at York, Penn. , and there passed his life, which
was a very busy and active one. He was a
manufacturer of plug tobacco. He took an active

574

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

interest in public affairs, and was one of the
prominent men of York. He was mayor of that
city, and, during the Civil war, was secretary of
the Sanitary Commission. His death occurred
in 1889. His widow, who is still living, a resi
dent of York, and whom he married in 1853,
was Margaret Spangler, born July 13, 1832, at
York, Penn., a daughter of Col. M. H. Spangler.
Of the children born to this marriage, the follow
ing are living: William Franklin, our subject;
Florence M. ; Frank S., an attorney of Philadel
phia; Thomas E. , city clerk of -York, Penn.;
Mary E., wife of Alexander Cathcart, of Chicago;
James; Walter; Luther, a- resident of Chicago;
Charles and Louisa.
William Franklin Elliot was reared at York
and there educated, attending the Collegiate and
Politechnic Institutes. After leaving school he
served an apprenticeship at the machinist's trade,
and on the completion of the latter he went to
New York City, and was employed two years in
the Delemeter Iron Works. At the close of this
period (1879) he located in Lock Haven and
established his present business, which has been
developed into the large and constantly growing in
dustry of to-day, giving employment to some
forty men. The plant, as originally built in
1879, was of brick, three stories high, 70 x no,
feet, with a foundry 40 x 60 feet, and boiler-house.
30 x 40 feet, the machinery being driven by a
twenty-five-horsepower engine. Steady employ
ment was then given to twenty skilled workmen.
They make castings of all kinds, fit up sawmills,
make steam-engines, and everything in the line
of mill machinery and general machine work.
Our subject is one of the best of Lock Haven's
citizens, influential and prominent in its business
and social affairs. At this time he is a member
of the Masonic fraternity, the Grand Lodge and
the Grand Commandery, Knights Templar; is
also a member of the B. P. O. E. In politics
he is a Republican, and is now president of the
city council.
On June 14, 1882, Mr. Elliot was married to
Miss Elizabeth Brown, and three children have
come to bless their home, namely: William
Brown, Marguerite and Albert Warren. The
mother of these is the daughter of Jacob Brown
(now deceased), who was a prominent citizen of
Lock Haven. Our subject and wife are mem
bers of St. Paul's Episcopal Church.

['ENRY T. HARVEY, of Lock Haven, one
of the leading members of the Clinton
County Bar, has been in successful practice for

more than thirty-three years. His professional
work has included some of the most important
business that has arisen in the locality during
that time; he is also identified prominently with
extensive financial interests, and in various pro
gressive movements, political and non-political
in his city.
Mr. Harvey was born October 22, 1842, in
Clinton county, a son of George C. and grand
son of Isaac Harvey, who came to Clinton coun
ty in 1 8 12, and in 18 18 settled at Salona. Later
he purchased a farm in Lamar township, Clin
ton county, where the remainder of his life was
spent. George C. Harvey (father of Henry T.)
was a native of Berks county, Penn., but ac
companied his parents to Clinton county, and
grew to manhood there. As a young man he
engaged in milling and hat-manufacturing, but
afterward studied medicine and practiced at Sa
lona until 1850. In the meantime, however,
he became interested in the Salona Foundry,
where a large business was done at that time in
the manufacture of plows and threshing ma
chines. He decided to give up his medical prac
tice, and. in 1850, began to devote his entire at
tention to business. In 1854 he formed a part
nership with A. H. Best, Hon. L. A. Mackey,
and William Fearon, and built the Lock Haven
Foundry and Machine shop, the first establish
ment of the kind in Lock Haven. Of this Dr.
Harvey had the full management until 1870,
when he retired from business. He was a man
of much influence in political affairs as well as
in financial circles, and for five years he served
as associate judge of Clinton county. His death
occurred in Lock Haven on February 8, 1886, at
the advanced age of eighty years. His wife,
whose maiden name was Roxanna S. Atwood,
was born in New Haven, Conn. , in January,
1815, and died October 15, 1885.
Henry T. Harvey received his elementary ed
ucation in the public schools of Salona and Lock
Haven, and, in 1857, he entered the academy
in Lock Haven, where for two years he continued
his studies under Prof. Rogers. In 1859 he be
gan a course in the Agricultural College of Penn
sylvania, Centre county, and on graduating, in
1862, he became a law student in the office of
Orvis & Corss, of Lock Haven. In 1863, dur
ing the Civil war, his studies were interrupted by
an enlistment in the 26th P. V. I. ; but his patri
otic intentions were thwarted by an attack of
typhoid fever which so injured his health that he
was discharged from the service. On returning
home he continued his legal researches, and, in
December, 1864, he was admitted to practice,
and at once opened an office in Lock Haven,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

575

where he has ever since been actively and suc
cessfully engaged in professional work.
Notwithstanding the important nature of his
legal practice, and his steadfast devotion to his
work, Mr. Harvey has taken an active inter
est in political work and in various financial or
ganizations. He was instrumental in founding
the Lock Haven Trust & Safe Deposit Company,
and has been president of the institution ever
since its organization in 1 89 1 . This ranks among
the prosperous financial concerns of this section
¦ of the State, its assets being now more than
five hundred thousand dollars. Mr. Harvey
shows a generous interest in educational affairs,
and has been a trustee of the Pennsylvania State
College and of the Central State Normal School
for some years, having been identified with the
latter institution ever since it was founded. In
politics he is a stanch Republican, and, in 1876,
he was a delegate to the National Convention of
his party. His name has been mentioned in
connection with several important offices, and
he has received more than once the indorsement
of Clinton county for the office of Congressman
from his district. On April 18, 1872, he was
married to Miss Sarah Pollock, of Philadelphia.
Three children were born to this union, of whom
one, James Pollock, died at the age of sixteen.
The survivors, Sarah Hepburn and Henry T.,
Jr., are at home. Mr. Harvey and his wife are
both members of the Presbyterian Church, and
for a number of years Mr. Harvey has served as
trustee.

IRA MILTON HARVEY, Lock Haven's popu
lar and efficient postmaster, is a man who ex
erts more than ordinary influence in his locality,
and as one of the proprietors of the Clinton
Democrat, he has done much to strengthen the
Democratic party in this section.
Mr. Harvey is a native of Clinton county,
born November 4, 1854. at Cedar Springs. His
parents, Nathan E. and Lydia (Erb) Harvey,
who were both born in Pennsylvania, died during
his childhood, the former in 1863, and the latter
in 1857. Nathan E. Harvey was a farmer by
occupation, and, with that sturdy patriotism
which seems to characterize the tillers of the
soil, enlisted at the beginning of the Civil war
in Company E, 7th Pennsylvania Cavalry, and
met his death in an engagement with the enemy,
near Nashville, Tenn. Our subject was the
youngest of four children, the others being:
Anna (Mrs. Joseph Sayler), Ella (Mrs. James
Daley), and Lizzie (Mrs. James Edmiston).
At the age of eleven years our subject, who

had previously begun his education in a public
school, was sent to the Soldiers' Orphans School
at Orangeville, Penn., where he remained two
years. He was then transferred to a similar in
stitution at McAlisterville, Penn. , and on leaving
that school, at the age of sixteen, he engaged in
farm work for a year. In January, 1871, he be
gan to learn the printer's trade at Lock Haven
in the office of the Clinton Democrat, and in No
vember, 1876, having acquired a thorough knowl
edge of the business, he went to Williamsport,
Penn., where he was employed as a journeyman
printer for a short time. Later he returned to
Lock Haven, and in 1878 formed a partnership
with H. Bixby, A. S. Grow and John Noble, and
established the Daily fournal. This paper was
discontinued in 1883, the material being sold,
and Mr. Harvey, in partnership with John No
ble, purchased the job printing office, which they
conducted until September, 1885. Mr. Harvey,
at that time, bought a one-third interest in the
Clinton Democrat, the leading Democratic organ
of the county, and for several years he had
charge of the office. In 1893 be was appointed
postmaster of Lock Haven by President Cleve
land, and the duties of that position have since
occupied his attention. While he is an ardent
Democrat, he has not been an office-seeker, and
aside from the post which he now fills so ad
mirably, he has only held one position, that of
city auditor. He has always been strongly op
posed to monopolies, and his paper represents
his views on this and other questions. In 1882
he was married to Miss Sallie Coldwell, daugh
ter of John Coldwell, a native of Leeds, York
shire, England, who became in later life a
prominent resident of Lock Haven. Four chil
dren have blessed this union: Frank J., Ira S.,
Benjamin C. and Edna C. The parents are not
members of any religious denomination, but
they attend the Disciple Church, and take an
interest in its various lines of work. The father
belongs to several fraternal orders, including the
B. P. O. E., and, by virtue of his father's gallant
record as a defender of the Union, is a member
of the Society of the Sons of Veterans.

PHILIP PETER RITTMAN, who to-day is at
the head of one of Lock Haven's important
manufacturing plants as its manager and a mem
ber of the firm controlling it, is a self-made man,
and one whose influence is far-reaching.
John Michael Rittman, his father (who was a
son of John and Sophia Agnes Stiokel), was born
September 15, 1795, at Wittenberg, Germany,
and on September 25, 1831, there married

576

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Margaret Rothfuss, who was a native of the
same place, born September 30, 1809, a daugh
ter of John and Annie May (Grossman) Rothfuss,
farming people. To the parents of our subject
were born three daughters and one son, viz. :
Catherine Ammon, of Iowa; Margaret Osner, and
Lovina Cummings, both residents of Lock Haven ;
and Philip Peter, our subject. On coming to
America in 1847, the parents located on a farm
near Williamsport, Penn. ; and there passed the
remainder of their lives, Mr. Rittman dying in
1853, and Mrs. Rittman in 1894, aged eighty-
three years. They were of that sturdy and fru
gal class of Germans who by their industry and
economy were able to live comfortably.
Philip Peter Rittman was born March 25,
1850, at Williamsport, Penn. At the age of ten
years he was brought by the family to Lock
Haven. Here he attended a private school
taught by a Miss Bradford on Bald Eagle street;
and, later, a school that was held at the old acad
emy on Main street. His father died when our
subject was but a babe, and he early was thrown
on his own resources. On leaving school he
learned the barber's trade, and followed it for a
number of years. He was ambitious, and deci
ded upon going into the furnishing business, in
which he embarked in 1881, opening a store
on the corner of Grove and Church streets.
Later, in connection with this business, he estab
lished a loan-office, the first and only one in the
city of Lock Haven. His business had so in
creased that in 1889 he was compelled to seek
larger quarters, and he moved to his present com
modious stand on the corner of Bellefonte avenue
and Main street. He is one of the firm carry
ing on the Lock Haven Furniture Company, and
since May, 1897, he has been manager of the
business. The company employs from sixty to
one hundred hands, and pays the highest wages
given by any industry in Lock Haven. Their
furniture is sold through the States of Pennsyl
vania, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and
Rhode Island. They have resident agents in
New York, Boston and Philadelphia. Mr. Ritt
man is a very active, energetic and capable busi
ness man. However, he has always found time
to give some attention to public affairs, giving
his fellow-townsmen in the conduct of the city's
business the benefit of his judgment and advice.
He has been twice elected to the school board.
He has served as a member of the city council,
and was chosen the president of that body, and
at the time the council was strongly Republi
can and Mr. Rittman was a Democrat. This is
an evidence of his popularity and an apprecia
tion of his worth. He has been one of the man

agers of the Building & Loan Association. He is
a Knight Templar, F. and A. M.
On May 16, 1876, Mr. Rittman was married
to Toosie Keller, a daughter of Col. Reuben Kel
ler, of Lock Haven, and their children are:
Harry, who is in charge of his father's furnish
ing and loan business'; Joe is studying pharmacy;
and Mary Margaret is at home.

ON. WILLIAM DUNN (deceased) was born
December 1, 181 1, on Great Island, about
one mile below the present city of Lock Haven,
and died very suddenly in that city on Septem
ber 7, 1877.
William Dunn, his grandfather, was one of the
earliest settlers in that portion of the Valley of
the West branch of the Susquehanna. He pur
chased the Great Island, first, from the Indians,
then from the State, and passed it by will to his
son, Washington Dunn, Esq., who was for
many years one of the leading and most intelli
gent and reputable citizens of his locality, and
father of the subject of this sketch, to whom he
transmitted a portion of his homestead, includ
ing his residence.
On the day of his death, Judge Dunn, as he
frequently did, came to Lock Haven to transact
some business and greet some of his many friends
and associates. Just after partaking of a social
supper, with several friends, he remarked to
them that he felt chilly, and at once drew his
chair near to the stove. In a moment or two
he fell from the chair in a helpless state. Dr.
Larimer quickly responded to the call for medi
cal aid, and other physicians soon came to his
assistance. The attack proved to be a severe
form of paralysis, and all efforts to produce a
reaction of the system failed. In less than an
hour all hope of restoring life was given up, as
death had evidently occurred. His son, an only
child, engaged in building railroads in the- West
ern Territories, was at once telegraphed for, and
returned in time to attend the funeral on the fol
lowing Saturday, at the family burying-place at
Dunnsburg, on the north side of the river from
Great Island.
From the time he was able to read, Judge
Dunn- had the advantage of his father's extensive
and well-selected library, and not being at any
time under the necessity of or much disposed to
manual labor, he devoted a great part of his time
to reading, and in history, philosophy and poetry
he had scarcely a peer in the county. When yet
a young man he was unanimously presented by
the Democracy of Clinton county for Congress,
but failed to obtain the nomination. Always an

WILLIAH DUIH

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

577

active politician, he was in a few years thereafter
twice nominated and elected to the State Legis
lature from the district, then composed of the
counties of Clinton and Lycoming, each time
largely leading his party ticket in the popular vote.
He was an industrious and faithful representative,
and besides discharging his general duties to the
entire satisfaction of his district, also accomplished
all the local legislation desired at the time. In
1862 he was again presented by the Democracy of
Clinton county for Congress, but again failed to
obtain the district nomination. In 1871 he was
nominated by his party for the office of associate
judge, and was elected by a creditable majority.
After the. expiration of his term he devoted him
self mainly to his farm. He had had an attack
of paralysis a few years before his death, but it
was thought had fully recovered from it. His
worthy and respected father died of dropsy.
In his religious views Judge Dunn may be
described as a theoretical moralist. He was a
kind man, and his temper was rarely if ever seri
ously disturbed. He was very charitable in
sentiment and with his means, and none 'more
seriously regretted his death than his poor neigh
bors. He was fond of social enjoyment and of the
company of the intelligent, and we are no doubt
safe in saying that he died without an enemy. His
character for integrity and honor stands, as it
always stood, unimpeached. He was public-
spirited, and always gave a helping hand to all
enterprises that promised to benefit the public.
His acquaintance was very extensive, and there
are few in his county who did not know him.
He was of quiet, unassuming, and unobtrusive
disposition, and never crowded himself into
prominence. Few there are who will be more
kindly and generally remembered after death.
Of William Dunn, grandfather of our subject,
the following has been written: "About the year
1768 a party of surveyors visited the upper por
tion of the West Branch Valley for the purpose
of running off Allison tract, and probably other
tracts in the vicinity. They were accompanied
by William Dunn, a native of York county,
Penn., who acted in the capacity of hunter for
the party, it being his business to furnish the
company with wild game for food. Dunn car
ried splendid equipments, with rifle to correspond,
which attracted the especial attention and ad
miration of an Indian chief, the owner of the
Great Island. The chief's admiration for Dunn's
accoutrements grew into a determination to pos
sess them, but the owner declined to part with
them till the chief, being naturally more inclined
to follow the war-path than the plow, offered to
give his island for Dunn's rifle and trappings and
37*

a keg of whiskey which the surveyors had with
them. Dunn, having an eye to business, accept
ed the offer, and took possession of the Big
Island, as it was generally called at that time.
After having drank -the whiskey the Indian, boy
like, wished to 'trade back,' but Dunn held fast
to his purchase. It is no wonder the Indian re
gretted his bargain, and wished to again get pos
session of his island home, for it was one of the
most delightful spots in the West Branch Valley,
and had long been a favorite resort for the Red-
men. There they had met in solemn council in
times of war, and there they had rested beneath
the tall elms when peace had prevailed. No
wonder the Indians were loath to give up and
depart forever from a place which had been held
sacred by them from childhood, a place where
their fathers had trod long years before, and
where their children had sported in their inno
cent glee. Indeed, home, with its surroundings
and associations, has its attractions for even a
savage humanity. "
The island was owned by Mr. Dunn for many
years, and at his death was divided among his
heirs. The eastern end is still in the family, be
ing now owned by the Hon. William Dunn,
grandson of the original settler. The remainder
is owned by Henry and Robert McCormick, John
Meyer's heirs and Richard Dorey. It is all un
der cultivation and is highly productive.
William Dunn, the elder, took an active part
in the war of the Revolution, being one of the
Committee of Safety for Northumberland county,
of which the Island was then a part. At the
time of the "big runaway," in July, 1768, he
was forced like his neighbors to leave his house
and fly to a place of safety. He found his way
to York, which place he had left a few years be
fore, and enlisted in the army. He participated
in several battles, among others those of Ger
mantown and Trenton. After the latter the gov
ernment pressed all teams into the service that
were available. Mr. Dunn was surprised one
day to see his own horses and wagon brought
into camp, and immediately asked to take charge
of them, which was granted, so he had the satis
faction of driving his own team if he was a
soldier. In Dunstable township, in 1833, Judge Dunn
was married to Elizabeth Barker, who was born
in Nippenose Valley, Penn., April 18, 18 12,
daughter of the late John and Nancy (Ramsay)
Barker, who were the grandparents of Capt.
Barker, deputy sheriff of Lock Haven, Penn.
She attended the primitive subscription schools
of Jersey Shore, the school houses in those early
days being constructed of logs and furnished with

578

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

slab seats, while the attendance thereat was re
stricted to four winter months each year, the
scholars having to pay their teacher two dollars
and a half per quarter. When a young girl Miss
Barker removed from Jersey Shore with her
parents and family, who settled in Dunstable
township, Clinton county (then a part of Lycom
ing county), where she met and married Judge
William Dunn, as above related. They com
menced housekeeping in the old Dunn mansion,
where she is yet residing, and lived a life of hap
piness and contentment until death took her husT
band. To add to her sorrow over this bereave
ment, six years later she lost her only child —
Washington, born August 5, 1837, died July 14,
1883, in the prime of life, a fine man in all re
spects, and an ornament to society. This was a
terrible blow to the widowed, and now childless,
mother; but she resigned herself to her fate with
Christian humility. Since the death of her hus
band, Mrs. Dunn has looked after the estate, at
tending to the various interests thereof, the farm
in general, stock, etc. During the June flood of
1889 she met with great loss through the water
damaging her property to the extent of several
thousand dollars. Although now eighty-five
years old, she is hale and hearty, seldom if ever
sick, and her eyesight still so good that she can
thread a needle without glasses; her hearing is
hardly impaired, and she can still cook as of yore
— in fact can attend to all domestic duties with a
skill and a zeal suggestive of her younger days.
She is a member of the Presbyterian Church, a
Bible reader, and she attended the first Sabbath-
school held in Jersey Shore, a Mrs. Watson be
ing superintendent, and Mrs. Gammel, of Jersey
Shore, her first teacher. May she be spared
many years yet to her numerous friends by whom
she is so much beloved, and held in so high
esteem.

C.\HARLES W. BECK, a thrifty and prosper-
„' ous agriculturist of Lamar township, Clinton
¦county, is a representative of a highly respected
family of that locality, whose members have al
ways been characterized by the qualities that go
to the making of good citizenship.
The first ancestors of whom we have a
definite account is John Beck, our subject's
grandfather, who was born in Northampton
county, Penn., January 1, 1783, and was married
there on January 1, 1806, to Miss Elizabeth
Snyder, a native of the same county, born Sep
tember 27, 1783. They resided for some time
in Lower Nazareth township, Northampton
county, but later removed to Centre county and

located upon a farm near Hublersburg. John
Beck became well known among the agricultur
ists of that section, and he lived several years
beyond the allotted limit of man's existence,
passing away July 27, 1858, while his wife sur
vived him about four years, dying on October
30, 1862. They had the following children:
Daniel, born October 27, 1806, died May 5,
1874; John G., our subject's father, is men
tioned more fully farther on ; Sarah, born
February 8, 1809, died November 2, of the same
year; Mary, born September 14, 1810, married
George Swartz, and died July 2, 1865; Charles,
born May 18, 18 12, resides in Porter township,
Clinton county; Simon, born October 3, 1813,
died March 19, i860; Catherine, born December
8, 1 8 1 5, died November 9, 1881; Henry, born
March 24, 1817, died March 24, 1884; Joseph,
born February 24, 1820, resides in Illinois;
Margaret, born October 6, 1821, died March 11,
1846; Elizabeth, born June 4, 1824, died July
13, 1896; and Susan, born November 23, 1825,
died November 25, 1884.
John G. Beck, the father of our subject, was
born in Northampton county, near the present
town of Newburg. At the time of the removal
to Centre county he was a well-grown lad, and a
few years later he returned to his native county,
where he was married, in 1 831, to Miss Elizabeth
Workheiser. She was born in that county Au
gust 9, 181 1, the daughter of John Work
heiser, a wealthy farmer. Soon after his mar
riage John G. Beck went back to Centre county,
and for a time he followed the mason's trade
there and elsewhere in this State. In 1855 he
purchased the farm now occupied by our subject,
a fine property lying along Fishing creek, and
formerly known as the old Porter homestead.
There he resided during the remainder of his life,
much of his time being devoted to his trade. In
his boyhood he was crippled by a fall on the ice
which injured his left hip, but notwithstanding
this handicap he managed to do a great deal of
hard work in his lifetime. In politics he was a
stanch Democrat, although he never sought offi
cial rewards, and for many years he was an act
ive member of the Lutheran Church, in which
he held various offices. He was a large man,
while his wife was shorter than the average
woman, and was quite slender in build. He died
October 11, 1885, and her death occurred Sep
tember 1, 1893, the remains of both being in
terred in St. Paul's cemetery, in Porter township,;
Clinton county. Our subject was the youngest ,
of a large family of children whose names with
dates of birth are as follows: Sarah, March i,
1832, married Peter Bartholemew, and died in

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

579

Porter township, Clinton county, April 13, 1877;
Rebecca, July 21, 1833, married Daniel Korkman,
and died in Bellefonte February 10, 1877;
George, September 27, 1834, is a commission
merchant in Pittsburg, Penn. ; Jeremiah, June
30, 1836, is a carpenter in Williamsport, Penn.;
Daniel, December 31, 1837, is a farmer near
Charlton, Penn.; Mary, October 20, 1839, mar
ried R. W. Porter, and died in Mackeyville, May
10, 1872; Leah, September 10, 1843, married
R. W. Porter, and died January 11, 1892; Eliza,
September 1, 1844, married F. E. Beck, and
now resides in Williamsport, Penn. ; William F. ,
October 14, 1846, is an accomplished musician,
and at present is engaged in piano tuning at
Lock Haven; Harriet, December 23, 1848, mar
ried Jacob Stably; John, May 7, 185 1, died May
11, 1859; and Israel, November 20, 1852, is a
farmer in Porter township, Clinton county.
The subject of this sketch was born January
14, 1855, in Walker township, Centre county,
one mile from Hublersburg, and was but an in
fant when his parents removed to the present
homestead. His education was obtained in the
schools of Mackeyville, his first teacher being a
Mr. Seward. He assisted in the work of the
farm during boyhood, and remained at home
almost continuously until 1882, when he went
west and spent some time in Illinois, Kansas,
and Wisconsin as a farmhand and journeyman
carpenter. While staying in Freeport, 111. , he
took lessons in vocal music, and developed an ex
cellent basso voice, and later he and his brother
William traveled through the West conducting
singing-schools. At the end of a term of ten
lessons they would give a concert, and in some
towns they would hold musical conventions
which aroused great interest. Since 1887 Mr.
Beck has had charge of the homestead, manag
ing it first for his mother, and after her death he
made an arrangement with the other heirs for
renting the place. While he is not a politician,
he takes much interest in public affairs, and a
few years ago he left the Democratic party,
transferring his allegiance to the Prohibition
party. Socially, he is prominent as a member
of the K. G. E. at Lamar, and his fine musical
gifts are often called into service at public gath
erings. At present he is a member of the choir
of the Methodist Church at Mackeyville.
On March 9, 1887, Mr. Beck was married in
Nittany Valley to Miss Mary Maurer, a native of
Centre county, Penn., born June 25, 1859. One
child blessed this union, Charles R. , who died in
infancy. Mrs. Beck is an intelligent and accom
plished woman, and for four years previous to
her marriage she taught school, one term being

spent in Iowa. Her father, the late Owen
Maurer, a carpenter by occupation, died at the
age of seventy-three years, and her mother,
whose maiden same was Tena Tate, died at six
ty-eight. There were eight children: Robert
T. , who served in the Civil war as a member of
the 7th Pennsylvania Cavalry, and was killed in
Georgia; Ellery H., a merchant at Viola Center,
Iowa; W. C. , of Nebraska; R. I., of Iowa; H.
G., of Porter township, Clinton county; Emma,
now Mrs. John McGovern, of Iowa; Barbara,
who died at the age of twenty-one years, and
Mrs. Beck.

PROF. JAMES W. ELLIOTT, superintendent
of the Renovo public schools, and one of the
most able instructors in central Pennsylvania, was
born in 1859, in Reedsville, Mifflin county, this
State, a son of Rev. George and Laura (Wilson)
Elliott, natives of Ohio and Pennsylvania, re
spectively. The father was born in a Scotch
settlement in Ohio, and belonged to the "border
Elliots" who came from England to America,
while his wife, who is still living, was born of
Irish and English parentage. She is a grand
daughter of Gen. James Potter, of Revolutionary
fame. During the years of his manhood Rev.
Elliott labored in the ministry of the Presbyterian
Church, and after a long and useful life passed to
his reward in the spring of 1895.
Professor Elliott began his education in the
schools of Freeport, 111., and later attended Mc-
Ewensville Academy, this State. He next pur
sued his studies in the Pennsylvania State Col
lege, and since leaving that institution in 1880
has successfully engaged in teaching, having at
different times charge of the schools at Orbi-
sonia, Penn. , and Osceola Mills. He was also
professor of Latin and Greek in the Doylestown
Seminary, and was, later, superintendent of the
public schools of Bangor, Penn. In 1896 he
came to Renovo, and has since had charge of the
public schools at this place. He is a man of
scholarly tastes, and has the happy faculty of
imparting easily and readily to others the knowl
edge he has acquired. In his chosen calling he
has therefore met with excellent success.
In December, 1884, Prof. Elliott was united
in marriage with Miss May, a daughter of John
H. Vincent, an attorney of Northumberland,
Penn., and to them has been born one child,
Kathryn Vincent. The parents are members of
the Presbyterian Church, and in social circles
occupy an enviable position. Fraternally the
Professor belongs to the Royal Arcanum, 'while
politically he is a Republican. He has written

580

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

for the educational periodicals a number of able
professional articles, and has frequently lectured
acceptably before the various County Institutes of
Teachers.

JkjC ments of success in life are innate attri
butes of the individual, or whether they are
quickened by a process of circumstantial devel
opment, it is impossible to clearly determine.
Yet the study of a successful life is none the less
interesting and profitable by reason of the exist
ence of this same uncertainty. The march of
improvement and progress is accelerated day by
day, and each successive moment seems to de
mand of men a broader intelligence and a
greater discernment than did the preceding.
Successful men in this age must be progressive
men, men bristling with activity, and the lessons
of biography may be far reaching to an extent
superficially evident. Among the most success
ful men that Clinton county has produced was
Washington Dunn, whose name introduces this
sketch. Born on Great Island, Lock Haven, Clinton
Co., Penn., in 1837, a son of Judge William
Dunn, our subject was educated chiefly in the
schools of that city. At the age of twenty he
became connected with the civil engineering
corps of Sidney Dillon, who built the Philadel
phia & Erie railroad. After having thoroughly
mastered the business in all its details, Mr. Dunn,
at the early age of twenty-five, built the first sev
enty-five miles of the Western & Maryland rail
road, receiving an annual salary of$ 5,000. Sub
sequently he went to Utah, and constructed the
first railroad that ran into Montana, known as
the Utah & Northern. After building 118 miles
of that narrow-gauge road he became connected
with the Rocky Mountain Division of the North
ern Pacific, built the road from Penderell Lake
eastward 226 miles to a place near Helena,
Mont., and then went to inspect some work in
the Cascade Mountains. From the many trib
utes to his memory as an expert civil engineer
we select the following from the pen of John
Codman, which appeared in " Lippincott's Mag
azine:" " Crossing the junction at Pocotello, 45
miles from here, we pursued our journey north
ward to Butte, Mont. I never pass over the
route without admiration of the engineering skill
of Washington Dunn, who superintended the
construction of the Utah & Northern, and who
is now employed on the Northern Pacific.
Much of the track is laid over the lava beds,
the most difficult formation engineers have to

contend with, and the most expensive to grade.
This is particularly noticeable in the Beaver
Canon, where the crossing is made through the
main range of the Rocky Mountains. There
would seem to have been scarcely room
enough for the rushing stream, most inappropri
ately named Dry Creek."
On July 14, 1883, while on his way from
Portland, Oregon, to Missoula, Mont., and at
some point west of the latter place, on the line
of the Northern Pacific, Mr. Dunn was taken ill
of heart disease, it is supposed, and after a brief
illness expired in the sleeping car. Mrs. Dunn at
once started westward to bring his body back to
his old home for interment; but as the railroads
were not complete in that Western country, the
remains had to be conveyed seventy miles by
wagon, and it was four weeks after his death be
fore they were finally interred in Highland cem
etery, Lock Haven. Rev. J. Max Lantz, of
Trinity M. E. Church, officiated at the funeral,
which was largely attended, and the once busy
man, cut off in the heyday of his manhood, now
sleeps his last sleep.
Mr. Dunn's sudden taking away caused deep
sorrow among his many friends and acquaint
ances, besides creating a great loss to Western
railroad interests. He was a man of indomitable
energy, an excellent organizer and manager of
railroad labor, and one of the active agents in
bringing in the great public works which are
revolutionizing the material and social life of the
people. In many respects he was an extraordi
nary man, and his views on other subjects be
sides those of railroads were eminently practiced.
He was greater than a theorist; he was a master.
And not alone for the important part he took in
public works, but for the prominent and worthy
features of his life and character, is he deserving
of more than passing notice. His disposition
was truly kind and gentle. His relations with
his sub-contractors and subordinates were char
acterized by such fairness, magnanimity and
kindness as to win an extraordinary share of confi
dence and esteem, and each one, in his death,
felt the loss of a friend. Endowed by nature
with a sound judgment and an accurate, discrim
inating mind, he feared not that laborious atten
tion to the details of business so necessary to
achieve success, and this essential quality was
ever guided by a sense of moral right which
would tolerate the employment of only those
means that would bear the most rigid examina
tion by a fairness of intention that neither sought
nor required disguise. His charity was great,
and the practical interest he took in the struggle of
young men to make a commencement in life will be

WASHIHG-TOH DTJHN

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

581

well remembered by many a one whom he quietly
and unostentatiously assisted. To his estimable
family his sudden departure from their midst
could not be measured by words; but the gloom
of their bereavement has been followed by the
sweet memories of a well-spent and spotless life
in his useful and worthy achievements.
On September 25, 1870, Mr. Dunn was mar
ried to Miss Louise Ann Fisk, of Lock Haven,
and to them were born three sons and one
daughter, who are still living: William Arthur,
now a civil engineer on the Pennsylvania rail
road; Charles, who is engaged in business in
Boston; Clarence; and Ada. Socially, the fam
ily is one of the most prominent in Lock Haven,
and their home is noted for its warm-hearted
hospitality.

WP. DARRAH, editor and proprietor of
The Evening News, of Renovo, Clinton
county, was born October 6, 1872, in Pittsburg,
Penn. His parents moving to Renovo when he
was quite young, he obtained his rudimentary
education in the schools of that town. In 1886
he became a student at St. Vincent's College,
Latrobe, Westmoreland county, where he pur
sued a classical and commercial course, gradu
ating in 1891 with the degree of M. A. After
completing his college courses, he entered upon
his course as a bookkeeper, but finding the duties
of a commercial life incongenial to his tastes, he
entered upon journalism. His first newspaper
work was done at Renovo, upon the paper which
he now conducts, and later he filled responsible
positions on the staffs of journals in the cities of
western Pennsylvania, and Cleveland, Ohio. In
1896 he returned to Renovo, and in December, of
that year obtained possession of The Evening
News, the only daily paper published in Clinton
county outside of the county seat. His able
management of The News redounds to Mr. Dar-
rah's credit as a newspaper publisher, and his
tact and energy as an editor have given Renovo
a clean, fearless journal, which has become in-
despensable in this community.

EV. JOHN Q. ADAMS, who is now prac-
J3L tically living retired in the village of Dunns-
town, Woodward township, Clinton county, was
born January 24, 1826, in Loganton, Sugar Val
ley, the same county, and has devoted the greater
part of his life to the work of the ministry.
His grandfather, William Adams, was a native
of Massachusetts, and of English descent. He
grew to manhood in that State when the country

was still under British rule, and on the outbreak
of the Revolutionary war enlisted in the Conti
nental army under Washington, valiantly fighting
for liberty until independence was achieved and
the colonies were recognized as free States. On
leaving his native State he removed to one of the
southern counties of New York, where he en
gaged in farming for some time, and then came to
Stroudsburg, Monroe Co., Penn., where he con
tinued to follow that occupation throughout his
remaining years. He was a well-educated man,
and took a just pride in the fact that he had
aided in establishing this most glorious republic
of ours. He married a Miss Everett, of Scotch
descent, who also died at Stroudsburg, and to
them were born six children: William, Benja
min, Joseph, Jesse, John and Margaret.
William T. Adams, our subject's father, was
born in Monroe county, in 1794, and, as there
were no public schools in that locality during his
boyhood, his education was limited to the
knowledge he could acquire through his own
unaided efforts. He spent much time in the
reading and study of the Bible. Until eighteen
years of age he assisted his father in the cultiva
tion of the home farm, and then learned the mill
wright's trade, which he followed in his native
county for twelve years. In 1824 he located in
Sugar Valley, Clinton county (then a part of
Centre county), where he assisted in building the
first gristmill, and continued to follow his chosen
occupation in Clinton, Centre, Lycoming,
Dauphin, Lebanon and Schuylkill counties, Penn.,
until he had secured a comfortable competence
which enabled him to lay aside business cares in
1864. He then removed to Berrysburg, Dauphin
county, where he lived retired at the home of
our subject until called to the world beyond in
1874, and now sleeps the sleep of the just in the
silent graveyard at Berrysburg. He was a faith
ful member of the United Brethren Church, to
which his wife also belonged, and was an ardent
Republican in politics.
In Sugar Valley William T. Adams had wed
ded Miss Mary Miller, whose birth occurred in
Lebanon county, in 1802, and of the nine chil
dren born to them our subject is the oldest. He
was followed by Angelina, now the widow of
William Sharer, of Lock Haven; Jesse, of Will- '
iamsport, Penn. ; Martha, wife of B. F. Roden-
baugh, of Muncy, Lycoming county; Charles,
who died from the effect of wounds received at
the second battle of Bull Run during his service
in the Civil war; George; Thomas, who was
killed at the battle of Petersburg; Rebecca, wife
of Daniel Pottiger, of Renovo, Penn. ; and Har
riet, wife of Jonathan Overholtzer, of Iowa. The

582

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

mother survived her husband for some time, dy
ing at the home of our subject in Dunnstown in
1892, and her remains were interred there.
The only education which our subject re
ceived was obtained by three months' attendance
during the winter season at the public schools,
and he was obliged to walk a distance of two
miles to the school house. His summers were
devoted to farm labor in Sugar Valley, where he
continued to work until sixteen years of age.
With his father he then learned the millwright's
trade, which he followed for six years in Centre,
Clinton, Lycoming, Union, Dauphin and other
counties in the summer season, while the winter
months were devoted to school teaching in Sugar
Valley. By constant study he improved his own
mind, and having a strong desire to become a
minister of the Gospel, he devoted much atten
tion to the study of theology. At the age of
twenty-two he was licensed to preach by the
United Brethren Conference at New Holland,
Lancaster county, Penn., and his first charge was
in the Halifax circuit, Lykens Valley, Dauphin
county, where he attended to the spiritual wants
of the people for three years, during which time
he built a church at Lykenstown, another at
Cross Roads, and a third at Powells Valley. From
there he was transferred to the Susquehanna
mission and located at Linglestown, Middle Pax
ton township, Dauphin county, where he spent
one year as a missionary, and built a fine brick
church. The next two years were spent in Lan
caster, Penn., where he also erected a house of
worship and made other improvements in the
church property, and from there he moved to
High Spire, Dauphin county, where he made his
home for eight years, during which time he served
as local pastor and also worked at his trade. In
1868 he went to Berrysburg, the same county,
where the following decade was passed, and in
connection with farming he also served as a local
preacher. Mr. Adams has made his home in Dunns
town since 1878, and has engaged in market gar
dening, owning and operating a small farm. In
1889 his property was destroyed by the great
flood, causing a loss of $3,000, and he then re
moved to his present home, where he continues
to follow gardening. He has never given up
preaching the word of God, but has acted as a
local minister, and has been elected elder of the
United Brethren Church. Possessing great ora
torical power, his preaching has been very effect
ive, and he has been the means of bringing many
souls to Christ. Since the organization of the
Republican party he has been one of its earnest
advocates, and, being a great temperance worker,

he is a prominent member of the Good Templars
and also is identified with the Knights of Pythias
fraternity and the Order of Odd Fellows, hold
ing membership in the lodge at Berrysburg, in
which he has filled all the chairs. No man in
Clinton county is more highly respected, or is
more deserving the high regard in which he is
uniformly held than Rev. John Q. Adams.
In 1850, at Berrysburg, Mr. Adams was
united in marriage with Miss Hannah Forney, a
native of that place, and a daughter of Peter and
Margaret (Rumberger) Forney, the former born in
Mifflin township, Dauphin county, in 1783, and
the latter in Northumberland county, Penn., in
l79S- The father received a good German edu
cation in his native county, and made farming his
life occupation, owning and operating several
farms in Dauphin county, at different times,
three of which were in Mifflin township. He be
came quite well-to-do, was widely and favorably
known, was a Republican in politics and a mem
ber of the Evangelical Church, to which his fam
ily also belonged. He died in Mifflin township,
Dauphin county, in 1873, and his wife in 1865.
In their family were the following children:
Catharine, wife of William Mettz, of Dauphin
county; Susanna, wife of Adam Zortman, of
Northumberland county; Mary, wife of George
Spotts, of Northumberland county; Hannah, wife
of our subject; and Daniel, who died at the age
of sixteen years.
Seven children blessed the union of Mr. and
Mrs. Adams, namely: (1) William O., born
March 15, 1854, in Linglestown, Dauphin coun
ty, began his education in the public schools of
that county, and later attended the Berrysburg
Seminary and Lebanon Valley College. He is
now foreman in the car shops at Roanoke, Va.
He married Sarah Rodenbaugh, and has four
children — Dottie, Alice, Lillian and Daisy. (2)
Joseph M., born April 23, 1856, died in March,
1857. (3) Ellsworth E., born in High Spire,
Dauphin county, December 27, 1861, attended
the Berrysburg public schools, and graduated at
the Seminary of that place and also at the busi
ness college in Lock Haven. He has taught
school, but is now a traveling salesman for a
lumber company of Lock Haven. He married
Hannah Mingle, of Lock Haven, Penn. • (4) U.
S. Grant, born November 19, 1865, in Berrys
burg, where he pursued his studies in the public
schools and seminary, has engaged in teaching in
Dunnstown and Beach Creeks, Clinton county,
and is now a photographer, of New York City.
(5) Lillian M., a native of Berrysburg, was edu
cated in the public schools of Clinton county and
in the Central State Normal School, where she

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

583

graduated in the spring of 1 897. For eight years
she was successfully engaged in teaching, six in
Castanea and two in Lockport. She possesses
an excellent voice, and is now a member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church choir. (6) Mary H. ,
born in Berrysburg, was a student in the public
schools of Clinton county, and the high school
of Lock Haven. She was married in the latter
place in 1893 to Mackey C. Fargus, of Dunns
town, and now has a son, Grant E. , born in
1895. (7) Edith E., also born in Berrysburg,
and a student in the public schools of Clinton
county and the high school of Lock Haven,
graduated in 1895 at the Central State Normal
School, and has taught for one year in Pine
Creek township, Clinton county. She also sings
in the Methodist Church choir. As will be seen,
the children have all been provided with excel
lent educations, are now rilling important posi
tions in life, and occupy a prominent place in so
cial circles.

WH. DORNBLASER, a leading agricult
urist of Porter township, Clinton county,
is a worthy representative of one of the old
Colonial familes.
Mr. Dornblaser is of the fifth generation in
direct descent from Gotlieb Dornblaser, who
came from Germany before the Revolutionary
war and located in Northampton county, Penn.
This honored pioneer had a son, Paul, who had
a son, John (our subject's grandfather), who set
tled in Nittany Valley at an early date.
Gideon Dornblaser (the father of our subject)
was born July 21, 1817, and was but a boy when
his parents removed to this section. He learned
the carpenter's trade with Matthew Riddle, near
Pleasant Gap, Centre county, but his youth was
mainly spent upon his father's farm, his educa
tion being limited to an attendance at the schools
of that locality. In early manhood he was mar
ried near Nittany Hall to Miss Catherine Miller,
who was born January 7, 1824, the daughter of
John and Eve Miller. After his marriage he set
tled at the old homestead with his father, and,
except for making improvements upon the farm,
he did not work at his trade. In time he pur
chased the farm where he continued to reside
until his death, which occurred September 24,
1866, his life being doubtless shortened by a
severe attack of typhoid fever in 1855. He was
of ordinary build, weighing 148 pounds usually,
and until weakened by the fever he was a most
industrious worker. In the management of his
farm he was very successful, and with the assist
ance of his wife's economy he gained a hand

some competence, being regarded as one of the
substantial men of the neighborhood. He was
prominent in local politics as a member of the
Democratic party, and after serving creditably in
various township offices he was elected, in i860,.
county commissioner. While he held firm
opinions, he was not inclined to argue, and could
always keep his temper in a discussion. In re
ligious work he was active, being a leading mem
ber of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, in which
he held offices almost constantly. Although his
sympathies were readily awakened in behalf of
any movement which promised benefit for the
community, his home and family constituted his
chief interest. On November 28, 1861, his be
loved wife passed to the other -world, and their
remains now rest in the cemetery at Snydertown.
Our subject was the eldest of eight children, the
others being: John M., born May 2, 1846, is a
merchant at Valley Falls, Kans. ; Benjamin F. ,
born June 4, 1848, died in 1855; Mary E., born
August 25, 1849, is now Mrs. Jacob P. Krope,
of Porter, Penn.; Sarah C. , born February 3,
1852, married W. J. Burrell; Miss Emma J.,
born July 24, 1855, resides at Lamar; Clara E. ,
born August 12, 1859, died May 28, i860; and
Samuel G. , born May 10, 1861, is a Lutheran
minister at Columbus, Ohio.
W. H. Dornblaser was born June 30, 1844,
at the present homestead, and his education was
obtained in the Washington school, at what is
now known as Lamar, his first teacher being
Jane Watson. As the eldest son there was al
ways plenty of work for him at home, but his
parents desired him to make the most of his op
portunities and sent him to school as much as
possible. He has resided at the homestead all
his life, and after his father's death he bought a
half interest in the estate, in which he and his
sister, Miss Emma, are now equal owners. The
management of the place devolves entirely upon
him, however, and he is recognized as an enter
prising and successful farmer.
On November 13, 1866, he was married to
Miss Sarah J. Beck, a daughter of Charles Beck,
who is mentioned more fully farther on. Four
children have blessed this union, all of whom
are living: (1) Arthur S., born August 20, 1867,
was educated at the Lock Haven Normal
School, Susquehanna University, Selins Grove,
and the Boston School of Music. At present he
resides at Hagerstown, Md. He married Miss
Betty Isminger, of Funkstown, Md., and has one
child, Madge. (2) Catherine E., born Septem
ber 1, 1869, an attractive young lady now at
home, studied at the Lock Haven Normal School
and later was graduated from the Seminary at

584

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Hagerstown, Md. (3) Dora B., born March 4,
1876, and (4) Edith E., born August 3, 1884,
are at home. Mr. Dornblaser and his wife are
prominent members of the Lutheran Church, in
which he holds the office of deacon, and he is an
active worker in the various social orders, includ
ing the A. O. U. W., at Lock Haven; the K.
G. E., and the P. of H., both of Lamar. Po
litically he is a Democrat, and has served as
school director, overseer of the poor, and asses
sor, holding the latter position two terms.
Charles Beck, the father of Mrs. Dorn
blaser, passed away December 19, 1897, aged
eighty-five years, seven months and one day. For
some time he had made his home with our sub
ject, and was one of the oldest and most highly
esteemed residents of that locality. He was
born May 18, 1812, in Walker township, Centre
county, the son of John and Elizabeth (Snyder)
Beck, and came of a family which has long
been well-known in this section of the State.
For many years he was engaged in agriculture,
in which he was very successful. His wife,
Elizabeth Smith, who was born April 20, 181 1,
near Dunnstown, Clinton county, died Novem
ber 1, 1878, deeply lamented by a large cifcle of
friends. Of their three children, Mrs. Dornblaser
was the youngest. Henry resides in Bellefonte,
and Elizabeth is now the wife of G. W.. Smith,
of the same city.

C\HARLES CORSS, one of the ablest mem-
1 bers of the legal fraternity in this section,
has been in active practice at Lock Haven for
more than thirty-seven years, and his ability and
learning have. won wide recognition.
Mr. Corss traces his descent from some of the
best families of New England. On the paternal
side he is of the sixth generation, in direct line,
from James Corss, who settled in Deerfield, Mass.,
in 1690, and died in 1696. He married Eliza
beth Catlin, and they had a son — James. Dur
ing the sack of Deerfield, in 1703-4, Elizabeth
(Catlin) Corss, then the widow of the pioneer,
was killed, and her youngest child, Elizabeth,
carried captive February 29, 1703-4, by a party
of French and Indians from Quebec.
James Corss (2), born at Deerfield in 1694,
became a man of wealth and influence. He was
a noted hunter and trapper, and during the French
and Indian war he served as a scout. His cour
age and public spirit suffered no diminution as
old age approached, for he participated as a pri
vate soldier in the battle of Bunker Hill, although
he was at that time eighty-one years old. He
married Thankful Munn, and their son Asher,

our subject's great-grandfather, was born in
Greenfield, Mass., in 1737, and became a suc
cessful farmer there, his fine old homestead being
still in the possession of one of his descendants.
Asher Corss (1) married Submit Chapin, and their
son, Asher Corss (2), our subject's grandfather,
was born in Greenfield in 1774, and died in 1814,
his life having been spent in agricultural pursuits.
He married Lucy Grennell, of Greenfield, and
made his home at that place. Our subject's fa
ther, Rev. Charles Chapin Corss, was born at
Greenfield, May 22, 1803, and received an ex
cellent education, graduating from Amherst Col
lege and the Theological Seminary at Princeton,
N. J. Entering the ministry of the Presbyterian
Church, he continued to preach the Gospel for
many years, most of his life being spent in Penn
sylvania, where he located in 1835, residing at
Kingston, then in Athens, and finally in Smith-
field. He attained the venerable age of ninety-
three years, his death occurring in 1896. His
wife, Ann Hoyt, was born in 1817, in King
ston, Penn., and died August 7, 1851. She was
a descendant of Simon Hoyt, who settled at
Salem, Mass., in 1630. Her immediate ances
tors were residents of Danbury, Conn., her great
grandfather, Capt. Comfort Hoyt, and grandfa
ther, Daniel Hoyt, having been prominent citi
zens. Her father, Ziba Hoyt, was born in Dan-
bury, but removed to Kingston in the latter part
of the eighteenth century.
Charles Corss was born July 20, 1837, at the
old home at Kingston, and as his parents fully
appreciated the value of a good education, he
was given every advantage within their reach.
During boyhood he pursued his studies at home
under his. father's guidance, and was thus pre
pared to enter the sophomore year at Lafayette
College, at Easton, Penn., where he was gradu
ated in 1856, as the valedictorian of his class.
In 1859 he received his Master's degree from the
same institution, and was chosen to deliver an
oration. For two years he held the position of
tutor in the college, and in the meantime began
the study of law with Judge Henry D. Maxwell,
of Easton. In i860 he was admitted to the Bar,
and in the fall of the same year he located at
Lock Haven, where he has continued in success
ful practice ever since. In politics he is a stanch
Republican, but he has never sought or held
office. In 1862, Mr. Corss was married to his first
wife, Miss Sarah Ann Kennedy, of Belvidere, N.
J., who died April 7, 1880. On June 5, 1889,
he married Miss Emma Pollock, daughter of ex-
Gov. Pollock, of Philadelphia, Penn. Three
children were born to the first marriage, namely:

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

585

Mrs. J. F. McCormick, of Lock Haven; James
Kennedy, born April 14, 1869, and Sarah Ann,
who was born in 1880, and died in the same year.
One son, Charles Pollock, born in 1892, has
blessed the second union. James Kennedy Corss,
who is a young man of marked ability, was grad
uated from Amherst College and the University
of Pennsylvania, and is now practicing medicine
at Newport News, Va. On April 24, 1895, he
was married to Miss Susan E. Seay, of Cumber
land, Maryland.
Socially, our subject and family are promi
nent, but he has not joined any secret society
since his college days, when he was a member of
the Delta Kappa Epsilon, a Greek letter society.
In religious faith he is a Presbyterian, and since
1 869 he has been a ruling elder in the Church.

MEV. JOHN ELIOT WRIGHT, D. D. , the
 beloved pastor of the Great Island Pres
byterian Church, at Lock Haven, Clinton coun
ty, has a remarkable ancestry, being descended
in both paternal and maternal lines from several
generations of clergymen. The Wright family
originated in the North of Ireland, but it has
been identified with the New World for more
than two hundred years.
Hon. John Wright, the great-grandfather of
our subject, was a resident of Westmoreland
county, Penn., and Rev. John Wright (grandfa
ther of Rev. John Eliot Wright) was a promi
nent minister at Lancaster, Ohio, in early days.
Rev. Edward W. Wright, D. D., our subject's
father, was born and reared at Lancaster, and
when a young man entered the Presbyterian
ministry, locating in Indiana, where he spent the
greater portion of his life. He died in 1866, and
his wife, whose maiden name was Henrietta
Swift, passed away in 1895. She was born in
Pittsburg, Penn., the daughter of Rev. Elisha P.
Swift, D. D., of Allegheny, Penn., and a grand
daughter of Rev. Seth Swift, of Williamstown,
Mass., whose wife was a direct descendant of
John Eliot, the "Apostle to the Indian." The
Swifts and the Eliots are of English extraction,
but both families have been in America for about
two centuries. Rev. Edward Wright and his
wife had a large family of children, of whom the
following are living: Williamson S., of Portland,
Ore.; John E., our subject; Jeannette E. , Ed
ward E., and Mrs. Lucy H. Gerwig, all of Pitts
burg; and E. P. Swift Wright, of New York.
Dr. John Eliot Wright was born December
17, 1842, in Lafayette, Ind., and, having deter
mined upon his vocation at an early age, he ap
plied himself diligently to study, and in 1862

was graduated from Jefferson College, at Can-
onsburg, Penn. In 1864 he was licensed by the
Logansport (Ind.) Presbytery, and in 1865 he
completed his course at the Theological Semi
nary, Princeton, N. J. On December 27, 1866,
his ordination took place at Allegheny, Penn.,
and for two years he remained there as a co-
pastor with Rev. L. L. Conrad in the Second
Presbyterian Church. In 1868 he accepted a
call to the Church at Greenville, Penn., and from
1874 to 1878 he was pastor of the First Presby
terian Church at Walnut Hills, Cincinnati, Ohio.
On leaving that place he took charge of a Church
at Madison, Wis., remaining until 1882. He
then spent some time as pastor of the Jefferson
Park Church, at Chicago, but later removed to
Philadelphia and on April 25, 1883, was installed
as pastor of the Market Square Church, at Ger
mantown. In the fall of 1892, feeling the need
of complete relief from care, he resigned, and
after resting for a few months, he assumed his
present charge, arriving in December, 1893, and
was installed in October, 1894. His work there
and elsewhere has been rewarded with abundant
success, and he is held in high esteem wherever
he is known. At present he is a member of the
board of trustees of the General Assembly of the
Presbyterian Church.
In 1869 Dr. Wright was married to Miss
Ellen M. Kerr, daughter of Rev. John and Annie
(Bakewell) Kerr, of Pittsburg, and three children
brighten their home: Mary Swift, Gifford King,
and Naomi.
ON. J. HARRIS McKINNEY, one of the
1L distinguished citizens of Clinton county,
now serving as associate judge, and a leading
representative of the agricultural interests, has
back of him an ancestry honorable and eminent.
He is a representative of the Scotch-Irish ele
ment that forms so important a factor in our
American citizenship. The name was originally
spelled McKinnie, and the family was founded in
America by the great-grandfather, Henry Mc
Kinney, who was born in Scotland or the north
ern part of Ireland, and came to this country in
1720, settling in Dauphin county, Penn., where
he followed farming. He was married and had
several children, including Henry, James, John
and Mathew. When young men James and
Mathew removed to Mercer county, Penn. The
great-grandfather died in Dauphin county, and
is supposed to have been buried in the historic
graveyard surrounding Derry Church, in which
Church he was a consistent member and faithful
worker. His son, John McKinney, was born on the

586

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

banks of Swatara river, Dauphin county, and
was reared to manhood there, making farming
his life occupation. He was married in his na
tive county to Jane Laird, and they became the
parents of sixteen children, but eleven died in
early life and were buried in Derry churchyard.
Those who reached mature years were John, who
married Nancy Wallace, and died in Northumber
land county, Penn.; James Harris, father of the
Judge; Catharine, wife of John Innes, of Dun
stable township, Clinton county; Mathew, who
died in Porter township, Lycoming county; and
William, who was killed by the falling of a tree
in Northumberland county. The grandfather re
moved with his wife and five children to North
umberland county, in 1780, traveling by team,
and upon the farm which he purchased in Turbut
township spent his remaining days, his remains
being interred with those of the other members
of the family in Derry churchyard. He served
as an elder in Derry Church in Dauphin county,
which was known as the " Fighting Church," for
the members were forced to carry their guns with
them in order to protect themselves from the In
dians. The grandfather, with several others
founded the Warrior Run Church, in Northum
berland county, to which they gave the name of
Derry Church. He was a man of unflinching
honor and very prominent in the community.
James Harris McKinney, father of the Judge,
was born on the bank of Swatara river in Dau
phin county, June 11, 1793, was reared on his
father's farm and obtained a limited education,
which he supplemented by hard study at home.
When nineteen years of age he joined the army
for service in the war of 1812, under Capt. Gas
ton, and did duty at Black Rock, N. Y., with the
Warrior Run Rifle Company. He served his
country faithfully, and was rewarded in later
years with a pension from the government. On
attaining his majority he went to Northumber
land county, where he engaged in farming for
several years. In 1830 he came to Nittany Val
ley and purchased a farm in Clinton county, on
which he made many excellent improvements
during his seven years' residence there. He then
sold and removed to Pine Creek township, pur
chasing the Myers farm, ten miles from Lock
Haven. It comprised 200 acres, and he built
thereon a' handsome brick residence at a cost of
more than $4,000, burning the brick upon his
own land. He also built a barn, and made
many excellent improvements there, developing
one of the finest farms in the township. He
placed his land under a high state of cultivation
and always had a fine grade of stock, taking great
care of his horses and cattle.

James Harris McKinney was married January
1, 18 1 8, in Northumberland county, to Ruth L.
Ferguson, who was born in Northumberland
county, April 11, 1799, a daughter of Andrew
Ferguson, a farmer of Northumberland county,
of Scotch-Irish descent. They had nine children:
John, deceased; Esther G. , deceased wife of
Robert M. Russell, of Dewart, Northumberland
county; Nancy, who died in young womanhood;
Andrew C, a miller of Pine Creek township;
William L. , who died at the age of twenty-two
years; Jane, who died in Nittany Valley; David
F. , a physician and now a resident of Frederick
City, Md., and a surgeon of the 87th Regiment
during the War of the Rebellion, married Mary,
only daughter of William E. Trego, of Baltimore,
Md. ; J. Harris, the Judge; and Priscilla, widow
of Oliver P. Montgomery, of Watsontown, Nor
thumberland county. The father of this family
was a man of domestic tastes who did all in his
power to promote the happiness and welfare of
his family. Realizing the value of education he
gave his children excellent advantages in this di
rection. He was a stanch party man who voted
the Whig ticket in early life and afterward the
Republican. He and his family were consistent
members of the Presbyterian Church. He died
at the old homestead March 14, 1879. His
wife, who had been to him a faithful companion
and helpmeet on life's journey for more than
fifty years, died July 3, 1880, and both were
buried at Jersey Shore. His well-spent life won
him the highest respect of all with whom he
came in contact, and his ability led to his selec
tion for various local offices, in which he served
with credit to himself and satisfaction to his con
stituents. Judge J. Harris McKinney acquired his pri
mary education in the district schools of his na
tive township, and afterward attended the high
school of Jersey Shore, where he was graduated.
He then returned to the farm where he has since
continued. He cared for his parents in their old
age, and after his father's death took charge of
the homestead, upon which he has made some
excellent improvements. He is one of the ex
tensive tobacco growers in this section of the
county, and has built excellent tobacco sheds.
He is recognized as one of the most progressive
farmers, in this section of the county, and the
neat appearance of the place well indicates his
careful supervision.
On August 12, 1874, in Watsontown, North
umberland county, Judge McKinney was married
to Rebecca McKee, who was born in that county,
a daughter of Robert and Sarah (Caldwell) Mc
Kee. Her father was a farmer of Northumber-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

587

land county, and was of Scotch-Irish extraction.
Mrs. McKinney was one of five children, and by
her marriage became the mother of three chil
dren: Sarah McKee and Ruth Ferguson are
twins, the former of whom is a graduate of the
high school in Jersey Shore, taking first honors
in the class of '95, and is pursuing her musical
education, while the latter died in infancy; and
Hester Graham is a student in the high school
of Jersey Shore. The mother died May 29,
1886, and the Judge was again married Novem
ber 21, 1888, his second union being with Miss
Ella Leib, of Wellsboro, Tioga Co., Penn., a
daughter of George Leib, a merchant of that
county. Her death occurred September 5, 1895.
Both of his wives were members of the Presby
terian Church.
Judge McKinney has been prominent in po
litical affairs as a leader of the Republican forces
of his township and county. He was elected
township auditor for six terms, and in 1895 was
elected associate judge of Clinton county by a
good majority, his personal popularity and his
sterling worth winning him many votes of the
Democracy. In the discharge of his duties he is
prompt, reliable and true to the trust reposed in
him. He is an active advocate of the cause of
temperance, is a consistent member of the Pres
byterian Church, in which he has served as elder
and steward, and in the Sunday-school he has
acted as teacher. He is a self-made man, and
has not only advanced along financial lines, but
has developed his scholarly tastes by extensive
reading, and is to-day a well-informed man on
the political and general issues which claim the
public attention. To his family he is an indul
gent father, and with him friendship is inviolable.
He receives and merits the highest regard, and is
well deserving of mention among the honored
citizens of Clinton county.

JUDGE JAMES W. CRAWFORD. Men of
marked ability and strong individuality leave
their impress upon the world in such indeli
ble characters that time is powerless to obliter
ate their memory or sweep it from the minds of
men. Their commendable acts live long after
they have passed from the scene of their earthly
career. Judge Crawford is one of the strong charac
ters who have become an integral part of the
business life of Clinton county, and by the exer
cise of his powers has not only advanced his in
dividual prosperity, but has contributed to the
welfare of the county. He has filled public po
sitions of honor and trust in a most creditable

manner, and has won the utmost regard of all
with whom he has come in contact. He is now
one of the leading agriculturists of Chapman
township, was born October 15, 1832, near
Chatham Run, in Pine Creek township, Clinton
county, while his father, James Allison Crawford,
was a native of Wayne township, the same
county, a son of Robert Crawford and a brother
of the late Judge George Crawford, an old settler
of Pine Creek township. The father obtained
only such an education as the subscription schools
of his day afforded, and was reared on the home
farm in Wayne township. When a young man
he removed to the present site of Charleston,
Pine Creek township, where he purchased a
small tannery and engaged in its operation until
1837, when he bought the Duncan farm in that
township, improving and cultivating the same
for ten years. In 1847 be removed with his
family to Lock Haven and embarked in mer
chandising, which business he successfully carried
on until 1855, when he sold out and returned to
his farm in Pine Creek township. In 1862 he
rented the place and again moved to Lock Haven,
where he engaged in lumbering a short time
and lived retired until his death, which occurred
in that city, August 12, 1884, his remains being
interred in Highland cemetery. He and his
family were consistent members of the Presbyte
rian Church, and in politics he was a stalwart
Democrat, but no politician in the sense of office-
seeking. In Pine Creek township, James Allison
Crawford was married to Miss Tabitha White,
who was born in that township, a daughter of
James and Elizabeth (Whitesall) White, the
former of English descent. Eight children were
born of this union, namely: Robert, who died
in 1878; Elizabeth, widow of R. R. Bridgens,
of Lock Haven; James W. ; Charlotte, who died
in childhood; Emma, wife of Alexander McDon
ald, of New York City; George, who resides on
the old homestead; Thomas E. , a contractor, of
Lock Haven; and Isabella, wife of S. Peck, of
West Virginia. The mother died in Lock Ha
ven in 1890, and was also buried in Highland
cemetery. Judge Crawford began his education in an old
log schoolhouse supplied with plank benches and
other primitive furniture, having for his teachers
Alexander Hamilton and a Mr. Walters. After
the removal of the family to Lock Haven, he
continued his studies in the public schools dur
ing the winter, while during the summer months
he worked in his father's store, and in his em
ploy also spent one year in the lumber business
in Clearfield county. In 1850 he came to North

588

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Bend (then known as Young Womanstown)
where he worked in the general store of his
father and Michael Quigley, and also looked
after other business interests of his father, re
maining in their employ for four years, during
which time he managed to save some money.
He then purchased his father's interest in the
store for $1,300, and, in partnership with Mr.
Quigley, carried on business until in 1861 with
good success. He then turned his attention to
the lumber business, buying timber and engag
ing in the manufacture of lumber and shipping it
to different points, and in this enterprise he was
•connected with Gammel, White & Co., for sev
eral years. He is still interested in the business.
His present farm in Chapman township is com
prised of 117 acres which he purchased in 1877.
On this place in 1855 he erected a comfortable
residence where he continues making his home,
surrounded by all the comforts and many of the
luxuries of life, which have been obtained
through his own individual effort, sound judg
ment, and good business ability.
In 1854, at North Bend, Mr. Crawford was
married to Miss Frances A. Quigley, a native of
that place and a daughter of Michael Quigley, a
prominent merchant, lumberman and farmer, who
was of German and Irish descent. To them were
pborn six children: Emma, widow of Samuel W.
Mensch; Tabitha, at home; Lottie McD., wife
of Frank Ransdorf, and James, Annie B. and
Fannie A., all of whom died in childhood. The
family is one of prominence, being the center of
a large circle of friends and acquaintances. 'Be
ing an ardent Democrat, Mr. Crawford was
elected on that ticket, in 1885, associate judge of
Clinton county, and so satisfactorily did he fill
the office for a term of five years that in 1890 he
was again the nominee of his party, and was also
endorsed by the Republican party, which made
no nomination against him, to serve again, thus
being elected without, opposition, a fact which in
dicates his popularity and the confidence and
trust reposed in him by his fellow-citizens. For
fifteen years he served as school director in Chap
man township, and at the same time also served
as auditor, but after the law was passed prevent
ing a citizen from holding the two offices at once,
he resigned the latter. He belongs to Lock
Haven Lodge No. 199, F. & A. M. ; Lock Haven
Lodge No. 182, P. B. O. E., and with his fam
ily is a member of the Presbyterian Church. His
life has been well spent, marked by integrity in
business relations and fidelity to every duty,
public or private. His sterling worth has gained
him the uniform regard of all, and Clinton county
is glad to number him among her citizens.

W LVA S. GROW, the efficient and popular
J&L register and recorder of Clinton county,
with residence at Lock Haven, is a native of
the county, born July 28, 1856, at Mill Hall.
Mathias Grow, father of our subject, was a
soldier in the Civil war, having enlisted in Com
pany C, 137th P. V. I., and died in December,
1862, in Findlay Hospital, Washington, District
of Columbia. Alva S. Grow received his education in the
Soldiers' Orphan Schools of the State, for a time
attending one at McAlisterville, Juniata county.
In October, 1872, he entered the office of the
Clinton Democrat, where he passed three years,
learning the printing trade and assisting the edi
tor, Hon. J. C. C. Whaley, with the local de
partment of the paper. In October, 1877, Mr.
Grow became a member of the Journal Associa
tion, in company with Ira M. Harvey, John T.
Noble and H. Byxbe, in which he continued un
til the spring of 1878, when he went to Belle
fonte, becoming local editor of the Bellefonte Re
publican. In February, 1879, he was elected
assistant burgess on the same ticket with (now)
Gov. D. H. Hastings, who was elected chief
burgess, and he remained at Bellefonte until July
1, 1879, when he returned to Lock Haven and
purchased the Journal newspaper establishment.
Mr. Grow enjoys the distinction of being the
first person to introduce printing by steam in
Clinton county, and at the same time was the
owner of the most rapid press in the county,
even to the present time. In December, 1883,
the Journal fixtures were sold to a New York
party, and for a time our subject engaged in
newspaper work in Philadelphia. In the spring
of 1884 he became a member of the firm of
George T. Bisel & Co., publishers and booksell
ers, of Philadelphia, remaining with the firm un
til May,' 1889, when, selling out his interest
therein, he returned to Lock Haven, and at once
entered the office of Charles M. O'Connor, as
general manager of that gentleman's extensive
business. In August, 1891, Mr. Grow received the nom
ination of the Republican party for register and
recorder of Clinton county, and at the Novem
ber election of that year was elected by a major
ity of 582. In 1894 he was re-elected, and was
thus serving his second term, when, in October,
1897, he was appointed State bank examiner by
Gov. Hastings, and at once assumed the duties
of his new office. He has been actively identi
fied with the efforts to establish new enterprises
in Lock Haven, and in every matter pertaining
to the welfare of the county he has given much
time. Mr. Grow is a trustee of the Central

/£? A *&r*u>s

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

589

Normal School, a director of the Lock Haven
Librarv, a member of the executive committee
of the Board of Trade, and president of the Lock
Haven Business-Men's Club.
In September, 1883, our subject was married
to Elizabeth W. Cummings, a most estimable
Christian woman, who died in December, 1895,
leaving to survive her a son.

BANIEL QUIGGLE, Esq., who has' been for
twenty years past a justice of the peace in
and for Wayne township, Clinton county, is one
of the oldest citizens of that locality, and is held
in the highest esteem by all who know him. One
remarkable fact in connection with his long pub
lic service is that no appeal has ever been taken
from his court, and this speaks volumes for the
impartiality and wisdom which have so com
pletely won the confidence of the people.
Squire Quiggle was born August 27, 18 18, at
the old family homestead on the banks of the
Susquehanna river, in the same township in
which he now resides. He was the eldest child
of George Quiggle and his second wife, Cather
ine (Strayer) Quiggle, who are more fully men
tioned elsewhere. The family has been identi
fied with the locality from an early day, and our
subject's brothers, Jacob, Robert C, Thomas,
and Richard (now deceased), all settled in the
vicinity. The Squire was educated in the sub
scription schools of his boyhood days, the house
being built of logs and furnished with plank
benches and slab desks. His attendance was
limited to three months in winter, as his father
needed his help at home in clearing and grub
bing the timber land which he had purchased for
a homestead, and in the other work of the farm.
Until he reached the age of twenty-six the
Squire remained at home; but in 1844 he was
married in Wayne township to Miss Delilah
Matter, and on assuming this new responsibility
he engaged in work on his own account, secur
ing employment -on the canal, which was then
being constructed. Two summers were spent in
this way, the winters being devoted to lum
bering in the woods, and then he removed to
Pine Creek township, Clinton county, where
he conducted for five years the hotel known
as the '.' Half-way House. " The year following
was passed at Jersey Shore, but in 1856 he re
turned to his native township and settled upon
the farm where he now resides. He is an excel
lent manager, and his property has greatly im
proved under his care, a comfortable residence
with barn and other outbuildings having been
built by him. During all this time he was more

or less interested in buying and selling grain and
lumber, and for forty-six years he was a pilot on
the Susquehanna river, being employed at vari
ous times in taking "arks" and rafts from Lock
Haven to Marietta and Columbia, Penn. In
1892 he retired from active business, but not
withstanding his many years of toil he is still
hale and hearty, few young men possessing his
strength. Politically, the Squire is a Democrat of the
deepest dye, having voted the party ticket since
Van Buren's candidacy. In 1878 he was elected
justice of the peace, and has served continuously
since that date, settling many disputes satisfac
torily. During this time he has solemnized two
marriages. At different periods he has been
called to fill other offices, and he has served as
judge of election, township assessor, and tax col
lector, holding the latter position three years.
Our subject and his estimable wife have had
five children, all of whom lived'to adult age: (1)
Catherine married Joseph Shuler, of Lykens,
Penn., and they have two children — Michael and
Maude. (2) Daniel A., a mechanic at McKees-
port, Penn., married Miss Anne Hahndice, and
has had five children — Louise, Martha, Grace,
Dora, and Edna. (3) Michael S., an employee
of the National Pipe Line, married Miss Carrie
Probs, of Woodward township, Clinton county,
who died in Wayne township, leaving no chil
dren. (4) Robert T. , a resident of Beech Creek,
Penn., married Miss Elizabeth Wilson, and has
had eight children — Stewart, Jane, James, John,
Scott, Guy, Tissie, and one whose, name is not
given, who died at an early age. (5) Binnie,
who died in 1887, was the wife of R. Overdorf,
of Nippenose Valley. Squire Quiggle and his
family are Methodists in religious faith, and for
many years he has been a leading member of the
Church and a teacher in the Sunday-school.
Mrs. Quiggle, with whom our subject has
now spent more than a half century of happy
wedded life, was born February 10, 1824, in
Lykens Valley, Dauphin county, Penn. Her
grandfather, John Matter, a native of Germany,
located there at an early date, purchasing land
for a homestead where he and his wife, whose
name is not now recalled, passed their remaining
years. They were members of the Lutheran
Church, and reared their family in that faith.
George Matter, Mrs. Quiggle's father, was born
at the old home in Lykens Valley, and was edu
cated in both English and German in the schools
of the locality, being especially well-read in the
latter language. Although he was a cooper by
trade he followed farming throughout his life,
and in 1838 he removed from his native place to-

590

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Sugar Valley, Clinton county, where he resided
for four years. He then settled in Stone Valley,
Huntingdon county, Penn., making a permanent
home, and his death occurred there in 1858.
Politically he was always a Democrat, and, like
his parents, he remained a devoted adherent of
the Lutheran Church. He was married in Ly
kens to Miss Riggle, who died in 1836. They
had five children: Jacob, who died in Lykens
Valley; Jonathan, a merchant at Lykens; May,
wife of Samuel Hoover, of Jackson township,
Huntingdon county; Leah, deceased, whose hus
band, James Heller, was killed in the Civil war;
and Delilah, the wife of oursubject. Mrs. Quig
gle was only fourteen years old when she first
came to Clinton county. She received a good
education in German, being able to read and
write in that language, and she speaks English
well. The study of the Bible is a delight to her,
and she has read the entire volume through
eleven times, arid the Testament thirty-two
times. Although now a sufferer from rheuma
tism, she has always been an active worker, be
ing devoted to her family, and she has the repu
tation of being the best cook in the township.

ICHARD ARMSTRONG, M. D., of Lock
Haven, Clinton county, has descended from
a family of prominence and one whose history is
interesting. In the belt of country in the south
ern part of Scotland near the border of England
and now embraced in the counties of Dumfries
and Roxburgh, once dwelt some of the most re
nowned of the Scottish lowland families, among
whom were the clans Johnston, Elliot, Douglass,
Maxwell, Chrisholm and Armstrong, and of these
the clan Amstrong, of which the subject of this
sketch is a worthy descendant, was one of the
most noted, most numerous, and most powerful.
Leonard M. Morrison in his "Rambles in
Europe " treats of the history of this family in an
interesting style, and we will borrow liberally
from his account. The section of country was
called the "Debatable Land," for although it was
in Scotland it was subject to the claims of England.
It was often overrun by the armies of each King
dom, and sometimes stripped and despoiled by
both, and by the very necessities of their condi
tions and the troubled circumstances in which they
were placed by the lawlessness of the age, they
were forced to resort to expedients not justifiable
in a more enlightened era. It is interesting to
note the origin and antiquity of the name Arm
strong, as it was without doubt conferred upon
some individual of great physical strength or to
keep in perpetual remembrance some act of

devotion and bravery. This supposition is sus
tained by the tradition that a Scottish King
having his horse killed under him in battle was
immediately remounted by Fairbairn, his armor-
bearer, who took the king by the thigh and set
him on his saddle. For this timely assistance the
king rewarded him with lands on the border and
gave him the appellation of Armstrong, assigning
him for a crest a mailed hand or arm, in the left
hand a leg or foot in armor, couped at the thigh,
all proper. This crest is borne at the present
day by some branches of the family. It was
borne in the county of Cumberland, England, in
1235, and at Berwick on Tweed in 1335. The
name is an ancient one, and is found spelled in
forty-four different ways. Letters of safe con
duct were granted to William Armstrong in 1362
and 1363. It is not till 1376 that any of the
name can be identified as belonging to Liddens-
dale, in the "Debatable Country, " but they may
have been there many years before. Soon after
1376 Alexander and David Armstrong are men
tioned in the family record: Robert Armstrong
and Margaret Temple, his wife, being in posses
sion of a portion of a manor in Thorpe, England,
in 1377. Mangerton castle was an important seat of
the Armstrongs and the residence of Thomas
Armstrong, the chief of one of its branches, and
brother of Johnnie Armstrong, of Gilmockie.
The original deed of the family having been lost
or destroyed, the towns and lands were re-granted
by Francis, Earl of Bothwell, to Launcelot Arm
strong on October 9, 1586, and remained in pos
session of his descendants till about 1730. It
stood on the southwest bank of the Liddel river,
about twenty miles northeast of Carlisle, Eng
land, and its ruins can still be seen. Another
important seat of the family was at the " Hol
lows " in Cannobie, on the bank of or near the
river Esk. Here dwelt Johnnie Armstrong,
sometimes called "Gilmockie," a celebrated bor
der Chieftain who caused both the English and
the Scottish people considerable trouble. He was
treacherously taken prisoner with many of his
retainers in 1530, by King James V. of Scotland,
and he and thirty-five of his men were hanged at
Carbenrig. His name is still a familiar one upon
the border and in the border poetry. Many of
the Armstrongs repose in the old cemetery of
Castleton, and on one monument we find the
name of the Rev. Robert Armstrong, who died
April 16, 1732, aged seventy-two. He was the
father of Dr. John Armstrong, a somewhat noted
physician and poet of London, whose writings can
be found in the Linen Hall Library in Belfast, •
Ireland. There are also stones erected to the

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

591

memory of Rev. William Armstrong and to
Robert Armstrong, "shepherd," thus denoting
his occupation, as is common in the old burial
places. The " Willhelm Cross" was erected in
memory of some Armstrong as early as 1350.
The Clan Armstrong in its palmiest days
(about 1528) numbered with its adherents up
wards of three thousand horsemen, and the dis
ruption of the clan came about 1530. The race
is not numerous in the locality in which it origi
nated; yet many members of it are found in Eng
land; great numbers in Ireland, and not a few in
the United States and the British provinces. It
is safe to say that every person of the name
Armstrong, who rightfully bears that name, is
descended from the powerful clan on the border
of the " Debatable Country." Among the many
prominent men of the name on this side of the
blue sea, may be mentioned George W. Arm
strong, Esq., of Brookline, Mass.,. and Gen. S.
C. Armstrong, president of Hampton Institute,
Virginia. Another member of the clan who de
serves especial mention is Rev. Richard Arm
strong, our subject's uncle, for whom he was
named. For many years he was a missionary in
the Sandwich Isles, and did much good among
the natives of that far-off land.
The branch of the family to which our sub
ject belongs became identified with Pennsyl
vania at a very early day. James Armstrong,
the grandfather of our subject, was a resident of
the State, and James Armstrong (2), our sub
ject's father, passed his life within its borders,
following surveying and teaching. He was a
quiet, unassuming citizen, but he was held in
high esteem by all who knew him. He died in
1871, and his wife, Mary Reader, who was also a
native of Pennsylvania, died in 1870. They had
five children (three sons and two daughters),
and of those three are now living: Dr. Arm
strong, who is the eldest of the survivors, is men
tioned more fully below; George B., residing in
Troy, Penn. ; and Mary E. is the wife of Frank
Morgan, of Troy, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Richard Armstrong, of this review, was
born June 15, 1832, at McEwensville, Northum
berland Co., Penn., and received his literary ed
ucation in the academy at that place. From an
early age he had a clear perception as to his
proper vocation, and at sixteen he began the
study of medicine in the office of Dr. R. H. Wat
son, of McEwensville. In 1850 he entered Jef
ferson Medical College, Philadelphia, where he
was graduated in 1854, and at once engaged in
practice there, in partnership with his preceptor.
In 1856 he removed to Lock Haven, and has
since been continuously engaged in practice there,

his forty-one years of earnest professional work
making him the senior practitioner of that lo
cality. His skill and ability are widely recog
nized, and he takes a prominent part in various
professional organizations, being a member of
the Clinton County Medical Society, and a per
manent member of the State Medical Society,
and of the American Medical Association. He
was elected one of the vice-presidents of State
Medical Society at its meeting in Philadelphia
May, 1894, and at present he is one of the vice-
presidents of the Alumni of Jefferson Medical
College, Philadelphia. He has also served on
the Board of Pension Examiners, and his advice
and influence are valued in lines outside of his
profession, as he has been a trustee of the State
Normal School at Lock Haven ever since it was
founded. In religious faith he is a Presbyterian,
and has served for many years as an elder in the
Church at Lock Haven. In politics he is a Re
publican, but has held himself aloof from the
partisan strife and from the scramble for official
honors. On November 3, 1857, he married Miss
Mary Fenton Kintzing, daughter of Tench Kintz
ing, Sr., and a member of an old Philadelphia
family. She passed away May 24, 1894, leav
ing four children: "Carrie K. , wife of F. J.
Duffner, of Allegheny City, Penn. ; Miss M.
Gertrude, who is at home; William N. , a med
ical student, and Miss Mary E. , now at home.

JOHN DORNBLASER, a venerable octogen
arian and retired agriculturist residing at
Lock Haven, Clinton county, bears the
name of a family that through generations have
played an honorable part in the history of Penn
sylvania. Gotlieb Dornblaser, his great-grandfather,
came to this country before the Revolutionary
war, and located in Lower Nazareth township,
Northampton county. He had two sons and
three daughters, namely: Paul died in North
ampton county; John died in Ohio; Mrs. Stein-
inger died near Bath, Penn. ; Mrs. John Fogle
lived near Foglesville, Penn. ; and Mrs. Shaffer
died in Ohio. Of these, Paul (the grandfather of
our subject) had nine children, seven living to
old age. Two died in infancy. The seven were:
Joseph, Thomas, Mary, Benjamin, Jacob, John,
and George. Of these, John Dornblaser (the
father of our subject) was born January 14,
1787, in Lower Nazareth township, Northamp
ton county, and on March 22, 18 12, in the same
county, was married to Catherine Lawall, born
July 16, 1788, a daughter of William H. and

592

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Elizabeth (Naulin) Lawall, and their children
were: Peter, born February 21, 181 3; John
(our subject); Gideon, born July 21, 18 17;
Thomas, born February 15, 1821, died August
14, 183,8; Elizabeth, born September 10, 1823,
married William Myers, and died in Porter
township; Benjamin, born October 12, 1828,
went to Illinois, served in the war of the Rebel
lion, lived at Joliet, later in Shelby county, and
now resides at Fredonia, Kans. The father of
these was a man of considerable prominence and
of great usefulness. During the war of 1812 he
served as captain of a company from his section
of the State that went to oppose the advance of
the British on Philadelphia. Subsequently for
years he was a captain in the State militia. He
was a farmer in Northampton county, and there
lived until in April, 1831, when he came to that
part of Nittany Valley, which is now Porter
township, Clinton county, having purchased his
land from the Watson heirs. He became one of
the leading men of the locality, and was always
to the front in every move made for the Welfare
of the people of the county. He served as
county commissioner. He was active in Church
affairs, and his influence for good was great. His
death occurred on the homestead, October 17,
1862, and that of his wife on the same place,
October 4, 1846; both are buried in Snydertown
cemetery, in Centre county. They were mem
bers of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. In
politics Mr. Dornblaser was a stanch Democrat.
John Dornblaser, our subject, was born De
cember 30, 181 5, in Lower Nazareth township,
Northampton county. He was reared on a farm,
and came with his parents to the lands in Porter
township on which they located. The journey
was made in a white covered wagon drawn by
five horses, and they were six days on the road.
Though only a lad at the time, Mr. Dornblaser
remembers all the details of the trip. The coun
try here was then new, and the schools did not
afford many advantages for an education. He
followed farming until 1879, when he came to
Lock Haven and retired from active life. In
1844 he was married to Mary M. Bartholomew,
a native of Clinton county, born October 17,
1825, and a daughter of George and Catherine
(Best) Bartholomew. Their children were: Reu
ben, Sarah and Emanuel died in infancy; Lewis
W. is a farmer of Porter township; Henry is a
Lutheran minister at Springfield, Ohio; Mary C.
died in childhood; and Harriet E. is now Mrs. J.
H. Long, of Flemington, Penn. Our subject,
after his marriage and until he came to Lock
Haven, resided on what is known as the old
Brownlee farm. He has at this time a small

tract of land in the borough of Flemington, which
he farms. He is remarkably well-preserved for
a man of his years, retaining his mental faculties
almost unimpaired. He has been an active
citizen, industrious and economical, and now is
comfortably situated, and lives in ease and hap
piness surrounded by a family of which he is
justly proud. He has served as county auditor,
conducting the affairs of the office in a most
business-like manner. He is identified with the
Lutheran Church, to which he has been a liberal
contributor. In politics he is a Democrat.
Referring again to the Lawall family, Will
iam H. , the maternal grandfather of our subject,
was of German extraction, and resided on the
Easton and Bethlehem road in Northampton
county. He kept a tavern at Farmersville in
that county. He was one of several children,
among whom were: Michael; one that married
John Brown and resided at Stroudsburg, Penn.;
one that married Christian Brown and resided at
Nazareth, Penn. ; one that married John Snyder
and resided in Walker township, Centre county;
and one that married a Mr. Boyer and lived near
Farmersville. The children of William Lawall and
wife, Elizabeth Naulin, were: Daniel W., Will
iam, Peter, Michael, George, Mrs. Erdman, Mrs.
Glouse, Mrs. Cole, Mrs. Townsend, Mrs. Roth-
rock, Mrs. Snable, and Mrs. John Dornblaser.

WILSON KISTLER. For nearly thirty
years Mr. Kistler has been prominently
identified with the business and social interests
of Lock Haven, Clinton county. At the head of one
of the city's greatest industries for so many years
and a long period of service as one of the direct
ors of the First National Bank, he has gained a
reputation as a financier and safe business man
enjoyed by few.
Stephen Kistler, his father,- was born Octo
ber 31, 1 8 14, at Kistlers Valley, Lehigh Co.,
Penn. He was a tinner by trade, and followed
that business as an occupation throughout his
life. On arriving at manhood he married Esther
Mosser, who, too, was a native of Pennsylvania,
born at Mosserville, Lehigh county, May 24,
1 8 16. Their children were: Rufus, of Mt. Jew-
ett, Penn. ; Milo, of Tannersville, Penn. ; Mich
ael D., of Morgantown, N. C. ; Wilson, our
subject; and two — a daughter and a son — who
died after arriving at womanhood and manhood.
The father of these, who was a conservative
business man of practical ideas, and possessed of
good common sense, died in 1880, his estimable
wife having preceded him three year's, dying in
1877; she was a woman of many good traits of

dU-srx

%S

-i

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

593

character, and her death was keenly felt by
many friends and acquaintances.
Wilson Kistler was born October 12, 1845,
at Lehighton, Penn., his father removing to
Tanners ville, Penn., in 1850, where he received
his education in the common schools of that
place, and at the Allentown Seminary. In 1863,
when General Lee was threatening an invasion
of Pennsylvania, though but a lad, young Kistler
offered his services to the government and joined
the energency men called out by the government,
and performed several months' service in the
southern part of the State as a member of Com
pany H, 27th Regiment, under Col. Frick. On
returning to his home, then at Tannersville,
Penn., he began working in his father's tannery,
arid remained there employed until in 1871 when
he came to Lock Haven. His brother, Charles
E. , now deceased (one of the two deceased chil
dren of the family referred to), had preceded him
here one year, and established the West Branch
Tannery, which has since been developed into
so great an industry. On coming to Lock Haven
he joined his brother in the enterprise to the ad
vancement of which he has ever since given his
best efforts; as a result we see now a plant of
considerable magnitude, and one to which the
city points with pride, as it gives steady employ
ment the year round to some one hundred hands
and keeps in circulation many dollars. The ca
pacity of the tannery is nearly one hundred thou
sand hides per year. The partnership of the two
brothers continued until the death of Charles E. ,
March 22, 1880, since which time Wilson has
carried on operations alone. Besides the tan
nery in question Mr. Kistler is interested in tan
neries at St. Mary's, Johnsonburg, Mt. Jewett,
Penn., and at Morgantown, N. C. He is also
interested in the commission business of Kistler,
Lesh & Co., of Boston, Mass. Mr. Kistler is a
broad-gauged business man, and a successful one.
He is a stockholder in the First National Bank
of Lock Haven, of which he is vice-president.
Since 1872 he has been identified with the Demo
cratic party, following the gold wing of that party
in 1896. He has been absorbed too deeply in
business to enter politics to any great extent,
never having aspired to political preferment. He
has acceptably served his fellow-citizens as a
member of the city council for six years. He is
a member of the F. & A. M. and of the Lock
Haven Club.
On May 28, 1867, Mr. Kistler was united in
marriage with Henrietta Stauffer, a native of
Tannersville, born March 24, 1848; she was the
daughter of Jacob S. and Anna Stauffer, natives
of Pennsylvania. To our subject and his wife
38*

have come the following children: M. Gertrude,
the wife of B. W. Frederick, of Chicago, 111. ;
and Sedgwick, who is still living at home. The
parents of these are identified with the Presby
terian Church of Lock Haven.

FREDERICK BRUNGART, Sr., the oldest
living male representative of one of the
most honored and highly-respected families of
Nittany Valley, was born December 11, 18 17,
in Miles township, Brush Valley, Centre Co.,
Penn., a son of Jacob and Margaret (Gephart)
Brungart. The family is a numerous one in both
Brush and Nittany Valleys, and was founded here
in 1798 by Martin Brungart, who came from the
vicinity of Hanover, York Co., Penn., and pur
chased the interest of a Mr. Kreamer in a tract
of land in the east end of Brush Valley, where
he located permanently. He and his wife died
there, and were buried in the old cemetery at Re
bersburg. In the family of this worthy couple was Jacob
Brungart, our subject's father, who was born
January 15, 1786-, and died September 5, 1862.
When but a boy he went with his parents to
Brush Valley, where he was reared and married
to a Miss Weaver, by whom he had three chil
dren: Polly, Susan and John. For his second
wife he chose Margaret Gephart, and to them
were born the following children: Martin; George;
Jacob; Frederick; Samuel; Catharine, wife of
Adam Bear; Margaret, wife of Jacob Smeltzer;
Regina, wife of John Shaffer; and Sarah, wife of
William Johnson. The daughters by the first
wife — Mary (or Polly) married John Heckman;
and Susan married John Weaver. The father
was one of the most successful, thrifty and highly
esteemed farmers of Brush Valley, owning sev
eral fine farms, three of which were in Nittany
Valley, Clinton county, and these he gave to his
sons, John, George and Frederick, who in that
order came to this locality.
The subject of this sketch conned his lessons
in the Brungart school in the east end of Brush
Valley, which was conducted on the subscription
plan, and James McGhee was one of his first
teachers. He early became familiar with all the
duties which fall to the lot of the agriculturist,
and often in boyhood took loads of grain to
market for his father, going as far as Lewisburg.
When a young.man he used to come to Nittany
Valley to assist his brothers who had previously
located here, and in the spring of 1842 he took
up his residence upon his present farm in Lamar
township, Clinton county, living in the same
house which has since been greatly remodeled

594

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

and enlarged. The farm at that time was about
half cleared, and to its further development and
cultivation he at once devoted his attention, and
now has one of the most desirable places in the
locality. On February 27, 1842, in Sugar Valley, Mr.
Brungart was married to Miss Elizabeth Reda-
bach, who was born January 30, 1818, in Brush
Valley, the daughter of Peter and Elizabeth
(Miller) Redabach. She died July 25, 1883, and
was laid to rest in Cedar Hill cemetery. She
left three children, as follows: (1) William L.,
born December 5, 1842, was educated in the
common schools, and was a schoolmate of Gov.
Daniel H. Hastings. He has always engaged in
agricultural pursuits, and has spent his entire life
on the home farm. He is a Democrat in poli
tics, is a wide-awake and progressive citizen, and
an excellent farmer. On September 12, 1872,
he was married, in Lewisburg, Penn., to Miss
Mary J. Bierly,. who -was born in April, 1841, a
daughter of Melchoir and Catharine (Gephart)
Bierly. There were only two children in her
father's family who reached years of maturity,
the other being Charles Bierly, a resident of
Rebersburg. William L. Brungart and wife
have o,ne son — Charles A., born October 14,
1874, and still at home. (2) Jacob E., the sec
ond son of our subject, was born August 26,
1846, and is now engaged in clerking in Hughes-
ville, Lycoming Co., Penn. (3) Mary J., born
December 12, 1850, is the wife of Rev. A. J.
Gramley, an Evangelical minister now living in
Ohio. At each Presidential election since attaining
his majority, our subject has never failed to cast
his ballot for the Democratic candidate, and he
has always taken an active and commendable in
terest in public affairs. He is a faithful member
of the United Evangelical Church, and has for
years served as trustee of the same. Although
in his youth he had several very severe spells of
sickness, he is still well-preserved, is quiet and
unassuming, and has a host of friends and a large
circle of acquaintances throughout his adopted
county, who appreciate his sterling worth and
many excellencies of character.

FETER B. SMITH, ex-sheriff of Clinton coun
ty, and now, though passed man's alloted
years, the affable, courteous and genial landlord
of the "Eagle Hotel," a hostelry long popular
at Lock Haven, is a representative of a family
who settled in what is now Clinton county a hun
dred or more years ago.
Adam Smith, his father, was born in 1800, in

the West Branch Valley, in what is now Wood
ward township, Clinton county, his parents hav
ing come from Dauphin county, this State, as
early as 1800-, and located on the "Muncytown
flats. " , On this original farm Adam Smith passed
the greater part of his life. He was a man of
sunny disposition, genial and whole-souled, which
attracted to him many friends and gave him great
popularity. He was possessed of good business
qualifications, and was a useful man in the com
munity. He was a progressive man, and was
honored by the people of his section by an elec
tion to the board of county commissioners, the
duties of which he discharged acceptably. His
death occurred in 1876, when aged seventy-six
years. His wife, Hannah Best, born in 1804,
in Northampton county, was the daughter of
Peter Best; she died in January, 1868, aged sixty-
four years. Of their children now living Peter
B., our subject, is the eldest; the others are:
Judge JohnW., of Lock Haven, Clinton county;
Robert F., of Lockport, and Kinley D., of Mill
Hall. Those deceased are: Elizabeth Packer
and A. B. Smith.
Peter B. Smith was born November 5, 1826,
on the home farm, and was there reared amid ag
ricultural pursuits. In the days of his youth that
section was quite primitive, the old school-house
that he attended was one built of logs, having a
puncheon floor and slab seats; his teachers were
men of little learning, and his opportunities for
receiving an education were necessarily limited.
At the age of eighteen years he left the farm and
went to Elk county and engaged in lumbering.
He was there six years, and in 1850 he returned
to Woodward township, Clinton county, and was
there occupied in farming until 1 869, when he
accepted a position as jailer under his brother,
then sheriff of the county. He filled this posi
tion three years, then engaged in the livery busi
ness at Lock Haven, and in 1881 he was elected
sheriff of the county. He served one term — three
years, making an efficient officer. On the expir
ation of his term of office, he engaged in the ho
tel business, and has ever since successfully con
ducted the "Eagle Hotel," of which property he
is the owner. As a good citizen and business
man he commands the respect and esteem of his
fellow-citizens. His life has been an upright and
honorable one.
On January 21, 1846, Mr. Smith was married
to Elizabeth Herr, of Lycoming county, Penn.,
who was born November 9, 1829* in Germany,
and of the children born to the union four sur
vive, namely: A. D., Robert N., Clara C. (Mrs.
George A. Brown), and H. C. (Mrs. William Ma
haffey), of Mahaffey, Penn. Those deceased are:

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

595

Mary, Elizabeth. The mother of these died in
1884, and in 1887 our subject was married to
Amy' P- Salmon, of Lock Haven. In politics
Mr. Smith is a Democrat. Aside from his career
as sheriff he has served in some local offices. He
is a Knight Templar, F. & A. M.

JOSEPH EDWARD TIBBINS, M. D., who
loyally served his country in the Civil war,
is now successfully engaged in the practice
of medicine in Beech Creek, and is a man of
broad humanitarian principles whose deep interest
in his profession and in his fellowmen has made
him very successful in his chosen calling.
Born November 18, 1847, in Centre county,
in Nittany Valley, Dr. Tibbins is a son of
Samuel and Elizabeth (Garbrick) Tibbins, both
of whom were natives of Pennsylvania and
spent their entire Lives in this State-. The father
carried on agricultural pursuits throughout his
active business career, and was called to his final
rest in 1897 after passing the eightieth mile
stone on life's journey. His estimable wife died
in 1879. Their children are William; Henry J.;
Angeline, wife of John Noll; Joseph E. ; Jemima,
wife of Edward Godun; Elizabeth, wife of Potter
Tate; Alice, widow of Jacob Showers; and Sam
uel I.
Dr. Tibbins acquired his primary education
in the common schools, and supplemented it by
study in a seminary, and in the Centre County
Normal. He remained on the home farm until
seventeen years of age, and then donned the blue
in defense of his country, in the Civil war, enlist
ing in Company I, 98th P. V. I. He was in
active service for three and a half months, and
upon receiving his discharge returned to his home
where he again entered school. In a short time,
however, he turned his attention to teaching,
and followed that • profession for five terms.
During this time he was reading medicine under
the preceptorship of Dr. Joseph Holloway and
Dr. Dorsworth. In 1875 he was graduated in
the Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia,
and at once came to Beech Creek, where he
opened an office. He is now established in a
lucrative practice, and in his professional work
has been very successful. From the faithful
performance of each day's duty, he finds strength
and inspiration for the labors of the next and his
ability has given him high rank among his pro
fessional brethren. Since 1893 he has served as
a member of the board of pensibn examiners of
Clinton county.
In 1868 Dr. Tibbins was married to Emma
K. Hoy, of Centre county, who died in January,

1872, leaving one son, Dr. George Hoy Tibbins,
now a practitioner of Wyoming county, Penn.
In June, 1873, the Doctor was again married, his
second union being with Emma J. McDowell, a na
tive of Centre county, by whom he has one son,
Perry McDowell Tibbins, who is now pursuing a
classical course in Dickinson Seminary, Williams
port, Penn. The Doctor in his political views is a
Democrat, and in religious faith, Mrs. Tibbins is a
Presbyterian. Possessed of many excellencies of
character, they have the warm regard of all with
whom they have been brought in contact, and
enjoy the hospitality of the best homes in this
localitv.

SAMUEL E. WALKER. If the title of the
most successful business man and farmer of
Nittany Valley could be consistently bestowed
upon any one now residing in that beautiful re
gion, the subject of this sketch could well claim
the honor.
Mr. Walker is the owner of four large valuable
farms in Lamar township, Clinton county, rep
resenting an outlay of more than $45,000, and,
although he now contents himself with a' general
oversight, he was for many years an active'
worker in the practical details of their manage
ment. Dame Fortune has smiled upon him,
and in addition to his extensive real-estate hold
ings mentioned, as well as valuable real estate
in the State of Nebraska, he has money invested
in mortgages and various enterprises. He is the
holder of considerable stock in the Lock Haven
Trust & Safe Deposit Company's Bank, of which
he is a charter member, and for several years
served as one of its directors. He is also a stock
holder in the First National Bank of Lock Haven.
He is a stockholder in the Salona Creamery
Company, and for several years held the office
of treasurer of the same. His chief interests,
however, have been agricultural, and he is a
prominent member of the Lamar Grange.
Mr. Walker was born November 5, 1832, in
Miles township, Centre Co.. Penn., at the old
Walker homestead, one of the noted land-marks
in the early days of Brush Valley. He was the
eldest son and second child of Daniel and Han
nah (Erhart) Walker, who are mentioned more
fully elsewhere, and was taught at an early age
to make himself useful upon the farm and in his
father's grist and saw mill. He first attended the
Brungart school in his district, but owing to the
need of his help at home, his studies were pur
sued irregularly. Later he attended the Aarons
burg Academy, of which Ilgen Surrell was at that
time at the head, and before he reached the age

596

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

of eighteen was qualified to teach. Young as
he was he taught successfully for five consecutive
winters, his first experience being at the Heck
man School in Sugar Valley, where he received
a salary of $18 per month. For three winters
he was employed in his own district, a sure evi
dence of success, in the difficult calling. His.
summers were spent on the farm, and after at
taining his majority , his father paid him at the rate
of $8 per month during the busy season. De
siring to see something of the great West before
locating permanently, he went to Illinois for one
summer, but wisely concluded that there was no
place like his native State, and in the spring of
1 860 he formed a partnership with a brother-in-
law, Reuben Snook, and moved to Clinton county
to engage in farming.
On December 27, i860, he was married to
Miss Amanda E. Brungart, a daughter of George
and Elizabeth (Wohlfort) Brungart, of Lamar
township, Clinton county, progressive agricultur
ists of that section. He then made his home on
a farm two miles east of Salona, which he rented
from his father, and on April 2, 1868, purchased
the place, that being the first farming land that he
ever owned. It contains 200 acres, for which he
paid over $1 1,000, and it is still in his possession.
In the spring of 1888 Mr. Walker moved to Sal
ona, and in the spring of 1894 settled at his
present handsome residence near the Salona de
pot. Mr. Walker is a keen, shrewd business
man, his transactions, involving thousands of
dollars, have always been characterized by
strict honesty, and he is held in the highest
esteem as a citizen. He values greatly the ad
vantages of an education, and has given his chil
dren excellent opportunities for learning. In his
opinion a good education on general lines,
together with a knowledge of the real worth of a
dollar, are indispensable to the success of a
young man of this day, whether in business or
professional life. Of his six children, five lived
to adult age: (1) Maggie J., born October 28,
1 86 1, was educated at the Lock Haven State
Normal School, and is now the wife of G. M.
Stover, a prosperous farmer of Porter township,
Clinton county, Penn. They have six children —
Marian, Ruth, Celia, Glenn Harrison, Beatrice,
and Bernice. (2) Jeste I., born December 9,
1863, died December 30, of the same year. (3)
George D., born November 9, 1864, is an elec
trician and resides in Lock Haven. He married
Miss Jennie B. Rute, and they have one child,
Lula. (4) J. Clement, born October 18, 1866,
graduated from the Lock Haven State Normal in
1886, and for four years followed the profession
of teaching, but he is now in charge of one of his

father's farms; he is married to Miss Lola Em-
erick. (5) Charles Edward, born April 3, 1869,
completed a course of study at the Lock Haven
State Normal School, graduating therefrom in
1 89 1, also later at the Williamsport Commercial
College, and is at present taking a special course
in the Normal University at Ada, Ohio. He is
a young man of excellent qualities, energetic and
industrious. He taught school successfully for
eight years, at the last two, being principal of the
school in his home district. (6) W. Harrison,
born August 30, 1874, a sketch of whom appears
elsewhere, is an attorney at law in Bellefonte,
Centre Co., Pennsylvania.
The mother of this family, who was born
August 28, 1 841, died July 6, 1886, and is buried
in the Cedar Hill cemetery near Salona. She
was a devout member of the Lutheran Church;
was an affectionate wife, a good and kind mother,
and was highly esteemed and beloved by all who
knew her for her many good qualities. Mr.
Walker has since married Miss Mary C. Best, of
Lamar township, Clinton county, who was the
daughter of John Best, a well-known citizen of
Porter township, Clinton county.
Politically, Mr. Walker is a stanch Democrat,
and while he seems quite indifferent to political
and official honors, he has served as township as
sessor and auditor several times, and for three
years, 1894, '95, '96, he held the office of audi
tor of Clinton county, filling the same most ac
ceptably. He is a member of the Lutheran
Church, in which he has been a deacon and
elder, and at present is serving as trustee and
treasurer. For many years he has contributed
liberally of his time and means to the support of
the cause.

f FRANKLIN MOORE ROSS (deceased) was
_ born in Cape May county, N. J., February
!9> 1837, a son of John Ross, who was a son of
Thomas and Mary (Hand) Ross. John Ross was
born December 31, 1781, and died October 8,
1850. Our subject's mother was Sarah Moore
Hand, born March 27, 1805, daughter of Jona
than Hand and wife, Sarah (Moore).
Sarah Moore, grandmother of Franklin
Moore Ross, was one of the thirteen maidens-
who strewed the path of Gen. Washington with
flowers at the time of his reception at Trenton,
N. J., April 21, 1789. In a history of the First
President's journey from Mount Vernon to New
York the Philadelphia Times of April 28, 1889,
published a list of these young girls, and gives a
picture of the triumphal arch, taken from an old
print, with a description of the scene. At the-

7T-£K«6£o^ f^t, /^tz^.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

597

bridge over the Assumpink, on the spot where
Washington had captured the Hessian mercenar
ies in 1776, a triumphal arch had been erected
decorated with evergreen wreaths and emblems,
celebrating his victory at Trenton. Upon the
arch was the motto: "The Hero Who Defended
the Mothers Will Protect the Daughters." At
one side of the Arch stood six little girls dressed
in white and carrying baskets of flowers, and
on the other side were thirteen maidens, repre
senting the thirteen States. . Then follows a list
of these "young ladies, the belles of Trenton "
— quoting from the Times — among whose names
is that of Sarah Moore. It was the duty of
these maidens to strew the Hero's path with
flowers, while the six little girls chanted the lines
of an ode, written for the occasion.
The v subject of this sketch, Franklin Moore
Ross, went from his home to Philadelphia, when
he was a boy. He was thrown upon his own re
sources, and being of strong will and good cour
age, he took care of himself until he became a
man, forming those careful and prudent business
habits that were so characteristic of him in after
life. In 1865 he came to Clinton county, to take
charge of the interests of a lumber company,
doing business at Rosecrans, in the Sugar Valley
Mountains. He finally purchased the sawmill
and property, and carried on the business, a few
years later coming to Lock Haven, where he con
tinued to reside, enlarging his business from time
to time until he became one of the extensive
lumber and mill men of this section. He had
the city's interest at heart, and labored to see it
improve and advance, and was an important
factor in business circles. He became president
and general manager of the Lock Haven Gas
and Electric Light Co. He was a director of the
Lock Haven Trust and Safe Deposit Co. ; also a
director of the Steam Heating Co. , and trustee
of the Lock Haven Club. He took a great in
terest in secret societies and benevolent institu
tions, and was prominent in these at home and
well-known throughout the State. He was a
member of the Order of Elks, and an influential
Mason, being connected with the following-
named bodies: Lafayette Lodge No. 199, F. &
A. M., Lafayette ' Chapter No. 163, R. A. M.,
Hospitaller Commandery No. 46, K. T., of Lock
Haven, Caldwell Consistory, 32d degree, Blooms
burg, Penn.; Lu Lu Temple, A. O. N. M. S.,
Philadelphia, and was Past Master of Lodge No.
•99, Past High Priest of Chapter No. 163, and
Past Commander of Commandery No. 46. In
politics he was a stanch Republican, but no office
seeker, though often urged by his friends to al
low his name to appear for preference.

Mr. Ross was very energetic and prompt in
all matters of business, and kind and generous
to those in need. He was a member of the
Presbyterian Church, and while living in the
Sugar Valley Mountains gave liberally toward the
erection of a church in a neighborhood that was
without a place of worship. It was built upon
the top of the mountain, and was used by differ
ent denominations for a number cf years. Dur
ing his active life in Clinton county 'and Lock
Haven, of more than thirty years, probably none
of his fellow-citizens were more kindly disposed
toward humanity at large.
On February 10, 1880, our subject was mar
ried to R. Annie Halenbake, of Lock Haven,
daughter of G. W. Halenbake, of Bald Eagle
Valley. Mr. Ross died January 3, 1897.

/TVxILES WINNE HALENBAKE (deceased).
\3$ The ancestors of Mr. Halenbake came from
Holland, and were among the early settlers of
Albany. The first record of the family in this
country is that of the baptism of one of the name
in 1684, recorded in the Dutch Church. There is
also a will made on the 9th of September, 1685,
by Caspar Halenbake, disposing of some prop
erty in Albany to the heirs. Another will, dated
1754, leaves an estate with a great number of
negroes, the inhabitants of the Province of New
York being permitted to own slaves at that time.
Hendrick Halenbake, after whom a street in
Albany was named in olden times, was born in
1692, and was the head of the house of the third
generation. He was apparently a man of con
siderable estate, as devised by his will made in
1764, in the reign of his Majesty George III. In
the quaint language of the time, some of this
land is described, as "abutting to ye South of
ye creek commonly called Beaver kil " (after
ward Buttermilk creek), and to the north "with
ye hills and ye plain lying in the common." This
Hendrick was heir-at-law ("Eare-at-law "), and
married (" marryd") at 27years of age("adge").
Some of the descendants disputed his possession,
but one of the contestants being an " antient "
man did not " chuse " to proceed against them.
There was until June, i860, an old graveyard,
an ancient landmark in Albany, where were
buried these sturdy Dutch settlers and their pos
terity. One of the boundaries of this " Burial
place " was designated by a cannon which re
mained in the ground for many years; probably a
relic of the French and Indian war, or, later, of
the Revolutionary war. This land was set apart
by Hendrick Halenbake as a burial ground for
his family, about the middle of the last century.

598

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

It was finally sold, and thirty-seven acres pur
chased in the Rural cemetery, whither the dead
were removed, and a monument erected to their
memory. A street was opened through this
place in the midst of the city, and the busy
throngs little suspect they are passing over a
spot once consecrated to the dead. Bernardus
Halenbake, the youngest son of Hendrick, was
born in 1744. Henry Halenbake, son of Ber
nardus, was born in 1 766, and was the father of
the subject of this sketch.
Giles W. Halenbake was born in February,
1 80 1, and after he had completed his education
he went to Philadelphia where he taught a
select school for young men, for a year or so.
Sometime in the " thirties " he went to Farrands
ville, Penn. , as secretary and cashier for the Far
randsville Iron Company. At that time there
were but very few houses in the future town of
Lock Haven, and the ' ' road from there to
Howard was fully two-thirds of the way through
a dense oak forest, infested with animals of prey
and highway robbers, and the few farms along it
were but the 'clearings ' with log-cabins of the set
tlers. " While at Queens Run he became a mem
ber of the firm of McDonald, Halenbake & Co.,
a coal-mining company that sent their produce
to the Eastern markets, by canal boats down the
Susquehanna river. Mr. Halenbake was one of
the few educated men, who came to this part of
the country from the cities of the more advanced
and cultivated eastern part of Pennsylvania and
other States. In the language of a friend who
knew him intimately: " He was one of the bea
con-lights and pioneers in the depths of a social
wilderness, and maintained and kept bright his
scholarship, his manners and his dignity; and this
through the ferment of the trying times, that
always accompany the establishment of a new
settlement. " After a few years the firm closed
their business and removed with their families to
Bald Eagle Valley, where they purchased land
and divided it into four adjoining farms. Here
he built a residence, which is still standing, and
passed the remainder of his days among his
books, and overseeing his farm interests. He
was a director in the first Lock Haven Bank, also
a director in the Bridge Company. He always
extended a helping hand to the poor and needy,
and especially to any ambitious mind struggling
for an education. The need of that mind was as
a challenge to his own, to give of his store of
learning to any one groping in the dark, eager
for the light of knowledge. In more than one
instance he taught Latin, algebra and geometry
gratuitously to persons who had no way of ob
taining the knowledge of such branches. In this

way he made his life useful to others. He was a
Democrat, but not an active politician. In 1853
Gov. William Bigler appointed him as one of the
commissioners to represent the State of Pennsyl
vania at the ' ' Exhibition of the Industry of all
Nations " at New York. During the Civil war
he was a stanch Union man, and used all of his
influence for the cause, and died March 27, 1865.
On January 15, 1843, Mr. Halenbake mar
ried Frances Johnson, who was of English par
entage, having been born in England in 1818.
He is survived by his wife, and two daughters:
Mrs. Joseph B. Furst, of Flemington, Penn., and
Mrs. Franklin M. Ross, of Lock Haven, Penn
sylvania.

FROF. W. A. SNYDER, of Salona, the effi
cient superintendent of public schools of Clin
ton county, was, at the time of his first election
in 1893, the youngest man ever chosen to that
position, and he is now serving a second term
with increased prestige. As he was born and
reared in the Nittany Valley, his popularity is
based upon sterling merit, which could stand
the test of long acquaintance.
The Snyder family is well-known in this State,
its progenitor having come from Holland in the
early part of the eighteenth century to locate in
Penn's colony. Among his children was a son,
Christopher, our subject's great-grandfather, who
removed from what is now Snyder county (then
Union county) to the east end of the Nittany
Valley, and purchased the present homestead in
Lamar township, Clinton county, where he died
a few years later. The land was in a primitive
condition in the main, and the improvements
which have made it one of the best farms in that
locality are due to the efforts of this old pioneer
and his descendants, the title having remained
in the family from his day. He had seven chil
dren: Harmon, who located in Clarion county,
Penn., and died there leaving a family; John,
our subject's grandfather; Benjamin; Fannie;
Hannah; Rachel; and Sarah. Of these, only
Harmon and John lived to adult age.
John Snyder, the grandfather of our subject,
was born about 1788 in what is now Snyder
county, and accompanied his parents to the
Clinton county homestead, which in time came
into his possession. He resided there until 1833,
when he purchased another farm in the east end
of the Valley, and removed to it, renting the old
homestead. The new farm was at the time im
proved but little, and he gave much time to pre
paring it for a permanent home. In his later
years h'e built a second dwelling house upon the

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

599

place in which his last days were spent in retire
ment, his death occurring July 4, 1870, when he
had reached the advanced age of eighty-three.
For some years previous to his death he was
afflicted with a cataract in his eye, and although
operations gave him temporary relief he was
nearly blind for years. While he was of ordi
nary build, he was a most energetic worker, and
he acquired a handsome competence. He was
an excellent citizen, a good Christian, and a
member of the New Mennonite Church. Po
litically, he was first a Democrat and later a
Whig, but he never took much interest in public
affairs, and toward the close of his life, becom
ing disgusted with the work of the politicians, he
seldom attended an election. In early manhood
he married Miss Nancy Neff, daughter of John
Neff, a prominent farmer of Centre county. She
died May 6, 1865, in her seventy-fourth year,
and the remains of both rest in a private ceme
tery on the farm where their last years were
spent, and which is now owned and occupied by
their son, Elias. They had the following chil
dren: Elizabeth, who married Christian Sheats,
and died in Lamar township, Clinton county;
Catherine, who married a Mr. Knights, and also
died in Lamar township; Nancy, wife of Jacob
Long, of Livingston county, N. Y. ; Susan, wife
of H. M. Bean, of the same county; Leah (widow
of William Sheats), of Lamar township, Clinton
county; John, our subject's father; Lucinda
(widow of Levi Zimmerman), of Jewell county,
Kans. ; Fannie, who married Henry Neff", and
died in Lamar township, Clinton county; Hannah
(widow of E. A. Haney), of Oregon; Elias, a
farmer at the second home; and Charlotte
(widow of Samuel P. Burrell), of Lock Haven,
Pennsylvania. John Snyder (2), our subject's father, who is
now a highly esteemed resident of Lamar town
ship, Clinton county, was born at the original
homestead November 5, 1824, and was educated
in the schools of that time and locality. The
furnishings of the school room were of the rud
est sort, wooden . benches running around the
walls being the only seats, and the apparatus
was equally primitive, quill pens being used for
writing. The methods of discipline were also
far from the best modern standards, and during
his first term of school Mr. Snyder, on being
asked by the teacher, his uncle Benjamin,
whether he would obey the rules, failed to un
derstand the question as he could not speak En
glish. He made an unlucky guess as to the
teacher's meaning, and replied "No", for which
he was rewarded with a sound whipping. He
was reared to agricultural work, and always re

mained at home except for one winter, that of
1846-47, which he spent in St. Louis working
as a deck hand on the steamer "Lehigh".
The journey west was made by water from Hol
lidaysburg, Penn., following the Pennsylvania
canal and the rivers, and the experience gained
during his absence entirely cured the young man
of his taste for wandering. On April 1, 1847,
he returned home where he was employed by
the month for a time, and in 1848 he rented the
place, and from that date paid his board when
at home. On December 11, 1851, he was mar
ried in Lock Haven to Miss Jane C. McGuire,
who was born in 1830 in Union county, near the
city of Lewisburg. When she was about eight
years old, her parents, George and Jane (Stew
art) McGuire, removed to Lamar township,
Clinton county, where she grew to womanhood.
After his marriage Mr. Snyder continued to re
side at the homestead, where he has made many
improvements; in 1865 he built a barn on modern
plans, and in 1871, the present comfortable res
idence was erected. The estate contains
135 acres of excellent land, and is kept in
a high state of cultivation, Mr. Snyder, not
withstanding his advanced age, giving personal
attention to the management. He is a man of
much more than ordinary intelligence, and, de
spite his limited educational opportunities in
youth, he has gathered a goodly store of practical
information. In politics he inclines to the Dem
ocratic faith, but he is not active in party work.
He and his wife are both prominent members of
the River Brethren Church, and they have
always taken keen interest in all phases of relig
ious enterprise. Their children have received
good educations, and several of them have be
come known as successful teachers. Nancy E. ,
who was once a teacher, is now the wife of J. P.
Anthony, of Lock Haven; Henry M. is a farmer
in Porter township, Clinton county; Miss Ida re
sides with her parents; Clara E. died at the age
of sixteen; William A. will be mentioned more
fully below; Miss Lottie is a teacher, and resides
at home; Elmer N. is a cutter in the tailoring
department of the Indian School maintained by
the United States Government at Carlisle, Penn
sylvania. Prof. Snyder was born April 10, 1863, at the
old homestead, and is of the fourth generation of
the family to reside upon the place. His educa
tion was begun in the district schools of the
locality, his first teacher being Daniel Herr, who
taught thirty-seven consecutive terms in that
township. Before our subject had reached the
age of fifteen, he had completed the course of
study offered in the local schools, and he then

600

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

spent three years in the study of the higher
branches, at Lock Haven, two years being devot
ed to high-school work and one to the normal-
school course, graduating in 1882. That year
he began teaching in Dunstable township, Clinton
county, in what is known as the " Hardscrabble
district," and during the next winter he taught
in his native township. So successful was he in
his work that he afterward taught nine terms in
the latter locality, interrupted only by one term
in Wayne township, Clinton county. Through
out his youth his summers were spent in farm
work, with which he became familiar under his
father's direction, and until 1893 he made his
home with his parents. On August 24, 1893, he
was married to Miss Mame F. Conley, daughter
of James R. and Sarah (Quay) Conley, of Lamar
township, Clinton county, and he has since re
sided at Salona. In May, 1893, he was elected
superintendent of schools in his county, and his
re-election in 1896 was an evidence of the appre
ciation of the public for his able and effective
effort in the cause of education.
Mrs. Snyder is highly accomplished, having
attended school in Philadelphia for some time,
and previous to her marriage she taught for sev
eral terms in Clinton county. She is a member
of the Presbyterian Church, and is a leader in the
best social circles of Salona. Two daughters
brighten the Professor's home: Gretchen C,
born May 11, 1894, and Margery C, born De
cember 1, 1895. Although he is thoroughly
absorbed in his professional work, our subject
takes an intelligent interest in all public ques
tions. In politics he is a Democrat so far as
State and National issues are concerned, but in
township or county elections he often votes inde
pendently, selecting " the best man."

lOBERT C. QUIGGLE. "Man's sociality
1HL of nature," says Carlyle, "evinces itself in
spite of all that can be said by this one fact, if
there were no other, the unspeakable delight he
takes in biography." The many records of suc
cessful effort in various lines will make this vol
ume of lasting interest, and it is safe to say that
the histories of the descendants of that well-
known pioneer, Philip Quiggle, are among those
which will receive special attention from our read
ers. One point upon which the thoughtful will
lay emphasis is the spirit of unity that has marked
their conduct, even in business transactions, and
doubtless this is one reason for the uniform suc
cess of their enterprises.
The subject of this sketch, a prominent resi
dent of Wayne township, Clinton county, resides

at Pine Station, where he owns valuable prop
erty. He was born in that township August 22,
1 83 1, a grandson of Philip Quiggle, just referred
to, who moved to that locality from York, Penn.,
at an early date, and purchased 160 acres of land
for a homestead, his labors as a hunter, fisher
man, farmer and lumberman bringing a comfort
able livelihood for the time. With the assistance
of his sons he cleared his land and built a com
modious log house, which was considered quite a
fine residence by his less fortunate or less ambi
tious neighbors. He and his wife, whose name
was Hester, died at this home, and their remains
rest in Quiggle's cemetery, in Wayne township,
Clinton county. They were of German descent.
George Quiggle, our subject's father, was born
in 1785 in York county, Penn., where he attended
subscription schools in boyhood, receiving a fair
knowledge of both English and German. He ac
companied the family to Clinton county, and en
gaged in the same occupations as his father, and,
later, he was employed for many years as a pilot
on the Susquehanna river. He settled near the
home of his parents, purchasing 160 acres of tim
ber land, which he cleared and improved, build
ing a log house. Politically, he was always a
Democrat, but he did not take an active part
in public affairs. He was twice married, his
first wife being Hester Swartz, a native of York
county, who was the mother of four children:
George, William, John, and Elizabeth (Mrs. John
Fisher), none of whom are now living. His sec
ond wife, Catherine (Strayer), was of German de
scent, but her family had' resided in York county,
Penn., for several generations. She was born
there April 7, 1794, the daughter of Henry
Strayer, who afterward removed to Wayne town
ship, Clinton county, and continued his business
of farming and weaving. There were nine chil
dren by this union: Daniel, a farmer in Wayne
township; Isaac (deceased); Jacob, a resident of
Wayne township; Thomas, a farmer in the same
locality; Sarah, a widow of Nathan Simcox; Rich
ard (deceased) ; Robert C. , our subject ; Maria, who
married Washington Henninger, of New York
State, and Matilda, wife of D. A. Cochran, the
proprietor of the "Gamble House," at Jersey
Shore, Penn. The father died in 1843, and the
mother survived him many years, her death oc
curring in 1878.
Mr. Quiggle (our subject) may be said to be
self-educated, as the schools of his section were
very poor in the early times, and his attendance
was limited on account of the need of his help
at home. After his father's death he went into
partnership with his brother Jacob in farming
and lumbering, and continued for nearly half a

/£

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

601

century, working together in perfect harmony
and keeping a common treasury upon which
either could draw when he wanted money. Not
withstanding the extent of their business and the
large sums constantly passing through their hands,
they never felt the need of making a contract,
and at their settlement, in 1892, they divided
the property equally. They still own many
acres of timber land in partnership, and for many
years they had an extensive tract devoted to the
raising of tobacco. Our subject now has eighty
acres of good farming land, and is one of the
chief tobacco growers of the locality. For forty-
two years he was a pilot on the Susquehanna,
running "arks" and rafts down to Marietta,
Penn., and, in addition to his own lumber opera
tions, he has filled many contracts for carrying
lumber to market for others. In all his under
takings he has been successful, being equal, seem
ingly, to any task, and since 1894 he and his son
have conducted a profitable mercantile business
at Pine Station. He owns a fine residence there,
built after designs prepared by himself, and his
tobacco sheds and barns also were designed by
him, and were built with his own hands. He also
owns several dwelling houses in the town. De
spite all his hard work he is remarkably vigorous,
never knowing sickness, and he can now do as
much in a day as most men who are a score of
years younger. In politics he is a sound Demo
crat, and for twenty-five years he was township
assessor, for three years tax-collector, and for
some time he was school director, acting as presi
dent of the board during a part of the period.
He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, in which he holds the office of trustee,
and for many years he has been superintendent
of the Sunday-school. Socially, he is identified
with the Masonic order, being a member of La-
bell Valley Blue Lodge, No. 232, F. & A. M., at
Jersey Shore; Lafayette Chapter, No. 163, F. &
A. M., at Lock Haven; Baldwin Commandery,
No. 22, of Williamsport; and the Order of the
Mystic Shrine, at Philadelphia.
On June 17, 1856, our subject was married,
at Jersey Shore, to Miss Margaret A. Clark, by
whom he has had the following children: (1)
Ida A., born January 4, 1858, was crushed to
death, in 1867, by some floating ice in the West
branch. (2) Clark W., born April 13, i860,
was killed, June 2, 1882, on the P. & E. R. R.,
a train striking a team which he was driving.
He was a bright young man, taking much of the
responsibility of his father's business, in which
he was a partner at the time of his death, and he
was prominent socially as a member of Blue
Lodge No. 22, F. & A. M., at Jersey Shore. He

married Miss Jennie Ferguson. (3) Clarissa,
born January 9, 1862, married Dr. B. M. Yost,
of Lycoming county, and they have two children
— Edith Al. and Robert Quiggle. (4) Carson R. ,
born June 11, 1864, is now in partnership with
his father, and is considered a promising business
man. He was educated in the local schools and
in the Williamsport Commercial College, where
he was graduated in 1893. Like his father, he
is a stanch Democrat, and is a member of several
fraternal societies, including the B. P. O. E. ,
No. 182; Lock Haven Lodge No. 232, F. & A.
M., at Jersey Shore; Lafayette Chapter No. 163,
F. & A. M., at Lock Haven; Hospitaller Com
mandery No. 46, K. T., and Lulu Temple at
Philadelphia, Noble of the Mystic Shrine. He is
not married. On February 22, 1894, he was ap
pointed postmaster at Pine Station, and resigned
July 3, 1897. (5) Letitia May, born May 6,
1866, married Allen D. Russell, who is men
tioned more fully below. She is well educated,
as all of our subject's children are, and at present
she is postmaster at Pine Station. (6) Kate A.,
born May 6, 1868, married Charles H. Rich,
and has had two children — Edna D., born April
3, 1887, and Mary M. L.„born April 30, 1891.
Mrs. Rich is an accomplished musician, and she
is one of the most popular and efficient teachers
of the art in her locality. She is also well-known
as a composer, having written the ' ' Autumn
Waltz," and the " Hyacinthe March," which she
published in 1895, and named in honor of her
favorite flower; both pieces are copyrighted, and
have gained recognition among musicians. (7)
Harvey S., born February 28, 1877, died from
diphtheria June 16, 1882.
Mrs. Margaret A. Quiggle, who has been an
able helpmeet to her husband, was born April
18, 1835, in the Nippenose Valley, Lycoming
county, where her ancestors settled many years
ago, on their arrival from Ireland. William
Clark (deceased), the father of Mrs. Quiggle, was
a native of the Valley, and owned a fine farm of
200 acres there which he operated until his sons
were old enough to take charge of it. He then
engaged in the hotel business in the same locality,
but after a few years he returned to his farm to
spend his declining years, his death occurring in
1875. He was a good citizen, a firm adherent of
the Republican party, and he was held in high es
teem by all who knew him. His first wife, Agnes
Gretner, a native of the Nippenose Valley, died
in 1846, and he afterward married Clarissa Stew
art, of the same locality, who died in 1880, leav
ing no children. By the first marriage there were
seven children: Maria (deceased), formerly the
wife of John Cochran; Priscilla, wife of John

602

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Righter, of Union county; David A., formerly a
merchant in the Nippenose Valley (now deceased) ;
Amelia, wife of Paul Bussler, a farmer in the
same Valley; Henry C. (deceased); Miss Caroline
(deceased), and Margaret A., now Mrs. Quiggle.
The late Allen D. Russell, our subject's son-
in-law, was born April 25, 1862, at Port Hope,
Ontario, Canada, and was one of six children of
David and Anna (Cochran) Russell. His fa
ther, who was a native of Scotland, followed
carpentering as an occupation for many years at
Port Hope, and his death occurred there on
April 3, 1887. The mother who was of Scotch
descent, still resides at the old home. Young
Allen received an excellent education in the
schools of his native town, and for a time worked
at the tinner's trade, but at the age of twenty-
two he went to Philadelphia to take a position
as overseer of a pipe line gang for the Standard
Oil Company. This post he held for a year,
winning the respect of his men and the confi
dence of his employers, and in 1885 he was pro
moted to the position, of engineer of the Stand
ard Oil Company's pumping works at Pine Sta
tion, where he spent seven years in faithful serv
ice, being always at hand to perform his duties.
His death, on June 15, 1892, caused sincere
grief throughout the community, his sterling
qualities of character having won him a host of
friends. His family has been identified with the
Presbyterian Church for generations past, and
he adhered to the same Church. He took an
active part in local politics as a member of the
Republican organization, and his work was so
well appreciated that after his death, his widow,
whose family is noted for a strong Democratic
bias, was appointed by the President McKinley
administration to take charge of the post office
at Pine Station. Mr. Russell was a successful
man financially, and was a stockholder in an ex
tensive tract of coal and mineral land in central
Pennsylvania. He left no children, but his mem
ory will long be cherished with affection. Thor
oughly temperate in his habits, he displayed in his
daily life a high standard of morality, and his vir
tues may well be held up as worthy of emulation.
His remains rest in Quiggle's cemetery.

(OBERT M. STEVENSON, senior member
JL3L of the firm of Stevenson Brothers, manu
facturers and wholesale dealers of pure woolen
fabrics, at Chatham Run, Clinton county, was
born July 23, 1845, in Jersey Shore, and is a
worthy representative of one of the highly-respect
ed families of this section of the State. His pa
ternal grandparents, John and Fanny (Brown)

Stevenson, of Irish and Scotch nativity respect
ively, lived in County Tyrone, Ireland, where
the former followed the occupation of farming
throughout his entire life, dying there in 1825 in
the faith of the Presbyterian Church, of which
he was a consistent member. In his family
were six children: George, John, William, Alex
ander, David, Sarah, and Elizabeth (wife of
James Moore). In 1840 the mother brought her
family to the New World and located in Jersey
Shore, Penn., where she departed this life in
1847, her remains being interred at that place.
She was a most estimable woman, highly re
spected by all who knew her.
Alexander Stevenson, our subject's father,
was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, in 181 5,
obtained as good an educaton as the public-
schools of that day in his native land afforded,
and learned the carpenter's trade at Barnscort
Castle which he helped to build. On attaining
his majority he bade good-bye to the Emerald
Isle, and with the hope of making a fortune came
to America with the rest of the family, At Lon
donderry, Ireland, they boarded a sailing vessel,
and came near being lost on two occasions as the
captain was intoxicated, but finally, after a voy
age of six weeks, reached Philadelphia in safety.
After a short time spent in that city they took
the train for Harrisburg, and by canal packet
proceeded to their destination — Jersey Shore,
Penn., which was then a mere hamlet. Mr.
Stevenson built a house for the family, his
brother-in-law, James Moore, doing the mason
work, and it was often remarked that Stevenson
& Moore could build the town. He remained in
Jersey Shore until 1859, when he purchased a
tract of 1,000 acres of timberland in Clinton
county, on which was erected a sawmill, and he
engaged in the manufacture of lumber for five
years. He then sold his property and returned
to Charlton, locating on the West branch of the
Susquehanna, in Pine Creek township, where he
worked at his trade until 1867, when he pur
chased a partially-improved farm of seventy acres.
To its further development and cultivation he
devoted his energies until 1890, and upon the
place erected a good residence, barns and other
outbuildings. On account of failing health he
spent the last three years of his life in retirement
from active labor, and died in 1893, being buried
at Woolrich. As an architect and builder he
superintended the erection of the first Methodist
Episcopal church building at that place, and
was prominently identified with the building in
terests of this section for many years. He was
a stanch adherent of the Democratic party, and
was a faithful member of the Methodist Episco-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

60S

pal Church, in which he held the office of trustee,
class-leader and steward. By all who knew him
he was held in high regard, and he was a kind
and affectionate husband and father.
At Jersey Shore, Alexander Stevenson mar
ried Sarah Miller, who was born in Linden, Ly
coming Co., Penn., of English ancestry, and
they became the parents of five children:
George, a lumberman and farmer, of Arkansas;
Robert M. ; John, an accountant and agricultur
ist, of Sherman, Texas; Mary Frances, wife of
Charles Cameron, of Dunstable township, Clin
ton county; and William, partner of our subject,
in the manufacture of woolen fabrics, and also a
member of the lumber firm of Kreamer & Stev
enson, of Lock Haven. The mother of these
children died in 1856, in Jersey Shore, where
her remains are interred, and Mr. Stevenson
was again married, at Jersey Shore, this time to
Miss Mary A. Moore, a native of County Tyrone,
Ireland, and a daughter ^of James Moore, a
farmer by occupation. Eight children blessed
this union: Sarah, wife of O. H. Johnson, of
Woolrich; Lizzie, at home; Alexander, who died
in childhood; Rebecca, wife of D. B. Dunkel;
Aimer E. and Josephine are residents of Pine
Creek township, Clinton county; Mattie B.
makes her home with William H. , in Lock Ha
ven; and Lydia E., who died in childhood. Mrs.
Stevenson, who was a devout member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, died on the old
homestead in Pine Creek township, in 1889.
One of her sons, Aimer E. , born April 6, 1862,
attended the public schools of Woolrich, and
worked at home until 1887, when he entered the
employ of the lumber firm of Kreamer & Steven
son. He is now successfully engaged in the
manufacture of shingles at Chatham Run, is a
Democrat in politics, and a member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church.
Robert M. Stevenson, whose name intro
duces this sketch, obtained his education in the
public schools of Jersey Shore, and worked at
the carpenter's trade with his father until twen
ty-four years of age, when he obtained a posi
tion in the Rich Woolen Mills at Woolrich, be
ing for seventeen years connected with the spin
ning department. He managed to save some
money which he then invested in the Farley
farm of 108 acres, near Woolrich, and upon that
place he engaged in general farming and tobacco
growing, with fair success for eight years. Sell
ing his place in 1894, he and his brother William
H. bought the old Rich Mills at Chatham Run,
Dunstable township, put in new machinery at a
cost of $4,000, and are now successfully en
gaged in the manufacture of woolen goods, mak

ing a specialty of double woolen-socks and
heavy woolen-shirts, known as the Alaskan
brand. Our subject also operates a small farm
of forty acres, on which he has made many im
provements, and runs a cider press. He is a
wide-awake, enterprising business man of pro
gressive ideas, and the success that he has
achieved in life is due entirely to his own indi
vidual efforts, good management and sound
judgment. In 1868, at Woolrich, our subject was mar
ried to Miss Acirema Crider, who was born in
Dunstable township, of German extraction, and
is a daughter of Philip Crider, an agriculturist.
Twelve children were born to them, namely:
Torrence R. , a shingle manufacturer of Cambria
county, Penn. ; Charles, a traveling salesman for
his father, married Lizzie Shultz, and has two
children — Helen and Robert; Annie H., who died
in 1893; Mary M., Jane C, Alice L. , Nora E.,
Sarah E., John R., William E. and Leila F., all
athome ; and one who died in infancy. The daugh
ters aid their father in the work of the factory,
are active and prominent members of the Method
ist Episcopal Church (to which the parents also
belong). In social circles the family occupies an
enviable position.
Politically, Mr. Stevenson is not bound by
party ties. At the age of nineteen he had a strong
desire to enter the Union army, but was opposed
by his parents. However, he ran away from
home in March, 1864, crossed the West branch
and took the train for Williamsport, where he
enlisted in Company D, First Pennsylvania Cav
alry, under Captain McDonald and Colonel Tay
lor, of Mifflin county, Penn. On missing him,
his father followed him to Williamsport, but find
ing that he was already in soldier's uniform, he
allowed him to remain, and our subject partici
pated in all the engagements of his regiment
from the battle of the Wilderness up to the time of
Lee's surrender. After participating in the
Grand Review at Washington, D. C, he was
mustered out July 10, 1865, and returned home
with an honorable war record, of which he may
be justly proud.

C\HARLES SMITH, M. D., one of the exten-
^Jl sive land-owners of Clinton county, and a
retired physician, was born August 26, 18 14, in
Lycoming county, Penn., a son of John and
Saloma (Treon) Smith.
His father was from Pottstown, Penn., and
became a farmer in Black Hole Valley, Lycom
ing county. He was an industrious, energetic
man, but possessed a kindly nature which led

€04

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

him to go security for his friends on different oc
casions, and in this way he lost considerable.
In politics he was a Democrat, and, in religious
faith, a Lutheran. He died at the age of sixty-
four years, and was buried in Snydertown, Cen
tre county. His wife passed away at the age of
eighty-three, and was laid to rest at Muncy,
Penn. They had five children, all of whom
reached adult age, namely: Charles; Ezekiel,
who died in Muncy; Mary, wife of Jacob Her
bert, of Muncy; Lavina, who became the wife of
James Smeck, and died in Muncy; George, who
is living in that place; and Peter, a practicing
physician, who died at Centre Hall.
Dr. Charles Smith was reared and educated
in Black Hole Valley, his school privileges, how
ever, been quite meager. At the age of seven
teen he attended school in Muncy, and afterward
engaged in teaching for one term. He was in
poor health, and his physician, Dr. Thomas
Woods, of Muncy, advised him to study medi
cine, so he began reading with that gentlemen,
and later studied with Dr. Frederick Treon, his
father-in-law. He began practice about 1837 in
Upper Mahanoy, Northumberland Co., Penn.,
and after a year went to "The Loop," Centre
county, where he remained for nine years, re
moving thence to Penn Hall, where he contin
ued for a number of years. He also spent four
years in active practice in Freeburg, and for the
past quarter of a century has resided at* his pres
ent home in Porter township,, which is situated
along the pike. Here he erected a comfortable
residence, and in 1895 built an excellent barn.
He continued in active practice until 1889, a
period of more than sixty years, and was very
successful, having a large patronage. As his
financial resources increased he made judicious
investments in land, and now owns five excellent
farms in addition to a 160-acre tract of timber
land. Dr. Smith was married at the age of twenty-
five years, in Northumberland county, to Miss
Rebecca Treon, who was born in that county, in
1812, a daughter of Dr. Frederick Treon. She
was a faithful helpmeet and companion to her
husband. They could not afford a table when
they began housekeeping, but she assisted him in
all possible ways, and not a little of his success
was due to her capable management. She was
a consistent member of the Lutheran Church,
and died in that faith in February, 1882, her re
mains being interred at Penn Hall. She was the
mother of the following named children: Peter,
a farmer of Potter township, Centre county, who
has a son Calvin F., a practicing physician of In
dianapolis, Ind., who has one daughter, Julia;

Lavina, at home; John, of Lamar, Penn., who
has three children — Katie R. , Elnora B., and
Florence M. ; Charles W., formerly a dentist,
but now a farmer residing near Howard, Cen
tre county, his children being — James N. , Mina,
Willard, and Cora.
Dr. Smith holds membership in the Lutheran
Church, and exercises his right of franchise in
support of the Democracy, but has never been an
office-seeker. His life has been a worthy one,
marked by fidelity to duty in all its relations.
Though he started out in very limited circum
stances, he has steadily worked his way upward,
overcoming all obstacles by industry, persever
ance and frugality, and prosperity has rewarded
him.

JACOB QUIGGLE, a prominent agriculturist
and tobacco grower of Wayne township,
Clinton county, is the owner of a fine farm
near Pine Station, and his energetic and judicious
management insures good returns notwithstand
ing the cry of " hard times" so commonly heard
in the past few years. Although his business in
terests have required close attention, he has al
ways shown much public spirit, and has served
in various official positions, including that of
county commissioner, his ability and fidelity to
duty winning the approbation of the people.
His ancestors emigrated from Germany in an
early day. The name was formerly spelled
" Qu'ggley>" the German mode of spelling being
" Quickie." Our subject derives his remarkable
mental and physical vigor from the German stock
which has furnished so many able citizens to this
country. Philip Quiggle (or Quiggley), the grand
father of our subject, was born and reared in
York county, Penn., where also he spent some
years of his manhood. He married, and had
several children, but his wife's name is not known.
Late in life Philip Quiggle decided to make anew
home in central Pennsylvania, then a wilderness,
and removed with his family to what is now
Wayne township, Clinton county, the territory
being at that time a part of Northumberland
county. He took up a homestead of 160 acres
of timber land, which he proceeded to clear and
improve, building a log house that was considered
quite a palatial abode for those times. A com
fortable living was obtained by fishing, hunting
and boating on the river, while the proceeds from
the' clearing of the homestead also proved a
source of profit. The remains of this well-known
pioneer now rest beside those of his wife in Quig-
gle's cemetery, in* Wayne township, Clinton
county.

cr&^&^u

f~

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

605

George Quiggle, our subject's father, was born
September8, 1785, in York county, Penn., and
received a fair education in the subscription
schools of that day, learning to read and write
both English and German. After coming to
Clinton county with the family he followed the
same occupation as his father, much of his time
being spent in running " arks " and rafts on the
Susquehanna river from Lock Haven to Marietta
and Columbia, Penn., carrying grain or lumber
on the downward trips and bringing back mer
chandise. He purchased 160 acres of land in
Wayne township, Clinton county, where he made
his permanent home, building a log house and
improving the place as his time and means per
mitted. In politics he was a Democrat, but
while he gave loyal support to his party at all
times he never sought official honors. His death
occurred January 25, 1843, and he was buried in
the family plot in Quiggle's cemetery. In early
manhood he was married in Wayne township,
Clinton county (then a part of Lycoming county),
to Miss Hester Swartz, a native of York county,
who died a few years later, leaving four children:
George, William, John, and Elizabeth (Mrs. John
Fisher), all of whom are now deceased. The
father of these was again married, this time to
Miss Catherine Strayer, a lady of German descent,
who was born in York county, April 7, 1794, the
daughter of Henry Strayer, also a native of York
county, and in later life a farmer and weaver of
Wayne township, Clinton county. By this mar
riage there were nine children: Daniel, a farmer
in Wayne township; Isaac, who died at an early
age; Jacob, our subject; Thomas, a farmer of
Wayne township; Sarah, widow of Nathan Sim-
cox; Richard, who died in Wayne township;
Robert C. , a farmer of Wayne township; Maria,
wife of Washington Henninger, of New York
State; and Matilda, who married D. A. Cochran,
the proprietor of the " Gamble House," at Jer
sey Shore, Penn. The mother of this family
lived to the advanced age of eighty-four years,
and her last days were passed at the home of her
son, Robert C. , her death occurring July 1, 1878.
A marble monument in Quiggle's cemetery testi
fies to the affectionate regard of the children for
their honored parents.
The subject of this sketch was born October
I7> 1822, at the old homestead, and throughout
his life he has resided there. He had but limited
educational opportunities, and as there were no
school houses in his locality during his boyhood
he attended classes in the log homes of the
neighbors, Jesse Price being his first teacher. At
that time the teachers were paid by subscription,
and were boarded by the different families in

turn. As a boy Mr. Quiggle formed habits of
industry, and has since done much hard work.
For forty years he piloted " arks" and rafts on
the Susquehanna to Columbia and Marietta with
cargoes of lumber and grain, and for ten years he.
was a captain on the Pennsylvania canal, the
" Melissa," of Jersey Shore, being his first boat.
During these years he also engaged extensively
in lumbering, and with the help of his sons
cleared 160 acres of land, upon which he made
many improvements, and for some time had his
residence. In 1857 he bought the Gallagher
farm of 160 acres, where he has since made his
home. In managing his farm he has shown
much discretion, choosing crops that would bring
him a profit, and he was among the first in his
county to attempt to raise tobacco. This enter
prise has proved very successful, and he now
ranks among the largest producers of the crop in
his locality. Notwithstanding his hard work in
the past, Mr. Quiggle is still strong and vigorous,
quite free from illness, and he can keep up with
any young man in the township during a day's
labor in the wheat field.
Politically, he is a stanch Democrat, and, in
1864, he was elected county commissioner by a
good majority for a term of three years. He
served with such satisfaction to the people that
a reriomination was tendered him, but he declined.
For several years he was a school director in his
township, serving as president of the board dur
ing a portion of the time, and he has also been
assessor, tax collector, and supervisor, the du
ties of each position being discharged creditably.
He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, to which he has always contributed
liberally, and he also belongs to the I. O. O. F.,
Lodge No. 101, at Jersey Shore.
In the fall of 1849 he married Miss Eliza Hil-
born, and eight children have blessed the union.
(1) Ida died in infancy. (2) Crawford J., de
ceased, lived to adult age. (3) Harry L., born
in i860, in Wayne township, Clinton county, re
ceived a public-school education there, and now
has charge of the homestead in partnership with
his brother Jacob. He is also engaged in the
manufacture of cigars, and is one of the success
ful business men of the locality. Like all the
members of the family, he is a Democrat in poli
tics, and at present he holds the office of school
director. In religious faith he is a Methodist.
On April 8, 1883, he was married to Miss Emma
Ferguson, of Pine Creek township, Clinton coun
ty, a daughter of Matthew Ferguson, and they
have had three children — Bessie (deceased),
Eckley B. and Chester L. (living). (4) Jacob Vail
and (5) one unnamed (twins) were born April 8,

606

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1862, the latter of which, weighing nine pounds at
birth, died in infancy; Jacob V. weighed only a
pound and a half, but he made rapid and steady
growth, and became a vigorous and healthy man.
He is a partner with his brother in farming and
cigar manufacturing, and is a leader in local af
fairs, also in the Democratic organization of the
township, having served two terms as supervisor.
He is a member of the Methodist Church, and is
now the superintendent of the Sabbath-school, in
which he has been a teacher for some years.
Socially, he is identified with the F. & A. M.,
belonging to Blue Lodge, LaBelle Valley, No.
232, at Jersey Shore; to Lafayette Lodge No.
199, at Lock Haven; also to Hospitaller Com
mandery, No. 46, Lock Haven. He has never
married. (6) Ella was educated in the public
schools of Wayne township, and is now the wife
of James C. Quiggle, the United States consul at
Port Stanley and St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada,
under the first Cleveland administration, and at
Collingwood, Ontario, Canada, under the second.
They have had three children — James W., Ed
mund B., and one that died in infancy. (7)
Addie M. pursued a course of study in the local
schools and married C. W. Smith, of Baltimore,
Md., a shipper for the Standard Oil Co. They
have three children — Crawford I. , Verna L. , and
Lillian Q. (deceased). (8) Minnie L. was edu
cated in the public schools, and is now the, wife
of W. F. Smith, a banker and real-estate dealer
in New York City. They have three children —
Florence M., Ralford E. and Frances M. C.
W. Smith and W. F. Smith, just mentioned, are
cousins, and direct descendants of John Quincy
Adams. Mrs. Eliza Quiggle, who has been a true help
meet to her husband during their long married
life, was born in Northumberland county, Penn.,
the daughter of Abel Hilborn and granddaughter
of Samuel Hilborn, of Scotch-Irish descent.
Abel Hilborn was a native of Roaring Creek
Valley, Northumberland Co., Penn., where he
spent the greater portion of his life, following
charcoal burning as an occupation. He had a
good education for his day, and was much re
spected as a citizen, having been a consistent
member of the Baptist Church for many years.
He took keen interest in the questions of the
time, and was a firm adherent of the Republican
party. His death occurred at Lawrenceville,
Penn., in 1863, and his wife, whose maiden
name was Ellenor Vail, made her home for some
years with our subject, dying there in 1880, the
remains of both being interred in Quiggle's cem
etery. She was born in Kingston, Ontario, Can
ada, the daughter of Lewis Vail, who was also a

Canadian by birth, and was of English descent.
Abel and Ellenor Hilborn had ten children, as
follows: Charlotte (deceased) was the wife of
Jacob Moyer; Lewis, Hiram and Jesse are all
also deceased; Calvin resides near Chicago, 111.;
Rose is the wife of Albert Wetherald, of Frank
lin, Ind. ; Eliza is the wife of our subject; Mary
resides with Mrs. Quiggle; Catherine is the wife
of Jonas Mincer, of Lock Haven, Clinton county;
and Abel is a resident of Frankton, Indiana.

S\AMUEL L. HEARD, justice of the peace,
_J and a well-known miller of Salona, Clinton
county, was born January 29, 1856.
John P. and Mary J. C. (McGhee) Heard,
his parents, were born, the father, April 28,
1 8 16, in the east end of Nittany Valley, Lamar
township, Clinton county, and the mother, May 2,
1826, at Salona. The parents of John P. Heard
were Robert and Annie (Hazlett) Heard, the
former of Scotch-Irish extraction, whose family
were early pioneers of Nittany Valley. Robert
Heard, a farmer by occupation, was born April
16, 1788, and died February 28, 1843, while his
wife was born December 13, 1788, and died De
cember 16, 1841. Her parents were John and
Margaret Hazlett, the former of whom was born
in 1742, and died August 26, 1830, and the lat
ter, born in 1753, died February 13, 1834. They
were buried at Salona. The paternal grand
parents of our subject also sleep in the Method
ist cemetery at that place. In their family were
five children: Delinda, who became the wife of
Peter Best, of Cedarville, Stephenson Co., 111.;
John P., father of our subject; William, who
died in Freeport, 111. ; Robert, who died in Keo
kuk, Iowa; and Margaret, who died when a young
lady. In Nittany Valley, John P. Heard was reared
to manhood, living with his parents in Lamar
and Porter townships, Clinton county. He at
tended the public schools of his day and learned
very rapidly. He also took private lessons of a
Mr. Berkley, a very competent instructor. When
a young man he learned the carpenter's trade
with Samuel B. Love, of Salona, and continued
to work at the same until ill health prevented it.
He also taught many terms of school, was an ex
cellent teacher, and among his pupils was the
young lady who afterward became his wife.
Many of the best citizens of Lamar township
also attended his schools.
On June 3, 1845, J°hn P. Heard was married
to Miss Mary J. C. McGhee, whose father, John
McGhee, was born August 1, 1780, in Trunamul-
len, Ireland, in which country his father, Thomas

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

607

McGhee, followed farming and spent his entire
life. The family was a prominent and intelli
gent one, and the son received a good education
in his native land. When a young man he
crossed the Atlantic and took up his residence in
Penn's Valley, Penn. He began learning the
millwright's trade, but did not long devote his
attention to it. He taught school for many
years, and in the possession of his family is an
old agreement which shows the plan of hiring
teachers in his day, and is as follows: "Articles
of agreement made and concluded this Decem
ber 1 8, 1802, between John McGhee, schoolmas
ter, of the first part, and the subscribers of the
other part, both parties being of the township
of Haines, Centre Co., Penn., witnesseth and
saith, That said McGhee on his part doth prom
ise to teach an English school and to teach all
such children as are committed to his care, read
ing, writing and arithmetic, so far as his skill
and their abilities will admit, for the term of one
year, reserving to himself every other Saturday
and two weeks in harvest. And we, the sub
scribers, do on our part promise to find him a
sufficient schoolhouse with every accommodation
necessary; to find him a stove in the winter sea
son with plenty of firewood; and we likewise
promise to pay him for the aforesaid term of one
year the sum of forty pounds, one-half at the ex
piration of the first six months, and the remain
der at the expiration of one year; we likewise
promise to find him on sufficient board during
said term. In witness whereof we the subscrib
ers interchangeably set our hands and number of
scholars." On November 13, 1806, John McGhee was
married in what is now Porter township, Clinton
county, to Miss Mary T. McKibben, who was
born in Franklin county, Penn., December 8,
1786, a daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Grimes)
McKibben, who removed from that county to
Porter township, then a part of Centre county,
in the spring of 1787. During the Revolutionary
war Mr. McKibben went with a team to Balti
more for goods, being there at the time Corn
wallis was in that city. Both Mr. McKibben and
his wife were buried in Jacksonville cemetery.
Mr. and Mrs. McGhee began housekeeping in
Brush Valley, but in the spring of 1819 came to
Salona, where he engaged in merchandising for
a number of years, and where he built the old
stone mill. He also built a stone mill in Clin-
tondale, and both were operated by hired millers.
At one time he made a trip to Philadelphia, and
on his return two noted desperadoes, Lewis and
Connelly, waited in a tree to waylay him; but
coming home by another route his life was spared.

He died in Salona, March 11, 1831, and his wife
passed away September 20, 1858. In. their
family were six children, namely: Thomas,
born September 25, 1810, died in Lock Haven;
Joseph, born March 5, 18 14, died in childhood;
John C, born April 27, 1818, died in Lock
Haven; Sarah, born August 3, 1824, married
Thomas Pollock, and died in Salona; Mary J. C.
is the mother of our subject; and Isabella M.,
born November 15, 1829, is the wife of David
Griffith, of Kansas.
At the time of his marriage, John P. Heard
and his brother William were engaged in the
foundry business in Greencastle, Franklin Co.,
Penn. , but shortly afterward he returned to Sa
lona, where he engaged in mercantile pursuits
for a number of years. In 1855 he removed to
the home where his last years were passed, dy
ing there June 7, 1893, and his remains were in
terred in the Cedar Hill cemetery. He took an
active interest in political affairs, first as a Whig,
and later as a Republican; for twenty years he
served as justice of the peace, and for a long
period was also a school director. He was rec
ognized as one of the most valued and useful
citizens of his community, and scrupulously per
formed every duty which devolved upon him,
whether public or private. For a third of a cen
tury he was a faithful member of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, took an active part in its
work, and held many Church offices. His widow
still resides on the old homestead, and she, too,
is a consistent member of the Methodist Church.
In the family of this worthy couple were
seven children, namely: Horace McG. , born
October 28, 1846, is a dairyman of Lamar town
ship, Clinton county; Lorren H, born October
5, 1848, died at the age of seventeen years;
Mary V., born August 7, 1850, lives with her
mother; Robert T. , born August 9, 1852, is a
carriage-trimmer; Samuel L., our subject, is next
in order of birth; Anna M., born October 19,
1858, is the wife of Edward McDowell, of Irvona,
Clearfield Co., Penn.; and John E., born March
4, 1 86 1, died in infancy.
Samuel L. Heard attended the public schools
of Salona, beginning his education under the
instruction of Lydia Wilson. He early became
familiar with milling, and in 1876 went to
Chatham Run, where he worked in the gristmill
of Joseph Farley for some time. On his return
to Salona he took charge of the old stone mill
erected by his maternal grandfather in 1819, and
operated it until 1878, when he went to Chanute,
Kans. . where he was engaged in farming a short
time. The next year he again took charge of the
mill in Salona, and remained here until the

608

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

spring of 1883, when he went to Minneapolis,
Minnesota. Shortly afterward he secured work
in the Assiniboin country, in British America, on
the construction of the Canadian Pacific railroad,
then building. Subsequently he returned to
Minneapolis, and was later employed in what is
now North Dakota, and also in Nebraska on rail
road work. Returning to Pennsylvania he
worked at the plasterer's trade for five years, and
in the spring of 1896 again took charge of the
gristmill in Salona, which he now conducts.
On February 6, 1894, Mr. Heard was united
in marriage to Miss Ida Krape, a native of Salona
and a daughter of Robert Krape, and to them has
been born a son — John R. On the Republican
ticket, Mr. Heard was elected justice of the peace
of Lamar township in the spring of 1895, and is
now acceptably filling that office. He is a stanch
supporter of that party, and does all in his power
to promote its interests and insure its success.
Since the organization of the Odd Fellows Lodge
in Salona, in 1878, he has been one of its promi
nent members, and he is a public-spirited, enter
prising citizen, who gives his support to all
objects calculated to promote the general wel
fare. His estimable wife is a member of the
Methodist Church.

TdTOMAS QUIGGLE, residing in Wayne
township, is numbered among the highly-
respected and honored citizens of Clinton coun
ty, and has been identified with its agricultural
interests since the country was a wild and unim
proved region. In the work of development he
has taken an active part, and has aided in open
ing up the county to civilization. As the years
passed he faithfully performed his duties of cit
izenship, and his interest in the welfare and
progress of the community has never abated.
On the old homestead where he still resides,
Mr. Quiggle was born October 8, 1824, being
the fourth child of George Quiggle. Wayne
township at that time was a part of Lycoming
county. In an old log school-house of the neigh
borhood he attended the subscription schools
during the winter months, while the summer
seasons were spent at work upon the farm.
There he still continues operations, and has made
many valuable and useful improvements upon
the place, building a fine residence, good barns,
tobacco sheds and other buildings, the cost of
which amounted to about $4,000. Besides farm
ing Mr. Quiggle has spent over forty-five years
as pilot on the west branch of the Susquehanna,
running from Lock Haven to Columbia, Marietta
and other points with " arks" and rafts of lum

ber. He also worked in the lumber regions with
his brothers, Jacob and Robert C. , but since
1885 has devoted his entire time to agricultural
pursuits. He has been interested in the raising
of tobacco since i860, and in all his undertak
ings has met with a fair degree of success, being
now numbered among the prosperous and sub
stantial citizens of Wayne township.
In 1850, in Pine Creek township, Clinton
county, Mr. Quiggle was married to Miss Fannie
Willhelm, a native of Jersey Shore, Penn., and
a daughter of William Willhelm. To them were
born two children: Fannie, now the wife of
Charles Ingram, of Renovo, Clinton county;
and Richard, who married Emma Hager, by
whom he had two children, Clarence and Fiona,
and died in 1893, at the age of forty years.
This wife of our subject, who was a faithful
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, died
in Wayne township, in 1853, and was buried in
the Quiggle cemetery. Our subject was again
married, in 1855, his second union being with
Catharine Willhelm (sister of his first wife), by
whom he had six children: (1) Tucker, a farmer
of Wayne township, who married Arvilla Young,
of that township, and has one son, Walter. (2)
Ettie married Jerry Chubb, who died leaving two
children, Torrence and Willard. She is now the
wife of John Corson. (3) Willard, a railroad
man, living in Williamsport, married Maggie
Greenlou, and has three children, LeRoy, Beu-
lah and John. (4) Enola is the wife of John
Strausser, a furniture manufacturer and under
taker of Renovo, Clinton county, and has three
children, Reta, Ethel and Dorothy. (5) Carrie
is the wife of William Shurr, of Wayne town
ship. (6) Arvilla is the wife of William Airgood,
of Newberry, Lycoming Co., Penn., and has one
child, Thomas. The mother of this family died
in 1878, and was also interred in -the Quiggle
cemetery. For his third wife Mr. Quiggle chose Miss
Martha A. Corson, who was born March 24, 1845,
and their marriage was celebrated in Salladas-
burg, Lycoming county, in 1879. Her grand
father, Thomas Corson, was a native of Chester
county, Penn. , and of French descent. Through
out his entire life he followed agricultural pur
suits in his native county, where his death oc
curred. He was a Whig in politics, and a mem
ber of the Society of Friends. He was twice
married, his second wife being a Miss Pipps, and
was the father of twelve children, among whom
was Benjamin Corson, Mrs. Quiggle's father. He
was born and reared in Chester county, where he
followed the occupation of farming until after his
marriage, when he removed to a farm near Lin-

THOHAS gUIGGLE

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

609

den, in Lycoming county. He there owned 200
acres of land, which he improved with good
buildings, and continued to cultivate until called
to his final rest in 1870, at the age of eighty-one.
He was a hard working, energetic man, and was
widely and favorably known. In Chester county
he married Rachel Harvey, a native of Berks
county, Penn. , and a daughter of William Har
vey, a hatter by trade, who was of English de
scent, and died in Williamsport, Penn. Mrs.
Corson was a member of the Methodist Episco
pal Church, and a most estimable lady. She
was the mother of twelve children, namely:
Thomas and William, both farmers of Lycoming
county; Mary, deceased wife of Samuel Everett;
Emma, deceased wife of Robert Mc Williams, of
Harrisburg, Penn. ; Rebecca, deceased wife of
Charles Mosely, of Muncy, Penn. ; Sarah J. ,
widow of Joseph McLain, of Johnsonburg, Penn. ;
John, a lumberman of Newberry, Lycoming
county; Elizabeth, widow of Charles Swain, of
Lewistown, Penn.; Rachel, who died unmarried;
Charles, who resides on the old homestead in
Lycoming county; Martha, who first married
Charles Blackwell (who died in 1875), and is now
the wife of our subject; and Edmund, a farmer
of Level Corners, Lycoming county.
Socially Mr. Quiggle affiliates with the Inde
pendent Order of Odd Fellows, and religiously is
a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
He has been an unwavering supporter of the
Democratic party since casting his first vote for
James K. Polk, and at the last election, in the
fall of 1896, voted for William J. Bryan and the
free coinage of silver. For the past twelve years
he has served as school director, but has never
cared for political distinction, preferring to de
vote his entire time to his business interests. He
is one of the representative and prominent citi
zens of Wayne township, and certainly deserves
honorable mention in a work of this character.

CiAPT. JAMES S. HALL, deceased, was one
'l of the men who valiantly fought for the
preservation of the Union during the dark days
of the Civil war, and was later an honored and
valued citizen of Renovo. He was a native of
Pennsylvania, his birth occurring September 1,
1828, in Bald Eagle Valley, Centre county, a son
of T. M. and Uretta (Roberts) Hall, who spent
their entire lives in that county. The Captain's
primary education was obtained in the schools of
Bellefonte, and he subsequently attended the
Meadville College for some years, after which
he successfully engaged in teaching in the public
schools for a number of years. He also served
39*

as deputy sheriff under his father from 1846 to
1849, in his native county.
In 1850, in company with E. B. Lipton, also
of Milesburg, Centre county, Mr. Hall went to
California, expecting to make his fortune in the
gold mines. The venture, however, did not
prove very successful, and later he was appointed
and served as deputy sheriff of Nappa county,
that State. Failing health at length caused him
to return home in 1854, and the same year he
wedded Miss Mary A. Iddings, daughter of
Joseph and Margaret (Henry) Iddings, also na
tives of Pennsylvania. Her father, a farmer
by occupation, died in 1865, and her mother
passed away in 1884, at the advanced age of
ninety-one years. In their family were ten chil
dren, four of whom are yet living: William, a
resident of Centre county; Mrs. Ann Moore, of
Grampian, Clearfield Co., Penn.; Mrs. Lydia
H. Root, of Blair county, Penn.; and Mrs. Hall.
To James S. Hall and his wife were born ten
children, of whom four sons and one daughter
are now deceased. Those living are: Alice L. ,
wife of John McDonald, of Driftwood, Penn. ;
Edgar H., of Salisbury, N. C. ; and Wilburetta,
Mary and Cornelia, all at home.
After his return to Pennsylvania our subject
taught school and engaged in clerking until the
outbreak of the Civil war. In 1861 he assisted
Capt. Kiernan in recruiting Company D, 53d P.
V. I. , of which company he was commissioned
lieutenant, and some time after entering the serv
ice was detailed for duty in the Signal Corps. At
that period the department was in its infancy, and
he rendered his' superior officers valuable service
in raising it to a high state of perfection, which,
later on, proved invaluable to the army. At
Fredericksburg he was with Gen. Burnside, and
when Gen. Hooker succeeded to the command he
was retained, and continued at headquarters.
After the battle of Chancellorsville, when the
army moved northward, he accompanied it to
Gettysburg, and was sent to Little Round Top.
On the memorable 2d of July, when Gen. Long-
street was forming his column to assault that
stronghold, which is universally conceded to have
been the key to the position occupied by the
Union army, he gave timely notice to Gen.
Meade of the contemplated movement. Gen.
Warren, chief of the staff, hastened to Round
Top to ascertain the situation. Seizing the Cap
tain's field glass he hastily glanced in the direc
tion of the Confederate lines, but failed to note,
from some cause, the forming column. Unusual
as it was for Gen. Warren to be impatient, he
censured the Captain for being unnecessarily
alarmed. The controversy continued for consid-

610

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

erable time, Captain Hall insisting that he was
correct in his opinions, and that the peculiar ac
tivity and formation he had noted and signaled
to headquarters was the precursor of an assault.
A little later it became apparent to Gen. Warren
that it was only too true. Aids were immedi
ately dispatched with the utmost haste, and troops
were hurried up on a double-quick, and arrived
just in time to meet and hurl back Longstreet's
assaulting column, led by the Louisiana Tigers.
A moment later, and Round Top would have been
lost to the Union Army. The timely warning of
the signal officer was all that saved it.
A few years since, when Gen. Longstreet vis
ited Gettysburg for the purpose of viewing the
battlefield, he lingered along his old line where
it confronted Round Top. He referred to the
terrific struggle which had occurred at that point,
and is reported as pleasantly remarking: "It is
all over now, and I hold no ill feeling toward the
men who repulsed the assault on Round Top, " but
added, "he could not quite forgive one little
d  who stood on the summit and vigorously
waved his signal flag, notifying Gen. Meade of
his premeditated assault. " That officer was Capt.
James S. Hall, and his timely warning doubtless
saved that stronghold from capture. Capt. Hall
continued to serve with the Army of the Potomac
until the South laid down its arms, and peace was
once more restored.
Returning to Pennsylvania, Capt. Hall lo
cated in Renovo, and when the Philadelphia &
Erie railroad established its shops there, he was
offered and accepted a clerical position, which
he acceptably filled until failing health caused his
retirement. For the last six or seven years of
his life he was an invalid and was unable to do
any work, but bore his sufferings without a mur
mur. He was perfectly conscious of his ap
proaching end, and died a Christian soldier, with
his full armor on. He departed this life March
2, 1896, and his death was widely and deeply
mourned, for his friends were many. From early
life he was an earnest and consistent member of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, and fraternally
was an honored member of the Masonic order,
and of the Grand Army of the Republic. His
estimable wife, who still survives him, continues
to make her home in Renovo, and is a most pop
ular and highly respected lady, being widely
known for her many generous deeds and kindly
words.

MEWTON W. FREDERICKS, a most worthy
_ citizen of Lock Haven, and an extensive
farmer and business man of Clinton county, is a

native of what is now the county of Clinton, born
August 21, 1820, in Bald Eagle township.
John Fredericks, his father, was born in 1769,
and when a young man came to that portion of
Clinton county which was then a part of Centre
locating at Mill Hall, where he and a brother-in-
law built the stone gristmill that yet stands there.
He subsequently purchased a farm on the banks
of Bald Eagle creek, and there passed the rest of
his life occupied as a farmer. He was a very
active man, energetic and thrifty, yet retiring —
a quiet, unassuming citizen whose life was given
to looking after his own affairs. He died in May,
1843, a respected pioneer of the Commonwealth.
His estimable wife, who was born in 1774 in
Chester county, Penn., survived him seven years,
dying in 1850. Their children were: George
W died near Peoria, 111., in his eighty-third
year; Benjamin H. died at Lock Haven, the re
sult of a fall from a wagon, in his seventy-first
year; John died at the age of thirty-five years;
Samuel H. died in Lock Haven, aged sixty-four
years; Henrietta died when eighty-three years
of age; Eliza lived to be sixty-four years old;
Sarah A. is the wife of G. W. Smith, and resides
at Peoria, 111., in the eighty-third year of her age;
and Newton W. is our subject.
Newton W. Fredericks had but limited edu
cational advantages. The log school house, with
its- puncheon slab seats and desks, was the
" temple of learning," in which the boys and girls
of his day were taught- He was reared on a
farm, and followed that occupation as a means of
livelihood until in 1855, when he embarked in
the lumber and fire-brick business, and he has
ever since been chiefly identified with these lines
of business. When a young man he was pos
sessed of good business ideas, and. by exercising
care and judgment, together with close applica
tion to his business, he has accumulated a com
petence, and made a success of life. He owns
several nice farms and residence property; also
the extensive brick works of Fredericks, Munroe
& Co., at Farrandsville. Although Mr. Freder
icks, at this writing, is in the seventy-seventh year
of his age, he is remarkably well-preserved and
looks and says he feels as well as he did at the
age of fifty. He personally superintends the
running of his farms, and looks after his various
business interests.
In 1842 our subject was married to Miss Mary
C. Watson, a daughter of George Watson, of
Northumberland county, and three sons and one
daughter, Zeniah, who died in infancy, were
born to this union, the sons being: George Wat
son, a prominent merchant at Flemington, Penn. ;
Roland Worth, a partner of his father in busi-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

611

iness at Farrandsville, Clinton county; John
Thomas, one of the leading attorneys of the
Williamsport Bar. Mrs. Fredericks, the mother
of these, died in 1855, and Mr. Fredericks was
again married, this time in October, 1857, to
Charlotte W. (Crawford) Guyer, daughter of
George Crawford, of Pine Creek township, Clin
ton county, and two daughters — Mary C., wife
of Edgar P. Geary, an attorney at Lock Haven,
and Rosetta D. , wife of George W. Howard, of
Latrobe, Westmoreland county, Penn., were
born to them, both of whom are living. The
mother of these died on May 31, 1894. Our
subject is a member of the Presbyterian Church,
as are all of his children, and also as were his
wives. In politics he is a Democrat, but he is
conservative in his views. He has never aspired
to any office. He has ever been found on the
side of right in all moral questions affecting the
good of the community, in which he has so long
resided, and of which he has been so important
a factor. For many years he has been a director
in the First National Bank at Lock Haven.

JOHN W. HARRIS, an efficient alderman
from the Third ward, and who for more than
a decade was the popular postmaster of Lock
Haven, Clinton county, his place of residence,
was born at' Williamsport, Penn., February 25,
1833- William and Sarah (Grafius) Harris, his
parents, were natives of this State, and their
lives were here passed. William Harris was
born April 9, 1797, in Maryland, and in early
life was engaged as a mercantile clerk at Will
iamsport, Penn., and later he carried on a boot
and shoe store. He was elected sheriff of Ly
coming county when quite a young man, and
died July 31, 1835, while serving in that capacity.
His estimable wife, who was born December 31,
1807, at Williamsport, lived to a ripe old age,
dying December 16, 1883, aged seventy-six
years. She was a woman of lovely character,
and drew about her hosts of friends. Of the
. four children born to William Harris and wife,
the following three are living: Mrs. Dr. Rhodes,
•of Williamsport, Penn. ; Mrs. Charles Stewart,
of Williamsport, Penn., and John, our subject;
the one deceased is Jacob G., who died in No
vember, 1887.
Alderman Harris in youth attended the com
mon schools of that day, also the select schools
then in vogue. After leaving school he learned
the tanner's and currier's trade, although he did
not follow it long as an occupation. Some time
after completing his trade he went to the Mo-

nongahela river at a point above Brownsville,
Penn., where he superintended the job of build
ing dams for steamboat navigation, and was there
employed in this line of work for two years. In
the spring of 1856 he returned to his native
town, Williamsport, and became engaged in the
mercantile business as a clerk, continuing until
1859. In September of that year he came to
Lock Haven and engaged in the mercantile busi
ness in partnership with his brother, J. G. Har
ris. This business was conducted until 1869,
when John W. Harris was appointed postmaster
of Lock Haven by President Grant. He very
creditably to himself, and most satisfactorily to
the public, served in this position throughout
President Grant's two terms, and through the
Hayes administration, being succeeded to the
office in 188 1. In 1884 he was appointed by
Gov. Pattison as alderman of the Third ward,
and in 1885 was elected to that office; he was re
elected in 1890, and in 1895, and is still serving.
On February 13, 1862, Mr. Harris was mar
ried to Mary D. White, born December 15,-
1840, in Bald Eagle township, Clinton county,
Penn. , a daughter of Andrew White, of Clinton
county, and two sons were born to their union:
Andrew W. and Charles S. The former is
ticket agent of the Beech Creek railroad at
Castanea, Penn., and Charles is the agent of the
Adams Express Company, at Renovo, Penn.
Alderman Harris and wife are members of the
Presbyterian Church. Socially he is identified
with the F. & A. M. ; is also a member of the
G. A. R. In politics he is Republican and has
been an active worker in the party for many
years; he has served on various State and other
important committees. Mr. Harris has served
as the treasurer of the borough of Lock Haven,
and during the war of the Rebellion, for a period,
he was one of the emergency men called out by
the governor when General Lee invaded the
State. He is one of Lock Haven's enterprising
and progressive citizens and most capable busi
ness men.

JAMES A. BICKFORD, the present efficient
manager of the Queens Run Fire-Brick Com
pany, at Lock Haven, Clinton county, is a
native of the State of Maine, born Jvfly 27, 1845,
at Bangor. Samuel M. and Caroline A. (Higgins) Bick-
ford, his parents, were both natives of Maine.
They were married in 1840, and their children
are: Edith H. (Mrs. W. T. VanDyke), Frank
E. , Charles F. , William M. (deceased), and
James A. (our subject). The father of these

612

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

with family, until in 1852, resided in Maine, and
that year located at Lock Haven, Penn., where
the parents lived the remainder of their lives,
highly-respeeted and esteemed citizens, the fa
ther dying in 1888, and the mother in 1894.
Reared in a lumber State, Mr. Bickford early
turned his attention to that business and followed
it throughout his lifetime. For years the Bick
ford & Blackburn and S. M. Bickford & Co.'s
sawmills at Lock Haven were well known to the
people of this section; they had a capacity of ten
million feet per year, and gave employment to
some sixty or more men.
James A. Bickford was reared in a lumbering
district, and had but limited school opportuni
ties, attending the common district school of the
neighborhood, and for only two or three months
in the year. From boyhood until 1887 he was
occupied in that line of business. In that year
the Queens Run Fire-Brick Company was organ
ized and incorporated, and of this company Mr.
Bickford was made secretary, treasurer and man
ager, which positions he has since held. This in
dustry is quite an important factor in the busi
ness interests of Lock Haven, giving employment
to one hundred and thirty hands. Mr. Bickford
is also secretary, treasurer and manager of the
Clinton Mining Company, another of the promi
nent industries of Lock Haven. In the conduct
of these enterprises he has shown business tact
and capacity. He is one of the enterprising and
progressive men of Clinton county. In politics
he is a Republican though not a politician in the
true sense of the word. He has served as a
member of the city council.
In 1868 our subject was married to Miss Sarah
M. Bruner, who was born May 20, 1850, at
Muncy, Penn., and to the marriage were born:
Stella M. (Mrs. William F Packer), Samuel M.,
L. Fay, Media, Bessie, Annie, Fred A. and J.
Max, all living; and John B. and Paul A. (twins),
deceased. The parents and the daughters are
identified with the M. E. Church at Lock Haven.
The father is a member of the board of trustees.

WILLIAM C. QUIGGLE. Few men have
begun life under less favorable financial
conditions than fell to the lot of this well-known
citizen of Pine Station, Clinton county, and his
energy and enterprise afford an example worthy
of imitation. Mr. Quiggle comes of a good pioneer stock,
his great-grandfather, Philip Quiggle, a native of
York county, Penn., having been among the early
settlers of what is now Wayne township, Clinton
Co., Penn. George Quiggle, our subject's grand

father, made his home in the same locality and
reared a numerous family among whom were Ja
cob, Robert C. , Thomas , and Richard, all respected
residents of Wayne township. Richard Quiggle
was born at the old homestead in 1829, and was
educated in the local schools, which were con
ducted on the subscription plan. He grew to
manhood at the farm, and then after spending
several years as a pilot on'the Susquehanna river,
he became a section foreman on the Pennsyl
vania railroad, a position he filled satisfactorily
for some time. One night while on the road be
tween Lock Haven and Jersey Shore, he was at
tacked by robbers and left insensible on the
track in such a posture that a passing freight
train cut off one of his legs. The railroad com
pany paid only his doctor bill, and as he was in
capacitated for active manual labor, he located
on a farm in Pine Creek township, Clinton coun
ty, and in connection with its management he
operated the " Quiggle ferry".
At Pine Station , Clinton Co. , Penn. , Mr. Quiggle
was married to Miss Elizabeth Adams, a lady of
German descent, who was born at Muncy, Penn.,
in 1829, a daughter of Daniel Adams, a prosper
ous farmer. She died in Wayne township,
Clinton county, December 16, 1896, her husband
passing away December 21, 1895. Politically
he was a stanch Democrat, and he and his wife
were both consistent members of the Methodist
Church. They had the following, children:
Mary, wife of John Riggle, of Braymer, Mo. ;
Demorest V. , wife of John Gillen, of Pittsburg,
Penn. ; Josephine, wife of William J. Weaver, of
Reynoldsville, Penn.; William C. , our subject;.
Linus G. , a telegrapher at Warren, Ohio; Flor
ence A., wife of Robert Martin, of Newberry,
Penn.; Sarah B., wife of Jesse W. Phillips, of
Charlton, Penn. ; Rebeca comes next in order of
birth; Margaret and Clinton H., both of whom
died in childhood.
The subject of our sketch was born March.
14, 1858, in Wayne township, Clinton county,.
where he attended the public schools for a time,
although he is mainly indebted to his own efforts
for his education, private study enabling him to-
gain a wide range of information on the topics of
the day. When his father lost his limb, the-
young lad began to help in the support of the
family, securing employment on the railroad at
$1.80 per day of twelve hours. After spending
three years in this work he went to Big Rapids,
Mich., where he was employed for a time in the
lumber business. On returning home he rented
a farm on shares from Robert C. Cook, of Pine-
Creek township, Clinton county, and for two-
years he worked with a pick and shovel for the

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

613

National Transit Co. (Standard Oil Co.), receiv
ing $i- 75 Per day. Later he was employed for
two years in unloading coal for the same com
pany (at $50 per month), and in eight years he
walked the pipe line something over 29,000
miles (receiving $60 per month), in the Cumber
land Valley, Adams county, Penn. He also
worked for them as foreman. In 1895 he was
appointed engineer of their pumping engines at
Pine Station, and, as he had become a proficient
in telegraphy in the meantime, he was also made
the operator and engineer at that point, his sal
ary for this being at present $85 per month. His
faithful performance of every duty has won him
the entire confidence of his employers and the
esteem of the public. In 1886 he built a neat
dwelling-house in the town at a cost of $1,000.
He is regarded as one of the substantial men of
the locality.
On June 15, 1885, William C. Quiggle was
married in Pine Creek township to Miss Mary E.
Martin, a native of the township, where her fa
ther, the late Alexander Martin, and her uncle,
Joseph Martin, were well-known as citizens.
Three children have blessed this union — Walter
Gregg, born in 1888; Beulah May, born in 1890;
and Joseph Boyd, born in 1893. Socially, Mr.
Quiggle belongs to La Belle Valley Lodge No.
232, F. & A. M., at Jersey Shore, Penn.; in his
religious views he is an active worker in the Meth
odist Church at Pine Station, being a teacher in
the Sabbath-school. He believes in the princi
ples of sound money, and of late has voted the
Republican ticket, though formerly a Democrat.
Any movement which promises to benefit the
community is certain to receive his sympathy and
support, and he is especially devoted to the
cause of temperance. Mr. Quiggle is also an in
ventor, having invented a lamp burner, in which
the wick can be adjusted from either side of the
lamp, which he has placed with a firm in Massa
chusetts on a royalty, which nets him a snug in
come.

JOHN EARON, now living retired in Lock
Haven, is a man whose sound common
sense and vigorous, able management of his
affairs have been important factors in his suc
cess, and, with his undoubted integrity of char
acter, have given him an honorable position
among his fellow-men. His entire life has been
passed in Clinton county, his birth occurring in
Coldbrook township, May 15, 1824.
His father, Christian Earon, was born in
Germany, March 3, 1781, and for four years in
early life he was a sailor on the high seas, dur

ing which time he sailed all over the world. In
that capacity he came to the United States when
about twenty-five years of age, and after landing
in New York decided to remain in this country,
where for some time he was employed as a ped
dler. While traveling through central Pennsyl
vania, he met and married Miss Mary Catharine
Smith, who was born June 23, 1792, a daughter
of Adam Smith. After his marriage Mr. Earon
located on the river above Lock Haven, where
he engaged in farming until his death, which oc
curred September 29, 1868, when he was over
eighty-seven years of age. His wife died Jan
uary 8, 1858, at the age of sixty-five, and both
were buried near Flemington in Clinton county.
He was at one time a Republican, but during
the greater part of his life supported the Democ
racy, and served his fellow-citizens as overseer
of the poor. He was honored and respected by
all who knew him. In his family were the fol
lowing children who reached adult age: Jacob,
a resident of Sugar Valley Mountain; Christian,
who for several years lived in the same place,
but now makes his home with his children; John,
of this review; Adam, of Pine Creek township,
Clinton county; and Henry S., who died in Cold-
brook township, Clinton county.
The education of our subject was obtained
under great difficulties, but, if his opportunities
had been equal to his ability to learn, he would
have become one of the best informed men in
this section of the State. He attended the sub
scription school, but to reach the school house
he was obliged to cross the West branch of
the Susquehanna river, which at times could not
be crossed. While attending school during the
winter, the remainder of the year was spent in
assisting his father in the cultivation of the home
farm until eighteen years of age, when he began
work in the woods, at first driving a team.
For a quarter of a century he continued to en
gage in lumbering, and endured such hardships
as only a man of a remarkably strong constitu
tion could stand. He became familiar with all
branches of the^ lumber business, and was one
of the best judges as to the amount of lumber
in a raft.
On December 9, 1849, Mr. Earon was mar
ried to Miss Eve Catharine Myers, who was born
in Baden, Germany, December 31, 1828, but
when only a year old was brought to America
by her parents, Christian and Eve Catharine
(Ziegler) Myers, who located in the German set
tlement in Clinton county. Her school privi
leges were limited to two months' attendance at
the public schools. Mr. Earon began house
keeping on a farm of 1 50 acres which he had

614

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

previously bought at a sheriff's sale for $600.
The improvements upon the place consisted of
an old log cabin and a very poor set of out
buildings, while their household goods consisted
of only the absolute necessities, as they were in
very limited circumstances on starting out in
life. During the severe winters while Mr. Earon
was at work in the woods, his wife was forced
to attend to the labors of the farm, besides tak
ing care of several small children and attending
to the housework. She proved a most faithful
helpmeet to her husband in those early days of
suffering and privations. When their means
permitted, a more comfortable residence was
erected, together with good outbuildings, and
Mr. Earon continued the cultivation and im
provement of the farm until the spring of 1888,
when he sold his stock and implements and re
moved to Lock Haven to establish his youngest
son, William M. , in business there. On the
son's death, December 11, 1889, he and his wife
broke up housekeeping and went to live with
another son, Adam C. , in Beech Creek township,
Clinton county, remaining with him until the
spring of 1897, when they again came to Lock
Haven, where they now make their home sur
rounded by all the comforts and many of the
luxuries of life, which have been obtained by
years of honest toil, perseverance and economy.
To Mr. and Mrs. John Earon were born the fol
lowing children: Mary J., wife of Christian Myers,
of Bald Eagle township, Clinton county; Sarah C,
wife of Adam Dickey, of the same township;
Amelia M. ,now Mrs. W. H.Wren, of Lock Haven;
John B., of Beech Creek township; Susan E.,wife
of Frederick Muthler, of Beech Creek township;
Adams C. , of that township; Amanda M., who
died in infancy; Emma I., wife of W. H. Sal
mons, of Bald Eagle township; Anna, now Mrs.
George Wait, of Lock Haven; William M., who
died in that city, December 11, 1889; Barbara
E. , wife of W. H. Potter, of Unionville, Penn.
The family were reared to habits of industry and
thrift, the eldest daughters often assisting in the
harvest fields, and they now occupy honorable
and useful positions in life.
In July, 1870, while repairing his barn, our
subject fell about seven feet and sustained injur
ies from which he has never recovered. His po
litical support has always been given the Demo
cratic party, and he has served in several town
ship offices of honor and trust, being tax collector,
assessor, auditor and treasurer. At one time he
held membership in the Grange. He and his wife
are both connected with the Laurel Run Method
ist Episcopal Church. Although they have
achieved a comfortable competence through their

own unaided efforts, they take far greater satis
faction in the fact that they have reared a family
of which they can be justly proud, its members
being numbered among the prosperous and most
highly-respected citizens of Clinton county.

KIMBALL D. BATCHELER, a lumber
 dealer, manufacturer, and proprietor of the
Kimball D. Batcheler Planing-mills at Lock
Haven, Clinton county, was born here, April 15,
1855, a son of Jesse H. and Lucinda E. (Davis)
Batcheler. His parents were natives of Pennsyl
vania. The greater part of their lives have been
passed in or about Lock Haven. Jesse H.
Batcheler is now a foreman for his son in his
planing-mills, and at the age of seventy years is
quite active. His father, Cephus Batcheler,
lived to be ninety-three years old; and our sub
ject's maternal grandfather Davis is yet living,
at the age of ninety-four years. Jesse Batcheler
and wife have one son and four daughters living,
namely: Kimball D. (our subject), Annie 0.
(Mrs. George R. Ricker), Mary J. (Mrs. R. E.
Kift), Sarah H. (Mrs F. A. Thorne), and Lizzie
S. (unmarried). Kimball D. Batcheler attended the public
schools of Lock Haven until he was fifteen years
of age. He then entered the employ of Gossler
& Co. , who operated a planing-mill and were
lumber dealers at Lock Haven, with which com
pany he was employed some eighteen years, un
til 1888. At the age of twenty-six years he
dropped out for a time and took a business
course of study at the Eastman Business Col
lege, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. On his return to
Lock Haven he re-entered the planing-mill and
kept the books of the company. In the spring
of 1888 he began business for himself, founding
his present business. The mills are quite exten
sive and Mr. Batcheler does a large business,
having a great wholesale trade in sash, doors,
blinds and all kinds of work'turned out at a first-
class mill. The business is on a solid footing,
and is being developed into one of considerable
magnitude under the careful and judicious man
agement of our subject, who is a far-sighted and
most capable business man. Mr. Batcheler is a
member of Blue Lodge, Chapter and Command
ery, F. & A. M. He is Past Master in Blue
Lodge and Past High Priest in the Chapter. He
is Eminent Commander of the Commandery; also
is a member of the Royal Arcanum. In poli
tics he is a Republican. He is a self-made man,
beginning life poor, but by perseverance and in
dustry has made his way to a most creditable
position in both business and social circles.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

615

On February 19, 1884, Mr. Batcheler was
married to Hattie B. Marsh, a daughter of
Samuel Marsh, of Lock Haven. The marriage is
without issue. Both Mr. and Mrs. Batcheler are
identified with the M. E. Church.

MOBERT A. SHAW, Esq., one of the most
successful agriculturists and prominent citi
zens of Pine Creek township, Clinton county,
was born October 25, 1831, in Wayne township,
the same county, when it formed a part of Ly
coming county.
The Shaw family is of Scotch-Irish extraction,
and possesses the chief characteristics so common
to that people — thrift, industry, enterprise and en
ergy — making them useful and valued citizens of
any community where they may chance to re
side. Robert Shaw, our subject's grandfather,
was a farmer by occupation, and at one time
owned a farm in the vicinity of Bald Eagle, Penn.
He reared his family in Lycoming county, but
spent his last days in Venango county, Penn.
Robert M. Shaw, the father of our subject, was
born November 8, 1798, on Centre Plains, Ly
coming (now Clinton) county, and received only
a common-school education; but being a man of
sound judgment and a close observer, he gained
a good practical knowledge of men and events.
He, too, was an agriculturist, and when a young
man began life for himself upon a farm in Wayne
township, and then removed to Pine Creek town
ship, Clinton county, buying the Squire Hamil
ton farm of 1 1 5 acres, upon which he made very
extensive improvements, including the erection
of a good brick residence and a substantial barn.
He also planted an orchard, and took great pride
in his farming and stock-raising, being accounted
one of the most practical farmers and reliable
business men of his community. He was first a
Whig and later a Republican in politics, and
took quite an active part in political affairs.
On March 25, 1823, near Charlton, was cel
ebrated the marriage of Mr. Shaw and Miss Fan
ny Crawford, who was born at Chatham Run,
Clinton county, August 21, 1799, a daughter of
Robert Crawford, a tanner by occupation, who
was of Scotch-Irish descent. The children born
to them are as follows: Hugh, born January 9,
1824, died suddenly in Pine Creek township,
Jnly 3, 1890; Elizabeth, born June 3, 1827, was
married October 1, 1867, to William King, of
Illinois, and died May 6, 1868; Robert A., of this
sketch, is next in order of birth; Martha, born
February 22, 1836, is the wife of Jacob Bubb, of
Jersey Shore, Penn.; George C, born August
'5. 1838, on the homestead. The father died

January 30, 1878, on the home farm, where the
mother also passed away, and the remains of
both were interred at Jersey Shore. In religious
belief they were Presbyterians.
Robert A. Shaw pursued his studies in the
public schools of Pine Creek township, under the
direction of Squire Joseph Walters, Alexander
Hamilton, Mr. Ross and Mr. Parker, who taught
in an old log school house, known as the Duncan
school. His youthful days were spent upon the .
home farm, assisting in the labor of the fields,
and becoming thoroughly familiar with all the
duties which fall to the lot of the agriculturist.
At the age of twenty-three he began operating
the farm on shares, being thus employed for
three years, and then he removed to the Martin
farm near Jersey Shore, in Lycoming county. In
1865 he located upon his present farm, which he
purchased from Henry Kissell, and on which he
has made extensive improvements. He bought
the Ramm farm of eighty-eight acres in 1871,
and has also made many useful and valuable im
provements upon that place. His present com
fortable residence was erected in 1868 at a cost
of $3,500, and in its construction he did much
of the work, making every door in the house,
which would do credit to a skilled workman. In
i860 he began raising tobacco, being one of the
first in the community to engage in that industry,
and in the enterprise he has met with excellent
success. His present fine barn was erected, in
1876 at a cost of $3,000, and all the improve
ments stand as monuments to the thrift and in
dustry of the owner, who is recognized as one of
the most systematic and thorough farmers of
Pine Creek township.
Rev. J. G. Pearce, a Methodist Episcopal
minister, performed a marriage ceremony at Lock
Haven, November 10, 1853, which united the
destinies of Mr. Shaw and Miss Margaret J. Dunn,
who was born June 9, 1831, at Liberty, Dunsta
ble township, Clinton county, a daughter of Will
iam and Sarah (Poorman) Dunn, the former a
merchant of Liberty and a cousin of Judge Will
iam Dunn. Mr and Mrs. Shaw are the parents
of five children: (1) James G. , born August 25,
1854, is a farmer of Pine Creek township. He
married Rebecca Jane Emory, and has five chil
dren. (2) Ida B., born in September, 1856, in
Lycoming county, is the wife of M. B. Rich, a
member of the firm of John Rich & Bros. , at
Woolrich, Clinton county, and has seven chil
dren — Jennie, Robert, Katie, John, Anabel,
Gracie and Margaret. (3) William D., born at
Charlton, March 27, 1858, is a merchant of
Wellsboro, Penn. He wedded Mary Lamb, a
niece of Judge Williams, and they have one

616

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

daughter, Margery. (4) Elizabeth C. , born in
March, 1861, is the wife of Dr. C. B. Schroeder,
of Lock Haven, Penn. (5) Annie M. began her
education in the public schools near her home,
later graduated at the Jersey Shore Academy,
and subsequently attended the Dickinson Semi
nary; later graduated at the Froebel Institute,
of Washington, D. C. She is a young lady of
scholarly tastes, and has for nine years success
fully engaged in teaching.
Our subject is an earnest advocate of the
principles of the Republican party, and on that
ticket, in 1875, was ^Tsi- elected justice of the
peace of Pine Creek township, a position he has
since most creditably and satisfactorily filled, his
decisions always being sustained by the higher
courts. For fifteen years he served efficiently as
school director, and has also been auditor and
tax collector in his township. In 1874 he was
the candidate for county commissioner on the
Greenback ticket, but as the party was in the
minority he was defeated. Mr. Shaw's influence
is great and always for good. His sympathy, his
benevolence and kindly greeting will long be re
membered when he has passed away, and he is
justly regarded as one of the leading and repre
sentative citizens of Clinton county.

fON. WILLIAM H. MAYER, the present
mayor of the city of Lock Haven, gives to
his administration the energetic, economical and
far-sighted management that a man of fair judg
ment brings to the conduct of his own affairs.
Mr. Mayer was born March 17, 1833, in Mer-
cersburg, Franklin Co., Penn., and his early
education was acquired in the schools of Cham
bersburg, Penn. From there he went to Phila
delphia and secured employment in a hardware
store where he became thoroughly acquainted
with the details of that business. In 1855 he
engaged in general mercantile business in the
city of Lock Haven, Penn., which he conducted
till the latter part of the year 1862. In 1865 he
enlisted in the 37th P. V. I., with the rank of
sergeant major, and in March of the same year
he was appointed by President Lincoln as pay
master in the United States navy, which position
he held until the close of the war. In 1870 he
went to Chippewa Falls, Wis., and became inter
ested in real-estate and lumber business, remain
ing there six years. In 1876 he returned to Lock
Haven, Penn., and engaged in the general mer
cantile business, which business he still conducts.
He has always taken a lively interest in municipal
affairs, and although he is a stanch Democrat,
while the city is largely Republican, his popular

ity has stood the test of several elections. His
sound judgment and impartiality make him an
excellent mayor, and has won the support of all
classes. Socially Mr. Mayer is prominent, and
he is identified with the G. A. R., the B. P. 0.
E., the K. of P. and the I. O. O. F. He is also
interested in a number of business enterprises of
a corporate nature, and is vice-president of the
Lock Haven Traction Railway Co.

PERRY WILSON McDOWELL, a venerable
and highly esteemed resident of Lamar
township, Clinton county, has been identified
with the agricultural interests of this section for
more than half a century, and notwithstanding
these long years of toil, care and responsibility,
he finds himself toward the beginning of his
eighty-first year robust and hearty. Always jo
vial and merry, he is a good companion, and his
generosity is unfailing. It is said that he never
forgets a friend or an enemy — though it is difficult
to believe that he has any of the latter class.
Young and old prize his acquaintance, and the
children, always the keenest judges of character,
delight in his kindly greetings.
Mr. McDowell was born September'8, 1817,
in the Kishacoquillas Valley, Mifflin county,
Penn. , where his ancestors were pioneers. John
McDowell, his grandfather, who was of Scotch-
Irish stock, came from the North of Ireland
about 1755, and for some time resided in the
vicinity of Carlisle, Penn. During his residence
there he paid a visit to his native land, and soon
after his return he removed to the Kishacoquillas
Valley and bought a claim of 600 acres of land,
beautifully situated about three miles from the
present site of Belleville. The former owners,
two men named Torringtine, had abandoned the
place because of their fear of the Indians, and
had escaped frorn the supposed danger by way of
the old trail across Jack's Mountain at McVey-
town. As a token by which Mr. McDowell could
identify his purchase, they told him that in the
log cabin which they had built near a spring on
the place, he would find buried an axe, a mat
tock, and a bottle of whiskey, which articles as
stated were found there. John McDowell made
substantial improvements upon the tract, and the
old stone house that served as his residence still
does duty as a farmhouse, being kept in excellent
repair by its present owners. John McDowell
was in all respects an example of the hardy, fear
less men who laid the foundations for the civili
zation of to-day. In 1770, or earlier, he married
Miss Elizabeth Reed, of Shavers Creek, Hunt
ingdon county, near the present town of Peters-

' JS 2&&y.

¦/-Y-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

617

burg. Both were devout members of the Pres
byterian Church. Mr. McDowell died in 1809
at the age of seventy-five years, and his wife in
1812 at sixty-five, their remains being interred
in a small burial plat near the old farm house.
Another member of the McDowell family who
came to America was Robert, a brother of John,
but we have no record of him after the latter's
removal from Carlisle.
John McDowell left a large estate which was
divided among his children, but as most of them
seem to have inherited his love of travel there
are few of his descendants now living in the
Valley. Of his thirteen children all but two
reached adult age: (1) Polly was scalded to
death when quite small. (2) Robert (deceased)
was a resident of Belleville, Mifflin county, Penn.
He had four sons — William, who died at Belle
ville, unmarried; John; Robert, Jr.; and James,
who married and settled in Fayette county, Penn.
(3) William, our subject's father, is mentioned
more fully below. (4) James, who served in
the war of 1812, resided at Long Hollow, near
the present site of Newton Hamilton, Penn. Of
his ten children, Robert and William settled in
Altoona, Penn., James and Carson in Illinois,
Jonathan and Walker remained near Newton
Hamilton, Joseph disappeared during the late
war, Mrs. Mary Brilhart located in Philadelphia,
and Mrs. Belle Norton in Illinois. (5) John
died in Kishacoquillas Valley, unmarried. (6)
Samuel, who resided near the site of Altoona,
was twice married and had four children by
each union. By the first there were Isaac,
Eliza, Lydia, and another who was killed; and
by the second there were Brown, Samuel, Sarah,
and Jennie. Samuel and Isaac removed to
Iowa, but the rest of the family remained in or
near Altoona. (7) Joseph lived and died in
Mercer county, Penn., and had one daughter
who married and probably settled in Ohio. (8)
Jonathan resided in Clearfield county, Penn.,
and had the following children — Eliza, Samuel,
Charles, Elizabeth, Bertha, and another daughter
who settled in Clearfield, James, and George,
both of whom located in Clarion, Penn. (9)
Elizabeth married Samuel McGlathery, who
owned and settled upon a part of the land now
occupied by the city of Altoona. Of their chil
dren, Samuel, who resided at Altoona, left seven
or eight children: Allen lived in or near Altoona,
where most of his children also settled; John went
to Virginia, where he died leaving several children;
Elizabeth Reed, Mrs. Haggerty, resided near
Altoona, and the two daughters and one son who
survived her probably located in the same vicin
ity; Isabel married George Merriam. (10) Jean

married Henry B. Taylor and resided in the
Kishacoquillas Valley, as did her two daughters,
Elizabeth Reed, who married Dr. Mitchell, and
Mary Williamson, wife of Robert Taylor. (11)
Nancy never married. (12) Sallie died in early
womanhood, unmarried. (13) Polly (2) died in
childhood. William McDowell, our subject's father,
spent his early years at the old homestead and
later removed to the eastern end of the same
Valley, where his last days were passed, his death
occurring in 1851 at the age of seventy-five. In
1809 he was married to Ann Alexander, daughter
of Maj. Thomas Alexander, of Revolutionary
fame, and seven children were born to the union;
(1) Samuel Alexander settled in Centre county,
Penn. , where he died at over seventy years of
age. He married Sarah Eichy, of Union coun
ty, Penn., and had one son, William, who in
herited the farm near Jacksonville, married and
had six children. (2) John Reed taught school
in early manhood, and later conducted the
" Valley House " at Lewistown for several years,
but his remaining years were spent in farming.
He was active in political affairs, and held office
as deputy sheriff for some time, and in 1841 was
elected prothonotary of Mifflin county, which po
sition he filled acceptably two terms. He died in
1 86 1, aged about forty -seven, and his wife, Mar
garet Jacobs, passed away April 19, 1887, at the
age of sixty-eight. They had the following chil
dren — Margaret J., Mrs. Samuel McNitt, resid
ing near Milroy; James, a resident of York
county, Penn. , who married first Helen Camp
bell, and, after her death, her sister Dora; Wildey,
a resident of York county, who married Louisa
Bacher; William Howard, who is mentioned
more fully below; Annie, Mrs. S. F. Fry, of York
county; and John, who died in childhood. (3)
Thomas Jackson died at the age of nineteen. (4)
Perry Wilson is the subject proper of this sketch.
(5) William Elliott was a successful farmer in the
eastern end of the Kishacoquillas Valley, where
he died in 1882. He was married late in life to
Louisa McGuire, of Luzerne county, Penn. , who
survived him. They had two children — Minnie,
who died when a few months old, and a son,
Milton Spear, who was graduated from the Penn
sylvania State College, Centre county, and after
spending some time there as a professor was em
ployed as a chemist at the tannery in Ridgway,
Penn. (6) Sarah Ann married Thomas Brown,
now deceased, and had one daughter, Mrs. J. M.
Bunnell, who resided two miles east of Milroy.
(8) Eliza Jane married William Kennedy, of
Kishacoquillas Valley, and after his death, John
Stroup, of Adams county, Ohio, a farmer by oc-

618

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

cupation. By the first marriage she had two
children — James, who is married and resides in
Adams county, Ohio, and Willa, who died in
girlhood. By the second marriage she had one
son, John, who inherited his father's farm.
William Howard McDowell, the first son of
John Reed and Margaret (Jacobs) McDowell,
was born in Lewistown, August 9, 1843, and
when eleven years old accompanied his parents
to the farm near Milroy, where he grew to man
hood. After his father's death he removed with
his mother to York county, Penn., and in 1862
enlisted from that county in Company G, 9th
Pennsylvania Cavalry. He took part in a num
ber of important engagements, and was with
Sherman's army on the march to Atlanta, being
assigned to Kilpatrick's division. In September,
1864, while out on a scouting expedition, he was
captured by guerrillas, with two of his com
panions. One of the latter escaped but Mr.
McDowell, being wounded, was at the mercy of
his captors. After suffering imprisonment in
various places he was finally taken to Anderson-
ville, where he died in March, 1865.
Perry Wilson McDowell was educated in a
country school which was held in a log building
furnished in the old-fashioned way, with benches
around the wall. As farmers had little or no
help from machinery in those days, there was
plenty of work at all seasons of the year, and Mr.
McDowell could give but a few weeks each win
ter to his studies. His practical training in ag
ricultural work was not neglected, however, and
as he was a willing, ambitious boy with great
strength for one of his age, he was of much as
sistance on the farm, being able to plow when he
was but twelve years old. Exposure, together
with the effects of a fever, impaired his hearing,
and from the age of six years he has been
troubled with varying degrees of deafness, the
disease becoming worse as time passed. In
early manhood he spent several summers work
ing for neighboring farmers, but he made his
home with his parents until 1839 when he went
to reside upon a small farm near Milroy (the first
land that he ever owned). His first work was,
when he was about thirteen years old, for John
Lapp, receiving as wages four dollars per month
one season; but the really first money he earned
was seven dollars (paid in silver fifty- cent pieces)
for "following acradler" along with another
boy. On June 7, 1842, Mr. McDowell was mar
ried in Milroy, Penn., to Miss Catherine Conley,
a native of Mifflin county, born April 5, 18 19.
Her parents, John and Mary (Duff) Conley, well-
known residents of that county, had fifteen chil

dren, of whom nine daughters and two sons lived
to adult age. Mr. McDowell and his bride be
gan their married life on the little farm near Mil
roy, in the spring of 1852, but later in the same
year he purchased a farm in Marion township,
Centre county; then finding it too far from the
nearest school for his children, he removed to
Milroy, near a school, and there remained some
two years. He then bought a farm in Lamar
township, Clinton county, and remained there
until 1857, when he disposed of it and settled
upon the Centre county farm. In 1871 he lo
cated at Howard, Centre county, where he spent
eight years, and during half that period he was
occupied in running a gristmill. In 1879 he
bought his present farm near Mackeyville, a fine
estate, formerly known as the Brady farm. He
nows owns two other well-improved farms in
Marion township, Centre county, and is regarded
as one of the substantial citizens of that section.
In 1892 our subject and his wife celebrated
their golden wedding, the happy event drawing
together four generations of their descendants.
Mrs. McDowell died November 5, 1897, aged
seventy-eight years and seven months, after a
married life of fifty-five years; her's was the first
death in the family. She had not been in good
health of late years, having suffered a paralytic
stroke in June, 1885, from the effects of which
she never recovered. She was a devout mem
ber of the Presbyterian Church, and was held in
high esteem by a large circle of friends. The
children of this worthy couple were trained in
early life to habits of usefulness, and their par
ents always appreciated the value of their assist
ance, Mr. McDowell having distributed among
them about $5,000 to give each a good start in
life. A brief record of their children is as fol
lows: (1) Anna M., born March 20, 1843, mar
ried J. W. Blair, of Belle Centre, Ohio, and has
one child, Anna C. (2) Sarah E., born Janu
ary 19, 1845, married James Allison, of Porter
township, Clinton county, and four years later
they moved to Seman, Ohio; they have three
children — Kate C. , David Mc D., and Nettie A.,
the eldest of whom is now the wife of Dr. Mont
gomery, of Huntsville, Ohio, and her two chil
dren give our subject the patriarchal honors of a
great-grandfather. (3) N. Margaret, born May
28, 1846, married Capt. S. H. Bennison, of
Marion township, Centre county, and they have
had eleven children — Perry Mc, Jane, Robert
H., Mary C, John, Bertha C, Guy, Emma,
Nellie E., Dean, and Helen G., all yet-living ex
cept John. (4) Emma J., born March 17, 1854,
married Dr. J. E. Tibbins, of Beech Creek,.
Penn. , and they have one son — Perry McD. (5)

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

619

Henry T, born October 28, 1857, married Miss
Mary B. Kline, and located in Marion township,
Centre county; they have had three sons: Will
ard K, living; and Perry W. and Eugene B.,
deceased. Our subject has been a lifelong Democrat,
his first vote having been cast for David R.
Porter for governor. No change of policy or
principle on the part of the leaders of the party
has ever shaken his, allegiance, and he has held
many a heated argument with those who were
less inclined to stand by the old organization at
all hazards. Although he has not especially
cared for official place, he has been chosen to
various township offices, including that of justice
of the peace. He is proud of the fact that he
has followed farming fifty-eight years; is a man
of much energy, and has a bright mind, has been
a great reader, and is well-informed on all sub
jects, his advice and counsel being frequently
sought.BENJAMIN F. BROWN. For upward of
half a century the name of Brown has been
prominently identified with the business interests
of Lock Haven and Clinton county. The gen
tleman, whose name introduces this sketch, is of
the second generation of the name to have suc
cessful careers in mercantile lines here.
Jacob Brown, his father, whose death on
March 13, 1896, closed a long busy, life, remov
ing from the community a prominent business
man, a good citizen, and one of the pioneer
merchants of this section, was born March 20,
1820, in Wurtefnberg, Germany. At the age of
seventeen years he came to America. He found
his way to Lycoming county, Penn. , and secured
work at Trout Run. A year later he went to
Ralston, then passed several months at Far
randsville, Clinton county. His next move was
to come to Lock Haven, where he served two
years in learning the carpenter's trade. After
this he went to Muncy Creek, Lycoming county,
and there remained two years engaged in farm
ing and lumbering. The following three years
he worked at his trade in Philadelphia, and at
the expiration of this time he returned to Lock
Haven, and here formed a partnership with his
brother George Brown, who was then in the
mercantile business. In 1852 George Brown
withdrew from the firm, selling his interest to
James Fearon. The business was carried on
under the firm name of Jacob Brown & Co.
Shortly afterward Mr. Fearon's death caused a
change in the firm, his widow selling her interest
in the business to Mr. Brown. Later W. H.
Mayer, subsequently mayor of Lock Haven, se

cured an interest, and the business was conducted
under the name of Brown & Mayer. At that
time the store was on Water street, opposite the
"Fallon House." In 1857 Mr. Brown sold out
to his partner, and one year later started a gen
eral store in a building which he erected for him
self on Main street. In 1869 he confined his
business to a general grocery which he conduct
ed alone until 1874, at which time he admitted
B. F. Brown (his son) and Peter Berger to a
partnership, the firm becoming Jacob Brown &
Co. Some time afterward Mr. Berger retired
from the firm, since which time the business has
been carried on under the name of Jacob Brown
& Son, the widow succeeding her husband in the
business. Jacob Brown was a thrifty German,
honest, industrious, and a good manager. These
essentials coupled with his business tact made
him a successful business man. On his death
one of the Lock Haven papers said: "By his
death a prominent business man is removed from
Lock Haven. He was a man of integrity, square
in his business transactions, congenial with com
panions, and possessed a happy disposition."
His progressive ideas and public spirit were
shown in his long service in the city council and
the school board, and in various other official
positions. He was a member of the Masonic
fraternity, and the Masons had charge of the
funeral. At the outbreak of the Civil war he
was made captain of the "Steuben Rifles," a
local military company.
In 1848, in the city of Philadelphia, Jacob
Brown was married to Margaret Heid, who was
a native of Germany. To the marriage were
born Caroline (Mrs. A. T. Elliott), Benjamin F.
(our subject), Elizabeth (Mrs. W. F. Elliot),
James (deceased), and George W. (deceased).
Benjamin F. Brown, who to-day is one of the
best and most favorably known of the business
men of Lock Haven, where he was born August
29, 1851, received his education in the schools
of that city, supplementing his course there by
one year of study in a school at Westchester,
Penn. , and by a business course at Williamsport,
Penn. At the age of fifteen he entered his fa
ther's store, and he has been connected with the
establishment ever since, having become a part
ner at an early age. As his father's health de
clined, more and more responsibility rested upon
the son, and he may be said to have been the
head of the enterprise for twenty years past.
One factor in his success is his careful selection
of his goods, of which he carries a large stock,
thus meeting the demands of the best class of
custom. The firm carries a large stock, and
there are employed some half dozen clerks in the

620

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

conduct of the business. The building in which
the business is carried on is large and roomy, be-
in size 20x100 feet, and has three floors and a
basement. Mr. Brown's well-proven sagacity
makes him a valued advisor in other important
movements, and he is now a director in the Lock
Haven Trust & Safe Company.
While not radical in his political views, our
subject affiliates with the Democratic party. He
has never sought official honors, however, pre
ferring to give his time to his private business.
Socially he is identified with several fraternal
orders, including the B. P. O. E. and the F. &
A. M.
MOBERT MANN. For nearly three-quarters
 of a century the name of Mann has stood
the embodiment of all that there is in the man
ufacture of the best brand, most widely known,
and extensively used axe in the country.
Robert Mann, the gentleman whose skill and
foresight built up the great business in this line
at Mill Hall, Clinton county, now the oldest
living member of the " Axe Mann" family, and
the only male representative of his generation,
is a native of Rutland township, Jefferson Co. ,
N. Y., born near Watertown, June 13, 1824.
Thomas Mann, the founder of the family in
America, was born in County Derry, Ireland,
April 10, 1750, and was a lad of eight years
when his parents came to America. They set
tled in New England, where Thomas grew up,
and with his wife, Thankful, who was born in
Massachusetts, January 7, 1737, migrated to
Montgomery county, N. Y. , where for some
years he followed his occupation of blacksmith
ing, and later in life he moved to western New
York, and died at Wales, Erie county, in 1820.
Among their children that lived to reach adult
age were, William, the father of the subject of
this sketch: John was a lawyer, and died in New
York City; David was a farmer, and died in
western New York, and Nathan was a black
smith and maker of edge tools, and died in
western New York. Among the children were
also several daughters.
William Mann, Sr. , was born August 18,
1779, at Braintree, Mass., and was but a lad on
his parents moving to Montgomery county, where
he was reared to manhood. He learned the
blacksmith's trade with his father. After his
marriage he started in business for himself on a
small scale making scythes and axes. In 1829
he moved to Bellefonte, Penn., where two of his
sons, William and Harvey, had preceded him
and were engaged in the manufacture of axes.
This journey to Pennsylvania the father made

with a two-horse covered wagon. On the ar
rival of the family at Bellefonte the father built
a shop and began the manufacture of forks,
hoes, rakes, etc. In about 1801, in Montgomery
county, New York, he married Miss Rachel
Gillette, who was there born, May 30, 1782, be
ing a daughter of Stephen and Ruth (Case) Gil
lette, the former a native of near Hartford,
Conn., born in 1753, and the latter of the same
locality, born in 1763. William Mann, Sr., died
at Boiling Springs, Centre county, February 19,
i860; his wife passed away years previously
(1847) in Philadelphia, her remains being in
terred in that city. William, Sr., was buried
at Bellefonte, in the beautiful cemetery on the
hill under the shadows of the towering pine
trees, which seemingly have been left as senti
nels standing guard over the graves of the many
distinguished dead of that renowned mountain
town. The children born to this couple were:
(1) William Mann, Jr., born October 18, 1802,
and died June 11, 1855, near Lewistown, Penn.
(2) Harvey Mann, born July 2, 1804, and died
June 4, 1870, at Boiling Springs, Penn. (Will
iam was the pioneer of the family in the axe
business in Pennsylvania, and with his brother
Harvey started a factory in Bellefonte in 1825,
and later at the Boiling Springs, two miles from
Bellefonte). (3) Stephen G. died in Tennessee,
whither he had gone in search of a better cli
mate for his health. He was also an axe manu
facturer. (4) Willis, born February 9, 1815,
died February 18, 1879, and at the time of his
death resided in Mifflin county, although his
death occurred in Clearfield county. He, too,
was an axe manufacturer, and the pioneer of the
family in that business in Clinton county. (One
James Hayes, a pupil of the Manns in the axe
business in Bellefonte, Centre county, went to
Clinton county and there established himself
near Mackeyville in the axe business, but in time
abandoned it. This business was revived by
Willis Mann). (5) Maria died September 10,
1850, unmarried, near Lewistown, Penn. (6)
Harris left Mifflin county when twenty-one years
of age, and was never heard from afterward.
(7) Robert is our subject. The father of these,
William Mann, Sr., was a man of strong con
victions, but kind-hearted and true. While in
dustrious and a thorough workman, he was not a
money-getter. He was a man of a high sense
of honor, and had great antipathy for all forms
of deception and untruthfulness. He was
methodical in whatever he did and most thor
ough, and left as a legacy to his children a good
name, and thorough schooling in his trade, which
made them riches and renown throughout the

/ZrUt^

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

621

country. He took great care of his health, and
as a result sickness was almost unknown to him
until extreme old age.
Returning to Robert Mann (to whom it was
left to carry forward and to augment the busi
ness established in Pennsylvania by his older
brothers), who was only a lad at the time of his
parents' removal from New York to Bellefonte,
as they came en route via Williamsport, Mill
Hall and on into Nittany Valley, it did not dawn
upon the mind of their youngest son that they
were passing the site of his future great achieve
ments, when he was to rescue the declining
fortunes of the village of Mill Hall with its iron
works collapsing into ruin, and rehabilitate it with
a new industry that in less than a half century
would make it a busy commercial center, with
Robert Mann at the head of one of the leading
axe manufacturing industries in the United
States; and less than sixty years later finds the
gentleman whose business sagacity and foresight
developed this great industry retired with ample
means to live as his refined tastes desire. He
now is passing the evening of life in an elegant
home that overlooks the picturesque mountains
and valleys and streams of Nittany Valley — a
home, too, that overlooks the factory where his
sons are managing even to greater success the
business of their forefathers.
Robert Mann recalls with great pleasure his
childhood days at Bellefonte, where he received
his first schooling; these were halcyon days, full
of enjoyment — swimming, skating and coasting
on those steep hills, and, in company with older
boys, hunting squirrels, trapping rabbits, and,
not the least interesting, listening to stories such
•as "Jack, the Giant Killer," as he sometimes
sat on the platform of the old pump that stood
in the diamond square. When he was twelve
years of age his father finally settled on a small
farm near where Unionville, Centre county, has
since been built; here Robert took his first les
sons as a practical worker in iron. He remem
bers an occasion when his father was sitting on
the vice bench with a neighbor while he (Robert)
was forging a piece of iron; and, no doubt stimu
lated by the spectator, he heard his father say
"there is a boy who will make a good work
man." Of course this was very gratifying
to him, for he had no higher ambition. During
the four years that Robert resided there he at
tended school three or four months each winter,
and in summer worked principally on the land.
His father, though then a man of some sixty
years, worked with his sons Harris and Robert.
He rarely scolded them, and he was indul
gent as far as his limited means would permit.

They were allowed plenty of time for hunting
and fishing, of which they were very fond. The
father's favorite books were "Scott's life of Na
poleon Bonaparte," "Blair's Sermons," and
"Seneca's Morals." Robert read these books
with interest, particularly the former. After
dinner during the summer season his father usu
ally lay upon his back, always preferring th&
hard floor, and read until he fell asleep. Rob
ert's fondness for reading grew with his years,
and was only limited by the very few books he-
had access to. They had a school book called
the "National Reader," which was read and re
read many times over by the brothers, and the
pieces they most admired were such as had ac
quired a wide celebrity in the world, such as
"Gray's Elegy," and writings of Addison, Mil
ton, Pope and Akenside.
William Mann, Jr., twenty-two years older
than his brother, Robert, having finally settled
near Lewistown, Mifflin county, and established
an axe factory there that was destined to be
come famous, after, say, some five years' suc
cessful operation, visited his parents and the
family near Unionville, and prevailed on his.
father to move near his place, he believing that
there would be a better opening for Harris and
Robert than there in the secluded place where
they then resided. In the year 1840 the change
was therefore made. William Mann, Sr. , and
family moved into the stone house at the en
trance of the narrows below the axe factory, and
here, practically in the employ of his brother,
William, Robert Mann spent seven years of his
life, principally in the forging department, in the
manufacture of tools and axes, but a liberal pro
portion of this time was devoted to a subordinate
care inthe management, and also travelingon busi
ness over various parts of the State on horseback
and in other ways in vogue half a century ago.
Finally, Robert Mann, seeing that there was no
favorable opening with his brother, William, for
bettering his condition, as the latter had sons
rapidly growing up, accepted an offer from his
brother, Willis, at Mackeyville, Clinton county,
to take a position in a new store which he was
starting in connection with his axe business.
Robert, therefore, bid adieu to Mifflin county,
having little -or nothing to carry out of it but his
experience, which proved to be valuable in the
vears to come. Robert stayed with his brother,
Willis, about two years, principally in the store,
during which time he discovered that his broth
er's affairs were in bad shape, and that his failure
was sure to come in the near future. While
this condition of his brother's affairs filled him,
with sorrow and regret, it also inspired him with

622

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

-a determination to start in business for himself;
therefore, early in January, 1849, he made arti
cles of agreement and co-partnership with Mr.
Saul McCormick, a merchant of Mill Hall, for
the erection of an axe factory on the site of the
old forge. Soon after this, Robert Mann was
married to Miss Christina Reesman, the former
twenty-five and the latter twenty years of age,
and April ist they commenced housekeeping
temporarily in Mackeyville. Thus the business
and matrimonial enterprises started out simul
taneously in the venture of life. And here it
may safely be said that there has not been in the
county of Clinton a c6uple who have contributed
so much to the industry of the common people,
so continuously and for so long a period of time,
as the obscure pair who began their wedded life
so lowly in Mackeyville.
John Reesman, the father of Mrs. Robert
Mann, was born in Dauphin county, Penn., and
when a small lad was thrown on his own re
sources; leaving home, he learned the milling
business, which he followed for many years. He
purchased land near Mackeyville, Clinton county,
which he improved, and there built a mill. His
wife, Christina, the mother of all his children,
died at Mackeyville, in 1844. Both husband
and wife were members of the Evangelical
Church, and their house was often opened for
prayer and worship. The church that stands on
the hill near Mackeyville was erected as a memo
rial to Mrs. Christina Reesman. Mr. Reesman
was a man of strict integrity, was industrious
and a good citizen. He was married a second
time, and died in 1872, and is buried with his
first wife at Mackeyville.
The new firm of Robert Mann & Co. started
up about August 1, 1849, with five men. The
business increased slowly, but steadily, until the
end of the lease for five years. Prior to its ex
piration, however, a new lease was made for
eight years, and arrangements made for greatly
enlarging the works, which was carried out. In
1857 Mr. McCormick died; Mr. Mann then pur
chased the property, and in 1863 the factory was
further enlarged, and again in 1876 he further
increased its size, until from the small beginning
•of the capacity of twenty axes per day, it was
increased so that in 1877 the output -was upward
of 400 per day. The works never from the start
ceased operation until they were destroyed by
fire on September 11, 1877. Plans for the re
building of the factory were immediately perfect
ed, and by April, 1878, the new works, with in
creased capacity, were in operation. In 1880
Mr. Mann built a new factory, complete in its
appointments, below Mill Hall, at which exclus

ively ' ' double-bit " axes have ever since been
made. Four years before the absorption of the
business by the American Axe & Tool Co., Mr.
Mann had given exclusive control to his three
sons, Thomas R. , at the lower factory, with an
output in 1890 of 400 "double-bit" axes per day,
employing sixty-five men, and Alfred C. and
William H., at the upper factory, with an output
of 800 single axes per day, and employing 100
men. At that period the Mann family were the
most extensive manufacturers of axes in the
world, making at their various factories 2,800
per day, or 840,000 per year, their trade and
reputation extending around the globe. The
great success of the "Mann Axe" is due to the
close attention given to the one business, and to
the constant care they have ever exercised in
keeping their goods up to the highest point of
excellence. In 1890 these factories were ab
sorbed by the American Axe & Tool Co., and
the business at this point is now being managed
by the sons of Robert Mann. For some years
have been manufactured here all of the "double-
bit" axes made by the above company, with a
capacity of 1,200 "double-bit" axes per day, em
ploying 180 men.
Following are the children of Robert and
Christina Mann: Frances M. Garth, whose hus
band, Abbott B., is a merchant of Mill Hall, and
paymaster and shipper of the American Axe &
Tool Co., was born at Mill Hall, October 19,
1849; Harris I., born March 8, 1851, died Sep
tember 15, 1862, of diphtheria; John W. , born
February 22, 1853, died September 2, 1862, of
diphtheria; Thomas R. , born February 19, 1855,
is cashier of the Colorado & North-western Rail
way Co. , and manager of large smithing works
in Boulder, Colo. ; Alfred C. , born March 7, 1857,
is the superintendent of the American Axe &
Tool Co., at Mill Hall; Joseph R. , born February
16, 1859, is president of the Mann Edge Tool
Company, at Lewistown, Penn. ; Carrie E., born
April 26, 1861, died September 4, 1862, of diph
theria; William H., born August 2, 1863, is a
merchant of Mill Hall, Penn.; Mary M., born
May 20, 1865, died December 28, 1865; and
Robert, Jr., born October 16, 1866, is vice-pres
ident a nd sales agent of the Mann Edge Tool Co. ,
Lewistown, Penn. The mother of these died
January 29, 1897, and was buried at Cedar Hill
Cemetery. She was a woman of many virtues,
an affectionate wife, and a kind and indulgent
mother, and her death was keenly felt in the
community in which she had so long lived. Mr.
Mann, although starting in life very humbly and
with little education, has by his untiring industry
and business tact not only built up a great indus-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

623

try, become wealthy and made for himself a
name and position in the business world, but he
has by reading and study become a man of edu
cation and culture, and one coming in contact
with him would judge him a college-bred gen
tleman. He is unassuming, genial and social,
yet with it all carries dignity. He is a success
ful man. In politics he is a Republican, well-
posted on the history of parties and on the issues
of the day. He takes a deep interest in politics
although he has never been active in a party
sense. With his force and business ability, had
he early in life received a more liberal education,
he certainly would have forged his way to the
front in public affairs, if he had so desired to do.
He is a member of the Presbyterian Church.
The following notice of Harvey Mann, for
forty years the distinguished head of the axe fac
tory of Boiling Springs, near Bellefonte, is taken
from the private narrative of his brother Robert:
"My brother Harvey was a man of good mind
and scrupulously honorable in his dealings; as
long as he devoted his attention strictly to his
axe business he was very successful, though
greatly hampered by his poor waterpower. He
claimed to be the inventor of the process of
drawing axe-bits under a trip-hammer, a practice
that soon became universal. His greatest in
vention was the overlaid steel which has come to
be extensively used, and which during his life
time yielded him a handsome royalty; but it was
at the sacrifice of his reputation as a manufact
urer, for his mind was so engrossed by his inven
tion that his axe business suffered, and at the
time of his death was on the decline when it
came into the hands of his only surviving son
Harvey, a noble young man, whose sudden death
a few years after by a railroad accident near
Steubenville, Ohio, was the last and the hardest
of the heart-crushing bereavements that his now
childless and widowed mother had to endure. It
was pitiable to see her hopeless sorrow, yet she
endured and survived it. Her nephew, J. Fearon
Mann, my brother William's third son, leased
her axe factory — her greatest business care — and
was otherwise much comfort and help to her.
She built a small church near her house, and
lived for many years in her desolated home with
ample means, with which she did much good.
She died in the seventy-fourth year of her age,
and the family of Harvey Mann became extinct."
[Mill Hall, Penn., September, 1897. J

M NDREW C. KISSELL (deceased). Prom-
J&k inent among the representative citizens of
Woodward township, who have witnessed the

marvelous development of Clinton county during
the past half century, and who, by honest toil
and industry, succeeded in acquiring a com
petence, which enabled them to spend the even
ing of life in quiet and refinement, was the
gentleman whose name introduces this sketch.
His entire life was passed in the county, his
birth occurring October 22, 1823, in Pine Creek
township, then a part of Lycoming county, and for
many years he was actively identified with its ag
ricultural and industrial interests. His paternal
grandfather, a native of Germany, became a pio
neer farmer of that township.
Henry Kissell, our subject's father, was born
February 15, 1798, in Pine Creek township, and
there grew to manhood, acquiring his education
in its subscription schools. Throughout his act
ive business life he followed the carpenter's
trade, making his home on a small farm of thirty
acres in Pine Creek township, where his death
occurred January 22, 1865, and he was laid to
rest in a cemetery in Porter township, Lycoming
county. He was a member of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, was highly respected by all
who knew him, and was a Democrat in politics.
In early manhood Henry Kissell was married
to Catharine Bowers, who was born March 6,
1796, and by whom he had five children: Jacob,
who died in Illinois; Andrew C. , of this sketch;
Margaret, deceased wife of C. Eckard; Martha,
widow of Frederick Rayhorne; and Jane, de
ceased wife of John Shiley. The wife and
mother, who was also a consistent member of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, died in Pine
Creek township, March 1, 1837, an(^ for his sec
ond wife Mr. Kissell chose Jane Morrison.
Twelve children were born to this union, of
whom four died in infancy; the others are as fol
lows: Catharine, wife of R. B. Staver, of Will
iamsport, Penn.; Mary; Barbara; Elizabeth,
wife of William Porter, of Lock Haven; Hettie,
wife of Andrew Myers, of Williamsport; Rebec
ca, widow of William Layman, of Williamsport;
Morrison, of Williamsport; and Martin. Mrs.
Kissell died August 25, 1886.
During his boyhood and youth Andrew C.
Kissell attended the public schools of his native
township for three months during the winter,
and spent his summers at work upon the home
farm. At the age of twenty-one he began learn
ing the tanner's trade, working for four years for
Mr. Walters, who at that time owned a tannery
in Pine Creek township. Subsequently our sub
ject conducted the "Half Way House" in that
township for a year and a half, and then rented
and operated the McKinney tannery in the same
township for a year, after which he went to Nit-

624

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

tany Valley, Clinton county, where he rented a
tannery and operated the same for five years
with good success. Returning to his native
township, he followed lumbering and piloting on
the Susquehanna river, taking rafts and "arks"
down that stream to Marietta and Columbia. In
i860 he bought the Crawford & Condon tannery
in Pine Creek township, and carried it on until
1 88 1, when he disposed of the business and came
to Woodward township. Here he purchased a
fine brick residence and farm of Mr. Bickford,
and until 1894 devoted his energies to farming, to
bacco growing and market gardening, but has since
lived retired on account of ill health, having never
fully recovered from an attack of "la grippe."
On the 4th of July, 1848, in Pine Creek town
ship, our subject was married to Miss Sarah Ann
Dunlap, whose birth occurred in that township,
June 26, 1826. Her father, James Dunlap, was
born in Philadelphia, November 12, 1799, of
French ancestry, and when a young man re
moved to Muncy, Lycoming Co., Penn., where
he engaged in farming for some time, and was
married to Sarah Gallinger, who was born
there November 2, 1802, and died at the home
of our subject July 17, 1883. From Muncy Mr.
Dunlap removed to a farm in Pine Creek town
ship, Clinton county, where he followed the oc
cupation of farming until his death, which
occurred in September, 1849. He and his wife
now sleep side by side in the Pine Creek
cemetery. Both belonged to the Lutheran
Church, and he gave his political support to the
Whig party. In their family were the following
children: Sarah, the wife of our subject; Sam
uel, of Nippenose Valley; Elizabeth, deceased
wife of Joel Kline; Catharine, wife of Samuel
Bailey, of Porter township, Lycoming coun
ty; James and John, deceased; Barbara E.,
wife of John Bussler, of Pine Creek township;
and Fanny, wife of Henry Myers, of the same
township. Mr. and Mrs. Andrew C. Kissell became the
parents of ten children: Mary A. , born April 19,
1849, is the wife of Reuben Shell, of Lock
Haven; Arabella, born April 19, 185 1, became
the wife of James Henry, of Chatham Run, and
died May 10, 1884; Priscilla J., born September
22, 1852, is the wife of Jacob Myers; an infant
daughter was born and died October 30, 1854;
Millard F. , born October 14, 1856, married
Elizabeth, daughter of Andrew C. McKinney, of
Chatham Run, and operates the home farm;
Sarah C. , born April 2, 1858, died February 11,
i860; Lillie M., born September 7, i860, died
September 29, 1864; Andrew C. , a tanner, born
December 29, 1865, married Flora Harman, and

has three children; and three other children of
our subject died in infancy.
Politically Mr. Kissell was a firm supporter
of the Republican party. He cast his first vote
for Henry Clay, and was proud that he was
able to take his place side by side with the great
majority of the American people who voted for
Maj. McKinley and sound money at the last
election, and hoped to be able to support the
same party in 1900. His fellow-citizens recog
nizing his worth and ability called him to pub
lic office, although he never cared for political
distinction. On his party ticket he was elect
ed by a large majority a commissioner of Clin
ton county in the fall of 1890. His term was a
trying one for the commissioners, as it was just
after the great flood of 1889, when much damage
was done to bridges and other property, and
while faithfully discharging the arduous duties of
the office, Mr. Kissell contracted the cold which
laid the foundation of his subsequent ill health.
He served as tax collector and assessor, was
school director in Pine Creek township for sev
eral terms, justice of the peace for fifteen years,
postmaster at Chatham Run for four years, and
judge of elections, all of which offices he filled to
the satisfaction of the general public and with
credit to himself.
For twelve years Mr. Kissell was a member
of Washington Camp, P. O. S. of A., at Chat
ham Run, and with his wife and family held
membership in the Methodist Episcopal Church.
For several years he taught in the Sunday-school
in Pine Creek township, and also served as su
perintendent. He was well-posted on the Bible,
never a day passed that he did not read in the
Sacred Book, and he was a strong temperance
man, never tasting intoxicants of any kind. For
almost fifty years Mr. and Mrs. Kissell traveled
life's journey together, and although they had
met with sorrows, they were contented and hap
py in each other's love, and had the respect and
esteem of all who knew them. They reared a
family of children, who highly honored and re
spected them in their old age, and are all earnest
Christians. The husband and father passed
away November 10, 1897, at his home in Dunns-
burg aged seventy- four years. The funeral oc
curred on the 1 2th, conducted by Rev. George M.
Frownfetter in the home church. The inter
ment was made at Dunnsburg in one of the old
est cemeteries in the county.

ICH FAMILY, of Clinton county. This fam
ily has for over half a century been prom
inently -identified with the industrial and com-

r >

'^w / 1.' c

J. W. RICH

JOHH B, RICH

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

625

mercial interests of Clinton county, and the name
is a synonym for honorable and straightforward
dealing. One of their leading characteristics in
business affairs is their fine sense of order and
complete system, and the habit of giving careful
attention to details without which success in any
undertaking is never an assured fact.
The family was founded in this country by
John Rich, who was born in Wiltshire, England,
October 16, 1786, a son of John Rich, a wool-
carder by occupation, and a native of the same
county, who spent his last days with his son John
in Clinton county, Penn. In his native land the
son received a very limited education, and under
his father's able direction he became a wool-
carder. Having a strong desire to try his fortune
in the New World, he, in 181 1, at the age of
twenty-five years, sailed from Liverpool, accom
panied by his father, landing at Philadelphia.
In Germantown, Penn., he found employment
as a carder in a woolen-factory, where he re
mained for several years, and then came to Mill
Hall, Clinton county, and here rented a small
woolen-factory from Nathaniel Harvey, which he
operated some seven years. Removing to Pine
Creek township, he was engaged in the same
business at Plum Run, Dunstable township,
Clinton county. He purchased the "Mansion
farm," owned by John Fleming, and in partner
ship with Daniel McCormick erected a woolen-
mill. He also had an interest in a woolen-mill
at Cooperstown, Venango Co., Penn., the busi
ness being carried on under style of Rich, Booth
& Hillier. For several years these men also
operated the factory at Chatham Run, which,
later, John Rich rented to John Hillier for some
years. Finally, however, Mr. Rich purchased
his partner's interest at Plum Run, and moved
the machinery from the Plum Run mill (in 1 843)
to Factoryville (now Woolrich), Clinton county,
and built a fine brick factory, the first of the
kind in central Pennsylvania, burning the brick
upon his farm. He also erected a second house
at that place, and in the midst of the wilderness
established quite a thriving little settlement,
where employment was furnished to a number of
people. He built four good log dwellings, and
took an active and prominent part in the growth
and development of the village. Until his death,
which occurred in 1870, he successfully operated
the mill, along with his son, John Fleming Rich,
who was the inventor of the patented lumber
man flannel known as "Rich's patent." He be
came one of the leading and influential citizens
of the community, and was called upon to serve
in several public positions of honor and trust,
being one of the commissioner's of Clinton county
40*

for several years, and also county auditor. He
was a strong party man, always upholding the
principles of the Whig party until its dissolution,
when he became an ardent Republican. In relig
ious belief he was a Methodist, and was a liberal
contributor to all Church work. Wherever
known he was held in high regard, and was noted
for his kindness and generosity.
John Rich was married to Miss McCloskey, a
native of Dunnsburg, Clinton county, a daughter
of Isaac McCloskey, a farmer by occupation. To
them were born twelve children, namely: Re
becca, widow of George McCormick; Rachel,
wife of Charles Koch, of Horseheads, N. Y. ;
Airy, wife of J. W. Crawford, of Dunstable
township, Clinton county; Mary, deceased wife
of John Caldwell, of Horseheads, N. Y. ; John
Fleming, Stiles and Thomas, all three deceased;
Jane, deceased wife of Hon. Alexander McDill,
of Wisconsin; Charles B., deceased; Joseph, who
was killed in a railroad accident in 1876; and
Elizabeth, deceased wife of ex-Sheriff Van Bus-
kirk. The mother of these children died at
Chatham Run, in 1876, and was laid to rest by
the side of her husband in the cemetery at that
place. Of this family John Fleming Rich was born
October 11, 1826, and in the subscription schools
of Pine Creek township, Clinton county, he ob
tained his primary education, which was supple
mented with an attendance of several terms at
Allegheny College. In early boyhood he began
work in his father's woolen-factory, and soon
mastered all branches of the business. In 1*868
he and his brother, Charles B., were admitted
to the firm, and the business was conducted under
the style of John Rich & Sons, later J. F. & C.
B. Rich. After the death of C. B. Rich, the
sons of J. F. Rich (John and M. B.) became in
terested in the business and made many improve
ments in the factory, putting in new machinery
at a cost of $5,000. Erecting a fine brick store
building at a cost of $2,500, they became the
first merchants of Woolrich. To John Fleming
Rich is due in a great degree the prosper
ity and development of that thriving village.
There he made his home, having erected an ele
gant residence at a cost of $3,000, and, in con
nection with his other business interests, he also
superintends the management of his fine farm of
300 acres. He was a man of scholarly tastes
and broad general information, and at the age of
fifty years mastered the Greek, Latin and Ger
man languages, later in life taking the study of
Hebrew. In the pressure of his business cares
he never forgot the holier duties of life, was a
close Bible student, and for a number of years

626

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

served as local preacher in the Methodist Epis
copal community at Woolrich. Politically he
was a Randall Democrat, served as county aud
itor, school director, and in other local positions,
and took a commendable interest in all matters
pertaining to both Church and State.
On January 25, 1848, near Jersey Shore, Ly
coming county, Penn., John Fleming Rich was
married to Miss Catherine A. Ohl, who was born
at Block House, that county, March 28, 1828,
a daughter of Michael and Sarah (Young) Ohl,
the former of German and the latter of English
descent. Her father was a miller by occupation.
Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Rich,
namely: Rachel H. and Sarah I. (twins), born
May 16, 1849, both of whom died in infancy;
Lydia E., born July 1, 1851, became the wife of
John Stephenson, of Texas, and is now deceased;
John B. and Michael B. are mentioned farther
on; Anna B., born January 3, 1857, died in child
hood; Stiles E. is mentioned farther on; Charles
H., born December 31, i860, is a lumberman,
farmer, civil engineer, and inventor, living in
Clinton county; and William Fleming, is also
mentioned farther on. The father of this family
passed away March 17, 1889. The mother, who
survives, is a faithful member of the Methodist
Episcopal Church at Woolrich.
John Rich (deceased), the eldest son in the
family just mentioned, was born in Woolrich,
, March 19, 1854, began his education in the pub
lic schools of that place, later attended Dickinson
Seminary, Williamsport, Penn., and was a grad
uate of the Eastman Business College, Pough-
keepsie, N. Y. In 1877 he and his brother
Michael B. were admitted to a partnership in
their father's business, and after the death of the
father the name was changed to John Rich &
Brothers. John Rich was an excellent business
man, always upright and honorable in all trans
actions, and had the confidence and respect of
all who knew him. On July 16, 1 891, he was
united in marriage to Mrs. Jennie Quiggle, widow
of Clark Quiggle (who was killed in a railroad
accident). She is a native of Pine Creek town
ship, Clinton county, and a daughter of Mathew
Ferguson, a farmer of that township. By her
second marriage she became the mother of two
children: John Woods, born in September, 1892;
and Stiles Fleming, born in August, 1894. The
husband and father died September 27, 1895,
mourned by all who knew him. He was un
swerving in his support of the Republican party,
and for thirty years was an earnest and devout
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
was one of its most active workers and liberal
supporters, and for many years served as super

intendent of the Sunday-school, president of the
Epworth League, steward and trustee.
Michael B. Rich, now the senior member
of the firm of John Rich & Bros. , was born April
30, 1855, in Woolrich, where he acquired his
elementary education, and during the years 1874-
75-76 he attended Dickinson Seminary, at Will
iamsport, being a pupil of Dr. Spotswood and
Dr. E.J. Gray. On laying aside his text books he
entered into business with his father and brother,
and has since been a member of the firm, which
still continues operations under the firm name of
John Rich & Bros. He is now a managing part
ner of the woolen-mill and of a general store at
Woolrich, where he has a comfortable and pleas
ant residence, erected at a cost of $3,000. On
the Republican ticket he was elected school
director of Pine Creek township and county com
missioner, most creditably serving in the latter
office from 1880 until 1885. He, too, is a faith
ful member of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
has served as class-leader, exhorter, Sunday-
school superintendent and teacher, and his sup
port and influence are always found on the side
of right and order. He was married in Pine
Creek township, in 1880, to Miss Ida B. Shaw, a
native of that township, and a daughter of R. A.
Shaw, justice of the peace, and to them have
been born seven children: Jennie F., Robert
F., Katie L., John B., Anna B., Grace E. , and
Margaret M.
W. Fleming Rich, the junior member of the
firm of John Rich & Bros. , was born in Wool-
rich, February 22, 1862, and, after attending the
schools of Pine Creek township for some time,
he became a student in the Central State Nor
mal School at Lock Haven, where he graduated
with the class of .1882. Like his brothers, he
early became familiar with every detail of the
business connected with the woolen-factory, and
in 1889 he purchased the interest of his father
in the mill, with which he has since been con
nected. In Woolrich he has a pleasant home
worth $2,500, is president of the Patriotic Order
Sons of America, at that place, has been a
teacher and superintendent of the Sunday-school
connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church,
in which he holds membership, and is identified
with the Republican party. In Pine Creek town
ship he was married, in 1888, to Miss Mary
Stevenson, a native of Lock Haven, and a daugh
ter of David Stevenson. She died the following
year, and in 1891 Mr. Rich was wedded, in
Dunstable township, Clinton county, to Miss
Clara B. Baird, who was born in that township,
where her father, John Q. Baird, is engaged in
farming and tobacco growing. Three children

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

627

have graced this union: Ruth E., Mary H. and
Lydia F.
The Rich Brothers are justly numbered
among the most progressive, enterprising and
reliable business men of Clinton county. In
their factory they give employment to about
forty hands, and during the panic of 1893 they
continued business uninterruptedly, so that the
people of Woolrich did not feel the effects of the
hard times. The man who establishes on a firm
basis and conducts a large and paying enterprise
does more for a community than he who gives
large sums of money for its embellishment, for
the former furnishes means of livelihood to many
and promotes commercial activity, which is es
sential' to the welfare of any community. In
this way the Rich family have materially ad
vanced the interests of Woolrich, and deserve an
honored place among Clinton county's prominent
and representative citizens.
Stiles Edward Rich, the third son of John
Fleming and Catherine A. Rich, was born in
Woolrich, December 3, 1859, attended the
schools of his boyhood home, the Normal at
Lock Haven, Dickinson Seminary at Williams
port, and graduated from the Eastman Business
College at Poughkeepsie, N. Y. He then se
cured a position as clerk for W. W. Barrows,
general merchants and lumber dealers at Cam
eron, Penn., remaining with them some three
years. Returning to Woolrich at the end of
that time, he was bookkeeper for John Rich &
Sons several years, finally, in 1893, going to
Harriman, Tenn., where he commenced a dry-
goods and boot and shoe business for his own
account, and has made a success of his enter
prise. In 1883 Stiles Edward Rich married Miss
Minnie H. Hesser, daughter of Rev. W. C. and
Helen Hesser, the former of whom is a M. E.
minister of the Central Pennsylvania Conference,
at the present time stationed at Hughesville,
Penn. Two children have blessed this union:
William H. and Ross B. In polities Mr. Rich
was originally a Republican, but is now a strong
Prohibitionist; in religious belief he is a member
of the M. E. Church and a steward in the same.

FICHAEL BLANCHE (deceased) was one
yL of the leading business men and highly-
respected citizens of Renovo. He was widely
known and honored, and in his death the com
munity, whose interests he had so much ad
vanced by his enterprise, has lost a valuable
citizen. His integrity of character and never-

failing courtesy made him beloved by all who
had the honor of his acquaintance.
Mr. Blanche was a son of Patrick Blanche,
and was born in 1841, in Ireland, where his par
ents spent their entire lives. Until he had at
tained his majority he remained on the Emerald
Isle, but in 1862 he determined to try his for
tune in the New World where he believed better
opportunities were afforded ambitious young
men. Accordingly he sailed for America, and
for some years made his home in New York.
From 1864 until 1867 he was on a man-of-war,
and visited the West Indies and several coun
tries in South America. While in the service he
received injuries from which he never recovered.
On leaving New York City, Mr. Blanche came
to Renovo, Penn., where for some time he was
in the employ of the Philadelphia & Erie rail
road, but in 1885 erected the " Central House "
on Erie avenue between Ninth and Tenth streets,
successfully conducting the same until called to
his final rest. In 1889 he remodeled the place,
making a good three-story structure containing
ten bed rooms and first-class accommodations
for twenty guests. It is one of the best equipped
hotels of its size in Clinton county, and Mr.
Blanche proved a most popular landlord.
On July 24, 1864, in New York City, Mr.
Blanche was married to Miss Bridget McGovern,
and to them were born nine children, but only
four daughters are now living, namely: Mary,
Anna, Margaret and Jennie, who are still resid
ing together in Renovo, and comprise one of the
most highly-respected and popular families of
the place. The mother was called to her final
rest on September 3, 1891, and the father de
parted this life May 3, 1894. Although of for
eign birth his duties of citizenship were performed
with a loyalty equal to that of any native son of
America, and when the nation was imperiled by
the hydra-headed monster, Rebellion, he went in
defense of the Union and protected the cause of
his adopted country. Later he became an
honored member of the Grand Army of the
Republic.

EV. CHARLES D. RUSSELL, pastor of
St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church of
Loganton, Clinton county, was born September
16; 1873, in Ashland, Schuylkill Co., Penn., in
which place his parents are still residing.
His father, Charles F. Russell, was born in
Fountain Springs, same county, and although he
was provided with very limited school privileges,
he, by reading and observation, has become a
well-informed man. During early manhood he

628

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

learned the painter's trade, which he followed
for a number of years, both in Fountain Springs
and Ashland, but is now filling the important and
responsible position of secretary and treasurer of
the General Security and Safety Funds. He is
also secretary of the Edison Light Company of
Ashland, and of the Ashland Mutual Fire Insur
ance Company, and is recognized as one of the
most reliable and honorable business men of the
place. In politics he is a pronounced Republican,
and in religious belief is a Lutheran, and takes
quite an active and prominent part in all Church
work, having served as deacon in the Church, and
superintendent and teacher in the Sunday-school.
Fraternally, he is identified with the Masonic
order. In Pine Grove, Schuylkill county, he was
united in marriage to Miss Maria Deitzler, a na
tive of that place, and to them were born six
children: Lulu, at home; Charles D., of this
sketch; William, who died in childhood; Harry,
also deceased; and Mamie and Earl, who are at
tending school.
In the public and high schools of his native
town, Charles D. Russell began his literary edu
cation, and later entered the Susquehanna Uni
versity at Selins Grove, where he pursued both a
scientific and theological course, graduating with
honors in 1893. In the spring of 1896 he was
called to the Sugar Valley pastorate, and has
since had charge of St. Mark's Church of Logan
ton, and also of the congregations at Booneville,
Tylersville, Pleasant Hill and Bumgards. In his
chosen field of labor he has worked faithfully and
well, and in the pulpit he is especially gifted, his
voice being rich and well-trained, and his man
ner of delivery pleasing. His discourses are
scholarly and effective in their appeals to follow
the teachings of the Master. He is popular with
all classes, and has made many warm friends out
side of his own congregations.
In May, 1896, at Lock Haven, Clinton coun
ty, Rev. Russell was married to Miss Jennie
Fockler, a native of Selins Grove, Snyder Co.,
Penn., a daughter of John Fockler, a well-known
and highly-respected citizen of Selins Grove.

JAMES C. SMITH, a life-long resident of
Clinton county, where his occupation has
been that of a lumberman, was born June
28, 1846, in Beech Creek township.
His father, Joseph Morris Smith, a Philadel-
phian, born in 1801, and a man of education and
literary attainments, tired of city life, in about
1 830 came to the Beech Creek country to engage
in the lumber business, he having inherited three
or four thousand acres of timber lands in its

primitive state. In 1832 he built a mill on the
creek at the mouth of Monument run, about
seven miles from the Bald Eagle. About the
time this mill was built Beech creek was cleared
so that sawed lumber could be rafted out of it.
One of the first bills of lumber sawed by Mr.
Smith was timber for the Harrisburg bridge.
This timber was three by twelve inches, thirty-
two, thirty-four and thirty-six feet long, and was
rafted at the mill. Having had no business ex
perience, Mr. Smith did not make a success of
the enterprise, and he sold the timber lands be
fore they became valuable. He was engaged in
the lumber business, however, more or less, until
about 1858, when he abandoned it, and passed
the rest of his life on a farm he had cleared up
near the borough of Beech Creek. In 1850, on
the formation of Beech Creek township out of a
part of Bald Eagle, he was chosen as one of the
auditors for the new township. He subsequently
served as a justice of the peace. His wife, Jen-
nette David, whom he married in 1832, was a
native of Beech Creek, Clinton Co., Penn., born
in 1813. To this marriage were born fourteen children,
eleven of whom are now living, namely: Rowland,
a resident of. the State of Washington; Mary,
the wife of Col. Henry Bollinger, of Lebanon,
S. Dak.; Charles P., of Beech Creek, Penn.;
Sidney Jennette, widow of S. B. Darrah, of the
State of Washington; Temple C. , of Beech Creek;
James C. , our subject; Joseph Morris, of Kane,
Penn.; William A., of Montana; Emily, the wife
of Frank Trump, of Renovo, Penn. ; Alice, the
wife of John Miller, of Beech Creek, Penn. ; and
Martha V. , of Renovo. The father of these died
October 11, 1870, and the mother, February 5,
1890. James C. Smith was reared on a farm, and
received only such an education as could be ob
tained in the schools 'of the vicinity. His father's
family was large, and the boys were put to work
early in life. He remained on the farm until the
age of twenty-four years, at which time the death
of his father caused a change to be made, and
the mother with her family left the farm and
went to the borough of Beech Creek to reside.
Our subject had worked in the woods a great
deal and in sawmills for years, and when twenty-
eight he was placed in charge of a log-drive on
the Lehigh river. Soon after this was made he
resolved to go to school again, so he went to
Pittsburg where he took a business course in the
Iron City Business College. On his return the
following summer he was employed in counting
lumber for a sawmill of that locality. Following
this he soon became engaged in the lumber busi-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

629

ness, and from that time to the present he has
been more or less engaged in the lumber business,
in which he has been successful. He is one of
the substantial citizens of Lock Haven, where he
is prominent and influential in business circles
and in public affairs. In politics he is a Demo
crat, and has been an active worker in the party
for years. He was three times nominated for
the office of register of wills and recorder of
deeds, to which offices he was twice elected
(elected in 1885 and re-elected in 1888), failing
the third time owing to the third-term issue. He
was a capable and an accommodating officer.
He is a member of the F. and A. M.
On August 2, 1876, Mr. Smith was married
to Miss Bella E. Weaver, a daughter of George
B. Weaver, now deceased, formerly a prominent
citizen of Bellefonte. To this marriage came
five children: Claude Morris, who is now a clerk
in the office, at Lock Haven, of the New York Pulp
and Paper Mills Company; Adda W. , who is a
student in the Central Normal School; Ruth;
Ralph; and Isabel. The mother of these was
born December 21, 185 1, at Bellefonte, Penn.
She and her husband are identified with the M. E.
Church. They have a nice home on Bellefonte
avenue, Lock Haven.

LUKE BINDER (deceased) was for a quarter
.__' of a century prominently identified with the
business interests of Renovo, Clinton county,
and was one of its leading and representative citi
zens. His birth occurred in Germany, March
13, 1844, but during early childhood he was
brought to America by his parents, who spent
their remaining days in Cambria county, Penn.
The father, Lutzeon Binder, was a shoemaker
by trade, and continued to follow that occupa
tion until his death.
Our subject attended the district schools of
Cambria county during his boyhood and youth,
and later was a student in St. Vincent's College
at Latrobe, Penn. With his father he learned
the shoemaker trade, but at the age of eighteen
he left home and went to Altoona, Penn., where
he found employment in a brewery. During
the seven years he remained in that city he
thoroughly mastered the business in all its vari
ous departments, and on coming to Renovo, in
1872, he purchased the Brewery's Run Brewery,
which he successfully conducted until life's la
bors were ended, May 3, 1897. Genial and so
cial in disposition, he made friends easily, and it
is safe to say that in the circle of his acquaint
ances no man had more friends. He was a pro
gressive, public-spirited citizen who took a deep

and commendable interest in the welfare of his
town and the county, and did all in his power to
insure their prosperity and advancement. As a
business man he was honorable, straightforward
and reliable in all transactions, and as a citizen
he well deserved the high regard in which he
was uniformly held.
In 1 87 1, Mr. Binder was married to Miss
Mary Endris, the ceremony being performed at
Altoona by Father Schell. She is a daughter of
Anton Endris, a native of Germany, who became
a resident of the United States. He had two
other daughters, Mrs. Christian Schilling, and
Mrs. Agenie Sheminger, both living in Altoona.
Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Binder,
namely: Edward L., Frank, Louisa, Mary,
John, Luke, and Anna. The mother and chil
dren are members of the Catholic Church, to
which Mr. Binder also belonged. The family is
one of prominence, and their many friends are
always sure of a hearty welcome at their hospit
able home. On the death of the father the eld
est son, Edward L. , who was born October 7,
1 872, has carried on the business in his own name.
The capacity of the brewery is about 1,000 bar
rels per year. The brewery is to be improved
in the spring of 1898, in the way of increased
capacity, and by the addition of large bottling
works. It will have a capacity of 10,000 bar
rels per year. The elder Mr. Binder left a fine
hotel property. He was president of the Reno
vo Electric Light Heat Power Company. He
was a stockholder in the First National Bank of
Renovo.

C\HARLES LYON FULLMER, M. D., is a
_' worthy representative of the medical pro-.
fession in Renovo, Clinton county, and one of
the valued citizens of the town. He was born,
in 1859, in Montoursville, Lycoming county,
Penn., and his parents, Joseph and Catherine
(Ebner) Fullmer, were also natives of Pennsyl
vania, where their entire lives were passed. The
father was a coal dealer, following that industry
as a means of livelihood throughout his business
career. His pilgrimage on earth was ended in
1878, and his wife passed away in 1891. In their
family were two sons, the Doctor's brother being
J. R. Fullmer.
Dr. Fullmer spent his boyhood days in the
usual manner of lads of that period, the duties of
the school room and the pleasures of the play
ground occupying most of his time. He received
his primary and academic education in Montours
ville, attending the Montoursville Normal, and
was subsequently graduated with the class of

630

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1880, in Dickinson Seminary, Williamsport.
For a year after leaving college he engaged in
teaching school, but this was .only a means to an
end, for it was his earnest desire to enter the
medical profession, and he matriculated in the
Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia, where
he was graduated in 1883. Immediately after
ward he tame to Renovo, where he is now estab
lished in a large and lucrative practice, standing
among the foremost representatives of the pro
fession in this locality. In addition to a large
private practice he has served for the past fifteen
years as physician at Renovo for the Pennsyl
vania Railroad Company. He belongs to the
Clinton County Medical Society and the State
Medical Society, and in this way keeps fully
abreast with the advancement that is continually
being made in medical circles.
In 1883 Dr. Fullmer was married to Miss
Clara F. Reed, a daughter of John T. Reed, at
one time county superintendent of Lycoming
county. They have one son, J. Bryan Fullmer.
Mrs. Fullmer is a member of the Methodist Epis
copal Church. Socially the Doctor is connected
with the Masonic fraternity. In politics he has
long been identified with the Democratic party
as one of its prominent members, and in 1890
was elected coroner of Clinton county, in 1894
he was elected burgess of Renovo, and he has
also served as a member of the city council, dis
charging all public duties with the same marked
fidelity that characterizes his professional work
and his social relations.

m EUGENE HEIMBACH, M. D. The
l&L world has little use for the misanthrope.
The universal truth of brotherhood is widely rec
ognized, also that he serves God best who serves
his fellowmen. There is no profession or line of
business that calls for greater self-sacrifice or
more devoted attention than the medical profes
sion, and the successful physician is he, who
through love of his fellowmen gives his time and
attention to the relief of human suffering. Dr.
Heimbach, a homeopathic physician of Renovo,
is recognized as one of the ablest representatives
of the profession in Clinton county.
The Doctor was born February 20, 1863, in
Berks county, Penn., a son of William and Caro
line (Gehry) Heimbach, who have spent their en
tire lives in Pennsylvania, at present residing in
Allentown, where they located in 1895. For
many years the father was actively engaged in
farming and stock dealing, but has now practi
cally laid aside business cares, and is enjoying a
well-earned rest. In the family are eight chil

dren, namely: Celia; O. Frank; Dr. A. Eugene;
P. Harwin; Elmira, wife of C. J. Gehman; Dr.
James H., of Kane, Penn. ; Evana, wife of Will
iam Wieand; and Charles.
Dr. Heimbach acquired his early education
in the public schools of his native county, which
was supplemented by one year's attendance at a
school in Philadelphia, and he was later a stu
dent in the Keystone State Normal at Kutztown,
from which institution he was graduated in 1882,
at the age of nineteen years. After successfully
engaging in teaching for about five years he be
gan the study of medicine under Dr. A. J. Riegel,
of Lebanon, Penn., and subsequently entered
Hahnemann Medical College, of Philadelphia,
where, after completing a three-years' graded
course of study, he graduated in 1890. For nine
months he engaged in practice in Allentown, but
on February 17, 1891, he opened an office in
Renovo, where his skill and ability soon won rec
ognition, so that he now enjoys a large and lu
crative practice.
In 1892 Dr. Heimbach was married to Miss
Emma V. Blank, of Allentown, and they now
have a son, Allen Blank. The family occupies
an elegant residence which the Doctor erected at
a cost of $6,000, which is supplied with all mod
ern conveniences. It is one of the best homes
in Renovo, and there hospitality reigns supreme.
The Doctor holds membership in the Reformed
Church, while his wife is a Lutheran in religious
belief. Socially, he is connected with the Pa
triotic Sons of America, and, politically, is iden
tified with the Republican party. Although he
started out in life for himself empty-handed, he
has, through his own efforts, gained an enviable
reputation as a physician and surgeon, and has
also been financially successful. He has that
love for his profession without which there is no
success, and by constant study keeps thoroughly
posted on all discoveries and improvements in
his chosen calling. As a progressive physician
and an agreeable, pleasant gentleman, he cer
tainly deserves the high regard in which he is un
iformly held.

PIERCE M. DORNBLASER, a thrifty and
successful agriculturist of Porter township,
Clinton county, is a member of a leading family
of that locality, and in his own life maintains the
same high standard of citizenship that character
ized his ancestors.
The family became identified at an early date
with Northampton county, Penn., and in 1831
our subject's grandparents, John and Catherine
(Lawall) Dornblaser, left their old home in Lower

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

631

Nazareth township to remove to Clinton county,
where their remaining years were spent.
Peter Dornblaser, our subject's father, was
born February 21, 1813, in Lower Nazareth
township, Northampton county, and was
reared to farm work as a boy, being able to do
a man's share in the harvest field when but fif
teen years old. He has always been a most in
dustrious man, and hard work seems to have
agreed with him as he is still living at an advanced
age, and is enjoying in well-deserved leisure the
rewards of past labors. His education was ob
tained in the subscription schools of his time,
and at the age of sixteen he began to learn the
cabinet maker's trade, serving an apprentice
ship of two and one-half years. He afterward
worked for some time in the same shop as a
journeyman, but in the fall of 1831 he followed
his parents to Clinton county, their removal hav
ing taken place in the spring. He walked the
entire distance, and on his arrival began to work
at his trade, the first winter being spent in Belle
fonte at "journey work." In 1838 he was mar
ried to Miss Elizabeth Shaffer, who was born in
Brush Valley, near Madisonburg, the daughter
of Michael and Margaret (Walburn) Shaffer. Dur
ing the first year after their marriage he made
his home with his parents, and then locat
ed upon the farm where he yet resides. His
brother John was at that time in partnership
with him, and the place contained two hun
dred acres; but, later, the brother also mar
ried, and the farm was divided, Peter taking the
eastern portion. All the buildings now on the
place have been erected by him, and he has
shown himself an excellent manager. Although
the regular farm work has occupied his time
chiefly, he has done some work at his trade, and
he built a shop on the farm for that purpose.
He is a man of the strictest integrity, willing to
make any sacrifices in order to pay a debt, and
he is held in high esteem by all who know him.
In manner he is modest and unassuming, and he
is very fond of his home. Much of his spare
time has always been devoted to reading, and
now, at the age of eighty-five, he peruses the
newspapers daily. He has been a subscriber to
The Lutheran Observer ever since its foundation,
and as a member of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church he has taken an active part in religious
work, holding various offices in the Church. His
contributions have been generous, but he is one
who never lets his left hand know what his right
hand may do for charity. Politically he affiliates
with the Democratic party, but he is not blindly
subservient to the leaders, and on occasion he
votes independently, choosing the "best man."

Although he has never been eager for political
honors for himself, he has served creditably in
different local offices. In March, 1894, his be
loved wife passed to the unseen world, her
remains being interred in the cemetery at Sny
dertown. This couple had children as follows; Cath
erine married John Hatcher, and died in Kansas;
Thomas, a veteran of the Civil war, is now a
Lutheran minister in Illinois; Amanda is the
wife of Ephraim Townsend, of Valley Falls,
Kans. ; Luther died in Kansas; Albert died in the
fifth year of his age; Puella is a prominent
worker in temperance and philanthropic lines;
Pierce M. is our subject; and Mabel married Dr.
J. M. Dunn, and died at Mackeyville. This
family is one of which any parent might well be
proud, and Miss Puella Dornblaser's work de
serves especial mention. Her education was
begun in the district schools near her home, and
later she took a course in Susquehanna Univer
sity. For some time she was successfully en
gaged in teaching, and at present she is the State
lecturer and organizer for the W. C. T. U. and
one of the State superintendents of the same so
ciety, in which she also represents the mission
ary department of the State. For eight years
she was a vice-president in the State W. C. T. U.,
and her earnest and efficient work in these vari
ous positions has won her a wide reputation.
Her gifts as a speaker are notable, and she is a
valued worker in religious and educational meet
ings. For ten years she was president of the
Synodical Society of the English Lutheran
Church, embracing seven counties and one hun
dred Churches. Ever since the organization of
the Eagle's Mere Chautauqua Society she has
been closely associated with its work, and dur
ing the meeting of 1897 she had charge of the
devotional services, and assisted in the publica
tion of their daily paper.
The subject of this sketch was born April 24,
1854, at the present homestead, where he was
reared, plenty of "chores" falling to his lot in
youth, as is usual with the son of a busy farmer.
During boyhood he attended the Clinton school,
which was held in a brick building, and among
his teachers were T. J. Smull, Joseph Hays
and James Walker. He was an apt student, be
ing the first in that school to take up the study
of United States history. In early manhood he
engaged in the threshing business, which he has
continued ever since in connection with the culti
vation of his farm. This is a tract of sixty acres,
which he rented from his father for a time, but
purchased in 1886. He is an energetic manager,
thoroughly up-to-date in his methods, and de-

632

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

serves the success which has come to him. As
an intelligent citizen he takes an interest in the
public affairs of the day, and at one time was an
active member of the Grange.
On March 24, 1887, he was married to Miss
Emma S. Royer, who was born March 1, 1863,
in Porter township, Clinton county, and was
educated in the public schools of that locality,
where her parents, Philip and Isabella (Harper)
Royer, were prominent residents. Five children
have blessed this union: Mabel E., born March
20, 1888; Harry L., April 15, 1889; Minnie A.,
April 17, 1891; Delia M., August 7, 1892; and
Ruth F., December 7, 1894. Mr. Dornblaser
and his wife are both active members of the
Lutheran Church, in which Mr. Dornblaser has
held the office of deacon and trustee, and Mrs.
Dornblaser formerly made use of her fine musical
talent as an organist in St. Paul's Sunday-
school. In politics our subject is a Democrat, but he
is not an office-seeker, although he has been a
school director, and while holding that office
served as secretary of the township school board.

Q1

MEN. DANIEL K. HECKMAN, one of the
most distinguished and honored citizens of
Sugar Valley, Clinton county, was born Septem
ber 12, 1823, on the old homestead in Green
township, then Logan, where he now resides, a
representative of a well-known family of Ger
man origin.
Peter Heckman. his grandfather, was anative
of Berks county, Penn., where he spent his boy
hood days in the occupation of farming, but aft
er his marriage he and his wife removed to
Penn's Valley, Centre county, where he purchased
a farm of 240 acres near Spring Mills, which he
continued to cultivate and improve until called to
the world beyond. His remains were interred
in that county. He was a Jacksonian Democrat
in politics, and was honored with several town
ship offices, which he most acceptably filled.
In his family were eight children: Peter,
John, George, Frederick, Jacob, Michael, Mrs.
Kinsell, and one daughter who married in the
West. John Heckman, our subject's father, was born
and reared in Penn's Valley, Centre county, and
acquired a fair German education, and was also
able to speak English. After attaining to man'ses-
tate he came to what is now Sugar Valley, Clin
ton county, but at that time was still a part of
Centre county, and here he purchased of John
Kleckner a farm of 200 acres west of the borough
of Loganton, which he cleared and improved,

making it his home for over half a century.
His death occurred upon the farm in 1870, and
his remains were interred in the Sugar Valley
cemetery. Like his father he was a stanch sup
porter of the Democracy, and was an active and
prominent member of the Lutheran Church, in
which he served as elder, and to which he was a
liberal contributor.
In early manhood John Heckman married
Elizabeth Kleckner, a native of Mifflinburg,
Union Co., Penn., and a daughter of John Kleck
ner, a prominent farmer first of Centre county
and later of Clinton county. Nine children
blessed this union: Sarah, who wedded John
Wilt, but both are now deceased; John, deceased;
George, who has also passed away; Elizabeth,
who married John Ruhl, of Miles township,
Centre Co., Penn., but both are now deceased;
Catharine, deceased wife of John Wolford, of
Orangeville, 111.; Mary A., wife of Jefferson Hart
man, of Michigan; Peter, deceased; Daniel K. , of
this sketch; and Rebecca, widow of John B.
Shrack, of Green township, Clinton county. The
mother of these children died on the home farm,
and was buried in Sugar Valley cemetery. The
father afterward married Catharine Barnet, wid
ow of Samuel Karsteter, and to them were born
three children — Fretta, wife of William Lamey,
of Washington township, Snyder Co., Penn.;
Supera, widow of John Herlacker; and Iswa, of
Porter township, Clinton county. The second
wife also died on the home farm, and was buried
in Loganton. To a limited extent Gen. Heckman attended
the subscription schools of his boyhood, which
were taught in little log school houses by very
inferior teachers, but being fond of reading and
study he has become a well-informed man, and
may be properly classed among the self-educated.
From earliest childhood he became familiar with
all the duties which fall to the lot of the agricult
urist, and has made farming his life occupation.
He never left the old homestead, which he oper
ated in connection with his father until twenty-
seven years of age when the latter removed to an
adjoining farm, leaving him in charge of the
place. It is now one of the most highly improved
and desirable farms of Green township, the Gen
eral having remodeled both the house and barn at
a cost of $2,000, and has placed the land under
a high state of cultivation.
In 1849, in Gregg township, Centre county,
Gen. Heckman was married to Miss Elizabeth
Kline, a native of that township, and a daughter
of Daniel Kline, a farmer. She died in 1870,
and was laid to rest in Loganton cemetery. She
left a family of four children: Dennis, who was

\?7~?^zz<rZ~~7

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

633

for some years an invalid, and died in 1873.
John K, who married Delia Cole, and is engaged
in farming in Green township, Clinton county.
Regina, wife of R. W. A. Jamison, treasurer of
Clinton county, now living in Lock Haven; she
has two children- — Helen Inez, and Daniel Rich
ard Heckman. Minerva, wife of Howard Smith,
of Loganton; she has two childFen — Lizzie, liv
ing, and one that died in infancy. In 1874, in
Buffalo Valley, Union county, the General was
was again married, this time to Hannah Slear,
who was born in Hartley township, that county,
December 4, 1836, a daughter of George and
Elizabeth Slear, the former of whom was a
farmer in Berks county, Penn., born March 17,
1793, and died March 1, 1875. He had the fol
lowing children: Daniel (deceased) y Esther,
(Mrs. Shively), Peter (deceased), Margaret (Mrs.
Long, deceased), Charles (deceased), George
(living), William (deceased), Mary C. (Mrs. S.
Miller), Elizabeth (Mrs. George Himmelreich),
James (living), and Hannah (Mrs. Heckman).
The parents of this family were both members
of the Lutheran Church, of which he was an
elder; the mother died in 1872. Mr. Slear was
a Democrat, and served in the war of 1812.
By his friend, the late Gov. Curtin, our sub
ject was commissioned brigadier-general of the
State Militia, but his term of service had expired
before the Civil war broke out. As a patriotic
and loyal citizen, he had a strong desire to en
list in his country's service, but having an in
valid wife and son at home, it was hard to de
cide which course to pursue. His wife was will
ing for him to make the sacrifice for his coun
try's sake, but his friends in the Valley, learning
that he was about to raise a company, prevailed
upon him to remain at home as his children were
all young and needed a father's care. Desiring
to be of some assistance, however, he hired a
substitute for $800, although he was never
drafted. In connection with general farming Gen.
Heckman has taken considerable interest in the
raising of fine-bred horses, and has owned some
beautiful animals. He is president and a stock
holder and director of the Sugar Valley Fire
Insurance Co., of which he was one of the first
promoters, and in 1861, in connection with
Joseph Snook and Philip Woolford (both now
deceased), he organized the company and ob
tained its charter. He is now the oldest director,
and since 1875 has served as president, being
continuously re-elected without a dissenting vote.
As a friend he has but few equals, and he has
lost over $6,000 in going bail and security for
parties whom he wished to assist. His political

support has always been given the Democratic
party; religiously, he is a member of the Lutheran
Church; socially, he affiliates with the I. O. O. F. ,
at Lock Haven. He served with the State mili
tia, in all, some fifteen years, commencing as a
private in the Ringgold Artillery, organized at
Loganton about 1846, and was made a general
from a private by a vote of the company, receiv
ing only one dissenting vote. No better, more
patriotic or popular citizen can be found in cen
tral Pennsylvania, and he justly merits the high
regard in which he is uniformly held.

LEWIS W. DORNBLASER. Among the
_j substantial agriculturists of Nittany Valley,
"the garden of Clinton county, " is the subject
of this biography, whose fine farm near Clinton-
dale gives evidence of scientific management. He
is a member of a well-known family, which has
been identified with that locality for many years,
and the high standard of citizenship established
by his ancestors is maintained by him in all the
relations of life, private and public.
Mr. Dornblaser was born June 15, 1848, the
third son and child of John and Mary M. (Bar
tholomew) Dornblaser. He was reared at the
old homestead on Fishing creek, in Porter town
ship, Clinton county, and in his youth attended
the "Clinton school," which stood upon that
farm. His first teacher was Joseph F. Hays,
and among the others who contributed to his
education were Archibald Attice, Andrew Keller
and T. J. Smull. The methods of instruction,
like the school apparatus, were somewhat crude,
and, as he could only attend during four or five
months each winter, Mr. Dornblaser had but
limited opportunities for advancement; and this
realization of his own deprivations has made him
an ardent friend of better schools for the youth
of to-day. He remained at home until his mar
riage, and, after attaining his majority, worked
for his father by the year. On December 31,
1878, he was married in Mackeyville to Miss Mar
garet F. Porter, who was born July 26, 1854, a
short distance southwest of that town, on the old
homestead of her parents, James H. and Eliza
beth (Reeseman) Porter. As Mr. Dornblaser's
father had vacated the farm on Fishing creek,
the young couple located there, and for a num
ber of years rented the place. In March, 1891,
they removed to the present homestead, which
Mr. Dornblaser purchased in December, 1890,
from Daniel S. Royer, it being a portion of the
old "Royer estate." It contains 113 acres of
excellent land, and is considered one of the best

634

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

farms of its size in the Valley, having been brought
to a high state of improvement.
Mr. and Mrs. Dornblaser have two attractive
daughters — M. Elizabeth, who has been attend
ing school in Lock Haven, and Anna M., both at
home. The family is identified with the St.
Paul's Lutheran Church of Nittany Valley, in
which Mr. Dornblaser has held the office of dea
con and is now serving as elder and treasurer,
having filled the latter position for many years.
All phases of religious work command his hearty
sympathy and aid, and he is a faithful teacher in
the Sabbath-school. In fact, he never fails to
encourage_ any movement which promises to
benefit the community, and his influence is rec
ognized as an effective agent in the cause of
progress. In politics he is a stanch Democrat;
he has served on the election board, and has held
the offices of school director and township audi
tor. Socially he is connected with the Patrons
of Husbandry, Nittany Grange No. 334, at La
mar.

JOHN DORMAN. The salubrious air of this
favored region is certainly conducive to lon
gevity, as we have among us many who have
passed the ordinary limit of man's years, and
still are hale and hearty. ' The subject of this
sketch, a well-known resident of Clintondale,
Clinton county, was born January 21, 1825, in
Union county, about half a mile from Hartleton,
and his entire life has been spent among the hills
of central Pennsylvania. Much hard work has
fallen to his share, his present prosperity being
the result of his own well-directed efforts, but he
has retained his health and is now enjoying the
fruits of his labors.
Mr. Dorman comes of good pioneer stock;
his father, Peter Dorman, was a native of Union
county, and remained there throughout his life,
following the cooper's trade successfully in his
shop near Hartleton. His industry brought a
comfortable living, but he never accumulated
much property, as he had a large family to sup
port. In early years he was a Whig, and later
he became a Republican, while in religious faith
he was a devout Lutheran. He died at the age
of eighty-two years, and his wife, Catherine
Kemmer, also attained an advanced age. The
remains of both now rest in the cemetery at
Laurelton, Penn. They had fourteen children,
of whom the following lived to maturity: George,
who died in Kansas; Lewis, a resident of Penn's
Valley, Centre county; Mary, who married John
Alexander, and died in Milroy, Penn. ; Sarah,

now Mrs. Jonathan Strayhorn, of Kansas; John,
our subject; Katy, now Mrs. J. Boop, of Union
county; David, a resident of Hartley township,
Union county; Jacob, who met a soldier's death
while serving in the Civil war; Samuel, who re
sides in Union county; and Daniel, a resident
of Walker township, Centre county.
John Dormah's educational opportunities were
limited, the free-school system being introduced
too late to do him much good. He remained at
home until he reached the age of nineteen, when
he began to learn the shoemaker's trade with
Christian Gann, the only recompense that he re
ceived during his apprenticeship being his every
day clothes. At twenty-two he hired out to
James Hays, a farmer on Cedar run, in Porter
township, Clinton county, for a summer's work,
and later, acting under the advice of Mr. Hays,
he established a shoeshop in the same locality,
the enterprise proving successful from "the start.
His work in the shop was relieved in the harvest
season by outdoor labor for different farmers,
and in time he managed by close economy to buy
a quarter of an acre of land with a house, in
which he took one room for a shop. In 1848 he
married Miss Sarah A. Best, who was born Jan
uary 3, 1825, in Northampton county, Penn.,
and was reared in Clinton county, her parents,
John and Leah (Fink) Best, settling there during
her childhood. Mr. Dorman had but little cap
ital at the time of his marriage, and he resided
at his first humble home until February 12, 1867,
when he took possession of his present farm,
which was improved in primitive fashion with a
log house and barn. Under his management it
has taken on an entirely different appearance, all
the buildings on the place having been erected by
him. In his business dealings he has shown
much shrewdness and caution, his success coming
from a gradual accumulation rather than from
speculation; he ranks among the substantial men
of his locality.
On November 12, 1892, the wife of our sub
ject passed to the unseen world, her remains be
ing interred in Mt. Bethel cemetery. She was a
consistent member of the Reformed Church, and
was held in high esteem by all who knew her. Of
their five children, the eldest, Samuel F., resides
at Zion, Penn.; Mary J., who married J. Piper,
died in Colorado leaving five children; Rebecca
A., formerly the wife of George Kaup, died in
Walker township, Centre county; Milton B. and
Miss Leah A. are at home.
Our subject, in politics, is a stanch Republic
an, and he has held various township offices. He
belongs to the Reformed Church, in which he has
served as deacon and elder, and his sympathies

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

635

are always readily enlisted in any religious enter
prise. Socially, the family is prominent,- and his
home is a center of hospitality and good cheer.

JAMES MURPHY, merchant, was born Jan
uary 28, 1842, in Ireland. His parents were
Daniel and Mary (McMahon) Murphy, both
of unmixed and worthy Irish extraction. He
came to this country in 1854, and settled with his
family in Lock Haven, Penn., where his educa
tion was acquired under T. R. Rogers, and though
debarred from pushing his studies in the thorough
and complete manner he desired, he nevertheless
succeeded in obtaining a useful and practical
education. In December, 1856, he entered the
general mercantile establishment of the Wright
Brothers, of Lock Haven, and continued to act
in their employ until 1861. At that date the
original firm was succeeded by Simon Scott &
Sons, with whom he remained until May, 1865.
A branch store was then opened at Renovo, and
being extended an interest therein, he took charge
of the business at that point, under the name of
Wells, Murphy & Co., it being the leading mer
cantile house in Renovo. At that time Renovo
had a population of 1,600. Two years later our
subject purchased the interest of Mr. Wells, and
from 1867 to 1877, continued the business under
the style of Murphy & Co. He then bought the
interest of Messrs. Scott & Sons, and has since
been alone in the business. He is now president
of the First National Bank, and occupies a prom
inent position in commercial circles. He has
always manifested a deep interest in the welfare
and progress of Renovo, 'and has supported
those means calculated to^prove of public good.
He was married to Miss Catherine Keefe in 1864.

HENRY ZIEGLER, a well-known lumber-
_ man and agriculturist of Porter township,
Clinton county, now residing at Abdera, seems to
have discovered the long-sought Fountain of
Youth, as notwithstanding the fact, that he is
entering upon his eighth decade, he is hale and
hearty, and gives attention to business with his
accustomed success.
Mr. Ziegler was born February 9, 1826, in
Potter township. Centre county, and belongs
to a family which has been identified with this
section for many years. Peter Ziegler, our sub
ject's grandfather, came from Maryland about
1806 and located first at Millheim, in Penn's
Valley, but in 1807 removed to Earlytown,
where he conducted a hotel during the war of

1 8 12. In 1817 he engaged in agriculture, rent
ing the Swancy farm in Marion township, Centre
county, for three years, and a farm at Fleming-
ton, now (1898) McDowell farm, where he died
(1820) two weeks after taking possession of a
place belonging to a Mr. Bressler. His remains
were interred in the cemetery on the hill at Lock
Haven. He was twice married, and by his first
wife had the following children: Elizabeth, whp
married John Keet, and died in Huntingdon
county, Penn. ; Jacob, who was for some time a
blacksmith at Potter's Bank, -but later removed
to Venango county, Penn. , where he died; Peter,
a blacksmith at Centre Hall, now deceased;
George, who located first in Venango county,
and then went to Iowa, where he died; and
Michael, who is mentioned more fully farther on.
By the second marriage there were six children:
Catherine, a mute, who lived to adult age, but is
now deceased; John, who died in Marion town
ship, Centre county; Susan, deceased, formerly
the wife of George Hoy, of Centre county; Dan
iel, who died in Brush Valley, Centre county;
Keziah, who married John Garwick, and died in
Marion township, Centre county; and Julia, who
married James Hair, and died in Clinton county.
Michael Ziegler, our subject's father, was
born January 12, 1800, in Maryland, but the
greater part of his life was spent in this State.
He was married (first) in Penn's Valley, near
Centre Hall, to Miss Mary Murray, daughter of
Levi Murray, and for some time made his home
upon a rented farm in that locality. Afterward
he bought a farm in Brush Valley, above Madi
sonburg, which he cultivated for many years. In
1854 he retired from active work, and in the fol
lowing year he removed to Spring Mills, but his
last days were passed in Aaronsburg, his death
occurring there at the age of seventy-three. He
was buried in a cemetery on the pike below
Spring Mills, in Penn township, Centre county.
Politically he was a stanch Democrat, and for
years he was a member of the Reformed Church.
He was a large man, a hard worker, and excel
lent manager, and although he began as a young
man at forty-five cents a day with a grubbing hoe,
he left an estate valued at $60,000. During
their residence at Spring Mills his wife died at
the age of seventy-three years, and he afterward
married a Mrs. Thomas Weaver (a widow), of
Aaronsburg, whose maiden name was Moyer.
Michael Ziegler had seven children, all by his
first marriage: Levi died in infancy; Elizabeth
married David Krape, and died in Haines town
ship, Centre county; Henry, our subject, is men
tioned farther on; William settled in Virginia;
Peter went to Indiana; John died in Centre

636

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

county; and Mary, who married Isaac Frain,
died in Marion township, Centre county.
Henry Ziegler spent his boyhood mainly in
Miles township, Centre county, where he at
tended a school of the old-fashioned sort, a quill
pen being the only kind used in the writing les
sons. At an early age he showed decided me
chanical genius, working readily at carpentering
and wagon-making, but he was not apprenticed
to any trade. He remained at home until he
was twenty-three years old, the last two years
being spent in grubbing, at which he managed to
to save a little money. In 185 1 he took charge
of the farm which he now owns, his father hav
ing purchased it the year before. For three
years his brother William, but later our subject,
conducted the place alone, and he continued to
conduct the farm until 1882, when he moved to
his present home in Abdera. Since that time he
has been engaged extensively in the lumber busi
ness, beginning by building a sawmill in 1881 on
the farm, but after operating it two years, 1883,
he transferred his plant to the mountains near
Beech creek, where he worked for three years.
In 1886 he operated a mill in Sugar Valley, do
ing a large business, but, 1892, he movedthe mill
to Abdera, and his work is carried on chiefly in
the winter season. He owns 170 acres of farm
ing land, and 200 acres of mountain land; his
past labors have been rewarded by an abundant
share of worldly goods.
At the age of twenty-eight Mr. Ziegler was
married to Miss Mary A. Anderson, who was born
in 1830 in Lebanon co_unty; Penn., the daughter
of John Anderson. Five children have blessed
this union: Elizabeth J., now Mrs. William
Deets; Laura Agnes, Mrs. S. Hoy, of Marion
township, Centre county; Michael, a resident of
the same township; John, a farmer in Porter
township, Clinton county; and Franklin P., a
carpenter at Renovo, Penn. The family is con
nected with the Evangelical Church, in which
Mr. Ziegler has been for many years an active
member, having served for some time as superin
tendent of the Sunday-school. Politically he af
filiates with the Democratic party, but he does
his own thinking, and votes independently when
ever he sees reason to do so. An excellent mem
ory enables Mr. Ziegler to recall with distinctness
the events of his long life, and a conversa
tion with him proves both interesting and in
structive.

HENRY H. VAN DYKE (deceased). It is
 an important duty to honor and perpetuate,
as far as possible, the memory of an eminent cit

izen — one who by his blameless and honorable
life and distinguished career reflected credit upon
the entire community. Mr. Van Dyke was for
many years prominently identified with the busi
ness interests of Lock Haven, and was also num
bered among its leading and most influential cit
izens. A native of Pennsylvania, he was born Sep
tember 23, 1832, in Lycoming county, and re
mained upon his father's farm until seventeen
years of age, when he embarked in the tanning
business, which he successfully followed for three
years. He then went to western New York,
where he assisted in the construction of a rail
road from Youngstown to Niagara Falls, and
later in the construction of another road from the
latter place to Lewiston, after which he spent
one year in clerking in Canada. At the end of
that time he was called home to assist in the di
vision of his father's farm, on which he remained
for a year, and then sold his land and came to
Lock Haven, where as a contractor he built a
portion of the Philadelphia & Erie railroad. On
its completion he engaged in lumbering on Beech
creek for a year, and then in connection with his
brother, L. J. Van Dyke, he took a contract to
complete the Bald Eagle Valley railroad, which
occupied three years. They then built a section
of the Snow Shoe road, and were subsequently
employed in the construction of the Lewisburg &
Spruce Creek railroad, taking and completing seven
different contracts. Mr. Van Dyke then opened
a hardware store at Lock Haven, which he suc
cessfully conducted up to the time of his death.
He also devoted considerable time and attention
to real-estate transactions, and was the owner of
some of the finest farms in Clinton county, as
well as much valuable.city property in Lock Ha
ven. He was an upright, honorable business
man of undoubted integrity and sterling worth,
and had no trouble in winning the confidence and
high regard of all with whom he came in contact,
in either business or social life.
On January 15, 1863, Mr. Van Dyke was
married to Miss Hannah M., daughter of Alex
ander and Elizabeth (McDowell) McCoy, of Cen
tre county, Penn., where the father successfully
engaged in farming throughout life. Mrs. Van-
Dyke is the only surviving member of their fam
ily. She has an adopted daughter, who is now
the wife of William Etsweiler, of Philadelphia.
For forty-eight years she has been a sincere and
faithful member of the Presbyterian Church, and
is beloved by all who know her.
Henry H. Van Dyke was called to his final
rest February 14, 1895, at the age of sixty-three
years, and his death was widely and deeply

nun

Cc^-^~-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

637

mourned, for his friends were many. He was an
honored and prominent member of the Masonic
fraternity, and as a Republican took active and
leading part in political affairs, being called upon
to serve as councilman, school director and in
other local positions of honor and trust. He was
serving as president of the Lock Haven Business
Men's Club at the time of his death, and he took
an active interest in everything calculated to ad
vance the public welfare. It is but just and
merited praise to say of him that as a business
man he ranked among the ablest; as a citizen he
was honorable, prompt and true to every en
gagement;. and as a man he held the honor and
esteem of all classes of people. He was char
itable and benevolent, a friend to the poor and
needy. Truly such a life is worth having been
lived, and such lives deserve permanent record
on the pages of their country's history, that oth
ers, seeing their good works, may follow in their
footsteps.

1ND:
AjSL is a worthy representative of a prominent
family of Scotch-Irish origin, who at one time
spelled the name McKinnie. His great-grandfa
ther (First generation), Henry McKinney, is
thought to have been born in Scotland. In 1720
he crossed the Atlantic and took up his residence
on the banks of the Swatara river, in Derry
township, Dauphin Co., Penn., where he engaged
in farming and spent his remaining days. He
was married in that community, and became the
father of several children, among whom were
(Second generation) : Henry; James; John and
Mathew. Henry, James and Mathew became
residents of Mercer county, Penn. The parents
of these children are both supposed to have been
buried in the old historic graveyard, near the
Derry church, of Dauphin county, of which they
were consistent members.
II. John McKinney, our subject's grandfa
ther, was born on the banks of the Swatara
river, in Dauphin county, Penn., and spent his
early life in that county, where he married Jane
Laird, whose sister wedded James Harris, a rel
ative of John Harris, the founder of Harrisburg,
Penn. To Mr. and Mrs. McKinney were born
sixteen children, but eleven of the number died
and were buried at the Derry church, in Dau
phin county. The others were as follows: (Third
generation) John, also an elder in the Warrior
Run Church, where he was laid to rest, married
Nancy Wallace, and died in Turbut township,
Northumberland Co., Penn.; (Third generation)
James Harris, the father of our subject; Cathar

ine, wife of John Imes, of Dunstable township,
Clinton -county; Matthew, who died in Watson
township, Lycoming county; and William, who
was killed by a falling tree in Turbut township,
Northumberland county. In 1795 the grandfa
ther with his wife and the above named five chil
dren left their old home in Dauphin county, and
by team removed to Turbut township, Northum
berland county, where he purchased a tract of
land, and converted the same into a good farm,
making it his home until his death. His remains
were interred at Warrior Run, that township.
He was a devout member of the Presbyterian
Church, and was for many years an elder in the
Derry Church (as was also his father Henry" be
fore him), which was known as the fighting
Church, as it was necessary for the members to
carry their guns when attending service for fear
of an Indian attack. Gov. John Penn, then gov
ernor of the Province of Pennsylvania, was a
member of the same congregation. Mr. McKin
ney was a man of the strictest integrity and
honor, was widely and favorably known, and
with several others founded the New Derry
Church, and, later, the Church at Warrior Run,
Northumberland county. His widow, at the
age of ninety-four, died at the home of her son
Mathew, in Watson township, Lycoming county,
about the year 1840, and was laid beside her hus
band at Warrior Run.
III. James Harris McKinney, was also born
on the banks of the Swatara river, in Dauphin
county, June 11, 1793, and at the age of two
years moved with his parents to Turbut township,
Northumberland county. Although his school
privileges were meager, he made the most of his
opportunities, became quite well-read, and was
a good Bible student. At the age of nineteen he
enlisted in the United States army, under Captain
Gaston, for the war of 18 12, and was on 'duty at
Black Rock, N. Y., with the old Warrior Run
Rifle Company. He faithfully served his coun
try, and was later rewarded by a small pension
from the government. After his marriage, on
January 1, 181 8, he engaged in farming for sev
eral years, near Turbutville, but in 1830 came
to Nittany Valley, Clinton county, purchasing a
farm,. now the property of Mrs. Nathan Mowery,
on which he spent seven years. On selling out
he came to Pine Creek township, and bought the
Myers farm, two miles from Jersey Shore, and
ten miles from Lock Haven. This comprised
200 acres of valuable land, and upon it he erect
ed an elegant brick residence, one of the finest
in the township. Besides burning his own brick,
he burned enough for four other residences, owned
by different parties, in the same locality. He

638

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

built a barn and other outbuildings, and made it
one of the most desirable and attractive farms in
the locality. He took great pride in his stock,
and owned some fine horses, but would rather
walk ten miles than care for a horse to carry him.
Several times, while living in Nittany Valley, he
walked to his old home in Northumberland county,
over sixty miles, one day going and one return
ing. Particularly fond of his home, he was a
kind and affectionate husband and indulgent
father, and provided his children with excellent
school advantages. Originally he was a Whig
in politics, and later became an ardent Repub
lican, while in religious belief he was a Presby
terian. By all who knew him he was held in the
highest respect and esteem, and his circle of
friends and acquaintances was indeed extensive.
He was called upon to serve in all of the town
ship offices, and he was always faithful to every
trust reposed in him, whether public or private.
III. On January i, 1818, in Northumberland
county, James Harris McKinney was married to
Miss Ruth L. Ferguson (her mother's maiden
name was Esther Grayham, of Carlisle, Cum
berland county), who was born in that county,
April 11, 1799, daughter of Andrew Ferguson,
who was of Scotch-Irish descent, and a farmer;
also a manufacturer of flour and woolen goods
at his mills on Chatham run. Nine children
were born to this union, namely: (Fourth gen
eration) John (deceased); Esther G., deceased
widow of Robert M. Russell, of Dewart, North
umberland county; and their children are — Ed
mund, Eugenie and Margaret; Nancy, who died
in the twenty-sixth year of her age; Andrew C,
of this review; William L. , who died at the age
of twenty-two; Jane, who died in Nittany Valley;
David F. (his wife, Molly, is the only child of
W. Trego, of Baltimore, Maryland), who was a
physician and surgeon of the 87th Pennsylvania
Regiment during the great Rebellion, now a res
ident of Frederick City, Md. ; J. Harris, associate
judge of Clinton county, is also an elder in the
Presbyterian Church at Jersey Shore (each of
the four generations is represented by an elder in
the Church of their choice); and Priscilla, widow
of Oliver Montgomery, of Watsontown, North
umberland county, whose children are — James,
William and Jennie.
(Fourth generation): Andrew C. McKinney,
whose name introduces this sketch, was born in
Turbut township, Northumberland county, Feb
ruary 9, 1824, and was five years old when
brought by his parents to Lamar township, Clin
ton (then Centre) county. When twelve years
of age he accompanied his parents on their re
moval to Pine Creek township, where he at

tended pay school taught by Esquire Walters
and also a night-school taught by Nehemiah
Ross, and grew to manhood upon the farm now
owned by his brother, Judge McKinney. He
assisted in the operation of the place until
twenty-three years of age, when he began learn
ing the tanner's trade with his old school teacher
Squire Walters, remaining with him for" three
years. In 1850, in Burnside township, Clear
field county, he built and operated a small tan
nery for three years, but desiring to engage in
the manufacturing business on a more extensive
scale, he went to Lock Haven, where in part
nership with a Mr. Hiram Gray, in 1856, he
erected a flouring-mill and bread, cracker and
candy factory, and later started the first planing-
mill and door, sash and blind factory in the
county, admitting to a one-third partnership, in
1 86 1, in the operation of the flouring-mill and
planing-mill, his wife's half-brother, Hon. Allison
White, and a Mr. H. Hippie, a one-fourth in
the planing-mill. This partnership was only
fairly started (fifteen days), when in 1861 both
the mills and the factory were destroyed by
fire at a loss of over $30,000 to our subject,
nearly the entire loss falling on him.
Although all was lost except his debts and
reputation or credit, Mr. McKinney was not dis
couraged, but with indomitable energy began life
anew, building a bread and cracker bakery and
buying out the interest of Mr. Gray. He con
ducted the business with good success until 1863,
but in the meantime had settled or assumed the
debts of the firm of Gray & McKinney, and as
sisted his late partner to embark in the lumber
business, and as he failed after a few years in
business, he lost a large amount. In 1863 Mr.
McKinney purchased a tract of 1,100 acres of
timber land in Keating township, Clinton county,
and was for years engaged in the lumber busi
ness, cutting square timber and in rafts running
it to Marietta and other markets down the Sus
quehanna; but in the great flood of 1865 he lost
about $9,000 worth of timber. With character
istic energy, however, he continued operations,
cutting his timber until 1873, when he built a
fine brick block, 125 feet front by 60 feet deep,
known as the McKinney block, a part of which
was used as a market. This was erected at a
cost of $20,000, but in this enterprise he was op
posed by members of the city council who were
stockholders in another market, and passed ordi
nances against trade at his building, and the
block was finally sold at a great sacrifice.
In 1879 Mr. McKinney and his family re
moved to Chatham Run, Pine Creek township,
where he took charge of the grist and saw mills

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

639

formerly owned by George Crawford, his father-
in-law (originally built and owned by his grand
father, Andrew Ferguson), and has there con
tinued to engage in the milling business up to
the present time, having fitted out the plant with
new machinery, rollers, etc. Both mills are run
by water-power. During the flood of 1889 the
sawmill was torn from its foundation and de
stroyed. The damage to mills, crops on hand
and growing, and house and barn, which were
carried away, could not well be estimated. In
connection with his milling interests, Mr. McKin
ney owns and operates a farm of forty-five acres
cleared and 100 in heavy timber, on which he is
engaged in raising wheat and tobacco. His has
been a remarkable career (five times while living
in Lock Haven he was roused in the night to find
his property on fire), full of adversity as well as
prosperity, but he has steadily overcome all ob
stacles in his path, and is justly regarded as one
of the most persevering, progressive and reliable
business men of Pine Creek township. His hon
esty and integrity are above question, and he
commands the respect and esteem of all who
know him. He was at one time a member of
both the Odd Fellows Society and the Masonic
Order, but at present is connected with no secret
organization. He has always been identified
with the Republican party until the election of
1896, when he and his four sons supported the
Democratic ticket, believing that the free coin
age of silver would be for the best interests of
the wealth-producing people.
On the old Crawford homestead in Pine
Creek township, where they are now residing, on
December 9, 1856, was consummated the marriage
of Mr. McKinney and Miss Elizabeth White
Crawford. She was born in that township, Feb
ruary 26, 1833, a daughter of George Crawford.
Seven children blessed this union, as follows:
(1) (Fifth generation) Virginia Ruth, born Feb
ruary 23, 1858, died March 17, 1859. (2) Eliza
beth C, born February 4, i860, is the wife of
Millard F. Kissel, of Dunnstown, Woodward
township, Clinton county, and has three children
—(Sixth generation) J. Harris, Clarence and
Charles. (3) James Harris, born October 7,
1 86 1, died September 1, 1863. (4) George C,
born March 25, 1865, was educated in the Lock
Haven High School, and is a miller by occupa
tion, operating the Chatham Run Mill. He mar
ried Cora Betts, only daughter of William and
Matilda (Candy) Betts. (5) John G., born Au
gust 2, 1867, also attended the Lock Haven High
School, and later pursued a course in the East
man Business College of Poughkeepsie, N. Y.,
where he graduated in 1888. He is now a book

keeper or transfer clerk at Grand Junction, Colo..,
for the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad Co. He
married Florence Robinson, of Salt Lake City,
Utah, and has one daughter — Ruth V. (6)
Mary (Mamie), born November 26, 1869, was
educated in the schools at Chatham Run, and is
with her parents. (7) Robert R. , born Septem
ber 15, 1872, in Lock Haven, pursued his studies
at Chatham Run, and is now with his parents en
gaged in farming and in operating their sawmill.
(8) William, born February 1, 1875, was edu
cated at Chatham Run, and is still with his par
ents. The Crawford family, to which Mrs. McKin
ney belongs, is also of Scotch-Irish descent. Her
great-grandfather, James Crawford, was born in
Ireland, and on coming to this country settled in
what was then Wayne township, Northumber
land Co., Penn., but is now a part of Clinton
county. There he followed the occupation of
shoemaking, and spent his remaining days. In
his family were several children, including Robert
Crawford, grandfather of Mrs. McKinney. He
became a resident of Pine Creek township, where
he engaged in the tanning business throughout
his active business life. He married Elizabeth
Quiggle, of Wayne township, who was also of
Scotch-Irish descent, and they became the par
ents of six children: James A.; Ann, wife of
Levi Packer; Fanny, wife of Robert Shaw, and
mother of Squire Shaw, of Pine Creek township;
Nancy, wife of Hugh White; Eliza, wife of
Thomas Condon; and George, the father of Mrs.
McKinney. The parents of these children both
died in Pine Creek township, and their remains
were interred at Jersey Shore. Both were earnest
and consistent members of the Presbyterian
Church, and the fatherwas a stalwart Democrat in
politics. George Crawford, one of the most prominent
and influential citizens of Clinton county, was
born November 7, 1794, in Wayne township,
attended the common schools to a limited extent,
but was almost wholly self-educated. His early
life was spent as a boatsman (a book of original
entries, in possession of A. C. McKinney, shows
he kept a country store as early as October 10,
181 5, carried on his commerce by river boats) on
the river, plying between Jersey Shore and
Columbia and Marietta, carrying lumber and
grain to market and returning with goods for this
region. In 1834 he was superintendent of the
Pennsylvania canal on the West branch division
of the Susquehanna. He then lived and kept
store in Pine Creek township, where he pur
chased the farm of 130 acres, on which George
Crist now resides. There he erected a fine brick

640

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

residence and made many other excellent im
provements, but in 1848 removed to the Chatham
Run mills, which he operated until 1874, when
he laid aside all business cares. His fellow citi
zens recognizing his worth and ability chose him
as their representative to the State Legislature
in 1831, 1832 and 1833, and he filled that re
sponsible position with credit to himself and to
the satisfaction of the general public. By the
governor he was appointed associate judge under
the old constitution, having for his colleagues
Hon. Thomas Burnside and Hon. John Fleming.
He was later elected to the same office for a term
of five years, and was then associated with Hon.
George W. Woodward and Hon. John Fleming.
He was also president of the Clinton County
Academy from 1839 until 1843, an<i most faith
fully performed all duties which devolved upon
him, whether public or private. He was a strong
Democrat in politics, and was an active and
prominent member of the Presbyterian Church,
in which he served as elder for many years.
On January 29, 1822, Mr. Crawford was mar
ried, by Rev. J. H. Grier, to Mrs. Elizabeth
White, widow of James White, who was born
December 10, 1800, on the White Island, and
died at the old homestead in Pine Creek town
ship, March 19, 1863. The children born to
this worthy couple are as follows: (1) Char
lotte W., born December 4, 1822, married N.
W. Fredericks, of .Lock Haven, and died in
1894; (2) Robert A., born May 17, 1825, died
October 7, 1871; (3) George A., born July 27,
1827, was educated at the Jefferson College,
Canonsburg, Penn., where he took the degree of
B. A., and was later editor of the Clinton County
Democrat from 1847 until 1852. Subsequently
he was editor of the Kansas Farmer and Daily
Monitor, at Fort Scott, Kans. , and died at Grand
Junction, Colo., in 1891. He was the founder
of Fort Scott, Kans., and Grand Junction, Colo.
(4) William H., born January 10, 1829, makes
his home in Jersey Shore, Lycoming Co., Penn. ;
(5) John Weitzel, born March 26, 1831, is a
farmer of Chatham Run, Penn., and has a son
in Grand Junction, Colo. (6) Elizabeth, born
February 26, 1833, is the honored wife of our
subject. (7) Mary J., born June 14, 1839, is the
widow of Charles B. Rich, of Woolrich, Penn.
She and her son, C. B., and daughter, Mary
Josephine, now reside in Grand Junction, Colo
rado. W UGUSTUS N. STEVENSON is a prom-
J$L inent hardware merchant and one of the
leading business men of Renovo. It is not diffi
cult to conjecture what manner of man is Mr.

Stevenson. In a republican country where
merit must win, we can tell much of his life.
Wealth may secure a start but it cannot main
tain one in a position where brains and executive
ability are required. He did not have wealth to
aid him in beginning his business career. His
reliance has been placed in the more substantial
qualities of perseverance, untiring enterprise, res
olute purpose and commendable zeal, and withal
his actions have been guided by an honesty of
purpose that none have questioned.
Our subject was born in Jersey Shore, Ly
coming county, Penn., June 14, 1840, the eldest
son of Joseph S. and Margaret Stevenson, repre
sentatives of the earliest pioneer families of that
county. The father was quite prominently con
nected with the agricultural and business interests
of the West Branch Valley. The son was pro
vided with a liberal education, attending both
the public and private schools of his native city.
At an early age he entered his father's mercantile
establishment, where he remained for several
years gaining a general knowledge of the business,
and in the latter part of the year 1862 he was
appointed baggage master on the old Catawissa
railroad, his run being between Williamsport and
Tamaqua. During this period the Civil war was
raging, and he, like many loyal spirits, resigned
his position to enter the Union army, becoming
a member of Col. John E. Wynkoop's Cavalry
Regiment, which was assigned to duty along the
Potomac river.
After serving his term of enlistment, Mr.
Stevenson was honorably discharged and entered
a hardware store at Milton, Penn., where he
served as salesman for nearly two years and
acquired a thorough knowledge of the business.
In the spring of 1868 the construction of the low
grade division of the Allegheny Valley railroad
between Driftwood and Red Bank was com
menced, and Col. G. A. Worth, of Elmira, N.
Y. , became contractor for the building of section
5 at Mix Run, Cameron Co., Penn., where he
established his headquarters. He gave employ
ment to several hundred men and employed Mr.
Stevenson as paymaster and bookkeeper, which
position he acceptably filled from March, 1868,
to November, 1869, when the section was com
pleted. In January, 1869, Mr. Stevenson was married
to Miss Margaret Campbell, of Milton, Penn.,
and to them was born one child, Margaret, July
4, 1870, who died in October, 1871. The fol
lowing year the father became general manager
of Martin & Worth's large supply store in Law-
sonham, Clarion county, which did a business of
more than $100,000 annually, under the able

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

641

supervision of our subject. Before the term of
his contract had expired at that place, there had
been established another supply store at Penfield,
where the railroad made its headquarters, and
Mr. Stevenson was transferred to that point,
where he remained until the road was nearly
completed. In May, 1873, he came to Renovo
and leased a small store building,- where he em
barked in the hardware business on his own ac
count. At that time the stores of the place were
all general mercantile establishments, but from
the beginning he prospered in his new undertak
ing, and it soon became necessary to seek larger
quarters. In November, 1874, he leased a new
store building, 24 x 50 feet, on Erie avenue below
Sixth street, which he completely stocked with
a general line of hardware, cutlery, paints, oils,
glass, etc., and three years later purchased the
property. In the spring of 1888 he built a fine
two-story brick addition, making the building
24x90 feet. Henowhasoneof the finest and best-
arranged hardware stores between Harrisburg
and Erie, and by fair and honorable dealing has
built up a large and constantly increasing trade.
Since becoming a resident of Renovo Mr.
Stevenson has taken quite an active and promi
nent part in public affairs, and has been elected
to the city council, of which body he was chosen
president for the last year of his term. He is a
recognized leader in the local Republican organi
zation, and in 1896 was prominently spoken of
for associate judge of Clinton county. He is
now a member of the State Central Committee
from Clinton county. He is an honored mem
ber of the Masonic fraternity, with which he has
been connected since residing in Penfield in 1873,
when he joined Clearfield Lodge No. 314, F. &
A. M. In 1882 he became a member of Renovo
Lodge No. 495, F. & A. M. ; the following year
he became connected with La Fayette Chapter
No. 163, R. A. M., and Hospitaller Commandery
No. 46, K. T., of Lock Haven; in 1884 he was
made a member of Philadelphia Consistory, S.
P. R. S. ; and three years later became identified
with Lu Lu Temple, A. A. O. K. M. S. He is
also a charter member of BucktailPost No. 142,
G. A. R., which was organized at Renovo, Sep
tember 24, 1879, and for the first five years he
served as quartermaster. He also took an active
interest in bringing into the organization many
of the old soldiers of the Civil war. Mr. Steven
son has made good use of his opportunities,
and has prospered in his business undertakings.
Courteous, genial, well-informed, alert and en
terprising, he stands to-day one of the leading
representative men of Clinton county — a man
who is a power in his community.
41*

JAMES W. BRIDGENS, who has now been
actively engaged in mercantile business -in
Lock Haven for more than thirty-five years, is
one of the most valued citizens of that progress
ive and wide-awake community, his influence
being given to the support of every movement
that seems calculated to advance the interests of
the locality.
Mr. Bridgens was born September 28, 1838,
at North Bend, Clinton county, the son of Rob
ert and Lois (Summerson) Bridgens, who both
were natives of that county. His father was en
gaged in farming and lumbering as a business,
and took a prominent part in political affairs, hav
ing been one of the first commissioners of Clin
ton county. His death occurred in 1882, and
our subject's mother passed away in 1893. This
worthy couple had seven children: John B. (de
ceased), Nancy E. (Mrs. John Quiggle), Malissa
M. (Mrs. D. M. May), Sarah A. (Mrs. G. G.
Reese), Thomas J., Robert R., and James. W.
(oursubject.) Reared as a farmer boy, James
W. Bridgens had only the educational advantages
afforded by the local schools, where the terms
were short, and the methods of teaching much
inferior to those of to-day. At the age of twen
ty-four he left home and settled at Lock Haven.
engaging in the dry-goods and grocery business,
which he has continued successfully ever since.
He is now the oldest merchant in his line in the
city, and for the last ten years his son, James F.
Bridgens, has been associated with him under
the firm name of J. W. Bridgens & Son, and
they rank among the solid business men of the
county. In 1867, our subject was married to Miss
Mary E. Fearon, daughter of James Fearon, a
well-known resident of Clinton county. Four
children have blessed this union: James F.,
Edward W., Carrie M. and Elizabeth L. The
family is identified with the Presbyterian Church,
of which Mrs. Bridgens, the eldest daughter, and
the youngest son are active members.
Politically, Mr. Bridgens is a Democrat, and
has always been a firm opponent of monopolies.
While he does not aspire to official honors of. any
kind, he has done good service to the cause of
education as a trustee of the Central State Nor
mal School, and as a director of the local schools,
having held the latter position for more than
twelve years.

JACOB BECHTEL. No man in Clinton coun
ty is probably more worthy of representation
in a work of this kind than the gentleman
whose name opens this sketch. For over half a

642

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

century he has been identified with its agricult
ural interests, making his home upon his present
farm in Lamar township since April, 1840. He
has given considerable attention to the study of
fruit-culture, and the knowledge thus acquired
has been put to the practical test, he being to
day one of the most successful fruit-growers in
his section of the county.
Born December 8, 1827, in Clinton county,
along Fishing creek, in Porter township, near
the Lamar township line, Mr. Betchel is a son of
John Betchel, whose birth occurred in 1800, near
Pottsville, in Schuylkill Co., Penn. The grand
father, Abraham Bechtel, was also born in
Schuylkill county, about 1781, of German an
cestry, being connected with one of the wealthy
and prominent families of the Fatherland. The
grandfather had several brothers, among whom
were Isaac, who died in Sugar Valley, Penn. ;
Samuel and Daniel, who died in Ohio; Solomon,
and a sister who became the wife of Jacob Roats
(both Solomon and Mrs. Roats are living). In
18 12 Abraham Bechtel located near Cedar Run
in Porter township, Clinton county, but two
years later moved to Fishing Creek, where he
continued to reside until going to Union county,
Penn., in 1854. He was a general mechanic,
and in early life engaged in shoemaking during
the winter season, while in summer he followed
boating on the river, threshing and other work
which he could find to do. Later he followed
farming on a small scale, and also conducted a
sawmill on Fishing creek for a number of years.
He married Catharine Contner, by whom he had
two children: Hannah, who married John Hull,
and died in Centre county, Penn. ; and John, fa
ther of our subject. The grandfather died at the
age of seventy-three, in Union county, and in
less than a year his wife also passed away, the
remains of both being interred in Union county.
John Bechtel was born March 14, 1800, and
was, therefore, only a boy when brought by
his parents to Clinton county, where he grew to
manhood. His mother spun the flax and wove
the cloth for the clothes of her family, and while
attending school John wore home-made trousers.
He married Miss Catharine Best, who was born
in Columbia county, Penn., in 1797, a daughter
of Jacob Best, and they became the parents of
two children: Eliza, now the widow of William
Taylor, of Mifflinburg, Penn. ; and Jacob, of this
review. The mother died in 1880, and the fa
ther passed away in 1885, at the home of our
subject, and both were buried at Forest Hill.
They had lived in Nittany Valley, Clinton coun
ty, until 1854, when they removed to Union
county, locating near Forest Hill, where the

mother's death occurred. Later the father, hav
ing broken his thigh and become helpless, made
his home with our subject until he, too, departed
this life. His first vote was cast for {he Demo
cratic candidate, but later he joined the Whig
party, and on its dissolution became a Repub
lican. His memory was „ fine, his knowledge of
the Scriptures thorough, and he was a faithful
member of the Methodist Church.
In a primitive log school-house Jacob Bechtel
began his education, and one winter attended
school in Aaronsburg, Center Co., Penn. Being
an only son, he remained upon the home farm.
The farm which he now occupies was purchased
by his father from Henry Yeager in 1839, and
after his removal to Union county, in 1854, our
subject remained upon the place. In connection
with its cultivation he also embarked in the saw
mill business, in 1867, and since that time has
devoted a few months each year to lumbering.
His farm comprises 120 acres of rich and arable
land, and he also has 520 acres of timberland, so
that he is now one of the most prosperous and
substantial citizens of his community. He has
now laid aside the more arduous, duties of the
farm, but continues its management and keeps
things in repair.
Near Bainbridge, in Lancaster county, Penn.,
on December 23, 1853, Jacob Bechtel was uni
ted in marriage with Miss Catharine Reese, who
was born in August, 1837, a daughter of Rev.
Charles Reese, a Lutheran minister, and they
became the parents of the following children:
Olivia K-, wife of John Fortney, of Lamar town
ship, Clinton county; Mrs. Reuben McClintock,
of Mill Hall, Penn. ; Bertie, widow of Albert Eli,
of Lock Haven; and Charles, a carpenter of
Johnstown, Penn. The wife and mother passed
to the unseen world June 18, 1889, and was
buried in Cedar Hill cemetery.
Mr. Bechtel uses his right of franchise in sup
port of the men and measures of the Republican
party, but he has never cared for the honors or
emoluments of public office. Fraternally, he is a
member of the Grange, and, religiously, is identi
fied with the Lutheran Church. In many respects
his life has been an exemplary one. He is an
intelligent man, with sound, common-sense views
of life and its duties; is active in well doing,
sober, industrious and of good business habits,
in fact, possessing all the qualifications that go
to make up a good citizen and an honorable man.

BITNER. The subject of
J^2L this notice is certainly entitled to be con
sidered not only one of the enterprising farmers

M BRAHAM B.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

643

of Bald Eagle township, Clinton county, but one
of its respected and honored citizens, and a man
of more than ordinary ability. He was born
November, u, 1833, in Liberty township, Centre
Co., Penn., a son of John and Susan. (Orner)
Bitner, and a grandson of John Bitner, Sr.
The father, "a native of Centre county, was a
stonemason by trade, and followed that pursuit
in early life, but later purchased a farm in Beech
Creek township, Clinton county, and devoted his
remaining days to agricultural pursuits. He was
in very limited circumstances at the time of his
marriage, having to borrow money enough to
pay all necessary expenses at that time, but being
industrious, energetic and persevering, he secured
for his family a good home. He developed a
good farm at the foot of the Alleghany Mount
ains, and there spent his last years, dying at the
age of fifty-eight years, nine months and twenty-
three days. His wife departed this life at the
age of seventy-eight years, six months and twen
ty-eight days, and was laid by his side ia Eagle
ville cemetery. Both were earnest and consist
ent members of the Church of Christ, and in
politics the father was a Democrat.
In the family of this worthy couple were
eleven children, who reached years of maturity,
married and reared families of their own. They
were as follows: Christopher, a resident of
Beech Creek township, Clinton county; Emaline,
widow of Fulton Miller, of the same township;
John, a retired farmer of Eagleville; Margaret,
widow of George Kessinger, of Minnesota; Eliz
abeth, wife of Wayne Gardner, of Howard,
Penn.; Abraham B., of this review; Sarah, now
Mrs. Adam Myers, of Chatham Run, Penn.;
Nathan M., of Centre county; Julia A., who
wedded (first) Matthias Grove, and is now the
widow of David Stephenson, of Lock Haven;
Alvina, wife of David Simons, of Lock Haven;
and Hezekiah, of Holmes county, Ohio.
The education which our subject received was
such as the country schools of his day afforded,
heatfirstattendingthe Brown schoolinBald Eagle
township, where the furniture was of the most
primitive character and where the pupils wrote
with quill pens. He remained upon the home
farm until his marriage, which important event
in his life was celebrated at Beech Creek, March
'5. '856, Miss Martha J. Trexler becoming his
wife. She was born in Williamsport, Penn.,
September 2, 1839, and is the second child and
eldest daughter in a family of seven children —
two sons and five daughters — whose parents were
William and Elmira (White) Trexler. The father
followed the occupation of shoemaking in Beech
Creek. The children born to Mr. and Mrs.

Abraham B. Bitner are as follows: William F. ,
who died in infancy; Irvin T. , a cigarmaker of
Altoona, Penn. ; C. McClellan, a cigarmaker of
Du Bois; Ernest D., a farmer of Bald Eagle
township, Clinton county; Delia, wife of Harry
Best, of Lock Haven; Ira M. , who died at the
age of five years; Fullmer E., at home; Tillie,
who died in infancy; and Blair and GroverC,
both at home.
When married, Mr. Bitner's cash capital
consisted of only $50, which he had saved from
teaming and trapping. He trapped many foxes,
which were quite numerous in this section at that
time. For one-fourth of the products he oper
ated his father's farm for one year, it being
stocked by his father, and then worked for one
season in a sawmill on Beech creek, but with that
exception his life has been devoted to agricult
ural pursuits, carrying on operations in Beech
Creek, Pine Creek and Lamar townships, Clinton
county, and Liberty township, Centre county.
In the spring of 1886 he removed to his present
farm in Bald Eagle township, Clinton county,
where he had lived once before, and now has his
land under a high state of cultivation. He
heartily endorses the principles of the Democratic
party, and has served his fellow-citizens very
acceptably in the capacity of school director.
Both he and his wife are faithful members of the
Church of Christ, in which he is serving as elder,
and wherever known they are held in high regard.
A man of the strictest integrity and honor, his
word is considered as good as his bond, and he
is liberal and generous almost to a fault. At
this writing he is serving as judge of election
in Bald Eagle township.

JOHN SPRINGER, one of the best-known citi
zens of Gallaher township, Clinton county, is
a man whose successful struggle with adverse
circumstances shows what can be accomplished
by industry and economy, especially if he is aided
in his efforts to secure a home and competence
by a sensible wife.
Born at the "Block House," in Lycoming
county, Penn., December 15, 1833, Mr. Springer
is the only child of Samuel and Christina (Fost)
Springer, the former a native of Pennsylvania
and the latter of Germany. The father, a farmer
by occupation, lived mostly in Lycoming and
Tioga counties. The mother was twice married,
her second husband being Thomas Gottschall, of
Gallaher township, Clinton county, by whom she
had five children, namely: Mary, wife of Samuel
Swartz; Elizabeth, who died unmarried; Cath
arine, wife of Michael Biser; Rebecca, deceased

'644

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

wife of Frederick England; and Lucy, who died
in childhood. Both Mr. and Mrs. Gottschall
died in Rose Valley, Lycoming county. She was
an excellent woman and a hard worker.
John Springer's education was limited to a
few months' attendance at the country schools.
With his stepfather he worked at lumbering and
shingle-making until twenty-seven years of age,
starting out in life for himself in i860. His first
venture was in buying fifty acres of .timber land,
which he cleared and converted into highly cul
tivated fields of waving grain. He also pur
chased another tract of the same size, and now
has one of the finest farms in Gallaher township,
it being improved with an elegant residence and
good barns and outbuildings, the cost of which
was about $3,000. In his work he has been ably
assisted by his estimable wife, who has indeed
proved a faithful helpmeet to him.
On April 26, 1859, in Gallaher township,
Clinton county, Mr. Springer was married to
Miss Christina Beisser, who was born in Witten
berg, Germany, December 27, 1830, a daughter
of Frederick Beisser, who spent his entire life in
the Fatherland. She was educated in her native
land, and when a young girl crossed the Atlantic
in the " William Tell," which landed her safely
at New York. After spending a short time in
that city she went to the home of her uncle,
Charles Beisser, in Tioga county, Penn., with
whom she remained until giving her hand in
marriage to our subject. She is well-known all
over the county for her excellent cooking, and
she is one of the best housekeepers to be found
in the locality.
To this couple have been born nine children:
(1) George M., born in 1859, died in infancy.
(2) William P., born July 5, i860, married Ella
Yearick, and has three children — Harvey C. ,
Mabel C. and Mary E. He is a carpenter and
contractor living in Williamsport, Penn., is a
Democrat in politics, and is a member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. (3) George M.,
born March 6, 1862. married Ellen Harber, and
has two children — Roy and Lawrence. He fol
lows farming in Gallaher township,- Clinton coun
ty. (4) Nancy, born October 4, 1864, died when
ten days old. (5) Samuel, born February 21,
1865, died in infancy. (6) Clara J., born Oc
tober 10, 1866, died February 18, 1869. (7)
Jacob, born June 13, 1868, also a farmer of
Gallaher township, married Lizzie Gottschall;
and has one daughter — Ida. (8) Charles, born
August 10, 1870, and (9) Reuben, born February
10, 1873, are both at home.
Our subject gives his allegiance to the Dem
ocratic party, and has faithfully served his fellow-

citizens in the capacity of tax collector, school
director, overseer of the poor, supervisor and
assessor. He has ever been found true to
every trust reposed in him, whether public or
private, and has discharged his duties in a
most commendable and satisfactory manner.
He has accumulated a handsome property, and
his life illustrates what can be accomplished
through industry, perseverance, good manage
ment, and a determination to succeed.

JACOB VONADA, a well-known and high
ly-respected agriculturist now living in Porter
tpwnship, Clinton county, near the Lamar
township line, was born February 20, 1836, in
Hartley township, Union Co., Penn., but when
only a few months old was taken by his parents,
George and Mary (Heinly) Vonada, to Penn's
Valley, Centre county, locating near Woodward.
Later they removed to Nittany Valley, the same
county, where both died, the father at the age
of seventy-two, and the mother at the age of
eighty-two, and the remains of both were in
terred in Hublersburg cemetery. They were Lu
therans in religious belief, and in politics Mr.
Vonada was a Democrat. Throughout his en
tire life he followed the occupation of farming.
In the family were eight children — four sons and
four daughters — of whom three sons and three
daughters are yet living.
During his boyhood and youth Jacob
Vonada attended the district schools of Penn's
Valley, which at that time were not noted for
their efficiency. He began his education in the
Harper school, under the direction of Jacob T.
Meyer. In early life he also learned the black
smith's trade at " St. Paul's Church," in Haines
township, Centre county, under Squire Jacob
Hosterman, but, not liking that occupation, he
devoted most of his attention to agricultural pur
suits. Upon the farm where he was reared he
spent forty years of his life.
On December 2, 1866, in Penn's Valley, Mr.
Vonada was married to Miss Rebecca Stover,
who was born February 27, 1838, near Pine
Creek, Haines township, Centre county, the
daughter of Andrew and Sarah (Frank) Stover.
They became the parents of two children: Edgar
B. , who is married and has one child, and is en
gaged in farming on his father's and uncle J.
Vonada's place in Lamar township, Clinton coun
ty; and Ida, who died at the age of three years.
After his marriage, our subject continued to re
side on the old homestead in Haines township,
Centre county, as his father had removed to a
place near Hublersburg in Nittany Valley, and

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

645

there the son remained until April 4, 1876, when
his father purchased a tract of 119^ acres in La
mar township, Clinton county, known as the Best
farm. After the death of his mother John and
Jacob Vonada purchased the Best farm, where
Jacob resided till the spring of 1 897, when he
removed to his present residence in Porter town
ship. He has ever been a hard-working, ener
getic, progressive farmer, and in his labors has
been ably assisted by his estimable wife, who has
indeed proved a true helpmeet to him. His up
right, honorable life has commended him to the
confidence and esteem of all with whom he has
come in contact, and his friends in his adopted
county are many. Through his own efforts he
has secured a comfortable competence, and he is
to-day numbered among the prosperous citizens
of the community. He has always been unwav
ering in his support of the Democratic party, and
he has served as deacon and elder in the Luther
an Church, with which he is connected.

T^HEW JOHNSON, a lumberman now resid
ing in Hyner, Chapman township, Clinton
county, has been an important factor in business
circles, and his popularity is well-deserved. He
is public spirited, and thoroughly interested in
whatever tends to promote the moral, intellectual
and material welfare of his community.
Mr. Johnson was born March 17, 1822, in
Lycoming county (now Noyes township, Clinton
county), a son of John Johnson, whose birth oc
curred in Yorkshire, England, in 1 797.. In 1 800,
when only three years old, he was brought by
his parents to America in a sailing vessel, land
ing at Philadelphia, whence they came to Wayne
township, Clinton county, which was at that
time a part of Lycoming county, and located
near Pine Station. There John Johnson attended
school, where he learned to read and write, which
was considered a sufficient education for ordinary
use in those days. Learning the miller's trade,
he came to Chapman township when a young
man, and rented a small gristmill on Hyner run,
which he operated for twenty-two years. Sub
sequently he bought a farm of 100 acres now in
Grugan township, and followed agricultural pur
suits up to the time of his death, which occurred
in 1876, his remains being interred in Hyner
cemetery. In early life he was a Whig, and
ater supported the Republican party, while re
ligiously he and his family held membership in
the Methodist Episcopal Church, and they were
held in high regard by all who knew them.
John Johnson was married to Miss Mary
Shaffer, by whom he had six children, namely:

Margaret (deceased), Thew (our subject), Shaffer
F. (a banker of Lock Haven), Angeline (now de
ceased), Isabella (living), and John W. (who op
erates the old homestead in Grugan township).
The mother died upon that place, and was laid
to rest by the side of her husband.
Mr. Johnson, whose name introduces this
sketch, pursued his studies in an old log school
house in what is now Chapman township, sup
plied with the rudest of furniture, and spent the
first thirty-eight years of his life under the pa
rental roof, working on the farm during the sum
mer season and in the woods through the winter
months. In partnership with his brother Shaf
fer he engaged in the lumber business, and rafted
their products down the west branch of the Sus
quehanna to Marietta. In i860 he located in
Hyner, where he now owns a home. For a num
ber of years he and his brother continued busi
ness together, and he is now connected with F.
S. Johnson, W. C. Weaver and Joseph Power.
-They own about 6,000 acres of timberland in
Clinton county, and in 1894 erected a sawmill on
Hyner run, which three years later was destroy
ed by fire, but they are still interested in the
lumber business.
In i860, at Hyner, our subject was married
to Miss Mary Southerland, who was born in Lib
erty, Dunstable township, Lycoming county, in
1820. The only child born of this union died in
infancy. Mr. Johnson cast his first Presidential vote
for the Whig candidate, and is a Republican and
for sound money. He has served as auditor of
Chapman township, but has never cared for of
ficial honors, preferring to devote his time and
attention to his business interests. His life has
been one of toil, beginning work in early boy
hood (as soon as he could handle an axe), and he
is now suffering from the effects of exposure on
the mountains. Due success has not been de
nied him, and he is classed among the substan
tial citizens of his community. He takes delight
in travel, and has visited many portions of this
country in search of lands. In many respects
his life has been an exemplary one.

C,\HARLES H. RICH. Central Pennsylvania
' boasts of quite a number of men of inventive
genius, men who have done much, by reason of
superior ability in that line, to advance the in
terests of this region; but none are held in higher
regard or deserve greater recognition than the
subject of this sketch, now a prominent lumber
man, farmer and civil engineer, of Woolrich, Pine
Creek township, Clinton county. He was born

646

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

in that place December 31, i860, a son of John
F. and Catherine A. (Ohl) Rich, and is a brother
of the gentlemen who comprise the well-known
firm of John Rich & Brothers, woolen manufact
urers, of Wooirich.
During his boyhood and youth our subject
learned all the branches of woolen manufacture,
but since completing his collegiate course has
given no attention to that line of business. At
Chatham Run, Pine Creek township, he began
his education in the public schools, later attended
a select school taught by T. W. Twitmire, and
in 1878 entered Pierce's College, Philadelphia,
where he pursued a business and law course,
graduating from that institution in 1880. He
then took a course in higher mathematics and
civil engineering, in Allegheny College, at Mead-
ville, Penn., and in 1882 entered Jefferson Medi
cal College, intending to make the practice of
medicine his life work, but was obliged to lay
aside his books at the end of one term on account
of failing eye-sight.
Returning to his home in Woolrich, Mr. Rich
engaged in -civil engineering and surveying, which
he still continned to follow in connection with
his other business. In 1889 he opened a lumber
yard at Woolrich, being the first and only lum
ber merchant at that place; he also owns and
operates the old homestead farm of 180 acres,
on which he is successfully engaged in general
farming and tobacco growing. Upon the place
he has erected seven good tenant houses, three
tobacco sheds, 120x24 feet, barns and other
outbuildings, but in 1894 he had the misfortune
to lose his sheds and barns, which were destroyed
by fire at a loss of $5,000. With characteristic
energy, however, he rebuilt, and is now doing a
successful and profitable business. His com
fortable home in Woolrich was erected in 1884
at a cost of $2,000. Besides his other business
interests, he is also a stockholder in a local oil-
well company.
Possessing much mechanical genius, Mr. Rich
has invented a number of very useful articles, chief
among which is the para-magnetic transmitting
bismuth disk, which was necessary to perfect the
great Bell telephone, but unfortunately (he says)
he associated with him an individual who confis
cated his (our subject's) right and title to it, and
later disposed of it to the Bell Telephone Com
pany for an immense sum, of which Mr. Rich
never received a cent. He also invented and
patented the vacuum oiler tube, and a nut and
lock for a carriage spindle, and a carriage whip
tubler, and an automatic gate fixture, which he
patented in 1890, a rotary engine and an accel
erated speed motion for a bicycle, besides many

other inventions of great value to the public; but
of all these he has made a side issue, it being a
great pleasure to spend his leisure time in that
way. At Pine Station, in 1884, Mr. Rich was mar
ried to Miss Katie A. Quiggle, a native of Wayne
township, Clinton county, and a daughter of
Robert Quiggle. Two children have graced this
union: Edna Dunn and Mary L. Politically,
Mr. Rich has always been identified with the
Republican party, ever taking an active part in
its principles, and, although he has never been
an office-seeker, he has served as auditor of his
township, and has faithfully performed every
duty of citizenship, being appointed a member of
the Congressional conference that met at Belle
fonte, that put Gen. John Patton in nomination;
also to place Hon. A. C. Hopkins in nomination,
later Hon. Fred. C. Lenard for Congress. Having
a good command of language, Mr. Rich is an excel
lent debater, and takes an active part in all the
local debates. A Methodist in religious belief,
he has served as trustee of his Church and as a
teacher in the Sunday-school, and he takes a
leading and influential part in all enterprises cal
culated to promote the moral and material wel
fare of his native county. Socially he holds
membership in the Royal Arcanum of Lock Ha
ven, and the Patriotic Order Sons of America,
of which he is president, of Woolrich. His strict
integrity and honorable dealing in business com
mend him to the confidence of all; his pleasant
manner wins him friends, and he is one of the
popular and honored citizens of Clinton county.
Stiles E. Rich, a brother of our subject, re
ceived his elementary education in the common
schools of Chatham Run, and later pursued a
business course at the Eastman Business College,
Poughkeepsie, N. Y. (where he graduated in
1880), also attending Dickinson Seminary, Will
iamsport, Penn., and State Central Normal
School. He then served as bookkeeper and
assistant in his brothers' woolen mills, at Wool-
rich, until 1893, when he removed to Harriman,
Tenii. , where he is now successfully engaged in
merchandising. He is a Republican in politics,
is a consistent member of the Methodist Epis
copal Church, and a strong temperance man.
He was married to Miss Minnie H. Hesser, of
Bloomsburg, Penn., a daughter of Rev. W. C.
Hesser, a Methodist Episcopal minister, and
they have two sons: William H. and Ross B.

WILLIAM M. JOHNSON, one of the most
prominent and respected ; residents of
Lockport, Clinton county, was born October 3,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

647

1825, in Delaware county, N. Y., a son of Mar
tin Johnson, who was born in the same county
in 1800. The grandfather, Solomon Johnson,
was a native of the same State, and one of thir
teen children, all of whose names begin with the
letter "S." The grandfather was a lumber mati-
ufacturer in Delaware county, where he operated
three sawmills, and was one of the prominent
farmers, owning 150 acres of land. He was a
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, was
a Jacksonian Democrat in his political views, and
a man of sterling worth, who spent his entire life
in Delaware county. He was twice married.
Martin Johnson, a son by the first marriage,
received his education in the subscription schools,
and throughout his life followed lumbering and
farming. He owned 300 and cleared off 1,000
acres of timber lands, on a part of which the
town of Sidney, N. Y., now stands, including the
old family residence. He engaged in the lumber
business on an extensive scale, operating three
mills, and was ranked among the leading and
substantial citizens of the county. Retiring from
active work, he removed to Tioga county, Penn. ,
and later made his home with his son, Nelson E.
Johnson, in Lycoming county, where he died in
1 86 1. He was very active in Democratic circles,
but never sought office, and he was a faithful
member of the Baptist Church.
Martin Johnson was married in Franklin
township, Delaware county, N. Y. , to Mary A.
Patton, also born in that township, a daughter
of John Patton, a native of Scotland, and a sol
dier of the Revolutionary war, who died at the
age of one hundred and three years. Mrs. John
son, who was a very devoted wife and mother,
died in Jackson, Penn. , where her remains were
interred. In the family were eight children: Al
bert died in Tioga county; Horace, Elizabeth and
Mary, all three deceased, Horace dying in child
hood; William M. ; Anna M. ; Mrs. Jane Warner,
of Wisconsin; and Nelson E. , a well-known mill
wright of Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Our subject attended the public schools of his
native county through the winter, months, in the
summers working on the farm, in the lumber
woods and in the mill. Desirous of improving
himself mentally, he spent all his leisure time in
study, and is now a well-informed man. He
worked at home until twenty years of age, at lum
bering and farming, and then in connection with
his brother Albert, and an uncle, established a
lumbering business at Southport, N. Y. , and also
operated the Wells Mills at that point, which
they conducted for a year with fair success. As
he had not then attained his majority, he paid
his father $200 for his time. After this our sub

ject spent one year at the carpenter's trade, build
ing the first church at the State line. He then
removed to Tioga county, where he spent nine
years as a millwright carpenter in saw or grist
mills. He also passed some time in Clinton and
Lycoming counties, and was afterward engaged
for five years in general merchandising at Law-
renceville, Tioga county. He then removed to
Mill Hall, Clinton county, where he began the
manufacture of windmills, rakes, etc. , and in that
enterprise was very successful. It was the first
factory of the kind at Mill Hall, and he turned
out thousands of windmills. He also conducted
a store a part of the time during his six-years'
stay at that place. In 1863 he secured a position
as traveling salesman for the manufacturing firm
of J. S. Marsh & Co., of Lewisburg, his territory
covering five counties in Pennsylvania. Later
he was given the general agency, and traveled all
through the central and western States. He
spent twenty-three years with that firm, winning
for himself the confidence and respect of both his
employers and the public. He sold over $125,-
000 of manufactured goods each year for eight
een years as general salesman. In 1870, while
traveling, he purchased the Peter Smith farm in.
Woodward township, Clinton county, compris
ing 126 acres, and on his retirement in 1885 he
located on the farm, where the next eight years
were passed in the quiet pursuits of rural
life. In 1895 he built for himself a commodious
and beautiful residence in Lockport, at a cost of
$4, 500, and is now living there surrounded by all
the comforts and many of the luxuries of life, and
enjoying the friendship and regard of all who
know him.
In 1853, in Clinton county, Mr. Johnson was
married to Anna M. Stewart, who was born in
Lycoming county, a daughter of Charles Stewart,
a prominent citizen of that section of the State.
Six children grace this union: (1) Charles D.
operates the home farm in Woodward township,
married Carrie Probst, of that township, and had
six children — Nettie I., Alma, Edward, Leroy,
Carrie and Charles. (2) Ida D. is an accom
plished young lady at home. (3) William, a
machinist of Philadelphia, married a Miss Galliher,
and has two children — Elmer and Howard E.
(4) Annie was the wife of Preston Albertson,
and is now deceased. (5) Nellie died when
twenty-two years old, and (6) Orville died in in
fancy. Mr. Johnson has served as school director
and tax collector in his township, and is a stal
wart Republican, unwavering in his support of
the men and measures of the party. He belongs
to the Presbyterian Church, and has served as

648

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

superintendent and teacher in the Sunday-school.
He was formerly a member of the I. O. O. F.
and the Sons of Temperance, and is an earnest
worker in the cause of temperance. His success
in life is attributable to his own efforts, and his
business record is without a blemish. He labored
earnestly to advance the interests of his company
during his long service on the road, and had their
unqualified confidence. His name is synonymous
with honorable dealing, and his worth is attested
by all who know him.

Bi, KAUFMAN, a well-known agriculturist and
 V prominent citizen of Porter township, Clin
ton county, has made his special field of indus
try a success, and is highly-esteemed and re
spected by those who know him best.
Born May 16, 1829, in Miles township, Brush
Valley, Centre Co., Penn., Mr. Kaufman is a
son of Nicholas and Elizabeth (Willman) Kauf
man. The paternal grandfather also bore the
name of Nicholas. The father's birth occurred
April 30, 1777, in Berks county, Penn., where he
continued to reside until after his marriage. His
death occurred in Nittany Valley, and his wife
passed away in Brush Valley, leaving two chil
dren, the sister of our subject being Hannah, now
the widow of Conrad Long, and a resident of
Howard, Penn. By occupation the father was
always a farmer, and in political sentiment he
was an ardent Democrat.
D. Kaufman, of this sketch, passed the days
of his boyhood and youth in his native Valley,
in much the usual manner of farmer lads, assist
ing his father in the labor of the fields, and,
when his services were not needed at home, at
tending the public schools of the neighborhood.
One of his first teachers was Solomon Moyer.
Young Kaufman remained under the parental
roof until his marriage, at the age of twenty-one,
to Miss Rebecca Best, the ceremony being per
formed in Hublersburg, Centre county. She
was a native of Lehigh county, Penn., and a
daughter of John and Leah (Fink) Best, the fa
ther a representative of one of the honored and
highly-respected families of Nittany Valley. Mr.
and Mrs. Kaufman have three children: William
H., a farmer of Centre county; and Leah E. and
John F. , both at home.
After his marriage Mr. Kaufman continued to
reside on the old homestead farm in Brush Val
ley, Centre county, which he operated for his
father for some time, and then moved to Spring
Bank, the same county, where he was employed
at days work. He owne'd a team, and worked

for different parties until coming to Nittany Val
ley m 1 866, when he purchased his present farm
of sixty-two acres, in Porter township, Clinton
county. He is an excellent farmer, and a thor
oughly reliable business man, gaining the confi
dence and respect of all with whom he comes in
contact. For a time before coming to Nittany
Valley he made his home in Sugar Valley. In
early life Mr. Kaufman used his right of fran
chise in support of the Democratic party; but
since the war he has been a pronounced Repub
lican, and has done all in his power to advance
his party's interests. He and his estimable wife
are members of the Mt. Bethel Reformed Church,
and wherever known they are held in high
regard .

JAMES T. TAYLOR, a wealthy retired agri
culturist of Lamar township, Clinton county,
can look back with satisfaction upon a well-
spent life as he passes down ' ' the western slope. "
Surrounded by the comforts which his early toil
has procured, his position is an enviable one, yet
he doubtless finds his chief pleasure in the affec
tion which brightens his home, and in the
thought of the sons and daughters who are, in
their turn, filling honorable and useful places in
life. The Taylor family belongs to that sturdy
and energetic race known as the Scotch-Irish.
Matthew Taylor, our subject's grandfather, came
at an early date from Scotland to make his home
near Reedsville, Mifflin county, Penn., where he
purchased a large farm, still called the "old
Taylor homestead." Our subject's father, Henry
Taylor, was born at this homestead, and became
one of the leading agriculturists of that locality,
owning and operating about 400 acres of land.
He was a large man, and possessed great strength
and vitality, attaining the advanced age of eighty-
three years. In politics he was first a Whig, and
later a Republican, but never sought or held
office, and he was actively identified with the
Presbyterian Church for many years, his consist
ent conduct in daily life being a witness to the
sincerity of his faith. His wife, whose maiden
name was Priscilla Turbet, was the daughter of a
farmer in Juniata county, Penn. ; she died at the
age of sixty-four, and the remains of both were
¦buried in the cemetery at the old stone church
on the hill near Reedsville. Their children were:
Sarah, who married Samuel Laird, and died at
Perrysville (now Port Royal), Juniata county;
Anna, widow of James Kyle, of Mifflin county;
Henry, a retired farmer, residing at Reedsville;
James T. , our subject; Priscilla, who married

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

649

William Thompson, and died near State College,
Centre county; and Matthew, a farmer of Mifflin
county. All were noted among their associates
for their intelligence and high character, and
were held in great esteem.
The subject of our sketch was born March
27, 1827, at the old homestead near Reedsville,
and his education was mainly acquired in the
subscription schools of that locality. He studied
for one term at an academy in Academia, Juniata
county, taught by Prof. Wilson. As the son of
a busy farmer, he was given every opportunity to
become familiar with the details of agricultural
work, and while he was still at home his father
encouraged him to invest his small savings in
stock, so that he not only gained valuable experi
ence in such deals, but was enabled to secure a
little capital before starting out into the world
" for himself. In 1855 he left home and came to
Clinton county, and purchased the old Fearon
farm in Lamar township, the price being $1 1,000
for 183 acres. Mr. Taylor was obliged to go in
debt for a portion of this sum, but as he was
young and strong he had no fears as to the result,
his energy and courage promising success. He
prospered from the start, secured a good equip
ment and a fine lot of stock. Not longer after
his removal to Clinton county he met Miss Nancy
J. Hughes, to whom he was married at Williams
port, Penn., on September 16, 1856. Sheproved
to be a most wise and economical helper, and
her work and good management have been fac
tors in the success which has crowned Mr. Tay
lor's efforts. He cleared the debt from his first
farm, and then, having accumulated some surplus
cash, he bought the Jacob Best farm in the same
township, in partnership with his brother Henry.
In April, 1864, he removed to that place, which he
continued to cultivate until October. 1895, when
he thought it time to retire from active business
cares. Since that date he has resided near the
depot at Salona, in a comfortable and tasteful
home, which was built according to his own ideas.
He has at present two fine farms, but his first
purchase, the old Fearon place, was sold some
time ago, the money being distributed among his
children. Mr. Taylor has never been a believer
in undue self-denial, his family always enjoying
the best advantages obtainable by a man of his
means, and his home being supplied with every
comfort. His reputation for honesty has never
been questioned, and his generosity, a leading
trait, has never been found wanting. In fact, he
has at times lost considerable sums through en
dorsing or going bail for friends.
Mr. and Mrs. Taylor have had the following
children: (1) The first born, a boy, died at the

age of eight months. (2) Henry Turbet, born
March 3, 1858, married Miss Virginia Eldred, of
Muncy, Penn. , and they have two sons — Harry
and Ralph. (3) Turbet, who resides at Larned,
Pawnee Co., Kans., is the secretary of the Key
stone Security Co. , of that place, and also over
sees some large land holdings for Eastern capital
ists. (4) Elizabeth C. , born September 4,
1859, married A. C. Mann, of Mill Hall, and they
have four children — Harry T., James R., Mar
guerite A. and Fred P. (5) Anna P., born July
27, 1862, married Joseph R. Mann, of Lewis-
town, Penn.. and they have five children — Har
vey B., Edith, Joseph, Jr., Thomas and Anna.
(6) William C. , born April 4, 1868, graduated
from Bloomsburg Normal School, and taught for
a time in Bald Eagle township, Clinton county,
and at Mackeyville, but he is now a farmer in
Lamar township. He married Miss Kate Strunk,
and they have three children — Joseph, Pauline
and Dorothy. (7) John J., born January 18,
1870, was educated at the Bloomsburg Normal
School. He married Miss Kate Smale, and they
have one son, Harry M. The family holds a
prominent place socially, and Mr. and Mrs. Tay
lor are leading members of the Presbyterian
Church, in which he has filled various offices. In
politics he was first a Whig and later a Repub
lican, and his sons are all stanch supporters of
the latter party. While Mr. Taylor has always
taken keen interest in the success of his ticket,
he' has never been an aspirant for political place
or honors. Mrs. Taylor was born March 28, 1838, in
Mifflin county, Penn., the daughter of John and
Elizabeth (Conley) Hughes. When she was but
ten years old her father removed to Jacksonville,
Centre Co., Penn., and later he settled at
Mackeyville, Clinton county. He was a man of
small stature, but was very industrious, and
throughout his life he followed the blacksmith's
trade successfully, his strict honesty winning the
respect of all who knew him. He died at the
age of sixty- three and his wife at sixty-nine, their
remains being buried in the cemetery at Jackson
ville. Politically, he was a Democrat, and in re
ligious faith he was a Presbyterian. Of his chil
dren, the eldest, James, who was a soldier in the
Civil war, died near Buffalo Run, in Centre coun
ty, at the age of forty-four; John went west, and
died in Missouri; Richard made his home in Vir
ginia, in the Shenandoah Valley, and died there;
William, a veteran of the Civil war, died in July,
1894, in Centre county; Mary married William
Elder (now deceased), and at this time makes
her home with her children; Nancy J. (Mrs. Tay
lor) was the sixth in order of birth; Elizabeth

L

650

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

married George Rish, and resides near Centre
Hall; Isabella died at the age of twenty-four
years.

J'-OSEPH JENNINGS KINTNER, of Renovo,
is one of the young members of the Clinton
County Bar, but his prominence is by no
means measured by his years, on the contrary he
has won a reputation of which many an older
practitioner might well envy.
For several generations the Kintner family
have lived in this commonwealth. Benjamin
Kintner and wife, who was Elizabeth Winnings,
his grandparents, were born in Monroe county.
They were farming people, and in about 1835
moved to Wyoming county. Their children were
as follows: Moses S. , Jacob C. , James M. ,
William H. (deceased), Mary, Easton, Sarah,
and Elijah, all residents of Wyoming county ex
cepting James, who resides at Wansocket, S.
Dak. Of these the late Col. Jacob C. Kintner,
the father of him whose name opens this review,
was born July 11, 1838, in Wyoming county,
Penn. He became a merchant by occupation,
and as such held a creditable position in the
business circles of the community in which he
resided. He was a patriot, and during the Civil
war served his country four years and seven
months. He first enlisted as a sergeant in Com
pany H, 52d P. V. I. He was soon thereafter
transferred to the Signal Corps, and later, 'for
meritorious service, was promoted to the rank of
captain. He participated in the battle of Antie
tam; was at Fredericksburg; engaged at the sec
ond battle of Bull Run, and in the many other
engagements in which his command participated.
He was a prominent Republican, and for four
years he was on the staff of Gov. Hoyt, and was
interested in the National Guard for a time. He
also served as revenue collector for his district
for some time. He was one of the most promi
nent and influential citizens of his community.
He departed this life March 26, 1886, and his
wife passed away October 20, 1889, at Wilkes-
barre, Penn., leaving a family of four children:
Charles B., a resident of Buffalo, N. Y. ; Mary
C. and Joseph J. (twins); and Ruth C, who is
now attending Wilson College, Chambersburg,
Penn. The mother of these was a daughter of
Paul B. and Elizabeth (Tuttle) Jennings; he was
a native of England, coming to this country when
nineteen years of age.
The Jennings family was one of note in the
mother country. The children of Paul B. and
Elizabeth Jennings were Joseph, William N.,
Caroline (Mrs. E. W. Studevent), and Mary A.

Mrs. Elizabeth (Tuttle) Jennings, grandmother
of Joseph Jennings Kintner, was born August
10, 1796, in Luzerne county, near the battle
field of Wyoming.
Joseph Jennings Kintner, of this review, was
born in 1870 in Mehoopany, Wyoming Co.
Penn. He obtained his primary education in
the Towanda schools, later attending the Wyo
ming Seminary at Kingston, and subsequently
Pennsylvania State College, at State College,
Penn. After leaving school he went to Bloom-
field, Perry Co., Penn., and was appointed dep
uty in the register and recorder's office. While
serving in that capacity he studied law under the
direction of Hon. C. H. Smiley at that place for
about four years, and was then admitted to the
Bar. In August, 1895, he located at Renovo,
where he has since successfully engaged in both
the life and fire insurance business, representing '
some of the leading and most reliable companies
in the United States. Socially Mr. Kintner is
identified with the B. O. P. E., while politically
he affiliates with the Republican party. He
takes quite an active and prominent part in po
litical affairs, and when twenty-one years of age
began speaking all over his county in the inter
ests of his party and its candidates. During the
campaign of the following year he was employed
by the State central committee, and he has also
served as a delegate to the county conventions
since coming to Renovo. He is not an official
aspirant, preferring to give his time to his pro
fessional duties and other business affairs. He.
is one of the most promising young attorneys of
Clinton county, and no doubt a brilliant future
awaits him. He is self-made, leaving home at
the early age of fourteen years, since which time
he has made his own way in the world.

JOHN YEARICK. Among the leading farm
ers of Clinton county, the record of whose
lives fills an important place in this volume,
it gives us pleasure to commemorate the name
of this gentleman, now a prosperous citizen of
Porter, township.
Mr. Yearick was born in October, 1826, in
Gregg township, Centre Co., Penn., a son of
John and Mary (Rishel) Yearick, who spent many
years of their lives upon the farm where our sub
ject now resides, both dying there at about the
age of seventy-three, the mother having survived
her husband a few years. Their remains were
interred at the cemetery in Madisonburg. In the
Reformed Church they held membership, and in
politics the father was identified with the Demo
cratic party. Although he never served a regular

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

651

apprenticeship, he thoroughly mastered the car
penter's trade, at which he worked for some
time, but later devoted his entire time and atten
tion to agricultural pursuits, in which he met with
excellent success. He was a large man, and a
very industrious, energetic and progressive one.
Our subject is third in order of birth in the
family of children, as follows: William, who died
in Hublersburg, Penn. ; Jacob and Henry, both
residents of Jacksonville, Centre county; Samuei,
who died in Brush Valley, Centre county; Adam,
of Jacksonville; Mary, who wedded John Zubler,
and died in Centre county; Rebecca, who mar
ried Jacob Royer, and died in Brush Valley;
Elizabeth, who became the wife of Elias Hoy,
and died in Centre county; Sarah, who married
Samuel Phillips, and died near Akron, Ohio;
Katy A., widow of George Hoy, living near Jack
sonville; and Julia A., who married John Spayd,
and died in Centre county.
The education of John Yearick, Jr., was
mostly acquired in the German schools, he only
attending an English school for one winter. The
schoolhouses were primitive structures very com
mon at that early day, and the writing was all
done with quill pens. Our subject was able to
attend school for only a few months during the
year, as his services were needed at home, and
while his father was engaged in carpentering and
building, he was employed in hauling lumber dur
ing the winter season at the expense of his edu
cation. His boyhood was passed upon the home
farm, and when a young man he engaged in the
manufacture of harvesting cradles, at which he
was several times employed in Ohio, walking
from his home to Summit county, that State.
At the age of twenty-six Mr. Yearick was mar
ried to Miss Mary E. Shaffer, who was born in
1829, in Miles township, Brush Valley, Centre
county, a daughter of Adam Shaffer and wife.
To Mr. and Mrs. Yearick were born the follow
ing children: Lydia E., now Mrs. Harvey Helt-
man, of Porter township, Clinton county; Emma
M., Mrs. Charles Sheaver, of Centre Hall, Penn. ;
Elvina C, Mrs. William Springer, of Williams
port, Penn.; Abbie J., Mrs. Charles F. Allabach,
of Farransville, Penn.; Ida R., at home; A.
Frank, a carpenter of Bellevue, Ohio; Adam N.,
who died in infancy; William H., of Bellevue,
Ohio; John B., a farmer of Porter township,
Clinton county; and Lewis H. and Samuel J.,
both carpenters of Bellevue, Ohio.
Among the several farms which Mr. Yearick's
father owned was the one in Porter township
where our subject began his domestic life, and
where he has since continued to reside. Being
a natural mechanic, in addition to his farming

operations he has manufactured furniture, sleds,
sleighs, etc., especially for his own use, and he
can make almost anything from wood that he
sees. He has made many improvements upon
his place which add to its value and attractive
appearance, and he has an excellent peach or
chard. Politically he has always been an ad
herent of the Democratic party, and he has
served his fellow-citizens in the capacity of super
visor and school director in a most creditable
manner. Fraternally he affiliates with the
Grange, and religiously he and his wife are
faithful members of the Reformed Church. They
are widely and favorably known throughout this
section of the State, and at their hospitable home
their many friends are always sure of a hearty
welcome.

C> H. BRESSLER, editor and proprietor of
_' The Mill Hall Times, in Clinton county,
was born, July 20, 1865, in Flemington. Clinton
Co., Penn. He is a son of the late J. J. Bress-
ler, and grandson of Hon. George Bressler (de
ceased). Our subject was educated in the pub
lic schools at Flemington, and worked at va
rious odd jobs, assisting in the support of his
widowed mother, until February 16, 1885, when
he entered the office of The Clinton Democrat as
an apprentice. On October 18, 1888, he took
unto himself a wife in the person of Miss Mar
garet Troxel, residing with his mother for about
two years thereafter. For twelve years he ac
ceptably filled different positions in the office of
the Democrat until April 4, 1897, when he sev
ered his connection with the establishment and
purchased the above-named paper and tripled
the circulation during the first six months. Al
though employed in the office of the Democratic
organ of the county, Mr. Bressler has always
been an active, stalwart Republican, and is fear
lessly publishing such a paper. He was convert
ed and joined the Methodist Episcopal Church,
in October, 1892, and is an active member of
the same, at present a class-leader and the as
sistant superintendent of the Sunday-school.

W NDREW V. GROUP, the second son in
.J3L the family of Peter Group, was born
February 18, 1846, and received his early edu
cation in the public schools of Clinton county.
After obtaining agood common-school education to
serve as a foundation, he studied theology , and was
early ordained a minister of the Methodist Epis
copal Church, but later became a minister of the
Presbyterian Church. Faithful in the discharge

652

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

of all his duties, he lived as nearly as he could
the Christ life, practicing that charity, so broad
in its conception, that the weeds and poisons of
the human heart die away in the glad sunshine
of brotherly love. In 1874, he moved to Phila
delphia, and there continued his work. His
diligence in his studies led him to over-estimate
his strength, and in June, 1 879, worn out by an
attack of brain fever, he passed to the unseen
world. On October 26, 1869, Andrew V. Group was
united in marriage to Miss Martha Jane Sallada,
a daughter of John and Rebecca Sallada. Their
marriage was graced with six children, namely:
John Stuart; Zula M. ; Andrew V., Jr.; Grace
G. ; Mary Edith and Annie E. , all yet living ex
cept Mary Edith, who died at the age of six
years. At the time of the father's death, the
eldest child, John Stuart, was but six years
old, the youngest, Annie E., only two months,
but the brave mother determined that the little
family should not become separated, and moved
back- to her old home in Nippenose Valley.
Here she remained for two and one-half years,
but realizing that her children would have su
perior educational facilities in the city, she re
turned to Philadelphia, and there maintained a
home until the five children had all received the
regular public school education. At the time
when school days were past, and the children
about to provide the home, the mother, on Jan
uary 23, 1897, finding her task done, folded her
hands and passed to her eternal rest in the
presence of the Master she had served so well.
Ther memory of her noble, self-sacrificing life,
still lives in the minds and hearts of her loved
ones, and the fruits of her Christian influence is
shown in the characters of her children — a last
ing monument to the virtues of true womanhood.
John Stuart Group, the eldest in the above
mentioned family, was born July 10, 1870, in
Nippenose Valley, but has passed the greater
part of his life in Philadelphia. His education
was obtained in the Quaker City, which is, as
yet, his home. For eight years past he has been
in the employ of the Boothby Hotel Company of
Philadelphia, Penn., beginning as receiving clerk,
and was gradually promoted from one position to
another until he now holds one close to the
"top." Though but twenty-eight years of age,
Mr. Group has accomplished what few men of
more than twice his years seldom succeed in
doing. He has already carved out for himself
an ample competence, and is now closing up his
investments in Philadelphia preparatory to re
turning to his early home in Clinton Co., Penn.
He owns his beautiful home in Philadelphia, be

sides property in Delaware county, Penn. ; he is
also the possessor of two farms in the Nippenose
Valley, one of 215 acres, once owned by his
grandfather, John Sallada, and one of fifty-two
acres, previously owned by William B. Wels-
hans. These two farms are known as the Valley
View Farms, and are under a high state of cul
tivation. Since purchasing this land, Mr. Group
has added much in the way of modern improve-
m'ents, spending over six thousand dollars in re
pairs, and in the erection of buildings. Plans
are now ready for a handsome fifteen-room res
idence, 67 x 82 feet, to be erected for the future
home of the family.
On October 17, 1893, John Stuart Group
was married to Miss Mabel N. Whipple, and of
this union two children have been born: John
Stuart Wells, and Edith May. Mrs. Group
comes of an old family, prominent in public af
fairs for generations; her great-great-uncle, Will
iam Whipple, was one of the signers of the Dec
laration of Independence. Mr. Group is a man
of independent thought and action. Manly,
straight-forward and self-reliant, his success is
but the outcome of his own labor and keen fore
sight. With a love for wealth only for such
pleasure as it brings to himself and others, Mr.
Group gives freely in the aid of the less fortunate,
and contributes liberally to the needs of the Pres
byterian Church.

WILLIAM H. STEVENSON, a prominent
 wholesale lumberman of Lock Haven,
Clinton county, and the general manager of the
extensive lumber firm of Kreamer, Stevenson &
Co., whose mills are located at Flinton, Cam
bria county, is a native of Pennsylvania, born at
Jersey Shore, September 27, 1856.
John and Fannie (Brown) Stevenson, his
grandparents, were natives of County Tyrone,
Ireland, Scotch-Irish farming people, the for
mer born in Ireland, the latter in Glasgow,
Scotland. John Stevenson died there in 1825
in the faith of the Presbyterian Church, of
which he was a consistent member. The chil
dren of this couple were: George, John, Will
iam, Alexander, David, Sarah, and Elizabeth,
the latter the wife of James Moore. In 1840
the mother brought her children to the United
States, locating at Jersey Shore, Penn., where
she died in 1847, and was there buried. She
was a most estimable woman, highly respected
by her many friends and acquaintances. One of
these sons, Alexander Stevenson, the father of
our subject, was born in County Tyrone, Ire-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

653

land, in 1815. He received a good common-
school education, and at Castlederg, Barnscort,
he learned the carpenter's trade and assisted in
the building of that castle. On coming to this
country with the rest of the family he left Lon
donderry, Ireland, in a sailing vessel, which
came nearly being lost on two occasions owing
to the intoxication of the captain; however, after
a voyage of six weeks they reached Philadelphia
in safety. From that city the family went to
Harrisburg, thence by canal in packet boat to
Jersey Shore, Penn., the point of destination.
That point then was a mere hamlet. There
Alexander built a house for the family, the ma
son work of which was done by James Moore, his
brother-in-law. It was often remarked that
Stevenson and Moore could build a town. In
1859 Alexander Stevenson purchased a tract of
one thousand acres of timber land in Clinton
county, on which was erected a sawmill, and he
was engaged in the manufacture of lumber for
some five years. Then, selling his property, he
moved to Charlton, on the West Branch of Sus
quehanna river, in Pine Creek township, and
there followed his trade until 1867, when he
moved to the present site of Woolrich, and there
purchased a partly-improved farm of some sev
enty acres. To its further development and cul
tivation he devoted his energies until 1890, and
upon the place erected a good residence and
other buildings. Owing to failing health he
passed the last three years of his life in retire
ment from active labor, dying in 1893, aged sev
enty-eight years. He was buried at Woolrich.
As an architect and builder he superintended the
erection of the First Methodist Episcopal Church
edifice at Woolrich. Politically he was a stanch
Democrat; he was a consistent member of the
M. E. Church, in which he held the office of
trustee, class-leader and steward. He was held
in high regard by all who knew him. He was a
kind father and an affectionate husband.
His wife, to whom he was married at Jersey
Shore, was Sarah Miller, who was born in Lin
den, Lycoming Co., Penn., of English ancestry,
and bore him the following children: George, a
resident of the State of Arkansas, is engaged in
the lumber business and farming; Robert M., a
resident of Chatham Run, is the senior member
of the firm of Stevenson Brothers, manufacturers
of woolen goods; John F. , an accountant and
agriculturist, resides at Sherman, Texas; Mary
Frances is the wife of Charles Cameron, of near
Woolrich, Clinton county; and William H. The
mother of these died when William H. was one
and one-half years old, and, subsequently, the
father was again married, this time to Miss Mary

A. Moore, a native of County Tyrone, Ireland,
and a daughter of James Moore, a farmer, and
to the marriage eight children were born, name
ly: Sarah is the wife of O. H. Johnson, of
Woolrich; Lizzie is at home; Alexander died in
childhood; Rebecca is the wife of D. B. Dunkel;
Aimer E. and Josephine are residents of Pine
Creek township, Clinton county; Mattie B. makes
her home with W. H. at Lock Haven; and Lydia
E. died in childhood. Mrs. Stevenson, who was
a devout member of the M. E. Church, died on
the homestead in Pine Creek township in 1889.
William H. Stevenson as a lad attended the
schools at Woolrich, and later he was sent to the
Central State Normal School at Lock Haven.
He was finally sent to the famous Dickinson
Seminary at Williamsport, Penn., and was grad
uated from that institution in 1883. In the
oratorical contest of that year, in which there
were five States represented, on that occasion
young Stevenson carried away the first prize.
After his graduation he taught three terms of
school in his home town of Woolrich, one term
in Nittany, and one at Lock Haven. He read
law for some six months, intending to make the
profession his life work, but he changed his mind
and decided upon a business career, and at once
engaged in the lumbering business with Charles
Kreamer, and from that time to this the two have
been associated in business together. As the
years passed these men kept pace with the times,
and, being progressive and enterprising, their
business grew, until to-day the firm of Kreamer,
Stevenson & Co. is a great factor in the com
mercial affairs of their locality. They employ
many men, and keep a great deal of money in cir
culation. The out-put of their mills is large and
their product goes all over the country, giving
the firm a large business acquaintance. The gen
eral manager is young and active, and possesses
that tact and energy which has made his business
move. He has proven himself a capable busi
ness man, and his efforts have not been un-re-
warded as he is a man of means. He has the
confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens
among whom he has moved since boyhood. He
is a man of education and letters, and is a valuable
citizen in the community. He is a member of
the school board, to which office he was elected
in the spring of 1896. His tastes, however, are
not those which make office seeking desirable.
Politically he was an independent Democrat till
the Presidential election in 1896, when he voted
for William McKinley for President; he like thou
sands of other independent voters could not ac
cept the free-silver theory embraced in the Dem
ocratic platform. He is identified with the Busi-

654

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ness Men's Club of Lock Haven, and is a mem
ber of the Royal Arcanum.
On January 12, 1884, Mr. Stevenson was
married to Miss Addie C. , the second daughter
of Charles and Vesta L. Kreamer, of Lock Ha
ven, born June 1, 1862, at Queens Run, Clinton
county, and to the marriage has come: Mabel
A., Charles Kreamer, Galen Eaton and George
Bond. The parents of these are members of the
M. E. Church, Mrs. Stevenson is a woman of
education and culture, and is deeply interested in
the education and training, of her family. She is
identified with several organizations in Church
work, and devotes a great deal of her time look
ing after the poor and needy in her community.

WILLIAM YOUTZ, master carpenter of
the middle division of the Philadelphia &
Erie railroad, was born, in 1839, in Mt. Gretna,
Lebanon Co., Penn. His father, Jacob Youtz,
was born in America, but the grandfather was a
native of Germany. The father died at the ad
vanced age of eighty-four years, having long sur
vived his wife. Four of their children are still
living: James, Mrs. Rose Feist, Joseph and
William. Our subject acquired his education in the dis
trict schools, and worked upon a farm and at a
furnace until seventeen years of age, when he
was apprenticed to a carpenter, serving a four-
years' term. On the expiration of that period
he was employed on the construction of Clark's
Ferry bridge across the Susquehanna, and after
ward went to Harrisburg, where he worked on
the weighlock. For several years he was em
ployed in building canal locks at Harrisburg,
Marietta and Lewistown, and on June 1, 1 861, he
went to Annapolis, Md. , with Col. John L. Piper,
and entered the service of the United States Gov
ernment. After building some docks at Annap
olis and a new rail line to Annapolis Junction,
Mr. Youtz was ordered to Washington, D. C. , as
assistant foreman of the reconstruction of the
long-bridge, and upon the completion of that
work aided in building many bridges for the use
of the Army of the Potomac, often working under
the heavy fire of the enemy. In 1863 he was
ordered to report to Gen. W. W. Wright, at
Whiteside, Tenn , to build a bridge at that
point. The bridge was to be 900 feet long and
120 feet high, and although Mr. Youtz had to
send his men into the woods to cut the timber to
be used in its construction, he had it up in four
and one-half days. He built a bridge over Look
out creek, after which his party was organized as
the First Division Construction Corps. He was

given eighty head of oxen and thirty mule teams
to haul the provisions and tools of the division 82
miles to Dalton, where a bridge was to be built
2,300 feet long and 95 feet high. Mr Wentz,
the engineer in charge, asked how long it would
take to complete the bridge, and when Mr. Youtz
replied fifteen days, he told him he was crazy to
think of such a thing under three months. Nev
ertheless the work was completed in thirteen and
one-half days. He built many other bridges, in
cluding one at Resaca, at Etowa and Allatoona,
where the division camped three weeks and cut
timber enough to build all the bridges from there
to the sea. In five days they built a bridge 1,000
feet long and 100 feet high, across the Chatta-
hoochie. This is but one of many instances in
which Mr. Youtz executed rapid and efficient
work in this line. He had to rebuild the bridge
at Resaca five or six times, and on more than
one occasion the rapidity with which he con
structed bridges, thus allowing the army to pro
ceed on its way, was undoubtedly the means of
winning a number of battles.
Shortly after the war Mr. Youtz formed a
partnership in the planing-mill business in Mar-
tinsburg, Va., but not liking this he resumed
bridge building and constructed about six small
iron bridges on the Northern Central railway be
tween Harrisburg and Sunbury for the Keystone
Bridge Company. On September 15, 1867, he
entered the service of the Philadelphia & Erie
railroad, and was placed in charge of the main
tenance of way shop at Renovo. Later he was
promoted to master carpenter of the road, and by
extension had charge of the line from Erie to Sun
bury, acting in that capacity until the position
of division-master carpenter was created. He aft
erward built a large number of bridges on contract
for the Western New York & Pennsylvania, Erie
& Pennsylvania Company in Elk county, Clar
ion River railroad, the Howard railroad and the
Narrow-Gauge railroad, and in 1884 built the new
iron bridge 2,000 feet long across the Potomac
at Washington, D. C. He resigned his position
with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company March
1, 1884, but re-entered its service October 1,
1887, as master carpenter of the Middle Divis
ion, Philadelphia & Erie railroad. Since then
his fine abilities as a mechanic, his good judg
ment of men, his bravery and his capacity to en
dure exposure have enabled him to perform some
very important work, equal to that which he did
during the war. In the repair of the lines east
of Pittsburg and Erie after the great flood disas
ters of 1889 he was tireless in his efforts to re
store communication, and, with the other mas
ter carpenters in the Pennsylvania system, is en-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

655

titled to great credit for accomplishing it in such
a short space of time. Their work was done un
der the most adverse circumstances, wide, deep
and angry streams and forbidding washouts con
fronted them, tracks destroyed, and material to
be had only under the greatest difficulty, yet on
they went with an ardor and loyalty unsurpassed
until success crowned their efforts. In the many
emergencies since Mr. Youtz has maintained his
high and deserved reputation.
In July, 1869, our subject was united in mar
riage with M. E. Crouse, of Renovo, Penn. , and
they now have six children: Charles, William,
Harry, George, Walter, and Cyril. Mr. Youtz
and his family are members of the Catholic
Church. While the effect of his services and his
labors is immeasurable Mr. Youtz deserves the
commendation that is ever accorded to genuine
worth, to the faithful and fearless performance
of duty under trying circumstances. Ever true
to the trust reposed in him, he carried on his work
amid the fire of Civil war and in the face of a
more intangible but none the less to be dreaded
foe — a flood. He is respected by all who know
him and, the company numbers him among its
most efficient employees.

JAMES H. ROTHROCK, the senior member
of the firm of Rothrock Brothers, dealers in
general groceries, flour, feed, etc., at Lock
Haven, Clinton county, was born in Centre
county, July 19, 1864.
These brothers have descended from a family,
members of which have been identified with the
history of the State through several generations.
The name of Rothrock is closely connected with
the early history of York, York county. The
following is copied from records of the Moravian
Church, of that city, which were secured during
the Revolutionary period :
Philip Rothrock was born near Worms, in Germany,
December 8, 1718. He emigrated to America, and settled
at York, in 1733. March 22, 1740, he was married to Cath
erine M. Kuntz, who also was of German birth. They had
fourteen children. In the York Moravian Congregational
Diary for the year 1775, Pastor Neister has made, in German,
the following records: "July 31.— With the people in general
we have thus far been in peace. However, urgent requests
are sent to our people to attend the drilling in the use of
arms. Most of our brethren in town have, however, arrived
at that age in which they can no longer be compelled to
attend drills. A few of the young men have yielded, and
one of them, Benjamin Rothrock, son of Philip Rothrock, in
spite of the remonstrations of both his father and brothers,
wf?t,°™ during the night with a company of Virginia trooDS,
which marched through this place." (This was the rifle
company commanded by Capt. Daniel Morgan, later the
distinguished General Morgan.) 1776'
July 17, Jacob Rothrock has also escaped being draft

ed, but Ernest Schlosser, the three sons of Brother Roth
rock, will have to march off in the next few days."
"On the 28 of September, '76, Mr. Philip Rothrock re
turned from a visit to his sons in camp near New York."
"On October 12, 1776, Mr. Philip Rothrock's son, Benja
min, who, since the beginning of 1776, had been detained a
prisoner of war, returned home.''
"March 29 Bro. Philip Rothrock gave me information
with regard to several political occurrences and the discov
ery of a plot against this town by the Tories." "April 4 I
visited Bro. John Rothrock, who I found sick, so his father
daily attends to the printing of Continental bills."
1783.
"February 5 I received a letter from Jacob Rothrock,
together with a uewspaper from Baltimore, containing intel
ligence that peace was concluded, and the independence of
the United States of North America had been acknowledged,
for which we praised God."
These and many other records of the early
history of York county show the connection of
this family with the development of our county.
Among the children of John Rothrock, spoken of
above as printing Continental bills, was George,
born May 24, 1 78 1 , married and removed to
Bellefonte, Penn. His youngest child was Dr.
H. H. Rothrock, father of the brothers first
spoken of in the foregoing. He was born Sep
tember 1, 1833, near Bellefonte, on what was
known as "Mountain Home." He was educated
for the profession of dentistry, and followed it
throughout the greater part of his life, retiring
from active practice some years ago. He was a
resident of Bellefonte for many years, and was a
most useful man and citizen. A glance at the
history of that community will reveal the name
of Rothrock connected with a number of its insti
tutions which have been of benefit to the public
in general. He was a member of the school
board at Bellefonte along in the seventies, at
the time of the election of the present governor,
Daniel H. Hastings, as principal of the schools
of the borough. He is now a resident of Lock
Haven. On September 4, 1861, Dr. H. H. Rothrock
was married to Lydia Ann Canan, who, too, was
a native of Pennsylvania, born September 9,
1843, at Stormstown. Their children were: Anna
Virginia, James Herbert, Clifford Thompson,
Marian Amanda, Ernest Hart, William Canan
and Harold Alton. The mother of these died
on January 25, 1892. She had led an exem
plary Christian life, and was beloved by many.
James H. Rothrock received his education in
the schools of Centre county, principally at
Bellefonte. He was a pupil under Principal
Hastings. At the age of fifteen years he began
clerking in the store of A. W. Reese at Port
Matilda, Penn., with whom he remained two
years. He then worked for two years at dentist
ry under the instruction of his father. Follow
ing which for two years he taught school in

656

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Centre and Clinton counties. In 1890 he and
his brother, C. T. Rothrock, established their
present business at No. 48 Bellefonte avenue,
Lock Haven. They began with small capital,
but by careful management and close application
to business (both being possessed of good business
tact) they have built up a large trade. Their
lives have been characterized by honor and in
tegrity, and as a reward they have prospered in
business and been successful. Their establish
ment is a first-class one in which a $5,ooo-stock
of goods is carried. They are out of debt, have
some city property, and several thousand dollars
on interest — a good record for so brief a period.
Our subject is a member of the Episcopal Church,
being one of the vestrymen of the Church at
Lock Haven. In politics he has been a Repub
lican, but now has 3trong Prohibition proclivities.
He is a K. T. in degree in the Masonic order,
being master of the Blue Lodge; he is also a
member of the K. of P. and of the K. of M. On
September 8, 1897, he was married at New York
City to Miss Eliza Jane Heltman, of Mackeyville,
Pennsylvania.

MOBERT S. SMITH, one of the most pros-
 perous and substantial agriculturist, of Clin
ton county, is now living retired at his pleasant
home in Pine Creek township, surrounded by
the comforts that earnest labor has brought him.
The story of the founders of this nation and of
the Revolutionary forefathers is interesting, ^iot
only from a historic standpoint, but also as a
source of inspiration and encouragement to
others. Yet we need not look to the past; the
present furnishes many examples worthy of em
ulation in the men who have risen through their
own efforts to positions of prominence and im
portance in professional, political and business
circles. To this class belongs Mr. Smith.
He was born September 26, 1828, in Por
ter township, Lycoming Co., Penn., a son of
Thomas and Elizabeth (Gambel) Smith. Rob
ert Smith, the grandfather, was of German de
scent and a native of Berks county, Penn.,
where he was reared upon a farm and educated
in the public schools. On attaining his major
ity he removed with a family by the name of
King to Lycoming county, locating in Level
Corners, Piatt township, where he bought a
farm of 130 acres, on which he erected all of
the necessary buildings. To the cultivation and
improvement of his farm he devoted his atten
tion throughout the remainder of his life, except
for a few years during the spring when he ran

river boats on the West branch, and " arks " on
the Susquehanna from Jersey Shore to Marietta,
carrying grain, lumber and other products to
market. In Lycoming county, he married Cath
arine Clark, a native of that county, and to
them were born the following children: George,
who engaged in farming in Ohio until his death;
John, a blacksmith of Lycoming county, where
his death occurred; Thomas, the father of our
subject; Abram, a farmer of Lycoming county,
now deceased; Robert, who operated the old
homestead; Isaac, who died on his farm in Ohio;
William, a farmer and hotel keeper, who died in
Lycoming county; Elizabeth, who married Will
iam Crownover, and died in Lycoming county;
Annie, wife of William Bennett, of Level Cor
ners, Lycoming county; and Catharine, wife of
Robert Quigley, of the same county. The per-
ents of these children both died on the old
homestead at an advanced age, and were laid
to rest in Pine Creek cemetery, Lycoming coun
ty. They were members of the Presbyterian
Church; the grandfather was a strong supporter
of the Whig party, and was an industrious, en
ergetic and highly respected citizen.
Thomas Smith, father of our subject, was
born at Level Corners December 1, 1795, and in
the subscription schools of the locality obtained
a limited education, which was supplemented by
hard study and close observation in later years.
He remained upon the home farm until his mar
riage in 1 820, and then for three years rented the
Adam King place, where he and his bride began
life in very limited circumstances, but they pos
sessed stout hearts and willing hands, and pros
perity at length crowned their efforts. Having
saved a small sum of money, Mr. Smith invested
the same in a tract of 200 acres in Porter town
ship, Lycoming county, of which only fifty acres
had been cleared, while the rest was still covered
with timber. Year after year saw more land
placed under cultivation until the place was con
verted into one of the best farms of the town
ship, it being also improved with good and sub
stantial buildings. He did not long enjoy his
new home, however, as he was called from this
life December 15, 1 831, at the early age of thirty-
six years, and he was laid by the side of his par
ents in Pine Creek cemetery, where a marble
monument marks his last resting place. He was
a Jeffersonian Democrat in politics, was one of
the leading and influential men of his party
in his community, and acceptably served
as school director, assessor and tax collector
in Porter township. Both he and his wife were
earnest and faithful members of the Presbyterian
Church, and their sterling worth and many

^^i^Jf^^ft^

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

657

excellencies of character gained them many
friends. On March 16, 1820, at Jersey Shore, Thomas
Smith was married to Elizabeth Gambel, who
was born near that place April 14, 1803, a
daughter of James Gambel, who was of Scotch-
Irish descent, and was a farmer of Piatt town
ship, Lycoming county. She died in 1866 at the
home of Andrew McKinney, her son-in-law, of
Pine Creek township, Clinton county. In the
family were four children, as follows: (1) James
G., born July.i, 1822, married Susan Webb,
January 9, 1845, a daughter of Richard Webb,
and four children were born to them — Richard
deceased, Rebecca J., Elizabeth and James.
James G. was a farmer of Lycoming county,
and died in Jersey Shore May 20, 1852. His
political support was given the Democracy. (2)
Mary, born February 20, 1825, married Robert
Stewart, of Lock Haven, Penn., and died at
Fort Scott, Kans., November 24, 1885, leaving
nine children. (3) Catharine, born October 30,
1826, married Andrew McKinney, of Frederick
City, Md. , and died in August, 1884, leaving
four children. (4) Robert S. completes the
family. The subject of this sketch was only two
years and a half old when his father died, and
in consequence he grew up without a father's
loving and protecting care. In an old log school
house he began his literary education, Alexan
der Hamilton and a Mr. Ross being among his
first teachers, and he also pursued his studies
under the direction of Dr. A. McMurray and his
cousin, Rev. Jacob McMurray. He was able
to attend school for only about three months
out of the year, but he made the most of his ad
vantages, and being a keen observer and great
reader he has become a well-informed man,
especially on the leading questions of the day.
Until seventeen years of age he remained at
home with his mother, but in 1845 went to
Jersey Shore, where he served a three-years'
apprenticeship to the carpenter's and joiner's
trade, and then worked as a journeyman for
two years. In 1850 he purchased eighty acres
of the old homestead, where the following
twenty years were passed, caring for his mother
in her declining years. He replaced the old log
house by a fine brick residence, built barns and
made other necessary improvements, the cost of
which amounted to over $5,000. In 1870, how
ever, he sold the place to the son of Judge
Ferguson, and purchased the Duncan farm of
one hundred acres in Pine Creek township, Clin
ton county, where in 1884 he erected the finest
brick house in the township, at a cost of $4,000.
42*

He also erected a barn and other buildings at a
cost of $3,000. In 1890 he also bought the
Goller farm of ninety-seven acres in the same
township, and upon that place built a barn val
ued at $2,000 and tobacco sheds at a cost of
$1, 500. He is one of the most extensive tobacco
growers in the township, devoting twelve acres
each year to the cultivation of that product.
Always a thrifty, industrious and progressive
agriculturist, he met with a well-deserved suc
cess in his undertakings, and is now enabled to
lay aside business cares and enjoy the fruits of
his former toil.
On February 4, 1862, in Porter township,
Lycoming county, Mr. Smith was married to
Miss Nancy McQ. McKinney, who was born Oc
tober 11, 1836, in Turbut township, Northumber
land Co., Penn., a daughter of Matthew and
Elizabeth (Ferguson) McKinney, the former a
farmer of Northumberland and Lycoming coun
ties, and an uncle of Judge J. H. McKinney, of
Pine Creek township. Three children graced
this umon, namely: Matthew M., born December
23, 1862, died of diphtheria in, February, 1863.
(2) John A. G., born September 5, 1864, ob
tained his education in the public schools of Pine
Creek township and the Jersey Shore Academy,,
and now operates the home farm. He was mar
ried February 28, 1894, to Anna M. Harris, a
native of Pine Creek township, and a daughter
of James and Amanda (Bonnell) Harris. They
became the parents of one child — Helen Virginia,
who was born October 5, 1895, and died August
6, 1896. The son is a Democrat in politics, and
is a wide-awake, progressive business-man. (3)
Graham McK., born April 24, 1871, was educated
in the same schools as his brother, and made
farming his occupation. On February 20, 1895,
he married Carrie Jones, a daughter of John
Jones, of Pine Creek township; he died De
cember 19, 1896, leaving many friends as well
as his immediate family to mourn his loss.
As a Democrat, our subject has ever taken a
commendable interest in public affairs, but has
never been a politician in the sense of office seek
ing, though he has most efficiently served as
overseer of the poor in his township. As a hus
band and father he is a model worthy of all im
itation, and he is unassuming in his manner,
sincere in his friendships, steadfast and unswerv
ing in his loyalty to the right. Throughout his
career of continued and far-reaching usefulness,
his duties have been performed with the greatest
care, and during a long life his personal honor.
and integrity are without blemish. Both he and
his estimable wife are faithful members of the
Presbyterian Church of Jersey Shore.

658

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

WILLIAMSON PORTER. On reaching
man's allotted years — three score and ten —
how few men there are that can with the subject
of this sketch say, practically speaking, that that
span of years has been passed within one hundred
and fifty rods of the place of his birth.
Mr. Porter is now living retired at Mackey
ville, Clinton county, enjoying the leisure and
comforts of a well-deserved rest after a long life
of activity and toil. He has descended from a
patriotic ancestry. His grandfather, Samuel
Porter, figured conspicuously in the Continental
army during the Revolutionary war. Born in
North Ireland in 1746, when of age (1771) he
came to America. He resided in Chester coun
ty, Penn., and in October, 1776, the date of his
enlistment in the army in Capt. Hawkins Boone's
Company of the 12th Pennsylvania Regiment, of
which William Cooke was colonel, was living in
Buffalo Valley (now Union county). In June,
1777, he was detached with Capt. Boone and
selected rifleman to Col. Daniel Morgan's rifle
command, and was in several engagements pre
ceding Burgoyne's capture, and at his surrender.
In 1778 the 1 2th and other regiments were
merged into the 3rd, commanded by Col. Craig,
but Mr. Porter, continuing with the rifle com
mand, participated under Maj. James Parr in
Sullivan's campaign against the Indians in 1799.
After taking part in twenty-two engagements,
escaping without a wound, he was discharged
after the revolt of the Pennsylvania Line from
service, with the following certificate: "This is
to certify that the bearer, Samuel Porter, soldier,
having served in the 3rd regiment of Pennsylvania
during the term of his enlistment, is now dis
charged from the service of the United States of
America. Given at Trenton this 21st of January, A. D.
1781. Anthony Wayne, B. G."
This patriot was married in Chester county
to Margaret Futha, who was born at Buffalo
Cross Roads. About 1790 they with others
pushed their way up Fishing creek in a canoe,
and bought from a squatter a tract of 300 acres
of excellent bottom land, for which they gave
thirty dollars. The improvements on the place
were of the most primitive type. The house and
stable were constructed of logs covered with red
oak clap-boards; this home stood in the beautiful
Nittany Valley. The children of this pioneer
couple were: James; Margaret reached adult
age and died at Lock Haven; Polly reached ma
ture age, and died at Salona, unmarried.
Ann also reached mature age, never married,
and died at Salona. In their religious views
the family were Presbyterians. The father

was a stanch Democrat. His death occurred
at the old homestead on January 10, 1825,
and his wife's some years previously. His
remains rest in the old cemetery in Lock
Haven, Clinton county. Of their children,
James Porter, born in Chester county, April 1,
1784, married Miss Margaret Williamson, who
was born in the Cumberland Valley, Penn. , Feb
ruary 15, 1788. They began their married life
near Mackeyville, going to housekeeping in a log
cabin in Lamar township. For a time the hus
band followed teaming, hauling iron to Pittsburg
and store goods back, the trip requiring four
weeks. Farming, however, was his chief occu
pation. He was a great hunter and enjoyed the
sport. He had a farm of 400 acres which he
cleared with the aid of his sons, and managed
successfully, and he operated a sawmill on Fish
ing creek. He killed bear and deer, which were
plentiful at that time, and pheasants in their
season were so numerous that one of the sons
says he had often seen him shoot them through
the raised window. His death occurred Novem
ber 15, 1852, while on a hunting expedition in
the Cooper settlement, Clearfield county, among
the Alleghany Mountains, dying suddenly after
eating a hearty breakfast. His remains were in
terred in the cemetery at Salona. His widow
survived until 1861, dying near Mackeyville,
March 16. She was well educated, a great
reader, and a woman of more than ordinary in
telligence. They were plain but good people,
industrious, and made the kindest of neighbors
and best of citizens. He, while reared in the
Presbyterian Church, later in life became a Meth
odist. He was a large and powerfully built
man, just such as was needed in the opening up
of a new country. Their children were: Martha,
married Samuel Bridgens, and died at Salona;
Samuel was a canal boatman, and died in Flem
ington; Harriet married Willis Mann, and died
at Yeagertown, Mifflin county; Barbara J. mar
ried Joseph Reeseman, and died in Wisconsin;
Adolphus died in boyhood; Elizabeth also died
when she was young; James H. is a farmer in
Nittany Valley; Margaret is the widow of Hon.
J. G. Eldred, of Mackeyville; William T. resides
in Ogle county, 111. ; R. Williamson is our sub
ject; and Nancy, who died in Mackeyville. The
mother of these was the daughter of Moses Will
iamson and Barbara Walters, the former of
Scotch-Irish and the latter of German lineage.
Moses Williamson was a merchant. He moved
from the Cumberland Valley to Lewistown, Miff
lin county, where he carried on business, and
also conducted a branch store in the Kishacoquil
las Valley, conveying his goods to the latter point

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

659

in a keel-bottomed boat. He was a man of good
and large heart, and ruined himself in business
by extending too great a credit. He failed in
business, and with the little that was left after
settling up his affairs he bought at a tax sale 800
acres of land, paying for it ten cents per acre.
This land was located on Fishing creek in what
is now Porter township, Clinton county, and on
a portion of this tract he resided and died here,
and was buried at Jacksonville, Centre county.
While living at Lewistown he represented his
district in two sessions of the Legislature. He
and his brother, Thomas Williamson, of Carlisle,
surveyed and took up a large tract of land in La
mar and Porter townships. His children were:
Margaret, Joseph, Thomas, Mary A., Harriet,
Nancy, and Robert.
R. Williamson Porter was born March 14,
1828, on the homestead farm in the vicinity of
Mackeyville. With the exception of one winter,
his school days were passed in the little log
school house that stood on the opposite side of
the road from the site of the present house in
the homestead neighborhood (the exception be
ing in a house on his father's farm). He now
vividly recalls in his mind's vision the scenes of
those days of the long-ago, and is startled when
he thinks of how few are left of the many who
came and went from that house. In those days
the quill pen was used, and it was no small part
of the teacher's work to keep them in order. Mr.
Porter was reared on the farm and lived in the
days of the sickle, the scythe, and the cradle —
when to live on a farm meant work. His
father was a good manager and always found
work to keep the boys busy. Our subject re
mained at home for several years after he be
came of age. For two years after the death of
his father, R. Williamson and his brother, William
T., farmed the homestead. Subsequently the
former with the widowed mother left the farm,
moving to Mackeyville and into the house in
which our subject now resides and owns. The
mother, however, finally returned to the farm
where she died. From the time our subject
moved to the village up to some two years ago
he worked at various occupations. By his in
dustrious habits, good management and the
practice of economy he has become well-to-do,
retiring from the activities of life with a com
petence. He has been married three times. His
first wife was Mary Beck, who bore him one ch'ild
Mary, that died in infancy. His second wife
was Miss Elizabeth Gummo, who died without
issue. For his third wife he married Leah Beck
(sister of the first wife). The third Mrs. Porter
also died without issue. Mr. Porter is a citizen

of , unquestioned integrity, and commands the
the highest respect and esteem of his fellow-
citizens, unassuming in manner and of a most
social turn. He has been a useful citizen in the
community. He is a member of the Method
ist Church, is treasurer and steward of his home
Church. For a number of years he has served
without pay as the sexton. He gave much of
his time and contributed liberally toward the
building of the church edifice there at Mackey
ville, giving at one time $650. He was one of
the building committee, and during the time the
edifice was being built and paid for, he did what
he considers about the hardest work of his life, yet
it was a labor of love as his Church relations have
ever been close and dear to his heart. Mr. Por
ter is identified with the I. O. O. F., being a
member of the Great Island Lodge No. 320, at
Lock Haven. Politically he is a Democrat.
Residing among the mountains for so many years
and travelling over them so often, Mr. Porter is
most familiar with all localities, knowing every
nook and corner. He at one time while hunting
at night shot and killed a deer at a lick without
seeing the animal, and when it was too dark to
see his gun. He did this by locating the deer
through the sound made by it when taking the
gravel into its mouth.

JACOB SCOTT, one of the substantial and
prosperous business men of Lock Haven,
Clinton county, was born April 10, 1840, at
Hazleton, Luzerne county, Pennsylvania.
Simon Scott, his father, was a native of Ger
many, born May 2, 181 5, at Rodelheim, near
Frankfort-on-the-Main. He came to America
when only a lad of fifteen years. He set out in
life with a fixed purpose to become independent,
and for years worked at whatever his hands found
to do. For a time he was a peddler. Later he
located at Pottsville, Penn., where he began fol
lowing mercantile pursuits, on a small scale at
first, which business he increased as his means
and the trade justified. He remained there sev
enteen or eighteen years, and prospered. From
Pottsville he moved to Pine Creek, Clinton coun
ty, where he was a merchant until he came to
Lock Haven. He here carried on a general
store, and some years later was also engaged in
operating a tannery. He was an energetic and
industrious man of good business ability, and met
with success. He was enterprising and progress
ive, and, as a citizen, he was a valuable man to
Lock Haven. His death occurred on October 6,
1892. His wife, whom he married April 20, 1838,
was Julia Ann Horn, born in 1820, at Hazleton,

660

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Penn. Two of their children, Jacob and Lewis,
are living.
Jacob Scott attended the schools of Lock
Haven and of West Chester, Penn., and on com
pleting his education he followed in the footsteps
of his father, embarking in the mercantile busi
ness, in which he is still engaged. He has asso
ciated in business with him his brother, Lewis
Scott, the style of the firm being Scott Bros.
They are extensive dealers in grain, and operate
largely in real estate. This firm is one of the
solid concerns of Lock Haven; it does a large
yet safe business, the men being conservative
and careful. Jacob Scott is the first vice-presi
dent of the Lock Haven Trust Company. He is
a financier of ability, as is shown in the manner
in which he has managed his own business affairs.
He is a man of means and influence. In politics
he is a Democrat.
On May io, 1862, our subject was married to
Harriet, daughter of Samuel and Mary Smith, of
Dansville, N. Y., and three children have come
to bless this marriage: Mary J. (Mrs. George B.
Blanchard), Helen (Mrs. J. E. Drofbaugh), and
Miriam (Mrs. J. H. Furst). The mother of these
is a native of New York, born May 15, 1842, at
Dansville; she is a member of the Presbyterian
Church, and is possessed of winning manners that
have endeared her to a wide circle of friends.

WILLIAM F. SPERRING. a typical self-
made man, and one of the representative
business citizens of Lock Haven, Clinton coun
ty, is the popular bookkeeper and cashier of the
Holloway Bottling Company, of that city.
Mr. Sperring is a native of Pennsylvania,
born March 4, 1859, in Clinton county, a son of
Henry and Jane (Twigg) Sperring, both of Eng
lish nativity, coming to the United States with
their respective parents, the Sperring family
locating at Farrandsville, Clinton Co., Penn.
Henry Sperring was born at Taunton, England,
June 26, 1823, and came to America in 1832,
then nine years of age. Jane Twigg was born at
Kertonhone, near Bolton, Lancashire, England,
May 17, 1824, embarked on the boat " Dewart
Clinton," and landed in New York, October 7,
1830, then six years of age.
Henry Sperring was for many years engaged
in the lumbering and coal business at Farrands
ville and Whetham, and early in the '60s came
to Lock Haven, living there in retirement about
ten years. He then engaged in the grocery
business, in which he continued some twenty
years, at the end of that time returning to Far
randsville, where he died in 1889. He was a

very active man and patriotic citizen, and while
a resident of Lock Haven he served in the city
council,- on the school board, and in other local
positions. His widow is still living at the ad
vanced age of seventy-four years, and in the en
joyment of good health. Five of this honored
couple's children also survive, namely: Mrs. J.
G. Packer, of Clinton county; A. B., living near
Mill Hall; Ruth A., at home; William F., our
subject; and Mrs. W. T. Turner, of Keating
Summit. William F. Sperring received his education
at the Lock Haven public schools, subsequently
taking a business course under Prof. S. N. Chris
tie at Lock Haven, Mr. Sperring being his first
graduate. On leaving his studies our subject
accepted a position as bookkeeper for A. Pardee
& Son, lumbermen, with whom he remained
eleven years, in April, 1888, coming to his pres
ent position of bookkeeper and cashier of the
Holloway Bottling Company. Beginning life's
struggles at the early age of sixteen years, he has
by application and energy advanced rapidly by
his own efforts.
In March, 1886, William- F. Sperring was
married to R. Margaret Brutzman, daughter of
John A. Brutzman, of Lock Haven, and one
child, Ada Elizabeth, brightens their home. Mrs.
Sperring is a member of the English Lutheran
Church. Socially Mr. Sperring is affiliated with
the B. P. O. E.; in politics he is a Democrat,
opposed to monopolies; he is a member of the
school board, of which he is treasurer.

/ft N. HECKMAN, a wealthy retired agricult-
Jttj& urist residing at Lamar, Clinton county,
is one of the county's most valued citizens, and
belongs to a family which has been for many
years identified with the best interests of this
section. John Heckman, the grandfather of our sub
ject, was a prosperous farmer in Penn's Valley
in the early days, but his last years were spent
upon a farm in Sugar Valley, in Green township,
Clinton county. His son John (2), the lather
of our subject, was born March 9, 18 10, in Penn's
Valley, and accompanied his parents to their
later home where he grew to manhood. On
July 12, 1834, he was married to Miss Anna
Maria Brungart, who was born August 16, 181 1,
the daughter of Jacob and Susanna Brungart.
After his marriage our subject's father continued
to reside at the homestead in a small house in
the "door yard ", and later he had charge of
the farm for ten years, but finally purchased the
place from his father. He had a good start in

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

661

life, receiving $500 from his father at the time of
marriage, and by his successful management he
accumulated a handsome propety. In 1863 he
bought the "Arnold Custard" farm in the Nit
tany Valley, and in the spring of 1873 removed
to that locality, retiring from active business.
He afterward purchased the John Watson farm
of 113 acres for $14,799.68. He was an indus
trious man, full of resolution, and invariably ful
filled his promises. At the same time he enjoyed
life, taking pleasure when it came rightfully, and
he lived to see his eighty-second year, his death oc
curring in Porter township, Clinton county. In
politics he was first a Whig and later a Demo
crat, but beyond voting regularly he paid little at
tention to public affairs. For many years he was a
leading member of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in his locality, in which he held various
offices, and to which he gave liberally. His es
timable wife died at the age of seventy-five years,
and the remains of both were interred in St.
Paul's cemetery in Porter township, Clinton
county. Of their nine children, the first, a son,
died in infancy unnamed. Harriet, born Sep
tember 30, 1836, died May 6, 1837. A son and
daughter (twins), born March 20, 1838, died in
infancy. Thomas, born February 3, 1840, died
September 8, 1843. Saul, born August 18,
1842, died September 8, 1843. A. N. , oursub
ject, was the next in order of birth. Eve, born
March 12, 1847, is now Mrs. D. S. Royer, of
Springfield, Ohio. Harvey B,, born September
29, 1850, died October 14, 1868.
The subject of our sketch was born Septem
ber 2, 1844, in. Logan township, Clinton county,
and was reared at the old homestead. In the
winter of 1850-51 he began to attend school in a
house which stood upon his father's farm, Will
iam McGhee being his first teacher. A primer,
spelling book and the New Testament were the
only text books, but as his father placed a high
estimate upon an education, he was regular in at
tendance and made the best of his opportunities.
In early manhood he married Miss Catherine A.
Sankey, daughter of Jacob and Sarah (Kratzer)
Sankey, well-known residents of Sugar Valley.
After this event he continued to reside with his
father at the Logan township homestead until
1 87 1, when he removed to the "Arnold Custard
farm '' in Nittany Valley, and later he purchased
the place at $100 per acre. He was very suc
cessful in his business, and has never been in
volved in litigation, his kindly disposition enabling
him to live in peace with all men. In the spring
of 1888 he retired from active business, and in
1 89 1 he left the farm and located at Lamar,
where he had built a comfortable home.

Mr. and Mrs. Heckman have had five sons,
of whom three are living: (1) Charles A., a
farmer in Porter township, Clinton county, mar
ried Miss Naomi J. Gramley, and has two chil
dren — Grace and Florence. (2) William E.
died of scarlet fever at the age of fourteen. (3)
John E., a farmer in Porter township, married
Miss Emma Bartges, and has one daughter,
Ruth. (4) Luther died at the age of eleven
from scarlet fever, and was buried in the same
grave with his brother William. (5) Samuel
H., a clerk at Lock Haven, married Miss Jennie
Kreamer, of Center Hall, and has one child,
Catherine. For many years Mr. Heckman has been an
active member of the Lutheran Church, and since
1872 he has been continuously in office with the
exception of one year. He served as elder for
twelve years, and for some time was superintend
ent of the Sunday-school. He and his sons are
all stanch Republicans, and he has held various
township offices while others have been declined,
as he has little inclination for public affairs.
Educational matters command especial interest,
however, and at one time he served as school
director for six years in succession. Socially, he
is identified with the well-known order of the
Patrons of Husbandry.

LW. SHULER. Prominent among the rep-
 1 resentative farmers of Porter township,
Clinton county, and one of its worthy citizens,
is the gentleman whose name introduces this
article. He is entirely a self-made man in the
truest sense of the word, having been the ar
chitect of his own fortunes, and he has secured a
comfortable competence, aided only by his
strong arms, indomitable energy and laudable
ambition. Mr. Shuler was born on February 24, 1825,
in Porter township, a son of William and Eliza
beth (Walkay) Shuler. The mother died in that
township in 1858, and later the father was again
married. In 1854 he removed to Cedarville, 111.,
but spent his last days in Iowa, where his death
occurred in 1876. During early life he worked
at the cooper's trade, but was later a millwright
for many years.
Our subject, with the exception of five years,
has spent his entire life in Porter township, liv
ing in Wayne county, Ohio, from the age of
thirteen to eighteen. During his boyhood and
youth he aided his father in his work, and started
out in life for himself empty-handed. In 1847
he and his father together purchased fifty acres
of land in Porter township, which has since been

662

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

his home and which he placed under a high state
of cultivation, and improved with good and sub
stantial buildings. When his father removed to
the West he purchased his interest, and has
made of the place an excellent and valuable
farm; has since added to it by purchase ioo
acres, having now 150 acres.
L. W. Shuler was married at the age of
twenty-seven years, the lady of his choice being
Miss Catharine Smith, also a native of Porter
township,' and a daughter of Peter Smith. They
became the parents of three daughters, namely:
Susan E., wife of Noah Suavely, of Porter town
ship; Mary E. , who died at the age of twenty-
one ; and Sarah A. , wife of John Osman, of Por
ter township. The wife and mother, who was a
most estimable lady, was called to her final rest
September 29, 1895, and her remains were in
terred in the cemetery at Mackeyville. The
father is unwavering in his support of the men
and measures of the Republican party, and he
is a faithful and consistent member of the United
Evangelical Church, in the work of which he
takes an active and prominent part. He has also
held various Church offices, and no citizen in
Nittany Valley is held in higher respect. He has
lost over $1,000 in going security for friends, but
his own honesty and integrity are above ques
tion, his word being considered as good as his
bond.
JOHN BERRY, one of Loganton's oldest and
highly-respected citizens, was born near that
place, in Sugar Valley, then a part of Centre
county, but now Clinton county, March 8, 1827,
and is of Scotch-Irish descent.
James Berry, his grandfather, was a native
of Boston, Mass., where he received a good edu
cation, and when a young man came to Penn
sylvania, spending some time in Lebanon coun
ty. He then removed to Brush Valley, Centre
county, where he purchased a farm and built the
first house in Rebersburg. He conducted a store
there for several years, and on selling out went
to Franktown, then a part of Huntingdon coun
ty, where he spent the remainder of his life, and
where his remains were interred. In Lebanon
county he had wedded Mary Krichbaum, who
was born there, of German ancestry, and they
became the parents of the following children:
Peter, Jacob, John F. , Henry, William K., and
Catharine, wife of John Bierly, of Brush Valley.
All of the sons followed farming, and made their
home in Ohio with the exception of the father of
oursubject, and John F., a resident of Johnstown,
Penn. The grandmother died in Brush Valley
at the home of one of her children. Both she

and her husband were members of the Reformed
Church, and in politics, he was an Old-line Whig.
William K. Berry, father of our subject, was
born in 1803, in Brush Valley, and in the public
schools obtained a good education in both En
glish and German, it being the intention of his
parents at one time to educate him for the min
istry. In early life he learned the trades of shoe-
making and stonecutting, and for some time fol
lowed the former during the winter season and
the latter in the summer months. Subsequently
he came to Sugar Valley and bought a farm of
103 acres near Loganton, in Green township, now
owned by Conrad Bowersox. He made all the im
provements upon the place, including the erection
of a good residence, barns and outbuildings, and
made it his home until called from this life. His
remains were interred in the Loganton cemetery
near the Evangelical Church, of which he was a
most active and consistent member. By his first
vote he supported the Whig party, later became a
strong Abolitionist, and on the organization of
the Republican party joined its ranks. He served
as overseer of the poor in Green township, and
also as school director, auditor and tax collector.
He was temperate in all his habits, was well
liked and respected by all who knew him. In
Brush Valley, Centre county, he was married to
Miss Esther Friedley, who was born near Carlisle,
in Cumberland county, Penn. Her father, Lud
wig Friedley, was, a member of Washington's
body guard for six years during the Revolutionary
war. She died on the home farm, and was laid
to rest by the side of her husband. In their fam
ily were eleven children: Sophia, widow of
Peter Karstetter; James, who died in Loganton;
William (deceased); John, of this sketch; Thomas,
a farmer of Arkansas; Priscilla, deceased wife of
Jonathan Confer, of Green township, Clinton
county; Euilla, who died in Jewell county, Kans.;
Sarah, who died unmarried; Delila, who died
in infancy; Catharine, wife of J. Frank, of
Green township; and Lewis F. , who died in
Kansas. During his childhood and youth John Berry
attended the public schools of Salona, Nittany
Valley and Loganton, and started out in life for
himself as a farm hand, working in that way
until eighteen years of age, when he spent one
year in learning the stonecutter's and mason's
trade with his father. The next year he worked
for John Struck, and continued to follow that
trade for twenty years, during which time he cut
the first stone used in building the railroad bridge
at Muncy, Northumberland Co., Penn. He was
also employed in the lumber woods during the
winter season when work at his trade was scarce.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

663

On March 1 1, 1847, at Tusseyville, in Georges
Valley, Centre county, Mr. Berry was married to
Miss Catharine Morris, who was born February
10, 1827, the oldest daughter of Daniel R. and
Abigail (Mowery) Morris, and they have now
traveled life's journey together for over fifty
years, sharing its joys and sorrows, its adversity
and prosperity. Six children came to brighten
the home by their presence,. namely: Sebilla J.,
wife of Harvey Smith, of Johnsonburg, Penn. ;
Elmira, wife of Jared Karstetter, of Oregon;
Dora, wife of Samuel Goodman, of Loganton,
Penn.; W. Scott and E. O., who died when
young; and J. Curtin, an engineer living in Lo
ganton. During the Civil war our subject manifested
his patriotism by enlisting, August 24, 1864, in
the United States service. He was appointed a
recruiting officer, and from Clinton, Centre and
Luzerne counties he formed a company, which
was mustered in as Company G, 210th P. V. I.,
of which he was commissioned second lieutenant,
serving under Capt. Wilson P. Palmer and Col.
W. T. Sargant, in the Army of the Potomac,
Fifth Corps, Second Division, Third Brigade.
He participated in the battles in front of Peters
burg, Hatcher's Run, Dabney Mills, Stone Creek,
Five Forks, Gravel Run, Weldon Railroad Raid,
and also took part in the Grand Review at
Washington, D. C. Being taken ill, he was for
four weeks confined in the Fourth Ward City
Point hospital, and when the war was over was
mustered out with the rank of first lieutenant.
In 1873 Mr. Berry became a resident of Lo
ganton, where he has since made his home, and
until 1882 he continued to follow lumbering, but
is now retired, though he is still quite strong and
enjoys excellent health. He is a member of the
United Evangelical Church, and in politics is a
stanch Republican. He was appointed postmaster
under President Lincoln, and served for four years
under Grant. He also filled the same office for
four years in Loganton under President Harrison,
and has been overseer of the poor, constable five
terms, and supervisor three terms. He proved
a popular and capable official, and discharged
the duties with credit to himself and to the satis
faction of all concerned.

JACOB A. BITNER, one of the most pro
gressive, thorough and systematic agricult
urists of Lamar township, Clinton county,
was born November 28, 1837, in the same town
ship, a son of Christian Bitner, whose birth
occurred in 1803 near Eagleville, in Centre coun
ty, Penn. The paternal grandfather, when a

boy, removed with bis parents from Lancaster
county, Penn., to Liberty township, Centre
county, becoming one of its honored pioneers
and leading farmers. His death occurred near
Eagleville. In his family were sixteen children,
and his wife by her first marriage was the mother
of another child.
Christian Bitner, the second son of his par
ents, was reared as a farmer boy. Although
small, he was a great worker, and in his younger
years devoted much time to the occupations of
threshing and chopping wood. At one time he
and another gentleman contested for a wager of
$10, and between sunrise and sunset Mr. Bitner
chopped eleven cords of wood, while his adver
sary chopped nine. This contest attracted uni
versal attention throughout this section of the
State at that time.
In Wayne township, Clinton county, Chris
tian Bitner was married to Miss Nancy A. Dice,
who was born in that township, in 1803, a
daughter of George Dice, a weaver by trade.
She, too, learned that occupation, and from the
flax which our subject often gathered, would
weave the cloth for the clothes of her family.
Mr. and Mrs. Bitner began their domestic life
upon a farm owned by a Mr. Miller, the first
sheriff of Clinton county, and from that place
removed to Bald Eagle Valley, Beech Creek
township, Clinton county. After renting there
for some time, the father located in Nittany Val
ley, where he became one of the first successful
corn raisers of the Valley. The first land that
he ever owned is the farm now occupied by our
subject, but when the family removed to the
place in 1842 but one field had been cleared, it
being the present orchard, which the parents
planted. In imitating 'them our subject planted
an apple seed in a tea cup, and as it sprouted, it
was later set out in the orchard, and is to-day an
excellent tree, of the variety known as the golden
pippin. Although the father had but fifty cents
at the time of his marriage, he succeeded in ac
cumulating a good property through his own in
dustry, good management and perseverance.
His political support was always given the Dem
ocratic party, and he faithfully served his fellow
citizens in the capacity of supervisor of his town
ship. For many years he was a deacon in the
Christian Church, of which he was a prominent
and active member, and to which his estimable
wife also belonged. They are both now de
ceased, the father dying at the age of sixty-
seven, and the mother at the age of eighty- six,
and their remains were interred in the Disciple
cemetery at Salona.
The children born to this worthy couple were

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

as follows: Elizabeth married Dr. Eli Parry, and
died in Lock Haven; George D. was a medical
student at the time of his death, being accident
ally drowned a short distance below Columbia,
in Lancaster county; John is a farmer of Dunns
burg; Mary S. died in girlhood; Jacob A. is our
subject; Harriet C. is the wife of Henry Wasson,
of Toronto, Woodson Co., Kans.; and two died
in infancy. In the Salem school, under the direction of
Wesley Ferree, Jacob A. Bitner began his liter
ary education, but his privileges along that line
were very limited, as he was never able to at
tend a full term, and the schools of that day were
very poor. During his boyhood he would ride
the horses used in threshing on the barn floor,
and perform other labors about the farm. At
the age of twenty-one he taught a four-months'
school in Sugar Valley, but he continued to make
his home with his parents, never leaving the old
homestead, where he still continues to reside.
For several years after his marriage he rented
the place, and subsequently purchased the inter
ests of the other heirs. In 1878 he built a good
barn, and five years later erected his pleasant
residence. He has also added to the original
tract until he now has 1 12 acres.
On December 26, 1867, in Clinton county,
our subject was married to Miss Nancy E. Hall,
who was born October 22, 1844, in Beech Creek
township, a daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Mc
Closkey) Hall, in whose family were eight chil
dren — three sons and five daughters. Mrs. Bit
ner is the oldest, and acquired her education in
the common schools. By her marriage she has
become the mother of seven children, whose
names are as follows: Samuel C. ; Mary E. ;
Sarah J. ; Meda M. graduated at the Lock Haven
Normal School in the class of 1895, and is now
engaged in teaching; Alma K. graduated at the
same institution in 1897; Joseph died in infancy;
and Jessie F. All of the children are still at
home. Mr. Bitner is an earnest supporter of Demo
cratic principles, and has been honored with a
number of local offices, being county auditor one
term, and overseer of the poor in Lamar town
ship for thirteen consecutive years, declining a
re-election. He is a member of the Christian
Church, is justly regarded as one of the valued
and useful citizens of his community, as he gives
a liberal support to all worthy enterprises for the
public good, and he certainly deserves honorable
mention in a record of Clinton county's promi
nent and representative citizens. His family is
one of the most highly respected in the Valley,
occupying an enviable position in social circles.

ARCHIBALD MUNRO, of the firm of
^<3L Fredericks, Munro & Co., of Lock Haven,
large manufacturers of an excellent quality of
fire brick at Farrandsville, Clinton county, was
born March 4, 1834, at Cape Breton, Nova
Scotia, and is of Scotch descent.
Alexander Munro, his father, was born in
the City of Glasgow, Scotland, October 9, 1805.
He was a practical miner and foreman of a
mine in his native country, and, in 1821, he
was brought to Nova Scotia by an English
company to operate mines. He remained there
seven years, and, in 1838, came to America and
to the town of Farrandsville, Clinton county,
which was then a point of considerable impor
tance owing to the bituminous coal mines that
were being operated there, and to the iron in
dustries. Here he was employed in mining for
the Lycoming Coal Company, until in 1840,
when they ceased operations. At this time Mr.
Munro moved his family to Queens Run, and
there remained until in 1847, at which time the
Farrandsville Coal Company began operations,
and then returned to that point. He under
stood mining thoroughly and was a good fore
man, a good handler of men. His wife, who
also was a native of Scotland, born at Glasgow,
was Jeanette Dick, and their children: Alexan
der Neal, of Tioga county, Penn.; John C. (de
ceased); Annie; Archibald, our subject; Rev.
Henry C. , of Montour county; Jeanette (de
ceased); Euphemia (deceased); William (de
ceased); and Robert (deceased). The parents
ot»these died, the father in 1872, and the mother
in 1879. Archibald Munro received only a district-
school education excepting one year's attendance
in the high school of Lock Haven. In 1847 he
entered the store of the Farrandsville Coal Com
pany as a clerk, and remained in their employ
until they gave up the business in i860. He
then became the timekeeper and paymaster of
the Eagleton Coal & Iron Company, which em
ployed 150 men. Eagleton was then a lively
and bustling little place, the mines were profit
able, and things thereabout wore a business air.
Young Munro remained in the employ of the
company until the mines were closed in 1865.
At about this time the Rock Cabil mines were
opened by the McHenry Coal Company, and
Mr. Munro became their manager, and remained
with the company until 1869. He then re
turned to Farrandsville, and, in 1873, the pres
ent fire brick works of Fredericks, Munro & Co.,
at that point, was established by Mr. Fredericks
and himself, which from that time to this has
been successfully operated. It is now a great

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

665

industry, and the manner in which it has been
conducted, reflects credit to its promoters and
management. This firm gives employment to
150 men the greater part of the year. They
carry on a general store in connection with their
business at Farrandsville, a point some six miles
west of Lock Haven. They are successful busi
ness men. In 1888 Mr. Munro built a beauti
ful home at Lock Haven which would be a
credit to a more pretentious city, where he has
since resided.
On May 19, 1859, our subject was married to
Miss Anna Owen, a daughter of Silas Owen, of
Luzerne county, Penn., and the following chil
dren have come to bless their home: Mary (Mrs.
Leisenring), Jennie (Mrs. Oscar W^olever), Ada
C. (Mrs. Rev. Edward Blint), Gertrude, Grace,
Oscar G. , Sallie (deceased), and Archie. The
parents of these are identified with the Baptist
Church, in which Mr. Munroe is a deacon and
trustee; also treasurer of the Church. In politics
he is a Republican. He has never sought public
office, although he has been elected to some of
the minor offices of the city, among them that
of school director and postmaster at Farrands
ville, having held the latter office since appointed
by President Arthur, thus giving evidence of his
worth as an official, and of his great popularity
with the Democrats and Republicans. Mrs.
Munro was born at Kingston, Luzerne Co.,
Pennsylvania.

HOUSTON WEIDLER, the well-known and
popular proprietor of the Rauchtown Roller
Mills, in Crawford township, Nippenose Valley,
Clinton county, was born September 19, 1846, in
Mifflin township, Lycoming Co. , Penn., a son of
Christian Weidler, whose birth occurred in
Wurtemburg, Germany, on Christmas Day, 18 18.
The grandfather, Frederick Weidler, also a
native of Germany, was a gunsmith by trade,
and also worked as a piano-maker in that coun
try. In 1829 he bade adieu to the Fatherland,
and with his family took passage on a sailing ves
sel bound for the United States. On landing at
Philadelphia he went direct to Lycoming county
and located near Williamsport, where he at first
followed his trade, but later devoted his time and
attention for several years to farming. Having
a strong desire to see more of the great Repub
lic in which he had cast his lot, he traveled quite
extensively over the middle and western States,
but returned to Lycoming county, Penn., and
spent his last days with his family in Mifflin town
ship, where his remains were interred. He was
an industrious, energetic man, who had the re

spect and esteem of all who knew him. In his
family were six children, as follows: Christian;
John, who died in Kansas; Barbara, wife of John
Chromer, of Pottsville, Penn.; Daniel, of Mifflin
township, Lycoming county; George (deceased);
and one child who died in France.
Christian Weidler received a fair German ed
ucation in his native land, and was eleven years
of age on the emigration of the family to the
New World. He made his home near Williams
port for some time, and with Obadiah Ellis, of
Williamsport, Penn., learned the trade of a mill
wright, which he followed for about twenty years.
In 1854 he came to Crawford township, Clinton
county, arid located on a farm of 230 acres in the
west end of Nippenose Valley, which was covered
with a heavy growth of timber, and was known
as the Stuck farm. He cleared much of the land
and made many excellent improvements there
on, including a fine residence, good barns, and
an orchard. He continued its operation until
1 891, when he retired from active business life,
and has since made his home in Rauchtown,
where he has a comfortable residence, and is sur
rounded by all the comforts and many of the lux
uries of life, all of which has been obtained
through his own industry, enterprise and good
management. In 1879 he bought the Rauch
town Mills, which our subject is now operating.
In Mifflin township, Lycoming county, Chris
tian Weidler was married to Miss Julia Ann Sal
lada, who was born in that county in 1824, a
daughter of Jacob Sallada, the founder of Sallad-
asburg, Lycoming county, and a millwright by
occupation. To Mr. and Mrs. Weidler were
born eight children, as follows: Houston is our
subject ; Oliver operates the old homestead farm ;
Adaline is the deceased wife of Henry Sweely, of
Williamsport, Lycoming county; Sevilla, Mary
E. and Michael W. all died when young; Anna
C. is the deceased wife of Clarence Arnot, of
Chicago, 111. ; and Wilks C. is a cooper, of Will
iamsport, Penn. The wife and mother was
called to her final rest in 1892, and was buried
in the Lutheran churchyard in Limestone town
ship, Lycoming county. In early life the father
was a Democrat, but is now a stalwart supporter
of Republican principles, and has served as
school director in his township. Thoroughness
and persistency characterized his entire business
career, and they have been supplemented by
careful attention to details, and by honorable
straightforward effort that has gained him a most
excellent and enviable reputation.
In the winter months during his boyhood and
youth, Houston Weidler attended the schools of
Mifflin township, Lycoming county, and Crawford

666

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

township, Clinton county, and remained with
his parents until he had attained the age of
twenty-seven. He then learned the millwright's
and miller's trades, at which he worked during
the fall and winter seasons, while the spring and
summer months were devoted to the stonemason's
trade. With John Smith he had learned milling,
and after becoming thoroughly familiar with the
business he rented the Rauchtown Mills from his
father in 1879. He has since successfully oper
ated the same, but in the meantime served as
engineer in a sawmill for five years on account
of his health. (In 1890 his father put into the
Rauchtown Mills a full set of rollers, at a cost of
$2,000, and has made other valuable improve
ments in the plant). He also built a good resi
dence in the town in 1876 at a cost of $1,000.
Houston Weidler was married in Williams
port, Penn., in 1874, to Miss Pauline Hayes,
born in New Jersey, of Holland extraction, and
they have become the parents of five children:
Charles S., an exemplary young man, who at the
age of fifteen became an engineer and is now
employed in Tioga county, Penn.; Carrie L. , a
milliner, is at home; Frank L., a miller, resides
with his parents; Annie F. is at home; and
Norris died in childhood.
Our subject served one term as justice of the
peace in Crawford township, Clinton county,
and was re-elected to the same office, but refused
to qualify. He filled the position of school
director two terms, and constable of his town
ship one term, but has never cared for the honors
of public office. His political support is always
given the Democratic party. He is a faithful
member of the Lutheran Church, is temperate
in all his habits, and his honorable, upright life
commands the respect and confidence of all with
whom he comes in contact, either in business or
social life. Social, educational and moral inter
ests have been promoted by him, and anything
that tends to uplift and benefit humanity secures
his hearty co-operation.

€,HARLES H. NOWELL, a leading farmer
and tobacco grower of Woodward township,
Clinton county, belongs to an old and honored
Massachusetts family of English descent.
In 1630 Increase Nowelland his brother John
braved the dangers of an ocean voyage at that
early day and took up their residence in the Mas
sachusetts Bay Colony, where the former served
as secretary under Gov. John Winthrop. He
was also a preacher for the colony. One of his
sons, Samuel Nowell, was a member of the first
class that graduated at Harvard College, and was

the father of Capt. Peter Nowell, who was born
in Salem, Mass., in 1670, and was an officer un
der the British crown. In 1698 he was sent to
Maine to settle the difficulties between the In
dians and white settlers, and while there pur
chased a tract of land, or took it up from the
government, where the town of York, York
county, now stands. There he afterward made
his home and devoted his time to farming. He
was married there or in Salem, Mass., and be
came the father of eight children, whose names
and dates of birth are as follows: Peter, Feb
ruary 24, 1698; Sarah, June 29, 1700; Mary,
July 10, 1702; John, March 18, 1705; Ebenezer
(Eben), November 12, 1709; Abram, February
28, 1712; Paul, 1714; and Silas, 1717. Someof
the children died in childhood, and the parents
both passed away while living in York county,
Maine, and were buried there.
Of this family, Ebenezer Nowell spent his en
tire life on the old homestead in York county,
Maine, and followed the occupations of farming
and lumbering. He married a Miss Hamilton,
who was born in the same county of Scotch an
cestry, and among their several children was
Jonathan Nowell, who was born in York county,
in 1746, and, like his ancestors, followed lum
bering and farming throughout life. In his native
county, he raised a company, of which he was
commissioned captain, during the Revolutionary
war, and was later promoted to the rank of
major for gallant service in that terrible struggle,
in which hundreds of men laid down their lives
to free their country from British oppression.
He gave his political support to the party of
which Jefferson was at the head, and he and his
family all belonged to the Congregational Church.
In York county he married Elizabeth, daughter
of the well-known Capt. John Frost, of Revolu
tionary fame, and in their family were the fol
lowing children: Ebner, the grandfather of our
subject; George; Jonathan; Henry; Mrs. Col.
Hobb; Mrs. Hiram Hayes; Mrs. James Johnson;
and Mrs. Reuben Neal. The father died in
North Berwick, Maine, in 1821, the mother in
1830, and their remains were interred in the
cemetery at that place.
Ebner Nowell was born in 1767, in York,
York Co., Maine, and accompanied his parents
on their removal to North Berwick, in the same
county, where he also followed the occupation of
farming and lumbering, and continued to make
his home until his death, in i860. He was
classed among the well-to-do citizens of the
county, and for a number of years lived retired
from active labor. In North Berwick he married
Rachel Grant, a native of that place, whose

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

667

father was also born in York county, and followed
agricultural pursuits. The children born to them
were as follows: Elizabeth, wife of Dr. C. Traf-
ton; Mary, wife of William Shaw; Tabitha, wife
of Ebner Littlefield; Sophia, who died unmar
ried; Lucretia, who also died single; Joshua,
father of our subject; and Sybil, wife of Dr.
Hatch. The family held membership in the
Baptist Church, and the father was one of the
most prominent and influential men of the Dem
ocratic party in his community.
Joshua Nowell was born in 1806, in North
Berwick, Me., where he spent his entire life, fol
lowing the occupations to. which he had been
reared. His literary education was rather limited,
but he became a thorough and skillful agricult
urist, and owned a fine farm of 200 acres which
he placed under a high state of cultivation and
improved with good and substantial buildings.
He was also a stanch Democrat in politics, and
was a member of the Free Will Baptist Church,
to which his wife and family also belonged. In
his native place he was united in marriage with
Miss Sarah Hammond, who was also born there,
a daughter of John Hammond. Eleven children
were born to them, namely: Ebner, still a resi
dent of 'Maine: Sybil, who died unmarried; Au
gusta, wife of Joseph B. Frost, both now de
ceased; John, who is living on the old home
stead; Charles H., of this review; George, of New
Hampshire; William, of Colorado; Elizabeth,
wife of Stephen Harvey; Amelia, wife of William
Reed; Joshua, of Melrose, Mass.; and Sarah,
who died in infancy. The mother died in De
cember, 1879, and the father in December of the
following year, and both were laid to rest in the
cemetery at North Berwick,
For only about two or three months during
the winter season was Charles H. Nowell, of this
sketch, able to attend the public schools of his
native county during his boyhood, and at an early
age his school days were over. He assisted in
the work of the farm during the summer season,
and when not in school during the winter, he
drove an ox-team in the woods, hauling lumber.
At the age of twenty he left home and started
out in the world to make his own living, his
capital consisting of only a pair of willing hands
and a determination to succeed. Bidding fare
well to his parents he came to Pennsylvania, and
was first employed in cutting timber in Clearfield
county during the winter, while in the summer he
worked in a sawmill at Chatham Run, Clinton
county, being thus employed until 1865, when
he went to Minnesota, and spent a year and a half
as foreman in the lumber regions for Senator
Washburn.

In 1867 Mr. Nowell returned to Pennsylvania,
and in Lycoming county purchased a farm of 230
acres, which he operated for two years and then
sold. In 1869 he removed to Dunns'town, Clin
ton county, where he spent eleven years engaged
in the manufacture of lumber, running a sawmill
and selling the product at different markets. In
the meantime he bought fifty acres of land in
Woodward township, and began raising tobacco
and doing general farming. To this place he re
moved his family in 1886, and to the original
purchase added eighty acres known as the Major
McClosky farm, on which he built a good barn
and made other substantial improvements which
add to its value and attractive appearance. For
the past twenty years he has made a specialty of
the raising of tobacco, and has met with excellent
success in his undertakings.
On April 5, 1865, at Lock Haven, Mr. Now
ell was married to Miss Matilda Shobert, who
was born November 8, 1845, in Watson town
ship, Lycoming Co., Penn., a daughter of Josiah
and Mary (Reigle) Shobert. The Shobert fam
ily was founded in America by Frederick Sho
bert, a native of Wurtemburg, Germany, who
in 1765 came to America and located in New
Jersey. When the Revolutionary war broke
out he cast his fortunes with the Colonies,
joining Washington's army about 1777, and
when hostilities ceased he returned to his
farm. His son Simon (Mrs. Nowell's grand
father) removed from New Jersey to Luzerne
county, Penn., in 1805, and followed the occu
pation of hotel-keeping. Josiah Shobert was
educated in both English and German, and was
a well-informed man. In 1840, with his wife
and one child, he removed from Luzerne county
to Watson township, Lycoming county, where
he purchased a farm of 100 acres, and continued
to operate the same until his death, which oc
curred in 1887. His widow still resides on that
place. On his removal to Lycoming county^ he
was accompanied by his two younger brothers,
Frederic and Napoleon, who during the gold ex
citement went to California. They have been
very successful, and at present are located on
large farms in Oregon.
To Mr. and Mrs. Nowell were born five chil
dren, as follows: (1) James A., born February 7,
1866, in Minneapolis, Minn., was educated in
the public schools of Clinton county, the high
school of Lock Haven, and La Fayette College,
where he graduated in 1888. For a time he then
engaged in teaching in Mankato and St. Paul,
Minn., and was later political reporter for the
St. Paul Daily Globe. In the meantime he
studied law, and was admitted to the Bar of that

ka*

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

State, where he engaged in practice and news
paper work until 1893, when he was appointed
by President Cleveland as chief clerk in one of
the auditor's offices in Washington, D. C. He
is now president and manager for a Baltimore
firm at Minneapolis and St. Paul, and is a stanch
supporter of the Democratic party. He married
Miss Nannie Strough. (2) Minnie, born Febru
ary 17, 1868, died in January, 1871. (3) May
A., born October 21, 1869, attended the high
school of Lock Haven and the Central State
Normal, graduating from the latter institution in
1885, after which she successfully engaged in
teaching for nine years, in the home school, and
also in Pine Creek township, in Clearfield county,
and in Lebanon county, Penn. In August, 1894,
she gave her hand in marriage to John R. Wat
son, of Clearfield county, and now has two chil
dren — George and May A. (4) Nellie, born June
8, 1873, was also educated in the public schools
of Woodward township, Clinton county, the high
school of Lock Haven, and the Central State
Normal School of the latter place, and has now
successfully taught school for seven years — three
in the home school in Clinton county and four in
Elk county, where she had charge of one school
four terms. (5) Grace L. , born November 12,
1882, has attended the public schools and also
the high school of Lock Haven.
In June, 1863, Charles H. Nowell enlisted at
Lock Haven in the emergency service, becoming
a member of Company A, 38th P. V. I., under
Capt. S. Brown and Col. Horn. He was sworn
into the United States service at Reading, was
on guard duty at that place and Greencastle for
six weeks, and was mustered out at Reading,
August 3, 1863. He and his family hold mem
bership in the Methodist Episcopal Church of
Dunnstown, Woodward township, and hold an
enviable position in social circles, where intelli
gence and worth are received as passports.
Politically, he is a free-silver Democrat, and has
been called upon to serve as school director
(president of the board one term), overseer of the
poor and supervisor one term. While possessing
the qualities of a successful business man and a de-
irable social companion, perhaps Mr. Nowell's
most strongly marked characteristic is his un
swerving fidelity to duty. His devotion to the
national interests of the country is only excelled
by the patriotism which never loses sight of the
highest duties of citizenship.

WILLIAM GUMMO, a valued and esteemed
agriculturist of Bald Eagle township, Clin
ton county, owns a fine, well-improved farm, be

sides other land. The buildings upon the home
place are of a neat and substantial character, and
betoken thrift and prosperity. He was born De
cember 23, 1 84 1, near his present home in Bald
Eagle township, and is a worthy representative
of one of the prominent and highly-respected
families of the county.
John and Jane (Rounsaval) Gummo, grand
parents of oursubject, in 1832 left their old home
in Cornwall, England, and came to the United
States, accompanied by their children — William,
James, Edward, Thomas, Elizabeth, Jane and
Maria — taking up their residence at Farrands
ville, Clinton Co. , Penn. In his native land the
grandfather had been employed in the smelting
works, but in this country he turned his attention
to agricultural pursuits, buying a farm in Bald
Eagle township, where he lived for some years.
He died at Queens Run when in his seventy-third
year. Richard Gummo, our subject's father, was
born in 1804, the eldest in the family. While
still a resident of England he married Miss Ag
nes Nancarrow; he did not accompany his par
ents on their immigration to America, but re
mained in his native land until 1841, when he
crossed the Atlantic, and also took up his resi
dence on a farm in Bald Eagle township, Clinton
county. At that time he had never seen a tree
chopped down, and was entirely unfamiliar with
agricultural pursuits; but he was industrious, en
ergetic and persevering, and soon mastered the
occupation of farming. In early life he enjoyed
excellent health, being a robust young man, and
succeeded in clearing many acres of land. His
first plow he carried home two miles on his shoul
der, and he was obliged to endure many of the
hardships and trials incident to pioneer life, as
he found this region still in its primitive condi
tion. Although he began life here empty-handed,
he met with success in his undertakings and be
came the owner of two valuable farms. He died
in Bald Eagle township at the ripe old age of
eighty-five, his wife when seventy-eight, and
both were laid to rest in the Brown cemetery.
In religious belief they were Methodists, in poli
tics the father was a Republican, and although
he never was an office-seeker, he faithfully served
as supervisor of his township. His upright and
honorable course demanded the respect and, es
teem of all who knew him. In his family were
seven children, namely: William, the subject of
this sketch; Edward, a prominent farmer of Bald
Eagle township; George, Eliza, Richard and
Elizabeth A., who all died in 1855; and Matilda,
a resident of Flemington, Pennsylvania.
Our subject received such education as the

'Oswi.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

669

country schools of his day afforded, and it was
begun in a primitive log school house sixteen feet
square, furnished with slab seats, his first teacher
being Ellen Rogers.. Being the eldest son, his
services were often required at home, much to
the detriment of his school training. He con
tinued to assist in the work of the farm until his
marriage, which took place in October, 1864,
Miss Sarepta Sollars, a native of Luzerne coun
ty, Penn., becoming his wife. Her father, Peter
Sollars, was a farmer by occupation. Nine chil
dren blessed this union, six of whom are living:
Anna A., who is engaged in teaching; Mary C. ,
now the wife of William Glossner, of Beech
Creek township, Clinton county; Richard E., of
Porter township, in the same county; Etta M.,
at home; Myron E., a farmer of Bald Eagle
township; and James W., at home. Those de
ceased are: Effa died when eighteen months
old; Alma I., when two years old, and one in
infancy. After his marriage Mr. Gummo located on
his father's farm in a log house, which was built
expressly for our subject's occupancy, and is still
standing. In January, 1875, he removed to
his present comfortable home, which stands on
land purchased from the George Kessinger es
tate. He has become quite well-to-do, owning
205 acres of fine farming land in Bald Eagle
township, 150 acres of mountain land, and a
farm of ninety-five acres in Porter township,
Clinton county. He is thrifty, progressive and
energetic — characteristics which cannot fail to
win success.
As a Republican Mr. Gummo has taken a
prominent and influential part in political affairs,
and has been honored with several official posi
tions of trust, being school director about twenty
years; tax collector, eighteen years; overseer of
the poor, fourteen years; township treasurer and
treasurer of the school board, several years; and
also supervisor of his township. It is needless
to say that his duties were always performed in
a most satisfactory and able manner. Although
not a member of the Laurel Run Methodist Epis
copal Church, he was one of the building com
mittee in 1894, contributing liberally of his own
means toward the erection of the house of wor
ship. He has since served as trustee, and is also
secretary of the Sunday-school. His career has
been ever such as to warrant the trust and con
fidence of the business world, for he has con
ducted all transactions on the' strictest principles
of honor and integrity. His devotion to the
public good is unquestioned, and arises from
a sincere interest in the welfare of his fellow
men.

THOMAS J. SMULL, a prominent merchant
of Mackeyville, Clinton county, is a man
who commands in a remarkable degree the es
teem and confidence of his fellow-citizens. His
popularity is based upon an appreciation of his
sterling qualities of character, even his political
opponents being stanch personal friends. As
one evidence of this we may mention the fact
that he has held the position of postmaster in his
town for more than thirty years through all
changes of administration, but other incidents
are not wanting as will be seen in the follow
ing history.
Mr. Smull was born May 24, 1834, in Rebers
burg, the youngest child of Henry Smull and his
first wife, Elizabeth Royer, who are mentioned
more fully elsewhere. When our subject was
but a few days old his mother died, and he was
taken to the home of his grandfather, Christo
pher Royer, in the vicinity of Rebersburg. He
attended school in the latter town, Mr. Mulford
and Mr. Burkett being among his first teachers,
and although the instruction was decidedly in
ferior in many respects to that given in the com
mon schools of to-day, he managed to secure the
rudiments of a practical education, and a good
knowledge of the German language, English not
being spoken. He remained in that locality un
til he was about fifteen years old, when, his
grandfather having died, he went to the Nittany
Valley to reside with a cousin, Samuel Royer.
There he found the English language in common
use, and for some time this was a handicap to
him in his studies, but after six years' attendance
(four months in each year) at the Clinton school
he was qualified to teach. While in this school
he made a yarn ball which he sold to a play
mate, now the Rev. Dr. Dornblaser, and in
later years, believing that he had driven too hard
a bargain, he returned the money with compound
interest to the date of payment amount
ing to more than two dollars. The transaction
illustrates well the strict integrity which has
characterized his business life. After leaving
school he taught successfully for eleven terms,
including a term in the " Clinton school," one in
Mill Hall, and four in Madisonburg, Centre coun
ty. In 1857 he spent a few months near Valley
Falls, Kans., and in 1859 he went to Illinois,
where he remained a year, during which he
taught one term of school in Stephenson county.
Before returning home in June, i860, he spent
some time in Ohio and in Philadelphia, where
he visited an uncle. He had been reared as a
farmer boy, but, having a desire to enter mer
cantile life, he secured a position as a clerk with
Joseph H. Long in a store in Lamar township,

670

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Clinton county, on the pike, near the Porter
township line. While there he gained a prac
tical insight into the business, and in the spring
of 1866 he formed a partnership known as Beck,
Smull & Co., and engaged in mercantile business
at Hamburg (now Mackeyville), Penn., continu
ing one year. Another firm, which had started
at the same time, got tired before the end of the
year, and our subject, with F. E. Hays as a
partner, secured the store and carried on busi
ness there until 1870, when Mr. Smull became
the sole owner. He met with success, and in
1874 built a new store house to accommodate
his increasing trade, but in 1889 this was de
stroyed by a flood which carried away every
thing, causing a loss of $6,000. His safe was
not found for more than two years, when it was
discovered imbedded in the debris a short dis
tance below Mackeyville. One week before the
flood Mr. Smull had drawn his check to pay
for a lot of flour, canceling his only indebted
ness; but his satisfaction was of brief dura
tion, as one week later he was practically pen
niless. He soon learned the value of a "good
name," his reputation as a' straightforward,
honest business man bringing its own reward.
It so happened that Mr. Smull, who has been an
ardent Republican ever since the organization of
the party, was in the habit of holding heated
discussions on the topics of the day with Mr.
Perry W. McDowell, an equally ardent Demo
crat. These tilts were always friendly, a fact
which speaks volumes for the good sense of both
the gentlemen, and Mr. McDowell had no sooner
learned of Mr. Smull's misfortune than he deter
mined to show his appreciation of the latter's
worth by offering him sufficient ground for a
store building. The land was at the opposite
end of town from Mr. Smull's former location,
and Mr. McDowell had refused numerous propo
sitions from others who wished to buy it for
business purposes. In 1889 Mr. Smull erected a
new store and residence upon the site mentioned,
and he has since conducted his business there.
He was obliged to make "a new start in life,"
but his credit was good, and he has had no trou
ble in sustaining an honorable place in business
circles. Always jovial, he likes to perpetrate a
joke, and can relish a joke from others, and no
man in Nittany Valley has more or better friends
than "Jeff Smull."
On February 13, 1873, Mr. Smull was mar
ried to Miss Harriet Transue, who was born No
vember 4, 1842, in Hublersburg, Penn., the
daughter of Peter Transue, a well-known farmer,
and his wife, Elizabeth (Best), both of whom
were natives of Northampton county, Penn.

Their last years were spent in Clinton county,
and their remains now rest in the cemetery at
Mt. Bethel. Mrs. Smull was the fourth daugh
ter and fifth child in a family of eight chil
dren, three sons and five daughters. Four
children have brightened our subject's home,
two of whom died in infancy. (1) Lilly E.,
born July 22, 1874, lived only eighteen months.
(2) Thomas J., Jr., born September 22, 1875,
is a successful teacher, having begun that occu
pation before he was seventeen years old ; he
was married March 28, 1894, to Miss Mary
Bennison, daughter of Capt: S. H. Bennison, a
leading citizen of Centre county, and grand
daughter of P. W. McDowell, and they now re
side in Mackeyville. (3) James L. , born June
7, 1879, is also a licensed teacher, and at pres
ent resides at home. (4) Martin D., born Au
gust 24, 1 87 1, died at the age of ten months.
As Mr. Smull values education highly, he has
endeavored to give his sons good opportunities,
and they do credit to his efforts. He has always
been a leader in his community, being ready
to forward any progressive movement, and for
six years he Served as school director. He was
influential in securing the post office at Mackey
ville, and the citizens evidently consider him the
only suitable person to take charge of it. Dur
ing the Civil war he was a member of the 28th
Regiment, Pennsylvania Militia, and for six
weeks was engaged in "emergency service."
The, family is identified with the Methodist
Church, of which Mrs. Smull is an active mem
ber. He is a member of the G. A. R.
Our subject has made many original printed
speeches, seldom quoting from other speakers,
and was always sufficiently humorous to do as
the poet said: "Made many laugh that never
laughed before, and those that laughed, laughed
the more." His own productions of anecdotes
are used, frequently with considerable effect,
by younger speakers in the central part of
Pennsylvania.

T\l|;FILLIAM J. BURRELL. There is prob-
MM. ably no better type of farmer in Nittany
Valley, nor a more exemplary citizen in Clinton
county than William J. Burrell, who represents
a family that early settled in this section of
Pennsylvania, and played well their part through
long and busy lives.
Born December 20, 1844, on the farm where
he now resides, and which he owns, Mr. Burrell
is the son of Samuel and Lydia (Ilgen) Burrell,
the Burrells being of French extraction. Samuel
Burrell was born about 1807 in Northumberland

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

671

county, Penn. He was one of two sons who,
were left orphans in early boyhood. Samuel was
bound out, and at the age of twelve years came
to Centre county in company with his brother
John Burrell and wife. For some time both
brothers followed the mason's trade, and in com
pany with George Ilgen they purchased a tract of
timber land on Egg Hill, where John Burrell
cleared a farm and built a home for himself.
Samuel Burrell on coming to Centre county
brought with him, tied in a handkerchief, all of
his effects. After learning his trade with his
brother, he worked at it for years and assisted
in building many of the barn walls in that re
gion. He helped to build the old stone mill
yet standing at Clintondale, Clinton county.
He was marriec] near Aaronsburg, Centre county,
and resided for some years near Penn Hall where
he owned a small farm of forty acres. His wife,
who was the daughter of a pioneer preacher,
whose name was a household word in many of
the homes of the early residents of Central Penn
sylvania — Rev. Ilgen — was born near Aaronsburg
in Penn's Valley in about the year 1810.
The children of Samuel Burrell and wife
were: John I. became a very prominent Lu
theran minister, died while serving a charge in
Brooklyn, N. Y. , and is buried in Greenwood
cemetery in that city; Samuel P. (deceased) was
a farmer of Lamar township, Clinton county;
Mary L. is the widow of J. Kleckner, and re
sides at Sugar Valley, Clinton county; Anna L.
was the wife of Rev. E. Studebaker, and died in
Huntingdon county, Penn. ; Margaret R. died
after reaching maturity, unmarried; Leah E. be
came the wife of Rev. Burke, and died at Balti
more, Md. ; Lydia was married to Prof. W. W.
Herr, and died at Salona, Clinton county; Will
iam J. is our subject; James L. A. was a
physician, and died at Williamsport, Penn. ;
Laura J. is Mrs. George Buffington, of Lycom
ing county; Charles W. , after graduating at
Pennsylvania College, went to Los Angeles, Cal. ,
where he now resides. The father of these be
gan life as a poor boy, but he was industrious
and economical, and, with the aid of his good
wife, became well-to-do. They had their early
struggles. The young husband followed his
trade during the summer seasons, and with the
assistance of an old German who was in the em
ploy of the family, the wife and children put out
and cultivated the crops. After a residence of
some years in Centre county, Mr. Burrell and
his brother-in-law — George Ilgen — bought in
partnership 300 acres of land in Nittany Valley,
Clinton county, from a Dr. Ard (a part of this
land is the present farm on which our subject re

sides). After a few years Mr. Burrell purchased
the interest of his partner. The greater part of
the land was then in its primitive condition. The
house stood on the south side of the road and the
barn on the site of the present road. The first
few years on the farm were rather discouraging
ones, the land was stony and not very productive,
but these parents toiled on and on, each succeed
ing year bringing new hope, as the crops in
creased. Time passed on, and with it came im
provements, the old barn and house were replaced
by new ones, and the appearance of things gen
erally underwent a transformation. These build
ings are yet standing; the old barn-wall, built by
the father himself, and though sixty years have
passed it is as substantial and "plumb" as when
his hands laid it up. This farm, mainly cleared
and improved by the father, became one of the
best and most productive farms in Nittany Valley,
and on a part of it he passed to his final rest May
12, 1883. His wife preceded him many years,
she dying October 18, 1862. Both rest in Cedar
Hill cemetery, Lamar township. They led ex
emplary lives, reared their children so that they
occupied honorable and useful stations in life,
and all (parents included) bore the respect and
esteem of their neighbors and acquaintances.
The parents, as stated, were industrious and be
came well-to-do; nay more than this, they were
good managers and became rich, the father leav
ing an estate of some $60,000. The father in
politics was a Democrat. In the days of slavery
he was a pronounced Abolitionist, -being bitter in
his denunciation of slavery. He had no inclina
tion to hold office, but on the other hand under
no circumstance would he accept it. He was a
most useful citizen, was a member of the Lu
theran Church, and led a life in keeping with his
profession. He was a kind husband and an in
dulgent parent, and in his passing away a good
man and a most successful one left this world.
William J. Burrell was reared and remained
an agriculturist. He attended the schools of the
district in which he lived, his first teacher being
James Rogers. Mr. Burrell has great regard for
those old district schools of his boyhood, and
great respect for the teachers of that day. "It
was often the case that out of those rude build
ings, where discipline was not slack, came boys
that startled the world — set the pace for college-
bred men to follow. From such schools and
surroundings came boys of practical ideas, and,
turned loose in the world, were prepared to cope
with it. Young Burrell, along in 1863-64 and
'65, attended Missionary Institute (now Susque
hanna University), at Selins Grove, in Snyder
county. He later taught school some at Hyner,

672

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Clinton county, but, not liking it, soon aban
doned the profession. He started to learn phar
macy in the drug store of Mr. Archie Semple at
Lock Haven, but soon after abandoned the idea
and clerked for a short time in a grocery store at
Belvidere, N. J., but the confinement was in
juring his health, and he returned to the home
farm and took its management. He has since
remained thereon and devoted his energies toward
reaching the highest excellency in his vocation,
keeping abreast of the times in all scientific and
improved methods that have been from year to
year introduced to aid the farmer in getting the
best results in the varied lines of his work. On
his father's death the son purchased other inter
ests in the farm, and has since owned it. He
has a fine farm of 170 acres, and some 300 acres
of timber land, with good buildings and improve
ments, indicating the progressive farmer that he
is. He is one of the most substantial men of the
county, ambitious and energetic beyond the state
of his health to reach his aim. He has a large
acquaintance, and is valued as a neighbor and
citizen. Politically he is an Independent, voting
for men and measures that at the time seem to
his judgment best for the country or the com
munity. During the Grange movement he was
identified and in sympathy with it. During the
Cleveland administration he was appointed post
master at Rote, but served by proxy only, hav
ing the work of the office carried on by others.
He had served as school director, assessor and
auditor of the township.
On September 26, 1876, in Lamar township,
Mr. Burrell was married to Sarah C. Dornblazer,
a native of Porter township, and a daughter of
Gideon Dornblazer. To this marriage were born :
John I. is now attending Susquehanna University
at Selins Grove, Penn., and Lena F. and Mabel
are at home. The father of these is a member
of the Lutheran Church.

JOHN W. GROUP, an attorney-at-law at
Rauchtown, and one of the most extensive
land owners of Clinton county, is a man
whose well-deserved success places him above
envy, by reason of the admirable manner in
which it has been won. In his business career
he has followed the most reliable methods, and
with a never-failing energy has prosecuted his
interests so that the obstacles and difficulties in
his path have been overcome and prosperity has
been achieved.
Mr. Group is descended from German ances
try. His grandfather, Philip Group, was born

in York county, Penn., reared to manhood on a
farm, and throughout his life carried on agricult
ural pursuits; he also engaged in freighting be
tween Baltimore, Philadelphia and Pittsburg be
fore the days of railroads and canals. He owned
a farm in that part, of York county which was
made into Adams county, and died on the old
homestead near the historic battle ground of Get
tysburg, September 12, 1844, at the same hour
in which occurred the birth of our subject. His
remains were interred in th'e Lutheran cemetery
at Gettysburg. In politics he was a stanch Jef-
fersonian Democrat. He married a Miss Brame,
who now rests by his side. They were the par
ents of eight children.
Peter Group, the father of our subject, was
bor, in February, 1807, in Adams county, received
a good education in English and German, and in
his early life followed farming and freighting for
his father. When a young man he came to cent
ral Pennsylvania and worked on the Pennsylvania
canal in the capacity of a blacksmith, which
trade he had learned in his native county, doing
the blacksmith work on the Lock Haven dam; at
that time he lived in Lock Haven. Later he
removed to Nippenose Valley, and settled in that
part of Lycoming county which is now Crawford
township, Clinton county, where he made some
improvements on his land, afterward buying ad
ditional land adjoining his first purchase. Here
he spent his remaining days, dying in 1877, his
remains being interred in the Lutheran cemetery
in Nippenose Valley. He was a member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, was a Jeffersonian
Democrat in early life, later became a war Dem
ocrat, and afterward joined the ranks of the Re
publican party. He served as township super
visor, was school director, overseer of the poor,
and collector of taxes. He was a man of firm
convictions, as true to a verbal promise as to a
written one, faithful to every trust reposed in
him. He held friendship inviolable, and was re
spected by all who knew him.
At Lock Haven, Peter Group was married to
Elizabeth Straub, who was born in 18 10, in Mil
ton, Penn., a daughter of Andrew and Elizabeth
(Series) Straub, the former a carpenter and mill
wright of Lock Haven. Mr. and Mrs. Group
had four children: (1) John W. is our subject.
(2) Andrew V., who was educated in the public
schools, taught school in Clinton county, after
which he studied theology, was ordained to the
ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
later became a minister of the Presbyterian
Church, and died in Philadelphia, in 1879. (3)
Tillman H., who also taught school in Clinton
county, is now a farmer in Oklahoma. (4) Emma

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

673

is the wife of William T. Welshans, of Rauch
town, Clinton county. The mother of this fam
ily who was a consistent member of the Method
ist Episcopal Church, died at the home of our
subject, who took care of both his parents during
their old age.
John W. Group was born in Crawford town
ship, Nippenose Valley, Clinton county, Septem
ber 12, 1844, on a farm where his early life was
passed. He attended the public schools up to
the age of seventeen years during the winter
months, and throughout the remainder of the
year assisted in the labors of the farm. He
studied hard to obtain an education, and taught
school for seven years during the winter months
while working on the farm in the summer. Am
bitious to achieve mental advancement he saved
enough money from his teaching to enable him to
spend two years at Dickinson Seminary, Will
iamsport. In 1871-72 he was a law student in
Ann Arbor University, Mich., and was graduated
in the latter year. Returning then to Lock Ha
ven, he studied law with Seymour D. Ball, in
1874, was admitted to practice in the courts of
Pennsylvania, and, later, in the United States
courts. His success was marked and immediate,
his superior ability, indomitable energy and
laudable ambition winning him distinctive pre
ferment in his chosen calling. In 1894 he began
his farming operations, and is accounted one of
the most practical and progressive farmers in
Nippenose Valley. He owns a farm of 170
acres, on which he built a fine residence and barn
at a cost of more than $8,000. He makes a
specialty of the breeding of fine Jersey stock, and
has thirty-five head of blooded cattle. He takes
a deep interest in all that advances the welfare
of the agriculturist, and improvements mark his
labors. In addition to the home farm he owns
1,000 acres in other parts of the State, including
coal and mineral lands. Besides his farm inter
ests he is interested in milling, having, in 1896,
erected a steam feedmill near his house and barn-,
with a capacity of fifty bushels per hour.
In 1 891, in Camden, N. J., Mr. Group was
married to Miss Jestia May Gebhart , a native of the
Nippenose Valley, and a daughter of George Geb
hart. They had two children: Charles George
Gordon, and one that died in infancy. In his
political preferences Mr. Group is a gold Demo
crat; socially he is a member of the Masonic fra
ternity. His prominent characteristics were man
ifest when he provided for his own education —
determination, self-reliance and undaunted per
severance—showing that the student would make
a capable man of affairs in the business world.

of friends and acquaintances who honor and es
teem him for his manly virtues and sterling
worth.

He

is popular, and is the center of a large circle
43

/GEORGE W. HERR is one of the leading
%£> and influential citizens of Salona, who has
taken an active part in promoting the substantial
improvement and material development of Clin
ton county. As a miller and farmer he was for
many years actively identified with its agricult
ural and industrial interests, but is now devoting
his energies to merchandising, having in the
spring of 1896 purchased the store of O. H.
West, in Salona, which he is now successfully
conducting under the firm style of G. W. Herr&
Son. Our subject was born July 18, 1848, a short
distance east of Salona, in Lamar township, and
is a representative of an old and highly-respect
ed family of Clinton county, it being founded at
Mill Hall about 181 5. His grandfather, Daniel
Herr, was born August 10, 1777, and was the
great-grandson of Hans Herr, a native of Switz
erland, who founded the family in this country
during the early part of the 18th century. In
181 5 the grandfather's family left Lancaster
county, Penn., and came to Mill Hall, Clinton
county, but he remained behind to settle up some
business, and later died while en route to Mill
Hall, his remains being buried at Columbia,
Penn. His widow, who bore the maiden name
of Rebecca Bressler, and was born February 16,
1778, was left with what could be called a com
fortable competence, which was invested by her
brother in a manufacturing business at Mill Hall,
but the enterprise proved unprofitable. She died
September 18, 1873. In her family were three
children: George, the father of our subject;
Mrs. Dr. Parry, who spent her entire life in Lan
caster county; and Mrs. Shoff, now deceased.
George Herr, Sr. , was born February 24,
1805, in Lancaster county, and acquired his
education in the schools of Mill Hall, in
which place he also clerked for his uncle,
George Bressler, a merchant, during his young
er years. He was first married in Nittany
Valley, in 1834, to Miss Charlotte Miller, by
whom he had threechildren as follows: Emma,
born March 12, 1835, is now the widow of Eli
Hyatt and a resident of Salona; Henry, born Jan
uary 29, 1837, was a tanner and lumberman by
occupation, and died in Salona; and Daniel, born
January 7, 1840, is a dairyman, at Quincy, 111.
For his 'second wife, George Herr, Sr. , married
Miss Catharine Wilson, who was born Septem
ber 28, 1809, in Lamar township, east of Salona,

674

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

and was a daughter of Samuel and Catharine
(Bressler) Wilson. Four children blessed this
union, of whom our subject is the oldest. Re
becca, born December I, 1849, makes her home
in Salona. Sarah and Charlotte (twins) were
born March 19, 1852, and the former is now the
wife of W. H. Cadogan, of Quincy, 111., while
the latter died at the age of fourteen.
About 1834 the father located in Nittany
Valley, where soon afterward he purchased a
farm which is still in the family, and he turned
his attention to agricultural pursuits. He was a
man of rather spare build, never weighing over
140 pounds. He started out in life practically
empty-handed, but became one of the successful
farmers of the Valley, and for several years pre
vious to his death lived retired from active la
bor. In his farming operations he was system
atic and methodical, and as a citizen deserved
the high regard in which he was uniformly held.
He was one of the leading members of the Meth
odist Church, to which he was a liberal contrib
utor, and of which he served as trustee for many
years. In politics he was first a Whig and later
a Republican, and although he took an active in
terest in political affairs, he never cared for of
ficial honors. His death occurred January 16,
1884, and his wife passed away January 13,
1897, and now sleeps by his side in the Salona
cemetery- In the Salem school, under the instruction of
Sally A. Herr, the subject of this sketch began
his education, and the knowledge acquired in
the district schools was later supplemented by a
course in Dickinson Seminary at Williamsport,
which he entered at the age of eighteen. Al
though he was naturally bright and able to learn
rapidly, he was not ambitious and did not make
the most of his advantage, much to his sorrow in
later years, as he fully appreciates the value of
a good education, and he has provided his chil
dren with good advantages along that line. He
was reared as a farmer boy although his parents
removed to Salona when he was thirteen years of
age, and when his school days were over he be
gan learning the miller's trade at the old stone
'mill in that place under the direction of Joseph
Farley, who gave him $6 per month for his serv
ices. He completed his trade, however, in the
old Liggett mill above Eagleville, in Centre
county, and for twelve years followed that occu
pation, having charge of the old stone mill in Sa
lona lor ten years of that time. For some time
he operated his mother's farm, but in the spring
of 1894 took up his residence in his present home
at Salona, and for two years was again engaged
in the milling business. Since that time, how

ever, he and his sons have successfully engaged
in merchandising. On February 2, 1871, Mr. Herr was united
in marriage to Miss Anna Fredericks, who was
born January 23, 1848, in Chillisquaque town
ship, Northumberland Co., Penn., a daughter
of John and Rachel (Walter) Fredericks. She
was reared in her native county, where she suc
cessfully engaged in teaching previous to her
marriage. She has become the mother of two
children: (1) Wilsou F., now engaged in busi
ness with his father, was born May 29, 1873, and
graduated at the Lock Haven Central State Nor
mal School in 1891. He is a stanch Republican
in politics, and is a member of Olympic Council,
Royal Arcanum, at Lock Haven. He married
Anna F. Heard, and has two children — Leigh and
Paul. (2) Jessica F. was a member of the
graduating class of the Lock Haven Central State
Normal School in 1893, and resides at home. ¦
Although an ardent Republican in politics, at
local elections our subject supports the men
whom he considers best qualified for the office re
gardless of party ties. Fraternally, he is a mem
ber of the Grange; the Patriotic Order Sons of
America, at Salona; and Olympic Council, Royal
Arcanum, at Lock Haven; while religiously he
and his wife are both members of the Methodist
Church, of which he is one of the trustees. In
the formation of the Salona Creamery Company
Mr. Herr took an active part, and has been
prominently identified with every enterprise cal
culated to prove of public benefit, so that he is
justly regarded as one of the foremost citizens
as well as substantial and reliable business men
of Salona.

JOSEPH R. KENDIG, an honored veteran of
the Civil war, and a trusted and faithful em
ployee of the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany, has for several years been general manager
of the store of that company at Renovo, Clinton
county, having previously served a number of
years as maintenance of way clerk, and for the
period of nine years was chief clerk to superin
tendent of the middle division of the Philadel
phia & Erie division of the Pennsylvania Rail
road Company.
Mr. Kendig was born in Cumberland county,
Penn., in 1839, a son of Jacob and Susan (Reif
snyder) Kendig, who spent their entire lives in
Pennsylvania. The father, in 1845, moved from
Cumberland county, Penn., to Franklin county,
same State, locating in Orrstown, then a thriv
ing village, where he followed the occupation of
blacksmithing, and engaged in the manufactur-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

675

ing business. His death occurred in 1891, hav
ing long survived the mother of our subject, who
died in 1841, leaving three children by his first
wife, who are yet living: Henry B., a resident
of Altoona; Joseph R. ;and Elizabeth, of Renovo.
The common schools afforded our subject his
educational privileges. He was reared upon the
home farm until eighteen years of age, when he
began school teaching, a profession he success
fully followed for five years. On the breaking
out of the Civil war, he, with his brothers, Abra
ham R. and William H., enlisted in the service
of the United States Government for three years
or during the war,, the brothers becoming mem
bers of Company B and he of Company H, 107th
P. V. I. He was engaged in skirmish at Thor
oughfare Gap, Va. , in the second battle of Bull
Run, and in the battle of Fredericksburg, De
cember 13, 1862, where he was wounded by a
minie ball passing through his right hip. From
the consequence of his wound he was given an
honorable discharge April 23, 1863. On recov
ering his health Mr. Kendig, on January 11,
1865, entered the service of the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company at Renovo, with which he
has since been connected, holding different posi
tions, and since 1889 has had continuous charge
of their store here. He has faithfully served his
employers, as is quite evident by his long re
tention in their service.
Mr. Kendig was married to Miss Rebecca
Brown, daughter of John and Catharine (Grimes)
Brown, of Newville, . Cumberland Co. , Penn. ,
and they have become the parents of nine chil
dren, as follows: Roscoe B., Thomas A. (de
ceased), Wilfred M., Florence, Clara L. (de
ceased), Joseph R, F. Louis, Julian H. and
Dorothy. Both parents hold membership in the
New Jerusalem Church (Swedenborgian), while,
socially, Mr. Kendig belongs to the Grand Army
of the Republic, and, politically, affiliates with
the Republican party. He has never been an
aspirant for official honors, but has held some
school offices. He stands to-day in his mature
years a strong man, strong in the consciousness
of well-spent years, strong to plan and perform,
strong in his credit and good name. His has
been a pure, honorable and useful life, actuated
by unselfish motives, prompted by patriotism and
guided by truth and justice.

HUGH WHITE. " The art of growing old
 gracefully" is well exemplified in the per
sonality of this venerable and honored citizen of
Lamar, Clinton county, who, despite the fact
that he has now advanced nearly a score of years

beyond the Scriptural limit of man's life, is still
hale and hearty. His step is firm and steady,
and his faculties in full use, his eyesight enabling
him to read as well as ever, although as a pre
cautionary measure he procured a pair of specta
cles about two years ago.
Mr. White was born September 12, 18 10, in
Pine Creek township, Clinton (then Lycoming)
county, and is of our best Colonial stock.
Hon. Hugh White, his grandfather, was a native
of Dauphin county, Penn., both of Scotch-Irish
descent, and was a colonel in the Revolutionary
army. Later he served in the State Legislature
as a representative from Lycoming county, where
his last years were spent upon a farm. The es
tate is now within the limits of Pine Creek town
ship, Clinton county, and the burial place of the
old pioneer is known as Pine Creek cemetery.
He also owned a large tract of land in Bald
Eagle Valley, where his sons, William and Hugh,
located; but others of the family remained in the
vicinity of the old homestead, and all of them
settled within the State. His first wife was a
Miss Allison, and his second a Mrs. Wetzel, a
widow. By the first marriage there were seven
children: William, our subject's father; John,
who was subject to fits, and during one fell out
of a canoe and was drowned; Chesney, who died
unmarried; Allison, who was killed while horse
back riding, being thrown against a tree; Hugh,
who died in Bald Eagle Valley, leaving a family;
James, who died in Pine Creek township, Clin
ton county; and Nancy, wife of John F. McCor
mick, of Lock Haven, in which city her death
occurred a. few years ago. Four children were
born of the second marriage: Isabella, who
married (first) Robert Bailey, (second) James
Allen, and now resides in Jersey Shore; and
George, John and Henry, all of whom died in
Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
William White, the father of our subject, was
born November 26, "1774, and was married April
5, 1803, in what is now Pine Creek township,
Clinton county, to Miss Hannah Jackson, who
was just six days older than he. In February,
181 1, he removed to Bald Eagle township, Clin
ton (then Centre) county (then a new section),
and engaged in farming. He held a prominent
place among the pioneers of that locality, and
for some years served as justice of the peace.
In politics he was a Whig, and in religious faith
was an ardent Presbyterian, being an elder in the
Church. Financially he met with success, and
at his death he left a goodly inheritance to his
children. He died on December 31, 1831, and
his wife passed away about June 15, 1833, their
remains being interred in the old cemetery on the

676

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

hill above Lock Haven. Of their children, the
eldest, Margaret, born January 16, 1804, mar
ried John Stout, and died at Lamar; Caroline,
born December 21, 1805, married George Wor-
rick, and died at Mackeyville, Penn. ; Jackson,
born July 17, 1807, died in childhood in Bald
Eagle Valley; Agnes, born November 17, 1808,
also died in childhood; Hugh (our subject) is
mentioned more fully below; Miss Lucinda, born
January 10, 1813, died at Lamar, at the age of
eighty-two years; the seventh child, a son, died
in infancy; William A., born September 23,
1 8 16, became a successful merchant of Clinton-
dale, and died at the age of seventy-four, leaving
a large estate.
Our subject was but an infant when his par
ents removed to the Bald Eagle Valley, and his
educational opportunities were restricted to the
subscription schools of that day and locality.
All the apparatus was of a primitive sort, quill
pens being used for writing, and the methods of
teaching no less old-fashioned. Hbwever, he
made the most of his time at school and, having
prepared to teach, he in early manhood took
charge of a school for five months. As the son
of a pioneer farmer he became thoroughly fa
miliar with agricultural work, and at the age of
twenty-four he left home to learn the tanner's
trade with a cousin, Robert Hamilton, in Lycom
ing county, about a mile above Newberry. Five
years Mr. White spent in that business, and then,
in the fall of 1839. he went to Lock Haven,
which had just begun to attract the notice of set
tlers, and opened a grocery. Three years later
he sold out, but not long afterward he establish
ed another in the same town, and this he con
ducted successfully for five years, his trade in
creasing with the growth of the city. In the
fall of 1849 he removed to Nittany Valley and
established a store on the pike near " Custard
Tavern," where he remained until 1863. Since
that date he has been a resident of Lamar, and
until 1880 he was engaged in the mercantile
business there, while acting also as postmaster.
His dealings were always cautious and conserva
tive, steady gains being preferable in his opinion
to reckless speculation with a view to unusual
profits, and his integrity has won for him the es
teem of all who knew him. On disposing of his
store in 1880, he retired from business with a
handsome competence, which has been gained
entirely by his own well-directed efforts. For a
number of years his sister, Miss Lucinda White,
kept house for him; she died December 2, 1894.
He is the only member of the family now living
and his strength and vigor give promise of many
years of life for him.

Although Mr. White is not a member of any
religious denomination, he has contributed lib
erally to the Presbyterian Church, which he at
tends, and is in sympathy with every effort which
tends to progress. He has taken an intelligent
interest in the questions of the time, and has been
an active and influential worker in local politics,
first as a Whig and later as a Republican, never
missing a Presidential election since arriving at
his majority, and assisting the party at all emer
gencies as the occasion demanded. For three
years he served as county auditor. For some
thirty years he was postmaster and acting post
master at Lamar.

VMORY BEARDSLEY WATERS, an un-
i// dertaker and embalmer of Lock Haven,
Clinton county, who is skilled in his line, is a
young man of education and intelligence, and is
descended from one of the pioneer families of
Warren county, this state.
His grandparents, Albert Starling and Mary-
Jane (Coxwell) Waters, were residents of War
ren county, Penn. Starling W. Waters, a son
of this couple, and the father of the subject of
this sketch, is one of the prominent citizens of
Warren, born in the county of the same name.
He was married to Mary Rosamond Hall, a na
tive of Warren county, Penn., and a daughter
of Orris Hall, who located in that county while
yet the Indians were there, being one of the first.
settlers of that locality. He at one time owned
much of the land on which the present town of
Warren stands, and donated the ground on
which four of the churches of the place are built.
The children of Starling W. Waters and wife
are: Wilson Hall, Myron, and Emory Beards-
ley, our subject.
Starling W. Waters has thus far passed his.
life in the county of his nativity, where he has
been very active in business affairs, and where,
too, he has served the public for years creditably
to himself and to the satisfaction of his constit
uents. He was for three terms the prothonotary
of the county, and is at present the postmaster
of Warren. He has been prominent in the coun
cils of the Republican party many years. He is
a large oil producer.
Emory Beardsley Waters was born in War
ren, July 20, 1 87 1. He attended the public
schools of the town, and was graduated from the
high school in 1885. After his graduation he
entered the undertaking establishment of P.
Greenland & Sons, and of these gentlemen
learned the business. Desiring to become thor
oughly equipped in a knowledge of the best

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

677

methods in vogue in this line, in New York City,
he went thither and entered an embalming school
from which he was graduated in 1890. He has
ever since given the subject his undivided atten
tion, and is now very proficient in the business.
His undertaking rooms in Lock Haven are well
regulated, and present a neat and inviting appear
ance. Socially, he is identified with the F. & A.
M., and with the Royal Arcanum. In politics
he is a Republican. He is a member of the
Presbyterian Church.
On October 14, 1897, Mr. Waters was mar
ried to Grace May Fisher, of Lock Haven, a
daughter of an old English family who came
from England to Lock Haven when it was a small
place. The parents were engaged in the bakery
business until their deaths.

BAVID R. WERTS. Among the business
men whose enterprise and activity in trade
circles have made them prominent citizens of
Renovo is this gentleman who is now success
fully engaged in dealing in coal, wood and ice.
Mr. Werts was born in 1858, at Westport,
Clinton county, a son of Samuel and Nancy
(Pfouts) Werts, both of whom are also natives of
Pennsylvania. The father was a farmer and
lumberman, following those pursuits throughout
his entire life. He took quite a prominent part
in local affairs, and often filled public positions
of honor and trust. On November 12, 1892, he
was called to his final rest, but his estimable
wife is still living. Her father, Simeon Pfouts,
was the first settler on Kettle creek, in this sec
tion of the West branch district, coming to the
county when it was a wilderness. Samuel and
Nancy Werts had a family of two daughters —
Viola and Eva (both dead) — and six sons — W. C. ,
Simeon P., Daniel B., John F., Samuel M. and
David R. , all living.
David R. Werts acquired his early education
in the district schools, and, subsequently, for
three years attended the Lancaster schools. He
was reared under the parental roof, and early
became familiar with all the duties that fall to
the lot of the agriculturist; but his tastes lay in
another direction, and on attaining his majority
he came to Renovo where he was employed in
the car shops for a year and a half. He then
embarked in business on his own account, estab
lishing a woodyard. His capital was at first
small, but he gradually extended his operations
and began dealing in coal and ice as well as
wood. He is now a leader in his line of trade,
enjoying a large patronage, from which he de
rives a good income. He is kno,wn as one of

the most famous hunters of his age in this sec
tion of the country, having killed 200 deer and
thirteen bear and numerous other game.
In 1880 Mr. Werts was united in marriage with
Miss Ada Stewart, a daughter of J. F. and Jane
(Fair) Stewart, natives of Pennsylvania. The
following children grace this union: Nannie M.,
Samuel B., Alfred, K. P., Winifred, and Ray
mond. The parents are consistent members of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, and, socially,
Mr. Werts is connected with the Knights of the
Golden Eagle and the Maccabees. In politics
he is a Republican, and has served as high con
stable and police commissioner of Renovo, dis
charging his duties in a most satisfactory man
ner. He has the essential qualifications of the
successful business man, and his indefatigable
labor, his sound judgment and well-directed ef
forts have brought to him the prosperity which
he now enjoys. In manner he is pleasant and
genial, and the circle of his friends is constantly
widening.

M H. BROWN, a well-known farmer of La-
1&!L mar township, is a worthy representative
of one of the oldest and most prominent pioneer
families of Clinton county, and its members have
been actively identified with the growth and
prosperity of this region.
Samuel Brown, - his paternal grandfather,
was born March 21, 1770, of Scotch-Irish ances
try, and was the first of the family to locate
upon the present farm of the latter, which has
now been in the possession of the family for
over a century. He found the land still in its
primitive condition, but at once commenced to
clear and improve it, erecting thereon a good
stone residence in 1800. Throughout his entire
life he was engaged in agricultural pursuits.
On February 18, 1799, he was married to Miss
Ann Fearon, who was born January 14, 1 771,
and died November 20, 183 1, while his death oc
curred May 24, 1842, and both are laid to rest
in the Cedar Hill cemetery. In religious belief,
they were Presbyterians, and in politics the hus
band was a Whig. In their family were the fol
lowing children: Sarah F., born January 4,
1800, married Alexander Jackson, and died in
Lamar township, Clinton county, June 18, 1861;
William F., born May 26, 1801, emigrated to
Stephenson county, 111., where he engaged in
farming until his death; Joseph, born May 19,
1803, was a merchant for some years at Cedar
Springs, but died at Weaverville, Northampton
Co., Penn.; James, born August 3, 1805, also
became a farmer of Stephenson county, 111., and

678

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

and died at Freeport, that State; Thomas, the
father of A. H., is next in order of birth; Sam
uel, born October 23, was an agriculturist, and
died at Clintondale, Clinton county, September
30, 1873; and Robert B., born September 17,
181 1, was a retired farmer at the time of his
death, which occurred in Altoona, Penn., Sep
tember 12, 1896.
Thomas Brown was born October 13, 1807,
in the old stone house on our subject's farm, and,
with the exception of nine years, he there spent
his entire life engaged in agricultural pursuits.
The subscription schools afforded him his edu
cational advantages, and he made the most of
his opportunites. On May 23, 1843, in Belle
fonte, Penn., he was married by Rev. Linn to
Miss Eleanor J.Hays, who was born May 24, 1819,
in Bald Eagle Valley, one mile above Marsh creek, a
daughter of William and Mary (Hays) Hays.
She was reared in her native Valley.
William Hays (Mrs. Brown's father) was born
in County Tyrone, Ireland, in 1778, and came to
the United States, when young, with his parents.
His father, William Hays, Sr. , was buried in
Hays cemetery, in Beech Creek, Clinton county.
On attaining to man's estate the son was married
near Beech Creek, to Mary Hays, who was born
there May 10, 1788, a daughter of Lieut. James
Hays, whose parents, John and Jane Hays, came
to the New World from West Donegal, Ireland,
in 1732. The Lieutenant won his title while
serving in the French and Indian war under
Colonel Bouquet, and in return for his services
he received a tract of land at the mouth of Beech
creek, in Clinton county, where he located and
reared his family. Mrs. Brown's father, who
always followed the occupation of farming, died
January 30, 1838, and his wife passed away
September 10, 1827, the remains of both being
interred in Cedar Springs cemetery. In their
family were six children, namely: Sarah B., now
the widow of Robert Fearon, and a resident of
Lock Haven; William N., who is living in New
Florence, Westmoreland Co., Penn.;- Mrs.
Brown; Emeline, widow of Alexander Sloan, and
a resident of Lock Haven; Elizabeth, widow of
John P. Martin, and a resident of Jersey Shore;
and Mary A., who wedded Aaron Schofield, now
deceased, and makes her home near Geuda
Springs, Kansas.
To Thomas and Eleanor Brown were born
six children: Mary A., who died in childhood;
William N., also deceased; Sarah J., wife of
Samuel Hays, of Pine Creek, Lycoming Co.,
Penn., and the mother of four children — Thomas
B., Matthew Mc. , Eleanor J. and Alfred W. ; A.
H. , whose name introduces this sketch; and Tillie

E. and Anna E. , both at home. The father of
this family died August 3, 1884, and was buried
in Cedar Hill cemetery. His first vote was cast
for Andrew Jackson, the Democratic candidate
for President, but after that he supported the
Whig party, and later became an ardent Repub
lican, but was never an office-seeker, preferring
to devote his entire time and attention to his
business interests. Upright and honorable in all
the relations of life, he gained the confidence and
respect of all with whom he came in contact,
and those who knew him best were numbered
among his stanchest friends, a fact which plainly
indicates a good life. He was a consistent mem
ber of the Presbyterian Church, to which his es
timable wife also belongs. She is still living
with her children on the old homestead, and at
her advanced age is exceedingly well preserved, and
possesses a remarkable memory, which seems a
characteristic of her family.

SlAMUEL MORTIMER, an enterprising citizen
) and prominent agriculturist of Beech Creek
township, Clinton county, Penn., was born in
England in 1833, a son of William and Susanna
(Wakely) Mortimer, also natives of England,
where they passed their entire lives.
The son had but meager educational advan
tages in his native land, as his parents were in
no better than moderate circumstances, and early
in life he learned the trade of a weaver, at which
he worked in England until he was twenty years
old. At that time (about 1853) he came to the
New World, taking up his first residence here in
New York State, whence after some ten months
he came to Clinton county, locating in Ginger
township, where he worked for two years; then
moved to Lock Haven, and there lived till 1857,
the year of his coming to Beech Creek township.
From 1872 to 1884 (twelve years in all) he was
engaged in farming in Kansas, returning to Clin
ton county in the latter year. In 1885 he pur
chased his present farm of 100 acres, on which
he has neat, substantial and commodious build
ings. In 1858 our subject was united in marriage
with Miss Margaret Lynn, daughter of James
Lynn, of Clinton county, and five children have
blessed this union, all yet living: Joseph, Susanna
(wife of John Zurbee), Tacie Edith (widow of
John Powers), Samuel, and Cora (wife of Oliver
Bitner). The mother of these died in Decem
ber, 1887, and in December, 1889, Mr. Mortimer
wedded Miss Sarah Catherine Sproul, of Centre
county. Mr. and Mrs. Mortimer are members
of the M. E. .Church; in politics Mr. Mortimer is

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

679

a Republican, and, while no aspirant for office,
has served efficiently as supervisor. Socially he
enjoys the esteem and respect of all as a kind
husband, an indulgent parent and a trustworthy
citizen.

IE DAM DICKEY, a leading farmer and fruit-
JBgL grower of Bald Eagle township, Clinton
county, was born in that township, December 2,
1849, a son of Robert L. and Magdalena (Ress
ner) Dickey.
Robert L. Dickey was a native of Stone Val
ley, Huntingdon Co., Penn., but during boyhood
was brought by his father to Mill Hall, Clinton
county, where he made his home for several
years while employed as a collier and in cutting
cord wood. Later he removed to a small farm
near that village, where he made for his family a
comfortable home. He was a hard-working, en
ergetic man, and a highly-respected citizen of the
community. During the dark days of the Civil
war, he enlisted in Company B, nth P. V. I.,
under Col. Coulter, faithfully aided in the de
fense of the Union for eighteen months, and was
twice wounded at the battle of the Wilderness,
one wound causing, in later years, the loss of the
sight of his right eye. Originally, in politics he
was a Whig, and on its organization became a
stanch supporter of the Republican party.
At Mill Hall, Penn. , Robert L. Dickey was
married to Magdalena Ressner, a native of Leb
anon county, Penn., whose mother died when
she was only seven years old. They became the
parents of four children, namely:- Sarah A.,
wife of Thomas J. Fox; William T. , who when last
heard from was in California ; Adam, of this sketch ;
and Henry A., a farmer of Bald Eagle town
ship, Clinton county. The father died at the age
of forty-five, the mother at seventy-nine, and
the remains of both were interred in the Brown
cemetery. Adam Dickey began his education in the
Brown school under the direction of Fern Brown,
but his privileges along that line were very
meager, as during early boyhood he began work
ing away from home for his board. At the age
of fifteen he foifnd employment in the lumber
woods, where he continued to work for several
years. On April 25, 1875, he was married to
Miss Sarah C. Earon, who was born September
2I, 1850, in Beech Creek township, Clinton
county, a daughter of John and Eve (Myers)
Earon, farming people. She obtained a good,
common-school education, and successfully en
gaged in teaching in her native township, the
same county. Seven children blessed the union

of Mr. and Mrs. Dickey: Anna M., born March
4, 1876; John W., February id, 1878; Robert
L., May 2, 1880; Adam C, October 12, 1882;
Henry E. and Charles W., who died in infancy;
and Eleanor P., born May 27, 1896.
Previous to his marriage our subject support
ed his mother for several years, and therefore had
saved but little. He continued to reside upon a
rented farm in Beech Creek township, where he
located in 1873, making it his home until his re
moval to his present farm in Bald Eagle town
ship, Clinton county, in March, 1880. He pur
chased the place of John Keener, but had to go
heavily in debt for the same, and may properly
be numbered with the self-made men of the com
munity, who have attained a good home and
comfortable competence by the exercise of good
business ability, industry and sound judgment.
In his labors to build up a homestead, Adam
Dickey has also kept in view the good of his com
munity, and is one of the first men approached
in the inauguration of an enterprise tending to
the building up of the township and the welfare
of its people. A stanch Republican in politics,
he keeps well posted in regard to current events,
and is a liberal contributor to both educational
and religious matters. He has served as school
director twelve years, overseer of the poor eight
years, supervisor two years, and township treas
urer three years, discharging the various duties
of those positions in a most creditable and satis
factory manner. Both he and his estimable wife
are identified with the Methodist Church, and he
has served as trustee of the Church and superin
tendent of the Sabbath-school. She has been an
important factor in his success, and they merit
and receive the respect and esteem of all who
know them.

S\AMUEL BRUNGARD. The name Brun-
) gard is almost a synonym for that of a good
farmer and excellent citizen, for those who bear
the name are invariably thorough and skillful
agriculturists and thrifty and enterprising busi
ness men, who have made for themselves com
fortable homes. Our subject is no exception to
the rule as he is to-day one of the leading and
prominent farmers of Lamar township, Clinton
county. By a different branch of the family the
name is spelled Brungart.
Samuel Brungard was born February 10, 1844,
on a farm in Lamar township, in the eastern
part of Nittany Valley, where his father first
located on coming to Clinton county. He was
George Brungard, a native of Brush Valley,
Miles township, Centre Co., Penn., born July

680

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

24, 1 8 16, and a son of Jacob and Margaret
(Gephart) Brungard. He was reared as a farm
er boy, and in his native Valley was married,
February 14, 1838, to Elizabeth Wohlford, the
ceremony being performed by Rev. Peter S.
Fisher. Mrs. Brungard was born July 19, 181 5,
a daughter of John and Catharine Wohlford.
The parents of our subject began their domestic
life upon a farm in Nittany Valley, where the
father owned considerable land, divided into two
farms. His first home in Lamar township was
an old log house, but in later'years it was re
placed by a more pretentious dwelling, and good
barns and other outbuildings were also erected.
He died upon that place March 10, 1865, and
his wife, after surviving him many years, passed
away August 26, 1885, and they now sleep side
by side in Cedar Hill cemetery. He was official
ly connected with the Lutheran Church, and
was a Democrat in politics, but took little inter
est in political affairs, although he faithfully
performed all duties of citizenship.
To George and Elizabeth Brungard were born
the following children: John, born April 3,
1839, was a member of the Seventh Pennsylvania
Cavalry during the Civil war, and after that
struggle went to Kansas, where he died January
3, 1875; Sarah, born March 29, 1840, is the wife
of Michael Miller, of Madisonburg, Centre Co. ,
Penn.; Amanda E., born August 28, 1841, mar
ried S. E. Walker, and in Lamar township,
Clinton county, was gored to death by a bull,
July 6, 1886; Mary J., born November 19, 1842,
is the wife of George S. Gramley, of Lamar
township; Samuel is next in order of birth; Henry
J., born May 15, 1845, >s a farmer of Lamar
township; Catharine, born July 2, 1846, is the
wife of Cyrus Erhart, of Rebersburg, Penn. ;
George B., born July 9, 1850, and Jacob, born
September 26, 1852, are both agriculturists of
Lamar township; Margaret, born March 14, 1854,
is living in Indianapolis, Ind. ; Luther, born
March 1, 1856, makes his home in Salona, Penn. ;
and Rosie A., born September 18, 1858, is the
wife of John Mayberry Herr, of Indianapolis, In
diana. During his boyhood and youth the subject of
this sketch attended the public schools, which
were much inferior to those of the present day,
and among his early teachers were James Rogers
and Judge Austin Furst. Reared as a farmer
boy, he was able to handle the plow at the age
of ten years, and he has since devoted his ener
gies to agricultural pursuits. After renting his
present farm of his mother for ten years, he pur
chased the place, which comprises 100 acres of
rich and arable land, which he has placed under

good cultivation, and he also has a similar amount
of timber land. His present barn was erected
in 1 87 1, and in 1889 he built his comfortable and
commodious residence.
On December 31, 1868, Mr. Brungard was
married to Miss Mary J. Wolf, who was born
October 31, 1844, in Brush Valley, Centre coun
ty, a daughter of Daniel and Rebecca (Minich)
Wolf. She is one of a family of six children,
one son and five daughters, was reared in her na
tive Valley, and when a young lady accompanied
her parents on their removal to Nittany Valley.
By her marriage to our subject she has become
the mother of five children, whose names and
dates of birth are as follows: George E., No
vember 12, 1869; Anna S. , December 10, 1870;
Daniel O., March 22, 1873; Ella M. , December
3, 1878; and Rebecca E., August 3, 1880. The
oldest son is now a farmer of Lamar township,
and the others are all at home. Although not
strictly partisan, the father of these usually sup
ports the Democratic party by his ballot, and he
has served as supervisor longer than any two
men in his township, being the present incum
bent. This fact plainly indicates his popularity
and the high regard in which he is uniformly
held. He is an active and prominent member of
the Lutheran Church, and has served as deacon
and trustee.

/P\EORGE S. GOOD, a man of large business
^^f interests, and of prominence in the business
circles of central Pennsylvania, and a resident of
Lock Haven, Clinton county, was born April 10,
1845, near Milton, Northumberland Co., Pennsyl
vania. George and Mary (Smith) Good, his parents,
were natives of Northampton county, this State,
and were there married. George Good (the
father) passed his younger life as an agricultur
ist, but later he engaged in milling, carrying on
a merchant-mill within the limits of the city of
Williamsport, Penn. , being there so occupied at
the time of his death in November, 1871. He
was a reputable business man, a man of unques
tioned integrity, and held the esteem of the com
munity. His estimable wife, who was a daugh
ter of Abram Smith, of Northampton county,
died in October, 1886. They left nine children
surviving them, namely: John is operating the
mill at the homestead; Abraham is also engaged
in large milling operations, residing in Williams
port, Penn. ; Elizabeth is the wife of Jonas Trex
ler, and resides at Shamokin Dam, just opposite
Sunbury, Penn. ; Margaret is the wife of Jesse
Snyder, of Williamsport, Penn. ; Emma is the

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

681

wife of Charles F. Datesman; Jennie is the widow
of Daniel Smith; George S. is our subject; Hattie
M. is the wife of John R. Ault; and Laura is
Mrs. Johnson, who resides at Williamsport, Penn
sylvania. George S. Good received his school training
at the famous Dickinson Seminary, at Williams
port, Penn. ; his education, however, was broken
in upon in 1862,. when seventeen years of age,
by his entering the United States service. His
country's flag had been fired upon, and too great
was the patriotism of young Good to longer with
stand her call to arms, and he accepted the ap
pointment to a second lieutenancy in Company
I, 84th P. V. I. He shared the fate of that
command for nearly three years, and left a record
which his posterity will cherish and in which they
can justly take pride. At the battle of Chancel
lorsville, Va. , May 1 to 4, 1863, he received (on
Sunday) a gunshot wound, taking effect in the
right hand, and was taken prisoner by the enemy
and confined in Libby prison at Richmond, Va. ,
for three weeks. He was again made a prisoner
of war November 25 (Thanksgiving Day), 1863,
at the battle of Mine Run, Va., while in com
mand of the skirmish line, and was for six months
confined in Libby prison. He was one of the
109 prisoners that escaped in May, 1864, through
the famous tunnel, and at the time was one of
the youngest men in the prison. , Unfortunately
he did not long enjoy his freedom, as he was
re-captured on the following day near the Chick-
ahominy river, and confied in a cell or pen 11x12
feet in size, in the same prison, and for a week
his only diet consisted of a short allowance of
cornbread and water. Through political influ
ence he with some others was soon liberated,
and that same May (1864) Lieut. Good was put
on court martial duty in' Washington, D. C. , and
there remained until in November, 1864, when
his regiment was consolidated and he was mus
tered out as first lieutenant. He participated in
the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville
and Mine Run. He returned to Lock Haven
and engaged in the grocery, business and his occu
pation has since chiefly been in mercantile lines.
Since 1876 he has carried on, in connection with
his other business, general contracting, doing
considerable railroad work. He has constructed
upwards of 500 miles of railroad, 122 miles of
which were in the Indian Territory, a part of the
Choctaw, Oklahoma & Gulf railroad. He is
now chiefly engaged in the manufacture of vitri
fied brick and sewerpipes, making some three car
loads per day. The works are now located in
Patton, Cambria Co., Penn., where the clay and
coal used are mined by him. He holds large

railroad and mercantile interests, and is one of
the substantial men of Clinton county. At this
time he has a contract for building 165 miles of
railroad from El Paso, Texas, to White Oaks,
Mexico, and forty miles of railroad in the State
of Missouri (from Bolivar to Osceola). He has
continually in his employ some 800 men.
In November*, 1867, Mr. Good was united in
marriage with Miss Kate Baker, a daughter of
George Baker, a prominent business man of
Milton, Penn., and their children are: Sallie
B., Mary W., Blanche B., Harry F., Ralph, and
George S., Jr. The family are identified with
the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Good figures
conspicuously in a number of orders, clubs, etc.
He is a member of the G. A. R. ; of the I. O. O.
F. ; of the Lock Haven Business Club; of the
Hecla Park Club, and of the Young Men's Repub
lican Club, of Williamsport. He is prominent in
politics, though he has had no political aspira
tions.

HENRY M. SCHWENK, now living retired
 in Green township, is justly numbered
among the honored and highly respected citi
zens of Sugar Valley, Clinton county, and was
for many years prominently identified with its
business interests as a farmer and lumberman.
He has an honorable record of a conscientious
man, who- by his upright life has won the
confidence of all with whom he has come in
contact. The name was originally spelled Schwenck,
and the family was founded in this country by
two brothers who came from Germany about
1685, and took up their residence in Montgom
ery county, Penn. , where they followed farming.
The paternal grandfather of our subject was
born near Norristown, in that county, where he
was reared and educated, and continued to make
his home throughout life. He successfully fol
lowed the occupation of farming and tanning,
and also owned and operated saw and oil mills,
becoming one of the most prosperous as well
as one of the most highly esteemed citizens of
the county. For seven years he valiantly aided
the colonies in their struggle for independence
as a soldier of the Revolutionary war, and was
in many of the important battles. In politics
he was a Whig, and in religious belief both he
and his wife were Lutherans, belonging to the
old-school Lutheran Church. He had married
Fanny Bower, also a native of Montgomery
county, and to them were born eight children:
John, George, Samuel, Abram, Jacob, Elizabeth,
Catharine and Mary, or Molly.

682

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

George Schwenk, our subject's father, was
born in Montgomery county, in 1784, and re
ceived a fair German and English education.
With his father he learned the tanner's trade,
and for ten years operated the tannery. On
selling out he removed to the northern part of
Montgomery county in 181 5, where he purchased
a farm and engaged in agricultural pursuits for
seven years. As the man who bought the tan
nery was unable to meet his payments, Mr.
Schwenk could not obtain the money to finish
paying for his farm, which was finally sold by
the sheriff, and he only saved about $100 dol
lars — the result of seven years hard labor. With
characteristic energy he and his worthy wife
began life anew, purchasing 100 acres of land at
a place known as The Leap, in Montgomery
county, which he worked hard to clear and im
prove. There he spent the last twenty-one
years of his life, dying in 1843 honored and re
spected by all who knew him. He manifested
his loyalty by faithful service in the war of 18 12,
and throughout life was a consistent member of
the Lutheran Church, while his wife, who so
nobly stood by him in his hour of trial, held
membership in the Reformed Church. He sup
ported Andrew Jackson for the Presidency, and
continued to vote with the Democratic party un
til 1840, when he cast his ballot for William H.
Harrison, the Whig candidate.
George Schwenk married Miss Catherine
Moyer, a native of Montgomery county, and they
became the parents of seven children: Julia, de
ceased wife of John Boyer; Abraham, deceased;
Benjamin, who died in Ulster county, N. Y. ;
Catharine, wife of Abram Ziegler; Samuel, a res
ident of Delaware; Delila, wife of Jacob Sayler;
and Henry M., our subject.
Henry M. Schwenk was born February 20,
1820, in Montgomery county, and received only
a German education, not being able to speak
English until after his marriage. He remained
at home aiding his father in the arduous task of
clearing and improving a new farm until seven
teen years of age, when he began learning the
miller's trade, which he successfully followed for
about eighteen years in Montgomery, Lehigh
and Luzerne counties. In 1855 he brought his
family to Clinton county, and in Sugar Valley,
Logan township, bought a tract of 230 acres of
mountain land, which he operated in connection
with lumbering for fifteen years. He then pur
chased the Major Wolford farm in Green town
ship, and to its cultivation and improvement
devoted his time and attention until laying aside
all business cares in 1897, when he sold his place
to his son Harvey, who now operates it.

In Luzerne county, Penn., Mr. Schwenk was
married to Miss Margaret McNeal, who was born
in Salem, that county, in 1820, and is a grand
daughter of James McNeal, a native of Scotland,
who came to this country when a young man
and settled in Luzerne county, where he engaged
in surveying and farming throughout his remain
ing years. There he was married, and reared his
family of seven children, namely: John, Samuel,
William, Amy, Elizabeth, Margaret and Sarah.
John McNeal, Mrs. Schwenk's father, was born
in Salem, Luzerne county, in 1780, and obtained
an excellent education in the schools of Phila
delphia. In early life he followed the cabinet
maker's trade, but afterward devoted his time to
farming and lumbering, always making his home
in his native county, where he died in 1854. He
was married at Salem to Miss Rachel Shiner,
and to them were born eleven children: Eliza
beth, wife of Samuel Jones; Amos; Margaret,
wife of our subject; Hannah, wife of Theodore
Haas; Mary, wife of Benjamin Budd, of Wiscon
sin; William Wallace; and five who are now de
ceased — Andrew, James, Eariah, John and Will
iam. The parents were both faithful members
of the Society of Friends, and were widely and
favorably known throughout their native county,
where they spent their entire lives.
Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs.
Henry M. Schwenk, as follows: Emily, who
died when young; William Wallace, who was a
soldier of the Union army during the Civil war,
and located in the West; Samuel Sharron, a
shingle manufacturer and farmer, who married
Sophia Brown and has five children; Clayton,
deceased; Benjamin, a lumber manufacturer of
Green township, Clinton county, who married
Emma Bargess and has four children; Edgar A.,
of Green township, who married Susan Shryer;
Harvey, late a merchant, now operating the old
homestead, who married Maggie Barner and has
seven children; Charles, who married Elsie
Barner and lives in the State of Washington;
and Frank, who was killed in a sawmill at the
age of ten years.
Mrs. Schwenk, a well-educated and refined
lady, taught her husband the English language
after their marriage, and has always proved a true
helpmeet to him, aiding him in all his undertak
ings by her encouragement and sympathy. They
began their married life in limited circumstances,
and were forced to pay $3 per bushel for wheat
and $35 for a hog, but being industrious, enter
prising and energetic they acquired a comfort
able competence which now enables them to
spend their declining years in ease and retire
ment. They are prominent members of the

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

683

German Baptist Church of Green township, to
which one of their children also belongs, and
their sterling worth and many excellencies of
character have gained for them many friends.
On attaining his majority Mr. Schwenk cast his
first Presidential vote for William H. Harrison,
and at the last election in the fall of 1 896 sup
ported Major McKinley, being at the present
time an ardent Republican. Socially, when a
young man, he affiliated with the Independent Or
der of Odd Fellows, but withdrew from the order
in 1848.

JOSEPH MARTIN, a well-known agriculturist
and honored veteran of the Civil war, resid
ing in Pine Creek township, was born in
Middletown, Dauphin Co., Penn., November 7,
1838, of German ancestry.
His grandfather, John Martin, was a native
of Lancaster county, this State, where he was
reared, but when a young man removed to Dau
phin county, there purchasing a farm of 100
acres, between Harrisburg and Middletown,
where he followed farming, and also conducted
the well-known hostelry known as " Black Bear
Tavern." During the Revolutionary war he
served in the Continental army in 1775 and 1776,
and in politics was a Whig. He was married in
Lancaster county, Penn., his wife's Christian
name being Elizabeth, who also was a native of
that county; both passed away at "Black Bear
Tavern," in Dauphin county. In their family
were three children, namely: Joseph, father of
our subject; Abram, a minister of the Winebren-
nerian Church, who also followed farming, and
died in Dauphin county; and John, an agricult
urist of the same county.
Joseph Martin, Sr., began his earthly career
at "Black Bear Tavern," and in the county of
his birth was educated, learning to speak Ger
man and read and write English. He remained
at home working upon the farm until he had
reached the age of twenty-one, when he went to
Middletown, Dauphin county, where, during the
dull seasons, when other work was not obtain
able, he picked up a knowledge of the cooper's
trade, and engaged in the manufacture of tubs,
barrels, etc. Hearing that land was cheap in
central Pennsylvania, and desiring to have a
farm of his own, he in 1840 came to Clinton
county and located on a tract of timber land in
Pine Creek township. After clearing a small
tract, he erected a house and barn thereon, and
in the winter months continued to engage in the
manufacture of barrels, as he found there was a
demand for the same at the mills in this sectiorf

of the State, while he spent the summer months
in clearing, improving and cultivating his farm
with the help of his family, and had the pleasure
of seeing waving fields of grain replace the wild
and primitive forests he found on his arrival
here. At "Black Bear Tavern" Joseph Martin,
Sr., was married to Miss Rebecca Shiley, a na
tive of Dauphin county, and a daughter of John
Shiley, a farmer of that county. Twelve chil
dren were born to them, namely: Alexander
died in Pine Creek township, Clinton county, at
the age of fifty-seven years; Sarah is the wife of
Irvin Hammer, of Ontario, Canada; Mary died
in Pine Creek township at the age of twelve
years; Rebecca died unmarried in the same
township; Joseph is the subject of this sketch;
Christiana A. M. is the wife of Daniel Ricker, of
Wayne township, Clinton county; Louise is the
wife of John M. Scout, of Indiana; Sebina is the
deceased wife of Henry Chambers, of New York
State; Catharine is the wife of James Scout, of
Pine Creek township; Amelia died at the age of
thirteen years; Elizabeth is a resident of Jersey
Shore, and Ida died at the age of eight. The
father died on his farm in December, i860, the
mother at the home of our subject, December
14, 1888, and their remains were interred in the
graveyard attached to the Lutheran Church in
Pine Creek township. They were members of
that Church, and were widely and favorably
known. The father was first a Whig and later
an ardent Republican in politics.
The subject of this sketch was only two years
old when brought by his parents to Clinton
county, and in the public schools of Pine Creek
township he acquired his education, Joseph Ma
son and a Mr. Garman being among his teachers.
As soon as old enough he began to assist in the
arduous task of clearing and developing the wild
land, and although he worked for neighboring
farmers at times, he remained upon the old
homestead after the death of his father, caring
for his mother and looking after her interests.
During the Civil war in 1863 he manifested his
patriotism by enlisting at Williamsport, Penn.,
in Company E, 143d P. V. I., under Capt. L.
M. Blair and Col. E. L. Daney, and was mus
tered into the United States service at Harris
burg, where the regiment was assigned to the
Fifth Army Corps. On going to the front, he
participated in the, engagements at Thorough
fare Gap, Va., the Wilderness, North Ann River,
Bethseda Church, and Cold Harbor, where he
received a rifle ball in the left shoulder, that is
still imbedded in the flesh. For four weeks he
was confined in Campbell Hospital, Washington,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

D. C. , and Chestnut Hill Hospital, Philadelphia,
and on his recovery rejoined his regiment in
front of Petersburg, in which battle he took part.
Later he was in the Weldon Railroad raid and
the first and second battles at Hatcher's Run,
after which he was sent to New York harbor to
guard prisoners and secure recruits. When the
war was over he was honorably discharged at
New York, in June, 1865, and returned to his
home in Clinton county, with a war record of
which he may justly be proud, for he was always
found at his post of duty, valiantly fighting for
the old flag and the cause it represented.
In 1866, Mr. Martin found employment in a
'sawmill, and for three years during the winter
season worked in the lumber woods of Lycoming
county: In 1875 he purchased the old McClos
key farm of forty-four acres in Pine Creek town
ship, Clinton county, on which he has erected a
good frame residence, a barn, tobacco sheds, etc. ,
and made many other excellent improvements, at
a cost of $4,000. He now devotes his energies
principally to agricultural pursuits, and has met
with a fair degree of success in his undertakings.
In 1882, at Jersey Shore, Lycoming county,
Mr. Martin was married to Miss Elizabeth A.
Kline, a native of Pine Creek township, Clinton
county, and a daughter of Daniel Kline. She
was at that time the widow of Christian Rine-
hart, who died in that township, in 1880, leaving
one son, Bert, who now lives with our subject.
Two sons grace the second marriage — Ervin Ray
mond, born March 11, 1883; and Benjamin
Franklin, born November 12, 1886. The father
of these is now serving as treasurer of the Pa
triotic Order Sons of America at Charlton, and
he and his family hold membership in the Lu
theran Church, in the work of which he has ever
taken an active and prominent part, being one
of the teachers in the Sunday-school. His polit
ical support is always given the men and measures
of the Republican party, but he has never been
an office-seeker, though he has creditably served
as overseer of the poor in Pine Creek township.
He lost the hearing of one of his ears during his
army service, and now receives a pension of $12
per month from the government as a slight com
pensation for the injury. He has the respect and
confidence of all who know him, and his friends
are many throughout Clinton county.

JOHN HAAGEN was reared to the occupation
of farming, and has devoted his entire life to
that honorable calling. He yet resides upon
the farm where his birth occurred in 1833. His
parents, George G. and Mary (Barger) Haagen,

were natives of Germany and Berks county,
Penn. , respectively. The father resided in that
country and in England until forty years of age,
and then crossing the Atlantic took up his res
idence in Pennsylvania, where he spent the re
mainder of his life upon a farm. He was a pro
gressive citizen, and was the first man in his sec
tion of the State to own a post-digger. He was
well-educated, and earnestly advocated all meas
ures tending to advance the welfare of the com
munity. He died in 1863, and his wife passed
away in 1873. They had a family of eight chil
dren, namely: Sarah (deceased), Mary Louisa,
George C, Solomon, Alexander, John, William,
and Nathan.
John Haagen received only the educational
advantages afforded by the common schools.
His training at farm work began in early life, and
he has since followed that pursuit, being now the
owner of 172 acres of valuable land in Beech
Creek township, Clinton county. This is under
a high state of cultivation, and the well-tilled
fields surround modern and substantial buildings,
which indicate the progressive and practical
spirit of the owner. His methods are modern
and systematic, and the thrifty appearance of the
place well indicates his careful supervision.
In 1862 Mr. Haagen was united in marriage
with Miss Fayetta Brungard, a daughter of John
Brungard, of Sugar Valley, Clinton county.
They now have a family of ten children, namely:
Nelson, who is married and resides in Iowa;
Hattie, wife of Robert McGee; George; Ellen,
wife of Charles Rutrich; William; Tennyson C;
S. R. Peal; Maggie; Alexander; and Bessie.
The parents are members of the Disciple
Church, and the family is one of prominence in
the community, while the household is noted for
its hospitality. Mr. Haagen is a member of the
Odd Fellows Society, and in politics is an advo
cate of the Democracy. He has served in local
official positions, having been jury commissioner,
while for fifteen years he did effective service as
a member of the school board. He is public-
spirited and progressive, and manifests his deep
interest in the welfare of the community by
g'iving an earnest support to all measures for the
public good.

EV. J. J. GORMLEY. There is no posi
tion held by man more important than that
of pastor of a Church, nor is there a position
that has attached to it greater importance or
responsibility when properly conceived and con
scientiously discharged. This is more essen
tially the case with the clergymen of the Catholic

^s

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

685

faith, for they are held more as instructors and
guides, not only in religious matters, but in moral
and social conduct, by their congregations.
There are few men by character and education
better fitted to preside over a people in all these
relations than the reverend gentleman whose
name opens this biography.
Father Gormley, pastor of St. Joseph's Cath
olic Church, at Renovo, was born in 1849, in
Ireland, and there began his preparation for the
priesthood. He first attended St. Mels College,
in Longford, and later took a philosophical and
theological course at All Hallows College, Dub
lin. Coming to America, in 1874, he entered
the Niagara University, in New York, where he
completed the course the following year. After
being ordained, he had charge of St. Patrick's
Church, in Carlisle, Penn., for five years, and
for the following seven years was pastor of St.
Joseph's Church, in Bonneauville, Adams Co.,
Pennsylvania. It was in May, 1888, that Father Gormley
came to Renovo, and under his able pastorate
St. Joseph's Church is now in a flourishing and
prosperous condition. The house of worship,
which he has erected, is an elegant brick struct
ure, 65x125 feet, and is finished on the interior
in the most approved style. Besides this build
ing, which cost $45,000, he has also erected a
fine parsonage, at a cost of $5,000, and has im
proved the convent and school buildings, so that
the church property is now very valuable. The
congregation has been rapidly gaining under his
pastorate; the parochial school now numbers
300 pupils, and the high school fifty. Father
Gormley is a man of good address and winning
manners. He is a zealous, active and efficient
worker for the Church, and is held in high
esteem not only by the people of his own congre
gation, but by the residents of Renovo generally.
In the pulpit he is especially gifted, and his dis
courses are scholarly and effective in their
appeals to follow the teachings of the Master.
In business he is shrewd, and as a financier no
priest in the diocese can excel him. Renovo is
proud of his citizenship, and points with pleasure
to his latest work, the church, that will afford
for future generations a monument to his memory.

DC. GRIEB, one of the most active, enter
prising and systematic farmers of Porter
township, has spent his entire life in Clinton
county, his birth occurring June 9, 1853, in
Green township, Sugar Valley, near Tylersville,
where the family was early established.
His grandfather, Christian Grieb, was born

June 10, 1799, in Germany, but at the age of
sixteen left the Fatherland, emigrating to the
United States and becoming a pioneer of Sugar
Valley. He was one of a family of sixteen chil
dren, whose descendants are now scattered over
this country. He began life here in very limited
circumstances, but by industry and economy he
succeeded in accumulating a handsome property,
and at one time owned and operated a gristmill
in Sugar Valley. As a companion and helpmeet
on life's journey he chose Miss Catharine Heinly,
who was born in 1893, and by their marriage
they became the parents of four children who
reached years of maturity: Thomas, who lives
near Carthage, Mo. ; Henry, also a resident of
Missouri; Jacob, father of our subject; and Aaron,
who died in Sugar Valley, December 15, 1875.
The father of these passed away March 24, 1867,
the mother July 30, 1878, and both were laid to
rest in the Tylersville cemetery.
Jacob Grieb was born in 1829, and on attain
ing to man's estate was joined in wedlock to
Miss Lovina B. Royer, a daughter of Daniel
Royer. To them were born four children, name
ly: D. C, of this review; John I. N. , a resident
of Missouri; Samuel, a hotel-keeper at State Col
lege, Penn. ; and Supera, wife of James Bierly,
of Anderson county, Kans. The father was a
tall man, an agriculturist by occupation, and
highly respected by all who knew him. He died
March 20, i860, and his wife departed this life
January 12, 1868, at the age of thirty-seven, the
remains of both being interred in the Lutheran
and Reformed cemetery at Tylersville.
The subject of this sketch was only seven
years old at the time of his father's death, after
which he lived with his uncle, Samuel Royer,
who was his guardian, remaining with him until
he started out in life for himself. He began his
education in the public schools, and at the age of
sixteen entered the Missionary Institute at Sel
ins Grove, Penn., where he pursued his studies
for some time. Reared as a farmer boy, he has
always followed that occupation, and has met
with a well-deserved success in his undertakings.
In October, 1878, Mr. Grieb was married to
Miss Ella M., daughter of Charles and Catharine
(Yearick) Stitzer, and they now have six children:
Charles B., Edwin B.,Elma P., Jay S. , Russell G.
and Herman W. After his marriage Mr. Grieb
operated his uncle's farm on Fishing creek until
the spring of 1891, when he removed to his pres
ent farm of eighty acres in Porter township,
Clinton county, which he purchased of Charles
Romig. The well-tilled fields and neat and
thrifty appearance of the place indicate the
industrious habits and progressive spirit of

686

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

the owner, and it is to-day one of the most
highly cultivated and attractive places of the local
ity. On attaining his majority Mr. Grieb became
a Republican, and continued to support that
party until the fall of 1896, when he cast his bal
lot for W. J. Bryan and free silver. He takes
a commendable interest in public affairs, but
cares nothing for the honors or emoluments of
political office. Fraternally he belongs to the
Grange, and was formerly a member of the Pa
triotic Order Sons of America, and, religiously,
both he and his wife hold membership in the
Lutheran Church, in which he has served as dea
con and secretary of both Church and Sabbath-
school. They are industrious, intelligent people,
and well deserve the confidence and respect
which is so freely accorded them by the entire
community.

ROBERT J. WOLF. No foreign element
has become a more important part in our

American citizenship than that furnished by Ger
many. The emigrants from that land have
brought with them to the New World the stabil
ity, enterprise and perseverance characteristic of
their people, and have fused these qualities with
the progressiveness and indomitable spirit of the
Western hemisphere. Mr. Wolf is a represent
ative of this class. He came to America poor,
hoping to benefit his financial condition, and his
dreams of the future have been more than real
ized, as he now owns a good home, besides a fine
flouring-mill in Mackeyville, Clinton county.
Mr. Wolf was born October 4, 1843, in Prus
sia, Germany, a son of William Frederick and
Hannah (Kanther) Wolf. The father was also
a miller by trade, and owned a small mill in his
native land, where he and his wife spent their
entire lives, his death occurring in 1852, at the
age of fifty-two, while his wife passed away at
the age of seventy-two. At his death he left the
mill and home, which the mother retained, and
she operated the former until she, too, was called
away. Our subject was the youngest son in the
family of eight children, four sons and four
daughters, all of whom remained in Germany
with the exception of Robert J. and two broth
ers — Ernest, now a- farmer of Kansas, and Will
iam, a miller of Philipsburg, Pennsylvania.
In his native land Robert J. Wolf secured a
good common-school education. He was but
nine years of age when his father died, but the
mother kept her children together until they
were old enough to start out in life for them
selves. At the age of fourteen he began serving

a regular apprenticeship to the miller's trade
and during his term of three'years received only
fifty cents per month. When he had attained a
sufficient age he entered the army, and remained
in the service for three years, after which he
again worked at his trade. His older brother,
William, had already gone to the United States,
and was doing much better than he could have
done in Germany, therefore our subject con
cluded to try his fortune on this side of the At
lantic. He had saved some money, and in May,
1869, took passage at Hamburg on the vessel
' ' Germany, " which, after a voyage of twelve days,
reached the harbor of New York. The follow
ing August that vessel foundered several hundred
miles from New York.
Mr. Wolf's destination was Williamsport,
Penn., where his brother, William, was then
living, but as the party he was with, including
his brother, Ernest, were' principally going to
Chicago, he decided to go with them. As he
could not find work at his trade, the first money
he earned in the United States was as a laborer
in clearing away some debris where there had
been a fire. After a short stay in Chicago, he
went to St. Louis, and later to Marquette,
Michigan, where he was employed as watchman
in an iron furnace during the winter of 1869-70.
The following spring he came to Williamsport,
Penn., and soon afterward secured a position as
miller in Montoursville, where he remained for a
year and a half. His brother, William, had
been in the employ of John S. Furst as miller in
Lamar township, Clinton county, and that posi
tion our subject filled at different times for fif
teen years. In the meantime the mill was de
stroyed by fire, so that he was forced to seek
employment elsewhere, and worked for a time in
both Bellefonte and Williamsport, after which
he returned to the Furst mill, which had been
rebuilt, and was then conducted by Furst Broth
ers. On account of ill-health he was compelled
to resign his position in the spring of 1889. Mr.
Wolf then removed to Mill Hall, but as his health
improved, on August 1, 1889, he took charge of
the old Hamburg Mill, which he purchased from
William Decker, and has since made his home in
Mackeyville. He has greatly improved the plant
by putting in new machinery, etc., at a cost of
over $5,000, and now has one of the best mills
of its capacity in Clinton county.
On September 26, 1872, at Mill Hall, Mr.
Wolf was married to Miss" Lucetta Masden, who
was born May 28, 185 1, in Bald Eagle Valley,
Clinton county, a daughter of William and Han
nah (Staran) Masden. They now have three
children: Maud D., born June 14, 1876, is the

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

687

wife of Burton Tobias, of Mackeyville; and Jen
nie P., born July 4, 1880, and Harry E., born
February 27, 1884, are both at home. The
father's sympathies are generally with the Dem
ocratic party, but at local elections he en
deavors to vote for the best man regardless
of party affiliations. In religious belief he is a
Lutheran, while his wife holds member-ship in the
Disciple Church. Socially he belongs to the
Knights of the Mystic Chain. His life record is
one well worthy of emulation and contains many
valuable lessons of incentive, showing the possi
bilities that are open to a young man who wishes
to improve every opportunity for advancement.

JOHN G. SCHRACK, one of the most intelli
gent and progressive agriculturists of Green
township, Clinton county, is a worthy repre
sentative of one of its honored pioneer families.
John and Benjamin Schrack, two brothers,
were born in Scotland, and when young men
crossed the Atlantic and located in Lancaster
county, Penn., where they followed farming for
several years. Emigrating westward, they took
up their residence in what was then a part of
Northumberland county, but is now Forest Hill,
Union county. Benjamin finally located on the
present site of Lewisburg, where he spent his re
maining days, but in 1773 John came to Sugar
Valley, now Clinton county, crossing over Sugar
mountain. In Green township he squatted upon
a tract of about 360 acres, known as the Weister
tract, that being the name of the man who first
surveyed it. Here John Schrack followed hunt
ing and farming until he, too, was called to his
final rest, and his remains were interred in the
Sugar Valley cemetery, which was laid out upon
a part of his farm. In his family were four sons:
John and James, who remained in Sugar Valley;
and David and Charles, who became pioneer set
tlers of Stark county, Ohio.
John Schrack, of the family just mentioned,
was the grandfather of our subject. His oppor
tunities for obtaining an education were very
limited, as there were no schools in his neighbor
hood at that early day. He aided his father in
the arduous task of clearing and cultivating the
new farm, and after attaining his majority pur
chased the tract on which his father had first
located. As it was covered with timber, he
erected a sawmill and engaged in the manufact
ure of lumber, and as the land was cleared he
placed it under cultivation and erected good and
substantial buildings thereon. His entire life
was passed in Sugar Valley, where he married
Catharine Brocius, who was born there, the

daughter of Jacob Brocius, a farmer, of German
descent. Their children were as follows: Jacob,
John, David, Pinkney, Levi, Mrs. Catharine Brun
gart, and Mrs. Elizabeth Goodman. The family
has ever been one of the highest respectability.
The grandfather was a Democrat until that party
got the State so deeply in debt by the construc
tion of canals, when he changed his political
allegiance, becoming a Whig. He and his wife
were earnest and consistent members of the Old
School Lutheran Church.
On the home farm, David Schrack (our sub
ject's father) was reared, and obtained a fair
English education, considering the number of
schools that existed in the Valley during his boy
hood. These were taught on the subscription
plan in old log school houses, and the teachers
were poorly prepared for their duties, but were
strict. He spent his entire life on the old home
stead, and when the property was divided after
the death of his father, he took the 150 acres
which constituted the lower half. Upon his land
he erected a good residence and barn, planted
an orchard and made many other useful im
provements, which added to its value and attract
ive appearance. Farming and lumbering he
made his principal occupations throughout life,
and upon his place he built a sawmill. He at
tended the great Centennial Exposition held in
Philadelphia in 1876, and was taken ill on his re
turn home, and died on tne 12th of November of
the same year. In politics he was an uncomprom
ising Republican, and was called upon to serve
in the office of overseer of the poor.
In Sugar Valley David Schrack was married
to Miss Mary Greninger, who was born there,
and was a daughter of Peter Greninger, a farmer.
The children born to this union were as follows:
Catharine, wife of Henry Fidler, of Wisconsin;
John G. ; Mary, wife of John Miller, of Logan
township, Clinton county; Elizabeth, wife of
Johm Emig, of the same township; Isabella;
David, who lives on a part of the old homestead;
Aaron, who died when young; Jacob, also de
ceased; Harriet, wife of Ellis Frantz, of Tylers
ville, Penn.; Emma J., wife of Charles Weaver,
of Logan township; and Harvey, deceased. The
mother's death occurred in Tylersville in 1891,
and she was laid to rest by the side of her hus
band in the Booneville cemetery. Both were
faithful members of the Lutheran Church, and
had a host of warm friends who appreciated
their sterling worth.
John G. Schrack (our subject) was born Sep
tember 28, 1838, at the ancestral home in Green
township, and in an old log school house he pur
sued his studies for about four months out of the

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

year when his services were not needed on the
home farm. Later he attended the Williams
port College for one term, and being a great
reader he has become one of the best-informed
men of the township, being thoroughly posted on
all the leading questions and issues of the day.
For twenty-three years he was engaged in the
manufacture of lumber in his father's sawmill,
and when the property was divided (in 1876) be
tween his brother David and himself, he ob
tained eighty-five acres, which has since been his
home. He has been quite successful in its oper
ation, and has made all the improvements found
thereon, including the erection of a comfortable
residence and good barns and outbuildings for
the shelter of his grain and stock.
In May, 1866, Mr. Schrack was married by
a justice of the peace to Elizabeth Wolf,
who was born February 4, 1840, in Lykens Val
ley, Dauphin Co., Penn., and was at that time
the widow of William Wallace Schwenk. Her
parents were Samuel B. and Ann M. (Witman)
Wolf, both now deceased, the former dying in
Sugar Valley in 1890, and the Jatter in the same
place, in 1881. By occupation the father was a
farmer and blacksmith. Mr. and Mrs. Schrack
have no children. Wherever known they are
held in high regard and have the respect and
confidence of the entire community.

WILLIAM R. GOODMAN, M. D. In
 studying the lives and character of prom
inent men we are naturally led to inquire the
secret of their success and the motives that have
prompted their action. Success is oftener a mat
ter of experience and sound judgment, and
thorough preparation for a life work, than it is
of genius, however bright. When we trace the
career of those whom the world acknowledges as
successful, and those who stand high in public es
teem, we find that in almost every case they are
those who have risen gradually by their own ef
forts, their diligence and perseverance. These
qualities are undoubtedly possessed in a large
measure by the gentleman whose name intro
duces this sketch, and added to these is a devo
tion to principle that may well be termed the key
note of his character. It is this which commands
the confidence and respect so universally given
him, and it is this that has secured him a liberal
practice as a medical practitioner in Loganton,
and an eminent position in both political and so
cial circles.
The Doctor was born April 9, 1851, in the
town where he still makes his home, a son of
George Goodman, whose birth occurred in Dau

phin county, in 18 12. The father only received
a meagre education in the German language, be
coming able to read the writing but not the Ger
man print, but was only able to speak English to
a limited extent. Learning the shoemaker's
trade, he made that his life occupation. When
a young man he came to Loganton, Clinton
county, where he built for himself a home, and
followed his trade throughout the remainder of
his life, dying here in 1892. In Loganton he had
married Lyddie Sugard, who was born in Read
ing in 181 5, and died in 1892, being laid to rest
by the side of her husband in Sugar Valley cem
etery. In their family were six children, name
ly: Jeremiah, now a resident of Wisconsin; Jen
nie, wife of William Hibler, of Lock Haven,
Penn. ; Elizabeth, wife of George Tibbins, of Lo
ganton; William R.; Samuel, of Loganton; and
Joseph, a shoemaker of Lock Haven. The fam
ily is one of the highest respectability.
During his boyhood Dr. Goodman was only
able to attend the public schools of. Loganton
during the winter term. At the early age of nine
years he began working for farmers in the Valley,
the first year receiving only his board and clothes.
The following year he was given $3 per month,
and the next year $4, but this was all given to
his parents. After working in this way for four
years, at the age of thirteen he began learning
the shoemaker's trade with his father, and the
following seven years he was employed at farm
labor during the summer months, and at work in
the woods, mills or at teaming during the winter
season. In 1 87 1 he went to Illinois, where he worked
on a farm, but in the winter of 1872 returned to
Pennsylvania and found employment in a saw
mill. Saving a little money with which to pay
his expenses, he attended the summer schools of
Loganton, and during the next fall and winter
clerked in the store of Mr. Witmer, after which
he pursued his studies in the normal school of
Salona, Clinton county, for a time, under the
direction of Prof. Martin Herr. The following
winter he taught the primary school of Logan
ton, and read medicine with Dr. J. A. Houtz, of
that place, and the next summer attended the
Central Pennsylvania College of New Berlin,
Union county, after which he taught the gram
mar school of Loganton through the winter while
continuing his medical studies. He then entered
the Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia,
and during his two-years' course spent the vaca
tions in teaching in Loganton. After his gradu
ation, in the spring of 1880, he went to Reeds
ville, Mifflin Co., Penn., where he spent two
months, and for the same length of time was en-

{Z^i^

r>, &.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

689

gaged in practice in Rebersburg, Centre county,
but at the death of Dr. Moyer, an old practi
tioner of Loganton, our subject was invited to'
locate here by his former preceptor, Dr. Houtz,
with whom he entered into partnership in the
fall of 1880. Their skill and ability have won
for them a large and constantly increasing prac
tice, and among their professional brethren they
occupy an enviable position.
On March 24, 1880, in Beech Creek, Clinton
county, Dr. Goodman was married to Miss Annie
M. McCloskey, who was born near Farrandsville,
same county, a daughter of Abner McCloskey, an
old and honored citizen of Beech Creek. They
have two children: Lee McCloskey, born Sep
tember 12, 1 88 1, attended the public schools of
Loganton, where he graduated, and was later a
student for three terms in the Central Pennsyl
vania College of New Berlin, and with the class
of 1897 graduated at the high school of Lock
Haven, and is now attending Bucknell Universi
ty, Lewisburg, Penn. ; and Linn Sumner, born
February 19, 1883, completed the grammar-
school course in Loganton in 1896, and is now
attending the Lock Haven High School.
Socially the Doctor is a prominent member
of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and
also of La Fayette Lodge, F. & A. M., of Lock
Haven, and the Chapter and Commandery. He
is one of the leading Democrats of the county,
and has been honored with a number of impor
tant official positions, being chief burgess several
terms, a member of the council and school direct
or, the duties of which offices were most faith
fully and efficiently discharged.

GEORGE GLOSSNER, a well-known tobac-
f co grower and farmer of Woodward town
ship, Clinton county, comes from the Fatherland,
and the strongest and most creditable character
istics of the Teutonic race have been marked ele
ments in his life, and have enabled him to win
success in the face of opposing circumstances.
Mr. Glossner was born November 18, 1835, in
Wittenberg, Germany, of which place his par
ents, Jacob and Elizabeth (Ghoul) Glossner, we re
also natives, the former born in 181 1, the latter
in 1 8 1 3 . In his native land the father acquired a
good German education and learned the carpen
ter's trade, which he continued to follow there
until 1836, when, with the hope of bettering his
financial condition, he came to the United
States accompanied by his family, on a sailing
vessel, which reached the harbor of Baltimore
after a long voyage of eleven weeks. From
44*

there they walked to Chambersburg, Penn.,
and by wagon proceeded to Harrisburg, and
thence to Eagleville, now Blanchard, Centre
county, where Mr. Glossner built for himself a
home and followed his trade throughout the re
mainder of his life. He died in 1851, and was
buried at Eagleville. He was a Whig in poli
tics, was a consistent member of the German
Reformed Church, and had the respect and con
fidence of all who knew him. His estimable
wife belonged to the same Church. In their
family were eight children, namely: Christina,
deceased wife of Peter Shaub, of Harrisburg;
George, of this sketch; Elizabeth, wife of John
Sloan, of Harrisburg; David died in childhood;
Daniel died in Leidy township, Clinton county;
Joseph died in Lock Haven, Clinton county;
Jacob, of Butler county, Penn., and Christian,
of Cameron county. After the death of her
first husband the mother married James Saw
yers, of Eagleville, by whom she had two chilr
dren: James and Irwin.
Our subject was only a year old when brought
by his parents to America, and in the public
schools of Centre county he received his edu
cation, while his business training was received
in a fanning-mill manufactory, at Beech Creek,
where he worked from the age of twelve to six
teen, receiving only thirty cents per day, from
which he had to board himself. During the
last year he worked at piece-work and made
better wages. In 185 1 he found employment in
a blacksmith shop in Eagleville, where he re
mained for two years, and afterward was engaged
in scaling logs in different counties for almost
twenty-three years, during which time he meas
ured many million feet of lumber, was regarded
as one of the best scalers in the business, and
met with a well-deserved success in that enter
prise. He has also acted as pilot on the West
branch of the Susquehanna, rafting lumber down
the river to markets. In 1875 he purchased a
farm of sixty-two acres in Woodward township,
Clinton county, on which he has erected a com
fortable residence and made many other valuable
improvements, and he has since devoted his time
and attention principally to general farming and
tobacco raising.
In Chapman township, Clinton county, in
1857, Mr. Glossner was married to Miss Jane
Kelley, a native of that township, and a daugh
ter of Samuel Kelley, a farmer by occupation.
To them were born five children: Amelia, wife
of Cline McCloskey, of Bald Eagle township,
Clinton county; George B., a merchant of Gale-
ton, Potter Co., Penn.; Jennie, who has success
fully engaged in school teaching for twelve years;

690

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

and two who died in infancy. The wife and
mother died at Lock Haven, in 1865.
Mr. Glossner was again married at Fleming-
ton, in 1868, his second marriage being with Miss
Mary F. Jones, who was born April 8, 1833, in
Berkshire, Mass. She began her education in
the public schools of that place, and later attend
ed the State Normal School of Connecticut,
where she graduated in 1851. For eight years
she followed the teacher's profession in that
State, and after coming with her parents to
Flemington, Penn., in 1861, she continued to en
gage in teaching for six years in Clinton county,
for one year in the high school in Bellefonte,
and also in the grammar department. She met
with excellent success as a teacher, is a cultured
and refined lady, and she and her husband are
held in high regard by all who know them. They
hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal
Church, in which he is serving as trustee and
steward. Politically, he is identified with the
Republican party.
To Mr. and Mrs. George Glossner have been
born two children, namely: (1) Emma E. was
educated in the public schools of Woodward
township, and in the Central State Normal at
Lock Haven, and then taught school for four
years in Clinton county. On October 18, 1892,
she was married to William E. Houck, of Chester
Hill, Clearfield Co., Penn., and they now have
three children — Mary, Ruth, and Carl. (2) J.
Frank also attended the public schools of Wood
ward township, and now assists his father in the
" operation of the home farm.
Albert Jones, the grandfather of Mrs. Gloss
ner, was born in Connecticut, of Welsh ancestry,
and throughout his active business life followed
droving and merchandising. In his political
views he was a Whig, and in his Church rela
tions was a Baptist. His last days were spent in
Berkshire, Mass. He married Lillie Maxwell, a
daughter of Col. Maxwell, an officer in the Rev
olutionary war, under Gen. Washington, with
whom he crossed the Delaware river the night
before the battle of Trenton. He was also a
member of the first Colonial Congress. Mr. and
Mrs. Jones had four children: Alfred, Elizabeth,
Joshua, and John.
Capt. John Jones, Mrs. Glossner's father, re
ceived a good education, and was a drover for a
time. He was a self-made man, and after com
ing to Flemington, Clinton Co., Penn., became
a contractor for the Philadelphia & Erie railroad.
He was married in Berkshire, Mass., to Emeline
Knight, a native of that place, and a daughter of
Arthur Knight, and to them were born three chil
dren: Mrs. Glossner; Alfred, who died in child

hood; and Carrie, who died at the age of twenty-
one. The mother passed away in Flemington,
in 1 86 1, and the father, who was also born in
Berkshire, Mass., in 181 1, died at the home of
his daughter, in Dunnstown, Woodward town
ship, in 1878. He was a member of the Presby
terian Church, in which he had long been active
and prominent, and he was unwavering in his
support of the principles of the Republican party.
No man in Clinton county was more highly re
spected or esteemed than Capt. Jones.

CHRISTIAN MYERS is a representative of
„' one of the pioneer families of Clinton coun
ty, and has for many years been prominently
identified with its agricultural interests.
The Myers family is of German origin, and was
founded in America by Christian Myers, a native
of Baden, Germany, who learned the mason's
trade in that country, and in 1829 came with his
wife and five children — Charles, Catharine, Mary,
Conrad and Eve — to America. The voyage was
a long one, but at length they reached their des
tination and located in the German settlement
in Clinton county. The father had exhausted all
his means on the trip over, but provided for his
family by working at his trade. He purchased
a wooded tract of land, and while clearing the
place endured many hardships, but he was a sturdy
German, possessing the resolute character of his
people, and ultimately he obtained a good home.
He died in 185 1 at the age of sixty years. His
wife, who bore the maiden name of Eve Cathar
ine Ziegler, lived to a ripe old age, and was buried
by his side in the Ziegler cemetery in Dunstable
township, Clinton county. They were both
members of the Lutheran Church, and he was
was a Democrat in his political views.
The children of this worthy couple, who
lived to adult age, were as follows: Christian,
who died in Gallagher township, Clinton county;
Catharine, who became the wife of Adam Engler,
and died at Lockport; Conrad, who died inBeech
Creek township, Clinton county; Charles, of
Gallagher township; Mary, who became the wife
of William Pelton, and died in Lock Haven; Eve
C, wife of John Earon, of Lock Haven; Adam,
who lives on the old homestead; Elizabeth, who
married Martin Tyler, and died in Farrandsville;
Susan, wife of Charles Van Gordon, of Mount
Eagle, Centre county; and Caroline, wife of
George Kirby, of Farrandsville. Barbara died at
the age of ten years, and several children died in
infancy, there being about twenty children alto
gether in the family.
Christian Myers, the father of our subject,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

691

was born in Baden, and in early life was a
shepherd. He lived with his uncle, Mr. Shaffer,
and remained in Germany several years after his
parents' removal to America, but on his uncle's
death in 1847 he came to America on the same
vessel on which his future wife, Barbara Trost,
was a passenger. They were married soon after
reaching this country, and Mr. Myers and his
brother Charles purchased 100 acres of timber
land, on one-half of which the father of our
subject established a home. He endured many
hardships and privations while developing and
improving that property, but lived to see it
transformed into a good farm. He was an act
ive, industrious man, and put forth every effort to
provide for his family. After a lingering illness
of several months he died in October, 1867, and
was buried beside his wife, who had passed away
seven years before and was laid to rest in Gallaher
cemetery. In political belief he was a Demo
crat, and in religious faith a Lutheran.
Christian and Barbara Myers were the par
ents of the following named children: Gottlieb,
of Renovo, Penn., who was born in 1848; Chris
tian; Thomas, a brickmaker of Castanea, born
in 185 1 ; Martin, of Bensinger, Elk Co., Penn.,
born in 1853; Adam, who was born in 1854, and
died in childhood; George, who died in infancy;
John A., of Bensinger, Penn., born in 1856;
Theresa, born in 1858, wife of David Myers, of
Bald Eagle township, Clinton county; and Fred
erick, who was killed at the age of nineteen by
being thrown from a load of fodder.
Christian Myers, whose name opens this arti
cle, was born February 3, 1850, in Gallagher
township, Clinton county. He attended the
schools of the neighborhood to a limited extent,
but his privileges were meager, as his service
was needed in clearing the home farm. In his
boyhood he lived in a log cabin, and not a house
could be seen from the place. The path to
school was never trod except by the school chil
dren, and lay through the dense woods, where
frequently deer could be seen. He aided in
clearing and developing the farm, and at the
time of his parents' deaths he went to live with
John Earon in Beech Creek township, Clinton
county, making his home with his uncle until he
began work on the Philadelphia & Erie railroad
as a brakeman. After two years, illness com
pelled him to abandon that work, and he worked
in the lumber woods and on a farm.
On April 14, 1880, in Beech Creek, our sub
ject was married to Miss Mary J. Earon, who was
born March 20, 1847, in Dunstable township, a
daughter of John and Eve (Myers) Earon, who
now live in Lock Haven. They began their do

mestic life on the Philip Lehr farm, which Mr.
Myers purchased. There he lived for fourteen
years, and in the spring of 1893 came to his
present home in Bald Eagle township, known as
the J. D. L. Smith farm. The stone residence,
which still stands, was built more than a century
ago. He has 108 acres of valuable land, and he
owns another farm of 125 acres in Beech Creek
township. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Myers
has been blessed with three children: Thomas
A., born July 10, 1882; Albert C. , born February
21, 1885; and Barbara E. , born August 23,
1887. In his political views Mr. Myers was formerly
a Democrat, but his strong temperance princi
ples led him to endorse the Prohibition party,
with which he is now identified. He and his
wife are members of the Laurel Run Methodist
Episcopal Church, and he served as a member
of the building committee at the time of the
erection of the house of worship in 1894, and
contributed liberally to its support. He was one
of its first trustees, still fills that office, and he
has been class-leader for seventeen years. , Mr.
Myers started out in life a poor boy, but has be
come one of the substantial farmers of the com
munity. His life has been one of earnest, inde
fatigable labor, guided by sound judgment, and
characterized by the strictest honor in all busi
ness transactions. There is no better or more
valuable citizen in Bald Eagle township than
this gentleman.

'ENRY H. FRITZ, who is classgd among
JJ^L the successful agriculturists of Gallagher
township, Clinton county, is well worthy of no
tice in a work of this kind, and to be ranked
among the men who have distinguished them
selves as useful and enterprising citizens. He
was born June 8, 1840, and is a son of Joseph
Fritz, whose birth occurred near Williamsport,
in Lycoming county, Penn., where he acquired
a limited English education, and continued to
make his home until early manhood. He then
came to Lock Haven, where he started the first
brick manufactory, which he operated very suc
cessfully for a number of years, and also en
gaged in farming on the Isaac Lusk property.
In politics he was a Whig, and in religious be
lief a Baptist. He died in Lock Haven, in 1848,
honored and respected by all who knew him.
At Williamsport, Penn., Joseph Fritz was
married to Christina Hartsock, a native of Ti
oga county, Penn., and to them were born six
children, namely: John, a resident of Indiana;

692

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Sarah, deceased wife of Jacob Gottschall; Henry
H., of this review; William, of Watson town
ship, Lycoming Co., Penn.; Daniel, who died
in Lock Haven; and one child, who died in in
fancy. After the death of her first husband
Mrs. Fritz married John Gottschall. She died
in Gallagher township, Clinton county, and was
buried in Caldwell cemetery.
Henry H. Fritz attended the public schools
of Lycoming county, and Lock Haven and Gal
lagher township, Clinton county, but his educa
tion was limited as his father died when he was
only eight years old, and he was forced to earn
his own livelihood. For a short time he worked
in White Deer Valley, and then assisted his step
father in the arduous task of clearing and de
veloping a new farm, remaining with him until
reaching manhood. He then engaged in shingle
making and lumbering in different parts of the
county until 1865, when he located on the old
Gottschall farm of 137 acres, which he still con
tinues to own and operate in a most profitable
manner. He has made many excellent improve
ments, upon the place, including a fine house
and substantial barns and outbuildings, and it is
now one of the most attractive and valuable
farms of Gallagher township. In connection
with general farming he is also engaged in
stock-raising. On April 30, 1865, in Loganton, Sugar Valley,
Mr. Fritz was married to Miss Adelia Sheetz, who
was born February 27, 1842, in Miles township,
Brush Valley, Centre county, Penn. , a daughter
of Jacob and Margaret (Snyder) Sheetz, natives
of Powells Valley, Dauphin county, and North
umberland county, Penn., respectively. By oc
cupation the father was a farmer. The children
born to Mr. and Mrs. Fritz were as follows:
Harriet V. and Franklin F., who died when
young; Alva Festus, who was educated in the
Central State Normal, of Lock Haven, and has
successfully engaged in teaching for two terms;
Elmer Harrison, at home; Irena E., wife of
George A. Fox; and Corda M. , John H. and J.
Jacob Garfield, all at home. The oldest son
also resides at home, and in politics is a Re
publican. On attaining his majority our subject sup
ported the men and measures of the Whig party,
and since the Civil War he has been an ardent
Republican. He has been called upon to serve
in several official positions of honor and trust,
being tax collector of his township, school direct
or, supervisor, auditor and overseer of the poor.
In the United Evangelical Church he and his
family hold membership, and occupy a prominent
position in the social circles of the community.

m BSALOM FARWELL, whose identification
-ft|L with the business, political, social and
moral interests of Clinton county numbers him
among its leading citizens, is a representative of
one of the earliest families of Chapman town
ship. His ancestors located in New England in
Colonial days, and the first of the family to come
to Pennsylvania was Lemuel Farwell, the grand
father of our subject, who resided near South
Farmingham, Mass., whence he removed in 1800-
to Chapman township, then a portion of North
umberland county. He settled on a tract of land
near Bakerstown, built a log house and barn and
begart farming and lumbering on his own account.
He spent his entire life there, dying at the age of
fifty-five, and his remains were interred in Bak
erstown. He was married in Chapman township
to a daughter of Abner McCloskey, of Scotch-
Irish descent, a farmer and lumberman of the
neighborhood. In their family were five chil
dren: Abel removed to Stephenson county, 111.,
though his death occurred in Clinton county,'
Penn. ; James followed farming in Clearfield
county, Penn., until his death; Lemuel died in
Hyner, Penn., in 1889; Nathan died on the
homestead in Chapman township; and Mrs.
Rachel Lingle died in Ohio. The mother of this
family passed away in Chapman township.
The grandparents were both members of the
Methodist Church, and he was a man well known,
for his honesty and upright dealing.
Lemuel Farwell (father of our subject) was a
native of Chapman township, and attended the
subscription schools, but was mostly educated
under the direction of his father who was a man
of scholarly attainments. He followed lumber
ing and farming with his father for a time, and
afterward engaged very extensively in the lumber
business, erecting a sawmill and shipping his
lumber in rafts to Middletown, where it was sold.
Mr. Farwell was one of the most extensive lum
ber dealers in his section of the State, and be
came so thoroughly acquainted with the West:
branch of the Susquehanna that he frequently
acted as pilot on the river in his young days.
He also owned and operated a gristmill, and, as
there was no bank in the community, he acted as
a local banker, loaning money to his neighbors
at a small rate of interest. In 1869, after a long,
busy and useful career, he retired to private life
and moved to Hyner, where he built a comfort
able home, and with his wife there enjoyed the
fruits of his former toil. His death occurred in
1889. In politics he was a Democrat, but not an
office-seeker. He and his wife were faithful
members of the Methodist Church, in which he:

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

693

served as class-leader, and was Sunday-school
superintendent and teacher. Temperate in all
his habits, he abstained from strong drink and to
bacco, and in all his business dealings his hon
esty was proverbial. Genial in manner and
kindly in temperament, he was a good father, kind
husband and faithful friend, and his death was
deeply mourned. His wife, who bore the maiden
name of Jane McCloskey, was born in Dun
stable township, Clinton county. Her father,
Abner McCloskey, was born in the North of
Ireland in 1798, and became a farmer of Clin
ton county. Mrs. Farwell had five children:
Absalom, our subject; Nancy, widow of George
Valentine, of Starrucca, Penn.; Kline J., a lum
berman of Renovo, Penn. ; Mary A. , deceased
wife of R. S. Condon, of Chatham Run; and
Sarah E. , wife of Samuel Mummah, of Juniata,
Penn. The mother of this family is still living
in Hyner, at the advanced age of eighty-one
years, and enjoys good health.
Absalom Farwell is one of the progressive
men of Pine Creek township. He was born in
Chapman township, December 18, 1839, attend
ed the public schools, and Dickinson Seminary,
Williamsport, Penn. He afterward taught school
in Logansville for one term, and one term in
Pine Creek township. Having a good knowl
edge of the lumber business, he then took charge
of his father's mills, which he operated until the
great flood of 1865, when the mill was washed
away and lumber to the value of many thousands
of dollars was lost. In the summer of that year
he became a jobber in nursery stock, handling
fruit trees and shrubbery, and in this way traveled
through every county of Pennsylvania and many
of the eastern, middle and western States and
Canada. For a quarter of a century he followed
that business, employing many agents and meet
ing with good success in his undertakings. Dur
ing that time he made his home at North Bend,
Clinton county, where he had a fine residence
and good farm of one hundred acres, which is
now operated by his son. In 1885 he purchased
the Brown farm in Pine Creek township, Clinton
county, comprising- 125 acres, on which stand a
fine brick dwelling house, good barns and other
substantial buildings. In 1892 he retired from
the nursery business and took up his residence
upon this farm, where he has since made his
home. He is now quite extensively engaged in
cultivating tobacco, and has built good sheds
and secured other facilities to advance his inter
ests in this line. He is also engaged in raising
stock, and has one of the best-cultivated farms
in his section of the county.
In 1868, in Dunstable township, Clinton

county, our subject was married to Martha Jane
Baird, who was born in that township, Novem
ber 24, 1844, a daughter of David and Tabitha
(Quigley) Baird. They have five children: (1)
Truman L. L. D. , who was educated in the
schools of Chapman township, the Lock Haven
Normal, the Westchester Normal, and the Penn
sylvania State. College, now operates the farm at
North Bend. He married Nellie Gallagher, who
is a member of the Presbyterian Church. In
politics the husband is independent. (2) Tab
itha Josephine, educated in the public schools
of Clinton county, Bucknell Seminary of Lewis
burg, and the West Chester Normal, is engaged
in teaching music. She married Harry Crist,
of Pine Creek township. (3) Franklin Pierce,
educated at Charlton and Lock Haven Normal
school. (4) Milton Girard Gambetta and (5)
Howard M. are at home.
Absalom Farwell is a Democrat, and he
stanchly advocates the principles promulgated
by Bryan. In 1877 and again in 1888 he was
a candidate for sheriff, but failed to overcome the
strong Republican majority. He has served as
auditor of Chapman township, and as school
director of Pine Creek township, acting as sec
retary of the board. His wife holds member
ship in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and
Mr. Farwell formerly belonged to the Odd
Fellows Society. His life record is one well
worthy of emulation. In his business he is ener
getic, persevering and progressive, and conducts
his interests along the lines of the most honor
able business dealings. He has achieved success
through his capable management, and his pros
perity is certainly well deserved. Public spirited,
he withholds his support from no enterprise cal
culated to benefit the community. He holds
friendship inviolable, and is true to all the duties
of both public and private life.

JEREMIAH J. BARNER, one of the most
progressive lumbermen and farmers of Green
township, Clinton county, was born there on
May 1, 1838, a son of Henry Barner, a native of
Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania.
John Barner, the grandfather, was also born
in Schuylkill county, and was of German descent.
He was an agriculturist, and on leaving his native
county came to what is now Clinton county (then
Centre), and in Green township purchased a tract
of 400 acres, which he improved and cultivated
throughout the remainder of his life. In connec
tion with farming he also engaged in lumbering.
He was a man well known and highly respected.
Retiring one night in the best of health, he was

694

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

found dead in bed the next morning, being shot
during the night by some unknown assassin, who
was never found or brought to justice for the ter
rible crime. His wife was one of the best of
women, very strong, being able to carry three
bushels of wheat, and at the time her youngest
child was married she was still able to ride on
horseback over the mountains to- visit her chil
dren. In the family were twenty-two children,
none of whom were twins, but only the names of
the following are known: David, George, Henry,
Benjamin, John, Daniel, Adam, Samuel, Christo
pher, Herman, Lyddie, Mary, Fanny, Elizabeth
and Catharine.
Henry Barner, our subject's father, received
a fair education in both the German and English
languages. He accompanied his parents on their
removal to Clinton county, where he grew to
manhood on the home farm, and on starting out
in life for himself engaged in agricultural pursuits
in Sugar Valley, Green township, wherein 1840
he bought 300 acres of timber land. Upon his
place he erected a sawmill, and converted the
timber into marketable lumber, and cleared 150
acres of his land, which he placed under cultiva
tion and improved with good buildings, including
a fine residence. He also conducted a hotel or
tavern for five years on his farm in Green town
ship, and in his undertakings met with a fair de
gree of success. He was a stanch supporter of
the Democracy, and was an elder in the Lutheran
Church. His upright, honorable course in life
gained for him the confidence and esteem of all
with whom he came in contact, either in his busi
ness or social relations.
In Green township, Clinton county, Henry
Barner was united in marriage with Miss Cathar
ine Kurn, who was born in Logan township, a
daughter of John Kurn, a native of Germany, and
a farmer by occupation. The following children
were born to them; John, a resident of Green
township; Israel, who died in 1892; Emanuel, of
Nittany Valley, Penn. ; Sarah, widow of David
Miller; Jacob B. ; Jeremiah J.; Rebecca, wife of
David Shryer; Daniel, of Green township; Helen,
wife of Samuel Engle; Catharine, wife of John
Douty; Henry, who died when young; George,
of Penn's Valley; and one who died in infancy.
The father departed this life in 1872, the mother
in 1893, and both were laid to rest in Mount
Union cemetery, Green township.
Jeremiah J. Barner obtained a limited educa
tion in the public schools of Green township, but
his business training was not so meagre, and he
had so thorough a knowledge of the milling busi
ness that at the early age of twelve years he was
given charge of a circular saw for the lumber

firm of Voras & Caldwell in the eastern part of
Green township, remaining with them for three
years. For the same length of time he was a
sawyer for Hoover & Price, and the next three
years were spent in the sawmill of Haffey & Co.
He was then a partner in the manufacture of
shingles in the Engle sawmill, but two years
later he accepted the position of head sawyer in
a mill at Williamsport, where he remained three
years, and spent the following eight years in a
mill on Little Pine creek, after which he traveled
for a time through the western States, and in the
Rocky Mountains as far as Colorado. He then
accepted a position in a sawmill in Jackson coun
ty, Mo., but as the climate did not agree with his
health, he resigned at the end of two months and
returned home. After working in a sawmill in
Brush Valley, Centre county, for a year and a
half he came to Green township, Clinton coun
ty, in 1885, and entered into partnership with
the Engle brothers in the manufacture of lumber,
since doing business under the firm style of Engle,
Barner & Engle. It is one of the most reliable
companies of the kind in the county, and is
meeting with a well-deserved success. Mr.
Barner is also interested in farming, having a
valuable place of sixty-five acres, whose well-
tilled fields and neat and thrifty appearance tes
tify to the skill and ability of the owner as an
agriculturist. During the dark days of the Civil war, Mr.
Barner laid aside all personal interest, and at
Lock Haven, on August 10, 1861. enlisted in
Company B, nth P. V. I., under Capt. Shanks
and Col. P. D. Collier. On being mustered in
at Harrisburg, the regiment was assigned to the
Army of the Potomac, and with his command
our subject participated in the battles of Falling
Water, White Plains, Thompson Gap, Cedar
Mountain and Gettysburg. After the last named
engagements he, with three comrades, -bought
some milk to drink, and the others died from the
poison which it contained, while he himself
thereby rendered unfit for duty for almost a
year, during which time he was confined in six
different hospitals in Washington, and suffered
untold agonies. As soon as he was able to be
moved he was discharged in May, 1864, at Wash
ington, and returned home.
At Lock Haven, Mr. Barner was married to
Miss Elizabeth Engle, a native of Green town
ship, Clinton county, and a daughter of John
Engle, a lumberman. Her brother Jacob is now
a partner of our subject. Five children grace
this union: Franklin is engaged in milling; Mc
Clellan is postmaster and a sawyer at Carroll,
Green township; Clara is the wife of Cyrus Bix-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

695

ler, of Buffalo Valley, Union Co., Penn. ;- Law
rence was educated in the Musical College of
Freeburg, and is now engaged in teaching music;
and Grant is at home.
Fraternally, Mr. Barner is an honored mem
ber of George E. Myers Post No. 379, G. A. R.,
and Sugar Valley- Lodge, I. O. O. F., both of
Loganton, while politically he has been a pro
nounced Republican since the war. For five
years he has served as school director, and he
has always taken an active interest in those meas
ures calculated to promote the general welfare
along various lines. As a citizen he is highly re
spected, enjoys the confidence of his neighbors,
and is regarded as a man of excellent business
judgment. J'OHN SOLT. It must be with a deep sense
of just pride and of grateful satisfaction that
a successful self-made man at eventide of life
looks back over the past — to his early poverty
and struggles, and later victories and triumphs.
In a position to do this is he whose name intro
duces this sketch.
Born February 20, 1829, on a farm in Por
ter township, Clinton county, Mr. Solt is the
son of John and Mary (Miller) Solt, the former
of whom was a native of Northampton county,
Penn. Our subject was one of seven children
born to his parents, and one of twins — their first
born. His parents were farming people of the
county, plain, unassuming and hard-working
country folks, God-fearing and law-abiding citi-
izens, who plodded on through life yet were of
good cheer, scattered sunshine as they went
along, and left the world the better for their hav
ing lived in it. The father was identified with
the Evangelical Church. He died at the age
of eighty-one years, and his faithful companion
passed away when she was forty-seven. Both
are buried at Mackeyville. He had been pre
viously married, and to that union were born
seven children. Our subject was raised on a 25-
acre farm; his parents being poor he had to assist
in the support of the family, and was not given
many school privileges. At the age of eighteen
years he worked on a farm for David Allison, and
although performed a man's work he received
for his services only six dollars per month. His
father had previously bought a small farm of
twenty-five acres, but had not been able to pay
for it. This tract was in the woods, and the
father and sons had performed much hard work
in clearing, grubbing and preparing the ground
for cultivation. A combination of circumstances
seemed to conspire against the father, and he
was unable to pay for the land and so lost it.

Finally, however, by the combined efforts of the
family, the little farm and home were paid for.
The son, John, while yet in his teens, was
away from home much of the time, working at
different places at whatever he could find to do
until finally he located on his father's farm, which
he rented and began farming on a small scale.
He commenced with two horses (one of them be
ing quite old and of not much service) and one
cow. He remained on the little farm some two
years, he and his faithful wife struggling on, full
of hope that inspires youth to its greatest ener
gies. At the time of his marriage, in December,
1852, when he was twenty-four years of age, and
before he rented the home place, himself and
bride began their married life in two rooms in
the house of his brother Samuel, at Mackeyville.
At this time the husband depended upon his day's
labor for support, and his wages were then but
fifty cents per day. But with stout hearts and
willing hands they went to work and toiled on.
From Mackeyville they went to the farm, thence
to the Thomas Brown farm, which the husband
rented in connection with his brother Samuel,
but their efforts were still unrewarded, for after
planting and cultivating, the harvest was not suf
ficient to pay for the seeding; and their efforts
did not yield them a living. This farm was aban
doned, and again the young husband resorted to
days' labor, residing on rented property at Mackey
ville. Later on he rented a farm in Lamar town
ship, and after six years of effort, good managirg
and economical living, they were successful in get
ting a good start and bought the John Reesman
farm, going in debt to the extent of nearly
$4,000, which, as time passed by, the united ef
forts of husband and wife paid off the obliga
tions. No sooner out of debt than their only
daughter was married, and the good parents,
prompted by their generous love to their child,
moved to Mackeyville, and left the daughter on
the farm to begin life under more flattering cir
cumstances than awaited their own marriage.
Subsequently (1880) Mr. Solt purchased another
small farm of eighty-odd acres, and after one'
year's residence at Mackeyville, moved to it, where
he resided until 1892; then returned to Mackey
ville, where he now occupies and owns one of the
most comfortable houses in the village. Although
pretty well advanced in years, nearing the three
score and ten period, he is by no means inactive,
but finds something to keep his active and rest
less mind busy. He still farms a little, and is
hardly on the retired list.
Mr. Solt is an example of what perseverance
and a determined effort may accomplish, rising
from a poor boy through adverse circumstances

696

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

to a competence and to creditable citizenship.
For years he served the people of his township
as overseer of the poor, and for two years as
supervisor. He is esteemed as a citizen, and is
a man of influence in the community in which
he resides. Politically he is a Democrat, yet be
does not always vote that ticket, believing it a
duty to vote for the man in his judgment the
better qualified or otherwise best fitted for the
office. His wife, who was a Miss Mary A. Au
man, a native of Centre county, born April u,
1830, in Brush Valley, has been most surely a
good help-meet and companion, for to her un
tiring efforts and good cheer much of the hus
band's success is due. She is the daughter of
Peter and Julia A. (Dale) Auman, and when an
infant of one year was taken by her parents who
then moved to the vicinity of Rebersburg,
Centre county, where she was reared. She was
the second of five children, and the eldest
daughter. One daughter — Amanda J. — was born to our
subject and wife. She married M. Swavely, and
died in August, 1887, leaving two children —
Mamie and Anna, who make their home with
our subject and wife, and with her father, re
spectively. Mrs. Solt is a member of the
Lutheran Church.

JOSEPH W. SMITH, the popular and effi
cient burgess of Renovo, is also one of the
borough's prosperous and successful business
men. Not on the plains of affluence did he
start out on life's journey, but in the valley of
limited circumstances with the rough and rugged
path of hard undertaking before him. He
started on the ascent, worked his way steadily
upward, climbing higher and higher until he now
stands on the mountain top of prosperity.
Mr. Smith was born August 29, 1855, in
Lock Haven, Clinton county, a son of Jacob
and Mary (Pfeffer) Smith, natives of Germany.
The father was for many years a leading mer
chant and prominent and progressive citizen of
Lock Haven, but is now living retired in that
city though he still enjoys excellent health.
The mother of our subject was called to her
final rest in 1870.
The early education of Joseph W. Smith was
acquired in the public schools of Lock Haven,
and the knowledge there obtained was supple
mented by a course in St. Vincent's College in
Westmoreland county, Penn. He also attended
Pierce's Business College in Philadelphia, and
on laying aside his text books began his business
career in his father's store, where he remained

for some years. He then engaged in the cigar
and tobacco business on his own account for
several years, and continued that line of trade
for about nine months after coming to Renovo
in 1884. In the spring of the following year,
however, he embarked in the wholesale liquor
and bottling beer business, and in 1889 added
to this the ice business, but disposed of the latter
in 1895. in tne former enterprise he is still en
gaged and enjoys an excellent trade.
In 1875 Mr. Smith was married to Miss
Clara, daughter of Matthew Mellon, of Lock
Haven, and they now have two sons: Albert
W. and Bart J. The family are all communi
cants of the Catholic Church, and, socially, our
subject is a member of the Benevolent & Patri
otic Order of Elks. Politically, he is a lifelong
Dem;crat, opposed to all monopolies and an ear
nest advocate of the principles of his party. He
has done all in his power to advance its inter
ests and insure its success; in 1896 he was
chosen chairman of the Clinton County De
mocracy, the following year was unanimously
re-elected and is now serving in that position.
He has also been a member of the Democratic
State Central Committee, has served as a member
of the borough council in Renovo, and is at
present most satisfactorily filling the responsible
position of burgess. Wherever found he is a
social, affable, genial gentleman, whose friends
are legion, and his record as a self-made man is
one of which he may be justly proud. Success
is not measured by the height which one may
chance to occupy, but by the distance between
the starting point and the altitude he has
reached; therefore, Mr. Smith has gained a
most brilliant success — a just reward of meri
torious, honorable efforts which command the
respect and admiration of all.

JAMES McNAMARA, a leading coal dealer of
Renovo, is one of the most energetic, pro
gressive and enterprising business men of
Clinton county. His birth occurred in 1861, in
County Clare, Ireland, on the banks of the river
Shannon, and his parents, Patrick and Bridget
(Birmingham) McNamara, were born, reared and
married in that country. The mother died in
Ireland, but the father spent his last days in the
United States. Of their six children, five are
still living, namely: Mary, wife of Cornelius
Mulvahill, of Renovo; Susan, wife of William
Dwyer, of the same place; Anna, wife of Charles
McElheny, of Philadelphia; Bridget F., a resi
dent of Chicago; and James.
James McNamara obtained but a limited ed-

A^c^^r

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

697

ucation in the schools of his native land as he had
to walk six miles to the school house, carrying
his share of the fuel under his arm as was then
the custom in Ireland, under English rule. He
was reared to habits of industry upon the home
farm, and early became familiar with agricultural
pursuits, which he continued to follow until cross
ing the Atlantic in 1880. On reaching the shores
of the New World he came to Renovo, Penn.,
where he first worked in the railroad shops, then
in the store of his brother-in-law, William
Dwyer. Subsequently he started in business for
himself as a teamster, and also worked at different
occupations until he began dealing in coal. He
now does the largest business of the kind in the
borough. On April 27, 1892, Mr. McNamara was mar
ried to Miss Agnes Rouen, a daughter of Thomas
Rouen, a native of Ireland. They now have
three children, namely: Patrick S. , James Joseph,
and Thomas Francis. The parents both hold
membership in the Roman Catholic Church, and
are widely and favorably known. In his political
views, Mr. McNamara is a Republican, and at
State and National elections always votes for
that party, but at local elections his support is
generally given the man whom he considers best
qualified for the office regardless of party affilia
tions. He has never cared for official honor, pre
ferring to give his undivided attention to his busi
ness interests. He believes that the Republican
party some day will be the means of giving liberty
to his native land. His life is a living illustration
of what ability, energy and force of character
can accomplish, for on reaching Renovo his cash
capital consisted of only one penny. He is to
day the owner of much valuable property in the
city, and is numbered among its thrifty and pros
perous citizens. In everything pertaining to the
upbuilding of Renovo he takes an active part, and
is a libefal contributor to the enterprises which
insure its progress. Although of foreign birth, no
more loyal or patriotic citizen can be found in
Clinton county, and it is to such men that the
community owes its prosperity, its rapid progess,
and its advancement.

WILLIAM STRUNK, an energetic and pros
perous agriculturist of Porter township,
Clinton county, residing near Parvin, is re
garded as one of the best citizens of that
locality. His success has been obtained by his
hard work and shrewd management, and he is
truly "the architect of his own fortune."
His ancestors came from Germany at an early
date, and members of the family fought in the

cause pf freedom during the Revolutionary war.
William Strunk, our subject's grandfather, was
for many years engaged in the miller's trade in
Bucks county, Penn., but his last days were spent
in Mifflin county, where his death occurred in
1838. He was twice married and had eighteen
children, five sons and four daughters born to
each union. The sons by the first marriage were
William, George, Daniel, John and Jacob, while
those by the second were Benjamin, Findley,
Isaac, Andrew and Joseph.
John Strunk, the father of our subject, was
born February 17, 1806, in Bucks county, and,
like all of his brothers and half-brothers, he fol
lowed the miller's trade. On August 14, 1827, he
was married in Lewistown, Penn., to Miss Nancy
Henry, who was born October 30, 1806, in Beaver
township, Snyder county, the daughter of Adam
Henry, a well-known blacksmith of that time.
The young couple had a poor start in life — a bed,
two plates, a knife and fork constituting their
household effects — but they established their
home at Lewistown, and gradually added to the
comfort of their surroundings. While there Mr.
Strunk was employed at milling by his brother
George, but later he removed to Yeagertbwn,
Penn., and rented a mill. In 1831 he went to
Spring Mills, Centre county, where he spent nine
years in the employ of James Duncan without any
articles of agreement. He continued in the mill
ing business until 1840, when he purchased a farm
in Marion township, Centre county, and made
his permanent home there. He was a kind-
hearted man, his friendly manners endearing
him to all who knew him, and among the guests
at his hospitable home were many of the leading
men of Bellefonte. As he always did his own
thinking his opinions were valued by his asso
ciates, and on several occasions when he was
called to serve on the jury he was made fore
man. Politically he was a Democrat until Henry
Clay's candidacy, when he became a Whig, and
later he joined the Republican party. Although
he was not anxious for office he took much inter
est in local affairs, and at times held positions in
the township. In. religious work he was active
as a member of the Reformed Church, to which
he gave liberally of his time and money, serving
as elder and superintendent of the Sunday-school
for many years. His wife died in June, 1862,
and he survived her many years, passing away
in 1884. They had the following children:
George C. , born December 13, 1828, is now re
siding at Hillsdale, Mich. ; William, born March
27, 1830, is our subject; Mary A., born August
31, 1 83 1, married Laird Holmes, and died in
Centre county; John F., born August 29, 1832,

698

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

died in Stephenson county, 111.; Margaret, born
November 27, 1833, is now Mrs. John Seiler,
of Osage county, Kans. ; James, born January
30, 1835, enlisted during the Civil war in Com
pany E, 7th Pennsylvania Cavalry, and died No
vember 27, 1 86 1, at Camp Cameron, Harris
burg, Penn. , his remains being interred in Jack
sonville, Penn.; Susan, born April 14, 1836, is
now Mrs. Samuel A. Stonebraker, of Black Jack,
Kans.; Robert, born September 21, 1837, is now
a resident of Bellefonte; Thomas, born March
10, 1839, died in Illinois; Libby, born Septem
ber 6, 1840, is now Mrs. Isaac Reish, of Lamar
township, Clinton county; Peter, born May 19,
1842, is now a resident of Illinois; Samuel C. ,
born August 29, 1843, resides in Morris county,
Kans.; Ira C. , born March 22, 1846, is now con
ducting a commercial college at New Albany,
Ind. ; and Catherine died at the age of seventeen.
The subject of this sketch was born March
27, 1830, in the Kishacoquillas Valley, Mifflin
county, Penn.. and was educated in the common
schools of that time, his studies being begun at
Spring Mills, Centre county, under a Mr. Smith.
At the age of twenty he entered upon an appren
ticeship to the miller's trade with his uncle,
Joseph Strunk, of Reedsville, Penn. After learn
ing his trade he worked one year at Lewistown
for John Sterrett, and two and one-half years at
Bellefonte for Wagner & Thomas, but later he
found employment at Hoys Mill, in Marion town
ship, Centre county. On February 23, 1854,
he was married in Walker township, Centre
county, to Miss Mary Jane Myers, who was born
in that township January 19, 1835, the daughter
of John and Elizabeth (Mowry) Myers. He then
located at Cedar Springs, Clinton county, where
he rented a home and followed his trade for sev
en years. In i860 he bought his present farm,
a part of the Peter Seiler estate, and since 1861
he has resided there, his attention being given to
agricultural work. When he took possession of
the place a log barn and an old dwelling-house
were the only buildings, but he has made many
improvements. In 1868 he built a new barn, and
in 1883 his comfortable residence was erected,
the homestead being now a most attractive one.
His first purchase consisted of ninety acres, but
he has since added to it until he owns 133 acres
of as good land as can be found in that vicinity.
Mr. Strunk and his wife have had seven chil
dren: Flora, born March 5, 1854, now Mrs.
George Manly, of Yorkville, 111.; Charles A., born
April n, 1858, is a farmer in Dunstable town
ship, Clinton Co., Penn.; Clar, born July 22,
1 86 1 , is the wife of Elmer McClintock, of Clinton-
dale; Harry F. , born April 22, 1864, died in in

fancy; William L., born October 28, 1866;
Catherine K., born October 17, 1869, is Mrs.
Charles A. Taylor, of Lamar township, Clinton
county; and Joseph B., born February 4, 1874,
is at home. The family is prominently identified
with the social' life of the neighborhood, and
Mrs. Strunk is an active member of the Presby
terian Church.
As a stanch Republican, Mr. Strunk takes
much interest in the success of his party. At
times he has held township offices, serving with
credit as auditor and overseer, but he does not
aspire to political honors. He was once a mem
ber of the Grange, but is not now identified with
the society. In manner he is plain and unassuim
ing, and he is noted for his frank expression of
his convictions, a trait which has won him the
respect of all who place a proper value upon
freedom of thought.

JOHN B. RUTE, now a prosperous and sub
stantial agriculturist of Lamar township,
Clinton county, started out in life for him
self with nothing but his indomitable energy,
and his accumulation of this world's goods is at
tributable to his sound judgment, close applica
tion to business and untiring industry. The
family name of Rute has at times been spelled
Ruth. Born April 27, 1838, in Miles township, Brush
Valley, Centre Co., Penn., Mr. Rute is the son
of Benjamin and Maria (Binkley) Rute, who
had removed to that locality the year previous,
from Lancaster county, Penn. , locating on the
farm where his birth occurred. The father con
tinued to reside in the east end of Brush Valley
until the spring of 1870, when he and his wife
went to live with their son Elias in Buffalo town
ship, Union county. Later they located on a
farm near Vicksburg, that township, where both
died, the father at the age of seventy-six, and
their remains were interred in the Union ceme
tery of Mazeppa, Union county. He was a small
man but very industrious, and in connection with
farming worked at his trade of shoemaking. In
the Reformed Church he held membership, and
politically, he was identified with the Democratic
party. Our subject was the oldest of four chil
dren, the others being Elizabeth, now Mrs.
Jacob Schilling, of Porter township, Clinton
county; Rebecca, wife of John W. Carter, of
Vicksburg, Penn. ; and Elias, a farmer of Buf
falo township, Union county. The paternal
grandparents and uncles and aunts of our subject
spent their entire lives in the southern part of
the State.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

699

The first thirteen years of his life John B.
Rute spent in Brush Valley, and in the Brun
gard school he began his education. One of his
first teachers was Mr. Dieffenbach, who taught at
the Wolf school which he also attended, but his
educational advantages were much inferior to
those afforded by the common schools of the
present day. As a heavy tax payer and school
director, he has done much to improve the schools
of his township. Being the older son, his school
days were often interrupted by work upon the
home farm. At the age of thirteen he went to
Cedar Run, Clinton county, where he lived for
three years with John Wagner, receiving the
meager wages of $4 per month in the summer
and nothing at all in the winter season except
the privilege of attending school. Having saved
from his wages a little over $100, Mr. Rute, at
the age of eighteen, purchased 106 acres of
land in Brush Valley at assignee's sale, but went
$400 in debt. This was bought for a home for
his parents.
After three years spent in Clinton county,
Mr. Rute returned to Brush Valley, where he
worked as a farm hand until his marriage, which
was celebrated in Rebersburg, March 17, 1861,
Rev. Tobias performing the ceremony which
made Miss Anna M. C. Snook his wife. She was
born January 8, 1838, in Sugar Valley, and was
one in a family of twelve children, six sons and
six daughters, whose parents were Levi and
Margaret (Wolford) Snook, farming people, who
removed to Brush Valley when she was about
six years old. There she was reared and edu
cated in the district schools. Mr. and Mrs. Rute
have become the parents of six children: Matilda
M., who married Clayton Brungard, and died in
Brush Valley, leaving two children — Sarah C.
and John H.; Thomas E., a farmer of Lamar
township, Clinton county, who is married, and
has six children— Laura G., John S., Mabel H.,
L Nora, Virgie E. and Ellis T. ; Sadie E.,
wife of Ira E. Spangler, a United Evangelical
minister, of Sullivan county, Penn. ; Jennie, now
Mrs. George D. Walker, of Lock Haven, and
the mother of one child— Lula C. ; Amelia M.,
who is a teacher in the Sabbath-school, and re
sides at home; and Kate M., organist of the
Lutheran Church at Salona, also at home.
For three years and a half after his marriage
John B. Rute worked for his father-in-law, re
ceiving $100 per year and his board and clothes,
and in the spring of 1865 he came to Lamar
township, Nittany Valley, Clinton county, where
ne operated a rented farm for two years. He
then returned to Brush Valley, where he contin
ued to live until 1883, when he purchased his

present farm in Lamar township from Eli
Snook for $15,000. It comprises 137 acres of
valuable and productive land, which he has
placed under a high state of cultivation and im
proved in many ways, making it one of the most
desirable farms of the locality.
Until the Democratic party tried to deprive
the soldiers of their vote, Mr. Rute was one of its
supporters, but since that time has been a pro
nounced Republican, and has always given his
influence to all measures which he believed would
benefit the public or advance the general welfare.
He was drafted, but the war ended before he
was mustered in. He enjoys excellent health,
never having been ill for a day in his life, and he
has performed much hard labor, in this way
gaining for himself and family a good home and
comfortable competence. He and his wife are
active and prominent members of the Lutheran
Church, in which he has held nearly all the
offices, being elder at the present time, and was
once elected superintendent of the Sabbath-
school, but declined the honor. His word in busi
ness transactions is considered as good as his
bond, and he is justly recognized as one of the
energetic and representative citizens of Clinton
county.

THOMAS J. FOX, in whose life the well-di
rected efforts and perseverance which have
marked his business career have brought him
success, was born June 6, 18 19, near McEwens
ville, Northumberland county, and is a son of
John and Elizabeth (Resh) Fox. His father was
born, reared and married in Chester county,
Penn., and the mother was a native of the
same locality. He was a miller by trade. In
1833 he moved to Marsh Creek, Howard town
ship, Centre county, and turned his attention to
lumbering and sawmilling, also clearing land, 175
acres of which he farmed. He passed away in
1850, leaving seven children, and his remains
were interred at Jacksonville, Centre county.
His widow remarried, marrying Daniel Schenck
two years later. She passed away in 1862, and
was laid to rest by the side of her former hus
band. John Fox had eleven children, four of
whom were sons. The youngest was our sub
ject. The father was a Democrat in early life,
but later gave his support to the Whig party.
He was a member of the Reformed Church and
his wife of the Lutheran Church.
Thomas J. Fox removed with his parents dur
ing boyhood to Centre county. His school life
was limited to three months and nineteen days'
attendance in a log school building, but experi-

700

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ence, reading and observation have made him a
well-informed man. He worked for his father
without wages until twenty-four years of age, at
which time he was married, and his father after
ward paid him as a regular farm hand. He wed
ded Mary Ream, a native of Lebanon county,
whose father died "when she was only two years
of age, after which she was reared by William
Strunk. After living two years longer on his father's
farm, Mr. Fox began housekeeping for himself.
With the money he had earned he purchased a
horse, and, as his father had previously given
him one, with this team he began his farming
operations on the place which is now his home,
living there from 1847 until 1855. He then re
moved to another farm, but in 1863 returned to
his present farm, and the following year pur
chased 160 acres. He has since sold a portion
of this, but has a valuable property of eighty
acres remaining. The well-tilled fields and the
neat and thrifty appearance of the place indicate
his careful supervision. He is a wide-awake,
progressive farmer, and the prosperity which he
has achieved is well merited. In 1878 he lost
his first wife. Their children were: Elizabeth,
wife of Samuel Wolf, of Sugar Valley; Harriet,
wife of John U. Wasson, of Marion township,
Centre county; Maggie, who died at the age of
twenty-three; William T. , of Kansas; George
W., who died in Kansas; John, deceased; Cur
tis M., who is living near Jacksonville, Penn.;
Elmer E. , deceased; and Ira J., principal of the
First ward schools of Lock Haven. For his sec
ond wife, Mr. Fox married Mrs. Sarah A. (Dickey)
Barrett, widow of George H. Barrett. Their
children are: Mary A., Carrie B., Charles M.
and Thomas J.
Our subject has always been a stalwart Dem
ocrat, and has served as school director and su
pervisor, discharging his duties with marked
fidelity and ability. His interest in public affairs
is manifest by a prompt performance of his duties
of citizenship, and by his support of all measures
calculated to prove of public good. His dealings
have been honorable and straightforward, and
his well-spent life commends him to the confi
dence and regard of all.

JOHN S. BOSSERT. The subject of this
biography, one of the honored sons of Clin
ton county, and a most successful farmer of
Bald Eagle township, is pre-eminently a self-made
man. He began life with a definite purpose in
view, worked faithfully, honestly, and with a will
for its accomplishment, and now enjoys a com

fortable competence which has been secured en
tirely through his own efforts.
Mr. Bossert was born June 8, 185 1, in
Bald Eagle township, a son of H. M. Bos
sert, a native of Northampton county, Penn.,
who resided for some time in Reading and
later in Northumberland county, whence he
came to Clinton county. He attended school at,
McEwensville, and was also a student for a time
in LaFayette College, but owing to lack of funds
did not complete the course. For a number of
years he successfully engaged in teaching. He
was captain of a military company at Mill Hall,
and on President Lincoln's call for 75,000 vol
unteers he enlisted in the nth P. V. I., later re-
enlisting, this time in the 137th P. V. I. He
was a* recruiting officer for the last regiment at
Lock Haven, and was commissioned colonel, and
as such served until elected register and recorder
of Clinton county, when he resigned. He took
an active and prominent part in political affairs,
and was a recognized leader in tbe ranks of the
Republican party in this section of the State.
In religious belief he was a Presbyterian; socially
he was identified with the I. O. O. F. and the
Grange. He was an honored and valued citizen
of his adopted county, one who enjoyed the high
regard of all who knew him.
In Bald Eagle Valley, H. M. Bossert wedded
Miss Mary C. , daughter of George Brown, and
for a number of years they lived in that town
ship, but later removed to Westport, Clinton
county, where Mr. Bossert engaged in teaching.
His wife died in 1876, and was buried in Beech
Creek cemetery; he passed from earth in 1892,
at the age of sixty-seven years, and his remains
were interred in the Noyes cemetery at West-
port. In their family were seven children,
namely: George, who died in childhood; Eliz
abeth E., who died when about twenty-four
years of age; John S., the subject proper of this
sketch; Anna C. , who married Dr. A. W. Heil-
man, and died in Flemington, Penn.; William
and Caroline, who both died in childhood; and
Mary F., wife of Joseph R. DeHass, of West-
port. John S. Bossert pursued his studies in the
Brown school, where almost his entire literary
education was obtained ; for one term he attended
school near his home, taught by D. H. Hastings,
the present governor of Pennsylvania. He was
reared as a farmer boy, and when a young man also
became familiar with lumbering, which at that
time was one of the principal industries of this
region, especially along Bald Eagle creek. Go
ing to Lawrence, Douglas Co., Kans., in 1878,
he was employed by an extensive farmer and

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

701

stock raiser for one summer, and then returned to
Bald Eagle Valley, where he again followed
lumbering during the winter season. In 1879 he
obtained a position as heater in the axe factory
at Mill Hall, and advanced gradually until he
held a responsible position. By strict economy
he saved enough of his wages to buy a piece of
land. His first property was the old home place
which he purchased from his father's estate, and
later he owned another farm now included in the
town of Mill Hall. The latter place he traded
May 15, 1894, to T. H. Hammon for his present
farm of sixty-five acres of valuable land in Bald
Eagle township, which is improved with good
and substantial buildings. He is a methodical
and skillful farmer, and the success that he has
achieved is certainly well-deserved.
In 1885 Mr. Bossert married Miss Minnie
Holmes, of Bald Eagle Valley, who was reared
by Andrew White, and they have a family of six
children: Mary E. , Jennie, Anna, John S., Jr.,
Henry J. and Florence L. At one time Mr.
Bossert was a Republican in politics, but at pres
ent his leanings for the most part are toward the
Democratic party. He has acceptably served as
assessor of his township. He is an honored
member of Beech Creek Grange, and is recog
nized as one of the leading citizens of his native
county. As an energetic, upright and conscien
tious business man, Mr. Bossert commands the
respect and confidence of all who know him, and
he stands high in the estimation of the entire
community.BOWER C. YOUNG. The world instinctively
pays deference to the man who has risen
above his early surroundings, overcome the ob
stacles in his path and reached a high position in
the business world. This is a progressive age,
and he who does not advance is soon left behind.
Mr. Young, by the improvement of the oppor
tunities by which all are surrounded, has steadily
and honorably worked his way upward, and has
attained a fair degree of prosperity. He is now
successfully engaged in general merchandising in
Youngdale, Clinton county, and is also serving
as postmaster. Samuel Young, his grandfather, was born in
Lancaster county, Penn., of English ancestry,
and was a shoemaker by occupation. On leaving
his birthplace he came to Wayne township, Clin
ton (then a part of Northumberland) county,
where he followed his chosen calling for a num
ber of years, and in i860, with his family, re
moved to Freeport, 111. , where he spent the remain
der of his life. In early life he was a Whig, and
on its organization joined the Republican party.

In Lancaster county, Penn., he married Hannah
Gray, a native of Strawberry, York county, this
State, and to them were born the following
children: Emanuel, Samuel, Bower, Jonas, Ed
ward, Marion, Asher, Eliza, Mary and Hannah,
all now deceased, and John, the father of our
subject. John Young was born February 26, 1819, in
Wayne township, Clinton county, and there ac
quired his education in the subscription schools.
With his father he learned the shoemaker's trade,
at which he worked for several years, and then
rented a farm in Wayne township, and turned his
attention to agricultural pursuits. He continued
to operate rented land until 1887, when with his
hard-earned savings- he purchased a farm in his
native township, but during the great flood of
1889 his property was almost totally destroyed,
his loss amounting to $1,000. He is still residing
upon his farm, but has laid aside all business
cares and responsibilities, and is enjoying that
rest which should always follow a long and useful
career. In Wayne township John Young was married
to Miss Sarah Strayer, a native of that township,
and a daughter of Daniel Strayer, a farmer by
occupation. Eight children were born to this
worthy couple, namely: Daniel, who died of
diphtheria in 1862; Bower C. , of this review;
George, who died February 19, 1896; Frances E. ,
wife of John Hammersley, of Wayne township;
Jacob, who also died of diphtheria; Rebecca,
wife of B Depew, of New York State; Amelia
M., wife of Thomas McCoy, of Denver, Colo.,
and Ella M., who died at the age of twenty-two.
The father is a pronounced Republican, and to
use his own words: "If one hair of my head
was a Democrat, I would pull it out." He and
his estimable wife are now well-advanced in
years, and have reason to feel that their lives
have not been spent in vain. They are consist
ent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
have endeavored to exercise the kindly spirit of
charity and benevolence, to do good as they have
opportunity, and have proved the friends and
sympathizers of those less fortunate.
Mr. Young, whose name introduces this
sketch, was born July 29, 1850, in Wayne town
ship, and may be classed among the self-edu
cated as well as the self-made men of Clinton
county, for his school privileges were very
meagre, and his teachers not very proficient.
He continued to work at home until sixteen
years of age, during which time he obtained a
good knowledge of navigation on the river, and
later piloted lumber rafts down the Susquehanna
river to Marietta.

702

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

In 1873 our subject went to Virginia, where
he was made foreman in the lumber woods for
the firm of Allison, White & Co., of Philadel
phia, receiving $58.50 per month and expenses,
and he remained in that State for five years.
Not finding employment on his return home,
he went to Big Rapids, Mich. , where he secured
the position of foreman for Turnbull Brothers,
lumber manufacturers, and there spent two years.
On again returning home he bought a tract of
of timberland known as the Mathew land, for
which he paid $1,000, and at once commenced the
operation of cutting timber. His brother George,
who had got married while in Michigan, was
living in a rented house of G. S. Smith, and
having no steady employment, and only seventy-
five dollars in money, he gave his brother
George a half-interest in this tract of timberland,
and, in two years after, George lived in a house
of his own, and it all came out of this tract of
timberland, except the lot which his father bought
for him. Later on our subject helped him in (lif
erent ways. In April, 1887, Bower C. Young
bought a small tract of land in Wayne township
from Joshua Sykes for $700, which was thickly-
timbered with maple, poplar and linwood, which
was cut into cordwood and sold to the Lock
Haven Paper Mill at six dollars and twenty-five
cents a cord. There was pine timber and bark
and a large amount of tie timber on said tract,
it being the best timber tract in that section at
the time. He cleared $2,600 over and above all
expenses. One month from the day of the
great June flood he was bitten by a copperhead
snake, in his back yard, and came near losing his
life, and just one month more, to the day, he lost
a daughter, Olive Pearl.
On April 16, 1890, Mr. Young purchased a
stock of merchandise at Youngdale, and has
since successfully engaged in business there.
His present fine store building was erected in
1891 at a cost of $1,500, and he has also built
a beautiful residence in the same place, costing
a similar amount. Through his instrumentality
a post office was established here in 1892, and
the postmaster-general named it Youngdale in
honor of our subject, after which the railroad
station was given the same name. He was the
first postmaster, and is still filling that position
to the entire satisfaction of the public.
On February 8, 1884, in Wayne township,
Clinton county, Mr. Young was married to Miss
Ida C. Clendenen, who was born there, and is a
daughter of Thomas Clendenen. To them were
born three children: Luella Ruth; Pearl, de
ceased; and Blaine Bower. The. parents both
hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal

Church, and their circle of friends and acquaint
ances is extensive. Like his father, Mr. Young
is an ardent Republican, but has never cared
for office, though he has served as school director
and is a member of the board of trustees of the
M. E. Church. Fraternally he is a member of
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and
the Knights of Pythias. The flood of 1889
proved disastrous to him as well as to others,
but he soon retrieved all losses, and in all of
his undertakings he has been generally quite suc
cessful. It is but just and merited praise to say
of him that as a business man he ranks among
the ablest in Clinton county, and that as a citi
zen he has the honor and esteem of all classes.

T^ N. BICKEL is a wide-awake and progress
ive citizen of Porter township, Clinton
county, and his home with its surroundings de
notes the supervision of an intelligent farmer and
a capable business man, who at the same time
has proved a useful member of society, and one
deserving of the esteem and confidence of the
people around him.
Mr. Bickel was born February 28, 1847, near
Wolfs Store in Miles township, Brush Valley,
Centre Co., Penn., but when quite small was
taken by his parents, John and Catharine
(Dupes) Bickel, to Sugar Valley Mountain, where
they lived for a few years (1857). They then re
moved to a place below Hublersburg, in Centre
county, from there, in 1859, came to Lamar
township, Clinton county, locating near Cedar
Springs, and later they lived on the Fox Hollow
road in Porter township, whence, in 1863, they
removed to Bald . Eagle Valley. Subsequently,
in 1867, they settled on a farm near the present
site of Abdera; from there, in 1869, they went to
Buffalo Run, Centre county, and finally located
in Snydertown. Penn., in 1870, where the father
died in 1871 at the age of sixty-four. The moth
er passed away at the age of seventy-nine, and
both were buried at Snydertown. They were
members of the Lutheran Church, and in poli
tics the father was a Democrat.
In the family of this worthy couple were the
following children: Mary, who wedded William
Erhart, and died in Centre Hall, Penn. ; Jona
than, who died in the West; Ann, wife of Close
McClintock, of Salona, Clinton county; Lucinda,
now Mrs. Daniel Dorman, of Centre county;
William, a resident of Beech Creek township,
Clinton county; Amanda, Mrs. Frank Russell, of
Kansas; Alice, wife of Aaron Shaffer, of Illinois;
Daniel, of Missouri; T. N., of this sketch; and
Jeremiah, who died in childhood.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

703

T. N. Bickel was able to attend school only
for a few days each week, and only for a few
months each year during the winter season, as
his services were needed at home. Never for a
single day was he a student in a summer school.
At the age of twenty-two he left the home farm
and began learning the carpenter's trade under
Daniel Everhart, of Bellefonte, Centre county,
who paid him $15 per month during his appren
ticeship. After mastering the trade, he worked
at the same for about five years on his own
account. On January 2, 1872, Mr. Bickel was married
to Miss Sarah M. McKibben, a daughter of Will
iam S. and Barbara (John) McKibben, represent
atives of an honored pioneer family of Nittany
Valley, and six children bless this union, namely:
Emma, now the wife of Dorn Bitner, of Jackson:
ville, Centre county; Clara, Ida, Anna B., and
Mary H., all at home; and Sarah R. , who died
in infancy. After his marriage, Mr. Bickel located on the
old home farm of his father-in-law, his wife being
of the fourth generation of the McKibben family
to occupy it. For some time our subject con
tinued to work at his trade, but of late years has
devoted his entire time and attention to the cul
tivation and improvement of the farm, which he
bought of the McKibben heirs in August, 1891.
He now has 117 acres of rich and arable land, and
is successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits.
Mr. Bickel usually gives his support to the men
and measures of the Democratic party, but al
ways votes for the man whom he considers best
qualified for the office regardless of party ties.
He has efficiently served as supervisor of his
township, and faithfully discharges every duty
that devolves upon him, whether public or pri
vate. He is a member of the Knights of the
Golden Eagle Lodge No. 406, and of the Presby
terian Church, of which he is now serving as
trustee. He deserves no little credit for the suc
cess that he has achieved in life, for through his
own efforts he has gained a home and com
petence, and he is justly regarded as one of
the valued citizens of his community.

JAMES P. ROACH is a wide-awake and pro
gressive business man whose name is insepa
rably connected with the commercial inter
ests of Renovo. One of his leading characteris
tics in business affairs is his fine sense of order
and complete system, and the habit of giving care
ful attention to details without which success in
any undertaking is never an assured fact.
A native of Clinton county, Mr. Roach was

born December 7, 1861, in Lock Haven, a son
of William and Bridget (Kane) Roach, who were
born in Ireland but when young crossed the At
lantic to America. In early life the father
worked on the canal and engaged in steamboat-
ing, being for many years captain of a boat with
headquarters at Lock Haven. In 1864 he re
moved to Driftwood, where he engaged in the
hotel business until coming to Renovo in 1881,
and then for five years engaged in railroad con
tracting. He efficiently served as tax collector
of Renovo for seven years, and took a very active
and prominent part in public affairs up to the time
of his death, which occurred in August, 1894.
His estimable wife did not long survive him, dy
ing in January, 1895. They left a family of six
sons, namely: James P.; Dr. Thomas E., of
Renovo; John F. ; William Henry; Michael Ste
phen; and Charles Peter.
James P. Roach received a good practical ed
ucation in the public schools of Driftwood, which
he attended until seventeen years of age, and
then entered the machine shops of Renovo to
learn the trade. Later he worked as a machinist
in Erie, Penn.; Saxton, Bedford county, this
State; St. Paul, Minn.; and Winnipeg, Mani
toba, after which he returned to St. Paul, where
he engaged in mercantile pursuits for about a
year. On again coming to Renovo he embarked
in general merchandising and millinery business,
which he has since successfully carried on, being
one of the leading merchants and most enterpris
ing business men of the place. His store at the
corner of Eighth street and Huron avenue, is
stocked with a full and complete line of every
thing found in a first-class establishment of the
kind. His fair dealing and systematic methods
of doing business have won for him the confi
dence and respect of all with whom he comes in
contact. On June 2, 1886, James P. Roach was mar
ried to Miss Margaret E., daughter of Patrick
Quinlan, of St. Paul, Minn., and they have be
come the parents of three children: Martha B. ,
Mary E. and Edward L. Mr. and Mrs. Roach
are members of the Catholic Church, and so
cially he affiliates with the Knights of Labor.
His political support at all times and under all
circumstances is given the Democratic party, and
he does all in his power to promote its interests.
He is at present serving as tax collector of Re
novo, and every duty which devolves upon him,
whether public or private, is always most faith
fully and conscientiously discharged. As a pub
lic-spirited, progressive citizen he is certainly en
titled to honorable mention in a work of this
character.

704

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

JOHN BROWN, a well-known merchant, has
gained recognition and prestige as one of
the influential and representative business men
of Loganton. His career proves that ambition,
perseverance, steadfast purpose and indefatigable
industry, combined with sound business princi
ples, will be rewarded, and that true success
follows individual effort only. _
Our subject was born January 16, 1853,
on the old Brown homestead in Green township,
Clinton county, and is descended from a good
old German family, his great-grandfather having
come to this country from the Fatherland and
located in York county, Penn., where he spent
his remaining days. John Brown, the grand
father, was born in that county in 1786, received
a good German education, but was also able to
speak English. He learned the chairmaker's
trade in York county, where he continued to
reside until after his marriage to Regina Dinges,
a native of Lebanon county, Penn. , when he
removed to the central part of the State, taking
up his residence in Penn's Valley, Centre county,
where he engaged in farming for a number of
years. Hearing that better advantages were
afforded a growing family in the West, he re
moved to Indiana in a covered wagon, which was
the only means of transportation in those days,
but on his arrival was greatly disappointed with
the prospects, and after six weeks spent in Indi
ana he returned to Pennsylvania. In 1839 he
located in Sugar Valley, then Logan, but now
Green township, Clinton county, where he pur
chased 700 acres of land, of which 500 were
mountain and timber lands. Upon the remainder
he made many improvements, and engaged in
farming until called to his final rest in 1866, at
the age of eighty-one, his remains being interred
in the Lutheran cemetery at Loganton. He held
many township offices, and was widely and favor
ably known. In politics he was a Jacksonian
Democrat, and in religious belief was a Lutheran,
but his estimable wife held membership in the
Reformed Church. In their family were nine
children, of whom three are still living at very
advanced ages: John, who makes his home in
Indiana; Adam, a resident of Oregon; and Regina,
widow of George Troutner, of Green township,
Clinton county. The others were George and
Eliza, who died in early life; Philip, who died in
Alabama in 1880; Catharine, wife of John Grinn-
ger, of Logans Mills; Samuel, who died on the
old homestead; and Henry, father of our subject.
The last named was born June 26, 1822, in
Penn's Valley, Centre county, and was considered
a good German scholar, having been well-edu
cated in the subscription schools. He could

write both English and German. The first
thirty years of his life were passed upon the
home farm, and he then purchased a tract of
timber land in Sugar Valley, where for over two
years he engaged in the manufacture of sawed
lumber. In 1854 he embarked in merchandising
in Loganton, his first store being a small log
cabin, and being a man of sound judgment and
excellent business ability he prospered in his un
dertaking. Believing that there was a good
opening for a store in Hublersburg, where a for
tune could soon be made, he decided to remove
to that place, where he had a number of friends,
including Governor Curtin and other leading cit
izens of Bellefonte who were interested in the
furnaces at Hecla and Roland. Accordingly, in
1857, he located there and started a general
store, and putting into practice his enterprising
and progressive ideas he met with the success
which he anticipated. For twenty-eight years
out of the thirty-eight in which he carried on
business there, he served as postmaster to the
entire satisfaction of all concerned. He was
widely known for his honorable and straightfor
ward dealings, and had the confidence and re
spect of all who knew him. He never used in
toxicants or tobacco in any form, and in many
respects was a most exemplary man. He, too,
was a stanch supporter of the Jacksonian prin
ciples of Democracy, and most creditably served
in a number of local positions, although he never
was an office seeker. His death occurred in
Hublersburg in 1895, and in the cemetery of that
place was laid to rest.
In early manhood Henry Brown was mar
ried in Loganton to Miss Catharine Stamm, a
native of Sugar Valley, and a daughter of avid
and Elizabeth (Long) Stamm, and to them were
born four children: John, of this sketch; David,
a brick manufacturer of Minnesota, who married
Savilla Wentzel, and has two children; Mary,
wife of John G. Womeldorf, of Loganton; and
Jennie, who died when young. The mother of
these children died in 1886, in Hublersburg,
where she was buried, and the father later mar
ried Miss Julia Rockey, who still makes her home
in Hublersburg. In the public schools of Centre county, John
Brown began his education, and was later for
several terms a student in the Nittany Valley In
stitute, taught by Rev. Dotterer, a Reformed
minister. At an early age he began his business
career in his father's store, where he remained
until thirty, becoming thoroughly familiar with
mercantile pursuits under the able direction of
his father, who was justly regarded as one of the
best business men of this section of the State,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

705

Coming to Wayne township, Clinton county, in
1884, our subject purchased the old Throne mill
at Youngsdale, and operated the same very suc
cessfully for five years, during which time he
greatly improved the plant. On selling out in
1889 he came to Loganton, and in partnership
with his father-in-law, John Morris, purchased
the general mercantile establishment of J. B.
Barner, which they conducted under the firm
name of Brown & Morris for two years. At the
end of that time Mr. Brown bought Mr. Morris'
interest, and has since successfully engaged in
business alone. By upright dealing and court
eous treatment of his customers he has gained
the confidence and good will of the public, and
therefore receives an excellent patronage. Near
Loganton he owns a fine farm of ninety-one acres,
which he has greatly improved and operates in a
most profitable manner. He also built a hand
some brick residence on Main street, in the heart
of the town, which is now his place of abode.
On February 22, 1883, in Loganton, Mr.
Brown was married to Miss Hervetta L. Morris,
who was born in that place, and they now have
two daughters: Jennie C. and Euphemia May,
who are both attending school in Loganton. John
Morris, Mrs. Brown's father, was born in Berks
county, Penn., September 16, 1835, a son of
David R. and Appalonia (Mower) Morris, the
former of Scotch-Irish and the latter of German
descent. His father was also a native of Berks
county, and was a weaver by occupation. When
only three years old Mr. Morris was brought by
his parents to Sugar Valley, Clinton county,
where he later attended school and also pursued
his studies in the schools of Sugar Valley. At a
very tender age he began life for himself as a
farm hand in Brush Valley, and was thus en
gaged until eighteen when he began learning the
carpenter's trade with G. C. Breon. After he
had mastered the same he worked for eight years
as a journeyman in Sugar Valley, and then en
gaged in the lumber business in partnership with
his brother, D. M. Morris, and the Stamm
brothers, conducting a sawmill with success for
three years. He then purchased another tract of
timberland, and in partnership with Joseph Kem-
merer engaged in the sawmill business for two
years, after which he sold out and was interested
in the real-estate business in Loganton for five
years. In that enterprise he also met with suc
cess, and next purchased the old Loganton grist
mill in 1876 from Henry Wirth. During the
twenty years he operated the same, he greatly
improved the plant, putting in a twenty-four-foot
water wheel, a steam engine and other modern
machinery, and making it a first-class roller mill
45*

at a cost of over $12,000. This venture' did not
prove a success, however, for the hard times
came on, and in 1896 he finally sold out to his
brother, D. M. Morris. For two years he was
also in partnership with oursubject as previously
stated, and in all his undertakings met with a
well-deserved success with the exception of the
operation of the gristmill. In 1858, Mr. Morris
was married in Loganton to Miss Jane E. Wirth,
who was born in August, 1838, in Green town
ship, Clinton county, a daughter of Henry and
Sarah (Huber) Wirth, the former a lumberman
and farmer of Green township, who died and
was buried in Loganton. Mrs. Wirth, who was
of German descent, also died in Loganton and
was there laid to rest. To Mr. and Mrs. Mor
ris were born five children: Hervetta L. ,
wife of our subject; Emma M. and Sarah A., at
home; and David and Katie, who died in child
hood. Mr. Morris always voted the Democratic
ticket until 1884, when he became a Prohibition
ist, as he is very temperate in his habits, not
having tasted strong drink for sixteen years, or
tobacco for thirty years. He is an honored mem
ber of Sugar Valley Lodge No. 829, I. O. O. F.r
of Loganton, and religiously belongs totheEvan-
gelical Association. He is a great Bible student,
a most earnest and consistent Christian, and is
now serving as trustee of his Church and teacher
in the Sunday-school. Wherever known he is
held in high regard.
Our subject is one of the prominent members
of Sugar Valley Lodge, No. 829, I. O. O. F. , in
which he has filled all the chairs; politically he
is identified with the Democratic party. He has
been called upon to serve in a number of official
positions of honor and trust, being a member of
the town council for six years; school director
and treasurer of the board, re-elected in 1898;
clerk of Walker township, Centre county, for
eight years; and auditor of Wayne township,
Clinton county, for two years. He, too, is an
earnest supporter of all measures calculated to
promote the moral or temperance interests of his
community, is a faithful member of the Evangel
ical association, and has served as teacher and
superintendent of the Sunday-school for a num
ber of years.

JOEL ADRIAN HERR. Fortunate is he who
has back of him an ancestry honorable and
distinguished, and happy is he if his lines of
life are cast in harmony therewith.
Mr. Herr is blessed in this respect, for he
springs from an old and prominent family, which
was founded in the United States at an early day

706

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

by Rev. Hans (or John) Herr, a Mennonite
preacher, who was descended from the nobility
of Switzerland, and became an early settler of
Lancaster county, Penn. He had five sons:
John, Christian, Emanuel, Abraham, and Henry,
and, of these, Emanuel had six children — Rev.
John, Emanuel, Martin, Susanna, Elizabeth, and
Mary. Of the last named family, Martin Herr,
who died in Strasburg, Penn., March 27, 181 1,
was the father of six children — Joel, Daniel and
Samuel, all of whom started from Lancaster to
Clinton about 1800, and here their descendants
still live; John, who emigrated to Ohio at an
early day; Martha; and Ann. Samuel reared a
family of eleven children at his home in Salona,
where he died in 1862, and where his remains
were interred. Daniel died en route for Clinton
county, where his family afterward located.
Joel Herr was the grandfather of our subject.
He was. born October 27, 1774, and died Feb
ruary 3, 1852, while his wife, who bore the
maiden name of Frances Bressler, was born Sep
tember 30, 1782, in Lancaster county, and died
February 10, 1866, both being interred in the
cemetery at Salona. For many years he con
ducted a mill there, and at one time kept the
tollgate between Mill Hall and Salona. In pol
itics he was a Whig and in religious belief his
wife was a Mennonite, but their children were
reared as Methodists. They were as follows:
Charlotte, born May 24, 1804, married George
C. Moore in December, 1823, and died in Quincy,
111., 1890; Elizabeth, born September 19, 1806,
married Samuel Wilson, and died in Salona in
1894. George Bressler was the father of our sub
ject; Martin, born April 10, 181 1, died in Salona
in 1893; Uniah, born February 8, 18 14, still
makes his home in Salona; Catharine, born Oc
tober 7, 1816, died unmarried; Rebecca, born
March 14, 1.8 19, is the widow of John Miller, of
Salona; Frances A., born October 7, 1821, mar
ried Prof. John W. Ferree, and died in 1884
while on a visit to Hannibal, Mo. ; Harriett, born
October 28, 1825, is living in Salona; and Daniel,
born February 22, 1828, is also a resident of
that place.
George Bressler Herr was born in Salona,
November 11, 1808, and during his youth learned
the hatter's trade, but devoted the greater part
of his life to agricultural pursuits. For a short
time he lived on a farm in Lamar township, Clin
ton county, was later engaged in the confection
ery business in Williamsport with his brother
Martin until 1845, and then returned to Salona,
where he conducted a foundry for two years. At
the end of that time he removed to the farm on
which he spent his remaining days, dying May

28, 1 87 1. Politically he was first a Whig, and
later a Republican, but was never an office-
seeker, yet served as supervisor of his township
and took a great interest in public affairs. He
was an earnest Christian gentleman, a devout
member of the M. E. Church, and held various
Church offices.
In September, 1836, George Bressler Herr
was married to Miss Clarissa Miller, who was born
in Strasburg, Penn., July 14, 181 3, a daughter of
Samuel and Harriett (Bressler) Miller, and to
them were born six children, of whom our subject
is the eldest. The others are as follows: John
C. , born July 19, 1839, died unmarried at Cedar
Springs, Penn., February 7, 1873; Albert M., born
November 14, 1841, died March 26, 1845, in
Williamsport; Mary F., born July 23, 1845, lives
with our subject; Elizabeth, born December 19,
1847, died in Cedar Springs, Penn. ; and Edmund
W. , born April 22, 185 1, died March 23, 1892.
The mother of these children died in April, 1859,
and was laid to rest in the cemetery at Salona.
The father later married Rachel Hamilton, and
after her death wedded Lucy Fritz, but had no
children by either of these marriages.
Joel Adrian Herr, whose name introduces
this article, was born March 1, 1838, in Lamar
township, Clinton county, began his education
in Williamsport, continued it in the public schools
of Clinton county, and later attended a select
school in Salona. At the early age of seventeen,
he began teaching, at first finishing a term for
another teacher. He was then employed at the
Burrell school in Lamar township during the
winter of 1855-56, and later he attended Will
iamsport (Penn.) Dickinson Seminary for two
years, but not continuously as his resources did
not permit it. After that he taught each succeed-
ign year in the public schools in Clinton county
(except while in the army) until 1864.
In September, 1862, Mr. Herr enlisted as a
private in Company C, 137th, P. V. I., and during
his nine-months' service he acted as company
clerk. On being honorably discharged on the
expiration of his term, he returned home, where
he remained until the fall of 1864, when he went
to Vineland, N. J., farming and teaching there
until 1 87 1. While a resident of that place he
again enlisted, in April, 1865, becoming sergeant
of Company B, 2nd N. J. V. I. When the war
was over and his services were no longer needed,
he returned to his farm in New Jersey, and while
living there was one of the county examiners in
Atlantic county, and also held various township
offices. On the death of his father in 1871, oursub
ject returned to the old homestead in Porter

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

707

township, Clinton Co., Penn., where he has
since carried on farming, and until 1878 he also
engaged in teaching during the winter season,
being recognized as one of the most competent
and successful instructors of the county. As an
ardent Republican he has taken an active interest
in public affairs. In June, 1879, he was elected
a member of the State Board of Agriculture,
with which he has since continuously been con
nected; has been president of the County Agri
cultural Society since 1880; a trustee of the State
College since 1886; was a member of the World's
Fair Committee from Pennsylvania in 1893.
Being a great reader, he is well posted on all
topics of general interest, and is especially well
informed on agricultural matters, thus being
ably qualified to fill his present responsible
positions. His long, active service on the State
Board of Agriculture and contributions to the
reports of the same, and his services as Farmers'
Institute instructor in most of the counties of
the State, has given him a prominence in agri
cultural circles, and a wide acquaintance with
prominent citizens all over the State seldom
reached by a farmer. His honor and integrity
have never been impeached, and his word is as
good as his bond.
Since 1874 he has been a member of the
Patrons of Husbandry, and he also is a member
of John S. Bitner Post No. 122, G. A. R., of
Lock Haven. He has received the endorsement
of his county for State Senator, and is honored,
respected and esteemed by all who know him.
He has been of great assistance to the other
members of the family, and no man in Clinton
county has more friends or is more deserving of
the high regard in which he is held than Joel
Adrian Herr.

GEORGE WAGNER. The career of him
whose name introduces this review illus
trates most forcibly the possibilities that are open
to a young man who possesses sterling business
qualifications. It proves that neither wealth nor
social position, nor the assistance of influential
friends at the outset of his career are necessary
to place him on the road to success. Through
his own unaided efforts Mr. Wagner has achieved
prosperity, and is now doing a successful business
as a general merchant in Rosecrans, Gseen town
ship, Cliiton county.
He was born March 18, 1840, in Saville
township, Perry Co. , Penn. , a son of John Wag
ner, who was born, reared and educated in Wit-
enberg, , Germany, where he followed farming
until coming to this country in early manhood.

For some time after his arrival he made his
home in Berks county, Penn., and then removed
to a farm in Saville township, Perry county,
where he spent his remaining days, dying in 1879.
His remains were interred in the Loysville cem
etery, of Perry county. He was a stanch sup
porter of the Democratic party, and a faithful
member of the Reformed Church, in which he
served as elder and deacon. By his first wife
he had eight children, namely: Dorothy, wife
of Henry Turnbach, of Perry county; Jacob and
Catharine, both deceased; John, a resident of
New Bloomfield, Perry county; George, of this
sketch; Samuel, who was killed in the army; and
two who died in infancy. The mother died in
Saville township, and was also buried in Loys
ville cemetery. For his second wife the father
chose Mary Fogel, who also died in Perry coun
ty. By this union there were five children:
Maggie, David, Elizabeth, and two who died in
childhood. Only during the winter months was our sub
ject able to attend the public schools of his na
tive county, and at a very early age his school
life was over, as he was hired out among the
farmers, at first receiving only $2 per month,
but his wages were gradually increased until he
obtained $12 per month. In this way he worked
until i860, when twenty years of age, when he
came to Clinton county. In Green township he
found employment as a farm laborer for one
year. The dark cloud of war, which had for some
time lowered over our beloved country, now
broke upon our people, and patriotic men from
all walks of life thronged to the front in re
sponse to the call of the general government to
defend our national lite. Fired by the spirit of
patriotism, in 1861, Mr. Wagner enlisted as a
private in Company E, 7th Pennsylvania Cav
alry, under Captain Shaffer and Colonel Wyn-
coop. As a member of the Army of the Cum
berland he participated in the battles of Selma,
Tenn., Stone River, Chattanooga, Chickamauga,
Mission Ridge, Lovejoy Station and many oth
ers, being in the service for about four years,
during which time he was ill for about a month
and confined in the regimental hospital at Jeffer-
sonville, Ind. He assisted in the capture of
Jefferson Davis, was always found at his post of
duty, bravely defending the old flag, and, when
the war was over and his services no longer
needed, he was honorably discharged at Hunts-
ville, Alabama.
Returning to Clinton county, Penn., Mr.
Wagner, with the money he had saved during
his service, purchased a farm of 125 acres of J.

708

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

T. Clepper, at Pleasant Hill, in Green township,
of which ninety acres were under cultivation.
To its further development and cultivation he
devoted his energies for a number of years, and
still owns the place, which his son John now
conducts. In 1 88 1 he bought fifty acres near
the original homestead at Pleasant Hill, from
William Miller, and there he built a fine resi
dence, store and made other improvements.
That place is now his home, and, having stocked
his store with a good line of general merchandise,
he is successfully engaged in business.
In 1861, two months before he entered the
army, Mr. Wagner was married in Green town
ship, Clinton county, to Miss Mary A. Wirt, who
was born in that township in September, 1840,
and they became the parents of seven children:
Mary Ellen, now the wife of John Cooper, of
Green township; John, who married Clara Bur-
ley, and operates the old homestead; Leah Ma
tilda (Tillie), wife of James B. Quiggle, of Wayne
township, Clinton county, by whom she has two
children — Viola M. and Trudie M. ; Lizzie E. ,
wife of G. Howard Barnes, of Renovo; Katie
M., at home; and Annie J. and Susanna, who
died in childhood.
Philip Wirt, Mrs. Wagner's father, was a na
tive of Dauphin county, Penn., and in 1832 came
to Lock Haven, Penn., where he followed farm
ing and also engaged in the butcher business.
In 1852 he took up his residence in Green. town
ship, Clinton county, where he purchased a tract
of 100 acres, which he cleared, improved and
continued to cultivate until his death, in 1891.
His remains were interred in the Pleasant Hill
cemetery. In early life he was a great hunter,
and took much delight in that sport. Politically
he affiliated with the Democratic party, and re
ligiously was a consistent member of the Lutheran
Church. He was married in Lock Haven to
Anna B., daughter of Adam Smith, of that city,
and to them were born nine children, five of
whom died in infancy. Those still living are:
William J., a farmer; Mary A., wife of our sub
ject; Sarah J., wife of Jonathan Conger; and
Adam M. , of Green township.
In 1877, during President Grant's adminis
tration, Mr. Wagner was appointed the first post
master of Rosecrans, and has since continued to
fill that position to the entire satisfaction of all
concerned. In 1880, on the Democratic ticket,
he was elected justice of the peace of Green
township, and during his fifteen years incum
bency performed many marriage ceremonies, and
tried many cases where his judgment was always
sustained by the higher courts. He has also
served as tax collector in his township for one

term, and as supervisor. He is now a free-silver
Democrat, and takes quite an active interest in
political affairs. In his Church relations he is a
Lutheran, and has served as elder, deacon and
trustee in the Pleasant Hill Church, and also a
teacher and superintendent in the Sunday-school,
He has filled the office of treasurer of the Sugar
Valley Insurance Company, and is now vice-
president of the company. He has been presi
dent of the school board in his district. Genial
and hospitable in manner, he is very popular
with all classes, and his friends are many through
out his adopted county.

JAMES A. McCLOSKEY. In the great com
petitive struggle of life, when each must en
ter the field and fight his way to the front,
or else be overtaken by disaster of circumstance
or place, there is ever particular interest attach
ing to the life of one who has turned the tide of
success, has surmounted the obstacles and has
shown his ability to cope with others in their
rush for the coveted goal. Among the success
ful and prominent agriculturists of Chapman
township, Clinton county, is Mr. McCloskey,
who has been prominently identified with both
the business and political interests of his locality.
He was born March 18, 1829, in that county,
and on the paternal side is of Scotch-Irish de
scent. Nathan McCloskey, father of oursubject, was
born in Clinton county, when it formed a part of
Lycoming county, received only a limited com
mon-school education, and was reared to farm
life. Throughout his business career his princi
pal occupations were farming and lumbering, and
he ran a number of rafts on the West branch of
the Susquehanna to Marietta, Columbia and
other markets. He made his home in Colebrook
township, where he owned and operated seventy-
five acres of farming land, and also had 200 acres
of timber land, where he engaged in lumbering.
He was a hard worker and did all of his harvest
ing with a sickle, which our subject still has in
his possession. He greatly improved his farm,
and continued to reside thereon until called to
his final rest. His remains were interred at
Dunnstown, in Woodward township, Clinton
county. He was a faithful member of the Meth
odist Episcopal Church, a highly-respected and
honored citizen, and a Whig in politics. He
married Annie Bridgens, a native of Clinton coun
ty, by whom he had twelve children: David,
Felix and Robert, all deceased; Rachel, deceased
wife of Alexander Loder; Agnes, deceased wife
of James Walsh; Margaret, wife of Noah Mc-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

709

Kane; Nathan and William, deceased; Abner, a
resident of Beach Creek; James A. , of this sketch;
Elizabeth, wife of George Stevenson; and Mary,
deceased wife of William Ritchey. The mother,
who was also a consistent member of the Meth
odist Episcopal Church, and a most estimable
lady, died at the home of our subject in Hyner.
James A. McCloskey conned his lessons in an
old log shanty in Colebrook township, which had
been used as a dwelling by men during the con
struction of the canal through this section, and
his early teachers were N. W. McKane and
Frances Piatt. For only three months during
the year did he attend school, devoting his re
maining time to assisting in the cultivation of the
home farm. From early boyhood he also en
gaged in lumbering, and he remained on the
farm, helping to support his widowed mother un
til 1859, when he came to Chapman township
and bought the Benjamin Baird farm of 180
acres. It was then partially covered with tim
ber, and after clearing thirty acres, Mr. Mc
Closkey devoted his energies to its further devel
opment and cultivation. He has erected a fine
residence, and has made many other excellent im
provements, which add greatly to its value and
attractive appearance, and in connection with
general farming is also engaged in stock raising
and lumbering, owning 1,000 acres of timber
land. In 185 1, at the- old Methodist Episcopal
Church in Chapman township, by Rev. Mc-
Gheen, Mr. McCloskey was married to Miss Jane
E. Baird, who was born on the Baird homestead
in that township, in 1827, a daughter of Benja
min and Jane (Ellen) Baird, well-known agricult
urists. Her mother was of English birth. Nine
children have been born to Mr. and McCloskey,
as follows: Behring, a farmer of Chapman town
ship, who married Josie Grugan, and has three
children — Glenn, Blanche and Lacey; Benjamin
B., agent for the Pennsylvania railroad and the
Adams Express Company at Hyner, who is mar
ried to Sybil Nowell, and has one child — Knox;
Grant, agent at Carman, Elk Co. , Penn. , for the
Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg railway and
American Express Company, who married Rosie
Sibley, now deceased; Delbert V., at home; Cur
tis, who married Bertha Barrett, and, with his
wife and two children, lives in St. Mary's, Penn.,
bookkeeper for Portland' Lumber Company;
Alma, who died at the age of eighteen years;
Effie, who died at the age of three; and Clarence
and Mabel, who died in infancy.
James A. McCloskey has been honored with
several important official positions, being elected
county commissioner of Clinton county, in 1878,

and most acceptably serving for three years. For
fifteen years he has held the office of justice of
the peace in Chapman township, and during that
entire time has never had a judgment reversed; he
is also postmaster at Hyner. He is an earnest
advocate of the Republican party, does all in his
power to promote its interests and insure its suc
cess, and socially affiliates with Lock Haven
Lodge No. 98, I. O. O. F. An earnest, consci
entious Christian gentleman, he has for many
years been one of the most active and prominent
members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of
Hyner, in which he has served as trustee, class-
leader, Sunday-school teacher and superintend
ent. His life is exemplary in all respects, and
he has ever supported those interests which are
calculated to uplift and benefit humanity, while
his own high moral worth is deserving the'high-
est commendation. He is strictly temperate,
never using any kind of intoxicating drinks, and
he has the esteem of his friends and the confi
dence of the business public.

JAMES CROWE. A brilliant example of a
self-made American citizen, and a grand ex
emplification of the progress that an ambi
tious foreigner can make in this country of un
bounded opportunities, is shown in the case of
Mr. Crowe, one of the leading citizens of Renovo,
Clinton county, and car inspector for the Penn
sylvania Railroad Company.
Born in 1842, in Ireland, Mr. Crowe is a son
of Patrick and Winifred Crowe, also natives of
Ireland, where the father's death occurred. La
ter the rnother came to America, and spent her
last days in Elmira, N. Y., where she died in
1880. In their family were two sons and one
daughter: Mary, wife of Edward Devine, of El
mira, N. Y. ; Patrick, who has not been heard
from since 1854; and James, our subject.
James Crowe was provided with only very
limited advantages for obtaining an education.
When about seven years of age he came to
America, and since that time has mainly been de
pendent upon his own resources for a livelihood.
He began his business career by carrying water
for the railroad hands during the '50s, and later
carried the tools for the men. Throughout most
of his life he has been in some way connected
with railroading, and from the very lowest posi
tion he has worked his way steadily upward, be
ing employed in various capacities. Since 1861
he has assisted in laying ties, tracks, etc. , for the
Philadelphia & Erie Railroad Company, and
since locating permanently in Renovo in 1865
has served as car inspector for that road. Be-

710

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ing economical, industrious and enterprising, he
has succeeded in accumulating some valuable
real estate in this place, and is now numbered
among its substantial and reliable citizens.
In April, 1866, Mr. Crowe was married to
Miss Mary Garry, who died November 1, 1872,
leaving two daughters, namely: Mary and Anna.
Mr. Crowe was again married, in 1878, his sec
ond union being with Ellen E. Mahanay, a daugh
ter of Jerry and Catherine (McCarthy) Crimna,
who were of Irish birth, but had come to America
in the '30s. They settled on a farm of seventy-
five acres in Ridgebury, Penn., and there resided
until they died in 1893 and 1894 respectively.
Mrs. Crowe is one of a family of four children,
the others being: Jerry; Michael, who is con
nected with the weather bureau at Washington,
D. C. ; and Mrs. James Welsh, a resident of
Ridgway, Penn. Four children grace the second
marriage of our subject: John, Catherine,
Mathew and Michael Raymond. There was also
another son, James, who is now deceased.
Religiously, Mr. Crowe and his family are
connected with the Catholic Church, and, polit
ically, he always supports either the Democratic
or Prohibition parties. His life has been an
honorable and useful one, and he justly merits
the high regard in which he is held by the entire
community.

Ji LEXANDER M. DE HAAS, a resident of
_ L. Beech Creek township, Clinton county, is
a member of one of the old historic families of
Pennsylvania. It appears of record at Strasburg, Province of
Alsace, that the original name was Von Haas,
and when that province was annexed to France
the name was changed to de Haas (the French
of Von Haas). In 1549 Charles de Haas ac
quired large possessions near the city of Stras
burg, France, and became the founder of the
French noble family of that name. He was a
baron and general under the Emperor Rodolph,
took the city of Florence, Italy, and was made
governor of Central Italy, and was authorized to
appropriate the arms of Florence as the family
coat of arms. Several of the family still live at
Strasburg. [The foregoing copy of the record of
the de Hass family was taken from the original
record at Strasburg, France, in 1862.]
Gen. John Philip de Haas, of this family, came
from France to this country during the Revolu
tionary war. He was given command of the
First Pennsylvania Battalion, and contributed
largely of his means for the support of the sol
diers under his command, besides rendering much

valuable service to achieve our American inde
pendence. At the close of the war he became
the owner of large tracts of land in the States of
Pennsylvania, Virginia and Kentucky. His son
Maj. J. P. de Haas, and Henrietta, his daughter,
survived him, but these lands never came into
possession of their children. Maj. de Haas died
in Philadelphia. His son, John P. de Haas (fa
ther of Alexander M. De Haas), was a native of
Philadelphia, and acquired his education in Bus-
seltown Academy. He came to Clinton county
with his father, and spent, the greater part of his
life in school teaching. His career was one of
usefulness, worthy of emulation, and he died
after passing the seventieth anniversary of his
birth, respected by all who knew him. His wife
was Hannah Morrison, a native of Chester coun
ty, Penn. , and their children were seven in num
ber, two of whom — Alexander M. and Mary Jane
(wife of Nathan Johnson, of Centre county) sur
vive. The mother of these died in 1863, at
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
The subject of this sketch was born in 1827,
in Clinton Co., Penn. He had very limited
school privileges in his youth, for the school
terms were short and his time was largely devot
ed to farming. He purchased the Mountain
farm in 1857, and for forty years has made his
home thereon. For twenty-six years he was a
successful pilot on the Susquehanna river. He
owns 175 acres of land here, and the place is im
proved with neat and substantial buildings and
other accessories found upon a model farm of the
19th century, while the well-tilled fields which
surround his home yield to him a golden tri
bute in return for the care and cultivation he
bestows upon them.
On January 14, 185 1, Mr. De Haas was mar
ried to Sarah A. Johnson, a native of England,
who came to America when two years of age.
They now have six children: Forest; Mary Vir
ginia, wife of Wilson Devling; Willis, assistant
superintendent of the paper mills, of Johnson-
burg; Grant, a bookkeeper at Marquette, Mich;.
Ellen Florence, wife of William Richards, of Ti
oga county, Penn. ; and Charles Woodward, chief
manager of the Filter Works at Johnsonburg,
Penn. The parents of these are members of
the Christian Church, with which Mr. De Haas
has been identified since sixteen years of age.
He was for many years an Odd Fellow, but is
not now identified with the organization. In
politics he is a Democrat, and was three times
elected justice of the »peace, serving one term,
discharging his duties with marked fairness and
impartiality. He has also been tax collector,
school director and supervisor, discharging his

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

711

duties with promptness and fidelity. The fact
that he has been honored with political offices,
and that for a quarter of a century he has served
as elder of his Church, plainly indicates the confi
dence and trust reposed in him in all circles, and
it is a trust that has never been betrayed. His
life has been well spent and is worthy of emula
tion.

JC. BARNER, a prominent representative of
the agricultural interests of Lamar township,
Clinton county, and one of its highly esteemed
and honored citizens, is a native of the county,
his birth having occurred in Loganton, February
13, 1842.
Henry Barner, his grandfather, a well-known
pioneer of this section, left his old home in Perry
county, Penn., when a young man, accompanied
by his brother, George, who located at Liver
pool, but he took up his residence on Sugar Val
ley Mountain, one mile north of Loganton, in
Clinton county, early in the present century.
He believed that the soil of the mountain was
better than that in the valley, and the land was
much cheaper. He did not long enjoy his new
home, however, as his death occurred in 1820.
His widow, who survived him for twenty-four
years, was thus left with the care of a large fam
ily, twenty-one children having been born to
them, of whom fifteen reached years of maturity.
The trials and hardships she was forced to endure
in her primitive mountain home were many; the
wild animals which haunted the forests often
killed her cattle; and she was compelled to work
early and late in order to keep her family to
gether until they were able to care for them
selves. Her last years were spent with the
father of our subject, who operated the old home
farm, and there she passed away at the age of
seventy-two, her remains being interred in the
old cemetery in Sugar Valley.
Christian Barner, our subject's father, was
born on Sugar Valley Mountain, December 19,
18 16, and was the youngest child of Henry and
Susanna (Bunce) Barner that lived to adult age.
As a farmer boy he was reared in the mountain
home, and received a very limited education, as
the nearest school was several miles distant and
hard to reach. As soon as old enough he began
learning the miller's trade, but his health did not
permit his following that occupation, so he took
up the mason's trade. All of his nine brothers
who reached manhood had also learned some
trade, and it was under the instruction of his
brother Harmon that he mastered masonry.
As a young man he was employed at various

places, but always considered the farm where he
was born, " home."
On October 20, 1839, in Penn's Valley, Chris
tian Barner was married by Rev. Fisher to
Catharine Frazier, who was born February 24,
1 82 1, near Rebersburg, in Brush Valley, Centre
county, a daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth
(Bierly) Frazier, also natives of Brush Valley.
Her paternal grandfather was Ludwig Frazier, a
pioneer of that Valley; and her maternal grand
parents were John and Catharine (Garman)
Bierly. Mrs. Barner is the oldest in a family of
six children, of whom one died in infancy,
and the others are as follows: Elizabeth, who
died at the age of fourteen; John, who died in
Huntingdon county, Penn., in the fall of 1896;
William, who did in Salona; and Jonathan, who
died in Penn's Valley. She was only ten years
of age when her father died, but being the eldest
she was forced to earn her own livelihood and
help take care of the younger children. She
accordingly worked as a domestic from the age
of fourteen until her marriage. By her marriage
she became the mother of six children, namely:
J. C. , of this sketch; George H., a resident of
Lock Haven; Rebecca, wife of H. J. Brungard,
of Lamar township, Clinton county; Sarah E.,
now Mrs. J. Edward Bressler, of Renovo, Penn. ;
Nathaniel J., of Emporium, Penn.; and Amanda
C. , wife of John E. Furst, of Lamar township.
• After their marriage the parents of our sub
ject located in Loganton, where the father
worked at his trade during the busy season, and
in the winter chopped wood or engaged in thresh
ing, receiving only one dollar per day as a. mason
and fifty cents per day as a laborer. From his
small wages, however, he saved enough to pur
chase two lots, and upon one of these he built a
residence, making Loganton his home for eight
years. He then returned to the old homestead
on Sugar Valley Mountain, as his mother was
then in feeble health, and while living there she
died. Later the place was divided into two parts
and sold, Mr. Barner purchasing the portion on
which the buildings stood. At the end of eight
years, however, he sold and came to Nittany
Valley, where he operated rented land for sev
eral years,, and then bought a farm in Lamar
township, which he subsequently sold at a profit.
He traveled through Illinois and Iowa on a pros
pecting tour, but concluded to remain in Nittany
Valley, and bought the farm where our subject
now lives. In the summer of 1876 he built a
very comfortable home at the east end of Salona,
where he continued to reside while engaged in
light farming until his death, which occurred in
March, 1884, being laid to rest in Cedar Hill

712

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

cemetery. For several years he was officially
connected with the Lutheran Church, and in pol
itics was always identified with the Democratic
party. Although at his death he left a very
comfortable property, he started in life for him
self in very limited circumstances, but in his
labors was ably assisted by his excellent wife,
who was to him a true helpmeet. As a girl she
had often worked in the hay field at twenty-five
cents per day, and after her marriage aided in the
work of the farm while her husband was em
ployed at his trade. She is also a faithful mem
ber of the Lutheran Church, and is enjoying a
well-earned rest at her pleasant home in Sa
lona, where she is surrounded by loving kindred
and friends.
In his native village, J. C. Barner began his
education, but was never able to attend school
more than four months out of the year. When
about eight years old he accompanied his parents
on their removal to ¦ the farm on Sugar Valley
Mountain, after which his studies were often in
terrupted by farm work as he was the oldest
child. He began to assist in the plowing at the
age of thirteen, and continued to help in the
cultivation of the farm until after the outbreak of
the Civil war. In the summer of 1862, at Lock
Haven, Mr. Barner enlisted in Company E,
137th P. V. I., and from Harrisburg proceeded
to Baltimore and thence to Washington, D. C. ,
near which place the regiment went into camp.
His first engagement was at South Mountain,
which was followed by the battle of Antietam
and all the other engagements in which his regi
ment took part during his ten-months' service,
including the battles of Fredericksburg and Chan
cellorsville. He was honorably discharged at
Harrisburg in 1863.
After his return from the army, Mr. Barner
worked for his father until his marriage, which
was celebrated in Clinton county, in March,
1865, Miss Maggie A. Harter, a native of Penn's
Valley, and a daughter of Samuel and Mary
(Wolf) Harter, becoming his wife. The children
born to them are as follows: William H, a
printer living in Meadville, Penn.; Charles E., a
machinist of Jersey Shore, who is married and has
one child, Erma; Christian S., a machinist by
trade, but now a farmer of Lamar township, who
is married and has three children — Ira N. , Will
iam J., and Margaret M. ; Henry A., a machinist;
and George N., J. Wesley, Mary C. and Flor
ence A. C. , all at home.
For some time after his marriage our subject
lived upon his father's farm near Salona, and
then rented the Samuel Segmund place until
going to Iowa in 1869. In Audubon county, his

father-in-law owned a large tract of land, and
our subject also purchased eighty acres there.
He converted the wild land into a good farm,
erected good buildings thereon, but at the end
of three years and a half returned to Pennsyl
vania, and after renting his place in Iowa for
two years sold it. As a renter he first located
upon his present farm in Lamar township, Clin
ton county, but after the death of his father he
purchased the land, and under his able manage
ment and careful supervision it has become one
of the most desirable places in the locality. He
owns 132 acres of farming land and 21 acres of
timber land in the home place and a small tract
in the east end of Nittany Valley. In the course
of his life he has paid out over $5,000 for rent,
but he is now the owner of a most attractive
and productive farm, which has been acquired
through his own well-directed efforts and untir
ing energy.
Politically, Mr. Barner is an adherent of
Democratic principles, and although he has
served as school director, he has never cared for
the honors or emoluments of public office. So
cially he is an honored member of John S. Bit
ner Post No. 122, G. A. R. , and of the Grange,
and, religiously, he and his wife both belong to
the Lutheran Church, in which he has served as
deacon for several years. In October, 1897, he
was elected a deacon of the Lutheran Church at
Salona for a term of two years. He was at one
time superintendent of the Sunday-school in the
east end of Nittany Valley. While in Iowa he
was one of the leading members of the Lutheran
Church of his locality, and served as superin-
intendent of the Sunday-school. In January,
1898, he was elected one of the directors of the
Salona creamery for the term of one year.
Pleasant and affable in manner, their circle of
friends is only limited by their circle of acquaint

ances.

IRVIN W. GLEASON is a leading representa
tive of the business interests of Chapman
township, Clinton county, being the present sen
ior partner of the firm of L. R. Gleason & Sons,
who own and operate the Puritan Tannery at
North Bend. He also acts as general superin
tendent. Of excellent business ability and
broad resources, he has attained a prominent
place among the substantial citizens of the coun
ty, and is k recognized leader in public affairs.
He has won success by well-directed, energetic
efforts, and the prosperity that has come to him
is certainly well deserved.
A native of Pennsylvania, Mr. Gleason was

/¦/$.^c^*^

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

713

born August 20, 1862, in Union township,
Tioga county, and is descended from an
honored New England family who took a very
active part in the Revolutionary war, valiantly
fighting for the freedom of the country from
British oppression. Jacob Gleason was born in
Massachusetts, where he followed farming for a
time, but when a young man removed to Rutland,
Vt, where he owned and operated a farm until
life's labors were ended. Three of his four sons,
and himself joined the Continental army, and
aided in the successful struggle for independence.
He was a member of the Congregational Church,
and a stanch Democrat in politics.
His youngest son, Jacob Gleason, the great
grandfather of our subject, spent his entire life
in Rutland, Vt., and followed the occupation of
farming. He was there married and reared a
family of six children, all now deceased, namely:
Timothy, Jacob, Edmund, Daniel, Sylvia and
Ruth. The parents were both interred in the
cemetery at Rutland. The father was also a
Congregationalist in religious belief, but was an
Old-line Whig in politics.
The grandfather of our .subject also bore the
name of Jacob, and was born in Rutland, where
he obtained a limited education in the subscrip
tion schools, and grew to manhood on the home
farm, remaining there until thirty years of age.
Going to Bolton, Warren Co. , N. Y. , he worked
as a laborer for ten years, and then removed to
Bradford county, Penn., where the following
year was spent. In 1841 he took up his residence
in Union township, Tioga county, Penn. , where
he purchased 100 acres of timberland, which he
cleared and improved with good buildings, and aft
er operating his farm for several years he worked in
an iron furnace at Blossburg. Later he engaged
in lumbering on Pine Creek, Lycoming county,
and spent the last years of his life at the home
of his son Le Roy, the father of our subject,
who tenderly cared for him during his old age.
He died at Canton, Penn., in 1869, and was
there laid to rest. While in Bolton, N. Y., he
had married Sarah Eaton, a native of Warren
county, and a daughter of Benjamin Eaton, a
farmer by occupation, and to them were born
five children, but only the father of our subject
reached years of maturity. The grandfather
was a deacon in and prominent member of the
Baptist Church, and in politics first supported
the Whig ticket and later joined the Republican
party. Le Roy Gleason was born November 16,
1829, in Bolton, N. Y., but at an early age ac
companied his parents on their removal to Penn
sylvania. As they were in limited circumstances

his opportunities for obtaining an education were
meagre, and he only attended school about six
months altogether while living in Tioga county,
being hardly able to write his name at the age of
nineteen years. When only eight he was able
to handle the axe in helping his father cut cord-
wood for charcoal burning, and he continued to
assist his father in that way and in improving the
farm until sixteen, when he obtained a position
in the coal mines at Blossburg, where he received
$4 per week for the first year, and $7 per week
for the following two years, as he did a man's
work. When nineteen, Mr. Gleason began lum
bering in the camps on Pine creek, where he was
employed during the winter months in cutting
timber and logging, while the summers were spent
in a sawmill from 1852 until 1870. He took con
tracts for cutting timber on Pine creek, and in
this way managed to save some money, with
which he embarked in the tanning business at
Canton, Penn. , in partnership with his brother-
in-law, William Irvin, the business being con
ducted under the firm name of Gleason & Irvin
for seventeen years and success crowning all their
efforts. In 1881 they established the first tan
nery at North Bend, which is the largest plant
of the kind in Clinton county, being erected at a
cost of $80,000. In 1887 Mr. Gleason purchased
his partner's interest, and admitted his sons to
membership in the firm, since which time busi
ness has been carried on under the style of L. R.
Gleason & Sons. Besides this tannery they have
one at Driftwood, Cameron Co., Penn., and an
other at Medix Run, Elk county, and in all
branches of the business furnish employment to
hundreds of men, thus materially benefiting the
entire community. The father looks after the
business at Canton, while his sons have charge of
the branch establishments. He is a very pro
gressive, industrious and energetic man, whose
success in life is due entirely to his own unaided
efforts, and he certainly deserves great credit for
the honorable position he has succeeded in at
taining in the business world. He is not only a
self-made man, but also a self-educated one. As
his school privileges were very limited he has
devoted much time to reading and study since
reaching manhood, and is especially proficient in
botany, geology and other sciences. In 1889
L. R. Gleason & Sons, in connection with How
ard & Perley, lumber manufacturers of Williams
port, built a standard gauge railroad from North
Bend to Potter county, which now connects with
the Black Forest road for the purpose of getting
out their bark, and Howard & Perley's logs.
Since then the road has been chartered with F.
A. Blackwell, general manager; William Howard,

714

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

president; Allen W. Perley, treasurer; and I. W.
Gleason, secretary. The main line of the road
is twenty-one miles long, which has numerous
branches, and it is well equipped with three large
locomotives, and with its own lumber and bark
and passenger coaches. The road is called the
North Bend & Kettle Creek railroad.
In 1852, in Union township, Tioga county,
LeRoy Gleason was united in marriage with Miss
Martha Irvin, a native of Lehigh county, Penn.,
and a daughter of Benjamin Irvin, a charcoal
manufacturer, of Scotch-Irish descent. Eight
children were born to this union, as follows: (1)
William and (2) Celia both died when young.
(3) Frank also died young. (4) Irwin W. is the
next of the family. (5) John, who was educated
in the Canton public schools, is now engaged in
business with his father at Driftwood. He mar
ried Hattie Rury, and has two children — Martha
and Franklin. (6) LeRoy W. , educated in the
public schools of Canton and the Elmira Busi
ness College, is also a partner in the tanning
business, and is superintendent of the plant at
Medix Run, Elk county. He married Bessie
Muthersbaugh, a native of Lewistown, Penn.,
and they have three children — Celie, Ruth and
Jennie. (7) Charles attended the same schools
as his brother LeRoy, and, as a partner in the
tanning business, is located at Driftwood, super
intendent of the plant there. He married Min
nie Rury. (8) James completed his education
at the Military Academy at Bordentown, N. J.,
and is now with our subject at North Bend, as
he, too, is a partner in the business. He mar
ried Lucy Walton, of North Bend. The mother
of these children died in 1880, and the following
year, at Canton, the father married Elizabeth
Mitchell, widow of Byron Clark, and a daughter
of Thomas Mitchell, of that place. They have
an adopted daughter, Mabel, and the family
make their home in Canton. After voting for
Fremont in 1856, LeRoy Gleason continued to
support the Republican party until after the elec
tion of President Hayes, since which time he has
been an ardent Prohibitionist, as he is a strong
temperance man. He is an active and promi
nent member of the Baptist Church, in which he
has served as deacon and Sunday-school teacher
and superintendent. Socially he affiliates with
the Blue Lodge of the Masonic Order at Canton.
He has reared a family of which he may be
justly proud, has given his sons all an excellent
start in life, and they are now wide-awake, en
terprising business men. Temperate in his hab
its, honorable in all business relations, his influ
ence. is ever found on the side of right and order.
Irvin W. Gleason, whose name introduces

this sketch, pursued his studies in the public
schools of Canton, Penn., and in the Business
College at Elmira. At an early age he began
working in the tan yard of his father, soon be
came thoroughly familiar with every department
of the business, and remained in the tannery at
Canton until 1881, when he transferred to North
Bend, continuing to work for his father and uncle
until 1887, since which time he has been a part
ner in the business. He has also served as gen
eral superintendent, has made many improve
ments in the plant, and furnishes employment to
about one hundred men. On June 1, 1887, at
North Bend, he married Miss Josephine Haynes,
a native of that place, and a daughter of John
H. and Elizabeth (Gilbert) Haynes, the former a
lumber manufacturer of North Bend. Mrs. Glea
son attended the public schools of her birthplace
and also the Central State Normal School, Lock
Haven, where she graduated in 1885, and the
following year graduated at Darlington Seminary,
Philadelphia. She then engaged in teaching for
three terms in North Bend and in Potter county,
Penn. To Mr. and Mrs. Gleason has been born
a daughter, Elizabeth. The family occupy a
pleasant home in North Bend, where they are
surrounded by a large circle of friends and ac
quaintances. He is a prominent Mason, having
taken the thirty-second degree, and belongs to
the Blue Lodge of Renovo, the Chapter of Lock
Haven, the Commandery of Philadelphia, and
the Consistory of Bloomsburg. His political sup
port is ever given the men and measures of the
Democratic party. His business methods have
been above question, and in all the relations of
life he has been found true and faithful to every
trust reposed in him.

PETER FABEL, who in his lifetime was a
highly respected citizen of Castanea, Clinton
county, was born April 14, 1838, on the banks of
the River Rhine. He possesses the energy and
determination which mark the people of Germany,
and by the exercise of his powers he has steadily
progressed, and has not only won a handsome
competence, but has commanded universal re
spect by his straightforward business methods.
John W. Fabel, his father, also a native of
Germany, was a cooper and brewer by trade,
and, after selling all his property in the Father
land, brought his family to America in 1855,
landing in New York after a long and tedious
voyage. Lock Haven, Penn. , was his destina
tion, and here he found work at the cooper s
trade-. Being an excellent mechanic, he com-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

715

manded good wages, and, as he lived economic
ally, he prospered, and in his adopted city built
an elegant residence, much better than he ever
expected to own. His last years were spent in
retirement from active labor, enjoying a com
fortable competence which he so richly deserved.
His political support was given the men and
measures of the Democratic party, and in
religious belief both he and his wife were
Lutherans. In his native land John W. Fabel had mar
ried Margaret Weigen, who bore him eleven
children, two of whom died before the immigra
tion of the family to the New World. The others
are as follows: Charles and Martin, now de
ceased; Christian, a resident of Lock Haven;
Philip, Michael and John, all deceased; Peter, of
this sketch; Barbara, widow of George Scheid,
of Lock Haven, and Margaret, deceased. The
mother died of a cancer in 1857, and the father
passed away in 1886, both being interred in the
cemetery at Lock Haven.
Peter Fabel was educated in his native land,
and, when not in school, worked in his father's
cooper shop, where he soon mastered the trade,
at which he was employed in Lock Haven after
coming with the family to this country at the age
of seventeen years. Considering Castanea a
good location, he in 1865 removed here, and for
several years followed agricultural pursuits,
having purchased a small farm, on which he
built a good residence and made many other
valuable improvements. For thirteen years he
also engaged in the dairy business, selling the
milk in Lock Haven, but at the time of his death,
July 31, 1897, be was practically living retired
at his comfortable home in Castanea after many
years of arduous labor. He owns three dwell
ings on Church street, in Lock Haven, and his
property was all acquired through his own un
aided efforts.
In 1865, at Lock Haven, Mr. Fabel was mar
ried to Miss Elizabeth Marks, also a native of
the Fatherland, and a daughter of Peter Marks,
who after coming to the United States became a
farmer of Clinton county, Penn. She died in
1876, leaving four daughters: Annie, wife of
Charles Kindley, of Altoona, Penn. ; Ida, wife of
Peter Poorman; Clara, wife of John Simmons;
and Emma, wife of George Hemburger. For
his second wife Mr. Fabel chose Sybella Sousley,
a native of Berks county, Penn., who died in
1892, and in October of the following year, at
Columbia, Penn., he married Mrs. Rosa Hetrick,
nee Ball, who was born in Baltimore, Md., a
daughter of John Ball. She first wedded George
Hetrick, by whom she had five children, but all

died in infancy; and after the death of her hus
band she married T. W. Stover.
On the Democratic ticket, Mr. Fabel was
elected to several official positions of honor and
trust, serving for eighteen years as tax collector
in Castanea township, several years an auditor,
overseer of the poor for some time, and also
supervisor of his township, and it is needless to
say that the duties of the offices were always faith
fully performed. He was a member of the
Lutheran Church, and was justly regarded as one
of the most valued and useful citizens of Cas
tanea.

m

UGH McLEOD. Since 1870 Mr. McLeod
has been identified with the business inter
ests of Lock Haven and of Clinton county. He
is now the genial and accommodating landlord
of the "Custer House," a large arid well-regu
lated hotel centrally located near the court house,
Lock Haven, where he bids a hearty welcome to
his many patrons.
Norman McLeod and Martha (McKenzie)
McLeod, his parents, were both born in Scot
land, whence, in early life they came to Nova
Scotia and there resided through life. The fa
ther was a tailor by trade, and followed that as
an occupation for a period, but his life was given
the most of the time to agricultural pursuits.
They were plain, hard-working farming people,
kind-hearted and well-disposed, such as gained
and held the respect of the community in which
they lived. Their children are: Margaret, Anna,
Sarah, Mary, Christie, Jane, Martha, Belle,
Kenneth, Hugh (our subject), Roderick, John
and Angus.
Hugh McLeod was born in 1 849 in Nova Scotia,
was reared on a farm, and had only limited school
advantages, attending the subscription schools
of the neighborhood. After passing fifteen years
on the farm he went to sea, and for five years
was a sea-faring man. In 1870 he came to
Lock Haven, and for ten years was employed in
the woods cutting and shaping timber, the first
work he performed being for Patrick Flynn. In
1880 he became engaged in the hotel business
on Bellefonte avenue, at Lock Haven, for five
years remained at that point, and then (January
1, 1885) moved to his present location. Mr.
McLeodis well adapted to this line of business, and
is making a success of it. He is obliging and ac
commodating, understands human nature thor
oughly, and not only anticipates the wants and
desires of his guests, but amply supplies them.
In 1879, Mr. McLeod was married to Ella
Walsh, who was born in 1859, in New Bruns-

716

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

wick. She is of the Roman Catholic faith, while
Mr. McLeod was reared in the faith of the
Presbyterian Church. In politics he is a Demo
crat. Socially he is a member of the I. O. O. F. ,
and of the K. of G. E. He has been identified
with the public affairs of Lock 'Haven more or
less, and has at different times represented his
ward in the city council, six years.

EV. M. W. FAIR (deceased) was one whose
life record remained untarnished by shadow
of wrong or suspicion of evil. Upright and hon
orable, of broad humanitarian principles, devot
ing his life to others, he so lived as to win the
respect and love of all. He was born in Man
chester, Carroll Co., Md., August 9, 1837, and
in his youth was an exceptionally good boy, al
ways obedient to his mother and faithful to her
teachings. He attended the public schools, also
pursued his studies in an academy at Manchester,
after which he became a student in Gettysburg
College, and later was graduated in the theolog
ical department of Susquehanna University, at
Selin's Grove, Pennsylvania.
Having determined to devote his life to the
ministry, and thus prepared for his chosen call
ing, Mr. Fair accepted the pastorate of the
Church in Funkstown, Washington Co., Md.,
after which he went to Woodsboro', Frederick
county, that State. Failing health at length
compelled him to retire from the ministry, and
in the fall of 1873 he removed to York, Penn.,
where he continued his residence until called to
the home beyond, June 20, 1876, his remains be
ing interred at Manchester, Md. Rev. D. J.
Hauer, D. D., who is now living in Hanover,
York Co., Penn., at the advanced age of ninty-
three years, was instrumental in influencing him
to enter the ministry. He had known Mr. Fair
from early boyhood, had baptized him and re
ceived him into the Church, and had ever been
his friend and counsellor, and as the end drew
near it was Mr. Fair's request that this venerable
man should take charge of the funeral services.
On May 28, 1868, Rev. Fair was married to
Miss Sarah A. Furst, who was born August 3,
1841, in Lamar township, Clinton Co., Penn., a
daughter of Samuel and Mary (Wilt) Furst, the
former born in Northumberland county, Penn.,
April 29, 1793, the latter in Perry county, Feb
ruary 12, 1805. The grandparents, George and
Agnes (Snyder) Furst, came to Nittany Valley in
the year 1797, and located in the midst of the
timber land, where the grandfather developed a
farm, which is still in the possession of the family.
Samuel Furst, the father of Mrs. Fair,

when fourteen years of age, walked twenty miles
to Rebersburg, crossing two mountains, to attend
catechetical lectures by Rev. Ilgen, preparatory
to entering the Lutheran Church. He was mar
ried in Lamar township, Clinton county, to Mary
Wilt, a daughter of Michael and Gertrude (Zell-
ers) Wilt. A brief record of their family is as
follows: Franklin B. is a farmer of Lamar
township. Louisa died in 1894. Rebecca A. be
came the wife of Joseph Hayes, and died in
1892. William W. is an agriculturist of Lamar
township. Samuel E., who, after attending the
Aaronsburg Academy, entered the sophomore
class in Pennsylvania College in i860, was grad
uated in 1863, and in 1867 was admitted to the
Clinton County Bar, after which he practiced for
ten years; in 1878 he entered the Theological
Seminary at Gettysburg, and was licensed to
preach the same year, after which he ably filled
the pulpits in Bellefonte, New' Berlin and Schell-
burg, Penn.; about August. 1, 1894, he went to
Salona to visit his invalid sister, and while there
died, on the 14th of August. Mrs. Fair is next in
the order of birth. M. Luther is a minister of the
Lutheran Church at Tallman, N. Y. M. Kath
arine lives in Salona.
Samuel Furst (father of Mrs. Sarah A.
Fair) was a Republican in his political views,
and in religious belief he was a Lutheran, who
for sixty-five years was a member of the Church
at Salona. He contributed liberally to its sup
port, did all in his power for its advancement.
He was also an ardent temperance worker, never
using either tobacco or liquor in any form. He
was a man of but medium size, yet possessed of
great powers of endurance. At one time he took
grain to Harrisburg (on "an ark," on the Sus
quehanna river), and returned on foot to his home
(a distance of 125 miles). On another occasion,
after attending court at Bellefonte, then the
county seat (about twenty-five miles from his
home), he walked back to Nittany Valley. He
was very neat and clean in person, was also cool
and calm in demeanor, and was a man of schol
arly tastes, being very fond of books, and having
a broad knowledge of literature. His father had
four sons, to each of whom he gave a farm, pro
vided that the sons would pay half of its value to
their sisters, for there were also four daughters
in the family. Samuel Furst built upon his land
an elegant brick residence, the brick used in its
construction being burned upon his farm. He
delighted to surround his family with the com
forts of life, and secured to them every advan
tage possible. A great lover of nature, he was
fond of spending much time in the woods, and
could name all the varieties of birds and trees.

SAMUEL FURST

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

717

His wife was particularly fond of poetry, a taste
she cultivated by extensive reading; she also
possessed a very fine soprano voice, which still
retained its sweetness when she had reached the
age of eighty years. His well-spent life and
kindly nature won to Samuel Furst the regard
of all who knew him, and at his death, which
occurred November 7, 1872, he was deeply
" mourned. His wife passed away March 27,
1885, and was laid by his side in Cedar Hall
cemetery. "The memory of the just is
blessed."

T^HOMAS CHRISTIE, an old-time agricult
urist and lumberman of large experience, is
now numbered among the elderly residents of
Dunnstown, Woodward township, Clinton coun
ty, by whose people he is held in that reverence
and respect tacitly accorded those whose lives
have been distinguished by integrity and use
fulness. Mr. Christie was born July 29, 1 8 1 3, in Black-
ville, New Brunswick, Canada, a son of Wesley
Christie, whose birth occurred on the banks* of
the St. Johns river, in the same province, in
1792,1 and who was of English descent. In that
country the father engaged in lumbering until
twenty-six years of age, when he removed with
hjs family to Somerset county, Maine, where in
connection with that occupation he also worked
in a sawmill, followed farming and piloting rafts
of lumber on the rivers. He died in the State of
Maine, February 25, 1874, at a ripe old age,
honored and respected by all who knew him.
Politically he was first a Whig, and later a Re
publican, while, religiously, he was a member of
the Free Will Baptist Church, to which his wife
also belonged. She bore the maiden name of
Sarah Weaver, was a native of Canada and of
Pennsylvania-German descent, and gave her hand
in marriage to Mr. Christie while residing in New
Brunswick. She also departed this life in Maine.
Our subject is the oldest of their seven children,
the others being as follows: Abigail was the wife
of Charles Dyer, both deceased; George W. is a
resident of Maine; Sarah was the wife of Israel
Dyer, both now deceased; Wesley is deceased;
Mary A. is in the West; and Barbara is the wife
of Henry Folley.
When only five years old Thomas Christie
was taken by his parents to Maine, where he at
tended the township schools during the winter
months, while the summer season was devoted to
work in the woods or on the farm, his wages go
ing toward the support of the family. At the
age of twenty he left home, having purchased

his time from his father for $70, and obtained a
position in a sawmill, where he received $16 per
month for night work. He continued to work in
the woods during the winter, hewing and cutting
timber and teaming with oxen until thirty-six
years of age, when he left Maine and came to
Dunnstown, Clinton Co., Penn., where he helped
to erect the West branch boom in 1852, was ap
pointed by the court as scaler of logs for the
West Branch Boom Company, which position he
filled until 1859. He owned and operated a
farm in Dunstable township, Clinton county,
for some time. Since 1889, however, he has
lived retired at his pleasant home in Dunnstown,
enjoying the fruits of his former toil, while his
son-in-law, John N. Bitner, conducts the old
home farm.
In Harmony, Somerset county, Maine, in
1837, Mr. Christie was married to Miss Statira
Nutt, who was born in Lincoln county, that
State, in April, 181 3, a daughter of William- and
Lucy (Avery) Nutt, the former of Irish and the
latter of English descent. By occupation her
father was a shoemaker. To Mr. and Mrs.
Christie have been born the following children:
(1) Laura V., born in Maine, was married in
1859 to John N. Bitner, a native of Clinton
county, Penn., and they have eight children —
Jennie, wife of J. A. Leitzel; Mary S., wife of
Andrew Nonenmacher; Nancy and Thomas, de
ceased; Abigail, wife of Morton Brown; Albert W. ,
deceased; Ivie E., and Edward. (2) Thomas M.,
of Jersey City, N. J., married Miss C. Herr, and
has four children — Winfield G. , a pen artist,
employed in New York City; Eugenia married
William McCloskey; Charles, and Thomas, Jr. (3)
Perley M., an ice dealer, of Lock Haven, Penn.,
married Sarah Varner. (4) William Wesley, of
Lock Haven, married Mary Beshler, and has one
child, a daughter, who married Edward Drawken
and they have four children: (5) Samuel is con
nected with the Eastman Business College, of
Poughkeepsie, N. Y. His children are Mable,
Frederick, and Harry. (6) Abigail, and (7). Per
ley, both died in childhood, and, last (8), Mar
vin, deceased.
Mr. Christie cast his first Presidential vote for
the Whig candidate in 1846, and is now an ar-
dent.Republican, having voted for William McKin-
ley at the last election, in 1896. He is an ear
nest and faithful member of Christ's Church, has
taken an active part in its work, and has served
as teacher and superintendent of the Sunday-
school. He and his faithful wife have enjoyed
sixty years of happy married life, and their record
has been an honorable one, their years have been
fruitful with deeds of usefulness and kindness,

718

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

with malice toward none and friendliness toward
all who have come under their influence, and
they have gained the respect and honor of the
whole community.
Our subject thus refers to the journey from
the Province to St. Albans, in Maine, and to
other reminiscences:
"We left the southwest branch of Mirimichi
(my father, mother and three children — the
youngest, George W.). The only conveyance
was a birch canoe, thence up the river some
thirty miles to Boycetown; thence twenty miles
through the woods to a branch of the St. Johns
river, called the Nashwalk, down that in the
canoe to the St. Johns, nearly opposite Freder-
ickton, up the river to the mouth of Eel river to
a certain point; thence another carry across into
a lake, one of the head waters of the St. Croix
river, across that, thence another carry into Bask-
ahegan lake, the head water of a branch called
Baskahegan, down that into Matawamkeag, on
down into the Penobscot, sixty miles to Orono,
where the birch canoe was left. We then hired
.a man by the name of George Reed to take us to
Bangor, eight miles, in a wagon; then on horse
back through woods in a bushed road most of
the way, thirty miles to St. Albans, mother car
rying George W. in her arms.
" My first lessons were learned in a vacated
log house in summers and in barns two summers,
and in winters in private houses, never having a
school house until I was eighteen years of age
and helped to make the brick to build one, the
first brick house in the township.
" In the fall of 1827 a laughable incident oc
curred, which I long since have remembered, and
which I will now take pleasure in relating. We
were living in the west part of a house for that
season while my father built one; he had bought
a piece of ground containing 100 acres adjoining
the one which we then occupied. My father,
with another man, his son and myself, were sit
ting on a log in front of the house, we heard dogs
barking in the direction of a field of corn just out
of sight from the house, soon the dogs came in
sight, driving a large coon, every few yards hav
ing a fight. They drove the coon passed where
we sat, the door of the house being open, a lad
der standing inside, the coon went up the ladder
and the dogs after him and across the room
where the old lady and some children were still
reposing on their pillows. There was a fight,
and in it some loose boards were upset; down
went coon and dogs on the old lady and children;
such music was not often heard, and I have not
heard the like since. When the door was opened
out came Mr. Coon and dogs, and the old gen

tleman took the poker-stick and made short life
of Mr. Coon. So ended the laughable story of
coon and dogs."

I) M. FIELD, who for more than a third of
L/i a century has been a most active and en
terprising business man of Lock Haven, Clinton
county, and during that period an extensive coal-
dealer, is a native of the State of New Jersey,
born in June, 1823.
John and Margaret (Paulsen) Field, his par
ents, were natives of New Jersey. John Field
came to Pennsylvania and located in Lycoming
county. He was by occupation a contractor
and builder of internal improvements and was
engaged in work on a number of railroads and
canals built in his time in that section of the
State. He was a man of considerable energy
and push, and somewhat reserved in .manner;
was quiet and made no display. Field station
and post office were named after this family.
B. M. Field, in his boyhood, had the ad
vantages of the Williamsport schools, in which
he obtained a fair English education. After
leaving school he became engaged in railroading
for a time, and then was a foreman and con
tractor for many years, and built the railroad
running from Sunbury through to Erie, Penn.
In 1867 he began dealing in coal, and has con
tinued in that business from that time to the
preseflt. He has been an enterprising and pro
gressive citizen, and figured in various lines in
the development of Clinton county and Lock
Haven. He was one of the organizers of the
State Bank of Lock Haven, which was a pros
perous institution for many years, but which
owing to some bad loans made was closed in
1893. Mr. Field was instrumental in organizing
the Lock Haven Trust Company, which is in a
flourishing condition, and is one of the substan
tial concerns of the place. He is a stockholder
in this bank. He has been a prominent pro
moter of many enterprises in the city of his
adoption, which has added to its wealth and
beauty. He was a good acquisition, and has
proved to be always interested in everything
pertaining to the borough's advancement. He
is not a member of any Church, but is liberal to
all. In politics he is a Democrat, opposed to
all monopolies. He was one of the organizers
of the Lock Haven Power & Steam Co., and is
at this time connected with it. Our subject has
never married, and for twenty- two years he has
boarded, with " Uncle" Peter Meitzler, a genial
and accommodating landlord of Lock Haven.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

719

JOHN N. GETZ, Jr., of Lock Haven, Clinton
county, where he has for twenty odd years
been a dealer in agricultural implements,
wagons, buggies, etc., enjoying the confidence
and esteem of his fellow-townsmen, and of his
patrons from far and near, is a native of Dun
stable township, Clinton county, born August 15,
1847. Jacob Getz, his father, and Catherine (Deise)
Getz, his mother, are highly-esteemed farmers
residing in the county in ease and comfort, and
passing the evening of their lives surrounded by
their children. The father is now in his seventy-
eighth year, and the mother in her seventy-sixth.
Both are natives of Pennsylvania, where their
long lives have been passed. Jacob Getz has
been engaged in agricultural pursuits chiefly, and
has done much toward the development of the
section in which he has resided. Having man
aged his own business affairs successfully, he was
a fit man to look after the affairs of the county, in
which he has been somewhat prominent, and the
people elected him to the office of county com
missioner, and re-elected him on two occasions,
giving him a service of three terms. He served
in this important position very acceptably, exer
cising good judgment. Five of the eight children
of this couple are yet living, namely: John N.
(our subject), Mary E. (Mrs. Henry C. Ohl),
George A., Sarah C. and Charles D. Those
deceased are: Margaret and Annie (both of whom
died in infancy), and Henrietta (who grew t'o
womanhood, and died in 189.6).
John N. Getz, Jr., was reared on a farm, and
had only the school privileges given to the general
farmers' sons, that of neighborhood district
schools. He remained on the home farm until
he was twenty-one years of age, when he became
engaged in school teaching, having by diligent
study prepared himself for the profession. This
vocation he followed most successfully for seven
years, and gained the reputation of being a com
petent instructor and a good disciplinarian. Dur
ing this period he gained a good knowledge of
human nature, which served him well in after
business life. On leaving the schoolroom he was
employed as a lumber accountant in the lumber
business for two years, then embarked in his
present business at Lock Haven. This business
he has most carefully given his attention and
efforts to until he has become one of the substan
tial men of the place, and the business one of the
leading ones of its kind in this locality. He
handles the Conklin wagon, the Cortland spring
wagons, fine top buggies, road wagons, Oliver
plows, spring harrows, Hench cultivators, Os
borne harvesters, Tiger hay- rakes, Superior drills,

steel land-rollers, corn-planters, corn-shellers,
feed-cutters, pumps, phosphate, etc.
On November 27, 1895, Mr. Getz was mar
ried to Alice M. Dunkle, a daughter of Ira Dunkle,
of Ames, N. Y. ; she was born May 26, 1858, at
Frey's Bush, N. Y. The parents are members
of the M. E. Church. In politics Mr. Getz is a
Democrat.

DAMIEN LACHAT. Courteous, obliging, gen
ial, and socially inclined is the gentleman
whose name opens this sketch, requisites for a
popular landlord, which he is, being the propri
etor of the " Clearfield House " at Lock Haven,
Clinton county, and the dispenser of an open
hospitality at that hostelry.
George and Catherine (Bron) Lachat, his
parents, were born and reared in Switzerland,
the father born September 18, 1805, at Mont-
sevelier, Canton de Berne, and the mother born
April 9, 1 8 19, at Montsevelier, Canton de Berne.
They came to America in 1852, located at Louis
ville, Stark Co., Ohio, and in i860 settled in
Frenchville, Clearfield county, Penn., where the
father died February 18, 1872. By occupation he
was a laborer — a plain man of good hard sense,
kindly-disposed and charitable to all. His good
wife, though now nearing the eightieth mile-stone
on the journey of life, is well-preserved, and bids
fair to be with her children some years yet. She
makes her home with and is tenderly cared for
by our subject. Her children now living are:
Leonard, Mary, Frank, Emelie, and Damien
(our subject).
Damien Lachat was born March 6, 1847, in
Switzerland. His parents were poor and he had
no educational privileges, not having attended
school at all. At the early age of nine years he
began working out, doing chores, milking, etc.,
for which the first year he received his board and
clothes, and for the second year, one dollar per
month and he clothed himself. During the year
he saved nine dollars of the twelve received. On
coming to Pennsylvania, in i860, he began work
ing in the woods getting out timber; this con
tinued to be his occupation until thirty-five years
old, and, in 188 1, he went into the hotel busi
ness at Lock Hav£n. This business he has fol
lowed ever since, and he has prospered in it.
Beginning life poor and without any knowledge
whatever of books, unaided, he has risen to. an
independence pecuniarily, and become a well-
informed man. He is an example of what one
can accomplish when he sets out in life with a
fixed purpose and determination to succeed. The
" Clearfield House " is a neat and substantial one,

720

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

and guests stopping there will never go away
hungry. On April 26, 1881, Mr. Lachat was married
to Louise Tourdain, a native of Alsace, France,
born August 29, 1862, and five children have
come to them: George, Mary, Anna, Freddie,
and Charles. The parents are identified with
the Roman Catholic Church. Ms. Lachat votes
the Democratic ticket and is a strong advocate of
free silver.

FERDINAND C. LUCAS. The popular pro
prietor and operator of the Castanea Brew
ery, Clinton county, with residence at Lock
Haven, in a very fine home erected in 1896, and
owned by him, was born February 9, 1862, in
Germany. Christian and Hannah (Galverman) Lucas,
his parents, were also natives of Germany, where
they resided until coming to America in 1870,
locating in Allegheny county, Penn., where they
have ever since resided. Christian Lucas was in
the employ of the Pennsylvania Salt Manufactur
ing Co. as watchman for some twenty-five years,
which remarkably long term of service for the
same company is, of itself, evidence of his faith
fulness to duty and of his employers' confidence
in him. He and his wife are now living in re
tirement, enjoying the fruits of their early toil.
They are the parents of six children, four of
whom are living, namely: Ferdinand C, Will
iam C. , Henry H. and Charles J., all residents
of Natrona, Allegheny county, excepting our
subject. Ferdinand C. Lucas received his education
in the schools of Natrona, Penn., and at the age
of seventeen went to Steubenville, Ohio, where
he learned the bakery trade, and followed it
some three years. He then went to Pittsburg,
Penn., where he worked for a time at the brew
ing business. In the fall of 1883 he came to
Lock Haven, and in partnership with George W.
Luther took charge of the old Fabel brewery at
Castanea. The business was conducted by this
firm for eighteen months, when Mr. Lucas pur
chased his partner's interest, and has ever since
carried on the business himself. In 1888 he
razed the old brewery building, and erected the
present large and commodious structure. The
brewery has a capacity of 10,000 barrels per an
num, employment being given to several hands,
and its product is principally sold in Lock Ha
ven, thereby keeping all the money used in con
nection with the operation of the plant at home.
On May 24, 1885, our subject was united in
marriage with Louisa Wellinger, who was born

February 29, 1864, in Pittsburg, a daughter of
John G. Wellinger, of that city, and two sons
and one daughter have been born to this union
namely: Ferdinand C. , Jr., John G. and Claire
M. The parents are members of the German
Lutheran Church, and their children have all
been baptized in that faith. Socially Mr. Lucas
is a member of the K. of P., the Knights of the
Golden Eagle and the B. P. O. E. In politics
he is a Democrat, and is opposed to all monopo
lies. He has never sought public office. Begin
ning life without anything, he early became self-
supporting and self-reliant, and has gradually
forged to the front until he is well-to-do pecun
iarily, and has attained a position in the com
munity that commands the respect of his fellow
citizens.

ICHAEL D. ROCKEY. There is particu-
'Ji lar satisfaction in reverting to the life his
tory of this honored and venerable gentleman,
since his mind bears impress of the historical an
nals of this section of the State from the early
pioneer days, and from the fact that he is one of
the honored and highly respected citizens of Lo
gan township, Sugar Valley, Clinton county.
Mr. Rockey was born March 22, 181 5, in
Gregg township, George's Valley, Centre Co.,
Penn., and on the paternal side is of Scotch-Irish
descent. His grandfather, David Rockey, was a
native of Ireland, and on coming to this country
he located in Delaware county, where he fol
lowed farming throughout the greater part of his
life, but he spent his last days near Pleasant
Gap, in Centre county, where his death occurred.
He was buried near Bellefonte. His political
support was given the Democracy.
Barnet Rockey, our subject's father, was a
native of Delaware county, where he was
reared, educated, and learned the tanner's trade.
In early life he moved to George's Valley, near
Pen Creek, Centre county, where he worked as a
laborer until the spring of 18 18, when he moved
with his family to Brush Valley, near Spring
Bank, where he built a house and barn, cleared
land and farmed until, in the spring of 1826, he
moved to Sugar Valley on a farm in the Morgan
Survey, and in the fall of 1832 he bought a tract
of woodland, and in the spring of 1833 moved
upon it. This he cleared and improved, build
ing thereon a house and barn. He farmed this
land until the time of his death — January 26,
1847. He was recognized as one of the most
industrious, honest and highly respected citizens
of the community. His remains were interred
in the Tylerville cemetery. In politics he was a

/

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

721

Democrat, and in his Church relations was con
nected with the Evangelical Association, to which
his wife also belonged.
In Delaware county, Barnet Rockey had
married Margaret Danton, who was born near
Baltimore, Md., in 1776, and died in Rock
Grove, 111., in 1877, at the extreme old age of
one hundred and one. They were the parents of
nine children: Abram and Jacob (deceased);
Elizabeth, wife of William Burnet (both de
ceased); Michael D. , of this review; John, a res
ident of Illinois; Susanna, wife of John Myers, of
Illinois, where both died; Henry (deceased);
David, of Rock Grove, Illinois; and William, of
Nora, Illinois.
Although our subject is a well-informed man,
he is almost wholly self-educated, as the sub
scription schools which he attended in Brush and
Sugar Valleys were much inferior to the schools
of the present day. Until twenty-two years of
age he remained under the parental roof, helping
his father to clear the land, and later he worked
as a farm hand in Sugar Valley for about thirty
years. In 1850 he returned to the old home
stead, which he operated until 1869, and then
removed to his present home, having previously
erected his residence, and leaving his only son
in charge of the farm. In 1881 he retired from
active farm labor, and is now enjoying a well-
earned rest. He built the first house in Tylers
ville, in 1842, and also bought a farm there,
which is now occupied by his son-in-law, Dr.
Hubler. In Logan township, Clinton county, Mr.
Rockey was married to Miss Amelia Kleckner,
who was born in Loyalton, Penn., October 3,
1818, a daughter of Abram and Emma (Gill)
Kleckner, the former of English descent and a
cooper by occupation. Seven children graced
this union: Mary C, at home; William B., who
married Clarissa Rishel, and has three sons;
Elizabeth J. , who died in childhood ; Sarah A. ,
wife of Dr. Hubler, of Tylersville; Frances H.,
wife of W. H. Rishel; Esther A., who died when
young; and Martha J., at home. The son still
continues to operate the old homestead farm,
and is a Democrat in politics. The mother de
parted this life March 4, 1894, and was buried at
Tylersville. On October 11, 1896, Mr. Rockey
was again married, this time to Magdalena Hub
ler, a native of Penn's Valley, Centre county,
a daughter of Jacob Hubler and widow of John
Funk. Our subject has always been an ardent sup
porter of the principles of the Democratic party,
and in 1848 was elected justice of the peace in
Logan township, which office he most efficiently
46*

filled for a quarter of a century, during which
time he married over sixty couples, and out of
the 1, 500 cases tried before him none were ever
taken before the higher courts, so impartial and
just were his decisions. For four years he also
served as notary public, has been overseer of the
poor, constable five years, and in fact filled every
township office with the exception of supervisor,
which he declined. As a member of the Evan
gelical Association, he has been a leader in
Church and Sunday-school work, and for some
time served as superintendent of the Sunday-
school. No man in his community enjoys the
confidence and esteem of the people in a greater
degree than Michael D. Rockey.
Wilson H. Rishel, our subject's son-in-law,
was born in Logan township, October3, 1853, and
is a grandson of Daniel Rishel, who spent his en
tire life in Miles township Centre county, and
followed the occupation of farming. He married
a Miss Poorman, by whom he had eleven children:
Jacob P.; Catharine, wife of J. Shull; Ann, wife
of Jacob Sliner; Susan, wife of Peter Heckman;
Daniel; Elizabeth, wife of HenryShull; Michael;
Peter; Christina, wife of David Shaffer; Mary,
wife of Samuel Foust; and Henry. Both par
ents died in Centre county, the father at the age
of eighty-three. Jacob P. Rishel, father of Wilson H., was
born in 18 17, in Miles township, Centre county,
where he was reared and educated. On coming
to Sugar Valley, Clinton county, he located on
the Spangler farm of ninety acres in Logan town
ship, where he followed farming and lumbering
until 1874, when he laid aside business cares and
built a residence on another part of his farm.
There he spent his remaining days, dying Sep
tember 14, 1896, but his wife is still living at
that place, and enjoys excellent health for one of
her years. In politics he was a Democrat, in re
ligious belief a Lutheran, and he served as elder
in the Church and superintendent of the Sunday-
school. He also filled the offices of overseer of
the poor, and school director, and was widely and
favorably known. He was married in Miles
township, Centre county, in 1847, to Miss Mary
Bressler, who was born October 21, 1821, a
daughter of Michael and Ann (Spangler) Bress
ler, and to them were born six children: Claris
sa, wife of William Rockey, son of our subject;
Joan, wife of Lewis Jackson, of Lock Haven;
Wilson H.; Mary E., wife of Calvin H. Creps;
Dervin D., a lumberman; and one who died in in
fancy. Wilson H. Rishel was educated in the public
schools of Logan township, Clinton county, and
has spent his entire life on his father's farm, tak-

722

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ing charge of the same on the latter's retirement
in 1873, and since operating it with good success.
He purchased the place in 1896, and has made
many good improvements thereon. In 1873 he
was married to Miss Frances H. Rockey, and
they have become the parents of six children:
Hattie V. , wife of Henry A. Karchner, by whom she
has two children, Harold C. and Helen C. ; James
C. ; William A. ; Harry C. ; Harvey J. ; and Roy R. ,
who died in childhood. The family is connected
with the Lutheran Church, and Mr. Rishel has
served as deacon, Sunday-school teacher and
superintendent, while his wife has also served as
teacher. Politically he is identified with the
Democratic party, and, socially, he affiliates
with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He
has in his possession his grandfather's clock, now
over 120 years old, which has been handed down
to the eldest son in the Rishel family, and is a
much-prized heirloom.

TfflOMAS EDWARD ROACH, M. D., who
is engaged in the practice of medicine at
Renovo, was born in Lock Haven, Clinton Co. ,
Penn., in 1865, a son of William and Bridget
(Kane) Roach, both of whom were natives of
Ireland, whence they came to America in early
life, afterward spending the greater part of their
days in Clinton county. The father was engaged
in lumbering, railroad contracting and canal
building. He was a quiet, unassuming citizen,
devoting his attention principally to his business
interests, and by his well-spent life commanding
the respect of those with whom he came in con
tact. He died in 1894, and his wife passed
away in 1896. They had a family of six sons:
James P. , a general merchant of Renovo, Penn. ;
Dr. Thomas E.; John F. , who is a professional
ball player and resides in Peoria, 111. ; William
H., a druggist in Driftwood, Penn.; Michael S.,
a professional ball player living in Hartford,
Conn. ; and Charles P., a druggist living at North
Bend, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Roach, whose name opens this review,
acquired his early education in the public schools
of Driftwood, Penn., and at the age of sixteen
was employed by the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company as telegraph operator at Emporium,
Penn. , where he remained until reaching the age
of twenty-one, when he took up the study of
medicine under the direction of Dr. S. S. Smith,
of Emporium, Penn. He subsequently entered
the College of Physicians and Surgeons, of Chi
cago, 111., the medical department of the Uni
versity of Illinois, and was graduated in that
institution in March, 1890. He at once began

the practice of his profession in Renovo, Penn.
where he has since continued, meeting with
marked success in his undertakings. He is well
versed in the science of medicine and surgery,
and in the application of their principles to the
alleviation of human suffering, has given evidence
of his superior ability in his chosen calling.
In his political views Dr. Roach is a Demo
crat, and in religious belief is a Catholic. He is
a gentleman of sterling worth, and has many
warm friends.

W NDREW NOWLAND, an industrious and
^5^ thrifty farmer and stock-raiser residing in
Gallagher township, Clinton county, was born in
the Irish settlement in that township, March 29,
1859. His grandfather, Andrew Nowland, Sr. , was a
native of County Wexford, Ireland, and a farmer
by occupation. Before leaving the Emerald Isle,
he married a Miss Redmond, by whom he had
six children: John, the father of our subject;
Mary, wife of Jacob Shoemaker; Ann, wife of
Peter Connoway; Julia, widow of Owen Malone;
Ellen, wife of Michael Morrison, both of whom
died in Bellefonte; and one son, who died in in
fancy. The father and family landed in Canada,
where he remained for a time, then moved to
New York, thence went to Elmira, thence to
Sandy Hill, where he kept a grocery store for a
number of years. From Sandy Hill he moved to
Gallagher township, Clinton Co., Penn., where
he acquired a good farm, and on his retirement
he occasionally made a trip to Harrisburg to see
the governor — Andrew G. Curtin. Mr. Nowland
was educated in a college at Dublin for the
priesthood. He spoke three languages fluently.
His education was completed in England. On
returning home he met Miss Redmond, fell in
love with her, gave up the idea of becoming a
a priest, married her, and they lived most happily
together until separated by death.
It is narrated by our subject that Andrew
Nowland, Sr., with wife and four children set
sail from the Emerald Isle March 20, 1830, in
an old man-of-war styled "Totingham," com
manded by Capt. Spencer, the first mate being
a Mr. Doyle (a first cousin to the grandmother
of the subject of this sketch). While crossing
the ocean the vessel sprang a leak, and the captain
forsook her, taking to a lifeboat. Doyle, however,
stood by the vessel and saved her and the pas
sengers. On the landing of the ship in the har
bor the captain was discharged, and the mate
(Doyle). was promoted to the captaincy of the
vessel. Capt. Doyle made one more trip with

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

723

the "Totingham," when the old ship was
abandoned and set afloat. The captain then
had a boat of his own built, called the " Mary,"
at the masthead of which was a woman five feet
in height. On coming to Clinton county Andrew Now
land, Sr. , purchased some 400 acres of timber
land. He cleared about seventy-five acres and
successfully engaged in farming and lumbering.
A few years before his death he retired at the
home of his daughter (Mrs. Morrison) in Belle
fonte, where he died in 1870, and was buried in
the Catholic cemetery there. He was a devout
member of the Catholic Church, was a Demo
crat in politics, and for a number of years served
as justice of the peace in Gallagher township.
John Nowland was also born in Ireland, where
he received only a limited education. He ac
companied his parents on their emigration to the
New World, and with his father engaged in lum
bering and farming until twenty-four years of age,
when he bought 300 acres from James Wilson,
of Jersey Shore, Penn., 200 of which he cleared
and transformed into a fine farm after several
years of active and arduous labor. He made all
of the improvements upon his land, including a
comfortable residence and substantial outbuild
ings. He also bought 1,800 acres of timberland
in the same township, erected thereon a sawmill
and engaged in the manufacture of lumber,
which he shipped in rafts down the Susquehanna
river to Marietta and Columbia. He continued
the improvement and cultivation of his property
until life's labors ended in 1892, and he was laid
to rest in the Catholic cemetery of Lock Haven.
Politically, he was a strong Democrat, and most
creditably filled the offices of tax collector, as
sessor and overseer of the poor in Gallagher town
ship. His wife departed this life in 1870. Both
were consistent members of the Catholic Church,
to which their children also belong, and no couple
in Gallagher township were more highly respected
or were more deserving the high regard in which
they were held.
Mrs. John Nowland bore the maiden name of
Ellen Lovett, and was born in Ireland, a daugh
ter of John Lovett, who became a farmer of Gal
lagher township, Clinton Co., Penn., where she
gave her hand in marriage to the father of our
subject. Nine children blessed their union,
namely: (1) James R. remained at home with
his father until after he became twenty-one years
°f age. He then started out in life for himself,
carrying on a lumber business until his marriage,
m 1884, to Sadie Conway, daughter of Peter and
Ann Conway, of Gallagher township, Clinton
county. James R. then purchased of his father

160 acres of land in Gallagher township — the
homestead of the grandfather, Andrew Nowland.
He became a prosperous and influential citizen,
and at his death, which occurred April 6, 1889,
he left many friends, who held him in the highest
esteem. He most acceptably filled several local
offices, among them tax collector, j dge of elec
tions and juryman. He left surviving him a
widow and one child — James Edward, a prom
ising boy. (2) Hannah is the wife of Matthew
Harber, a justice of the peace of Gallagher town
ship. (3) Annie is the deceased wife of Taylor
Krider. (4) Ellen is the wife of Jacob Sands, of
Gallagher township. (5) Andrew is the subject
of this sketch. (6) John J. is supervisor of that
township, married Jennie Packard and has one
child, Emily. (7) Mary is the wife of John
Lovett. (8) George married Jennie Conklin,
and lives in Castanea, Clinton county. (9) Joseph
married Frances Muhenen, and resides in Galla
gher township.
The public schools of Gallagher township
afforded our subject his educational privileges,
and at an early age he began working on the
homestead with his father at lumbering. After
he had attained his majority he spent three years
in the lumber woods, principally in Clinton coun
ty, in the employ of others, and then returned to
Gallagher township. Since 1890 he has had
charge of the old home farm, which he has suc
cessfully operated, and he also devotes consider
able attention to stock-raising with most gratify
ing results. He has 175 acres placed under a
high state of cultivation, and he also owns a
tract of 400 acres of timber land.
In November, 1896, Mr. Nowland was mar
ried in Lock Haven to Miss Jennie Shoemaker, a
native of Woodward township, Clinton county,
and a daughter of Peter J. Shoemaker. Like
his parents, Mr. Nowland is. a member of the
Catholic Church, and his political support is un
swervingly given to the Democratic party. He
is sober, industrious and progressive, and all who
know him entertain for him the highest respect.
Mr. Nowland's land is underlaid with the
finest fire-clay and coal, and the minerals have
been analyzed. There are sixteen feet of fire
clay and a quantity of coal on the lands; also
other minerals have been found which resemble
silver and lead.

H. MOTHERSBAUGH, M. D., who since
J3L 1879 has engaged in the practice of medi
cine in Beech Creek, was born in Hollidaysburg,
Blair Co., Penn., in 1841, a son of Daniel and
Eleanor (Riem) Mothersbaugh, who spent their

724

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

entire lives in this State, the father devoting his
energies to agricultural pursuits. He was de
scended from German ancestry, and his wife was
of Scotch lineage. He took quite an active part
in local and Church affairs, and died in 1861.
His wife, surviving him for several years, died in
1872. Their children are: Daniel, Eleanor, Mrs.
Susan Lanker, Mrs. Mary Rhinesmith, H. H.,
L. R., M. C, Mrs. Priscilla Glenn and Amanda.
The Doctor was reared on his father's farm,
and acquired an education in the common schools
and academy, and at the State Agricultural
College, in Centre county. He read medicine
under the direction of Dr. Fisher, of Boals
burg, Centre county, and was graduated from the
Pennsylvania University at Philadelphia, with
the class of 1879. Immediately afterward he
came to Beech Creek, where he has since fol
lowed his profession with marked success.
Dr. Mothersbaugh was married, in 1875, to
Miss Susan C. Hartswick, of Boalsburg, and two
children graced this union: Mary and Robert.
The parents are leading and influential members
of the Presbyterian Church, in which the Doctor
is now serving as trustee. He gives his political
support to the men and measures of the Repub
lican party, but has never been an aspirant for
office. He keeps abreast with all the improve
ments of the profession by his membership in the
Clinton County Medical Society, the Medical
Society of the West Branch, and the State Med
ical Association. He is well versed in his call
ing, and his ability to successfully apply the prin
ciples of medicine to the alleviation of human
suffering has gained him an enviable place among
those who devote their lives to the noble work.
His manner is pleasant and kindly, and his ster
ling worth has won for him the esteem of a large
circle of friends.

WILLIAM O'DWYER, one of the self-made
men of Renovo, whose early home was on
the other side of the Atlantic, commenced life
without other capital than his strong hands and
resolute will, and in his undertakings prospered,
but he has now laid aside all business cares.
Born January 1, 1839, in County Clare, Ire
land, Mr. O'Dwyer is a son of Michael and Mar
garet (Kelly) O'Dwyer, also natives of Ireland,
who in 1865 emigrated to America and located in
Renovo, Penn., where they spent their remaining
days.. In less than a year after his arrival, the
father, whose hearing was impaired, was walking
along the Pennsylvania railroad track when a
tree came sliding down from the mountain top
upon him and broke one of his legs, and other

wise injured him so that he died eleven days
later. His wife long survived him, passing away
in April, 1886. She left three children: Will
iam; Michael D., a merchant of Renovo; and
Catherine, wife of Daniel Hayes.
The opportunities afforded our subject for ob
taining an education were very limited, and on
starting out in life for himself he worked as a
common laborer in his native land until 1862,
when he crossed the Atlantic and took up his
residence in Renovo. For a time he worked on
bridges, in mills, or at anything which he could
find to do, including railroading, but in 1869 he
embarked in the coal business in Renovo, which
he successfully followed for twenty years. In
1872 he also started a store, and was actively en
gaged in both lines of business until 1889, when
he retired to private life. He met with excel
lent success in his operations, and he was of an
industrious, economical nature, and has never
yet had occasion to regret his emigration to
America, for here he has secured a good home
and a comfortable competence which enable him
to spend his declining days in peace and quiet.
On February 25, 1879, Mr. O'Dwyer was joined
in wedlock to Miss Susanna McNamara, also a
native of County Clare, Ireland, and a daughter
of Patrick and Bridget (Birmingham) McNamara.
The mother spent her entire life in Ireland, dying
there December 22, 1872, but the father later
came to America, where his death occurred No
vember 24, 1890. In their family were six chil
dren, five of whom are now living: Mary, wife of
C. Mulvihill; Nora, wife of Patrick Henry Duffy;
Susanna, wife of our subject; Anna, wife of C.
Mcllhenny, a resident of Philadelphia; James, of
Renovo; and Bridget, of Chicago. Mrs. Nora
Duffy died March 17, 1897. Nine children
blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. O'Dwyer, but
only five are now living. In order of birth they
were as follows: Alice Frances, Charlotte Ann,
Leo Lisnori, Margaret Mary and Agnes Theresa.
The parents are members of the Roman Catholic
Church, and in politics Mr. O'Dwyer is an ar
dent Democrat. He has the respect and esteem
of all who know him, and has made many friends
in his adopted country.

F

v\RANK HARVEY, of Renovo, Clinton coun

ty, is the possessor of a handsome property
which now enables him to spend his years in the
pleasureable enjoyment of his accumulations.
The record of his life is that of an active, en
terprising, methodical and sagacious business
man, who bent his energies to the honorable ac
quirement of a comfortable competence for

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

725

himself and family. He was left an orphan at
an early age, and without capital started out to
overcome the difficulties and obstacles in the
path to prosperity. His youthful dreams have
been realized, and in their happy fulfillment he
sees the fitting reward of his earnest toil.
Mr. Harvey was born in 1 842, in Ireland, a son
of Richard and Mary (McNeelus) Harvey, also na
tives of that countr)', where the mother died six
weeks after the birth of our subject. In 1849
the father immigrated to the United States and
took up his residence in Allegany county, Md. ,
where he continued to make his home until he,
too, was called to his final rest in 1856. Only
two sons are now living: James, still a resident
of Maryland; and Frank, of this review.
To a limited extent Frank Harvey attended
the public schools of Maryland, but the terms
were short and the teachers very incompetent.
After his father's death he became a driver in
the mines, and, subsequently, engaged in rail
roading until after the outbreak of the Civil war,
being in the employ of the Broadtop Railroad
Company. The superintendent of the road, J.
J. Lawrence, organized a company in 1862,
which Mr. Harvey joined, it becoming Company
F, 125th P. V. I., under Col. Jacob Higgins.
For nine months our subject was in active serv
ice, and on the expiration of his term he, with
the other employees of the road which formed
the company, were re-instated, as was also the
superintendent. In 1864, when Mr. Lawrence
was transferred to the Sunbury & Erie, now the
Philadelphia & Erie railroad, he took with him,
among other employees, Mr. Harvey, who served
as engineer on that road until December 31,
1869, when he retired from the business. He
has since been one of the important factors in
the upbuilding and development of Renovo,
being prominently connected with a number of
its leading enterprises. He erected the ' ' Ex
change Hotel," one of the most commodious
hostelries in the place, and also built the water
works. In 1867 Mr. Harvey was united in marriage
with Miss Susan, daughter of Dr. Thomas Kane,
a native of Ireland, and to them were born seven
children, of whom six are still living: Mary,
now the wife of A. P. Hassett, of Johnsonburg,
Penn.; John F., who married M. A. Burgess,
and also resides in Johnsonburg; Nellie; Thomas
E., a railroad fireman; Frank, who is clerking in
a store in Johnsonburg; and Charles Pattison,
who is attending the Renovo High School.
Mr. Harvey and his family are all communi
cants of the Catholic Church, and in politics he
has always been identified with the Democratic

party. He has made a careful study of political
matters, and has done much to promote his party's
interests and insure its success. His fellow-cit
izens, recognizing his worth and ability, have
called upon him twice to serve as burgess of Re
novo, and in 1885 he was appointed by Presi
dent Cleveland to fill an unexpired term as post
master, and was later re-appointed for a full term,
creditably serving in that position until 1890. As
a contractor he has been interested in railroad
work, such as laying tracks, building bridges,
grading etc. Being a successful man of business,
his ability to advise what is best for the general
welfare should be and is greater than that of an
individual whose scope is more limited. He has
made good use of his opportunities throughout
life, and is still vigorous and well preserved, with
a remarkable faculty for the conduct and dispatch
of business.

WW the younger men of Lock Haven, who
have come to the front in the business circle of
that enterprising city, Mr. Harris is deserving of
mention. Jacob G. Harris, his father, is now a retired
•merchant of Lock Haven, a man held in high
esteem by a wide circle of business acquaint
ances with whom from boyhood he has had
business dealings, and by the many friends of the
family. Jacob G. Harris was born March 18,
1 83 1, in Williamsport, Penn., and when but a
boy came to his present place of residence. He
was married in 1858, to Phoebe A., daughter of
Edward Shultz, a native of Pennsylvania, born
February 2, 1839, at Lebanon, and of their
children, two only are living, namely: William
Scott and Elizabeth; one — Sarah S. Harris — is
deceased. William Scott Harris was born October 5,
1 86 1, and received his primary education at a
private school. Later he attended the public
schools of Lock Haven. At the age of seven
teen he dropped out of school and began his
business career as a clerk in the dry -goods store
of his father. He remained so occupied until
1893; however, in 1883, he, in connection with
his store duties became interested in the Lock
Haven Gas Company, and since 1887, when the
Electric Light Company was organized by the
Gas Company and the two consolidated, he has
been identified with it. Since 1893 he has given
all of his time to the interests of the Gas, Elec
tric & Power Company, of which for the past
three years he has been the efficient manager.
He is a capable business man, and has most sue-

726

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

cessfully conducted the affairs of the company
as well as his outside business ventures. So
cially he is identified with the B. P. O. E., and
is Past Exalted Ruler of the B. P. O. E., No.
182, at Lock Haven. In politics he is a Re
publican, and active and influential in party
affairs. He is now serving as president of the
school board.

JOHN R. THOMPSON. To a student of biog
raphy there is nothing more interesting than
to examine the life-history of a self-made
man, and to detect the elements of character
which have enabled him to pass on the highway
of life many companions of his youth who at the
outset of their careers were more advantageously
equipped or endowed. The subject of this re
view has through his own exertions attained an
honorable position, and marked prestige among
the representative business men of Clinton coun
ty James T. Thompson, his father, one of the
well-known and highly-respected citizens of Sal
ona, was born April 30, 1826, on the old home
stead near Mackeyville, in Lamar township,
Clinton county, a son of Moses and Hannah
(Betts) Thompson. Among his first teachers
was James Rogers,- but his opportunities for ob
taining a good education were limited as his serv
ices were required on the home farm until sev
enteen years of age. He then began learning
the miller's trade in Mackeyville under David
Reesman, and during his three-years' apprentice
ship received no compensation for his services
except his board. After mastering the trade, he
again attended school for a short time in Mack
eyville, and subsequently successfully engaged in
teaching for over five terms.
On April 24, 1856, in Lewisburg, Penn.,
James T. Thompson was married to Miss Han
nah M. Lemon, who was born December 18,
1832, in New Berlin, Penn., a daughter of Dan
iel and Catharine (Thompson) Lemon, in whose
family were seven children: George, Ellen,
Thompson, Sarah J., Lydia, Hannah M. , and
Mary. The father, who was a chair maker and
furniture manufacturer, died in Williamsport.
Penn., at a ripe old age, as did also his
wife, and the remains of both were interred
there. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Thompson
were the following children: Eliza Ellen, born
April 18, 1858, is now Mrs. Edward Burrell, of
Lock Haven; John R. is next in order of birth;
Mary Belle, born May 23, 1861, is the wife of
A. M. Reigel, of Salona; Thomas L. , born
March 14, 1864, is a butcher of Lock Haven;

Samuel W. , born August 18, 1866, died Febru
ary 7, 1871; Harry A., born October 3, 1871,
died in infancy; and Anna G. , born August 18,
1872, is the wife of Dr. T. C. Conser, of Sun
bury, Penn. The wife and mother, who was a
consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, was called to her final rest February 7,
1890, and was buried at Cedar Hill.
After his marriage Jamas T. Thompson lo
cated in Mackeyville, where he engaged in mer
chandising in partnership with his brother, Rob
inson, until 1858, when he sold out and removed
to Salona. For two years he was then con
nected with his brother, Solomon, in the tanning
business, but soon after the outbreak of the Civil
war he embarked in the butchering business at
Salona, which he successfully carried on for a
quarter of a century, gradually retiring after our
subject became interested in the enterprise until
he is now practically living retired. Until 1889
he was a stanch supporter of the Republican
party, but in that year joined the ranks of the
Prohibition party, as he is a great enemy of the
liquor traffic. For many years he has been a
prominent member of the Methodist Episcopal
Church. He is now living in Salona, surrounded
by a large circle of friends and acquaintances,
who appreciate his sterling worth and many ex
cellencies of character.
John R. Thompson was born June 9, 1859,
at Salona, and in its public schools began his
literary education under the direction of Daniel
H. Hastings, the present governor of Pennsyl-
He regularly attended school until eight-

vania.

een years of age, thus acquiring a good practical
education, and it is, his opinion that the govern
ment of the schools at that day was much better
than at the present time. For one year he
taught school in Beech Creek township, Clinton
county, receiving $24 per month.
In the spring of 188a Mr. Thompson began
working as a carriage-painter for W. J. Eddy &
D. B. Krape, of Salona, at fifty cents per day,
but at the end of two months his wages were in
creased to $1.50. The burning of the factory
caused him to go to Howard, Penn., where for
two years he worked at his trade for G. M. Quig
gle. After his marriage he visited Illinois, Iowa
and Missouri, and for a few months was employed
in Quincy, 111., after which he returned to Sa
lona, and has since engaged in the wholesale
butcher business, buying cattle, which he slaugh
ters and dresses ready for market and then sells.
Since 1886 he has successfully engaged in this
undertaking, and he also does an extensive busi
ness as a shipper and seller of live stock. In the
spring of 1 890 he located upon his present farm

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

727

in Lamar township, Clinton county, known as a
part of the Nestlerode farm, which at one time
was owned by James Thompson, a brother of
our subject's great-grandfather. It comprises
some of the finest land to be found in Nittany
Valley, and has been improved by him until it is
now one of the most attractive and desirable
places in the township. His elegant modern
residence at Salona was erected in 1894, and the
barns and other outbuildings have been remod
eled. Besides his place, he owns property in
Lock Haven, a number of houses in Salona, a
half interest in several valuable timber- tracts in
Union county, and adjoining his home farm he
purchased a tract of land, a portion of which he
has laid off and sold into town lots, which have
been improved with good houses. Since 1892
he has successfully engaged in the raising >of
tobacco in connection with his farming.
In January, 1886, Mr. Thompson was mar
ried to Miss Lottie S. Hyatt, of Lamar township,
Clinton county, who was born in Bradford coun
ty, Penn., September 18, 1859, a daughter of
Eli and Emma F. (Herr) Hyatt, the former a
native of Otsego county, N. Y. , and the latter of
Salona, Penn. In early life her father was a
farmer and insurance agent, and later engaged
in lumbering and in the manufacture of axes.
He died in Salona, where his wife, who was born
March 15, 1835, is still living. In their family
were six children, namely: George T., also a
resident of Salona; H. Clinton, a shoe dealer of
Lewisburg, Penn. ; Hattie R. , who married Elmer
Jakway, and died in East Smithfield, Penn.; Lot
tie S., wife of our subject; Anna, now Mrs.
Thomas H. Harris, of Tremont, 111. ; and Jennie,
of Salona. The father of these children was a
Democrat in politics, served as justice of the
peace while living in Salona, and was a faithful
member of the Disciple Church? Mr. and Mrs.
Thompson have four children, whose names and
dates of birth are as follows: Randolph H., Sep
tember 11, 1886; Clinton T., February 27, 1888;
Helen C, April 4, 1890; and Emma L. , March
4, 1897. Since casting his first vote for James A. Gar
field, Mr. Thompson has been unwavering in his
support of the Republican party, but he has al
ways refused to accept office, preferring to de
vote his undivided attention to his extensive
business interests. Fraternally, he is a member
of Olympic Council Royal Arcanum, No. 932,
at Lock Haven. In business affairs he is ener
getic, prompt and notably reliable. Tireless en
ergy, keen perception, honesty of purpose, a
genius for devising and executing the right thing
at the right time, joined to every-day common

sense, guided by resistless will power, are the
chief cbaracteristics of the man, and have been
the important factors in his wonderful success.
In advancing his own interests he has also ma
terially promoted the prosperity of his commu
nity by giving employment to a number of men,
especially in the dull seasons. Thus as a public-
spirited, progressive citizen he justly deserves the
success that he has achieved, and is entitled to
the respect and confidence that is everywhere
accorded him.

JOHN P. ANTHONY, a prominent citizen of
Lock Haven, Clinton county, is now serving
his second term as alderman from the First
ward of that city, and his popularity is shown by
the fact that he has twice overcome a large Re
publican majority in his ward without sacrificing
his stanch Democratic principles. His influence is
by no means confined to municipal affairs, how
ever, as he has taken an active part in county
politics, and at one time held the office of county
auditor. The Anthony family originated in France,
and Philip Anthony, our subject's father, was
born in that country, and came to this country in
early manhood as one of the " Ole Bull " settlers.
He was for many years a leading merchant-tailor
of Lock Haven, and is now living in that city at
the advanced age of eighty-four years. He mar
ried Miss Philbena Baseharp, and of their two
living sons our subject is the elder. The young
er, L. H. Anthony, is engaged in business as a
merchant-tailor at Lock Haven.
The subject of this sketch was born in 1852,
at Jersey Shore, Lycoming county, Penn. , but
was reared in Lock Haven, receiving his educa
tion in the elementary branches in the public
schools, as one of the first pupils of Dr. A. N.
Robb. Later he pursued higher lines of study
at the Central State Normal School in the same
city, and at the Central Pennsylvania College at
New Berlin, where he spent two years. In 1880
he took charge of the First Ward School in Lock
Haven, and held the position until 1891, his abil
ity as a teacher winning wide recognition. In
1 89 1 his name was presented as a reform candi
date for alderman, and, having the confidence of
the best people of all parties, he" was elected.
So well did he discharge the duties of the post
that he was re-elected in 1896 for another term.
He is a firm opponent of monopolies of all kinds,
and has been an ardent supporter of the Demo
cratic party since he was old enough to have
opinions of his own.
In 1877 he was married to Miss Snyder, a

728

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

daughter of John Snyder, a resident of the east
end of Nittany Valley. Our subject is a member
of various orders, including the Knights of the
Golden Eagle, the P. O. S. of A., and the I. O.
O. F., in which he is a Past Grand and Past Chief
Patriarch of the Encampment.

WILLIAM H. ORNER, a prosperous and
influential farmer of Bald Eagle township,
Clinton county, was born there November 16,
1847, his birth occurring on the farm which has
now been in the family for over eighty years.
His grandfather, John Orner, a native of
Northampton county, Penn., was the first of the
family to come to Clinton county, and located
first in Nittany Valley. He bought a small tract
of land in Bald Eagle township, of which only a
few acres had been cleared. A stonemason by
trade, he worked at that occupation during the
busy season, while his family engaged in the
further development and cultivation of the farm.
Both he and his wife, who bore the maiden name
of Elizabeth Paul, died upon that place, and now
sleep in Brown cemetery, Bald Eagle township.
Their children were as follows: Elizabeth,
who married Jonathan Daughenbaugh, and died
in Eagleville, Centre Co., Penn.; Susan, who
married John Bitner, and died in Beech Creek,
Clinton county; Mary, who wedded Andrew Smith,
and died in Beech Creek; Yanne, who married
William Berry, and died in Bald Eagle township;
John, who died in Jefferson county, Penn. ; Arch
ibald A., who was a mason by trade, and died in
Bald Eagle township, August 11, 1873, being an
invalid for twenty years before his death; Levi,
who died in Iowa; Margaret, who married Henry
Myers, and died in Bald Eagle township; and
Jacob, the father of our subject.
Jacob Orner, the youngest of the family, was
born June 14, 1824, on the old home farm in
Bald Eagle township, received only a meager ed
ucation, and was the only one of the sons that
did not learn a trade. On attaining to man's es
tate he married Elizabeth Kessinger, who was
born October 1, 1822, in Middletown, Penn., the
daughter of Adam Kessinger, and they began
housekeeping on the Orner homestead, where
they remained for four years. The father then
rented the John Harleyman farm in Bald Eagle
township for five years, and then removed to the
farm now owned and occupied by our subject,
purchasing the same of Eli B. Forestere. In
1853 he built a log house, which is still standing,
and in the spring of 1855 located upon the place,
making it his home until 1878, when he removed
to another farm in the same township, where his

death occurred in 1885. Plis wife was called to
her final rest in 1888, and both were buried in
Allen cemetery, Bald Eagle township. They
were faithful members of the Christian Church,
in which he served as elder for many years, and
in politics he was a stanch Democrat. He stood
five feet, eleven inches in his stocking feet,
weighed from 190 to 196 pounds, was hearty and
robust, being seldom ill. Although he started
out in life for himself in limited circumstances,
he succeeded in accumulating a comfortable com
petence, and also gained the respect and confi
dence of all with whom he came in contact.
Jacob and Elizabeth (Kessinger) Orner had a
family of nine children: Mary P., born Decem
ber 30, 1845, is the wife of Samuel Achuff, of
Lock Haven, Penn.; William H., our subject, is
next in order of birth; Margaret E., born April
13, 1850, is now Mrs. Robert Lannen, of Lock
Haven; Elizabeth M. , born April 2, 1852, is the
wife of Henry Chambers, of Mill Hall, Clinton
county; Sarah A., born August 2, 1854, is the
wife of William Reeder, of Lock Haven; George
B., born November i, 1856, is a resident of Bald
Eagle township; Emily C, born August 28, 1859,
makes her home in Lock Haven; Charles E.,
born May 10, 1862, is a farmer of Bald Eagle
township; and Bertha I., born December 7, 1864,
is the wife of Green B. Shearer, of Cameron
county, Pennsylvania.
In the Plunkett's Run school, under the direc
tion of I. S. Marshall, William H. Orner began
his literary education, and afterward only at
tended for four months during the winter season,
when work upon the farm was practically over.
The schools were of the most primitive charac
ter, and our subject learned to write with a quill
pen. He continued to assist in the labors of the
home farm during the summer, and at the age of
eighteen began working as an employe in the lum
ber woods, but four years later embarked in busi
ness on his own account as a lumberman. From
that time until he had attained the age of twen
ty-eight he saved $1,600, often spending as much.
as ten months out of the year in the lumber
camps. While engaged in log-driving he experi
enced all the dangers and privations of such a
life, but met with excellent success in his labors.
At the age of twenty-eight, Mr. Orner was
married to Miss Lydia J. Bitner, a native of
Beech Creek township, Clinton county, a daugh
ter of Abraham Bitner, and in that township
they made their home for two years, while he
engaged in lumbering. From his father he then
rented his present farm for four years, and pur
chased the same in 1882 (having the aid, in so
doing, of a portion of Mrs. Orner's legacy, which

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

729

she received from her parents), since which time
he has devoted his entire attention to agricultural
pursuits with results which cannot fail to prove
satisfactory. He has ioo acres of fertile and
productive land, on which he erected an elegant
residence in 1895, it being a model of conven
ience and one of the best homes in Bald Eagle
township. In connection with general farming
he raises thoroughbred Chester- White hogs, and
all the stock upon his place is of a good grade.
Skillful and systematic in his work, his success
has been worthily achieved, and he is to-day
ranked among the substantial, progressive and
reliable business men of his township.
To our subject and his wife were born seven
children: Alma, Stella, Olive, Lawrence T. ,
Etta and Bessie (twins), and Raymond P., all of
whom are still living with the exception of Bes
sie. The parents hold membership in the Church
of Christ, and in social circles occupy an enviable
position, their true worth and many excellencies
of character being duly appreciated. At State
and National elections, Mr. Orner always sup
ports the Democratic party, but at local elections
where no issue is involved he votes for the man
whom he believes best qualified to fill the posi
tion. For six years he served as auditor of his
township and declined a re-election.

J J. WENTZEL, Esq., a well-known mer
chant-tailor of Renovo, was born in 1850, in
Northumberland county, Penn. , a son of Elias
and Rachel (Geise) Wentzel, also natives of
Pennsylvania, where they have spent their entire
lives. Throughout his active business career the
father engaged in agricultural pursuits, but for
the past ten years has lived in retirement, enjoy
ing the fruits of his former toil. He has now
reached the age of seventy-seven, while his wife
. is seventy-five, and they make their home in
Snyder county, where they are surrounded by a
large circle of friends and acquaintances who es
teem them highly for their sterling worth. They
have eight children, as follows: Louisa, wife of
Jonathan Spangler; J. J., of this sketch; Kate,
wife of Andrew Deal, of Elkhart, Ind. ; Mary,
also a resident' of Elkhart; Sarah, wife of Will
iam Witmer; Rachel, wife of Dr. Krebs. of
Northumberland county; David, a resident of
Nebraska; and George N., who lives on the old
homestead farm in Snyder county.
When a child of eight years, J. J. Wentzel
accompanied his parents on their removal to
Snyder county, where he was reared upon a
farm, and in the public schools of that county he
obtained his elementary education. Later he at

tended the Freeburg Academy for a year and a
half, and one winter taught school in Snyder
county, another winter in Dauphin county, and
one year had charge of the high school in Gratz-
town, Pennsylvania.
At the age of twenty, Mr. Wentzel left the
parental roof, and for five years engaged in mer
chandising. Latef he followed merchant-tailor
ing, and was also agent for sewing-machines and
organs at Selins Grove, whence he removed to
Shamokin, where he also engaged in merchant
tailoring for nine years. Since 1886 he has been
a resident of Renovo, and is one of the leading
tailors of the place as well as one of its repre
sentative and highly respected citizens.
Mr. Wentzel was married, in 1873, to Miss
Mary L. , daughter of Samuel Faust, of Selins
Grove, and to them were born four children:
Samuel F. , Katie R. (Mrs. Chauncey D. Saltzman),
Mary Lidia (deceased); and Guy E. The parents
are sincere and faithful members of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, in which Mr. Wentzel is now
serving as steward. In his political affiliations he
is a Democrat, and has ever been an active worker
in the interests of his party. He served as as
sistant postmaster while a resident of Salem,
Snyder county, and was postmater at Dry Valley
Cross Roads, Union Co., Penn., which office he
established. He discharged the duties of the
office in a prompt and efficient manner. In No
vember, 1890, he was appointed justice of the
peace, by the Governor, for Renovo, and held that
office for a year and a half. In 1896 he was
elected to the same position, which he is now
filling with credit to himself and to the entire
satisfaction of the community, his decisions being
always fair and impartial.

'ENRY J. EMORY was born August 8, 1840,
Tf^L in Pine Creek township, Clinton county,
where he now follows farming and tobacco raising.
From the North of Ireland came the first
American ancestors of the family. Henry Em
ery, who spelled the name with an e, was born in
Buffalo Valley (now a part of Union county),
June 23, 1789, of Scotch-Irish descent, and when
a young man removed to Linden, Lycoming
county, where he purchased a tract of land and
followed farming until within a few years of his
death. Some time before he died he bought a
home on the public road near Linden, where he
lived retired, departing this life November 20,
1872. He was an industrious, energetic man,
upright in his dealing, well-known and respected
by all. His political adherence was transferred
from the Whig to the Republican party, and he

730

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

and his family were leading Methodists, their
home being the place of entertainment for all
ministers of that denomination.
Henry Emery was married January i, 1812,
to Sarah Horn, who was born October 26, 1793.
They became parents of ten children: Jacob F.
was born October 22, 18 12; Elizabeth, born De
cember 28, 1813, died February 12, 1892; Nancy,
born October 2, 181 5, married Marshall Hughes,
who died in Wisconsin December 10, 1877, and
her death occurred in that State August 13, 1885;
Margaret, born September 29, 181 7, became the
wife of William Marshall, and died near Linden,
Penn.; Mary, born August 18, 18 19, married
Abram Williamson, of Wisconsin; Catharine,
born July 26, 1822, is the widow of Robert Mar
tin, of Lycoming county, Penn.; John B., a sad
dler, born August 4, 1827, died in Kansas, Janu
ary 6, 1895; Henry, born March 3, 1829, resides
on the old homestead; Sarah, born May 14, 1832,
died August 27, 1856; Rachel A., born May 17,
1835, married Thomas Smith, of Linden, and
died in May, 1897. The mother of this family,
who was a consistent Methodist, died November
1, 1856. Jacob F. Emory, a native of Linden, received
a common-school education, and remained on his
father's farm until 1840, when he located on the
Samuel Thomas farm of 100 acres in Clinton
county. He made excellent improvements there,
remodeled the dwelling, built a good barn, and
was extensively engaged in stock raising, always
keeping on hand very fine horses. He spent
fifty years of his life as a respected farmer and
citizen of Pine Creek township, and died Sep
tember 23, 1890. In politics he was first a
Whig and afterward a Republican, and held all
the township offices except that of justice of the
peace. He was industrious, temperate, honor
able in all things, and daily made a study of his
Bible. On October 17, 1839, at Linden Springs, Penn.,
Mr. (Jacob F.) Emory was married to Rebecca
Martin, who was born May 5, 18 17, a daughter
of Alexander and Sarah Allen Martin, both of
whom were of Scotch-Irish descent. Her death
occurred September 6, 1880. Both Mr. and
Mrs. Emory were consistent members of the
Methodist Church. Their family numbered nine
children: Henry J. is our subject; Sarah E.,
born June 23, 1842, was married June 9, 1870,
to Hugh F. Allen, of Lock Haven; Mary E. ,
born April 7, 1844, became the wife of Anthony
C. Pepperman, of Lock Haven, February 26,
1863; Martin A., born June 1, 1846, died June
10, 1870; Rebecca J., born February 9, 1850, is
the wife of James Shaw, of Pine Creek township,

Clinton county; George Winfield, born July 19,
1852, wedded Mary Bunnell, of Pine Creek town
ship, by whom he has .five children; Clara A.,
born April 30, 1855, is the wife of Jacob Bunnell;
and Margaret E., born March 2, 1848, is the wife
of Joseph J. McGuire, of Wayne township, Clin
ton county.
Henry J. Emory started out in life for himself
empty-handed, and to-day he is classed among
the substantial farmers and most enterprising
citizens of Pine Creek township. His advan
tages were very meagre but he made the most of
his opportunities, and determined purpose has
enabled him to reach the goal of prosperity. He
attended the public schools of Pine Creek town
ship and spent the first twenty years of his life
on the homestead. In 1867, in connection with
his father, he purchased 1 19 acres of the old
Harris farm in Pine Creek township, which he
operated for five years, making excellent im
provements thereon. He afterward purchased
the Garman homestead. He had little capital
when he started out in life, but by rafting on the
river he managed to save $1,000 with which he
made the first payment on the farm March 12,
1872. His economy and industry soon enabled
him to clear the place of all indebtedness, and he
now has ninety-two acres of rich land, largely
planted" to tobacco. In this industry he has been
very successful. He built three tobacco sheds.
75x24 feet, and two sheds 50x25, and his capa
ble management of his interests has bought to
him good financial returns. He also owns two
dwellings in Jersey Shore, and a good farm in
Porter township, Lycoming county.
On July 2, 1867, in the home where they
now reside, by Rev. Winton, a Lutheran minis
ter, Mr. Emory was married to Miss Hannah
Louise Garman, who was born August 14, 1841,
a daughter of Henry and Hannah (Groff) Garman.
Her father was born in Dauphin county, Penn.,
August 4, 1807, and on coming to central Penn
sylvania purchased the old Lay farm of 200
acres in Pine Creek township, Clinton county.
Here, in 1840, he built one of the first brick
houses in the township, at a cost of $4,000. He
also built barns and made other substantial im
provements, and continued active farming until
1872, when he retired to private life. In 1874
he removed to Jersey Shore, where his death oc
curred in 1896, his remains being interred in the
Jersey Shore cemetery. He was married in
Lancaster county to Hannah Groff, a native of
that county, and a daughter of Isaac Groff. She
died at the old homestead in 1872. Both Mr.
and Mrs. Garman were active members of the
Lutheran Church, in which he served as elder.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

731

He was a worker in the temperance cause, a
student of the Bible, and an honorable, upright
man, whose influence was ever on the side of the
good. For a number of years he served as jus
tice of the peace of Pine Creek township. Mr.
and Mrs. Garman had children: David, a re
tired merchant of Jersey Shore, married Maria
Knepley, and has one child, William; Jacob,
who married Sarah Good, and had one child;
Mamie, died in Chester county, Penn. , at the
age of forty; Rebecca resides in Jersey Shore;
Mrs. Emory is the next of the family; Mary C.
died in infancy; and Henry, a jeweler of Coats-
ville, Chester county, married Jennie Scott, and
has one child, Edgar.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry J. Emory have two chil
dren: (i) Carrie V., born April 17, 1868, who
was educated in the public schools, and was mar
ried September 19, 1888, to Harvey J. Betts, a
farmer of Porter township, Lycoming county, by
whom she has two children — Grace E., born
September 21, 1889; and Charles H., born June
21, 1896. (2) Charles A., borri January 16,
1 87 1, attended the schools of Pine Creek town
ship and the high school of Jersey Shore, and is
now engaged in tobacco raising on the home
farm. He was married, in February, 1897, to
Barrie H., a daughter of Henry and Rebecca
(Kline) Earon, of Pine Creek township. Mr.
Emory is an elder in the Lutheran Church, a
teacher in the Sunday-school, and a man whose
upright life and fidelity to principle commends
him to the confidence and regard of all. Tem
perate, industrious, true to every trust, his circle
of friends is very extensive, and his example is
most worthy of emulation.

RRIN HARVEY ROSSER, M. D. In com
parison of the relative value to mankind of
the various professions and pursuits, it is widely
recognized that none is so important as the med
ical profession. From the cradle to the grave
human destiny is largely in the hands of the
physician. One of the ablest representatives of
this noble calling in Clinton county is Dr. Rosser,
of Renovo. The Doctor is a native of the county, his
birth having occurred in Lock Haven, March 6,
1866, and he is a son of William H. and Hen
rietta Catherine (Reither) Rosser, who are now
residents of Mill Hall. The mother is a native
of Germany, but the father was born in Tioga
county, Penn., in 1840, though his father was a
native of Wales. When only seven years old
William H. Rosser was brought to Clinton coun
ty, where he has since made his home. For

many years he followed carriage making and
blacksmithing, but is now living practically re
tired. In answer to his country's call for aid
during the dark days of the Rebellion, he enlisted
in Company C, 52d P. V. I., but at the end of a
year was honorably discharged on account of lung
trouble. He is one of the most highly respected
and honored citizens of Mill Hall, where he is
now acceptably serving his fifth term as justice
of the peace. The Doctor has two brothers,
George McClellan and Jesse B., of Mill Hall.
Our subject attended the common schools un
til thirteen years of age, and in 1882 entered the
Normal, at Lock Haven, where he was graduat
ed in June of the following year. During the
next two years he was engaged in the axe busi
ness for his father, but spent his leisure hours in
studying medicine with Dr. W. J. Shoemaker, of
-Lock Haven. In September, 1887, he matricu
lated at the Medico-Chirurgical College of Phila
delphia, and graduated from that institution
April 10, 1890. He at once opened an office in
Vanderbilt, Fayette Co., Penn., but in May,
1 89 1, came to Renovo, where he soon built up a
large and lucrative practice, which he to-day en
joys. He is a progressive member of the pro
fession, who keeps abreast of the latest discover
ies and theories by his perusals of medical jour
nals. His skill and ability are attested by the
liberal patronage he enjoys, and which ranks him
as one of the leading physicians of the county.
On April 17, 1890, Dr. Rosser was united in
marriage with Miss Nettie E. Welsh, a daughter
of Nathan Welsh, of Lock Haven. Politically,
the Doctor is identified with the Democratic par
ty, and, fraternally, is a member of the Renovo
Lodge No. 595, I. O. O. F., and Dexter En
campment No. 163. He is an honored member
of the Clinton County Medical Society, and also
of the Medical Society of Pennsylvania, and, in so
cial as well as professional circles, he stands de
servedly high.

CiHARLES H. KLINEFELTER, now serving
_/ as justice of the peace in Chapman town
ship, Clinton county, is a prominent general
merchant of North Bend, Clinton county. Com
paratively few men can attain to the highest
offices in civil or military life, but commerce
offers a broad and almost limitless field in which
one can exercise his powers unrestrained, and
gain a leadership as the head of a chosen calling.
In the life of our subject we learn that the quali
fications necessary for success are a high ambi
tion and a resolute, honorable purpose to reach
the exalted standard that has been set up. From

732

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

the age of twelve years he has been dependent
upon his own resources.
Mr. Klinefelter was born March 18, 1862, in
Madisonburg, Centre Co., Penn., and is a grand
son of Peter Klinefelter, Sr. , who was born in
York county, Penn., of German descent, and
there followed farming until coming, when a
young man, to central Pennsylvania. He pur
chased a farm of 125 acres near Madisonburg, in
Centre county, on which he made many useful
and valuable improvements, and successfully
engaged *in farming and stock-raising. He died
at Madisonburg in 1872, and was buried there.
He was a consistent member of the Lutheran
Church, was a Democrat in politics, and was
widely and favorably known. He married and
had several children.
Peter Klinefelter, our subject's father, was a
native of Madisonburg, and acquired a fair edu
cation in both German and English, such as the
public schools of the day afforded. He made
farming his principal occupation, and spent his
entire life upon his father's place, where he died
in 1874, being laid to rest in the Lutheran ceme
tery at Madisonburg. He was a member of the
Lutheran Church, and on the Democratic ticket,
which he always supported by his ballot, he was
elected to several township offices of honor and
trust in Miles township, Centre county. In Re
bersburg, that county, he married Elvina Smull,
a native of that place, and a daughter of Henry
Smull, a farmer, who was of German descent.
Five children blessed this union: One who died
in infancy; Jane, wife of John Stiver, of Flem
ington, Clinton county; Luther, who died at the
age of thirty; Tyrus, a resident of Nippenose
Valley, Lycoming Co., Penn. ; and Charles H.
After the death of her first husband, the mother
married William Bierley, of Rebersburg, where
they are still living.
In the public schools of Centre county the
subject of this sketch received his primary edu
cation, which was supplemented by a course in
select schools in Rebersburg and in the Eastman
Business College of Poughkeepsie, N. Y. His
father dying when he was twelve years of age, he
came to Clinton county to live with an uncle, T.
J. Smull, a merchant of Mackeyville, with whom
he remained for three years, clerking in the store
and attending school. He then returned to
Rebersburg, where he pursued his studies in a
private school, as previously stated, and lived
there for several years. At the age of eighteen he
taught his first school in Woodward, Centre
county, and successfully followed that profession
for four terms in Nippenose Valley, in Rebers
burg, and in Dodge City, Kansas.

For a year and a half Mr. Klinefelter clerked
in the store of L. Putt, in Renovo, Penn., and in
1884 went to Newton, Kans., where he was
similarly employed for the same length of time.
In that State he pre-empted 160 acres of land,
which he still retains, and during the great boom
of that section he successfully engaged in the
real-estate and loan business until 1889. Return
ing to his native State, Mr. Klinefelter located in
Clearfield county, where he engaged in clerking,
and also became manager of a coal company's
store, remaining there until 1894, when he came
to North Bend and bought the Webster property.
Here he has since successfully engaged in general
merchandising, and is numbered among its wide
awake and enterprising business men. For three
years he also conducted a store at Gleasonton,
but sold out in the spring of 1897.
In 1889, in Lock Haven, Mr. Klinefelter was
married to Miss Stella Webster, a native of
Wayne county, Penn. , and a daughter of H. M.
Webster, a real-estate broker, who was of Eng
lish descent. On the Republican ticket, Mr.
Klinefelter was elected justice of the peace of .
Chapman township, in 1894, and is now accept
ably serving in that office, having married one
couple and tried many cases, none of which have
been appealed to the higher courts, so fair and
impartial is he in his decisions. Socially, he is
identified with the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows, and, religiously, both he and his wife
are members of the Lutheran Church. Two
daughters have been born to them: Erma and
Mildred.

S\AMUEL EISENHOWER. Among the rep-
D resentative and enterprising farmers of Green
township, Clinton county, there is perhaps none
that is looked upon with more respect than Mr.
Eisenhower, who was born March 17, 1848, in
the same township. Henry Eisenhower, his
grandfather, was a native of Lebanon county,
Penn., a farmer and weaver by occupation, and
a Democrat in politics. He was three times
married, and spent his last days in Indiana.
Daniel Eisenhower, father of oursubject, was
born on January 27, 181 3, in Lebanon county,
near the city of Lebanon, and attended the sub
scription schools of the locality. At the age of
eighteen he learned the tailor's trade, at which
he worked in his native county until 1835, when
he came to central Pennsylvania and took up his
residence in White Deer, Lycoming county,
where for thirteen years he worked at his trade
and also at other employments. For a short
time after coming to Sugar Valley, in 1848, he

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

733

continued to follow tailoring, and then purchased
ioo acres of land, to the cultivation and im
provement of which he devoted his energies un
til 1888, when he sold out, and is now living
retired, enjoying a well-earned rest, though he
is not entirely idle, being too energetic for that.
For many years he has been a consistent and
faithful member of the Lutheran Church, and is
an earnest advocate of the Republican party.
In 1836, at White Deer, Daniel Eisenhower
was united in marriage with Miss Leah Lutz, a
native of Lebanon county, Penn., and a daugh
ter of William Lutz, a farmer of that county.
Nine children were born to them: William, who
died while in the army; Henry, a resident of
West Point, Clinton county; John, also of Clin
ton county; Samuel, of this sketch; Cornelius, of
Reedsville, Mifflin county; Margaret, wife of
William Miller, of -Illinois; Sarah, widow of Ed
ward Shafer; and two who died in childhood.
The wife and mother was called to the world
beyond in 1884, and was buried in Pleasant Hill
cemetery. Four years later the father was again
married, in Green township, his second union
being with Barbara A. Citherman, who was born
December 31, 1828, in Union county, Penn.,
and at the time of her marriage to Mr. Eisen
hower was the widow of Andrew Cornman. Her
father was David Citherman, a farmer of Union
county. The subject of this sketch attended the pub
lic schools, conducted in an old log school house
at Pleasant Hill, and taught by Mr. Watson and
afterward by Mr. Bitner, for only three months
during the winter until thirteen years of age,
when his school days were over. He has ever
been a close student, however, and by reading
and observation has become a well-informed
man, well posted on all topics of general interest.
At the age of thirteen Mr. Eisenhower left
home and was employed by the farmers of Lamar
township, Clinton county, for four years, receiv
ing about $12 per month. In 1865, as a chop
per, he began cutting logs in the woods of Elk
county, Penn., where he was employed for three
years, and then returned to Green township,
Clinton county, and began business for himself
in manufacturing lumber, railroad ties, etc., with
Andrew Jamison as a partner. In 1876 he
went to Nebraska, where he only remained a
short time, and on his return purchased his
present farm of 125 acres of valuable land from
John Herman. Here he has since made his
home, and has improved the place with a fine
residence, good barns and other outbuildings,
which stand as monuments to his thrift and in
dustry. In connection with general farming, he

makes a specialty of the raising of potatoes, and
is looked upon as one of the most skillful and
methodical agriculturists of the locality.
In 1870, in Green township, Mr. Eisenhower
was married to Miss Rebecca Herman, who was
born in Lykens Valley, Dauphin county, Penn.,
a daughter of Josiah and Matilda (Dappendorf)
Herman, of Green township, Clinton county. She
has indeed proved a faithful helpmeet to her hus
band, is an excellent housekeeper and cook, and
is a most estimable lady. The following children
have been born to them: Albert, who was edu
cated in the public schools and the Central State
Normal, and is now successfully engaged in
teaching in the West; Harvey, who also pursued
his studies in the schools of Green township and
the Central State Normal at Lock Haven, after
which he taught for three terms in Green town
ship, and is now taking a musical course in the
college at Valparaiso, Ind. ; Noah, Leah, William,
Josiah, Sarah and Jennie P. , all at home, and
two who died in infancy. Fully realizing the
advantages of a good education, Mr. Eisenhower
is providing his children with the best possible
opportunities along that line. He has done
much to promote the cause of education in his
district, while serving "as school director and
president of the board, and he has also efficiently
filled the office of overseer of the poor in Green
township. He is a member of the. Independent
Order of Odd Fellows, and of the Lutheran
Church, in which he has served as elder for six
years, and also as deacon and trustee, and Sun
day-school superintendent and teacher. All
enterprises calculated to promote the moral,
intellectual or material welfare of the community
receive his hearty support.

JAMES R. THRONE, a representative farmer
and tobacco grower of Wayne township,
Clinton county, was born October 10, 1847,
near Youngsdale, in that township, and is a
worthy member of one of the highly-respected
families of the county.
John M. Throne, his grandfather, was a na
tive of Germany, and when a young man emi
grated to this country, first locating in Berks
county, Penn., where he followed milling for
some time. He then removed to Centre Mills,
Centre county, where he followed the same pur
suit for a number of years, and was subsequently
engaged in the milling business in New Lisbon,
Ohio, where his death occurred. In his political
affiliations he was a Democrat. He was married
in Berks county, Penn., and became the father
of the following children: Jesse, John, Samuel,

734

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

David, Michael, and Mary (Polly), wife of David
H. Snook, of Centre Mills, Centre county. The
sons all removed to Ohio with the exception of
Michael, the father of our subject.
In the common schools Michael Throne learned
to read and write both English and German, and
became especially proficient in the latter language.
When a young man he removed with his parents
from Berks county to Centre county, and, being
a miller by trade, he operated the Centre Mills
for several years. He then removed to the Cald
well Mills, of which he also had charge for a
number of years, and from there came to Sugar
Valley, where he operated the Logan Mills.
After several years spent there he came to Wayne
township, where he erected the first gristmill in
this section of Clinton county, arid when his
plant was destroyed by fire, he rebuilt in 1837,
at a cost of $5,000, erecting the present mill at
Youngsdale, which he operated until 1853. He
then gave up milling and purchased a farm of
1 54 acres, on which he made many improve
ments and continued to make his home until his
death, in February, 1893. At Centre Mills, Cen
tre county, he married Hannah Gauby, who was
born near Reading, in Berks county, and they
became the parents of five children: John, a
merchant of Harrisburg, Penn.; James R. , of
this sketch; Jane, wife of John McKange; Sam
uel, who died at the age of twenty years; and
Sarah, who died at the age of eighteen years.
The mother passed away in 1888, and both she
and her husband were buried in Union cemetery.
They had the esteem and confidence of the en
tire community, and were faithful members of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, active in both
Church and Sunday-school work. In politics
Mr. Throne was a Democrat.
During his boyhood and youth James R.
attended the public schools of Wayne township,
and was reared on the home farm, where he
spent his entire life. He took charge of the place
in 1 88 1, and has since successfully operated it.
In the June flood of 1889 his residence, barn,
orchard and other improvements were all de
stroyed at a loss of. $3. 500, but with characteris
tic energy he began to replace these, building a
house at a cost of $1,500, and erecting barns,
tobacco sheds and other outbuildings. He also
re-planted the orchard. Since 1865 he has been
interested in the tobacco industry, and also de
votes considerable time to stock-raising, both of
which have proved quite profitable. He owns
and operates 100 acres of land, and at one time
engaged in piloting on the Susquehanna, running
arks and rafts between Lock Haven and Marietta
and Columbia.

In 1869, in Clearfield county, Penn., Mr.
Throne was married, the lady of his choice being
Miss Catharine A, Dice, a native of Wayne town
ship, Clinton county, and a daughter of Benja
min Dice, a late farmer of that township. They
have five children, as follows: (1) Norman F.,
born September 29, 1871, began his education
in the schools of Wayne township, and' later
attended the Northwestern Ohio State Normal
School. He is now gauger for the Crescent Oil
Company, and is a Democrat in politics. On
January 15, 1894, ne was married in Camden, N.
J., to Alice E. Waters, a native of Tyrone,
Blair Co., Penn., and a daughter of J. H and
Mary M. (Blake) Waters. They now have two
children — Robert F. , born in January, 1895; and
Thelma, born June 21, 1896. (2) William S.,
born April 28, 1873, was educated in Wayne
township, and is a telegraph operator residing at
home. He also supports the Democratic party.
He was married September 15, 1897, at Lock
Haven, Penn., to Mary E. Bierley, of Wayne
township, Clinton county, the only daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. John Bierly. (3) Gertrude M.,
born November 2, 1876, (4) Edward C, born
December 13, 1878, and (5) John M., born
March 16, 1886, are all at home with their
parents. As a Democrat, Mr. Throne has taken quite
an active interest in politics, and has served as
school director several years, assessor, judge of
election, and overseer of the poor. During the
Civil war it was his desire to join the Union
army, but his parents opposed it, and he has
ever proved a loyal and patriotic citizen. Fra
ternally he is a member of the Mystic Chain, and
Grange, and, religiously, belongs to the Evan
gelical Church. In all the relations of life he has
proved a straightforward, honorable man, and
has the respect of all who know him.

^SCAR F. FELMLEE, the proprietor of one
of the best livery stands in this section, at
whose stables in Lock Haven, Clinton county,
may be found the safest horses and up-to-date
vehicles of all kinds, is a native of the neighbor
ing county of Centre, born April 8, 1859.
David and Christina (Heinbach) Felmlee
were born in Pennsylvania, and in this State
passed their lives. For many years he was oc
cupied in farming and as a contractor. His
death occurred in 1871, and his wife passed
away in 1895. They were industrious and good
people. Their children were: John, a resident
of Iowa; Mary, the widow of John Feese;

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

73£

George H., a resident of Renovo; and Oscar F.,
our subject.
Oscar F. Felmlee received but a limited edu
cation. He attended the common schools of
this locality, but his father dying when he was
only twelve years of age, he had to early de
pend upon himself. The spirit of self-reliance
that adverse circumstances in life develops, and
while it robs the boy of his boyhood, it makes
the man of him, and brings him success in life
that would otherwise have been a failure. From
that tender age our subject has been self-sup
porting. The family moved to Clinton county
sometime in the sixties, and since 1870 Oscar
F. has resided at Lock Haven. For eighteen
years continuously he was in the employ of
Furst, Ricke & Co., lumbermen, which is evi
dence of his fidelity to the duties he had to per
form and of the company's estimation of his
services. In 1890 he embarked in business for
himself, establishing his present livery stable,
which is proving to be a successful undertaking.
His stables, as before shadowed in the preceding
reference to the business, are commodious and
well-equipped in all that goes to complete a first-
class livery business. Socially he is a member
of the I. O. O. F. , and is past grand of his
lodge; he is also a member of the Royal Arca
num, and of Lock Haven Business Men's Club.
In politics he is a Republican.
On September 29, 1881, Mr. Felmlee was
married to Crissa A. Long, a daughter of J. H.
Long, of Lock Haven. To the union have
come two children : Beryl and Gertrude. The
parents of these are members of the Lutheran
Church. . The mother was born April 27, 1862,
in Clinton county, and is a daughter of J. W.
Long and Margaret Eyer.

FREDERICK MUTHLER, one of the most
industrious, wide-awake and progressive
farmers of Beech Creek township, Clinton coun
ty, was born in Lockport, Penn., November 6,
1855, a son of Joseph and Catharine (Lehr)
Muthler. During his boyhood and youth he at
tended the schools of Lock Haven to a limited
extent, but his priviliges along that line were
meager. At the age of ten years he began
acting as a driver for his father, who owned and
operated canal boats for some years, and he also
became familiar with agricultural pursuits upon
the home farm in Beech Creek township, which
he now occupies. For some time he aided in
the work of the farm during the summer months,
while the winter seasons were spent in the lum
ber woods.

On March 23, 1882, Frederick Muthler was
married to Miss Susan Earon, who was born
July 11, 1856, in Beech Creek township, a daugh
ter of John and Eve Catharine (Myers) Earon.
She obtained her education at the Bitner school
in her native township. By her marriage she
has become the mother of five children: Charles
W. , Anna C, Adam D., Lucy E., who died
when only two weeks old, and Naaman Joseph,
born September 14, 1897. The parents began
their married life in a rented house, and the
husband for a year and a half worked on his
father's farm. He then purchased a farm from
George Pottorf in Bald Eagle township, Clinton
county, where he lived for five years and a half,
and in March, 1889, removed to the old home
stead of his father. He also owns what is known
as the John Bitner heirs farm, and has 130
acres of arable land besides 200 acres covered
with timber. He is a sturdy farmer, unosten
tatious and honest, and is a man of good busi
ness ability and sound judgment. Being indus
trious and energetic, he has prospered in his un
dertakings, and has already secured a comfort
able competence, and undoubtedly greater suc
cess awaits him in the future. Fraternally he
affiliates with the Grange. Politically he is iden
tified with the Democratic party; and in their
religious views both he and his wife are members
of Laurel Run Church, in which Mr. Muthler
is serving as trustee and steward. He has effi
ciently filled the office of school director, and is
a supporter of all enterprises calculated to ad
vance the moral, educational or material welfare
of the communitv.

Tn^\LMER E. DOUTY, one of the prominent
JEl// and influential citizens of Sugar Valley,
where throughout his business career he has suc
cessfully followed lumbering and farming, was
born November 3, 1863, in Green township,
Clinton county.
Mr. Douty belongs to a family of French
origin, which is noted for its industry and patriot
ism. His grandfather, George C. Douty, was a
native of Columbia county, Penn., where he fol
lowed farming and married a Miss Kurtz. With
his wife and small family he came to Sugar
Valley, then a part of Centre county, and pur
chased a tract of land, on which he and his two
brothers built a sawmill, which they operated for
a number of years. He became one of the most
successful lumbermen of the locality, and gave
the greater part of his attention to that business,
but was interested to some extent in agriculture,
owning and operating a small farm. After ac-

736

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

quiring a comfortable competence he retired
from active business, and spent his last days in a
pleasant home at Watsontown, Northumberland'
county, Penn., surrounded by all the comforts
and many of the luxuries of life, which he had
secured through his own toil in previous years.
While a resident of Sugar Valley he served as
justice of the peace for a number of years, being
appointed by the governor of the State, and
satisfactorily settled many a dispute. Being a
well-informed man, of sound judgment, he often
acted the part of a lawyer for his friends, and his
advice was sought on various subjects. His
estimable wife died in Lycoming county, Penn.
Both were members of the Evangelical Associa
tion, and were highly respected and esteemed.
In their family were nine children: Adam, Eliza
beth, Reuben, Rebecca, Ellis, Jennie, Hattie,
Hiram and Agnes.
Reuben Douty, our subject's father, was born
in Columbia county, Penn., August 2, 18 — , and
received a very good English education. Like
his father, he made lumbering his lifework, and
although he continued to make his home from
childhood in Sugar Valley, he carried on opera
tions in Clinton, Centre and other counties, where
the forests were still untouched by the axe. In
his undertakings he met with a well-deserved
success, becoming one of the prosperous and
substantial citizens of his community. His busi
ness calling him into various sections of the State,
he became widely known, and easily won the
confidence and friendship of those with whom he
came in contact. He built a pleasant home in
Carroll, Clinton county, where he spent his last
days, and where his widow still resides. His
death was quite unexpected, he passing away
when asleep. He was a consistent member of
the Evangelical Church, was a strong Republican
in politics, and under the Baker law was the first
of his party elected judge of elections in Green
township. In that township he was married to Sabina
Smith, a daughter of John Smith, a carpenter of
Green township, and she is still quite hale and
hearty for one of her years. They became the
parents of fourteen children, who in order of
birth are as follows: Thomas, a lumber manu
facturer of Green township; Rebecca, wife of
Robert Lynch; Laura, deceased wife of William
Lupoid; Albert, a teacher of Mifflinburg, Union
Co., Penn.; William, a merchant and lumber
manufacturer; Elmer E., of this sketch; George,
who died in childhood; Frank, of Forestville,
Union county; Ambrose, a lumberman of Car
roll, Green township, Clinton county; Lester, a
sawmiller of Eastville, in the same township;

Charles, a lumberman of Green township; and
Sidney, Harry and Edwin, all sawyers living in
Green township.
The opportunities afforded our subject for
obtaining an education were such as the public
schools of Green township were able to give. At
the early age of thirteen he began working in the
mill with his father, and after attaining his ma
jority continued in the lumber business, being
for a part of the time a partner of his father and
also of his brothers, William and Thomas. He
resided principally in Green township, but was
engaged in the manufacture of lumber both in
Clinton and Centre counties, following that busi
ness exclusively until 1894, when he purchased
the Henry Reninger farm of 145 acres in Green
township, and now devotes a part of his time to
agricultural pursuits with results which cannot
fail to prove satisfactory. He has greatly im
proved his place by the erection of a fine resi
dence and substantial barns and outbuildings,
the aggregate cost of which was about $4,000,
and he now has one of the most desirable and
beautiful country places in Sugar Valley.
In 1884 Mr. Douty was married to Miss
Johanna Troutner, a native of Sugar Valley, a
daughter of George and Regina (Brown) Trout
ner, well-known agriculturists. Her mother is
an aunt of John Brown, a merchant of Logan
ton. Eight children grace this union, namely:
Reuben C. , Elsie R., George T., Mary S., Harry
L. , Laura E. , Lester R. and Russell E. The
parents are both earnest and consistent members
of the United Evangelical Church, and in the
social circles of the community occupy an en
viable position. The father of these takes an
active interest in the success of the Republican
party, which he always supports by his ballot,
but he is no politician in the sense of office-seek
ing, preferring to devote his undivided attention
to his extensive business interests. He is a man
of progressive ideas, is well-posted on the cur
rent events and topics of the day, and keeps fully
abreast with the times in every particular. In
manner he is genial and pleasant, and his sterl
ing qualities command the respect and confidence
of all, and have secured for him the high regard
of a large circle of friends.

JOHN MUTHLER, one of the active, prom
inent and most enterprising citizens of Bald
Eagle township, Clinton county, was born
September 29, 1857, in Lock Haven.
Joseph Muthler, his father, was born July 2,
1827, in Baden, Germany, and when a young
man came alone to the United States, landing at

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

737

New York without a penny. He traveled on
foot to Philadelphia, and his meals consisted of
frozen turnips found along the road, while he was
obliged to sleep in corn shocks covered with snow.
He found employment near Lebanon, Penn.,
whence he later removed to Lock Haven. After
his marriage he worked as a hewer for different
firms, and acquired an enviable reputation on ac
count of his skill in that line. He was also at
times employed at the carpenter's trade, and, pos
sessing the economical traits characteristic of the
German people, he managed to save some of his
wages. Having a horse given him, he purchased
a boat for $10 and began boating on the canal,
-making one or two trips in that way. He then
sold the boat and bought a better one, and also
purchased four mules, continuing boating until
removing to his farm in Beech Creek township,
Clinton county. During early life he often
worked for only fifty cents per day and boarded
himself, and at one time he worked for a whole
week for a razor, with which to shave himself.
For one year after his marriage he made his
home in Lockport, from there went to Lock Ha
ven, and in the spring of 1870 purchased a farm
in Beech Creek township of the Bitner heirs,
continuing his residence there until the spring of
1889, when he returned to Lock Haven to spend
his remaining years in retirement. By excellent
management, good business ability and industri
ous habits, he accumulated considerable proper
ty, owning two good farms and 400 acres of tim
berland besides his home in Lock Haven.
On April 3, 1853, Joseph Muthler was mar
ried to Catharine Lehr, who was born June 17,
1826, in Germany, where her parents, Conrad
and Sophina (Harbach) Lehr, spent their entire
lives. By trade the father was a cooper. In his
family were seven children — one son and seven
daughters— namely: Hannah, Lizzie, Margaret
(now the widow of Joseph Bacher, of York,
Penn.), Elizabeth (who married a Mr. Hecken-
staller, and died in Sugar Valley, Penn.), Mary
(widow of Jacob Widman, of Lock Haven), Cath
arine, and Philip (a farmer of Beach Creek town
ship, Clinton county, where his death occurred).
In 1852 Mrs. Muthler left Bremen in company
with her sister, Mrs. Margaret Speese, a widow
lady with two children, and a cousin, Christian
Lehr. After a voyage of six weeks they landed
at Baltimore, whence Mrs. Muthler went to Pitts
burg, Penn., and eight weeks later to Centre
county, where her brother Philip was living. At
the time of her marriage she was living as a do
mestic with a Mr. Liggett near Eagleville. She
is still living in Lock Haven, enjoying the com
fortable competence left by her husband, but he
47*

passed to his final reward September 25, 1894.
In his younger days he was robust and strong,
and performed much hard labor. Although he
was a^ stalwart Democrat in politics he cared
nothing for the honors or emoluments of public
office, always declining to become a candidate.
In religious belief he was a Catholic.
Our subject is the third in order of birth in a
family of six children, the others being as fol
lows: Mary, wife of John Lehr, living near Fos-
toria, Kans. ; Frederick, a farmer of Beech Creek
township, Clinton county; Elizabeth, wife of
Adam Aaron, of the same township; Catharine,
wife of John D. R. Beaver, of Lock Haven; and
Joseph W. , who died at the age of nineteen years.
John Muthler received only a limited com
mon-school education, beginning his studies in
the schools of Lock Haven. At the early age of
six years he commenced driving on the towpath
for his father, who then owned a canal boat, and
"during boyhood he made several trips to Balti
more and Philadelphia. He was about twelve
years of age when his parents removed to the
farm, where he assisted in the, arduous task of
clearing and developing new land. On attaining
his majority he started out in life for himself, at
first being in the employ of Wallace Gakle at
Mill Run, and he was later engaged at various
occupations in different localities. In the spring
of 1879 he went to Kansas,, where he spent eight
months. On February 19, 1885, Mr. Muthler was mar
ried to Miss Victoria H. Peters, who was born
March 27, 1859, in Bald Eagle township, Clin
ton county, and is the daughter of Casper and
Phoebe (Eckert) Peters, the former a native of
Germany, and the latter of Lycoming county,
Penn. Her father was first a laborer and boss
on railroad 'construction, later engaged in lumber
ing, and afterward became a farmer. He and
his wife are still living in Beech Creek township,
Clinton county, surrounded by many friends
who esteem them highly for their sterling worth.
In their family were ten children, six sons and
four daughters, of whom eight reached adult age.
Mrs. Muthler was provided with a fair common-
school education, is a consistent member of the
Presbyterian Church, and a most estimable lady.
By her marriage to our subject she became the
mother of five children, whose names and dates
of birth are as follows: Joseph C, November
23, 1885; Annie I. C, November 4, 1887; George
A., September 17, 1889; Elizabeth P., Septem
ber 17, 1 891; and Grace M., May 4, 1894.
For four years after his marriage, Mr. Muth
ler lived upon his father-in-law's place in Beech
Creek township, but in March, 1889, removed to

738

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

his present farm in Bald Eagle township, which
was once owned by his father. Besides his fine
farm of 153 acres he has 200 acres of timber
land, and is meeting with excellent success in his
undertakings as he is a thorough and systematic
agriculturist of progressive ideas and industrious
habits. Fraternally, he is a member of the
Grange, and, politically, is identified with the
Democratic party. He seems to have inherited
the thrift that always attended his father's efforts,
as well as those sterling principles of honesty and
fairness that caused his parents to be so highly
respected.
J MEYER WILLIAMS, one of the most in
telligent, enterprising and industrious farm
ers of Bald Eagle township, Clinton county,
was born on the farm where he still continues
to reside, June 16, 1858 , a son of John and Mary
(Meyer) Williams.
The father was a native of Wales, born Au-'
gust 22, 1 81 3, and was a son of William and Eliz
abeth (Lewis) Williams, whose other children
were as follows: Mary A., who wedded a Mr.
Davis, and for several years lived in Minersville,
Penn., where she died; Mrs. Morgan, who died
in Schuylkill county, Penn. ; Ellen, who mar
ried Alexander Easton, and died in the West;
Charlotte, who married Henry Handley, and died
in Iowa; and James, who in early life followed
mining and later engaged in farming in Beech
Creek township, 'Clinton county, where his
death occurred. The father of our subject was
the first of the family to come to the New World,
and in 1838 the grandfather with the other mem
bers crossed the Atlantic, taking up their resi
dence in Beech Creek township, Clinton county,
where he purchased a tract of wooded land and
developed a small farm, on which he erected a
log cabin. He endured all the hardships and
privations incident to pioneer life in order to se
cure for his family a comfortable home. He de
parted this life when over seventy years of age,
and his remains were interred in the cemetery on
the hill near Lock Haven, where his wife, who
survived him for some time, was also laid to
rest at the time of her death. In religious be
lief they were Methodists.
In his native land John Williams, the father
of our subject, was employed as a miner, and
often for a whole week he would never see the
light of day, beginning work before sunrise and
never stopping until after dark. His father be
ing a poor laboring man, he was early thrown
upon his own resources, and his school privileges
were necessarily limited. In 1838, after a long
voyage, he reached this country and first located

in Pottsville, Penn. , where he engaged in mining,
but in later years came to Beech Creek township,
Clinton county, where his father had located,
and here he also worked in the ore mines for
some time. In December. 1850, in Beech
Creek township, John Williams married Mrs.
Mary Poorman, widow of David Poorman, and
the eldest child of Valentine and Elizabeth (Hoy)
Meyer, the other children being as follows: Sam
uel, born September 16, 18 16, died in California;
Catharine, born July 9, 18 18, married Samuel
Kiester, of Clintondale; William, born April 30,
1820, died in Clintondale; Elizabeth, born Feb
ruary 9, 1822, died unmarried at the age of
twenty-three; John, born February 26, 1824, wasa
member of an Iowa regiment during the Civil
war, and is still a resident of Jasper county, that
State; Susan, born February 19, 1826, married
William Moore, and at the time of her death,
which occurred in Mifflinburg, was the wife of
Jacob Maurer; and Joseph, born October 17,
1827, died in Newton, Iowa, in 1858. Valentine
Meyer, the father of Mrs. Williams, was born
March 4, 1793, in Schuylkill county, Penn., but,
when a boy, accompanied his father, Henry
Meyer, on his removal to Union county, where
he was reared. He was a wagdnmaker by trade,
but devoted his later years to fanning. He died
in 1858, and was buried in Bethel cemetery, Por
ter township, Clinton county, while his wife, who
was born in September, 1793, died November 4, ,
1827, and was buried in Snydertown,. Centre.
Co., Penn. They were both earnest a"nd con
sistent members of the Reformed Church, and in
politics he was first a Democrat, but being an
anti-slavery man he joined the Republican party
on its organization.
The birth of Mrs. Williams, the mother of
our subject, occurred in Limestone township,
Union Co., Penn., February 2, 181 5, and she
was four years old when brought by her pa
rents to Porter township, Clinton county, where
she was reared and first married. By that
union she had four children: Daniel, who was
drowned while bathing in Spirit Lake, Iowa;
Catharine, wife of Isaac Loveland, of Porter
township; Matilda, who married Reuben Wetzel,
and died in Missouri; and Elizabeth J., who wed
ded James Treaster, and died in Nebraska. In
1837 Mr. and Mrs. Poorman removed to Venan
go county, Penn., where he died March 12,
1843, after which she returned to Clinton coun
ty, making her home in Porter township, until
after giving her hand in marriage to Mr, Will
iams. From there they removed to the present
farm of our subject, in Bald Eagle township, in
the spring of 185 1. By her second marriage,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

739

Mrs. Williams became the mother of six children:
Emma, now the wife of John E. Williams, of
Newberry, Lycoming Co. , Penn. ; Mary, a school
teacher, who makes her home with her mother
in Lamar; Martha, wife of Theodore S. Faus, of
Spring Mills, Penn. ; Ella, who is engaged in
teaching in RenOvo, Penn. ; J. Meyer, of this re
view; and Minnie, now Mrs. William Nancarrow,
of Pittsburg, Penn. For the past fifteen years
Mrs. Williams has made her home in Lamar, is
a faithful member of the Methodist Church, and
is highly respected by all who know her. On
January i, 1893, she broke one of her lower
limbs, but with that exception is still well-
preserved. During his boyhood J. Meyer Williams at
tended the Laurel Run school, John Salmon and
Mary Van Dusen being among his first teachers,
but he supplemented the knowledge there ac
quired by a course in the Central State Normal
School, where he was a student in the fall of
1880 and the following winter. Reared on a
farm, he early became familiar with agricultural
pursuits, and since old enough has successfully
operated the home farm, renting it after his mar
riage until the spring of 1891, when he purchased
it. He has 144 acres of rich and valuable land,
and in connection with general farming is en
gaged in fruit growing. He thoroughly under
stands that branch of his business, having de
voted much time to reading and study on the
subject. On January 26, 1882, Mr. Williams was mar
ried to Miss Belle B. Winters, a native of Bald
Eagle township, and a daughter of William and
Elizabeth (Bruner) Winters. After attending the
common schools for some time, she pursued her
studies in the Central State Normal School, and
also in a select school at Lock Haven, and later
successfully engaged in teaching for seven terms.
Mr. and Mrs. Williams have six children: Ray
R., Helen F., Ralph E., Ruby A., W. Scott and
Edwin. On attaining his majority Mr. Williams es
poused the principles of the Republican party,
but since 1894 has given his support to the Pro
hibition party, as he is strictly temperate in all
his habits, never using intoxicants or tobacco in
any form. He and his wife are active members
of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he
is now serving as steward, and both have been
teachers in the Sabbath-school. He keeps well
posted on the leading questions and issues of the
day, and being a man of the strictest integrity,
honorable and upright in all things, he has the
confidence and esteem of all with whom he
comes in contact.

DANIEL EYER, an agriculturist residing in
Bald Eagle township, Clinton county, pre
sents in his life a splendid example of industry,
close application to business, and perseverance.
He commenced life at the foot of the ladder, but
blessed with a prudent and sensible wife as a
helpmeet, not too proud to labor, he is now able
to take life easily and comfortably, in the en
joyment of the fruits of his early labor.
Mr. Eyer was born in Dry Valley, Union Co.,
Penn., January 3, 1821, but during his childhood
his parents located near Muncy, Penn. They
were John and Elizabeth (Wise) Eyer, the for
mer a farmer by occupation. After residing for
some time near Muncy, he disposed of his prop
erty there and took up his residence near Jersey
Shore, where his wife died in June, 1838, and
was there laid to rest. The father spent his last
days with a son in Nittany Valley, dying there
at the ripe old age of eighty-two, and his re-
.mains were interred in Brown cemetery. Our
subject is the youngest in their family of eight
children, the others being as follows: Jacob, who
died at his home below New Buffalo, Penn. ;
Elizabeth, who married Peter Risser, and died in
Lycoming county; John, who was buried in Brown
cemetery, Clinton county; Samuel, who died on
Sugar Valley Mountain; William, who died in
Lock Haven, and was buried on Sugar Valley
Mountain; Kate, wife of John Bechtel, of Dane
county, Wis. ; and Abraham, who died in Will
iams county, Ohio.
In a primitive log school house near Muncy,
Penn., Daniel Eyer began his literary education,
but his advantages in that direction were very
limited. Reared to agricultural pursuits, he
worked as a farm band for a few years previous
to his marriage. At the age of twenty-eight he
wedded Miss Julia Owns, who was born in Pine
Creek township, Clinton county, October 10,
1823, and when a girl accompanied her parents,
Robert and Margaret (Korns) Owns, on their re
moval to Clearfield county, Penn., where she
was reared. Four children graced this union,
namely: David H., a resident of Jersey Shore,
Penn.; William H., a farmer of Bald Eagle town
ship, Clinton county; Samuel H., married, who
died in 1894, and was buried at Jersey Shore;
and Maria H., who died in infancy.
By making posts and fence rails, Mr. Eyer
had managed to save a small sum of money pre
vious to his marriage, and he began his domes
tic life in a rented house in Beech Creek town
ship, Clinton county. Later he purchased ten
acres of land in Bald Eagle township, where he
now lives, but had to go heavily in debt even for
that small amount. For several years he con-

740

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

tinued to extensively engage in the manufacture
of posts and fence rails, in this way paying a
small amount on his farm each year, and when
his financial resources increased, he extended its
boundaries until he now has a valuable place of
one hundred acres of rich and arable land, which
he has placed under excellent cultivation and im
proved with good and substantial buildings. In
his financial operations he has met with a well-
deserved success. In politics he was first a
Whig, later a Know-Nothing, and is now a
thorough Republican, believing that within that
party lie the principles which are the safest guides
for our national government. He has served as
overseer of the poor and supervisor in his town
ship, and deserves to be numbered among the
honored and prominent citizens of his commu
nity. EvDWIN S. MOBLEY resides in Beech Creek,
 / and the commercial activity of the town is
largely promoted through his efforts. He is a
member of the firm of Mobley & Hall, general
merchants, and is a wide-awake, progressive
business man.
Born in Stark county, Ohio, in 1861, Mr.
Mobley is a son of Salethiel and Emily (Quigley)
Mobley. The father was born in Ohio, and
spent forty-eight years of his life there. Through
out his business career he has carried on mer
chandising, and his well-directed efforts brought
him fair success. In 1865 he removed to Beech
Creek, where he has since made his home, and
is now nearing the eightieth milestone on life's
journey. In public affairs he has taken quite a
prominent and commendable part. His wife
passed away in 1893.
Edwin S. Mobley acquired his early educa
tion in Beech Creek, and supplemented it by
study in the schools of Lock Haven. On laying
aside his text books he turned his attention to
merchandising. The first money he earned was
eleven dollars, which he invested in a small
stock of confectionery, and with the profit de
rived from its sale he purchased his father's
stock of tobacco. Thus little by little he in
creased his capital until he was enabled to buy a
half interest in his father's store, and still later
he became sole proprietor. In 1889 he asso
ciated with him Mr. Hall, his present partner,
and the firm ranks among the leading and pro
gressive firms of the town. They carry a full
and complete stock of general merchandise, and
their well-appointed store and courteous treat
ment of their patrons and their honorable deal
ing have secured to them a liberal and well-mer
ited patronage.

In 1885 Mr. Mobley was united in marriage to
Miss Sarah A. Hall, a daughter of Samuel Hall,
deceased, an old and respected citizen of Beech
Creek. They now have a son and daughter,
Roy Hall and Stella May. Mr. and Mrs. Mob
ley are leading members of the Methodist Epis
copal Church, in which he is serving as class-
leader and assistant superintendent of the Sab
bath-school. Socially, he is a member of the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Patriotic
Order Sons of America, and the Royal Arcanum.
In politics he is a Republican with Prohibition
proclivities. In business he is honorable, in
public affairs faithful to his duties of citizenship,
and in social relations is pleasant and cordial..

JOHN F. ROCKEY, a retired lumberman
and farmer of Green township, Clinton coun
ty, belongs to a family noted for its patriot
ism and loyalty, five sons having aided their
country in her successful effort to preserve the
Union, and among the number was our subject,
who did his duty nobly and unflinchingly on the
field of battle or in the camp. He was born
in Sugar Valley, Logan townsbip, Clinton coun
ty, February 18, 1839, and is a grandson of
Bernard Rockey, who was of Scotch-Irish de
scent. Abraham Rockey, our subject's father, was-
a native of Potter Bank, Centre Co., Penn.,
and received a fairly good common-school edu
cation in English, and was also able to speak
German. With his parents he removed to Lo
gan township, Clinton county, where he engaged,
in farming until 1841, when he located upon
the farm in Green township where our subject:
now resides. Purchasing 400 acres of timber
land, he erected a sawmill thereon, and for a
quarter of a century engaged in the manufacture
of lumber. He also placed some of his land
under cultivation and improved the same with a
substantial log house and barn. He was a hard
working, energetic man of good business ability,
and as a lumberman met with excellent success.
He possessed the confidence of his business asso
ciates, as well as the respect and esteem of all
who knew him. His death occurred on his farm
in 1865, and his remains were interred in the
Green township cemetery. The Democratic
party found in him an ardent supporter, but he
was no politician in the sense of office seeking.
During early manhood Abram Rockey was
married in Logan township, Clinton county, to
Miss Lyddy Wolmeldorf, a native of that town
ship, and a daughter of Frederick Wolmeldorf.
Thirteen children were born to them: Paul, now

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

741

a resident of Freeport, 111.; Jacob, who died at
the age of twenty-eight years; Rebecca, widow
of Lewis L. Berry, of Jewell City, Kans. ; Jere
miah, a carpenter by trade, who was a soldier
in the Civil war; John F. , of this sketch; Thomas,
who was also one of the brave "boys in blue,"
and is now a resident of Charleston, W. Va. ;
Lewis, a Union soldier, now living in Jewell
county, Kans.; William, of Williamsport, Penn.,
Abram D., a Union soldier residing in Minne
sota; Mary, wife of William Runegar, of Jewell
-county, Kans. ; Harriet, wife of William Huler,
of Salem county, 111. ; James, who was killed by
a falling tree; and Hannah, married. After the
father's death the mother married Frederick
Staver, of Sugar Valley, and she departed this
life in Wisconsin.
In an old log school house in Green township,
supplied with slab seats and a huge fire-place at
one end, John F. Rockey pursued his studies, his
first teacher being Samuel Bower, and although
his school training was rather limited he has be
come a well-informed man by subsequent read
ing and observation. In early boyhood he began
work in his father's sawmill, where he remained
until eighteen years of age, and then served a
two-years' apprenticeship to the carpenter's
trade under Michael Karsteter, after which he
again followed milling until 1863. In that year
he responded to his country's call for troops, en
listing at Williamsport in Company D, First
Pennsylvania Cavalry, which was assigned to the
Army of the Potomac, and during his eleven-
months' service participated in the battle of
Stone Creek and in several other engagements.
He was also present at the surrender of Gen.
Lee, and took part in the grand review in Wash
ington, District of Columbia.
When the war was over and his services were
no longer needed, Mr. Rockey was honorably
discharged and returned home. His father hav
ing died while he was in the service, he and his
mother operated the sawmill for three years, and
then our subject removed to Crawford township,
Clinton county, where he lived until 1876, in
which year he returned to the old homestead and
again took up lumbering and farming. Since
1894, however, he has lived retired, while his
son operates the farm, which comprises seventy-
eight acres of valuable land. He was always a
very active and progressive business man, and
accumulated a competence which now enables
him to spend his declining years in ease and re
tirement, surrounded by loving kindred and many
warm friends.
In Limestone township, Lycoming Co. , Penn. ,
Mr. Rockey was united in marriage with Miss

Ellen Shaw, who was born in Crawford township,
Clinton county, a daughter of Daniel Shaw, and
eight children blessed their union: James, who
married Susan Hoover, and operates the old
homestead; David, a lumberman of Cambria
county, Penn.; Lyddie, who died in childhood;
Maggie, wife of Nathan Phleger, of Limestone
township, Lycoming county; Lottie, Mary and
John, who died in childhood; and Eva, at home.
Fraternally, Mr. Rockey is a member of George
W. Moyer Post No. 379, G. A. R., of Logan
ton, and politically he affiliates with the Democ
racy. Although he has never been an office
seeker he has been called upon to serve as tax
collector and assessor in his township, the duties
of which positions he most faithfully discharged.

C CHRISTIAN LEHR, of Clintondale, Clinton
J) county, is one of the most highly esteemed
citizens of the county, and no better example of
a self-made man can be found in the Nittany Val
ley. Mr. Lehr was born December 21, 1825, in
Germany, a son of John and Catherine (Lape)
Lehr, both of whom passed their entire lives in
the Fatherland. He received an education in the
schools of his native place, and at an early age
began to work at farming, saving his scanty earn
ings in order to secure the money to pay for his
passage to America, the " land of promise." In
1852 he embarked on a sailing vessel, and after a
voyage of thirty-two days landed at Baltimore,
Md., from which point he made his way to Pitts
burg. He could not speak a word of English,
and when he had paid for his first night's lodg
ing he was practically out of money and did not
know where to find a shelter for the next night.
He applied for work at a tannery in Allegheny,
where he was at first refused, but when the own
er was informed of his destitute condition he was
employed for four dollars per month, at grinding
bark. With this and some extra work, Mr.
Lehr managed to exist, and by the closest econ
omy saved a little money. A few months after
his arrival at Pittsburg, a cousin, Catherine Lehr,
from Germany, joined him, and he decided to
accompany her to the home of her brother at
Beech Creek, Clinton county. He spent about
two years in that vicinity as a farm laborer, and
then went to Lock Haven where he was em
ployed for a time as hostler at the "Montour
House," and later worked in a brick yard. On
leaving Lock Haven he went to Chicago, and
there he met and married his first wife, Miss
Amelia Gronet, a native of Germany, who came
to the United States when she was a child.

742

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Soon after this event the young couple came to
Lock Haven, and Mr. Lehr found himself with
but one cent in his pocket. This he threw into
the canal lock, determining to "begin over en
tirely, " as he says. He secured employment in
a brick yard belonging to a Mr. Protzman, and
afterward found work in a sawmill where he re
mained twelve years, being able while there to
save quite a sum of money. For some time he
was employed in cleaning out the canal, under
the direction of Lewis Walters, and for sixteen
years he was toll keeper at the Lock Haven
bridge, his record for efficient service in that ca
pacity being unequaled by that of any other keep
er, as his long term of employment indicates.
In 1885 he removed to Clintondale, having pur
chased from Allison White the property upon
which he has since made his home. He has
greatly improved the place, making one of the
pleasantest residences in the Nittany Valley, and
he is now enjoying in well-earned leisure the re
ward of former toil. Quiet and unassuming in
manner, he has made many friends, while no man
can accuse him of an unworthy act in any busi
ness deal. Politically he is a Democrat, but he
has neither sought nor held office.
During his residence in Lock Haven his first
'wife died, leaving one daughter, Lizzie, who
married Samuel Reed, of Lock Haven, and is
now deceased. Mr. Lehr formed a second matri
monial union, this time with Miss Angeline
Lowry, who was born June 22, 1834, in Union
county, Penn., a daughter of Jacob and Malissa
(Mohr) Lowry, and was reared in the Nittany
Valley, her parents having removed to that
locality when she was but a child. One daughter
has blessed this marriage, Miss Lillie, who is still
at home, and is prominent in the social life of
the place. In religious faith Mr. Lehr is a Lu
theran, and for six years he was a deacon in the
German Lutheran Church at Lock Haven. At
one time he was a member of the I. O. O. F.,
but he now lives too far away to attend lodge.

JACOB GOTTSCHALL, a representative
farmer and prominent citizen of Gallagher
township, Clinton county, was born January
21, 1 83 1, near Williamsport, Lycoming county,
Penn., and on the paternal side is of German
descent. His grandfather, John Gottschall, a
native of Berks county, Penn., followed the
occupation of Itfmbering, using the old whip-saw
of those days in the manufacture of sawed lum
ber. The greater part of his life was passed in
his native county, but he died in Lycoming
county in 1839 while visiting some of his family.

He was a Lutheran in religious belief, a Demo
crat in politics, and an honored and valued
citizen of his community. During the Revolu
tionary war he aided the colonies in their strug
gle for independence. In Berks county he mar
ried a Miss Fouse. and to them were born twelve
children. One of that number was John Gottschall, fa
ther of our subject, who was also a native of
Berks county, and was educated in German,
but could not read or write English. Until he
attained his majority he followed lumbering
with his father, and then spent a short time in
New York State, after which he located near
Williamsport, Lycoming county, Penn., where
he engaged in lumbering until 1841. Coming to
Gallagher township, Clinton county, he bought
150 acres' of timber land, which he cleared, cul
tivated and greatly improved, and continued to
make his home until called to his' final rest in
July, 1862, his remains being interred in the
Caldwell cemetery. He was a kind husband and
father, and a true friend. With the Lutheran
Church he held membership, and gave his polit
ical support to the Democratic party.
John Gottschall was twice married, his first
wife being Miss Kate Sherman, who was born at
Muncy Creek, Lycoming county, died in 1849,
and was buried in Caldwell cemetery. The fol
lowing children constituted their family: John,
now a resident of North Carolina; three who died
in infancy; Thomas, of Lock Haven, Penn.;
Solomon, a wagon manufacturer of Williams
port; Abram, who lives in the West; Jacob;-
Mrs. Catharine Baker, a widow lady; Samuel, of
Tyrone, Penn. ; Rebecca, wife of Frederick Pi
per; and two others who died in infancy. Mr.
Gottschall's second marriage was with Christina
Hartzock, widow of Joseph Fritz, and the moth
er of Henry Fritz, of Gallagher township, Clinton
county. As there were no schools in Gallagher town
ship during the boyhood of our subject, his
education has all been acquired outside of books.
At the early age of seven years he began to
handle the axe in the woods, and worked for his
father both at lumbering and farming in Gallagher
township until he had attained his majority in
1852, when he bought a tract of 125 acres of
land still covered with a heavy growth of timber.
In the midst of the wilderness he began life for
himself, and as he cut down the trees upon his
place he manufactured them into shingles by
hand, making 1,400,000 for John Ram, of
Chatham Run. When he located upon his farm
the country roundabout was all wild, and the
nearest gristmill and store were twelve miles

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

743

distant, while no roads led to his place, and he
had to carry his grain to mill. For almost a
half century he has now resided there, and in
that time a wonderful transformation has taken
place; where once were unbroken forests, fields
of grain now greet the eye, a fine orchard has
been set out,, and a good residence, barns and
outbuildings have been erected, making it a most
desirable farm. Although he never kept books
of any kind, he had an excellent memory, and
while extensively engaged in the lumber business
and the manufacture of shingles, employing a
number of men, he could give his expenditures
and receipts of the year to a cent. At one time
he was in partnership with John Blush, a well-
known shingle manufacturer and lumberman.
On October 2, 1852, in Gallagher township,
Mr. Gottschall married Miss Sarah Fritz, who
was born in Lock Haven, a daughter of Joseph
Fritz, and a stepdaughter of our subject's father:
Their children were as follows: Martha B.,
born May 21, 1856, is the wife cf Wesley Phillips,
a farmer of Gallagher township; Mary A., born
July 17, 1858, is the wife of Albert Green, also
an agriculturist of Gallagher township; Ambrose,
born November 6, i860, a farmer, is married to
Ellen Connoway, of Gallagher township, by whom
he has three children; George, born July 20,
1864, also a farmer, married Emma Edwards,
and has one son, Samuel; Robert, born October
26, 1866, wedded Mary Manier, and op'erates
the home farm; Jennie, born May 4, 1869, is the
wife of Hiram Myers, and has three children;
and Rosie, born March 13, 1877, is at home.
Mrs. Gottschall, who was a devoted wife and
loving mother, died October 26, 1892. The
family belong to the Baptist Church, and are
widely and favorably known.
In 1852 Mr. Gottschall cast his first vote for
Van Buren, the Democratic candidate for Presi
dent, later became a Whig, and now supports the
Republican party, casting his last Presidential
ballot for Major McKinley in 1896. Although
he had no education to assist him in his life
work, he has made the most of his opportunities,
and has not only acquired a comfortable compe
tence, but has also gained the goodwill and con
fidence of all with whom he has come in contact.

JESSE LAUBACH. Honored and respected
by all, there is no man in Bald Eagle town
ship, Clinton county, who occupies a more
enviable position in agricultural circles than Mr.
Laubach, not alone on account of the success that
he has achieved, but also on account of the honora
ble, straightforward business policy he has ever

followed. He was born January 24, 183 1, in
North Whitehall township, Lehigh Co., Penn.,
where he continued to make his home until the
spring of 1848.
Christian and Elizabeth (Dech) Laubach, par
ents of our subject, were born, reared and mar
ried in Northampton county, Penn. Jacob Dech,
the maternal grandfather, was a native of Ger
many, and on coming to this country located on
a wooded farm near Bath, Penn. Members of
his family still reside in Northampton county,
and are numbered among its wealthy and prom
inent citizens. The paternal grandparents of
our subject also came from the Fatherland, and
many bearing the name of Laubach are leading
professional and business men of Lehigh county.
In the county of his nativity Christian Laubach
owned a good farm, which he traded on a larger
tract in Lehigh county, where he afterward re
moved. His last years, however, were spent
with his son Edward in Crawford township, Clin
ton county, where he died when almost ninety
years of age, while his wife reached the age of
ninety-three, and their remains were interred in
Limestone township, Lycoming Co.. Penn. For
over sixty years they had traveled life's journey
together, sharing its joys and sorrows, and they
had the respect of all who knew them. The
father was a man of undoubted integrity and
blameless life, and was a very successful farmer.
He was a devout member of the German Re
formed Church, to which he was a liberal con
tributor, while his wife was a Lutheran in relig
ious belief. In politics he was first a Whig and
later a Republican.
To Christian and Elizabeth Laubach were
born the following children: Elias, in his day a
successful farmer, who died in Northampton
county at the age of seventy years; Julia, who
married Rudolph Kemmerer, and died in Summit
county, Ohio; Abraham, who was always an in
valid, and died at the old home in Lehigh coun
ty; Eliza, who married Thomas Seighfried, and
died at the age of forty years in Lehigh county;
Mary, who wedded Conrad Lerch, and died in
Crawford township, Clinton county; Joshua, who
is now a stock dealer of Lehigh county; Charles,
a farmer of Lycoming county; Edwin, a retired
miller of Lehigh county; Stephen, a farmer of
Lycoming county; Jesse, of this sketch; Edward,
a resident of Crawford township, Clinton county;
and James, a farmer of Lehigh county.
Jesse Laubach received a fair German educa
tion in the country schools near his boyhood
home, but could not speak English until he
reached the age of sixteen. He was naturally
bright and learned readily, while his memory was

744

COMMEMORA TIVE BIO GRAPHICAL ' RECORD.

remarkable, though his advantages were poor.
He was anxious to learn the English language,
but it was spoken but little in his locality; through
his own efforts, however, he mastered that tongue,
and by reading and observation has become a
well-informed man. On leaving home, Mr. Lau
bach went to Mauch Chunk, Penn., where for
two months he clerked, in a store for $6 per
month and his board. His brother Stephen,
who had visited Clinton county, was at that time
in Mauch Chunk with a mule and cart, and per
suaded our subject to accompany him on his re
turn to Clinton county, where their brother
Charles was also living. On his arrival he re
mained with the latter brother for a few weeks, and
on March 22, 1848, began working for Samuel
L. Allison, of Lamar township, as a farm hand,
for $9 per month, receiving his wages only for
the six months when the farm work was heaviest,
while during the other six months he worked for
his board. As he was industrious and proved
very valuable to his employer, his wages were
raised $1 per month each year for three years,
and as an inducement to have our subject remain
with him, Mr. Allison offered him the farm on
shares. He conducted the place in that way for
three years, and wishing to give his attention to
other business he refused a better offer from his
employer. With the money that he had saved, Mr. Lau
bach began dealing in horses, cattle and sheep,
which business called him to every section of the
State, and in his new undertaking he met with
excellent success. Later he became a huckster
and butcher, with his market in Lock Haven,
and he also speculated in anything honorable
whereby money could be made. In 1862, in
partnership with Jacob Bower, he opened a gen
eral store in Lock Haven, but six months later
Mr. Bower sold his interest to Samuel Adams,
and for many years business was carried on under
the firm name of Laubach & Adams. Finally
selling out to John E. Furst and George H . Bar
ner, Mr. Laubach embarked in the real-estate
business in the same place, and in that enterprise
also prospered, until, unfortunately, in a business
venture with unscrupulous men, he, in 1876,
practically lost everything. Going to Fleming-
ton, he engaged in general merchandising and
the coal business for a year and a half, and at
the end of that time again turned his attention to
agricultural pursuits, with the hopes of retrieving
his lost fortune. After operating rented land for
several years he was able to purchase, in 1885,
his present farm in Bald Eagle township, from
the A. C. Noyes estate, and two years later took
up his residence thereon, devoting his energies to

its cultivation and improvement until 1894, when
he rented the place and removed to his present
home, where he is now living practically retired.
In March, 18,55, Mr. Laubach married Miss
Catharine L. Allison, a native of Porter town
ship, Clinton county, and a daughter of Samuel
and Elizabeth (Troutman) Allison. Six children
blessed this union: Etta E. , who married How
ard McClintock, and died at the home of our
subject; Ida A., wife of Enoch Bartholomew, of
Ridgway, Penn. ; Ella C, wife of James H. Huff,
of Bald Eagle township; Nina A., wife of Will
iam Riter, of the same township; Emery G, a
farmer of Bald Eagle township; and Allison J.,
a prosperous merchant of Ridgway.
The Republican party has always found in
Mr. Laubach a stanch supporter, and he has
been called upon to serve as school director,
auditor, supervisor and in other township offices,
which he filled with credit to himself and satis
faction to his constituents. One of the leading
and influential men of his community, he takes
an active interest in all public improvements, and
gives his support to every enterprise calculated
to advance the general welfare. At the age of
sixteen he joined the German Reformed Church,
but while a resident of Lock Haven he became a
prominent member of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, and since coming to Bald Eagle town
ship has held membership in the Presbyterian
Church, with which he is officially connected.
He affiliates with the Patriotic Order Sons of
America, and at one time belonged to the Odd
Fellows Society. He is a most progressive, en
terprising farmer, thoroughly up to date in all
his methods, and is now government correspond
ent of the agricultural reports in his locality.
Besides his valuable farm of 200 acres, he now
owns two residences. In business transactions
his word has ever been considered as good as his
bond, and in all the relations of life he has been
found true to every trust reposed in him. He
has traveled extensively over many of the States
of the Union, and wherever he goes he wins
friends, and has, moreover, the happy faculty of
being able to retain them.

©EORGE M. RAUP is an energetic and
thorough-going business man, now engaged
in general merchandising in Lamar, Clinton
county. A son of George and Martha (Marks)
Raup, he was born October 13, 1832, in Colum
bia county, Penn., where he was reared upon a
farm, attending school only about two months
throughout his entire boyhood.
In his native county Mr. Raup married Miss

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

745

Sarah Roadarmel, and to them were born the
following children : Christopher C, Thomas J.
and W. S. , all farmers of Northumberland coun
ty, Penn.; W. K., who is engaged in business
with his father; U. S. Grant, a resident of Mt.
Carmel, Penn. ; Martha, who is married ; and Ida
and Rosa M. , both at home. In Columbia
county, Mr. Raup conducted a sawmill until
1871, when he removed to Ralpho township,
Northumberland county, where he engaged in
lumbering, and later followed the same pursuit in
Nittany Valley, Clinton and Centre counties,
meeting with a fair degree of success. On Sep
tember 23, 1895, he bought his present mercan
tile business from the assignee of R. Loveland
Axe Company (limited) at Lamar, where, in
partnership with his son, W. K., he has since
successfully engaged in business under the firm
style of G. M. Raup & Son. They have greatly
enlarged the stock of goods, and are now con
ducting one of the best stores in Nittany Valley.
In June, 1863, Mr. Raup enlisted in the
Emergency Service, and was engaged in active
duty for one month. In the following year he
joined Company H, 48th P. V. I. , under Capt.
Alfred Thompson, and saw much hard fighting.
Although he was severelv wounded at the battle
of Petersburg, he would not go to the hospital,
and was never off duty, being in all engagements
of his regiment until the close of the war. After
ten months of arduous and faithful service he
was honorably discharged. He also took part
in the grand review at Washington, District of
Columbia. Mr. Raup's sterling integrity and general ur
banity of manner have won ^for him a large num
ber of friends in Nittany Valley, and his business
energy and earnestness a numerous and increas
ing patronage. In his new venture in the mer
cantile line he is fast achieving a merited suc
cess, and has won the respect and confidence of
all with whom he has come in contact. Although
his business interests are now in Lamar, his
family continues to reside in Ralpho township,
Northumberland county. The Republican party
has always found in him a stanch supporter, but
he has never cared for official positions.

OH. WEST. Few men have passed through
as many trying vicissitudes as marked the
early life of the subject of this sketch, now a
wealthy and influential resident of Salona, Clin
ton county. Beginning his business -career as a
mere boy, without education, capital or friends,
his Yankee shrewdness has served him well, and
he has succeeded in many an enterprise of which

others disapproved as too venturesome. One
factor in his success which cannot be too often or
too strongly brought to the attention of the am
bitious young man of to-day is his "reliability,"
a quality that has enabled him to gain and keep
the confidence of capitalists who have been glad
to furnish the funds for the business operations
which his keen intellect designed and his un
tiring energy carried to a successful conclusion.
Mr. West was born March 25, 1833, in Hart
ford, Conn., and his parents, Lyman and Jerusha
(Backus) West, were also natives of that city.
Lyman West learned the blacksmith's trade in
his youth, and followed it for some years in Con
necticut; but in 1837 he removed with his family
to Tioga Center, N. Y. , and after continuing the
same business for a time he bought 1 50 acres of
timber land in that county, which was then
sparsely settled. He built a log house in the
woods, and lived in primitive style while clearing
his land and bringing it under cultivation, and
his wife, who was an expert weaver, made the
flax from their fields and the wool from their
flocks of sheep into cloth. In politics he was
first a Whig, later a Republican, and he and his
wife were both members of the Methodist
Church. He died at the age of forty-seven, and
she survived him many years, passing away in
her seventy-ninth year, their remains being in
terred at Tioga Center, N. Y. They had six
children: Louisa, widow of Richard German, of
Louisiana; O. H., our subject; Sarah A. and
Mary A. (twins), and Joseph, a cooper, residing
in Chemung county, N. Y. Sarah A. married
Cyrus Deeby, and they lived in the city of Auburn,
N. Y. , but she died of cancer, at her daughter's
in Michigan in the fall of 1896. Mary A. mar
ried Orange Munson, and died in New York State
from cancer, about 1882. Harriet (Mrs. Edwin
Bradley) lived at Elmira, N. Y., where she died
of cancer in 1895.
As Mr. West was only four years old when
his parents settled in Tioga county, N. Y., his
earliest remembrances are of the surroundings in
cidental to pioneer life. Being the eldest boy he
was obliged to work hard at home, and obtained
only an occasional chance to attend school, prob
ably spending there altogether less than a year.
His father's discipline seemed to him too severe,
and at the age of fifteen he ran away from home,
his possessions at the time consisting of two pairs
of tow pants (worn and patched), two linen shirts
(also patched), a ten-cent straw hat, and twenty-
five cents in cash. He started out bare-footed,
with his few belongings tied in a handkerchief,
and walked twenty-five miles to Elmira, N. Y.,
before getting anything to eat. On arriving

746

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

there he invested ten cents in a plate of beans,
and then went on his way toward Tioga county,
Penn. A farmer on the Tioga river gave him
employment at ten dollars per month, and after
spending some time at that work Mr. West se
cured a situation in a sawmill. From "jacking
logs " he was set to other tasks, and finally
learned every branch of the lumber business.
For some years his winters were spent in the
woods, while in summers he found other employ
ment, three seasons being passed on the Erie,
Oswego and Chemung canals, and during one
summer he worked as a fireman on a steamboat
on Seneca lake, N. Y. He was often employed
in driving logs and rafting square timber to mar
ket, and in this work he was noted for being the
first to start out in the spring, his rafts being us
ually sent down the river at a stage that others
considered dangerous. In time he won the at
tention and confidence of capitalists, who em
ployed him to manage their interests, and no
matter how great the responsibility he was never
found wanting. As time passed he engaged in
the lumber business on his own account, and in
1869 and 1870 he built two mills in Clearfield
county, one of them costing $5,000. In 1887 he
disposed of his lumber interests including his saw
mills and 1,000 acres of land in Clearfield coun
ty, and the following year he removed to Salona,
hoping to find there relief from the asthma.
Even when ill he could not refrain from business
entirely, and soon after going to the pleasant
little mountain town he invested in a business
block and opened a store. The people prophesied
that he would at last "get his eye-teeth cut,"
but he succeeded, and a few years later he sold
out his business to George W. Kerr & Son. In
the meantime he had purchased a business block
and a dwelling house there, in addition to which
he owns considerable land in that vicinity. At
times he has had large tracks of mountain land,
much of which he has sold at an advance, and
he now has a fine farm of 120 acres in Girard
township, Clearfield county. Besides these hold
ings he has money at interest, his investments
being managed with characteristic ability and
foresight. A present he is a stockholder in the
Salona creamery. Although his transactions
have been large, covering thousands of dollars,
he has always kept his own books, and was his
own manager. His education is, of course, self-
acquired, and the extent and thoroughness of his
knowledge of men and affairs does credit to his
powers of observation.
In manner Mr. West is quite unostentatious,
but he is a man of much force of character, as
may be inferred from his career, and at all times

and under all circumstances he does his own
thinking. Notwithstanding the hardships of his
early life, he is robust for one of his age, and
bids fair to enjoy for many years the rewards of
his past efforts. Politically he is a stanch Re
publican, his devotion to his party being quite
free from selfish considerations, as he has no as
pirations for office.
In 1857 he was married at Nelson, Tioga
Co., Penn., to Miss Jane A. Stephens, who was
born at Beecher's Island, Penn., a daughter of
James and Eliza Stephens. She died in March,
1885, leaving two children: Louisa, wife of
Allen Murray, who now has charge of our sub
ject's farm in Clearfield county; and Ella, wife
of William Seaman, of Sand Lake, Mich. Mr.
West has no sons of his own, but he took into
his home some years ago two little boys, Oscar
W. and Lewis Knapp, brothers, whom he has
reared and started in business as if they were
his children. They have done credit to his
training, and are now prosperous young business
men of Salona.

/GEORGE W. GARMAN, justice of the peace
%£Z of Pine Creek township, Clinton county,
represents one of the old families of the State.
His grandfather, George Garman, was born either
in Lancaster county or in Dauphin, and followed
farming and distilling in the latter county where
he spent the greater part of his life. He was
married there, and had a family of ten children:
Henry, Michael, Martin, Daniel, George, Sam
uel, Jonathan, Catharine, Lyddie and John.
The grandfather was a Democrat, and he and
his family were members of the Lutheran Church.
Both he and his wife died in Dauphin county,
and were buried in Shoops cemetery.
John F. Garman, father of our subject, was
born in Dauphin county, and attended its sub
scription schools, both English and German,
speaking and writing the latter language as well
as the former. He spent his boyhood days upon
his father's farm and in the 'distillery, and when
a young man studied medicine; but on account
of his health he never practiced his profession.
Following farming in Dauphin county until 1840,
he then removed to Clinton county, purchasing
land in Pine Creek township, which he trans
formed into a fine farm. He erected a house at
a cost of $5,000, built good barns and placed his
one hundred acres of land under high cultivation.
He spent seven years on that place, during
which time he taught school in the winter sea
son. On selling that property he returned to
Dauphin county, locating in Middle Paxton town-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

747

ship, where he operated a rented farm for two
years, after which he removed to the A. B.
Hamilton farm, near Harrisburg, and cultivated
that land until his death in 1854. He and his
family were consistent members of the Lutheran
Church, and in political faith he was a stalwart
Democrat. His life was honorable, and he was
known as a good husband and father, a faithful
friend and a loyal citizen.
In 1840, John F. Garman was married in
Middle Paxton township, Dauphin county, to
Elizabeth C. Fertig, a native of that township,
and a daughter of Adam Fertig, a farmer, who
was of German descent. Her death occurred in
her native township, August 19, 1888. She was
a faithful mother and a devoted helpmeet to her
husband. Her family numbered nine children:
George W. ; John, a blacksmith of Kane county,
111. ; Elias, of New Columbia, Penn. ; Rebecca
E., wife of J. Bogner, of Dauphin county; Har
ry M., who was burned to death while camping
on Jack mountain; Annie M., wife of Eli Stout,
of Middle Paxton township, Dauphin county;
Daniel, deceased when a young man; Mary C. ,
wife of Jacob A. Kline, of Pine Creek township,
Clinton county; and one that died in infancy.
George W. Garman was born in Pine Creek
township, September 9, 1841, and when six
years old removed with his parents to Dauphin
county, where he attended the public schools in
the winter months, while through the remainder
of the year he assisted in the labors of the farm.
When a lad of twelve years, while helping to
thresh grain he had his right arm caught in the
machinery, and the injury necessitated amputa
tion, the operation being performed by Dr.
Weilsling, of Harrisburg. A year later his
father died, leaving a large family to be provided
for, and as our subject was the eldest of the
family the burden of responsibility fell upon
him. He learned to use his left hand to write,
and soon afterward obtained a teacher's certifi
cate. He taught school in Dauphin county be
tween the ages of eighteen and twenty-one years,
and then through the instrumentality of his
uncle, Henry Garman, who was a school director
in Pine Creek township, Clinton county, he ob
tained the position of teacher in the Garman
school. Later he returned to Dauphin county,
where he engaged in teaching until 1861, when
he again came to Clinton county, and served as
teacher in the Garman school until 1867, suc
cessfully following that profession for seventeen
years. He then turned his attention to farm
ing on the old Kissel place, and the following
year was elected constable of the township. He
has also served as justice of the peace for the

past twenty-one years, and so fair have been his
decisions that he has never had a case appealed
to a higher court. He is a man of talent and
scholarly attainments, and what he has accom
plished in life is most creditable to his ability and
ambition. He made excellent improvements
upon his farm, and is now the owner of a valua
ble property. Mr. Garman was married in Pine Creek town
ship, Clinton county, in September, 1867, to
Ellen B. Kissel, who was born in Oakland,
Lycoming county, June 2, 1833. Her father,
Andrew Kissel, was born in Cumberland county
in 1772, a son of John Kissel, and one of a family
of nine children. His father was of German
descent, was a farmer by occupation and a soldier
of the Revolutionary war. Andrew Kissel was
educated in the German tongue, and with his
parents removed to Lycoming county, where he
followed farming. He afterward purchased one
hundred acres of land in Pine Creek township,
Clinton county, which he greatly improved and
later sold. He then bought eighty-nine acres in
the same township, which he operated for a
number of years. His last days, however, were
spent in retirement, and he died in 1868. His
wife bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Bowers,
and was a daughter of Christopher and Madeline
(Stetzell) Bowers, both of German descent.
Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs.
Kissel: Henry, deceased; Sarah, deceased wife
of Jacob Kline; G. Shriver, deceased; Christopher,
a farmer of Pine Creek township; Elizabeth, who
died in childhood; Jane E., deceased wife of
Daniel Kline; and Mrs. Garman. The father of
this family was first a Whig and afterward a
Republican in political belief, and in religious
faith he was a Lutheran. He died at the
advanced age of over ninety years.
To Mr. and Mrs. Garman were born four
children: John A., born August 17, 1868, died
at the age of seven years; Joseph K., born May
12, 1872, died in infancy; Elias C. , born October
12, 1874, died in infancy; and Daniel K., born
July 3, 1876, now assists in the operation of the
home farm. Mr. Garman is a member of the
Patriotic Order Sons of America, and of Chatham
Run Council, of which he was secretary and
president. He served as supervisor of his town
ship for eighteen years, and discharged his duties
with marked fidelity and ability. He has steadily
worked his way upward in the face of difficulties
that would have utterly discouraged many men,
and has achieved a success that reflects great
credit upon his ability. He has won the highest
esteem of friends and neighbors, and all who
know him entertain for him warm regard.

748

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

E\DWARD GUMMO. Prominent among the
 1 prosperous and progressive farmers of Clin
ton county may be named the subject of this
biographical notice, whose homestead is pleas
antly located in Bald Eagle township, and who,
by enterprise and energy in the direction of his
chosen industry, has given to his work a signifi
cance and beauty of which few deem it capable.
He was born February 12, 1844, on his present
farm, a son of Richard and Agnes (Nancarrow)
Gummo, and in an old log school house which
stood some distance from his home he began his
education, Louisa Montgomery and Ellen Rogers
being among his first teachers.
Mr. Gummo was reared in much the usual
manner of farmer boys in a pioneer settlement,
as the development of this section was much be
hind the others of the county. He aided in the
arduous task of clearing at least one-half of his
farm, and when a young man he also worked in
the-lumber woods at different times. After attain
ing his majority he assumed the management of
the home farm, receiving one-half the products,
and, later, two-thirds until becoming sole owner.
The place comprises no acres highly cultivated
and improved with excellent buildings, and the
well-tilled fields and neat and thrifty appearance
of the place plainly indicate the supervisor to be
a thorough and skillful farmer as well as a busi
ness man of excellent ability. In connection
with his property he owns four lots in the village
of Flemington, and is justly numbered among
the well-to-do and substantial citizens of his
community. Mr. Gummo was married February 12, 1890,
to Miss Annie M. Packer, a daughter of Robert
and Mary (Tyler) Packer, and they have an in
teresting daughter, Mary Agnes. The parents
are both sincere and active members of the
Methodist Episcopal Church at Laurel Run. Mr.
Gummo was a member of the building commit
tee at the time of the erection of the house of
worship, and has served as treasurer and trustee
since the organization of the Church. In his
political views he coincides with the Republican
party, but cares nothing for the honors or emol
uments of public office. As a citizen he meets
every requirement, and manifests a commendable
interest in everything calculated to promote the
public welfare. In manner he is pleasant, genial
and approachable, and all who know him esteem
him highly for his genuine worth.

IK LEXANDER K. HAMILTON, a worthy
.JfSL representative of the agricultural interests
of Pine Creek township, Clinton county, was born

there July n, 1835, a son of Alexander and Ann
(Morrison) Hamilton. He belongs to a patriotic
and distinguished family that was early founded
in the West Branch Valley. His great-grand
father, Capt. Alexander Hamilton, moved from
Juniata Valley to what is now Pine Creek town
ship, Clinton county, early in the year 1772, and
marked out for himself a tract of land one mile
square, which he bought of the Indians with a
few presents. He was killed by the Redmen in
the fall of 1 78 1, a short distance above North
umberland on the North branch.
Robert Hamilton, the grandfather of our sub
ject, and a soldier of the Revolutionary war,
purchased of the heirs the east half of the tract
above mentioned, and in 1789 built the dwelling
which is yet standing on the river bank, on the
public road leading from Jersey Shore to Lock
Haven, and is one of the landmarks of the town
ship. He married Anna Jackson, whose father
had come to this section from Orange county,
N. Y. , and in 1790 they began housekeeping at
that home, where they spent the remainder of
their days, the grandfather dying June 2, 1845,
at the age of eighty-two, and his wife April 16,
1862, at the advanced age of ninety -five years.
The father of our subject was also a native of
Pine Creek township, and in its subscription
schools obtained his education. As a boy he
worked on his father's farm, but afterward
learned the printer's trade, and in 1837 became
editor of The Watchman, published at Belle
fonte, Centre county, Penn. , with which he
was connected for several years. Later he was
similarly employed in Harrisburg, Penn., and
was afterward editor of a paper in Jersey
Shore. For a number of years he was also
engaged in piloting rafts from Lock Haven to
Marietta. He purchased a tract of timber land
in Wayne township, Clinton county, at the foot
of Bald Eagle Mountain, the lumber and bark
from which he sold, and after clearing 170 acres,
placed it under a high state of cultivation. For
many years he was one of the most popular and
successful teachers of Pine Creek township, hav
ing charge of the Duncan and McGuire schools,
and having among his pupils some of the most
prominent citizens of this community at the pres
ent day. While gathering bark upon his farm he
contracted a cold, which resulted in his death in
1850, when our subject was fifteen years old.
He was a Whig in politics, and was one of the
most highly respected citizens of Pine Creek
township. At Big Meddons, Tioga Co., Penn.,
he had married Ann Morrison, by whom he had
eight children: Robert, who died at the age of
twelve years; John, who married Dolly Arm-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

749

strong, and lives in Iowa; Alexander K. , of this
sketch; Jackson, a resident of Pine Creek town
ship; Anna Amanda; Nancy Jane Hayes, de
ceased; Elizabeth, who died in childhood; and
Mary P., who is employed as a saleslady in Lock
Haven. After the death of her husband, Mrs.
Hamilton made her home with her children until
she, too, was called to her final rest in 1871, be
ing laid by his side in the old Pine Creek ceme
tery of Pine Creek township. Both were faith
ful members of the Presbyterian Church, and had
many friends throughout the community.
Mr. Hamilton, whose name opens this
sketch, attended the schools in Pine Creek
township taught by his father, and upon the
home farm was reared to habits of indus
try. A few years after his father's death, he
accompanied the family on their removal from
Wayne to Pine Creek township, where he worked
on the Ridge farm until July, 1861, when he en
listed at Jersey Shore, Lycoming Co., Penn., in
Company A, 5th Pennsylvania Reserves, under
Capt. Ulman and Col. Simmons, of Harrisburg.
After being mustered into the United States
service at Harrisburg, the regiment was assigned
to the Fifth Corps, Army of the Potomac, and
with that command Mr. Hamilton participated
in the following battles: Gainesville, June 6,
1862; the seven-days' fight at Mechanicsville;
Gaines Hill, June 27, 1862, where he was slightly
wounded by a ball striking him in the breast;
White Oak Swamp, June 30, 1862; Malvern
Hill, July 1; second battle of Bull Run, August
29 and 30; Chantilly, Va., August 30; South
Mountain, Md., September 14; Antietam, Md.,
September 16 and 17; and Fredericksburg, Va.,
December 15, where he was again wounded, by
a ball passing through his left foot while trying
to rescue a superior officer. The regiment then
went into winter quarters, and the following year
Mr. Hamilton took part in the battle of Gettys
burg, Penn., July 2, 3 and 4, 1863; Williams
port, Md., July 7; Wapping Heights, July 9;
Bristow, Va. , October 14; Rappahannock Sta
tion, Va., November 7; and Hope Church and
Mine Run, both in November, 1863. During
the bitter cold of that winter he lost his hearing
in one ear, while several of his comrades were
frozen to death. The next year he took part in
the battle of the Wilderness, May 5, 6, 7 and .8;
Spottsylvania, May 9, 10, 11 and 12; North Ann
River, May 23 and 24; and Bethseda Church,
Va., May 30. His three-years' term of service
having expired, he was mustered out at Harris
burg, June 14, 1864, and returned home.
In Pine Creek township, Mr. Hamilton then
engaged in agricultural pursuits upon a small

farm, where he now resides, and in connection
with general farming he has successfully engaged
in tobacco raising. In 1880 he built a comfort
able residence upon his place, and has also a
good barn, tobacco sheds and a fine orchard.
He also operates the Rogers farm, and is justly
regarded as one of the most thorough and skill
ful agriculturists of the community. In April,
1879, in Pine Creek township, he was united
in marriage with Miss Margaret Rogers, a native
of that township, and a daughter of Mathew
Rogers. To them were born five children: Pris
cilla, born July 14, 1880; one that died in in
fancy; Bessie, born September 22, 1883; Mat
thew Stanley Quay, born January 7, 1887; and
Robert Bruce, born September 27, 1893.
Politically, Mr. Hamilton is identified with
the Republican party, and has served as presi
dent of the school board, of which he was a
member for six years. The success that he has
achieved in life has been due to his own efforts
and the assistance of his estimable wife, who has
indeed proved a faithful helpmeet to him, and no
couple in Pine Creek township merit or receive
in a greater degree the respect and esteem of the
entire community. Mr. Hamilton is as loyal to
his country's interests in days of peace as when
following the old flag to victory on Southern
battle fields.

JOSEPH H. HAYES, a leading agriculturist
of Porter township, Clinton county, occupies
a fine homestead near Parvin, the estate
having been purchased by his father more than
half a century ago. The Hayes family, which is
of Scotch-Irish stock, has been identified with
central Pennsylvania from an early period, our
subject's ancestors being numbered among the
first settlers along Beech creek.
James Hayes, the father of our subject, was
born and reared in Bald Eagle township, Clinton
county, and in his youth learned the axe-maker's
trade with Harvey Mann, of Bellefonte. La
ter he engaged in the manufacture of axes on
his own account in his native township, and for
seven years he conducted an axe-factory near
Mackeyville. In 1839 he removed to Stephen
son county, 111., and located on a farm four
miles northwest of Freeport; the entire journey
being made by team. The land was new, and
while his time was mainly spent in cultivating
it he also found time to make a few axes by
hand. After two years he returned to the East
by way of the lakes, and settled near Lamar,
where he and W. N. Hayes built an axe-factory,
the first in the vicinity. This they conducted

750

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

for about four years when they sold out to Reu
ben Loveland. James Hayes then removed to
Penn's Valley, Centre county, as he had traded
his 320 acres of land in Stephenson county,
111., for a tannery and a small tract of land near
Woodward. He engaged in tanning, and con
tinued about two years, but in 1847 he sold the
property and purchased the present homestead,
which was then known as the Wilson farm.
He was an excellent citizen, always ready to
lend his influence to any progressive movement,
and for years he was a prominent member of
the Presbyterian Church. In politics he was
first a Whig and later a Rebublican, but he
never sought or held office. Beginning life poor,
he acquired a comfortable competence through
his own efforts. He was a large man, nearly
six feet tall and weighing about 350 pounds, and
he lived to the advanced age of eighty-six years.
His wife, Esther (Heverly), to whom he was
married in Centre county,, was a native of Leb
anon county, Penn. , but had been taken to Centre
county, when she was about eleven years old, by
her father, Christopher Heverly, who settled near
Bellefonte. She died at the age of seventy-
three, and her remains now rest beside those of
her husband in Cedar Hill cemetery. Of their
four children, the first, Jane, died in girlhood;
William died in April, 1896, at Mackeyville; Jos
eph H. is the subject of this sketch; Miss Han
nah, who is an invalid, owns a share in the
homestead and resides there.
Mr. Hayes, our subject, was born December
10, 1835, in Lamar township, Clinton county,
a short distance below Mackeyville. In the fall
of 1 841, after the return of his parents from Illi
nois, he began to attend school in Howard,
Penn., Miss Lilly being his first teacher. Later
he attended the Washington school in Porter
township, but his opportunities were much infer
ior to those of the present day in the same local
ities. He was reared to farm work, not even
learning his father's trade of axe-making, and al
ways remained at home without any special ar
rangements as to wages, the care of the place
devolving entirely upon him during his fa
ther's later years. In 1874 he married Miss
Mary J. Pettit, a native of Centre connty,
and a daughter of Samuel Pettit. Five chil
dren have blessed this union: James F.,
Jennie B., Samuel, Josephine B., and Esther
G., who are all at home. Mr. and Mrs. Hayes
are both members of the Presbyterian Church,
and are identified with the best social circles of
their locality.
The management of his farm, which contains
176 acres, requires much attention, but in a quiet

way Mr. Hayes takes an interest in local affairs,
and at one time he served as school director.
He was formerly a member of the Grange, but
is not now connected with it.' While he is by
no means a politician, he keeps well informed
upon the questions of the day, and is a stanch
supporter of the Republican party.

DENNIS M. MAY, the well-known and popu
lar proprietor of the "Renovo House,"
Renovo, Clinton county, was born in Erie coun
ty, Penn., in 1843, and is a son of Wallace and
Matilda (Sloan) May, also natives of the Key
stone State. Throughout his active business
career the father followed the quiet pursuits of
farm life, and now at the age of eighty years
is living retired in Erie county, surrounded by
the comforts which his past labors have brought.
He has the respect and confidence of all who
know him, and is justly deserving of the high
regard in which he is held. The mother of our
subject died in 1856, leaving six children who
are yet living, namely: Dennis M., George H.,
Thomas D., Edward, Mrs. Emma Lurch, and
Elizabeth (wife of George Campbell).
The country schools of his native county
afforded our subject his educational privileges,
and upon the home farm he was reared to habits
of industry and thrift. On attaining his major
ity he left-the parental roof and came to Renovo,
where he' clerked in the "Renovo Hotel" for
two years, and also served as constable. He
devoted his energies principally to the hotel busi
ness until January 1, 1885, when he removed to
Lock Haven to assume the duties of sheriff, to
which office he had been elected the previous
November. He most acceptably served in that
responsible position for a term of three years,
and then took, charge of the "Keller House" at
Lock Haven, conducting that popular hostelry
for two years. On the expiration of his lease
he became proprietor of the " Harmonia House "
in the same city, but at the end of three years
returned to Renovo and has since successfully
conducted the "Renovo Hotel," which is one of
the leading hotels in the place. He is ever
mindful of the interests and comforts of his
guests, and his house has therefore become a
great favorite with the traveling public. It is
convenient and comfortable, and the cuisine is
unexceptionable. In 1 870 Mr. May married Miss Malissa, daugh
ter of Robert Bridgens, a worthy citizen of
Clinton county, and to them have been born five
children: Williams Annie D., Sarah Helen,
Edward H. and Florence. The mother is a

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

751

consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, and is a most estimable lady. Since at
taining his majority Mr. May has taken an active
and prominent part in political affairs, and is a
recognized leader in the local Democracy. His
ambition has been to acquit himself of life's du
ties honorably before all men, to improve his
capabilities and opportunities and to become of
use in the world; and it is this spirit mainly that
has made him one of the most eminent and
highly esteemed citizens of Renovo.

WARTIN F. MURPHY. A financial and
commercial history of Renovo would be
incomplete without a personal mention of Mr.
Murphy, whose life is interwoven so closely with
its business interests. Like many of the promi
nent and leading citizens of Clinton county, he
comes from across the sea, having been born in
Ireland in 1848. His parents, Daniel and Mary
(McMahon) Murphy, were born in the same
country, whence, early in the '50s, they emigrated
to the New World, taking up their residence in
Clinton county, where the remainder of their
lives was passed.
In the schools of Lock Haven Martin F.
Murphy received a good practical education that
has well fitted him for the responsible duties of
business life, and on leaving the school room at
the age of fourteen he began clerking in a mer
cantile store in Renovo, which place has since
been his home, and he has been prominently
identified with its business interests. After clerk
ing for some years he opened a store of his own
in 1 88 1, as a dealer in clothing and gents' furnish
ing goods, and has since successfully conducted
the same. His large and commodious store
building is well. stocked with a fine and complete
assortment of everything found in a first-class
establishment of the kind, and it is conveniently
located on the corner of Third street and Erie
avenue. He is also a stockholder and director
in both the First National Bank and the Renovo
Electric Light Company, and as a thrifty, pro
gressive citizen he is always identified with all
enterprises calculated to prove of benefit to the
town. He has made good use of his opportuni
ties, has prospered from year to year, and has
conducted all business matters carefully and suc
cessfully, and in all his acts displays an aptitude
for successful management. He holds member
ship in the Catholic Church, and on political
questions usually coincides with the Democratic
party. Political honors have no attraction for
him, as he prefers to devote his entire time and
attention to his extensive business interests.

¥ALENTINE SOHMER, the popular land
lord of the "Pennsylvania House" at Lock
Haven, Clinton county, is a native of Germany,
born in 1850. Mathias and Hermolia (Smith)
Sohmer, his parents, were also born in the Fa
therland, and there passed their entire lives.
Mathias was a cooper by trade, and followed that
occupation as a means of livelihood. Both par
ents were industrious, hardworking people, kind
neighbors and good citizens. They reared a fam
ily of children, who followed in their footsteps
and have proven worthy of the name they bear.
Six of their children are still living, namely:
Brigeter, Mathias, Blondina, Valentine (our sub
ject), Ferdinand and Pauline.
Valentine Sohmer attended the schools of his
native place until fourteen years of age, at which
time he was thrown on his own resources and
became self-supporting. On leaving school he
worked on a farm until 1868. He then came to
America and located at Lock Haven, where for
some ten or more years he worked in a brewery.
After the expiration of that time, having saved
his earnings, he was enabled to go into business
for himself, and began keeping the ' ' Pennsyl
vania House," a hotel that bears a great reputa
tion throughout the State for the generous hos
pitality dispensed. The rooms are neat. and airy,
the beds comfortable and easy, and .the table
bountifully spread. The "Pennsylvania House"
is centrally located, and affords accommodations
for seventy-five guests. The landlord is popular
among the traveling public, and is one of the
best of our German citizens. Like the general
German, he has made and saved money, becom
ing well-to-do.
Our subject has been twice married, first in
1 87 1 to Julia Herman, a German by birth, and
seven children were born to them, namely:
Emma (Mrs. Kert Shaw), Frank, Anna, Lulu,
Helen, Valentine and Viola. The mother of
these died in January, 1892, and in March, 1895,
Mr. Sohmer was again married, this time to Mar
guerite Haugh, of Pittsburg, who presides with
ah air of good cheer at the "Pennsylvania
House." In politics Mr. Sohmer is a Democrat;
he is a member of the Roman Catholic Church.

S\AMUEL L. and CHARLES L. RICKER,
) comprising the firm of Ricker Brothers, pro
prietors of the Jersey Dairy of Nittany Valley,
are among the most thrifty, enterprising and
progressive business men of Lamar township,
Clinton county. Their father, Jacob Ricker,
was born February 14, 1827, in Lehigh county,
Penn., whence when a boy he was brought by

752

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

his parents to Clinton county. The grandfather,
George Ricker, was a cabinet-maker and carpen
ter by occupation.
Jacob Ricker, the father, started out in life
^for himself in limited circumstances, but pros
pered in his undertakings and became quite well-
to-do. After his marriage he located on a farm
in the east end of Nittany Valley, and later re
moved to the place now occupied by his sons,
for some years continuing to conduct both farms.
He was an excellent judge of horses and a very
skillful driver, and has owned some fine animals.
He is still residing with his sons, and is honored
and respected by all who know him. On Sep
tember 17, 1849, he married Miss Sarah Allison,
whose father, Samuel Allison, was a cousin of Sen
ator Allison, of Iowa. She was born July 7, 1830,
on the farm where her sons are still living, and died
July 7, 1885, her remains being interred in Cedar
Hill cemetery. In order of birth her children
were as follows: John A., born April 26, 1850,
is a sawyer in West Virginia; William J., born
September 17, 185 1, is a traveling salesman;
Samuel L. was born in Nittany Valley, Decem
ber 25, 1853; George L., born November 13,
1857, is a butcher at Flat Rock, Penn.; H. L.,
born September 6, 1865, is a butcher at Salona,
Clinton county; Arthur L. , born July 19, 1869,
is also a resident of Salona; and Charles L.,
born November 13, 1873, completes the family.
Samuel L. Ricker was reared upon his pres
ent farm, attended the district schools of the
neighborhood, and completed his education in
the schools of Salona. In early manhood he
left home and went to Lincoln county, Kans.,
where he bought a tract of prairie land, built a
' ' dugout, " and kept bachelor's hall for two years.
One season he planted one hundred acres in
wheat, but the entire crop was destroyed by
drought, and he never harvested a grain. Be
coming discouraged, he and a companion started
from that State to- Pennsylvania in a covered
wagon, but on arriving at Atchison, Kans., they
secured employment for a short time, which re
sulted in Mr. Ricker remaining there for some
years. While at that place he married Anna
Sheats, who was born in the east end of Nittany
Valley, Clinton Co., Penn., a daughter of Will
iam and Leah (Snyder) Sheats, and they have
seven children: Cora, Clyde, Sarah E., S. Guy,
Byron, Edna and Glenn.
In Atchison, Kans., Mr. Ricker was em
ployed as a driver of a milk wagon for six months,
and then started in the dairy business on his own
account. He rented 150 acres of land near that
place, prospered in his new enterprise, and
made money rapidly; but failing health caused

him to sell out and return to Pennsylvania
For five months after his arrival here he
was confined to his bed, and on sufficiently re
covering to engage in business he bought a few
acres of land near Flat Rock, in Nittany Valley
with the intention of building a store and engag
ing in merchandising, finally, however, giving up
that idea. For a few years he was interested in
the butcher business, but after the death of his
mother, he returned to the old homestead as his
father was left without a housekeeper. Here he
has continued to reside, and since 1887 he and
his brother Charles L., have engaged in the
dairy business. They began operations on a
moderate scale, but as they prospered they have
added to their business, and now keep on hands
from forty to forty-five cows. Their herd in
cludes many thoroughbred Jersey and Holstein
cattle, some of the finest in the county. They
also own the Miles Hanna farm near Castanea,
which they rent, besides the old homestead, and
are justly numbered among the wide-awake,
straightforward and reliable business men of their
community, as well as the leading dairymen of
Lock Haven. In politics Samuel L. Ricker is a
pronounced Republican; in religious belief his
wife is a Lutheran.

M D. PORTER. No more thrifty farmer or
J&h. better citizen can be found in Nittany Val
ley than our subject, whose home is in Porter
township, Clinton county, and he is descended
from honored old Revolutionary stock. He was
born April 11, 1852, about one mile southwest
of Mackeyville (then Hamburg), in Lamar town
ship, Clinton county, and is a son of James H.
and Elizabeth (Reeseman) Porter. The grand
father, James Porter, Sr., was a son of Samuel
Porter, the progenitor of the family in Nittany
Valley, who was born in the North of Ireland of
Scotch-Irish ancestry.
James H. Porter, our subject's father, was
born March 22, 1822, on the old Porter home
stead near Mackeyville, and in the primitive log
school house of that early day he acquired his
education, his first teacher being Jane Walters,
who afterward became the wife of James Rogers.
He was once punished at school by having a
pincher placed upon his nose. He remained
upon the home farm, aiding in the arduous task of
clearing and developing wild land until his mar
riage in February, 1848, with Miss Elizabeth
Reeseman. She was born near Millheim, in Cen
tre county, Penn., February 22, 1826, a daughter
of John and Christina (Heltman) Reeseman.
For the first two years of his married life Mr.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

753

Porter lived in a tenant house upon his father's
farm, and then removed to another place in
Lamar township, where he spent one year.
Subsequently he bought fifty-five acres in that
township at $15 per acre, cleared it and erected
good buildings thereon, and later sold the place
for $60,00 per acre. For the past forty' years
he has lived upon his present farm, which he pur
chased from A. H. Best, and which was known
as the old Thompson homestead. Here he has
a most comfortable home, and is practically liv
ing retired, enjoying the fruits of former toil.
His early life was one of hardship. As a boy
one pair of shoes was furnished him each winter,
but they often did not last longer than February
at the farthest, and he was obliged to go bare
footed all through the cold days of spring. His
mother spun the flax from which most of the
clothes of the family were made. But all this
has been changed, and Mr. Porter is now num
bered among the wealthy and prosperous farmers
of his community, owning two valuable farms,
one in Lamar township and the other in Porter
township, aggregating 335 acres of rich and arable
land. Although he usually supports the Dem
ocratic party, he is not strictly partisan, and
often votes the Prohibition ticket, as he is a strong
temperance man, never using liquors or tobacco
in any form. His father being such an inveterate
hunter, mostly seen with dogs and guns, he be
came disgusted with the sport, and has never
loaded a gun in his life. He was a charter mem
ber of the Grange, and is justly regarded as one
of the most valued and honored citizens of Clin
ton county.
To the parents of our subject were born the
following children: Mary, who wedded F. E.
Hays, and died in Lamar township; John R. , a
farmer of that township; Adolphus D., of this
review; Margaret F. , wife of Lewis W. Dorn
blaser, of Porter township; Jane, wife of Harry
Snyder, of Porter township; and Hays H., who
makes his home in Lamar township. During his
boyhood and youth Adolphus D. Porter attended
the public schools at Mackeyville, and among his
first teachers were Belle Conley, John Shoemaker
and a Mr. Kelderwood, while later he pursued
his studies under the direction of Daniel H. Hast
ings, the present governor of Pennsylvania. He
never attended any higher institution of learning,
but is a warm friend of better and more advanced
schools. Under the able guidance of his father
he became a thorough asnd skillful farmer, and
while never learning any trade, he is able to do
carpentering and horseshoing, as he is a natural
mechanic and very skillful with tools of all kinds.
At the age of twenty-six he began life for himself,
48*

he and his brother J. R. forming a partnership.
They bought stock and tools, and together oper
ated their father's farm for nine years, at the end
of which time our subject purchased his brother's
interest and rented what was known as the Aus
tin Brungart farm, in the east end of Nittany Val
ley, until the spring of 1891. He then removed
to his present farm of seventy acres, known as
the John Watson farm, and to its improvement
and cultivation has since devoted his attention,
making it one of the most desirable and valuable
places in the Valley.
On March 27, 1884, Mr. Porter was united
in marriage with Mrs. Sevilla R. Shipe, nee
Campbell, who was born in Shamokin township,
Northumberland Co., Penn., October 30, 1854,
and is an only daughter. She first married J.
H. Shipe, by whom she had one son, born May
13, 1882, and who is now known as Calvin J.
Porter. Politically, our subject's sympathies are
with the Prohibition party as he is an uncom
promising enemy of the liquor traffic, but at
elections he always endeavors to support the best
man regardless of party affiliations. In religious
belief he is a Methodist, is a liberal contributor
to all Church work, is now serving as trustee,
and for a long time was treasurer of his Church.
He is also an active and prominent worker in the
Sabbath-school, and gives a hearty support to all
enterprises calculated to advance the moral, in
tellectual or material welfare of his community.
His honesty and integrity are proverbial, and he
has the respect and esteem of young and old,
rich and poor. He is thoroughly a self-made
man, is progressive and energetic, believing in
keeping thoroughly abreast with the times, and
in this way has achieved a well-merited success
in his life work.

C,\HARLES W. LOVELAND, of Lock Haven,
' Clinton county, who is now serving his sec
ond term as the obliging and painstaking clerk
to the board of county commissioners, was born
in i860 at Lamar, and has thus far passed his
life in the city. ,
Reuben Loveland, his father, was born in the
State of Connecticut, and some time in the early
"40s" located at Lamar, where he engaged in
the manufacture of axes, conducting an axe fac
tory at that point for years. He was a Christian
man and a worker in the Church, always inter
ested in religious matters in the community, and
in every movement having for its object the ele
vation of his fellowmen. He and his estimable
wife, who was a Miss Nancy Rossman, were both
identified with the M. E. Church, and were

754

COMMEMORATIVE. BIOGRAPHICAL RE-CORD.

among the best of Lamar's people. He died in
1 886, and she on July 2, 1897.
Charles W. Loveland attended the schools of
his native town, and was then sent to Allegheny
College, Meadville, Penn. , where he remained
three years. After returning home from college
he traveled for a firm, following which he was
for three years engaged in mercantile business at
Lamar. In 1894 he was appointed clerk to the
board of county commissioners, and in 1897 he
was reappointed to the same position. He has
proven himself a very competent clerical man,
accurate and efficient.
In 1884 Mr. Loveland was married to Miss
Clara B. Watson, a daughter of John Watson, of
Lamar, and to the marriage have come the fol
lowing four children: Leslie L. , Stella, Amy and
Miriam. The parents of these were members of
the M. E. Church, and are active in its social
gatherings. Mr. Loveland is a member of the
Royal Arcanum and of the Lock Haven Club.
In politics he is a Republican.

EV. JAMES SAAS. Evidently qualified and
fitted for the life and self-denial, responsi
bility and trust to which the priest is called, is
Rev. James Saas, the pastor of St. Agnes Roman
Catholic Church, at Lock Haven, Clinton
county. Father Saas was born in Germany, whence
he came to America when quite young. He re
ceived his theological and philosophical educa
tion at St. Vincent's College, in Westmoreland
county, Penn., and was ordained a priest in
1894. He was first assistant priest of St. An
thony's Church, at Lancaster, Penn., remaining
in that incumbency a short time, then, in May,
1895, he was sent to his present pastorate at
Lock Haven, of which he has ever since had in
dependent charge. St. Agnes Church is in a
thriving condition, both financially and spiritu
ally. There is a large and prosperous school in
connection with the parish, which is excellently
conducted. This Church was organized at Lock
Haven, in January, 1873, and the congregation
has gradually increased until it now numbers
several families. Considerable money has been
expended in Church property, buildings, etc.,
and in improvements. Father Saas is a man of
promise, and his life bids to be one of great use
fulness.
JOHN N. KEMMERER, one of the most
active and enterprising business men of
Green township, Clinton county, is the senior
partner of the firm of Kemmerer & Brothers,

lumber manufacturers and farmers. He is a na
tive of Sugar Valley, born in the borough of
Loganton, February 14, 1866, and is a son of
Joseph and Elmira (Lebo) Kemmerer, who were
born, reared and married in Lykens Valley,
Dauphin county, Penn. The paternal grand
parents were Christian and  (Fisher)
Kemmerer, well-known farming people of Wash
ington township, that county, and the maternal
grandfather, Lebo, was also an agriculturist of
Dauphin county.
The birth of Joseph Kemmerer occurred in
Elizabethville, and in the schools of his native
county he acquired a good English and German
education, becoming especially proficient in
mathematics. There he began his business ca
reer as a farmer, but on first coming to Logan
ton, Clinton county, he operated a pottery, manu
facturing crocks, etc., and continued to follow
that occupation for several years. He invented
and patented a washing machine, the first of the
kind in central Pennsylvania, and after engaging
in its manufacture for some time, he embarked
in the lumber business, buying a large tract of
timber land in Green township, Sugar Valley,
where he erected a fine steam sawmill, and oper
ated the same up to the time of his death. He
also purchased the Grannely farm of 140 acres,
which he improved and cultivated. While tak
ing logs up Sugar Valley Mountain, February 9,
1 893, one large log jumped from the slide striking
Mr. Kemmerer, and he expired a few seconds
later in the arms of our subject. He was a kind
and affectionate husband and father, and besides
his family he left many friends to mourn his death,
for he was widely known and highly respected.
He began life here in limited circumstances, but
by industry, perseverance and good management
he succeeded in accumulating a comfortable
competence. He was a consistent member of
the Lutheran Church, was a lifelong Democrat
in politics, and served his fellow citizens in the
capacity of auditor of his township. His widow,
who is a most estimable lady, now makes her
home with her children, who are as follows:
Sarah, wife of McClennell Brungart, of Green
township; Sybella, wife of John Reninger, of
Jersey Shore, Penn. ; John N. ; Frank, who mar
ried Clara Miller, and is engaged in business
with our subject; James L. , a farmer of Green
township, who married Alice Wolf, daughter of
Eli Wolf, of that township. One child died in
infancy. The education of John N. Kemmerer was such
as the public schools of Green township afforded.
He began work at lumbering with his father in
the mill, where he remained until twenty-two

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

755

years of age; then was employed as engineer in
the Jameson sawmill for a year and a half, and six
months at lumbering in another part of the town
ship. In 1890 he returned home and worked
with his father until his death, when in partner
ship with his brother Frank he took charge of the
business, which they have since successfully con
ducted. Besides making extensive improvements
in the mill and machinery, costing upward of one
thousand dollars, they have erected a steam saw
mill in Logan township at a cost $1,200, and now
carry on a large and profitable business. They own
over one thousand acres of timber land in Sugar
Valley, besides other small tracts, and the old
homestead of 140 acres also belongs to our sub
ject, who is acknowledged to be one of the most
reliable, straightforward and progressive men of
Clinton county.
Mr. Kemmerer was married in 1893 to Miss
Anna V. Moyer, a native of Penn's Valley, Centre
county, Penn., a daughter of George and Cath
arine (Wagner) Moyer, of Green township, Clin
ton county, and they have two interesting chil
dren — Harry L. and Katie E. Politically, Mr.
Kemmerer is identified with the Democratic
party, but cares nothing for the honors or emolu
ments of public office. Although he is a very
quiet, unassuming man, he is genial and well-
liked, and has a host of warm friends throughout
his native county.

JOSEPH S. SMITH, who is successfully en
gaged in the wholesale liquor business in
Renovo, Clinton county, was born in St.
Mary's, Penn., in 1866, but his parents, Joseph
and Anna (Krug) Smith, were natives of Ger
many, whence in their youth they came to the
New World, taking up their residence in this
State. As a life work the father engaged in the
butcher business, but for some years previous to
his death, which occurred April 10, 1885, he
lived retired. His estimable wife still survives
him as does also their three sons — John L. , Jos-
seph S. and Sebastian.
In the city of his birth Joseph S. Smith was
reared, acquiring his education in its public
schools. On starting out in life for himself he
first worked in the mines, and was later em
ployed as a clerk and deliverer of goods in a
mercantile establishment. In 1892 he began
business in Renovo as a wholesale liquor dealer,
and has met with excellent success in the under
taking. He carries on business on Erie avenue,
and receives a liberal share of the public pat
ronage. Mr. Smith was married, in 1893, to Miss

Mary E. Sullivan, a daughter of Cornelius Sulli
van, of Wellsville, N. Y., and they now have an
interesting little daughter, Marie Catherine.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith are both communicants of
the Catholic Church, and in his political affilia
tions he is a Democrat. A progressive and en
terprising citizen, he takes a deep and commend
able interest in public affairs, and supports all
objects which he believes calculated to promote
the general welfare.

EV. FRANCIS P. MCCARTHY. Though
as yet in the enjoyment of a comparatively
short pastorate at the Church of the Immaculate
Conception in Lock Haven, Clinton county,
Father McCarthy has by his devout life, while
quietly working in his appointed sphere, so en
deared himself to his congregation, and gained
the esteem and regard of all classes in the com
munity, as to give promise of great usefulness in
this field of the vineyard.
Father McCarthy was born in 1863, at Prov
idence, Rhode Island, where the rudiments of
his education were received. Subsequently, for
two years, he attended the Christian Brothers
school in the same city, and completed his col
lege course at Manhattan College, New York, in
1883. After his ordination he was given his first
charge — St. Vincent De Paul, New York City —
remaining two years. He next was sent to Har
risburg, Penn., where for four years he was the
assistant to the priest in charge at the Renovo
Church. On May 2, 1895, he came to his pres
ent field of labor, and has since had charge of
this parish, which is one of the best in Central
Pennsylvania. The Church at Lock Haven was established
in 1863, by Rev. Father Gilligin. The charge is
provided with a very handsome brick church
edifice, and a commodious school building, the
former having a seating capacity of 500. The
school is conducted by the Sisters of Mercy. The
congregation is growing, and the parish is in ex
cellent condition both spiritually and financially.

C\HARLES F. BICKFORD. The lumbering
'l interests in and about Lock Haven, Clinton
county, have been one of the important factors
in the growth of that prosperous and flourishing
little city. Since the building of the West Branch
boom in 1849 millions of feet of sawed logs have
annually been secured and there manufactured
into lumber and timber, giving employment to
hundreds of men. One of the operators here for

756

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

a lifetime in this important industry is he whose
name introduces this sketch.
Our subject comes of a family of lumbermen
who came from a lumber State — Maine. Samuel
Bickford, his father, was a conspicuous man in
lumber circles in this section for a third of a cen
tury, and several of his sons followed in the same
line, and either are now, or have been, identified
with the business here. A sketch of the father
is given in that of James A. Bickford elsewhere.
Charles F. Bickford was born in 1854 in Clinton
county, and here received the rudiments of his
education. Later he attended the Eastman
Business College, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. In his
childhood he had heard the lumber interests of
Maine talked of, while as he was growing up
that subject was the topic of conversation at
home, and it was but natural that his mind should
be directed in that channel. Beginning in boy
hood he was for many years employed in the
lumber yard as shipping clerk for his father, and
step by step he came up in the business, learning
every department thoroughly. From 1877 until
1883 he was engaged as bookkeeper and shipping
clerk in the planing-mill, and in 1883 he became
engaged in the sawmill business, in which he has
ever since continued. The mills and business
are carried on by our subject and his brother,
Frank E., who is a partner. The capacity of
this plant is from two million to three million
feet per annum. These brothers are capable
and energetic business men, and are meeting
with the success their efforts deserve. In politics
our subject is a Republican. He is a member of
the B. P. O. E. , of the Royal Arcanum, and of
the United Workmen. As a citizen he com
mands the respect of the community.
On December 23, 1875, Mr. Bickford was
married to Virgie T. Ritchie, and they have three
children — Clarence, Florence and Mirian. Mrs.
Bickford was born in Clinton county, February
3, 1852, and is a daughter of William Ritchie,
of Lock Haven. She is a most estimable lady,
and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal
Church.

TrENRY T. HALL, of Lock Haven, Clinton
JEL county, who is now serving his second term
as district attorney for Clinton county, has a
brilliant professional record, and his success re
flects the more credit upon him because it was
obtained by his own efforts, notwithstanding the
trials and discouragements which inevitably ac
company limited means in early life.
Mr. Hall was born October 25, 1858, at Mill
Hall, Clinton county, a son of James and Julia

(Zellars) Hall. His father, who was a native of
Ireland, came to America when but fourteen
years old, and spent the greater portion of his
life at Mill Hall and vicinity, being engaged for
about twenty-five years in the occupation of axe-
making. During the Mexican war he served
with honor as a private soldier, and in all the
relations of life he commanded the respect of his
associates. His death occurred in 18 — ; his wife,
who was a native of Clinton county, passed away
in 1889. They had four children: John, Henry
T. and George W. (twins) and Mary Frances,
wife of Ellery S. McNaul, of Lock Haven.
As his parents were in moderate circum-
starfces, our subject was obliged to become a
bread winner at an early age, and for some years
his educational opportunities were restricted to
the winter terms in the Mill Hall schools. How
ever, he made the most of his advantages and
prepared himself to teach a country school, the
proceeds, together with his savings from his work
during summer in a sawmill, enabling him to take
a course at the State Normal School in Lock
Haven, entering in 1878 and graduating in 1880.
His ability and success as a teacher maybe seen
from the fact that he had charge of the public
schools of Flemington one year and those of Mill
Hall three years. After graduating from the
Normal School he continued to teach for two-
years, spending his summers, as before, in work
ing in a sawmill. He then entered the office of
H. T. Harvey, and began the study of law.
After two and one-half years of preparatory read
ing he went to Winfield, Kans., where he was
admitted to the Bar and established himself in
practice. Soon, however, he was called home
on account of the serious illness of his mother,
and he decided to remain, an advantageous part
nership being formed with T. C. Hippie. Four
years later he was nominated by the Republicans-;
for the office of district attorney, and, notwith
standing the fact that Clinton county usually
goes Democratic by about 500 votes, he was
elected by a majority of 288. At the end of his
term of three years he was nominated unani
mously by his party, and was again elected, his
majority being 700. No better testimony of
popularity could be desired than this endorse
ment in a community where he has been known
since childhood, and his able discharge of the
duties of the position fully justifies the confidence
of his supporters.
So far, Mr. Hall has not joined the ranks of
the happy Benedicts. While he is not a Church
member he inclines to the Presbyterian faith,
and his sympathies are with every mbvement
that promises to bring a benefit to the community.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

757

SAMUEL MILLAR McCORMICK, of Lock
Haven, is a prominent member of the Clin
ton County Bar, and the story of his successful
struggle with adverse circumstances in early life
cannot fail to strengthen the purpose and stimu
late the energies of any ambitious youth who
reads these lines.
The McCormick family is one of the oldest in
this section, and it is supposed that its founders
came originally from Scotland. William Mont
gomery McCormick, our subject's father, was
born in Clinton county, and for some years of his
manhood followed farming there. In 1852 he
went to California in search of gold, but he was
probably killed by the Indians, as nothing definite
was ever learned concerning his fate. His wife,
Ann. Eliza (Millar), who died in 1889, was born
in Pennsylvania, of German descent.
Our subject was born in 1846, in Lamar town
ship, Clinton county, and is now the only sur
viving member of the family. He secured a
public-school education, but being anxious to
pursue his studies farther he taught some four or
five years in order to obtain the funds to carry
him through a course in the State Normal School
at Millersville, where he was graduated in 1870.
On leaving this institution he resumed the work
of teaching, and continued until the fall of 1874,
when he entered the office of C. S. McCormick,
of Lock Haven, and began the study of law.
On January 1, 1877, he was admitted to the Bar,
and for more than twenty years has been actively
engaged in professional work, making a specialty
of cases in the Orphans' Court, and acquiring
also a large office business. He cherishes a firm
faith in the principles of the Republican party,
but is not an aspirant for political honors,
although he has served ably as United States
revenue collector, and has been prominent in
municipal affairs as a member of the city council,
having held the position of clerk in that body
almost continuously for ten years. In any enter
prise which promises to benefit his locality he is
to be found among the leaders, and he is
especially interested in educational matters.
Since May 1, 1879, he has served as a trustee of
the Central State Normal School at Lock Haven,
and during all that period has been secretary of
the board.
On March 7, 1877, Mr. McCormick married
Miss Henrietta M. Holahan, daughter of Thomas
Holahan, a highly respected citizen of Lock
Haven, who served two terms as superintendent
of schools in Clinton county. Mrs. McCormick
died in January, 1895, leaving two sons, Ralph
W. and Clay M. Mr. McCormick and his wife
united with the Great Island Presbyterian Church

early in their married life, and since 1880 he has
held the office of treasurer. For a year past he
has also served as elder of the Church. He
belongs to Great Island Lodge No. 320, I. O.
O. F., in which he is a past grand, and to Clin
ton Encampment No. 27, in which he is past
chief patriarch, and has been treasurer since 1883.

FREDERICK W. KELLER is one of the act-
3T ive, enterprising and popular business men
of Lock Haven, Clinton county, a native of that
city, in which he was born in the year 1866.
Henry Keller, father of our subject, was born
in Germany, whence when a young man he came
to America, locating in Pine Creek township,
Clinton county. Subsequently he moved to Lock
Haven, and there learned the shoemaker's trade,
which he worked at for a time, and in 1859 es
tablished the present business carried on by Fred
erick W. , under the name of Henry Keller's Son.
He was thrifty and industrious, and succeeded in
accumulating a fair share of this world's goods.
He built up a good business, and played well his
part as a good, law-abiding citizen of the county
seat, in the affairs of which he was always inter
ested, and to which he gave a share of his time
and counsel. He was a man somewhat retiring
and unassuming, yet affable and easily approached.
He read and investigated, had good practical
ideas, and he served very creditably in the city
council. His death occurred in 1894, His
widow, who is a respected resident of the com
munity, was Elizabeth Knights, and was born in
Pennsylvania. Their children are: Emma, Anna,
Ella, Frederick W. (our subject), and Charles H.
Frederick W. Keller was reared in Lock Ha
ven, and attended the public schools of the city,
subsequently taking a business course of study.
At the age of sixteen years he began assisting his
father in the store, and of him learned the busi
ness. In a manner he was reared in the store
and to this line of business. He is thoroughly
acquainted with it, and the success with which
he has met since the death of his father has
proven that he is a worthy successor of that fa
ther. He is possessed of that tact and manner
that are calculated to attract and hold custom.
He is ambitious, and has that energy that will
win in the course of time. Mr. Keller was reared
in the religious faith of the German Lutheran
Church. OBERT H. IRVINE, general manager and
secretary of the Lock Haven Traction
Company, is a young man who has won an en
viable reputation in his chosen line of effort —

758

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

that of civil engineering. While he possesses a
thorough knowledge of the practical details of
his profession, he has also a rare degree of exec
utive ability as is shown in his successful work in
superintending large enterprises.
Mr. Irvine is a native of Lock Haven, born
in 1868, the only son of Dr. Joseph S. K. Irvine
and his wife, Carrie (Abrams). The father was
born in Cumberland county, Penn., and when
twenty-five years old settled at Lock Haven,
where he became a prominent physician, but he
died in 1872, at a comparatively early age. Our
subject's mother, who was born in Williamsport,
Penn., is still living. When four years of age
our subject was taken to Reading, Penn., where
he received his education in the public schools.
After his graduation he was employed as a civil
engineer on the Reading railroad for three years,
and then went to South America to assist in a
similar capacity in the construction of the first
railroad built in the United States of Colombia.
Sixteen months were occupied in this work, and
on his return home he gave his attention to the
construction of electric railways, being employed
first on a line at Camden, N. J. Later he re
moved to Lock Haven to build the road with
which he is at present connected, and after its
completion he was retained by the company as
manager and secretary. The line is five and one-
half miles long, and is constantly being extended,
so that it bids fair to become one of the leading
traction roads in this section.
In 1890 Mr. Irvine was married to Lenore
Shenfelder, a daughter of Daniel P. Shenfelder,
of Reading, Penn. Socially, Mr. Irvine and his
wife are prominent, and the latter is a member
of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Irvine belongs
to various fraternal societies, including the B. P.
O. E., the A. O. U. W., and the Royal Arcan
um. In politics he is conservative.

JOSEPH PARSONS, who for thirty-five years
has been an honored resident of Lock Ha
ven, Clinton county, is one of the most in
fluential and intelligent citizens of that thriving
town, and for ten years has represented the Sec
ond ward in the city council. He is a veteran of
the Civil war, and among the vivid pictures
which memory holds for him is the battle of An
tietam, where the dead and dying fell on all
sides during the long hours of the fight. Mr.
Parsons has an interesting personality, has liter
ary gifts, and his high character as a man com
mands the esteem of all who know him.
Mr. Parsons comes of good Colonial stock,
his grandfather, Stephen Parsons, having been a

soldier in the Revolutionary war. William Par
sons, our subject's father, was a lifelong resident
of Pennsylvania, and as a contractor did much
toward making public improvements of various
kinds, including canals, which in his day fur
nished the best means of transportation. He
died in 1833 at Paradise, Lancaster Co., Penn.,
and his wife, Catherine (Collins), who was also a
native of Pennsylvania, passed away some years
before. Squire Parsons, who is now the only survivor
of his family, was' born at Womelsdorf, Berks
Co., Penn., and was reared after the old-fash
ioned plan, receiving but limited schooling.
Among his teachers was a man in Harrisburg
named Cross, who seemed to think that whip
ping was an indispensable aid to education; but
notwithstanding the disadvantages of his envir
onment our subject became an ardent student,
and by his own efforts has gained accurate infor
mation on a wide range of topics. He pursued a
course of legal study, was admitted to the Bar in
early life, and he is also well-read in science, his
tory and literature. In fact, he haswielded the pen .
to good effect himself, some poetical gems hav
ing attracted favorable notice. Extensive travel
has added to his practical knowledge of men and
affairs, as he has circumnavigated the globe, giv
ing especial attention to the interesting scenes of
the Holy Land and to the important cities of the
Old World. About 1861 Squire Parsons made
his home at Lock Haven. For a number of
years he served as justice of the peace, and he
has held his present office continuously since
1886. In politics he has always been a Jeffer-
sonian Democrat; but in 1896, believing that his
party had deviated from its principles, he voted
the Republican ticket.
In 1838 our subject married Miss Ann E.
Fribley, of Lycoming county, Penn. , who passed
from earth in February, 1894. Six children
survive: John F. , a resident of Emporium,
Penn. ; William; Mary A., widow of Dr. Canfield;
Edward K. ; Charles F. , and Georgia, widow of
a Mr. Dietrich. Socially the family is promi
nent, and our subject is now the oldest member
of the Masonic fraternity in Lock Haven, having
joined the F. &A. M. in 1851. In religious faith
he is a Presbyterian.

v\LIAS SNYDER, a prominent agriculturist of
J2!^ the Nittany Valley, is the owner of a fine
farm near Lock Haven, Clinton county. His
residence, which was built in 1887, is without
doubt the best farm house in the Valley, and
everything about the estate gives evidence of

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

759

liberal and progressive management. These
signs of material prosperity are of less import
ance, however, than some which point to the ex
cellent qualities of character that mark a good
citizen, or to the elevated home influence that
have prepared a family of clever children for use
ful and honorable places in the world.
Mr. Snyder is of pioneer stock, his great
grandfather having come from Holland at an
early day to locate in Pennsylvania. Christo
pher Snyder, our subject's grandfather, was the
first of the name to settle in Clinton county, and
the farm in Lamar township where he located in
the, early part of this century is still in the pos
session of his descendants. He was already well
advanced in years when he removed to the place,
and as it was nearly in its primitive condition he
made only a beginning toward its improvement,
his death occurring a few years after his removal.
Of his seven children five — Benjamin, Fannie,
Hannah, Rachel, and Sarah — did not live to
maturity. Harmon settled in later years in Clar
ion county, where he died leaving several chil
dren. John, our subject's father, was born about
1788, in what is now Snyder county, but was
then a part of Union county, and, when his par
ents left their old home there to settle in Clin
ton county, he was entering upon manhood. At
his father's death he came into possession of the
homestead, where he continued to follow farming
until 1833. He then rented the place, and re
moved to the farm now occupied by our subject,
where he made many improvements. As old
age drew on he retired from active work, and
having built another residence upon the farm he
passed his last days there. During this period
he was nearly blind at times from a cataract, as
operations seem to give him only temporary relief.
, He was of medium height and build, but in his
early days was a great worker, acquiring a com
fortable competence. As a citizen he was held
in high esteem, and he was a devout member of
the New Mennonnite Church, his religion being
illustrated in his daily- life. At one time he sup
ported the Democratic party, and later he was a
Whig; but he finally became disgusted with pol
itics and politicians, and did not even go to the
polls on election day. He died July 4, 1870, in
his eighty-fourth year, and was buried in a pri
vate cemetery on our subject's farm. His wife,
whose maiden name was Nancy Neff, was a native
of Centre county, and a daughter of John Neff, a
well-known farmer. She lived to her seventy-
fourth year, breathing her last on May 6, 1865.
They had eleven children: Elizabeth, who mar
ried Christian Sheats, and died in Lamar town
ship, Clinton county; Catherine (Mrs. Knights),

who died in the same township; Nancy, wife of
Jacob Long, of Livingston county, N. Y.; Susan,
wife of H. M. Bean, of the same county; Leah,
widow of William Sheats, of Lamar township,
Clinton county; John, who now occupies the orig
inal homestead; Lucinda, widow of Levi Zim
merman, of Jewell county, Kans. ; Fannie, who
married Henry Neff, and died in Lamar town
ship, Clinton county; Hannah, widow of E. A.
Haney, of Oregon; Elias, oursubject; and Char
lotte, widow of Samuel P. Burrell, of Lock Haven.
Our subject was born March 9, 1834, in a log
house which stood about six feet in front of the
site of his present residence. As the son of a
busy farmer he was trained to habits of industry
in his youth, and he well recalls the tedious days
spent in threshing and other work which is now
done by machinery. For a few months in each
winter he was permitted to attend school in a log
house near his home, but everything was of the
most primitive order, the seats being rough
benches arranged around the sides of the room. H e
learned to write with a quill pen, and often
rn3.de his own as he was forbidden to use steel
pens. His first teacher was William Allison,
and as his instructors were changed nearly every
term, in accordance with old-fashioned customs,
his reminiscences cover a wide range of exper
ience in this respect. In early manhood he went
to Lock Haven to engage in the real-estate busi
ness with E. A. Haney, but since 1869 he has
been in charge of the homestead, which he rented
for a short time. At his father's death, in 1870,
it came to him by will, and the later improve
ments on the place have all been made by him.
His beautiful residence has been already men
tioned, and in 1893 he rebuilt his barn, which is
now a model structure, 46x90 feet, with a wing
27x48. In all his efforts Mr. Snyder has had the assist
ance of a good wife, that best of blessings, and
like a true man he delights in acknowledging the
value of her aid. He was married in November,
, in Livingston county, N. Y., to Miss Mar

tha Salinger, who was born July 12, 1845,
in Livonia, N. Y. , the daughter of Issachar and
Catherine (Weaver) Salinger. Her father, who
was a wagon maker by trade, died at the age of
forty-four, leaving a home to his widow, and with
the help of the older children she managed to
keep the family together. She lived to her eight
ieth year, and the remains of both are interred
at Livonia. They were members of the Men
nonnite Church, and were much respected among
their associates for their admirable qualities of
character. Mrs. Snyder was the youngest of six
children. Of the others, Edward is a farmer in

760

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Livingston county, N. Y. ; Sarsing, a merchant,
died in Way land, N. Y. ; Issachar resides in
Livonia, N. Y. ; Theresa married Isaac Havens,
of Hemlock Lake, N. Y. ; Mary, the widow of
Austin Woodruff, resides in Livonia, N. Y.
Mrs. Snyder attended the common schools near
her home until she was fifteen when she entered
the seminary at Dansville, N. Y. , where she
spent four terms. Thus prepared she engaged
in teaching in Livingston county, N. Y. , begin
ning at fifteen dollars per month and board.
She was successful in the work, and taught nine
terms in the same county before Mr. Snyder per
suaded her to abandon the calling. They be
gan their housekeeping in the spring of 1 869, in
the little log house in which our subject was
born. Four children have blessed their union:
Cora I. , who was graduated from the Lock Haven
Normal School in 1889, and has taught several
terms of school successfully; Marguerite M. , also
a graduate of the Lock Haven school, and a suc
cessful teacher; Charles B., born September 21,
1876, is now a student at State College, Penn.;
and Florence E. , is still at home. Mr. Snyder's
limited opportunities in early life have stimulated
him to give his children the best advantages with
in reach, and he and his wife find their reward
for their efforts in seeing them taking a place
among the best social and intellectual circles of
the locality.
While Mr. Snyder holds a high rank as a
business man, and is sufficiently popular to
aspire with confidence to political office, he has
never taken an especial interest in public af
fairs. He has served as assessor, judge of
election, and tax collector, holding the latter
office for some years, and his sympathies are
with the Democratic party as a rule, although
he often votes for the best man irrespective of
party lines. The family is identified with the
Methodist Church, of which Mrs. Snyder is a
member. During his residence in Lock Haven
Mr. Snyder joined the Masonic fraternity, but
after his removal to the farm he found the dis
tance too great for him to continue the active
work of the order, and he withdrew from mem
bership. W LEXANDER Y. JONES, proprietor of the
-/<3L " Renovo Hotel," Renovo, Clinton county,
was born October 25, 1842, in Ebensburg, Cam
bria Co., Penn., and is a son of Thomas M. and
Ann (Williams) Jones. The father was born in
Wales, whence about 1832, when a young man,
he came to the United States, and spent the
rest of his life in Pennsylvania where his death
occurred in 1874. He was an active, enterpris

ing business man, who engaged in the manufact
ure of woolen goods and in lumbering through
out his business career, and his straightforward
honorable course won for him the confidence and
esteem of all with whom he came in contact.
His wife, who was a native of Philadelphia, also
departed this life in 1874. Four children yet
survive them, as follows: Alexander Y. , of this
review; Mrs. Mathew Griffith, of Kane, Penn. ;
Mrs. William P. Eckles, of Smithport, Penn.;
and Elmer E., a resident of Ohio.
During his boyhood and youth the subject of
this sketch attended the common schools, and
about the time he should have entered college
the tocsin of war sounded, so that he laid aside
his text books and responded to the President's
call for troops to put down the Rebellion. He
joined Company F, 123d P. V. I., and on the
expiration of his term of service in that regi
ment he re-enlisted, this time in the 209th P.
V. I., with which he served until hostilities had
•ceased, being honorably discharged March 25,
1865. At Fort Steadman he received a gunshot
wound in the head. On returning to his home
in Ebensburg, Mr. Jones accepted the position
of bookkeeper for A. A. Barker, and after ac
ceptably filling that position for four years, he
engaged in the woolen business for about five
years. He then removed to Kane, where he
had the management of a mercantile establish
ment until 1892, when he came to Renovo to.
take charge of the "Renovo Hotel," one of
the largest hostelries between Philadelphia and
Erie. His pleasant, genial manner makes him a
most popular landlord, and he is meeting with
excellent success in his new undertaking.
In 1866 Mr. Jones was married to Permelia
J. Kinkead, daughter of Harrison Kinkead, of
Ebensburg, and they have become the parents
of four children, namely: T. H, Linda, Ray
and Eva. The parents and children are con
nected with the Presbyterian Church, in which
Mr. Jones is now serving as elder. Socially he is
a Master Mason, and politically is an ardent Re
publican. For eight years he served as justice
of the peace in Kane, Penn., discharging his
duties with a promptness and fidelity worthy of
all commendation, and other official honors
would have been conferred upon him had he not
declined. He is emphatically a man of enter
prise, positive character, indomitable energy,
strict integrity and liberal views, and is thor
oughly identified with the growth and prosperity
of his adopted city. In days of peace as in
days of war, he has been found a brave and
loyal citizen, worthy the high regard in which
he is uniformly held.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

761

BENJAMIN K. FOCHT. Three terms in
the Legislature, each replete with instances
of loyalty to his constituents and care for the
interests of the entire State, up to the present,
comprise the public career of Benjamin K. Focht,
the subject of this biography. Mr. Focht is
editor and proprietor of the Saturday News, of
Lewisburg, and he has not only made his mark
in journalism, but, through his practical work
in the political field, has won a reputation
as one of the best organizers in Pennsylvania.
Benjamin K. Focht was born in New Bloom-
field, Perry Co., Penn., March 12, 1863. His
father was the late Rev. David Henlein Focht, a
Lutheran minister, who was known as an author
and who was noted for his powers as a pulpit
orator. His mother was Susan Brown Focht,
daughter of John Brown, one of the original
settlers of Lewisburg, Penn., and one who had
tracts of land there. On the death of her hus
band, in 1864, one year after the son Benjamin
was born, she returned with her children to her
native place. Mr. Focht's ancestry includes
many clergymen, and others who were Revolu
tionary heroes. John George Focht, his great
grandfather, emigrated from Neustadt, Franco-
nia, Germany, in the eighteenth century, and
settled in Northampton county, Penn. He
served under General Wayne, and took part in
the battles of Stony Point, Germantown and
Trenton, and he also served under General Sul
livan against the Indians of the Six Nations.
When Benjamin Focht was old enough to go to
school, he was sent to Bucknell Academy, Lew
isburg, where he was educated, also receiving a
course of instruction at State College and Selins
grove Institute. At the age of fourteen he en
tered a printing office as an apprentice, and so
rapid was his progress in this line that, at the
age of seventeen, he wrote the salutatory for the
first issue of the Lewisburg Local News.
Mr. Focht had a decided leaning to journal
ism, both in its practical and theoretical branches,
and he became part owner of the Local News,
and then, after one year, upon becoming sole
proprietor, changed its name to the Saturday
News. The difficulties that beset him in the
early part of his journalistic career were many;
but by his energy and application to business he
surmounted all obstacles, becoming, within the
space of a few years, one of the strongest edi
torial writers in Pennsylvania, and owner of an
extensive and valuable newspaper plant. It was
but a natural step from the field of journalism
into that of politics, and early in his career as a
publisher and editor Mr. Focht attracted the at
tention of the Republican party.

The victories which Mr. Focht won as a jour
nalist marked him as a man of progress before
he reached his majority, and it was only a short
time before he had attained a prominent position
in his community as a leader of thought. As
early as 1882 he came into the notice of the
Republican organization of his district by up
holding its course as opposed to the ' ' Independ
ents, " in which cause he exercised all his influ
ence and his able pen. Mr. Focht's first active
participation in the affairs of the Republican par
ty occurred in 1889, when he was elected dele
gate to the State Convention. In 1892 he was
chosen and served as a Congressional Conferree;
and three times he was elected delegate to the
Republican State League Convention. In 1890
Mr. Focht was a candidate for the Republican
nomination for Assembly; but the contest was a
three-cornered one, and so peculiar were the po
litical conditions which obtained that he met
with defeat. Nothing daunted, however, he was
again a candidate in 1892. Although bitterly
opposed, on account of his leadership in the bat
tle of the previous year, when Judge Bucher, a
Democrat, was defeated in the Union-Snyder-
Mifflin District by an opponent who, at the time,
was not a resident of the district, he won at both
the primary and general elections. The fact
that Benjamin K. Focht was a man of wonder
ful resources as a political leader was indicated
in the contest which defeated Judge Bucher, and
in which H. M. McClure, Mr. Focht's brother-
in-law, was victorious. This triumph was a great
one, as Judge Bucher was reputed to be one of
the most sagacious politicians in central Penn
sylvania, and had as his supporters nearly the
entire Bar of the District, together with all the
Democratic papers and five Republican papers in
his District. The fact that he could so well fight
a desperate political battle thus gave Mr. Focht
a place among the most resourceful and wisest
leaders in the State.
In 1894 he was re-elected to the State As
sembly, and again in 1896, .the last time receiv
ing a majority of 1,265, the largest ever given a
Republican candidate for that office in Union
county. On March 5, 1898, Mr. Focht, at the
Republican primary of Union county, was again
nominated for the Assembly.
In 1887 Mr. Focht was married to Florence
Edith, daughter of H. G. Wolf, a prominent
merchant of Mifflinburg, and president of the
Farmers Bank. They have two children, both
daughters, Ellen Wolf and Edith Virginia Focht.
Mr. Focht has three brothers and one sister:
Rev. Dr. J. B., George M., Dr. M. L., and
Mrs. H. M. McClure. His interests are centered

762

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

in his duties as a legislator and in his capacity as
a newspaper editor and proprietor, ' in both of
which he enjoys the confidence of the public.

EV. GEORGE RIPLEY BLISS, D. D.,
¦ LL. D., was born June 20, 18 16, near
Sherburne, N. Y. His father, a New England
farmer and school teacher, had migrated from
Connecticut to that region, and at a later time
pushed still farther west in the Empire State.
The son, catching the prevailing impulse of that
generation, left home early and made his way to
the extreme front of civilization, then in Indiana.
But after some rough experience of life in the
wilderness, he returned to the State of his birth.
He was not yet twenty-one years old when, after
a brief period of service as a clerk in a country
store, he determined to prepare himself for the
Christian ministry, and entered the Junior class
at Madison (now Colgate) University, at Hamil
ton, N. Y. He was graduated from the college
with honor in 1838, and two years later from the
Theological School. For about three years (in
cluding his own period of study) he was a tutor
in the University; but in 1842 he accepted a call
to the pastorate of the First Baptist Church of
New Brunswick, N. J., a position which he occu
pied for some years, and in which his learning,
piety and winning personality made a deep im
pression upon Church and community. In 1849
he was called to the New Jersey chair of Greek
and Latin in the Baptist University at Lewis
burg, Penn. (now Bucknell University), and
here, for twenty-five years, the most active period
of his life, he labored as an educator.
During a considerable part of this period he
added to the duties of his chair in the university
those of pastor of the Lewisburg Baptist Church.
No doubt this double activity, aided by his nat
urally sympathethic temperament, helped to
maintain that practical interest and influence in
the affairs of men which always characterized
him. To the last, uotwithstanding his absorp
tion in his work, Dr. Bliss remained a disinter
ested, but not an uninterested, observer and ad
viser. He was not only learned in books; he
was wise in his dealings with men.
In 1874 he was appointed to the chair of
Biblical Exegesis in Crozer Theological Semi
nary, at Upland, Penn. , and ten years later was
transferred to that of Biblical Theology. In this
position he remained until his death in 1893.
His special fitness for this position had been
demonstrated by a life largely devoted to the
study of Biblical interpretation, and the lan
guages necessary to that study, and by much

scholarly work in translation, both from the
Greek and from the Hebrew, and in exposition.
To this work much of his time was devoted dur
ing his residence in Lewisburg. In 1841, before
he was twenty-five years old, he was engaged
to " carefully review and critically examine " the
Old Testament portion of a version of the Bible
being prepared by Rev. David Bernard. This
work was published in 1 842 by J. B. Lippincott,
and is known as the Bernard Bible. A few years
later he was selected to translate several books of
the Old Testament for the American edition of
Lange's great Bible Commentary, published by
Charles Scribner. His work on the Old Testa
ment, performed for the American Bible Union,
of which the volume on Ruth was published in
1878, reflected the highest credit on his critical
acumen and insight. Indeed, the portions of the
American Bible Union's version of the Bible
which have been published, compare very favor
ably with the later and more famous "Revised
Version," for many of the inovations of which
they set the example.
In the three volumes of the International
Sunday-School Lessons, entitled "Moses in Is
rael ", "Heroes and Judges", "Israel's Kings
and Christ's Apostles ", the lessons covering the
first six months of 1874, 1875 and 1876, Dr.
Bliss was chosen to aid in revising the text of the
Old Testament books from Exodus through II.
Kings, and the book of the Acts in the New Tes
tament. Much of the work was done alone, but
in parts of it he was associated with Dr. Conant,
Dr. Hackett and other Biblical scholars of like
reputation. The Commentary on Luke, in the New
Testament series, published in 1885 by the
American Baptist Publication Society, Philadel
phia, is perhaps the best known of Dr. Bliss' ex-
egetical books, and exhibits unusual scholarly ac
curacy in translation and interpretation.
It would be difficult to say whether his liter
ary or nis educational work was the more dis
tinguished and important. Including three years
of service as tutor in Madison University, he
spent forty-seven years in teaching, and during
that time carried 45 college classes through their
entire college or seminary course in his depart
ment. Hundreds of his former pupils, now en
gaged in the work for which he trained them,
bear witness to his thoroughness, skill and pa
tience as an instructor and guide. But he never
ceased to be himself a student. He had a
natural bent towards linguistic acquisitions and
philosophical inquiries, which he carried not
only into the classic tongues but also into the
literature of modern Europe. His knowledge

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

763

was large yet precise. His candor was as com
plete as his views were clear and well considered.
It was justly said of him by an associate: " He
was not ashamed of a truth because it was old,
nor afraid of a truth because it was new. "
Dr. Bliss died at his home on Seminary Hill,
Upland, on March 27, 1893. He is buried in
the cemetery at Lewisburg, almost under the
shadow of the University, which for a quarter of
a century he served so faithfully and well.

HON. PULASKI F. HYATT, one of the
prominent men of the Commonwealth, a
resident of Lewisburg, Union county, and who
at this writing is United States consul at Santia
go de Cuba, is of the seventh generation of the
family in America. He is descended from an
ancestry that have proven their patriotism in
nearly all the wars in which this country has
been engaged.
The paternal lineage of Consul Hyatt in
America begins with Thomas Hyatt, who locat
ed at Cambridge, Mass. , now a part of Boston,
in 163 1, and who held a squire's commission from
the crown. The intermediate grandparents lo
cated in Connecticut, some of whom took part
in the Indian, and the French and Indian wars,
there being record that the citizens of Norwalk,
Conn., in January, 1676, voted one Capt.
Thomas Hyatt a large tract of land for heroic
services in "ye Indian warres." Samuel Hyatt,
grandfather of Consul Hyatt, served in the
Continental army, throughout the war of the
Revolution, and was chief of an observation
corps, whose duty it was to keep track of and re
port the movements of the enemy, and his nu
merous hair-breadth escapes are a family legen
dary. Soon after the close of the war he re
moved to Ostego county, New York.
Thomas Hyatt, father of Consul Hyatt, en
tered the service of his country as a drummer boy
in the war of 1812. After returning from the
war he married Miss Sabrina Griffith, of Scotch
descent, and daughter of a well-known tanner,
and the young couple settled on a farm near the
old homestead, where, in due course of time,
twelve children came to bless their home, the
subject of this sketch being the seventh son and
eleventh child, whereupon the family declared
him a doctor, a title he bore as a child and which
he afterward made good by graduating in phar
macy, dentistry and medicine.
Consul Hyatt was born in Otsego county,
N. Y., June 4, 1836. His early scholastic op
portunities did not extend beyond the academic
degree, but being of studious habits he acquired

a liberal education, and taught school four terms,
three of which were in Beech Creek, Clinton
Co. , Penn. At the age of twenty-three he mar
ried Miss Margaret Elizabeth Allen, daughter of
William Allen, Esq., member of an old and
honored family of Williamsport, Penn., the
young couple settling in Lock Haven, but their
housekeeping honeymoon was cut short, for the
war cry of secession was already ringing through
out the land. Although a lifelong Democrat,
his ancestral blood would not let him keep
quiet when our flag was assailed, and in 1861 he
entered the old nth P. V. I., as a private, al
though offered a commission by Gov. Curtin.
He was at once made hospital steward of the
regiment, and after a year's service in the field,
was transferred to the regular army and stationed
at Carver Hospital, Washington, D. C, where
he was soon promoted to be surgeon, and re
mained as such until six months after the close
of the war.
During the war a strong friendship grew up
between Dr. Hyatt and Czar Dunning, and the
two agreed to enter the drug business together
after the war, the Doctor giving his attention to
the practice of medicine, and Mr. -Dunning to
the store, an agreement which was carried out
by the subject of this sketch buying a property
at Bordentown, N. J., where a successful prac
tice and business was carried on for eighteen
years, when the Doctor returned to Pennsyl
vania and located at Lewisburg, stopping, how
ever, long enough in Philadelphia to take a
post-graduate course at Jefferson Medical Col
lege. The Doctor always found time to take upon
himself the duties of citizenship as well as those
of a physician. While at Bordentown he served
fifteen years as president of the Board of Trus- ,
tees of the public schools, and as secretary of the
Bordentown Female College. He declined the
nomination as mayor of the city, and also a
nomination on the Democratic ticket for mem
ber of the State Legislature, when a nomination
was equivalent to an election. In 1876, during
the disputed Presidential election, Samuel J.
Tilden sent him as confidential commissioner to
Florida to investigate the returns of the election
boards of that State. In Lewisburg he served
for several years on the board of ministerial edu
cation of Bucknell University, and as deacon in
the Baptist Church from almost the time of
making that place his home to the present. He
is one of the few men who never divorce politics
and religion, and could never see why a man
should abandon the latter if active in the former.
In politics he has always been a Democrat,

764

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

although not of the violent type, and for two
successive terms he was county chairman of his
party. Following this, he was for three suc
cessive terms selected Democratic chairman of
the Sixth Division of Pennsylvania, including
Potter, Tioga, Clinton, Lycoming, Union and
Snyder counties, and in 1891 was prominently
mentioned throughout the Commonwealth for the
Democratic State chairmanship.
While Division chairman, Consul Hyatt
early felt the public pulse beating favorably for
the nomination of Robert E. Pattison as Gov
ernor of the Commonwealth, and he consulted
with the late Hon. Charles S. Wolfe concerning
the advisability of bringing Mr. Pattison out as a
candidate. Mr. Wolfe replied that in a political
sense he owed the ex-Governor nothing, but as
he believed Mr. Pattison an upright, fearless and
able man, peculiarly suited to the times, he
would support the ex-Governor if a candidate.
Joel Herr, Esq., of Clinton county, a prominent
Republican and Granger, and many others of like
kind, informed the chairman to the same effect.
Armed with this knowledge he wrote Mr. Patti
son of the situation in central Pennsylvania, and
Mr. Pattison consulted with Hon. William F.
Harrity, then postmaster at Philadelphia. Mr.
Harrity then informed Chairman Hyatt that if
the sentiment elsewhere in the State should
crystalize in favor of Mr. Pattison, the ex-Gov
ernor would enter the field as a candidate.
Circumstances favorable to the accomplishment
of this end came thick and fast. It was thought
if the Republicans put forth Delamater there
would be enough defection from the Republican
ranks to elect Mr. Pattison. The Division Chair
men, nine in all, controlled the place and date
of the Convention. Excluding the vote of Chair
man Hyatt, there was a deadlock as to the
arrangements. His vote decided that the Nomi
native Convention of 1890 should be held after
the Republican State Convention, and at Scran-
ton, a Pattison stronghold, instead of Harris
burg, where the Wallace men wanted it. After
Mr. Pattison's nomination and election, to secure
which Chairman Hyatt worked with tireless
energy, no recognition was asked of the Governor
for himself, but he did ask the Governor that the
services of his Division Secretary, T. Kittera
Van Dyke, Esq., and of the Hon. Charles F.
Wolfe, be properly recognized. Mr. Van Dyke
was made chief clerk in the corporation depart
ment in the State administration, and Mr. Wolfe
was appointed director-general of the Pennsyl
vania exhibit at the World's Fair, Chicago,
although he did not live to assume the duties of
his appointment.

Gov. Pattison having declined to stand in the
way of ex-President Cleveland's nomination at
Chicago, and Mr. Harrity becoming Democratic
National Chairman in the meanwhile, both gen
tlemen were in a position to be heard by Mr.
Cleveland after his election, and they made it a
personal matter to urge Dr. Hyatt for a foreign
appointment. Letters of endorsement were also
addressed to Mr, Cleveland by ex-Govs. Curtin
and Beaver; Congressmen Wolverton, McAleer,
Mutchler, Kribbs, Beltzhoover, Reilly and Hines;
Democratic State Chairman James Kerr; Presi
dent Judges Orvis, McClure, Savage, Peek, Metz-
ger and others. The result was his appointment
on June 8, 1893, as United States Consul at San
tiago de Cuba, with sub-offices at Daiguiri, Guan-
tanamo., Santa Cruz del Sur and Manzanille — a '
jurisdiction in which over $17,000,000 of Ameri
can capital are invested, and which ships over
1,000,000,000 pounds of freight monthly to the
United States. The commercial side o£ this ap
pointment, however, was soon dwarfed in impor
tance by the diplomatic duties which arose be
cause of the outbreak in Cuba of the present
desolating insurrection, the first official informa
tion of which was given our gbvernment by Con
sul Hyatt in his dispatch No. 95, of February 23,
1895, two days before the formal birth of the
war. This dispatch, together with others relat
ing to subsequent "Affairs in Cuba," were pub
lished in a message from President Cleveland " in
response to House resolution of December 28,
1895," ma'king a document of 206 pages, about
one-half of which were written by Consul Hyatt,
and concerning which ex-Minister Moret, the
greatest Spanish authority on international law,
said in a speech in the national cortes: "When
the work was published for the first time some
body well versed in diplomatic affairs told me
that it was an admirable paper, in which were
reflected the history of the insurrection and the
character it bore at its beginning. After I read
it I found that the aforesaid opinion was well
grounded, and I am constrained to believe that
when you shall hear what I am going to tell you,
you will agree with me, at least as far as regards
the importance of the revelations it contains. "
The frequent arrests and arbitrary trials of
American citizens contrary to law within his jur
isdiction; assaults of Spanish men-of-war on
American vessels in these waters; the flagrant
menaces and injuries to American estates from
both Cuban and Spanish sources — sometimes
even under cover of law; amidst prejudices and
passions a general disregard for the rights of
neutrals; together demanded in this position,
during such critical times, rare intelligence, tact

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

765

and a firm hand; and Consul Hyatt, seconded
by his son, Hon. John T. Hyatt, as Vice Consul,
had such signal success in the discharge of their
official duties as to receive an unbroken line of
approvals from the Department of State. Presi
dent McKinley, although early informed of a
readiness to vacate, has not deemed it wise to
make any change in this office.
To the marriage of Consul Hyatt and Miss
Margaret Elizabeth Allen there came to make
happy their home children as follows: Margaret,
Paul Allen, John Thomas, and Fred Pulaski
Hyatt, all being now deceased except John
Thomas Hyatt.

HON. JOHN THOMAS HYATT, of Lewis-
 burg, Union county, who has recently re
tired from the United States Diplomatic Service
as Vice and Deputy Consul at Santiago de Cuba,
and who for some years has been engaged in lit
erary lines of work, is the son of Hon. Pulaski F.
Hyatt and Margaret (Allen) Hyatt, the former
being, at this writing, the U. S. Consul at Santi
ago de Cuba.
The younger Mr. Hyatt was born at Borden
town, N. J., September 12, 1868. He attended
the public schools of that city from 1876 to 1882,
when he entered the Bordentown Military Acad
emy, under command of Col. Samuel E. Rusk,
remaining there two years. He was employed
from the fall of 1882 until that of 1885 in the
home office of the Standard Insurance Company
of Trenton, N. J., when he entered the academy
connected with Bucknell University, Lewisburg.
In 1 891 he graduated with honors from the col
lege of the university, with the degree of Bach
elor of Philosophy. While in college Mr. Hyatt,
at one time or another, was chosen to fill about
all the highest offices within the gift of the stu
dent body. He was elected censor, secretary,
vice-president and president, respectively, of the
Theta Alpha Literary Society. He was made a
member of the executive committee of the Ath
letic Association; was afterward selected as treas
urer, and then as president. In company with
Messrs. Truman, Purdy and William C. Gretzin-
ger, he was appointed on the committee which
formulated the official cry of the University stu
dents. In 1889 he was elected business manager
of the Bucknell Mirror, at that time the only
publication of the university, and through his
business ability more improvements were made
in the periodical than under any predecessor, and
the income of the paper was more than doubled
in a single year. He refused to accept a unan

imous re-election to the managership. He was
appointed editor-in-chief of the Daily Commence
ment News for the year 1890-91, and became a
member of the Sigma Chi fraternity while in col
lege. During the Pattison-Delamater Presidential
campaign of 1890 in Pennsylvania, Mr. Hyatt
made political addresses at New Berlin, Allen-
wood, New Columbia and Laurelton. He was
invited by State Chairman Wright to be one of
the State speakers during the Presidential cam
paign of 1892, and on Memorial Day, 1893, he
was orator of the day at Milton — delivering his
address in the evening at the opera house — ex-
Governor Beaver having been the orator the
year previous. After his graduation he spent
from September, 1891, to May, 1892, doing
special newspaper work and traveling through
the States of the South and West, at the expi
ration of which time he took up the study of law
at Lewisburg with Hon. Samuel H. Orwig. Be
fore the completion of his course, however, he
was on September 12, 1893, appointed United
States Vice and Deputy Consul at Santiago de
Cuba, which office, because of his excellent prep
aration, natural diplomatic talent, and ac
quaintance with the ways of the world, he filled
with distinction until he resigned in August, 1897.
Two years before this resignation he was elected
honorary member of the " Press Association " of
Bucknell University. Mr. Hyatt is a writer of
ability. The Cosmopolitan Magazine, of Sep
tember, 1895, contained a very interesting eight-
page article by him, entitled " The Ancient Capi
tal of Cuba," which article received very high
encomiums from the leading American newspa
pers, and was copied at large by the Review of
Reviews. On June n, 1894, Mr. Hyatt was
unanimously elected to full membership in the
Union Ibero-Americana Society, of Madrid,
Spain. On December 16, 1895, Mr. Hyatt was mar
ried to Miss Margaret McLaughlin, of Lewisburg,
daughter of George Yencer and Margaret (Glass)
McLaughlin. On December 2, of the following
year, a daughter — Margarita Allen — was born
to Mr. and Mrs. Hyatt at Santiago de Cuba, she
being the only child born in Cuba to native
Americans after the outbreak of the now famous
insurrection. On April 4, 1897, Mr. Hyatt's
child died in Cuba, which sad event was followed
three days late by the death of his wife.
Possessing rare ability, with a liberal educa
tion and the broad experience that travel and
contact with the world has given him, and as
yet but at the threshold of life, we predict for
Mr. Hvatt a brilliant and useful career.

766

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

LINCOLN. Lindum Colonia was the ancient
 / Roman or Latin name for the city of Lin
coln, in the county of that name in England,
which was founded about the year ioo of the
Christian Era; and by the custom of Roman
writers in abbreviating proper names, the transi
tion is easy fron Lindum Colonia, to Lin Colon,
or Lincoln. The name was very common in
England hundreds of years before the discovery
of America. Between 1635 and 1645, or from
fifteen to twenty years after the landing of the
Pilgrims from the " Mayflower " at Plymouth,
there came to the infant settlement at Hingham,
in Massachusetts, eight men from England of the
name of Lincoln. Three of these — Samuel,
Daniel and Thomas — were brothers; the others
were first and second cousins of the first named,
and all came from the neighborhood of Hing
ham, in the county of Norfolk. Two of these
three brothers died without heirs, but Samuel
had a large family (eleven children), including
four sons who grew to manhood, viz. : Samuel,
Daniel, Mordecai and Thomas. His descendants
are numerous and widely scattered, while many
of them have occupied conspicuous positions in
public and private life. Two of them were gov
ernors of Massachusetts, and one of them a gov
ernor of Maine; others have been members of
Congress and occupied other high offices under
the United States and State governments; and
one of them has made his name immortal as the
great " War President " and the emancipator of
millions of human beings from chattel slavery.
The genealogy is traced as follows: Richard
V. B. Lincoln is the son of John Lincoln, who
was the son of Mishael, who was the son of
Thomas, who was the son of Mordecai, who
was the son of Mordecai, who was the son of
Samuel, who came from England in 1637 aged
seventeen years. * * * Abraham Lincoln,
the President, was the son of Thomas, who was
the son of Abraham, who was the son of John,
who was the son of Mordecai, who was the son
of Mordecai, who was the son of Samuel, who
came from England in 1637, aged seventeen
years. It is a singular fact that among the Lin-
colns mentioned for six generations from Samuel
Lincoln, the immigrant in 1637, down to near
two centuries later, there is not one who does
not bear a Scriptural name, and that for six
generations nearly all were pioneers in the set
tlement of new countries, viz. : Massachusetts,
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky,
Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, etc.
Samuel Lincoln, the eldest son of the Sam
uel aforementioned, was a prominent participator
in King Philip's war, which began in 1675. An

other descendant of his was one of the party
who, disguised as Indians, threw the tea into
Boston harbor, and helped to precipitate the
war of the Revolution; many others served as
officers and privates in that war until it ended.
Gen. Benjamin Lincoln, of the Revolution,
though not a descendant of Samuel, was a Hing
ham man, descended from Thomas Lincoln, a
relative of Samuel. He served from the begin
ning to the end of the war, and at the surrender
of the British at Yorktown was appointed by
Gen. Washington to receive the sword of Lord
Cornwallis, the British commander.
The descendants of Samuel Lincoln have, in
the main, been active, well-to-do citizens of
Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Vir
ginia, Kentucky, etc. ; men who everywhere
played their parts well, and who were endowed
with the spirit of adventure, patriotism and
thrift. Mordecai Lincoln, the third son of Samuel,
the immigrant, was born at Hingham, Mass.,
June 14, 1657; married, for his first wife, Sarah
Jones, a daughter of Abraham and Sarah (Whit
man) Jones, (here is the origin of the name
Abraham in the Lincoln family, which has been
kept up for more than 200 years), and for his sec
ond wife, wedded the widow, Mary Gannett, of
Scituate, Mass. She died April 19, 1745, aged
seventy-nine years. He died November 8, 1727,
in bis seventy-first year. He had four sons:
Mordecai, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and two
daughters. In his will of May 3, 1727, he provides
liberally for his wife Mary, gives to ' ' son Mor
decai no pounds in lawful bills of credit; to
son Abraham sixty pounds in money or good
bills of credit, besides what he has already re
ceived; to son Isaac, the home he now dwells in
in Hingham, mill property, etc. ; to son Jacob,
my homestead in Scituate, also lands, mills, and
other valuables; also to the oldest sons of Mor
decai and Abraham, ten pounds each when they
become of age." Provision is also made for
sending three of his grandsons to college should
they desire a liberal education. Before the date
of this will, his two sons, Mordecai and Abra
ham, had removed to Monmouth county, N. J.,
and for this reason all of the real estate of the
testator in Hingham and Scituate, including his
interest in ironworks, sawmills and gristmills was
bequeathed to his younger sons, Isaac and Jacob,
while to the two older sons the sum of money
before named was given, in addition to what
they had before received.
Mordecai, the son of Mordecai, the son of
Samuel, was born in Hingham, April 24, 1686,
removed from there to Monmouth county, N. J-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

767

He married Hannah Bowne Salter, of Freehod,
N. J., a daughter of Richard and Sarah (Bowne)
Salter. (Richard Salter was a leading lawyer
of that place, member of the Assembly, and
Judge). His wife Hannah dred in 17 17. About
1720 he removed to Amity township, Philadel
phia county, Penn. (now Exeter township,
Berks county), and bought about one thousand
acres of land there, some of which remained in
the possession of the family over one hundred and
twenty years. He married a second time, and after
his death his widow married Roger Rodgers. He
died in 1735 or '36, and was interred in the
Friends burying ground in Exeter township, Berks
county. His will is dated February 22, 1735,
and recorded June 7, 1736. He had one son
and four daughters by his first marriage, and
three sons by his second. The names of the
sons are: John, Mordecai, Thomas and Abra
ham. The following are some extracts from his
will: "I give and bequeathe to my son Mordecai
Lincoln the half of my land situate in Amity, and
to his heirs and assigns forever. I give and be
queathe to my son, Thomas Lincoln, the half of
my land aforesaid, with this proviso, that if my
wife Mary should prove enceinte at my decease
and bring forth a son, then I order that the said
land be divided into three equal parts." (A post
humous child was bora, was a male, and named
Abraham). "I give and bequeathe to my daugh
ters Hannah and Mary* a certain piece of land
at Matjaponix, N. J., already settled on them by
deed or gift. I give and bequeathe to my two
daughters Anna and Sarah, and to their heirs
and assigns forever, one hundred acres of land
lying at Matjaponix in the Jerseys. " He also
provides liberally for his wife Mary, and desires
" my loving and trusting friends and neighbors
Jonathan Robeson and George Boone, trustees,
to assist my wife as executrix." " I give and be
queathe unto my son John Lincoln a certain
piece of land lying in the Jerseys containing
three hundred acres, and to his heirs and assigns
forever." This John Lincoln was the great
grandfather of Abraham Lincoln, the President;
he was born in New Jersey, and as is shown by
the above quoted clause of his father's will re
ceived three hundred acres of land there. This
land he sold, and bought a farm near Birdsboro,
Berks county, Penn., where he lived until 1760,
when he sold it and removed to Virginia to what
is now Rockingham county, Va. His will was on
file at the probate office in Harrisonburg in that
county, but was destroyed by fire along with
other papers on file there; it is known, however,
that he had sons, John, Thomas, Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob, and daughters. One of these

sons, Abraham, the grandfather of the President,
in 1780 sold his Virginia possessions, and re
moved to Jefferson county, Ky., where he en
tered seventeen hundred acres of land in three
different localities. He undertook to clear and
farm one of these tracts not far from the present
city of Louisville, and while thus employed work
ing on his clearing with three sons, an unexpect
ed shot from a skulking- Indian killed him. He
left three sons: Mordecai, Josiah and Thomas,
and two daughters: Mary and Nancy. Thomas,
the youngest of these sons, was born in 1778 in
North Carolina, where his father was at
that time living, and died in 185 1 in Macon
county, Illinois. On June 12, 1806, he married
Nancy Hanks, by whom he had three children —
two sons and one daughter — -viz. : Abraham (the
President); Thomas, who died in infancy; and
Sarah, who married Aaron Grigsby, and died in
1826. The ancestors of Nancy Hanks were
neighbors of the Lincolns in Berks county, and
went with or followed them to Virginia.
The name of the second son of the Mordecai
Lincoln who settled in Berks county was also
Mordecai; he had two sons, Benjamin and John,
both of whom removed long ago to Fayette
county, Penn. His descendants are still to be
found in that county, and in the adjoining coun
ties of Pennsylvania.
Thomas, the third son of Mordecai the first
of Pennsylvania, was the second sheriff of
Berks county, and had two sons, Hananiah and
Mishael, and one daughter, Sarah. Hananiah
was a lieutenant in Col. William Cooke's
Twelfth Penn. Regiment of the Continental
line. He resigned his commission in the army
soon after the battle of Brandywine, and went
to Daniel Boones's settlement in Kentucky.
(The Boones and Lincons were neighbors in
Pennsylvania, and the two families were very
much mixed in marriages).
Mishael Lincoln, the other son of Thomas
Lincoln, the sheriff, was a soldier in the war of
the Revolution for six months; he served in Gen
eral Sullivan's expedition against the Indians in
the southern part of the State of New York,
which was sent out by Washington to revenge
the infamous massacre of Wyoming. He was
also at Fort Freeland, on the West branch when
Captain Brady was killed by the Indians in
1779. and assisted in carrying him into the fort.
Having by his experience and observation in the
war become somewhat familiar with the West
branch country, he, immediately after the close
of the war, purchased a large tract of land in
Buffalo Valley, about one mile east of Mifflin
burg, to which he removed in 1783 with his wife

768

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Rachel Thompson, and son, an infant, a year
old. From 1817 to 1820 he was one of the
commissioners of the county of Union, and he
died August 11, 1849, in the eighty-eighth year
of his age; his wife Rachel had died the year
previous also in her eighty-eighth year. They are
both interred in the Lewis graveyard in Lime
stone township, where many of the early settlers
of that neighborhood are buried. Mishael Lin
coln and Rachel Thompson, his wife, had two
sons: John and Thomas, and one daughter,
Sarah. Sarah married Michael Roush, of Mif
flinburg, Penn., and none of their posterity re
main in Pennsylvania.- Thomas, the younger of
the two sons, removed in 1840 to Pickaway
county, Ohio, where he died after a few years.
One of his daughters is the wife of Samuel Mor
ris, the cashier of the Third National Bank of
Circleville, Ohio. His sons, Solomon and John,
and daughter, Sarah, reside at Mount Pulaski,
Logan Co., 111. John is the president of the
First National Bank of that place, and his son,
C. W. Lincoln, is cashier.
John Lincoln the eldest son of Michael and
Rachel (Thompson) Lincoln, was born in Berks
county, Penn., June 30, 1782, was brought by
his parents to Buffalo Valley (then Northumber
land, now Union county), the year following; re
ceived whatever school education ' he had at
Mifflinburg in the subscription schools in vogue
at that day, and by vocation was a farmer. On
June 13, 1819, he married Hannah Van Boskirk,
the daughter of Richard and Hannah (Kelly)
Van Boskirk, of Mifflinburg, Penn. She was
born March 20, 1801. After his marriage he
owned and resided on a farm about three miles
southeast of Mifflinburg, now owned by the heirs
of Dr. J. R. Lotz. In 1826 his father-in-law
gave him the farm in Hartley township, now
owned by John Lincoln Knight, on which he
made his home until his death on August 19,
1 862. His wife survived him until March 20, 1 880,
dying on the 79th anniversary of her birth. For
nearly half a century they were members of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. The cozy church
building, with the cemetery attached, known as
the Lincoln M. E. Church, or " Lincoln Chapel,"
was named in his honor, it being located on land
donated by him for that purpose. Their chil
dren were: (1) Richard Van Boskirk, born De
cember 18, 1822; (2) Rachel Thompson, born
January 13, 1825, and (3) Catharine Elizabeth,
born October 20, 1829. Of these, Rachel mar
ried Dr. Samuel H. Knight, and had two chil
dren, one of whom, John Lincoln Knight, sur
vives his parents, and owns the old Lincoln
homestead in Hartley township. His mother

died October 17, 1875, his father a few years
afterward. Catharine E. married W. R. Half
penny. Their children are: Hannah Mary,
John Lincoln and James Milton.
Richard Van Boskirk Lincoln, the only son
of John and Hannah (Van Boskirk) Lincoln, was
born in Buffalo township, Union county, a few
miles east of Mifflinburg, removed with his par
ents to Hartley township, when four years old;
attended the subscription schools of his neighbor
hood when opportunity afforded, until he was
nine years old, when he was sent to the Mifflin
burg Academy, then in charge of Rev. Nathaniel
Todd, a Presbyterian minister. He remained at
the Academy with some intermissions, until his
sixteenth year, when he entered the Sophomore
class at Dickinson College, at Carlisle, Penn.,
where he graduated with the degree of A. B. in
July, 1 84 1, standing second in a class of twenty-
three. After leaving college he taught school
four terms of three months each, when, having
decided to follow farming as his business, he
commenced, in 1845, to work on the farm which
has been his home from that time until now
(1897) a period of fifty-two years.
Cumberland county was erected out of Lan
caster on the 27th of January, .1750, and was to
embrace all of the lands within the province of
Pennsylvania, west of the Susquehanna river,
and north and northwest of York county. The
country north of the Kittatinny or Blue Mountains
was not then purchased from the Indians. On
July 6, 1754, the chiefs of the Six Nations, by
treaty made with Thomas and Richard Penn,
conveyed to the Penns ' ' all that country lying
west and south of a line commencing at the Blue
Hills on the Susquehanna river; thence by said
river to a point one mile above the mouth of a
certain creek called Kaarondinhah (now Penns
Creek); thence northwest and by west as far as
the province of Pennsylvania extends, to the west
ern line or boundary. " This line was marked on the
old maps as running from a mile above the mouth
of Penns Creek north 45 degrees west crossing
the West branch, a little above the mouth of the
Sinnemahoning and striking Lake Erie a few
miles north of the present city of Erie. Within
the valley it crossed Penns creek near New Ber
lin, the present turnpike near Ray's church,
thence over Buffalo Creek and the mountains be
yond. The Indians alleged that they were cheated,
as they did not understand the points of the
compass, and that if the line was to run so as to
include the West branch of the Susquehanna
they would never agree to it, as it would be de
priving them of their best hunting-grounds. Not-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

769

withstanding this dispute, the Proprietaries made
surveys along Penns creek as early as February
H, 1755. The farm to which Richard V. B.
Lincoln went in 1845 was included in the dis
puted territory, and one John Turner had made
an improvement where Lincoln now lives, which
in 1755, just ninety years earlier, Turner had
sold to John Harris.
Braddock's defeat took place July 9, of that
year, and the Indians, emboldened by that suc
cess, in October, swooped down upon the few
settlers along Penn's creek, and captured or
killed all who did not escape; and no settlers
ventured again upon the bloody ground until a
new treaty and survey had. been made in 1768.
The farm of Richard V. B. Lincoln will thus be
seen to be one of the oldest in the county. In
1 78 1 it was owned by John Shively, who was
taken captive by a band of Indians in that year
while making hay in the meadow in the rear of
the house, and was never heard from afterward.
In politics Mr. Lincoln was in early life a
Whig, and cast his first Presidential vote for
Henry Clay. On the formation of . the Repub
lican party, he at once became and has ever since
been an active and prominent member thereof.
In 1 85 1 he was elected a justice of the peace,
and continued in that office for twenty years by
successive re-elections, until he declined to serve
any longer; and now, after having been out of
office for more than twenty-five years, the ap
pellation of "Squire" still clings to him, and his
advice is sought by nearly all the community in
matters of a legal nature. He was elected coun
ty commissioner in 1855, and re-elected in 1857
for another three years. He has served as school
director thirty years, and has many times filled
other township offices, such as assessor, overseer
of the poor, etc. The Republicans of his county
at one time presented his name as their choice
for State Senator; and in 1876 the Republicans
in his Congressional district made him their
standard-bearer in the election of that year. The
district being largely Democratic, he failed of an
election, though he received the full party vote,
and in.his own county ran several hundred votes
ahead of his ticket. In 1890 he was again the
unanimous nominee of the Republicans of his
county for Congress, but failed to receive the
district nomination. In his whole career he never
solicited or canvassed for votes, in this respect
being different from most of his contemporaries.
On August 18, 1852, Mr. Lincoln was mar
ried to Anna Maria Pellman, daughter of Samuel
and Mary (Wolfe) Pellman. She was born May
24. _ 183 1, in Berks county, Penn. Their chil
dren are: (1) John W., born May 24, 1853,
49*

married Gertrude Reed, of Seneca county, Ohio,
on October 7, 1880; they have one daughter —
Marie Reed, born July 19, 1885. (2) Samuel
P., born October 5, 1856, died July 29, 1866.
(3) Mark H., born September 13, i860, gradu
ated in 1885 from the medical department of the
University of Pennsylvania; on April 14, 1886,
he married Carrie Pearce; he is practicing his
profession in Philadelphia. (4) Hannah Mary,
born September 7, 1863, graduated from Dick
inson Seminary, Williamsport, in 1884, with the
degree of B. S. ; on September 7, 1887, she mar
ried Rev. S. B. Evans, of the Methodist Episco
pal Church, for the last ten years stationed at
Lock Haven and Williamsport; their children
are — Lucile, born June 2, 1889; Vincent Good-
sell, July n, 1890; Grace Winifred, November
18, 1893; and Marion Gray and Miriam Gertrude
(twins), November 6, 1895. (5) Louis P., born
August 8, 1866, married December 24, 1896, to
Celesta J. Albright, of Mifflinburg, Penn. ; he is
in the employ of the Carnegie Steel Company at
Homestead. (6) Rufus V. B., born April 17,
1 87 1, graduated from Dickinson College with the
degree of A. B. in 1895, and from the Dickinson
School of Law with the degree of LL. B. in
1896; was admitted to the Bar of Cumberland
County, Penn., in June, 1896, and in December,
1897, to the Bar of Northumberland County,
Penn., in which county he is located at Shamo
kin. (7) Anna Rebecca, born February 16,
1873, graduated from Dickinson Seminary in
1893, with the degree of M. E. L.

B

B. HARRIS has served as Collector of
Taxes for the Borough of Lewisburg, Union
county, ever since the law of 1886 went into
force, and his efficiency and ability had been pre
viously tested by a long period in a similar
capacity in two of the wards, under the old law.
The history of this popular and public-spirited
citizen is of unusual interest, his war records of
two wars and his experiences in the West in the
early days recalling scenes now historic.
A native of Union county, born May 3, 1839,
he was taken to Lewisburg in 1850, and there
acquired his education in what is now known as
Bucknell Academy. In 1854 he went to Free-
port, 111., to find a brother, with whom he
remained until the Pike's Peak excitement set in
and led him with hosts of others to cross the
Plains. Although he paid his passage he drove a
wagon load of shoes from Freeport to Omaha,
Neb., where the owner traded the shoes for fif
teen head of milch cows, which Mr. Harris drove
to Denver, riding all the way on an Indian pony

770

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Those were wonderful days, but many failed to
realize the ambition which had taken them upon
the long and toilsome journey, and Mr. Harris
was one of those upon whom fortune failed to
smile. He first located on Clear creek at Boul
der City, but soon found that the man with
whom he had crossed the Plains, and for whom
he had endured many hardships, could not
furnish him employment, and nothing remained
but to return to Denver as best he could. He
shouldered his trunk and carried it to a point
where he could await a wagon train bound to
that city, and on his arrival met a cousin from
Freeport, 111., in whom the gold-hunting fever
was at its height. Joining the Rocky Mountain
Prospecting Company, Mr. Harris soon became
a favorite among them. Retiring from the
services of the Rocky Mountain Prospecting
Company, he returned to Denver, packing the
Snowy Range of the Rocky Mountains alone.
Denver was but little more than a gambler's
camp at that time, affording but little choice of
occupation to a needy man, and Mr. Harris
"roughed it" for a time in a manner truly Bo
hemian, washing dishes in a restaurant for his
meals, and finding his bed where he best could.
After a few weeks, however, he was offered the
place of head waiter, the former incumbent hav
ing been killed in a brawl. The salary of $50 a
month seemed a genuine bonanza. He remained
about a year and then joined the army for the
Mormon war, participating in the battle at Dead
Man's Gulch, the scene of the great massacre.
After six months in this service he became a
rancher or cowboy, and, taking the Platte fever,
he finally turned his face homeward, making the
trip to Nebraska City in a wagon. From there
Mr. Harris made his way by railroad to Freeport,
111., where he secured employment and remained
until a brother, J. S. Harris, came from Califor
nia and took him home to Lewisburg. This
was in i860, and Mr. Harris decided after spend
ing some time at home to visit the oil fields on
the Allegheny river, which were then creating
so much excitement. While at New Pennsyl
vania on his way by boat to Oil City, papers
were put on board which told the story of the
attack upon Fort Sumter, and the boat at once
turned back to Pittsburg where they found the
people wrought up to a high state of feeling.
Mr. Harris started on his return home, going by
railway to Lewistown, and walking from that
point to Harrisburg where he found a brother-in-
law (F. P. Green); accompanying him to Belle
fonte, he then returned to his home in Lewis
burg. He was among the first to enlist for the
three-months' service when our Civil war broke

out, and at the end of that time he re-enlisted for
three years in Company E, 51st P. V. I., which
was assigned to the Ninth Corps of the Burnside
expedition. He took part in the battles of
Roanoke Island, Newberne, Camden, Cold Har
bor, and numerous other engagements; his health
not being equal to the strain, he was discharged
at Newberne, N. C, June 17, 1862. While on
the frontier he was wounded by a Indian arrow
and spear in the shoulder and groin.
After his discharge from the United States
service he returned home, and as he regained his
health refused to remain inactive while the na
tion's life was imperiled, and, on November 28,
1863, he rejoined the army. But his patriotic
ardor was again balked by illness, and he was
discharged a second time, February 1, 1864, on
surgeon's certificate of disability. Having pre
viously become proficient in dentistry he engaged
in that calling in Seymour, Conn., New York
City, Philadelphia, Lewistown and Lewisburg,
but later gave up the business to follow that of
steam- fitting, plumbing and gas-fitting. In 1879
he was appointed tax collector for a portion of the
City of Lewisburg, and after the new law was put
in force in 1886 he was elected collector for the
city. Since that time he has made the work' his
chief interest, gradually withdrawing from his
other business.
On July 4, 1869, Mr. Harris was married to
Miss Jennie E. Diefenderfer, who was born in
Lewisburg, June 8, 1845, and has always had
her home there. Her father, Joel Diefenderfer,
a native of White Deer Valley, Union county,
was born March 17, 1824, and died June 15,1846.
Her mother, whose maiden name was Elizabeth
Dentler, was born December 31, 1824, and is still
living, surviving a second husband, the late S. S.
Hess. Both families were of high English and
high German descendants. On the paternal side
Mrs. Harris' grandfather was John Diefenderfer,
a native of Bucks county, who spent his last
days in Union county. Her maternal grand
father, John Dentler, was born in Philadelphia
county, and died in Lewisburg, in 1854, at the
age of seventy- four. At one time he was wealthy,
but reverses came and in his later years he
worked as a laborer.
Mr. and Mrs. Harris have had four children,
of whom three are living: William Laird, born
May 3, 1870, was educated in the Lewisburg
High School, and is now employed in the Maine
Eye and Ear Infirmary of Portland, Maine. He
married Gertrude Tinsman, and- has one living
child, Cora Mae; two others, Ralph and Jean
ette, died in infancy. (Mrs. W. L. Harris'
brother, Wm. H. Tinsman, Jr., was one of the

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

771

ill-fated Maine's crew, who lost his life when our
battle ship " Maine " was blown up in the harbor
of Havana). (2) Harry Elsworth, born March
16, 1873, is in the employ of the Lovel Excel
Bicycle Works in Portland, Maine. (3) James
S., born January 3, 1875, is a stenographer and
typewriter at Lewisburg. (4) Frank G., born
October 6, 1884, died on the same day.
In political affiliations Mr. Harris is a Re
publican. Socially, he is prominent and various
fraternal orders in his locality owe much to his
active support. He was a charter member of
the G. A. R. Post No. 52, of Lewisburg, and his
family are identified with the Associated branches,
the two eldest sons (one a lieutenant) as mern-
•bers of the society of Sons of Veterans, Port
land, Maine, and his wife and daughter-in-law
(president) as members of the Ladies' Aid Society
and the Woman's Relief Corps. Mr. Harris also
belongs to the B. P. O. E. ; to the Protected
Home Circle, and to the Ancient and Illustrious
Order of Knights of Malta, being a charter mem
ber of Mount Carmel Commandery No. 22, Mt.
Carmel, Penn. , and of the College of the Ancients,
an affiliated body. He was the organizer of Red
Cross Commandery at Lewisburg, founded May
17, 1888, and re-organized February 13, 1891.
His eldest son, W. L. Harris, of Portland,
Maine, is connected with the A. P. A. , and is one
of the youngest members of the Order of Knights
of Malta, having entered it when but one day
over eighteen.
The Harris family is well known in Pennsyl
vania, and one of its members, John Harris, was
the founder of its capital city. Our subject is
of the fourth generation in descent from William
Harris, who came from Wales and located in
Paxton township (then Lancaster county, Penn.).
He died therein 1763. His wife, whose maiden
name was Kathrin Douglass, was a native of
Scotland, and a relative of Sir Robert Douglass.
They had six children: James, born January 16,
1739, died 1786; Sarah, born March 20, 1741
(no date of death preserved); John, November 20,
1746 (no date of death preserved); William,
November 20, 1749, died in 1763; Mary, July 22,
1752 (no date of death preserved); and Robert,
March, 1755. The last named served as sur
geon's mate in the Revolutionary army, and the
medicine chest that he carried is still in the
family. He died March 4, 1785, and is interred
in the churchyard attached to the Chester Valley
Presbyterian Church, near Berwyn, Chester Co.,
Pennsylvania. James Harris, the grandfather of our subject,
was a soldier in Washington's forces during the
struggle for independence, and took part in the

battle on Brandywine Creek. He was married
June 2, 1768, to Miss Mary Laird, born May 10,
1750 (her mother's maiden name was Catharine
Spencer, from Scotland), and had ten children,
whose names with dates of birth and death are
as follows: William, April 28, 1769, February
2, 1785; Elizabeth, July 18, 1770, May 20, 1842,
married Thomas Howard and settled in Buffalo
Valley; Catharine, April 2, 1772, December 28,
1784; Jean, January 6, 1774, December 5, 1839,
never married, was buried at Lewisburg, as were
also Laird, February 22, 1776, June 30, 1704;
Robert, November 22, 1777, about 181 3; Sarah,
September 4, 1779, December 30, 1827; James,
June 13, 1 78 1 , July 1, 1868; Martha, August 13,
1784, February 13, 1873; William L., May 17,
1786, November 11, 1845.
William L. Harris was a prominent politician,
a member of the Legislature, and a member of
the convention which assembled at the State
Capital in Harrisburg, May 2, 1837, to alter and
amend the constitution of the State of Pennsyl
vania. He died from the effects of a surgical
operation. The father of this family died in
1786, his remains being interred in Derry grave
yard in Dauphin county. His widow survived
him and brought her children to Union county
about 1794, locating in (then) Buffalo township,
on land which has been in the family ever since.
She held the title until 18 18, when she deeded it
to two of her sons, James (2), our subject's
father, and William L., and she continued to
reside there until her death, December 13, 1842,
from old age. Her remains now rest in the
cemetery at Lewisburg. The portion of the
farm which she gave to William L. Harris is now
owned and occupied by a brother of our subject,
William L. Harris (son of James Harris).
James Harris (2), the father of our subject,
had not yet attained his majority when he came
to Union county, and the greater part of his life
was spent there in farming. In his later years he
bought property in Lewisburg where he passed
away. He was nearly six feet tall, and of slender
build, and in disposition he was active, making
a success of his own business affairs and taking
an influential part in the local movements of his
time. In politics he was first a Whig, and later
a Republican, and he served ably in various
township offices. He and his wife were both de
vout members of the Presbyterian Church, and
were highly esteemed among their associates.
They were married October 19, 18 19. and Mrs.
Harris passed away April 13, 1879. Her maiden
name was Sarah Bell, and she was born in
Dauphin county on Sweet Arrow cr.eek, in 1794.
They had nine children, of whom our subject,

772

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Berryhill B. Harris, is the youngest: (i) Will
iam L., born August 24, 1820, is a farmer in
East Buffalo township, Union county, and is also
engaged in banking. (2) James S., born April
14, 1822, died March 10, 1882, and was buried
in Mt. Vernon Cemetery, Philadelphia. He was
a physician and spent some time out west, the
first cabin at Nevada City, Cal., having been
built by him. He married Miss Emma E. Whar-
tenby, October 12, 1852. (3) Samuel B., born
September 2, 1824, resided at Freeport, 111.,
married Anna E. VanDyke, June 11, 1850, died
March 8, 1897, in Beloit, Wis., buried in Free-
port, Illinois. (4) Mary L., born November 16,
1826, is the widow of the late S. Wilson Snod-
grass, of Mifflinburg. (5) Robert D., born Feb
ruary 18, 1829, died at Granada City, Nicaragua,
October, 1856, while serving as a lieutenant
in Walker's Expedition. (6) Ann B., born March
24, 1 83 1, resides in Bellefonte. (7) Sarah C,
born June 17, 1833, married F. P. Green, of
Bellefonte. (8) Caroline D., born January 31,
1836, died September 19, 1864, buried in Lew
isburg Cemetery. (9) Berryhill B., born May 3,
1839.

JUSTIN ROLPH LOOMIS, LL. D., for many
years president of Bucknell College, and the
man to whom, more than to any other in
dividual, is due the credit for its success, is a de
scendant of Joseph Loomis, who came to Amer
ica from Braintree, County of Essex, England,
in 1638, and after a short residence in Massachu
setts, removed, in 1639 or 1640, to Windsor,
Connecticut. Dr. Loomis was born in Bennington, Wyom
ing Co., N. Y. , August 21, 1 810. His prepara
tion for college was made at Madison University,
New York, and, being completed, he entered
Brown University, at Providence, R. I., from
which he graduated with the class of 1835. He
taught for one year in the State Agricultural
School of Rhode Island, and then became a tutor,
and soon after professor of Natural Science in
Waterville College (now Colby University) in
Maine. There he remained sixteen years, or
until 1852. He then traveled about a year in
Bolivia and Peru, South America, after which he
came to Lewisburg and entered the university as
professor of Natural Sciences. In 1858 he was
made president of the university, succeeding Dr.
Howard Malcom, and remained in that respon
sible position for twenty-two years, or until 1879,
when he resigned, and was succeeded by Dr.
David Jayne Hill. During his presidency he dis
charged the duties of professor of Intellectual

Philosophy and Metaphysics. In 1865, Dr.
Loomis was successful in raising $100,000 addi
tional endowment for the College. He has
traveled much. In 1871 he was absent from the
university on a trip to Europe, touching also
Africa and Asia, and returning by way of San
Francisco. He made visits to Europe again, in
in 1873 and 1879, and in 1882 sojourned in Cal
ifornia. He has written much for the press, and
in 185 1 published a work on Geology, and in
1852 one on Human Physiology.
Dr. Loomis was married on January 16, 1838,
to Sarah Anne Freeman, of Richfield Springs,
N. Y., who died March 3, 1852. The eldest
son by this marriage is Freeman Loomis, now
professor of Modern Languages in the university.
On January 17, 1854, Dr. Loomis married his
second wife, Mary Gilbert. Carrie Loomis, for
four years teacher of Modern Languages in the
Female Institute of the university, is a daughter
of this marriage. The Doctor's third wife, now
living, to whom he was married August 20, 1873,
was Miss Augusta Tucker. A son by this mar
riage, Andrew Gregg Loomis, graduated from
the college in 1895, and is now (1898) a student
of law in Columbia University, New York.
In closing this brief sketch of Dr. Loomis,
we cannot do better than to use a few words of
characterization from one who knows him and
his work intimately: "For more than twenty
years Dr. Loomis stood as the leading represent
ative of higher education among the Baptists of
Pennsylvania. His broad and deep scholarship,
his large knowledge derived from extensive for
eign travel and careful observation of men, his-
strong Christian faith and his indomitable reso
lution combined to fit him for leadership. Hun
dreds of young men remember him with grati
tude, and confess that to him, more than to any
other man, they owe the discipline of mind and
force of character that have made them success
ful in the world. The Lewisburg Baptist church
edifice stands not only as a monument to his su
perior architectural taste, but also to his remark
able self-sacrifice in toiling and giving for its-
completion. It has been the characteristic of
his life to accomplish that which he undertook,
and he has devoted a long career to the realiza
tion of unselfish ends in the elevation and en
lightenment of others."

r 'ON. JAMES R. RITTER. Union county
JEL is indebted to Berks county for some of her
best blood, the descendants of her first settlers
having taken a prominent part in the develop
ment of this section.

PEE SITfEWI, mmERETTi AT rovrsBUELG-.
FEI-I1T

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

773

The Ritter family, which is of German ex
traction, became identified with Berks county at
an early date, and the first of. the name to leave
it for the less thickly populated lands of central
Pennsylvania was Jeremiah Ritter, our subject's
father, who came to Union county in early man
hood, and after a short residence near Lochiel,
settled near Vicksburg, where he lived to the
good old age of seventy-two. He was an intelli
gent man, highly educated, and possessed much
influence in the community. For several years
he was an officer in the State militia, and during
the Rebellion he went to Harrisburg with the
"Home Guards." He was a member of the Re
formed Church, but his wife, Elizabeth (Ruhl),
who died at the age of seventy, was a Lutheran
in faith. She was a member of one of the lead
ing pioneer families of Union county, and her
father, Hon. Philip Ruhl, who lived and died
near Buffalo Cross Roads, was a member of the
State Legislature and an associate judge of the
county. Our subject was the elder of two sons,
and the younger, William P. , is now a resident
of Lewisburg. James R. Ritter was born June n, 1852, in
East Buffalo township, Union county. His force
ful character was displayed at an early age in a
most worthy cause, as he left home when but
twelve years old in order to find better educa
tional facilities than the local schools afforded.
Going to Mifflinburg, he worked as a hostler for
his board while attending school, thus securing
an education much beyond that of the average
youth of his day. On leaving school he clerked
in a store for three years, but after his marriage
in 1876 he rented a farm, where he remained two
years, managing by industry and economy to lay
aside a small sum of money. With this he be
gan buying poultry for the city markets, and,
finding the business profitable, he extended his
operations to cattle and anything that could be
sold to advantage.
For fifteen years past Mr. Ritter has made a
specialty of dealing in carriages, and as his cap
ital now permits him to give credit he commands
a large trade, his sales amounting to 150 in one
year. His manly bearing and upright character
have won him friends far and near wherever his
business operations have taken him, and as he
is both active and influential in the councils of
the Republican party, he was recognized as an
available candidate and one who could add
strength to the ticket. In 1890 he was elected
to the State Legislature, and during his term he
became well acquainted with the leaders of both
parties throughout the State. His purse, his
time, and his talents are always at the disposal

of the Republican party, and no man is more
looked to than he for advice on important move
ments. Mr. Ritter is a member of the Lutheran
Church, and gives liberally to that and other
religious societies. He also belongs to the Ma
sonic fraternity, and for twenty years has been a
member of Mifflinburg Lodge.
His wife, formerly Miss Mary J. Watson, was
a native of West Buffalo township, Union coun
ty, born March 4, 1845, died June 15, 1895.
Two sons blessed their union: Clarence, who
died when two years old ; and Charles W. , born
January 1, 1876, who was educated at the Penn
sylvania State College, and is now a traveling
salesman for a wholesale paint and oil house.

WILLIAM H. SLIFER (deceased). Sud
denly called from earth before manhood's
prime had been attained, the subject of this
memoir had established a name in which his
children may take honorable pride, and the fol
lowing record is given in loving remembrance of
his life and character.
Mr. Slifer was of German descent, but the
family has been located in this country for nearly
two hundred years, his great-great-grandfather
having crossed the Atlantic about 1700 to make
his home in Bucks county, Penn. There a son
Abraham was born, whose son of the same name
became the father of the late Hon. Eli Slifer,
the father of our subject, and one of the ablest
and most distinguished men that this Common
wealth has produced. He was born in Coven
try township, Chester Co., Penn., in 18 18, the
third in a family of five children. His parents,
who belonged to the sect of German Baptists,
commonly known as Dunkards, died when the
children were quite young, and although Eli re
ceived some kindly help from Samuel Harley, a
member of the same religious community, the
boy was thrown upon his own resources at an
early age. In 1834 he began to learn the hat
ter's trade in Lewisburg, and while serving his
apprenticeship he passed through an experience
which, though unpleasant at the time, proved to
be of lasting benefit. He naturally desired the
friendship of boys of his own age, but it so hap
pened that the youths of Lewisburg found some
thing to ridicule in his country manners and
garb, and, humiliated by his reception, young Eli
avoided them, and devoted his spare time to
books instead of the amusements which would
otherwise have held his attention. A bright
mind thus turned exclusively to study enabled
him to acquire an excellent education, while his
powers of judgment were developed by his inde-

774

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

pendent course as they could have been in no
other way.
In 1 841, Eli Slifer went to Northumberland
county, Penn., to engage in boat-building, but
in 1845 he returned to Lewisburg, and in part
nership with William Frick, established a similar
business, to which they afterward added the
manufacture of lumber. The firm of Frick &
Slifer had an extensive trade, employing over a
hundred men, and their profits were so large that
in a few years Mr. Slifer retired with a fair com
petence. Business life is not readily given up,
however, by one who has decided talents as a
manager, and as Mr. Slifer was still in the prime
of his powers, he again became actively inter
ested in affairs as a member of a company, which
owned a foundry and a shop for the manufacture
of agricultural implements.
The discussions over the slavery question,
which was then forcing itself to the front as an
issue, aroused his earnest sympathy, and, not
withstanding the neutral attitude preserved by
the Dunkards toward all political movements, he
joined the Whigs about 1848, his abilities and
forceful character speedily bringing him into
prominence. In 1849 he was nominated unani
mously for the Legislature in the district com
posed of Juniata and Union counties, the latter
then comprising also what is now known as Sny
der county. He was elected, and served so suc
cessfully that he was re-elected by an over
whelming majority. In 185 1 he was a compro
mise candidate for the State Senate, each county
in his district having presented a " favorite son,"
and he was chosen to the office without opposi
tion, although the Democrats carried the district
for several other offices. In 1855 he became
State treasurer, but in the following year he re
tired, the Democrats having come into power.
In 1859 and again in i860 he was chosen to
that office, but in January, 1861, four months
before the expiration of his term, he resigned to
accept the post of Secretary of State, under
Gov. Curtin. This office, which is second only
to that of the governor in importance, he held
during the war, and only resigned in 1867, when
impaired health compelled him to lay aside his
cares. As has been said in recognition of his work:
"The services he rendered his State during the
Rebellion were excessive, arduous, exacting and
untiring, and all were performed with notable
unselfishness and a patriotic devotion to the pub
lic weal." After his retirement he spent nearly
a year in Europe, going on a government vessel
by invitation of the national authorities. His
remaining years were spent upon his farm near

Lewisburg, his influence being used in effective
though quiet, ways, to promote progress in vari
ous lines. Of him it may be truly said that he
never sought distinction and honor, and respon
sibility came to him through a recognition by the
people of his worth.
In 1 840 Eli Slifer was married to Miss Cath
erine Frick, a sister of his business partner, and
eight children were born to the union: John
Frick died in infancy; Samuel H. is a resident of
Indianapolis, Ind. ; Catherine married Andrew
H. Dill, of Lewisburg; Clara is the wife of Rob
ert Green, of Muncy, Penn.; William H. and
John were accidentally killed; Eli resides in In
dianapolis, Ind. ; Anna Frick married William
Walls, of Lewisburg.
The late W. H. Slifer was born at Lewisburg,
January 1, 1848, and was educated mainly in
the public schools of his native place. He had
the advantage of one year of study at Bucknell
College, and he always retained his membership
in the Sigma Chi fraternity of that institution.
Having both inclination and ability for mechanics,
he learned the machinist's trade, serving his ap
prenticeship in the Central Manufacturing Com
pany at Lewisburg, of which he became foreman
after a few years.
On September 1, 1870, he was married at
Lewisburg, to Miss Charity Voris Conard, who
proved a true helpmeet. In 1870 failing health
caused Mr. Slifer to remove to the country,
where outdoor life might restore the vigor which
too much confinement had impaired, and he lo
cated upon the farm now occupied by his widow
and the family. His death occurred there Sep
tember 22, 1879, while he was overseeing the
work in a stone quarry on the estate, the earth
caving in upon him and killing him instantly.
Six children were left to comfort the bereaved
wife and mother. Edith is now the wife of J.
W. Meixell; A. Conard is at home; Robert G.
and Grace are students at Bucknell College;
William H. attends the academy; and Clara J. is
pursuing her studies in the seminary.
Mrs. Slifer was born at Pottsgrove, Nor
thumberland Co., Penn., the daughter of Adam
and Elizabeth (Jones) Conard, who were both
natives of Montgomery county, Penn., where
they were married. Later they moved to Potts
grove, where Mr. Conard was engaged in mer
cantile business, and in 1865 they made their
home at Lewisburg, Mr. Conard conducting a
confectionery establishment. His last years
were spent in retirement at Montandon, where
he breathed his last December 3, 1884, at the
age of eighty-two years, seven months and four
days. He was a man of prominence in business

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

775

and social life, and in religion was a Quaker. His
widow, who still resides at Montandon, is a mem
ber of the Baptist Church. They had four chil
dren: Mary A., wife of M. V. Andrews, who is
in the insurance business at Montandon; William
K., who died at the age of twenty-one ; Charity
V., Mrs. Slifer; and Elizabeth, who married John
H. Egolf, a general merchant at Douglasville,
Berks Co. , Pennsylvania.

FRANCIS C. HARRISON, M. D. (deceased),
was one of Lewisburg's most prominent citi
zens, and was for many years a leader in finan
cial circles, as well as in the social, religious and
political movements which furnish a cohesive
force in a community and develop the public
spirit that brings practical unity.
Dr. Harrison was born in 1823, in Ireland,
whence he came to America with his parents
when he was seven years old. He grew to man
hood at Castleton, Vt., and was educated at a
college there, adding to his literary studies a
course in medicine. Coming to Pennsylvania, he
located first at Bloomsburg, where he practiced
successfully for some time. In 1866 he was mar
ried to Miss Jane Cameron, daughter of William
Cameron, and not long afterward removed to
Lewisburg, where he turned his attention to
finance, taking the position of president of the
First National Bank, the duties of which responsi
ble post he discharged ably and faithfully until
his retirement from active business. While he
was a politician he gave hearty support to the
principles of the Republican party; in religious
faith he was a member of the Presbyterian Church.
He died December 28, 1893, leaving a widow,
and one daughter, Eleanor, who resides with her
mother at Lewisburg. Three children died in
infancy: William (1) at the age of ten months;
William (2) when about a year old, and Hugh.
The Cameron family has long .been prom
inent in this State, many of its members having
won distinction in public life. The head of this
branch was Simon Cameron, who came from
Inverness, Scotland, in 1755, with his family, his
minister, Colin MacFarquhar, being the leader of
the party of voyagers. They located at Donegal
Church, in Lancaster county, where Simon Cam
eron purchased a farm now owned by Gen.
Simon Cameron. Charles Cameron, a son of
Simon, was five years old at the time of the re
moval to the new home, where he remained until
after his marriage. In 1808 he removed to Sun
bury, then to Washingtonville, and in 18 10 to
Lewisburg, where he is mentioned in the assess
ment lists as a tailor. He died January 16, 1 8 1 4,

at his home on the corner of Front and St. John
streets, now a vacant lot, belonging to the estate
of William Cameron. His widow, Mrs. Martha
Cameron, died November 10, 1830, while on a
visit to her son, Col. James Cameron. Their
children were: William, John, Simon, James,
Daniel, Eliza, Jane and Catherine.
William Cameron, the father of Mrs. Har
rison, was born at Maytown, Penn., October 15,
1795, and became a tailor by trade. When
business was dull he would engage in other occu
pations, often joining the rivermen in their work
of carrying produce to market at the time of
high water, frequently making the return journey
on foot. In September, 18 14, he volunteered
as a private in the ' ' Northumberland County
Blues," attached to Col. George Weirick's regi-
,ment, and marched to Marcus Hook. This
regiment was discharged at Philadelphia in the
latter part of December, 18 14, and his account
of their muster is interesting as showing the
limits of the city at that time, as they are said
to have marched out of the city about Fourth
street, to the old " Brick Tavern " to encamp on
Union Green.
On January 5, 1820, he was married at Lew
isburg, by Rev. Thomas Hood, to Miss Eleanor
McLaughlin, who was born June 20, 1803. Her
father, Hugh McLaughlin, owned several lots in
Lewisburg, and for some time lived in a log
house on the corner of Market and Fourth
streets. At the time of his death, in 18 15, he
had traded this property for seventy acres of
land in' Kelly township, Union county, but it
had not been entirely paid for, and the busi
ness of settling the estate was further complicated
by the long minorities of some of the children.
They were six in number: James, Eleanor,
Mary (who died at twenty), Catherine (wife of
the late Col. Jackson McFaddin), Hugh and
Margaret. During the first years of their mar
ried life William Cameron and his young wife
occupied rented rooms in the upper stories of
business buildings. One spring morning Mrs.
Cameron remarked that they might be able to
buy a place near by upon favorable terms — an
old hatter's shop which stood there having been
partially burned. The prospect was not bright,
but Mr. Cameron, who was about to start upon
a trip down the river, said that his energetic and
clever spouse might try leasing the place. By
the time he returned her industry had made the
place a clean and comfortable dwelling, and their
hope of ownership, though in the future, made
the place seem indeed a home. They bought it
as means permitted, built a better residence, and
from this starting point may be dated their pros-

776

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

perity. Later Mr. Cameron purchased all the
places dear to him by early associations, the
home of his father, the old home of his beloved
" Nellie," and the grounds on both sides of the
creek where he had wooed and won her, a touch
ing evidence of the sensitiveness which underlay
his somewhat stern exterior. At the time of his
death he owned a large amount of the best prop
erty in Lewisburg, while his country lands ex
tended north from the east end of the Lime
stone Ridge across the heart of Buffalo Valley,
and along the east bank of the West branch of
the Susquehanna to the border of Milton, com
prising many of the best farms of that fertile
region. His business enterprises were varied and ex
tensive, the first of note being the construction,
under contract, of portions of the Pennsylvania
canal, by which he cleared about ten thousand
dollars. While engaged in this work Mrs. Cam
eron moved into a log cabin upon a farm which
they bought near the scene of operations. It
was a forlorn looking place, but by hard work
and good management was transformed into a
veritable garden. Other enterprises were the
tunnel of Elizabethtown, the railroad bridge at
Harrisburg on the Cumberland Valley R.'R. ,
and the dams at Columbia and Lewisburg. In
1839 he engaged in the wholesale dry-goods busi
ness in Philadelphia, under the firm name of
Welsh, Cameron & Co., and continued about
three years. He was also a leading member of
a firm that successfully operated the railroad
from Columbia to Philadelphia. It had been
managed for one year by the Department of Pub
lic Works, but was falling deeper and deeper in
debt, when Mr. Cameron took charge of it. In
1853 he engaged in banking, assisting in the es
tablishment of the Lewisburg Savings Institution,
which later became a chartered State bank, and
then, under the National Banking Act, was in
corporated as the Lewisburg National Bank. On
one occasion, when on the witness stand, he gave
"banking" as his occupation.
In speaking of his life, in his prosperous years,
he never failed to give credit to his wife for her
share in the efforts which had gained his wealth,
and at his death, which occurred September 10,
1877, he left almost all his possessions to her
for her lifetime. It is a fact worthy of note that
his work tended to the improvement and devel
opment of the localities in which he was inter
ested, dilapidated buildings being restored, swamp
lands drained, or avenues of commerce opened.
While he did not make a name in public life like
his brother, Hon. Simon Cameron, or his brother
James, who fell in the first battle of the Civil

war while serving as colonel of the 79th High
landers of New York, his influence was no less a
power for good wherever he was known. Never
ostentatious in gifts, he still made generous do
nations when a worthy cause was recognized. A
steam fire-engine, costing over$io,ooo, was given
to the city of Lewisburg, and twice a year he
gave orders to the coal dealers to see that none
were suffering from cold, while the gifts quietly
sent from his own store houses cannot be esti
mated. He was familiarly known in the com
munity as "the Squire," the title having first
been acquired through his commission from Gov.
Schultz, February 19, 1827, as a justice of the
peace, but it was continued as a tribute of re
spect to his character and standing.
His widow, Mrs. Eleanor Cameron, and
two daughters survive him. Of the latter, Mary
is the wife of Hon. John B. Packer, and Jane
married Dr. Harrison, of this sketch; another
daughter, Elizabeth, married John A. Green,
and died leaving two children, Martha and Mar
garet; and a son, William, Jr., whose death in
1 86 1 cut short a promising career at the Bar,
left two children — William and Nellie (now Mrs.,
Harry Marsh).

JAMES MERRILL LINN. William Linn,
the great-great-grandfather of James Merrill
Linn, emigated from the North of Ireland in
1732, and settled, originally, in New Jersey, op
posite Bristol, Penn. He was of Scotch-Irish
stock, a man of giant frame and of immense mus
cular strength. His only son, William, so the
family tradition runs, was in Philadelphia with
his team when Benjamin Franklin, the great
quartermaster, impressed him into the baggage
train service of Gen. Braddock's army, and he
was compelled to wagon it out to Pittsburg.
Both going and returning, he stopped to water
his horses at a spring at the base of North mount
ain, a few miles north of Shippensburg, a place
that delighted him. On his return and discharge
he purchased the place.
James Merrill Linn, the fourth child of James
F. and Margaret I. Linn, was born October 17,
1833, in the house in Lewisburg in which he
lived throughout his life. His early education
was received in the Lewisburg Academy. When
the first session of the university commenced in
September, 1846, he entered what was then
called the senior academic class. The next year
he entered college, and graduated August 20,
1 8 5 1 , with the salutatory, being not quite eighteen
years, of age. He was a member of the Gamma

//lot^z, m^_ ^*5 i^i^f-r

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

777

Chapter of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, and
during the early history of this Chapter took an
active interest in its affairs. In 1852 he went to
Lancaster to read law with James Black, a
former student of his father. In the same year
he was appointed a tutor in Franklin and Mar
shall college in that city, teaching Greek and
Latin. This was for two years; then he returned
to Lewisburg, and was admitted to the Bar in
September, 1854. For six months he practiced
in Phoenixville; then returned to Lewisburg, and
in 1858 became a partner of his father, under the
firm name of J. F. & J. M. Linn.
When the Civil war broke out in 1861, and
the call for 75,000 troops was issued, he was at
a law suit in Snyder county. The suit came to
an end at once. He hastened home, enlisted
and served as second lieutenant in Company G,
4th P. V. I., for three months. Then he aided
in recruiting a company, of which he was com
missioned captain — Company H, 51st P. V. I.,
in which he served from November 16, 1861, un
til April 14, 1864, when he resigned on account
of greatly impaired health. During his last en
listment he served as a staff officer a considerable
part of the time, and particularly as judge advo
cate of the division, on account of his legal train
ing and equipment. After his return from serv
ice it was several years before he resumed his
profession. His father dying in 1869, he entered
into partnership with Andrew H. Dill, which con
tinued for ten years. The partnership being dis
solved, he then practiced his profession alone.
An old soldier Mr. Linn ever manifested the
utmost interest in anything that pertained to the
Civil war, being especially concerned in collect
ing and publishing reliable history of the strug
gle. One great desire and ambition of his life
was to see a becoming soldiers' monument
erected in Lewisburg as a testimonial of respect
and regard, and in honor of the soldiers of Union
county. As a citizen it was simply just to speak
of him in high praise. His public spirit and
civic pride kept him always to the front of enter
prise, ready to lend his willing assistance and to
create in others something of his own enthusiasm.
In his social life he was highly esteemed, and his
friends found him a most interesting companion.
His gentle nature, stimulated by his love for all that
is chaste and beautiful in literature and art, made
him a gentleman always agreeable and entertain
ing. Well educated in his youth, he added to
his college training a great fund of knowledge by
a wide range of study in history and literature,
He was a frequent contributor to local papers.
At a meeting of the local Bar of Lewisburg,
to present appropriate resolutions on the death

of Mr. Linn, Hon. Harold M. McClure,. the pre
sident judge, on taking the Bench to preside,
thus spoke: " We have met to-day in memory
of one of a long line of eminent men, whose eru
dition, scholarly attainments, gentlemanly de
portment, thorough knowledge of the science of
law, and skill and faithfulness in its practice,
have kept this Bar in the front rank of the pro
fession. Mr. Linn was a worthy descendant of
an illustrious sire; a conspicuous example of the
hereditary transmission of the physical qualities
of parents to their children.
' ' There are those who hold that preachers are
rarely made in one generation. If this be true
analogy will account for his intuitive perception
of the underlying principle that controlled every
case. The lamp lit by the father was not dimmed
when held by the son; the mantle that fell from
his shoulders never reached the earth. He came
early to the law, and for nearly half a century
bore evidence of her jealousy as a mistress.
From Brown vs. White Deer Township, 3 Casey,
where his contention that an appeal from the
township auditors was the exclusive remedy to
recover money expended by a supervisor on be
half of the township, was sustained, down to the
current volume, the reports of the Supreme
Court bear unquestioned and unimpeachable tes
timony to his legal acumen, his untiring energy
and midnight labors in behalf of those whose
cause he advocated. A lawyer of the old school,
his loyalty to his clients was only exceeded by his
zeal in their cause. Without fee, reward or
hope thereof, he protected the weak and de
fended the poor. Of weak physical constitution,
his mental endurance was without limit. That
he should have been chosen by so many to cham
pion their cause, is pregnant proof of the ad
vancement of our civilization. A poor cham
pion he would have been with staves and leather
target in the lists of the Norman invader, to wage
the battles of his clients. In the modern forum
he quailed before no antagonist, nor asked for
quarter. He was a living witness of the power
of mind and the weakness of matter in the strug
gle for supremacy in the closing years of this
nineteenth century. Advancing years impaired
his health, but did not enfeeble his mind or di
minish his energy. He was kind and generous,
affable and courteous, and of all the illustrious
men who have passed before him not one has
left a better name, none were more sorely missed.
In the garland to his memory we twine this leaf,
a small testimonial of his worth as a man, his abil
ity as a lawyer, his patriotism as a citizen, his
attainments as a scholar, his love and tenderness
as a husband and father, and his loyalty as a

778

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

friend. ' Woe unto us, not him; for he sleeps
well.'" On December 26, 1867, Mr. Linn was mar
ried to Mary Ellen, eldest daughter of Philip
Billmeyer, and they have one son Philip Bill-
meyer Linn, who was associated with his father
in the practice of the law, under the firm name
of J. M. & P. B. Linn. Mr. Linn was a mem
ber of the Presbyterian Church. He died sud
denly February 23, 1897, of paralysis of the
heart. His son, Philip Billmeyer Linn, was born
at Lewisburg, May 25, 1869. He graduated at
Harvard University in 1890, read law with his
father, and was admitted to the Bar in 1892,
from which time up to the death of his father he
practiced with him.

^HJPILLIAM SPOTTS CRISWELL, a lead-
WW ing representative of the agricultural in
terests of this section, is a member of a family
which has for many years been prominently iden
tified with Union county. His grandparents,
Joseph and Elizabeth (Hutchinson) Criswell, lo
cated there in pioneer times, and reared a family
of seven children, namely: James, born August
31, 1806; Thomas H., March 28, 1808; Hannah
B. (Mrs. John Huntington), March 8, i8io;John
H., March 20, 1812; Rachel, May 7, 1814; Mary
A., June 20, i8i6;and Elizabeth (Mrs. William
Spotts), August 29, 18 1 8. Of this family the last
is now the only survivor.
The late John H. Criswell, the father of our
subject, was a man of unusual force of character,
and, although he never attended school more
than eleven days in his life, he secured a fair ed
ucation through observation and private study.
He followed farming and shoemaking during his
active life, and gained thereby a comfortable live
lihood. As a citizen he was prominent in local
affairs, and was a favorite candidate of the Re
publican party for township offices, his faithful
service in any position of trust having won for
him the confidence of all classes.
On April 16, 1834, John H. Criswell married
Miss Jane Mathers, who was born in Mazeppa,
Penn.,June24, 181 i.thedaughterof Jamesand Isa
bella (Oliver) Mathers. The following children
blessed this union: Joseph, born February 19,
1 83 5, is a tailor of Chattanooga, Tenn. James, born
April 16, 1837, died September 27, 1853; Will
iam Spotts, our subject, is mentioned more fully
below; Elizabeth, born September 24, 1841, is
the wife of Daniel Kuhns, of Kelly township,
Union county; Mary A., born July 15, 1843, re
sides at the old homestead in Kelly township,

Union county; Isabella M. , born July 21, 1845,
died September 5, 1853; Rachel, born April 21,
1848, died August 26, 1853; Sarah M., born Oc
tober 10, 1852, died October 11, 1853; Thomas
O., born September 2, 1853, is a farmer near
Taylorsville, Penn. ; and John, born May 5, 1850,
died April 16, 1866. The father died April 17,
1894, and the mother September 4, 1884, both
having attained an advanced age, and so univer
sally beloved were they that they were known by
young and old in their locality as "Uncle " and
" Auntie " Criswell.
William Spotts Criswell was born April 12,
1839, in Kelly township, and was reared to ag
ricultural pursuits, his work apon his father's
farm during his boyhood alternating with his
attendance at the local schools. In 1862 he en
listed in Company A, 131st P. V. I., under Capt.
Jacob Moyer, whose place was taken a few
months later by Capt. Joseph R. Orwig. Dur
ing his term of service Mr. Criswell was detailed
for a time* on ambulance duty, but he saw some
severe fighting, and took part in the battles of
Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. He was
never wounded; at the expiration of his term he
returned home, receiving his discharge at Harris
burg, Penn., May 23, 1863.
On December 21, 1865, Mr. Criswell was
married to Miss Mary E. Wagner, and shortly
afterward he established his home at Forest
Hill, Union county, where he was employed for
a year. He then returned to his native township
and rented one of his father's farms, remaining
thereon seventeen years. Since that time he
has resided upon his present farm near Kelly
Cross Roads, which he at first rented from his
father, but afterward acquired by inheritance.
Mr. Criswell is identified with all of the pro
gressive movements of his locality, and while
he is not a politician, he is an influential sup
porter of the Republican party. He is a mem
ber of the Grand Army Post No. 52, of Lewis
burg, and is active in religious work as a member
of the Lutheran Church.
Mr. and Mrs. Criswell have had nine chil
dren, of whom all but one are living: (1) James,
who resides in Kelly township, Union county,
married Miss Anna Machmer, and has five chil
dren— J. Roy, William D., Mary E., Sarah M.
and Milton M. (2) Emma died at the age of
five years. (3) John W., a farmer of Kelly
township, married Miss Susan M. Hafer. (4)
Edith married W. H. Showers, a farmer in
White Deer township, Union county, and has
had two children — Russell H. and Lee. (5)
William manages the farm of his aunt, Miss
Mary C. Criswell, in' Kelly township, Union

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

779

county. (6) Joseph 0. is in the meat business
at Milton, Penn. (7) Caroline E. , (8) Paul W.
and (9) David A. are at home.
Mrs. Mary E. Criswell is a descendant of an
old Lancaster county family; her grandfather,
Thomas Wagner, passed his life in that locality.
Her father, Daniel Wagner, was born there in
1799, but in early manhood moved to Centre
county, where he met and was married to Miss
Margaret Rote, a native of that county. In 1832
he went to Lewisburg, where he operated a mill
for a few years, but he finally located in East
Buffalo township, Union county, and operated a
gristmill there until his death, which occurred
August 26, i860, at the age of sixty-one. He
was a Republican from the time of the organiza
tion of the party, and in religious faith he was a
devout Lutheran. His estimable wife survived
him, and breathed her last July 12, 1877.
Mrs. Criswell was born in East Buffalo town
ship, Union county, May 29, 1836, and was the
second in a family of eleven children. Of the
others, John is a farmer and cattle dealer in
Iowa; Daniel died at the age of fifty-one; Thom
as died at forty-four; Sarah, deceased, was for
merly the wife of John Kerstetter, of Milton,
Penn.; Margaret married Alfred Dehl, a baker of
Watsontown, Penn.; Emma is the wife of N. C.
Freck, a contractor in Millersburg, Penn.; Har
riet married E. K. Spotts, a farmer of Kelly
township, Union county; Katherine married
Phineas Bly, a miller of White Deer Mills; Sam
uel is in the milling business at Forest Hill,
Union county; and William died in 1895, at the
age of forty-four.

PETER HAUSE, of White Deer township,
Union county, is the owner of a fine farm
near New Columbia, and is also engaged in busi
ness as an agent for the Champion Implement
Company, and the Clark's Cove Fertilizer Com
pany, of New York. As Mr. Hause has made
his way in the world against heavy odds,' his
struggle for a livelihood having begun when he
was a mere child, his history is of more than or
dinary interest.
Mr. Hause was born April 7, 1853, in North
umberland county, Penn. , and his father, George
Hause, who was also a native of that county,
was a resident of Chillisquaque during the greater
part of his life, having engaged first in the butch
ering business, then in the hotel business, and,
finally, in mercantile enterprises. He was twice
married, first to Miss Mary Keefer, by whom he
had seven children: Mary A., wife of William
Galbrath, an insurance agent at Milton, Penn.;

Elizabeth, widow of Robert Martin, of Northum-
erland county; Lida, deceased, formerly the wife
of John Harmon, a farmer in Michigan; Hannah,
wife of Charles Sanders, of White Deer town
ship, Union county; Sarah and John, who died
before reaching adult age; and George, a farmer
in California. The mother of this family died in
1848, and the father was married to Miss Sarah
Keefer, a sister of hrs first wife. She was a na
tive of Union county, where their marriage oc
curred. There were two children by this union:
Peter, our subject; and Frank, who is now in the
livery business at Corning, N. Y. Both parents
were identified with the United Evangelical
Church. The father died in 1856 at the age of
thirty-five, but the mother survived many years,
passing away at the home of our subject, March
3, 1894, aged seventy-two years.
As Peter Hause was left fatherless at the age
of three years without adequate provision for his
support, the serious business of life was taken up
as soon as his labor became of value. He re
mained with his mother until he was ten years
old, when he spent eight months in work for an
uncle, David Keefer. He then returned home
and attended school during the winter, and in the
following spring he was hired by Ellis Miller,
with whom he spent one year. Until he was six
teen he continued to work on farms in summer,
attending school in winter, and then for some
years he took whatever employment he could find.
On June 18, 1874, our subject was married
to Miss Rebecca C. High, who has proved a true
helpmeet, and they made their home at their
present farm, which Mr. Hause worked for half
the proceeds of the farm for seven years before
increasing prosperity enabled him to purchase it.
Industrious and thrifty, he has won a high repu
tation as a manager, and is a leading member of
the Farmers Alliance. He is also prominent in
the various activities of the community, and in
the local Republican organization, having been
tax collector for one year, and supervisor for two
years. Seven children make his home merry: Frank
M., George W., Florence, James C, Percy,
Amy V. and Mary J. Mrs. Hause is a native of
White Deer township, Union county, and was
born February 22, 1848, the daughter of Aaron
C. High, a native of Berks county, and grand
daughter of Samuel and Catherine (Pott) High,
who settled in Union county at an early day to
spend their remaining years, both being interred
in the Klapp graveyard.
Aaron C. High died in White Deer township,
Union county, in June, 1894, at the age of sev
enty, his last years having been spent in retire-

780

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ment on account of illness. He was married in
White Deer township, to Miss Mary Rank, who was
born in Berks county, November 22, 1822, and
whose parents, John and Nancy (Luthers) Rank,
removed from that locality to Union county,
where they breathed their last, their remains be
ing laid to rest in Klapp graveyard. Five chil
dren have been born to Aaron C. and Mary
High: Robert, now a government surveyor in
Nebraska; Anna M. , deceased, formerly the wife
of Elias Ingleman, who is living in retirement at
White Pigeon, Mich.; Rebecca C. (Mrs. Hause);
Barbara, wife of James Bernan, an employee in
the car works at Milton; and Alford, a farmer in
Texas. The mother has contracted a second
marriage, being now the wife of William Miller,
a farmer residing in St. Joseph county, Michigan.

W1

?ILLIAM DAVID HIMMELREICH was
'IHL born in Kelly township, Union Co.,
Penn., September 11, 1842, the ninth child of
Peter Himmelreich and Elizabeth (nee Charles).
Peter's father emigrated from Germany in the
eighteenth century, and settled in Buffalo town
ship, Union county. Going one step farther
back, the grandmother of the subject of this
sketch was a Withington, one of whom came
from England at an early date to this country,
and carried on a successful business at clock
making, in Mifflinburg, under style of Withing
ton & Son, for many years. Capt. Peter With
ington was one of the heroes of the Revolution,
having commanded a company in the Twelfth
Pennsylvania Regiment of the Continental Line.
He died in 1777.
When scarcely tall enough to peep over the
counter, the subject of this sketch began his busi
ness career in a country store near home. Close
by, on the same farm, stood an old school house,
in which he received his early education. Three
years of clerking found the little fellow grown a
head taller, and possessed of an ambition that
could no longer find scope in the old environ
ment. He became a cierk for Capt. Crotzer,
postmaster, at Lewisburg. Several ventures in
the mercantile business, apparently not to his
liking, followed, and finally he attracted the
favorable attention of John B. Packer, the presi
dent of the First National Bank of Sunbury. He
became a clerk in that institution, and here his
business ability was ripened. Through faithful
attention to every detail of his work he gained
the confidence of Mr. Packer, an eminent lawyer
and financier — a circumstance which had much
to do with later successes. Mr. Packer was an
undemonstrative man, but he had his own way

of showing his appreciation of fidelity in an em
ployee. A hard worker himself, he knew the
value of industry, while his own strict integrity
served as a touch-stone in his judgment of oth
ers. The fact that Mr. Himmelreich remained
with him ten years, and during the latter part of
his service was entrusted with the most delicate
and intricate business, is sufficient evidence of his
worth. It may be noted, also, that throughout
the remainder of Mr. Packer's life he retained a
firm friendship for Mr. Himmelreich, and showed
his undiminished confidence in substantial ways.
The arduous work of the bank proved to be
too great a strain upon Mr. Himmelreich's health,
and he purchased an interest in the firm of Bill
meyer, Dill & Company, boat builders and man
ufacturers of lumber, at Lewisburg, in 1872.
This was a prosperous enterprise with a most
capable head, Philip Billmeyer, who was an au
thority on all matters relating to lumber. The
firm name was subsequently changed to P. Bill
meyer & Co. , the other partners being George S.
Matlack and Henry C. Wolfe, who were especi
ally efficient workers in their respective depart
ments — and to this harmonious combination Mr.
Himmelreich added new force and energy. Mr.
Billmeyer died in 1885, but the business was
continued by the other partners under the firm
name of W. D. Himmelreich & Co., which re
mained unchanged at the death of Mr. Matlack
in 1893, leaving but two of the firm. Mr. Him
melreich's quarter of a century in this branch of
business was an unusually successful one, and he
enjoyed a reputation for honesty and business in
tegrity that but few can attain, especially in the
great commercial centres.
During all this time Mr. Himmelreich's
busy brain and energy were concerned in the ad
vancement of the welfare of Lewisburg, and
the development of its industrial interests. He,
along with George S. Matlack, was instrumental
in having the Buffalo Mills located here, backed
by Judge Hoffa, and was one of its principal
stockholders. He was connected as stockholder
and director in the Nail Works, Furniture Works,
Bridge, Gas, Water, Coal, Light and Telephone
Companies. In addition to giving these various
interests a portion of his time, he assumed, in
March, 1895, the duties of president of the
Union National Bank. As its executive he
opened up new avenues of business by his strong
personality, and under his direction the institu
tion has certainly been a prosperous one.
His latest and most extensive project was
the developing of a large tract of virgin forest
in West Virginia. After tramways had been
built, mills established and the difficulties sur-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

781

mounted, he associated with him Congressman
Dayton, of West Virginia, Hon. S. T. Foresman,
of Williamsport, W. R. Kramer, of Milton, and
H. C. Wolfe, of Lewisburg. The new firm had
just entered the markets with the brightest
possible prospects of success, when suddenly
the brain that conceived it all was stricken in
death. Mr. Himmelreich took an interest in public
affairs. His political affiliations were with the
Democrats, but he had due consideration for
the opinions of others, and was far from being
a politician. In 1888 he was a Presidential
elector, and subsequently made postmaster at
Lewisburg by President Cleveland. As a trustee
of the State Hospital for the Insane at Danville,
he served for a number of years, faithfully and
conscientiously. ' "Perhaps in no place will his loss be more
keenly felt than in the Presbyterian Church and
Sunday-school. As a member of the board of
trustees he was a tower of strength in solving
the questions and difficulties that regularly pre
sented themselves. His wise counsels and feas
ible plans were backed by a generous purse, and
his example of itself was an incentive to spur
others on to more earnest activity. For over
four years he conducted the Bible studies of a
class of young ladies in the Sunday-school. His
teaching had the merit of being from the heart,
and he implicitly believed what he taught — that
the religion of Jesus was to be made a part and
study of our daily life. Faithful and earnest in
attendance, always coming prepared, it was little
wonder that he taught with a force that comes
to but few. In his hasty business trips from
city to city he spent many an hour on the train
with Bible and lesson book, seeking out the hid
den truths. " [Lewisburg fournal, October 29,
1897.] Mr. Himmelreich amassed a substantial for
tune, and, what is still better, made good use of
it. While there is no loss through methods or
careless good nature, he delighted in lending a
helping hand in an effective way wherever there
was need. It would be impossible to enumerate
his private charities, the straightened circum
stances eased by his timely aid, the hearts he has
comforted. In his business dealings he strove to
be just, and while he never allowed an oppor
tunity for a profitable venture to pass unim
proved, no one has ever come out of a bargain
blaming him for dishonest methods. In fact,
Mr. Himmelreich was much more than a busi
ness man. Reading and travel had added men
tal cultivation, and developed his companionable
qualities, while a sympathy for his fellow men

had prevented any crusting over of his kindly
heart. An enduring monument to his memory is the
W. D. Himmelreich Library of the Presbyterian
Sunday-school, a gift of about four thousand
volumes. It was his pride and care during life,
and by his will he made ample provision to per
petuate it by placing apart funds to the amount
of $30,000 (which sum may be materially in
creased) for a library building and for endowing
it. His death occurred suddenly in New York
City, October 23, 1897, from heart failure.

IB BRAHAM W. FARLEY. This age is not
J$L wholly utilitarian. On all sides we see
some earnest souls laboring devotedly to bring
about a recognition of some higher principle in
life than selfish greed, and stimulating in the
hearts of others a desire for spiritual progress.
The friends of Abraham W. Farley, a prominent
agriculturist residing in East Buffalo township,
Union county, will see in his years of faithful
work in all forms of religious endeavor, a source
of present good to the community, and long after
he has entered into his final rest his influence will
continue in ever widening circles.
Mr. Farley comes of honorable ancestry.
When the colonies gathered their forces for the
war against the mother country, his grandfather,
Caleb Farley, then a young man, entered the
ranks of the patriots. He was a representative
of one of the oldest and most highly respected
families of New Jersey, pioneers of Tewksbury
township, Hunterdon county, and proved him
self a gallant fighter, remaining in service until
peace was declared and gaining a commission as
first lieutenant. Soon after the close of the war
he married Miss Charity Pickle, and came to
Pennsylvania, locating in Union county, where
he cleared and improved several farms. Through
legal complications over prior entries he lost
his first claims, but afterward purchased what
was known as the David Cupples tract,
on White Deer Mountain, comprising 120
acres, and there made his permanent home. He
attained the age of eighty-four, his death oc
curring previous to 1840, and his wife sur
vived him only a few years, having attained
the age of ninety-four. They had eight chil
dren: Charity, John, Jacob, Barbara, Cather
ine, Elizabeth, Abraham and Sarah.
Abraham Farley, our subject's father, was
born in 1791 , in White Deer township, Union
county, and died in 1875, in East Buffalo town
ship, at the age of eighty-four years, and always.
followed farming as an occupation. On March

782

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

29, 1824, he married Rebecca Wolfe, born March
19, 1804, the daughter of Michael and Catherine
(Smith) Wolfe, who reared a family of ten chil
dren, six daughters and four sons. After his
marriage Abraham Farley bought the farm on
the Furnace road, in East Buffalo township,
Union county, which is now owned by our sub
ject. He died there in 1875, and his wife passed
away August 27, 1878, at the home of her son
Jacob? The mother was a devout member of the
Evangelical Church, and their large family of
children received faithful training in Christian
principles. Of these the first born, Catharine,
died in infancy; Caroline, now residing in the
State of Iowa, married Daniel Wolfe, and reared
a family; Michael married Hannah Hoy, and had
several children; Abraham W. is mentioned more
fully below; Charity died in infancy; Sarah mar
ried David Voneida, and reared a family; John
married Mary Brown, by whom he had several
children; Jacob married MaryE. Brown, and had
a family; Elizabeth and Wilson died in infancy.
The subject of this biography was born Au
gust 28, 1834, at the present homestead. When
he began his education the free-school system
had not been adopted, his first teacher, Aaron
Smith, being employed on the subscription plan.
The events of that time are still clearly defined
in his memory, even to the learning of the alpha
bet, letter by letter. He afterward attended the
first free school organized in his district, the Mt.
Vernon school, taught by Squire Tharp, of Mil
ton, Penn. He learned rapidly, grasping ideas
far more readily and accurately than the average
boy of his age, and only the lack of opportunity
to continue his studies prevented him from pre
paring for some profession. Being reared to
farming, with no knowledge of other occupations,
he naturally engaged in it in early manhood, and
has continued it throughout his life.
On January 15, 1857, in his native township,
Mr. Farley was married to Miss Susannah B.
Schrack, who was born near Lochiel, Union
county, August 6, 1838. Her parents, David
and Molly (Getz) Schrack, well-known residents
of that locality, had four children, of whom Mrs.
Farley was the eldest. The others, Angeline,
now Mrs. John Shaffer, Franklin and William
H., all reside in Lewisburg. David Schrack
was a carpenter in his early years and afterward
a farmer, but for some years previous to his
death he lived in retirement at Lewisburg. He
was between sixty and seventy years old when
he died, and his wife survived him a few years,
the remains of both being now at rest in Lewis
burg cemetery.
For a year after his marriage Mr. Farley re

mained at the homestead, taking charge of the
place for his father, and then, after living one
year on a rented farm, he moved to the Schrack
homestead, where he spent a year. The first
home that he ever owned was a small place in
Northumberland county, Penn., where he was
engaged in gardening from i860 to 1864. The
war making labor scarce, he returned to the old
home to assist his father for a year, and the next
thirteen years were spent on the Jonathan
Wolfe farm in East Buffalo township.
In 1878 Mr. Farley purchased his present
home from his father's estate, his brother Mich
ael buying the western part of the farm. The
place contains 1 50 acres of excellent land, and
ranks among the best in the township. Mr.
Farley gives his personal attention to its man
agement. Although his health is somewhat
impaired he remains active. In 1892 he lost
the use of his left eye as a result of an attack
of erysipelas, and his hearing is now defective,
but these ailments do not interfere as much as
one would suppose, with his accustomed inter
ests. Many years ago he joined the United
Evangelical Church, and he has always taken a
leading part in its work, serving in various
Church offices, including that of trustee, which
he still holds. He has been especially active in
Sunday-school work, and since 1858 has been
superintendent in different localities where he
has resided, and during five years of this time
he was at the head of two schools. In the
township Sunday-School Association he has been
an influential worker, and at different times he
has served as vice-president or secretary. His
wife is also a devout member of the United
Evangelical Church, and their family, taught by
both precept and example, are following in their
footsteps. Our subject and his wife may well look upon
their children with pride, in the consciousness
that their successful training brings far greater
and more lasting honor than accumulation of
riches. The eldest son, John C. , born March
15, 1859, is engaged in teaching, and also works
on a farm in Kelly township, Union county.
James A., born March 4, 1861, married to
Miss Jane Bohner, of Northumberland county, re
sides in Lewisburg, and is a traveling salesman for
a wholesale dry-goods house in Philadelphia. Anna
M., born February 22, 1863, married Rev. W.
B. Cox, a minister of the United Evangelical
Church, located at Glen Rock, York Co., Penn.
David F. , born June 2, 1865, married to Miss
Liberty Taylor, of Mifflinburg, a teacher, resides
in Buffalo township, Union county. He is a
teacher by occupation, and is active in religious

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

783

work as superintendent of a Sunday-school, and
president of the Sunday-School Association of
his township. William H., born July 14, 1867,
lives at the homestead, and is engaged in opera
ting a steam thresher. He is also prominent in
religious work, being a trustee and steward in the
Church, and the superintendent of a Sunday-
school. Molly R., born November 11, 1869,
married Rev. J. H. Gamber, a clergyman
of the United Evangelical Church, now re
siding at Reddick, Kankakee Co., 111. Eman
uel P., born October 8, 1871, resides in Illinois,
and is bookkeeper in a large brick establishment
at LaSalle. Hiram C, born March 7, 1874, is a
teacher by profession and resides at home. Su
sannah B., born June 11, 1875, Angeline M.,
October 17, 1877, Clarence B., January 19,
1879, and Maggie E., July 25, 1882, are all at
home. Our subject is interested in all local move
ments that tend to progress, and has for years
been identified with the Grange or Patrons of
Husbandry. He is no politician but keeps well-
informed upon the issues of the day, and, al
though he gave his support in early years to the
Democratic party, his uncompromising enmity to
the liquor traffic led him some time ago to unite
with the Prohibitionists.

JOHN JEFFERSON BROWN. Among the
honored pioneers of this section who still
remain with us, linking by their recollections
the stirring scenes of our modern civilization to
the time when unbroken forests covered the sites
of many of our thriving towns and villages, none
are more highly esteemed than Mr. and Mrs.
J. J. Brown, of Kelly township, Union county,
who are now nearing the fiftieth anniversary of
their marriage, which took place October 9, 1 8 5 1 .
Mr. Brown, who, though now retired from
active business, has been for many years a lead
ing agriculturist of that locality, was born Decem
ber 2, 1824, in Schuylkill county, Penn. On
the paternal side he is descended from an old
Pennsylvania family. His grandparents were
residents of Schuylkill county, where for many
years the grandfather, Adam Brown, was occu
pied with the management of a gristmill and an
extensive farm. His wife was an Ohlrick.
The late George Brown, our subject's father,
was born in Berks county, and there was mar
ried to Miss Sallie Bartlett, a native of that
locality, daughter of Abraham and Dorothy
(Huttenstein) Bartlett, and for some time made
his home in the county. In 1839 he removed to
a farm in White Deer township, Union county,

where he and his wife spent their remaining
years, the latter passing away in 1845, at the
age of forty-eight. The father had attained his
eightieth year when he was called away in 1874,
and during his long life he had held a prominent
place in the community, holding the office of
supervisor, and taking an active part in the
work of the Reformed Church, of which he was
a deacon and elder for many years.
Of the children of this estimable couple,
Elizabeth died in her youth; Katie married Israel
Guyer, both now deceased; John J. is the sub
ject proper of this sketch; George is a retired
farmer in White Deer township, Union county;
Sarah married Simon Benage, a farmer in the
same township; Rebecca married Daniel Moyer,
and both are now deceased; and Elizabeth, sec
ond wife of Daniel Moyer, mentioned above,
survives him, and resides in Buffalo township,
Union county.
John Jefferson Brown's early surroundings
were not favorable to rapid educational advance
ment, farm work often interfering with such
opportunities as the local schools of the day
afforded. He remained with his father until
the age of twenty-two, when he found employ
ment in a brickyard and worked for two seasons,
and then, after a short visit at the old home, he
went to White Deer and engaged in teaming,
receiving $180 per year. After six years in this
occupation he took a farm, which he worked for
one-half of the proceeds, but the sale of the
place eight years later caused him to leave it,
and in 1865 he purchased a farm in White Deer
township, Union county, in partnership with
W. P. Sheller. Four months later he traded his
interest for another farm near West Milton,
which he sold after occupying it four years, the
sale realizing him a profit of $4,600. The next
three years were spent upon a rented farm, and
he then bought fifty-five acres of choice land near
Kelly Point at $1.75 per acre, and, making many
substantial improvements which show both taste
and judgment, he established his permanent
home there.
Though not an active worker in political
lines, Mr. Brown is among the influential Demo
crats of his locality. He and his wife are lead
ing members of the Reformed Church. Their
pleasant home has been brightened by two chil
dren: William, born January 10, 1853, lived
only six months; and Mary E., born June 10,
1854, married Joseph Burke, a successful farmer
and butcher, and now resides at the homestead.
Mr. and Mrs. Brown took to their home and
hearts a boy, James Brown, and cared for him
from his birth. He remained with them until

784

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

the age of twenty-six, when he married and
moved to Bloomington, 111., where he is a dealer
in hay. Mrs. Brown, whose maiden name was Su
sannah Ranck, was born in White Deer town
ship, Union county, January 14, 1822, and is a
member of an old family of that locality, her
grandfather, Jonathan Ranck, having come from
Berks county at an early day. Her father, Jon
athan Ranck, was born in Union county, and be
came a prominent agriculturist there. He held
the office of supervisor, and was active in local af
fairs, and in the Reformed Church, of which he
was a leading member. He died May 5, 1856,
aged sixty-six years and nine months. He was
married three times, first to Miss Katie Long,
and second to Miss Anna M. Dieffenderfer (Mrs.
Brown's mother), a native of Union county and
a daughter of John Dieffenderfer, whose last
years were spent in that county. She was a de
vout member of the Reformed Church and died
in that faith, February 11, 1846, at the age of
fifty-two years and four months. The third wife
was Mrs. Harriet Dieffenderfer (ne'e Kline), and
by this union there were nO children. One son,
Jose, was born of the first marriage. He died in
the fall of 1895 at the age of seventy-six years.
By the second marriage there were eleven chil
dren, namely: Sarah, who married Daniel Ben-
nage, both now deceased; Moses, a carpenter in
Michigan; Susannah, Mrs. Brown; Jacob, de
ceased; Edward and Solomon, well-known farm
ers in White Deer township, Union county;
Lewis, a dentist at Williamsport, Penn. ; Mary,
wife of Charles Wetzel, of Danville, Penn. ;
Levi, deceased; Jonathan, now living in retire
ment at White Deer; and Ellen, wife of Samuel
Hurtz, a hardware merchant at Van Wert, Ohio.

J'-OSEPH CASPER BUCHER is the second
son of Rev. John Casper Bucher, D. D. His
father was born in Dauphin county, Penn.,
near Harrisburg. His ancestors emigrated to
this country anterior to the Revolution, and set
tled in eastern Pennsylvania. He was of Swiss
descent on the paternal, and French on the ma
ternal, side. He received a thorough classical
education, and entered the ministry of the Re
formed Church, in which he served for almost
sixty years. He was prominent in the councils
of the Church, and a preacher of conspicuous
ability. He was a resident minister of the Re
formed Church at Middletown, Frederick Co.,
Md.. on the 28th of January, 1836, when his son
Joseph Casper Bucher, the subject of this sketch,
was born.

When the son was six years of age the father
accepted the pastorate of the Reformed Church
at Reading, Penn., where he remained a num
ber of years. Whilst at Reading, the son was a
pupil of Father Kelly, an ex-Catholic priest of
some celebrity as a teacher. Upon the removal
of the father to Mercersburg, Franklin Co. ,
Penn., the son entered the preparatory depart
ment of Marshall College located there. In
1853, during his collegiate course, the institu
tion was removed to Lancaster, Penn., and united
with Franklin College, under the name of Frank
lin and Marshall. There the subject of this
sketch completed his collegiate course and grad
uated in 1855, with one of the highest honors of
his class. The valedictory oration was assigned
to him, and his address, delivered on commence
ment day, bore ample testimony that he was
worthy of the honor, it being delivered with a
power and eloquence that raised the enthusiasm
of the audience to the highest pitch. After grad
uation he spent a year as principal of an acad
emy in Maryland, and then commenced the
study of the law in the office of Hon. Isaac
Slenker, of New Berlin, Union Co., Penn. He
was admitted to the Union County Bar in 1858,
and went into partnership with his preceptor.
Mr. Slenker was an eminent lawyer, and had an
extensive practice. He had the confidence of his
clientage and the community at large. He was
Deputy Attorney-General from 1830 to 1835, and
a member of the State Senate, from 1835 to 1838.
In 1 86 1 he was the Democratic candidate for
President Judge of the Twentieth Judicial Dis
trict. At the general election he received a ma
jority of the home vote, but was defeated by an
army vote not then authorized by law. He did
not contest the election for the reason that the
State Senate at that time was hostile to his claim
on the basis of rejecting the army vote. In
1862 Mr. Slenker was elected Auditor-General
on the Democratic ticket. With such a friend,
preceptor and partner, Joseph C. Bucher entered
upon'his professional career under most favora
ble auspices.
In 1859 he was nominated for District Attor
ney of Union county, on the Democratic ticket,
and was elected in the fall of that year, defeat
ing his competitor, John Blair Linn, Esq., a
leading lawyer, by a majority of 257 votes, al
though the Republican majority in the county on
the State ticket was 523. He discharged the
duties of the office with fidelity and ability. On
the 20th of November, 1861, he was married to
Mary Ellen, daughter of Hon. John Walls, and
granddaughter of Gen. Abbot Green. He was
fortunate in this alliance. His wife is a woman

¦.¦¦--.-. ¦¦¦¦;. . .... .. .
liftiiiii

^^^^/^^^^^^^

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

785

of culture and refinement, and her tastes are con
genial to his own. She presides over his hos
pitable home with dignity and grace, and has
contributed largely by the force of her character to
the advancement of the interests of her husband.
He has three sons — John W., Joseph Casper and
Abbot Green — and one daughter — Miriam A.
Bucher. When Mr. Slenker entered upon his duties as
auditor-general, the partnership of Slenker and
Bucher was dissolved, and Mr. Bucher removed
to Lewisburg, where he opened a law office. His
practice was extensive and varied, but was con
fined principally to the counties of Union and
Snyder, although he frequently tried causes else
where. In his profession he was singularly suc
cessful, having very many of the best traits of an
advocate. He attained a superficial knowledge
of the German language whilst at college, and
during his residence at New Berlin acquired the
habit of speaking it with fluency, and that was
the " patois " of Snyder county, especially of the
west end. His manner was hearty and cordial.
He was easy of access; had a quick, bright ap
prehension, and a very retentive memory; had
the faculty of gathering facts and spreading
them in narration, grouped with graphic power.
His voice was loud and clear; his expression
without hesitation, and of such confidence that
it would carry conviction. Then, besides, he
mingled freely with the people. He knew al
most every one in the counties, their history,
character, foibles and idiosyncrasies, so that his
selection of jurors and his knowledge of how to
touch them was rarely amiss.
In 1 87 1 he was made the Democratic can
didate for president judge of the Twentieth Ju
dicial District, composed of the counties of
Union, Snyder and Mifflin, against Hon. Samuel
S. Woods, of Mifflin county, the incumbent
of the office. In politics he has always been an
active Democrat; his voice has been heard with
no uncertain sound in support of the principles
of his party, in almost every school house in the
counties of Union and Snyder. The. political
passions engendered by the war had not yet had
time to cool. He was on terms of social inter
course with many of the Republican leaders, who,
whilst friendly to him personally, differed widely
from him in his political opinions. The contest
was waged with unexampled bitterness; it as
sumed the fierce heat of a Presidential struggle.
The political organization to which he was at
tached stood around him in one unbroken, com
pact mass. On the other hand, the Republican
organization could not be held together. His in
timate acquaintance with the people, his ad-
50*

mitted ability and integrity, together with the
active and open support of a large majority of
the Republican lawyers of the District, was
more than his opponent could withstand, and he
was elected in the face of a large adverse polit
ical majority. The vote was exceedingly close
in so large a poll. In Union the majority for
his competitor was 278; in Mifflin the majority
for him was 278, and Snyder gave him a ma
jority. Thus the counties in which the candi
dates resided were a tie, and Snyder county
decided the result by the slender majority of
nine votes.
He entered upon the duties of his office in De
cember, 1 87 1, and carried with him to the Bench
the same energy, quick and ready apprehension,
incisive, yet full way of expression, that had
characterized him as a lawyer. After a few years
he got rid of the ways of an advocate, and be
came an able judge. Jurors could hear and un
derstand every word he said. He had great ad
ministrative powers, and conducted the business
of the court with dispatch. He grappled every
question of law as it presented itself, and it was
clearly put on the notes of trial, and every bill
of exception cheerfully signed and sealed, so that
if a case went to the Supreme Court, the record
plainly disclosed what had been decided. His
decisions were well sustained by the Supreme
Court. At the close of his term he had the con
fidence of the Bar as well as of the people.
He was a candidate for re-election in 1881,
and defeated his competitor, J. Merrill Linn,
Esq. , by a decisive vote in every county of the
district, having received 1,189 majority in Mifflin
county, 867 in Snyder, and 183 in Union — ag
gregating 2,239. The adverse majority in the
Presidential contest of the previous year was
upwards of 1,400. This vote was a just tribute.
to an able, capable and upright judge. At the
end of his second term of ten years he was again
the nominee of his party in 1891. Party spirit
was at high-tide at this time. During the cam
paign Governor Pattison convened the State
Senate in extraordinary session to try the State
Treasurer and Auditor-General on charges of
malfeasance, connected with the defalcation of
John Bardsley, city treasurer of Philadelphia.
Republican and Democrats were on their mettle,
and party nominees were mere targets to the
enemy's fire. Judge Bucher was defeated by
Harold M. McClure by the meagre majority of
406, whilst the Republican's State ticket, at the
same time and in the same counties, had a ma
jority of ,1,618. Learning, ability, experience and
every other qualification for the high office was
to some measure lost to sight and reason, and

786

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

one of the ablest judges in the State was sacrificed
to political strife and partisan bitterness. The
second term of ten years ended on the first Mon
day of January, 1892.
In his twenty-years' service on the Bench,
Judge Bucher not only discharged the duties of
his high office with promptness and fidelity in his
own district, but was called specially to preside
in many of the other judicial districts of the
State. He was never reversed by the Supreme
Court in any criminal case, and parties were
tried before him for almost every crime known to
the law. As a chancellor on the Equity side of
the Court of Common Pleas, as in all other de
partments of the law, he gained a State-wide
reputation for learning, ability and impartiality.
His retirement from the Bench was a loss to the
judiciary of the State, but more especially to the
people of the Twentieth Judicial District, but no
loss to him personally.
Immediately after his retirement from the
Bench he opened an office at Sunbury, Penn.,
retaining his residence and office at Lewisburg,
and resumed the practice of law in all its branches,
criminal and civil. In July, 1892, he succeeded
the late Hon. John B. Packer as solicitor for the
Pennsylvania railroad, the N. C. R. R., Phila
delphia & Erie R. R., Pennsylvania Canal Com
pany, the D. H. & W. R. R. , The Mineral Rail
road and Mining Company, and other affiliated
companies. On the 27th day of June, 1894, the
Democratic State Convention met at Harrisburg,
and nominated a ticket for Governor and other
State offices. Judge Bucher, of Union, and
Hannibal K. Sloan, Indiana county, were nomi
nated for Congressman-at-large. Owing to pro
fessional engagements Judge Bucher declined the
nomination immediately upon receiving the news
of his nomination, but occurring, as it did, at a
point of time when a vacancy on the ticket could
be supplied only by re-assembling the State Con
vention, he was induced to remain as an ostensible
candidate until the vacancy could be filled by the
State Committee. In the meantime Mr. Sloan
died, and under party rules it became necessary
to re-convene the convention to fill the vacancy.
Judge Bucher then declined, and on the 1 ith of
September the Convention re-convened and nomi
nated Thomas Collins, of Bellefonte, and Henry
Meyer, of Allegheny, in place of Judge Bucher,
declined, and H. K. Sloan, deceased.
Judge Bucher is of robust health, vigorous
constitution, and in the flood-tide of professional
success. His legal practice is extensive and
varied, and he is singularly strong before both
the court and the jury. Since his return to the
Bar he has demonstrated that his judicial career

of twenty years, instead of diminishing his capacity
as a trial lawyer, has only increased it.
Judge Bucher has shown himself to be a public-
spirited citizen, always ready and willing to assist
the needy and deserving. He has given the
weight of his influence and contributed largely to
the advancement of the material interests of the
town and county in which he resides. He is now
the last surviving member of the original board
of directors of the Lewisburg R. R. and Wagon
Bridge Company; he is a director of the Lewis
burg National Bank, and a member of the board
of trustees of the Lewisburg Presbyterian Church.

J[ NDREW ALBRIGHT LEISER, born July
_ JL 17, 1850, at Lewisburgh, Penn., is the
eldest son of the late Dr. William Leiser and
Maria Louisa Leiser (ne'e Albright), whose only
children were the subject of this sketch and
William Leiser, Jr., M. D., whose biography is
found elsewhere in this volume.
He was prepared for college in the public
schools of Lewisburgh and the. University
Academy, and entered the Freshman class of the
University at Lewisburgh (now Bucknell Uni
versity) in the fall of 1865, taking the John M.
Finn first prize for the best preparation for
college. His career at the University disclosed
fine natural abilities and literary tastes, combined
with thoroughly studious and moral habits. He
graduated with distinction, being the first in his
class, and was selected to deliver the valedictory
addresses at the commencement exercises in July,
1869. Among his classmates were Charles Hill
Anderson, of Philadelphia; Rev. Francis M.
Baker, of Dauphin; George W. Bliss, Esq.,
formerly of the editorial staff of the New York
Star; Judge Martin Bell, of Hollidaysburgh,
Penn. ; Frederick Evans Bower, Esq., of Mid-
dleburgh, Penn. ; Rev. Dr. John Howard Harris,
President of Bucknell University; Rev. Frederick
Kohler Fowler, of Olean, N. Y. ; Rev. Edmund
Wells, of Charleston, S. C. ; Andrew B. Larison,
M. D. , of Lambertville, N. J., and others.
After graduating he engaged in teaching for a
brief time, first as master in Kenwood Boys'
School at New Brighton, Penn. ; afterward 'as in
structor in the University Academy, Lewisburgh,
and then in charge of the Classical Preparatory
Department of the University at Lewisburgh for
a year. Though very successful in this congenial em
ployment, he soon resolved to adopt the law as
his profession, and after " reading " for the pre
scribed period, with a brief term at lectures m

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

'»»7

the law department of the Univerity of Pennsyl
vania, at Philadelphia, he was admitted to the
Union County Bar at May Term, 1874. In Sep
tember, 1876, he was appointed by the Court,
District Attorney for the county of Union for the
unexpired term of Alfred Hayes, Esq. (who had
been elected to the Legislature), and the same fall
was elected to that office for the full term.
From the first Mr. Leiser's grasp of legal
principles and careful application thereof to the
case in hand showed he had carried into his pro-
sessional work the same habits of study and
thoroughness that characterized his work in the
college; and, in consequence, early in his career
he received many appointments as Auditor and
Master in Chancery in cases involving large in
terests and intricate and difficult questions of
law and fact and the application of one to the
other. In 1881 he formed a legal partnership
with the late Hon. Charles S. Wolfe and James
Dale Wilson, Esq. , under the firm style of Wolfe,
Leiser & Wilson. Mr. Wilson removed to Phil
adelphia in 1882, but the firm continued, un
der the style of Wolfe & Leiser, until Mr. Wolfe's
untimely death, August 13, 1891. In the in
terim they had established an enviable reputa
tion as a strong firm, and had acquired a large
clientage. Since Mr. Wolfe's death Mr. Leiser's
practiced has widened and extended in many
directions, before both State and Federal courts,
and he is frequently called upon to conduct
cases in many another than his local forum.
Mr. Leiser may emphatically be termed a
busy lawyer, and a credit both as a scholar and
as a gentleman to a profession, which, although
grounded on conventional and conservative rules,
is, more than any other human institution, the
basis of our freedom and civilization. His work
at the Bar is marked by clearness, precision,
care, strength and thoroughness. As a counse
lor he is careful and conservative; as a trial
lawyer thoroughly prepared, alert and ready;
strong in the presentation of his own side of the
case; quick to see the points of his adversary,
and to parry them or turn them against him;
skillful in the marshaling of facts and evidence;
and in the appellate courts his work is of the
best, his briefs of law and fact and argument be
ing masterly, clear, logical and exhaustive. In
all that he undertakes he is an indefatigable
worker, subjecting everything to an ultimate
analysis, so that there is no detail so small as to
be overlooked, no possible contingency unpro
vided for. With a large law library stocked with
the best books as his working-tools, he never
rests content until he has exhausted the subject
in hand. He exemplifies his belief that there is

no genius like hard work, and that in thorough
work lies the secret of success.
Mr. Leiser is a charter member of the
Pennsylvania Bar Association, and for several
years has been on the Executive Committee.
He is also a member of the American Academy
of Political and Social Science, and of the Amer
ican Statistical Association. In 1865, while a
student, he joined the Phi Kappa Psi (college)
fraternity, with which he has kept in close
touch ever since — being the presiding officer at
the Grand Arch Council held in Philadelphia in
1876, and largely instrumental in securing the
removal of the iron-clad pledge against college
fraternities at the University at Lewisburgh.
The ancestral stock to which Mr. Leiser be
longs goes back on both sides to the original set
tlement of the State in the earlier part of the last
century. His family connections are in conse
quence numerous and widely spread.
His father, Dr. William Leiser, was the
youngest son of Jacob Leiser, who was born in
(Little) York, York Co., Penn., October 4, 1779,
and Mary Leiser, nee Shettley, who was born at
the same place December 3, 1780.
Jacob Leiser came to Milltown, now Milton,
toward the close of the eighteenth century, and
directly afterward moved across the river into
White Deer township (now Kelly township), near
what is now West Milton. He was a carpenter
and master builder, and as such erected many of
the most substantial buildings in Milton and
neighborhood. In 181 5 he purchased a large
farm located about a mile west from Datesman's
— now West Milton — from James Patterson,
which farm is still in the ownership of his de
scendants. Here he afterward made his home,
and died May 26, 1862, his wife having preceded
him on the 13th of May, 1855. Their children
were: (1) John Leiser, born January 3, 1802,
died in infancy. (2) Elizabeth Leiser, born Sep
tember 2, 1803; married to Isaac High. Her
children: Jacob High; Mary, married to Benne-
ville Bickel, and Susan, married to Samuel F.
Gundy, all living in this county. (3) George
Leiser, born November 6, 1806; his children:
Susanna, married to John Schreck; Mary Ann
(deceased), married to George Adam Stahl;
Lydia, married to John Hummel; Jacob (de
ceased), and John — all making their homes here
abouts. (4) Susanna Leiser, married to Abra
ham Grove; her children: John L. Grove; Nancy,
married to Henry Ruhl; Mary, married to Jacob
Ruhl, Jr.; Jaoob (deceased). (5) John Leiser,
born July 4, 1810; his children: David (deceased);
Abraham; Jacob; Emeline, married to John H.
Bishop; Lovina (deceased) and Benjamin F.

788

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

All these children except Jacob located in Mich
igan, where the father died. (6) Jacob, born
April 1 6, 1 813; his children: Wilson; Cordelia,
married to John K. Correy; William Augustus;
Phineas; Jacob Jay, M. D. ; Harriet, married to
Dr. I. M. Rockefeller; Lovina (deceased); Eliza
(deceased), married to George M. Kissinger;
Oliver, M. D. Except William A. and Phineas,
who live in Watsontown, all the above have re
moved to Montana. (7) Mary, born January
18, 1816, married to Isaac High. (8) Samuel,
born  , 18 18; unmarried.
(9) Dr. William Leiser, father of the sub
ject of this sketch. He was born in Kelly town
ship, Union county. October 21, 1821. Re
ceived his education in the country schools,
Mifflinburg Academy and Pennsylvania College,
Gettysburgh, Penn, Then engaged in teaching
for a short time, when he read medicine with
Dr. Samuel L. Beck, and was graduated M. D.
in 1848, by the Medical Department of Pennsyl
vania College, at Philadelphia, whose Faculty
included the following eminent men: William
Darrach, M. D., John Wiltbank, M. D., Henry
S. Patterson, M. D., William R. Grant, M. D.,
David Gilbert, M. D., and Washington L. Atlee,
M. D.He was married May 31, 1849, to Maria Lou
isa Albright, daughter of Andrew Albright and
Agnes Albright (nee Dunn), and directly there
after removed from New Columbia, where he
first began to practice, to Lewisburgh, where he
continuously resided and practiced until his death,
April 12, 1878. He was a -man of superior cul
ture and attainments, a lover of books and a
great friend and promoter of the "Common
Schools; " and for a number of years was secre
tary of the board of school directors of the Bor
ough of Lewisburgh. In his profession he was
learned, able, skillful and eminently successful,
and died beloved and lamented by a host of
friends. Maria Louisa Albright was born March 11,
1827, in Moore township, near Nazareth, North
ampton Co. , Penn. ; died at Lewisburgh Novem
ber 12, 1 88 1. She was a devoted mother, and
a woman of great intelligence and very many su
perior qualities. Her mother was Agnes (Dunn)
Albright, daughter of James Dunn and Esther
Dunn (nee Williams). James Dunn emigrated
to the United States about 1798, from near Lon
donderry, Ireland. He was a Scotch-Irishman,
and came to the "Irish Settlement " in North
ampton county. In 1832 he moved with his
family to Union county, remaining there for sev
eral years, when he removed to Delaware town
ship, near Watsontown, Northumberland county,

where he died in 1849. He had three brothers,
William and Thomas, who, like himself, emi
grated to the United States— Thomas settling at
Waterford, Erie Co., Penn., and William in
Carondolet, Mo. — and David, who was with
Nelson at Trafalgar, and died in Devonshire,
England, in May, 1861, an Admiral and a
Knight. Andrew Albright, the father of Maria
Louisa (Albright) Leiser, was the son of. John
Henry Albright, who was the son of Andrew
Albright — Andreas Albrecht — the first of the
line in this country. Andreas Albrecht was
born April 2, 1718, at Zella, near Sahl, in Thur-
ingia. In 1741 when the war of the Austrian
succession broke out (Frederick the Great being
King of Prussia), he served as armorer of a reg
iment in Silesia. From 1744 to 1746 he was
with his regiment in Bohemia. In 1748 he pro
cured an honorable discharge from the army and
joined the Moravians, having been deeply inter
ested in the preaching of Count Zinzendorf. In
1750 he came to America, and engaged in the
manufacture of guns at Christian-Spring, near
Nazareth. Here his guns became famous, and
they were among the first, if not the very first,
made in the province. Later in the service of
the Moravian Church, he became an instructor
in music in Nazareth Hall, and in 1766 landlord
of the "Sun Inn " at Bethlehem, the property
of the Church, where he remained four and one-
half years, 1 766- 1 77 1. In 1766 he married Eliz
abeth Orth, daughter of Balthasar (or Balzer)
Orth (born 1704, in Germany; married 1729,
and died October 19, 1789, in Lebanon county),
and Anna Catharina Orth(«/,?Roehmer), of Leb
anon. In 1 77 1 they removed to Lititz, where
he resumed the manufacture of guns, a brisk de
mand developing in consequence of the Revolu
tionary war. He died at Lititz April 19, 1802.
He had issue: (1) John Albright, born March
12, 1768; died July 3, 1768. (2) John Andrew
Albright, born 28 February", 1770, at Bethlehem,
Penn., came to Lewisburgh in 1798; was elected
sheriff of Northumberland county, when' he re
moved to Sunbury, the county seat. In 1808
was elected a member of the Assembly, and in
181 3 was appointed Associate Judge by Gover
nor Snyder; was elected State Senator just be
fore his death, 26th November, 1822. Was
twice married, but had no children. (4) Jacob
Albright, born March 20, 1775, at Lititz, Penn.
He removed to the West at an early period,
married and left descendants. (5) Susan Eliza
beth Albright, born November 2, 1778, at Lititz;
married John Philip Bachman, a pioneer organ-
builder; left descendants, one of whom was

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

789

Cyrus Bachman, late of Sunbury, and Watson
town. (6) Gottfried, born June 19, 1782, at Li
titz; served in the war of 1812; married but left
no descendants; died March 25, 1835.
John Henry Albright, the great-grandfa
ther of Andrew Albright Leiser, was born August
5, 1772, at Lititz, Penn., died January 27, 1845,
at Nazareth, Penn. He was educated in the
Moravian parochial school at Lititz, and learned
the trade of gunsmith with his father. Later he
was with William Henry, who had been an ap
prentice of his father and the founder of the gun
works at Bolton, Northampton county. He was
married twice, first to Anna Barbara Hubley, and
secondly to Louisa Beck (nee Clewell). He lived
at Lititz, Lancaster, Chambersburgh and Ship-
pensburgh, besides Bethlehem and Nazareth,
Penn., and at Gnadenhuetten, Ohio.
Anna Barbara Hubley, daughter of Bern-
hard Hubley, was born at Lancaster, Penn.,
March 21, 1773, and died February 25, 1830, at
Nazareth, Penn. Her father, Bernhard Hubley,
was born at Maulbrun, Germany, October 18,
1 7 19, came to America in company with his fa
ther, George, and brother, Michael, in 1732, and
settled in Lancaster, where he died January 4,
1803. He was for many years a member of the
Board of Associated Burgesses of Lancaster,
Penn. — twice chief burgess, and for some years
commissioner of the county. During the Revo
lution he was an active Whig. He was appointed
barrackm aster, with the rank of captain, Decem
ber 18, 1777. He was twice married and had
twenty-one children. Bernhard, Jr., his son,
was a captain in the German regiment in the
Revolution, and was promoted to lieutenant-
colonel on February 24, 1778. He retired from
the army in 178 1 ; removed to Northumberland;
was brigade-inspector; in 1807 published the first
volume of a "History of the American Revolu
tion." The work was never completed as he died
at Northumberland, in 1808.
John Henry Albright and Anna Barbara, his
wife, had issue: (1) Maria Eliza, born February
27> r796, at Lancaster, died September 6, 1842,
at Bethlehem; married Rev. John Peter Kluge,
a Moravian missionary to the West Indies, and
left issue— John P. Kluge, M. D. , for many years
chief physician for the Panama Railroad Com
pany, stationed at Panama, in whose service he
died April 28, 1869, at sea. (2) Susan, born
August 28, 1797, at Chambersburgh, died March
J8, 1887, at Chester, Penn.; married John
Deemer, of Bath, Penn., and left issue, whose
numerous descendants reside in Chester, Penn.,
and other parts of the United States. (3) Bern-
hard died in infancy. (4) Maria Barbara, born

June 21, 1799, at Shippensburgh, died March 5,
1842, at Hyde Park, Penn. On March 23, 1817,
she married William Henry, grandson of Judge
William Henry, of Lancaster, prominent in the
Revolution, and son of William Henry, proprie
tor of the Bolton Gun Works, Northampton Co.,
Penn. William Henry, husband of Maria Al
bright, formed the first company to develop the
iron and coal beds of the Lackawanna Valley,
and two of their daughters married two brothers,
Selden and Charles Scranton, who, with others,
founded the city of Scranton. (5) Andrew [see
below.] (6) James, born August 29, 1806, at
Shippensburgh, died September 13, 1827, at
Nazareth, Penn. (7) Thomas John, born July
5, 1808, at Gnadenbuetten, Ohio, died February
9, 1890, at St. Louis, where he carried on an
extensive gun trade; married twice: (1) Elizabeth
Broadhead, of the Delaware Water Gap; (2)
Ann Frances Hassell, of Montgomery, Alabama.
His children and descendants reside chiefly in
the western States. (8) Ann Sophia, born June
25, 1810, at Lititz, died September 2, 1873, at
Nazareth. She married the Rev. John Christo
pher Brickenstein, a Moravian minister and edu
cator, descended from a Dutch family, originally
called Broistidt, who emigrated to Germany from
Lyden, and finally settled in Magdeburg in con
sequence of the Spanish oppression in Holland
in the sixteenth century. They left surviving
issue — Laurence C. Brickenstein, now (1898) a
professor at Bethlehem, Penn. ; the late Rev.
Hermann Albright Brickenstein, formerly princi
pal of Linden Hall Seminary at Lititz, Penn. ;
Anna Louisa, wife of the Rev. Edward T. Kluge,
Bethlehem, Penn.; Ellen, now a resident of New
York, and Susan Matilda, the wife of Andrew
Albright Leiser, the subject of this notice. (9)
Joseph Jacob, born September 23, 1811, at War
wick, Lancaster county, died January 12, 1888,
at Scranton. He was an' early iron-master in
Northampton county, Penn., and afterward in
Botetourt county, Virginia. Later he removed
to Scranton, Penn. , and became sales agent for
the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company, presi
dent of a national bank, and a pioneer in the
anthracite coal trade to the West. His children
have erected in his memory and presented to the
city of Scranton the Albright Memorial Library
Building. (10) Aquila Ernest, born July 6, 1813,
at Warwick, Penn., died January 28, 1871, at
Livonia, N. Y.; married twice.
Andrew Albright (son of John Henry Al
bright and Anna Barbara Hubley) was born
March 28, 1802, at Shippensburgh, Penn., and
died February 23, 1837, at Mooretown, near
Nazareth, Penn. He was married October

790

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

16, 1823, at Mooretown, Northampton Co.,
Penn., to Agnes Dunn, daughter of James
Dunn and his wife, Esther Williams. Agnes
Dunn was born August 2, 1803, in North
ampton county, Penn., and died September 20,
1849, at Warrior Run, Northumberland Co.,
Penn. They had issue: (1) LaFayette Albright,
born September 6, 1824, at Mooretown, North
ampton Co., Penn.; married October 27, 1847,
to Amelia Eliza Christ, Nazareth, Penn. ; died
March 7, 1 880, at Lewisburgh, Penn. Was thrice
elected sheriff of Union county. Surviving chil
dren, Maria Louisa, married to Frederick Berto-
lette, Esq., of Mauch Chunk; Emma Jane; An
drew Jacob; Florence Matilda, married to Will
iam Wensel, and Henry Christ. (2) Maria
Louisa Albright, born March 11, 1827, at
Mooretown, Penn., married to Dr. Willian
Leiser, May 31, 1849; died November 12, 1881,
at Lewisburgh, Penn. (3) James Henry Albright,
born August 11, 1829, at Mooretown, Penn.;
married October 8, 185 1, to Anna Trump; living
(1898) at Mifflinburgh, Union Co., Penn. Sur
viving children: Sarah Agnes; Henry Aquila;
David Clarence; Emerson Deemer; Daniel Trump;
Margaret Isabella; Ellen May; Celeste Jane;
Chester Eben. (4) Chester Eben Albright, M. D. ,
born August 21, 1831, at Mooretown, Penn.;
married October 5, 1854, to Ann Robb Webster;
living (1898) at Muncy, Lycoming Co., Penn.
Children: Joseph Webster, M. D. ; Chester
Eben, Jr. ; William Leiser; Andrew Curtin (de
ceased); Horace Lincoln; Anna Louisa (married
to George Willard Hall), deceased. (5) Hubley
Dunn Albright, born July 25, 1834, at Moore
town, Penn.; married November 20, 1873, to
Helen Imogene Owen, living (1898) at Laurel-
ton, Union Co., Pennsylvania.
Andrew Albright Leiser, the subject of our
sketch, was married at Bethlehem, Penn., April
17, 1877, to Susan Matilda Brickenstein (daugh
ter of Rev. John Christopher Brickenstein and
Ann Sophia Brickenstein, nee Albright) [see
above], who was born at Bethlehem, Penn.,
May 22, 1851. They have two children, viz., a
son, Andrew Albright Leiser, Jr. , born at Lewis
burgh, Penn., February 6, 1879, a member of
the class of 1898, at Bucknell University; and a
daughter, Marie Louise Leiser, born at Lewis
burgh, Penn., on February 14, 1883, a member
of the class of 1899, at Bucknell Institute.

JOHN K. KREMER, cashier of the Union
National Bank, at Lewisburg, Union county,
is recognized as one of its most capable finan
ciers. He was born February 21, 1838, in the

thriving city in which he now resides, and
is of pioneer ancestry, his grandparents, George
and Sophia (Kline) Kremer, having come from
New Jersey about 1797 to settle in Union coun
ty. The grandmother lived to the age of seven
ty-five. Particulars concerning the grandfa
ther's death are not now obtainable.
Abraham Kremer, the father of our subject,
was born in Columbia county, Penn., in 1791,
and was married there to Miss Elizabeth Whit-
aker, a native of Danville, Penn., where her
father, Thomas Whitaker, first located on his ar
rival from Ireland, his native land. After his
marriage Abraham Kremer moved to Lewisburg,
where for years he acted as salesman forGeddes,
Marsh & Co. He was a Methodist in his relig
ious views, and a Democrat in politics. His es
timable wife, who was born in 1800, died in
1842, and he survived her only five years. They
had the following children: Mary Jane, the
wife of Joseph Y. Derr, of Lewisburg; Frances,
widow of James S. Marsh, of Philadelphia; Anna
Elizabeth, who married Joseph W. Shriner, of
Lewisburg; William, who died when two years
and seven months old; Julia H., widow of George
W. Forest, of Philadelphia; Joseph A., a tinner
by occupation , who died at Lewisburg, February
3, 1893, aged sixty-one years; John K., oursub
ject; and Margaret M., who died at an early age.
The Lewisburg schools furnished Mr. Kre
mer his early education. When he was fifteen
years old he removed to Winfield, Union county,
and there he entered upon his business career as
a clerk in a store. At seventeen he became a
bookkeeper, and held the position for twenty-four
years. Later he went to Lewisburg to engage
with his brother in a flour, feed and coal business,
but in 1878 he was elected cashier of the Union
National Bank, and entered upon the duties of
that responsible post. As the active business of
the institution he has shown marked ability
and acumen, winning a high reputation in finan
cial circles. Mr. Kremer was at one time a
prominent member of the Republican party. Aft
er removal to Lewisburg he was elected chief
burgess of the town for one term. In 1859 he
was married to Miss Margaret E. Beaver, a na
tive of Millerstown, Perry Co., Penn., born Febru
ary 15, 1837, and to this union seven children were
born: (1) Arthur B., August 18, i860, married
Miss Regina Rishel, and has one child, Jessie;
(2) Jesse B., June 24, 1863. (3) Fannie, Sep
tember 11, 1865, married F. S. Beckley, and
has one daughter, Katharine; (4) Charles S.,
October 18, 1867; (5) Margaret W., April 21,
1870; (6) Elizabeth, April 6, 1879; (7) Martha
Washington, July 4, 1876, who died April 8, 1881.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

791

"\\MFILLIAM HENRY dennis. deceased.
jBjb The Dennis family of Union county
traces its descent from one Daniel Dennis, of
Irish parentage, who, with a brother Anthony,
came from England, about seventy miles from
London, in 1776, and joined the Continental
army, one as a fifer and the other as a drummer,
their stirring music, perhaps, awakening on many
an emergency the nerve and daring of hearts
which might otherwise have faltered at the
deadly task which lay before them. At the
close of the struggle for independence Daniel
Dennis, who was the great-grandfather of the
gentleman to whose honored memory this memoir
is written, settled near Philadelphia. In the
next generation we find that his son Anthony,
our subject's grandfather, located for a time in
Berks county, Penn., and later moved to Union
county, where he made his home in White Deer
township. George Dennis, the father of oursubject, was
a native of Berks county, but his life was mainly
spent in Union county, where he combined the
shoemaker's trade with the work of cultivating a
small farm. He was a member of the Reformed
Church, and was always interested in political
questions, espousing the principles of the Repub
lican party on its organization. He died Febru
ary 26, 1868, at the comparatively early age of
fifty-eight. He was twice married, (first) to
Mary Diffenderfer, and (second) to her sister
Catherine. They were members of a well-known
Union county family, and their father, John
Diffenderfer, died in White Deer township. He
was a tall man with black, hair and fair com
plexion. His wife was Miss Elizabeth Masters.
To George and Mary Dennis four children
were born: Pharos, a coach-maker at Flat
Rock, Ohio; Aaron, who conducts a boarding
house at Williamsport, Penn.; Sarah, who died
in infancy, and Levi, an agriculturist of near
Marseilles, Mich. Mrs. Catherine Dennis sur
vived her husband many years, her death occur
ring on April 10, 1894, at the age of seventy-five.
Of the six children of the second marriage our
subject was the eldest. Charles T. is a resident
of New Columbia, Penn. ; Ellen died at the age
of fourteen; Alfred is a farmer in Kelly township,
Union county; Alda resides in New Columbia
with her sister, Emeline Baker; and Emeline is
•the wife of Samuel Baker, a farmer in Kelly
township. William Henry Dennis, who during his brief
career had established a high reputation among
the business men of New Columbia, and was
also widely known and respected for his estima
ble character as a man and citizen, was born in

W7hite Deer township, Union county, October
10, 1 85 1, and passed to the unseen life Decem
ber 10, 1894. His early life upon the farm gave
him excellent training in thrifty management
of resources, and also established habits of in
dustry. When twenty years old he began to
sell Bibles for A. J. Holman & Co., of Phila
delphia, and, after three years in this occupation,
he followed huckstering for one year, with the
exception of the fall season, which he spent in
threshing. On August 21, 1875, Mr. Dennis was married
to Miss Mary J. Bell, and made his home upon
a small farm in his native township, which he
cultivated for two years, taking charge also of his
widowed mother's farm (moved on another farm,
same township, third year). The next four
years were spent upon another farm which he
bought from the Engleman estate near White
Deer, where he began his business career by sell
ing farm implements, and in April, 1884, he re
moved to New Columbia and engaged in mer
cantile business, his stock at first consisting of
implements only. As time passed his growing
.success encouraged him to enlarge his store, and
he added to his departments until finally he had
on hand a full stock of hardware and general
merchandise, and controlled a large and profit
able trade. It was the largest implement store
in the county. He gave strict attention to his
own affairs, taking no active part in political
work although he was always a strong Repub
lican in belief. Religious matters, however,
claimed more of his active sympathy, and from
the age of seventeen he was a consistent member
of the Reformed Church.
Mrs. Dennis survives him with three sons:
Hary G. , born April 4, 1877, now with his fa
ther's successor; DueyZ. , born January 15, 1879,
is a telegraph operator at Montgomery; and
Floyd B., born May 24, 1885. Mrs. Dennis is a
native of White Deer township, Union county,
and is also of patiotic stock, her paternal grand
father, John Bell, having been a Revolutionary
soldier. He resided in Juniata county, Penn.,
where he and his wife, Mary Evans, died at an
advanced age.
Their son Zachariah, the father of Mrs. Den
nis, was born there, November 21, 1820, the
next to the youngest of a family of eleven chil
dren. As a young man he came to Union county
and located in Kelly township, where he followed
the cooper's trade, for a time. On November 3,
1848, he was married in Lewisburg, to Miss
Margaret Ranck, who was born in White Deer
township, Union county, June 3, 1825, the sec
ond daughter and child in a family of six daugh-

792

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ters and two sons of Adam and Jane (Johnson)
Ranck. They were natives of Lancaster county,
Penn., but removed to Union county, where the
father became a prominent citizen of White Deer
township. By occupation he was a blacksmith
and farmer. After his death his widow removed ,
to Lewisburg where she died, and both now rest
in the cemetery there.
For some time after his marriage Mr. Bell
lived in White Deer township, Union county,
and then removed to Montour county, Penn.,
and was employed in the vicinity of Danville as
a lime burner. Later he came back to Union
county, and rented the farm where his wife was
born and reared. For twenty-eight years he
operated this estate, and then after two years in
Limestone township, in the same county, he set
tled in Buffalo township, where he died Sep
tember 21, 1 89 1. Politically he was a stanch
Republican, and was for years a leading mem
ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church, holding
office at times. His remains were interred at
White Deer Church. Mrs. Bell, who now re
sides with her son, Miles S., is a devout Method-
dist, and is held in high regard by all who know
her. There were seven children born to our sub
ject and his wife, namely: Martha E., born
August 5, 1849, married Adam Geyer, a farmer
in White Deer township; Mary J., Mrs. Dennis,
was born October 4, 185 1; Emmet, born Sep
tember 26, 1853, died in infancy; Charles H.,
born March 7, 1856, is a farmer in Buffalo Val
ley; Ranck A., born August 3, 1863, is an en
gineer in a sawmill in Buffalo Valley; Harry B.,
born November 3, 1865, died at eight years of
age; and Miles S., born April 28, 1868, is a
farmer in Buffalo township, Union county.

HON. HAROLD M. McCLURE, of Lewis
burg, Union county, who has held the of
fice of President Judge of the Seventeenth Dis
trict since 1891, is one of the youngest judges in
the State, but his acute and well-disciplined
mind places him among the best of our able judi
ciary, and his decisions are marked by sound
logic and a thorough knowledge of precedents.
Judge McClure is a native of Union county.
He was born in Lewisburg, August 8, 1859, but
his boyhood was mainly spent in Northumber
land, and he attended the public schools of that
town. In 1 87 1 he returned to Lewisburg and
took a course in Bucknell University, graduating
in 1877 with the degree of A. B., to which he
added, in 1880, the Master's degree. Always an
ardent participant in athletic sports while a

student at the University, his unusual skill as a
ball player attracted the attention of the man
agers of professional teams, and brought to him
tempting offers to accept engagements. At this
time an inviting salary was of great considera
tion, promising the means of aiding him in his
law studies. He entered the professional ranks
with John M. Ward, playing with the Athletics of
Philadelphia, the Binghamton, Syracuse, Ro
chester, and Boston clubs'. He was at the time
regarded as one of the best catchers and most
accurate throwers in the country, always remain
ing cool and deliberate in the most exciting
games. After traveling over a large part of the
United States, including the Pacific coast, he left
the field and commenced his preliminary course
of reading at Sunbury, Penn., and in June, 1881,
was admitted to the Bar. He at once began the
practice of law at Sunbury, three years being
spent with his preceptor, before he opened an
office of his own. His abilities commanded rec
ognition from the first, and in 1891, as has been
said, he was elected President Judge, a post
which he fills efficiently. The admiration gained
by his mental ' ability is augmented by ,his high
character as a man of pure life and correct ideals,
and his popularity is not limited to any class.
The contest preceding his election to the
Bench was in many respects a most remarkable
one. Called from Northumberland county, in
another district, to fill a place on the Republican
ticket made vacant by the withdrawal of a can
didate, facing discouragement on all sides from
the active politicians, and an almost unanimous
partisan press, both Democratic and Republican,
due to the belief that the task was a hopeless
one, Judge McClure entered the field, placing his
sole reliance upon his faith in the people who
said they wanted a candidate. The result demon
strated how skillfully he managed his campaign,
and how well his confidence had been placed.
After a contest that has become part of the polit
ical history of Central Pennsylvania, he defeated
his opponent and reversed a Democratic majority
in the judicial district of 2, 199, received by Judge
Bucher ten years before, to a majority of 406 for
himself. The faith the people had in Judge Mc
Clure, as recorded at the polls in this memorable
contest, has been vindicated in the most satis
factory and gratifying manner. They have found
in him a dignified and upright man, though
modest and affable, while his able and impartial
decisions and prompt dispatch of business meets
and exceeds the expectations of those most
ardent in their advocacy of his election.
The Judge was married in June, 1890, to
Miss Margaret Focht, of Lewisburg. Two chil-

/(£, ~Z&, ^^i^S/u

c^c^yC 

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

793

dren, James F. and Margaret, make their home
merry. The McClure family became identified with
the Virginia colony at a very early period, but
the Judge's great-grandfather, Roan McClure,
left the Old Dominion in 1790, and settled
in what is now Union county, Penn., on Buffalo
creek, two miles from Lewisburg, where his re
maining years were spent in farming. His son,
James, the Judge's grandfather, married a widow,
Mrs. Maria Flanagan Lyndall, who already had
four children — Stephen, Henry, Joseph and
Sarah. James and Maria McClure reared a fam
ily of six children: (1) Roan, (2) Richard and
(3) Edward, all of whom went to California in
the early days. Roan returned, and is now liv
ing near Ames, Iowa. Richard and Edward died
there. (4) James C. is our subject's father. (5)
Elizabeth, now deceased, intermarried with Og
den Vorse, of Lewisburg; and (6) Maria, who
married Horace Nichols, resides near Ames
Iowa. James C. McClure was born March 22, 1830.
He early engaged in the mercantile business,
changed to lumbering, and is now an anthracite-
coal operator in the Lackawanna region. His
wife, Glorvina (Elder), who was a daughter
of Joshua D. Elder and Eliza (Murray), former
residents of Harrisburg, Penn., died in Scranton,
May 22, 1898, at the age of sixty-four years, and
was buried in Lewisburg Cemetery. She was a
brilliant, gifted and charming woman, with rare
musical talent, of broad culture and great intel
lectual attainments. Of the two children who
survived, the Judge is the elder. The young
er, Maria Flanagan, married Frank B. Garvin,
of Marshalltown, Iowa, and has two daughters,
Ella and Edna.

HON. ALFRED HAYES, of Lewisburg, is
_ one of the distinguished members of the
Union County Bar, and with marked ability has
represented his locality in the State Legislature
during three sessions. He is a descendant of a
pioneer family, his ancestors, in both paternal
and maternal lines, being prominent among the
settlers of the State.
John Hayes, the great-great-grandfather of
our subject, came with his wife, Jane (maiden
name Love), and four children, from London
derry, Ireland, to America in 1735 or 1736, and
settled in Chester county, Penn. After the burn
ing of his house in this place he removed to
Northampton county, where he kept a public
house and store. During the Indian troubles he

used to beat a drum upon a hill-top near his home
to warn the settlers of approaching danger. John
Hayes died about 1789, aged eighty-five years,
and was buried near Allentown, Penn. His
widow, Jane, died in Derry, Northumberland
Co., Penn., about 1806, aged about ninety-four
years. As stated, four children were born in
Ireland, namely:- Capt. John, who was born in
1726, died near Meadville, Penn., November 17,
1796; William, who removed to Virginia; Isa
bella (Mrs. Patton), whose descendants live near
Bellefonte, Penn. ; and Mary, who married Mr.
Gray, and afterward Mr. Steel. Five children
were born in Pennsylvania, namely: Elizabeth,
who was married in 1760 to Thomas Wilson,
grandfather of the late Francis Wilson, of Buf
falo township, Union county, and died in Beaver
county, Penn., August 30, 1812, aged seventy-
five years; James; Robert, who was born in North
ampton county, Penn., in 1742; Francis, who re
moved to Tennessee; and Jane, who married a
Mr. Brown, and settled first in Virginia, but aft
erward returned to Pennsylvania.
Robert Hayes, the seventh child above named,
married Mary Allison. He was captain of a com
pany of Associators in the Revolutionary war
[2nd Series Pennsylvania Archives, Vol. XV,
page 62], and moved to Northumberland county
in 1790. For nine years he lived on a farm near
Warrior. Run Church, for seven years at Derry,
and in 1806 removed to a farm in Delaware town
ship, near what is now Dewart. Although this
farm was a large one, containing more than 200
acres, there were but seven or eight acres cleared
when he came to it, and the work of cutting off
and burning the pine timber, which grew on the
place, was a burdensome one. There were then
two huts on the premises, used respectively as a
dwelling and a school house. Robert Hayes died
in 1 8 19; his wife attained the age of eighty.
They had eight children, of whom the following
account is given: John, whose descendants live
at Waterford, Erie Co., Penn., died in 1803.
Jane, born in 1774, died at the age of eighty-nine;
she married Moses Laird, who died in 18 16 in
Derry township, aged about forty-five years (the
father of R. H. Laird, Esq. , late of Lewisburg,
born June 22, 1796, and who recollected seeing
his great-grandmother, Jane, wife of John Hayes).
William, born May 23, 1776, died February 17,
1843. James, born in 1778, died in 1855.
Joseph, born August 1, 1780, died March 7,
1870. Mary, who was born in 1782, and died
aged eighty-four, married a Mr. Walker. Sarah
(Mrs. Shipman) died in Michigan between sixty
and seventy years of age. Elizabeth, who inter
married with her cousin, a Mr. Brown, was born

794

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

in 1789, and died near Franklin, Penn., at a very
advanced age.
William Hayes was married October 4, 1803,
to Mary Wilson, who was born April 14, 1783,
the daughter of William Wilson, of Kelly town
ship, Union county, who was born June 4, 1743,
and died April 9, 1824. His wife, Elizabeth
Robinson, to whom he was married in her six
teenth year, was born in 1758, and died April
11, 181 5. William Hayes was prominent in the
early history of Lewisburg, and was the second
postmaster there, being appointed during the
Presidency of James Madison. In 1797 he was
a clerk for James Black, and afterward he con
ducted for many years the principal store in Buf
falo Valley. He is often referred to in Flavel
Roan's Diary, and in Linn's Annals. He died
February 17, 1843, and his wife Mary died De
cember 10, 1827. They had children, of whom
all but one lived to adult age: (1) Robert, born
July 7, 1804, married Emily Field, May 28, 1829.
After her death he was married February 7,
1832, to Caroline Graham. He died in Phila
delphia, February 5, 1887. (2) Elizabeth, born
October 13, 1806, married John Chamberlin,
February 2, 1826, and died November 7, 1883.
(3) William Wilson, born July 21, 1808, died
September 16, 1809. (4) Thomas, born Novem
ber 6, 1809, is mentioned more fully below. (5)
Mary, born May 10, 1812, married Dr. Christian
Seiler, March 26, 1833, and died in Harrisburg,
Penn., February 6, 1878. (6) James, born May
23, 1 8 14, was married May 29, 1844, to Mary
Elizabeth Harrison, a cousin of Mary Hulme,
wife of Thomas Hayes; she died May 27, 1845,
and subsequently he married Jane Clingan; he
died at Harrisburg, June23, 1890, and his widow,
Jane (Clingan) Hayes, died May 26, 1892. (7)
Sarah, born March 10, 1816, married Dr. Thomas
Murray, of Saltsburg, Penn., March 28, 1838,
and died August 28, 1845; her husband is still
(1897) living. (8) William, born September 27,
1 8 1 8, married Sarah Hepburn, of Williamsport,
Penn., November 4, 1841, and has practiced
medicine for many years; he lives in Muncy,
Penn. (9) John, born February 14, 182 1, died
March 17, 1850.
Hon. Thomas Hayes, our subject's father,
was a tanner by trade, and followed that occu
pation for a number of years in Lewisburg.
Several years, however, after his marriage he
sold out that business to H. W. Fries, and en
gaged in merchandising with Peter Beaver, under
the firm name of Hayes & Beaver. He also car
ried on business as T. Hayes & Co. After some
years his brother James took the store, and car
ried on the same for many years with various

partners, and Thomas Hayes continued in the
grain trade, sending wheat, flour, etc., to Phila
delphia, Baltimore and the North Branch region
by canal, and dealing also in salt, coal, plaster
and similar commodities. He afterward engaged
in the milling business, which, however, was not
successful, the first mill being destroyed by fire,
while poor crops on account of weevil produced
much loss during several years.
Hon. Thomas Hayes was one of the original
corporators and trustees of the First Presbyterian
Church of Lewisburg in 1842, and was actively
interested in the founding of the university, in
the building of the court house and of the Pres
byterian Church edifice now used by the congre
gation. During the years 1858, i860 and 1861
he was a member of the Assembly for the Rep
resentative District of Union, Juniata and Snyder
counties, and in 1861 he removed with his family
to Philadelpnia, at which place he served as an
inspector in the custom house for a number of
years. He died at Philadelphia, December 1,
1886, and now rests by the side of his wife, Mary
(Hulme), and near the grave of his father, Will
iam Hayes, in the family burial lot in Lewis
burg cemetery. Mary Hulme, to whom he
was married October 8, 1834, was born in
Hulmeville, Bucks Co., Penn., October 4, 1812,
and died in Winona, Minn., September 28,
1894. She was of Quaker ancestry, the mar
riage of her father, Joseph Hulme, to her mother,
Beulah Canby, who was born in August, 1784,
being authorized by the Middletown Monthly
Meetings, on October 16, 1806, as appears in 2d
Series Pennsylvania Archives, Vol. IX, page 227.
Their children were born in Hulmeville, Bucks
Co., Penn., namely: Thomas Canby, born Sep
tember 26, 1807, died in 1856; Edward was
born June 21, 18 10; Mary married Thomas
Hayes, the father of our subject; Elizabeth
married Samuel J. Potts, of Reading, Penn.,
since deceased. The father of Joseph Hulme
was John Hulme, Jr., the founder of Hulme
ville, a member of the Assembly, and a man of
much ability and influence in the county, whose
marriage with Rebecca Milner was authorized
by Falls Meeting, May 23, 1770. [See 2d Series
Pennsylvania Archives, Vol. IX, page 242.]
The children of Thomas Hayes and Mary,
his wife, were as follows: William, Jr., born
December 28, 1835, died October 27, 1837; Al
fred is the subject proper of this sketch; Emma
Beulah, born March 11, 1839, married Matthew
G. Norton, of Winona, Minn., August 30, 1866;
Mary Elizabeth, born August 25, 1842, married
Matthew A. Cowden, of Philadelphia, November
n, 1869, and died February 11, 1889; and Will-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

795

iam, born November 27, 1 846, is unmarried and
resides in Winona, Minnesota.
Alfred Hayes, the second child of Thomas
and Mary Hayes, was born July 17, 1837, and
was educated at Lewisburg, graduating from the
university on August 18, 1855. After nine
months' service in the institution, which after
ward became the Lewisburg National Bank, he
began the study of law under G. F. Miller, Esq. ,
continuing his course at the Harvard Law School,
and finally completing his work as a student under
the direction of John C. Bullitt, Esq. , of Phila
delphia. He was admitted to practice in the
District Court of Philadelphia, and the Courts of
Common Pleas and Quarter Sessions of the same
city and county on May 12, i860, after which,
on account of failure of health, he returned to
Lewisburg. In 1861 he practiced law in com
pany with S. H. Orwig, Esq., in Union county.
In August, 1862, he enlisted as first sergeant in
Company E, 42d P. V. I., in the Civil war, but
was discharged in November of the same year on
account of sickness. Having been elected dis
trict attorney of Union county in the autumn of
1862, he continued in that office from term to
term until 1876, when he resigned to become a
member of the Assembly. He served in the latter
Capacity during the sessions of 1877 and 1878,
and during a subsequent session in 1889. Since
his retirement from that post of duty he has been
in the continuous practice of law at Lewisburg.
On September 11, 1862, Mr. Hayes was mar
ried to Mary M. Van Valzah, of Buffalo Cross
Roads, Union Co., Penn., who was born August
11, 1840, and is the great-granddaughter of
Lieut. -Col. Thomas Sutherland [See Pennsylvania
Archives, 2nd Series, Vol. XIV., page 341], who
died October 15, 18 16, in the eighty-fourth year
of his age, and of Jane Sutherland, his wife,
who died February 9, 18 19, in her eighty-second
year. Mrs. Hayes is the granddaughter of Dr.
Robert Van Valzah, who was born April 17,
1764 [See Linn's Annals, page 551], who died
April 18, 1850, aged eighty-six years, and of
Elizabeth Sutherland, his wife, daughter of
Lieut. -Col. Thomas Sutherland, born April 4,
1768, who died March 30, 1840.
William W. Van Valzah, the father of Mrs.
Hayes, died October 13, 1857, aged forty-eight
years; Sarah L. (Forster), the mother, who was
born May 8, 181 7, died November 16, 1862.
She was the daughter of John and Mary (Miles)
Forster, of Aaronsburg, Penn., the former of
whom was a son of Capt. John Forster, an offi
cer of the Revolutionary army [See Linn's An
nals, page 243], and Jane, his wife. The chil
dren of William and Sarah L. Van Valzah were

as follows: John Forster, born October 6, 1835;
Elizabeth S., born November 12, 1837, married
Charles H. Shriner, and died August 23, 1871;
Mary M. (now Mrs. Hayes); Sarah, born Novem
ber 19, 1842, died May 10, 1853; Dr. Robert T. ,
born April 15, 1845, died October 8, 1877; Dr.
William W. , born December 11, 1848, is now
engaged in the practice of medicine in the City
of New York; and Thomas Howard, born July
14, 1852, is now residing in Leadville, Colorado.
Of the six children of Alfred and Mary M.
(Van Valzah) Hayes, five are living. (1) Charles
Harold, born January 7, 1864, married October
18, 1892, to Maud Smith, of Tacoma, Wash.,
who was born October 15, 1866, and they have
one child, Mary Louise, born March 12, 1897; he
was educated at Lewisburg, and September 22,
1880, entered the United States Naval Academy
at Annapolis, from which he graduated, and he
is at the present time a passed assistant engineer
in the United States navy on the battle ship
"Massachusetts." (2) William Van Valzah,
born September 22, 1867, was educated at Lewis
burg, graduating from Bucknell University in
1888; after spending a year in study in Europe,
he studied medicine at the College of Physicians
and Surgeons in New York City, graduating
therefrom, and has been connected with the
New York Hospital, the Sloane Maternity Hos
pital, and the New York Foundling Hospital; he
practices his profession in New York. (3)
Thomas, born April 23, 1872, died May 20,
1872. (4) Alfred Jr., born October 15, 1873,
was educated at Bucknell University and at
Princeton, graduating from the latter in 1895.
After his graduation he devoted himself to the
study of law, and is now engaged in fitting him
self for that profession. (5) Emma Beulah, born
October 7, 1876, graduated from Bucknell Insti
tute in 1895. (6) Matthew Cowden, born Sep-
ber 8, 1885, is at present attending the public
schools at Lewisburg.

MEV. PHINEAS B. MARR. It is now nearly
a quarter of a century since there ended,
upon the earthly plane, a life of such singular
beauty and usefulness that its influence is still
felt as an inspiration to right living among all
who were privileged to view it, and to see within
it the reflection of the high and steadfast pur
pose which guided its activities. While, with
those who knew the Rev. Mr. Marr, his Chris
tian character and saintly life is indelibly im
pressed beyond the power of words to aid or
intensify, it is well to place here a record whieh

796

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

will extend the memory of that helpful influence
throughout the coming years.
Mr. Marr was born January 20, 1808, in Mil
ton, Penn., and at an early age made choice of
the ministry. After completing a literary course
at Jefferson College he entered upon his theo
logical studies at Princeton, and on his gradua
tion was ordained. At twenty-three he was
stationed at Williamsport, Penn., where he
preached for two years, and at twenty-five he
became pastor of the Presbyterian Church at
Lewisburg. Twenty years of earnest, effective
labor were spent in that position, and then he
resigned, remaining, however, in Lewisburg to
educate his family. He occasionally preached
in neighoring towns, but accepted no regular
charge, his life flowing peacefully and quietly
on to the end, which came January 27, 1874.
His sympathy with every phase of existence,
and his keen perception of the peculiar difficul
ties and hindrances that beset each person, made
him a valued adviser to the perplexed, and a
comforter to the sorrowful. His versatility was
remarkable, enabling him to adapt himself to
any condition of thought or feeling. His own
mental culture and ability fitted him for com
panionship with the best intellects, and his most
enjoyable moments were doubtless those in which
he discussed with his peers in education and re
finement and the lofty conceptions of the mas
ters of human thought, the poets and philoso
phers of the past. He was an interested ob
server of current events, and in politics was an
adherent of the Democratic party.
In 1835 ne married Miss Mary Graham, who
was born September 24, 1814, and died Novem
ber 24, 1890. Their children were: Mary, Will
iam, Henry, James, Addison, Margaret, Helen,
Henrietta, George, and two who died in infancy.
James and George graduated at Princeton, and
were ordained as ministers of the Presbyterian
Church, but the latter is now deceased.

ipiEORGE SMEDLEY MATLACK, born in
%J$ West Chester, Chester Co., Penn., August
19, 185 1, in his boyhood days came to Lewis
burg and entered the academy of the University,
graduating at the college June 28, 1870. His
education was furthered by his wide reading,
which he continued as long as he lived. He was
a son of George and Lettia Matlack.
Soon after graduating he became connected
as a partner with the firm of P. Billmeyer & Co.,
and November 28, 1877, was married to Miss
Emma J. Billmeyer, a daughter of the head of
the firm, the late Philip Billmeyer. This union

was blessed with one child, a daughter, Mary,
born December 9, 1877. During the next year
Mr. Matlack became a member of the Presby
terian Church, of Lewisburg, and in the succeed
ing years became its treasurer, a trustee, an el
der, and clerk of the Session; a teacher in the
Sunday-school, he was elected superintendent,
and sang in the choir — in fact, active in Church
work all his life.
After his marriage Mr. Matlack settled per
manently in Lewisburg. Upon the death of Mr.
Billmeyer, September 5, 1885, the firm remained
practically the same, only the name was changed
to that of W. D. Himmelreich & Co. The place
of business of the firm was long known as the
" Boat- Yard," which was established in Lewis
burg in 1850. The firm was extensively engaged
in the manufacture of bill timber, and in the
building of boats, in which they have been most
successful. Mr. Matlack continued to be an im
portant factor in the business until the day of his
death, June 14, 1893, and was identified, be
sides, for years with the Buffalo Milling Com
pany, Lim. , he being one of the organizers of
that corporation in 1883, and a director and sec
retary. He was a director of the Union Na
tional Bank, of the Lewisburg Gas Company,
and intimately connected with all that pertained
to local pride and improvement.
" When death comes the community sums up
its estimate of the one he strikes. It is never
far wrong, and in a few choice expressions the re
sult is declared. Some are spoken of as promi
nent, implying something against which the pop
ular current has always been striking, and is seen
above it. There is more of appreciation when
the community shows by its expression that they
feel that a vital force has been taken away.
"In the quiet current of our existence here
there was one who was a part of it in all its parts,
not exclusively as a business man — although
there was no one more thorough and competent
and successful, which is the criterion — -not ex
clusively in his own business, although that was
an exacting one, for he gave his hand to many
other enterprises; in hospitality he was abund
ant, and he gave just as grave and careful atten
tion to the requirements of society as he did to
what would seem to be weightier matters; he was
a member of the Church, illustrating the illustra
tion of Paul; he did not refuse to mingle with
politics and concern himself in the management;
he became a soldier that he might acquaint him
self with his duties; in every walk of life of the
citizen he made himself acquainted and took part.
He was neat in person and in dress, and just the
same neatness which is shown in his outward ap-

<z&

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

797

pearance could be seen in his inward conduct
and private life. Nothing which bore any rela
tion to man was profane to. him. He sat at his
table, he lifted his rich voice in the choir, he
mingled in all entertainments of society, with
the same grace with which he bore the chalice
at the communion.
"Were it not that we see that he has done
everything his hand found to do every day, so
completely, we would wonder that his life was
so short, but no doubt his essential character was
ripened, in longer years there might have been
decay. We cannot question Heaven. We simply
accept." [Lewisburg Saturday News, June 17,
I893-] , 
JEROME B. DERSHEM. The Dershem
homestead in White Deer township, Union
county, is now occupied by the fifth genera
tion in direct descent from the first settler of that
name, its well-kept acres and substantial im
provements speaking better than words could do
of the thrifty, industrious race which has long
had it in charge. It was purchased by Jacob
Dershem, the great-grandfather of the gentleman
whose name opens this review, and his grand
parents, Samuel and Susan Dershem, lived there,
but died on a farm in White Deer township, now
'known as the W. D. Williams farm, and their
remains were laid to rest in the White Deer
graveyard. Jacob Dershem, our subject's father, was
born there August 15, 18 15, and still resides
upon the place, although as he began to feel the
encroachments of age he turned the management
over to his sons. Although he has thus with
drawn at present from his accustomed activities,
he has by no means lost the important place in
the community which his ability and character
won for him in earlier years, and he takes much
interest in the problems of the time, being a
warm supporter of the principles of the Repub
lican party. He has held offices at times, serv
ing as supervisor and overseer of the poor, and
has long been identified with the Lutheran
Church. His lamented wife, Eve Reed, who
passed to her eternal reward February 10, 1892,
at the age of seventy-two years, nine months and
twenty-seven days, was also a devout member of
the Church, and was greatly beloved for her
Christian character. In her youth she accom
panied her parents, John and Catherine Reed,
from Schuylkill county, Penn., the old home of
her family, to her new home in Union county.
John Reed became one of the leading agricultur
ists of his locality, and he and his wife breathed
their last there, and were buried side by side in

the White Deer cemetery, the last resting place
of many of our old pioneers.
To Jacob and Eve Dershem the following chil-
dred were born: Mary, deceased, formerly the
wife of Moses Kostenbader, who resides at Kelly
Cross Roads; John, who lost his life as a soldier
in defense of the Union; Susan, wife of Isaac
Bingerman, of East Buffalo township, Union
county; Jerome B. , our subject; Catherine, wife
of Josiah Weikel, of Newberry, Penn., a car in
spector on the Reading railroad; George, who
died at the age of four years; Eva A., wife of
John Guyer, a farmer in West Buffalo township,
Union county; Louisa, who married Franklin
Deitrick, a farmer of White Deer township, Union
county; "Jacob F. , a farmer at the old home
stead; Verdilla, wife of Charles Leinbach, a
farmer in Buffalo township, Union county; and
Clara, who married Levi Hafer, a farmer in
Kelly township, the same county.
The birth of our subject occurred September
24, 1845, and his life has been mainly spent at
the old homestead, his early education being
gained in the neighboring schools. At the age of
twenty-three, having acquired by practical work
a complete knowledge of farm management,
he took the place on shares, but two years later
he moved to Kelly township. Union county, and
occupied the Jacob Reed (now Eisenhauer) farm
for one year. He then, in 1873, removed to his
present home in White Deer township, where he
built a handsome frame house in 1896, choosing
for it a beautiful location on a sloping hill near Sus
quehanna river, commanding an extensive view,
overlooking other buildings on neighboring farms,
while both the Pennsylvania and Reading rail
roads are easily seen.
Mr. Dershem is a stanch Republican, but,
although he wields great influence in the local
councils of the party and has served one year as
supervisor, he is not known as an office seeker.
He is a Lutheran in religion, and is an active
sympathizer with progress in all lines.
On January 19, 1869, Mr. Dershem was mar
ried at Milton to Miss Ellen Smith, by whomhe has
had five children, all of whom are living: (1) Ber
tha A. married Henry C. Bennage, a farmer in
White Deer township, Union county, and has had
two children — Wilber E. and Susie E. (2)
Lulu E. married Kelly A. Rank, an operator at
White Deer Mills, has one daughter, Mildred E.
(4) Eucharius W. married Elizabeth L. Moyer,
and now resides at the home. (4) Quay A. and
(5) Etha E. are at home.
Mrs. Dershem is a native of Clinton town
ship, Lycoming Co., Penn., and was born March
11, 1848, the daughter of Ezekiel and Catherine

798

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

(Metzger) Smith, who passed their entire lives in
that locality. Her paternal grandfather, John
Smith, died in Centre county, but her grand
mother, Sarah S. Smith, passed away at the old
home in Lycoming county, and is buried there.
On the maternal side her grandparents, George
and Susan (Deitrick) Metzger, were natives of
Pennsylvania. Her great-grandfather, George
Metzger, was born in Germany, and came to
America accompanied by his brother, who died
on the voyage, and was buried at sea.
Ezekiel Smith was a tailor by trade, but his
later years were spent in farming. Politically,
he was a Democrat, and he and his wife were
active members of the Lutheran Church. She
died January 16, 1893, at the age of seventy-
three, and Mr. Smith did not long survive, pass
ing away September 15, 1896, in his seventy-
ninth year. They had seven children, namely:
Harriet, wife of Percival Weigle, of Williams
port, Penn. ; Caroline, who married Samuel Bas-
tian, a lumberman at Williamsport; Ellen, Mrs.
Dershem; Hervey, a farmer of Clinton township,
Lycoming county, now holding the office of
county commissioner; Sarah J., wife of John J.
Ranck, a coachmaker at New Columbia, Penn. ;
Susan A., deceased, formerly the wife of John
App, a lumberman of Williamsport; and Anna
M. , who married Pierce App, a farmer in Clin
ton township, Lycoming county, and now owns
the old Smith homestead.

JOHN F. MILLER stands foremost among
the progressive agriculturists of Limestone
township. Union county. His practical
adaptation of scientific methods, and, notwith
standing the disadvantage of straightened cir-
stances in youth, he has gained a substantial for
tune. Nor has he neglected his duties as a citi
zen, every beneficial enterprise in his community
receiving from him generous encouragement and
support. The Miller family is of German origin, our
subject's great-grandfather having been the first
to settle in this country. John Miller, the grand
father of our subject, was born, reared, and
married in Berks county, Penn., and among his
children was a son Moses, the next in the line of
descent. Moses Miller was born there October
30, 1807, and, in July, 1831, was married to
Miss Mary Bertolet, a native of Oley township,
Berks county, born December 30, 1807. She
was of Huguenot ancestry (the name having
formerly been Bertolette), and was of the sixth
generation of the family in this country. Her
father, Daniel Bertolet, was born in 178 1, and

became one of the leading residents of Oley
township, Berks county, owning two farms, a
gristmill, and a sawmill. He and his wife, Mary
Greasmer, who was also born in 1781, reared a
family *of six sons and three daughters, and con
tinued to reside at their homestead in Berks
county throughout their lives.
In the spring of 1835 Moses Miller removed
to Union county, locating first in West Buffalo
township. Later he purchased from Mr. Pan-
coast the farm in Limestone township which is
occupied by our subject as a homestead. On May
1, 1844, the family took possession, and a few
weeks afterward, on May 30, the husband and
father passed away. He was a man of high
character, much esteemed among his associates,
and for many years was a class leader in the
Evangelical Church. His sympathies in national
affairs were with the Whig party, but he was
not especially active in political work, although
he at one time held the office of supervisor.
Shortly before his death he had lost money
through going bail for friends, and his property
was by no means free from debt. As the seven
children were all too small to be of any assistance,
his widow had a difficult task to complete the
payments and keep the family together; but in
her nature strong, motherly affection was com
bined with fine mental abilities and a firm will,
and she succeeded notably. For about six
years she rented the farm to tenants, and then
as her sons grew old enough, each in turn took
charge of it for a time. In 1873, having won
by her judicious management a comfortable com
petence, she built a house in Mifflinburg, in which
to spend her declining years, and her death oc
curred there March 2, 1892. Her remains now
repose beside those of her husband in the New
Berlin cemetery. Seven children were born to
this estimable couple: Sarah, born January 30,
1832; Maria, born April 7, 1834; Enoch, born
November 4, 1835; Joseph, born November 17,
1837; Daniel B., born December 21, 1839; John
F., born January 18, 1842; and George A., born
January 21, 1844.
Mr. Miller enjoyed the ordinary educational
opportunities of his time, attending only the
Green Grove school near the homestead. He
learned to write with a quill pen, and the other
methods of teaching were also far from the
modern standard. As he was a mere child when
his father died he has no recollection of him,
but the watchful care and training of his noble
mother made good the loss of a father's in
struction in early life. Our subject was the only
one of the boys who did not learn a trade, and
he has always been engaged in agriculture, re-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

799

maining at home except for one season when he
was employed by a brother-in-law, Henry Maize.
After he reached his majority he worked for his
mother, and by the time of his marriage he had
about $600 saved. On his mother's removal to
Mifflinburg, he rented the homestead. In 1888
he purchased the place which he has improved in
many ways. He now owns two farms in Lime
stone township, containing altogether more than
200 acres of excellent land. He is a man of more
than average intelligence, a constant reader of
newspapers, magazines and other literature, and
his sterling qualities of character and friendly,
courteous manners, give him great influence in
the community. Politically he is a Republican.
His first vote was cast for Gov. Curtin the sec
ond term, and his first ballot for President was
given to Abraham Lincoln, then a candidate for
re-election. He. has been school director for
nine years, and auditor twenty years, other offi
ces having been declined.
On October 26, 1871, Mr. Miller married Miss
Margaret Klose, a former schoolmate, who was
born in Limestone township, September 20,
1845, the daughter of Jacob and Sarah (Musser)
Klose, highly respected residents of that locality.
This union has been blessed by seven children:
Cora M., born October 1, 1872; Harry A.,
born October 4, 1874, now a farmer in Lime
stone township; Sarah A., born September 20,
1876; John J., born September 5, 1878; D. Ber-
tolette, born August 11, 1881; Mary E., born
July 23, 1883, and Paul T., born November 17,
1887. Sarah and Mary both received good music
al educations. Mr. Miller and his wife are active
workers in the M. E. Church, in which he held
the office of trustee, and both have been teachers
in the Sunday-school. During the war Mr. Miller
was a member of the Union League, and he now
belongs to that well-known organization, the Pa
trons of Husbandry.

JOHN McCALL (deceased), who in his life
time was a very active business man of Union
county, extensively engaged in lumbering,
was born in 1809, in County Armagh, Ireland.
John McCall (1), his grandfather, was de
scended from Robert Bruce, king of Scotland,
through the marriage of George McCall with
Lady Dundas, a granddaughter. He migrated
from near Glasgow, Scotland, to County Ar
magh, Ireland, prior to 1777. He had married
a Miss Hamilton, whose brother emigrated to the
West Indies, where was born Alexander Hamil
ton, who subsequently became prominent in the
affairs of the United States Government, serving
in President Washington's cabinet as Secretary

of the Treasury, and was killed in a duel with
Aaron Burr. Alexander McCall, a son of John
Mc Call (1), was born in County Armagh, Ire
land, in 1777, and in 1805 was married in the
same county to Elizabeth Graham. They came
to the United States in 1828, locating in Phila
delphia, but soon afterward settled in Delaware
county, N. Y. , where Mr. McCall purchased a
large farm, on which he resided up to his death,
which occurred at Kortright on October 6, 1857,
when he was aged eighty-one years. Elizabeth
(Graham) McCall, his wife, was also of Scotch
descent; her mother, who was a Stuart, came
from the Highlands of Scotland. The children
of Alexander McCall and wife were: (1) James,
born in 1807, and died in- 1895, at Cowan, Penn. ,
aged eighty -seven years; he left two sons — James,
who served three years in the Civil war as a
member of the 144th N. Y. V. I., and was badly
wounded in the head at Port Royal in' 1862; and
John, who married a Miss Shamp. (2) John,
born in 1809, is our subject, and is referred to
more at length farther on. (3) George was born
in 1810. ' (4) Hamilton, who was born in 1812,
is now residing in Philadelphia, aged eighty-five
years. (5) Elizabeth was born in 1815. (6)
Jones was born in 1820. (7) Alexander was
born in 1823. (8) Joseph Graham, who was
born in 1827, is a resident of Wichita, Kans.,
where he is engaged in the practice of law. He
was married to a daughter of Judge Hakes, of
Delaware county, N. Y. , and they have the fol
lowing children: Lyman Hakes, George, Har
low, Florence (married to a Mr. Mounts), Vienna
(married to a Mr. Comstock) and Elizabeth.
John McCall, whose name opens this review,
on his father's moving to Delaware county, N. Y. ,
in 1830, remained in Philadelphia, where, in
1830, he was married to Annie Baird, who was of
Scotch-Irish descent, her family coming into Ire
land from Scotland with Prince William of
Orange, and locating at Londonderry. To the
marriage of John McCall and Annie -Baird six
children were born, namely: John, born in 1834,
died in November, 1864; Elizabeth, born in 1836,
died in childhood; Joseph Hamilton, born in
1838; William Henry Harrison, born in 1841,
died in May, 1886; James, born in 1843,
died in childhood; Annie, born in 1845, married
Frank S. Schaffle, and died at Wilkesbarre,
Penn., in February, 1897, leaving one son. The
father of these, in 1851, moved to Union county,
and located on White Deer creek; his brothers,
Hamilton and Joseph, remained in business with
him until 1857, when his sons, John, Joseph
and William, were taken into the firm. They
purchased 5,800 acres of timber land. Here

800

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

they were engaged in the lumber business until
the beginning of the Civil war.
The father died in June, 1863, and his wife
in September, 1861. Of the sons of this couple,
William Henry Harrison (named for President
Harrison) enlisted as a private in Company D,
5th Pennsylvania Reserve Corps, in the Civil
war, and at the end of three years was mustered
out as a captain. On September 3, 1864, he
re-enlisted, and was made lieutenant-colonel of
the 200th P. V. I. He was commissioned colo
nel of the regiment, March 25, 1865, and on
April 2, of the same year, he was commissioned
a brigadier-general for gallant service rendered his
country at the head of bis brigade, which captured
Forts Sedgwick and Steadman. At the time he
was a little more than twenty-three years of age,
and was probably the youngest brigadier-general
in the volunteer service. After the capture of
the assassins of President Lincoln, Gen. McCall
was selected by President Johnson and Gen.
Hancock to take direct charge of the trial and
the execution. He and his staff had their
headquarters at the Arsenal, Washington, D. C.
Gen. McCall died in 1888 at Prescott, Arizona,
and was there buried. A move is on foot look
ing to the removal of his remains to the ceme
tery at Lewisburg, Penn. (Gen. G. A. McCall,
who was the first commander of the Penn
sylvania Reserve Corps, was of the same descent).
Joseph H. McCall, son of John and Annie
(Baird) McCall, of Lewisburg, Union county, is
the only survivor of the immediate family. He
was born in 1838, at Philadelphia, and in De
cember, 1865, was married to Celestia J. Bright,
whose mother was a Schreyer, and of the same
family of that name of which Jesse Schreyer, of
Lewisburg, and W. A. Schreyer, of Milton,
Penn., are members. The children born to the
marriage were: Harry Bright, William Schreyer
(intermarried with Nellie Benson Kauffman),
Joseph Clyde, John, Jesse Schreyer, Lorrania
(died in 1882), and Edward Ammons. The fa
ther of these was stationed at Morris Island,
S. C, during the war, in charge of the Govern
ment shipping. He was captain of the Lewisburg
Artillery from 1866 to 1871; then he entered
the U. S. Railway Mail Service, as head clerk,
which position he occupied fifteen years; was
also connected with the U. S. Revenue Service,
during the administration of President Har

rison.

COLEMAN K. SOBER, a prosperous lumber-
_' man of Union and surrounding counties,
a member of the Glen Union Lumber Co., is
the subject of this biographical notice.

Mr. Sober is a native of Pennsylvania, born
November 24, 1842, at the old homestead of
his parents, some seven miles distant from
Shamokin, Northumberland county. Isaac So
ber, his father, was also a native of the Keystone
State, born in the same county February 23,
1 8 14, where he resided all his life, a wealthy
and influential agriculturist, dying June 12,
1882. He married Miss Mary Krighbaum, also
of Northumberland county birth, and ten chil
dren were born to this union, namely: Free
man W., a farmer in Virginia; Harriet, wife of
Samuel Swinehart, of Northumberland county,
Penn.; Coleman K., the subject proper of this
sketch; Clinton D. , a farmer and dairyman of
Northumberland county, a great shot with the
gun; Isabella, wife of F. W. Gilder, of Phila
delphia, Penn. ; Barbara Ann, wife of Mahlon C.
Moyer, of Shamokin; Amanda, wife of George
Startzel, of Shamokin; Adeline, deceased wife of
A.J. Camphell;Martin Luther, another phenomenal
shot in the family, and in whom Mr. Sober says
he finds the nearest approach to a rival in game
shooting; and Clara, wife of ex-County Treasurer
D. S. Hpllibaugh, M. D., a prominent physician
of Shamokin, Penn. The mother of this inter
esting family was not only an excellent rifle shot,
but was also an expert mechanic, many a time
in her girlhood assisting her father in his shop,
he being a gun maker by occupation. In fact,
so skilled was she that with her own hands she
manufactured a gun that became the property of
her future husband.
Up to the age of eighteen our subject re
mained at home, his summers being spent in
farm work, and his winters devoted to study
in the neighboring schools. So well did he
improve these educational opportunities that
he prepared himself for teaching, and on leaving
home in 1 860 he engaged in that profession with
such success that he continued it through eight
een terms with increasing reputation. His vaca
tions were spent in study at higher schools, or in
various occupations, such as pumping oil in the
oil regions of this State, working in a sawmill, in
blast furnaces, or in the rolling mills at Danville,
Penn. His industry knew no bounds, and when
he had a "night turn " he would take contracts
to unload coal boats or draw board rafts during
the day.
Among the higher schools he attended was
the Danville Academy, and, in 1854, at the close
of his term there, he found himself obliged to
look around for work of some kind, his circum
stances, financially, not being the best, whilst,
moreover, he was too proud to accept any as
sistance from his father. It so happened that

mm

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

801

one of his schoolmates, a lad by the name of C.
R. Savage (now judge of Northumberland coun
ty), having exhausted all his means, was obliged
to seek some kind of employment before the term
of school came to a close, and procured work at
corn-husking with a farmer named Fox. Through
this old school " chum, " young Sober, now
twenty-two years old, and of slight build made
application to William Fox for similar work.
The latter, however, having "sized up " the
youthful applicant, remarked that he was too
light for such a task, and that his earnings there
at would be very meagre. (The corn shocks
were 7x9, or sixty-three hills). Nevertheless
the lad's application being favorably received, he
began work on the following morning, and when
night came it was found he had husked no less than
eighty-six shocks! Mr. Fox having left the farm
for a few days, a report was made to Mrs. Fox
by some of the hands, of the rapid work of the
new man, whereupon she immediately sent for
Mr. Sober and informed him that he was dis
charged for the reason that he ' ' would break
her husband up!" He thereupon demanded set
tlement and his pay; but, Mrs. Fox being unpro
vided with necessary funds, young Sober was
permitted to remain at work until her husband's
return. On the latter's arrival home, and on his
learning of this phenomenal record in husking,
he at once set about to investigate whether or
not the work was well done. In his examination
he failed to find a single stalk with an ear re
maining unhusked. All this might be counted a
mystery were it not explained away by the fact
that Mr. Sober accomplished with two motions
what others required four to do.
Another anecdote, bearing on Mr. Sober's in
nate skill and natural adaptability to existing
circumstances, is recorded of him in quite a dif
ferent trend. "The hammer in the hand above
all the arts doth stand " is a well-known adage,
and Mr. Sober's present expertness with the an
vil is better known than is his boyhood expe
rience with one, as here related: When he was
a sixteen-year-old lad he had a long distance to
tramp to school, and about midway between his
home and the school house was a blacksmith
shop or "smithy," where on cold days he would
stop to warm himself and watch the smith forg
ing horse-shoe nails, etc. One day young Sober
asked permission of this son of Vulcan to make
a horse-shoe nail, whereupon the latter laugh
ingly asked the lad if he was aware that to learn
to do such a job properly required usually a full
year's apprenticeship. Nevertheless, the un
daunted stripling insisted upon being allowed to
try his hand, at least, and after but five attempts
51*

he presented to the astonished blacksmith a per
fect nail, ready for use!
In 1880 our subject was employed, by the
day, by Beecher & Zimmerman, lumbermen,
who, quickly recognizing his ability, at the end of
a month offered to receive him into the firm.
He accordingly purchased a one-third interest,
and on the death of Mr. Zimmerman, a year or
two later, Mr. Sober bought one-half of the de
ceased's interest, thus becoming a half owner of
the entire business. The firm, which is one of
the largest lumbering concerns in the State, their
offices and freight depot being situated at Glen
Union, in Clinton county, now owns over 45,000
acres of the best timber lands in Pennsylvania, em
ployment being given to a small army of one hun
dred men. Their sawmills turn out, each month,
one and one-half million feet of sawed lumber,
and at least 125 car-loads of prop timber, per
month. In this connection it might not be out
of place to cite an illustration of Mr. Sober's
business acumen and foresight. His first pur
chase of prop timber was 1,100 acres bought
"on the stump," and by theton, at fifty cents
per ton, and he immediately arranged for its
transportation by rail, securing a reduction of
fifty cents per ton (just the sum the timber cost
him) from the regular rate; thus his purchase in
reality cost him nothing, while at the same time
he was the first to buy, sell and transport timber
by the pound.
Mr. Sober was the head and front of this
concern, everything being under his supervision,
he giving his attention mainly to the field work
of the company, his special province being
the examination of timber land, and the direc
tion of operations in the woods. Independent of
the Glen Union plant, he conducts an extensive
personal business; his shipments for the year
1897 aggregating 1,542 car-loads of prop-timber,
pulp-wood, lumber and hay. His administra
tive and executive ability is well exemplified in
the generalship he displays in handling and con
trolling his many employees, something that in
the lumber woods requires no little tact and dis
cretion. He is a master of every detail of his
business, and has never had a mechanic in his
employ to whom he could not teach something,
while he often finds points in the machinery of
his plant upon which, perfect though it may
seem, he could suggest some improvement. This
comprehensive grasp of detail is characteristic of
the man; and it is also said of him that wherever
and whenever he sees an effect he is sure to find
the cause — that is in anything that may interest
him. He is so thorough a business man, and so
prominent as a citizen, that it would be injustice

802

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

to him to give undue prominence even to his
marvelous feats with the shotgun, which will be
fully spoken of farther on. He has made his own
way in the world with a clear-eyed singleness of
purpose which reminds one of his unerring aim
at a target. In all his enterprises, great and
small, he is precise and painstaking, and the
strictest integrity marks his business dealings,
every obligation being met promptly and fully.
While he would not take an unfair advantage of
an opponent in a shooting contest or an athletic
game, and would not accept a penny that he
did not consider his due, neither would he
smother his sense of right and yield tamely to an
infringement upon his own just claims. Thor
oughness in everything is one of his strong points,
and he will never allow himself to be excelled in
any respect, if earnest, persistent thought and
labor will win.
Mr. Sober is not only a marvel of ambidex
terity with the shotgun, as the reader will pres
ently discover, and an expert in work on the
anvil, as above recorded, but he is also highly
skilled in taxidermy, an art that cannot be
learned in a day, yet one that came to him natur
ally and without any instruction. Some fine
specimens of his skill in mounting birds, etc. , in
cluding an eagle shot by N. B. Grugan, of
Glen Union, and which measured seven feet
from tip to tip of wings (prepared for Dr. B. H.
Warren, the State Zoologist), were exhibited at
the World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893, and at-
racted much attention and many encomiums of
praise; while among other specimens, he has in
his possession some five deer heads, taken from
noble animals of his own slaying, and mounted
by himself. Then also, as an engraver on gold and other
metals, he excels, in this respect being not one
whit behind professionals, though he never re
ceived instruction in the art, his designing and
engraving of horses, dogs, violins, locomotives,
etc. (from tools of his own making), being sur
prisingly clever.
Socially, Mr. Sober is looked upon as a prince
among men, exceedingly pleasant and affable,
and he is a perfect gentleman, hospitable and
liberal — in short, " a royal good fellow," as he is
called by his closest acquaintances, and he always
carries under his vest a big h^art. He is a man
of fine physical proportions, active, strong and
quick, in height about five feet ten inches, and
weighing some 175 pounds; his complexion is
somewhat sandy, much tanned by his out-door
life; possessed of the bright blue eyes of a sure
shot — in fact what you might expect in the make
up of a sportsman; and although in age he is now

midway between the half-century and the three
score mark, he only shows a better developed
maturity of vigorous manhood. In his habits he
is very abstemious, using neither tobacco nor
liquor in any shape. In his political predilec
tions he has always been a Democrat, but has
never found time to seek official preferment or
recognition, save that in May, 1884, he was com
missioned, by Postmaster-General Walter Q.
Gresham, postmaster at Sober (Centre county),
which office was named in his honor, and of which
he was the first postmaster. He was also post
master at Glen Union, Clinton county, from 1892
to 1897. In 1870 he was appointed, by Gov.
John W. Geary, coal and iron policeman for the
State of Pennsylvania, he being one of six, and
clothed with all the authority of the city
police. In 1878 he was appointed mercantile
appraiser of Northumberland county, Penn., be
ing chosen from among twelve applicants. On
November 17, 1896, he was appointed, by Gov.
D. H. Hastings, State game commissioner, which
office he still holds.
In 1864 Coleman K. Sober was united in
marriage with Miss Bernetta Anderson, of North
umberland county, a daughter of Jacob and
Phebe Anderson, and four children blessed their'
union, two of whom are deceased; those living
are: (1) Mary B. has been twice married, first
time to Harry Grove, by whom she had one
child, Helen Mary; after Mr. Grove's decease his
widow wedded Martin Lesher, and they have one
child, Bernetta Edna; Mrs. Lesher is skilled in
oil, pastel and crayon work, and excels in free
hand drawing. (2) Waldron Bland married Miss
R. Elizabeth Bright; although yet a young man,
he has acquired marvelous skill as a trap-shot,
and as a sportsman few of the old hunters can
' ' bag more game " in a day than he. Our sub
ject's residence at present is at Lewisburg, Union
Co., Penn., where he has a pleasant home, in
which he enjoys himself as the result of years of
energetic business life. His attention to detail
is shown in the perfect appointments of his home.
Every part of the premises shows his careful
management, and his stables, in which he keeps
some fine horses, some of them being fast trot
ters, are sufficiently neat and comfortable for the
habitation of human beings.
We now pass from Coleman K. Sober, the
business man, the blacksmith, the engraver, the
taxidermist, the private gentleman, to Coleman
K. Sober, the champion shot-gun shot of the
world, the "Wizard of the Gun;" and only in a
somewhat limited manner can we speak of his
marvelous skill, for his wonderful gun-feats num
ber at least one hundred and fifty, and he can en-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

803

tertain a multitude of spectators three full hours
with his fancy shooting alone. It is but just to
say of him that he is not only the champion trick
(or trap) shot of the world, but the champion
all-round shot of the universe. We have here
used the word "trick" as a sort of colloquialism,
but it is not the correct term, as, in truth, Mr.
Sober's feats with the gun are not mere ' ' tricks , "
but the effect or result of scientific and skillful
calculation. He says he does not know how he
acquired his expertness, but ' ' guesses it was
born in him." Indeed, inheritance, as has al
ready been mentioned, has not a little to do with
this astounding skill of his, in which he has no
rival the world over; and this same inheritance
has clung to him from early boyhood, through
every change in occupation and fortune.
When as a boy Mr. Sober began to handle
a gun, he determined to excel in its use, and
often he would do his farm "chores" at night
in order to gain time for practice in the woods
by daylight. Many an hour he has also spent at
night in practicing some difficult feat, or some
new method of handling his weapon. With
such persistent exercise in rapid and accurate use
it is no wonder that he does marvels, and his
constant travel in the forest in connection with
his business enables him to continue his favorite
sport almost constantly.
It will be seen that in 1875 ne was but little
more than a boy, and, to show that he has from
early boyhood been a prodigy, we cite some re
markable local sweepstake exhibitions given by
him between September, 1875, and August, 1877.
During this time he participated in various contests
— shooting at 481 live pigeons, and killing 440,
an astounding record of more than 91 per cent!
It must be remembered, also, that these birds were
killed at twenty-one yards rise — and with the
use of only one barrel; excepting that out of
this number he shot nineteen doubles standing
midway between the traps forty-one yards apart.
For several years past Mr. Sober has hunted
Ruffed Grouse only, as that is the quickest bird
in America to get into full flight upon discovery,
and gives him the rapid work which he enjoys.
During the fall of 1890 he shot thirty-two of
these birds without a miss, and in the last fifty
that he killed that year he shot at fifty-five only.
The press of this and other States has often
made extended mention of his wonderful feats,
and from the American Field of January 9,
1892, we glean the following:
"In the spring of 1880, he shot 537 wild
pigeons in three days at Kane, Penn., while the
birds were flying to and from their feeding-
grounds, and at no time did he kill more than

one bird at a shot. For a number of years,
however, the increased pressure of business
cares has prevented Mr. Sober from attending
trap shoots, from which fact some people think
he cannot shoot over a trap, but his scores on
record show he had no difficulty in winning
when he did attend. He never broke 100 King
birds straight, but has broken 100 out of 10 1.
He has never killed 100 live pigeqns straight,
but he killed ninety-six out of 100, at twenty-
one yards rise, using one barrel only. At a
match at twelve live bats to each man, in which
seventeen shooters contested, Mr. Sober won
with a score of eleven killed, it being the only
match at bats in which he had contested.
"When he attended trap shoots he often made
clean scores at glass balls, King-birds and live
pigeons, often making from fourteen to thirty
straight kills, and readily defeated all who shot
against him. The most remarkable exhibitions
of Mr. Sober's skill, however, are in trick shoot
ing, or as he terms it 'rough and tumble shoot
ing,' in which he handicaps himself in many
different ways, shooting from all sorts of posi
tions at King-birds, glass balls or live pigeons
sprung from a trap, in which his scores are fully
equal to those made by many trap shooters who
shoot from the shoulder and are not in any way
handicapped. Through long practice of these
feats — many of which he originated — Mr. Sober
has become so expert that he can perform more
unique shots with the double-barreled shotgun than
any other living man. He performs at least one
hundred and fifty feats, each shot being more
marvelous than the preceding one, all from
different positions or under new forms of handi
cap. He breaks glass balls or King-birds from
either shoulder, with handkerchiefs tied around
both barrels of his gun, with the barrels
thrust through objects of different sizes, varying
from a cigar-box up to a flour barrel, with. his
gun either side up, and in many other ways,
with wonderful accuracy. He even springs, his
own target (single or double), and then breaks
the targets. He shoots from almost every con
ceivable position, standing and lying, holding the
gun over his head, between his legs, at his neck
or breast, etc.
"Mr. Sober commences with simple shots,
single and double, and goes from one feat to an
other, handicapping himself, not only as we have
described, but in many other ways. At Lewis
burg, Penn., in the fall of 1886, he gave his
fourth public exhibition, when he shot at 130
glass balls from fifty-one different positions, and
missed but eight. At the tournament of the
Elmira (N. Y.) Gun Club, in July, 1887, Mr.

804

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Sober made a phenomenal record. He shot at
1 08 glass balls, from seventy-nine very difficult
positions, and missed but fourteen.
"The most difficult of Mr. Sober's shooting
feats cannot be photographed for the purpose of
illustration, such as placing his gun on the ground
at a distance of eighteen feet, spring his own
trap, then, after running and picking up his gun,
breaking single or double targets — King-birds or
glass balls. In many of the feats which he per
forms, Mr. Sober can turn back to the trap, call
'pull,' pick up his gun with the box, keg or bar
rel on it, as the case may be, turn around and
score 'dead bird' on either singles or doubles.
"He can break double King-birds, one with
his gun overhead and the other from his shoulder,
or one from between his legs and the other from
the shoulder. Scoring doubles, one from each
shoulder, is to him but a simple pastime. The
feats Mr. Sober performs in shooting with boxes,
barrels, tables and similar obstructions around
his gun barrels are rendered successful only by
reason of the nicety of calculation which he has
acquired by long practice. Many who see the
King-birds, glass balls, or live pigeons fall before
his unerring aim wonder how he had got sight
over or under such obstructions. He does not
take sight, for that would be impossible. His
success is due to remarkably accurate calcula
tions: When it is remembered that there are at
least one hundred and fifty different trick shots
on his list, many of them more difficult than we
have described, and the fact is considered that
Mr. Sober's challenge to the world 'in his line of
shooting remained open two years, and that he
has never been defeated in that line in a match,
it is not strange that he is called the champion of
the world by many admirers in his native State."
There is hardly a sportsman in the State of
Pennsylvania who has not seen him shoot, and
few in the United States who have not read of
his accomplishments with the gun. -He takes
pleasure in showing the world what perfection
can be attained in the handling of the shot-gun,
and there is scarcely an exhibition of importance
in the State to which he is not invited. To give
a full detailed account of all his exhibitions would
be unnecessary in this article; but his achieve
ments cannot by any means be passed lightly
over. Mr. Sober has proved himself to be, beyond a
peradventure, the champion all-round shot-gun
shot of the world, a title he does not assume, but
which belongs to him by right, and by virtue of
his challenge to the whole world to enter the
lists with him. This challenge has never been
accepted; but a critical view of Mr. Sober's

marvelous shots will remove all doubt as to his
ability to vanquish any other specialist in his line.
The case stands as follows: In the American
Field of February 23, 1889, Mr. Sober "issued
a challenge to any man in the world — Dr. W. F.
Carver preferred — to shoot an exhibition match
against him with a double-barrel shot-gun for a
stake of five hundred dollars aside; and he offered
to pay the expenses of any one who would meet
him and shoot at Sunbury, Penn. , the following
May." Previously Mr. Sober and Dr. Carver
had correspondence through the columns of the
American Field, and the former had deposited
fifty dollars forfeit as an earnest of his sincerity-.
Subsequently H. C. Fuller and Mr. Sober had
some correspondence through the same medium,
but in neither case was a match made, and Mr.
Sober's money was returned to him after the
lapse of a couple of years. In this connection it
must be borne in mind that he is not a profes
sional shot, nor has he ever posed as such, not
withstanding his well-known ability; and, more
over, he never performs for money, his public
exhibitions being for the benefit of some public
charity, or to aid in the attraction to State and
county fairs, Grange picnics, Grand Army re
unions, or such like, and he is always sure to be
a "drawing card," as the wonder shot of the
world, thousands of delighted spectators witness
ing with interest his bewildering feats. What
adds a charm to the occasion is his modest, un
assuming manner. He comes on the scene with
a calmness and unobtrusiveness that at once wins
the attention of his. audience; then what he does
is square business, with nothing to attract but
the merits of the very fine work he does with the
shotgun. An article in the Meadville Republican,
of September 10, 1894, written by an eyewitness
of one of these exhibitions, covers in a few words
what might be said of all Mr. Sober's perform
ances, and we quote therefrom in part: "The-
members of our Gun Club visited him in large
numbers, and got from him many points of in
struction, which he seemed very much pleased to-
impart. His skill with the gun was even more
than advertised. He shot with effect in almost
every conceivable position, and the gun in every
variety of grasp — under him, over him, to right,
to left, sitting, standing, lying, with gun above
his head, between his feet, upside down, thrust
through barrels, boxes and tables, and in every
position except with the muzzle in his hands.
Loud applause greeted his numerous wonderful
shots." Indeed, we might quote page after page
of similar encomiums, did space permit; yet a
just tribute to "Creation's greatest shot/' we
plead as excuse, were such necessary, for dwell-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

805

ing longer on this- highly interesting subject. In
addition to newspaper and other extracts in this
article, we quote the following:
"At Centre Hall, in 1889, when Mr. Sober
commenced shooting, the wind was blowing a
regular gale, and no one of the ten thousand vis
itors expected to see more than a few plain shots.
But Mr. Sober is not built that way. He be
lieves in giving every piece on the programme,
gale or no gale. All the fancy shots were made,
and in all his shooting he missed but one King
bird, which was caught by the wind and darted
down in such a manner as to make it impossible
to hit it. Everybody expressed astonishment at
the remarkable work, no one having any idea
that it was possible under the circumstances;
and no one Will believe hereafter that there' is a
man on the face of the earth than can compete
with C. K. Sober, when it comes to fancy wing
shooting." [Mifflinburg Telegram.'] "Dr. Car
ver, Buffalo Bill, Capt, Bogardus, and many
other renowned marksmen have given exhibitions,
but none have ever excelled Mr. Sober's."' [El
mira Daily Advertiser, July 2, 1887.] "He
handles a shotgun as a boy would a tin rattle —
is as quick as lightning, and as sure as fate. He
accomplishes all — even the most difficult — shots
with the greatest ease and grace, and by the
time the ordinary marksmen get through aiming,
Mr. Sober will have broken a barrel of King-birds. ' '
[Middleburg (Snyder county) Post, September
24, 1 89 1.] " But the greatest feature of the day
was the shooting of Mr. C. K. Sober and his son.
This was a revelation to the visitors to the fair.
Mr. Sober is a wonderful marksman. He shot
at 147 targets yesterday from a great number of
different positions, and at all sorts of disadvanta
ges, yet he did not miss a single one. This is,
perhaps, the greatest exhibition Mr. Sober ever
gave, and this is equivalent to saying that the
York County Fair grounds have been the scene of
the greatest shooting ever done in the world.
Nothing can prevent him from scoring. He
shoots just as accurately with the gun turned up
side down and thrust through a flour barrel as
he does with the gun in the usual position."
[York Gazette, October, 1894.]
We will conclude our description of Mr. So
ber's trap-shooting with the account of a couple
of amazing and almost incredible shots that he
makes: A bird is thrown from the trap thirty
yards away from the shooter, who stands with
his side toward the trap, gun inverted, the barrel
of which is passed right through a wooden box
14x16 inches in size, and gun (with barrel in
the box as described) held at arm's length di
rectly above his heafd. Thus handicapped, the

marksman pulls the trigger, and the. bird drops
to the ground ! This feat has been accom
plished by no other human being, and reads like
one of Baron Munchausen's fictions, but it is
nevertheless true in every particular. Another rer
markable feat Mr. Sober accomplishes with ease
is to spring two King-birds from a trap, shoot
one of them from between his legs while standing
with his back toward the trap, then turn quickly
and drop the second King-bird. We cannot avoid
giving special emphasis to the four exhibitions
given by Mr. Sober at the York County Fair,
before a multitude of fifty thousand people,
where he shot at 588 targets with but five misses,
two of which were made on his first day's trial,
three being lost on the fourth day, toward the
close of his final exhibition. A representative of
the publishers of this work by invitation attended
one of Mr. Sober's shooting entertainments given
at Brooke Park (Lewisburg) in October, 1897,
where was witnessed the killing of sixty-five pig
eons without a miss, and the breaking of 200
targets without an error ! And it must be borne
in mind that not a shot was made without some
form of handicap — shooting from both shoulders;
gun inverted, and above his head; with gun
thrust through powder kegs, flour barrels, boxes,
etc. — yet he seemed to experience neither hin
drance nor inconvenience. It was like the leg
erdemain of some great wizard.
For' several years past Mr. Sober has passed
most of his time in the forest, hunting out tim
ber lands and superintending lumber, operations.
These pursuits have rendered it possible for him
to follow his favorite sport of shooting Ruffed
Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) almost uninterruptedly
during the proper season, and a gentleman who
has accompanied him on such expeditions says
that, although he has hunted with many expert
wing shots, it has never been his privilege to
meet any one in field or cover who was able to
demonstrate the phenomenal skill which Mr.
Sober displays at different times when grouse-
shooting in the wilds of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Sober, it would seem, shoots by instinct
rather than by sight. The number of Ruffed
Grouse, alone, killed by him during the past few
years is astonishing. In 1884 he shot 95; in
1885, 87; in 1886, 108; in 1887, 40; in 1888, 117;
in 1889, 116; to December 15, 1890, 148; to De
cember 21, 1891, 103; in 1892, 105; in 1893,
79; in 1894, 97;in 1895, 84; in 1896, 92; and in
1897, 106 — a total for the fourteen years of
1,377 birds, °r an average of over ninety-eight
each season. On November 5, 1897, he killed
seven Ruffed Grouse out of eight fired at, and
many a day he has shot at and killed every grouse

806

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

he would see. In a two-days' hunt in December,
1880, at the foot of Shade Mountain, near
Adamsburg, Penn., he shot sixteen pheasants
(Ruffed Grouse), twelve rabbits, four wild turkeys
and one gray squirrel. [See illustration.]
Mr. Sober says that most of these birds were
killed on his own lands during his business
tramps, and that one of the best shots he ever
made at Ruffed Grouse was as follows: He had
been on the mountains chestnutting, and was re
turning home with a bag of chestnuts on one
shoulder, his gun with a basket hanging from the
barrels slung over the same shoulder, and an axe
in the other hand, while walking along a lumber
road a Ruffed Grouse suddenly flushed from the
side of the road, and Mr. Sober dropped the axe,
the bag and the basket in time to shoot the bird.
He has never met any one who had the requisite
endurance to stay with him an entire day in field
or cover shooting when he traveled at the gait
he usually takes while hunting alone. To still
more fully set forth the wonderful ingenuity of our
subject, it is proper here to speak of a simple de
vice he invented and always carries with him on
his hunting expeditions. It is an implement for
eviscerating game birds, and whenever he kills
one, he immediately, or as soon after as he may
have opportunity, uses this little instrument. It
is very simple, merely a little twig, sharpened at
one end with a small spur near the pointed end.
This he inserts under the tail of the bird, then
gives a twist or two of the arm, and the entrails
are at once ejected. The larger part of the
game he kills goes to the tables of his friends and
the bedside of the sick. In hunting the Ruffed
Grouse (which, by the way, he claims is the
gamiest bird in America) he uses pointer dogs
trained by himself to such a marvelous degree
of perfection that their intelligence seems almost
human. He has no use for setters in that pur
suit, for, as he says, they are too headstrong and
fast and not sufficiently cautious.
About his guns we must also say something.
The first one he used was, when he was a lad,
an old " flint-lock" owned by an elder brother,
and with that the boy killed squirrels and rabbits
by the hundreds (game was plentiful in Pennsyl
vania then), and with it he downed quails, occa
sionally, on the wing as well. The first gun he
owned he bought for one dollar and a half, and
it was a 28-inch, 20-gauge, single barrel, which
he says was made from pot metal for all he
knows; but with it he did great work on quails
and pheasants (Ruffed Grouse) on the wing, and
he still has that old gun. Next he had another
single 28-inch, 14-gauge gun made to order, with
which he did fine shooting also. His third gun was

a doubled-barreled, 30-inch barrels, 14-gauge, that
weighed eight pounds, and with it he defeated
the best shots in Pennsylvania at the trap in
pigeon shooting. The next gun he bought was a
Parker Brothers make. He still uses their guns,
and says he will do so until he finds a better arm;
for shooting game he uses a cylinder-bore, 28-
inch barrels, of either 10-gauge or 12-gauge. In
his "den," as he calls it, a room which he has
appropriated to his exclusive use in his beautiful
home in Lewisburg, there are suggestions, from
the number and variety of guns, of a small arse
nal. But after long experience with various
makes of shotguns he has arrived at the conclu
sion that American-made arms are equally as
good as, and he believes superior to, those of
foreign manufacture, for shooting in the field and
cover. For many years past, Mr. Sober has been ex
ceedingly energetic in his endeavors to propagate
game and fish. He has purchased large num
bers of birds, particularly quail, and liberated
them in different localities in the various fertile
valleys of the Susquehanna. His love for trout
fishing has led him to stock numerous streams in
Centre, Clinton and Lycoming counties with
brook and other varities of trout.
Such is the life history of this successful busi
ness man and phenomenal marksman. Of the
success in life which America affords to an ener
getic, persevering and industrious man, no mat
ter how humble his origin, Mr. Sober is a fair ex
ample. He is, withal, a typical self-made man,
the mainspring of whose character has in his busy
life been the qualities of energy and persistence,
coupled with the strictest integrity of purpose,
unflinching firmness and characteristic love of fair
play.

M NTHONY ARMSTRONG is a leading fac-
¦^3kV tor in the public life of Allenwood, Union
county, as carrying on general merchandising.
He has back of him an honorable ancestry, prom
inently connected With the history of the State,
and he wears worthily the untarnished name which
has descended to him.
His great-grandfather, James Armstrong, was
born in County Fermanagh, Ireland, and on May
30, 1786, landed in America. He located in
Philadelphia, and soon secured a position as pro
fessor of mathematics in Pennsylvania Academy.
He married Eleanor Pollock, a lady of superior
culture and womanly graces, belonging to one of
the distinguished families of the State. At an
early day they removed to Northumberland coun
ty, Penn., where James Armstrong purchased a

An Unparalleled Ee cord i
Game killed Joy C.K.Sol) en— the Champion All-round Shot-gun' Shot'
of the "WorlcL-in a two-days' hunt liiDeceniber, 1880, at foot of Shade
Mountain, near Adamsburg, Pennsylvania; Sixteen pheasants, twelve
I'abhits, four wild turlieys and one ^ray squirrel.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

807

large farm. He died September 20, 1829, at the
age of seventy-five years, and his wife died Feb
ruary 26, 1823. Their youngest son, Richard,
was the father of Gen. Samuel Armstrong, who
commanded a battalion of colored troops in the
Civil war, and was one of the founders of the
Freedman's Academy at Hampton Roads, near
Norfolk, Virginia.
Capt. Anthony Armstrong, the grandfather of
our subject, was born September 6, 1788, and
won his title by commanding a militia company.
He died on the old homestead near Milton, Penn. ,
in 1866. He had one sister, Mary, now deceased,
and two brothers, James, a surveyor of McEwens
ville, Penn., and Richard, previously mentioned.
Capt. Armstrong married Elizabeth Guffy, daugh
ter of Alexander Guffy, and their children were:
Jane, wife of Edward Derickson; Matilda, who
became the wife of John F. Dentler, and had ten
children; Margaret, wife of John Sloan; Andrew;
James P., who married Margaret Guffy; and
George W., who married Elizabeth Witter. He
served in the Mexican war, was a general of the
State militia before the Civil war, and is now a
retired merchant of McEwensville, Pennsylvania.
The maternal great-grandparents of our sub
ject were John and Mary (Curry) Watson, the
former a native of Ireland, whence he emigrated
to Chester county, Penn. Watsontown was
named in his honor, and both he and his wife
were buried in the cemetery there. He owned
1,000 acres of land at that place, and was one
of the leading men of the community. The
grandparents, George and Elizabeth (Vincent)
Watson, were farming people of Northumberland
county, where they spent their entire lives.
• Andrew Armstrong, father of our subject, was
born on the old family homestead in North
umberland county, October 27, 181 5, and
throughout his business career engaged in agri
cultural pursuits. His last eight years were
spent in retirement from business cares. He
held a number of township offices, and was highly
esteemed for his sterling worth. He married
Angeline Watson, who was born on the Watson
farmstead December 15, 181 5. His death
occurred April 10, 1888, and his wife, who was
a member of the Presbyterian Church, died May
20, 1865. Their marriage, which was celebrated
January 26, 1838, was blessed with the following
children: George W., who died at the age of
five years; Elizabeth J., wife of H. P. Allen,
who founded the town of Allenwood, where he
now follows general merchandising; Emma, of
Watsontown; Mary, who became the wife of
Fred Gosh, and died leaving three children;
James D. , who married Anna Zeigler, and oper

ates the old Armstrong farm; Seth, who died in
childhood; Anthony; David W., who married
Jane McWilliams, and is also living on the old
Armstrong farm.
Anthony Armstrong, of this review, was born
in Turbut tpwnship, Northumberland county,
August 17, 1852, and attended the high school in
Watsontown. At the age of fifteen he began
clerking for H. P. Allen, of Allenwood, in whose
employ he remained until 1872, when he went
to Lock Haven, Penn. , where for four years he
was employed as a salesman in the general store
of J. W. Bridgins. On February 1, 1877, he
went to Black Hills, Dakota, and was a member
of the Philadelphia Mining Company, operating
on Rapid creek. During that time he repre
sented the Camp Crook district in convention on
new Territory, held in Dead wood, Dakota,
September 29, 1877, which convened for the
purpose of electing a representative to Congress,
who could secure the independence of that Terri
tory. He left Dakota October 29, 1877, and
returning to Allenwood was again employed by
Mr. Allen until 1889. He was then for two
years treasurer and manager of the Allenwood
planing-mill, and on August 1, 1893, he embarked
in general merchandising. Here he has secured
a good patronage, and is meeting with excellent
success. On January 6, 1881, Mr. Armstrong was mar
ried to Miss Kate Griffey, who was born in Gregg
township. Union county, March 19, i860, a
daughter of Benjamin and Margaret (McCor
mick) Griffey. Her father was a railroad con
tractor, bridge builder and miller. He at one
time part owned and operated the largest
woolen-mills in Pennsylvania, the machinery in
the same costing $110,000; the plant was de
stroyed by fire. He built the high bridge at
Sandy Hook, Conn., and a number of others.
Both he and his wife are now deceased. They
were members of the Washington Presbyterian
Church, and in politics he was a Republican.
Their children were: Martha, wife of C. L.
Gudykunst, a farmer and tax collector of Gregg
township, Union county; Robert, a miller of
White Deer Mills, who married Laura Bower,
whose father is president of the First National
Bank of Watsontown; Clara, wife of W. C. Fore
man, a farmer and live-stock dealer of Alvira,
Penn. ; and Mrs. Armstrong.
Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong have three interest
ing children: Elizabeth, born in 1881; Robert, in
1885, and Richard, March 12, 1898. The family
is prominent, and well-known people of the com
munity, and its members have a large circle of
warm friends throughout Union county. Mr.

808

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Armstrong served as postmaster, which office he
filled from 1888 until 1891, and to which he was
re-appointed on August 1, 1893, serving to July
14, 1897. His business ability has brought him
success in his undertakings, and by his honorable
methods he has won the confidence of all with
whom he has come in contact.

QEORGE CALVIN MOHN, M. D. To the
professional or commercial man whose suc
cess has been worthily achieved, who has ac
quired a high reputation in his chosen calling,
and whose social prominence is not less the result
of an irreproachable life than of recognized natural
gifts, the world at large instinctively pays defer
ence. Many a man mistakes his life-work, yet by
earnest application makes a partial success; but it
is only when natural tact is coupled with proper
ambition to succeed that anything like eminence
is reached in any vocation. Dr. Mohn has not
only gained an enviable reputation in the ranks
of the medical fraternity, but also stands high in
business and fraternal circles.
A native of Pennsylvania, having been born
May 24, 1858, in Centreville, Snyder county, our
subject is descended on both sides from old fam
ilies prominent among the pioneers of the State.
Peter Mohn, his great-grandfather, was the
third son of Ludwig Mohn, who was born in
1730 at Hanover, Germany, whence he emi
grated to America in 1753, and settled in Berks
county, Penn., at or near where the city of Read
ing now stands. Peter Mohn died in that county
in 1832. John Mohn, grandfather of Dr. Mohn, was
born September 23, 1788, near Reading, Penn.,
and was there married to Elizabeth Reppard, of
that county, born May 15, 1793. Here their
family of six children were born, as follows:
Leah, who married Thomas Hartley; /Peter, who
died a bachelor in 1869; Sallie, who married
Noah Kerster, and moved to Ohio; Julian, mar
ried to P. H. Markle; Amelia, wife of Isaac Culp;
and John, who is the only one of this family now
living, and will be spoken of farther on. In 1836
Grandfather John Mohn moved with his family
from Berks county to Union (now Snyder) coun
ty, and passed the rest of his days there, dying
March 2, 1861, at Centreville. His wife passed
from earth at the same place August 29, 1868.
John Mohn, the father of our subject, was
born in 1 831, in Berks county, Penn., and, as
will be seen, was about five years old when the
family moved to what is now Snyder county.
For a time he followed carpentry, but later has
devoted his time and attention mainly to the saw

mill business. As one of the leading Republicans
of the community in which he lives, he has filled
various public offices in Snyder county, such as
constable of his township some eighteen years,
and for a time was county commissioner of Sny
der county. In religious faith he is a Lutheran.
In 1852 he married Miss Barbara Stine, who was
born in Snyder county, Penn., in 1829, and they
became the parents of the following children:
Alice, now the wife of William Hartman, of Cen
treville; Henry, who is in business with his fa
ther; George C., the subject proper of this re
view; Charles, a graduate of the College of Phy
sicians and Surgeons, of Baltimore, Md. , and who
is now successfully engaged in practice at Jersey ,
Shore, Penn. ; John E. , a graduate of the Phila
delphia College of Pharmacy, and now the owner
of two drugstores at Jersey Shore; William, who
is in business with his father at Centreville; James
O., a physician of St. Mary's, Elk Co., Penn.,
who graduated from Jefferson Medical College in
1894; and Thomas E., a railroad agent at Muncy '
Valley, Pennsylvania.
Dr. George C. Mohn received his earlier edu
cation at Centreville and Selins Grove, Snyder
Co. , Penn. , and completed his literary studies at
Valparaiso, Ind., after which he taught school
for three winters. After reading medicine for a
time at Centreville he entered the College of
Physicians and Surgeons at Baltimore, Md- ,
graduating there with the class of '82, and on
the 13th of April, same year, he commenced the
practice of his chosen profession at Laurelton,
Union county, where his ability soon won him
recognition, and where he has built up for him
self an enviable record as an eminently success
ful physician. Possessed of a kindly and sym
pathetic nature, a keen sense of discrimination,
a natural taste for the various branches of the
medical profession, coupled with quick intuition
and consummate skill, his success and popularity
are no surprise to his many friends. For about
eight years the Doctor was also engaged in the
drug business at Laurelton, and, being a man of
more than ordinary business acumen, he soon
acquired considerable capital. Desiring to ex
pand his business relations and possibilities, he,
in 1892, became a member of the Laurelton
Lumber Co., which concern is now remarkable
for having at its head three of the most enter
prising young men of the county. He is also a
stockholder in and a director of the Linden Hall
Lumber Co., of Linden Hall, Penn., of which
concern he is also superintendent.
In 1883 Dr. Mohn was united in marriage
with Miss Laura A. Showers, a native of Centre
ville, Snyder county, and a daughter, Ruth B.,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

809

born March 18, 1892, brightens their home. Fra
ternally the Doctor is one of the highest, most
prominent and zealous Freemasons in the State,
having taken all the degrees to and including the
32nd, Scottish Rite, and being a member of. the
Mystic Shrine, Lu Lu Temple, Philadelphia.
Politically he is an ardent worker in the ranks of
the Republican party, having served as a com
mitteeman continuously since 1884. For four
years, during President Harrison's administra
tion, he acceptably served as postmaster at Lau
relton. The Doctor is one who, outside of the esteem
in which he is held for his scientific knowledge
and business capacity, enjoys the admiration of
all for his kindliness of disposition and amiability
of heart. In manner he is social and friendly,
and possesses qualities that readily win popu
larity and respect. In private life that true man
liness of deportment, that genial and kindly na
ture, which have always characterized him in
public, find still more adequate and complete ex
pression, and in the bosom of his family he ever
finds his highest happiness.

DERR FAMILY, of Lewisburg, is descended
from that well-known pioneer, Ludwig
Derr, the founder of Lewisburg, which was for
merly known as Derrtown. The first record
dates back to 1756, when Ludwig Derr is named
among the residents of Heidelberg township,
Berks county. In 1769 he came to Buffalo Val
ley to find a suitable location for a new home,
and is mentioned in the notes of Charles Luk
ens, who made a survey along the river from
the mouth of White Deer creek in October, of
that year. He was perhaps the first settler in
the Valley, and Charles Wilson, who surveyed
the tract next below that of Lukens, mentions in
his field notes for September 20, 1770, that Lud
wig Derr was then living on "the proprietaries'
tract." Where Lewisburg now stands this enter
prising pioneer established a trading-post, a
house of one story and a half built of heavy
logs, with its roof half-sloped, like the modern
mansard, and containing a dormer window. On
the lower floor were small, square windows and
one heavy battened door. This building was
completed as early as 1770, and his next enter
prise was the construction of a mill, which was
running in 1772. In June, 1772, he purchased
from John Coxe, merchant, of Philadelphia, a
large tract of land in the same vicinity for one
hundred and seventy-five pounds. Two years
later it seems that he wanted to borrow some

money, and Robert Fruit and Thomas Hewitt,
the county commisioners, valued the tract, on
which the said Derr now lives, having a grist and
saw mill, dwelling house and barn, clear upland
and meadow, at one thousand pounds Pennsyl
vania currency — about $2,666.60. On July 31,
1773, he purchased a sixth of a tract of
eleven thousand and fifty acres which Walter
Clark had bought for himself and others in
November, 1771. Northumberland county was
organized in 1772, and the name of Ludwig Derr
appears among the first grand jurors of the first
session of court. He was without doubt a man
of great force of character, courageous, and of.
unusual discretion. His mill and trading-post
were known throughout this region, travelers
making the point a regular stopping-place. Many
meetings were held there by the patriots during
the Revolutionary period, yet so kindly and justly
had he treated the Indians that when nearly every
structure built by white men between the Wy
oming and the Mahantango was destroyed by the
Indians, his stood and he remained with them
unharmed. In March, 1785, he laid out his
town, Samuel Weiser making the plot. A few
lots were sold, and in September of that year
he wenf to Philadelphia where he disposed of a
few more, how many is not known exactly, the
price averaging about twenty-five pounds. Time
passed with no word from him, and his son,
George, becoming alarmed went to Philadelphia
to find him, but neither in his boarding house nor
among business men could anything definite be
learned as to his whereabouts. He left a widow,
Catherine, and an only son, George, who inher
ited all the property. The name was spelled ir
regularly. Ludwig signed himself Ludwig Dt5er,
his wife's signature was Catherine Darr, and
" Tarr's mill " is spoken of in various accounts
of the time. The Encyclopaedia Americana of
1790 speaks of " Lewisburgh, or Tarstown."
George Derr was but a boy when his father
located on the present site of Lewisburg, where
he grew up amidst pioneer surroundings, and be
came a farmer and miller by occupation. He
died in 1829, and his wife, Fannie Yentzer, passed
away in 1842. They had eleven children: Cath
arine, Susan, Louis, George, John, Jacob, Fannie,
Benjamin, Joseph, Elizabeth and Henry, all of
whom except the youngest lived to adult age.
Joseph Yentzer Derr, the ninth child of George
Derr and Fannie Yentzer, was born in Buffalo
township, Union county, October 10, 1810. He
was reared in Lewisburg, and had more than or
dinary educational advantages, but his fine mind
could easily have absorbed even a higher course
of study. He spent his earlier days in a drug

810

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

store, and was remarkable for his aptness in
medicine, and in later years, when he had retired
to his farm — the estate upon which his family
now lives — he would quit work to visit any sick
neighbor and alleviate distress wherever it was
found. He always had an ambition for the study
of medicine, and felt that his life would have been
most replete with satisfaction to himself and good
results to humanity had he been thoroughly trained
in that direction. He was born in Buffalo town
ship, Union county, October io, 1810, and died
in Lewisburg July 21, 1864. A progressive and
independent thinker, he took keen interest in all
•the questions of his day. In early years he was
a Whig politically, and later a Republican, and,
while he was not a politician, his influence was
widely felt. He married Miss Mary J. Kremer,
who was born in 18 19, and lived near Winfield
until the age of ten years, and afterward in Lew
isburg. She was fond of literary pursuits, in
which she showed much talent, and was a teacher
in the public schools about four years. Their
children were: Elizabeth and Clara are at home.
George Pattison is in the iron business in Maine.
Josephine is at home. Frances married D. L.
Jauss, a coal dealer at Harrisburg, Penn., and
has had four children — Mary died May 1 1, 1884,
Susan at home, Fannie (who married Dr. Leon
K. Garber, and has one child, Mary Jane), and
Nellie (who married John Nestor, of Harrisburg,
and has one child, Francis). John D. is a machinist
in the steel works at Steelton, Penn. ; he married
Miss Anna Fairchild, from Chillisquaque, Penn.,
and has three children — Hannah, Joseph and
Margaret. Augustus S. is engaged in the iron
business in Maine; he married Miss Mary Moyer,
and has three children — George William, How
ard Wilson and Mariam Ramona. James M.,
now of Wichita, Kans. , married Miss Elda Rob
ertson, and has one child, Mary Elda. Austin
Craig, a farmer in Northumberland county,
Penn., married Sophia Reber, and has one child,
Edna. Louisa K. married Isora Pontius, of
Lewisburg, and has six children — Horace P.,
Anna J., Fannie Belle, Channing, Marie Jean
and Clara M. Horace W. died January 22,
1888, at the age of twenty-seven years. Mary
is at home.
Mrs. Mary (Kremer) Derr has now attained the
somewhat uncommon age of seventy-eight, and
despite this fact is still vigorous, physically and
mentally. Her large family received during
former years her devoted attention, and now she
has the satisfaction of seeing them filling useful
and honorable stations in life. She is tall with a
finely proportioned frame, and must have been
endowed with great physical strength and endur

ance, while intellectually she is brilliant, and in
no way indicating her advanced age. She visits
her neighbors and attends to business as in
younger days, and her conversation is full of in
terest. Her memory runs back to the time when
all freight was hauled by wagons, and passenger
transportation was entirely by stage. Inhere was
then no canal in this part of the State, but later
she saw the overland system give way to the
water routes, and this in turn supplanted by the
railroad. Mrs. Derr is a granddaughter of George
Kremer, who came from New Jersey and settled
in Union county, Penn., about 1797. He mar
ried Miss Sophia Kline, who died at seventy-five
years of age; the date of his death is not known.
Abraham Kremer, Mrs. Derr's father, was born
in 1 79 1, and grew to manhood in Union county.
He married Elizabeth Whittaker, who was born
in 1800, and died in December, 1842, and his own
death occurred in 1847. He was a Whig politic
ally, and both were devout members of the M. E.
Church. Their children were: Mary Jane (widow
of Joseph Derr), Frances (widow of James S.
Marsh, and lives in Philadelphia, Penn.), Anna
E. (the widow of Joseph Shriner, of Lewis
burg), William (died when two years and seven
months old), Julia M. (widow of George Forrest,
resides in Philadelphia, Penn.), Joseph A. (died
in Lewisburg February 3, 1893, at the age of
sixty-one years), John K. (the cashier of the
Union National Bank of Lewisburg), and Margaret
M. (died at an early age).

J THOMPSON BAKER, A. M., prominent
among the native sons of Union county,
Penn. , was born in Buffalo township, in
1847, OI German, Scotch-Irish, and French-
Huguenot parentage. His ancestors were pio
neers in the settlement of Buffalo Valley, being
Wendel Baker, born 1730, Henry Rockey, born
1744, John Pontius, born 17 18, and John Thomp
son, born 1720, all of whom lived and died in
Buffalo Valley, Union county, Pennsylvania.
J. Thompson Baker received his elementary
education in the district schools of the neighbor
hood of his home, and completed his studies at
Bucknell University, in Lewisburg. He pursued
his law studies in the office of Judge Bucher, was
admitted to the Bar in 1870, and immediately
entered upon the practice of his profession. He
has won a high place in the legal world, and the
faithful discharge of his duties, his fidelity to his
clients, and his repudiation of unprincipled
methods to win unjust causes, has given to him
the true respect of his fellow citizens.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

811

In 1874, Mr. Baker was united in marriage
with Miss Margaret E. Bordner, and by this
union he has five children — one son and four
daughters: Frederick Thompson, Margaret Stuart,
Katharine Pontius, Frances Moore and Mary
Howard. Our subject has been closely identified
with all the material interests of the county, and
has contributed liberally of both his time
and means to aid in its advancement. He
is president of The Union National Bank of
Lewisburg, Penn., the Lewisburg Water Com
pany, the Home Telephone Company, the trus
tees and corporation of Beaver Memorial M. E.
Church, and, in fact, wherever and whenever any
enterprise that tends to the benefit of the com
munity, is to be encouraged Mr. Baker is found
to be actively engaged therein. He has also
been instrumental in establishing a successful
granite business in the State of Maine, and in
founding and building the borough of Wildwood,
New Jersey.

M

C. STEADMAN, M. D. The faithful
physician has an unequaled opportunity
for doing good, and only one who has stood by
the open grave of such a one and witnessed the
heartfelt mourning of the entire community gath
ered to pay their last tribute of respect and
gratitude, can realize how strong has been his
hold upon the affections of rich and poor, high
and low, ignorant and learned, to whom in some
trying moment his presence has brought relief
and hope.
The subject of this memoir, formerly a prom
inent physician and surgeon of Mifflinburg, Union
county, was a man to whom professional fees were
a secondary matter. To all his patients he was
the same, answering with as much alacrity a call
to the home of the poor and humble as to the
wealthy and influential, and tending a stranger
with the same kindly devotion that he gave to
a neighbor. Wholly regardless of self, he often
discharged the duties of nurse as well as those
more strictly in the lines of his profession, his
only thought being to serve and save others.
It is most fitting and appropriate that the his
tory of this noble man, dearly beloved by the
people of his day, should be kept in memory
by the descendants of those among whom his
life was spent, and for that reason the following
brief record is inserted here.
Dr. Steadman was born July 12, 1832, in
Lewisburg, but his youth was mainly spent in
Juniata county, Penn., where he obtained his
literary education. His inclination for the med
ical profession was manifested at an early day,

and as soon as prepared he entered the medical
department of the University of Pennsylvania,
where he was graduated in 1861. He then locat
ed at Buffalo Cross Roads, and August 2, 1862,
was mustered into the army as assistant surgeon,
87th P. V. L, was honorably discharged, Jan
uary 27, 1864, for physical disabilities. After
his return from the army he located in Mifflin
burg, of which place he was appointed post
master, January, 1868, holding this office until
his death, May 22, 1876.
His widow, Mrs. Julia Bound Steadman, still
survives with two sons: William H, merchant
and manufacturer, who married Miss Gertrude
Moss, and resides in Mifflinburg; and Merrill Linn,
a pharmacist, who is single. Those deceased are:
Joseph Bound, Sarah McClellan and Franklin
Bound. Mrs. Steadman, to whom the Doctor was
married March 24, 1863, at Milton, Penn., is a na
tive of that town, born October 17, 1836. Her
fine native abilities were developed by careful
education, and the refinements of a cultured home
made a lasting impression upon a nature admirably
adapted to receive their subtle benefits. At the
death of her husband she was appointed post
mistress of Mifflinburg, serving in that capacity
until 1887. Her father, Joseph Bound, who was
of English descent, was born in Chester county,
Penn., but became a resident of Milton, where he
engaged in mercantile business. He was a Pres
byterian in religion, an elder for forty-one years,
and was said to be "the friend of everything
good." He took an active part in local affairs,
serving for some time as justice of the peace.
His wife, Mary Ann Housel, died in 1869, at
the age of sixty-nine. They had six children:
Sarah Jane (deceased); Margaretta (deceased);
William H., a physician, died in the Sandwich
Islands; Franklin is a lawyer and ex-congress
man; Charles A. died in the early part of the
war in the War Department; and Julia B. (Mrs.
Steadman).

PETER HAGENBUCH (deceased). Al
though the subject of this brief memoir did
not attain the limited age allotted to the average
man, he left an enviable record, in which kindly
thought for his fellows is clearly seen although
it was expressed in helpful deeds rather than in
words. As a citizen, a politician, and a man of
affairs, he stood the peer of any in his section,
but it was not in these phases of his well-rounded
character that he will remain longest in the mem
ory and the affection of those who knew him
best. Rather will he be recalled as the helper of
the helpless, for though childless himself, he be-

812

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

came a father to those who had been bereft of
parental care.
Mr. Hagenbuch's ancestors were early settlers
in Berks county, Penn. , his parents, Andrew and
Mary (Weikel) Hagenbuch, both being natives
of that county. They came to Union county,
thenColumbia county, shortly after their marriage,
and located on a farm in East Buffalo township,
where both died in 1863, at the age of seventy-
six, the same illness affecting them, and the wife
surviving her husband but a few days. Of their
four children none ard now living. Aaron was a
farmer and banker in Michigan; Elizabeth was
the wife of Charles Ackehbeck, whose death oc
curred a few months from her own; Peter, our
subject, was the third in order of birth; and
Henry Lightstreet was a farmer in Columbia
county, Penn., for many years, but at the time
of his death he had retired from active business.
Mr. Hagenbuch was born in Union county in
1 82 1, and in early manhood engaged in agricult
ure and in speculating, his efforts in both lines
being attended with success. His ability and
prominence made him a leader in local politics,
and he was a valued adviser in the Republican
organization. On December 3, 1850, he was
married at Berwick, Columbia county, Penn., to
Miss Julia A. Landbach, and in 1854 they settled
at the present homestead near West Milton,
where a beautiful and commodious residence was
built. Mr. Hagenbuch's death occurred in Columbia
county in 1875, cutting short his useful life at
the comparative early age of fifty-four. As has
been said, he had no children of his own, but he
and his kind-hearted wife took into their pleasant
home seven children to rear and train for honor
able positions in life. One, Elmira A., died at
the age of twelve years; John Allward grew to
manhood, married, and is now a resident of
Johnstown, Penn. ; Emma Ferguson married
Henry Lewallen, and lives in the West; William
Stutzman is married, but his present residence is
not known, and his brother, Judson, who also
lived for a time with Mr. and Mrs. Hagenbuch,
has disappeared ; Harry McCall married, and now
resides in St. Paul, Minn. ; Isabella Whatmore
is now the wife of George Currey, a machinist at
Milton, Pennsylvania.
Mrs. Hagenbuch is a prominent member of
the Presbyterian Church at Lewisburg, to which
she has been a liberal contributor, and her gen
erosity is a potent factor in many philanthropic
enterprises. She was born on Briar creek,
Columbia county, July 10, 1824, and was the
only child of George B. and Elizabeth (Wirtz)
Landbach, who were natives of Lancaster county,

Penn. Her father was a well-known contractor
and builder, and held a high place in business
and social life, being identified with the best in
terests of his locality. He died in Columbia
county in 1 831, at the age of forty, and the
mother, who was never separated from her
daughter, lived to the age of seventy-six, passing
away in 1868.

DANIEL R. SMITH, the popular and effi-
 . ' cient treasurer of Union county, was born
in Hartley township, May 18, 1853, a son of
John and Mary (Rockey) Smith, the former of
whom was of the same nativity, born in 1809,
and died in Hartley township, in 1889. He was
a son of Leonard Smith, also a native of Union
county, who married and reared a family of four
sons and three daughters: John, Leonard, Peter,
Jacob, Susanna (who became the wife of John
Diehl), Mary (who wedded Jacob Weirick), and
Betsey (wife of Jacob Shively), all now deceased.
The entire family were devout Christians, mem
bers of the Lutheran Church.
John Smith, the father of our subject, was a
lifelong farmer, and passed his entire life in
Hartley township. By his wife Mary (Rockey)
he had a family of six children, as follows: Will
iam, who lost his life in front of Petersburg,
having enlisted during the Civil war in Company
E, 5 1 st P. V. I.: Isaiah, who also served in the
51st Regiment, as a member of Company I, was
taken prisoner at the battle of the Wilderness,
and died of starvation in Andersonville prison;
Mary Jane, who married J. W. Showalter, a
farmer of near Hartleton, Union county, and has
six children — Newton, John, Daniel, William,
Hannah and Esther; Samuel, who wedded Miss
Susan Knape, and took up farming in Centre
county, but lost his life February 17, 1880,
through an attack made on him by a vicious cow
(he left a widow and one son); and Catherine
and Daniel R. (twins), the former of whom mar
ried Isaac Walker, a farmer of Centre county,
near Tyrone, by whom she has eight

Penn.,
sons. On
reared

the home farm Daniel R. Smith was
to habits of industry and economy, at
tending during the winter seasons the common
schools of the neighborhood. Building upon
these good foundations, he made the best use of
such opportunities as he could find for study,
and proved himself to be an earnest, diligent
and apt scholar. Thus qualifying himself, he at
the age of seventeen commenced teaching school,
first in Centre county, later in Hartley town
ship, Union county — one term each; after which,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

813

with laudable ambition, he attended the Normal
School at Shippensburg one term. Returning
to his old home, he again took up the profession
of teaching, and taught in Lewis township,
Union county, three terms, atthe ending of which
time, being desirous of further advancing his
studies, he attended school at State College,
Centre county, two terms. For two years
thereafter he taught school in Buffalo and Kelly
townships, Union county, some two years.
In 1 88 1 Mr. Smith engaged with a surveying
party to locate the Northern Pacific railroad,
crossing the Rocky Mountains between Bozeman,
Mont., and Portland, Ore., Helena, Mont., being
headquarters, and was thus employed one year,
being associated in the exploit with "Buffalo
Bill" and other early border celebrities. He
then returned to Union county (having during his
absence purchased the old farmstead near Laurel
ton), and in 1882 was appointed postmaster at
Laurelton, in which village he established the
first drug store, which he conducted some four
years, when his stock was destroyed by fire. Mr.
Smith's next employment was as traveling sales
man for Kline, Heitz & Co., of Millersburg,
Penn., manufacturers of carpets, rugs, etc., and
in that capacity he remained two years; then en
gaged with S. Lynd Fox, a grocery man of Phil
adelphia, continuing with him some three years,
in all of which positions he earned for himself a
well-merited confidence.
Orf February 15, 1896, he was nominated on
the Republican ticket for treasurer of Union
county, and in the fall of the same year, on No
vember 6, he was elected by the flattering ma
jority of 1,064 votes, defeating a candidate who
had been solidly endorsed at the Democratic
convention. On January 7, 1897, Mr. Smith
took charge of the office, and it is unnecessary to
add that his short term therein has already
strengthened his unquestioned popularity through
out his native county. He is an active worker,
doing his duty to his constituents in a manner
that has won him both applause and honor.
On September 12, 1883. Mr. Smith was uni
ted in marriage with Miss Fannie Kate Barnitz,
daughter of Rev. A. M. and Sarah Barnitz^ and
three children — two daughters and one son —
have come to gladden their home: Nellie, Annie
and McClain. In religious faith Mr. and Mrs.
Smith hold membership with' the M. E. Church,
with which denomination he identified himself
when eighteen years of age. Socially, he affili
ates with the Royal Arcanum and P. O. S. of
A.., of which latter he was, in 1895, appointed
district president. In 1895, by special appoint
ment of Gov. Hastings, he was made one of a

committee of ten to investigate all the public
institutions of refuge throughout the State, for
the purpose of ascertaining the exact number of
aliens quartered in such institutions, and which
investigation resulted in the passage of the
"Alien Bill," which provides for the removal
from the public institutions of Pennsylvania all
unnaturalized foreigners to the States and coun
tries from whence they came. This measure
will result in a saving of over one million dollars
per year to the Commonwealth.
Mr. Smith is the owner of the old Smith
homestead in Hartley township, embodying 181
acres of highly-improved land, and considered
one of the finest and most fertile farms in Union
county, in addition to which he owns valuable
property in Laurelton. He is one of the most
popular men in the county, strong in his polit
ical party, and the longer he is known the more
he is esteemed, respected and admired. In the
heyday of mature manhood, possessed of a host
of friends and a deserved prosperity, he is as
suredly a man to be contented, and to be envied.

ARRISON HAFER. Among the pleasantest
rural homes of this section is that of Mr.
and Mrs. Harrison Hafer, of Kelly township,
Union county, the culture and artistic taste of its
occupants being reflected in its appointments,
while a gracious hospitality adds a charm to its
material comforts. Mr. Hafer is a veteran of
the Civil war, and bears an honorable record for
brave service in the cause of freedom and union,
and in the paths of peace he has also won an en
viable reputation through the sterling qualities
which go to the making of a good citizen.
The Hafer family has been identified with
Union county since 1806, when our subject's
grandparents, Michael Hafer and wife, came
from Berks county, Penn., and located upon the
Henning farm near Lewisburg, the grandfather
following agricultural pursuits. Later they set
tled in Buffalo township, near Lochiel, but their
last years were spent upon a farm in Kelly town
ship. Their remains now repose in the burial
ground at Driesbach Church.
Jacob Hafer, the father of our subject, was
born in Berks county, and accompanied his par
ents to their new home, where he spent his life,
engaging in farming as an occupation, and~also,
to some extent, in weaving. In politics he was a
Republican, and for many years he served as con
stable in his township. He was married in
Union county to Miss Rebecca Gilbert, daughter
of Henry Gilbert, and a native of Schuylkill
county, where his parents were both born and

814.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

where they passed their lives with the exception
of a few years in Union county in early days.
Jacob Hafer and his wife were devout Lutherans
and died in that faith, the former in 1874, at the
age of seventy-nine years and four months, and
the latter in 1885, aged eighty- four.
They had twelve children, nine of whom lived
to maturity: (1) William, who died in 1881, was
a physician at Marshallville, Ga., He had two
children, one of whom, Herbert, is living. (2)
Henry, a retired agriculturist residing near Keily
Cross Roads, Union county, was born March 30,
1823, in Buffalo township, of the same county.
He is a well-known Republican, and a prominent
member of the Lutheran Church. On December
13, 1850, he was married to Miss Mary Yost, a
lady of German descent, and a daughter of
Michael Yost, of Northumberland county, Penn.
Three children were born to them: (a) William
F. , a farmer by occupation, married Elizabeth
Rennel, and has five children, (b) Levi F. mar
ried Clara Dasherman, and has had two sqns.
(c) Ammon E. died January 28, 1886, and his
remains rest in White Deer cemetery. (3) Ja
cob, deceased, was a soldier in the Civil war.
By occupation he was a farmer, and the greater
part of his active life was spent in Michigan.
He left a family, all of whom reside in Michigan
except a daughter, who married Paterson Meix-
ell, son of Martin Meixell, and lives in Kan
sas. (4) Andrew was married in Buffalo, N. Y. ,
to Miss Nancy Barnhart, of Union county, Penn.,
and settled in Ouray county, Colo. , where he is
now engaged in agriculture. He was formerly
interested in the mining of gold and silver, be
longing to a wealthy syndicate organized in New
York as the Colorado Mining & Land Company,
which opened a number of mines at a cost of
$40,000. Andrew Hafer and two men by the
name of Mclntyre, brothers, who were also mem
bers of the company, sold their prior individual
interests in the mines to the company for $155,-
000, taking stock in the corporation in payment.
Henry Hafer, mentioned above, also invested
heavily, but later the company became embar
rassed, and the entire property was sold for $15,-
000, the secretary, J. S. Buell, of New York City,
securing everything. (5) Elizabeth died at the
age of seventeen years, and the next three in or
der of birth died in infancy. (9) Daniel, who
served as a soldier in the "late unpleasantness."
has been for some time engaged in teaming in
Lewisburg, but was formerly a farmer. He
married (first) Miss Matilda Noll, and (second)
Miss Mary Kinney. By the first marriage there
were five children: Jacob, Samuel, Margaret,
Nora and Edwin. (10) Jonas, a farmer in Kelly

township, Union county, married (first) Miss Mary
Hollenbach, and (second) Laura Gusler, and has
had two children: Isaac and Anna. Isaac, a
farmer in Kansas, married Miss Jane Eisenhauer.
(n) Harrison is mentioned more fully below.
(12) Rebecca married William Rauch, of White
Deer township, Union county, who is engaged in
farming, and, in partnership with his brother
Peter, carries on a large milling business.
The birth of Harrison Hafer, our subject, oc
curred January 27, 1841, in Kelly township,
Union county, and his youth was passed in the
wholesome surroundings of farm. life. While as
sisting his father on the farm he learned the
cooper's trade, but the outbreak of the war
caused him to forego his plans for business life,
and offer his services to his country. August 6,
1862, he enlisted in Company A, 131st P. V. I.,
under Capt. J. R. Orwig, with the rank of fourth
corporal. He was mustered out May 23, 1863,
but re-enlisted in Company I, 192nd P. V. I.,
and served until the close of the war, receiving
his final discharge in August, 1865. Among the
important engagements through which he passed
were the battles of Antietam, September 17, 1862,
and Fredericksburg, and the five-days' struggle
at Chancellorsville, beginning May 1, 1863. On
his return home he again engaged in farm work
with his father, but in the spring of 1867 he
rented a farm and began work on his own ac
count. In 1875 he purchased a place in Kelly
township, which he still owns and now resides
there. In 1879 he removed to Northumberland
county, but after three years returned to his old
farm, where he remained until his removal, in
1892, to his present home in the same township,
near Kelly Point. Always an industrious worker
and thrifty manager, Mr. Hafer deserves his suc
cess. He is a stanch Republican, and an active
member of the Grand Army Post No. 52, of
Lewisburg. He and his amiable wife are both
connected with the Reformed Church.
Mr. Hafer has been twice married. His first
wife, Miss Lucy Grove, to whom he was united
in 1866, was a daughter of Abraham and Susanna
(Leiser) Grove, well-known residents of Kelly
township, Union county. She passed to the un
seen life February 22, 1875, aged thirty years,
eight months and eleven days, leaving two daugh
ters: Sarah, now the wife of Elmer Smith, a
farmer in Kelly township; and Susanna M., who
married John W. Crisswell, a carpenter in the
same locality. On December 28, 1876, Mr.
Hafer was married to his present wife, Miss
Mary C. Hottenstein, and three children — Lettie
V., Rebecca E. and Frances C— brighten their
home.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

815

Mrs. Hafer was born January 9, 1849, in
Northumberland county, Penn., a daughter of
Hon. Charles C. Hottenstein, and a granddaugh
ter of Henry and Catherine (Spohn) Hottenstein,
of Berks county. Mrs. Hafer's father, who died
March 8, 1891, at the age of seventy-nine, was
a man of great ability, and held a prominent
place in public life. He was a native of Berks
county, Penn., where he married Miss Veronica
Kaufman, daughter of Daniel and Mary D.
(Whitenheimer) Kauffman, both lifelong resi
dents of the same county, where Mr. Kaufman
was a leading agriculturist.
Soon after their marriage, Mr. Hafer's par
ents moved to a farm in Northumberland county
and established their home. Mr. Hottenstein
followed surveying as an occupation, and his su
perior judgment in affairs was recognized by his
fellow citizens in many ways. For about thirty
years he held the office of justice of the peace, in
which he was serving at the time of his death.
He was a delegate to the National Democratic
Convention, at Charleston, S. C. , in i860, and
represented his county in the State Legislature
in 1859. His wife died in May, 1877, at the age
of fifty-seven years and fifteen days.
They had the following children: Allen S.,
an attorney at Milton, Penn. ; Henry K. , a re
tired farmer residing in Northumberland county;
Daniel, a resident of Paradise, Northumberland
county, who was appointed at his father's death
by Gov. Pattison, to fill the unexpired term as
justice of the peace, and has since retained that
office by the election of the people; Mary C. ,
Mrs. Hafer; Sarah E., deceased, formerly the
wife of Jacob K. Stahl, who is mentioned farther
on; Susannah E., who married Thomas Long,
the proprietor of a sawmill at Williamsport,
Penn.; Clara V., wife of Daniel Raup, of North
umberland county; Abraham C. and William P.,
farmers in the same county; and Clarissa and
Catherine, who died in their youth.
Jacob K. Stahl, a brother-in-law of Mrs.
Hafer, was for many years a successful farmer in
Kelly township, Union county, and is now living
retired at Mazeppa. While there are several
families of the name in the county, the branch to
which he belongs was the first to be represented
in Kelly township, his grandfather, Adam Stahl,
coming from Schuylkill county, Penn., about
1820, and making his permanent home upon a
farm. He was a prosperous citizen, influential
in local affairs, and standing high in the esteem
of his neighbors. He had eleven children, among
whom were seven stalwart sons, each over six
feet tall.
John Stahl, the father of the gentleman men

tioned, was a man of note in his locality, and,
although he attended school but very little, about
four months in all, he acquired through his own
efforts a fair education. His skill in mechanics
amounted to positive genius, an examination of a
piece of machinery enabling him to duplicate it.
He received some regular training as a carpenter,
but did not complete a term of apprenticeship,
and he was equally competent as a worker in iron
with no special instruction. In the shop which
he built upon his farm he made wagons, drills
and various kinds of tools, and did all his own
work in wood and iron. His robust constitution
was equal to severe and long continued toil, and
and until the hour of his death, from heart dis
ease, he was actively engaged in business and
other cares. A deep thinker, he was not much
given to talking, and in the management of busi
ness he displayed the rare executive ability which
keeps others employed without friction or per
plexing complications. He made his home
throughout life upon the farm where he was born,
from which he was seldom absent except when
business called him. In politics he was a Re
publican, but while he attended elections regu
larly, he never sought office, his quiet disposition
finding private life more congenial. He was a
leading member of the Lutheran Church in his
locality. At his death, which occurred February
16, 1884, a large estate was left, including four
farms and considerable cash. His first wife, for
merly Miss Catherine Kauffman, to whom he was
united in the latter '40s, was a native of Buffalo
township, and a daughter of Jacob Kauffman, a
well-known citizen. She was a devout Christian
and a member of the Reformed Church. On Oc
tober 18, 1850, she passed to the better world,
leaving one son, Jacob K. Stahl. By a second
marriage, this time with Miss Amelia Kauffman,
there was also one son, Aaron C, born Decem
ber 10, 1856, now a resident of Buffalo town
ship, Union county. Mrs. Amelia Stahl, who
resides with her son, was a native of Buffalo
township, born in December, 18 16. Her father,
John Kauffman, was born in Berks county, Penn.,
July 11, 1764, and her mother, Catherine Wan-
wilier, also a native of that county, was born in
Ole township, December 26, 1772. They reared
a family of four sons and seven daughters.

ITTrON. JACOB HOWER, mayor of the thriv-
Wx^ ing city of Lewisburg, Union county, is one
of the successful business men of that locality,
having been for many years a leading furniture
dealer and undertaker. He served with distinc
tion in the Civil war, entering Company A, 131st

816

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

P. V. I. on August 6, 1862. At the expiration
of his term in June, 1863, he re-enlisted in Com
pany F, 125th P. V. I., and remained on duty as
long as hostilities lasted, receiving his discharge
May 25, 1865. He took part in a number of
important battles: Fredericksburg, Chancellors
ville, and others, and was promoted for bravery
to the rank of first sergeant.
Mayor Hower was born December 16, 1841,
in Hartley township, Union county, where his
grandfather, George Hower, settled at an early
day upon a farm where he lived to the ripe old
age of eighty-three. The family is of German
origin, and it is probable that George Hower was
a native of the Fatherland, but he had resided
for some time in Berks county, Penn., before
coming to this section. His children were John,
George, Samuel, Elizabeth, and Catherine, of
whom the only survivor is Samuel.
The late John Hower, the father of our sub
ject, was born June 13, 1806, and passed his life.
in Union county in agricultural pursuits, his
death occurring September 25, 1892. His wife,
Rosanah Spigelmyer, was born January 23, 1810,
and died March 27, 1880. They had nine chil
dren: Charles, deceased; Mary, who has never
married, resides in Kansas; John, who resides in
Michigan; Catherine, Mrs. Henry Catherman;
George, a resident of Kansas; Elizabeth, wife of
Henry Huffman, of Hartleton, Penn. ; Jacob, our
subject; Susan, now Mrs. Cox, of Kansas; and
Henry, who lives in Oklahoma.
The schools of his native township provided
Mayor Hower with an education of which his
practical mind has made good use as a founda
tion for observation and reading. At an early
age he learned the business of cabinet making
and undertaking, but his military service in the
defense of his country interfered for a time with
his business career. On his return from the
army he established himself in Lewisburg where
he speedily gained a large trade, and an honor
able standing. As a funeral director he per
forms his delicate and important duties with rare
tact and discretion.
In 1866 our subject was married to Miss Jen
nie Berkley, a native of Lewisburg, born January
15, 1 841, and five children have blessed the
union: Margaret was married to C. E. Stein, of
Lewisburg; F. A. is a resident of Chicago, 111. ;
C. W. , now in business with his father at Lewis
burg; Warren E., a traveling salesman, is a resi
dent of Lewisburg; and Nellie E., who is attend
ing school.
In 1894 the people of Lewisburg chose Mr.
Hower as their first burgess under the new law,
and his administration has fully justified their

confidence. Mayor Hower is prominent in all
local movements, and is identified, socially, with
the G. A. R., and the I. O. O. F.; he has been
treasurer of the latter organization for twenty-
three years. He is a member of the Encamp
ment, and has passed through all the chairs.

WILLARD O. SHAFFER, who is now
serving his fifth consecutive term as pro
thonotary of Union county, is deservedly popu
lar, few men in any public position displaying
the unwearying devotion to duty which has char
acterized his official life.
Mr. Shaffer, unlike many of his fellow work
ers in the county administration, is a native of
Lewisburg, where he was born March 18, 1847.
His paternal grandfather, David Shaffer, a native
of Northampton county, settled in Union coun
ty in early manhood, and became a well-known
farmer of " ye olden time." Daniel Shaffer, the
father of our subject, was born in Union county,
February 5, 1821, and was a prominent resident
of Lewisburg, where for many years he had been
engaged in business as a marble dealer. He
died January 5, 1897. He was married in 1846
to Miss Mary Ogden, a native of Northumber
land county, born August 15, 1824, and they
passed more than half a century in loving union.
Our subject is the elder of two sons: C. F.
Shaffer, the younger, is also in the public serv
ice as deputy prothonotary of the county, which
office he has filled for twenty-one years.
The schools of Lewisburg provided our sub
ject with excellent educational advantages which
he was not slow to improve, and in 1872 he
was graduated from Bucknell College. He
taught for one term in the academy at Mc
Ewensville, Penn., and then returned to Lewis
burg and began the study of law. On being ad
mitted to the Bar in 1875, he engaged in prac
tice, but since 1883, when he was first elected to
the office of prothonotary, his time has been
fully taken up with the responsible duties of that
post. He is a director of the Home Telephone
Company, a director in the Lewisburg National
Bank, and is active in the promotion of various
movements which are beneficial to the commu
nity. Since 1882 he has been a member of the
Fire Department, and is treasurer of the organiza
tion. In 1886 Mr. Shaffer married Miss Anna
Schreyer, a native of Lewisburg, born August 6,
1859, and three children — Harold A., Mildred J.
and Helen L. — brighten their home. Mr. and
Mrs. Shaffer are prominent socially, and are

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

817

leading members of the Presbyterian Church,
Mrs. Shaffer being an active worker in the Mis
sionary Society.

FREDERIC EVANS BOWER, attorney at
law, Lewisburgh, Union county, and Mid-
dleburgh, Snyder county, was born January 21,
1846, in Selins Grove, Snyder county (then a
part of Union county), Penn., where, his father,
Hon. Thomas Bower, was then engaged in the
mercantile business.
On his father's side our subject is of German,
Scotch and Welsh descent. His paternal grand
father, Philip Bower, came to America with his
brother Lewis at an early day, a German emi
grant. After landing, the brothers " hired out,"
not improbably at farm labor, to pay their pass
age across the seas. Having faithfully performed
their contract of service, they enlisted in the
American army during the Revolutionary war,
served their adopted country as faithfully as they
had their employer, and were honorably dis
charged at Philadelphia. Their company and
regiment have not yet been traced, but a grand
son of Philip, Rev. Frederick Bower, a retired
Baptist minister, now nearly eighty years of age,
has frequently donned the " roundabout " worn
by Caspar while in the service.
Lewis remained in Philadelphia, acquiring
considerable real estate, part, at least, on Walnut
street. So far as known, he never married.
Philip came up the Susquehanna and located
in the neighborhood of Sunbury, at Shamokin
Dam, where some of his descendants still reside.
He married and became the father of several
children, among them being John Bower, a man
of great energy and thrift. He served a term of
three years as one of the commissioners of Union
county. His wife, a Miss Barton, was a lady
of Scotch and Welsh extraction, by whom he
had sons and daughters as follows: Thomas
Bower (who died November 3, 1893), the father
of Frederic E. Bower; William Bower, who
died while a young man; Dr. Charles Bower,
who was assistant-surgeon during the Mexican
war, also brigade-surgeon during the Civil war,
and who died in 1867; Rev. Frederick Bower,
still surviving; Sabra, married to the late Dr.
Baird, of Huntingdon county; and Harriet, mar
ried to the late Maj. John Cummings, of Selins
Grove. Both the sisters are deceased. Thom
as Bower was a man of intelligence and high
character, well- known, personally and polit
ically, throughout Snyder and Union counties.
When nineteen years of age he served as deputy
sheriff of Union county, during the official term
52*

of Maj. John Cummings. He was elected to the
Pennsylvania Legislature afethe general election
of 1856, in the district composed of the coun
ties of Union, Snyder and Juniata,- over a large
adverse majority. While in the House he was
Chairman of the Committee on Currency and
Banking, and as such favored the granting of a
charter to the State Bank at Lewisburgh, which
practically became the predecessor of the present
Lewisburg National Bank. From 1866 to 1870
he was deputy assessor of Internal Revenue, for
the County of Snyder, Pennsylvania.
Hon; Thomas Bower married Miss Catharine
Kremer, daughter -of the Hon. George Kremer,
a man of powerful memory, a constant reader of
the best literature of his day, a fluent speaker,
and, withal, of superior business qualifications,
and of the highest standing in the community. He
was born November 2 1 , 1775. His father, Jacob
Kremer, was a half brother of Gov. Simon Sny
der, and came from the Palatinate in his child
hood, with his parents, the father dying on the
passage. His mother, Eliza (Fleming) Kremer,
was of Irish parentage. Mr. Kremer was, from
early youth until well past middle age, engaged
in mercantile pursuits, residing for many years at
Lewisburgh, Penn. He represented his District in
Congress during the memorable contest for the
Presidency of the United States before the Na
tional House of Representatives between Gen.
Jackson, Henry Clay and John Quincy Adams, in
which contest he was a prominent and ardent
friend of Jackson's. His old age was spent at
his hospitable mansion near Middleburgh, Penn.
On her mother's side Mrs. Bower descended by
two strains from Roger North, an emigrant from
Ireland, of high family standing in his native
land, of English origin, a lieutenant in the Pro
vincial service of 1748, and the father of thirteen
children — eight sons and five daughters. Accord
ing to family tradition, the eight brothers all
served in the American army during the Revo
lution, and recent searches of historical records
have already confirmed this tradition as to five
of these brothers. One of them, Caleb, who
died November 7, i860, aged eighty-seven years,
held the rank of colo'nel in the Pennsylvania
Line, was the last field officer of the Revolution
ary army, and was president of the Pennsylvania
Society of the Cincinnati.
Elizabeth North, one of the daughters, mar
ried George Evans, Jr., of Welsh lineage, and
became the mother of Captain Frederick Evans
(born March 30, 1766, died December 16, 1844),
who was deputy surveyor-general for Northum
berland county, Penn., and surveyed thousands
of acres of wild land for applicants in the central

818

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

part of the State. He was also captain of an
artillery company in the war of 1812, and engaged
in the defence of Fort McHenry, Baltimore, dur
ing its bombardment by the British. Capt. Ev
ans, on April 2, 1 791 , married his cousin, Ann
North, daughter of John North, one of the eight
brothers already referred to, and one of the five
whose Revolutionary records have been found.
These two, on his mother's side, were the great-
grandparents of Frederic Evans Bower, who was
named after his great-grandfather.
Mr. Bower, our subject, was educated at the
University at Lewisburg, Penn. (now Bucknell
University), where he graduated with credit in
1869. He studied law in the office of Hon. John
P. Cronmiller, at Middleburgh, Penn. , and was ad
mitted to the Bar in May, 1878. In 1882 he
was elected district attorney of Snyder county
for a term of three years, and re-elected in 1885,
both times by good-sized majorities in the face
of a large adverse party majority. He is Secre
tary of the Board of Examiners for admission to
the Bar of Snyder County, and is a member of
the Committee on Legal Biography of the Penn
sylvania State Bar Association.
Mr. Bower is an active, energetic practitioner,
and since his admission has been concerned in a
large proportion of the most important Civil and
Criminal cases tried in Snyder county. In 1893
he moved his residence to Lewisburgh, Penn., for
educational purposes, where he has since opened
an office, retaining also his Middleburgh office.
He has been prominent politically as well as
professionally, giving active support to the Dem
ocratic party and its candidates until the Presi
dential election of 1896, when the party went
estray on the "free-silver issue," and he thereupon
refused to support the platform or the candidates.
Mr. Bower is one of the Directors in the First
National Bank of Middleburgh, Pennsylvania.
He was a member of Company A, 28th Regi
ment Pennsylvania Volunteer Militia, in 1863, dur
ing the war of the Rebellion, and is a member of
Andrew Gregg TuckerPost No. 52, at Lewisburgh,
Penn. He is also a member of the Masonic Lodge
of Selins Grove, Penn. , and a past master by serv
ice. Mr. Bower has brothers now living as follows:
Charles C. , a prominent physician of Elkhart. Ind ;
William H. , of Cumberland, Md. , assistant general
manager of the West Virginia Central & Pitts
burgh Railroad Company; and Edwin, chief clerk
in the office of the Philadelphia & Erie Railroad
Company at Renovo, Penn. Besides these he
had a brother, George Kremer Bower, an ensign
in the United States Navy, who was lost on the
"Oneida "in Yokohama Bay, January 24, 1870,
through the collision of that vessel with the Brit

ish ironclad "Bombay;" and one sister, Flor
ence, who died while in attendance at school at
the University Female Institute, at Lewisburgh
in 1868. Mr. Bower, on March 31, 1875, married Miss
Harriet R. Harris, of Indiana county, Penn., a
sister of Rev. John Howard Harris, LL. D.,
president of Bucknell University. They have
eight children — five sons and three daughters.
Their eldest son, H. Harris Bower, graduated at
Bucknell University in 1896, and has since been
engaged in teaching and in the study of the law.
The second son, Bryant E. , is a member of Com
pany A, 1 2th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer
Infantry, in the Spanish-American war. Their
eldest daughter, Catharine Ruth, recently grad
uated from the classical department of the Sem
inary of Bucknell University. Their other chil
dren are attending school or college. Both Mr.
and Mrs. Bower, with their entire family, except
the youngest, are members of the Lewisburgh
Baptist Church.

•ETER BROWN, a successful agriculturist
W and business man of East Buffalo township,
Union county, is the owner of a valuable farm
near Lewisburg, and in its management much of
his time is spent. Although the snows of sev
enty winters have passed over his head, time has
dealt gently with him, and mentally and physic
ally he is as vigorous as many men who are much
younger. His family is well known in Union county, its
founder, John Brown, our subject's grandfather,
having settled there at an early day. His early
home was in Schuylkill county, Penn., on Sweet
Arrow creek, and his son Christian, the father of
our subject, was born there, the removal to Union
county taking place a few years later.
Christian Brown began farming in a humble
way with thirty acres of land, but later he re
ceived a few acres from his father's estate. He
was at one time engaged in distilling whiskey,
and by industry and judicious management he
secured a fine property. He was a stout man,
with large fists, but was not quarrelsome. Polit
ically he was a Whig, and later a Republican,
and he took an active part in all progressive
movements in his locality, contributing gener
ously to the Church of which he was a member.
He was married in Union county to Miss Eliza
beth Wolfe, a daughter of Peter Wolfe, and a
member of a prominent family. She died at the
age of sixty-eight, and he followed her at seventy-
six years of age, both being interred in the Dreis-
bach cemetery.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

819

Our subject, who was the only child of his
parents, was born on the old homestead, August
8 1826. He attended different schools in the
neighborhood during his youth, the Pike schools,
Gundy school and Shrock school furnishing him
his chief educational advantages. As a farmer's
son he became well acquainted with all kinds of
agricultural work, but he never learned a trade,
the management of the homestead devolving
upon him as he grew to manhood. The distill
ery was abandoned while he was still a young
boy. During the life of his parents he remained
at the farm, but since their death he has made
his home in Smoketown, while still continuing to
oversee his estate, which he rents to other par
ties. Inheriting a fair fortune, Mr. Brown has added
to it by wise investments, and is doubtless one
of the wealthiest men in the county, being ex
tensively engaged in loaning money at interest.
His dealings are marked by strict honesty, and
the better one knows him the more he is esteemed.
He is of a retiring disposition, never much away
from home, and seldom conversing to any extent
with his acquaintances, and, despite his wealth,
his expenditures for personal comfort are very
small. A kindly heart beats under the rough
exterior, however, and he is credited with gen
erous sympathy for the needy. In his business
he never was known to foreclose if a debtor
seemed in the least inclined to help himself, and,
although unmarried and childless, he favors the
best schools obtainable for the children of his
district, and cheerfully pays enlarged taxes to
secure better educational privileges for them.
Politically he is a Republican, and in early
years he was a Whig, but, while as an individual
he supports his principles steadfastly, he has
never taken an active share in party management
or sought official distinction.

JOHN LILLEY. Among the skilled artisans
whose work in the material development of
this section will furnish an enduring monu
ment to them, is the well-known iron-molder,
John Lilley, of Lewisburg, who is now, at the
age of seventy-six, enjoying the leisure which a
life of industry and thrift has gained. Mr. Lil
ley was born in Robinson township, Berks Co. ,
Penn., April 14, 1821, the son of John and
Sarah (Almond) Lilley, and grandson of Walter
Lilley and his wife (who was a member of the
old Depew family).
The father of Mr. Lilley, who was a suc
cessful molder, died in Pottsville, Penn., in 1858,
at the age of sixty-four, from the effects of a

rupture, while on a visit, and his remains were
interred there. He was a native of Berks coun
ty, as was his wife, whose parents, George and
Mary (Mingus) Almond, were born in America of
German ancestry. She died in 1872, aged sev
enty-nine years, eleven months and twenty-
eight days. Our subject is now the only sur
viving member of a family of seven children,
namely: Elizabeth, widow of the late Thomas
Fair; Samuel; Anna, who married Peter Cox,
now deceased; John; Henry; Caroline, widow of
the late Henry Green; and Sarah J., wife of H.
Worthington, also deceased.
John Lilley 's aptitude for mechanial work
was displayed at a remarkably early age. When
only twelve years old he would prepare the
molds for a tin-plate cook stove in a day, but,
as he was not then permitted to handle the
hot iron, his father would do the casting in the
evening. At fifteen he was fully competent to
take a place in the molding room, and do a full
day's work. Until the age of twenty he re
mained with his parents, then started to make
his own way in the world.
On February 23, 1840, our subject was mar
ried to Miss Sarah Heckman, the daughter of
John J. Heckman, a native of Berks county,
Penn., where Mrs. Lilley was born December
22, 1819. Mr. Lilley's financial outlook was
dark at the time of his marriage, times being very
hard; so hard that between 1838 and 1840 he
received $1 per day instead of $1.30, as before,
and, in fact, he was glad to get work at any
price. He and his devoted wife kept in good
cheer, however, sustained by their mutual af
fection. In 1853 Mr. Lilley formed a partnership with
Henry Frick in a foundry business at Lewis
burg, the firm continuing until 1857, when the
plant was sold at a loss of $4,000. Mr. Lilley
resumed his work as a molder, which he followed
seven years, but in 1864 he entered the employ
of James S. Marsh, with whom he spent four
teen years selling agricultural implements. From
1878 to 1890 he was engaged in molding, his
last work of that kind being done on the last
three spans of the Lewisburg bridge. In 1890
he retired from business, and has since been ex
empt from the cares which for so many years
occupied his time.
His faithful wife passed away on April 1,
1892, and of their six children, one has been
taken away. Samuel, the eldest, is a well-to-
do farmer in Dakota; Sarah J. married A. M.
Pearce, a retired farmer now living in Lewis
burg; Alford, a plasterer, resides in Fremont,
Ohio; Mary E. , widow of Amos Powman, lives

820

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

at Linntown, Penn.; Henry, deceased, was a
shoemaker at Lewisburg, where his son Walter
P. is now a successful business man; and John
J. is a farmer in Union county.
Mr. Lilley is deservedly popular among a
large circle of acquaintances, his genial nature
and sound judgment making an attractive com
bination. Politically, he is a Republican, and in
religious faith is a Lutheran. He formerly be
longed to the Knights of Pythias and the United
Order of American Mechanics, but withdrew
some time ago.

GvEORGE CALVIN MOHN, M. D. To the
_T professional or commercial man whose suc
cess has been worthily achieved, who has ac
quired a high reputation in his chosen calling,
and whose social prominence is not less the result
of an irreproachable life than of recognized natural
gifts, the world at large instinctively pays defer
ence. Many a man mistakes his life-work, yet by
earnest appiication makes a partial success; but it
is only when natural tact is coupled with proper
ambition to succeed that anything like eminence
is reached in any vocation. Dr. Mohn has not
only gained an enviable reputation in the ranks
of the medical fraternity, but also stands high in
business and fraternal circles.
A native of Pennsylvania, having been born
May 24, 1858, in Centreville, Snyder county, our
subject is descended on both sides from old fam
ilies prominent among the pioneers of the State.
Peter Mohn, his great-grandfather, was the
third son of Ludwig Mohn, who was born in
1730 at Hanover, Germany, whence he emi
grated to America in 1753, and settled in Berks
county, Penn., at or near where the city of Read
ing now stands. Peter Mohn died in that county
in 1832. John Mohn, grandfather of Dr. Mohn, was
born September 23, 1788, near Reading, Penn.,
and was there married to Elizabeth Reppard, of
that county, born May 15, 1793. Here their
family of six children were born, as follows:
Leah, who married Thomas Hartley; Peter, who
died a bachelor in 1869; Sallie, who married
Noah Kerster, and moved to Ohio; Julian, mar
ried to P. H. Markle; Amelia, wife of Isaac Culp;
and John, who is the only one of this family now
living, and will be spoken of farther on. In 1836
Grandfather John Mohn moved with his family
from Berks county to Union (now Snyder) coun
ty, and passed the rest of his days there, dying
March 2, 1 861, at Centreville. His wife parsed
from earth at the same place August 29, 1868.
John Mohn, the father of our subject, was

born in 183 1, in Berks county, Penn., and, as
will be seen, was about five years old when the
family moved to what is now Snyder county,
For a time he followed carpentry, but later has
devoted his time and attention mainly to the saw
mill business. As one of the leading Republicans
of the community in which he lives, he has filled
various public offices in Snyder county, such as
constable of his township some eighteen years,
and for a time was county commissioner of Sny
der county. In religious faith he is a Lutheran.
In 1852 he married Miss Barbara Stine, who was
born in Snyder county, Penn., in 1829, and they
became the parents of the following children:
Alice, now the wife of William Hartman, of Cen
treville; Henry, who is in business with his fa
ther; George C. , the subject proper of this re
view; Charles, a graduate of the College of Phy
sicians and Surgeons, of Baltimore, Md., and who
is now successfully engaged in practice at Jersey
Shore, Penn. ; John E., a graduate of the Phila
delphia College of Pharmacy, and now the owner
of two drug stores at Jersey Shore; William, who
is in business with his father at Centreville; James
O., a physician of St. Mary's, Elk Co., Penn.,
who graduated from Jefferson Medical College in
1894; and Thomas E., a railroad agent at Muncy
Valley, Pennsylvania.
Dr. George C. Mohn received his earlier edu
cation at Centreville and Selins Grove, Snyder
Co., Penn., and completed his literary studies at
Valparaiso, Ind. , after which he taught school
for three winters. After reading medicine for a
time at Centreville he entered the College of
Physicians and Surgeons at Baltimore, Md.,
graduating there with the class of '82, and on
the 13th of April, same year, he commenced the
practice of his chosen profession at Laurelton,
Union county, where his ability soon won him
recognition, and where he has built up for him
self an enviable record as an eminently success
ful physician. Possessed of a kindly and sym
pathetic nature, a keen sense of discrimination,
a natural taste for the various branches of the
medical profession, coupled with quick intuition
and consummate skill, his success and popularity
are no surprise to his many friends. For about
eight years the Doctor was also engaged in the
drug business at Laurelton, and, being a man of
more than ordinary business acumen, he soon
acquired considerable capital. Desiring to ex
pand his business relations and possibilities, he,
in 1892, became a member of the Laurelton
Lumber Co. , of which he is vice-president, and
which concern is now remarkable for having at
its head three of the most enterprising young
men of the county. He is also a large stock-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

821

holder in and a director of the Linden Hall Lum
ber Co., of Linden Hall, Penn., of which con
cern he is also superintendent.
Laurelton Lumber Company, manufactur
ers of lumber, shingles and lath, shippers of prop
timber and ties, with general office at Sunbury,
Penn., is one of the largest concerns in that line
of business in Pennsylvania. The firm owns
some 25,000 acres of timber land, and the ex
ecutive department at present (1898) consists of
S. W. Rutherford, president; Dr. G. C. Mohn,
vice-president; and Charles Steele, secretary and
treasurer. The Laurelton Lumber Company is
remarkable for having at its head three of the
most enterprising young men of the county, and
own and control seventeen miles of narrow-gauge
railroad, called the Laurelton & Pine Creek rail
road. The business was built up from the small
portable sawmill to the present mammoth con
cern. Their product is mainly virgin-growth
white and yellow pine, and goes to the largest
consumers in the country. They trade largely
with the anthracite mines, and are noted for
quick shipments, their plant at Laurelton, Penn.,
being on the Pennsylvania railroad, and only
forty-nine miles from Shamokin. They have the
largest body of white pine, yellow pine, and hem
lock in the central part of the State. The suc
cess of the company, who have a paid-up capital
of $100,000, has been due to the energetic efforts
of its officers, who personally conduct the busi
ness and look after its every detail.
Linden Hall Lumber Company, manufac
turers of lumber, shingles, and lath, shippers of
prop timber and ties, with general offices at Sun
bury, Penn., ranks among the most extensive
concerns in their line of business in Pennsylvania.
The firm own some 10,000 acres of timber land
in Centre and Huntington counties, and the ex
ecutive department at present (1898) consists of
M. F. Nagle, of Shamokin, Penn., president;
Chas. A. Meek, vice-president; Dr. G. C. Mohn,
superintendent; and Chas. Steele, secretary and
treasurer. Their plant at Linden Hall, Penn.,
is busy twelve months in the year, and their cus
tomers are the largest buyers' of railroad and
mining timbers in the country. G. C. Mohn and
S. W. Rutherford are large stock holders in the
company. They have a narrow-gauge railroad
fifteen miles long.
In 1883 Dr. Mohn was united in marriage
with Miss Laura A. Showers, a native of Centre
ville, Snyder county, and a daughter, Ruth B.,
born March 18, 1892, brightens their home. Fra
ternally the Doctor is one of the highest, most
prominent and zealous Freemasons in the State,
having taken all the degrees to and including the

32nd, Scottish Rite, and being a member of the
Mystic Shrine, Lu Lu Temple, Philadelphia.
Politically he is an ardent worker in the ranks of
the Republican party, having served as a com
mitteeman continuously since 1884. For four
years, during President Harrison's administra
tion, he acceptably served as postmaster at Lau
relton. The Doctor is one who, outside of the esteem
in which he is held for his scientific knowledge
and business capacity, enjoys the admiration of
all for his kindliness of disposition and amiability
of heart. In manner he is social and friendly,
and possesses qualities that readily win popu
larity and respect. In private life that true man
liness of deportment, that genial and kindly na
ture, which have always characterized him in
public, find still more adequate and complete ex
pression, and in the bosom of his family he ever
finds his highest happiness.

JOHN B. ZEIGLER, the popular and well-
known postmaster of Swengel, Union coun
ty, is a native of Centre county, Penn. , born
November 11, 1843, and is a son of Michael and
Lydia (Gephart) Zeigler. He is the second in
order of birth in the -family of eleven children,
the others being as follows: Daniel, now a sad
dler living in Millheim, Centre county; Sarah J.,
wife of Andrew Reesman, a tinsmith, of Centre
Hall, Centre county; Mary A., wife of Benjamin
Arney, a farmer living near Centre Hall; Emma
R. , wife of Geary Van Pelt, a manufacturer re
siding in New York; James, a resident of Union
county; Alice E., who died in childhood; and
four died in infancy.
To a limited extent, Mr. Zeigler attended the
public schools, but he is almost wholly self-edu
cated. Until seventeen years of age, his early
life was mainly devoted to the work of the farm,
but at that time he left the parental roof to make
his own way in the world. In 1862, when only
nineteen, he enlisted in Company A, 148th P. V.
I. , and participated in all the important battles
in' which his regiment was engaged, including
those of Reams Station, Chancellorsville, the
Wilderness and Gettysburg. He belonged to
General Beaver's command, and when the war
had ended he was honorably discharged.
Throughout the principal part of his active busi
ness career he has followed the carpenter's trade,
and is a skillful, painstaking workman.
In 1867 Mr. Zeigler was married to Miss
Sarah J. Yarger, who was born January 1, 1849,
and is a daughter of Edward and Elizabeth Yar
ger. To them was born one son, Edward Grant,

822

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

named in honor of Gen. Grant, but he died at
the age of seven years.
On October 31, 1894, Mr. Zeigler was ap
pointed postmaster of Swengel, the duties of which
office he has since discharged in a most capable
manner. Well posted on the leading issues and
questions of the day, he has become a stanch bi-
metalist, and as an intelligent, honorable and
patriotic citizen, he has gained the confidence
and esteem of all with whom he has come in con
tact in either business or social life.

S\ W. RUTHERFORD, P. O. Laurelton,
') Pennsylvania, is president of the Laurelton
Lumber Company, with general office at Sun
bury, Penn. [See description of business on
page 821.] He is also a large stockholder in
the Linden Hall Lumber Company. [See de
scription of business on page 821.]

JOHN H. MAUCK, as a nurse, and as a vet
erinary surgeon, has become widely and
favorably known throughout Union county,
where he has spent his entire life, his birth oc
curring in New Berlin, July 13, 1837.
His paternal grandparents, Conrad and Cath
arine Mauck, in the early part of the present
century came to this section of the State, and lo
cated in what was then a part of Union county,
but is now Snyder county. There the grand
father followed agricultural pursuits, and reared
his family of six sons and three daughters:
John and Jacob both died in New Berlin. Da
vid, the father of our subject, is next in order
of birth. George died in Montgomery county,
Penn. Jesse died in Millheim, Centre Co. ,
Penn. , where his descendants still live. Thomas
died near New Berlin, at the age of twenty-
three. Polly married John Siple, and removed
to Illinois, where his death occurred. She then
returned to Pennsylvania and became the wife
of Feldy Hawes, but died in Pekin, 111. Eliza
beth married Abram Frederick, and died in
Aaronsburg, Centre Co., Penn. Sally married
Samuel Wilson, and died in New Berlin, The
grandparents were laid to rest in the cemetery
at New Berlin.
David Mauck, who was born in Montgomery
county, Penn., in 1799, was quite young when
brought by his parents to Union county, where
he later learned the sadler's trade. On reach
ing manhood he was married, near New Berlin,
to Nancy Shrayer, who was born December 23,
1804, in Lancaster county, Penn., and was a
daughter of Conrad and Catharine (Hokelander)

Shrayer. The following children were born to
this union : Sally, now the widow of Charles L.
Nicholson, of Vicksburg, Union county; James,
a saddler of Lock Haven, Penn.; Mary J., wife
of Isaac King, of New Berlin; Catharine, who
died at the age of twenty-two; John H., of this
sketch; Anna, wife of Jacob Cassel, of Philadel
phia; Elizabeth, who died at the age of twenty-two
years; and one son and two daughters who died
in infancy. After his marriage, David Mauck located near
New Berlin, in Snyder county, but later removed
to that village, where his death occurred in 1867,
and his body was laid to rest. Throughout life
he continued to follow the saddler's trade, but
also gave some attention to agricultural pursuits,
and became quite well-to-do. He was of or
dinary height and well built, and in politics was
first a Whig, and, later, a Republican. He and
his wife both held membership in the Lutheran
Church, and had the respect and esteem of all
who knew them. She continued to live at the
old home in New Berlin, which he had erected
in 1827, until called to her final rest on March
3, 1887. Although almost eighty-three years of
age, she retained her faculties to the last, and
was not even gray, her hair being still jet black
at the time of her death. Her body was interred
by the side of her husband in the New Berlin
cemetery. The educational advantages of John H. Mauck
were such as the public schools of his day af
forded. His boyhood and youth were spent
Tinder the parental roof, and at the age of eight
een he began learning the tanner's trade, receiv
ing no wages during his two-years apprenticeship,
but was allowed two weeks time in the harvest
and hay-making seasons to earn some money
for himself. When he had mastered the busi
ness he obtained employment in a steam tannery
in McAlisterville, Penn., but as he suffered from
rheumatism his work was often interrupted.
During the dark days of the Rebellion, Mr.
Mauck joined Company D, Sixth Pennsylvania
Reserves, under Capt. Dickson, and with his com
mand was sent to Virginia. While stationed at
Smoky Hollow, inflamed eyes compelled him to
give up regular duty, and for some time he drove
a team. He also served as officer's cook for a
time. Later he was at home for a while, but in
1865 he went to Harrisburg, where he enlisted
in March of that year in Company C, 101st P.
V. I., joining the command in North Carolina,
and remaining at the front until hostilities ceased.
In August, 1865, at Harrisburg he was honorably
discharged and returned home.
Mr. Mauck continued to reside with his par-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

823

ents in New Berlin until 1870, since which time
he has made his home in Vicksburg. Before his
enlistment he had taken considerable interest in
the anatomy of the horse, and had studied under
Conrad Mitchell, a skilled veterinary surgeon of
New Berlin. Gradually he began practice, and
for over a quarter of a century has successfully
followed that profession. As an excellent nurse
his services are always in demand in his locality,
and while in the army he also exercised his
ability along that line. He has had much ex
perience in laying out the dead, people coming
from miles around to secure his services.
On August 16, 1893, in Buffalo township,
Union county, Mr. Mauck was married to Miss
Lizzie Weller, a native of Snyder county. As
he has no children of his own, he has adopted
Verna M., the daughter of Al and Sarah Wittis.
She was born in March, 1887, and has practic
ally made her home with hiin since three weeks
old. He has occupied his present comfortable
home in Vicksburg since 1887, having erected
the same in that year. In early life he was a
Democrat in politics, but since Lincoln's second
election, in 1864, he has been an ardent Repub
lican. Genial and full of fun, he makes friends
wherever he goes, and has the respect and con
fidence of all with whom he comes in contact
either in business or social life.

WILLIAM STROHECKER. The banks of
WML the Susquehanna present a beautiful pan
orama with their well-kept fields interspersed
among wilder scenes, and with the clustering
farm houses here and there adding charming
glimpses of home life. Among the best of these
estates is that of Mr. Strohecker, of East Buffalo
township, Union county, and his home is one
where culture and refinement unite with the sim
ple and wholesome surroundings of rural life to
make an ideal abode.
It was at this pleasant spot that William
Strohecker, on November 14, 1832, was born,
and he has always made his home there. His
grandparents, Daniel and Leah (Garber) Stro
hecker, were both natives of Reading, Penn.,
and remained in Berks county, a large family be
ing reared by them to lives of usefulness, namely:
Samuel, who became a prominent physician of
Brush Valley, was at one time a representative
from Centre county in the State Legislature; Da
vid (deceased) was a farmer in Illinois; William
died in Sugar Valley, near Booneville; Jacob died
in East Buffalo township, Union county; Robert
H. (deceased) was a resident of Rebersburg,
Penn.; Daniel, Jr., died at the age of sixteen;

Charles (deceased) was a physician at Buena
Vista, 111. ; Sarah (Mrs. Samuel Fix) died in
Reading; Mary (Mrs. David Miller) died in North
umberland county, Penn. ; John is mentioned
more fully below; Elizabeth (Mrs. Tunis Fisher)
died in Lewisburg; and Susan (twin of Elizabeth)
died in infancy.
John Strohecker, the father of our subject,
was born in Berks county, in August, 1803, and,
on starting out from the parental roof to make
his own way in the world, located for a short
time in Northumberland county before settling
at the present homestead. He was a short man,
heavy set, and possessed a fine constitution,
never knowing what sickness was until that which
terminated his life fastened upon him. At the
time of his death, in October, 1885, he had
nearly all his teeth, and showed but few signs of
age. His wife, Elizabeth Friedley, died in Au
gust, 1 88 1, at the age of seventy-seven years,
and both were interred at Lewisburg. She was
born in 1804, in Lewisburg, the daughter of
John Friedley, and his wife, Elizabeth Layman,
a native of Lebanon county, Penn. Mrs. Stro
hecker became blind in 1837, and, as is often the
case with those so afflicted, her other senses
gained acuteness, and she could recognize by the
voice alone friends from whom she had been
separated for years.
Both of our subject's parents were devout
members of the Lutheran Church, and the father
held the office of elder for many years. He was
prominent also in local affairs, and in the Repub
lican organization, of which he was at all times
an outspoken champion, although he never
sought office. While he had but little schooling
in youth, his fine intellect enabled him to gain
information from observation and reading, and
his judgment in business affairs was unusually
good. By trade he was a bricklayer, and in
1856 he built the handsome residence at the
homestead, but he did not follow the business
regularly except for a few years in early life.
He was a natural mechanic, and besides repair
ing all his farm tools, he used to make rakes,
single trees, and do other work in iron and wood.
For years previous to his death he was a director
in the National Bank of Lewisburg, and his ad
vice was valued in all movements of im
portance. As a self-made man, the comfortable
competence left by him reflects great credit upon
him, especially as it was acquired without undue
economy. Anything that he wanted he bought,
always choosing the best, and he spent much
time and money in traveling in all parts of this
country. His home, however, was the dearest
place on earth to him. His business in town

824

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

during later years was always transacted on cer
tain days, and in the intervals he was always to
be found at home. Our subject was the elder of
two children; the younger, Carrie, widow of Dr.
Washington Barr, resides at Lewisburg.
William Strohecker attended the Gundy
School, in his native township, in- boyhood, but
not being of a studious nature he did not like go
ing to school, and did not go oftener than he
was compelled to. He was very fond of horses,
in which he differed from his father, who stood
in fear of them. As he grew to manhood, Mr.
Strohecker naturally assumed a responsible place
in the management of the farm.
On November 20, 1861, he was married to
Miss Josie Sterner, a native of the same town
ship, born July 1, 1843, the eldest of a family of
six daughters and four sons. Her father, Isaac
Sterner, who was also born in the township, was
in early life a tanner and later a butcher. He
married Johanna Kelly, who was born in Lewis
burg, and about 1848 they removed to that city,
where they now reside at advanced ages, Mr.
Sterner being seventy-seven years old and his
wife seventy-four. They have two great-grand
children, William F. Strohecker and Leo Rice.
Mrs. Strohecker is a lady of rare mental gifts,
and, fortunately, she received excellent instruc
tion in youth at Lewisburg, in the public schools
and the seminary, three years being spent in the
latter institution.
After his marriage our subject began house
keeping in the house where he was born, from
which his parents had removed on the completion
of the brick residence. In the spring of 1886 he
took possession of the brick house, and has since
occupied it. His four children were all born
during his residence in the old house: (1) John
G., born July 30, 1864, now occupies it in his
turn, and assists in the management of the estate.
He married Miss Minnie M. Fisher, and has one
son, William F. , who is of the third generation
born in that house. (2) Emma S. , born June 29,
1 867, is a graduate of the Lewisburg High School,
and is a fine musician. For several years she
was pianist in a Sabbath-school. She married
George D. Bertollette, and resides in Lewisburg.
(3) Carrie I., born April 30, 1869, married Will
iam A. Ritter, of Lewisburg. (4) Anna E. , born
March 7, 1878, is at home. The family is prom
inently identified with the Lutheran Church, and
Mrs. Strohecker is a leading member of the
Ladies Aid Society, the Missionary Society and
the Christian Endeavor Society, and for more
than fifteen years she was a teacher in the Sun
day-school. While Mr. Strohecker meets fully all the re

quirements of good citizenship, as befits a man of
his high standing in the community, he has never
sought or held office, having enough to do to at
tend to his own business. In politics he has
always been a Republican.

S\TEAN'S FAMILY. In the pioneer days of
) Union county, no name was more widely
known or more highly respected than that of
Steans. William and Catharine Steans resided
in the town of Leicester, Leicestershire, Eng
land, where they reared their family, among
whom were three sons, John, William and
Thomas. John Steans was born in 1773, and was the
only member of the family to come to America.
He bade farewell to childhood scenes in 1801,
and, alone, set forth to find a new home and
fortune in the New 'World. On arriving in this
country, he purchased 300 acres of land near
Cowan, in Union county, Penn. No clearing
had been done on this tract — in fact, there were
no traces of human habitation on all this land,
save a rude cabin, that was scarcely fit for occu
pancy. This afforded him shelter for a time,
until he had made his first clearing. This farm
he cultivated and improved, and here he died
May 27, 1 85 1. He married Agnes Bovard, who
was a daughter of James and Hannah (Beatty)
Bovard (they had five children: Agnes (Mrs.
Steans), Robert, Mary, Jane and Alexander).
To John Steans and his wife came children as
follows: (1) Hannah became the wife of David
Kauffman, and died May 31, 1873. (2) Mary
wedded William Mather, and died May 11, 1852.
(3) Catharine was the wife of James Mather, and
she died in 1834. (4) Jane died unmarried Feb
ruary 8, 1850. (5) Sarah A., a maiden lady, re
sides in New Berlin, Penn. (6) William (of
whom an extended mention will follow) died Oc
tober 24, 1 89 1. (7) Nancy married Henry T.
Cook, and died April 25, 1889. The mother of
this family died April 26, 1863. John Steans
became a naturalized citizen of the United States
August 25, 1808. In his religious belief he was
a faithful member of the Baptist Church, con
scientiously practicing the religion he professed.
Though an earnest advocate of all progressive
movements, he was modest and retiring in dis
position, and never accepted office. His wife
and children were all members of the Presbyte
rian Church. The old ' ' Steans Manor " is yet
in the possession of the family.
William Steans was born April 18, 1818, and
spent his entire life on a farm. He married
Caroline Irvin, and they reared a family of seven

/C^-ei**^Z/~

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

825

children: (i) Harriet, who died in girlhood. (2)
J. Charlton. (3) Rev. W. Irvin, pastor of the
Mahoning Street Presbyterian Church, at Dan
ville, Penn.; he married Miss Wells, of Scranton.
(4) Agnes, who died in girlhood. (5) Jennie R.,
who resides with her mother at Mifflinburg,
Penn. (6) Annie, who died in childhood; and
(7) Ralph. After an honorable and useful life
the father of this family passed away October
24, 1 89 1. He was active in public work, taking
an especial interest in educational matters. For
one term he held the office of county commis
sioner, and was school director and justice of
the peace almost continuously from the time he
arrived at man's estate until his death. In re
ligious matters he was very devout, for thirty
years serving as elder in the Presbyterian Church.
His widow resides at Mifflinburg.
Dr. J. Charlton Steans was born Septem
ber 20, 1852, and received his primary education
in the schools of Union county. At the age of
thirteen he entered Central Pennsylvania College
at New Berlin, Penn. , and at the end of one
year entered the academy at Mifflinburg. Dur
ing the following two years he was under private
instructors at Columbia, Lancaster county, after
which he himself taught for three years. The
study of medicine seemed to hold out to the
young man alluring possibilities, and he deter
mined to become a follower of ^Esculapius. He
began reading medicine with Dr. S. L. Van Val
zah, of Mifflinburg, and then attended a course
of lectures at Jefferson Medical College, from
which institution he was graduated in 1876. On
March 23, of that year, he opened an office at
Cowan, Union county, but at the end of the first
year he bought the practice, goodwill, etc., of his
former preceptor, and located at Mifflinburg,
forming a co-partnership with Dr. George S.
Kemble, a very distinguished physician and sur
geon. After three years of pleasant association,
this partnership was dissolved by the death of
Dr. Kemble, and until 1891 Dr. Steans contin
ued to practice without an associate, when he
was joined by his brother Ralph, and the firm is
now known as J. Charlton Steans & Bro. In
the spring of 1884 Dr. J. Charlton established a
drug store at Mifflinburg, with a complete line
of goods. This is a model store, furnace heat
ed, with three large consultation and operating
rooms on the second floor. For his prescription
clerk the Doctor was fortunate enough to secure
the invaluable services of Merill Linn Steadman,
a courteous gentleman, and a careful and com
petent druggist.
On February 5, 1884, Dr. J. Charlton Steans
was married to Miss Elsie C. Foster, daughter of

Robert and Helen (Chambers) Foster, of Mifflin
burg, where the former still resides; the latter
died April 17, 1887. To Dr. Steans and his
wife have come four interesting children: Sarah
Foster, born December 21, 1884, now a student
at the preparatory school of Lewisburg, Penn. ;
Robert Espy, born May 14, 1888; William Bo
vard, born December 10, 1890; and John Charl
ton, Jr., born May 28, 1895. For sixteen years
the Doctor has been a member of the Lycoming
County Medical Society, and regularly attends
the meetings at Williamsport; he is also a mem
ber of the State Medical Association. In his re
ligious belief he inclines to the faith of his father,
and has long been an earnest instructor in the
Sunday-school. Kindly and charitably inclined,
he has long been looked upon as one of the
benevolent men of the place, and his honorable
business principles have won for him a place
among that class of men whose traits of character
are most exemplary, tending to the spreading of
the beneficent lights of broader Christianity.
Dr. Ralph Steans obtained his literary
education at LaFayette College, class of '87,
and his medical education was secured in the
University of Pennsylvania, from which he was
graduated in 1891. After spending early summer
in Mifflinburg he went to Garfield Memorial Hos^
pital, Washington, D. C. , in September. Re
turning to Mifflinburg in 1892, he has since prac
ticed medicine with his brother, and has greatly
distinguished himself in his chosen profession.
In the comparatively short time he has been
practicing he has taken high rank, especially as
a diagnostician. On October 10, 1895, Dr. Ralph Steans was
wedded to Miss Carrie Lall Hoffa, a daughter of
Hon. Cyrus Hoffa. Dr. Ralph has always been
an active Church worker, and succeeded his fa
ther as elder in the Presbyterian Church. He
is conscientious and faithful in the discharge of
every duty, and the unfortunate never fail to find
in him a helping friend.
The firm of Steans Bros, enjoys a most ex
tended practice, proving alike their ability as
physicians and their worth as men.

JACOB H. SMITH. A true educator leaves
upon the plastic material with which he deals
an impress which is none the less powerful
because its results are intangible and may, indeed,
be unrecognized by those who are most benefited
by his labors. The late Jacob H. Smith, of
Kelly township, Union county, who was for
twenty years a teacher in that locality, is held in
grateful remembrance by many for whom he

826

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

smoothed the path of knowledge, but no one can
fully estimate the good which he accomplished
during his career.
Mr. Smith was born in 1836, in Hartleton
township, Union county, and was the son of a
well known farmer, George Smith, who with his
wife, Catherine HofL came from their birthplace
in Berks county, Penn., to this section early in
their married life. At that time they had one
child, Benneball (now deceased;, and eight others
were born to them at the old homestead at Hart
leton, namely: John (deceased), Rachel (widow
of Jonathan Clingman, a noted lime manufac
turer, of Buffalo township, Union county, where
she still resides), George (deceased), Sarah (who
married Aaron Miller, both now deceased), Jacob
H. (our subject), Henry (deceased), Hannah
(now of Tiffin, Ohio, widow of John Smith, who
was no relation), and Frank, an extensive land
owner and agriculturist of Clay county, Kans.
The father of this family died at Hartleton, in
1870, having then attained the allotted limit of
three-score years and ten. The mother survived
him and spent her last days at the home of our
subject, where her death occurred in 1 884, at the
age of seventy-one.
Jacob H. Smith became familiar with the
details of farm work in his youth, and was always
more or less engaged in agriculture. He began
teaching at the age of nineteen, and so marked
was his success that his services were always in
demand, nine years being spent in one school at
Black Run. After leaving the profession he con
tinued to show a keen interest in educational
progress, and for six years he served as a
school director in his district. He was a
man whose influence was felt in public affairs,
and he was twice elected supervisor, and
also held the office of tax collector for two terms.
Financially he was regarded as one of the sub
stantial men of the township, and at his death
he left a fine estate.
In the fall of 1856 Mr. Smith was married to
Miss Elizabeth Miller, with whom he passed
nearly forty years of wedded life before he was
called from earth, his death occurring January
22, 1894, at the age of fifty-seven years, eight
months and twenty-two days. Mrs. Smith now
resides at Taylorville, Union county, and four
children of their union also survive: Allen M.
lives in Colorado, where he is engaged in farming
and trucking; Franklin Linn, now of Los Angeles,
Cal., is an agent for a mineral spring company;
George E. manages the old homestead, in Kelly
township, Union county; and Margaret E. resides
with her mother.
Mrs. Smith was a native of Buffalo township,

Union county, born January 9, 1836, and her
parents, George and Sarah (Marts) Miller, were
lifelong residents of that county. Her ancestors
on both sides came to this section at an early
period, and her paternal grandfather, George
Miller, Sr. , lived and died upon a farm which
lay on the line between Union and Snyder coun
ties, while her maternal grandfather, Peter Marts,
had his home in Snyder county. Her father
owned and operated a distillery in Buffalo town
ship during his early manhood, but later located
on a farm in Buffalo township, Union county,
where he died in 1850, at the age of sixty-one
years and three months. Her mother survived
him until 1864, when she breathed her last at
seventy years of age.
Thirteen children were born to their union:
George (a farmer, died in Ohio), Catherine (mar
ried Samuel Bickel, both now deceased), Peter
(who died in Union county, was a farmer until
his retirement from active business), John (de
ceased, was a farmer in Union county), Henry
(is now deceased), Aaron (deceased, was a car
penter in Union county), Sarah (deceased, was
the wife of Howard Anderson, the owner of a
chopmill at Taylorville), Edward, a retired farmer
of Kelly township, Union county), Levi (de
ceased), Mary P. (married Richard Bickel, a
farmer in Seneca county, Ohio), Elias (a farmer
in Buffalo township, Union county), Elizabeth
(Mrs. Smith, was the twelfth in order of birth),
and Benjamin (an engineer in a sawmill at Fre
mont, Ohio).

W E. GROVE, freight and ticket agent, Penn-
l&L sylvania Railroad Company, Millmont,
Union County, Pennsylvania.

S\OLOMON K. DREISBACH (deceased), who
_J at the time of his death was the oldest male
representative of the honored pioneer family of
that name, was' born September 17, 1825, on the
old Dreisbach homestead in Buffalo township,
Union county.
The estate came into the possession of the
family before the Revolutionary war, having been
purchased in 1773 from Dr. William Plunkett by
our subject's great-grandfather, Martin Dreis
bach. This pioneer was born in Weisbaden,
Germany, about 171 7, and came to America
in 1752, locating first in the vicinity of Reading,
Penn. About twenty years later he removed to
his new home, in what is now Buffalo township,
Union county, and the remainder of his life was

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

827

spent there in the care of his extensive estate.
In 1788 he donated seven and one-half acres of
land, near his home, in order to encourage the
building of the Lutheran church, and the log
structure then erected became a historic land
mark. The site has ever been sacred to relig
ious uses, and Dreisbach Church will doubtless
serve as a memorial to its founder through all
future time. He was one of the first elders, and
at his death, February 18, 1799, at the age of
sixty-seven years, he left a large family. Of the
four sons, Henry went to Ohio in 1804, and laid
out the town of Circleville; Jacob died in Union
county, Penn.; John lived and died in Mifflin
burg; Martin, Jr. , the grandfather of our subject,
is mentioned more fully farther on. There were
two daughters, Mrs. Henry Aurand and Mrs.
Peter Fisher.
Martin Dreisbach was born about 1764, and
was but a child when he accompanied his parents
to Union county, where he remained, agricult
ural pursuits occupying his attention. He died
at the old farm on October 20, 1831.
Among his children was Martin Dreisbach
(our subject's father), who was born December
6, 1800, and attained a position of marked influ
ence in the political, social, and business affairs
of the community. On February 3, 1865, he
was appointed, by Gov. Curtin, to the office of
associate judge of the county, and a few months
later he was elected to succeed himself, his term
beginning November 6, 1865, and expiring in
December, 1870. He was a Democrat until the
Civil war, when he gave allegiance to the Repub
lican party. By occupation he was a farmer, the
greater portion of his life being spent on the
homestead, although he resided for a time on a
farm just south of it; but his last days were
passed in Lewisburg, his death occurring March
15, 1880. On October 14, 1824, he was mar
ried to Miss Elizabeth Kleckner, who was born
in Union county about 1802, the daughter of
Solomon Kleckner, and his wife, a Miss Hoover.
Mrs. Dreisbach passed away October 2, 1875,
and the remains of both parents now rest in the
churchyard where so many of the name sleep.
Seven children were born to this honored couple,
namely: (1) Solomon K., our subject; (2) Cy
rus, who followed farming for some years, and
then removed to Lewisburg to engage in the
hardware business; he died at the age of sixty-
eight years; (3) Charles, who died at the age of
thirty-two years, at Vicksburg, Penn. , where he
was building a large hotel; (4) Hiram, who owns
and operates a planing-mill at Sunbury, Penn. ;
(5) William, a manufacturer of shoes and shoe
findings, with residence at Philadelphia; (6) Mar

tin, a resident of Wilkes Barre, Penn., who was
formerly a coal operator, and is now a clerk in
the office of the commissioners of Luzerne coun
ty; (7) Miriam, who died in Lewisburg.
The venerable subject of this sketch was an
eye witness to great changes in the locality where
his youth was spent. He was reared as a farmer
boy, and attended a subscription school in a log
cabin on the homestead, Daniel Breyfogle being
his first teacher. On leaving the parental roof
he took charge of a farm in Hartley township,
Union county, belonging to his father, and on
March 18, 1849, he was married to Miss Susan
nah Shoemaker, who was born March 2, 1827,
near Vicksburg, Penn., daughter of Benjamin
and Susannah (Ludwig) Shoemaker. The first
year of their wedded life was passed at the farm
in Hartley township, but in the spring of 1850
Mr. Dreisbach formed a partnership with Joseph
Forey, and became the owner of the mill and
part of the machinery. After four years in this
business he gave it up and engaged in preparing
sumach for market; but after a time the repeated
cutting of the plant brought about its extinction,
and he found his occupation gone. His factory
near Laurelton had fine water power, which he
used in various profitable ways, and at one time
he manufactured farmers' supplies of different
kinds. In 1863 he moved to New Berlin, and
began the manufacture of blasting powder in
partnership with B. F. Potts, their establishment
being the only one of the sort ever founded in
the country. On abandoning this business a few
years later, our subject embarked in the grocery
business at Sunbury with his brother Hiram,
under the firm name of Dreisbach Bros., and
continued for about twenty-five years. From
the year 1893 he lived in retirement in New Ber
lin, where he owned a comfortable and handsome
home recently remodeled. He had other valu
able real estate in New Berlin, with other prop
erty in Sunbury, Lewiston and Laurelton, includ
ing some business blocks. He also owned a farm
in West Perry township, Snyder county, and the
care of his investments kept him in touch with
the business world in which he was so long an
active figure. Of his two children, Charles W.,
died at the age of four years; Agnes married
William Davenport, and died near Beach Haven,
Luzerne Co., Penn., leaving one daughter, Ella,
who is now attending school at New Berlin. Mr.
Dreisbach was called from earth March 20, 1898.
Our subject never entered the political arena
as an office-seeker, but he took keen interest in
the various issues which came up for discussion
and settled during his long life. In his early
days he gave his support to the Democratic party,

828

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

but his anti-slavery sentiments led him to join
the Republican organization as soon as it was
formed.

WH. ROTHERMEL, dealer in boots and
shoes, Kelly Cross Roads, Union Co. ,
Pennsylvania.

JrEREMIAH MUSSER, who has now laid aside
the cares and responsibilities of business, is
numbered among the elderly residents of
Mifflinburg, Union county, by whose people he
is held in that reverence and respect tacitly ac
corded those whose lives have been distinguished
by integrity and usefulness.
Mr. Musser was born March 6, 1817, in Sny
der county, Penn., which at that time was a part
of Union county, and he is a son of John and De-
bora (Stetler) Musser, natives of Berks and Sny
der counties, Penn., respectively. The paternal
grandparents spent their entire lives in Berks
county. The parents of cur subject were mar
ried in Snyder county and reared a family of ten
children, namely: Henry, George, Adam, Jere
miah, Reuben, Sarah, Lydia, Amelia, Matilda
and Sophia, all of whom grew to maturity and
became heads of families with the exception of
the youngest — Sophia, who died in childhood.
On reaching manhood Jeremiah Musser be
gan learning the carpenter's trade, serving a two-
years' apprenticeship, and he continued to suc
cessfully follow that occupation until 1858, when
he purchased a farm and turned his attention to
agricultural pursuits. Upon that place he con
tinued to reside until the spring of 1873, when
he retired from active labor, and has since lived
in Mifflinburg, occupying a comfortable and pleas
ant home.
At the age of twenty-four, Mr. Musser was
married to Miss Mary Dennis, who was born in
Berks county, November 8, 1822, and when a
mere child was brought to Union county, by her
parents, John and Elizabeth (Aker) Dennis, na
tives of Berks county. The father, who was of
Irish origin, died at the age of eighty years, and
the mother, who was of English descent, at the
age of eighty-eight, both passing away in Union
county, and their remains were interred at Ray's
Church in Lewis township.
Mr. and Mrs. Musser have six children, who
in order of birth are as follows: John, a resident
of Mifflinburg, is married and follows the occu
pations of farming and burning lime; Robert, who
was a Union soldier, laid down his life on the

altar of his country during the war of the Rebel
lion; Matilda is the wife of Jacob Rudy, a car
penter and builder of Mifflinburg; Elizabeth is
the wife of Harry De Long, a carpenter residing
in Philadelphia; Daniel is married, and is engaged
in the lime business in Mifflinburg; and Charles
is married, and operates his father's farm in West
BuAbIo township.
By honest toil and habits of economy, Mr.
and Mrs. Musser have accumulated considerable
property, as on starting upon their married life
they had very little of this world's goods. She
made their carpets from flax which they raised,
and the secret of their success was their ability
to manufacture with their own hands everything
necessary for the sustenance of their family. It is
their opinion that the inability of the young peo
ple of the present day to acquire homes of their
own may be laid to the fact that they are not
satisfied to begin life as their parents did. Al
though Mr. Musser is now eighty years of age
and his wife seventy-five, they are still well pre
served and active, doing their own work without
hired help. They are widely and favorably
known throughout Union county, where they
have so long made their home, and no couple is
more deserving of mention in a work of this
character than Jeremiah Musser and his estima
ble wife.

__ ENRY BROWN. The Brown family is an
J3L old and numerous one in Union county, and
has contributed many prominent and worthy citi
zens to this section of the State, among whom is
our subject, who is entirely deserving of all the
respect and esteem invariably tendered the name.
The family, while not the oldest, or even among
the oldest, has ever since its advent in Union
county, in the spring of 1804, been actively
identified with the development of this region,
and been instrumental in placing the county in
the lofty position it occupies in the magnificent
galaxy of Pennsylvania's counties.
From his old home in Pine Grove township,
Berks Co., Penn., John Brown, the grandfather
of our subject, came to Union county, in 1804,
and located in Buffalo Valley. He was born in
1756, in this State, of German parentage, and
aided the Colonies in their struggle for independ
ence. Near what is now Smoketown, he pur
chased what was known as the Andrew Edge
warrantee for eight pounds per acre, and about
the only improvement upon the farm was an old
log cabin. He died December 13, 1838, his wife
in 1806, and both were buried in the Dreisbach
cemetery. In their family were nine children,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

829

namely: John, who migrated to Ohio; Eliza
beth, who married Simon Crist, and moved to
Ohio; Christina, wife of Philip Frederick; Peter,
who became a resident of Ohio; Abraham, of
Pennsylvania; William, father of our subject;
Christian, of Pennsylvania; Michael (deceased),
who at one time served as county commissioner
of Union county; and Jacob.
William Brown was born in Berks county in
1792, and when twelve years of age took up his
residence in Union county, where he later mar
ried Barbara, a daughter of Henry Getz. They
began their domestic life upon a part of his fa
ther's land in East Buffalo township, and, in con
nection with its operation, he also engaged in
the distilling business for some time in partner
ship with his brother Abraham. Later he pur
chased fifty acres, which forms a part of our
subject's farm, and gave his entire attention to
agricultural pursuits. He was a robust man and
did considerable hard work. In politics he was
first a Whig, and later a Republican, and took
quite an active interest in public affairs, while,
religiously, he was a prominent member of the
Reformed Church, in which he was serving as
elder at the time of his death, September 29,
1875. He was at that time eighty-four years of
age; his wife had died at the age of sixty, and the
remains of both were interred in the Lewisburg
cemetery. Eight children were born to this worthy
couple, namely: John, who died at the age of
twenty-two; Peter, who died in childhood; Will
iam, who died in Kansas; Henry, of this sketch;
Mary, who became the wife of Charles Yoder,
and died in Wichita, Kans. ; Abram, a resident of
East Buffalo township, Union Co., Penn.; Ma
tilda, wife of Jonas Hoy, of Buffalo township,
the same county; and Isaac, a minister of the
Reformed Church, who died in Wichita, Kansas.
During his boyhood Henry Brown attended
the Turtle Creek school, which was .conducted
on the subscription plan, but at that time one
month's schooling a year was considered suffi
cient. His training at farm work, however, was
not so limited, and, with the exception of five
years, his entire life has been passed on the old
homestead, where his birth occurred September
25, 1820.
In East Buffalo township, Mr. Brown was
married December 22, 1846, to Miss Rachel
Gundy, who was born in that township, October
16, 1829, and is the oldest of the four children of
George and Catharine (Zentmeyer) Gundy, hav
ing two brothers and one sister. For four years
after his marriage Mr. Brown operated rented
land, but in the spring of 1851 he returned to the

old homestead, having purchased fifty-six acres
of land from his father. Eight years later the
old one-story-and-a-half house was replaced by
his present substantial brick residence, and he
has made many other valuable and useful im
provements upon the place. He has also en
larged the boundaries of his farm, which now
include eighty-four acres of rich and arable land.
For over half a century Mr. and Mrs.
Brown have now traveled life's journey together,
sharing with each other its joys and sorrows, its
adversity and prosperity. Their home has been
brightened by six children: William George,
born January 1, 1848, died July 12, 1870;
Franklin W. , born December 31, 1849, is now
the minister of the Reformed Church at Aarons
burg, Penn.; John E., born August 30, 1852, is
a resident of Snyder county, Penn.; Simon P.,
born June 5, 1855, is a farmer of Freeport, 111.;
James S., born October 21, 1859, is a photogra
pher of Lewisburg, Penn.; and Isaac C. , born
May 31, 1862, is at home. He married Miss
Marsche Wetzel, and has two children — Rue E.
and Charles W.
Mr. Brown has lost considerable by going secu
rity for others, but has mainly prospered and his
word isconsidered as good as his bond. As a stanch
Republican he has been elected to a number of
official positions of honor and trust, including
those of school director and supervisor. He is
an active and prominent member of the Reformed
Church, in which he has served as elder for
about twelve years, while his estimable wife holds
membership in the Lutheran Church.

IE DAM MUSSER. There are few men more
l&k. worthy of representation in a work of this
kind than the subject of this biography, who is
passing the later years of his life in retirement
at his pleasant home in Laurelton, Union coun
ty. His has been a long and busy career, rich
with experience, and in which he has established
himself in the esteem and confidence of all who
know him.
Of German descent, Mr. Musser was born in
Snyder county, Penn., April 3, 181 5, a son of
John and. Deborah (Stetler) Musser. His father
and grandfather both spent their entire lives in
that county. In the family of the former were
ten children: Henry, who died in Juniata coun
ty, Penn., at the age of eighty-four years; George,
who, at the age of seventy-two, was killed at
Franklin, Snyder county, left a family; Adam, of
this sketch; Jeremiah, who is married and lives
in Mifflinburg, Penn. ; Sarah, who became the
wife of Jacob Gloss, died several years ago; Ly-

830

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

dia, who lives in the West; Amelia, a resident of
Mifflinburg, Penn. ; Reuben, who makes his home
in Ohio; Matilda, deceased wife of John Miller,
of Buffalo Valley, Penn. ; and Sophia, who died
at the age of two years.
The first twenty years of his life Adam Mus
ser spent upon the home farm, and then began
learning the carpenter's trade, which he success
fully followed for many years, being a thorough
and skillful workman whose services were always
in demand. He was also interested in farming,
and he is still the owner of considerable real es
tate in Hartley township. In the common
schools he received a good practical education,
which well fitted him for the responsible duties
of business life, and his career has been charac
terized by habits of industry and frugality,
which have been important factors in his suc
cess. On September 20, 1835, Mr. Musser was mar
ried to Miss Mary, daughter of Solomon Gloss.
Ten children graced their union: Hugh, born
April 22, 1836, lives in Ohio; Reuben, born
June 28, 1838, is married and lives in Toledo,
the same State; Sophia is the wife of Jacob
Long, of Centre county, Penn. ; Lydia is the wife
of Henry Rearick, of Lewis township, Union
county; Levina is the wife of Charles Teighman;
Delilah is the wife of George Vonada, of Hart
ley township, Union county; Deilma, who mar
ried George Zimmerman, died at the age of
thirty-five, leaving five children; Isaiah is mar
ried, and lives in Ohio; Amelia is the wife of
Samuel Long; and Nathan is married, and he
lives in Bellevue, Ohio. The wife and mother
passed away December 26, 1888, and was laid
to rest in the Dunkard cemetery, near Mifflin
burg, Pennsylvania.
For many years Mr. Musser was a member of
the Dunkard Church, but at present is connected
with no religious organization. Politically, he is
identified with the Republican party, but has
never desired official honors. He enjoys the
friendship and acquaintance of a large number of
the best people of Laurelton and vicinity.

J \ BRAHAM G. BROWN. If one desires to
JL gain a vivid realization of the rapid ad
vance in civilization which the last few decades
have brought about, he can listen to the stories
that men, who are still living among us, and by
no means overburdened with years, can tell of
their boyhood. The log cabin home in the
clearing, the still ruder school house with its
rough seats made of slabs, its limited range of
studies and its brief terms arranged on the sub

scription plan; the routine of work at home un
relieved by any of the modern devices by which
machinery is made to do in 'a short time what
formerly occupied the entire year; these and sim
ilar descriptions will bring up in sharp contrast
the advantages of to-day.
The subject of this sketch, a venerable and
highly respected citizen of Union county, residing
near Lewisburg, has many interesting reminis
cences of this sort. In his boyhood, threshing
was done by the old-fashioned method of tread
ing out the grain on a floor, and it became his
regular winter's work to ride the horses at this
task, as he could thus save a man's time. His
father, who was a weaver by trade, prepared the
cloth for the family, and his mother made it up
without the aid of Paris fashion plates.
Mr. Brown is a member of an old and now
numerous family. He was the fourth son and
fifth child of John and Barbara (Getz) Brown,
well-known residents of East Buffalo township,
Union county, and was born June 10, 1823.
His early education was mainly acquired in the
old Turtle Creek School, near his home, but
farm work ever interfered sadly with his attend
ance there, a few months in winter being all that
he could secure. He had always lived at the
old homestead (an addition being built to the
house on his marriage in order that he might re
main and conduct the farm). Until the death
of his father he managed the place on shares,
but he then acquired the title by will. It is a
fine estate of 120 acres, situated less than a mile
from Lewisburg borough, and under his manage
ment it has been greatly improved, all the build
ings, except a portion of the old homestead, hav
ing been erected by him. In addition to this
fine property he owns fifty acres of timber land.
On June 1, 1854, in White Deer township,
Union county, Mr. Brown was married to Miss
Susanna Heverling, who has proved herself one
of the best of helpmeets, assisting him in every
way. She is of an old "Pennsylvania-Dutch"
family, and as a girl worked in the harvest field,
doing the work of a regular hand. Her parents,
John and Susan (Barrier) Heverling, were both
natives of Schuylkill county, Penn. , and she was
born there on June 1, 1830, the fourth child and
first daughter in a family of eight children; but
while she was still an infant her parents removed
to Union county, and settled upon a farm. Mr.
and Mrs. Brown have two sons, both of whom
reside at the homestead: (1) John W., born
May 31, 1855, married to Miss Emma Biddle,
and has one son, Raymond W. (2) James C,
born December 21, 1859, is not married.
Mr. Brown is a man of influence in his local-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

831

ity, and his manner, though quiet and unassum
ing, conveys the impression of a strong character.
He and his family belong to the Reformed Church,
in which he held at one time the office of deacon.
Politically, he was first a Whig, and, later, a
Republican, and while an earnest supporter of
his principles, he does not confuse national with
local issues, and in township and county elections
votes for " the best man." He is not a man to
seek office for the honor of it; as school director
he has shown himself a firm friend of education,
seeking to improve the facilities for the rising
generation of his locality.

HARVEY E. FRANTZ, a general farmer re-
 siding at Spring Garden, in Gregg township,
Union county, was born August 12, 1850, in Penn
township, Lycoming Co. , Penn. , and is of German
descent, his paternal grandparents, Peter and
Elizabeth (Beaver) Frantz, having come to Amer
ica at an early day and taken up their residence
in Pennsylvania. The former was accompanied
by his two brothers, John and David, all of whom
spelled the name Frantz, but the descendants of
John have changed the spelling to Frontz. The
maternal grandparents of our subject, Daniel and
his wife, were also natives of the Fatherland,
where the grandmother died, but the grandfather
came to the United States, and spent his last
days upon a farm in Lycoming county, Pennsyl
vania. Jacob and Elizabeth (Good) Frantz, the par
ents of our subject, were natives of Lycoming
county, Penn., and Germany, respectively, and
were married at the former place, where the
father died in March, 1876, at the age of seventy-
eight years, nine months and seven days. He
was a farmer by occupation, and, as an ardent
Democrat, he took quite a prominent part in
local affairs, serving in several township offices of
honor and trust. In religious belief, he was a
Lutheran, to which Church his wife also belongs.
She was born in November, 1820, and now re
sides with her daughter, Mrs. Amanda Vander-
vilt, in Lycoming county.
In the family of this worthy couple were six
children, namely: Peter, now a farmer of Muncy
Creek township, Lycoming county; Daniel G., a
farmer of the same county; Amanda, widow of
John Vandervilt, of Lycoming county; Harvey
E. , of this sketch; William B., an agriculturist
of Lycoming county ; and Elias, who was killed
by a runaway horse.
During his boyhood and youth, Harvey E.
Frantz attended the local schools and worked on
his father's farm or at teaming. On attaining

his majority he left the parental roof, and for two
years boarded with his sister, Mrs. Vandervilt,
while he operated her farm. He then purchased
a tract of land a mile and one-half from that
place, in Muncy Creek township, Lycoming coun
ty, buying eighty acres at $120 per acre. There
he made his home from 1876 until the spring of
1886, when he sold out and went to Brown coun
ty, S. Dak., where he purchased a farm and also
took up some government land, which he im
proved with new buildings. In the fall of 1889,
however, he returned to Pennsylvania, and after
a few months spent in Northumberland county
while looking up a location, he bought his present
farm of seventy-eight acres at $80 per acre. In
dustrious and persevering, he has placed the land
under a high state of cultivation and made many
excellent improvements thereon, which stand as
monuments to his thrift and enterprise.
Mr. Frantz was married in Lycoming county,
December 23, 1873, the lady of his choice being
Miss Alice Beaber, who was born in Wolf town
ship, that county, February 14, 1854, a daughter
of George and Charlotte (Shipman) Beaber, of
Lycoming county, where the father followed
farming and the tanning business throughout
life. In his younger years he also engaged in
teaching, and he was called upon to fill a number
of township offices. He died M^ay 14, 1888,
aged sixty-two years, his wife on November 13,
1887, aged fifty-nine. His parents were John
and Hannah (Shaffer) Beaber, natives of Berks
county, Penn., who removed to Lycoming coun
ty, at an early day. There the grandfather fol-
fowed farming until his death. The maternal
grandparents of Mrs. Frantz, Jacob and Caroline
(Britton) Shipman, were born in New Jersey,
but died in Lycoming county, Penn., where the
former followed agricultural pursuits for many >
years. Mrs. Frantz is the third in order of birth in a
family of seven children, the others being:
Thomas J., who died at the age of thirty-three
years; Mary J., who died unmarried at the age
of forty-one; M. Alice, the wife of our subject;
John J., a farmer of Northumberland county,
Penn.; George M. , a dealer in wire fences at
Potts Grove, Penn.; Margaret E., the wife of
I. V. Sudam, a farmer of Michigan; and Amon
B., an agriculturist of Lycoming county.
Eight children graced the union of Mr. and
Mrs. Frantz, namely: Charles D., born Octo
ber 1, 1874, died at the age of eighteen years;
Cyrus B., born January 8, 1876, is at home;
Jacob M., born October 9, 1878, is a saddler re
siding in Milton, Penn.; George S., born July
28, 1881, died at the age of nine years; Edward

832

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

L., born August 25, 1883, and Ralph, born Jan
uary 21, 1890, are at home; and Harvey D. and
Emma A. (twins) were born October 27, 1892,
the former dying in infancy.
Our subject takes an active interest in the
success of the Democratic party, with which he
has always been identified, and on that ticket
was recently elected supervisor of his township.
He is also serving acceptably as overseer of the
poor, and is recognized as one of the representa
tive and valued citizens of Gregg township.
Prior to coming to the county, he and his es
timable wife held membership in the Lutheran
Church. They are widely and favorably known,
enjoying the respect and confidence of all with
whom they come in contact.

A1

DAM KIMPEL has now laid aside business
J££L cares, and is enjoying a well-earned rest on
a part of the old homestead farm in West Buffa
lo township, where his birth occurred January
1, 1820. The family was early established in Union
county, his paternal grandparents locating there
when it was almons an unbroken wilderness, in
habited mainly by the Redmen. The heavy
forests were the homes of many wild animals,
and game of all kinds could be found in abund
ance. The -grandfather, Henry Kinipel, was a
native of Germany, while his wife was born in
England. Their marriage was celebrated in New
Jersey, where they continued to make their home
for a number of years; and on coming to Union
county were accompanied by their sons, Philip
and John. The former, who was the father of
our subject, became one of the prosperous farmers
of this region, where he died many years ago, re
spected by all who knew him. His wife passed
away in 1823, our subject thus being deprived of
a mother's tender care at the age of three years.
The other children were: John, Sarah, Samuel,
Philip, Rebecca and Peter.
Amid rural scenes Adam Kimpel was reared,
receiving his education in the subscription schools
near his home. As soon as large enough he be
gan to assist in the work of the farm, and he
never left the old homestead, but continued to
devote his time and attention to its cultivation
and improvement throughout his active business
career. For several years he has now lived re
tired, leaving the management of the farm to his
only child, Henry Philip. In 1867, Mr. Kimpel
was joined in wedlock with Miss Susanna Noll, a
daughter of Henry Noll, an agriculturist of West
Buffalo township. She died in 1880, leaving one
son, Henry Philip, who was born January 10,
1869, on tbe old home farm where he and his

father still reside. On March 14, 1889, he was
married to Miss Emma Nickel, who was born
March 2, 1870, a daughter of George A. Nickel,
a prosperous farmer of West Buffalo township.
One child graces their union — Charles Elmer,
born July 12, 1894.
Mr. Kimpel has always affiliated with the
Democratic party, and take a deep and com
mendable interest in public affairs. Although a
believer in Christianity he is a member of no par
ticular Church, but he has led an honorable, up
right and conscientious life, never wronging any
one to promote his own selfish interests. He
has traveled in six different States of the Union.

/PVEORGE W. SCHOCH, editor and proprie-
\J$ tor of The Mifflinburg Telegraph, Mifflin
burg, Union county, was born in Mifflinburg,
Union Co., Penn., May 1, 1842, and is a son of
George Schoch, who was a son of Michael
Schoch, the son of Mathias Schoch.
The latter, with his brothers, John and George,
and two sisters, came to this country from Ger
many in the eighteenth century, locating in
Berks county, Penn. The sisters married — one
a Mr. Spangler, the other a Mr. Saltzgever, both
of Tulpehocken, Berks Co., Penn. Mathias was
born in Germany, December 16, 1738, and died
in America, May 12, 18 12. He was twice mar
ried, and had children as follows: John, Henry,
Michael, Jacob, Peter and Catharine, by his first
wife; and George, Daniel and Rebecca, by his
second wife.
Michael Schoch, son of Mathias, was born
June 20, 1769; was twice married: first to Miss
Ann Books, and after her death he wedded a
widow named Dreese. By his first wife he had
the following children: Catherine, born Sep
tember 14, 1796, married a Mr. Kocher, of Cir-
cleville, Ohio; Leah, born July 14, 1800, mar
ried John Craft, of Circleville, Ohio; Elizabeth,
born November 24, 1801, married Adam Boyer,
of Circleville, Ohio; George, born January 1,
1804, died March 28, 1888; Samuel, born July
14, 1806, died May 15, 1892; Susan, born Janu
ary 28, 1809, married Thomas Craft, of Circle
ville, Ohio; and Lydia, born May 31, 181 1,
married Samuel Getgen, a leading citizen, and
for six consecutive terms, of five years each, jus
tice of the peace of Mifflinburg, Penn. ; She
died February 26, 1882. Michael had no chil
dren by his second wife. He was a carpenter
by trade, was one of the builders of the old St.
Elias Church in Mifflinburg, used conjointly by
the Lutheran and Reformed congregations for
many years, he being an ardent Lutheran. He
also followed farming, and at his death, which

7K y&dLriyH..

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

833

occurred March 19, 1853, when he was aged
eighty-three years, eight months, twenty-nine
days, he left an estate of considerable acreage, the
proceeds of the sale of same being divided equit
ably among his surviving children, in accordance
•with his will. His remains and those of his two
wives are buried in the old graveyard in Mifflin
burg. His first wife died October 4, 1823, aged
fifty-four years and three months.
George Schoch, son of Michael and grandson
of Mathias, was united in marriage April 23,
1826, with Harriet Warley, a daughter of Henry
and Mary Warley, of Philadelphia. Their chil
dren were as follows: Mary Ann, born March 3 1 ,
1827, died October 27, 1882; Catharine, born
October 27, 1828, intermarried with Dr. Andrew
J. Crotzer (she died March 8, 1851, leaving one
child — William Herbert Crotzer, who was born
February 28, 1851, died January 13, 1898, and
buried in Laurel Hill cemetery, Philadelphia);
Henry M., born August 3, 1830, a prominent
merchant of Danville, Penn. ; Harriet, born Oc
tober 17, 1832, intermarried with John Neyhart,
residing at Lewisburg, Penn. ; Elizabeth, born
July 3, 1835, die(i June 29> l887; Gilbert, born
July 31, 1837, a leading merchant tailor of
Mifflinburg, Penn.; John Calvin, born March 17,
1839, residing in Edwardsburg, Mich., of which
place he was postmaster during Cleveland's first
term as president; Emeline, born February 7,
1 84 1, residing in Lewisburg, Penn.; George W.
(the subject of this biography), born May 1, 1842;
and Milton M., born December 24, 1849, fore
man of the Telegraph printing office, Mifflinburg,
Penn. The father of the children just named
was born January 1, 1804, as before stated, and
died March 28, 1888. The mother was born
August 10, 1805, and died June 7, 1870. Both
are buried in the cemetery at Lewisburg, Penn. ,
as are their children — Mary Ann, Catharine and
Elizabeth. Henry Warley, hereinbefore mentioned, was
born September 4, 1775, and his wife Catharine
(Pflegor) was born in 1785. Their children were
as follows: Mary, born December 2, 1802; Har
riet (wife of George Schoch, as before stated),
born August lb, 1805; Ann (wife of E. Gilbert
Giles), born July 26, 1808; Samuel (married to
Rebecca Pflegor), born December . 24, 181 1;
Reuben, born June 27, 18 14; Henry, born No
vember 22, 1816; Rebecca, born July 15, 1819;
Catherine, born May 1, 1823; George (married
to Emma Miller), born June 9, 1826; and John,
born June 5, 1832.
Accordingly, from what has been written, it
will be noticed that George W. Schoch was a
great-grandson of Mathias Schoch, grandson of
53*

Michael Schoch, and son of George Schoch. His
education was solely acquired in the free or pub
lic schools of his birthplace, supplemented with
a few terms in the Mifflinburg academy, his
teachers in the latter institution being, suc
cessively, Henry G. McGuire, Aaron C. Fisher,
Robert C. Allison and the latter's assistant, Mr.
Hartman. 'His tuition under teacher Fisher was
paid for by his personal services as janitor —
making the fire, sweeping the school room and
ringing the bell at school time. Shortly after
arriving at the age of thirteen years he entered
the printing office of the Union County Star, then
published in Mifflinburg, to learn the art of print
ing. Here he worked a few months, when the
office passed by sale from the owners — Drs. A.
J. Crotzer (his brother-in-law) and Chesselden
Fisher — into the possession of Reuben G. and
Thomas G. Orwig, brothers, for whom, also, he
worked a short time. Subsequently he went to
Lewisburg, Penn., to which place his parents
had removed shortly after the division of the
county, which took place in 1855, his father
having been chosen one of the county commis
sioners. Here he secured employment in the
office of the Lewisburg Argus, published by
Franklin Ziebach, working there for about six
months, when Mr. Ziebach removed to Sioux
City, Iowa, taking the material of the office with
him. Shortly thereafter he secured employment
in the office of the Lewisburg Chronicle, published
by O. N. Worden & J. R. Cornelius, where he
remained until the Civil war broke out in 1861,
when he "ran away from home," and on August
12, that year, enlisted in Company D, 5th Regt.
Penn. Res. Corps, serving with said command
until its discharge on June 11, 1864. He par
ticipated in the following battles: Mechanics-
ville, Va., June 26, 1862; Gaines' Mill, Va.,
June 27, 1862; New Market Cross Roads, Va. ,
June 30, 1862 — (McClellan 's campaign); Bull
Run, Va., August 28, 29 and 30, 1862— (Pope's
campaign); South Mountain, Md., September 14,
1862; Antietam, Md., September 16 and 17,
! 862— (McClellan 's campaign) ; Fredericksburg,
Va., December 13, 1862 — (Burnside's campaign);
Gettysburg, Penn., July 2, 3 and 4, 1863; Bris-
toe Station, Va., October 14, 1863; Mine Run,
Va., November 27-30, 1863; Wilderness, Va.,
May 5, 1864 — during Grant's campaign, with
Meade as commander of the Army of the Potomac.
This (the Wilderness) was the last engagement
he took part in, being unable to endure further
marching on account of an injury to his knee,
which he incurred at Miner's Hill, Va., a few
months previous, and was obliged to go to the
rear, being so ordered by his captain, William

834

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

H. H. McCall. About a month later, June ii,
1864, he was discharged with his regiment at
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Schoch then returned to Lewisburg, re
suming his position in the Chronicle office, re
maining there until January 1, 1873, at which
date he purchased The Mifflinburg Telegraph,
which he has conducted ever since. On May 1,
1892, he also became the owner of The Lewisburg
Chronicle, which has been published under his
supervision up to the present time. Both publi
cations are ardently Republican. He has la
bored faithfully for the success of the party; was
delegate to State Conventions a number of
times, and served as secretary of the Republican
County Committee for twelve consecutive years.
In 1885 he was assistant sergeant-at-arms, and,
in 1887, messenger of the House of Representa
tives of Pennsylvania; also postmaster of Mifflin
burg under President Harrison, and re-appointed
by President McKinley, under the latter taking
charge of the office on February 15, 1898. For
these respective official positions he was very
strongly endorsed by his home people and others.
With the Grand Army of the Republic Mr.
Schoch has been connected since the year 1867
— first as charter member of Andrew Gregg
Tucker Post No. 52, of Lewisburg, Penn., with
which he continued membership until the organ
ization of William R. Forster Post No. 247, of
Mifflinburg, Penn., of which, also, he is a charter
member, being at this writing its adjutant — a po
sition he has occupied many years. He has been
a delegate to the State Encampments of the or
der very many times, also a delegate to the Na
tional Encampment. For the welfare of the old
soldier he has ever manifested the utmost inter
est, both in his newspaper and by personal ef
fort, especially in the securement of pensions for
worthy comrades, for which service he never
would accept pay. Every public enterprise for
the good of his town and county found in him an
ardent supporter. This he notably demonstrated
in his zealous advocacy of the water-works for
the borough, the expense to be equitably borne
by the taxpayers. The question was submitted
to a vote of the people, the result of said vote
being largely in favor of borough construction
and ownership of said plant; accordingly, Coun
cils by ordinance resolved to have the plant con
structed in the spring and summer of 1898.
On April 28, 1870, George W. Schoch was
joined in marriage with Isabella Derr Kelly, who
was born November 1, 1850, a daughter of Josiah
and Frances Yentzer (Derr) Kelly. To Mr. and
Mrs. Schoch were born two children, namely:
Harriet Mae, born February 17, 1871, and

George Warley, born October 17, 1875. The
daughter was married May 27, 1896, to Franklin
McCreary Earnest, son of Rev. Dr. and Mrs.
John A. Earnest, and they have one child, Frank
lin McCreary Earnest, Jr., born April 25, 1897.
The son, George Warley, was joined in marriage
March 17, 1898, with Emma Brown Cook, a
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John H. Cook. Josiah
Kelly, father of Mrs. George W. Schoch, was a
son of James Kelly, who was noted in the olden
time as an earnest, radical Abolitionist — a hater
of human slavery — and a zealous advocate of
temperance. His son, Josiah, inherited and en
tertained the same principles, and was a faithful
soldier in the war for the Union. He died De
cember 13, 1895, aged seventy-five years, nine
months and twenty-five days. Frances Yentzer
(Derr) Kelly, the mother of Mrs. George W.
Schoch, was a daughter of Lewis and Charlotte
(Stoner) Derr, granddaughter of George Derr,
and great-granddaughter of Ludwig Derr, the
founder of Lewisburg, Penn. She died April 25,
1895, aged sixty-nine years, eleven months and
three days. Both Mr. Josiah Kelly and wife are
buried in the Lewisburg cemetery.
Mr. Schoch is a man of fine as well as forci
ble intellectual qualities, an extensive reader and
close thinker. In manner he is social and friend
ly, and possesses qualities that readily win ad
miration and respect.

fr% W. FOOTE, the able and courteous editor
%3fi of The Times, Mifflinburg, Union county,
was born in that borough October 5, 1840, a son
and now the only survivor of the family of Asa
and Hannah (Reichleyj Foote, the latter of whom
was a daughter of Christian Reichley.
Asa Foote, father of our subject, was a son of
Oliton Cushman Foote, who was a son of
Ephraim Foote, No. 250 in line of descent from
Nathaniel Foote, who was born in England,
came to this country, and in 1633 took the oath
of Freeman in the Colony of Massachusetts Bay.
Our subject was reared in his native village,
receiving his education in the public schools, quit
ting school at the age of fourteen years. In June,
1855, he became a " printer's devil " and learned
the " art preservative of all arts." During the
Civil war he first enlisted in Company G, 4th
P. V. I., serving three months, and then re-
enlisted, this time as a member of Company E
and Company H (respectively), 51st P. V. V.,
for three years; participated in the battles of
Roanoke Island, N. C, February 8, 1862; New
bern, N. C, March 14, 1862; Camden, N. C,
April 19, 1862; was in the skirmishes along the

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

535

Rappahannock with General Pope, where for
twenty-six days the command and men were
sleeping under arms and not given time to change
their clothes; Second Bull Run, August 30, 1862;
Chantilly, September 1, 1862; South Mountain,
September 14, 1862; Antietam, September 17,
1862; Wilderness, May 6, 1864; Spottsylvania
Court House, May 12, 1864. He was wounded
in the head and face at Antietam, and in the
right forearm at Spottsylvania Court House.
He was with Company C, commanded by Cap
tain Franklin, 12th United States Infantry,
through the draft riots in New York City in July,
1863. On September 10, 1867, he married Augusta
P. Coy, of Sinclairsville, N. Y. , and two daugh
ters were the result of this union: Alice, born
August 14, 1868, and Amy Louisa, born Febru
ary 12, 1872, died August 27, 1873.
In May, 1885, Mr. Foote established The
Times in Mifflinburg, and conducted it as a
Democratic journal until 1896, when it became
independent, and now advocates the cause of
honesty and morality' in government. Under
Mr. Foote's able management the paper has
prospered, and is regarded as a wholesome,
clean, newsy sheet.

WILLIAM S. RAUCH. The ancestors
 of this gentleman settled in eastern
Pennsylvania in pioneer times, and his grand
parents, Peter and Mary (Sipe) Rauch, were
both natives of Lehigh county, the birth of the
former occurring about 1793. Like many of the
immediate descendants of the early settlers of
the State, they desired in turn to open up new
lands on the frontier, and in 1820 they removed
to Union county, where the grandmother died in
1827. In 1836, Peter Rauch, who was a farmer
and miller by occupation, removed to Williams
port, Penn., where his death occurred in 1877,
at the age of eighty-four years. He was mar
ried three times, but the second wife, Mrs. Eliz
abeth Geyer, and the third, Mrs. Tray, who
now resides at Williamsport, bore him no chil
dren. Three sons and one daughter blessed the
first union: Jonas, who is mentioned more fully
below; Tilman, a miller and farmer, now de
ceased; John, deceased, formerly a carpenter in
Missouri; and Mary, who married Robert Hom
ier, a farmer of Clinton county, Penn., and died
there some years ago.
Jonas Rauch, the father of our subject, was
born in Lehigh county, July 5, 1815, but has
been identified with this section from early child
hood. Despite his advanced age he enjoys good

health, and all who have come within his cheery
influence can but wish that he will be spared
for many years and show to other generations
what manner of men were bred in pioneer days.
He has always been engaged in milling, and at
the age of eighteen began an apprenticeship of
three years in the roller and chop mill near
Kelly Cross1 Roads, White Deer township, Union
county, which is now owned and operated by his
sons. For some time he lived in Clinton county,
but in 1856 he settled at White Deer Mills,
Union county, and remained nine years, when
he removed to the present homestead. In 1862
he purchased the plant which is adapted to either
water or steam power, and has a capacity of
twenty-five barrels per day. He also owned and
operated a farm, and still resides there with his
sons, although he has delegated the business to
their hands. Public affairs are watched by him
with intelligent interest, and he is a steadfast sup
porter of the principles of the Republican party.
In religious faith he is a Methodist.
In 1856 Jonas Rauch was married, in Clinton
county, to Miss Eleanor Shaw, a native of Ly
coming county, and a daughter of William and
Jane (Moyer) Shaw. She passed to her eternal
rest in 1885, at the age of sixty-seven, while on
a visit to her daughter, Mrs. Mary Bennage, of
White Deer township, Union county, and her
remains were interred in the White Deer ceme
tery. Five children were born to this union:
(1) Mary, wife of David Bennage, a farmer of
White Deer township, Union county, has had
four children. (2) WiUiam s-> our subject, will
be mentioned at length below. (3) Peter H.,
who is in partnership with our subject, married
Miss Izora Gemberling, and has had two children
— Myron and Carrie. (4) John R. died at an
early age. (5) Agnes, deceased, was formerly
the wife of William Stutzman, who is married
again and resides in Philadelphia.
William S. Rauch was born November 18,
1844, at Rauch Gap, Clinton county, and much
of his time in youth was spent in assisting his
father in the mill and on the farm, as business
might require. His educational opportunities
were hardly such as to be satisfactory to a clever
and ambitious lad, and he soon passed beyond
the help of the local schools. In October, 1864,
he left home to enter the service of the govern
ment as a member of the ist Pennsylvania Light
Artillery, under Capt. L. B. Richardson and
Lieut. Cameron. He went to the front, and,
although he was never wounded, the privations
and exposure to which he was subjected brought
on an attack of yellow jaundice, and he was
obliged to spend eight weeks in a hospital near

836

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Washington. As long as there was any prospect
of fighting he remained in the army, but on be
ing mustered out, June 13, 1865, he returned
home and resumed his studies, attending Buck
nell Academy one term.
In 1867 Mr. Rauch taught school at Kelly
Cross Roads, but one term convinced him that
the occupation was too confining for one of his
state of health, and he entered the employ of his
father at a salary. Later he and his brother
purchased the mill, as has been said, and it is
now operated under the firm name of P. H.
Rauch & Brother. While Mr. Rauch is well
known as a substantial business man, he is no
less prominent in local affairs, being especially
active in educational advancement. Since 1894
he has been a school director, having been re
elected at the end of his first term of three years,
and, in 1896, he was chosen treasurer of the
school board. He is a leading member of. the
Lutheran Church, and has held the office of el
der for three years, and he also belongs to the
Grand Army Post No. 52, at Lewisburg.
On November 27, 1873, Mr. Rauch was uni
ted in marriage with Miss Rebecca Hafer, and
two children, Annie B. and Gilbert W. , brighten
their home. Mrs. Rauch was born in Kelly
township, Union county, May 16, 1843, the daugh
ter of Jacob and Rebecca (Gilbert) Hafer. Her
grandparents, Jacob and Rebecca Hafer, came
from Berks county, Penn., at an early day, and
located upon a farm near Lewisburg. Her fa
ther was born in Berks county, but coming to
this section in childhood, remained, and engaged
in farming, and for some time in weaving. He
was prominent in local affairs, and in politics
was a steadfast Republican. He and his wife,
who was born in Schuylkill county, were mem
bers of the Lutheran Church. Both lived to a
good old age, the former dying in 1874, at the
age of seventy-nine years and four months, and
the latter in 1885, at the age of eighty-four.
They had the following children: William, de
ceased, formerly a physician at Marshallville,
Ga. ; Henry, a retired farmer of Kelly township,
Union county; Andrew, a farmer of Ouray coun
ty, Colo. ; Daniel, of Lewisburg, Penn. ; Jonas and
Harrison, who are both farmers in Kelly town
ship, Union county; and Rebecca, Mrs. Rauch.

CiHARLES SEEBOLD (deceased). Among
_'i the early settlers of Union county was
Christopher Seebold, a native of Wurtemberg,
Germany, who located in 1793 about two and
one-half miles west of New Berlin, purchasing a
mill and a tract of farming land.

Mr. Seebold had come to this country when
but seven years old, and was reared to manhood
in Lebanon county, Penn. , where he was married
to a Miss Spade, and remained some years, sev
eral children being born there. His death
occurred about 1806, and he was buried at New
Berlin, in a lot which has since been abandoned
as a cemetery and laid out as a portion of the
town, an alley running across the spot where his
grave was made. His wife survived him, and
was also interred at New Berlin. They had
three sons: Christopher, Jr., who is mentioned
more fully below; John, who succeeded to his
father's mill; Michael, who died unmarried; and
several daughters, among whom were: Otilia,
who married Michael Greenhoe, and died in
Ohio; Maria, Mrs. Henry Hassenplug, who died in
Mifflinburg; Barbara, Mrs. Auble, of Mifflinburg,
who was blind for many years before her death;
and Margaret, wife of Andrew Wagner, at one
time a hotel keeper in New Berlin.
Christopher Seebold, Jr. , the grandfather of
the subject of this memoir, was born September
3, 1763, in Lebanon county, and was married in
Lancaster county, April 8, 1788, to Miss Anna
Eva Hochlander, of Manheim, who was born
August 29, 1769. After the removal of the fam
ily to Union county, he assisted his father in the
mill for a time, but in 1795 or '96 he settled at
New Berlin, and became one of the leading citi
zens of the growing town. He followed boating
as an occupation at first, running a small boat
between New Berlin and various points on the
Susquehanna river and Penn's creek, which was-
found to be navigable for such craft, horses heing
employed to pull them up stream. He carried.
produce to the markets down the river, and on
his return trip brought up articles of merchan
dise. Later he kept a tavern, and as the town.
developed, certain real-estate investments became
profitable. . When Union county was organized,
New Berlin was made the county seat, and the
court house and county offices were built upom
his land, his donation towards the cost of erec
tion being $200. In 181 3 he was appointed'
justice of the peace, and in 1 820 he was elected
county treasurer. Politically he favored the-
Democratic party until the anti-Masonic agitar
tion, and in religious faith he was a Lutheran.
He died May 6, 1839, his wife surviving him un
til November 3, 1857. Of .their nine children,
our subject's father, Philip .Seebold, was the eld
est. Elizabeth, born December 2, 1791, mar
ried Jacob Long, and died in Perry county, Ohio,.
March 29, 1880; Christopher, born Augustus,
1794, was a carder and manufacturer of linseed?
oil near New Berlin, and his death occurred*

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

837

in that vicinity April 3, 1870; Catherine, born
March 3, 1797, married Thomas Hummel, and
died at Homer, Ohio, July 1, 1882; Mary, born
January 15, 1800, ifiarried Conrad Pontius, and
died in May, 1877,: in Ross county, OTTToT John
H., born June 14, • 18.02, is' still living (1897) in
New Berlin, where he has spent his entire life.
For many years he was a leading hotel keeper
and druggist, and notwithstanding his advanced
age, he is well-preserved and has the full use of
his faculties; Nancy, born May 4, 1806, died
April 27, 1828, unmarried; Sally, born Novem
ber 3, 1808, married John Dieffenbacher, and
died at Selins Grove, Penn., February 19, 1828,
she was buried at New Berlin; Hannah, born
November 14, 181 5, married Abraham Schoch,
and died at New Berlin. December 9, 1875.
Philip Seebold, the father of our subject,
was born January 19, 1789, in Lebanon county,
and was but a child when he was taken to the
new home near New Berlin. He learned the
potter's trade with Adam Maize, of that place,
and followed that business for many years, but
in later life he moved to a country home in the
same township, where he died July 25, 1874.
He was a well-known citizen, highly respect
ed and influential, and was a prominent member
of the Lutheran Church. In early years he was
a Democrat, and later a Know-Nothing, but the
anti-slavery controversy led him to become a
supporter of the Republican party.. His first
wife, Rachel De Haas, of New Columbia, Penn. ,
died. at New Berlin, where the remains of both
now rest. His second wife was a widow, Mrs.
Stuck, of Selins Grove, who died in Limestone
township, Union county. He had eight children,
all by the first marriage: Polly, wife of Samuel
Weirick, an attorney at New Berlin, died at
Middleburg, but was buried at her home; Anna
married (first) Daniel Holt, and, after his death,
Allen Dorsey, resides at Baltimore, Md. ; John is
a resident of Yellow Creek, Stephenson county,
111. ; Charles, the subject proper of this sketch,
was the fourth in order of birth; William lives at
Hartleton, Penn. ; Sarah, widow of Mr. Hutchin
son, resides in Baltimore, Md. ; Harriet, Mrs.
Thomas Hassenplug, lives at Mifflinburg; Lizzie
(deceased) never married.
The late Charles Seebold was a man of keen
judgment and strong character, one who could
plan and carry to successful completion business
plans of more than ordinary scope. As a pioneer
in the business of tomato canning, now a leading
industry at Baltimore, Md., his name became
widely known. He was born Nov. 20, 18 14, at
New Berlin, and at an early age began to learn
the printer's trade, his parents being then in

comfortable but not affluent circumstances. For-
some time he conducted a printing office of his
own and published the Anti-Masonic Star, but
in the early '50s he sold the business and moved
to Baltimore to engage in the canning trade.
The idea occurred to him during the visit of a
brother-in-law, Daniel Holt, an oyster merchant
of Baltimore, who, while eating some canned
tomatoes at our subject's table, remarked upon
their excellence and spoke of the, prolific growth
of that crop near Baltimore. Mr. Seebold saw
at once an opening for a new and profitable ven
ture, and going to Baltimore he purchased twelve
acres of land which he devoted to tomato grow
ing, the entire crop being canned for market.
The experiment proving a success from the start,
he continued and rapidly enlarged the scope of
his operations buying from other growers to meet
the demands of the trade. He took his brother,
Henry, into partnership, and some years after
ward, having acquired a handsome fortune, he
sold out his interest in the business to this broth
er who still conducts it. Returning to his na
tive place, Mr. Seebold passed his remaining
years in well-earned leisure, and in 1882 he built
there the most substantial, artistic and expensive
residence to be found in the locality. He also
invested largely in real estate, and at the time of
his death owned two farms in Union township,
Union county. He was a public-spirited citizen,
a stanch Republican in politics, and while never
a politician was interested in the issues of the day.
On February 1, 1836, Mr. Seebold was mar
ried at New Berlin to Miss Mary Franck, a na
tive of that town, born May 9, 181 8. Her fa
ther was born near Hagerstown, Md., but the
family came at an early period to Union county,
meeting with some losses from Indian raids in
the pioneer days. Philip Franck, who was a
clock maker by trade, died at the age of seventy-
one, and his wife, Salome Schreffler, passed
away at eighty-five, both being buried at New
Berlin. They were highly respected by all who
knew them, and were consistent members of the
Lutheran Church. Of their twelve children the
following lived to adult age: Margaret, widow of
John Teats, of Bellefonte; Catherine, who mar
ried Jacob Hubler, and died at Pittston, Penn.,
in December, 1896; Mary, Mrs. Seebold; Eliza
beth, who married John Burkert, and died in
December, 1896, at Indianapolis; Sarah, Mrs.
Henry Heckman, who died at Annville, Penn.;
Permilla, who married Dr. Harshberger, and
died at New Albany, Penn.; Jane, widow of
Michael Fetterhoff, of Huntingdon, Penn. ; Har
riet, widow of John Freet, of Reading, Penn.,
and Miss Anna, a resident of New Berlin.

838

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Mr. Seebold passed to the unseen world July
5, 1886, his death causing sincere grief through
out the community where his family has so long
been known, and where so many years of his own
life were spent. His widow still lives in the ele
gant home which his thoughtful affection provid
ed. She takes much interest in the work of the
Lutheran Church, of which her husband was
also an active member, and is one of the most
esteemed residents of the city. A family of
which any parent might be proud attests the
loving care bestowed upon them. Of nine chil
dren, the eldest, Rachel A., born January 20,
1837, married Henry Vogler, and died in Balti
more April 24, 1887; Philip D. , born May 28,
1839, died at Washington, D. C. , October 9,
1868; Sarah A., born May 20, 1841, died Janu
ary 2, 1844; Mary E., born June 30, 1844, is
the wife of Charles Pearson, of Washington, D.
C. ; Henry F., August 10, 1845, resides in San
Diego, Cal. ; Samuel W. , born May 14, 1848,
died October 24, 1849; Charles S., born Decem
ber 5, 1850, is a dentist at Baltimore, Md. ;
Emma, January 17, 1853, married Judge J. J.
Dobler, a prominent citizen of Baltimore; Franck,"
November 26, 1859, is a dentist in Washington,
District of Columbia.

*\\HJT ^' KURTZ, editor and proprietor of the
WW Lewisburg fournal, Lewisburg, Union
county, was born in Centre county, Penn., in
1862; graduated from Bucknell College in 1885;
purchased the Lewisburg fournal in 1895, and
has successfully continued its publication to the
present time.

MRS. CARRIE (STROHECKER) BARR,
 of Lewisburg, Union county, widow of the
late Dr. Washington Barr, is a member of one of
the oldest and most highly respected families of
that section, and her own personality has won
for her a high place in the esteem of her large
circle of acquaintances. She was born in July,
1830, on the old Strohecker homestead, on the
banks of the Susquehanna river, in East Buffalo
township, Union county, and was the eldest child
and only daughter of John and Elizabeth (Fried
ley) Strohecker.
Mrs. Barr gave early signs of the mental
ability which has since made her prominent in
social circles, and after pursuing her studies as
far as the local schools would permit, attended
school for a time in Lewisburg. In 1867 she
was united in marriage with Dr. Barr, and went
to Harrisburg, Penn. , to reside, their home be

ing situated at the corner of Second and Locust
streets. The Doctor was a man of more than ordi
nary intellect, and was widely known, not only
in professional life, but in social movements, be
ing an active member of the Masonic fraternity,
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the
Order of Red Men, the Sons of Temperance,
and the Good Templars (Washington Lodge).
In political faith he was a Republican. His
death occurred April 30, 1876, at Harrisburg,
where his remains were interred.
After the Doctor's death, Mrs. Barr returned
to the home of her childhood and remained there
until May, 1886, when she moved to her home
in Lewisburg, a pleasant residence, located on
Brown street. She is a consistent member of
the Lutheran Church, and her comfortable com
petence enables her to carry out the plans for
intellectual and social activities which appeal
most strongly to her refined taste.

LEVI ROOKE, M. D. This name is a fa-
 ' miliar one in this section, having been asso
ciated for years past with many of the leading
business enterprises of the time. In finance,
commerce, and the various industrial movements
which have served to develop resources, Dr.
Rooke has easily held a foremost rank. He was the
first to carry on the iron business successfully for
any considerable time in Unionand Snyder counties.
Others had attempted it as far back as i 824, but
failure and disappointment had inevitably result
ed, and at the time that Dr. Brooke engaged in
it but few would have dared to hazard the neces
sary capital. Difficult as was the enterprise, he
succeeded notably,- and in this connection we
may mention the significant fact that he gave
constant personal supervision to the work of his
furnaces, while the same is true of his other lines
of effort. Our subject comes of good old Colo
nial stock, the first of the line being Rev. George
Rooke, an Irish clergyman, who came to America
about 1700. Of the next in order of descent
nothing is now known, but the third generation
is represented by Thomas Rooke, our subject's
grandfather, who resided in Chester county, Penn.,
first in East Nantmeal township, and later in
East Vincent township, where he died.
James Rooke, father of Dr. Rooke, was born
in the former locality, and married Miss Mary
Murray, daughter of a prominent agriculturist
there, who was of English descent. Of their four
children the Doctor was the youngest, and was
the only one to establish his home outside of
East Nantmeal township, Chester county. Eliz-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

839

abeth, widow of Thomas Frickland, now resides
there.' Catherine (who married Edwin Morris)
and Jonathan both died there, the latter at the
old family homestead.
Dr. Levi Rooke was born July 22, 1826, and
was reared at the old farm, -receiving the best
educational advantages that the locality afforded.
After attending a grammer school conducted by
Benjamin Tucker, he pursued a course in Union
ville Academy under John Gause, and then
taught for two years. His medical studies were
begun in the office of Dr. Stephen M. Meredith,
and completed in Jefferson Medical College,
Philadelphia, where he received his degree in the
spring of 1848. For three years he practiced
his profession, but finding it less congenial than
he had hoped he decided to give it up. He then
removed to Union county and engaged in man
ufacturing iron at the Berlin Iron Works on
Penn's creek, four miles west of Hartleton.
Later he formed a partnership, and built a large
anthracite furnace, known as the Union furnace,
situated on the Susquehanna river four miles
from Lewisburg, and here he acted as manager
and superintendent from 1853 to 1891, when the
furnace was abandoned. During this time he
was also engaged in the iron business in Snyder
county, and had an interest in similar works at
various points. In 1896 he purchased the inter
ests of James S. Marsh and Peter Beaver (his
partners) in the furnace and lands, but has now
retired from this business. The Doctor's ability
as an organizer and manager of large enterprises
was speedily recognized in business circles, and he
has been constantly urged to lend his aid to new
undertakings. In this way he has become finan
cially interested in many companies, especially in
a number of incorporated banking firms, in which
he is a director. He was one of the first sub
scribers to the stock of the Union National Bank
of Lewisburg, and is now one of the largest
stockholders. In 1892 he was elected president
of the institution, and served until 1895. In
1893 he purchased a general store at Winfield,
including all the personal property of said firm,
which he still conducts in addition to his exten
sive coal yards there, and he is heavily interested
in the firm of C. M. Rooke & Co., known as the
Dry Valley Lime Manufacturing Co., located at
Winfield. He built his first kiln therein 1875,
and the firm now has seventeen in steady oper
ation. He has also been extensively interested
in the manufacture of lumber, owning more than
700 acres of land in Union county. In 1868 he
purchased the old homestead in Chester county.
As an employer Dr. Rooke has always been popu
lar, and some of his workmen have been in his serv

ice for forty-three years. He is not a politician, of
fice having no charms for him. In early life he
was a Whig, and warmly advocated a protective
tariff and the abolition of slavery. Naturally he
joined the Republican party on its organization,
and has since, been its steadfast supporter. In
1872 he was elected to the Constitutional Con
vention of this State.
Dr. Rooke has a handsome brick residence on
the main road from Lewisburg, which he built at
a spot that would give him a view of his furnace.
This location was objected to by some of his
neighbors, but a lawsuit settled the matter in the
Doctor's favor. In 1849 he married Miss Eliza
beth H. Church, of Churchtown, Lancaster Co.,
Penn., by whom he had four children: Mary R.
(Mrs. Morris Reagan), now residing with her
father; Frances A., married to J. Russell Young-
man, an attorney of Lock Haven, Penn. ; Laura,
married to William Vance, of Kearney, Neb.;
and Charles M., a resident of Winfield, in part
nership with his father in the lime business. The
mother of this family died in 1879, and August
31, 1882, Dr. Rooke married Miss Anna E. ¦
Kreamer, of Winfield. She is an active worker
in the Evangelical Church, and the Doctor, though
not a member, is in sympathy with her generous
efforts. Mrs. Rooke is a daughter of Illis Kreamer, a
well-known agriculturist and dairyman, who
owns a fine farm in Union township, Union coun
ty. The Kreamer family in that section is de
scended from Daniel Kreamer, a native of Berks
county, Penn., who settled in Centre county when
a young man and engaged in farming. He died
at the age of eighty-six, and his wife (formerly a
Miss Kern) passed away within two weeks of his
death. Their son, Col. Daniel Kreamer (the
grandfather of Mrs. Rooke), was born in Centre
county, and remained there, following agricul
tural pursuits. His title of colonel was derived
from a militia regiment which he commanded.
He married Miss Catherine Neece, a daughter of
Henry Neece, a well-to-do farmer of Centre
county. Col. Kreamer was a religious man, but
made several changes in Church membership,
being a Lutheran first, then a member of the
Evangelical Church, finally joining the United
Brethren Church. His wife was a member of
the Evangelical Church all her days; she died in
1847, at the age of fifty-one. His death oc
curred in 1885 when he was eighty-six years old,
and of their eight children only three are now
living. Jacob (now deceased) settled in Nebras
ka; John, an Evangelical minister, lived in Kan
sas' during the latter part of his life; William
died at his home in Iowa; Jonathan died in Cen-

840

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

tre county, Penn. ; Daniel, a minister of the
United Evangelical Church, resides at Shannon,
111.; Elizabeth (deceased) was the wife of Will
iam Gertillius, a painter of Mifflinburg; Elias is
mentioned more fully below; and Henry is a
farmer and painter residing near Brooklyn, Illi
nois. Elias Kreamer was born January 28, 1831, in
Penn township, Centre county, and his education
was obtained in the local schools, while he as
sisted his father on the farm. At the age of
twenty-three he rented the place, but after five
years he moved to Snyder county, purchasing a
farm of 236 acres for $8,000. Eight years later
he sold this for $13,000, and purchased 114^
acres in Buffalo Valley, Union county, at $129.50
per acre. Six years later he sold this and re
turned to the old homestead, which he rented for
six years. Since then he has made his home on
his present farm of 179 acres, which he bought
at $150 per acre. For the past thirteen years
he has been extensively engaged in dairy work
in connection with general farming, and at
various times he has been identified with im
portant business ventures. In 1871 he united
with John C. Moots, John Keene and Albert
Walker in organizing the Millheim Bank, but
sold his interest before moving to his present
homestead. Politically he is a Democrat, and
has held several township offices. He is a lead
ing member of the United Evangelical Church,
and at present is a trustee.
On October 13, 1853, Elias Kreamer was
married in Union township, Union county, to
Miss Fannie I. Eyer, a native of Winfield, born
January 6, 183 1. Her father, Isaac Eyer, who
was also born in Winfield, died in that vicinity in
1878, his wife, Elizabeth (Kleinfelter), passing
away at Mr. Kreamer's home in 1887. Their
courtship was a peculiar one. Mr. Eyer had
heard of the charms of Miss Kleinfelter, then re
siding in York, York county, their native State,
and being fascinated with the account, went to
see her. The result was that soon after his re
turn to Winfield he made another journey to
that place and brought home his bride, the trip
being made on horseback. It is proper to add
that, notwithstanding their limited acquaintance,
they proved well adapted to each other and
' ' lived happily ever after. " They had nine chil
dren: Abram, a retired farmer of Kansas; Cath
erine, wife of Martin Dunkle, a farmer of Buffalo
township, Union county; Isaac and Jacob (both
deceased); Miss Elizabeth, who resides at the
Kreamer home; Fannie I. (Mrs. Kreamer); Susan
(deceased), formerly the wife of George Smith,
a -farmer of Elkhart county, Ind. ; Jonathan, a

a farmer of Buffalo Valley, Union county; and
Joseph (deceased).
To Mr. and Mrs. Kreamer eight children were
born: Isaac, a contractor in Chicago; Anna E.,
wife of Dr. Rooke; Daniel, who died September
12, 1859; Westley, who is in partnership with
his brother Isaac; Abram, who married Rose
Couser, and resides at the homestead; Ada, wife
of Alford Reed, a merchant of Call county, Neb. ;
Olive, who married Charles M. Rooke, of Win
field; and W. Charles, a dentist in Chicago.

ON. HORACE P. GLOVER, a leading
citizen of Mifflinburg, Union county, is not
only a successful lawyer, but he has been for
many years prominently identified with The
Mifflinburg Bank, of which he. is now the presi
dent, having succeeded his father, the late
Robert V. Glover.
The Glover family is one of the oldest in this
section, our subject's great-grandfather, John
Glover, Sr. , having settled in what is now Hart
ley township, Union county (then Buffalo town
ship, Northumberland county), in 1772, locating
about one and one-half miles west of Hartleton
to the south of the turnpike, where some of his
descendants still reside. His ancestors migrated
from England to the North of Ireland in the
days of Cromwell, during the seventeenth centu
ry, and the above named American pioneer was
always proud of the fact that in his veins flowed
the blood of sturdy Protestant stock which, two
generations before him, had taken part in the
defense of Londonderry and had survived that
famous siege.
Born in Ireland, December 25, 1744 (O. S.),
John Glover, Sr., came to America in 1766,
landing at Baltimore and locating near Winches
ter, Va. He was accompanied by two nephews
whose names are not certainly known, but it is
family tradition that one of them settled in
Kentucky and the other in New York. He was
married to Sophia Duncan, born February 13,
1749(0. S.), with whom he was probably ac
quainted before leaving Ireland, and who shared
with him all the privations of early frontier life
in this country. In 1778 occurred the "big
runaway," when the Indians drove all the set
tlers out of Buffalo Valley, and John Glover,
Sr!, took his family back to Virginia for safety,
returning to Hartley township in 1789, where
his subsequent life as a farmer was without spe
cial incident. He is taxed with one slave in the
assessment books of 1804. His death occurred
in 1825, and his remains, together with those of
his wife, are buried at Laurelton.

St
"a

H i

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

841

John Glover, Jr. , son of the preceding, who
was born in 1782, near Winchester, Va. , inher
ited the homestead in Hartley, and became a
man of influence in his locality. In 1822 he
was appointed a justice of the peace by Gov.
Hiester, holding that office until 1838, when the
constitution of that date went into effect; and in
the following year was elected register and re
corder of Union county. In 1806 he married
Elizabeth Gray (b. 1785, d. 1856), a native of
Ireland, who came to America when about nine
years of age. They had eight children: One
daughter, Sophia, wife of Dr. Uriah Reed, of
Jersey Shore, Penn., and seven sons, to wit:
William, who was sheriff of Union county from
1837 to 1840; Andrew; John (3d), a farmer of
near Hartleton; George Gray, who remained on
the old Glover homestead, where he died in 1885,
and on which his descendants still reside; Thomas;
Robert V., mentioned more fully below; and
James, a farmer of near Laurelton, holding the
southern portion of the old farm. John Glover,
Jr., died in 1862, and is buried at Hartleton.
The late Robert V. Glover, the father of
oursubject, was born December 1, 1821, at the
old homestead, and was educated in the local
schools and at Mifflinburg Academy. After
teaching school for a few years he engaged in
mercantile business atHartleton, continuing forty-
five years. He was also identified with other
business enterprises, notably The Mifflinburg
Bank, of which he was the first cashier and after
ward president. In religious faith he was a
Presbyterian, and for thirty years held the office
of ruling elder in the Church at Hartleton. He
was married in Union county to Miss Helen Pell
man, a native of Berks county, Penn., born May
3, 1827. She died November 13, 1893, and his
death occurred on December 8 of the same year.
Our subject was the eldest of their six children;
James Oliver resides at State College, Penn. ;
Mary married James C. Hayes, of Polk county,
Minn. ; Samuel P. is a physician in Altoona,
Penn. ; John Newton is a farmer in Union county;
and David L. , now district attorney of Union
county, is in partnership with our subject.
On the maternal side Mr. Glover is descended
from Arnold Pellman, who was born near Maast
richt, Holland, and his wife, Maria Van den Vaero.
a native of Grubben Vorst, Gelderland, both of
whom lie buried at Meerloe. Their son, Conrad,
was born February 2, 175 1, in Vankum, Holland,
studied medicine at Amsterdam, and during the
American Revolution came to this country as a
surgeon in the Anspach regiment of Hessian
troops. He was a man of great ability, and was
noted in his profession as is shown by memorials

and certificates written by men high in authority
in the English government. It seems that he
had thought of settling in Nova Scotia, but. in
1783 he returned to Holland and two years later
came to Pennsylvania, locating in Berks county,
where he continued in practice until his death,
which occurred December 29, 1803. He took
the oath of allegiance in Oley township, October
10, 1786. On the 19th of September, of the
same year, he married Miss Mary Kline, who was
born in Amity township, Berks county, Novem
ber 30, 1763, and died in Union county, January
29, 1850. Their children were John, Jacob,
David, Samuel, George K., Charles, Maria, Cor
nelius and Rebecca, the last named being the
wife of the late Michael K. Boyer, of Reading,
Penn. David served in the United States navy
in the war of 1812, and in 18 15 shipped in the
merchant marine, and was never heard from aft
erward. Samuel Pellman, fourth son of Conrad, was
born September 23, 1794, in Amity township,
Berks county, and, after the death of his father,
resided with an uncle, Abraham Kline. During
boyhood he attended the district schools, and,
after attaining his majority, studied for some
time in the schools of Reading, thus acquiring a
good education for that day. He learned the
blacksmith's trade, and followed it for a few
years in his native township, but later settled
upon a farm there, where he remained until
1832. He then moved to Union county, and
bought a farm in Limestone township, where he
made his permanent home. He was a success
ful farmer and held in high esteem ; industry and
integrity being marked elements in his character.
He was a member of the Lutheran Church; in
politics he was a Democrat.
On February 5, 1825, Samuel Pellman mar
ried Mary Wolff, who was born August 19, 1806,
the daughter of Abraham and Rebecca (Shatz)
Wolff, prominent residents of Hamburg, Berks
county, where the ancestors of both had settled
on coming from Germany. Mr. Pellman died
July 25, 1875, his wife in 1887, and both are
buried at Mifflinburg. They had six children:
Helen, who married Robert V. Glover; David
Wolff; Anna, who married Richard V. B. Lin
coln; Rebecca, who married James Glover; Lewis
Conrad; and Oliver Kline.
Horace Pellman Glover was born December
10, 1852, at Hartleton, Penn., the eldest son of
Robert V. and Helen (Pellman) Glover. After
an attendance at the common schools of bis town
and at the old Union Seminary at New Berlin,
he entered Lafayette College, Easton, Penn.,
graduating with the class of 187 1. In the fol-

842

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

lowing year he became cashier of the Mifflinburg
Bank, and while there, having decided upon the
legal profession, he pursued the required course
of study under the direction of the late J. Merrill
Linn, of Lewisburg, and at the March term,
1878, was admitted to the Bar. He then opened
an office in Mifflinburg, where he won prompt
recognition, and four years later was admitted to
practice before the supreme court. On entering
the profession he relinquished his position as
cashier, became a director, and in 1893 suc
ceeded his father as president of the bank. Mr.
Glover has always taken a moderate interest in
politics, and in 1886 was elected from Union
county, on the Republican ticket, to the legisla
ture, serving one term. He was delegate from
his county to the Republican State Conventions
of 1877 and 1883.
On November 30, 1886, he married George
Anna Kemble, daughter of George S. Kemble,
M. D., a noted physician and surgeon of Mifflin
burg, Penn., who had served with distinction
during the Civil war, holding the rank of corps
surgeon and medical director. Mr. Glover is a
member of the Masonic fraternity, being affiliated
with Mifflinburg Lodge No. 370, F. & A. M., at
Mifflinburg. He has one son, Robert Van Val
zah, born September 27, 1887.
David L. Glover, youngest son of Robert V. ,
was born December 17, 1866, at Hartleton, and
after a preparation at Bloomsburg, Penn. , he en
tered Lafayette College, where he graduated with
the class of 1890. Having studied law with his
brother, he was admitted to the Bar of Union
county at the September term, 1893, and in 1895
was elected district attorney of the county, which
office he still holds, and is enjoying a successful
practice of the law in association with his brother,
Horace P., under the firm name of Glover &
Glover, at Mifflinburg.

WILLIAM SHIELDS, Registerand Recorder
of Union county, is an able official, whose
faithfulness in the discharge of his duties has
won appreciation from the public, as is shown
by his recent re-election to his post at the ex
piration of his first term of three years. He is a
veteran of the Civil war, and is also a prominent
business man, having been engaged in wagon-
making in Kelly township, Union county, for
many years previous to his election as above, and
consequent removal to Lewisburg.
Mr. Shields is a native of Union county, hav
ing been born June 23, 1841, and is of Irish de
scent. His grandfather, William Shields, was
born in County Down, Ireland, in 1776, and was

married in the Old Country to Mary Thompson.
also a native of Ireland, born in the same year,
She was a sister of James Thompson, a noted
scholar, who was at one time president of Bel
fast Institution, now known as Queen's College,
Belfast. William Shields and his wife crossed
the Atlantic in 1805, and settled in Buffalo Valley,
Union Co. , Penn. , where he followed the weaver's
trade for many years, his death occurring in 1858.
His wife died March 6, 1853. They had a large
family, of whom only three survived infancy,
viz. : James, our subject's father; Ellen, married
to Andrew Magee, who died in 1876; and Cath
erine, who married Robert Strayhorn, and is at
present residing in California. The last two were
born in America, but James Shields, who was
born in 1804, was a native of Ireland. He was
reared in Buffalo Valley, attending first the local
schools, later the academy at Mifflinburg, and
then began an apprenticeship to the blacksmith's
trade. An injury which crippled his arm caused
that work to be abandoned, and after a course
at Mifflinburg Academy he engaged in teaching.
Having a natural talent for mechanics he later be
came a gunsmith, then a chairmaker, and finally
a cabinetmaker, and he also followed wagonmak-
ing successfully. In religion he was a Presbyte
rian, while politically he affiliated with the Re
publican party. He was married in Union county
to Miss Esther Lucas, who was born September
20, 1807, and died September 6, 1853; his own
death occurred March 24, 1864. Of six children,
four lived to adult age: (1) William, our subject;
(2) Mary Ann, who married John Irvin, and died
February 2, 1892, leaving two children — Jennie
G. and William L. ; (3) Nancy E., born January
27, 1845, married R. Wesley Harris; and (4)
Hannah C. , born March 20, 1847, died single
November 12, 1891.
The early life of our subject was spent at the
old home in Kelly township, Union county, where
he attended the district school. Through assist
ing his father in the wagon shop, he became fa
miliar with all branches of the trade, and had
already engaged in it as a workman when he at
tained his majority. The Rebellion was then in
progress, the need of soldiers becoming more and
more urgent as the resources of the enemy were
realized. Mr. Shields enlisted, in 1862, in Com
pany E, 142nd P. V. L, and remained in serv
ice until after hostilities ceased, being mustered
out June 26, 1865. He saw much severe fight
ing at Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, the Wil
derness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor, Bethesda
Church, Petersburg and other places which are
made forever memorable by that struggle. On
March 1 1, 1864, he was promoted to the rank of

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

843

sergeant major, and on February 6, 1865, he re
ceived a wound, a token of courage and gallantry
which was even more distinctive, though less
agreeable, than the other. On his return to the
paths of peace, Mr. Shields resumed his business,
and continued it until elected to his present office
in 1894; his re-election coming in 1896, he en
tered upon his second term in January, 1897.
In politics he is a Republican. He is identified
with the Presbyterian Church, and, socially, with
the G. A. R. As a citizen he has always been
prompt to aid in local advancement.
On December 26, 1867, Mr. Shields married
Miss Katherine Angeny, a native of Bucks coun
ty, Penn., born September 18, 1844, and seven
children have blessed their union, their names
with dates of birth being as follows: Esther L. ,
December 26, 1868, a graduate of Blockley Hos
pital, Philadelphia, is a trained nurse by occu
pation, and now in the Royal Hospital in Seoul,
Korea, having been sent in August, 1897, by the
Foreign Mission Board of the Presbyterian
Church; the others — Lillian, December 12, 1870;
Ellen, January 31, 1873; William Scott, April
11, 1875; Edgar Thomson, September 24, 1877;
Charlotte E., May 4, 1880; and James Leigh,
January 27, 1885, are all at home.

HON. D. F. GUTELIUS. In the early days
 of Mifflinburg there appeared in her busi
ness life an energetic, progressive young man,
Fredrick Gutelius by name, who came from
Lancaster county, Penn., and established his
permanent home in this then thriving village.
He married Miss Goodyear, and by her became
the father of twelve children: Frederick, William,
Israel, John, Henry, Joseph, George, Andrew,
Rev. Samuel, Elizabeth Catharine and Sarah.
Fredrick Gutelius, the eldest in the above
mentioned family, and the grandfather of the
worthy gentleman whose name appears at the
opening of this review, was born in 1796, and died
in 1865. He was one of those versatile men
who find their work in various lines of effort
crowned with equal success. His list of occupa
tions were varied, including the weaving of a fine
grade of linen and carpets, then for a time he
followed butchering in Milton, Penn., later
returning to his native city. He married Miss
Lydia Crotzer, also a native of Mifflinburg, and
had ten children. (1) Thomas is a retired car
riage maker in Mifflinburg. (2) William is a
painter and paper hanger in the same city. (3)
John, our subject's father, is mentioned be
low. (4) Caroline is the widow of William,
Shriner (her daughter, now Mrs. Chambers, of

Denver, Colo. , is a writer of unusual merit, and
received the national prize for the best poem on
Pike's Peak). (5) Catherine, widow of Samuel
Faust, resides at Renovo, Penn. (6) Jacob, one
of the pioneers in the coach-building business at
Mifflinburg, died in 1897. (7) Samuel, a den
tist at Millheim, Penn., died in 1896. (8)
Charles Henry is a, dentist of Mifflinburg. (9)
Joseph, a soldier of Company D, 150th P. V. I.,
the famous " Bucktail Regiment," was killed at
Gettysburg on the first day of the fight; he was
in command of the color guard, and after all the
others had been shot he clung to the flag, though
wounded; when our forces were driven into the
town of Gettysburg, he sat down on a door step,
weary and faint from loss of blood, and was
there bayoneted by a Rebel soldier, and the
flag taken from his body. (10) Miss Lydia re
sides at the old home in Mifflinburg.
John Gutelius, our subject's father, was born
in 1826, and grew to manhood in Mifflinburg.
He married Miss Catherine Kenn, a native of
Penn's Valley, Centre Co., Penn., born in 1828,
and after residing for a time in Millheim, Penn.,
located in his native city. By trade he was a
millwright, but for eleven years he assisted his
brother Jacob in the wagon and carriage-making
business, and in 1875 he opened a shop of his
own, in which he has since manufactured car
riages, sleighs, wagons and all kinds of light vehi
cles. He now has an extensive trade and em
ploys twenty-five hands, most of his stock being
sold in this State. Since 1881 our subject has
been in partnership with him. The following
ten children were born to John Gutelius:
(1) Thomas O., who is employed in the shop,
married Miss Jemima Thompson, and has three
children— Clark, Katie and Anna. (2) H. L.
(died in 1896) married Miss Alice Moyer, and be
came the father of five children— Wells, Merrill,
Florence, Horace and Warren. (3) David Fred
rick. (4) Charles A. married Miss Ella Badger,
and has ten children — Charles L., AnnaM., Eva,
Harry, Vernie, Stella, Grace, Edna, Susa and
one unnamed. (5) Joseph, who works in his
father's shop, married Miss Minnie Hough, and
has two children — Clarence and Sarah. (6)
John, Jr., who is also employed in the shop.
(7) Annie married F. E. Leitzel, of Scottsdale,
Penn. (8) Sarah Jane, (9) Ida and (10) Lillian
are at home.
D. F. Gutelius, the subject proper of this
sketch, was born January 17, 1855, and was edu
cated in the public schools. When quite young
he entered his father's employ, and soon had ac
quired a complete and thorough knowledge of the
business. On coming of age he was made man-

844

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ager, and later accepted as a partner. He is re
garded as an able business man, and by close
application to his work he has well earned the
respect and admiration of the entire community.
In 1894 he was nominated on the Democratic
ticket for. burgess, and, in spite of the customary
Republican majority, he was elected. A thor
ough acquaintance with the people in whose
company his whole life has been passed has
served to strengthen the confidence in his ability
to discharge any duty that might become his.
That he has fully met the expectations of his
constituents is a well-known and indisputable
fact evidenced by his popularity with all classes,
irrespective of party.
On February 27, 1879, Mr. Gutelius was
married to Miss Clara Zimmerman, a daughter
of Jacob Zimmerman, a well-known resident of
Mifflinburg. Three children — Edythe, Lucy and
Nelson — have lent their cheering presence to this
happy home. On July 19, 1888, the wife and
mother was called from earthly cares and joys,
and for a time the bereaved father and children
boarded with Mr. Jacob Zimmerman; but as the
children became older, Mr. Gutelius moved into
his beautiful residence, where, with the assistance
of a housekeeper, the little family are passing a
contented home life. The eldest daughter,
Edythe, graduated from the Dickinson Seminary
at Williamsport, Penn., in June, 1898, and the
two younger children are in school. Fraternally,
Mr. Gutelius is a member of the F. & A. M.,
Blue Lodge, in which he is past master, and he is
also a member of the Royal Arcanum. Socially,
Mr. Gutelius and family are prominent factors,
and in their abundant hospitality often open wide
their doors to their many friends.

JOHN HOWARD HARRIS, LL. D., was in
augurated president of Bucknell University in
June, 1889. He entered upon the labors of
many eminent and devoted men, who laid the
foundations wisely, and to whose services and
merits the new president always gives generous
recognition. One part of his work, not the least
important, has been the rallying of old friends to
the institution. He has spoken in over 130 dif
ferent Churches in Pennsylvania and New Jersey;
has lectured in all of the Normal Schools of the
State except two, and has brought many acade
mies and high schools into close affiliation with
the college. In all his efforts, the president has
been ably and cordially aided by the Board of
Trustees, the Faculty and the Alumni. Two
buildings, the gymnasium and laboratory, have
been erected during his administration; nearly

$100,000 added to the endowment; the library
increased from 9,000 to 18,000 volumes, the
number of courses from fifty-one to one hundred
and fifty-two; and the attendance in the college
from seventy to two hundred and forty-seven,
and to four hundred and thirty in all depart
ments. Dr. Harris was born in Buffington, Indiana
Co., Penn., April 24, 1847. On the paternal
side, he is of Welsh descent, his father, Reese
Harris, born in 1804, having come to America in
1830, and served as mine superintendent until
1844, when he purchased a farm in Indiana
county from the proceeds of the sale of his Welsh
freehold, which he had inherited from his father.
On the maternal side Dr. Harris is partly of
English descent, his ancestor, James Coleman,
having been an officer with Capt. Brady in the
old French war. On another side he is of Ger
man descent from a soldier of the Revolutionary
war. Dr. Harris spent the first years of his life at
tending the public and subscription schools of the
neighborhood, evincing at the age of nine an ap
petite for historical reading which in the four
succeeding years led to the reading of all the his
tories which were to be had from the scant pri
vate libraries of the neighborhood. In i860 he
entered a local academy to prepare for college,
and continued his studies in that direction till
the school was broken up by the enlistment of
the principal, A. J. Bolar (afterward Major
Bolar), and about all of the students who were
old enough for service. Dr. Harris was among
those who volunteered; but was rejected on ac
count of age. His first public speech aside from
efforts in the debating societies was one in favor
of the Union at the fall of Sumter. His studies
were again interrupted, in 1862, by the head
teacher and most of the pupils responding to the
call of President Lincoln. Dr. Harris again
volunteered, but was again rejected. In the fall
and winter of 1862-63. he taught his first school.
In 1863, he had his experience repeated in the
breaking up of the school, but was himself ac
cepted among the volunteers, serving as a private
in the Second Battalion, P. V., in West Virginia.
After his discharge, he continued his college
preparation, and had all arrangements made to
enter Bucknell College in 1864, but the call of
the President for volunteers again led to his offer
ing himself, and he served as sergeant in the
206th P. V. L, until the close of the war. In
1865 he entered Bucknell College, and graduated
in the course in Arts in 1869. He has received
the degree of Master of Arts from Bucknell, that
of Doctor of Philosophy from Lafayette, and

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

845

that of Doctor of Laws from Dickinson College,
Penn., and also from Colgate University, New
York. Dr. Harris intended almost from childhood
to follow the legal profession, and in 1863 was
enrolled as a law student in the office of Hugh
W. Wier, of the Indiana Bar. He completed all
the course except the office work, but from lack
of funds after graduation he entered upon the
work of teaching. He took charge of a subscrip
tion school in Factoryville, near Scranton,
which he developed into Keystone Academy, an
institution, when he left it, with fine campus of
twenty acres, three large buildings, costing $75,-
000, a good library, and over 200 students,
three-fourths of them being boarders. In 1869
he decided to devote himself to the work of the
ministry and teaching. He followed closely the
course of study laid down in Crozer Theological
Seminary, doing all of the work of the course ex
cept Hebrew. He has devoted special attention
to New Testament study having read it all in
Greek ten times, and most of it thirty times.
In 1872 Dr. Harris was ordained, and served the
West Abington Church nine years as pastor. In
that time the Church increased its benevolent
contributions, enlarged its edrfice and nearly
doubled its membership.
His first wife, Miss Mary Mace, who was
born in Wyoming county, Penn., August 24,
1855, died leaving two children, Mary and Her
bert. By a second marriage, with Miss Lucy
Bailey, bornin 1858, he has seven sons: Reese,
George, Spencer, John, James, Walter and
Stanley.

WILLIAM C. BARTOL, Ph. D., was born
in Huntingdon, Penn., November 24,
1847. He was prepared for college in the pub
lic schools of his native town. At the age of
nineteen he entered the University at Lewisburg,
now Bucknell, and was graduated with honor in
1872. He immediately entered upon educa
tional work. His first five years as teacher gave
him an experimental knowledge of almost every
phase of school instruction. During this period
he was successively professor of mathematics in
the Salisbury Academy, Conn; principal of the
Centre Hall high school, Penn. : superintendent
of the public schools of Union Grove, Wis. ; arid
principal of the Huntingdon Academy, Penn.
Thus he gained a most valuable experience and
training for his work as a public teacher. After
ward he became professor of mathematics in the
Pennsylvania State Normal School at Mansfield.
During his stay of four years at Mansfield, he

gained such a reputation as a mathematical in
structor that, upon the resignation of Dr. George
M. Philips from the chair of mathematics and
astronomy in Bucknell University, August, 1881,
he was immediately chosen his successor. Dr.
Bartol entered upon his duties as professor of
mathematics and astronomy in Bucknell Univer
sity, September 8, 1881. Some years later the
college astronomical observatory was built,
largely through his efforts. He was then made
its director, though retaining his former duties
as a professor. He is an assiduous worker, and
has found time to publish a number of brief
studies in the science of perspective and of the
culculus. He assisted Dr. French in the revis
ion of his mathematical works, published by
Harper & Brothers. He is also the author of a
solid geometry which has had a large sale.
The ancestors of Dr. William C. Bartol were
German. His grandfather, John Barthold, was
born, where he spent his entire life and died, on
a farm near Klecknersville, Northampton Co. ,
Penn. The farm was located about one and a
half miles from the village, north toward the
Blue mountains, and about three-eighths of a
mile nearly northeast from the site of the old
Indian defense called Peter Doll's block house.
John's father had lived upon and owned this
farm for many years. He died here probably in
the year 1783, at which date John was sixteen
years old. John Barthold was accustomed to re
late that his father had been a German soldier
for five years, and that upon being discharged
from military duties he and his younger brother,
not yet of age. came to this country, landing in
New York. Both were unmarried. Shortly
after landing the brothers became separated, and
since have had no knowledge of each other, nor
have their families ever had knowledge of each
other. This could not have occurred later than
1750, and possibly ten years earlier. The chil
dren of John Barthold by his first wife were
Peter, Paul, John, Abraham, Jacob, Johnstine,
Christina, Catharine and Barbara. He married,
after the death of his wife, a Mrs. Beer, whose
maiden name was Staley. Their children were
Simon, Henry, Elizabeth, and Elias, who was
the father of the subject of this sketch. John,
Sr., died in 1843, when he was about seventy-five
years old.
When Elias was nineteen years old he left
home with his brother Henry, and located in
Boalsburg, Centre Co., Penn. About this time
he began writing his name Bartold, and a few
years later the brothers in Boalsburg changed
their name to Bartol, dropping the h and the d,
because, as they said, they were silent letters as

846

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

the name was pronounced. All other members
of the family retain the original spelling. Elias
Bartol married Bathsheba Wieland, of Boalsburg,
August 19, 1841. Their children were Sarah,
Lilia, William Cyrus, Anna and Thomas Edgar.
The mother of Dr. Bartol traces her ancestry
to Michael Weyland, the pioneer in this country,
who came from near Stuttgart in Wurtemburg,
or from the city itself, about the year 1737, per
haps a few years earlier or later. In 1754 we
find Michael Weyland in Bethel, the northwest
township of Berks county, Penn., and by the
same authority (J. B. Linn's Annals of Buffalo
Valley) we find him, in 1769, settled in Buffalo
Valley, Union county, on what is now D. B.
Miller's farm. This was the site of the old Indian
town, Shikellimy, near West Milton. Michael
Weyland was married to Magdalena Baker.
Their children were Michael, Jr., Jacob, George,
John, Samuel, Mary, Margaret, Catharine and
Magdaline. Michael, Sr. , died in 1771, and was
buried on the place, in an old graveyard, a little
way up the road running from the river. John
in some way changed the name to Wrheland. He
married Christina Oberlin, whose father was
Michael Oberlin. Her mother's maiden name
was Zwecker. Michael Oberlin lived in Earl
township, Lancaster Co., Penn., and was one of
the original members of the old Bergstrass Lu
theran Church there. John Wheland and his
wife, Christina, lived in this neighborhood for
some years. They afterward, in 1800, moved to
Lycoming county, Penn., and later to a farm
near Tusseyville, Penn. Their children were: Mi
chael, Hannah, John, Christina, Frederick and
Lydia. John, Sr. , died near Tusseyville, and is
buried in the old churchyard there. His wife
died in 1845, and is buried at Boalsburg.
The oldest child of John and Christina Whe
land was Michael, born in Lancaster county,
Penn. , about six miles from the village of New
Holland. At the early age of eight or nine years,
Michael was accustomed to attend divine serv
ices in New Holland, traveling the six miles often
alone and on foot, running at times for fear of
missing the music of the organ which was then
in the church. Michael Oberlin, the grandfather
of Michael W'heland, gave his little namesake
some silver buckles and a silver spoon when the
grandson was perhaps two years old; some of
these keepsakes are yet in the possession of his
descendants. Michael Wheland married Sarah
Becht. They were taken or confirmed into the
Old-school Lutheran Church by the Rev. Fred
erick Haas, somewhere in Mifflin county, Penn.
Sarah Becht was born January 23, 1793, and died
July 24, 1836. Her husband Michael died Sep

tember 19, 1 87 1. They are both buried at Boals
burg, Penn. The children of Michael Wheland
were: Hannah, Lydia, Benjamin, Rebecca,
William, Bathsheba, Sarah, Lucy, Washington,
Anna, Drusilla Christina, and Daniel.
Elias Bartol married Bathsheba, at Spruce
Creek, Penn. , and directly they moved to Pine
Grove Mills, Centre county, and after a short
stay here, they moved to Manor Hill, from which
place they came to Huntingdon in 1844. Here
they settled; and spent the remaining years of
their lives. Their oldest son, William Cyrus,
the subject of this sketch, married Martha Belle
Africa. The paternal ancestor of Mrs. Bartol,
pioneer in this country, was Christopher Africa.
He was (according to the family tradition) born
in the Kingdom of Hanover, and came to Amer
ica when yet a young man. He was by trade a
miller. He settled at Germantown, Penn., and
there married an "English woman " (but we are
to bear in mind that, at that time, every person
not born in the Fatherland, was regarded by the
German as English). At least two of their sev
eral children were born at Germantown — John
Michael and Jacob.
Before the breaking out of the American
Revolution, Christopher Africa and his family
moved to the vicinity of Hanover, York Co.,
Penn. While residing there the two sons and
two or more of the daughters married. John
Michael married Catherine Graffius, of York, born
October 23, 1765, died February 12, 1830.
Jacob married Catherine Geiger. One daughter
married George Louckert. Another, Rosina,
died unmarried about 1807, and was interred in
the German Lutheran Church-yard in the bor
ough of Hanover. When the church was about
to be enlarged, about fifteen years ago, it became
necessary to remove the remains to another part
of the yard. The grave was marked by neat
head and foot stones in excellent preservation,
and the inscription was remarkably distinct.
John Michael's eldest child, Elizabeth, was born
in 1790. In 1 79 1 he removed to Huntingdon,
having purchased the lots of ground, Nos. 320
and 322 Penn and Nos. 321 and 323 Alleghany
street, whereon he resided until his death, June
30, 1 822, when he was aged sixty-five years. Ja
cob's eldest children, John and Jacob were born in
Hanover. Jacob. Sr. , moved to Huntingdon a few
years after Michael had become a resident there.
. Christopher remained in York county until after
the death of his daughter Rosina, when he fol
lowed his sons to Huntingdon, where he died
and was interred in the Lutheran Church-yard,
northeast corner of Fourth and Church streets.
Michael dropped the prefix John about the time

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

847

he was married. From descriptions of his per
sonal appearance given by old citizens who
knew him, he was six feet in height; had blue
eyes; was neither corpulent nor lean, and wore
his dark hair in a queue. Jacob was shorter in
stature, and more corpulent than his brother
Michael. His children were: John, Jacob,
David, Samuel, Mary, Catherine, Elizabeth,
Margaret, Harry and Daniel.
Christopher Africa had charge of a gristmill
at or near Germantown, and his two sons were
employed in the mill. On going to York county
he bought a mill and paid some money thereon.
The title proving defective, he lost the property
and his investment therein. After this misfortune
Michael became a brickmaker, to which he added
a winter occupation, that of dyer. His brick
yard in Huntingdon extended eastward from
Sixth street three lots, of fifty feet each, and
northward from Mifflin street to Moore street.
There the brick for all the brick houses erected
in Huntingdon for over two-score years were
made. Hon. J. Simpson Africa, from whom
these narrated facts were obtained, says " at one
time I was inclined to believe the family name
we bear was an English corruption of a German
patronym, but I since learned from four different
German immigrants that they knew the name in
Germany. One mentioned the city of Coblentz
on the Rhine, another Augsburg in Bavaria, an
other Berlin, and the locality mentioned by the
fourth has escaped my recollection." Jacob Af
rica, Jr., married Miss Elizabeth Zimmerman,
December 7, 18 19. They had a number of chil
dren — William Stevens, Eliza Ann, Andrew Jack
son, John H., Letitia M., Robert Wesley, Eunice
M. and Anderson. Andrew Jackson Africa mar
ried Maria King, and their children were: Martha
Belle (Mrs. Bartol), William Carey, Thomas Ed
gar and Vinton Zimmerman.
Mrs. Bartol traces her ancestry on the mater
nal side to Alexander King, who is described by
those who knew him as a Scotch-Irishman; a
strict Scotch Presbyterian; in personal appear
ance a man of medium height and weight. He
came from Ireland to America probably in the
year 1774. About two years later, on January
10, 1776, he enlisted as a soldier of the Revolu
tionary war, under Capt. Henry Darby in the
Delaware regiment commanded by Colonel Has-
lett. He was then a young man, presumably
twenty-five years of age, and served under these
officers for one year, during which time he was
in the disastrous battle of Long Island, after
which, retreating with his regiment, he fought at
White Plains under Washington. Here he re
ceived a ,slight wound from a bayonet in the

hands of a Hessian. He continued with his regi
ment in the perilous flight through New Jersey,
and was at the taking of the Hessians at Tren
ton, after the famous crossing of the ice-drifted
Delaware. The time of his enlistment having
expired, Alexander King remained at home for
a few months and then re-enlisted in Capt. Ben
jamin Fishborne's company of the Fourth Penn
sylvania Regiment, commanded by Col. William
Butler. His re-enlistment was probably from
New London, Chester Co., Penn. Under Fish-
borne he served with some distinction, being pro
moted from corporal to sergeant of his company.
He fought in the battles of Brandywine and Ger
mantown, and afterward at Monmouth on the
¦memorable sultry day in June. Marching with
his regiment to Schoharie, where the winter was
passed, he was ordered the following summer to
join the expedition under General Sullivan against
the Indians in the Genesee country, and upon his
return he, together with his company, joined the
main army. He remained in the service until
the month of January, 178 1 , when he was dis
charged on account of sickness and returned
home. Alexander King made an application for a
pension on April 14, 1818, at which time he was
residing in Huntingdon county, Penn., and was
sixty-four years of age. His pension was allowed
for five years actual service as corporal and ser
geant in the Revolutionary war. He came to
Huntingdon not later than 1796. This we may
safely conclude from the fact that the county
records give Alexander King, of Huntingdon, as
the purchaser of lot 181 on January 30, 1797.
He probably came direct from Chester county to
Huntingdon. He died August 8, 1826, and was
buried in the Riverview cemetery, Huntingdon.
He was admitted to membership in Lodge No.
55, Free and Accepted Ancient York Masons at
Huntingdon June 24, 1800, and was buried with
the usual Masonic honors. Alexander King
married Nancy Jackson probably before coming
to America. Their children were John and
Thomas. John married Christine Berkstresser.
They settled in Bedford county, Penn. Their
children were William R., James, Harry S.,
Caroline, John, Margaret, Thomas, Nancy,
Alexander and Elizabeth. Thomas King, Sr. ,
spent his life in Huntingdon, Penn., where he
followed the occupation of his father Alexander,
that of a tailor. He was also, like his father, a
member of the Masonic order there. He served
for a short time (three months) in the war of
1812 under Captain Robert Allison.
Thomas King was married in Huntingdon, in
1803, by the Rev. John Johnston, to Martha

848

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Norris, and their children were William H., Ann,
Margaret, Catherine, Mary, Elizabeth, Sarah and
Maria. Thomas King died March 9, 1838, aged
fifty-seven years, his wife, Martha Norris, on
June 22, 1855, aged seventy-five years. Their
daughter Maria was married to A. Jackson Africa,
in Huntingdon, by the Rev. Jesse Williams,
October 28, 1852. Their oldest daughter,
Martha Bel'le, married William C. Bartol, April
!3> 1 875. Their children are Mary, Belle,
William A. and Helen King.

i)ECK FAMILY. Among the German immi-
tt£) grants who left their homes along the Rhine
during the great migration of German Protestants
to Pennsylvania in the last century was Johann
Thomas Beck. He came from the Duchy of
Hanau, and embarked from the port of Rotter
dam, in Holland, in the year 1752, with his wife
Esther, his son Henry and his daughter Margaret.
He did not live to see the New World, for he
died on the voyage and the Atlantic became his
burying place. His widow and children reached
Philadelphia, from whence they went to Berks
count}', Penn., where they settled, and where the
widow subsequently married one McMullen.
Henry Beck, the son of Johann Thomas Beck,
was born in the Duchy of Hanau about the year
1748, and was four years of age when he came
to Pennsylvania with his mother. He grew up
in Berks county, and in the year 1775 married
Margaret Wolfgang. Like almost all the Penn
sylvania Germans, he was engaged in farming,
which he varied occasionally by superintending
the wood-cutting for one of the local furnaces.
The Revolutionary war came on shortly after his
marriage. In the militia companies which were
formed from time to time for short terms as the
war progressed, and were composed chiefly of
the farming population who attended to their
farms in the summer and went into the army in
the winter, he went out three different times,
first as orderly sergeant and subsequently as
lieutenant, and was in one of the commands that
failed to cross the Delaware at the time when
Washington captured the Hessians at Trenton.
He remained upon his farm in Berks county until
his removal to a farm near Pottsgrove, in North
umberland county, Penn., where he died in the
year 1824. Both he and his wife Margaret are
buried in the old Lutheran graveyard at Milton,
Pennsylvania. Henry Beck, by his wife, Margaret, had .seven
children, all of whom were born and reared in
Berks county, on their father's farm. They were

Henry, George, Thomas, Sophia, Elizabeth, Mary
and Catharine. Henry Beck, the eldest son, was
born July 10, 1776, and was married to Hannah
Ludwig, of Berks county. George Beck was
married to Mary Greiner, and had the following
children, William, Susan, Jeremiah, Henry and
Mary Ann; he remained in Berks county until his
death in May, 1854; his son, Henry Beck, with
his family, resides at the present time at Potts-
town, Berks county. Thomas Beck removed to
Fayette, Seneca county, N. Y. , where he resided
until his death. Sophia married William Gross.
Elizabeth married David Kaufman, who settled
in Union county, Penn. Mary married Steph
Glaize, who settled in the northern end of
Northumberland county, Penn. Catharine mar
ried John Hill, and resided upon the homestead
near Pottsgrove until her death. After his mar
riage, Henry Beck settled upon a farm in Earl
township, Berks county, where he followed farm
ing and tanning. In the year 1813 he removed
with his family to a farm adjoining (and now a
part of) Lewisburg, Union Co., Penn., which
place he had previously visited with a view to
settlement. Here he built a new tannery, which
he carried on in connection with his farm. The
large brick house at the upper end of Second
street in Lewisburg was built by him in 1823,
and was occupied by him and his family. By
his wife, Hannah, he had six children, one of
whom, named Daniel, died in infancy. The
others were Samuel L. Beck, born April 6, 1802;
Rebecca L. , born November 30, 1807; Isaac L. ,
born May 5, 181 1, died May 20, 1856; Mary
Ann, born October 19, 181 5; Lydia L. , born
April 12, 181 8. Hannah Beck died November
r9, '839, aged fifty-seven years. Henry Beck
died January 2, 1846, aged sixty-nine years.
Both are buried in the cemetery at Lewisburg,
Penn. Henry Beck was a member of the Luth
eran Church at Lewisburg, while his wife, Han
nah, belonged to the German Reformed Church.
He took an active part in town affairs, and in
politics was a Democrat.
Samuel L. Beck, his eldest son, was eleven
years old when his parents moved to Lewisburg,
and here he grew up on his father's farm. He
had little taste for farming, but a great apti
tude for study. One of his tutors was Samuel
Kirkham, the author of the famous old English
grammar. Mathematics and surveying were
taught by his uncle, Daniel Ludwig, who resided
near White Deer Mills, in the same county. For
a short time he taught school and kept his fa
ther's books. Having decided to take up the pro
fession of medicine, in which his uncle, Dr.
Michael Ludwig, of Berks county, had won con-

ts

^¦wffl

J

Mtib^\)t7^^

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

849

siderable reputation, he studied for some time
in the office of Dr. VanValzah, of Lewisburg.
In 1825 he entered, as a student, Jefferson Medi
cal College, Philadelphia, where he remained
until he graduated in 1828, having, as a class
mate, Dr. Samuel Gross, the famous surgeon.
After his graduation he returned to Lewisburg,
where he settled permanently and look up the
practice of his profession. On April 12, 1842,
he married Anna Stitzel, the youngest daughter
of Adam StitZel (whose father, Johannes Stitzel,
came to America in June, 1735), and his wife,
Sarah (Levan), of McEwensville, Penn. Anna
Stitzel was born October 3, 18 14.
Of the other children of Henry Beck, Rebecca
L. married John K. Housel, and died near Free-
port, 111. , in 1 892 ; Issac L. married Mary Dreis
bach July 7, 1839, and died at Mifflinburg, Penn.,
in 1856, leaving two children, Henry and Kate;
Mary A, married Thomas Reber, and died at
Lewisburg in 1896; Lydia L. married Daniel
Zeller, and still resides at Lewisburg.
Dr. Samuel L. Beck was a Whig in politics
until the disruption of that party, when he be
came a Republican. He died at Lewisburg No
vember 1, 1882, and was buried in the Lewis
burg cemetery. His wife, Anna, died in Lewis
burg March 2, 1885, and was buried by the side
of her husband. By his wife, Anna Stitzel, Dr.
Beck had five children: William H., born Feb
ruary 28, 1843; Samuel L., born September 14,
1844; Valeria R. , born July 29, 1846; Thomas
Romeyn, born March 17, 1848; Mary, born July
28, 1849.
Of these William H. Beck, the eldest son,
received his education at the University of Lew
isburg, Penn. , where he graduated in the class of
1862. He entered the army during the Civil
war, and was a member of Company C, 131st P.
V. I. He was admitted to the Bar as a lawyer
in Lewisburg in 1865, and since that time has re
sided in Winchester and Alexandria, Va., New
Orleans, La., and Washington, D. C, which
last place is his residence at this writing.
Samuel Ludwig Beck, the second son, married
Miss Susan Case, of Trenton, N. J., and has a
printing office in Philadelphia, where he resides.
Valeria R. Beck married David Myers January
3, 1 87 1. They resided for some years on his
plantation near Talladega, Ala., whence they re
moved to Lima, Ind. , and thence to Lewisburg,
Penn., where she now resides. Thomas R. Beck
resides in Lewisburg, Penn. Mary Beck mar
ried J. N. McCoy, the son of Col. DeWitt Clin
ton McCoy, of the 83d Penna. V. I. She now
resides with her husband in Reading, Pennsyl
vania. 54*

/GEORGE GROSS, a highly respected resident
\^f of New Berlin, Union county, can look back
over more than seventy years of life, during
which his retentive memory has treasured many
interesting reminiscences of the past. During
the greater portion of his life he has been identi
fied with the mercantile and agricultural interests
of this section. At present he is living in retire
ment and enjoying the, fruits of his past labors.
Mr. Gross is a member of an old Pennsyl
vania family, his ancestors having settled in
Montgomery county in an early day. Henry
Gross, his grandfather, was born there, being
one of a large family of children, several of whom
left the old home to locate elsewhere. One
brother moved to the western part of Pennsyl
vania, another lived in Dauphin county, Penn.,
a sister died in Mifflin county, another brother
died in New Orleans, a sister died in Franklin
county, Penn., and still another brother at Beav
ertown, Snyder Co., Penn. Henry Gross was
married in York county, Penn., to Miss Phoebe
Havice, and came on horseback with his bride to
what is now Beaver township, Snyder county, in
the latter part of the eighteenth century. He
established a mercantile business at Middleburg,
but in 1801 his store was burned, and he then
engaged in farming, purchasing land below Me-
Kees Half Falls. In 18 14 he bought the land
upon which New Berlin now stands, and he fol
lowed farming there for a number of years. This
land formerly belonged to George Long, and the
village, when first laid out, was called Longs-
town. At one time Henry Gross owned six
farms. His death occurred in 1842, when in his
eighty-third year. His wife died in 1837, as the
result of injuries received from an accident in
falling down stairs. Henry, his eldest son, who
served as justice of the peace and surveyor in
Snyder county in an early day, in 1830, went
west, locating in Seneca county, Ohio, where he
died sixty-five years ago. The children of Henry
and Phcebe (Havice) Gross were as follows:
Henry (mentioned in the foregoing), Elizabeth
(Mrs. George Herald), Sarah (Mrs. John Hilbish),
Catherine (Mrs. Jacob Dubbs), Philip (father of
our subject), John (who died near Chattanooga,
Tenn.), Polly (Mrs. Col. Henry Royer) and
Barbara (Mrs. George Kleckner). None of these
children are now living. Mrs. Kleckner died one
year after her marriage.
Gen. Philip Gross, the father of our subject , was
born in 1797, in Middleburg, and his educational
opportunities in youth were limited to the schools
of that place. He always resided upon the old
homestead, following agriculture as an occupa
tion, and at times did considerable business as

850

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

an administrator and executor in the settlement
of estates. He was a robust man, well-propor
tioned, and was seldom ill. Throughout his life
he took keen interest in military affairs, and,
only his ineligibility on account of age, prevented
him from serving in the Civil war. He filled
every office in the home militia from private to
general, and was the last to serve in that rank
under the old regime in the brigade of Union and
Northumberland counties. He was a stanch
Democrat, as was his father before him, and
he held a number of offices, serving one term as
county treasurer before the separation from
Union county, when the county seat was at New
Berlin. For more than forty consecutive years
he served as justice of the peace. In religious
faith he was a Lutheran, and for many years held
the office of trustee in the Church. He died in
1-879. His wife, who died in 1894, at the age of
ninety-one years, was Elizabeth Schoch. She
was born March 31, 1803, in Snyder county, the
daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Hendricks)
Schoch. Her remains now rest beside those of
her husband in the cemetery at the old homestead.
They had the following children: Henry died in
Philadelphia, in February, 1890; George is our
subject; Jacob died in infancy; Jacob (2) died in
1889, in Limestone township; Phoebe is the
widow of Thomas Yearick, of Aaronsburg, Penn. ;
Mary J. married John Stauffer, and died in Boyer-
town, Penn. ; Elizabeth C. is the widow of Rev.
George B. Dechant, of Catawissa, Penn. ; Ben
jamin F. died at the age of nineteen; John died
in childhood; an infant son died unnamed; El
mira died in childhood; Susan married Dr. Jerry
Hay, and died in Bloomville, Ohio; Laura is the
widow of Marion Schnure, of Selins Grove, Union
county; and John died in infancy.
George Gross was born August 23, 1823, at
the old homestead, and his education was begun in
the schools of New Berlin, his first teacher being-
Mr. Hague. After attendingthe common schools
until he was nineteen years old, he spent two
years at the Lewisburg Academy, and, although
qualified to teach, he never cared to do so. On
leaving school he returned home to engage in
farm work. In the fall of 1844, he, with three
other young men, went to Seneca county, Ohio,
driving the entire distance. He had relatives in
that locality, and for a year was employed as
clerk by an uncle in Bellevue. Later he worked
in the same capacity for a time at Tiffin, Ohio,
and then returned to Pennsylvania, and entered
the employ of his brother Henry, then a mer
chant at Aaronsburg. On August 13, 1846, he
was married at New Berlin, to Miss Elizabeth C.
Nettle, a native of Carlisle, Penn., and a daugh

ter of Isaac Nettle. He then located on his fa
ther's farm for a year, whence in 1847 he removed
to Rebersburg, where he established a general
mercantile business. In 1848 he started a branch
store in Loganton, Sugar Valley, under the firm
name of Gross, Bogar & Co., Mr. Gross owning
a half interest. For some time, in addition to
his other work, he held the office of postmaster
at Rebersburg, but, in 1858, he sold his store
there and returned to the old homestead In
1858 he disposed of his interest in the Loganton
store, and, in 1861, he bought out John D. Bo
gar, of New Berlin, and continued business for
six years under the firm name of Gross & Lutz,
and afterward as Gross & Wilson, until 1878,
when he sold out and retired from active busi
ness in that line. In May, 1859, he became a
director in the Lewisburg National Bank, and he
has attended every meeting of the board since
that time with possible exceptions of three or
four regular weekly meetings in a year. He is
the surviving executor of his father's estate, and
for years he looked after his mother's interests.
Since 1861 he has occupied his present home at
New Berlin, a beautiful place, which was at one
time owned by Hon. Joseph Casey, who after
ward became Judge of the Court of Claims at
Washington, D. C, and who died in that city
February 10, 1879. His wife was a sister of Mrs.
Gross. Mr. Gross, in religious faith, is a Lu
theran, but as his wife is a Presbyterian, he at
tends that Church regularly. They have had
three children: William G. , now a resident of
Philadelphia; and two, George A. and Ro'sa K,
who died in infancy. In politics Mr. Gross has
always been a Democrat, and has held numerous
offices in the borough of New Berlin. He was a
senatorial delegate to the State Convention held
at Erie, Penn., in 1875; he was also a member of
the State Democratic Committee during the
year 1879.

ARRY P. RANCK, a progressive and suc
cessful agriculturist of White Deer town
ship, Union county, is a descendant of a well-
known pioneer family, and now owns and occu
pies a farm near New Columbia, which has been
in the possession of the family for more than a
century. It was purchased about 1797, by our
subject's great-grandfather, John Ranck, who,
with his second wife, Barbara, came from Lan
caster county to make his permanent home, his
death occurring there in 1820, at the age of
seventy-eight. His widow survived him until
March 27, 1830, when she passed away, aged
seventy-five years.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

851

Jonathan Ranck, our subject's grandfather,
was a native of Lancaster county, born July i,
1789, but the greater part of his life was spent
in Union county, where he became a prominent
farmer. He died May 5, 1856, leaving a large
family. He was married three times, (first) to
Miss Catherine Long, (second) to Miss Margaret
Dieffenderfer, our subject's grandmother, and
(third) to Mrs. Harriet (Kline) Dieffenderfer,
the widow of a brother of his second wife.
Margaret Dieffenderfer was born in Union coun
ty, then Northumberland county, in January,
1798, the daughter of Jacob Dieffenderfer, and
died in February, 1844. By the first of these
three unions there was one son, Joseph, born
March 15, 18 16, died in May, 1895. By the
second there were ten children, whose names
with dates of birth are as follows: Sarah, Jan
uary 17, 18 19, Mrs. Daniel Bennage (deceased);
Moses, September 4, 1820; Susannah, January
14, 1822, Mrs. J. J. Brown; Jacob, January 28,
1824 (deceased); Edward, December 31, 1825;
Solomon, September 9, 1827; Mary, August 14,
1830, Mrs. Charles C. Wetzel; Levi, January 9,
1833 [see farther on]; Jonathan, April 2, 1834;
and Ellen, January 18, 1837.
The late Levi Ranck, the father of our sub
ject, was a prominent citizen of White Deer
township, and during his active life followed ag
ricultural pursuits at the old homestead where
he breathed his last April 29, 1866. His wife,
Charlotte Ranck, who was also a native of White
Deer township, was born Angust 7, 1834, and
died October 5, 1881. They had the following
children: Florence, born December 24, 1853,
married Charles Baskins, a railway engineer re
siding at North Platte, Neb. ; Virginia, born
January 15, 1856, married David Gross, sheriff
of Union county, who resides at Lewisburg,
Penn.; Norman L. , born December 4, 1857,
is a farmer of Gregg township, Union county;
Anna E., born November 23, 1861, married Ad
dison, Koch, who is now engaged in trucking at
New Columbia, Penn.; Mary E., born April 6,
1864, married Howard Carson, a farmer and
dairyman of Lycoming county, Penn. ; Harry
P. will be mentioned more fully below; Carrie
C, born May 18, 1869, resides in Lewisburg
with her sister, Mrs. Gross; Violet P., born July
16, 1872, married Howard Reed, of Benton,
Penn.; Charles W. , born April 28, 1874, resides
with our subject; Daisy D., born' March 29,
1876, is with her sister,* Mrs. Baskins, in Ne
braska; and Levi R. , born January 1, 1879, is
attending school in Lewisburg.
Harry P. Ranck has always had his home at
the old farm, where he was born May 19, 1866,

and it is now owned by him in partnership with his
sister Florence. The residence is a handsome
stone structure of old-fashioned style, and the
whole place shows the occupancy of a genial,
hospitable family. He has a reputation as a
good manager, and as a citizen is prominent in
local affairs. In politics he is a Republican, and
in February, 1897, was elected supervisor and
served one year, and was re-elected, in February,
1898. He is an active member of the Grange
of his township.
On April 7, 1889, Mr. Ranck was married to
Miss Sallie R. Becker, and their home has been
made brighter by three children: Russell R.,
born March 1, 1892; Violet V., born February
6, 1894; and Charles L., born October 19, 1897.
Mrs. Ranck's paternal grandfather, Jacob Beck
er, a wagon maker by trade, was a native of
Berks county, Penn., but settled upon a farm at
the present site of New Columbia about 18 18,
and there he and his wife, Margaret Long, passed
their remaining years, the latter dying October
13, 1862, aged sixty-two years and eight months,
and the former passing away November 27, of
the same year, at the age of sixty-seven.
Of their ten children, Rachel died in infancy;
Mary married Fred Ludwig, a farmer in Ohio;
Levi, who married Eliza Miller, is a farmer of
Montgomery county, Penn. ; Charles, a black
smith by trade, married Miss Elutz; Margaret
married Charles Corp, a carpenter at Lewisburg,
Penn. ; Catherine (deceased) was the wife of
James Taylor, a farmer of Minnesota; Jacob left
home, and his present location is unknown; Will
iam, who died in 1895, was twice married, (first)
to Matilda Peters, and, after her death, to Carrie
Haynes, also deceased; Sallie married a farmer;
and Amos G. (Mrs. Ranck's father), who was
born at New Columbia, November 25, 1840, and
is still residing in his native township. For
fifteen years he followed the sawyer's trade but
at present is not engaged in any regular business.
In 1864 he enlisted in Company I, 202nd P. V
I., under Capt. Jacob Neighbert, and, although
he took part in several important engagements,
including the second battle of Bull Run, he was
not wounded. He belongs to the Grand Army
Post at Milton, and, in politics, is a steadfast
Republican. Amos Becker was married to Miss Margaret
J. Beckheimer, a native of White Deer township,
born December 24. 1842. Her father, Samuel
Berkheimer, a farmer by occupation, was born
in Chester county, Penn., and died in White
Deer township, Penn. He and his wife, Mary
Cattler, reared a family of four children: Mar
garet (Mrs. Becker); Joseph (a farmer near

852

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Mazeppa, Penn.); Eliza (who married Levi
Keefer, a farmer in W7hite Deer township, Union
county); and William (a resident of the same
township). Mr. and Mrs. Becker are devout members of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, and have
always been in hearty sympathy with progress in
all lines. They have five living children: (i)
Elmer, born September 24, 1862, married Miss
Maize Keefer, and has had three children — Lula,
Lee, and Hazel. (2) Lida, born May 11, 1866,
married Samuel Bennage, a carpenter of White
Deer township, Penn., and has one son, Albert.
(3) Sallie O., born March 8, 1870, is the wife of
our subject. (4) Samuel, born February 10,
1868, is a railway employee, and resides at Sham
okin, Penn. He married Miss Mary Cornelius,
and has one daughter, Sadie. (5) Miss Clara,
born May 27, 1878, resides with her parents.

CiHARLES W. THOMAS, a leading citizen
_' of West Buffalo township, Union county, is
an honored member of the Thomas family which
traces its ancestry back to the earliest period of
Colonial history, and is one of the oldest families
in the State of Pennsylvania. Greek scholars
have agreed that the name comes from Thomas,
named Didymus, the twin. At first it was prob
ably assumed as a surname by some one whose
father's name was Thomas, though in some in
stances it may have been chosen by one whose
patron saint was St. Thomas. If the father and
son were both named Thomas, the latter was
called Thomasson, the son of Thomas, to dis
tinguish him irom the former. The name has
been less changed than any other in modern
language. We find it therefore unaltered in
every Germanic country. It exists in Germany
and England, but is particularly common in
Wales, where the language is, of course, Celtic.
That the first Thomas came to Pennsylvania
before William Penn we have conclusive evi
dence. History informs us that in 168 1 John
Thomas and Edward Jones, of North Wales,
purchased from William Penn a tract of 10,000
acres of land extending westward from the
Schuylkill river. This land was afterward in
cluded in what was known as the "Welsh Set
tlement." On August 14, 1682, these gentlemen,
with forty colonists, arrived at the Schuylkill,
and immediately proceeded to found a settlement.
Penn did not arrive until the following October.
The Thomas family has therefore been identified
with the history of the State for 215 years.
Coming down to later times we find that George

Thomas was lieutenant-governor of Penn's Col
ony from August, 1738, to May, 1747.
"Iron" John Thomas, the grandfather of
our subject, was the ancestor of the majority who
bear the name in central Pennsylvania. He was
so called because he was early interested with
his step-father in the manufacture of iron, and
also to distinguish him from Rev. John Thomas,
the third child of Henry, the pioneer. He was
born in 1770 and was rocked in the cradle of the
Revolution, being a child of six years when inde
pendence was declared. He located on Larry's
creek, and in early life seems to have become a
representative of the family. His education was
limited to the meagre facilities of the time in
which he lived, but being possessed of an execu
tive mind and thrown early into the society of
men, he rapidly developed into an active and
energetic business man. In 1816 he and his
brothers, Jesse, Samuel and William, formed
themselves "into a company or co-partnership in
all of the concerns of the furnace, forge and smith-
shop, " and under this agreement carried on busi
ness until 1 82 1. He was evidently a man of great
force of character and took a leading part in the
affairs of his locality. He was rugged and strong
physically, aggressive, enterprising and clear
headed, and in religious belief was a Methodist,
that being the Church to which most of the early
members of the family belonged. Two of its.
members became Methodist Episcopal ministers.
On December 24, 1797, " Iron" John Thomas.
wedded Mary Murphy, who was born July 25,
1 78 1, and tradition says she was the first white
child born on Larry's creek, where Millville now
stands. Her father, John Murphy, was a famous.
clockmaker of his time, and an early settler on
Larry's creek. Mr. Thomas died February 20,
1843, aged seventy-three years, and his wife
passed away June 26, 1857, at the age of seven
ty-five. In their family were the following chil
dren: George, born August 28, 1798, died July
21, 1877; Charles, born August 31, 1800, died
March 7, 1879; Elizabeth, born March 12, 1804,
died April 16, 1826; Maria, born May 19, 1807;.
Margaret, born July 8, 1809, died April 9, 1855 ;.
John, born June 15, 181 1, died February 18,
1 891 ; Sarah, born July 14, 1813, died June 29,
i860; Ellen is deceased; Gideon D., born August
3, 1 8 18, is still living; Julia A., born in 1820,
died in childhood; Jane Knox, born May 11,
1822, died February 17, 1893; and Martha, born
February 15, 1825, died August 17, 1879.
Charles Thomas, the second son of John,
and the father of our subject, was united in mar
riage with Miss Eliza Tackaberry, who was born
February 6, 1806, in Ireland, and is a descend-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

853

ant of Lord Grey, of England. When only two
years of age she was brought to this country by
her parents, William Tackaberry and wife. Her
death occurred on the 4th of December, 1874.
Our subject is the third in order of birth in the
family of ten children, the others being as fol
lows: Allen; William; John; Mary A., wife of
Wilson Doane, of DeKalb county, Mo. ; Jane,
widow of John King; Margaret, wife of John
Kline; Frank; George; and Alice, who died at
the age of twenty-seven.
In the public schools, Charles W. Thomas,
of this review, acquired a good practical educa
tion, and was reared to habits of industry upon
the home farm, where he continued to work with
his father until attaining his majority. He then
began learning the miller's trade, but before he
had completed his apprenticeship, he started for
California, and remained upon the Pacific slope
for six years. Returning to Pennsylvania, he
engaged in farming and lumbering in Lycoming
county for eleven years, but since that time has
made his home in Union county, where he is ac
counted one of the most valued and honored citi
zens, having the respect and confidence of all
with whom he comes in contact.
Soon after his return from California, Mr.
Thomas was united in marriage with Miss Cal-
phurniaL. , daughter of Rufus Rockwell, a farmer
of Bradford county, Penn. Four children bless
this union, namely: Clarence, who is married
and lives in Wausau, Wis. , where he is interested
in the lumber business; Wilson, a merchant of
Mifflinburg, Penn. ; Emma, who resides with her
parents at their beautiful home in West Buffalo
township; and Jessamine, wife of Edwin Bru-
baker, a Methodist minister now living near
Marksville, Virginia.

JAMES M. PAWLING. The Pawling family,
which has long been prominently identified
with this section, is descended from English
ancestry, and the first of the name crossed the
ocean while this country was still a dependency
of the British Crown. He located in Chester
county, Penn., but his son, Joseph, the great
grandfather of the well-known citizen whose
name epens this sketch, removed early in the
present century to what is now Snyder county,
and purchasing a tract of 400 acres of land near
Selins- Grove, engaged in business as a farmer
and hotel keeper. He was twice married, but
his first wife died leaving one son, John, who
moved to the West, and his descendants now
live in Kentucky. By his second wife, Mary
Shannon, he had four sons and four daughters.

One of the latter became the mother of Judge
H. P. Ross, president judge of Montgomery
county. Samuel Pawling, the eldest son of Joseph
and Mary Pawling, and the grandfather of our
subject, was born February 9, 1794, and was
married January 24, 181 5, to Elizabeth Wood-
ling, who was born February 5, 1797, the daugh
ter of John Woodling. Eleven children were
born to this union, their names with dates of
birth being here given: (1) Harriet, December
31, 181 5, married David Schoch, and died in
1840. (2) Maria, December 4, 18 17, became
the second wife of David Schoch, and died No
vember 2, 1870. (3) Susan, February 25, 1819,
married Jacob Hilbish, died March 16, 1897.
(4) Levi, July 27, 1820, married Margaret C.
Weaver, born March 17, 1831, died January 16,
r,88o, and had seven children: Margaret S., Al
len Francklin, Jefferson Samuel. Nora Elizabeth,
Melinda J., Ida C. and Anna S. (5) John, Oc
tober 21, 1823, married Barbara Gemberling
(born March 31, 1831) and had nine children:
West W., Sarah E., Christopher G., Mary L.,
EmmaF., Catharine J., Bertha A., Alice R. ,
and Melinda R. (6) Jane, June 15, 1825, mar
ried Lewis Gemberling, and died October 1, 1856.
(7) Samuel Benjamin, September 14, 1828, is
mentioned more fully below. (8) Rebecca, De
cember 25, 1830, married James Biehl. (9)
Angeline, September 22, 1834, married Benja
min Ulrich. (10) Charles W., May 31, 1837,
married Lydia C. Long, and had two children:
Charles W. and Cora E., both now deceased.
(11) Lewis E., December 10, 1839, married
Amanda Schoch (born June 1, 1844), and had
five children — Albert S., Samuel J., Emanuel
E. , S. Alice and Delia E. The parents of this
large family attained a good old age, spending
sixty years of their lives together in happy wed
lock. " The father died November 23, 1874, and
the mother October 9, 1883, and their descend
ants numbered at that time fifty-five grand
children, forty great-grandchildren, and one
great-great-grandchild, making one hundred and
seven direct descendants.
The late Samuel B. Pawling was born and
reared at the old home near Selins Grove, and
received a common-school education. January
18, 1853, he was married to his first wife, Miss
Leah Huffman, daughter of John and Mary Huff
man, and in that year he moved to Union county,
where he spent his remaining years. His wife
died February 11, 1855, leaving one son, James
Calvin, born November 8, 1853, who did not
long survive his mother, passing away May 29,
1855. On November 10, 1856, Mr. Pawling was

854

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

married to Miss Sarah Jane Marshall, by whom
he had the following children: James Marshall,
our subject, who is mentioned more fully farther
on; Elizabeth Jane, born September n, 1858,
died June 28, 1890; Samuel Albert, who was
born February 3, i860, and died April 28, 1875,
his last words being "Jesus is here; " Sarah Ag
nes, born June 4, 1862, died May 27, 1865; John
Correy, born February 8, 1865, died June 11,
1865. The mother died May 21, 1865, from the
effects of diphtheria, from which all the children
were suffering, two of them following her shortly
afterward, and the others being saved with diffi
culty through the devoted care of the father and
physician. On May 15, 1866, Mr. Pawling
formed a third matrimonial union, with Miss Hes
ter Ann Long, born September 9, 1826, the
daughter of Benjamin Long. Two sons were
born of this union — Harry Jackson, February 25,
1867, and West Clide, February 20, 1870, died
January 10, 1895.
Samuel B. Pawling was eminently successful
in business, and at his death was the owner of a
fine farm, comprising about 120 acres and a con
siderable personal estate. He was a cheerful
giver to all worthy movements and especially to
the cause of religion. Early in life he united
with the Lutheran Church, in which for many
years he held the office of deacon. During that
period, in 1877, St. John's church, at White
Deer, a handsome and commodious edifice, was
built by the congregation, his time and means
being given liberally to the enterprise. Political
honors had no charms for him as he declined all
solicitations to become a candidate for office, con
sidering his duty fulfilled by a proper care for the
other interests in which he was concerned.
James M. Pawling was born July 21, 1857,
at the old homestead. He was educated in the
local schools and at Bucknell Gollege. After
through school, from 1874 to 1881, he was en
gaged in teaching school at a time when in that
locality there were not many school houses, but
there were a good many scholars, the roll often
containing upward of eighty, ranging in age from
five years to twenty-two. He had the honor of
having the first class of scholars to graduate in
White Deer township under the grade adopted
by the common-school system at that time. On
becoming of age, Mr. Pawling received an estate
from his grandfather, the late Hon. James Mar
shall, which he invested in a farm, purchasing
what was known as the "Squire Ranck farm,"
one of the oldest settled places in White Deer
township, where he now resides. The place has
been greatly improved since it came into the
possession of our subject, to such an extent that

connections of the Ranck family say that they
hardly know it. A commodious and massive
barn and shed have been built, running water put
into the house, a large lawn, beautifully arranged
in front with gardens at either side fronting on
the public road, made, all of which have greatly
added to the attractiveness of the farm. Mr.
Pawling takes a great interest in public affairs,
having inherited largely the traits of his grand
father, who was one of the leading politicians of
his day. This inheritance seems to come to the
surface at the opening of each campaign where
there is any issue involved. In religious belief
the family are all Lutherans, Mr. Pawling hav
ing for a decade or more been director of music
at White Deer Church. He is one of the coun
ty's most progressive, intelligent and public-
spirited citizens.
On February 7, 1884, our subject was mar
ried to Miss Mary Catherine Lahr, daughter of
N. C. Lahr, and has had seven children: Edna
Lahr, born December 25, 1884; Clara Jane,
born February 27, 1886; Mary Alverna, May 4,
1887; Harold Marshall, August 26, 1889; Foster
S., July 8, 1891, died September 23, 1892; Paul
Justin, January 6, 1894; and Warren John, No
vember 24, 1895.

|ENJAMIN HARRISON LONG. Few, if
any, men can point to more valuable and
more numerous evidences of their skill and energy
than can the subject of this sketch, a well-known
contractor and brick layer residing near West Mil
ton, Penn. It would be difficult to make even a
mere list of the handsome structures erected by
him, many of them being from his own designs;
but we may mention the two churches at White
Deer, the Music Hall at Lewisburg, the Happen-
stein Opera House at Shamokin, the Baptist
church at Montandum, the Union National Bank
at Genette, Penn., the woolen-mill at Lewisburg,
and the large three-story brick block at Freeburg,
Snyder county, for Professor Moyer. He also
worked for twelve years on the Huntingdon Re
formatory, at Huntingdon, Pennsylvania.
The following brief review of Mr. Long's
history and family connections will be of interest
among his large circle of friends. He is a na
tive of Union county, born at the old homestead
in East Buffalo township, December 3,. 1849.
His father, Benjamin Long, was born upon the
same farm, and. made his home there all his life,
his death occurring in 1880, at the age of seventy-
six. He added the business of contracting and
brick laying to his agricultural work, and contin
ued them all successfully until old age compelled

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

855

him to retire. He was a man of influence in his
locality, a Republican in politics, and for many
years an active worker in the Lutheran Church.
His wife, Mary Dabler, a native of Snyder coun
ty, died in 1883, aged sixty-five years, the re
mains of both being laid to rest in the cemetery
at Lewisburg. They had ten children: John, a
brick layer, residing in East Buffalo township,
Union county; Matilda, wife of William Scho
field, an engineer at Milton, Penn. ; Benjamin
H., our subject; Jacob, who occupies the old
homestead ; Mary, wife of Charles. Isley, a farmer
of Clay county, Kans. ; Zachariah, of Danville,
Penn. ; Caroline, who resides with her brother
Jacob at the homestead; and three others, Daniel,
Isaac and Emanuel, who are deceased.
Benjamin H. Long's ability and inclination
for his present work became apparent at an early
age, and at twelve he began his apprenticeship
under his father's tuition. As failing health
caused the latter to leave more and more of his
work to younger hands, Mr. Long took his place
and until his twenty-seventh year he resided at
home, caring for his parents and looking after
the business. For one season he was employed
as foreman for David White, of Tyrone, and dur
ing that time he built a three-story brick block at
Genette, Pennsylvania.
Notwithstanding Mr. Long's extensive busi
ness operations he has never had but one lawsuit,
and that involved a claim for a barn wall, for
which he was compelled to sue twice in order to
get his dues, which he finally won. He was
never a witness in a suit but once, and, in fact,
has kept remarkably clear of disputes and entan
glements. Mr. Long resides upon a farm, but,
as his other interests require his time, he does
not have the active management of the place,
which he rents to another party. He is highly
esteemed by all classes wherever he is known,
and has much influence in his community, es
pecially in the local Republican organization,
and in the Reformed Church, of which he is a
leading member.
On May 1, 1895, our subject was united in
marriage with Miss Sadie Hendershott, an amia
ble lady. She is a daughter of Albert and Mar
garet (Watson) Hendershott, and was born at
Muncy, Penn. , where her mother was born De
cember 27, 1 84-1, and which has been the home
of her maternal ancestors from an early period,
her grandparents, Hugh and Sarah (Sidles) Wat
son, having spent their lives there upon a farm.
Her paternal grandfather, William Hendershott,
was a farmer near Jerseytown, Penn., and his
remains were interred at that place. Albert
Hendershott, Mrs. Long's father, was born at

Jerseytown, March 1, 1845, and after many
years of successful work as an agriculturist, is
now living in retirement in Union county, Penn.
Mrs. Long is the. younger of two children born to
Albert and Margaret Hendershott, and is now
the only living child, their first born, Hervey,
having died at the age of fourteen.

JOSIAH SHOWALTER, who at the time of
his death, April 6, 1897, after along and act
ive life was spending his declining days in
the midst of ease and plenty, on his fine farm at
Glen Iron, Hartley township, Union county, was
born in Adams county, Penn., December 4, 18 15.
He reached the ripe old age of eighty-one years,
four months and two days. His position, so
cially and financially, was the result of his own
unaided industry, coupled with the sound sense
and excellent business capacity with which nature
endowed him. His remains were buried in Lin
coln cemetery in Hartley township, Union Co. ,
Pennsylvania. John and Elizabeth (Rote) Showalter, par
ents of the deceased, were natives of Lancaster
county, Penn., and came to Union county, in
1 82 1, locating near Laurelton, in Hartley town
ship, upon a farm, which the children cultivated,
while the father worked at his trade of carpen
tering. The family were comprised of the fol
lowing named: Jonathan, who made his home
in Union county, died at the age of eighty-eight;
Johanna is the widow of Peter Boop, who died
in 1 88 1, and she resides on a farm in Hartley
township; Cyrus, who was married, died in 1876;
Josiah was next in order of birth; Elizabeth is
the wife of Samuel Shirk; Lydia married John
Shirk, who died some years ago, and she now
lives in Laurelton, Penn. ; Samuel, a carpenter
by trade, went.west, and died in Ohio; and Peggy,
who married and went west, has not been heard
from for several years.
The subscription schools furnished our sub
ject his educational privileges, and his business
training was obtained upon the home farm,
where he early learned habits of industry and
economy. Throughout his active business ca
reer, he followed the occupation, to which he
had been reared. As a Republican, he formerly
took quite an active interest in political affairs,
and acceptably served as supervisor of his town
ship for two terms. Religiously, he was a con
sistent member of the Methodist Church, and he
was a man of unswerving integrity and honor.
On May 31, 1838, Mr. Showalter was mar
ried to Miss Hannah Miller, a daughter of John
Miller, who was engaged in the distillery business.

856

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

They became the parents of eight children: (i)
John W., born March 3, 1839, served for three
years as a Union soldier during the Rebellion..
He is married, and has six children. (2) Will
iam and (3) Mary, twins, born September 18,
1840, grew to manhood and womanhood, and
the former is now a farmer living in Glen Iron,
Union county, while the latter is the wife of Cy
rus Durst, of Centre county, Penn. William
has four children, and Mary three. (4) Samuel,
born February 2, 1842, lives in Cowan, Penn.,
and has five children. (5) Catharine, born July
25, 1843. (6) Rachel K. (Mrs. Grove), born
October 26, 1848, has three children. (7) Han
nah E. (Mrs. Katherman), born February 26,
1854, has two children. (8) Martin enlisted
in Company F, 195th P. V. I., and gave his life
in defense of his country dying August 27, 1864,
at the age of eighteen years, and was buried at
Frederick City, Md. The wife and mother, a
most estimabe lady, departed this life July 22,
1 891, and was buried in Lincoln cemetery, Hart
ley township, Union county.

w TON. SAMUEL. H. ORWIG, of Lewisburg,
3l Union county, one of the ablest and most
distinguished lawyers of this section, is deserving
of a prominent place in these memoirs, not only
through his own ability and achievements, but
through the interest attaching to two lines of
pioneer ancestry.
The Orwig family is of German origin, and
our subject is of the fourth generation in descent
from Godfrey Orwig, who was born in the Fa
therland in 1719, and came to America in 1741,
accompanied by his wife, Clara. Their sixth
child, George, the grandfather of our subject,
was born March 11, 1758, and passed his life in
Pennsylvania. He and his brother Peter laid
out the town of Orwigsburg, in Schuylkill coun
ty, in 1796; but later he came with his wife,
Maria Magdalena Gilberdin (Gilbert), and their
family, and located in Buffalo Valley, in what is
now Union county. His last years were spent
in Mifflinburg, where he died March 2, 1841.
Of his twelve children: (1) George, born Jan
uary 17, 1780, built a mill in New Berlin, which
he operated for some time, but he finally re
moved to Ohio. (2) John, born July 21, 1 78 1,
was a merchant of Mifflinburg for several years,
and went to Ohio with his brother. (3) Jacob,
born April 18, 1783, died in New Berlin. (4)
Isaac, born February 27, 1785, died at Orwigs
burg, Schuylkill county. (5) Abraham, born
February 26, 1787, built a gristmill on Buffalo
creek in 18 17, which remained in the Orwig fam

ily for over half a century. He had four sons 
William W. , who became an eminent divine in
the Evangelical Association, and was made bish
op, his residence in later years being at Cleve
land, Ohio; Henry, who succeeded his father in
the ownership of the old homestead and mill,
and died in Mifflinburg; Elias (deceased), late of
Hartleton, Penn. ; and Abraham (deceased), late of
Kankakee, 111. (6) Henry, born January 27,
J789- (7) Maria, August 27, 1791, and (8) Mary
Magdalena, December 5, 1793, are all deceased.
(9) Rebecca, born February 1, 1796, married
Thomas Crotzer, and died in Mifflinburg. (10)
Samuel, born April 6, 1798, is mentioned more
fully below. (11) William, born March 22, 1800,
died in Lewis township, Union county, leaving a
farm which is now operated by his son — -Edward.
(12) Hannah, born July 1, 1802, died in Mifflin
burg. Samuel Orwig, the father of our subject, re-
received a good elementary education in the
schools of that day. He served an apprentice
ship at saddle and harness making in Mifflinburg,
where he afterward followed the trade for some
time, but later in life he devoted his time wholly
to agriculture. He was a man of fine physique,
and his strong character and excellent judgment
gave him great influence in the community. For
many years he was a leading member of the Lu
theran Church, and he was prominent in official
affairs, holding local offices. Politically he was
a Democrat until the organization of the Repub
lican party, which he was among the first to join.
On September 22, 1829, Samuel Orwig mar
ried Miss Mary Myers, who was born June 16,
1803, and died July 10, 1867, his death occur
ring August 7, 1874. They had eight children,
of whom six are living: (1) Mary J. married J.
C. Hendricks, of Decatur, 111. (2) Reuben G. is
a real-estate dealer in Chicago, 111. (3) Thomas
G., now an attorney in Des Moines, Iowa, was
captain of Battery E, ist Pennsylvania Light
Artillery during the Rebellion. (4) Samuel H.
is the subject proper of this biography. (5) Jo
seph R. was captain of Company A, 131st Regi
ment Pennsylvania Volunteers, is now the assist
ant State librarian at Des Moines, Iowa, and is
a recognized authority on books, having devoted
his life to them. (6) Benjamin M. was studying
law in the University of Pennsyvania when the
Civil war broke out, but patriotically offered his
services as a soldier, enlisting as a private in the
battery of which his brother Thomas was cap
tain. His preceptor, a distinguished attorney of
Philadelphia, had made him a proposition by
which one of them could be exempted from mili
tary service, but the young student rejected the

if&farh?^

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

857

well-meant offer, saying " No act of mine shall
tend to lessen the number of Union soldiers."
He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant, and
at the expiration of his first term he re-enlisted,
January i, 1864, for "three years or the war,"
serving until mustered out July 24, 1865, at
Philadelphia. Orwig's battery played a prom
inent part in the service, and on July 26, 1862,
the inspector-general pronounced it superior to
any other volunteer battery in the army. On
his return to the paths of peace, Lieut. Orwig
completed his preparation for his profession, and
located in Des Moines, Iowa. But hardships
incident to a soldier's life had undermined his
delicate constitution, and he died at Des Moines,
October 28, 1867; his remains rest in the family
lot in the Mifflinburg cemetery. When he en
tered the army he took with him a Bible, and,
at the solicitation of his friends, a bottle of
brandy. The book returned well-worn, but the
bottle remained unopened. (7) Sarah Louise
died at Mifflinburg at the age of thirty-seven. (8)
Miss Rebecca resides with her brothers in Iowa.
On the maternal side, also, Mr. Orwig is of
German descent. His great-grandfather Myer or
Myers came to America in 1743. After his
arrival in this country he married, and established
his home in Berks county, Penn. He had three
sons, John, Henry and Yearick, of whom the
eldest and the youngest located in the Miami
settlement in Ohio. In order to keep his son
Henry at home he deeded him the Berks county
farm, but in 1805 they sold out and purchased a
farm in Union county, a few miles northwest of
Mifflinburg, where our subject's great-grand
father died in 18 16. Henry Myers, Mr. Orwig's
grandfather, was a soldier in the Revolutionary
army. He died in 1806, and his wife, Elizabeth
(Ulrich), in 18 14. They had nine children, of
whom our subject's mother, Mary Myers, was the
youngest. (1) Eve, the eldest, born in 1785,
married Henry Royer, of Hartleton. (2) Henry,
born in 1787, married Betsy Spiegelmyer, and
removed to Ohio. (3) Margaret, born in 1789,
died when about two years old. (4) Daniel,
born May 28, 1791, was a very large man,
weighing 240 in. his prime, and 300 pounds when
fifty years old; he married Esther Kauffman, who
was born December 9, 1793. (5) Valentine,
born March 3, 1793, was also a large man, over
six feet in height, and weighing over 200 pounds.
He was married April 5, 18 14, to Elizabeth Hoy,
who was born September 2, 1792. They lived
and died in Clinton county, Penn. (6) William,
born in January, 1796, was a physician of Buf
falo Valley; he died in 1823, unmarried. (7)
Elizabeth, born May 28, 1798, married Benjamin

Heiser, and then moved to Stephenson county,
111. (8) Catherine, born February 26, 1801,
was married August 23, 1832, to Andrew Ohl, of
Jefferson county, Penn. (9) Mary, born June
16, 1803, married Samuel Orwig, September 22,
1829, and died July 10, 1867.
Samuel H. Orwig was born in Mifflinburg,
Penn., August 18, 1836, and was reared in that
village, his education being obtained mainly in the
public schools at the Mifflinburg Academy, and at
the University at Lewisburg. He afterward
turned his attention to teaching, filling accepta
bly the position of principal of an academy at
Hollidaysburg, Penn. We next find him a proof
reader in a publishing house in Philadelphia, his
spare time being given to the study of law under
the direction of Judge William D. Kelly. Later
he pursued a course in the law school of Yale
College, and on graduating in 1857, with the de
gree of LL. B., was admitted to the Bar of
Union county, and located at Lewisburg, where
he soon gained a good practice. The University
at Lewisburg (now Bucknell University) conferred
on him the degree of Master of Arts. In i860
Mr. Orwig was admitted to practice in the Su
preme Court of the State, and in 1 869 to the Bar of
the Supreme Court of the United States. In 1 860
he. formed a partnership with Alfred Hayes,
Esq., who was then admitted to the Bar. This
partnership continued until Mr. Orwig retired
from the Legislature, after which he removed to
Philadelphia and engaged in the practice of law
in that city until the death of his wife in 1875,
after which he returned _ to his native county.
His practice since then has included some of the
most important matters in litigation in this sec
tion. A thorough student of the law, he has an
unusual grasp of legal principles, and his bearing
is courteous, dignified and impressive.
He is well-known in the political arena also,
his services as an orator being in demand when
ever occasion demands an able plea. There have
been but few campaigns since the Civil war in
which he has not been active as an expounder of
the principles of the Republican party, and his
speeches have been widely published. In 1864
he was elected a member of the. State Legisla
ture from the district of Union, Snyder and Jun
iata counties, and in 1865 he represented the dis
trict composed of Lycoming, Union and Snyder
counties. After these two terms he refused
further honors in that direction, and declined a
renomination. While in the Legislature he served
on the committees on Ways and Means, General
Judiciary, arid was the chairman of the Local
Judiciary. He was largely instrumental in re
pealing the law taxing real estate for State pur-

858

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

poses, and inaugurated the present system of
taxing corporations for State revenue. He ably
championed the bills for establishing the Soldiers
Orphans' Schools, for extending the right of sol
diers to vote in the field, reviving and extending
the charter for the Lewisburg & Spruce Creek
railroad, in addition to much other work of a
general nature. He served his constituency with
fidelity, and the State with marked ability. In
1882 he was the nominee of his party for Con
gress against ex-Gov. A. G. Curtin. Although
he received more than his party vote he did not
overcome the normal Democratic majority in the
Congressional District. He continues actively
engaged in the practice of his profession, leads
an unobtrusive and exemplary life, and is noted
for his generosity. During the invasion of the
State by Lee's forces, Mr. Orwig enlisted as an
" emergency man," serving as a private in Com
pany D, 28th Regiment.
In January, i860, Mr. Orwig married Miss
Margaret A. McFaddin, daughter of the late Col.
Jackson McFaddin, of Lewisburg. She died
June 7, 1875, and in 1878 he married Miss Mar
garet Barber Hayes, a great-granddaughter of
John Hayes, an early settler at Donegal, Lan
caster Co., Penn., who married Margaret, daugh
ter of Capt. William Gray, an officer in the Rev
olutionary army. Their son, Robert Goodloe
Harper Hayes, married Esther Renick, and their
son, John Hayes, married Ellen Mary Barber,
and their children are Margaret Barber (now
Mrs. Orwig); Robert G. H., a physician in Belle
fonte; John C, a druggist in Pittsburg; and
Mary Elizabeth Hayesl of Mifflinburg. 0n the
maternal side Mrs. Orwig is a great-granddaugh
ter of Dr. Robert Van Valzah. They have no
children.

ipEORGE G. SCHNURE is one of the most
%£[ thrifty young farmers and highly educated
young men of New Berlin, Union Co., Pennsyl
vania. Born in Selins Grove, Penn., February 23,
1870, Mr. Schnure is a son of Francis M. and
Laura (Gross) Schnure. The father was born in
the same place, November 13, 1845. The grand
father, George Schnure, was born in Penn town
ship, Snyder Co., Penn., December 23, 181 1,
and his grandfather, according to the records of
the Church at Dudenhopen, Hesse Cassel, Ger
many, was John George Schnure, who in that
country married Anna C. Mennor. Their son,
John Christian Schnure, was born at Duden
hopen, July 2, 1763, and in 1781 sailed for
America. In this country he was bound out by

the captain of the vessel in order to pay his pas-r
sage, serving for a term of years with a farmer
in Berks county, Penn. When his term of serv
ice had expired he removed to Snyder county,
where he married Elizabeth Pontius, who at an

"pareTurs~troTn
ruary 19, 1776, and died September 17, 1852, in
Union county. John_Christian Schnure died
July 27, 1827. Their children were Catherine,
who married Tobias Miller, and located in

early_ daALJiad accompanied
PTuIa4elpbiato thatjolaEe": J

Venango county, Penn.; Henry, whose descend
ants live in Michigan and Indiana; Elizabeth,
who married Charles Smith; Christian and Mi
chael, whose descendants live in Union county;
Mary; George; Levi; and Margaret, wife of
Robert Lucas.
In early life George Schnure, the grandfather
of our subject, assisted his father on the farm,
and for about two or three months in winter at
tended school, where both German and English
were taught. At the age of nine years he entered
the employ of Robert Foster, a merchant of
Hartleton, Penn., and after a short time returned
to his father's farm, but his mercantile experience
had awakened a desire for that life and he soon
entered the store of A. D. Hahn, a merchant and
hotel keeper of Hartleton, in whose service he
remained four years. In 1825 he accompanied
his employer to New Berlin, continuing his clerk
ship there for a year, after which he spent three
years as a clerk in a store of John A. Sterrett, of
Northumberland, and nine months with Mr.
Sterrett's successor, John Guyer. In 1833 he
removed to Selins Grove, and at the age of
twenty-two entered into partnership with his
former employer, John A. Sterrett, their store
being at the corner of Market and Walnut
streets. After three years Mr. Sterrett sold his
interest to Henry C. Eyer, and the firm of
Eyer & Schnure did business for seven years.
Two years after that period Mr. Schnure
formed a partnership with James K. Davis,
Jr., and opened a general store at the corner
of Market and Pine streets. He then bought
property on the opposite i corner, and at
the new location carried on business as dealers
in grain and general merchandise for twelve years,
when the store was sold to Charles S. Davis,
and Lewis R. Hummell. About i860 Mr.
Schnure purchased Mr. Davis' interest, and car
ried on business with Mr. Hummell for four
years, when he withdrew. In 1868, in partner
ship with Daniel Carey, he purchased the Maine
sawmill from Scribner & Perkins for $22,000,
and was in the lumber trade until 1873, when his
partner died and he gave his time unto the settle-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

859

ment of their business affairs and of Mr. Carey's
estate. In September, 1879, Mr. Schnure bought an
interest in a flouring-mill, in which his son, H.
D. Schnure, was interested, and together they
carried on business, rebuilding the mill, putting1
in new machinery, erecting a grain building and
laying a railroad track. About 1850 George
Schnure, Sr., was elected a director of the North
umberland Bank, and continued to serve in that
capacity until his death, although the bank was
removed to Sunbury. On January 21, 1864, he
was elected the first president of the First Na
tional Bank at Selins Grove, and filled that posi
tion for a number of years. He was very suc
cessful in business, and accumulated considerable
property. He was president of the Sunbury &
Lewistown railroad, frequently served as school
director, as chief burgess, and as councilman,
and for many years was president of the board
of directors of Missionary Institute, now Susque
hanna University.
On September 23, 1841, George Schnure, Sr. ,
was married to Cordelia, daughter of James K.
Davis, and a granddaughter on the maternal side
of Anthony Selin, the founder of Selins Grove.
She died March 1, 1859. Their children were:
Francjs M. ; John S., who was born January 21,
1848, and died March 15, 1881; Howard D.,
who was born at Selins Grove, October 30, 1850,
and is president of the First National Bank of
that city; Mary Elizabeth, who was born Jan
uary 12, 1853, and died June 5, 1884, the wife
of Ira C. Schoch, of Selins Grove; and Emma
C, who was born January 4, 1857, and is the
wife of H. Harvey Schoch, of Selins Grove.
For his second wife the father of this family mar
ried Amanda Spyker, of Lewisburg. They were
married April 15, 1863, and she died January
11, 1877. In the various walks of life Mr.
Schnure was ever held in the highest esteem. His
opinion and advice were frequently sought, and
his honorable example has been followed by
many who revere his memory. He had a sym
pathetic, kindly nature, and was very charitable.
At his death he left a valuable estate.
Francis M. Schnure was reared in his native
town, attended the seminary there, and when a
young man entered the bank at Selins Grove, of
which his father was president. Later he was
with the firm of McCarty, Moyer & Schnure,
general merchants,' and was in the mercantile
business up to the time of his death. On No
vember 11, 1868, he was married to Laura M.
Gross, who was born in Limestone township,
Union county, a daughter of Philip and Elizabeth
(Schoch) Gross. Mr. Schnure was a Democrat in

politics, a Lutheran in his Church relations, and,
socially, a Mason. He died October 5, 1871, and
was buried at Selins Grove, since which time his
widow has made her home in New Berlin. She
is also a member of the Lutheran Church.
George G. Schnure, their only child, was
quite young when his mother returned to New
Berlin, where his early education was acquired,
Miss Emma Oldt being his first teacher. He at
tended college in New Berlin, and later in Blairs-
town, N. J., and, in the fall of 1890, entered the
University of Pennsylvania, but in the fall of
1893 failing health compelled him to abandon his
studies. He then spent one year at home, after
which he took a course in typewriting and short
hand in Drexel Institute, of Philadelphia. He
also read medicine for three years under Dr. C.
Sumner Musser, of Aaronsburg, Penn., but his
health forced him to give up the profession.
He now superintends the management of his
farm, which is operated by a tenant, he making
his home in New Berlin.
On December 11, 1893, our subject was
united in marriage with Miss Lovey Matchett
Odgers, who was born in Newcastle, Del., July
11, 1877, and during her early girlhood went to
Philadelphia with her parents, James and Mary
(Alexander) Odgers. Mr. and Mrs. Schnure have
one child, Marion Odgers, born October 13,
1895. They are members of the Lutheran
Church, and Mr. Schnure belongs to the Masonic
lodge at Selins Grove. He is a worthy repre
sentative of two honored old families, and is a
young man of excellent character, splendid men
tal development and sterling worth.

EV. S. SMITH. A man of strong character
and noble purpose cannot fail to leave upon
the community with which he is identified, an
indelible impression which time cannot efface.
His influence lingers after he has passed to the
world beyond, and his good deeds serve as a
source of inspiration to others. Such has been
the life of Mr. Smith J:hat his power for good in
Union county and elsewhere has been broadly
felt. Mr. Smith was born in Penn township,
Centre Co., Penn., November 8, 1833, a son of
Capt. Henry and Catharine (Biehl) Smith. He
first attended the subscription schools prominent
at that day, then the public (free) schools, and
when about eighteen years of age he taught one
term of school in his native county, near Aarons
burg, receiving $22 per month. At the age of
nineteen he entered the Mifflinburg Academy, of

860

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

which Aaron Fisher was principal, and in that
school received the only instruction which sup
plemented his early education in the subscription
and free schools. On leaving that institution he
resumed teaching, and was one of the first to in
struct in grammar and geography in the country
schools of Penn's Valley. For several years he
followed that profession, his last service in that
line being to conduct a select school in Millheim.
Our subject having determined to enter the
ministry, he in 1856 accepted a position as assist
ant minister in Snyder county. Later he was as
sistant to Rev. Sebastian Musser, in Nittany Val
ley and Sugar Valley, and in the spring of 1857
was licensed to preach by the Annual Conference
of the Evangelical Church. He was assigned to
duty in Buffalo Valley, and the following year was
in Lycoming county, Penn. In the spring of
1859 he was ordained by the Annual Conference
and assigned a charge in Dushore, Sullivan Co.,
Penn., where he remained a year, after which he
spent two years in Wyoming county, and two
years at Oak Hall, Centre county. He was
afterward pastor of the Church in Williams
port, where he delivered sermons both in Ger
man and English. He spent two years in York,
Penn., accepted the pastorate in Clintondale,
Penn., and after two years returned to Williams
port, where he remained one year, when he was
elected presiding elder of the Williamsport dis
trict for four years. On the expiration of that
period he served for three years at New Berlin,
and was for two years pastor of the Church in
Middleburg, Snyder county. For one year he
served a pastorate in Penn's Valley, for three
years had charge of the Millmont circuit, and
later went to McClure, Penn., where he remained
two years. For a similar period he was pastor
of the White Deer circuit, and through the two
succeeding years accepted no pastorate, giving
his attention to his farming interests. On re
suming his Church work he spent three years at
Port Trevorton, Snyder county, and for two
years occupied the pulpit of the Church in
Middleburg, Snyder county. In the spring of
1895 he returned to his. home near Mazeppa,
where he resided two years. In the spring of
1897 he accepted a charge at Guava, Columbia
Co. , Penn. , where he still resides.
On November 15, i860, Rev. Smith was mar
ried to Helen Zeibach, who was born August 27,
1 841, a daughter of Jacob and Anna (Pollock)
Zeibach. Rev. and Mrs. Smith have five chil
dren: William E., of Mifflinburg; Anna C. , wife
of W7. A. Heiss, of Mifflinburg; H. Lizzie, wife
of Rev. J. Olie Biggs, of the Evangelical Church;
Samuel E. , who resides on the homestead at

Mazeppa, Union Co. , Penn. ; and Ida M. , at
home. Our subject has greatly improved his farm,
has cleared a portion of the land, planted a new
orchard, and in 1889 built a fine barn. In politics
he generally votes either with the Democracy
or the Prohibition party on State and National
questions, but at local elections frequently dis
regards party ties. He is a man of broad general
culture, who speaks both English and German
fluently. He is largely self-educated, but his
reading and study have been extensive, and have
supplied the lack of more thorough school train
ing. For sixteen consecutive years he was a
member of the General Conference, and has
been very active and prominent in Church work.
He served his Conference quite a number of years
as secretary of the Missionary Society, and as
Conference treasurer. He was a member of the
Conference Board of Examiners for a quarter of
a centur)', and served as president of the board
a number of years. Since he entered the minis
try he has traveled some 80,000 miles, and
preached some 7, 500 sermons. He is still vigor
ous, well preserved, and will spend the remainder
his active life in the Gospel ministry.

ON. DANIEL REISH HARBESON, asso-
JF1L ciate judge of Union county, and one of
the representative citizens of his locality, is not
only a leader in political circles, but is promi
nently identified with the agricultural interests
and with various movements for the development
of the community. He comes of a family which
is accustomed to be in the front rank, and is of
Scotch-Irish descent on the. paternal side, his
great-grandfather, John Harbeson, having been
the first ancestor to cross the Atlantic and estab
lish his home in America. He served in the
Revolutionary army. This worthy pioneer had
three sons: John, our subject's grandfather; Hugh,
who left home and was never heard of again; and
Samuel, who was a school teacher at Lebanon,
Penn. He died there at the age of seventy-nine,
leaving a family of sons. .The correct orthog
raphy of the name is "Harbison," but in some
way during tne Revolutionary period the "i"
was changed to " e," and this branch of the fam
ily adheres to the latter method — Harbeson.
John Harbeson, the grandfather, who was
born in Lancaster county, Penn., was left an
orphan at an early age, and was brought by John
Gray to Union county, where he remained, set
tling in White Deer township, and engaging in
business as a carpenter. He married Sarah
Bower, a native of Lycoming county, Penn., and

QmAJtcJ^h/

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

861

a daughter of George Bower, who was born in
Berks county, but who finally located in Union
county upon a farm. He was a teamster in the
Colonial army during the Revolutionary war, and
one day, while riding a horse, he was cut in the
knee by a British soldier who had been lying in
ambush. He saw Gen. La Fayette at the battle
of Monmouth. Thomas V. Harbeson, the father of our sub
ject, was born in White Deer township, Union
county, November 28, 1821, and has always re
sided in that county. He is a miller by trade, and
for many years conducted a farm and a mill in
West Buffalo township. During his residence
there he was one of the most prominent men of
his locality, and served two terms as county com
missioner, being elected in 1866 and re-elected in
1869. He also held at different times many
township offices, and for nineteen years was over
seer of the poor, at times having as many as
seventy paupers under his charge. Although he
received but a nominal salary for his work, his
devotion to his trust often led him to neglect his
private affairs in the interest of the general wel
fare of his township; and whilst he was some
times censured for being too generous in his
treatment of paupers, statistics prove that he
maintained his poor, even if better, at a less cost
than the average. In his political views he is a
Republican, and in religious faith he adheres to
the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he has
long been a leading member. He was married
February 28, 1850, at Mifflinburg, to Miss
Susannah Reish, a native of West Buffalo
township, Union county, and a daughter of
Daniel and Catherine (Englehart) Reish. Her
father came from Berks county in early manhood,
and became a successful business man, being en
gaged at the time of his death (at the age of
forty-eight) in conducting a farm, a gristmill and
a distillery. To Thomas V. and Susannah Harbeson seven
children were born : Samuel O. , a leading citizen of
West Buffalo township, was elected jury com
missioner in 1885, held township offices at dif
ferent times, and is now serving as commissioner
of Union county; Sarah C. , who died at five
years of age; Daniel R. , our subject ;> Margaret
J., wife of Reuben Miller, a farmer of Buffalo
township; Lydia, who died at the age of five
years; Mary A., who resides with her sister, Mrs.
Miller;, and Thomas Grant, mentioned more fully
below. The mother of this family was called to
the unseen life March 4, 1889, at the age of
sixty-three, and in the spring of 1889 the father
left the old home, and has since resided among
his children, having retired from active business.

Judge Harbeson's childhood was spent on the
old home near Forest Hill in West Buffalo town
ship, where he was born November 18, 1853. At
the age of fourteen he went to live with William
P. Cornelius in order to attend school during the
winter season, the summers being spent at farm
work, for which Mr. Cornelius paid him by the
month. In 1870 he returned home to work for
his father in summer, and during the winter he
would engage in teaming and lumbering. In 1882
he took the homestead on shares, but five years
later he removed to the White Deer Factory
farm, which he conducted seven years. Since
then he has resided at his present home near
Forestville, known as the White Deer Furnace
farm. He is an excellent manager, is deservedly
prosperous, and has always held the esteem and
respect of all classes in his community, through
his sterling qualities of character. His influence
in the Republican organization in his locality is
marked, but he has always declined to be a can
didate for any township office excepting that of
school director. In 1877 he was first a member
of the Republican County Committee, and in
1895 he was elected associate judge, his able
and faithful discharge of the duties of these posi
tions winning him new friends while binding to
him yet more firmly the regard of former ac
quaintances. The Judge was married June 30, 1881, to
Miss Margaret M. Flick, and five clever, healthy
children brighten their home: Paul, Maud,
Mary E., Thomas C. and Roy. Mrs. Harbeson
was born, in 1862, at Loganton, Clinton Co.,
Penn., where her father, Edward Flick, was en
gaged in business as a distiller. He and his wife,
Catherine Hildebrand, died there when Mrs.
Harbeson was but a child, and she was reared at
the home of Daniel DeLong, of West Buffalo
township, Union county.
Thomas Grant Harbeson is a young man of
remarkable mental ability, which was displayed
at an early age. Money given him for circus
tickets, or other uses dear to the boyish heart,
was spent by him for books, so that by the time
he was twenty-one, he had already accumulated
a library of over one thousand standard works;.
he never attended college, and is wholly self-
educated, much of his learning having, been
gained through his travels, which have included
the greater portion of Europe and the United
States. He began teaching in the public schools
of Union county at the age of seventeen years,
and when twenty-two was granted a teacher's
permanent certificate. During the spring and
summer of 1886 he made an extended pedestrian
tour through the Southern States, in company

862

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

with his bosom friend, E. E. Magee, studying
the fauna and flora of the region visited. In the
fall of 1886 he accepted the position of principal
of the Highlands Academy, at Highlands, N. C. ,
which position he held for seven years. During
his principalship pupils were enrolled from nearly
every State in the Union, and the school attract
ed a good deal of attention on .account of its
thoroughness and unique methods. A youth
from this school passed the best entrance exami
nation among a class of eighty-three New
England youths, at a college in Massachusetts.
During his stay at this place he was prominently
identified with the public affairs of the town, and
served a term as mayor.
He is an ardent advocate of an educational
system that will provide a garden and workshop
in connection with every elementary school, and
in 1893 he made a tour of Norway, Sweden,
Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Belgium,
inspecting and studying the results and methods
of such schools. On his return to North Caro
lina he was invited to accept the principalship of
the Waynesville High School and Normal Insti
tute, for which a large new building had been
provided. Here he taught Latin, German,
mathematics and botany for two years, when a
position as field botanist for the Biltmore Herb
arium, on the estate of George W. Vanderbilt,
Esq. , was offered- him, and he began work in the
botanical field in the spring of 1898. The spring
and early summer was spent in botanizing the
swamp region of eastern North Carolina, includ
ing the Dismal Swamp and Smith's Island. The
'fall and early winter he spent in the Rocky,
Cascade and Coast Range mountains. At pres
ent he is living on the Biltmore estate, and is en
gaged in botanical work for the well-known phil
anthropist and patron of science — George W.
Vanderbilt. Thomas Grant Harbeson was married Au
gust 26, 1896, to Miss Jessamine M. Cobb,
daughter of Judd M. Cobb, born at Saxton's
River, Vt. The latter is of Puritan stock, a
lineal descendant of John Cobb who came to
Massachusetts in 1624, and built and operated
the first iron foundry in America. Like his
worthy ancestor, Judd M. Cobb is of an inventive
turn of mind, and was the first building-paper
manufacturer in America.

CiAPTAIN JOHN A. OWENS, a well-known
^Jl resident of Lewisburg, Union county, Penn.,
and a veteran of our Civil war, has an unusually
interesting history, his pluck and ability being

read between the lines rather than in open words
of praise. Capt. Owens was born in Pittsburgh, Penn.,
July 27, 1835, and is of Welsh and Scottish
ancestry. His grandfather, Hugh Owens, mi
grated from Swansea, Wales, and settled first
in Blair county, and later in Westmoreland
county, Penn. Occcupying a large farm, he
raised to maturity a family of eight, among
whom was John Owens, the father of our
subject, who was born in Blair county, Penn. , July
17, 1804. At the age of twenty-five he engaged
in the carpenter business in Pittsburgh, and be
came prominent as a contractor and builder. He
built a home, lived in it for fifty years, and died in
it at the age of eighty-four, honored as a citizen
and revered as a Christian. On October, 8,
1829, he was married to Miss Catherine Smith, of
Columbiana county, Ohio, whose father had
come from Glasgow, Scotland, and settled with
a colony of Scotch farmers, where he became a
ruling spirit. He was a Whig, Abolitionist and
director of the Underground R. R. John and
Catherine Owens, parents of our subject, in
herited strong, sterling elements of character
which were transmitted to the children born to
them. They were: Andrew, Martha, Hugh,
John A., Isabella, Samuel T. , and Mary Cath
erine. Returning to the subject proper of this biog
raphy, we find that his early boyhood was spent
in the public schools and Western University, of
Pittsburgh, Penn. He early manifested a desire
to enter the stirring activities of life, his especial
desire being to acquire the skill necessary to
pilot a steamboat on the Ohio river, at that time
a lucrative employment. His father, however,
took a less romantic view of life's possibilities,
and at the age of seventeen he was sent to the
university at Lewisburg, Penn., since named
Bucknell University. He passed through the
academy and entered the freshman class of the
college, but during the year withdrew from col
lege and taught school in an adjoining township
and later in the Grammar School of Lewisburg.
In 1855 he married Miss Lucinda Gundy, daugh
ter of Adam Gundy, whose ancestors had come
from Holland during the last century, and have
borne an honored place in the history of Union
county, Penn. , and whose brothers, John and
Jacob, were prominent citizens until their death.
Adam Gundy was highly esteemed for his probity,
and a, man whom no one spoke of but to praise.
He was from the Follmer family, who came to
the vicinity of Lewisburg with the earliest set
tlers, and they still have a large and influential
connection. His wife, Sarah Parks, was a wo-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

863

man of strong personal character and impressed
upon the children born to them an individuality
which has been a marked feature in their de
scendants. Their children were: Mary Ann,
Elizabeth, Matilda, Christian V., Sarah E., Lu
cinda, Margaret L. and Abram B. Thus the
wife of our subject, Lucinda Gundy, inherited a
character which has developed with her years
into a womanhood which commands the respect
and admiration of her friends. She has natur
ally fallen into the work of Temperance Crusader,
W. C. T. U., Woman's Relief Corps and Church
and Sunday-school efforts of various forms. Her
teaching has borne fruit in the lives of her chil
dren. Capt. Owens was among the pioneers in the
petroleum discoveries made in Virginia and Ken
tucky in i860. In 1 86 1 this territory was not
tenable for Northern men, and returning to Lew
isburg he spent some time in drilling at the Jacob
Gundy school house, with some forty different
men,, many of whom enlisted. In the' fall of
1862 seventeen of these men signed a paper
which stated that if Capt. Owens would enlist
under the three-years' call, just then made, they
would go with him. He accepted their offer,
and with a friend, who drove with him from place
to place, he in three days enlisted sixteen more
men. These, with the recruits gathered by G.
Merrill, Charles Evans and A. G. Tucker, were
formed into Company E, I42d P. V. I., and was
mustered into the United States service on August
28, 1862. Capt. Owens was promoted to the
captaincy on the removal of Capt. G. Merrill to
Missouri, and before they left Camp Curtin, Har
risburg, Penn. The I42d Regiment did very hard
fatigue duty at Fort Massachusetts, near Wash
ington, D. C. , but they had the satisfaction of
knowing that the work they did kept Gen. Early
out of the National Capital later in the war.
Capt. Owens, through exposure, contracted rheu
matism, and was sent to a hospital in Alexandria,
from which, after months of suffering and being
pronounced incurable, he was discharged for dis
ability, and returned home on crutches. He is
now (1898) commander of Post No. 52, Depart
ment of Pennsylvania, G. A. R., and enjoys
hearing and telling the tales of camp life at the
camp fire of the post. After recovering some
what he entered again upon the profession of
teaching, in which he became a decided success,
and rose to be superintendent of schools of
Union county, Pennsylvania.
Mr. and Mrs. Owens have had five children:
(1) Addison died at the age of two months.
(2) William G. , who was graduated from
Bucknell University in 1880, at the age of twen

ty-two years, and after teaching for a short time
in the Academy of the University, was appointed
professor of chemistry in his alma mater. In 1885
he married Miss Florence J. Waffle, of Allegany
county, N. Y. They have three children — Elsie,
Albert W. and Jeanette. In 1889 he spent part
of a year in the University of Berlin, Germany.
He is a successful instructor and ah active Church
worker. (3) Everett G. took a course in Bucknell
Academy, and through the sophomore year in the
college. In 1886 he married Miss Carrie G. ,
daughter of ex-President Dr. J. R. Loomis, of
Bucknell University. They purchased a farm in
Fayette county, Ohio, and moved upon it in 1887.
They have two children — Justin L. and Lucille.
They have proven that education and culture are
not incompatible with the life on a farm; that
the home of a tiller of the soil may be as refined
as that of a merchant or manufacturer.
(4) John G. , deceased, was graduated from
Bucknell University in 1887 at the age of twenty-
one. He taught three years in South Jersey In
stitute, N. J. His summer vacations were spent
at Woods Hall, Mass., or at Harvard University,
perfecting his study in botany and kindred sub
jects. In 1889 he went with Dr. J. W. Fewkes,
during the summer vacation, on an expedition to
the Zuni Indians of New Mexico. They were
employed by Mrs. Hemmenway, of Boston, who
wished to have a record of the customs and
religious rites of these Indians before they be
came corrupted by contact with white men.
The next year they went to the Moqui Indians,
of Arizona, for the same purpose. While among
the Moquis, John G. discovered a number of new
features in their lives, and became a member of
one of their secret orders, by which he learned
much and was highly esteemed by his red breth
ren. The accounts given of the snake dance
they witnessed, and the various new features they
discovered made quite a sensation among scien
tists. While pursuing a course in archaeology at
Harvard University in 1891, John G. was sent
as executive officer of an expedition to explore
the ruins of Copan, Honduras, Central America.
After a successful trip they returned in the spring
of 1892. During the summer of 1892 he went
to Madrid, Spain, to assist Dr. J. W. Fewkes
to arrange Indian curios and relics in the Hem
menway exhibit of the Columbian Exposition
held there. In October of the same year he
headed, as director, the second expedition to
Copan, and was succeeding nicely; new and won
derful discoveries were being made, the long
buried ruins were taking tangible shape, when he
was stricken with the dreaded tropical fever, and

864

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

died February 17, 1893, a sacrifice to science.
His grave is in the unearthed Plaza Granda of
the ruins he loved to explore, and beside a stela
covered with characters which no one is yet able
to read, a fitting memorial for the short but
eventful life that was laid on the altar of scien
tific study.
(5) Miss Mary Catherine, the youngest of this
interesting family, was graduated from the Lew
isburg High School in 1891, and from Bucknell
University in 1897.
The Captain, wife and daughter are, at this
writing (1898), living with the son, Prof. W. G.
Owens, in his beautiful home, "Sunny Side,"
near the Bucknell Laboratory, Lewisburg, Penn.
The parents look back upon a checkered life, in
which sorrow has been mingled, by a merciful
Hand, with a large amount of real happiness.

LINCOLN HULLEY, Ph. D., was born May
_: 3, 1865, near Camden, N. J., but has lived
almost continuously since then in Pennsylvania.
His early education was received in the South
Chester High School, where he was awarded a
prize for the highest scholarship of his class. In
1884 he graduated from Keystone Academy
with a fine record for scholarship. Principal
Harris, of the Academy, wrote to Harvard:
" Mr. Lincoln Hulley, who graduated from this
institution in 1884, held the highest place in
the class of which he was a member, and proved
himself a man of energy and character worthy
the confidence of the community."
He entered Bucknell with the class of '88,
the largest class in the history of the college up
to that time. For two years he was class pres
ident. In the Freshman year he was awarded
the first prize for the best scholarship in Latin,
Greek, and Mathematics, and the "Mirror"
prize for the finest study of Shakespere's women
characters. In the Sophomore year he was
awarded the " Essay Prize " for the best essay
on Spanish American Colonization and Con
quest, besides winning distinction in public de
bate. In the Junior year he was awarded the
' ' Junior Prize " in Oratory, and was elected an
editor of the college paper, being re-elected in the
Senior year. During the Junior year he was also
elected vice-president of the Lycoming County
Normal School at Muncy, which he accepted for
a limited time. Principal Peoples, of the Nor
mal School, wrote of him: "He is thorough
and exact in scholarship, and is broadly in
formed. He is apt and soulful in his teaching,
and has unusual power to govern, interest, in
struct, and inspire his pupils." In the Senior

year he was awarded, by President Hill, the first
prize in Psychology, and, by the Faculty, the
first honors of the class and the valedictory ad
dress. He was also awarded a prize of $50,
offered by the ' ' American Protective Tariff
League of New York," contested by the Senior
classes of all Colleges and Universities in the
United States, for a treatise on an assigned sub
ject in Economics. President Hill wrote of him
that he "Is a man of unusual ability and force
of character. " In addition to the regular work
of the College, Mr. Hulley attained a grade of
"Excellent" in nine "Honor" subjects, the
equivalent of a year's work; and in the Sopho
more year he was appointed tutor for all delin
quents in Latin and Greek. All through his
course he was prominent in debate, athletics,
music and Christian work.
In 1888 Dr. Hulley was given a scholarship
in Harvard University, and went there to special
ize in Metaphysics, Ethics, and Psychology, un
der Professors James, Royce, Peabody and
Bowen. Professor James, of Harvard, says of
him: " He was an unusually earnest and thor
ough student, who did good written work be
sides distinguishing himself in the class-room."
Taking the A. B. degree from Harvard, in '89,
he accepted an appointment to teach Natural
Sciences in Bucknell Academy and Institute,
and held the position for three years. In '90 he
was ordained to the ministry.
Principal Martin, then of Bucknell Academy,
says of him: " By nature, training, and experi
ence he is eminently qualified for the profession
of teacher. His mind is keen and penetrating;
quick to preceive truth, and tenacious to retain
it; ardent in affection for it, and tireless in its
quest. He possesses dignity, energy, and magnet
ism of character. His training has been thor
ough, extended and varied. He has always
been devoted to excellence in work, and to the
making the most of the best opportunities. In
an experience of three years in academic work
he had displayed great aptness to teach. He is
enthusiastic in his work, he awakens and sustains
interest. His subjects have taken a wide range,
but he has been eminently successful in them
all." In '91 he took the Master's degree at
Bucknell, and during the summers of 1890 and
1 89 1 he studied Hebrew with Dr. Harper, at
Chautauqua. The first summer Dr. Harper
offered Mr. Hulley a Fellowship at Yale, which
he declined. Later he accepted a Fellowship at
the University of Chicago: For the last year of
his teachings at Bucknell he was pastor of "The
Temple Baptist Church " of Philadelphia. While
engaged in graduate work in the Semitic Lan-

<^^^i^^^dA

7

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

865

guages and Literatures in The University of Chi
cago, he accepted the Chair of Hebrew and
History in Bucknell. In 1895 the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy was conferred on him by
the University of Chicago. Mrs. Hulley also
holds the degrees of A. B. from Ann Arbor, and
A. M. from The University of Chicago. For
three summers Dr. Hulley has been in charge of
the Summer Schools of Hebrew and Biblical
Literature at Lakeside, Ohio, and at Monteagle,
Tenn. During his professorship at Bucknell he
has preached one and one-half years for the Im-
manuel Baptist Church, of Baltimore, Md.
During the summer of 1897 he spent, with his
wife, twelve weeks in foreign travel. A writer
recently said of Dr. Hulley that " To hold such
a distinguished position in the world of scholars,
and to have earned it by pre-eminent ability,
while yet on the threshold of actual life, has not
affected the simplicity or affability of the man in
the least. In the class room he is an excellent
instructor, outside a thorough man."
Dr. Hulley's success was never greater than
at present as professor of History and Hebrew.
He is actively interested in every student, and in
every phase of College life. He is now prom
inent in the religious, athletic, social and scholas
tic life of the Institution. His courses are all
elective, and yet his class room is crowded. He
pushes his classes with tremendous energy, and
is exacting in his demands for hard work. He is
in constant request as a lecturer in the County
Teachers Institutes and elsewhere, and his fame
as a teacher, lecturer, preacher, and writer has
gone into other States.

WILLIAM LEISER, JR., M. D., a prom
inent physician of Lewisburgh, has
built up a large practice and gained a high repu
tation for professional ability and skill, despite
the fact that he has chosen to remain in his na
tive city and among the companions of his
youth. To do this requires not only mental
fitness but a force of character which is rarely
found, as even a prophet is held in more honor
by those whom the disillusionizing tendencies of
early intimacy and friendship cannot affect.
Dr. Leiser was born in Lewisburgh, March 11,
1854, and is a grandson of Jacob Leiser, a pio
neer of Kelly township, Union county, where he
purchased a farm one mile west of West Milton.
He was born at York, Penn., October 4, 1779,
and died at his Union county farm May 26, 1862.
His wife, Mary Leiser, was born in the vicinity
of York, December 3, 1780, and her death oc
curred May 13, 1855.
55*

William Leiser, M. D., the father of our
subject, was born in Kelly township, Union
county, October 25, 1821. He pursued his lit
erary studies in Pennsylvania College at Gettys-
burgh, Penn., and received his degree in medi
cine from the Medical Department of Pennsyl
vania College at Philadelphia in 1848. After a
short residence at New Columbia, Union county,
he located permanently in Lewisburgh, where he
built up an extensive practice and continued in
active professional work until his death, April
12, 1878. In May, 1849, he married Miss
Maria Louisa Albright, who was born at Nazar
eth, Penn., March 11, 1827, was educated at the
Moravian Parochial School there, and later re
moved to Delaware township, Northumberland
county, with her mother. She died in Lewis
burgh, November 12, 1881, in her fifty-fifth year.
Her family history runs back to one Andreas
Albrecht, who was born April 2, 17 18, at Zella,
in Thuringia, and was married November 19,
1766, at Bethlehem, Penn., to Elizabeth Orth, a
daughter of Balthasar and Ann Catharine (Roem-
er) Orth. He died at Lititz, Penn., April 19,
1802, in his eighty-fifth year, and is buried in
the Moravian Cemetery, grave No. 190. He
was a gunmaker by trade. His wife was born
August 14, 1739, in Lebanon county, Penn., and
died at Lititz, June 4, 1830, in her ninety-first
year. A son, John Henry Albright, was born at
Lititz, August 5, 1772, and died January 27,
1845, at Nazareth where he settled in 1816.
By trade he was a carpenter and gunsmith, and
he also engaged in mercantile pursuits. On
March 27, 1795, he married Miss Anna Barbara
Hubley, a native of Lancaster, Penn., who was
born March 21, 1773, and died February 25,
1830. John Henry Albright had an elder broth
er, Andrew, next in order of birth to himself,
who was prominent in political life, serving as
sheriff of Northumberland county, member of the
State Assembly, and associate judge, and at the
time of his death was senator-elect. John Hen
ry's son, Andrew, our subject's grandfather, was
born at Shippensburg, Penn., March 28, 1802,
and in 1830 built a mill in Moore township, near
Nazareth, Penn., where he died February 23,
1837. He married Agnes Dunn, daughter of
James Dunn, a Scotch-Irishman, and his wife,
Esther Williams. She died at Warrior's Run,
September 20, 1849, and was buried at War
rior's Run Church.
We will now return to the subject proper of
our sketch. The desire to enter the medical
profession was awakened in Dr. Leiser at
a very early age, and fortunately an active
mind, a fine physique, and the opportunities

866

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

which a competent fortune placed at his hand
were all combined to clear his pathway before him.
Realizing the necessity for sound literary attain
ments as a foundation for technical study, he en
tered the university at Lewisburgh (now Bucknell
University) from which he was graduated in 1872.
Shortly afterward he began his medical course in
the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,
and in 1875 received the degree of M. D., hav
ing barely attained his majority at that time.
Returning home he spent a year and a half in
practice, and then, following a most commenda
ble ambition to excel in his profession, he went
to Edinburgh, Scotland, and, as a post-graduate
student, spent the scholastic year 1876-77 under
the instruction of the renowned professors of the
University there. Thus qualified he resumed his
practice at Lewisburgh, and has ever since contin
ued with a success which is in itself the highest
possible testimony of his worth as a physician
and a gentleman. He is a skillful surgeon, a fine
oculist, and as a medical expert in court trials
has demonstrated his command of the situation
when opposed to the recognized leaders in the
profession. The Doctor is a Republican in his political
affiliations, and he keeps up the friendships and
inspiring associations of college days by his mem
bership in the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity.
On June 8, 1887, Dr. Leiser was united in
marriage with Miss Anna E. Frick, daughter of
Henry Frick, a native of Lewisburgh, born May
12, 1865, and one son, William, has blessed the
union.

w

i\AVID D. DIEFFENDERFER (deceased).
The Dieffenderfer family has been repre
sented in Union county from an early day, and
its various members have been characterized by
the industry, economy and thrift which form the
basis of success in life. The subject of this
sketch was not only a prosperous business man,
but as a citizen he took an active part in the pro
gressive movements of his time, his patriotism
being shown in a practical way by his service as
a soldier in the Union army during the Civil war.
Mr. Dieffenderfer was born in White Deer
township, Union county, February 21, 1830, the
son of Paul and Harriet (Kline) Dieffenderfer,
who were both natives of that county, and spent
their days upon a farm there, their remains at
death being interred at White Deer cemetery.
Their children were: Charles, who died in New
Columbia at the age of sixty; David D., our sub
ject; Sarah M., who married David Nees, of New
Columbia, where both died; Joel K., an employe

in a furniture factory at Picture Rock, Lycoming
Co., Penn.; Ephraim L. , a physician of Wilkes
Barre, Penn. ; Eliza, wife of William Leinbach,
proprietor of a woolen-factory at Antes Fort,
Penn. ; Rebecca, who married W. W. Brown,
formerly sheriff of Union county, and now a liv
ery man at Lewisburg; and James, foreman of
the machine shop at Ashley, Pennsylvania.
The early life of our subject was spent upon
his father's farm in the outskirts of New Colum
bia. At eighteen he began an apprenticeship to
the carpenter's trade, which he iollowed all his
days, uniting with it the undertaking business
and the manufacture of furniture. On September
27, 1864, he enlisted in Company B, 76th P. V.
I. , commanded by Lieut. John G. Littell, and
served until hostilities ended, being mustered out
June -28, 1865. During the bombardment of
Fort Fisher he was on the boat, but much to his
dissatisfaction he was detailed to help the cook
instead of being allowed to fight, an illness hav
ing brought him under the doctor's care some
time before. Previous to this enlistment he had
in an emergency served as corporal of Company
E, 28th P. V. I., of Milton, under Capt. Charles
H. Dougal, and was discharged July 27, 1863.
On his return home from the army he re
sumed his business and continued until his
death, which occurred September 17, 1893, but
for about five years prior to that sad event he
had done but little work as an undertaker. Dur
ing this period he was employed in the car fac
tory at Milton as a skilled workman in heavy
woodwork. He left a comfortable competence,
and had been considered one of the substantial
business men of his vicinity. In politics he was
a Republican, but he never aspired to pubiic
office. He was a member of the Lewisburg
Post, G. A. R., and was active in religious
work as a member of the Methodist Episcopal;
Church at New Columbia, of which he was one
of the leading organizers. He held various offi
cial positions in the Church, and for many years
was steward, class leader and superintendent of
the Sunday-school.
Mr. Dieffenderfer was twice married. His
first wife, Miss Elmira Campbell, who was born
in Union county, January 19, 1835, bore him
two children: Clarence, born October 24, 1858,
died June 22, i860; and Ina, born January 23,
i860, died December 3, i860. The mother
passed to the unseen world September 3, 1862,
and on March 1, 1866, Mr. Dieffenderfer was
married, at the residence of the bride in White
Deer Mills, to Miss Sarah Black, By this union
there was one daughter. Hattie Belle, born April
2, 1873, who married Joseph O. Whitman, and

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

867

died March 23, 1893, leaving two children —
Bessie G. and Sarah B. , now residing with an
uncle. Mrs. Dieffenderfer resides at New Colum
bia, and, like her lamented husband, is a gener
ous and active helper in Church work, being a
prominent member of the Presbyterian Church
of Milton, and taking also a keen interest in the
Methodist Episcopal Church of New Columbia,
for which Mr. Dieffenderfer did so much. She
is a native of White Deer Mills, where she was
born December 17, 1835. Her father, the late
James Black, was of Scotch-Irish descent, and
was b*orn in County Donegal, Ireland, December
25, 1803. He came to America alone in 1820,
landing at New York after a voyage of thirteen
weeks, and soon located at White Deer Mills.
In 1834 Mr. Black married Miss Matilda
Ludwig, a native of Union county, born March
17, 1817, the daughter of Daniel and Catherine
Ludwig.

H. GETZ, of Lewisburg, is one of the lead
ing members of the Union County Bar, and
his efficient service as District Attorney has shown
him to be, as an official, a faithful guardian of
the public interests. While yet a boy in years,
he gave proof of his patriotism by his service as
a soldier, enlisting first in 1863, at the age of
seventeen, in Company F, 28th Pennsylvania
Volunteer Militia. He saw six weeks of active
work with his company, and in February, 1864,
he joined Company H, 51st Pennsylvania Volun
teer Infantry, Gen. Hartranft's old regiment, and
went to the seat of war, remaining until peace
was declared; he was mustered out July 27,
1865. Mr. Getz was born in Lancaster county, Oc
tober 31, 1844, and is of old Pennsylvania-Dutch
stock. His paternal grandfather, Henry Getz, a
native of Union county, followed the carpenter's
trade in Union county, Penn., but he died at a
comparatively early age. The late William
Getz, our subject's father, was born in 1820, in
East Buffalo township, Union county, whence
he. migrated to Lancaster county, where he was
married to Miss Fannie Groff, a native of that
county, born July 24, 1819. Her father, David
Groff, was also a native of the county, and her
family was among the oldest of the locality, the
first ancestor having come from Switzerland in
1695 to settle in the vicinity of Groff 's Dale. Will
iam Getz remained with his wife's people for about
ten years, then moved to Lebanon county, and in
the spring of 1862 returned to Union county,
locating in East Buffalo township where he en

gaged in carpentering until advancing age caused
him to cease his labors, and retire to the home
of our subject on North Fourth street, Lewis
burg. He was, however, an apparently healthy
man, and on the day of his death, January
23, 1892, he had gone up town to buy rubber
shoes for his wife, as the funeral of a grandchild,
a daughter of D. H. Getz, was appointed for
Monday, January 25th. He was a prominent
member of the Reformed Church, and for many
years had been a stanch supporter of the princi
ples of the Republican party. His widow, a
a venerable and highly esteemed lady, is still
living. As the residence of the family was changed
during our subject's youth, he spent some years
in Lancaster and Lebanon counties, and then
came with his father to Union county. His lit
erary education was obtained in " Lebanon Val
ley Institute," and at the University at Lewis
burg. His legal studies were carried on under
the direction of Hon. Charles S. Wolfe, and
while pursuing the course he taught school dur
ing the winter. In December, 1875, he was
admitted to. the Bar, and since opening his of
fice in the following spring he has been in suc
cessful practice. In 1879 he was elected Dis
trict Attorney, and in September, 1892, he was
again chosen, being unanimously nominated by
the Republican party, and elected for the term
of three years. Mr. Getz is one of the valued
advisers of his party, and has always been deeply
interested in local affairs of every nature, lend
ing a helping hand to every worthy project. He
is a leading member of the Reformed Church,
while, socially, he belongs to Post No. 52, G.
A. R. On November 20, 1884, Mr. Getz was mar
ried to Miss Ida Handley, a native of Northum
berland county, and three children — Fannie M.,
Helen E. and Frederick K. — brighten their home.

JAMES BIEHL. In the fine agricultural dis
trict surrounding the town of Lochiel, Union
county, it would be difficult to find a more
thrifty and successful manager than the subject
of this biography. Mr. Biehl is an acknowledged
leader in the farming fraternity, for two years
was president of the Union County Agricultural
Society, and for fifteen years was on the execu
tive committee.
As his name indicates, Mr. Biehl is of Ger
man descent, his paternal great-grandfather,
Christian, having come from the Fatherland in
the eighteenth century. Peter Biehl, the grand
father of our subject, was a farmer in Berks

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

county, Penn., and died there, leaving six chil
dren by his first wife. By a second marriage
there „was no issue. His eldest son, Samuel,
died in Berks county; Peter, Jr., in Lycoming
county; Daniel, near Springfield, Ohio; and
Reuben, in Philipsburg, Penn. A daughter,
Diana, married Samuel Lobach.
Gideon Biehl, the third son of Peter, and the
father of our subject, was born in 1804, in Berks
county, where he grew to manhood, his educa
tion being gained in the . subscription schools.
The instruction was chiefly in German, but he
could read and write English also. His father
had at one time owned a large amount of prop
erty, but reverses in later years prevented him
from giving his sons a start in business. Gideon
Biehl learned the blacksmith's trade and followed
it about four years, when he married Miss Re
becca Dreibelbis, a native of Berks county, born
about 1808. Her father, Daniel Dreibelbis, was
a wealthy farmer; she was one of a family of six
children: Leah, Rachel, Hannah, Susan, Re
becca and Martin.
After his marriage Gideon Biehl rented a
farm in Richmond township, Berks county, be
longing to an aunt, whose death some years later,
without nearer heirs, left him the owner of a
goodly number of acres. In 1845 he sold this
place and moved to Buffalo township, Union
county, purchasing the Rockey farm. The re
moval was made after primitive fashion with a
train of wagons of the old style, having large
English wagon boxes. The family reached the
new home on April 2, 1845, an£f remained six
years, when Mr. Biehl. bought a hotel "on the
pike" in East Buffalo township, which he con
ducted for many years, interrupted by a short
period, during which it was rented to other par
ties. It became widely known as " Biehl's Ho
tel," but in 1868 he sold it to the present owner,
David Royer.
Gideon Biehl was a well-built man, five feet,
eight and a half inches in height, and in early
life possessed great strength. Of a genial na
ture, he was always fond of company, but he
never cared to visit much away from home. In
political affiliations he was a Democrat, but he
was a strong supporter of the Union cause dur
ing the war, and soldiers en route to the front
found an especially kindly welcome at his hotel.
While living in Berks county he was active in
politics, and from boyhood until old age he took
an influential part in religious work as a member
of the Lutheran Church, holding various offices
and contributing liberally. His wife, who was a
devout member of the Reformed Church, died in
December, 1856, and his later years were spent

at the home of our subject, his death occurring
in 1874. His remains now rest beside those of
his wife in Driesbach cemetery. In that era of
high prices his estate was valued at $40,000,
which represented energetic and well-directed
efforts on his part to increase his inheritance.
Our subject was the eldest of four children, all
of whom settled in Union county. Hannah,
Mrs. Elem Meixel, died in Kelly township; Sa
rah, now Mrs. John F. Zeller, and Catherine,
Mrs. F. W. Miller, both reside in East Buffalo
township. James Biehl was born March 17, 1829, at the
old farm in Berks county. The free-school sys
tem was not introduced in his township in his
early days, and the subscription schools were
decidedly inferior to those which he found in
Union county. He attended a somewhat ad
vanced school in Boyertown, in his native county,
for thirteen weeks, but on his parents' removal to
their new home when he was about sixteen he
found that he could not enter classes with those of
his own age. It so humiliated him to be ranked
with the younger children that he did not attend
much, a few months each winter being spent in
stifdy. At nineteen he left school altogether,
the last winter of his attendance being at Lime-
stoneville, Montour Co. , Penn. , where he worked
for his board while pursuing his studies, and with
the exception of this time he remained at home
throughout his youth.
On January 14, 1851, he was married in Sny
der county to Miss Rebecca Pawling, and soon
afterward he established his home upon his
father's farm in Buffalo township, Union county.
In 1885 he removed from that place to his pres
ent homestead, but he still continues to oversee
the first farm in a general way. At present he
owns 145 acres in all, with three good resi
dences. Mr. and Mrs. Biehl have three children, all
of whom are highly esteemed for their ability and
worth: (1) Sarah J., born September 7, 1852,
married Israel T. Ruhl, a prominent resident of
Buffalo township, Union county, formerly super
intendent of Sunday-schools. He is an influential
Republican, and an active worker in Driesbach
Church, being at present the leader of the choir;
is a justice of the peace, at present serving his.
third term. (2) Jefferson P.; born January 29,
1857, is a graduate of Jefferson Medical College,
and is now practicing his profession at Plymouth,
Penn. (3) Gideon T., born December 22, 1861,
is one of the leading farmers of Buffalo township,
and may be said to have taken his father's place
in the Union County Agricultural Society, having
succeeded him in various committees. Gideon

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

869

T. is now nominated for county surveyor on the
Republican ticket.
Mr. Biehl is one of the best-known citizens of
his locality, and for years has been a pillar in the
Driesbach Church, giving generously of his time
and money to its support, and he has held every
office except that of preacher. His family are
all identified with the same Church. In his po
litical views he has long been a Republican, but
his first vote was cast for Franklin Pierce, and
he continued to vote the Democratic ticket un
til the second gubernatorial compaign of A. G.
Curtin. While he now gives unwavering support
to the Republican party on State and National
issues, he does now draw partisan lines in local
affairs. While living in Buffalo township he held
numerous offices — assessor, assistant assessor,
inspector, and for ten years was school director.
He has now held the office of supervisor of the
West Precinct of East Buffalo township for five
years, his duties being discharged to the entire
satisfaction of the public.
Mrs. Biehl is a member of one of the pioneer
families of Snyder county, and was reared and
educated in that locality. Her great-grandfather
Pawling came from England prior to the Revolu
tionary war, and settled in Chester county, Penn.
Early in the present century his son Joseph, Mrs.
Biehl's grandfather, went to the vicinity of Selins
Grove, and, purchasing 400 acres of land, erected
buildings and engaged in business as a farmer
and hotel keeper. He was twice married, and
by his first wife he had one son, John, who went
West, and whose descendants now live in Ken
tucky. His second wife, Mary Shannon, bore
him four sons and four daughters. One of the
latter married Mr. Ross, and became the mother
of the late Judge H. P. Ross, of Montgomery
county, Pennsylvania.
Samuel Pawling, the eldest son of the second
marriage, was born February 9, 1794, and was
married on January 24, 181 5, to Miss Elizabeth
Woodling, born February 5, 1797, the daughter
of John Woodling. Eleven children blessed this
union, whose names with dates of birth are as
follows: Harriet, December 31, 181 5, married
David Schoch, and died in 1840; Maria, Decem
ber 4, 1817, became the second wife of David
Schoch, and died November 2, 1870; Susan, Feb
ruary 25, 1 8 19, married Jacob Hilbish; Levi,
July 27, 1820, married Miss Margaret C. Weaver,
who was born March 17, 1831; John, October
21, 1822, married Miss Barbara Gemberling,
who was born March 31, 1831; Jane, June 15,
1825, married Lewis Gemberling, and died Octo
ber 1, 1856; Samuel B., September 14, 1828,
married (first) Miss Leah Huffman, (second) Miss

Sarah J. Marshall and (third) Miss Hester A.
Long; Rebecca, December 25, 1830, is the wife
of our subject; Angeline, September 22, 1834,
married Benjamin Ulrich; Charles W., May 31,
1837, married Lydia C. Long; Lewis E., Decem
ber 10, 1839, married Miss Amanda Schoch.
The father of this family died November 23,
1874, in his eighty-first year. His wife, with
whom he spent sixty years of wedded happiness,
survived him and passed away October 9, 1883.
At that time their direct descendants numbered
one hundred and seven in all: fifty-five grand
children, forty great-grandchildren and one great-
great-grandchild.

M. WILSON, M. D., is now the oldest
medical practitioner at New Berlin, Union
county. It is natural to look to a man's ances
try for some sign of the traits for which he is disT
tinguished, and we are not surprised to find that
Dr. Wilson comes of good old New England
stock. James Wilson, his greatgrandfather,
came from Connecticut about 1791 to make his
home in eastern Pennsylvania, where he married
Rebecca Orwig. Samuel Wilson, the only son
of James, was born in Schuylkill county, Novem
ber 25, 1793, in early manhood located at New
Berlin, and became a successful merchant, ac
cumulating a handsome fortune for that day.
As a member of the Democratic party, he was
active and influential in local affairs. He was
also interested in the work of the Presbyterian
Church, and at the time of his death, November
3, 1855, he held the office of elder. His wife,
Sarah Mauck Wilson, to whom he was married
at New Berlin, was a native of Pennsylvania.
She died May 31, 1872, at the advanced age of
eighty-four years, and the remains of both now
rest in the family burial plot at New Berlin.
Three sons lived to adult age, two of whom en
tered the medical profession. James W. went to
Fremont, Ohio, in 1839, and became one of the
leading practitioners of that section; he has now
retired from practice, but is known as one of the
wealthiest and most prominent citizens of Fre
mont. Edward is mentioned more fully below.
Charles was a prominent physician at New Ber
lin, where he died, leaving several children.
Edward Wilson, Dr. H. M. Wilson's father,
was born April 14, 1817, at New Berlin, where
he was reared, receiving a good practical educa
tion for that time, the schools of the place being
better than the average. He engaged in mer
cantile pursuits in which he was extremely suc
cessful. Although he owned a large tract of
farming land he never cultivated it, preferring to

870

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

devote his whole attention to his business, and
for the same reason he took but little active in
terest in political movements beyond giving his
individual support at the polls to the Democratic
ticket. He was a member of the lodge I. O. O.
F., at New Berlin, and was prominently identi
fied with the Presbyterian Church, holding office
as a deacon, and later as an elder and as such
was serving at the time of his death, in August,
1879. His widow, Mrs. Mary (Aurand) Wilson,
is also a member of the Church. She was born
at New Berlin, November 15, 1826, and has al
ways resided there. Her father, Samuel Aurand,
a native of Middleburg, Penn., and a son of
George Aurand, was for many years a hotel-
keeper at New Berlin. His first wife, Christina
Wise, a daughter of Josiah Wise, bore him two
sons and one daughter, now Mrs. Wilson. By a
second marriage he had two sons and two daugh
ters. The Doctor is the youngest in a family of
five children — Laura married Levi Boyer of Vir
ginia; Emily, now Mrs. Galen Lutz, James, and
Mary, the widow of Isaac Wonderly, all reside
in New Berlin.
Dr. H. M. Wilson's birth occurred March 24,
1854, and his early education was obtained in
the schools of New Berlin, Miss Kate Kessler
being his first teacher. In 1875 he entered the
Jefferson Medical College at Philadelphia, and,
on graduating in 1877, he at once established
himself in practice at his old home, where he
met with speedy success. He is a member of
the Union County Medical Examining Board, to
which he was appointed in September, 1893, and
is at present its treasurer. In 1 890 he married
Mrs. Ella (Schoch) Burg, widow of Dr. S. W.
Burg, and daughter of Abraham and Hannah
(Seebald) Schoch. Dr. and Mrs. Wilson are
prominent in social life and are leading members
of the Presbyterian Church, in which the Doctor
succeeded his father as elder. Politically he is
a stanch Democrat.

T THOMAS HOWARD WILSON, M. D. "A
youth of labor, with an age of ease," sur
rounded by all that can be desired of friendship
and honor, sums up in brief the fortunate lot of
the subject of this sketch, one of Lewisburg's
most highly respected citizens, who, with his
estimable wife, is spending the afternoon of life
in leisure after a long and arduous career. For
nearly fifty years they have sustained each other
with their mutual love, and now they show to
each other the thoughtful attention, the tender
deference of the days of courtship. It is seldom

that so close a bond exists as that which has
woven their lives together. For many years
during Dr. Wilson's active career the demands of
his professional work kept him busy night and
day, and Mrs. Wilson was his constant compan
ion, sharing his long and tedious journeys, driv
ing the team while he slept, and then, on reach
ing the home of some patient, would snatch a
brief interval of sleep for herself while he made
his visit. To heal the sick, to cheer the miser
able, became their life work, while the poor who
could pay no fees were treated as carefully as the
rich. Hand #in hand they followed the voice of
duty, and in that loving union what might have
been drudgery became unceasing joy. Advanc
ing years have withdrawn Dr. Wilson from the
work which, as a popular physician of his local
ity, he was once called upon to perform, but in
all that pertains to culture, refinement and prog
ress, his home life gives a reflection of his high
character. Before going further into detail of the per
sonal history of our subject, a review of his fam
ily history is proper. The first ancestor on the
paternal side of whom there is a record was
James Wilson, born in September, 1719, who
came from Ireland at the age of seven years with
his parents, who settled in Derry township, Dau
phin Co., Penn. His first wife, Martha Sterrett,
died in early womanhood, leaving no children.
He then was married to Ann Sterrett, born Jan
uary 16, 1725, and whose death occurred Janu
ary 15, 1789, his own following on September
28, 1793- There were nine children by the sec
ond union, namely: William is mentioned more
fully further on; Martha (Mrs. David Hays) was
born February 7, 1745; Hugh, born September
26, 1748, married Isabella Fulton; Joseph, born
September 5, 1750, married Margaret Boyd, and
died February 9, 1788; Mary, born January 5,
1755, married James Todd; James, born June 18,
1757, died in October, 1806, at Reading, Penn.;
Andrew, born October 18, 1759, married Martha
McClure; Elizabeth married James Stewart; and
Samuel married Eleanor Bell.
William Wilson, the grandfather 'of our sub
ject, was born June 4, 1743, and died April 9,
1824. He was married, October 24, 1773, to
Elizabeth Robinson, who was born in February,
1758, and died April 11, 181 5, after a union of
forty-one years, four months and seventeen days.
They had thirteen children, as follows: (1)
Martha, born August 20, 1774, died November
29, 1788; (2) Thomas, born August 18, I776.
died May 25, 1831, married Lydia Drake, and
had two children — William Robinson, born April
9, 1828, married Elsie Lawshe, and Samuel

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

871

Howard, born May 15, 1830, died March 14, 1850;
(3) James, born August 3, 1778, died December
26, 1 83 1, married (first) Catherine Fruit, and
(second) Sarah Chamberlain, by whom he had
two children — William, who died October 24,
1856, and Catherine, wife of Robert M«. Musser;
(4) Hugh, born September 6, I78r, died June
25, 1782; (5) Mary (Mrs. William Hayes), born
April 14, 1783, died December 10, 1827; (6)
Effie, born September 5, 1784, died September
19, 1784; (7) a son born October 14, 1785, died
October 21, 1785; (8) William, born August 10,
1787, died June 12, 1863; (9) Samuel, born
April 9, 1790, died January 16, 1843, married
Elizabeth Nevins; (10) Martha (2), born April 8,
1792; (11) Effie (2) (Mrs. Joseph Murray), born
December 13, 1794, died January 24, 1853;
(12) Eliza (Mrs. Peter Nevins), born March 18,
1797, died April 8, 1879; (13) Nancy Gray (Mrs.
William Murray), born July 8, 1799, died in
July, 1845.
William, the eighth child of William and
Elizabeth Wilson, and the father of our subject,
was married February 19, 1818, to Ann How
ard, who was born March 11, 1798, and died
September 21, 1865. Her father, Thomas How
ard, born in May, 1760, died January 15, 1842,
was married February 9, 1797, to Elizabeth
Harris, born July 18, 1770, died May 20, 1842.
Our subject's mother was the eldest in a family
of nine children, the others being: Mary, born
July 9, 1799, died April 30, 1819; Harriet (Mrs.
Thomas Van Valzah), born August 18, 1800,
died January 9, 1870; John Irvin, born March
5, 1803, died November 25, 1813; Laird, born
September 7, 1804^ died March 19, 1870, mar
ried Jane Barber; Elizabeth, born November 3,
1805, died March 30, 1829; Jane (Mrs. Joseph
Green), born Feb. 28, 1809, died April 30, 1870;
Thomas, born September 16, 181 1, died May 18,
1889, married (first) Ellen M. Dale, and (second)
Margaret Dickson; and David, born February 2,
1 8 14, died November 15, 1861.
The Harris family, to which belonged Eliza
beth Harris, wife of Thomas Howard, is of
English origin, the first ancestor to cross the
ocean being William Harris, the great-great
grandfather of Dr. Wilson. He located in Derry
township, Dauphin county, Penn., and he and
his wife, Catherine Douglass, who was of the
family of Sir Robert Douglass, of Scotland,
passed their last days there, their remains being
interred in Derry graveyard. They had six
children: James, born January 16, 1739, died
April 13, 1786; Sarah, born March 20, 1741;
John, born November 20, 1746; William, born
November 20, 1749; Mary, born July 22, 1752;

Robert, born 1753, died March 4, 1785, and was
buried at Nicaragua, Grenada.
James Harris, the Doctor's great-grandfa
ther, was married June 2, 1768, to Mary Laird,
daughter of William Laird and his wife, Cath
erine (Spencer), of Scotland. Mary Laird Har
ris was born April 28, 1750, died December 13,
1842, and was buried in Lewisburg. The Doc
tor's grandmother was the second in a family of
ten children, the others being: William, born
April 28, 1769, died February 2, 1785; Katharine,
born April 2, 1772, died December 28, 1784;
Jean, born January 6, 1774, died December 5,
1839; Laird, born February 22, 1776, died June
30, 1804; Robert, born November 22, 1777;
Sarah, born September 4, 1779, died December
30, 1827; (3) James, born June 13, 1781, died
July 1, 1868, married Sarah Bell; Martha, born
August 13, 1784, died February 13, 1873; and
William Laird, Jr. (2), born May 17, 1786, died
November 1 1, 1845.
Our subject is the only surviving child of the
family, in which he was the second in order of
birth. The others were: Elizabeth R., born
March 31, 1819, died August 4, 1889; Sarah
Jane (Mrs. John Walls), born June 16, 1823, died
January 9, 1876; Mary Harris, born October 4,
1825, died July 10, 1845; William Henry, born
June 28, 1830, died August 9, 1831; and Martha
Harris, born April 7, 1833, died November 23,
1839. Dr. Thomas H. Wilson was born May 17,
1 82 1, and was reared in the town of Lewisburg.
After attending the local schools for a time he
studied in the academy at Danville, Penn., and
later in the Lewisburg Academy. He then
clerked in his father's store until, having deter
mined upon the medical profession as his life-
work, he began preparations for same under a
preceptor. In 1844 he was graduated from the
Medical Department of the University of Penn
sylvania, and at once entered upon professional
work at Lewisburg, where, as has been said, he
gained a large practice. His wife, to whom he
was married February 3, 1848, was formerly Miss
Elizabeth Dale. They have had four children,
as follows: (1) James Dale, born April 18, 1850,
was married June 14, 1883, to Miss Mary Beck
Smith, and has had four children — Thomas How
ard, born August 16, 1884, died July 18, 1886;
Margaret Smith, born August 2, 1887, is at home;
James Dale, born October 23, 1889, died in Au
gust, 1892; and William, born August 26, 1893.
(2) Anna Howard, born April 30, 1855, was mar
ried October 19, 1882, to Louis K. Lodge, born
February 2, 185 1, died December 31, 1890, and
has one son — John, born November 16, 1885.

872

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

(3) Helen Potter, born October 19, 1857, died
April 29, 1859. (4) William Wilberforce, born
January 29, i860, resides in Altoona, Pennsyl
vania. Mrs. Wilson was a daughter of James Dale,
of Dale's Hill, Union Co., Penn., and a grand
daughter of Samuel Dale, who was born in 1741
in County Monahan, Ireland, and died September
27, 1804. In January, 1769, he married Ann
Futhey, who died April 23, 1835. James Dale
was married February 24, 18 18, to Eliza Bell,
who died February 14, 1837. They had four
children: Ann Margaret, born July 27, 18 19,
died in New Berlin December 29, 1833; Ellen
Mary, born September 18, 1821, was married
February 17, 1842, to Thomas Howard, and died
May 7, 1861; Elizabeth (Mrs. Wilson), born
February 2, 1824; and Samuel, born March 1,
1828, died August 10, 1848.

DAVID MYERS (deceased). Lewisburg has
been fortunate in the possession of a large
number of broad-minded citizens, who, while
furthering financial interests — individual and pub
lic — have also contributed to the establishment
of a high intellectual standard in her social cir
cles, and conspicuous among this class of business
men was the late David Myers.
Our subject was a descendant of pioneer
stock. His ancestors on both his father's and
mother's side were German immigrants who
came to Pennsylvania in its early Colonial days,
and betook themselves to farming. He was a
son of David Myers, who was born January 16,
1788, in Lancaster county, Penn., and Ann
(Sheibley) Myers, born in the same county March
17, 1799- They were married March 25, 1815,
and in 1829 removed to Union county, settling
on a farm just outside of Lewisburg, on the
Valley Pike. Of this marriage there were eleven
children: Nathan, born November 29, 18 16, was
cashier of a bank in Clarion county, Penn., and
died May 6, 1892; Alpbeus, born April 23, 18 18,
was a physician in Logansport, Ind., and died
February 28, 1887; Matilda, born September
18, 18 19, married Joseph Frederick, and died in
Northumberland county, September 6, 1866;
Eliza, born May 26, 1821, died February 26,
1893, was blinded by an accident, and never
married; Abraham, born September 27, 1822,
died March 7, 1848, was a physician in Clarion
county, Penn. ; Susannah, born February 26,
1824, died September 28, 1858, was the wife of
John Brown; Lewis B., born July 4, 1825, was a
physician, and died December 24, 1896; Ann S.,
born February 17, 1827, became the wife of

Joseph Baker, and died April 9, 1862; David,
the subject of this article, was the ninth in order
of birth, and was born in Lancaster county,
Penn., March 20, 1830; Sarah, born September
17, 1 83 1, died February 13, 1886, the wife of
Daniel Swartz; Henry A., the youngest child,
born January 28, 1833, became a physician, and
died March 8, 1886. The father, David Myers,
died January 30, 1833, leaving the mother with
the care of the children. She reared them all
to manhood and womanhood, and died on No
vember 17, 1869, in Lewisburg, Penn. Dr.
Lewis B. Myers, of Fremont, Ohio, was the last
survivor. David Myers, our subject, was reared in
Lewisburg, and throughout his life was identified
with the, place. His education was limited to
the course offered in the common schools, but
observation and reading brought to a mind, nat-
rally clever, valuable practical results. He
was engaged in business for some time in Lewis
burg, Penn., and then went to the western part
of the State, and from there, after the war, he
went to Alabama, where he engaged in cotton
raising. On January 3, 1871, he was married to
Miss Valeria R. Beck, the eldest daughter of the
late Dr. Samuel Ludwig Beck, of Lewisburg.
About two years after his marriage Mr. Myers
returned to Pennsylvania, and settled in Lewis
burg, where he died on July 6, 1894. His widow
and daughter, Ai'da B. Myers, still reside in the
same town.
David Myers was a Republican in politics; a
member of the Presbyterian Church in Lewis
burg, he took a great interest in all religious mat
ters.

/f^\EORGE G. GROFF, M. A., M. D., Profes-
\^ sor of Organic Sciences in Bucknell Uni
versity, Lewisburg, Union Co., Penn., was born
on ' ' The Great Welsh Tract in the Province of
Pennsylvania, " on a farm near Valley Forge, in
Tredyffrin township, Chester Co., Penn., April 5,
1 8 5 1 , descending from ancestors who were among
the earliest settlers of the State.
Dr. Groff's line of descent is as follows: Jacob
Graf (1), born in Holland [?] in 171 5, the pioneer
of this branch of the Groffs in America, with his
wife Maria, settled near old Goshenhoppen, in
Upper Salford, Montgomery county, in 1769.
Jacob Groff (2), son of Jacob (1), married
Elizabeth Hllbner, daughter of Melchoir and
Anna Maria Fisher Hllbner, and a granddaughter
of Hans and Maria Hubner (he a Schwenck-
felder, who came from Lower Silesia with his
Church in 1734). The Schwenckfelders en-

£~<S!

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

873

joyed the unique distinction of having received a
formal invitation from their former sovereign,
Frederick the Great, to return to their homes in
Silesia, which, having been destroyed, he offered
to restore. Jacob Groff (3) (son of Jacob (2) )
married Catherine Reiff, had a son, John Groff,
who married Susan Beaver, and their son is Dr.
George G. Groff. The name Graf in German
means Count, and is equivalent to the English
Earl. Hans Jakob Reiff, the pioneer in Pennsyl
vania, came to the State about 1640, with the
Dutch settlers on the Delaware river. He had
two companions, Levering and Frey, both of
whom remained in the Province. He had a son,
Hans George Reiff, a newlander and land specu
lator, who settled in Upper Salford township,
Montgomery county, whose wife was Anna (or
Veronica), and they had a son, Jacob Reiff (2).
The latter married Catherine Schneider, and had
a son, George Reiff. George Reiff married Rachel
Pawling, and had a daughter, Catherine Reiff
(wife of Jacob Groff (3) ).
Henry Pawling, the pioneer, came from Eng
land in 1 701. He purchased two tracts of land,
of a thousand acres each, from Penn before leav
ing England. On the map of [683, he is shown
as holding two lots in Philadelphia, one on
Market street and the other on the Schuylkill
front. He had a son, Henry Pawling, and he in
turn a son, John, who married Elizabeth De-
Haven, a daughter of Herman In de Haven, and
they had a daughter, Rachel Pawling (wife of
George Reiff). The Pawlings settled first in
Lower Providence township, Philadelphia coun
ty, and later in Montgomery county on the
Schuylkill river, near Pawling's Bridge. In 1734,
Henry Pawling, Sr., owned five hundred acres of
land opposite Valley Forge, and his son, Henry,
twelve hundred acres in Perkiomen township.
In 1747 Henry, Jr., was elected captain of a com
pany of Associators. In 1 76 1 he was appointed
by the Governor one of the commissioners for
improving the navigation of the Schuylkill river,
and was in 1773 succeeded in this office by his
son, John Pawling, Jr. In 1761 Henry was sent
into the Wyoming region to build houses for
friendly Indians. This was a movement of the
Proprietors of the Province to forestall the ad
venturers from Connecticut. He was a justice
of the peace for many years in Philadelphia, and
a member of the Colonial Assembly from 1764 to
1774 inclusive. In politics, the Pawlings were
always attached to the Proprietary party.
Everett In de Hoff and his wife, Elizabeth
Schiphower, with their sons, Gerhard, Herman
and Peter, came to Pennsylvania from Holland

in 1698. In 1706 Everett took up two hundred
acres of land in Whitpain township, Montgomery
Co., Penn. Herman In de Haven had a daugh
ter Elizabeth De Haven, who in 1786, in Christ
Church, Philadelphia, married John Pawling,
and became the mother of Rachel Pawling and
the grandmother of Catherine Reiff. The fam
ily were prominent in the Reformed Church,
both Everett and Herman having been presid
ing elders.
George Bieber, with his brothers, John and
Dewald, came from Elsass in 1744, and settled
in Tredyffrin township, Chester Co., Penn. His
son, John Beaver, and wife Margaret, had a
son, George Beaver (2), who married Susan
Hausman. George Beaver (2) and Susan Haus-
man had a son, John Beaver (2), who married
Deborah Barry, and had a daughter, Susan
Beaver (wife of John Groff). From the pioneer
John Bieber, Governor James A. Beaver is de
scended. Frederick Hausman came from Wurtemburg,
Germany, when twelve years of age and settled
in Tredyffrin township, Chester Co. , Penn. He
married Elizabeth Kemp, of Kutztown, Berks
Co., Penn., daughter of Theobald Kemp and
wife Elizabeth (he the pioneer from Strasburg),
and had a daughter, Susan Hausman (wife of
George Beaver (2).
Richard Barry, from Ballo, County Cork,
Ireland, settled Radnor, Chester (now Delaware)
county, Penn., had a son, Col. James Barry,
who married Ellen Jones, and their son, James
Barry (2), married Sarah Davies, daughter of
Samuel Davis (or Davies), from Wales, his wife
Tabitha, had a daughter Deborah. Barry (wife of
John Beaver). The Barrys are of Norman de
scent, and in Ireland rose to great wealth and
prominence, intermarrying with the nobility of
the kingdom. Richard Barry became a Friend
under the preaching of William Penn, and being
disowned by his family came to America. His
people were attached to the Roman Catholic
Church. John Beaver, son of George Bieber, the
pioneer, contracted camp fever at Valley Forge
while assisting to lay out the American camp,
and died of it. Col. James Barry served with
honor during six years of the Revolutionary
struggle. John Pawling and Herman In de Haven
were stanch patriots during the same struggle.
They manufactured gun flints for the army, their
factory being at the Falls of French Creek, in
Chester county, Pennsylvania.
The ancestors of Dr. Groff were Dutch, Ger
man, English, Welsh and Norman-Irish. With
the exception of two cousins of his father's, Dr.

874

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Henry G. Groff and Dr. John W. Groff, all the
family have been tillers of. the soil. In the
present and rising generations there seems a pre
dilection for the study of medicine. John Groff,
the father of George G. , reared nine children,
viz.: George G., Charles Albert, John Howard,
M. D., Mary Elizabeth, Deborah Beaver, Lydia
Frances, Sarah Rebecca, Elysses Grant and
Susanna Beaver.
Jacob Graf, here called the pioneer accord
ing to family tradition, is the earliest of our fam
ily we have been able to discover in America.
Rupp gives the names of three Jacob Groffs, who
came to Philadelphia in 1737, 1744 and 1749.
Our ancestor purchased his farm in 1769, when
he was fifty-four years of age, and twenty years
after the arrival of the latest Jacob of Rupp.
Hence it seems altogether possible that our an
cestor may have been the son of the pioneer.
His wife Maria was born in 1722. They were
married previous to 1745, and tradition states
that their eight childeren were all born in Ger
many. Tradition also states that the family on
coming to America first encamped under a large
oak tree, one-fourth mile east of Zieglerville, on
the banks of the Goshenhoppen run, on land re
cently owned by Charles Koch, but at that time
public land. The permanent home was made
two miles to the northwest on the Perkiomen.
Beside farming, the elder Groffs were fullers and
dyers, in which work they continued at least
three generations.
Jacob Rieff, son of Hans George, was prom
inent in the affairs of the early Reformed Church
in America, going to Europe to collect funds for
the Church. (He was a member of the Assembly
of Pennsylvania in 1780, and, with the eleven
other German members, voted for the adoption
of the National Constitution). The Groffs and
Beavers originally belonged to, the Lutheran
Church. The Pawlings were Episcopalians, and
extensive land holders. The Barrys in Radnor
(Norman-Irish) and the Davies in Merion (Welsh)
were Friends, called Quakers, living on "The
Great Welsh Tract. " John Barry, the first Com
modore in the America navy, was of this family,
an uncle of Col. James Barry.
George G. Groff received his early education
in the public schools, and in academies at Phoe-
nixville and Norristown, and, later, in the West
Chester State Normal School, Michigan Univer
sity, Long Island College Hospital, Brooklyn, N. Y. ,
and the University of Leipsic. He received, at
different times, the college degrees of B. S. , M.
A., M. D., Ph. D., and LL. D. Until his eight
eenth year he assisted in the labors of the farm,
then began to teach in the public schools, then in

the West Chester State Normal Schoolj and in
1879 became professor of Organic Sciences in
Bucknell University. During 1887-88 he was
acting president of the University, and was
instrumental in starting an increase in attendance
which has continued until the present time. A
prominent Baptist wrote that he advertised the
University more in three months than had been
previously done in forty years. As a teacher he
has been enthusiastic and successful, inspiring
his pupils to diligent and accurate work. In
public life he has been school director, coroner,
assistant-surgeon in the National Guard of Penn
sylvania, and a member of the State Boards of
Agriculture and Health for eleven years. At
present (1897) ne is president of the State Board
of Health, and a member of the State Medical
and Dental Councils. A large portion of the
work of the State Board of Health has originated
with him. He is the author of almost all the
health circulars of this Board, which are said to
be the best issued by any State in the Union.
In 1889, after the great floods of that year,
he had charge of the sanitation at Johnstown,
which he conducted in a most successful manner.
He has for fifteen years done much work at
Teachers and Farmers Institutes, lecturing on
health and scientific subjects. He is the author
of a large number of pamphlets, charts, maps
and diagrams intended to aid science teachers^
also of a Series of School Physiologies, Farm and
Village Hygiene, School Hygiene, Dairy Hy
giene, and a text book on Mineralogy. Dr. Groff
is a constant contributor to leading periodical
literature. He is a member of the Sons of the
American Revolution, of the Pennsylvania Ger
man Society, and of the Welsh Society of Phil
adelphia. He is a member of the Baptist
Church, and in all theological matters holds lib
eral views.
In 1880 the Doctor was married to Margaret
Palmer Marshall, of West Chester, Penn. The
union has been blessed with five children, viz. :
William Marshall, John Charles, Margaret Beav
er, James Andrews, and Frances Lloyd. All the
ancestors of Dr. Groff's wife, too, were among
the earliest settlers of the Province of Pennsyl
vania. In the following are set forth the pro
genitors in America of her family, the Roman
characters indicating each generation in the
various branches of the family, the child follow
ing that of parents thus, II. Thomas Marshall
(1) is of the second generation and is a son of
John Marshall and Sarah Smith; and so on.
I. John Marshall, the pioneer, came from
Elton, Derbyshire, England, prior to 1685; mar
ried, in 1688 at Darby, Penn., Sarah Smith,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

875

from Croxton, Leicester, England. II. Thomas
Marshall (i) married Hannah Mendenhall, daugh
ter of Benjamin Mendenhall, from Wiltshire,
England, about 1683, settled in Concord town
ship, and Ann Pennell, daughter of Robert Pen
nell, from Nottinghamshire, England, prior to
1686, to Middletown township, and wife Hannah.
III. Thomas Marshall (2) married Edith Newlin.
IV. Thomas Marshall (3) married Mary GrUbb.
V. Samuel Marshall married Philena Pusey.
VI. William Pusey Marshall married Frances
Lloyd Andrews, whose daughter is Margaret P.
Marshall. I. Nicholas Newlin, the pioneer, from Mount
Molock, Tyrone, Ireland, in 1683, to Concord
township; wife Elizabeth. II. Nathaniel Newlin,
who came with his father from Ireland, married
Mary Mendenhall, sister of Benjamin. III. Na
thaniel Newlin (2) married Jane Woodward,
daughter of Richard Woodward and Jane, who
came from England and settled in Middletown
township. IV. Nathaniel Newlin (3) married
Esther Metcalf, daughter of Thomas and wife
Jane. V. Edith Newlin (wife of Thomas Mar
shall (2)).
I. John Grubb, who was settled in Upland,
Penn., prior to 1679, and wife Frances. II. John
Grubb (2) married Rachel Buckley, daughter of
John Sanderson Buckley, and granddaughter of
Dr. Sanderson. John Buckley (came from Wilt
shire, England, 1682) was a son of John Buckley
and Mary Empson, of Cheshire, England, who
never came to America. III. Samuel Grubb
married Rebecca Hewes; their daughter Mary
Grubb (wife of Thomas Marshall (3) ).
I. William Hewes, who came from England
about 1675-6, settled first in New Jersey, then
in 1678-9 settled near Marcus Hook; wife Deb
orah. II. William Hewes (2) married Sarah
Bezer, daughter of Edward Bezer and Ann Fry,
who came from Wiltshire, England, about 1682
and settled in Bethel township. III. William
Hewes (3) married Mary Withers. IV. Rebecca
Hewes (wife of Samuel Grubb).
I. William Withers. II. Thomas Withers,
who came from Wiltshire, England, and settled
in Chichester, married Elizabeth Collett, daugh
ter of Jeremiah Collett, who came from England
in 1682, or earlier, and settled in Chichester, and
Jane May, and granddaughter of  May
and Joan  , of Wiltshire, England.
III. Mary Withers (wife of William Hewes (3)).
I. William Pusey, from London, England,
about 1700, settled in London Grove township,
married Elizabeth Bowater, daughter of John
and Frances. John Bowater, from Worcester
shire, England, reached Pennsylvania about 1684

after visiting, as early as 1677, New England,
Maryland and Virginia as a public Friend. II.
Joshua Pusey married Mary Lewis, daughter of
Ellis Lewis, who was born in Wales, and came
to Pennsylvania in 1708, and Elizabeth Newlin,
and granddaughter of Mary  ; had a son,
Ellis Pusey, who married Abigail Brinton, and
had daughter, Philema Pusey (wife of Samuel
Marshall). I. Nicholas Newlin (wife Elizabeth).
II. Nathaniel Newlin married Mary Mendenhall.
III. Elizabeth Newlin married Ellis Lewis.
IV. Mary Lewis (wife of Joshua Pusey).
I. William Brinton, who came from Stafford
shire, England, in 1684, and settled in Birming
ham township, married Ann Bagley, daughter of
Edward Bagley. II. William Brinton (2), who
came over with his father, married Jane Thatch
er, daughter of Richard Thatcher, who came
from England about 1685, and settled in Thorn-
bury township, and wife Jane. III. Joseph
Brinton married Mary Pearce, daughter of George
Pearce, who came from Somersetshire,
England, in 1684, and settled in Thornbury
township, and Ann Gainer, of Gloucestershire,
England. IV. Moses Brinton married Eleanor
Varnam, daughter of Hattil Varnam, who came
from County Wexford, Ireland, in 1728, and
settled in Lancaster county, and Abigail Sand-
with, the latter a daughter of William and
Joan Sandwith, of County Wexford, Ireland.
V. Abigail Brinton (wife of Ellis Pusey).
I. William Andrews, who came from Lurgan,
Ireland, to Newcastle county, State of Delaware;
wife Miriam. II. Ezekiel Andrews married
Rebecca Robinson (she was born on the vessel
coming to America), daughter of Francis Robin
son and wife Elizabeth, who came from Ireland.
III. James Andrews married Martha Bunting.
IV. James Andrews (2) married Hannah Lloyd.
V. Frances Lloyd Andrews (wife of William Pusey
Marshall). I. Anthony Bunting; wife Ellen. II. Will
iam Bunting married Mary Stumson. III. Sam
uel Bunting, who came from Derbyshire, Eng
land, in 1722, and settled in Darby, married
Sarah Fearne, daughter of Josiah Fearne (son of
Elizabeth); (Elizabeth Fearne (widow) came
from Derbyshire, England, in 1682, and settled
in Darby), and Sarah Blunston, and granddaugh
ter of John Blunston and Eleanor Brantrion.
IV. Josiah Bunting married Sarah Hunt. V. Mar
tha Bunting (wife of James Andrews (1) ).
I. James Hunt, who came in 1684 from
Kent, England, and settled in Kingsessing, mar
ried Elizabeth Bonsall. II. James Hunt (2)
married Rebecca Faucit, daughter of Walter

876

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Faucit, who arrived at Chester as early as 1684,
and Rebecca Fearne, the latte'r a daughter of
Elizabeth Fearne. III. John Hunt (2) mar
ried Elizabeth Sellers. IV. Sarah Hunt (wife
of Josiah Bunting).
I. Samuel Sellers, who came from Derby
shire, England, in 1682, and settled in Darby
township on land now in possession of his descend
ants, married Anna Gibbons, daughter of Henry
Gibbons and wife Helen, who came from Derby
shire, England, in 1682, and settled in Darby
township. II. Samuel Sellers, Jr., married
Sarah Smith, daughter of John Smith, who came
in 1684 from Liecestershire, England, and set
tled in ' Darby township, and Elenor Dolby.
III. Elizabeth Sellers (wife of John Hunt).
I. Robert Lloyd, who came to Pennsyl
vania in 1863 from Wales, married Lowry Jones.
II. Richard Lloyd married Hannah Sellers.
III. Hugh Lloyd married Susanna Pearson.
IV. Charles Lloyd married Frances Paschall.
V. Hannah Lloyd married James Andrews (2).
VI. Frances Lloyd Andrews (wife of William
Pusey Marshall).
I. Samuel Sellers married Anna Gibbons.
II. Samuel Sellers (2) married Sarah Smith,
daughter of John Smith and Elenor Dolby.
III. Hannah Sellers (wife of Richard Lloyd).
I. John Blunston, who came in 1682 from
Derbyshire, England, and settled in Darby, mar
ried Sarah  . II. John Blunston, Jr.,
married Ann Hunt, daughter of James Hunt and
Elizabeth Bonsall. III. Hannah Blunston mar
ried Thomas Pearson, son of Benjamin Pearson,
who came from Yorkshire, England, about 171 2,
end Susanna Burbeck. IV. Susanna Pearson
(wife of Hugh Lloyd).
I. Thomas Paschall, who came from Bris
tol, England, to Philadelphia, married Joanna
Sloper. II. Thomas Paschall married Margar
et Jenkins, daughter of William Jenkins, who
came from Turby, Wales, about 1682, and settled
in Haverford, and Elizabeth Griffith, the latter
a daughter of Lewis Griffith. III. John Pas
chall married Frances Hodge, daughter of Henry
Hodge, of Philadelphia, Penn. , who was a son
of Henry Hodge, of Antigua, and Frances Knight,
the latter a daughter of Christopher Knight, of
Antigua. IV. Dr. Henry Paschall married Ann
P. Garrett. V. Frances Paschall married Charles
Lloyd. VI. Hannah Lloyd (wife of James An
drews). I. John Garrett (wife Mary). II. William
Garrett, who came in 1684 from Liecestershire,
England, and settled in Darby, married Ann
Kirke. III. Samuel Garrett married Jane Pen
nell, daughter of Robert and Hannah Pennell.

IV. Nathan Garrett married Ann Knowles.
V. Ann P. Garrett (wife of Dr. Henry Paschall).
I. John Knowles, of Berkshire, England
married Elizabeth Newman, daughter of Paul
Newman, of Berkshire, England. II. John
Knowles (2), who came from Berkshire, Eng
land, and settled in Oxford township, Philadel
phia, married Ann Paull, daughter of Joseph,
who came from Somersetshire, England, about
1686, and Margaret Paull. III. Ann Knowles
(2) (wife of Nathan Garrett).
The ancestors of Margaret P. Marshall were
English, Welsh and, possibly, French-Huguenot.
The majority of these ancestors were Friends, or
Quakers, the Marshalls from the time of George
Fox. Hugh Lloyd, son of Richard, was a colonel
of the Chester County Associators during the war
of Independence. Later, he was twice elected
a member of the State Legislature, but before
the expiration of his second term he was com
missioned one of the judges of the courts of
Delaware county, which office he filled for thirty-
three years, resigning on account of old age
December 31, 1825. In 1793 he was one of the
Electors from Pennsylvania that elected, unani
mously, George Washington President of the
United States for his second term. Through the
Lloyds she traces her ancestry to the Princes of
of Wales and the Kings of England: I. Will
iam, the Conqueror, King of England, and Ma
tilda, his wife, had a son, Henry I. Henry had
a daughter Matilda, who married Geoffrey, Duke
of Anjou. Matilda had a son, Henry II. Henry
married Eleanor, and had a son, John. John
married (second) Isabella. Their son, Henry
III., married Eleanor. Their son, Edward I.,
married Eleanor, daughter of Ferdinand III., of
Castile. Their daughter, Eleanor, married Henri,
Count de Barr, of France. Their daughter,
Eleanor de Barr, married Llewelyn ap Owen
ap Merededd, from Rhys ap Tudor, Prince of
South Wales. Their son, Thomas ap Llewelyn,
married Eleanor, granddaughter of Llewelyn ap
Griffith, Prince of North Wales, and Eleanor
Montfort, daughter of Simon de Montfort, Earl
of Leicester. Their daughter, Eleanor, married
Gruffydd Vychan IV., Baron of Glyndyfrdwy.
Their son, Lord of Gwyddelwern, married Maud,
daughter of Ieuf ap Howel ap Ada. Their only
daughter Lowry (and heiress), married Gruffydd
ap Einion of Corsygedol in Merionethshire.
Their son, Ellissau ap Gruffydd, married Mar
garet, daughter and heiress of Jenkin ap Ieuan.
Their daughter Lowry married Reinallt ap
Gruffydd ap Rhys, of Branas Uchaf. Their daugh
ter Mary married Robert Lloyd ap David Lloyd,
of Gwern of Brychdwyn. Their son, Thomas

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

877

Lloyd, married Catharine, daughter of Robert
ap Griffith. Their daughter Mary married
Richard of Tyddyn Tyfod, who had a son, Rhys
ap Richard. Who had a son, Griffith ap Rhys.
Who had a son, Richard Price. Who had a
daughter, Hannah, married Rees John William.
Their daughter Lowry married Robert Lloyd
(Pioneer in Pennsylvania). Their son Richard
married Hannah Sellers. Their son Hugh mar
ried Susanna Pearson. Their son Charles
married Frances Paschall. Their daughter
Hannah married James Andrews. Their daughter
Frances Lloyd married William P. Marshall;
and their daughter Margaret P. Marshall married
George G. Groff (our subject).
Rhirid Flaidd,* Lord of Penllyn, married
Gwenllian, daughter of Edynfed, Lord of
Broughton. Their son "Madog of Rhiwaedog,
Lord of Penllyn, married Ardun, daughter of
Philip ap Uchtrydd, Lord of Cyfeiliog. Their
son Iorwerth, Lord of Penllyn, married Gwer-
fyl, daughter of Pasgen ap Gwyn ap Gruffydd,
Lord of Cidigfa, and Deuddwr. Their son,
Madog ap Iorwerth, Lord of Penllyn married Eva,
daughter of Griffith ap Einion ap Griffith.
Their son Sir Gruffyd ap Madog, mar
ried Janet, daughter of Cynfelyn ap Dol
phin, Lord of Manofon. Their son, Sir Ievan
ap Gruffyd, Knt. , of Llanuwchllyn, and Cefn
Treflaith in Llanstundwy, married Annesta,
daughter of Llewelyn ap Einion ap Meiler Grug,
Lord of Tref Gynon. Their son Ievan Vychan,
of Llanuwchllyn, in the Comot of Penllyn, mar
ried Anne, daughter of Sir Griffith Vaughan,
Knight Banneret, at Agincourt; and Lord of
Burgedin, Garth, and Garth Fawr. Their son
David ap Ievan Vychan, of Llanuwchllyn, mar
ried Gwenhwyfar, daughter of David Lloyd ap
Howell, descended from Rhirid Flaidd, Lord of
Penllyn. Their son, David Lloyd, ap David, of
Llanuwchllyn and Llandderfel Penllyn, married
(first) Annesta, daughter of Griffith ap Ievan.
Their son, Robert Lloyd, of Mantfreur, in
Llandderfth, Penllyn, married Mary, daughter of
Reynold ap Griffith of Upper Branas. Their
son, Thomas ap Robert Lloyd, married Cather
ine, daughter of Robert ap Griffith, ap Evan,
derived from Marchweithian, Lord of Isaled.
Their daughter Mary married Richard of Tyddin
Tyfod, and had a son Rhys, ap Richard of Tyd
din Tyfod, alias Rees Richard. His son Griffith
ap Rhys, of TyddinTyfod, married and had a
son Richard Price (alias ap Rees, or Prees), of
Tyddin Tyfod, who married and had a daughter
*Rhirid Flaidd himself traced his line to Gynedda Waledig, a native
chieftain of Cumberland, who, according to the Triads, lived in the
fourth century, and was one of the first to embrace Christianity, and who
donated much land to the Christian missionaries.

Hannah; she married Rees John William (alias
Prees Jones of Merion, near Philadelphia). Their
daughter Lowry married Robert Lloyd. Their
son Richard married Hannah Sellers. Their
son Hugh married Susanna Pearson. Their son
Charles married Frances Paschall. Their daugh
ter Hannah married James Andrews. Their
daughter Frances Lloyd married William P.
Marshall, and their daughter Margaret P. Mar
shall married George G. Groff (our subject).

JOHN F. SCHOCH, a leading citizen of New
Berlin, Union county, belongs to that numer
ous and important class of business men
known as commercial travelers. A long term of
service with the same firm shows his practical
and effective work better than words could do,
and the reward of his efforts is seen in a com
fortable competence and a beautiful and well-
appointed home.
Mr. Schoch is a descendant of a prominent
pioneer family of Limestone township, Union
county, his great-grandfather, Jacob Schoch, a
son of Matthias Schoch, of Snyder county, hav
ing settled in that locality at an early day.
Sem Schoch, the grandfather of oursubject, was
born at New Berlin, in 1805, and he and his wife,
Esther Klose, reared there a large family, among
whom was a son Charles, our subject's father,
born October 1, 1828. Charles Schoch was
married, in 1849, near Middleburg, Penn-., to
Miss Amelia Klose, a native of Snyder county,
born March 18, 1830. She was a member of the
well-known family of Daniel Klose, and a twin
sister of Rev. Daniel Klose. After his marriage,
Charles Schoch resided for some time at New
Berlin where he was employed in a tannery be
longing to his father, but later he removed to
Allen ville, Penn., and, in 1855, went to the
vicinity of Parkville, Mich., where he purchased
a farm. He died there September 9, 1 860, his un
timely death cutting short a promising career. He
was a devout Christian, a member of the Lu
theran Church, and was held in high esteem by all
who knew him. His widow still lives near Park
ville, and of their seven children all but one
survive. Alice, born July 27, 1850, married
James M. King, deceased, of Three Rivers, Mich. ;
William A., born December 31, 185 1, resides at
Petoskey, Mich. ; John F. is mentioned more
fully farther on; Emma D., born December 31,
1854, is the widow of George A. Young, of Bat
tle Creek, Mich.; Elizabeth J., born October 1,
1856, married A. H. Thurston, and died at Nat-
tawa, Mich.; Ida M., born August 27, 1858,
married Samuel Bennett, and resides near Park-

878

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ville, Mich.; Mary E., born April 2, i860, is the
wife of Orville Daugherty, of Three Rivers,
Michigan. John F. Schoch was born July 19, 1853,
while his parents were living at Allenville, Penn. ,
and as he was but a child ot two years when his
parents removed to Michigan his education was
begun there. When he was seven years old his
father died and he returned to Pennsylvania to
make his home with his paternal grandfather at
New Berlin, his studies being continued in the
schools of that place. He entered upon his busi
ness career in 1871 as a clerk in the store of H.
E. Miller, of Selins Grove, at a salary of eight
dollars a month. Though inexperienced in com
mercial life he learned the business quickly, and
after two years he accepted a situation as sales
man for Beates & Miller, wholesale druggists at
Philadelphia. With the exception of one year
(1876), when he acted as bookkeeper, he has
continued in the same position, his territory em
bracing much of central Pennsylvania. During
the quarter of century he has spent with this
house, changes have been made in the owner
ship, the firm being now Miller & Lambert, but
his faithful and diligent service has been at all
times appreciated.
On September 25, 1888, Mr. Schoch was
married to Miss Lila A. Keeler, of Freeburg,
Penn., and on January 12, 1889, he located at
New Berlin where he has ever since made his
home. His residence, which has been thorough
ly remodeled, is without doubt as richly and
artistically furnished as any other in the county.
No one can begrudge Mr. Schoch his well-earned
prosperity, and certainly no one in New Berlin,
where he passed his boyhood, can fail to rejoice
in his success. He is at all times interested in
local improvements, and is regarded as one of
the progressive citizens of the town. Politically
his sympathies are with the Democratic party,
but he is not a blind partisan, and votes for the
best man, upon whatever ticket his name may be
placed. His interest in politics extends only to
the support of the principles involved, and his
active work ends with the depositing of his own
ballot. Both Mr. and Mrs. Schoch are mem
bers of the Lutheran Church.

H'

^ fENRY FRICK HUNTER. Pride in an
£|L honorable lineage is but an indication of
just appreciation of values, and in this day when
the worship of wealth threatens to undermine
our higher ideals, it should be encouraged as
tending to emphasize more chivalric qualities.
The subject of this sketch, a prominent resident

of Spring Garden, Union county, has an inter
esting genealogy, which will furnish a suitable
introduction to his personal history.
On the paternal side he is a grandson of Da
vid Hunter, a native of County Donegal, Ireland,
who came to America at an early date, and mar
ried Isabella Patterson, of the Patterson manor,
in Chester (now Lancaster) county, Penn. They
settled at Spring Garden, where they maintained
an elegant home, employing servants to do their
work, an unusual thing in pioneer times. Their
son, James P., our subject's father, married Mar
garet Montgomery, through whom our subject
can claim descent from a still more remote an
cestry, dating back to 1066, when William the
Conqueror invaded England. Several of his
principal officers bore the name of Montgomery.
Of these, some remained in England, while others
settled themselves in Ireland, and others again
in Scotland; some of their descendants, in after
years, emigrated to the English Colonies of
North America, now the United States of North
America, long before our American Revolution
ary war of 1775-83, and their descendants are
now found in every State and Territory of the
United States. Among the members of this
family we may mention especially Thomas Mont
gomery, an Irishman by birth, who married an
English lady, and lived in the City of Dublin,
Ireland. He had three sons, named Alexander,
John and Richard, and a daughter, who was mar
ried to Viscount Ranelagh. Alexander was an
officer in the English army under Gen. Wolfe, in
the hard fought battle between Gen. Wolfe and
Gen. Montcalm on the Plains of Abraham, at the
city of Quebec, in Canada, North America, and
wherein both of the said generals fell mortally
wounded. Alexander, after his return to Ire
land, represented the County Donegal, in Ire
land, in the British Parliament for forty success
ive years. His brother John was a noted mer
chant in the city of Lisbon, Portugal, and died
there, while Richard, the third son, became an
officer in the 17th Regiment of the British army,
and was under Gen. Amherst at the taking of
Cape Breton, in North America, in the war be
tween France and England. In 1772 Richard
Montgomery came to New York, purchased a
farm at Kingsbridge, and in July, 1773, he mar
ried Janet Livingston, the daughter of Robert R.
Livingston. At the commencement of our Revo
lutionary war, Congress appointed Philip Schuy
ler major-general and Richard Montgomery brig
adier-general, at the special request of Gen.
Washington. Schuyler and Montgomery were
ordered to invade and conquer Canada, and
marched at the head of their forces for said pur-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

879

pose. Schuyler soon afterward became sick,
which then gave Montgomery the command of
the whole army, and he received his commission
as major-general before he attacked Quebec.
After making himself master of upper Canada,
he advanced against Quebec, where he waited
for reinforcements under the command of Gen.
Benedict Arnold, and while so waiting his army
was much reduced in number by the smallpox.
On Arnold's arrival, Montgomery ordered Arnold
to attack the upper part of Quebec, while he
himself (Montgomery) attacked the fortifications
of the lower part of the town. Montgomery and
his two aides-de-camp fell mortally wounded, in
front of his army, almost immediately on his
making the attack, and through the courtesy of
Gen. Carleton, of the British army, the body of
Montgomery was buried within the walls of the
city of Quebec, with the honors of war. His
body remained there for forty-three years, but
was then, in pursuance of a special Act of the
Legislature of New York, removed from Quebec
to the city of New York, and reburied, with a
suitable monument erected to his memory.
In 1737, Robert Montgomery, the head of
our subject's branch of the family, born about
1705, emigrated from the County Armagh in Ire
land, with his wife Sarah and his children, and
settled himself on or near the site of the present
city of Harrisburg, in Lancaster (now Dauphin)
county, Penn. He was one of the first grand
jurors of Dauphin county.
On October 15, 1776, he died, aged seventy-
one years, and was buried in the Paxton Church
cemetery, about three miles from Harrisburg,
and on October 15, 1784, Sarah Montgomery,
his wife, died, and was buried in the same place.
They left five sons: William, Thomas, Hugh,
David, and John; and three daughters — Mrs.
Duncan, of Duncan's Island; Mrs. Nathan Pat
ton, of Milton, and Mrs. Gallagher.
Our subject's great-grandfather was the fifth
son of the aforesaid Robert and Sarah Montgom
ery, was born in Ireland, and was only four years
of age when he came to America. He married,
as we have already seen, Christiana Foster, of
Lancaster county, Penn. About 1773 he ex
changed his improved farm in Dauphin county,
for a large tract of wild land, owned by William
Patterson, in Turbut township, in Northumber
land county, and soon afterward settled there on
that part which now forms the farm of the heirs
of Philip Raup, deceased. He built himself a
small dwelling-house, made of stout hickory sap
lings, near the spring, and surrounded his house
and spring with a stockade fence. He also built
himself a small log barn on the east side of his

house and spring. Said Patterson also owned
several other tracts of land adjoining, but
as he had valued this as being the best he
called it Paradise. On July 28, 1779, about
three hundred British and Indians attacked and
burned down " Fort Freeland" on the Warrior
Run creek about four miles from his home. On
his being informed of what was going on at Fort
Freeland, he made his escape with his wife and
children to Dauphin county, Penn., where he
rented a farm of John Harris, near the present
city of Harrisburg, until 1783, when peace with
Great Britain was declared; and he then returned
to Northumberland county. On arriving there
he found that the Indians had burned down all
his buildings, and that Capt. William Rice and
his forty German soldiers of Col. Lund Weltner's
" German Battalion," sent to our frontiers in the
fall of 1779, had built a nice two-story limestone
building that enclosed his spring. He then
made some alterations in and additions to said
spring house building, and used it as a dwelling
house. On November 8, 1792, he was killed at
the age of fifty-eight years, by a tree falling on
him while he was opening what was called "The
Derry Road," leading from the town of Milton
to Derry township, in Northumberland (now
Montour) county." His widow, Christiana, died
March 2, 1821, aged eighty years, and she and
her husband both lie buried in the old Chillis-
quaque graveyard. They had seven children as
follows: Robert, John, William, David, Jane,
Sarah, and Margaret.
Robert Montgomery, our subject's grand
father, was born in 1762. About the year 1790
he married Catherine Frick, a lady of German
descent, of the town of Northumberland, and
settled himself one mile east of grandfather's
homestead. Catherine died on the 9th of Sep
tember, 1805, aged thirty-eight years, four
months and five days, and was buried in the
Warrior Run graveyard. About the year 1808,
Robert married Mary Harrison, his second wife,
and died on the first of December, 18 14, aged
fifty-two years, and was buried in the Warrior
Run graveyard. Robert Montgomery by his first
wife, Catherine Frick, had two sons and four
daughters named: John, David, Margaret, Cath
erine, Christiana and Sarah.
Margaret Montgomery was born July 14,
1794, and on July 9, 1816, married James P.
Hunter. They at first lived a mile east of Para
dise homestead, and adjoining the farm of Judge
Montgomery, and afterward moved to the White
Deer Hole Valley, where Margaret died on Feb
ruary 28, 1880, aged eighty-five years, eight
months and twelve days, and was buried in the

880

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Washington Church graveyard, in said Valley.
James P. Hunter was born April 2, 1794, in
Northumberland county, and died December 18,
x875,aged eighty-one years, eight months and six
teen days. He was a miller and farmer in Gregg
township, Union county, for many years, locating
there in 1809. For fifty years he owned and
operated a pottery in the same township. He
was prominent in local affairs, holding various
offices, and in political affiliations was first a
Whig and later a Republican.. His wife was a
devout member of the Presbyterian Church.
They had eleven children: Robert, born April
14, 1817, died in i860; Isabel, born Septem
ber 19, 1 81 8, died August 9, 1888; David, born
April 10, 1820, died May 10, 1886; Edmund
Burk, born May 2, 1822, died March 15, 1846;
John is a grain merchant at Ashland, Penn. ;
Hugh D. , born September 11, 1826, died Janu
ary 22, 1885; James P., died in the town of Che-
halis, Wash., February 23, 1893; Henry F.,
mentioned more fully farther on; Thomas, a
plasterer, lives in Nebraska; Charles G. , born
July 15, 1835, died June 10, 1879; and Miss
Sarah resides upon a portion of the old Hunter
homestead at Spring Garden.
Henry Frick Hunter was born October 7,
1829, at the homestead in Gregg township,
Union county, which was then a part of Lycom
ing county. He attended the local schools during
boyhood, and remained at home until he reached
his majority, his time being largely spent in as
sisting his father on the farm and in the pottery.
At twenty-one he went to Iowa where he worked
at the potter's trade for two years, but he
decided that there was no place like home, and
returning he spent ten years with his father,
managing the farm in summer and working in the
pottery in winter. During the war he went to
Virginia where he was employed for two years,
by a sutler to give out provisions. Since return
ing to the North he has been engaged in farming,
and during a part of the time has also operated
a pottery. Having become the owner of his
father's plant he sold it in 1876, but in 1890 he
purchased another from the heirs of his brother
Hugh, and this he is still conducting. He has
never taken an active part in political affairs
although he is a believer in the principles of the
Republican party, and he has not at any time
been a member of a fraternal order. He is inter
ested in Church work, however, and is a member
of the Presbyterian Congregation at Spring
Garden. On January 1, 1879, he was married to Miss
Esther McKee, who was born January 13, 1834,
near Watsontown, Northumberland Co., Penn.

Her grandfather, Robert McKee, a native of Scot
land, crossed the ocean with a brother George,
and settled in Northumberland county, on a farm
where his remaining years were spent. His wife
Martha Wallace, was a native of Perry county,
Pennsylvania. Their son, George C. , Mrs. Hun
ter's father, was born in Northumberland county
and remained there following agricultural pur
suits. He was an active Republican, holding
various local offices, and is a member of the
Presbyterian Church. He married Miss Mary
Bennett, daughter of Joseph and Nancy (Wat
son) Bennett, both of whom were born and
reared at the present site of Watsontown, and
after their marriage settled there upon a farm.
Mrs. Hunter was the eldest of a family of eight
children. Of the others: James resides in Wat
sontown; Martha married her cousin, Robert Mc
Kee, now a retired farmer living at Watsontown;
Jane is the wife of Jacob Leisher, a farmer in
Northumberland county; Mary married S. F.
Gottshawl, a coach manufacturer at Williams
port, Penn. ; Miss Sarah resides with her brother;
Henry P. and George are both farmers in
Northumberland county.

^j«|FILLIAM CHRISTIAN GRETZINGER,-
WW Ph. B., was born in Reading, Penn.,
August 23, 1866, and comes from a vigorous
German ancestry who were among the first set
tlers in Berks county, Penn. His father was
John Christian Gretzinger, the only son of Chris
tian and Christianna Gretzinger, of Reading. His
grandmother, Christianna Gretzinger, was a
daughter of John Printz, an early settler of Read
ing. His mother was Amelia, daughter of Jere
miah and Henrietta Wentzel, the latter having
been a daughter of Henry and Mary Leinbach,
of Alsace township, Berks Co., Penn. Mary
Christianna, wife of Wilson Snyder, of Hyde
Park (Berhart's P. O.), Berks county, and Will
iam Christian Gretzinger, were the only children
of John C. and Amelia Gretzinger.
Mr. Gretzinger (oursubject) received his rud
imentary education in the public schools of
Reading, after leaving which he took a course in
the Reading Business College. Later, on he en
tered Carroll Institute, Reading, a preparatory
school for college, and while at that institution
he received a gold medal for deportment. After
finishing his course he started to read law, but
feeling the need of a more thorough preparation
for his chosen profession he took a course at
Perkiomen Seminary, from there entered Buck
nell University, and was graduated from that in
stitution with a first-class oration in the Latin

«^c-»-— •

Registrar of Bucknell University.

3! :C
::•

Mi!

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

881

Scientific Course with the class of 1889. Mr.
Gretzinger received the Chaplain J. J. Kane
prize, a gold watch, for the best graduating ora
tion, and also won the Junior Oratorical prize,
whilst in college.
During his college course Mr. Gretzinger was
always active and prominent in all the important
affairs of the University. In 1887 he founded
the Commencement News. He was also the prime
mover in founding L Agenda, in 1888, and be
came the business manager of that publication.
He was assistant manager for one year and busi
ness manager of the Bucknell Mirror for two
years, and served on the Board of Editors during
his Senior year.
In 1889, before his graduation, he was elected
Business Agent (now called Registrar) of Buck
nell University, which position he has held with
credit to himself and with honor to the institu
tion ever since. He has made the office what
it is to-day, having systematized the business
affairs of all the departments of the University
under one central office with perfect satisfaction.
On February 11, 1891, Mr. Gretzinger mar
ried Mary Adelaide Stoner, who graduated from
Bucknell Institute with the class of 1887, and
their marriage has been blessed by one daughter,
Margaret Christine. Mrs. Gretzinger is the eld
est daughter of William Bruce Stoner, M. D., of
Sunbury, and Margaret (Henderson) Stoner, of
Hummelstown. While in college Mr. Gretzinger spent his va
cations either in reading law or doing work for
city newspapers. For a time he was editor of
the Lewisburg Chronicle. He was also editor of
the Shield, the official organ of the Phi Kappa
Psi fraternity. Mr. Gretzinger has always been actively
identified with the interests of Lewisburg. He
is a member of the town council. He is also a
member of the Lewisburg Fire Department, and
of the I. O. O. F., Lodge No. 96. He has been
mentioned several times for political preferment
in the Republican party, but has steadfastly de
clined such honors. Besides his secular duties,
he still is able to devote time to religious mat
ters, being secretary of the board of trustees of
the Lewisburg Baptist Church, and secretary
of the Sunday-school.

WALTER FAMILY, which is now numer-
 ously represented in this section, has an
honorable reputation maintained through several
generations of upright and useful citizenship. In
the following address, read by Prof. F. C. Bow
ersox, of Middleburg, Snyder county, at a re-
56*

union of the Walter family held in September,
1 89 1, at Middleburg, we find such an interesting
and accurate account that we venture to insert it
in full: In seeking to go back, by the traces of recol
lection, to the period when the first impressions
of the pioneers which- from the history of the
Walter family were made on our minds, we are
carried so completely into the scenes of our in
fancy, that we feel like a child such as old tales
tell of, who being lost in a forest tries to find his
way back again by the possibly preserved track
of a few grains of corn that he chanced to scatter
on the ground as he came. To wander in these
memories has, however, a pleasure of its own,
many pleasant places presenting themselves to
stop at, from whence to review with a sweet sad
ness, through the long vale of past days, some
distant, lovely scene, under the soul-hallowed
twilight of time — such scenes are peopled with
beloved forms, living there before our heart's-eye;
but, in reality, long removed from us into an
eternal paradise. History, time's great chron
icler, breathes with ineffable delight the story of
man's advent into the world. Prophecy declares
that the seed of Abraham shall be as innumer
able as the stars of the firmanent, and the facts
prove that the posterity of Jacob Walter, in the
present census number hundreds of thousands,
and constitute the largest kindred in the United
States. Amid the ice-clad mountains of the kingdom
of Wurtemberg, Germany, diversified by the
picturesque scenery of the beautiful Rhine, Jacob
was born on the 15th day of January, 1729. Be
ing of poor but sturdy parentage, the boy soon
learned adversity's sternest lessons, and with a
noble aim and honest face, as his only recom
mendation, we, in fancy, see him leave the hum
ble home to launch out into the temptation and
trials of an active life as a tailor's apprentice,
content in his chosen occupation, unmindful of
his privations, courageous in his conduct, prepos
sessing in his appearance, he calmly passes from
his teens into the glorious morning of manhood's
estate. And while no vain ambition racks his
brain and destroys his future prospects, he hon
orably emulates the skill of his fellow-craftsmen,
inspiring their confidence and esteem and win
ning their warmest friendship. Laboring patient
ly on, he forms new associations, greets new
friends and while at some village gathering, or
in some humble hamlet, Apollo gently strikes the
golden Lyre, Cupid draws his bow, the arrow
hits the heart and Jacob Walter is deeply in love
with Maria Kauffman. I imagine a short court
ship follows, visions of a home fill his thoughts

882

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

by day and dreams of enduring happiness by
night. Proposals are made and accepted, and on
the 24th day of July, 1757, the happiest day in
his life, Jacob Walter and Maria Kauffman are
made one in wedded bliss. Continuing in his
trade, he works faithfully to maintain himself and
wife and to secure the long-desired home. But
ere that happy end is attained, a welcome little
visitor appears to gladden the heart of the father
arid grace the bosom of the mother. But how
quickly the picture of earthly opulence is
ruined, competition grows greater, the paltry
wages earned will scarcely meet the necessary
expenditures of his household. No open hand
of relief stands ready to help. Great sacrifices
must be made; poverty stares him in the face and
all seems desolation, when at last, a report,
properly authenticated, comes from England to
Germany declaring that in America are millions
of broad acres to be cultivated, and offering free
passage to all families who will go there. Being
suddenly seized with a burning desire to immi
grate to the New World, Jacob soon secured his
passports, agreed to pay his passage in a limited
time, and with family and portable possessions,
left the endearing scenes of childhood and youth
and set sail on Ocean's turbulent waves; after a
two-months' voyage they land at Philadelphia,
homeless, friendless, penniless and grief-stricken,
for far out in the depths of Atlantic's chilling bil
lows, lay the remains of what once was a father's
pride and a mother's comfort.
Leaving the din and bustle of the city behind
them, they pushed forward to the fertile acres
of Lancaster county. Settling there for a time,
they soon hear that richer fortunes lie to the
northward, and rather liking the adventure prom
ised in a prospecting journey, they accordingly
leave Lancaster county, then the western civili
zation, plunge deeper and deeper still into the
gloomy wilderness, never desponding, never com
plaining until the peaceful shades of a tall white
oak tree, standing on the property now possessed
by Isaac Swarm, was reached. Under its invit
ing foliage a small tent was erected, a home once
more established, and thousands of acres of land
secured under the homestead law then in force.
With his gun and axe, Jacob Walter provides for
his family. One giant after another kisses the
breeze for the last time, then falls at the stroke
of the axe, and is soon transformed into a rafter
to complete his newly erected log house. The
unerring aim of that trusty gun brings down the
fleet-footed deer, and the odor of the sweet veni
son steaks prepared in that humble home render
the air redolent with fragrance. Clearing acre
after acre, sowing seed after seed, he labored

from early morning till the shadows of evening
fell, and while vague yearnings of ambition may
fail as he grows older in years, and dreamy fan
cies hang like cloud cities around him, yet the
curtain of existence is slowing but surely rising
in many-colored splendor and gloom, and the
ethereal light of God's love is gilding his horizon,
and the music of song is on his path as he walks
in glory and in joy behind his plough upon the
mountain side.
Time rolled on. Twelve sons and two daugh
ters blessed his union with Maria Kauffman.
And, with the additional aid thus raised, he erect
ed the first linseed mill for the manufacture of
oil in this section of Pennsylvania. By judicious
management he was enabled to keep a small force
engaged in cutting down the mighty forest, burn
ing the timber, splitting rails, tilling the soil,
manufacturing the oil, while he still found a few
spare moments to follow his trade, that of mak
ing buckskin pantaloons.
With increased aid came greater wealth, and
after harvesting the grain and converting it into
cash, one autumn day he started for the village
of Reading, perhaps to remove the last and only
lien the government held on his thousands of
acres. It appears to me, as he mounted the
steed at the door of his humble home, while the
anxious family gathered round to press their sad
farewells, an earnest prayer went up to God to
protect those loved ones from hostile hand and
restore in safety to their sweet embrace their now
departing father. Recognizing the providence of
Almighty God in his signal delivery from Indians
and wild beasts, he resolves to commemorate his
safe return, and to enshrine his memory in the
hearts of his children by the presentation of a
large Bible, costing $10, to each of his ten liv
ing sons, so that, notwithstanding the absence of
schools, they may be taught the habit of well-
directed reading, which, in time, would become a
source of the greatest pleasure and self-improve
ment, and exercise a gentle coercion, with the
most beneficial results, over the whole tenor of
their character and nature.
With the destruction of the forests came the
glimmering rays of civilization. The country
began to be more thickly populated. Young
people became more sociable, because of more
frequent opportunities presenting themselves for
friendly intercourse with their neighbors. Plans
were laid, suggestions made, decisions determined,
and the conclusion attained is, that younger
shoulders must assume the cares and responsi
bilities of pioneer life. The storms and hurri
canes of many winters are rapidly revealing their
painful tale in the silver tresses of father'shead.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

883

That frame once so erect is now stooped and
bent. That step once so firm and elastic is now
feeble and tottering. Mother, too, has a few
more furrows engraved on that calm and noble
brow. Her cares and labors for so large a fam
ily are too distressing. She needs more aid to
lighten her burdens in the kitchen, at the wash
tub and in the garden. Father also desires to
lay off the responsibilities of the farm, to cease
from its active management, and to repose in his
declining years in comparative comfort and ease.
The manly sons, perceiving the fast approach
ing inevitable, determine to hasten the relief by
assuming the burdens and cares of the parents.
David, accordingly, speaks more affectionately to
Susanna Everhart; John and Joseph hasten with
lighter step to the Misses Kern; Philip pays
closer attention to Miss Bowersox; Henry gayly
climbs the wood-covered hills to the home of
Miss Mertz; Jeremiah finds the Pearl of the
Price's; Christian walks in living faith by the
side of Miss Swartz; Jacob follows the course of
the setting sun to Miss Lauver; and Michael ca
ressingly clings to Miss Varick. Not content
with the inroads already made in the Walter
family, affection led Daniel Hassinger to seek
the blushing Elizabeth, and Mr. Stroub the timid
Mary. With the greatest joy each wedding day
is announced, the nuptials in succession tied, the
parental blessing bestowed, the land divided, and
each son and daughter leave the home of so
many joys and sorrows to carry to a higher state
of cultivation his farm, which was the well-ap
pointed gift of the father, and there rear their
families in the beneficent atmosphere of personal
freedom. The pioneer fathers, perceiving the necessity
of greater educational facilities than those af
forded by the hearth and fireside, endeavored to
establish a school. I imagine the undertaking to
be no little difficulty since the children would be
compelled to travel several miles to any central
point among the few settlers. The idea was
abandoned for awhile, and an improvised school
held at a neighbor's house, but at last through
the generosity of one Simmons, a tract of land,
now owned by the Lutheran Church of the Gen
eral Council, commonly known as Hassinger's
Church, was devised for the erection thereon of
school and church buildings as well as for the
maintenance of the same. Probably, a good
school having been established for the following
season in some neighbor's house, the church
building was the first to materialize on the de
vised lands. Jacob W7alter, Mr. Hassinger and
Mr. Maurer constituted a committee to superin
tend building of the log church situated on the

exact site where the third (present) church now
stands. Mr. Walter, living with Christian, to
whose lot the old homestead fell, became obliv
ious to the duties of the farm and devoted the
whole of his attention to the Church enterprise.
Through unrelenting industry, the corner stone
was laid. One log after another finds its ap
pointed place upon the foundation. The sides
gradually rise toward the heavens. The Church
is completed, dedication day appointed, and one
fine autumnal day, gathering in from many miles
around, came a happy people, to dedicate to the
worship of the Triune God the noblest monu
ment of Christian evidence from Christian peo
ple. A fewmore years, and time, youth's great dis-
poiler, wreaks its vengeance into the emaciated
form of Father Walter. Standing on the outside
of his simple, unpretentious home, encircled with
meadow and field pure with the white mantle of
winter, he admiringly gazes for the last time at
the beautiful pine tree in the front yard, laden
with the fleecy flakes of snow and glistening like
a diamond as the rays of sunshine fall upon it.
Inside, was quiet, cleanliness, thrift and comfort.
I imagine there was the old clock that had wel
comed in steady measure every newcomer to the
family, that had ticked the solemn requiem of
the dead, and had kept company with the watch
ers at the bedside. There were the big restful
beds, and the old open fireplace, and the old
family Bible, thumbed with the fingers of hands
soon to be still and stained with the tears of eyes
soon to be closed, holding the simple annals of
the family, and the heart and the conscience of
the home. Christian, the master of the home,
now comes from the woods to his loved ones,
the aged and perhaps trembling father, happy in
the heart and home of his son, lays his hand down
on the young man's shoulder, as they start to
the house. And as they got to the door, the old
mother came with the sunset falling fair on her
face and lighting up her deep patient eyes, while
with lips .trembling with the rich music of her
heart, she bade her husband and her son wel
come to their home. Beyond was the house-wife
busy with her household cares clean of heart and
conscience, the buckler and helpmeet of her hus
band, trooping home after the cows, seeking, as
truant birds do, the quiet of their home nest.
And as we look on that picture, we see the night
come down on that house, falling gently as from
the wings of the unseen dove, and the old man,
while a startled bird called from the forest, and
the trees were shrill with the cricket's cry, and
the stars were swarming in the sky, gathered the
family around him, and taking the old Bible from

884

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

the table called them to their knees, while he
closed the record of that simple day by calling
down God's benediction on his absent sons and
daughters, on that family and that home. That
night the rider on the " Pale Horse," and in the
stillness of the morning hour, death broke the
thread of life, and on the 23rd day of January,
1803, the spirit of Jacob Walter left the tene
ment of earthly clay. His age was seventy-four
years and eighteen days. Weeping relatives and
friends gathered round. Preparations for the
funeral obsequies were made, and in a few days
all that was earthly of Jacob Walter was laid to
rest in Hassinger's cemetery. At the head of
that sacred tomb, loved ones soon raised the first
marble tablet in the cemetery, to perpetuate his
memory. At the foot, some kindly hand planted
an apple tree, whose spreading branches bending
with the load of golden fruit continue to magnify
the generous gifts of him who slumbers beneath
their peaceful shade.
The character of Jacob Walter was that of a
typical Christian German. His usefulness,
though confined to the humble spheres of life,
made bright the path of those who surrounded
him. His courage was as firm and steadfast as
the everlasting hills, and while his neighbors fled
for safety from savage attack, Mr. Walter trust
ing in Divine aid, manfully stood his ground. At
one time an alarm was circulated that the In
dians would massacre the whites in this section.
All the other settlers immediately left for the
fort at Northumberland, but Mr. Walter being
without a proper conveyance, and it' being in
harvest time, was unable to go, At this time he
had four grown sons. After the settlers left, two
of the boys were stationed to watch for Indians
and sound the alarm if necessary, while the father
and other two cut the grain. Upon the return
of the settlers, Mr. Walter and sons were threat
ened a second time with a more certain death,
since having escaped the tomahawk of the In
dian, they were open to the suspicion of the set
tlers, who seeing they had escaped from savage
brutality, believed that Mr. Walter had conspired
with the Indians, who permitted them to harvest
their grain while the neighbors were left desti
tute. Similar perils attended him for years, but
with fearless tread, he kept boldly on, surmount
ing every obstacle until, at the end of life, he was
able to write in glittering characters, " I have
fought the fight, I have kept the faith and I have
won the crown."
(1) David Walter (eldest son of Jacob) was
born July 15, 1764, died December 9, 1838,
aged seventy-seyen years, one month and twenty-
seven days. In youth he married Susanna Ever-

hart, and the union was blessed with ten children.
He lived on a farm where Phares Shambaca now
lives, and which originally comprised 500 acres
of land. David enlisted as a soldier in the Revo
lutionary war, and served faithfully in giving
decent burial to the victims of the famous
Wyoming Massacre.
(1) David Walter, Jr., was the proud father
of the following ten children: Willjelmina,
Elizabeth, Daniel D., Leah (who married Henry
Moyer), Catharine, Mrs. J. M. Jordan, Samuel
(living in Ohio), Lydia (who married John Deob-
ler), Amos and Eno.
(2) Philip (son of David, Sr.) was the happy
progenitor of the following ten children: Daniel
(who died while a soldier in the Civil war), Henry
(living in Indiana), Absalom and Solomon (who
settled in the West), Jacob (who died in the
Civil war), Abraham. Isaac, Joseph and Napo
leon (all living in the West), and Elizabeth.
(3) Frederick D. (son of David, Sr.) had the
following seven children: Wilhelmina (who mar
ried George Stahlnecker), Elizabeth (Mrs. Jacob
Bowersox), Catharine (Mrs. Solomon Walter),
Mary (Mrs. Samuel B. Walter), Enos, Reuben,
and Sarah (who married Henry Hackenberg).
(4) John D. (son of David, Sr.) had the fol
lowing eleven children: Fanny (who married
Uriah Berger), Washington (now in the West),
Catharine (who married John Reish), Susanna
(Mrs. Uriah Weirick), Moses (a minister, de
ceased), Lephinius (residing in Penn township),
Sophia (who married Reuben Steminger, and was.
the grandmother of the famous Steminger prod
igy), Harriet (who married Mr. Neff), Marietta
(wife of Jefferson Bowersox), Harrison, and
Henry. (5) Deitrich, commonly known "Deeter"
(son of David, Sr.), had but one child, who lived
to raise a family of his own, Ephraim, who at
present lives in Centreville.
(6) George (son of David, Sr.) was born May
7, 1809, died May 26, 1865, aged fifty-six years
and nineteen days. He had the following ten
children: Jacob G., William (in Indiana), Ame
lia (married Levi Bowersox), Jonathan (deceased),
Asaph (in Indiana), Elizabeth (married Berne-
ville Bowersox), Fred G, Catharine (living in
Michigan), Mary (married Adam Walter), Levi
(residing in Michigan).
(7) Simon (son of David, Sr.) had three sons:
Abraham, Samuel and Edward, and several
daughters. (8) Elizabeth (daughter of David, Sr.) mar
ried David Weirick, and moved to Ohio; no
children. (9) Catharine (daughter of David, Sr.) mar-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

885

ried Mathias Swartz, and settled in Juniata coun
ty; number of children unknown.
(\o) Maria ( daughter of David. Sr.) married
Christian Shamhacii*. bv whom she had twelve
children; Daniel (in Ohio), David, George,
Jesse, Polly (who married Reuben Snyder),
Isaac and Jacob (residing in Indiana), Elizabeth
(who married Benjamin Lose), John and Will
iam, Lydia (who married Reuben Fisher), and
Henry (who died in the Civil war).
(II) Henry Walter (son of Jacob, the pioneer
head of the family) was born June 13, 1772, near
Middleburg, and died May 12, 1840, aged sixty-
two years, ten months, twenty-nine days. He
married Miss Mertz, and their union was blessed
with nine children: Jesse, William, George,
Henry, Samuel, Abraham, David and John H.,
and Wilhelmina. Henry was in his latter days
a merchant, and resided where Gabriel Beaver
now lives in Middleburg. He died very suddenly
while feeding the chickens in the back yard.
(1) Jesse (eldest son of Henry) had the following
children — Mary (deceased), Rose (who married
Frank Lilly), Maggie (Mrs. S. S. Schoch), Jane
(Mrs. W. W. Wittenmeyer), and Frank (who is a
railroader in the West). (2) William had the
following four children — Jonathan, Judith, Kate,
and Joel. (3) George had the following six chil
dren — William, Mrs. Jonathan Frederick, Caleb,
Solomon. Thomas, and Bossier. (4) Henry, Jr. ,
had the following children — Catharine (who mar
ried Solomon Powell), Noah, Mary (who married
David Hummel), Levi, Elias, Mary (who married
Joseph Hoffman), Sarah (who married George
Bolig), and Elphina (Mrs. Jacob Wetzel). (5)
Samuel had the following two children — Sarah
(who married David Gross), and Barbara (who
married Allen Thomas). (6) Abraham had eight
children — Mary (who married Mr. Mensch) So
phia (Mrs. Aaron Klose), Harriet (Mrs. Jonathan
Sanders), Dr. Eyer, Thomas, Henry, Jackson
and John (all of whom live in Union county).
(7) David had nine children — Emanuel, James,
Valentine, Josephat, Longinius, Vitalius, Aaron
C, Wilhelmina, and Malinda. (8) John H. had
nine children — Samuel B., Adam B., Mary (who
married John Beachel), Leah (Mrs. John Hart
man), Paul, Catharine (Mrs. Nathaniel Walter),
Rachel (Mrs. Harry Bowersox), Phoebe (Mrs. J.
M. Bingaman), and Job. (9) Wilhelmina, daugh
ter of Henry, and youngest child of the above
family, married John Frey, by whom she had
children — Sophia (who married Jesse Shambach,
of Snyder county), and Magdalena (who married
John Bowersox, of Snyder county).
III. John (son of Jacob, the pioneer) was in
early youth married to Miss Kern, and was pre

sented with the farm where Maxwell Bowersox
now lives. He reared a family of five sons as fol
lows: John and Michael (both ministers), Ga
briel, Jonas and William. There were also sev
eral daughters.
IV. Philip (son of Jacob) married a Miss
Bowersox; he received as his share of the es
tate the farm where Nathaniel Walter now lives.
He has quite a number of children, but we have
the names of only: Andrew and Sophia. (1)
Andrew had the following children — Sophia (de
ceased), Hettie (who married Emanuel Walter),
Susanna (wife of Moses Frey), and Nathaniel.
(2) Sophia (daughter of Philip) married Jacob
Bowersox, by whom she had the following chil
dren — Elizabeth (who married Joel Lose), Levi,
Berneville, Harry, Jefferson, Edward and Amelia,
the majority of whom are now residing in Ohio,
(V) Jeremiah (son of Jacob) lived on a farm
now owned by Henry Hartman, northwest of
Middleburg. His union with Miss Price was
blessed with three children: Adam, Jeremiah (de
ceased), and Jacob (who moved to the West).
(1) Adam resided on the old homestead. His
children are — Jesse (who lives in Illinois), John,
Elizabeth (who married Amos Gift), Catharine
(Mrs. Jacob Eisenhower), Amelia (who married
William Shambach), Adam, Jeremiah, David, and
Mary (who married Henry Hackenberg),
(VI) Jacob (son of Jacob) married a Miss
Lauver, and shortly thereafter moved to Centre
county. He had a numerous family as follows:
Jonathan, William, Michael Conrad, Daniel,
Jacob, Martin, Benjamin, Peter, and several
daughters. After his death, his family returned
and settled in Centre township.
(VII) Conrad (son of Jacob) had two chil
dren : Jefferson and Catharine (the latter now
deceased). (VIII) Michael (son of Jacob) married Miss
Rearich, and lived for a time on a farm where
Daniel Benfer now lives. He had the following
children: Abraham, Elizabeth, and Mary. (1)
Abraham had five children — Aaron, Louisa (who
married Jacob Guinn), Edward (a resident of
Union county), Noah (deceased), and Amanda.
(IX) Joseph (son of Jacob) married Miss
Kern, and resided for some time on the farm now
owned by John W. Walter, but later he moved
to Selins Grove. He had the following chil
dren: Joseph, Deitrich, Abraham, Edward,
Catharine, Elizabeth, Susan, and Sophia. (1)
Deitrich had the following children-^Aaron (now
residing in Ohio), Joseph, John W. , Elizabeth (de
ceased), Edward (deceased), and Amanda (married
John Stathnecker). (2) Abraham had two
children — Aaron and Jane (both of whom are

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

now living at Corning, N. Y.). (3) Edward had
two children — Burdette and Flora. (4) Cath
arine married John Reitz, by whom she had the
following children — Amelia (who married Reuben
Decker), John, Mary (who married Simon Deck
er), Isaac, Edward, Susanna (who married Mr.
Wagner), and Catharine (who married Mr. Price),
the last two residing in Michigan. (5) Elizabeth
married Jacob Bolender, by whom she had the
following children — Eve (who married John W.
Remunger), Catharine (Mrs. P. ' S. Reigle),
Chas. A., and Emma (deceased). (6) Sophia
married Samuel Stouffer, by whom she had the
following children — Emma (deceased), Violetta
(who married Alex. Bowersox), Mary, and
Charles. (X) Christian (son of Jacob) married Miss
Swartz, and lived on the old homestead, and
there they reared the following children :
Christian, John, Jacob C. , Isaac, Catharine,
Sophia Judith, Mary, Amelia, and Malinda. (1)
Christian had the following children — Reuben,
Jacob F., Barbara (wife of S. H. Yoder), and
Sarah (wife of Robert Keeler). (2) John had
the following children — Cassandra (who married
Hiram Kantz), Fred (deceased), and Jane (who
married John Hilbish). (3) Jacob C, the only
surviving son*of this family, had the following
children — Serena (who married Reuben Boyer),
Ira (who now lives on the farm), and Adelia (who
married George Shaeffer). (4) Isaac had the
following children — Alfred, Emma (Mrs. Thomas
Hilbish), Thomas (deceased), Christian and
Amelia (who married Main Miller). (5) Judith
married Benjamin Wittenmeyer, by whom she
had the following children — Amanda, Mary (who
married Dan Crouse), John W. , Amelia (who
married L. M. Moatz), and Kate (who married
Dr. I. G. Barber). (6) Mary married Aaron
Stetler, by whom she had three daughters and
five sons — John F., Calvin, George F. , Henry
S., and one who died in infancy. (7) Malinda
married Jacob A. Smith, by whom she had the
following children: Savilla (who married Wil
liam Freyman), Henrietta (Mrs. Jacob Heintzle-
man), Rose (Mrs. Joseph Reihl), Ammon, Lilly,
Josepha (who married Nelson Gutelius), Izora,
Carrie (who married Thompson Hilbish), and
Alvin (the youngest of the fourth generation).
Doubtless from the many sources that in
formation has been obtained concerning this re
markable family there are still many persons
who claim the proud distinction of their connec
tion to the Walter family. We would say that
if any such there be, we have not purposely
omitted you, and shall be pleased to have you
notify us at your earliest opportunity. Suffice it

to say that the posterity of Jacob Walter now
numbers six generations, and from the seven
generations in this country we look in pride to
the sturdy yeomanry cultivating the fields of
Snyder, to the thrifty merchants behind the
counters, to the faithful operators at the electric
key, to the honest business men behind the desk,
and as we look, to-day, we hear coming from the
corn shocks of Illinois, from the machine shops
of Indiana, from the fertile sands of Michigan,
and from the rolling plains of Ohio, the generous
praises of sons and daughters proud in the name
"Walter." We will now trace the history of Longinus
Walter, a substantial citizen of Limestone
township, Union county, who is a great-grandson
of Jacob, the original settler, and a grandson of
Henry Walter. David H. Walter, his father,
was born about December 30, 1801, in Snyder
county, in what is now Franklin township, then
Centre. He learned the trade of a wagon maker
and wheelwright, but after following it some years
he engaged in agricultural pursuits in Union
township, Union county, where he purchased a
homestead in 1832. At one time he made his
home near Winfield, in Union township, Union
county. Prosperity rewarded his efforts, and at
his death, which occurred in Franklin township,
Snyder county, in 1864, at the age of sixty-three,
he left a handsome competence. He was a
member of the U. B. Church, and, in political
faith, was first a Whig, and later a Republican.
His wife, Catherine Phillips, who was born
March 17, 1807, died May 25, 1895. Of their
children mentioned above: Emanuel and James
P. both died in Limestone township. Valentine
is a resident of Centreville, Penn. Jemima
married Jacob H. Steininger, and died in Snyder
county. Longinus is mentioned more fully below.
Joseph resides in Middleburg, Snyder county.
Vitalis lives in Northumberland county, Penn.
Malinda married J. J. Steininger, and died at
Hartleton. Aaron C. lives near Centreville.
Longinus Walter was born in Snyder county,
December 1, 1838, and first attended school at
Middleburg. Except for certain times when he
worked for his brothers, he remained at home
until his marriage, on February 4, 1864, to Miss
Sophia Klose, then of Union county. She was
born in Beaver township, Snyder county, Novem
ber 4, 1837 (the daughter of Jacob and Leah
Hassinger Klose), and was but a child when her
parents settled in Limestone township, Union
county. After his marriage Mr. Walter and his
wife began housekeeping at Centreville, Snyder
county, but it was not long before he returned to

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

887

the homestead, of which he took charge for three
years, his father having died. In 1867 he pur
chased a portion of his father's estate, and has
since cultivated it. The tract comprises 106
acres, and is well improved, Mr. Walter having
built a handsome residence in 1893, while a new
barn and other buildings show liberal and wise
expenditure for the work of the farm.
Mr. and Mrs. Walter have had two children:
Ammon K, born January 12, 1865, now at home;
and Lewis E., born October 10, 1869, who is a
professor in the schools of Marietta. Since 1889
Mr. Walter and his wife have had in their 'family
a little girl, Nora E. Walter, who was born Feb
ruary 2, 1883.
The family attend the United Evangelical
Church, of which Mrs. Walter is a member, as
are also her sons. In politics Mr. Walter is a Re
publican, and he has held various local offices.
For many years he has served as assessor, and he
has also done much to improve the educational
facilities in his district while acting as school
director. He is regarded as one of the repre
sentative agriculturists of his locality, and as a
citizen he is highly respected for his intelligence
and his sterling character.

C\HARLES H. GUTELIUS, M. D. This
' patronymic has been a familiar one in Union
county from pioneer days, the family tracing its
descent from Frederick Gutelius, one of the first
settlers of Mifflinburg. He came from Lancas
ter county, Penn., in early manhood, and mar
ried a Miss Goodyear, by whom he had twelve chil
dren: Frederick, William, Israel, John, Henry,
Joseph, George, Andrew, Rev. Samuel, Eliza
beth, Catherine and Sarah. By profession he
was a druggist and surveyor.
Frederick Gutelius, had a brother, John Peter
Gutelius, who came over in the ship "Nancy,"
August 31, 1750, from Rotterdam, and is buried
at Manheim, Lancaster county. On his tomb
stone are inscribed these words: "Here lies an
eminent surgeon and physician." The name
Gutelius is proverbial as a Church-going people.
The old stock were mostly devoted members of
the Reformed Church, of which the Heidelberg
catechism was their symbol of faith. In poli
tics they were Old-line Whigs, strong protec
tionists, and lastly Republican; always standing
for loyalty for the flag of their country, no truer
patriots could be found.
The eldest of this large family was born in
Mifflinburg, in 1796, and on reaching manhood's
estate married Miss Lydia Crotzer, of Mifflin
burg. The occupation of Frederick Gutelius

was that of weaving fine linens and carpets. He
spent the most of his life in the town of Mifflin
burg, where he died in 1865. He was the father
of ten children: Thomas, William, John, Caro
line (now Mrs. Shriner), Catherine (now Mrs.
Faust), Jacob, Samuel, Charles H., and Joseph,
who was killed at the battle of Gettysburg; and
Miss Lydia, who resides at the old homestead.
Dr. Charles H. Gutelius was born in Mifflin
burg, November 18, 1836, and received his early
education in the public schools of that town; in
1862 he enlisted as a private soldier in Company
D, 150th P. V. I., the far-famed " Bucktail
Regiment," also his two brothers, Samuel and
Joseph, Samuel being appointed second lieuten
ant. The company was first detailed to guard
duty for President Lincoln at his summer resi
dence at the Soldiers' Home, about three miles
north of the city of Washington. Mrs. Lincoln
showed her appreciation of the boys by many
kind words and distribution of lunch which the
boys highly appreciated. The boys displayed
great courage and valor on the battle field. On
the first day of the battle of Gettysburg, Joseph
Gutelius was in command of the color-guard,
and during that dreadful struggle for supremacy
on that day, one after the other of color-bearers
being shot down, the duty devolved upon him to
bear aloft the stars and stripes; he, although
severely wounded, still clung to the flag of his
country. As the Rebels were driving them
through the town of Gettysburg he sat down upon
a doorstep weary and faint from loss of blood, and
was there bayoneted by a Rebel soldier, and
the flag taken from his body. Strange to say,
this same flag was found in the baggage of Jeffer
son Davis when he was captured, and is now in
the capitol at Harrisburg.
Dr. Charles H. Gutelius was discharged for
disability before the close of the war, and re
turned home. After he regained his health he
began the study of dentistry under the tutorship
of Drs. Harter and Swartz, of Centre coun
ty. In 1 87 1 he started for Denver, Colo., for
his health, and while there studied under Dr.
Mobery, an Englishman, who was a graduate of
both meditine and dentistry. Having spent two
years in Denver, Colo. , Dr. Gutelius returned to
Mifflinburg, Penn., the home of his birth, and
opened out an office, and although there were
two dentists in the town they soon decided to
leave the field. For about seventeen years he
was the only dentist in Mifflinburg, but of late
years he has been glad to turn over a portion of
his practice to younger hands, he only doing
some special work for old friends, as his health
will permit.

888

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Dr. Gutelius has been twice married, first to
Miss Lydia Motz, of Woodward, Centre county,
who died leaving one child, Elizabeth F. Gute
lius, now residing in Denver, Colo. ; she has
imbibed the fondness of travel from her mother
who crossed the Plains with an ox-team, and
invested largely in real estate in Denver City,
then in its infancy; within the last few years
the daughter has done the same. The Doctor's
present wife was formerly Miss Euphemia Mc
Kee, of New Bloomfield, Perry county, a de
scendant of a Scotch-Irish family, intelligent
and of most excellent standing, displaying great
musical ability, ex-Judge Barnett being an uncle,
while lawyers and doctors are related to it.

[ELANCTHON MENCH. Among the fine
old estates around which cluster the mem
ory of many years of unbroken family life is the
Mench homestead in Limestone township, Union
county, of which the subject of this biography is
now the owner. The family is descended from
Christian Mench, who came from Germany dur
ing the Colonial period, and settled in Berks
county, Pennsylvania.
Abram Mench, a son of Christian, and the
grandfather of our subject, was born in Berks
county, Penn., in 1768, and for many years was
engaged in business there as a farmer, merchant,
distiller, and hotel keeper. He was about five
feet, eight inches in height, and active in mind,
and body, his forceful character giving him much
influence among his associates. His hotel in
Berks county was headquarters for the home
militia, the battalions meeting there at regular
intervals. In 1818 he removed to Montour coun
ty, Penn., and purchased a farm near Danville,
and while the canal was in process of construction
near Catawissa he kept boarders. About 1825
he removed to another farm in Lewis township,
Union county, where he spent his remaining
years, his death occurring in i860. His first
wife, Elizabeth Miller, died in 1804, and in 1807
he married Hannah Yoder, of Berks county.
There were two children by the first marriage:
John, our subject's father, and Elizabeth, who
married Jacob Ziegler, and died at Danville.
Eight children were born of the second union,
five of whom are now deceased. Reuben died
near Hartleton, Penn.; Benjamin, at Mifflinburg;
Miss Sarah, in Lewis township, Union county;
Miss Lydia, in Union county; and Nancy (Mrs.
Samuel Steese), in Limestone township, Union
county; of the three survivors — Esther W., wife
of Michael Swartz, lives in Stephenson county,

111., and Christian and Abram are residents of
Lewis township, Union county, Pennsylvania.
John Mench, the father of our subject, was
born in Berks county, April 19, 1800, and had
the good fortune to receive an excellent educa
tion, which his acute and vigorous intellect fitted
him to appreciate. It so happened that a Ger
man in his father's employ was a man of rare
attainments, and gave him an early training after
the most approved kindergarten methods, later
instructing him in more advanced lines. Mr.,
Menchthus acquired a knowledge of the German
as well as of the English language, and while he
was known as a man of few words, he could,
when he chose, talk upon almost any subject.
He had an extraordinary memory, and as a
mathematician his abilities were remarkable, as
he could calculate mentally with rapidity and
accuracy. He was a powerful man physically,
although only five feet, eight inches tall, with an
average weight of 150 pounds, and unusual feats
of strength were performed by him at various
times. When a boy he clerked in a store at
Danville for Peter Baldy, Sr. ; but his time was
mainly spent at home. In 1823 he was married
near Paradise, Penn., to Miss Elizabeth Rishel,
who was born in Columbia county', February 27,
1807, the daughter of John and. Sarah (Egbert)
Rishel. He remained with his father until 1825,
and then located near Buffalo Cross Roads, Union
county, where his father-in-law owned a large
amount of land. The first farm that he ever
purchased is the one now occupied by our subject,
and there he built a residence prior to 1830, and
made his permanent home. He was a successful
farmer, and left a valuable inheritance to his
children as a result of his work. In local affairs
he had great influence, but he took no part in
politics farther than to vote the Democratic
ticket regularly. He and his wife were both
members of the Evangelical Church, and died in
that faith, the former on September 4, 1858, and
the latter July 14, 1870, their remains being in
terred at Mifflinburg. They had a large family
of children, of whom: John died at the age of
two years; Sarah J. (Mrs. Joseph Steese) at twen
ty-two years, and Hannah (Mrs. Daniel Reber)
at nineteen; Elizabeth, who was Daniel Reber's
second wife, died when. thirty-three years of age;
Isaiah, who died at twenty-six, married and left
four children; Mary A. died at thirteen years of
age; John R. will be fully spoken of farther on;
Jeremiah resides in Rockford, 111. ; Oliver P. is an
agriculturist in Limestone township, Union coun
ty; Elva (deceased) was the wife of William
Chambers, who will be more fully mentioned
presently; Abram H. will also be more fully

^

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

spoken of later on; Martin L. resides in Lime
stone township, Union county; Melancthon, our
subject, is the thirteenth in order of birth; Diana
A. is the wife of George A. Schoch, of Middle
burg, Pennsylvania.
Melancthon Mench, our subject, was born
March 28, 1849, at the old homestead. The
" Green Grove School," in the same neighbor
hood, furnished him an elementary education, his
first teacher being Jesse Miller. At seventeen
he entered the Union Seminary at New Berlin,
where he studied for two years, his active and
industrious habits enabling him to make unusual
progress in that time. Although this ended his
schooling, he did not consider his education com
pleted, and he has always been a diligent reader
of the best literature, giving especial attention to
science, history, and theology. His reading ex
tends beyond that of many professional men, and
his conversation is made interesting by his wide
information and thoughtful reflection.
On leaving school in August, 1868, Mr.
Mench decided to give his attention to mercan
tile pursuits, and soon afterward entered the gen
eral store of Reichardt & Miller, in Mifflinburg,
as a clerk at six dollars per month. Six months
later he became a partner under the firm name
of Reichardt & Mench, and continued until the
spring of, 1873 when he went back to the old
home to engage in farming. This was consid
ered a very unwise project by his acquaintances.
He was making a success as a merchant, and
knowing little or nothing of farming, it was by
no means certain that he would make it profit
able. However, other considerations prevailed.
The death of his mother left the estate in the
hands of the heirs, and as things then stood the
place would have been sold had Mr. Mench not
determined to retain it in the family on account
of early and almost sacred associations. He
bought the claims of the other heirs, going in
debt to the amount of $12,000, and by hard
work and good management he accomplished his
aim. The farm contains 240 acres of excellent
land, and is one of the best in the locality, its
buildings being kept in perfect repair, while con
stant improvements add to its value as time
passes. Mr. Mench is wide-awake and progress
ive, and in many ways is a leader, and is a nota
ble one in the adoption of modern methods of
agriculture. He lives well, having all the pleas
ures and luxuries that his means permit, and has
never held to the belief that undue self-denial will
advance one's interest, even in matters of finance.
Nor has his success been gained at the cost of integ
rity, for no man is more highly respected for
square dealing than he.

Mr. Mench has a pleasant home and an in
teresting family. On November 10, 1870, he
was married at Mifflinburg, to Miss Jennie B.
Graff, who was born in Clarion county, Penn.,
April 5, 185 1, the daughter of Jacob and Jane
(Steele) Graff. Her father died when she was
but a child, and her mother subsequently mar
ried Dr. William Reichardt, a man of noble char
acter, and one of the most successful and hon
ored physicians of the day. For thirty years he
practiced in Clarion county, and then removed
to Mifflinburg, where after some years of profes
sional work, he retired to await in peace the
summons to another world, his death occurring
November 10, 1893, when he was aged seventy-
eight years, six months and eight days. His
widow still resides in Mifflinburg. Mrs. Mench
received a good common-school education, at
tending the schools of her native county until
she was fourteen, when the family removed to
Mifflinburg, where she attended the Mifflinburg
Academy, and Mifflinburg Seminary, one year.
Mr. and Mrs. Mench have five children: (1)
Alice L. , born August 22, 1872, graduated in
1894 from Bucknell University, and then pursued
an advanced course in music at Philadelphia;
she is now the wife of Edgar E. Pawling, an at
torney at Middleburg, Penn. (2) William R.,
born March 6, 1879, (3) Graff A., born October
10, 1881, (4) James M., born July 9, 1883, and (5)
Janet S., born February 9, 1890, are all at home.
Our subject is an ardent believer in Repub
lican principles, and is one of the leading advis
ers in the local organization. He has at times
held office as township auditor, tax collector,
school director and secretary of the school board.
He is also prominent in religious work as a mem
ber of the M. E. Church, with which he united
in 1868 at Mifflinburg. His time and means
have been freely given to this cause, and since
November 3, 1883, he has done much effective
work as a license exhorter. He has been a class
leader of the Church at Mifflinburg, and is now
the recording steward and president of the board
of trustees, and for many years he was assistant
superintendent of the Sunday-school, in which
he is at present a teacher. It was in a measure
the result of his efforts that the Penn's Creek
Sunday-school was organized, and he has ever
since been its zealous supporter, for five years
serving as its superintendent.
Elva (our subject's sister), who married Will
iam Chambers, left one son, Rev. I. Mench
Chambers, who graduated from LaFayette Col
lege, and afterward entered Union Theological
Seminary, of New York City. In 1891 he en
tered the ministry of the Presbyterian Church,

890

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

located at Merchantville', N. J., where for six
consecutive years he has proven himself a most
efficient and successful pastor, many having been
added to the Church during his ministry.
John R. Mench, brother of Melancthon, at
the age of ten years entered the Mifflinburg
Academy, at that time under the supervision of
Henry McGuire (commonly known as "Bossy"
McGuire), and remained there one year. The
father of John R. was a shareholder in the
Union Seminary, New Berlin, Union county,
Penn. (now Central Pennsylvania College), and
preceiving some talent in his son, had the lad
attend this institution one year, after which John
R. taught in the common schools of Centre town
ship, Snyder county, two terms, and in Lime
stone township, Union county, one term. On
December 27, i860, he was married at Mifflin
burg, Penn., to Miss Susannah Hassenpley,
daughter of William and Susannah Hassenpley,
and six children have been born to this union,
viz. : (1) Ella V. is the wife of Henry Herman.
(2) J. W., living in Wyandot county, Ohio, near
Carey, was married to Ada Herman, of Lime
stone township, Union Co., Penn. (3) Elmer,
who acquired a good English education, and
taught school for more than six terms in Union
county, married Ida Harpster, of Hancock coun
ty, Ohio, where Elmer now lives on his beautiful
farm. (4) Lizzie M. married Warren Gross, of
New Berlin, Union Co., Penn., and is comfort
ably situated. (5) Susan Alice, a bright girl,
graduated from Hagerstown Seminary at the age
of twenty-two, and after a while made her home
with her uncle, Hon. Alfred G. Schoch, of Mid
dleburg, Snyder Co. , Penn. ; she died at the age
of twenty-four years. (6) Morris R. , the young
est in the family, graduated from the State
Normal at Lock Haven, Clinton Co., Penn.,
June 30, 1894, leaving a brilliant record with the
Faculty of that school. For four terms he taught
in the common schools of Union county, Penn.,
then in the spring of 1895 removed to Ohio, lo
cating at Tiffin, and entered the firm of Sucath
& Baker, dealers in carpets and lace curtains,
remaining with them, however, only part of one
year when he accepted the position of teller in
the Commercial Bank of Tiffin, which incum
bency he is at present filling. The mother of
this family was called from earth December 29,
1878, and was buried in Mifflinburg Cemetery,
the father being left with six children — no small
care upon his shoulders. On March 23, 1882,
he wedded Mary C, daughter of Benjamin and
Mary Noll, and to them have been born two
sons: Benjamin Clark and Harry Warren, both
at home with their parents.

John R. Mench ranks among the prominent
citizens of Limestone township, Union county,
where he owns a couple of highly-cultivated
farms. He lives abreast of the times, and keeps
himself well posted on current events. He is a
member of the-M. E. Church at Mifflinburg,
and is held in the highest esteem by the commu
nity in which he lives. As a debater and inter
esting conversationalist, it is safe to say he has
few equals, if any, in the State, his arguments, both
pro and con, in any controversy being delivered
forcibly and conclusively, and with a judgment
and delicacy characteristic of the man. His re
markable affection for his brother Melancthon
has been frequently noticed by their many
friends, in which respect it may be said that they
are " Fra tres veri" (true brothers.)
Abram H. Mench, a younger brother of our
subject, was a graduate of Williamsport Semi
nary in 1863, in September of which year he en
tered Dickinson College, graduating there with
honors in 1 867. He was a fine linguist, and could
read, speak or write in six languages. After his
graduation he taught in the Danville Academy
till deciding to take up the ministry as his life
vocation. For over six years he was a faithful
minister of the M. E. Church, when, his health
failing, he was compelled to retire from the
labors of the vineyard and seek restoration of his
strength in Colorado, at the Manitou Springs.
Death, however, had set his seal on him. Re
signed to his fate, and fully convinced that his
life was fast ebbing out, Abram returned to his
old home to die there at the early age of thirty-
three years. He now sleeps his last sleep in
Mifflinburg cemetery, but the memory of him is
still green in the hearts of his relatives and
friends.

r^EORGE BARTLEY BROWN, a highly es-
\g$ teemed resident of White Deer township,
Union county, is a man who at three score and
ten seems by his mental and physical vigor to set
old age at defiance. He is of good old Pennsyl
vania stock, his great-grandparents in both the
paternal and maternal lines having come from
Germany to settle in Schuylkill county, Penn., at
an early day. His paternal grandfather, Adam
Brown, a wealthy farmer and miller, married
Miss Uhlrick, and remained in the same county
all his life.
The late George Brown, our subject's father,
was born there, as was his wife, Sarah Bartley,
a daughter of Abraham and Dora (Huttenstein)
Bartley. Her grandfather Bartley was a native
of Germany. George and Sarah Brown were

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

891

married in Schuylkill county, but removed a few
years later, in 1839, to White Deer township,
Union county, and made their permanent home
upon a farm, where Mrs. Brown died in 1845, at
the age of forty-eight years. The father of our
subject attained the age of eighty years, passing
away in 1874, the remains of both being interred
in the cemetery at White Deer Church. He was
for many years an active worker in the Re
formed Church, and was also a leader in local
affairs, holding the office of supervisor.
He had a numerous family: Elizabeth died
before reaching womanhood; Catherine married
Israel Guyer, both now deceased; John J. is a
farmer of Kelly township, Union county; George,
our subject, is mentioned more fully below;
Sarah married Simon Bennage, a farmer of White
Deer township, Union county; Rebecca married
Daniel Moyer, both deceased; Mary A. married
Isaac Kurtz, both deceased; Elizabeth, second
wife of Daniel Moyer, survives him, and resides
in Buffalo township, Union county; and Adam
died in infancy.
George B. Brown was born in Schuylkill
county, February 8, 1827, and the first twenty-
three years of his life were spent with his parents,
assisting in the work of the farm.. On October
17, 1850, he was married to his first wife, Miss
Mary A. Dersham, and they made their home
upon the Dersham farm in White Deer township,
Union county, belonging to his mother-in-law.
He rented this for three years, but at the end of
that time he removed to William Brown's farm,
near Lewisburg, which he rented for four years,
his brother, John J. Brown, being in partnership
with him for three years. The next six years
were spent at the Dersham farm, and then our
subject and his brother John purchased a farm
in Buffalo Valley for $8,000. After one year
there they sold out to Peter Guyer at a profit of
$500, and removed to a rented farm in Kelly
township, where he spent one year. Since that
time he has resided at his present homestead,
which contains 120 acres, and was first bought
in partnership with U. P. Sheller, a banker, for
$8,000, but later, on the failure of Mr. Sheller,
Mr. Brown bought his half interest for $5,200.
Mr. Brown has never been away from home
longer than three weeks at any one time, and
until his retirement a few years ago, was noted
for his industry, his farm showing in all depart
ments the effects of his able management. As a
self-made man he may well feel proud of his
position among the substantial men of his
locality. In politics, our subject is an independent
voter, refusing to be bound irrevocably by parti

san ties, and he has never been a candidate for
office, his private affairs requiring his attention.
He belongs to the Grange of White Deer, No.
122, and is a leading member of the Reformed
Church. Although the need of his assistance at
home during his boyhood often deprived him of
the opportunity of attending the schools of that
time, such as they were, Mr. Brown has gained
a good practical education, reading both English
and German, and keeping informed on all ques
tions of general interest.
Mr. Brown has eleven living children and
twenty-five grandchildren. His first wife died July
6, 1 864, at the age of thirty-eight, and he formed a
second union, this time with Miss Sarah E. Yost,
daughter of Michael and Catherine (Fulmer)
Yost, of Bucks county, Penn. She passed to
the unseen world on April 12, 1883, in her forty-
ninth year, and Mr. Brown was married a third
time, the last time to Mrs. Sarah E. (Collier)
Bellman, widow of Samuel S. Bellman. There
were no children by the third marriage, but by
the first there were eight, the names with dates
of birth being as follows: Abraham, August
30, 1 85 1, married to Emma Stahl, is a farmer
near Lewisburg; William F., February 3, 1854,
married to Ella Moss, is a coach manufact
urer at Mifflinburg, Penn. ; Susannah, January
29, 1857, was married to William Ranck, a
farmer of Kelly township; Sarah E., August 23,
1858, was married to Rev. William Unangst, of
Davis, 111.; Mary J., August 31, i860, died in
infancy; Miss Catherine J., August 2, 1861, re
sides with her brother Abraham; John J., May
10, 1863, died August 24 of the same year; and
EmeliDe M., June 29, 1864, died July 13, fol
lowing. By the second marriage there were
seven children: James M., November 27, 1865,
married to Bertha Ritter, is a coach maker
at' Montgomery, Penn.; Paden S., January 6,
1867, died October 30, 1884; Irene B., February
26, 1868, was married to Alphus Koch, a farmer
of Lycoming county, Penn.; Sevilla C, March
1, 1870, was married to J. C. Baker, of White
Deer township, Union county; George A.,
April 6, 1 87 1, married to Emma Ranck, is a
farmer of Buffalo township, Union county; Miss
Eva D., February 28, 1878, resides with her sis
ter, Mrs. Irene Koch; and Cyrus W., April 9,
1883, resides with our subject.
Mrs. Brown was born in Perry county, Penn.,
January 20, 1843, the daughter of Nathan Col
lier, and the granddaughter of Nathaniel Collier,
a miller of Juniata county, Penn. , who was of
German descent. Her mother, whose maiden
was Susannah Ogle, was a daughter of John and
Martha (Beaty) Ogle, of Perry county, whose re-

892

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

mains now rest in the cemetery near Marysville,
Penn. Mrs. Brown's father was born in Juniata
and her mother in Perry, and were married in
Perry county, where their last years were spent
upon a farm. The father, who was born Febru
ary 7, 1807, died August 19, 1876, and the
mother, whose birth occurred November 19,
1827, died October 19, 1862, buried at Duncan-
non. Both were members of the Lutheran
Church, and were highly esteemed among their
acquaintances. Of their six children, Mrs. Brown
was .the eldest; John O. is a farmer of Perry
county; Zachariah, a car inspector, resides at
Marysville; Nathan A. died at the age of nineteen;
George W. , of Marysville, is a switchman by oc
cupation; and Mary J. is the wife of Amos Clen-
denon, a railway clerk at New Cumberland,
Pennsylvania. Mrs. Brown's first marriage occurred on May
14, 1863. Mr. Bellman was a native of Lycom
ing county, Penn., born April 26, 1837, and was
a son of Samuel and Catherine (Wise) Bellman,
of this State. By occupation he was a cooper.
Politically, his sympathies were with the Repub
lican party, while in religious faith he was a
Lutheran. He died March 23, 1881. Six chil
dren were born of this marriage, four of whom
are living, and Mrs. Brown now counts among
her descendants fifteen grandchildren. Of her
children, Harry C. , born July 24, 1864, is a lum
berman in Forest county, Penn.; Mary C, born
December 18, 1867, married Theodore Shaffer,
a railroad employee; Martin L., born August 8,
1870, died February 19, 1871; Lawrence C. ,
born February 20, 1872, died April 4, 1877;
Anna H., born July 21, 1875, married Clinton
Reed, a farmer of Union county; and Walter N.,
born February 6, 1877, resides at the homestead.

WILLIAM H. SPOTTS, a leading farmer
of Kelly township. Union county, has his
home at Kelly Cross Roads. By the manner in
which he carries on his business he evidences
that he thoroughly understands the vocation in
which he is engaged, and that success is attend
ing his efforts toward acquiring a competency.
Neatness and order prevail upon his place, which
is managed, with regard to its cultivation, in a
manner which reflects credit upon the owner.
Mr. Spotts was born in Kelly township, Sep
tember 3, 1843, and is a grandson of Joseph
Spotts, who was born in Berks county, Penn., in
1780, coming thence to Union county when
about thirty years of age. Here he spent the
remainder of his life, dying May 20, 1857, and
was buried in White Deer cemetery. By trade

he was a wagonmaker, but his later years were
devoted to farming.
Samuel Spotts, the father of our subject, was
born in Union county in February, 1810, and be
came a prominent agriculturist of Kelly town
ship, where he died July 26, 1868, his remains
also being interred in White Deer cemetery. In
religious faith he was a Lutheran. He married
Miss Esther, daughter of Samuel Yoder, of Ola,
Berks Co., Penn., and to them were born five
children, of whom our subject is the eldest. The
others were as follows: Joseph, a resident of
Buffalo township, Union county, wedded Miss
Mary Dersham, and has five children — three girls
and two boys: Anna A. is the wife of Howard
Lomison, a farmer of White Deer Valley,
Lycoming county, Penn. , by whom she has two
children — one son and one daughter. Rebecca
is the wife of John C. Noll, a prominent farmer
of Kelly township, Union county, and they have
one daughter. Samuel O., a farmer of Buffalo
township, is married to Clara Noll, of East Buf
falo township. Union Co., Penn., and has two
sons and one daughter.
William H. Spotts obtained his literary edu
cation in the Spotts school house, No. 3, it being
only a short distance from his father's house.
On February 26, 1863, he was united in marriage
with Miss Catherine Dersham, a daughter of
Frederick Dersham, a prosperous farmer of
Union county. Three children grace their union:
(1) Amelia H. is the wife of John E. Hunting
ton, an extensive shipper of produce, residing at
Vicksburg, Buffalo township, Union county; they
have two sons, Russell H. and Park W. (2)
Isora M. is the wife of J. L. Baker, a well-to-do
agriculturist of Buffalo township, and has two
daughters, M. Catharine and Florence E. (3)
William Blaine is at present attending school.
Not alone is there particular interest attach
ing to the career of our subject for what he has
done, but in reviewing his genealogical record we
find his lineage tracing back to the Colonial his
tory of the nation, and to that period which
marks the inception of the grandest republic the
world has ever known. He had two paternal
uncles in the Revolutionary war, and also one in
the Black Hawk war. In politics, Mr. Spotts is
a stanch Republican, and for nearly a quarter of
a century has served as justice of the peace,
being recently reelected for another term of five
years — so acceptable has his service been. He
has now in his possession five commissions as
such, from the Governors, as follows: John F.
Hartranft, 1875; Henry M. Hoyt, 1880; Robert
E. Pattison, 1885; James A. Beaver, 1890; and
Daniel H. Hastings, 1896. Socially, he has been

'&M/e>

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

893

a leading member of the Patriotic Order Sons of
America for four years; in religious faith he holds
membership with the Lutheran Church. By hits
neighbors he is held in high esteem, and is very
popular with all classes of citizens.

JOHN A. KELLY. This name recalls to
mind one of the noted characters in the
early history of otfr country, Col. John Kelly,
of Revolutionary fame. Born in February, 1744,
in Lancaster county, Penn. , this honored pioneer
was in the full vigor of manhood at the time
that the oppressed colonies resolved to throw off
the English yoke, and his quick intelligence and
dauntless courage brought him into prominence
from the first.
He had already established a home in the
wilderness in Buffalo Valley, then a part of
Northumberland county, having settled there
immediately after the purchase from the Indians
in 1768, and before the opening of the land
office in 1769. He was about six feet, two
inches in height, with a vigorous, muscular frame,
which easily endured the labors and hardships
of pioneer life. He took an active part in the
discussion of the wrongs of the colonists, which
led to the attempt at separation from the mother
country, and in 1776 was a member of the first
Constitutional Convention of the new State of
Pennsylvania. He had had considerable experi
ence as a member of the militia, and at twenty-
seven had been appointed major in that service,
and he was thus well prepared to assist in the
tremendous task that confronted the patriot
forces. The fall of 1 776 was a dark period.
The loss of Forts Washington and Lee with their
stores, and the defeat on Long Island, had
brought the hopes of the colonists low, but it was
at this critical juncture that the rally was made
to drive the British from New Jersey, the wrongs
of that colony being felt by others as their own.
A large force went from this State, Col. Kelly
being conspicuous among the number for his
ability. Of the brave deeds performed history
has a scanty but significant record, and to the
ordinary dangers of war there was added the
prospect of an ignominious death as a rebel,
belligerent rights not being acknowledged.
We quote from an address made on the oc
casion of the unveiling of a monument to Col.
Kelly on April 8, 1835: "For three days at a
time there was no regular service of provisions,
and for more than thirty-six hours, at another
time, they were constantly on the march, or in
action, without a moment's sleep or giving up
their arms. In the course of one of their re

treats, the commander-in-chief, through Col.
Potter, sent an order to Maj. Kelly to have a
certain bridge cut down to prevent the advance
of the British, who were then in sight. The Ma
jor sent for an axe, but represented that the enter
prise would be very hazardous. Still the British
advance must be stopped, and the order was not
withdrawn. He said he could not order another
to do what some might say he was afraid to do
himself; he would cut down the bridge. Before
all the logs on which the bridge lay were cut off,
he was completely within the range of the Brit
ish fire, and several balls struck the log on which
he stood. The last log broke down sooner than
he expected, and he fell with it into the swollen
stream. Our soldiers moved on, not believing
it possible for him to escape. He, however, by
great exertions, reached the shore through the
high water and the floating timber, and followed
the troops. Encumbered, as he must have been,
with his wet and frozen clothes, he, on his road,
made a prisoner of a British scout, an armed
soldier, and took him into camp. What did
Curtius do more than this? If such an instance
of devoted heroism had happened in Greece or
Rome, the day would have been distinguished
from all other days. A medal would have been
struck, and every means used to secure the ever
lasting remembrance of such a deed. In Eng
land such a man would have been made a. Knight
or a Lord, with the thanks of Parliament. In our
poor devoted land such instances were too com
mon to receive especial notice. History men
tions that our army was preserved by the de
struction of that bridge; but the manner in which
it was done, or the name of the person who did
it, is not mentioned. It was but one of a series
of heroic acts, which happened every day, and
our soldiers then were more familiar with the
sword than with the pen.
"Major Kelly was present at Trenton, when the
Hessians surrendered, and assisted in that most.
masterly movement on Princeton, by which the
chain of communications of the enemy was
broken, all their plans deranged and their army
compelled to return to New York. After his dis
charge he returned to his farm and family, and
during the three succeeding years the Indians
were troublesome neighbors to this then frontier
settlement. He became colonel of the regiment,,
and it was his duty to keep watch and ward
against the incursions of hostile Indians through
our mountain passes. At one time our people
were too weak to resist, and our whole beautiful
country was abandoned. Col. Kelly was among
the first to return — for at least two harvests
reapers took their rifles to the fields, and some of

894

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

the company watched while others wrought. Col.
Kelly had the principal command of the scouting
parties in this Valley, and very often he was out
in person. Many and many nights has he lain
among the limbs of a fallen tree to keep himself
out of the mud, without a fire, because a fire
would indicate his position to the enemy. He
had become well skilled in their mode of warfare.
One circumstance deserves particular notice: The
Indians seem to have resolved on his death, with
out choosing to attack him openly. One night
he had reason to apprehend that they were near.
He rose in the morning, and, by looking through
the crevices of his log house, he ascertained that
two, at least, if not more, were lying with their
arms, so as to shoot him when he should open
his door. He fixed his own rifle and took his
position so that by a string he could open the
door and watch the Indians. The moment he
pulled the door open two balls came into the
house, and the Indians rose to advance. He
fired and wounded one, and both retreated. After
waiting to satisfy himself that no others remained
he followed them by the blood, but they escaped.
"For many years Col. Kelly held the office of
a magistrate of the county. In the administra
tion of justice, he exhibited the same anxiety to
do right, and the same disregard of selfish gain,
which had characterized him in the military
service of the country. He would at 'any time
forgive his own fees, and if the parties were
poor, pay the constable's costs, to procure a
compromise; while, by industry and economy,
his own pecuniary circumstances were comforta
ble and easy, he seemed to desire the prosperity
of all men, and most anxiously to desire that all
neighbors should be friends. No man ever in
vain- sought his interposition to reconcile con
flicting interests, to soothe angry passions, to
stand, as the defender and protector of the poor
man, the widow, and the orphan. He obeyed
the injunction, ' be given to hospitality.' It is
true that so general is the hospitality of his
neighborhood that the want of it would be con
sidered a great vice; but in him it was a part of
the same character, indicating a freedom from
selfishness, an inability to enjoy fully God's
bounties alone; a feeling that a good thing is
rendered far more valuable by participation; and
a conviction that the diffusion of happiness is
not merely right in itself, but the source of great
joy to every well-regulated mind. Col. Kelly
was an affectionate husband, and a kind and
judicious father, as well as a friendly and hospit
able neighbor. He was a sincere and an exem
plary Christian, and adorned all his other virtues
by exhibiting a pattern of humility well worthy of

imitation. Having no anxieties who should be
greatest in the kingdom of Heaven, he had no
striving who should be greatest in the Church on
earth; his profession of religion was well sus
tained by his practice. He had that true char
acteristic of bravery, an indisposition to fight his
battles over again, and that feeling of humility,
that where a man has only done his duty, boast
ing has no place. It is in some measure owing
to this reserve that our notice of his life must be
so brief and so imperfect. He seemed not to
know that other men would have done differ
ently from him; but to believe that whatever dis
tinguished him from others, arose mainly from
the circumstances under which he acted. We
are of another generation, and his contempora
ries have either gone down to the grave, or
through lapse of time and failing faculties, are
unable to give particular details. From himself,
but a few gleanings from a life long and full of
incidents, have been obtained.
' ' His last end proved his character to be con
sistent. He met the grim messenger calmly;
' for he knew in whom he had trusted;' and he
could ' walk through the valley and shadow of
death, fearing no evil.' The frame was bent,
and the muscles relaxed; but the mind — the im
mortal mind — could not be obscured. It bright
ened more and more ' unto the perfect day. ' At
the age of eighty-eight years, he departed, leav
ing his memory to our care and his virtues for
our imitation. "
Col. Kelly married Sarah Polk, and reared a
numerous family, of whom our subject's father
was the youngest. The eldest son, John, who
settled in Penn's Valley, was the father of Hon.
James K. Kelly, U. S. Senator, of Portland,
Oregon; James also made his home in Penn's
Valley; William, who married a daughter of
Archibald Allison, of Centre county, died Janu
ary 27, 1830; Andrew, a bachelor, born 1783,
died September 24, 1867, aged eighty-four; Sam
uel settled in Armstrong county, Penn. ; Elizabeth
married Simeon Howe; Mary married John
Campbell, of Lewisburg; Robert died April 12,
1865, aged seventy-seven; and Joseph died
March 2, i860, aged sixty-six.
The late David H. Kelly, our subject's fa
ther, was born November 5, 1798, on the old
homestead in a house built by Col. Kelly before
the Revolutionary war. He was reared as a
farmer boy, his father's extensive estates afford
ing plenty of work for him as his strength devel
oped, and his education was obtained in the sub
scription schools of that time. His mind was of
a high order, and the limited instruction of his
early days was so supplemented by study and ob-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

895

servation that he became well-informed upon
general topics, and his opinions were held in
high respect by his associates. He was a stanch
Democrat in politics, and held every office in
Kelly township except that of justice of the
peace. In 1859 he was elected county commis
sioner. In religious matters he was also active,
adhering to the doctrines of the Reformed
Church and attending regularly the Union
Church at Mazeppa, in which he served many
years as an official. He followed farming exclu
sively, and although he owned a gristmill at Kel
ly Cross Roads he did not operate it. He was
six feet tall, and weighed 180 pounds, and his
robust and well-built frame enabled him to do
much hard work as well as to perform some not
able feats in hunting and fishing, of which sports
he was very fond. His home life was pleasant,
and he delighted in gathering about him a gay
company of neighbors for whom he would evoke
sweet strains from his violin, visitors often gath
ering at his house to dance an evening through.
His wife, Mary (Baker), to whom he was
married February 10, 1831, was born February
8, 1812, the daughter of Jacob and Catherine
(Rockey) Baker, and resided until her marriage
upon the same farm. Their first home was upon
an estate in Kelly township given to David Kelly
by his father, but in the spring of 1858 he bought
another farm in Buffalo township which was at
one time owned by Wendell Baker, a well-known
pioneer of Buffalo Valley. Both these farms
descended to the heirs together with a large tract
of mountain land. David Kelly died February
11, 1875, and was buried in Baker's cemetery,
where all the deceased members of the family
have been interred except his son, David S. Mrs.
David H. Kelly is still living, now in her eighty-
seventh year.
Our subject was the eldest in a large family
of children. Catherine R., born April 18, 1833,
married Dr. L. B. Meyers, of Fremont, Ohio,
who died December 24, 1896; Jacob B., born
September 6, 1834, died June 7, 1891, in Kelly
township; Sarah E., born June 14, 1836, is the
widow of Joseph Kleckner, of Buffalo township;
Robert H., born February 14, 1838, and died
November 26, i860, at Elmore, Ohio, was a
student of pharmacy; William W.; born Decem
ber 29, 1839, is a drusrgist at Ottawa, Ohio;
Mary A., born December 3, 1841, married J. S.
McCreight, of Lewisburg, Penn.; James B., born
June 28, 1844, died February 8, 1884, in Buffalo
township; Caroline E., born April 1, 1846, is the
widow of David Fredericks, of Pottsgrove,
Northumberland county; David S., born Decem
ber 21, 1847, was a merchant of Fremont, Ohio;

he died September 10, 1887, at San Jacinto,
Cal., while traveling for his health, and was
buried at Ottawa, Ohio; his widow, Mrs. Annie
(Hauk) Kelly, is living in that city; Jane E.,
born November 29, 1849, married j. W. Fred
erick, of Northumberland county; H. Brady,
born October 17, 185 1, resides in Buffalo town
ship; Clara M., born July 25, 1854, died April
22, 1856; a son, born February 27, 1858, died in
infancy. John A. Kelly first saw the light November
21, 1831, in Kelly township, Union county, and
now occupies the farm in Buffalo township upon
which his father spent his last years. He is an
excellent citizen, progressive and public-spirited,
and ranks among the substantial men of his lo
cality. Fond of reading, and possessing a keen
intellect, he is unusually conversant with current
topics. He began his education in the " Union
School " at Mazeppa in an old building near the
site of the present one, and his first teacher was
Miss Mary A. McClellan. After completing the
course of study offered there, he entered the
academy at Perrysville, Penn., where he pre
pared for teaching (on leaving that institution) a
school in Potter township, Centre county, at a
salary of $18.00 per month. The next seven
years he spent in teaching part of the time in St.
Clair county, 111., where he went in the spring of
1855. His summer vacations were mainly de
voted to selling implements. ' He remained in
Illinois until 1869, with occasional visits home,
and during the last three years he was superin
tendent of a brick yard in which he held a one-
third interest. While in this business he traveled
for about a year through the Western States,
and "took up a claim " in Nemaha county, Kans.,
which he still owns.
On returning to his native State Mr. Kelly
settled at his present home, and on September
27, 1870, he was married at Mifflinburg to Miss
Christina Kleckner, who was born February 3,
1839, in West Buffalo township, the daughter of
a well-known farmer, David Kleckner, and his
wife, Esther Wingert. Mrs. Kelly is a lady of
fine intellectual powers, and previous to her
marriage she taught successfully for seven years
in Union county, in West Buffalo and Lewis
townships. Three children have blessed this
union, viz.: David K, born July 22, 1876; An
drew J., born November 16, 1877; and Mary B.,
born December 7, 1879, all of whom are at
home. Mr. Kelly takes an active interest in local
affairs, and although one of the stanchest of
Democrats in a township which is strongly Re
publican, his popularity is so great that he has

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

been elected to office many times. He served
one year as supervisor, and is now in his eight
eenth year as school director. He is also active
in the work of the Reformed Church, in which he
has held the office of elder for twenty years, and
for some time was superintendent of the Sunday-
school. He has given much time and attention
to the work of the Grange, and is a leading
member of the flourishing branch known as
Buffalo Valley Grange, No. 520, at Buffalo
Cross Roads.

D

ROSSWELL ROTHROCK, M. D., a well-
known physician and pharmacist, is deserv
ing of especial mention in this volume, his career
showing that earnest, energetic pursuit of a wor
thy purpose which makes the lives of our self-
made men so helpful as object lessons, while his
name is entitled to be permanently associated,
not only with the industrial, but also with the
intellectual development of New Berlin, Union
county. Our subject comes of German ancestry, but
his family have been identified with Pennsylvania
since Colonial times. Joseph Rothrock, his
great-grandfather, was born in what is now Leb
anon county, Penn., of German parentage, and
in early manhood removed to Mifflin county, set
tling near Lewistown, where he followed farm
ing. He married (first) Nancy  , and (sec
ond) a Miss Sell. He was well known among
the early pioneers, and was a bishop in the Ger
man Baptist Church; in politics he was a Whig.
He had eight children, all by his first marriage:
John, Abraham, Isaac, Lizzie (who married Jon
athan Amich), Nancy (who married a Mr. Price),
Mary (who married a Mr. Hannavalt), Mrs. Jacob
Mohler and Mrs. Daniel Bashore.
Dr. Isaac Rothrock, our subject's grandfather,
was born at the old homestead near Lewistown,
November 22, 1798. At an early age he mani
fested a keen desire for knowledge, mathematics
and grammar being his favorite studies. His
fondness for intellectual work continued through
out his life, and even in old age he rejoiced to
find a difficult problem to solve. He began his
medical studies with Dr. Ezra Doty, of Mifflin,
Juniata Co., Penn., and afterward studied with
a well-known practitioner, Dr. Thomas Van Val
zah, of Lewisburg. Later he attended three
regular courses of lectures in Jefferson Medical
College, and although he did not graduate, he
was afterward given a complimentary diploma
by the Eclectic Medical College of Philadelphia.
He began his practice in Middleburg, with Dr.
Henry Lechner, but afterward moved to Mifflin

town, and then to Adamsburg, where he pur
chased property and resided until 1864. For
forty-five years he practiced medicine, his busi
ness extending over a large territory, but his last
years were spent in retirement at Adamsburg
among his beloved books. He was first a Whig,
later a Republican, and besides holding a number
of local offices, including that of school director,
he was elected in 1866 as a member of the House
of Representatives from the district composed of
Lycoming, Union and Snyder counties. He was
a devout member of the German Baptist Church,
and died in that faith June 8, 1872. He was
married four times. His first wife, Miss Snyder,
a niece of Gov. Snyder, died soon after their
marriage, and the only child of the union died
in infancy. His second wife was Miss Susan
Swenk, a native of Middleburg, and a daughter
of David Swenk, a well-known justice of the
peace. She died in June, 1852, leaving seven
children: Rosswell, who is mentioned more fully
below; Mary A., born December 28, 1832, who
married (first) David Heckendorn, the first su
perintendent of public schools of Union and Sny
der counties, and (second) Philip Derr, of Phila
delphia, since deceased; Isaac S., born May 22,
1835, graduated in dentistry in Chicago and Phil
adelphia, and now resides in Bannerville, Penn.,
having been for thirty -seven years an invalid from
spinal trouble, which also affected his eyes; Har
riet C, born May 11, 1837, is the widow of James
Herlacher, of Haven, Kans. ; David C. , born May
3, 1842, is a dentist in McClure, Penn.; Allen
E., born February 13, 185 1, is a tanner in Lew
istown. Dr. Isaac Rothrock's third wife was
Mrs. Lydia (Bowersox) Leonard, a widow. She
died in February, 1857, leaving one daughter,
Adda L. , born September 20, 1854, who mar
ried R. R. Long, of Gettysburg, Penn. By his
fourth wife, Angelina Wallace, a native of Mif
flintown, he had no issue. She died March 29,
1879, a fine Christian woman and great Sab
bath-school worker; she is interred at Adams
burg. Dr. Rosswell Rothrock, the father of our sub
ject, was born in Adamsburg, October 14, 1831,
and was reared there, his school privileges being
such as were common in those days. However,
he taught a few terms of a public school in the
vicinity of Adamsburg, reading medicine and
teaching, etc., until he entered Jefferson Medical
College, where he^graduated in 1 8 5 1 , when barely
twenty years old. He remained in active prac
tice from the time of his graduation until his
death on March 1, 1897 — a period of nearly forty-
six years — and at that time he was the oldest .
practitioner in Snyder county. He first located

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

897

at Adamsburg, but from 1853 to 1855 he prac
ticed at Millville, Clarion Co., Penn. He then
went to Beavertown, Snyder county, and in i860
he removed to New Bethlehem, Clarion county.
On August 29, 1861, he became the surgeon of
Company C, 78th P. V. I., and went to the seat
of war. He was taken prisoner at the battle of
Chickamauga, and with eleven others of the reg
iment marched across Lookout Mountain to Ring
gold, where they were placed on board a train.
Their destination proved to be Richmond, Va.,
where they spent one month in Libby Prison. At
the end of that time the Doctor and 125 others
were marched off in the night and placed on
Belle Isle or "Devil's Den," where he remained
until February 22, 1862. Their next change
came again at night, they being taken, this time,
to the Pemberton buildings, where they were
put on board a train and sent to Andersonville,
Ga. There they found thirty-five thousand other
prisoners, and they were obliged to endure all
the horrors of the place until September 5, 1862,
when the Doctor was sent along with a body of
two thousand fellow prisoners to Savannah. Six
weeks later he had orders from the Rebel author
ities to gather up all the men who could stand
transportation and board a train. They had no
idea what this command meant, and their desti
nation was equally a mystery; but after a week's
ride, interspersed with numerous delays, they
reached Millen, Ga. , where a new stockade had
been built. Not long afterward the welcome
news came that ten thousand prisoners would be
exchanged, and the Doctor was one of the first
six hundred to be sent north, the journey being
made by way of Annapolis, Md. He rejoined
his family, then residing in Clarion county, Penn. ,
and on November 27, 1864, he was honorably
discharged from service. In 1866 he located at
Bannerville, Snyder county, and in the spring of
1879 he established himself in practice at Middle
burg, for the purpose of educating his children,
as there were better schools, etc. , at that place,
but in 1884 he located permanently at McClure,
Penn. , where he practiced until his final sickness
interrupted his work. His intuitive sagacity,
sharpened by long experience, placed him in the
foremost ranks of his profession. To all his
patients he was the same, flying with alacrity to
every call, attending upon the poor and humble
as zealously as upon the rich and powerful, and
on the stranger as readily as upon the neighbor.
Often he discharged the duties of a nurse as well
as those of a physician, being wholly regardless
of his own interests and even of his own health,
such was his zeal to serve and save others.
As a citizen he was held in the highest
57*

esteem. While he was never a politician, he
was an ardent supporter of the Republican party.
In religious work he was prominent as a member
of Christ Church (Evangelical) at McClure,
Penn., for some years previous to his death. He
was a member of Capt. M. Smith Post No. 355,
G. A. R., and of McClure Lodge No. 770, I. O.
O. F. , in which he was Right Supporter to the
Vice Grand in 1896. At his own request the G.
A. R. took charge of his funeral (which occurred
at McClure), assisted by the I. O. O. F. He
had been especially active in the work of this
Post, having served one year as commander of
same and ten years as surgeon.
On August 4, 1853, he was married at New
Bethlehem, Penn., to Miss Catherine Mohney,
who survives him, and is now a highly-respected
resident of McClure. She was born April 25,
1835, at New Bethlehem, where her early life
was spent. Her parents, Frederick and Mary
(Caster) Mohney, were both born in Northamp
ton county, Penn., of Dutch ancestry. Both
were consistent members of the German Re
formed Church, and their remains now rest in
Oak Ridge cemetery, in Clarion county. Her
father was a well-known Democrat of his time,
and was highly respected as a citizen because of
his kindness and generosity. He had the follow
ing children: David (a Democratic politician,
and justice of the peace for years), born Febru
ary 16, 1825, married Elizabeth Imhoff, and re
sides at New Bethlehem; Elizabeth, born April
21, 1827, married Jacob Yeaney, of Shenandoah,
Penn.; Jeremiah, born November 26, 1833, marr
ried Lizzie Shawber, resided in Lillyville, Penn.,
and died November 29, 1896; Catherine, our
subject's mother, was the fourth in order of birth;
Sophia, born December 25, 1837, married Chris
topher Yeaney, of Shenandoah, Penn. ; Mary E.,
born March 5, 1842, is the wife of Daniel C.
Eyster, ex-sheriff, banker and lumberman, of
Ridgway, Penn. ; Christina, born August 20, '
1845, is tne wi*e °f Jonn L- Cribb, ex-legislator
of Clarion county, 1892, of New Bethlehem; and
Matthias, born May 6, 1850, married Elizabeth
-McClellan, and is a plasterer and contractor at
Reynoldsville. Penn. Dr. Rosswell Rothrock
and his wife had five children, namely: Marand
is a practicing physician at Fremont, Penn. ;
James B. is a plasterer and an extensive contrac
tor in Swineford, Penn. ; Clara married Edward
Knapp, who has been a carpenter on the Lewis-
town & Sunbury railroad for years, with resi
dence at Lewistown; Mary E. is the wife of
Charles Decker, a farmer of McClure, Penn. ;
Dr. D. Rosswell is the youngest in the family.
We will now return to the subject proper of

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

this sketch, who was born December 28, 1861,
at New Bethlehem, Clarion county, Penn. When
he was four years old his parents removed to
Bannerville, where his youth was spent, five
months of each year being given to study in the
public schools. His independent nature asserted
itself very early in life, and from the age of thir
teen he earned his own clothes. On April 3,
1879, the family removed to Middleburg, but he
did not long remain at home after that as on
April 8, following, he and his brother, James B.,
went to the vicinity of Elkhart, Ind. , where our
subject was employed during the summer upon a
dairy farm, at from twelve to fifteen dollars per
month. In October, 1879, he returned home at
his father's request, in order to attend school
during the winter, and in the fall of 1880 he was
licensed to teach. During the summer of 1880
he attended the Selins Grove Normal Institute,
conducted by Prof. William Noetling, county
superintendent. In the following winter he took
charge of a school in Franklin township, Snyder
county, at twenty dollars per month. In 1881
he took a course in the academy at Freeburg,
and during the next winter he taught the Win
field school in Hartley township, Union county,
for thirty-five dollars per month. In 1882 he at
tended the Freeburg Academy again, and in the
same year he taught a primary school at that
place. His summers were spent in any labor
that would bring him in funds to prosecute his
studies, as his one ambition was to secure a good
education. In the spring of 1882 he passed the
examination before the Snyder County Board of
Medical Examiners, composed of Drs. H. H.
Bordner, H. M. Nipple, and J. Y. Shindle, se
curing a certificate of competency to read medi
cine. From that time his spare moments
were spent in reading medicine, under his
father as preceptor, at the same time teach
ing school. In the winter of 1882-83 he taught
the first term of school ever held in the
new brick school house in Franklin township,
north of Middleburg, Snyder county, and in the
fall of 1883 be entered the College of Physicians
and Surgeons at Baltimore, Md. On his return
home, March, 1884, he spent the summer in
working in the harvest field and in other employ
ments as well As reading medicine, and, as his
father removed to McClure in that year, he prac
ticed for a short time with him, under his pre-
ceptorship. In the fall of 1884 he entered the
Medical Department of Baltimore University
School of Medicine, and in the following year he
was graduated with the highest honors, receiving
a beautiful gold medal as a reward for his pro
ficiency in his studies. His only difficulty dur

ing his college course was caused by the scarcity
of funds, and after his graduation his money was
so nearly exhausted that he had no money to
pay his fare to Selins Grove Junction, so had to
sell a few of his text books for that purpose. He
was rowed across the Susquehanna river, in a
boat, to Selins Grove, arriving penniless, at five
o'clock one cold morning. Breakfast was out of
the question, and he set out on foot through the
snow for Fremont, ten miles distant, his precious
diploma being carried under his arm, and gold
medal in his pocket. At Fremont he found his
brother, Dr. Marand, who supplied him with
sufficient money to take him home; but this our
subject decided to save, and the rest of the
journey, some twenty-two miles, was accordingly
made on foot.
On April 2, 1885, he located at Three
Springs, Huntingdon Co. , Penn. , where he pur
chased, on a year's time, a stock of drugs, a
horse, and certain accessories of a doctor's
office, from Dr. John B. Ollig. When he reached
his new home he had but thirty-one cents in
cash; but fortune smiled upon him and he read
ily secured a paying practice. In the meantime
his brother Marand met with an accident, and
October 10, 1886, our subject went to Fremont,
to take charge of his practice, which was very
large. There he remained until February 14,
1887, when he established an office at New Ber
lin, Penn., where he has ever since followed his
profession with well-merited success. In 1888
he opened a large drug store, which 'he has con
ducted in connection with his practice with grat
ifying success. In accordance with the Act of
May 24, 1887, of the Pennsylvania Legislature,
relating to pharmacists, he was examined by the
State Pharmaceutical Board in the Senate
Chamber, Harrisburg, on April 11, 1888, and
his examination having proved successful he was
given a diploma as a registered pharmacist. In
February, 1 894, he placed on the market a line
of proprietary medicines, which now find their
way into homes throughout the United States.
In June, 1892, the Faculty of Freeburg Academy
(which had just been chartered) presented him
with a diploma such as that institution has
always given to those among its students who
enter one of the learned professions. Dr. Roth
rock is energetic, and public-spirited, and his ge
nial manners make him a general favorite. His
influence as a citizen is marked, and is always
exerted on the side of progress. He owns a
home and business block in New Berlin, also five
acres of land near town, and since taking posses
sion of the property has made many improve
ments and additions.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

899

In September, 1897, the Doctor, prompted
by a spirit of enterprise and love for the little
town of his adoption, also with a view to provid
ing employment for the young folks of the place,
rented, in partnership with Prof. A. M. Wonder,
a suitable building, bought knitting machinery,
together with engine, boiler, etc., in fact every
thing pertaining to a perfect plant of that descrip
tion, and in a short time the village and vicinity saw
with pleasure, and something akin to wonder, in
some cases (it is said) even with envy, the smoke
and steam of the first enterprise that ever made
its appearance in these parts. So great was the
novelty that the people flocked from all quarters
to see a stocking knit by steam and machine.
The factory manufactures men's half hose, and
in six weeks from the time of starting up the
product was increased to sixty dozen pairs of
hose per day, employment being given to thirty-
two people, which means an average of $300 per
month for New Berlin, the citizens whereof are
proud to have among them such an enterprising
and go-ahead citizen as Dr. Rothrock, the pro
genitor and life and soul of the knitting factory.
May his shadow never grow less!
On June 16, 1885, Dr. D. Rosswell Rothrock
was married at Centreville, Snyder county, to
Miss Ella Walter, a native of Limestone town
ship, Union county, born February 3, 1863, second
in the family of four daughters of Valentine and
Susannah (Shaffer) Walter, the former of whom is
a well-to-do retired merchant. When she was a
child her parents removed to Snyder county, and
she was reared in the town of Centreville; subse
quently she became an experienced public school
teacher, teaching seven terms in all. Two chil
dren grace the home of Dr. and Mrs. Rothrock:
Walter R., born January 8, 1887; and Helen
Katherine, born August 4, 1894.
Politically our subject is a leading Repub
lican, manifesting a keen interest in the success
of his party. Before he had resided in New
Berlin a year he was elected to the office of chief
burgess of the place, and he has also served as
school director and treasurer of the school board.
Socially he is prominently identified with the I. O.
0. F. at New Berlin, and has filled all the impor
tant chairs therein; in 1895 ne was elected district
deputy of Union county, and in May, 1897, he
was sent as a representative of the Grand Lodge,
which convened at Williamsport, Penn. In re
ligious faith Dr. and Mrs. Rothrock are active
members of the Lutheran Church at New Ber
lin, of which he is deacon and treasurer, and
none enjoy to a greater degree the respect and
the esteem of the communitv in which they
live.

fPV\EORGE WASHINGTON SHOWERS, an
^Ljf agriculturist of note residing upon a fine es
tate near West Milton, is descended from two
of the well-known pioneer families of Union
county, whose history contains much that is of
general interest. On the paternal side the first
ancestor of whom we have record is Michael
Showers, who was born in Berks county, and
was by occupation a farmer. He died at about
eighty years of age.
Christian Showers (son of Michael), the grand
father of our subject, was born September 5,
1779, in Union county, and died in the Nippe
nose Valley, Clinton Co., Penn., February 10,
1865, aged eighty-five years, five months and
five days. His wife, Margaret Markel, also at
tained a good old age, and both were buried in
the Nippenose Valley, their occupation being
farming until well advanced in years; then they
lived retired until they passed away at the old
homestead. Their son Samuel, our subject's father, was a
native of Snyder county, Penn., born August 4,
18 14, and in early life began farming in a small
way in Clinton county, in the Nippenose Valley,
but in 1854 he moved to Union county and set
tled upon the farm now occupied by our subject.
He acquired a fine estate, and at his death, which
occurred January 18, 1894, he owned several
farms as well as other property. Politically he
was a Republican, and in religion he adhered to
the Lutheran faith. He married Sarah Hoffman,
who was born in Union county August 23, 1806,
and died October 16, 1889, aged eighty-three
years. Her family has been identified with Union
county from an early day, having come from
Lebanon county, Penn,, to settle there before
the division of Northumberland county, which
resulted in the present county organization. Jost
Hoffman, her grandfather, purchased the farm
of 291 acres, upon which our subject now re
sides, the deed, which is now in Mr. Showers'
possession, being dated November 27, 1793.
John Hoffman, the son of this old pioneer, and
the father of Mrs. Showers, was born in Leba
non county March 16, 1767, and the greater part
of his life was spent in farming in White Deer
township, Union county, where his death oc
curred July 26, 1840, his remains being buried in
White Deer graveyard. His wife, Catherine
Baker, who was born in Lebanon county Octo
ber 13, 1765, survived him, passing away Feb
ruary 25, 1851.
George W. Showers was the first born of
three children, and is now the only survivor.
John died at the present homestead, April 25,
1870, and Samuel died in Nippenose Valley,

900

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Clinton county. Our subject was born Decem
ber 26, 1842, at the old home in Clinton county,
and being trained to farm management in his
youth was prepared to take charge of the home
stead when his father retired from business in
April, 1867, and removed to near New Columbia.
Since that time Mr. Showers has continued to
reside at the farm with the exception of one year,
1869-70, which he spent on an adjoining estate.
Genial and clever, he has hosts of friends, but al
though he has had much influence in local affairs
and is a leading Republican, he has never sought
or held office. Until 1 895 he was an active mem
ber and master of the Grange, and he takes keen
interest in all public questions.
On January 1, 1867, Mr. Showers was mar
ried at Lewisburg, by Rev. Mr. Evans, to Miss
Sarah E. Geyer, a native of White Deer town
ship, Union county, born June 28, 1844. Nine
children have blessed this union, the names with
dates of birth being as follows: William H.,
April 9, 1868, residing upon the farm adjoining
the homestead, married Miss Edith Criswell, and
has had two children — Russell H. and William
L. ; Ellen J., June 3, 1869, died August 30, of
the following year; Norman J., November 8,
1870; Laura C., December 25, 1871; George
W., Jr., September 25, 1873; Sarah E. , Decem
ber 19, 1874; John, April 24, 1876, and Frank
lin, July 26, 1877, are all at home; and Alice M.,
born August 9, 1885, lived only two brief years,
passing away August 8, 1887.
The Geyer family came to this section from
Reading, Penn. , and Mrs. Showers' paternal
grandfather, Adam Geyer, a prosperous mill
wright, died in Union county, his last years be
ing spent in freedom from business cares. He
was buried in White Deer cemetery, but his wife,
•Susannah Garrett, was interred in St. Joseph
county, Mich. Their son Israel, the father of
Mrs. Showers, was born* at Reading, July 10,
1822, but came in early manhood to White Deer
township, where he became a prominent farmer
and a leader in local affairs, being elected to va
rious township offices, and taking an influential
part in the Republican organization. He was
married in White Deer township, Union county,
to Miss Catherine Brown, who had accompanied
her parents, George and Sarah (Bartlett) Brown,
from Schuylkill county, Penn., their native place,
to a new home in that township. Israel Geyer
died March 10, 1875, and his wife passed away
in the sixtieth year of her age on March 29, 1882.
The former had been a Lutheran in faith in his
youth, while the latter adhered to the Reformed
Church, but some years before their death they
united with the Evangelical Church.

Of their numerous family of children, Mrs.
Showers is the eldest; John G. , Adam and
James are well-known agriculturists in White
Deer township, Union county; Susannah married
Reuben Zimmerman, of Buffalo Cross Roads,
now supervisor of his township; Mary C. died at
the age of four years; William C. is a successful
farmer in White Deer township; Rebecca died
when only fifteen months old; Ellen J. married
Josiah Yerger, a farmer in Montgomery county,
Penn. ; Samuel B. resides upon a farm in Kelly
township, Union county; Anna L. married Frank
Gemberling, a farmer in Atchison county, Kans.;
and Eliza A. is the wife of Howard North, who
is also engaged in farming in that county.

RS. MARIA MILLER (deceased), formerly
JKL of West Buffalo township, was a lady of
large business capacity and marked intelligence,
and was distinguished in the records of Union
county for her straightforward and womanly
course, no less than for the tact and energy she
employed in her business affairs after her hus
band's death.
A daughter of John C. and Anna M. (Ben-
zinger) Kaup, Mrs. Miller was born April 16,
1826, in West Buffalo township, on the old an
cestral home of the Kaup family, where she
resided at the time of her death, the property at
the death of her parents, having been purchased
by her husband. Her father was born in Berks
county, Penn., in 1775, and, in 181 5 came to
Union county with his young wife, locating on
the place now owned by our subject. The land
at that time was covered with a heavy growth of
timber, which he cleared away, and in the midst
of the wilderness developed a fine farm, devoting
his time and attention to its cultivation and im
provement until called from this life in 185 1.
His widow, who long survived him, died in 1872,
at the advanced age of eighty-nine years, arid
they now sleep side by side in the Mifflinburg
cemetery. She was a daughter of Frederick
Benzinger. Upon the home farm, Mrs. Miller was reared,
remaining with her parents until twenty-four
years of age, when, in 1850, she gave her hand
in marriage to Jacob Miller, a popular young
farmer of West Buffalo township. They became
the parents of four children, but with the ex
ception of one all died in infancy. Mary, who
grew to maturity, is now the wife of P. L. Id
dings, a prosperous agriculturist of West Buffalo
township, and they have the following children:
Maria B., Jacob R., Nora B., Charles, William
C, Margaret D., Pearl E., Lewis A., Mary J- ,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

901

Albert S. (deceased), and Arnold B. Mr. Miller
and the three children who died in infancy now
lie buried in the cemetery at Mazeppa, Penn
sylvania. Upon the death of her husband, Mrs. Miller
found their home heavily encumbered by debt,
but by her excellent management and indus
trious, frugal habits, it is now free from all debt,
and she made many improvements in the build
ings in the last few years. She succeeded in
demonstrating the fact that a woman is well
qualified to carry on a farm successfully. She
merited and received the warmest respect and
esteem of the whole community, and was much
beloved by everyone with whom she came in
contact for her gentle ways and genial manner.
Religiously she was a consistent member of the
Lutheran Church. She departed this life Jan
uary 29, 1898, aged seventy-one years, nine
months and thirteen days.

JOHN L. KNIGHT, one of the most profi
cient instructors in music in Union county,
has spent his entire life there, his birth oc
curring in Hartley township, where he is still
living, occupying the old homestead of his ma
ternal ancestors — the Lincolns.
Samuel H. Knight, his father, a native of
Cecil county, Md. , came to Union county, Penn.,
in 1842, and there became acquainted with Miss
Rachel T. Lincoln, who shortly afterward became
his wife. She was born in Union county, where
her death occurred October 19, 1875, when she
had reached the age of fifty years, eight months
and twenty-four days. The father, who was a
graduate of the Washington University of Balti
more, Md. , became a prominent and successful
physician and surgeon, his practice extending
throughout Union and Centre counties, but for the
last ten years of his life he lived retired. He died
June 7, 1882, aged sixty-five years, and was laid by
the side of his wife in Lincoln cemetery, Hartley
township. Of the two children born to them, Han
nah E. died at the age of sixteen years, seven months
and seven days, her remains being interred by
the side of those of her parents. She was a
beautiful and accomplished young lady, beloved
by all who knew her.
John L. Knight obtained an excellent literary
education in the Randolph Academy of Lewis
burg, Penn., and in Bucknell College, where
he completed his studies. His instruction in
music was under the direction of Prof. Loose,
and since the age of twenty-two he has success
fully engaged in teaching that art, having a large
number of pupils. Possessing remarkable mu

sical talent and receiving the best instruction, he
is now recognized as one of the ablest teachers
of music in central Pennsylvania. A consistent
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, he
has efficiently served as superintendent of the
Sunday-school for a number of years, and he
also has been elected president of the Epworth
League a number of times. He has filled the
position of organist of Lincoln Church many years.
His political support is given to the Republican
party. He owns two fine farms in Union county,
which he inherited on his mother's death. His
ancestors were originally from England, but the
family was established in the New World prior
to the Revolutionary war.

T ^HOMAS WASHINGTON KEEFER, a
wealthy retired agriculturist of White
Deer township, Union county, is the owner of a
fine farm, which was purchased October 4,
1814, by his grandfather, Martin Keffer (as the
name was then spelled), from John Blakeny.
This estate has ever since been occupied by some
member of the family with the exception of one
year, 1891, when it passed into the possession of
H. H. Trumpfheller. In 1892 Mr. Keefer be
came its owner, and has since resided there.
Martin Keffer was born in Strasburg, Germany,
but in an early day came to America. His wife,
Mary Lawrence, was also a native of Strasburg,
and accompanied her father, Morris Lawrence,
and her two brothers, whom the father wished
to free from the military service required of all
able-bodied young men in the Fatherland. He
was considered a wealthy man in Germany, but
could not realize upon his property, and, in order
to pay the passage across the ocean, he contract
ed that his daughters work for a certain length
of time to pay the debt incurred. He lived to
the age of one hundred and nine years, his death
occurring in Northumberland county, Pennsyl
vania. Martin and Mary (Lawrence) Keffer spent
their later years at the present homestead, and
their remains were interred at Milton, then a
part of Northumberland county. Their son
James, our subject's father, was a noted hunter
and farmer of his day. He and his wife, Mary
Cherry, were born, reared and married in North
umberland county, where they remained until
after the birth of their second child, William,
when they moved to the old homestead. The
father, who was a Catholic in faith, died in Au
gust, 1862, aged sixty-nine years, and the mother,
a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
passed away November 21, of the same year,

902

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

aged sixty-six. Her death was caused from a
fall, her dress catching on a doorsill. At the
time she was visiting three of her sons, who were
in the livery business at Corning, New York; but
as the only effect of the accident seemed to be
an injury of one arm, she paid no attention to it,
yet on returning home a few days later she took
to her bed and died shortly afterward.
James and Mary (Cherry) Keffer reared a fam
ily of twelve children, namely: Elizabeth, Mrs.
F. Bruner, a widow, residing with her son-in-
law, John Klapp, a farmer in WThite Deer town
ship, Union county; William, who died at the
old homestead at the age of seventy-two; Mary,
Mrs. George Haase, who died in 1846; James,
an extensive farmer in California, where he has
resided since 1849; Sarah, who was the second
wife of the late George Haase, and died in 1894;
John, a farmer of Seneca county, N. Y. ; Wen-
del, who went to California; Thomas W., our
subject; Martin, a farmer of White Deer town
ship, Union county; David and Levi, of Union
county; and Franklin, a resident of Erie, Penn
sylvania. The subject of this sketch was born Decem
ber 30, 1828, and as farm work in those days re
quired attention all the year round, he received
but little schooling. After reaching the age of
sixteen he was often employed on neighboring
farms, usually receiving fifty cents per day, but
he spent one week in mowing and raking at twen
ty-five cents. At the age of twenty-one he left,
home to seek a livelihood, and worked the first
summer for his brother-in-law, George Haase,
at $6 per month. The next year he was em
ployed seven months at $7 a month, the winters
being spent at home. With this experience he
concluded that there was no money in farming,
and began learning the trade of chair manufact
uring, apprenticing himself to David Ginter for
three years at $25 per year, with the privilege of
doing farm work in summer in order to defray
expenses. He learned the business, but his hope
of steady and profitable employment was dis
pelled before long by the introduction of ma
chinery. Again ne found himself face to face
with the stubborn necessity for making a living,
and when twenty-six years old he went to Steu
ben county, N. Y. , to visit a brother who was
engaged in the livery business.
Finding no employment, Mr. Keefer returned
home, where a letter from his brother John
awaited him, containing an invitation to come to
Seneca county, N. Y. , where work could be had.
He started at once on foot for Williamsport,
where he took a horse-car to Trout Run. Thence
he went by stage across the Alleghany Mountains

to Blossburg, a distance of twenty-five miles, and
from that point he traveled to Corning, N. Y.,
over a railway, the rails and ties being made of
wood bound with iron. The promised employ
ment consisted in "taking up" after an old-
fashioned " Huzzy Reaper," the first machine of
the sort made in the United States. The motive
power was furnished by two horses hitched to
the back part of a wagon. Mr. Keefer received
$1 a day for his work, and remained about five
months, returning home when cold weather
set in.
The following spring, an uncle, Charles
Cherry, a butcher in Steuben county, N. Y., em
ployed him at $10 per month, and he remained
there six months. One very cold day his uncle
remarked in the course of a conversation that
work could be had at $3 a day at floating logs,
and Mr. Keefer eagerly availed himself of this
information; but there were no rubber boots in
those days, and one day in the icy water suf
ficed him. The next year he engaged in butch
ering in partnership with a brother, and for a
time had a thriving trade, on credit; but when
one 'ledger had been filled with worthless ac
counts, they burned it and abandoned the busi
ness. Mr. Keefer then went to Corning, and spent
a summer in working for his brother for his
board; but as the old proverb says, "It is always
darkest before daylight, " and things soon made
a turn for the better with him. He was thirty-
six years old when he began business as a car
penter, and his set of tools was incomplete; but
he made headway from the start and continued
for twenty years. With his savings, which
amounted to $1,800, he purchased a small farm
in White Deer township, Union county, and re
sided there until 1892, when he traded the place
for the old homestead.
His wife, formerly Miss Elizabeth Clouser, a
native of Kelly township, Union county, was born
August 16, 1837. They have one daughter,
Lizzie C, who was married at the age of twenty-
two to Charles D. Rich, a farmer of White Deer
township, Union county. Three children were
born to Mr. and Mrs. Rich: Clara A., Dartha
M., and Roy Keefer.
Mrs. Reefer's father, Abraham Clouser, was
born in Lancaster county, and passed his life
there, his death occurring in 1870, at the age of
fifty-eight. He is a well-known citizen, a Re
publican in politics, and he and his wife, whose
maiden name was Hannah Fink, were leading
members of the Reformed Church. Mrs. Clouser
was a native of Northumberland county, but
she died in Union county in 1877, and was buried

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

903

beside her husband in the graveyard at White
Deer Church. Their children were: Henry, de
ceased; Sophia, wife of Andrew Zong, both now
deceased; Elizabeth (Mrs. Keefer); Sarah, who
married Moses Baker, a farmer of White Deer
township, Union county; and Mary, wife of John
Shaffer, a farmer and stonemason in Kansas.
Mr. Keefer- has retired from active business,
the management of his farm devolving upon
Charles H. Malada, a young man of eighteen,
who from the age of two years has had his home
with Mr. Keefer. After a life of toil, leisure is ,,
doubly sweet, and an abundant competence can
be best appreciated perhaps by one whose labors
have been but poorly requited in the past. Mr.
Keefer is now regarded as one of the substantial
men of his locality, in whose progress he shows
a genuine interest. He is a member of the
Evangelical Church, and in his political views is
a Republican.

SdMON BENNAGE. The Bennage family of
) Union county traces its descent from Simon
and Mary Bennage, who came to America from
Germany during Colonial times, and located in
Berks county, Pennsylvania.
Their son Simon, the grandfather of the well-
known citizen whose name opens this sketch,
was born in Heidelberg township, Berks county,
August 19, 1757, and married a native of the
county, Miss Elizabeth Renninger, and later
moved to what is now White Deer township,
Union county, purchasing the tract of land now
known as the Bennage homestead. He was a
successful man, and at the time of his death, De
cember 24, 1 82 1, at the age of sixty-four years,
four months and five days, he owned several
farms in the county and other land in New York
State. Progressive and far-seeing, he sought to
promote the best interests of the community
which he helped to develop, and he was one of
the organizers of the first Lutheran Church es
tablished there. He and his good wife spent
their last days at the present homestead, and
their remains were interred in the family burial
lot in White Deer Church cemetery, where, as
time has passed, their descendants have been laid
for their final repose. Their four children were
all born at the homestead: Samuel, March 28,
1788; David, December 28, 1791; Mary, Octo
ber 15, 1794, and Elizabeth, January 5, 1798-
All are deceased, the last having passed away at
the age of nineteen years, ten months and ten
days. David Bennage, the father of our subject,
spent his entire life at the homestead, following

agriculture as an occupation. He was married
in the same township to Miss Nancy Ranck, a
native of Lancaster county, Penn., a daughter of
Henry and Nancy (Geigley) Ranck, who were
born in Lancaster county, and settled in White
Deer township, Union county, at a time when, as
they made their way by boat up the river, they
saw the sites of the now thriving towns of Lew
isburg, New Columbia and Milton, but one house
each. To David and Nancy Bennage seven children
were born, namely: Henry Simon and John R.
W. , who occupy portions of the old farm; Enos,
a farmer of Kelly township, Union county; Dav
id, a farmer in White Deer township, residing
two miles north of the old homestead; Louis,
who died April 27, 1866; and Mary A., who
married Calvin Keefer, both now deceased. The
mother of this family died February 24, 1864,
and the father December 19, 1866. Both were
members of the Evangelical Church and passed
away in full faith in a future life, their remains
now resting in the family burial lot. David
Bennage owned at the time of his death 390
acres of land, which was divided into five farms
for his surviving sons, and four of these are still
in the family.
Simon Bennage was born February 28, 183 1,
and was reared at the old homestead. When he
was twenty-one he and his brother Henry took
charge of one of their father's farms in the same
township, and after one year our subject settled
at his present home. An old house stood there,
which he occupied until 1859, when he built the
handsome two-story brick in which he now re
sides. He has otherwise improved the place, a
new barn, also built in 1859, being a notable feat
ure. As a manager he is capable and successful,
and his judgment is held in respect by his asso
ciates. During the Civil war he went to the front as
a defender of the Union, enlisting October 7,
1864, in Company E, 76th P. V. I. He took part
in the Fort Fisher expedition, and previous to the
battle was accidentally wounded in the head by
a musket, the injury confining him to the boat
for two weeks. Before the war was closed he
went through a number of hot skirmishes, but,
hostilities ending, he was discharged at Raleigh,
N. C. , July 18, 1865, and returned to his farm.
Mr. Bennage has unusual talent as an artist and
writer, and a diary which he began when he en
tered the army is a valuable record of events
from his point of view. Several battle scenes
sketched from memory of the struggles in which
he participated are full of interest.
Politically, Mr. Bennage is a strong Repub-

904

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

lican, but his ambition does not lie in the di
rection of official life, although he has taken a
loyal interest in all that concerns the welfare of
his country, his State and his own community.
Socially, he is a member of the Grand Army
Post, No. 129, of Milton, and of the Grange, at
White Deer, No. 122.
In December, 1852, our subject was married
to Miss Sarah Brown, and eight children bless
their union: (1) Miss Mary A. Bennage is at
home. (2) Miss Elizabeth R. died at the age of
twenty-six. (3) John W. operates the home
farm. He married Miss Amanda Noll, and has
had three children — Bertha A. , Delroy, and Mary
E. (4) Sarah C. married John C. Baker, a
farmer of Kelly township, Union county, and has
two sons — Charles E. and George W. (5) David
died at the age of nine months. (6) Miss Susan
nah was killed by a railway locomotive at West
Milton, February 5, 1880, while in a sleigh with
nine others, none of whom were seriously in
jured. (7) Ellen J. married Henry Mooser, of
West Milton, and has had six children — Ralph C. ,
MaryM., Sarah E., Raymond E., Jennie M. ,
deceased, and James R. (8) George W., a
farmer at the homestead, married Miss Minnie
Snyder, but has no children. Mr. Bennage is
not formally connected with any religious society,
but his wife is a member of the Reformed
Church. She was born August 7, 1829, in Schuylkill
county, Penn., where her parents, George and
Sarah (Bartley) Brown, were born, reared and
married. Her paternal grandparents, Adam and
Catharine Brown, died there, and her maternal
grandparents (Elizabeth (Dougherty) Bartley and
husband) moved there from their early home at
Reading, Penn., to spend their remaining years.
George Brown, who was a farmer by occupation,
settled in White Deer township, Union county,
in 1839, and was prominent in local affairs as a
Democrat, and a member of the Reformed
Church. Of eight children, four are now living.
Elizabeth died at the age of two years; Catharine
married Israel Geyer, both now deceased; Jeffer
son resides in Kelly township, Union county;
George is a resident of White Deer township, in
the same county; Sarah, Mrs. Bennage, was the
fifth in order of birth; Rebecca, deceased, was
the first wife of the late Daniel Moyer, mentioned
farther on; Mary A., formerly the wife of Isaac
Kurtz, both deceased, he being accidentally killed
by falling from a buggy; Elizabeth was the sec
ond wife of Daniel Moyer, deceased, and now
resides in Buffalo township, Union county. Mrs.
Bennage's mother died in 1 844, at the age of forty-
nine years, and the father married a second wife,

Susan Messersmith, by whom he had no children.
He died in the spring of 1873, aged eighty-two,
and she passed away in 1885.

WOCH MILLER, of Mifflinburg, Union
IlJj county, ranks among the leading contractors
and builders of this section, his work including
some of the handsomest structures in Union,
Snyder and Northumberland counties. He has
won a high reputation as an architect, his designs
being at once artistic and practical. Since 1875
he has operated a planing-mill for the manufact
ure of doors, sashes and all sorts of finished
wood work for interiors. From this it will be
seen that in the most literal sense he has had a
large share in the upbuilding of the thriving city
of Mifflinburg, and the following biography will
be of general interest.
Mr. Miller is of German descent on the
paternal side, while his mother traced her an
cestry to one of the French Huguenots who
came to this country to find freedom of
conscience. John Miller, the paternal grand
father, left the Fatherland about a hundred years
ago, settling in Berks county, Penn. , and his son,
Moses W. Miller (our subject's father), was born
there October 30, 1807, and in 1831 married
Miss Mary Bartlet, a native of Oley township,
Berks county, born October 30, 1807. Her
father, Daniel Bartlet, who died in that county
at the age of eighty-seven, left six sons, Jacob,
Daniel, Isaac, Abraham, Samuel, and Peter, a
physician. The name of this family was origi
nally Bertolet as used in France.
In the spring of 1835 Moses W. Miller and
his wife moved to Union county, locating on a
farm in West Buffalo township, where he died
May 23, 1844. He was a member of the Evan
gelical Church, and as a citizen was always keen
ly interested in the questions of the day, his
political sympathies being with the Whig party.
After his death Mrs. Miller purchased the farm,
and in 1873 sne built a house in Mifflinburg,
where she spent her later years, her death occur
ring in 1893. She had seven children: Sarah
(Mrs. Henry Maize), born January 30, 1832;
Maria (Mrs. Hassler), born April 7, 1834; Enoch,
oursubject; Joseph, bornNovember 17, 1837, now
residing in Mifflinburg; Daniel B., December 29,
1839, a coach maker in the same place; John F.,
February 10, 1842, a resident of Limestone
township, Union county; and George A., January
21, 1844, now a resident of Des Moines, Iowa.
Mr. Miller, our subject, who was born Novem
ber 4, 1835, was the first of the children born in
Union county, and his early years were passed in

S/2^>£^L o^^^^^

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

905

the old home in West Buffalo township. As
soon as he was strong enough he began working
on neighboring farms, attending school in the
winter only. At the age of fifteen he took charge
of the farm for his mother, but after one year he
went to Mifflinburg to learn the carpenter's trade
with Joseph Boop. With him he remained two
years as an apprentice, and one year as a part
ner, and then went into business on his own
account. In i860 he built a house and shop on
the corner of Sixth and Market streets, and he
has met with marked success in all his under
takings, his business, including the planing-mill,
keeping about sixteen men employed. He has a
handsome residence, erected in 1870. His wife,
to whom he was married September 20, 1856,
was formerly Miss Sarah Katherman, and she,
too, is a native of Union county, her birth occur
ring September 6, 1837. Her parents, Fred
erick and Christiana (Stitzer) Katherman, were
well-known residents of the county.
Of the nine children who have blessed our
snbject's home, the eldest, Mary C, married
J. C. Bulger, a carriage dealer in Mifflinburg,
and has had three children — Miller, May and
John. (2) Frederick Warren, born July 7, 1858,
died December 4, 1863. (3) Anna S. married
D. B. Moss, a coach-maker of Mifflinburg, and
has one child — James. (4) Edith married H.
Bringhurst, of Lancaster, Penn. ; he is now
deceased. (5) Sallie B. died at an early age.
(6) Bessie Virginia is at home. (7) Margaret B.
married Henry W. Myers, of Birmingham, Ala.
(8) Louisa M. is at home. (9) Georgia died of
diphtheria in her second year.
The first vote cast by Mr. Miller was for
James Buchanan, and he has always remained in
the Democratic fold, although he is not a strong
partisan. He is a prominent member of the
Reformed Church in his city, and his fine musical
talents have been effectively used in the service
for twenty-five years, during which he has been
a leader of the choir.

E

EDWARD RANCK. A biographical record

of the pioneer residents of this section would
be incomplete without special mention of the
Ranck family, of White Deer township, Union
county, who have been intimately connected
with the development of that locality from a
period long prior to the organization of the
county. The first ancestor of whom we have a distinct
record was John Ranck, the grandfather of the
gentleman whose name opens this sketch. He
came from Lancaster county, Penn., about 1797,

and settled upon a farm in what is now White
Deer township, Union county, then part and
parcel of Northumberland county, and his death
occurred there in 1820, at the age of seventy-
eight. A large tract of land which he acquired
is still in the possession of his descendants, the
homestead of our subject being a part of it. He
was twice married. His first "wife died in Lan
caster county, but his second, Barbara, who ac
companied him to his new home, survived him,
passing away March 27, 1830, at the age of
seventy-five. Their son Jonathan, the father of our sub
ject, was born in Lancaster county, July 31,
1789, and having come to this section during
his boyhood, became one of the prominent farm
ers of his time, his death occurring May 5, 1856.
On April 2, 181 5, he was married to his first
wife, Miss Catherine Long, who died March 25,
1816, and on April 27, 1817, he formed a second
union, this time with Miss Mary Dieffenderfer,
who was born in January, 1798, in Union coun
ty, then within the limits of Northumberland
county, where her father, Jacob Dieffenderfer,
passed the greater part of his active life. She
died in February, 1845, an(l on December 7,
1 85 1, Jonathan Ranck wedded Mrs. Harriet
(Kline) Dieffenderfer, widow of his second wife's
brother. She died leaving no children. By the
first marriage there was one son, Joseph, born
March 15, 1816, died in May, 1895. Ten chil
dren blessed the second union: Sarah, born Jan
uary 17, 1819, married the late Daniel Bennage,
and died December 18, 1845; Moses, born Sep
tember 4, 1820, is a retired carpenter residing in
Michigan; Susannah, born January 14, 1822, is
the wife of J. J. Brown, a well-known resident of
Kelly township, Union county; Jacob, born Jan
uary 28, 1824, died April 19, 1878; Edward,
born December 31, 1825, is mentioned more fully
farther on; Solomon, born September 9, 1827, is
a retired farmer in White Deer township, Union
county; Mary, born August 14, 1830, married
Charles C. Wetzel, an architect of Danville,
Penn.; Levi, born January 9, 1833, died in
April, 1886; Jonathan, born April 2, 1834, is
now living in retirement in White Deer township,
Union county; Ellen, born January 18, 1837, is
the wife of Samuel Hertz, a hardware merchant
of Van Wert, Ohio.
Edward Ranck was born at the old home
stead, and his youth was spent there, practical
knowledge of all branches of agricultural work
being gained in the labors of the farm. At
twenty-one he left home and found employment
as a farm hand, receiving for the first ten months
only $8 per month, and during the next season

906

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

he received $10 per month for some length
of time. The next year he spent with his
father, who paid him $100 for the year's
work. He then rented a portion of the old
farm, where he made a home for himself and
bride, Miss Sarah A. Goodlander, to whom he
was married December 7, 1848. Three years
later he purchased the place and continued to
reside there until 1883, when he moved to his
present home, a fine estate near New Columbia,
with a beautiful brick residence commanding a
" cross roads."
Mr. Ranck has always taken a leading part
in local affairs, his high character as a man and
citizen, no less than his wealth, giving him great
influence in the community. He has served as
assessor one term and overseer of the poor for
three terms, and was a valued adviser in the Re
publican organization in his locality until 1887,
when he became identified with the Prohibition
party. He and his wife have always taken an
active interest in religious matters. For forty-
six years he has been a member of the Evan
gelical Association, and for thirty years has been
a class-leader and trustee.
Mrs. Ranck is a descendant of a well-known
family, and was born in White Deer township,
Union county, September 13, 1825, the daugh
ter of Paul and Rachel (Heckel) Goodlander,
who were natives of Northumberland county,
but whose lives were mainly spent upon a farm in
what is now Union county. They were devout
members of the Lutheran. Church. Mrs. Ranck
was the youngest of a family of five children,
the others being: Elizabeth, who married Jacob
Shirik, both now deceased; Polly, widow of
Jonathan Moyer, of Milton, Penn. ; Rachel,
widow of John Grove, of Kelly township, Union
county; and Samuel, a retired carpenter of White
Deer township.
Mr. and Mrs. Ranck have had eleven children,
of whom ten are living and married: (1) Mary
E. , born October 19, 1849, married H. H. Trum-
feller, a clerk in a hardware store at York, Penn. ,
and they have six children. (2) John J., born
July 31, 185 1, is a coachmaker and undertaker
in New Columbia, Penn. He married Miss
Sarah Smith, and has had five children. (3)
Jeremiah, born September 2, 1852, died Janu
ary 4, 1853. (4) William H., born October 24,
1853, is a farmer in Kelly township, Union
county, and he and his wife, Ann Brown, have
five children. (5) Rachel L. (twin to William
H.), married David H. Bennage, who now man
ages our subject's farm, and they have one child.
(6) Sarah A., born September 6, 1855, married
W. H. Geyer, a farmer of White Deer town

ship, and has had three children, one of whom
is now deceased. (7) Edward F., born January
18, 1857, is a farmer in White Deer township,
and is also engaged in school teaching. He
married Miss Minnie Fry, and has had six children.
(8) Samuel C, born November 20, 1859, is a gen
eral merchant in New Columbia. He married
Miss Sarah Werkhiser, and has had three children.
(9) Pharos F. , born November 4, 1 861, is en
gaged in farming in White Deer township, and
also in school teaching. He married Miss Emma
Bickle, and has had three children. (10) James
A., born August 6, 1863, now a farmer on the
old homestead in White Deer township, married
Miss Liza Koch, and has had three children.
(11) Minnie A., born May 6, 1869, married
Thomas C. Bennage, a farmer of Kelly town
ship, Union county, and has had one child.

OBERT JOHN MOYER, who has won
more than ordinary success in the honored
calling of agriculture, was born July 6, 1851, in
White Deer township, Union county, upon the
farm where he now resides.
Like many of our well-known citizens, Mr.
Moyer is of Berks county stock, his paternal
grandparents, Henry and Mary (Keller) Moyer,
having passed their lives there upon a farm.
They had four sons and three daughters. Their
son, Joseph K. , the father of our subject, was
born in Pike township, Berks county, and re
mained at home assisting in the labors of the
farm until he was eighteen, when he began an
apprenticeship to the tailor's trade. On becom
ing proficient in this business, he came to this
section, settling in Kelly township, Union coun
ty. There he married Miss Elizabeth Heckel, a
native of White Deer township, in the same
county. Her parents, George and Hannah
(Spotts) Heckel, were both born in the same
county, in Kelly township, and were highly es
teemed among the early agricultural workers of
their locality. Their remains now lie in the
cemetery at White Deer church.
Shortly after his marriage our subject's
father purchased the old Heckel homestead of
162 acres, in partnership with a brother-in-law,
John Moore, each paying the sum of $i,500-
They divided the farm and Mr. Moyer continued
to cultivate his portion until 1876, when he re
tired from active business and removed to another
house on the farm, where he and his good wife
spent their remaining years, the latter's death
occurring December 18, 1882, while the former
breathed his last, September 5, 1890, at the age
of seventy-three. He was prominent in the

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

907

community, and was a stanch Democrat in his
political views. He and his wife were devout
members of the Reformed Church, and for
many years prior to his death he held the office
of elder. They had five children: Mary (de
ceased), formerly the wife of Solomon Robenold,
who now resides at Allentown, Penn. ; Hannah
and Henry, who died in 1866, within six weeks
of each other, the former being sixteen years of
age; Robert J., our subject; and Joseph H., a
freight conductor of the Fall Brook railroad, now
residing at Corning, New York.
As Robert J. Moyer's life has flowed on in
the quiet activities of an agricultural community,
he has been spared many of the excising and
often unpleasant experiences which some, whose
histories are related in this volume, have passed
through before acquiring a foothold in the busi
ness world. He remained with his parents until
he was twenty-five, when he married and took
possession of the old residence, his parents re
moving to the smaller home as has been said.
For a number of years he rented the place, but
in July, 1890, he purchased it, and has since con
tinued to reside there.
His first wife. Miss Emma Dunkle, to whom
he was married January 27, 1876, was a native
of Kelly township, Union county, born in 1856.
Her father, the late Peter Dunkle, was born in
the same county, in Buffalo township, and be
came a leading farmer, but his last years were
spent in retirement at the home of a daughter,
Mrs. Fannie Crowel, where he died August 6,
1894, at the age of seventy-four. His wife,
Lydia Kiper, a native of Snyder county, Penn.,
died in January, 1891, aged sixty-five. Their
children were: Catherine, Mrs. James McCor
mick, a widow residing at Knoxville, Tenn. ; Clin
ton, a resident of Macon, 111. ; William, of
Kansas; John L. , a farmer near Salina, Mo.;
Fannie, wife of Samuel Crowel, a printer at
Lewisburg, Penn. ; George and Calvin, residents
of Kelly township. Union county; Miss Ella, who
resides in Lewisburg; and Miss Ida, now of
Orange, N. J. Mrs. Emma (Dunkle) Moyer
passed to the unseen life May 6, 1886, leaving
three children — Elizabeth L. , George K., and
John C, who are all at home.
On December 10, 1887, Mr. Moyer formed a
second union, this time with Miss Emma Ranck,
a native of White Deer township, Union county,
and a daughter of the late John L. Ranck, who
was born in the same township, and became a
prosperous farmer and influential citizen, holding
various township offices and supporting vigor
ously the Republican party in his locality. He
was married in Union county to Miss Mary

Geyer, a native of Kelly township, who, like
himself, was a devout Lutheran in religious
faith. She died November 11, 1887, aged sixty-
four, and he breathed his last August 15, 1895,
at the age of seventy-three. Eight children were
born to them: Joseph A., residing in White
Deer township, Union county, is a farmer and
school teacher, and also holds the office of jus
tice of the peace; Louisa married George Der
sham, a farmer in Michigan; Harriet is the wife
of Isaac Reed, a farmer of White Deer town
ship; Emma, Mrs. Moyer, is the fourth in order
of birth; Lavine married Levi Joes, a farmer in
White Deer township; John C. is engaged in ag
riculture in Kelly township, Union county; Han
nah married William E. Neiman, of White Deer
township; and Annie is the wife of John Beck, a
farmer in the same township.
Mr. Moyer is a genial man, who takes a loyal
interest in every movement that promises to
benefit the locality, and in conversation he makes
an excellent impression. He is a member of the
Reformed Church, and of White Deer Grange,
P. of H, at New Columbia. For the past
twenty-four years he has been also a member of
Pomona Grange, of Union county, in which he
has been continuously in office, and now holds
the rank of master. Politically he is a Demo
crat, and for nine years he has been auditor in
his township.

ENRY FRICK, one of the oldest residents
JEL of Lewisburg, Union county, is still actively
engaged in business, and takes his accustomed
interest in the questions and movements of the
day. Born January 16, 1827, he retains his
vigor of mind and body, and seems to hold Time
at bay in a manner which some younger men
might envy.
The Frick family is descended from Conrad
Frick, who came from Germany in 1732, and
settled in Germantown, a suburb of Philadelphia,
and built, in 1760, the .first brewery in the vil
lage. He died there leaving a large family. One
of his sons, Peter, went to Baltimore, Md., and
others located in York county, Penn. , and their
descendants in those localities are now numer
ous. John Frick, another son of Conrad, and
the great-grandfather of our subject, settled per
manently in Lancaster, Penn. , and the brewery
which he built there in the last century is still
standing. He had a large family, among whom
was a son, John, our subject's grandfather, who
made his home in Northumberland county,
Penn., and built a brewery. He died there in
181 1, leaving a family of eleven children. Of

908

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

his daughters Mr. Frick has no record, but he
recalls the following concerning the sons: Jacob
was cashier of the Penn Township Bank in Phil
adelphia. George A., an attorney, married and
settled in Danville, Penn. Henry was a prominent
resident of Milton, Penn., and was widely known
as "Gen. Frick;" he was a prosperous publisher
at Milton, and was unusually active mentally,
possessing the rare gift of being able to talk upon
one subject and write upon another at the same
time; he was elected to Congress, and died in
Washington, D. C. , in the spring of 1844 while
on duty. Frederick became a tanner, and lo
cated first at Danville, Penn., and later in
Mercer county, where he died leaving a
numerous family. Benjamin was a foundryman
for some time, and subsequently engaged in busi
ness as a contractor for building railroads, bridges
and similar structures; he located at Kiefers-
burg, Ohio, and later he and a son removed to
Burlington, Iowa, where the father died. James
went to Luzerne county, Penn., as the chief of
a division on the canal, and his death occurred
there. John Frick, our subject's father, was the
third son, and was born in Lancaster county,
December 3, 1788. In the same year the family
removed to Northumberland county, where he
spent his entire life, his death taking place in
1847. He was a wheelwright by trade, and was
prominent in local politics as a Democrat. In
March, 18 12, he married Elizabeth Gotshall,
who died in 1859, aged sixty-six years. Both
were devout adherents of the Lutheran Church.
They had sixteen children, of whom, four died in
childhood; Charles removed to Alton, 111., and
died there; Catherine married Hon. Eli Slifer,
and both are now deceased; Rebecca married
A. G. Voris, and both are now deceased; William
(deceased) located first in Lewisburg, and later
in Chester, Penn. ; George A. (deceased) was an
attorney in Lewisburg; Jacob served in the Mex
ican war under Zachary Taylor, and was also
colonel of a regiment during the Rebellion, a
medal being given him by Congress for valor in
the famous charge at Fredricksburg; Anna (de
ceased) was the wife of Christopher Reich; Henry
is mentioned more fully below; Edwin (deceased)
was a boat builder; Miss Marion resides in Lewis
burg, Penn.; Clarence G. is a merchant in Wil
mington, Penn. ; Susannah is the deceased wife
of R. F. Brown.
Although our subject's birthplace was in
Northumberland county, his boyhood was mainly
spent in Lewisburg, where at the age of sixteen
he began to learn the boat builder's trade. This
acquired, he engaged in the business there, or

ganizing the firm of Frick, Slifer &. Co., which
continued from 1845 to i860, and during that
time built 750 canal boats. Since i860 Mr.
Frick has been interested in the lumber business,
and is one of the leading dealers in that line in
his county. On November 6, 1855, he married
Miss Sarah J. Blair, who was born December 2,
1829, and they are now nearing the fiftieth mile
stone of their wedded life. Six children have
blessed their union: Ida is at home; Jennie mar
ried George Barron Miller, an attorney, and they
have two sons — Harry B. and George F.; Walter,
the city engineer at Carbondale, Penn., married
Margaret Bennett, and has two sons — Henry and
Walter; Ann married Dr. W. Leiser, and has
one child— William: Sarah J. is the wife of B. S.
Gundy, and has one child — Margaret; and Harry
died at an early age. In his political views Mr.
Frick is not hampered by partisan ties, measures
and men being judged entirely on their merits.
He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and
is affiliated with the Masonic fraternity.

EV. WILLIAM WICKLEIN CLOUSER,
a well-known clergyman of the Reformed
Church, has won through his unselfish labors in
the cause of the Gospel the respect and affection
of a numerous and widely scattered flock. He
ministers to the congregations at White Deer,
Alvira, Mazeppa and at St. Peter's Church in
Kelly township. Union county, preaching to two
each Sunday, and the results of his work are to
be seen in a deeper spiritual life among those
who have come within range of his inspiration
and influence.
Mr. Clouser was born June 25, 1842, in Rob
inson township, Berks Co., Penn. His parents,
Benjamin F. (son of John Clouser) and Abigail
Clouser (daughter of Jacob Wicklein), were also
born in Berks county, the former on October 15,
181 5, and the latter on June 7, 1820. Her
mother was Margaret (nee Lindaman). They
were married there, and later, in 1841, moved to
Reading, Penn., where Mr. Clouser is now en
joying a well-earned leisure after a life of useful
industry. Mrs. Clouser died April 27, 1897, at
the age of seventy-seven years. In his earlier
years the father was a farmer, and for some time
in connection with, that work he attended the
Reading market with his produce, being one of
the leading dealers there. Agriculture and hor
ticulture occupied his time, and now, at the age
of eighty-two years, he is a hale and hearty man.
He is a member of the Reformed Church, but
his wife was a Lutheran in faith. Of their seven
children, our subject is the eldest; Mary, born

OruuyjLnJ

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

909

November 23, 1845, married William Kerlin,
who resides near Reading, and is engaged in
farming, marketing and milling; Maggie, born
April 3, 185 1, married Harry Hoffman, a farmer
of Robinson township, Berks county (their chil
dren are as follows: Lena, born June 22, 1877;
Bertha, born September 18, 1879; Elsie, born
August 12, 1 881; and Katie Abigail, born Sep
tember 22, 1886). Hannah, born November 6,
1848, died at the age of fourteen. Catherine,
born June 7, 1855, is at home. Amanda, born
February 25, 1859, died at the age of three years.
Alvin, born August 22, 1863, and who is at
home, was recently married to Miss Ida Brown.
Rev. Mr. Clouser remained under the parental
roof until he reached the age of twenty years,
attending the schools of his native township until
he was sixteen, when he began to teach school,
an occupation in which he met with marked suc
cess. On leaving home he went to Delaware
county, spending four years at Cartertown, and
one at Marcushook, continuing the work of teach
ing. He then clerked for five months in a notion
store at Lewisburg, for Abraham Mensch; but
through these various changes the hope of finally
entering the Christian ministry was his guiding
star. In 1867 he began a course of study in the
Reformed Church College and Seminary at Mer-
cersburg, Franklin Co., Penn., where he was
graduated in 1870, his ordination following.
Since that time he has been in charge of the four
stations named, each year seeing his influence for
good made stronger. He has a pleasant home,
one of its main features being a large and well-se
lected library, which indicates both the wide range
of information and the excellent literary judg
ment of the owner. Although Mr. Clouser takes
a keen interest in public affairs, local and national,
he has never sought political office. He is often
called upon, however, to act as adviser in various
matters, and at present he is administrator of an
estate. He is also at present serving his com
munity in the capacity of secretary of the Board
of Education. On January 22, 1874, Mr. Clouser was mar
ried at Kelly Point, Union county, by Rev. D.
G. Adams and Rev. J. G. Anchbach, to Miss
Mary E. Gemberling, and three children — Elsa
R., Minnie A. and Augustine I., have blessed
their union. Mrs. Clouser is a native of Kelly
township, Union county. Her father, Lewis
Gemberling, who was born May 2, 1827, is now
living retired at Kelly Point. Her mother,
whose maiden name was Jane Pawling, died in
October, 1856, at the age of thirty-one, and
her remains were interred at Lewisburg. They
had three children: Calvin (deceased), Mary E.

(now Mrs. Clouser) and Sarah E. (deceased), who
was a twin to Mrs. Clouser.
Rev. Clouser began his pastorate of twenty-
three years at the foregoing named places, Octo
ber 1, 1870. When he first entered this field he
was a mere boy, as it were. A period of twenty-
three years of close application and unceasing
labor, however, has changed the apparently boy
ish appearance, and made it to assume one of
more advanced years. During this time almost
an entire generation passed away. The elders
and deacons whose names are on the call which
he received from the charge are all gone, with
one exception, and he is ready to depart. West
Susquehannah Classis, under whose jurisdiction
he has labored, and of which he has been and
still is a member, has undergone almost an en
tire change. It has become a new classis. So
a marked change can be observed on a general
way. Villages have sprung up within the bounds
of the charge; the Shamokin Division of the
Philadelphia & Reading railroad, which forms the
eastern boundary of the charge, was constructed
during the early part of his period. Here and
there new church edifices have been built; and
in many other ways a general improvement is
evident in the onward progress of events. What
a change! Altogether new congregations. Lit
tle children, then, but now full grown men and
women. Young men and women then, but now
stricken with the marks which time has wrought.
The speedy end which many experienced by ac
cident and disease — by falling trees, by drown
ing, by fire and other mysterious ways, not that
we in any manner think of criticising our Heav
enly Father's merciful Providence. A retrospect
of the field during the time already mentioned
furnishes wonderful and abundant material and
reason for grateful remembrance of the goodness
of God, and establishes a certain knowledge of
the great realities which form a part of our
being. William W. Clouser is the author of a work,
to be entitled "The Eventful Realities of My
Life," which will soon be ready for publication.
From this collection of writings have been
selected a few facts bearing upon the results of
his ministrations among the membership of his
field of labor. They are as follows: Number
of persons baptized, both infants and adults,
1,022; number of additions to the Church by
the rite of confirmation and certificate and re
newal of profession, 600; number of marriages
solemnized, 246; number of funerals, 615; amount
contributed for benevolent purposes, $4,000;
amount of congregational expenses, $20,000;
number of miles traveled, 5,000; number of

910

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

pastoral visits, 23,000; number of catechetical
lectures, 1,400; number of sermons preached,
4,188. To this Mr. Clouser adds the following:
"A glance at these figures would at once indi
cate the endless routine of work required — the
continued wear upon the mental, moral and
physical being, the frequent anxieties and mis
givings with reference to the probability of suc
cess or failure of the work. I am heartily
thankful to Almighty God for the preservation
of my life and health in all these years. Not
unto me, but unto His great Name must be
ascribed whatever of success has resulted in
my undertakings."

[ENRY J. YOCUM, an enterprising and pro
gressive agriculturist of White Deer town
ship, Union county, is one of our representative
self-made men. He was born in Danville, Mon
tour Co., Penn., January 18, i860, the son of
Anthony and Regina (Rein). Yocum, who were
both natives of Germany, but who met and mar
ried at Danville. They had but- little of this
world's goods, and our subject had early training
in industry and thrift, qualities which have been
of use to him in his subsequent career. At the
age of ten he found employment in the Danville
Iron Works, and, his parents removing to Sham
okin in 1875, he spent one year there in the
coal mines.
The family then settled on a farm in White
Deer township, Union county, and, after work
ing for his father for a short time, Mr. Yocum was
employed for three years by Charles Isley upon
the Cbamberlin farm in Northumberland county,
Penn. Three years were then spent at Dan
ville in the iron works, and then followed
seven years at Milton in similar employment.
In the spring 1887 he removed to his present
homestead, which he purchased from John Jows,
but he continued his work at Milton for three
years longer. For the last seven years he has
given his attention to the cultivation of his farm,
and has also been Employed in gathering cream
for the Pleasant Valley Creamery Company at
Milton. He was married, December 8, 1878,
to Josephine Kolp, and two children have
blessed their union: Harry A., born January 14,
1882, is at home, but Laura R., who was born
July 10, 1879, died at the age of four years,
nine months and twenty-six days.
Mr. Yocum has won many friends by his gen
ial manners and his upright dealings, and, while
he has never sought prominence, he has an
influence in the community which speaks well
for him. He is a Republican in politics, and,

in religious faith, is a Lutheran. Fraternally, he
belongs to the Royal Arcanum at Milton, and to
the Grange, No. 122, at New Columbia.
His father, Anthony Yocum, now a prominent
farmer of White Deer township. Union county,
has had an interesting career, which well illus
trates the value of the sturdy self-reliance which
is characteristic of the best class of German-
Americans. His faithful helpmeet is also spared
to enjoy the fruits of past labors, in which she
shared. Anthony Yocum was born February 13, 1827,
and passed his youth in his native land. His
father, John A. Yocum, a well-to-do grain mer
chant and miller, died July 2, 1842, at the age of
forty-nine years, eleven months and twenty-eight
days. He served as a soldier in the Napoleonic
wars, and participated in many historic engage
ments, including the battles of Waterloo, Juneau,
Magdeburg and Leipsic, and was on the road to
Moscow when the terrible repulse which the army
suffered there caused the memorable retreat and
stopped the advance of re-inforcements. His
wife, Eve E. Leis, was also a native of Ger
many, and for five or six generations in a direct
line her paternal ancestors had borne the name of
Michael Leis, and had been engaged in the black
smith's trade. To John A. and Eve Yocum
eight children were born, of whom two are now
living: Anthony, and Susannah, widow of Joseph
Grone, formerly a grocer of Danville.
After the death of his father, Anthony
Yocum, then a mere lad of fifteen, took charge
of the estate and business, which he conducted
successfully for four years, but as the time ap
proached when he would be compelled to serve
his term in the German army, he determined he
would not waste the best years of his early man
hood in that way, and in 1847 be came to
America, the voyage occupying forty-five days.
Later, in 1854, his mother, her brother-in-law,
and two of Anthony's sisters crossed the ocean
and settled at Danville, Penn., and the mother
died at his home in 1878, aged eighty-four years
and three months.
On landing at New York Anthony Yocum
was not long in realizing the extent of the sacri
fice which he had made to reach this land of
freedom. Instead of being at the head of a pros
perous business, he was a poor emigrant, who
could not speak or even understand the language
of those about him, and who was more than
once victimized by unscrupulous sharpers. Work
of any sort was difficult to find, and he traveled
long distances to secure employment on canals
or in mines, which was occasionally varied by
teaming and odd jobs of all kinds.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

911

His first work was in an ore mine near Lan
caster, Penn., where he worked one year at
sixty-five cents per day. He then formed a
partnership in the teaming business, but at the
end of three trips his partner ran away with all
the funds after pawning the teams. From 1850
to 1875, Mr. Yocum worked in the blast furnace
at Danville, and then, after one year in Sha
mokin, he settled upon his present farm. He is
interested in all that concerns the welfare of his
adopted country, and in politics is an ardent
supporter of Republican doctrines. He and his
wife are Lutherans in religious faith.
Mrs. Regine (Rein) Yocum was born Decem
ber 17, 1842, and came to America alone when
only fifteen years old. Her paternal grand
father, Godfrey Rein, passed his entire life in
the Fatherland, engaged in agricultural pursuits,
and her father, Godfrey Rein, after serving for
some time as a teamster in the Napoleonic wars,
entered the employ of the government, being
connected first with a stone quarry and later
holding the office of street commissioner for
twenty-five years, or until his death, which oc
curred in December, 1857, at the age of seventy-
four. He married Barbara Messersmith, daugh
ter of George G. Messersmith, a wagon- maker in
Germany, and had five children: Rosanna, who
died in White Deer township, Union county, was
married (first) to Charles Haas, and (second) to
August Seitz, both deceased; Amelie is the wife
of R. Otterbach, a farmer in Illinois; Regina is
the wife of Anthony Yocum; John is a farmer of
White Deer township, Union county; and Mar
garet, deceased, was the wife of Henry Fleckin-
stein, of Danville, Pennsylvania.
To Anthony and Regina Yocum sixteen chil
dren were born, of whom Henry J. was the first.
(2) Adam, born December 17, 1861, is a farmer
in White Deer township, Union county, and has
been twice married, first to Miss Marv Gruver,
who died October 28, 1895, leaving four chil
dren — Katie, Franklin, Harrison and Raymond.
His present wife was formerly Miss Louisa Joe.
(3) Charles, born June 26, 1865, also resides in
White Deer township, where he is engaged in
farming and gathering cream. He married Miss
Annie Laun, and has had five children — Clarence;
Calvin; Walter (deceased); Nelson (deceased); and
Paul. (4) John, born September 27, 1867, is a
farmer in White Deer township, and he and his
wife, formerly Miss Carrie Emery, have one son,
George. (5) Anna R. , born May 3, 1870, mar
ried J. N. Kutz, a machinist, of Milton, and
they have no children. (6) George W., born
August 21, 1872, resides with his parents. He
is a talented artist and has studied at Shamo

kin, Penn., and Centralia, 111. When only ten
years old he lost his right leg through an acci
dent as he was riding on a stone wagon. (7)
Rosanna, born July 8, 1874, married George
Dougherty, a farmer of Kelly township, Union
county, and has had two children — Anthony and
Anna L. (8) Margaret, born November 26,
1876, married Simon Keefer, a farmer of White
Deer township, but they have no children. (9)
Catherine, born January 13, 1878, the wife of
David Rowe, also a farmer of White Deer town
ship, has no children. (10) Clara, born August
15, 1879, is at home. (11) Harriet and (12)
Harry (twins), born April 1, 1881, died July 25,
of the same year. (13) Ida, born April 5, 1882,
and (14) Daniel, born April 26, 1883, are at
home. (15) Edward E., born September 21,
1884, died October 3, 1884. (16) Anthony,
born December 9, 1887, resides with his parents.
Mrs. Henry J. Yocum is of German descent,
though remotely, her great-grandparents on the
paternal side, George and Mary (Sowers) Kolp,
having crossed the ocean at an early date to set
tle in Lancaster county, Penn. Their son, An
drew, Mrs. Yocum's grandfather, spent his life
there, engaging in business as a farmer and car
penter, millwright and tailor, and acquiring a
large fortune, a portion of which he lost, how
ever, two farms being sacrificed to meet the de
mand for forfeited bail money. He married
Elizabeth Sowers, of Lancaster county, and had
ten children, none of whom are now living ex
cept Mrs. Yocum's father, the youngest of the
family. The others were: Emanuel; Cyrus;
Hiram; Andrew; Polly, who married Isaac Bat-
zer, now deceased ; Catherine, wife of John Bat-
zer, a brother of Isaac, also deceased; Elizabeth,
wife of Peter Swarley, deceased; Leda, who mar
ried Isaac Shaffer, deceased; and Sallie, who
never married.
Daniel Kolp, Mrs. Yocum's father, was born
in Lancaster county, March 10, 1824, and was
married there in 1840 to his first wife, Miss Har
riet Masters, a native of the same county, born
November 17, 1826. Her father, Henry Masters,
was an extensive farmer in Lancaster county,
where his death occurred, and her mother,
Maria Masters, breathed her last in White Deer
township, Union county, her remains being in
terred there. They had three children: Har
riet; Matilda, born December 1, 1832; and Hen
ry, who was a soldier in the Civil war, and now
resides in Allentown, Penn. Mrs. Harriet Kolp
died February 10, 1850, and was buried on the
old homestead in Lancaster county. On Octo
ber 24, 1852, Mr. Kolp was married to her sis
ter, Matilda. He had been running a threshing

912

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

machine in Lancaster, Dauphin and Union coun
ties since early manhood, but in 1856, after
about twenty- seven years at that occupation he
purchased a farm of 108 acres in White Deer
township, Union county, paying for it $1,950.
He still resides there, and, as a Democrat, is
prominently identified with local affairs, and he
is a member of the Reformed Church.
By his first marriage, Mr. Kolp had the fol
lowing children: (1) Lusetta, born October 21,
1 84 1, married William Koch, a farmer in White
Deer township, and has had ten children, all of
whom are living — Addison, William H., Ida,
Eliza A., Alpheus, Amanda, John O., Dora M.,
Hattie S., and Olive D. (2) Franklin, born
February 21, 1844, is deceased. (3) Matilda,
born June 13, 1846, married Henry H. Hebe, a
railway conductor residing at Corning, N. Y. , but
has no children. (4) Addison, born June 24,
1847, and (5) Waris, born July 2, 1848, are de
ceased. By the second marriage there were six
children. (6) Clementine, born July 10, 1853,
died in April, 1855. (7) Daniel, born Decem
ber 25, 1858, is a farmer in New York State, and
he and his wife, Ellen Snyder, now deceased,
had four children — Benjamin, Harry, James,
and Mary. (8) Josephine, born February 2,
i860, is the wife of our subject. (9) Clareta,
born August 10, 1861, died at the age of nine
months. (10) Henry H., born March 20, 1863,
is a carpenter in White Deer township, and he
and his wife, Clara J. Koch, have five children —
William W., Emma E., Bessie B., Nettie N.,
and Ralph R. (11) John G. , born February 12,
1866, is a resident of Corning, N. Y. , and by oc
cupation is a railway brakeman. He married
Miss Carrie Wertz, but has no children.

lyYVID GROSS, sheriff of Union county, is
one of Lewisburg's most popular citizens.
Through his extensive business connections he
gained, long ago, a high reputation as a man of
ability and probity, and the wide influence thus
gained has been increased by his faithful dis
charge of duty in public life.
Mr. Gross was born in Snyder county, Octo
ber 4, 1833, and is of an old Pennsylvania-Dutch
family. His grandfather, John Gross, a native
of Berks county, Penn., settled in Snyder county
in early manhood, and followed agriculture there
for many years, his death occurring at the age of
seventy-seven, when our subject was about ten
years old. The late Jacob Gross, our subject's
father, was born in Beaver township, Snyder
county, in 1813, and died in 1877. He was a
well-known agriculturist, influential in county

affairs and in the Republican party, and served
two terms as treasurer of Snyder county. He
married Miss Catherine Benfer, who was born
October 12, 181 3, in Pennsylvania, probably in
Union county, and died February 15, 1886. She
was a devout Christian and a member of the Re
formed Church, but her husband was not identi
fied with any religious organization. The Ben
fer family was also of Dutch origin, and her
father, Daniel Benfer, was born in Union county
and became one of the substantial business men
of his day and locality. He was engaged exten
sively in farming, stock raising and milling, many
mills in this section having been built by him.
Our subject was the eldest of nine children, the
others being as follows: William died in child
hood; Malinda is the wife of Robert Smith, of
Snyder county; Anis resides upon the old home
stead; Wilson lives in Thompsontown, Juniata
Co., Penn.; Susan married Joseph Stadon, of
Norristown, Penn. ; Matilda is the wife of Peter
Bobb, of Beaver township, Snyder county; and
Nancy and Robert died in childhood.
Mr. Gross, our subject, was reared at the old
homestead in Beaver township, Snyder county,
his early education being acquired in the neigh
boring schools. Farm work, as he found it in
his early years, not being to his liking, he sought
more congenial employment as a clerk in a store
at Selins Grove, where he remained until 1857.
He then married Miss Sarah Ann Walter, of
Union county, and, removing to that locality, en
gaged in farming with his father-in-law. He
also became interested in stock dealing, and
shipped cattle and horses to various points, con
tinuing that business for about two years after
giving up, in 1885, the active management of his
farming interests. He has 241 acres of land of
his own, and two shares, amounting to 100
acres, in the old homestead, with .an equity in
700 acres of timber land. He also holds a half-
interest in a gristmill at Winfield, Penn. His
wide acquaintance in the county, and his popu
larity among all classes, have made him espe
cially available as a candidate for office, and he
has often been placed upon the ticket of the Re
publican party in his section. In 1894 he was
called to the office of sheriff, his term beginning
in January, 1895.
Mrs. Sarah Ann (Walter) Gross, his first
wife, was born in Union county, August 15,
1833, and passed to the unseen life June 19,
1884. Four children were born of this union:
(1) Jane Anna, who died in childhood; (2) Glan-
cy W. , who lived only a few months; (3) Laura
M., who married William Dunkle, a farmer in
Buffalo township, Union county, and has four

U*4*/ &h^$j

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

913

living children — Estella, Edna, Forest D. and
Ira; (4) Ira J., who resides in Russell county,
Kans., married Miss Delia Ulsh, and has one
child, Norman. In June, 1888, Mr. Gross
formed a second matrimonial union, this time
with Miss Jennie Ranck, a native of Union coun
ty. Socially, Mr. Gross is identified with the
P. 0. S. of A., and he is prominent in religious
movements in his locality as a member of the
Lutheran Church.

foANIEL SNYDER (deceased) was one of
those gifted beings whose genius enables
them to grasp intuitively any mechanical prob
lem, and to do with ease the practical work for
which others require years of training under ex
perienced teachers. He was a native of the
Keystone State, having first seen the light in
Mahanoy, Northumberland county, in 18 15, and
the greater part of his life was spent at Lewis
burg. His death occurred in 1870 at the com
paratively early' age of sixty-five. A loyal citi
zen, he gave attention to all questions of public
interest, and every worthy movement had his
sympathy and endorsement. In politics he was
a firm adherent to Republican principles, and in
religion he adhered to the Lutheran faith and
was a leading member of the Church at Lewis
burg. His business ability was not confined to
one line of enterprise; for some years he carried
on blacksmithing, while he also engaged success
fully in the mason's trade and in teaming on an
extensive scale.
Mr. Snyder married Miss Elizabeth Gibson, a
native of Montour county, Penn., born in 18 16,
and two children were born to them: (1) Mar
garet (deceased) married C. H. Hassenplug, and
has six children: Alice, wife of T. W. Palms, of
Palms' Business College, Philadelphia, Penn. ;
Blanche, wife of J. O. Dreisbach, of Philadelphia;
Charley; Eudora, wife of W. R. Follmer, an attor
ney of Lewisburg; Barron, and Emily. (2) Jon
athan, born December 14, 1844, married Miss Isa
bella Kelly, and has nine children : Charles, Carrie
Eliza, Minnie, Daniel, Grace, Emma, Jonathan,
Irving, and Margaret. Mrs. Snyder occupied her
pleasant home on Third street, Lewisburg, noted
for her kindliness, and her life gave evidence
of the Christian faith which she so long pro
fessed as a member of the Lutheran Church, and
m which she passed away December 27, 1897.
Her family has been identified with this State
from an early day, her grandfather, William Gib
son, coming from Ireland in the eighteenth cen
tury. Her father, William Gibson (2), was born
at Washingtonville, Penn., and died at Moore-
58*

burg, Montour county. He married Miss Nancy
Berry, by whom he had twelve children: May,
William, John, Grace, Doan, Agnes, David,
Elizabeth, Ellen, Sarah, Margaret and Matthew.

S\YLVANUS BENNETT (deceased) was for-
') merly a leading citizen of Lewisburg, being
prominent not only in business life but in social
and religious circles. He was born in that city
March 9, 1835, and bis parents, Peter and Mary
Ann (Adams) Bennett, remained there throughout
their later years, and were highly esteemed in the
community for their excellent qualities. At the
age of nineteen Mr. Bennett, having already
learned the molder's trade, left his native city
and went to Philadelphia, where he spent six
years. Returning to Lewisburg, he entered a
drug store belonging to his brother William and
learned the details of the drug business, which
he followed successfully until death, on January
17, 1882, cut short his promising career. He
was a Methodist in religious faith, and, without
being a politician, was an influential adviser in
municipal movements and a leading member of
the Republican party in his locality. In 1861 he
was united in marriage with Miss Margaret Ro-
denbaugh, a native of Perry county, Penn., born
near Duncannon February 1, 1838, and five chil
dren blessed their home: (1) Mary, born May
5, 1862, died September 15, 1864. (2) R. Mor
gan, born June 15, 1865, is a machinist by trade,
is unmarried, and resides at home. (3) Marga
ret, born April 28, 1867, married Walter Frick,
city engineer at Carbondale, Penn., and has two
children — Sylvanus and Harry. (4) Clayton,
born December 26, 1870, is married, and is now
in San Francisco, Cal. (5) Sylvanus, Jr., born
May 3, 1878, died December 25, 1880.
Mrs. Bennett, a lady of unusual intellectual
ability, is a valued member of Lewisburg's best
social circles. She owns the post office building
in South Market street, and resides there. The
Rodenbaugh family is of German origin, Mrs.
Bennett's great-grandparents having been the
first of the line to cross the ocean. Their son
Isaac, Mrs. Bennett's grandfather, was born in
Bucks county, Penn., and followed farming for
many years, his life extending several years be
yond the allowed three-score and ten. He mar
ried Miss Steelwaggon, and had a son Jacob, who
was born in Montgomery county, Penn., in 1812,
and became a well-known minister of the Chris
tian Church. He was married in his native
county, in 1836, to Miss Susan Wagner, and con
tinued to preach there until 1859, building up
ihe Church and doing work which will never lose

914

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

its influence for good. He then removed to
Lewisburg, where he established and developed
a thriving congregation. He died July 3, 1894,
but Mrs. Rodenbaugh, who was born July 23,
1808, is still living. They had the following
children: Catherine, now Mrs. Morgan; Mar
garet, Mrs. Bennett; Ann, wife of George Slifer,
toll collector at the Lewisburg bridge and notary
public for the Union National Bank; John, who
died in Lewisburg, eight years ago, leaving a fam
ily; Mary Jane, now Mrs. Rawn, a widow, living
in Lewisburg; Elizabeth, wife of Dr. W. E. Cor-
nog.of Sergeantsville, N. J., and Isaac Newton,
who died in childhood.

S\OLOMON BENNER, a retired agriculturist
) now residing in Vicksburg, is a member of a
family which has been established in Union
county since 1802, when the name first appears
upon the tax lists.
That year our subject's great-grandfather, John
Benner, a native of Germany and a shoemaker
by traWe, came to the county and located in
Limestone township, a quarter of a mile west of
New Berlin. His first purchase of land was
small, but he added to it as time went on until he
became the owner of more than 300 acres. He
died prior to 1820, and his wife, Elizabeth
Hishou, also a native of Germany, passed away
between 1830 and 1840, the remains of both
being interred at New Berlin. Among their large
family of children were: John, our subject's
grandfather; a daughter, who married Caspar
Cost, a dealer in groceries, soft-beer, and cakes,
in New Berlin; Susan, Mrs. Michael Neiman;
Mary, Mrs. Joseph Lebkicker, of Liverpool,
Penn.; and Harry, of Thompsontown, Penn.,
none of whom are now living.
John Benner was born March 9, 1783, and,
coming to Union county with his parents, fol
lowed distilling in connection with farming at the
old homestead. He was a powerful man, being
able to lift a barrel of whiskey by the chime and
raise it to his knee. While he was comfortably
situated and took the world easy, extracting all
the pleasure possible from it, he was not wealthy.
As a citizen he was well-known and influential,
and throughout his life he was a steadfast sup
porter of the Whig party. He belonged to the
Reformed Church, and at various times held
office. He was married at Carlisle, Penn., to
Miss Mary Brownawell, who was born near that
city in 1784, and died May 5, 1846, his own
death occurring in March, 1856. Their children
were: Henry, who settled in Centre county, and
at his death was buried at New Berlin; John, our

subject's. father; Matthias who died at New Ber
lin; Michael, who died in Brown county; Ohio;
Samuel, who went west in early manhood and
was lost sight of, a report coming back that he
was waylaid and killed; Charles, who died in
Limestone township, at the age of twenty-four;
Aaron, who died in infancy; William, a resident
of New Berlin; Edward, who died near Selins
Grove, Penn. ; Elizabeth, Mrs. Archibald Thom
as, of Sandusky county, Ohio, now deceased;
Sarah, Mrs. Elias Hummell, of Mifflin county,
Penn., now deceased; and Mary, who married
(first) Andrew Glover, and (second) George Ben-
ninghoff, and died in Snyder county.
John Benner, the father of our subject, was
born January 25, 1801, in what was then Tul-
pehocken township, Lebanon county. He was
but a babe when his parents moved to Union
county, and he was reared at the old homestead,
finding plenty of work to do as his strength in
creased. His schooling, which was often inter
rupted in order that he might help on the farm
or in the woods, was meagre, but he made the
most of what opportunities he found, and se
cured a fair knowledge of the common branches.
By assisting his father in distilling he became
familiar with that business, and later he learned
the carpenter's trade. He continued to reside
at home until his marriage on December 17,
1829, at Mifflinburg, to Miss Mary Leiby, who
was born February 12, 1809, in Berks county,
Penn., and came to Union county in childhood
with her parents, John Jacob and  Leiby.
The young couple began housekeeping at the
Leiby homestead in Limestone township, Union
county, and remained sixteen years, Mr. Benner
following carpentering as a business. The first
farm that he ever owned was in Lycoming coun
ty, now Gregg township, Union county, where
he purchased 100 acres of land which proved to
be of unsatisfactory quality. He was obliged to
stay there six years because he could not sell it,
but finally he found a buyer, and moved to East
Buffalo township in the same county, and rented
the old Harris farm for three years. He then
bought the Adam Sheckler farm of 100 acres at
Vicksburg, paying eighty dollars an acre, and
continued to cultivate it until the spring of 1863,
when he retired from active work, although in
good health at the time. In i860 he built the
present commodious residence at the homestead,
and after his retirement he spent much of his
leisure time in reading, of which he was very
fond. He was a quiet man, never given to ar
gument, but the company of friends was always
a pleasure to him. In early years he was a
Whig, and later a Republican, but beyond- cast-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

915

ing his vote regularly he took no active interest
in politics, invariably declining any official hon
ors. He was a member of the Reformed Church,
and at times held office, serving some years as
deacon. His first wife died August 18, 1865,
and on November 7, 1867, he was married to
Mrs. Charlotte (Anderson) Heinly, widow of
John Heinly. She survived him a few years, his
death occurring August 31, 1875, after a linger
ing illness, and his remains, with those of both
his wives, now rest in Dreisbach cemetery. Our
subject was the youngest of three children by the
first marriage, the others being Sarah A., born
May 16, 1830, married Joseph A. Dietrich, and
died in Lycoming county, February 21, 1862,
leaving several children. Charles, born August
3, 1834, died January 21, 1841.
Mr. Benner's birth occurred September 16,
1838, in Limestone township, Union county,
near New Berlin, and as the only son of a well-
to-do farmer he had a better start in life than the
average youth of that day. He had the full
benefit of the local schools such as they were,
his first teacher being Emanuel Engle, in the
Turkey Run school. Constant training in the
work of the homestead during boyhood enabled
him to take charge of it on his father's retirement,
arid for some years he rented it. At the death
of his father he was appointed executor, and
after paying off the claims of his sister's children,
the only heirs except himself, he took the re
mainder of the estate, including the homestead.
He now owns two farms containing 130 acres
of excellent land, and has a small tract of timber
land on the mountain. His careful management
has secured a handsome competence, and in
September, 1897, he retired from business and
located at Vicksburg to enjoy his leisure.
On December 2, 1862, our subject was mar
ried, in Lewisburg, to Miss Mary A. Miller, who
was born in Snyder county, March 30, 1843, the
daughter of Daniel and Esther (Wagner) Miller.
Of five sons born to this union all but one are
living: W. E., born November 19, 1864, is now
a farmer in Buffalo township, Union county; he
was married, November 28, 1889, to Miss Sally
E. Hubler, daughter of Isaac and Susanna (Faust)
Hubler, and they have one child, Mary S. John
F., born May 15, 1866, died October 15, 1869.
Charles A., born January 19, 1869, is a clerk in
a store at Mazeppa, Penn. Newton M., born
March 30, 1872, was married November 26,
1896, to Miss Margaret N. Klose, of Vicksburg.
Elmer L., born June 17, 1877, is at home. Mr.
Benner and all his sons are stanch Republicans,
his connection with the party dating back to his
first vote in Lincoln's first campaign. He has

never sought or held office and never argues on
politics, contenting himself with voting regularly.
He is active in religious work, and he and his wife
are both members of Dreisbach Lutheran Church.
Both have been teachers in the Sunday-school
for many years past, and Mrs. Benner also takes
a generous interest in the work of the Missionary
Society.

ENRY JACOB SYPHER, the proprietor of
lfiL the Spring Garden Grist Mill in Gregg town
ship, Union county, is a man of high standing in
his community, his energy and ability having been
demonstrated in his successful business career.
Like so many of our leading citizens he comes of
Teutonic stock. His ancestors came from the
Valley of the Rhine during the early part of the
seventeenth century, and settled upon the Dela
ware river near the present site of Chester, Penn.
His great-grandfather, Abraham Sypher, with
five brothers, served gallantly in the Continental
army during the struggle for independence, and
participated in the battles of Trenton, Princeton,
Brandywine, Germantown and Monmouth, and
were at Valley Forge with Washington. Later
generations haye been no less patriotic, members
of the family bearing arms in the war of 18 12
and in the Civil war. Gen. J. Hale Sypher, our
subject's second cousin, enlisted as a private
April 21, 1 86 1, in the Cleveland, Ohio, Light
Artillery, and served throughout the war in differ
ent commands, rising by successive promotions
to the rank of general. At the close of the war
he settled in Louisiana to engage in the culture
of cotton and sugar, and was four times elected
a representative from that State, serving in the
XLth, XLIst, XLIInd and XLIIrd Congresses.
Capt. Jacob Sypher, our subject's grand
father, earned his title by service in the war of
1812. He was a native of Perry county, Penn.,
but in early manhood he located in White Deer
township, Union county, where he conducted a
farm, and also built and operated a sawmill. His
wife, Salome Steece, was a native of Union
county, and a member of a well-known pioneer
family. The late Abraham Sypher, the father of
our subject, was born in White Deer township
in November, 1821, and in 1849 went to North
umberland county, Penn., where he spent nine
years as a farmer. He then returned to the old
homestead and operated the sawmill for ten
years, and in 1869 he bought the estate upon
which our subject now resides, and where his
remaining years were spent. A gristmill stood
upon the place, and after rebuilding it on modern
principles he operated it until 1892, when he

916

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

retired from business. He was a Republican in
politics, but was not especially active as a parti-
His death occurred October 9, 1895, and

san.

his wife, Anna Follmer, who was a devout mem
ber of the Lutheran Church, died January 30,
1892. She was a native of Turbut township,
Northumberland county, born March 28, 1824,
and was a daughter of Henry and granddaughter
of Michael Follmer. Henry Follmer married
Miss Eve Follmer, his second cousin, and both
passed their lives in Turbut township, North
umberland county, where he was extensively en
gaged in farming and in other business, including
gristmilling and the manufacture of lumber. Our
subject was the elder of two children. A younger
sister, Leah Ann, married J. W. Bricker, a mer
chant at Spring Garden, where he now holds the
office of postmaster. They have three children —
Nathan, Anna and Laura.
Mr. Sypher first saw the light May 19, 1848,
at the old home in White Deer township, Union
county, and until he reached the age of twenty
he resided at home, assisting his father on the
farm and in the mill, while several winters were
spent at work in the woods. His education was
acquired in the local schools after the usual cus
tom of country lads. On January 14, 1869, he
was married at New Columbia to Miss Julia
Berkheimer, and he then settled in White Deer
township, where he operated a sawmill for a year.
He then went to Turbut township, Northumber
land county, where for twenty-three years he
made his home upon a rented farm, but during
the greater part of this time he was compelled to
trust his agricultural work to hired help, as his
time was largely taken up with his practice as a
veterinary surgeon. In 1881 he was compelled
to register in accordance with a new law, and
from that time until 1892, when he gave up
the business as uncongenial, he averaged one
sick animal a day, and sometimes had thirteen
in one day. During one year he spent $270 for
homeopathic and $80 for allopathic remedies.
There, as in his native place, he held the esteem
of his neighbors, and an account of his life was
published in 1892 in the History of Northumber
land County. In 1892 he returned to Spring
Garden to take charge of the mill which had
been willed him by his father, and he has since
become the sole owner of the old farm, having
purchased his sister's interest. He runs his mill
night and day, the average output for one month
in 1896 having been ninety-one bushels per day,
while he has, on one occasion, ground 155 bushels
in one day. Politically, he is an Independent,
voting always for the best man, and he is not an
office seeker. He takes much interest in local

affairs, and is a member of the Patrons of Hus
bandry, Spring Garden Grange, No. 32, at Spring
Garden. Mr. Sypher and his wife have reared an in
teresting family of five children: (1) Anna M.
married Harvey J. Sones, of Turbut township,
Northumberland county, a teacher by occupa
tion, who now holds the office of township as
sessor. (2) William H. , a farmer in the same
township, married Miss Maggie Lahr, and has
one son, Morris H., and a daughter, born Feb
ruary 26, 1898. (3) George A., a miller at
Spring Garden, married Miss Ida Kurtz, and has
one daughter, Clara M. ; his wife was born in
March, 1874, near the old home of the Sypher
family, in Northumberland county, and her par
ents, Josiah W. and Sarah Kurtz, still reside in
that locality. (4) Miss Veronica is at home;
(5) Miss Bessie L. married Le Roy Hunter, De
cember 23, 1897, at Spring Garden.
Mrs. Sypher was born February 24, 1849,
in Chillisquaque township, Northumberland
county. Her paternal grandparents, William
and Mary Berkheimer, natives of Germany,
came to America and settled on a farm
in that county. Her father, George Berk
heimer, was born there, but in 1854 he removed
to White Deer township, Union county, where
he followed farming in connection with the stone
mason's trade. He married Miss Mercy Stanart,
daughter of Jonathan and Susannah Stanart,
then of Northumberland county, but later of
Lewisburg, Penn., where Mr. Stanart engaged
in the manufacture of brooms. George Berk
heimer died in June, 1893, aged seventy-four,
and his wife, on February 7, 1887, at the age of
sixty-four years and four days. They had the
following children: William F. and Susannah,
who died in childhood; George, a farmer in White-
Deer township, Union county; Mary, who died
at an early age; Julia, Mrs. Sypher; Jacob, now of
Limestoneville, Penn.; Sarah E. , wife of Dennie
Hibler, of Williamsport, Penn. ; Andrew, Caro
line and Lehr, who all died in childhood; Sam
uel, a farmer in Northumberland county; Lavina,
wife of John Baker, of Limestoneville; and Re
becca, who married William Hoffman, of Nor
thumberland county.

RS. SARAH YOUNG. In these progress
ive days it occasions no surprise to find a
woman filling successfully a prominent place in
the business world, and the subject of this biog
raphy, a wealthy resident of Buffalo township,
Union county, sustains a high reputation for sa
gacity and enterprise, her fine estate near Cowani

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

917

being one of the best in the locality. She is the
widow of the late Adam Young, who passed away
October 8, 1872, leaving a large fortune, and
since 1873 she has occupied her present home,
where she has made all the improvements in
cluding the tasteful and commodious residence,
built in 1882. Two daughters: Ida M., born
September 19, 1868, and Nora M. , born May 8,
1870, reside with her, and seem to have inherited
her business talent. A son, Martin R. , born Au
gust 24, 1871, died in his eighteenth year. The
family is identified with the Reformed Church,
Mrs. Young and both her daughter taking an act
ive part in the various lines of work carried on
by the society.
Mrs. Young was born April 11, 1843, in Buf
falo township, the daughter of Abraham and Mary
(Young) Spigelmeyer. She was reared in the
same locality, receiving a common-school educa
tion, and her marriage to Mr. Young occurred
June 13, 1867. On the paternal side she is de
scended from an old Berks county family, but
her grandparents, Henry and Catherine Spigel
meyer, removed to Snyder county early in the
present century. Her father was born August
6, 1806, in Berks county, and was the seventh
son and youngest child in a family of eight.
Coming to this section in boyhood, he learned the
miller's trade at New Berlin, and, after working
for some time for various employers, he and his
father-in-law purchased a gristmill at Farmers
ville, now Cowan, which he operated during the
remainder of his life. He died suddenly on Au
gust 30, 1862, his remains being interred in Dreis
bach cemetery. For some years prior to his
death he held the office of elder in the Reformed
Church, of which he had long been an active mem
ber. He sympathized with the anti-slavery
movement and the Republican party, but depre
cated the use of force and did not vote in i860,
believing that Lincoln's election would precipi
tate war. On April 21, 1842, he was married to
Miss Mary Young, who was born in Buffalo town
ship, May 21, 1 82 1, the daughter of Abraham
and Mary Catherine (Reidy) Young. Mr. Young
was a shrewd, enterprising business man, and, in
addition to his work as a carpenter and builder,
conducted a sawmill and the gristmill above men
tioned. He was a stanch Democrat, and at one
time was asked to become a candidate for the
Legislature, but declined. Of his eleven children,
three sons and six daughters lived to adult age.
To Abraham Spigelmeyer and his wife six
children were born, of whom Mrs. Young was the
eldest; Henry resides in Nashua, Iowa; Susan
nah lives in Cowan; A  is a farmer in Buf
falo township; Mary C. married James P. Glaze,

of Mazeppa, Penn., and John W. resides in West
Buffalo township, Union county. The mother
of this family survived the father many years,
passing away October 16, 1886, at her home
near Cowan.
The late Adam Young was born February 13,
1808, in Buffalo township, Union county, the son
of Jacob Young, an early settler of that locality,
who paid taxes there as early as 1799. This.
well-known pioneer was born in 1775, and died
June 7, 1857, leaving a large estate. His wife
was a Miss Bower, and of their children, Adam
was the only one to reach adult age. He was
reared as a farmer boy, with the customary
school privileges, and was engaged in agriculture
throughout his mature years. In religious faith
he was a Lutheran, and his political allegiance
was given to the Democratic party. As has been
said he was a successful business man, and he
was at the same time popular among his associ
ates, his genial manner making many friends.
He was thrice married. By his first wife, a Miss
Rockey, he had six children: Jacob (deceased);
George W. , of Mifflinburg, Penn.; John, of
Three Rivers, Mich. ; Maria, who married Hugh
Reish, and died in Indiana; Sarah (deceased),
the first wife of George Catherman; and Marga
ret, who after her sister's death married Mr.
Catherman. By the second wife, Elizabeth
Swartzlander, a native of Buffalo township, Mr.
Young had twelve children: James, now resid
ing in Darke county, Ohio; William D., a farmer
in Buffalo township; Reuben, of White Deer
township, Union county; Charles, a physician at
Lynchburg, Penn. ; Harvey, a farmer near Belle
vue, Ohio; Oliver, a farmer at Three Rivers,
Mich. ; Oscar, who follows the same business in
South Dakota; Ellen, wife of Aaron Nogel, of
Buffalo Cross Roads; Leannah, Mrs. Oscar Fury,
of Constantine, Mich. ; Harriet, Mrs. William
Kerstetter, of Buffalo township; Mary, Mrs. Mil
ton Hendricks, of Buffalo Cross Roads; and Sus
anna, Mrs. Miles Miller, of Buffalo township,
Union township.

WILLIAM JONES, a prominent member
of the legal fraternity in Union county,
was born August 9, 1822, but despite his years
is too vigorous, mentally and physically, to dream
of retiring from business, and at present in ad
dition to his other cares is the superintendent of
the Lewisburg Water Company.
On the paternal side Mr. Jones is of Welsh
descent, but his father, the late Thomas Jones,
was born in this State, and was for many years

918

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

a hotel keeper in Lewisburg. He was married
to Maria Housel, a native of Northumberland
county, Penn., where her father, Jacob Housel
(who was of Dutch ancestry), was also born.
She lived to the advanced age of eighty-four
years. To Thomas and Maria Jones a family of
seven children were born, viz. : Adella (de
ceased), formerly the wife of Dr. Thomas Thorn-
•ton; Samuel, a banker, who died at Williams
port, Penn.; William, our subject; Elizabeth
(Mrs. Charles Shortly), residing in Williamsport;
John, a resident of the same city; Catherine,
widow of William Humes, of Bellefonte; and
Emily, wife of Judge Rockfeller, of Sunbury,
Pennsylvania. The subject of our sketch was born in North
umberland county, but his youth was mainly
spent in Lewisburg, where he pursued his studies
in the public school and the academy. His first
employment was as a driver on the canal, from
which position he soon rose to the management
of a boat, but after six or seven years in this
business he learned the coach maker's trade and
worked as a journeyman for a time. A clearer
perception of his powers led him to decide upon
the study of law, and in 1848 he was admitted
to the Bar and engaged in practice. Soon after
ward he took a trip to California, where for two
years and a half he supported himself by work
ing at his trade and clerking in a store, with
some legal business added from time to time.
Returning home, he was married, in March, 1856,
to Miss Ada Bell, a native of Milton, Penn. He
located at Lewisburg, opening an office, and has
since practiced law while attending to other lines
of business, public and private. He is a stock
holder in the water works which he now super
intends, and he has been continuously active in
political life, being regarded as a leader in the Re
publican party of his locality. He has served two
terms as county treasurer, and had held office in
the borough as treasurer and town clerk for more
than thirty consecutive years; he resigned a few
years ago, declining to accept any further re
sponsibility. For fifteen years he was a member
of the school board, serving as secretary, also
as treasurer part of that time, and he has always
been found among the chief workers for local
improvement in all lines.
Mr. and Mrs. Jones have two daughters, Clara
and Gertrude. (1) Clara married Horace I.
Moyer, a civil engineer and contractor in Brook
lyn, N. Y., and has two children — William and
Adaline. (2) Gertrude is the wife of Jacob G.
Stevens, of Chestnut Hill, Penn., a suburb of
Philadelphia. They have one daughter, Kath-
erine.

WILLIAM M. GINTER is numbered among
the loyal sons of Lewisburg, Union coun
ty, who, passing their youth there, have de
voted their mature years to the upbuilding and
development of the interests of the place, each
working in his own line in his own way. Mr.
Ginter's specialty is photography, and his desire
to be at the top in his chosen business has re
sulted most happily, the artistic quality of the
pictures taken in his well-patronized gallery be
ing equal to that of the best metropolitan work.
He also conducts successfully an undertaking
business, succeeding his father, the late David
Ginter. The Ginter family is of German origin, our
subject's grandfather, John Ginter, having come
from the Fatherland to locate, finally, in Milton,
Penn., where he and his wife Elizabeth, a native
of Switzerland, died and were buried. The late
David Ginter, son of this John, was born in
Berks county, Penn., in 1808, and at the age of
twenty-three settled in Lewisburg, where he en
gaged in the cabinet-maker's trade, to which he
afterward added the business of undertaker and
funeral director. He was a man of intelligence
and character, a member of the M. E. Church
for sixty-five years, and in politics a Republican,
having previously been an Old-line Whig. He
was married to Miss Margaret Martin, who was
born in Lewisburg in 18 10, and was a member
of an old Pennsylvania family. She died in 1877,
he in 1893. Of their twelve children, six lived
to mature age: Rebecca (Mrs. E. A. Stark, of
Lewisburg) ; Peter M . (also of Lewisburg) ; Will
iam M. (our subject); Elizabeth (deceased); Har
riet (a resident of Lewisburg); and Margaret (wife
of Ralph Musser, of Williamsport, Penn.). An
adopted son, Sidney Townsend, was reared by
Mr. and Mrs. David Ginter from the age of five
years, and is now a resident of Brooklyn, New
York. William M. Ginter, our subject, has always
made his home in Lewisburg. On leaving the
pubilc schools he assisted his father in the furni
ture and undertaking business for a time, but hav
ing decided to engage in photography, he, in
1869, after due preparation, which he secured in
his native town, opened a gallery, and has ever
since conducted it with gratifying success. He
now has with him G. B. Cook, an unusually ca
pable photographer from New York City, and no
expense or pains is spared to keep the work of
the establishment at the highest grade of excel
lence. Since the death of his father, as has
been noted, Mr. Ginter has also been engaged in
business as an undertaker and funeral director.
In 1 88 1 our subject married Miss Julia C. Ritter,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

919

a native of Lewisburg, and they have two at
tractive daughters, Marian and Eva.
Mr. Ginter served as a soldier in the Civil
war, and is a member of the G. A. R. His mil
itary experience was somewhat unusual. He
was drafted on the first call and sent a substi
tute, but when the Rebels invaded his native
State he joined the State militia, Company E,
28th Regiment, to protect home interests. He
also served for more than a year as a clerk in the
commissariat department at Burnside's head
quarters.

JOHN JEFFERSON RANCK, a well-known
coachmaker and undertaker at New Colum
bia, is a self-made man whose history shows
the triumph of a determined will over adverse
circumstances. Born in White Deer township, Union county,
July 31, 1 85 1, Mr. Ranck is a member of an old
pioneer family of that locality, his great-grand
father, John Ranck, having settled there in 1797,
purchasing a large tract of land, most of which
is still owned by his descendants. John Ranck
was born and reared in Lancaster county, and
on coming to Union county was accompanied by
his second wife, Barbara. He died in 1820, at
-the age of seventy-eight, and his wife in 1830, at
the age of seventy-five.
Their son Jonathan, our subject's grand
father, was born in Lancaster county, July 1,
1789, but his life was mainly spent in Union
county, where he became prominent as an agri
culturist. He was married three times, (first) to
Miss Catherine Long, (second) to Miss Mary
Dieffenderfer, our subject's grandmother, and,
(third) to Mrs. Harriet (Kline) Dieffenderfer,
widow of the brother of his second wife.
Mrs. Mary (Dieffenderfer) Ranck was born in
January, 1798, in Union (then Northumberland)
county, the daughter of Jacob Dieffenderfer, and
her death occurred in February, 1844. She had
ten children, among whom was our subject's fa
ther, Edward Ranck, now a highly respected cit
izen of White Deer township, who resides upon
a portion of the original homestead. He was
born December 31, 1825, and has been engaged
in agricultural work since early manhood. He is
a Prohibitionist in politics, though formerly a Re
publican, and he holds a prominent place in lo
cal affairs, having served in various township
offices in his more active days. For forty-six
years he has been identified with the Evangelical
Association, and for thirty years has been an of
ficial in the same.
On December 7, 1848, Edward Ranck mar

ried Miss Sarah A. Goodlander, a native of
White Deer township, Union county, born
September 13, 1825, and a daughter of Paul and
Rachel (Heckel) Goodlander. Eleven children
were born to this union: Mary (Mrs. H. H.
Trumfeller), John J. (oursubject), Jeremiah (who
died January 4, 1853, at the age of four months),
William H. (a farmer of Kelly township, Union
county), Rachel L. (Mrs. David H. Bennage),
Sarah A. (Mrs. W. H. Geyer), Edward F. (a
farmer and school teacher in White Deer town
ship), Samuel C. (of New Columbia), Pharos F.
(a school teacher and farmer of White Deer town
ship), James A. (who is engaged in farming in
the same township), and Minnie A. (Mrs. Thomas
C. Bennage). The subject of our sketch remained at home
until the age of sixteen, assisting his father upon
the farm in the summer, and attending school
four months each winter. At sixteen he worked
eight months during the busy season for an uncle,
Levi Ranck, receiving $8 per month. The next
winter was spent at home, and in the spring he
was employed by Jacob Kizer, of Kelly township,
for a year, receiving $16 a month for the eight
months of the busy season, and tending stock in
winter for his board while attending school. The
following season was also spent with Mr. Kizer
at $16 a month, but the next winter Mr. Ranck
returned home.
He then decided to learn the coachmaker's
trade, and in the spring went to New Columbia
to begin an apprenticeship, but work was so
scarce that after six weeks he returned to Mr.
Kizer's employ and remained until the next spring,
the winter season, as usual, bringing him only
his board. The outlook for his trade being more
favorable, he went back to New Columbia and
served as an apprentice to William H. Blind for
two years, receiving $75 for the term. Mr. Blind
then employed him for a year at $16 a month,
and afterward Mr. Ranck worked at piece work
as a journeyman for some time at various places,
spending four months at Warrensville, Penn.,
with Samuel Keys, to whom he carried a letter
of reference, three weeks at Saloma, Penn., with
Frank Crape, and six weeks with David Crape.
He next went to Jacksonville, Penn., and re
mained with Ira C. Johnson for some time, but
in the spring of 1874, after a few weeks spent at
home, he went to Kalamazoo, Michigan.
In the fall he returned home, and, on Decem
ber 15, 1874, he was married at Muncy Station,
at the home of the bride's parents, to Miss Sarah
J. Smith, who has since shared his joys and sor
rows and lightened his cares with her womanly
sympathy. After working at his trade for one

920

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

year in Elimsport, Penn., he returned to New
Columbia and purchased his present property,
where he built a shop and residence. As he was
industrious and his workmanship was of the best,
he succeeded in establishing a profitable trade,
to which he added an undertaking business in
1893, in which he took into partnership with him
his brother, S. C. Ranck.
Our subject has held a number of local offices,
including that of register , and, in the spring of 1 896,
he was elected assessor on the Republican ticket.
He has served six years as school director, his lack
of suitable opportunities for study in youth making
him desirous of securing better advantages for this
and future generations. He belongs to the Patri
otic Order Sons of America, of New Columbia, in
which he holds the office of treasurer, and he
and his wife are prominent members of the
United Evangelical Church. Five children bless
their union: Percy E., born October 27, 1875,
is a blacksmith, and April 1, 1898, was taken in
as partner in the carriage business; Charles S. ,
born July 22, 1877, is a telegraph operator at
Hall Station, Penn.; Estella, born June 19, 1879,
and Harry B. and Harriet E. (twins), born July
26, 1 88 1, are at home.
Mrs. Ranck was born August 16, 1854, in
Clinton township, Lycoming Co., Penn. Her
paternal grandparents, John and Saloma (Treon)
Smith, were among the old-time agriculturists of
that locality, and their remains now repose there.
Her father, Ezekiel Smith, was born in the same
township, and became a prominent farmer. For
twenty years before his death, which occurred at
Muncy September 15, 1895, at the age of seven
ty-eight years and nine months, he lived in retire
ment,' and he left a large estate to his children.
He was a Democrat in politics, and in active days
wielded great influence in his community. He
and his estimable wife, Catherine A. Metzger,
were devout adherents of the Lutheran Church.
Both were buried in Mt. Pleasant cemetery, in
Lycoming county, Mrs. Smith having passed
away January 16, 1892, in her seventy-third
year. Her grandfather, Jacob Metzger, came
from Germany and settled in Lycoming county,
where his last days were spent, and her parents,
George and Susan (Dietrich) Metzger, died there
at an advanced age, after several years spent in
retirement, and their remains now lie in the cem
etery at Turbutville.
Ezekiel and Catherine Smith reared a large
family: (1) Harriet, born in January, 1846,
married Percival Weigle, a carpenter at South
Williamsport, Penn., and has two children— Ella
M. and Arthur L. (2) Caroline married Samuel
Bastian, formerly a lumber dealer and now a

clerk in the office of the county commissioners
of Lycoming county. They have three children
— Jennie E., William H. and Edith. (3) Ellen
married Jerome Dersham. (4) Hervey, born in
April, 1850, is a wealthy farmer near Muncy
Station, and is now county commissioner of Ly
coming county. He married Catharine Walter,
and has had four children — Walter E. (deceased),
Elizabeth, Minnie and William. (5) Sarah J.
married Mr. Ranck. (6) Susan A., who died in
February, 1893, at the age of thirty-six years,
was the wife of John App, a sawyer at South
Williamsport. They had two children — Anna
L. and Minda M., both of whom are living.
(7) Anna, born in June, i860, married Pierson
App, a brother of John App, and resides at the
old homestead. They have one daqghter, Alta.

JEAN FRANCOIS ELYSEE AVIRAGNET,
director of the Bucknell School of Music,
Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Union coun
ty, is a native of France, born July 30, 1828. In
October, ten years later, he entered the Royal
College at Bordeaux and pursued a literary
course of study. In 1845, he went to Paris, and
in 1847 he graduated from the Sorbonne. In
1 85 1 he took up the teaching of French, Greek
and Latin, and in 1852 he received a degree cor
responding to the degree of Master of Arts. Dur
ing all this time he spent his leisure moments in
developing his taste for music, studying under
Duprez, Delsarte and Revial. Later he studied
vocal music under Lamperti, in Italy. He then
took up the study of harmony, and composed
many songs which were published by Le Mene-
strel, a publishing house belonging to Heugel,
while Hartman, the publisher, also gave to the
world some of Prof. Aviragnet's music.
Later our subject went to Mauritius and be
came a teacher in Latin, Greek and the Romance
languages in Bourbon College; at the same time
he was the musical critic of French editions of
Le Mauricien, Le Cerneen and the Commercial
Gazette, papers published in both French and
English. Up to 1865 Prof. Aviragnet was an
amateur musician, in that year becoming a pro
fessional. Previously, however, he had taken
parts in concerts and conducted a Philharmonic
Society of Amateurs. After leading operatic
orchestras for a time, he attracted the attention
of composers, among whom was the late Am-
broise Thomas, the celebrated author of ' ' Mig-
non," " Hamlet" and many other masterpieces.
These famous composers presented Prof. Avirag
net with well- merited testimonials of his worth
as a musician.

rn-J&/~^

Director of the School oj Music oj Bucknell University.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

921

Prof. Aviragnet has traveled a great deal, and
has spent many months in Italy, Spain, Egypt,
Greece, India and the West Indies, leading or
chestras and teaching vocal music and the lan
guages. At the beginning of the Prussian war
(1870) he chanced to be in his native country,
and he at once entered the service of the French
army as a private, later becoming a lieutenant
and aide-de camp of the Commandeur Superieur
of the 10th Arrondissement. At the beginning
of the Commune the government of the defense
Nationale was obliged to go to Versailles, and
Lieut. Aviragnet was sent several times as a spe
cial messenger to Versailles, to the National As
sembly. Being obliged to remain in Versailles,
he was, by cpmmission bearing date April 18,
1871, made officer d'ordonnance, for the organ
ization of the legion of the 10th Arrondisse
ment, which was with the army when it en
tered Paris and ended the Commune by bloody
battles upon the streets of that city, May 21 to
28, 1871.
Four years before coming to the United States
Prof. Aviragnet was a teacher of comparative lan
guages at Bolivar College, Port of Spain, Trini
dad. Although not connected with the music de
partment of that institution, he organized a band
composed of students of the college, which or-
anization, during the vacation, made a successful
tour in Venezuela. He then went to New York,
where he taught music for one year, when he was
engaged by S. W. Murray, of Milton, Penn., to
teach music and the languages to his daughter
and the children of several prominent Milton
families. In 1887 he became a teacher at Buck
nell Institute, the department of music being
then a part of the Institute. Through dint of
application, and by thorough work, Prof. Avira
gnet raised the standard of the music department
until the board of trustees deemed it wise to cre
ate a School of Music, with Prof. Aviragnet at
the head as director. In 1893 the University
conferred upon our subject the degree of Doctor
of Music, an honor which he wears with dignity
and merit.
Dr. Aviragnet is a member of the Society of
Arts and Sciences, of England (Mauritius branch).
He is a life member of the Association of French
Opera Artists, to which organization Patti, Calve,
Plancon, Lassalle, de Reske brothers, and many
other well-known artists belong or belonged. He
is also a member of the Music Teachers Associ
ation of America, and is widely known through
out eastern Pennsylvania as an instructor in Ro
mance languages at the Mt. Gretna Chautauqua.
He belongs, also, to the Modern Language Asso
ciation of America.

J 'ENRY BENNAGE. For more than a cen-
_L tury the Bennage homestead in White
Deer township, Union county, has been occupied
by members of the family, having been first pur
chased by that noted pioneer, Simon Bennage,
who was born in Heidelberg township, Berks
Co., Penn., August 19, 1757, the son of Simon
and Mary Bennage, natives of Germany. He
married Miss Elizabeth Renninger, also of Berks
county, and soon after located at the present
homestead, where a family of four children were
born to them: Samuel, March 28, 1788; David,
December 28, 1791; Mary, October 15, 1794;
and Elizabeth, January 5, 1798. The father
became one of the leading landholders of Union
county, owning several farms beside the home
stead of 160 acres, and he also had about 400
acres of land in New York State. He was one
of the founders of the Lutheran Church in his
township, and took a leading part in the develop
ment of the locality in all lines. His death oc
curred December 24, 1821, and his remains, with
those of his estimable wife, now rest in the
family burial plot in the cemetery at White Deer
church. David Bennage, the father of our subject,
followed agricultural pursuits all his life upon a
portion of the old homestead, and at his death,
which occurred in 1866, he left an estate com
prising 390 acres, which was divided between
five surviving sons, all but one of the farms being
still retained in the family. His wife, Nancy
Ranck, who died in 1863, was a native of Lan
caster county, Penn. , and a daughter of Henry
and Nancy (Geigley) Ranck, who was born,
reared and married in Lancaster county, but
settled in White Deer township, Union county,
in pioneer times.
David Bennage was prominent in the local
movements of his time, and he and his wife were
leading members of the Evangelical Association.
Our subject was the eldest of a family of seven
children, the others being: Simon and John R.,
who also occupy a portion of the estate left by
their father; Enos, a farmer in Kelly township,
Union county; David, who cultivates a portion
of the old farm; Louis, who died April 29, 1867,
in Northumberland county, Penn., at the age of
twenty-one; and Mary, wife of Calvin Keefer,
both now deceased. The remains of the parents,
together with those of all the other departed
members of this family, repose in the White
Deer Church cemetery.
Henry Bennage has always resided in Union
county, but he can recall scenes quite different
from those which now surround him. He was
born at the old homestead January 31, 1828,

922

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

and was reared after the custom of those days,
working upon the farm and attending the local
schools as he had opportunity. At twenty-one
his school days ended, and on January 15, 1850,
he was married to Miss Mary Heimbach, and
settled upon one of his father's farms, which he
worked for one-half of the proceeds until 1863.
He then moved to his present farm, which was
in its primitive condition, and building a little
home, 14x20 feet, he began the work of clearing.
Five years of hard work enabled him to make
many improvements, including the comfortable
residence which he now occupies.
On August 16, 1864, Mr. Bennage enlisted in
Company I, 202nd P. V. I., but as the company
was too full he was transferred to Company G,
same regiment. He remained in the service un
til after the close of the war, being mustered
out August 3, 1865, but although he was engaged
in several skirmishes he saw no important battles,
and happily was never wounded. On his return
to the paths of peace he again engaged in farm
ing, but of late years he has allowed the active
work of the place to fall into younger hands,
while he enjoys a well-deserved leisure. His politi
cal sympathies have been with the Republican
party from the early days of that organization,
and he has been active in the local administra
tion, holding office at times as assessor and school
director. In religious work he is also prominent.
At the age of fifteen he became a member of the
Evangelical Association, but since the division of
that society he has been identified with the
United Evangelical Church. In his younger
days he served as class leader, and at present he
holds the office of trustee.
Mr. and Mrs. Bennage have a goodly array
of descendants, of which they may well be proud.
They have had ten children, of whom eight are
living: (1) Mary E., born December 21, 1850,
died September 14, 1853. (2) John S. , born
January 14, 1852, married Miss Caroline Trox-
well, and has had two children — Irene R. , who
is at home; and Jacob H. (deceased). (3) Hetty
A., born May 10, 1853, married James W. Gey
er, a farmer in White Deer township, Union
county, and has had five children — Clara, Cyrus,
Dora, Norman, and Reuben. (4) Rebecca A.,
born August 21, 1854, married William Harps-
ter, of White Deer, Penn. (5) Sarah C. , born
May 12, 1857, married Robert Newman, of
White Deer township, and has had two children
— Kelly, and Irvin. (6) Samuel D., born Au
gust 26, 1859, who resides in White Deer town
ship, married Miss Lida Becher, and has had
one son, Albert. (7) Amanda J., born June 6,
1862, married Amos Kostenbader, of White

Deer township, and has had six children — Anna,
Ernest, Morris, Sallie (deceased), John (de
ceased), and Susan. (8) Emma M. , born No
vember 1, 1866, married Ammon Hoffman, of
White Deer township, and has had the following
children — Ida (deceased), Beckie, Bertha, John,
Mary (deceased), Luther, and Willard. (9) Ida
S., born December 17, 1868, married James
Keefer, a farmer in Montour county, Penn., and
hashad five children — Blanche, Harry (deceased),
Raymond, Henry, and Herman. (10) James H.,
born August 30, 1872, died January 29, 1883.
Mrs. Bennage is a native of Union county,
and was born December 18, 1830, in Buffalo
township. Her parents, Samuel and Elizabeth
(Bower) Heimbach, were born in Srjyder county,
the former in Middleburg, and the latter in Dry
Valley. The father was a well-known black
smith, and resided for many years in Buffalo
township, Union county, where he died in 1885,
at the age of seventy-five. His wife, who
passed away two years before him, was also sev
enty-five years of age. They adhered to the
Lutheran faith, and were devout members of the
Church, and both were interred at Dreisbach
Church in Union county. Their children were:
Catherine, now the widow of Daniel Bailer, of
Union county; Hattie, wife of Jacob Isley, a re
tired farmer in Clay county, Kans. ; Mary, Mrs.
Bennage; Jonathan, a resident of Buffalo town
ship, Union county; Rachel, widow of Peter
Reich, formerly engaged in agriculture in Dakota;
Ellis, of Union county; Elizabeth, now Mrs.
Puttick, of New Berlin, Penn. ; Susan, wife of
Henry Frock, a farmer in Buffalo township, Union
county; Beckie (deceased), formerly the wife of
Samuel Dauberman, a carpenter at New Berlin;
John H., who lives in Buffalo township; and
Martha M. Whitman (now deceased).

J^ MOS VASTINE PERSING, M. D., a prom-
JL inent young physician and surgeon of Al
lenwood, Union county, was born October 17,
1868, in Elysburg, Northumberland Co., Penn
sylvania. His parents were Emanuel S. and Catherine
(Vastine) Persing. On both sides he traces his
ancestry back to the early Colonial period, the
Persing family being descended from three broth
ers who crossed the Atlantic from France and
settled in New Jersey at a very early day. His
paternal grandparents, Mathias and Johanna R.
(Parent) Persing, were natives of Schuylkill coun
ty, Penn. The grandfather, who was a contract
or in his younger years and a farmer later in life,
did the stone work on the D. L. & W. R- R-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

923

between Sunbury and Catawissa, Penn., and on
the Crow Hollow railroad between Pottsville
and St. Clair in Schuylkill county. The ma
ternal grandparents, Amos and Susan (Lerch)
Vastine, were natives of Northumberland county,
and died on the old Vastine homestead in that
county, which is now occupied by the parents of
our subject. For several generations the Vas
tine family, has been identified with the agricult
ural and distilling interests of Northumberland
county, and the grandfather served as commis
sioner for one term. All of the Doctor's grand
parents were buried in St. Jacob's Lutheran cem
etery in that county. His great-grandfather,
Felix Lerch, for many years conducted a tavern
at Mt. Carmel, where his ancestors were early
settlers. Emanuel S. Persing, the Doctor's father, was
born in Schuylkill county, in August, 1843, and
was reared upon a farm, where he remained un
til joining the Union army during the Civil war.
At the age of twenty-three he entered a mercan
tile establishment where he clerked for two years,
but at the age of twenty-five again turned his at
tention to agricultural pursuits. He is now the
owner of the valuable farm upon which he re
sides, but has practically laid aside business
cares, leaving its cultivation to younger hands.
In early manhood he married Miss Catherine
Vastine, who was born in Northumberland coun
ty, in September, 1841, and their entire married
life has been passed at Elysburg, where they are
surrounded by hosts of warm friends and ac
quaintances. With the Lutheran Church they
have long held membership, and, politically, the
father is identified with the Republican party.
Four children blessed their union: Amos V., of
this review; Johanna R. , who died at the age of
eleven years; Sadie, who died at the age of seven
months; and Susan B.. at home.
At the age of seventeen Dr. Persing left home
to attend Bucknell Academy, where he graduated
two years later, and at once entered upon the
study of medicine. Going to Mt. Carmel, he
worked in the drug-store of Drs. Montelius &
Williams for one year, and in the fall of 1889
matriculated at the Jefferson Medical College,
which he attended for four consecutive terms,
graduating May 2, 1893. Returning home, he
conducted Dr. Gilbert's practice for two weeks
while that gentleman was attending the World's
Fair in Chicago, and in the following June lo-'
cated in Allenwood, where he has succeeded in
building up a large and lucrative practice, which
is constantly increasing.
On March 15, 1894, Dr. Persing was married
to Miss Estella V. Pensyl, and they have a son,

William E., born February 11, 1895, and a
daughter, Katharine Viola, born May 29, 1897.
Mrs. Persing was born April 23, 1869, in Elys
burg, Penn., of which place her parents, William
and Harriett (Hull) Pensyl, were also natives.
There the mother's death occurred August 10,
1889, when in her fiftieth year, but the father is
still a resident of Elysburg, where he owns and
operates a tannery and farm. He was born in
1835, and is the father of seven children: Laura,
now the wife of William Reed, a miller and
farmer of Crowl, Northumberland county; Elmer
and Katie, who died in infancy; Estella, the wife
of our subject; Anna, now the wife of Preston A.
Vought, a prominent lawyer of Mt. Carmel; and
Viola and Carrie, still at home. Both parents
were consistent members of the Baptist Church,
and in politics the father is a Republican.
Although one of the younger members of the
medical profession, Dr. Persing has been very
successful in the practice of his chosen profes
sion, and is recognized as one of the most skillful
physicians and surgeons of Union county. In
social as well as professional circles he stands
high, and is an honored member of the Masonic
Lodge No. 414, of Elysburg, and Camp No. 508,
P. O. S. of A., of Allenwood. He is a member
of the Lycoming County Medical Society. Being
a strictly temperate man, he is an ardent sup
porter of the Republican party, and is a faithful
member of the Lutheran Church.

TCHAEL KLECKNER (deceased) was for
JJOi many years one of the most popular and
well-known men of Union county. He was very
influential in public affairs, as by his strong force
of character and undoubted integrity he gained
the confidence of the people, who saw in him a
man whom they could trust as a guide and well
fitted to hold public office. His entire life was
passed in Union county, his birth there occurring
January 7, 1807.
Solomon Kleckner, his father, came from
Northampton county, Penn., to Union county,
first locating in West Buffalo township, but, after
several years passed there, removed to Limestone
township. He died August 18, 1837, at the age
of seventy-two, and was buried at Mifflinburg.
His wife, a Miss Hoover, whom he had married
in Northampton county, survived him a few
years. By trade Solomon Kleckner was a clock
maker, manufacturing the old-fashioned clocks
then in use, but. he also engaged in farming, and
for years owned the mill at New Berlin. Being
very successful, he became one of the most sub
stantial men of Buffalo Valley, and at his death

924

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

left an estate valued at $100,000. Physically he
was of ordinary size; politically he was a Whig;
in religious belief he was a Lutheran. In
the family of Solomon Kleckner were the fol
lowing children: John, who refnoved to Illinois;
Jacob, who died in Limestone township, Union
county; Peter, who is still living in Stephenson
county, 111., at. the age of ninety-five; Joseph,
who died in Rapidan, Va. , and was buried in
New Berlin, Penn.; William, who died at Vicks
burg, Penn. ; Michael; Susanna, who married
Daniel Kline, and removed to Spring Mills, Cen
tre Co., Penn., but died at Aaronsburg; Eliza
beth, who married Martin Dreisbach, and died in
Lewisburg, Union county; and Catharine, wife
of Dr. J. P. Seebold, of Stephenson county,
Illinois. During his youth, Michael Kleckner learned
the miller's trade in his father's mill at New Ber
lin, and after his marriage he located at that
place, where he managed the mill for a short
time. Subsequently he engaged in farming in
Middle Creek township, Snyder Co., Penn., for
a time, and then returned to New Berlin, becom
ing owner and proprietor of the " Union Hotel,"
which he conducted for half a century. He built
extensive additions to the house, and as a popular
landlord was known far and near.
On February 10, 1829, Mr. Kleckner married
Miss Susanna Reber, who was born in June,
1 8 12, near Lochiel, in Buffalo township, Union
county, on a farm, where her parents, John and
Catharine (Moser) Reber, had located in 1803.
The father added to his place until he owned
nearly 300 acres of the finest land in Buffalo Val
ley. In 1 83 1, he removed to Lewisburg, where
he died in 1852, at the age of eighty-two years.
In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Reber were ten
children — John; Samuel, who was a member of
the State Legislature in 1843; Elizabeth, who
became the wife of Dr. Isaac S. Vorse; James;
Mary, who wedded Jacob Dunkel; Susan, the
wife of our subject; Margaret, who never mar
ried; Thomas; David; and Leah, who became
the wife of Rev. D. Y. Heister, a German Re
formed minister.
Mrs. Kleckner was reared in what is now East
Buffalo township, Union county, and by her mar
riage to our subject became the mother of the
following children: Jeremiah, who died at Cleve
land, Ohio, May 1, 1881; Charles, proprietor of
a boarding stable in Philadelphia; Catharine R.
and John R. , twins, the former of whom is now
the widow of Charles Cawley, of Philadelphia,
and the latter, a traveling salesman residing in
Harrisburg, Penn.; Margaret, who became the
wife of Dr. J. L. Brallier, and died in Altoona,

Penn., April 30, 1882; Samuel T., who died in
Lewisburg, while his father was sheriff, October
24, 1875; Mary E., a resident of New Berlin;
Anna E., wife of M. L. Schach, of Philadelphia;
George W. , a traveling salesman, who died Sep
tember 29, 1879; Henrietta, who died in infancy,
April 13, 1847; James R., who was a resident of
Nanticoke, Penn., and died in May, 1897; Jos
eph R. , who died in infancy, April 29, 1851;
and Alice, a resident of New Berlin. The father
of these children departed this life August 27,
1887, the mother on February 1, 1892, and both
were buried at New Berlin.
Originally, Mr. Kleckner was a Whig in pol
itics, and later became a pronounced Republican,
doing all in his power to advance the interests of
his party. From 1841 until 1843 he served as
county treasurer, was county commissioner from
1864 to 1867, and sheriff from 1870 to 1873, the
duties of which offices he discharged in a most
efficient manner, winning the commendation of
even his political enemies. On Christmas Day,
1882, he fell and sustained such injuries as to
render him a cripple for the remainder of his life.
He had hosts of friends, and being kindhearted
and generous, he could never refuse to grant a
favor, in which way he lost many a dollar. In
early life he was a Lutheran, but later he be
came a faithful member of the Reformed Church.
During his career as a public official, Mr. Kleck
ner still retained control of the hotel, which
property has been under the management of the
family for over sixty years, a case doubtless
without parallel in the county or in central Penn
sylvania. Since their father's death Misses Mary
E. and Alice Kleckner have conducted the hotel,
in a manner which reflects great credit upon their
business ability, and they have perpetuated the
excellent name and reputation it has borne for
over sixty years, it being considered the best ho
tel in any town, the size of New Berlin, in cen
tral Pennsylvania.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN REISER. The
beautiful borough of West Milton, Union
county, was established by the Reiser family
upon land which has been held in the family
since 1836, when Jacob and Elizabeth (Elick)
Reiser, the parents of the gentleman whose name
opens this biography, came from Northampton
county, Penn., their native place. They settled
upon a farm, whose fields, once covered with*
abundant crops under their skillful and energetic
management, are now being built upon by the.
settlers in the thriving little town.
Jacob Keiser was a son of Michael Reiser, a*

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

925

native of Pennsylvania, and a soldier in the Rev
olutionary war, and was born in Northampton
county, PennM February 26, 1807. He was a
man of great force of character, a Republican in
politics from the organization of that party, and
was prominent in the community, holding vari
ous local offices. He died February 12, 1867,
aged fifty-nine years, eleven months and four
days. His estimable wife, who was born in
Northampton county, September 11, 1805,
daughter of Christopher Elick, survived him
many years, breathing her last October 8, 1892,
at the age of eighty-seven years and twenty-six
days. Both had been consistent members of the
Lutheran Church, and passed away in the full
faith of a future life, their remains being interred
in Church Hill cemetery, Kelly township, Union
county. Jacob and Elizabeth Keiser had eleven chil
dren: (1) Susanna married Solomon Ranck,
who was formerly engaged in agriculture and
later in coachmaking, but now lives in retire
ment at New Columbia. They have one son,
Harrison Ranck. (2) John A., a well-known re
tired farmer of West Milton, was educated in the
common schools of that locality, and has always
made his home there. He was married Decem
ber 29, 1859, to Miss Sarah Heilman, daughter
of John Heilman, of Lycoming county, Penn.
She died in November, i860, and was buried in
Lycoming county. One child survived her a
short time only. On March 13, 1861, J. A.
Keiser married Miss Sarah J. Deitrick, by whom
he had two children: Jane Estella, born Feb
ruary 8, 1865, died February 18, 1869, and was
buried in Church Hill cemetery; and Elmer Ed
gar, born February 7, 1863', was nearly killed
'when a boy by a kick from a horse; but he has
made a brilliant record as a student, and is now a
successful physician in Tacony, Penn. , a suburb
of Philadelphia. After completing the course
offered in the Oakland school near his father's
home, he entered the academy at Lewisburg in
1879, and later took a course in Bucknell Univer
sity, at Lewisburg, Penn. , graduating in June,
1886. In October following he entered the
University of Pennsylvania, and in 1889 was
graduated with the degrees of A. M. and M. D.
He then engaged in practice at Tacony, where
he has ever since remained, his abilities com
manding success from the first. In May, 1891,
he married Miss Genia Deans, daughter of John
Deans, of Phoenixville, Penn., and a graduate of
the University of Pennsylvania, now Bucknell
University. Two sons, Hubert Deans, born in
1894, and Laurence Botton, born in 1896, have
blessed this union. (3) Caroline died at the age

of nineteen years. (4) Harrison and (5) Reuben
are twins. The former is now an agriculturist
residing in West Milton, Union county; he mar
ried Miss Elizabeth Wise, daughter of John
Wise, and has had six children — Laura, Marget,
Ambrose, Annie R. , Sarah and Harry. Reuben, a
retired farmer in Northumberland county, Penn.,
married Miss Elizabeth Foresman, and has four
living children — Brison, Frederick, Grace and
Estella. (6) William died in April, 1890, at the
age of fifty years, and was buried in Lewisburg
cemetery; he married Miss E. Alice Yarger,
daughter of Jacob Yarger, of Hartley township,
Union county, and has had six children — Lewis
J., Annie, Morris, Mary, Lester, and Hattie. (7)
Jacob married (first) Miss Rebecca Deitrick, who
died leaving one daughter, Rebecca; he then
married Miss Susan Leinbach, by whom he had
five children — Edward L. , John, Ammon, Eri
J., and Catharine. (8) Aaron M. died in infancy.
(9) Samuel, a farmer in West Buffalo township,
Union county, was elected in 1896 to the office
of associate judge of the county; he was married
(first) to Miss Carrie Ruhl, who bore him six
children — Elizabeth J., Clara A., Clement C,
Jennie, Mabel, and Grace C. Reese. His pres
ent wife (formerly Miss Susannah Beaver) is a
daughter of Rev. Adam Beaver, a minister of
the Dunkard faith. (10) Benjamin F. is men
tioned more fully below. (1 1 ) Melancthon, for
merly a prosperous farmer and dairyman, died
in May, 1890, and was buried at Mifflinburg; he
married Miss Emma Rothermel, daughter of
Isaac Rothermel, of Union county, a shoemaker
by trade; they had three children — Clarence,
Susie and Mary.
Benjamin F. Keiser was born January 30,
1846, at the old homestead, on the site of the
present village of West Milton, and his early life
was spent in the healthful activities of farm life,
while the neighboring schools afforded him an
education. In the spring of 1868 he went with
his brother, Samuel, to West Buffalo township,
Union county, and purchased a farm; but after
remaining there six years he sold his interest to
his brother and returned to West Milton. For
one year he was out of business, and he then
purchased a third of the old homestead, which
originally comprised 105 acres. Two acres of
this were sold to John Datesman, whose son now
owns and operates it. Since his first purchase
of thirty-six acres, Mr. Keiser, in 1892, bought
sixteen and sixty-eight one-hundredths of the
John Datesman lot, which adjoins the homestead
on the south. The town of West Milton was
laid out January 8, 1872, by Harrison and
Melancthon Keiser, and previous to 1874 they

926

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

sold eight lots. In December, 1883, B. F.
Keiser laid out an addition, surveyed by J. A.
Gundy, and he has disposed of twenty-nine lots.
Since 1875 Mr. Keiser has been engaged in
business in addition to the management of his
farm, and he deals extensively in coal, flour,
feed, and similar commodities. He is a man of
unusual ability and public spirit, and has done
much to advance the interests of the town. He
and J. H. Krietzer, of Milton, were the first to
circulate a petition for the erection of the iron
bridge, 1,400 feet in length, between Milton and
West Milton, which was secured after a fierce
opposition, and was built in 1894 at a cost of
$75,000. In 1888 Mr. Keiser helped to win
another advantage for his town in the Philadel
phia & Reading railroad extension, known as the
Catawissa & Williamsport branch, the ground at
West Milton being leased by him to the company
at one dollar per year for ninety-nine years. His
best work, however, and that with which future
generations should connect his name most grate
fully, is the establishment of better schools in his
locality. From 1876 to 1890 he served as school
director of Kelly township, and during that time
new buildings for educational purposes were se
cured in the Moore and West Milton districts.
The latter was opposed by the non-progressive
element, but Mr. Reiser's personal influence won
the day. In politics he is a Republican, and he
is a leading member of the Lutheran Church.
Fraternally he is a member of the Milton Lodge,
F. &A. M. No. 256.
On February 3, 1881, Mr. Keiser was mar
ried to Miss Mary L. Pawling, a native of Kelly
township, Union county; and a daughter of John
Pawling, a prominent agriculturist. Four chil
dren have blessed this union: James L. , born
November 21, 1881; George O., June 26, 1886;
John R., May 9, 1889; and Bertha A., June 5,
1896.

JOHN O. BENNAGE, a wealthy retired agri
culturist of White Deer township, Union
county, represents worthily a family which
has been prominent in that locality from an early
day. The name is of German origin. Our subject's
great-grandparents, Simon and Mary Bennage,
crossed the ocean in Colonial times to make their
home in Pennsylvania. Simon Bennage, the
grandfather of our subject, was born August 19,
1757, in Heidelberg township, Berks county, and
was the first of the family to settle in Union
county, where he acquired large tracts of land,
most of it being still in the possession of his

descendants. He also owned about 400 acres of
land in New York State, and at the time of his
death, which occurred December 24, 1821, he
was considered a very rich man. He was one of
the founders of the Lutheran Church in his
locality, and his public spirit was demonstrated
in other movements for the advancement of the
community. He and his wife, Elizabeth Ren-
ninger, a native of Berks county, reared a family
of four children — Samuel, David, Mary and Eliza
beth, all now deceased.
Samuel Bennage, our subject's father, was
born on the old homestead March 28, 1788, and
passed his life in that vicinity, conducting a
sawmill and an extensive farm. He was married
in Union county to Miss Susan Ganger, a native
of Northumberland county, and our subject was
the youngest of seven children of this union, the
others being as follows: Adam'is a retired farmer
in Illinois; Eve, the widow of John Buch, resides
at Niagara, N. Y. ; Mary married Henry Buch,
a brother of John Buch, and both are now de
ceased; Elizabeth, widow of George Dersham,
lives at Niagara, N. Y.; Susan, widow of Solomon
Dietrich, resides in Hancock county, 111.; and
Sarah is the wife of Samuel Goodlander, a re
tired carpenter in White Deer township, Union
county. The father passed to the unseen life
April 6, 1866, aged seventy-eight years and nine
days, and the mother attained the advanced age of
ninety-two years and twelve days, her death oc
curring April 19, 1885; both were devout mem
bers of the Lutheran Church, and the father was
prominently identified with local improvements,
and with the work of the Republican party.
They breathed their last in the home now occu
pied by our subject, and their remains were
interred in the burial-ground at White Deer
church. John O. Bennage has always had his home
upon his present farm, where he was born March
10, 1838. During all this time the longest period
of absence (up to the trip referred to further on)
was seven weeks, when he visited a sister in New
York State. On December 25, 1856, he was
married to Miss Mary A. Snyder, and they are
nearing their golden wedding day. Farm man
agement has occupied much of his time and
attention, and he has a high reputation as a
manager, but in the spring of 1892 he rented the
homestead to his son, John H. Bennage, and has
retired from business. Old age, however, is still
far off, for a finer specimen of physical manhood
would be hard to find, his "six feet one" in
height being well proportioned by his 2 58 pounds,
and his estimable wife also enjoys the best of
health.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

927

In his political affiliations, Mr. Bennage is a
Republican, and he holds at present the office
of supervisor and school director, having served
in the latter capacity nine years. For four years
he was constable in his township. He is a
prominent member of the Grange of New Col
umbia and the Alliance of White Deer township,
and takes an interest in all the questions of the
day. Mr. and Mrs. Bennage have had seventeen
children, one of whom died unnamed, the others
were: (i) Jennie is deceased. (2) William, a
farmer in New York State, is not married. (3)
Sylvester is deceased. (4) Mary S. married
Samuel Yost, a farmer in White Deer township,
Union county, and has had two children — Cora
and Edward. (5) Charles E., a laborer in White
Deer township, married Miss Emma Baker, and
has had five children — Ernest, Sadie, William
(deceased), Nellie and Martha. (6) Elizabeth
married William Wentzel, who is engaged in
trucking in Northumberland county, Penn. , and
has one daughter, Cora. (7) John H., who
manages the homestead farm, married Miss Su
san Ware. (8) Minta married William P. Cam
eron, a wealthy retired citizen of Buffalo town
ship, Union county, and has had three children
— Mary, William and Rosa. (9) Thomas C. , a
farmer in Kelly township, Union county, mar
ried Miss Minnie A. Ranck, and has two sons,
Clyde and Willard. (10) Manford E. resides at
the old homestead. (11) Lillie married William
Shreck, a farmer in White Deer township,
Union county, and has had three children —
William, Mary and Ray. (12) Rosa married
Wilson Confer, of Jerseytown, Penn., and has
two daughters, Myrtle and Mary. ( 1 3) Rebecca
is deceased. (14) Irvin, a farmer in White Deer
township, is unmarried. (15) Tuella and (16)
Oliver S. are at home.
Mrs. Bennage was born November 11, 1839,
in Gregg township, Union county, the daughter
of Joseph and Elizabeth (Rotherme) Snyder,
natives of Berks county, who came to Union
county in early life and remained, the father
being engaged in milling. He worked at White
Deer mill until it was destroyed by fire, when
he went to Forestville Mill. The mother, who
was born October 16, 1809, died August 5, 1854,
and the father breathed his last December 16,
1877, at the age of sixty-four. They were
members of the Reformed Church, and were
highly respected among their associates. Mrs.
Bennage was the eldest of a family of eight
children, the others being: Elizabeth married
Israel Eaton, a printer in Philadelphia; Rebecca
resides at Williamsport, Penn. ; Catherine, Mrs.

John Irvin, resides in Gregg township, Union
county; Charles E. is a lumber dealer in West
Virginia; and Lida, Daniel and Joseph died in
childhood. On December 10, 1897, our subject and his
wife returned from a trip which they entered
upon October nth of that year. They went
to New York State to visit two sisters, and to
Dallas City, 111., where they visited another
sister. They also visited a brother in Iowa,
having a most enjoyable trip and visit.

JACOB HEINLEY, a prominent resident of
Lewisburg, Union county, spent many years
in the honorable calling of agriculture before
retiring to that charming little city to enjoy a
well-earned repose.
Born October 19, 1820, in Buffalo township,
Union county, Mr. Heinley is of a hardy and
long-lived ancestry, his father attaining the age
of ninety-four years, six months and sixteen days.
The family became identified with Berks county
at an early period, which county was probably
the birth place of our subject's grandfather, John
Heinley, who settled in Union county in 1798
upon a farm north of Vicksburg, where he died
in 1845, at the age of seventy-five. His wife,
Eva Hummel, passed away in the fall of 1848,
aged seventy-six years. They had eleven chil
dren: George (who died at the age of twenty-
one), David, Jacob (who died near Lewistown,
Mifflin county), John, Elizabeth, Magdalena,
Pollie, Eve, Hester, Catherine and Lydia.
David Heinley, the father of our subject, was
born in Berks county, in 1793, and died in 1887.
He retained his vigor and strength almost to the
end of his life, and at seventy-seven drove a team
and rode a mower in the hay field. He was
active in politics, first as a Whig and later as a
Republican, and held several county offices.
Coming to Union county in childhood, he passed
his life there. In 1820 he settled upon a farm
in Buffalo township, but in 1843 removed to
Kelly township, where his remaining years were
spent. He was a member of the Lutheran
Church. His wife, Elizabeth Reedy, was born
in 1 803, and passed to her eternal reward in 1846.
Of their five children our subject is the eldest,
the others being: Catherine, who married Isaac
Hollenbach, resides in Kelly township, Union
county; John is a farmer of Rice county, Kans.,
and wedded Eve Ann Hertz; Mary Ann married
Jacob Kostenbader, of Kelly township; and Miss
Amelia makes her home with our subject.
Mr. Heinley was reared as a farmer boy and
attended the schools in the vicinity of the old

928

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

homestead, the subscription schools of his first
years being superseded by the modern system be
fore his school days ended. In 1850 he was mar
ried to Miss Mary Ann Moore, who was born in
eastern Pennsylvania in 1825, and at the age of
four years accompanied her parents to Union
county, where she grew to womanhood. The
first twelve years of their married life were spent
upon a farm in Kelly township, but Mr. Heinley
then sold the place and moved to White Deer
township, in the same county, where he remained
four years. His father's health began to fail,
and Mr. Heinley returned to the homestead
where for thirteen years he conducted the farm
and cared for his father as he quietly passed to
ward life's setting sun. This duty performed, he
retired to Lewisburg, a comfortable income en
abling him to enjoy a time of leisure. He and
his estimable wife have reared a family of four
children, all of whom are living: (1) David M.,
a farmer, resides in White Deer township. (2)
Miss Rebecca E., who, while popular socially,
finds her greatest pleasure in the home, to which
her domestic gifts enable her to add comfort and
attractiveness. (3) John W., who resides in
White Deer township, Union county, married
Miss Lizzie Hummel, and has one daughter —
Nellie. (4) Jerome B., a farmer in Colorado,
married Miss Nellie Hamlin, and has three chil
dren — Berintha, Jennie and Amelia.
Mr. Heinley is not a politician, according to
the common acceptation of that term, but he has
always taken a keen interest in political questions.
In the days before the war, when " State Banks,"
secession, the fugitive slave law, and other vital
issues were agitating the country, he watched as
a participant the mighty movements around which
the present political clans crystalized. An un
compromising Whig in the days of Henry Clay
and Daniel Webster, he followed the natural
channel of his thought, and became a Republican
on the organization of that party. He was bit
terly opposed to human slavery, is justly proud
of having cast his vote from the first for the party
whose greatest achievement was the removal of
this disgraceful blot upon our National honor.

F

FRANCIS E. BROWN, proprietor of the
JT1 Lewisburg stock yards, and one of the lead
ing business men of Buffalo Valley, has shown in
his successful career that he has the ability to
plan widely and execute with energy, a combi
nation which, when possessed by men in any walk
of life, never fails to effect notable results.
Mr. Brown is a representative of an old and
highly respected family. John Brown, the

great-grandfather of our subject, came from Pine
Grove township, Berks county, now a part of
Schuylkill county, in 1804, and located near the
present site of Smoketown. His son Abram
married Annie Gundy, a member of a prominent
family in this section, whose ancestors had set
tled in what is now Union county before the
Revolutionary war. The name was originally
Van Gundy, and the family is of Holland-Dutch
extraction. She was the eldest child and only
daughter of Christian Gundy, born February 3,
1766, in Lancaster county, Penn., and her
mother, whose maiden name was Mary M. Full
mer, was a native of Berks county, born Sep
tember 16, 1773.
Abram and Annie (Gundy) Brown had the
following children: John, a farmer, died in East
Buffalo township, Union county; Martha married
Levi Sterner; and died in Lewisburg; Elias is
mentioned more fully below; Sarah, widow of
Daniel Shrack, resides in Wyoming, Del. ; Jacob
died November 17, 1896, in Kent county, Del.;
Elizabeth (Mrs. Wilson Linn) died at North
Wales, Penn. ; Abram died at seven years of age;
and Christian died when nineteen years old.
Elias Brown, our subject's father, was born
February 3, 1820, in East Buffalo township,
Union county, and, being reared at the old home
stead there, attended the local schools of the
time with occasional opportunities to study in the
schools of Lewisburg. On March 11, 1845, he
was married in Buffalo township, in the same
county, to Miss Mary M. Gebhart, and the first
two years of their wedded life were spent upon a
farm, in East Buffalo township, belonging to an
uncle, George Gundy. In April, 1847, be pur
chased a farm in the same township for a perma
nent home, to which he added at various times
until he owned 135 acres. The buildings on the
place were poor, but he replaced them all with
modern structures and made other substantial
improvements. Successful in business, he was
prominent in local affairs, and although a fearless
and outspoken Democrat in a Republican strong
hold, he was often chosen to office in the town
ship, his ability and fidelity winning the praise
of all classes and parties. For more than sixty
years he was a faithful member of the Reformed
Church, serving as elder during much of the time,
and frequently representing the society as a dele
gate to the Synod. He was of average height
and compact build, and an excellent constitution
prolonged his life beyond the ordinary limit, his
death occurring March 29, 1895. His remains
were interred at Lewisburg.
Of his children, the eldest, Mary E., born
July 6, 1846, married Jacob Farley, of White

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

929

Deer township, Union county, and has had eleven
children, all living! Miss Sarah L. , born July
23, 1848, died April 18, 1877. Miss Malinda
A., born November 17, 1850, is at home. Cath
erine P., born March 10, 1853, married William
Groover, of East Buffalo township, and has had
nine sons, of whom all but one are living. B.
Ogden, born March 22, 1855, resides at Linn
town, Penn., he married Sarah Jane Hummel,
and has three children. Francis E. , our subject,
is mentioned more fully below. Abram G., born
October 2, 1861, a farmer at Linntown, married
Clara E. Eyer, but has no children.
Our subject's mother, who died March 25,
1897, was born in Buffalo township, Union
county, November 4, 1825, and was educated in
the schools near her home, receiving fair oppor
tunities for that day. The Gebhart family is
numerously represented in this section, the
Centre county branch spelling the name Gep
hart, although old records and papers es
tablished the proper form as Gebhart. The
head of the Union county branch was John
Philip Gebhart, who located, about 18 10, in
Buffalo township, between Lewisburg and Buffalo
Cross Roads. In connection with farming he
followed distilling, then a common business, and
accumulated a goodly share of wealth. He was
of small stature but active, and took a leading
part in local affairs and in the Lutheran Church.
He died in middle age, and his remains now rest
in Dreisbach cemetery. He and his wife, whose
maiden name was Margaret Gebhart, reared a
large family as follows: Jonathan and John
George died in Buffalo township; John removed
to Indiana, and died there; Henry, who resided
near -Zion, Centre county, died in Lewisburg;
-Michael settled in Millheim, Penn. ; Peter died in
Buffalo township, Union county; Elizabeth (Mrs.
Jacob Reidy) died in Illinois; Sarah (Mrs. George
Shaeffer) died in Centre county; Molly (Mrs.
Thomas Iddings) died in Buffalo township, Union
county. John George Gebhart, Mrs. Brown's father,
was born May 3, 1798, in Bethel township,
Berks county, Penn., and coming to Union county
in boyhood was reared at the old Gebhart home
stead, a part of which he inherited. He was a
large man, five feet, nine and a half inches in
height, and weighing 240 pounds. Although
well educated in German, he attended English
-schools only a few months, but he was always
keenly interested in all that concerned the welfare
of the country. In politics he was an ardent
Republican, and previous to the organization of
that party he was an Old-line Whig. He always
made his home at the old farm, his sister Eliza-
59*

beth keeping house for him before his marriage,
and at his death, which occurred December 13,
1870, he left a fine estate of 140 acres, with an
extensive tract of timber land.
J. G. Gebhart was married March 14, 1824,
at the site of the present village of Vicksburg,
Penn., to Miss Mary M. Sheckler, who was born
February 26, 1806, daughter of Daniel and Mary
M. (Renner) Sheckler. She survived him many
years, breathing her last on August 29, 1896.
Both were members of the Lutheran Church, and
Mr. Gebhart held different offices at times. Their
children were: Mary M. (Mrs. Brown); Susan
nah (Mrs. Andrew S. Ruhl), who was born April
9. 1827, and died in 1 889 at Buffalo Cross Roads;
Daniel, a resident of Buffalo township; Sarah,
who died in infancy; and Margaret E., who died
at four years of age. 1
We will now return to the subject proper of
this sketch, who was born at the old homestead
September n, 1857, and has always maintained
his residence there. His early education was
such as the district schools of the day afforded,
and his first teacher was Jonathan Royer at the
Fairfield school, along the pike. His business
acumen was displayed at an early age, his present
calling being undertaken in an unusual manner.
When fifteen years old he received $2 as a
premium at the Lewisburg fair, and with this he
bought from his father a lamb, which with its
progeny was sold a year later to William Steiner,
a Lewisburg butcher, for $10. This seemed to
the delighted boy to be "the biggest $10 that he
had ever seen," and his inclination to continue
in the business being encouraged by his father,
he made other successful deals, and soon became
an excellent judge of live stock.
In the fall of 1878 Mr. Brown began ship
ping sheep to Philadelphia in partnership with
the late J. W. Rodenbach, and in 1880 he en
gaged in business at Lewisburg, associating him
self with Cobb Brothers, of Spring Mills, N. Y.
Five years later he began work upon the stock
yards, a short distance west of Lewisburg, caus
ing a decided sensation in business circles, not a
few predicting failure for the undertaking. But
Mr. Brown is not the man to misjudge a situa
tion, and his able management secured a firm
basis for his enterprise, which is now one of the
most extensive of its kind in central Pennsyl
vania. He has handled over four thousand head
of cattle in one year besides many hogs, sheep
and horses. The inauguration of regular cattle
sales has attracted buyers far and near, and cus
tomers from seven counties are supplied from his
yards, which he replenishes chiefly from Buffalo,
New York.

930

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

In May, 1894, Mr. Brown established a retail
meat market in Lewisburg, which he still con
ducts successfully, and he is also a stockholder
and director in the Home Telephone Company
at the same place. Thoroughly straightforward
in his dealings, he has won a high reputation for
integrity, while his courteous and agreeable
manner easily transforms acquaintances into
warm friends. He is ever ready to forward any
movement that promises to benefit the commun
ity, and in 1892 he erected at the stock yards a
commodious hall, known as " Brown's Lyceum,"
used as a polling place at elections and by the
Farmers Alliance for their meetings. Mr. Brown
gives the use of this gratuitously to a Sabbath-
school and Church, and is, himself, an active
worker in that line. He is also prominent in
other work of the Reformed Church, of which he
is at present a trustee. For three years — 1888,
1889 and 1890 — he was president of the Union
County Agricultural Society, and with the excep
tion of those years, he has served as vice-presi
dent since 1884. He is also identified with the
Masonic fraternity, as a member of the Chapter.
Mr. Brown is one of the leading Democrats
of his county, his popularity among all sorts and
conditions of men making him particularly
available as a candidate in that Republican
stronghold. In 1890 he was defeated for the
Legislature by 173 votes only, the normal Repub
lican majority being 1,200. In his own district,
which usually polls 75 Democratic votes in a
total of 280, he had a majority of 73. The city
of Lewisburg gave him a majority, an honor that
no other Democratic candidate for the Legisla
ture has ever gained. It is quite probable that
he would have been elected except for the fact
that the Assembly of that year was to choose a
United States Senator. In various township
offices, including those of assessor and inspector
of elections, Mr. Brown has shown the devotion
to public interests that marks the ideal official.

W BRAHAM MENSCH. Among the promi-
J$L nent and wealthy farmers of Lewis town
ship, Union county, the subject oi this sketch
holds an enviable position. He was born Feb
ruary 19, 1828, in Columbia county, Penn., and
is of German descent; Christian Mensch, his
grandfather was a native of the Fatherland,
born June 30, 1745. His wife, too, was a native
of Germany. On coming to the New World
they located in Berks county, Penn. Adam and
Abraham Mensch, brothers of Christian, born in
Germany June 2, 1745, and February 25, 1750,

respectively, accompanied Christian and wife
to this country.
Abraham Mensch, Sr., father of our subject,
was born January 24, 1774. For some years he
was engaged in the hotel and mercantile business
in Berks county. However, finally selling out
there, he moved to Columbia county, and was
occupied as a farmer; ten years afterward he
bought another farm in Lewis township, Union
county, and moved there, becoming one of the
well-known and most prosperous agriculturists of
that township, where he spent his remaining days.
He was twice married, his first wife being Miss
Elizabeth Miller, by whom he had two children:
John, born in 1800, became a farmer of Lime
stone township, Union county, where he died
September 2, 1858; and Elizabeth, born in 1797,
married Jacob Seichler, a prominent farmer of
Danville, Penn. The wife and mother died
shortly after the birth of her son, and Mr. Mensch
afterward married Miss Hannah Yotter, who
was born January 24, 1785. Our subject is the
youngest of the eight children born to this union,
trie others being as foliows: (1) Reuben, born
September 15, 1806, was a farmer of Lewis
township, Union county, where he died March
21, 1865. (2) Lydia born March 14, 1809,
died, unmarried, July 1, 1852. (3) Sarah, born
June 21, 181 1, died March 28, 1876. (4) Ben
jamin, born July 1, 18 13, was an agriculturist of
Lewis township, Union county, and died De
cember 4, 1889. (5) Nancy, born November 7,
181 5, is the wife of Samuel Stees, of near Mifflin
burg. (6) Esther, born December 12, 1817,
wife of Michael Swartz, of Lee county, 111.
(7) Christian, born May 20, 1820, married Miss
Mary, daughter of John Beichler, a carpenter
and farmer by occupation. They have five chil
dren — JohnB., Beneval, William, Emanuel A.,
and Daniel C. (8) Beneval, born in 1822, died
in infancy. The mother's death occurred March
4, 1858, and the father passed away January 15,
1 86 1, both being interred in Ray's church grave
yard, in Lewis township, Union county.
Abraham Mensch, Jr., when only four years
old was brought from his birthplace in Columbia
county, to Union county, where he was reared
upon the home farm, aiding his father, as soon
as he reached a sufficient age, in its cultivation
and improvement, and attending the subscrip
tion schools of the locality. He continued un
der the parental roof until his marriage, with the
exception of a year and a half spent in farming
on his own account. From his father he inherit
ed considerable property, and his industrious,
thrifty habits have enabled him to add to this un
til to-day he is numbered among the most pros-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

perous and substantial citizens of the community.
On January 15, 1856, he was joined in marriage
with Miss Salinda Kleckner, a daughter of George
Kleckner, who was a plasterer by trade, but in
later life purchased a farm and devoted his at
tention to agriculture. Mrs. Mensch has six
brothers and sisters, namely: Daniel, John F. ,
Henry H, Hannah C, James and Caroline, and
she also had one brother, John F. , who was
killed in the Civil war. In politics, our subject
is a stanch adherent to the principles of the
Democratic party, in which he sees the best
guarantees for the preservation of our national
liberty, and he has been called upon to serve as
overseer of the poor two years, as treasurer of the
school board for a number of years, and also as
school director. In religious belief he is a Lu
theran. A progressive, enterprising citizen, he
gives his support to every movement calculated
to benefit the community or advance the general
welfare.

DAVID JOHNSON, one of the oldest and
most honored citizens of Hartley township,
Union county, is a worthy representative of a
family noted for its patriotism. Mr. Johnson was
born in Richmond, New York, in 1806, and is a
son of Peter Johnson, a gunsmith by trade, who
is said to have made the rifle used by Davy
Crockett, the well-known hero of the Mexican
war. Although they have reached very advanced
ages, all of the four children of the family are
still living, namely: William, born in 1800, is a
retired merchant living in Hartley township,
Union county. He has reared a family, all of
whom are now grown and in business for them
selves. Alanson, the second son, is a farmer of
Canada. David is next in order of birth.
Caroline, who now weighs about 380 pounds, is
married, and reared a family in Michigan, most of
whom are now residing in California.
As his school privileges were very limited,
David Johnson is almost wholly self-educated,
but being of a studious nature and possessing a
retentive memory, he has become a well-informed
man by extensive reading since reaching
maturity. He is especially proficient in the use
of the pen. By occupation he is a farmer, and
although he has performed much hard work in
course of his life, he is still well preserved for
one of his years.
Military life has ever had great attraction for
him, and in 1847, during the Mexican war, he
enlisted for five years in the United States army,
and served until hostilities had ceased, when he
was honorably discharged. He participated in

the principal battles of that struggle, and aided in
the capture of the City of Mexico. Graphically
he described the peculiar rattling sound of the
soldiers' bones as the shot from the enemy's ar
tillery literally tore them limb from limb. He
served under General Scott, for whom he has
great veneration. During the Civil war he en
deavored to enlist, but he was always rejected on
account of disabilities occasioned by his service
in the Mexican war. He was married to Miss
Cordelia E. Brown, by whom he had five
children, as follows: Albert, who is married and
is engaged in lumbering in Union county; George,
who lives with his parents; Mary J., wife of
Robert L. Timmons, a farmer and miner of
Plymouth, Amador county, California; Estella,
wife of Matthias Lanors, a miner living at San
Francisco, California, by whom she had one
child; and Rebecca, now a resident of Philadel
phia, Pennsylvania. j
Becoming dissatisfied with all of the existing
parties, Mr. Johnson is now an Independent in
politics. After a long, honorable and useful life,
actuated by unselfish motives, prompted by
patriotism and guided by truth and justice, he
may in old age rest assured that the people of
this country are not unmindful of those who have
devoted themselves to their interests

ENRY GROOVER. It would be difficult
^L to find a more concise expression of prac
tical wisdom than is contained in the homely and
somewhat abrupt injunction, "mind your own
business." That it is a good rule to follow has
been abundantly demonstrated in the lives of
many of our substantial citizens, and all who
know the quiet, industrious agriculturist whose
history is here outlined will agree that it has been
an important factor in his success. Mr. Groover
is noted also for his strict honesty in dealing with
others, and his unassuming manners do not blind
his neighbors to his sterling worth.
In both paternal and maternal lines Mr.
Groover is of German descent, but his parents,
Nicholas and Susanna (Rufe) Groover, were born,
reared and married in Bucks county, Penn. They
spent some years in Columbia county, and then
settled in Union county, first upon a farm in
White Deer township, and later, in 1856, upon
the present homestead near Lewisburg. It was
purchased from George Reed, and at the time
was but little improved, the log cabin and other
buildings contrasting strongly with the neat and
commodious structures which have since been
erected. Our subject's father was a stout, robust man,

932

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

a hard worker, and continued to attend to busi
ness until he reached an advanced age. He was
a cabinet maker by trade, and while conducting
his farm did much work in that line, especially
after his removal to the vicinity of Smoketown.
At the age of seventy-seven he made several bu
reaus, one of which is now a cherished heirloom
in our subject's home. His thrift and industry
gained him a competence, and in addition to his
farm he owned some property in Lewisburg. A
stanch Democrat politically, he took a keen in
terest in the success of his party, and made a
point of casting his own vote regularly. In re
ligious affairs he was active in holding office in
the White Deer Lutheran Church, with which he
and his good wife were identified many years.
He attained the age of eighty-three years, his
birth occurring early in 1799, and his death in
October, 1882. His wife, who was born April
3, 1806, lived to be more than sixty years old.
The remains of both now rest in White Deer
cemetery. Their children were: Thomas, a carpenter
of New Columbia, Penn. ; William, who went
west, and has not since been heard from; Mary,
who married James Yost, and died in White
Deer township, Union county; Samuel (de
ceased), formerly a resident of the same town
ship; Eli, a farmer of Marshall county, Iowa;
Rufus and Aaron, who died in childhood; Henry,
our subject; and Sarah, now Mrs. Isaac Reber.
Mr. Groover was born February 6, 1843,
during his parents' residence at the farm in White
Deer township. He had a district-school educa
tion, attending the Ramsey school in White
Deer township, and the Gundy school in East
Buffalo township. His life at home familiarized
him with farm work, and he made choice of that
calling in early manhood. When eighteen years
old his father gave him his time, and he began to
work at the carpenter's trade, but finding it un
congenial he found employment as a farm hand.
At the age of twenty-one, Mr. Groover was
married to his first wife, Miss Mary J. Shively, a
native of Limestone township, Union county,
and a daughter of John and Sarah (Catherman)
Shively, and rented for a short time in Smoke-
town, with John Reber. His parents were then
beginning to feel the effects of their advancing
years, and in the spring of 1865 Mr. Groover
took charge of the homestead, which he after
ward purchased, both parents remaining with
him during their last days. Many improvements
have been made in the place under Mr. Groover's
management, including a well-arranged barn.
Mrs. Mary Groover, who was a devout and
consistent member of the Lutheran Church, of

Lewisburg, died February 19, 1893, and was in
terred in White Deer cemetery. Mr. Groover
afterward formed a second union, this time, De
cember 15, 1896, with Mrs. Rosa Riehl, nee
Smith, widow of Joel L. Riehl, and daughter of
Jacob and Malinda (Walter) Smith, of Snyder
county, Penn. Three children blessed the first
marriage: Miss Sallie L. Groover is at home;
Ada A. married Thomas Reardon, of Shippen-
ville, Clarion Co., Penn.; and Susanna died in
infancy. While Mr. Groover is an ardent supporter of
the Democratic party, he has never been a seeker
for office. He is a prominent worker in the
Lutheran Church of Lewisburg.

J, F. ERDLEY. The subject of this sketch
Cr stands second to none among the prosperous
and progressive agriculturists of East Buffalo
township, Union county, whose record it has
been deemed wise to preserve in this manner for
the perusal of coming generations. As a judi
cious tiller of the soil he has met with excellent
success, and as a business man and citizen oc
cupies an enviable position among his neighbors.
His life has been one of unabated industry,
and he certainly deserves the wonderful success
that he has achieved.
A native of Pennsylvania, Mr. Erdley was
born March 26, 1842, in Middle Creek town
ship, Snyder county, and the birth of his father
occurred in the same township, in 1801. The
family was founded there by the grandfather,.
Jacob Erdley, Sr. , who when a young man emi
grated from Berks county, Penn. He was the
youngest of a large family that was noted for
strength, one of his brothers, a large, powerful
man, having killed a bear in a hand-to-hand fight.
Jacob Erdley, Jr., the father of our subject, fol
lowed farming and also conducted a water-power
sawmill. Lie married Mrs. Barbara (Bollander)-
Mowry, a daughter of Henry Bollander, a farmer
by occupation. By her first marriage she had-
three children, two sons and one daughter, who
were reared by Mr. Erdley, and ten children,
five sons and five daughters, were born to the
second union. The parents both departed this.
life in Snyder county.
The educational privileges of our subject were
only such as the district schools of his native
township afforded, and at the age of nineteen he
began learning the blacksmith's trade at Middle
burg, Penn., under the direction of Samuel Stet-
ler, who gave him $50 for his two-years' service,
out of which Mr. Erdley saved $34. Going to
Brush Valley, Centre Co., Penn., he worked.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

933

at his trade in Rebersburg for James Mallory for
a short time, and then entered the employ of
Samuel Wise, at Madisonburg. On leaving there
he went to Bellevue, Ohio, where he worked a
short time, and then returned to Brush Valley,
working for Samuel Condo, at Rockville. Sub
sequently he started a shop of his own at Wolfs
Store, in Centre county, successfully carrying on
business there for two years.
At the age of twenty-one, Mr. Erdley was
united in marriage with Miss Rebecca Meese, who
was born in Brush Valley, October 2, 1841, and
is a daughter of John Meese. Nine children bless
their union: Thomas J., a farmer of East Buffalo
township; and Charles E. , Elizabeth, Elmeda,
John M., William J., Minnie, Ida and Lottie, all
at home. After his marriage Mr. Erdley began farming
in Miles township, Centre county, near Madison
burg, upon rented land, and his first purchase
consisted of seventy-eight acres in Haines town
ship, the same county, for which he went heavily
in debt. After five years spent upon that place
he came to East Buffalo township, Union coun
ty, in 1873, and bought of Elias Rhiel 100 acres
at $80 per acre, again going in debt for much of
the amount. The buildings were poor, and on
April 21, 1877, his barn with all the stock and
implements, was destroyed by fire, causing a
great loss. He then built his present barn, and
has since erected all of the substantial buildings
now in use upon his place. Prospering in his
undertakings he has become the owner of 253
acres of valuable farming land, besides twenty-
two acres of timber.
Mr. Erdley has. not confined his attention
alone to general farming, but in July, 1894, he
erected a creamery, which he has since success
fully operated, keeping on hand an average of
fifty cows for the manufacture of butter, which
is sold in the coal regions. Probably no man in
the county has done as much as he in the way of
introducing good stock, having upon his place
full-blooded Chester-white and Berkshire hogs,
excellent draft horses and thoroughbred Durham
and Jersey cattle. He has the largest herd of
cows in this section of the State. Progressive in
his ideas, he keeps well posted on the markets,
and knows exactly when to sell his products at
the best prices. He also uses the most im
proved machinery in carrying on his work, and
while other farmers are complaining about the
hard times and poor prices, he goes to raising
some other articles more saleable. He has
erected a mill for grinding bones to be used upon
his farm as fertilizers, and also has a blacksmith
shop upon his farm, where he does his own work

in that line. He also built a chop-mill, prepar
ing his own chopping, and also that for his neigh
bors. In 1897 be built two houses, and intends
to build a barn in the spring of 1898, then will
divide his land in three farms, which he will give
to two of his sons to superintend the ensuing
season. Possessed of more than ordinary busi
ness ability, wide-awake and energetic, he has
become one of the most extensive farmers and
substantial business men of Union county, and
is ably assisted in his work by his sons, who are
steady-going, industrious young men.
Although not strictly partisan, Mr. Erdley
generally supports the men and measures of the
Democracy, and, socially, he holds membership
in the Farmers Alliance. He and his wife are
consistent and faithful members of the Reformed
Church, of which he is now serving as trustee,
and the family is one of prominence in East
Buffalo township, holding a high place in social
circles.

CHARLES W. PAWLING (deceased) was for
1 many years one of the leading and promi
nent agriculturists of Gregg township, Union
county. He was born on tbe old Pawling home
stead at Selins Grove, Penn. , and was reared in
much the usual manner of farmer boys of his
time, being chiefly employed in assisting his fa
ther in the fields and attending school. He com
pleted his literary education in the Mifflinburg
Academy. In 1859 he went to Elkhart county,
Ind., on a prospecting tour, but at the end of six
months returned to Union county, satisfied that
Pennsylvania was good enough for him. Pur
chasing the Brown property in Gregg township,
where his widow is still living, he there continued
to follow agricultural pursuits until 1880, when
he removed to Allenwood, the same county,
where he lived retired until called to his final
rest, May 16, 1881.
Mr. Pawling was a man of excellent principles
and a blameless life, and thoroughly enjoyed the
esteem and respect of the community in which
he resided, and died mourned by a large circle of
friends and acquaintances. He took an active
part in the work of the Presbyterian Church, of
which he was a faithful member, and did all
within his power for the betterment of mankind
or to promote the general welfare.
On September 12, 1858, at Freeburg, Penn.,
by Rev. Ellenmyer, Mr. Pawling was married to
Miss Lydia Long, who was born in Selins Grove,
October 22, 1837, and they became the parents
of two children: Cora E., who was born Novem
ber 12, 1859, and died March 10, 1881, and

934

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Charles W. , who was born January 7, 1861, and
died July 21, 1885. The latter was for a time a
student in Allegheny College at Meadville, Penn. ,
but owing to ill-health was compelled to return
home before completing the course. He re
mained with his mother after his father's death,
and finally decided to travel through the West
with the hope of recovering his former strength,
but while passing through the Indian Territory
caught a severe cold, which caused his death.
In 1885, Mrs. Pawling returned to the farm,
which is one of the finest in Union county, and
has since made her home there. She is an at
tractive and accomplished lady of rare ability, is
prominent in social and religious circles, and is
an active member of the Presbyterian Church.
Benjamin and Elizabeth (Fetter) Long, the
parents of Mrs. Pawling, were natives of May-
town, Lancaster county, and Reading, Penn.,
respectively, but were married at Selins Grove,
where they spent the remainder of their lives
upon a farm, which the father operated. He
died April 14, 1854, aged fifty-four years, and
his wife, who was born April 1, 1801, died Feb
ruary 28, 1875. Both held membership in the
Lutheran Church, and in his political affiliation,
the father was a Democrat. In their family were
the following children: Jacob (deceased) was a
farmer of Indiana, and left three sons; Elizabeth
is the wife of Daniel Ott, a retired farmer of
Selins Grove; Hester is the widow of Benjamin
Pawling, of White Deer township, Union county;
Henry died at the age of twenty-one; Calvin, a
retired carpenter living near Selins Grove, mar
ried Catherine Haines, whose father, Captain
Haines, was a soldier of the Revolutionary war;
Lydia C. is the widow of our subject; and Mary
is the wife of Col. William Snoddy, an attorney
of Alva, Oklahoma.
The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Pawling,
Jacob and Elizabeth (Whittier) Long, were born,
reared and married in Maytown, Lancaster Co.,
Penn., but became early pioneers of Snyder
county, where they purchased a large tract of
land adjoining the town of Selins Grove. The
grandfather was the founder of the first Church
established at that place, and served as its elder
for many years. His remains were interred in
the Selins Grove cemetery. In his family were
four children, all now deceased, namely: Jacob;
Mary, who wedded Daniel Lebo; Elizabeth, who
became the wife of Mathias Donbauch, also de
ceased; and Benjamin, the father of Mrs. Paw
ling. The maternal grandparents were Peter
and Marie (Snyder) Fetter, natives of Germany,
who, on crossing the Atlantic to the New World,
located near the old Row's church, in Snyder

county, but later became residents of Union
county, where the grandfather followed agricult
ural pursuits. They had six children who mar
ried, but are now deceased, namely: Catherine,
wife of John Row; Elizabeth, mother of Mrs.
Pawling; Philip, who married a Miss Zearfoss;
Solomon; Benjamin; and Lydia, wife of Peter
Row.

JAMES SCHOCH. The Schoch family has
been prominent in the vicinity of New Ber
lin, Union county, from the early days, and
one of its chief representatives at the present
time is the respected citizen whose biography we
now present. Mr. Schoch, has nominally retired
from an active tanning business in which he was
engaged, but continues to find ample employ
ment for his time, the force of habit being yet
strong upon him.
Mr. Schoch traces his descent to that well-
known pioneer, Matthias Schoch, whose re
mains now rest near Selins Grove. Jacob
Schoch, a son of Matthias and the grandfather
of our subject, was a prosperous farmer and black
smith, and owned a large amount of real estate
which he sold to his sons as they reached maturity.
Hewas a small man, but possessed much strength
and energy, and reached the good old age of
seventy-nine. In religious faith he was a Lu
theran, and his interest in the welfare of the
community was shown in many ways. At his
death he was interred in the cemetery at New
Berlin. He was twice married, and his first wife,
a Miss Hendricks, was the mother of all his chil
dren, whose names with dates of birth were as
follows: George, born March 23, 1796, died
August, 1877, at Freeburg, Penn.; Catharine,
born 1797, died in 1803; Michael, born 1799,
died in Middleburg, Snyder county, Penn.;
Jacob, born 1801, died 1853, in Snyder county,
Penn.; Elizabeth, born March 31, 1803, married
Philip Gross, and died in New Berlin; Sem, born
October 7, 1805; John, born 1808, died 1863 in
Snyder county; Catharine, born 1809, married
George Snyder, and died in 1883; Abraham, born
January 30, 181 1, died March 19, 1881; David,
born 1 81 3, died in Snyder county; Mary, born
181 5, married the late Beatty Cook, and now re
sides in New Berlin; Benjamin, born 1819, died
at Selins Grove; Susanna, born 1821, married
Rev. Anspach, and lives in Mifflinburg.
Sem Schoch, the father of our subject, was
born in Snyder county, near Smith Grove. He
received a limited education, but had an acute
intellect which enabled him to secure practical
knowledge on various subjects. During his

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

935

youth he learned the tanner's trade at Freeburg,
Snyder county, and in early manhood he estab
lished a tannery of his own at New Berlin, which
is still in the possession of his descendants. In
i860 he made our subject his partner and in 1866
he withdrew from the business altogether, giving
his attention to agriculture, and his extensive in
vestments in the West, to which section he had
made many visits. At the time of his death in
July, 1887, he owned two farms, and was re
garded as one of the substantial citizens of his
locality. A portion of his fortune was inherited
from his father, of whose will he was executor.
Politically he was a Democrat, and for many
years he attended the Lutheran Church at New
Berlin, of which he was a consistent member.
Among his good traits was a generous hospitality,
nothing pleasing him better than to receive his
numerous friends at his own home, and while
New Berlin was the county seat his table was
seldom without a guest. HJs^firji, wife, Miss
Esther Klose. was born and reared in Snyder
county, where their marriage occurred. She died
January 5, 1845, and in February, 1846, he
married Mrs. Margaret (Ruhl) Kleckner, widow
of George Kleckner. There were nine children
by the first union, the names with dates of birth
being here given. Susannah, born March 11,
1827, married Benjamin S. Winter, and died in
New Berlin; Charles, born October 2, 1828, died
in St. Joseph county, Mich. ; Elizabeth, born Oc
tober 25, 183 1, married Wilson Van Valzah and,
resides in New Berlin; Caroline, born February
17, 1834, is the widow of P. O. Catherman;
Sarah, born April 5, 1836, married George Glass,
of Freeburg, Penn. ; James, born April 3, 1838,
is mentioned more fully below; Louisa, born
October 22, 1840, married Orlando Russell, of
Michigan; Sevilla, born September 18, 1841,
married Tohn Klose, of the same State; and Anna,
born August 13, 1843, is the wife of Fred Knight.
Three children were born of the second marriage:
Jane, born April 9, 1 847, married John Spangler, of
Limestone township, Union county; Araminta,
born May 23, 1849, is the wife of Thomas Spang
ler, of the same township; and Jacob M., born
July 25, 1850, resides in Philadelphia. The
mother of this family, who was born January 29,
1809, died in May, 1887, and her remains were
buried beside those of her husband and his for
mer wife in the cemetery of New Berlin.
With this review of the history of this well-
known family we will now return to our subject,
who was born in the thriving little town where
he makes his home, and to whose interests he
has given his best efforts. His education was
acquired there, beginning in the public schools,

with Miss Kate Kessler as his first teacher, and
at eighteen he entered the seminary to pursue
higher branches of study. During boyhood he
was employed at various times in his father's
tannery, and thus he gained a complete knowledge
of the business. In i860, as has been said, he
took a more responsible share of the work as a
partner, and six years later he became the
owner of the plant. Since October, 1884, his
son, Brainard S., has had charge of the business,
making the third in the line of descent to con
duct it. As one of the leading capitalists of his
locality, Mr. Schoch gives much time to various
kinds of investments, and his shrewd judgment
is shown in their successful management. He
owns considerable real estate, including 125
acres near New Berlin, and an extensive tract in
Kansas. He has an elegant home at New' Ber
lin recently remodeled, and his family hold a
high position socially. He was married August
23, 1 86 1, to his first wife, Miss Rebecca W.
Peters, daughter of Michael Peters, a leading
resident of Hartley township, Union county.
She died July 10, 1865, leaving two children:
Brainard S., born February 10, 1862, who re
sides at the old homestead and conducts the tan
nery, and Ida M. , who was born September 6,
1863, and died August 20, 1870. Mr. Schoch's
second wife, Miss Mary Eyer, was a native of
Dry Valley, and a daughter of Abraham Eyer.
She passed away September 20, 1877, and her
only child, Anna M., who was born December
25, 1872, died November 16, 1879. Mr. Schoch
formed a third matrimonial union with Miss Mar
garet E. Gephart, a native of Millheim, Penn.,
born January 6, 1855, the eldest daughter of
Jacob and Catherine (Decker) Gephart. By this
marriage there are two children: Pauline S.,
born June 11, 1881, now attending the college at
New Berlin, and Frederick G., born August 1,
1886, who is also at home.
As a good citizen Mr. Schoch is interested in
public progress. He is a Democrat in politics,
and he and his wife are both active members of
the Lutheran Church, in which he has been
treasurer for a number of years and at present
holds also the office of trustee.

SVPANGLER. Most of those bearing this
D name, that are here represented, trace
their ancestry back to an old Northumberland
county family, but the family is now most nu
merous in Snyder, Union and Centre counties.
The name of Spangler appears quite often in this
volume, and just as often as we have introduced
a sketch of some one of that family, just so often

936

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

will you find the highest type of American citi
zenship. John Spangler is by no means an ex
ception to that rule. He is one of the honest,
industrious farmers and well-to-do citizens of
Limestone township, Union county.
On Penn's creek, two miles and a half west
of New Berlin, John Spangler was born February
27, 1843, 'his parents being Daniel and Lydia
(Maize) Spangler. He was born in the same stone
house which he now occupies, it being built by his
paternal grandfather in 1802. So well was it con
structed that for sixty-six years the first roof
lasted, and the whole building is in such an ex
cellent state of preservation to this day that it
will undoubtedly last another century.
Upon his present farm John Spangler was
reared, and his education was obtained in the
neighboring schools, his first teacher being Jacob
Sanders, but his advantages were limited, as the
farm work extended throughout most of the year.
After one season's crops were at last threshed and
ready for use, it was only a few weeks before the
spring work began, so that he had but little time
to attend school. Most of his early life was spent
under the parental roof, but for two seasons he
worked away from home; the first, when eight
een years of age, receiving $10 per month for
his services.
In New Berlin, December 20, 1866, Mr.
Spangler was married to Miss Jane Schoch, who
was born at that place, April 9, 1847, a daughter
of Sem and Margaret (Ruhl) Schoch. With
Miss Kate Kessler as teacher, she began her
learning in the schools of New Berlin, and there
completed her education. She has been the
mother of five children: Annie, born September
12, 1867, died August 12, 1870; Clementine,
born October 22, 1869, is now the wife of Jacob
Miller, of Limestone township, Union county;
Reno S., born August 3, 1871, is one of the
steady-going young men of Limestone township;
he assists in the operation of the home farm, and
is also interested in the lumber business; Maggie,
born October 8, 1873, is the wife of H. P. Good-
ling, of York, Penn. ; and one child (unnamed)
(the last), born February 3, 1876, died March
13, 1876.
After his marriage, Mr. Spangler rented his
father's farm, and such arrangements continued
until October 19, 1871, when he and his brother
Christopher bought the homestead, our subject
receiving ninety-two acres when the property was
divided. He was obliged to go in debt, but by
industry, perseverance and good management,
he has succeeded in clearing the place of all in
cumbrances, and has made many valuable and
useful improvements, his farm being now one of

the best along Penn's creek, either in Union or
Snyder counties.
An excellent citizen, of the strictest integrity,
he is highly respected by all who know him, and
he and his family occupy a position of promi
nence in the community. Both Mr. and Mrs.
Spangler are consistent members of the Lutheran
Church, taking a leading and active part in its
work, Mr. Spangler now serving as a deacon, and
in this capacity has been foremost in matters
pertaining to the best interests of the Church.

EV. AMMON STAPLETON, A. M., M. S.,
Lewisburg, Union county, was born near
Spangsville, Berks Co., Penn., January 15, 1850,
a son of William and Elizabeth (Specht) Staple-
ton, also natives of Berks county.
The ancestor of the subject of this sketch was
Robert P. Stapleton, born in England, in 1690,
of noble origin, but becoming a Quaker he was
ostracized by his people, and hence emigrated to
Pennsylvania. In 1732 he acquired a fine plan
tation in Oley township, Berks county, but in
1750 he migrated to the Shenandoah Valley, Vir
ginia, where he died in 1754, leaving four sons
and six daughters, all married.
Our subject emanates from the emigrant Rob
ert P. Stapleton's son John, in whose care the
Oley estates were left. John died in Oley, in
the same year (1754) as his father, leaving a son,
John, Jr., born in 175 1, who was an officer in
the Revolutionary war. He died in 1820, leav
ing a son, William, Sr. , whose son, William, Jr.,
born in 18 15, is the father of Rev. Ammon Sta
pleton. In 1853, the parents of our subject re
moved to Buffalo Valley, Union county, where
the latter's early boyhood days were passed. In
1 86 1 he was sent to Berks county where he re
mained with his relatives till 1863, when he re
turned. In July, 1864, then but fourteen years
of age, he enlisted under the call of President
Lincoln for volunteers to repel the invasion of
the Rebel General Early, and saw nearly five
months' active service as a member of Company
F, 195th P. V. I., his regiment participating in
the Shenandoah Valley campaign under Sheri
dan, where he heard the roar of battle at Win
chester, Cedar Creek, &c. Returning home in
November, 1864, he re-enlisted in February,
1865, in Company I, 192nd Regiment, which"
was assigned to Hancock's Veteran (First) Corps,
and which was keptin service until August, 1865.
In 1867 Mr. Stapleton began his collegiate
studies, intending at first to prepare for the med
ical profession; a change in his purpose of life,
however, led him to prepare for the ministry in-

/Mtt.MS,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

937

stead, and he completed his course at Central
Pennsylvania College, in 1871. In March, 1872,
he entered the itinerant ranks of the Central
Pennsylvania Conference of the (now) United
Evangelical Church. Amid all the cares and
arduous labors of his itinerant life, he never for
a moment discontinued his studies, his special
field of research being the natural sciences. In
the field of geology and paleontology he had
many eminent correspondents, among them the
world-renowned Prof. James Hall, of the New
York State Museum, and Prof. Williams, of Cor
nell University, while his researches resulted in
the discovery of hitherto unrecorded fossils.
Later he turned his attention to Colonial history,
and in 1891 was elected, on the recommendation
of Hon. John Blair Linn, ex-Secretary of the
Commonwealth, as a member of the Pennsyl
vania Historical Society.
Mr. Stapleton's services to his Conference
and denomination have been very valuable. For
seven years he was secretary of his Conference;
in 1 89 1 was a delegate to the Philadelphia Gen
eral Conference, and, in 1894, to the Naperville
(111.) General Conference, at which time he was
one of the secretaries. In 1895 he was elected
to the office of presiding elder, his headquarters
being at Lewisburg.
Besides many serial magazine and newspaper
articles on science and history, Mr. Stapleton
published, in 1885, "Natural History of the Bi
ble", and, in 1895, " Compend of Church His
tory" ; his large history of his denomination is
at the present time (1897) going through the
press; besides three works — "The Evangelical
Catechism", "Evangelical Cabinet", and
" Memorials of the Huguenots "; — asyet unpub
lished. In 1875 Rev. Ammon Stapleton was united
in marriage with Miss Sarah E. Crandall, of
Canton, Bradford Co. , Penn. , and they have two
sons and three daughters living.

JOHN DEWIRE, of Lewisburg, is a man
whose successful struggle with adverse cir
cumstances shows what can be done by in
dustry and economy, especially if a sensible wife
seconds his efforts to secure a home and com
petence. Born of poor parents, Mr. Dewire was
obliged to make his way in life without any of
the aids which are usually considered essential to
success. Thomas Dewire, his father, was born in Ire
land in 1800, and his people being of very limited
means, came as a young man to this country to
work as a laborer on a canal then in process of

construction along the Susquehanna river. He
spent seven weeks on the ocean, and, on landing,
had but a few cents in his pocket. He was a
short man, stout in build, and a hard worker,
but never made over fifty cents a day. While
in one of the shanties where he boarded while
working on the canal, he made the acquaintance
of Miss Julia A. Barnhart, daughter of John
Barnhart, of Berks county, Penn., who was also
a day laborer. Love laughs at poverty as well
as at bars and locks, and the two were married,
managing in some way to maintain a home on
his scanty wages. He remained in Pennsylvania,
living for a time in Northumberland county, and
later removing to Union county, and the last six
years of his life were spent in East Buffalo town
ship, near Hardscrabble.
In politics Thomas Dewire was a Whig. Hav
ing been reared as a Catholic, he clung to that
form of faith for many years, but in 1843 he
joined the Evangelical Association, of which his
wife was a devout member, and remained stead
fast to its principles until his death, which oc
curred at Lewisburg in 1846; his widow sur
vived him nearly forty years, dying January 27,
1883, at the age of sixty-nine. The last ten
years of her life were passed at the home of our
subject, and when she passed away, her remains
were laid to rest in the Lewisburg cemetery,
those of her husband being in the old Lutheran
cemetery at Lewisburg, beside the present Lu
theran church. Seven children were born to
Thomas and Julia Dewire: Margaret, who mar
ried (first) Noah Young, and (second) Jefferson
Kaler, and died in East Buffalo township; John
D., our subject; Rosanna, now Mrs. Jacob Ackey,
of Lycoming county, Penn. ; Thomas, of East
Buffalo township, Union county; James, who died
when seven years old; William, of Turtleville,
Penn. ; and Alexander, who served in the 51st P.
V. I. during the Rebellion, -and died in 1881.
John Dewire was born March 25, 1833, his
parents then residing in Northumberland county,
near Tuckahoe. As they remained in that local
ity until he was seven years old, his educa
tion was begun there, but on their removal to
Union county, he attended the Jefferson school
house. With these somewhat limited advan
tages his education stopped, and the conscious
ness of his own deprivations has made him a firm
friend of better educational opportunities for the
rising generation.
At the time of his father's death Mr. Dewire
was only thirteen years old, but, as the eldest son
in a large family of children, a heavy sense of
responsibility rested upon him. His widowed
mother worked at knitting and spinning, but her

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

earnings were not sufficient for the needs of so
many. For two years Mr. Dewire worked in a
tannery at Lewisburg at $2. 50 per month, and
then hired out at $5 per month to farmers in the
vicinity, working for some time for William
Brown and Byers Ammon. Later he worked
for one year in the construction of the Winfield
furnace, and he was afterward employed as a
workman in the mines of the company for twen
ty-three years, during which time he managed to
save the money to buy his present home near
Lewisburg. On October 9, 1855, Mr. Dewire was married
to Miss Mary C. Zearns, who was born at Middle
Creek, Snyder Co., Penn., October 4, 1837, the
daughter of Levi and Esther (Gemberling)
Zearns. The father died leaving three small
children: Lydia, now Mrs. George Bower, of
Selins Grove; Mary C. , Mrs. Dewire; and Aman
da, widow of William G. Smith, residing at Lew
isburg. The mother married a second husband,
Frederick Hare, by whom she had four children.
She died at Selins Grove at the age of sixty-nine.
When Mrs. Dewire was eight years old she
was placed among relatives, and until' her mar
riage her life was passed without a fixed home.
It is not to be wondered at that both our subject
and his wife, should devote their energies to se
curing a home of their own, and their delight
and satisfaction can only be imagined when in
March, 1866, they finally found themselves ac
tually in possession of their cozy house. Con
tinued effort has brought increased prosperity, and
other land has been added until they now own
about forty-seven acres of excellent land. Not
one cent of indebtedness stands against any of it,
and they have a comfortable sum of money in
vested in other ways. And this success, remark
able under the circumstances, has been won by
honest means, a notable fact in these days of un
scrupulous methods of business, and among all
Mr. Dewire's acquaintances there is not one man
who can justly charge him with a wrong.
Ten children have been reared in this home,
their names with dates of, birth being as follows:
Oliver, April 18, 1856, is a carpenter and car
builder at New Columbia, Penn. ; Albert, Sep
tember 24, 1857, is employed as a brakeman on
the Reading railroad; Emma, August 22, 1859,
married Andrew Yeager, of Sunbury, Penn. ;
Charles F., April 17, 1863, is a teacher at Lew
isburg; Ada, July 15, 1864, married William I.
Hess, of Riverside, Penn. ; C. Nervon, October
13, 1867, lives in Winfield, Penn. ; JaneE., Jan
uary 28, 1872, married Samuel Paul, of New
Columbia, Penn.; Alice, October 11, 1875, mar
ried William Richards, and lives in Sunbury; Ed

ward J., April 21, 1878, and Minnie, July 18,
1880, are at home.
In religious faith, Mr. Dewire is inclined to
the Evangelical Church, of which his wife is a
member. Politically, he is a steadfast Repub
lican, but though a regular voter he is not an
office seeker. He served, however, as tax col
lector in East Buffalo township when Jacob Mac-
hamer, Thomas Barber and Mr. Shuck formed
the board of commissioners. He is identified
with the Patrons of Husbandry, belonging to Jus-
titia Grange, No. 434, at Lewisburg.

A

S. HOCH. Among the most attractive
%, homes in the pleasant little city of New
Berlin, Union county, is that of the well-known
merchant whose career this biography outlines.
Although now retired from active business, Mr.
Hoch has been long and prominently identified
with mercantile circles in this section, having
successfully conducted establishments at various
places. Mr. Hoch is of German ancestry, his great
grandfather having been the first to cross the
ocean from the Fatherland. Samuel Hoch, our
subject's grandfather, a farmer in Snyder county,
died at a comparatively early age leaving a large
family of children, of whom our subject's father,
John Hoch, was among the oldest. The family
was separated after this bereavement, and John
Hoch, then quite a small boy, was hired out to
a farmer, an entire stranger, no provision being
made for his schooling, which was limited to a
few months snatched at intervals in his work.
At sixteen he began an apprenticeship to a car
penter, Albright Swineford, receiving his board
and clothes, and this business he followed at
Middleburg, Penn., throughout his active life.
He retired from business at the age of fifty-seven,
and the last few years of his life were spent in
Mifflinburg, his death occurring at seventy-seven.
His wife, Elizabeth Swineford, a. daughter of his
former employer, died at New Berlin, Penn.,
but both were buried at Middleburg, her birth
place, and their home during the greater portion
of their wedded life. She was a Lutheran in
faith, while Mr. Hoch belonged to the Reformed
Church, and he gave liberally toward the support
of both Churches. He held various offices in
the Church at Middleburg, and at onetime saved
the edifice from being sold by the sheriff, a sub
scription being raised by him for this purpose.
This task was undertaken on foot through Centre
and Union counties, and many weary miles
were traversed before the object was accom-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

939

plished. Politically, he was a stanch Repub
lican, and while he was not eager for official
honors he held some minor offices. He was of
a stout build, and in his active days was a hard
worker, accumulating two competences in his
lifetime, the first having been lost through the
unscrupulousness of others. His home was to
him the dearest spot on earth. Of his three
children, our subject was the eldest; Abraham
died in infancy; Mary M. married Samuel E.
Long, and resides in Butler county, Pennsylvania.
A. S. Hoch was born June n, 1836, at Mid
dleburg, and such schooling as fate vouchsafed to
him was obtained there. While he was a boy
his father's business reverses compelled him to
leave school and assist in supporting the family,
as he could earn fifty cents per day at car
pentering. By the time his father had retrieved
his fortunes our subject was past school age, and
thus he began his independent business career at
twenty-one with but little preparation. His
hard work during boyhood had undermined his
health, and he could not continue the carpenter's
trade, so he accepted a position as clerk for
Daniel J. Bogar, a merchant in Middleburg,
Snyder Co., Penn., at ten dollars per month and
board. After a short time Mr. Bogar failed, and
Mr. Hoch then spent more than two years in
clerking for Reuben Keller, at Adamsburg, Penn.
In the fall of i860 he established a mercantile
business of his own at Margaret's Mills, Snyder
county. His capital amounted to $39 at the
time, but he had won the confidence of some
monied men, among whom was Robert W.
Smith, of Middleburg, Snyder Co., Penn., a for
mer employer, who gave him a start. In 1861
Mr. Hoch transferred his business to Kelly Cross
Roads, Penn., and later opened another store at
Kelly Point, where he was the first merchant.
He built up a large trade at both places, and
while there was instrumental in having a post
office established at each. In March, 1888, he
moved to New Berlin, where his son, John W.,
was in the same line of business as senior mem
ber of the firm of Hoch & Kline, and by purchas
ing Mr. Kline's interest our subject entered the
firm, which then became Hock & Son. Five
years later he retired, and the firm has since been
known as Hoch & Oldt. A handsome compe
tence has rewarded the past years of effort, and
Mr. Hoch is now enjoying his well-earned leisure.
He is jovial in manner, and is well-preserved,
looking ten years younger than he is. He and
his wife are prominent in social life, and in the
work of the Lutheran Church, in which Mr.
Hoch has twice held the office of elder, and for
two years was president of the Christian En

deavor Society. He also belongs to the Masonic
lodge at Lewisburg, Union county, Pennsylvania.
On April 16, 1857, Mr. Hoch was married to
his first wife, Miss Amelia Saltzman, who was
born in November, 1838, in Adamsburg, Penn.,
the daughter of William and Catherine Saltz
man, well-known residents of that village. She
died June 18, 1884, and her remains now rest in
the Lutheran cemetery in Kelly township, Union
county. Of her two children, the first, Lizzie,
died in childhood; John W. , born August 7, 1859,
is now one of the leading merchants of New Ber
lin, as noted above. Mr. Hoch's present wife,
whom he wedded October 16, 1888, in White
Deer township, Union county, was formerly Miss
Ida M. Keefer. She was born in Buffalo town
ship, Union county, the daughter of Martin and
Utica (Herman) Keefer, who reared a family of
ten sons and three daughters, of whom she is the
eldest. In his political sympathies Mr. Hoch has al
ways been a Republican, and he walked three
miles to cast his first vote for John C. Fremont
for President. Wherever he has resided he has
taken an influential part in local affairs, serving
as assessor, overseer of the poor, school director
in different places, and in New Berlin as a mem
ber of the city council, of which he was president
for three years.

WILLIAM LAIRD IRWIN. This gentle
man is now living in the town of Mifflin
burg, and is a native of Union county, born in
Buffalo township, in 1844, a son of James and
Amelia (Pontius) Irwin. William Irwin, the pa
ternal grandfather, was a native of Ireland, but
when only twelve years old came to America and
took up his residence in Pennsylvania, becoming
one of the pioneers of the central portion of this
State. He was an enterprising, progressive
man, a Presbyterian in religious belief, and died
at the age of sixty-eight years. The maternal
grandparents were Peter and Barbara (Kleckner)
Pontius. The grandfather, who was a farmer by
occupation, died at the age of eighty years. The
father of our subject also engaged in agricultural
pursuits throughout life.
William Laird Irwin is the third in order of
birth in a family of eight children, the others be
ing: Robert H., now a farmer of Cowan, Union
county, enlisted in Company E, 51st P. V. I.,
which was assigned to Burnside's Corps. For
three years he served his country with distinc
tion, was the first man on the Antietam bridge,
and threw open the gate for his comrades to fol
low. Peter Pontius, the second son, enlisted in

940

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Comp'any F, 49th P. V. I., was taken prisoner
at the battle of the Wilderness, and incarcerated
in Andersonville, Ga., where his death occurred
September 22, 1864. James Winfield is now a
farmer of Montour county, Penn. Jennie died
unmarried. John S. is a farmer living near
Kelly Point, Union county. Joseph C. is a resi
dent of Mifflinburg. Amelia P. died in infancy.
During his boyhood and youth our subject
attended the public schools of his native county,
and after finishing his education worked on his
father's farm until twenty years of age. Prompted
by a spirit of patriotism, he also joined the Union
service in 1864, enlisting in Company E, 12th
Pennsylvania Cavalry, and faithfully served his
country until the war had ended, and his services
were no longer needed, being mustered out June
5, 1865. He then devoted his time and attention
to farming, in which occupation he is still en
gaged. In December, 1871, Mr. Irwin led to the mar
riage altar Miss Mary Wilson Snodgrass, a daugh
ter of Benjamin and Anna (Wilson) Snodgrass,
of Cumberland county, Penn. Her father fol
lowed farming, and also operated a foundry and
gristmill. Mr. and Mrs. Irwin have one daugh
ter, Anna Blanche, who was born in Mifflinburg,
November 17, 1872. For some time she at
tended the public schools, but completed her
education in a select school of Mifflinburg. With
the Presbyterian Church the parents hold mem
bership, and the family is held in the highest re
gard by all who know them. In his political
affiliations Mr. Irwin is an inflexible adherent to
the doctrines and principles of the Republican
party. He is a public-spirited, enterprising man,
and takes an active interest in everything which
seems to promise a benefit to the community.

WENRY EISENHAUER, a venerable and
 highly -respected resident of Kelly town
ship, Union county, has been for many years a
leading agriculturist of that locality, and al
though now retired from active business, he owns,
among other property, 638 acres of the best land
to be found in that region of fertile farms.
Born October 10, 18 19, in Snyder county,
Penn. , he comes of pioneer stock, his grand
parents, Martin and Sarah Eisenhauer, having
settled there at an early day upon a farm. The
first years of their married life were, however,
spent in Berks county, Penn. , and our subject's
father, Abraham Eisenhauer, was born there.
He also followed agricultural pursuits, his life
being spent mainly in Snyder county, where he
was prominently identified with local affairs, as a

member of the Reformed Church, and a warm
sympathizer with the doctrines of the Republican
party. He was married in Snyder county to
Miss Eve Bolender, a native of Union county,
and daughter of Henry Bolender, a prominent
farmer, who came originally from Lancaster
county, and whose death occurred in Snyder
county. Mrs. Eisenhauer died in 1840, at the
age of forty-two, but our subject's father lived a
few days beyond his eightieth year, breathing his
last in 1878.
They had ten children (of whom six are still
living): Elizabeth married Henry Rearick, a
farmer, and both are now deceased; Henry is
mentioned more fully below; Catherine is the
wife of Jacob Walter, a farmer in Cook county,
111. ; Amelia married George Utt, a farmer, and
both are now deceased; Barbara married Erecl,
Engle, a farmex_at' Middleburg, Snyder^county,
IrrrtTDOthT now deceased; Mary is the widow of
Reuben Agler, of Beavertown, Penn., who, at
the time of his death, was a retired farmer;
Sarah married William Hess, a merchant at
Philipsburg, Penn. ; Lucinda is the widow of
Samuel Bowen, formerly an auctioneer at Mid
dleburg; Robert (deceased) was a farmer in
Michigan, and Benjamin is now engaged in
agriculture in Michigan.
Mr. Eisenhauer, our subject, was reared to
farm life, and while assisting in the work at home
attended the local schools. He remained with his
father until the age of twenty-eight, when he went
west on a prospecting tour; but finding "no
place like home," he decided to return to his na
tive place to live. He rented one of his father's
farms for nine years, and his industry and thrift
being rewarded with good returns he purchased a
farm of 230 acres in Union county, to which he
removed in 1857. Thereon he remained until
the spring of 1896, when he took possession of
his present residence near Kelly Point. He is a
leading member of the Reformed Church at
White Deer, in which he has been an officer for
over forty years, and in politics he is a standi
Republican. In February, 1847, Mr. Eisenhauer was mar
ried at Middleburg, Penn., to Miss Esther Agler,
a daughter of Jacob and Esther Agler, well-
known residents' of Snyder county, Penn. Twelve
children were born of this union, their names
with dates of birth being as follows: Uriah A.,
November 4, 1847, is a farmer in Kelly town
ship, Union county; Orgim Z., February 18,
1849, is also a farmer in the same locality; Ursh
A., August 29, 185 1, is engaged in farming in
Union county; Thama E., July 17, 1853, mar
ried Benjamin Stahl, a carpenter in Union coun-

^76-^^tAX- \art4JL^>7%&^*s\

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

941

ty; Alvy J., January 3, 1856, died at an early
age; Alice Esther, December 30, 1857, is the
wife of Charles Cooper, a merchant at Milton,
Penn.; Sarah E., September 17, i860, died at
two years of age; Sybilla A., April 29, 1862, re
sides in Chicago, 111.; John H. , June 1, 1864, is
a farmer in Kelly township, Union county; and
Mary A., May 31, 1867, died in infancy. Two
sons died at or about birth, unnamed, one born
July 1, 1852, and the other born March 10, 1859.
The mother of this family passed to the unseen
life May 31, 1867, at the age of forty years and
three months. On November 7, 1867, Mr.
Eisenhauer formed a second union, this time with
Miss Semmira Baker, the ceremony being per
formed at Mifflinburg, Penn. They have one son,
William S., born June 25, 1868, who is now a
farmer in Kelly township, Union county.
Mrs. Eisenhauer is a bright, clever woman,
devoted to her home, and has been a true help*-
meet to her husband. She was born May 30,
1840, in White Deer township, Union county, a
daughter of Samuel and Christiana (Kunes)
Baker, and granddaughter of Michael and Sarah
(Wolfenberger) Baker, who came to this section
from Lebanon county, Penn., and passed their
last days upon a farm in White Deer township.
Samuel Baker was born in Union county, and
became a successful farmer there. In politics he
was a Democrat, while in religion he adhered to
the principles of the Evangelical Church, of
which he was a member. He died in June,
1882, aged eighty years, six months and three
days, and his wife passed away December 21,
1878, at the age of sixty-seven years and nine
months. She was a native of Schuylkill coun
ty, Penn., where her parents, John and Hannah
(Smith) Kunes, were lifelong residents. The
children of this union were: Uriah, who died at
the age of ten years; Semmira (Mrs. Eisenhauer);
Samuel S. , who is in the drug business at Coburn,
Penn.; Anna B., wife of George P. Straub, fore
man in a car factory at Watsontown, Penn. ;
Levi, who died in infancy; and Michael, a mer
chant at Watsontown, where he conducts an ex
tensive business.

MISS ESTHER VONEIDA. The Voneida
_ homestead in Buffalo township, Union
county, is one of the oldest estates in the local
ity, and is now occupied by the fourth generation
in direct descent from the original purchaser,
Philip Voneida, a native of the Palatinate, Ger
many, and a miller by trade, who on arriving in this
country settled first in one of the lower counties
of Pennsylvania, but later became a pioneer in

Buffalo Valley. He and his wife, Hannah Reed,
reared a large family, and their descendants are
numerous in this section, and especially in Centre
county. Their son Peter, the father of the estimable
lady whose name introduces this' sketch, was
born at the homestead July 25, 1780, and being
reared to farming, followed that occupation there
throughout his life. He was successful, finan
cially, and left a comfortable competence at his
death. In person he was short and heavy set,
and his good constitution enabled him to do
much hard work in his time. He was a stanch
Republican in politics. His disposition was most
genial, and he greatly enjoyed social intercourse
often visiting his friends while making his own
home a center for a most generous hospitality.
As a citizen he was highly esteemed in the
community where he resided so long. He died
August 26, 1853, after a lingering illness oi seven
years, having suffered three severe strokes of
paralysis. On September 11, 1810, he was mar
ried to Miss Esther Kauffman, who was born June
31- 1793> the daughter of John and Catherine
Kaufman. She died July 8, 1865, a broken
limb becoming inflamed and causing her death
at the end of seven weeks of suffering. Both
were devout members of the Reformed Church
and died in that faith, their remains be
ing interred at Dreisbach Cemetery. They
had twelve children, whose names with dates of
birth are as follows: Philip, November 24, 181 1,
died July 13, 1877, in Nippenose Valley; John,
April 13, 1813, died March 13, 1871, in the same
locality; Daniel, May 22, 18 16, was also a resi
dent of Nippenose Valley, and died there July 6,
1893; Catherine, May 21, 18 18, married Michael
Groove, and died July 29, 1885, at Mifflinburg;
Jacob, April 16, 1820, resides in Nippenose Val
ley; Peter, March 12, 1822, died in Northumber
land county April 24, 1894; Solomon, February
9, 1824, died April 22, 1826; David, October 25,
1825, died in Buffalo township April 2, 1891;
Henry, February 11, 1828, died April 27, 1837;
Joseph, June 10, 1830, died in Lewisburg April 22,
1889; Hannah, March 10, 1834, died in Lewisburg
May 29, 1 896; Esther, December 2, 1836, is now a
highly-esteemed resident of Lewisburg. She was
born at the old homestead, and in childhood at
tended the Pontius school in the same neighbor
hood, but, as the youngest of the family, her
parents looked to her for much attention in their
declining years, and her generous affection made
her more than willing to sacrifice her education
to their need. An unusually intelligent mind
has enabled her to make good her early depriva
tion, and she is well informed upon the topics

942

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

which interest people of culture. She owns 145
acres of land in East Buffalo township, Union
county, and a pleasant home in Market street,
Lewisburg, purchased in 1883. She and her sis
ter Hannah resided at the home farm until April
1, 1884, when they removed to Lewisburg.
Miss Hannah Voneida passed to the unseen life
in 1896, as has been said, leaving the memory of
a devoted Christian character, and Miss Esther
still occupies the home which their mutual affec
tion had brightened for each. She takes a kindly
interest in all that concerns the welfare of the
community, and is a member of the Reformed
Church, having made profession of her faith at
the age of seventeen.

««v E. REEDY. Few men in any calling have
a keener appreciation of life than is dis
played by the subject of this biography, one of
the most progressive farmers of Buffalo township,
Union county. Extensive travel and intelligent
observation, together with a generous course of
reading, have given him a wide range of informa
tion, and this without the sacrifice of material
success, for while he has never made the acquisi
tion of money his sole ambition, he has pros
pered as well as the most parsimonious.
Mr. Reedy comes of an excellent family, a
leading characteristic being the mutual helpful
ness by which its members sustain each other at
all times. His ancestors located in Berks county,
Penn., at an early day, and his grandfather,
Michael Reedy, enlisted from that county as a
drummer boy in the Revolutionary army at the
age of sixteen, and served under General
Rochambeau. After the war closed he followed
the tailor's trade for many years, but never
accumulated enough money to buy a home. For
seventeen years he was a cripple from rheumatism,
and his means being exhausted during the en
forced idleness, he decided to seek a home in
Union county, where, land being cheaper, he
might hope for better opportunities. Possibly he
hoped to derive benefit also from the change of
air. At any rate the long journey was made
about 1820, Mr. Reedy lying on a feather bed in
the wagon which conveyed the household goods.
He and his wife, Anna M. Sarvey, reared a large
family, but some of the children remained in
Berks county, only four accompanying them, viz. :
Jonathan, who died in 1896 at Millmont, aged
ninety-six years; Emanuel, our subject's father;
Michael, Jr., who went west, but has not been
heard from since the war, when he was living in
Michigan; and Lydia, Mrs. George Baker, who
died in Kelly township, Union county.

Emanuel Reedy was born February 28, 1810,
in Tulpehocken township, Berks county, and
was, therefore, about ten years old when he came
to Union county. His education was limited to
a few months' attendance at a country school
near Kelly Point, and at an early age he was
bound out to David Heinly, a farmer of Buffalo
township, to remain until he was eighteen. After
he had served his term he learned the miller's
trade at what was known as Chamberlin's mill,
on Buffalo creek, but later he engaged in farm
ing. As long as his parents lived' he gave his in
come toward their support, and thus handi
capped it was many years before his energy and
industry, his only capital, began to bring him a
return. The first land he ever owned was a farm
in Kelly township, now in the possession of one
of his sons, and in the fall of 1876 he bought the
"David Herbst farm" of 108 acres in Buffalo
to'wnship at $115 per acre. He was an excellent
business man, shrewd and far sighted, and not
withstanding his meager schooling he was remark
ably accurate in arithmetical calculations, which
were all made by a mental process. His sound
judgment caused his advice to be sought on im
portant matters by his neighbors, by whom he
was held in the highest esteem. Politically he
was a Republican, supporting that party stead
fastly from its organization.
On April 4, 1839, Emanuel Reedy was mar
ried to Miss Rachel Engelman, who was born
November 28, 18 14, in White Deer township,
Union county, and died January 5, 1894, at the
farm in Buffalo township. His own death oc
curred there April 17, 1884. Both were devout
Christians, and for many years were members of
the Union Church at Mazeppa. An instance
which shows Emanuel Reedy's kind heart and
family pride even more clearly than did his filial
affection in his youthful days, was his care for
his brother Jonathan, who became helpless in
his old age. Our subject and his brothers con
tinued the regular contribution to the support of
this uncle after their father's death, feeling that
they were only acting as he would have done had
he lived. Of his five children our subject was
the youngest, the others being: Samuel, born
February 5, 1841, died August 26, 1843; Anna
M., born February 7, 1843, married M. L.
Weaver, and died in Buffalo township in 1881;
John, born November 8, 1844, resides in Union
county; Levi, born April 6, 1847, is a farmer
and stock dealer at Buffalo Cross Roads. A
valuable estate was left to the children, and with
characteristic unity of spirit and action the three
surviving brothers kept the property intact, and
all worked together until each had a good farm

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

943

of his own. The result is seen in their pros
perity, and, to-day, it would be difficult to find
three brothers in Buffalo Valley who are as suc
cessful in all ways.
A. E. Reedy was born September 18, 1851,
in Kelly township, Union county, and during
boyhood attended the "Hill school," in that
township, Miss Jane Thompson being his first
teacher. He was an apt pupil, but the limited
opportunities and faulty methods of the country
school prevented him from feeling great enthusi
asm over his studies, and he did not avail him
self of the chance to pursue them further.
Under his father's management he gained a thor
ough training in agricultural work, which has
since proven of great service to him. At eight
een he entered the store of A. S. Hoch, of Kelly
Point, as a clerk, and, with some interruptions,
held the position for seven years, living at home
in the meantime. In 1877 the family moved to
the farm in Buffalo township, where he now re
sides, having bought the place after his father's
death. He is a good manager, his neat and
well-kept farm showing his systematic and pre
cise methods. The residence, which was built
in 1795, is in an excellent state of preservation.
In addition to his other interests, Mr. Reedy has
from early manhood been engaged at different
times in buying and selling live stock.
He is a firm believer in the policy of the Repub
lican party, but while he earnestly desires the suc
cess of its principles he cares nothing for official
honors. In religious faith he is a Presbyterian, and
has been a trustee in the Church at Buffalo Cross
Roads, to which he has always been a liberal
contributor. On January 4, 1887, Mr. Reedy was married
to Miss Mary E. Reedy, a native of White Deer
township, Union county, and a daughter of
Jacob and Anna (Vocht) Reedy. She died April
1, 1894, leaving no children, and was buried in
the cemetery at Union church, in Mazeppa. She
was a very intelligent woman, and for some years
previous to her marriage was a teacher in Cen
tre county. Her memory was remarkable, a
Bible having been presented to her by the Buff
alo Cross Roads Sunday-school for committing
3,000 verses of Scripture. A devout and consist
ent follower of Christ, Presbyterian in faith, she
was loved by all who knew her, and the inspira
tion of her life still remains a power for good.

f FREDERICK O. WHITMAN, the late post-
_ master at Lewisburg, Union county, is de
servedly popular among all classes, his work
while in charge of the Lewisburg fournal having

made his name familiar for many years past.
He held his position in the public service from
1893 to 1897, and won added popularity by his
unfailing care for the interests of the people.
Mr. Whitman is a native of Pennsylvania,
having been born in Middletown, Dauphin coun
ty, December 29, 1840. The Whitman family
is of German origin, and our subject's great
grandfather, and grandfather, John Whitman,
came to America when the latter was a boy.
They settled in Dauphin county, where John
Whitman became a prominent agriculturist, his
remaining years being spent there. The father
of our subject, George Fencil Whitman, was
born December 22, 1809, and died in 1887. His
wife, Mary Hemperly, a native of Middletown,
Dauphin county, born September 15, 18 15, and
her death occurred in 189 1. Of their children
four lived to mature years: Benjamin, a pub
lisher in Erie. Penn. ; Frederick O., our subject;
Kate E., wife of Henry C. Demming; and
George, a well-known clergyman of the Baptist
Church, now residing in Buffalo, New York.
Frederick O. Whitman, the subject of this
sketch, grew to manhood in the county of his
birth, and in 1855 commenced his apprentice
ship in the office of the Middletown Journal.
Shortly afterward he went to Harrisburg, and
was employed in the office of the Daily Herald.
When this was sold to the Patriot & Union As
sociation, he finished his trade on the daily issued
by this company. When the war for the Union
broke out, he was at work in the office of the
Harrisburg Telegraph, and October 3, 1861, he
joined Company I, 93d P. V. I., as a "high pri
vate." He was in course of time .promoted to
corporal, and when his three-years' term was
ended, in October, 1864, he was third sergeant
of his company. Mr. Whitman took part in
most of the many battles in which his regiment
was engaged, which included Williamsburg, Fair
Oaks, Seven-Days' fighting, Chantilly, Antie
tam, First and Second Fredericksburg, Salem
Church, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Cold Har
bor, Spottsylvania, Petersburg, Washington,
Winchester, Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the
Sheridan march up the Shenandoah Valley. At
Salem Church (near Chancellorsville) he was se
verely wounded in the breast, and was left lying
unconscious on the battlefield. When his senses
returned he managed to reach the Union lines
by slow and painful marches. After some
months' retirement at the army hospital, he re
turned to his company in time to take part in
Gen. Grant's movements. At Winchester he
was slightly wounded in the left leg. On Octo
ber 28, 1864, he was discharged from the service

944

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

on account of the expiration of his term of en
listment, and at once recommenced his trade.
In 1869 Mr. Whitman was married to Miss
Lizzie B. Walter, who was born in Bridgeport,
Conn. Her father was a graduate of Yale Col
lege and her mother of Harvard Institute. Mr.
and Mrs. Whitman have had eight children, five
of whom have died. The following survive: Ed
gar O., Benjamin, and Mary Emma.
In 1 87 1 Mr. Whitman purchased the Lewis
burg Journal, and conducted it for over twenty-
four years, till May, 1895. A loyal Democrat,
he has filled various positions of honor in his
party. He has been a delegate to State conven
tions, was the nominee for county treasurer, etc.
In June, 1893, he was appointed, by President
Cleveland, postmaster at Lewisburg. Upon the
expiration of his four-years' term, and the com
ing into power of the Republican party, he was
succeeded August 1, 1897, by another. On
August 17, that year, Mr. Whitman purchased
the large grocery establishment at the corner of
Third and Market streets, Lewisburg, and is man
aging it apparently with unusual success. What
ever success he may have attained, he claims,
has been largely due to the able and intelligent
assistance he has received from his accomplished
wife. He has had a varied experience in busi
ness life — has tasted the bitterest of afflictions
and sorrows, had miraculous escapes while in
the army, but has a never-faltering faith in an
overruling Providence, and the salvation accord
ed to all through a blessed Saviour.
Mr. Whitman is a member of the Baptist
Church of his city, and is also identified with the
F. & A. M., G. A. R. , and the Protected Home
Circle.
JrOHN KAUP. A cultured mind and polite
manner adorn any calling, and, in the pro
gressive and enterprising agriculturist whose
history we now enter upon, they are leading
characteristics, and have had no small share in
gaining for him the influential place which he
holds^in the community.
Mr. Kaup is the owner of a fine farm of 127
acres in Buffalo township, Union county — the old
Martin Dreisbach estate- — and his residence occu
pies the site of the original dwelling built by Mr.
Dreisbach in 1797. As a citizen Mr. Kaup is
well known for activity in forwarding various
helpful movements, especially those which relate
to educational and religious advancement, and
his views have weight among all classes. He is
of an old Pennsylvania family; his grandpar
ents, Christian and Anna M. (Bensinger) Kaup,
came from Berks county to this section in 181 5,

locating in West Buffalo township. Christian
Kaup was a stanch Whig, and in religious faith
was a Lutheran, and he became one of the prom
inent citizens of his locality in his day. For a
time, in early manhood, he followed the weav
er's trade, but later he engaged in farming. He
died at the age of seventy-six, and his wife
passed away in her eighty-ninth year. Of their
large family, several died in infancy. The others
were: Fred, who died in Oregon; Catherine,
who married (first) George Conser, and (second)
Mr. Garrett, and died in Illinois; Christian, Jr.,
who died in Centre county; Susan, wife of John
Gable, of Osage, Iowa; William, who was a resi
dent of Oak Hall, Penn., died in October, 1897;
Elias, who died in West Buffalo township, Union
county; Isaac, who died in Kansas; Levi, our
subject's father; and Maria, who became Mrs.
Jacob Miller, of West Buffalo township, and died
in February, 1898.
Levi Kaup, who is now a venerable resident
of Union county, was born in West Buffalo
township January 31, 1823. During his active
years he was a gunsmith, and he also owned and
operated a farm in his native township. He was
married there to Miss Elizabeth Hoffman, daugh
ter of Joseph Hoffman, a well-known resident of
the same locality. She was a devout Lutheran
in her religious views, and her death, which oc
curred April 7, 1890, was deeply mourned. Her
remains now rest in the cemetery at Mifflinburg.
Two children, William E. and Mary L., did not
live to adult age, the latter dying when four years
old. Two sons survive, John, our subject, and
Alfred, a resident of Mifflinburg, and the father
makes his home with them, visiting them alter
nately. The subject of our sketch was born June 15,
1855, in West Buffalo township, Union county,
and was reared as farmers' sons usually were in
those days, the Kauffman school in that neigh
borhood furnishing him his only educational
privileges. At eighteen he began to learn the
carpenter's trade with Jacob J. Strickler, re
ceiving $14 for twenty-six days the first summer.
Notwithstanding his somewhat meagre advan
tages in the way of schooling he had prepared
himself for teaching, and at the age of twenty he
took charge of the Red Bank school in West
Buffalo township at a salary of $25 per month.
Later he taught in Lewis township, Union coun
ty, and in the winter of 1881-82 he taught in
Nodaway county, Mo., also two terms in Buffalo
township, making in all nine consecutive terms.
His summer vacations were spent in working at
his trade, sometimes for Mr. Strickler and some
times for himself.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

945

On February 8, 1883, Mr. Kaup was mar
ried in West Buffalo township to Miss C. Alice
Kauffman, who was born in that township. May
18, 1858. Her father, the late Amos Kauffman,
a prosperous farmer, was a native of the same
locality, a son of David Kauffman. He died at
the age of fifty-eight; but her mother, Mrs.
Catherine J. (Taylor) Kauffman, daughter of
James Taylor, a well-known resident of the
township, is yet living at the age of sixty. Mrs.
Kaup was the second in a family of three chil
dren. The eldest, David, resides in Mifflinburg,
and the youngest, Lizzie, is the wife of A. L.
Shoemaker, of West Buffalo township. During
the first year of their married life, Mr. and Mrs.
Kaup remained at the Kauffman homestead,
but, on March 11, 1884, they removed to their
present farm, which they rented until September
1, 1893, and then purchased, the owner at that
time being Amos Kauffman. They have a pleas
ant home which is brightened by two attractive
daughters, Lizzie M., born May 5, 1884, and
Maud C. , born August 31, 1886.
Mr. Kaup and his wife are both members of
the Lutheran Church; he has for years held office
as deacon and later as trustee, and he is now
serving the fifth successive year as superintend
ent of the Sunday-school at Dreisbach church.
His interest in the cause of education has
been shown by his faithful work as school direct-
torinhis township, and he is active in local poli
tics as a member of the Republican party. At
present he is filling the unexpired term of J. F.
Schrock as township auditor.

1^ EDWIN IRLAND, engineer of the Lewis-
_! burg Water Works, is noted as a veritable
mechanical genius, and, although he lacked the
advantage of a thorough technical education in
his youth, he has made good the deficiency in
the practical school of experience.
The Irland family became identified with
Northumberland county many years ago, our
subject's great-grandfather and grandfather hav
ing come from Scotland to follow agriculture in
that locality. James Irland, the father of our
subject, was one of a family of seven children, of
whom, Thomas, Margaret (who married Samuel
Oakes), Ann (wife of Benjamin Simington), and
John are now recalled. James Irland was born
in Northumberland county, not far from Milton,
and died in 1855. His life occupation was farm
ing, and his political affiliations were with the
Democratic party. He was married to Miss
Louise Weimer, a native of Sunbury, who died
February 4, 1897, at the age of seventy- four.
60*

Her father, Peter Weimer, was a lifelong resi
dent of Sunbury. She was the youngest of four
children, the others being: Sarah, who married
a Mr. Wallace, and resides in Lebanon, Penn. ;
Mary, wife of James Lughow; and Ann, 'now
Mrs. Boyer.
To James and Louise (Weimer) Irland four
children were born, our subject being the young
est; the others were: John W. , who was a soldier
in the Union army, and died from disease con
tracted in the service; Anna, who married Will
iam P. Furey, of Newport News, Va. ; and
Margaret, who married R. A. Lawshe, of Lewis
burg. Our subject was born July 9, 1852, at the old
homestead near Milton. Left fatherless at the
age of three years, he was reared in the city of
Lewisburg, where he attended the public-schools
and the academy during boyhood. He made
early choice of the machinist trade, in which he
served an apprenticeship at Lewisburg. Six
years were then spent at Hazleton, Penn., and
ten in Lebanon, and, thus prepared by experience
and by the observation of the work of some of
the best mechanics of the day, he decided to
return to Lewisburg and proffer his services to
the municipality. He was appointed engineer
of the water works in 1892, and, as might be
expected, has filled the position with signal
ability. Mr. Irland is not only well-known for his
proficiency in his chosen line, but his strength of
character and high qualities, as a man" and a
citizen, have given him wide popularity. In
political affiliations he is a Republican, and he is'
a leading member of the Presbyterian Church.
He was married to Miss Emma McCurdy, of
Jersey Shore, and they have one son, George
Allison.

JOHN GROFF. now living retired on the old
Groff homestead, is one of the wealthy and
prosperous agriculturists of Gregg township,
Union county, as well as one of its most honored
and highly respected citizens. His birth occur
red October 12, 1827, near the city of Lancaster,
Penn. , but almost his entire life has been passed
upon his present farm, the family being among
the early settlers of Union county.
Both the father and grandfather of our sub
ject bore the' name of John Groff, and were
natives of Lancaster county, Penn., where the
latter followed farming throughout life. The
former, who was born November 24, 1790, came
to Union county, in 1832, and took up his resi
dence upon the present homestead of our sub-

946

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ject. He was a progressive farmer, and became
one of the influential citizens of Gregg township.
On January 31, 1821, he was united in marriage
with Mrs. Sarah J. (Downing) Burkes, who was
born in West Virginia, August 26, 1789, and was
a consistent member of the Society of Friends.
She was twice married, her first husband being
John Burkes, by whom she had three children —
Jane married Mark McCleas, who was wounded
during his service'in the Union army, and both
died in the West, whither they had removed at
an early day; Rebecca became the wife of Lewis
McMertry; and Phoebe married a Mr. Pents, but
both are now deceased.
To John and Sarah Groff were born the fol
lowing children: Samuel and Mary (twins) were
the oldest. The former married Fannie Walt-
man, but both are now deceased, and the latter
wedded Charles Ludwig, a retired lumber mer
chant of Van Buren county, Mich. Ann became
the wife of James Walton, both of whom have
passed away. Eliza is the wife of Calvin Smith,
a retired farmer and tobacco grower of Jersey
Shore, Penn. John is next in order of birth.
Benjamin, deceased, married Dina Kling, who
now resides in Miller county, Mo. John Groff,
Sr. , the father of this family, died August 16,
1864, the mother in 1866, and both were laid to
rest in the Baptist church cemetery, in Gregg
township, Union county.
Upon his present farm our subject spent his
boyhood and youth in much the usual manner of
farmer lads of that period in a new and undevel
oped country, aiding his father in the arduous
task of clearing and improving a farm in the
midst of the forest. On attaining to man's es
tate he was married, May 27, 1852, to Miss Cath
erine A. Moore, who was born Ociober 23, 1829,
in Clinton township, Lycoming Co., Penn., near
Montgomery, and is a daughter of Joseph and
Susan (Miller) Moore, of that county, where the
mother died in 1881, at the age of eighty years,
but the father passed away at the home of our
subject in 1883, at the age of seventy-nine, and
was buried in the graveyard at the Brick church,
Clinton township, Lycoming county. There were
only two children in the family, the sister of Mrs.
Groff being Sarah Jane, now the widow of Elias
Strow, a farmer and merchant, who died leaving
three children: Anna, Emma and Thomas. Mrs.
Groff's paternal grandfather was Michael Moore,
of New Jersey, who died in Clinton township,
Lycoming Co., Penn., and was buried there, and
the maternal grandfather, Conrad Miller, lived
and died in Little York, Pennsylvania.
Eight children blessed the union of Mr. and
Mrs. Groff, namely: (1) Emily, born May 13,

1854, is the wife of James Snoddy, a farmer of
Lycoming county, and they have two children 
Mattilina and John O. (2) Samantha I., born
January 8, 1856, died on the 28th of the follow
ing September. (3) Susan A., born September
29, 1857, married Silas Bailey, a farmer of Ly
coming county, and has six children — Laura, Eva,
Catherine, Groff, Hess and Harold. (4) Joseph
M., born February 8, i860, married Flora L.
Dunbar, and is engaged in farming in Gregg
township, Union county. (5) John C, born Sep
tember 28, 1863, died July 13, 1864. (6) Will
iam D., born October 9, 1865, is a druggist of
Nortonville, Kans. He married Florence Webb,
and has three children — Vera F. , Hazel C. and
John R. (7) Mary M., born March 3, 1868, is
the wife of Joseph Piatt, a farmer of Lycoming
county, by whom she has one child — McCall.
(8) Sarah K., born October 13, 1873, is the only
one of the children now at home.
A thorough and skillful farmer, Mr. Groff has
met with a well-deserved success in his chosen
calling, becoming one of the most substantial citi
zens of Gregg township. As a Republican, he
takes a deep interest in public affairs, but has
never cared for the honors or emoluments of
office, preferring to give his entire time and atten
tion to his business. He has, however, accepta
bly served as school director for six years. For
the past thirty years he has been a deacon in the
Baptist Church, with which he is connected, and
is always ready to aid and relieve suffering and
distress. He is kind, unaffected and approacha
ble, and his courteous manner has gained for him
many warm friends.

W MOS SCOTT, a well-to-do agriculturist of
.J^ Gregg township, Union county, now living
in retirement at his homestead, a beautiful farm
between Allenwood and Elimsport, was born
March 6, 1840, near his present home, and
is of Scotch descent on the paternal side.
Henry and Mary Scott, great-grandparents of
our subject, came to America before the Revolu
tionary war, and settled near Montoursville,
Lycoming Co., Penn., where they purchased an
extensive tract of land. They continued to re
side there with the exception of brief periods
when rumors of an attack by the Indians com
pelled them to flee for safety to some less exposed
place. Their children, who were all born there,
were as follows: Hannah, born January 14, 1761,
died in infancy; Hannah (2), born October 14,
1762; John, born March 20, 1765; Joseph, born
December 26, 1766; Susannah, born June 6,
1769; Solomon, born December 22, 1771 ; Amos,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

947

a sketch of whom follows; and Henry, born Au
gust 7, 1783-
Amos Scott, our subject's grandfather, was
born April 30, 1779, and died April 14, 1843; his
wife, Rachel Blakeney, who was born January
25, 1783, died June 18, 1841. Her mother was
a native of Ireland. Amos and Rachel Scott had
a family of eight children, viz. : Charles, born
December 4, 1803, died January 7, 1876; Henry
is spoken of fully farther on; Sarah, born August
18, 1808, died April 6, 1882; Rachel, June 29,
1812, died February 15, 1880; George, born
November 8, 18 14, was drowned October 28,
1816; Mary, born December 21, 1817, died No
vember 8, 1889; Amos, born October 5, 1820, is
the only survivor of this family, and is now a re
tired physician residing at Rockford, 111. ; and
Martha, born November 8, 1823, died January
15, 1861.
Henry Scott, our subject's father, was born
near Montoursville, Penn., October 19, 1806,
and died June 23, 1890, at the present home
stead, leaving an estate valued at several thou
sand dollars. For forty years previous to his
death he was afflicted with rheumatism, and
lived in retirement, but in his early days he was
an active, energetic worker. He was married
November 27, 1834, at his native place, to Miss
Mercy Rodgers, and for some time made his
home in Fairfield township, Lycoming county.
On April 1, 1837, he removed to Washington
township, in the same county (now Union
county), locating upon a farm on South creek,
where the only dwelling was an old log cabin so
poorly built that as one lay in bed the stars could
be seen through the cracks or slits in the roof.
In 1845 he built a new house, and lived upon
this farm until 1854, in which year he purchased,
from Jacob Slenker, the present homestead on
Spring creek, and moved into an old stone house,
which was built in 1800, which house is still
standing near the main road between Allenwood
and Elimsport. On this property Mr. Scott
built a barn in 1858, and in 1865 a new house.
He was a well-read man, especially familiar with
the Bible, and was a liberal and active member
of the Baptist Church at White Deer. In poli
tics he was a Republican, and from time to time
he served in various local offices with ability and
fidelity. His beloved wife, who still resides
with her son Amos at the homestead, was born
September 1, 1816, near Montoursville, the eld
est child of William and Isabella (Huston)
Rodgers. She has one brother, John, living in
retirement at Montoursville, and a sister, Fannie
(lately deceased), who resided at Muncy, Penn.,
and married (first) Jacob Bast'ian (now deceased),

and (second) Fleming Wilson(also now deceased).
Henry and Mercy Scott had four children: Isa
bella, born January 27, 1837, married Franklin
Hamilton, of Muncy, Penn., and died July 26,
1872; Amos is the second in order of birth;
Rachel, born February 24, 1842, died in infancy;
Mary E., born September 8, 1847, is the wife of
F D. Thomas, a farmer of Gregg township,
Union county.
With this review of previous generations we
may now return to our subject, who was reared
to manhood at the last mentioned farm, and
when he became competent to manage the es
tate he relieved his father of much business and
care. He was educated in the local schools,
and also attended Bucknell Academy, at Lew
isburg, for several months. On August 27, 1862,
he married Miss Hannah C. Houston, and from
that time until the death of his father he re
sided at the old stone house mentioned above.
In the fall of 1890 he removed to the newer
residence which he had thoroughly renovated,
painting and papering it throughout. He has
two daughters, both of whom are highly gifted
and have received excellent educational advan
tages: (1) Ra Chella, born October 17, 1864,
was the first lady to graduate from Bucknell Col
lege, her course being completed in 1885, and
for three years she was one of the faculty of the
State Normal School, at Mansfield, Penn.; she
married George W. Beale, an Englishman by
birth, who is now a leading attorney of Scran
ton, Penn., and they have two children— Cath
erine L. and Hannah H. (2) Miss Frances G.
Scott, born December 17, 1877, is now a student
at Bucknell Seminary.
Mr. Scott is a man of fine intelligence, fond
of reading and art, and is a graduate of the
Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle. He
is a prominent member of the Baptist Church,
in which he has served as clerk for thirty years.
At one time he was a master in the Spring Gar
den Grange, but he has retired from the order.
His political sympathies are with the Republican
party, but although his ability and high standing
as a citizen give his opinions . great weight, he
has not entered public life, further than in the
spring of 1897 he was made chairman of the
Republican County Committee of Union county,
and in the same year was also appointed chair
man of the Farmers Institute Committee of
said county.
Mrs. Scott, who also possesses much literary
and artistic taste, was born August 27, 1839, at
Muncy, Penn., and is a granddaughter of Robert
and Isabella Houston, pioneer residents of that
locality. Her father, the late James Houston,

948

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

was born and reared in Lycoming county, and
after spending some years at Williamsport as a
wagonmaker, he settled upon a farm in the same
county, where his death occurred in September,
1870, when he was seventy-one years old. He
was a popular man, holding local office at times,
and was said at one time to know every men in
his county. He had a brother, Matthew Hous
ton, a merchant tailor at Richmond, Va. , who
among his customers had Jeff Davis, Robert E.
Lee and others of note. James Houston was
married at Muncy to Miss Rachel Clayton, a
Quaker, but he was not a member of any Church.
Mrs. Houston, who died August 30, 1858, aged
fifty-eight, was a native of Chester county, where
her parents, Jacob and Hannah (Miller) Clayton,'
were also born, but the family removed to Muncy
later, and both parents died there. They were
devout Quakers in religion, and were held in high
esteem among their acquaintances. Mrs. Scott
was the youngest in a family of seven children:
Isabella married William George, a retired black
smith of Lycoming county; Isaac M. (deceased)
was a successful physician in Iowa, and served
as surgeon in the Civil war; Miss Keturah resides
at Montoursville; Robert (lately deceased) was a
farmer in Muncy Valley; Zillah married Henry
Sunderland, a miller of Pennsdale, Penn. ; Rachel
J. is the wife of Farr Taylor, a wealthy lumber
man of Hughesville, Penn. ; and Mrs. Scott.

TrTfRIAH ABRAHAM EISENHAUER is a
%^l prominent and successful agriculturist of
Kelly township, Union county, residing near Kelly
Point, and is actively identified with the various
progressive movements of his locality. He is a
native of Snyder county, Penn., and is a great-
grandson of the well-known pioneer farmer, Mar
tin Eisenhauer, who came from Berks county,
Penn., at an early date.
Abraham Eisenhauer, our subject's grandfa
ther, was born in Berks county, but the greater
portion of his life was spent in Snyder county,
where he engaged in agriculture as an occupa
tion. He was married there to Miss Eve Bolan-
der, a native of Union county, and a daughter of
Henry Bolander, a prominent farmer. She died
in 1840, at the age of forty-two, and in 1878
Abraham Eisenhauer passed away in his eighty-
first year. They had ten children: Elizabeth,
Mrs. Henry Rearick, deceased; Henry, our sub
ject's father; Catherine, Mrs. Jacob Walter, of
Cook county, Mich. ; Amelia, Mrs. George Ott,
deceased; Barbara, Mrs. Engle, deceased; Mary,
Mrs. Reuben Aigler, ~oT~ Beavertown, Penn. ;
Sarah, Mrs. William Hess, of Philipsburg, Penn. ;

Lucinda, Mrs. Samuel Bowen, of Middleburg,
Penn. ; Robert, deceased; and Benjamin, a farmer
in the West.
Henry Eisenhauer, the father of our subject,
was born in Snyder county, October 10, 1819,
and is now one of the wealthy land owners of
Kelly township, Union county. He has a pleas
ant home near Kelly Cross Roads, and has re
tired from the active management of his farms.
He was married in February, 1847, at Middle
burg, Penn.. to Miss Esther Aigler, daughter of
Jacob and Esther Aigler. well-known residents
of Snyder county, and of this union ten children
were born, as follows: Uriah Abraham, Novem
ber 4, 1847; OrgimZ. , February 18, 1849; Ursh
A., August 29, 1 851; A. Jacob, January 3, 1856-
(deceased); Thama E., July 17, 1854, now Mrs.
Benjamin Stahl; Alice, December 30, 1857, Mrs.
Charles Cooper; Sarah E., September 17, i860
(deceased); Sybilla, April 29, 1862; John H.,
June 1, 1864; and Mary A., May 31, 1867 (de
ceased). Mrs. Esther Eisenhauer died May 31,
1867, aged thirty-nine years and three months.
The father was married November 7, 1867, to
Miss Semira Baker, by whom he has had one
son, William S., born June 25, 1868.
The subject of our sketch was reared upon a
farm, receiving his education in the local schools.
He remained at home until the age of thirty,
with the exception of five months spent in travel
ing through the West prospecting and sight-see
ing. A comparison of his native State with
others made him content to settle down here,
and ever since engaging in farming on his own
account he has resided at his present home.
Financially he has prospered, and, as every good
citizen should be, he is interested in public affairs.
In politics he adheres to the Republican party.
He is a member of the St. Peters Reformed
Church at White Deer, and also belongs to the
Justieia Grange at Lewisburg.
On September 21, 1879, Mr. Eisenhauer was
married in Kelly township, Union county, at the
residence of the bride's parents, to Miss Lucy A.
Grove, and two sons have blessed their union —
John H., born August 13, 1882; and Arthur A.,
born December 13, 1884. Mrs. Eisenhauer is a
native of Kelly township, where she first saw the
light September 22, 1858, and is a granddaughter
of Abraham and Susannah (Leiser) Grove, who
were early settlers in Union county. Her father,
John L. Grove, was born there in 1835, and has
been for many years a leading agriculturist of
Kelly township. Her mother, whose maiden
name was Caroline Dieffenderfer, was born in
the same county, September 20, 1826, and died
February 16. 1893. Both parents united many

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

949

years ago with the Lutheran Church, and helped
in every way to further the cause of religion in
their community. Of their children, Mrs. Eisen
hauer is the eldest; William H., of Mazeppa,
Penn., is in the employ of the Pleasant Gap
Creamery; Abraham L. is a farmer at Swengel,
Penn.; Amos is engaged in agriculture at Rand,
Penn. ; Elizabeth J. married John Alleman, a
farmer of Kelly township, Union county; and
Norman resides at the homestead with his father.

f FRANKLIN GEMBERLING, a well known
__' resident of Kelly township, Union county,
is a descendant of an old pioneer family of this
State, whose history takes us back to the time
when our largest cities "were mere hamlets, sur
rounded by unbroken forests, through which the
traveler made his way along Indian trails. Among
the earliest settlers in the Tulpehocken region
were Jacob and Catherine (Wolfensberger) Gem
berling, our subject's great-grandparents, their
home being in what is now Lebanon (then Lan
caster) county, Pennsylvania.
They had fourteen children, of whom the
third in order of birth was a son Philip, our sub
ject's grandfather, who was born July 27, 1773,
three years prior to the Declaration of Independ
ence. During his childhood the family moved
to Schaefferstown, and in his ninth year they set
tled in the Shamokin region, the father purchas
ing 300 acres of land at the present site of Selins
Grove for six shillings per acre. To use his own
words, " Ei das war eine lust es anzusehen." As
railroads and canals were then unknown, the
family carried their simple furniture in keel boats
while they rode in slow-moving wagons, with the
exception of the mother, who was on horseback.
They passed the site of the city of Harrisburg,
where there was but one house at that time
(1782), and the remainder of 'their journey occu
pied four days, the road being merely an Indian
trail. On arriving at Selins Grove they found
but three houses — that of Col. Eyer, one on the
Richter homestead, and one owned by the late
Gov. Simon Snyder, which had formerly belonged
to Leonard App. The 300 acres in the Gember
ling homestead remained in the family eighty
years, Jacob Gemberling having intended it for
his posterity as well as for himself. He died
there at the age of eighty-eight, and his good
wife was far advanced in the seventies when she
was called away. The remains of both now rest
together in the old " Gottes Acker" at Selins
Grove. An interesting relic of this famous pio
neer couple is an old clock six feet high, now in
the possession of our subject, and still in running

order. Their son, Philip Gemberling, purchased
250 acres of land from his father at $16 per acre,
and became one of the leading citizens of his
locality, his influence shaping the future of the
community in a marked degree. Physically
strong and healthy, he was no less vigorous and
forceful mentally, but his practical nature found
an outlet for its energies in the activities of com
mon life, rather than in the departments of art,
literature and science. He died of apoplexy in
the eighty-seventh year of his age. He was
twice married. By his second wife, Eve Gass,
with whom twenty-two years of wedded life were
spent, he had five sons and four daughters.
Philip Gemberling, Jr., the father of oursub
ject, was born and reared at the old homestead
at Selins Grove, and was married in that town
to Elizabeth Martin, a native of Northumber
land county, Penn. Early in their married life
they removed to Union county and settled upon
a farm, where they passed their remaining years,
Mrs. Gemberling passing away October 13, 1861,
at the age of sixty-three years and nine months,
and the father following her in April, 1870, aged
seventy-four years. They had the following chil
dren: Mary A. , who married David Grove, a farm
er of Union county, both now deceased; Levi, a
farmer of Kelly township, fleceased; Christopher,
deceased, formerly in the butcher business in the
West; Lewis, a farmer in Buffalo township,
Union county; Frederick, a retired farmer resid
ing in Lincoln, 111.; Sarah J., wife of Thomas
Huntington, a farmer of Kelly township, Union
county; Barbara A., deceased, formerly the wife
of John Pawling, of Kelly township; Benjamin,
who died in Ohio; Franklin, our subject; Eliza
beth M., wife of Benjamin Miller, a farmer of
Kelly township, Union county; and Catherine E.,
wife of Daniel E. Sanders, who is mentioned
below. Franklin Gemberling is a native of Union
county, where he first saw the light, October 6,
1835. His youth was spent in active work upon
his father's farm, the neighboring schools fur
nishing him an elementary education, which he
has supplemented by a wide and varied course of
reading. At the age of twenty-seven he en
gaged in agriculture on his own account, but in
1869 Mr. Gemberling retired from business, and
his time has since been given to reading and va
rious occupations, in which a refined and culti
vated taste finds pleasure. He continues to re
side with Mr. Sanders, and he is prominently
identified with local affairs, although his influence
is exerted in a quiet manner. In politics he is a
Republican, and>he belongs to the St. Peters Re
formed Church at White Deer.

950

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

JOHN HUBLER, Sr. The Hubler home
stead on Turtle creek, in East Buffalo town
ship, Union county, has now been in the pos
session of the family for a century, and is one of
the oldest farms in that locality. Its first settler,
John Hubler, the noted pioneer, was the grand
father of the present owner, whose history forms
the subject of this brief but interesting biography.
Henry Hubler, a son of the pioneer settler, was
born on the same farm in 1801, and passed his
life there in agricultural pursuits. He married
Rebecca Heimbach, and had five sons and one
daughter, of whom four sons lived to adult age.
John Hubler, Sr., the fourth son of Henry,
was born at the homestead June 23, 1832, and
has always resided there, the title coming to him
in 1877. His eldest son, John Hubler, Jr., now
relieves him of care, having rented the place, and
the fifth generation is represented by some bright
and attractive grandchildren, who make the old
home merry. Mr. Hubler can tell of many
changes which have taken place under his ob
servation, and one with which he is especially
pleased is the introduction of improved methods
of education, his own schooling having been lim
ited to the old-fashioned subscription schools of
the early days. Like most country boys, he re
ceived thorough and practical instruction in farm
work, as there was always plenty to do at home.
As a young man he would occasionally spend a
day working for some neighbor, but he never
"hired out" as a regular hand, and on attaining
his majority he took charge of the homestead,
working it on the shares.
At the age of twenty-four Mr. Hubler married
Miss Eliza Hauck, a native of Buffalo township,
Union county, and began housekeeping at the
farm. After the death of his father, in 1874, he
rented the place, and when his mother passed
away, three years later, he became sole owner.
Of his six children, all are living: Margaret
married F. W. Getz, of Linntown; Miss Lizzie
is at home; John is married, and now conducts
the farm; Miss Angie is at home; Katie married
Prof. A. D. Miller, of Lewisburg; and Samuel
lives at Freeport, 111.
Mr. Hubler has done much hard work in his
day, and has secured good results, his later years
being blessed with a comfortable competence.
Since 1892 he has allowed himself to enjoy his
well-earned leisure, although he shows but few
signs of his years. He has never entered the
political arena as an office seeker, but his interest
in national and local movements has been none
the less keen on that account, nor does his influ
ence lose in power from being quietly exercised.
In early life he was a Whig, and since the for

mation of the Republican party he has been one
of its stanchest supporters. With his estimable
wife he united many years ago with the Lutheran
Church, and in all movements tending to pro
mote the general welfare he has been prompt to
sympathize and to aid.
On November 26, 1889, the family circle was
broken by the death of the beloved wife and
mother, whose remains were laid to their final
rest in Dreisbach cemetery. She was a member
of a well-known family of Buffalo township, Un
ion county, her father, John Hauck, being a
prosperous agriculturist and highly-respected cit
izen. His wife, Margaret Weidler, to whom he
was married December 14, 1822, died in 1861,
and he passed away in the following year. They
had eleven children: Mary A., born June 9,
1824, died October 14, 1829; Henry W., born
August 6, 1825, died at Sunbury, Penn., leaving
a family; William, born January 26, 1828, died
at Lewisburg in April, 1896; Eliza, Mrs. Hubler,
was born December 29, 1829; Levi, born Octo
ber 12, 1 83 1, died in Lewisburg some years ago;
Benjamin, born November 21, 1833, died at
Vicksburg, Penn., where he was engaged in the
hotel business; Harriet, born April 27, 1836,
married Joseph Kleckner, and died in Monroe,
Wis.; Samuel, born September 7, 1838, died
March 2, 1842; John A., born May 1, 1842, re
sides in Illinois; Martin L. , born September 24,
1844, was killed in a railway accident in Texas
in 1877; and Charles W. , born November 20,
1846, is now a resident of East Buffalo township,
Union county.

C\APT. J. P. BROOKE. Pennsylvania has
'1 reason to be proud of her brave sons in the
dark days of the Rebellion, and has never ceased
to honor those who bore aloft in her name the
banner of freedom and union. Happily many of
these gallant defenders still live, and this volume
preserves for the perusal of future generations
stories of patriotic devotion which knew no lim
iting sense of expediency, and gave without re
serve in response to the nation's call.
The subject of this sketch, now a prominent
citizen of Lewisburg, Union county, was among
those who gave the first years of his manhood to
the cause. He enlisted September 16, 1861, at
the age of twenty-one, in Company F, 51st P.
V. I., entering for three months only, but before
the time expired the magnitude of the work to
be done was realized, and the North gathered
her strength for a prolonged struggle. Capt.
Brooke re-enlisted for three years of the war,
and remained in the service until his regiment

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

951

was disbanded at the close of that historic pa
geant, the Grand Review. In 1862 he was pro
moted from the ranks to first sergeant, then to
first lieutenant, and in 1864 was commissioned
captain. His first service was along the coast,
but later his regiment was assigned to the Army
of the West, remaining therewith until the spring
of 1864 when he was transferred to the Army of
the Potomac. Among the engagements in which
Capt. Brooke took part were those of Knoxville,
Vicksburg, Newbern, Cold Harbor, the battle
of the Wilderness, and the final campaign that
ended at Appomattox Court House. He was
wounded twice, first time at Cold Harbor, and
again at the battle on the railway near Weldon.
Captain Brooke was born in Berks county,
Penn., October 9, 1839, and is of an old Phila
delphia family, his grandfather, Roger Brooke,
and father, Bowyer Brooke, being natives of that
• city. The latter, who was born in 1808, learned
the blacksmith's trade there in his youth, but in
early manhood settled in Berks county, where he
engaged in agriculture. Later he became a mer
chant in Montgomery county, and while there
served a term as prothonotary of the county.
In the "fifties" he spent some time at Potts-
town, Penn,, as train dispatcher on the Phila
delphia & Reading railroad, but his last days
were spent in Philadelphia where, after serving
some years as inspector in the custom house, he
engaged in the coal business. His wife, Rebecca
(Ives), who was born in Berks county, in 1807,
died in 1876, and his death occurred April 17,
1891. They had the following children: Reese,
who died in childhood; Harriet, deceased; Will
iam, who died at an early age; Rebecca and
Mary, both now residing at Philadelphia; and J.
P., our subject;
Capt. Brooke attended the schools of Berks
county until he was twelve years old, at which
time the family removed to Montgomery county,
where his studies were continued. On leaving
school he learned the jeweler's trade, and on his
return from the army he engaged in that business
in Lewisburg, following it fifteen years, but re
tired some years ago. In 1884 he was elected
county treasurer, serving one term, and he is a
leader in the Republican organization of his lo
cality, being the present chairman of the County
Committee. His interest in military affairs has
continued, and he is a member of the G. A. R.,
while for fourteen years he has been identified
with the Pennsylvania National Guards, serving
as lieutenant, captain and major, respectively,
and now holding the rank of lieutenant-colonel.
Socially, he is identified with the F. & A. M.,
and he is a prominent member of the Presbyte

rian Church at Lewisburg. In 1867 he married
Miss Mary Anna Stevens, a native of Montgomery
county, born January 14, 1843, and four children
have blessed the union: (1) Clara, widow of H.
B. Proctor, has two children — Ethel and George;
(2) Harriet is the wife of Walter V. Smith, and
resides in Philadelphia; (3) Frank, a traveling
salesman, is not married; and (4) Donald, is at
home attending school.

II, NDREW GROFF. The Groff family, which
^fflL is well known in this section, is frequently
called Grove, the change having been made many
years ago by David Groff, an early settler and
an uncle of the gentleman whose name opens
this sketch. The family came to Union county
from Lancaster county in 1831, the grandparents
of our subject, Abraham and Nancy (Graybill)
Groff, settling with their children upon a farm in
Kelly township, where they passed their remain
ing days, the grandfather retiring from active
business some years before his death. Among
their sons was David Groff, or Grove, mentioned
above, who was born in Lancaster county, but
spent the greater part of his life in Union coun
ty, where he was known as a wealthy farmer and
a good citizen.
Another son of Abraham and Nancy Groff
was the late John Groff, our subject's father, who
was but twelve years old when he accompanied
his parents to their new home. He became an
extensive agriculturist, and was prominent in
local affairs as a member of the Reformed
Church, and also as an active worker in the Re
publican party, holding the office of supervisor
two terms. His death occurred April 26, 1891,
when he was aged seventy-two years; his wife,
Rachel Goodlander, an estimable lady, who was
born in Union county, February 11, 18 19, is still
living in the enjoyment of excellent health, and
resides with her children. The children of this
worthy couple were: Elizabeth J., deceased,
formerly the wife of Jeremiah Hummel, a farmer
in Snyder county, Penn. ; Andrew; Nancy, widow
of Wentel Swartze, of White Deer township,
Union county ; Reuben, a retired farmer in Kelly
township; and Sarah A., wife of Isaiah Beaver,
of East Buffalo township, Union county.
Andrew Groff was born at the old homestead
in Kelly township, Union county, July 4, 1844,
and spent his early life there, his education be
ing acquired in the local schools. On May 19,
1867, he was married at Milton, Penn., by Rev.
Samuel Reed, to Miss Julia A. Kline, and he es
tablished his home- on his present farm near
West Milton. He purchased sixty-nine acres at

952

COMMEMORATIVE . BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

$125 per acre, and by his judicious management
has made the place one of the finest farms of its
size in the locality. On March 15, 1898, he
moved from his farm to West Milton, and is now
living retired. Clever and genial, he is highly
esteemed, and while never an active politician,
he has much influence in the community and in
the local Republican organization. In religious
faith he adheres to the doctrines of the Reformed
Church, in which he was reared. He has a
pleasant home, in which two daughters have
grown to womanhood — Leah Ann, born Novem
ber 8, 1868, is the wife of Newton Spangler, a
school teacher of Buffalo township, Union coun
ty; and Abbie M., born September 21, 1872, mar
ried Charles Edward Herman, a clerk in a mer
cantile establishment at Lewisburg, Union
county. Mrs. Groff is a native of Columbia county,
Penn., where she first saw the light May 23,
1844. Her parents, S^amueL_M. and Julia^A.
(Ril^sJ_Kline, were born, reared and married in
Berks county, Penn., but settled in Lycoming
county, Penn., where the father, a stone mason
by trade, died September 21, 1876, aged eighty-
nine years and five months. He was a Demo
crat in politics, and was prominently identified
with the Reformed Church for many years pre
vious to his death. The mother spent her last
days in Union county, at the home of J. D.
Kline, a grandson, where she closed her eyes in
death February 21, 1886, in her seventy-eighth
year. Seven children were born of this union,
of whom all are living except David, the eldest,
who died at the age of sixty-three. (2) Mary,
who resides at Lewisburg, Penn., married (first)
Amos Whitmeyer, and after his death became
the wife of Henry Fenstmaker, now also de
ceased; both husbands served as soldiers in the
Civil war. (3) Elizabeth J. married (first) An
drew Bennett, deceased, and (second) Alivan
Sickles, a farmer in Corey, Cass Co., Mich. (4)
Henry C. is a farmer in White Deer township,
Union county. (5) Julia A. married our subject.
(6) Rebecca is the wife of William Huntington,
a farmer in Kelly township, Union county. (7)
George W. is an agriculturist near Salina,
Kansas.

HARRY N. HOFFMAN, a leading pharmacist
 of Lewisburg, Penn., is a young man of
more than ordinary ability and enterprise; these
traits have been put to good account in his busi
ness, which has proved a grand success, won only
by diligent work and attention to business.
Mr. Hoffman was born April 15, 1867, in

Lewis township, Union county, Penn., in which
county his family has been represented for sev
eral generations. William Hoffman, his great
grandfather, was born in Germany, and at an
early date in this country's history came across
the "briny deep," for a short time locating at
Germantown, Penn., in the year 1801 settling in
Union county, where he followed masonry as an
occupation. He was married to Catherine Mill-
house, and they both enjoyed this life to a good
ripe age, he dying May 3, 1847, at the age of 72
years, 3 months, and 8 days; his wife lived to be
89 years, 8 months and 20 days old, dying July
28, 1876.
William Hoffman, Jr., the grandfather of our
subject, was born in West Buffalo township,
Union county, and from the time he was quite
young was a very successful agriculturist. He
married Miss Mary Baker, whose grandfather
served under Washington, in the Revolutionary
war. William Hoffman, Jr. , died in November,
1886, his remains being interred in the Ray cem
etery. He and his wife had the following chil
dren: (1) Mary E., whose husband, Richard
Moyer, was a private in the 49th Regiment, P.
C, and lost his life in defense of the Union; (2)
Noah, who enlisted August 28, 1862, in Company
E, 142nd P. V. I., served faithfully to the close
of the war, when he again turned to farming as
an occupation, and now resides in Hartley town
ship. (3) Henry W. , a member of Company E,
142nd P. V. I., took part in many of the great
battles of the Rebellion, was at no time absent
from his company to the close of the war; re
turned home to follow his trade, that of a car
penter, and now resides in the borough of Hart
leton, Penn.; (4) Samuel served his country dur
ing the same conflict, and now resides in Mifflin
burg, Penn.; (5) Emanuel, a school teacher by
profession and a brick-layer by trade, residing in
Mifflinburg, Penn. ; (6) Jesse, a carpenter by
trade, lives in Lewis township, Union county;
(7) Reuben, a tinsmith by trade, and dealer in
stoves and tinware, opened up in Mifflinburg, and
afterward went to Lewisburg where he conducted
a fine business for several years, when he moved
to Kansas, and died there in 1888; (8) Susan,
who married S. G. Grove, a farmer of West
Buffalo township, died in 1894, and was interred
in Mifflinburg cemetery; (9) Christianna married
Ludwig Shoemaker, a successful agriculturist and
dairyman of West Buffalo township, and a son
of Samuel Shoemaker; (10) Solomon B. H ff-
man is the father of our subject.
The last named was born in West Buffalo
township, June 3, 1838; he received his education
in the public schools, and graduated from the

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

953

Hartleton Grammar School, under the tutorship
of Prof. Woods McQuine, taking the hohors of
his class at the age of seventeen, and then went
with his uncle to learn brick-laying and masonry.
After serving as an apprentice for three years he
became a contractor and builder, following that
vocation for thirty years. In 1857 he began
teaching school during the winter, and followed
his trade during the summer. He is now en
gaged as one of the teachers in the public school
of Mifflinburg, and is one of the oldest teachers
in the county, having taught thirty-eight years in
Unioncounty. On August 28, 1862, he enlisted
in Company E, I42d P. V. I., and served faith
fully, taking part in many hard fights, such as
South Mountain, Antietam and Fredericksburg,
at which latter place he was wounded December
13, 1862, for which injury he now draws a pen
sion. Mr. Hoffman is prominent in local poli
tics as a Republican, and has held many impor
tant offices, being county commissioner for six
years, also a justice of the peace and school di
rector, and is at present serving as a director of
the poor, which office he has successfully filled
for twelve years. He is a consistent member of
the Lutheran Church, an efficient teacher in the
Sabbath-school, and served as superintendent of
same for twenty years; is active in the temper
ance cause and social reform, and a leader in
every good work, while as a citizen he is in the
front rank in every good movement and enter
prise for the improvement of the town. He
stands beyond reproach, and has the respect of
all. His wife, Maria (Inhoff), was born in North
umberland county, and is a daughter of William
Inhoff, a native of Berks county, who engaged
in the hotel business first in Northumberland
county, and later in Mifflinburg, where he died
in 1887. His widow, Elizabeth (Whitaker) In
hoff, now lives with her daughter Mrs. Hauck,
of Sunbury, Penn. Four children also survive:
William, a railway conductor; Maria (Mrs. Hoff
man), mother of our subject; Joanna, wife of
Ammon Hauck, of Sunbury; and Kate, widow of
Samuel Charles, of Mifflinburg. Of the chil
dren of S. B. and Maria Hoffman, five are living:
William L., a tinsmith at Mifflinburg; Emma J.,
wife of John E. Kreisher; Martin L., station
agent of the P. & E. R. R. at Selins Grove
Junction; Harry N., our subject; and Miss Maria
E. Hoffman, with her parents.
Being reared in Mifflinburg, Harry N. Hoff
man had excellent educational advantages in his
youth, and in 1882 was graduated from the acad
emy. He began reading medicine with Dr. Bru-
baker, and 'remained with him four years as a

clerk in his drug store. This work proving con
genial, he spent five years in a similar capacity
with Dr. James Kleckner, of Mifflinburg. In
September, 1891, he purchased a drug store in
Lewisburg, where he has met with well-deserved
success. He is thoroughly prepared for his call
ing, holding a State certificate as a pharmacist.
On October 22, 1890, Mr. Hoffman married
Miss Anna J. Klose, who was born in Limestone
township, UniorTcounty, September 9, 1868, and
one child, Edna, blesses their union. Mr. Hoff
man is prominent socially as a member of the
Masonic fraternity, of the order of K. G. E.,
and of the I. O. O. F. While he is by no means
a politician, he is a stanch Republican in belief,
and in a quiet way wields^much influence in local
affairs. --¦

OBERT GELLINGER.
is accorded to men who

In the respect that
have fought their

way to success through an unfavorable environ
ment we find an unconscious recognition of the
intrinsic worth of a character which can not only
endure so rough a test, but gain new strength
through the discipline. The following history
sets forth briefly the steps by which our subject,
now one of the substantial agriculturists of East
Buffalo township, Union county, overcame the
disadvantages of his early life. To begin with,
his ancestors, though thoroughly respectable, had
but little of this world's goods. His grandfather,
Michael Gellinger, a resident of Snyder county, died
in 1817, leaving a widow, Mrs. Catherine Grace
Gellinger, and several children with but limited
means of support. The youngest child, Henry,
our subject's father, who was born January 24,
1 8 17, was less than a year old. The homestead'
was about three miles above Middleburg, and
Henry Gellinger grew to manhood in that lo
cality. At a very early age he began to learn
the miller's trade at Van Buskirk's mill, and he
followed. this occupation for some years.
In January, 1839, Henry Gellinger was mar
ried in Hartley township, Union county, to Miss
Nancy Pontius, who was born in Laurelton, Au-
gusT237T8T7T Her father, Peter Pontius, was
a well-known blacksmith at that town; he and
his wife, BarbaraJ^auge, reared a family of
nine childre'nT-rroneof whom are now living ex
cept Mrs. Gellinger, and the only son, Henry, a
resident of Bellefonte. A few years after his
marriage, our subject's father gave up his trade
and found employment as a miner at Berlin Fur
nace. While there he narrowly escaped death
from a falling stone, some Irishmen who were
working near him rescuing him from his peril
ous position. During his later years he followed

954

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

farming, renting land in different parts of Buffalo
Valley. His death occurred at Brook Park, in
January, 1890, and his remains were buried at
Lewisburg. While he never took an active part
in public affairs, he was interested in the issues
of the day, and politically was in sympathy with
the Democratic party. Late in life he united
with the Reformed Church, of which his widow,
who resides at Brook Park with her son John,
is a highly- esteemed member. Our subject is
the youngest of five sons. John, born November
3, 1839, served as a soldier in the Civil war, and
is now a farmer at Smoketown. Lewis H., born
December 9, 1840, has been a cripple from birth,
and now resides at Brook Park. Jackson, born
April 18, 1843, has for some years conducted a
blacksmith shop at the same place; he is a vet
eran of the Civil war, and a prominent citizen,
having served at one time as associate judge of
Union county. Charles, born December 10,
1845, resides at Linntown, Pennsylvania.
Robert Gellinger first saw the light in Hart
ley township, Unioncounty, December 2, 1848,
and his education was acquired chiefly in the lo
cal schools. In 1865 his parents removed to
Buffalo township, in the same county, and his
schooling then ended with the exception of two
winter terms at the new home. When eighteen
years old he was apprenticed to a harness maker,
Henry Riment, of Buffalo Cross Roads, receiving
his board with $25 for the first year and $30 for
the second. He remained only eighteen months,
however, and then went to Mifflinburg, where he
received better wages from John S. Stitzer.
Three years were spent altogether in learning
his trade, and for some time he worked as a
journeyman at Pittston, Wilkesbarre and Dan
ville, before trying to establish a business of his
own at Vicksburg, Union county. He had a
hard struggle there, and at the end of four years
was compelled to give up the attempt and find
more profitable business. His capital was limit
ed, but through the confidence of his friends he
was enabled to engage in huckstering, and in this
he built up a fine trade, notwithstanding the
large number of people then in that business in
the coal regions. Energy, business tact and
close economy brought their due reward, and in
the spring of 1895 he had saved enough money
to buy 107 acres of excellent land near Lewis
burg, known as the Peter Getz farm. Here he
has made substantial improvements, repairing
and beautifying the residence, and he now has a
comfortable home. This work, with the culti
vation of the farm, occupied his entire time until
the fall of 1896, when he resumed his business
as a huckster.

One important factor in his success has not
yet been mentioned. When about twenty-five
years old he married Miss Sarah J. Weidensaul,
daughter of Samuel and Polly (Catherman)
Weidensaul, and to her thrift and industry he
justly attributes his rapid progress. They have
three attractive daughters: Annie C, Mary
Florence and Blanche Irene, all at home. Mr.
Gellinger and his family are identified with the
German Reformed Church, and he takes a gen
erous interest in all progressive movements. He
is a stanch Democrat politically, but while voting
regularly and supporting his principles in a quiet
way, he is by no means a politician in the usual
sense.

JOHN BAKER MOORE. The deserved re
ward of a well-spent life is an honored re
tirement from business, in which to enjoy
the fruits of former toil. To-day, after a useful
and beneficial career, Mr. Moore is quietly living
at his pleasant home on the old Moore farm at
Spring Garden, Gregg township, Union county,
and is surrounded by the comfort that earnest
labor has brought him. He is a native of the
county, his birth occurring at Forest Iron Works,
February 10, 1828.
-Joseph Moore, the father of our subject, was
born in Lycoming county, Penn., September 24,
1802, a son of James and Mary (Ott) Moore, na
tives of France and New Jersey, respectively.
The grandfather, a prominent bridge builder and
contractor, was the founder of the University of
Lewisburg, Penn. , of which he was one of the
trustees for many years, holding that position up
to the time of his death. He also defrayed the
expenses of building a road from the college to
the city of Lewisburg, and was one of the most
prominent and influential citizens of the com
munity. He was born August 1, 1780, and died
May 29, 1855, and his wife was born April 15,
1788, and died February 16, 1858, both passing
away in Union county.
Like his father, Joseph Moore became a bridge
contractor in early life, but later devoted his
attention to farming. From 1823 until 1836 he
made his home at Forest Iron Works, Union
county, when it was almost an unbroken wilder
ness, and there he erected a mill. In the latter
year, however, he removed to the farm now
owned and occupied by our subject. In early
life he married Miss Anna Baker, who was born
in Lycoming county, March 18, 1802, a daugh
ter of John and Elizabeth (Hill) Baker, agricult
urists of Berks county, Penn. Her father was
born in September, 1773, and died 'at Muncy,

\j\JWJILjTjm\jmi. J. 1 Y Hi J3KJUJXA.X-IUUj2.Uj JXJbUVJXJJ.

yoo

Penn., September 29, 1855, and her mother was
born in 1774, and died at the same place in Oc
tober, 1833. The parents of oursubject are also
deceased, the father having passed away July 2,
1880, and the mother February 13, 1887. Both
were active and prominent members of the Bap
tist Church, in which Mr. Moore served as deacon
for half a century. He was also trustee of the
University of Lewisburg for several years, and
held a number of official positions of honor and
trust in Gregg township.
John B. Moore is the third in order of birth
in the family of seven children, the others being
as follows: Elizabeth B., born April 8, 1824, is
the widow of George Irvin, of Gregg township.
James, born June 2, 1826, died August 28, 1846.
Rev. William C. , born March 24, 1830, is now a
resident of Allenwood, Penn. George M., born
August 19, 1832, is a farmer of Gregg township,
and a deacon in the Baptist Church. Joseph,
born August 29, 1835, became a member of Com
pany B, 131st P. V. L, during the Civil war, and
died at Fredericksburg, February 1.8, 1863.
Mary, born May 2, 1837, died of diphtheria Sep
tember 2, 1848.
Our subject has resided upon his present
farm during his entire life with the exception of
eight years, five of which were spent in Missouri
with his father, and three on his grandfather's
farm near West Milton, Penn. Returning to the
old homestead June 9, 1886, he has there con
tinued to reside, and, although the old house still
stands on the farm, he occupies a more modern
dwelling, which was erected in 1879. It is hand
somely furnished, and the entire place is supplied
-with all the conveniences and accessories which
go to make up a model farm of >the nineteenth
century. Although he has no aspirations for of
ficial honors, he has creditably served in several
local positions, and is a stalwart Republican in
politics. He is an excellent conversationalist,
and has the happy faculty of making friends
readily, and easily retaining them. As did his
ancestors, he takes an active interest in promot
ing the moral and material welfare of the com
munity, and for twenty-five years he has been
trustee of the Baptist Church, of which he is a
consistent member.
On February 18, 1864, Mr. Moore was mar
ried to Miss Katherine VanDyke, and they have
become the parents of five children, namely: (1)
Anna E., born April 22, 1866, is now the wife
of Gus B. Lorrison, a railroad official located at
Allenwood, Penn., and they have three children
—John M., Clifton O., and Malvern Van D. (2)
Joseph L. , born May 27, 1869, is an engineer
and bridge builder residing at home. (3) Mar

garet B., and (4) Minnie M. (twins), were born
February 25, 1871, but the latter died on the 6th
of the following August. (5) Katherine Van D.
was born January 24, 1875.
Mrs. Moore, who was born in Nippenose Valley,
Penn., December 27, 1834, a daughter of James
C. and Elizabeth (Clark) Van Dyke, has been
an earnest Christian since childhood, at first be
longing to the Presbyterian Church, but for the
past twenty years has held membership in the
Baptist Church, to which her husband belongs.
She traces her ancestry back to her great-great
grandfather, Henry Van Dyke, who spent his en
tire life in Holland. Her grandparents, Lam
bert and Margaret (McMichael) Van Dyke, were
natives of Holland and Scotland, respectively,
but were married in New Jersey, whence they
removed to Dauphin county, Penn. The grand
father died at Paradise, Penn., while improving a
a farm there for his son. He was of royal Hol
land stock, and he and all of his brothers par
ticipated in the American Revolution, as mem
bers of the Colonial army. The paternal grand
parents of Mrs. Moore, Thomas and Christina
(Fraley) Clark, were among the first settlers of
Nippenose Valley, Lycoming Co. , Penn. , where the
former followed farming throughout the remain
der of his life. He was also a Revolutionary
soldier. Both he and his wife were natives of
Lancaster county, Penn., and of Scotch-Irish ex
traction. James C. Van Dyke, the father of Mrs.
Moore, was a farmer by occupation, and was a
Whig in politics, while, in religious belief, both
he and his estimable wife were devout Presby
terians. He died in 1857, aged seventy-one
years, and she passed away in 1870, at the ripe
old age of seventy-eight years, eleven months
and eight days.
In the family of this worthy couple were the
following children: Margaret, now the widow
of Solomon Kaufman, of Overly, Penn.; Es
ther, deceased wife of Jacob Voneida, 5 farmer
of Nippenose Valley, Lycoming county; John, a
retired farmer of South Williamsport, Penn.;
James H., a fire-insurance agent, who was the
first of the family to die, being at that time
thirty-five years, eight months and twenty-four
days old; Sarah V., who died unmarried; Lam
bert, a railroad contractor, who died in 1867;
Elizabeth, deceased wife of F. B. Pursel, of
Williamsport; Mary, wife of Simon P. Houts, a
farmer of Gregg township, Union county; Henry
H., a wealthy and prominent contractor and
hardware merchant of Lock Haven, Penn., who
is now deceased; Katherine, the wife of our sub
ject; William T., ex-postmaster of Lock Haven,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

who is now an invalid; and Eleanor J., wife of
H. H. Nauff, a farmer of Montandon, Pennsyl
vania.

WILLIAM PIATT ALLEN, who is now
successfully engaged in business as a dec
orator and painter at Allenwood, Union county,
comes of an honored pioneer family long identi
fied with the history of this region. He was
born June 12, 1839, in what was then Union-
town, but is now Allenwood.
Isaac Allen, his paternal grandfather, was
born in New Jersey, and removed to Lycoming
county, Penn. His children were: Charles
(who died at South Williamsport), Allen (wife of
James Reed), Anna (wife of John Simpler), Will
iam (married to Margaret Taylor), Mary (wife of
Robert Hayes), Abraham, Sarah (wife of Will
iam Jones), Isaac, and Jane. , All are now de
ceased. Isaac Allen, father of our subject, was born
in Lycoming county, February 5, 1800, and re
mained on the old family homestead until his
marriage, in 1827, to Miss Jane Piatt, who was
born in that county, January 18, 1801, a daugh
ter of John Piatt, who was of German lineage,
while his wife was of French descent. Their
children were: Elizabeth (wife of Samuel Mc
Cormick), William^who married Hannah Brady),
Herman C. (who married Lotta Brady), Julia
Ann (wife of John Hammond), and Mrs. Allen.
After his marriage, Isaac Allen engaged in lum
bering. In 1833 he purchased a part of the
present site of Allenwood, which place was then
called Uniontown; it was laid out by John Mc-
Curdy, June 1, 181 5. In 1866 he gave to the
Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Company the
right-of-way through his farm and a plot of
ground 56 x 175 feet on which to build a station.
He was a lumberman, and during his latter days
engaged in contracting and in conducting a hotel
in Allenwood. He died February 22, 1845, at
the age of forty-five years, and his wife passed
away August 18, 1886. Their children were as
follows: Julia (widow of Jacob Kramer, ex-sher
iff of Northumberland county, and treasurer of
Watsontown), Charles (who served for three
years and nine months in the Union army, and
died after a nine-months' imprisonment by the
Confederates), Herman P. (a merchant of Allen
wood), Henrietta F. (widow of David W. Mc-
Carty, of Lewisburg), William P. (our subject),
Jennie (widow of Dr. Thomas Burns, of Iowa
City, Iowa), Isaac W. and Helen (who died in
infancy). William Piatt Allen remained at home until

after attaining his majority, and in his youth
worked for a shilling a day. He was also en
gaged in rafting on the river. W7hen twenty-two
years of age he went to Ogle county, 111., where
he engaged in general farming and tobacco-rais
ing. After his return he clerked for his brother
for two years, and then served a three-years' ap
prenticeship at the stonemasons' trade under
Fred Haines.
On August 16, 1864, Mr. Allen enlisted in
Company I, 202d P. V. I. , and was largely en
gaged in fighting the guerrillas, but whatever his
duty, it was discharged with a loyalty that was
above question. On his return home he ran a
ferry-boat for a year, after which he sold out to
his brother and went to Cedar county, Iowa.
For some years thereafter he spent a portion of
his time in the West, where he owned a farm of
240 acres. This, however, he sold March 18,
1874, and has since continued to make his home
in Allenwood, where he is engaged in business as
a decorator and painter, enjoying an excellent
trade. On October 9, 1872, Mr. Allen was married
to Miss Lydia Gudykuntz, by whom he has one
son, William C. Her grandfather, Adam Gudy
kuntz, a native of Germany, located in Lehigh
county, Penn., at an early day, and there fol
lowed the hatter's trade. His son Charles was
born there, October 15, 1799. He also learned
the hatter's trade, which he followed for some
years, and before attaining his majority he be
gan clerking for Ludwig Stitzel, enjoying the
highest confidence of that gentleman, who made
him the executor of his estate. Mr. Gudykuntz
married Sarah, the eldest daughter of Mr. Stit
zel. He purchased and operated a sawmill, and
also became the owner of six farms and other
landed interests. He was a very active and suc
cessful business man, was at one time a director
in the West Branch Bank of Williamsport, and
afterward a director in the Cameron Bank of
Lpwisburg. In politics he was an ardent Repub
lican, took a deep interest in the cause of his
party, held many township offices, and served as
State revenue commissioner by appointment of
Gov. A. G. Curtin. For many years he was a
consistent member of and elder in the Presbyte
rian Church.
Mr. Gudykuntz lost his first wife May 18,
1832, and on the 10th of May, 1834, he married
her only surviving sister. To the first marriage
was born one son, Edward Stiple, who for many
years served as a justice of the peace. The chil
dren born to the second marriage are: Sarah
Jane married W. F. Campbell in 1866, a farmer
and extensive lumberman; Mary Margaret, born

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

957

May 31, 1840; Charles L. , born December 16,
1842, married Martha J. Griffa, by whom he has
three children — Margaret B., Charles B. and
Mary J.; James P., born April 21, 1845, married
Anna Van Alstine, and is a carpenter of Allen
wood; Anna Maria, born September 24, 1848, is
the wife of Robert Brown, a farmer of Gregg
township, Union county, and ex-commissioner,
by whom she has one child, Claude A. ; Josephine,
born January 23, 1851, is the wife of J. F.
Hagenbuch, a farmer of Allenwood; Eliza C,
born March 11, 1853, is the wife of C. Brown,
by whom she has two daughters — Irene and Mary;
and Mrs. Allen. Mrs. Gudykuntz, the mother
of this family, is living in Allenwood surrounded
by her, children; she is a devout member of the
Presbyterian Church, having the respect of all
who know her. Mr. Gudykuntz died January
12, 1866, and his death was deeply mourned
throughout the entire community. The maternal
grandparents of Mrs. Allen were Ludwig and
Anna M. (Fox) Stitzel, the former a native of
Rhein, Germany, and the latter of Berks county,
Penn. Her great-grandmother (Fox) died while
on the ocean en route to America.
Mr. and Mrs. Allen are very prominent people,
held in the highest esteem "by all, and she is a
member of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Allen
formerly belonged to the Junior Mechanics, and
is a thirty-second-degree Mason of Watsontown.
He has spent almost his entire life in this com
munity, and the fact that his warmest friends are
numbered among those who have known him
from boyhood indicates an honorable career.

MRS. SAMANTHA ORWIG, widow of Eman-
_ uel Orwig, is a representative of one of the
most prominent and highly respected families of
Union county, where her birth occurred.
Jesse Bloom, her father, was a native of New
York State, but her mother, who bore the
maiden name of Catharine Baker, was born in
Snyder county, Penn., and died at the age of
seventy-six years. Her parents were Peter and
Elizabeth (Wise) Baker. John Baker, the
great-grandfather of Mrs. Orwig, was a native of
Germany, but came to this country in boyhood,
landing at Philadelphia, and working out his
passage money after his arrival. He located in
Snyder county (at that time a part of Union
county), where he purchased land and erected
thereon good and substantial buildings, making
that place his home until his death, which oc
curred at an advanced age. He not only cleared
and cultivated the land, but also made most of
the furniture found in his primitive dwelling.

Mrs. Orwig is the eldest of the children, the
others being as follows: Hannah became the
wife of Samuel Markel, and lived in Bellefonte,
Centre Co., Penn., where she died in May, 1896;
Rebecca is the wife of Henry Stitzer, a farmer
of Hartley township, Union county; Sarah is the
wife of Aaron Carlyle, a tinsmith of Williamsport,
Penn. ; and Nathan is living retired in Newberry,
Pennsylvania. In 1855 our subject gave her hand in mar
riage to Emanuel Orwig, a native of Mifflinburg,
Penn., who became one of the most prominent
and highly esteemed agriculturists of Hartley
township, Union county. He was the fourth in
order of birth in a family of six children,
namely: Edward, Elviner, James, Emanuel,
Sarah, and William. At the age of fifty-
eight years, Mr. Orwig departed this life
December 21, 1890, and his remains were in
terred in Pleasant Grove cemetery, Lewis—town
ship. He was by nature liberal and public-spir
ited, and wherever he took up his abode main
tained an interest in the people around him, and
contributed to the best of his means and ability
to their improvement, socially, morally, and
financially. Mr. and Mrs. Orwig became the parents of
five children: Howard, born in February, 1857,
is married and lives near Lewisburg, in Union
county, where he is engaged in farming; Alice,
born December 14, 1859, was married to Will
iam Stahl, and died at the age of twenty-five
years; Horace is married, and lives in Hartleton,
Penn., where he is extensively engaged in the
lumber business, employing a number of hands;
Mary is the wife of Daniel Hassinger, who owns a
pleasant home in Mifflinburg, Penn. ; and Katie
is the wife of James Miller, a farmer of Buffalo
township, Union county. Mrs. Orwig, who is
held in high regard throughout the community,
is a member in good standing of the Methodist
Church.

S\AMUEL F. RUHL, a well-known citizen
_J of Swengel, is a worthy representative of
one of the prominent pioneer families of Union
county, and a son of George and Hannah (Kauff
man) Ruhl, the latter a daughter of David
Kauffman, a respected farmer of this locality.
George Ruhl was born near Manheim, in Lancas
ter county, Penn., and when ten years of age was
brought to Union county by his parents who lo
cated in Lewis township, upon a farm where his
father died in April, 1843. The father of our
subject then purchased the old homestead, on
which he continued to reside until called" to his

958

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

final rest August 7, 1878. It then became the
property of Samuel F. and his brother Henry
W., who lived thereon until the spring of 1888,
when they rented the place and retired from
active labor, in the meantime having purchased
property in the adjoining village of Swengel,
where they now make their homes.
George Ruhl, the father of our subject, was
twice married, having by the first union three
children, as follows: (1) David married and re
moved to Illinois, where he reared his family and
died at the age of fifty-eight years. He alter
nately engaged in farming and merchandising,
following the former occupation at the time of
his death. (2) Joseph died in infancy. (3)
George P. became a prominent farmer of Lewis
township, and is now living retired in Swengel,
spending his time with his children as he lost his
wife some years ago. He owns considerable
real estate in Union county.
By his second marriage the father had five
children: (1) Elizabeth became the wife of
Amos Grove, of Vicksburg, Penn., where her
death occurred. (2) Priscilla is the wife of S.
Shrack, a retired farmer of Lewisburg, Penn.
(3) Samuel F. is next in order of birth. (4)
Henry W., a resident of Swengel, married
Miss Elizabeth Maister, a daughter of John
Maister, a farmer of Lancaster county, Penn.
They have one daughter, Jennie, a beau
tiful and accomplished young lady, who com
pleted her education in the New Berlin Sem
inary, and is a prominent member of the Chris
tian Endeavor Society. (5) Sarah is the wife of
Christian Schnure, of Vicksburg, Penn., and has
two sons — Harry and Clarence.
The boyhood and youth of Samuel F. Ruhl
was spent in much the usual manner of farmers'
sons, aiding in the labors of the fields and attend
ing the local schools. On attaining to man's
estate he married Miss Barbara A. Paul, a daugh
ter of George Paul, a carpenter of Lewisburg,
Penn. The two children born of this union both
died in infancy.
In political sentiment, Mr. Ruhl is a strong
Republican, but has never cared for the honors
or emoluments of public office. He is a con
sistent and faithful member of the Lutheran
Church, and takes an active part in the work of
the Christian Endeavor Society. He is enjoying
the reward of a well-ordered life, in which he has
exerted himself to do good to those around him.

iPV\EORGE P. RUHLE, one of the retired
\£ . farmers and leading citizens of Swengel, is
a native of Union county, his birth occurring

January 2, 1827, in Lewis township. His an
cestors were originally from Germany, and his
paternal grandmother was a Miss Hochlander.
He had two brothers — David married and re
moved to Illinois, where he reared a family and
engaged in farming and merchandising at differ
ent times. He died in that State at the age of
fifty-eight years. Joseph died in childhood. Mr.
Ruhle also has two half-brothers and three half-
sisters, among whom is Samuel F. Ruhle. Among
his relatives was Philip Ruhle, an uncle, who
faithfully served his country in the war of 18 12.
The subscription schools furnished our sub
ject his educational privileges, and his business
training was received upon a farm. Possessing
considerable inventive genius, he has already
patented two articles, and is now at work on a
third invention. Industrious, energetic and pro
gressive, he met with a well-deserved success in
his farming operations, and now in his declining
years is able to lay aside business cares and en
joy the fruits of his former toil.
On reaching manhood, Mr. Ruhle married
Miss Catharine Morrison, a daughter of Thomas
Morrison, who was of English descent. She was
born in 1826, and died October 31, 1885, aged
fifty-nine years, twd months and sixteen days,
after thirty-six years of happy wedded life. Her
remains were interred in the graveyard at Ray's
church. By her marriage to our subject she be
came the mother of four children: (1) Israel,
born August 27, 1850, is a farmer residing near
Mifflinburg, Penn., and is now serving as justice
of the peace. He is married, and has two chil
dren — James and Fannie. (2) Mary, born Au
gust 10, 1852, is the wife of Andrew Harter, a
tanner, living in Illinois. (3) David M., born in
i860, married Miss Mary A. Crouse, daughter of
Daniel Crouse, a retired farmer of Lewisburg,
formerly of Snyder county, Penn. (4) Franklin,
born October 1, 1855, died February 25, 1859.
Mr. Ruhle uses his right of franchise in sup
port of the men and measures of the Republican
party, and has faithfully and capably served his
fellow citizens in the capacity of supervisor,
school director and overseer of the poor in his
township. He is held in the highest esteem and
respect by all who know him, and has the confi
dence of all with whom he comes in contact
either in business or social life.

LEVI MILLER. Few of the gallant surviv-
_j ors of the Civil war have so painful a re
minder of those days as has the subject of this
sketch, a well-known citizen of Mifflinburg,
whose sight was totally destroyed by an attack

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

959

of smallpox while in the service. Mr. Miller is
an intelligent man, one who doubtless could have
made a success in almost any line of business, and
it is gratifying to note that in 1886 he finally re
ceived from the government a pension in recog
nition of his claims upon the nation's gratitude.
The Miller family was represented in Hart
ley township, Union county, in pioneer times,
our subject's grandfather, Peter Miller, a native
of Lancaster county, Penn., settling there to en
gage in lumbering. He conducted a sawmill for
many years, and died there in his ninety-eighth
year. John Miller, the father of our subject, was
born in that township, in 1805, and, after spend
ing the greater portion of his life as a laborer in
Hartley township, died in Limestone township,
Union county, in 1872. His wife, Sarah Deck-
ard, a native of Berks county, Penn., born in
1809, died January 16, 1897. They had twelve
children, of whom, one died in infancy, the fol
lowing living to adult age: John P., who died
in July, 1896, in Northumberland county, Penn.;
Mary, Mrs. Samuel Badger; Levi, our subject;
Jacob, now living in Michigan; Isaac, a resident
of Bellefonte, Penn. ; Susannah, wife of Jacob
Wirt, of Gleniron; Catherine, Mrs. William
Shawley, now deceased; Maude, wife of Samuel
Rincard, of Missouri; Rebecca, who married
Isaac Bickhart, of New Jersey; Frank, who lives
near Pine Grove, Penn. ; and Jane, wife of Alfred
Wayland, of Chillisquaque, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Miller, oursubject, was born January 25,
1836, in Hartley township, Union county, and
grew to manhood in that locality, engaging in
business as a carpenter. During the dark days
of the Rebellion, when the North was summon
ing all her forces for a final struggle, he entered
the army, enlisting in 1864, at Petersburg, Va. ,
in Company H, 49th P. V. L, attached to the
Sixth Corps, Army of the Cumberland. He
took part in the battle of Fort Stephen, but later
contracted the dread disease through which he
lost his sight, and for some time prior to the
close of the war he was confined to a hospital.
On his return home he worked at his trade as he
could, but is now living in retirement. Politic
ally, he is an ardent supporter of Republican
principles, and he is actively interested in relig
ious work as a member of the Reformed Church.
In 1862 Mr. Miller was married at Mifflin
burg, Penn., to Miss Adaline Smink, and three
children blessed their union: Miss Lillie V.,
born March 3, 1865, is at home; Charles E., born
December 26, 1867, died April 1, 1872; and
William Oscar, born June 21, 1870, married Miss
Catherine Moore, and has one son, Raymon.

Mrs. Miller was born April 24, 1839, the
daughter of Jacob and Eva (Christ) Smink. The
father made his home in Union county for many
years, but spent some time in other parts of the
State, and his death occurred at Shamokin. His
first wife, a Miss Brown, died leaving six chil
dren: Samuel, Washington, Hiram, Josiah,
Lydia and Sarah. By his second marriage, to
Miss Christ, he had nine children: Isaac, now
residing in Shamokin; John (deceased); Daniel,
of Shamokin; Mary (Mrs. Samuel Martz), de
ceased; Jacob, of Shamokin; Elizabeth (de
ceased), who married John P. Miller, our subject's
brother; Adaline, Mrs. Miller; Reuben, who
lives in Reading, Penn.; and Matilda, widow of
Charles Martz, of Shamokin.

QW. SCHNURE, a leading farmer of Hartley
township, Union county, and an honored
veteran of the Civil war, is a native of Union
county, born June 26, 1836, a son of Christian
and Lydia (Keister) Schnure.
The family has long been identified with the
interests of this region, his paternal grandfather,
who emigrated from Germany to America during
his youth, having located in Union county at an
early day, and the birth of the father occurred in
Laurelton. The latter died in 1890, having sur
vived his wife six years, and both were laid to
rest in the Dunkard churchyard.
In the family of this worthy couple were the
following children, namely: John, who enlisted
in Company F, 184th P. V.', and served his
country with distinction until taken prisoner
while on picket duty in front of Petersburg, and
died in Andersonville prison; G. W., of this
sketch; Amelia, who married Hiram Durst, of
Centre Hall, Penn., and died in 1867; Elizabeth,
who became the wife of F. W. McCurdy, and
died, leading one daughter, Jennie, now the wife
of Wesley Fairchild, of Northumberland county,
Penn. ; Margaret, who died of diphtheria at the
age of twenty-one; Sarah, wife of Philip Durst,
who lives near Centre Hall, in Centre county,
Penn.; Christian, a resident of Vicksburg, Penn. ;
O. P., who married Anna Irvin, and lives in
Mifflinburg, Penn. ; Louisa, a resident of Hartle
ton, Penn. ; Mark, who married a Miss Ruhl, and
lives near Mifflinburg, where he follows the occu
pation of farming; and Louis, of Laurelton, Penn
sylvania. G. W. Schnure early became familiar with
agricultural pursuits upon the home farm, his
education being obtained in the district schools
of the locality. While quietly following the oc
cupation to which he had been reared the storm

960

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

of Civil war broke over our beloved country,
and in response to the call of the general govern
ment for men, Mr. Schnure enlisted March u,
1864, at the age of twenty-seven years, becoming
a member of Company E, 51st P. V. I., with
which he faithfully served until the war had ended.
He participated in the battles of the Wilderness,
Cold Harbor, Spottsylvania Court House and
many others, and was several times slightly
wounded. Being mustered out at Alexandria,
Va. , at the close of the war, he returned home
and resumed farming, meeting with excellent
success in his chosen calling. He owns a fine
farm near Laurelton, which yields bountiful har
vests for the care and labor he bestows upon it.
As a companion and helpmeet on life's jour
ney, Mr. Schnure chose Miss Sarah Kleckner,
daughter of Isaac Kleckner, of Hartley township,
Union county, who at one time conducted a hotel
at Woodward, Centre Co., Penn., and later be
came a speculator in land. Removing to Wis
consin in 1 841, he there spent his remaining
days. Mr. Schnure has been called upon to
mourn the death of his estimable wife, who
passed away in February, 1892, and was buried
in Lincoln cemetery in Hartley township, Union
county. In his political views Mr. Schn1 re is a Re
publican, and in religious belief is a Methodist.
Fraternally he is a worthy member of J. C.
Schnure Post No. 546, G. A. R. His genial,
hospitable manner has won for him a host of
warm friends, and he has the esteem and confi
dence of the entire neighborhood.

G\EORGE PETER NOLL. Prominent among
_ 1 the early settlers of Kelly township, Union
county, were the Nolls and the Meixells, the pa
ternal and maternal ancestors of the gentleman
whose name introduces this sketch, and who in
his industry, thrift and sound judgment, and pro
gressive spirit, proves himself worthy of pioneer
blood. On the paternal side the family is of German
origin, his ancestors crossing the ocean prior to
the Revolutionary war. The first to settle in
this section were our subject's grandparents, Pe
ter and Christiana (Geyer) Noll, natives of Berks
county, Penn. They located in Union county in
the wilderness, with the Indians for their neigh
bors, upon timber land purchased at $8 per acre,
and, clearing it, made a fine farm. Of their fam
ily of four children, none are now living. They
were: Daniel was a farmer in Kelly township,
Union county; Sarah married Peter Hursh, and
after a residence of fifty years in Lewisburg,

Penn., moved to Lancaster, Kans., where they
recently died; Elizabeth did not live to maturity
and John, our subject's father, is mentioned more
fully below. The mother of these children died,
and Peter Noll married a second wife, Christiana
Spotts, but no children were born of this union.
The late John Noll, the father of our subject,
was born at the old homestead of the Noll fam
ily, March 5, 1818, and lived to more than three
score years and ten, passing away on April 6,
1888. He followed the shoemaker's trade, and
was also a successful agriculturist, but for a few
years before his death he left the active work of
his estate to younger hands. His influence in
the community was marked, and he ranked
among the leading Republicans of the township,
holding various offices at times. During the war
he contributed time and means toward filling the
quota of men for his township.
On May 2, 1839, John Noll was married, in
Kelly township, to Miss Leah Meixell, a native
of Lancaster county, Penn., who was born Sep
tember 8, 1821, and died June 28, 1891, in her
seventieth year, the remains of both being in
terred in White Deer churchyard. Her father,
George Meixell, came to Union county in early
manhood, when that locality was in a primitive
condition, and he and his wife, Nancy Royer,
had to undergo the usual privations of the pio
neer farmer. George Meixell lived to the age of
seventy, and his remains now rest in the Dunk
ard cemetery in Kelly township, Union county.
His children were: Pharos, now a retired farmer
residing in Nebraska; Jeremiah, a retired farmer
of Lycoming county, Penn. ; Violetta, who mar
ried John Moyer, both now deceased; George,
deceased; Leah, our subject's mother; Martin,
formerly a farmer, now living in retirement in
East Buffalo township, Union county; Rebecca,
who married John dinger, a lumberman and
farmer in Virginia, where both died; Anna, wife
of John Ruhl, a farmer near Atchison, Kans.;
Harriet, wife of William Gann, a farmer in Ly
coming county, Penn. ; Elam, a farmer in Buf
falo township, Union county; Alpheus, who went
to the West; and John, who died at an early age.
Our subject's parents passed their lives amid
the quiet scenes of an agricultural neighborhood,
taking part in all that tended to advance the
community and identifying themselves with the
work of the Lutheran Church. They had five
children, whose names are as follows: (1) An-
geline, born March 21, 1840, was married (first)
to Philip Ruhl (deceased), and (second) to A. J.
Rishel (deceased). She died September 8,1891,
and was buried in Union cemetery. Two sons,
John G. and George C, and one daughter, Jen-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

961

nie Ruhl, survive, and are engaged in a furniture
factory at Lewisburg. (2) George Peter, born
September 11, 1842, is mentioned more fully
below. (3) William F., born February 2, 1844,
was reared upon the homestead, receiving a
common-school education, and except for seven
teen years in Northumberland county, has lived
in Union county. He owns a farm in Kelly
township, and some valuable property in the city
of Lewisburg. In politics' he is a Republican,
and he is a prominent member of the Lutheran
Church. At the age of sixteen he enlisted in the
Union army, but his parents refused to let him
go to the front. On September 16, 1879, he
was married to Miss Susan Ryan, daughter of
Benjamin Ryan, a farmer, then a resident of
Snyder county, Penn., but now of Northumber
land county. One daughter, Nora G., born Oc
tobers, 1880, is now attending the high school
at Lewisburg. (4) Levi, born June 2, 1847, is a
farmer in Kelly township, Union county, residing
on the farm which he bought in the year 1892,
known as the Adam Young farm, which makes a
pleasant home. He married Miss Mary Rother
mel, daughter of Isaac Rothermel, a shoemaker,
formerly of Berks county, Penn., but now of
Union county, and has two sons, Newton and
Hommer. (5) John C. , born April 6, 1854, is
also engaged in / agriculture in Kelly township.
He resides on the old homestead where the Noll
family was reared, which he bought some years
ago. His wife, Rebecca, is a daughter of Sam
uel Spotts, of the same township, and they have
one daughter, Laura, born in 1882.
Farm life during our subject's boyhood fur
nished many kinds of employment which, owing
to the absence of machinery, extended through
out the year. Mr. Noll remained at home until
the age of eighteen, assisting in the work and
attending the local schools, and then began work-
irig by the month for other farmers, spending
four years at this occupation. One year as a
carpenter for the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany followed, but he preferred agricultural pur
suits and returned to the old homestead, where he
was employed by the month for two years, and
also ran a threshing machine in partnership with
his brother William.
On November 26, 1868, Mr. Noll was mar
ried, at the residence of the bride's parents, to
Miss Sarah J. Leiby, who was born in Limestone
.township, Union county, March 30, 1846. Her
father, David Leiby, is a well-known citizen in
Kelly township, Union county. Mr. and Mrs.
Noll have one son, William C, born November
26, 1869, who is now his father's right-hand
man upon the farm.
61*

After his marriage, Mr. Noll rented a,farm in
Buffalo township, Union county, for three years,
and then for twenty years rented a farm which
belonged to the late Squire Cameron, of Lewis
burg. In 1 89 1 he removed to his present home
near Kelly Point, and in 1892 he purchased the
farm in that locality now conducted by his son,
formerly known as the John Kling farm. In ad
dition to his agricultural work, Mr. Noll has been
extensively engaged in dealing in stock, and by
his careful and judicious management he has ac
cumulated a fair competence.
Mr. Noll is an active member of the Farmers
Alliance at Brook Park, and is also prominent in
the Republican organization ef his locality.
While in Buffalo township he served as school
director for nine years. He is a ready friend to
any religious movement and for many years has
been a member of the Lutheran Church.

PA. BAKER, a leading business man and
farmer residing in Vicksburg, is a native of
Union county, born May 19, 1844, in' Buffalo
township, and on both the paternal and mater
nal sides belongs to old and prominent families
of Pennsylvania. Wendell Baker, who was the
first of the family to come to Union county, was
born April 2, 1730, and during the trying times
of the Revolutionary war aided the Colonies in
throwing off the yoke of British oppression. His
wife was born August 4, 1730, and died on the
8th of October, 1782. In their family were sev
eral daughters and two sons, the latter being
Jacob, the grandfather of our subject, and John.
Jacob Baker was one of the prominent and
most substantial business men and farmers of his
community, owning a large tract of land, and
also a sawmill, fulling-mill and carding-machine,
which he operated. After the death of his brother
John he purchased his property. He married Cath
arine Rockey, who was born in Lancaster county,
Penn., January 17, 1782, and died May 5, 1857.
She was the daughter of Henry and Elizabeth
Rockey, the former of whom was born in 1757,
and died in 1796, and the latter born in 1757,
died in 1807. The death of Jacob Baker oc
curred April 19, 1827, and he and his wife were
were both buried in a private cemetery in Buffalo
township, on what was known as the Wendell
Baker farm, and in which Wendell Baker was
the first interment. The grandfather's death re
sulted from illness brought on by breaking through
the ice while crossing Buffalo creek. While not
a member of any Church, he leaned toward the
Dunkard faith, and led a straightforward, honor
able life.

962

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

In the family of Jacob and Catharine (Rockey)
Baker were the following children: Elizabeth,
born June 25, 1804, married Jacob Rengler, and
died in St. Clair county, 111. ; Samuel, born Oc
tober 19, 1806, died in Buffalo township, Union
county, October 1, 1895; John, born October 2,
1808, died in the same township May 26, 1838;
Mary, born February 8, 18 12, is now the
widow of David Kelly, and lives in Buffalo town
ship; Jacob, born December 3, 181 3, died in
that township in the fall of 1855; Henry, the
father of our subject, is next in order of birth;
Catharine, born November 12, 1820, married
Peter Voneida, and died in Northumberland
county, Penn.; and William, born December 10,
1822, died in Buffalo township.
Henry Baker was born July 20, 181 7, on the
old Baker homestead, along Buffalo creek in
Buffalo township, and was there reared until
fifteen years of age when he went to live with
his brother-in-law, David Kelly, in Kelly town
ship, Union county, remaining with him six
years. On going there he was able to do a man's
work in the harvest field. Later he spent one
summer in Illihois, riding to and from that State
on horse back, and on his return trip started
with two fine horses which he had purchased,
but as one became unmanageable he sold it and
bought instead a fine sorrel mare of running
stock. •
In Buffalo township, during his early man
hood, Henry Baker was married to Miss Mary
M.__Pontius. Her father, Philip Pontius, was
born August 15, 1789, and was the eighth son of
Lieut. Henry and Catharine (Wplfe) Pontius.
The Lieutenant was a son of John Pontius who
came to America from Switzerland in the early
part of the seventeenth century, and with his
wife located in Berks county, Penn. Their son
Henry, who was born in 1744, was a Revolution
ary soldier, and in that war attained the rank of
lieutenant. Soon after the French war he came
to Buffalo Valley, but did not locate permanent
ly here until 1770, when he took up 600 acres of
land on Cedar run, and built a house that stood
for over a century, though it was greatly re
modeled. He was a noted Indian fighter, and
was one of the principal actors in the frequent
dramas brought about by the contiguity of the
Redmen and the early settlers. He married
Catharine Wolfe, by whom he had twelve
children, namely: Andrew, Frederick, Henry,
Nicholas, John, George, Peter, Philirj,.Jonathan,
Catharine, Christina, and Barbara. He died in
1822, and his widow seven years later.
Philip Pontius, the maternal grandfather of
our subject, spent his entire life in Union county.

During the war of 18 12 he was drafted, but
having several brothers in the service, and being
needed at home, he hired a substitute. In his
younger years he taught school for some time, I
and for many years was a member of the school
board, and also secretary of the board of trustees'
of the Mifflinburg Academy. He was recognized
as a valued and public-spirited citizen, and was
called upon to serve in a number of local offices,
including those of supervisor and assessor of his
township. He retained his excellent memory
until near the last of his long and honorable
career, and died in 1872, when past the age of
eighty-three. In 18 14 he had married Abigail
Thompson, who was born in 1790, and was the
daughter of Benjamin and Eleanor (Robinson)
Thompson. Nine children were born to them:
Catharine; Benjamin Thompson; Mary Matilda,
the mother of our subject; Emanuel; Samuel;
Eliza A. ; Henry P. ; Caroline, and Angeline L.
After his marriage, Henry Baker located on
his mother's farm as a tenant, remaining there
seventeen years, and then bought the John Biddle
farm near Vicksburg, where he lived for twenty
years. Removing to Vicksburg in the spring of
1885, he lived retired until his death, which oc
curred at his beautiful home in that place, Feb
ruary 24, 1890. His wife passed away in April,
1893, at the age of seventy-two, and they now
sleep side by side in the Dreisbach cemetery.
They were consistent members of the Reformed
Church, and the parents of four children: P. A.,
of this sketch; Benjamin F. , who died at the age
of fifteen; Henry K., who died of diphtheria at
the age of six years; and Laura A., now the wife
of John Everett, of Vicksburg.
Physically the father was five feet eight and
a half inches in height, and weighed about one
hundred and fifty-two pounds. On November
5, 1874, while in Lewisburg with 32 cwt. of
coal upon his wagon, he fell off the wagon in
trying to lock it and had both limbs crushed.
Only the best medical skill and attendance saved
them; by the following March he had almost en
tirely recovered their use to the surprise of every
one. In politics he was a stanch Democrat, but
took no active part in public affairs. In a Re- ]
publican township he was several times elected '
overseer of the poor, a fact which indicated his
popularity and the high regard in which he was
held. While temporarily making his home with his
maternal grandfather, P. A. Baker began his
education in the Pontius school-house, and the
knowledge that he acquired in the country
schools was supplemented by a course in the
academy at Lewisburg. On January 9, 1872, in

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

963

Vicksburg, he was married to Miss Mary J. Kleck
ner, who was born in Union county, May 16,
1844, a daughter of William and Elizabeth
(Shoemaker) Kleckner. Six children grace their
union: H. W., born October 2, 1873, is a farmer
' residing at home; Martin E., born August 17,
'1875, is assistant postmaster of Vicksburg;
Francis T. , born August 12, 1878, is attending
school; and Marion E., born April 12, 1881;
Philip E„ born December 10, 1883, and Mary
L., born June 10, 1887, are all at home.
After his marriage, our subject operated his
father's farm two years, but in 1874 purchased
the Adam Young farm at $142.50 per acre, and
there continued to live until his removal to Vicks
burg, where he owns one-half part of the old
Shoemaker farm of 127 acres, which cost him
$166 per acre, and was but poorly improved in
the way of buildings. He sold his first purchase
in 1890, but still retains the farm at Vicksburg,
which he successfully operated for a few years,
but now gives most of his time and attention to
the implement business. In 1894 he erected his
present store building, where he also conducts the
post office, being appointed postmaster on the
17th of June of that year. He has never taken
a very active part in political affairs, but always
supports the men and measures of the Demo
cratic party, and has been made election in
spector. Mr. Baker and his estimable wife are active
and prominent members of the Reformed Church,
and he has been appointed elder of the Church
newly organized in Vicksburg. The Sunday-
school has also found in him an able champion,
and he fitted up the building in Vicksburg, where
the first Sunday-school was held. A public-
spirited, enterprising man, he is always ready and
willing to aid any measure for the interest or
benefit of the community, and one time was a
, , member of the Grange.

TTIOMAS WILSON, formerly a leading agri
culturist of Kelly township, Union county,
is now a resident of the charming little city of
Lewisburg, where he and his family are promi
nently identified with the most cultured social
circles. He is a representative of a well-known
family, and his estimable wife belongs to the
Geddes family, whose name has been held in
honor in this State from an early day.
On the paternal side the first ancestor —
..Scotch-Irish in descent — of whom there is a
definite record, is James Wilson, who, when
seven years old, came from Ireland with his par
ents, and settled in Derry township, Union coun

ty. He married (first) Martha Sterritt, and
(second) Ann Sterritt, who died January 15,
1789, his death occurring in September, 1793.
By the second union there were nine children,
of whom the eldest was a son, William, the
grandfather of our subject. He was born June
14, 1743, and died April 9, 1824. His wife,
Elizabeth Robinson, to whom he was married
October 24, 1773, was born in 1758, and died in
1 8 1 5. Of their thirteen children, our subject's
father, Samuel Wilson, was the ninth in order
of birth. He was born April 9, 1790, and died
January 16, 1843, and was during his lifetime a
prosperous agriculturist of Kelly township, Union
county, and a well-known Democrat. On De
cember 12, 1 8 16, he married Miss Elizabeth
Nevius, who was born October 4, 1796, and died
August 9, 185 1. They were both members of
the Methodist Church, and were highly esteemed
for their excellent qualities of character. Their
children's names with dates of birth are as fol
lows: Mary, March 22, 1817, who married
William Frick, and died in Chester, Penn., Feb
ruary 25, 1889; Elizabeth, January 29, 18 19
died September 25, 1823; Sarah Ann, July 26
1821, died October 12, 1823; William, April 15
1825, died July 9, 1896; Lucretia, January 12
1827, married James L. Norton, and resides in
Winona, Minn.; Lutetia, January 12, 1827
Thomas, our subject, August 21, 1828; Samuel,
February 28, 183 1, was a colonel in the Union
army during the Rebellion, and is now living in
Williamsport; Eliza, February 3, 1833, has
never married; John M., September 27, 1834, re
sides in Chester, Penn.; James, October 12,
1836, died March 25, 1838; Nancy Maria, De
cember 2, 1838, resides with her sister in Minne
sota; George Potter, January 19, 1840, is an at
torney in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
For many years Thomas Wilson resided in
Kelly township, Union county, where his birth oc
curred nearly seventy years ago. His wife, form
erly Miss Mary Elizabeth Geddes, was born July 4,
1837. Of nine children, three are living: (i)
James Geddes, born February 2, i860, died July
18, 1888. (2) William F., born October 17,
1 861, married Miss Bertha Rank, of Minnesota,
and has four children— Glenn W., Paul, Thomas,
and Carlyle. (3) Harry Norton, born December
6, 1863, died December 23, 1881. (4) George
Matthew, born January 20, 1867, died March 6,
1 88 1. (5) Paul G., born November 20, 1869,
died February 15, 1886. (6) Thomas S., born
March 21, 1871, married Miss Maude Wheelock,
of St. Charles, Minn., and has one son, Alonzo.
(7) Mary Elizabeth, born March 19, 1873, hav
ing graduated from Bucknell Institute, is now

964

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

pursuing a post-graduate course at the University
of Michigan. (8) Carrie G., born November 30,
1875, died August 30, 1886. (9) J. Earl, born
April 25, 1881, died April 2, 1893.
The Geddes family is of Scotch origin, and
traces its descent from Paul Geddes, who was
born between 1660-70, in Scotland, and died
there between 1720-30. He married a widow,
Mrs. McElroy, and, according to family history,
had one son, James, born in 1704. If there
were other children, there is now no record of
them. James Geddes married Margaret Muir, a
native of Scotland, and seems to have lived for
a time in Ireland, their youngest son, Samuel,
having been born there. About 1752 James
Geddes came with his wife and three sons to
America, and settled permanently in what is now
Dauphin county, Penn., where his death occurred
at the age of sixty. His widow lived to eighty-
four years of age, and passed away in 1783. Of
the three children who grew to maturity, Paul,
born in 1732, died May 25, 1814; William, born
in 1735, died in 1789; and Samuel, born in 1739,
died in 1788.
Samuel Geddes, the great-grandfather of Mrs.
Wilson, left four children, whose names, with
dates of birth and death, are here given: Sam
uel, February 26, 1775, August 23, 1848; James,
August 5, 1781, March 22, 1867; William, Sep
tember 10, 1789, October 28, 1836; Margaret,
June 11, 1785, May 6, 1862. James Geddes,
Mrs. Wilson's grandfather, was married Febru
ary 12, 1807, to his cousin, Mary Geddes, and
resided all his life in Lewisburg, Penn. He was
a man of marked character and absolute integ
rity, and for more than forty years he was annu
ally elected treasurer of a corporation of which
he was a member, an evidence of the unlimited
confidence of his associates. He and his wife
were both members of the Presbyterian Church,
and were greatly esteemed by a large circle of
friends. They had three children: Paul, Mar
garet and James:
Paul Geddes (father of Mrs. Wilson) was born
August 11, 1 8 10; he married Henrietta Fred
rick, February 21, 1832. He accompanied Gen
eral Fremont across the Plains to California, and
spent a number of years in that State during its
pioneer days. His life was full of romance and
adventure, which, if accurately recorded, would
make a volume of exciting interest, but he never
revealed the story, and posterity has thus lost
much valuable history. He died July 2, 1889,
at Lewisburg, Penn., where he was born and
where he spent the latter part of his life, enjoy
ing the confidence and respect of all who knew
him. His wife, Henrietta, was born October 25,

1812, and died September 13, 1893. They had
four children, of whom Mrs. Wilson was the
youngest. The others were: James F., born
December 24, 1832, died December 12, 1840;
Harriet Jenkins, born April 24, 1835, died April
7, 1855; and William Cameron, born July 23,
1839, died July 10, 1890.

JOSEPH D. WINTERS, a prominent mer
chant of New Berlin, Union county, is a fine'
type of business man, and while he had not
the extremes of poverty in early life which some
have had to overcome, he has worked his own
way up from the foot of the ladder. He has
unbounded energy and pluck, balanced by excel
lent judgment, and his jovial, hearty manners
have won him a host of friends, his good humor
seeming to possess a contagious quality which
places all around him on pleasant terms. His
225 pqunds avoirdupois is no barrier to an inces
sant activity, notwithstanding the commonly ac
cepted theories to the contrary, and if anyone
doubts it his personal history will prove that he
has been no laggard in life's battle. Mr. Win
ter's ancestors settled in Pennsylvania at a very
early period, and his grandfather, Daniel Win
ters, was born January '18, 1776, in Lancaster
county, where he grew to manhood, learning in
his youth the carpenter's trade. When a young
man he was married in his native country to Miss
Phoebe Sailer, who was born June 18, 1775. A
few years after his marriage he moved to New
Berlin, where he followed his trade and also at
times acted as auctioneer and town-crier. He
and his wife were both devout Church members,
and were held in high, esteem by all who knew
them. He died January 5, 1837, and his wife
on March 26, 1861, their remains being interred
in the Union Cemetery at New Berlin. His
mother accompanied him from the old home in
Lancaster county, and her last days were spent
at New Berlin. Daniel and Phoebe Winters
reared a family of eight children, of whom our
subject's father was the youngest; Christian
died at Muncy, Penn.; Joseph at New Berlin;
John in Maryland; Daniel, Jr., and Samuel in
Centre county, Penn. ; Elizabeth, widow of Henry
Mussina, resides at Mt. Carmel, Penn. ; and
Jacob lives in New Berlin.
The late Benjamin Sailer Winters, the father
of our subject, was born August 15, 1817, in
New Berlin, and although his parents were poor,
he secured a good education, his skill in pen
manship being especially worthy of note. For
four years he was engaged in teaching, but wages

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

965

in this calling were at that time too meagre to re
tain men of ability, and Mr. Winters soon found a
more promising opening in mercantile life. Dur
ing his boyhood he had spent some of his lei
sure time clerking for John M. Benfer, of New
Berlin, and later he was employed by a merchant
at Aaronsburg, Penn., and by John D. Bogar
and others of New Berlin. With this expe
rience he ventured into business for himself, at
his native place as a member of the firm of Bo
gar & Winters, later Rathfon & Winters, and
finally Schoch & Winters. For fifty years he
continued this business and then, on March 27,
1886, he retired, although in excellent health.
An acquaintance then remarked that he had
weighed and measured more goods than any man
in New Berlin. He retained much of the vivac
ity which marked his youth, and the weight of
years seemed to have no effect upon his mental
faculties. He was always genial in manner and
witty in conversation, and throughout the large-
circle of acquaintances which his extensive busi
ness brought him he was held in high esteem,
his excellent habits and honest methods com
manding the respect of all classes, while on his
part he was never known to desert a friend. If
he had an enemy he never knew it, for he was
himself incapable of holding an unforgiving at
titude toward anyone. He was five feet eight
inches in height, and weighed 163 pounds, and
wore a full beard, fourteen inches long. His
constitution was unusually strong, and his first
serious illness came with a stroke of paralysis on
August 15, 1892, which resulted in his death Jan
uary 24, 1894. As a citizen he was always
ready to forward any worthy movement, and if
necessary he did not hesitate to lead one, his
interest in local progress being shown in many
ways. For many years he was a consistent
member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, in
which he held various offices, and he also filled
creditably positions of trust in civil life, serving
as burgess, councilman and school director. His
first vote was cast for William H. Harrison, and
he remained a Whig until the formation of the
Republican party, of which he became a stead
fast supporter. In the words of a friend, " One
always knew where Ben Winters stood " in State
or National issues.
When about twenty-five years old he was
united in marriage with Miss Susannah Schoch,
a native of New Berlin and a member of one of
its best families. She was born in 1827, the
daughter of Sem and Es^r^Hne) Schoch, and
her death occurred April 30, 1891. Our subject
was the youngest child and only son of this esti
mable couple. Miss Jennie E. Winters now re

sides in Philadelphia, and Anna E. married Jere
miah Maize, of New Berlin.
Joseph D. Winters first saw the light October
19, 1859, and has always made his home at
New Berlin. He attended the public schools
for a time, Miss Kate Mouck being his first
teacher, and later took a course in the Union
Seminary (now C. P. C). On leaving school
in the spring of 1876 he began to turn his atten
tion to the problem of self support to which 'he
had already began to attach importance, as he
had from the age of fourteen bought his own
clothes from the proceeds of the sale of news
papers. In this business he was a pioneer in his
town, being the first boy to sell papers on the
street. On October 10, 1876, he entered his
father's store as a clerk, remaining until 1886,
when he was employed by M. L. Schoch in a
similar capacity at a salary of $45 per month.
This position he held until April 19, 1892, and
on August 8 of that year he became a traveling
salesman for the Hooven Mercantile Co., of
New York, his task being to introduce their
goods into Union, Perry, Centre, Snyder, Mifflin,
and Juniata counties, where they had not been
represented up to that time. He was taken for
a month on trial, and so successful was he that he
was retained at an increased salary. As business
grew his salary was again enlarged, and he now
enjoys a large trade and a correspondingly satis
factory income. On April 1, 1887, he bought a
lot at New Berlin with an eye to erecting a resi
dence and store building, and in 1893 this plan
was carried out, his present store being opened
March 10, 1894. When he began this venture
he inaugurated the cash system, then entirely
new in that town, and despite predictions of fail
ure he has demonstrated that business may be suc
cessfully conducted on this basis even in the face
of one hundred years of contrary practice. The
fact that his large custom has been built up in
competition with old and well established firms
reflects great credit upon him. While still re
taining his position with the New York firm he is
always to be found in his store when not ' ' out on
the road," and his success so far indicates that in
due time he will be the leading merchant in his
locality. Mr. Winters was first married to Miss Margar
et Moyer, a native of East Buffalo township,
Union county, born April 6, i860, the daughter
of Samuel and Margaret (Brown) Moyer. She
passed to the unseen life April 6, 1891, and on
March 1 5', 1 894, he formed a second union with
Miss Carrie M. Derr, who was born May 18,
1870, near Paxtonville, Penn., the daughter of
Calvin L. and Lydia (Moyer) Derr. By the first

966

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

marriage he has one son, Wainwright M., born
June 25, 1880, who is now a clerk in the store.
There are two children by the second marriage,
Deloma D., born August 25, 1894, and Rowena
Schoch, born March 22, 1897. Mr. Winters'
home is a pleasant one, supplied after his own
ideas with all modern conveniences. His family
is well known in social life, and he is a leading
member of the Lutheran Church, serving as dea
con at one time, and always taking an active part
in the Sunday-school, of which he is at pres
ent the secretary. He also belongs to the I. O.
O. F., of New Berlin. In politics he is a stanch
Republican so far as National or State policy is
concerned, but in borough or county elections he
chooses the "best man."

JOHN A. BEARD, an able and successful at
torney of Mifflinburg, is a young man who
has won recognition in his profession in an
unusually brief time. He was born June 30,
1 86 1, in Berks county, Penn., where his family,
which is of German origin, has been prominent
since pioneer times. Henry Beard, his grand
father, passed the ninety years of his life there,
he and his wife, who was a Miss Warren, a
granddaughter of General Warren, of Bunker
Hill fame, rearing a family of four children —
Augustus W. ; Elizabeth; Amos H., now living in
Reading, Penn. ; and Catherine.
Augustus W. Beard, our subject's father, was
born October 19, 1830, and also made his per
manent home in Berks county, engaging for
some time in early manhood in school teaching,
and later in mercantile business in Philadelphia,
Penn. For many years previous to his death in
September 13, 1876, he was identified with the
Reformed Church, and held a place among the
leading men of his community. His wife,
Amanda Louise Bechtel, was born in Berks
county, September 18, 1837, and died April 16,
1889. Her father, John A. Bechtel, was a na
tive of Philadelphia, and resided there during the
greater portion of his life, his death occurring at
Newport, Penn. , at the age of seventy-six. He
married a Miss Seidel, who died when but little
over twenty years old, leaving three children —
Henry H., of Cincinnati, Ohio; Mrs. Mary M.
Gast, of Mifflinburg, Penn. ; and Mrs. Beard. Of
the six children of Augustus and Amanda Beard
three died in infancy. Three sons survive —
Horace, superintendent of the Newport tannery
at Newport, Penn.; Harry B., who superintends
a similar establishment at New Decatur, Ala. ;
and John A., of this sketch.
During his boyhood, Mr. Beard received ex

cellent educational advantages, attending school
for a time in Philadelphia, and from 1876 to
1880 he pursued higher branches of study at
Mifflinburg. He then began to read law under
the direction of Horace P. Glover of that city,
in December, 1882, was admitted to the Bar, and
at once opened an office for independent prac
tice. In this he has been very successful, hav
ing acquired an extensive general practice, in
connection with which he does special work in
collections. On November 1, 1894, Mr. Beard was mar
ried to Miss Minerva J. Pellman, a native of
Limestone township, Union county, born Feb
ruary 23, i860. They are prominent in the
best social circles of Mifflinburg, and Mr. Beard
is a member of the Reformed Church, and of
the Masonic fraternity. In politics he is a Re
publican.

m MOS GROFF, a well-known resident of
JP^L Vicksburg, is one of the principal land
holders of that locality, his possessions including
four farms of one hundred acres each, with other
tracts, amounting in all to about six hundred
acres. One of his estates has especially inter
esting associations, being the original homestead
of the Groff family in Unioncounty. The Groffs
came from Germany at a very early day, and the
family is now numerously represented in this
section, but the name is commonly spelled Grove.
Our subject is now about the only one in Union
county who retains the old form. For several
generations his ancestors have followed agri
cultural pursuits, his great-grandfather, Adam
Groff, residing in Pennsylvania. The first of the
family to acquire land in Union county was
Abraham Groff, Jr., our subject's grandfather,
who bought a tract in Buffalo township, near
Mifflinburg, about 1828, which he gave to his
eldest son, Adam. In 1831 Abraham Groff, Jr.,
and his wife, Nancy Graybill, came to the county
and settled in Kelly township, where he died at
the age of seventy-one, and his wife at sixty-one
years of age. They had twelve children, none
of whom are now living, three dying in infancy.
Adam is mentioned below; Abram died in Kelly
township; Lavina, Mrs. John Leiser, died in
1856 in Northumberland county; Nancy never
married; Catherine, Mrs. William Leinbach,
died in Northumberland county; David and John
in Kelly township, Union county; Lucy, Mrs.
Peter Guyer, in Buffalo township; and Martha,
Mrs. John Leinbach, in Northumberland county.
Adam Groff, our subject's father, was born
December 21, 1802, in Earl township, Lancaster

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

967

county, Penn., and was married in 1828 to Miss
Leah Miller, who was born in the same county
October 22, 1807, the daughter of John and
Magdalena (Groff) Miller. After his marriage
Adam Groff located at once upon the farm near
Mifflinburg, being the first of the family to take
up his residence in the county. He was a suc
cessful farmer, and though somewhat below the
average height was capable of much hard work.
In his business dealings he was noted for scrupu
lous fulfillment of obligations, and his excellent
qualities gained him the respect of all who knew
him. Although not especially fond of political
office, he served one term as supervisor of Buffalo
township, and was an unwavering supporter of
the principles of the Republican party. He and
his wife were both members of the Reformed
Church. His death occurred March 6, 1878,
and she survived him until December 23, 1893,
when she breathed her last, the remains of both
being interred in Dreisbach cemetery. Of their
two children, oursubject was the only one to live
to adult age, the elder son, Graybill, dying when
three years old.
Mr. Groff first saw the light April 1, 1832, at
the old homestead, and his life during boyhood
was that of the average country boy of that day,
farm work requiring much more time then than
now. He attended the " Pontius school " in his
district, and might have had better opportunities
when he completed the course of study there,
but he declined his parents' offer to send him
elsewhere. Practical training in all kinds, the
details of farm work management prepared him
for his successful career, while by precept and
example his father and mother impressed upon
him the value of honesty and uprightness, and
all the sterling qualities of character which go to
make up good citizenship. On December 24,
1854, he was married in Hartley township, Union
county, to Miss Elizabeth Ruhl, who was born
November 30, 1831, the daughter of George
Ruhl, a well-to-do farmer of that township, and
his wife, Hannah Kauffman. Mr. Groff con
tinued to reside at the homestead until March,
1893, whenhe removed to Vicksburg, his widowed
mother accompanying him. Her death was
followed on March 27, 1895, by that of his
estimable wife, who was buried at Dreisbach
church. Although Mr. Groff does not work as
actively as of yore, he still oversees his extensive
property. As a manager he has shown unusual
sagacity, his fine inheritance having been increased
largely, and while he has at times met with seri
ous losses he has never been overwhelmed by
them. Asking only his dues, he concedes the
same right to others, and many worthy move

ments have been assisted by him. In manner he
is quiet and unassuming, but his conversation is
of rare interest owing to a keen memory which
keeps all the observations of past years at ready
command. He is a leading member of the Re
formed Church, and is active in local politics,
his advocacy of Republican doctrines being as
constant and effective as was that of his honored
father. He has never sought office, however, his
business requiring his entire time and attention.

JONATHAN SANDERS. The old homestead
of the Sanders family in Union county is
beautiful for situation, lying along the bank
of Penn's creek, just below the Bridge at Cen-
terville. It has been in the possession of some
member of the family ever since September 26,
1796, when Henry Sanders, Sr., the grandfather
of the well-known citizen whose name opens this
sketch, came from Cocalico township, Lancaster
county, Penn., to make his home in this section.
He was a blacksmith by trade, and prominent
among the early settlers. His death occurred
February 17, 1850, at the age of eighty-two
years. His wife in her maidenhood was Eva
Franz, and they reared a family of eight children,
among whom were four sons, viz. : Henry, Jr. ,
our subject's father; David, who removed to
western Pennsylvania, and died there in 1878;
John, who died in Snyder county in 1876; and
and Jacob, who located in Sandusky, Ohio.
Henry Sanders, Jr., was born in 1795 in Lan
caster county, and was a mere child when he was
brought to the present homestead, where he grew
to manhood, with the training common to the
time and locality. Choosing farming as an occu
pation, he made his first venture on a farm be
longing to his father, in Hartley township, Union
county. While there he married Miss Catherine
Kauffman, a native of the township, and in 1826
he removed to his father's farm near Centerville
and made his permanent home. He was a good
manager, and, without doing .as much manual
labor as some, he succeeded admirably, his boys
being allowed to do the greater part of the active
work as they grew old enough. In local affairs
he was influential, and he occasionally held office,
serving at one time as supervisor of what is now
Limestone township, Union county. In 1844 he
was elected county commissioner, the wages
then being $1.25 per day. Politically he was
first a Whig and later a Republican. He died
January 11, T870, and his wife, who was a de
vout member of the Lutheran Church, passed
away February 16, 1877, at the age of seventy-
seven, the remains of both being interred in the

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

cemetery at Centerville. Their children were:
Henry K. , a retired farmer residing at Center
ville; Jacob, a resident of New Berlin, Penn.;
Joseph, a farmer who died in Mifflinburg March
4, 1896; Jonathan, oursubject; Sarah, who died
at the age of eighteen years; Margaret, widow of
Daniel Reber, of New Berlin; and Anna C. ,
widow of Col. Edward Smith, of .the same city.
Our subject's birth occurred at the old home
stead September 23, 1836, and he received his
early education in a school house which stood
upon the same estate, his first teacher being
Miss Matilda Weirick. His instruction was con
fined almost exclusively to reading, writing and
arithmetic, but the study of grammar was added
during one winter term. At sixteen he left
school to take charge of a team for hauling wood,
coal and lime. There was plenty of work to do
at home, and, being the youngest son, he was
kept busily employed after the elder boys mar
ried and left the farm. On December 24, 1863,
he was married in New Berlin to Miss Harriet
Walter, who was born April 16, 1846, in the
same township, the, daughter of Abraham and
Christiana (Eyer) Walter. She had also been
reared to farm life with the usual educational
privileges of the time, and has been an unfailing
helper in all his enterprises. The young couple
located at the homestead, Mr. Sanders working
the farm on shares, and, after his father's death
in 1870, he purchased the place, paying sixty
dollars per acre, and going in debt to some ex
tent. The estate has been greatly improved
since, the barn and residence having been re
modeled, and all the other buildings replaced
with new. The same faculty for management
for which his father was so noted is prominent
in his work, and he ranks among the most suc
cessful agriculturists of the locality. In addition
to the homestead, he owns 170 acres of farming
and timber land in Snyder county, and a pleas
ant home in New Berlin.. In 1881 he had the
misfortune to be kicked by a horse, and he has
never fully recovered from the injury. Since
that time he has done no manual labor, and in
1886 he removed to New Berlin. The attrac
tions of the old home, where his entire life had
been spent, were too strong for him to be con
tented anywhere else, and in 1891 he returned
to the farm, where he has remained in a happy
and peaceful retirement. With plenty of this
world's goods, he takes life philosophically, satis
fied that he has done his duty in his appointed
sphere. His three daughters, who were edu
cated in New Berlin, have all married well: (1)
Emma J., is the wife of Harvey Moyer, of Sny
der county, and has had five children — Lester,

Torrence C. , Harriet, Martha and Henry J., all of
whom are living, except Martha. (2) Elva C.
married Prof. G. Holzapfel, of Cleona, Penn.,
proprietor of a monthly magazine known as the
"Pulpit", and editor of two others, "The
Preacher's Helper" and " The Teacher's Aid. "
They have two children, Nellie Ruth and Cora
Grace. (3) Cora Belle married Charles 0.
Smith, a graduate of the Philadelphia College of
Pharmacy, now residing in Washington, Dis
trict of Columbia.
Mr. Sanders is a Republican, but has never
gone into political life, although he has at times
held office as township auditor and inspector of
elections. He and his wife are leading members
of the Lutheran Church, in which he has served
as elder.

DAVID REBER (deceased), whose name will
long be remembered among those of the
financial leaders of this section, was identified for
nearly forty years with the Lewisburg National
Bank as cashier. His unwavering devotion to
the duties of this responsible post, together with
his natural qualifications, gained him the un
bounded confidence of all whose interests were
entrusted to his hands, while as a citizen he was
held in the highest esteem throughout the com
munity. His broad sympathies included all
phases of effort, and he was prominent in relig
ious and philanthropic work as a member of the
Presbyterian Church. While he was never a
politician, he took a keen interest in the ques
tions of the day, and was a stanch believer in
the policy of the Republican party. Mr. Reber's
family became identified with Buffalo Valley at
an early day, and he was born at the old home
stead in Union county, June 19, 1817. His
father, the late John Reber, followed agricult
ural pursuits for many years; but his last days
were spent in retirement at Lewisburg. Of his
sons, only one, Thomas Reber, of Lewisburg, is
now living.
On January 7, 1840, David Reber was mar
ried in Kelly township, Union county, to Miss
Margaret Musser, who was born December 11,
1 8 17, and they then settled in Lewisburg, in the
pleasant home where they spent more than half
a century of mutual happiness. On September
1 1 , 1 894, Mr. Reber passed from earth, his de
voted life companion surviving him until June
14, 1897, when she, too, was called to the life be
yond, at the time of her death being one of the
oldest residents of Lewisburg. Their two sons
are well settled in life: (1) William McClellan,
born March 4, 1842, resides in Bloomsburg, ,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

969

Penn. He married Elizabeth R. McKinney, of
that city, and has two children — Edith McKin
ney and William McKelvy. (2) John Musser,
born September 24, 1845, is a resident of Bos
ton, Mass. He married Miss Ferry, and has two
sons — Jack and William.
Mrs. Margaret Reber was a member of the
Presbyterian Church, and in former days was a
leader in its activities. Her father, John Musser,
was a native of Lancaster county, Penn., of
which locality her grandfather Musser was an
early settler. John Musser came to Union coun
ty and located upon a farm in Kelly township,
where he died at the age of forty. He was a
man of unusual enterprise and business acumen,
and successfully conducted a distillery for some
years. His wife, Sarah (McClellan), was born in
Mifflin county, the daughter of the well-known
pioneer, Hugh McClellan. She survived her
husband forty-two years, remaining faithful to
his memory, her death occurring when she was
eighty years and two months old. Her children
were: Robert (deceased); Margaret (Mrs. Reber);
Joseph; William, a physician at Muncy, Penn.;
John, who met a soldier's death at the battle of
the Wilderness while serving as lieutenant-
colonel of a Pennsylvania regiment; and James
W., who died in California in May, 1897.

f FREDERICK REAGEL, a worthy and
_ ' honored representative of the early pioneers of
Central Pennsylvania, is a true type of the ener
getic, hardy and courageous men, who actively
assisted in the development of Unioncounty. He
was born October 24, 1821, four miles and a half
west of Centreville, in what is now Snyder county,
but was then a part of Union county, and is a son
of John and Catharine (Bingaman) Reagel. The
father, who was one of a large family, was born
in Berks county, Penn. , but when a young man
located in Snyder county, where his marriage was
celebrated. Learning the tanner's trade under
Jacob Moyer in Moser's Valley, he followed that
occupation for many years, but later turned his
attention to farming. He lived to be about
seventy-two years of age, and his remains were
interred in the Hossinger Church cemetery, in
Snyder county, and his wife, who died at the
home of our subject in Buffalo township, Union
county, a*t the age of eighty-eight, was also
buried there. He was identified with the Demo
cratic party, and both held membership in the
Reformed Church.
Frederick Reagel was the oldest son and
second in order of birth in the family of fourteen
children, seven sons and seven daughters. The

family being large, and the parents poor, the
boys early began earning their own livelihood, and
therefore our subjects educational advantages
were limited to three months' attendance at a
German school. At the age of fourteen he
started out in life for himself, and for four years
his wages went toward the support of the family.
Under the direction of Samuel L. Noll, he then
began learning the carpenter's trade, which he
successfully followed for forty years. As a con
tractor he erected many of the best houses and
barns in his locality, and he also worked at the
cabinet maker's trade, manufacturing much of his
own furniture.
On December 16, 1845, in Middleburg, Snyder
county, Mr. Reagel was united in marriage with
Mary A. Wyle, who was born April 2, 1826, near
Fogelsville, in Lehigh county, Penn., and is a
daughter of Jacob and Mary A. (Harman) Wyle.
The former, who was born in Montgomery
county, Penn., was a son of Peter Wyle. The
birth of the mother occurred in Germany, but
when an infant She was brought to the United
States by her parents, John Harmon and wife.
Jacob Wyle, a stone mason by trade, came to
Union county, where he and his wife spent their
remaining days, the former dying at the age of
forty-seven and the latter at the age of seventy-
five. In their family were thirteen children, five
sons and eight daughters, of whom Mrs. Reagel
is the fourth daughter and sixth child. She re
mained at the old home in Lehigh county until
twelve years of age when she began earning her
own living, and her education was also in the
German language.
Upon his marriage Mr. Reagel rented a small
place in East Buffalo township, Union county,
which was very sparsely furnished, having only the
mere necessities. Later he rented a small farm
in Buffalo township, of David Gleck, for two
years, and in March, 1850, removed to his pres
ent place, which he rented of George Frederick
for three years, and then purchased. For the
twenty-seven acres he paid $65 per acre, going
in debt for $1,450, but he has lived to see the
place cleared of all encumbrance, and with his
own hands he has erected every building upon
the place, and set out every fruit tree with the
exception of one sour cherry tree. In 1884 he
abandoned carpentering, and has since given his
entire time to the cultivation of his farm.
To Mr. and Mrs. Reagel were born a family
of eight children, as follows: Saloma H., bora
September 27, 1846, married John Curus, and
died in Selins Grove, Penn. ; Lydia A. , born July
9, 1848, first married Jonathan Miller, and since
his death has become the wife of John Irwin, of

970

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Kelly township, Union county; Elizabeth, born
July 2, 1850, died May 22, 1858; Wesley B.,
born May 26, 1852, is a harness maker of Chi
cago, 111.; Mary A., born September 22, 1854,
is the wife of Samuel Schnure, of Montour coun
ty, Penn.; Ausben W., born April 13, 1856, is a
druggist of Waverly, 111.; Alice C, born March
13, 1859, is at home; andMinerva, born May 12,
1866, is the wife of Charles Noll, of Buffalo town
ship, Union county.
Mr. Reagel is still quite active and well pre
served, having never been ill but once in his life,
when in 1855 he had typhoid fever. Honest,
industrious and persevering, he and his wife have
secured a comfortable competence, and their
genial, hospitable manners have gained them a
host of warm friends. Earnest, consistent Chris
tians, they are faithful members of the Dreisbach
Church, in which Mr. Reagel has served as dea
con. On December 16, 1895, they celebrated
their golden wedding. In his political views Mr.
Reagel was first a Whig and later a Republican,
and has served his fellow citizens in the capacity
of overseer of the poor in Buffalo township.

C\HARLES A. BOGAR, a general merchant
'1 and substantial citizen of Mifflinburg, Union
county, is a native of Pennsylvania, having been
born January 25, i860, at Mifflinburg.
William Bogar, father of our subject, whose
parents were Paul and Mary (Mahoghy) Bogar,
was born April 24, 1824, in Sunbury, Penn., and
died March 25, 1889. When in his teens he was
apprenticed to W. B. Thompson, late of Mifflin
burg, with whom he learned cabinet-making.
Later, his father having died and his mother re
marrying, he went to Middleburg, Penn., where
he clerked in the store of his stepfather. Judge
Wittenmyer. Subsequently he went to Virginia
on a prospecting tour, remaining six months,
when he returned to Middleburg and again en
gaged as clerk in the store of his stepfather.
Later he went to Centreville, Penn., and there
was employed by his brother,' Daniel, in a
mercantile business, which he afterward bought
and successfully conducted for a number of years.
On June 21, 1852, he was married to Miss Sabra
Bibighaus, daughter of Dr. John Bibighaus, and
two children were born of this union, namely:
John, who died at the age of four years; and
Charles A., whose name introduces this sketch.
The family located in Mifflinburg about the year
1855, where William Bogar lived almost contin
uously until the time of his death, and where his
widow still resides with her son, Charles A.
William Bogar was a merchant throughout his

life. He was a prudent, industrious and eco
nomical man, and left to his widow and son a com
fortable competence. He served many years as
overseer of the poor, and made an efficient officer.
For some years just prior to his death, he had
been a terrible yet patient sufferer. For his good
traits, genial and social disposition he will ever
be fondly remembered.
Charles A. Bogar received his education in
the common schools, and ever since he has been
tall enough to chin a counter, he has known no
special business outside of the mercantile; and
if there is any detail in this line unfamiliar to him
it would be difficult to mention it. For the past
quarter of a century he has sold goods at his pres
ent location. He was first a clerk for his father,
but two years prior to his father's death, in 1889,
he assumed control of the business, and at that
time became proprietor. Few indeed are the
needs found in any store that cannot be supplied
in this, which is well stocked in general merchan
dise. His specialties are boots and shoes, and
glass and queensware; and to the latter, includ
ing crockery, his second story is given exclusively.
As a kind of side issue Mr. Bogar has established
a successful livery business. He is a director
and shareholder in the Farmers' Bank of Mifflin
burg. In 1888 he was married to Miss Annie C.
Leaman, and two children were born to the union,
namely: Sabra Leaman, and one that died in
infancy. Mr. Bogar and wife are members of
the German Reformed Church. The name of
Charlie Bogar is a familiar one, his acquaint
ances are numerous and his friends many. In
his business dealings he is gentlemanly, prompt
and correct.

TSS KATIE E. BRAUCHER, a popular,
^L accomplished and refined young lady re
siding near Millmont, in Lewis township, Union
county, owns a fine farm inherited from her fa
ther, John Braucher, a prominent and wealthy
agriculturist, who died July 12, 1892, leaving his
wife and three children amply provided for. Our
subject obtained her excellent education in the
Missionary Institute, now the Susquehanna Uni
versity, and her sunny, genial manner has gained
for her a host of warm friends throughout the
community. John Braucher, who was of German extrac
tion, was one of a family of seven children, who
in order of birth are as follows: Elizabeth,
Mary, Sarah, Abbie, John, David and Samuel.
On reaching manhood he married Miss Elmira
Garrett, daughter of Michael Garrett, who was
of French origin, and spent his entire life in

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

971

Union county. In the Garrett family were six
children, the others being Sarah, wife of August
us Gilbert, of Mifflinburg, Penn. ; Jonathan and
Caroline, who both died in infancy; James, who
was taken prisoner by the Confederates while
serving in the Civil war, and died in Anderson-
ville prison; and Franklin, who was married and
died in Huron, Ohio, in March, 1885.
To Mr. and Mrs. Braucher were born three
children, namely: (1) Charles L. , born in 1864,
in Lewis township, Union county, married Miss
Sarah Voneida, daughter of Solomon Voneida, a
miller residing in Laurelton, Penn., and they
have three children — Nellie, John and Bessie.
(2) Elmer S., also a native of Union county,
married Miss Ina Coleman, daughter of John
Coleman, and three .children grace their union —
Mable C, Maud B. and Ellen C. (3) Katie E.
completes the family, whose members all hold
membership in the Lutheran Church, and have
the respect of all who know them. The father,
who was one of the distinguished and leading
citizens of Lewis township, was laid to rest in the
Hartleton cemetery.

JOHN E. MORGAN (deceased). In a beau
tiful home overlooking the city of Lewisburg
the venerable subject of this sketch passed
the afternoon of an honored and useful life. Born
April 1, 1813, he to the last was hale and hearty,
and gave personal attention to his extensive real-
estate holdings, while keeping pace also with the
current of thought upon all subjects of interest
to cultivated minds. In this connection we may
mention that he was a lifelong abstainer from
tobacco, a fact which conveys its own moral.
Mr. Morgan's ancestors were pioneers in this
State, and his home abounded in relics of past
generations. Among them is a Bible printed in
the Welsh language in 1813. Another heirloom
is a handsome mahogany arm chair, in which
Charles Thomson, permanent secretary of the
Colonial Congress, sat while signing many im
portant documents. This was given by the old
patriot to Mrs. Margaretta Elliott, at whose
death it came to Capt. William Morgan, our sub
ject's father. The old rocking chair in which
the nine children of Capt. William Morgan were
rocked during infancy has also descended to our
subject, and is treasured for its associations.
The Morgan family is of Welsh origin, and
the first of this line to cross the Atlantic was our
subject's grandfather, Thomas Morgan, a native
of Radnorshire, Wales, who located before the
Revolutionary war in Lower Merion township,
Montgomery county, Penn. He was but nine

teen years old at the time, and he was married
in this country to Miss Patience Miller, a mem
ber of the Society of Friends. They had the
following children: John; Margaretta, who mar
ried John Elliott, and died in 1850; Reuben;
William; and Joseph Charles. The last named,
who died in 1880, owned several ocean vessels,
and for many years was a captain on the high
seas. For eight years he was in the diplomatic
service of the United States, at Tripoli, Africa.
He married Mary Ann Miller, and had three
children, two of whom now reside in St. Paul,
Minnesota. Capt. William Morgan, the father of our sub
ject, was born in Montgomery county, Penn. ,
near Lancaster turnpike. During the war of
1812 he served as an officer in the militia, and
for several months was stationed b%low Marcus
Hook, in order to prevent the British from com
ing up the Delaware, and to guard the only pow
der mills in the country, those near Wilmington,
Del., belonging to the Du Ponts. The following
interesting record is copied from a document now
in the possession of the family:
Received December 16, 1814, from Capt. William Mor
gan, of First Company, Sixty-fifth Regiment, First Brigade,
Second Division, Pennsylvania Militia, the following articles
of camp equipage into the State arsenal: Ninety-seven car-
touch boxes and belts and scabbard; seventy-five haver
sacks; ninety-two knapsacks; ninety-four canteens; three
water buckets; twenty-seven camp kettles; twenty-nine
mess-pans; two axes; twenty common tents; three wall tents,
with flies; fifteen sett poles;" four sett wall tent poles; ninety-
eight muskets, with bayonets.
(Signed) William Allen,
Assistant Brigade Inspector.
In March, 1805, Capt. Morgan married Miss
Mary Evans, a member of the Friends Society,
and a daughter of William and Mary Evans,
whose remains now rest in Radnor churchyard,
in Delaware county, Penn. The Captain resid
ed at the old homestead at Morgan's Corners,
now generally known as Radnor Station, on the
Pennsylvania railroad. Bryn Mawr is situated
upon a part of his estate. After fifty-five years
of happy wedded life he passed away on August
28, 1859, and his wife did not long survive him,
her death occurring January 8, 1862. Their
children were: Thomas, born December 31,
1805, who married Ellen Evans, and is now de
ceased; Mary Ann, born in March, 1807; Pa
tience, born in 1809, died in 18 16; Joshua Evan,
born in 181 1, died in 183 1; John Elliott, our
subject; Margaretta Elliott, born December 15,
181 5, died August 21, 1849; Sarah Potts, born
June 6, 1818, was married October 4, 1853, to
William M. Lowman, of Dauphin county, Penn.,
since deceased; William, born in April, 1820,
died in February, 1852; Patience Miller, born
February 5, 1824, was married March 22, 1864,

972

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

to Walter L. Trewick, of Harrisburg, Pennsyl
vania. The subject of our sketch was a native of
Delaware county, Penn., and was reared upon
his father's farm, attending the local schools,
which were conducted on the old fashioned sub
scription plan. On December 22, 1861, he mar
ried Miss Catherine Rodenbaugh, a native of
Montgomery county, Penn., and settled upon the
old homestead for a time. In 1865 he went to
Chillisquaque township, Northumberland Co. ,
Penn. , and after eight years there moved to Lewis
burg. He resided in the city about five years; but
in 1878 bought a fine farm in Kelly township, and
spent twelve years in agricultural pursuits, retir
ing about seven years ago to his last earthly
home. He»has always had a keen interest in
public questions, and was a believer in the doc
trines of the Republican party. In religion he
followed the faith of his Quaker ancestry, but
attended the Christian Church at Lewisburg.
On January 7, 1898, he was taken to his final
reward; and his remains were interred on Jan
uary 11, in the beautiful cemetery at Lewisburg.
Mrs. Morgan is a member of the Christian
Church, and has always been active in good
works. She is a daughter of Elder Jacob Roden
baugh, and a granddaughter of Isaac Rodenbaugh,
a native of Berks county, Penn., born October
23, 1772, who married Margaret Stellwagon, born
in Delaware county, Penn., May 19, 1772, and
settled at Germantown, Penn. The Stellwagon
family held a prominent position socially, and
one of the daughters married Edwin M. Lewis,
of Philadelphia. Elder Jacob Rodenbaugh was
born February 12, 1812, in Montgomery county,
Penn., and for more than fifty years was actively
engaged in the ministry in the Christian Church,
having charge of the congregation at Newport,
Gulf Mills and Lewisburg, Penn. , remaining at the
last named place twelve years, and in Hunterdon
county, N. J. , where he spent eight years. While
residing in Union county he served nine years as
school director in Kelly township, using his influ
ence in the cause of progress, and securing the
erection of several handsome school buildings.
On January 7, 1836, Elder Rodenbaugh mar
ried Susan J. .^Wag-ner, born July 23, 1808, and
had the following children: Catherine Wagner,
born November 9, 1836, now Mrs. Morgan;
Margaret R., born February 1, 1838, who mar
ried Sylvanus G. Bennett, of Lewisburg, and has
three living children; Annie Pechin, born August
5, 1839, who married George W. Slifer, of Win
field, Penn., and has four children; John Wag
ner, born July 1, 1841, died November 26, 1888,
married Elizabeth Ammon, and has two children;

Mary Jane, born May 4, 1843, who married Ed
win W. Rawn, now deceased, and now resides
in Lewisburg, Penn., with one daughter, Mary;
Elizabeth Hawk, born March 22, 1845, who mar
ried Dr. William E. Cornog, of Sergeantsville,
N. J., and has one son, Jacob R. ; and Isaac
Newton, born October 16, 1846, died November
30, 1847.
Mrs. Morgan's mother was a daughter of John
and Calherine_(Jones) Wagner, of Lower Merion
township, Montgomery Co., Penn. She was one
of a large family of children: Charles, the eld
est; John, who married Sarah Johnson, both now
deceased; William, who married Abigail Reese,
deceased; George, deceased, who married Sarah
Ann Moyer, of Roxboro, now also deceased; Jacob,
deceased; Ann, who married Edward Pechin, of
Radnor, Delaware Co., and both are now de
ceased; Susan J., Mrs. Rodenbaugh; Mary Jane,
who married Robert Hunter, now deceased, and
was the first American lady to go to Tasmania,
where they settled in 1840, their voyage occupy
ing six months; and Elizabeth became Mrs. God
frey Hawk, of Sussex county, N. J., and is now
deceased. <

5^||TTLLIAM D. YOUNG, one of the progress-
WW ive citizens and substantial farmers of
Union county, was born in Buffalo township,
November 24, 1845, a son of Adam and Eliza
beth Young. His father was born on the same
farm February 13, 1808, and was a son of
Jacob Young, a pioneer of Union county, who was
numbered among the tax-payers of Buffalo town
ship as early as 1799. He was born in 1775,
and died June 7, 1857, at the age of eighty-two.
He married a Miss Bower, and their son Adam
was their only child who reached adult age.
Jacob Young was a well-known citizen, promi
nent and progressive, and was the owner of the
first buggy ever brought to Buffalo township.
At his death he left considerable property.
Adam Young, father of our subject, was
reared on the home farm and received but limited
school privileges. He married a Miss Rockey,
and their children were Jacob, who died in Dallas
county, Iowa; George W., of Mifflinburg, Penn.;
John, of Three Rivers, Mich. ; Maria, who became
the wife of Hugh Reish, and died at their home
in Indiana; Sarah, wife of George Catherman;
and Margaret, who, after her sister's death, also
married Mr. Catherman. After the death of
his first wife, Adam Young wedded Elizabeth
Swartzlander, a native of Buffalo township.
Their children are James, of Darke county, Ohio;
William D. ; Reuben, of White Deer township,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

973

Union county; Charles, a physician of Lynch
burg, Va. ; Harvey, who follows farming near
Bellevue, Ohio; Oliver, an agriculturist of Three
Rivers, Mich.; Oscar, a farmer of South Dakota;
Ellen, wife of Aaron Nogel, of Buffalo Roads;
Leannah, wife of Oscar Fury, of Constantine,
Mich.; Harriet, wife of William Kersteter, of
Buffalo township; Mary, wife of Milton Hen
dricks, of Buffalo Roads; and Susanna, wife of
Miles Miller, of Buffalo township, Union county.
The mother of this family died in August, 1866,
and was buried in Dreisbach cemetery. Adam
Young was again married, June 13, 1867. his
third wife being Sarah Spigelmeyer, who was
born in Buffalo township, April 11, 1843, a
daughter of Abram and Mary (Young) Spigel
meyer. They had three children — Martin, who
died at the age of eighteen years; Ida M. and
Nora M., who are living with their mother. The
father died October 8, 1872, and was buried in
Dreisbach cemetery. He was a member of the
Lutheran Church, and in politics was a stanch
Democrat. In business he was very energetic,
persevering and successful, and at his death left
an estate valued at $60,000. In manner he was
very genial, and his hearty laugh could be heard
for a long distance. His farm, which was one
of the neatest and best in the county, was sold
to Addison Baker. Mrs. Young bought her
mother's farm, and now resides there.
William D. Young began his education in the
school at Buffalo Cross Roads, Mr.. Cook then
acting as the teacher. He assisted in the work
of the farm until the fall of 1 866 when he went
to Seneca county, Ohio, where he worked as a
farm hand for $11 per month, and in the spring
of 1867 removed to Darke county, where he was
employed as a farm hand at $20 per month. In
the spring of 1868 he went to Donovan county,
Kans., where he worked through the summer, but
in the fall of that year returned to Pennsylvania.
In the spring of 1869 he again went to Darke
county, Ohio, where he spent the summer at
farm work, receiving $25 per month, and in the
autumn he returned to his Pennsylvania home.
On December 11, 1870, Mr. Young was mar
ried in Smoketown, Penn., to Miss Sarah J.
Wolfe, who was born in Northumberland county,
Penn., August 11, 1848, a daughter of George
and Catharine (Reamer) Wolfe. They now have
five children: Carrie M. , Minnie M., George A.,
Charles E. and William Paul, all at home, ex
cept Carrie M., who is the wife of John Miller, of
Lochiel, East Buffalo township. For a year
after his marriage Mr. Young operated a rented
farm in Kelly township, and then lived upon a
rented farm in Anthony township, Montour coun

ty Penn., four years. The succeeding year was
spent in Buffalo township, Union county,
and for three years he operated the Henley
farm near Vicksburg. After one year spent in
Mifflinburg he remained for three years on the
Frederick farm in Buffalo township, and in 1883
purchased the Andrew Hauck farm in Buffalo
township, where he has made his home since the
spring of 1884. He has placed his'land under a
high state of cultivation, and his place is neat
and thrifty in appearance. At local elections he
is independent in politics, but when officers for
the State and Nation are to be selected he votes
with the Democracy. Both he and his wife are
members of the Lutheran Church, and he has
served as deacon and elder. His upright life
commends him to the confidence and goodwill
of all, and he is one of the best citizens of Buf
falo township.

DAVID C. JOHNSON is entitled to distinc-
 ' tion as one of the most progressive and en
terprising men of Union county, and has since
1 88 1 been identified with the mercantile interests
of Weikert. Upon the commercial activity of a
community depends its prosperity, and the men
who are now recognized as the leading citizens
are those who are at the head of the most im
portant business enterprises. He is a man of
broad capabilities, who carries forward to suc
cessful completion whatever he undertakes. Be
sides his property in Weikert he also owns 600
acres of valuable land, a part of which is covered
with timber.
Mr. Johnson was born June 10, 1856, near
Kaler, in Hartley township, Union county, a son
of William and Catharine (Sweitzer) Johnson.
The father, who is still living at the advanced
age of ninety-seven years, is a man of broad
learning, and is especially interested in astron
omy. In the family were seven children, namely:
William, a farmer of Cherry Run, Hartley town
ship; Anna, who married S. C. Wilt, of Hartle
ton, Penn., and died in 1876, leaving a husband
and two children; Alanson, an agriculturist re
siding near Weikert, in Unioncounty; Aramudee,
wife of David Benny, of Cherry Run; David C,
of this sketch; Mary, who died at the age of three
years, and Gertrude, who died at the age of
thirteen. After attending the common schools for some
time, David C. Johnson completed his education
in Union Seminary, of New Berlin, Penn., now
known as the Central Pennsylvania College. He
then successfully engaged in teaching school for
seven years. In 1880 he married Miss Hannah,

9,74

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

daughter of William Weikel, of Glen Iron, Union
county, and to them were born six children,
whose names and dates of birth are as follows:
Maud, May 20, 1882; Ray, March 24, 1884;
Grace, April 14, 1888; Harold, February 15,
1891; Ernest, December 13, 1892; and Arthur,
March 19, 1895. The wife and mother, who
was born February 25, 1863, departed this life
April 18, 1895, and was laid to to rest at Hy-
ronimus Church, in Union county. In his po
litical affiliations, Mr. Johnson is a stalwart Re
publican, and religiously he is a faithful member
of the Lutheran Church. He is an enterprising
business man, of pleasing address and genial
manners, and is a citizen whose life is in every
way above reproach. Since 1893 he has been a
Master Mason, having taken the first three de
grees of that ancient and honorable order, whose
precepts he closely follows in every-day life.

RS. MARY A. COOK, of Laurelton, is a
lady who is well known throughout this
section of Union county, and is highly respected.
A native of the Pine Tree State, she came to
Pennsylvania, in 1854, with her parents, Alva
and Sarah (Purrington) Marston, who located in
Unioncounty, where the father followed lumber
ing throughout his active business life. He was
a son of Shem Marston, who was also born in
Maine, of English ancestry. The father of Mrs.
Cook departed this life September 16, 1870, and
the mother's death occurred in 1878, the remains
of both being interred in the Dunkard church
yard in Hartley township, Union county. In
the Marston family were six children, as follows:
James, now a farmer of Kansas, is married and
has a family; Alvah, Jr., also married, and re
sides in Kansas; Vesta became the wife of Brown
McKnit, of Milroy, Penn., and died in 1893,
leaving a family; Charles is married, and follows
Agricultural pursuits in Kansas; Addie makes her
home in Mifflin county, Penn. ; and Mary A. com
pletes the family.
Shortly after her arrival in Union county,
Miss Mary A. Marston became acquainted with
W. H. Cook, a prominent young farmer and a
member of a highly respected family of this sec
tion, and in 1858 they were joined in wedlock.
They made their home in Union county, where
Mr. Cook successfully engaged in farming until
called to the unseen world in May, 1889, his re
mains being interred in Lincoln cemetery, Hart
ley township. As a citizen he was honorable,
prompt and true to every engagement; as a man
he held the honor and esteem of all classes of
people, and as a husband and father he was a

model worthy of all imitation; unassuming in his
manner, sincere in his friendship, steadfast and
unswerving in his loyalty to the right. His
memory will be a sacred inheritance to his chil
dren; it will be cherished by a multitude of
friends. His father, Andrew Cook, was a native
of Ireland, but when only two years old was
brought to the United States by his parents.
Three children were born to W. H. and Mary
A. Cook, namely: (1) Charles M. , who lives on
the old homestead in Hartley township, Union
county, married Miss Clara Reed, daughter of
George Reed, a bricklayer residing in Lewisburg,
Penn. They had two children — William, born
December 13, 1886; and G. Donald, born August
19. 1890. (2) Willis P. is married, and is quite
a prosperous farmer of Washington county, Kans. ,
in which State he has made his home since
seventeen years of age. (3) Albert died in jn-
fancy. Mrs. Cook, who is a conscientious mem
ber of the Methodist Church, is much beloved by
all who know her for her gentle ways and pleas
ant, manner.

JACOB BAKER, a venerable and highly re
spected citizen of Alvira, Union county, is
now spending the evening of his life in re
tirement after years of well-directed effort. He
is the oldest resident of his township, and his
eighty-five years have spanned a period of develop
ment in this section which can scarcely be
realized by this generation. He is of good old
Berks county stock. Joseph Baker, the father of
our subject, was born there in 1793, and became
a wood chopper and charcoal burner by occupa
tion. He married (first) Miss Mollie Dry, who
died in 18 12 from typhoid fever. Of her four
children, Polly, Jacob, Benjamin and Charles,
all except our subject died within a week of her
death from the same disease. The father re
moved later to Schuylkill county, Penn., where
he died in 1868 aged seventy-five years. His
second wife, Elizabeth Musselman, died there at
an advanced age. Seven children were born of
this union, viz. : Daniel, Anna, Washington,
Joseph, Frank, Harry and Beckie; none of them
are now living.
Mr. Baker was born December 9, 1812, in
Roscommon township, Berks county, and at the
age of fourteen was placed on a farm to work,
his wages going to the support of the family. In
fact Mr. Baker never knew what his wages were
for the four years which he spent in this work.
At eighteen he began an apprenticeship to the
blacksmith's trade in Berks county, receiving
only his board and clothes for three and one half

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

975

years. He was a clever youth, and, as a lack of
opportunity for learning had been a source of
keen regret to him, he made arrangements with
his employer, on completing his term as appren
tice, to work mornings and evenings for his board
in order to attend school. After a few months
his employer offered him five dollars a month as
a regular hand, but Mr. Baker declined, preferring
to continue his studies. Later he accepted an
offer of $5. 50 per month, and his schooling ended.
Not long afterward he rented his employer's shop
for one hundred dollars per year, agreeing also
to do all the blacksmithing needed on the latter's
farm, and at the end of the year the rent was
raised to $110 per year with the work as before,
and a son of the employer was to be hired at six
dollars per month. These conditions Mr. Baker
accepted, but after one year he gave up the shop
and spent two years working at different places
for sixty-two cents a day. In October, 1837, he
was married in Berks county to Miss Dinah
Rodarmel, and about a year later he removed to
what is now Gregg township, Union county, then
Washington township, Lycoming county, being
accompanied by his wife and little daughter,
Maria, and his wife's parents. He built a black
smith shop and carried on his business two years,
and then purchased a lot at Alvira, where he
erected another shop and continued his work un
til 1872. Concluding to try agricultural work, he
bought a farm in the same township, and re
mained ten years, when he retired from active
business. He has always been influential in local
affairs, his sound judgment and integrity winning
the confidence of his associates, and he has held
various positions of responsibility, including the
offices of collector and supervisor of his town
ship. His interest in political questions is keen,
and in early life he supported the Whig party, of
which his father was also a member, but since
the organization of the Republican party he has
adhered to that. He belongs to the United
Evangelical Church, and for some time served as
steward. Seven children have blessed his home: Maria
married Rev. Samuel Davis, of Columbia Co.,
Penn., and has four children and five grandchil
dren. Miss Sophia, who resides with her father,
is universally esteemed for her womanly character
and fine mental gifts. Catherine married Francis
Fagley, a carpenter in Lycoming county, and has
eight children and one grandchild. Joel, a farmer
in Lycoming county, married Miss Sarah Yoder
of New Berlin, and has nine children. Henry, a
blacksmith and dealer in implements at Alvira, '
married Miss Tena Bailey, of Elmsport, Penn. ,
and has two children. Ella, who married Her

man Kennedy, a carpenter at Williamsport,
Penn., has no children. Charlotte, wife of Jacob
Clark, a merchant at Alvira, has one child.
On July 11, 1894, the home of our subject
was darkened by the death of the beloved wife
and mother, who passed away at the age of
seventy-nine years, two months and twenty days.
She was born and reared in Berks county, as were
her parents, Joseph and Christina Culler Rodar
mel, who spent their last years in Union county
upon a farm. They had the following children:
Jacob; Isaac; Paul, who died in childhood; Jo
seph; Marcus; Barbara, who married Christian
Noll; Elizabeth, wife of Joseph Snyder; Esther,
.who married (first) Elijah Hess, and (second) Jo
seph Dewalt; Dinah, Mrs. Baker; Susannah, wife
of Isaac Ulrich; Hannah, wife of Charles Heffner;
and Catherine, who married William Muffett.
Of this large family the only survivors are Mar
cus, now residing at Bethlehem, Penn., and
Esther Dewalt, of Alvira, Pennsylvania.

#p\EORGE HAUCK SHECKLER, one of the
\JF best known and most popular men of West
Buffalo township, Union county, is a farmer as
far as owning a good farm is concerned, but his
occupation is that of a lecturer, in which he has
evinced rare ability. He also usesastereopticon
to illustrate the subjects of his discourse. Mr.
Sheckler was born September 21, 1851, in the
house where he now resides, it being the old an
cestral home of the Haucks, his maternal an
cestors. He was the only child of Conrad and
Mary A. (Hauck) Sheckler, honored and valued
citizens of Union county. She was the eldest
child and only daughter of George and Mary
(Myers) Hauck, who died in Union county, the
latter at the advanced age of ninety years, and
both were laid to rest in the Mifflinburg cemetery.
By trade the grandfather was a shoemaker.
Conrad Sheckler, the father of our subject,
took a prominent and active part in public
affairs. Being elected justice of the peace in
1854, he acceptably filled that office for forty
years, or until 1894, when succeeded by his son,
who still holds the office to the satisfaction of all
concerned. The latter attended the public
schools of Union county, but also received valu
able instruction from his father, who in early life
followed the teacher's profession. He also
learned surveying with his father, who for nearly
half a century followed that occupation in Union
county. In 1858 Conrad Sheckler planted the
first vineyard in West Buffalo township, and two
years previous had also set out a fine peach
orchard. He was a progressive, enterprising

976

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

man, and was widely and favorably known. On
July 7, 1896, he departed this life at the age of
seventy-three years, surviving his wife about two
years, her death occurring October 28, 1894,
when she had reached the age of seventy. For
three terms, from 1873 until 1875, George H.
Sheckler successfully engaged in teaching, but at
the end of that time entered the lecture field, and
has since devoted most of his energies to that call
ing. In the fall of 1880 he married Miss Hannah
C. Miller, the accomplished and beautiful daughter
of Josiah Miller, a teacher of Northumberland
county, Penn., who died in the spring of 1878,
in Milton, where his remains were interred. Her
mother's death occurred in 1884, and she was
buried at Mifflinburg. Six children grace the
union of our subject and his estimable wife,
whose names and dates of birth are as follows:
Linn, September 26, 1881; Harold, August 31,
1883; Lulu, July 8, 1886; Mary A., March 3,
1889; Alvin, August 16, 1891, and Bruce, No
vember 26, 1893. They have been called upon
to mourn the loss of one child — Lulu, who died
November 2, 1887.
In his political affiliations, Mr. Sheckler is a
stalwart Republican, and in religious views is a
Unitarian. Although he cares nothing for official
distinction, he has served six years as school di
rector, and in that capacity did much to advance
the educational interests of his community. Pro
gressive and fully abreast with the times in every
particular, he and his wife occupy an enviable
position in social circles, and their attractive
home is ever open for the reception of their
many friends.

A. STAHL. The charming little city of
Lewisbnrg can boast of many attractions,
not the least being a cultured society which re
ceives constant accessions of people whose wealth
and leisure permit them to enjoy the refinements
of life. Among the prosperous agriculturists,
who on retiring from active business, have chosen
that city as their place of residence, is the sub
ject of this sketch, who settled there in 1888,
and has become one of the leading workers in
municipal affairs.
Mr. Stahl was born in Schuylkill county,
Penn., January 10, 1831, but despite his years
he sets old age at defiance by his vigorous men
tality. His family has been identified with Penn
sylvania since Colonial times, and his grandfather,
Adam Stahl, resided for some time near Reading,
removing afterward to a farm in the Schuylkill
Valley, where he was engaged in agriculture and
in rafting lumber for many years. He died be

fore our subject was old enough to remember
him, and left a family of six children: John,
who died in Schuylkill county unmarried; Jacob,
who settled in Kelly township, Union county,
in 1829, and spent his remaining years there;
Peter (deceased); Adam, our subject's father;
Elizabeth, who married John Kenn, and moved
to Wayne county, Ohio; and Magdalena, who
married a Mr. Miller.
Adam Stahl, the father of our subject, was
born near Reading, June 9, 1786, but was reared
in the Schuylkill Valley, and was married there to
Miss Catherine Hafer, a native of Buffalo Val
ley. He located in Kelly township, Union coun
ty, in 1831, and remained there, following agri
cultural pursuits, and leaving at his death two
fine farms and some money. He was a man of
much intelligence, a Whig politically, and a
leading member of the Lutheran Church. He
died October 21, 1850, and his wife, who was
seven years younger than he, survived him about
twelve years. The remains of both were laid
to rest at Mazeppa in the Union Cemetery. They
had eleven children, all of whom lived to adult
age and married, and three are still livipg: Eliza
beth married Jacob T. Stahl, of White Deer
township, Union county, both now deceased;
John and Daniel died in Kelly township; William
died near Monroe, Mich.; Peter resides near
Spring Hill, Kans. ; Jacob died in Buffalo town
ship, Union county; G. A. is mentioned more
fully below; Rebecca married Joseph Stahl, and
both are living in Kansas; Michael died in Kelly
township, Union county; Jeremiah died in the
same county, in East Buffalo township; and Cath
erine and her husband, Joseph Kahl, resided in
Kansas, but both are now deceased.
G. A. Stahl was but three months old when
his parents moved to Union county, and he was
reared at the Kelly township homestead, attend
ing the schools of the neighborhood while assist
ing in the farm work according to his strength.
In early manhood he engaged in general farming,
and continued until his retirement in 1888 when
he delegated to other hands the active work of his
his estate, which contains 1 5 3 acres of choice land.
He has held an important place in the political
movements of his county, and ashasbeen intimated
is prominent in the municipal government in his
new home where he was elected in 1896 to the
city council. He is a stanch Republican, and in
early years was a Whig. In religious faith he is
a Lutheran, and his sympathy and. support can
always be relied upon in any good cause.
Mr. Stahl was married in 1855 to bis first
wife, Miss Mary Ann Leiser, who was born in
Kelly township, Union county, December 13,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

977

1831, and passed from earth May 21, 1872.
His present wifa was formerly Miss Mary Gember
ling. By the first union there were six children:
(1) Calvin, who wedded Miss Sarah Lindenmuth,
manages the homestead; (2) Anna married Frank
Rine, and has two children — Ida and George;
(3) Franklin, who is not married, is a farmer in
Northumberland county, and also conducts a re
tail milk business; (4) Harry, a grocer in Lewis-
burg.married Miss Alma Young; (5) Lizzie married
Grant Nagel, a dairyman, who owns a farm in
Kelly township; (6) Mary, who married William
Gast, a farmer. There are two children by the
second marriage, Jane and William, both at home.

JESSE CORNELIUS, a wealthy retired citi
zen of Lewisburg, is a man who, in the arena
of business, has won a handsome fortune,
and has at the same time, established a reputa
tion for strict integrity. Born in West Buffalo
township, Uni°n county, May 20, 18 18, he is now
past three-score years and ten, but, happily, he
still enjoys the good things of life which past
years of arduous labor have provided. Coming
of pioneer ancestry, his accounts of early days in
this State contain much interesting history. His
paternal grandfather, John Cornelius, who was
born in this State, was a soldier in the Revolu
tionary army, and took part in the battle of
Germantown under Gen. Chamberlain. He aft
erward settled in Union county, as did also his
son James, our subject's father, who was born
in Chester county, Penn., and died in Lewisburg
at the age of ninety-one. Our subject's mother,
whose maiden name was Sarah Hutchinson, died
at sixty-four. Her father, Thomas Hutchinson,
located in Colonial times in what is now Union
county, and was in his day the heaviest tax
payer in this section. Just at the time that the
old Colonial currency became outlawed he had
bought eight hundred acres of land in Union
county, but learning that the money had become
worthless, before he paid it out he returned the
deeds and took back the money. A few days
later his wife paid four hundred dollars of this
same money for a copper kettle, and a like
amount for a cow. Both the Cornelius and the
Hutchinson families were of Scotch and Irish
blood, and on first coming to this country settled
in what was known as the Scotch settlement in
eastern Pennsylvania. To James and Sarah Cor
nelius thirteen children were born, as follows:
James, Margaret, Thomas, John, William, Jane,
Jesse, Andrew, Mary, Jackson, Lucinda and
Julia (twins) and Sarah.
Mr. Cornelius was reared in Union county, at-
62*

tending the local schools of his time. As the
other children came to maturity they left the pa
ternal roof for homes of their own, but he re
mained with the old folks to care for them
through their declining years. Although he sub
sequently started in life with no capital, he has
the satisfaction of knowing that he has fulfilled
to his utmost ability the Biblical injunction,
" Honor thy father and thy mother," watchfully
guarding them while going down the western
slope of life. As he is now in his turn experienc
ing the languor incident to failing physical pow
ers, he can the more heartily rejoice in the
thought of that early filial duty so faithfully dis
charged. At the time of his marriage, in 1848,
to Miss Mary Hess, Mr. Cornelius had nothing
except his own abilities to rely upon. He en
gaged in farming, and in the course of a few years
established an extended reputation as a fruit
grower. As the city grew and modern improve
ments and buildings demanded constant supplies,
he began contracting to haul material, and built
up a business which soon required a force of
helpers. He continued many years, and in his
dual capacity as workman and employer accu
mulated a handsome competence, being to-day
known as one of the substantial men of his city.
The tract of land which he once farmed is now
covered by suburban homes, and he owns a num
ber of fine residences which he rents. His gen
erosity has, led him at times into losses through
becoming surety for a friend, but fortunately they
have not made serious inroads upon his income.
He has never been sued for a debt of his own
making, and is regarded as the soul of honor.
Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius are now nearing their
golden wedding day. The latter was born Au
gust 15, 1827, in Muncy, Lycoming Co., Penn.
Of their children, three grew to adult age: (1)
Emory, who resides in Lewisburg, married Miss
Ida Hate, and has one son, Leon. (2) Miss
Florence is at home. (3) Sallie married D. P.
Higgins, treasurer of Union county, and has two
children — Jessie C. and Mary. As a citizen Mr.
Cornelius has always held a prominent place, his
sound judgment and high character giving him
great influence. His first Presidential vote was
cast for William Henry Harrison, and he has al
ways supported either the Whig or the Repub
lican policy in national affairs.

S\AMUEL CROSSGROVE, who owns and
') operates 145 acres of good land in Limestone
township, Union county, was born in this local
ity, July 18, 1840, and was a son of James and
Mary (Ulch) Crossgrove. His grandfather, Sam-

978

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

uel Crossgrove, Sr. , was born a mile and a half
from Dublin, Ireland, about 1773, and was a son
of a weaver who lived and died in that country.
He had brothers who came to the United States,
but little is known of them. One of them, Will
iam, lived in New York, and died while visiting
the brother in Union county.
Samuel Crossgrove, Sr. , learned the weaver's
trade in Ireland, and when less than twenty
years of age came to the United States, the ocean
voyage covering three months. After working
at various places he came to Union county about
1800, and was married in Limestone township,
to Catherine, daughter of William Fisher, who
was a native of Ireland. Mrs. Crossgrove was
born in Limestone township, about 1783. At
their marriage Mr. Crossgrove purchased fifty
acres of land of his father-in-law, who had se
cured the same on a soldier's warrant given him
for his services in the Revolution. He erected
thereon a set of buildings, and developed a farm
on which he made his home until his death in
1 86 1, when he was laid by the side of his wife,
who had died in 1855, and was buried in Lewis
cemetery in Limestone township. They were
both members of the Presbyterian Church, and
in politics he was a Democrat.
The following is the record of their family:
James, born March 7, 1804, was a farmer and
carpenter; Margaret, born December 18, 1805,
married Philip Voneida, and died in Nippenose
Valley, Lycoming county, May 20, 1868; Susan,
born March 24, 1808, died in Nippenose Valley,
November 30, 1867; Jacob, born August 15,
1 810, was married in Ohio to Catherine Spang
ler, and died in Holmes county, that State, May
n, 1868; William, born November 4, 18 12,
married Susan Ulch, of Snyder county, Penn.,
followed carpentering in Union and Snyder
counties, and afterward carried on farming in
Fulton county, Ind., until his death; Samuel,
born April 2, 18 15, married Anna Spangler in
Holmes county, Ohio, and died there at the age
of thirty-four; John, born December 30, 18 17,
was a farmer and school teacher of Union coun
ty, who served there as county sheriff, but spent
his last years in Montour county, Penn. ; he mar
ried Anna Shroyer; Catherine, born May 16,
1820, married Simon Burry; Nancy, born May
19, 1823, died at the age of five years; David
K., born September 19, 1827, was formerly a
farmer and school teacher, and now lives in
Limestone township. Union county.
James Crossgrove, father of our subject, was
born in Limestone township, March 7, 1804, was
reared on a farm, educated in the subscription
schools, and learned the carpenter's trade under

Mr. Lashel, of New Berlin. He started in life
in limited circumstances, and often walked from
Limestone to Bellefonte, where he worked at
carpentering, except during the harvest season
when he was employed on different farms. At
length he was enabled to purchase a small farm,
upon which he would work in the early spring
before the carpenter season opened. He was
married in 1839 to Miss Ulch, who was born in
Snyder county, September 21, 1819. Her fa
ther, George Ulch, a shoemaker by trade, spent
his last days in Indiana, and died at an advanced
age. James Crossgrove was a very prominent
citizen, and such was his fairness and honesty in
all things that he was frequently called upon to
settle differences between his neighbors, who also
entrusted him with their moneyed interests. In
politics he was a Democrat, and was honored
with a number of township and county offices.
He belonged to the Presbyterian Church, and
long served as Sunday-school superintendent.
He was also a lieutenant and captain for many
years in the home military companies. His first
wife died October 20, 1845, leaving two children
— Samuel and Catherine. The latter, born Feb
ruary 27, 1843, is the wife of George E. Seebold,
of Limestone township, Union county. For his
second wife James Crossgrove chose Elizabeth
Derr, who was born January 2, 1823, and their
children were: Aaron, a carpenter and painter,
who was born August 12, 1848, and lives in
Middleburg, Penn.; Franklin P., a farmer of the
same township, born . October- 10, 1852; Adda,
born December 14, 1854, widow of John Daub
erman, of Limestone township; Mary, born Oc
tober 21, 1856, wife of M. G. Maurer, of Lime
stone township; Alice, born October 20, 1858,
wife of Newton Maize, of Northumberland coun
ty, Penn.; and David B., of Limestone township,
born April 18, 1862. The father of this family
died February 27, 1876, the mother on October
28, 1895.
Samuel Crossgrove attended Turkey Run
school, and as a farmer boy aided in the labors
of the fields until October 14, 1861, when he en
listed in Company K, 51st P. V. I., under Capt.
George P. Carmans. From Harrisburg they went
to Annapolis, Md., and after a few weeks pro
ceeded by transports to Roanoke Island, which
they captured, this being their first engagement.
Mr. Crossgrove was with his company until taken
ill. After eleven weeks spent in the hospital at
Baltimore he rejoined his regiment at Petersburg,
and was in active service until July 27, 1865,
with the exception of a thirty-days' furlough,
granted him at the time of his re-enlistment.
The war having ended Mr. Crossgrove re-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

979

turned to home and farm life. He was married
March 7, 1867, to Mrs. Mary Mitchell, widow of
William Mitchell, and a daughter of John and
Elizabeth (Spangler) Seebold. She was born in
Limestone township, April 18, 1845. By her
first marriage she had two children — Lizzie J.,
wife of Jacob Klose, of Limestone township, and
Harry, a farmer of Buffalo township, Union coun
ty. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Crossgrove
are Katie S. ; John R., a carpenter; Adda L.,
wife of Charles Miller, of New Berlin; Anna V.,
a successful schoolteacher; Samuel J. ; and Helen
M. Mr. Crossgrove began his domestic life upon
a rented farm. Fourteen years later, in April,
1883, he purchased his present farm of S. K.
Pellman, and now has 145 acres of rich land un
der a high state of cultivation and improved with
excellent buildings. He is a very energetic and
progressive farmer, and the success that has come
to him is the reward of his own labors. In poli
tics he is a Democrat, and has served as super
visor and school director. He and his wife are
members of the Reformed Church, in which he
has served as deacon and elder. Socially the
family rank among the first in the township, and
Samuel Crossgrove, as one of the leading agri
culturists of the community, is well deserving of
representation in this volume.

SvAMUEL B. SHIRK is an intelligent and en-
„_J terprising farmer who represents one of the
pioneer families of Union county. His identifi
cation with the agricultural interests has been
long and honorable, and he is to-day the owner
of one of the fine farms of Buffalo township.
Mr. Shirk was born in Hartley township Jan
uary 25, 1853, a son of Samuel and Margaret
(Bird) Shirk. His father was born in Lebanon
county, Penn., about 1814, and during his youth
came to Union county with the grandfather, Ab
ram Shirk, who located in West Milton, and aft
erward removed to Hartley township, where he
entered a large tract of land, spending his re
maining days thereon. He married a Miss Gin-
gerich, and they became the parents of the fol
lowing children: Jacob and Michael, who died
in Hartley township; Samuel, who died in West
Buffalo; John who died in Hartley township;
William, who went to the West, and died in Ne
braska; Mary, who became the wife of Jonathan
Showalter, and died in Mifflin county, Penn. ;
and a daughter who became the wife of Daniel
Luckington, and removed to Illinois. Abram
Shirk, the grandfather, was a member of the Ger
man Baptist Church.
Samuel Shirk, father of our subject, was

reared on a farm, and later learned the carpen
ter's trade, which he followed for fifteen years.
He was employed in that capacity throughout the
Buffalo Valley, erecting many houses and barns
there. He was married June 18, 1835, to Mar
garet Bird, who was reared in Kelly township,
Union county. She was of English descent, and
was born August 27, 18 15, her parents being
Peter and Isabella (Judge) Bird. They were
married November 20, 18 10. Mrs. Bird was
born August 27, 1790. They had two sons and
three daughters: Mary, wife of Samuel Jordan;
Lamira, whose death, resulting from a fall from
a chestnut tree, occurred in September, 1829;
Margaret, Mrs. Shirk; John who died April 16,
1873; and Isaac P., of Pennsylvania. The fa
ther of this family died November 12, 1820.
Samuel and Margaret Shirk began their do
mestic life upon a rented farm in Hartley town
ship, but they made the most of their opportuni
ties, lived frugally, and in course of time were
able to purchase a small farm a mile southwest
of Laurelton. Later Mr. Shirk purchased the
Laurelton milling property, hired a practical
miller, and for twenty years carried on a success
ful business in that line. Subsequently he pur
chased a farm of 100 acres in West Buffalo, upon
which he lived a retired life. He was a very in
dustrious, energetic man, and as the result of
his labor accumulated a handsome property, leav
ing to his family an estate valued at $18,000.
He died at the age of sixty-seven years, and was
laid by the side of his wife, who died on March
24, 1873, in Forest Hill cemetery. In politics
he was first a Whig and afterward a Republican.
He served in some township offices in Hartley
and West Buffalo townships, but never sought
political preferment. Reared in the faith of the
German Baptist Church, he afterward became a
member of the Evangelical Church, and his wife
belonged to the Lutheran.
Their children were: William J., who was
born October 8, 1836, and died January 4, 1897,
in Hartley township; Isabella, born October 20,
1 84 1, wife of Samuel Bird, of Kelly township;
Josephine, born December 24, 1843, wife of
Emanuel Catherman; Lamira M., born February
7, 1846, wife of Samuel Showalter, of Buffalo
township; Margaret, born December 8, 1847,
died in Mifflnburg, in 1894, leaving her hus
band, Andrew Iddings, to mourn her death; Sam
uel B. is our subject; and Lena J., who was born
in 1855, died at the age of sixteen years.
Samuel B. Shirk, whose name introduces
this review, began his education in Laurelton,
his first teacher being James Marston. He at
tended school for about four months each year,

980

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

and had ample opportunity to indulge his love of
hunting and fishing until sixteen years of age,
when his parents removed to a farm, and he was
obliged to bear his part in the work of cultivating
and improving that property.
On June ,15, 1872, Mr. Shirk was married to
Savilla I. Iddings, who was born in West Buffalo
township, April 7, 1853, a daughter of Andrew
and R>bgccg._(Pontius) Iddings. They have five
children: Clementa M., Annie I., Chester O,
Paul B. and Myrtle E., all at home,
On his marriage, Mr. Shirk located on his
father's farm in West Buffalo township, where
he lived until the spring of 1 88 1 , when he removed
to his present farm, which he had purchased in
the fall of 1879. It comprises no acres, and is
now under a high state of cultivation, yielding to
the owner a good tribute for the care he bestows
upon it. The improvements are substantial and
neat in appearance, and the owner is one of the
progressive and up-to-date farmers of the com
munity. He is prominent in Church work, he
and his wife holding membership in the United
Branch of the Evangelical Church. He is now
serving as one of its trustees, and for twenty
years has been a teacher in the Sunday-school.
He is richly endowed with those qualities which
win friendship, and throughout the community
is highly regarded.

TvHOMAS W. SHIPTON, now living retired
in the village of Swengel, Union county,
is an honored representative of a worthy pioneer
family of this section of the State, in whose de
velopment and progress its members have borne
an important part.
His paternal grandfather, Thomas Shipton,
a native of England, came to America with the
great scientist, Dr. Priestley, and also the
Dougherty, Forsythe and Lyon families, all of
whom located in what is now Northumberland
county, Penn., naming it in honor of their old
home in Northumberlandshire, England. Be
coming one of the prominent and representative
citizens of that locality, the grandfather served
as associate judge in Northumberland county,
and as justice of the peace, in Middleburg, for
thirty years prior to his death. He was buried
at Hassingers Church, near Middleburg, Snyder
Co., Pennsylvania.
Mr„ Shipton, whose name introduces this
review, was born December 22, 1818, in Centre
ville, Snyder county, of which place his father,
John Shipton, was also a native. John Shipton
married Elizabeth Swengel, daughter of Michael
Swengel, who followed the occupation of farm

ing and blacksmithing in Snyder county, where
his death occurred.
Our subject is the oldest of a family of ten
children, five sons and five daughters: Maria is
the wife of Daniel Triester, a farmer living in
Ohio. Susan died unmarried at the age of forty
years, and was buried in Beavertown, Snyder Co.,
Penn. Sarah, widow of Thomas Watkins, re
sides in Dickinson county, Kans. Jesse R. is a
widower, and lives in Fulton county, 111. He
has been justice of the peace in Bernadotte
township nearly all the time for nearly thirty
years. In 1896 he married his 1 ooth couple. Over
thirty years ago he married a young man and
woman, and within the last two years he married
that man's daughter. He has been a good officer,
and is generally respected. John, a farmer and
carpenter, is married and lives in Hancock coun
ty, 111., where he has reared his family. Joseph
died unmarried at the age of fifty-one. Henry
is married, and is engaged in farming in Tazewell
county, 111. Eliza became the wife of Charles
Reigel, of Snyder county, Penn., where he died
some years ago, leaving five children. Anna J.
died about two years after her marriage to
Samuel C. Bratton, of Mifflin county, Pennsyl
vania. Thomas W. Shipton was educated in the sub
scription schools of Beavertown, Snyder county,
and at the age of eighteen began learning the
carpenter's trade, but throughout the greater part
of his business career he was interested in agri
culture. He was postmaster at Beaver Springs,
Snyder Co., Penn., from 1849 to 1853. He
moved his family to Union county in 1858. After
a long life of usefulness he is now resting from
all labor, surrounded by many comforts and lux
uries, obtained by former years of toil. Politic
ally he is a pronounced Republican, and relig
iously is an earnest member of the United Evan
gelical Church.
In early life, Mr. Shipton was joined in wed
lock with Miss Catharine, daughter of William
Snook, who was born in New Jersey, of Scotch-
Irish extraction. On his removal to Snyder
county, Penn., her father purchased 300 acres of
land where Troxelville now stands, and there en
gaged in farming until his death, which occurred
a few years later.
Seven children graced the union of Mr. and
Mrs. Shipton, namely: (1) Maria is now the-
wife of J. H. Meyers, M. D., who has for a num
ber of years engaged in practice in Mifflin county,
Penn., and is also interested in mercantile busi
ness. (2) Malinda is the wife of John Drum, a
merchant of Winfield, Union county. (3) Margaret
J. is the wife of Hiram Good, a retired farmer liv-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

981

ing near Selins Grove, Snyder county. (4) Al
fred T. is a justice of the peace for Lewis town
ship, Union' county, and was postmaster for
twelve years at Swengel and Rand, Penn. He
married Miss Lucy Boring, daughter of David
Boring, of Mifflinburg, Penn. (5) Sarah is the
wife of Thomas Bennett, a railroad employee re
siding at Milton, Penn. (6) Catharine is with
her parents. (7) Harriet, who became the wife
of J. Wesley Campbell, of Sunbury, Penn., died
on August 20, 1896, leaving four children.

T^HOMAS WALTER, one of the leading ag
riculturists of East Buffalo township, Union
county, resides in a pleasant home near Lochiel,
surrounded by the comforts which years of hard
toil enabled him to secure. Born in that town
ship, December 22, 1833, he has spent thegreater
part of his life there, and is regarded as one of
its substantial citizens.
The Walter family has been represented in
central Pennsylvania from an early day, and our
subject's grandfather,  Walter, was a mer
chant in Middleburg, Snyder county, for many
years. George Walter, the father of our sub
ject, was born in that town in 1798, and after
attending school there until he had completed
the course offered, he pursued his studies in a
school of higher grade at Milton. He learned
the weaver's trade in all its branches, including
the weaving of stockings, but did not long con
tinue it.
When but little over twenty years old, George
Walter was married to his first wife, Miss Leah
Betts, born in 1800, the daughter of Solomon
and  (Dunkle) Betts, whose family con
sisted of six daughters and two sons. Mr. Betts
was a wealthy farmer of East Buffalo township,
where his death occurred some years ago. The
young couple located upon the Betts homestead
in a tenant house; a few years later Mr. Walter
bought the first land he ever owned — a farm in
the southern part of the township, near the
mountain. From there he moved to another
farm in the same township, and remained twen
ty-five years, when he disposed of it in a trade
with a neighbor, and moved to Lewisburg. He
spent about seven years there, but for some time
previous to his death, which occurred in Janu
ary, 1 86 1, he made his home with a daughter in
Northumberland county.
George Walter had taken keen interest in the
issues of that time, leaving the Whig party to
support the new Republican organization, and
with prophetic vision he predicted the war which
broke out a few months after his removal from

earthly scenes. He left an estate valued at
$25,000, most of which had been accumulated
through his own efforts. He was a strong, act
ive man in youth, his well-built frame carrying
160 pounds with perfect symmetry. In addition
to his work in farming, he engaged in hauling
goods long distances. His six-horse team was
known everywhere, and his control over them
was considered remarkable. For some time he
carried produce to Bellefonte, and exchanged it
for iron, which he would sell to blacksmiths
along the road from that city to Philadelphia.
He was prominent in local affairs, holding vari
ous township offices, and gave his influence to
the Evangelical Church, in which he was at one
time an exhorter. His remains were interred in
Dreisbach cemetery beside those of his first wife.
who died in 1847. His second wife, Mrs. Lucy
Hackenberg, nee Bossier, is now living with
her only child, Bossier Walter, a resident of
Wabash county, Ind. By the first marriage
there were nine children, of whom, three died in
infancy. Of the others, who were as follows,
our subject was the youngest: Solomon, de
ceased, was a farmer of Northumberland county;
Rachel is the widow of John Frederick, of Sa
lona, Clinton Co., Penn.; William resides in
Northumberland county; Susanna married Peter
Kline, and died in Pickaway county, Ohio; and
Caleb died in Chicago, Illinois.
The subject of this sketch was reared to farm
work, his school days being mainly spent on the
threshing floor, where he rode the horses while
they tramped out the grain in the old-fashioned
way. This experience has made him an ardent
champion of the right of the rising generation
to a good education, and he has not only given
his own children the best advantages within his
reach, but he has strenuously advocated the im
provement of the public schools in his locality.
At nineteen he went to Northumberland county
to live with his brother Solomon, remaining
about a year.
In 1853 Mr. Walter was married to Miss
Mary App, daughter of Leonard App, of Selins
Grove, and located upon the Hetrick farm, which
farm he purchased; it comprised 120 acres, and
he paid $1,600 for it, and sold it three months
later for $2,750, a remarkable transaction for a
mere youth to carry through. In 1858 he en
gaged in huckstering from Union county to Phila
delphia, where he sold a large quantity of prod
uce. He later bought a farm in his native
township, going in debt to the amount of $7,000,
and continued to cultivate it until 1883 when,
having acquired a comfortable competence, he
retired to his present home, a small estate of

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

twenty acres near Lochiel. In all, he owns 133
acres of fine land in the township. Withal, he
has lived in generous style, spending liberally
wherever necessary, believing that money thus
employed is put to the best possible use.
In manner Mr. Walter is plain and un
assuming, and his peaceable disposition is shown
in the fact that he has never had a lawsuit with
any one. He has traveled extensively, making
eight trips to Illinois and other parts of the West,
and was formerly a noted hunter and fisherman,
all the trout streams and game haunts of the
locality being well known to him. This pastime
he has given up as advancing years dulled his in
terest in them, but his conversation with visitors
in his hospitable home is enlivened by many an
interesting story of adventure or travel, rem-
iniscenses of his more active days.
On March 19, 1875, his first wife passed
away, her burial taking place in Dreisbach
cemetery. Mr. Walter has since formed a second
union, this time with Miss Abby Ann Ritter, who
was born at White Deer Furnace, Union county,
June 21, 1849, the daughter of William Ritter,
a prosperous blacksmith, and his wife, Rebecca
Hearbst, both now deceased. They had two
children, Thomas H., of Cleveland, Ohio, and
Mrs. Walter.
By the first marriage there were six children:'
Oliver T. , a farmer in East Buffalo township,
Union county; Ellen C. , now Mrs. Albert Har-
wood, of Constantine, Mich. ; Miss Adda, who is
at home ; James E., a graduate of Michigan
University, now practicing medicine at Los
Angeles, Cal. ; Wilson A., a farmer of East
Buffalo township; and Albert A., who died in
infancy. There were five children by the second
union, of whom, the first, Mary C. , only lived to
the age of four years; John W., Harry B. and
Thomas H. are at home; and Isaac F. , the
youngest, died when five months old.
In politics Mr. Walter is a stanch Republican,
and he has taken an influential part in township
affairs, serving as school director and supervisor.
His wife is an active member of the Evangelical
Church, to which Mr. Walter contributes
liberally, although not a communicant.

F

OLLMER DONALDSON THOMAS is one
of the representative farmers and prominent
citizens of Gregg township, Union county. Be
lieving that " from labor, health, from health,
contentment springs," he has bent every energy
toward perfecting his agricultural projects, and
has proved himself eminently one of the best
citizens of the community.

Mr. Thomas was born February 21, 1850, in
the same township where he now lives, but at
that time it formed a portion of Lycoming coun
ty. His father, Lewis Thomas, who was born
on Pine creek, near Jersey Shore, Lycoming
county, December 18, 1822, followed farming,
rafting and lumbering throughout his active busi
ness life, but is now living retired in Gregg town
ship, Union county. In religious belief he is a
Presbyterian, and in politics is a Democrat. The
mother, who bore the maiden name of Susana
Donaldson, was born March 28, 1818, in Gregg
township, where her marriage was celebrated,
and there her death occurred September 24,
1896. She was a daughter of James and Rachel
(Follmer) Donaldson, and the paternal grandpar
ents of our subject were Samuel and Ellen
Thomas. The grandparents of Susana Donaldr
son was a Revolutionary soldier, serving the
seven years in the army, and died in this vicinity
with a British ball in his hip.
Follmer D. Thomas is the oldest in a family
of five children, the others being: Mary E. , who
died in 1862; Miss Rachel, who is with her fa
ther; Sarah J., wife of Oliver Grier, a mechanic
of Watsontown, Penn.; and Maria B., wife of
Milo Radall, a farmer of Addison county, Vt.
During the infancy of our subject his parents and
his uncle, Follmer Donaldson, lived in the same
house, and when the former moved away he re
mained with his uncle, making his home with
him from the age of three years until his mar
riage, during which time he acquired a good com
mon-school education, and became thoroughly
familiar with farm work.
On May 22, 1873, Mr. Thomas was married
to Miss Mary E. Scott, who was born on the
farm where she still resides, September 8, 1847,
a daughter of Henry and Mercy Scott. She was
the youngest of four children, the others being:
Isabella, born January 27, 1837, married Frank
lin Hamilton, a resident of Muncy, Penn., and
died July 26, 1872; Amos, born May 6, 1840, is
a prominent citizen of Gregg township, Union
county; and Rachel, born February 26, 1842,
died July 14, 1845. Mr- an(l ^rs- Thomas have
five children: Susan B. , Henry S., Mercy R.,
Lewis D. and Mary J.
On his marriage, Mr. Thomas located on the
old Scott homestead where he now resides, but
later resided for three years near Spring Gar
den. He operated the Follmer Donaldson farm
for eleven years, and afterward spent five years
in the village of Spring Garden in order to pro
vide his children with better educational privi
leges. In the spring of 1896, however, he re
turned to the homestead of his wife's people.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

983

That he is a progressive and skillful agriculturist
is attested by the neat and thrifty appearance of
the place, and the well-tilled fields yield abun
dant returns for the care and labor bestowed
upon them. Both he and his estimable wife are
consistent members of the Baptist Church, and
enjoy the respect and confidence of all with
whom they come in contact. In his political
affiliations he is a Republican, but he has never
aspired to office.

ISAAC REBER, a well-known and highly re
spected resident of Smoketown, Unioncounty,
is a member of a family which became prominent
in that locality at an early day. It was in the
year 1803 that John Reber, the grandfather of
our subject, settled in Buffalo Valley, where he
purchased a tract of land near Lochiel, from Sol
omon Betz. He was an energetic, thrifty man,
warm-hearted, and lent generous assistance to all
public improvements in the then new community.
As prosperity smiled upon him, he added more
land to his first purchase, and at his death there
were 290 acres to be divided among his sons. In
1830 he built a house in Lewisburg, to which he
removed in the following year, and his death oc
curred there on June 22, 1852, at the age of
eighty-two. John Reber and his wife, Catherine Moser,
reared a family of ten children: John, Samuel
(a member of the Legislature in 1843), Mary
(Mrs. Jacob Dunkel), Elizabeth (who married
Dr. Isaac S. Vorse), James (our subject's father),
Susan (Mrs. Michael Kleckner), Margaret (de
ceased, who never married), Thomas, David, and
Leah (wife of Rev. D. T. Heisler, a minister of
the German Reformed Church)-.
James Reber, the father of our subject, was
born September '2 1, 1805, at the old home near
Lochiel, and in his youth attended the subscrip
tion schools of the vicinity. In 1831 he was
married in Union county to Miss Elizabeth Royer,
a native of Lancaster county, Penn., born Feb
ruary 26, 181 1. She came to Union county with
her parents, Joel and Susannah Royer, who
located in Kelly township.
The young couple located at the Reber home
stead, John Reber removing soon afterward to
Lewisburg, and they made their home there until
the spring of 1852, renting and operating the
farm. On leaving the place our subject's father
removed to Smoketown and purchased a small
farm from Daniel Mook, but in September of the
same year he died suddenly. His widow subse
quently married Isaac Meyers, but on her death
in April, 1890, she was buried beside her first

husband in the Lewisburg cemetery. She had
no children by her second marriage, but by the
first there were three sons: John, a bookkeeper,
who died in Smoketown in 1892; Isaac, oursub
ject; and Joel, a bachelor residing in Smoketown.
Our subject's father was always interested in
agricultural pursuits, but at times engaged in
other business, sometimes taking contracts for
hauling goods long distances. He was a large
man, weighing 240 pounds; he was active in local
affairs as well as in business, giving his influence
to the Democratic party in political questions.
He was a member of the Reformed Church, but
his wife belonged to the German Baptist Church.
Isaac Reber's birth occurred at the old home
stead, April 20, 1834, and his youth was spent
there. He attended the Fairfield school in the
same neighborhood, and also studied during one
winter at the Royer school in Kelly township.
His attendance was so irregular that in arithme
tic he only reached the "single rule of three."
During one winter he was present .only one day,
and another only a half day, as his father want
ed his help hauling lumber from Brush Valley,
Centre Co., Penn., through the "long narrows"
to Lewisburg. Many of the residences and
barns of East Buffalo township were built from
lumber brought down by him. As he was the
only able-bodied son his father had there was
always plenty of work to do. After his father's
death, Mr. Reber remained with his mother a
short time and then went to Stephenson county,
111. , and worked as a farm hand during the sum
mer of 1854. On returning to Union county he
hired out for a year to Abram Wolfe, a farmer
in East Buffalo township, at $9 per month for the
winter and $12 per month for the summer.
On December 27, 1855, Mr. Reber was mar
ried to his first wife, Miss Susan Wolfe, who was
born December 27, 1835, tne daughter of George
and Catherine (Reamer) Wolfe. He began house
keeping at his mother's home in Smoketown, and
remained there three years, taking charge of his
mother's little farm, and cultivating other land
in the vicinity. In 1859 he bought seventy acres
of land on Turtle creek, giving cash for half the
price, and paying the other half in five years.
He still owns this place, with five acres of wood
land on Buffalo mountain, and five at Smoketown.
In 1876 he engaged in general mercantile busi
ness at Smoketown with his brother John, under
the firm name of J. & I. Reber, but after six
years they sold to Simon Duck. Mr. Reber
bought his present home at Smoketown in 1876,
but did not settle there until 1878. He has lost
several thousand dollars through going surety for
friends, but has left a comfortable competence;

984

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

he is regarded as one of the substantial men of
the neighborhood.
His first wife, who was a devout Christian
and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
died on December 4, 1882, and her mortal re
mains were laid to rest in Lewisburg cemetery.
On April 8, 1884, Mr. Reber married Miss Sarah
Groover, a native of White Deer township,
Union county, born August 24, 1847. She was
educated in the schools of East Buffalo township,
where her parents, Nicholas and Susan Groover,
located in 1857.
Mr. Reber is a man who does his own think
ing, and in political questions he is not bound by
partisan ties. In local issues he looks only to
the character of the candidate.

JBURREY, whose name is inseparably con
nected with the commercial and industrial
interests of Vicksburg, is one of the most
enterprising, energetic and successful business
men of that thriving little village. He has ever
cheerfully given his support to those enterprises
that tend to public development and, with hard
ly an exception, he has been connected with
every interest that has promoted general welfare.
A native of Union county, he was born March
27, 1858, in Limestone township, a son of
Simon and Catharine (Crossgrove) Burrey. The
father was born in the same township, May
10, 1 820, and as he was left an orphan at the age
of eight, and there were no public schools at that
time, his education was very meagre. He was
reared by John Mensch, one of the leading agri
culturists of Limestone township, remaining
with him until thirty years of age, when he was
united in marriage with Catharine Crossgrove, a
daughter of William Crossgrove, also a farmer.
Her birth occurred in Limestone township, May
16, 1820.
At the time of his marriage, Simon Burrey's
cash capital consisted of only the small amount
he had been able to save from his wages, and his
wife had received only what was known as a
"setting out" in the way of household furniture.
For a few years they rented land in their native
township, and by working early and late man
aged to save a few hundred dollars, which, in
1862, they invested in a farm in Buffalo town
ship, one and one-half miles south of Vicks
burg. As Mr. Burrey_ lacked sufficient money to
pay for the same, he was supplied by Mr.
Mensch, who had implicit confidence in him.
Industrious and energetic, he soon paid off the
indebtedness, and as the years passed he added
more land to the original purchase. There he

continued to make his home until called from
this life at the age of fifty-seven years. He was
a man ordinarily weighing about 1 50 pounds, and
was quite robust and active in his younger years,
and by hard work and good management was
able to leave his family in comfortable circum
stances. Originally he was a Whig in politics
and later a stanch Republican, but took no
active part in public affairs. He died in the
faith of the Lutheran Church, which he joined
in later years, and of which his wife was also a
consistent member. After her husband's death
she lived with our subject until she, too, passed
away at the age of sixty-seven, and was laid by
his side in the Dreisbach cemetery. To them
were born six children: A daughter, who died in
childhood; Isaiah, an attorney of the State of
Washington; David C. , an attorney of Los An
geles, Cal. ; our subject; and a son and B. F.,
who both died in infancy.
Not caring as much for study as his brothers,
J. Burrey remained at home from choice,
while they graduated from the law school of Ann
Arbor, Mich. In the Reed school his literary
training was acquired, but in later years he un
derstands more fully the benefits to be derived
from a good education, and impresses this fact
upon his children, whom he is providing with ex
cellent advantages along that line. At the age of
twenty-one he was united in marriage with Miss
Sarah E. Arbogast, a daughter of Lewis and
Elizabeth (Duck) Arbogast. They now have two
children — William C, born April 8, 1881, and
and Mary E., born November n, 1889. After
his marriage, Mr. Burrey for a time followed
farming on the place left vacant by his father's
death, but not liking that occupation, he in
the spring of 1884 removed to Vicksburg, where
he purchased his present property, which he has
since improved in many ways. For three years
he owned a half-interest in a threshing outfit in
partnership with David Smucker, and when the
depot was built at Vicksburg by the Lewisburg
& Bellefonte Railroad Company, he became the
first agent, but after a few months resigned his
position, and embarked in general merchandising
as a member of the firm of Smucker & Burrey.
After seven and a half years spent in that busi
ness, the partnership was dissolved, our subject
receiving, in part payment for his portion, the
coal yard and lumber business, which he still
conducts. He also immediately turned his atten
tion to the grocery business, and in July, 1894,
completed his store building, where he has since
carried on operations along that line. He also
has a feed mill and chopper, having erected a
suitable building in which to carry on that indus-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

985

try, and to all these various enterprises gives his
personal supervision. A wide-awake and court
eous merchant, he has gained the confidence of
his patrons, and therefore enjoys an excellent
trade. Besides his business block and comfort
able home in Vicksburg, he owns sixty acres of
timber land in the southern part of Buffalo town
ship. His name is a synonym for honorable
business dealing, and he is always mentioned as
one of the invaluable citizens of Vicksburg. He
is an ardent Republican in politics, and has
served as constable of Buffalo township for one
year, but cares nothing for official distinction.
In religious belief he and his wife are Lutherans.

J GEORGE ROYER. Union county has
many well-to-do and successful citizens, who
have worked their way upward from a hum
ble position to one of prominence in both busi-
iness and public life, and among this class the
name of the subject of this notice is entitled to
a place. He occupies the old homestead of the
Royer family near Swengel, in Lewis township,
is a man of rare intellectual attainments and ex
cellent executive ability, and for more than eight
years has served as justice of the peace with
credit to himself and to the satisfaction of his
constituents. Throughout his active business
life he has followed the occupation of farming,
and has met wilh a well-deserved success in his
operations. Upon the farm where he still lives
Mr. Royer was born July 16, 1858, and on both
the paternal and maternal sides is of German
origin, his great-grandfather Royer emigrating
from the Fatherland to America at an early day.
Isaac and Anna (Shellenbarger) Royer, the par
ents of our subject, natives of Lancaster and
Juniata counties, Penn., respectively, in early
life came to Union county, where their marriage
was celebrated. Their other children were John
S., who is married and lives in Versailles, Darke
Co., Ohio, where he has taught school for thirty-
six years, and is now the superintendent of the
public schools; David, who was born April 23,
1848, and died September 12, 1849; and Mary
E., who was born May 19, 1850, and is now the
wife of Eli Ullrey, a farmer living near Brad
ford, Darke Co., Ohio.
Peter Shellenbarger, the maternal great
grandfather of our subject, owned considerable
real estate, and at his death left to his three
sons, John, Christian and Jonathan, fine farms of
over 100 acres each. John, the grandfather,
was a tailor by trade, but after coming into pos
session of the farm left by his father, he turned
his attention to agricultural pursuits and the

distilling business at Evandale, Juniata Co.,
Penn. His last years were spent in retirement,
and he died at the advanced age of eighty-seven,
being buried near Richfield, Juniata county. His
wife was a daughter of a Mr. Stuck by a second
marriage, whose first wife and two children were
killed by the Indians.
J. George Royer was reared to agricultural
pursuits upon the home farm, and obtained a
good common-school education. On December
14, 1876, he was united in marriage with Miss
Clara, daughter of Daniel Knauss, a prominent
farmer of Lewis township, Union county, who
died December 31, 1891. Three beautiful and
attractive children grace their union — Lottie M. ,
Anna M. and. Shem E.

E

^\LIAS MILLER, of Buffalo township, Union
 1// county, is a man who has found no reason
to complain of agriculture as an occupation, his
industry and careful management having brought
him a fair return in material comforts. Since
1868 he has operated the Stahl farm, near Buf
falo Cross Roads, this being the longest term of
rental for any farm in the township and probably
in the county, and during his residence there he
has bought a place of 140 acres in Kelly town
ship, Union county, at a cost of $11,900, a suf
ficiently convincing evidence of prosperity.
Mr. Miller is a native of Buffalo township,
and comes from pioneer stock, his grandfather,
George Miller, a farmer by occupation, having
been engaged in hauling goods for the use of the
Colonial forces during the Revolutionary war.
George Miller, Jr., our subject's father, was born
and reared in Dry Valley, Union county, and be
came a farmer, locating in early manhood in Buf
falo township and clearing a tract of land. For
some years he conducted a still on the place,
and altogether he succeeded in acquiring a fair
competence. In political faith he was a Whig,
with strong anti-slavery sympathies, and in re
ligion he was a Lutheran. He died in 1852, at
the age of sixty-one, and his wife, Sarah Mertz,
who was a member of the Reformed Church, .
lived to more than seventy years. They were
buried in the cemetery at Mazeppa, where he
had been one of the founders of the Church, serv
ing on the building committee. Fifteen children
were born to them: Jonas, who died in child
hood; George, who died in 1895; John, who at
tained the age of seventy-three; Peter, who died
in Buffalo township; Catherine, Mrs. Samuel
Bickel, deceased; Henry, who died when over
seventy years of age; Aaron, who died at forty-
eight; Sally, Mrs. Howard Anderson, deceased;

986

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Edward, a farmer in Kelly township, Union
county; Levi, who died in Buffalo township at
the age of sixty-one; Polly, a resident of Seneca
county, Ohio; Elias, our subject; Susan, Mrs.
Lewis Tuner, who died in 1896; Elizabeth,
widow of J. H. Smith, of Kelly township; and
Benjamin, a resident of Fremont, Ohio.
The country schools which Mr. Miller attended
in his youth were not of the best, and the work
of the farm required too much of his time to per
mit him to make the most even of these oppor
tunities. After his father's death he continued
working at the homestead for his mother. In
1858 he was married in Stephenson county, 111.,
to Miss Sarah Engelman, a native of Kelly town
ship, Union county, born November 28, 1835,
whose parents, David and Sarah (Seibert) Engel
man, moved to Illinois in 1856. She was one of
eight children, viz. : Solomon, Margaret, John,
Sarah, Joseph, Jacob, William and Aaron. The
young couple began housekeeping at the Miller
homestead, both working for our subject's mother
for about four years. In the spring of 1868 Mr.
Miller rented the farm where he now resides, and
the articles of agreement then drawn up between
him and the owner, John Stahl, have continued
in force since the estate fell into the hands of J.
K. Stahl, a son of the former owner. Mr. Miller's
success in life is well deserved, no trickery or
dishonesty marring it, and he is known as a man
whose word is as good as his bond. His estima
ble wife is spared to enjoy the fruits of past la
bors, in which she took her full share. Three
children have brightened their home: Ella, now
Mrs. Alfred Engelman, of Michigan; William M.,
a school teacher, who operates the farm in Kelly
township; and James A., who is at home. As a
progressive agriculturist Mr. Miller is actively
identified with the Grange, and he and his wife
are leading members of the Lutheran Church, in
which he has been a deacon and elder, and is
now the superintendent of the Sunday-school.
Politically his sympathies are with the Prohibi
tion party, but he has never been an office-seeker,
although he was at one time the supervisor of
his township.

W SPIGELMEYER, one of the leading farm-
J&L ers and prominent citizens of Buffalo town
ship, is one of the two male representatives of his
branch of the family left in Union county. In
the township where he still resides he first opened
his eyes to the light March 1, 1848. His father,
Abraham Spigelmeyer, was born in Rockland
township, Berks Co., Penn., August 6, 1806,
and was the seventh son and eighth child in a

family of eight children born to Henry and Cath
arine Spigelmeyer, who removed to Snyder coun
ty, Penn., when he was a mere boy, and there
died. In early life the father of our subject learned
the miller's trade at New Berlin, and soon after
ward secured a position at the old Cameron Mill,
in Buffalo township, Union county, working for
a man who knew nothing of the business, so that
he had all of the care and responsibility. On April
21, 1842, he wedded Mary Young, who was born
in Buffalo township May 21, 1821, the daughter
of Abraham and Mary Catharine (Reidy) Young.
At one time her father followed the carpenter's
trade, and conducted a sawmill at Cowan, and
was also interested with the father of our subject
in a gristmill at that place. While he attended
school only for about three weeks during his en
tire life, Mr. Young was a shrewd, far-sighted
man, of great influence, was called upon to settle
many estates, and his advice was often sought on
various questions. Although a stanch Democrat
in politics, he declined to become the candidate
of his party for the Legislature. Of his eleven
children, nine grew to adult age, three sons and
six daughters, and he left to his family a very
comfortable competence. After his marriage
Abraham Spigelmeyer located at what was known
as Rengler's Mills, in Buffalo township, where he
continued to work at his trade until April, 1848,
when he removed to Farmersville, now Cowan.
After working, in a gristmill at that place for a
short time, he and his father-in-law purchased
the same, which he operated during the remainder
of his active business life. He died of apoplexy
while plowing for seeding, August 30, 1862, and
was buried in Dreisbach cemetery. His sympa
thies were with the Republican party, but as he
predicted the war in case of Lincoln's election,
he did not vote in i860. He was an expert mil
ler, and was well known in that capacity through
out Buffalo Valley. For several years previous
to his death he has served as elder of the Re
formed Church, of which he was a prominent
member. In the family were six children, as follows:
Sarah, born April 11, 1843, is now the widow of
Adam Young; Henry, born November 7, 1844,
is a resident of Nashua, Chichasaw Co., Iowa;
Susanna, born October 1, 1846, lives in Cowan,
Penn. ; our subject is next in order of birth; Mary
C, born February 10, 1850, is the wife of James
P. Glase, of Mazeppa, Union county; and John
W. , born July 9, 1852, is a resident of West Buffalo,
the same county. After her husband's death the
mother bought a home near Cowan, and kept her
family together. In the faith of the Reformed

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

987

Church, she died October 16, 1886, and was
buried in the Dreisbach cemetery.
The birth of our subject occurred at Camer
on's Mills, in Buffalo township, and he was only
four weeks old when taken by his parents to
Cowan, where he later attended the common
schools. Although only fourteen years of age
when his father died he was of great help to his
widowed mother, and during her last illness was
much of the time at her bedside. He began to
learn the miller's trade, but his father's death in
terrupted this, and at the age of seventeen he as
sumed the management of the home farm. At
the parsonage of the Reformed Church in Mifflin
burg, Rev. George E. Adams performed a mar
riage ceremony October 4, 1870, which united
the destinies of Mr. Spigelmeyer and Miss Mar
tha E. Gaunt, who was born at Potters Mills,
Centre county, March 13, 1852. Her father,
Richard Gaunt, an expert woolen manufacturer,
was born in Yorkshire, England, July 3, 1815, a
son of William and Amelia Gaunt. In that
country he worked in a factory until crossing the
Atlantic to America at the age of twenty-one,
and for some time was here employed in different
mills. He finally drifted to Union county,
Penn., where he married Susan Kleckner, who
was born in Hartley township, February 22,
1816, a daughter of George Kleckner. When a
little girl she went to live with John Lincoln, at
whose home in Hartley township she was resid
ing at the time of her marriage. For a time Mr.
Gaunt worked in the woolen mills at Laurelton,
but in 1848 removed to Potters Mills, Centre
county, where he remained until 1863, at which
time he came to West Buffalo township, Union
county. He is now a resident of Milton, but his
wife died April 14, 1881.
After his marriage Mr. Spigelmeyer located
upon the same farm in Buffalo township, where
he had previously lived with his sister, Mary C,
as his housekeeper. In the spring of 1873 he
sold off his effects and removed to St. Joseph
county, Mich., but in the fall of the same year
returned to Union county, locating at Cowan,
where he bought a house and lot. While living
at that place he engaged in teaming and farming,
later rented land in Buffalo township, occupying
one farm for eleven years, but in the fall of 1890
purchased the William Baker farm of sixty-six
acres, and since the following spring has there
made his home. He is a progressive and skill
ful agriculturist, honest and straightforward in
all business transactions, and his integrity is
above question.
Mr. and Mrs. Spigelmeyer have four children,
namely: (1) Theodore E., born December 16,

1 87 1, was engaged in clerking for H. A. Cook
for four years, but now he is a shipper of whole
sale produce at Vicksburg; is superintendent of
the Sabbath-school at the Dreisbach Church; (2)
Elsa M., born January 2, 1875, was united in
marriage on March 1, 1898, to C. E. Erd
ley, of East Buffalo township, where they will
make their future home; (3) Naomi V., born No
vember 16, 1879, and (4) Blanche O., born Oc
tober 24, 1 88 1, are at home. The parents and
children are all members of the Reformed Church
and are widely and favorably known throughout
the community. Mr. Spigelmeyer is now serving
as deacon of the congregation. Politically he is
a stalwart Democrat, but cares nothing for office,
and socially is a member of the Knights of the
Golden Eagle at Mifflinburg.

EvLIAS HEIMBACH resides on a farm one
 'I mile west of Laurelton in Hartley township,
Union county, but has now practically laid aside
business cares, enjoying a well-earned rest.
Throughout his active life his time and attention
were devoted to agricultural pursuits.
Mr. Heimbach was born July 31, 1845, in
East Buffalo township, Union county, and is a
son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Bower) Heimbach,
natives of Snyder county, Penn. Both have
now passed away, and their bodies were laid to
rest in Dreisbach cemetery near Mifflinburg,
Penn. By trade the father was a blacksmith.
Our subject is the eleventh in order of birth
in the family of thirteen children, the others be
ing as follows: Catharine is the widow of Daniel
Bailer, and lives near Mifflinburg; Hetty is the
wife of Jacob Yeisley, a farmer of Kansas, and
they have three children; Rachel married Peter
Reish, who is engaged in farming in South Da
kota, and they have five children; Mary is the
wife of Henry Bennage, an agriculturist of White
Deer township, Union county, by whom she has
had ten children; Jonathan, a farmer and black
smith of Buffalo township, Union county, is
married and has five children; Rebecca is the
wife of Samuel Dauberman, a carpenter residing
in New Berlin, Penn., and they have one son;
Martha wedded Jacob Whitman, and has four
children; Simon died at the age of two years;
the next child died in infancy; John, a resident
of Buffalo township, Union county, who served
for four years in the Union army during the Civil
war, is married and has five children; Elizabeth
is the wife of Elias Perdick, also an honored
veteran of the Civil war, and they live in New
Berlin; and Susan married Henry Frock, a farmer

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

of Buffalo township, Union county, by whom
she has one child.
During his boyhood and youth Elias Heim
bach attended the common schools, but when
less than eighteen years of age he laid aside all
personal interest to enter the service of his coun
try, and enlisted on the 14th of January, 1863,
in Company E, 51st P. V. I., serving under Col.
Hartranft, who afterward became Governor of
Pennsylvania, and Gen. Burnsides, who was the
corps commander. Our subject was a brave
soldier, always found at his post of duty, and he
participated in the following great battles, besides
numerous engagements of less importance: An
tietam, Spottsylvania Court House, the Wilder
ness, Cold Harbor, Ream's Station, and those in
front of Petersburg. He was mustered out at
Alexandria, Va., July 27, 1865, when the war
had ended, and his services were no longer
needed. He now receives a pension, and is an
honored member of Post No. 247, G. A. R. , at
Mifflinburg. Returning home, Mr. Heimbach resumed
farming. On September 16, 1866, he was united
in marriage with Miss Emma, daughter of Jacob
Wittes, and three children blessed their union:
(1) Anna M., born September 22, 1867, is the
wife of Henry Doebler, a butcher of Mifflinburg,
Penn., and they have one son, Robert. (2) Cora
L, born in 1869, died in 1873. (3) Samuel
Grant, born July 2, 1872, is a telegraph operator
living in South Dakota. The mother of these
children died May 8, 1889, and was buried in
Dreisbach cemetery, near Mifflinburg. Mr.
Heimbach was again married January 1, 1895,
his second union being with Miss Susan Boop,
daughter of Jacob Boop.
In politics Mr. Heimbach is identified with
the Republican party, and is a strong believer in
its principles, while in religious belief he is a
Lutheran. He and his estimable wife are hon
ored and respected in their community for their
sterling worth, generous hospitality and un
bounded liberality.

|E T. NOGEL, a well-to-do agriculturist now
JML living in retirement at Buffalo Roads, Union
county, is a man of influence in his locality. He
was born October 6, 1838, in Kelly township, in
that county, the son of Jacob Nogel, a promi
nent farmer who came from Allentown, Lancas
ter Co., Penn., in early manhood, and located
in Union county. At first he rented land in
East Buffalo township, then rented the Andrew
Kelly farm, on which he lived fourteen years; he
then bought a small farm of fifty acres near

Kelly Point, on which he made his permanent
home. He was a Democrat, but voted inde
pendently in local affairs. His death occurred
April 20, i860, in his sixty-fourth year, and his
wife, Elizabeth Engelman, passed away March
6, 1843, aged forty-two years, eight months and
twenty-four days, the remains of both being in
terred in the old cemetery at White Deer church.
Mrs. Nogel was born June 9, 1800, in White
Deer township, Union county, the daughter of
Solomon Engelman, born August 17, 1780, died
October 20, 1853, and of Margaret Engelman,.
born December 28, 1773, died December 1,
1853. To Jacob and Elizabeth Nogel nine chil
dren were born, viz. : Mary A. , Mrs. John Reh-
rer, who died in Kelly township; William, who
died in Lewisburg; Lucy, Mrs. Lewis Gember
ling, of Buffalo township; Joseph, who died in
childhood; Margaret S., Mrs. William Noll, now
deceased; Miss Elmira, a resident of Kelly town
ship, and for some years a successful milliner;
Sarah E., widow of William Wolfinger, of Mott-
ville, Mich.; A. T., our subject, and Caroline,
Mrs. Washington Dieffenderfer, of California.
A. T. Nogel's youth was spent in his native
township, the local schools furnishing his only
educational advantages. A comparison of his
privileges with those of the children of to-day
shows great progress in our public-school system,
and no one is a firmer friend to this movement
than he. He was a young man when the war
broke out, and in 1862 was drafted as one of six
from his township to make up a quota of twenty
from Union county. On October 28, 1862, he
was enrolled in Company G, 172nd P. V. I., un
der Capt. Michael Smith, for nine-months' service.
The recruits were sent to Harrisburg and then to
Washington, where the regiment took a steamer
for Newport News. From that point they marched
to Fort Yorktown, where some time was spent in
guard and heavy artillery duty. Later they were
sent to Baltimore and, after marching out the
pike to Hagerstown, went into camp for the night
and the next day joined in the pursuit of a Rebel
force which crossed the Potomac at Williamsport
in safety. Mr. Nogel took part in all the work
assigned to his regiment until July, 1863, when
he was compelled to drop out of the ranks during
a forced march to Alexandria, the exposure and
fatigue proving too severe for him. He was
placed in an ambulance, but it broke down; then
room was found for him in a provision train
which was going part of the way, and when he
left that he tried to walk but fell unconscious by
the roadside. His comrades picked him up and
carried him to their destination, where he was
placed in a hospital. The following day he was

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

989

taken with the regiment to Washington, and aft
erward went to Baltimore, where he again
entered a hospital for a night. He was then
transferred to Harrisburg, and, as it was not
thought advisable to send him farther while in
that condition, he was kept there in a hospital
until his brother William arrived to take him
home. On July 31, 1863, our subject was discharged
at Harrisburg from further service. He resumed
his work at home, and also spent some time on
his brother William's farm in Kelly township,
and thus his time was employed until his mar
riage, on March 5, 1874, to Miss Eliza Ellen
Young, a native of Buffalo township, born Sep
tember 14, 1847. Her parents, Adam and Eliz
abeth (Swartzlander) Young, were prominent
among the agriculturists of that locality, and she
was educated in the district schools near her
home. Mr. Nogel rented a farm from his
brother William for two years, and then bought
seventy-three acres in Buffalo township, at a
cost of $6,750. While residing there he pur
chased his present home at Buffalo Roads, a
fine brick house, to which he removed in 1888.
He has a comfortable competence largely gained
through his own efforts, and is held in high
esteem by those who know him.
Mr. Nogel was reared in the Lutheran faith,
both his parents being devout members of that
Church, and he and his wife have been actively
identified with the work of the society for many
years, Mrs. Nogel having taught in the Sunday-
school for some time. Their only child, Anna
L., born November 27, 1881, did not live a
year, passing away September 22, 1882. About
the time of this bereavement they took into their
home a little girl of four years, Jennie C. Meek
ly, who was born October 21, 1878, the daugh
ter of Jacob and Elizabeth Paige Meekly, and
still resides with her foster parents. On polit
ical issues of a national character Mr. Nogel
favors the Democratic view, but he is not a blind
follower of his party, voting for good men out
side its lines whenever he thinks best. He is a
member of the Grange, and sympathizes with all
efforts to secure the greatest good to mankind in
general.

BS. SCHOCH, a well-known business man
of New Berlin, conducts the oldest and
most extensive tannery in Union county. It has
now been owned and operated by three genera
tions of the Schoch family, the grandfather and
father of its present proprietor having in turn
carried on the business at the same location.

Mr. Schoch was born February 10, 1862, at
New Berlin, the only living child of James and
Rebecca W. (Peters) Schoch. His boyhood was
spent there, his education being obtained in the
local schools, and so well did he improve his op
portunities that at eighteen he was qualified to
teach. In the meantime he had also picked up a
knowledge of his father's business, partly from
observation and partly from work done at irregu
lar times, as he never served an apprenticeship.
During the winter of 1879-80 he taught the Win
field school at thirty-five dollars per month, and
in 1 88 1 he began selling 'queensware for Young,
Keiper & Co. , of Philadelphia, representing them
in Union, Snyder, Clinton and Centre counties.
This business occupied his time for about a year,
and then he took a position in the tannery, with
which he has ever since been connected. In
1884 he was taken into partnership, the business
continuing under the name of Schoch & Son
until August, 1886, when he became sole owner.
He has a thorough knowledge of the business,
and no detail, however insignificant, escapes his
attention. The plant employs several men, and
is open all the year round. It is safe to say
that, as a business man, Mr. Schoch has no su
perior of his age in that locality, the growing
trade of his establishment being due to his wide
awake, energetic management.
In September, 1883, Mr. Schoch was married
to Miss Mary M. Benner, who was born near
Salem, Snyder county, where her father, Ed
ward Benner, was a leading citizen. One
daughter, Rebecca, born in 1884, blessed this
union. Mrs. Schoch is prominent socially, and
is an active member of the Lutheran Church.
Our subject's genial temperament and pleasant
manners make him popular with all classes. He
is one of the leading Democrats of his town, and
while not anxious for political distinction he
takes keen interest in the success of his party.
In municipal affairs he is active and influential,
and for three years he served as a member of the
council.

JOHN MYERS has spent his entire life in ,
Union county, and his name is inseparably
connected with its agricultural and public
interests. He was born near Lewisburg Sep
tember 17, 1835, and is of German descent, his
ancestors having come to this country previous
to the Revolutionary war. His grandfather was
John Moyer, but his descendants have changed
the name to Myers. David Myers, an uncle of
our subject, lived near Lewisburg, Penn., where
he was killed by the kick of a vicious horse. He

990

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

left a large family, of whom, six sons, Alpheus,
Abraham, Lewis, Nathan, David and Henry, re
moved to the West.
Isaac and Salome (Weidler) Myers, the par
ents of our subject, were both natives of Lancas
ter county, Penn., where their marriage was
celebrated, but shortly after that event they came
to Union county, where the father had previous
ly spent one year, and where he afterward be
came well known as a Dunkard preacher. Here
they reared their family of seven children, namely :
Caroline, who became the wife of William K.
Moore, and removed toTllinois, where she died,
leaving two children; George W., a tanner by
trade, who also engaged in lumbering, but is now
farming in southern Indiana, and serves as a
minister of the Dunkard Church; Simon Peter,
a resident of Birmingham, Ala., who is married,
and is now living retired, having become quite
wealthy during his active business life; John, of
this sketch; Sarah, who died at about the age of
twenty-five years; Hannah, who died at the age
of nineteen; and Elizabeth, who died in Illinois,
where she had gone with the hope of benefiting
her health.
John Myers, of this review, was educated in
the common schools, and was reared upon the
home farm, which he and his brother George
operated for two years after he completed his
education, his father having retired from active
labor. Our subject then went west, visiting nine
States, but finally returned to Union county,
where he has since successfully engaged in agri
cultural pursuits, making his home in Hartleton.
On December n, 1862, Mr. Myers was mar
ried to Miss Candace Diffenderfer, a popular and
estimable young lady, and a daughter of Henry
Diffenderfer, a prominent farmer of the county.
She was one of fourteen children, all of whom
grew to maturity with the exception of one.
They are now scattered throughout various States
of the Union, and many have become leading
and representative citizens of their various pom-
munities. Mr. and Mrs. Myers have five children, as
follows: (1) Elizabeth, born September 9, 1864,
is the wife of Galen C. Whitmer, a popular
business man of Hartleton. (2) Grant, born
May 4, 1867, died April 30, 1868. (3) Jessie,
born February 19, 1870, graduated from the
Normal School of Bloomsburg, Penn., in 1890.
She is now a professional nurse located at Wash
ington, D. C. , having graduated from the Train
ing School of the Philadelphia Hospital, Phila
delphia, in 1894. (4) Nora, born September 14,
1 87 1, also graduated at the Bloomsburg Normal,
and is now with her parents at their home in

Hartleton. (5) Minnie, born October 8, 1874,
is the wife of Albert J, Musser, a resident of
Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Myers cast his first Presidential vote for
James Buchanan, but has since been an ardent
supporter of the Republican party, taking a deep
and commendable interest in political affairs. He
has served his fellow citizens in the capacity
of tax collector, auditor, supervisor, over
seer of the poor, school director, town council
man, and in 1897 was elected burgess of Hartle
ton, which office he is now filling with credit to
himself and to the satisfaction of his constituents.
Progressive and public-spirited, he has ever
cheerfully given his support to those enterprises
that tend to public development, and does all in
his power to promote the general welfare of the
community. Religiously, he is a conscientious
member of the Lutheran Church.

PASCHAL LEWIS CLINGAN, justice of the
peace in and for the borough of Lewisburg,
Union county, is noted for his clear insight into
legal questions, and his decisions being founded
on sound and broad judgment of men and affairs,
and careful study of principles, have seldom been
reversed in the higher courts.
Squire Clingan was born in Kelly township,
Union county, February 6, 1830, and is descend
ed from Scotch-Irish stock, a strain of blood
which has furnished to America many families of
ability and prominence. William Clingan, our
subject's grandfather, was born in Lancaster
county, Penn., and served as a soldier in the
Revolutionary war. At an early day he settled
in Kelly township, Union county, where he died
about 1820. His wife, Jane Roan, of Lancaster
county, was also of Scotch-Irish descent, and
her father, Rev. John Roan, a Presbyterian cler
gyman, crossed the ocean and settled in Lancas
ter county in 1739. Her brother, Flavel Roan,
was the author of a deed which is quoted in the
law books as the most eccentric on record. It
was made to Clara Helena Elkinhuysen, in 1793,
and is found in the archives of Northumberland
county at Sunbury, in deed book F, page 280,
under date of November 3, 1793. William and
Jane Clingan had the following children: Mar
garet, Mrs. John Scott, died in Illinois; Anne
Roan, Mrs. Joseph Lawson (deceased); Thom
as, our subject's father; Elizabeth, Mrs. Thomas
Barber, who died in Union county; George Cling
an, who died in Illinois; and Flavel Clingan, who
died in Union county, Penn.
Thomas Clingan, the father of our subject,
was born in Lancaster county in 1785, and in

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

991

1800 became a resident of Kelly township, Union
county, where he remained, following agricultural
pursuits. In his religious views he was a Presby
terian, and in politics was formerly a W7hig, and,
on the organization of the Republican party, he
became its stanch supporter. He died at the
age of seventy-one, and his wife, Margaret
Lewis, who was born in Union county, February
20, 1790, attained the age of seventy-two. Seven
children grew to maturity, our subject being the
youngest; William died at seventy-six years of
age; Elizabeth married Samuel Laird, and died
in Illinois, leaving several children; Jane mar
ried James Lawson, and died in Kelly township,
Union county; Mary (deceased) never married;
Amelia (deceased) was formerly the wife of John
Sterett; and Sarah (deceased) was the wife of
William P. Dougall.
The common schools of his native county
afforded Squire Clingan his first glimpses of the
long and toilsome paths of knowledge, and later
he pursued higher studies at Lewisburg Academy.
For some years he followed farming, but in 1873
he removed to Lewisburg and engaged in the
coal business, which he carried on successfully
until 1892. In that year he was elected to his
present office, and has since devoted to it the
greater part of his time. In 1865 he was mar
ried to Miss Maria Zuber, a native of Montgom
ery county, born in 1833, and they have two
children, Emily and Frank, both of whom are at
home.

\APT. BEACH CRARIE AMMON, an hon
ored veteran of the Civil war, and the well-
known postmaster at Winfield, has throughout
life been identified with the interests of Union
county. He was born at Lewisburg May 23,
1839, a son of Samuel Ammon (also a native of
Lewisburg), and a grandson of Andrew and Eliz
abeth (Meyers) Ammon, who died in that city,
the former on March 14, 1842, and the latter on
February 14, 1868, at the age of eighty-two. In
their family were five sons, all now deceased,
namely: Byers, Daniel, Samuel, Alexander and
Abel. For a number of years Samuel Ammon con
ducted a tailor shop in his native city, and also
engaged in the lumber business. He was united
in marriage with Miss Mary H. Hicks, who was
born in Salem, Luzerne Co., Penn., May 18,
1817, a daughter of Jesse and Candace (Culver)
Hicks, natives of Bucks county, Penn., and New
York State, respectively. Her father was born
September 21, 1761, and died February 26, 1829,
in the county of his nativity, and in September,

1838, the widowed mother removed from their
old home on the banks of the Susquehanna river,
in Luzerne county, to Lewisburg, where she died
January 27, 1863, aged eighty-three years, six
months and twenty-seven days. They had three
children: Mary (the mother of our subject), who
is living in Lewisburg at the age of seventy-eight
years; Elwood, who died August 18, 1830, aged
eleven years, five months and one day; and Sarah
C, who died July 14, 1836, aged fifteen years,
one month and nineteen days. Samuel Ammon,
who was a consistent member of the Christian
Church, and a Democrat in politics, was called
to his final rest September 14, 1852, at the age
of thirty-eight years, nine months and six days.
Our subject is the eldest in a family of six
children, the others being as follows: Emily,
who died in infancy; Levi H., who was a mem
ber of Company E, 51st P. V. I., during the
Rebellion, and was killed in the battle of the
Wilderness, in May, 1864; William L. , who also
served in the Union army, as a member of Com
pany D, 142nd P. V. I., and later went to Mex
ico, but has not been heard from for twenty-five
years; Harvey O, a plasterer and truckman re
siding in Lewisburg, Penn.; and Mayland H, a
machinist in Cleveland, Ohio.
The first thirteen years of his life Capt. Am
mon spent under the parental roof, attending the
local schools during the winter. Coming to Win
field August 1, 1855, he accepted a position as
clerk in the store of Beaver, Marsh & Co., with
whom he remained until the spring of 1893, when
the firm ceased to exist. Prompted by a spirit
of patriotism, he, on September 7, 1861, en
listed in Company E, 53rd P. V. L, serving first
under Capt. Church and later under Capt. John
Shield. For meritorious conduct he was promoted
from second to first lieutenant November 27,
1863, and April 25, 1864, he was commissioned
captain. He was never wounded, although he par
ticipated in many hotly contested battles, includ
ing those of Fair Oaks, Antietam, Gettysburg,
Cold Harbor and Spottsylvania, and on the ex
piration of his term he was honorably discharged
and mustered out October 30, 1864.
Returning to his home in Winfield, Capt.
Ammon was made outside foreman at the Union
Furnace, which was incorporated in 1853. A
year later he took charge of the company's store,
where he remained until 1878, and then was
made bookkeeper in the office, which position he
is still acceptably filling under Dr. Levi Rooke.
He is a stockholder in the Union National Bank
of Lewisburg. On November 30, 1865, Capt. Ammon was
married to Miss Maria T. McMichael, who was

992

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

born in Churchtown, Lancaster Co., Penn., No
vember n, 1839, a daughter of Thomas and Ade
line (Church) McMichael, the former a native of
Berks county, the latter of Lancaster county.
The mother, who was a faithful member of the
Episcopal Church, died at Churchtown, in 1842,
aged twenty-seven years. She left two children:
Maria T. , wife of our subject; and John, who
never married; he was killed in the battle of
Fredericksburg during the Civil war. For his
second wife the father wedded Catherine Davis,
of West Chester, Chester Co., Penn., where she
is still living, but Mr. McMichael died in Read
ing, Penn., in 1875, at the age of sixty years.
He was a railroad mail agent. Three children
blessed the union of Capt. and Mrs. Ammon:
Laura R. , who died at the age of eight years;
and two who died in infancy.
Fraternally, the Captain is an honored and
prominent member of the Grand Army of the
Republic, Patriotic Order Sons of America, and
the Knights of Pythias. His political support is
given the men and measures of the Republican
party, and since 1866 he has acceptably filled
the office of postmaster at Winfield, being one of
the oldest in continuous service in the United
States, which fact plainly indicates his faithful
discharge of duty and his popularity with his
fellow-citizens. He served as a member of the
State Central Committee, and was county chair
man of the Republican Committee two terms.

JACOB S. SHIVELY is one of the repre
sentative and prominent agriculturists of
Limestone township, Union county, where
the family, which was of Swiss origin, was es
tablished over one hundred and twenty-five years
ago. On the paternal side the great-grandfather,
Christian Shively, was a native of Switzerland,
and on coming to the New World he took up his
residence in York county, Penn., in what is now
York township. His wife was a native of Ger
many. In 1773 he came to Union county, where
he purchased 1,100 acres of wild land near what
is now White Spring, in Limestone township,
and a portion of that tract comprises the present
farm of our subject. He then returned to York
county, where he died soon afterward.
Christian Shively, Jr., the grandfather, was
born in York county, October 2, 1750, and, a
short time after his father purchased land in
Union county, he located here, making it his
home for many years. During the Indian out
rages after the battle of Lexington, for safety he
left the county, which at that time contained but

few families, his home being near that of Col. Wat
son, whose family was murdered by the Redmen.
After the Revolutionary war, Mr. Shively re
turned to Union county and located upon the
present farm of our subject, where he made many
useful improvements. Of his two brothers, John
and Henry, the former was taken by the Indians
and all trace of him was lost. Christian Shively
married Catharine  , who was born May
20, 1752, and they became the parents of seven
children: Barbara, who died on the old home
stead; Susanna, who married and removed to
Ohio; John and Samuel, who died in Union
county, Penn. ; Henry, who was found dead near
Mifflinburg, Penn. ; Daniel, who became a resi
dent of Columbiana county, Ohio; Christian,
who located in Clarion county, Penn. ; and
George, the father of our subject. The mother
of these children departed this life July 5, 1821,
the father September 12, 1842, and both were
buried in the English cemetery in Limestone
township. George Shively was born July 26, 1788, in
Limestone township, and became one of the sub
stantial agriculturists of that locality, owning a
large and well-improved farm. He married
Rachel Steese, also a native of Limestone town
ship, born May 23, 1790, a daughter of John
Steese. In their family were the following
children: Catharine, who married John Steese,
and died in Stephenson county, 111. ; John, who
died in Union county, Penn. ; Rachel, now the
wife of John Beaver, of West Buffalo township,
Union county; Barbara, who married Benjamin
Shively, and died in Jewell county, Kansas;
Christian, who died in Limestone township;
Susan, wife of Robert Badger, who died in Dal
las county, Iowa; Jacob S., of this review; and
five sons who died in childhood. The father was
a stalwart supporter of the Whig party, was a
consistent member of the German Baptist Church,
and a most excellent citizen of his community.
He died November 22, 1854, and his wife passed
away September 30, 1861.
Jacob S. Shively was born November 5, 1827,
in the house which he still occupies, and in the
district schools of the neighborhood he obtained
his education, his first teacher being Eleanor
Barber. He remained at home until sixteen
years of age, when he began learning the tan
ner's trade under John Steese, serving a three-
years' apprenticeship, but he has never followed
the business. For eleven years he successfully en
gaged in lumbering, beginning business along
that line when his capital consisted of an old
horse, but he subsequently owned a half-interest
in a sawmill on Penn's creek. Upon a tract of

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

993

twenty-five acres of land, which his father gave
him, he built a house and barn, and for several
years he worked as a general laborer at fifty cents
per day.
On October io, 1849, Mr. Shively was united
in marriage with Miss Elizabeth A. Stoughton,
who was born in Northumberland county, Penn.,
April 6, 1828, and was a daughter of Aaron
Stoughton. She departed this life July 15, 1858,
and was laid to rest in the Lewis cemetery. Mr.
.Shively was again married February 10, 1862,
his second union being with Mrs. William
Keinard, whose maiden name was Sally Boop, a
daughter of Jacob and Catharine (Fees) Boop.
Her birth occurred February 23, 1829, in Hart
ley township, Union county. By her marriage
with our subject she became the mother of five
children: William E., who died in childhood;
Elizabeth A., wife of Franklin Mitchell, of Lime
stone township, Union county; Mark M. , a
teacher of Mifflinburg, Penn., married Miss Sadie
Rule; Jennie C. is at home; and Greene, who is
a minister of the German Baptist Church, and
operates the home farm. The mother of these
departed this life February 20, 1898.
After his second marriage, Mr. Shively went
to housekeeping in Hartley township, Union
county, where his wife owned a small farm, but
in 1865 he removed to his farm in Limestone
township, and in April, 1883, located on the old
family homestead, where he has since resided,
the place having been in the possession of the
family for over a century. In August, 1889, he
fell from a scaffold while painting, and sustained
injuries which have since made him a cripple.
Mr. Shively and his family are active and
prominent members of the German Baptist
Church, of which he has been deacon for thirty-
three years, and treasurer of the Church for many
years. In politics he was a stanch Republican,
but for many years has not taken an active part
in party affairs; he has served as school
director six years, and also as tax collector. Of
undoubted integrity and honor, he has been
called upon to serve as executor, assignee, at
torney and guardian, and has settled many
estates, thousands of dollars having passed
through his hands in this way for other people,
none of whom ever required him to give a bond.
In all his dealings he has never had a lawsuit of
his own, although he has been a defendant in
proceedings while acting as executor or adminis
trator, but, as an individual, his affairs have al
ways been settled out of court. He is a man of
rare good sense and sound judgment, possessing
intelligence above the average, and a trust
reposed in him has never been betrayed.
6 3

FvRANK C. STOUGHTON, supervisor and
trainmaster of the Lewisburg branch of the
Pennsylvania R. R. , is one of the ablest and
most popular officials of that road. A native of
Lewisburg, he was born March 4, 1846, a son of
A. Stoughton, now the oldest living citizen of
that place.
The Stoughtons are of New England lineage.
Augustus Stoughton, our subject's great-grand
father, lived near Hartford, Conn. Augustus
Stoughton (2), the grandfather of our subject,
and a bridge builder by occupation, established
his home in Lancaster county, Penn. He mar
ried Hannah Ferry, and had five children, of
whom three lived to adult age, viz. : Augustus
(3), our subject's father; Kate, who married
George Wilson, and moving to Ohio, has not
been heard from since the war; and Hannah, who
married a Mr. House, and died in Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania. Augustus Stoughton (3) was born June 25,
1 8 14, and at the age of eighteen left his early
home in Lancaster county to learn the tinner's
trade in Milton, Penn. In 1837 he went to Lew
isburg and worked for a time as a journeyman,
but in 1.843 be engaged in business on his own"
account, and has continued ever since, having
occupied his present shop for thirty-five years.
In 1840 he was married to Miss Rebecca Pettit,
who was born in New Jersey, February 22,1820,
and is now hale and vigorous, despite her ad
vanced age. She has never worn spectacles,
her eyesight being still impaired. Her father,
William Pettit, was a native of Hunterdon coun
ty, N. J., but settled in Pennsylvania, his death
occurring in Lewisburg in 1839. His children
were: William (deceased); James, who resides
in Philadelphia; Nathan, Charles, and Caroline
(living); Rebecca, Mrs. Stoughton; Abbie (de
ceased), who married Cyrus Wanford, and re
sides in Waverly, N. Y. ; and Tillie, Mrs. Over
ton, who lives in Illinois.
Twelve children were born to Augustus (3)
and Rebecca Stoughton, of whom two died in in
fancy; the others were: Roland, who was cap
tain of Company D, 150th P. V. I., the "Buck-
tail Regiment," died at Fredericksburg, his body
being brought home for burial. He had a leg
fractured during the battle of the Wilderness, and
lay so long on the field before he was cared for
that he could not survive the shock of amputa
tion. Jennie is the wife of J. M. Rhodes, of
Milton, Penn. Frank C. is mentioned more fully
farther on. Mary is at home. Isabelle died at
the age of thirty-four years. Abbie is at home.
Carrie married Dr. Allbright, of Muncy, Penn.
James, who is single, resides at Lewisburg.

994

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Nellie C. married Harry Mathers, and Anna is
deceased. Frank C. Stoughton was reared in Lewis
burg and received a public-school education. In
1865, at the age of nineteen, he enlisted for one
year in Company C, 10th P. V. I., and served
until peace was restored. In 1868 he entered
the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany, and has been in continuous service since.
He was in the construction department of the
Pennsylvania & Erie from 1873 to 1880, in the
baggage department from 1880 to 1885, was a
passenger conductor from 1885 to 1891, and then
took his present position as supervisor and train
master, his promotions showing the esteem which
his faithful and efficient work had won.
In 1869 our subject was married to Miss Julia
E. Montgomery, who was born in Louisiana, Sep
tember 21, 1848. Nine children brighten their
home: Annie, Elizabeth Cregar, Rebecca Hill,
Thomas R., Jennie, Frank J., Julia, Margaret
and Augustus, Jr.

FETER RANGLER. The descendants of
Michael Rentchler, who came to America
from the kingdom of Wurtemberg, Germany, in
the year 1757, have altered the spelling of their
name in various ways, Rengler or Rangier being
the accepted form in the branch of the family to
which the subject of this sketch belongs. Michael
Rentchler was accompanied by his wife and son,
John, and they made their first home in Berks
county, Penn., but removed in May, 1788, to
what is now Union county, locating upon a large
tract of land on Buffalo creek, at its junction
with Spruce run.
John Rentchler, the grandfather of our sub
ject, was probably the first man to build a mill
in Union county, and the grist and saw mills
which he erected in 181 8 are still in use, and
bear the name of their founder. He owned a
farm about three-quarters of a mile north of
Buffalo Cross Roads, where he died February 19,
1825, aged sixty-six. His wife was Maria Dorothy
Will, a native of Berks county, and they had
three sons — Daniel, Jacob and Benjamin. Daniel
Rentchler, the father of our subject, was born in
Union county in 1793, and lived to the ripe old
age of eighty-one years, four months and five
'days, continuing the work of farming and milling
at the old homestead, known as the Buffalo Cross
Roads farm. He served as a sergeant in the war
of 18 r 2, in the regiment commanded by Lieut
Col. George Weirick, taking charge at the battle
of Marcus Hook, and winning a reputation there
and in other engagements for courage and dis

cretion. After the war closed he was elected
lieutenant in the State Militia, and served many
years. In 1 8 1 7 he married Miss Susanna Dunkel,
of Union county, by whom he had eight children,
of whom our subject was the eldest; (2) John
married Miss Mary Ritter, and lives in Michigan;
(3) Susannah married Isaac Reish; (4) Daniel
married Miss Susanna Royer, and resides at
Mazeppa, Penn. ; (5) George married Miss Wil
helmina Wolfinger, and settled in Michigan; (6)
Fannie Maria married Daniel Gephart, of Buffalo
township, Union county; (7) Jacob, married to
Miss Caroline Himmelreich, and (8) Benjamin,
married to Miss Rebecca Ewing, both settled in
Nebraska. The mother of these passed away
August 29, 1858, aged fifty-nine years, ten months
and fifteen days.
Peter Rangier was born in Buffalo township,
Union county, April 17, 18 18, and was reared at
the old homestead which he now owns. He
attended the local schools of that day while learn
ing the details of farm work, and on attaining man
hood engaged in agricultural work on his own
account, spending five years upon a farm in his
native township. He then removed to North
umberland county, Penn., and continued this
occupation for thirty-nine years, but nine years
ago he retired from active work and settled in
Lewisburg, where he now resides. In 1844 he
was united in marriage with Miss Mary Dunkle,
and more than half a century of wedded life has
been passed by them. Mrs. Rangier was born
in 1827, the daughter of Michael and Elizabeth
(Spitzer) Dunkle, of Union county, Pennsylvania.
Of the five children of Mr. and Mrs. Rangier,
three are now living: (1) William H. Harrison
was born in 1847, and died November 23, 1892;
he served three years as a soldier in the Union
army during the Civil war. (2) Susannah, who
married Daniel Stamm, died June 25, 1890, at
the age of forty-three years, four months and one
day ; she had five children — Clarence A. , John E. ,
MaryE., Spencer W. and Robert Clement. (3)
Mary Elizabeth is at home. (4) Peter F., un
married, is a farmer by occupation. (5) Clara
May married Edward J. Hubler, of Buffalo Cross
Roads, and has one daughter, Eve May.
Mr. Rangier is prominently identified with
the Reformed Church, and has always been a
man of influence among his acquaintances who
best know his worth.

LIVER W. H. GLOVER, M. D., an eminent
. physician and surgeon of Union county, lo
cated at Laurelton, Hartley township, was born
on his father's farm in Hartley township, one-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

995

half mile east of Laurelton, May 16, 1868, and
belongs to a family that has long been promi
nently identified with the growth and prosperity
of this region.
John Glover, Sr., called "King of Buffalo,"
his great-grandfather on the paternal side, was a
native of Ireland, whose parents emigrated to
that country during Cromwell's time from Lon
don, was born in or near Londonderry, in 1745.
In 1766 he came to America, accompanied by
his two nephews, sons of an older brother. For
a time he lived in Virginia, where he married,
and, accompanied by a wife and two daughters,
settled in Hartley in 1772, remaining here en
during the privations of pioneer life until the
time of the "Great Runaway " in 1778, when he
went to Dauphin county for a year, thence to
Virginia, and did not return to Hartley until
1789. He died in March, 1825, and is buried in
the Laurelton graveyard beside his wife and
daughter. John Glover, Jr., the grandfather of Dr.
Glover, was born in 1782, in the Old Dominion,
some sixteen miles from Winchester. He came
with his parents to Hartley township, Union Co. ,
Penn., and, in about 1807, married Elizabeth
Gray. He became one of the leading and influ
ential citizens of Union county, succeeding his
father in the ownership of the farm. In 1822
he was appointed by Gov. Heister a justice of
the peace, and- served in that capacity until he
was removed by the Constitution of 1838. How
ever, he served one term thereafter, having been
elected by the people. In 1839 he was elected
register and recorder for Union county. He
died May 16, 1862, aged about seventy-nine
years, and was buried in Hartleton, Union coun
ty, and besides him are his wife and two sons,
John and Andrew.
James Glover, the father of our subject, was
born July 20, 1824, at the old Glover homestead,
being the youngest of eight children. The others
were as follows: (1) William, born in 1808,
died November 8, 1854, is buried at Rockgrove;
he was a candidate for sheriff in Illinois, and died
the night of the election (defeated). He was
sheriff of Union county, Penn., in 1837; was a
merchant and a general business man. He mar
ried and had five children. (2) Andrew, born in
1810, died in May or June, 1852, and was buried
in Hartleton, Union county. He served as justice
of the peace and constable, was a tanner by trade.
He married, and had five children. His daugh
ters were married as follows — Jane to Henry
Dale, and resides at Council Bluffs, Iowa;
Amanda to David Brancher, of near Hartleton;
Elizabeth to James Moore, and lives in Missouri;

and Ellen to William Reed, of Huntingdon,
Penn. John, the only son, served in the Civil
war, and died in September, 1872. He was
buried at New Berlin. (3) John was born in
September, 1812, and died March 4, 1897. He
was buried at Hartleton, Penn. ; one daughter
survives him. (4) Sophia, the only daughter of
John Glover, was born November 19, 18 14. She
married Dr. Uriah Reed, of Jersey Shore, and
became the mother of three daughters. She is
now living and vigorous for one of her years.
(5) George, born in April, 1817, died in Septem
ber, 1885, and was buried in the Pellman ceme
tery. He married, and had four sons and two
daughters. His widow, daughter and two sons
live at and own the original homestead. (6)
Thomas, born July 7, 1819, was a "Forty-niner,"
and died at Fort Larimie, on his way to Califor
nia. Two of his sons and one daughter now live
in the West. (7) Robert V., born September 3,
1822, died December 9, 1893, and was buried in
the Pellman cemetery. He was a general mer
chant for fifty years. He married, and had seven
sons and two daughters. [See biography of
Horace P. Glover.]
James Glover for nine winters taught in the
public schools of Union and Snyder counties.
Later he located on a farm east of Laurelton, a
part of the original Glover lands. He served as
justice of the peace for ten years, discharging the
duties of the office in a most creditable and sat
isfactory manner; he served as school director
for eleven years. He was active as a Republican
and party worker, and voted at all elections for
fifty-one years. As his ancestors *did, he occu
pies an enviable position in the estimation of his
fellow citizens. He was married to Rebecca
Ann Pellman, of Limestone township, Union
county, February 23, i860; she died March 10,
1873, aged thirty-nine years and nine months.
They became the parents of five children: Anna
Mary, born April 13, 1861, married Milton Bing
man, March 1, 1887, and resides on a farm in
the borough of Hartleton; Laura Ellen, born
January 4. 1864, is at home; Charles Pellman,
born June 8, 1865, married Minnie Pursley, De
cember 2, 1889, and resides on the James Glover
homestead farm, having one son — James; Oliver
Wendell Holmes, our subject, is the next of the
family; Louis Pellman, born April 9, 1871, died
September 2, 1893, and was buried in Pellman
cemetery. On April 28, 1874, James Glover
took for his second wife Martha Pellman, who
died December 2, 1887.
Dr. Oliver W. H. Glover during his boyhood
and youth attended the district school, later
going to Bloomsburg State Normal for a term,

996

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

and then to the New Berlin Academy. He
taught school one term. He then became a
drug clerk, and while thus employed began read
ing medicine. He entered Jefferson Medical
College in September, 1888, graduating in 1891.
After forming a partnership with Dr. Mohn, he
began practicing at once in Laurelton. A year
later, Dr. Mohn wishing to retire from active
practice, owing to other business, our subject
took charge of his large practice. Dr. Glover
is a close and thorough student; he is a mem
ber of the Lycoming County Medical Socie
ty; a man of deep research, and his inves
tigations into the science of medicine, to
gether with his skillful application of knowl
edge thereby obtained, has won him a place in
the foremost ranks of the medical fraternity. In
religion as in politics, he has followed in the foot
steps of his father, is a Presbyterian and a Re
publican, an active party worker, having done
effective work for his party while serving as a
member of the county committee. He has
served as a school director. Fraternally, he is
a member of the Patriotic Order Sons of Amer
ica, and is a Mason.

WILLIAM HAMMOND BAKER is a repre-
 . sentative of one of the old and prominent
families of Buffalo township, Union county,
where his ancestors located in pioneer days,
since which time their descendants have been
active factors in the business and social life of
the community. Wendell Baker, the first of the
family to locate in Buffalo Valley, established a
home, in which occurred the birth of William
Baker, the father of our subject. The grand
parents were Jacob and Catharine (Rockey)
Baker. In the usual manner of farmer lads of that
pioneer time, William Baker, the father, was
reared to manhood. He was married in West
Buffalo, November 20, 1845, to Susan Kauff
man, who was born September 24, 1820, a
daughter of David and Elizabeth (Beck) Kauff
man. Her father, who was a wealthy farmer,
reared a large family. Mr. and Mrs. Baker be
gan their domestic life on the Frederick Heiser
farm in Buffalo township, and in 1866 he pur
chased and removed to the John Hauck farm,
which adjoined the old place. He afterward di
vided his land into three farms, and erected a new
set of buildings on the third farm, where he lived
from 1877 until his death, which occurred April
29, 1889. He died very suddenly while doing
his morning work, and was buried in Dreisbach
cemetery by the side of his wife, who had passed

away September 23, 1882. In politics he was a
stanch Democrat, while in religious faith he was
a member of the Reformed Church, in which he
held a number of offices. His wife belonged to
the Lutheran Church. In his business he was
systematic, industrious and persevering, and his
well-directed efforts brought to him success. He
accumulated considerable property, and at his
death left three good farms. His children were
as follows: Catharine, born August 11, 1846,
died in Buffalo township, March 7, 1892; Will
iam H., our subject, comes next; Henry R. ,
born January 13, 1849, is a farmer of Buffalo
township; Elizabeth, born March 1, 1855, is the
wife of Alfred Kaup, of Mifflinburg.
William H. Baker, the second of this family,
acquired the greater part of his education in
Cowan, later attending the Mifflinburg Academy.
His school days being completed, he remained
with his parents and assisted his father on the
farm at home until his marriage, October 24,
1876, with Jennie Lesher, daughter of John and
Elizabeth Lesher. She was born in Hartley
township, Union county, May 23, 1853, and
when fifteen years of age removed with her par
ents to Buffalo township, where her father died.
Her mother is still living there. Mrs. Baker is
the second of their four children, the others be
ing Andrew, of Lewisburg, Penn. ; Philip, of
Buffalo township; and Margaret, who died in in
fancy. Mr. and Mrs. Baker have one child,
Maineard L. , born November 26, 1877. He at
tended Bucknell Academy for three years, and is
now a pharmaceutical student at Philadelphia
College of Pharmacy, where he will take a thor
ough course.
On March 28, 1877, the family located at
their present home, and Mr. Baker operated the
land on shares until 1890, when he purchased it
of his father's estate. He has an excellent farm
of eighty acres under a high state of cultivation,
improved with substantial buildings and furnished
with the modern equipments of the nineteenth
century. He is a capable, energetic business
man, and his steady application has brought to
him a well-merited success. He and his wife
are members of the Presbyterian Church of Lew
isburg, and Mrs. Baker belongs to the Presbyte
rian Home and Foreign Missionery societies.

W MBROSE FAIRCHILD is extensively en-
-#3L gaged in farming in Gregg township,
Union county, where he pwns a very valuable
property, scarcely surpassed among the country
homes of the State. The land is rich and ara
ble, and has been placed under a high state of

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

997

cultivation. He also raises a good grade of
stock, and the products of his farm being of supe
rior quality demand the highest market price.
A substantial residence, good barns and other
outbuildings have been erected to the value of
$15,000, and all of the conveniences and acces
sories of a model farm of the nineteenth century
are there found.
Mr. Fairchild was born in Luzerne county,
Penn., December 31, 1856, and is a son of Sol
omon and Sarah (Robins) Fairchild. The for
mer was also born in Luzerne county, and his
father, Solomon Fairchild, Sr. , was a well-
known farmer there. The maternal grandfather
of oursubject, Jonathan Robins, was a native of
New Jersey, but spent his last years as an agricult
urist in Iowa. The mother of our subject was also
born in New Jersey, and was married to a Mr. Fair-
child in Luzerne county, where they continued to
make their home until 1874. They then re
moved to Northumberland county, where they
now reside, Mr. Fairchild having retired from
active business life. He was formerly extensively
engaged in agricultural pursuits, and is now a
stockholder and director in the First National
Bank of Milton, Penn. He has creditably filled
a number of township offices, and has worthily
won a competence by the exercise of excellent
business and executive ability and honorable
dealing. Both he and his wife are members of
the Presbyterian Church, and in politics he is a
Republican. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Solomon Fair-
child are Ambrose; Frank P., who is operating
the old homestead; George W., who is also fol
lowing farming in Northumberland county; Sol
omon L. , an agriculturist of Union county, Penn. ;
Elizabeth, wife of C. C. Brown, a merchant of
Lewisburg, Penn; and Linda, Minnie and Grace,
all at home.
Ambrose Fairchild spent the days of his boy
hood and youth under the parental roof, and in
the public schools of the neighborhood acquired
a good practical education, which was supple
mented by several months' study in the East
man Commercial College, Poughkeepsie, N. Y.
He continued to aid in the cultivation of the
home farm until twenty-six years of age, when
he began operating one of his father's farms in
Northumberland county, devoting his energies to
that work for twelve years. He then purchased
his present property in Gregg township.
On January 24, 1883, in Northumberland
county, Mr. Fairchild was married to Miss Ada
Dunkei, who was born in that county in 1862, a
daughter of Hiram and Christina (Frederick)
Dunkei, also natives of that county, where they

still reside. Her father is cashier in the Farm
ers National Bank of Watsontown, and is a
capable financier, holding high rank in business
circles. In his family are seven children: Mary,
wife of E. P. Datisman, a farmer of Northumber
land county; Mrs. Ada Fairchild; Edward K. , a
physician ot Jersey City, N. J. ; Sarah, wife of
George Millett, an architect, of Honey Brook,
Chester Co., Penn. ; Anna L. , a teacher of elocu
tion; Bessie and Catherine, at home. The
paternal grandfather of Mrs. Fairchild was
Killen Dunkei, a native of Union county, who
followed agricultural pursuits, and died in
Northumberland county. The maternal grand
father was Isaac Frederick, of Union county,
who also died in Northumberland county.
Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild have a family of four
children: Solomon, born October 24, 1883;
Helen, born November 21, 1884; Edwin D.,
born March 22, 1891; and Hunter M., born
September 17, 1893. They lost their third child,
Blanche, who was born January 1, 1886, and
died June 22, 1889. Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild
have a wide circle of acquaintances, and their
friends throughout the community are many.
Their pleasant home is noted for its hospitality,
and their courtesy and culture make it a favorite
resort with all. Mr. Fairchild gives his political
support to the Republican party.

M. MILLER, proprietor of the " Great
Western Hotel " at Vicksburg, and one of
the genial and accommodating landlords of Union
county, was born June 24, 1834, in what is now
Snyder county, Penn. , but at that time was Union
county. His father, George Miller, was a na
tive of Lehigh county, this State, whence he
came to Union county when quite young, with
his father, who died soon afterward. George
was then bound out to Adam Yonkman, a car
penter and farmer, and with him learned the car
penter's trade. In Snyder county he married
Barbara Manbeck, a native of that county, and
they became the parents of ten children — five
sons and five daughters — of whom the following
named reached adult age: Eve, who married
John F. Smith, and died in Walker township,
Juniata Co. , Penn. ; Isaac, who died in the same
township; Eliza, now the widow of George S.
Smith, and a resident of Lebanon, Penn. ; and
H. M., of this sketch.
George Miller and wife began their domestic
life in a small house in the woods, and for some
time he devoted most of his time to carpenter
ing, clearing his land as he found opportunity.
On selling that place he purchased the old Al-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

bright farm in Moser Valley, which he operated
some years and then removed to Adamsburg,
where he followed mercantile pursuits for a time,
finally selling out his business there to Reuben
Keller. While serving as justice of the peace
for a number of years, he also carried on farm
ing near Adamsburg, and subsequently removed
to Walker township, Juniata county, where he
owned two good farms. There he died at the
ripe old age of eighty-seven years. The mother
of our subject died in the same county at the
age of sixty-one, after which the father was
three times married, but all of his children were
of the first union. Both parents were buried in
Locust Run cemetery in Walker township. Al
though George Miller's early education was limited
to two months' attendance at a German school, he
obtained a good practical knowledge of affairs
by experience and observation, and conducted all
his business in English. He was almost six feet
in height, was strong and active, and in wrestling
matches in early life always came off victorious.
First as a Whig and later as a Republican, he
took quite an active and prominent part in local
politics, and served as school director after the
free schools were established. He was an in
fluential member of the Evangelical Church, with
which he was officially connected for years, and
for some time served as class leader.
Mr. Miller, whose name introduces his
sketch, began his education in the early country
schools, and later attended the free schools for
a time, while he acquired a good business knowl
edge in his father's store. At the age of sev
enteen he went to Ohio, working as a lab
orer in the vicinity of Akron and Canton for a
short time, after which he returned home and
remained under the parental roof until his mar
riage. In Snyder county he wedded Miss Mary
S., a daughter of George Arbogast, who followed
farming in early life, later engaging in milling.
Our subject began house-keeping on his father's
farm of 178 acres in Walker township, Juniata
county, which he subsequently purchased, but as
he was heavily in debt, and had to pay as high
as ten and twelve per cent interest, he finally
traded that place for a farm in Buffalo township,
Union county, where he remained for one year.
Later he lived on two different farms in East
Buffalo township, where his wife died June 25,
1886, and was buried in Manbeck Church ceme
tery in Snyder county. She left four children:
George A., a resident of Lewistown, Penn.;
Reuben U., an attorney of Crestline, Ohio; Ed
win D., a telegraph operator of Crestline; and
Emma I., at home. On December 26, 1889,
Mr. Miller was again married, his second union

being with Miss Mary E. Bentley, of Lewisburg, •
Penn., who was a graduate of the grammar
school of that place, and engaged in teaching
for a time. Later she successfully followed
dress-making for nineteen years, commencing in
1870. For several years before his removal to
Vicksburg, Mr. Miller lived at Lochiel, but on
the 22nd of March, 1893, took charge of the
"Great Western Hotel", which he has since
successfully conducted. It is one of the best
hostelries in Buffalo Valley outside of Lewisburg,
and under the able management of our sub
ject is a great favorite with the traveling public.
His wife a very kind, accommodating woman,
is one of the few model landladies. Besides his
business here he still owns 117 acres of valuable
land in Buffalo township. For some time he
dealt extensively in horses, and is an excellent
judge of the noble steed. Although he always
supports the men and measures of the Republic
an party at State and National elections, he is
not strictly partisan, and at local elections votes
for the man whom he considers best qualified to
fill the position. He has served on the election
board, and as supervisor in Juniata county, but
is no politician in the sense of office seeking.
Religiously he is a member of the Evangelical
Church.

AVID B. NESBIT. Among the first to re
spond to the call for defenders of the im
perilled Union, when the attack upon Fort
Sumter thrilled the North with indignation, was
was the subject of this sketch, who enlisted
April 18, 1 86 1, in Company G, 4th Penn. Vol.
Inf., in the first company that left Union county.
His regiment was first ordered to duty at Annap
olis, Md. , and speedily found itself in the " ene
my's country," being obliged to rebuild a railroad
before they could go on to Washington. After
remaining some time in the latter city, they were
sent forward in the first campaign in Virginia,
and served in the Third Brigade at the first bat
tle of Bull Run. Shortly after this notable strug
gle they were discharged, their term of service
having expired. The hope of an early termina
tion of hostilities, cherished in the first days of
the war, vanished as time passed and Mr. Nes-
bit subsequently re-enlisted, this time as first ser
geant of Company C, 3d Regiment, Pennsylvania
Volunteer Militia, when the Confederates first en
tered Pennsylvania in 1862, and next in Com
pany F, 28th P. V. I., for an emergency term,
and was on duty at the skirmish at Oyster Point,
at the bombardment of Carlisle and Hagerstown

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

999

about six weeks in 1863, the time being spent
chiefly at Hagerstown, Md. He was com
missioned as first sergeant September 13, 1862.
Mr. Nesbit is now a prominent citizen of
Lewisburg, Union county, where he was born
August 20, 1837. He is of Scotch-Irish ances
try, the first of the family to cross the Atlantic
being his great-grandfather. The grandfather,
Alexander Nesbit, was born probably in York
county, Penn., but removed to Northumberland
county, where his last days were passed. He
was married twice, and his second wife had also
made a previous marriage. John Nesbit, our
subject's father, who was born in York county,
Penn., in 1785, married (first) Miss Isabella Da
vidson, and (second) Mrs. Sarah Elliott, nee
Beale, the mother of our subject. She was born
in Juniata county, Penn., in 1787, and died
in 1 86 1, the father passing away three years
later. They were Presbyterians in religion, and
Mr. Nesbit, who was a contractor by occupation,
held a prominent place in the business and polit
ical life of his locality. On March 26, 1820, he
was appointed justice of the peace to serve
"during good behavior," and it is unnecessary to
state that he held the position many years, and
finally relinquished it voluntarily on account of
advancing years and the pressure of other duties.
The greater part of his life was spent in Lime
stone township, Union county, where he owned
two farms. By his first marriage he had seven
children: Alexander (deceased) was a commission
merchant in Philadelphia; Sarah A. (deceased)
was the wife of P. M. Housel; Mary E. (deceased)
never married; Nancy is probably living; John,
Isabella and Caroline all died in childhood. Our
subject was the youngest of the three children
by the second union, and is now the only sur
vivor. John died at the age of twenty-four; and
Margaret Jane died after her marriage to Joseph
M. Housel. By Mrs. Sarah Nesbit's marriage
with Thomas Ury Elliot there were four chil
dren, none of whom are now living: William B.,
phrenologist, was the eldest; Cassandra died in
childhood; Mary married Louis Iddings; and
Thomas was a druggist by occupation.
David B. Nesbit grew to manhood in Lewis
burg, and received his education in the public
schools and the academy. His father had built
there the first steam flour and feed mill in Union
county, and the first employment in which our
subject engaged was as a salesman for its product,
in 1854, when about seventeen years of age.
After spending several years "on the road," he
learned the carpenter's trade, serving a three-
years' apprenticeship, and since that time he has
followed contracting and building, enjoying a

large custom. He is a leading Republican, and
as a man and a citizen is highly esteemed. In
1895 be was elected justice of the peace, a posi
tion in which he displays marked ability. He is
a member of the G. A. R. Post No. 52, of
Lewisburg. In 1870 he married Miss Emma C.
Squires, who was born in Nottingham, England,
April 27, 1848. They had eight children, of
whom four are now living: Norma C. , Clarence
H., Melville D. and Bruce S.

JOHN WATSON. This gentleman, who
spent his early manhood in active business,
and mainly in agricultural pursuits, is now
living retired in West Buffalo township, Union
county, enjoying the fruits of his former toil.
He is a worthy representative of an honored
pioneer family of this section of the State, and
is also descended from good old Revolutionary
stock. His paternal grandparents were David
and Jane (Clark) Watson, the latter being a
daughter of John Clark, who held a captain's
commission in the war for Independence. Patrick
Watson, a great-uncle of our subject, was mor
tally wounded by the Indians, who killed and
scalped his mother, in May, 1780, near the pres
ent site of the city of Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania.
William Watson, the father of John, was
born in West Buffalo township, Union county,
in April, 1797, and was the ninth in order of
birth in a family of eleven children. Among the
number were David and John C. Watson,
neither of whom married. They spent their de
clining days with our subject, where the former
died at the age of eighty, and the latter at the
age of seventy-seven years. The family is of
Scotch-Irish descent, and its members have
mostly belonged to the Presbyterian Church,
of which the grandfather of our subject was an
elder for many years.
On attaining to man's estate, William Wat
son married Sarah Boop, who died in January,
1878, at the age of sixty-nine years. They be
came the parents of five children, namely: John,
of this sketch; David, who is now living retired
in Mifflinburg at the age of fifty-eight; Mary
who became the wife of James R. Ritter, a mer
chant of Mifflinburg, and died in June, 1895, and
Sarah and William, who both died in childhood.
The father, who was one of the most substantial
and highly respected citizens of Union county,
passed away May 23, 1866, and now lies buried
by the side of his wife in Mifflinburg cemetery.
As soon as he had attained a sufficient age,
Mr. Watson, whose name introduces this review,
entered the public schools, where he pursued his

1000

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

studies until he had attained the age of twenty,
and was noted for his studious habits, always be
ing at the head of his classes. He has still, at
the age of sixty-one, a splendid memory, and is
a well-informed man on the leading questions of
the day, as well as on general topics of interest.
Early becoming familiar with agriculture, he
chose farming as a life work, and met with ex
cellent success in his undertakings.
In 1 87 1, Mr. Watson was united in marriage
with Miss Sarah E., a daughter of Emanuel
Hartman, a prominent farmer of Union county,
Penn. Her paternal grandfather followed the
same occupation in Northumberland county.
Four children blessed this union: Flora J., born
in 1 87 1, completed her education in the Wilson
Female College of Chambersburg, Penn. ; Mabel
E. died at the age of three years and three
months; Sarah S., born in 1876, was educated in
the Mifflinburg High School; and David H., born
in 1879, is now attending that institution.
Mr. Watson always uses his right of franchise
in support of the men and measures of the Re
publican party, and has faithfully served his fel
low citizens in a number of official positions of
honor and trust, but cares nothing for political
distinction. He takes great pleasure in traveling,
and has visited nearly every State of the Union.
His family, which is connected with the Presby
terian Church, holds a prominent place in the
social circles of West Buffalo township, and in
their hospitable home they delight to entertain
their many friends.

JAMES PURSLEY. Among the leading and
influential citizens that make up the agri
cultural population of Union county, this
gentleman is certainly deserving of prominent
mention. He is one of the most progressive
and energetic farmers of Hartley township, and
is now a member of the honorable board of
county commissioners. In the township where
he still resides, his birth occurred October 23,
1844, and since attaining to man's estate he has
been actively identified with the development
and prosperity of this section.
William Pursley, the father of our subject,
was born in Mifflin county, Penn., and was of
Irish descent. He married Miss Eliza Switzer,
who was born in Juniata county, Penn., but was
reared in Mifflin county, and was a daughter of
David Switzer. She died at the age of seventy-
one years, ten months and some days, and the
father passed away at the age of eighty-seven
years, four months and sixteen days. He was a
lumberman by occupation, a stanch Democrat in

politics, and a Presbyterian in religious belief,
but his wife held membership in the Evangelical
Church. In the family were eight children,
namely: Ann, now the wife of T. Libby, of
Hartley township, Union county; Mary, who
married John Goodlander, and died in Missouri;
James, of this sketch; Mark, who died at the
age of fifteen years; David, a lumberman, of
Lock Haven, Penn. ; Reed and Joseph, both
residents of Hartley township; and William, who
died when young.
Our subject spent the days of his boyhood
and youth in his native township, with the ex
ception of four years passed in Mifflin county,
Penn., whither his parents had removed, butat
the end of that time they returned to Union
county. He began his business career in the
lumber woods, and later worked on a farm until
1863, when he enlisted in Company F, 4th
United States Infantry, and served with the
Army of the Potomac until the war ended. He
participated in the battles of the Wilderness,
Cold Harbor, Spottsylvania and Petersburg, and
was twice slightly wounded. Brave and fearless
on the field of battle, he was always found at his
post of duty, and is now an honored member of
John C. Schnure Post, G. A. R.
On returning home, Mr. Pursley again re
sumed business in the lumber woods, and be
came a contractor in getting out timber. Sub
sequently he purchased land, and now gives most
of his attention to agricultural pursuits, in which
he has met with good success. He is one of the
leading representatives of the local Democratic
organization, has always taken a prominent part
in public affairs, and by his party was elected
commissioner of Union county, although the
county usually has a large Republican majority.
In 1866 Mr. Pursley was married to Miss
Sarah Swank, who was born in Lewis township,
Union county, in 1846, and they have had eight
children: Ellen, wife of J. L. Fesenden, by
whom she has three children — Bennie, Florence
and Philip; William; Minnie, wife of Charles
Glover; David, born January 4, 1874, now has
charge of his father's hotel in Laurelton; Eliza;
Sadie; James Gettes and Harry.

ill ICHAEL SLEAR, junior member of the
 firm of Burns & Slear, leading lumber
merchants and operators at Winfield, Union
county, is one of the substantial citizens of his
locality, having won the success due to honest
and well-directed effort in business life. He was
born April 14, 1851, in the township where he

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1001

now resides, a son of Charles Slear and a grand
son of Jacob and Mary Slear.
The father, who was a native of Union town
ship, Union county, became a successful farmer
and tanner. He was an active member of the
Lutheran Church, and a stanch supporter of the
Democratic party. He was killed by a runaway
horse on March 30, 1872, at the age of fifty
years, four months and twenty-six days. His
wife, Elizabeth (Smith), who still resides at the
Slear homestead in Union township, Union coun
ty, was a daughter of Michael and Lida (Slough)
Smith. Ten children were born to Charles and
Elizabeth Slear: Maggie, who married (first)
Mr. Stover, and (second) Mr. Bower, of Elkhart,
Ind.; Howard, a resident of Lewisburg; Emma,
wife of George Mourer, a farmer of Doniphan
county, Kans. ; Martin, a hotel-keeper at Sham
okin Dam, Snyder Co. , Penn. ; Michael, our sub
ject; Miss AnnaM., at home; Catherine, wife of
William Sasaman, a farmer of Snyder county;
Oliver, a tanner at Winfield; Ada, wife of Will
iam Everhart, a carpenter and farmer in Union
county; and Laura, who married Henry Ritter, a
farmer in Northumberland county, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Slear (our subject) attended the schools
near his early home during boyhood, and had
the further advantages of one year of study
in Union Seminary, at New Berlin, Penn.
After the death of his father he and his brother
Howard took charge of the tannery, which they
conducted for three years, and then for five years
he carried on the business with his brother Oli
ver, being also engaged in farming. On May 28,
1874, he was married at Selins Grove, Penn.,
to Miss Louisa J. Long, and the first thirteen
years of their wedded life were spent upon a farm
in Union township. In the spring of 1888 they
removed to a newly-built home in Winfield,
where they have since resided. Four children
have blessed their union: Bertha B., born Au
gust 9, 1875, married Edward Rholand, of Union
county, and has one son, Wendell; Martin L. ,
born August 30, 1877; Helen S., March 19,
I893, and Dale, December 17, 1895, are at home.
In 1895 Mr- Slear formed a partnership with
Samuel Burns in the lumber business, and they
operate a sawmill, carrying on an extensive
trade in that line. Mr. Slear gives his attention
to cutting and shipping the wood, spending most
of his time in the forest, notwithstanding the
fact that he has suffered from rheumatism from
boyhood. In politics he is a Democrat, and his
influence is felt in party affairs. He has served
one term as township auditor, two as school
director, and in the fall of 1887 he was elected
commissioner of Union county for a term of three

years. He is also prominently identified with
the Lutheran Church, the Patriotic Order Sons
of America, at Winfield, and Charity Lodge, No.
144, F. & A. M., of Lewisburg.
Mrs. Slear is a native of Monroe township,
Snyder Co.. Penn., and was born March 24,
185 1 . Her father, Solomon Long, now a well-
known retired resident of Winfield, was born in
1827, a son of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Bird)
Long. His wife, Harriet Rowe, was born in
1834. Mrs. Slear was the eldest in a family of
five children; Clara is the wife of Samuel Shan
non, a farmer of near Ashland, Penn., and Theo,
Newton and Samuel are all three residing at
Winfield.

Tj7*\ W. MILLER. A list of the leading agri-
Jf culturists of Union county would certainly
include the subject of this sketch, the fortunate
owner of two valuable farms, one near Lochiel
and the other at Vicksburg. Mr. Miller is not
content with being successful in his calling, but he
is thoroughly in sympathy with the movements
which promise to widen the horizon of other
farmers who for one cause or another find them
selves at a disadvantage. As an active worker
in the Farmers Alliance, he has done much to
create and foster the new spirit of comradeship
and unity by which the members of this honored
guild are enabled to combine for mutual benefit.
Mr. Miller is a native of Penn township,
Snyder county, born October 24, 1841. His
education was begun in the schools of that
locality, but his parents, Daniel and Esther
(Wagner) Miller, removed during his boyhood to
Northumberland county, where he attended the
district schools for some time. While still in his
'teens he accompanied the family to East Buffalo
township, Union county, his father having pur
chased a farm there. As the youngest son, Mr.
Miller remained at home to assist his father, and
much of his youth was spent in clearing at the
new home, and in the routine of farm work.
On October 28, 1862, Mr. Miller was married
in Lewisburg, by Rev. R. A. Fink, to Miss
Catherine Biehl, who was born in Berks county,
Penn., June 27, 1841, a daughter of Gideon and
Rebecca (Dreibelbeis) Biehl, who later removed
to Union county. After his marriage Mr. Miller
located upon a farm in Kelly township, Union
county, belonging to his father and father-in-law
in partnership. He remained there eight years,
purchasing the place in the meantime, and in
1 87 1 moved to the Biehl homestead in East
Buffalo township, near Lochiel. This is a
beautiful place, one of the finest in the county.

1002

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Mr. Miller bought eighty acres for $16,000, and
made his home there since 1871. In 1890 he
bought Noah Slear's brick house in Lochiel, and
moved into it in April, 1893, when his son,
Harry E., moved onto the Lochiel farm. In his
farm near Vicksburg, in Buffalo township, he
has sixty-seven acres, making 147 acres in all,
which cost him on an average $182.50 per acre.
Being accustomed to active life, and wishing to
improve the farm buildings, our subject, in the
spring of 1897, moved onto the farm near Vicks
burg, where he now lives. Notwithstanding the
fact that his education was restricted to the
country schools, and was summarily ended when
he was seventeen, he is a well-informed man in
many lines. He is a warm friend of education,
his influence being used whenever possible for
the improvement of the schools of his neighbor
hood. Of his four children, the eldest, Harry E. ,
born September 25, 1863, married Miss Annie
Reber, and has had two children — John Frank
lin, who died March 23, 1887, aged eight months,
and Clementine A. Alice L, born April 30, 1865,
is the wife of Newton Glover, of Buffalo township,
Unioncounty, and has adaughter, Mary Catherine.
James B., born February 15, 1868, and Clarence
D. , born April 19, 1869, are at home. Mr. and
and Mrs. Miller are both members of the Lu
theran Church, and are prominent in religious
work. As has been said, Mr. Miller is a leading
spirit in the Farmers Alliance in his section, and
for some time he has been identified with the
Brook Park Association.

D

H. STRICKLER, one of the most success
ful educators of Union county, was born in
West Buffalo township, July 21, 1863.
Jacob Strickler, his grandfather, was born in
Spring Garden township, York Co. , Penn. , Au
gust 7, 1805, a son of John and Catharine (Bixler)
Strickler, who spent their entire lives in York
county. Their children were: Ulrich, who died
of cancer in York county; Elizabeth, who became
the wife of John Miller, and died at their home
in Montgomery county, Ohio; Catharine, who
lived with her brother Jacob, and died in West
Buffalo township, Unioncounty; John, a farmer
who died in York county; Michael, also a farmer
who died in York county; Lydia, who became
the wife of Michael Shellenberger, and died in
York county; and Maria, who became the wife
of John Shellenberger, and died in York county.
The father of this family died at the age of fifty-
nine years, and at his death left considerable
property.

Jacob Strickler, the grandfather of our sub
ject, was left fatherless at the age of eleven
years, and two years later his mother died, but
he was carefully reared by his sister Catharine.
He married Rebecca Smith, who was born in
Manchester township, York county, April 4,
1809, a daughter of Peter and Elizabeth (Wentz)
Smith. Her father was a farmer and spent his
entire life in York county. He had two sons and
six daughters. After his marriage, Jacob Strick
ler located on a small farm in York county,
where he lived until April, 1837, when he came
with his family to West Buffalo township, Union
county, making the journey by team. On the
farm which he purchased he made his home until
the early '60s. He died October 26, 1885, and
his wife passed away July 22, 1889. He voted
with the Democracy, but took no active part inpol-
itics. He belonged to the German Baptist Church.
His business was successfully conducted, and he
owned a farm in West Buffalo township, and
another in Limestone township, Union county,
together aggregating 280 acres. He also erected
the buildings on the old Strickler homestead in
West Buffalo township. He and his wife lie
buried in the German Baptist cemetery in that
township. Their children were: Elizabeth, wife of Jacob
Royer, of Millmont, Penn. ; John, who operates
the homestead farm in West Buffalo township;
Emanuel, who died in infancy; Jacob, of West
Buffalo township; Rebecca, who is living in the
same township; Ulrich; Henry, who died near
Lewisburg, Penn. ; Catharine, of West Buffalo
township; Simon P., who died in Millmont,
Penn., November 26, 1895; Michael, of Kelly
township, Union county; Daniel, of Mifflinburg,
Penn. ; and Isaac, of Limestone township, Union
county. Ulrich Strickler, father of our subject, was
born December 18, 1836, was reared on a farm,
and educated in the district schools, to which he
had a long distance to walk, until in his later
youth, when a school-house was built on his
father's land. He learned the plasterer's trade
under Abraham Eberhart. When twenty-six
years of ago, in West Buffalo township, he mar
ried Sarah Royer, who was born in Northumber
land county, Penn., in 1837, a daughter of
Charles Royer, who removed from Lancaster
county to Union county. Mr. and Mrs. Strickler
began their domestic life in West Buffalo town
ship, and, in 1874, located in Buffalo township
on the farm which is now the home of our sub
ject. The father purchased a half interest in this
property, of his brother Jacob, and made the place
his home until his death, February 19, 1891.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1003

He was a member of the German Baptist Church,
and was buried in its cemetery. In politics he
was a Democrat, and lived a quiet and unassum
ing, but upright life. A year after his death his
widow removed to West Buffalo township, where
she now lives. She, too, is a member of the
German Baptist Church. They had four chil
dren: D. H.; Charles E., of Mifflinburg; Jacob
¦ U., a plasterer of West Buffalo township; and
Theodore F. , of the same township.
D. H. Strickler attended the Pike school in
West Buffalo township, was reared under the
parental roof, and since eleven years of age has
resided at his present home. His early educa
tional privileges were supplemented by study in
the Central Pennsylvania College, of New Ber
lin, and in a normal school at Buffalo Cross
Roads, also at Michael's Commercial and Business
College' of Oberlin, Ohio. When twenty years
of age he was employed as teacher of the Pon
tius school, in Buffalo township, since which time
he has been teacher in the Red Bank school, and
the Pike school, both of West Buffalo township;
the Strawbridge school in Buffalo township; the
Creek school and the Loudon school in West
Buffalo township. He spent the summer of 1888
near Huron, S. Dak. , working as a farm hand,
and with this exception, has been continuously
and successfully engaged in teaching since the
age of twenty years.
On June 16, 1894, in ^ew Jersev> Mf- Strick
ler was married to Miss Lizzie Wagner, who was
born in West Buffalo township, July 8, 1865, a
daughter of John and Catharine (Bechler) Wag
ner. Her mother was born November 30, 1838,
in Lewis township, a daughter of John and Eliz
abeth (De Long) Bechler. Her father, John
Wagner, was a blacksmith by trade. Mrs. Strick
ler, their only child, began her education in
Creek school, under the direction of William
Bechler, and when ten years of age entered the
Mifflinburg High School. Later she attended a
select school taught by Mrs. Burrows, and when
sixteen years of age began teaching in the school
where she was first a student. She has since
successfully followed that profession, with the
exception of three winters, and for eight terms
was teacher of the Creek school, has taught in
the Pike school for three winters, had charge of
the intermediate grade in the Mifflinburg school
one winter, was for two terms a teacher in the
Pontius school of Buffalo township, two terms in
the Loudon school, and three terms in the Pike
school. Both Mr. and Mrs. Strickler are num
bered among the successful educators of Union
county, and are most highly respected people.
Mr. Strickler is a member of the German

Baptist Church, his wife of the German Re
formed Church. They have two children: Mi
riam J., born September 26, 1892; and Myrna
R. , born February 17, 1894. On their marriage
they located at their present home, where Mr.
Strickler owns forty-seven acres of land. During
the months of vacation he follows farming, and
in 1897 be thoroughly remodeled his home,
making it a very pleasant residence.

JACOB M. SCHOCH, a native of Union coun
ty, but now a resident of Philadelphia, was
born in New Berlin, July 25, 1850.
Mr. Schoch is the only son of Sem and Mar
garet (Ruhl) Schoch. His mother was twice
married, her first husband being Mr. George
Kleckner. The first eighteen years of the life of
our subject were passed in his birthplace, where
he attended the public schools for some time,
his first teacher being Miss Kate Kessler; but he
completed his education in Union Seminary (now
Central Pennsylvania College) at New Berlin, re
ceiving such an education as would fit him for a
successful business career. His father being a
tanner in New Berlin, Jacob was often employed
in the tannery during boyhood, grinding bark,
and doing such other work as his strength would
permit. When still in his teens Mr. Schoch became a
clerk in the store of Rathfon & Winters, where
he secured his first knowledge of mercantile
business. But New Berlin was not the place for
an enterprising, progressive young man, and in
March, 1869, he concluded to go West. After a
few days spent in Chicago, however, he decided
to return to the East and locate in Philadelphia.
He entered the wholesale notion store of Park,
File & Co., as a clerk at a salary of $10 per
week. For twenty-one years Mr. Schoch re
mained with that firm, but since September, 1890,
he has been connected the Young, Smyth,
Field & Co., of Philadelphia, one of the largest
wholesale houses in their line in the United
States. For almost thirty years Mr. Schoch has
spent much of his time on the roads as a travel
ing salesman, and he has formed an extensive
acquaintance such as only a man in his line can
form. He now spends only a few months of
each year in traveling, making his home in' Phil
adelphia, but passes the summer with his family
at New Berlin.
On the 9th of February, 1875, Mr. Schoch
was married in New Berlin to Miss Angehne
Kessler, who was born March 6, 1851, a daugh
ter of ex-Sheriff John and Catharine (Spangler)
Kessler, and they now have two children: Ed-

1004

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ward C. , who was born September 3, 1876, and
who is associated in business with his father; and
Alice M., born July 24, 1882. Mr. Schoch usu
ally supports the Democracy, but is not strictly
partisan.

SAMUEL BLYLER. While there is much
__J truth in the strictures made upon the mod
ern scramblers for the almighty dollar, who seek
to accumulate vast fortunes by selfish and un
scrupulous means, there is nothing more worthy
of praise than the quiet and steady pursuit of
some honest calling and the determined exercise
of the industry, economy and sagacity which en
ables a man to acquire a home and a competence.
The subject of this biography, now a prosperous
saddler and harness maker at Brook Park, Union
county, is a man whose brave struggle with early
adversity has brought him a competence without
sacrifice of principle.
Mr. Blyler was born in Limestone township,
Union county, July 26, 1847, the son of Absalom
and Catherine (Heimbach) Blyler. Absalom
Blyler, who was a native of Berks county, Penn.,
was a shoemaker by trade, but spent some years
at farming. Tall, broad-shouldered and possess
ing much strength in his active days, he was
known as a hard worker, but for some reason he
never gained anything beyond a small home and
a fair living. In politics he was a Democrat, but
he did not seek official honors. His wife died in
1854, and he survived her only eight years, both
being buried in Snyder county. They had four
teen children, six sons and eight daughters, of
whom two died in infancy, and our subject was
the twelfth in this large family.
In those times the schools of this section were
not as numerous as they are to-day, and our sub
ject had to trudge many a weary mile to secure
an education at all. As a son of a poor man
there was much to hinder his studies, farm work
occupying his time. After his father's death the
family was scattered, and in 1864, though a lad
of seventeen, Mr. Blyler entered the Union
army, as a private in Company B, 184th P. V. I.
He took part in all the engagements of his regi
ment, remaining at the front until the close of
the war. While on the return march to Wash
ington for the grand review, he was overcome
with fatigue and sent to the hospital, and thus he
missed the historic pageant that marked the close
of the struggle in which he had borne so brave a
part. On receiving his discharge he returned to
Union county, and began to learn his trade with
John Herbst, of New Berlin, remaining two
years, and receiving $50 with the privilege of

working four weeks for farmers in harvest time
to secure a little ready money. After his appren
ticeship ended he worked for Mr. Herbst a short
time, and then found employment with John
Stitzer at Mifflinburg. In 1868 he went to Kent,
Stephenson Co., 111., and being unable to find
work at his trade, he spent more than two years
as a farm hand. Coming back to Pennsylvania,
Mr. Blyler found conditions unfavorable for fol
lowing his trade, but an opening at Dayton,
Ohio, led him to go there and remain some time,
interrupted only by a short period of work at
Tippecanoe, Ohio. In 1872 be came to Lewis
burg, and entered a shoe factory as a workmen,
but the failure of the firm threw him out of em
ployment again, and he went to Watsontown,
Penn., to take a similar position. On leaving
that place he returned to Lewisburg, and began
working at his trade which he has since followed.
In the fall of 1886 he began business on his own
account, locating at Brook Park, where he has
built a shop and a comfortable residence. His
success, gained by hard toil, is well deserved.
Honesty in his dealings, and a faithful discharge
of every obligation, have won him the lasting
esteem of all classes in the community.
In 1 88 1, Mr. Blyler was married in Selins
Grove, Penn., to Miss Mary A. Zearfoss, daugh
ter of John Zearfoss, of Lewisburg, Penn., and
three attractive daughters, Lena, Mary and
Emily, brighten their home,. Mrs. Blyler is a
member of the Reformed Church, and takes much
interest in the work of the society. As a citizen
Mr. Blyler has always lent his influence on the
side of progress, and he is one of the active sup
porters of the Farmers Alliance. In politics he
was a Republican until 1881, but the candidacy
of General Hancock, his old commander, won
his vote for the Democratic ticket. His sympa
thies are with the Democrats in the main, but he
is not a blind partisan, and often " splits the
ticket."

A. COOR. To the ambitious young man
^L who fancies that no suitable opportunity for
the exercise of his abilities can be found outside
of our great commercial centers, the following
history will convey a helpful suggestion. As a
produce shipper, grain dealer and general mer
chant Mr. H. A. Cook, of Vicksburg. has built
up an extensive business, and at the same time he
has been helping to develop a new section and
extend these lines of activity.
Mr. Cook is a native of Mifflin county, Penn.,
having first seen the light near Allenville, Decern- ,
ber 4, 1856. His father, the late J. B. Cook, a

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1005

successful agriculturist, died at the age of sev
enty-six, and his mother, whose maiden name
was Mary Schoch, is now in her eightieth year.
They have two sons living, and of their four
daughters, one died in childhood. Another lost
her life by swallowing a button, all attempts to
dislodge it failing, and two lived to adult age.
Our subject first attended the common schools of
his native township, but when he was eight years
old his parents removed to the vicinity of New
Berlin, Union county, where he continued his
education in the public schools and later in the
seminary. He was an industrious youth, men
tally and physically, and on Saturdays or other
holidays he would spend his time grinding bark
at the tannery of his uncle, Abram Schoch, at
New Berlin, and his wages, though small,
amounted in time to a neat sum. His uncle en
couraged him to save his money, giving him a
note for all that he left on deposit with him,
and thus Mr. Cook established at an early age
the habit of accumulation. His studies did not
suffer in the meantime, as* at seventeen he was
competent to teach, but he followed that occu
pation only one term. He did some work as a
farm hand for neighbors, but in 1871 he secured
a position as clerk in the large general store of J.
S. Raudenbush, at Vicksburg, at a salary of
eleven dollars per month. The business was en
tirely new to him, but he learned rapidly and
soon proved his worth, his wages being raised
after four months. In less than a year he was
placed in charge of the produce car which his
employer sent at regular intervals to the coal
regions, where an excellent market was found.
For a number of years Mr. Cook conducted
this important department of the business, the
remainder of his time being spent in the store.
In 1889 he became a member of the firm of
Raudenbush & Cook, which continued until 1891.
He then established a similar business of his
own, building his present convenient store, and
in the fall of the same year he erected an elevator
by the railroad track, where he carries on an
extensive trade in grain, salt and other com
modities. He owns the store and residence
formerly occupied by Mr. Raudenbush, and has
built for himself a new and elegant home in the
same town, while his business in all lines is con
ducted on a much more extended scale than was
that of his old employer. This success has not
been gained without effort, few men in any busi
ness working more constantly than does Mr.
Cook. His straightforward methods have won
for him the entire confidence of the people with
whom he deals, and these he esteems above any
material reward. While he is interested in the

political issues of the day, and votes the Demo
cratic ticket regularly, his attention is too closely
given to his business interests to admit of active
participation in public affairs.
In 1 88 1 Mr. Cook was married in Mifflinburg
to Miss Lizzie Bottiger, a native of Union county,
and daughter of Isaac Bottiger. They are promi
nent in social life, and are active members of
the Reformed Church at Vicksburg. Two clever
boys — J. Paul and Ralph B. — make their home
merry.

JTATHAN SLEAR, an honored and highly
J13L respected citizen of East Buffalo township,
Union county, was born March 25, 1817, near
Shamokin Dam, in what is now Monroe town
ship, Snyder Co., Penn., and is a son of Charles
and Hannah (Fisher) Slear. The paternal grand
father also bore the name of Charles Slear. The
father, a native of Dry Valley, Union county^
was in limited circumstances, and supported his
family by day labor. He died at the age of forty,
but the mother lived to be nearly eighty-five,
and both were buried at Selins Grove, Snyder
county. In their family were four children,
namely: Annie, who became the wife of John
Bowen, and died in Northumberland county,
Penn., at the age of eighty; Catharine, who first
married John Serer, and, after his death, Noah
Deibler, and died December 11, 1896; Nathan,
of this sketch; and Esther, now Mrs. Daniel
Deibler, of Clay county, Illinois.
Our subject was reared in his native town
ship, but his educational privileges were very poor.
His father died just two days after he had cele
brated the tenth anniversary of his birth, and the
mother was left with only a small house and
about thirty acres of land. He therefore began
work on a farm at the early age of twelve, his
first employment being at pitching hay, and
although he was teased and taunted by his fellow
workers, he was able to do his share and did not
give up. For some time he continued to work
for neighboring farmers, his earnings going to
ward the support of the family, and as soon as
large enough to operate the home farm he under
took that work. His mother, who was a strong,
robust woman, often helped him in the fields,
doing a full day's work with either the sickle or
flail. On February 2, 1836, Mr. Slear was married
to Miss Abbie Snyder, who was born in Middle
Creek township, Snyder county, September 3,
1 8 16, and was a daughter of Jacob Snyder, a
farmer by occupation. He was fortunate in the
selection of his wife, who proved a most valuable

1006

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

house-keeper and true helpmeet. After a happy
married life of almost fifty-eight years, she was
called to her final rest on November 17, 1893.
Their only child, Charles F., born in 1836, died
November 19, 1859.
Mr. and Mrs. Slear began their domestic life
upon his mother's farm, remaining there sixteen
years, but in 1852 removed to East Buffalo
township, Union county, where he rented one
farm six years and another one year. He then
lived on the Rhiel farm on the Furnace road, in
the same township, for two years, next operated
the John Gearhart farm, in Buffalo township,
one year, passed the following five years upon
the Jacob Dunkei farm, in East Buffalo town
ship, and then spent one year on the John
Aurand farm, in the latter township. About
1868 he purchased his present farm of Abram
Aurand, paying over $200 per acre for his forty-
acre tract, which he bought at two purchases.
At one time he was heavily in debt, but by per
sistent labor and good management, he now has
an excellent little farm all paid for, and some
capital besides.
Originally, Mr. Slear was a Whig in politics,
and, since tbe dissolution of that party, he has
been identified with the Republicans. He is a
faithful member of the Evangelical Church, and
although he lives all alone he still observes fam
ily worship. For over thirty years he was the
leader of the choir at Salem Church, East Buf
falo township, and as a singer was known far
and wide. While nearly eighty years of age, he
is still well preserved, is jovial in disposition, is
a good conversationalist, and possesses an excel
lent memory, speaking with ease of events that
happened in his boyhood.

C CHARLES THOMAS DENNIS, a prominent
' citizen of New Columbia, Union county, is
not only well-known in business circles, as a
dealer in lumber, coal and grain, and similar
commodities, but is influential in various progress
ive movements in his locality. He is president
of the Alliance of W'hite Deer township, Union
county, and was one of the chief promoters of
the Patriotic Order Sons of America, of New
Columbia, organized in 1892, having been its
first president. In the religious advancement of
the community he also takes an active part as a
member of the Reformed Church, which he has
been a member of ever since he was twelve
years of age.
Mr. Dennis has good pioneer blood in his
veins, Anthony Dennis, his great-grandfather
on the paternal side, having come to America

from England during the Revolutionary war,
with a brother, Daniel and one sister, to settle
near Philadelphia. Both brothers cast their lot
with the Revolutionary forces immediately after
their arrival, one serving as fifer and the other as
drummer. Anthony Dennis had four sons and
seven daughters. His son Lewis, our subjects'
grandfather, was married to Sarah Trump, and
lived in Lehigh county, Penn., for some time,
but finally located with his wife and three sons — ¦
George, Anthony and Daniel, and four daughters,
Ann, Juda, Sarah and Catharine, in White Deer
township, Union county.
His son George, the father of our subject,
was born in Lehigh county, but came to Union
county at an early age, and remained, engaging
in farming on a small scale, and also in shoe-
making. In politics he was a Republican, and
he was an active member of the Reformed
Church. He married (first) Miss Mary Dieffend
erfer, by whom he had four children: Ferris, a
coachmaker at Flat Rock, Ohio; Aaron, who
conducts a boarding house at Williamsport,
Penn.; Sarah, who died in infancy; and Levi, a
farmer near Marseilles, Mich. After the death
of his first wife, George Dennis married her sister
Catherine, and six children blessed their union:
William, deceased; Charles T. , our subject;
Ellen, who died at the age of fourteen; Alfred, a
farmer of Kelly township, Union county; Alda,
who resides with our subject; and Emeline, wife
of Samuel Baker, a farmer of Kelly township.
The father died February 26, 1868, aged fifty-
eight years, and the mother survived him until
April 10, 1894, when she passed away at the age
of seventy-five. She was a native of Union
county, and her father, John Dieffenderfer, died
in White Deer township, where his remains re
pose. He was a man of more than medium
height, with black hair and fair complexion.
Charles Thomas Dennis was born September
4, 1853, in White Deer township, and was taught
in early manhood the value of industry and econ
omy. As his father left but limited means, he
left home at fourteen to seek a livelihood, his first
employment being upon a farm in the same town
ship, where he remained one year at $2. 50 per
month. The next two years he received $6 per
month, and for the two following years $8, and
being then well grown and thoroughly instructed
in all kinds of farm work, he found employment
upon another farm in the neighborhood at $16 a
month for the first year, and $20 for the suc
ceeding four years.
At the end of this time he returned home and
worked upon the farm for his mother, and also
engaged in threshing, continuing until 1890,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1007

when he moved to New Columbia, and purchased
his present business. In addition to his trade
in lumber and coal, he has a chop mill and grain
house, his enterprise and sagacity enabling him
to build up a lucrative business. His public
spirit has already been noted, but it is a fact
worthy of special mention that while he is active
in local affairs, and is also an earnest supporter of
Republican doctrines, he is in no sense a politi
cian. On March 13, 1890, Mr. Dennis was married
to Miss Elizabeth J. Pawling, who died June 10
of the same year, at the age of thirty-three,
deeply lamented by all who knew her. She was
a native of White Deer township, Union county,
a descendant of one of the pioneer families of
this State, her great-grandfather having come
from England to America at an early period.
He located in Chester county, Penn., but his
son Joseph moved to what is now Snyder county,
and the family has since been identified with
this section. On January 13, 1898, our subject
was again married, this time to Mary C. Farley,
a native of White Deer township, Union Co.,
Penn., and a daughter of Jacob and Mary E.
Farley, descendants of one of the pioneer fam
ilies of this State.

C\EORGE M. SLEAR. Among the leading
Jf and influential farmers of Buffalo township,
Union county, who thoroughly understand their
business, and pursue the avocation of their chosen
calling in a methodical and workmanlike manner,
is the subject of this biographical notice. He is
a native of the county, born in West Buffalo
township, June 27, 1825, a son of George and
Sophia (Miller) Slear.
The father was born March 17, 1793, in
Berks county, Penn., where his father, George
Slear, spent his entire life. As a young man the
former came to Union county, and was here
united in marriage with Miss Hannah Kauffman,
who was born October 17, 1789, a daughter of
Peter Kauffman. They became the parents of
four children, namely: Daniel, born February
2, 1812, died in Buffalo township; Esther, born
November 13, 18 13, is now the widow of Samuel
Shively, and a resident of Illinois; and Peter
and Margaret (twins) were born May 8, 1819.
The former died in Mifflinburg, and the later be
came the wife of Ephraim Long, and died in
Buffalo township. For his second wife the fa
ther was married to Sophia Miller, who was born
April 16, 1796, and to them were born three
children: Charles, born September 2, 1822,
died in West Buffalo township, Union county^

George M. is next in order of birth; and Will
iam, born October 13, 1826, also died in West
Buffalo township. After her death the father
wedded Elizabeth Barklow, who was born No
vember 15, 1796. Four children graced this
union, as follows: Elizabeth, born November 6,
1835, is the wife of G. W. Himmelrich, of Buf
falo township; Hannah, born December 4, 1836,
is the wife of Daniel Heckman, of Sugar Valley,
Clinton Co., Penn.; Mary C, born March 18,
1838, is the wife of S. F. Miller, of East Buffalo
township, Union county; and James, born July
28, 1839, is a resident of Buffalo township.
After his first marriage the father of our sub
ject located in West Buffalo township, and
on coming to Buffalo township first rented
land, but later bought, of Jonathan Van Valzah,
what was known as the Sleekier farm. The
place was later divided, and our subject now
owns the western portion. Throughout his en
tire life the father followed the occupation of
farming, and left to his children a comfortable
competence. His death occurred March 1, 1875,
and his remains were interred in the Dreisbach
cemetery. He was widely and favorably known
throughout the community, was a Lutheran in
religious belief, and a stanch Democrat in poli
tics. In the White Springs school, Mr. Slear, of
this review, began his education, and although
his privileges in that direction were rather lim
ited, he earnestly advocates better educational
advantages for the young. With the primitive
implements used in his early years farm labor was
much more arduous, and as soon as old enough
he began to aid in the work. As the family
was large, and his services were not always need
ed at home, he worked for neighboring farmers
during his boyhood and youth. For some time
after reaching manhood he continued to work for
wages, mostly for his father, but he has since
purchased his present farm from his father's
estate. On November 28, 1865, our subject was mar
ried to Miss Sarah J. Beaver, who was born in
Union township, Unioncounty, October 27, 1831,
a daughter of Simon and Elizabeth (Oldt) Beav
er. He has been called upon to mourn the
death of his estimable wife, who died November
1, 1893, and was laid to rest in the Dreisbach
cemetery. A conscientious, earnest Christian,
she was a faithful member of the Lutheran
Church, to which our subject also belongs. He
is a liberal contributor to the Church, and to
all worthy objects which will in any way benefit
the community or advance the general welfare,
and for several years he has served either as

1008

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

deacon or elder of the congregation to which he
belongs. His political support is always given
the men and measures of the Democratic party,
but he has always declined to become a candi
date for office. Since 1883 he has practically
laid aside business cares, but still resides on his
farm, which is now operated by others. His
sterling worth and upright, Christian life, have
gained him the confidence and esteem of all who
have the pleasure of his acquaintance.

fATHIAS NOLL, an undertaker and cabi-
JKji, net maker of East Buffalo township, is a
worthy representative of an old and honored
family, that has long been identified with the in
dustrial interests of Union county.
The name was originally spelled Noel, and
the family was founded in the United States dur
ing the early part of the eighteenth century by
French Huguenots, one branch settling in Berks
county, and the other in York county, Penn. The
latter preserved the original spelling, and among
its members was Hon. John Noel, the first
mayor of York, Penn. The Berks county branch
adopted the form of Noll, and to them our sub
ject belongs. The family was early established
in Buffalo Valley, and is now quite numerous in
eastern, central and southeastern Pennsylvania.
On the farm where he still lives, Mr. Noll, of
this review, was born June 6, 1845, a son of
Samuel L. and Anna (Reahm) Noll. The pa
ternal grandfather was John Noll, who reared a
family of seven children, namely: Henry, John,
David, Samuel, William, Jacob, and Elizabeth.
He was a fine mechanic, following the occupa
tions of carpentering and cabinet making.
George Reahm, the maternal grandfather, who
was also a cabinet maker and carpenter, married
a Mrs. Getz, whose maiden name was Barn
hart, and to them were born three children;
Susan, who married John Bower, of Illinois;
Daniel, who died in that State; and Annie, the
mother of our subject.
Samuel L. Noll, the father of our subject,
was born in West Buffalo township, Union coun
ty, December 16, 1807, and was reared near
Mifflinburg, learning the carpenter's trade under
his father's direction. He gained the reputation
of being one of the most particular mechanics in
the locality; his feats of hewing were remarkable.
During the summer he continued to work at the
carpenter's trade, often employing three or four
hands, and he built many of the best barns and
houses in the community, as well as the second
Dreisbach church in Buffalo township. In Union
county, April 29, 1830, he married Miss Anna I

Reahm, who was born in East Buffalo township,
April 7, 1809, and they began their domestic life
upon a part of our subject's present farm, she
having received a portion of this from her father.
The building now used by our subject as a shop
served as their residence at one time. To the
original tract, Samuel Noll added by subsequent
purchase, and upon that farm they made their
home for over half a century. The barn which
is still standing was erected by the father in
1842. In connection with farming and carpen
tering, he also carried on cabinet making and
the undertaking business, any kind of a vehicle
being used as a hearse in those days. He was a
man of average size, weighing about 150 pounds,
was energetic and very industrious, and was held
in the highest esteem by all who knew him. His
ballot was always cast in support of Repub
lican principles, and he and his wife were faith
ful members of the Reformed Church. His
death occurred May 5, 1864, and hers on June 6,
1888, and both were interred in the Dreisbach
cemetery in Buffalo township.
In the family of this worthy couple were the
following children: Mary A., who wedded Will
iam Walter, and died in Snyder county, Penn. ;
Mollie, who married, first, Henry Bowersox, but
she is now Mrs. Henry Loudenslager, of Buffalo
township; Matilda, who married Daniel Hafer,
and died, in Michigan; Mai tin, a resident of East
Buffalo township; Moses, also of that township;
Michael, a carpenter, living near Mifflinburg;
and Mathias, of this review.
With Mary Thompson as his first teacher,
our subject began his education at the Buffalo
school, which was conducted on the subscription
plan, but his studies were often interrupted as his
services were needed at home, and he also en
gaged in threshing for others during his boyhood
and youth. Soon after his father's death he
started out in life for himself, learning the car
penter's trade under David Reahm, though he
had become somewhat familiar with that occu
pation previous to that time by assisting his
father. He continued to following carpentering
until 1874, when he was taken ill, and for two
years was unable to actively engage in any kind
of business. On February 16, 1874, he had
purchased the undertaking business of Andrew
Hauck, of Buffalo township, and since his recov
ery has given it his attention. For some time,
Mr. Noll rented the old homestead from his fa
ther's heirs, but in 1888 purchased the place, and
there continues to make his home. He has re
modeled the buildings, and made many other
valuable and useful improvements, having one of
the neatest homes to be found in the locality.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1009

The farm comprises twenty-two acres of well-
cultivated and highly productive land.
On June 16, 1867, Mr. Noll was married to
Frances E. Bowen, a native of Snyder county,
Penn., and a daughter of John and Anna (Slear)
Bowen. Three children blessed their union:
Adda M. and Edith I. (twins), and Mary E. , who
are still with their father. The wife and mother
departed this life December 25, 1890, and was
buried in the Dreisbach cemetery, where a hand
some monument marks her last resting place.
Although an ardent Republican, Mr. Noll has
never cared for political distinction, preferring
to give his entire time and attention to his busi
ness interests. He is one of the best known
and most highly esteemed citizens of the com
munity, and has a host of warm friends. Fra
ternally, he is a member of the Grafige, and, re
ligiously, is an active member of the United
Evangelical Church, to which his wife also be
longed. He is at present serving as trustee and
treasurer of the Church. Among his valued
possessions he has two old Bibles handed down
in the Reahm family, one dated 1589, and the
other 1770.

ISAAC KING, one of New Berlin's best citizens
_ and oldest merchants, is a self-made man,
who, without extraordinary family or pecuniary
advantages at the commencement of life, has
battled earnestly and energetically, and, by in
domitable courage and integrity, has achieved
both character and fortune. By sheer force of
will and untiring effort he has worked his way
upward. Mr. King is a native of Unioncounty, born in
Hartley township, February 15, 1834, and is a
son of James and Sjjph^jIKlose) King. During
the latter part of the past century the grandfa
ther, James King, a native of England, started
for the New World with his father, who also bore
the name of James, but the latter died while en
route, and was buried at sea. The mother landed
at New York with her family of small children,
who were bound out to different persons and soon
became scattered, some of them never being
heard of again.
The grandfather was placed with a farmer and
drifted to Lancaster county, Penn., where he
later married a Miss Dornbaugh. He was reared
in much the usual manner of boys of his day,
practically having no schooling and being taught
nothing but labor. After his marriage he located
in Perry county, where he invested the little cap
ital his wife had received, but this was soon lost,
as he had received no lessons in good manage-
64*

ment. He then became a laborer, supporting
his large family mainly by chopping wood. Some
time during the '20s he came to Union county,
where he died at the age of eighty-eight and his
wife at the age of eighty-six.
James King, one of the family of eight sons
and two daughters, and the father of our subject,
was born in Lancaster county, in 1804, and was
six years old when his parents removed to Perry
county. When a young man he accompanied
them to Hartley township, Union county. His
educational privileges were limited to three
months' attendance at the common schools. For
a number of years he was employed at the Berlin
furnace, which was located near his home, as a
wood chopper and teamster; and at one time he
chopped 600 cords of wood, no other work inter
vening. In early manhood he married Sophia
Klose, a native of Beaver township, Snyder Co.,
Penn. , and a^daughter of Solomon Klose. She
inherited a few hundred dollars, which they in
vested in a home, and for some time the father
engaged in farming. In 1858 he removed to St.
Joseph county, Mich., where he spent his remain
ing days, but his death occurred in Kansas while
on a visit to friends. His remains were brought
back to St. Joseph county, and laid by the side
of those of his wife, who had died some years
previous. He was one of the most highly es
teemed citizens of the community, and amassed
a comfortable competence. Considering his
youthful opportunities, he deserved no little credit
for his success in life. He was five feet nine
inches in height and of ordinary build, was a
stanch Democrat in politics, and a devout mem
ber of the Lutheran Church.
Our subject is the fourth in order of birth in
the family of eight children, the others being as
follows: Amelia, who married Aaron Bobb, in
Michigan, and removed to Kansas, where her
death occurred; Sarah, now the wife of James
Childs, of Michigan; Samuel, who preceded the
others to Michigan, and was the first of the fam
ily to pass away; Harriett, wife of Lewis Kem-
merling, of Elgin, 111. ; James, who died at
Three Rivers, Mich. ; Daniel, a resident of Sum
ner county, Kans. ; and John, of Three Rivers,
Michigan. In boyhood, Isaac King would walk two and a
half miles to the nearest school house, where he
pursued his studies for a few months during the
year, but he learned readily, and later attended
school at Mifflinburg, Freeburg and New Berlin,
where he paid the greater part of his expenses.
In 1855 he successfully passed the teacher's ex
amination at Freeburg, and for six terms taught
different schools in Snyder and Union counties.

1010

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

In March, 1858, he was united in marriage with
Miss Mary J. Mauck, of New Berlin, a daughter
of David and Nancy (Shroyer) Mauck, and to
them were born two children: Katy and Frank,
both at home.
After his marriage, Mr. King located in New
Berlin, where he subsequently embarked in busi
ness, opening a small book and confectionery
store, with a capital of $175. From this start
his present business has grown, and he has added
to his stock other lines of goods, principally
hardware. Besides his store building he owns a
comfortable residence in New Berlin, and a farm
of 224 acres in Jackson township, Snyder coun
ty, all of which have been accumulated through
his own well-directed efforts.
At one time Mr. King was a Democrat, but of
recent years his sympathies have been with the
Prohibition party, being a pronounced enemy of
the liquor traffic. His fellow citizens, recogniz
ing his worth and ability, have called upon him
to serve as burgess of New Berlin, and he is at
present a member of the school board. He and
his wife are faithful members of the Lutheran
Church, of which he is now an elder, and is also
assistant superintendent of the Sabbath-school.

"ORMAN L. RANCK is a wide-awake and
UHL progressive agriculturist of Gregg town
ship, Union county, and belongs to one of the
honored pioneer families whose identification
with the interests of this locality covers an entire
century. His great-grandfather, John Ranck,
located on the farm in 1797, where the birth of
our subject occurred December 4, 1857. The
latter is a son of Levi and Charlotte Ranck. His
father was born January 9, 1833, and died April
29, 1888. The mother was born August 7,
1834, and died October 5, 1880. Their children
were: (1) Florence Rose, who was born De
cember 24, 1853, and is the wife of Charles
Baskins, by whom she has three children, Lee
and Lena, the former deceased, and Leslie, a
railroad engineer at North Platte, Neb. (2)
Virginia F., born January 15, 1856, is the wife
of David Gross, of Lewisburg, sheriff of Union
county. (3) Norman L. is the next of the fam
ily. (4) Anna U., born November 23, 1861, is
the wife of Addison Coch, a farmer of New
Columbia, and they have four children. (5)
Mary E., born April 6, 1864, is the wife of
Howard Corson, of Hughesville, Penn., by whom
she has one child, Faith. (6) Harry P,, born
May 19, 1866, is living in Union county. (7)
Carrie C, born May 18, 1869, is living with her
sister in Lewisburg. (8) Violet Pearl, born July

16, 1872, is the wife of Howard Reed, a sales
man in a store in Benton, Penn. (9) Charles
W., born April 28, 1874, is living in Hughesville,
Penn. (10) Daisy D. is with her sister in Ne
braska. (11) Levi R. , born January 1, 1879, is
attending school in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.
Norman L. Ranck spent the first thirty-three
years of his life on his father's farm, with the ex
ception of one year passed in New York, where
he was employed as a farm hand. He was mar
ried to Miss Joan Kennedy, who was born March
14, 1 86 1, and was a daughter of Benjamin and
Eliza (Brean) Kennedy, of Lycoming county,
Penn. She died June 16, 1889, and was buried
near the Reformed Church in White Deer Val
ley, Union county. She left one child, Ben
jamin, born August 30, 1882. Mr. Ranck was
again marrie*d, in 1890, his second union being
with Etoil Lynn, and they have an interesting
little daughter, Ethel Audrey, born September
16, 1 89 1. Mrs. Ranck was born in Pleasant
Valley, Northumberland Co., Penn., July 19,
1869. Her paternal grandparents were Charles
and Catherine Lynn, of Columbia, Penn.,- whose
children were Mary A., wife of George Robbins,
of Northumberland county, Cal. ; John, who died
in 1896; Libbie, who married John Boggert, and
after his death became the wife of Perry Jones;
Sarah, who married Richard Richardson, and
after his death became the wife of Samuel Hess;
Abraham and Henry, who died in the army; arid
Amanda, wife of Henry Shurtz, who is living
near Chicago, 111. The maternal grandparents
of Mrs. Ranck were James and Nancy A. (Fowler)
Van Wagner, the former a native of Poughkeep-
sie, N. Y. , and the latter of Muncy, Penn. He
was engaged in the manufacture of fanning mills,
and died in Burlington, N. J. His widow after
ward became the wife of Moses Yoder, a mer
chant and postmaster at White Deer Mills,
Union county. She is again a widow, and is
living with her daughter at the age of seventy-
nine years. The maternal great-grandparents
were James and Ann (Croft) Fowler, the former
a native of Columbia county, Penn. The latter,
a native of England, ran away from home when
sixteen years of age, and came to America with
an uncle and aunt.
The parents of Mrs. Ranck are Isaac and
Anna (Van Wagner) Lynn, the former a native
of Columbia county, and the latter of Muncy,
Penn. They were married at White Deer Mills,
and after residing at various places came to the
farm on which our subject now resides, in 1892.
Here Mr. Lynn carried on farming until his death,
which occurred July 2, 1893, having been struck
by a railway train which crossed his farm. He

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1011

was buried in Watsontown cemetery. For three
years he served his country in the Civil war, and
was always a loyal citizen. His widow now re
sides upon the home farm, and is in partnership
with her son-in-law — our subject. The children
of Mr. and Mrs. Lynn were five in number,
namely: Blanche E., wife of John Burgenstock,
of White Deer Mills, by whom she has six chil
dren: Mrs. Ranck; Nancy E. , wife of Warren
Traxwell, telegraph operator at Allenwood,
Penn., by whom she has four children; Grace
G., who is the wife of David Jamison, and has
one child; and Merrill Y. , who is with his
mother. On leaving the old Ranck homestead, Mr.
Ranck worked on a farm at White Deer Mills
for a year. He then came to his present place,
which he purchased May 25, 1891, in partner
ship with his father-in-law. This is a very valu
able property, highly improved. The elegant
brick residence and substantial outbuildings are
surrounded by well-tilled fields, and the place is
very neat and thrifty in appearance. Mr. Ranck
is now serving in the position of school director,
to which he was elected in 1896. In politics he
is a Republican. He possesses good business
ability, is a man of sterling worth of character,
and is highly esteemed by all who know him.

BEV. ISAIAH BEAVER, a well-known min-
 ister of the German Baptist Church, com
monly known as the Dunkard Church, comes of
an honored ancestry, two of his progenitors in
different lines having served gallantly in the Rev
olutionary army. Adam Beaver, or. Beiber, as
the name was then spelled, came from Germany
when a lad of fourteen, and worked seven years
to repay his passage money. At twenty-one he
enlisted in the Continental forces, and remained
in service until honorably discharged at the
close of the war. He escaped wounds or injury,
but at the battle of Brandywine a button was
shot off from his vest. John Beaver, our sub
ject's grandfather, married Anna Baker, daugh
ter of John and granddaughter of Wendell Baker,
another Revolutionary soldier, and one of the
first to visit what is now Union county. A na
tive of Lancaster county, Penn., he came to
this section before the war of Independence, but
was driven away by the Indians, and returned to
his early home. Later in life he again came to
Union county and remained, his death occurring
there at the age of eighty-eight.
John and Anna (Baker) Beaver reared a fam
ily of ten children — David, who settled in Illinois
and died there at the age of sixty, leaving a num

ber of children; Adam, a resident of Hartleton,
Union county, Penn.; Mary, who married the
late Andrew Houck, and after his death went to
live with her children in Ohio, where she died at
seventy-eight years of age; Anna married Chris
tian M. Shively, a farmer of Limestone town
ship, Union county, and died in May, 1863, the
mother of sixteen children, only eight now living;
John L., our subject's father; Israel, who went
west in 1865, and is now postmaster at Panther,
Dallas county, Iowa, where he is now engaged in
business as a farmer and grocer;Benjamih H. who
died at seventeen years of age; Peter H., a resi
dent of Northumberland county, a saddler by
trade, who has been postmaster for fourteen
years, and is now justice of the peace; Thomas
J., a. farmer and carpenter residing in Dallas
county, Iowa; and Catherine B., Mrs. James
Merty, a widow, residing in Lewisburg, Penn
sylvania. Rev. John L. Beaver, the father of our sub
ject, was elected to the ministry of the German
Baptist Church, June 3, 1859, and after many
years of faithful service is living retired upon his
fine farm near Mifflinburg, Penn. Among his
most highly prized possessions is a tomahawk,
which was carried by his grandfather, Adam
Beaver, while a soldier in Washington's army.
He was reared after the custom of country youths
of his time, helping upon his father's farm and
attending the neighboring schools as he could.
They were conducted on the subscription plan
during his early boyhood, but the free-school sys
tem was introduced before his attendance ended.
He has always wielded much influence in the
community, and his well-known integrity and
sound judgment have caused him to be frequent
ly called upon to settle estates. He has also
served as school director, but has never taken an
active part in politics, and since 1852 has not
even voted. On April 18, 1844, Rev. John L.
Beaver married his first wife, Miss Anna Shively,
by whom he had three children: Spencer, born
March 9, 1845, resides in Juniata county, Penn.,
and like his father is a minister of the German
Baptist Church; Isaiah is mentioned more fully
below; Caroline, born June 2, 1848, married G.
W. Walters, a farmer in Dallas county, Iowa.
The mother of this little family died, and in 1852
the father married her cousin, Miss Rachel
Shively, who was born March 8, 18 16, and is
quite well preserved for one of her age. By this
union there were also three children — C. H.,
born April 23, 1855, is now a bookkeeper in
a land and broker's office at Wizner, Neb., but
spent some years previously in teaching in
normal and graded schools; Johanna, born Feb-

1012

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ruary 3, 1857, lost her sight when but two years
old as a result of scarlet fever, but notwithstand
ing this misfortune is quite proficient in music
and fancy work; Augustus C., born August 3,
1 86 1, is married, and operates the homestead for
his father. Rev. Isaiah Beaver first saw the light in Lewis
township, Union county, October 14, 1846, and
the White Spring school in that locality afforded
him his educational opportunities for a short
time, but his parents moved to West Buffalo
township when he was about seven years old,
and he attended the Buffalo Creek school, Miss
Mary Hawes being his teacher for several years.
Contrasted with the schools of this day, his
privileges seem meager, but he managed to secure
a good start, and subsequent reading and observa
tion have enabled him to acquire a goodly store
of information. He received practical training
in farm work, remaining at home until the age
of twenty-five, with the exception of one month
in the spring of 1868, when he worked for Isaac
Royer, a farmer in Hartley township, Union
county. On September 28, 1871, Mr. Beaver was
married in Mifflinburg to Miss Sarah A. Grove, a
native of Kelly township, Union county, born
January 31, 1852. She was educated in the
Hagenbach school in that township, and was the
youngest child and daughter in a family of two
sons and three daughters. Her father, the late
John Grove, a well-known agriculturist, died at
the age of seventy-two, and her mother, whose
maiden name was Rachel Goodlander, is still liv
ing, and is in her seventy-eighth year. Mr. Beaver
began farming on his own account after his mar
riage, renting the old Beaver homestead, which
he was the fifth of the name to occupy, though
in the fourth generation from the first settler.
After spending six years at the old place, he pur
chased, October 8, 1877, his present home in
East Buffalo township, Union county, one of the
oldest farms in the township, formerly known as
the Schrock homestead. It contains forty-eight
and a half acres under cultivation and fourteen
acres of woodland, and was purchased for $8,000.
Mr. Beaver took possession of this farm on March
21, 1878, and has ever since resided there. On
July 25, 1895, his barn was struck by lightning
and burned, but he rebuilt it, making various
improvements in the plan. He is a successful
manager, and is regarded as one of the sub
stantial citizens of the township. Six children
have blessed his marriage — Rachel A., Salome,
Abby J., Sarah E., Norman F. and John R., all
of whom are living at home except Salome, who
died in infancy.

Mr. Beaver and his wife are both members of
the German Baptist Church, in which he was a
deacon for many years previous to his election in
1889 to the ministry, where his devotion to the
cause has been manifested by effective work.
He has never taken an active interest in politics,
but his sympathies are with the Republican
party.

S\ F. MILLER, whose fine farm near Lochiel,
) Union county, challenges the admiration of
every passerby, is one of the most progressive
agriculturists of his locality, his careful study of
scientific methods being put to practical use on
his estate. Mr. Miller was born in Penn town
ship, Snyder Co., Penn., May 13, 1837, upon a
farm which has now been in the possession of his
family for more than a century, his grandfather,
George Miller, having once been its occupant.
This worthy pioneer owned a large quantity of
land and other property, including a gristmill,
and left each of his ten children a goodly por
tion. His son Daniel, our subject's father, was
born and reared at the old homestead, assisting
in the work of the farm and mill, and securing
such education as he could in the neighboring
schools. In the division of the estate he and a
brother took the homestead at an appraisement
of $50 per acre. Daniel Miller was married in
Snyder county to Miss Esther Wangner, daughter
of Yost Wangner, and continued to operate the
old farm for some years. He then spent six
years in Northumberland county, and in 1854
made his permanent home on the farm now
owned by our subject. It had then but a few
improvements, a log house and a barn being the
the most conspicuous; but the land was excellent
and he purchased it from James Reber at the
then remarkably high figure of $100 per acre.
It comprised 169 acres, and he incurred a debt of
$8,000, requiring the payment of many hundreds
of dollars in interest before the obligation was
finally discharged. He and his wife resided
there until about ten years prior to his death,
when they moved to another farm near the
"Pike." In his last years he was sickly, but in
early manhood he enjoyed robust health, and his
well-built frame supported the weight of 200
pounds without loss of proportion. As a business
man he was very successful, adding to his inher
itance and gaining a handsome competence.
While he took usual interest in public questions,
he was not a politician, and the only office that
he ever held was that of overseer of the poor, in
which he served for several years. He was a
Whig in early years, but his ardent advocacy of

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1013

the abolition of slavery led him into the Repub
lican party at its organization. He and his wife
were both consistent members of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church, in which he held various offi
cial positions and was one of the leading workers.
He died at the age of sixty-nine, and his esti
mable wife, who survived him, attained the age of
seventy-five, both being interred at death in
Dreisbach cemetery. Our subject is the eldest
of three children: Franklin W. resides in East
Buffalo township, Union county, and Mary, now
Mrs. Solomon Benner, lives in Vicksburg, Penn
sylvania. Mr. Miller was reared as a farmer boy, but
received better educational advantages than fell
to the lot of most of that class in his day. He
first attended the Middle Creek school in his na
tive county, and then, after pursuing his studies
in the country schools in Union county until he
could go no further there, he entered Lewisburg
Academy, of which John Randolph was then the
head. His physique at the age of sixteen was
remarkable, and his strength equaled that of the
average man. As the eldest son, he was trained
to take a responsible part in farm work, and
when a young man relieved his father of much
care. On September 15, 1859, he was married in
Buffalo township, Union county, to Miss Mary
C. Slear, and in the following spring they began
housekeeping in an old log cabin at the home
stead. Eight years later they removed to the
main residence, which they have since occupied.
In 1877 Mr. Miller bought a portion of the farm
at $125 per acre, and to the 112 acres then pur
chased he afterward added until he now has 120
acres. At one time he was a member of the
Grange, and he has always been regarded as a
representative of the best element in agricultural
affairs. The original deeds of the farm are
records of interest and value. The original deed
of Edward Hodsoll to Abraham Betz bears the
date of 1 79 1. A later deed of Abraham Betz to
John Reber is dated 1807, and another deed of
Mary Ann and Eliza Morrison dated 1821, while
the deed of John Reber to Daniel Miller was
given in 1854. The farm is known as the
"Fairfield Farm." The present barn was the
first bank barn erected in Buffalo Valley, and
contains sufficient lumber to build three barns in
the present age. The appointments of the barn,
sheds and buildings are perfect, contain the
latest improved machinery and a large, sixteen-
foot wind wheel to furnish power for grinding
feed, sawing wood and running burr mills. The
water for house, barn, &c, is furnished by
water wheel. The beautiful spring and fish

ponds are stocked with German carp, black bass,
yellow perch, brook, brown, rainbow and Cali
fornia trout. These fish ponds are the finest
private ponds in the country, and the farm the
best appointed and finest, not only in Union
county, but cannot be surpassed in Pennsyl
vania. Politically, Mr. Miller is a Republican, as he
is a stanch believer in the policy of protection.
In but one instance has he ever voted the Dem
ocratic ticket in State or National elections. He
has served ably in the office of supervisor, his
progressive ideas being as valuable there as in
his private business. In religious faith he and
his wife are Lutherans, and he has been an elder
and deacon in the Church.
Mr. and Mrs. Miller have had nine children:
Adda E., born September 15, i860, died De
cember 16, 1862; Charles S., born October 29,
1 86 1, lived to the age ef nine years; Augustus
D., born May 22, 1864, is now a well-known
resident of Lewisburg, Penn., and is prominent
among the younger workers in the local Repub
lican organization, and was honored with the
Republican nomination for State Senator in 1896;
George F., born April 17, 1866, resides at Will
iamsport, Penn.; William, born September 27,
1867, died June 17, 1869; John C, born June
26, 1 87 1, and Clyde S., October 13, 1873, are at
home; Oliver P., June 23, 1875, is attending
college, and James L. , born July 29, 1876, is at
home. Mrs. Miller was born in West Buffalo,
Union county, March 18, 1838, and was educated
in the schools of that locality. Her father,
George M. Slear, a prominent agriculturist, lived
to the age of eighty-one years, lacking sixteen
days. He was married three times and had thir
teen children, ten of whom lived to maturity.
His third wife, Elizabeth Barklow, Mrs. Miller's
mother, had four children. She died at seventy-
five years of age, and was buried beside her hus
band in Dreisbach cemetery.

FFJ.ANK. P. CHURCH, the genial and popu
lar proprietor of the hotel at Glen Iron,
Union county, was born in Hartley township,
that county, May 12, 1858, a son of John H.
and Susan (Knauer) Church, well-known and
highly respected citizens of Hartley township.
The father was born in Lancaster county, Penn.,
September 15, 18 15, and was next to the oldest of
the six children of Thomas and Mary (Huston)
Church, the former of Irish, and the latter of
Welsh extraction. The others of the family
were: Adaline, Mary, Ann, Elizabeth and
Thomas. The grandfather served as quarter-

1014

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

master in the war of 1812, and his father, who
also bore the name of Thomas Church, was a
soldier in the Continental army under General
Washington, faithfully aiding the Colonies in their
struggle for independence. ,
In 185 1 John H. Church came to Union
county with his uncle, Clement Brooke, with
whom he had lived since the age of six years, his
father dying at that time. The uncle engaged
in the iron business, owning a forge and furnace,
which he operated very successfully for a num
ber of years, and Mr. Church became an expert
workman along that line. By will he received a
half-interest in the property at the former's
death, and afterward bought the remainder, be
coming sole owner. In 1885, however, he sold
the furnace to the Jackson Iron Company, com
posed of Messrs. Jackson and Crissman, who
still own the plant, but have not operated it for
several years. Mr. Church uses his right of
franchise in support of the men and measures of
the Republican party, and, religiously, is a faith
ful member of the Methodist Church.
In 1 841, John H. Church was joined in wed
lock with Miss Susan Knauer, daughter of Sam
uel Knauer, and they have become the parents
of the following children: Mary (now the wife
of William Showalter), Samuel, John, Maria,
Anna, Susan, Frank P. (of this sketch), and
Elizabeth (who is with her parents).
Frank P. Church received his education in
the public schools, and began his business train
ing as a clerk in a store. Later he engaged in
merchandising on his own account for two years,
and then embarked in his present business, in
which he has met with a well-deserved success.
He has one of the best appointed hotels in his
section of the county, having erected the build
ing himself. It is conveniently arranged and
well furnished, and under his excellent manage
ment is a first-class house, and is well patron
ized, He is a wide-awake, progressive business
man, and his pleasant courteous manner has at
tracted to him many warm friends. Politically,
he is identified with the Republican party.
On the 4th of July, 1885, Mr. Church was
married to Miss Anna Karns, a native of Swen
gel, Lewis township, Union county, and they
now have two children: Louis, and Knaus.

JOHN HUFFERD, a retired farmer and car
penter, who resides on a farm in Lewis town
ship, Union county, has a history which can
not fail to bring a lesson of encouragement to all
who must struggle against adversity, his success
having been won by his own energetic and well-

directed efforts. Having prospered in his under
taking, he is now able to lay aside business cares
and enjoy a well-earned rest.
'Mr. Hufferd is a native of West Buffalo town
ship, Union county, and the son of John and
Rebecca (Ketner) Hufferd, the former of whom
died when our subject was only two days old.
The other children of the family were as follows:
(1) Mary is the wife of John Koser, a retired
farmer of Union county, and has two daughters
— Elizabeth, now the wife of Gideon Koch, a
miller by trade; and Lucinda, wife of Matthias
Gilbert, a farmer of Brush Valley, Centre Co.,
Penn.', by whom she has children. (2) Susanna
died in childhood, and (3) David died in infancy.
The Hufferd family, which is of English origin,
was early founded in Union county, where oc
curred the birth of the father of our subject.
Until fourteen years of age, John Hufferd, of
this review, lived with his aunt, Mrs. Reish, and
the following three years were spent with an
other aunt, Mrs. Jay Anderson. He was pro
vided with fair common-school advantages, but
at an early age began to make his own way in
the world. At seventeen he became an appren
tice to the carj>eriterjs/trade with a Mr. Noll, of
East Buffalo' township, Union county, for a
period of two years, receiving twenty dollars per
year for his services. As he had to furnish his
own clothes, he was allowed two weeks in harvest
time to earn whatever he could for himself. Un
til his marriage he continued carpentering, and
after that event also successfully engaged in farm
ing. He is a man of more than ordinary busi
ness ability, and well deserves the prosperity that
has crowned his labors.
In 1 85 1, Mr. Hufferd was married to Miss
Susanna, daughter of William Noll, also a farmer
and carpenter by occupation. Three children
were born to them, namely: (1) William N.,
July 3, 1852, is well educated and a fine pen
man, having completed his literary training in
the Hartleton graded schools. He resides with
his father. (2) Mary E., born September 24,
1859, became the wife of D. K. Royer, a popular
young farmer of Lewis township. Union county.
They were married twelve years before their first
child was born, which led to the death of the
mother, and the child died shortly afterward.
(3) Emma M., born July 21, 1865, is the wife
of William Troxel, a commercial traveler, by
whom she has four children — Franklin, Graham,
Merrill A., and Ralph, now one year old. Mr.
Hufferd has been called upon to mourn the death
of his estimable wife, who passed away October
11, 1884, and was laid to rest in the Ray's Church
cemetery.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1015

Since the organization of the Republican
party, Mr. Hufferd has been one of its stanch
supporters, and he has ever taken a deep and
commendable interest in public affairs, doing all
in his power to advance the welfare of his com
munity. In his religious views he is a Lutheran,
and is a consistent member of that Church.

SAMUEL GETGEN, of Mifflinburg, Union
_j county, has seen twenty-six years of un
broken service as justice of the peace in his
borough, a record which it would be difficult,
perhaps impossible, to equal in the State. The
achievement is the more notable from the fact
that he is a Democrat in a strongly Republican
neighborhood, but while he has at times met
stubborn opposition he has never failed at the
polls, and usually his majority has exceeded the
entire number of votes cast for his opponent.
He is prominent also in business life as the
senior member of the firm of S. Getgen & Son,
leading merchants of Mifflinburg, and it is due to
him to say that in this line of effort he has also
met and overcome obstacles, as his history will
show. Squire Getgen was born in Mifflinburg July 3,
1820, the son of Ludwig Getgen, who died nine
years later. The latter's wife, Maria Dietrich,
who was born in Berks county, Penn.,- of pioneer
stock, survived him many years, attaining the
advanced age of eighty-two. They had eleven
children: Thomas, Elizabeth, Pollie, John, Jacob,
Catherine, Adam, Charles, Sarah, Samuel and
Susannah. The public schools of Mifflinburg afforded
Mr. Getgen (our subject) fair educational privi
leges, but at an early age he sought and found
employment in a brewery, in order to enlarge
the family income. Later he learned the potter's
trade, which he followed for twenty-five years,
disposing of his ware in this section of the State.
He then ventured into horticulture, cultivating a
good-sized vineyard and raising various kinds of
small fruits, and was also interested to some ex
tent in gardening. After a few years in this
work he sold out and engaged in his present
business, in which he and his son have gained an
extensive and profitable trade.
In religious faith Mr. Getgen is a Reformed,
and he has always been in sympathy with any
progressive movement in his locality. Socially
he is popular, and since 1846 has been identified
with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows,
making him the oldest member in the county.
He is an active worker, and has passed all the
chairs in his local lodge.

In 1846 Mr. Getgen was married -to Miss
Lydia Schoch, who was born in 18 12, and died
in 1882, leaving two children: (1) Anna M.,
born March 10, 1847, who is living with her
father and brother, and is not married; (2)
Thomas M., born December 27, 1849, is not
married, and since 1870 has been in business
with his father. He was educated in Mifflinburg,
attending the public schools and the academy, and
is a remarkable fine periman. On leaving school
he learned the coach-maker's trade, which he
followed until he went into mercantile business
with his father. He was also interested in the
Live Stock Insurance Company of Unioncounty,
of which he was secretary. He belongs to a
number of fraternal societies, and has been secre
tary of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows
for ten years, and of the Knights of the Golden
Eagle for eight years. He is a prominent mem
ber of the Reformed Church, and has been secre
tary of the Sunday-school for twelve years, and
for three years he has held the same office in the
Union County Sunday School Association. Polit
ically he is a Democrat, and while taking an
interest in all local movements he is especially
active in educational matters, serving for fourteen
years past as secretary of the Mifflinburg board
of council, and as town clerk for said borough.

JAMES K. REISH, ex-treasurer of Union
county, and at this time postmaster of Vicks
burg, is one of the leaders of the Republican
party in his section, his large acquaintance and
unbounded popularity giving him an influential
following, while his shrewd judgment of men and
affairs make his counsel of value in all important
movements. In business circles he also takes a
foremost rank, his success as ,a merchant, lumber
dealer and general financier being all the more
notable from the fact that it has been secured by
his own judicious management.
Mr. Reish is of Berks county stock. Daniel
Reish, his grandfather, who was born February
5, 1800, removed to near Forest Hill, Union
county, to engage in distilling. On April 18,
1820, this well-known pioneer was married to
Miss Catherine Ingelhart, a native of Berks
county, born July 22, 1801, and both died in
Union county, their remains being interred in
Mifflinburg. Ten children were born to them, as
follows: Mary A., in December 1824, married
Christian Plank; Benivel M., February 5, 1826,
is mentioned more fully farther on; Susanna,
June 5, 1827, married Thomas Harbeson, and
died near Forest Hill; Sophia, October 29, 1830,
died in childhood; George, July 17, 1832, died

1016

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

unmarried; Daniel, May 8, 1834, died in West
Buffalo township, Union county; Eli, August 3,
1836, died in childhood; Lydia, June 12, 1838,
married William Clapham, and now lives in In
diana; Elvira, July 22, 1842, married John Bo-
genrief, of West Buffalo township; and Margaret,
July 7, 1847, married Frederick Gast, and re
sides near Mifflinburg.
Benivel M. Reish, our subject's father, ob
tained a thorough knowledge of the distilling
trade by assisting his father in boyhood, and for
some years followed the business in connection
with other enterprises. On January 22, 1850,
he was married in Rebersburg, Penn., to Miss
Lavina Kling, a native of York county, Penn., born
October 29,1827. Her father, Joel Kling, a farmer
by occupation, removed to Union county in 1833,
locating in West Buffalo township, and later
went to Nittany Valley, and finally to Brush Valley,
where he died when between eighty and ninety
years old. His wife, Mary Meixel, lived to the
age of seventy-six, and both were buried in Nit
tany Valley. They had four sons and six daugh
ters, and Mrs. Reish, who was the fifth daugh
ter, was the eighth child in order of birth. After
his marriage, Benivel Reish located at Reish's
Mill, near Forest Hill, upon property belong
ing to his father, which had previously been
rented. He remained there until 1865, conduct
ing a sawmill, gristmill and distillery, and then
sold out the entire business and removed to For
est Hill. For a short time he dealt in live stock,
then forming a partnership, with Isaac Smith of
, that village, he carried on a general mercantile
business. On disposing of this he purchased a
distillery, which he managed until his removal to
the " Forest House," a well-known hostelry at
the entrance to Brush Valley Narrows in West
Buffalo township, Union county. In those days
teaming from Brush Valley was an extensive busi
ness, and the house being a convenient stopping
place he did an immense business during his
fourteen years there. From this place he re
moved to Cowan, and lived for a short time in
partial retirement, but his last days were spent
at the old home between Forest Hill and Cowan.
He was a well-known citizen and a stanch Repub
lican in politics, and, while taking great interest in
his party he was not a politician. His death occur
red October 12, 1894, his funeral being held at
Mifflinburg. His widow now resides near Forets
Hill, with her son. Our subject was the eldest
of a large family. Mary died when six years old;
Catherine married William Swartslander, of
West Buffalo township; Agnes died at the age of
eight years; Joel is a distiller in West Buffalo
township; George resides in Hiawatha, Kans.; I

Nannie (a twin of George) is the wife of Luther
Clingman, of Buffalo township; Benjamin resides
at Forest Hill; Charles is the proprietor of the
"Forest House" mentioned above; Emma mar
ried L. Lahr, of West Buffalo township; Hattie
is the wife of John Clingman, of Buffalo Cross
Roads; and Maggie married Charles Wagner, of
Winfield, Pennsylvania. '
James K. Reish was born October 30, 1850,
at the old home in West Buffalo township, his
early education being acquired in the schools of
Forest Hill. Conrad Sheckler was one of his
first teachers. In 1866 he entered Bucknell Uni
versity, Lewisburg, where he spent two terms in
study. His business training was gained at home
under his father's direction, and included work
on the farm and in the distillery, as well as ex
perience in the mercantile line. In 1870 he
started out to see what fortune had in store for
him, his first employment being as a farm hand
for Robert Strunk, near Jacksonville, Centre
county, where he remained one summer at $16
per month. During the following winter he
worked in the woods for the same employer, and.
in the spring of 1872, he made his first business
venture as a partner in a meat market with an
uncle, Joel Kling. In this he spent one year,
then selling his interest, he made a visit to his
parents, who resided at White Deer Mills. While
there he became interested in the live-stock busi
ness, but in the fall of 1872 he engaged
in distilling at Cowan, renting a plant, which he
bought after two years. In March, 1891, he
traded his distillery and home at Cowan for a
general mercantile stock at Vicksburg, where he
has since resided. His trade is now as large as
can be found in any town of the size in the coun
ty, but his energies are by no means limited to
its successful management. In June, 1892, he
purchased a tract of timber land in Hartley town
ship, Union county, and for some years he has
been extensively engaged in lumbering at whole
sale and retail, the business keeping two saw
mills busy and requiring the employment of a
large force of men. He now owns over 2,000
acres of timber land, and other valuable prop
erty including the "Forest House." He con
ducts an extensive coal yard at Vicksburg, and is
interested in various corporate enterprises, being
a director in the Farmers Bank at Mifflinburg,
and a stockholder and director in the Home
Telephone Company, at Lewisburg. His business
relations being so extensive he has acquaintances
everywhere, and with him an acquaintance soon
becomes a friend. His strength among all classes
was shown by his election in the fall of 1891 to
the office of county treasurer, and during his

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1017

term of three years, which began in January,
1892, he established a high reputation for ability
and faithfulness.
On January 15, 1873, Mr. Reish was united
in marriage with Miss Mary E. Irvin, who was
born in 1852, in Walker township, Centre coun
ty, the daughter of William and Elizabeth (Arm
strong) Irvin, now highly respected residents of
Washington Furnace. Six children have blessed
their union: Grace L. , Paul N., Bessie E.,
Marcie B., William I. and James K., Jr., who
are all at home. Socially, the family is prom
inent, and Mrs. Reish is one of the leading mem
bers and workers in the Reformed Church at
Vicksburg. Mr. Reish is identified with the
Masonic fraternity as a member of the lodge at
Lewisburg. In July, 1897, he was appointed
postmaster at Vicksburg.

E^OAH RITTER, a well-known and highly
 L esteemed citizen of Buffalo township'
Union county, is a native of Pennsylvania, his
birth having occurred in Alsace township, Berks
county, May 9, 1827.
At the age of twelve years Mr. Ritter, with
his parents, John and Hannah (Hartman) Ritter,
traveling in covered wagons, drawn by four
horses, came to Union county. It was in the
spring of the year when the creeks were high,
and, as there were few bridges, most of the
streams had to be forded. In crossing one of
these the coupling-pin of one of the wagons
broke, but nothing serious happened, only in
convenience. In East Buffalo township, the fa
ther purchased a farm, and in connection with
its cultivation also engaged in blacksmithing.
Although a hard worker, he never accumulated
much property. He died at about the age of
seventy-five, his wife at eighty-one, and both
were buried in the Dreisbach cemetery. They
were active members of the Reformed Church,
in which he served as elder and deacon, and his
political support was given the Democratic party.
In the family of this worthy couple were the
following children: Simon, who died in Berks
county; William, who died near Lochiel, Penn. ;
George, who died in Limestone township, Union
county; Noah, of this sketch; Hannah, who mar
ried John Noll, and died in East Buffalo town
ship; Mary, now Mrs. John Rangier, of St.
Joseph county, Mich. ; Susanna, who died at the
age of four years; Valentine, a resident of Lewis
burg, Penn.; and Leah A., who married Simp
son Biddle, and died in Buffalo township, Union
county. As he never attended school in Berks county,

Noah Ritter was twelve years of age before he
began his education, his first teacher being Aaron
Smith, who taught in English, a language with
which our subject was unfamiliar. His entire
school training did not cover more than one
year, but he is an ardent advocate of better edu
cational privileges for the young. At the age of
twelve he was bound out by his father for six
years, and then began learning the blacksmith's
trade with his uncle, Jacob Ritter, serving a
three-years' apprenticeship. Until he had at
tained his majority he never owned a pair of
boots, a fine shirt or an overcoat, and then pur
chased these articles for himself.
At the age of twenty-two Mr. Ritter was united
in marriage with Miss Mary A. Rishel, a native
of Buffalo township, and a daughter of Martin
Rishel. They began housekeeping at Buffalo
Cross Roads, where he had established a small
blacksmith shop, which he conducted for one
year, and then turned his attention to farming,
operating the old John Rishel farm for ten years.
He then purchased twenty acres of land near Lo
chiel, in East Buffalo township, where he lived
for five years, spent the following year on the
Daniel Rishel farm, and, subsequently, rented
the John Zeller farm for ten years. In 1875 he
purchased his present place of four acres, on which
he has since resided, while during the winter sea
son he follows butchering, and in the summer
months does all kinds of work, such as building
fences, etc.
Mrs. Ritter, who was a member of the Re
formed Church, died May 8, 1876, and her re
mains were interred in the Dreisbach cemetery.
By her marriage to our subject she became the
mother of four children: John, who died at the
age of seven years; Elizabeth, who married Wil
son Smith, and died in Mifflinburg; Daniel, night
messenger at the Pan Handle railroad shops in
Columbus, Ohio; and William, engineer of the
city water-works at Lincoln, Nebraska.
In February, 1881, Mr. Ritter was again
married, his second union being with Miss Leah
A. Herbst, who was born in Northumberland
county, Penn.. December 14, 1846. the daughter
of David and Saloma (Stahl) Herbst. Four chil
dren were also born of this union: Frank, who
died in infancy; Clarence H. and Harry D., at
home, and George E. , who died in infancy. The
parents are both faithful members of the Re
formed Church, in which Mr. Ritter has served
as elder for the long period of thirty-five years,
and was previously deacon. He has ever taken
an active and prominent part in all Church work,
and was superintendent of the Sunday-school for
many years. No more honest, upright or better

1018

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

citizen can be found in Union county than Mr.
Ritter, and he well deserves the high regard in
which he is universally held. Politically he is a
Democrat.

TTIOMAS WALTER, one of the most sub
stantial farmers and citizens of Limestone
township, Union county, is descended from an
cestors who have been identified with the growth
and development of this section of the State for
upwards of a century.
Henry Walter, his grandfather, was born in
what is now Snyder county, Penn. , and was
throughout his lifetime an agriculturist who
played well his part in the pioneer days of his
county. He married a Miss Mertz, and to the
union came the following children, all of whom
are now deceased: Magdalena was the wife of
John Bowersox; Wilhelmina married John Frey;
George wedded (first) a Miss Betts, and (second)
a Miss Bosler; John married a Miss Bowersox;
David married a Miss Phillips; Henry; Samuel
wedded a Miss Eyer; Abraham became the hus
band of Christina Eyer; William selected a Miss
Wolf for a life partner, and Jesse married a Miss
Eyer. ' Of these, Abraham Walter was born June 29,
1 81 2, in that part of Union county which subse
quently became Snyder county. After beginning
life for himself his first purchase of land was in
what is now Snyder county, then, in 1846, he
bought what is now the old Walter homestead,
one mile south of Mifflinburg, in Limestone
township, and upon which Thomas Walter, a
son, now resides. Abraham Walter was an
agriculturist throughout his lifetime. He had a
mechanical mind, and was quite a good black
smith. He was an honorable and upright man,
and reared his children to follow in his footsteps,
all of whom became good citizens and are useful
men and women. His death occurred at the
homestead on March 18, 1869. His marriage to
Miss Eyer took place on August 23, 1836, and
was blessed with children, as follows: Mary Jane
is now Mrs. Abraham Mensch, of Buffalo town
ship, Union county, Penn.; Sophia is Mrs.
Aanm^jClose, of Mifflinburg, Penn. ; Thomas is
our subject; Jackson married Miss Ann Klinger-
man, and resides in West Buffalo township,
Union county; Harriet is Mrs. Jonathan Sanders,
of Limestone township, Union county; Henry
married Susan Reber, and resides in Limestone
township, Union county, and Eyer is a physician
and druggist of Selins Grove, Snyder county;
Oliver died of typhoid fever when eight years of
age; John married Minerva Dundore, and resides

mother of these
was a woman of

near Bettsville, Ohio. The
died October 8, 1867. She
many virtues.
Thomas Walter was born September 15,
1 84 1, in Limestone township, Union county,
where he received the usual common-school edu
cation that was given the son of the general
farmer of that period. On the death of his fa
ther in 1869, he inherited the homestead upon
which he has continued to live. This is a most
excellent tract of 125 acres of land lying almost
adjacent to the village of Mifflinburg. The sub
stantial improvements, and the neat appearance
in general of the buildings and things about the
place, give evidence of the thrifty and enterpris
ing farmer who dwells there. Mr. Walter has
given his attention to farming, and while inter
ested in politics and public affairs to the extent
that every citizen should be that has the welfare
of his country, of the State, and of his county, at
heart, has never been an aspirant to office — yet
when his fellow-townsmen sought his services he
did not shirk what appeared to be a duty, but ac
cepted and filled to the best of his judgment and
ability the several town offices to which they
elected him. He served very acceptably as tax
collector, and as superintendent of the poor,
for several terms. He is a man of strong will
and determination, and generally accomplishes
what he sets out to do. He is ever ready to do
a kind act. He is a man of considerable force,
therefore influential. His wife, to whom he was
married on January 16, 1868, was Miss Diannah
Seebold, and there have come to gladden their
home, children as follows: (1) Scott, a farmer
of Limestone township. (2) Reno received the
usual common-school education; he then entered
the Central Pennsylvania College of New Berlin,
Pennsylvania, where he pursued his studies a
few terms, completing the commercial course.
Shortly afterward he was married to Miss Cora
May Wittenmyer, a daughter of John and Cath
erine Wittenmyer, of Mifflinburg, and they have a
daughter, Florence, who is the idol of the father
and grandfather. Reno and his devoted wife are
religious people, devout members of the Evan
gelical Lutheran Church, of Mifflinburg. Reno
has rented and is now a resident of the old home
stead. Mrs. Thomas Walter is a woman of rare
worth, and presides over the pleasant home with
dignity and grace. She is a native of Union
county, being one of three children born to Jo
seph and Nancy (Spangler) Seebold. Joseph
Seebold is a resident of the homestead in Lime
stone township — on the farm where he first
faced the battle of life. His good wife died in

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1019

1 88 1. The other two of their three children,
were: Frank, who died when five years of age;
and Scott, who wedded Maize Heimbach, and
lives at the old Seebold homestead, where him
self and wife are caring for the aged father. Mrs.
Walter is a religious woman, a devout member of
the Lutheran Church, as are her two sons.

JOHN LINCOLN HALFPENNY. Among
the enterprising and successful agricultur
ists and business men of Lewis township,
Union county, this gentleman takes front rank.
His entire life has been passed here, his birth
occurring in Buffalo township, May 3, 1850, and
he comes of a distinguished family that has
borne an important part in the advancement of
Central Pennsylvania.
His paternal grandfather, Mark Halfpenny,
removed from Montgomery county, Penn., to the
vicinity of Northumberland, Penn., about- the
year 1806, where he resided for a number of
years, then removed to Columbia county, near
Washingtonville, and finally located in Lycom
ing county, Penn., near Muncy, in 1823. Here
his sons, James, H. S., John, Mark and William
R. were employed in the woolen factory owned
and operated by Samuel Rogers. In 1837 they
located in Millheim, Centre county, where they
engaged in the manufacture of woolen goods un
til the spring of 1841, when they came to Laur
elton, Union county, Penn., where James and
Mark established a woolen factory, and William
R., the father of our subject, turned his atten
tion to agriculture. William R. married Miss
Catharine E. Lincoln, and they became the par
ents of three children — Hannah, wife of Wm.
E. Smith; James M., a prominent mechanic of
Lewis township, Union county, who married
Miss Sarah J. Knauss, daughter of Daniel
Knauss; and John L. , of this review. He was
named after his maternal grandfather, John
Lincoln, of Union county, Penn. The family is
one of prominence, having the respect and es
teem of all who know them.
During his youth, John L. Halfpenny was
provided with excellent educational privileges,
being a student for some time in the Lewisburg
Academy (now Bucknell College), and complet
ing his literary course in the Dickinson Semi
nary at Williamsport, Penn. For ten years there
after he successfully engaged in teaching school
through the winter months, while the summer
seasons were spent in farming. In the spring of
1884 he purchased the homestead in Lewis
township, on which he is now residing^ and be
sides its cultivation he is also interested in the

milling business, in partnership with A. E. Grove,
owning and operating a grist and saw mill on
Penn creek in Lewis township. A wide
awake, progressive business man, he has met
with success in his undertakings, and is now
numbered among the substantial and reliable citi
zens of his community. Possessing a liberal edu
cation, and of pleasing address, he makes friends
readily, and has the happy faculty of being able
to retain them. His political support is given
the men and measures of the Republican party,
and although not a member of any Church, he is
a believer in the Christian religion.
Mr. Halfpenny was married to Miss Asenath
Knauer, a daughter of Samuel Knauer, a miller
by trade, who at one time owned and operated
the Berlin Iron Works (furnace and forge) in
partnership with John H. Church, on Penn
creek, in Hartley township, Union county.
Three children bless this union, whose names
and dates of birth are as follows: Paul E., Oc
tober 1, 1882; Grace E. , February 13, 1884; and
Samuel Lincoln, July 6, 1889.

M UGUSTUS A. GEMBERLING, who is now
,/*i^ serving his third consecutive term as com
missioner of Union county, resides near New Co
lumbia upon a farm which was purchased by his
parents in 1832, and where he himself was born
May 23, 1849. The Gemberling family has been
well known since pioneer times in the vicinity of
Selins Grove, Penn., where Jacob and Cath
arine (Wolfensberger) Gemberling, the great
grandfather of oursubject, purchased, about 1782,
a tract of 300 acres of land at six shillings per
acre. They made the journey from their old
home in the Tulpehocken region by wagon, and
followed the river route, their furniture being
conveyed in keel boats. At that time there was
but one house at what is now the city of Harris
burg. Their son Philip, the grandfather of our sub
ject, was born July 27, 1773, and the greater
part of his life was spent in Selins Grove. He
was one of the leading citizens of that locality,
an extensive land owner, and his influence did
much to shape the future of the community. He
was twice married, and his second wife, Eve
Goss, bore him five sons and four daughters.
His death occurred from apoplexy, at the age of
eighty-six years, two months and twenty-six days.
The late Samuel Gemberling, our subject's
father, was born in Selins Grove, and was reared
upon a farm, learning also the tanner's trade,
which he continued until his retirement from
business in 1872. After taking possession of the

1020

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

present homestead, he also conducted a sawmill.
He was a Republican in politics, although not
active in party work, and he and his estimable
wife, Mjijdlda_j£line, were both members of the
Reformed Church. She passed to the unseen
world May 26, 1888, in her seventy-second year,
and he followed her May 30, 1890, at the age of
eighty-three years, nine months, and twenty-four
days. She was a native of White Deer town
ship, Union county, and was of old Berks coun
ty stock, her grandparents having removed from
that locality to Union county. Her parents,
Charles and SarahjXutz)Kline, resided in White
Deer township, "arid diedat- New Columbia, the
father passing away in 1858 at the age of eighty-
six. Five children were born to Samuel and Ma
tilda Gemberling, namely: Anna E., who died
in 1864; Charles K., who is engaged in the milling
business in southwestern Missouri; Augustus A.,
our subject; Sarah I., widow of J. B. Metzger,
formerly a druggist of Williamsport; and Eliza
beth A., wife of O. W. Meek, a merchant of
Selins Grove.
A. A. Gemberling has always resided at the
old homestead, and his education was begun in
the public schools of the neighborhood. He
studied one year in the academy at Milton, and
later attended the Lewisburg Academy. As his
father's health declined, he took charge of the
farm, and the other business interests connected
with it, but in 1889 the sawmill was destroyed
by a flood, and it has never been rebuilt.
Mr. Gemberling is a leading Republican, and
his sound judgment and public spirit have been well
proved in various ways, notably in the discharge
of the duties of the office of county commission
er, to which he was first elected in 1889. He is
a member of the Masonic order, of the Four
teenth degree, belonging to Milton Lodge, No.
256, at Milton. In religious faith, he is a Pres
byterian, and in Church work, as in other local
movements, he is a generous helper as the occa
sion may demand. He was married, in April,
1880, to Miss Fannie Patterson, and the union
has been blessed by two sons: Samuel and Rob
ert P., who are both at home.

JOHN PAWLING, a prominent retired agri
culturist of Kelly township, Union county,
and one of its most highly esteemed citizens,
is a representative of a family which has been
identified with Pennsylvania from pre-Revolu-
tionary times, his great-grandfather Pawling,
having come from England about 1700, settling
in Philadelphia county, then a frontier point.
His son Joseph sought a new and undeveloped

country, settling in 1794 in what is now Snyder
county, and there purchased 400 acres of land
near Selins Grove, where he engaged in business
as a farmer and hotel keeper. By his first wife
he had one son, John, who moved to the West,
his descendants being found chiefly in Kentucky.
Joseph Pawling's second wife, Mary Shannon,
bore him seven children, four daughters and
three sons, Samuel, Joseph, and Nathan. Of
these children, Samuel was the eldest. He was
born February 9, 1794, and became an extensive
farmer and leading citizen, being especially active
in local politics and holding various township of
fices. On January 24, 18 15, he was married to
Miss Elizabeth Woodling, a native of Snyder
connty, Penn. , and a daughter of John Wood
ling, who died at the age of eighty-three years,
eight months and four days, and his wife, Su
sannah Hendricks, passed away at the age of
eighty-four years, seven months and eighteen days.
Samuel and Elizabeth Pawling spent sixty years
of wedded life before their union was broken by
his death, November 23, 1874. She followed
him October 9, 1883, and at that time there
were living of their direct descendants nine chil
dren, fifty-five grandchildren, forty great-grand
children, and one great-great-grandchild.
Of their children the following record is
given: (1) Harriet, born December 31, 1815,
married David Schoch, and both are now de
ceased, leaving one son, Allen Schoch. (2)
Maria, deceased, born December 4, 18 17, was
also the wife of David Schoch, and left one
son, Sofares Schoch. (3) Susannah, born Feb
ruary 25, 1 8 19, now the widow of Jacob Hilbish,
resides at Swengel, Penn. She had six sons and
two daughters — Aaron, Charles, Wilson, James,
David, Ammon, Harriet, Agnes. (4) Levi, born
July 27, 1820, is deceased. (5) John, our sub
ject, is mentioned more fully farther on. (6)
Jane E., born June 15, 1825, married Fredericb
Schoch, who died leaving no issue; she then be
came the wife of Louis Gemberling, and they had
one daughter, who is married to Rev. W. W.
Clowser. (7) Samuel B., deceased, born Sep
tember 14, 1828, settled in Union county in 1853,
and on dying left one son, James M. Pawling,
born to his first marriage; by a second marriage
he also had one son, and by a third wife he left'
surviving him a son, Harry. (8) Rebecca, born
December 25, 1830, married James Biehl, of
East Buffalo township, Union county, and they
had two sons and one daughter — Jefferson, Ged-
eion and Sady Rule. (9) Angeline, born Sep
tember 22, 1834, now deceased, married Benja
min Ulrich, a farmer near Selins Grove, had
three sons — Jerome, Benjamin, and Samuel

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1021

Ulrich. (io) Charles W., born May 21, 1837,
now deceased, married Miss Lida Long, who
survives him and resides in Gregg township,
Union county. (11) Louis E., born December
10, 1839, is a retired farmer residing at Selins
Grove. He has three sons and two daughters —
Allen, Samuel, Emanuel, Alice and Delia.
John Pawling was born August 21, 1822, in
Penn township, Snyder county, and his early
recollections picture a very different state of civ
ilization from that which now prevails in that
locality. Passing his youth on the old home
stead, he assisted his father with the farm work,
while attending the local schools, and at twenty-
two he engaged in agriculture at his present
farm near Lewisburg. For three years he man
aged the place for his father, to whom it be
longed, and for two years he conducted it on
shares, but he then purchased it and continued
to cultivate until his retirement from active busi
ness. His son-in-law, H. A. Danowsky, now
rents the estate and resides there with his fam
ily. In politics Mr. Pawling is a Republican,
and for many years he has been a leading mem
ber of the Lutheran Church, in which he was
confirmed by Rev. J. P. Shindle, of Sunbury.
He has held the office of trustee in the Church
at White Deer Church for seven years, and
served as deacon in 1867, '68, '69 and '70.
On March 19, 1850, Mr. Pawling was married
to Miss Barbara A. Gemberling, now deceased,
by whom he had the following children: Will
iam, born March 6, 185 1, died at the age of four
years and six months; Sarah E. , born Septem
ber 22, 1852, is the wife of Jerry M. Aurand, a
farmer in Snyder county, and has one son, Harry
P. Aurand; Christopher G. , born August 26,
1854, resides in Portland, Ore.; Mary L. , born
September 19, 1856, married Frank Keizer, a
coal and feed merchant, of West Milton, and
has three boys and one girl — James, George,
Ray, and Bertha; Emma F., born March 24,
1859, is the wife of Allen S. Snyder, a fruit
gatherer at Orange, Cal. , and has two boys
— John and William; Catherine J., born May 9,
1 861, married F. L. Smith, agent at Los An
geles, Cal., of a mineral water company; Bertha
A., born August 22, 1863, married Reuben F.
Moyer, a farmer at Buffalo Cross Roads, Union
county; Alice R., born September 14, 1867, is
the wife of Henry A. Danowsky, who conducts
the homestead, and also has a sawmill on Beach
creek, and has three boys — William F., Lloyd
L, and John P.; Melinda R. , born December
22, 1869, is the wife of Chester Reedy, a farmer
in the same township, and has one daughter,
Detha Reedy.

Mrs. Barbara A. Pawling, who passed to the
unseen life March 5, 1875, was a native of Kelly
township, born March 31, 1831. Her father,
the late Philip Gemberling, Jr., was born in Sny
der county, but, after passing many years in
agricultural pursuits in Union county, he re
tired to Lewisburg to spend his last days.
His wife, Elizabeth, was a native of Un
ion county, and her death occurred there.
Philip Gemberling, Sr., grandfather of Mrs.
Barbara Pawling, had twenty-one children,
three of whom are now living, namely: Lida,
widow of John Parks, resides at Selins Grove;
Reuben is a farmer near Elkhart, Ind.; and Will
iam, a bridge builder, resides at Selins Grove.
Jefferson S. Pawling, a nephew of our sub
ject, is a prosperous agriculturist of Kelly town
ship, Union county, born December 13, 1854,
in the house where he now resides. He is a son
of Levi Pawling, and a grandson of Samuel and
Elizabeth (Woodling) Pawling, mentioned above.
Levi Pawling was married, May 25, 1847,
in Snyder county, to Miss Margaret Weaver, a
lady of German descent, whose ancestors had
settled in this State before the Revolution.
Her grandfather, Jacob Weaver, and his wife,
Catherine Hoffer, were both natives of York,
Adams Co., Penn. He enlisted in the Colonial
army during the struggle for independence, and
made an excellent record for courage and discre
tion. On one occasion he was appointed to
carry some important dispatches to General
Washington, to whom he gave them personally,
and he narrowly escaped capture by the British
while on this difficult mission. He died in 1836,
at the age of eighty-four, in Shippensburg, Penn.
His son, Michael Weaver, the father of Mrs.
Pawling, was a prominent resident of New Ber
lin, Snyder county, and held an influential place
in political circles, serving at different times as
register, recorder and surveyor of his county.
He married Miss Phcebe Townsend. The
Weaver family was never identified with agricult
ural pursuits, its members choosing mercantile
business and similar occupations.
In the spring of 1848 Levi Pawling removed
with his wife from Snyder county to Juniata coun
ty, and in 1852 to the present homestead, where
they spent the remainder of their lives. He was
active and influential in local affairs, and in the
Republican party, holding office at times, and
was noted for his sound judgment. When a boy
at play with 'his brother, from whom he was run
ning, his right eye was destroyed through an ac
cidental fall against a stove, a corner of the door
striking his eye. His wife was a woman of more
than ordinary mental ability and literary inclina-

1022

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

tion, and his life was characterized by a beautiful
Christian spirit. Although she was for some time
a member of the Presbyterian Church, she after
ward became a Lutheran, her husband being a
member of that Church. She died January 16,
1880, aged forty-eight years, nine months, and
twenty-nine days, and her husband survived her
thirteen years, his death occurring January 15,
1893, at the age of seventy-two years, five
months, and eighteen days, the remains of both
being interred in the Lutheran churchyard at
White Deer.
Their children were: Margaret S., born
March 6, 1840, who died in infancy; Allen F.,
born May 1, 1850, in Juniata county, now a dealer
in implements at Lewisburg, Penn.; Jefferson S.,
born December 13, 1854; Malinda J., born No
vember 14, 1859, who married M. R. Brown, a
farmer of Kelly township, Union county; Nora
E., born October 2, 1861, who died at the age
of one year, five months and sixteen days; Ida
C, born February 13, 1864, who died at twenty;
and Anna S., born August 15, 1867, who died
July 20, 1887.
Jefferson S. Pawling was reared at the old
homestead, where he assisted in the "chores"
from boyhood. Until the age of fourteen he at
tended the neighboring school in winter but,
having completed the course of study offered, he
entered Central- Pennsylvania College at New
Berlin, and spent one year. At seventeen he
began teaching school, and after one term in
White Deer township, he taught eight years in
Kelly township. During this time he gave much
attention to the work at the farm, and owing to
his father's enfeebled health, he finally gave up
teaching in order to care for his home interests
more thoroughly. On March 7, 1895, he was
married at Freeburg, Snyder county, to Miss
Mary Mqyer, a native of that town, and a daugh
ter of Prof. William Moyer, a well-known resi
dent. They have no children.
Mr. Pawling's political sympathies are with
the Republican party, and he has been active in
local affairs, holding the office of assessor for
three years. He takes keen interest in educa
tional matters, and is now serving a two-years'
term as school director. His own early training
has been supplemented by a wide course of read
ing, and in 1890 he graduated from the Chautau
qua Literary and Scientific Circle. In religious
faith he is a Lutheran.

DAVID LEIBY. Among the honored repre
sentatives of pioneer times who are still
spared to us, this venerable gentleman, now re

siding upon his farm near Lewisburg, holds a
leading place. Born in Union county, January
14, 1 8 19, his entire life has been spent there, and
the marvelous development of that locality may
be said to have taken place within his observa
tion. He is of good old Berks county stock, and
both his grandfathers served as soldiers in the
Revolutionary war. His grandparents, on the
paternal side, had their home in Aulbury town
ship, Berks county, where John J. Leiby, the
father of our subject, was born and reared. He
was married there, April 1, 1800, to Christiana
Neifert, a native of the same township, and a
daughter of Jacob and Eliza (Stumbin) Neifert.
In 1 8 1 1 John J. Leiby and his wife came to Union
county, and settled in Union (now Limestone)
township. He was drafted during the war of
1812, but furnished a substitute. By occupation
he was a dyer, and by reason of his strong and
decided character he acquired great influence in
the community, being chosen to various local
offices, and holding for twenty-five years the posi
tion of elder in the Reformed Church. In early
life he was a Democrat, but later he joined the
anti-Mason faction, and finally became a Whig.
His death occurred March 22, 1856, at the age
of eighty-one years and nine months, and his
wife passed from earth July 8, 1852, in her
seventy-eighth year.
They had' six children, of whom the subject
of this sketch was the youngest, and is now the
only survivor: (1) George, born November 11,
1802, died in Union county in 1872; John, born
January 4, 1805, died in Mifflinburg in 1872,
eleven weeks from the time of his brother's
death; Mary, born January 12, 1809, married
John Benner (now deceased), and her death oc
curred in Buffalo township, Union county, in
1865; Jacob, born May 16, 18 12, died in Lime
stone township, Union county, at the age of
seventy-one; Catherine, born December 5, 18 14,
married the late John Norman, and died in
Snyder county, Penn., at the age of seventy-
three. At the time of Mr. Leiby's birth his parents
were residing in Union (now Limestone) town
ship, Union county, and he remained there until
1857, when he located at his present home in
Kelly township, purchasing the place from Thomas
Comley. It is a fine farm, and was first settled
in 1 769, by William Patterson. Mr. Leiby is a
careful manager, and has always been considered
one of the best agriculturists in his vicinity, while
he has also taken a prominent part in local pol
itics as a member of the Democratic party, and
has served as supervisor and overseer of the poor.
In religious faith he is a Lutheran, and for many

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1023

years of his active life he held office as deacon
and elder in the Church.
On February 15, 1844, Mr. Leiby was united
in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Moyer, who was
born in East Buffalo township, Union county, in
1820. Her father, Jacob Moyer, who was also a
native of Union county, was a man of prom
inence and an extensive farmer and land owner.
He and his wife, Sarah Gemberling, who was
born in Snyder county, both died in Union coun
ty. Mrs. Leiby passed to her eternal rest
August 29, 1892, sincerely mourned by a large
circle of friends, to whom her rare qualities of
mind and heart had endeared her. Of a family
of six children all but two are living. William
A., born January 5, 1845, conducts a grocery
and meat market at Lewisburg; Sarah J., March
30, 1846, married George Noll, a farmer in Kelly
township; Margaret Matilda, December 29, 1850,
resides with her father, to whose needs she min
isters with rare filial devotion and womanly
skill; Harriet C, July 4, 1853, married Charles
A. Moll, who is mentioned more fully below;
John F., born September 14, 1857, died March
21, 1858; and Mary C, born March 15, i860,
died March 16, 1861.
Charles A. Moll, Mr. Leiby's son-in-law, is
now in charge of the homestead, which he rents,
and his able management has earned for him a
reputation as a successful farmer. He was born
in 1848, in Gregg township, Union county, then
Lycoming county, and was married October 3,
1872, to Miss Harriet Leiby. Four children
were born of this union — Anna E., February 5,
1876; Jennie M., April 24, 1880; Regina, Octo
ber 19, 1884; and George L., May 17,1890,
making a family of whom any parent might feel
proud. Mr. Moll's paternal ancestors were early
settlers in the Keystone State, his great-grand
parents, Martin and Catherine (Cashiner) Moll,
being residents of Berks county. His grandpar
ents, Henry and Christiana (Cashiner) Moll,
moved from that county to Northumberland
county, where they located permanently. His
father, the late Henry Moll, was born and reared
there, and married a native of the same locality,
Miss Anna Ritter, who was also of an old Berks
county family. Her grandparents, John and
Elizabeth Ritter, lived and died there, and her
parents, George A. and Sophia (Crist) Ritter,
were both born there, but settled after their mar
riage in Northumberland county.
Henry Moll died August 14, 1888, at the age
of seventy-four years, five months and twenty-
six days, and his devoted wife, who was born
June 9, 1816, survived until November 12, 1897,
when, at the age of eighty-one years, five

months and three days, she too, passed away.
They had nine children, whose names with dates
of birth are as follows: Levi, February 9, 1840,
died November 17, 1869; Elias, September 14,
1841, died October 14, 1896; Henry A., Octo
ber 10, 1844, is a carpenter at Milton, Penn.;
Mary E., September 14, 1846. is the wife of
William Ringler, a painter, residing in Philadel
phia; Charles A., July 19, 1848; Anna E., Octo
ber 23, 1850, is the wife of Jonathan Snyder, a
sawyer at Lewisburg, Penn. ; Daniel, January
29, 1853, is a teller of the First National Bank
at Mahanoy City, Penn.; Sarah A., March 10,
1856, formerly the wife of Cyrus Dieffenderfer,
a farmer in Buffalo township, Union county,
died March 3, 1893; and Amanda E. , March 12,
1 861, married Cyrus Yost, a farmer of White
Deer township, Union county.

JOEL REISH, a leading citizen of West Buf
falo township, Union county, is now the
proprietor of a distillery, which has been
successfully operated by some member of the
family for over three-quarters of a century, it
being established by his grandfather, Daniel
Reish, and later was conducted by his father,
Benivel M., who was succeeded by his son,
James K. Leasing the plant, our subject pur
chased the stock and apparatus of his brother in
1893, and has since done a large and flourishing
business, the manufactured product, which is
noted for its purity, finding a ready sale in the
market. At Forest Hill, West Buffalo township, Mr.
Reish was born March 19, 1859, a son of Benivel
M. and Lavina (Kling) Reish. As a pupil of
Miss Nancy Gibbony, he began his education in
the district school near his boyhood home, but
his educational advantages were much inferior to
those afforded the youth of the present day, and
he heartily endorses better schools. During his
boyhood he early became familiar with his pres
ent business, under the able direction of his fa
ther, and remained at home until the spring of
1880, when he went to Illinois, working as a farm
hand in both Fulton and McDonough counties
until the following December, and receiving from
$15 per month to $1 per day.
Returning to his native county, Mr. Reish
was for the four following years in the employ
of his brother, James K. , working in the distil
lery and at other labor. In the spring of 1885,
however, with his wife and family, he removed
to Brown county, Kans. , where for eight years
he operated rented land, and at the end of that
time returned to Pennsylvania, where he has

1024

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

since carried on his present business with excel
lent results'.
On March 14, 1881, in Mifflinburg, Union
county, Mr. Reish was married to Miss Sadie
Kersteter, a daughter of Reuben Kersteter, and a
native of Sugar Valley, Clinton Co., Penn.,
where she was reared until eighteen years of age.
Three children blessed this union, namely: Pearl
E., Carl B. and Hattie C. The wife and mother
was called to her final rest March 30, 1894, and
her remains were interred in the Mifflinburg
cemetery. In politics, Mr. Reish is a stanch Republican,
but at times supports the men of other parties,
especially at township and county elections when
no issue is involved. He is progressive and pub
lic-spirited, and has many warm friends in the
community, where almost his entire life has been
passed.

/TV\EORGE E. SEEBOLD, one of the active
%^( and energetic agriculturists of Limestone
township, is a worthy representative of a promi
nent pioneer family of Union county.
His great-grandfather, Christopher Seebold,
was a native of Wurtemberg, Germany, but
when only seven years old came to the United
States with his father, Lenhart Seebold, and
family, landing at Philadelphia in 1750. Len
hart Seebold settled in Lebanon county. Christo
pher Seebold, the founder of the branch of the
, Union county, Penn., family of Seebolds, and
wife, Barbara, had eight children, namely: (1)
Barbara, born in 1761, died in 1843. (2) Christo
pher, Jr., born September 3, 1763, died May 6,
J839- (3) Michael, died (unmarried) in Leba
non county. (4) Catharine (twin), born July
19, 1769, and (5) Anna Maria (twin), born July
19. 1769, married Henry Hassenplug, and they
lived in Mifflinburg. (6) Otilia, born in 1774,
died in 1858, married Michael Greens. (Most
of the family went to the West). (7) Grace died
in 1863, the wife of Andrew Wagner. (8) John,
born April 24, 1781. (All were born in Lebanon
county). About 1789-90, Christopher Seebold,
Sr. , and family, most of whom were married, re
moved from Lebanon county to what is now
Union county. On April 25, 1792, he purchased
of James Watson one hundred and seventy acres
of land whereon was a gristmill, two miles west
of New Berlin, on the road going to Mifflinburg.
This property has ever since been in the Seebold
name. He died on his place in 1813, his widow
surviving him some years. He bore a promi
nent part in the early development of this region,
and here reared his family.

Our subject is descended from John Seebold,
who was born April 24, 1 781, and was but a boy
when brought by his parents to Union county.
His father being a mill owner, he learned the
trade of a miller, and succeeded to the owner
ship of the old Seebold mill, which stood the
ravages of time until recent years, when it was
torn down, but never passed out of the hands of
the family. In 18 19, however, John Seebold
erected a new mill, which he operated quite suc
cessfully for many years, doing an extensive busi
ness for those early days, and shipping thousands
of barrels of flour to Baltimore. The principal
means of transportation from New Berlin was by
"arks" that floated down Penn's creek, and
often contained as many as 300 barrels of flour.
John Seebold, the grandfather, wedded Ma
ria Auble, who was born April 24, 1784, and
was a daughter of Conrad Auble, a Hessian
soldier, who was hired by the British in the Rev
olutionary war, in which struggle he was wounded.
With his family he located in Buffalo Valley at
an early day. To Mr. and Mrs. Seebold were
born six children, namely: Rebecca, who became
the wife of George Leitner, and died in Lime
stone township, Union county; Barbara, who .
married John Rinkert, and died in the same town
ship; John, the father of our subject; Jacob, who
died in Limestone township; Daniel, who still
lives in that township, and Mary, who died un
married. The father of these children died Oc
tober 26, 1857, the mother April 19, 1866, and
both were buried at New Berlin.
John Seebold, Jr., was born two miles west of
New Berlin, March 1, 1818, and with his father
learned the milling business, which he followed
for a number of years, but later turned his atten
tion to farming, owning and operating the place
on which our subject now resides. During boy
hood he was able to attend school for only a few
weeks each year as his services were needed in
the mill. In early manhood he married Miss
Elizabeth Spangler, who was born in Union, now
Snyder, county, Penn., March 13, 1820, a daugh
ter of Jacob and Maria (Shroyer) Spangler. Two
children blessed their union: George E., of this
review; and Sevilla, wife of Samuel Crossgrove,
of Limestone township, Union county. The
mother was called to her final rest in i860, but
the father survived her many years, dying Feb
ruary 20, 1892, and both were buried in the New
Berlin cemetery. Originally, he was a Whig in
politics, later a Republican, and by his fellow
citizens he was called upon to serve as super
visor, school director, and overseer of the poor
in his township. Industrious and enterprising, he
secured a comfortable competence, and his up-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1025

right, honorable career gained him the confi
dence and respect of all who knew him. In re
ligious belief he was a Lutheran.
In Limestone township, George E. Seebold
was born March 13, 1842, and since the age of
ten years he has resided at his present home,
now owning 100 acres of valuable land, which he
successfully cultivates. He also owns and oper
ates a chopping-mill for his own use. Under the
instruction of Daniel Seebold he began his edu
cation at Penn's Creek school, on the Sanders
farm, but the school house has since been torn
down. Later he attended the Union Seminary
at New Berlin, and was the first teacher to have
charge of the new school at Wehr's Hotel, where
he successfully taught for two terms.
On the outbreak of the Civil war it was Mr.
Seebold's desire to enlist, but his father opposed.
Finally, on February 28, 1865, at Harrisburg,
Penn., he enlisted in Company D, 74th P. V. I.,
,and joined the regiment near Cumberland, Md.
He was mostly engaged in guard duty in West
Virginia, protecting the property of the Baltimore
& Ohio railroad, and at the time of Lee's sur
render he was stationed at Clarksburg, that State,
where he was honorably discharged August 27,
1865. He was never wounded or off duty on
account of illness.
On February 22, 1866, Mr. Seebold was mar
ried to Miss Catharine Crossgrove, who was born
in Limestone township, Union county, February
27, 1843, a daughter of James and Polly (Ulsh)
Crossgrove, being one of the two children born
of her father's first marriage. He was a car
penter by trade, but his later years were spent in
farming. Nine children were born to Mr. and
Mrs. Seebold, namely: Clara, born November
22, 1866, died August 14, 1873; Ella, born July
6, 1868, died March 10, 1870; Flora, born
March 19, 1870, married to W. E. Reed, of
Linntown, Penn., September 10, 1893; Mary
Alice, born October 20, 1,871, died February
5, 1 891; Sadie Verdilla, born February 23,
1876; John, born July 16, 1S77; George, born
January 12, 1881; James, born June 6, 1883;
Charles, born September 9, 1884, died February
13, 1885; and Adda Mae, born July 22, 1886.
Mr. Seebold is well informed on the leading
questions and issues of the day, is a stanch Re
publican in politics, and has acceptably served
as school director, but cares nothing for official,
honors. Always good natured and jovial and
pleasant in disposition, he makes hosts of friends
and is widely recognized as one of the thoroughly
reliable and highly respected citizens of Lime
stone township. He and his estimable wife are
both worthy members of the Lutheran Church.

SAMUEL BURNS, a prominent lumber mer-
) chant residing at Winfield, Union county, is
a man whose life history presents an eloquent
lesson in the value of self-help. Beginning busi
ness life as a boy of fourteen, with no capital and
but little education, he has steadily made his way,
and with such clear and steadfast aim that from
the first he has occupied positions which would
reflect credit upon any man. Mr. Burns was
born July 3, 1849, iti Northumberland county,
Penn., on an island in the Susquehanna river,
and his ancestry on both sides had been identified
with the State from pioneer days. His father,
the late Christian Burns, was a native of Nor
thumberland county, born February 14, 18 19,
a son of Peter and Elizabeth (Speece) Burns,
and was reared in Snyder county, returning
afterward to his earlier home to engage in farm
ing. On October 18, 1849,. he settled at Win
field, but his last days were spent in Union
county, where he followed farming, and was also
employed as foreman in a stone quarry at his
death which occurred July 19, 1894. He mar
ried Miss Mary Bettilyon, who was born Febru
ary 12, 1825, in Perry county, Penn., and is yet
living. Her grandfather, Isaac Bettilyon, was a
native of Perry county, and her father, David
Bettilyon, was born in Hanover, Penn., married
Miss Mary Rafter, of Perry county, and in 1845
they moved to Winfield, where both breathed
their last.
To Christian Burns and his wife the follow
ing children were born: Sidney Ann, born May
18, 1844, died at the age of seven; David A.,
born November i, 1845, died at twenty-five ;Jud-
son, born October 6, 1847, lived only one year;
Samuel is mentioned more fully below; Andrew
Bigler, born August 8, 185 1, lives in Milton,
Penn. ; Susan E. , born September 16, 1853, mar
ried Jacob Campbell, of the same place; Henry F. ,
born June 28, 1855, died in Brazil, South Amer
ica; Mary L. (twin of Henry) married Clarence
Leisher, and died some years ago; Nancy J.,
born March 11, 1857, married F. Snyder, of Win
field; William C, born April 16, 1859, resides at
Winfield; Alda C. , born December 31, 1861,
died at an early age; and Jeremiah, born March
1, 1863, now lives at Winfield.
As has been said, Mr. Burns (our subject) had
few educational privileges in his youth, his at
tendance at the schools near his home being
limited to three winter terms. At fourteen this
opportunity was closed to him. by the necessity
for earning a livelihood. The year he spent in
Clearfield county, where he worked in the woods
during the winter, boating on the canal in sum
mer, and his energy and discretion were even

65*

1026

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

then so evident that at sixteen he took charge of
crews. When the Civil war broke out he was
much too young to go as a soldier, but on Feb
ruary 8, 1865, he was accepted and joined the
1 5th New York Regiment, the Pioneer Engineer
Corps, enlisting at City Point. Fortunately the
need of recruits did not long continue, and in
May, 1865, at the close of the Grand Review at
Washington, he was honorably discharged. Re-
turningto Clearfield county, o%r subject resumed his
former occupations, and soon began taking con
tracts for work of various kinds. For two years
he had charge of a force of men that built the
bridge at Sunbury and the transfer at Shamokin,
also a number of trestles in the vicinity. He also
helped to build the Sunbury boom for the Sun
bury Lumbering Co., working two summers, and
then remained to manage the place for two years
more, conducting a coal yard at the same time,
in which he lost every cent which he had pre
viously saved. During the next summer he was
captain of a floating gang, and after the comple
tion of the Reading railroad he engaged in the
lumber business, making a specialty of getting
out props. He has gradually extended his trade
until he now commands a large and profitable
business in all kinds of lumber. He is sole
owner of his yard at Winfield, and has a camp in
Northumberland county, which he conducts in
partnership with Michael Slear, of Winfield. As
a citizen he is progressive and public-spirited.
In politics he has been a Republican for the past
six years, and while he has not sought public
office he has taken keen interest in party move
ments. Socially he is a charter member of
Winfield Lodge No. 352, P. O. S. of A., and
has twice been a delegate to the State camp at
Allentown and Altoona.
On December 5, 1873, Mr. Burns was mar
ried in Northumberland county, to Miss Matilda
Hummel, and four children have blessed their
union: William C. is now attending the State
Normal School, at Bloomsburg, Penn. ; Jennie
M. is at home; Benjamin F. is a student at
Bloomsburg; and Charlotte Anna died in infancy.
Mrs. Burns was born November 5, 1844, in
Northumberland county. Her grandfather, Ja
cob Hummel, of Northampton county, Penn.,
moved to Snyder county at an early day, with
his wife, Margaret (Kline), and remained there,
following carpentering and farming. Daniel
Hummel (Mrs. Burns' father) was a lifelong res
ident of Snyder county, and was by occupation
a farmer and carpenter. He was a Lutheran in
religion, and politically adhered to the Repub
lican party. He died in 1849, aged thirty-six
years. His wife, Anna Smith, daughter of Ben

jamin and Eve (Kesler) Smith, of Snyder coun
ty, survived him many years, passing away April
27, 1896, aged seventy-seven years, seven months
and sixteen days. Their children were: Eliza
beth, wife of John Troxell, a carpenter; Benja
min, a farmer; Matilda, Mrs. Burns; Amanda,
widow of Joseph Hess; Katie, who married Will
iam Hess, a watchman on a railroad; and Levi
— all of whom reside in Snyder county, with the
exception ' of Mrs. Burns.

MEUBEN KLINE. A family who sent
 seven brave sons to the defense of the flag,
in the dark days of threatened disunion, de
serves a high place in the nation's roll of honor,
and Union county takes pride in the fact that
such patriotism was nourished within her bor
ders. Of the nine sons of Jacob and Mary (In-
gelhart) Kline, of West Buffalo township, all,
but two entered the army and they were too
young to enlist. This record is doubtless une-
qualed by any other family in the State, and,
few if any, could be found to match it in the en
tire country. The eldest son, Daniel, enlisted
in Company E, 51st P. V. I., in 1864, and re
mained in the service until the close of the war.
John was a member of Company E, 142nd P.
V. I. , and lost his life at the battle of the Wilder
ness; he was wounded and left on the field; is
supposed to have been burned by the forest fires
which swept over the spot where he was last
seen. George enlisted in Company E, 131st P.
V. I. , for nine months' service, and at the close
of the term re-enlisted in Company E, 51st P.
V. I., for " three years or during the war," and
was wounded at the battle of the Wilderness
May 6, 1864. Joel also answered the call for
nine months' service, and later re-enlisted in
Company E, 51st P. V. I., for three years, and
was wounded at the battle of Cold Harbor June
3, 1864. Charles enlisted, first, in the 13 ist Reg
iment, and at the end of his term of nine
months joined Company E, 51st P. V. I., and
was wounded in the battle of the Wilderness.
Jacob L., a' member of the 51st P. V. I., was a
valiant soldier, but privations and exposure
brought on an illness from which he died in the
hospital at Annapolis, Maryland.
Reuben Kline, the subject of this sketch, and
the youngest of the gallant seven, was born in
West Buffalo township, Union county, Novem
ber 6, 1844, and enlisted while still in his
" teens" in Company E, 21st P. V. C, for six
months. In 1864, when barely eighteen years
old, he re-enlisted in Company E, 51st P. V. I.,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1027

and served in the Army of the Potomac. He
took part in the battle of the Wilderness, and
was at Spottsylvania, North Anna, as well as
other places where the full horrors of war were
seen, and at Cold Harbor he was wounded in
the right leg so seriously that immediate ampu
tation was necessary. This done, he was taken
to the hospital at Washington, and although he
was mustered out at the close of the war, he
was compelled to remain at the Soldiers' Home
in Philadelphia until 1866, when he returned to
his native place. In his youth he had received
a common-school education, but while in Phila
delphia he took advantage of the educational fa
cilities offered at the Home, and studied hard to
prepare himself for some vocation in which his
crippled condition would not be a barrier to suc
cess. After a visit at home, he went to Illinois,
and while there was brought out for nomination
in 1869 by the Republicans of Union county as
their candidate for the office of register and re
corder. He came home, made the campaign,
and was elected, and so faithfully and well did
he serve that he held the office five consecutive
terms, or fifteen years. On retiring he engaged
in agriculture in West Buffalo township, but in
1897, being elected clerk of the commissioners'
court, he returned to the county seat to reside.
He is an influential factor in the politics of his
county, and is a popular member of the G. A. R.
His wife, who was formerly Miss Sarah E. De-
Long, was a native of West Buffalo township,
born November 15, 1845, and they have one
daughter and one son: Bertha M., married Wes
ley Kleckner, and has one child — Ruth; and Ar
thur Paul, who is at home.
The Klines are of old Pennsylvania stock.
Grandfather Jacob Kline died in West Buffalo
township. His children were: John, who died
in Illinois; David, who died in Hartleton, Penn. ;
and Sallie, wife of George Ingelhart, the brother
of our subject's mother. Jacob Kline, the father
of our subject, was born in West Buffalo town
ship, Union county, in 1805, and died in 1869.
He learned the carpenter's trade in early life,
and followed it for some years, but later became
a millwright, operating chiefly in his native town
ship. His influence in the community was
marked, and was always exerted on the side of
patriotism and progress. His wife, who was
also a native of West Buffalo township, died in
'879. They had fourteen children: Daniel and
Eleanor (twins), the former of whom is now a
resident of Oneco, 111. , the latter being the wife
of Joel Hursh, and residing in Flemington,
Penn.; Eliza, wife of H. D. Royer, of Buffalo
township, Unioncounty; John; who met a sol

dier's death as mentioned above; George, now a
resident of Forest Hill: Joel, who resides in Wis
consin; Charles, of Forest Hill; Sarah, wife of
Jacob Ross, also of Forest Hill, Union county;
Jacob L. , whose life was sacrificed on the altar
of his country; Reuben, our subject; B. C. and
Stephen (twins), the former being a resident of
West Buffalo township, the latter dying in in
fancy; and two younger children who lived but a
brief time.

QEORGE SCHNURE, Esq. (deceased), was
born in Union county, Penn township, De
cember 23, 181 1, of German ancestry. His
grandfather, John George Schnure, according to
the records of the Church in Dudenhoppen,
Germany, was married to one Anna Catharine
Mennor. Of this union John Christian Schnure,
the father of George, was born at Dudenhop
pen, in the principality of Hesse-Cassel, July 2,
1763- In 1 78 1, John Christian Schnure left his home
and native land, and emigrated to this country,
knowing that upon the termination of the voyage
a bondage for a term of years awaited him to
pay his passage. Upon his arrival the captain
of the vessel bound him for three years to a
farmer named Ege, residing in Berks county,
and all he earned in that time went to pay his
fare, clothing and board. After serving out his
time he moved to what is now Middle Creek
township, Snyder county, where he was married
to Elizabeth Pontius, who, at an early age, had
removed with her parents from Philadelphia to
that locality. She was born February 19, 1776,
and died in Hartley township, Union county,
September 17, 1852. John Christian Schnure
died July 27, 1827. Their children were Cath
arine, who married Tobias Miller, and settled in
Venango county; Henry, who has descendants
living in Michigan and Indiana; Elizabeth mar
ried to Charles Smith, descendants living in
Centre and Union counties; Michael, descendants
living in Union county; Mary, who died unmar
ried; George, who is the subject of this sketch;
Levi, descendants living in Ohio; and Mary,
married to Robert Lucas, descendants living in
Union county.
During his early life George Schnure assisted
his father on the farm. During the winter
seasons he had from two to three months' in
struction in schools where some were taught in
English and others in German. The remainder
of the year was spent at work. When but nine
years of age he left the parental roof, and was

1028

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

employed by Robert Foster, who kept a store in
Hartleton. This early beginning impressed upon
his youthful mind a love for mercantile pursuits,
and laid the foundation for that industry and
thrift which, in after years, resulted in financial
success. After serving Mr. Foster a short time,
he returned to his father's farm, where he re
mained during the summer, and then entered
the service of A. D. Hahn, who kept a store and
tavern at Hartleton, and remained four years.
In 1825 Mr. Hahn moved to New Berlin, where
he engaged in mercantile business, and George
Schnure accompanied him, remained his clerk
for one year, then went to Northumberland, and
for three years was clerk in the store of John A.
Sterrett. The store then being purchased by
John Guyer, he continued with the new owner
nine months.
In 1833 Mr. Schnure came to Selins Grove,
and at the age of twenty-two entered into partner
ship with his former employer, John A. Sterrett.
Their store stood on the second lot from the
northeast corner of Market and Walnut streets.
After continuing this partnership for three years,
Mr. Sterrett, having sold his interest to Henry
C. Eyer, retired from the firm. Eyer & Schnure
remained in business for seven years, when they
disposed of their store to Gundrum & Reichard.
Two years later Mr. Schnure entered into part
nership with James K. Davis, Jr., and opened
a general store on the southeast corner of Market
and Pine streets. Mr. Schnure having bought
property on the northwest corner of said streets,
the store was moved to that place, where he and
Mr. Davis continued in general mercantile,
grain and shipping business for twelve years.
In 1858 the store was sold to Charles S. David
and Lewis R. Hummel. About i860 Mr.
Schnure bought back Charles S. Davis' interest,
aud engaged in business with Mr. Hummel.
The new firm continued four years, when Mr.
Schnure withdrew and devoted the several years
following in settling up the partnership affairs.
In 1868 he formed a partnership with Daniel
Carey, and purchased the Maine sawmill prop
erty from Scribner & Perkins, at a cost of $22,-
000, and continued in the lumber trade until
1873, when, upon the death of Mr. Carey, he
devoted his time in settling up the business.
affairs as well as the estate of his deceased part
ner. In September, 1879, Mr. Schnure bought
out A. Kreiger's and J. Pawling's interest in the
flourmill at the upper end of Selins Grove, and
became a partner with his son, H. D. Schnure,
who had previously been in partnership with
Kreiger & Pawling. They rebuilt the mill,
added new and improved machinery, erected a

large grain house, and connected the mill with
the railroad by means of a siding.
About 1850 Mr. Schnure was elected a direct
or in the Northumberland Bank, and was fre
quently re-elected. Upon the removal of the
bank to Sunbury he was continued. On Janu
ary 21, 1864, he was elected the first president
of the First National Bank of Selins Grove, and
for almost twenty-three years continued to fill
this position. On November 6, 1889, he re
signed the presidency, and afterward lived in re
tirement. He freequntly served as school direct
or, as chief burgess (was the first chief burgess
of Selins Grove), and as councilman. About
1 868 he was president of the Sunbury & Lewis-
town railroad, then known as the Middle Creek
railroad, and during his administration part of
the grading was done. For many years he was
president of the board of directors of the Mission
ary Institute. Throughout this eventful business
career Mr. Schnure was always successful, re
sulting in the accumulation of much wealth and
property. On September 23, 1841, he was married to
Miss Cordelia Davis, a daughter of James K.
Davis, Sr. , and a granddaughter on her maternal-
side of Anthony Selin, the founder of the town.
Mrs. Schnure died March i, 1859. Their chil
dren are: Francis Marion, born November 13,
1845, married Miss Laura Gross, of New Berlin,
November 11, 1868, died October 5, 1871; John
Sylvester, born January 21, 1848, died March 15,
1 881; Howard Davis, born October 30, 1850,
married Miss Sarah J. Six, of Mechanicstown,
Md., September 20, 1876; Mary Elizabeth Eyer,
born January 12, 1853, married Ira C. Schoch,
October 23, 1878, died June 5, 1884; Emma
Catharine, born January 4, 1857, married Har
vey H. Schoch, September 20, 1882. On April
15, 1863, Mr. Schnure was married, the second
time, to Miss Amanda Spyker, of Lewisburg.
She died January 11, 1877, after an illness of a
few hours.
In the various walks of life Mr. Schnure was
ever held in high esteem. His opinion and ad
vice were for many years sought and carefully
followed by many of his fellowmen. His
economy, perseverance and discretion were care
fully studied and practiced by those desiring to
advance in life. When a cause was just and de
serving of aid, his heart contained a sympathetic
chord that could always be touched by the hand
of charity. On January 27, 1893, after a busy,
useful and eventful life George Schnure passed to
his last rest, bequeathing to his sons and daugh
ters not only the fruits of his toil, but the better
heritage of untarnished honor.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1029

JR. DIMM, D. D., President of Susquehanna
University, at Selins Grove, Snyder county,
is an educator of national reputation, his
ripe scholarship and remarkable gifts as an or
ganizer fitting him for the highest ranks of the
profession. For some years also he has labored
faithfully and successfully in the ministry of the
Lutheran Church, and few men can review their
lives with as much satisfaction in the sight of
duties well done.
Dr. Dimm corhes of Colonial stock, and is of
the fourth generation of his family in this coun
try; the first of the line having come from the
ancestral home in Germany in 1743, to settle in
the vicinity of Philadelphia. The Doctor was
born in 1830 near Muncy, Lycoming county,
Penn., the son of Simon and Rebecca Dimm.
His parents, who were devout Lutherans in re
ligious faith, had him baptized in infancy in Im-
manuel Lutheran Church, in Muncy Creek town
ship, and at twenty he was confirmed. At twenty-
one he entered the preparatory department of
Pennsylvania College at Gettysburg, and after
two years of study there he took a four-years'
course in the college, graduating in 1857 with
the highest honors of his class. On leaving col
lege he assumed the management of the classical
school at Aaronsburg, Centre county. While
thus engaged he carried on a private course of
study in theology, and in 1859, at Harrisburg, he
was examined and licensed by the Synod of
Eastern Pennsylvania. In the same year he be
came pastor of the Lutheran Church at Blooms
burg, Penn. , where he labored eight years with
signal success. The Sunday-school and Church at
tendance was largely increased, and a great deal
of general work for the Church was done in the
Susquehanna Valley. During this time he helped
to organize the State Normal School at Blooms
burg, and taught the classics there one year.
In 1867, he became pastor of St. Peter's
Church, at Barren Hill, a suburb of Philadelphia,
Penn. During his stay of four years the Church
was remodeled, a private classical school was
established, and a great work done in religious
advancement. In 1871 he became secretary of
the Lutheran Board of Publication of Philadel
phia, and in this capacity he traveled over five
States during the next fifteen months. In 1873,
he resumed pulpit work as pastor of the Lu
theran Church on Jefferson and Sixteenth streets
in Philadelphia. The natural tendencies of his
mind led him back to school work, and in 1874
he became principal of the Lutherville Female
Seminary. During his administration of six
years the standard of scholarship was raised, and
many progressive changes were made. In 1880,

he was called to Kimberton, in Chester county,
to organize a new private school, and soon after
ward was invited to the pastorate of two
Churches. In 1882, his reputation as a teacher
led to his being called to the principalship of the
classical department of the Missionary Institute
at Selins Grove, Penn. , now Susquehanna Uni
versity, and later he became President. A great
change has come over the college since he as
sumed management. The attendance has been
increased four-fold, and the curriculum greatly ex
tended. The old building has been remodeled,
and a beautiful additional building, known as
Gustavus Adolphus Hall, erected in 1894. This
contains a chapel and six recitation rooms on
the first floor, the theological room, reading
room and library, and various other apartments
on the second floor. In 1897 another building
was added, containing four apartments — the chem
ical laboratory, botanical and geological labora
tory, a recitation room for science, and a room
containing the cabinet.
Dr. Dimm possesses high executive ability
as a college manager. A man of profound learn
ing, indomitable energy and with a natural apti
tude for teaching, he has gathered around him a
loyal faculty and board of trustees, and the prog
ress of the institution has been a matter of pride
to all familiar with its history during late years.
Dr. Dimm has been a frequent lecturer, fol
lowing chiefly scientific lines of thought. During
a single year he delivered nearly fifty lectures.
His literary efforts have been principally in the
form of review articles. He has received in turn
the degrees of A. B. and A. M. and D. D. from
Pennsylvania College, the last in 1884.
In 1859 Dr. Dimm was married to Miss Mary
C. Hill, a daughter of John Hill, Esq., of
Hughesville, Penn. One son and four daughters
have been born to them. The eldest daughter
died in infancy, but the other children are all
living: Margaret, who was educated at the
Lutheran Seminary near Baltimore, Md. , married
Rev, James Eugene Dietrich, a Lutheran min
ister. They have two children — Charles and
Margaret. Evangeline Longfellow was educated
at Missionary Institute, now Susquehanna Uni
versity, and is the wife of Rev. Jerome M. Guss,
a Lutheran minister. Charles H. , the only son
of our subject, is a physician at Mifflinburg. He
married Miss Mary Snodgrass, and has one child,
Charles Alvin. Martha, a graduate of a musical
institute in Maryland, is now a teacher of vocal
and instrumental music in Susquehanna Uni
versity. Mrs. Dimm, who unites rare mental gifts
with a generous sympathy, is highly esteemed by

1080

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

all who know her. She is now filling the second
term as president of the Women's Home and
Foreign Missionary Society of the Susquenanna
Synod.

fON. JOSEPH A. LUMBARD, of Selins
PlL Grove, is the editor and proprietor of the
Snyder County Tribune, the oldest Republican
paper in that locality, and one of the leading
periodicals of this section, without regard to po
litical complexion. As a citizen Mr. Lumbard
holds a high reputation, his patriotism having
been demonstrated at an early age as a soldier
in the Union army. He was but a boy of eighteen
when, on September 13, 1862, he enlisted for
three years in Captain Davis' famous company
of volunteers. This band of recruits was at
tached to the 147th P. V. I. , and saw much severe
fighting, ending their service as a part of the
force that marched from Atlanta to the sea with
Sherman. Mr. Lumbard participated in all the
important battles of his regiment, and he was
wounded at Gettysburg.
The birth of oursubject occurred January 5,
1844, at Selins Grove, where he received a com
mon-school education. On April 2, i860, he
became an apprentice in the office of the Selins
Grove Times, published by Newhall & Weirick,
but his work there was interrupted by his mili
tary service. After the war closed he returned
to Snyder county, and on October 22, 1865, he
took the position of foreman on the Snyder
County Tribune, then published at Middleburg.
In October, 1866, he acquired a part-ownership
in the paper, and has since been continuously
connected with it, becoming its editor and pub
lisher in 1874. The office was destroyed in the
great fire of February 22, 1872, and unfortu
nately there was no insurance, as the paper had
been moved from Middleburg to Selins Grove,
and the insurance had not yet been transf erredwhen
the fire destroyed the plant. Nothing daunted,
however, by the mishap, its owners purchased
new material, and in two weeks from the time of
the fire the Tribune was again issued. When
Mr. Lumbard took charge of the paper it was a
six-volume journal, printed on a Washington
hand press; it is now run by a water motor, and
its circulation has more than trebled. Mr. Lum
bard is a vigorous writer, positive in its charac
ter, and is ever ready to defend the right as he
sees it.
In political life he is an active and influential
worker, and has held a number of important pub
lic positions, all of which he filled with credit.
In 1877 he was appointed one of the associate

judges for Snyder county, vice Hon. Daniel
Gemberling, deceased, and, in 1882 and 1890,
he held appointments in the State Legislature.
In 1893 he was messenger in the State Senate,
and in 1896 he was appointed clerk to the Com
mittee on War Claims for the Fifty-fourth Con
gress, a position which he holds at present. He
has been school director for thirteen years, and
for five years was president of the board, and he
has also served one term in the town council.
He has been chairman of the Republican County
Committee, and twice served in the capacity of
delegate to the Republican State Convention.
On June 19, 1866, Editor Lumbard was mar
ried to Miss Sara E. Scharf, and their union has
been blessed with five children, four daughters
and a son, four of whom are married.
Mr. Lumbard is a well-preserved man, men
tally and physically, and is capable of many
more years of useful work. When in the office
he fills a place at the case, generally setting up
his editorials and local matter without copy.

HON. SAMUEL ALLEMAN, deceased: The
 name of Alleman has been a synonym
through several generations of American citizen
ship for energy, integrity, ability and patriotism,
and the representatives of this family in this
section have fully sustained this well-won reputa
tion. An examination into history also reveals
the fact that during the time of Caesar's campaign
against the Gauls, that great Conqueror was
greatly tried by the warlike tribe of the Allemani.
During the days of Napoleon, the name Alleman
appears prominent in the official circles of the
French army, and in the councils of the First
Empire. In professional, political, financial and
social life, those of whom we now write have
gained an enviable rank, as the following
memoirs indicate.
The late Samuel Alleman, who was for many
years one of the most prominent residents of
Snyder county, was born in Lancaster county,
Penn., February 2, 1818, and died February 28,
1 88 1, at Selins Grove, where his mortal remains
now rest. Early in life he was thrown upon his
own resources, and by industry and economy was
enabled to obtain a liberal education, at
Pennsylvania College, located at Gettysburg.
About 1840, after leaving college, he engaged in
teaching school at Millersburg, Dauphin Co.,
Penn., at which place, and in the surrounding
neighborhood, he is still favorably remembered
by the older inhabitants. In 1842, upon the
election of Samuel Faunce as sheriff of Dauphin
county, Samuel Alleman was made his deputy,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1031

and together they moved to Harrisburg. Soon
after his arrival at that city, Samuel Alleman
entered the law office of Crouse & Boas, and on
August 19, 1845, was admitted as a member of
the legal profession. During the administration
of Gov. William F. Johnston, Samuel Alleman
was chief clerk in the State Department, serving
until Gov. Johnston's successor was inaugurated.
He filled the position with marked ability, arid,
being a most excellent scribe, he was noted as
one of the finest clerks that ever occupied the
office. In 1856, Mr. Alleman removed from Harris
burg to Middleburg, the county seat o'f the newly
formed county of Snyder, there to continue the
practice of his chosen profession. He was not
in the county long until his sterling worth and
ability were recognized, appreciated and reward
ed, and he speedily took rank among the leaders
of the Snyder County Bar. In 1861 he was
elected county superintendent of the public
schools, serving his full term. In 1864 he repre
sented his county in the State Legislature. In
1872 he was the choice of the Republican party
of Snyder county, for Congress. in 1873 he
was the Republican nominee as delegate to the
Constitutional Convention, which met in Phila
delphia. From time to time Mr. Alleman filled
a number of minor offices in the county and
borough in which he lived; always meeting ably
the respective requirements of the positions he
occupied. In executive ability he had no
superior, and his aid in any enterprise was appre
ciated by his associates. He was one of the
first promoters of the Sunbury & Lewistown rail
road; also the Selins Grove and North Branch
railroad; and sacrificed much in an effort to
make Selins Grove the county seat.
In his relations to his fellow men, Samuel'
Alleman always fulfilled the part of a Christian
gentleman. For many years he was a member
of the Lutheran Church, at all times manifesting
great interest in its prosperity, and frequently
contributing liberally for the furtherance of its
different departments. In 1873 he was in at
tendance at the General Synod of the Lutheran
Church, which met at Canton, Ohio, as one of
the delegates from the Susquehanna Synod.
Mr. Alleman had a proper conception of the
importance of education, and for many years he
was a valued member of the board of directors of
Susquehanna University at Selins Grove. He
was a useful citizen, and a man of unblemished
honor and integrity. To the poor and humble
he was kind and generous, and in the bestowal of
alms he sought not the praises of men. In so-
.cial life he was hospitable, warm-hearted and

jovial. On no occasion did his noble nature
manifest itself more strongly, than when enter
taining his friends around the festive board.
Mr. Alleman was one of the representative
men of his county, one of whom it can be truth
fully said: "The world has been benefited by
his having lived in it."
On May 18, 1846, Mr. Alleman was married
to Miss Ann E. Holman, eldest daughter of Sam
uel Holman, a prominent citizen of Harrisburg,
and one of the most noted architects and con
tractors of his day. This union was blessed
with four children; three sons — Horace, Charles
and John; and one daughter, Sarah E.

ON. HORACE ALLEMAN was born at Har
risburg, Dauphin Co., Penn., February 7,
1847, and at the age of ten years came with his
parents to Snyder county. His education was
obtained in the public schools of Dauphin and
Snyder counties; in select schools at Harrisburg
and Middleburg; at the Susquehanna University,
Selins Grove, and at Pennsylvania College, Get
tysburg; from which last named institution he
was graduated with the degree of A. B. in 1 869.
In 1872 his Alma Mater conferred upon him the
degree of A. M. Immediately after his gradua
tion at Gettysburg, he commenced the study of
law in the office of his father, the Hon. Samuel
Alleman, and so continued until the fall of 1870,
when he entered the Senior class of the law de
partment of Columbia College, Washington,
D. C. In June, 1 871, he graduated from this in
stitution with the degree of LL. B., and was ad
mitted to practice in the Supreme Court of the
District of Columbia. Upon his return to Sny
der county he was admitted to practice in its sev
eral courts, on September 25, 1871, and has con
tinued his professional work there up to the
present time.'
For a period of twenty-three years Mr. Alle
man held the office of notary public, receiving
his commissions from Govs. Geary, Hartranft,
Hoyt, Pattison and Beaver. His services were
engaged as attorney for the county commission
ers for a period of six consecutive years; and for
eight years he served as treasurer of the borough
of Selins Grove. Upon the vacancy caused by
the death of his father in 1881, he was elected a
director of the Missionary Institute, now Susque
hanna University, which position he still retains.
The board of directors honored him by choosing
him as vice-president and member of the execu
tive committee.
Since 1863 Mr. Alleman has been an active

1032

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

and consistent member of the Lutheran Church.
He has served the congregation at Selins Grove
as its treasurer for eighteen years, and at the
present time is one of its trustees. At three
sessions of the Susquehanna Synod he represent
ed the Selins Grove congregation as its lay dele
gate, in 1882 at Montoursville, in 1886 at
Hughesville, and in 1892 at Northufnberland.
He also represented the Susquehanna Synod as
one of its lay delegates to the General Synod,
the highest legislative body in the Church, on
two separate occasions, in 1887 at Omaha, Neb.,
and in 1893 at Canton, Ohio.
During the war of the Rebellion, in Septem
ber, 1862, being then but a lad in his sixteenth
year, he enlisted as a private in Company D,
1 8th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Militia,
and in June, 1863, re-enlisted and served in Com
pany I, 30th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer
Emergency Troops, having been sworn into the
United States service. Since the war Mr. Alle
man has been a faithful member of the Grand
Army. As an officer of the Post he has served
in the capacity of quartermaster, adjutant and
post commander; and at the present time he» is
the Post's historian. The military spirit seems
to have been inherited by the subject of this
sketch. In the war of the Rebellion he had two
uncles; in the war of 1812 a grandfather; and his
earlier ancestors were found in the Continental
army in the war of the Revolution.
On September 28, 1871, Mr. Alleman was
married to Miss Tillie Pierce, of - Gettysburg.
During the great battle at her native place in
1863, Miss Pierce had a most thrilling experience.
Upon the opening of the battle, she left her home
in Gettysburg to seek safety with friends who
lived near Round Top. On the second and third
days of the battle the struggle was transferred,
in part, to her place of refuge; and hence it was
that she had an actual, personal experience of the
suffering and horrors spread out upon that field
of carnage. At the earnest solicitation of many
of the old soldiers she was induced to give in a
tangible form her experience on those memora
ble days of July 1, 2, 3, 1863. Hence the pub
lication of a very interesting narrative: "At
Gettysburg, or what a girl saw and heard of the
Battle. " She proved herself an angel of mercy
to the weary, wounded and dying. For a num
ber of years, Mr. and Mrs. Alleman, together
with their family, have occupied the Gov. Sny
der mansion at Selins Grove. The issue of their
marriage is one son, Harry Pierce, now success
fully engaged in business in Philadelphia, and
two amiable and accomplished daughters, Anna
and Mary, who are at the present time attending

Irving College for Young Ladies at Mechanics-
burg, Pennsylvania.
From the foregoing it will be seen that Mr.
Alleman has been and is still one of our desirable,
useful, and appreciated citizens; and such a man
as every one can honor and respect. His intelli
gence, ability and uprightness fit him for the
highest positions in life; and no favor or trust re
posed in him by his fellow citizens will be too
great for his merits.

OWARD DAVIS SCHNURE. Over a
century's identification with the growth of
the prosperous town of Selins Grove, Penn.,
adds luster to the life-work and ancestry of the
subject of this sketch, Howard D. Schnure, who
has achieved the distinction of being one of the
most prominent and progressive citizens of Sny
der county. Through his strict business integrity
and untiring zeal, he has risen to an honorable
eminence in his native community, and acquired
a conspicuous place on the long roll of Pennsyl
vania's noted sons.
Howard Davis Schnure was born at Selins
Grove, Snyder Co., Penn., on the 30th day of
October, 1850, and on his paternal side is a de
scendant of good old German stock. He is the
son of George Schnure, whose father came to
America from Dudenhoppen, Germany, in 1781,
and settled in Berks county, Pennsylvania.
Cordelia Davis was the maiden name of the
mother of the subject of this sketch. She was a
granddaughter of Major Anthony Selin, the
founder of the town of Selins Grove, Penn., and
a man of much prominence in the business and
political circles of his day, being also a member
of the famous " Society of Cincinnati."
Mr. Schnure's boyhood was spent in the place
of his nativity. He received his elementary edu
cation in the public schools of Snyder county,
meanwhile increasing his store of knowledge
through wide and varied courses of reading.
The finishing touches of his schooling were ob
tained at the educational institution now known
as the Susquehanna University.
Mr. Schnure made his first entrance into
business life as a clerk for the mercantile firm
of McCarty, Moyer & Schnure, at Selins Grove.
Later he joined the clerical forces of the First
National Bank, in the same town, retaining his
position for a period of two years. In 1875 he
entered into co-partnership with A. Kruger in
the vocation of milling, the business of the firm
being conducted as the "Isle of Que" mills at
Selins Grove.
The partnership remained intact for a period

? -

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1033

of four years, and in 1879 the firm name was
changed to G. & H. D. Schnure, the father of
Mr. Schnure assuming the interest held by Mr.
Kruger, the entire business of the mills now
being conducted under the firm name of H. D.
Schnure since his father's death.
Mr. Schnure has always been progressive in
his ideas, and is a man of exceptional activity in
his chosen walks of life. He has the honor of
being the first to introduce electric lighting in
Snyder county. He recognized the value of the
modern system of illumination, and, in order to
keep step with the march of progress, he estab
lished an individual plant of his own for the
exclusive purpose of supplying his dwelling and
mill properties with light, the power for his plant
being secured by the use of the water power from
his mills.Mr. Schnure's close identification with the
development of his native town has placed him
in the front rank of its most valued and respected
citizens. On January 16, 1883, he was elected
a director of the First National Bank of Selins
Grove, and continued in that capacity for a term
of eleven years, when he was elected to the
presidency of that financial institution. His
election to that honorable position took place on
January 16, 1894. During the previous year he
was made a director of the First National Bank
of Sunbury, Penn., a position he still retains, as
well as that of the presidency of the First Na
tional Bank at his home.
At present Mr. Schnure's entire attention is
devoted to his banking and milling interests.
Mr. Schnure has been a lifelong Democrat, and
he has often devoted his best endeavors to pro
moting the welfare of the party of his fealty. In
1895 he was sent as a delegate to the State Con
vention at Williamsport, and in the following
year he was again elected a delegate to the State
Convention at Allentown. His work at both
gatherings was marked by his customary earnest
ness and energetic methods.
Mr. Schnure was married on September 25,
1876, to Sara J. Six, of Thurmont (formerly
Mechanicstown), Frederick county, Maryland.
Two children have blessed this union — one son and
one daughter — their names being William Marion
and Mary Cordelia Schnure.

TISS KATHRYN ANNA ARNOLD.
J0O1 Among the early settlers of Union county
were representatives of the Arnold family, the
first of the line having come from Germany at a
date which is now unknown. Henry Arnold,
the great-grandfather of our subject, was a well-

to-do agriculturist of Union county, and he and
his wife reared a goodly family, their descencr-
ants being now quite numerous. George Arnold,
the grandfather, became a well-known farmer of
Chapman township, Snyder county, where he
owned a large tract of land. He was a Demo
crat in politics, and was prominently identified
with the Lutheran Church in his locality. His
death occurred in 18 — , and his wife, Mary
Bussler, a native of Union county, passed away
in 1880. They had eleven children, namely:
Jacob, a resident of Clearfield county, Penn. ;
Augustus, who is mentioned more fully farther
on; Stephen, a resident of Chapman township,
Snyder county; Calvin, of Port Trevorton,
Penn. ; Daniel, of Chapman township, Snyder
•county; Samuel, of Shamokin, Penn.; Phely,
who married Daniel Guagler, of Ohio; Charlotte,
wife of Peter Glatfelter, of Perry township, Sny
der county; Barbara, wife of William Leach, of
Chapman township; Fianah, wife of John Brown,
of the same township; and Minerva, who mar
ried Joseph Reachner, of Williamsport, Pennsyl-
variia. Augustus Arnold, the father of our subject,
was born in 1826, in Chapman township, Sny
der county, and is now residing at Shamokin,
Penn. He was educated in the schools of his
native township, where the instruction was
chiefly given in German, and he did not learn to
read or write in English. He is a man of intelli
gence, an expert mechanic, and for many years
he was successfully engaged in business as an un
dertaker, carpenter, and wagon builder, the
greater portion of his life having been spent in
his native township. In 1878 he removed to
Shamokin, where he now resides with one of his
sons. Politically, he is a Democrat, and he be
longs to the United Brethren Church, his con
sistent life winning him the respect and esteem
of all who know him. He was married in Chap
man township, Snyder county, to Miss Leah
Rine, a daughter of Jacob Rine, an agriculturist of
that locality. She died May 3, 1893, in Sha
mokin, leaving the memory of a helpful life.
Of the eleven children of this union, two, Set-
tilla and Uriah B., died in infancy. Mary is the
wife of Jonathan Bordman, of Paxtonville, Sny
der county; Miss Kathryn A., our subject, is men
tioned more fully below; Lucetta married Ed
ward Zigler, a furniture dealer at Herndon,
Northumberland county, Penn. ; O. J. Pearce is
a wagonmaker at Shamokin; George is in the
hotel business at Shamokin; Wilson, a black
smith, resides in Michigan; Reiley resides at
Shamokin; William settled in Texas; Agnes
married William Paule, of Kansas.

1034

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Miss Arnold was born March 22, 1848, at the
old home in Chapman township, Snyder county,
where she remained until the age of fourteen, her
education being obtained in the local schools.
She possesses great force of character and rare
executive ability, which was manifested at an un
usually early age, and at fourteen she took a re
sponsible position in the home of Dr. W. H.
Backus, of Aline. A few years later she as
sumed full charge of his elegant establishment,
and for more than thirty years she directed every
department, adding the feminine refinements with
out which no house can be truly a home. The
Doctor delighted in hospitality, and she did much
to entertain his guests and make their stay
pleasant. At the Doctor's death he made a
practical acknowledgment of her faithful care
for his interests by leaving her an ample in
come, and the use of the home for her lifetime.
Personally Miss Arnold is very attractive, and her
generous contributions to charitable work and
to the Evangelical Church, of which she is a
member, are proof of a kindly heart. She takes
an intelligent and active interest in the various
questions of the day, and is a firm believer in the
principles of the Democratic party, feeling keen
regret over her inability to cast a vote in its sup
port. The late Dr. William H. Backus was born
at Williamsburg, Penn., and was of German de
scent on the paternal side, the name having
been originally written Backhaus (Bake-house).
On leaving the Fatherland his ancestors went
first to England, where the name was written
Backhouse and pronounced Backus, the latter
spelling being the one adopted in America in
accordance with phonetic rules. The first of the
family to come to this country settled at an early
date in Connecticut, and Daniel Backus, the
Doctor's grandfather, was born there, but settled
on Staten Island in early manhood. The family
is numerously represented in the East, several
of the Doctor's relatives residing at Newark, N.
J., and at Parkersburg, W. Va., while Rev. Dr.
Backus, of Baltimore, Md., and Rev. Dr. Woods,
of Philadelphia, are also related to him. Calvin
Backus, a wealthy resident of Caldwell, belonged
to the same family, and Maj. Henry Backus,
who owned valuable estates near Selins Grove,
was an uncle.
S. S. Backus, the Doctor's father, was born
in 1803, on Staten Island, and was educated at
New Brunswick, N. J. On deciding to enter the
medical profession he pursued a course of study
in New York City, and for one year he practiced
at Belvidere, N. J. In 1826, he was married to
Miss Sarah Dietrich, of Williamsburg, Penn.,

where he taught for one year in the academy.
In 1827 he located at Georgetown, Penn., and
engaged in practice, remaining until 1838, when
he moved to McKee's Half Falls, on the Susque
hanna river opposite Georgetown. His death
occurred there in 1848, and his estimable wife
died in 1880 at Lewisburg, where her long widow
hood had been spent in a comfortable home, sur
rounded by all that could make her declining
years peaceful. Dr. S. S. Backus had a very ex
tensive practice, extending through parts of
Juniata, Perry, Snyder and Northumberland
counties, and during the twenty years of active
work in his profession he traveled more than half
the time on horseback. For some years he was
interested in mercantile business at Mahanoy,
Chapman, Baltimore, and at Big Flats, N. Y.,
the management of the different establishments
being in the hands of partners. He also took an
active share in political work, and while at
Georgetown was a member of the standing com
mittee of the Democratic party for his county.
Dr. W. H. Backus received his elementary
education at Tuscarora Acadefhy, and was pre
pared by David Wilson to enter the Sophomore
class at Dickinson College. After studying for
some time at the latter institution, he entered
the Junior class at Lewisburg University where
he was graduated with honor, delivering the
salutatory. He was the president of a literary
society, the Phresakasmean, and on being chosen
as chief debater in a contest with a rival organ
ization, the Philomathean, he was adjudged the
victor by the umpire, Hon. A. K. McClure. In
1852 he went to Europe to secure a medical edu
cation in the most noted institutions of the day,
starting from Philadelphia in the "City of Man
chester," which narrowly escaped being wrecked
near the Isle of Man, during a violent storm.
He was graduated at Wurzburg, Germany, Au
gust 10, 1858, and also attended lectures at
Heidelberg, Zurich, Gottingen, Prague, and
Vienna. Some time was spent in visiting points
of general interest, including the principal cities
of Europe, and during the administration of
Franklin Pierce he was consul to Hanover and
Brunswick. While in the latter province he
visited relatives, one of them being a prominent
general in the German army. In London he
found other relatives, one of whom occupied a
high position in the Foreign Office, and he was
most cordially welcomed by them. During his
stay at Gottingen he was given two handsome
souvenirs, made of fine porcelain and suitably
inscribed. After spending seven years in the Old
World he returned to Lewisburg, where he re
mained one year. In i860 he began his profes-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1035

sional work at McKee's Half Falls, and speedily
won the success which had distinguished his
father, his practice extending over the same ter
ritory. About twenty years were passed in act
ive work as a general practitioner, but, later, the
Doctor restricted his labors to office practice and
to consultations in difficult cases, neighboring
physicians often calling upon him to aid them by
his advice.In 1879 he took possession of his property at
Aline, which he had purchased from Gen. Adam
Light. It is a beautiful estate, and under his
care was improved greatly. There he spent his
last years, his time being devoted to, reading, to
the management of his extensive farms, and to the
society of the friends whom he loved to gather
around him in his home. He died on December
26, 1886, and his remains were interred at Lewis
burg. While Miss Arnold has the use of much
of his estate for her lifetime, his entire fortune
is to go to Bucknell University at her death.
His valuable library has already been donated to
that institution, and his generous bequest will
prove a most beneficent and lasting memorial.

MIRAM PERCIVAL JARRETT, justice of
_ the peace for the borough of Selins Grove,
is one of the most highly esteemed residents of
that locality, and although he is now nearing the
ordinary limit of three-score years and ten he is
as active mentally and physically as many a
younger man.
'He was born March 1, 1828, in Snyder coun
ty, then Union county, where his grandfather,
Jacob Jarrett, settled at an early day, having
come from Lehigh county, Penn. This worthy
pioneer, who followed agricultural pursuits
throughout his life, attained an advanced age.
His wife, Catherine Ott, also spent her last years
in what is now Snyder county. They had seven
children: Jacob, Isaac, Henry, John O., Daniel,
George and Catherine.
John O. Jarrett, our subject's father, was
born in 1808, in Union county, now Snyder
county, and died in 1877, in Penn township,
Snyder county, where for many years he was en
gaged in farming. He was a large man, weigh
ing more than two hundred pounds. In religious
faith he was a Lutheran, and he took great in
terest in politics, supporting at all times the
principles of the Democratic party. His wife,
whose maiden name was Mary Smith, was born
in Pennsylvania in 1806, and died in 1875. Of
their seven children the eldest, Matilda, married
Henry Krider, of Snyder county; Hiram P., our
subject, is mentioned more fully below; Lydia,

widow of Benjamin Harmon, resides in Kratzer-
ville, Penn. ; Susannah, who married John C.
McFall, resides on the Isle of Que; the next two
died in infancy, and Sarah, the youngest, was
married to Jerry Antley, and died leaving three
children. Squire Jarrett was reared in Snyder county,
and attended the country schools of Penn, Mon
roe and Jackson townships. From 1849 to
1853 he was engaged in boat building, and then
for a time he was occupied in the building of
bridges, but later he became interested in agri
culture. This he followed for ten years, but in
August, 1865, he enlisted in Company D, 74th
P. V. I., for six months. On returning home he
resumed the occupation of bridge building, which
he continued until 1894. He has always been
an active worker in the Democratic organization
of his locality, and in May, 1894, he was ap
pointed a justice of the peace, in which office he
is still serving with credit to himself and satis
faction to others. He is a member of the I. O.
O. F., and of the G. A. R., C. S. Davis Post,
No. 148.
On June 2, 1853, the Squire was married to
Miss Rebecca Musselman, who was born in May,
1835, in Penn township, Snyder county. They
have had seven children, all of whom are living:
Newton P. is a foreman in a bridge-building
business. Milton T. , who is also a bridge
builder, resides on the Isle of Que. Alice J.
married Edward Gemberling, a time-keeper for
a bridge company, and has four sons — Charles,
Percival, Joseph and Ray. Barbara married
Charles Covert, and has five children — Rebecca,
Ethel, Guy, Newton (1), and Newton (2). Katie
married Mr. Norman, and has three children —
Marguerite, Milton and Hiram. Nora married
James Cary, and has one child, Clara. Maude
married Charles Fisher, and has one daughter,
Myra.

TfOSEPH G. LESHER, editor and proprietor

| of the Selins Grove Times, is a man of much
*^ more than ordinary ability and influence, and
his history, though brief, will be read with in
terest. Mr. Lesher comes of German stock, his an
cestors coming to America at an early period.
George Lesher, his grandfather, who was prob
ably born in New Jersey, became a pioneer
settler in Point township, Northumberland Co.,
Penn., where he was engaged in farming for
many years, his death occurring at the age of
eighty. He was married to a Miss Sarah Rob-
bins, and their son, Daniel R., our subject's fa-

1036

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ther, was born in 1820, at the old home in Point
township, Northumberland county, and died in
1886. Daniel Lesher was married, in 1845, t0
Miss Sarah J. Van Kirk, who was born in 1825,
and lived to the age of seventy-seven years, two
months and ten days. Joseph Van Kirk, her fa
ther, who was of French descent, was a hotel
keeper in Northumberland county, and at the
age of eighty-two was as spry and active as a
boy, but he was killed by an accident at a rail
way crossing. To Daniel R. and Sarah thirteen
children were born, as follows: Charles, who
died in childhood; Clarence L., who died when
twenty-eight years old; Hannah, wife of Amos
Bloom, of Sunbury, Penn.; James B., a resident
of Abbot, Neb.; Daniel, who died in infancy;
Fannie, wife of Harvey Bloom, of Curwensville,
Penn. ; Joseph G., our subject; Miss Sarah J.,
and Miss Amelia; Gordon, a butcher at Shamo
kin Dam, Penn.; Elizabeth, deceased; Martin,
who resides at the old homestead; and Miss
Loula, who is deceased.
Our subject's birth occurred August 9, 1856,
in Point township, Northumberland county, but
much of his time in boyhood was spent in Snyder
county, his education being obtained in the com
mon schools. His first occupation was agricult
ure, which he followed until 1886, when he
bought the Selins Grove Times. This is a weekly
paper, and under Mr. Lesher's able administra
tion it is a firm champion of the best interests
of the locality. As its editor is a Democrat, the
Times supports the principles of that party at all
times. Mr. Lesher is a leader in Democratic
councils, and has frequently been a delegate' to
State Conventions. On one occasion he allowed
his name to be presented on the ticket as a can
didate for the Legislature, an act which was in
the nature of a sacrifice, as no member of that
party can hope for election from Snyder county.
On January 10, 1884, Mr. Lesher was mar
ried to Miss Mazie App, a native of Monroe
township, one of the leading ladies of her section
of the county, born in 1857. Two children,
Chalender H. and Lee Richmond, have blessed
this union.
EV. W. A. HAAS, the honored pastor of
the Reformed Church at Selins Grove, has
now ministered to that charge for more than a
quarter of a century, a fact which speaks more
eloquently in his praise than any wordy panegyric
could do. His influence throughout this long
period has been potent for good, his character
and life bearing silent witness to the power of
the Master, while his sermons have been effect
ive expositions of the faith which he holds.

Mr. Haas comes of that sturdy race known
as the Pennsylvania German. The first of whom
we have record was our subject's grandfather,
George Haas, a native of Lehigh county, Penn.,
who was a miller by trade, which he followed in
early years, but later bought a farm in Northum
berland county, where he lived to a very ad
vanced age. He married Elizabeth Miller, and had
thirteen children, of whom five died in childhood.
Of the others, Mary married (first) Benjamin
Haupt, and (second) George Startzel, and died
at Snydertown, Penn., at ninety years of age;
Elizabeth married Jacob Wagner, and died in
Northumberland county; George, our subject's
father, is mentioned more fully farther on; Katie,
deceased, married Emanuel Erdman; Salome
married Samuel Miller, and lived in Juniata
county; Nathan, deceased; Henry died recently
at Mahanoy City; and Caroline, married to Mr.
Wiest, resides in Dauphin county. Several of
these children were among trie first settlers in
Northumberland county.
George Haas, the father of our subject, was
born in Northumberland county, and became a
carpenter by trade. His first years were spent
in Schuylkill county, Penn., but he died in Clar
ion when our subject was twelve years of age.
He married Miss Anna Knorr, a native of Schuyl
kill county, who died at Pottsville, Penn., at a
comparatively early age, when Rev. Haas was
eight months old. Our subject was the youngest
of a family of three children. Edward, the eld
est, who was a millwright by occupation, died in
Philadelphia, Penn., and Nettie, who married
Michael Hower. died at Ashland, Pennsylvania.
W. A. Haas was born January 20, 1840, at
Pottsville, Schuylkill Co., Penn. He prepared
for college at Freeburg Academy, and afterward
took a course in Franklin and Marshall College,
graduating in 1864. Entering the Theological
Seminary at Mercersburg, Penn., he there pursued
the thorough course of training prescribed for the
ministers of the Reformed Church, and in 1867
was graduated with the degree of B. T. In the
same year he was ordained, and after spending
four years in the Augusta charge (his first), which
included four congregations, he was called in
1 87 1 to Selins Grove. There he has ever since
remained, taking charge also of the congregation
at Freeburg, Kratzerville and Salem, and in all
this time his kindly and helpful relations with
his people have never been disturbed.
In 1868, Mr. Haas was married to Miss
Sarah A. Haus, who was born January 23, 1848,
at Mercersburg, Penn., and died in 1893, after a
period of wedded happiness of twenty-five years.
Five children were born to this union, viz. : Will-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1037

iam A., who died at the age of twenty-seven,
was a graduate of Susquehanna University, and
was by trade a machinist; George H. died at
twenty-two years of age while a student at State
College; Olive Linnette died when eight years
old; Cyril H. is a student in Susquehanna Uni
versity; and Carl W. is at home.

A. SNYDER, of Middleburg, Snyder coun
ty, is making an enviable reputation in journal
istic work as the editor of the News Item, a
weekly paper, well-known as an organ of the
Democratic party in Snyder county. For about
four years he has been the sole proprietor of this
enterprise, having purchased his former partner's
interest, and at present he is also publisher of
the Search Light, a monthly devoted to the work
of the Christian Endeavor Society in that county.
The Snyder family is one of the oldest in this
section, our subject's great-grandfather, John
Snyder, having come from Germany at a very early
date to locate in what is now West Perry town
ship, Snyder county, where he died at the ad
vanced age of ninety-six. Among his children
was a son John, our subject's grandfather, who
resided in that vicinity all his life, and became
noted as a local preacher in the United Brethren
Church. Henry Snyder, the father of our sub
ject, was one of six children, and was born in
West Perry township, in 1842. He occupies
the old homestead, and has been engaged in agri
cultural work for many years. His wife, whose
maiden name was Ellen Graybill, was born in
Juniata county, Penn. , and is still living. They
have had ten children: J. A., Clayton, Phoebe,
Emory, William, Edward, Samuel, Annie, Grace,
and Rena.
J. A. Snyder was born June 12, 1866, at the
old home in West Perry township, and was edu
cated in the schools of Freeburg. He then
taught for about six years, but in 1888 he helped
to establish the News. Item, and entered upon a
journalistic career. In 1893 he bought the en
tire business, and has since edited and published
the paper with marked success. Being a stanch
Democrat in political faith, the paper reflects
his ideas, and it exerts a decided influence in the
community. In 1890 Mr. Snyder was married to Miss
Minerva Bowers, a native of Mifflinburg, Penn.,
born April 24, 1865. Three children have
blessed this union: Margaret, Emily, and Doro
thy. Mr. Snyder and his wife are prominent,
socially, and he is a member of the Patriotic
Order of the Sons of America.

PROF. J. I. WOODRUFF, A. M. The work
of a faithful educator has a value that can
not be estimated, for, however clearly its im
mediate effects may be seen and appreciated,
there are lasting results of an indirect but potent
kind starting from each pupil as a center of in
fluence, and radiating without limit through an
unending future. Truly there is no more useful
position than that held by the teacher whose
every word and act affects permanently the
plastic material with which he deals, and whose
unconscious influence has even greater power to
raise or lower the character of his pupils.
In Professor Woodruff, who occupies the
chair of Latin and English in Susquehanna Uni
versity, at Selins Grove, we find an ideal teach
er, untiring, conscientious and devoted to the
best interests of the institutions and of the stu
dents committed to his instruction. He is a man
who believes that the works of genius are the re
sult of hard work and application rather than of
some unanalyzed and unanalyzable gift of nature,
and his own industry shows his faith in the truth
of this conviction.
The Professor was born near Selins Grove,
November 24, 1864, .the son of Henry and Eliz
abeth Woodruff. The Woodruff family came to
this country from England in our Nation's early
history. The first representative of the family
who located in Snyder county was John Wood
ruff. He was the father of two children: Fanny
and Elijah. Elijah was married to Miss Eliza
beth Keller, and unto them were born four chil
dren, who reached mature age: Susan, Han
nah, Maria, and Henry. Henry, the only son,
thus being the only male representative of the
third generation. He, at the age of twenty-two,
was married to Barbara E. Klingler, and their
eldest living child is the subject of this sketch.
In all, there are living of this family: John I.,
Emma K. (married to Charles Dinius), Mary J.
(married to Charles Shultz), Charles H., Carrie
E., and George C. About two years ago Mr.
Henry Woodruff died, aged fifty-seven years.
The mother is still living.
Life on a farm during boyhood afforded Prof.
Woodruff wholesome physical exercise, while
the neighboring district school supplied his grow
ing intelligence with the means of development.
At eighteen he was prepared to take charge of a
similar school, and for two years he taught in his
native county, but a longing for more thorough
and extended education prevented him from re
maining upon that level. In 1885 he entered
the Sub-Freshman class at Missionary Institute,
and he was graduated from this institution in
1888. The next fall he entered the Junior class

1038

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

at Bucknell University, and two years later re
ceived his diploma from the classical department.
Immediately after leaving college he was elected
principal of the Friends' Normal Institute at
Rising Sun, Md. This, being a classical school
of high grade, called upon every resource of the
young professor, but Mr. Woodruff proved him
self equal to the occasion, and conducted the
school to the entire satisfaction of all concerned.
The following year he was called upon to take
charge of the Mifflintown Academy, which po
sition he resigned after one year, to accept the
professorship of Latin and English in Missionary
Institute, now Susquehanna University. With
the exception of a brief intermission he has been
in this, institution ever since. Under his judi
cious management the Latin and English courses
have been much strengthened and increased; and
it is certain that so long as such men are retained
in the Faculty of the Susquehanna University
we need not fear for her prosperity. Personally
he is much liked as a friend and helper, and his
work has won the good will and respect of his
colleagues. The Professor is actively interested in Church
and Sunday-school work, and is a member of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church at Selins Grove.
While in college he became identified with the
Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, and he has since
joined the Good Templars, the Patriotic Order
Sons of America, and the Masonic fraternity.
In 1892 he was married to Miss Anna M. Moyer,
daughter of Henry Moyer, of Salem, Penn.
They have one child living, Ralph Waldo, and
one passed from earth in infancy.

Historical Sketch of Susquehanna Uni
versity. Situated in the quaint but beautiful
town of Selins Grove, on the banks of the his
toric Susquehanna, is a comparatively young
but growing institution, bearing the name of
the stream that flows by its side. Although
having struggled along in the early years of its
existence on few and slender endowments, it has
modestly worked its way against adverse circum
stances until at present, while still somewhat
hampered by narrow means, it is justly claiming
the attention and recognition of the friends of
higher Christian education.
The university, first denominated Missionary
Institute, was endowed and established to meet
a special and peculiar need in the Lutheran
Church. Thus when founded in 1858 by Rev.
Benjamin Kurtz, D. D., of Baltimore, Md., it
was virtually a theological seminary designed to
train men, irrespective of age or domestic ties,

for the Lutheran ministry. In connection with
the theological course, at the same time, was of
fered, for their better intellectual equipment, a
short classical training.
At the death of the founder. Dr. Kurtz, Rev.
Henry Zeigler, D. D. , who with the co-operation of
the good people of Selins Grove, was also an ac
tive instrument in the establishment of the school,
was made the head of the theological depart
ment. He was assisted in his work by Dr. Peter
Born, who had been elected principal of the
classical department in 1859.
Owing to the misleading name by which the
institution had been designated, the classical
course was pursued by few outside of those pre
paring for the ministry. In consequence this
important department of the school made but
slow progress until 1882. At this time Dr. J. R.
Dimm, an earnest educator, was invited to as
sume the principalship. Having no responsibil
ity in regard to the theological work, which was
then earnestly prosecuted by Drs. Born and
Yutzy, he directed his efforts exclusively to the
extension and elevation of his department. His
labors soon effected an increase in the teaching
force and in the number of students.
It required but a few years for the institution
to outgrow its former equipments, and the emi
nently successful work which it had accom
plished soon gained the ear of the Church for its
crying needs. Up to the year 1894 the curricu
lum had prepared students for the Junior class in
the various colleges surrounding. In June of
that year, however, the board of directors, real
izing the increment of good that would follow in
creased facilities, extended the course to that of
a full college, and at once put forth strenuous
efforts to sustain it. The name was changed to
the more appropriate one it now bears; new pro
fessors were added; and, at the cost of pver $20,-
000 a commodious new building was erected.
This edifice known as Gustavus Adolphus Hall,
contains a chapel, recitation rooms, library,
reading rooms, society halls, etc. ; and the old
building (Selins Grove Hall), remodeled and fur
nished with modern conveniences, serves as a
dormitory. A new chemical and physical laboratory has
recently been added which greatly facilitates the
study of the sciences. Thus, with a gymnasium
and a young ladies' dormitory assuming definite
proportions in the minds of the Alumni and
friends of the Institution, it bids fair to be
able to meet in the near future all the require
ments of a modern, well-equipped university.
The teaching force of the school now num
bers seven able professors, with Dr. Dimm as

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1039

president, three instructors and a teacher of
music and art. Besides these a professor from
the town instructs a large number of the young
men in glee club and orchestral music.
Four courses of instruction have been ar
ranged and offered to the choice of the students:
the Classical, leading to the degree of A. B. ; the
Latin Scientific, to the degree of B. S. ; the Pre
paratory course, which prepares for college; and
the Theological course, which covers a period of
three years. These courses have recently under
gone a thorough revision; text books are of the
latest, and all subjects are presented by the lat
est and most approved methods.
The expenses of a college course at Susque
hanna are reduced to a minimum so as to be
within the reach of any plucky young man or
woman. The religious element has always been
paramount; the professors maintaining that the
science or philosophy or mathematics or lan
guage, which does not point ultimately to the di
vine Author of all knowledge, is defective in the
very essentials.
Though having lacked the training afforded
by a gymnasium hitherto, the physical man has
not been neglected. Foot-ball, base-ball, tennis
and wheeling receive their due amount of atten
tion, as has been evidenced by the successful foot
ball and base-ball teams placed on the field dur
ing the last few years, and by experts in other
athletic sports. Literary work stands well upon
the list. Two well organized societies afford the
students practical training in voice culture and
literary development of various kinds. A month
ly journal is published by the student body and
the Junior class publishes an " Annual."
The board of directors, with Mr. D. K.
Ramey as president, the Faculty and friends of
Susquehanna are constantly striving to increase
her usefulness. Taking all things into consider
ation, her future looks exceedingly bright, and we
unhesitatingly predict for her a long and useful
career in the cause of higher Christian educa
tion.

BEV. WILLIAM M. LANDIS, pastor of
 Christ Reformed Church of Beaver Springs,
Snyder county, is a native of Pennsylvania, his
birth occurring April 17, 1836, in Springfield
township, Bucks county, and is of German de
scent. His grandfather, Jacob Landis, spent
his last years in Lehigh county, and followed
the occupation of farming in Saucon township,
where he died at a ripe old age. He was a
member of the Mennonite Church, and a Whig
in politics. In his family were several children.

William Landis was born jn Springfield town
ship, Bucks county, received a good German
education, and also devoted his energies to agri
cultural pursuits throughout life. For several
years he owned and operated a farm in his native
county, and then sold and removed to Saucon
township, Lehigh Co., Penn., where he pur
chased a farm and flouring mill, conducting the
same until his death in 1870. He had married
Miss Catharine Moyer, also a native of Lehigh
county, and a daughter of Peter Moyer, an agri
culturist. Her death occurred in 1863. The
following children were born of this union: Han
nah, now the widow of Charles Weaver, of
Bucks county ; Rebecca, wife of Benjamin
Jacoby, of the same county; Sarah, Peter, Reuben,
Catharine, Caroline, all deceased; and William
M., our subject. The parents were both faithful
members of the Reformed Church, and were
held in high esteem by all who had the pleasure
of their acquaintance. The father gave his
political support to the men and measures of the
Republican party.
During his boyhood and youth William M.
Landis was provided with school privileges, such
as were afforded in the public schools of Lehigh
county, and later the Fredericks Institute of
Montgomery county, Penn., where he prepared
for college. Having a strong desire from early
boyhood to enter the ministry, he in 1861 be
came a student in the Mercersburg Theological
Seminary, from which he was graduated in 1863
and was licensed in February,. 1864, and in June,
1865, he was ordained. From that time to the
present his life has been dedicated to the work
of the Church, and to preaching the Gospel which
God had called him to do. He has been a mis
sionary in every sense of the word, and, in the four
charges he served, new churches were built, and
old ones remodeled under his supervision during
his thirty-two years of ministerial work. Success
has crowned his efforts, and the congregations of
which he had charge were left by him in a most
flourishing condition.
At the age of twenty-nine Rev. Landis ac
cepted his first charge in Harmony, Butler Co.,
Penn., where he spent six years laboring among
his people and attending to their spiritural wants.
He greatly improved the church property, and,
by his efforts and God's blessings, added a num
ber 'to the fold. In 1871 he received a call from
a Church in Lykens Valley, Dauphin Co., Penn.,
and here he displayed his ability as an organizer.
He built a church and also a parsonage in the
town of Lykens costing $4,000, and added quite a
number of members to the congregation. He was
next located at Rebersburg, Centre Co., Penn.,

1040

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

where he faithfully labored for eleven years, dur
ing which time he erected three churches, two
brick and one frame, the aggregate cost of which
was $14,000. In 1883 he was called to his pres
ent charge, and, during the fourteen years of his
pastorate here, he has erected five new churches
— a brick edifice at Beaver Springs, costing
$6,000; a brick one at Troxelville, costing the
same amount, and a frame one in Decatur town
ship, Mifflin county. He has also built a fine
parsonage at Beaver Springs, which is second to
none in the county. Here he attended to the
spiritual wants of five congregations. Long and
faithfully he has labored in the Master's vineyard,
and not only has the love and respect of his own
people, but is held in high regard by all who
know him. In 1865, in Lehigh county, Rev.
Landis was united in marriage with Miss Amelia
R. Basler, a native of Montgomery county,
Penn., and a daughter of Rev. H. S. Basler,
also a minister of the Reformed Church. They
have become the parents of three children,
namely: William H. completed his education
in the Franklin Marshall Seminary, of Lancaster,
Penn., where he graduated with the degree of
M. A. He was ordained a minister of the Re
formed Church in 1893, and is now located in
Saxony, Bedford Co., Penn. Addie M. is at
home. Augustine C. is a cornice maker now liv
ing in Chicago, Illinois.

JAMES K. DAVIS (deceased), late a promi
nent citizen of Selins Grove, Penn., and a
businessman well and most favorably known
throughout Snyder county as a successful busi
ness man, and a self-made one, was born Novem
ber 22, 1 81 5, in Chapman township, Snyder
county. The Davis family traces their lineage
to one Jenkin Davis, who came to America about
1700, and died in 1747. His daughter, Cather
ine, married Reese Davis (who came to America
about 1 7 19), and their son David Davis married
Jane Edwards, by whom he had a son, John,
who married Lydia Keemer, and their son,
James Keemer (1), was the father of our subject.
James K. Davis (1) was a native of Virginia,
born near Winchester. He was one of the old
innkeepers of Snyder county. He was three
times married, his first wife being Mary Weitzel,
to which union was born a daughter, Charlotte,
who married John Byers, both of whom are now
deceased. His second marriage was with Agnes
Seli-n, which was blessed with seven childrens
namely: Selin and Lydia died in youth; Jame,
K., our subject, is referred to farther on; Cathar
ine married a Mr. McLanahan; Mary married

Col. Henry C. Eyer; Cordelia married George
Schnure; and Agnes married Franklin Spyker, of
Lewisburg, Penn. ; all are now deceased. The
third wife of the father of these children was
Margaret Hummel, and to the marriage were born
five children.
James K. Davis, whose name opens this re
view, received but a limited education, attend
ing only the district schools, and then not
more than two months each year. He re
mained at home until nearly twenty years
of age assisting his father about the hotel,
attending to the stable and making himself gen
erally useful. He often said that the first money
he ever made was earned by blacking boots. On
leaving home he went to Harrisburg, Penn.,
where for some years he was a clerk for a stage
line which was operated between Williamsport
and Harrisburg. On his return from Harrisburg
he was employed in the post office at Selins
Grove, and later became the postmaster. Then
for a time he clerked in the store of George
Schnure. Later on, in 1845, he began a busi
ness career as partner with his employer under
the firm name of Davis & Schnure. He was sav
ing, and lived economically, so that in 1848,
when he was married, he had some $600. The
firm had a general store at Selins Grove, and in
connection with it carried on a grain business
until in 1858 when they sold the business to
Capt. Charles S. Davis, a half-brother of one of
the firm, and Louis R. Hummel, the latter being
the present postmaster of Selins Grove. Prior
to and at this time Selins Grove was a great
shipping point, and for years our subject in con
nection with his partner did a large business and
made money. Mr. Davis was possessed of good
business tact, and had a successful business ca
reer. He accumulated considerable means, at
the time of his death owning four fine farms. He
was one of the organizers of the First National
Bank of Selins Grove in 1870, holding stock in
the same, and was its president from November
6, 1889, until January, 1894, when, owing to
poor health, he resigned this position. Politic
ally he was first a Democrat, but when the war
issue arose he became a Republican, and an
active and earnest one. He was an influential
man both in party and in citizenship. He was
United States deputy provost marshal for Sny
der county in 1864 and 1865; member of the
board of revenue commissioners for the State of
Pennsylvania in the winter of 1859-60; was ap
pointed postmaster of Selins Grove by Amos
Kendall, Postmaster-General, November 7, 1836,
and served four years, succeeding Mathew Coan,
Esq. He had some complimentary offices, be-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1041

ing correspondent of Snyder county under the
Department of Agriculture, Frederick Watts be
ing the commissioner. In religious faith he was
a Lutheran. The following are resolutions adopted by the
board of directors of the First National Bank of
Selins Grove on the death of Mr. Davis, which
occurred on September 4, 1894:
But few, perhaps, had better opportunities of knowing
him than his colleagues at the board and to know his great
worth. He always took a deep interest in the affairs or this
bank and an active part in all that related to its welfare and
prosperity. He aimed always to be just through his con
scientious convictions of duty and right, and by this rule
gauged the conduct of his life. Therefore, Resolved — that in
the death of James K. Davis our board has lost one of its
best rrffembers, and the community a citizen endeared to
them by a life of usefulness, from youth to old age, spent in
their midst. Second, That we tender to the family of our
deceased friend our warmest sympathy in their bereave
ment, knowing that the struggle to be up under it cometh
from Him who is too wise to err. Third, That ws bow to the
irrevocable mandates of an all-wise Providence, and in view
of the uncertainty of life and the certainty of death we
should be aroused to a sense of our true condition and at all
times be prepared, for " in such an hour as we think not the
Son of Man cometh." Fourth, That a copy of these resolu
tions be furnished to the family of our deceased friend.
Following is from resolutions prepared by
a committee from the board of directors of the
First National Bank of Sunbury:
The board of directors of the First National Bank of
Sunbury has learned with profound regret and deepest sor
row of the death of James K. Davis, Esq., one of their oldest
and most honored members; our loss is the more marked
because of his close personal relation with each one of us,
and our admiration, for many years, of his exalted virtues.
The board, therefore, meets to express their deep sense of
this affliction and to make appropriate record of the life and
standing of the deceased, and to tender to the family their
heartfelt sympathy. Bound to us as he was by every tie of
friendship and personal business relations of the board, cov
ering a very long period of years, we find it difficult to prop
erly express the sorrow we all deeply feel at his taking
away. His wide financial policy, his sound reasoning, his
ability to look far into the future, in many of his business
matters coming before the board, gave his opinion the high
est respect from us all. He was entirely worthy of our
highest esteem while he was a member of the board, and
now that in course of nature he has paid the debt, which
each one must in time pay, and has entered into the life be
yond the grave,' it is fitting that we, his fellow-members
of the board, whose relations here were so pleasant, should
perhaps more than others record his conscientious perform
ance of every duty that devolved upon him. Saddened that
we shall see his face no longer among us; sorrowing that it
is no longer our pleasure to meet with him in our board, we
know that he has left to us a valuable inheritance; ever kind
and considerate, pure and conscientious, upright and digni
fied; the record of a long and useful life is before us when
we examine the minutes of the board — the pleasant recollec
tions of the past, together with his useful life and most ex
cellent example, comfort us.
On January 31, 1843, Mr. Davis was married
to Miss Agnes D. Swineford, and the marriage
was blessed with four children, one of whom sur
vives: Harry E,, a coal operator of Sunbury, a
sketch of whom immediately follows.
Mrs. Davis, who was a woman of rare gifts
66*

of mind and heart, contributed greatly to her
husband's success in life. She was born October
23, 1 82 1, at Middleburg, Penn., of German de
scent on the paternal side. Her father, the late
Jacob Swineford, of Middleburg, was a drover
by occupation, and was murdered on the night
of July 4, 1826, at Lebanon, Penn., where he
had just sold all but fifty in a drove of 380
sheep. It is believed the crime was committed
by persons who knew of this transaction. Mr.
Swineford met at the hotel an old acquaintance,
a Mr. Greenwalt, and they walked out together on
Hill street. When opposite an alley they were
attacked by three men, and Mr. Greenwalt, who
was knocked down twice, finally succeeded in
getting away. As he escaped he called out to
Mr. Swineford to run also, but a few moments
later some boys passing the spot found a man
lying on the ground. A light was brought, and
Mr. Swineford was recognized, but he was in the
agonies of death and expired almost immediately.
Arrests were made, but no convictions followed,
and the names of the murderers will probably
never be known. His wife, Susan Sailor, a na
tive of Lancaster county, died in Juniata county,
Penn., when about fifty years old. They had
six children: (1) Robert was in early life a
traveling salesman, and later owned a clothing
store in Selins Grove. He married Miss Selin,
of that city, and his death occurred there. (2)
Harriet married a Mr. Brock, and died in Peoria,
111. (3) Absalom (deceased), an attorney at law,
resided near New Berlin, Penn. His wife,
formerly Miss Mary Ann Laschelles, daughter of
a prominent lawyer of that town, was drowned
in the Johnstown flood while coming back from a
visit to a son in St. Louis, Mo. The son's wife,
whose father, Mr. Wolfe, was on the editoral
staff of the St. Louis Republic, was also drowned,
her body being found in a cellar after the flood
subsided. (4) Barbara married Walter App, and
removed to Juniata county, Penn. (5) Agnes D.
is the widow of our subject. (6) John married a
Miss Hilbish, and died in Iowa.
Returning to the Selin family into which
James K. Davis, the father of our subject, mar
ried: Agnes Selin, his wife, was a daughter of
Anthony Selin, who served as major in the war
of the Revolution. He was the founder of the
town of Selins Grove. He came to this country
from Switzerland. His wife was Agnes Snyder,
a sister of Simon Snyder, once governor of Penn
sylvania, and their children were Anthony and
Agnes. Anthony Selin was a member of the
Society of Cincinnati. His grandson, Harry E.
Davis, of Sunbury, has the certificate of mem
bership signed by George Washington, as presi-

1042

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

dent of the society, at Mount Vernon, January 2,
1784. Its holder at that time, Major Anthony
Selin, was a captain in General Hagen's regiment
and by brevet a major. A camp kettle carried
by him is now in the possession of H. D.
Schnure, of Selins Grove.

^ TENRY EYER DAVIS, a prominent citizen
FlL of Sunbury, and one of the most enterpris
ing, progressive and broad-gauged business men
of central Pennsylvania, is a native of Selins
Grove, Snyder Co., this State.
Born June 7, 1845, Mr. Davis is the grandson
of Major Anthony Selin, a patriot of the Revolu
tion and the founder of Selins Grove, and the
son of the late James K. Davis, of Selins Grove,
a sketch of whom appears above, and elsewhere
will be found a sketch of our subject's brother,
who in his lifetime was a leading member of the
Sunbury Bar. Our subject, therefore, is not the
only member of the Davis and Selin family who
has conspicuously achieved distinction. He was
educated in the public schools and in Selins
Grove Missionary Institute. He was always a
bright and industrious 'boy. At the age of
twenty years he began his business career, and
has been active in affairs ever since. His first
experience was as clerk in a store in his native
town, in which position he served one year.
Then he removed to Meadville, Perm. , where he
obtained a position in a large retail dry-goods
store, and remained a year. In 1867 he entered
the First National Bank of Sunbury, Penn., the
most extensive institution of its kind in that sec
tion. He remained there some years, and mas
tered every detail of the business. But the
arduous nature of the work impaired his health,
and he was compelled to relinquish the position
and seek employment of a less confining char
acter. In 1 87 1 he became the representative of
Hall Brothers & Co., a Baltimore firm, which
was the sole agent for the sale of anthracite coal
mined by the Mineral Railroad and Mining Com
pany and the Lykens Valley Coal Company. His
district embraced Pennsylvania and the West,
and his office was located in Sunbury. He held
this important relation to the business interests
of his community for ten years. At the expira
tion of that time he severed his connection with
the firm which he had served so long, so faith
fully and so well, and went into the business of
buying and shipping anthracite coal on his own
account. The venture met with gratifying suc
cess from the outset, and has been prosecuted
with characteristic energy ever since. Some

years ago he added to his business the industry
of mining and shipping bituminous coal from
mines which he acquired in Somerset county,
Pennsylvania. Mr. Davis has always been one of the most
progressive citizens of his adopted home, and
every enterprise which promises the promotion
of the business and the development of the ma
terial interests of the community has found in
him a willing promoter. He was one of the pro
moters and for a number of years president of
the Sunbury and Northumberland Street railway,
an enterprise which is of great benefit to the
business of Sunbury. He is president and gen
eral manager of the Bethel Coal Co., of Somer
set county, Penn. ; was one of the promoters and
for a number of years a director in the Shamokin,
Sunbury and Lewisburg railroad, and a director
in the First National Bank of Sunbury, the insti
tution in which he spent several years of his early
life. He is also a director in the First National
Bank of Selins Grove, Penn. , and was one of
the foremost promoters and for a number of
years president of the Sunbury Electric Light
and Power Co. ; also one of the promoters and
for some years president of the Northumberland
Electric Light Co. In addition to that he
has always been among the first and most active
men in the community to advocate progressive
ideas and improvements in the affairs of the town,
and many of the advanced steps which mark
Sunbury as among the leading towns in the in
terior of the State are traceable to his enterprise
and foresight. He is a trustee of the Mary M.
Packer Hospital of Sunbury, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Davis is an active and earnest Democrat.
Naturally a man of his progressive spirit would
be called on by his party to serve in official
capacity, and he has proved himself not only
useful, but faithful, in the discharge of municipal
functions imposed on him in the town council, the
school board and other honorary capacities. He
has frequently been delegate to State and County
Conventions, and has discharged every trust
which he has accepted with scrupulous fidelity
and notable intelligence. But he has never con
sented to take an office of emolument, and to
those who have suggested such compliment his
invariable answer has been that he had too much
business to attend to to sacrifice his time in the
discharge of public duties which there were plenty
of competent persons willing to assume. But
while he thus abstained from political aspirations
on his own account, he has always been zealous
and active in the advancement of his friends, and
thus exercised an important influence in the
affairs of the county. Of honorary offices, how-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1043

eyer, he has had a full share, and in 1876 the
Democrats of Northumberland county named
him State Senator, but he readily yielded the
district nomination to his friend, Hon. A. H. Dill.
When Mr. Dill resigned to become the Demo
cratic candidate for Governor two years later,
the eyes of the party naturally turned to Mr. Davis ;
but he was among the mostearnest advocates of the
nomination of Hon. S. P. Wolverton. In 1878 he
was a member of the State Committee, and in 1880,
during the Hancock campaign for the Presidency,
was on the Electoral ticket for the Twenty-seventh
Congressional District. In 1 886 he was one of the
secretaries of the Democratic Convention, and was
an earnest advocate of the nomination of Hon.
William A. Wallace for Governor. He has al
ways been a liberal contributor to the party cam
paign funds, and is regarded by the Democratic
leaders of the State as one of the safest party
counselors and most sagacious political advisers.
In 1892 Mr. Davis yielded to the wish of his
friends and his party, and became the Democratic
candidate for State Senator, but was not elected.
Commenting on his candidacy the Milton Record
in October of that year observed:
No man stands higher in the estimation of the citizens
of his adopted town. In the prime of a vigorous manhood,
honest, generous and faithful to his friends, it is a pleasure
to take the warm and sympathetic grasp of his hand. Pos
sessing every qualification requisite to fill this high position
in a manner creditable alike to himself and to the diversified
interests of the people of the district, he will make an ideal
Senator. Energetic and industrious in the pursuit of life,
he will be untiring in the duties assigned him'in the Senate
of the State if the voters of the district are true to themselves
and elect him.
On October 13, 1869, our subject was mar
ried to Miss Kate C. Haas, a daughter of Henry
Haas, for many years proprietor of the ' ' Central
Hotel" at Sunbury. This was one of the best
conducted and most popular hotels in the State,
and its landlord was one of Sunbury's most
worthy and highly esteemed citizens. To the
marriage of Mr. Davis and wife were born three
daughters: Annie C, Helen A., now most ac
complished ladies, and Annie, who died at the
age of ten. The family home is a most com
fortable one, from which there is a generous hos
pitality dispensed, as it is the especial delight of
Mr. Davis to entertain strangers visiting Sun
bury.

.WILLIAM EUGENE HOUSEWORTH, of
WW Selin's Grove, Snyder county, Pennsylva
nia, teacher, lawyer and author, was there born
November 7, 1853.
At an early age Mr. Houseworth learned the
printer's trade, but not content with the compos

ing room, he took upon himself the greater and
nobler responsibilities of the school-room, and
continued in the work for a period of twelve
years. Dr. E. E. Higbee, Superintendent of
Public Instruction of Pennsylvania, honored him
with a permanent certificate in 1885. From the
age of twenty-five up to the present, Mr. House-
worth gave the best part of his time to literary
pursuits, particularly on the side of poetry. As
a poet, he has few, if any, peers in his native
State, and is known throughout Pennsylvania by
the nom-de-plume, "The Bard of the Susque
hanna." In 1874 he graduated with honors
from Susquehanna University, at Selin's Grove.
After graduation, he read law with Hon. Charles
Hower, was admitted to the Bar in 1880, from
which time he has been continuously practicing
in the place of his birth, and holds an enviable
place in the esteem of his friends and acquaint
ances. On March 9, 1880, the subject of this sketch
was married to Miss Emma Floranda Dietrich,
of Hamburg, Berks Co. , Penn., at which place
she was born September 7, 1861. The follow
ing children, all born and residing at Selin's
Grove, are the fruits of this marriage: Mary,
born February 8, 1881; Fanny Ruth, born Sep
tember 7, 1882; Benjamin Hawthorne, born June
12, 1884; Lydia Eva, born September 16, 1886,
and died April 11, 1888; William Gladstone,
born February 13, 1889; Emma Anita, born
September 26, 1891; Paul Eugene, born Sep
tember 19, 1895.
William Eugene Houseworth is naturally en
dowed with more than ordinary musical as well
as poetical gifts, and divides his attention about
equally between his law practice and the study
of poetry. "The Sage and the Sexton," "The
Tramp's Soliloquy," and "The Teacher" are ad
judged the best productions from his pen. The
lawyer-poet is of German extract. His great
grandfather, Johannes Hauswirth, emigrated to
this country, from Rotterdam, Germany, on Oc
tober 13, 1749. His grandfather, on his father's
side, John Hauswirth, was born in Northumber
land county, Penn.,. on October 7, 1769, and
died in Selin's Grove, March 25, 1840. His
grandmother on his father's side, Elizabeth Haus
wirth, whose maiden name was Miller, was born
September 30, 1774, and died at Selin's Grove,
January 6, i860. John Jacob Miller was the
name of the grandfather on the mother's side,
who was born March 9, 1786, and died at Selin's
Grove, March 18, 1842. Sarah Miller, whose
maiden name was also Miller, his grandmother
on his mother's side, was born December 9,
1786, and died at Selin's Grove, June 20, 1879.

1044

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

His father, Benjamin Houseworth, was born in
Union county, Penn., on August 30, 1806, and
died June 24, 1878, at Selin's Grove.
Mr. Houseworth's mother, Lydia House-
worth, whose maiden name was Miller, was born
in Warwick township, Lancaster Co., Penn.,
April 22, 1810. She was married to Benjamin
Houseworth, February 14, 1833. Her death
occurred February 9, 1891. The following chil
dren, all born at Selin's Grove, were the fruit of
their marriage: Utica (now Mrs. B. F. Tanner),
born January 20, 1834; Mary Catherine (Mrs. J.
Hall), born October 6, 1835, died March 6,
1887; Benjamin Franklin, born December 8,
1837; John Jacob, born April 3, 1842; and Will
iam Eugene, the subject of this sketch. The
Houseworth family were among the pioneer
families of Snyder county, and to their industry
and brawn (they all having been carpenters and
tradesmen) is attributed more than an equal
share, with their other pioneer contemporaries,
of the honor due the hardy yeomanry for the
goodly heritage left to their posterity, and which
they now enjoy and heartily appreciate.

OBERT MIDDLESWARTH. If it would
be impossible to prepare a satisfactory edi
tion of Hamlet without naming the " melancholy
Dane," an attempt to give a view of the men
who have been and are prominent in the devel
opment of this section with no mention of the
Middleswarth family, would be a signal failure.
It was in the year 1792 that John and Martha
Middleswarth, the great-grandparents of the well-
known citizen whose name appears above, came
from New Jersey to make their home at a point
on the frontier line in what was then Northumber
land county, Penn. , but is now included in Beaver
township, Snyder county. The pioneers found but
few wagon roads through this section, and were
obliged to cut their way through the forests and
cross deep and dangerous streams without bridges,
With Indians for neighbors they cleared a farm in
the wilderness, and deer grazed in their fields in
friendly company with their cattle. Amid such
surroundings, Ner Middleswarth, our subject's
grandfather, one of the most distinguished men
of his day, grew to manhood, having accompanied
his parents to their new home when he was about
ten years old. He was born during the Revolu
tionary war, and was five years of age when the
Constitution of the United States was adopted.
His existence dates back to the birth of our coun
try, and passes on through the war of 18 12, the
Mexican war and the war of the Rebellion. He
lived during the administration of sixteen Presi

dents, viz.: Washington, Jefferson, Adams,
Madison, Monroe, J. Q. Adams, Jackson, Van-
Buren, Harrison, Tyler, Polk, Taylor, Fillmore,
Pierce, Buchanan and Lincoln. In 18 13, when he
was aged thirty years, Union county was formed,
and in 1855, when he was seventy-two years old,
Snyder county was erected. He passed through two
county division campaigns, of which the erection
of Snyder out of Union was the most exciting
one in which all public men participated. Beav
ertown was laid out in 18 10 when he was twenty-
eight years old, and he was a resident there in
1827. When he was thirty-two years old, the
war of 18 12 with Great Britain commenced.
James Madison was President of the United
States, and Simon Snyder was Governor of Penn
sylvania. He raised a company, became captain
and was assigned to the 8th Penn's Rifles. In
1 8 14 he raised another company, became captain,
marched to Marcus Hook, where they were sta
tioned awaiting orders to face the enemy, the
regiment being under Col. Uhl, with Gen. Cad-
walader as division commander.
In 18 1 5, after the close of the war, he
was elected to the Legislature of Pennsylvania
and was re-elected thirteen times, serving four
teen terms, from 1815 to 1841. He was twice
elected Speaker of the House. In 1848 he rep
resented his district in the Senate of Pennsyl
vania, filling the unexpired term of Dr. Jacob
Wagenseller, who died after serving two years.
In 185 1 he was the Whig nominee for Canal
Commissioner of Pennsylvania, and received 487
more votes in Union county than Gen. Irvin, the
nominee for Governor. This flattering vote was
an evidence of his popularity among the people
who had known him from his infancy. The
Pennsylvania Canal was built in 1828 when he
was a member of the Legislature, and the large
vote polled for Mr. Middleswarth for Canal
Commissioner induced his party to nominate
him for State Treasurer in 1852. His name was
often mentioned as a suitable person to be
elected governor, and he could have secured the
nomination had he desired it. In the year 1853
he was elected a member of the Thirty-third
Congress of the United States, serving with ac
ceptance the term of two years. After the for
mation of Snyder county, in 1855, he was elected
a county auditor with Francis A. Boyer, Sr. ,
and Henry W. Snyder, a son of Gov. Snyder,
popular and leading men of the county. After
serving three years as auditor he was elected, in
1858, an associate judge of the county, serving a
full term of five years. He was a public servant
a period of twenty-seven years, and if we add to
this the time he served in the war it will be about

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1045

thirty years, the period allotted to one genera
tion of man. He was executor, administrator
and guardian for many estates in his locality
which required much of his time, besides being
frequently consulted in matters of public and
private business, and being a lover of peace he
frequently settled quarrels among neighbors, thus
preventing many lawsuits.
His successful career seems the more remark
able when we consider that his schooling must
have been very limited. When he arrived at
the age of manhood, schools were still kept in
private houses where English and German read
ing were taught. This fact is conclusive evidence
that when he was a youth, if they had schools in
the locality where he lived, they were of a very
inferior kind and of short duration, and accord
ing to one authority he never attended school but
six days in his life. Private study and keen
• observation enabled him to secure an excellent
education, and he was a fluent speaker in the
German and English languages, his addresses on
political and other topics being listened to with
interest by large crowds of people. As a pre
siding officer he was dignified, and he displayed
a complete mastery of parliamentary rules. His
public position brought him in contact with edu
cated and refined people, and he was a man of
polished manners when in the society of the re
fined. His appearance and manner would at
tract the attention of those not personally ac
quainted with him, and he would impress a
stranger as being more than an ordinary man.
During his Congressional term he was elected an
honorary member of a number of literary societies
in connection with different colleges and acad
emies in Pennsylvania. He would always ac
knowledge these honors in neatly and properly
worded replies, and he would also forward useful
public documents as contributions to their
libraries. He had an extensive correspondence
with his patrons when he was a member of Con
gress, being then seventy-two years of age with
his mental faculties unimpaired, and the family
now possess a number of letters requesting him
to attend to various businesses in all the public
departments at Washington. Among them are
letters from Gov. Porter, Gov. Curtin, Gov. Mil
ler, of Wisconsin, Judge Walls, Gov. Pollock,
Judge Shindel, Dr. Hottenstein, Samuel Pawling,
and many others too numerous to mention.
His was a busy life from infancy to youth,
from youth to manhood, from manhood to old
age. He was a living illustration of the proverb
of Solomon: ' ' He that driveth with a slack hand
becometh poor, but the hand of the diligent
maketh rich." He acquired extensive real estate,

on which were erected grist, saw and paper mills,
and distilleries, and much of his property is still
owned by his descendants. While he was not a
Church member he was a believer in Christianity,
and contributed to the Lutheran Church at
Beavertown, to which several of his family be
longed. He died in June, 1865, aged eighty-two
years, four months and twenty days, and his wife
Christiana passed away some time before. They
had the following children: John, who married
Elizabeth Fall; Mary, Mrs. Jacob Howell;
Moses, who married Eliza Hontz; Abner, our
subject's father; Aaron J., who married Harriet
Oyginger; Abraham R., who married Elizabeth
Bubb; Merib, Mrs. Jacob Feese; Jacob, who
married Sarah Bubb; Martha, Mrs. John S.
Smith; Sarah, wife of Reuben Klose; and Ma
tilda, MrsT FeteFRigeT
Abner Middleswarth, the father of our subject,
was born about 181 5 at the old homestead in
Beaver township, and in his youth learned the tan
ner's trade at Beavertown, under Henry Dreese.
After working for three or four years at this
business he engaged in milling above Beavertown,
continuing about eight years. In 1847 he re
moved to a farm near Troxelville belonging to
his father and now owned and occupied by the
subject of this sketch, but subsequently he located
upon what is known as the ' ' paper-mill prop
erty " above Adamsburg. His last years were
spent in the same vicinity in the little town called
Peola, which he named. He was a leading Re
publican, and at times held office, but was not a
seeker after political honors. In religious faith
he was a Lutheran, and for many years he served
as deacon in the Church. His death occurred'
on September 17, 1889, aged seventy-four years,
ten months and twenty days, and his remains
now rest in the cemetery at Adamsburg. His
estimable wife, Sophia, a daughter of Henry
Bickel, survived him and attained the advanced
age of eighty-two years. Their children were:
Henry J., now a resident in Pawnee county,
Kans.; Robert, our subject; Susan, widow of
Michael Smith, gof western Nebraska; Elmira,
Mrs. William Ewing, of Spring township, Snyder
county; Abram, now of Denver, Colo. ; Miss
Lizzie, residing in Colorado; and John, a resident
of Mifflin county, Pennsylvania.
Robert Middleswarth, the subject proper of this
biography, was born August 12, 1839, at Beaver
town, and his education was begun there with
William Frederick as his first teacher. During
his boyhood his parents removed to his pres
ent farm, and from that time his schooling con
sisted of only a few weeks in each winter. Hav
ing been reared to farm work, he has always

1046

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

continued it. On arriving at manhood he rented
the old home for seven years, but in 1880 he
purchased the place from his father. It contains
150 acres of choice land, and he has made many
improvements since taking charge. He owns an
other tract of ten acres, and also has a half-in
terest in a threshing machine. At present he
gives but little attention to business, personally,
his tenants managing the farm, but he has bee.n
an active worker, his strength having been re
markable in his youth. As a business man he is
shrewd and far-seeing, and he ranks among the
substantial citizens of the locality, while his fair
dealing in all transactions has won him the re
spect and esteem of every one. He is a stanch
Republican, but has invariably declined to accept
a place on the ticket, his impaired hearing being
a hindrance. At the age of twenty-two years he was mar
ried to Miss Lydia. Hassinger, who was born in
Beaver township, Snyder county, in 1841, the
daughter of Joseph Hassinger. Two children
have blessed their union. David, a merchant at
Troxelville, is married and has one child, Neoma;
and Jeannette, who married William H. Fet
terolf, of Adams township, Snyder county, to
whom has been born a daughter, Annie. Mr.
Middleswarth and his wife are both members of
the Lutheran Church, and take a prominent part
in religious work. Fraternally, he belongs to the
K. G. E., at Adamsburg.
Our subject has always been, and is now, ex
ceedingly fond of hunting, fishing and trapping,
and many a night, darkness having overtaken
him, he has slept in the mountains tributary to
the Alleghanies, with only a pine knot as a pil
low, a rock as his sheet and the blue sky as his
cover. Scores of deer and bear have fallen un
der the unerring aim of his trusty rifle; he is a
fine marksman with a steady nerve and a keen
eye, and has a great store of knowledge of the
habits and characteristics of birds and wild
animals.
MATHAN T. DUNDORE, ,a leading farmer
 and business man of Union township, Sny
der county, has for a number of years been the
popular postmaster of Dundore, which office was
named in his honor. He was born April 29,
1840, in Bern township, Berks county, Penn.,
and is the only representative of the family in
Snyder county. In 1881 there .was completed
an extensive genealogical record of the Dundore
family, by Nathan Dundore, of Philadelphia,
who in his introductory remarks mentions sev
eral gentlemen to whom he was indebted for as
sistance, including our subject.

Mr. Dundore is a representative of the fifth
generation of the family in the United States,
being descended from Jacob and Anna M. (Wen-
delbrecht) Dunder (as the name was ' then
spelled), who were married about 1745, in Ger
many, their native land. They were probably
born in one of the Rhine provinces, and in 1748
immigrated to America, locating permanently in
Berks county, Penn., near Host Church. In
1 77 1 he bought a farm east of Bernville, but con
tinued to reside for several years on his farm in
Tulpehocken township, Berks county, and finally
removed to the former place, where he died May
12, 1789. He was born July 25, 1720. His
wife survived him for some time.
Of their family of nine children, John, the
eldest son and third child, was born March 20,
1 75 1 , and died October 14, 1823. He married
Catharine Geiss, who was born December 23,
1753, and died January 12, 1827. Of the nine
children born to them, John, the third son and
child, was born June 30, 1780, and died April
14, 1858. He was twice married, first, to Elizar
bethri£line, who was born March 30, 1783, and
dTedApril 14, 18 12, leaving five children: Sam
uel K. , the father of oursubject; Rebecca; Isaac;
Polly and Mary. After the death of his first
wife, John Dundore married her sister Christiana
Kline, who was born February 8, 1794, and died
April 5, 1 86 1. Five children grace that union.
Samuel K. Dundore was born April 27, 1805,
and on the 29th of January, 1830, was united in
marriage with Miss Catharine Tobias, who was
born January 10, 1809. They continued to re
side in Berks county, where the father died De
cember 18, 1857, and was buried at Zion Church
cemetery, while his wife died April 26, 1875, and
was laid to rest in Haag cemetery. Their chil
dren were as follows: Aaron; Catharine; Aaron
T. ; Nathan T., of this review; Cornelius T. ; and
Samuel T.
Reared in the county of his nativity, Nathan
T. Dundore obtained his early education in its
country schools, where he learned readily and
progressed rapidly. At the age of nineteen he
entered the Union Seminary, at New Berlin,
Penn. , where he pursued his studies for a time,
and subsequently took a course at the Eastman
Business College, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. , from
which institution he graduated. Previous to this
he had taught school in Berks county during the
winter of 1 861-2, and on January 1, 1864, he
went to Philadelphia to accept a position as
bookkeeper for the wholesale hardware firm of
Smith & Seltzer, where he remained until March,
1866. In the meantime, on April 6, 1865, Mr. Dun-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1047

dore was married to Miss Maria Witmer, of
Union township, Snyder county, with whom he
became acquainted while attending Union Sem
inary. She was born July 28, 1843, and is a
daughter of ex-Associate Judge Daniel Witmer,
and his wife, Catharine Herrold. The Judge is
now deceased, having passed away in December,
1890. In the spring of 1866, Mr. Dundore formed a
partnership with his father-in-law, in the mer
cantile business, and together they conducted a
store at what is now Dundore, until the latter's
death, since which time our subject has been
alone in business. He carries a well-selected
stock to meet the demands of his customers, and
besides conducting his store he is also successfully
engaged in general farming. In September,
1869, he Was appointed postmaster, a position
which he still fills to the satisfaction of all con
cerned. He is a stanch Republican and strong
Protectionist, and though he takes a keen inter
est in public affairs, he is no politician in the
sense of office-seeking, preferring to give his un
divided attention to his extensive business inter
ests. Being a great reader, he is well posted on
the questions and issues of the day, and is in a
position to make an intelligent choice of political
parties. As he is a strong friend of public edu
cation, he has efficiently served as school director
in his township, and probably no man in the
community has done as much to promote the
moral, educational or material welfare of his
township or county.
In February, 1862, Mr. Dundore united with
the Evangelical Association, but since 1891 he
has been one of the most active and prominent
members and substantial supporters of the United
Evangelical Church. For fourteen years he was
superintendent of the Sabbath-school, has always
been active in its work, and has been a delegate
to a number of State and county Sunday-school
conventions. He was also a delegate to the first
General Conference of the United Evangelical
Church, which was held at Naperville, 111., No
vember and December, of 1894, and the following
year was a delegate to the Central Pennsylvania
Conference, held at York, Penn., where he was
appointed trustee of the Central Pennsylvania
College, at New Berlin, Penn. The Witmer
United Evangelical Church was built on a por
tion of his farm, which comprises 300 acres of
excellent land, and he laid out the beautiful cem
etery connected with the church. He has ever
been a liberal contributor to all enterprises tend
ing to advance the interests of the community,
and is recognized as one of its most valued and
influential citizens.

F SCOTT RITTER, sheriff of Snyder coun
ty, is an able and popular official, and is re
garded as one of the influential Republicans of
this section. He was born April 16, 1862, at
Kratzerville, Snyder county, where his family
has been well known from an early date. His
grandparents, John and Elizabeth Ritter, resided
there, the latter attaining the advanced age
of ninety-three years. In their family were the
following children: Catherine, married to Jacob
Miller; Sarah, married to John Beachler; Eliza
beth, wife of Squire Wagner, of Kratzerville;
Mary, who became the second wife of the same
gentleman; John, Daniel, Elias, all three de
ceased; Louis; Samuel and H. J.
The late H. J. Ritter, our subject's father,
was born near Kratzerville, January 3, 1832, and
remained there for some time after his marriage,
removing finally to Shamokin Dam, Penn.,
where he died December 31, 1886. In early life
he was a merchant, but his last years were spent
in agricultual pursuits. He was a man of excel
lent character, a member of the Lutheran
Church, and was held in high esteem among his
associates. His wife, whose maiden name was
Veronica Wagner, was born near Selins Grove,
August 14, 1835, and is now residing with our
subject. She is a daughter of William and
Christiana (Beaver) Wagner, and on her mother's
side is descended from the noted pioneer family
of which ex-Gov. Beaver is a member. Our
subject was the eldest of seven children. Of the
others, Heber died in infancy; Irene married W.
G. Morris, of Mt. Carmel, Penn. ; H. L. resides
at Nuremburg, Penn. ; Daniel P. is a shipping
clerk at Sunbury, but lives at Shamokin Dam,
Penn.; Cora died in infancy; and Miss Katie I.
resides with our subject.
Mr. Ritter began his education in the public
schools of Shamokin Dam, and afterward studied
at Selins Grove for a few terms, acquiring a good
practical training as a preparation for life's
duties. He taught school successfully for five
terms, and then clerked in a store at Shamokin
Dam for nine years. In the meantime he be
came an active and efficient worker in the local
Republican organization, and in recognition of his
ability and popularity he was nominated to his
present office, and was duly elected. His nomina
tion was the result of an appeal to the people at
a primary, and, as the first contest ended in a tie,
the matter was again referred to the people, who
made him their choice by a decisive majority.
On October 16, 1888, Mr. Ritter was mar
ried to Miss Abbie A. Hottenstein, daughter of
I. R. and Abigail (Thompson) Hottenstein, in
whose family were six children besides Mrs.

1048

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Ritter, as follows: H. P., William J., Isaac L. ,
Elija R. , Mary E. (twin sister of Mrs. Ritter)
and Carrie T. The father of this family was a
son of Dr. Isaac Hottenstein, one of the most
prominent physicians in central Pennsylvania; he
died February 7, 1895. The mother passed
away on December 6, 1880. To Mr. and Mrs.
Ritter have been born four children: Anna P.,
Harry R. , Rachel M. and one that died in in
fancy. Socially Mr. Ritter is identified with the P.
O. S. A., in which organization he held the office
of District President, and he is a member of the
Lutheran Church, with which his family has
been connected for generations.

JAMES KEEMER DAVIS, Jr. (deceased),
who in his lifetime was a prominent member
of the Sunbury Bar, and one of the leading
citizens of the city, descended from one of the
old families of this Commonwealth and a pioneer
of this locality.
Major Anthony Selin, his great-grandfather,
was a patriot of the war of the Revolution, com
ing to this country from Switzerland. He was
the founder of Selins Grove, Snyder county.
His wife, Agnes Snyder, was a sister of ex-Gov.
Snyder, of Pennsylvania.
Born October 14, 1843, at Selins Grove,
James K. Davis, the third bearing that name,
was the son of the late James K. Davis, a leading
citizen and business man of Selins Grove, a
sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this vol
ume. At the age of eighteen, young Davis en
tered Allegheny College at Meadville, Penn.,
from which institution he was graduated in 1865.
He then came to Sunbury and read law under
the instruction of Hon. John B. Packer, and was
admitted to the Bar in August, 1867. In Jan
uary, following, he was also admitted to practice
in the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth, in
Philadelphia. In 1869 he was honored by his
Alma Mater with the degree of Master of Arts.
From 1867 to 1873, Mr. Davis was entrusted
with the management of the legal business of his
preceptor, the Hon. John B. Packer, while the
latter was a representative in Congress. In this
Mr. Davis acquitted himself with creditable
efficiency. In 1873 he visited South and Central
America with the expedition to make examina
tions and surveys for the proposed route for the
Inter-Oceanic canal between the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans; he was chief clerk for Capt. Ed
ward Barrett, of the United States ship " Can-
andaigua," during this survey, and his letters
home from the various foreign ports are of great

interest to the student, because of their literary
excellence and historical value. In 1874 he re
turned home, making a tour of various Southern
States, and in August, 1875, became managing
clerk in the law office of S. P. Wolverton, Esq.,
which position he occupied up to his death June
20, 1 88 1. Mr. Davis possessed legal abilities of
a high order, coupled with great energy and busi
ness tact. He was a man of positive views,
plain and outspoken, but combined all the ele
ments of a thorough gentleman.
On February 13, 1878, our subject was mar
ried to Miss Emily A. Haas, daughter of Henry
and Catherine C. (Weaver) Haas, both of whom
were born in Sunbury. For many years the
father was the genial landlord of the "Central
Hotel " there, a most hospitable home for the
traveling public. Mrs. Davis was one of four
daughters born to their parents, namely: Mary
E. (Mrs. William R. Dunham), of Philadelphia;
Emily A. (Mrs. James K. Davis); Catherine C.
(Mrs. Henry E. Davis), of Sunbury; and Jane
W. (Mrs. Norman S. Engle), of Sunbury. To
the marriage of James K. Davis and wife was
born a son, James K., who is now attending The
Pennsylvania State College, Centre county.

J\ M. SMITH, M. D., of Beaver Springs,
_ L Snyder county, who has been in successful
practice for more than a quarter of a century,
might well be content with the professional hon
ors which he has won, yet he has an equally
prominent place in other lines of effort, being a
leading capitalist, business man and politician of
his locality. He has an enviable record as a
soldier also, having entered the Union army as
a boy of seventeen and served until the close of
the war.
Dr. Smith was born February 25, 1846, the
eldest son of John S. Smith and his wife Mar
tha Middleworth,- daughter of Hon. Ner Middle-
worth, one of Snyder county's most distinguished
citizens. The Doctor was reared upon a farm,
and began his education at Riegel's school house,
John Doon being his first teacher. Although
his father's educational privileges had been lim
ited, or perhaps for that very reason, he had de
termined to give his children the best advantages
possible, and in order to encourage the teachers
in this locality he boarded them at his home
without charge. When but twelve years old the
Doctor entered Union Seminary at New Berlin,
Penn., and before he was seventeen he took
charge of a school at Port Ann, Penn. In Feb
ruary, 1 864, he interrupted his studies to enlist
in Company I, 49th P. V. I., and he saw some

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1049

severe fighting during his term of service. His
first battle was the engagement in the Wilder
ness, and July of 1864 was spent in the Shenan
doah Valley. The regiment then went to Peters
burg, and, after taking part in the operations
there, went on to Richmond and was present at
Lee's surrender. The Doctor was wounded on
April 2, 1865, in a charge, and in a number of
battles he showed unusual bravery, for which he
was promoted in the spring of 1865 to the rank
of corporal. At the close of the war he returned
home and resumed his studies in a sohool at
Selins Grove, known as the Missionary Institute,
now Susquehanna College, where he spent two
years and graduated in 1868. That year he be
gan the study of medicine with Dr. I. B. Conrad,
of Beavertown, and in the fall of the same year
he entered Jefferson Medical College, Philadel
phia, from which he was graduated in 1870.
Since that time he has been in active practice in
Beaver Springs, meeting with marked success
from the start. During eighteen years of this
time he has been a physician for the Pennsylva
nia Railroad Company, and he takes a high place
in the various professional organizations, being a
member of the American Medical Association, a
permanent member of the State Medical Society,
and a member of the Snyder County Medical So
ciety, of which he was president for five years.
His sound judgment in business affairs is widely
recognized, and he is a director in the Beaver
town Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and owns
a one-half interest in a hotel and business block
in Adamsburg. He also operates some iron ore
deposits near Adamsburg, furnishing employment
to a number of men. A few years ago he built
the finest brick residence in Adamsburg, and his
real-estate holdings include some excellent farm
ing lands, besides an interest in a tract of pine
land in Florida.
The Doctor was married to Miss Alwilda
Stetler, of Beavertown, a daughter of George
Stetler, and they had one son, Charles G. , who,
in 1897, graduated from the Jefferson Medical
College of Philadelphia.
On March 14, 1882, Mrs. Smith passed to
the unseen life, and the Doctor has since mar
ried Miss Carrie Specht, of Beaver Springs, the
daughter of J. W. Specht, a wealthy merchant.
Dr. Smith and his wife are prominent in social
life, and she is an active member of the Luther
an Church. Fraternally, the Doctor is a mem
ber of the Patriotic Order of the Sons of Amer
ica, the Knights of the Golden Eagle, the Inde
pendent Order of Odd Fellows, the Grand Army
of the Republic, of which he is a charter mem
ber, and for seven years served as commander,

and the Masonic Order — the Blue Lodge at Se
lins Grove, the Commandery at Lewistown, and
the Scottish Rite at Harrisburg. Jovial, liberal
and public-spirited, Dr. Smith has a host of
friends, including the leading citizens of his lo
cality. His influence is solicited in aid of every
movement in his community, and he is especially
active in politics. In January, 1898, he was
nominated in his county for the State Legislature,
defeating W. W. Witmyer, having a majority of
447, and out of 235 votes cast in his township
he received 223 of same. Dr. Smith is also pen
sion examiner for Snyder county. It was mostly
through his efforts that in October, 1897, the
board was appointed, for which he has the thanks
of the old veterans of the county. He was a
guest at a very elaborate banquet given to Hon.
Boies Penrose at Philadelphia, in honor of the
latter's election to the United States Senate, and
for some time he served as chairman of the Sny
der County Republican Committee.

PROF. GEORGE E. FISHER, Ph. B. , who
now fills the chair of Natural Sciences in
Susquehanna University at Selins Grove, is one
of the ablest of the young educators of the
State. A close student, he is a thorough master
of the subjects which he teaches, and his own
enthusiasm is an inspiration to even the dullest
and idlest student. The value of his work is not
to be tested merely by the actual instruction
given, though that is of the best, but in the
quickening and stimulating influence of his keeri^
and active mentality which produces results that
must operate long after his students have left the
institution. Prof. Fisher was born January 17, 1869, in
Middlecreek township, Snyder county, near the
town of Kreamer, and inherits the name George
from his grandfather and great-grandfather. His
father, the late Calvin Fisher, was born in 1844
in Penn township, Snyder county, at the old
Fisher homestead. The Professor's mother,
whose maiden name was Matilda Miller, was
born in 1844, and is still living, but the father
passed away in 1872. They had six children:
Gertrude, who died in 1872, three months after
her father's death; Annie, who married Milton
Orwig, of Middleburgh, Penn.; George E., our
subject; Charles K., a teacher in the public
schools of the county; and Foster C. , now prin
cipal of the academy attached to Susquehanna
University, who graduated from the University
in 1893, and from Bucknell College in 1896, be
coming the principal of the academy in the same
year. He is noted for ability as an educator, his

1050

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

power as a disciplinarian being excellent, and his
class work most efficient.
During boyhood the Professor enjoyed the
advantages of farm life, strengthening his
physique by outdoor exercise; but after the death
of his father his mother removed to Salem,
Penn., where she has since resided. The public
schools near his home furnished the youth with
the beginnings of knowledge, but it was not long
before his keen and thoughtful mind demanded
better and wider opportunities. In the fall of
1884 he entered the Susquehanna University,
then Missionary Institute, and during his course
there he won the respect of his classmates and
teachers for his sterling qualities as a student
and a man. After graduation at the end of the
Sophomore year at Missionary Institute, he spent
one year teaching in the public schools of Penn
township, with ability and success, but feeling,
however, the need of a complete college course,
he entered the Junior class at Bucknell Univer
sity in the fall of 1889. His work there was
marked by the same studiousness that had char
acterized his work in the former institution, and
in 1 89 1 he was graduated from the university
with honors.
In the fall of the same year he accepted the
principalship of the Friends' Normal Institute,
at Rising Sun, Md. After holding this position
for one year, he resigned to accept the professor
ship of Science in Bucknell Academy. In this
institution he labored faithfully for four years,
endearing himself, by his devotion to his work,
to all entrusted to his care and instruction. At
the close of the spring term of 1896 the profes
sorship of the Natural Sciences in Susquehanna
University became vacant. After careful de
liberation, the Board of Directors concluded
that Professor Fisher was the proper man for the
vacancy, and he was unanimously elected. To
him it was a matter of great regret to leave his
former position, but his love for his first Alma
Mater, and a conviction that a larger field of use
fulness was awaiting him, caused him to accept
the position he now holds.
To crown all Professor Fisher is an earnest
Christian, science and revelation speaking alike
of the great First Cause. He is a member of
the Lutheran Church, and his character is an ex
emplification of his faith.

C\ MORRIS SHOWERS, a leading merchant
_' of Centreville, Snyder county, is a man of
excellent business ability, and is now the owner
of the store in which he clerked when a boy, at

the magnificent salary of seventy-five dollars per
year. Pleasant and courteous in manner and
honorable in his dealings, he has won the con
fidence of a large circle of acquaintances and
his friends are legion.
Mr. Showers is a member of an old and high
ly respected family of Juniata county, his great-
grandparents, John Adam and Elizabeth (Womer)
Showers, having been pioneer residents there.
The former attained the advanced age of eighty-
seven years, and for twenty years resided with
his son-Daniel, his death occurring at Centerville
about 1 86 1. Daniel Showers, the grandfather
of our subject, was born in Juniata county, in
1803, and as one of a family of fourteen children
was obliged to begin work at a very early age.
He learned the carpenter's trade and followed
cabinet making, and for some time he was en
gaged in farming in Washington township,
Snyder county, where he also conducted the
"Summit hotel." After removing to Centerville,
in 1848, he bought the "Centerville Hotel,"
which he managed.
He was a short, heavy-set man, but was not
robust, and he died in May, 1858, at the age of
fifty-five, his remains being interred at Centre
ville. In politics he was a Democrat, and he
was a devout member of the Lutheran Church,
as was also his wife, Mary B. Haines, who was
born in 1 800, in Washington township, Snyder
county, and died in March 1854. They had
seven children: George W. , our subject's father;
Elizabeth, who married Frederick Mertz, and
died in April, 1879; Margaret J., who married
Charles Dieffenderfer, and died at New Colum
bia, Penn.; Daniel H., who died December 9,
1896, at Philadelphia; Barbara Ellen, now Mrs.
Peter Hartman, of Centerville; and Mary and
John (twins), of whom the former is now Mrs.
J. E. Shenkel, of Centerville, and the latter is a
restaurant keeper at Lewisburg.
George W. Showers, the father of our sub
ject, was born July 16, 1831, in Juniata county,
and was educated in the subscription schools of
that time. During his boyhood his parents lo
cated in Centerville, where he became acquainted
with the details of carpentering and cabinet
making under his father's instructions, while
assisting also in hotel work." He was an excell
ent mechanic, and for many years followed his
trade in Centerville. In his later years he car
ried on a mercantile business there, as a mem
ber of the firm of Walter & Showers, and he
owned and cultivated a small tract of land in the
same vicinity. He gained a comfortable com
petence, and was held in high esteem as a citi
zen. Notwithstanding the temptations of hotel

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1051

life he was a total abstainer, never under any
circumstances indulging in intoxicants or to
bacco. In politics he was a Democrat, but
beyond being a regular voter he paid little at
tention to public affairs, although he served
creditably as school director. In religious work
he took an active part as a member of the
Lutheran Church, in which he held the office of
deacon. He was of less than medium height,
stout, and apparently healthy, but he died very
suddenly of apoplexy on May 26, 1878, at the
comparative early age of forty-seven years.
On September 14, 1852, George W. Show
ers was married, in Center township, to Miss
Mary Yerger, who was born in that township on
June 8, 1830, the daughter of Charles Yerger.
The first six years of their married life was spent
in a rented house, but later Mr. Showers built a
residence. His wife died March 18, 1868, and
both were buried at Centerville. He had six
children: Elmira J., born April 4, 1853, mar
ried Dr. J. F. Kanawell, and died in 1894; C.
Morris is the subject of this sketch; William
Franklin, born March 31, 1858, died June 15,
i860; Henry A., born August 15, i860, died
April 5, 1865; Lizzie A., born December 17,
1863, is the widow of James M. Miller, of Cen
terville, and Laura A. , twin to Lizzie, married
Dr. George C. Mohn, of Laurelton, Pennsyl
vania. The subject of this sketch was born Septem
ber 25, 1854, at Centerville (Penn's Creek P. O.).
He began his education in a building that stood
near the present site of the United Evangelical
Church, his first teacher being Austin S. Houtz.
After availing himself of the somewhat limited
privileges of the local schools, he entered Free
burg Academy in 1 87 1, and pursued his studies
there for three months. When but thirteen
years old he began clerking for Walter & Hart
man, general merchants of Centerville, his sal
ary being, as has been said, only seventy-five
dollars per year, without board. His school
days ended in 1871, and he resumed clerking,
which he had followed irregularly during boy
hood. For some years he was employed by Wal
ter & Hartman, by Walter & Showers, the firm
of which his father was a member, and by
Simonton & Showers, and in 1880 he became a
partner of Valentine Walter, in the same estab
lishment. In 1882 he became the sole owner of
the store, but in 1890 was joined by his brother-
in-law, James M. Miller, as a partner. The
death of the latter in 1892 caused Mr. Showers
to become the sole proprietor again, and he has
ever since continued the business alone. He buys
and sells produce, and carries a large stock of

merchandise, being the leader in his line in that
locality. On February 24, 1881, Mr. Showers was mar
ried to Miss Savilla Walter, who was born July
11, i860, in Limestone township, Union county,
the eldest daughter of Valentine and Susanna
(Shaffer) Walter. She is a very intelligent lady
and has received more than ordinary educational
opportunities. Two sons were born to this
union: John C. , now a student in Susquehanna
University, of Selins Grove, and Ralph W. , who
is at home. Mr. Showers and his wife are both
active members of the Lutheran Church, in
which he holds the office of deacon. In politics
he adheres in general to the principles of the
Democratic party, but on occasions he votes for
the best man according to his judgment. He is
not an office-seeker, but at present he is serving
as a member of the school board. Socially, he
is a member of the Masonic order at Selins
Grove.

EUBEN KROUSE, one of the most intel
ligent and well-informed men of Middle
Creek township, is a worthy representative of a
pioneer family of this section of Snyder county.
He was born February 28, 1839, on the farm
where he still continues to live. His grand
father, Christian Krouse, came to this region
from Montgomery county, Penn., upwards of
one hundred and ten years ago, and died of
paralysis while assisting in the erection of the
second church at Salem, Penn. In his family
were five sons: John, Philip, Daniel, Henry and
George; and three daughters: Catherine, Eliza
beth and Mary.
John Krouse, our subject's father, was born
in Middle Creek township, in 1789, and when a
young man married Miss Barbara Boyer, also a
native of Snyder county, and a daughter of
Leonard Boyer, a farmer by occupation. Their
children were as follows: Mary, who owns the
old homestead and lives with our subject; George,
a resident of Cass county, Mich. ; Isaiah, who
died in Michigan after reaching manhood; Annie,
who married Benjamin Hotenstine, and died in
Snyder county; Valentine, who died in Middle
Creek township; Reuben, of this sketch; and
Lena, wife of Aaron Dennis, of Williamsport,
Pennsylvania. After his marriage, John Krouse located on
the farm now occupied by his son and daughter,
and there successfully carried on agricultural
pursuits throughout life. He was an ardent
Democrat in politics, and in his township held
the office of overseer of the poor, while in re-

1052

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ligious belief he was a Lutheran. His death,
which occurred in 1855, resulted from an attack
of typhoid fever, and his wife, who died at the
age of seventy-six years, now sleeps by his side
in the Salem Church cemetery.
During his boyhood and youth Reuben Krouse
attended what is known as the Krouse school,
his first teacher being John M. Douberman.
Although the schools were much inferior to those
of the present day, he made the most of his
opportunities, and by subsequent reading and
observation he has become a well-informed man,
thoroughly posted on the leading questions and
topics of the day. Upon the home farm he con
tinued to engage in agricultural pursuits until
twenty years of age, when he began learning
watch-making. Being a natural mechanic, he
could make wagons, sleighs and do all kinds of
carpenter work, and he familiarized himself with
watch-making by studying books on the subject
and taking watches apart and putting them to
gether again. His entire life has been passed
on the old homestead with the exception of the
summer of 1865, which he spent at carpenter
work in Elkhart, Ind. He is now successfully
operating the farm for his sister, and also culti
vates a tract of eighty acres which he owns in
Middle Creek township. Since 1890 he has also
engaged in the threshing business, and while thus
employed has become widely acquainted, and
wherever he is known is held in high esteem.
The Democratic party finds in him an earnest
supporter. He is not only a great reader, but
possesses a retentive memory, and is an excellent
conversationalist, which makes him quite a pop
ular and prominent citizen of the community
where he has so long made his home.

CALVIN BLYTHE NORTH. To as early as the
_ ' fifteenth century the North family can be
traced in English history. In the time of Oliver
Cromwell one of the family crossed to Ireland,
and there settled on lands in County Westmeath,
and from this one of the name has descended
the subject of this brief biography.
The first of the family to settle in this coun
try was Caleb North, who left Ireland with his
four sons and four daughters, and landed at Phil
adelphia in July, 1729. His son Roger had a
son Joshua, whose son John was the father of
the man whose name introduces this sketch
sketch. John North was born May 2, 1799, and
married Jane Houston McAlister, a daughter of
Hugh McAlister, and a granddaughter of Major
Hugh McAlister, the founder of McAlisterville,
Juniata Co., Penn., and whose military title was

won by service in the American Revolution under
Gen. Washington.
John and Jane H. (McAlister) North reared a
large and intelligent family : Calvin Blythe ;
Hugh M., of Columbia, Penn., one of the best
known lawyers and politicians of central Penn
sylvania ; Thomas Elliot, a merchant of Carbon-
dale, 111.; Adolphus, a retired farmer of Leba
non, 111.; Samuel E., of Carbondale, 111.; Ed
mund D., attorney, of Lancaster, Penn.; and
Jennie E., married to Dr. Washington Righter,
of Philadelphia. Calvin B. North, now one of the foremost
and leading citizens of Selins Grove, is a native
of Juniata county, and was born at McAlister
ville March 28, 1824. His early years were
spent under the home roof, and in attending the
public and private schools of that day. At the
age of sixteen he entered a store at Thompson-
town, in that county, as clerk, where he re
mained for more than five years. In 1845 he
entered a wholesale dry-goods house in Philadel
phia, as salesman, remaining there until 1846
when he returned to McAlisterville, where he
embarked in general merchandising with his fa
ther, and continued this partnership for more
than eight years, after which he traveled exten
sively for a year or more through the Western
and Southern States. In the year 1857 Mr.
North received an appointment to a clerkship in
the Department of the Interior at Washington,
D. C. , under the administration of President
Buchanan, and remained there until November,
1 86 1. In February, 1862, he entered the Mifflin
County Bank at Lewistown, Penn., as teller, and
so continued till March, 1864, when the First Na
tional Bank of Selins Grove, Penn., was organized,
and he was elected cashier, which position he
has continuously occupied to the present time,
placing him in rank of length of service and age
well in the van-guard of the bank officers of the
country. His faithful and conscientious service
and conservative management have won for him
the highest regard of the community where he
lives, and the high esteem of all who know him.
On January 5, 1865, Mr. North was married
to Miss Annie Richter, a daughter of the late
Peter Richter, a prominent and leading citizen
of Selins Grove, whose wife, Elizabeth Holstein
Richter, was a lineal descendant of Conrad
Weiser, who was most prominent in Provincial
times as the official interpreter between the Gov
ernment and the Indians. The son and only
child born to this union, Roscoe Calvin North,
has been for some years connected with the First
National Bank of Selins Grove as assistant
cashier.

&/2Jr*d6

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1053

In politics Mr. North has always been a
Democrat, but on the currency question has
sided with the more conservative members of his
party, repudiating the doctrine of free silver. He
has ever been a prominent worker in the party
ranks, and in his younger years was active in
County and State Conventions, but became less
so in later years when other duties claimed the
major portion of his time. Though reared in
the faith of the Presbyterian Church, he, finding
no Church of that denomination in Selins Grove,
joined the Lutheran Church, in which, to-day,
he and his family are faithful and earnest work
ers. Though now past the alloted span of three
score years and ten, Mr. North is still active in
the care of his business affairs. His interest in
the welfare of his community and the country is
undiminished, and he is yet at the front in pro
gressive movements. Strong and true, he stands
like the sentinel for the past generation, keeping
watch over the present.

Ci.HARLES BOYER. There are in every com-
i munity men who are leaders in thought and
action, who take a prominent part in public
affairs, and are potent factors in advancing the
welfare and prosperity of the localities with which
they are connected. Such a man is Mr. Boyer,
who is now a general merchant, and the post
master of Paxtonville. He was born in Middle
burg, Snyder county, July 31, 1835, and is a
representative of one of the old families of the
State. His grandfather, John Boyer, was a na
tive of Montgomery county, and removed to what
is now Center township, Snyder county, where
he owned and cultivated a farm of 200 acres. In
political belief he was a Whig, and, in religious
faith, was a Lutheran.
George Boyer, father of our subject, was
born on the old homestead in Center township,
and was educated in the German schools. He
was reared to manhood upon a farm, and learned
the tanner's trade under the direction of his
brother Samuel, of Middleburg, following that
business until 1850, when he turned his attention
to farming. He laid out the town of Fremont,
which he named in honor of Gen. Fremont, and
for some years conducted a hotel there. He was
engaged in general merchandising in connection
with our subject for three years. In business he
was strictly honorable, enterprising and industri
ous, and commanded the respect of all with
whom he was brought in contact. His political
support was given the Republican party, and he
served as county commissioner of Snyder county.

He took a very active interest in educational
affairs, was an earnest worker in the Lutheran
Church, and did all in his power to promote the
movements that tended to uplift humanity. He
was married, in Center township, Snyder county,
to Sarah Spaid, who was born in Franklin town
ship, a daughter of George Spaid, a farmer of
Center township, of German descent. Mr. Boyer
died in Fremont, October 31, 1893, and his wife
also passed away in that town. They were the
parents of seven children: Samuel, of Fremont;
Charles, Henry, William and Edwin, all of Fre
mont; Sarah, wife of Percival Garman, of
Fremont; and Mrs. Barbara Becker, of Kansas,
now deceased.
Charles Boyer, of this review, acquired his
education in the public schools of Middleburg,
and worked in the tannery with his father until
eighteen years of age, after which he learned the
carpenter's trade in Middleburg, following that
pursuit for a period of four years in Mid
dleburg and Fremont. Through the suc
ceeding four years he served as consta
ble of Perry township, Snyder county, and
then exchanged civic for military service, enlist
ing in October, 1862, as a member of Company
I, 172nd P. V. I. He was mustered in at Har
risburg, was elected first lieutenant of the com
pany, and assigned to the Army of the Potomac.
He did guard duty at Fort Yorktown, and served
for nine months, suffering greatly from the hard
ship and exposure incident to army life.
After his return home Mr. Boyer embarked
in merchandise in Fremont in connection with
his father, whose interest he purchased after
three years, continuing alone in business for a
similar period. In 1872 he came to Paxtonville,
built a fine residence and business block at a cost
of more $7,000, and opened the first store at
this place. He carries a large and well-selected
stock of general merchandise, and his uni
form courtesy and straightforward dealing have
secured to him a trade which is large and profit
able. In 1858, Mr. Boyer was married at Fremont,
to Mollie Rathfon, a native of Perry township,
and a daughter of Jacob Rathfon, a farmer.
They became the parents of nine children, of
whom two are now deceased. Those still living
are: Nelson, a fruit grower and school teacher
of Lima, Ohio; Stephen, who is employed as an
engineer in Kansas; Elmer, a railroad foreman
of Chicago; Morant, also a railroad man of that
city; Clark S., who is engaged in clerking for
for his father, and Alda and Ida at home.
Mr. Boyer exercises his right of franchise
in support of the men and measures of the

1054

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Republican party, and does all in his power
to promote its growth and insure its success. He
was assessor for one term, and tax collector for
two terms, and discharged his duties with
marked promptness and fidelity. His business
interests are well managed, and have brought to
him excellent returns for his labor. His life has
been well spent, and he has therefore gained the
high regard of all with whom he has been brought
in contact.

m LFRED SPECHT, ex-sheriff of Snyder
^4L county, is a citizen of Beavertown, and his
popularity, which is founded upon his character
as a man, extends through all classes in the com
munity irrespective of political affiliations. His
position has been won by hard work and good
management, as he began life a poor boy, but his
perseverance and courage under difficulties have
but increased the respect and esteem of the peo
ple among whom his life has been spent.
He comes of a patriotic family, and his grand
father, Adam Specht, was a corporal in Captain
Henry Miller's company at Marcus Hook, on No
vember io, 1814, Lieut. -Col. George Weirick be
ing the commander of the regiment. Adam
Specht came to New Berlin, Lancaster county,
— an 1 79 1, when he was but seven years old, and
growing to manhood there he was married to
Catherine Smith, a daughter of Peter Smith.
For many years he carried on a pottery business
at Beavertown, which contained but a few houses
at the time that he settled there. He died on
November 6, 1872, aged eighty-eight years, and
, his wife on April 20, 1870, at the age of eighty-
two, both being buried in the cemetery at Beav
ertown. Among their children was a son Elias,
our subject's father, who was born March 25,
1820, at Beavertown. At an early age he left
home and learned the gunsmith's trade with his
brother Adam, in McAlisterville, Juniata Co.,
Penn. He was married in Beavertown to Miss
Julia Hofnagle, a native of Beaver township,
born in 18 18. Her parents, Christian and
Hannah (Bingaman) Hofnagle, were prominent
residents of that locality. After his marriage our
subject's father continued to reside at Beaver
town, following his trade. He had had but
limited educational opportunities in his youth,
but possessed much mental ability, and was
highly respected in the community. In re igious
faith he was a Lutheran, and at one time he
was an elder in the Church. Although never
a politician, he was at times active in local af
fairs, and during one year held the office of con

stable. In early life he was a Democrat, but
when the war issues arose he became a stanch
supporter of the Republican party. In October,
1862, he enlisted in Company G, I72d P. V. I.,
and, after remaining at Fort Yorktown for some
time, took part in the battle of Gettysburg, and
later his regiment pursued Lee into Virginia.
He was a drummer in his company and re
mained in service about ten months, taking
part in all the engagements of his regiment.
His death occurred in February, 1890, but his
widow still resides at the old home in Beaver
town. They had five children, of whom our
subject was the eldest; Mary married Samuel
Bickel, of Beaver township; Adam, who resides
in Sunbury, Penn., is a mason by trade; Eliza
beth married Thomas Keller, of Adamsburg;
and F. E. is the agent of the Pennsylvania Rail
road Company at Beavertown.
Alfred Specht was born May 15, 1843, and
was reared in Beavertown. He attended school
in a building near the site of his present home, a
Mr. Frumbarger being his first teacher. After
he was ten years old he attended school only in
the winter season, and at fifteen he left school to
enter the employ of his uncle, Moses Specht, for
whom he drove the team and delivered plows,
farm machinery and merchandise. On May 24,
1863, he was married in Beavertown to Miss
Sarah E. Kern, who was born in the same town
ship, July 11, 1843, the daughter of Jacob and
Sarah (Weirick) Kern. For one year after his
marriage, Mr. Specht made his home at Bellevue,
Ohio, where for five months he was employed as
a night watchman and baggage master for the
Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad Com
pany. In 1865 he returned to Beavertown and
learned the molder's trade in his uncle's foundry,
and for twenty-four years he continued to follow
that business, with the exception of short periods
when he was employed by his uncle in a store.
In 1869 he purchased a house and lot in Beaver
town, upon which he has made many improve
ments, and in 1872 he bought a small tract of
land near the town, where he carries on farming
in addition to his other pursuits.
Mr. Specht has always been a Republican in
politics, his first Presidential vote being cast in
1864, in York Center, Ohio, for Abraham Lin
coln. His popularity has made him a favorite
candidate of his party for various offices, and in
the fall of 1893 he was elected sheriff of Snyder
county. He took charge of the office in January,
1894, and served until January, 1897, his resi
dence being at Middleburg during that time. In
1882 he was elected justice of the peace, and this
office he held for eleven years, resigning during

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1055

his third term in order to take the office of sheriff.
Educational affairs have always received his sym
pathetic attention, and for three years he served
as school director.
Socially, the family is prominent, and he and
his wife are both members of the Lutheran Church.
Mr. Specht and his father at one time belonged to
an Odd Fellows' lodge at Beavertown, which has
since been suspended, and our subject has also
been a member of the Grange and of the Im
proved Order of Red Men. He has two sons,
both residents of Beavertown: Charles F. , who
married Clara Hartman, has one child, Lura E. ;
and Thomas J., who married Ella Custer, has
one son, Benjamin C. ,

F. STETLER, one of Middleburg's most en
terprising and successful citizens, who for six
years has served as the borough's chief
burgess, has won an enviable reputation as an
architect and builder, his artistic taste being
shown in many of the later structures erected
in this section. Space will not permit of a full
list of the handsome residences which have been
designed and built by him, but among the pub
lic buildings we may mention the Snyder county
prison, the Lutheran Church edifice at Middle
burg, the Mifflin County National Bank, the
Russell Bank, at Lewistown, Penn., and the new
school houses at Reedsville, Milroy and Free
burg. Mr. Stetler was born March 21, 1848, in
what is now Franklin township, Snyder county.
On the paternal side he is of German descent,
his great-grandfather Stetler having come to
Pennsylvania from the Fatherland at an early
day. His son, John Stetler, the grandfather of
our subject, was reared in one of the lower
counties, and as a young man settled in Snyder
county, where he engaged in brick laying for a
time, and later in agricultural pursuits, his death
occurring on a farm in Franklin township. He
married Elizabeth Bollender, and had seven
children: Kate, who married Fred Bollender,
and died in Illinois; Mary, wife of Joseph Sha
man, of Adamsburg, Penn. ; Sarah, who died in
childhood; Elizabeth, now Mrs. Rathgeber; La
vina, wife of Jacob Kizer, of Liverpool, Penn. ;
Franklin J., who removed to Michigan, and died
there; and Aaron, our subject's father.
The late Aaron Stetler, who was for many
years an honored resident of Snyder county, was
born in Franklin township, August 3, 1823, and
died March 27, 1890, at his home in the bor
ough of Middleburg. He was a carpenter by

trade, and in early life was engaged in contract
ing and building, but in 1859 he purchased *a
farm and devoted his attention to agriculture.
As an intelligent and patriotic citizen he took
keen interest in the questions of his time, and on
August 22, 1862, he was drafted in the service of
his country, becoming a member of Company C,
I72d Pennsylvania Infantry, with the rank of cor
poral, and served until discharged on August 1,
1863, the greater portion of the time being spent
at Yorktown, Va. In politics he was a steadfast
Republican, and he was for many years an act
ive member of the Lutheran Church. He was
married to Miss Mary Walter, who was born in
Centre township, Snyder county, and died April
1, 1885. Our subject was the eldest of four
children who lived to adult age. (2) Calvin, a
resident of Middleburg, is engaged in the insur
ance business, and also follows the barber's
trade. (3) George F. operates a planing-mill at
Middleburg. (4) . Henry S. resides at Akron,
Ohio. J. F. Stetler's early life was spent upon his
father's farm ; his course of study in the local
schools was supplemented by two terms in the
seminary at New Berlin. In 1865 he began to
learn the carpenter's trade, and after completing
his apprenticeship he worked for two years as a
journeyman. He then established himself in an
independent business as a contractor, and short
ly afterward he and his brother Calvin, and David
Stahlnecker, opened a planing-mill at Middle
burg. This was purchased by their father some
time later and conducted by him until his death.
From the first Mr. Stetler endeavored to bring
to his work a higher order of skill and taste than
had before been prevalent among the builders of
this section, and his success led to a constant
demand for his services as an architect. Since
1885 his time has been almost entirely given to
this branch of his business, and pleasing exam
ples of his work abound, adding to the natural
beauty of the landscape, and lending silent but
effective influence toward the cultivation of
higher standards of taste.
In 1 87 1 Mr. Stetler was married to Miss Het-
tie E. Ulrich, and their home is brightened by
five children: Lillian, Herbert, Clarence, Aaron
Leroy and Pauline R. , two of them living,
namely, Lillian and A. Leroy. Mrs. Stetler was
born October 4, 1858, in Jackson township,
Snyder county, the daughter of Jacob and Eliz
abeth (Moyer) Ulrich. Her father, who was
born in Jackson township, Snyder county, in
18 1 5, died in 1893, and her mother, who was
born in Union county, in 1820, passed to the un
seen life in 1887. Mrs. Stetler'was the youngest

1056

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

of four children, the others being: Mary, who
married William H. Beaver, of Middleburg ;
Lavina, wife of Aaron Stahlnecker, and Susan,
wife of B. F. Hermon.

A

W POTTER, of Selins Grove, is one of
1$L the leading members of the Bar of Snyder
county, having been actively engaged in practice
since 1872, and all who are familiar with the
personnel of the legal profession in this section
will find in that fact a sufficient evidence of ability
and worth.
Mr. Potter comes of a good old Pennsylvania
family, and his paternal grandparents, Jacob and
Elizabeth (Allbright) Potter, lived and died in the
vicinity of Liverpool, Perry county. They had
six children: Ezra, Isaiah, Isaphene, Mary A.
(Hoover), Rebecca. (Van Camp) and William; of
these, Mrs. Mary Ann Hoover and Mrs. Rebecca
Van Camp are yet living.
Rev. Isaiah Potter, the father of our subject,
was born in Perry county January 7, 18 19, and
although his instruction was limited to the com
mon schools of that day he managed to secure a
good education through private study, and be
came a prominent minister of the United Brethren
Church. For many years he preached on a regu
lar circuit, and for a time was a presiding elder
in his Conference. He also served as a delegate
to the General Conference. He died October 8,
1888; his wife, Mrs. Mary Ann (Wasson) Potter,
who was born in Millheim, Penn., February 13,
1822, is still living. Of their eight children, the
eldest, Cyrus M., is in the United States postal
service at Washington, D. C. ; Albert W., our
subject, is mentioned again below; Seneca died
in 185 1 ; Lizzie C. married I. M. McCloskey:
Milton G. is in the postal service in Pittsburg,
Penn.; Newton I. died in 1884; Miles I. is an
attorney of Middleburg, Penn. ; Emily I. died
when about twenty years of age. Mrs. Mary Ann
(Wasson) Potter was a granddaughter of Robert
and Ruth (Elliot) Wasson, who were of Scotch-
Irish descent, and came from Liverpool, Eng
land, in the latter part of the last century. They
married and settled in the neighborhood of
Ephrata, Lancaster county, Penn., later moving
to near " Potter's Bank " and Boalsburg, in Cen
tre county. They reared a family of eight chil
dren, among whom was a son, George M. George
M. Wasson married Elizabeth, daughter of Jacob
Kryder, who was one of the judges of Centre
county. George M. Wasson engaged in mercan
tile business in Millheim, Centre county, later
removing to Nittany Valley, Clinton county.

He became the father of five sons and four daugh
ters, two sons and three daughters yet living.
The eldest daughter, Mary Ann, wife of the Rev.
Isaiah Potter, is mentioned above.
Mr. Potter, whose name introduces this
sketch, was born January 7, 1847, in Hunting
don county, Penn., but was reared in Mifflin
county, completing his literary1 education in a
seminary there. He studied law with George
W. Elder, of Lewistown, and in 1872 was ad
mitted to the Bar. Since that time he has been
continuously engaged in practice at Selins Grove,
his ability gaining for him a high rank in the pro
fession. He has always taken keen interest in public
questions, and is influential in local affairs and in
the councils of the Republican party. Three
different times he was the choice of his county
for the Congressional nomination. He belongs
to the Masonic fraternity, in which he has the
rank of past master, and to the G. A. R., hav
ing won the right to membership in the latter by
ninety-days' service in Company F, 46th Penn
sylvania Volunteer Militia, in 1863.
In 1869 Mr. Potter married Miss Mollie E.
Kearns, who was born June 3, 1849, in Mifflin
county, and died in October, 1876. In March,
1878, Mr. Potter formed a second matrimonial
union with Miss Marie L. Davis, a native of
Selins Grove. By the first marriage there were
three children: Grace B. (who died in 1871), An
nie M. and John K. ; and by the second there
were also three, viz.: Edith M., Robert D. and
M. Marguerite.On January 25, 1898, there occurred a sad
accident, the result of which Mr. Potter will
suffer a lifelong inconvenience. A freight train
on the Sunbury & Lewistown railroad ran into a
Selins Grove sleighing party at Kreamer Station
at four o'clock that morning. Two persons were
instantly killed and a dozen others injured, four
of them seriously. Eighteen persons were in a
large sled returning home from Middleburg,
where they had been attending a social party.
Before the driver was cognizant of an approach
ing train, the big engine crashed into the side of
the sled just back of his seat. Mr. Potter had
both arms crushed, and his left leg broken in the
hip joint. The right arm had to be amputated
at the elbow. No one of the party escaped
without a bruise of some kind. The injured were
all taken to the hotel at Kreamer, where medical
aid was summoned from Selins Grove and Mid
dleburg. The fortitude with which Mr. Potter
has borne this affliction proves him to be a man
of great courage and indomitable will, uncon-
quered by adversities, strong throughout all for
tunes.

CU^r- (^H^)

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1057

IRA C. SCHOCH, one of the leading citizens
of Selins Grove, Snyder county, where for
twenty years he has been prominent in the busi
ness of that locality, is a representative of one of
the old families of the State.
Matheus Schoch, the founder of the families
in Union and Snyder counties, Penn., was born
December 16, 1738, in tha province of Alsace-
Lorraine, Germany. At the age of eleven years
he and a brother were sold as redemptioners to
pay their passage to America, entering into a con
tract to pay for same by working for a term of
years after their arrival. They landed at Phila
delphia September 2, 1749, having come in the
ship "Albany," of which Robert Brown was
master. They remained in that city until they
had carried out their contract and were again
free. Here in the New World, realizing the ad
vantages, and having well ingrafted the Swiss
thrift and economy of their native home and
blood, these two brothers very soon accumulated
sufficient means to send across the ocean for a
brother and sister still there. Matheus Schoch
first settled at Tulpehocken, Berks county, and
in 1775 came to Penn township, then Northum
berland county, now Snyder, settling near where
is now the town of Smith Grove, where at the
time of his death he was the possessor of large
landed interests. He died May 10, 18 12, aged
seventy-four years. He was twice married, his
first wife being Maria Margetta, by whom he had
eight children, namely: John, Henry, Michael,
Peter, Jacob, and two that died in infancy,
whose names are not known. The mother of
• these died in 1785, and the father was again
married, this wife becoming the mother of three
children: George, Daniel and Margaret. The
mother of these survived her husband a number
of years, dying March 5, 1832.
Of the children by the first marriage, Jacob
was next in line of descent — the grandfather of
our subject. He was reared on his father's
farm in Middle Creek township, and became a
blacksmith by trade. After the death of his
father, in the division of his estate the lands
on which the town of Smith Grove is now built,
and considerable of it adjacent thereto, fell to
Jacob. The latter was married to Elizabeth
Hendricks, a Quaker lady, of English origin, of
Chester county, Penn. Jacob Schoch was a
thrifty and frugal man, and by close attention
to business throughout life prospered greatly,
becoming well-to-do. He built the first house
erected in the town of Smith Grove, which
event occurred in 1822, this building being the
"stone hotel," there, which is yet used for that
purpose. He here resided, farming and keeping
67*

hotel, until his death. Two of the thirteen
children born to this marriage died in infancy;
the others were : George, Michael, Jacob,
Samuel, David, John A., Benjamin, Catherine,
Elizabeth (Mrs. Philip Goss, of New Berlin,
Penn.), Margaret, and Angeline (Mrs. Rev. Will
iam Ansbach).
John A. Schoch, our subject's father, was
born January 5, 1808, at the old homestead, near
what afterward became Kreamer, where he
passed his early years. On December 2, 1830,
he was married to Miss Lydia Houtz, and, hav
ing purchased the old "stone hotel," settled in
it, but, in 1836, not liking the hotel business, he
sold the property to Jacob More, and moved to a
farm three miles west of Middleburg, which he
became the owner of. There he remained, fol
lowing agricultural pursuits until his death, which
occurred December 15, 1863. He was the
pioneer advocate of public schools in this local
ity, and early in the forties donated the ground
upon which the first public school building in
Snyder county was erected. He was also instru
mental in securing the best teachers and main
taining a high standard of education, even mak
ing personal sacrifices to accomplish these ends.
His wife was born October 17, 1812, at Selins
Grove, and is now living in that city, to which
she moved in 1866. She is a most estimable
woman, possessing marked excellence of char
acter and nobleness of heart, and has always
been interested in educational advancement.
She has the honor of having organized, in 1 846, the
first country Sunday-school in the county in which
she lived, and although now enwreathed with the
silver crown of a peaceful old age, she is still
profoundly interested in the higher Christian ed
ucation. Of the thirteen children born to her union
with John A. Schoch, the eldest, Franklin J., is
a retired merchant at Selins Grove; he was born
October 3, 1831, married to Kate S. Leisenring
in 1854, and has five children — Lydia Louise is
married to George C. Wagenseller; Anna Maude
is married to Rev. Harold Folmer; Eva Kate;
and two sons who died.iin childhood. (2) Anna
Elizabeth, born May 19, 1833, married to John
M. Smith in 1852, is now deceased. They had
seven children — Lillie is married to A. H. Amich,
of Cumberland, Md. ; Mary is married to Robert
Parris, of the State of Nebraska; Effie is married
to F. Foresman, of Nebraska ; Myra is married
to H. Were ; Carson is married and resides in
Illinois, where he is practicing medicine ; Frank
is now in college; and Sidney died in childhood.
(3.) David A., born February 18, 1835, was
married, in 1859, to Harriet Wagner, of Or-

1058

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

angeville, 111., and had four children, of whom
one only, a daughter, Anna Maude, survives,
the sons dying in infancy. (4) Kate M., born
December 7, 1836, married November 24, 1887,
Judge Jerry Crouse, and resides at Selins Grove.
(5) Ada, born in 1838, married S. O. Kempfer,
M. D., who died in Illinois. His widow is a
resident of Selins Grove. (6) John, born in
1840, died when a boy. (7) John Calvin, born
October 11, 1842, married December 2, 1864,
Maggie Hassinger, and they have three children
— Clydia married__Han^_Kloss; Lyle married
ChlaTte"s~i5wmgTe7-and Naomi. John Calvin is
now the prothonotary of Snyder county. (8)
Amon Z. , born September 29, 1844, married
February 6, 1868, Maggie Appleman, and they
have one child — Mary. They reside at Blooms
burg, Penn. (9) Silas H., born in 1849, died
at the age of twenty-two years. (10) Ira C. ,
our subject, is treated farther on. (11) Cecelia,
born in 1855, died in infancy. (12) Henry
Harvey, born August 20, 1857, is a resident of
Selins Grove. He married Emma C. Schnore,
and they have three children — Silas H., Marion
S. and Agnes Helen. (13) George H., born
August 20, 1859, died in infancy.
The Houtz family, into which John A. Schoch
married, were early residents of Pennsylvania.
Philip Houtz, the great-grandfather of Mrs. John
A. Schoch, came to America from Switzerland
in the ship "Thistle", of Glasgow, which was
commanded by Master Colin Dunlap [See Col.
Rec. Ill, page 385.] The line of descent of
Mrs. Schoch was Philip, Henry, and Christian.
Christian Houtz married Elizabeth Zoeller, who
was .a daughter of Frantz Zoeller, a patriot
through the war of the Revolution, having served
in Capt. John Lesher's company, Pennsylvania
Militia, from Berks county, under Col. John Pat
ten. He enlisted August 27, 1776 [See Penn.
Archv. Second Series Vol XIV, page 256. J
Frantz Zoeller was the son of John Zoeller, who ,
was the son of Johan Heinrich Zoeller, who
came to America in 1708. The Zoellers were
of German and French extraction, the place
of their nativity being Hesse Darmstadt. On ac
count of religious persecution they left their na
tive land, determined to seek a home where they
might worship God according to their own man
ner and belief. They accordingly went to Eng
land, where, as they were men of some means,
they purchased from Good Queen Anne patents
for land in what is now the State of New York.
They located in Livingston Manor, but under
the persecutions of the Palatinates, freeholders
in 1723 received no more consideration than
others, so they left New York and came to Tul-

pehocken, Penn. The land upon which they
settled has always been owned and lived upon
by some male member in the direct line. It is
now in the possession of Mr. Monroe Zoeller, a
gentlemen of rare ability, highly educated, a fine
musician, and a man whose extensive travel has
taken him over a very large part of both hemis
pheres. The deeds to the tract of land men
tioned in the foregoing date back to 1696.
Ira C. Schoch, the subject of this biography,
was born August 14, 1853, near Middleburg,
Penn-, and at an early age showed decided ten
dencies toward study. When he was twelve
years old his father died, and his mother moved
to Selins Grove to give her growing family the
benefit of better schools, and in due time young
Schoch entered Missionary Institute, now Sus
quehanna University, where he was graduated in
1 871. He then taught for several years, and in
February, 1876, he became a partner in the mer
cantile firm of Schoch Bros, at Selins Grove.
This business was most congenial, as it brought
him into acquaintance with all classes of people.
He continued in it until 1892, when the firm was
dissolved and the store sold. Since that time he
has given attention only to his private invest
ment. In 1878 he married Miss Mary Schnure
(eldest daughter of George Schnure, presi
dent and founder of the First National Bank
of Selins Grove), who died in 1883, leaving three
children — John A. and George S. (twins), and a
daughter, Ethel D., all of whom are now stu
dents in the Susquehanna University.
On December 7, 1887, Mr. Schoch was mar
ried to Miss Laura E. Richter, a native of Selins
Grove, born in May, 1857, and now prominent
in the best social circles of that place. By this
marriage there are six children: Pauline, Cath
erine, Andrew, Brewster, Christin, and Dorothy
Richter. The chief care of Mr. and Mrs. Schoch
is the education of the children, to whom the
the best opportunities obtainable are given. The
home life is in itself a liberal education, refine
ment and culture marking every phase. Mr.
Schoch's manners are a model of courtesy and
geniality, and his career shows that brusque and
rude methods are by no means essential to suc
cess even in business life. He is treasurer of
Susquehanna University, which position he has
held for four years; he is also a director in the
Board of the University, as well as in the Public
School Board of Selins Grove.

ON. CHARLES MILLER. One of the '
J3L most attractive estates in this picturesque
region is the old Miller farm in Penn township,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1059

Snyder county, near the village of Salem. It is
now owned and occupied by the wellrknown citi
zen whose name opens this sketch, and it has
been in the possession of the family since the
days of his great-grandfather, Frederick Miller.
In 1766, a warrant for this property was
issued by the Penns to Martin Troster, of Buff
alo township, then a portion of Northumberland
county, and, on April 3, 1778, a deed was ac
knowledged before Benjamin Weiser, a justice
of the peace, conveying the land to Peter Hoster
man. On October 25, 1778, the latter conveyed
it to Frederick Miller, who, in order to perfect
his title, obtained, on August 12, 1793, a war
rant from the Commonwealth, signed by Gov.
Thomas Mifflin. The title next passed to George
Miller, a son of Frederick, and next to his grand
son, George D. Miller, from whom it came to its
present owner.
Frederick Miller, our subject's great-grand
father, was a native of Germany, the son of
Johan Daniel Miller, citizen of Freymerdheim,
and his wife Attilia Catharina, a born Rumelin.
They had a family of six children — four sons and
two daughters; Frederick, the second child and
first son of this family, being born November 22,
1738, and married Eva Maria Albright; coming
to America in early manhood, he settled, between
1770 and 1780, in what is now Snyder county.
On taking possession of the present homestead
in 1788 he found there a dense forest of sturdy
oaks and lofty pines; but with the energy which
characterizes his race he soon transformed it into
a productive farm. He died July 14, 1821, and
his wife, Eva Maria, who was born July 25,
1740, died September 14, 1822, both being
buried at Salem church. Their son George, our
subject's grandfather, was born in Penn town
ship, April 19, 1773, and died there May 1, 1836.
Like all'of the members of this family, he took
an active interest in local movements, and he
was especially prominent in religious work as a
member of the Lutheran Church. He married
(first) Susanna Good, of Penn township, and
(second) Mary Magdalena Deshler, a lady of
English descent, who was born June 20, 1779,
and died July 18, 1826. Miss Deshler was a
woman of gentle character and of culture, hailing
from southeastern Pennsylvania; a singular ro
mance of their marriage being, that, having won
this fair maiden's heart, her husband brought her
to his home in central Pennsylvania from the
Banks of the Delaware on horseback, the method
of travel then in vogue. She brought, among
her household effects, the first piano known to
have been in this community. This early instru
ment, during the lifetime of its owner, stood in

the old Miller homestead. It is now the property
of Mr. Deshler, a banker of Columbus, Ohio, a
distant collateral relative of this family, it having
gone into that branch as an heirloom at Mrs. Mill
er's decease. By his first marriage he had four
children: John, a farmer and miller by occupation,
born 27th of August, 1799, died in Washington
township, Snyder county; Mary Magdalena, born
the 2 ist of February, 1801^ and. married John
Kline, died at Globe Mills, Snyder county; Eliz
abeth, born the 3d of February, 1803, was deaf
and dumb, never married (her death occurred in
Penn township); Catherine, born the 31st of De
cember, 1805, and married Jacob Schoch, died
in Selins Grove. By the second marriage there
were six children, of whom our subject's father,
George Deshler Miller, was the eldest. (2)
Jacob, born September 27, 181 1, a farmer, died
at Selins Grove. (3) Daniel, born April 24, 181 3,
lived and died in Buffalo Valley, Union county;
two of his sons, Samuel F. and Frank W., now
reside in East Buffalo township, in that county.
(4) Sarah, born 21st November, 1814, married
John Swengle, of Franklin township, Snyder
county, and both are now deceased. ('5) Han
nah, born May 19, 18 16, is now Mrs. Michael
Swengle, of Princeton, 111. . (6) Frederick, born
November 21, 1817, died in youth, unmarried.
George D. Miller, born December 8, 1808,
at the homestead, died March 2, 1884. He
was a tall man, six feet in height, and weighed two
hundred pounds. Likeothersof this family he was
an earnest supporter of the Lutheran Church, and
for many years he held the office of trustee. His
wife, Mary Kessler, was born August 1, 181 3,
and died September 10, 1861, the remains of
both being interred in the family burial plot at
Salem Church. They had five children: Sarah,
now Mrs. David Witmer, of Salem, Penn. ; Will
iam K., who married Sarah A. Boyer, and died
November 1, 1864; Charles, oursubject; Matilda,
Mrs. Calvin L. Fisher, of Salem, Penn., whose
husband died in 1872; and Mary E., now Mrs.
Theodore Row, of Middlecreek township, Sny
der county.
Charles Miller was born March 2, 1843, at
the old home, and has always resided there. He
attended the public schools of the locality for
some years and then entered the classical de
partment of Missionary Institute (now Susque
hanna University) at Selins Grove. Much of his
time in youth was spent in assisting his father in
farm work. On June 1, 1862, he was married
to Miss Lyd'ia Kantz, of Penn township, a
daughter of Philip and Catherine (Erdly) Kantz.
Her father was born December 10, 1793, in
Lebanon county, and died September 23, 1856,

1060

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

and her mother who was born February 8, 1802,
in Penn township, then a part of Northumber
land county, died July 22, 1866. Mr. Miller's
home life is an ideal one, his family enjoying
every comfort and privilege that can be secured
for them. He has had six children, of whom
four are living: (1) Ida died September 23,
1872. (2) William K. was educated at Selins
Grove Institute, and in Williamsport, Penn. ,
taught school; during Gov. Beaver's administra
tion held the position of Assistant State Librari
an, at Harrisburg, Penn., where he still resides.
He is a member of the Bar, having studied law
with Congressman Simon P. Wolverton, of Sun
bury, and being admitted to the Philadelphia Bar
from the law office of United States Senator
Penrose. He was the representative delegate
from his county to the Republican State Con
ventions of Pennsylvania, in 1890 and 1891, and
has been actively identified with the Republican
State Committee in Philadelphia for ten years.
(3) George Philip, a physician, graduate of
the Medico-Chirurgical College, Philadelphia,
died September 19, 1895, at Kane, Penn. He
was a successful physician at Middleburg. His
wife, formerly Miss Mary Moyer, survives him
him with one daughter, Ida. (4) Franklin re
sides at the homestead in Penn township. (5)
Charles A. was graduated from the Susquehanna
University in 1895, and is now a teacher. (6)
Scott Edgar is a student at Susquehanna Uni
versity. The father estimates highly the ad
vantage of thorough knowledge, and no expense
has been spared in the education of his children.
The public career of our subject has been a
notable one, as he has filled acceptably numerous
positions of honor and trust. His honesty and
the unvarying sense of justice which has gov
erned his conduct, together with his ability, have
firmly established him in the confidence and
esteem of his fallow citizens. During the Civil
war, when Pennsylvania was invaded by the
Confederate army, he offered his services, enlist
ing in the fall of 1862 in Company D, 1 8th
Pennsylvania Volunteer Militia. This regiment
pursued the enemy beyond Hagerstown, Md.,
and at the battle of Antietam many Rebel pris
oners and wounded men from both sides were
brought within their lines. Soon after his return
from this service Mr. Miller took charge of the
public schools at Salem, continuing until the
spring of 1863. In 1876 he was elected on the
Republican ticket as a member of the State Legis
lature, and in 1878, having served his constitu
ents satisfactorily, ha was honored with a re
election to the same seat. During his second
term the Pittsburg Riot Bill was introduced,

providing for the appropriation of four million
dollars from the State treasury to be distributed
among those who had sustained damage during
the riot. This iniquitous measure was pushed
forward by most unscrupulous means, Mr.
Miller and others being approached with large
and tempting inducements, but Mr. Miller re
sented the insult and threw his influence toward
the defeat of the bill. This act of integrity was
rewarded by the people in 1882 with a third term
as representative, an unprecedented distinction,
Mr. Miller being the only representative from
Snyder county who has been accorded three
terms. In 1876 he was the Senatorial delegate
for the district composed of the counties of
Northumberland, Snyder and Union to the Re
publican State Convention, and in 1884 he was
again complimented with the same appointment.
In addition to these honors he has served several
terms as school director in his district, as town
ship auditor, and as postmaster at Salem, where
he served from the establishment of the office
until his resignation several years later, when he
was succeeded by his brother-in-law, David
Witmer. In religious and philanthropic work Mr. Mil
ler has been equally active. His kind and gen
erous heart has led him to relieve the needy
whenever he could do so, and many sincere
benedictions have followed his unobtrusive chari
ties. He is a member of the Lutheran Church,
having been confirmed on May 25, 1861, at
Salem, by the Rev. C. G. Erlenmyer. His con
tributions have been liberal, and he was a mem
ber of the building committee when the new
church edifice was erected in 1897. His grand
father was a trustee of this Church in 181 1,
being one of the patentees who secured the title
to the church property from the State, and he
also was a imember of the building committee
when the ancient church was built, eighty-three
years ago. He has also done much to promote
the work of the Sabbath-school, in which his
family have always taken an active part, and for
years he has been a leading member of the
Church council.

JW. SAMPSEL, M. D., a successful physi
cian of Centerville, Snyder county, belongs
to a family which has become famous in the
medical world, many of its members having ob
tained prominence in the profession.
The first ancestor of whom we have any ac
count was the Doctor's great-great-grandfather,
Nicholas Sampsel, a man of more than ordinary
education, who came from England at an early

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1061

day. His son, Henry Sampsel, the great-grand
father of our subject, resided for a time at Mif
flinburg, Union county, Penn., but moved to
Ohio the year after that State was admitted.
He settled near New Lisbon, then a pioneer sec
tion, where Indians and wild beasts were plenty.
His descendants are now scattered over the State.
He was twice married, and by his first wife had
seven children — four sons, Paul, Henry, Joseph
and George, and three daughters, Mrs. Fox, Mrs.
Bricker and Mrs. Frederick, all of whom raised
families. His second wife had several children,
among whom were some successful physicians of
their time. George Sampsel, our subject's grand
father, was born November 30, 1790, in Mifflin
burg, and accompanied his parents to Ohio where
he remained until he was about twenty-one years
old. He then returned to Pennsylvania, making
the journey on horseback, and early in 18 12 was
married in Union county to his first wife, Miss
Sarah Kuhns. She was born September 21,
1 79 1, near Philadelphia, but her parents, Peter
and Rebecca (Neese) Kuhns, removed to Lewis
burg when she was but a child, and later settled
near Centerville, where her father conducted a
mill. He died at the age of ninety-four, and his
wife attained the advanced age of one hundred
and three years. Their son, John, lived to the
age of ninety-four, and the family has always
been noted for longevity, as Nicholas Kuhns, the
father of Peter, lived to his ninety-sixth year.
After his marriage, George Sampsel located near
Centerville on a tract of land owned by his fa
ther-in-law, where he followed milling until 18 18,
when he returned to Columbiana county, Ohio.
Later he came back to this section on account of
the failing health of his father-in-law, who, at
his death, left a large estate to be divided between
three children — John, Sally (Mrs. Sampsel) and
Polly. There were two sawmills and a grist
mill on Penn's creek, and a gristmill west of
Centerville included this property. Mr. Samp
sel continued to reside in Snyder county until
his death at the age of seventy-six years. When
John Kuhns removed to Venango county, Penn. ,
he bought his mill property, and consolidated it
with the mill that he had previously been oper
ating. He accumulated a large fortune for that
day, and at one time owned about a thousand
acrss of land. Politically he was first a Whig
and later a Republican, and while not a politican
he held various township offices. His informa
tion on general subjects was extensive, as, al
though his early educational opportunities were
limited, he was always fond of reading. His first
wife passed away September 6, 1855, and his
second wife was a Miss Barbara Yerger. By the

first marriage there were eight children—Joseph,
born October 20, 18 12, was a cabinet maker by
occupation, and died at Hartleton, Penn. ; George,
born March 10, 181 5, died in 1896 near Center
ville; Polly, born March 15, 18 17, married John
Snyder, and died in Middleburg, Penn. ; Hopnia,
the father of our subject, is mentioned more fully
below; Sarah, born May 8, 1822, married John
Lenhart, and died at Shamokin Dam, Penn. ; Su
sanna, born October 26, 1824, married Daniel
Bogar, now deceased, and resides in Shamokin,
Penn.; Ner Jackson, born August 26, 1829, died
at Bellevue, Ohio, and was buried at Centreville,
Penn.; Napoleon, born July 9, 1834, resides in
Union county, Penn. By the second union there
were four children — Oliver, born July 7, 1858,
died in Snyder county, between 1820 and 1830;
Caroline, born June 1, 1861, married a Mr. Diehl,
and died in Dakota; JohnE., born November 8,
1863, resides in Hartley township, Union county;
and Catherine E. , born January 8, 1867, is now
Mrs. Amos Musser, of Center township, Snyder
county. Hopnia Sampsel, the father of our subject,
was born near New Lisbon, Ohio, October 8,
1 8 19. He was but an infant when his parents
located near Centreville, and he was reared there,
his youth being mainly spent in assisting his
father, leaving but little time for school. At
twenty-one he went to Ohio and spent two years,
being employed during most of the time in a
gristmill at Bellevue. On returning to Pennsyl
vania he worked at the miller's trade in Lancas
ter county for a time, but later rented his father's
mill, which he afterward bought, and has now
operated for more than fifty-two years. Since
1885 he has rented the property to others, and
he now resides at Centreville. He is exceedingly
well-preserved, his memory being excellent, and
he is highly respected by his associates. He is
a Republican in politics and a regular voter, but
has never sought office. In early life he was a
Whig, and his first Presidential vote was cast for
William H. Harrison. When about twenty-nine
years old he married Miss Anna Shinkel, who
was born February 14, 1829, in Coventry town
ship, Chester Co. , Penn. , the daughter of John
and Mary (Smith) Shinkel, who afterward moved
to Centerville. She is a member of the Evan
gelical Church, and is a lady of most estimable
character. Our subject was the eldest of three
children. (2) Charles E., a miller at Centerville,
married Sallie C. Middleswarth, a great-grand
daughter of Hon. Ner Middleswarth, and they
have two children — Irene D. and Stanley Quay.
(3) Effie married Foster Chambers, of White
Springs, Union county. Their parents estimated

1062

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

at their right worth the advantages of an educa
tion, and all the children received excellent
opportunities. Doctor Sampsel first saw the light March 22,
1852, near Centerville, Snyder county, and for
some time he attended the schools of that neigh
borhood, his first teacher being John Mench.
At seventeen he entered the Freeburg Academy,
where he spent three terms, and then began
teaching at what was known as Herman's school
house. He taught school four terms in all, and
then engaged in milling with his father, having
learned the business during boyhood. The work
did not agree with him, and in 1875 he began to
study medicine. By private study he prepared
to enter the University of Pennsylvania, where
he spent the winter of 1876 and 1877. His sec
ond year was spent in Jefferson Medical College
at Philadelphia, where he was graduated in the
spring of 1878. Since that time he has been in
active practice at Centerville, and has built up a
large and lucrative business. In 1887 he estab
lished a drug business in connection with his
practice, and he now has one of the best stores
in the county. He has a farm in Center town
ship and more than 500 acres of timber land, and
conducts a sawmill in connection with the latter.
His business property was built up by himself,
and in 1882 he also built a fine residence in
Centerville. His success has been due to his
own efforts, his frugality enabling him to com
plete his studies almost without assistance. His
judgment is held in high esteem by his fellow
citizens, and he is one of the leading advisers of
the Republican party in his section. He cares
nothing for political honors himself, however,
and the only local office that he has ever held is
that of school director. Under Harrison's ad
ministration he served as a member of the Sun
bury Board of Pension Examiners.
For his first wife the Doctor married Miss
Kate Hartley, who died at Centerville, leaving
one daughter, Virginia B., now Mrs. G. C. Smith,
of Johnsonburg, Penn. After her death he mar
ried Miss Henrietta R. Spangler, a daughter of
George C. and Mary (Ocker) Spangler, and by
this union he has one son, George Hopnia.
Socially, the Doctor and his family are promi
nent, and, he was at one time identified with the
Patriot Order Sons of America at Centerville.
At present he is an active member of the Mason
ic order at Selins Grove.

E\ S. STAHL, a prominent representative of
 'I the agricultural interests of Union township,
Snyder county, belongs to an old and honored

family of Swiss extraction which was founded
here previous to the nineteenth century.
His great-grandfather, Frederick Stahl, was a
native of Switzerland, and previous to coming to
Snyder county lived for a time near Hummels-
town, Penn. Here he located near Freeburg, in
Washington township, where his death occurred.
He was married in this country, and became the
father of three sons: Adam, the grandfather of
our subject; Peter, who went to Wayne county,
Ohio, during pioneer days; and Frederick, of
whom nothing is known.
Adam Stahl was born June 30, 1778, and was
but a boy when he accompanied his parents on
their removal to Snyder county, where he sub
sequently married Eve Susanna Albright, who
was born May 10, 1782. Her father, Frederick
Albright, was one of the very earliest settlers of
Flintstone Valley, where he located several years
previous to 1788, as a warrant for land was
issued to him November 27 of that year. His
farm, comprising 159 acres in Washington town
ship, Snyder county, was called "Garter Snake."
On September 22, 1800, Adam Stahl purchased
of his father-in-law sixty-two acres of the "Gar
ter Snake" tract, where he continued. to live
until 1822, and upon the place conducted a dis
tillery, being one of twelve in Washington town
ship at that time engaged in that business. On
leaving that farm he removed to Union township,
Snyder county, where he passed his remaining
days, dying October 16, 1863. His wife had
died on the 3d of April, of the same year, and
both were laid to rest in Keiser cemetery, Union
township. He was a powerful man, weighing
about 220 pounds, was a shoemaker by trade, a
Whig in politics, and a Lutheran in religious
belief. The children of Adam Stahl and wife were
as follows: Lydia, who married Jacob Sholly,
and died in Union township; Frederick, a farmer,
who died in Monroe township, Snyder county;
Jacob, who died in Wayne county, Ohio; Peter,
who died at the age of five years; Mary, who
(first) wedded Henry Whitmer and (later) Simon
Sholly, and survived both husbands, dying in
Union township; Susanna married Jacob Leaven-
good, and spent her last days in Ohio; John, the
father of our subject; Daniel, the only survivor,
who is still living on his farm in Union township,
where he has now made his home for seventy-
five years; Samuel, who died in .Chapman town
ship, leaving two sons, Adam and George, the
former a merchant and banker of Kansas, and
the latter a teacher in the Pittsburg schools;
Elizabeth, who married D. J. Heintzelman, and
died at Port Trevorton, Snyder county, and

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1063

Benjamin, who was a Union soldier during the
Civil war, and died in Iowa.
Near Freeburg, in Washington township, John
Stahl, our subject's father, was born October 20,
18 1 3, and was about nine years old when he was
taken by his parents to the new home in Union
township, where he was reared and continued to
remain for several years after attaining his
majority. At Freeburg, in 1840, 'Squire Mohr
performed a marriage ceremony which united the
destinies of John Stahl and Miss Mary Shotz-
berger, who was born in Chapman township,
October 28, 1818, and never attended school but
about a month during her entire life, while her
husband had no educational advantages. She,
however, became able to read the German Bible,
but was entirely unfamiliar with the English
language. Her parents were Jonathan and
Catharine (Matter) Shotzberger. Her father was
born September 26, 1783, and died February 4,
1859, while the mother was born April 3, 1794,
and died August 29, 1874, the remains of both
being interred in Keiser cemetery, Union town
ship. After his marriage John Stahl located on
the old Stahl farm in Union township, which he
and his brother Daniel operated for a short time,
and then he rented 'the old Sechrist farm for
three years. At the end of that period he pur
chased a farm in Union township, where he con
tinued to make his home for many years, and
where our subject was born May 19, 1841. The
other children were as follows:
(1) Levi Stahl, born October i6,_ 1842, inter
married on July 1, 1866, with Catharine Benner,
whose parents were Christian and Sarah Benner,
and to them were born the following children —
Hiram B. , born January 30, 1867, died Decem
ber 5, 1870; Henry, born September 20, 1868,
died December 29, 1870; Harvey, born Decem
ber 16, 1869, who in 1889 went \o Nebraska,
was married May 6, 1894; and is now in partner
ship with his brother Christian, owns and oper
ates a farm in Nebraska; Mary, born March 3,
1 87 1, was but fourteen years old when her
mother died, took charge of the family and helped
her father raise the children, and, when all have
left but one, she still remains to keep house for
her father, who is a blacksmith and farmer;
Christian,* born July 1, 1873, went to Nebraska
in 1892, and later became a partner in a farm
with his brother Harvey, and now assists him in
farming; Sarah, born August 27, 1874, married
to Benjamin Benner, and now lives at Shamokin,
Penn.; Meta, born October 1, 1875, married to
John Stauffer,and lives in Iowa; Allen, born March
1, 1877, went to Iowa in 1896, where he now
resides. James, born September 11, 1878, died

November 8, 1878; Ammon, born December 20,
1880, now lives with his father in Union town
ship. (2) William S. Stahl, born June 23, 1844, in
termarried on September 11, 1870, with Lydia
Row, whose parents were Peter and Lydia (Fet
ter) Row, and to them were born the following
children: John Keamer, born April 7, 1871;
Annie Matilda, born April 17, 1873; James
Franklin, born May 22, 1877; Jacob Peter, born
February 3, 1879; Jonas Aaron, born March 27,
1881; Jeremiah Melanchton, born March 31,
1883; and Lewis Edward, born February 15,
1886, died August 7, 1888; the others are all
living in Penn township. The above mentioned
Annie Matilda Stahl was married on September
10, 1893, t0 Oscar Herman, and they have a
child, Mary Jane Herman, born March 7, 1894.
(3) Hannah Stahl, born December 19, 1845,
intermarried on July 23, 1863, with William
Krebs.and to them were born the following chil
dren: Jennie and George, who live in Delaware,
and Franklin, a merchant in Philadelphia, Penn
sylvania. (4) Aaron S. Stahl, born October 4, 1849, in~
termarried with Salome Martin, and to them
six children were born: Charles W. intermarried
with Gertie Coryell; William is a news agent at
the Pennsylvania depot, Sunbury, Penn. ; Jennie,
who died in infancy; Howard, Omar and Delia,
all living at Sunbury, Pennsylvania.
(5) Leah J. Stahl, born May 5, 1854, inter
married on December 24, 1871, with John S.
Aucker, and to them were born eight chil
dren: Nora L., born July 10, 1873, intermarried
on December 24, 1896, with Joseph M. Wal-
born; Charles E., born March 31, 1875, on Au
gust 25, 1894, intermarried with Kate Witmer,
and to them was born a daughter, Esther Marie,
on April 15, 1895; Rosa E,., born May 17, 1877,
intermarried on April 4, 1897, with George A.
Foltz; Arthur E., born February 15, 1779;
Francis E., born March 27, 1882; Harry M.,
born March 1, 1884; Robert F., born June 16,
1886; and Earnest Guy, born December 20,
1893; all are living in Union township.
(6) Hiram S. Stahl, born September 3, 1857,
intermarried on January 8, 1882, with Annie
Laura Miller, and to them five children were
born, three of whom died in infancy, and the
other two are living in Washington township
with their parents — Olive Annette, born April 7,
1885; and Mary Cathrine, born May 3, 1887.
The mother of oursubject and of the foregoing
family, who was a consistent member of the
Lutheran Church, died July 12, 1868, and was
buried in Keiser cemetery.

1064

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

After the death of his first wife, John Stahl
sold his farm -to his son Levi, with whom he
made his home for a short time and afterward
lived with our subject. On November 19, 1871,
he was again married, his second union being
with Mrs. Mary Readig, nee Bickle, who was the
widow of Thomas Readig. Mr. Stahl departed
this life January 12, 1879, and was also laid to rest
in Keiser cemetery. While not a member of any
Church, he gave liberally to religious work, was
a peaceful, law-abiding citizen, and a Democrat
in politics. He possessed much mechanical skill,
was a man of sound judgment and good business
ability, and, as a farmer, accumulated a comfort
able competence through his own unaided effort.
As E. S. Stahl was the eldest son, and work
was plentiful upon the home farm, he was unable
to attend school as much as he would have liked
during his early boyhood, and at the age of eight
een could scarcely speak a word of English, his
school training having been all in German. His
first teacher was John Ziegler. He was reared
in much the usual manner of farmer boys, and
by work in the harvest and hay fields managed to
save enough money to purchase his books and
pay his tuition at Freeburg Academy, which he
entered April 2, i860. Here he prepared him
self for teaching, and for five terms successfully
followed that profession in Monroe, Penn and
Union townships, Snyder county.
On September 27, 1863, Mr. Stahl was united
in marriage with Miss Julia Crissinger, who was
born in Northumberland county, Penn., January
1, 1842, a daughter of John and Christina A.
(Wolfe) Crissinger. They began housekeeping
near Fisher's school house in Penn township,
where Mr. Stahl was engaged in teaching, and
later lived on the Noll farm in Union township.
Subsequently he operated the Hoover Mill farm
in Penn township, and in 1868 purchased the
farm of 100 acres of rich land, where he still lives,
buying the same of Samuel Pottiger. The log
house standing upon the place continued to be
his home for nearly twenty years, but in 1887
he replaced it by a substantial brick residence.
A good barn was built in 1883, and the other
buildings are all in keeping with the neat and
thrifty appearance of the place, which is regarded
as one of the model farms of Union township.
Four children came to brighten the home of
Mr. and Mrs. Stahl, namely: Ida G. , born July
10, 1864, is successfully engaged in teaching
school; Sarah P., born October 12, 1865, is the
wife of Frank Brown and has two children, Ida
E. and Oliver R. ; J. Ammon, born January 1,
1867, is professor of the schools at Bancroft,
Neb.; and William O., born July 28, 1868, died

July 25, 1887. Of these, Ida G. and J. Ammon
entered the Freeburg Academy, while Major W.
H. Dill, the best and most efficient teacher the
county ever had, was principal, to whom they
give the honor of having gained an education.
Both hold diplomas from that institution, and
permanent certificates issued by the State De
partment of Education of Pennsylvania. Both
commenced teaching at the age of seventeen.
Ida G. has successfully taught- thirteen terms,
which vocation she is engaged in now. J. Am
mon taught five terms in Pennsylvania, and in
1889 went to Schuyler, Neb., where he taught
three terms, then entered the University at Lin
coln, Neb., continued his studies two years, was
then elected principal of the schools at Bancroft,
Neb., where he successfully taught four terms of
nine months each, and is employed for another
term. Our subject is a Democrat in politics, but is
not strictly partisan, and often supports men out
side of his party when he considers them best
fitted for the office. He has capably served as
school director, and in 1892 was appointed to fill
the unexpired term of D. S. Sholly as justice of
the peace, to which position he has since been
elected, and which he is now filling in a most
creditable manner. Both he and his wife are
faithful members of the Reformed Church, in
which he has served as deacon and superintend
ent of the Sunday-school for several years. He
at one time held membership in the Grange, and
also in the Odd Fellows Society, but at present he
is connected with no fraternal order. An an in
fluential and public-spirited citizen, he stands
deservedly high in the esteem of the entire com
munity, and is a pleasant, agreeable and hospi
table man, who keeps well informed on the lead
ing questions of the day.

BENJAMIN F WAGENSELLER, M. D.,
_) a leading physician of Selins Grove, Sny
der county, is a man of ability, one who, through
his force of character, has become prominent,
and has come to the front in the different walks
of life. Born February 17, 1838, at Selins Grove,
Snyder county, Dr. Wagenseller has descended
from ancestors who for upward of 150 years
through their respective generations have been
identified with the interests of the Common
wealth, among whom, too, have been men of ca
pacity and position. The founder of the family
here in America was (Stoffel) Christopher Wag-
enseil, a German, and the great-great-grand
father of our subject, resided in Hanover town-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1065

ship, Philadelphia Co., Penn., and prior to
1 734, as it is of record that he paid " quit rent"
on 150 acres of land there.' His wife was Anna
Christina, and their children, whose names as
they appeared in the father's will dated June 13,
1760, were: John, Ann Mary and Elizabeth
Catherine. Of these, it is known that Ann Mary
married John Dirr (now spelled Derr) , and Eliza
beth Catherine married David Haag. The lat
ter, so says the history of Montgomery county,
arrived from Germany September 7, 1748, at the
age of twenty-two years. It appears from Chris
topher's will that he owned 10 1 acres along the
Perkiomen creek in Upper Hanover township,
Philadelphia county (Hanover township was di
vided in 1 841); that he sold one-half of it to his
son-in-law, David Haag; and that he bequeathed
the other half to his only son, John. The Per
kiomen creek divided the land equally with Dav
id Haag's land on one side and John's legacy on
the other. John Derr at one time owned the
land upon which the town of Pennsburg now
stands. Johannes, or John Wagenseil was born
in Montgomery (then Philadelphia) county, June
24, 1739, and died September 29, 1799. His
wife, who was Margaret Honnetter, was born
April 12, 1740, and died November 9, 181 1.
She was the daughter of Andrew Honnetter, a
farmer of Douglass township. Both she and her
husband lie buried in the cemetery at the old
Trappe Lutheran Church. Their eight children
were: (1) John Wagenseller, born December 14,
1763, baptized January 23, 1764, married
Elizabeth Weidner, and died August 5, 181 1.
He was proprietor of the "Red Lion Hotel"
near Chester Springs, Penn. They had seven
children — Margaret, born May 15, 1789, mar
ried Benjamin Ramsey, and died September 12,
1849; Thamzen married John Marshall, son of
Joseph Marshall, of near Wilmington, Del., and
died January 18, 1873; Fanny married an Evans,
and then Joseph Beidler, and died August 28,
1870; Abigail married Joseph John, and died
February 17, 1855; Abraham, born August 26,
1791, at Lionville, Penn., married Catherine
Meyers, daughter of Capt. Henry Meyers, of
Philadelphia, and died January 31, 1868 (his
wife died June 28, 1847, at Glen Moore, Penn.;
Abram and Catherine had five children); Julia
Matilda, born December 13, 1826, at Lionville,
married John Irey, December 25, 1845, an^
she now resides at Phoenixville, Penn. ; Mary
Elizabeth, born May 3, 1830, married Dr. B.
G. Miller, and now resides at No. 1 509 Second
avenue, Rock Island, 111. ; Thomas Meyers, born
August 14, 1833, married Mary Malinda Rice,

of Perryville, April 24, 1862, and died February
7, 1 87 1 (Mary has since married Richard Strat-
ton, of Fairbury, 111., and resides there now);
John Andrew, born December 11, 1836,
married Emily Johnston, May 18, 1864,
and now lives a retired life at No. 142 Price
street,. Germantown, Penn. ;and Emily Law, born
December 3, 1839, was married on May 7, 1863,
to Newton Smith, a merchant of Ulster county,
N. Y. , who died December 12, 1884; the widow
resides at Peoria, 111. The sixth child of John
and Elizabeth (Weidner) Wagenseller, was
George, born at the "Red Lion Hotel," Chester
county, January 18, 1788, and died April 18,
1857, in Crawford county, 111. He was married
to Leticia Cavender, who was born October 3,
1788, and died September 29, 1865. To them
were born seven children: (a) John Cavender,
born July 24, 181 3, married Jane Rebel, and
died in September, 1871; (b) Thomas Weidner,
born November 19, 181 5, married Jane Mont
gomery, September, 1849, and died March 5,
1865; (c) Abram, born September 2, 18 18, mar
ried Barbara McGowen, and is still living at
Indian Camp, Guernsey Co., Ohio, the oldest liv
ing Wagenseller known in this country; (d) Will
iam, born in Beaver county, Penn., June 24,
1 82 1, married Elizabeth Waldrop, at Palestine,
111., February 4, 1844. His wife was born Feb
ruary 3, 1 8 18, and died March 4, 1864; he then
married Eliza A. Gomer, July 30, 1865, and now
resides at Hamilton, Mo. ; (e) Amos, born May
30, 1824, and on September 24, 1848, married
Malinda Rich, who was born June 4, 1827, and
died November 29, 1856. On September 6,
1857, he married Jemima Snapp, who was born
December 12, 1830, and died September 23,
1872; September 26, 1874, he- was married to
Elizabeth Rogers, who was born June 14, 1843,
and he now resides at Solomon, Rans. ; he is the
father of fourteen children, four with his first
wife, six with his second wife, and four with his
third wife, (f) Elizabeth married Hugh Mathus;
and (g) Thamzen, born October 15, 1830, died
March 21, 1839. The last of John and Eliza
beth (Weidner) Wagenseller's children is Eliz
abeth, born September 14, 1800, married Joseph
Riter, and died May 29, 1855. The descendants
are living about Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.
(2) Catherine, the second of John's children,
was born December 3, 1764, married Conrad
King, and died in 1820. Catherine was the
mother of nine children. (3) Susanna, born
February 2. 1768, married Conrad Swinhart, of
Montgomery county. (4) Anna Maria, born May
20, 1770, married Benjamin Royer, of Royers-
ford, Penn. (5) Maria Margaretha, born June 2,

1066

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1772, married Mathias Walter, of Philadelphia
county. (6) William, born May 25, 1778, married
Rebecca Neilor, who died October 20, 1844; he
was a hotel keeper in West Pikeland township,
Chester county, and died July 22, 1868. Will
iam and Rebecca had five children: James, born
November 28, 1808, married Harriet Hartman,
and died without children in Chester county,
July 15, 1868; George, born August 17, 1812,
was never married, was superintendent of a divi
sion of the Sunbury & Erie railroad, a member
of the House of Representatives from Schuykill
county, and died December 15, 1873; Ann, born
April 14, 181 5, married Frederick Holman, and
died June 23, 1885, at Chester Springs, Penn.;
John Neilor, born April 11, 1817, married Sarah
McVeagh (she died September 20, 1863), and
resided at Sing Sing, N. Y. , was in the hotel
business the last fifteen years of his life, and died
February 27, 1871; and Margaret, born October
28, 1 8 1 8, married John Young, and is still living
at Anselma, Chester county.
(7) The next child of John and Margaret
Wagenseil is Peter Wagenseller (here is where
the change in spelling occurred), the grandfather
of our subject, born in Philadelphia (now Mont
gomery) county, September 24, 1774, married
Susanna Longaker (Longenecker), January 7,
1800, and resided in Providence township,
Chester county, until the spring of 1834, when
they moved to Columbus, Ohio. He died June
14, 1835. Susanna's ancestry is traced back to
Ulrich Longenecker, Sr. , born in Switzerland, in
1664. A copy of the family coat of arms is in
the possession of Hon. A. B. Longaker, of
Norristown. Peter and Susanna had ten children,
all born in Montgomery county. Jacob, the
father of our subject, born January 22, 1801, will
be referred to more fully later on. John, born
December 17, 1802, married Mary Ann Norton,
December 25, 1823. She was born September
2, 1805, and died May 19, 1834, from illness
contracted on the journey west to Ohio with her
husband's father. John next married Catherine
Briggs, who was born in Montgomery county,
N. Y. , December 8, 18 10. John died in
Columbus, January 2, 1845, and in 1847 bis
widow married Stacy Taylor. Mrs. Taylor died
March 28, 1853. The children of John with his
first wife were Araminta, born April 17, 1829,
married Reuben Bergstresser, March 14, 1850,
and died at Pekin, 111., of typhoid pneumonia,
January 25, 1861 (her husband was born Janu
ary 9, 1824, in Selins Grove, and died May 10,
1888, in Denver, Colo., of apoplexy); Samuel
Norton, born February 21, 1827, and is now

residing at Ukiah, Cal.; Mary, born April 14,
1832, was first married to John Perkins, then
to William Rankin, and third to Lewis Lutz, now
resides at East Las Vegas, N. M. ; Matilda
married a Stephenson, and resided in Ste
phenson county, 111. ; and Sarah Ann died in
youth. John's marriage with his second wife
resulted in the birth of three children: Em
ily, born January 10, 1840, near Columbus,
Ohio, married William Wirt Clemens, of Mas
sachusetts, May 9, 1865, and died July 31,
1897, at Columbus; John, born March 29, 1845,
died of consumption; Jacob, born January 8,
1838, went to California years ago, and as he
has not been heard of is supposed to have been
killed on the plains. The third of Peter and Su
sanna's children is Benjamin, born November 4,
1809, married Elizabeth Doyle, July 20, 1842,
and died at Pekin, March 15, 1844. His wife
was born August 9, 1826; they had only one
child: Theodore L. , born April 18, 1843, mar
ried Emily Lander, September 6, 1866, at Chil-
licothe, 111., and now resides at No. 645 Everett
avenue, Kansas City, Kans. Peter's fourth son
was Joshua, born July 5, 1813, married Harriet
Rupert, May 1, 1840, a descendant of Prince
Rupert, who was a prominent man in the Royal
family during Cromwell's time. Joshua died at
Pekin, July 21, 1882; his wife was born July 26,
1823, and died March 17, 1873. They were the
parents of five children: Albert Elon, born Feb
ruary 1, 1841, married Mary Hammer, March 27,
1 87 1, who was afterward divorced, and February
24, 1897, married Hubbard Sylvester Latham,
and resides at Manito, 111. William Henry, born
February 1, 1845, married Ophelia J. Leighton,
October 17, 1866, and now resides in Omaha,
Neb.; his wife was born February 17, 1848.
Laura Catherine, born November 28, 1849,
and in 1870 married Algeia Parker (the'
only brother of Mrs. Robert G. Ingersoll),
from whom she was divorced, and now re
sides at No. 3608 Ellis avenue, Chicago. Frank
Rupert, born December 30, 185 1, married Agnes
Reynolds, January 16, 1873, and now resides in
Pekin with six children. Harriet, born Decem
ber 16, 1861, died January 5, 1888. Peter's
fifth son, who was also called Peter, was born
July 16, 181 5, and died in Selins Grove, Septem
ber 10, 1830. Peter's sixth son was William
Findley, born November 13, 18 17. His first
born was William Jeremiah, born March 23,
1839, married Rebecca Forry, November 5,
1861, and died August 3, 1895, at Selins Grove.
[See sketch of George Washington Wagenseller.]
He was married to Amelia Bergstresser, and
died August 10, 1876. For two terms he was a

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1067

member of the House of Representatives. His
children by Amelia Bergstresser are Martin
Luther, born September 6, 1840, married Carrie
L. Kistner, December 7, 1865, and now resides
at Selins Grove; Ada E., born June 17, 1842,
resides with her mother at Selins Grove; Ben
jamin Newton, born October 17, 1846, died in
1863; Alice Laura, born March 12, 1849, mar
ried Rev. Emanuel Benton Killinger, and now
resides in Trenton, N. J. Of the daughters of
Peter and Susanna was Catherine, born Novem
ber 29, 1804, married Mathew Chain, who died
in Franklin county, Ohio, March, 1835. She
then married Elijah Timbrel, and died of cancer
in 1872 at Pekin. She had four children by her
first husband, viz. : William P. , Joshua Wagen
seller, Kate and Matilda, and two by the second,
John and Benjamin, both of whom died in the
army, the latter December 1, 1861, at Jefferson
City, Mo. Hannah (Catherine's sister), born
April 25, 1807, married William Hamilton Chain
(brother of Mathew, and both sons of old Mathew
Chain, of Montgomery county). Hannah died
May 20, 1880, at Lewistown, 111., and her hus
band died at Columbus, Ohio, October 8, 1855.
They had five children: Jacob M. resides at
Utica, Neb. ; William H. died at Bushnell, 111. ;
Albert resided in Denver; Mary, married to Will
iam F. Criss, resides at Carthage, Mo. ; and
Sarah, married to Dr. Fisher, formerly of Jack
sonville, 111. , but now both are dead, and are bur
ied at Los Angeles, Cal . Two other children are
mentioned in Peter's family Bible — Susanna,
born May 20, 1820, died May 27, 1820; and
Henry, born April 18, 1826, died April 24, 1826.
(8) The eighth and last of John's and Mar
garet's children is Jacob,, who married Martha
Shrack, and died of heart and kidney trouble.
They had six children— David, born 18 12, mar
ried, September 11, 1834, Ann Meyers Wynn,
who died November 20, 1865; he then married
Hannah McCracken. By his first wife he had
eight children: Martha, born January 14, 1836,
married Seth Humphrey, and resides at Glad-
wyne, Penn.; Mary, born June 16, 1837, mar
ried George Mallison, and died June, 1885; Mar
garet Ann, born October 7, 1840, married Sam
uel Happersett, January 31, 1862, and now re
sides in West Chester, Penn. ; Levi, born Octo
ber 4, 1842, married Alice Raney, and died near
Philadelphia (widow resides at No. 391 1 Melon
street, Philadelphia); Harriet, born April 2,
1845, married Harry Townsend, and they now
reside at 26th and Poplar streets, Philadel
phia; James Wagenseller, born December 29,
1850, married Esther A. Moore, March, 1883,
and now resides at Glen Moore, Penn. ; Fannie,

born December 7, 1851, married Harry G.
Mason, and now resides in Chester, Penn. ; Ber
tha, born September 14, 1856, married Edward
Riley, of Chester, Penn. Jacob's other children
are John Shrack Wagenseller, born November
16, 1808, married Margaret Wynn, who was
born in 1810, and died May 17, 1889; Levi mar
ried Catherine Worthington ; Sarah married Jo
seph Pearson; Margaret married James Mont
gomery; Martha married William McCarraher,
formerly resided in West Chester, and died in
1894. The great-grandmother of our subject, Su
sanna Longaker, traced her ancestry back to Ul
rich Longenecker, Sr. , of Switzerland. On the
28th day of August, 1733, Ulrich Longenecker,
Sr. , aged sixty-nine years, and Ulrich, Jr., aged
twenty-two years, took the oath of allegiance at
Philadelphia. They arrived in the ship ' ' Hope, "
of London, from Rotterdam, last from Cowes,
and with them came Jacob, aged nineteen years.
David came about 1725; John, 1727, and Chris
tian, 1729. Ulrich, Sr., had five sons including
Jacob, who, in 1845, married Susanna, the
widow of John (John was the son of Daniel).
They had five daughters, and two sons, Peter
and Jacob. The latter changed the name from
Longenecker to Longaker, and married Cather
ine, daughter of John Detweiler. Their children
are: John, Jacob, Peter, Hannah (married
James Miller), Susanna (married Peter Wagen
seller), Abraham, Isaac, Henry, Joseph, Samuel,
and Catherine (married Henry Swinehart). From
Peter and Susanna (Longaker) Wagenseller
sprang Jacob, the father of our subject.
Jacob Wagenseller, M. D., was a native of
Pennsylvania, born January 22, 1801, in Mont
gomery county. He was liberally educated,
having graduated at the University of Pennsyl
vania. He established himself in the practice of
medicine in his native county, but in about 1827
located at Selins Grove, Snyder county. In ad
dition to practicing medicine he carried on mer
cantile business, keeping a general store and
dealing extensively in grain. He was thus en
gaged at the time of his death, which occurred at
Selins Grove, April 27, 1847. He had abandoned
his profession some years previously. He was a
man of fine business qualities, and made a. success
of life. He became prominent in business affairs.
He was a Whig, and as such was elected to the
State Senate, in which body his intelligence made
him a useful member. He was active in party
affairs, and a man of influence in the community,
as well as a leading spirit in every movement
calculated to develop the resources of the county
and advance the interest of Selins Grove. He

1068

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

served two terms in the Senate, being a member
at the time of his death. He married Miss Mary
Richter, who died in 1863. Her father, Peter
Richter, was one of the leading citizens of Selins
Grove. Of the eight children of Jacob and Mary
Wagenseller, the eldest, Peter Richter, born De
cember 8, 1829, died August 18, 1873, was a
prominent physician at Selins Grove; he married
Catherine Chritzman, and they had six children:
Mary Amelia, born July 18, 1854, died in
infancy; Franklin Jacob, born October 8, 1855,
married Mary L. Keely; George C. , born June
30, 1857, married Lulu Schoch, June 1, 1881;
Albertha Lemisa, born December 20, 1859, mar
ried Dr. B. F. Emerick, June 16, 1881; Gertrude
A., boTn~^e^ternBeTT^ 1861, died in infancy;
Annie E., born September 2, 1865, married J.
A. Strohm, of Carlisle, January 19, 1886. (2)
Sarah married J. B. Evans, of Chester county.
(3) Mary married Rev. Franklin Gerhart, of
Williamsport. (4) Catherine died at an early
age. (5) Benjamin F. , our subject, is mentioned
more fully farther on. (6) Lydia Catherine, who
died in 1858, was the wife of William Holman,
of Chester Springs, Penn. (7) Martha Jane
married Lloyd Sharpless, of Bloomsburg, Penn.
(8) John J., who .resides in Bloomsburg, married
(first) Miss Mary W7illier, now deceased, and
(second) Miss Clara Hughes, now deceased, and
(third) Miss Jennie Mears, February 15, 1898.
Dr. Benjamin F. Wagenseller, in 1851, be
came a student in the preparatory department
of Pennsylvania College, Gettysburg, and still
later he was a student at the University at Lewis
burg. Coming from a family distinguished for
its medical ability, he at an early age turned his
attention to this profession, and in 1856 began
reading with Dr. Samuel Wagenseller, at Pekin,
111. During 1858 and 1859 he read with his
brother, Dr. P. R. Wagenseller, at Selins Grove;
and then he became a student in .the medical de
partment of Pennsylvania College, Philadelphia,
from which he was graduated in i860. In 1861
he opened an office in Beavertown, Snyder Co.,
Penn., and in August, 1862, he was commis
sioned, by Gov. Curtin, as assistant surgeon of
the 139th P. V. I. This
manded by Col. Collier, a
became a brigadier-general
judges of the courts of Pittsburg. Dr. Wagen
seller served in this capacity until January 31,
1863, and was then commissioned surgeon with
the rank of major and served under Brig. -Gen.
D. B. McKibbin (of the regular army) in the
158th P. V. I. In September, 1863, he was
mustered out with the regiment. When the
201st Pennsylvania Regiment was ordered out

regiment was corn-
man who afterward
and later one of the

Dr. Wagenseller was commissioned surgeon with
the rank of major, and so served until the close
of the war. He saw much of severe service in
different portions of the South, and, at the close
of the war, he participated in the Grand Review"
at Washington. Among the difficult duties per
formed was the burial early in September, 1862,
by the 139th Regiment, of the Union soldiers who
had fallen at the battle of Bull Run about a week
before, and still lay on the field exposed to the
hot summer sun. Most of the Confederate dead
had already been interred, and the soldiers of
the 139th, under a flag of truce, performed the
last sad rites over the neglected bodies of our
own fallen heroes, burying fifteen hundred in
three days.
Since the close of the war Dr. Wagenseller
has been in active practice at Selins Grove, his
character and ability winning him a high rank
among his professional brethren. He is a mem
ber of the Snyder County Medical Society, of the
Medical Society of the State of Pennsylvania,
and of the American Medical Association. In
the Snyder County Society he has served as pres
ident. He also belongs to the Northumberland
County Medical Society, and is at the present
time serving as president of that body. This or
ganization now has seventy-eight members. For
twenty-five years Dr. Wagenseller has been sur
geon for the Pennsylvania railroad, and he is a
member of the National Association of Railway
Surgeons. At one time he filled the chair of
physiology at Susquehanna University, Selins
Grove. At all times a Republican, he has for
many years been identified with the organization
of his party, and has been to a number of State
Conventions, and to three National Conventions.
In 1868 he was an elector and cast his vote for
Grant and Colfax. In 1869 he was commis
sioned, by President Grant, as revenue assessor
of the Fourteenth District, comprising the coun
ties of Dauphin, Juniata, Northumberland, Sny
der and Union, and served in that capacity until
1872. In the following year he was a candidate
for the State Senate, and during the same year
was appointed examining surgeon of the United
States board of pension examiners. In 1880 he
was a delegate to the National Republican Con
vention at Chicago, and in 1884 and 1892 was
again a delegate. During 1882 he received the
Republican nomination for Congress. In local
affairs Dr. Wagenseller has also been extremely
active, and has officiated as a member of the
borough council. Repeatedly he has been called
upon to fill the position of chief burgess. At
present he is serving as president of the board of
health of the borough. He has also been iden-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1069

tified with the business interests to some extent,
and was formerly a director of the Snyder County
Bank. In religious faith he is a Lutheran; since
early manhood has been a member of the Church,
and for many years past he has served as elder
in the Church. Socially he is connected with
the Masonic fraternity as a member of Lafay
ette Lodge.
In 1861 the Doctor married Miss Maria A.
Schoch., daughter of Jacob Schoch. and~he has"
one child, Mattie J., who is now the wife of Mar
tin L. Snyder. They have one child, Anna
Marie. The family reside in a handsome
idence on Market street.

res-

JOHN P. WETZEL, a farmer and fruit grower
of Beaver township, Snyder county, was
born September 24, 1 846, in what is now Sny
der county, then a part of Union county, and in
the same neighborhood has spent his entire life.
Mr. Wetzel is a son of John and Lydia (Aig
ler) Wetzel, and a brother of Samuel A. Wetzel,
ex-Judge of Beaver township. He attended the
schools near his home, and as soon as old enough
to handle the plow began work on the farm. At
the age of fourteen he became his father's as
sistant at the carpenter's trade, which business
he followed until 1867, when he learned the
blacksmith's trade in Mifflinburg, Union county,
following that pursuit for some time thereafter.
Hoping to benefit his financial condition, he
moved to St. Joseph county, Mich., where he
followed his trade for several months. He also
spent several months in Bellevue, Ohio, after
which he returned to Pennsylvania, and operated
the home farm for his father for a year. In 1 87 1
he rented that farm, which he continued to cul
tivate for three years, when he removed to the
farm of J. P. Smith, in Franklin township, rent
ing that property for three years. In 1877 he
purchased the old homestead, and has since de
voted his time and energies to its improvement,
He erected a fine barn and made other improve
ments at a cost of $1,500, has placed his land
under a high state of cultivation, and has suc
cessfully and extensively engaged in the raising
of fruit. The place is neat and thrifty in its
appearance and well indicates his careful super
vision. In 1 871 Mr. Wetzell was married, in Beaver
township, Snyder county, to Mary E. Bingman,
a native of that township, and a daughter of
Frederick Bingman, who is still living. They
now have a family of seven children: Ida E. ,
wife of William W. Dreese, a telegraph operator,
of Mifflin county; F. Marion, a lumberman; Kate,

wife of Charles Coleman, of Virginia; Samuel,
Mary C, John K. and Mabel R., at home.
Our subject is a stalwart Republican who
does all in his power to promote the growth and
insure the success of his party. He served for
three terms as supervisor. He belongs to the
Reformed Church, in which he has served as
deacon, and for fifteen years has been superin
tendent of the Sunday-school, his devotion to the
cause of the Church being most marked and mer
itorious. He has been president of the Snyder
County Agricultural Society since 1894. He be
longs to the Odd Fellows Society, and in social,
political and business circles he is highly es
teemed for his many excellencies of character.
Charles L. Wetzel, who is serving as county
surveyor of Snyder county, and justice of the
peace of Beavertown, was born January 17, 1861,
and is a brother of the gentleman whose sketch
is given above. He was educated, in the public
schools of Beavertown and in Freeburg Academy
under Profs. Dill and Boyer, after which he
spent several terms as a student in the Normal
University in Ada, Ohio. He afterward engaged
in teaching in the district schools of Snyder county
for fourteen years, was for twelve yea'rs a teacher
in Beavertown, one term in Troxelville, and one
term in Adamsburg. He has followed surveying for
fifteen years, and was elected county surveyor of
Snyder county in the fall of 1892 for a three-
years' term. So acceptably did he discharge his
duties that in 1895 he was re-elected, and since
1894 he has also filled the office of justice of the
peace, discharging his duties with a fairness and
impartiality most commendable. He has also
been township auditor for nine years, and in his
political affiliations he is a stanch Republican.
In 1887, in Beavertown, Charles Wetzel was
married to Sarah Diehl,, who was born near
Mifflinburg, a daughter of Henry Diehl, of Union
county. They have three children: Chauncy
Blaine, Maggie Eve and William D. Mr. Wetzel
belongs to the Patriotic Order Sons of America,
in which he has filled all the offices, and is a
member of the Reformed Church.

JOHN LANDIS COOPER is a wealthy re
tired agriculturist now residing at Selins
Grove, Snyder county, and his elegant home
displays the influence of the refined and cultured
tastes of its occupants. Mr. Cooper has always
been a friend of education, and, in fact,, is in
sympathy with all advance movements. His
patriotism was demonstrated by gallant service
in the army during the Civil war, and he has for
years been actively interested in. the G. A. R.

1070

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

The Cooper family originated in one of the Brit
ish Isles. Our subject's grandfather Cooper, cross
ing the ocean at an early day, located in New Jer
sey, where he engaged in farming. He died there
in 1 8 1 8, leaving two sons, Israel and John. The
latter, who became the father of our subject, was
born in 1807, in New Jersey, and was left father
less when nine years old. He began his business
career under disadvantages, and, although he had
no capital at the start, he acquired a handsome
competence, and at his death, in 1879, was the
owner of 300 acres of land. His wife, Catherine
Snyder, a native of Northumberland county, was
born in 1809, and died in 1893. They had nine
sons and two daughters, all but one of whom
lived to adult age. Hiram, who married a Miss
Simpson, lives at Goshen, Ind. ; Jeremiah died in
Selins Grove; Isaac Newton is living in retire
ment at Sunbury, Penn. ; Thomas died some
years ago; Harriet is the wife of Jacob Muench,
of Snydertown, Penn. ; John L. is mentioned
more fully farther on; Simon P. died at the age
of eight years; David W. lives on the homestead;
Joseph Melancthon, a physician in Schuylkill
county, Penn., weighs 285 pounds; Martin Luther
is living in retirement in Snydertown, Penn. ; and
Mary, who married Rev. A. K. Zimmerman, of
Selins Grove. Of those who lived to maturity
none weighed less than 184 pounds, and the
heaviest was light and strong on his feet. All of
them remained at home until they reached the
age of twenty-one, with the exception of Thomas,
who became a clerk, but gave his salary to his
father while under age. They were a remarkably
harmonious family, the boys agreeing among
themselves, and never calling upon the father to
settle a dispute of any kind.
John Landis Cooper was born December 19,
1840, at the old homestead in Northumberland
county, where he grew to manhood, obtaining an
education in the district schools while assisting
in the farm work. He left home first when, on
August 14, 1862, he enlisted in Company C, 131st
P. V. I., in response to Gov. Curtin's first call
for nine-months' men. His regiment was as
signed to the Army of the Potomac. He was
taken ill with typhoid fever, and while in that
condition, in September, 1862, he was taken
prisoner in Chambersburg, and as soon as able
he was paroled and sent home. He remained
there some three weeks, and then reported at the
hospital at Harrisburg, where he was held until
a general exchange, March 4, 1863. He then
rejoined his regiment at Stoneman's Station, and
here remained until the regiment was discharged,
in June, 1863. After returning home he entered
the employ of the Northern Central Railroad

Company, remaining a part of two years, then
began farming and lumbering, which he has since
carried on with great success. In 1890 he built
his present home, still owning his two farms, one
of 87 acres and one of 204. In politics Mr.
Cooper is a firm believer in the principles of the
Republican party.
On September 20, 1866, Mr. Cooper was
married to Miss Emma A. Hummel, by whom
he has had two children: (1) Nora E. was grad
uated from Susquehanna University in 1887,
married Rev. Robert G. Bannen, who also grad
uated in same class, and now is a Lutheran min
ister of South Williamsport, Penn. ; they have
one child, Paul C. (2) Arthur E. was graduated
from Susquehanna University in 1890; he mar
ried Miss Carrie L. Ulsh, of Middleburg, Penn.,
and they have one daughter, Florence Anita.
The parents are active members of the Second
Lutheran Church (General Synod) of Selins Grove,
Mrs. Cooper being very active in all Church and
temperance work. She is active in the W. C.
T. U. , being treasurer of the work in the county,
and superintendent of the Mother's work.
Mrs. Cooper was born July 28, 1845, near
Selins Grove, Snyder county, where the Hummel
family has resided for many years, her father,
the late John Hummel, having been born there
in 1 817. He died in 1895, and bis wife, Han
nah Diebert, who was born in Orwigsburg, Penn. ,
in 1820, passed away in 1877. Their children
were: Franklin, who died when twenty-one;
Emma A., Mrs. Cooper; Edward, who is now
representing the Seventh District in the State
Senate; Mrs. Kistner, of Selins Grove; and H.
W. , who is a coal and lumber merchant in North
umberland county.

JAY GILFILLAN WEISER. The family of
Weiser was eminent in the early annals of
Pennsylvania. Conrad Weiser, prominent in
the internal development of Pennsylvania long
before the Revolutionary war, emigrated from
Germany to Newburgh on the Hudson, in New
York, in the year 17 10. He became a leading
personage in Colonial times, and exercised a per
manent and wide influence upon the times in
which he lived, rendering important services to
the Province of Pennsylvania in effecting treaties
with the different Indian tribes.
In the civil and military relations of those
early days he was, perhaps, one of the most
noted and distinguished of the public men who
helped to make Pennsylvania one of the leading
Colonies. He was noted particularly for his
sterling integrity, his high qualities of fair dealing

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1071

as an interpreter, and in his many important
negotiations with Indian chiefs, as well as in the
diplomacy he displayed in arranging questions of
moment affecting the disposition of the land, he
gained great influence and high standing with
both the representatives of the Indian tribes and
the Colonial government, in whose behalf he
spent the best years of his life. He made several
long journeys from the southeastern settlements
. in Pennsylvania, by direction of the Provincial
authorities to arrange treaties, encountering
numberless perils of the forest and foe, penetrat
ing into the far interior, reaching the Great
Lakes of New York and Canada, and returning
in safety. He died July 13, 1760, full of years
and honor, and his remains lie near Womelsdorf,
Berks Co., Pennsylvania.
Jay Gilfillan Weiser, subject of this article,
springs from Frederich, the second son of Conrad
Weiser, and traces his descent in unbroken line
through Jacob, John, Peter, and Jonathan, his
father. They were all more or less prominent
in the public affairs of their native State. Jona
than Weiser married Mary Gilfillan, of near Mil
lerstown, Perry county; her father was James
Gilfillan, and her mother was Sarah Jones,
daughter of Nathan Jones, who was born at Had
dington, West Philadelphia, and who married
Sarah Gibson, of Kingsessing. The father of
Nathan Jones was Robert Jones, of Marion.
Jay Gilfillan Weiser, on his paternal side in
herits German blood, and on the maternal side
he has an infusion of Irish and Welsh. The
Joneses lived on the famous Welsh Tract contig
uous to Philadelphia and were contemporary with
the landing of William Penn. Jonathan Weiser,
father of Jay Gilfillan Weiser, was born at Wom
elsdorf, Berks Co., Penn., and after he had
grown to manhood, located at Mahantango, Jun
iata Co., Penn., where he became engaged in
business enterprises, holding several positions of
trust, and was elected associate judge, which pos
ition he filled, and died shortly thereafter, leav
ing to survive him his wife and five children —
three sons and two daughters — Jay being his
third child, born at Mahantango, Juniata Co.,
Penn. He was educated at the Millersville
State Normal School, under the supervision of
Dr. Edward Brooks, eminenjt as an author of
educational works, now Superintendent of the
Public Schools of the City of Philadelphia.
Thereafter he entered the law department of the
University of Pennsylvania, and graduated in
1882, having studied law in the office of Hon.
Louis E. Atkinson, ten years a representative in
Congress from the 18th Pennsylvania District,
as well as having been under the tutelage of the

late Hon. Richard Vaux, ex-Mayor of Phila
delphia, and Judge Michael Arnold, of the same
city. Mr. Weiser was admitted to the Philadelphia
Bar in June, 1882, upon motion of Mr. Vaux,
spending some time thereafter in their law offices,
from which many rising young men went forth
into the professional field. He located in Mid
dleburg, Snyder Co., Penn., December 23, 1886,
where he has since successfully practised his pro
fession. He was his party's nominee for District
Attorney in 1888 but failed of election, because
of the overwhelming majority of the opposing
party; was a delegate to the Democratic Conven
tions in 1889 and 1891, and in 1896 was chosen
at the Allentown Convention of 1896, as a Del
egate to the National Chicago Convention of that
year, which nominated Hon. William J. Bryan
for the Presidency. In the law Mr. Weiser is
held in high esteem for his fine qualities of mind
and high professional honor, a thorough and apt
student, well equipped for his profession by a
complete education, and enjoying the confidence
and regard of all his professional brethren and
the public at large.
In politics our subject is a Democrat, clinging
to the Jeffersonian traditions of the organization,
and is frequently called into counsel, as a repre
sentative of his district, at conventions held for
nominating State candidates and enunciating
party platforms. In 1893 he was pressed by the
leaders of his section of the State for a position
in the Consular service, under the second Cleve
land Administration; and Gov. Pattison recogniz
ing his trained qualities of mind and professional
ability appointed him one of the Five Commis
sioners to prepare the History of " The Frontier
Forts of Pennsylvania," erected as garrisons by
the Province, as a means of defence against the
Indians, prior to the Peace Treaty of 178 1. He
performed his arduous work with ability and
fidelity, his district composing sixteen counties of
the Commonwealth. Mr. Weiser is President of
the Snyder County Historical Society, recently
organized, is a supporter of the progressive insti
tutions of his community, is social and affable in
disposition. He is unmarried.

HARVEY SCHOCH, a successful business
man of Selins Grove, Snyder county, is
prominently identified with the various interests
of his locality, political, social and religious, as
well as financial. For some years he has been a
member of the well-known mercantile firm of
Schoch Bros., but of late he has given his atten-

1072

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

tion to the insurance business, in which he is now
a leader. Mr. Schoch is a representative of one of the
oldest families of the county. He was born Au
gust 20, 1857, on the old farm in Franklin town
ship, Snyder county, a son of John A. and Lydia
(Houtz) Schoch [see sketch of Ira C. Schoch],
and after attending the public schools there and
in Selins Grove he took a course in Susquehanna
University, graduating in 1877. In 1882 he be
came a member of the firm of Schoch Bros, and
for seven years he was actively engaged in mer
cantile business. He held the position of post
master of the city under appointment of Benja
min Harrison. Since 1882 he has been more or
less interested in insurance business, and, on giv
ing up his connection with the firm in 1889, he
devoted his entire attention to that line, carrying
fire, life and accident risks. He is thoroughly up
to date in his business methods, and his manners
are gentlemanly and courteous under all circum
stances. As a member of the First Evangelical Lu
theran Church of Selins Grove, he has always
taken .an active part in religious work. In Ma
sonic circles he has been a prominent figure for
years as past master of Lafayette Lodge No.
194, F. & A. M., at Selins Grove; Perseverance
Chapter No. 21, R. A. M., and Pilgrim Com
mandery No. 11, K. T. , at Harrisburg; Harris
burg Consistory, 32nd degree, S. P. R. S. ; and
the Lu Lu Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S. , at Phila
delphia. In 1883 Mr. Schoch was married to Miss
Emma C. Schnure, daughter of George Schnure
[see sketch of Mr. Schnure]. They have three
children to bless their union: Silas Howard and
Marion Schnure, two bright boys; and Agnes
Selin, the daughter, named for her great-grand
mother — the daughter of Maj. Anthony Selin,
the founder of Selins Grove.

/GEORGE WASHINGTON WAGENSEL-
\g LER, A. M., editor of the Middleburgh Post,
is an enterprising and talented young man, whose
abilities have found a congenial field for expres
sion in journalistic work. He was born near
Selins Grove, Penn., April 27, 1868, and his
boyhood was spent upon his father's farm, much
of his time being given to wholesome outdoor
work. When he was fifteen years old his father
became the manager of the Grangers' store at
Selins Grove, and for several years George clerked
there during the summer months, while attending
the public schools in winter. In March, 1887,
he entered Missionary Institute, now Susque

hanna University, at Selins Grove, Jiaving secured
the necessary funds for his tuition and books
through the diligent and careful saving of many
small sums. On June 6, 1889, he was gradu
ated, and during the following summer he became
the principal of the public schools of Cowan,
Union county, where he taught with marked
success for one year, graduating five students
on May 15, 1890. In September of the same
year he matriculated as a student at Bucknell
University at Lewisburg, Penn., entering the
junior class. His summer vacations were devoted
to canvassing, by which he earned enough money
to pay the expense of his entire course, and on
June 22, 1892, he was graduated from the classi
cal course with the degree of A. B. Three years
later he was granted the degree of A. M. from
his Alma Mater.
During the summer of 1892 the Pennsylvania
National Guard was called out to quell the riot
at Homestead, Penn., and Mr. Wagenseller went
with the Lewisburg company, spending eighteen
days on duty. In August, 1892, he accepted the
position of Professor of English and the Sciences
in the Coatesville Academy, but in the following
January, having learned that his salary was in
jeopardy, he resigned. In April, 1893, he began
work as Principal of the Teachers' Normal
School at Kerrmoor, Clearfield county, Penn.,
the course being completed in June. • During the
following summer he was offered three positions
within ten days, viz. : the presidency of Palatinate
College at Myerstown, Penn. ; the assistant prin
cipalship of the public schools at Clearfield,,
Penn., and the principalship of the Bloomfield
Academy at New Bloomfield, Perry Co., Penn.
He accepted the latter, and held the position
until the spring of 1894, when he resigned to
engage in his present calling. On March 17,
1894, in partnership with A. E. Cooper, he pur
chased from Thomas H. Harter the Middleburgh
Post, with the entire printing plant. On De
cember 12, 1894, the partnership was dissolved,
and Mr. Wagenseller became the sole proprietor
and the editor.
The history of the Post goes back to some
time in the forties, when a German Whig paper
was established at New Berlin, called the Union
Dcmokrat. For many years it was published by
Christian Maeser. In 1850 it was bought by Is
rael Gutelius, and in the spring of 1853 it was
moved to Selins Grove. In 1861 it was changed
from a German to an English paper, and the
name changed to the Post. Until the latter part
of 1866 it remained at Selins Grove, and prior
to New Year, 1867, it was bought by Hon. Jere
miah Crouse, and moved to Middleburgh, and he

J^o. 7t ' 7f7Ldft*e*^£<&^:

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1073

continued its publication until December i, 1882,
when Thomas H. Harter bought it, and retained
it until the subject of this sketch secured it as
above stated. On February 3, 1898, the entire
plant was moved into a large building built es
pecially for the purpose, near the center of town.
It is a strong Republican organ, free to expose
wrong-doing in public life at all times, and it
now has the largest circulation within the coun
ty, of any newspaper whatever. By his industry
and vigilance he has greatly extended the influ
ence of the paper, and he has added to the print
ing plant from time to time such modern devices
as are required in an up-to-date office.
The ancestry of Mr. Wagenseller can be
traced back to Christopher Wagenseil, who with
his wife, Anna Christina, came from Germany
prior to 1734. [For the lineal descendants see
sketch of Dr. B. F. Wagenseller.] William
Jeremiah Wagenseller, the father of our subject,
was born in Snyder county, Penn., March 23,
1839, and died August 3, 1895, in the borough
of Selins Grove, at the age of fifty-six years,
four months and ten days. Early in life he
went to live with Henry and Catherine Bickhart.
His education was obtained in the public schools
of his district 'and in the school of life. On No
vember 5, 1 86 1, he was married to Miss Rebec
ca Forry, the daughter of John and Esther For-
ry, of Penn township. The ceremony was con
ducted by Rev. C. Z. Weiser. Less than a year
transpired when the call for able-bodied men
came, and on October 28, 1862, he enlisted and
was made corporal of Company F, 172nd P. V.
I. His term of enlistment expired January 28,
1863. He again enlisted, this time on Septem
ber 5, 1864, and was assigned to Company D,
208th P. V. I. On October 5, 1864, at Bermu
da Hundred he was handed his commission as
sergeant of his company. He participated in
the fierce fighting at Fort Steadman, and in the
capture of Petersburg, Va. On June_ 1, 1865,
at the close of the war, he was discharged, and
he, with thousands of others, threw off the sol
dier's uniform and returned to the life of a civil
ian. He was prominently connected with the
Grange movement, and for several years was
master of the local organization, and he also
was the presiding officer of the Snyder County
Pomona Grange. In 1883, the Grangers opened
a co-operative store, and Mr. Wagenseller was
chosen general manager, and held the position
until November, 1890, when he voluntarily re
tired to private life.
There were ten children born to William J.
and Rebecca Wagenseller, viz. : Kate Alice, born
February 22, 1862; Mary Louisa, born May 17,

1864, died August 25, 1865; John Franklin, born
August 1, 1866; George W. , the subject of this
sketch; an infant son, born April 28, 1870, died
May 5, 1870; Ida May, born May 15, 1871;
Amon Sylvester, born November 11, 1873, mar
ried Jeneatte Smith August 8, 1897, and to them
was born a son, Bruce Sylvester, February 23,
1898; Anna Celesta, born June 10, 1876, died
February 17, 1882; Charles Henry, born Decem
ber 9, 1877, died July 24, 1878; and an infant
son, who was born September 30, 1881, and died
the same day.
On October 22, 1896, George Washington
Wagenseller, our subject, was married to Miss
Miriam Orwig, daughter of Dr. John W. and
Margaret (Zellers) Orwig, of Middleburg. Mrs.
Wagenseller was born June 18, 1875, in Middler
burg, and she can trace her ancestry back to
Gottfried Orwig, who, with his wife came to
America in 1743, and settled in Berks county,
Penn. He was born, it is supposed, in Bruns
wick, Germany, August 24, 1719, and qualified at
the port of Philadelphia, October 2, 1741, ar
riving from Rotterdam in the ship " St. An
drew," Charles Stedman, master. His age is giv
en as twenty-two, which corresponds to the tomb
stone record at Orwigsburg, Penn. He went to
Germany, and brought his wife, Clara, over in
1843. She was born January 26, 1716, and died
January 5, 1788, aged seventy-two years, less
three weeks. „Gotfried and Clara had six chil
dren, viz.: Catharine, born December 4, 1748;
Peter, born at Maiden Creek, Berks Co., Penn.,
July 8, 1750, married Hannah Webb, and died .
at Orwigsburg about 1807; Maria, born Decem
ber 19, 175 1 ; Henry, born at Maiden Creek,
December 6, 1753, married Elizabeth Haring (no
children), was a private in the Revolutionary war,
in Col. William Thompson's Riflemen, died De
cember 18, 1836; Elizabeth, born October 8,
1756; George, youngest child, born at Maiden
Creek, March 11, 1758, was in the Revolution
ary war and took part in the battles of Long
Island, White Plains, and Brandywine. He had
joined the rifle . company of Capt. James Olds,
in July, 1776. His last services were rendered
at Fort Jenkins in 1778. He was married to
Mary Magdalene Gilbert, who was born August
10, 1758, by whom he had twelve children. He
died at Mifflinburg, Penn., March 2, 1841. Got-
fried and his wife, the parents of these children,
settled in 1743 at Maiden Creek, near Reading,
Penn., on lands purchased from the Iroquois In
dians, but afterward removed to Sculp Hill,
near Orwigsburg, in Schuylkill county. During
the Revolutionary war a company of old men
was organized (Germans), eighty in all. Their

1074

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

captain was nearly one hundred years old, and
in a history of Pennsylvania the names of this
company are given, and Gotfried is among
them. George Orwig, the youngest son of Gotfried,
is the great-great-grandfather of Mrs. Wagensell
er. Maria Magdalene, the daughter of Conrad
Gilbert, was born August io, 1758, and died
January 30, 1841. About 18 12, George Orwig
moved to near Mifflinburg, Union county. Both
are buried there. They had twelve children, as
follows: George, born January 17, 1780, died
near Bellevue, Ohio, February 1, 1852; John,
born July 21, 1781, died near Bellevue, Ohio,
September 25, 1844; Jacob, born April 18,1783,
died at New Berlin, Penn., January 23, 1859;
Abraham, born February 26, 1787, died at Or
wig's Mill, Union Co., Penn., December 16,
1852; Isaac, born February 27, 1785, died near
Orwigsburg; Henry, born June 27, 1789, died in
Mifflinburg, married (no children); Mary Sarah,
born August 27, 1791, died October 9, 1792;
Maria Magdalen, born December 5, 1793, mar
ried Ephraim Hackman, died at Adamsburg,
Penn.; Rebecca, born February 1, 1796, married
Thomas Crotzer, died at Mifflinburg; Samuel,
born April 6, 1798, married Mary Meyer, died at
Mifflinburg, September 7, 1872; William, born
March 22, 1800, died on his farm in Lewis town
ship, Unioncounty, February 26, 1889; and Han
nah, born July 1, 1802, never married, died at
Mifflinburg, October, 1882.
John Orwig, the second son of George and
Maria Magdalene (Gilbert) Orwig, is the great
grandfather of Mrs. Wagenseller. He was a
merchant at Mifflinburg, and in 1820 was the
postmaster at that place. In 1826 we learn that
he was still there. Later he moved to Ohio,
and died on September 25, 1844. He had five
sons: Joseph, the eldest, is the grandfather of
the wife of our subject; John; Daniel; Samuel;
and Henry; and two daughters, Susan, married
Daniel Auble, now resides in Akron, Ohio; and
another daughter, whose name is not now at
hand. Of these children, Joseph was born No
vember 21, 1 801, married to Anna B. Keller,
December 24, 1829, and died August 2, 1879.
Anna B. (Keller) Orwig was born June 17, 1810,
and died July 4, 1874. To this union were born
twelve children: Sarah E., born December 3,
1 83 1 , married February 26, 1856, to William
Calpetzer, and died January 18, 1881, in Kansas
(William Calpetzer was murdered by the Missou-
rians May 19, 1858); Samuel P., born May 18,
1834, married December 9, 1856, to Mary Tran
sue; Amanda L., born February 6, 1831, married
June 6, 1858, to M. O. Eilert, and died March

27, 1885; Andrew J., born October 24, 1836,
married March 18, 1861, to Sarah Browers, and
died May 16, 1880; Lucina A., born April 15,
1838, married December 1, 1857, to Aaron
Weary, and died February 25, 1870. Martha
J., born December 29, 1839, married March 24,
1864, to William A. Orr, and died March 25,
1890; William P., born March 13, 1841, mar
ried October 10, 1866, in San Francisco, to
Emma Dean, and died about 1896. Malinda D.,
born October 2, 1844, married March 7, 1867,
to John Yeatter, and died June 4, 1890. John
W., born February 22, 1843, married June 4,
1868, to Margaret Zellers, daughter of Samuel
Zellers and a Miss Stout. Mary M., born May
15, 1846, married October 10, 1869, Andrew
Hudgason, and died December 1, 1885. Joseph
C. , born February 13, 1849, is married, and re
sides at Herndon, Penn.; and Susanna M., born
February 28, 1852, died February 21, 1874.
John W. and Margaret (Zellers) Orwig had
three children: (1) Lillie Susanna, born January
11, 1869, married to Harry Harter, now resides
at Northumberland, and they have two children:
Wilmer and De Briceon; (2) Miriam, born June
18, 1875, married October 22, 1896, to the sub
ject of this sketch, and (3) an infant daughter,
born February 23, 1883, and died February 26,
1883. On his mother's side our subject's ancestry is
even more hardy than on the paternal side.
Coming from Germany during the Colonial
period, they settled in Berks county. Mr. Wag-
enseller's grandmother was a Zerbe. Her ances
tors came overland from Schoharie, N. Y. , to
Tulpehocken, Berks county, in the Weiser Col
ony in 1723-27. They were a prominent fam
ily. John Forry, the grandfather of our subject,
was married October 28, 1832, to Esther Zerbe,
in Berks county, by Rev. Thomas Leinbach.
They resided in Berks county until 1839 or 1840,
when they moved to near Richfield in Snyder
county, where they resided several years, and
then moved to Penn township, Snyder county.
They reared a family of sixteen children: Ed
ward, born August 23, 1833, married December
18, 1859, to Sarah Ann Jodon, now resides at
Freeburg, Penn. ; John, born September 28,
1834, now resides at Elkhart, Ind.; Levi, born
May 29, 1836; Amanda, born September 29,
1837, married Lieut. William H. Gemberling,
and resides at Selins Grove; Jonathan, born No
vember 22, 1838, married Deborah Grissinger,
now resides at Milton, Penn.; Rebecca, born No
vember 20, 1840, married November 5, 1861, to
William J. Wagenseller (the father of our sub
ject), and now, a widow, resides at Selins Grove;

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1075

William, born March 11,1842; Alfred, a cripple,
born July 20, 1843, died August 19, 1879; El
mira, born October 29, 1844, married (first) to
Matthias U. App (now deceased), and (second) to
David Reed, and now resides at Adamsville,
Cass Co., Mich.; Lydia, born September 19,
1846, married to Norman Fisher, now resides
near Selins Grove; Mary Ann, born October 21,
1848, married March 9, 1875, to Jacob Martin!
now resides at Goshen, Ind. ; Elizabeth, born Sep
tember 9, 1850, married November 3, 1867, to W.
N. Fisher, now resides near Selins Grove; Samuel
Boyer, born August 25, 1852, unmarried, resides
south of Selins Grove; a son, born January 12,
1854, died in infancy; Calvin, born February 28,
1855, married October 29, 1874, to Alice Daub-
ert, and now resides at Kantz, Snyder Co. , Penn. ;
and Catherine, born November 25, 1857, mar
ried to Frank Duck, now resides at Kantz, Sny
der Co., Pennsylvania.
John Forry [Forrer], our subject's grand
father, was born in Berks county, March 25,
1805, was a wool carder, and died January 2,
1865, at Selins Grove, Penn. His wife, Esther
(Zerbe) Forry, was born in Berks county, No
vember 20, 18 14, and died at Selins Grove, Au
gust 27, 1874, aged 59 years, 9 months and 7
days. George Washington Wagenseller is one of
the rising young men of central Pennsylvania, a
clear thinker, a forcible writer, and a congenial
fellow. Public-spirited and 'progressive, he
forged his way to the front with that zeal and
ardor that can result only in triumph. A mem
ber of the Masonic fraternity, a local historian,
an ardent Republican, these are additional nom
enclatures that disclose his taste. At present he
is compiling a history of the ' ' Wagenseller Fam
ily in America. " He resides in the borough of
Middleburgh, at the county seat of Snyder coun
ty, Pennsylvania.

LEVI FISHER, of Selins Grove. " Our fore-
 / fathers," writes a well-known author, "still
live among us in the record of their lives as well
as in their acts, which live also. Whoever has
left behind him a record of a noble life has be
queathed to posterity an enduring source of
good." Among the many histories in this vol
ume from which readers can gain inspiring ideals,
none are more suggestive and helpful than those
which tell of individual effort and sacrifice. dur
ing the long struggle for the preservation of the
Union, and the following brief account of one
of our brave defenders is deserving of the appre
ciative reception which it will receive from every

true American. Entering the army while in the
first flush of manhood, Mr. Fisher came back
permanently crippled; yet notwithstanding his
disabilities he has maintained a useful and hon
orable position in life, serving with marked
ability in various offices of public trust.
Mr. Fisher was born January 19, 1843, m
Penn township, Snyder county, and is of an old
Pennsylvania family. His paternal grandfather,
George Fisher, was a native of this State, born
probably in Lehigh county, and his death oc
curred before our subject's remembrance. He
married a Miss Campbell, and reared a family of
six children, viz. : Samuel, our subject's father;
George, now a resident of Shamokin Dam, Penn. ;
Adam, who resides in Northumberland county,
with a son ; Isaac, who died in Selins Grove ;
Henry, who died in Elkhart county, Ind., and
Elizabeth, who married John Winkleman, and
removed to Indiana. After the death of our
subject's grandfather, the grandmother married
George Gemberling, by whom she had one son,
Sephares, now a resident of Penn township,
Snyder county.
Samuel Fisher, the father of our subject, was
born in Lehigh county, in 1809, but came to
Snyder county before his marriage to engage in
business as a contractor and builder. He died
in 1879, but his wife, Anna Fetter, who was
born October 23, 181 5, in Jackson township,
Snyder county, is still living at the old
homestead in Penn township. They had seven
children: Elizabeth (Mrs. William Remer), Will
iam H. (who married Miss Sarah Lytle, and re- '
sides in Goshen, Ind.), Levi (our subject), Bar
bara E. (deceased, who never married), Zacha
riah Taylor (who married Miss Grace Eyer, and
resides in Wisconsin), Ada (Mrs. H. A. Rearick,
of Sunbury, Penn.), and Samuel A. (who lives
at the old homestead).
Mr. Fisher has always made his home in his
native county, and in his youth received such
education as the public schools of the day afforded.
On January 25, 1864, during the Civil war, he
enlisted in Company F, 184th P. V. I., and soon
afterward went to the front, his regiment being
assigned to the Army of the Potomac, Hancock's
Corps. His first important battle was the en
gagement in the Wilderness, and then followed
the battles of Spottsylvania and Cold Harbor.
He took part in the famous charge at the latter
place, and fell in front of the Rebel works, hav
ing received three wounds in a few minutes. His
right leg was so mangled above the knee that it
was subsequently amputated, but before it re
ceived any attention Mr. Fisher lay for four days
and nights among the dead and dying, without a

1076

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

particle of food and with no shelter from the
elements. A heavy rain fell, and the bodies of
the living and the dead were partially immersed
in water as they lay upon the field unattended.
When assistance came Mr. Fisher, with others,
was taken by sea to an island in New York har
bor, and, a fever having already set in, he lay in
a hospital there for some time. On September
3, 1864, he arrived at his old home, but on the
3rd of December following he went to Philadel
phia to receive treatment. After spending sev
eral months in various soldiers' hospitals, he was
sent, in April, 1865, to Chester Hospital, where
there were at the time fifteen hundred soldiers
with but one leg each. The man in charge of
the place fed these disabled heroes of the war on
mush and molasses for two weeks after Mr. Fish
er's arrival, and then the patients rebelled and
petitioned the higher authorities for better fare,
which they immediately received.
A pension was granted Mr. Fisher soon after
the close of the war, and this was afterward in
creased to $45 per month. He has not been able
to follow any particular occupation, but his abil
ity and fidelity have been called into use at vari
ous times by his fellow citizens, who elected him
jury commissioner in 1881 for a term of three
years, and county treasurer in 1891 for a similar
term. He has been a member of the school
board of Selins Grove for three years, and has
served five years as city tax collector. He is a
stanch Republican in politics, and takes an act
ive part in religious work as a member of the
Reformed Church. He is a member of Capt. C.
S. Davis Post No. 148, G. A. R.
In 1870 Mr. Fisher was married to Miss Alice
Amelia Huffman, a native of Monroe township,
Snyder county, born August 22, 1850. They
have one son, Charles, now a fireman on the
Pennsylvania railway, who married Miss Maud
Jarrett, and has a daughter, Myra Alice.

ftON. SAMUEL A. WETZEL, president of
the Beavertown Mutual Fire Insurance
Company, and ex-Associate Judge of Snyder
county, is one of the leading citizens of his lo
cality. He is noted for that most uncommon
quality, sound common sense, his advice be
ing sought on various matters both in politics
and business. The Wetzel family has been
identified with this State for several genera
tions, and our subject's grandfather, Philip Wet
zel, came to this section from one of the lower
counties at a very early day, and spent his re
maining years here and in Middleburg, following
the carpenter's trade. He had four sons: John,

Levi, Daniel and Samuel; and three daughters:
Nancy, Mary, and Sally, who is now the widow
of John Smelker, of Mifflin county.
John Wetzel, our subject's father, was the
eldest child of his parents, and was born Febru
ary 10, 181 5. He learned the carpenter's trade
with his father, being set to work at a very early
age, and receiving but very little education. In
1839 he married Lydia Aigler, who was born
April 12, 1822, in Beaver township, Union
county, Penn., the daughter of Jacob and Esther
(Klose) Aigler. After his marriage he engaged
in business for himself, doing contract work and
building many houses and barns. During the
winter seasons he would work at the cabinet
maker's trade, as furniture was manufactured in
those days in small shops, and being a good
mechanic his services were always in demand.
He was a small man, but, although he could never
be called robust, he did much hard work in his
life, and left a comfortable competence as a re
sult of his labors. During 1864 he removed to.
St. Joseph county, Mich. , and remained a few
months, but with the exception of this time he
made his home throughout his married life in
Beavertown, upon the same lot now occupied
by our subject. In early years he was a stanch
Whig in politics, and later was an equally ear
nest supporter of the Republican party; but al
though he was a regular voter he never seemed
especially desirous of public office. He was a
justice of the peace for a number of years, but
finally declined to serve longer. He died at the
age of seventy-six years, and was buried in Union
cemetery of Beavertown; his widow, a most
estimable lady, still resides at the old home.
Our subject was the eldest of nine children;.
Amelia, who married Isaac Boush, died in Bea
vertown leaving one son, James C. , now an ex
pert telegrapher at Pittsburg, Penn. ; Jacob is a
shoemaker at Beavertown; John P., is a farmer
in Beaver township, Snyder county; Ellen
married Robert Beaver, of Beavertown; Will
iam A. is a resident >of the same place; Ade
line married Jacob H. Bingaman, of Beaver
town ; Charles L. , also a resident of Beavertown,
is a justice of the peace and county surveyor;
James D., also of Beavertown, is a carpenter by
occupation. Mr. Wetzel was born March 14, 1840, in
Beavertown, and attended school near the old
home, his first teacher being Solomon Engle,
formerly a justice of the peace. His opportun
ities were decidedly inferior to those afforded in
the schools of to-day, and his active mind was not
satisfied by the limited course afforded. After
leaving school he prepared himself for teaching

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1077

by private study, and after his marriage he taught
for two terms at twenty-two dollars per month.
The scanty returns of this occupation discouraged
him, and he engaged in the carpenter's trade; he
also clerked two years for Moses Specht in Beav
ertown, and for ten years worked in his foundry
and machine shop, where plows, corn shellers,
threshing machines, and implements of various
kinds were manufactured. In 1864 he enlisted in
Company I, 184th P. V. I. , which was attached to
the Second Army Corps. He remained with the
regiment until January, 1865, when he was taken
ill and sent to the hospital at City Point, Va.
He saw some severe fighting around Petersburg
previous to his illness, and on returning to his
regiment in February, 1865, he joined in the
operations around Richmond, being at Appo
mattox at the time of Lee's surrender. Then
came the Grand Review at Washington, after
which he was discharged and returned to Beaver
town. In politics he is a Republican, and he has
served as township auditor and as county auditor
for one term. In 1867 he was elected justice of
the peace, and he served in that office until 1883,
when he resigned because of his election as As
sociate Judge of Snyder county. He served in
this important position for two terms, and since
his retirement his knowledge of law and his sound
judgment have been called into play at different
times, as he has often been asked to act as admin
istrator, executor, guardian and arbitrator. He
owns several lots in Beavertown and a small
farm in the same township, and has an interest
in various business enterprises, being one of the
founders of the Beavertown Mutual Fire Insur
ance Company, incorporated in 1879, of which
he has been the president ever since its organiza
tion. The old homestead, which has now been in
the family for more than sixty years, has been
remodeled by him, and he has also erected a fine
office building on the place.
In 1863 he was married in Beavertown to
Miss Emma Smith, a daughter of Adam and
Mary (Specht) Smith. They have had eight
children, of whom five are living: (1) Mary L.
married James M. Kline, of Beavertown, and has
two children, Libbie and Emma. (2) Jane A.
married S. L. Freed, of Beavertown, and has
one son, Edwin R. (3) Palmer E. died at
twenty-two years of age, at the beginning of
what seemed a promising career. (4) Libbie A.
married William M. Specht, of Beavertown.
(5) Miss Gertrude E. is at home. (6) Charles
S. and (7) John A. were twins; the former died
at the age of eight years, and the latter is now
at home. (8) Katie E. died at the age of three

years. Mr. Wetzel is prominent in Church
work, and he and his wife both belong to the
Reformed Church at Beavertown, in which he
has held office as deacon, and is now serving as
treasurer. He is a member of W. H. Byers
Post No. 612, G. A. R. , at Adamsburg, and was
once an active Mason, and an Odd Fellow dur
ing the existence of that order in Beavertown.
On July 22, 1897, President McKinley, in recog
nition of his worth as a citizen and his firm ad
herence to Republican principles, appointed him
postmaster at Beavertown.

JOHN H. WILLIS, of Selins Grove, is one
of the most popular citizens of Snyder
county, twenty-four years of faithful service in
the public schools of that section having won the
full confidence of the people. At present he
holds the office of register and recorder of Sny
der county, and his ability, his excellent educa
tion and his unswerving fidelity to duty command
the respect of all parties. He was born June 23,
1 85 1, at Wilmington, Del., and after pursuing a
liberal course of study, he began teaching, which
he abandoned only after nearly a quarter of a
century of successful work. For two years he
remained free from regular business cares, but
in 1897 he was nominated on the Republican
ticket for the office which he now holds. A
nomination by the Republicans is equivalent to
an election in Snyder county, and Mr. Willis well
deserved the honor because of years of faithful
and effective work for the party.
In 1882 Mr. Willis married Miss Lucy Huff
man, a native of Juniata county, Penn., born
October 15, 1853, and six children have blessed
the union: Alice Carey, Angeline, Nevin, Katie,
George W. and Ira. Socially, Mr. Willis and
his wife are prominent, and he is a member of
the Reformed Church, and of several fraternal
associations, including the Patriotic Order Sons
of America and the Masonic fraternity.

JC. SCHOCH, prothonotary of Snyder coun
ty, is a man who is held in high esteem by
his fellow-citizens, his sterling qualities of
character making him entirely worthy of confi
dence. He has an honorable war record, and
his reputation as a successful agriculturist shows
that in the " piping times of peace " he has used
his energies to good account. He belongs to a
well-known pioneer family, his great-grandfather,
Matthew Schoch, having settled at an early date
at the site of the present village of Kreamer,
Snyder county. Matthew Schoch was born De-

1078

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

cember 16, 1738, at Muhlhausen, Germany, and
came to America in 1752, his labor for a term
of years after his arrival going to pay for his
passage. Landing at Philadelphia, he remained
in that vicinity while fulfilled the terms of his
contract, and then he located in Northampton
county, Penn., near Tulpehocken. Later he ac
companied Conrad Weizer, the noted Indian
agent, to this section, and purchased a large tract
of land where Kreamer now stands. He died
in 1812 leaving eleven children, among whom
was a son Jacob, our subject's grandfather, who
followed the blacksmith's trade for a time in early
manhood, and in 1822 built the first house in
Kreamer, where he spent his remaining years as
a farmer and hotel keeper. He married a
Quaker lady named Hendricks, and had thirteen
children, of whom the following lived to adult
age: George, Michael, Jacob, Samuel, David,
John A., Benjamin, Catherine, Elizabeth, Mar
garet and Angeline.
John A. Schoch, our subject's father, was
born at the old homestead near Kreamer, Janu
ary 5, 1808. He was married in 1830 to Miss
Lydia Houtz, and for six years they made their
home at the old stone hotel. In 1836 he sold
the place and bought a farm near Middleburg
where he resided until his death in 1863. Thor
oughly progressive in his ideas, he did much to
advance the best interests of his locality; early
in the forties he donated land upon which to
build the first public school house in Snyder
county, and his zeal for the cause of educa
tion never slackened; throughout his life he
sought to elevate the standard of the local
schools by securing the best teachers at good
wages. His estimable wife, who was born at
Selins Grove, October 17, 181 2, is now residing
in that city. She is a lady of high character
and unusual mental ability, and in 1846 she or
ganized the first Sabbath-school ever established
in that county. Of their children, the eldest,
F. J. , is a retired merchant at Selins Grove ; Eliza
beth is the wife of John M. Smith, of Nebraska;
David A. resides at Orangeville, 111. ; Katie mar
ried Jerry Crouse, of Middleburg; John Calvin,
our subject, is mentioned more fully below; A.
Z., is a merchant at Bloomsburg, Penn.; Silas
H. died at the age of twenty-two; Ira C. is a
resident of Selins Grove; Celestia died in infancy;
H. Harvey resides at Selins Grove; George H.,
deceased, was the eleventh in order of birth; Ada,
widow of Dr. S. A. Kempfer, resides at Selins
Grove. The subject of our sketch first saw the light
October 15, 1842, in Franklin township, Snyder
county, and was reared upon a farm. His edu

cation was begun in the district schools near his
home, and he afterward attended the academies
at New Berlin and Selins Grove. In 1862 he
enlisted for nine months in Company F, 131st
P. V. I. , and went to the seat of war, where he
took part in a number of important engagements,
including the battles of Antietam and Chancel
lorsville. He was discharged at the end of nine
months and twenty-one days of service, and, re
turning home, he resumed the work of farming.
In 1864 he took charge of the homestead, which
he continued to operate until 1892, doing general
agricultural work. At present he is the .owner of
the homestead farm, superintending the cultiva
tion of it himself. In November, 1892, he was
elected to the office of prothonotary, and since
February 1, 1893, he has held that position,
having been re-elected in 1895. He is a stanch
Republican, one of the chief advisers of the party
in his locality, and as an official his ability and
fidelity have won praise from all classes, irre
spective of political affiliations.
On December 1, 1864, he married Miss Mar
garet Hassinger, a native of Snyder county, born
October 12, 1842. Three children have blessed
this union: (i)CbydeA_jn^rrie^Alhe^_Kk3se,
of Beaver township, Snyder county, and they
have~mie~sTrfi7TLarry Jareek. — fa)— Anna L. mar-
riedCharles S^tn^-arrd-had one child, Annie L.,
who died in 1896. (3) Naomi M. married J. E.
Stahlnecker, of Middleburg.

C!,HARLES HOWER, of Selins Grove, is now
_' the senior member of the Bar of Snyder
county, and his long and successful legal career
has gained for him a reputation extending far
beyond local bounds. He is frequently retained
in important cases in various parts of the State,
but in most cases of note in his own county he
has taken part on one side or the other. For
many years he was also solicitor for the Sunbury
& Lewistown Railroad Company under the man
agement of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company.
Mr. Hower is of German descent remotely, and
was born February 18, 1832, on the old Hower
homestead, called Howerton, in Allen township,
Northampton county, Penn. This place has
now been in the possession of the family for
more than a hundred and fifty years, a recent
owner being George Hower, an uncle of our sub
ject, who died several years ago at the age of
eighty-seven years. Frederick Hower, our sub
ject's great-grandfather, a native of Baden, Ger
many, came to America with his parents when
only eight years of age. His son, John Nicho
las, the grandfather of our subject, and Eliza-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1079

beth Dreisbach always resided at the old home
stead in Northampton county. Jacob Hower,
our subject's father, who was born at the same
place April i, 1793, and Miss Mary Morden,
daughter of George Morden, a Quaker, who
came from England at an early age with his
parents, and resided at Belvidere, New Jersey.
Jacob Hower died May 9, 1864, and his wife De
cember 27, 1865, the remains of both being in
terred at Mifflintown, Juniata county.
The early education of our subject was ob
tained in the common school near his home, and
at the McEwensville Academy, Northumberland
county. When not engaged in study he devoted
his time to farm work, assisting his father as his
years and strength permitted, thus developing a
fine physique which has enabled him to pass
through the arduous toil of professional life with
ease. At nineteen he left home to seek his for
tune, and for three years he taught school, first
in Delaware and Chillisquaque townships, North
umberland county, and then in Liberty township,
Montour county, in order to secure the means to
study law, for which both inclination and talent
fitted h'im. In 185 1 he began his preparation in
the office of William C. Lawson, Esq., a promi
nent attorney at Milton, and later he pursued a
course in the Easton Law School under Judge
Green, now a judge in the Supreme Court of
Pennsylvania, and Judge McCartney, another
noted jurist. In November, 1854, he was ad
mitted to the Bar of Northumberland county,
Hon. George F. Miller, Hon. Joseph Casey and
Henry Donnel, Esq., constituting the examining
committee. April 3, 1855, after Snyder county
was organized, he located at Selins Grove, where
he has ever since been engaged in active practice.
In 1858 he was elected district attorney of Snyder
county by an unusually large majority, and this
office he filled acceptably for three years. His
professional work has always held the first place
with him, and he has repeatedly refused to enter
upon a political career. In 1882 when the Re
publicans of his county instructed their delegates
to the State Convention to support him for the
nomination for judge of the Supreme Court, he
declined to allow his name to be brought before the
convention. This position is usually considered
one of the greatest honors that can fall to a
practitioner, and had he desired the place he
would have had a strong following, Colonel David
Taggart, the senatorial delegate, and a goodly
number of other delegates outside of his county
favoring his nomination. Among the celebrated
cases in which Mr. Hower has been engaged was
the trial of Israel Erb, Emanuel Ettinger, and
Urich and Jonathan Moyer, for the murder of an

elderly couple named John and Gretchen Kintz-
ler. The victims lived in Adams township, Sny
der county, and the crime was committed on the
night of December 8, 1877, their dwelling being
afterward burned and the bodies consumed in the
flames. Suspicion fell upon the four men men
tioned, all of whom resided within four miles of
the Kintzler homestead. The county commis
sioners decided to investigate the matter and
asked Mr. Hower to act as counsel, which he
agreed to do on condition that he could first as
sure himself that the suspected parties were
guilty. His careful inquiries convinced him that
they were, and he accordingly advised their arrest
and assisted in the prosecution. All were con
victed of murder in the first degree. Ettinger
afterward committed suicide in jail; the two
Moyers, who confessed their guilt after convic
tion, were executed; and the sentence of Israel
Erb was commuted by the Pennsylvania Board
of Pardons to imprisonment for life in the peni
tentiary. These were the first and only persons
ever convicted of murder in the county.
Mr. Hower enlisted in October, 1862, in the
i72dP. V. I. with the rank of first lieutenant,
and served as a quartermaster for some time.
In 1 864 he became a member of the board of en
rollment of the Fourteenth District of Pennsyl
vania. On December 26, 1854, Mr. Hower was
united in marriage with Miss Amanda Nicholas,
of Northumberland county, who passed to the
unseen life October 14, 1858, her mortal re
mains being laid to rest in the Lutheran Ceme-
tary at Selins Grove. Mr. Hower formed a sec
ond matrimonial union on September 1, 1859,
with Miss Rebecca Shriner, daughter of Daniel
Shriner, of Mifflinburg, Union county, who, in
his declining years, made his home with our
subject; he died June 1, 1886, at the age of
ninety-three years. One of the early recollec
tions of this, venerable man was the sight of the
famous Dr. Joseph Priestley, who arrived in
Northumberland county from England about
1793, the year of Mr. Shriner's birth, and died in
1804. Mr. Hower has two children, both by his
first marriage. Mary Alice, born October 2,
1855, married Wm. Field Shay, Esq., of Wat
sontown, Pennsylvania, and Asher Morden,
born September 17, 1857, married and resides
at Selins Grove.

WH. RIEGEL, treasurer of Snyder coun
ty, is a man whose sterling qualities of
character are widely recognized. In business life

1080

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

he has shown the enterprise and sound judgment
which the world is always inclined to admire, and
as a citizen he is progressive and public-spirited,
taking a leading part in the various movements
that tend to promote the welfare of the commu
nity. Mr. Riegel was born May 21, 1857, in West
Beaver township, Snyder county, and has been
a lifelong resident of the county. John Riegel,
the grandfather of our subject, was a native of
Pennsylvania, and became a successful farmer of
Franklin township, Snyder county, where he
died at an advanced age. He married Miss Cath
erine Bingaman, and their son Peter, our sub
ject's father, was born October 27, 1824, at
Beaver Furnace, but is now residing near Middle
Creek, Snyder county, upon a farm. In early
years he learned the chair maker's trade, but for
thirty-five years past he has been engaged in
agricultural work. In politics he is a stanch Re
publican, and while he does not take an active
part in public life he is a man of influence in his
locality. His estimable wife, whose maiden
name was Matilda Middleswarth, was born in
1827, at Beavertown, Snyder county, a daughter
of Hon. Ner Middleswarth, who was at one time
a leading politician of this section, serving one
term in Congress and thirteen terms as a mem
ber of the State Legislature. Of the ten children
born to Peter and Matilda Riegel, the first three,
Ephraim, Angeline and Jane, died in their youth.
Amanda married A. A. Ulsh, of Middlecreek,
Snyder county; W. H., our subject, is mentioned
more fully below; P. F. is a fire insurance agent
at Beaver Springs, Snyder county; Harriet mar
ried J. F. Yetter, of Decatur, Mifflin county,
Penn. ; Jacob W. resides near Lewistown, Penn. ;
John M. is a resident of Middlecreek, Spring
township; and Howard resides at Middlecreek,
Spring township, Snyder county.
The boyhood of our subject was spent in
Beaver township, Snyder county (now Spring
township), where he received a district-school
education, and learned the brick layer's trade.
For some time he followed farming, but in 1883
he located at Adamsburg, and has since been act
ively engaged in his trade, although he still pays
some attention to agricultural pursuits. On No
vember 3, 1896, he was elected county treasurer,
and on the first Monday in January, 1897, he
assumed the duties of the office. On April 1,
1897, he removed his family to Middleburg, and
he is already thoroughly identified with the best
interests of the place — business, social and re
ligious. On December 31, 1876, he married Miss Mary
A. Maurer, of Beaver township, Snyder county,

and one daughter, Elsie, brightens their home.
Mr. Riegel is a member of the Reformed Church
and of the Patriotic Order Sons of America.

EDWARD BASSLER (deceased) was one
of Snyder county's most successful busi
ness men, having been engaged for nearly
half a century in mercantile pursuits at Selins
Grove and Freeburg. In social, political and
religious activities he was no less prominent,
and although he had lived in retirement for
some years previous to his death, the news of
his final departure from earthly scenes on No
vember 23, 1895, caused profound grief among
a wide circle of acquaintances.
Mr. Bassler was born January 19, 18 16, at
Selins Grove, the son of John Bassler, an old-
time tavern keeper, and his wife, Catherine
Weiser, who was a descendant of the famous
pioneer, Conrad Weiser. This worthy couple had
eight children: (1) Lucy, married (first) Samuel
Hackenburg, (second) a Mr. Walter, and (third)
a Mr. Newman. She died in Wabash, Ind., in
1894, aged eighty-eight years. (2) Maria, widow
of George Gundrum, lives in Philadelphia, and is
now nearly ninety years old. (3) John W. (de
ceased) was formerly a partner of our subject in
Selins Grove, but later he became a merchant at
Sunbury, Penn. (4) Edward, our subject, is
mentioned more fully farther on. (5) Sarah,
who was a physician, married Henry App, and
died near Bristol, Ind. (6) Simon J. joined the
regular army in the West, and all trace of him
has been lost.
Our subject had but meager educational op
portunities, and at an early age began to learn
the stone mason's trade. He followed this for
some time, and during the construction of the
canal he was employed on the stone work. When
that great water-way was completed he began
his mercantile career, having saved about $1,000
by close economy. The canal added new life to
business at Selins Grove, and of this he took ad
vantage. In partnership with his brother John,
he opened a small general store about 1841, the
venture proving a success from the start, although
their capital was limited, our subject furnishing
the major portion. Their location was after
ward changed, and at one time they conducted a
business opposite the site of the First Lutheran
Church. On December 27, 1848, Mr. Bassler was
married to Miss Catherine A. Boyer, of Free
burg, Rev. J. G. Erlenmeyer officiating, and this
union proved a most fortunate one. As Mr.

&M

euu

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1081

Bassler was in business in Selins Grove at the
time of his marriage, he continued to reside there
until the ague seized his wife, when a new home
was made in Freeburg. This was intended to
be temporary, but became permanent, as Mrs.
Bassler's health was much better in Freeburg,
and in 1850 our subject engaged in mercantile
business there in partnership with his father-in-
law. Later he was appointed postmaster, and
served creditably for several years. In 1885 he
retired from active business, and his son, J. C.
W. Bassler, succeeded him, with Milton Strayer
as a partner. This ended a continuous career in
the mercantile business of forty-six years, eleven
years in his native town and thirty-five years in
Freeburg. He had built one of the best houses
in the county in connection with his business
establishment, and after his retirement he con
tinued to look after his extensive financial in
terests and other matters. On March 8, 1881,
he became a director in the First National Bank
at Selins Grove, which position he held until his
death, and he was for many years a trustee of
Freeburg Academy. His estate was valued at
more than $126,000, and in all his years of busi
ness he kept absolutely free from litigation. In
later years he loaned money extensively, and
many a poor man retained his home through his
leniency. He was a stanch Democrat, and,
while he never let politics interfere with busi
ness, he took keen interest in the success of his
party. In 1880 he was Snyder county's choice
for Congress, but at the convention he withdrew
in favor of R. Milton Speer, of Huntingdon
county. For many years he was an active mem
ber of the I. O. O. F., having joined the lodge
in Selins Grove. On May 2, 1833, he was
received into membership in the Reformed Church
at Selins Grove, being baptized by Rev. Daniel
Weiser. Mr. Bassler was noted for his sociability, and
he was a congenial companion. Always a lover
of music, he found great pleasure in having his
children sing and play, and no place seemed as
attractive to him as his home. His favorite
hymns were ' ' There is a Reaper whose Name is
Death," and "Nearer, My God, to Thee," and
the latter was sung at his funeral at his request.
The text for his funeral sermon was also selected
by him from Revelations, xiv, 13: "And I heard
a voice from Heaven saying unto me, write,
Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from
henceforth; yea, saith the Spirit, that they may
rest from their labors; and their works do follow
them." He suffered much for three years before
his death, and expressed at times a desire
to depart and be at rest. To his faithful

wife, who survives him, he often expressed his
gratitude for her continual devotion to him.
Their family consisted of two sons: (1) Ed
ward B. died February 22, 1892, and was buried
at Freeburg. He left four children — William
L. married Miss Emma J. Arnold, has one daugh
ter, Katharine A., who was born August 24, 1897,
and resides in Freeburg; Katy F. (a twin of
William) died in Philadelphia, unmarried. She
was a most popular young lady, beloved by all
who knew her. Blanch A. married Milton H.
Gasser, of Cleveland, Ohio, and has two sons —
Raymond, born September 25, 1894, and Milton
Leonard, born December 3, 1897. Charles W.
is a resident of Cleveland, Ohio. (2) J. C.
W. , of Freeburg, Penn. (single), is one of the
substantial citizens of that town, and lives with
his mother. Mrs. Bassler is a lady of refinement and
culture, possessing marked social gifts, and her
home bespeaks her artistic tastes by scrupulous
neatness and order. She was born at Freeburg,
November 19, 1827, and is a member of a well-
known family, her grandfather, Philip Boyer,
having been a prominent resident in his day.
He was born July 3, 1746, and died at Freeburg,
March 24, 1832. He was twice married, his sec
ond wife, Catherine Paul (widow of Henry Paul),
being Mrs. Bassler's grandmother. This estimable
lady was born January 29, 1762, and died January
8, 1835, her remains being interred beside those
of her husband at Freeburg. Isaac Boyer, Mrs.
Bassler's father, was born June 27, 1805, came
to Freeburg with his parents in boyhood, and,
after attending the subscription schools of that
time, he learned the tanner's trade. At one time
he owned the old " Boyer Tannery," which had
been purchased by his father in 18 15, but-later
he sold this property and engaged in mercantile
business near by, in partnership with Andrew
Roush. Afterward the firm removed to what is
known as Bassler's Corner, in Freeburg, where
Mr. Bassler built a store room and residence.
After a time he became the sole owner of the
business, and continued for several years, and his
next partner was his son-in-law. Edward Bassler,
the firm continuing until the death of Mr. Boyer,
on October 10, 1870. He was a tall, stately
man, over six feet in height, but, although ap
parently healthy, he died very suddenly while
going across the street for water, at seven o'clock
in the evening. While he was notably success
ful in business he was a generous man, contrib
uting liberally to every worthy cause. He was
especially active in religious work as a member
of the Lutheran Church at Freeburg, in which he
served for years as elder and trustee. In politics

1082

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

he was a stanch Republican. In 1824 he was
married in Freeburg to Miss Barbara Strayer,
who was born August 3, 1799, near Kantz, in
what is now Snyder county, but was then North
umberland. She was a daughter of Matthias
Strayer and his first wife, who was a Weiand,
and was the youngest of eight children. Through
out her life she was noted for her kindly nature,
.and in her domestic affairs she was a model of
exactness and neatness. Among her generous
gifts to the Lutheran Church of Freeburg maybe
mentioned the pipe-organ and a complete com
munion set. On the last Christmas that she
spent on earth she purchased one hundred and
twenty baskets for the infant class in the Sab
bath-school, and these happy children visited her
home to express their thanks. She looked out
from the window of her chamber with tearful
eyes upon them as they held their beautiful gifts
in their hands, and sang for her one of their sweet
hymns. Her death occurred on January 21,
1882, and she was buried beside her husband in
the Lutheran cemetery at Freeburg. Isaac and
Barbara Strayer had four children: Mrs. Bassler;
Mary A., born December 7, 1829, died July 20,
1833; Araminda, who died December 31, 1839,
aged seven years, seven months and eleven days;
and Emma J., widow of John Weist, now a resi
dent of Freeburg, where she is highly respected
for her mental gifts and amiable character.

F

J. WAGENSELLER, M. D. The family
of which this successful physician of Selins
Grove is a representative has furnished many
able workers to the medical profession, and he
displays in full measure the qualities which that
noble but arduous calling demands.
Dr. Wagenseller was born October 8, 1855,
at Selins Grove, where he received his literary
education, attending first the public schools, and
later the Susquehanna University, from which he
was graduated in 1875. He then took a course in
medicine in the University of Pennsylvania, re
ceiving the degree of M. D. in 1878, and on
returning home he immediately engaged in prac
tice. His success has been most gratifying, a
large and lucrative practice rewarding his de
votion to his work. Not only does he command
the confidence of the "laity," but he stands well
among his professional brethren, and is a promi
nent member of the Snyder County Medical
Society, and at present is serving as its president.
His business absorbs his time, and while he is a
strong Republican in principle he has never given
especial attention to political movements. He
has been a member of the town council continu

ously since 1883, always being re-elected with
good majorities; is now acting as president of
that body.
In December, 1879, Dr. Wagenseller was
married to Miss Mary L. Keely, a native of Selins
Grove, born February 8, 1857, and two children
—Harry and Florence — bless the union. The
Doctor and his wife belong to the Lutheran
Church at Selins Grove, and take a sympathetic
interest in all lines of moral and religious ad
vancement. The Wagenseller family is of German origin,
the head of the American branch, John Wagen
seller, born in 1737, having crossed the ocean
when a young man and settled in Montgomery
county, Penn. He was still " heart whole and
fancy free " it seems, as he was married after his
arrival to a Miss Margaret Hornetter. His death
occurred September 29, 1799, at Goshenhoppen,
Montgomery county, Penn. He had eight chil
dren, among whom was a son Peter, our sub
ject's great-grandfather, who was born in Sep
tember, 1774, in Montgomery county, and died
June 14, 1835, at Columbus, Ohio, leaving a
widow. He was married to Susan Longacre,
also a native of Montgomery county. His widow
died at Pekin, 111., April 29, 1862. Her father,
Jacob Longacre, who married a Miss De Franc,
was born in Germany in 1756, and died in Ches
ter county, Penn., in 1807. Peter and Susan
Wagenseller had ten children, all born in Mont
gomery county: Jacob, our subject's grandfather;
John, born December 17, 1802, died in Ohio in
January, 1845; Catherine, born in November,
1804, died in Ohio in 1838; Hannah, born April
25, 1807, died October 8, 1855; Benjamin, born
in November, 1809, died at Pekin, 111., in March,
1844; Joshua, born July 5, 1813, died at the
same place about 1883; Peter, born July 16,
181 5, deceased; William F., born November 13,
181 7, died August 10, 1876; Susan, born in May,
1820, deceased; and Henry, born in April, 1826,
deceased. Dr. Jacob Wagenseller was born January 22,
1 80 1, and died at Selins Grove, April 27, 1847.
He was a man of much intelligence, a graduate
of the University of Pennsylvania, and held a
prominent place in his day and generation. He
married Mary Richter, whose father, Peter Rich
ter, was one of the leading citizens of Selins
Grove. The children of this union were: Peter
Richter, father of our subject; Sarah married J.
B. Evans, of Chester county; Mary married
Rev. Franklin Gearhart, of Williamsport; Cath
arine died at an early age; Benjamin F. , a phy
sician at Selins Grove; Lydia Catherine, who
died in 1858, was the wife of William Holman,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1083

of Chester Springs, Penn.; John J., who resides
at Bloomsburg, married (first) Miss Mary Willier,
now deceased, and (second) Miss Clara Hughes.
Dr. Peter Richter Wagenseller was born
at Selins Grove, December 8, 1829, and died Au
gust 18, 1873. In his youth he attended the pub
lic 6chools in the vicinity of his home, and
proved himself a thorough student, thoughtful
and earnest. At the age of sixteen he entered
the preparatory department of the Pennsylvania
College, at Gettysburg, and was graduated in
1852. During his college career he began the
study of medicine under the wise and able guidance
of Dr. Henry Huber, and on graduating at the col
lege entered the medical department of Pennsyl
vania College at Philadelphia, receiving the de
gree of M. D., in 1853. He practiced at Selins
Grove, and soon became one of the best. known
of the skillful physicians of the county. He
was progressive in his ideas, and kept apace with
all the improvements of modern science. On
July 19, 1854, he wedded Catherine Chritzman,
daughter of George and Mary (Ulrich) Chritz
man, of Gettysburg. This union was blessed
with children as follows: Franklin J., oursubject;
George C, who married Miss Lydia Schoch,
and is now in the drug business at Selins Grove;
Alberta, who married Dr. B. F. Emerick, of Car
lisle, Penn. ; and Annie E.-, who married J. Al
fred Strohm, of Newville, Penn. The father of
this family was prominent in public affairs; in
1864 he was examining surgeon of the enrollment
board of the 14th District of Pennsylvania; after
ward became examining physician on pensions.
He took a deep interest in educational matters,
serving as school director and also as director of
the Susquehanna College; at the last named in
stitution he was lecturer of physiology and hy
giene. At different times he was a member of
the town council, and was also chief burgess of
the borough. In his religious belief he was
a member of and an officer in the Lutheran
Church. He faithfully discharged his duties in
every walk of life, and his early death at the age
of forty-three, seemed to cut short a career that
would have been of inestimable good to the com
munity.

DOMER G. SMITH, M. D.., of Freeburg, who
occupies a leading position among the rep
resentatives of the medical fraternity in Snyder
county, is descended from one of the oldest and
most highly respected families of Penn's Valley,
Centre county. His father, Joseph Smith, was
born in what is now Penn township, that county,
April 8, 1826, a son of Francis and Anna M.

(Kuhns) Smith. The former was born in Dau
phin county, Penn., October 3, 1801, and was a
son of Francis Smith, a native of Ireland and of
Scotch-Irish lineage. He was a cooper by trade,
and in the early part of the 19th century removed
to Penn's Valley, settling near Millheim. He died
when more than seventy years of age, and was
buried at Aaronsburg. During the last ten years
of his life he was not able to walk, being crip
pled by rheumatism. His wife, Ellen Smith,
was a native of Scotland. They had six chil
dren: Robert, who died near Millheim, was a
mason by trade and served as justice of the
peace and county commissioner for some years;
Joseph, who died near Millheim, was a cooper;
Francis was the grandfather of our subject; Han
nah became the wife of John Straub, and died in
Millheim; William, a wagon maker, died at War
riors Mark, Huntingdon county; John, a mason,
died near Millheim. He was a Democrat in pol
itics, and represented his party in the State Leg
islature. Francis Smith, grandfather of our subject,
accompanied his parents from Dauphin county to
Middle Creek, Snyder county, and afterward
went with them to Buffalo Valley. Subsequently
he came to Penn's Valley, where he married
Anna Kuhns, who was born July 11, 1802. Hav
ing learned the mason's trade, he followed that
pursuit until losing his eyesight. He died at the
age of eighty years, having been blind for eight
een years previously. His wife died at the age
of eighty-five, and both were buried in Heck-
man's cemetery. In politics he was a stanch
Democrat. His children were John, a black
smith, who died at Smithtown; Joseph; Ellen,
wife of John Mayer, of Penn township, Centre
county; William, a wagon maker and farmer,
who died on the old homestead in Penn town
ship; Mary, wife of E. E. Smith, of Penn town
ship; Robert J., a blacksmith, who died in Gregg
township, Centre county; and Jacob, a mer
chant, who died in Potter township, Centre
county. Joseph Smith, father of our subject, was
reared in what is now Penn township, and when
his services were not needed on the home farm
he worked at other pursuits through the neigh
borhood. When seventeen years of age, he began
learning the wagonmaker's trade under Jacob
Hennish, of Brush Valley, serving a two-years' ap
prenticeship. He received no wages, but was per
mitted to work for two weeks in the harvest fields
in order to earn his clothes, and if he extended
this" time he had to give half of his earnings —
twenty-five cents per day — to his master. On
completing his apprenticeship he worked for one

1084

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

month for his uncle, William Smith, at Warrior's
Mark, Penn., and in the fall of 1846 was induced
to move to Condotown, by Jacob Condo, who
built him a shop at that place. He formed a
partnership with that gentleman, and in connec
tion with work at his trade engaged in wagon-
making for ten years. At the expiration of that
period Jacob Condo withdrew and was succeeded
by Jonas Condo, who managed the blacksmith
shop. With the exception of three years spent
on a rented farm in Brush Valley, Joseph Smith
has resided continuously at Penn Hall. For
about forty years he has also followed the under
taking business, beginning that trade when each
undertaker manufactured his own coffins.
On September 27, 1848, Joseph Smith was
married in Centre county to Wilhelmena Schmelt
zer, who was born in Union county, July 1 1 , 1 826,
a daughter of Jacob and Hettie (Eyster) Schmelt
zer. When she was five years old her parents
removed to Brush Valley, Centre county, and she
was reared by her grandfather, Conrad Schmelt
zer. Mr. and Mrs. Smith became the parents of
the following: Margaret A., wife of John H.
Hazel, of Chicago, 111. ; Sylvester, who died in
infancy; Ezra F., of Dakota, 111., for some years
a teacher, but now a carpenter; Eliza, wife of
James Grenable, of Altoona, Penn. ; George, a
hardware merchant of Dakota, 111.; and Domer
G. The father of this family is a stanch Demo
crat, and has served as assessor, overseer and tax
collector in Gregg township, Centre county. He
and his wife are prominent members of the Lu
theran Church, in which he has served as deacon
and elder, and at one time he was an Odd Fellow.
Dr. Smith, whose name begins this sketch,
was born near Madisonburg, Centre county, Au
gust 12, 1866. He obtained his education in
Penn Hall and Spring Mills Academies, entering
the latter institution at the age of thirteen. He
displayed superior mental capacity, and was al
ways in advance of his class. At the age of
eighteen he was qualified to teach school, and
was thus employed in Gregg township, walking
four miles every morning and evening to the
school. In 1885-6 he taught the Texas school
in Millheim, Penn., and during this time began
reading medicine, and continued the study of the
higher branches, reciting Latin and physics every
Saturday to Prof. Hosterman. In the spring of
1887 he passed a highly creditable examination
before the medical examining board of Centre
county, and spent the summer in study in the
office of Dr. F. H. Van Valzah, of Spring Mills,
Penn., and in the fall of 1887 entered the Jeffer
son Medical College of Philadelphia, where he
was graduated in the class of 1890. In the spring

of that year Dr. Smith came to Freeburg, and
soon won a standing not only equal to that of the
old practitioners, but ofttimes surpassing them.
He is the close student of medical works, and
keeps thoroughly abreast with the times in all
the improvements of his profession. He now
has a large and lucrative patronage, and «still
greater successes undoubtedly await him in the
future. On February 11, 1891, Dr. Smith was united
in marriage to Miss Emma Heckman, of Potter
township, Centre county, daughter of William
and Nancy (Rupp) Heckman. He is a member
of the Odd Fellows Society at Freeburg, the
Snyder County Medical Society, and the North
umberland County Medical Society. He is exam
ining surgeon at Freeburg for United States pen
sions, and in 1894, when only twenty-eight years
of age, he was the Democratic candidate of the
1 8th Pennsylvania District for Congress, an honor
which came to him entirely unsolicited. He be
longs to the Lutheran Church, his wife to the
Reformed Church, and they are recognized lead
ers in society circles. He is a very public-spir
ited and progressive citizen, supporting all meas
ures calculated to benefit the community. He is in
reality the instigator and founder of the telephone
enterprise in this county, and it was only through
his unyielding efforts that this enterprise came to
the county, and a company was formed of which
he is a very active member. A man of fine
nature and well disciplined faculties, he is justly
deserving of the unqualified confidence which is
given him.

JOHN HUMMEL (deceased), late a merchant
and prominent business man at Hummel's
Wharf, in Snyder county, was one of the very
successful men of his time and locality.
Born December 16, 18 17, in Monroe town
ship, Snyder Co., Penn., he was the son of Ben
jamin and Catherine (Hilbish) Hummel. The
father, an agriculturist and hotel keeper, was a
was a son of John Hummel, a soldier in the Rev
olutionary war. Our subject was the eldest of four
children, the others being: Amelia, Harry, and
Mary Ann (married a Mr. Biddlespach), all
now deceased. The father of these died in 1865,
and the mother in the following year. John
Hummel a brother of Benjamin, was a soldier in
the war of 1812, serving as a captain. Benjamin
Hummel in his religious views was a Lutheran;
in politics he was first a Whig, then a Republic
an. While he had little education in his young
life, he later acquired by reading, much informa
tion and was well-informed on the leading ques-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1085

tions of the day. He became a man of means,
owning at the time of his death several farms.
John Hummel, the son, on reaching man
hood was married to Miss Hannah Diebert, who
was born in 1821, at, Pottsville, Penn., a daugh
ter of John and Christena (Dewalt) Diebert. To
the marriage of John Hummel and wife were born
ten children: Benjamin F. died in 1865, at the
age of twenty years; Emma A. (Mrs. Casper), of
Selins Grove; Catherine A.; Anna C. (Mrs. H.
U. Kistner); George S. ; John D. ; Stephen D. ;
Edwin M.,now serving in the State Senate; Irvin
D. ; and Harry W. , of Northumberland county;
all are deceased excepting Emma A., Anna C. ,
Edwin M. and Harry W. The father of these
along in the early fifties established Hummel's
Wharf on the river above Selins Grove, where he
was largely engaged in various business enter
prises. He had a general store there, handled
grain, lumber and coal, also operated a sawmill.
He was a business man of rare judgment and
capacity, and was very successful, amassing a for
tune; was worth probably $100,000 at the time of
his death. He served as State Fish Commissioner,
and built the fishway at Columbia, Penn. He
was very fond of hunting and fishing. He was
an extensive dealer in cattle, hogs and sheep.
He was liberal of his means to worthy objects.
Mrs. Anna C. (Hummel) Kistner was born
December 12, 1848, and on September 5, 1871,
was married to Harry U. Kistner, a sketch of
whom appears elsewhere in this volume. At her
father's request, she returned to her home and
cared for him during the two years of invalidism
that preceded his death. Her devotion and lov
ing kindness soothed his last sufferings, and proved
the daughter to have fulfilled a woman's mission
and been indeed a ministering angel.

MO. FISHER. The Fisher family has
_ owned the principal portion of the Isle of
Que since Colonial times, and the successful
young agriculturist whose history is here outlined
is of the fourth generation in direct descent from
the original purchaser of the homestead. The
first of the name to come to America crossed the
ocean from Germany about 17 10, and located
first in New York State, spending a few years at
a point on the Hudson river, and settling at Scho
harie in 171 3. In 1723 he came to Pennsylvania
and established his home in Berks county, where
many of his descendants now reside, and from
which point others have scattered to various por
tions of the United States. Previous to the
Revolutionary war, John Adam Fisher, our sub
ject's great-grandfather, came with his wife Eliz

abeth, to whom he was married April 26, 1768,
and located on the lower end of the Isle of Que.
The Indians were still troublesome, and the mem
bers of the family often found it necessary to flee
to places of safety during outbreaks.
Christian Fisher, the grandfather of our sub
ject, was born June 21, 1771 , and always resided
at the old homestead, following farming as an
occupation. He was a Lutheran in religious
faith. He died when over seventy years of age,
and his remains were interred in the old Lutheran
cemetery at Selins Grove. His first wife died
leaving no children. His second wife, Hannah
Snyder, daughter of Casper Snyder, was a mem
ber of one of the oldest families of this section.
After her death he married her sister Elizabeth.
By both these marriages he had children, his sec
ond wife being the mother of a son, Michael, our
subject's father, who was born at the old home
September 6, 181 3, and passed his life there.
Michael Fisher died April 16, 1867, and. was bur
ied in Union cemetery at Selins Grove. He was
married to Miss Sarah Hoot, a native of Beaver
town, Snyder Co. , Penn. Our subject is the
younger of two children, and the elder, S. Tura,
is now the wife of Charles E. Ehrhart, an at
torney in Hanover, York Co., Penn. Their
mother still resides at the homestead, and is
highly honored by all who know her. She is a
devout member of the old Lutheran Church, to
which her husband also belonged.
M. O. Fisher first saw the light on August
14, 1866, at the homestead on the Isle of Que,
which he now owns, his widowed mother residing
with him. He was reared as a farmer boy, and
his education was begun in what was known as
the Narrows School. After attending the district
school for some time he pursued higher branches
of study in the public schools of Selins Grove.
Since leaving school he has taken complete man
agement of the homestead, and is considered one
of the ablest agriculturists in his vicinity. Al
though very popular socially, he is not married.
In politics he is a stanch Republican, as all the
members of the family have been since the organi
zation of that party.

C\OL. PHILIP HILLBISH. Although he has
'1 now passed his eighth decade, the subject
of this sketch, an honored resident of Selins
Grove, has strength and vigor which many a
younger man might envy. With undiminished
eyesight he can enjoy all the advantages that
leisure affords to a man of literary and artistic
taste, while his remarkable memory preserves for

1086

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

him all the stored-up knowledge that his keen
observation has gained in past years.
He comes of German ancestry, the name,
which was originally Hallowbush, being now
spelled Hillbish, Hillibish, Hallerbush, and in
various other ways. He is of the sixth genera
tion of the family in the United States, tracing
his descent from Christian Hallowbush, who was
born in 1718 in the Palatinate, Germany, and
came to America in 1724, accompanied by his
brother Peter and his widowed mother. They
landed at Philadelphia, and located in Salford
township, Montgomery county, Penn. Peter,
who was born in 1709, died in 1768, leaving five
children: Catherine, Johst, Magdelene, Mar
garet and Anna Maria. Christian died in Mont
gomery county in 1778, and his wife died in the
same year. They had four children: Magde-
lena, Henry, Adam and Peter. Adam Hillbish,
our subject's great-grandfather, was born in
1736, and died in 1824. He had six children:
John Peter, who died at the age of four years;
Peter, Henry, Philipina, Dorotha and John.
Peter Hillbish, the grandfather of our subject,
was born February 2, 1763, and died May 21,
1834. He married Susanna Schnall, who bore
him eleven children: John Henry, who died in
childhood; John, Henry, Polly, Catherine, Peter,
Susanna, Elizabeth, Jacob, Sarah and Daniel.
John Hillbish, our subject's father, was born
February 9, 1789, in Frederick township, Mont
gomery county, and was reared as a farmer boy.
His educational opportunities were much inferior to
those of the present day, and he had but one month
of instruction in English. He was unusually gifted,
however, and became noted for his ability as a
mathematician, being able to calculate rapidly
and accurately by mental process. The greater
part of his life was spent in Freeburg, Snyder
county, where he engaged in milling, tanning
and farming, and also conducted a hotel and
store. In all these lines he was successful, his
business capacity being extraordinary, and he
amassed a handsome fortune for that day. In
his tannery he instructed many young men who
afterward became successful in that business.
Among them was Abraham Schoch, of New Ber
lin, whose descendants have been largely en
gaged in the tanning business. John Hillbish
was the first postmaster at Freeburg, and although
his brothers were of another political faith, he
stood firm and true to Democratic principles.
He was prominent also in religious work as a
member of the Reformed Church. He was mar
ried April 27, 181 3, to Miss Salome Gross, a na
tive of Snyder county, born September 4, 1793.
He died at Freeburg, September 9, 1840, aged

fifty-one years and seven months, and his wife
survived him over twenty years. Her last days
were spent with our subject at McKees Half
Falls, where she died June 19, 1862. She was
a member of an old Snyder county family, and
the daughter of Henry and Phcebe (Havice)
Gross. Our subject was one of seven children,
as follows: (1) John A., born January 1, 1814,
died March 8, 1850, at Liverpool, Perry Co.,
Penn. (2) Philip is mentioned more fully below.
(3) Phoebe, born January 16, 1818, married
John Reifsnyder, and died in Perry county, Feb
ruary 19, 1845. (4) Mary A., born May 28,
1820, married John Swineford, and died in Chi
cago, 111. (5) Daniel J., born September 23,
1824, now deceased, was for many years a lead
ing physician at Rebersburg, Penn. (6) Calvin
G , born August 24, 1830, died at the age of
thirty-one, at our subject's home. He was a
talented man, and achieved distinction as a phy
sician and surgeon. His first preceptor was his
brother Daniel, and he graduated in medicine in
March, 1856, from Dartmouth College. In No
vember, 1856, he was appointed a surgeon in the
United States army as the result of a compet
itive examination, and was ordered to California,
where he remained three years, meanwhile con
tracting a disease from which he died. In
March, 1861, he was surgeon of the garrison at
Fort Pickens, and on its reinforcement he was
ordered to Governor's Island; but the hand of
death was already upon him, and he started for
his old home at Freeburg, but stopped to see his
brother Philip at McKees Half Falls; he lived only
six days, dying August 6, 1861, and his remains
were taken to Freeburg, and interred at the side
of his parents. (7) Sally, born December 6,
1833, is the wife of George Merrill, of Abilene,
Kansas. Col. Hillbish first saw the light November 1 1,
181 5, at the old homestead in Freeburg. He
was educated in the subscription schools of that
day, one of his first teachers being Jessie Teats.
As hejearned rapidly, he secured the personal at
tention of his teachers and pursued his studies
faster than the majority of his fellow students.
In 1828 he was one of a class of three to begin
the study of geography under George Weirick as
instructor. The other members of the class,
which was the first in this branch ever organized
in Snyder county, were George C. Moyer and
Elias R. Menges. Later Col. Hillbish took up
the study of. surveying in company with his
teacher, Jessie Teats, who knew but little more
about it than he, and progressed until he was
able to follow that business. He also spent one
term at Lafayette College, at Easton, Penn. For

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1087

some time he did bookkeeping for his father, and
then went into mercantile business at Liverpool,
Penn., with his brother-in-law, John Reifsnyder.
While there he was married, in 1839, to Miss
Barbara E. Speck, a native of Perry county, and
in 1844 he settled in McKee's Half Falls,
where he continued his mercantile business and
also surveying and conveyancing. In the spring
of 1868 he removed to his present residence at
Selins Grove, and until 1893 was engaged in
surveying, conveyancing and road viewing. He
owns 160 acres of land in Chapman township,
Snyder county, and a hotel property and four
residences at McKees Half Falls. His home at
Selins Grove, with its extensive grounds, cost
twenty thousand dollars, and since taking pos
session he has improved it in many ways. The
view of the Susquehanna is a most charming
one, several miles of wood and water being com
manded from the windows of his residence.
In 185 1 Death entered his home, taking
away his beloved wife, Mrs. Barbara Hillbish,
who was buried at McKees Half Falls. On
January 10, 1854,- he formed a second matrimo
nial union, with Miss Margaret E. Thompson,
who was born January 20, 1834, the daughter of
Samuel and Sarah (Bachman) Thompson, well-
known residents of New Buffalo, Penn., where
she was educated in the local schools. By his
first wife, Col. Hillbish had six children: Benja
min F. , born in February, 1840, died in Sep
tember of the same year; Sarah M., born April
6, 1 84 1, married William C. Thompson, and
died January 22, 1889; Frederick S., born July
6, 1843, is a physician at Fremont, Ohio; Will
iam P., born August 10, 1845, is an attorney at
Sunbury, Penn.; Thomas J., born July 9, 1849,
became a successful physician, and died May 20,
1 88 1, at Green Springs, Ohio, while en route
home from Detroit, Mich.; Barbara E., born
September 6, 1851, lived only twelve days. By
the second marriage there were seven children:
Charles E. , born 6,- 1855, died in infancy; James
H., born March 8, 1857, died at the age of five
years; Philip, Jr., born February 19, 1859, died
August 5, 1893, at Selins Grove; Margaret E.,
born November 22, i860, married N. N. Lech-
ner, who was for thirty years in charge of the
collection department of Aultman, Miller & Co.,
at Akron, Ohio, where he died in 1896; Cordelia
E., born December 18, 1863, is the wife of J. J.
Given, of Charlottesville, Va. ; Samuel F. , born
August 18, 1866, resides at Selins Grove; and
another son died in infancy, unnamed.
The Colonel's extensive business relations
have given him a wide acquaintance, and he is
extremely popular among all classes. He has

always been an ardent Democrat, and was a can
didate for the Legislature from Juniata, Snyder
and Union counties, being defeated by a bare
plurality. For more than thirty years he has
been identified with the Masonic fraternity, and
for seven years he was an officer in the home
militia, serving first as adjutant, and later as
colonel. At one time he was a member of the
Reformed Church, but for some years he has
been connected with the Methodist Church, to
which his wife also belongs, and he has held va
rious offices in that society.

JF. KANAWEL, M. D., a successful physician
of Centerville, Snyder county, enjoys a very
large practice, which extends over a wide
range of territory. His life so far is a striking
illustration of what a young man can do, not
withstanding limited opportunities, when he has
ability united with energy and high purpose.
The Doctor is of German ancestry on the
paternal side, his grandfather, John Kanawel,
having been the first to cross the ocean. John
Kanawel (2), our subject's father, was born and
reared in Reading, Penn., but at the age of
twenty-one removed with his parents to Juniata
county, Penn., where he met and married Miss
Barbara Woods. Her father, Joseph Woods, who
was of Scotch-Irish descent, was a prominent
citizen and a devout member of the Presbyterian
Church. John Kanawel accumulated a fair com
petence, and became quite influential in his com
munity. Although not a politician, he took great
interest in public affairs, and at one time was
elected on the Democratic ticket as county com
missioner of Juniata county. He belonged to
the Masonic order, and was prominent in religious
work as a member of the Presbyterian Church.
His death occurred when he was aged seventy-
four years, and his wife passed away at the age
of fifty-two, their remains being intered at Mc
Alisterville, Penn. They had eight children:
Elizabeth, now Mrs. Jacob Booth, of Lima,
Ohio; Margaret, Mrs. William Davis, of Ord,
Neb. ; J. F., our subject; William, who served as
a soldier in the Civil war, and was wounded at
the battle of Gettysburg, his death occurring
some years later from the effects of his injuries;
George D., a contractor at Lima, Ohio; Joseph
C, a resident of Allen county, Ohio; Henry,
now residing in Iowa; and Luther, a resident of
Philadelphia. Dr. Kanawel was born in Juniata county,
February 4, 1845, and was reared as a farmer-
boy, enduring the hardships incident to that early
time. He began his education at the Mount Pleas-

1088

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ant school house in Fayette township, Juniata
county, and although the methods and appa
ratus were crude he made the best of his oppor
tunities. His father, who was a man of much
intelligence, insisted upon a regular attendance
at school, when other parents of that time were
only too apt to keep their sons out owing to
the pressure of farm work. Our subject pur
sued his studies at McAlisterville Academy
after completing the course offered in the local
schools, and then taught for four terms when he
entered Tuscarora Academy in Academia, Penn. ,
for further study. From his youth he had been
desirous of entering the medical profession, and
his first preceptor was Dr. A. J. Fisher, of Mc
Alisterville. In 1866 he entered the Univer
sity of Pennsylvania, and although his course
was interrupted by the lack of funds, he gradu
ated from the medical department of that insti
tution in 1 871. He found himself $750 in debt,
a somewhat discouraging position considering
the slow returns of the first years of professional
life, but he engaged in practice at Centerville
where he speedily won success. Going there a
stranger where many others had failed, he entered
into competition with several old practitioners.
It was a German section where the language of
the Fatherland was almost exclusively spoken, but
the Doctor has surmounted every difficulty. His
close attention to his professional work has not
prevented him from making some excellent in
vestments. He helped to organize the Farmers'
Bank at Mifflinburg, and the First National Bank
at Middleburg, and is a stockholder in each insti
tution. He owns in one tract 1 56 acres of land
in Centre township, one tract near town con
taining thirteen acres, and also has a fine property
in Centerville upon which he has built a busi
ness block, his office being situated there. His
opinion on financial matters is held in the highest
esteem, as is usually the case with men who have
won large wealth through their own efforts. At
various times he has had students in his office,
and all are now successful practitioners. He is
a member of the Sunbury Board of Pension Ex
aminers, and of the Snyder County Medical Soci
ety, and a permanent member of the State
Medical Society.
He has a fine home in Centerville, built by
himself. On October 12, 1870, he married Miss
Elmira J. Showers, a daughter of George Show
ers, one of Centerville's leading citizens. She
passed to the unseen life November 21, 1894,
her mortal remains being buried in the Center
ville cemetery. Socially the Doctor is very
popular; he is a firm friend to any one whom he
likes, no test of devotion seeming too great.

For many years he has been an active member
of the Lutheran Church, serving fifteen years as
deacon previous to his resignation in 1896.
Politically he is a steadfast Democrat, but he is
not an office seeker, and beyond casting his vote
regularly takes no active share in partisan work.

M. NIPPLE, M. D. A well-known writer,
Samuel Smiles, in his work on "Charac
ter," has said truly that "the authentic picture
of a human being's life and experience ought to
possess an interest greatly beyond that which is
fictitious, inasmuch as it has the charm of reali
ty." In the following modest record of success
ful attainment there is much to inspire as well
as to interest, for, beginning his career without
sufficient funds to gratify his love of scientific
study, the subject of this sketch, now a promi
nent physician of Selins Grove, has made his
own way to a high rank in the medical profes
sion. Dr. Nipple was born June 18, 1838, in New
Buffalo, Perry Co., Penn., where his grandfather,
Frederick Nipple, a native of Lebanon county,
Penn., settled at an early date. This worthy
pioneer followed agricultural pursuits, and at the
advanced age of seventy-five was killed in a rail
road accident. Four children survived him:
John, Henry, Narcisse, and Matilda.
The late Henry Nipple (father of our subject)
was born December 15, 1808, in Perry county,
and passed his life there, his death occurring
June 8, 1890. By occupation he was first a
blacksmith, and later a farmer, and he took much
interest in a quiet way in various local movements,
especially those of a religious nature, being a
member of the Presbyterian Church. In poli
tics he was a Democrat. His wife, whose maiden
name was May Orner, was born in Perry county,
July 3, 1810, and died March 4, 1880. Her fa
ther, Martin Orner, a son of an early settler, was
a lifelong resident of Perry county, and reared
a large family of children, among whom were
Joel, Rebecca and May (Mrs. Nipple). The Doc
tor was one of eight children born to his parents:
Miss Rebecca resides at the old homestead near
Millerstown, in Perry county; H. M. is men
tioned more fully farther on; Frederick is a
farmer of Perry county; John O. is a physician
in Snyder county; Calvin resides at Patterson,
Juniata county; Alfred enlisted from Perry coun
ty in the Union army during the Civil war, and
met a soldier's death in the service; D. Clark is
a physician in Newton Hamilton, Mifflin Co.,
Penn. ; and Miss Mary A. Nipple resides at the
old homestead.

M^/^fy^i j$a/ta

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1089/

Dr. Nipple's youth was spent in Perry coun
ty, and he made the best use of such educational
opportunities as the local schools afforded. He
attended the Normal Institute in that county,
for a time, and then, being thrown upon his
own resources, he began teaching school. He
did not give up his cherished hope of securing
a medical education, and, after six years of work
in the school-room, he was able to take a course
at Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, where
he was graduated in 1862. His first location
was at Andersonville, Perry county, but later he
removed to Fremont, Snyder county, and re
mained thirteen years in successful practice.
Twelve years were then spent at Freeburg', where
he also gained an excellent practice, but, the
fact that Selins Grove offered better educational
privileges for his children, led the Doctor to
locate there in 1887. The Doctor himself has
never lost his keen love of study, every new ad
vance in his own profession arousing his special
interest, and in 1891 he took a post-graduate
course in the medical department of Jefferson
College. In 1892 the honorary degree of A. M.
was conferred on him by the Pennyslvania Col
lege. Aside from his practice he is extensively
engaged in other lines of work, owning several
farms and carrying on a large lumber business,
cutting and logging in the mountains. He also
owns and operates a canning factory. Politic
ally, he is a Republican, and he belongs to vari
ous fraternal orders, including the F. & A. M.,
and the I. O. O. F. , which he joined at the age
of twenty-one. On September 13, 1866, Dr. Nipple was mar
ried to Miss Emma Viola, daughter of Jacob and
Rebecca Schnee, of Fremont, Snyder county.
Mrs. Nipple was born February 7, 1847, near
Fremont. They had three sons and one daugh
ter: Charles W. , born June 8, 1868, died June
10, 1868. Lizzie J., born March 6, 1870, died
March 21, 1870. H. Newton, the older of the
two sons living, was born at Fremont, Penn.,
July 6, 1 87 1. After finishing his academic course
at the Freeburg Academy, he entered the Senior
class of the Selins Grove High School, from which
he was graduated in 1 888. He was the first male
public-school graduate in Snyder county. In 1 89 1
he was graduated from Susquehanna University.
Desiring to continue his studies, he entered
Pennsylvania College, at Gettysburg, Penn., and
received his degree with the class of 1893. He
now began to read medicine with his father, and
entered Jefferson Medical College in 1884, where
he graduated in 1898. William B. was born in
Freeburg, Penn., May 25, 1875. After spending
some time at the Freeburg Academy, he entered

Selins Grove High School, where he was grad
uated in 1892, and he was graduated from Sus
quehanna University in 1897, receiving the de
gree of A. B.

JOSEPH MIDDLESWARTH, a prominent
resident of Beaver township, Snyder county,
has been for many years identified with the
agricultural interests of that locality, and at pres
ent is living in retirement at Beavertown.
He was born in Beaver township April 4,
1838, the son of Judge A. J. Middleswarth, and
grandson of Hon. Ner Middleswarth, his family
being one of the oldest and most influential in
this section. Although he was given the best ed
ucational advantages to be found in the locality,
and attended the schools of Beavertown for some
years, his opportunities were decidedly inferior
to those enjoyed by the boys of to-day under
similar circumstances. Reared upon a farm, he
acquired in youth a thorough knowledge of agri
cultural work, and has always followed that oc
cupation. At the age of twenty-one he left home
and spent a summer working as a farm hand for
Conrad Rearick. In the fall of the same year,
1859, he married his first wife, Miss Sarah Kern,
daughter of Henry Kern, and during the next four
years he was employed upon the farm of his fa
ther-in-law. He then rented a farm in Beaver
township from his father, and remained there
eighteen years, but later moved to a place of his
own in the same township. This is a valuable
farm, containing one hundred and twenty-five
acres of good land, and after residing there some
years Mr. Middleswarth turned the active man
agement over to other hands, and, building a
comfortable home in Beavertown, he settled
there in the fall of 1889 to enjoy a well-deserved
period of leisure.
During the Civil war, when it became neces
sary to enlist more men for the safety of the
Commonwealth, Mr. Middleswarth enlisted June
16, 1863, in Capt. Anthony C. Simpson's Com
pany I, 30th Regiment, Pennsylvania Militia, and
served until July 26, of the same year. On
March 4, 1865, he again enlisted, this time be
coming a member of Company D, 74th P. V. I.,
under Capt. Lewis Miller, and was discharged
at Clarksburg, W. Va., August 29, 1865. He
has always taken keen interest in local affairs, and
is a stanch Republican in politics. While he is
not an office seeker, he has served as overseer of
the poor and school director. In religious work
he is also prominent, and he is a trustee of the
Lutheran Church at Beavertown, of which he
and his wife are both members. At one time he

69*

1090

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

belonged to the Independent Order of Odd Fel
lows. As a citizen he is highly esteemed, his
honesty and good nature winning the regard of
all who know him.
Mr. Middleswarth has been twice married.
His first wife died in March, 1864, her remains
being interred at Beavertown, and on May 21,
1868, he married Miss Amelia Bingaman, who
was born September 7, 1841, the daughter of
Frederick and Mary (Smith) Bingaman, of Beav
ertown. She was the eldest of a family of ten
children — four girls and six boys — and was edu
cated in the common schools of her native place.
A genial disposition, combined with fine mental
qualities, makes her a most excellent helpmeet.
Mr. Middleswarth has had four children. Two
were by the first marriage, viz.: Lawrence H.,
a miner residing in Beaver township, Snyder
county, and Sally, now Mrs. Charles Sampsel,
of Centerville, Penn. ; and by the second union
there were also two, namely: Anna L. , wife of
William Moyer, of Beaver township, and Miss
Alice J., at home.
The Middleswarth family has been prominent
in this section from the earliest times, our sub
ject's great-grandparents, John and Martha Mid
dleswarth, having come from New Jersey in
1792 to locate in the woods near the present site
of Beavertown, then a portion of Northumber
land county. The log house in which they first
made their home has disappeared and the mod
ern structure that has replaced it is now occupied
by a descendant. The pioneers came through
almost unbroken forests, cutting their roads as
they traveled, and crossing rivers without bridges.
As they cleared a homestead they experienced
the hardships of primitive existence, but they also
had an opportunity to enjoy a phase of life which
has now passed away forever. An Indian trail
ran by their door, and at a spring near by friendly
members of that race dressed their game while
on their hunting trips. Our subject's grandfa
ther, Hon. Ner Middleswarth, was but a boy of
ten years when he accompanied his parents to
this section, and growing to manhood amid the
wholesome surroundings of a pioneer home he
developed an unusually strong constitution which
served him well in the arduous duties of later
years. His educational opportunities were of
the scantiest, but by some means he managed to
secure a good knowledge of books as well as of
men and of affairs. When he was thirty-two
years old, the war of 18 12 with Great Britian
commenced. James Madison was President of the United
States, and Simon Snyder was Governor of
Pennsylvania. He raised a company, became

captain, and was attached to the 8th Pennsyl
vania Rifles. In 18 14, he continued in the serv
ice and raised another company, became cap
tain, marched to Marcus Hook, where they were
.stationed awaiting orders to face the enemy.
This action proved J±at he was a true patriot
ready if need be to be offered on the altar of his
country, in order to perpetuate the liberties
which our Revolutionary fathers had transmitted
to them. In 181 5 after the close of the war he
was elected to the Legislature of Pennsylvania,
filling the unexpired term of Dr. Jacob Wagen
seller, who died after serving two years. In
185 1 he was the Whig nominee for Canal Com
missioner of Pennsylvania, and received four
hundred and eighty-seven more votes in Union
county than Gen. Irvin, the nominee for Govern
or. This flattering vote was an evidence of his
popularity among the people who had 'known
him from infancy. The Pennsylvania Canal
was built in 1828 when he was a member of the
Legislature, and was a measure of public improve
ment which he assisted in having established.
The Canal Commissioners were at that time
state officers, and were elected by the votes of
the whole Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, but
this office has since been abolished. The large vote
polled for Mr. Middleswarth for Canal Commis
sioner induced his party in 1852 to nominate
him for State Treasurer. His name was often
mentioned as a suitable person to be elected gov
ernor, and he could have secured the nomination
had he desired it.
In the year of 1853 he was elected a member
of the Thirty-third Congress of the United States,
serving with acceptance the term of two years.
After the formation- of Snyder county in 1855 he
was elected a county auditor with Francis A.
Boyer, Sr. , and Henry W. Snyder, a son of
Governor Snyder, popular and leading men of the
county, serving a full term of five years. In all
he was a public servant for a period of twenty-
seven years, and if we add to this the time he
served in the war it will be about thirty years,
the period allotted to one generation of man.
He was executor, administrator and guardian for
many estates in his locality, which required much
of his time, besides being frequently consulted in
matters of public and private business. His was
a busy life from infancy to youth, from youth to
manhoods from manhood to old age. He was a
fluent speaker in the German and English lan
guages. His appearance and manner would at
tract the attention of those not personally ac
quainted with him, and he would impress a
stranger as being more than an ordinary man.
During his Congressional term he was elected an

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1091

honorary member of a number of literary soci
eties in connection with different colleges and
academies in Pennsylvania. He would always
acknowledge these honors in neatly and properly
worded replies, and he would also forward
useful public documents as contributions to their
libraries. The library in the Freeburg Academy
contains some books which he presented with his
name written therein. He had an extensive cor
respondence with his patrons when he was a mem
ber of Congress, and among the letters preserved
by the family are some from Gov. Porter, Gov.
Curtin, Gov. Miller, of Wisconsin, Judge Walls,
Gov. Pollock, Judge Shindel, Dr. Hottenstein,
Samuel Pawling and many others too numerous
to mention. He married Miss Christiana Swarts-
line, by whom he had twelve children: John,
Mary, ^ Moses, Abner, Aaron J. and Abraham
K. (twins), Merib, Jacob, Martha, Sarah and
Matilda. All of these attained honorable posi
tions in life, and Aaron and Abraham were espe
cially active in military and political affairs.
Hon. Aaron J. Middleswarth, our subject's
father, was born January 22, 181 5, in Beaver
township, Snyder county, and was reared upon a
farm, receiving the ordinary educational priv
ileges of the time. Throughout his life he was
interested in agriculture, being the owner of three
farms in West Beaver and Beaver townships, and
he also had property in Beavertown, where he
spent his last years in retirement. In politics
he was a Republican, and his extensive acquaint
ance in the county made him a strong candidate
for any office. For some years in early life he
served as constable, and later he filled most
• creditably the office of associate judge of Snyder
county. His military service was in connection
with the State militia, in which he held rank
successively as major, lieutenant, colonel and
brigadier general. He died September 9, 1891,
and was buried in the cemetery at Beavertown.
His first wife, Miss Sally Feese, a daughter of
Jacob Feese, was born October 10, 181 1, and
died October 19, 1844, her remains being interred
at Adamsburg. He then married her sister, Mrs.
Eliza (Feese) Dreese, widow of Henry Dreese,
and she passed to the unseen world April 5, 1853.
His third wife, Harriet Eichenger, survived him,
her death occurring in the fall of 1895. There
were no children by the last marriage, but his
first wife bore him five sons and three daughters,
as follows: Isaac, born September 22, 1833, now
a resident of Iantha, Mo. ; William, born De
cember 8, 1834, a resident of Cass county, Mo,;
John, born January 1, 1830, now residing in
Wilmot, Penn.; Mary A., born in February,
1836, now Mrs. Philip Dreese, of Kantz, Penn.;

Joseph, our subject; Jacob, born September 23,
1839, now residing in Missouri; Elizabeth, born
December 7, 1840, now Mrs. Joseph McClellan,
of Centre county; Martha, born March 3, 1842,
now Mrs. Henry Rearick, of Holden, Mo. By
the second union there were five children: Irvin,
who died in childhood; Sarah, born December
25, 1847, now Mrs. William Dreese, of Beaver
township, Snyder county; Abraham, born Feb
ruary 27, 1850, who died in Beavertown in 1876,
aged twenty-six years; the twins, Lizzie and
EJmira J., born April 31, 185 1, of whom the
former died in childhood; the latter is now the
wife of George Snyder, of McClure, Pennsylvania.

JOHN P. RICHTER. The Richter family has
been prominent in Snyder county since pio-
' neer times, and the subject of this biography
is one of its worthiest representatives in this
generation. Like.mqst of bis ancestors, he has
always followed agricultural pursuits, and he
owns a beautiful farm adjoining the borough of
Selins Grove overlooking the Susquehanna river,
Penn's creek and the Pennsylvania canal, the
three sheets of water being parallel with each
other at that point, and giving a most charming
view. The first of the name of whom we have au
thentic account is Christian Richter, grandfather
of John Peter Richter, who settled at an early
date in what is now the southern portion of Sny
der county. His birthplace is not known, and we
have but few details as to his life. He married
Julia Ann Johnston, of Middletown, Pennsylva
nia, who was still living in 1802. They had
seven children, Peter, John, Godfrey, Frederick,
Henry, and two daughters whose names cannot
now be recalled. Peter Richter, the father of
the subject of this -sketch, was born in 1780 and
died May 25, 1846. He started in life without
capital other than a strong will and an indomit
able resolution to succeed, and became one of
the most prosperous business men of what was
then Union county. He was a merchant, miller,
farmer, and bank director in what was the old
Northumberland bank, a man of wide and ex
tended influence, and left his family what in
those days was a large estate. He was a kind
father; no one in need appealed to him for as
sistance in vain. Peter Richter married Eliza
beth Holstein, a daughter of George Holstein
and Mary Weiser, his wife. . The Weiser family
is one of the eldest and most noted in the early
history of Pennsylvania, the second of the family
in this country being Conrad Weiser, the noted
Indian interpreter, respected, trusted and es-

1092

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

teemed alike by the Indians and early settlers.
Our subject is a great-grandson of Captain Con
rad Weiser, who fought in the American Revolu
tion, and who was in turn a grandson of the Con
rad Weiser who so ably served Pennsylvania in
the Provincial times, that his position was one of
an official and historical character, and there is
no exaggeration in saying that he was regarded as
the official interpreter of Pennsylvania; it is said
that William Penn and Conrad Weiser were two
men, at least, of whom the Indians thought and
spoke well.
To Peter and Elizabeth Richter were born
eight children, viz. : Harriet intermarried with
Dr. H. P. Hottenstein, of Selins Grove; Louisa
intermarried with Dr. A. S. Cummings, of Sun
bury, Penn. ; Hannah died in infancy; William
Henry died at the age of nineteen, while a mem
ber of the Senior class of the University of Lew
isburg; John Peter, our subject; Anna R. married
to Calvin B. North, a banker of Selins Grove;
Elizabeth died in infancy, and Martha E., married
to A. Stanley Ulrich, attorney at law, Leba
non, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Richter was born March 15, 1835, at the
old home on the Isle of Que, Selins Grove, but
when he was seven years old his parents moved
to an adjoining estate; his education was begun
in the subscription schools of that day, but the
major portion of his time was spent in farm and
other work, as was the custom of that time; the
methods and lack of machinery then made all
work far more laborious than similar work is to
day. When yet a young man he took charge of
his farm (inherited from his father), adjoining
Selins Grove, and has uninterruptedly resided
there since. On March 11, 1856, he married
Miss Mary Catharine Derr, a native of Bucks
county, Penn., and a daughter of John and Han
nah (Fine) Derr. In 1857 Mr. Richter erected
the pleasant and handsome home which he now
occupies, and in 1871 he put up a fine large barn.
The estate comprises 120 acres, and is one of the
garden farms of the county, reflecting the care
and successful management that Mr. Richter has
always given to his affairs and business. His first
wife died September 28, 1886, and' is buried at
Selins Grove, where for so many years she was
held in highest esteem, and was an active and
consistent member of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church. She left three children: Laura E. , now
Mrs. Ira C. Schoch, of Selins Grove; William H.,
of Benvenue; and Harriet, married to Samuel J.
Pawling, attorney at law, Selins Grove. Mr.
Richter formed a second matrimonial union with
Mrs. Sarah (Boyer) Miller, widow of William
Miller. She was born at Salem, Snyder county,

November 12, 1837, one of the three children of
Samuel and Susan (Snyder) Boyer, and enjoyed
the ordinary educational opportunities of the
time. There are no children by this union, but
by her first marriage she had four children as
follows: Susan A., now Mrs. Henry A. Ott, of
Penn township, Snyder county; Mary M., now
Mrs. Charles W. Herman, of Wyoming, Penn. ;
Sarah A., who died in infancy, and William
Henry, who is now connected with the Philadel
phia Record.
While Mr. Richter is disposed to lean toward
the Democratic party on political issues, he is not
a strong partisan, and votes for the better man
on all occasions, official place and power have no
charms for him, and he has never been a candi
date of any party. He was at one time an Odd
Fellow, and he has always been interested in the
various social movements of his locality. He is-
a member and now an elder of the Second Lu
theran Church, the lot for which Church was
presented by his father, Peter Richter, many
years ago.

JOHN HOUTZ is a cigar manufacturer of
Freeburg, Snyder county, and a leader in the
business circles of the town. The qualifica
tions essential to a successful business man are
his, and by the conduct of his enterprises he has
not only gained for himself a handsome compe
tence, but has proved an important factor in pro
moting the material prosperity and progress of
the community.
Mr. Houtz is descended from one of the old
and honored families of Snyder county. His
grandfather, Christian Houtz, located in what is
now Monroe township, at an early day, remov
ing from Lebanon county, Penn. He was born
in Hummelstown, Penn., March 19, 1775, a son
of Henry Houtz. He was a man of no little
means, and in Monroe township purchased a large
tract of land, comprising what are now some of
the finest farms of the county. He also owned
considerable timber land on the present site of
Shamokin, which became very valuable for its
anthracite coal deposits. About 1828 he re
moved to Washington township, Snyder county,
where he died August 3, 1852, and was buried in
the Weiser cemetery at Selins Grove. He be
longed to the Reformed Church, and was one of.
its liberal supporters.
On August 10, 1802, Christian Houtz was
married to Anna Elizabeth Zeller, who was born
in Monroe township, in 1786, and died Septem
ber 28, 1822. Their children were as follows:
(1) John, born July 16, 1803, was a minister in,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1093

the Reformed Church, and a highly educated
man. He died December 28, 1832. (2) Chris
tian, born July 16, 1805, was a convert to the
Mormon faith, and died in Salt Lake City, Utah,
in November, 1850. (3) Daniel, born April 15,
1807, died at Alexandria, Penn. He was a suc
cessful physician, owned valuable coal lands near
Houtzdale, which was named in his honor, and
left afine estate. (4) Henry, born September 27,
1809, was a physician of Freeburg, and died
March 11, 1865. (5) Jacob, born March 31,
181 1, died October 15, 1812. (6) Mrs. Lydia
Schoch, born October 17, 18 12, is living in Selins
Grove. (7) Jacob, born October 12, 1814, was
a woolen manufacturer, at an early day joined
the Mormons at Nauvoo, 111., and later went to
Salt Lake City, where he died in January, 1896.
(8) Catherine, born September 18, 1816, became
the wife of Francis Boyer, of Pennsylvania, and
after his death joined the Mormons in Utah,
where she died in 1895. (9) Emanuel is the
next of the family. (10) Elizabeth, born Octo
ber 10, 1820, married Dr. Joseph Eyster, and
died in Sunbury, Penn., in 1896. The second
wife of Christian Houtz was Catherine Zeller, a
sister of his first wife. They were married May
10, 1825, and her death occurred on September
2, following. Emanuel Houtz (father of our subject) was
born June 20, 1 8 1 8, in what is now Monroe town
ship, Snyder county. He attended the schools
of the neighborhood, and remained at home with
his parents throughout his youth. He was mar
ried in Middleburg, February 6, 1840, to Susan
Moyer, who was born in Washington township,
June 18, 1820, a daughter of John and Hester
(Burkholder) Moyer. She was their ninth child
and fourth daughter. Her grandfather, Christo
pher Moyer, was the founder of the family in the
United States. Her father settled near Free
burg, in 1801, and died there July 17, 1842. His
family numbered ten children, namely: Henry,
George, John, Jacob, Mary, Catherine, Michael,
Elizabeth, Susanna, and Philip.
Mr. and Mrs. Emanuel Houtz began their
domestic life on his father's farm, which came
into his possession by the terms of the will. In
1842 he removed to some property belonging to
the Moyer family, and, with the exception of the
years from 1863 until 1866, which were passed
in Mercer county, Penn., he spent his entire
married life in Washington township. He fol
lowed farming for many years, and on locating
in Freeburg embarked in merchandising in part
nership with his brother Henry, whose interest
he afterward purchased. He also engaged in
manufacturing brick, and made the brick used in

the construction of the Freeburg Academy in
1853. He also established the cigar business
now conducted by our subject. He died April
29, 1895, and was buried in Evergreen cemetery,
at Freeburg. He was a member of the German
Reformed Church, was one of its most liberal
contributors, and was generous to a fault. He
was a warm advocate of the public schools, of
temperance, and of all the movements calculated
to advance the best interests of the community.
In politics he was a Republican. His widow
still survives him, is a most highly esteemed
lady, and a member of the Reformed Church.
To Mr. and Mrs. Emanuel Houtz were born
the following children: Elizabeth, wife of Jacob
Miller, of Philadelphia; Malinda C. , widow of
Gustavus Erlenmeyer, of Freeburg; William H. ,
of Lewistown, Penn. ; Sarah, wife of William C.
Bratton, of Lewistown; Mary A., of Freeburg,
who has pursued her musical education under the
direction of Anthony Rubenstein, a nephew of
the celebrated Master of music, under whom he
received his training; Alice, wife of Milton
Strayer, of Freeburg; Rena, twin sister of Alice,
and wife of Dr. L. A. Shirk, of Tour City, Penn. ;
and John, our subject.
John Houtz was born in Freeburg, August
21, 1858, and began his education in its public
schools under Luther Erlenmeyer. As a boy he
followed various pursuits in order to assist his
parents. He worked at off-bearing brick, receiv
ing twenty cents per thousand, and in this way
carried brick used in the construction of the Lu
theran Reformed Church edifice and in the house
in which he now lives. When in his teens he
attended the Freeburg Academy for a short time,
but his own educational advantages were not
equal to those of other members of the family.
At the age of nineteen he began working at the
cigarmaker's trade for his father, serving a two-
years' apprenticeship. In 1878 he embarked in
business on his own account as his father's suc
cessor, and from a meagre beginning he has built
up an extensive business, the largest of the kind
in Snyder county. From an annual output of
two hundred thousand the sales now amount to
nearly one million cigars. The growth of the
business has been steady and substantial, good
goods, just prices and honorable dealings secur
ing an excellent trade. He possesses excellent
business sagacity and mechanical skill in his call
ing, and these, combined with close attention to
his business, have brought him a desirable and
richly-merited success. From fifteen to twenty
hands are employed in the factory. In addition
to this enterprise Mr. Houtz owns some fine
farming lands, conducts a livery stable in Free-

1094

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

burg, and has several valuable residence proper
ties in the town.
On June 8, 1882, in Northumberland county,
Mr. Houtz was married to Miss Mary A. Stroh,
a native of Selins Grove, and a daughter of An
drew J. Stroh. They now have one child, Will
iam W., who was born December 8, 1883. Mr.
Houtz is a stanch advocate of Republican princi
ples, has served as election judge, township
auditor, and is now a member of the board of
auditors. He belongs to the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows, at Freeburg, and he and his
wife are members of the Reformed Church, in
which he is now serving as deacon. He is in
terested in all that tends to the improvement of
his native village, and lends his active co-opera
tion to all movements for the public good.

W. WEAVER, the popular proprietor of
the "Central Hotel" at Freeburg, was born
at what is known as The Loop, in Potter town
ship, Centre Co., Penn., March 19, 1854, a son
of Henry and Eliza (Wasser) Weaver. By trade
the father was a miller, but after his removal to
Middleburg, in 1856, he engaged in the drug
business for eight. years, and later conducted a
hotel in Winfield, Union Co., Penn. From there
he came to Centerville, Snyder county, where
his death occurred in January, 1868, and where
his remains were interred. His political sup
port was ever given the Democratic party. He
was twice married, having by the first wife two
daughters — one who lives in Iowa, and another
who died in California.
In February, 1871, the mother of our subject
was married to Matthias Schnee, and afterward
came to Freeburg, where, in 1873, they opened
the hotel which Mr. Weaver now conducts. Mrs.
Schnee, who was a member of the Lutheran
Church and a most estimable lady, died in Free
burg, April 12, 1896, at the age of seventy-six
years and twenty-three days, and was laid to rest
in Evergreen cemetery of that place.
During his boyhood Mr. Weaver accompanied
his parents on their various removals, and at
tended the common schools of the places where
they made their home, his primary education be
ing obtained in the schools of Middleburg and
continued at the Freeburg Academy. When but
a boy he was initiated into public business, with
which he has since been actively identified.
On May 11, 1875, in Freeburg, Mr. Weaver
was married to Miss Barbara E. Schnee, a
daughter of his step-father, and they have be
come the parents of six children, all at home,

namely: Mary E. (a graduate of Freeburg Acad
emy, who is engaged in teaching), Charles M.,
Frank H., Susie E., Bessie E. and Frederick A.
Soon after his marriage, Mr. Weaver em
barked in the hotel business at Mt. Pleasant Mills,
where he remained for four years, and then re
turned to Freeburg, conducting a general store
here for thirteen years. In 1894 he opened what
is now known as the "Central Hotel," which is
the leading hostelry in the town. He is an ex
cellent landlord, quiet and unassuming, always
looking after every detail that adds to the pleas
ure and comfort of his guests. He and his fam
ily stand high in society, where intelligence and
true worth are accepted as the passports. With
the Lutheran Church both he and his wife and
eldest two children hold membership, and, so
cially, he is connected with Odd Fellows Lodge
No. 197, at Selins Grove. His sympathies are
generally with the Democratic party, but at local
elections he considers the fitness of the man for
the office rather than the party to which he be
longs.

JG. SNYDER. One of the most attractive
homes in the little city of Beavertown, Sny
der county, is that owned by the subject of
this biography, who after many years of success
ful work as an agriculturist has returned to enjoy
his well-earned competence. He is counted
among the best citizens of that locality, his
ability and high character, no less than his
wealth, giving him much influence.
Mr. Snyder was born September 3, 1840, at
Freeburg, Snyder county, the son of George and
grandson of Gaugler Snyder, who was an early
resident of Union township, Snyder county.
George Snyder was born in Chapman township,
Union county (now Union township, Snyder
county), July 28, 1816, and as he was left
fatherless in childhood was reared by his
mother's brother, Jacob Reigle, a farmer in
the same locality. His youth was spent
in farm work, and his education was acquired
in the subscription schools of that day,
the instruction being mainly in German. He
learned the blacksmith's trade under Benjamin
Apple, of Freeburg, where he engaged in busi
ness on his own account and remained until
1844. He then removed to Chapman township,
below McKees Falls, and continued in business
about twenty years, retiring in 18.64. He was a
small man but was most industrious, and he
secured a fine competence through his own
efforts. Politically, he was a Democrat, but be
yond voting regularly he took no active part in

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1095

partisan work. In religious faith he was a
Lutheran, and for many years he served as treas
urer of the Church. His wife, Elizabeth Gaug
ler, to whom he was married in Freeburg, was
born in January, 1817, in what was then Chap
man township, Union county, the daughter of
John Gaugler, and she is still living at the old
homestead. Our subject's father died August 7,
1896, and his remains were interred in the
Evangelical Lutheran churchyard in Chapman
township. Of two children, the elder, Susanna,
is now the wife of G. W. Lyter, of Chapman
township. Our subject, who was the younger of the two
children, was but a boy when his parents moved
to Chapman township, and he was educated
there in the public schools, his studies being often
interrupted by the necessity for assisting his fa
ther. He learned the blacksmith's trade, and
after attaining his majority he worked for some
time at one hundred dollars per year and board.
In November, 1862, he was married in Chapman
township to Miss Sarah Rine, who was born in
McKees Falls, the daughter of John M. and
Mary (Schnee) Rine. For a year and a half
after his marriage, Mr. Snyder remained in Chap
man township, and was employed by his father in
a blacksmith shop, but in the spring of 1864, he
removed to Beaver township, Snyder county,
and took charge of a farm owned by his father-
in-law, which he rented until 1872. In partner
ship with his father, he purchased, in the fall of
1870, another farm in the same township, to
which he removed in the spring of 1872. There
he remained until 1 89 1 , when he settled at Beaver
town, having purchased the Moses Specht home,
one of the most pleasantly situated residences in
the village. He rents his farm, and is now quite
free from business cares, but for seventeen years
he was treasurer of the Beavertown Mutual Fire
Insurance Company, having held the position
until 1897. He is a Democrat in politics, and,
although he is not especially active in political"
affairs, he has given much attention to educa
tional matters, and at one time was school di
rector in Beaver township.
Mr. Snyder and his wife have had five chil-
• dren: George W., who married Miss Susan
Hassinger, and resides in Beavertown; John E.,
who died at the age of twenty-four years; Miss
Anna J., who resides at home; Henry E.,
who died when about eighteen years old, and
one that died in infancy. The family is identi
fied with the Lutheran Church, of .which Mrs.
Snyder is a member, and our subject was at one
time a member of the Independent Order of
Odd Fellows.

ISAAC DREESE is a leading representative of
the industrial interests of McClure, Snyder
county, and ranks among the prominent and en
terprising business men, whose well-directed efforts
not only bring them a good substantial return,
but also promote the material welfare of the
community. He is now engaged in the manu
facture of lumber and staves, and his business is
managed with ability and method.
Mr. Dreese was born in Decatur township,
Mifflin Co., Penn., December 28, 1845. His
grandfather, John Dreese, was born in Northum
berland, now Snyder, county, and was of German
descent. He made farming his life work, and
owned several large tracts of land constituting a
number of fine farms, on which were good resi-'
dences and other excellent improvements. He
married Martha Middleworth, a sister of Hon. N.
Middleworth, of Beaver township, Snyder connty.
John Dreese, the father of our subject, re
ceived a good education in English and German,
and followed farming on the old homestead up to
the time of his marriage, when he removed to
Mifflin county, purchasing a farm of 500 acres in
Decatur township. About one-half of this land
was under cultivation. He placed the remainder
under the plow, and made many excellent im
provements upon the place, extensively engaging
in farming and stock raising there. He was mar
ried in what was then Union county, but is now
Snyder county, to Anna Wagner, who was born
near McClure, and they became the parents of
thirteen children, namely: Jacob W., of Kansas;
Maria, wife of J. D. Ulsh; Rebecca, deceased
wife of Solomon Romig;' Isaac; Catherine, wife of
D. B. Hassinger, of West Beaver township, Sny
der county; John H., who is living on the old
homestead in Decatur township; Mary A., wife of
George Boardman, of Shamokin; Reuben, of
Kansas; Clara, widow of George Lambert, of
Sunbury; James H., deceased; Sarah, wife of
William Martin, of Decatur township, Mifflin
county; Joseph, of Newport, Perry Co., Penn.;
and William H. , of Kansas. The father of this
family was a Republican in his political belief. He
held membership in the Lutheran Church, served
as one of its elders, and promoted the educational
interests of his neighborhood by serving as school
director. He died on his farm in 1877, and his
widow departed this life in McClure in 1887.
Isaac Dreese supplemented his early educa
tional privileges received in Decatur township,
Mifflin county, by study in Freeburg Academy
and afterward engaged in teaching school in his
native township and in Snyder county for five
terms. He also assisted his father in the devel
opment of the home farm until he had attained

1096

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

his majority, when he removed to West Beaver
township, Snyder county, and purchased a farm
of eighty-one acres, which he successfully oper
ated for nineteen years. He erected thereon a
house and barn, planted an orchard, and made
other substantial improvements. To stock raising
he gave considerable attention, and kept on hand
a high grade of horses, cattle and hogs. In 1888
he removed to McClure, where he purchased a
stave factory of Squire Howell, which he has
since successfully conducted. He also owns a
stave-mill in Huntingdon county, Penn., one in
West Beaver township, Snyder county, also a
half interest in another in Juniata county, in
partnership with his son-in-law, R. E. Stinely.
He furnishes employment to twenty-five or thirty
men, shipping each year more than thirty car
loads. This is one of the important industries
of the county, and Mr. Dreese has acquired
thereby a handsome competence as a result of
his well-directed efforts. He has also erected two
fine residences in McClure, each costing more
than $1,500, and has otherwise improved the
town. He also erected a double house in Lewis-
town, Mifflin county, valued at $1,500.
Mr. Dreese was married in Decatur township,
Mifflin county, December 22, 1868, to Jane Ann
Burkholder, who was born in DeWitt county,
111., February 11, 1848. She was educated in
Decatur township, and for five winters taught in
the public schools there, and conducted a select
school for six summers. She is a daughter of
Henry and Jane (Allen) Burkholder. Her father
was born in Mifflin county, was a hatter by trade,
and died in Illinois in 1850. His widow is still
living with Mrs. Dreese, at the age of eighty-seven
years. She was the mother of seven children,
two of whom are living — Matilda E., wife of
Rupert Church, of Wisconsin; and Mrs. Dreese.
Our subject and his wife were both engaged in
teaching the winter they were married and the
following winter, and have four children: Minnie
E., born April 24, 1870, wife of R. E. Stimely, a
teacher and assessor of McClure, by whom she
has two children; Ira H., born November 8,
1872, who married Carrie E. Bubb, and is a rail
road man of Lewistown; Mertie M., born August
16, 1881, and Lester A., born April 21, 1885,
living at home.
Mr. Dreese is a prominent and influential
member of the Lutheran Church, in which he has
served as deacon and elder. He has also long
been an active worker and teacher in the Sunday-
school, and has served as its superintendent. A
stanch advocate of Republican principles, he was
elected on that ticket school director and assessor.
In the performance of every duty, whether of a

public or private nature, he is true to the trust
reposed in him. The wife of our subject, Jane
A. Dreese, has been actively engaged in Sunday-
school work for about twenty-five years, serving
as teacher, and teaching the primary class in
Christ's Evangelical Lutheran Church, of Mc
Clure, for about ten years.

D, NORMAN APP. Few homes in this sec-
_ ' tion show as many evidences of refinement
and culture as does that of the subject of this
sketch, a well-known agriculturist of Monroe
township, Snyder county, and the visitor within
its hospitable walls is impressed with the happy
blending of the enjoyments of rural life with the
delights of broad intellectual activity.
The App family is of German extraction, and
has been identified with Pennsylvania for several
generations. The progenitor of the Snyder
county branch was Matthias App, who came
from Northampton county at an early date,
about 1790, and engaged in farming, merchan
dising and distilling with such success that he be
came one of the wealthy men of the locality, now
Snyder county. He was twice married, and
reared a family of nine children, four sons and
five daughters. • His sons were: (1) Frederick,
(2) Matthias, (3) Leonard, and (4) John; and
his daughters were: Polly, Catherine, Eliza
beth, Regina and Susan. Soon after the war of
1 8 12, Mr. App purchased a tract of land opposite
to Muncy, on the west side of the Susquehanna
river, known as Black Hole Valley, and settled
thereon five of his children: (1) Frederick and
four of his daughters. Some of their descendants
still reside in the same locality, mainly the Apps,
the Grosses, the Heilmans, and the Bucks. (2)
Matthias, Jr. , settled in the West over a half a
century ago, residing for the most part in Illinois,
where his death occurred, though he also spent
some time in California. (3) Leonard settled on
part of the original farm of his father, near Selins
Grove, where he engaged in farming and milling.
This land is owned and occupied by some of his
sons — namely: Jeremiah and Solofrion. The
portion of his son Simon P. , deceased, is occu
pied by the sons of the latter — G. Nelson and
Samuel. Of the sons of Leonard App, Jeremiah
and Solomon both gave their services to their
country during the Civil war, being members of
Company G, 147th P. V. I., the latter as a cor
poral and the former as a private. Another son,.
Jacob App„ served in the Mexican war, bringing
home with him from that struggle a young Mex
ican whom he educated; he (Jacob) became a
candidate for the Legislature, he failed of elec-

A 7[

cryrna>ns~

4f^

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1097

tion, after which he went to California during the
gold excitement, and there died. By industry,
economy and frugality Leonard App accumulated
considerable property, and became one of the
wealthy men of the community. He was a mem
ber1 of the Lutheran Church of Selins Grove, and
took an active part in the orgahization of the
Second Lutheran Church, now called the Trinity
Lutheran Church, and served as a member of
the building committee. To its upbuilding he
contributed freely of his means, and he labored
faithfully, especially in family visitation and
prayer meetings. '
Trfe descendants of the daughters of Matthias
App are: the Grosses and Bucks, of Black Hole
Valley and Muncy; the Ulshes, Kistners and
Rev. P. Born, D. D., of Selins Grove, who was
for over thirty years professor of the Classical
and Theological departments of the Missionary
Institute, now known as Susquehanna University,
of Selins Grove; and the Kleckners, of Crawford
county, Pennsylvania.
(4) John, the remaining son of Matthias App,
was the eldest son of the second wife, who in
her maidenhood was Elizabeth Buck. He was
born September 22, 1793, and was a man of
vigorous mind, of sound judgment, of profound
and abiding convictions, and, when convinced he
was right, of determined, unyielding and perse
vering purpose. Possessed of more than an
ordinary degree of liberality, he was always
among the first to advocate every reform move
ment that promised good to the community.
When yet a boy, he took a deep interest in his
father's business affairs, attending faithfully to
all the duties assigned him. During his youth
he exhibited the qualities that distinguished him
in after life. At the breaking out of the war of
1812, in accordance with his ideas of duty to
his country, he wished to enlist, but his father
refused to allow it because he was under age.
He quietly submitted to parental authority, but
a few months later, when the recruiting officer
came around, John announced his intention of
enlisting, and upon his father again objecting,
he said: "To-day, father, I am of age, and now
I shall enlist," which he accordingly did, joining
the company of which Jacob Hummel was cap
tain. When the company arrived at Marcus
Hook, it was found that the army was deficient
in supplies, and the government called for vol
unteers who were able and willing to furnish
teams to haul supplies for the army. Among
others John App responded to the call, and going
home his father helped to furnish him a team
with which he might assist in supplying the
needs of the army.

In 1 8 1 7 John App was married to Catherine
Gross, of Adamsburg, and became the father of
nine children, who are mentioned later. Some
time before his death, his father purchased
several lots in Selins Grove on which he
erected a substantial and commodious brick
building for his future residence. When com
pleted he put his farm in charge of his son
John. The father died in 1828, and after his
death, in 1836, John moved to town and occu
pied the house erected by his father, and here
cared for his widowed mother until her death.
John App pursued the business of farming un
til his death in 1876. Part of the time he
operated two farms — the original one, in con
nection with the distilling of liquor for a number
of years, the distillery having been established
by his father, and a second farm, which he pur
chased adjoining Selins Grove on the west.
Whiskey was then a universal beverage, nearly
everybody used it, even the clergy not being ex
empt from the habit. The result of its use was
continual evil, especially in the harvest field,
where the workmen often became intoxicated
and were found lying in the fence corners; they
would engage in personal brawls, and it was
sometimes difficult to prevent a general fight.
Seeing these sad results, and dreading the idea of
having drunkards as his companions and asso
ciates, as well as fearing its degrading influence
on his own nature, John App determined to effect
a reformation, and in consequence became the
first temperance reformer in the community.
His still was at once abandoned. The use of
whiskey was banished from his premises, and was
to be used no more in his harvest field. He
made known his determination throughout the
neighborhood, saying that hereafter his harvests _
must be reaped without the use of whiskey, but
adding that he would pay ten cents extra wages
to all who would work without its use. This
aroused a general opposition. His former hands
declared they would not work for him. Even
his pastor discouraged him, but he declared that
rather than give whiskey again, he would go forty
miles to find hands. The courage with which he
maintained his position aroused the admiration
of the more thoughtful, and the inherent noble
ness in their characters "rose in majesty to meet
his own" in his bold stand for higher morality.
Some ten days before harvest Rev. Daniel Wei
ser, living in Selins Grove, came to Mr. App on a
special mission of encouragement, assuring him
that should the crisis come he would be ready to
hang the preacher's mantle behind the entry-
door, and assist in the harvesting of the wheat
crop. By this time the news had spread to the

1098

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

adjoining counties, and words of encouragement
came from Sunbury, Lewisburg, Mifflinburg and
New Berlin, but not a whisper came from the
towns of his own county — Middleburg, Freeburg,
and Richfield — their citizens believed in free
whiskey for all.
It will not be out of place to preserve the
names of a few of his friends above referred to —
George A. and Henry W. Snyder, sons of Gov.
Snyder, Charles Rhodes, Judge Jordan, of Sun
bury, and attorneys Lashell and Merrill, of New
Berlin. Mr. Merrill came in person with others,
and urged him to abide firm in his purpose, as
suring him they could act their part as well as
Rev. Daniel Weiser. It was now proclaimed
that on a certain Monday morning the harvest
ing of the App wheat would be commenced, and
a general invitation was extended, saying that
work would be given to all, and that ten cents a
day extra would be given to all who would work
without the use whiskey. The eventful Monday
morning came. At four o'clock in the morning
a voice called at the outside of Mr. App's win
dow wishing to know whether work could be had,
and if it were true that ten cents a day extra
would be given for doing without whiskey.
"Yes, it is true," was the reply. "Well, we
will work for you for the extra ten cents, and do
without whiskey," then adding, "But we have
brought our wives and daughters with us. Can
they also have work?" "They shall have
work," was the reply, "and an extra cup of
coffee or milk, and five meals a day." By this
time the whole community seemed to be pour
ing into John App's to see how the no-whiskey-
in-the-harvest-field would succeed. Others came
from the hills across the river from Selins Grove.
Soon there were more applicants for work than
could be accommodated. By eight o'clock fully
fifty persons had eaten their breakfast. Of
these fourteen cradlers, with two rakers and
binders to each cradler, also a number with the
sickle were employed. These were formed into
two companies, and set to work in separate fields,
and the rest were dismissed. The harvesting
progressed rapidly and harmoniously, and was
soon brought to a close. No-whiskey-in-the
harvest-field had triumphed, and a new era for
temperance reform was inaugurated! It was ad
mitted that John App was the first victor in the
local war against "King Alcohol."
Owing to the absence of schools, Mr. App
failed to enjoy the advantages of an education,
but by his own efforts and perseverance, after
reaching manhood, he became a good reader,
learned to write and acquired the elements of
practical arithmetic, thus enabling him to keep

his own accounts and manage his own business.
Now that his children were growing up, he keenly
felt the necessity of giving them a school educa
tion. There was no school in all the surrounding
community, but Mr. App determined to have a
school. He put up a building on his own prem
ises and fitted it out as a school room, and em
ployed a teacher, making himself responsible for
the payment of his salary, thus becoming the
"Father of English Schools" in this section.
He invited his neighbors to send their children
to his school free of charge. As the children all
spoke German at home, and few, if any of them,
understood English, and as the teacher aid not
understand German, the pupils must be taught
English, hence the rule was laid down that no
German should be spoken in the school room.
How to speak English without knowing it was
up-hill work, but, by dint of persevering effort, the
pupils gradually learned to read and speak the
English language. This was the first school
building in this part of the country, and the
identical building is still standing on the corner
north of the beautiful farm mansion, and is kept
in a good state of preservation by Mr. App's
grandson, D. Norman App, the present owner of
the farm. This was the beginning of English
schools and the use of the English language by
the young people.
Prior to 1843, preaching in the Lutheran
Church at Selins Grove had been in German.
For some time, however, the need of regular
English service was felt to be a necessity. The
young people were fast becoming English, and
they must be provided with English preaching or
be lost to the Church. The subject was agitated,
and mainly through the influence of William
Gangler, John App and a few others, the con
sent of the pastor, Father Shindel, was obtained
to procure an assistant pastor to devote himself
to the English interests of the congregation.
Through the efforts of Rev. Dr. Reynolds, a
member of the Pennsylvania Synod, and a pro
fessor of 1 Pennsylvania College, Gettysburg,
Penn., a young man, Rev. H. Ziegler, who had
just been licensed by the West Pennsylvania
Synod at Aaronsburg, was secured to accept the
position. This was in the fall of 1843. The
only promise of support came from John App,
and it was in these words: " We cannot prom
ise you any regular salary for the present, but I
will give you house room and board gratis."
This was accepted, and Mr. Ziegler entered upon
his work as assistant pastor. It was not long
before German was entirely abandoned in the
services of the congregation and English took its
place. Mr. App lived to see abundant fruits of

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1099

his efforts to introduce English preaching. (Of
the two Lutheran Churches at Selins Grove the
English preaching referred to was introduced at
that time in the new or Second Lutheran
Church (now Trinity) only.)
In the summer of 1857, Rev. H. Ziegler was
engaged as an agent of Dr. B. Kurtz to assist
Rev. P. Williard to canvass Perry county to se
cure funds for the location of the contemplated
Missionary Institute (now Susquehanna Univer
sity). After the canvass was completed in Perry
county, Rev. Ziegler laid a proposition before the
council of the Second Lutheran Church of Selins
Grove (now Trinity Lutheran Church) to make
an effort to compete with Perry county and other
places for the location of the Institute. The
council called a meeting to consider the proposi
tion, but after a brief discussion they were on
the point of deciding that it would be useless to
make an effort. John App now arose and ad
dressed the meeting about as follows: "Don't
be too hasty, brethren. Let us at least make an
effort. I will give $1,500 to start a subscrip
tion." Thus encouraged the council decided
that an effort should be made. Dr. B. Kurtz
and Rev. H. Ziegler were invited to address the
citizens of Selins Grove on the subject, and a
day was appointed for that purpose. After the
addresses a committee was appointed to canvass
the town and vicinity for subscriptions. The
result was that, in about ten days, $22,000 were
secured. A committee of the board of mana
gers of the contemplated Institute was now
sent to Selins Grove to decide on its location.
In view of the liberal subscription, it was
agreed that Selins Grove held out the strong
est inducement for its location. There was,
however, one serious objection to its loca
tion here. A pool of stagnant water in the
southwest end of the town was a constant
breeder of malaria in the fall of the year.
This would make Selins Grove an unhealthy
location for the Institute. A proposition was
made to drain this pool. The right of way
to make the drain was secured from the land
holders. Mr. App now said to William Gangler,
one of the owners of the lots through which the
drain had to pass: " Now go ahead. Have the
work done, and draw on me for the pay." The
draining was soon accomplished, and the objec
tion to the location of the Institute was removed.
It was now to be located at Selins Grove. Mr.
App thus secured its location by two liberal and
opportune acts — the subscription of $1,500, and
the making himself responsible for the payment
of the cost of draining the stagnant pool. It
must be said that whilst Dr. B. Kurtz was the

founder and father of the Missionary Institute,
John App was the instrument under God of its
location at Selins Grove. His interest in the
Institute did not cease with its location, but he
continued to labor in its behalf, contributing
liberally toward the endowment of the theo
logical department, and also toward the erec
tion of five students' houses; indeed when
ever the Institute was in need of funds for re
pairs, etc., John App was always found ready
and willing to come to its relief, and it never had
a warmer or truer friend. From the time of its
founding until his death he served on the Board
of Directors. After eighty-three years passed
in "the glory of a life well spent" the soul of
John App passed fearlessly on
" Before that sapphire colored throne
And Him that sits thereon."
As has been already stated, there were nine
children born to John and Catherine (Gross) App.
These were: (1) Matthias married Harriet, a
daughter of George Snyder, and a granddaugh
ter of Gov. Snyder, and settled near Austin, Cass
county, Mo. , where he became an extensive land
holder, and one of the most progressive farmers
of the county. He is highly respected in the
community, and his influence is always in favor of
every reform movement. His family consists of
three sons and three daughters — John, Harry,
George, Emily, Ellen and Kitty. (2) Eliza mar
ried Rev. H. Ziegler, who was professor of the
ology and superintendent of the Missionary Insti
tute until ill-health compelled him to resign.
Their children were — Louisa, wife of Rev. J. B.
Shoup; Henrietta, wife of Rev. G. W. Reese;
Lorena, wife of Rev. G. W. Fortney; Hattie;
Herman, a lawyer in Iowa; John, a Luth
eran minister at Louisville, Kentucky; and Ida,
deceased in infancy. (3) Hiram engaged in
farming until 1896, when he sold his farm and
moved to Selins Grove, into the old App home
stead erected by his grandfather in 18 16, as
stated above. He, too, assisted in permanently
establishing the Missionary Institute by liberal
contributions of money, time and labor; and,
after the death of his father, was elected a mem
ber of the board of directors, for a number of
years serving as president of the board. He
married Caroline Hall, and has eight living chif-
dren, four sons and four daughters — John Hall,
for a number of years principal of the public
schools of Shippensburg, Penn.; Charles Frank
lin; Lawrence Tazwell; Grant Ellsworth; Mary
Ellen ; Lottie Mabel ; Cora Jennie ; and Bertie Caro
line. (4) Anna A., married Harry Witmer, and
lives in Decatur, 111. ; her children are — Edward,
Howard, Alberta, Cora, and Frank. (5) Mary

1100

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Ann, deceased. (6) Simon P., deceased. (7)
Catherine (better known as Kate), deceased,
married M. W. Reynolds, of Port Deposit, Md. ,
now of Baltimore, that State, and their children
were — May, Winfield Scott, Louis, Harold,
and Maud. (8) George, deceased at the age of
twenty-two years.
(9) Isaac App, though not the youngest in
the family of John App, is mentioned last be
cause of his closer connection with the line we
trace. He was born October 21, 1824, and died
April 11, 1872. He was one of the leading ag
riculturists of Snyder county, and was highly re
spected among his fellow citizens for his sterling
qualities of character. In politics he was a
Democrat until the formation of the Republican
party, to which he became a stanch and true ad
herent the remainder of his life. In his religious
belief he clung to the faith of his fathers, con
scientiously following the guidance of him who
sang "Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott." Public-
spirited and progressive, he contributed largely
to the founding of the Missionary Institute. Not
having a public school in his section of the town
ship, 'he advocated the building of one, for which
'purpose he donated a rich, level plot of ground
from the center of his farm, a short distance
south of his home, along the public road to Selins
Grove, and through his practical efforts a public
school was secured for the people of his neigh
borhood. He used his influence to secure com
petent teachers, thus continuing the efforts in
behalf of education begun by his father.
On December 5, 1848, Isaac App was mar
ried to Mary, daughter of Jonathan and Eliza
beth (Koppenhaffer) Holtzman, natives of Dau
phin county. The founder of the Holtzman
family in this country was Hon. Hans (John
George) Holtzman, who in the seventeenth cen
tury came from Wurtemberg, Germany, and
landed at Castle Garden, thence going to Phila
delphia, where he earned enough money to go
back to Germany and bring over with him his
wife and family. He landed at Philadelphia,
and soon came to Berks county and bought a
farm. He had one son, Henreich Adolph, who
inherited the property, and was married, and lived
in Tulpehocken township, Berks county, Penn.
Henreich Adolph Holtzman had a son George
Michael, who after the death of his parents
sold the property, was married to a Miss Lebo,
also of Berks county, after which he moved
to Lykens Valley, where he bought a tract of
land of 410 acres in Washington township.
They had children as follows: Peter, John,
Jonathan, Michael, Jacob, Marie, Salile and
Elizabeth. Of this family, the third son,

Jonathan Holtzman, was married to Eliza
beth Koppenhaffer, and their children were:
Mary, wife of Isaac App, mentioned more fully
below; Elizabeth, wife of William Stroup, and
her children are — Mary, Newton, Charles, Nor
man, Emma, Harry and Katie; Jonathan, de
ceased; Edward, deceased; and David K. , who
married a Miss Mattis, by whom he had one son,
Charles, and one daughter, Emma (now de
ceased). Later David K. married a Miss Neagly,
of Lykens Valley, and had a daughter, OtilleaC. ,
now one of the finest musicians in Dauphin
county. Mary (Holtzman) App was born September
25, 1825, and died February 6, 1887. She was
the mother of four children: (1) Francis, who
engaged in teaching school for several terms, and
is now an agriculturist residing near Berrysburg,
Penn. He married Sarah Miller, and their chil
dren are George Z. , Harry and Frank. (2) John
G., a graduate of Shippensburg Normal School,
is a teacher at Lewisburg, Penn. ; he married
Alice Weiser, of McKees Half Falls, and their
children are — Carleton Smith Gillfilen and
Charles Weiser. (3) D. Norman; and (4) Henry,
who was a graduate of the law department of the
University of Michigan, died September 3, 1897.
D. Norman App was born April 28, 1853, at
the homestead where he now resides. His work
.in school was unusually thorough, and he was
far advanced for his years. A retentive memory
and close application, coupled with a natural
thirst for knowledge, made up in his case for
many years of school work, as the death of his
father just at the time he wished to enter upon a
collegiate course necessitated complete altera
tions of his plans. The fall before he was
sixteen he began teaching school, and taught in
all five terms. His summers were devoted to as
sisting in the cultivation of the home farm, and
at an early age he was familiar with the best
methods of agricultural work. After the father's
death the oldest two boys managed the farm un
til 1876, when the estate published a notice of a
sale of personal property, and the farm came
under the management of D. Norman App. On
November 22, 1882, D. Norman App, Francis S.
App and Henry J. App became the purchasers,
and later D. Norman bought the interests of the
other two brothers. This farm is a well-tilled
tract of 228 acres, improved with modern build
ings, and all the accessories that prove the owner
a progressive farmer of the nineteenth century.
It is one of the largest and finest tracts of land
in the county, and is in the highest state of cul
tivation. It has been in the possession of the
immediate ancestors of the present owner, a rep-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1101

resentative of the fourth generation, for more
than a century. The Patent from the Common
wealth was granted by Thomas Mifflin, Govern
or, to Simon Snyder, later Gov. Snyder, on Au
gust 27, 1790; on September 10, 1790, he sold
the undivided third interest to Anthony Selin.
On November 18, 1790, Simon Snyder and An
thony Selin and Catherine, his wife, conveyed
this same tract of land, containing then 253
acres, to Matthias App. On August 5, 1818,
Matthias App and his wife, Elizabeth, granted
the same to his son, John App, and he by his
deeds, dated June 24, 1857, and March 6, 1871,
conveyed to Isaac App this tract. After his
death it descended to his four children, and by
purchasing their share D. Norman App has be
come the sole owner. This farm lies about two
miles north of Selins Grove, within easy reach of
the Selins Grove and Sunbury markets. Mr.
App has met with remarkable success in raising
blooded stock, for which purpose he is equipped
with one of the finest and largest bank barns in
this section of the State, being 100 feet in
length. Nowhere in the county can as large a
number of fine blooded horses and cattle be
found together, as can always be seen on this
yard. Recently he sold several lots of horses to
European buyers; he is and always has been a
great admirer of the Percheron draft horse. He
raises registered Red Polled cattle and Poland
China hogs. The success of his practical ideas
has placed him in the front rank as an up-to-
date farmer and manager.
On February 8, 1882, D. Norman App was
united in marriage with Miss Mary Elizabeth, a
daughter of John Conrad and Catherine (Dunkei)
Dunkei, the latter of whom passed to her final
rest February 22, 1893. Of their six children,
five survive: Mary E. , Mrs. App; Charles E.
died at the age of eighteen; William and James
M. reside in Buffalo township, Union county;
Martin L. resides in East Buffalo township; and
Katy S. is at home.
Mrs. App is well educated; and possesses rare
tact and judgment, making her a most admirable
helpmate to her husband in the management of
their extensive estate, as well as in the ordering
of their beautiful home. The success of Mr. App
is due, in no small degree, to the energy, the
careful attention to detail and the hearty co-op
eration of his wife, always exhibited by her in all
the .important moves and business undertakings
of his life. Their union has been happily blessed
with three children: Isaac Dunkei, Mary Edna,
and Robert Lincoln.
Mr. App takes an intelligent interest in all
the questions of the day, and is a firm believer

in the principles and policy of the Republican
party; though not in any sense an office-seeker,
he is serving his third term as township auditor.
Both he and his wife are members of the Trinity
Lutheran Church at Selins Grove. It is seldom
a community is so fortunate as to possess a fam
ily where each succeeding generation so faithfully
carries out and enlarges upon the work of pro
gression begun by the preceding one. Of the
App family this is undoubtedly true. Civiliza
tion owes much to such families. Matthias,
John and Isaac left behind them monuments
more outlasting than beaten brass or chiseled
marble, and the present scion of this truly noble
house, D. Norman App, is so ordering his life
that he may be not unworthy of his sires.

C^HARLES A. SAUER. Among the substan-
' tial and enterprising farmers of Snyder
county, whose names are scattered through the
pages of this volume, none is more worthy of
mention than the gentleman whose name opens
this article. His entire life has been passed in
Middle Creek township, where he was born June
8, 1862, a son of Adam and Susanna (Yerger)
Sauer. Upon the same farm where our subject
now lives, his grandfather, John Sauer, made his
home for a number of years. He met his death
by falling from a chestnut tree when his son Adam
was about eighteen years of age. His other
children were all younger, and were as follows;
Jacob, now a resident of Fremont, Neb. ; Sarah,
who married John Dauberman, and died in Kratz
erville, Penn. ; Polly, wife of William Birch, of
Indiana; Mrs. Jonathan Heimbach, of Union
county, Penn.; Henry, who makes his home near
New Berlin, Penn. ; and Joseph, of Limestone
township, Union county.
On the old homestead in Middle Creek town
ship Adam Sauer was born, and his limited educa
tion was obtained in the schools of that locality.
In early life he learned the carpenter's trade, and
became quite an extensive contractor and builder,
erecting many of the best houses and barns in his
section, and having many apprentices under him.
He was married to Elizabeth Swartzlander, who
died leaving three children: Mary, now the wife
of John Mittman, of Dodge county, Neb..; Henry,
of Kreamer, Penn.; and Isaac F., a farmer of
Middle Creek township, Snyder county. For his
second wife, Mr. Sauer married Miss Susanna
Yerger, and our subject was the only child born
to this union that reached adult age. Through
out life the father continued to reside on the old
homestead, which his sons operated for him,
while he worked at his trade, and he met with

1102

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

excellent success in his undertakings, accumulat
ing considerable property. At his father's death
the entire responsibility of supporting the family
fell to him, but he was equal to the emergency,
and was a splendid example of a self-made man.
His career was such as to win the commendation
of all who know him, and as an honorable citi
zen, he well deserved the high regard in which he
was held. Although he never took a very active
interest in politics, he regularly cast his ballot
in support of the Democratic party. He was a
faithful member of the Lutheran Church, and
was liberal in support of all Church or benev
olent work. His death occurred in 1889, when
in his seventy-second year.
In the Sauer school our subject began his
literary training with Charles Schnure for his
first teacher, and he obtained his entire educa
tion in the country schools with the exception of
one term spent at Freeburg Academy under Major
Dill. He never left the old home farm, which
became his property after his father's death, and
he is now the owner of fifty-eight acres of rich
and arable land, which he has greatly improved
since it has come into his possession.
When twenty-two years of age, Mr. Sauer
was married to Miss Lizzie C. Bilger, a native of
Middle Creek township, and a daughter of Hen
rietta (Aucker) Bilger. They now have four chil
dren, whose names and dates of birth are as fol
lows: Minnie S., March 7, 1887; William A.,
March 25, 1889; Mary E. , July 18, 1890; and
•Bertha M., February 8, 1893.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Sauer are connected with
the Lutheran Church, while in politics Mr. Sauer
is identified with the Democratic party. For a
time he served as deacon of the Church, and is
now secretary of the Sunday-school. He is one
of the most progressive and public-spirited citi
zens of his township, gives his support to all
worthy enterprises for the good of the commu
nity, and is an efficient member of the school
board.
f FREDERICK C. MOYER, deceased, was a
_ representative citizen of Snyder county, and
for more than half a century conducted an ex
tensive mercantile business at Freeburg. He was
identified with various important interests in his
locality, many of which were far-reaching in
their influence, and, as the founder of Freeburg
Musical College, he created a lasting monument
to his memory. He belonged to a well-known
family, and was of the fourth generation from
Christopher Moyer, the first of the name to set
tle in the United States. His grandfather,
Christopher Moyer, resided near Campbellstown,

Penn., and his father, Christopher Moyer (2),
was born in that vicinity in 1776, and about 1800
removed to the neighborhood of Freeburg to
make his permanent borne, his death occurring
there June 11, 1840. He married Bettie How-
erter, who was born October 20, 1777, and died
November 20, 1862.
Frederick C. Moyer was the eldest of a fam
ily of nine children — four sons and five daughters
— and was born February 17, 18 10, near Free
burg at the old homestead where his early years
were spent. In April, 1832, he engaged in mer
cantile business in Freeburg, and nine years later
his youngest brother, George C. Moyer, became
his partner under the firm name of G. & F. C.
Moyer, which existed about fifty years. In early
manhood Mr. Moyer married Miss Mary A.
Boyer, who was born in Penn township, Snyder
county, May 11, 18 10, the eldest child of John
and Elizabeth (Spotts) Boyer, and she proved to
be a true helpmate, her assistance and encour
agement being of great value to him throughout
his life. In 1838 he located on the northwest
corner of South and Market streets, at Freeburg,
and there he continued to reside until his death.
For thirty-eight years he conducted a hotel there,
but in 1870 he remodeled the place, adding a
third story, and thus secured an admirable loca
tion for the Musical College. For many years
he was the director of this institution, which
speedily won a well-deserved popularity, and is
now successfully managed by his son, Henry B. '
Moyer, whose sketch appears below. He was
also extensively engaged in farming, and his pro
gressive ideas were shown in the ditching of low
lands, the use of lime, and the changing of the
course of creeks whenever necessary to straighten
them or to secure other desirable ends, and in
these and similar measures his neighbors after
ward followed his example to some extent. When
the first bank was established at Lewisburg he
was one of its directors, and he was a trustee of
the Mifflinburg Academy during 1844, 1845 and
1846, while it was a State institution. In politics
he was a Republican of the strongest kind, and
at one time he remarked that he did not see how
any Moyer could be a Democrat. His high char
acter and his well-known ability caused him to be
chosen to various official positions, and from
1847 to 1850 he was auditor of Union county,
while later he served for three years as one of the
auditors of Snyder county. For twelve years he
was postmaster of Freeburg, under the adminis
trations of Harrison, Taylor, and Lincoln. He
was a man of marked intelligence and great en-"
ergy, possessing decided convictions, and his
opinions were held in respect by all who knew

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1103

him. In religious work he was active as a mem
ber of the Reformed Church at Freeburg, in
which he served as trustee for thirty-four years
and for a long period conducted the congrega
tional singing.
On July 30, 1 89 1, this estimable citizen
passed to his final rest, his death causing sincere
mourning throughout the community in which he
had so long resided. His beloved wife survived
him but a few years, her death occurring Decem
ber 28, 1896. They left a large family of chil
dren, all of whom were given excellent advan
tages. A lifelong acquaintance thus writes:
"He (Mr. Moyer) could look with justifiable
pride and satisfaction upon a numerous train of
descendants, not one of whom would cause a
fond parent's cheek to crimson with shame."
His eldest son, William, born September 27,
1834, resides in Freeburg, and his biography is
given below; Philip B., born November 13, 1835,
is a resident of Freeburg; Caroline, now Mrs. S.
G. Hilbish, lives in the vicinity of Freeburg;
Sarah E., widow of Dr. J. C. Schaeffer, resides in
Arizona; Daniel B., born May 5, 1841, died July
7, 1874. He was formerly a teacher, and editor of
the Freeburg Courier, he held a prominent place
in the community, being especially active in the
work of the Republican party, serving one year
-as chairman of the county committee, and in 1872
representing Snyder county on the State Central
Committee; John C. , the next in order of birth,
died at the age of eighteen; Henry B., born July
24, 1846, succeeded his father as director of the
Musical College; Lydia, now Mrs. Henry Brown,
and Mary J., Mrs. F. E. Hilbish, both reside in
Freeburg. ^ILLIAM MOYER, of Freeburg, is one of
the well-known citizens of Snyder coun
ty, and has held many positions of trust and re
sponsibility, in which he has acquitted himself
with honor. In business life he has been emi
nently successful, while his long and faithful serv
ice in public office has gained for him the esteem
and confidence of all classes of people.
He was born at Freeburg September 27,
1834, the son of Frederick C. and Mary A. (Boyer)
Moyer, sketch of whom appears above. His edu
cation was begun in the schools of his native town,
his first teacher being William Gardner. While at
tending school he assisted his father in the store,
hotel and farm until he reached the age of fourteen,
when, having passed through the course offered
at the home schools, he. was given better oppor
tunities at Berrysburg Classical Institute, A. C.
Fisher's select school at Selins Grove, Tuscarora
Academy, Berrysburg Seminary, and Freeburg

Academy, where Jacob S. Whitman was princi
pal during the last term of our subject's attend
ance. Being an apt scholar Mr. Moyer made
good use of his time, and at the age of twenty
was prepared to teach. Mathematics was always
his favorite study, and this led him to acquire a
knowledge of surveying, under the tuition of
Henry Motz. In 1852 he learned the art of mar
ble cutting in Philadelphia, and at a later
date he made this knowledge useful in an estab
lishment at Freeburg, which he still conducts.
From 1854 to 1858 he taught in the public schools
of Freeburg, and in the latter year, having al
ready gained recognition as a competent surveyor,
he was elected county surveyor for a term of
three years. Since his retirement from this posi
tion he has continued to follow the same line of
work independently, and has had a large and lu
crative business. He owns an excellent farm
near Freeburg, and as if these varied interests
were not enough to occupy his time he has also
done some notable work as a teacher of vocal
music, having conducted classes in Bedford,
Dauphin, Juniata, Northumberland, Union and
Centre counties, and in every district of his own
county. After the organization of the Freeburg
Musical College he has had charge of the vocal
department there until the death of his father,
and has conducted the annual conventions, his
efficient work being a potent factor in the success
of that well-known institution. In 1895 he es
tablished the Freeburg Opera House, where
these annual conventions are held, and which
supplies a much desired place for similar enter
tainments throughout the year. His interest in
music is not surprising, as his family from his
great-grandfather, Christopher Moyer, down to
the youngest descendant, has shown especial
gifts in this art.
Mr. Moyer 'has been identified with the Re
publican party from its birth, and his first Presi
dential vote was cast for John C. Fremont.
While he is not exactly a politician, his earnest
and effective work is of more value to the party
than the services of many who claim reward for
their "influence." In 1863 he was elected coun
ty superintendent of schools for Snyder county,
and served until 1872, and in 1881 he was chosen
for a fourth term. In 1875 he became a justice
of the peace, and this office he now (1897) holds,
this being his fifth term. In 1864 he was com
missioned as a notary public by Gov. Curtin, and
he has filled many positions such as assignee,
guardian, executor and administrator. No wor
thy cause fails to command Mr. Moyer's sympa
thy, and whenever possible he gives his active
aid. He is a member of the Reformed Church,

1104

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

in which he has held probably every office except
that of preacher, and since May, 1855, he has
served as superintendent of the Lutheran and
Reformed Sunday-school, making forty-three
years in that position. He has represented the
school in many Sabbath-school conventions in
his county, presiding at its first and twenty-eighth
annual sessions, and has been chosen as a dele
gate from his county to State conventions at
Philadelphia, Lancaster, Williamsport, Johns
town, Sunbury, Carlisle and Harrisburg. In
recognition of his merits and services, the hon
orary degree of Master of Arts was conferred
upon Mr. Moyer in June, 1879, by Franklin and
Marshall College.
As a practical friend to temperance, Mr.
Moyer sets an excellent example, as he neither
smokes, chews nor drinks, and the same is true
of all his brothers. He has a pleasant home
and an attractive family. On December 18,
i860, he married Miss Sarah C. Hilbish, who
was born March 2, 1837, at Liverpool, Penn.,
the daughter of John A. and Amelia (Fisher)
Hilbish. Seven children have blessed this union,
of whom five are living: (1) Frederick C. , born
September 24, 1861, is a graduate of Franklin
and Marshall College, and has a high reputation
as a musician, being now the organist of the
First Reformed Church at Reading, Penn., and
a successful teacher of music'; he married Miss
Katie Reeser, and has had three children — Leroy
K., deceased, John W. and Myron R. (2) Mary
A., born February 9, 1863, married Jefferson S.
Pawling, of West Milton, Penn. (3) Ida J.,
born July 18, 1865, married Charles F. Sessinger,
and died in Philadelphia March 21, 1893, leaving
three sons — Lawrence F. , William R. and Ber-
nadotte. (4) Sarah E., born October 25, 1866,
died in infancy. (5) Bertha B., born November
8, 1870, married William J. McNutt, of Phila
delphia, and has one child — Marion. (6) Will
iam G., born August 20, 1875, is a printer in
Philadelphia. (7) Myron A., born April 23,
1878, is a marble cutter in Freeburg.

PROF. HENRY B. MOYER, the director of
the Freeburg Musical College, has won an
enviable reputation by his able administration of
that well-known institution. Possessing rare dis
cernment as a musical artist, he is also gifted with
practical abilities of a high order, making him
emphatically the right man for the place.
The College, located at Freeburg, Snyder
county, on the Sunbury and Lewistown railroad,
is beautifully situated in one of the most charm
ing valleys in the State, pure air, romantic scen

ery and the stimulating influences of a refined
society combining to render it an ideal spot.
The building is a commodious structure, three
stories high with a frontage of one hundred and
twenty-six feet, and is well furnished throughout,
everything that could suggest comfort for stu
dents being supplied. On the first floor is a
library, reception room, practice rooms, dining
and dwelling rooms. The second floor contains
rooms for study and practice and the sleeping
apartments, all being well arranged and perfectly
ventilated. On the third floor is the music hall,
which has a seating capacity of 800, and is used
not only for the annual conventions and for vocal
classes, but forms the general instruction room.
The whole building seems admirably adapted to
its purpose, new facilities being added from time
to time in accordance with the most advanced
ideas, yet the charges are very low as the man
agement desired to bring its opportunities within
the reach of all. The teachers are specialists in
their respective departments, and all branches of
the art receive faithful interpretation. None but
the best methods are employed, and as a rule the
instruction is given individually. A visit to the
school affords a pleasant experience, the students
ranging from beginners, who are just learning to
read music at sight, to the advanced workers in
harmony and composition, and many teachers,
pianists, organists, and choristers have received
a thorough training there.
Prof. Moyer is a member of a prominent
family of this section, whose history is given else
where in this volume. He is of the fifth gener
ation from the original settler in this country,
and was born at Freeburg, July 24, 1846,
the son of Frederick C. and Mary Ann (Boyer)
Moyer. His boyhood was spent principally upon
a farm, but after attending the public schools
and the academy of his native town he went to
Harrisburg, Penn., to take a course in Bryant &
Stratton's Business College, where he was gradu
ated. He taught in the public schools for sev
eral terms with marked success, and in 1870 en
gaged in mercantile business as a member of the
firm of G. & F. C. Moyer at Freeburg. In 1887
he became the sole proprietor of the establish
ment, and he continued the business until the
spring of 1895. In 1877, upon the death of his
brother, Daniel B. Moyer, he purchased the lat
ter's half-interest in the Freeburg Courier, and
until April 1, 1896, was one of the editors and
publishers of that sheet, and on December 1 , 1 897,
assumed full control. For many years he as
sisted his father in the directorship of the Mu-
ical College, his sagacity and foresight being
potent factors in the building up of the institution.

cr/^^Aytd 73, Pho-z^eS^^

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1105

On the death of his father, in July, 1891, the
college became his sole property, and he assumed
the post of director. By his energy, liberality
and wise management he has imbued the school
with a more advanced spirit and greatly enlarged
its influence, so that it now ranks among the
leading institutions of the kind in the country.
Since giving up his mercantile business in 1895,
his entire time has been devoted to the interests
of the college.
In politics Prof. Moyer has always been an
ardent Republican, and during Harrison's ad
ministration he held the appointment of post
master at Freeburg. He is one of the most
zealous and liberal members of the Reformed
Church at Freeburg, having taught in the Sun
day-school and served as deacon for many years.
His knowledge of men and affairs has been
broadened by extensive travel, and he has taken
a stand on the side of progress whenever any
beneficial movement has been started in his
community. On April 5, 1875, he was married to Miss
Lizzie Mertz, daughter of Peter P. Mertz, of
Freeburg. Two children have blessed this union:
Nevin Clark, who was born August 17, 1878, and
died November 22, 1881, and Miss Ada Vera,
born January 17, 1883, now an accomplished
musician, being especially noted as a pianist.
Mrs. Moyer is a lady of self-culture and refine
ment, and presides over her hospitable home with
dignity, and contributes largely by her congenial
ity and force of character to the advancement of
the interests of her husband. She is a lover of
flowers and plants, not only for the adornment
of her home, but also for the sanctuary. She is
a great worker for the cause of missions and in
the Endeavor movement, and often sacrifices her
time and pleasure to encourage others to work
for the same cause; is benevolent and at all
times ready to aid the sick and needy. Her
mother was a daughter of Henry Hilbish, a sol
dier in the war of 18 12. The occupation of her
father was that of a farmer, and in his later years
he retired. His keen perception and good judg
ment fit him as a man of affairs. He held the
office of county commissioner from 1865 to 1868.
During his term the present court house was
built. He also held various township offices. In
politics he was a firm believer in the principles of
the Republican party, and he was also a devoted
member of the Reformed Church.

GEORGE B. M. ARNOLD. This genial and
popular gentleman fills most acceptably the
combined positions of ticket agent, telegraph

operator, and freight and express agent, for the
Pennsylvania Railroad' Company at Adamsburg,
Snyder county. His practical ability, his unfail
ing tact, and his thorough reliability make him
a valued employee of the company, in. whose
service he has spent his entire business career.
Mr. Arnold was born June 26, 1862, at Mid
dleburg, Snyder county, and is a son of John H.,
and grandson of George B. Arnold, a native of
England, who came to this country in early man
hood and located at New Bloomfield, Penn.
John H. Arnold, our subject's father, was born
and reared at the latter place, where he read law
and was admitted to the Bar. He then settled
at Middleburgh, Penn., where he married Barbara
E. Moatz, a daughter of George Moatz, a well-
known citizen. He continued to practice at
Middleburgh until the fall of 1891, and took a
prominent part both in professional life and in
the local Republican organization, serving one
term as district attorney of Snyder county. He.
was also an active worker in the Masonic frater
nities at Selins Grove. At present he is em
ployed in Cleveland, Ohio, in the office of the
Erie City Iron Works. Our subject was one of
three children, the others being: J. Herschel
is now a clerk in Valparaiso, Ind. ; and Maude
is the wife of H. L. Hebebrand, of Cleveland,
Ohio. Our subject's educational opportunities were
not of the best, being limited to the public schools
of Middleburgh, with three terms at the Free
burg Academy, but his active mind has enabled
him to enrich these limitations and acquire a
wide range of information upon various subjects.
In December, 1883, he entered the office of the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company at Middleburgh,
and on March 5, 1885, he became day operator
at Selins Grove, where he remained five years.
From March 27, 1891, to July, 1892, he was
stationed at McClure as agent, operator and ex
press agent, and since that time he has held his
present position at Adamsburg. He is a member
of the International Association of Ticket Agents.
On March 17, 1896, Mr. Arnold was married
to Miss Gertrude M. Gross, and they have one
son, Thomson G.,born January 12, 1897. Mrs.
Arnold is a lady of unusual ability, and for five
years previous to her marriage she clerked in the
store of a brother-in-law, N. E. Schlagel, of
Juniata county. She was born in Union county,
the daughter of Wilson and Mary Gross, but
removed to Juniata county with her parents when
she was about eight years old. Mr. Arnold and his
wife are both members of the Lutheran Church,
and are prominent in the best social circles of
their locality. He is identified with the Masonic

70*

1106

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Fraternity, being a member of La Fayette Lodge,
No. 194, F. & A. M., at Selins Grove; Lewis-
town Commandery No. 26, K. T. , at Lewistown;
Consistory, 32d degree, at Harrisburg, and the
Mystic Shrine, at Philadelphia. He is the young
est 32d-degree Mason in Snyder county, where
there are but two others of that rank. Politic
ally, he is a Republican, but he has never
sought or held office.

JAMES AURAND, a well-known cabinet
maker of Beaver Springs, Snyder county, re
sides near that town on a fine homestead of
ninety-five acres, which has been gained by his
industry and judicious economy. Aside from his
many excellent qualities as a man and a citizen,
Mr. Aurand has a claim upon the esteem of
the public through his record as a soldier in
the Civil war. He enlisted on February 27,
1864, as a private in Company I, 49th P. V. I.,
and after lying in camp at Brandy Station until
May 4th, the regiment moved forward to take
part in the battle of the Wilderness. On May
5th Mr. Aurand was wounded, and for thirteen
days he lay upon the field among the dead and
dying. He was then taken to Alexandria, Va.,
for treatment, and remained there until dis
charged on surgeon's certificate, on June 5, 1865,
his wound being so painful and so serious that
he was granted a pension before leaving the
hospital. The Aurand family is of German origin; our
subject's grandfather, John Aurand, who was
formerly a successful farmer near Troxelville, was
the first to leave the Fatherland. He had ten
children, eight sons and two daughters. Daniel
Aurand, the father of our subject, was born Jan
uary 25, 1 8 14, at the old homestead near Troxel
ville, and at an early age learned the wagon-
maker's trade. He also became a skillful carpen-
ten, and in his time built over forty barns. He
married Miss Mary Lepley, daughter of Adam
Lepley, a successful agriculturist of Beaver town
ship, Snyder county. Although Daniel Aurand
started in life without capital, he secured a com
fortable home, and his affairs were in a most
promising state, when, in 185 1, he decided to go
to Adams county, Ohio^ with his family. Not
long after his arrival there he was taken sick, and
in order to return to Pennsylvania he made a
wagon in which the family made the long jour
ney, three weeks being spent on the road. The
proceeds of the sale of his property in Ohio were
never forwarded to him by the so-called friends
who had the matter in charge, and on his return
to his old home he had to begin life over again.

By fiard work he succeeded in securing another
home, and his remaining years were spent at
Troxelville. He was highly respected, and held
an influential place in local affairs, being elected
to various offices on the Republican ticket. He
and his wife are members of the Evangelical
Church, and he died in that faith at the advanced
age of eighty years. His wife passed away at
the age of seventy-eight, and their remains now
rest in the cemetery at Troxelville. Their chil
dren were: Mary, who married Simon Benfer,
and died at Troxelville; Elevina, now Mrs. W.
D. Woodling, of Adamsburg; Henry, a resident
of Port Ann, Snyder county; James, our subject;
and Miss Eliza, a resident of Franklin township,
Snyder county.
Mr. Aurand's birth occurred March 4, 1843,
in what is now Spring township, Snyder county,
and his education was obtained in the Musser
Valley school-house, John Durn being his first
teacher. He learned the carpenter's trade under
his father's directions, and thus gained a knowl
edge of cabinet-making, to which he has devoted
the greater portion of his time. He later took up
the business of undertaking, and on November
1 3th he finished the first coffin that he ever made.
Since that time he has done much business in
that line, and, in fact, all of his enterprises' seem
to have resulted satisfactorily.
On June 5, 1868, Mr. Aurand was married in
Adams township, Snyder county, to Miss Sarah
A. Kline, by whom he has had two children:
Austin S., who died at the age of six years, and
Irvie D. D., who is now at home. Mr. Aurand
and his wife are both members of the United
Evangelical Church, and he takes great interest
in the work of that society, having held the office
of steward for some time. At present he is class
leader. In politics he is a Republican, and has
served as school director and tax collector. As
might be supposed from his army record, he is
actively interested in the Grand Army of the
Republic, and he was a charter member of Post
No. 312, at Adamsburg. Although most quiet and
unassuming in manner, his influence is felt as a
power for good in the various progressive move
ments in his community.
His homestead has been acquired by slow and
gradual process, his first purchase being fourteen
acres of his father's farm, where he built his first
house. He has since added a few acres at a time
until he now owns ninety-five, all in excellent
condition. Mrs. Aurand, who has been a most
excellent helpmeet, was born July 19, 1845, in
Adams township, where her father, Daniel H.
Kline, was for many years a prominent resident.
FLfTs a native of Troxelville, born November 15,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1107

1812, and since 1880 has made his home with
our subject. He is a man of much intelligence,
a stanch Republican, and has always held the
esteem of his fellow citizens. His wife, Mary
Stambach, who was born in Beaver township,
Snyder county, died in 1875, and was buried at
Troxelville. Of their large family five children
lived to maturity: Josiah, who died in Spring
township in 1896; James, a resident of Troxel
ville; Sarah A., now Mrs. Aurand; Daniel P., a
Methodist minister at Surprise, Neb. ; and How
ard, who died in Adams township, Snyder county,
at the age of twenty-six years.

FRANKLIN J. SCHOCH. This well-known
capitalist has for many years been a leading
business man of Selins Grove, and, under the
firm name of Schoch Bros. , he has built up one
of the largest mercantile concerns in the locality.
Although he has now retired from that line of
enterprise he still holds large real-estate and
other interests at Selins Grove and elsewhere,
and his leisure and wealth enable him to lend a
helping hand to such progressive movements as
command his approval. Mr. Schoch was born
October 3, 1831, the son of John A. and Lydia
(Houtz) Schoch, and was reared at the old fam
ily homestead in Middle Creek township, Snyder
county. [For ancestral history of the Schoch
family see sketch of Ira C. Schoch.] He attended
the subscription schools of that day, the rough
log building with its rude seats and bare walls
being fairly symbolical of the old-fashioned meth
ods of instruction then in vogue. It is a note
worthy fact that his parents took an important
part later in bringing about the adoption of the
present admirable system, as they donated the
land upon which the first public-school building
in Snyder county was erected. His mother was the
organizer of the first country Sunday- school held
in the county. Under the influence of such parents
the youth acquired a practical education not
withstanding the lack of suitable privileges, and
at an early age he became a clerk in a store.
There he familiarlized himself with all the de
tails of mercantile life, and in 1853 he engaged
in a similar business on his own account at Se
lins Grove, meeting, as has been noted, with
•remarkable success. He also became interested
in milling, and continued both lines until 1884,
when, having accumulated a large fortune, he re
tired. In politics our subject is a strong Republican,
but has never taken an active share in partisan
work, his influence being exerted in a quiet way.
In religious faith he is a Lutheran, and like all

his family he has always, been ready to support
any worthy cause. He is identified with vari
ous social movements, and for years has been a
member of the Masonic Order, Lafayette Lodge,
No. 194, of Selins Grove.
On April 3, 1854, Mr. Schoch was married
to Miss Susan Catherine Leisenring, who was
born November 1, 1834, at Sunbury, Penn.,
where her father, Gideon Leisenring, owned a
large amount of property. Later Mr. Leisen
ring removed to West Virginia, where he died in
1882, at an advanced age, his birth having oc
curred March 29, 1802. His wife. Louisa Shin-
del, to whom he was married June 17, 1828,
was born October 21, 181 1, and died March 27,
1853. Mr. and Mrs. Schoch have had five
children, of whom three are living: (1) Lydia
Louisa married George Wagenseller, and has two
sons — Franklin S. and George Jacob. (2) Anna
Maude married Rev. H. N. Follmer, a Lutheran
minister, now located at Pittsburg, and they have
three children — Ethel, Franklin and William
Harold. (3) Miss Eva Kathryn Schoch gradu
ated from the classical course in Susquehanna
University and from the New England Conserva
tory of Music, and is now a popular member of
the best social circles of Selins Grove.

WILLIAM F. HOWELL. In former years
biography dealt more largely with those
who had attained distinction in military or po
litical circles, in the sciences, letters or in pro
fessional life, but it is the lives of those who are
prominent in the affairs of business that contain
lessons most practical for the majority of man
kind. When a man by resolute purpose, honor
able dealing and energy works his way steadily
upward, acquiring a comfortable competence and
winning the respect of friends and neighbors, his
career is a source of incentive and inspiration to
those with whom he is associated. Such is the
life of Mr. Howell, a prominent lumber dealer of
McClure. Our subject was born in, the town which is
inow his home, May 22, i860, and is a represent
ative of one of the honored old families of cen
tral Pennsylvania. His grandfather, Samuel
Howell, was born in Center township, Snyder
county, received a common-school education,
and throughout his life followed farming. He
also took great delight in hunting, especially in a
bear chase, and in addition to his rifle carried a
tomahawk. He was a well-known and highly
respected citizen, and died at the home of his
son Jacob in McClure. His wife passed away in
Snyder county. In politics he was an Old-line

1108

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Whig, and afterward a gtanch Republican. In
his family were two children: Jacob H. and John
C. , the latter now deceased.
Jacob H. Howell was educated principally in
the German tongue. He followed the lumber
business during the greater part of his life, was
also a millwright, and owned and operated a
sawmill in West Beaver township. The mill
was propelled by water power, and he continued
business there for twenty-five years. Although
he retired from active business cares in 1893, he
is still living at the mill, and is one of the popu
lar and influential citizens of the community.
He was married in West Beaver township to
Sophia Wagner, a native of that township, and
a daughter of Elias Wagner, a farmer of the
neighborhood. He holds membership in the
Reformed Church, and his life has been marked
by the utmost fidelity to duty. In politics he is
a Republican, and has served as school director
and tax collector. His business affairs have
been managed with industry, and have brought
to him a comfortable competency. His sterling
worth commends him to the confidence and good
will of all, and his friends throughout the com
munity are many. In his family were ten chil
dren: William F. ; Amos and John, who reside
in McClure; Susan, wife of William A. Ulsh, of
Snydertown; Clara, wife of C. F. Goss, of Mc
Clure; Aaron, of McClure; and four who died in
infancy. The only educational privileges of William
F. Howell were such as the common schools
afforded, and were supplemented by two terms
attendance at the Freeburg Normal School, of
which Prof. D. S. Boyer was principal. He be
gan his business career by working in the saw
mill with his father, there remaining until eight
een years of age, after which he spent a year
in the employ of the Lewistown & Sunbury Rail
road Company. The money thus earned he
used to pay his way throngh college. He taught
school for three terms in McClure, with an en
rollment of seventy-six pupils, and was quite suc
cessful in that work. He followed the carpen
ter's trade for four years, and then engaged in
contracting and building, erecting a church in
Decatur township, Mifflin county, and a number
of private residences in McClure. In 1886 he
purchased a stave mill in McClure, which hs con
ducted for four years and then sold out, pur
chasing a lumber mill in West Beaver township,
which he conducted for four years. He is now
successfully engaged in the lumber business in
McClure, dealing in mining timber, ties, bark and
lumber, and the patronage which he receives is
quite extensive. In November, 1882, Mr. Howell

was united in marriage in McClure to Miss Liz
zie L. Manback, a native of West Beaver town
ship, and a daughter of Lewis W. Manback, a
retired farmer of McClure. They now have
three children: Hopie W. , Sudie V. and Eva N.
In 1889 Mr. Howell was elected justice of the
peace on the Republican ticket for a five-years
term, and in 1894 was re-elected, so prompt and
faithfully had he discharged the duties of the
office. He is a member of the United Evangeli
cal Church of McClure, was class leader for
eight years, has been an active worker in the
Sunday-school, and is a member of the Christian
Endeavor Society, of which he has served as
secretary and chairman of the prayer meeting
committee. He belongs to the Odd Fellows
Society of McClure, and is a charter member of
the Sons of Veterans, Camp No. 65, of Mc
Clure. Public-spirited and progressive, he takes
a deep interest in everything pertaining to the
welfare of the community, and gives his support
to all measures for the public good. In business
he is honorable, in public service prompt, and
conscientious, and in the Church faithful and
reliable.
f FREDERICK M. MONTELIUS, a retired
_ farmer of West Perry township, Snyder
county, was born in Northumberland county,
Penn., September 15, 1837. His ancestral his
tory is one of German origin.
His grandfather, Frederick M. Montelius, was
born in Saxony, and when only seven years of
age was kidnapped by the Hessians, who brought
him to this country and sold him as a slave in
Philadelphia. He was obliged to work until
twenty-one years of age before gaining his free
dom. He was then employed in a store, and his
master afterward started him in business in Phila
delphia, where he remained for some time, when
he removed to Reamstown, Lancaster Co., Penn.
There he continued in the mercantile business
until his death. He was married in Philadel
phia to Elizabeth Bartholomew, a native of Ger
many, and she also passed away in Lancaster
county. In politics he was a Whig, and, in re
ligious faith, a Lutheran. The children of the
grandparents were: Charles, William, John,
Peter, Marcus, Fanny, Sally, Elizabeth, and two
who died in childhood.
Peter Montelius, father of our subject, was
educated both in English and German, and
throughout the greater part of life engaged in
teaching, following that profession in Lancaster,
Union and Northumberland counties. He also
served as organist in various Lutheran Churches.
He was a surveyor, and he also was serving as

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1109

justice of the peace in Jackson township, North
umberland county, at the time of his death, which
occurred in 1858. His political support was given
the Whig party, and in the Lutheran Church he
long held membership. In Lancaster county he
was united in marriage with Miss Margaret Stit
zer, a native of Reading, Penn., 'and a daughter
of David Stitzer, a Revolutionary soldier, of
English descent. Her death occurred in Green
brier, Northumberland county. They were the
parents of twelve children: Elizabeth, deceased
wife of John Snyder; Mary, deceased wife of
George Snyder; Timothy, deceased, was a sol
dier in the Civil war; Sarah, deceased wife of
Daniel Fetter; Rachel, wife of Nathan Erdman;
Jane, deceased wife of John Shafer; Fannie, wife
of B. Eister; Charlotte, wife of Solomon Snyder;
Harriet, wife of Samuel Keifer; Amy, wife of
Michael Heppner; Maria, wife of Edward Starr;
and Frederick M.
Frederick M. Montelius learned the shoe
maker's trade in his youth, and followed that
business for himself both in Greenbrier and other
places, also surveying, remaining in Northumber
land county until 1875, after which he engaged in
shoemaking in Richfield for five years. On the
expiration of that period he abandoned his trade
and purchased a farm in West Perry township,
which he operates with success.
In 1862, at Greenbrier, Mr. Montelius was
drafted for service in the Union army, and was
mustered in at Carlisle as a member of Co. K,
I72d, P. V. I., under Capt. Hoffman and Col.
Charles Kleckner. He was then stationed at
Yorktown, Va. , where he was engaged in doing
guard duty. He remained in the service for ten
months, and, in July, 1863, returned to his home,
but the following year he enlisted at Harrisburg
as a member of the Third Heavy Artillery, which
was attached to the 188th P. V. I., with which
he served until the close of the war, being sta
tioned at Fort Harrison, Virginia.
In 1870, at Hickory Corner, Mr. Montelius
was married to Miss Sarah Hain, who was born
in Little Mahoning, Northumberland county, a
daughter of David Hain, a farmer of that county.
Seven children came to bless their union : Ira, Ir
win (who died at the age of eighteen years), David
(who died in childhood), Rebecca, Frances, Sadie,
and John. The parents attend the Lutheran
and German Reformed Churches, and Mr. Mon
telius served as elder and deacon in the Lutheran
Church. He was supervisor of his township. So
cially, he is connected with the Masonic lodge
of Shamokin, and with the Odd Fellows Society
at Greenbrier. He is a very genial, pleasant
man, whom to know is to respect and honor.

His enterprise and well-directed efforts have
brought him success in business, and he is now
the possessor of a comfortable competence which
enables him to live retired, enjoying the fruits of
his former toil.

JOHN H. WISE, a representative farmer of
Union township, Snyder county, was born in
Northumberland county, Penn., June 8, 1843,
and is a son of George F. and Maria A. (Horner)
Wise, natives of Montgomery county, Penn. The
father was born in 1799, learned the stone ma
son's trade, and removed from his native county
to Stone Valley, near Georgetown, Penn. He
afterward lived successively in Northumberland
county, on Hall's Island, and in Snyder county,
and in 1872 died in Snyder county. His wife
passed away about eight years previous, and
both were buried in Whitmer cemetery. In pol
itics Mr. Wise was a Democrat, and his Church
relations were with the Evangelical Association.
Their children were as follows: Ephraim, who
died in Snyder county; Susanna, who married
George Campbell, and died in Union township,
Snyder county; Henry, who died in Chapman
township; Mary, who died in Montgomery coun
ty, at the age of eight years; Gabriel, a farmer
of Union township, Snyder county; John H.;
and Caroline, wife of Henry Boyer, of Juniata
county, Pennsylvania.
John H. Wise, in his early boyhood, pursued
his studies in a little school house 16x18 feet,
which stood on the Daniel Whitmer farm, but
his educational privileges were very limited. His
father was a laborer, and at the age of ten years
John H. started out in life for himself, since
which time he has been dependent entirely on
his own efforts. He worked at the carpenter's
trade, under William Thursby, until that gentle
man went to the army, when he gave up the
business. In October, 1862, he also went to the
front as a substitute, joining Company A, 172nd
P. V. I., under Capt. Solomon Bowerman. Pre
vious to this time, as a member of Company D,
1 8th Regiment, Pennsylvania Home Guards, he
was in active service for fourteen d,ays, going as
far south as Hagerstown, Md. , when with his
regiment he was stationed mostly at Yorktown,
and after nine months and four days' service he
was discharged.
For some years thereafter Mr. Wise followed
any honest employment that would yield him a
living. He aided in the excavation of the canal
at Port Trevorton, was employed by the Reading
Railroad Company until February, 1859, and
then secured a situation with the Pennsylvania

1110

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Canal Company, with which he continued for
over sixteen years. After being with that com
pany for about a year he was promoted to the
position of sub-foreman, and it was with much
reluctance that the company accepted his resig
nation fifteen years later. On January 17, 1864,
our subject was married, in Liverpool, Penn.,
to Malinda G. Whitmer, who was born in Union
township, Snyder county, November 5, 1847, a
daughter of Isaac and Catharine (Gaugher) Whit
mer. Mr. Wise and his wife began their domes
tic life in his parents' home, but after a short
time he rented a small house and later bought it
for $200. This was the first real estate he ever
owned. On selling that property he rented a
small place of Judge Whitmer, and made it his
home until April, 1873, when he became the oc
cupant of his present farm. He continued there
as a renter until 1885, when he purchased the
place. He is now successfully carrying on agri
cultural pursuits, and is the possessor of a com
fortable home, owing to his own industry, good
management and perseverance.
To Mr. and Mrs. Wise have been born eleven
children: Estella May, who died October 28,
1865; Minnie E., who was born September 9,
1867, and is the wife of Alonzo Stevenson, of
Harrisburg; Sally L. , who was born June 18,
1870, and is the wife of William W. Arnold, of
Port Trevorton; Mary C. , who was born Octo
ber 24, 1872, and is the wife of Perry Rothermel,
of Port Trevorton, by whom she has one child,
Blanche; Carrie E., who was born June 16, 1874,
and died February 25, 1876; Charlie, who was
born March 9, 1879, and died January 11, 1882;
James A., who was born May 14, 188.1; Francis
E., born pctober 6, 1884; Harvey E., born Jan
uary 9, 1887; and Robert, born February 11,
1889. Mr. Wise supported the Democracy until
1892, since which time he has been a Republican.
He served as supervisor in 1888, 1889, and 1890,
and was again elected to that office in the spring
of 1897. He and his wife have been members
of the Evangelical Association since 1859, and
are very prominent in Church work. He has
served as exhorter, and is assistant superintend
ent of the Sunday-school, and has done as much
as any one man in the community for the wel
fare of the Church. He also belongs to John C.
Arnold Post No. 407, G. A. R. He is a very
strong temperance man, and though addicted to
the use of intoxicants in early life, when he be
came converted, at the age of fifteen years, he
foreswore all such, and is recognized as one of
the strongest temperance workers in his section
of the county.

FETER S. BOBB, one of the best known
and most enterprising agriculturists of Bea
ver township, Snyder county, was born Septem
ber 25, 1850, in that township when it formed a
part of Union county.
Peter Bobb, his grandfather, was born in
what was then "Northumberland county, but now
is a part of Snyder county. He was a well-to-
do farmer and owned a tract of land which he
greatly improved, making his home thereon un
til his death. His remains were interred in the
Hassinger cemetery. He was married in Beaver
township to Willimina Hassinger, a native of the
township, and they became parents of the fol
lowing children: Daniel and John, both deceased;
David, of Illinois; Jacob and Samuel, who live
in Michigan; Katie, deceased; Elizabeth, wife of
Abram K. Middleworth, of McClure, Penn. ;
Amenias, deceased wife of Amos Aigler, and
Sarah, widow of Jacob Middleworth. The
father of this family was a stanch Whig, and a
consistent member of the Lutheran Church,
contributing liberally to its support.
Reuben Bobb, father of our subject, was
born in Beaver township in 1821, was educated
in the German language, and was reared on his
father's farm. In his younger days he worked at
the carpenter's trade, but after his marriage set
tled on the old homestead of 1 1 1 acres, on which
he erected a fine frame residence, good barn and
other necessary outbuildings. There he contin
ued until 1875, when he removed to his home in
the northern part of the township, having erected
there the only brick residence in the township
outside of Beavertown. There he is enjoying
the fruits of his former toil, in company with his
wife, who has shared with him life's joys and
sorrows for over half a century.
On May 25, 1849, in Middleburg, Reuben
Bobb was married in Snyder county, to Lucinda
Engle, the wedding being solemnized by Rev. J.
P. Sheudel. She was born in Franklin town
ship, Snyder county, in 1824, a daughter of
Solomon and Catherine (Hendricks) Engle. Her
father was one of the best-known citizens of the
township, a successful school teacher who filled
the offices of surveyor and justice of the peace.
Mr. Bobb gives his political support to the Re
publican party, and is a consistent member of the
Lutheran Church. His family numbers three
children: Elvina, wife of J. W. Specht, a mer
chant of Beaver Springs; Peter S. ; and Mary E.,
wife of Kermer Walters, a merchant of Mifflin
burg. Peter S. Bobb, whose name opens this review,
began his education in the Bobb school house in
Beaver township, under the direction of William

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1111

Savage. His school privileges were limited to
three months' attendance in the winter season,
for his services were needed on the home from
the time of planting in the early spring until after
the crops were harvested in the autumn. In
1875, he purchased a farm in the northern part
of Beaver township, and also operates the old
homestead. He now has a very valuable prop
erty, the well-tilled fields and neat appearance of
the place indicating his careful supervision. His
business affairs are conducted with industry and
energy, and as the result of his well-directed
efforts he has become the possessor of a comfort
able competence.
In June, 1865, in Beaver township, now
Spring township, Snyder county, Mr. Bobb was
married to Matilda Gross, a daughter of the late
Jacob Gross, a farmer of Beaver township. Their
home is blessed by the presence of two children:
Charles W. and Melvin E. , who assist their father
in the work of the farm. The family attend the
Lutheran Church, and Mr. Bobb is serving as its
trustee. In politics he is a Republican, and does
all in his power to promote the growth and insure
the success of his party. He is deeply interested
in the cause of education, and, during his ten
years' service as a school director, has done much
for the improvement of the schools in his neigh
borhood.

[ENRY J. HEISER, a lumber-manufacturer,
=3L and proprietor of the Valley View Fruit
Farm, is a man to whom success has come as
the reward of enterprising labor. He was born
in Snyder county, August 30, 185 1, and supple
mented his early education, acquired in the com
mon schools, by one term's study in the high
school of Selins Grove. At the age of sixteen he
left his grandfather's home, where his childhood
days were passed1, and went to Selins Grove,
where he learned the carpenter's trade, under
the direction of C. B. Miller. For three years
he worked as an apprentice, after which he was
employed by William Haines at Salem in a plan
ing-mill for two years On the expiration of
that period he removed to Sunbury, where he
spent a short time, after which he worked at his
trade in Port Trevorton for one year.
Mr. Heiser came to his present home in Perry
township, Snyder county, in 1874, where he pur
chased eleven acres of land, on which stood an
old sawmill. He afterward erected an excellent
sawmill, equipped with the latest improved ma
chinery, also built a cider-mill, and made many
excellent improvements upon the place. In 1 884
he established the Glen Albion Apiary, and is

now extensively engaged in bee culture. He
sells born comb and extracted honey, and also
manufactures bee-hives and fixtures. This
branch of his business, which has proved quite
profitable, is now in charge of his son, Arthur.
In 1889 he began raising fruit, and now has on
the Valley View Fruit Farm particularly fine
varieties of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries
and currants. He has set out an extensive or
chard of plums and cherries, the first orchard of
these fruits planted in the county exclusively for
the market. These always find a ready sale on
the market, and add not a little to his income.
On January 15, 1874, in Port Trevorton, Mr.
Heiser was married to Frances I. Beachell, a na
tive of Washington township, Snyder county,
and a daughter of A. J. Beachell, a miller of
Perry township. They now have seven children:
Robert Arthur, who was educated at Selins
Grove and at New Berlin, and Dennis Elvin are
living; Bertha Cora, Stella Esther, Eva May,
Howard Earle and Nevin Melvin are all now de
ceased. Mrs. Heiser was educated in the public
schools of the county, and in the Freeburg
Academy under Prof. D. S. Boyer and Major
Dill. She is a lady of culture and refinement,
and presides with gracious hospitality over her
pleasant home.
Mr. Heiser is a Democrat, active in support
of his party, and, in 1890, he was elected county
commissioner. He has served as assessor of
Perry township, as school director, and as tax
collector for three years. He, his wife and
sons are members of the Lutheran Church, and
he belongs to LaFayette Lodge No. 194, F. &
A. M.

DANIEL GOOD. The splendid farm owned
by this gentleman at Kratzerville, in Jack
son township, Snyder county, is a standing mon
ument to his industry, perseverance and good
management. He comes under the category of
self-made men, and is now numbered among
the successful agriculturists of the community.
Mr. Good was born May 13, 1844, in Monroe
township, Snyder county, when it was still a
part of Union county, and remained under the
parental roof until he had attained his major
ity, aiding his father in the work of the farm
and attending the district schools. On leaving
home he began milling in Kelly township, Union
county, for David Wagner, with whom he re
mained two years, receiving $80 for the first
year, and $20 per month for the second. He
then worked in the Benfer mill, in Snyder
county for the same length of time, after which

1112

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

he returned to the Buffalo mills in Kelly town
ship, Union county. During the two years he
spent there he received $25 per month, but at
the end of that time was again employed in the
Benfer mills for two years, and continued to fol
low milling for sixteen years. Since 1880, how
ever, he has engaged in general farming upon his
present place, which he purchased for $2,800.
John and Hannah (Wagner) Good, the par
ents of our subject, were natives of Snyder
county, as were also the paternal grandparents,
George and Elizabeth Good, whose remains were
laid to rest in the cemetery at Salem. The
father, who was a farmer and blacksmith by
trade and occupation, and a man of consid
erable prominence in his community, held
several township offices. He died in Monroe
township, Snyder county, November 7, 1868,
aged sixty-one years, six months and eighteen
days, and the mother passed away in the same
township, June 23, 1886, aged seventy-six years,
one month and thirteen days, both being buried
at Kratzerville. They were consistent members
of the Reformed Church, and in politics, Mr.
Good was a stalwart Republican.
To this worthy couple were born the follow
ing children: Hiram, now a retired farmer of
Penn township, Snyder county; Mary A., wife of
Henry Castetter, a farmer of Tama county,
Iowa; William, an agriculturist of Oriental,
Penn. ; Alemanda, wife of Sowara Seecrist, a
farmer of Northumberland county, Penn. ; Frank
lin, a retired farmer of Selins Grove, Snyder
county; Daniel, the subject of this sketch; Sa
villa, wife of Daniel Smith, of Monroe township,
who is engaged in the sawmill and threshing
business; and Alfred, a farmer of Monroe town
ship. On June 1, 1,871, in Lewisburg, Penn., Dan
iel Good was married to Miss Satira Crevelling,
who was born at Lightstreet, Columbia Co.,
Penn., December 4, 1849, a daughter of Cyrus
and Matilda (Evans) Crevelling, also natives of
Columbia county. The mother, who was born
in January, 1825, still resides at the old home
stead in West Buffalo township, Union Co.,
Penn., but the father, a farmer by occupation,
died in that county, March 26, 1894, at the age
of seventy-four years. Politically he was a Re
publican, and, religiously, a member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, to which his wife
also belongs. His parents, Alexander and
Rebecca (Marr) Crevelling, died in Columbia
county. Mrs. Good is the fourth in order of birth in
a family of eleven children, namely: Rebecca
A., deceased wife of Pierce White, a retired

farmer living in Union county; Samantha C,
wife of William Mathers, a farmer of the same
county; William P., an agriculturist of Decatur
county, Iowa; Oscar C. , a farmer of Lycoming
county, Penn. ; Clara E., wife of Reedy Wolfe, a
farmer of Union county; John W. and Charles,
who died in infancy; Miss Agnes M., a resident
of Wilke3 Barre, Penn.; Sherman G., a saddler
of Bloomsburg, Penn.; and Arthur, deceased.
The following children have been born to
Mr. and Mrs. Good: Regina, wife of Henry
Yearick, of Markelsville, Perry county; Cyrus,
who died in infancy; and Gertrude, Clara, Ira
P., E. Wilson and Matilda A., at home. The,
parents are active and prominent members of
the Reformed Church, in which Mr. Good for
merly served as deacon, and is now elder. Po
litically, he is identified with the Republican
party. The family is widely and favorably known,
and has many warm friends throughout the com
munity.

YOST H. WAGNER, Esq., a prosperous re
tired agriculturist residing in Kratzerville,
Snyder county, is one of the leading citizens of
his locality, and for more than thirty-five years has
held the office of justice of the peace. He is a
man of marked intelligence, being well ac
quainted with the English and German languages,
and possessing a good store of information on
general topics, and his genial disposition makes
friends for him wherever he is known.
He comes of good old Pennsylvania stock, his
great-grandparents, Jacob and Magdalena (Schoch)
Wagner, having resided in Berks county. His
grandparents, Yost and Veronica (Berga) Wag
ner, were both born in Berks county, but re
moved in early life to Snyder county, then
Northumberland county, where they made their
permanent home. They lived to an advanced
age, passing away about 1840, and the remains
of both are interred at Selins Grove. William
Wagner, our subject's father, was born in what
is now Snyder county, and became a successful
farmer of that locality. He was a consistent
member of the Lutheran' Church, and in politics
was first a Whig, and later a Republican, his in
fluence being exerted in a quiet way. He died
in Monroe township, Snyder county, in 1874, at
the age of seventy-four, and his estimable wife,
whose maiden name was Christiana Beaver, died
in 1877, aged sixty-nine, both being buried in
the cemetery at Selins Grove. She was a native
of Snyder county, her parents, Michael and
Susan (Utt) Beaver, whose remains rest in the
cemetery at Selins Grove, having come from

. wOJLsl^JLA--

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1113

Lehigh county at an early date. William Wag
ner and his wife had a large family of children,
as follows: Lucy A., who died at the age of
eighteen; Emanuel, a farmer of Licking county,
Ohio; Yost H., our subject; John M., a farmer
near Keokuk, Iowa; Esther, wife of H. Bay, a
farmer in Brown county, Kans.; Veronica S.,
widow of H. J. Ritter, of Middleburg, Penn.;
Mary, widow of Samuel Heiser, of Keokuk
county, Iowa; Lida, who married Daniel Gross,
a farmer in Lycoming county, Penn. ; Jacob,
who died in Delaware, at the age of forty-four,
and William H., a retired farmer, at St. Joseph,
Michigan. 'Squire Wagner was born December 26, 1828,
in Beaver township, Snyder county, and, until
he reached the age of twenty-four, resided with
his parents, much of his time being given to
farm work. His education was obtained in the
common schools, which he attended four months
each winter. When he was eighteen years old
he began teaching, and continued for seven con
secutive terms at different places in Snyder
county. In 1866 he bought one of his father's
farms near Kratzerville, consisting of sixty-four
acres, but in 1881 he left the farm and moved to
his present home in Kratzerville, which he had
purchased some time before, still retaining the
farm, however. He_ is successful as a farmer,
being an able manager, and his shrewd judgment
has often been called into service by his neigh
bors in business matters and the settlement of
disputed questions. Since 1862 he has served as
justice of the peace, and is the oldest justice in
the county; for eleven years he held the office of
school director. In politics he is a steadfast
Republican, and has taken an active part in local
politics, having been delegate to county conven
tions and serving on the county committee for a
number of years. Before the war he was greatly
interested in military affairs, having served three
years as a private and five as first lieutenant in a
company in the State militia.
In the fall of 1852 Mr. Wagner was married
to his first wife, Miss Susan Hahn, by whom he
had four children: (1) John O., a physician at
Adamsburg, Penn. , who married Miss Ella Gross,
and has one son, Otto. (2) Laura, who died at
the age of two years. (3) Ellen, who died at
the age of five; and (4) Clara S., who married
Emerson Lilly, and has had three children-
Susan, Edna and Ralph. Mrs. Susan Wagner
died in October, 1866, and later the 'Squire
married a second wife, Miss Elizabeth Ritter,
daughter of a well-known farmer of Snyder
county, John Ritter, and his wife, Elizabeth
Bohrn, who were the parents of ten children.

On the death of his second wife, in 1887, the
'Squire married her sister, Miss Mary Ritter. In
religious faith he is a member of the Lutheran
Church, having been confirmed at the age of
eighteen years, and at present he is treasurer and
has been deacon and elder.

MEYER MILLNER, an enterprising and
 popular merchant of Kantz, is one of the
most successful general merchants of Snyder
county, and his career is an exemplification of
the fact that success depends upon individual ef
fort, upon perseverance and wise management.
He was born in Russia, near the German border,
June 9, 1862. His father was a merchant, and
reared a family of four sons. Our subject and
his brother Herman are the only ones now liv
ing in the United States, the latter a merchant
of Pocahontas, Virginia.
Meyer Millner received very limited school
privileges, and at the age of fourteen started out
in life for himself, since which time he has been
entirely dependent upon his own resources. At
the age of eighteen he determined to try his for
tune in America, thinking to benefit his financial
condition in this land of open opportunity. He
sailed from Hamburg, and in August, 1881,
reached New York, whence he made his way to
Baltimore, Md., where he had friends and rela
tives living. He could not then speak a word of
English. Friends helped him, and, with a pack
of goods on his back, he started as a peddler in
in Snyder county, and also in Centre county
followed that business for three years. His la
bors were successful, and he built up a very good
trade in this way, accumulating thereby a hand
some competence. In 1884 he formed a part
nership with Daniel S. Miller, and the firm of
Millner & Miller purchased the general store of
Philip Snee at Kantz, the stock being valued at
abodt $1,000. About a year and half later Mr.
Millner became sole proprietor, and has since car
ried on the business alone. In 1887 he built his
excellent store room, and has added greatly to
his stock, which includes a good line of men's
clothing and furnishing goods, and everything
found in a first-class general store. He undoubt
edly has one of the best appointed stores in his
line in the State, and well merits the liberal
patronage which is accorded him.
On September 15, 1887, in Philadelphia, Mr.
Millner was married to Miss Babette Dryfosse,
a native of Germany, who for some time prior
to her marriage lived in Toledo, Ohio. They
have two children: Minnie R. and I. Sigmund.
Mr. Millner is a stalwart 'Democrat in principle,

1114

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

but at local elections, where no issue is involved,
frequently supports the men whom he thinks best
qualified for the office regardless of party affilia
tions. He was appointed postmaster of Kantz by
President Cleveland, and served as such during
both his administrations, resigning the office at the
close of the second administration. He and his
wife belong to the Jewish Synagogue in William
sport, Penn., and are people of sterling worth
who have the warm regard of many friends. In
Kantz they have a pleasant home, which is noted
for its hospitality.
In addition to his mercantile interests in
Kantz, Mr. Millner is a buyer and shipper of
produce, and his business in that line amounts
to thousands of dollars annually. With a capi
tal of $25 he came to the United States, and has
steadily worked his way upward to a foremost
place among Snyder county's successful business
men. His methods are strictly honorable, and
the liberal patronage he receives attests the con
fidence reposed in him by the public. He is now
a director of the First National Bank of Middle
burg, Pennsylvania.

ip\EORGE C. KUSTER, a prominent repre-
lyjf sentative of the agricultural interests of
Penn township, Snyder county, was born on
March 31, 1846, on the farm where he still con
tinues to reside. His father, Daniel Kuster, was
also a native of Penn township, a son of Paul
Kuster, who came from the southern part of the
State to Snyder county at an early day. In his
family were five children: Susannah, Catherine,
Elizabeth, Mrs. Ritter, Henry and Daniel.
Daniel Kuster was reared on a farm, and for
a short time in early life followed the tanner's
trade, but devoted most of his time to agricult
ural pursuits, in which he met with excellent suc
cess. At Muncy, Penn., he was united in mar
riage with Miss Elizabeth Turner, whose father
was also a farmer, and they began their domestic
life upon the old Kuster homestead, where he
and his brother Henry engaged in farming in
partnership until 1853, when the former sold out
and purchased a place in Limestone township,
Union Co., Penn. After a residence of one year,
however, he returned to Penn township, Snyder
county, and bought from Jacob Miller a farm of
144 acres, which is now the home of oursubject.
At this place he continued to make his home un
til called to his final rest, at the age of sixty-six.
His wife died at the age of sixty-two, and the re
mains of both were interred in Salem cemetery.
They were earnest members of the Lutheran
Church, and were highly respected in the com

munity where they so long made their home.
In politics the father was a Whig until President
Buchanan's administration, when he began giv
ing his support to the Democratic party.
Our subject is the eldest in the family of five
children, and the only one now living. The
others were as follows: Susanna and Catherine
(twins), the former of whom married Daniel S.
Miller, and died at Kantz, Penn., and the latter
married Z. M. Duck, and died in Perry county,
Penn. ; Ellen, who died at the age of eleven
years; and Jeremiah, who died at the age of
sixteen. George C. Kuster began his education in a
school near Pawling Station, taught by Miss
Mary Ritter, and after attending the common
schools for some time, was for one term a stu
dent in the Freeburg Academy. He heartily en
dorses the improved school system of to-day,
and does all in his power to promote the cause
of education. As a farmer boy he was reared to
habits of industry and thrift, was " put in the
harness young and was kept there," being of
great assistance to his father in the work of the
farm. Until twenty-six years of age he remained
at home, receiving only his board and clothes in
compensation for his labors.
In October, 1872, in Snyder county, Mr.
Kuster was married to Miss Sarah Hendricks, a
native of Washington township, Snyder county,
and a daughter of George Hendricks. Her ed
ucation was also obtained in the public schools.
Five children graced this union, namely: Will
iam S., who died in infancy; and Mary C. , The
odore F. , Jennie M. and George D., all at home.
After his marriage, Mr. Kuster still continued
to reside on the old homestead as he was the
only son, and cultivated the place for one-third
the products. This he continued until after the
death of his mother, when he received one-half,
and his father lived with him. After the latter
died, he bought the farm in the fall of 1886, has
made many excellent improvements upon the
place, and the well-tilled fields yield bountiful
harvests in return for the care and labor he be
stows upon them.
At State and National elections, Mr. Kuster
always supports the Democratic party, but at
local elections, where no issue is involved, he is
not strictly partisan. In religious belief both he
and his wife are Lutherans, and labor earnestly
for the good of the community and the better
ment of their fellowmen. Mr. Kuster was a
charter member of the Grange, with which he
continued to be connected during its existence,
and was also a charter member of the branch of
the Farmers Alliance formed at Selins Grove.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1115

Through his untiring efforts he has secured a
comfortable property, but has lost not a little
by aiding supposed friends. He is an honest,
hard working man, a good and kind neighbor,
and a citizen of whom the community may be
justly proud. The family originally spelled the
name Koster.

F

>\ P. FESSLER, a thrifty and successful agri-

Jr culturist of Centre township, Snyder county,
owns an attractive homestead near Middleswarth
P. O., as a reward of his industry and economy.
He is not only a diligent worker, but he has the
faculty for management by which he obtains the
best results from his labors. As a citizen he is
highly respected, his honesty and fair dealing in
all his affairs being a notable characteristic.
Mr. Fessler is a native of Snyder county,
born March 18, 1853, in West Beaver township.
His parents, David and Anna Elizabeth Fessler,
removed to Centre township when he was about
six years old, and he was reared there, receiving
his education in the public schools, with his
brother Reuben as his first teacher. The im
provements which have been brought about in
our school system meet with his approval, as he
believes that no pains should , be spared in the
education of the youth of America. During his
early years he gained a thorough knowledge of
farm work, and the greater part of his life has
been spent in that pursuit. When he was about
twenty years old he began to learn the black
smith's trade at what is now Cowan, Union coun
ty, but, finding the occupation uncongenial, he
gave it up after three months and returned home,
where he assisted for some time in the manage
ment of his mother's interests. Later he decided
. to try the saddler's trade, but a short apprentice
ship at Centerville satisfied him and he resumed
his farm work. Six years were spent in Ohio
and Illinois, then returning to this State he was
employed for a time as a general laborer.
On July 27, 1884, our subject was married to
Miss Lavina Benfer, who was born in Limestone
township, Union county, June 4, 1862, the daugh
ter of Enos and Sarah (Mauser) Benfer. The
first two years of his married life were spent upon
a rented farm and for one year he worked in a
tannery at Centerville, but in the fall of 1885 he
purchased his present farm from Frederick Her
man. It contains one hundred and four and a
half acres and is considered an excellent piece of
property. Mr. Fessler's business has occupied
his attention too closely for him to give much
time to local affairs, but he is a stanch Democrat
in politics and votes regularly.

Mr. Fessler and his wife have a large and
interesting family, nine children brightening their
home at the present time, viz. : Sally, Lettie,
Anna E., Harry, Lena, Reed, Ralph, Reuben
and Edna.

DR. JOHN SCHOCH, a well-known dentist of
Hummels Wharf, Snyder county, is one of
the leading citizens of that locality and a worthy
representative of a family which has long been
prominent in this section of the State.
He was born January 9, 1839, in Middle Creek
township, Snyder county, where his father, Jacob
Schoch, was a prosperous agriculturist. Jacob
Schoch was a native of Berks county, Penn., and
was born in 1801, the son of Jacob Schoch (1).
After coming to Snyder county our subject's
father engaged successfully in various lines of
business, and acquired a handsome property for
that time, including two farms and a gristmill.
He was equally noted for two qualities which are
not always found together — enterprise and hon
esty — and was a consistent member of the Lu-
eran Church. He took an intelligent interest in
public affairs, and strongly opposed slavery and
disunion. His death occurred in 1853, and his
wife, Catherine Miller, who was born in Middle
Creek township, in 1804, died in 1879. Thqy
reared a large family of children, of whom the
eldest, William, removed to Illinois, and died at
the age of sixty. Matilda married Henry J.
Boyer, and now resides in Chicago. Henry is a
resident of Selins Grove. Of George J. and Eliz
abeth (twins), the former is engaged in agricult
ure in Snyder county, and the latter is the wife of
John S. Miller, of Moran, Allen Co. , Kans. ; Maria,
now the wife of Dr. B. F. Wagenseller, of Selins
Grove, and Susan, deceased, who married Henry
Willi, were also twins. John, oursubject, is the
next in order of birth, and the youngest died in
infancy, unnamed.
Dr. Schoch spent his early years upon a
farm, his education being begun in the district
schools near his old home. He also attended
the academy at Freeburg for a time, and at the
age of fourteen he became a clerk in a store. A
few years later he went west, where he traveled
for two years, and on his return he located at
Selins Grove and began the study of dentistry.
He answered Gov. Curtin's emergency call for
aid in 1863, and became a member of Company
I, 30th Regiment, under Capt. A. C. Simpson;
the regiment was stationed at Carlisle, Penn.,
and our subject served in all about six weeks,
when he was honorably discharged.
After he returned to Selins Grove from the

1116

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

West, he remained there, practicing his profes
sion successfully, until after his marriage, in
1866, to Miss Mary A. Brobst, who was born and
reared on the farm which they now occupy. It
is a beautiful estate, and their home is a model
of comfort and order. Four children have blessed
their union: Carrie K., a young lady of fine
abilities, who is a graduate of Susquehanna Uni
versity; Norah Irene, who is a graduate in music
at Hagerstown, Md., is proficient in the art, and
has taught music five years; May and Martha,
attractive girls. The family are identified with
the Lutheran Church, the Doctor and his wife
being prominent members, and he is a stanch
supporter of the principles and policy of the Re
publican party.
Mrs. Schoch was born March 2, 1846, and
received an excellent education in the Ladies'
Seminary at Selins Grove. She traces her de
scent from Philip Brobst, who came from Ger
many in 1732, and landed at Philadelphia.
Some of the earlier families spelled the name
Probst. He had a son, John, who located near
New Berlin, where he lived to a good old age,
following farming as an occupation. He was a
soldier in the Revolutionary war, and Mrs.
Schoch has a hatchet he carried all during his
service. His son, John Jacob, the grandfather
of Mrs. Schoch, was born at Albany, Berks Co.,
Penn., in 1735, and for some years was a farmer
in Dry Valley, Snyder county, but his death oc
curred at the homestead near Selins Grove, at
the age of sixty years; he served through the war
of 1812. He married CatherinejClose, who died
on the same farm a few years before his own de
mise. They had ten children: Leah, now the wife
Daniel Ritter, of Snyder county; Daniel, Mrs.
Schoch's father; Isaac, who went west, and died
in Illinois; John, who settled at Akron, Ohio,
and died there in 1896; Sarah, who married
(first) Mr. Shaffer, and (second) John App, and
died at Selins Grove; Esther, now the wife of
Samuel Werline, of Shamokin, Penn. ; Liza, who
married Daniel Frederick, and died in Snyder
county; Mary, deceased, formerly the wife of
John Gift, of Pedee, Green county, Wis. ; Fan
nie, wife of Daniel Ulrich, of Selins Grove; and
Catharine Miller, wife of Jonas Miller.
Daniel Brobst was born in 1807, and passed
his life at the homestead, its cultivation occupying
much of his time. In religious faith he was a
Lutheran, and when the "New Church" was
formed he identified himself with that branch.
He was prominent in local affairs and took an
interest in military matters, serving for some time
in the State militia. In^ 1838 he was elected
second lieutenant of the Union Greene, attached

to the Union Independent Battalion of Volun
teers of the Militia of the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania in the First Brigade of the Eighth
Division, composed of the Militia of Northumber
land, Union, Columbia, Luzerne, Susquehanna
and Wayne counties. On his election being duly
certified, Lieut. Brobst was commissioned, and
served with credit until his retirement, in 1842.
He died in 1847, at the age of forty years and
seven months, and his wife, Elizabeth Lepley,
who was born in Dry Valley in 1808, died in
1870. Of their two children, Mrs. Schoch is the
only survivor, their son having died when but
two months old.

JOHN D. BOGAR, who resides at Port Tre
vorton, is one of the most prominent busi
ness men of Snyder county. His interests
are extensive and add greatly to the commercial
activity of this section, thus advancing the gen
eral prosperity while adding to his individual suc
cess. He has justly won the somewhat hack
neyed yet expressive title of a self-made man, for
with no capital to aid him he started out in life,
and has steadily worked his way upward, winning
wealth and honor by his successfully managed
business interests, his untiring energy and his res
olute purpose.
Mr. Bogar was born in Liverpool, Penn.,
February 18, 1853. His father, Jeremiah Bogar,
was born in Freeburg, Penn., December 16, 1820,
and'was a son of Daniel Bogar, whose birth oc
curred in Sunbury, Penn., in February, 1792,
while the great-grandfather, also named Daniel,
died in 1836, at the age of seventy-three years.
The family is of Swiss origin, and was founded
in America by three brothers, one of whom set
tled in North Carolina, the second in Philadel
phia, and the third near Sunbury, Penn. The
last named was the father of Daniel Bogar, Sr.,
previously mentioned. The great-grandfather of
our subject was a potter and tobacconist, and be
came possessed of considerable wealth. His
wife, Savilla Bogar, died in 1826, and he after
ward married again, but his children were all by
the first marriage, and were as follows: Daniel;
George, who died in New Berlin, Penn., where
he had followed merchandising; Paul, deceased,
who was a merchant of Centreville, Penn. ;
Jacob, deceased, a merchant of Lewisburg; John,
a merchant who died in Freeport, 111., at the age
of eighty-nine; and Samuel, who died at the age
of twelve years.
Daniel Bogar, grandfather of our subject, was
reared and educated in Sunbury, and received his
business training under the direction of his fa-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1117

ther, who manufactured crockery and shipped it
to market by way of the Susquehanna river, the
boat used being propelled by several men with
poles. His father gave him a start in mercan
tile business at Freeburg, and he was married
there to Mary Wolf, who was born in Snyder
county in 1806, a daughter of Peter Wolf, a
miller by trade. In March, 1830, Daniel Bogar
sold his business in Freeburg and went to Liver
pool, where he conducted a hotel and store for
some years. In 1856 he removed to Port Tre
vorton, and was the first toll-keeper on the Port
Trevorton bridge, which had been built for the
transportation of coal across the river by the Tre
vorton Coal & Railway Company. He died May
11, 1866, and his wife passed away in May, 1862.
In politics he was first a Whig, and afterward a
Republican. On one occasion without his knowl
edge, his friends made him the nominee for coun
ty sheriff, and, although he made no canvass, he
came within a few votes of election. He be
longed to the United Brethren Church and was
active in its work, was a man of kindly, genial
nature, fond of fishing and of fun, yet at all
times lived an honorable and upright life.
The following is the record of his family:
Jacob P., the first to locate at Port Trevorton,
was a merchant and telegraph operator, and died
in August, 1877, aged fifty-two. Sarah A. is the
widow of Christian Deitrich, of Lykens, Penn.
William H., who was an engineer at a large coal
breaker in Lykens, died at the age of fifty-eight
years. James, a railroad agent at Herndon,
Penn., was killed at Selins Grove Junction while
boarding a train. Lizzie is the wife of P. H.
Lamey, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Jeremiah Bogar, born in December, 1830,
the*econd of this family, is the father of our
subject. During his infancy his parents removed
to Liverpool, Penn., where he attended school.
At the age of fifteen he was employed on the
canal as a driver. Later he and his brother,
Jacob, became owners of the canal boat ' ' Robert
Lesher," and, when his brother Jacob met with
an accident, he operated the boat alone, and fol
lowed that business until 1855, when he joined a
party en route for California. They left New
York, July 5, crossed the Isthmus of Panama,
and at length reached San Francisco, but while
in the West Mr. Bogar suffered a severe illness,
and in February, 1856, started for home by way
of the Nicaraugua route, reaching his destination
in March. Jeremiah Bogar was married, in 1852, in
Liverpool to Flora Meek, who was born there
August 15, 1835, a daughter of Daniel an d^ Susan
(Rhoads) Meek. After his return

from Califor

nia, he boated on the canal for a season, and, in
the fall of 1856, in connection with his brother,
Jacob, he bought out David Postlewaite, a mer
chant of Port Trevorton, conducting that store
for some time, and also running a canal boat.
In 1862 Jeremiah Bogar built the first sawmill
at Port Trevorton, conducting the same until
1876, when our subject took possession. He
also built a planing-mill and sash-factory, which
he sold, and, in connection with a partner, he
bought 1,200 acres of land, which he afterward
sold at a good profit. For several years he was
in the insurance business, and is now a jobber in
powder, dynamite and other explosives. He
served as postmaster during the war, and during
the "emergency period," organized a company
at Port Trevorton, of which he was elected cap
tain. When it was time to start for the front,
however, some of the men refused to go. A sim
ilar condition of affairs existed at Selins Grove
with a company organized by Col. A. C. Simp
son, and the two companies united, Mr. Bogar
being elected first lieutenant. With the 18th P.
V. I , they went to the front, and there he served
as quartermaster until the time of his discharge.*
In politics he and all of his sons are stanch Re
publicans. He belongs to the United Evangel
ical Church, has been Sunday-school superin
tendent, and class leader, which relations to the
Church he at this time sustains.
Mr. and Mrs. Jeremiah Bogar had eleven
children: John D. ; Jacob P., of Herndon,
Penn. ; Charles, who died at the age of fifteen
years and six months; Clara E. , wife of H. E.
Austin, who died in Washington, D. C. , at the
age of thirty-two; George, who was drowned at
the age of two and a half years; James H. and
Isaac M., both of Port Trevorton; Mary, wife
of Samuel Smith, of Mazeppa, Penn. ; Joseph
E., a physician of Herndon, Penn.; Christian
D., of Port Trevorton; and Victor E., who is
attending school at New Berlin.
John D. Bogar, whose name begins this arti
cle, was a child of only two years when he came
with his grandfather, Daniel Bogar, to Port
Trevorton, living with him for some years. He
attended the district schools here, afterward
pursued his studies in Freeburg Academy, and
completed his education in what is now Sus
quehanna University, at Selins Grove. An acci
dent caused him to abandon his plan of becom
ing a bookkeeper, and he took up the life and
fire insurance business, which he followed for
some time. In his youth he had worked to a
considerable extent in his father's sawmill, and
gained a practical experience in that line of
operations. Before reaching his teens he also

1118

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

carried the mail between Port Trevorton and
Herndon for three years, for $3 per month. On
December 5, 1876, he purchased his father's
sawmill at Port Trevorton, and has since success
fully carried on business along that line. He
rebuilt the mill entirely in 1895, making the
plans himself and personally superintending its
construction. His lumber operations have be
come extensive and profitable, and he is one of
the recognized leaders in that industry in Sny
der county. The marketing of his product
caused him to become an extensive patron of
the ferry, running between Port Trevorton and
Herndon, and he finally purchased a half inter
est in the same, at once greatly improving it.
After a time he built a steamboat, and he is
now sole proprietor of the business, while at the
present time he is interested in both the Port
Trevorton and Union ferries, being the sole
owner of the Port Trevorton & Herndon ferry,
and owner of one-fourth of the "Union ferry,"
both doing business between Herndon and Port
Trevorton. In 1 88 1 Mr. Bogar purchased a saw and
stave mill, and began the manufacture of nail keg
heads and staves. In March, 1889, the plant
was removed to Herndon, where he has extensive
interests. He opened lumber and coal yards at
that place, and in June, 1889, when other lum
bermen suffered heavy losses, his foresight and
precaution practically fortified him against all
loss, and the big demand for timber that immedi
ately followed found him ready to meet it. In
1 89 1 he built a fine flouring-mill at Herndon, with
a capacity of 115 barrels daily, and, in the con
duct of this enterprise has a partner, F. A. Bing-
aman, the firm of Bogar & Bingaman being con
nected in the operation of several successful enter
prises in both Port Trevorton and Herndon. Mr.
Bogar organized and is treasurer of the Herndon
Manufacturing Company, which is doing a pros
perous business in the manufacture of sash, doors
and blinds, and furnishes employment to thirty
men. He also aided in the organization of the
A. S. Speece Powder Company, of Speeceville,
Penn., with which he wag connected until De
cember, 1896.
On October 26, 1873, Mr. Bogar wedded
Miss Mary Moyer, who was born in Chapman
township, Snyder county, April 3, 1855, a daugh
ter of Philip and Susan (Kantz) Moyer. Their
children are: Daisy E., wife of J. G. Snyder, of
Port Trevorton, by whom she has one child,
Mary Catherine; Jerry D. graduated from the
Shamokin Business College on May 24, 1895,
and is now a member and vice-president of the
Herndon Manufacturing Company, and superin

tendent of his father's sawmill; Thomas H. ;
Harvey S., who is attending school at New Ber
lin, Penn., and Susan F. at home.
In politics Mr. Bogar is a stanch Republican,
an esteemed counsellor of his party, and he has
served as delegate to the State Conventions, and
as chairman of the County Central Committee.
He is also trustee of the Central Pennsylvania
College of New Berlin, and is a member of La-
Fayette Lodge No. 194, F. & A. M., of Selins
Grove. He served as district president of the
Patriotic Order Sons of America, aided in insti
tuting many lodges through central Pennsylvania,
and was a charter member of the lodge at Port
Trevorton. He is a member and trustee of the
Olive United Evangelical Church, and is a mem
ber of the building committee, and aided in the
supervision of the erection of the house of wor
ship. He is now superintendent of the Sunday-
school, and is a very charitable and benevolent
man, who contributes liberally to all measures cal
culated for the public good. In manner he is very
genial, easily approachable, and at all times a
gentleman in the truest and best sense of the
term. His success in business is remarkable,
yet it has been achieved along the lines of un
flagging industry, earnest purpose and honorable
effort. There are five men in his employ who
have been with him for twenty-two years, con
vincing proof of his popularity as an employer.
His name is a synonym for integrity in business,
and there is no citizen that Snyder county could
so illy afford to lose than John D. Bogar.

J

OHN P. KANTZ is a retired farmer living at
his pleasant home in Monroe township, Sjiy-
der county. It has often been remarked that
those lives that are the most successful are usu
ally the least eventful; this seems to have been
the case with our subject; his life has been one
of usefulness and helpfulness to those about him,
but it has not been filled with any strange or
thrilling incidents.
Mr. Kantz was born November 22, 1821, in
Penn township, Snyder county, a son of Philip
Kantz. The maternal grandfather Snyder was
a well-to-do farmer of Snyder county. The fa
ther, a native of Lebanon county, Penn., came
to Snyder county when a lad of ten years, and
became one of the leading carpenters and cabinet
makers of his community in an early day, manu
facturing many coffins, for which he never charged
more than $6, as he did not believe in costly
funerals or in charging exorbitant prices. His
later years were spent in farming. He passed
away in 1856, at the age of sixty- three years,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

.1119

nine months and thirteen days, respected by all
who knew him.
John P. Kantz is the youngest of the family
of five children: (i) Betsy is the widow of Sam
uel Knights, a brick maker by trade. (2) Jacob,
who was by trade a carpenter, removed to Indi
ana, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits
until his death. (3) Phoebe became the wife of
George Hendricks, of Nittany Valley, Centre
Co., Penn., but is now deceased. (4) John re
moved to Ohio when thirty years of age, and
there engaged in milling until his death, which
occurred a few years since.
For two years, from 1840 until 1842., Mr.
Kantz served an apprenticeship to the chair
maker's trade and painting, which he success
fully followed for twenty- one years, or until 1863.
During that period he saved some money, which
he invested in his present farm in Monroe town
ship, Snyder county, and for many years gave
his attention to agriculture, but he is now living
retired, enjoying a well-earned rest. His com
fortable dwelling is tastefully furnished with arti
cles of his own manufacture. In September,
1864, he enlisted in the Union army, and par
ticipated in the battles of Fort Steadman and
Petersburg, besides several minor engagements.
When hostilities ceased he was honorably dis
charged, June 1, 1865, and returned home.
On February 26, 1850, Mr. Kantz was mar
ried to Miss Anna E. Beohell, who was born in
December, 1827, a daughter of Andrew Bechell,
a miller living near Selins Grove, in Snyder coun
ty. They became the parents of six children, as
follows: (1) Marion, born June 27, 1851, was
educated in the Missionary Institute at Selins
Grove, and also took a course in penmanship in
Philadelphia. For several years he has now held
a responsible position with Dunn & Bradstreet,
of New York, and is held in high in high esteem
by the firm. He married Miss Ellen Evans, but
has no children. (2) Ann E. and (3) Virgil (twins),
both died at a boutthe age of 1 year, 1 month and
18 days. (4) Robert A., born July 13, 1858,
and was principally educated in the Missionary
Institute, of Selins Grove, but completed his
literary studies in the University of Ann Arbor,
Mich. Since 1885 he has been in the employ of
the War Department at Washington, D. C. He
married Miss Laura Hughes, daughter of a prom
inent farmer of Snyder county, Penn., and they
have one son, Robert Hughes, born in June,
1886. (5) and (6) twins, born September 6, i860,
died in infancy.
Mr. Kantz has been called upon to mourn the
death of his estimable wife, who departed this
life April 6, 1887, and she was laid to rest in the

cemetery at Selins Grove. He is an ardent Dem
ocrat in politics, and a Lutheran in religious be
lief. Upright and honorable, he deserves and
has the respect of all who know him.

IRAM ULRICH, a leading citizen of Penn
JI'iL township, Snyder county, is descended
from one of the oldest and most prominent pio
neer families in the vicinity of Selins Grove, it
being founded there several years prior to the
Revolutionary war by John George Ulrich, the
great-grandfather of our subject.
John George Ulrich was a native of Ger
many, but came to this region from Tulpehock-
en, Berks Co., Penn. He secured a tract of
land, which was still in its primitive condition,
the country round about was still all wild and un
settled, and Indians were frequent visitors at his
pioneer home. He had sufficient prudence and
foresight to extend a friendly welcome to them,
and later this proved of great value to him and his
family. On one occasion an attack was expected
from a large body of hostile Indians, and Mr.
Ulrich was advised by some of the Redmen to
leave with his family, but, not desiring to aban
don his crops to them, he sent his family to a
place of safety and remained on his farm. The
enemy came, committed their depredations, but
did not disturb Mr. Ulrich in the least. His
farm near Selins Grove has never passed out of
the family, and in early days the spring thereon
was frequently visited by the Indians, there being
a path from Middle Creek to Buffalo Valley past
it. He took up ninety acres of government land
upon which to erect a Lutheran church, which
was afterward called " Rows Church." At his
death Mr. Ulrich was buried in Rows Church
cemetery in Penn township, Snyder county. He
had but two children: John George; and Cath
erine, who married Jacob Bickle, a Revolution
ary soldier, but had no children.
John George Ulrich, our subject's grand
father, continued to live on the old homestead,
and throughout his life carried on the occupa
tions of farming, distilling and tanning. When
the first Lutheran church was built in Selins
Grove he pledged all his land for its payment,
and gave material assistance in its erection. He
married Catharine Laudenslager, by whom he
had the following children: John George, Ben
jamin, Samuel, John, Daniel, Jonathan K.,
Molly, wife of Adam Good, and Elizabeth, wife
of Peter Berkstresser. All died in Snyder coun
ty, and, with their parents, were buried in the
old Lutheran cemetery at Selins Grove, with the

1120

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

exception of Samuel, who was laid to rest at
Kratzerville, the same county.
At the old ancestral home near Selins Grove,
Jonathan K. Ulrich, father of our subject, spent
his early life. At New Berlin he learned the
tanner's trade, which he followed for almost half
a century. After living in Selins Grove for a
number of years he purchased the old homestead,
where he spent some time, but passed his last
days in the village, dying there in 1883. He was
married in that place to Miss Hariett Berg
stresser, who was born there, a daughter of
Frederick Bergstresser. She died January 3,
1898. Both were consistent members of the
Lutheran Church, and in politics he was always
a stalwart Democrat. To this worthy couple
were born the following children: Alfred, who
died in early manhood; Hiram; Theodore, who
died in childhood; F. B., a farmer of Penn town
ship, Snyder county; James P., a painter of Selins
Grove; D. A. was a resident of the same place,
and died January 31, 1898; C. P., an attorney of
Selins Grove, and Lydia, wife of Asher Hower,
of Penn township.
At Selins Grove, Hiram Ulrich was born
March 7, 1836, and in what was known as the
Pepper Box school of that place he obtained his
education. Until eighteen years of age he re
mained under the parental roof, assisting his fa
ther in the tannery, and then began a three-
years' apprenticeship in the tannery of D. C.
Berkstresser, of Selins Grove, receiving nothing
but his board and clothes in compensation for
his services. After he had completely mastered
the business, he entered into partnership with his
preceptor, and together they carried on opera
tions until a fire destroyed their place in 1873,
causing a loss of $2,000 to our subject. He
then removed to the home farm, where he and
his brother Daniel operated the old tannery,
which had long been abandoned, but he has now
given up that business and is practically living re
tired. In 1876 he erected his present comforta
ble brick residence upon his place, and has also
made many other useful and valuable improve
ments. On November 14, 1861, in Buffalo township,
Union Co., Penn., Mr. Ulrich was married to
Miss R. E. Thompson, who was born near
Mifflinburg, Penn., October 11, 1839, the daugh
ter of Benjamin and Rachel (Reninger) Thomp
son, farming people of Buffalo Valley. Her fa
ther died at the age of sixty-eight, her mother at
the age of seventy-two, and both were interred
in Lewis cemetery, Limestone township, Union
county. In religious belief they were Methodists.
Mts. Ulrich is the third child and second daugh;

ter in a family of eight children, two sons and
six daughters, and obtained her education first in
Pontius school, Buffalo township, Union county,
and later in the Mifflinburg Academy. To our
subject and his wife were born two children:
Robert T., a promising young man, who was
studying medicine at the University of Pennsyl
vania in Philadelphia, and died at the age of
twenty-one; and Rachel H., now the wife of
Rev. James I. Stonecypher, a Lutheran minister
of Hartleton, Union county.
Mr. Ulrich gives his political support to the
men and measures of the Democratic party, and
he has served his fellow ctizens in the ca
pacity of school director. Through his own
efforts he has acquired a comfortable com
petence, and is everywhere regarded as one
of the most honorable and upright business
men of his locality. He and his estimable
wife are both prominent and acti\jp members of •
the First Lutheran Church of Selins Grove, of
which he is now trustee, and they enjoy the re
spect and esteem of a large circle of friends and
acquaintances.

DANIEL S. BOYER, a leading citizen of
Freeburg, Snyder county, is now serving his
eighth term as justice of the peace, and at its
expiration will have spent forty consecutive years
in that responsible office. His name will, how
ever, be associated most widely with his work as
an educator, Freeburg Academy being largely
indebted td his energy, wisdom and devoted care
for its success.
Prof. Boyer belongs to an excellent family,
and his ancestors were early settlers in Mont
gomery county, Penn. An uncle, Gen. Philip
Boyer, served in the war of 18 12 as captain of a
company, was sheriff of that county at one time,
was the father of Hon. B. M. Boyer, formerly
President Judge of the Montgomery County
Courts, and for two terms a member of Congress.
Another uncle, Isaac Boyer, has a biographical
sketch elsewhere, and another uncle, Francis A.
Boyer, Sr., died at Freeburg in 1876, aged eighty-
four years. Philip Boyer, Sr. , the grandfather
of our subject, spent his early years in Mont
gomery county, but later removed to Freeburg,
where he died December 24, 1832, aged eighty-
six years. John Boyer, our subject's father, a
native of Montgomery county, married Miss
Elizabeth Spotz, daughter of Matthias Spotz, of
Selins Grove, made his home at Freeburg, his
death occurring there January 23, 1837. Daniel
S. Boyer is the youngest of a family of three sons
and four daughters. His eldest brother, Plenry

DAHIEL S. BOYER

COMMEMORATIVE- BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1121

J., a resident of Chicago, 111., is the father of
Allen Boyer, one of the noted stenographers of
the West. The other brother, William S., is a
prosperous agriculturist residing at Gratz, Penn.,
and was at one time a justice of the peace. The
eldest daughter, Mary Ann, married F. C. Moyer,
of Freeburg, and died in December, 1897, aged
eighty-four years. Polly married Dr. H. C.
Beshler, a prominent physician of Berrysburg,
Penn., and died in 1895, aged eighty-one years.
Sarah, widow of Simon P. Lark, resides at
Berrysburg, Dauphin county, and her only son,
H. L. Lark, was a member of the Dauphin County
Bar, but later engaged in a banking and real-
estate business at Peabody, Kans., returning to
Millersburg, Penn., in 1894, where he is prac
ticing law. (He married Loyetta, a daughter of
Col. John P. Tressler, founder of the Lutheran Or
phans' Home at Loysville, Perry county, Penn).
His only son, Charles Tressler Lark, graduated
with honors at Gettysburg (Penn.) College in June,
1898, and his only daughter, Mabel Lark, gradu
ated with honors at Mechanicsburg Irving Female
College in June, 1897, and will complete a post
graduate course at Bryn Marth in June, 1899.
Daniel S. Boyer was born July 9, 1827, at
Freeburg, and as he was but a child when his
father died, he was reared under the sole guid
ance of his mother, a devout Christian, whose
gentle influence he gratefully recalls. He first
attended the subscription schools of Freeburg,
taught by Burge, Burr, Montelius, Naille, and
others, and then pursued the higher branches in
the Classical Institute, at Berrysburg, Dauphin
county, under the instruction of A. B. Sprout.
At the age of sixteen he began to teach in his
native town, and so successful was he in this
work that he continued without interruption for
ten terms. In 1857 he was elected county su
perintendent of public schools for three years,
and during his term of office he conducted many
institutes in his county, and delivered numerous
addresses on educational topics. His high rep
utation as an instructor led to his appointment as
assistant teacher of the Freeburg Academy, and
in 1 86 1, on the retirement of Mr. Millet, he was
elected principal. This position he held for ten
years, and during that time the institution reached
the high-water mark of prosperity and influence.
He owns a large portion of the stock of the
academy, and for twenty years was the president
and secretary of the company which had it in
charge. In 1867 he built a town hall, 36x60
feet, and two stories in height. The upper
floors were used as lodge rooms by the I. O. O.
F. and the P. O. S. A., while the ground floor
had an audience room with a seating capacity of
71*

five hundred, and was fitted up with a large stage
and elegant furnishings, including an expensive
curtain. This comfortable and convenient hall
was appreciated by the people of the town, and
the academy used it constantly for literary enter
tainments until it was destroyed, on June 14,
1894, by lightning.
Agricultural pursuits have occupied much of
Mr. Boyer' s time, and he is thoroughly familiar
with the practical details of farm work, his intel
ligence and love of progress being no less evi
dent in this than in other lines of effort. For
five years he was secretary of the Snyder Coun
ty Agricultural Society, and for eight years was
president of the Union Agricultural Association.
He is a stockholder of the Agricultural Society of
Gratz, and for five successive years delivered the
annual address at the fairs held by that associa
tion in Dauphin county, his speeches containing
valuable information on the subject of agricul
ture. His sound judgment and wide knowledge
of men and affairs are always at the service of his
friends and acquaintances who often call upon
him for advice. He is still a diligent student,
his reading covering an extensive range, and he
is well-known as a writer for the local press,
having furnished items for four newspapers in
Snyder county for many years. Other .articles
on various topics have been prepared by him
from time to time, and among them we may
mention a series on the life of ex-Gov. Snyder.
As a speaker he is pleasing and effective, and in
May, 1885, he was chosen to deliver the histor
ical address at the unveiling of the monu
ment to Governor Snyder at Selins Grove.
He also delivered the address at the reunion
of the descendants of the Hon. Mr. Mid-
dlesworth at Beavertown, in the year 1894.
In 1886 he was appointed to serve the unexpired
term of W. H. Dill, deceased, as county super
intendent of the schools of Snyder county, and
he delivered a eulogy on the deceased at the
State Teachers Association at Allentown, in July,
1886. Politically, Mr. Boyer is a Democrat,
and in 1874 he was a delegate to the State
Convention at Pittsburg, his vote being cast for
Judge Woodward. In 1875 he was appointed
bank assessor for Snyder and Centre counties by
Auditor-General Temple, and when Hon. Isaac
Slenker held the office of auditor-general Mr.
Boyer served as clerk of the department of mil
itary claims. His long and faithful service as
justice of the peace has already been referred
to, and it is safe to say that no man in his com
munity is held in higher esteem than Mr. Boyer.
For many years he has been a member of the
Lutheran Church at Freeburg, in which he has

1122

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

held office as deacon, elder and secretary, and
for forty-two consecutive years he has been su
perintendent of the Sunday-school. All phases
of religious work command his sympathy, and
he is well versed in general Church literature,
especially in the history of the Lutheran Church.
In 1852 he was married to Miss Leah J. Sny
der, of Berrysburg, but of their five children all
died in infancy. They delight in entertaining
visitors in their hospitable home, and children, as
well as friends of mature years, find a warm wel
come within their doors.

J P. YODER, an energetic and progressive
farmer, and a leading and influential citizen
of Middle Creek township, is a representa
tive of one of the oldest families of Snyder
county, four generations of the family having re
sided upon the farm where he still lives. The
founder here was John Joder, who came from Mont
gomery county, Penn., over a century ago and
took up his residence upon this place, where his
death occurred.
Among his children was Samuel Yoder, our
subject's father, who was born on the old home
stead July 8, 1807, and was reared as a farmer
boy, receiving such an education as the country
schools of his day afforded. On February 10,
1829, he was united in marriage to Miss Sarah
Hilbish, who was born in Washington township,
Snyder county, April 28, 1808, a daughter of
Peter and Susannah (Schell) Hilbish. Their en
tire married life was spent at the Yoder home
stead, which the father successfully operated.
He was an officer in the Reformed Church, with
which he and his wife were connected, and, being
a great student of the Bible, was well posted on
the Scriptures. He was a man of more than or
dinary intelligence, and was widely and favorably
known. His death occurred October 23, 1883,
his wife's January 14, 1887, and both were laid
to rest in the Zeiber cemetery.
In the family of this worthy couple were the
following children: Emanuel, born April 11,
1830, is one of the substantial and reliable men
of Middle Creek township, but for the past six
teen years he has been a cripple, the result of
several accidents. He is an elder in the Re
formed Church, and in politics is a Republican.
J. P., of this sketch, is next in order of birth.
Samuel H. , who served as associate judge, died
in 1895 at Globe Mills, Penn. Mary A. wedded
George K. Fagley, the present sheriff of North
umberland county, and died September 3, 1869.
In the common schools of Snyder county,
J. P. Yoder acquired his primary education,

which was supplemented by a short course in the
Freeburg Academy. He was reared in much the
usual manner of farmer boys, and has become a
thorough and systematic agriculturist. On Christ
mas Day, i860, he was married to Miss Margaret
A. Oldt, who was born March 17, 1847, in Dry
Valley, Penn., and is the only child of Daniel
and Sarah (Benfer) Oldt. They located on the
old homestead, and four children came to brighten
the household by their presence, namely: Sarah
E. is now Mrs. C. A. Moyer, of Spring Mills,
Center Co., Penn., and has one child, Blanche.
Allen A. was educated in the schools of Selins
Grove and Lock Haven, Penn. Later he suc
cessfully engaged in teaching in Snyder county
for five years, then became a medical student in
Philadelphia. He completed his course in medi
cine in the Medico-Chirurgical College, Phila
delphia, devoting four years there in study, and
was graduated with honors (summa cum laude).
He was elected class treasurer in his Senior year
by a very large majority. Recently he has been
elected on the Medico-Chirurgical Hospital staff
as resident physician. He contemplates to seek
more medical lore abroad in one of the medical
centers in Europe. S. Luther is a farmer resid
ing at home. D. Norton is also under the pa
rental roof. The family occupy a prominent
place in the social circles of the neighborhood
and have many warm friends.
Mr. Yoder is now the owner of 240 acres of
rich and arable land, which he has placed under
a high state of cultivation, and is recognized as
one of the most substantial and enterprising
farmers of Middle Creek township. He regu
larly supports the Republican party by his ballot,
and has efficiently served as assessor and school
director, holding the latter office at the present
time. With the Reformed Church he is officially
connected, having been a deacon for sixteen
years, and his estimable wife is a faithful mem
ber of the same congregation. Although a plain,
unassuming gentleman, he readily wins the con
fidence of all with whom he comes in contact,
and has a host of friends who appreciate his
sterling worth. He is a great friend of the cause
of education, and in all things keeps fully abreast
with the times.

EUBEN B. FESSLER, whose death oc
curred on February 5, 1898, after a sick
ness of only two days, was a military veteran
and a well-known business man, then living in
retirement at Centerville, Snyder county, his
wealth enabling him to fill his leisure with the

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1123

pursuits most congenial to a man of intellectual
gifts. The Fessler family has been identified with
Snyder county for many years, our subject's
grandfather having resided in Penn township at
the time of his death which occurred early in the
present century. David Fessler, our subject's
father, was born in Penn township, March 28,
1809, and, as his father died not long afteward,
he was taken into the home of John Rager, a
¦ farmer in what is now West Beaver township,
Snyder county. He attended the subscription
schools of the locality at irregular intervals, but,
as the strangers among whom he lived took no
interest in his education, he spent but three
months all told in school. At an early age he
was apprenticed to a Mr. Rearick, a chair maker,
and after learning the trade he followed it in
connection with farming. He secured a small
farm, buying it acre by acre at different times,
but in 1858 he removed to Center township
where he had bought the Spayd farm, and there
he spent his remaining years, his death occurring
May 9, 1872. He was a man of medium height
and weight, very quiet and unpretentious in
manner, but he did much hard work in his life
and gained a comfortable competence. At the
time of his death he owned two farms, compris
ing 220 acres, and had some money besides, all
this having been gained by shrewd management,
as he never speculated. In early life he was a
Whig, but in 1856 he joined the Democratic
party. While he was no office seeker he served
several terms as constable in West Beaver town
ship. For many years he was a deacon in the
Lutheran Church, to which his wife also be
longed. On November 22, 1832, he was mar
ried in Beaver township to Miss Elizabeth Keller,
a native of that locality, born February 11, 18 15,
the daughter of Abraham Keller. She died April
25, 1889, and the remains of both now rest in
the cemetery at Centerville. They had the fol
lowing children: Catherine M., born December
28, 1833, married Frederick Price, of Stephen
son county, 111. ; Louisa, born September 9, 1835,
died January 3, 1837; Reuben B., our subject,
is mentioned more fully farther on; William H. ;
born February 13, 1839, is a farmer in Center
township; Amanda J., born in May, 1841, died
in 1843 from scalds received through falling into
a bucket of boiling water; Wilson H. , born Jan
uary 25, 1843, died in Center township, and was
buried in Centerville; Ann E., born July 19,
1846, married Walter Seivel, and died in Illinois;
Alfred, born February 3, 1849, resides in Sum
mit county, Ohio; Mollie E. (a twin of Alfred)
married F. J. Boyer, of Centerville; Harriet,

born April 24, 1851, married Levi Young, of
Center township; Frank P., born March 13, 1853;
Uriah H. (a twin of Frank) is a tanner at Cen
terville. Reuben B. Fessler was born August 3, 1837,
at the old home in West Beaver township, where
he attended the subscription schools during boy
hood. He was a very bright student, and so
readily acquired a knowledge of reading that
before he ever attended school he could read
German. At sixteen he began teaching, and
continued that occupation until be was twenty-
one, when he entered Union Seminary at New
Berlin. He did not graduate from this institu
tion, but took an irregular course, studying there
in 1857 and 1859. As he was the eldest son he
found much to do at home, and while still a boy
began to work at chair-making with his father.
His natural gifts as a mechanic ennbled him to
learn any trade with facility, and even late in life
he often passed spare moments in making articles
of various kinds. In 1859 he became a clerk for
John Walls & Co., of Lewisburg, with whom he
remained until August, 1862, when he enlisted
at Lewisburg in Company E, 142nd P. V. I.
Their first battle was at Fredericksburg, and
he remained with the regiment through all
their engagements until detailed for special
duty at the corps headquarters. On June
1, 1863, after the battle of Chancellors
ville, he was commissioned sergeant. The regi
ment contained only three men from Snyder
county, the others being Henry Stuck and John
S. Dellinger, and our subject was the only one
of the three to survive the battle of Fredericks
burg. On May 29, 1865, he was discharged with
his regiment, and after his return home he clerked
for some time at Lewisburg, Buffalo Cross Roads
and Ashland, Penn. Later he operated a saw
mill for his father, and in 1 869 he went to Cowan,
Union county, and clerked for three years. At
the death of his father in 1872 he was made
executor under the will, and for some time he
remained at home. He then clerked for a time
in Lewisburg for George K. Swope, and after
ward spent three years in Mifflinburg clerking for
William Young & Son. In May, 1877, he took
a trip to the West, spending some time in Kansas
and other States, and in the spring of 1878, after
his return to Pennsylvania, he engaged in a
general mercantile business at Adamsburg in
partnership with James Specht. On disposing
of his interest in this store he bought the Beaver
Springs Tannery, and continued the business
successfully notwithstanding the fact that he be
gan without any knowledge of the trade. After
four years he traded the property for a farm in

1124

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Minnesota, and since 1884 he has done no active
work. He then made his home at Centerville,
having determined to take the world easy during
his remaining years. While he was not ex
travagant, everything he bought was of the best,
as he believed that that plan proved economical
in the long run. Fishing and hunting were his
favorite diversions, and in them he had few equals
in the county and no superiors. He was a scien
tific angler, studying the habits of fish carefully,
and his outfit was the best that money could buy.
After 1893 he became an expert rider on the
bicycle. In reading, also, he took much pleasure,
and his excellent memory enabled him to become
well informed on general topics. With all his
other aptitudes Mr. Fessler can claim proficiency
as a housekeeper, for, as he never married, he
performed domestic work with the skill of an
adept. While he was a stanch Democrat, he never
sought or held political office. At one time he
was an active member of the Masonic order at
Lewisburg, having joined in 1873, and he be
longed to the Patriotic Order Sons of America
at Centerville during the existence of that lodge.
In manner he was quite unassuming, but he was
deservedly popular wherever known.

F. ARNOLD, a prominent citizen of Free
burg, and a traveling salesman of more than
twenty-five years' experience, was born at his
present home in Washington township, Snyder
county, May 29, 1841. The Arnold family in
this county is descended from George Arnold,
the paternal grandfather of our subject, a mill
wright by trade, who left his home in Lancaster
county and took up his residence near McKees
Half Falls. He married Miss Mary E. Strayer,
and their remains are now interred in Grubbs
Church cemetery, the grandfather departing this
life at the age of sixty-four, his wife at the age of
eighty-five. Their children were: Henry, George,
John, Elizabeth and Catharine, whose remains
lie buried in Grubbs Church cemetery; Samuel,
Benjamin and Martha, who died in Michigan;
and Mary, who died and was buried in Northum
berland county, Pennsylvania.
Henry Arnold, the father of our subject, was
born in what is now Chapman township, Snyder
county, September 19, 1800, and learned the
millwright's trade under his father. His school
privileges were very meagre, but he was a man
of naturally strong intellect, and fitted himself
for school teaching. He was especially profi
cient as a German teacher, having thoroughly
mastered that language. After working in his

father's distillery for some time, he later pur
chased a farm, upon which he spent his remain
ing days, his death occurring at the age of sev
enty-eight years and twenty-eight days. He
married Anna Brugger, who was born in Switz
erland in 1802, and in 1817 came to the United
States with her parents, John Rudolph Brugger
and wife. They were sixty-three days upon the
ocean, and the voyage was a stormy one. Their
son Casper died at sea, and was buried in the
water. The other children of the family were
Mrs. Arnold, Gabriel, Rudolph, Casper, Mary,
Maria and Jacob. The last named was born in
the United States. The family located in Stone
Valley, near Georgetown, Penn., where the fa
ther was prominently connected with Church
work, serving as leader of the choir for many
years. He and his wife afterward removed to
the southwestern portion of Snyder county, then
a part of Union county, where they spent the
remainder of their days, the former dying at the
age of eighty-four, and the latter at the age of
ninety. Mr. and Mrs. Arnold, the parents of our sub
ject, had a family of nine children: Matilda, of
Shamokin, widow of George Foltz; Caroline,.
wife of Isaac E. Bliem, of Philadelphia; Louisa,
wife of William Hockenbraucht, who died August ¦
18, 1892; John R. , who died of scarlet fever at
the age of six years; Henry, who was drowned
at the age of two and a half years; Anna, wife of
B. E. Adams, of Shamokin; B. F. ; George W. ,.
assistant steward in the Bethany Orphans Home
at Womelsdorf, Penn.; and Emma J., who re
sides in Clyde, Ohio. The father of this fam
ily did not acquire wealth, but accumulated a
comfortable competence, and was very liberal.
A devout Church member, he took an active
part in Church work, and was a man highly re
spected by all.
B. F. Arnold spent his boyhood days at the
place of his birth, and pursued his education in
the schools of the neighborhood. Being the
eldest son, he was early called upon to assist in.
the labors of the home farm. At the age of eight
een he left the parental roof and went to North
umberland county, where he was engaged as-
driver of a huckster wagon by Major Adams,
selling the products at Pottsville and Minersville.
His father received his earnings until he was,
twenty-one years of age. Realizing the advan
tages of a good education he determined to fur
ther fit himself for a business career by more ex
tended study, and for two terms attended the
Freeburg Academy, walking five miles to and'
from the school each day. He thus fitted himself
for teaching, and for two terms had charge of the-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1125

Reichenbach school. He then went to Locust
Gap, Penn., where for a year and a half he was
engaged in business as a dealer in stone in con
nection with B. E. Adams. For a short time
thereafter he was in the same business alone in
Shamokin. On March 23, 1865, Mr. Arnold wedded Miss
Mary A. Keeler, who was born May 20, 1842, a
daughter of Jonas and Eliza (Moyer) Keeler.
Soon after this Mr. Arnold embarked in the
huckster's business in connection with his father-
in-law, whose interest he purchased after two
years, continuing alone for four years. On April
1, 1 87 1, he entered the employ of John S.
Lentz, a wholesale liquor dealer of Philadelphia
as traveling salesman, and continued in his em
ploy until February 25, 1888, when on the death
of Mr. Lentz he severed his connection with that
house and entered the employ of F. P. Dilley,
also a wholesale liquor dealer of Philadelphia.
During his twenty-six years' experience as a trav
eling salesman he has been employed by only
two firms, a fact which well indicates his fidelity
to duty and his success in his chosen vocation.
By his good management, enterprise and energy
he has accumulated a comfortable competence,
and is the owner of the old Arnold homestead.
He now travels over Snyder, Union, Centre,
Juniata, Perry, Mifflin, Dauphin, Lebanon,
Berks, Schuylkill, Northumberland, Lycoming
and Columbia and Sullivan counties, but he
formerly traveled in the East. He is a man of
very pleasant, genial manner and good business
ability, and these two qualities make him very
successful as a salesman.
During the Civil war Mr. Arnold was three
times drafted, but on the first occasion was ex
empt by reason of his service as a school teacher.
The second time he employed a substitute, and
the third time the war ended, thus obviating the
necessity of his going to the front. In politics
he is a stanch Democrat, and in 1878 was the
choice of his party for the office of sheriff, but
the Democracy was then in the minority. He
and his wife are members of the Reformed
Church, and for eight years he served as deacon,
while at the present time he is treasurer of the
Church. He is a charter member and trustee of
Freeburg Lodge No. 611, I. O. O. F., has been
identified with the order since 1865, and was dis
trict deputy of Snyder county for two years; he
has also been a trustee of Freeburg Academy
since 1876. Mr. and Mrs. Arnold became the
parents of three children: Henry K., who died at
the age of sixteen; Jonas F., who died at the
age of eleven, and Emma J., wife of W. L.
Bassler, of Freeburg. Mr. and Mrs. Arnold and

their daughter occupy an enviable position in so
cial circles, and are highly esteemed for their
sterling worth.

WILLIAM H. EWING, one of the best
known and most successful agriculturists
of Spring township, Snyder county, was born
March 19, 1843, in Tyrone township, Perry Co.,
Penn., and belongs to a family of English origin,
which was early founded in the lower counties of
the State by his great-grandfather. His descend
ants later removed to what was then Cumber
land county, but is now Perry county.
Jesse Ewing, father of our subject, was also
a native of Tyrone township, Perry county, at
tended the common schools, and followed farm
ing until sixteen years of age, when he was united
in marriage to Miss Catharine Kiner, then only
seventeen years old. With his father-in-law,
George Kiner, of Tyrone township, he began
learning molding and brick making, which he fol
lowed in connection with the operation of a small
tract of land until his death, which occurred in
1855, when he was aged thirty-five years. In
early life he was a strong Whig in politics, and
later became a leading member of the Know
Nothing party in Perry county, where he served
as assessor of his township.
Our subject is the second in order of birth "in
a family of three children, the others being
Sarah J., who was born when her mother was
only eighteen years of age, and became the wife
of L. Page, of Tuscarora Valley Juniata Co.,
Penn. ; and Mary, wife of William Bailie, of Lib
erty Valley, Perry county. After the death of
her first husband, Mrs. Ewing became the wife
of Frederick Peck, a native of Perry county, and
'a farmer by occupation, and two children were
born of this union: Emma, wife of William
Shull, of Ickesburg, Perry county; and Caroline,
wife of John Ewing, of Madison township, the
same county. The death of the mother oc
curred in Madison township, and she was laid to
rest by the side of her first husband in Tyrone
township cemetery.
As his father died when he was only fifteen
years old, William H. Ewing was early thrown
upon his own resources, and has since made his
way in the world unaided. He had the oppor
tunity of attending school only through the
winter season, and in his early boyhood began
work as a farm laborer in his native township,
receiving the meagre wages of $7 per month. He
was thus employed until the outbreak of the Re
bellion in 1 86 1, and in September of that year
went to Harrisburg for the purpose of enlisting.

1126

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

He gave his age as much older than he really
was, and accordingly was accepted, being mus
tered into service as a member of Company B,
47th P. V. I., which was under the command of
Capt. H. D. Woodruff and Colonel Good, and
was assigned to the Ninth Corps, Army of the
Potomac. He participated in the battles of
Loonsville, Gainesville, Culpeper, Drainsville,
Fredericksburg, and several smaller engage
ments, but at Key West, Fla. , received a sun
stroke, which confined him to the hospital at that
place for ten months. He was finally discharged
at Key West in December, 1862, and returned to
his native county, but was unable to perform any
manual labor. He found employment in looking
after stock for his board and clothes until strong
enough to do other work, but, wishing to again
enter the army, he re-enlisted in 1864, at Mifflin
town, Juniata Co., Penn., in Company D, 207th
P. V. I., under Capt. L. Deagon and Colonel
Albright. He was again mustered in at Harris
burg, and served for eleven months, when hostil
ities having ceased, he was honorably discharged.
Returning to his home, Mr. Ewing found employ
ment in a tannery for a short time, and then en
gaged in hoop making in his native county until
1867, when he came to Snyder county and lo
cated near Adamsburg, where he also followed
hoop making for two years. He was next em
ployed at carpenter work for the same length of
time, and for the following two years was in a
sawmill. In the meantime Mr. Ewing married
and located on a farm in Beaver township, which
he operated on the shares for four years, during
which period he saved a little money, but with
the hope of securing a fortune quicker, he re
solved to go west. In 1875 with his little family
he went to Kansas, where he took up a home
stead of one hundred and sixty acres, but, during
the two years spent there, he received no returns
for his hard labor. Accordingly, in the
spring of 1878, he returned to Snyder
county, poorer than when he started, landing
in Lewistown with only thirty-five dollars in
money, the clothes they wore, and a little bed
ding. Here he began life anew, operating his
father-in-law's farm for a year and a half, and
then purchased his present place in Spring town
ship, comprising ninety-six acres, purchased of
Samuel Aurand. Fortune at last smiled upon his
efforts, and he became one of the most success
ful agriculturists of the community. He has
made many excellent and valuable improvements
upon his farm, including the erection of a fine
residence and good barn, costing about $2,500.
He was one of the first in his section to make a
specialty of the raising of peaches, and this in

dustry proved quite profitable. In 1 894 he laid
aside all business cares, and is now living retired,
enjoying the fruits of his former toil.
On January 3, 1867, at Middleburg, Rev. J.
P. Shindel performed a wedding ceremony which
united the destinies of Mr. Ewing and Miss El
mira A. Middleswarth, who was born in what was
then Beaver township, but is now Spring town
ship, Snyder county, a daughter of Abner Mid
dleswarth, and a granddaughter of Hon. Ner
Middleswarth. Nine children blessed this union:
Jesse, a farmer of Spring township, who married
Annie Arbagost, and has two children; Theo
dore, who married Kate Mitchell, of Middle
Creek, by whom he has one child, and lives on
the old homestead; Francis, a farmer of West
Beaver township, Snyder county, who is married
to Annie Snook, and has one child; Jane, wife of
Henry Keeley, of West Beaver township; Etta,
at home; Carrie, wife of Robert Kearn, of Beaver
township; and Charles, George and Ira, all at
home. As an ardent Republican, Mr. Ewing has
taken quite an active and prominent part in local
politics, has served as constable of his township
three years, supervisor one term, and overseer of
the poor. He is a member and faithful Sunday-
school attendant in the Lutheran Church, and is
an honored member of William H. Boyer Post
No. 612, G. A. R. His residence in Snyder
county, covering almost thirty years, has num
bered him among its valued citizens who have
been devoted to the public welfare. He has
manifested the same loyalty in days of peace as
in days of war, and all who know him have for
him the highest regard.

S\IMON YEAGER was for many years actively
_J identified with the agricultural interests of
Mifflin county, Penn., and enjoyed more than
ordinary success, but is now living retired in
Middle Creek, Spring township, Snyder Co.,
Penn., surrounded by all the comforts and many
of the luxuries of life, all of which were secured
through his own unaided efforts.
Mr. Yeager was born in Derry township,
Mifflin county, February 11, 1842, was educated
in the common schools, and at the early age of
eleven years began working for his board and
clothes. As a laborer he continued to work
until the outbreak of the Civil war, when his
mother, fearing he would enlist in the army, sent
him to Bellevue, Ohio, where he had living an
uncle, a Mr. Hickes. After working on a farm
there for about three months he found an oppor
tunity to enlist, and in 1862 became a member

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1127

of Company H, 107th 0. V. I., under Colonel
Meyers and Capt. A. Vignos. For three years
he was in the service with the Army of the
Potomac, and participated in many important
engagements, including the battles of Chan
cellorsville, May 2, 3 and 4, 1862; Gettysburg,
July 1, 2 and 3, 1863; Hagerstown, July 7, 1863,
Fort Wagner, S. C, September 7, 1863; and
John Island, S. C. , February 9, 10 and 11, 1864.
With his regiment, Mr. Yeager went to Jackson
ville, Fla. , and while on a raid was captured by
the Rebels and sent to Andersonville prison,
where he was confined for three months and a
half, suffering untold agonies. He endured all
the hardships incident to Southern prison life,
was almost starved to death, and when finally
released at the close of the war was so ill that he
was obliged to remain, for three weeks, in the
hospital at Columbus, Ohio.
Returning to his uncle's farm near Bellevue,
Mr. Yeager was employed there for three months,
and then returned to Pennsylvania. For about
twenty years he worked as a laborer near Lewis-
town, Mifflin county, sixteen years of which time
was spent in the employ of the North American
Tanning Company. He was later with the Penn
sylvania railroad for a few months, after .which
he purchased a farm of 100 acres in Decatur
township, Mifflin county, which he successfully
operated until 1889, when he came to Middle
Creek, Spring township, Snyder county, and
bought his present place of seventy acres, where
he is now practically living retired, enjoying a
well-earned rest, free from all the cares and re
sponsibilities of business life.
On December 27, 1866, in Lewistown, Mr.
Yeager was united in marriage to Miss Hannah
C. Baer, a native of Granville township, Mif
flin county, and a daughter of John Baer, a farm- ^
er of that township, who was of German and
English descent. To them were born two chil
dren: Mary J., now the wife of J. M. Baker, a
lawyer of Beaver Springs, Penn. ; and George A. ,
a farmer of Spring township, who married Malin
da J. Snook and has one child. The wife and
mother was called to her final rest in November,
1889, while residing in Decatur township, Mifflin
county. Since 1877 Mr. Yeager has been a mem
ber of the Evangelical Church, and socially he be
longs to the Grand Army Post and the Odd Fel
lows Lodge of Adamsburg. He is a stalwart Re
publican in politics, and has served his fellow cit
izens in the capacity of supervisor of Decatur
township, Mifflin county. He was a brave de
fender of the Union during the dark days of the
Civil war, and is equally loyal to his country's in
terests in days of peace.

¥ALENTINE WALTER, one of the most
prominent residents of Center township,
Snyder county, has been engaged in various lines
of business and been equally successful as a mer
chant, agriculturist, and lumber manufacturer.
At present he devotes his attention to the two in
dustries last named, conducting two farms and
two mills near Centerville. It is a noteworthy
fact that his wealth has not been gained by undue
economy, as he has enjoyed the luxury of help
ing others, and has given his family every com
fort and privilege. Mr. Walter was born Feb
ruary 14, 1834, in Union township, Union
county, and is a descendant of the well-known
German pioneer, Jacob Walter, whose descend
ants are now numerous in this section. Our
subject's parents, David H., and Catherine (Phil
lips) Walter, removed during his boyhood to the
vicinity of Salem Church, in what is now Frank
lin township, and after four years they moved to
the neighborhood of Middleburg, where he first
attended school with David Swenck as his
teacher. His father valued education very
highly, and always insisted upon his children at
tending school, and our subject, being exception
ally clever, was prepared at an early age to
teach. His first school was in Center township,
and for three years he taught in country schools
during the winter terms for seventeen dollars per
month, boarding himself, and for the next two
years he taught for twenty dollars per month.
From seventeen to twenty-two years of age his
time was thus employed during the winter seasons,
and in summer he would assist his father upon
the farm. He also attended Freeburg Academy
for two quarters. After he was twenty-one years
of age his father paid him wages for his farm
work, and he remained at home until the age of
twenty-four. On February 22, 1858, he married
Miss Susanna Schaffer, who was born in Lime
stone township, Union county, in 1832, the
daughter of Jacob and Susanna (Frock) Shaffer.
He then located upon his father's farm in Lime
stone township, Union county, which he rented
for several years, but in 1867 he removed to Cen
terville where for four years he followed agricul
tural pursuits. He then went into mercantile
business, and spent twelve years, at times with
partners, and some times alone. In 1882, he re
tired from this line of business with a handsome
competence. He owns two farms near Center
ville as stated, containing in all 250 acres of
farm land, sixty-eight acres of woodland, and
eighty-eight acres of mountain land. His saw
mill and planing mill at Centerville are both
operated by steam and he does a large business in
lumber.

1128

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

In 1892 he remodeled his residence in Cen
terville, making it one of the most attractive
homes in the town. He has four children: Se-
villa, who married C. M. Showers, of Center
ville; Ella, wife of Dr. R. D. Rothwell, of New
Berlin; Alice, now Mrs. J. J. Rowland, of Shen
andoah, Penn. ; and Sadie, now Mrs. J. D. Dreese,
of Chillisquaque, Penn. Mr. Walter has reason
to be proud of his daughters, and he has given
them unusual educational advantages. In fact,
he has always shown himself to be a friend
to every improvement in schools, and has
done much to encourage better methods in
his locaity, having served three terms as school
director. His sound judgment in business mat
ters causes his advice to be sought on many ques
tions, and his generosity is also called upon at
times. He has lost in the neighborhood of twenty
thousand dollars through payments on forfeited
bail, but he never felt indignant over such losses,
however, being thankful that he could meet his
obligations. In politics he is a Republican, and,
although he has never sought office, he has been
elected to a number of positions, serving sixteen
years as overseer of the poor, and two terms as
triennial assessor, in addition to his work in the
interests of the poor. At one time he was a
member of the I. O. O. F., and he and his wife
are prominent workers in the Lutheran Church,
in which he has held the office of trustee.

OBERT LESHER, a prominent agricult
urist of Monroe township, Snyder county,
came of a family early established in Northum
berland county, Pennsylvania.
George Lesher, his father, a native of Berks
county, came, when a boy, with his parents to
Northumberland. His ancestors, who were orig
inally from France, came to this country prior to
the Revolutionary war. George Lesher was
married to Catherine Robbins, and each attained
the age of seventy-three years. To them were
born nine children — five sons and four daughters,
namely: Robert, the subject of this sketch;
Daniel (deceased); Ann, of Lock Haven, widow
of Jacob Ulp; Mary, of Northumberland, widow
of John Barnhart; George, of New Buffalo; Will
iam (deceased); Sarah, who married John Ham
mer (both deceased); John (deceased); and
Charles, a prominent farmer, of Northumber
land county.
Robert Lesher was born October 19, 1817, in
Northumberland county, two miles west of the
borough of Northumberland, and began his edu
cation in a subscription school, which he at
tended for several years, but completed his lit

erary course in a public school. Until he had
attained his majority, he remained upon the
home farm, where he spent his winter evenings
profitably reading books, which he borrowed
from the library of J. C. Horton, Esq., and
others. A fondness for reading was early culti
vated, and has ever clung to him. At the age of
twenty-one he began working in a Northum
berland boat-yard, and after working there sev
eral years, he left for New York to complete his
trade. Being a man of great executive ability
and tact, he soon became foreman of a yard
in that city. Remaining here sufficiently long
to thoroughly acquaint himself with the man
agement of a yard, he returned to Northum
berland and launched into business for himself.
After successfully operating a yard in this
town for several years, giving employment to
upwards of seventy-five men, he started a branch
yard in New Buffalo, carrying on the work for a
period of twenty-three years. During this time
he amassed considerable money, but seeing that
in the near future the canal boat would give way
to the railroad car, he disposed of his yards and
purchased a tract of land in Monroe township,
Snyder county, on Blue Hill, a short distance
from Northumberland. Returning to the occu
pation in which he had first been schooled, he
became one of the most prosperous agriculturists
of the county, purchasing land until he now owns
four adjacent farms. Having a fondness for read
ing makes him a theoretical farmer, as well as a
practical one.
In 1844 Robert Lesher was married to Hannah
Wells, who bore him three sons — Robert, George
and Marks. The wife and mother died July 24,
1852. Hannah Wells was a daughter of John
Wells, who was one of the first councilmen of
Northumberland borough. Her mother's maiden
name was Rebecca Lloyd. A year later Robert
Lesher was united in marriage with Sarah
Vandling, who was born June 30, 1833.
Mrs. Lesher is a daughter of John Vandling,
who was a noted school teacher of Central
Pennsylvania a half-century ago. He died in
the year 1876 at the age of seventy-five years.
His grandfather, John Vandling, a native of
Germany, came to America when a young man.
Her mother, whose maiden name was Susan
Douty, was a daughter of John Douty, a promi
nent farmer of the Keystone State.
The second union of our subject was blessed
with fourteen children — six sons and eight daugh
ters — as follows: William, Hannah M., James
D., Emma, Sarah T. , Anna U. (deceased),
Susan V., Charles, John V,, Ellis V., Margaret
C, David C. (deceased), Lizzie V. and Helen G.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1129

The members of this family all grew to maturity;
Anna U. died at the age of twenty-six years,
and David C. at the age of twenty-one years.
As an ardent Democrat, Mr. Lesher takes an
active part in political affairs, and was twice his
party's candidate for the State Legislature. For
fifteen years he served as school director, and
was ever faithful to the duties entrusted to him.
He gives his earnest support to any and all
measures calculated to promote the general wel
fare of the community.
Mr. and Mrs. Lesher are consistent members
of the Presbyterian Church, and their straight
forward course in life has gained for them the
respect and confidence of all who know them.

A1

IttiL would be all 'the gifts of the good fairies
if the perception of their best use and purpose
were lacking, and in the successful career of this
talented young editor we see the value of the
practical, definite ambition that is based upon a
keen insight as to one's own proper line of
work. Mr. Aurand was born near Adamsburg
(Beaver Springs P. O.), Snyder county, Septem
ber 3, 1870, and is therefore about twenty-seven
years of age. He is a son of Samuel F. and
Ellen E. (Stumpff) Aurand, who were both of
Pennsylvania-Dutch descent. His father's par
ents, Isaac Aurand and wife, are still living, but
his mother's parents, John R. Stumpff and wife,
died within a few weeks of each other, in the
spring of 1 88 1. Young Aurand received only
a common-school education, and in 1887, at the
age of sixteen years, he commenced the publica
tion of the Adamsburg Herald, in a small-sized
form. This paper rapidly grew in size, circula
tion and influence, until now it has the largest
circulation of any weekly paper in Snyder,
Mifflin or Juniata counties, over two thousand
copies being issued every week. In 1893 he
started the American Business fournal, and in
1896 the American Monthly Herald, both of
which papers have been very successful, the
former having a circulation of 25,000 copies and
the latter 20,000 copies per month, extending
all over the United States. In 1894 he erected
the present substantial Herald building, opposite
the P. R. R. depot, Adamsburg, wherein is lo
cated one of the most modern and best-equipped
newspaper plants in Central Pennsylvania. Mr.
Aurand is quite a well-known factor in politics,
having been elected a delegate from Snyder
county to the Republican National Convention
at St. Louis, in 1896, and he also served as sec
retary of the county committee for several terms.

In 1897 he was appointed postmaster *at Beaver
Springs. In 1889 Mr. Aurand was married to Miss
Jennie M. Helfrich, daughter of Lewis Helfrich,
and one son, Ammon Monroe, Jr., has "blessed
the union. Such is the short history of a re
markably successful young man, who started in
life a poor boy, and has energetically worked his
way up to an influential position, and brief as is
the account, it conveys a helpful suggestion to
every youth who would win a worthy place in
life.

w

ANIEL S. MILLER. "The hand of the
diligent maketh rich. " So said the wisest
of men, and his observation is as true to-day as of
old. In the career of this quiet, yet energetic
and able citizen, now a leading resident of Kantz,
Snyder county, there is much to be learned of
practical worldly wisdom, his success in life hav
ing come as a reward of well-directed effort.
Mr. Miller was born February 7, 1837, in
Washington township, Snyder county, the son of
John, and the grandson of Frederick Miller, who
settled in Penn township at a very early date.
This well-known pioneer was married three
times, and by his first wife had the following chil
dren: John, Betsy, Polly and Kate. John Mil
ler, our subject's father, was born and reared at
the old homestead in Penn township, and when
not engaged in agricultural work his time was
spent in learning the miller's trade. He was
married in Penn township to Miss Christy Ann
Snyder, a native of Philadelphia and the daugh
ter of Adam and Catherine (Beisch) Snyder.
After his marriage John Miller engaged in the
milling business on Middle creek in Penn town
ship, in partnership with George A. Snyder.
Later he took charge of a mill property in Wash
ington township, which had been purchased by
his father, and included sixty -two acres of farming
land, and, as an old log house stood upon the
farm, John Miller removed there with his family.
After his father's death he bought the place and
improved it very much, building a good brick
house which is still standing. He was a
large man, of powerful build, and was a most
industrious worker, acquiring a handsome fortune,
at the time of his death owning two good farms.
In early life he was a Whig, and later a Repub
lican, and he and his wife were both consistent
members of the Lutheran Church. He died at
the age of seventy-seven years and six months,
and his wife lived to be more than seventy-five
years old, their remains being interred at Salem
Church in Penn township. They had five chil-

1130

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

dren: Edward, a farmer near Kreamer, Penn.;
George F. , a miller, residing in Washington
township, who was drafted in the Union army
during the Civil war, but was rejected; Lewis, a
farmer in Franklin township, Snyder county, who
served during the war as captain of Company F,
131st P. V. L; Daniel S., oursubject; Samuel,
who died in Washington township at the age of
thirty-seven years; and Frederick, a farmer in
Penn township.
The Snyder family, of which our subject's
mother was a member, was well known in Phila
delphia, where Adam Snyder, our subject's grand
father, owned a grocery store. While visiting
New Orleans on a business trip he was taken ill
with yellow fever and died, and was buried
there. He left a widow and three children:
George, a farmer, who died in Salem, Snyder
county; Christy Ann, our subject's mother; and
Sarah Ann, who married Charles Chamberlain, a
carpenter of Selins Grove, and died in Phila
delphia while undergoing an operation. Mrs.
Snyder married a second husband, a Mr. Miller,
at Pricetown, Berks Co., Penn., and there were
several children by this union. Later she mar
ried a third husband, also named Miller, but
there were no children by this marriage. She
died in Middle Creek township, Snyder county,
aged eighty years.
Mr. Miller's youth was spent at the old home
in Washington township, his educational ad
vantages being limited to the schools of that
locality. At the age of nineteen he began to
learn the bricklayer's trade, which he followed
some time. On October 7, 1861, he enlisted at
Huntington, Penn., in Company H, 51st P. V
I., and went to the seat of war. He saw some
hard fighting, their first battle being at Roanoke
Island, and on September 17, 1862, at Antietam,
he was wounded in the left hand by a ball, thirty-
two pieces of bone being afterward taken out.
He has never entirely recovered from this wound,
his hand being crippled, but after spending some
time in hospitals at % different places, mainly in
the Patent Office Hospital in Washington, he re
joined his regiment at. Knoxville, Tenn., in the
fall of 1863. He remained in active service un
til November 16, 1864, when, his term of enlist
ment having expired, he returned home. After
ward he was instrumental in raising a company,
and could have gone with them as second lieu
tenant, but he surrendered his place to another.
In the spring of 1865 he was employed by the
Northern Central Railway Company as a master
bricklayer and placed in charge of the construc
tion of buildings along their line between Sun
bury and Erie, Penn. While on this work he

was under the direction of men who later gained
high positions, such as Mr. Roberts, deceased,
formerly president of the Pennsylvania Railway
Company, and Mr. Thompson, who is now the
head of that great company. Altogether, Mr.
Miller spent more than seven years in railroad
work, being employed ior a time on the Lehigh
Valley railway. He built a number of shops, and
and helped to build depots at Pittsburg, Alliance,
Ohio, Canton, Ohio, Fort Wayne, Ind., and
elsewhere. In 1870 he and his brother Lewis
bought a farm at Kantz, Penn., and later Mr.
Miller purchased the brother's interest and now
owns the entire farm. He also has a tract of
land in Wasington township and a fine property in
Kantz. In the fall of 1888 he built there a
handsome brick residence, doing the bricklaying
with his own hands. For nearly two years he
was engaged in the mercantile business at Kantz,
in partnership with Meyer Millner. He stands
high in business circles, and is noted for his ex
clusive devotion to his own affairs, and for his
strict honesty in all his dealings with others.
In May, 1870, he married his first wife, Su
sanna Kister, who was born in Penn township,
Snyder county, the daughter of Daniel Kister, a
leading citizen of that locality. The two chil
dren of this union died in infancy, and in Octo
ber, 1884, Mrs. Miller breathed her last, her
remains being laid to rest in Salem cemetery. On
November 1, 1886, Mr. Miller married his sec
ond wife, Miss Sarah Meyer, who was born in
Miles township, Centre county, and was reared
in Brush Valley, near Rebersburg, Centre coun
ty, where her parents, John and Catherine
(Poorman) Meyer, were prominent residents. Mr.
Miller is a Lutheran in religious faith, and his
wife is a member of the Reformed Church. He
also belongs to the Union Veteran League, and
he formerly was a member of the Masonic fra
ternity and of the G. A. R. at Selins Grove. In
politics he is Republican, but on public questions,
as on all others, he does his own thinking, and
at times supports good men outside of his party.

W RTHUR B. SPECHT, of Beavertown, is
JB&. one of our most enterprising and successful
citizens, and is extensively engaged in mercantile
business and in manufacturing, his foundry and
machine shop at Beavertown being among the
largest in this section. His family has been
prominently identified with the development of
the locality, and his forceful and energetic char
acter is an inheritance from a sturdy pioneer
ancestry.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1131

Adam Specht, the grandfather of our subject,
came to New Berlin, in 1791 , when he was a
boy of seven, and was reared to manhood there.
He married Catherine Smith, a daughter of Peter
Smith, and settled at Beavertown where at that
time there were but a few houses. For many
years he carried on a pottery business in the
town. During the war of 1812, he served as a
corporal in Capt. Henry Miller's company, and
on November 10, 1814, he was at Marcus Hook,
with the regiment commanded by Lieutenant-
Colonel George Weirick. His death occurred
November 6, 1872, at the age of eighty-eight
years, and his wife passed away April 20, 1870,
aged eighty-two, their remains being interred in
the Beavertown cemetery.
The late Moses Specht, our subject's father,
who was one of the leading men of his locality in
his day, was born in Beavertown March 4, 18 18,
and died November 2, 1895, having lived to see
his native village grow to an important railroad
town. He was practically a self-educated man,
as he only attended a subscription school for
three terms of three months each, and his teach
ers were but illy qualified to instruct him, even in
the elementary lessons in reading, writing and
arithmetic, to which his course was limited.
Through private study he gained a fair educa
tion, becoming especially skilled as an accountant.
Early in life he learned the gunsmith's trade, and
for some time he followed it successfully. In
1845 he built a hotel at Beavertown, which he
conducted many years, enlarging it as his con
stantly increasing business demanded. In 1847
he engaged in mercantile business, and in time
he had one of the largest stores in the county,
his trade extending over a wide territory. The
steam tannery, which is now the leading concern
at Beavertown, owed its establishment mainly to
his foresight and energy. He was one of the
principal promoters of the Sunbury & Lewistown
railroad, serving as a director during the con
structive period. He secured subscriptions for
the enterprise to the amount of $30,000, and
then collected .and paid the entire sum into the
treasury, and he also obtained the gratuitous
right of way for eighteen miles of the road, with
unincumbered titles to the lands for the location
of stations at McClure, Adamsburg, Beavertown,
Paxtonville, Middleburg and Kreamer, devoting
a whole summer to the work without compensa
tion. In 1879 he took a contract for two miles
of the hardest grading on the section then being
constructed, and did the work at a cost of $11,-
000, putting fifty-eight thousand loads of dirt
into one "filling." In addition to all these en
terprises, he built a number of houses on con

tract. In 1850 he built the Lutheran and Re
formed Church at Beavertown, the first church
edifices in the place, and in 1880 he built the
large brick school house there, the directors
adopting many improvements in the original plan
in accordance with his suggestions. For many
years he held the position of express agent at
Beavertown, and he was also engaged in the
foundry business, and in lumbering, operating a
sawmill near his town. Throughout his career
he seems to have followed the Biblical in
junction, " Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do,
do it with all thy might," his industry and sound
judgment being apparently equal to any task.
As may be supposed, he was frequently called to
serve the community in official positions, and
when barely twenty-one years old he was elected
constable of old Beaver township, which then
consisted of the present townships of Beaver,
West Beaver, Spring and Adams. In 1845 he
was elected justice of the peace, but he resigned
before the expiration of his term. For ope term
he served as county auditor, and for more than
forty years he was one of the auditors of his
township, his close scrutiny of the accounts at
each annual settlement permitting no suspicious
items to pass unchallenged. In 1861, Gov.
Curtin appointed him to fill the office of sheriff
of Snyder county in the place of Frederick
Bause, deceased, and, at the expiration of the
term in the fall of 1862, he was elected to the
same position, his service proving most satis
factory to the people. His kindly heart led him
to use every effort to save the property of those
against whom he held executions, yet he never
faltered in the performance of any necessary offi
cial act. In 1840 he was appointed postmaster
at Beavertown, a position which he held almost
continuously for more than forty years, serving
under every administration except one, during
that time.
The funeral of this honored citizen was at
tended by a large concourse of people, many of
whom came from a distance to pay their last
tribute of respect. Although he had reached the
advanced age of seventy-eight, and had for some
time been living in retirement, his sudden death
as the result of an apopleptic stroke caused a
shock to the community where he had so long
been a familiar figure. One who knew him
well has said, "We have always found him
a courteous and affable friend, a safe and ju
dicious counsellor, who ever had a word of kindly
advice in season," and few men have been more
deeply missed and mourned than is Moses Specht.
His beloved wife, Rachel Bingaman, passed to
the unseen world June 28, 1894. Of their three

1132

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

children, Arthur B. and Miss Louisa reside at
Beavertown, and Horace is now deceased.
Arthur B. Specht, the subject proper of this
sketch, was born September 19, at 1845, at the
old home in Beavertown, where he was educated
in the subscription schools of the day, attending
only in the winter months. At an early age he
began to show remarkable ability as a mechanic,
being competent to take charge of the stationary
engine in his father's sawmill when he was but
twelve years old. He ran this engine for about
ten years, and while still a mere boy he construct
ed a similar machine. «When the sawmill was
closed, in 1863, he began to clerk in his father's
store and also worked in the foundry, learning
every detail of the business. In 1865 he became
his father's partner in the foundry, and in 1867
he went into business for himself in that line.
He built a large machine shop and foundry,
equipped with modern machinery, and costing
about $3,000, the plant being second to none in
the county. For fifteen years past he has con
ducted a general store at Beavertown, and his
handsome business building cost him in the
neighborhood of $1,200. In 1865, he married
Miss Amanda Moyer, who has proved herself an
admirable helpmeet in financial affairs, as she
successfully conducts a millinery department in
connection with the store. They have an
elegant home, the finest in the town, which cost
about $3,000 to build, and Mr. Specht also
owns another dwelling house which he rents.
He is thoroughly progressive in his ideas, and has
his own opinions upon the questions of the day.
In politics he is a strong Republican, as was his
father before him, and he firmly believes in the
necessity for maintaining a sound currency. His
manners are genial and unassuming, and he
makes friends wherever he is known. In religious
faith he is a Lutheran, and has been a member of
the Church for some years. During the Civil
war he served as a soldier for two months, enlist
ing in 1862, in an independent company for
State duty at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, and Port
Washington. Of his two sons, (1) Lester E.,
who is employed in the Beavertown offices of the
Pennsylvania railroad, married Miss Lillie
Gagle, daughter of Wallace Gagle, of Clinton
county, and they have two children — Earl and
Mack. (2) William, who resides at the home
stead, married Miss Libbie Wetzel, daughter of
Judge S. A. Wetzel, of Beavertown.
Mrs. Specht was born and reared at Paxton
ville, and her father, the late Henry Moyer, was
one of the leading farmers and stock dealers of
Snyder county. His birth occurred in Musser
Valley, at the present site of Troxelville, his

father, John Moyer, having been an extensive
stock dealer in that locality in the early days.
Henry Moyer grew to manhood upon a farm and
became familiar with all branches of his future
business, which he followed until a few years
previous to his death, in 1887. He owned 280
acres of land in Franklin township, upon which
he made many improvements, building commo
dious barns and two handsome dwelling houses.
He was an excellent citizen, a member of the
Reformed Church, and was held in high esteem
by all who knew him. His remains now rest in
Hassinger's grave-yard, in Franklin township.
His wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Blett,
is still living (1897), in her seventy-fifth year, and
makes her home in Beaver township, Snyder
county. She is a native of Musser Valley, and
her father, Michael Blett, was a prominent farmer
near Troxelville. Henry and Sarah Moyer had
the following children: Katie, who died at an
early age; Lydia, wife of Calvin C. Derr, of
Franklin township, Snyder county; Amanda,
Mrs. Specht; Sarah, wife of Walter Sheck, of Bel-
lona, N. Y. ; Samuel, who married Miss Ida Bow
ersox, and now resides upon a farm in Franklin
township; Alice, wife of Jacob Treed, of Beaver
town; Adda, wife of Paul Riddley, of Mount
Carmel, Penn. ; and William, a farmer in Beaver
township, Snyder county, who married Miss
Annie Middleswarth, daughter of Joseph, and
granddaughter of Hon. Ner Middleswarth.

JM. BAKER, of Beaver Springs, who is now
serving his second term as District Attorney
for Snyder county, enjoys the distinction of
having been elected to that office with a greater
majority than any other person ever elected to
office in Snyder county. He is a native of Snyder
county, however, having first seen the light No
vember 30, 1 86 1, in West Beaver township, but
his youth was spent elsewhere and it was as a
comparative stranger that, in 1891, he began to
practice his profession in the place of his na
tivity. He comes of an excellent family, and on the
paternal side is of English descent. His father,
Walter Baker, was born in Snyder county, and
learned the trade of carpentering and cabinet-
making near Middle Creek with David Oker.
He followed these lines of business for some time,
and although he began life without capital, he is
now comfortably situated, owning a fine farm in
Decatur township, Mifflin Co., Penn. In 1872
he removed to Dormantown, Penn., where he
now resides. He has always taken an interest
in local affairs wherever he has resided, and has

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1133

several times been elected to office on the Repub
lican ticket. In religious work he is prominent
as a member of the Lutheran Church, serving in
various offices, and for years he has been super
intendent of the Sunday-school. His wife, Sa
loma McClean, who was born in Snyder county,
is of Scotch-Irish ancestry. Our subject is the
eldest of nine children; William M. is a physi
cian at Lewistown, Penn.; Mary died in child
hood; Adda C. married E. S. Aurand, of Lewis-
town; Ira R. is a teacher in Dormantown; Miss
Lizzie is also a teacher; Samuel S. teaches in the
schools of Dormantown; Elsie and Kirby are at
home. Mr. Baker began his education in the schools
of Bannerville, Penn., with W. Y. H. Moyer as
his first teacher. As his parents left Snyder
county when he was but a boy, he attended for sev
eral years in the public schools at Dormanown,
and so readily did he learn that, at seventeen, he
was licensed to preach. He secured a school in
West Beaver township, Snyder county, at twenty
dollars per month, and while teaching he devoted
his evenings and, in fact, all his spare time to
study. Previous to 1877 he had spent much of
his time upon a farm, but afterward he worked at
the carpenter's trade with his father, and although
his occupation was not congenial he spent several
summers in that way after he had begun teaching,
his object being to secure means to attend school.
In 1882 he completed a course in telegraphy in
the normal school at Ada, Ohio, but not liking
the business he never followed it. In 1884 he
entered the scientific course at Ada, Ohio, and
was graduated from that department in July,
1886, as a civil engineer. He then returned to
Pennsylvania and became a partner with his
father in the stave business at Dormantown, and
afterward returned to his Alma Mater to study
law. Having learned the theory he took up the
study of legal practice in the office of Andrew
Reed, of Lewistown, and in 1890 was admitted
to the Bar. For a short time he remained with
his preceptor, but in March, 1891, he located
at Beaver Springs, where he has met with un
usual success, his practice extending throughout
out this section. In 1894 he was elected District
Attorney, and since January, 1895, he has held
that office, being re-elected without opposition
in 1897. His abilities are recognized by all par
ties, his duties being most ably discharged.
Mr. Baker married Miss Mary J. Yeager,
daughter of Simon D. and Hannah (Bear) Yea
ger, well-known residents of Lewistown. Two
children were born of this union: Beulah E.,
who died in infancy, and Walter C. , born Feb
ruary 16, 1890, now an interesting boy. Mr.

and Mrs. Baker are prominent in social life, and
she is an active member of the Methodist Church.
Their home is a very pleasant one, having lately
been remodeled, and in addition to this property
Mr. Baker also owns three small tracts of land
near town. Politically Mr. Baker is a stanch
Republican, and socially he is a member of the
Patriotic Order Sons of America, No. 98, at
Beavertown, and of the Knights of the Golden
Eagle at Beaver Springs. He was a charter
member of the latter society, and has passed
through all the chairs; also a member of the Sons
of Veterans of McClure, his father having served
as a volunteer in the Rebellion.

ISAAC R. ULSH, an honored and highly-es
teemed citizen of Adamsburg, Penn., was
born on August 10, 1828, in. what is now West
Beaver township, Snyder county, but which at
that time was a part of Union county. His
father, Andrew Ulsh, a large, well-proportioned
man of powerful build, was born in Pfout's Val
ley, Perry Co., Penn., in 1785, a son of Henry
Ulsh, and, when a young man, came to Snyder
county to visit his sister Catharine, wife of Rev.
Conrad Walker, one of the pioneer ministers of
that county. Here he became acquainted with
Miss Barbara Ritter, who afterward became his
wife. Her father, John Ritter, gave to each of
his children a farm, which was considered a big
donation in those days, and, being a thorough
and skillful farner, Andrew Ulsh received a good
start in life, eventually becoming well-to-do.
Much of his property he divided among his chil
dren previous to his death, leaving them in com
fortable circumstances. He died April 9, 1864,
and his remains were interred in Black Oak
Ridge cemetery. His wife, who was born in
Lehigh county, Penn., in 1788, and came to
Snyder county with her father in 1795, passed
away at the age of forty years. Both were con
sistent members of the Lutheran Church, and
had the respect of all who knew them. In his
political affiliations the father was first a Whig
and later a Republican.
Our subject is the youngest of the children
born to this worthy couple, the others being as
follows: John, who died in Snyder county; Anna,
who is the widow of John Orwig, of Bellevue,
Ohio, and is still living at the age of eighty-seven;
Henry, who died in McClure, Penn. ; Catharine,
a deaf mute, who died in Adamsburg; Andrew,
a resident of Spring township, Snyder county;
Joseph, who died in Michigan; Elizabeth, now
seventy-five years old, who is the widow of

1134

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Charles Kaley, of Wyandot county, Ohio; and
Sophia, wife of Joseph Stumpff, of Indiana.
As a farmer boy Isaac R. Ulsh was reared in
the township of his nativity, and at an early age
he began to aid in the labors of the field and
meadow. His educational privileges were quite
good for those days, he having attended the
schools of Derry township, Mifflin county, Penn.,
as his father believed in providing his children
with the best advantages along that line. He was
married November 29, 1849, t0 Miss Christiana
Troxel, who was born in Adams township, Sny
der county, September 21, 1828, and was a
daughter of John and Susan (Moyer) Troxel.
They began their domestic life upon a farm in
West Beaver township, Snyder county, to the
cultivation and improvement of which Mr. Ulsh
devoted his energies until 1881, when he re
moved to Adamsburg, where he has since found
a pleasant home. Mrs. Christiana Ulsh died
May 2, 1880, and was laid to rest in the Brick

Church cemetery. She was the mother of threejj) Peter, February 1, 1808, is mentioned more fully

children: J. Howard, now a leading druggist of
Selins Grove; Sarah J., who died at the age of
five years; and William A. T: , a farmer of Spring ,.
township. For his second wife Mr. Ulsh chose
Miss Catharine L. Spigelmyer, of Hartleton,
Union Co., Penn., a daughter of Daniel Spigel
myer. On attaining his majority Mr. Ulsh allied
himself with the Whig party, and since its disso
lution has been a stalwart Republican. He has
been honored with official positions, being school
director for some time, and was elected justice
of the peace, but resigned after serving one year.
An earnest, consistent Christian gentleman, he
has for many years been an active member of
the Lutheran Church, in which he has served as
deacon and elder. An object of respect by young
and old, he is everywhere greeted with affection
and esteem, and in his declining years enjoys the
reward of a well-spent life, in which he has ex
erted himself to do good to those around him.
His sons are also numbered among the* leading
and prominent men of the county.

A

LFRED SMITH. In these days the idea
l&L seems to prevail that the road to wealth
must be sought in speculative lines, where speedy
returns, if any, may be hoped for, and it is both
instructive and pleasant to turn to the story of the
man who through steady, safe, industrious work
and careful, economical management has won a
competence. The subject of this biography, who
is now a substantial citizen of Beavertown, began
his business career as a day laborer on the Middle

Creek Valley railway, but his ability and fidelity
so commended him to his employers that he was
promoted to positions of responsibility, and for
nearly a quarter of a century he has been in
charge of Section No. 11. A shrewd,, conserva
tive investment of his earnings has brought a
good return, his real-estate holdings being especi
ally valuable.
Mr. Smith is of Scotch descent on the paternal
side, his great-grandfather, Ajjajn_Smith, having ,
been the first_of.J'hp family to cross theAtlantic
to America" An old Bible, which bears date of
1765, is now a treasured heirloom in our subject's
home. Adam Smith (2), the father of qur_ sub
ject was born December 16, 1 7862jyad_j£aily-ui
the present century settled hear Troxelville,
Snyder county; his wife, Sally, was born De
cember 31, 178S, and they reared a large family
oTcTilTHren, whose names and dates of birth are
as follows ij John D., born September 9, 1806,
was a farmer in Adams township, Snyder county;

belowj Henry, November 23, 18 10, was a mer
chant and farmer at Adamsburg, Snyder county;
^Adam-, Jr., April 14, i8i^_was a_ farmer near
Beavertpj^nj^Micliaer^May 21, 1818, died at an
early ~age;( Sarah, April 12, 1820, married John
^ Bicket, and removed to Three Rivers, Mich. ;
(^Daniel, October 28, 1824, was a farmer by occu
pation, and his death occurred at Burnham,
Mifflin county ^George, September2i, 1826, was
a farmer, and died near Troxelville^ Isaac, June
21, 18.28, is a wholesale merchanr in Philadel
phia^' Delilah, October 5, 1830, married Robert
Foster, and died at State College, Pennsylvania.
Peter Smith, our subject's father, was
reared near Troxelville, on the old home
stead where he first saw the light. He received
his education in the subscription schools of the
day, and learned the hatter's trade at Mifflin
burg. This business he followed at Adamsburg
as long as it was profitable, but the advent of
manufacturing hats finally destroyed his business.
He then bought eighty acres of land, and for a
time followed agriculture, but his last days were
spent in the town of Adamsburg, his death occur
ring in 1863. He was a highly respected citizen,
in politics was first a Whig and later a Re
publican. For some time he held office as con
stable and tax collector. In religious faith he
was a Lutheran. His wife, Hannah Hassinger,
was born in what is now Spring township, Sny
der county, where her father, Jeremiah Hassing
er, was a prominent citizen. Three children
were born of this union: Wilson, January 30,
1839, died in childhood; Alfred, our subject,
was the second in order of birth; Milton F. , Sep-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1135

tember 22, 185 1, resides in Adamsburg. The
mother afterward married a second husband,
Abraham Dreese, and her death occurred July 2,
1894, her remains being interred at Adamsburg.
Alfred Smith was born June 8, 1842, at
Adamsburg, and received his education there, his
first teacher being a Mr. Jamison. The schools
of his day were of the subscription order and
much inferior to those of the present, and his
attendance was restricted to a few months in
each winter. At sixteen he began clerking
in the store of his uncle, Daniel Smith, at Adams
burg, and later he was employed in the same ca
pacity by Irvin and Isaac Smith at Selins Grove,
Joseph Raudenbush, of White Springs, B. L.
Raudenbush, of Adamsburg, and Reuben Keller,
of the same place. In 1862 he was drafted as a
soldier, but as he was the main support of his par
ents and his father was at the time very ill, he
paid his commutation and remained at home. In
September, 1867, he began working as a laborer
on the Middle Creek Valley railway, now called
the Sunbury & Lewistown railroad, which was
then being graded, and after working for a time
on the grade between Adamsburg and Beaver
town he was put in charge of a gang of men.
When the work of grading was completed, he
was put in charge of some men at Lewistown.
The road was finished in October, 1871, but he
continued in the employ of the company as a
section hand, and in 1874 was given charge of
Section No. 11 (then Section No. 10). This posi
tion he has held ever since except for a short
period from January, 1875, to July, 1876, when
the road was lying idle. His honesty and integ
rity have never been questioned, and no better
citizen is to be found. He is no office seeker,
but is a steadfast supporter of the principles of
the Republican party.
On June 18, 1865, he was married to Miss
Mary A. Freed, who was born January 11, 1847,
the daughter of Jacob and Susan (Ritzman)
Freed, well-known residents of Beavertown.
She was the fourth child and second daughter in
a family of eleven children, seven sons and four
daughters, and her youth was spent in Beaver
town. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are both members
of the Lutheran Church, in which he has held the
office of trustee since 1891. At one time he was
a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fel
lows, and at present he belongs to the Patriotic
Order Sons of America, at Adamsburg.

"\iWV H. GORDON, the well-known section
WW boss on Section No. 14, of the Sunbury &
Lewistown railroad, belongs to one of the old

and highly respected families of Snyder county,
it being founded hereby Willis Gordon, a farmer.
Among his children was John, the grandfather of
our subject, who married Rebecca Haas and died
in early life, leaving only one child, Gideon Gor
don, our subject's father. The last named was
born September 16, 1835, in Perry township,
Snyder county, where he was reared until six
teen years of age, obtaining his education in the
country schools of the neighborhood. He then
learned the carpenter's trade under James Miller,
for whom he continued to work as a journeyman
for some time. In 1858 he married Miss Sarah
Krouse, who was born in Penn township, Snyder
county, July 4, 1830, a daughter of Henry and
Susan (Walter) Krouse, and four children blessed
their union, namely: W. H, of this sketch;
Adam, a resident of Selins Grove, Penn.; Clara,
wife of Frank Row, of the same place; and
George, of Kreamer, Snyder county. After his
marriage Gideon Gordon located with his em
ployer in Penn township, but later removed to
Kelly township, Union county, where he followed
farming for a time. Subsequently he returned to
Penn township, Snyder county, and later lived
at different times in Middle Creek, Washington
and Penn townships until the spring of 1886,
when he located in Kreamer, where he still re
sides. He is a stanch Democrat in politics, is a
well-to-do and highly respected citizen, and at
one time was a member of the Independent Or
der of Odd Fellows. His estimable wife is a
Lutheran in religious faith.
W. H. Gordon was born in Penn township,
January 6, 1859, ar,d at Kantz began his educa
tion under the direction of Miss Elizabeth Mitt-
man. He continued to attend the country schools
until laying aside his text books. When quite
small he was taken by his parents to Kreamer,
and after a short time removed with them to
Washington township, Snyder county, remaining
under the parental roof until the summer of 1879,
which he spent in Cass county, Mich. He re
turned to Pennsylvania in November, and on the
10th of the following December did his first work
on the section as an extra man. On March 4,
1880, he was hired as a regular hand by the
S. & L. railroad, and continued as such until
August 31, 1 88 1, when he began work in the
iron mines in Washington township, Snyder
county. During the summers of 1884 and 1885
Mr. Gordon worked with the carpenter gang on
the Sunbury & Lewistown railroad, and on Oc
tober 13th of the latter year, entered the store of
J. A. Smith, of Kreamer, where he was employed
as clerk until May 4, 1887, when he began as
laborer for the mason gang on the railroad. On

1136

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

April 9, 1888, he was given work on the wall,
doing such jobs at masonry as his experience
permitted, and he continued to follow that occu
pation until January 24, 1892, when he was tem
porarily in charge of the section gang at Kreamer.
On January 27, 1893, he was made boss of Sec
tion No. 14, and is now satisfactorily filling that
responsible and lucrative position.
On February 22, 1894, Mr. Gordon was mar
ried to Miss Lillie Smith, who was born in Mid
dleburg, Penn., November 27, 1 861, a daughter
of Judge J. A. and Malinda (Walter) Smith. She
served as postmaster under both of the adminis
trations of Grover Cleveland. To Mr. and Mrs.
Gordon have been born two children: Guy W.,
born September 16, 1895; and Mary Izora, born
May 9, 1897. Mr. Gordon uses his right of fran
chise in support of the Democratic party, and
has served his fellow citizens in the capacity of
tax collector of his township. His wife is a con
sistent member of the United Evangelical Church,
and he at one time was connected with the In
dependent Order of Odd Fellows. They have
the best home in Kreamer, which he erected in
1894, and there their many friends are always
sure of a hearty welcome. Mr. Gordon is steady-
going, trustworthy and strictly reliable, and no
better type of a thrifty, self-made American citi
zen can be found in Snyder county.

/P*\EORGE FISHER (deceased), late a citizen
\£i of Selins Grove, Snyder county.
So live that when thy summons conies to join
The innumerable caravan that moves
To that mysterious realm where each shall take
His chamber in the silent halls of death —
Thou go, not like the quarry slave at night,
Scourged to his dungeon, but sustained and soothed
By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave
Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch
About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams.
— Thanatopsis.
The venerable subject of this sketch, who
passed to the invisible world on February 6, 1 880,
was a man whose life and character gave evi
dence of a quiet but firm belief in the homely
virtues of honesty, industry, trustworthiness, and
all these qualities which when displayed by hu
manity have greater influence for good than any
spoken words convey. Unassuming in disposi
tion and manner, Mr. Fisher never sought prom
inence but his devotion to the duties of his ap
pointed sphere won the esteem and confidence of
all who knew him, and made his career more
truly honorable than that of many who have
made themselves conspicuous in the eyes of the
world. Mr. Fisher was born in 1802, at Fisher's

Ferry, Snyder county, and, having grown to
manhood there upon a farm, he followed agricult
ural pursuits until having retired from active
business he made his home at Selins Grove where
his last days were spent. He was a member of
a well-known family, and his grandfather, John
Adam Fisher, who came from Germany, was an
early settler on the Tulpehocken, and afterward
located at what is now known as Fisher's Ferry, on
the Isle of Que, Pennsylvania. He had ten chil
dren — nine boys and one girl; and among them
were John, born in 1773; Benjamin, born May 3,
1775, and Christian, our subject's father, who
resided throughout his life upon the Isle of Que
and operated a farm which is still owned by his
descendants. For his first wife George Fisher married Re
becca Gemberling, by whom he had eight chil
dren, four of whom died in infancy, and four are
yet living. Those living to mature years are:
Hannah E. married George Herman; Eleanora
R. married Frank Walter; Caroline married
W. Gemberling; and Calvin L. married Zilla
Miller, and died when twenty-four years
old; all were farmers. On June 13, 1850, Mr.
Fisher married Miss Susan Snyder, by whom he
had eight children: (1) Newton S. , born April
30, 185 1, is in the meat business at Selins Grove.
(2) William A., born February 9, 1853, married
Miss Margaret Gemberling, and has six children —
Susan, Willie, George, Sephoras, OUa and Nel
son. (3) Miss Joanna, born October 31, 1854,
is at home. (4) Lydia M. , born November 6,
1857, died December 10, 1861. (5) George P.,
born June 9, i860, married Ettie Seigfried, and
has two children — Lillian E. and Helen G. (6)
Clara Estella, born July 14, 1862, married John
Thompson, and lives in Selins Grove. Their
children are — Mary S. and John W. (7) Charles
Grant, born September 15, 1864, died August 10,
1865. (8) Mary Alice, born April 29, 1866, was
married on June 28, 1892, to Rev. Robert F.
Fetteroff, now located at Millersburg, Dauphin
county. They have three children — Homer F. ,
Bessie M. and Lulu Esther. The father of this
family followed farming as an occupation, though
in his younger days he had been extensively en
gaged in milling. He was prominent in the Re
publican party, and had served his fellow-citizens
as assessor. Religiously he was a member of
the Lutheran Church, in which he was an officer.
Honest in all his dealings, progressive and lib
eral, and ever the helping friend to the poor and
needy. Mrs. Susan Fisher, the widow of George
Fisher, was born in Northumberland county,
April 4, 1826, and is a lady of more than ordi-

GEORGE FISHER

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1137

nary mental ability. Her father, Peter Snyder,
a prominent agriculturist of Northumberland
county, Penn., was either born in this country or
came here when a child, and was seventy-seven
years of age when he died. Her mother, whose
maiden name was Johanna Shipman, was born
in New Jersey, and was about seventy years old
at her death. Their children were: (i) Marie,
who married M. Sober, of Irish Valley, Penn.
(2) Elizabeth, who died when sixteen years old.
(3) Katie, who died at four. (4) An infant un
named. (5) Jemima, who (first) married a Mr.
Bergstresser, and is now the wife of James Grif-
feth. (6) Sarah Jane, who (first) married a Mr.
Speece, and is now the widow of William Thomp
son. (7) John S. married for his first wife, Miss
Weiser, by whom he had children — Anson
Lester (deceased), John C. and Luther (twins),
and Susan (deceased), (John C. is a physician at
Bowling Green, Ohio). For his second wife, he
married Kate Gemberling, and they have had
three children: Hudson (deceased), Simon, and
Philip. (8) Peter (a twin of John), who married
a Miss Wolverton. (9) Anthony, a resident of
Fayette, Ohio. (10) Susan, Mrs. George Fisher.
(11) William, who lives in Northumberland
county, and (12) Lydia, who resides in Nebraska.

JOHN S. RINE is a representative of the fourth
generation of the family of that name that for
one hundred and thirty years has been prom
inent in what is now Chapman township, Snyder
county. His ancestry can be traced back to
Henry Rine, who was born in Germany, about
1747, and in 1768, having crossed the Atlantic
to America, located near McKees Half Falls in
Chapman township. He built his cabin in the
primitive forest, and there developed a farm.
Throughout the remainder of his life he lived in
that locality. He died about 181 7, and was
buried in a private cemetery near " Rine's
homestead in Chapman township." He had one
son and five daughters— John; Mrs. Wyant Ney-
man; Mrs. Frederick Meiser; Mrs. Linbert; Mrs.
Shetterly; and Mrs. Coleman.
John Rine, the grandfather of our subject,
was born and reared in McKees Half Falls. He
married Elizabeth Motz, and their children were
George, a farmer and distiller, who died in Perry
township; Henry, a farmer, who died in Fre
mont, Penn.; John M., father of our subject;
Polly, deceased wife of Henry Fisher; and Mrs.
Philip Roush, who is living near Elkhart, Ind.
The mother of this family was buried in a
private cemetery, and John Rine afterward- mar

ried a Miss Walter, by whom he had the follow
ing children: Jacob, of McAlisterville, Penn.;
Benjamin, who is living near Lewisburg, Penn. ;
Barbara, who first married Samuel Young, and
is now Mrs. Gumby, of Indiana; Sallie, wife of
Samuel Motz, of Akron, Ohio; Christiana, wife
of William Boyer, of Gratztown, Penn. The
grandfather lived to be over sixty years of age,
and made farming his life work. He was a
Democrat in politics, and was long an elder in
the Lutheran Church, in which he held member
ship for many years. He died January 29, 1842,
and was buried in the family burying ground.
John M. Rine, father of our subject, was born
January 15, 1811, and his educational privileges
were limited to a few months' attendance at the
district school in the winter. He was reared on
the farm, and from the age of eleven years fol
lowed the plow. On June 12, 1834, he wedded
Mary A. Schnee, who was born in Perry town
ship, Snyder county, a daughter of Philip Schnee.
He built a house on the old Rine homestead, and
for fifteen years followed the tanner's trade. His
business interests have ever been prosecuted with
energy, and in consequence have been crowned
with success. In connection with his tanning
operations he also carried on farming, and, in
partnership with Daniel Leese, embarked in
merchandising. Not long afterward he bought
out his partner, and conducted a successful busi
ness until 1877. He purchased of his father's
estate the land on which he now lives, and has
since become the owner of valuable property.
He also operated two canal boats on the Penn
sylvania canal, and, though now eighty-six years
of age, he yet superintends his extensive business
interests. In politics he has always been a stanch
Democrat, and has served as auditor, but has
never been an office-seeker. He belongs to the
Lutheran Church, in which he has served as elder,
deacon and trustee, and has contributed very lib
erally to its support. His life has been a very
honorable and upright one, and, through the long
years of his earth's pilgrimage, he has main
tained a character that has won for him the high
regard of all. He has been very devoted to his
family, and in 1883 he erected a suitable monu
ment to mark the last resting place of his ances
tors. John M. Rine, by his first wife, had ten
children, namely: Elizabeth, wife of J. C. Frank
lin, of Fremont, Neb.; Henry S., of Cass coun
ty, Mich. ; Sarah, wife of J. G. Snyder, of Beaver
town, Penn. ; Catharine, wife of Adam Wentzel,
of Landisburg, Perry Co., Penn. ; John S. ; Lydia,
wife of Charles Coleman, of Gratztown, Penn.;
Philip S., of Fremont, Neb.; Susan, wife of Ad
dison Watts, of Bristol, Ind.; George S., of Sny-

72*

1138

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

der county; Benjamin S., a merchant of Juniata
county. The mother of this family died Febru
ary 18, 1865, and was buried in Chapman town
ship. The father was again married, February
20, 1868, his second union being with Mrs. Eliz
abeth Klingler, who was born November 26,
1820, and died November 13, 1881. On Octo
ber 15, 1882, Mr. Rine married Mrs. Wetzel,
widow of Abram Wetzel. She was born in Ly
kens Valley, Penn., December 9, 1825, and is
still living.
John S. Rine, whose name introduces this
review, is one of Snyder county's most substan
tial merchants, and a wide-awake, liberal and
public-spirited man, whose value in a community
is,almost inestimable. His life thus far has been
spent in McKees Half Falls,' where he was born
November 10, 1847. He attended school but for
about two months each year, as his services were
needed by his father, and he worked at farming,
tanning and merchandising. His father believed
in giving his children a practical business training,
thus fitting them for life's responsible duties,
and under his wise guidance Mr. Rine learned to
successfully control business affairs. On account
of his small stature he worked in the store more
than his other brothers, and continued as a clerk
in his father's establishment until April, 1877,
when he bought out the business and became a
merchant on his own account. He remained at
the old stand until 1885, in which year he pur
chased the store of Philip Hilbish, of McKees
Half Falls, conducting operations there until in
1887, when he erected his present commodious
and substantial store room and ware house.
This is three stories in height, and is one of the
finest business blocks in the city. In 1889 he
erected four residences, which he now rents, and
in 1893 he built his present palatial home, one
of the finest in Snyder county, supplied with all
modern conveniences, such as are seldom seen
in a country town. His store is stocked with an
excellent line of goods, and he commands a very
liberal share of the public patronage. In addi
tion to his extensive mercantile interests, Mr.
Rine deals in coal, cross ties and lumber, and his
trade in the latter commodity has been very ex
tensive and lucrative. He also carries on farm
ing on a large scale, and operates several canal
boats. In February, 1874, Mr. Rine was married to
Miss Helena Bingaman, a native of Northumber
land county, Penn, and a daughter of Jacob
Bingaman. She was a most estimable lady and
a consistent member of the' Lutheran Church.
She died October 21, 1896, and was laid to rest
in Hall's Church cemetery. Mr. Rine has seven

children: William B., who is of the sixth gen
eration of the family residing at McKees Half
Falls; George B. ; Albert B. ; Mary B. ; Laura A. ;
John M. ; and Ella R. On December 29, 1897,
Mr. Rine was again married, his choice being
Miss Maggie H. Bowman, of New Buffalo, Perry
county, Penn. Mr. Rine takes no active part
in politics, save in an attempt to secure the best
men for office, regardless of party affiliations.
He has served as tax collector and as school di
rector, and is a warm friend of the cause of ed
ucation, doing all in his power to promote the
interests of the schools in his locality. He has
served for fifteen years as deacon of the Lutheran
Church, and is one of the most liberal contrib
utors to and active members of the Church at this
point. He was once a member of the Patriotic
Order Sons of America. In all the relations of
life his course has been such as commend him to
the public confidence and support. His busi
ness methods are above question, and his opinions
are usually considered of authority on matters of
finance. He is a most kind and indulgent father
and a faithful friend, is very prominent in trade
circles, and his acquaintance is by no means
local.

SAMUEL BOLLINGER, an honored veteran
D of the Civil war, who is now living retired in
Kreamer, Snyder county, was for many years one
of the trusted employees of the Lewiston & Sun
bury railroad, being section boss of Section No.
14. He is an excellent example of a self-made
man, having started out in life for himself a poor
but industrious boy, and has risen to the high
est type of citizenship, and accumulated a com
fortable amount of this world's goods. That for
twenty years he was retained as foreman on Sec
tion No. 14 by one of the world's greatest and
most systematic railroad companies, plainly testi
fies to his capability and the reliance placed in
him. Mr. Bollinger was born in Washington town
ship, Snyder county, February 4, 1842, a son of
Henry and Catharine (Duck) Bollinger. The
mother was also a native of Snyder county, and
a daughter of Joseph Duck. Throughout his life
Henry Bollinger worked as a common laborer,
and became the owner of a small tract of land in
Middle Creek township, Snyder county, where
he died at the age of seventy-six. In politics he
was a Republican. His wife is living at the ripe
old age of eighty-two. They were the parents
of eleven children, of whom eight reached years
of maturity, namely: John, who was killed in
the Civil war; Jacob, a resident of Middle Creek

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1139

township; William, of Northumberland county,
Penn.; Henry; Harrison, of Northumberland
county; Millard F., of Kreamer, Penn.; Mary,
who became the wife of Ezra Roush, and died in
Washington township, Snyder county; and Cath
arine, wife of Daniel Nogle, of New York State.
The educational opportunities of our subject
were such as the primitive schools of his section
afforded during his boyhood, and were not of the
best. He was but a small child when his par
ents removed to Middle Creek township, Snyder
county, and when about sixteen he went to
Northumberland county, where he worked for
different farmers until enlisting in the Union serv
ice, in August, 1862. He became a member of
Company C, 136th P. V. I., and was wounded
in his first engagement, at Fredericksburg, De
cember 13, 1862. He was taken to the hospital
near Washington, D. C. , and after his recovery
was sent home, reaching his father-in-law's place
in Northumberland county, where his wife was
staying, July 4, 1863. He was married in that
county June 22, 1862, to Miss Martha A. Farley,
who was born there June 21, 1836, and is a
daughter of William and Deborah (Wolverton)
Farley. She was reared on a farm and educated
in the public schools.
After his return from the army, Mr. Bolling
er began housekeeping in Montour county,
Penn., where he was employed at driving a team
and other light work, as the wound in his right
leg was still troublesome. For several years he
continued to make his home in that county, and
then came to what is now Kreamer, Snyder coun
ty, where in 1872 he secured work as a section
hand on the Sunbury & Lewistown railroad. A
few months later he was promoted to foreman,
and continued to hold that position until January,
1893, when he resigned and has since lived re
tired. He erected his excellent home in Kream
er, where he and his wife are spending their de
clining years in ease and quiet, surrounded by
many friends and acquaintances who have for
them the highest regard. Five children were
born to Mr. and Mrs. Bollinger, namely: Mary
E. and Catharine R., who died in infancy; Agnes
D., now the wife of John Mitchell, of Renovo,
Penn.; William H., who died in Kreamer at the
age of twenty-four years; and Minerva C. , who
died in infancy. The parents are earnest and
faithful members of the Evangelical Church, and
Mr. Bollinger is now serving as trustee and ex
horter. Politically he is identified with the Re
publican party, and fraternally affiliates with
Captain Rine Post No. 365, G. A. R., of Middle
burg. He is now serving as treasurer of the
Middle Creek township school board. A man

whose word is considered as good as his bond,
and whose integrity is never questioned, he stands
deservedly high in the esteem of his fellow
citizens.

F. A. BINGAMAN, who has attained to a
proud position in commercial circles, is the
architect of his own fortunes, and he has builded
wisely and well. His life illustrates in no uncer
tain manner what can be accomplished through
determined and honorable purpose, and without
the aid of weajth or influential friends at the out
set of one's business career. His course com
mends him to the confidence and respect of all,
and he is a highly esteemed and valued citizen of
Port Trevorton.
Mr. Bingaman was born in Georgetown,
Penn , October 9, 1857, and is a son of Jacob
and Angeline (Heintzelman) Bingaman. His
father usually followed farming, but was a natural
mechanic and worked at the carpenter's trade to
some extent. He was born in Northumberland
county, Penn., and died in Georgetown during
the early childhood of our subject. His wife was
born near Klingerstown, Penn., and was a second
time married, becoming the wife of Samuel Len-
hart, of Georgetown, with whom she removed to
Ohio, but afterward returned to Pennsylvania.
She is now the wife of Henry Houseworth, of
Buchanan, Mich. By her first marriage her chil
dren were: Helena, who married John S. Rine,
and died at McKees Haif Falls; F. A.; and K.
P., of Port Trevorton. By her second marriage
she had one son, William T. S. , now of Harris
burg, Pennsylvania.
F. A. Bingaman, after his father's death,
went to live with his uncle, Alexander Binga
man, and subsequently made his home with his
paternal grandmother. He received but common-
school privileges, and when fourteen years of age
his guardian bound him out to a farmer near
Berrysburg, but as he could not endure the abuse
of his employer, he after six months ran away.
Many difficulties and hardships beset his path in
his boyhood, but with persevering energy he
made the best of his opportunities. Later he
accompanied his widowed mother to Shamokin,
where he worked in the coal mines until the mine
was shut down, after which he drove a delivery
wagon for a short time. He then returned with
his mother to Northumberland county, and at
Hickory Corners followed any honest employ
ment that he could get, whereby to aid in the
support in the family, being employed as a host
ler at Selins Grove, afterward working on the
canal and at general labor at McKees Half Falls,

1140

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

and in the coal mines at Shamokin, where he and
his brother kept bachelor's hall for a few months.
About 1879 he began clerking for J. S. Rine at
McKees Half Falls, and during much of the time
for seven years was in the employ of that gentle
man. In the meantime, however, he invested in
a canal boat, which he operated for several years.
In the summer of 1893 he became associated
with J. D. Bogar in several business operations.
They do a milling business, deal in grain, flour
and feed, have a mill at Herndon with a capacity
of 1 1 5 barrels of flour per day, own an implement
store in Port Trevorton, and operate two ferries
across the Susquehanna river. Thus Mr. Binga
man has steadily increased his field of operations
until he now has a very extensive business and is
ranked among the foremost representatives of
commercial interests in his section of the county.
In 1880 was celebrated the marriage of Mr.
Bingaman and Miss Lizzie Zell, a native of Lan
caster county, Penn. They were married in
Uniontown, Dauphin Co., Penn., and their home
is now blessed by three interesting children:
Clara; Emma H. and Annie V. The parents are
members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, in
which Mr. Bingaman has served as trustee, and
as secretary of the Sunday-school. He was also
elected Sunday-school superintendent, but de
clined to fill that position. He exercises his right
of franchise in support of the Democracy, and has
served as township auditor, but prefers to devote
his time and energies to his business, in which
he has met with signal success. The obstacles
in his path he has overcome by determined pur
pose, and has resolutely worked his way to the
front ranks among the prominent business men
of the county.

U. KISTNER, the successful traveling
3L salesman through eleven States for the
Bonney Vise & Tool Works of Philadelphia, is
descended from an old Pennsylvania family. Born
August 7, 1842, near Hughesville, Lycoming
Co., Penn., Mr. Kistner is the son of Benjamin
and Mary C. (Ulsh) Kistner, the former of whom
was a native of Berks county, born in 1807, and
the latter, of Lycoming county, born in 1819.
The father was by occupation a lumberman and
distiller, and a man of considerable business tact
and ability. He made a good citizen, and held
the esteem of the community in which he lived
until his death, which occurred in 1892; his wife,
who yet survives, is a most estimable woman.
To this marriage were born the following named
children: Carrie, Emma, Cyrus P., Charles E.,
Jennie and Harry U. , our subject, all deceased,

excepting the first and last named. In his re
ligious views the father of these was a Lutheran;
politically he was identified with the Republican
party. H. U. Kistner was taught early in life to be
industrious. At the age of thirteen years he
drove a team for his father in his lumber opera
tions. He attended the public schools and also.
subscription schools of his locality, and when
seventeen began teaching, which he continued
for six consecutive terms, at intervals attending
college at Selins Grove. In 1862 he entered the
United States service, enlisting in Company I,
13th Regiment State Militia, under command of
Capt. George Webb, as am emergency man;
however, the, command served only a short time.
Again, in 1863, on Gen. Lee's army invading
Pennsylvania, he became a member of Company
E, 37th Regiment of emergency men, called out
by the Governor. In the spring of 1864, he
studied telegraphy for one term at Muncy, Penn.,
and in the following fall went to Iowa, where he
taught school one term. He then entered the
employ of the Chicago & North Western Rail
road Co. as operator. After remaining in their
employ some time he went to Boone. Iowa,
where he became the first operator and ticket
agent at that point, remaining with the railroad
company some three years, then, at his father's
request, he resigned his position and returned to
Selins Grove, Penn., where, in company with
his father, he opened a general store. The two
carried on the business for five years, when the
son purchased the father's interest, and for six
years continued the business alone. Owing to
poor health he sold out and moved to Borden
town, N.J., and there went into the machine
and foundry business, among other things manu
facturing engines. After following this line of
business for a time, he made a change and manu
factured "novelties." Later he sold out and
became a salesman for a New York firm one
year, when he made a change, entering the em
ploy of the firm with which he is now connected.
He is a genial and affable man, possessing the
requisites of the successful salesman he is. He
is also of an inventive turn, and has taken
out several patents, among them a saw set, har
ness or hitching snap and a combination tool,
comprising some thirteen different tools. Polit
ically he is a Republican, and religiously he is
identified with the Presbyterian Church.
On September 5, 187.1, he was married to
Annie C. Hummel, a daughter of John Hummel,
whose biography appears elsewhere in this vol
ume. Five children have blessed this union,
namely: Charlotte E., Mildred Irene, John D.„

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1141

Christine H. and Benjamin H. G. After a resi
dence of fourteen years at Bordentown, N. J.,
the parents returned to Selins Grove.

ff>\EORGE S. RINE belongs to a family of
%£i long and honorable identification with the
interests of Snyder county, and is a worthy rep
resentative of the name. He occupies to-day a
leading place in mercantile circles, and is a re
spected representative of the trade interests of
McKees Half Falls.
Mr. Rine was born at that place, May 9,
1854, and is a son of John M. and Polly (Schnee)
Rine. He attended the Rohrer school, and ac
quired there the greater part of his education.
In early life he was initiated into the labors of
the farm, and remained at home continuously un
til twenty-two years of age, when he took a trip
through the West, visiting in Michigan, Ne
braska and other States. He sought there a lo
cation, but his father insisted on his returning to
Pennsylvania, and he acceded to this request.
For several years thereafter he operated the home
farm, and in 1885 he embarked in merchandis
ing at his father's old place of business. There
he carried on operations until 1895, when he
erected his present large business block, 45 x 52
feet. He is a merchant of whom any community
might be proud. Progressive and enterprising
he fully meets the public demand by carrying first-
class goods, and his honorable dealing and court
eous treatment have secured to him a liberal
patronage. He is a man of considerable busi
ness ability, who has not limited his dealings to
one line of trade, and he now owns and operates
two canal boats and also operates four others.
He carries on farming, and in all branches of his
business displays an energy and sagacity that has
brought to him success.
On October 9, 1886, Mr. Rine was married to
Miss Hattie Musser, a daughter of John and Mary
(Gaman) Musser. They have four children:
Gertrude M., Minnie A., Sarah C. and Samuel
M., and the family circle yet remains unbroken.
They hold an enviable position in society, and
their pleasant home is noted for its hospitality.
In politics Mr. Rine is a Democrat, but, like
others of the family, is mgre widely known in
connection with his business interests than for
any active part he takes in political affairs. He
is, however, serving as township auditor in the
seventh .year of his incumbency. He and his
wife are members of the Lutheran Church, in
which he is now filling the office of trustee, and
of the Sunday-school he has served as superin
tendent.

JACOB A. AIGLER, of Beavertown, Snyder
county, is one of the most successful edu
cators of this section, and is also prominent
in public affairs, being a leading worker in the
local Republican organization. Possessing an
active and intelligent mind, well-stored with in
formation, he naturally wields much influence in
his community, while his genial manner attracts
the friendship of all classes.
He was born at Beavertown, May 13, 1861,
and belongs to an old pioneer family of that lo
cality. His great-grandfather, Jacob Aigler, was
a native of Germany, but came to Pennsylvania
in early manhood and settled in Berks county,
where he spent his remaining years in agriculture.
Jacob Aigler, our subject's grandfather, was born
and reared in Berks county, but on reaching man
hood removed to what is now Beaver township,
Snyder county (then a portion of Northumber
land county), and purchased a large tract of land,
which he improved for a homestead. He owned
another extensive estate in the Tuscarora Valley,
in Juniata county, and was widely known as a
successful and enterprising citizen. In politics
he was a stanch Old-line Whig, and he and his
wife were both consistent members of the Lu
theran Church. This estimable lady, whose
maiden name was Esther Klose, was a native of
the township where he made his permanent
home. They had fourteen children, three of
whom died in infancy. The others were: Amos,
deceased, formerly a resident of Bellevue, Ohio;
Joel, deceased; Reuben, our subject's father;
Lydia, wife of J. P. Wetzel; Jacob, a resident
of Bellevue', Ohio; Hattie, wife of Henry Eisen
hower; Sarah, wife of Henry Wagner, of St.
Joseph county, Mich. ; Abner, a resident of
Beavertown; Matilda, wife of William Kline, of
St. Joseph county, Mich. ; Mary, wife of Frank
Stettler, of the same locality, and Sophia, who
married Isaac Boush.
Reuben Aigler, the father of our subject, was
born at the old homestead, December 14, 18 18,
and received a good education for that time in
the subscription schools of the vicinity, learning
to read and write both in English and in German.
Choosing agriculture as an occupation, he re
mained at the homestead, for many years
working the place on shares for his father. In
1 860 he bought sixty acres, which he operated
about fourteen years, making many improvements
and building a barn and a handsome frame resi
dence. In the meantime he built an attractive
and comfortable dwelling house at Beavertown,
and in 1874 he retired from active business and
settled there to spend 'his last years, his death
occurring October 10, 1893. In his early life he

1142

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

was a stanch Whig, but when the Republican
party was organized, he became identified with
it, and always remained a firm supporter of its
doctrines. He was an uncompromising foe to
slavery, and during the Civil war served ten
months as a soldier in Company G, 172nd P. V.
I., under Captain Smith. In 1845 he was mar
ried in Beaver township to Miss Mary Eisen
hower, who was born January 17, 1827, in Wash
ington township, Snyder county, then Union
county, and whose father, Abraham Eisenhower,
was a well-known farmer of Franklin township.
She survives him, and is still an honored member
of the Lutheran church at Beavertown, in which
he was for many years a deacon and elder. He
never seemed anxious for public office, but took
keen interest in all movements that promised to
benefit the community, and gave special attention
to educational affairs, serving for some time as a
school director. Our subject was the youngest
of four children. Calvin, the eldest, died at an
early age. Jerome F. is mentioned more fully
below. Ellen J. married Frank Beaver, of Bea
vertown. His parents being fully aware of the advan
tage of an education, Mr. Aigler was given the
best opportunities that the neighborhood afforded,
being allowed to attend school in the summer as
well as in winter. After some years of study in
the public schools of Beavertown, he entered the
academy at Freeburg, where he spent several
terms under the able instruction of Prof. D. S.
Boyer and Major Dill. When twenty-one years
old he took charge of the Bobb school in Beaver
township, where he taught successfully for five
terms, and later he taught ten years in Beaver
town and one year in Spring township, Snyder
county. He also conducted a summer school
for boys and girls in Beavertown, and his ability
as an instructor and disciplinarian are widely
recognized. His judgment is sought in various
important interests, and he is a stockholder and
director in the Beavertown Opera House Com
pany. As a member of the Republican County
Committee, he has done much to forward the
work of his party, and he also belongs to the
Republican Club of Beavertown, in which he has
held the office of president. For six years he
served as assessor of Snyder county. He owns
a pleasant home at Beavertown, built by himself,
and he and his wife are prominent in the best
social circles of the city. He was married June
4, 1885, to Miss Mary C. Greenhoe, a native of
Spring township, Snyder county, and a daughter
of Reuben Greenhoe, a prosperous farmer of
Beaver township. They have one daughter,
Jennie E., another child having died in infancy.

Mrs. Aigler is an active and efficient worker in
the Sunday-school, and our subject takes deep
interest in the various activities of the Lutheran
Church at Beavertown, of which he is also a
member. Fraternally. Mr. Aigler belongs to the
P. O. S. of A. , and is now the district president
for Snyder county.
Jerome F. ,.our subject's brother, was born
April 29, 1847, and has always resided at the old
homestead, his education having been obtained
in the local schools. He assisted his father in
the farm work until 1874, when he took charge
of the place on shares, but in 1894 he pur
chased it, and has since been conducting it on his
own account. He has made many improvements,
and is regarded as an able and successful man
ager. As a citizen he stands high in the esteem
of the community, and for five years he has
served as an elder in the Lutheran Church at
Beavertown. He is an ardent Republican, and
while he is not an office seeker he was at one
time assistant assessor of his township. On De
cember 7, 1875, he was married in Beaver town
ship to Miss Lucy Boush, a native of that town
ship, and a daughter of David Boush. Her
brother, Dr. C. W. Boush, is a successful physi
cian at McClure, Pennsylvania.

MJ. LIVINGSTON, dealer in Furniture of all
 kinds; repairing neatly done; Undertaking
in all its branches — Selins Grove, Snyder County,
Pennsylvania.

/GEORGE M. SHINDEL, of Middleburg, is
%£( one of the most popular men in Snyder
county, as is shown by his long continued service
in some of the chief offices in the gift of the peo
ple of that locality.
He belongs to a good old German family
which has been identified with Pennsylvania from
an early date. The first ancestor of whom we
have a definite account was Conrad Shindel, who
was born in Gemmelsbach, Germany, in 1678.
His son, John Conrad Shindel, the next in the
line of descent, was married on January 2, 17 10,
at Gemmelsbach, to Susannah Trexler, of Airte-
bach, Germany, who, was baptized October 18,
1685. They made their home at Airtebach, and
on February 28, 1732, a son, John Peter Shin
del, was born to them there. He married Marie
M. Gebhart, and in 175 1, emigrated to Pennsyl
vania, locating at Lebanon, where he died May
29, 1784. John Peter Shindel (2), our subject's
great-grandfather, was born at Lebanon October
3, 1787, and on June 4, 1812, removed to Sun-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1143

bury, Penn., where he passed his remaining
years, his death occurring October 26, 1853. He
married Susannah McCulloch, and had a son,
John Peter Shindel (3), our subject's grandfather,
who was born July 25, 1810, at Lebanon, and
preached for many years in Lutheran Churches
in Union and Snyder counties, dying March 16,
1888, at Middleburg; he was twice married, first,
to Miss Mary Sophia Young, and, second, to Miss
Sallie Gobin. By the first union he had five chil
dren: John Y. , our subject's father; Maria L.,
wife of John P. Cronmiller, deceased; and Eliza
beth B., who married T. J. Smith, an attorney
of Middleburg, now deceased, and two who died
young. By the second marriage there were two
children: Miss Martha E. and Edward G.
Dr. John Y. Shindel, the father of our sub
ject, first saw the light at Sunbury, June 26, 1834,
and in early manhood entered the medical pro
fession, which he has followed with marked suc
cess. During the Civil war he served ably as a
surgeon in the Union army. He began his prac
tice at Bannerville, Penn. , but later settled at Mid
dleburg, where he built up a- large and lucrative
practice and also conducted a drug store for
many years. His wife, whose maiden name was
Ada M. Moatz, was born in that town July 24,
1839, and is still living. They had two children,
of whom our subject was the elder. The other,
Mary Sophia, died when about eight months old.
Mr. Shindel entered upon his mortal career
on February 4, 1859, at Middleburg, and was
educated there, his public-school course being
supplemented by instruction under private tutors.
At the age of fifteen he began to assist his father
in the drug store, and five years were spent in
that occupation. Later he was employed as a
clerk in the county offices, and so well did his
work commend him to the public that in 1891 he
was elected register and recorder of the county.
This office he held for two terms and in Febru
ary, 1897, as his second term drew to a close, he
was nominated for prothonotary, a most unusual
honor, as ordinarily two consecutive terms are
all that can be conceded to any one man in the
county, but he was, nevertheless, elected No
vember 2, 1897, for three years by a majority of
1,070 against one of the most popular Democrats
in the county.
, On January 16, 1879, Mr. Shindel married
Miss Alice S. Isenhart, who was born February 4,
1861, the daughter of Daniel Isenhart, now a
well-known resident of Shamokin, Pennsylvania,
and at one time, from 1876 to 1879, the sheriff
of Snyder county. To this union has been born
'one son: William H., born October 17, 1879,
now a student at Susquehanna University at

Selins Grove. Mr. Shindel is a member of the
Odd Fellows, and the Patriotic Order Sons of
America.

HURLEY ROMIG, whose efficiency and pop-
 ularity well fit him for the discharge of his
duties as agent on the Sunbury & Lewistown
Branch of the Pennsylvania railroad at McClure,
was born in Beaver Springs, Snyder county, No
vember 5, 1873. He is a representative of one
of Pennsylvania's early families. His grand
father, Samuel Romig, was born in Union coun
ty, now Snyder county, and throughout his life
followed the occupation of farming in Beaver
Springs, where he died in 1881. He was twice
married, his second wife being the grandmother
of our subject.
Ephraim Romig, the father, was born in
Beaver Springs, obtained his education in the
public schools, and throughout his life has fol
lowed the art of photography, conducting a
gallery in his native town. He has a wide ac
quaintance there, and his many excellencies of
character commend him to the confidence and
good will of all. He married Susan Adda
Schroyer, who was born in West Beaver town
ship, Snyder county, a daughter of Henry
Schroyer, a harness maker of Middleburg, that
county. They are members of the Lutheran
Church, and in his political faith the father is a
Democrat. They now have two children: Hurley,
and Clymer, now assistant postmaster at Beaver
Springs. Hurley Romig attended the public schools of
his native town, and at the age of fifteen years
entered the printing office of the Weekly Herald at
Beaver Springs in the capacity of " devil." For
three years he was there employed, and then took
up the study of telegraphy in the railroad office at
that point. When he had thoroughly mastered
the business he was given the position of night
operator at Selins Grove, serving for six months,
after which he was day operator for three years.
On the expiration of that period he was appointed
station agent and telegraph operator at McClure,
in 1895, and has since creditably and faithfully
filled that position, winning the approval of the
railroad company and the commendation of the
traveling public. In connection with his duties
he is serving as agent for the Adams Express
Company. On March 7/1895, in McClure, Mr. Romig
was united in marriage to Miss Tessie P. Baker,
a native of McClure. They have a very pleasant
home which Mr. Romig purchased at a cost of
more than $1,000, and to which he has added

1144

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

many excellent improvements. He is a member
of the Lutheran Church, secretary of the Sunday-
school, and an earnest worker in the cause of
Christianity.- His political support is given the
Democracy. With unquestioned fidelity he serves
the interests of the company by which he is em
ployed, and in all the relations of life he is true
and faithful to the trust reposed in him.

MER B. MIDDLESWARTH, a leading citi-
 zen of McClure, Snyder county, is one of
the county's successful business men, being iden
tified with mercantile and manufacturing inter
ests in his locality. He is also prominent in
political affairs and has held various offices, in
cluding that of sheriff of Snyder county, and at
present he is serving as postmaster at McClure.
Mr. Middleswarth's military record com
mends him to every true American, as he en
listed in the Union army when a young man of
twenty, and took part in some of the noted bat
tles of the Civil war. Mr. Middleswarth is a
member of a well-known family of this section.
and was born January 28, 1844, in West Beaver
township, Snyder county, where he attended
school in his early years. His education was
completed at Adamsburg, and he taught school
for two terms, but afterward he engaged in farm
ing with his father at the homestead. . On August
27, 1864, he enlisted, at Adamsburg, in Com
pany I, 148th P. V. I., under Col. J. H. Stover
and Capt. L. C. Edmunds, and was mustered
into service at Harrisburg in the following month,
the regiment being assigned to the Army of the
Potomac. He held the rank of corporal, and
among the engagements in which he participated
we may mention those at Hatcher's Run and
Boyden Plank Road in 1864, Fort Steadman, the
final struggle at Petersburg, and the operations
around Richmond, ending with the surrender of
Lee. While at Petersburg he was taken ill, and
for about a month he lay in a hospital at City
Point, Va. He was present at the Grand Re
view at Washington, and at its close was trans
ferred to Harrisburg, where he was mustered out.
On returning home he again took up the work of
farming, and in 1866 he and his brother Isaac
went into partnership in the management of the
homestead. A few years later the estate was
divided, and Squire Middleswarth conducted his
share alone for some time. In the meantime he
was active in local affairs as a Republican, and
from 1873 to 1879 he held the office of county
auditor. From 1874 to 1884 he served as jus
tice of the peace, performing one marriage cere
mony during that term. In 1884 he was elected

sheriff, receiving a handsome majority over his
opponent. After serving three years with credit
he retired and located at McClure, where he en
gaged in the real-estate business, building several
dwelling houses at a cost of more than five thou
sand dollars. In 1894 he formed a partnership
with H. C. Ulsh in a general mercantile busi
ness, which they have since conducted success
fully. The Squire is the founder of the Water
Company of McClure, of which he is now the
secretary. He is also secretary of the Cemetery
Association of the same city, which office he has
held nine years. Notwithstanding his extensive
business interests, he has not lost his liking for
political work or his influence in public affairs,
and in June, 1897, he was appointed postmaster
at McClure. In religious faith Mr. Middleswarth is a Lu
theran, and for many years he has been an elder
in the Church. Since 1872 he has served almost
constantly as superintendent of the Sunday-
school, and established and organized the first
Sunday-school teachers' meeting ever held in
McClure. He is also prominent in the Christian
Endeavor Society, of which he was twice chosen
president. He takes great interest in the G. A.
R., and has been Second Commander of Capt.
M. Smith Post No. 355, and Commander of
Capt. Ryan Post No. 364, at Middleburg. In
1896 he was made secretary of the Juniata Val
ley Veterans Association, at the meeting held in
Huntingdon county, and in 1897 he was instru
mental in making the Encampment at McClure
a grand success, and he was elected vice-presi
dent of said association for 1898.
On August 30, 1864, our subject was married,
at Middleburg, to his first wife, Amelia Dreese,
daughter of Abraham Dreese, a prominent farmer
of Beaver township, Snyder county. She died
February 11, 1892, leaving one child, Laura S.,
now the wife of Howard A. Ulsh, a stave manu
facturer of Centre county. On July 7, 1895,
Mr. Middleswarth married Miss Maggie E. Pe
ters, a native of Armagh township, Mifflin coun
ty, and a daughter of Isaac Peters, a well-known
agriculturist of that locality. The family is prom
inent socially, and Mr. Middleswarth can always
be relied upon to assist in any progressive move
ment in his locality.
His ability, energy and public spirit may be
said to be family traits, as the Middleswarths
have been noted for the qualities that go to the
making of good citizens, and have led in social,
political, and business life, in this section, from
an early date. They are of Scotch-Irish descent.
John Middleswarth, "our subject's great-grand
father, came from New Jersey in 1792 with his

<JYqA//3- /Uc^&^c/La^^^^C

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1145

wife, Martha, and several children, locating near
Beavertown, where he purchased a large tract of
land. He built a log house in the midst of the
forest, and made his home there, being one of
the first permanent residents of that vicinity.
His remains now rest in the cemetery at Adams
burg. Hon. Ner Middleswarth, the grandfather
of our subject, was born in New Jersey, and was
about ten years old when he accompanied his
parents to this State. He was reared as a pio
neer farmer's boy, amid rough yet wholesome
surroundings, and in all his life had • but three
months' schooling. Possessing an unusually act
ive and acute mind and much force of character,
he managed to acquire an excellent education
and spoke both English and German fluently. As
he owned a large amount of land he followed
agriculture throughout his life, but he was also
interested in mercantile business at Port Ann and
Beaver Furnace, and owned and operated a dis
tillery and a gristmill. He was the founder of the
Beaver furnace, and continued for many years to
be the principal stockholder in the enterprise.
In 1812 he enlisted as the captain of a company
which he had raised, and went into service
against the British with the 8th Pennsylvania
Rifles under Col. Irwin. In 1814 he raised an
other company, which was attached to a regiment
commanded by Col. Uhl in Gen. Cadwalader's
division, and was stationed at Marcus Hook.
His long and honorable career as a legislator be
gan in 181 5 when he was elected on the Whig
ticket to represent his locality at Harrisburg.
He served thirteen terms, and twice was chosen
Speaker of the Lower House. In 1848 he was
elected to the State Senate, and later he became
the choice of his district as a member of the
XXXIIIrd Congress, in which he served with
ability and fidelity. For five years he was asso
ciate judge of Snyder county, and at one time
he was a candidate for the office of canal com
missioner, being defeated on purely partisan
grounds. He was well known among the lead
ing politicians of his day, and was certainly one
of the foremost citizens of this section. During
the Anti-Mason agitation he took a prominent
part against the society, and, in fact, his influence
was a strong factor in every movement that arose
while he was in public life. His wife, Christiana
Swartzline, was born in central Pennsylvania,
of German ancestry. They had twelve children:
John (deceased), Moses (deceased), Abner (de
ceased), Abraham K. and Aaron J. (twins),
Jacob, Merib, Mary, Martha, Eliza, Sarah and
Matilda. The father died at Beavertown on
June 2, 1865, and the mother passed away in
1862.

Capt. Abraham Kelley Middleswarth, our sub
ject's father, was born January 22, 181 5, in what.
is now Beaver township, Snyder county, and is
at present living in retirement at McClure, Penn.
He was educated in the country schools near his
home, acquiring a good knowledge of the English
branches. He has made farming his occupation,
having remained at the homestead until 1838,
when he located in West Beaver township and
began to work on his own account. He was very
successful, and at one time possessed more than
800 acres of land in four farms, upon which he built
several dwelling houses and barns and made other
substantial improvements. Much of his attention
was given to stock raising, and he was always
fond of horses. Since 1866 he has left his busi
ness to younger hands, and an honored old age,
quiet, peaceful and blessed with affection, crowns
a worthy life. He has held in a high degree the
esteem of his fellow-citizens, and has served with
credit in several offices, including those of school
director, township assessor and county commis
sioner. Politically, he was a Whig in early life,
but, like all the members of his family, he be
came identified with the Republican party on its
organization, and he has ever since been a stead
fast supporter of its doctrines. For many years
he has been a leading member of the Lutheran
Church, in which he has held various offices and
at one time was an elder. At present he does
not belong to any fraternal order, but he was
formerly a member of the I. O. O. F.
On January 16, 1836, Capt. Middleswarth was
married, in Beaver township, Snyder county, to
Miss Elizabeth Bubb, a native of that township,
born in 1817. Her parents, Peter and Wilhel
mina (Hassinger) Bubb, were well-known resi
dents of that locality; her father, who was of
German descent, was a prosperous farmer. Five
children have blessed this union: Delilah, wife
of John Felker, of McClure; Isaac, who is en
gaged in the sawmill business in the same town;
Ner B., our subject; Elvina, wife of George Ben
fer, of McClure; and Sarah Clementine Shindle,
who married William M. Bratton, also of McClure.

DANIEL OTT. There is particular satis
faction in reverting to the life history of the
honored and venerable gentleman whose name
initiates this review, as he was for many years
prominently identified with the agricultural and
political interests of Snyder county. He has
not only made the best use of his opportunities,
but has thoroughly enjoyed life, and now in his
declining years has laid aside all business cares

1146

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

and devotes considerable time to traveling, in
which he has ever taken great delight.
In Penn township, where he still makes his
home, Mr. Ott was born May 27, 1820, a son of
Daniel and Esther (Hummell) Ott, the former a
native of Chester county, Penn. George Ott,
the paternal grandfather, was the progenitor of
the family in this locality, and took up 400 acres
of wild land in Snyder county, building his log
cabin near Penn's creek. He lived to about
eighty years of age, and at his death was buried
by the side of his wife in Selins Grove cemetery.
They had two sons and four daughters, of whom
Frederick died in Lycoming county at the age of
eighty. He never used glasses, as his eyesight
was unimpaired at the time of his death. The
daughters all married, and all died in Snyder
county except one, who passed away in Summit
county, Ohio. Daniel Ott, Sr., was about seven
years old when brought by his parents to what
is now Snyder county, was reared as a farmer
boy, and on reaching manhood married Esther
Hummell, daughter of Jacob Hummell, a farmer
of Monroe township, Snyder county. They lo
cated on the old Ott homestead, where they con
tinued to live for many years, and where the
mother died in 1831. The father's death oc
curred in Selins Grove, when in his sixty-eighth
year, and he was laid by the side of his wife in
the cemetery of that place. In connection with
his farm work, for several years he conducted
the Ott Tavern, with the sign of the "Black
Horse." It was first established in 1820, and was
one of the best known hostelries in this section,
it being the favorite stopping place for teamsters
and drovers in those early days. In early life
the father was a Whig in politics and later a Re
publican; in his Church relations, he was a Lu
theran. To Daniel and Esther (Hummell) Ott were
born the following children: Jacob, who died in
Selins Grove; George, who died in Elkhart coun
ty, Ind.; Samuel, who died in Penn township,
Snyder county; Daniel, of this sketch; William,
who died when young; Lydia, wife of Jack Gaug
ler, of Selins Grove; and Henry, who died in
December, 1897. After the death of his first
wife, Mr. Ott married her sister, Mrs. Elizabeth
(Hummell) Hettrich, and by her had one daugh
ter, Elizabeth, now the wife of Daniel Gaugler,
of Berrien, Mich. By her former marriage Mrs.
Ott had six children. She survived her second
husband, and was buried in Selins Grove.
During his boyhood Daniel Ott, Jr., lived
some distance from Selins Grove, where the
nearest school was conducted, and therefore his
educational privileges were limited. Although

he never attended school but one month, he has
become a well-informed man, gaining that excel
lent knowledge which only travel and close ob
servation can bring. He has been called upon
to settle up estates and perform other business
which requires education, and by his own meth
ods and rules most satisfactorily discharged those '
duties. Not until after he had attained his ma
jority was he able to speak a word of English.
At the age of nineteen Mr. Ott began learn
ing the shoemaker's trade under the direction of
Rich Lloyd, of Selins Grove, and during his two-
years' apprenticeship received not a cent of pay,
and furnished his own clothes. He then began
the battle of life for himself, and for seven years
worked as a " tramp " shoemaker, walking first
to Indianapolis, Ind. When he started out he
was a green German boy with no education, and
ignorant of the ways of the world, his only fac
ulty seemed his ability to defend himself, and,
although small in stature, was often victorious in
hand-to-hand contests with boys much larger
than himself. After traveling over a large por
tion of Illinois, Indiana and Michigan, he returned
to Selins Grove.
In May, 1848., Mr. Ott was married to Miss
Elizabeth Long, who was born near Selins
Grove, December 20, 1824, a daughter of Ben
jamin and Elizabeth (Fetter) Long, farming peo
ple. Her paternal grandfather was Jacob Long,
who came to this region from Berks county,
Penn. Mrs. Ott was the oldest daughter and
second child in a family of six children, three
sons and three daughters. By her marriage she
became the mother of six children — Esther L. ,
now Mrs. Franklin Good, of Selins Grove; Mary
C, wife of Peter Long, of that place; Adda, wife
of Luther Landis, a miller of Goldburg, York
Co , Penn.; Gertie I., wife of Frank Mater, of
Selins Grove; and two sons, who died in infancy.
During his early business career, in addition
to work at his trade, Mr. Ott would take any
employment by which he could earn an honest
dollar, and at his marriage had saved over $500,
but had spent three times that amount for whole
some pleasures. Locating at Selins Grove, he
served as constable for three years, having juris
diction over the whole county, and, on the expi
ration of his term, removed to his present farm
on Penn's creek, in Penn township, locating here
in 1853. His place comprised thirty-three acres
of the home farm, which he had purchased of his
father, but was improved with no buildings. He
erected a pleasant dwelling, good barns and out
buildings, and continued the cultivation and im
provement of his land until 1871, since which
time he has practically lived retired. As his

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1147

financial resources increased he extended the
boundaries of his farm until it now com
prises 125 acres of rich and arable land.
Throughout his entire life he has continued to
indulge his love of travel and hunting, and has
visited every county in Pennsylvania, much of
New York, and all of Ohio. He has also trav
eled extensively over Indiana, Illinois, along
Cedar river, in Iowa, and over Missouri, Kansas,
Colorado, Indian Territory and Texas. In the
last named State he hunted buffalo and other big
game, and has at his home the mounted head of
an immense buffalo which he killed there. Mr.
Ott has also visited many of the Eastern and
Southern States, including Kentucky, West Vir
ginia, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and New
Jersey, and witnessed the grand review at Wash
ington, D. C. , in 1865. In connection with his
farming operations, Mr. Ott was for some years
interested in buying and selling horses and cattle,
bringing several droves of the former from the
west at an early day. Although still well pre
served, he does not engage in any active labor,
but enjoys life to the utmost, and, possessing a
retentive memory and being a good conversa
tionalist, he can relate many interesting events
which have occurred in the course of his travels.
He usually gives his support to the men and
measures of the Republican party, but is not
strictly partisan at local elections, and has cred
itably filled a number of township offices, being
assessor for six years, and overseer of the poor
five years. He and his wife are both prominent
and active members of the Lutheran Church, in
which he has served in a number of official
positions, and is now elder. His is indeed a
happy old age, and he well deserves the success
and pleasure that he has gained, for his life has
ever been such as to win the commendation of all
who know him.

JO. WAGNER, M. D. "All lives that are
in the best sense worth the living," says a
well-known writer, " are so by virtue of be
ing true to their own polarity. There is un
doubtedly a certain line of life, a certain definite,
however dimly defined, path predestined for each,
and that achievement which we are accustomed
to call success is simply the result of the vision
that sees, and the energy that follows this hidden
but divine leading." In the success attending
the efforts of this well-known physician and sur
geon, who for years has been a leading practi
tioner at Beaver Springs, Snyder county, we see
an illustration of this truth. So strong was his
desire to follow the direction of his special gifts,

that he turned from the offer of a certain com
petence as a farmer, and making his own way
through college entered his chosen profession.
Dr. Wagner was born June 9, 1855, in Jack
son township, Snyder county, near Kratzerville,
where his father, Y. H. Wagner, still resides.
His mother, whose maiden name was Susanna
Hahn, was a daughter of that well-known pio
neer, Capt. John Hahn. The Doctor attended
school in Kratzerville, and although his oppor
tunities were inferior to those of the present day,
he made such good use of them that before he
was sixteen he was prepared to teach, his first
school being in the Brouse school house in his
native township. He was always devoted to his
studies, and more than once his excess in appli
cation to his books caused illness. After teach
ing for a short time he pursued his studies in
Professor Noetling's select school at Selins
Grove, and thus prepared for better work as a
teacher. He then secured a school at Kratzer
ville, and while there began to read medicine
with Dr. P. Hermann, as from childhood he
had a desire to enter the medical profession.
His father did not sympathize with this ambi
tion, as he desired our subject, being the only son,
to take the farm, and consequently the young
man had to make his own living while carrying
out his plans; hence, before entering medical
college, he taught for several terms near Middle
burg, in West Beaver township, as well as at
Evendale, in an independent school district. In
the fall of 1877 he entered the College of Physi
cians and Surgeons at Baltimore, Md., and after
one term was obliged to resume the work of
teaching in order to replenish his pocketbook.
By close economy he managed to save enough in
one year of teaching to take him through an
other term at college, and on March 3, 1880, he
received his degree of M. D., having completed
a full course. It happened that his preceptor
was ill with pneumonia at the time, and during
March, April and May, 1880, our subject took
charge of his practice at Kratzerville. On Au
gust 2, 1880, he located at Adamsburg, and be
ing an entire stranger, failure was freely pre
dicted for him, but he succeeded from the start,
notwithstanding the fact that the most difficult
cases in the locality were given him, including
chronic ailments pronounced hopeless by others.
Success in these brought him new patients, and
at the present time he enjoys an extensive and
lucrative practice which is solely due to his own
skill and ability. He allows nothing to take his
attention from his work, and m addition to his
practice he has, since 1889, been interested in
the drug business. He formerly carried on

1148

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

dentistry, but at present does nothing in that
line except to extract teeth.
He married Miss Mary E. Gross, of Beaver
town, a daughter of Christian and Mary (Benfer)
Gross, and one child, Otto G. , born November
22, 1889, brightens their home. The Doctor
owns a pleasant residence in Beaver Springs,
built by himself, and he also owns an excellent
farm of fifty acres in the same vicinity. Dr.
Wagner and his wife are prominent members
of the Reformed Church, and he is a charter
member of Beaver Springs Castle No. 423, K.
G. E., in which he is past chief and is now serv
ing the fourth term as M. of R. As might be
supposed, he is identified with the various pro
fessional organizations, and he belongs to Snyder
County Medical Society, in which he is now, and
has been for a number of years, secretary and
treasurer, succeeding J. Y. Shindel. He is also
a permanent member of the State Medical So
ciety. He takes keen interest in public questions,
and is a stanch supporter of the Republican
party, but has never sought political honors.

WENRY MOYER, an agriculturist, was born
October 28, 1827, in Penn township, Sny
der county, on the farm where he now resides.
His father, William Moyer, was born on the
same farm, November 15, 1801, and was a son
of John Moyer, who was born in Berks county,
Penn., May 27, 1771. The great-grandfather of
our subject was a native of Germany, and be
came the founder of the family in America. He
was liberally educated in his native land, and in
this country became a successful teacher. He
died in Berks county.
John Moyer, the grandfather, was a farmer
and shoemaker, and located at the present home
of our subject when the land was in its primitive
condition. The mighty denizens of the forest
fell before the stroke of his sturdy axe, and acre
after acre was thus cleared and made ready for
cultivation. Turkeys, deer and other wild game
furnished the table with meat, and the experi
ences of the family were those that usually fall
to the lot of the pioneer. The grandfather there
continued to make his home until his death, Sep
tember 17, 1865. He married Anna Margaret
Miller, who was born in Pennsylvania, April 17,
1771, and came to Snyder county with her
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Miller. Mr.
and Mrs. Moyer were married in 1794, and had
four children: Samuel, who died in Penn town
ship; Elizabeth, wife of John Gemberling, of
Selins Grove; Catharine, wife of John Gember
ling, a relative of the husband of Elizabeth, and

died in Penn township, and William, father of
our subject. The parents of this family were
members of the Lutheran Church; the grand
father of our subject was over ninety-four years
of age at time of his death. His wife died Janu
ary 5, 1847.
William Moyer was reared on the old home
farm, and was married March 21, 1825, to Mar
garet Fisher, who was born at Fisher's Ferry,
December 24, 1803, a daughter of Christian and
Hannah Fisher. Their children are: Henry;
Lydia, who was born October 10, 1830, and died
August 3, 1850; and Susannah, who was born
October 8, 1833, and died September 8, 1863,
the wife of Robert W. Kern. The father of this
family was a gunsmith, and followed that trade
until returning to the old homestead to assume
the management of the farm. He was a leading
member of the Lutheran Church, and in politics
was a Whig until the organization of the Repub
lican party, when he joined its ranks. He died
January 4, 1867, and his wife passed away De
cember 26, 1888.
Henry Moyer, of this review, began his edu
cation in Salem, under the direction of Joseph
Weigle. For two terms he engaged in teaching
in Penn township, and when a young man
secured a clerkship in the store of Davis &
Schnure, at Selins Grove. He now owns a val
uable farm, and gives his attention to agricultural
pursuits. In 1896 he remodeled his barn, and
has upon the place an excellent set of buildings.
A fine peach orchard and many other kinds of
fruit add to the value of the place, and few men
are better informed on horticulture than he.
On March 27, i860, Mr. Moyer was married
to Miss Mary D. Degel, who was born at Lahn,
Bavaria, April 11, 1838, a daughter of John
George and Barbara (Schubert) Moyer. She
came to the United States in 1853, reaching
New York after a voyage of eight weeks. She
has in this country one brother, John F. , resid
ing at Northumberland, Penn. The children of
our subject and his wife are as follows: John
F. , born August 3, i860, now a farmer of Juni
ata county, Penn.; David W. , born March 10,
1862, operating his father's farm; Charles A.,
born March 23, 1864, a merchant of Spring
Mills, Centre Co., Penn.; Mary A., born April
17, 1866, widow of Dr. G. P. Miller, living with
her father; Anna M., born April 29, 1867, wife
of Prof. J. I. Woodruff; Sarah J., born Septem
ber 23, 1868, wife of Dr. J. W. Seip, of Erie,
Penn.; Clara E., who was born December 13,
1870, and died November 24, 1889; Cora V.,
who was born December 21, 1873, and is the
wife of Charles Gable, of Selins Grove; an infant

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1149

daughter, who was born January 7, 1876, and
died April 21, 1876; Delia A., who was born
September 23, 1879, and lives in Erie, Penn.;
and Verna E. , who was born August 2, 1881.
Mr. Moyer is a zealous advocate of Repub
lican principles, has served in various township
offices, was township clerk for a number of years,
and is now auditor of Penn township. He dis
charges his duties with marked fidelity, being
ever true and faithful to the trust reposed in him.
He is one of the leading members of Salem
Church, was trustee for a number of years, and
is now trustee and a member of the building
committee, having in charge the erection of a
new house of worship in Salem. He was also
superintendent of the Sunday-school for some
time. His life, honorable and upright at all
times, commends him to the confidence and re
spect of all, and he is one of the leading citizens
of Penn township.

lEUBEN DREESE. Few citizens of this
EH section enjoy to as high a degree the esteem
and confidence of the people as does this well-
known agriculturist of Spring township, Snyder
county. He enjoys the distinction of being the
third Democrat ever elected to the office of sher
iff in Snyder county, and he has held other po
sitions of public trust, including that of county
treasurer, the only Democrat ever elected treas
urer. The Dreese family in Snyder county is de
scended from three brothers, Jacob, Peter and
John, who came from Berks county, Penn., at
an early day. John, who was known as "Big
John," became very wealthy, and bequeathed a
tract of land to the Lutheran and Reformed
Churches, his bequest causing much litigation in
later years. Peter married, and left numerous
descendants. Jacob, our subject's father, was
born December 15, 1786, and during boyhood
was bound out to a Mr. Fetterolf, with whom
he learned the blacksmith's trade. This busi
ness he followed for many years at Adamsburg,
where he also owned and operated a farm, which
is now owned by our subject. His brother,
" Big John," left him considerable property, and
his own industry and ability enabled him to ac
quire a handsome competence. He owned large
tracts of land, but, as he died before the war, it
did not bring as high a price in the settlement of
the estate as it would have done later. He was
a stanch Whig in politics, and in religious faith
was a Lutheran, being an active member of the
Church and holding office at various times. He
died October 1, 1854, as the result of an accident.

He was walking on the sidewalk in Adamsburg
when he was run over by a colt whose driver
was using no bridle. When his injuries were
examined it was found that his neck was broken.
His wife, Catherine Smith, who was born De
cember 6, 1788,. died September 7, 1863, and
both were buried at Adamsburg. Notwithstand
ing their advanced years they preserved their
health remarkably, and Mrs. Dreese was known
far and wide as a nurse, being always found
ready to administer to the needs of the sick and
helpless. No matter what the disease or ail
ment, she remained without hesitation at the
bedside of the sufferer as long as her assistance
was needed, and her kind heart was shown in
many other ways, baskets of food and articles of
clothing being often sent from her home to the
poor. She was a daughter of Johan Adam
Smith, of Troxelville, who was at one time a
very wealthy land owner, but in later life met
with financial reverses. Our subject was the
youngest in a family of nine children: Christie.
ana, who__aaaxri£jiLjir^,_j3a^^ and,

secondjJflhn-Eelker, diejl.JiJ^^pringJownsHTp,
"Snyder county; Henry died near Adamsburg*;
Abraham, a farmer and blacksmith, died in
Spring township; Mary married Philip Benfer,
and died in Kratzville; Elizabeth married Adam
Specht, and died in Adamsburg; Isaac died in
Michigan; Amelia married Michael Beaver, and
now resides in Beavertown; Leah is the widow
of John Fike, of Juniata county, Penn. Al
though the father was of but medium height,
most of his sons were tall, being nearly six feet.
Several of them followed the blacksmith's trade,
having learned it in their father's shop in Ad
amsburg, where four fires were kept burning con
tinuously. Squire Dreese was born October 17, 1830,
at Adamsburg, and was educated there in the
subscription schools of that date; the free
schools being founded in time for him to attend
only one winter. The school apparatus as well
as the methods of instruction were quite primi
tive, and he learned to write on paper made
near Adamsburg, an old-fashioned quill pen be
ing used. At eighteen years of age he left home,
and going to Milroy, Penn., he learned the
blacksmith's trade, receiving thirty dollars in
cash for his two-years' work as an apprentice.
Two weeks were allowed him in harvest time,
however, in which he could earn money at hay
making to supplement his scanty wages. After
completing his apprenticeship he worked for a
time at Reedsville, Penn., at very low wages,
and then returned to Adamsburg and established
a shop of his own where the creamery now

1150

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

stands. On March n, 1852, he was married at
New Berlin to his first wife, Miss Matilda Saltz-
man, who was born October ist, 1831, the
daughter of William and Catherine Saltzman.
After his marriage Mr. Dreese engaged in farm
ing but retained the tools and other equipment
of his blacksmith shop in order to do his own
work. He now owns two valuable farms adjoin
ing Beaver Springs, and has sold off several town
lots in Adamsburg. For some years past he has
lived a semi-retired life, but he still oversees his
farm in a general way. In 1881 he built an ele
gant brick residence, and other substantial
improvements have made his homestead one of
the best in the locality. In 1893 he laid out a
cemetery on one of his farms, which now belongs
to the Adamsburg Cemetery Association.
His first wife died July 27, 1869, and was
buried at Adamsburg, and on January 30, 1870,
he formed a second matrimonial union, with Mrs.
Kate (Steininger) Barbin, the widow of Henry
Barbin. She was born March 3, 1838, near
Middleburg, and was the daughter of John and
Sarah (Aurand) Steininger. She had two chil
dren by her first marriage — Sarah C. , now de
ceased, and Phebe L. Mr. Dreese had five
children by his first marriage: (1) Allen, born
"January 1, 1853, died when ten days old. (2)
Milton, born January 1, 1854, died Sept. 8, 1875,
while a student in the college at Kutztown,
Penn. ; he lacked but thirteen weeks of complet
ing his course there, and intended to enter the
medical profession. (3) Lucy M., born June 6,
1856, died April 15, 1859. (4) Albright, born
October 1, 1857, is a farmer in Spring township;
he married Anna Greenhoe, and has had three
children — Homer, deceased; Catherine M. and
Myron G. (5) James D. , born February 15,
i860, is also a farmer in Spring township. He
married Laura Stroup, by whom he had two
children, Mary and Carrie, and after her death
wedded Emma Baker. By his second marriage
Mr. Dreese has one son, Henry J., born May
30, 1877, who now resides at home.
In business circles Mr. Dreese's sound judg
ment is held in high esteem, and he is a director
in the Beavertown Mutual Fire Insurance Com
pany. He holds stock in the First National
Bank of Middleburg, and is interested in a num
ber of financial enterprises. His political career
is a notable one. He has been a Democrat since
" Know-Nothing" times, and from his youth has
taken an active part in public affairs. He was
supervisor in Beaver township for one term and
in Spring township for two terms. He has given
especial attention to educational matters, serv
ing several times as school director. In 1878 he

was elected county treasurer, and served three
years, and in 1887 he was elected to the office of
sheriff, defeating Daniel Bolender, a very popu
lar Republican. During his term of service Mr.
Dreese resided for three years in Middleburg. It
had been a custom with his predecessors in office
to remove the accounts at the expiration of their
terms, but Mr. Dreese left his records of receipts
in the office for the inspection of his constituents,
an innovation which was highly appreciated by
the people. This scrupulous honesty is doubt
less a factor in his popularity, and it is closely re
lated to another admirable trait, that of absolute
fidelity to his friends. He is a liberal supporter
of religious movements; and is an active member
of the Lutheran Church, serving on the building
committee when the new edifice was built at
Adamsburg. For more than thirty years he has
held office in the Church either as deacon, elder
or trustee, his service being interrupted only by
his residence in Middleburg. Socially, he is a
member of the Knights of the Golden Eagle.

JG MOYER, Esq. Among the early settlers
in Berks county, Penn., were the ancestors
of the Meyer or Moyer family, who came
from Germany during the Colonial period to
make homes for themselves in the forests of the
New World. They secured a large tract of land,
and, with true German thrift and industry, trans
formed the wilderness into productive farm lands.
As the locality became more thickly settled, their
descendants found their opportunities for acquir
ing property somewhat restricted, and, moved
by the same spirit which had caused their fore
fathers to leave the Fatherland, they followed
the advancing line of settlement and became pio
neers in other regions.
The first of the family to settle in what is
now Snyder county was Jacob Meyer, the grand
father of the well-known citizen wKbse name ap
pears above, and the old gristmill known as Mey
er's mill, located in Musser's Valley, three miles
east of Troxelville, was built by him soon after
his arrival. He purchased an extensive tract of
land, and in addition to his milling interests and
the care of his homestead, he conducted a tan
nery for many years. Nor was he indifferent to
public affairs, for he gave freely of his time and
thought to the various local movements which
resulted in the establishment of political, relig
ious and educational institutions in the new set
tlement, and at times he served as a township
official. He died, about 1853. His wife, Chris
tina, bore him sixteen children, among whom
was a son, John, our subject's father, who was

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1151

born February io, 1802, and became one of the
leading residents of that locality. During early
manhood John Meyer was engaged for nine years
in hauling merchandise between Philadelphia
and Musser's Valley, railroads being then un
known. Later he became interested in the
tanning business and had a large trade
throughout central Pennsylvania, but in 1875
he sold out to a son, J. J. S. Moyer, now
a resident of Salem, Oregon, and the last ten
years of his life were spent in well-earned leisure.
He was a Democrat in politics, and for years was
a leading member of the Lutheran Church, in
which he held office. His public spirit was shown
in many ways, his desire to see local affairs prop
erly administered leading him to sacrifice his pri
vate interests at times in order to accept office,
and his services as school director and supervisor
extend over many years. He died suddenly on
June 19, 1885, leaving a fine estate. He mar
ried Miss Catherine Bingman, who was born June
25, 1808, in Berks county and was reared in the
family of a Mr. Udree. She died after a linger
ing illness, and the remains of both now rest in
the Union cemetery in Musser's Valley. They
had eleven children, of whom our subject was the
youngest: (1) Gudilla, born August 20, 1830,
married Isaac Krebs, and died in Adams town
ship, ,Snyder county. (2) Amelia married Henry
Wagner, and died in Adams township. (3) John,
•born February 23, 1834, died in Beavertown.
(4) Henrietta, born December 17, 1835, married
Nathan Fetterolf, and died in Troxelville. (5)
Susanna, born December 10, 1837, married Jo
siah Kline and died in Adams township. (6)
Miss Neoriah, born November 2, 1839, is still
living. (7) John J. died in childhood. (8)
Catherine, born April 24, 1844, is the widow of
Joriah_Kline. (9) Yost H., born February 28,
1846, is a farmer in Adams township. (10) John
J., born April 28, 1848, is a contractor residing
in Salem, Oregon.
J. G. Moyer began his education in a school
house which formerly occupied a site about a
half mile east of Troxelville. He afterward at
tended Union Seminary at New Berlin, and on
leaving school he taught for a few months, and,
in 1868, he entered upon his business career as a
clerk for Capt. G. H. Hassenplug, in Musser's
Valley, at $7.00 per month. He remained there
nearly three years, and then, forming a partner
ship with Mr. Swartz, he carried on a general
store business at Troxelville. In 1873 he pur-.
chased his partner's interest, and his business in
creased so rapidly that in 1875 he built a hand
some two-and-a-half-story brick block, which
he still owns. In 1878 he retired from mer

cantile life to engage in the lumber business in
partnership with William B. Baum, of New Ber
lin. They manufactured railroad ties, and lum
ber of all kinds, and have an extensive trade
throughout New York, Pennsylvania, New Jer
sey, and Connecticut, one day's shipment reach
ing as high as forty-seven thousand feet. They
own large tracts of timber land in Snyder and
Mifflin counties, and at one time had sawmills at
different points on the Sunbury and Lewistown
railroad. In 1887 Mr. Moyer began to conduct
the business for himself, and in 1892 he began
the manufacture of staves and heads, in which busi
ness he is now the leader in Snyder county, and
in June, 1897, he took an order for one hundred
car-loads of these and similar goods. As a busi
ness man, Mr. Moyer is shrewd and farsighted,
and he has already acquired a handsome fortune.
He employs a large number of workmen, and his
various enterprises distribute large sums of
money. He owns an excellent farm in Adams
township, Snyder county, and since the spring of
1886 he has resided in Adamsburg, where he has
a handsome home. He has an interesting fam
ily, to which he is devoted. On May 3, 1873, he
was married at Troxelville, by Rev. W. R.
Wieand, to Miss Maggie J. Swartz, daughter of
Elias R. and Christina (Bingman) Swartz, and
granddaughter of Daniel Swartz, a pioneer farm
er of Snyder county. Another relative was
Squire George Swartz, who was a well-known
justice of the peace in the early days. Mr. and
Mrs. Moyer have had three children: Miss
Perie Pruelle, born October 18, 1874, a graduate
of Mechanicsburg College, and who now lives at
home. Miss Victoria May, born April 12, 1876,
at home; and Franklin Guy, born January 13,
1878, who died June 15, 1881. Socially, Mr.
Moyer is a member of the K. G. E. at Beaver
Springs, and he and his wife are both identified
with St. Luke's Church (Evangelical Lutheran)
at Troxelville, and, in 1880, when the new edifice
was built, he was secretary and treasurer of the
building committee, and secured many large
contributions for the work. He finds time also
for the duties of citizenship, and has held sev
eral offices including that of township auditor.
On March 30, 1880, he was commissioned justice
of the peace, and his ability and impartiality so
commended him to the people that he was re
elected at the end of the term.

JOHN S. SMITH, a substantial and highly
esteemed citizen of Snyder county, is the
owner of two valuable farms, and although
he is now living in retirement at Beavertown, he

1152

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

was for many years an active and successful
agriculturist. At the age of seventy-seven years,
he can look back over an interesting period of
our history, and his vigorous mind and attentive
memory make his conversation most instructive
and entertaining. His family has been identi
fied with Snyder county since pioneer time, his
grandfather, Adam Smith, having come from
one of the lower counties of Pennsylvania at a
very early day to settle near Troxelville, where
he acquired a large tract of land. He died there
leaving several children, among whom were three
sons — Adam, George and Daniel — and three
daughters — Catherine, who married Jacob
Dreese; Mollie, who married Daniel Grimm; and
Bevy, who married John SmitfiT-
George Smith, our subject's father, was born
in Snyder county in 1789, and always resided at
the old homestead. He died in May, 1822, from
the effects of a kick in the stomach from a horse.
The injury was not at first considered dangerous,
but death resulted in a few days. He was buried
in Musser Valley Cemetery. He was a tall man,
an excellent farmer, and his fine qualities of
character caused him to be greatly respected
among his associates. His wife, Elizabeth
Steininger, who was born in what is now Adams
township, Snyder county, in 1800, was a daugh
ter of Dabolt Steininger, a well-known pioneer.
Our subject was the only child of this marriage.
The widow afterward married Daniel Klose, by
whom she had the following children : Leah,
Lizzie, Sarah, the twins, Amelia and Daniel (the
latter a Lutheran preacher in Arizona), Mari
etta, George, James, Jerry and Alfred. Early
in 1850 Daniel Klose and his family removed to
the vicinity of Three Rivers, Mich., where he
owned a large tract of land and carried on agri
cultural operations until his death. Mrs. Klose
died there at an advanced age.
Mr. Smith was born March 6, 1821, at the
old home near Troxelville. He was left father
less at the early age of fourteen months, but
fortunately his mother's second husband sup
plied his loss, proving to be a kindly and judi
cious advisor and friend. As the schools of that
day were of an inferior sort, and the work at
home often interfered with his attendance, Mr.
Smith's education has been almost wholly self-
acquired. Often he spent less than a month in
study during one year of his boyhood, but his
own deprivations have made him an earnest
supporter of better school privileges for the ris
ing generation. Farm work was then done by
hand, and our subject found plenty to do at
home, where he remained until 1843, except for
a short period when he was employed in a brick

yard at Lewistown, his father promising him $150
if he would assist him until he was twenty-one.
In 1843 Mr. Smith married Miss Martha Middles
warth, who was born September 11, 1823, the
daughter of Hon. Ner Middleswarth, one of the
most distinguished citizens of Clinton county.
For one year after his marriage, '"Mr. Smith took
charge of the homestead for one-third of the
crop, his stepfather visiting Illinois, in the
meantime. In the spring of 1845, Mr. Smith
located near Beavertown on a farm belonging to
his father-in-law, where he spent two years, and
he then removed to Musser's Valley, and for fif
teen years had charge of another of his father-
in-law's estates. He then purchased a farm
below Beavertown, and after residing there ten
years he turned the active work of management
to younger hands, and removed to Beavertown
where he purchased property in an unfinished
condition, and made himself a comfortable
home. Although Mr. Smith takes much interest in
local improvement, his influence has been exerted
in quiet ways. Politically he was formerly a
Whig and is now a Republican, and while a
stanch supporter of his party he has never shown
a disposition to seek official honors. He was at
one time a member of the Independent Order of
Odd Fellows, and for many years has been a
prominent worker in the Lutheran Church, serv
ing continuously as elder. He has six children, "
all of whom occupy honorable and useful posi
tions in life: A. M., is a well-known physician
of Beaver Springs; George, is a hotel keeper at
the same place; Ner and John D. reside in
Newton, Kans. ; Adda married A. H. Bowersox,
of Beavertown"; and Rebecca is the wife of George
Thomas, of Lewistown, Pennsylvania.

Ji UGUSTUS SPRINGMAN, one of the
_ L. wealthiest land owners of Washington
township, Snyder county, is of German birth and
his career furnishes an apt illustration of the en
ergy, industry and foresight which characterize
his race. His early life was spent in the hard
school of poverty, and few histories present so
sharp a contrast as his memory holds of good and
ill fortune. Mr. Springman was born March 4, 1827, near
Neisse, Prussia, the son of Joseph and Hedewick
(Krouse) Springman. The mother died during his
childhood, leaving two sons, John and Augustus,
and two daughters, Annie and Maria. His fa
ther married a second time, and by this union
there were two children, Emmons and Caroline.
In 1840 the father died, and, as the family was

c^fj&fuin^m. J^tfWa^^H

T

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1153

left in limited circumstances, young Augustus
found himself practically without a home. For
two years he hired out to watch sheep, receiving
the sum of two dollars per year in cash for his
services, and later he was hired by farmers at
the rate of eight dollars per year. After a time
he secured a position as a waiter in the house
hold of Herr Herman Humbold, a wealthy resi
dent of Frederickseck, Prussia, who lived in grand
style (the suit of clothes which Mr. Springman
wore while in his service cost five hundred dol
lars). In 185 1 the ambitious youth went to Ber
lin to seek employment, and after a long and dis
couraging effort was obliged to take a place in a
soap factory at four dollars per month. Although
his employer was very wealthy, our subject often
went hungry as the help was compelled to live
upon what was left after the family had eaten,
and it is not strange that he should decide to
leave the situation and endeavor to find another.
This plan proved a failure as he was arrested
by the police and locked up, and on his release
he started to walk to his old home, a distance of
two hundred miles. Before he reached his desti
nation he endured many hardships, being so nearly
famished at times that he was glad to gather up
and eat things that the farmers had thrown away as
useless. But this sad period was not his first ex
perience, as, previous to going to Berlin, he had
been in such straits that during the hard times
of 1 848 he had bought the sweepings from a grist
mill floor and baked it into bread rather than
starve. His thoughts must have turned to Amer
ica as a land of better opportunities many times
during his years of suffering and scantily rewarded
toil, and in February, 1853, he took passage
from Bremen to Baltimore, Md. , being the first
emigrant from his native place. He had re
ceived from his brother the sum of fifty-five dol
lars as his share of his father's estate, and out of
this he paid forty-five dollars for his fare and
necessary outfit. Surely no one ever started
more blindly upon so long a journey as he did,
not knowing a word of English, and had no idea
of any special place to settle or work to attempt,
but he had youth and health in his favor, and his
habits of industry and temperance promised well
for him. On landing in Baltimore in the last of
March, 1853, after a long and stormy voyage, he
found himself with but $2.51 in his pocket, and
while wandering about the city trying to decide
what to do, he threw up his cane which he had
brought from the Fatherland, and in accordance
with an old German custom, looked to see the
direction that the head might take as an indica
tion of his future course. Fortunately a kind-
hearted German saw him, and was prompted to
73*

ask him where he desired to go. Mr. Springman
replied that he did not know the name of the
place. His new friend mentioned several cities,
and on hearing the name of Harrisburg, oursub
ject decided that he would go there, and was
shown the way to the depot. Laying all his
money on the window sill before the ticket agent,
he stated that he wished to go to Harrisburg, but
as the agent did not understand him the said new
friend stepped forward and repeated his request
in English. The agent pushed the money back
saying that there was not enough to pay for a
ticket to Harrisburg, and the friend at once
made up the required amount and gave it to Mr.
Springman, who has never since seen or heard of
him. When Mr. Springman arrived at Harris
burg he had one cent, and as he had had nothing
to eat since the previous day he was in a serious
predicament. Finding a man who could talk
German, he learned the way to a German hotel, but
he met with a discouraging reception as the propri
etor ordered him out of the house when he began
to explain his circumstances. However, he se
cured some breakfast and a room by depositing
his watch and some of his clothing, and then he
started out in search of work. For a time he was
unsuccessful, and his misfortunes seemed to reach
a desperate stage when a fire destroyed most of
his clothing, but at last a change came as if fate
had wearied of persecuting so persistent and cour
ageous a soul. He was employed to unload a
raft of lumber, for which he was to receive six
teen dollars, it being considered a two-weeks'
task. By working almost all day and almost all
night he managed to finish the work in three
days, and the same man then gave him another
raft to unload for seventeen dollars. His work
was entirely satisfactory, and after this he had no
difficulty in obtaining all he could do, so that
within two weeks after going to Harrisburg he
had fifty dollars in cash over and above his ex
penses and the cost of replacing his clothes.
Later he worked his passage on a boat to the
Red Bank furnace near Danville, Penn. , where
he secured steady employment. His fellow-
laborers, who were Irish, did every thing in
their power to make his stay disagreeable and to
bring about his discharge, but he kept quietly
on with his tasks, paying as little attention as
possible to annoyances. Finally some of the
workmen became so abusive that he was com
pelled to give them a sound beating, and not
long afterward he was warned that a plot had
been made against his life. His reputation for
strength and bravery being well-established, his
assailants did not dare to attack him single-
handed, and they came upon him four to one.

1154

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

He was prepared, however, and used a piece of
crowbar to such good purpose that one of the cow
ardly antagonists was badly hurt and the others
fled in fear. Mr. Springman decided that he could
no longer remain with his unfriendly companions,
and asked his employer, a Mr. Wood, for a re
commendation, but when the state of affairs be
came known he was made a boss, and his most
active enemies were severely reprimanded. Two
and a half years at this place enabled him to save
seven hundred dollars, and he then went to Dan
ville, Penn., where he obtained similar employ
ment. He next engaged in peddling, in which he
was at first unsuccessful, losing all his money,
but with his usual persistence he kept on and in
time he made up for his losses. During this
period he took a course in Freeburg Academy
under the instruction of Prof. D. S. Boyer,
learning certain business forms and calculations,
and acquiring the ability to read and write
English. While passing through Juniata county on one
of his business trips, Augustus Springman became
acquainted with Miss Josephine Burd, of that
county, who was born July 2, 1842, the daugh
ter of Joseph and Margaret (McCoy) Burd, and,
on March 15, i860, they were united in marriage.
She was the granddaughter of James Burd, who
resided near Mifflin, Juniata county. James
Burd was a son of Col. James Burd. who was
the third son of Edward Burd, a gentleman who
lived on his estate of Ormiston, near Edinburgh,
Scotland, by his wife, Jean Haliburton, daughter
of George Haliburton, the Lord Provost of Edin
burgh. Col. Burd was born at Ormiston in 1 726,
and came to this country long antecedent to the
Revolutionary war, and was for many years in
the military service of the province of Pennsyl
vania, being one of its most noted military men
-during the French and Indian war, and com
manded the Second Battalion, Pennsylvania
Regiment of Provincial troops. He completed
the building of Fort Augusta at Shamokin now
Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Penn., in 1756-
1757; he was with the Forbes expedition, and
was in command at Fort Pitt and participated in
the construction of other forts, building of roads
and other important matters of that time. He
was married in Philadelphia, in 1748, to Sarah
Shippen, daughter of Edward Shippen, and sister
of Chief Justice Edward Shippen, and had ten
children: Sarah married Judge Jasper Geates,
of Lancaster; Edward married Elizabeth Ship-
pen, of Philadelphia; Jean married George Pat
terson, of Juniata county; Mary. Shippen married
Peter Grubb, of Lancaster: Margaret married
Jacob Hubley, of Lancaster; James married

Elizabeth Baker; Joseph married (first) Kitty
Cochran, and (second) Harriet Bailey. The
others died young and unmarried. James, after
his marriage to Elizabeth Baker, removed to
Juniata county, Pennsylvania. His family con
sisted of Edward, Joseph and Allen. Joseph,
grandson of Col.. James Burd, married Margaret
McCoy, and had five children: Edward died
when seventeen years of age; Elizabeth inter
married with Dr. Sol. Page, of Kansas; Josephine
married Augustus Springman; Dr. J. Patterson
Burd, of Philadelphia, married Elizabeth Bordley
Twiggs Shippen, daughter of Edward Shippen,
of Philadelphia; and Joseph S. Burd, of Sun
bury, married Eleanor Frank.
Mrs. Springman brought her husband a fine
fortune, which he has managed with great ability,
increasing it largely. He located at Freeburg,
where he purchased a home and engaged in the
real-estate business, and also dealt in horses and
cattle. In 1865 he bought the Mengas farm,
where he resided one year. In 1866 he bought
the Glass farm, and built a fine residence in Free
burg. The years 1871 and 1872 were spent at
Sunbury, Penn. , in conducting a flour and feed
store and gristmill. On disposing of his interests
there he returned to Freeburg and purchased the
farm on which he now resides. At present he
owns more than 820 acres of farming land, rep
resenting an outlay of about $50,000, and he
also has three pieces of property at Freeburg and
a business block at Selins Grove. At four differ
ent times he has laid out additions to Freeburg,
and his influence has been a helpful factor in the
development of the town. On May 2, 1886, he
laid out Evergreen cemetery at that place on his
own land. Although uniformly successful in his
undertakings he has lost money at times, and a
few years ago, having guaranteed the right of
way for a proposed railway through his part of
the county, he was obliged to pay out $8,000, as
some of the other guarantors had become in
solvent and could not meet their pledges. In
politics he is a stanch Democrat, and he has
been a Congressional delegate, and has repre
sented Snyder county as a conferee in the district
convention. For four years he was overseer of
the poor, and he has served several times as judge
of elections. He and his estimable wife united
many years ago with the Lutheran Church at
Freeburg, to which he has contributed liberally,
not only in money but in time, serving at present
as trustee. Notwithstanding his early hardships, , Mr.
Springman is well preserved and enjoys vigorous
health. He has made good use of his means
since fortune smiled upon him, as he is not

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1155

a believer in unnecessary self-denials. He has
traveled extensively, and in 1867 he and his
wife visited his native land, spending some time
at his old home. They were cordially greeted
by his friends and relatives, who came from all
directions to see him. While on their railway
trips they traveled first class, as became wealthy
Americans citizens, and on one occasion, when
going from Bremen to Berlin, they occupied a
compartment with a haughty German general,
who was so rude as to stare at Mr. Springman
through his eye-glass. This act was finally re
sented in an effective way by Mr. Springman,
who got out his field-glass, and surveyed the gen
eral through it. The officer became furiously
angry, but Mr. Springman was in no way discon
certed as he felt that an American citizen was
quite as good as any German general. He re
turned to his adopted country more proud than
ever of our institutions and ideals.
On July 7, j 892, Mrs. Springman passed to
the unseen life at the age of fifty years and five
days. Her remains were interred in Evergreen
Cemetery, where a beautiful and costly monu
ment bears lasting witness of the love and devo
tion of her husband. Of their five children, all
are well settled in life, each occupying a hand
some property belonging to our subject, who is
a most generous and affectionate parent. Mar
garet, born November 20, 1861, married John
Strayer, of Washington township, Snyder coun
ty, and they have one child, Blanche. (2) Lau
ra, born May 4, 1864, married Robert Pack-
nicke, of Washington township, and they have
two children. — Josephine and Frances. (3) Ida,
born August 24, 1866, married John Kessler, of
Selins Grove, and they have three children —
Charles A., Carrie E., and Leon S. (4) Irene,
born February 21, 1868, married William Gem
berling, of Selins Grove, and they have three
children — Clarence, Burd, and Marie. (5) Jos
eph B., born September 18,. 1873, is now a
farmer in Washington township. He married
Laura J. Diehl, and has two children — Josephine
and Ralph A.

WILLIAM DREESE, county commissioner
for Snyder county, is a well-known agri
culturist and stock raiser residing near Beaver
town, and his popularity among his fellow-citi
zens is due to their recognition of his sterling
qualities of character. He bears an honorable
military record also, having entered the Union
army as a mere boy of seventeen, and he may
justly be regarded as a representative American.
He was born December 25, 1846, in Beaver

township, Snyder county (now Spring township),
and is a grandson of that noted pioneer, Jacob
Dreese, who came from Berks county, Penn., to
Snyder county, at an early day, accompanied by
two brothers, Peter and John. Peter married,
and left a large family. John, who was known
as "Big John," became the owner of a large
tract of land, and a bequest to the Lutheran and
Reformed Churches caused much litigation after
his death. Jacob Dreese was born in 1786, and
during boyhood was bound out to a Mr. Fetterolf,
with whom he learned the blacksmith trade,
which he followed for many years at Adamsburg,
his shop containing four forges. He also owned
and operated a farm, and was considered a
wealthy man for that time. In politics he was a
Whig and he belonged to the Lutheran Church,
in which he held various offices and was a promi
nent worker. While walking on a sidewalk at
Adamsburg, he was injured by a run-away colt
whose rider was using no bridle, and died October
1, 1854. His wife, Catherine Smith, who was
born December GTTjf^J^nd died September 7,
1'8637'was > greatly beloved for her kindness to the
sTclTand to the poor, many a helpless sufferer
having been nursed back to health by her. Her
father, J°hainAdam_SrmthL ofJTroxeJville, Pejm,, ,
was at oneTime" the owner of a large amount of
land, but he met with reverses in later life. Nine
children were born to Jacob and Catherine
Dreese: Christiana, who married, first, Samuel
Aurand, aho^ second, John "Felker,"~ died 'in
Srryd'eT" county ; Henry died "near" Adamsburg";
Abraham, a farmer and blacksmith, died in Sny
der county; Mary, Mrs. Benfer, now deceased;
Elizabeth, Mrs. Adam Specht, died in Adams
burg; Isaac is mentioned more fully below;
Amelia married Michael Beaver, and now resides.
in Beavertown; Leah, widow of John Fike, re
sides in Juniata county; and Reuben is a promi
nent agriculturist of Spring township, Snyder
county. Isaac Dreese, our subject's father, was born
in 1817, in what is now Spring township, Snyder
county, then a part of Union county, and was
reared upon a farm. In early manhood he mar
ried Miss Mary Beaver, a native of Beaver town
ship, Snyder county, which was named after her
father, Jacob Beaver, one of the most extensive
land owners of this section in his day. Three
children were born of this marriage, of whom
our subject is now the only survivor, the others,
Irvin and Amanda, having died in childhood.
The mother died in 1848, and about 185 1 the
father moved to Michigan, and located upon a
farm in Osceola county, where he made his home
.until his death in 1883. In 1862 he was married

1156

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

to Miss Elizabeth Trowbridge, a native of Michi
gan, by whom he had one son, Nelson, who is
now a farmer in Osceola county, Mich. Isaac
Dreese was an excellent citizen, a member of the
Lutheran Church, and a firm believer in prog
ress. His allegiance was given to the Republican
party in the early days of that organization, and
he spent three years in a Michigan regiment
during the Civil war, taking part in the famous
campaign under Sherman from "Atlanta to the
sea." When only a year and a half old our sub
ject was bereft of a mother's love, and as he was
but five years old when his father went West, he
missed the fostering care of both parents. He
was reared by his grandfather, Jacob Beaver,
with whom he remained until twenty-one, his
education being obtained in the common schools
of Beaver township. As he could attend only in
winter, his opportunities for learning were mea
gre, but it was mainly by his diligent use of his
spare moments that he managed to secure a good
practical knowledge of the English branches. At
the age of seventeen he enlisted at Middleburg
as a private in Company B, 184th P. V. I., un
der Col. Storer and Capt. Abner Brown, his regi
ment being attached to the First Brigade, Second
Division, of the Second Army Corps. . He spent
ten months in the service, and took part in sev
eral battles, including the engagements at Peters
burg and Hatcher's Run. After his return he con
tinued to assist his grandfather until 1867, when
he went to Michigan, when he was employed at
farm labor for two years. He then came back
to his native county, and in Beaver township
rented a farm belonging to Aaron Middleswarth,
and after fifteen years at that place he removed
to the Isle of Que, near Selins Grove, where for
seven years he conducted a farm for F. J. Schoch.
In 1895 he took possession of his present home
stead of eighty-three acres, which has cost him
over four thousand dollars, including improve
ments. It is a fine estate, well adapted to stock
raising and general farming, and Mr. Dreese has
also made a decided success of horticulture, as a
specialty. In April, 1870, Mr. Dreese was married in
Beaver township to Miss Sarah Middleswarth, a
daughter of Aaron, and a granddaughter of Hon.
Ner Middleswarth, who was one of the leading
men of this section in his day. Eleven children
have blessed this union, of whom two, Laura J.
and Lizzie J., died in childhood, and one died in
infancy unnamed. The others are Lester, a
farmer near Selins Grove; Kate, wife of J. R.
Foster; Annie; Carrie; Sarah; William; John;
and Frank. The family is identified with the
Lutheran Church, in which Mr. Dreese is a

prominent worker, and has held the office of
deacon. He also belongs to the P. O. S. of A. of
Beavertown. In politics he is a stanch Repub
lican, and in 1896 he was elected county com
missioner by the largest majority given to any
one on the ticket. His able and faithful service
in this position has won the admiration of all
classes in the community, irrespective of party,
and his name is frequently mentioned in connec
tion with other official posts of even wider re
sponsibility.

JESSE SHAMBACH. On a beautiful farm
near Middleburg, Snyder county, this ven
erable gentleman, now more than seventy
years of age, is passing the afternoon of life sur
rounded by a loving family and a host of friends.
His estimable wife, with whom he has spent
fifty-five years of wedded happiness, has also
passed the allotted three-score .years and ten,
but she still takes delight in her accustomed act
ivities in the home. Their kindliness and gen
erosity have made them beloved throughout the
community, and their house has been a center of
generous hospitality during all the years of their
united lives.
Mr. Shambach was born August 30, 1822, in
Center township, Snyder county, and is of Ger
man descent, his great-grandfather, George
Shambach, having come to America at an early
day. George Shambach (2), our subject's grand
father, settled in what is now Snyder county in
pioneer times and engaged in farming. His fam
ily consisted of six children, Christian Shambach,
our subject's father, being the youngest son.
Christian Shambach was born in Montgomery
county, but was married in Snyder county to his
first wife, Miss Mary Walter, the daughter of
David Walter, a Revolutionary soldier, who is
now buried in Salem cemetery in Snyder county,
being the only one of the heroes of the war of
independence to be interred there. After his
marriage Christian Shambach settled upon a farm
and in connection with his agricultural work he
followed the wagon maker's trade. He was a
robust man, possessing great vitality, and did
much hard work in his day. After he was sev
enty-six years old he made two wagons as an ex
ample to younger workers. His first wife died
in 1837 and was buried in Middleburg, and he
afterward married Mrs. Elizabeth (Bechtel) Bil
ger, widow of Isaac Bilger. They were mem
bers of the Reformed Church, and Mr. Sham
bach took a prominent part in local affairs,
beingin early life a Whig and later on a Republican.
He died at the age of eighty-eight years and three;

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1157

months, and was buried at Middleburg. By his
first wife he had the following children: Daniel,
who lives in the State of Indiana; David and
George, residents of Paxtonville, Penn. ; Mary,
widow of Aaron Snyder, of Indiana; Jesse, our
subject; Isaac, who resides in Indiana; Jacob, a
resident of Perrysville, Ohio; Elizabeth, now
Mrs. Benjamin Loos, of Center township ;^ghji,
a resident of Adamsburg; William, now residing
in Franklin township; Lydia, widow of Reuben
Fisher, of Port Trevorton, Penn. ; and Henry,
who died at Louisville, Ky. , while serving as a
soldier in the Union army. By the second mar
riage there were four children: Harriet, now
Mrs. Philip Amig, of Washington township;
Aaron, who died at the age of thirty years;
Sevilla, now Mrs. Derr, of Northumberland
county, Penn.; and Sarah, who died in child
hood. This family is probably unequaled for
longevity, thirteen children being still living, and
the average age of eleven of them is seventy-two
years. Mr. Shambach obtained his early education
in the subscription schools near his home, his
first teacher being Henry Smith. Two months
in each winter were considered a liberal allow
ance for study in those days, and the schools
were decidedly inferior to those of to-day. He
last attended the school of Salem Church, the
building having now disappeared. During boy
hood he learned the wagon maker's trade with
his father and assisted in the farm work, remain
ing at home until his marriage on September 1 1,
1842, to Miss Sophia Fry. She was born in
Center township, in 1825, the daughter of John
and Wilhelmina (Walter) Fry, and their marriage
occurred at New Berlin. They made their home
for a year upon a farm belonging to Mr. Fry.
Mr. Shambach then bought a small farm of
thirty-seven acres, to which he afterward added
fifty acres and then sixty-four acres,- and with
later additions it now comprises about 335 acres.
Since 1857 he has occupied his present comfort
able residence. As a farmer he is considered
one of the most successful in his locality, and he
has been quite extensively engaged in horse
raising, some excellent specimens of horse flesh
having come from his farm. He is a good judge
of horses, and in his dealings with others has al
ways been strictly honest, never misrepresenting
any animal that was offered for sale, even when
the sums involved amounted to five or six thou
sand dollars. His integrity has never been ques
tioned; his word on any matter is taken as con
clusive. Like all of his family, he is vigorous,
physically and mentally, and as he himself en
joys life he desires that all around him should do

so. The weary traveler has always found a
kindly welcome at his home, it being Mr. Sham-
bach's invariable rule to entertain strangers with
cheerful hospitality. He and his wife have had
a numerous family, as follows: Franklin, a
blacksmith, died in Indiana; Nathan is a black
smith at Port Trevorton, Penn. ; Phares was
formerly a blacksmith, but is now a farmer in
Center township; Lavina married Jackson Bailey,
of Center township; Joshua, a minister in the
Evangelical Church, is stationed at Mazeppa,
Penn.; Amandus is a blacksmith at Middleburg;
Ellen married Isaiah Walter, of Centerville;
Miss Wilhelmina resides in Altoona; Abbie mar
ried Jonathan Bingaman, and died in Center
township; Elmer is a farmer in Center township;
Willis resides in Union county, and Emma died
at the age of twelve years.
Politically, Mr. Shambach was first a Whig,
and, later, a Republican. He has never been
anxious for public office, but has served as school
director and tax collector. He and his wife are
both members of the United Evangelical Church,
and for twenty-five years he served as sexton.
He has also been class leader for many years
and at present is a trustee. He takes much in
terest in religious affairs, giving substantial con
tributions to various worthy movements under
the auspices of the Church.

/PV\OTTLOB SCHRAY. Many of the most en-
^Up" terprising and prosperous farmers of Snyder
county have come from the land beyond the sea,
and especially is this true of the many who have
left their homes in the German Empire and
sought a new abode in this land of freedom.
Among these quite a prominent figure is Mr.
Schray, who owns and operates a valuable farm
in Union township. He was born in Wurtem-
berg, Germany, December 11, 1839, a son of
Jacob and Louisa Schray. The father, who was
a contractor, died leaving a widow and ten chil
dren, six sons and four daughters, in very limit
ed circumstances, and, as the mother was unable
to provide for their support, the family was soon
scattered. Joseph, an elder brother of our subject, had
previously come, to the United States, and he
asked to have some of the boys come to the New
World. Accordingly, Gottlob, with his sister
Carolina, started for America, leaving Havre,
France, on the "Humboldt," which was fifty-
eight days in reaching the harbor of New York.
In that city the sister remained and is still living,
being now the widow John Ernst. Our subject,
who could not speak a word of English, went at

1158

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

once to Reading, Penn., where his brother owned
a twenty-acre vineyard, in which Gottlob was
cruelly compelled to work as hard as any slave.
He had been led to believe that life here was
nearly all pleasure, but during his four-years' stay
with his brother he was forced to work early and
late, receiving no wages or clothes, and those
which his excellent mother had given him were
worn to rags in that time. He was not aware
of how he ought to be treated, but was several
times advised to leave his brother by those who
took an interest in him, and finally decided to do
so. Making a small bundle of his clothes, then
mostly rags, he threw them out of the window
and jumped out himself. Mr. Schray secured
work with a tanner, Michael Miller, at Strauss-
town, eight miles from Reading, and with him
remained for fifteen years, at first receiving $60
per year. Soon mastering the business, the sec
ond year he was advanced by the death of one of
the employees to a position where $30 per month
was paid, and this amount seemed a fortune to
him, it being "more money than he had ever
heard of." Steady, industrious and economical,
he had saved, on leaving his employer, $2,500,
and with this he secured a start in life. Later
he worked for Benjamin Parvin for eight years in
his tannery four miles above Reading, and here
also accumulated considerable, as he worked al
most day and night. Mr. Parvin was old,
his sons were in the army, and an arrange
ment was made with our subject, whereby he
was to receive a certain amount of the profit,
which caused him to work the harder.
In the meantime about 1863, Mr. Schray
had married, Miss Rebecca Strauss becoming his
wife. She was born at Strausstown, Berks Co.,
Penn., and was a daughter of William Strauss,
in whose honor the village was named. She
died at that place, leaving two children: James,
now a railroad engineer living at Little Rock,
Ark. ; and Sally, wife of James Rathfore, of
Union township, Snyder county. In 1873 Mr.
Schray came to Snyder county, and purchased
his present farm in Chapman township, of John
Bittner, and here has since made his home. The
year after his arrival his house was destroyed by
fire, and he erected his present comfortable res
idence; while on July 16, 1895, his barn was
struck by lightning, and in the following year was
replaced by the excellent one now seen upon his
place. On coming here he brought with him
$6,000 in cash tied in his handkerchief, but this
did not represent his entire capital as he had
lived frugally and industriously, and had saved
considerable. Although he was entirely unfa
miliar with the occupation of farming, and many

predicted failure, his tact, skill and observation
assisted him, and he soon prospered in his new
undertaking. In March, 1870, Mr. Schray was agaim mar
ried, his second union being with Miss Elizabeth
Bittner, a native of Germany, and a daughter of
John Bittner, who, on coming to America first lo
cated in Philadelphia, later removed to Bern town
ship, Berks county, and finally to Union town
ship, Snyder county. He and his wife, who
bore the maiden name of Anna M. Kilmer, both
died in Union township and were buried in Keiser
cemetery. Mrs. Schray, who was one of their
five children, was born August 18, 1835, was
their only daughter, and was fourteen years of
age when they crossed the Atlantic. By her
marriage she became the mother of four chil
dren: Lizzie, who was burned to death at the
time the house was destroyed by fire; Katy, now
the wife of Amman Seechrist, of Verdilla, Penn. ;
and Charles W. and Lizzie, both at home.
Mr. and Mrs. Schray are both earnest mem
bers of the Reformed Church, in which he has
held office for nine consecutive years. He is an
excellent example of a self-made man, and is to
day . one of the representative and prominent
farmers of Union township. His knowledge of
English is self-acquired, as he never attended
school after coming to this country, but, being
naturally intelligent and a great reader, he has
kept Well posted on the topics of the day, and is
a close observer of men and events. He is a
man of keen foresight, sound judgment and rare
business ability, has never been ill a day in his
life, and possesses that tireless energy that is sure
to win success. Of unquestioned integrity and
honor, he has gained the confidence and respect
of all with whom he has come in contact, and no
man in Snyder county is more deserving the high
regard in which he is held, or the success that
he has achieved, than Gottlob Schrav.

F

« H. and JOHN H. SUFFEL are substan-

JE/1 rial and progressive farmers of Chapman
township, who represent a family that has for
nearly one hundred years been identified with
this locality. The grandfather, John Suffel, a
native of Germany, located in Chapman town
ship in pioneer days, followed farming and here
reared his family of six children, namely: John,
who died in Chapman township at the age of
fifty-six years; Peter, deceased; Jacob; Molly,
wife of Abel Herrold; Elizabeth; and Catharine,
wife of John Leech.
Jacob Suffel was born on the old family home
stead in 1 810, and in early life worked on the

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1159

Pennsylvania canal, which lies along the farm.
When a young man he married Catharine Her-
rold, who was born in Chapman township in
1817, a representative of a prominent pioneer
family of the county. They became the parents
of the following named: F. H., born December
26, 1840; John H., born November 15, 1842;
Sarah, wife of Jerome Moyer, of Chapman town
ship; Louisa, who lives with her widowed mother
on the old homestead; Mary, wife of J. R. Moyer,
of Chapman township; and James. The father
of this family was a Democrat, and was a mem
ber of the Lutheran Church. He made farming
his life work, became the owner of the old home
stead by purchasing the interests of the other
heirs, and at his death left a comfortable compe
tence to his family. His widow is still living at
the old place.
F. H. Suffel is now part owner of the farm.
His educational privileges were limited to the
four-months' term of the country schools. He
possesses much mechanical skill, and, although he
has never served a'n apprenticeship, can duplicate
almost anything in carpenter work. He married
Miss Catharine Burris, a native of Perry county,
Penn., and their children are: Carrie, wife of
Charles Lehman, of Millersburg, Penn. ; Lizzie,
wife of Edward Dunkelberger, of Shamokin,
Penn.; Sallie, Edith, Bessie and Jacob P., at
home. Mr. Suffel is a Democrat in politics, and
contributes liberally to the support of the United
Brethren Church, of which his wife is a member.
His business interests are well managed, and
success has in consequence attended his efforts.
From early manhood he operated canal boats,
and in this way he has formed an extensive ac
quaintance from the sea shore to the northern
terminus of the canal on either branch of the Sus
quehanna. He is now associated with his brother
in the ownership and operation of the home farm,
and is a man of sterling worth, of unquestioned
probity in business and of high standing in social
circles. John H. Suffel, who conned his lessons while
sitting on slab benches in the country school
house, was early trained to habits of industry
and economy, and, like his brother, is numbered
among the substantial farmers of the community.
In 1872 they erected what was at one time the
finest country home in Snyder county, and both
have resided therein since. They purchased of
the other heirs their interests in the old home
stead, and now have a valuable farm property of
seventy-eight acres, which is under a high state
of cultivation, and improved with all the acces
sories and conveniences of a model farm of the
nineteenth century. John H. Suffel was united

in marriage to Miss Barbara Moyer, a native of
Chapman township, and a daughter of Benjamin
Moyer. Having no children of their own, they
adopted a son, David Roush, who lived with
them between the ages of six and twenty-two
years. Mr. Suffel impressed him with the ad
vantage and necessity of having a good educa
tion, and provided him with more than average
privileges in that direction. John H. Suffel, like
his brother, is a stanch advocate of the Democracy,
but. is not an office-seeker. He commands the
respect of all by an upright life, and stands high
in the community in which he has always made
his home.

E»>\NOS KLINGLER. Among the leading and
 y representative agriculturists of Snyder coun
ty, stalwart and sturdy tillers of the soil, there is
none who stands a more prominent figure than
the gentleman whose name begins this article.
His home, which is in Penn township, is a pleas
ant and substantial one, and is known far and
wide for the open hospitality and geniality of its
inmates. Mr. Klingler made his appearance on the
stage of life December 12, 1829, in Penn town
ship, at the home of his parents, Benjamin and
Barbara (Benfer) Klingler. The father was born
inwhatwas then Northumberland county, Penn.,
but is now Jackson township, Snyder county, a
son of Peter and Elizabeth (Hawk) Klingler, who
came from the lower counties of the State to this
region, where the grandfather followed the occu
pation of farming until called from this life.
The father of our subject grew to manhood in
his native county, and was married there to Miss
Benfer, who was also born in Jackson township,
the daughter of a farmer. They continued to
reside there for a number of years, but spent
their last days in Penn township, the father dy
ing at the age of fifty, the mother at the age of
seventy, and both were buried at Kratzerville.
Enos Klingler is one of a family of eight chil
dren, four sons and four daughters, and was
reared in much the usual manner of farmer boys.
He attended the subscription schools, to which
his father was a liberal contributor, and during
his youth learned the carpenter's trade under the
direction of Daniel Oldt and John Moyer. When
about twenty-seven years of age he was united in
marriage to Miss Elizabeth Oldt, a daughter of
David Oldt, and for one year they made their
home with his widowed mother. Mr. Klingler
continued to work at his trade, and soon after his
marriage purchased a farm in Jackson township,
and with his brother bought from his father's

1160

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

place a small tract in Penn township, becoming
the owner of this before he had attained his ma
jority. On March 28, 1892, he removed to his
present farm in Penn township, which was known
as the Isaac Luck farm, and is now the owner of
nearly 550 acres of rich and arable lands divided
into four farms and improved with good and sub
stantial buildings. He is one of the most pros
perous, enterprising and reliable farmers of Sny
der county, and the success that he has achieved
is due almost entirely to his own efforts and those
of his estimable wife.
To this worthy couple have been born the fol
lowing children: B. F. , now a farmer of Penn
township; David, an agriculturist of La Grange
county, Ind. ; John, a farmer of Union county,
Penn. ; Charles, Samuel and William, all at
home; Barbara, widow of John Miller, of Elk
hart, Ind.; Mary E., wife of B. F. Klingler, of
Elkhart; Emma, who died at that place; Hattie,
now Mrs. William Maurer, of Dry Valley, Union
Co. , Penn. ; Catharine, wife of Newton Stettler,
of Penn township, Snyder county; Sarah J., wife
of Jacob Benfer, of Kramer, Snyder county; and
Agnes C. and Anna M., both at home. The
family is one of which the parents take a just
pride, and they are now all filling honorable po
sitions in life. Although a Democrat in politics,
Mr. Klingler is not strictly partisan, but selects
the best man in many instances, regardless of
party affiliations. Before he had attained his
majority he was chosen a member of the grand
jury, an honor rarely conferred upon a minor.
He cast his first vote at Selins Grove. He is a
leading member of the Reformed contingent at
Salem Church, with which he has been officially
connected for many years, and is at present
treasurer and a member of the building commit
tee for the new house of worship. As a citizen
he is one which any community might be proud
to possess; honest, upright and honorable in all
his dealings, he has won the respect and esteem
of all who know him.

JOHN A. MOYER. It is ever of interest to
note the methods that have been followed
by the successful business man, to analyze
his character, and see what are the elements that
have enabled him to pass others on the highway
of life, and soon reach the goal of prosperity.
Such a history contains incentives and lessons of
value, setting forth an example that others may
follow. A like history is that of Mr. Moyer, one
of the leading farmers of Chapman township.
He was born in Freeburg, Penn., January 16,
1823, a son of Philip Moyer, who was born in

the same place, January 1, 1800. The latter was
reared there, and in his youth learned the hat
ter's trade. In the fall of 1828 he located near
Liverpool, Penn., where he began conducting a
tavern, and later to Dry Sawmill, about three
miles above Liverpool. In 1831 he removed to
the canal, a mile and a quarter above McKees
Half Falls, where he conducted the "Seven Stars
Tavern " for a number of years, after which he
made his home on a small tract of land in Chap
man township, which he had previously pur
chased, and which continued to be his place of
residence until his death in 1856. His first wife
was Barbara Bickle, who died in 1831, and their
children were Luzetta, who was twice married,
and died in Chapman township; John A.; Will
iam, who died in Fremont, Penn.; Edward, who
died in Springfield, Ohio; and Absalom, of Chap
man township. Philip Moyer married Julia A.
Bickle, a sister of his first wife, and they have
two children, who died in early life. His third
wife bore the maiden name of Susan Kantz, and
their children are Mrs. Sarah Tilton, widow, of
Chicago, 111. ; Jerome, of Union township, Sny
der county; Amelia, who married John Cole, and
died in Port Trevorton; William, who died in
Chapman township; and Mary, wife of John D.
Bogar, of Port Trevorton.
John A. Moyer, whose name introduces this
review, was a small child when his parent's went
to Liverpool. He attended school at the Dry
Sawmill, where instruction was given in the
"three R's, "but advanced little beyond that.
At the age of eighteen he began learning the sad
dler's trade under the direction of Isaac Neyman,
of New Berlin, serving a two-and-a-half-years'
apprenticeship, during which time all the money
he had was what he could earn by two weeks*
work in the harvest field, that length of time be
ing given him by his employer. When his term
was ended, he followed his trade in the winter
and worked on the canal in summer. He was
married December 19, 1850, to Miss Louisa
Peffer, who was born January 13, 1831. He
then located in Port Trevorton, where he lived
for five years, during which time he was part
owner of the boat, ""Maria O. Sayrs." His present
farm he purchased of his father, and since i860
he has not followed boating with the exception
of the season of 1867. When working on the
canal he owned four mules that he drove for
more than twenty years. These mules made
fourteen trips from Lock Haven to Philadelphia,
a distance of 540 miles, in one summer. Mr.
Moyer cared for the faithful beasts until they
died, and only a few hours before the last one
was killed refused a good price for it. To farm-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1161

ing he has given the greater part of his time and
attention for many years, and his systematic and
energetic labors in the way of plowing, planting
and harvesting have brought to him a comfort
able competence. Entirely through his own
efforts he has accumulated a capital that now
largely enables him to live retired.
To Mr. and Mrs. Moyer were born ten chil
dren, but only three reached adult age. Edward
W. , who was born September 5, 1854, married
Saloma V. Reichenbach, and is a farmer of Chap
man township; Mary E., born June 22, 1858, is
the wife of George F. Wolfe, of the same town
ship; Barbara A., born May 20, 1861, is the wife
of Franklin Zerbe, of Chapman township. The
mother of this family died in February, 1870.
Mr. Moyer was again married, in 1875, his sec
ond union being with Catherine, a daughter of
George and Polly (Shaffer) Steffe, born May 30,
1 84 1, in Washington township, Snyder county.
The children of the second marriage are Mary
L., wife of Leonard Ulsh, of Shamokin, Penn.;
Al^a, wife of John Stroub, of Herndon, Penn. ;
Dolly A. , wife of Levi Carlin, of Chapman town
ship; and Philip, who died at the age of twelve
years. In his political adherency Mr. Moyer is
a stanch Democrat, supporting each Presidential
• • • candidate of the party since casting his first vote
for James K. Polk. He has several times served
as school director. He is a member of the Odd
Fellows Society, and both he and his wife be
long to the Reformed Church, in which he is
now serving as elder. By extensive reading and
observation he has become a well informed man,
and possessing an excellent memory is enabled
to draw on his knowledge to enrich his conver
sation. All who know him esteem him for his
sterling worth, and commend him for his well-
spent life and successful business career.

M A. HUMMEL, of Kratzerville, Snyder coun-
^SL ty, a well-known druggist and manufacturer
of carbonated beverages, is one of the successful
business men of his section, and owns valuable
property in different places, including the "Central
Hotel" at New Berlin. He comes of an excellent
ancestry, and on the paternal side is descended
from a pioneer, who came up the Susquehanna
river soon after the Revolutionary war and settled
in Monroe township, Snyder county. His family,
which consisted of six sons and three daughters,
accompanied him, and their descendants are now
numerous. Among the sons was Frederick A.
Hummel, our subject's great-grandfather, who
was born in Berks county, Penn., and died in
Monroe township, Snyder county. Samuel Hum

mel, the grandfather of our subject, was born at
the new home in Monroe township, Snyder coun
ty, and became a farmer by occupation. His
death occurred in Union township, Union coun
ty, at the age of sixty-six, and his remains were
interred at Kratzerville. His wife, Catherine
Slough, was a native of Union county. They had
the following children: Elizabeth, who married
Barney Weaver, both now deceased; Miss Lida,
who resides with her brother Jonathan; Isaac,
our subject's father; William, who was accident
ally shot and killed while hunting; Miss Sarah,
now residing with her brother Jonathan; Jon
athan, a well-known citizen of Union township,
Union county; and Frank, a farmer near Free-
port, Illinois.
Isaac Hummel, the father of our subject, was
born January 21, 1822, at the old homestead in
Union township, Unioncounty, and followedfarm-
ing until 1889, when he retired. Although he
was at one time quite well-to-do, he has met
with reverses, and now makes his home with our
subject. In politics he is a stanch Republican,
and he has always taken a keen interest in the
questions of the day. On June 1, 1847, he mar
ried Miss Martha J. Pope, who was born October
25, 1820, in Greenwood township, Columbia
county, Penn., and is still living. She is a mem
ber of the Evangelical Church, but our subject's
father is a Lutheran in religious faith. Of the
six children of this worthy couple, our subject is
the only survivor. Jackson died at the age of
six years; William at the age of ten; Simon at
the age of six; and the twins, who died in in
fancy, were not named.
Thomas Pope, the great-grandfather of our
subject on the maternal side, was born in Mas
sachusetts, and married Miss Mary Willhelm, a
native of Maryland, and a daughter of William
Willhelm, who came from Germany. Their son
Fredrick, who was named in honor of the
Prussian king, became a farmer in Northampton
county, Penn., but his last years were spent in
retirement, his death occurring at the age of
eighty-seven. He married Miss Elizabeth A.
Vallerchamp, who died at the age of eighty-two.
Their children were Simon, a pattern maker at
Williamsport, Penn.; Martha J., our subject's
mother; Watson, who died when nine years old;
Fredrick, who died at the age of twenty-three;
W. , who died at ten years; Azima, a farmer in
Kansas; Nelson, a farmer in Missouri; Jackson,
who is connected with a machine shop at Millers-
burg, Penn.; and Sarah A., who died in girlhood.
The Vallerchamp family is of French origin,. and
our subject's great-great-grandfather in this line,
who died in the city of Paris, was a nobleman of

1162

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

rank and influence in the court of the King.
Simon Peter Vallerchamp, our subject's great
grandfather, came to America with LaFayette
during the Revolutionary war, and was twice shot
while serving in the cause of freedom. At Phil
adelphia he met. and married Miss Jennie Perton,
and their son, our subject's grandfather, resided at
Philadelphia where he owned a handsome estate
with a large park.
A. A. Hummel first saw the light November
27, 1 85 1 , in Greenwood township, Columbia
county, Penn., and his boyhood was spent upon
a farm. Although he now possesses an exception
ally fine physique, he passed through several crit
ical illnesses in early life, and but for the skillful
and untiring care of his mother he could not have
survived. When he was six years old, he fell
from a hay wagon which passed over him, cut
ting his head. He had only partially recovered
from this injury, being not yet out of danger, when
his parents took him out riding in order to give
him the stimulus of fresh air and new scenes. On
their return home his father left the carriage to
pen up some cattle, when the horses ran away.
The mother was holding the boy in her arms and
both were thrown out, the latter being picked
up for dead, as the stitches in his previous
wound had all bursted, while other injuries were
received. His mother sewed the wounds up
again, and for nine days and nights kept him in
her arms, tending him so devotedly that he
finally recovered. He attended the local schools
until he reached the age of eighteen, when he
entered Central Pennsylvania College and took a
three-years' course. He then taught for one
winter at Chestnut Ridge, Snyder county, and
in the following spring became a student at
Pennsylvania College in New Berlin. At the
close of his first term there (in June, 1872), he
returned home, and for three years was confined
to his bed with cerebro-spinal meningitis, a dis
ease from which few ever completely recover.
During his convalescence he attended lectures un
der Dr. Larison, of Bucknell College, but his ill
health prevented him from taking a full course.
He is a mechanical genius, being able to make
almost anything, and he became interested in
watch repairing which he continued for some
time as a regular business. He makes elegant
cabinets, and has manufactured many keys and
similar articles. While at Bucknell College he
made a complete set of keys for the institution
to replace some which had been lost. In 1880
he opened his present drug store with the
thought that he could at least be sure of one
good customer, himself, as his health at the
time was very poor, and he has made a suc

cess of the business from the start, while car
rying on his other branches of work. In pol
itics Mr. Hummel is a Republican, but he is not
an office seeker. He belongs to the Baptist
Church, and is in sympathy with any movement
that promises to benefit the community.
On March 4, 1873, he married Miss Alice
Trutt, and their home is brightened by nine
children: Josephine, Jessie I., Jennie E., Clara
M., Elmer A., Laura A., Sadie E., Oliver W.,
and Claud. Mrs. Hummel was born October
23, 1855, at Kratzerville, the daughter of Dan
iel R. , and granddaughter of Peter and Polly
(Reichley) Trutt. Her father, who was born in
Union county, was a carpenter for many years,
but is now living in retirement on a farm in
Union township, Unioncounty. His wife, Eliza
beth Kratzer, who died at Kratzerville in May,
1893, at the age of fifty-seven, was born at that
town, and was a daughter of Daniel and Magda
lena (Fertig) Kratzer. The mortal remains of all
now repose in the family burial plot at Kratzer
ville. Mrs. Hummel was the eldest of a family
of nine children, the others being Amanda, wife
of Noah Leitzel, a clerk at Northumberland,
Penn.; Ada, wife of George Meacley, a railway
foreman at Winfield, Penn. ; Joan, who married
Elmer Heizer, a clerk in a drug store at Bethle
hem, Penn.; Oliver D., a dentist in Philadelphia;
Miss Clara, who resides with her father at the
farm; Mary, wife of Charles Herald, of Jackson
township, Snyder county; Irene, who married
Lewis Solomons, a machinist at Williamsport,
Penn. ; and Miss Jennie, who is at home with her
father.

WH. SNYDER. If the honor of being
the representative farmer of Middle
Creek township, Snyder county, could consist
ently be given to any one man, it surely would
fall to our subject, whose career as an agricult
urist would furnish ample evidence of his deserv
ing it, coming as he did to the township, buying
a large tract of land, and going heavily in debt
for a place, where, before him others had failed.
By his excellent management and industry, he
reversed the order of things, and succeeded in
the fullest sense of the word. He is a man of
much natural intellectual ability, but had very lim
ited opportunities for obtaining an education. His
knowledge has mostly been acquired in the school
of experience, and he has become a maq of un
usual business foresight and tact, as his career
will show.
Mr. Snyder was born in Dauphin county,
Penn., May 9, 1842, and is a son of George and

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1163

Sally Snyder, who later removed to a place near
Herndon, in Northumberland county, Penn., where
the father died at the age of eighty-two, and the
mother at eighty-six. By occupation the former
was an agriculturist. Of their seven children, our
subject is the second son and third child. All
his brothers are farmers, and either live in Dau
phin or Northumberland counties. In the coun
try schools Mr. Snyder's meager education was
obtained, but at the age of seventeen his hear
ing began to fail, and has since been defective,
this affliction greatly handicapping him in his
school training. On February 6, 1870, he was
joined in wedlock with Miss Elizabeth Snyder,
who was born in Northumberland county, in
February, 1848, the daughter of Gottfried and
Anna Snyder. They have become the parents of
three children: Ida, now the wife of George
Aurand, of Middle Creek township, Snyder coun
ty; and James and Daniel, both at home.
After his marriage, Mr. Snyder located on a
farm in Northumberland county, which his father
owned, and operated the same for ten years, but
in 1880 came to Middle Creek township, Snyder
county. He purchased his present fine farm in
April, 1896, but had to go heavily in debt for it.
The place comprises 270 acres of land, and was
known as the old Hubler farm. Being a shrewd
and systematic business man, he has met with
excellent success in his undertakings, and is now
the largest land owner of any resident farmer in
Middle Creek township. He stands high as a
citizen, and ranks second to none as a progress
ive and skillful agriculturist. Honest, straight
forward and reliable in all things, he has gained
the confidence and respect of all with whom he
has come in contact, either in business or social
life. Politically, he is a Democrat, and relig
iously is a member of the Reformed Church,
while his wife affiliates with the Lutheran Church.

O^EORGE F. MILLER, whose honorable iden-
; tification with the business interests of Wash
ington township, Snyder county, has made him
one of its leading and influential citizens, was
born September 3, 1832, and is the second son
and child, who lived to adult age, of John and
Christy Ann (Snyder) Miller. He pursued his
studies in the log school house which stood on
the bank of the creek not far from the home
stead, the school being conducted on the sub
scription plan. At the age of fourteen his school
days were over, and he entered his father's saw
mill, learning the trade. He afterward worked
for Joseph Kleckner, of New Berlin, receiving
$21 for three months' service. In the spring of

1849 he returned to his father's mill in Washing
ton township, where he remained for several con
secutive years, after which he went to the West,
traveling through Ohio and Indiana for a few
weeks. Returning then to Pennsylvania, he be
came a student in the academy at Freeburg un
der Professors Whitman and McFarland, and
later was employed in a mill about one mile from
Adamsburg. On February 18, 1857, was solemnized the
marriage of Mr. Miller and Miss Isabella Dreese,
who was born at Adamsburg, December 12, 1837,
a daughter of Henry and Polly (Amig) Dreese,
the former a native of Adamsburg, and the latter
of Juniata county, Penn. The paternal and ma
ternal grandfathers were Jacob Dreese and Philip
Amig, respectively. Mrs. Miller was the eldest
of a family of six children, the others being Philip,
of Penn township, Snyder county; Harrison, of
Missouri; Banks and Jacob, who are living in
Adamsburg; and Mary, wife of William Klose, of
Adamsburg. The father of this family was a
farmer, and owned a substantial home. He
ranked high as a citizen, and all who knew him
esteemed him for his sterling worth.
After his marriage Mr. Miller resided near
Adamsburg until the spring of 1858, when he re
turned to Washington township, living in the old
brick house on his father's farm and working in
the mill. In 1880 he purchased of his father his
present home; he has remodeled all of the build
ings, and has a nice brick residence and other ex
cellent improvements upon the place. He con
tinued in the milling business until 1882, when
he retired to private life with a comfortable com
petence which was acquired through his honest
toil. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Miller was
blessed with six children: Christina, who died
at the age of three years; Daniel W. , who died
at the age of twelve years; Adda L. , who married
William Roush, and died in Washington town
ship, Snyder county; Mellie, wife of B. F. Har-
ley, of Freeburg; John H., who is clerking in
Freeburg; and Charles H., a bright and scholarly
young man, who engaged in teaching when only
sixteen years of age.
In October, 1862, Mr. Miller was drafted for
service in the Union army, and was assigned to
Company I, 172nd P. V. I. He was sworn into
the service at Harrisburg, but afterward was
taken ill, and on account of his sickness was dis
charged. In politics he has always been a stanch
Republican, and has been called upon to fill a
number of public offices of honor and trust. He
served as overseer of the poor in Washington
township, and in 1865 was elected county treas
urer, acceptably filling that office for two years.

1164

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

He and his wife hold membership with the Luth
eran Church in Freeburg, in which Mr. Miller
served as trustee and is now elder. He has always
taken a very active part in Church work, contrib
utes liberally to its support, and earnestly advo
cates all measures for the benefit of humanity.

SAMUEL BRUNNER, a substantial citizen of
') Center township, Snyder county, is a pros
perous agriculturist whose success is the result of
his own hard work and judicious management.
He holds in a marked degree the esteem of his
associates, his strict integrity and his unassuming
manners winning the good will of all. During
the Civil war he served sixteen months as a sol
dier, having been drafted as a member of Com
pany K, 105th P. V. I., and at the battle of the
Wilderness he was wounded in the left leg so se
riously that he still suffers excruciating pain at
times. He was born March 15, 1832, in the town
ship where he now resides, and was the young
est son and ninth child in a family of ten (five
boys and five girls) who were born to John and
Polly Brunner. His father- was a German by
descent, but was a native of Berks county, Penn.,
and for many years he lived near Centerville,
where he engaged in farming and in the cooper's
trade. In early years he affiliated with the Whig
party, but later he became a Republican. His
death occurred at the age of seventy, and his es
timable wife, who was born in Center township,
Snyder county, lived to be more than eighty
years old. Our subject received only a country
school education and had but a poor start in
business life, as his parents found their means
too limited to enable them to provide for their
numerous family. He learned the details of
farming and of the cooper's trade with his father,
and on reaching manhood was employed for
some time away from home. When in his
twenty-third year, he married Miss Amanda
Boyer, daughter of Elias Boyer, and located in
Musser's Valley, where he worked as a day laborer.
Later he returned home, as his aged father wished
him to take charge of the farm under an arrange
ment which would enable him to purchase the
place from the other heirs when the father should
pass away. Some years later he sold the prop
erty and bought another farm in the same town
ship, where his family resided during his trip to
Three Rivers, Mich., on business. On coming
back to Pennsylvania he purchased his present
farm (in 1867) from Rev. Jacob Farnsworth.
The buildings were poor, but Mr. Brunner has
since erected a new residence and remodelled the

barn, while other improvements add to the at
tractiveness of the place, which contains 115
acres of good land.
Mr. and Mrs Brunner have had a large fam
ily, several of their children having died in in
fancy. Of the survivors, Phoebe is now the wife
of Franklin Bubb, of Bradford, Penn. ; Elias re
sides in Centerville; John settled in Nebraska;
Jane married John Kreamer, of Middle Creek
township, Snyder county; Alice married Elmer
Zechman, of Middleburg, Penn. ; Catherine resides
at Centerville; Sadie married Allen Bowersox, of
Center township; Adam resides in Nebraska;
Henry is a physician at Trevorton, Penn. ; Will
iam settled in Michigan; Peter lives in Nebraska;
and Miss Susan is at home. As an intelligent
citizen Mr. Brunner takes keen interest in all the
questions of the day. In politics he is a stanch
Republican, and his loyalty does not depend in
the least upon a hope of official place or power,
being based upon principle. His influence is
given in a quiet but effective way to any progress
ive movement, and he is especially friendly to
the cause of education, as he believes it to be
for the best interests of this republic that its cit
izens should have the most thorough training for
the duties of citizenship While he is not a mem
ber of any Church, he is a sincere follower of the
moral precepts of the lowly Nazarene, and his re
ligion is practiced seven days in the week.

A

UGUSTUS STROUB has for more than
half a century resided in Chapman town
ship, Snyder county, and his name is identi
fied with the best interests by reason of his
active co-operation in all affairs that he believes
calculated to prove of public benefit. His own
record is unblemished, and the probity of his
business life is an example well worthy of emu
lation. Mr. Stroub was born in Chapman township,
August 28, 1844, and is a son of Jonathan and
Catharine (Hendricks) Stroub. He attended the
schools of the neighborhood, and early became
familiar with the labors of the farm. At the age
of sixteen he began working as a farm hand for
others, but gave his earnings to his father through
the two succeeding years. He was determined
and faithful in his duties, and his services were
therefore always in demand. After his marriage
he rented land of his father-in-law, subsequently
lived near McKees Half Falls, and continued to
rent land at different places until March, 1873,
when he removed to his present farm, which he
had purchased in the fall of 1872. It comprised
seventy-five acres, on which was a log house, but

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1165

in 1880 that building was replaced by his present
substantial and comfortable residence. He has
given farming his undivided attention, and the
neat and thrifty appearance of his place well in
dicates the careful supervision of the owner.
At the age of twenty-two, Mr. Stroub was
united in marriage to Miss Sallie A. Sechrist, a
native of Chapman township, and a daughter of
John and Annie (Fisher) Sechrist. To them
have been born the following children — John
A., who attended school in Freeburg until his
sixteenth year, after which he engaged in teach
ing, is now a merchant of Herndon, and married
Alba Moyer, by whom he has one child, Maxwell;
William H. is now a clerk in Mt. Carmel, Penn. ;
Foster, Gertrude and Annie C. are all at home.
Mr. Stroub gives his political support to the
Democratic party, and has served as assessor,
school director and judge of elections. He and
his wife are members of the Lutheran Church, of
which he was treasurer for many years and is now
secretary. He was formerly superintendent of the
Sunday-school, and at the present time is serving
as one of its teachers. He is faithful and true to
all the duties of public and private life, and his
career is one which reflects honor upon the fam
ily to which he belongs.

IE W. ENGLE. Among the energetic, pro-
J&L gressive and representative business men of
Snyder county is numbered this gentleman, who
is the only male descendant of Solomon Engle,
who was one of the most conspicuous figures in
this section of the State during the first half of
the 19th century. He was a school teacher, and
became very widely known. He also served as
justice of the peace, and his fidelity to duty in
every relation of life won him the high regard of
all with whom he came in contact.
William C. Engle, father of our subiect, was
reared in Beavertown, and in his early manhood
traveled over the country as a peddler, carrying
his stock in a wagon. He afterward learned the
molder's trade in Specht 's foundry in Beaver
town, and followed that pursuit until failing
health caused him to abandon it. He was twice
married. He married Barbara Eisenhower, and
they had one child, now deceased. After the
death of his first wife he wedded Rebecca, daugh
ter of Jacob Klose, and they had three children,
but our subject is the only one now living, James
and John having both died in childhood. The
father was a Whig in early life, but afterward
became a Republican. He died at the early age
of thirty-two years, but his widow still survives,

at the age of seventy, and makes her home with
her son.
A. W. Engle was educated in the district
school at Beavertown, Isaac Rothrock being his
first teacher. Great improvement has been
made in the schools since that time, and
no one is more heartily in favor of this than he.
At the age of sixteen he was apprenticed to
Simon Benfer, a carpenter, working for thirty-
'five cents per day, and often putting in sixteen
hours. When he had thoroughly mastered the
business he began contracting and building on his
own account. In February, 1891, he purchased
a portable sawmill and complete outfit, and has
since engaged in business along that line. He
now has a well-equipped sawmill, in 1895 put in
operation a planing-mill, and in 1896 added a
chopping-mill. He erected a substantial and
commodious building in Beavertown, and is now
doing an extensive and successful business. He
owns 500 acres of mountain land, forty-seven
acres of farming land and seven lots in Beaver
town, and also erected a very pleasant home
there Mr. Engle was united in marriage to
Miss Lizzie A. Shambach, a daughter of John and
Catherine (Aurand) Shambach. They now have
three children — John W. , Charles A. and Mary,
all of whom are living. The mother of this
family is a member of the Reformed Church,
and a most estimable lady. Mr. Engle gives his
political support to the Republican party, is a
stanch advocate of its principles, and has served
for four years as supervisor. He takes a com
mendable interest in everything pertaining to the
county's welfare, and is rated high among its
business men, whose honorable methods com
mend them to the confidence of all.

JS. YEARICK, a well-known resident of
Kratzerville, Snyder county, is extensively
engaged in the manufacture of flour, oper
ating a mill in Jackson township, Snyder county.
For some years he was identified with the mer
cantile interests of Kratzerville and he has a high
standing in business circles in his locality.
He is of German descent on the-paternal side,
the first of the family to come to America being
his great-grandfather, who was a sailor by occu
pation, and who spent his last days at Mifflin
burg, Penn. Henry Yearick, our subject's grand
father, married and passed his life in Union
county. The late Samuel R. Yearick, the father
of our subject, was born at Mifflinburg, but spent
the greater part of his active life at Kratzerville,
where he was regarded as a leader in business

1166

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

affairs and in political movements, being appoint
ed as the first postmaster at the place. From
1 85 1 to 1866 he was engaged in mercantile pur
suits, but his later years were spent in retirement,
his death occurring July 14, 1889, at the age of
sixty-four years, eight months and ten days.
His wife, whose maiden name was Catherine
Sassaman, was born in 1829, in Monroe town
ship, Snyder county, the daughter of Jonas Sas
saman, who came from Lehigh county, Penn. ,
when a young man, to make his permanent home
in Snyder county, where he died at the advanced
ag'e of eighty-three years. Our subject was the
eldest of a family of four children, the others
being Emma, who married Amos Harman, a
clerk in a store at Elkhart, Ind. ; Alice, wife of
M. K. Hassinger, a farmer in Snyder county;
and Laura, who married William Knouse, a work
man in a mill at Sunbury, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Yearick was born at Kratzerville August
30, 1852, and was educated there. He remained
at home until he reached the age of twenty-six,
helping his father in the store in the meantime.
On leaving home he engaged in mercantile busi
ness on his own account, continuing until January
8, 1896, when his establishment was destroyed
by fire, causing a loss of $2 , 400. Two years prior
to this calamity he had taken charge of a grist
mill in Jackson township, and he has ever since
operated it successfully. As a good citizen he
takes an intelligent interest in public affairs, and
for eight years past he has served as school
director. In politics he is a Republican, and
fraternally he is a member of the I. O. O. F. of
Selins Grove, and Lafayette Lodge No. 164, F &
A. M., at the same city. He belongs to the
United Evangelical Church, and his sympathies
are always readily enlisted in favor of any worthy
cause. On March 12, 1870, he was married at Krat
zerville to Miss Harriet Benfer, and four children
have blessed the union. (1) Henry, who is em
ployed in the mill, married Miss Regina Good,
and resides at Kratzerville. (2) Samuel H. mar
ried Miss Mollie Harman, and has one child,
Marion R. (3) Howard, who is employed in the
mill, and (4) Miss Maggie B., both reside at home.
Mrs. Yearick was born in Union county, but her
parents, Philip and Magdalena (Dreese) Benfer,
removed later to Snyder county, where they
remained, her father conducting the mill now
operated by our subject. To Philip Benfer and
his wife eight children were born: Isaac, a farmer
in Monroe township, Snyder county; Abraham, a
policeman at Warsaw, Ind.; Mary, wife of Robert
Bause, a farmer in Snyder county; Miss Cath
erine; Amelia, wife of Henry Wetzel, a farmer of

Snyder county; Harriet, Mrs. Yearick; Elizabeth,
wife of Harris- Price, a farmer in Northumber
land county; and Sarah, who married J. H. Fer-
dig, a farmer in Kansas.

SAMUEL KNOUSE, of Center township,
) Snyder county, is one of the substantial citi
zens of his locality, and his homestead of three
hundred acres near Middleswarth gives evidence
of business-like management. While he has made
his own way in the world, he has not been un
duly avaricious, having enjoyed life as he went
along, balancing his occasional losses by his uni
form gains. Fair in his methods at all times he
has never intentionally harmed any one, and as
a neighbor and citizen he is held in the highest
esteem. Mr. Knouse was born March 17, 1841, in
Penn township, Snyder county. David Knouse,
his father, was a native of Jackson township,
Snyder county, and lived there during the great
er portion of his life, purchasing the old home
stead and engaging in farming as an occupation.
He had a poor start in early years, and for a time
he followed the shoemaker's trade, but later he
confined his work in this line to keeping his own
family shod. He married Miss Sally Maurer,
daughter of Jacob Maurer, and before settling at
his old home he resided for one year in West
Beaver township, Snyder county. His death oc
curred when he was aged seventy-four years,
and the remains of both him and his wife were
interred at Kratzerville. In religious faith David
Knouse was a Lutheran, and in his later years
he was a supporter of the principles of the Re
publican party on the political issues of the time.
Oursubject was one of eight children, the others
being Polly, Hannah, Susan, Jacob, Sarah,
Peter, and David.
As the son of a busy farmer Mr. Knouse had
but limited opportunities for schooling, the work
in his early days continuing far into the winter
season on account of a lack of machinery. The
schools, too, were inferior to those of the pres
ent, and his disadvantages in this respect have
made him a hearty advocate of a better system.
His first independent employment was in a saw
mill, and by careful economy he saved enough
money to engage in lumbering on his own ac
count, his operations being begun in Montour
county. When he was in his twenty-third year
he married Miss Mary Brouse, a native of Jack
son township, Snyder county, and a daughter of
Henry Brouse, a well-known citizen. Mr. Knouse
then located in Northumberland county upon a
rented farm, and in addition to his agricultural

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1167

work he engaged in hauling timber from the
woods to the railroad on contract. His experi
ence in lumbering covers nearly every branch of
the business, his last venture being in Snyder
county. During his residence in Montour coun
ty he purchased a farm, but in 1877 he bought
his present homestead, which was previously
known as the old "Matter farm." At three dif
ferent times he has added to his original pur
chase until it has reached its present handsome
proportions, and his improvements are of a lib
eral and substantial sort. On October 2, 1896,
his house was destroyed by fire, but a new one
was completed in the following year.
In private life Mr. Knouse is most exemplary,
and his family find in him a kind and indulgent
father. He and his wife have reared six chil
dren: Sarah, now Mrs. George Krebs, of Ad
ams township, Snyder county; Emma, widow of
William Swartz; Wilson, a railroad brakeman,
residing in Northumberland county, Penn. ;
Alice, who married Thomas Voneida, of Union
county; Miss Lizzie and Miss Ida, who are now
at home. Politically, Mr. Knouse is a steadfast
Republican, but he has never been an office
seeker, the only position he has held being that
of school director. He and his wife are both
members of the Reformed Church, and at one
time he served as elder in that society. His fam
ily stands well socially, and he is identified with
all the movements that tend to promote the best
interests of his neighborhood.

P HARES HERMAN. Among the well-to-do
and successful farmers of Snyder county,
who have accumulated a competency through
their own exertions and economy, and who are
carrying on the business of farming in a manner
which draws forth praise from every one, is the
subject of this biographical notice, who resides
in Penn township, and who is now a popular
member of the board of county commissioners.
In the township where he still continues to
live, Mr. Herman was born January 19, 1840, a
son of Frederick and Mary (Kratzer) Herman,
both natives of Snyder county, the former born
in Penn township, and the later near Kratzer
ville. In early life the father learned the weav
er's trade, at which he continued to work in con
nection with farming, and, although he began his
business career in very limited circumstances, he
secured a good home and comfortable living.
He died at the age of seventy-five, his wife when
over sixty, and both were laid to rest at Kratzer
ville. To this worthy couple came the following
children: Simon, now a resident of New Berlin,

Penn. ; Jacob, who died in Penn township, Sny
der county, in the fall of 1896; George, a car
penter and farmer of Mifflin county, Penn.;
Philip, of Kratzerville; Frank, of Michigan; Fred
erick, who was married and is now deceased;
Phares; John, a resident of Michigan; Peter,
who was married and is now deceased; Mary A.,
the wife of Harrison Row, of Penn township;
and Harriet, wife of George Brouse, of Jackson
township, Snyder county. The parents were
both consistent members of the Lutheran Church,
and in politics the father was a Democrat.
Mr. Herman pursued his studies in the Herman
school, but his privileges along that line were very
meagre, as he never attended school more than
a year during his life. As the family was i large,
and his services were not needed at home, he
began to earn his own livelihood at a very early
age, at first receiving only $4 per month. When
only thirteen he was able to cradle grain, and
could do a man's work. At sixteen he began
learning the mason's trade under Elias Ritter, of
Jackson township, Snyder county, who gave him
fifty cents per day for his year's work. The sec
ond year of his apprenticeship was under another
tutor, who paid him $1 per day, and at the end
of that time they formed a partnership and con
tinued operations together for some time.
On March 11, i860, Mr. Herman was mar
ried in New Berlin to Miss Margaret Klingler,
who was born in Penn township, Snyder county,
February 8, 1844, and is the second child and
daughter in the family of four children of Sam
uel and Susanna (Fetter) Klingler. She had
one brother and two sisters. Mr. and Mrs. Her
man have become the parents of six children,
namely: Harrison F., now a resident of Wyan
dot county, Ohio; Mary, who wedded I. F. Lau-
densiager, and died February 12, 1895, leaving
one child, Florence; Percival A., a railroad tele
graph operator of Sunbury, Penn. ; Jane, who
died in childhood; Milton P., who is attending
Selins Grove College, and resides at home; and
Anna S., at home. Borrowing money to go to
housekeeping, Mr. Herman located in Jackson
township, Snyder county, after his marriage, but
during the war was drafted and became a mem
ber of Company F, 172nd P. V. I., under Cap
tain Harrison. The day after the regiment was
organized at Middleburg, they proceeded to
Harrisburg, where they were equipped for serv
ice and sent to Washington, D. C. , and subse
quently to Fortress Monroe. On being mustered
out Mr. Herman returned to his home in August,
1862, and for a time worked at his trade. Later
he purchased ten acres of land in Jackson town
ship, on which he erected good buildings and

1168

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

continued to live until 1874, when he sold and
purchased of Henry Ott eighteen acres of his
present farm in Penn township. The buildings
were all poor and the house was of logs, but it
continued to be the home of the family until his
present comfortable residence was erected in
1882. The last work Mr. Herman did at his
trade was when he laid the wall for his house.
His substantial barn was built in 1894. His
farm now comprises forty-two acres of valuable
land under a high state of cultivation and well
improved, and besides his own residence there is
another bouse upon the place, which he rents. In
connection with general farming he has exten
sively engaged in the manufacture of lime since
locating here, and this business has proved a
profitable source of income.
Mr. Herman's sympathies are with the Dem
ocratic party, but he often votes for the man
whom he regards as best qualified to fill the of
fice, no matter to which party he belongs. In
the fall of 1893 he was elected county commis
sioner, and so acceptable were his services that
in 1896 he was re-elected. He is often called
Honest Phares Herman, a title of which he may
be justly proud, and which he has well earned,
as his life has ever been one of the strictest in
tegrity. In religious belief he is a Lutheran,
while his estimable wife holds membership in
the Reformed Church. Their sterling worth
and many excellencies of character have won for
them a host of warm friends and acquaintances.

E

«* W. TOOL, M. D. Man's success is not

measured by the heights to which he has
climbed, but by the depth from which he has
risen. No man in Snyder county is more de
serving of praise and commendation for an hon
orable and useful life than Dr. Tool, who from
very humble surroundings has risen to a proud
place among the medical fraternity of this section
of the State. He has also won distinctive honors
in statescraft, and in all life's relations has gained
the esteem and good will of those with whom he
has been brought in contact.
Dr. Tool was born on Staten Island, June 28,
1 85 1, a son of William and Margaret (Lee) Tool.
His father was born in Ireland, and was a son of
Edward Tool, who brought his family to America,
and died in this country when more than eighty
years of age. William Tool married Miss Lee,
a native of New Jersey, and supported his family
by day's labor. They had four children: E.
W. ; Daniel, an expert mechanic and build
ing inspector of New York; Mary, wife of Philip
Smith, of New York; and William, of Sunbury,

Penn. Both the parents of this family died in
1863 of cerebro- spinal meningitis. They left their
children destitute of all means of support, and
for a time they were cared for by the authorities.
Dr. Tool was afterward bound out to a dairy
farmer, doing chores and other such work as his
strength would permit, being then but twelve
years of age. Later he went to the home of his
uncle in Wilkes Barre, Penn., and was set to
work at picking slate in the quarry. He was
afterward made a mule driver in the mines, and
a year later began working at the molder's trade,
which he followed for twoyears and eight months.
When fifteen years of age he could put up twelve
car wheels per day. His wages all went to his
uncle, from whom he received very harsh and
unkind treatment. On one occasion when his
cousins had trampled a field of grain he felt that
he would come in for a share of the punishment,
although he was innocent of the wrong, and this
caused him to run away from home. Night was
approaching, and he had no possessions save the
scanty clothing on his back. Th^it night he slept
in a trough, from which the canal mules were
fed, and in the morning he applied for a position
as driver of a passing canal boat, and was ac
cepted. He followed that business through the
season of 1866, and in the following winter car
ried mail across the river bridge between Port
Trevorton and Herndon. In 1867 he engaged in
boating on the Juniata canal for Abraham Fav-
inger, of Newport, and in the winter worked on
a farm for his board. He often had to rise at
two o'clock in the morning to go to Selins
Grove, worked until late at night, and had but
two poor meals per day. He was employed as a
farm hand until 1868, when the Reading Rail
way Company purchased the Port Trevorton
bridge, and he wasappointed collector of tolls, in
addition to which he carried the mail across the
bridge, receiving for this service his board and
clothing. In April, 1869, Dr. Tool entered the employ
of Hon. W. G. Herold, with whom he remained
for some time, working at various labors. Subse
quently he was captain on the canal boat, " Gen
eral Washington," which plied the West Branch
canal, and later was captain on the boat "B. B.
Martin." His next service was in a sawmill, and
he mastered every detail of that business, from
firing the engine to filing the saws. His labors
there were ended, however, when, in the fall of
1874, the mill was destroyed by fire. Seeking
other employment, he took charge of the coal
office in Port Trevorton belonging to Mr. Herold,
but, though twenty-three years of age, he could
not figure the cost of the coal, for his education

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1169

had ended at the age of twelve years. Thus
realizing the necessity of further school privi
leges, he entered the Missionary Institute at
Selins Grove, and later attended Prof. Noetling's
Normal School at that place, pursuing his studies
through the winter season. He thus prepared
for teaching, and later taught the Scholl school,
in Union township, Snyder county. He worked
on the canal in summer and continued teaching
in the winter season, being for five years em
ployed in the Narrows school. At Port Trevor
ton, his last school, he was employed at an ad
vance of $5 per month over the former teachers.
In his educational work he was very successful,
and did much for the schools with which he was
connected. Dr. Tool took up the study of med
icine under Dr. J. W. Sheets, of Selins Grove,
and while reading there acted as hostler and
general utility man for his board. In the fall of
1879 he entered the College of Physicians and
Surgeons of Baltimore, practicing the strictest
economy in order to continue his education
there. He had Dr. M. L. Focht, of Lewisburg,
as a room mate, and each alternate week he did
the cooking and sweeping, the two men studying,
cooking and sleeping in one room. He was
graduated in 1881, and at once began practice in
Freeburg, where he has met with most creditable
success, winning a large and lucrative patronage.
He has a broad and comprehensive knowledge of
the science of medicine, and his skill has won
him enviable renown.
In May, 1882, Dr. Tool married Miss Jennie
Mertz, of Freeburg, daughter of P. P. Mertz, ex-
county commissioner of Snyder county. They
have two children: Clarence E. and Susan E.
Their home is noted for its hospitality, and in
social circles they hold an enviable position.
Dr. Tool is a charter member of the Patriotic
Order Sons of America, of Freeburg. He was
reared in the Catholic faith by his parents, but
became a Protestant, and is now a member of the
Reformed Church, as is one of his brothers. He
belongs to the Odd Fellows Society, and in poli
tics is a stanch Republican, taking a deep and
commendable interest in the success of his party,
for which he has labored assiduously. He is now
school director of his district, was county com
missioner one term, chairman of the county cen
tral committee in 1886, 1888 and 1889, and in
the latter year was appointed examining surgeon
on the Sunbury pension board, but resigned on
his election to the Pennsylvania House of Repre
sentatives in 1890, which office he held for two
terms, and was one of the most acceptable mem
bers that Snyder county has ever sent to the Leg
islature. He has also served as vice-president of
74 *

Freeburg Academy. That he is a man of strong
character is shown by his splendid accomplish
ments; that he is a man of true worth is attested
by his large circle of friends. The history of
Snyder county bears the impress of his strong in
dividuality, and his life is well worthy of emula
tion by those who know him.

m M. SHAMBAUGH*, a well-known citi-
J&L zen of Middleburg, Snyder county, is a self-
made man whose career will be of interest to all
who appreciate the sterling qualities of industry,
energy and foresight. He was born April 18,
1858, in Center township, Snyder county, the son
of Jesse and Sophia (Fry) Shambaugh,* who
now reside upon the old homestead near Middle
burg. The family is of German origin, and the
first to come to this country was our subject's
great-great-grandfather, George Shambaugh.*
George Shambaugh (2)*, the great-grandfather
of our subject, became a pioneer farmer of the
section now known as Snyder county, and his
descendants are numerous in that locality. His
youngest son, Christian Shambaugh*, our sub
ject's grandfather, married, first, Miss Mary Wal
ter, daughter of David Walter, a Revolutionary
soldier, and, second, Mrs. Elizabeth (Bechtel)
Bilger. By the first union he bad twelve chil
dren, among whom was our subject's father, and
by the second he had four, and of this large fam
ily thirteen are now living.
Farm work during Mr. Shambaugh's* boy
hood was not made light by the use of machinery,
as it is at this day, and the threshing season ex
tended far into the winter. He greatly desired
an education, but as a dutiful son he remained at
home, giving his assistance cheerfully to his par
ents. In the fall of 1873, he began to learn the
blacksmith's trade at Middleburg, receiving $50
for two years, with a vacation of four weeks in each
year during harvest in which to earn a little extra
money. After completing his apprenticeship he
returned to the farm for a year, and then went
to Indiana, where he was employed for some
time by a railroad company at a point a few
miles south of Fort Wayne. While there he
met with misfortune, the first finger on his right
hand being crushed. This was in 1875, and soon
afterward he came back home to engage in hauling
grain and lumber to Mifflinburg for his father.
Later he worked for two years as a farm hand,
and by close economy throughout all these years
of toil he managed to save enough money to buy
a farm near Middleburg, paying $1,500 for it.
On April 15, 1878, he was married in Middle-
* Name is more frequently spelled Shambach.

1170

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

burg to Miss Ada Smith, a native of that place,
and a daughter of Harry and Amelia (Stahl-
necker) Smith. After his marriage Mr. Sham
baugh* located upon his farm, but he sold it sub
sequently at a small advance and built his present
elegant residence in Middleburg. In 1882 he was
employed in driving a team and firing a sawmill
at Shamokin, but in the latter part of the year he
returned to Middleburg, and the following winter
was spent in hauling logs in the vicinity of Beav
ertown. In 1883 he worked for eight months on
the Lewisburg & Sunbury railroad. During the
erection of the Snyder county jail, in 1886, he
was employed around the building as a black
smith, and in 1887 he opened a shop in Middle
burg, where he has since continued his trade
with the exception of two years spent in Clinton
county. He now has a good business, keeping
two hands at work most of the time, and lately
he has built an addition to his shop.
He takes much interest in public questions,
and is active in municipal affairs, having served
as a member of the city council and as tax col
lector.

^J|cF H. HERBSTER, senior member of the
WW mercantile firm of Herbster & Felker, of
McClure, was born near Lewistown, in Mifflin
county, December 9, 1867. His grandfather,
Daniel Herbster, spent his entire life in central
Pennsylvania, and was a farmer by occupation.
His father, Jeremiah Herbster, was born in Union
county, now Snyder county, and acquired a good
education. He lost his father when only seven
years of age, and has made his own' way in the
world since that time. Beginning life as a farm
hand, he followed that pursuit until he had at
tained his majority. He spent several years on
a farm in Union county, and afterward came to
Snyder county, purchasing a farm of eighty-seven
acres near Adamsburg, where he still resides.
He has made many excellent improvements upon
the place, and in connection with the cultivation
of his land is engaged in stock raising. In his
business dealings he is methodical and honorable,
and is a worthy representative of the agricultural
interests of the county. He gives his political
support to the Democracy, and in his religious
faith is a Lutheran. In Snyder county he mar
ried Barbara A. Oldt, a native of that county,
whose death occurred in 1890. He has since
married Mrs. Thompson and is still living on the
home farm.
Mr. Herbster is the father of thirteen chil
dren, all born of the first union, namely: Sarah,
wife of David Middleswarth, a merchant of Trox

elville, Penn. ; John, of Yeagertown, Penn. ;
George, a merchant of Cleveland, Ohio; W. H.;
Lydia A., wife of William Snook, of Mifflin
county; Charles, deceased; Lizzie, wife of Ammon
Beaver, of Beavertown, Penn.; Jacob C, a
teacher of Snyder county; Cora, at home; James,
of Snyder county; Alvin and Herbert, at home;
and Mary, who died in infancy.
To the schools of Adamsburg and Middleburg,
Penn., W. H. Herbster is indebted for his educa
tional privileges. At an early age he started
out in life for himself and has since been depend
ent upon his own resources, so that the success
that he has achieved is the just reward of his
labors. He worked as a farm hand for five
years through the summer months for a salary of
$10 per month, and in the winter attended
school. He afterward engaged in teaching for
several terms in Snyder county, and entered
upon his mercantile experience as a clerk in the
store in Middle Creek. For two years he was
employed by A. A. Ulsh, and then entered his
brother George's store in Lewistown, where he
continued until 1885, when he came to McClure
and purchased an interest in the store of F. P.
Decker. That partnership continued for two
years, when Mr. Decker sold out to William
Felker, and the firm of Herbster & Felker has
since conducted a large and profitable business.
They carry a well selected stock, and receive
from the public a liberal patronage.
On January 9, 1896, Mr. Herbster was mar
ried near Middle Creek, Snyder county, to An-
netta Knepp, who was born in Selins Grove, a
daughter of Edward Knepp, a carpenter for the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company at Lewistown.
Mr. Herbster was reared in the faith of the Dem
ocratic party, but his mature judgment endorsed
Republican principles, and he is a stanch advo
cate of that political organization. His business
record is most commendable, for from an early
age he has steadily worked his way upward,
achieving success by perseverance, industry and
honorable dealing.

F. HARLEY. The motto "merit always
commands its reward " is well exemplified
in the career of the subject of this sketch, who is
now a prosperous and leading merchant of Free
burg, Penn. Since an early age he has made
his own way in the world, and for many years
not only provided for his own maintenance but
also aided in the support of the family. Mr.
Harley was born in Delaware township, Juniata
county, Penn., June 12, 1863, a son of Philip
and Debbie (Anderson) Harley. The father is

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1171

still living in that county, but the mother is now
deceased. In their family were seven children,
three sons and four daughters. Our subject ac
quired his education in the public school near his
boyhood home, and continued to reside in his
native township until 1890, assisting his parents,
who were in limited circumstances and needed
his help.
At East Salem, Penn., Mr. Harley obtained
his first ideas of mercantile business as a clerk in
the store of C. G. Winey, where he received $9
per month. By close attention he soon learned
the best business methods, and being economical
was able to save a part of his wages. After a
few years spent with his brother, W. E. Harley,
at McAlisterville,- Penn., he began business for
himself in a general store, which he sold on his
removal to Adamsburg, Snyder county. There
he became a member of the firm of Harley, Ba-
shor & Co., which continued business under that
style for three years, when it became Harley &
Bashor, but the partnership was finally dissolved.
For a short interval Mr. Harley was interested in
no business, but in November, 1896, came to
Freeburg, where he purchased the general mer
cantile establishment of Milton Strayer. He at
once increased the stock, and became the leading
merchant of the place.
On October 16, 1894, Mr. Harley was united
in marriage to Miss Mellie Miller, of Washington
township, Snyder county, a daughter of George
and Isabella (Dreese) Miller. She is descended
from one of the oldest and most highly respected
pioneer families of Snyder county. Although
not a politician, Mr. Harley is a stanch member
of the Republican party, and was at one time
also an active member of the Knights of the
Golden Eagle. He is a rising young merchant,
and one whose present position — that of the lead
ing business man of his town — has been secured
by his own effort. While but a recent arrival in
Freeburg, he has already gained the confidence
of the people and secured a liberal share of the
public patronage by his fair and honorable deal
ings.

)EV. W. H. HILBISH, pastor of Christ
Evangelical Church of McClure, was born
near Shamokin, Northumberland Co., Penn.,
October 28, 1867, and is a son of Benjamin and
Mary A. Hilbish. His paternal grandfather,
Daniel Hilbish, was born in Northampton coun
ty, Penn., March 24, 18 18, and followed the
occupations of farming and wagon-making in pur
suit of fortune. His last days were spent in re
tirement in Shamokin, where he died February

8, 1885. His wife, who bore the maiden name
of Elizabeth Bahnee, and was a native of North
umberland county, died in Shamokin, January 8,
1897, at the age of eighty-two years. They*
were the parents of five children: Catharine,
Mary, Benjamin, Hannah and Sarah. Mr. Hil
bish was a member of the Reformed Church, and
was a worthy man, who had the respect of all
with whom he came in contact.
The father of our subject was born and edu
cated in Northumberland county, where he
learned the stone mason's trade. He is now a
contractor and builder, and has made his home
in Shamokin since 1873, being a representative
of its leading industrial interests. He was mar
ried there, and became the father of two chil
dren: W. H., and Benjamin F. , who is now a
minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church on
Long Island. He was educated in Dixon Semi
nary, and also in a theological seminary in New
Jersey. The father holds membership in the
Lutheran Church, is a liberal contributor to its
support, is a very charitable and benevolent man,
whose many excellencies of character have gained
him the high regard of all.
Rev. W. H. Hilbish obtained his primary
education in Shamokin, and, after his graduation
from the grammar schools, entered the office of
the Shamokin Times, where he learned the print
er's trade. In 1886 he matriculated in the Sus
quehanna University of Selins Grove, where he
was graduated in 1889. He pursued this course
preparatory to the study of theology, and entered
the Theological College at Selins Grove, where
he was graduated in 1892. Being ordained as a
minister of the Lutheran Church, his first pastor
ate, covering one year, was at Lariatsville, Ly
coming Co., Penn., and on the expiration of that
period he went to Roaring Springs, Blair county,
where he remained for a year and a half. Since
1895 he has ministered to the spiritual needs of
Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church of McClure,
St. Samuel Church in Decatur, Mifflin county,
and St. Paul's Church in West Beaver township,
Snyder county, also in Troxelville. Under his
able supervision the work of these Churches has
been carried forward very successfully, and he
has established Christian Endeavor Societies in
McClure and Troxelville. He is a man of schol
arly attainments, a clear reasoner and an able
speaker, and as preacher and pastor is quite pop
ular with his people.
On Christmas Day, 1890, Mr. Hilbish was
married, in Selins Grove, to Sarah Elizabeth
Lutz, the ceremony being performed by the
Rev. Jacob Yutzy. She is a daughter of W ill—
iam J. and Jane (Sears) Lutz, whose fam ily

1172

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

numbered five children, but Mrs. Hilbish and
Eyer D., who is attending school, are the only
survivors. Mrs. Hilbish has proved to her hus
band a very able helpmeet in his work, and is
greatly beloved by the congreation. Two chil
dren grace their union — Harry Paul, born Decem
ber 25, 1 891; and William Bruce, born Novem
ber 16, 1895. Mr. Hilbish is a member of Mc
Clure Lodge No. 770, I. O. O. F., in which he
is now serving as noble grand, and is also a
member of the Patriotic Order Sons of America.
His political support is usually given the Prohi
bition party. He is a man of kindly nature and
broad humanitarian principles, generous and
kindly, and by example, as well as by precept,
indicates to others the way of life.

P. STROUB, merchant, farmer and post-
13!) master of Pallas, is one of the most pro
gressive, public-spirited and valued citizens of
Washington township, Snyder county. He was
born in that township, September 22, 1852, a
son of Jonathan and Catharine (Hendricks)
Stroub. His father was born in what is now
Union township, and there still resides. He was
twice married, and by the first union had three
children: Augustus, a farmer of Chapman town
ship, Snyder county; B. P.; and Alice, wife of
Edward Hackenburg, of Center township, Sny
der county. The mother of this family died, and
was buried in Grubbs Church cemetery. For
his second wife Mr. Stroub chose Barbara Stef-
fen, and by this union three children were born:
Agnes, wife of Edgar Reish, of Port Trevorton;
Saloma, wife of Milton Shaffer, of Chapman
township, Snyder county; and Francis, at home.
B. P. Stroub was only six years of age at the
time of his mother's death. During his early
childhood his father removed to Chapman town
ship, where he was reared to manhood. He
pursued his education in the Houtz school house,
and later prepared for teaching in the Freeburg
Academy under Maj. Dill, a prominent educator
of this section of the State. After studying there
for two terms he taught school for some time,
being for two terms teacher of the Reichenbach
school in Washington township, and one term of
the Houtz school, in which he began his own
education. At the age of twenty-two he was
married, and located at Pallas, where he entered
his father-in-law's store as a clerk. In 1876,
when Mr. Eisenhart was elected sheriff, Mr.
Stroub and Percival Reichenbach bought out the
store, and under the firm name of Stroub &
Reichenbach continued business until 1879. In
that year oursubject became sole proprietor, and

has since conducted one of the best country stores
in Snyder county; he has a large and well-as
sorted stock, and his fair dealing and earnest de
sire to please his customers has secured to him a
liberal patronage. He is also extensively en
gaged in farming, and superintends the operation
of 170 acres of land; in 1879 he was com
missioned postmaster of Pallas, and has held that
office continuously since through the various ad
ministrations. Mr. Stroub was united in marriage to Miss
Clara Eisenhart, a native of Pallas, and a daugh
ter of Daniel Eisenhart, ex-sheriff of Snyder
county, now a resident of Shamokin. They have
five children: Harvey, a farmer; Walter D.,
Jennie S., Grover C. and Sarah E. ; and lost
their two oldest, Laura, who died at the age of
seventeen years, and William V., who died at
the age of four years. Mr. Stroub has greatly
remodeled his home, and now has one of the
good residences in Washington township. His
family is very popular in this section of Snyder
county, occupying an enviable position in social
circles. In politics Mr. Stroub is a Democrat, and,
though not an active politician, is deeply inter
ested in the growth and success of his party. He
belongs to the Lutheran Church, has served as
deacon, and is now trustee. His wife is a mem
ber of the Reformed Church. He is a substan
tial citizen, who has been the architect of his
own fortune. The persevering pursuit of an
honorable purpose has brought to him a merited
success, and his straightforward business meth
ods have commended him to the confidence and
regard of all.

JOHN TROXELL (deceased) was for many
years one of the leading citizens of Snyder
county, and left the impress of his strong
individuality upon its public life, his name being
ineffaceably traced upon its records. He was
born in what is now Beavertown, Snyder (then
Union) county, in 1800, and was a son of John
Troxell, a farmer. His school privileges were
rather limited, and he began life for himself at a
very early age, working as a farm hand until his
marriage. He then rented land near Beaver
Springs, and for several years also operated a
gristmill. He then purchased 300 acres of land,
on which Troxelville now stands. He had no
money, but he arranged to pay for the place on
the installment plan, and for years struggled and
labored hard to clear off the indebtedness. At
length he had it free from all incumbrance. He-
erected a good residence and barn, placed the

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1173

land under a high state of cultivation, and, in
course of time, made it one of the most valuable
farms of the neighborhood. He possessed most
excellent business and executive ability, discrim
ination and sound judgment, and by his well-di
rected efforts became one of the wealthiest farm
ers and most highly respected citizens in his sec
tion of Snyder county.
It was on his land that the town of Troxel
ville was laid out. The town was named in his
honor, and he built the first house there, while
his son-in-law, W. B. Bann, conducted the first
store and was the first postmaster. It lies under
the shadow of Jack Mountain, and has become
a very thrifty and enterprising place. It stands
as a monument to the memory of its founder,
who in 1852 retired from farming and built for
himself a fine frame dwelling there, where he re
sided for sixteen years, enjoying the fruits of his
former toil. He passed away in 1868, and was
buried in Troxelville cemetery.
In public affairs Mr. Troxell took a deep in
terest, and did all in his power to advance the
welfare and prosperity of the community with
which he was connected. He was a candidate
for county commissioner of Union county on the
Democratic ticket, and ran far ahead of his party,
but lost the election by fifty votes. He belonged
to the Reformed Church, served as its deacon
and was secretary of the Sunday-school. A val
ued citizen, the entire community mourned his
death, and he is yet remembered by those who
were his friends in life.
Mr. Troxell was married in Beaver township
to Susan Moyer, a native of that township, and
a daughter of John Moyer, a distiller and farmer.
Eleven children were born to them: Elizabeth,
wife of J. P. Smith, of Middleburg; Sarah J., wife
of William Baum, of New Berlin, Union county;
S. Delilah; Isaac N., a merchant of Philadelphia;
Christina A., deceased wife of Isaac Ulsh; Sam
uel and John M., both deceased; Catherine, de
ceased wife of Absalom Snyder; Mary and
Robert, who died in childhood; and one who died
in infancy. The mother of this family departed
this life in 1849, and Mr. Troxell afterward
married Lydia Keller, widow of Joseph Wedman,
of Berks county, Pennsylvania.
S. Delilah Troxell, who resides in the home
at Troxelville, was born in Beaver township,
January 5, 1844, and her early education, ac
quired in the common schools, was supplemented
by study in Middlesburg, and in Union Seminary
at New Berlin. She taught school for nine
years in Snyder county, and for years was a
teacher in the German schools in Strausstown,
Berks county. She was extremely successful in

that work, and her superior ability enabled her
to command excellent wages.
On account of her father's illness she aban
doned teaching, and spent two years at the
bedside of her father, attending to his wants,
and carefully ministering to him until his
eyes were closed in death. She has since acted
as her brother's housekeeper. She devotes much
of her time to Church and charitable work, is a
consistent member of the Lutheran Church, was
for twenty-five years a teacher in the German
Sunday-school in Troxelville, and for twelve
years has been president of the Woman's Home
and Foreign Missionary Society.

Cv\HARLES W. BOUSH, M. D., a successful
^Jl and prominent physician and surgeon of Mc
Clure, is a native of Snyder county, born in Bea
vertown on May 4, 1868. His grandfather, John
Boush, was born on the River Rhine, in Ger
many, and when a young man crossed the At
lantic to make his home in the land of the free. *
He took up his residence in what was then known
as Union county, Penn. , but is now Beavertown,
Snyder county, where he successfully engaged in
teaching school for many years, being one of the
first German teachers in the locality. He also
did some manual work, but devoted the greater
part of his time and attention to his profession.
In politics he was an Old-line Whig, and in re
ligious belief was a Lutheran. He was married
in .Union county to a Miss Jones, who was of
Welsh descent, and they became the parents
of ten children: Isabella, deceased; Sophia,
widow of John Arbogast, who was killed on the
Pennsylvania railroad; Libby, a widow; Mrs.
Shoneis; Mary; Amelia; David F. ; Elizabeth; and
two who died in childhood. The grandfather
died in Snyder county in 1853, and his wife
passed away in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
David F. Boush, the Doctor's father, received
only a German education, and became quite a
good German writer. He has made farming his
life work, and now owns a fine farm of 120 acres
in Beavertown, improved with good buildings, a
fine apple orchard, and all modern conveniences
and accessories. Since 1891, however, he has
laid aside all business cares, and is now living re
tired. During the dark days of the Rebellion he
was a private in Company I, 184th P. V. L, un
der Capt. L. C. Edmonds, and served for one
year and nine months, during which time he par
ticipated in a number of battles, but was never
wounded. He was a brave and fearless soldier,
always found at his post of duty, and is now suf
fering from a stroke of paralysis brought on by

1174

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

his exposure in the war. He is a deacon and
active member of the Lutheran Church, is a
strong Republican in politics, and is widely and
favorably known throughout Snyder county.
In Beavertown David F. Boush was married
to Miss Lycetta Kern, a native of that place, a
daughter of an agriculturist of Beaver township,
Snyder county. Twelve children were born to
this worthy couple: Isaac, a resident of Beaver
town; Adamanda; Lucy, wife of Jerome Aigler,
of Beaver township; Ellen, wife of Marks Huff-
nagle, of Union county; Rachel, widow of Amos
Snook, of McClure; Albert and Vinarva, both
deceased; David Lincoln, who died in childhood;
Clarissa and Alice, at home; Charles W. , of this
sketch; and Elmer, a traveling salesman of New
York. The parents still reside on the old home
stead in Beavertown.
Dr. Boush acquired his literary education in
the district schools of Beavertown, and later
taught the high school of that place for one year.
During his boyhood and youth he assisted in the
work of the home farm, and on leaving the pa
rental roof worked as a farm hand in Union
county for one year. For three years he read
medicine under the direction of Dr. W. M. Baker,
of Beavertown, and, having saved a little money,
and by the help of friends, in the fall of 1890 he
entered Jefferson Medical College, in Philadel
phia, where he spent two terms. Later he took
a course of lectures at the Medical University of
Baltimore, where he graduated in March, 1893,
and the same year passed the State board exami
nation at the Pittsburg Western Pennsylvania
College. In June, 1893, he opened an office in
McClure, and soon succeeded in building up a
large and lucrative practice.
In the fall of the same year, in that place,
Dr. Boush was married to Miss Lizzie M. Smith,
a native of McClure, and a daughter of Henry
N. Smith, a well-known blacksmith of McClure,
who is of German descent. To them were born
two children: James E., and Carrie, now de
ceased. The Doctor takes quite an active interest in
civic societies, is a member of McClure Lodge
No. 770, I. O. O. F. ; is a charter member of the
Sons of Veterans, Camp No. 65, of which he
was captain two years; and belongs to Camp No.
98, P. O. S. of A. ; and Eden Conclave, Im
proved Order of Heptasophs, No. 60. He is
also a prominent and influential member of the
Snyder County Medical Society, and is deputy
inspector for the State Board of Health. Polit
ically, he is identified with the Republican party,
is a member of the standing committee, and is
secretary of the school board. In the Lutheran

Church he holds membership, and is an active
worker in both Church and Sunday-school. The
Doctor and his wife have a beautiful home in
McClupe, and there hospitality reigns supreme,
their many friends always being sure of a hearty
welcome. As a physician and surgeon, the Doc
tor is a man of deep research and careful investi
gation, and his skill and ability has won him a
liberal support. Prominence in his profession
comes through merit alone, and the position
which Dr. Boush has attained •attests his su
periority.

EUBEN J. SMITH, a retired farmer living
in Bannerville, Snyder county, was born
near Adamsburg, Snyder Co., Penn., January
27, 1835.
Jacob Smith, father of our subject, was born
and reared in the southern part of the state, and
learned the weaver's trade, which he followed
through the winter months, while in the summer
he engaged in farming. Removing to central
Pennsylvania, he located in what is now Spring
township, Snyder county, where he purchased a
farm, on which he made his home for a number
of years. He afterward bought a farm of 130
acres in West Beaver township, which he im
proved with a fine bank barn and buildings, con
tinuing his residence there for a number of years,
when he sold the property to his sons and re
moved to Bannerville, where he died in 1868.
His wife bore the maiden name of Sophia
Brocher, and was also a native of southern Penn
sylvania. Her death occurred in Beavertown,
this State. In his political belief, Jacob Smith
was a Republican. He belonged to the Re
formed Church, took an active part in its work
and lived in harmony with its professions. In
the family were ten children: Sarah, deceased
wife of Elias Steminger; Joseph, deceased; Amel
ia, who died in childhood; Sophia, deceased wife
of Peter Knepp; Rebecca, widow of Daniel
Snook, of Mifflin county; Reuben J.; Lyddie,
wife of James W. Price, of Illinois: Mary, widow
of J. H. Ulsh; Amanda, wife of William Smith,
of Lewistown, Penn.; and Catherine E., de
ceased wife of P. H. Knepp.
Reuben J. Smith was educated in the com
mon schools of West Beaver township, Snyder
county, and followed the occupation of farming
from early boyhood. He never left the old home
stead until he put aside business cares. When his
father retired he purchased ninety acres of that
farm and operated it until 1892, placing the land
under a high state of cultivation, which brought
to him a handsome return for his labors. He

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1175

planted a good orchard, erected a fine residence
and other substantial buildings, and in connec
tion with general farming successfully followed
stock raising. Prosperity attended his efforts,
and his energy and enterprise were crowned with
a high degree of success. In 1892 he rented his
farm and came to Bannerville, where he pur
chased a very pleasant home and has since lived
retired, enjoying the comforts of life in company
with his estimable wife, who has been to him a
faithful companion and helpmeet on life's journey
for thirty-seven years.
Mrs. Smith, who bore the maiden name of
Mary J. Hassinger, was born in West Beaver
township, and is a daughter of Daniel Hassinger,
who was a well-known farmer of that locality.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith were married in West
Beaver township August 30, i860. Having no
children of their own, they are now rearing a
grandniece, Minnie Sophia Steeley, in whose ed
ucation, happiness and welfare they take a deep
interest. During the Civil war, Mr. Smith manifested
his loyalty to the Union by enlisting, in the fall
of 1862, as a member of Company G, 172nd P.
V. I., under Capt. M. Smith and Col. Klickner.
He did service with the Fourth Heavy Artillery,
and for nine months was in the Army of the
Potomac. He was always loyal and faithful,
ready to lay down his life if need be for his coun
try, and was honorably discharged at Harrisburg.
He is an ardent Republican, has served as school
director, assistant assessor and tax collector, and
his duties are performed with marked fidelity and
promptness. He and his wife are members of
the Lutheran Church, in which he has served as
trustee. He was formerly a teacher in the Sun
day-school, and is now a member of the Bible
class. He has a genial smile, which indicates his
kindly nature, and he is well known for his un
bending integrity. To every duty he manifests the
same fidelity that characterized his career when
on Southern battle fields he followed the old flag
to victory. 
FETER GARMAN, an enterprising and suc
cessful general merchant now engaged in
business in his native town of Mt. Pleasant
Mills, Snyder county, was born October 12,
1830. The Garman family is of German descent,
and was founded in America at an early day.
The first representative of the name in the county
was Henry Garman, grandfather of our subject,
who was born in Lancaster county, Penn., and
when a young man removed to Mt. Pleasant
Mills, then a part of Union county. He pur

chased a farm of more than 300 acres, and in
connection with the cultivation of his land exten
sively and successfully engaged in stock raising
until his death, which occurred in Perry town
ship, Snyder county, in 1847. He was twice
married, his second union being with Miss Barg-
stressen, who became the mother of Peter P.
Garman, the father of our subject.
Peter P. Garman was born near Mt. Pleasant
Mills, and was educated in German. He fol
lowed farming and blacksmithing, and became
an expert workman at that place. He also made
many excellent improvements upon his farm,
which comprised ninety-six acres. In 1851 he
established a store, which he conducted up to
the time of his death in 1869. He was married
in Perry township to Catherine Minium, who was
born in Schuylkill county, Penn., a daughter of
Nicholas Minium, who followed the tailor's
trade in Perry township, Snyder county. Mrs.
Garman died in 1891. In the family were seven
children: Jonas, a merchant in Dauphin county;
Peter; Catherine, wife of David Karstler, of
Middleburg; Sophia, wife of Eli Minuig, of Bris
tol, Ind. ; Sarah, wife of Thomas Meiser, of Roy-
alton, Mich. ; Elizabeth, deceased wife of Henry
Meiser, who has also passed away; and William,
deceased. Peter Garman, the subject of this review,
began his education in the public schools of
Perry township, and continued it in Freeburg
Academy. He learned the blacksmith's trade
with his father, and spent the first twenty-two
years of his life under the parental roof. In 1850
he went to Watsonville, Ohio, and spent three
years working at his trade in different parts of
that State, also remained for a short time in
Michigan. In 1853 he returned home, and after
clerking in his father's store for three years, was
made a partner, a business connection that was
¦ continued for seven years, when he became a
traveling salesman for the firm of Thomas Else &
Co., of Philadelphia, manufacturers and whole
sale dealers in boots, shoes and rubbers. For
twelve years he was connected with that house,
traveling over the greater part of Pennsylvania,
and wherever he went his pleasant manner and
honorable dealing won him the respect of those
with whom he came in contact. His next vent
ure was in the hotel business in Middleburg, in
connection with David Karstler; but after two
years he sold out to his partner, and came to
Mt. Pleasant Mills, where he has since engaged
in general merchandising. His stock is large and
well selected, and his store is the favorite trading
point with a large number of the people in the
town and surrounding country.

1176

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Mr. Garman was married in Perry township,
in 1855, to Sarah Sturb, a daughter of Benjamin
Sturb, of Perry township. They had two chil
dren: Jefferson, a shoe dealer of Aberdeen,
Wash., and William D., an operator in Mill City,
Ore. The mother of this family dying in 1864,
Mr. Garman wedded Mary Landis, a native of
Perry township, Snyder county, a daughter of
Jacob Landis, who makes his home with Mrs.
Garman. Our subject is a stanch Republican
and sound-money man, and has served as over
seer of the poor. He belongs to St. John's Luth
eran Church, has served as teacher, superintend
ent and treasurer of the Sunday-school, and is a
member of the Epworth League. He belongs
to Freeburg Lodge No. 611, I. O. O. F., in
which he has filled all the offices, and his life
exemplifies the benevolent and worthy princi
ples that underlie that society. He is a success
ful, honorable business man, a progressive, en
terprising citizen, and a kind-hearted gentleman
of exemplary habits and character, enjoying the
respect of all who know him.

ISAAC SPOTTS, county commissioner of Sny
der county, and a practical and progressive
farmer of Perry township, was born in Lower
Mahoning township, Northumberland Co., Penn.,
August 18, 1840. His father, John Spotts, was
a native of the same locality, and his grandfather
was a blacksmith of Northumberland county, of
German descent. John Spotts was educated in
German, and learned the cooper's trade, which
he followed during the greater part of his life.
He also farmed in Lower Mahoning township un
til his retirement from active business life, his
last days being spent in Georgetown, where he
died in February, 1896. He married Lyddie
Hepner, daughter of Henry Hepner, and she is
still living at Georgetown, at the age of eighty-
two years. Mr. Spotts was a member of the
German Reformed Church, a Republican in poli
tics, and served as supervisor of his township.
In the family of this worthy couple were
eight children: Samuel, of Perry township.
Snyder county; Isaac; Eliza, wife of Edward
Engel, of Northumberland county; Elias, of
Uniontown, Penn.; Joel, of Illinois; Sophia,
wife of John Yager, of Lower Mahoning town
ship, Northumberland county; Benjamin, of Illi
nois; and Frank, of Fremont, Snyder county.
Isaac Spotts attended the subscription schools
in the winter months, but his educational privi
leges were quite limited. At the age of eight
years he began working on his father's farm, and
was thus employed until fifteen years of age,

when he began working for neighboring farmers
at $100 per year. After three years spent in that
way he commenced learning the tanner's trade
under Isaac Motter, of Uniontown, under whose
direction he worked for three years. He then
responded to the country's call for troops, enlist
ing September 16, 1861, in the three-years' serv
ice, as a member of Company B, 9th Pennsyl
vania Cavalry, under Capt. E. G. Savage. He
enlisted at Harrisburg, and was in the Western
Army under Kilpatrick. The troops were en
gaged in pursuit of Morgan, and he remained in
the service for a year and a half, when on ac
count of disability he was discharged. He was
in the hospital at Louisville, Ky. , for one week,
and in Richmond, Va. , for a short time.
Returning to his home in Lower Mahoning
township, Northumberland county, Mr. Spotts
operated a farm on shares for three years, after
which he was employed on the North Central
Branch of the railroad as brakeman, flagman
and fireman for some years. He was then pro
moted to the position of engineer on the Balti
more & Potomac railroad in 1873, and after sev
enteen months' service resigned and returned to
Georgetown, Penn. , where he was elected consta
ble. In the spring of 1877 he removed to Chap
man township, Snyder county, where he followed
farming and also spent one year as proprietor of
a hotel. In 1881 he came to his present farm,
comprising forty-eight acres of good land. He
has erected a good dwelling and made other im
provements to the value of $2,000, and is now
engaged in fruit growing and stock raising. He
is a man of much energy and enterprise, and his
keen discrimination in business affairs has brought
to him success.
Mr. Spotts was married in Northumberland
county, in 1864, to Kate Phillips, a native of that
county, and a daughter of Jacob Phillips, a
farmer. They had two children: George, a trav
eling salesman of Somerset county, Penn. ; and
one who died in infancy. The mother of this
family died January 6, 1875. Eor his second
wife Mr. Spotts chose Kate Heikes, who was
born in Perry township, Snyder county, a daugh
ter of William Heikes, deceased. They have no
children of their own, but are rearing an adopted
son, Fred Servy.
Mr. Spotts is a stalwart advocate of Repub
lican principles, and has done much for the suc
cess of his party. In 1893 he was a candidate
for county commissioner, but met defeat at the
primary by four votes. In November, 1896,
however, he was elected to that office by a ma
jority of over 1, 100, receiving the second highest
vote on the ticket, a fact which plainly indicates

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1177

his personal popularity and the confidence re
posed in him. In 1888 he was supervisor of his
township. He belongs to the Lutheran Church,
in which he is serving as deacon, and he is
prominent' in civic societies, holding member
ship in La Fayette Lodge No. 194, F. & A. M.,
of Selins Grove; the old Odd Fellows Society;
and Post No. 316, G. A. R. He is a progressive,
enterprising and patriotic citizen, who manifests
in the discharge of his duties the same fidelity
which characterized his career as a soldier on
Southern battlefields.

BENJAMIN F. THOMPSON, a retired farmer
and highly respected citizen of Lock Haven,
Clinton county, is the oldest living represent
ative of an honored pioneer family of Nittany
Valley. He was born July 31, 1821, on the old
Thompson homestead near Mackeyville, Clinton
county, and is a son of Moses Thompson, whose
birth occurred in October, 1787, in Buffalo town
ship, Union Co., Penn., on the pike one mile
east of Mifflinburg.
The grandparents, Benjamin and Nellie (Rob
inson) Thompson, were pioneers of Buffalo Val
ley, and were the parents of nine children, as
follows: John, a farmer, who died in Canton,
Ohio; Moses, father of our subject; Samuel, a
Methodist minister, who died on the old home
stead in Buffalo Valley; James, who died unmar
ried in the same Valley; Benjamin, who owned
and operated the old home farm in Buffalo Val
ley; Abigail, who married Philip Pontius, and
died in Buffalo township, Union county: Cath
arine, who married Daniel Lemmon, and lived
for years in New Berlin, but died in Williams
port, Penn. ; Sally, who married Frederick Pon
tius, and died in the West; and Rachel, who first
wedded John Van Buskirk, and after his death
married Jacob Mauck, and died in New Berlin.
On his father's farm in Buffalo Valley, near
Mifflinburg, Moses Thompson was reared and re
mained until his marriage, acquiring his educa
tion in the schools of the neighborhood. He did
most of the weaving for the family, as he had
learned the trade in early life. In 1812, in Buf
falo Valley, he married Miss Hannah Betts, who
was born in East Buffalo, June 21, 1792, a
daughter of Solomon and  (Dunkle) Betts,
in whose family were seven children: William,
Solomon, Jr., Catharine, Magdalena, Susan,
Rachel and Leah. Mr. Betts was also a pioneer
of BuffaloValley. After his marriage, Moses Thompson lived
on one of his father's farms in Buffalo Valley,
where two of his children, Eliza and William

were born, but in 18 16, with his little family, he
started by wagon for what is now Lamar town
ship, Clinton county, where his father had pur
chased about five hundred acres of land by the
big spring, near Mackeyville. Their route from
Union county was through Penn's Valley Nar
rows and Brush Valley, and across Nittany Val
ley. A §tory-and-a-half log house was their
home until 1838, when a large brick house was
erected, which is still standing and is now occu
pied by the owner, James H. Porter. Only sev
en acres of the land had -been cleared, every
thing was still in its primitive condition, and
wild animals roamed through the forests. At
one time a pack of a dozen wolves entered Mr.
Thompson's barnyard and destroyed most of his
sheep. He successfully engaged in farming
upon that place until life's labors were ended, May
27, 1847, and he was laid to rest in Cedar Hill
cemetery. His wife survived him many years,
dying February 17, 1886, when past the age of
ninety-three, and now sleeps by his side. She
was still well preserved, and retained her men
tal faculties to a remarkable degree. Mr. Thomp
son, who was a portly, well-built man, very pow
erful, died of apoplexy. He was unwavering in his
support of the Whig party, but aside from regu
larly casting his ballot for its men and measures,
he took no active part in political affairs. In re
ligious belief he and his wife were Methodists,
and they enjoyed the esteem and friendship of
all who knew them. In the family of this
worthy couple were the following children: Eliza,
who never married, and died in Mackeyville,
Clinton county, at the age of seventy-nine; Will
iam, a retired farmer, who also died in Mackey
ville; Solomon, who engaged in farming in Porter
township, Clinton county, where his death oc
curred in the fall of 1896; Benjamin F., of this
review; James T., who is living retired in Salona;
Moses R. , a farmer, who died in Porter town
ship; and Sarah E., who died at the age of six
teen years. The old homestead near Mackey
ville remained in the family until the fall of 1854,
and the buildings which they erected thereon are
still standing.
In the old-time school house, with its slab
benches and seats all around the wall, Benjamin
F. Thompson began his education under the in
struction of John Brady, and he learned to write
with a quill pen. He early became familiar with
the arduous task of clearing and developing a
new farm, and until thirty-three years of age he
remained upon the home farm, assisting his
brothers in paying off the mortgage on the same
after he attained his majority. On May 31,
1852, in Mackeyville, he married Miss Joanna

1178

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Kling, who was born in Lacock township, Lan
caster county, Penn., September 15, 183 1, a
daughter of John and Margaret (Shafer) Kling,
in whose family were eight children: Adam,
who died near Beavertown, in Snyder county,
Penn. ; Maria, who married John Rockey, and
died near Zion, in Centre county; Moses, who
died in Buffalo Valley, Kelly township, Union
county; Elias, who is still living in that town
ship; Rezalza, who married Samuel Royer, and
died in Lock Haven; Margaret, who wedded
William Moyer, and died in Northumberland
county, Penn.; Joanna, the wife of oursubject;
and Diana, wife of Benjamin Graff, who lives
near Iberia, in Miller county, Missouri.
John Kling, Mrs. Thompson's father, was
born in Lacock township, Lancaster county, in
1794, and was the fourth in order of birth in the
family of John and Annie (Bear) Kling, the
others being Joel, who died in Nittany Valley,
Clinton county; Rebecca, who married William
Moore, and died in Kelly township, Union coun
ty; Nancy, who died in Perry county, Penn. ;
Isaac, who died in Upper Lacock township, Lan
caster county; David, who died in Chester coun
ty, Penn.; Martin, who died in Indiana; Peter,
who died in Perry county, Penn. ; Hannah, widow
of Peter Eckert, and a resident of Lancaster
county; and Jacob, who died in Lacock township,
Lancaster county. In the spring of 1833, John
Kling, Jr., with his family, removed to Kelly
township, Union county, but as Mrs. Thompson
was ill at the time she remained with her pa
ternal grandparents in her native county, being
reared by them until seventeen years of age.
Her father spent his remaining days at his new
home, dying there at the age of seventy-two.
Her mother departed this life in 1844, at the age
of forty-seven, and Mr. Kling later married Maria
Kling. He and his wives were all buried in the
cemetery at Lewisburg. In politics, he was a
Republican, and in religious belief, a Lutheran,
serving as a deacon in his Church.
For three years after his marriage, Mr.
Thompson rented the farm on which he was born,
and in the spring of 1855 removed to what is now
known as the Brookside farm in Lamar township,
Clinton county, which he purchased from Hudson
Williams. There he continued to engage in
agricultural pursuits until the spring of 1874,
when he went to Lewisburg, and after three
years there passed, he returned to the farm, but
in 1882 he laid aside business cares, and has
since occupied a pleasant home on Jones street,
Lock Haven, where he is surrounded by all the
comforts and many of the luxuries of life. In
the fall of 1 88 1 he purchased seventy-five and

one-half acres in Allison township, Clinton
county, which is operated by a tenant. The
success that he has achieved in life is due entire
ly to his own unaided efforts, good management
and strict integrity. He has been officially con
nected with the Methodist Church, of which he
and his wife are earnest and consistent members,
and their pleasant, genial manners and kindly
dispositions have gained for them a host of warm
friends. Originally, Mr. Thompson was a Whig
in politics, and is now a stalwart Republican, but
has never cared for office, at one time refusing to
serve after being elected justice of the peace.

PETER MEITZLER. It is astonishing to
witness the success of young men who have
emigrated to America without capital, and, from
a position of comparative obscurity, worked their
way upward to a position of prominence. The
readiness with which they adapt themselves to
circumstances, and take advantages of opportu
nities offered, brings to them success and wins
them a place among the leading business men of
the community in which they reside. Prominent
among this class is Mr. Meitzler, who is the pop
ular and genial proprietor of the " Riverside
Hotel " at Lock Haven, Clinton county.
Mr. Meitzler was born in Germany, Septem
ber 11, 1 83 1, a son of Jacob and Elizabeth
(Lowald) Meitzler, who spent their entire lives
in the Fatherland, where the father served as a
revenue collector for many years. Until thir
teen years of age our subject attended the public
schools of his native land, and then crossed the
Atlantic to Charleston, S. C. , where his brothers
and sisters were living, and where he made his
home until the outbreak of the Civil war. In
the meantime he was bound out to learn the ma
chinist's trade, and after mastering the business
he went as second engineer on the steamer " Isa
bel," continuing to follow the sea until 1857.
Returning to Charleston, he engaged in clerking
for a time, then went to Columbia, S. C. , from
there to Savannah, Ga. , and later returned to
Charleston, where he purchased the "Globe Ho
tel," on Queen street, and conducted the same
until called into the service. When the war was
over he came to Williamsport, Penn., where he
was engaged in various business enterprises, and
finally conducted a hotel at that place. In 1872,
when the local option law was passed in Penn
sylvania, he came to Lock Haven, and opened
the "Railroad House," and has since conducted
several hotels there. The "Riverside Hotel,"
of which he is now proprietor, is one of the best
and most complete hotels in the city, it being

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1179

supplied with all modern conveniences. It can
easily accommodate 200 guests, the cuisine is ex
ceptionally fine, and the place has become a pop
ular resort with the traveling public.
In 1863 Mr. Meitzler was united in marriage
to Miss Eva Herr, of Lycoming county, Penn.
They affiliate with the Lutheran Church, are
widely and favorably known, and have many
friends in their adopted city. In his polit
ical views Mr. Meitzler is a Democrat, opposed
to all monopolies, but has never been a politician
in the sense of office seeking. The success of
his life is due to no inherited fortune, or to any
happy succession of advantageous circumstances,
but to his own sturdy will, steady application,
tireless industry and sterling integrity.

W L. CLINTON, machinist in the town
Jl&L of Renovo, Clinton County, Pennsyl

vania.

JAMES E. ROBBINS. The law of cause and
effect holds good throughout the business as
well as the material world, and certain causes
will invariably bring certain results. The quali
ties which produce a success in business circles
are the same — enterprise, good management, un
flagging industry and sound judgment. These
are marked elements in the character of Mr.
Robbins, who to-day stands as one of the lead
ing lumbermen of Noyes township, Clinton
county. Mr. Robbins is a native of that county, born
October 10, 1857, in Colebrook township, and is
a representative of a family of Scotch-Irish origin
which was founded in New England at an early
day. His grandfather, Thomas Robbins, was a
native of New Jersey, and when a young man re
moved to Fisher Creek township, Columbia, Co.,
Penn., where he continued to follow agricultural
pursuits throughout the remainder of his life.
Politically he is a Democrat.
Isaac Robbins, the grandfather of our sub
ject, was born in Fishing Creek township, Co
lumbia county, was reared on the home farm,
and attended the subscription schools of that lo
cality. In the early '40s he removed with his fam
ily to Sugar Valley, Clinton county, where he
purchased 280 acres of land, sixty of which had
been placed under cultivation, and to its further
improvement and to lumbering he devdted his
remaining years. He died in 1893, and was
buried near the Zion Methodist Episcopal Church,
in Green township, in which he was a very
prominent and active member, being one of its

founders and liberal supporters. He always ad
hered to the principles of the Democracy, and
took a deep interest in the success of his party.
He was three times married, his first wife being
Miss Walsh, whom he married in Columbia
county, and to them were born four children:
George, a farmer of that county; John W., father
of our subject; Catharine, wife of E. Felter, of
Emporium, Penn. ; and one son who died in in
fancy. His wife dying in Columbia county, Mr.
Robbins was again married, his second union
being with a Miss Condor, of the same county,
by whom he had five children: James K. P., of
Williamsport, Penn. ; Jesse, of Jersey Shore;
Emanuel, also of Jersey Shore; and a son and a
daughter who died in infancy. The mother of
these children passed from earth in Sugar Valley,
and was buried in Zion cemetery. For his third
wife, Mr. Robbins wedded Mrs. Misener, who is
still living in Jersey Shore.
The birth of John W. Robbins occurred in
Fishing Creek, Columbia county, April 19, 1828,
and the public schools of Sugar Valley afforded
him his educational privileges. He worked on
the farm with his father during the summer
months, and was employed in the lumber woods
during the winter season until he attained his
majority, when he started out in life for himself
as a farmer, and he also worked for a while at
the carpenter's trade. Going to Queen's Run,
west of Lock Haven, he conducted a boarding
^house for some time, and also followed lumber
ing, after which he engaged in the former busi
ness at Lock Haven, and was employed in the
construction of the railroad to that place, doing
blasting. He saw the first train brought to that
city. In i860 he removed to Westport, where
he engaged in lumbering with Col. Noyes, and
also ran rafts down the west branch of the Sus
quehanna to Marietta and Columbia. Subse
quently he bought a farm of 166 acres in Noyes
township, Clinton county, on which he made
many valuable improvements; was also owner
and proprietor of the "Westport Hotel" for
nineteen years, and at the same time followed
lumbering. Although he has always been a hard
working man, he is still quite active and well
preserved for one of his years, and now makes
his home in Westport. As a Democrat he has
been elected supervisor and overseer of the poor
in his township, and has always faithfully per
formed every duty that devolved upon him,
whether public or private. No man in Clinton
county is held in higher regard, or is more de
serving the respect and confidence reposed in
him. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church
and of Renovo Lodge No. 595, I. O. O. F.

1180

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

On April 24, 1855, at Logan's Mills, Sugar
Valley, John Wr. Robbins was married to Miss
Elizabeth Herman, a native of that Valley, and
a daughter of Michael Herman, a carpenter and
farmer of Logan township, Clinton county.
Three children were born of this union, namely:
James E., the subject of this review; Thomas M.,
postmaster, butcher and merchant of Westport,
who married Vera Kepler, and has two children —
Elizabeth and James E., Jr.; and one child who
died in infancy. The wife and mother was called
to her final rest in September, 1886, and was
buried in Westport. The father was again mar
ried, in 1888, his second union being with Mary
Campbell, a native of Hyner, Chapman township,
Clinton county, and widow of Robert Myers.
Three children grace the second marriage: Floar,
Elizabeth and John.
The subject of this sketch received an ex
cellent" literary education, first attending the
public schools of Westport, later the Allegheny
College for two terms, and in 1880 graduated at
the Central State Normal School "at Lock Ha
ven, after which he entered the law department
of the University of Ann Arbor, Mich., where,
on his graduation in 1882, he was granted the
degree of Bachelor of Law, and was admitted
to practice before the courts of Michigan.
Returning to Westport in that year, he bought
2,200 acres of timber land, and engaged in lum
bering for three years, when, in partnership with
William C. R. Noyes, he purchased 1 1,000 acres,
and together they engaged in the manufacture of
lumber for the same length of time. In 1888
our subject erected a sawmill in Chapman town
ship, Clinton county, at the cost of $4,500,
which he still successfully operates. He is the
owner of 11,000 acres of timber land besides
the old homestead farm in Sugar Valley, and
600 acres of land in the Red River Valley,
Polk county, Minn., which he purchased in
1883. He is one of the most energetic, pro
gressive and reliable business men in the coun
ty, always upright and honorable in all his
dealings, and in consequence he commands the
confidence and respect of all who know him.
On August 9, 1883, Mr. Robbins was mar
ried at Mill Hall, Clinton county, to Miss Mar
garet McMicken, who was born at that place, a
daughter of Joseph and Susan (Sterrett) McMick
en. Her father, who is deceased, was for many
years one of the prominent physicians and highly
esteemed citizens of Mill Hall. Mrs. Robbins
began her education in the schools of that place,
and in 1880 graduated from the Central State
Normal School, after which she successfully
engaged in teaching for several terms in Clin

ton and Cameron counties. She was a most
estimable lady, a leading member of the Pres
byterian Church, a teacher in its Sunday-school,
and was one of the first to make an effort to
secure the erection of a house of worship in
Westport. She died March 31, 1896, mourned
by a large circle of friends and acquaintances
who appreciated her sterling worth. Mr. Rob
bins is also a prominent member of that Church,
has taught in the Sunday-school, served as a
steward, and was a member of the building com
mittee. Fraternally, he is connected with Re
novo Lodge No. 495, F. & A. M. ; the Inde
pendent Order of Odd Fellows; and the Patriotic
Order Sons of America. Although he has never
been an office-seeker, he has served as school
director for nine years, also as clerk of his town
ship, and has ever faithfully performed every duty
of citizenship. His industrial interests have
made him an integral factor in the business life
of his community, his sterling worth has gained
for him prominence in social circles, and he is
uniformly esteemed by old and young, rich and
poor.

r ENRY C. WOLFE. On September 18,
2L 1727, there arrived at Philadelphia, the
good ship "William and Sarah," bearing a large
number of Germans from the Palatinate. Among
these voyagers were Hans Bernard Wolf and
Hans Jerrick Wolf, or in plain English, John
Bernard and John George Wolf. The latter is
presumed to have been a son of the former. At
that time the Valley of the Tulpehocken, in
northern Berks county, was largely settled by
Palatines who had come overland from Scho
harie, N. Y. , where their land titles had been
invalidated by the New York authorities. To
this Valley the Wolfs also made their way, and
becoming members of the little colony accumu
lated property with characteristic German thrift
and enterprise. In 1748 John Bernard Wolf
died leaving an estate, his wife, Eve, and son,
John George, being made his executors. The
latter had several children among whom was
a son, George Wendell, the Union county pio
neer, who was born on the Tulpehocken March
16, 1740. In 1758 he was bound out to one
Jacob Miller to learn the art of cordwaining, and
he afterward carried on his business successfully,
gaining a handsome competence. Nor was he
lacking in patriotism, as he served in the Revo
lutionary army, enrolling himself in 1776 as a
private in Capt. Michael Furrer's Company,
Colonel Patton's Regiment, Berks County Mili
tia. On March 12, 1766, he was married to Ann

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1181

Elizabeth Reid, by whom he had eight chil
dren: (i) Michael, born August 2, 1767, died
in 1847. His wife, Catherine Smith, of Lew
isburg, passed away in 1858. They had twelve
children, among whom were three sons — George,
who died in 1882, aged eighty-three years; Abra
ham, who died in 1878, at the age of seventy-
seven; and Michael, born August 6, 1809, who
married Margaret Engelman, and removed to
Ohio. (2) Magdalena, born December 6, 1768,
married a Mr. Noll before her father's removal
to Union county, and died at her home in Berks
county. (3) Peter, born in 1 77 1 , died in Buffalo
Valley in 1851. He married a Miss Reid, and had
three sons — Peter, Leonard, and Daniel, the lat^
ter going to Ohio. (4) Jacob, born May 29, 1773,
died in 18 14. His wife, Catherine, who survived
him, was a daughter of John Bashore, who was
killed by the Indians in Buffalo Valley in 1778.
She was born June 12, 1772, and married to Jacob
Wolf, March 6, 1796. Their children were:
Catherine, Elizabeth, Jacob, John, Samuel, and
Jonathan. (5) John, born July 17, 1777, mar
ried and moved to Ohio at an early day. (6)
Christian, born in April, 1779, was for some
time engaged in business at Lewisburg as a hat
ter, but in 1807 located at Fayette, Seneca Co.,
N. Y., where he died in 1833. In later years
he entered the ministry and was a prominent sup
porter of Rev. Jacob Albright, the founder of the
denomination known as the ' ' Evangelical Asso
ciation," which is also known as the German
Methodist Church. Christian Wolfe married
Barbara Books, of Buffalo Valley, but their de
scendants are not numerous. (7) Leonard, born
May 2, 1782, married and settled in Ohio. (8)
Andrew, born May 3, 1784, died in Buffalo Val
ley, January 21, 1871. His wife, Anna, who
died in the same year, was a daughter of Martin
Dreisbach, and sister of Rev. John Dreisbach, a
colleague of Rev. Jacob Albright, mentioned
above. All of this family were active and influ
ential workers in the Evangelical Association;
and of the children of Andrew and Anna Wolfe,
two sons. Aaron and Simon, were ministers, and
two daughters married clergymen, Reverends
Benjamin Hess and Henry Rohland, respect
ively. As has been said, George Wendell Wolfe was
a prosperous man, but as old age drew nigh, he
saw that the opportunities for his descendants
were rapidly lessening as the region where he
had settled became more closely populated. De
siring to remove to a newer section where better
provision could be made for them, he disposed of
his Berks county property, and, in 1793, pur
chased from Abraham Mensch about one thou

sand acres of choice land on Turtle creek, in
Union county, a few miles south of Lewisburg.
He himself removed to this estate in 1796, and
his death occurred there March 12, 1826, his
wife following him March 7, 1829. The remains
of both were interred in Dreisbach cemetery.
The late Jonathan Wolfe, son of Jacob Wolfe,
mentioned above, and his wife, Catherine
Bashore, was born in East Buffalo township,
Union county, August 2, 1812, and was one of a
family of six children left fatherless at an early
age. His mother afterward married Jacob Reedy,
and lived at the old farm on the creek which be
came his property in later years, and was a favor
ite home. Times were hard, and at the .age of
thirteen he hired out to Mishalls Lincoln, near
Mifflinburg, for twenty-eight dollars a year, or
fifty cents a week. Soon afterward John Hoy
offered him $5.50 a month, and as Lincoln would
not raise his wages the offer was accepted. He
remained with Mr. Hoy a year, and for a few
months attended a school taught by James Aiken.
Through the latter's voluntary recommendation
he was offered a situation, in 1827, as a clerk in
Joseph Hutchinson's store, where he worked
about two years, but being ambitious to see
more of the world he determined to go to Phila
delphia. He knew no one there, but having
heard of the " Bull's Head Tavern," he inquired
for it on his arrival, found it, asked for work, and
was employed there until he secured a position
as clerk and bookkeeper with Solomon Alter, a
prominent Philadelphia merchant. He advanced
rapidly with Mr. Alter, soon had his entire con
fidence, and largely administered his business.
In May, 1833, he formed a partnership with his
brother, Samuel, under the firm name of S. &
J. Wolfe, and engaged in mercantile business in
Lewisburg. After a time Mr. Alter requested
him to return to Philadelphia and manage his
affairs, and for three years Mr. Wolfe attended
to both lines of enterprise. Later he became in
terested in milling, in which he met with his ac
customed success, and for years he ranked among
the wealthiest men of the county, his credit be
ing practically unlimited. It would be difficult
to mention all the enterprises throughout the
Valley to which he lent a helping hand, sustain
ing them by money and influence until prosperity
was assured.
He was a man of fine sensibilities, and, not
withstanding his lack of suitable educational
privileges in youth, and the pressing cares of
business life, he became well-informed, showing
unusual familiarity with the best literature.
History and the works of the great poets were
his especial favorites, and he could quote exten-

1182

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

sively from Shakespeare and the Bible. For the
light literature of the day he cared nothing, and
it was only when he sat down with some acquaint
ance whose intelligence invited serious conversa
tion that his abilities, his learning, his ready and
apt choice of language, and the charm of his
manner were realized. He was married March
29, 1 837, to Miss Elizabeth Troxell, granddaughter
of George Troxell, one of the first residents of
Lewisburg, and the first to die after the town
was laid out, his death occurring in 1790. He
lived on the corner of Second and St. Catherine
streets, and the house is now one of the few re
maining landmarks of the olden time. Mrs.
Elizabeth Wolfe died May 6, 1876, but Mr.
Wolfe survived until February 26, 1890, when
he passed away in his seventy-eighth year. Five
children are still living: Edwin C. ; Mary Au
gusta, wife of Hon. S. D. Bates; Henry C. ,
whose name appears at the opening of this mem
oir Leon B. ; and Charles J.
Henry C. Wolfe, son of Jonathan Wolfe and
Elizabeth Troxell, was born October 9, 1843.
He grew up amidst the busy scenes of his father's
life, and obtained an accurate knowledge of busi
ness affairs. After completing his literary stud
ies at the Randolph Academy and at Lewisburg
University, now known as Bucknell College, he
took a business course at Eastman's College, at
Poughkeepsie, N. Y. Returning home in 1862,
he clerked in his father's drug store for some
years. In 1872 he became a member of the
flourishing firm of W. D. Himmelreich & Co.,
the firm name being then P. Billmyer & Co.
Here, although a comparatively young man, he
has assisted in operating the most extensive saw
mill and lumber business in Lewisburg. He was
married in 1869 to Miss Sarah Alice Billmyer, a
native of Lewisburg. They have one son, Philip,
who married a granddaughter of Judge Walls.
While Mr. Wolfe is a most competent busi
ness man, he is much more than that — his public
spirit being shown in his active support of pro
gressive movements in his locality. In politics
he is a Democrat.

OHN C. DUNKEL, a wealthy retired agri
culturist residing near.Lewisburg, is the owner
of several fine tracts of farming land in Union
county, one of which has been in the possession
of his family since 1 8 1 1 .
Conrad Dunkei, the grandfather of our sub
ject, in the year named left his early home in
Berks county, Penn., to settle in what is now
Buffalo township, Union county, where he cleared
and improved a farm. He was a natural me

chanic, turning his hand effectively to any kind
of work, and as opportunity came to him he fol
lowed different trades, especially that of carpen
ter. His wife, Susanna Kaufman, to whom he
was married in 1793, accompanied him to the
new home. She died in 1842, at the age of six
ty-eight, and his own death occurred in Lewis
burg three years later. Their remains were first
interred in the Lutheran churchyard at Lewis
burg, but have since been transferred to the fam
ily lot in Dreisbach cemetery in Buffalo township.
They had five children: John, who was born in
1795, died in East Buffalo township, Union
county; George, born in 1800, developed ex
traordinary strength in boyhood, but died at the
age of fourteen from pneumonia, resulting from
a cold caught while fishing; Michael is mentioned
more fully farther on; Maria, born in 1809, mar
ried George Belman, and died in Northumber
land county; and George, born in 18 18, died in
1820. Michael Dunkei, our subject's father, was
born in Maiden Creek township, Berks county,
January 30, 1803, and, coming to Union county
in boyhood, always made his home at the farm
in Buffalo township. He was slightly crippled
in his right arm, as a result of falling from a mill
door in childhood, at the old home in Berks
county, and was somewhat hampered in his choice
of occupations. Twice he began to learn a trade,
but gave up the idea. For a short time he worked
in a woolen-factory in Berks county, and later
spent two years as a clerk in Lewisburg, but
finally settled down to farming, in which he suc
ceeded in gaining a handsome competence. His
methods were slow and sure, speculation being
quite foreign to his disposition and habits. The
old farm came to him by will, but certain obliga
tions to the other heirs had to be met before he
obtained the sole ownership.
He was fond of visiting and very hospitable,
and his wonderful memory made him a most en
tertaining companion. In boyhood he had re
ceived fair educational advantages, which he had
supplemented by reading upon various subjects,
especially the history of our own and other lands.
Politically, he was first a Whig, and then a Re
publican, but while voting regularly, he was not
an office-seeker. In religious work he was active,
being a devout member of the Dreisbach Church,
to which he gave liberally of money and time,
holding various official positions. Although he
had not a particularly powerful physique, his
constitution was good, and he lived to be nearly
ninety years old, and in spite of ten months' suf
fering from a fall, he retained full possession of
his mental faculties to the last. His death oc-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1183

curred December 17, 1893, and his remains now
rest in Dreisbach cemetery. His wife, Eliz
abeth Stitzer, to whom he was married February
16, 1826, was born April 27, 1805, and died
March 6, 1877. Her parents, John and Dorothea
(Dunkleberger) Stitzer, kept a hotel at Mifflin
burg. where they reared a family of eight chil
dren, and Mrs. Dunkei was next to the youngest
of their three daughters.
Eleven children were born to Michael and
Elizabeth Dunkei, five of whom are yet living:
Mary, born February 28, 1827, married Peter
Rangier, of Lewisburg; Samuel, born February
10, 1829, died March 16, 1829; Carolina, born
January 17, 1830, married Levi Gemberling, and
died in Kelly township, Union county; John C.
is mentioned more fully below; Elizabeth, born
May 2, 1835, is the widow of John Ryder, for
merly a hotel keeper at Vicksburg, Penn. ; Su
sannah, born June 5, 1837, died July 27, 1839;
Conrad, born May 15, 1838, died May 16, 1838;
George, born May 15, 1838, died June 19, 1838;
Susanna, born September 6, 1839, is now Mrs.
Adam M. Grove, of Kelly township; Catherine,
born February 19, 1842, married Isaac F.
Brown, of Buffalo township; James* M. , born
April 16, 1845, was killed June 3, 1863, at the
battle of Cold Harbor. He had made repeated
efforts to get into the army, offering himself as a
recruit in every company that went from Lewis
burg, but was rejected. When finally accept
ed he proved himself a good soldier, and fell while
fighting bravely.
The subject of our sketch was born June 26,
1832, at the old homestead, and was educated
mainly in that district, attending first the Mc
Clure school house on Turtle creek. He studied
a short time at Mifflinburg Academy, and had an
excellent chance to obtain an education, but he
did not especially care for study and his father
permitted him to stay at home, where he delight
ed in being around the horses. With his natural
inclination for farm life and his thorough prac
tical training in its details, it is not strange that
Mr. Dunkei should have become one of the lead
ing agriculturists of his county.
On January 3, 1856, Mr. Dunkei took unto
himself a helpmeet, Miss Catherine Dunkei, who
was born October 9, 1833, the youngest daugh
ter of John S. and Leah (Dreisbach) Dunkei, of
Buffalo township, Union county, who reared to
adult age a family of eight children, three sons
and five daughters. After his marriage, Mr.
Dunkei continued to reside at the homestead
until 1887, when he removed to his present lot
of five acres in East Buffalo township, near Sa
lem church. He still owns ninety-eight acres of

the old homestead, and another tract of twenty-
five acres in the same township, besides 140
acres in East Buffalo township, making altogether
more than 300 acres. At one time he owned
property in Kansas, and he has made several
trips to the West. For eighteen years he was
identified with the Grange, but since his retire
ment from active business he has given his atten
tion to other lines of thought. He reads a great
deal, and is fond of good company, in which his
own conversational powers make him thoroughly
at home. On February 21, 1893, Mrs. Dunkei passed
to the unseen world. -Of their six children, five
survive: Mary E. married D. N. App, of Selins
Grove, Pehn. ; Charles E. died at the age of
eighteen; William and James M. reside in Buffalo
township, Union county; Martin L. lives on the
140-acre farm previously referred to, in East Buf
falo township; and Miss Katie S. Dunkei is at
home. Mr. Dunkei believes firmly in the principles
of the Republican party, but in local affairs votes
for the best man, whatever ticket he may be on.
He has served for some time as school director
in East Buffalo township, and held several town
ship offices at his former home. He united with
the Evangelical Church in his youth, and for
thirty-one years was a trustee in Salem Church.
While living in Buffalo township he was for a
time a deacon in Dreisbach Church.

WILLIAM LINCOLN MERTZ, auditor of
Union county, is one of our most pro
gressive and successful agriculturists, and has
been for some years a leading live-stock breeder,
having upon his extensive farm some fine speci
mens of Belgium horses, Registered trotting
horses, Registered Holstein-Friesian cattle, and
Registered English Berkshire hogs. At the re
cent fair at Lewisburg and Milton, he received
the first prize on all stock exhibited, except one
cow, and serious doubt was cast upon that de
cision by circumstances. His business interests
do not prevent Mr. Mertz from giving effective
thought to public affairs, and the public, recog
nizing his ability, has chosen him on occasions
to various posts of duty, where he has served
faithfully and well.
Mr. Mertz was born in East Buffalo town
ship, Union county, July 2, i860, the son of
Henry and Lydia (Aurand) Mertz, who were
both natives of Union county, and lifelong resi
dents there. His paternal grandfather, Jacob
Mertz, coming in an early day from Berks coun
ty, Penn., located in Union county. The later

1184

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

years of himself and wife were passed upon a
farm in East Buffalo township, Union county.
He was a farmer, and also engaged in distilling.
He died April 5, 1859, aged seventy-eight years.
The maternal grandfather, Abraham, and wife
died in that township, their remains being
interred at Lewisburg. All four grandparents
passed away before our subject's birth; and his
parents attained a good old age, the father
breathing his last November 26, 1889, when in
the seventy-fourth year of his age, and the
mother surviving until 1896, both being laid to
rest in the Lewisburg cemetery. They were de
vout members of the Evangelical Church, and
the father, who was a farmer by occupation, was
a steadfast Republican in his political views.
Of their large family of children, our subject
was the youngest. The others were: Mary C. ,
born January 4, 1838, died unmarried. Susanna,
born October 17, 1839, is now the wife of Cyrus
Fetter, of East Buffalo township, Union county.
Sarah Jane, born March 18, 1841, married Chris
tian Leader, but is now deceased. Elizabeth,
born April 18, 1842, and John, born March 4,
1843, both died in childhood. Lucinda, born
April 13, 1844, married C. W. Chappell, a lum
berman and merchant in Cambria county, Penn.,
and has had nine children. Abraham, of East Buf
falo township, born October 13, 1846, married
Lizzie Dolby, and has had five children. Cath
erine, born May 26, 185 1, married Franklin
Kessler, of East Buffalo township, and has had
seven children. Jacob, who resides in the same
township, was born May 8, 1853, married Sallie
Walker, and has one child. Etta A., born No
vember 8, 1854, is the wife of John Richard, of
Sullivan county, Penn. Lydia is the deceased
wife of M. R. Gearhart, a wealthy retired resi
dent of Union township, Union county.
Our subject gave early evidence of mental
ability in his eagerness for an education, and his
effective use of every available opportunity for
advancement in his studies. The local schools
soon proved insufficient for his needs, and in
1878 he spent six months in study in the Univer
sity at New Berlin. Later he studied for three
terms at the Lewisburg Academy, teaching in
vacations, and thus earning money for the prose
cution of his plans. An uncle, Abraham Aurand,
was desirous of having some member of the fam
ily enter the ministry, and, noting our subject's
love of study, determined to educate him for that
calling. Mr. Mertz, who was then about nine
teen, had hardly begun to profit by this kindness
when the uncle died. The latter had tried to
arrange for the future, and, when dying, he
called the young student to his bedside and told

him that he could continue his studies as he was
to be the administrator of the estate and was
provided for. This arrangement failed, however,
owing to the fact that Mr. Mertz had not attained
his majority, so that he was obliged to depend
mainly upon himself for the necessary funds for
any further study.
Mr. Mertz taught school for two terms in East
Buffalo township, Union county, and then, find
ing the occupation uncongenial, he clerked for
ten months for G. K. Swope, in a general store
at Lewisburg. Being strongly urged to resume
the work of teaching, he did so for one term, but
he turned a deaf ear to all entreaties to continue,
and, returning home, he conducted the farm.
He was married August 15, 1882, to Miss Han
nah B. Kunkel, and took his bride to the old
home, but after four years he decided to give up
farming and the next three years were spent in
operating a threshing machine, which he pur
chased in partnership with a brother-in-law, J.
M. Kunkel. He then moved to Northumberland
county, Penh., and, conducted John E. Morgan's
farm for three years, after which he moved to a
farm in White Deer township, Union county, and
remained four years. In the spring of 1897 he
located in Kelly township, Union county, contin
uing there the raising of fine live stock, together
with general farming.
As a citizen, Mr. Mertz is deservedly popular,
and he can always be relied upon to help forward
any movement that promises advantage to his
community. He is a member of the Reformed
Church at Lewisburg; and also belongs to the
White Deer Grange, at New Columbia, White
Deer Alliance No. 400, of White Deer, and the
Royal Arcanum, No. 948, at Lewisburg. In the
local Republican organization he is active and influ
ential, and in November, 1896, he was elected to
the office of county auditor.
Mr. and Mrs. Mertz have an interesting fam
ily of four children: Olive G., born May 13, 1883;
Charles E., July 15, 1886; Mary L., September
15, 1892; and Lester L., March 1, 1896. Mrs.
Mertz was born in East Buffalo township, Union
county, July 31, 1862, the daughter of George
and Mary (Moyer) Kunkel, who were natives of
Dry Valley, and passed their lives in Union
county. The father was a farmer by occupation,
and a steadfast Republican in political faith, and
both parents belonged to the Reformed Church,
their lives giving proof of their devotion to its
teachings. Mr. Kunkel died October 20, 1894,
aged seventy-three, and his wife did not long
survive him, her death occurring June 6, 1895.
Mrs. Mertz was the youngest of six children:
(1) Diana, married Edward Young, a farmer of

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1185

Snyder county, Penn., and died leaving three
children. (2) Michael died at thirteen years of
aSe- (3) Joseph, now a retired resident of
Lindville, Pehn., married Emma Gundy, and
has one child. (4) John M., of Lindville, is still
engaged in the threshing business. He married
Mary Walter, and has one child. (5) George, a
farmer in East Buffalo township, Union county,
married Ella Burge, and has two children.

WW. WOLFE, a prominent resident of
Lewisburg, is a representative of one of
the pioneer families of Buffalo Valley, his great
grandfather, George Wendell Wolfe, having
located there more than a century ago.
The family originated in Germany, and their
history is traced to the time of the arrival of
the ship "William and Sarah," at Philadelphia,
September 18, 1727, with a large company of
emigrants from the Palatinate. On this vessel
was Hans Bernard Wolf and Hans Jerrick Wolf,
or in plain English were John Bernard and
John George Wolf. The latter is presumed to
have been a son of the former. The valley of
the Tulpehocken in northern Berks county was
at that time settled by Palatines who came
overland from Schoharie, N. Y. , where their
land titles had been invalidated by the New
York authorities. The Wolfs pushed their way
also to Tulpehocken, and settled among these
unfortunates. John Bernard Wolf died in 1748.
His executors were his wife and his son, John
George. The latter had among other children a
son George Wendell, born on the Tulpehocken,
March 16, 1740, who in 1758 was bound out to
Jacob Miller to learn the art of cordwaining. On
March 12, 1766, he married Ann Elizabeth Reid.
He was very prosperous in business, and accum
ulated a considerable estate. He served with
credit in the war of the Revolution, entering as
a private in Capt. Michael Furrer's Company,
Colonel Patton's Regiment, Berks County Militia,
on August 27, 1776. [See Pennsylvania Archives,
Vol. XIV, P. 249.] In 1793, when advanced in
years, he disposed of his property in Berks
county and purchased from Abraham Mensch
about 1,000 'acres of fine land in Buffalo Val
ley, in order to locate his children to better
advantage then was possible in his old home, and
himself removed thither in 1796. The estate was
situated on Turtle creek a few miles southwest
of Lewisburg. George Wendell Wolf died there
March 12, 1826, and his wife, Ann Elizabeth, on
March 7, 1829, both being interred in the Dreis
bach cemeterv. Their family consisted of the
following children: (1) Michael, born August 2,
75*

1767, died in 1847. He married Catherine
Smith, of Lewisburg, who died in 1858. They
had twelve children, among whom were three
sons — George, who died in 1882, aged eighty-
three years; Abraham, our subject's father;
Michael, born August 6, 1809, who married Mar
garet Engelman and removed to Ohio. (2) Mag
dalena, born December 6, 1768, married a Mr.
Noll before her father's removal to Buffalo Val
ley, and died at her home in Berks county. (3)
Peter, born in 1771, married a Miss Reid, and
settled in Buffalo Valley, where he died in 185 1.
He had sons, Peter, Leonard, and Daniel, who
went to Ohio. (4) Jacob, born May 29, 1773,.
married Catharine, a daughter of John Bashore,
who was killed by the Indians in Buffalo Valley
in 1778. Jacob died in 18 14, leaving a widow
and children, viz.: Catharine, Elizabeth, Jacob,
John, Samuel and Jonathan. (5) John, born
July 17, 1777, married and removed to Ohio at
an early day. (6) Christian, born in April, 1779,
married Barbara Books, of Buffalo Valley. In
early life he was a hatter, and lived at Lewis
burg, but in 1807 he removed to Fayette, Seneca
Co., N. Y., where he died in 1833, leaving but
few descendants. He was a minister and a prom
inent supporter of the Rev. Jacob Albright, the
founder of the denomination known as the Evan
gelical Association, which is also known as the
German Methodist Church. (7) Leonard, born
May 2, 1782, married and removed to Ohio at
an early day. (8) Andrew, born May 3, 1784,
married Anna Dreisbach, a daughter of Martin
Dreisbach, and settled in Buffalo Valley, where
he died January 21, 1871, his wife passing
away the same year. The family were promi
nent members of the Evangelical Association.
Mrs. Wolf was a sister of Rev. John Dreisbach,
a colleague of the founder of the Church (Rev.
Jacob Albright, 1 796-1 808). Two sons, Aaron
and Simon, were ordained clergymen, and two
daughters were ministers' wives, Revs. Benjamin
Hess and Rohland. respectively.
Abraham Wolfe, the father of our subject,
was born in 1800, and died in 1878, and was
reared in Union county. He became extensively
engaged in agriculture, and was also successful
in general business, accumulating a fine fortune
for that day. In 1859 he returned to Lewisburg
to spend his declining years, and his death oc
curred there. Politically, he was a Democrat,
and for many years he was a leading member of
the Evangelical Church. His first wife, Miss
Herbst, died from typhoid fever in the second
week after their marriage, and he formed a sec
ond union, this time with Miss Elizabeth Hoff
man, who was born near Mifflinburg, December

1186

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

24, 1818, and died October 4, 1850. They had
three children, of whom our subject was the
youngest. Joanna E. married W. P. Thomas,
of Lewisburg; and Hiram M. resides at the old
homestead, a part of the original purchase.
W. W. Wolfe was born in East Buffalo town
ship, Union county, July 15, 1849, and was
reared at Lewisburg, attending the public schools
and the academy, now Bucknell College. Sev
eral years of early manhood were spent in gen
eral mercantile business, but he disposed of this
to engage in the grain and coal business, in which
he has continued. He also represents in Lewis
burg and vicinity several leading insurance com
panies. In 1878 Mr. Wolfe was married to Miss Mary
M. Gaunt, a native of Centre county, born July
17, 1850, whose father, Richard Gaunt, was of
English birth. No children have blessed this
union.

MRS. EMILY A. KEISER, East Buffalo
township, Union county, post office Lewis
burg, Pennsylvania.

ISAAC HUBLER. Among the first actual set
tlers along Turtle creek in Union county were
John and Catherine Hubler, the grandparents of
the venerable gentleman whose history forms the
subject of this biography. He and his brother
came from Northampton county and settled in
the lower end of Penn's Valley, Centre county,
where they lived a number of years. John, find
ing the timber too heavy to clear, sold his tract
and removed to Turtle Creek, Union county.
They settled in 1793 upon the farm which has
ever since been known as the Hubler homestead,
being now occupied by the fourth generation in
direct descent. John Hubler was a large man,
"raw-boned" and vigorous, and after transform
ing his Pennsylvania property from the primitive
state into a habitable farm, he sought new lands
to conquer, making several trips to Ohio, and
purchasing a large tract in Stark county, which
his sons afterward developed. He died in 1845,
aged eighty-two years, and his wife, who was
four years younger than he, survived him only
ten days. She was a member of the Lutheran
Church, but he inclined to the Dunkard faith.
The family burial lot in Dreisbach cemetery con
tains their mortal remains, with those of many
of their descendants. They had five sons — Abra
ham, John, Jacob, Henry and Adam — all of whom
except Henry died in Stark county, Ohio. Of
their four daughters, Mrs. Metz and Mrs. Focht

also died in Ohio. The others, Sally, who mar
ried John Heimbach, of West Buffalo township,
Union county, and Eve, Mrs. Peter Wolfe, both
died in Union county.
Henry Hubler, our subject's father, was born
at the old homestead in January or February,
1 80 1. The nearest school was at Dreisbach
Church, three miles away, and the instruction,
which was entirely in German, was by no means
equal to that given in the average country school
of to-day, so that he had but meagre opportuni
ties for learning. He always made his home at
the old farm, the other boys taking the lands in
Ohio, and he was considered one of the substan
tial agriculturists of the township. Robust and
strong, he did much hard work in his day, but
he was not one to introduce innovations in the
way of scientific methods of management, being
decidedly in favor of following the accepted cus
toms. He kept well within the line of progress,
however, building a new barn in 1847 and a com
fortable brick residence in 1850. In 1857 he
divided the homestead farm, which was a large
one, and on the east half built a brick house and
large bank barn, of which the subject of this
sketch is the owner. He was a man of domestic
tastes, seldom leaving home to visit even with
relatives. Politically he was first a Whig, and
later a Democrat.
In early manhood Henry Hubler was married
near New Berlin, Penn., to Miss Rebecca Heim
bach, a native of what is now Snyder county,
who died in 1877, his own death occurring in
1874. Five children blessed their union: Abra
ham, now a resident of New Berlin; Isaac, our
subject; Jeremiah, who died some years ago at
New Berlin; John, who lives on the west end of
the old homestead; and Thomas, who died in in
fancy. Isaac Hubler's youth was passed at the old
homestead on Turtle creek, where he was born
October 1, 1826. The country was becoming
more thickly settled and, a school having been
built about a mile east of the farm, he attended
there, his first teacher being Jonathan Shout.
Later he studied for three months at Mifflinburg
under the well-known educator, Aaron Fisher,
but at twenty-one his school days ended. In
watching the advancing methods of our modern
schools, with their wide range of studies and
their humane, yet effective modes of maintaining
discipline, he rejoices over the improvement,
realizing its value by contrast with the past. He
remained at home until twenty-six, when he was
married, at Mifflinburg, to Miss Susanna Faust,
a native of Northumberland county, Penn., born
March 14, 1828. Her father, David Faust, was

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1187

twice married, first to Miss Theresa Snyder, Mrs.
Hubler's mother, by whom he had three sons and
two daughters. By his second wife, Mary
Whear, he had one son, William H. The fam
ily resided at Mifflinburg, and Mr. Faust and
both his wives died there.
Mr. Hubler and his bride began housekeeping
at Lewisburg, he being then engaged in business
as a drover, buying his cattle in the West and
and selling them in Buffalo Valley. After two
years he removed to Mifflinburg, where they
lived seven years, Mr. Hubler spending three
years and a half in mercantile business. As his
health was affected disagreeably he gave up this
business, and, in i860, he again engaged in cattle
dealing, continuing about a year. In the spring of
1 86 1 he rented a farm in East Buffalo township,
and after five years there he located on one of his
father's farms on Turtle creek in the same town
ship. At first he rented it, but a year previous
to his father's death he bought it for a home
stead. As advancing years made physical effort
less pleasant than of yore, he has given the act
ive work of the place into the hands of his eldest
son, and, since 1884, he has been entirely free
from business cares. In 1894 he removed to
another residence near Salem Church in the
same township. His farm contains ninety acres
of excellent land, and he owns twenty-five acres
of timberland, and two dwelling houses besides
the homestead.
Of eight children: Thomas J., the eldest, mar
ried Emma Himmelreich; issue, one daughter,
Cora V. John H. died in infancy. Margaret A.
married Emanuel Hoffman, of Mifflinburg, Penn. ;
issue, one daughter, Vesta H. , and one son, Paul
H. James E. married Clara M. Rangier, who
died in January, 1897; issue, one daughter, Eva
May. William B. died in infancy. Ada M. mar
ried Prof. William C. Mauser, of Bloomsburg,
Penn.; issue, Helen B., and Marian E. Sallie
E. married William E. Benner, of Vicksburg;
issue, Mary S. Mazie A. is at home.
Mr. Hubler and his wife are prominent mem
bers of the Lutheran Church, in which he held
the office of elder for twelve years. He was at
one time an active worker in the Farmers Alli
ance, and his influence has always been felt in
local politics. While sympathizing in the main
with Democratic principles, he is not a strict
partisan, and his friends and admirers are to be
found in all classes. He held the office of over
seer of the poor for six years while living in a Re
publican stronghold, and in Mifflinburg he served
one year as a member of 'the city council. In
1858 he was elected brigadier-general by the
Second Brigade, Eighth Division of Pennsyl

vania Militia, his commission being signed by
Gov. Packer, but the breaking out of the Civil
war caused a re-organization of the force.

JACOB HEFFNER. No country has afford
ed greater opportunities to the poor man
than our own; it is indeed the poor man's
country. Here an industrious, frugal man has a
chance to accumulate wealth. Many fail to do
so, but the best of our population lay by some
of their earnings, and soon find themselves in
possession of a handsome property. Among
them is the gentleman whose name introduces
this article, and now, after many years of faith
ful toil, he has laid aside business cares and is
enjoying a well-earned rest at the home of his
son, Jonathan, in Alvira. He is the second old
est man in Gregg township, Union county, and
is ripe in honors as well as years.
Mr. Heffner was born April 10, 1813, in
Berks county, Penn., of which his parents,
George and Mollie (Wentz) Heffner, were also
natives. The father, a farmer by occupation,
was a stalwart Democrat in politics, and both he
and his wife were earnest members of the Lu
theran Church. The paternal grandfather of our
subject, Abraham Heffner, spent his entire life
in Berks county, and the maternal grandmother
died when our subject was but nine days old.
Until he had attained his majority, Mr. Heff
ner remained under the parental roof, and re
ceived his education in the district schools of the
neighborhood. Until nineteen years of age he
gave his father the benefit of his services upon
the home farm, and then began serving a two-
years' apprenticeship at the carpenter's trade,
during which time he was allowed only twelve
days each year during the hay-making and har
vesting season, in which to earn some money for
his own use. On leaving home he lived with a
brother-in-law, JohnSherrer, in Berks county, for
two years and a half, during which time he worked
at his trade for seventy-five cents per day.
In the fall of 1836, the fall in which he was
married, he bought a house and lot in Greenwich
township, Berks county, paying for it $400, into
which he moved April 1, 1837, and lived there
until April 1, 1841. He then started with two
teams for Lycoming county, arriving there on
the 4th of that month. He rented a house for
one year at Somerset, in Brady township. In
1840 he had bought twenty acres of timber land.
During the summer of 1841 he cleared a piece of
ground, and raised his own bread. In the winter
of 1841-42 he built a shanty on his own place,
moving into it on April 1, 1842. That summer

1188

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

he built a house. In 1846 he added to his twenty
acres fifty-seven acres from the same tract, all
woodland, which he purchased. In 1847 he
built a barn, doing all of the work himself except
the framing of it and raising the building. He
also did all of the work on the house. He worked
this farm until i860. He next lived for seven
years in Washington township, the same county,
but at the end of that time returned to Brady
township, and then, in 1877, came to Alvira,
Gregg township, Union county. Upon the death
of his wife, however, he returned to Lycoming
county, and made his home with his daughter
Sarah for five years, but since that time has lived
with his son in Alvira.
On October 20, 1836, in Berks county, Mr.
Heffner was married to Miss Sarah Sherrer, who
was born in that county, March 11, 18 18, and
departed this life October 24, 1882, beloved by
all who knew her. Her parents, Michael and
Catherine (Neece) Sherrer, spent their entire
lives in Berks county, where her father followed
the occupation of farming. In their family were
six children, namely: John; Daniel; Polly, who
married Abraham Spoon; Elizabeth, who became
the wife of Jonathan Deitrick; Catherine, who
married John Deitrick, a cousin of her sister's
husband; and Sarah, the wife of our subject, who
was laid to rest in the Messiah Church cemetery
in Gregg township, Union county.
To Mr. and Mrs. Heffner were born the fol
lowing children: (1) Catherine is the wife of
Harrison Bower, a farmer of Lycoming county,
and has two children — Lloyd and Laura. (2)
Diana is the wife of John Wert, of Illinois, and
has one child, Lula. (3) Susan is the widow of
Samuel McLeas, and makes her home in Will
iamsport, Penn. She has four children — Emma,
Katie, William and Warden. (4) Mary A., of
Selins Grove, Penn., is the widow of William
Gardner, and the mother of three children — Rosa,
Oden and Minnie. (5) Hettie A., twin sister of
Mary A., wedded Eli Moller, but both are now
deceased. They had three children — Anna, Irvin
and Jennie. (6) Jonathan, a farmer of Alvira,
married Eliza Wertz, and has four children —
Sarah E., William H., John W. and Arthur A.
(7) Savilla is the wife of A. A. Witmer, of Alvira,
and has three children — Howard, Edith and Aus
tin. (8) Elizabeth is the deceased wife of Fred
erick Binger, of Maryland. (9) William, also a
resident of Maryland, wedded May Linthicum,
and has four children. (10) Jacob is a carpenter
of South Williamsport, Lycoming county, (n)
Sarah is the wife of David Bangest, of Rinktown,
Schuylkill Co., Penn., and has seven children —
Amandus, Anna, Cora, Oscar, Edith, Mary and

Bessie. (12) George is a carpenter in Pittsburg,
Penn. (13) Charles, who is also a carpenter of
that city, married Barbara Clark, and has one
son, Oden. Our subject now has thirty-two
grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren.
Since casting his first Presidential vote for
Martin Van Buren Mr. Heffner has been a pro
nounced Democrat in politics, but has never
cared for official distinction, although he served
as supervisor in Lycoming county. At the age
of eighteen he joined the German Reformed
Church, of which he has since been a consistent
member, and as elder, deacon and trustee took
an active part in its work until failing health
caused his retirement. Although he has reached
the age of eighty-five, his eye-sight is good and
his hand steady, and, being a great reader, he is
one of the best informed men of Gregg township,
taking an active interest in the leading questions
and issues of the day. The success that he has
achieved in life is due entirely to his own efforts,
and by his industry, perseverance and good man
agement he accumulated a comfortable compe
tence, which now enables him to lay aside busi
ness cares. In 1847 he was one of several who
bought an acre of ground and assisted in building
the Messiah Church. He was one of the first
deacons of that Church, and served as an elder in
the same for sixteen years, as a trustee six years
and as treasurer over twenty years.

EMMANUEL WOLFE, a veteran of the Civil
 >/ war, and one of the leading citizens of East
Buffalo township, Union county, is the owner of
an excellent farm which has been brought to a
high state of cultivation under his judicious man
agement. Mr. Wolfe is a member of a well-known fam
ily which is mentioned frequently in this volume,
and his parents, Leonard and Mary (Treaster)
Wolfe, were highly respected residents of East
Buffalo township. His birth occurred there Feb
ruary 15, 1837, and his schooling was of the
primitive sort, being confined to the irregular
sessions in his district. It was not possible for
him to take full advantage even of these privi
leges, as his help was needed on the farm in-
winter as well as in summer, the old fashioned
method of threshing giving him many days of
work of which the modern farmer's boy knows
nothing. The wholesome country life gave com
plete development to his strength, and in early
manhood he was noted for his fine physique, his
tall and well-proportioned frame, six feet in
height, carrying his 225 pounds with ease. His
reputation for courage and muscular power would

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1189

have kept him almost constantly engaged in
fights with the " bullies " of the neighborhood if
he had not been of a peaceable disposition. As
it was, one desired to wrestle with him would
usually be obliged to provoke him by some in
solent words or acts before Mr. Wolfe would
join in a "friendly tussle," which invariably
ended in the discomfiture of his opponent. He
was still at home when the Civil war broke out,
and in August, 1862, he enlisted in Company
E, .142nd P. V. I., under Capt. J. Merrill Linn.
His first battle came on December 13, 1862, at
Fredericksburg, and soon afterward he was de
tailed as a teamster, a position which required
not only a thorough knowledge of driving, but an
ability to act with prompt and self-reliant energy
in unforeseen emergencies. He remained in the
service until the close of the war, and on receiv
ing an honorable discharge returned home to as
sist his father on the farm. On March 31, 1872,
he married his first wife, Miss Kate Glase, daugh
ter of Samuel Glase, of Buffalo township, Union
county, but continued to reside at the home
stead. His present farm near Cowan was pur
chased, in 1875, from David Heiser, and since
1876 he has made his home there, many improve
ments having been made during the time. The
residence has been remodeled and a commodious
barn erected. In 1876 Mrs. Kate Wolfe died,
her remains being laid to their final rest in the
cemetery at Lewisburg. The two sons of this
union, Charles and John, now relieve their fa
ther of the active work of the farm, and are
ranked among the most promising: young men of
the locality. In 1877 Mr. Wolfe married his
present wife, Miss Fannie Young, a native of
Buffalo township, who is now one of the active
members of the Lutheran Church at Cowan.
Since the war Mr. Wolfe's health has not been
as robust as before, and about five years ago he
relinquished the plowing and other manual labor.
His past industry and frugality have won him a
comfortable competence, several thousand dol
lars being laid aside for a "rainy day." He is
kind hearted, and his quiet, unassuming manners
show the reserve force in a character which has
won the respect of all who know him. Politic
ally he is a stanch Republican, but he has never
been a candidate for office, all invitations to take
a place on the ticket having been declined.

JOHN WOLFE, a veteran of the Civil war,
living retired in Lewisburg, is now enjoying
a comfortable competence which he accu
mulated by his own perseverance and industry.
He is a representative of one of the old and hon

ored families of Unioncounty, where he was born
November 2, 1823. His paternal grandparents
were Peter and Elizabeth Wolfe, who made
their home in this locality at a very early day in
its history. Leonard Wolfe, the father, whose birth oc
curred in East Buffalo township, Union county,
February 8, 1797, there grew to manhood and
was married January 21, 1821, to Anna M. Tros-
ter, who was born in New Berlin, Penn., August
10, 1 801, and was a daughter of Martin and
Catharine Troster. For some time her parents
resided at'Supplee's Mill, in East Buffalo town
ship, but later removed to Ohio, where they
spent their remaining days. The mother of our
subject died July 1, 1862, and the father, who
was a farmer by occupation, departed this life at
the home of his daughter, Elizabeth, February
12, 1875. Both were laid to rest in the ceme
tery at Lewisburg.
In the family were nine children, namely:
Elizabeth, born June 14, 1821, married John
Brown, and died in East Buffalo township; John
is next in order of birth; Daniel, born February
8, 1826, died in Kansas; Mary A., born March
17, 1828, wedded Simon Gundy, and died in
Watsontown, Penn.; Catherine, born June 13,
1830, died March 4, 1837; Samuel, born June
27, 1832, died March 18, 1837; Martin, born
August 2, 1834, died February 28, 1837; Eman
uel, born February 15, 1837, is a resident of
Union county; and Magdalena, born August 5,
1839, is the widow of William Wolfe, and is liv
ing near Washingtonville, Pennsylvania.
John Wolfe spent the first twelve years of
his life upon the farm where his birth occurred,
and then accompanied his parents on their re
moval to another farm in East Buffalo township,
but after a few years there passed, the father
purchased the former place, where our subject
remained until several years after his marriage.
As he was the eldest son, and his services were
needed at home, his school training was neces
sarily very limited.
On March 14, 185 1, Mr. Wolfe was married
to Miss Leah E. Gundy, who 'was born in East
Buffalo township, September 14, 1831, and is the
oldest child of Capt. Jacob and Tachel (Zent-
meyer) Gundy. At her birthplace she was reared
and married, and her knowledge of a hickory
broom or a milk pail was much more thorough
than that of geography, as there were only two
books of that kind in the school which she at
tended to a limited extent. Of the five children
born to Mr. and Mrs. Wolfe, Jacob is now a
resident of Lewisburg; Nathaniel and William
died in infancy; John G. died at the age of five

1190

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

years; and Rachel is the wife of Ferdinand Lin-
dig, of Lewisburg.
For five years after his marriage Mr. Wolfe
continued to reside upon his father's farm, and
the following year was passed upon another farm
in East Buffalo township, but since that time he
has occupied his present residence at Five Points
in Lewisburg. On March 4, 1865, he enlisted
in Company I, 92d P. V. I., under Capt. Hess,
and served until the close of the war, being for a
part of the time confined by illness in the hos
pital at Columbus, Ohio. On his return to
Lewisburg he followed teaming and farming until
1894, when he laid aside business cares. He
has never fully recovered from a stroke of par
alysis; but now, in his declining days, he is sur
rounded by all of the comforts and many of the
luxuries of life, which have been obtained by his
former years of toil. He has always affiliated
with the Republican party, and with the Lutheran
Church he and his estimable wife both hold
membership.

JACOB BOWER was for many years one of
the most active, energetic and progressive
farmers of Gregg township, Union county,
but is now practically living retired, enjoying the
prosperity which he secured by his early labors.
He was born April 12, 1816, in Washington
township, Lycoming county, Penn. , and through
out his entire life he has been prominently iden
tified with the growth and development of this
section of the State. He well remembers when
it was almost an unbroken wilderness, infested
by wild animals, and, in common with other
pioneers, he shared the hardships and trials inci
dent to frontier life.
Henry and Elizabeth (Wertzler) Bower were
both natives of Berks county, Penn., but became
acquainted and were married in WEite Deer
township, Union county, then a part of Lycom
ing county. Both died in Lycoming county, the
father in 1866, at the age of eighty-two years,
six months and six days, the mother in February,
1836, at the age of sixty-three, and were buried
at Brick Church, Clinton township, and Stone
Church, Brady township, respectively. They
were consistent members of the Lutheran Church,
and in politics the father was a Democrat. By
occupation he was a farmer. In their family
were the following children: Jonathan, who was
killed by the cars at Montgomery, Penn. ; Abra
ham, also deceased; Mary A., widow of Aaron
Wetzell, and a resident of Gregg township, Union
county; Jacob, of this sketch; Sarah, widow of
Peter Swartz, a farmer of Dakota; Elizabeth,

deceased wife of John Huntington, a resident of
New Mexico; and Lydia, who died unmarried.
The father and several of his brothers participated
in the war ofi8i2. They were the sons of John
and Elizabeth (Bohn) Bower, who were born in
Berks county and died in Lycoming county. The
maternal grandfather of our subject, Jacob
Wertzler, passed away at Reading, Pennsylvania.
Jacob Bower resided with his parents until
the age of twenty-one, and during this time
worked upon his father's farm in Washington
-to^iship, Lycoming county, and attended the
subscription schools for three months each win
ter. He then went to Blackhole, the same
township, where he was employed by his brother-
in-law, Peter Swartz, in a distillery, for twelve
years, at $10 per month, which was considered
good wages at that time. With that gentleman
he went to Clearfield county, Penn., in 1846,
and there engaged in the manufacture of square
timber, and floated the same down the river dur
ing the next decade. While in that county they
purchased a sawmill, which they successfully op
erated for eleven years, but at the end of that
time Mr. Bower removed to Rush township,
Centre county, Penn., where he resided until his
removal to his present homestead in Gregg town
ship, Union county, in 1866.
In Morris township, Clearfield county, Mr.
Bower was married to Miss Elizabeth Haas, who
was born in Moreland township, Lycoming coun
ty, October 26, 1824, a daughter of John and
Mary (Baker) Haas, who spent almost their en
tire lives in Northumberland county, Penn.,
where the father died in 1828, after which Mrs.
Bower lived with Peter Swartz. She was the
youngest of four children, the others being Wash
ington and Da'niel, who died in the West;
Charles, also deceased. Her paternal grand
father, Peter Haas, also died in Northumberland
county. Six children blessed the union of Mr.
and Mrs. Bower, namely: John H, born
July 30, 185 1, in Danville, Penn., married
Maggie Gulich, and has four children —
Emma. Miriam, Elizabeth and Charles. (2)
Abraham S., born October 6, 1853, is a
farmer of Gregg township, Union county.
He married Hannah Gross, by whom he had two
children — Retta and Elizabeth, both now de
ceased. (3) Lydia E., born in Centre county,
May 3, 1855, is the wife of J. S. Houser, who
operates the old Bower homestead, where our
subject now resides. (4) Charles W. , born Feb
ruary 5, 1857, is a lumberman of Allenwood,
Unioncounty. He married Tilla Kolbe, and has
two children — Francis E. and George M. (5)
Mary M., born January 16, 1859, is the wife of

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1191

William Houser, a carpenter of Gregg township,
who is a brother of J. S. Houser, mentioned
above. They have one son — Franklin B. (6)
Benjamin F. , born August 23, 1863, is engaged
in farming near Milton, Penn. He married Mrs.
Elizabeth (Huff) Marsh, widow of Jacob Marsh,
by whom she had three children — Florence N. ,
who is still with her mother; and Kate and Will
iam, deceased. By her marriage to Mr. Bower
she has four children — Mary, Jacob, Willard and
Homer. Mr. Bower is the oldest member of the Grange
in Union county, being a charter member of
Spring Garden Grange No. 32. His first Presi
dential vote was cast for John Buchanan, but he
is independent in politics, always supporting the
man whom he considers best qualified to fill the
office, regardless of party ties. He is a faithful
member of the Baptist Church, and has served
as collector of the congregation to which he has
belonged for the past twenty years. Ever a hard
working, industrious man, he accumulated con
siderable property, and his success was entirely
due to his own well-directed efforts. He enjoys
the respect and confidence of his fellow-men in
the highest degree, and has made many warm
friends since coming to Union county.

LEVI CROMLEY. An old-time settler in
 1 this region would find little to remind him
of former days if he could come back again.
Dense forests have given way to well-tilled farms,
busy cities with their factories, schools and
churches would meet his wondering gaze, and
even the familiar turnpike roads of his day, which
probably seemed to him then the limit of prog
ress, has been almost superseded for the purpose
of traffic by the iron rails that uphold the rail
road locomotive. The good old inns, at which
the weary traveler along the "pike" could find
rest and refreshment, have fallen into decay or
have been changed out of all resemblance to the
places that he once knew, and we caft imagine
the delight of finding here and there a landmark
like the old hotel at Lewisburg, which has been
used as a hostelry for so many years.
The old turnpike once ran by its hospitable
doors, but at present it faces on the east the
Reading railroad on Market street. Its proprie
tor, Levi Cromley, who was born in Miles town
ship, Centre county, Penn., September 12, 18 17,
has himself seen many changes in this section,
and can give many interesting reminiscences of
old times. His grandfather, Francis Cromley, a
German by birth, was one of the pioneers of
Brush Valley, and with his wife, who was Miss

Springer, from England, passed his last years
there. Their son Jacob, our subject's father, became
a leading business man of Centre county, owning
and operating a sawmill and carding machine,
and conducting his large farm. He married Mol-
lie KHne, daughter of Jacjob Kline, who was also
a pioneer of Centre county. They first united
with the German Reformed Church, but later
became Methodists, in which faith they died, the
wife at the age of eighty, the husband at eighty-
three. They had ten children: John, who died
in boyhood; Jacob, now a resident of Wayne
Station, Clinton Co., Penn.; Catherine, deceased;
George, who lives in .East Buffalo township,
Union county; Levi, our subject; Sarah, who
married Samuel Snyder, of Centre county; Har
riet, a resident of Woodward, Penn. ; Mary, who
lives near Rebersburg, Centre county; Beckie,
deceased; and Philip, who died at the age of
seventy-five. Levi Cromley spent his early life in Brush
Valley, but at twenty-eight, having thoroughly
learned the tailor's trade, he started out to see
what fortune had in store for him. After one
year in Richland, Ohio, he returned to his na
tive State and located in New Berlin, Union
county, where he followed his trade about thirty
years. He then engaged in the hotel business,
and after some experiments purchased his pres
ent hotel, of which he took possession March
27, i860.
Mr. Cromley was married, in New Berlin, to
Miss Mary Beauford, and eight children have
brightened his home: (1) Sarah married H.
Cornelius, of Lewisburg, and has two children —
Minnie and Maurice. (2) Jacob died at the age
of seventeen. (3) Rebecca was twice married;
by her first union she had one son, Robert; her
second husband was John Fleesman. (4) Will
iam, the proprietor of a tin shop at Lewisburg,
married Miss Alta McPherson, and has four chil
dren — Roy, Laird, Lee, and John. (5) Anna
married a Mr. Lewis> and has four children —
Nellie, May, George, and Florence. (6) Thomas,
born in 1867, died in 1880. (7) Charles, born
in 1865, resides in Lewisburg. He married Miss
Weingardner, and has three children — Elizabeth,
Levi, and one whose name is not given. (8) J.
Newton, born January 21, 1 871, is now one of
the most popular and influential young men of
the city of Lewisburg, and has already achieved
a degree of prominence in political circles, which
speaks well for his future, being at present a
member of the Republican Central Committee.
He was educated in the public schools of Lewis
burg, and at an early age assumed the manage-

1192

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ment of the hotel, relieving his father of the
cares which advancing years made a burden.
He is an active member of the order of Knights
of the Golden Eagle, in which he has passed all
the chairs, and he is now the assistant chief of
the Lewisburg Fire Company. His wife, for
merly Miss Martha McKaney, is a native of
Columbia county, Penn., born September 16,
1873, and they have two children — Warren and
Marguerite.

KARTIN D. WOLFE. It is now more
_ than a hundred years since the family to
which this well-known citizen belongs became
identified with Union county, and its various
members have won for the name an enviable dis
tinction by their intelligence and worth. This
high reputation is in no wise diminished in this
generation, and our subject, who is counted
among the leading agriculturists of two town
ships, displays in a marked degree the admirable
characteristics which the name suggests. An ex
tended account of the earlier generations is given
elsewhere, much of the information being ob
tained from records'and papers which have been
preserved by our subject. As the youngest son
in his branch of the family the duty devolved
upon him, in accordance with an old family cus
tom, to hold these treasures for transmission to
future generations. The data in his possession
having been so fully given it will suffice here to
indicate the line of descent from John Bernard
Wolf, the founder of the family in America,
through John George Wolf to George Wendell
Wolfe, our subject's grandfather.
Andrew Wolfe, the youngest son of George
Wendell and Elizabeth (Reid) Wolfe, and the
father of our subject, was born in Berks county,
Penn., May 3, 1784, and was twelve years old
when his parents came to this section. His edu
cational privileges were few, but a naturally clever
mind enabled him to acquire a goodly store of in
formation. His training in arithmetic had been
entirely mental, but he could work problems with
ease and accuracy by this method. He was
especially well versed in the Scriptures, and in
his younger days was a minister in the Evan
gelical Church, in which he afterward continued
to be an active member. He was a large man,
five feet, eleven inches in height, and weighed
about 200 pounds, and enjoyed excellent health.
Fear was unknown to him, and he never hesitated
to venture out at any time of night to find out the
cause of a disturbance. Genial and fond pf com
pany, his home was a pleasant place to visit, his
ample means permitting him to extend a gen

erous hospitality. His extensive reading included
all questions of importance in politics and gov
ernment, and he took keen interest in national
issues, first as a Democrat, and later as a Re
publican, joining that party on its organization.
At one time he held the office of supervisor in
his township.
On June 5 , 1 809, Andrew Wolfe was married to
Miss Anna Eve Dreisbach, who was born June 20,
1792, the daughter of Martin and Sophia (Bucks)
Dreisbach, early settlers in Buffalo township,
Union county. Previous to his marriage he had
followed the hatter's trade, but he afterward lo
cated in Buffalo township on a farm bought at a
sheriff's sale, it being then a part of Northumber
land county. He died January 21, 1871, and
his wife followed him on June 3, of the same
year, the remains of both being buried in Dreis
bach cemetery.
They reared a large family of .children, each
of whom received a fair share of their father's
wealth as they left the parental roof for homes
of their own: (1) Elizabeth, born August 30,
1 810, was married May 7, 1829, to Jacob Ritter,
and died in Buffalo township, January 14, 1846,
her interment taking place in Dreisbach ceme
tery. (2) Anna, born September 11, 181 1, was
married in Union county, March 4, 1845, to
Rev. Benjamin Hess, an Evangelical minister.
They removed to Stephenson county, 111. , where
she died March 4, 1861. (3) Rebecca, born
March 20, 1813, was married January 28, 1845,
to the late Elias Orwig. She now resides in
Hartleton, Penn. (4) Simon, born February 22,
181 5, followed farming until he was twenty-five,
when he entered the ministry of the Evangelical
Church. After thirty years of service he became
a clergyman in the Reformed Church, and he
died in that faith December 23, 1890, at Mc
Connellsburg Penn. (5) Martin, born November
4, 18 16, died October 11, 1820. (6) Leah, born
August 21, 1 8 1 8, was married February 1 1 , 1 844,
to Henry Rohland, an Evangelical minister, now
deceased. She resides at Freeport, 111. (7)
Aaron, born August 5, 1820, was at one time a
minister in Union county. Later he moved to
Stephenson county, 111. , and engaged in farming,
and now is a banker in Freeport, 111. He was
married December 10, 1844, to Miss Mary A.
Sankey. (8) Andrew Wolf, Jr., born July 28,
1822, moved to Freeport, 111., was a farmer, and
died there, May 2, 1868; his wife was Sarah
Herb. (9) Sarah, born September 10, 1824,
was married February 13, 1845, to Abram Eyer,
and died at New Berlin, Penn., in 1876. (10)
Mary, born October 4, 1826, married Isaac Eyer,
Jr., and died in Lewisburg, Penn., November

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1193

6, 1888. (1 1) George Jackson, born October 22,
1828, is a dealer in implements at Lewisburg.
(12) Susannah, born March 25, 1831, died Octo
ber 3, 1842.
Martin D. Wolfe, the thirteenth of this large
family of children, was born March 10, 1833,
and attended, during his boyhood, the schools
near his home, his first term being at Buffalo
Cross Roads school house. No more earnest
friend of better education for the masses can be
found to-day than he, as his own limited oppor
tunities have made him sympathize with all youths
who desire to obtain knowledge. He and his
brother, George Jackson, remained at home
longer than the others on the understanding that
they were to have the refusal in purchase of the
farm. When he was eighteen, Mr. Wolfe
began to operate the place for one-half of the
proceeds, and continued this plan either with his
brother or father until the death of the latter,
when our subject became the sole owner.
On January 8, 1878, he was married in East
Buffalo township to Mrs. Ada Koonse, nee Fred
erick, widow of Henry A. Koonse, and daughter
of Jacob and Elizabeth (Dunkle) Frederick.
Her parents, who were married September 15,
1842, were both natives of East Buffalo town
ship. Her father was born January 9, 1822, the
son of Philip and Christiana (Brown) Frederick,
and became a prominent citizen, engaging in
business as a farmer and cattle dealer. He was
a Republican politically, and he and his wife
united many years ago with the Evangelical
Association. He died January 27, 1880, and his
remains lie buried in the Dreisbach cemetery.
His wife, a daughter of John and Leah (Dreis
bach) Dunkle, was born November 15, 1820,
and since 1881 has made her home with our sub
ject. She has two daughters, of whom Mrs.
Wolfe is the younger. Susanna, born December
4, 1843, is the wife of Henry G. Swartz, of Phil
adelphia. Mrs. Wolfe was born September 17, 1845,
and after attending the district schools of her na
tive township for a time, completed her educa
tion at a female seminary in Philadelphia. Her
intelligent conversation and kindly manners made
her a most agreeable companion. By her first
marriage she had two children: Charles, born
November 23, 1869, now an attorney at Youngs-
town, Ohio; and Mary, born October 13, 1874,
who possesses rare talent and skill as an artist,
and is now an instructor in an art school in Phil
adelphia. Three children have blessed our sub
ject's marriage: Anna Eve, who lived only twen
ty-two months; Emma, who died May 1, 1896,
aged fourteen years, seven months and twenty-

seven days; and Andrew (the third), born No
vember 9, 1885, who is at home. '
After Mr. Wolfe's marriage he resided one
year at Lochiel P. O., Union county, and then
settled upon the old homestead in Buffalo town
ship. In the spring of 1890 he moved to his
present farm, the old Frederick homestead in
East Buffalo township, on the pike, two miles
and a half west of Lewisburg, where he has an
elegant residence. These are both fine estates,
and under his able management rank among the
best in the county. He stands high in the com
munity, and wields much influence in a quiet way.
Politically, he is a stanch Republican, having
given his support to the party since his first vote,
which was cast for John C. Fremont, for Presi
dent.

m BRAHAM MERTZ, one of the most thor-
1$L ough and skillful agriculturists of East Buf
falo township, is a worthy representative of one
of the honored pioneer families of Union county,
where his grandfather, Jacob Mertz, located at an
early day, coming here from Berks county, Penn.
He engaged in farming and also in distilling, when
that business was very common in Union county.
He died April 5, 1859, at the ripe old age of
seventy-eight years, and his remains were in
terred in the old portion of the Lewisburg cem
etery. Jacob Mertz was twice married, but all of his
children were born of the first union, and were as
follows: John, who died in Lewisburg; Henry,
the father of our subject; Peter, who migrated
to Kansas; Barbara and Susan, who died unmar
ried; Mary, who became the wife of Henry
Hawes, and died in Lewisburg; Catharine, who
married Peter Aurand, and died at the same
place; Elizabeth, who married David Smith, and
died in East Buffalo township; Mrs. Peggie Van-
dergrift, who died in Milton, Penn. ; and Mrs.
Sarah Fetter, a resident of Illinois.
Henry Mertz spent his entire life upon the
old homestead at Mertz Cross Roads, on the
Furnace Road, in Union county, dying there just
one month previous to his seventy-fourth birth
day, in November, 1889. He was a tall, well-
built and powerful man, possessing much more
strength than any of his sons, and was a farmer
by occupation. An enterprising, industrious man
and good citizen, he had the respect and esteem
of all who knew him.
In 1837, Henry Mertz was united in marriage
with Miss Lydia, a daughter of Abraham Aurand,
who also belonged to one of the old and honored
families of Union county. Her death occurred

1194

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

February 5, 1896, and she was laid by the
side of her husband in the Lewisburg cem
etery. In their family were the following
children: Mary C, born January 4, 1838, died
unmarried; Susanna, born October 17, 1839, is
now the wife of Cyrus Fetter, of East Buffalo
township, Union county; Sarah Jane, born March
18, 1 84 1, married Christian Leader, but is now
deceased; Elizabeth, born April 18, 1842, and
John, born March 4, 1843, both died in child
hood; Lucinda, born April 13, 1844, is the wife
of C. W. Chappell, of Cambria county, Penn. ;
Abraham is next in order of birth; Catharine,
born May 26, 1851, is the wife of Franklin Kess
ler, of East Buffalo township; Jacob, born May 8,
1853, makes his home in Turtleville, Penn. ; Etta
A., born November 8, 1854, is the wife of John
Richard, of Sullivan county, Penn.; Lydia E.,
born October 8, 1857, is the deceased wife of
G. M. Gearhart; and William L., born July 2,
i860, is a resident of White Deer township;
Union county. The parents were both faithful
members of the Evangelical Church, while the
father was a stanch Republican in politics, and
acceptably filled some minor offices.
Upon the old homestead in East Buffalo
township, along the Furnace road, Abraham
Mertz was born October 13, 1846, was there
reared in the usual manner of farmer boys, and
in the schools of the neighborhood secured his
education, Maria Thompson being among his first
teachers. During his youth he worked many
summers for farmers of that locality, as the fam
ily was large, and his services were not needed
at home, but the winter months he spent under
the parental roof.
On October 16, 1877, Mr. Mertz was married
to Miss Lizzie Dolby, a native of Northumber
land county, Penn., and a daughter of Christian
Dolby. Five children have been born to them:
William C, born May 9, 1878, died December
29, 1890; and Lottie M., born November 12,
1881, Charles M., born December 16, 1883,
Emma E., born October 2, 1886, and Blanche J.,
born April 12, 1892, are all at home. For the first
six years after his marriage, Mr. Mertz lived on
his father's farm, and then removed to Dry
Valley, where he rented land for three years.
For the following two years he resided in West
Buffalo township, near Forest Hill, but since the
spring of 1888 has lived on the Baron Miller
farm, one of the finest in central Pennsylvania.
Although he is operating rented land, he owns a
home and small farm in East Buffalo township,
and is acknowledged to be one of the best and
most progressive farmers of the community, as
his long retention as manager of his present

farm would indicate. Upright and honorable in
all the relations of life, no man has ever doubted
"Abe" Mertz' word, and he is held in the high
est regard by all who know him. In his political
affiliations he is a Republican, and, religiously,
he and his estimable wife are members of the
Evangelical Church.

JOSEPH ZIEBER, one of the most industri
ous and thrifty farmers of Limestone town
ship, Union county, is a native of the
county, born November 9, i860, in what is now
Beaver township, then Adams. His paternal
great-grandfather, Daniel Zieber, was a native
of Germany, and with his brother crossed the
Atlantic to America, but they became separated
soon after landing, Daniel coming to Pennsyl
vania. All trace of the brother has been lost.
Daniel Zieber, the father of our subject, was
born on a farm in Middle Creek township, Sny
der Co., Penn., in June, 181 1, a son of Daniel
Zieber, who died at Smith Grove, that county.
For a time after his marriage the former rented
land in Snyder county, but later purchased a
farm there, and, in connection with agricultural
pursuit, also engaged in the distillery business
and in stock-raising. A hard-working, energetic
man, he labored night and day for many years,
engaging in threshing or at anything at which he
could make an honest dollar, and, although he
started out in life in limited circumstances, he
became quite prosperous, owning over 450
acres of valuable land. He was a stanch Re
publican in politics, and a consistent member of
the Reformed Church. He died in April, 1895,
at the age of eighty-three years, ten months and
seven days, and was laid to rest in the cemetery
at Troxelville. The father was twice married, his first wife
being a Miss Gemberling, by whom he had the
following children: Samuel, now a resident of
Michigan; Hannah, widow of Jacob Nearhood,
of Troxelville, Penn. ; Mary, wife of John Getz,
of Adamsburg, Penn. ; Elizabeth, who married
Aaron Cromley, and died in Hillsdale, Indiana
Co., Penn.; and Catharine, widow of Joseph
Gotschall, of Mifflinburg. In Snyder county,
Mr. Zieber was again married, his second union
being with Miss Elizabeth Weller, a native of
that county, and a daughter of Jacob Weller.
She still resides on the old homestead farm in
Snyder county, at the age of seventy-eight years,
and is the mother of nine children: Sophia, and
John, both residents of Snyder county; Daniel,
of Mifflin county, Penn. ; Jacob, who operates
the old home farm; Alvina, who died in infancy;

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1195

Susan, now the wife of Henry Hassinger, of
Bennerville, Penn.; Wilson, of Pawnee Rock,
Kans.; Joseph and Frederick L., of Snyder
county. Each winter during his boyhood Joseph Zie
ber attended school for a few months, but his
studying was mostly done at home, where he
"burned much midnight oil." His father being
an excellent manager, he found plenty of work
for his boys to do, leaving little time for idleness.
At the age of twenty-two our subject left home,
going to Bellevue, Ohio, where he worked as a
farm hand for two years at $20 per month, but
at the end of that time he returned to Mifflinburg,
Penn., and engaged in farming with his brother-
in-law, Mr. Gotschall, for a time. Later he fol
lowed teaming for almost a year, and subse
quently was in the agency business, selling bug
gies and patent rights.
At the age of twenty-five Mr. Zieber was mar
ried to Miss Clara Rishel, a native of Mifflinburg
and a daughter of George Rishel. They now
have three children: Henry W., who is attending
school; and Frederick L. and George R., at
home. On March 11, 1890, the family removed
to their present home, where Mr. Zieber pur
chased sixty-six acres of good farming land of
Len Klose, trading his town property for the
place. He has since successfully engaged in agri
cultural pursuits, and is regarded as one of the
most thorough, skillful and reliable farmers of
Limestone township. Being a great reader,
he has become well posted on the leading ques
tions of the day, and in politics he is an ardent
Republican. While a member of the Reformed
Church, he and his wife attend the Methodist
Church, to which she belongs, and in social
circles they occupy an enviable position.

JOSEPH DURST, one of the representative
and honored citizens of Union county, is now
living retired upon his farm in West Buffalo
township. A son of George and Catherine
(Moyer) Durst, he was born December 21, 1825,
on the old ancestral home near Centre Hall, in
Centre county, Penn. With the development
and prosperity of this section of the State, the
family has been long and prominently identified.
His mother was a descendant of the Moyer family,
which, with the Orwigs, Wolfs, and a number of
other families, emigrated from New York (at that
time known as New Amsterdam) to the eastern
part of Pennsylvania prior to the Revolutionary
war, and there many of their descendants still
live.' The paternal great-grandfather of oursub

ject was a native of Germany, and on crossing
the Atlantic to this country located in Lancaster
county, Penn. , where he reared his family. The
grandparents, Peter and Esther (Hurst) Durst,
were both natives of that county.
Mr. Durst, of this review, is the oldest in a
family of eight children, the others being as fol
lows: (2) Cyrus, a farmer by occupation, lives
at Boalsburg, Centre county. (3) Priscilla be
came the wife of Henry Dale, but both are now
deceased. (4) George is a farmer living at Cen
tre Hall, Centre county. (5) Philip owns and
occupies a portion of the old homestead near
Centre Hall. (6) Hiram also owns a portion of
that farm, where he is now living. (7) John
Henry, a valiant soldier of the Union army, was
killed at the battle of Gettysburg. Two days
later our subject went to the battlefield and se
cured his body, bringing it home and laying it to
rest in the Mifflinburg cemetery. (8) Elizabeth.
During his boyhood and youth, Joseph Durst
attended the common schools of Centre county,
and being a great reader, a man of studious hab
its, and possessed of a bright intellect, he has
added to his limited education until he has be
come one of the best informed men in West Buf
falo township. He continued to live in Centre
county until 1867, when he sold his farm to his
brother George and came to Union county, pur
chasing the farm near Mifflinburg -on which he
still resides. From his father's estate he inher
ited $4,000, and he has prospered in his business
undertakings he is now numbered among the
most substantial and wealthy citizens of the com
munity. Of late years he has laid aside business
cares, and is now enjoying a well-earned rest.
At the age of thirty, Mr. Durst was united in
marriage with Miss Margaret Kleckner, a daugh
ter of David Kleckner, of West Buffalo town
ship, and they became the parents of two chil
dren: (1) Sarah A., born February 1, 1857, is
now the wife of Cyrus Ruhl, a substantial farmer
of Lewis township, Union county, and they have
three beautiful children, named respectively — -
Durst, Charles and Ernest. (2) J. H. Meade,
named for General Meade, the hero of Gettys
burg, was born May 4, 1863, and died at the age
of two years. The wife and mother was called
to her final rest July 2, 1876, at the age of forty-
four years, one month and two days. On April
24, 1888, Mr. Durst was again married, his sec
ond union being with Miss Mary, a daughter of
George and Susan (Caldron) Strunk, farming
people of Mifflin county, Penn. With Mr. and
Mrs. Durst resides her brother, Henry Strunk,
who has in his possession a tomahawk, which, if
it could speak, could without doubt tell of bloody

1196

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

work done by it in the hands of its former sav
age owner.
In his politics, Mr. Durst is a straight and
stanch adherent to the principles formulated in
the platforms of the Democratic party, and in the
exercise of his elective franchise almost invari
ably supports the candidates offered by that or
ganization. He is a leading and representative
man of West Buffalo township, and merits and
receives the warmest confidence and esteem of
his fellow-citizens. Religiously, both himself
and wife are consistent members of the Presby
terian Church.

^DWARD DOUGLASS LEBKICHER, a
highly respected resident of Lewisburg,
Union county, is an honored veteran of the Civil
war, having spent three years in active service in
the Sixth Pennsylvania Reserves. He enlisted
May 6, 1861, in Company B, as a private, but
was in charge of his company throughout the
spring of 1864, and until his discharge on June
11, of that year. Among the important battles
in which he participated were those of South
Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Cold Har
bor, the second battle of Bull Run, and the
seven-days' fight at Richmond. Mr. Lebkicher
comes of patriotic stock, his grandfather Leb
kicher having been a soldier in the Revolution
ary army. He died at Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania.
John Lebkicher, the father of our subject,
was born in 1795, and, after his marriage to Miss
Mary Ludwig, settled in Union county, where he
followed various trades, including carpentering
and tanning. He was a Roman Catholic in re
ligious faith, and in politics adhered to the Dem
ocratic party. His death occurred in 1870, at
the age of seventy-four, and his estimable wife,
who was born in 1800, passed away at the age
of eighty-nine. Of their numerous family, the
following lived to adult age: John, who lives in
Snyder county; Joseph, who died in 1849, aged
twenty; Lavina, who died at twenty-one; Albert,
who is a resident of Reading, Penn.; Michael, of
Bellefonte; Lucia Ann, wife of Hanson Gussler;
Edward Douglass, our subject;' and Lewis, who
is a resident of New Berlin, Union county.
Edward Douglass Lebkicher was born at New
Berlin, December 9, 1837, and grew to manhood
there. He began to learn the blacksmith's trade,
but before his apprenticeship was completed the
war broke out and he promptly responded to the
call for men to defend the old flag. On his re
turn from the army he settled in Lewisburg, and
has since been employed as a blacksmith in the
Central foundry. Energetic, competent, faithful

to every duty, he commands the respect and con
fidence of all who know him. In his political af
filiations he is a Democrat, and he is prominently
identified with the G. A. R. and the I. O. O. F.
Mr. Lebkicher owns a pleasant home in Lew
isburg, and has an interesting family. He was
married June 27, 1863, to Miss Anna M. Byers,
a native of Lewisburg, born May 6, 1846, and
nine children have blessed their union: Charles
B., who died in infancy; John, who lived only
two years; Lewis, a resident of Lewisburg, who
married Miss Seachrist, and has one child, Ster
ling; Joseph, a painter in Lewisburg; Harry,
Mary, Sallie and Elizabeth, who are at home;
and Frankie, who died in childhood.

FETER MILLER (deceased) was one of the
valued and honored citizens of Buffalo town
ship, Union county, where his entire life was
passed. He was born December 9, 1819, a son
of George and Sarah (Mertz) Miller, and upon
the home farm was reared to agricultural pur
suits, but in early life he also learned the car
penter's trade.
On January 11, 1844, Mr. Miller was mar
ried to Miss Elizabeth Wise, whose birth also
occurred in Buffalo township, December 2, 1820,
and for sixteen years they made their home with
her parents, Peter and Elizabeth (Voneida)
Wise, while he supported his wife by work at his
trade and also at farming. In Buffalo township
he then purchased the first home he ever owned,
and there continued to reside until 1874, when
he removed to Buffalo Roads, where he erected a
comfortable brick residence. Laying aside act
ive labor, he practically lived retired, though he
still continued to oversee the work on his farms.
For almost fifty-three years, Mr. and Mrs.
Miller traveled life's journey together, and their
home was brightened by the presence of four
children, namely: Sarah J., born April 4, 1845,
in now the wife of Lewis Hendricks, of Buffalo
township; Aaron, born March 13, 1847, is an
agriculturist of the same township; Amanda E. ,
born April 12, 1856, died June 9, 1858; and Miles
A., born August 20, 1859, is also a farmer.
Industrious, persevering and progressive,
from a humble beginning Mr. Miller worked his
way steadily upward until he became one of the
most substantial and prosperous citizens of Buf
falo township, leaving to his children each an ex
cellent farm, besides the comfortable home and
competence left his widow. He was a shrewd
business man, of sound judgment and good ex
ecutive ability. For many years he served as
either a deacon or elder in the Lutheran Church,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1197

of which he was a prominent and influential
member, and as a Republican he was called
upon to fill a number of minor offices of honor
and trust. He passed away June 20, 1896, and
his remains were interred in Union cemetery of
Buffalo township. His record was an honorable
one, and his memory will long be cherished by
the many who had the pleasure of his friendship,
for "his sturdy worth, and for his countless acts
of benevolence and kindness. Mrs. Miller, who
still survives her husband, is held in high respect
as a good woman and a true Christian, she being
a worthy member of the Lutheran Church.

JS. RAUDENBUSH (deceased). Rarely if
ever in the history of Buffalo Valley has a
larger assemblage of people been gathered at
the funeral ot any private citizen than that which
met to pay the last tribute of respect to the late
J. S. Raudenbush, of Vicksburg. His sudden
death on July 11, 1891, at the comparatively
early age of fifty-two years, caused sincere mourn
ing throughout a wide range of acquaintances, to
whom his genial manners and upright character
had endeared him. While he had not lived to
the limit of the allotted term of man's life, he had
accomplished more in the business world than
most men have been able to achieve in a much
longer time. The following brief review of his
life will serve to show something of the force of
will, the fine judgment, the irresistible energy
which marked his career.
Mr. Raudenbush was born August 28, 1838,
at McKeesburg, Schuylkill Co., Penn., the son
of Daniel and Catherine Raudenbush. The fa
ther was in prosperous circumstances, but death
came upon him without' warning, and his fortune
was left in such a state that unscrupulous persons
could and did make away with most of it, a large
family of children being thus robbed of their
rightful inheritance. Mr. Raudenbush remained
in his native village, and at fifteen years of age
became a clerk in a store there, acquiring a knowl
edge of mercantile business which afterward
proved of good service. His brother, Benjamin
Raudenbush, was then a merchant and hotel-
keeper at Adamsburg, Snyder county, and during a
brief visit there Mr. Raudenbush became so im
pressed with the advantages of this section that
he decided to remain. About this time his brother
opened a small store at White Springs, Lime
stone township, Union county, placing our sub
ject in charge, and in this somewhat restricted
sphere Mr. Raudenbush showed his ability by
making an unqualified success. Thus encour
aged, he determined to establish a business of

his own at what is now Vicksburg, and in the
summer of 1865 he built the second house at the
place, a store and dwelling combined, and re
moved his stock from White Springs. The ven
ture was not regarded favorably by the business
men of his acquaintance, but the event proved
his wisdom. Among the shrewd movements
which contributed to his success was the inaugu
ration of regular trips in a railway car to the coal
region, where he disposed of farm produce, grain,
meat, live stock and other commodities, thus
building up a trade which brought thousands of
dollars into his locality to be distributed among
the farmers, for whose produce he thus secured a
market. His increasing business compelled fre
quent enlargement of his building, and it was not
many years before he became known among the
wealthy men of the county. He was interested
in many important business ventures, including
the Farmers' Bank at Mifflinburg, of which he
was a vice-president. In 1872 he built the first
and for twenty years the only grain elevator at
Vicksburg. His advent in that locality was the
signal for progress and growth, and he suggested
the name of the town at a meeting called by him
in September, 1865, to consider the plans for
organization. He at once applied for a post
office at the place, and became the first postmas
ter. His estate at his death was estimated at
$100,000. Although a stanch Republican in
politics, he never diverted his attention from his
business to enter public life, the only office he
ever held being that of school director.
Like many of our successful men the "tide
which bore him on to fortune" seems to have
set in at the time of his marriage to an intelligent
and sympathetic helpmeet. On June 1, 1865,
he was married to Miss Mary A. Rule, a native
of Lewis township, Union county, born June 28,
1841. Her father, Jacob Rule, Sr., was a well-
known farmer of Lewis township. Her mother,
whose maiden name was Sally Stitzer, was a
daughter of David Stitzer, a blacksmith by trade,
who for many years kept a hotel in Mifflinburg.
Mrs. Raudenbush was the next to the youngest
in a family of ten children, six sons and four
daughters. She was reared as a farmer's daugh
ter, attending the common schools of the town
ship, but with the characteristic adaptibility of
American women has shown herself capable of
filling any position with success. In the fall of
1865 Mr. and Mrs. Raudenbush began house
keeping at Vicksburg in the building which was
occupied by the store, but in 1886 they erected
the finest residence in the county outside of
Lewisburg. It is of brick, with hardwood finish
on the interior, and is supplied with every modern

1198

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

convenience, including steam heat and hot and
cold water in the bath rooms. The widow still
occupies this elegant home. Of the three cnildren,
the eldest, Harry R., born May 3, 1866, is a
graduate of Duff's Business College, at Pittsburg,
and for some time past has managed his father's
mercantile business. He resides at Bluff City,
Va. Cora V., born February 2, 1868, who was
educated at Lewisburg Institute and Dickinson
Seminary, at Williamsport, is at home; Benja
min F. , born July 15, 1877, is a student at the
Eastman Business College in Poughkeepsie, New
York. Mr. Raudenbush and his wife united with the
Reformed Church early in their married life, and
while they were members of the congregation at
Dreisbach Church, the funeral services were held
in the Mifflinburg Church, the Masonic society
of which Mr. Raudenbush was a member taking
charge of the ceremonies. It was while en
gaged in his usual duties at the store on Mon
day morning in July, 1891, that the first warn
ing of approaching death came in the form of a
paralytic stroke, and after his removal to his
home near by, he never again left it, his death
occurring on the following Saturday. A brief
but impressive service was held at the home on
July 15, the day of the funeral, in the presence
of an immense number of sorrowing neighbors
and friends, and a procession nearly a mile in
length followed the remains to Mifflinburg.
There his pastor, Rev. Kohler, delivered a
thoughtful and touching address from which we
quote the following: "We are all mourners
here this morning. A life of exemplary business
service has unexpectedly closed. The affection
ate husband, loving father, the helper and coun
selor of us all, the true brother and warm friend,
the industrious, plodding business man, kind
neighbor and excellent citizen, has passed from
our sight, but not from our love and memory.
We who are assembled here are not all who
share an interest in this untimely death. There
are not a few who are prevented from mingling
their tears with ours through engagements, others
whose health does not permit them to be with
us, to pay the last tribute of respect which the
living ever pay to the virtues and memory of our
honored dead; and beyond us and above us, if
we could but penetrate with human eye the veil
that separates the spirit world from the natural,
there is still a greater congregation than here,
of angels and archangels, and all the com
pany of heaven, who desire to look into the
mystery of human redemption and rejoice over
the triumphs of a redeemed soul. And at this
time when the gates of heaven are perchance a

little ajar, and the place where we stand, holy
ground, it does not become us to fret or mur
mur or complain against an all-wise God, and an
all-loving Father for taking from our midst so
unexpectedly the soul of our beloved brother,
but rather let us reverently and obediently say,
' The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away.
Blessed be His holy name. The Lord is right
eous still. He doeth all things well.' "

W SCOTT HALFPENNY, secretary and
treasurer of the Lewisburg Woolen Com
pany, of Lewisburg, Union county, and mana
ger of their extensive plant, is an able and suc
cessful business man, whose judgment has great
value among his associates. Like many of the
substantial citizens, he is of English descent, the
first ancestor to cross the ocean being his great
grandfather, James Halfpenny, of Wales.
Mark Halfpenny, Jr., the father of our sub
ject, was born September 24, 18 12, at Wash-
ingtonville, Montour Co., Penn., a son of Mark
Halfpenny, Sr. , a native of Montgomery county,
Penn., and his wife, Mary (Saylor) Halfpenny.
At the early age of ten years, Mark Halfpenny,
Jr., was apprenticed to Samuel Rogers, of
Muncy, Penn. , to learn the business of woolen
manufacturing. In 1837 he and his brother,
James, under the firm name of J. & M. Half
penny, commenced business at Millheim, Centre
county, and in 1841 they removed to Laurel Run,
near Laurelton, Union county, where they con
tinued business until 185 1; when they dissolved
partnership, and Mark Halfpenny built a woolen-
mill a few miles north of Laurelton, and carried
on business himself until 1866, when the factory
was destroyed by fire; he then removed to Lew
isburg, and established the Lewisburg Woolen
Mills, which he conducted until 1870, when the
firm of M. Halfpenny & Sons was organized by
the admission of his two sons, W. F. and W. S.
Halfpenny, who continued business until 1874,
when the firm of M. Halfpenny & Co., consist
ing of M. Halfpenny, W. A. Schreyer and W. S.
Halfpenny, was organized, and the business con
tinued by them until 1878, when the mill was
burned. It was immediately rebuilt, and Frank
Halfpenny was admitted to the firm; in 1886 the
present organization of the Lewisburg Woolen
Company was incorporated, M. Halfpenny re
taining a large interest, which is held by his heirs
at this time. After an honorable and successful
business career of over fifty years, Mr. Halfpenny
died June 23, 1889. He had married Christianna,
who was born in 1823, a daughter of William
and Rachel (McCoy) Foster, and she proved to

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1199

him a faithful helpmeet, an exemplary Christian
wife, whose death on June 2, 1877, was the first
break in the family circle. Their children, ten
in number, are: William Foster, who is now in
Tacoma, Wash.; W. Scott, our subject; Frank,
a clerk in the office of the county commissioners;
Mark, a merchant in Niles, Ohio; James and
Thomas Edwin, who are connected with the
mill; Katie Foster, unmarried; Robert Foster,
of Lewisburg; John, now with Whitmer & Sons,
of Philadelphia; and Neal McCoy, who is mar
ried and resides in New York.
W. S. Halfpenny began his earthly career
January 10, 1847. The foundation of his educa
tion was laid in Lewisburg, at the public schools
and the academy, but his course there was sup
plemented by further study in the Tuscarora
Academy in Juniata county, and in Bryant &
Stratton's Business College, at Philadelphia. Thus
equipped for business, he entered his father's
employ as bookkeeper, later becoming a partner,
as stated above.
In' 1 872 Mr. Halfpenny was united in mar
riage with Miss Mary M. Baker, a native of
Union county, born in 1851, and two children,
Mark and Ethel, have blessed the union. The
family has been identified with the Presbyterian
Church in the past, and Mr. Halfpenny inclines
to that faith. Politically, he is a Republican,
and he is a prominent member of the Masonic
fraternity.

SAMUEL RUSSELL GRAY. Pride in, an
) honorable lineage is a trait which reveals
a fine discernment of the values on other than
the material plane, and the wish to have one's
own life and personality remembered in the years
to come is no less a mark of nobility of heart.
A due regard for our posterity may, indeed, con
strain us not only to fill our appointed station
with fidelity, but to take effective measures to
preserve the record of our modest achievements
and of our standing among our fellow men, for
the instruction, the encouragement and the in
spiration of those who will trace through us the
line which unites them with the past. To this
worthy work this book is dedicated, and interest
ing as it will be to the present generation in its
presentation of the history of our leading citi
zens, its records will increase in value as the
years roll by.
The subject of this sketch, a prominent resi
dent of Kelly township, Union county, is de
scended in both paternal and maternal lines from
ancestors who participated in the stirring events
which marked the release of this country from

English rule. Robert Gray, his grandfather,
came from England in Colonial times with his
wife, Mary Reese, and settled on a farm near
Jerseytown, Penn., but at the outbreak of the
Revolutionary war he joined Washington's army
and fought in the cause of freedom. His son,
Lieut. Samuel Gray, our subject's father, who
was born in Montour county, Penn., in 1792,
was a patriotic man, a Whig in political faith,
and served as an officer in our second war
with the mother country in 18 12, being stationed
at Black Rock. He was a noted contractor, and
the canal between Watsontown and Duart, Penn. ,
was constructed by him. He also engaged in
teaming; he met his death by accident, June 4,
1 83 1, while driving a six-horse team, through
falling under the wheels of the wagon, which
passed over his breast. His wife, Isabella Wat
son, was born November 11, 1800, and passed
away September 5, 1863. She was a devout
adherent of the Presbyterian Church, as was her
husband during his life. ¦ Her parents, John L.
and Elizabeth (Mann) Watson, came from Dublin,
Ireland, at an early day, and located in Columbia
county, Penn., upon a farm. They, too, dis
played a patriotic spirit during the Revolutionary
war, and John Watson was taken prisoner by
the British on account of his sentiments, and
chained to the floor. His heroic wife rescued
him, her devotion, no less than a regard for her
physical weakness, so touching the hearts of the
guards, that they did not interfere with her plans.
Lieut. Samuel Gray and his wife reared a
family of seven children, of whom our subject
was the youngest, and is now the only survivor.
The names of the others, with dates of birth and
death, areas follows: Joseph H., January 4, 1818,
in August, 1876; John G., December 12, 1820,
February 2, 1861; Catherine, October 22, 1822,
in 1856, married Samuel Gray, a distant relative,
also deceased; Robert, October 5, 1824, May 9,
1848; Mary Y., July 8, 1827, in March, 1880,
married William Kissner, deceased; and Phoebe,
March 28, 1829, in 187 1, married Jesse Hill, now
a farmer in Montour county.
Samuel R. Gray was born in Lewis township,
Northumberland county, Penn., March 24, 183 1,
and remained at home until the age of twenty-
three. He received a common-school education,
and at early age began to show his business abil
ity, a threshing machine, purchased when he was
eighteen, being the foundation of his prosperity.
With money saved from his earnings with the
machine, he purchased 130 acres of land in his
native township, and in 1854 established him
self there as a farmer. He remained eleven
years, during which the Civil war broke out and

1200

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

he was drafted three times, first in 1862, then in
1863, and finally in 1865. Twice he paid $300
for a substitute, but on the third call he deter
mined to respond in person; but while he was at
Harrisburg, on his way to the front, the news of
Lee's surrender made further help unnecessary.
On leaving his first farm he purchased anoth
er in. Lycoming county, Penn., which he sold in
1 87 1. One year was spent at Turbutville before
again resuming business, and then, having decid
ed upon a change, he purchased a foundry at
McEwensville, Penn., which he operated suc
cessfully for twenty-one years. Wishing to pass
his remaining days in the peaceful surroundings
of a royal neighborhood, he disposed of the foun
dry, and again engaged in farming, purchasing a
farm in Buffalo township, Union county, where
he resided two years before removing to his
present farm near Mazeppa.
Mr. Gray enjoys excellent health despite a
permanent injury to his shoulder caused by be
ing thrown when about nineteen years old by a
runaway horse. Successful as a business man,
he has always been an influential figure in local
affairs, and while residing in Northumberland
county he was often called upon to serve in
township offices. He is active in the Farmers
Alliance, being now a member of the society at
Kelly Cross Roads.
Mr. Gray has a pleasant home, and he and
his wife, formerly Miss Alma Long, are most
genial and hospitable in spirit. They are both
fond of literature, and are especially well versed
in the Scriptures. Mr. Gray is a member of the
Reformed Church, but his wife is an Episcopal
ian. They have no children. By a previous
marriage, with Miss Rebecca J. Stiner, born Oc
tober 20, 1833, died November 6, 1870, Mr.
Gray had eight children: John L. S. ; Elizabeth;
Harriet F. ; George P. , an iron molder at Battle
Creek, Mich. ; Sarah E. , widow of John Hopp, of
Lewisburg, Penn; Samuel R. , a molder at Battle
Creek, Mich; Rebecca J., wife of William Pep
per, a farmer in Armstrong county, Penn. ; and
William H., who, like his brother, resides in
Battle Creek, and is an iron molder by trade.
Mrs. Alma (Long) Gray was born in Muncy,
Lycoming Co., Penn., February 5, 1838, the
daughter of George and Nancy (Doctor) Long.
Her paternal grandfather, Nicholas Long, en
listed in the Revolutionary army when only six
teen years old, and served throughout the strug
gle. He was married three times. George
Long was born in Northumberland county, Penn.,
in May, 1801, and died February 14, 1880. He
was by occupation a wagonmaker. Mrs. Gray's
mother, who was born in Lycoming county,

January 11, 181 1, and died in Muncy, March 6,
1862, was his first wife, and after her death he
married Mrs. Mary (Frye) Shirks, by whom he
had no issue. By the first marriage there were
nine children: Aaron, who died in infancy;
Emma, wife of Samuel Gortner, a carpenter of
Williamsport, Penn.; James D., who died in
1892; Harris S. , a carpenter at Mishewauke>
Ind.; Alma (Mrs. Gray); Anna, wife of Amos
Burger, a blacksmith at Muncy, Penn. ; Samuel
D., who died in 1875; William, a shoemaker at
Mishewauke, Ind. ; and Ella, wife of John P.
Kramer, a carpenter of Watsontown, Pennsyl
vania. On the maternal side Mrs. Gray is descended
from a prominent family of Lycoming county,
Penn., her grandparents, George and Eve Doc
tor, having owned a farm of 300 acres at the
present site of East Muncy. Her grandfather
was an influential citizen of that locality, but for
six years previous to his death he was confined
to his bed through an injury sustained while try
ing to extricate a sheep which had become fast
ened in a fence.

FOLLMER FAMILY. For upwards of a
century and a half the Follmer family have
been identified with this Commonwealth, where
through the several generations its members
have been characterized as honest, conscientious
and truthful people, making good citizens.
The name was formerly Vollmer and is of
German origin, but when John Vollmer, the head
of the American branch, emigrated from the Fa
therland, in 1737, coming to Philadelphia, Penn.,
where his name was recorded Follmer by mis
take, that spelling was thereafter adopted. In
1740, he settled in Berks county, Penn., where
he passed his remaining years. Michael Foll
mer, a son of this worthy pioneer, moved with
his family, in 1778, to Limestone township,
Northumberland county, and encamped on his
arrival under a large wild cherry-tree, which is
still standing. Frederick, a son of Michael, lo
cated in White Deer Valley, in 1795, purchasing
300 acres of land, on which he built the mill
now occupied by A. S. Sypher. The mill con
tained three run of stone, and was patronized by
the people for many miles around. He married
Miss Maria Barbara Geiger, by whom he had
three children: Susan, who married Joseph
Mackey, and had five sons and one daughter;
Daniel, 'who is mentioned more fully farther on,
and Rachel, who married James Donaldson, and
had one son and two daughters. Frederick

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1201

Follmer died April 7, 18 12, and his wife July 6,
1803. Of these three children, Daniel Follmer was
a man of good ability and high character. He
was the first man in his locality to refuse to fur
nish whiskey to his harvesters. He was born
March 13, 1786, in Limestone township, North
umberland county, and accompanied his father
to the White Deer Valley, in 1795. His educa
tion was limited to the country schools of that
day, and during his youth his time was mainly
spent in assisting his father on the farm and in
the mill. He remained at home until his mar
riage, in June, 1808, to Miss Margaret Reed, who
was born August 31, 1789, in Lycoming county,
a daughter of James and Jeannette (Watt) Reed,
of Chester county, both of Scotch descent. The
father of James Reed and the mother of Jean
nette Watt were natives of Scotland. James
Reed was a soldier in the war of the Revolution,
and participated in the battle of the Brandywine.
He settled in Gregg township, in 1788. While
away from home, in the war, his wife carried
her son on horseback to the home of her father
in the same locality.
Daniel Follmer made his home upon a por
tion of his father's homestead, building a man
sion which is now occupied by his children. For
many years he was engaged in farming and mill
ing, and at one time he was a contractor, and
built a number of bridges in this section. His
sterling qualities of mind and heart won the es
teem of all who knew him, his dealings with all
with whom he came in contact being strictly hon
orable. From his youth he was a member of
the Old-School Presbyterian Church, and he was
one of the founders of the Washington Presby
terian Church, of Gregg township. In politics
he was a Whig before the war issues arose, but
he became a Republican on the organization of
that party. In 1825-26 he served as commis
sioner of Lycoming county, to which Gregg town
ship was then attached. About this time he was
appointed by Gov. Shultz justice of the peace,
and for many years he held that office, either by
appointment or election. Various local offices
were also filled creditably by him, and for six
years he was a school director, and at differ
ent times held other township offices. His death
occurred March 30, 1875, in the ninetieth year of
his age; for thirty years previous he had lived in
retirement. Daniel and Margaret Follmer had seven chil
dren whose names with dates of birth are as fol
lows: Maria B., May 10, 1810, married John
Foresman; Jane W., May 8, 181 3; Cynthia, De
cember 29, 1815; Elizabeth, August 2, 1818,
76

married Robert Caldwell; John R. , December 24,
1 821; Daniel G., November 11, 1826; and Mar
garet R. , May 28, 1829, who died August 12,
1 88 1. The mother of these passed away Sep
tember 6, 1853, in her sixty-fourth year. Two
unmarried sons and a widowed daughter reside
at the homestead.
John R. Follmer, the elder son, attended
school at the Hammond school house and a log
one by the mill in the locality of his birth,
and later in the Milton and Lewisburg Acade
mies. He studied law with James F. Linn, in
Lewisburg, in 1843-45, and, on being admitted
to the Bar, practiced for some time at Selins
Grove, but ill health compelled him to seek an
outdoor life. He is an ardent Republican, and
was formerly quite active in political affairs, hav
ing been elected in 1883 to the office of county
surveyor. Daniel G. Follmer, the younger son, has
always made his home at the old farm, which is
now worked by other parties under the direction
of the owners.

JOHN REEDY, one of the most progressive
and successful citizens of Kelly township,
Union county, has been for some years a
leading agriculturist there, and, since 1893, he
has engaged also in contracting and building, in
which his ability and enterprise have been con
spicuously displayed.
Like many of our most prominent men he is
of old Pennsylvania stock, his ancestors settling
in Berks county at an early day, and his grand
father Reedy was a drummer in the Revolution
ary army. That worthy pioneer married, and
reared a family of five children: Jonathan, who
was born in 1798; Emanuel, our subject's father;
Michael, who went to New York State in early
manhood, and has never been heard from; one
who married Godfrey Fogt, and died in Illinois,
where they settled late in life; and Lydia, de
ceased, who married George Baker, now living
in retirement at Mazeppa, Union county.
Emanuel Reedy, our subject's father, was
born in Berks county, January 29, 18 10, and in
18 1 5 came to Union county with his parents,
who settled a quarter of a mile from Buffalo
Cross Roads, upon a pi ace now known as the Rissell
farm. Emanuel Reedy was a miller until the age
of thirty-five, when he engaged in farming.
This business occupied his remaining years, al
though for some time previous to his death,
which occurred April 18, 1884, he left the active
work of the estate to other hands. He was an up
right man, straightforward in all his dealings,

1202

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

his word being "as good as gold," and, although
his quiet disposition made him averse to public
life, he was chosen by his fellow citizens at vari
ous times to fill local offices. He took much in
terest in political problems, and was a stanch
supporter of Republican principles.
His wife, Rachel Ingelman, was the youngest
child of Solomon Ingelman, who was a native
of Berks county, Penn., but came to Union
county in pioneer times, and engaged in farm
ing. They had eight children: David, deceased,
was a farmer in Stephenson county, 111. ; Sam
uel, formerly employed in the mint at Philadel
phia, died at Sandusky, Ohio, where he spent
his last days in retirement; John, whose active
years were spent at the carpenter's trade, died at
Findlay, Ohio; Tobias, deceased, was a farmer
in St. Joseph county, Mich. ; Betsy Elizabeth
married Jacob Margh, a farmer of Kelly town
ship, Union county, and both died there; Nellie
married William Speice, a stonemason, and died
in White Deer township, Union county; Mar
garet, widow of Michael Wolf, is now living in
Sandusky county, Ohio, at the age of eighty-
four. Rachel, our subject's mother, was born
November 18, 1814, in White Deer township,
Union county, and was married there, by Rev.
Mr. Onsbaugh, to Emanuel Reedy. The chil
dren of this union were: Samuel, who died
when two and one-half years old; Anna, wife of
M. L. Weaver, a farmer near Schuyler, Colfax
Co., Neb.; John, oursubject; Levi, a well-known
cattle dealer at Buffalo Cross Roads, Union
county; and Hammond, a farmer on the old
Reedy homestead in Buffalo township, Union
county. The subject of our sketch was born Novem
ber 8, 1844, in Kelly township, Union county,
a mile and one-half west of Kelly's Cross Roads,
and until the age of twenty-three remained at
home, assisting his father upon the farm and ac
quiring an education in the local schools as op
portunity afforded. His first independent work
as a farmer was on a rented farm in Buffalo
township, Union county, and later he moved to
Kelly township and worked upon Judge Hoffa's
estate, thirteen years in all. In the fall of 1884
he purchased his present farm of ninety-three
and a half acres near Buffalo Cross Roads, at
$140. 1 5 per acre. The care of this estate occu
pied his time exclusively for a time, but in 1891
he began operating a sawmill at Hagerstown.
In 1893 he gave up that business to engage in
contracting and building, and has carried on
that business successfully, his contracts in the
fall of 1895 calling for 500,000 feet of lumber.
Politically, Mr. Reedy is a Republican, but

he prefers to exert his influence in a quiet way,
and has never aspired to public office. Such
men as he are not often overlooked, however,
and he has been elected to represent his town
ship as supervisor, in which office he served with
characteristic ability and energy. In religious
faith he is a Presbyterian.

.JjTCHOLAS C. LAHR, a well-known agri
culturist of East Buffalo township, Union
county, was born October 5, 1834, in Lower Ma
hanoy township, Northumberland county, Penn.,
a son of Paul and Mary M. (Bordner) Lahr, and
a grandson of Paul Lahr, Sr., a native of Berks,
this State. The birth of the father occurred
near Georgetown, in Northumberland county, and
in 1836 he removed to what is now Snyder coun
ty, Penn., but at the end of six years returned
to the former county, where he continued to make
his home until called from this life, at the age of
fifty-eight. His wife had passed away two years
previous, and they now sleep side by side in the
Lewisburg cemetery. He was a skilled mechanic,
and, in connection with farm work, also engaged
in the manufacture of plows, harrows and coffins
Although he started out in life a poor man, by
working early and late, he secured a comforta
ble competence. He was a fine specimen of
physical manhood, weighing from 189 to 200
pounds, was an ardent Republican in politics,
and in religious belief was a Lutheran.
Our subject is the second in order of birth in
the family of six children, the others being as fol
lows: William, now a resident of Milton, Penn. ;
Henry and Paul, both of Kansas; Frank, who
died after reaching manhood; and Catharine, who
first married Levi Moll, in Pennsylvania, and
after his death wedded John Thomas. She de
parted this life in Kansas.
The early education of Nicholas C. Lahr was
such as the common schools afforded, and he
later attended the Lewisburg Academy at inter
vals for two years. At the age of eighteen he
began learning the carpenter's trade under the
direction of Jack McLaughlin, of Lewisburg, but
never completed his apprenticeship. As a young
man, however, he became thoroughly familiar
with all departments of farm work, and through
out life has principally followed that occupation,
meeting with a fair degree of success.
In the fall of 1 861, in Lewisburg, Mr. Lahr
was married to Miss Susan Schrack, who was
born in October, 1841, in East Buffalo township,
Union county, and is the oldest of the ten chil
dren of John S. and Catharine (Dunkei) Schrack.
During his early life her father was a teamster,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1203

traveling between Philadelphia and Fruitstown,
Penn., but later located in Union county, at one
time owning the elegant home and farm on which
our subject now resides. For three years after
his marriage Mr. Lahr operated a rented farm in
Northumberland county, and for twenty-three
years lived on the George Ard farm, in White
Deer township, Union county. He then removed
to his present farm, which he had previously
stocked, and now has one of the most desirable
places in East Buffalo township. It comprises
no acres of excellent farming land, supplied
with good buildings and all the accessories found
upon a model farm of the nineteenth century.
In connection with general farming, he engaged
in the threshing business for fifteen years, doing
considerable work along that line in his neigh
borhood. To Mr. and Mrs. Lahr have been born the
following children: Catharine, now the wife of
James M. Pawling, of White Deer township;
Annie, wife of H. Everett, of Northumberland
county; Clara, at home; John, a resident of Cal
ifornia; and Frank, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Religiously, the mother is connected with the Lu
theran Church, and, politically, Mr. Lahr affili
ates with the Republican party. They have won
an assured position in the highest social circles
of the community, and have hosts of warm
friends.

JOHN HUTCHISON CRISWELL (deceased).
"The memory of the just is blessed," and
surely it is a beautiful thing to have so spent
the years of one's life as to win the affectionate
regard of an entire community. This reward
came in full measure to the late John H. Cris
well and his estimable wife, who were known far
and near as "Uncle and Auntie " Criswell, and
while for those who knew them there can be no
need of words to strengthen the recollection of
their beneficent lives, their many friends will be
glad to see in this Record a permanent record
through which their influence may be impressed
upon still wider circles.
Mr. Criswell was born in Kelly township,
Union county, upon a farm adjoining the pres
ent homestead, now occupied by his daughter,
Miss Mary A. Criswell, a lady of fine mental gifts
and unusual executive ability. His parents,
Joseph and Elizabeth (Hutchison) Criswell, set
tled in Union county at an early day, and the
mother's death occurred at the present home.
They had seven children, whose names with
dates of birth are as follows: James, August 31,
1806; Thomas H., March 28, 1808; Hannah B.

(Mrs. John Huntington), March 8, 1810; John
H., March 20, 1812; Rachel, May 7, 18 14, did
not live to adult age; Mary A., June 20, 1816,
and Elizabeth, August 29, 18 18, who is the only
survivor of his family, married William Spotts
(now deceased), and resides at Steelton, Pennsyl
vania. Reared as a son of a pioneer farmer, Mr.
Criswell had the most meagre opportunities for
an education, attending school only eleven days.
It is therefore worthy of especial note that he
managed by private study to acquire a fair edu
cation, including a knowledge of bookkeeping.
He was interested in all the movements of his
time; in politics, he was a Republican, and
his influence in local affairs being marked, his
able service in various township offices demon
strated his fidelity and public spirit. By occu
pation he was a farmer and shoemaker, and his
industry and thrift gained for him a comfortable
competence. On April 16, 1834, Mr. Criswell was united in
marriage with Miss Jane Mathers, a lady of rare
Christian character, and, like himself, a devout
member of the Presbyterian Church. She was
born June 24, 181 1, at Mazeppa, Union county,
and was called to her eternal reward September
4, 1884, at a ripe old age. Her father, James
Mathers, was a native of Berks county, Penn.,
and his wife, Isabella Oliver, was born in Scot
land. John H. and Jane Criswell reared a large
family of children, of whom five are living. The
names with dates of birth are as follows: Joseph,
February 19, 1835, is a tailor at Chattanooga,
Tenn. ; James, April 16, 1837, died September
27, 1853; William, April 12, 1839, is a farmerin
White Deer township, Union county; Elizabeth,
September 24, 1841, married Daniel Kuhns, a
carpenter and farmer of Kelly township, Union
county; Mary A., July 15, 1843, is mentioned
more fully below; Isabella M., July 21, 1845,
died September 5, 1853; Rachel, April 21, 1848,
died August 26, 1853; Sarah M., October 10,
1852, died October 11, 1853; Thomas O., Sep
tember 2, 1853, is a farmer near Taylorville,
Union county; and John, May 5, 1850, died
April 16, 1866. The surviving children all oc
cupy positions of usefulness, and are held in hi^'h
esteem in their respective communities.
Miss Mary A. Criswell, as has been-said,
resides at the old home, which is endeared by
the memories of her beloved parents, and from
which she has never been absent for more than
three weeks at a time. Her active and intelli
gent mind takes deep interest in all that concerns
the progress of the locality. She is helpfully re-

1204

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

lated to various religious and philanthropic move
ments, and she has been a member of the Re
formed Church since May 12, 1869.

FvRANKLIN WILLIAM BERKENSTOCK, a
well-known citizen of Union county, is now
spending his declining years in a pleasant home
near White Deer, his leisure being sweetened by
the remembrance of past years of toil.
His family has been identified with Pennsyl
vania for more than a century. His great-grand
parents on his father's side, of German origin,
crossed the Atlantic to find wider opportunities
in the New World. They located in Lehigh
county, where their son, Abraham, the grand
father of our subject, was born and reared. He
married Miss Elizabeth Engleman, a native of
the same county, and made his permanent home
there upon a farm. Their son Jacob, our sub
ject's father, married Elizabeth Waltman, a
native of that locality, a daughter of William
and Sarah Waltman. Both Jacob and his wife
were born in Lehigh county, but after passing
many years moved to Lycoming county, Penn. ,
to end their days upon a farm.
Jacob Berkenstock remained at his early
home until 1841, when he went to Lycoming
county for a few years, but finally he settled in
Northumberland county, Penn., where he died
in the spring of 1873, at the age of sixty-six, his
wife following him three years later, at sixty-
three years of age. He was a carpet weaver by
occupation, and at times carried on farming on
a small scale. In politics he was a Republican,
and he and his wife were both Lutherans in re
ligious faith. Their children were: Mandus,
who died in Northumberland county, in 1871;
Lucinda, widow of Samuel Mingus, of Turbuts-
ville, Penn.; Eliza, who married Andrew Fink,
of Lehigh county, both now deceased; Julia,
who married Robert Mackey, and moved to Illi
nois, where she died, all traces of her husband
being lost since; Susannah, wife of Edward Dief
fenderfer, now living in retirement in Lehigh
county; Franklin W. , our subject; David, a
farmer residing in White Deer township; Edwin,
a farmer in Michigan; Elemanda, widow of Ed
ward Dove, of Allentown, Penn. ; Tellera, who
married John Yaker, and died in Northumber
land county, where he how resides; Harrison,
who died at Alhntown; Harmon, of Northum
berland county; Theresa, who married William
Strickland, a tanner of Sullivan county, Penn.,
and died at W.ilsontown,
Franklin W. Berkenstock was born July 6,
1829, in Socken township, Lehigh county, Penn.,

and, as circumstances compelled him to enter
upon the work of bread-winning at an early age,
he left home at thirteen to learn the shoemaker's
trade with his brother-in-law, Andrew Fink. He
remained four years, and then accompanied his
parents to Lycoming county, where he worked
three years at his trade for Joseph Wise, receiv
ing $40 for the first year, and afterward working
by the piece as he found it more profitable. Be
ing thoroughly skilled in all branches of trade,
he decided to go into business for himself, in
Gregg township, Union county, where he con
tinued until 1854. The " Western fever " at
tacked him, and one year was spent in prospect
ing for one of the much-talked-of locations in the
West, where fortunes were made in a marvel-
ously short time; but upon actual inspection he
discovered that they were not what his fancy
painted them, and he returned to Union county,
contented to remain. Locating in White Deer
township he resumed his trade, which he followed
until his retirement in 1875.
On December 31, 1858, Mr. Berkenstock
was married in that township by Rev. Mr. Flor-
enceworth, to Miss Jane Walter, a native of Sny
der county, born November 21, 1836. Her par
ents, William and Elizabeth (Wolfe) Walter,
were born, reared and married in Snyder county,
and in 1850 removed to a farm in White Deer
township, Union county, where the father died
in March, 1 874, aged sixty-two, his last years be
ing spent in retirement. He was well-to-do, and
was prominent in local affairs, holding office at
times. He was a Republican in politics, and he
and his wife, who survives him and resides at
Lewisburg, became identified many years ago
with the Evangelical Church.
Mrs. Berkenstock was the eldest of a family
of seven children, the others being: (2) Fietta
died at the age of fifteen. (3) Jonathan, a farmer
in Marshall county, Iowa, married Miss Marica
Mosby. (4) Joel is a retired farmer in White
Deer township, Union county. (5) Miss Judis
resides at Lewisburg with her mother. (6) Cath
erine married Harvey Smith, a farmer near Mun
cy Station, Penn. (7) Sarah married Rev. Peter
Raderbock, now of Western Springs, Illinois.
On abandoning the work-bench in 1875, Mr.
Berkenstock purchased the Walter homestead,
where he resided until his removal to White
Deer. After one year in that village he settled
at his present home in that vicinity, which com
bines the advantages of farm life by those af
forded by the neighboring town. He is an ear
nest supporter of Republican principles, and is in
fluential in local politics, having been chosen to
various offices of trust in his township in his more

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1205

active days. He belongs to the Grange at New
Columbia, and to the Evangelical Church, in
which he is a trustee.
Mr. and Mrs. Berkenstock have had five chil
dren, of whom all but one are living: (i) Emma,
born October 26, 1859, married A. M. Smith, a
farmer in California, and has three sons — Guy,
Joseph R. and Owen. (2) Clinton, born April 1,
i860, a farmer, married Miss Minerva Ranck,
and has four children — FrankieA., Naomi, Leah,
and Lottie. (3) Elizabeth, born October 18,
1864, died in March, 1872. (4) William, born
May 3, 1870, is a fruit sprayer in California, and
was married there to a Miss Wagner. (5) Owen,
born April 10, 1881, resides with his parents.

WALTER P. LILLEY, of Lewisburg, is
one of the rising young business men of
his locality. Like many of our best citizens he
is of old Berks county stock, being the fifth gen
eration in descent from Peter Lilley, an old set
tler. John and Sarah (Almond) Lilley, our sub
ject's great-grandparents, were both natives of
Berks county, as was also his grandfather, John
Lilley, now an honored resident of Lewisburg,
and his grandmother (now deceased), whose
maiden name was Sarah Heckman.
The late Henry Lilley, the father of our sub
ject, was born at Black Run, Union county, but
much of his life was spent at Lewisburg, where
he engaged in the business of shoemaking. He
was married there to Miss Anna Lutz, a native of
the town, born in 1853, but he died not long after
this event, at the age of twenty-three. He was
a member of the Lutheran Church, and his up
right character made for him many friends wher
ever he was known. His widow married a second
husband, George Wealer, who is now engaged
in the manufacture of cigars, at Reading, Penn.
There were two sons by the first union: Walter
P., our subject; and Henry, who lived only
eighteen months. By the second marriage there
were also two children: Albert, now a cigar
manufacturer, in California; and Emma (de
ceased). Walter P. Lilley was born at Black Run,
Union county, November 5, 1867, and after the
death of his father, in 1871, was reared by his
grandfather, John Lilley, of Lewisburg, with
whom he remained until the age of sixteen, at
tending school in the meantime. At sixteen he
went to Bellefonte, Penn., to enter the employ
of W. A. Lyon, and, after five years with him,
he spent two years with H. H. Schreyer, a
dealer in wall paper and similar commodities.
He returned to Lewisburg, and for one year was

engaged in the meat business there, with C. F.
Hodd, and since that time he has followed that
trade. He spent six months in Girard, Penn.,
but sold his shop there to open another in Mont
gomery, Penn. , where he remained the same
length of time. On disposing of that business
he went to Milton and worked for two years for
G. W. Hurtz, a butcher there. He then estab
lished his present market at Lewisburg, where
he has met with gratifying success.
On March 29, 1892, he was married, at Belle
fonte, to Miss Minnie Olewine, a native of that
city, and a lady of rare social gifts. Her father,
the late Samuel Olewine, was born in Monroe
county, Penn., and at the time of his death,
which occurred October 10, 1889, at the age of
sixty-one, was a wealthy retired farmer residing
at Bellefonte. His wife, MaryM. Stetzer, whom
he married at -Aaronsburg, Penn., was born in
Northampton county, Penn., and died at Belle
fonte, July 22, 1874. Her parents, David and
Elizabeth (Rockey) Stetzer, were of German
descent, and Mr. Stetzer, in his later years, con
ducted a hotel at Laurelton, Union county.
Mrs. Lilley was the youngest in a family of five
children. Mary now resides with our subject;
John is in the hardware business, at Bellefonte,
with J. H. Harris; Catherine married John Kline,
an attorney at Bellefonte; and William is de
ceased. Mr. and Mrs. Lilley have a beautiful home at
Lewisburg, their commodious brick residence
being furnished throughout in a manner which
displays a cultured taste. One daughter, Helen,
born January 1, 1894, has blessed their union.
They are prominent socially, and are identi
fied with the Lutheran Church, in which both
take an active interest.

W LEXANDER EDELMAN, a leading and in-
1&!L fluential member of the agricultural com
munity of West Buffalo township, Union coun
ty, has spent almost his entire life upon his pres
ent farm, his parents, John and Mary A. (Zim
merman) Edelman, locating there when he was
only two years old. He is a native of the coun
ty, born April 8, 1849, and is one of the two
children born to his father's second marriage.
There were five children in the family who grew
to years of maturity, the others being John and
Cornelius, both farmers of Missouri; Eli, who
was an agriculturist of Union county, Penn. , but
is now deceased; and Edwin, a miller living in
West Buffalo township. The father has been
called to his final rest, but the mother of our
subject is still living, now a resident of Bloom-

1206

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ington, Ind. Her parents lived and died in
Union county, Pennsylvania.
In the public schools of his native county
Alexander Edelman acquired a good practical
education, and upon the home farm was early
trained to habits of industry, becoming a thor
ough and skillful agriculturist. He was mar
ried in 1874 to Miss Mary Harman, a daughter
of Samuel F. Harman, a tailor by trade, who
was employed in a gristmill, and toward the close
of his life turned his attention to farming. He
was the son of Jacob and Sarah (Klingler) Har
man, while the maternal grandparents of Mrs.
Edelman were Jacob and Sarah (Boot) Boyer,
the latter a daughter of Charles Boot, a native
of Ireland. To our subject and his wife have been born
five children, whose names and dates of birth are
as follows: Charles S. T., October 16, 1876;
Sarah F., January 24, 1879; Edwin S., October
26, 1880; Angie, July 21, 1888, and Chauncy
F., December 20, 1893. All are still at home
with the exception of the eldest son, who is now
living in New York State.
Politically, Mr. Edelman has ever been iden
tified with the Democratic party, and, religiously,
he is a consistent and faithful member of the Lu
theran Church. He is a prosperous and sub
stantial farmer, and is highly respected by all
who have the pleasure of his acquaintance. His
family is one of the brightest and most intelli
gent in the community, and they occupy a most
delightful home, where happiness and good cheer
abound supreme.

iPVALEN C. WHITMER, one of the most pop-
%£f ular and enterprising young business men of
Hartley township, is a native of Union county,
born November 26, 1859, and is a son of Philip
and Elizabeth (Charles) Whitmer, being an only
child. The mother died March 28, 1895, and
was laid to rest in the Hartleton cemetery.
Philip Whitmer was one of a family of five
children. His twin sister became the wife of S.
Haupt, and died June 29, 1889, leaving a family
of nine children. Henry is a coal merchant of
Philipsburg, Penn. William is extensively en
gaged in the manufacture and sale of lumber,
having a main office in Philadelphia, where he
resides, and several branch offices in other cities
in Pennsylvania and also in West Virginia. Sarah
married Charles Hassenplug, and they live in
Mifflinburg, Penn., where she died at about the
age of thirty years.
Galen C. Whitmer, whose name introduces

this review, was educated in the common schools,
and during his youth learned the tinsmith's trade.
Of sterling qualities and' undoubted integrity, he
bids fair to become one of the leading and influ
ential men of his county. He possesses unusual
business sagacity and the true American spirit of
progressiveness, which are bound to win success
in any undertaking. He is a man of intrinsic
worth, esteemed in all the relations of life, and
he has the high regard of all with whom he comes
in contact. Politically, he is a supporter of the
Republican party, and, religiously, he is a con
sistent member of the Lutheran Church, to which
his ancestors belonged.
On September 29, 1885, Mr. Whitmer was
united in marriage with Miss Lizzie Myers, a
daughter of John Myers, a well-known farmer of
Union county, and a granddaughter of Isaac
Myers, a minister of the Dunkard Church. Four
children bless this union, whose names and dates
of birth are as follows: Grace, August 13, 1886;
Helen, April 17, 1888; Candace, May 21, 1892;
and Anna, July 12, 1890.

J A. MORNINGSTAR, Esq., who has for
twenty years acceptably served as justice of
the peace, is one of the best known and
most highly respected citizens as well as one of
the leading agriculturists of Lewis township. Un
ion county. His birth occurred in York county,
Penn., October 10, 1832, but since three years
of age he has found a pleasant home in Union
county, and been actively identified with its best
interests. His parents, Peter and Barbara (Fox) Morn-
ingstar, were both natives of Germany, where
their marriage was celebrated, and three chil
dren were born to them previous to their emigra
tion tq America. The father was born in Ham
burg, and the mother near that city. On their ar
rival in this country they located in York county,
Penn., where our subject and his younger brother
were born. In their family were seven children, as
follows: Michael is deceased; Peter, a Union sol
dier during the Civil war, who was taken prisoner
by the Rebels and incarcerated in Andersonville,
he being one of eighteen who survived the ill treat
ment they received there, died several years ago;
Catharine, a resident of Hecla Park, Centre Co.,
Penn., is the widow of Samuel Neff, of that
county; Elizabeth is the wife of Joel Boyer, a
farmer of Union county; Mary lives with our
subject, who is next in order of birth; George W.,
the youngest, is quite a wealthy resident of Cal
ifornia, where he owns 500 acres of valuable
land.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1207

Although our subject's early educational priv
ileges were limited to the opportunities afforded
by the common schools of his locality, he is by
nature studious, and his extensive reading has
covered a wide range of subjects, making him a
well-informed man. His business training was
received upon the home farm, and throughout
life he has devoted his time to agricultural pur
suits. On attaining to man's estate Mr. Morningstar
was united in marriage with Miss Lucien, daugh
ter of A. Burris, a native of New York, and a
veteran of the war of 1812. Eight children
graced this union, who reached years of maturity,
as follows: Emma B. is the wife of John Wallace,
of Swengel, Penn., a pensioner of the Civil war;
Mary, born November 26, 1854, is the wife of
Isaac Strickler; Margaret, born February 26,
1856, married Isaac M. Royer, and lives in Ridge-
burg, Penn.; Sarah A., born December 14, 1857,
is the wife of James Miller, a coachmaker of
Mifflinburg, Penn.; Martha, born July 29, 1861,
wedded James Boyer, a farmer of West Buffalo
township, Union county, living near Mifflinburg;
George Woodward, born October 18, 1863, who
operates his father's farm, is married and has a
six-year-old daughter; Seymour H., born May 5,
1865, is a farmer in Lewis township, Union
county; and Andrew J., born April 18, 1867, was
educated in the Williamsport Commercial Col
lege, and is now a traveling salesman, residing in
Illinois. The mother of these children was called
to her final rest May 25, 1868, aged thirty-four
years, and on the 13th of January, 1870, Mr.
Morningstar was again married, his second union
being with Mrs. Sarah J. Grove, nee Smith. By
her first husband, who died at the age of twenty-
four years, she had two children.
In his political affiliations Mr. Morningstar is
an ardent Democrat, and, religiously, is a mem
ber of the Reformed Church, to which his family
also belong. He was appointed the first inspector
of Lewis township, in 1857, the township being
organized in that year, and he has also filled the
offices of school director three terms and treas
urer of the school board for the same period.
He faithfully discharges every duty that devolves
upon him, whether public or private, and thus
wins the commendation of the entire community.

horses obtainable, the establishment has a metro
politan air, and without doubt Lewisburg's resi
dents will show their appreciation of the ven
ture, and by liberal patronage make it a success.
Mr. Bernhart was born August 22, 1866, at
Ridgway, Penn., and has always made his home
in Pennsylvania. His paternal grandfather, John
Bernhart, was born in Reading, Penn., and
passed his life there. The late Isaac Bernhart,
the father of our subject, was a native of Mid
dleburg township, Berks county, born March 3,
1833, and became a prominent business man,
engaging early in life in the lumber business, at
which he made money. On retiring from this
occupation he interested himself in banking and
similar enterprises to still further success. He
was a member of the Reformed Church, and
in politics was a stanch Democrat. He died
January 25, 1892, leaving a widow and two chil
dren: Charles H., our subject; and Mary K.
Mrs. Bernhart, who was formerly Miss Margaret
Schunck, was born in Berks county, in 1838, and
now resides in Reading, where her ancestors have
been prominent for several generations.
Charles H. Bernhart was carefully educated
for business, attending college for two years and
a half, and later pursuing a course in a commer
cial college at Poughkeepsie, N. Y. On leaving
school he entered the employ of the Atlantic
Railroad Company, at Philadelphia, for a time,
and then returned home to engage in mercantile
business, after which he again entered the serv
ice of the railroad company.
In 1889, Mr. Bernhart was married to Miss
Lena Baker, of Lewisburg, and located in that
city, where he has built a nice residence. He
entered upon the livery business in April, 1897,
having erected a commodious and well-planned
stable, and stocked it in an " up-to-date " style.
Mr. Bernhart is a man of fine physique and
elegant manners, and he and his accomplished
wife are leaders in social life.

€,HARLES H. BERNHART. Few cities of
' the size of Lewisburg. Union county, can
boast of as well-equipped livery stable as that
which the enterprising young business man,
whose name introduces this review, has recently
opened there. Possessing the finest outfits and

WILLIAM B. and GEORGE A. SMITH
are numbered among the steady-going
and most reliable young men of Buffalo town
ship, Union county, who have chosen agricultural
pursuits as their life work, and are meeting with
excellent success in their field of labor. Their
father, John B. Smith, now deceased, was born
in Hartley township, Union county, January 9,
1832, and was a son of George Smith, a farmer
by occupation, who reared a family of five sons
and several daughters.
The primitive country schools of this time
afforded John B. Smith his educational privileges,

1208

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

and, as his parents were in limited circumstances,
he began life for himself at an early age. Under
the direction of Mr. Hull, at Lewisburg, he began
learning the tanner's trade, but his health would
not permit his following that occupation, so he
turned his attention to farming, in which he met
with a fair degree of success.
In Buffalo township John B. Smith was mar
ried to Miss Rebecca Kauffman, a daughter of
Jacob and Rachel (Reidy) Kauffman. Five chil
dren graced their union: Jacob K., now a resi
dent of the West; and William B., Amelia E.,
Matilda J. and George A., who are still on the
old home farm. After his marriage, Mr. Smith
located on a small place in Buffalo township, and
gave his attention to buying and selling cattle.
For a time he lived in Cowan and later near that
village, but, in 1870, he located on the old
Jacob Kauffman farm, which he purchased, as his
wife was one of the heirs. It comprises sixty-
seven acres of rich and arable land, and is im
proved with good and substantial buildings.
There the father continued to make his home un
til his death, which occurred on the iothof May",
1889, and upon the same place the mother de
parted this life November 1, 1 891 , both being
laid to rest in the cemetery at Mazeppa. They
were earnest and consistent members of the Re
formed Church, and were held in the highest re
gard by all who knew them. Although a regu
lar voter and a stanch Republican in politics, Mr.
Smith cared nothing for the honors or emolu
ments of public office, preferring to give his en
tire time and attention to his business interests
and his family.
The old home farm is now successfully oper
ated by the sons, who are numbered among
the most skillful and thorough agriculturists of
the community, and in social as well as business
circles stand deservedly high. The family is
one of prominence in the community, and at
their hospitable home their many friends are al
ways sure of a hearty welcome.

ISAAC F. BROWN. The value of modern
scientific methods in agricultural work is ad
mirably show in the well-kept fa^ms of this sec
tion, and the subject of this sketch, a leading
citizen of Buffalo Valley, is especially noted for
his progressive and systematic management. A
judicious conservatism governs his acceptance of
and application of new theories, and he has had
remarkable success in all his attempts at ad
vancement. At present he has two farms under
cultivation in Union county, sixty-six acres in
Buffalo township, and 107 acres in East Buffalo

township, and both show the wisdom of his
plans. Mr. Brown is a member of an old pioneer
family, his grandfather, John Brown, who was
born November 12, 1756, in Pine Grove town
ship, Berks county, Penn., having settled in Un
ion county in the spring of 1804. He was ac
companied by his wife and their children, and.
his remaining years were spent at their new
home, near Smoketown, his death occurring De
cember 13, 1838. His remains were interred in
Dreisbach cemetery. Jacob Brown, our subject's
father, was born in 1799 at the old homestead in
Berks county, and, coming to this section in
childhood, was reared in Union county. He
married Miss Elizabeth Wolfe, a native of East
Buffalo township, Union county, and a member
of an old and respected family. Some years
after his marriage, Jacob Brown removed to
Northumberland county, and located upon a
tract of 152 acres, near McEwensville, which he
then owned. Later he returned to East Buffalo
township, Union county, and, settling upon a
farm on Turtle creek, remained there until his
death, December 28, 1870. His wife survived
him several years, and both were buried at Lew
isburg. He was five feet eight inches in height,
and of average weight, and always followed
farming as an occupation. He belonged to the
Reformed Church, in which he held various
offices, and was influential in local politics, sup
porting the Republican ticket and occasionally
accepting a place thereon for some township
office, although he was not by any means a
seeker after public positions. Of his children,
the eldest, John W. , now a resident of East
Buffalo township, was a soldier in the 202nd P.
V. I. during the Civil war; Samuel, a farmer in
the same township, served in Company E, 142nd
P. V. I. ; Peter was drowned, at the age of eight
een, while engaged in boating; William W. re
sides in Lewisburg; Isaac F. is mentioned more
fully below; and Mary died in infancy.
Mr. Brown's birth occurred January 23, 1837,
while the family were living in Delaware town
ship. Northumberland county, but since the age
of fifteen he has resided in Union county. His
early education was limited to the common
schools of the day, such as they were, but a nat
urally acute mind has enabled him to supple
ment these meagre advantages by observation
and reading. When the war broke out he was
still at home, and, like his two elder brothers,
he determined to offer his services to his country.
On August 21, 1862, he enlisted, at Lewisburg,
in Company E, 142nd P. V. I., and on Novem
ber 1 of that year he was appointed corporal.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1209

He participated in all the battles and skirmishes
of his regiment, including the engagements at
the Rappahannock, Fredericksburg, Chancellors
ville, Gettysburg, two days, Mine Run, the Wil
derness, Spottsylvania, North Anna, Petersburg,
Weldon Railroad and Hatcher's Run. He was
wounded in the left shoulder at Fredericksburg,
and spent four weeks in the Patent Office Hos
pital, but during that time his regiment did no
fighting. On August 22, 1865, he was mustered
out with an excellent record, and, returning home,
again took up the work of the farm, assisting
his father. On December 15, 1870, Mr. Brown was mar
ried to Miss Catherine Dunkle, who was born
February 19, 1842, in Buffalo township, Union
county, the daughter of Michael and Elizabeth
Dunkle. This family is one of the oldest in that
locality, and the "Michael Dunkle farm," of
which our subject's present home is a portion,
was a fine estate. Mr. Brown had saved some
money, and had a good start toward a compe
tence, and by shrewd management he has added
to his possessions until he now ranks among the
wealthiest farmers of the township. Beside his
two farms, he owns a good brick house, with five
acres of land, on the pike in East Buffalo town
ship, two lots in the Shrines addition at Lewis
burg, sixty-seven acres of timber land, and a half
interest in the Reish farm and mill in West Buf
falo township. He is also a stockholder in the
Union County Agricultural Society.
As a citizen he has always been ready to en-
couarge any beneficial movement in his locality,
and he has taken keen interest in educational
matters, serving for about twenty years as school
director, and endeavoring by every means to
secure better privileges for the children of this
day than were vouchsafed to himself. In polit
ical faith he is a Republican. He is a member of
the G. A. R. , Tucker Post No. 52, at Lewisburg,
and he and his wife both belong to the Reformed
Church, in which he was for many years a dea
con, and is now an elder.
His only son, Michael J. Brown, born De
cember 14, 1876, is a promising young man, who
is following closely in his father's footsteps, and
takes an active part in the management of the
farm.

PETER BINGAMAN. Like many other res
idents within the bounds of Union county
who started out in life with naught but an abund
ance of determination and indefatigable industry,
and who have succeeded through their own dili
gence, energy and economy, we classify the gen

tleman whose name opens this sketch. From
early boyhood he has made his own way in the
world, and is now the owner of a good farm of
ninety acres in Limestone township.
Mr. Bingaman was born November 4, 1817,
in Berks county, Penn. , a son of Christian and
Elizabeth Bingaman, who, in 1838, removed to
Union county, where the father worked as a la
borer for the Berlin Furnace Company, support
ing his family in this way. With savings from
his meagre wages after years of toil, he bought a
small home and piece of land in Beaver town
ship, Snyder county, Penn., where he died at the
age of fifty-nine. His wife survived him many
years, reaching the advanced age of ninety-four.
Our subject was the fourth son and sixth
child in the family of eleven children, and was
twenty-one years of age at the time of the re
moval of the family to Union county. His edu
cational advantages were very limited, and as a
young man he was employed as a wood-chopper
for the Berlin Furnace Company. On October
10, 1839, he was married to Miss Catharine
Mertz, who was born in Hartley township, Union
county, August 21, 1821, a daughter of John
Mertz. They began housekeeping in that town
ship, where he rented a small dwelling, which
for some time was very scantily furnished. His
health becoming impaired he was obliged to give
up wood-chopping, and for many years engaged
in farming on rented land, and by incessant toil
and the strictest economy, aided by his excellent
wife, he was at last able to save a few hundred
dollars, which, in the fall of 1875, he invested in
his present farm, buying the same from Vitalis
Walter. He continued to live in Hartley town
ship until the following spring, when he took up
his residence upon his own farm.
Mr. and Mrs. Bingaman became the parents
of the following children: Catharine E., born
May 30, 1840, is now the wife of William Bart
ley, of Centre county, Penn.; William H., born
December 6, 1841, was married and died in Hart
ley township, Union county, leaving six sons;
John W., born September 4, 1843, is a farmer
of Limestone township, Unioncounty; Margaret,
born September 22, 1845, is the wife of Harry
Walter, of Lewis township, Union county; Mary
J., born June 12, 1847, is at home; Calvin, born
May 2, 1850, is a resident of Michigan; Martin,
born July 21, 1852, lives in Lewis township,
Union county; Hannah, born September 21,
1854, died in infancy; Samuel, born May 12,
1857, makes his home in Limestone township;
and James J., born October 18, 1861, died in
childhood. Mrs. Bingaman, who was a consist
ent member of the Lutheran Church, and a faith-

1210

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ful helpmeet to her husband, died December io,
1893, and was laid to rest in the cemetery at
Mifflinburg. Politically Mr. Bingaman uses his right of
franchise in support of the Democratic party,
but he has never been an office-seeker, his time
and attention being wholly occupied by his busi
ness affairs. He, too, is a member in good
standing of the Lutheran Church, and has won
for himself a high place in the regard and esteem
of his fellow-citizens, who appreciate his sterling
worth.

CHRISTIAN SCHNURE, an enterprising busi-
' ness man of Vicksburg, Union county, has
met with gratifying success during his brief resi
dence in that city, and he is now a leading pro
duce buyer, his goods being taken to the coal
regions for sale. Although a stranger when he
settled there in the spring of 1895, his business
methods have won for him the confidence and
esteem of the large number of people with whom
he deals, and he is looked upon as one of the
substantial citizens of the town.
Christian Schnure, who is the third of his line
to bear that name, was born September 5, 1845,
in Hartley township, Union county, and is of
German descent, his grandfather, Christian
Schnure, having been the first of the family to
leave the Fatherland and make his home in
America. Christian Schnure, our subject's father,
was a native of Snyder county, and after fol
lowing the weaver's trade for some time set
tled upon a farm in Hartley township, Union
county. He lived to the ripe old age of
eighty-two years, and left property valued at
more than $20,000, most of it being the result
of his own efforts. Politically, he was a Re
publican, and for many years he was a lead
ing member of the Reformed Church. His wife,
Lydia Keister, who died in her seventy-second
year, was a native of Hartley township, and a
daughter of John Keister. Five sons and five
daughters were born to their union, our subject
being the seventh child and third son. Both
parents breathed their last at the old home in
Hartley township, and their remains now rest in
the cemetery at "White School House."
Mr. Schnure spent the first ten years of his
life in his native township, and his education was
begun in the White School House, but his par
ents then removed to Nittany Valley, Centre
county, and remained three years, during which
the boy attended the winter sessions at Marion
District School. In 1858 the family returned to
Union county, where Mr. Schnure grew to man

hood, securing a fair education in the country
schools and learning at. home all the "ins and
outs " of farm work- For some time after com
ing of age he worked on the railway, then in
process of construction near Spring Mills, but he
continued to reside at home. At thirty-three he
married Miss Sarah Ruhl, who was born June 4,
1850, in Lewis township, Union county, the
daughter of George and Hannah Kaufman Ruhl.
For ten years Mr. Schnure made his home at
Salem, Snyder county, on a farm belonging to
his uncle, George Schnure, and then removed to
the Ruhl homestead, which he rented for two
years. The next five years were spent at Swen
gel, but in 1895 he purchased his present huck
stering business at Vicksburg from Robert Gel
linger. He owns a good home at Vicksburg, and
one at Millmont, and has also a lot in the village
of Swengel, so it is evident that he is not only
energetic in carrying on his business, but can
make judicious investments of the proceeds. He
is very quiet and unassuming, attending strictly
to his own affairs, and this is doubtless one fac
tor in his success.
He is a stanch Republican in political faith.
At one time he belonged to the Union League,
and his sympathies are with every movement
that promises beneficial results to the community.
His wife is an active member of the Lutheran
Church. Two promising boys, Henry and Clar
ence C, brighten their home.

SAMUEL ZIMMERMAN. No more highly
) respected citizen can be found in Limestone
township, and probably no other man in Union
county has been longer in the employ of another
than our subject, he having worked for D. W.
Pellman for thirty-nine long years. His birth
occurred in Snyder county, Penn., February 16,
1849, but when a child he was brought to Union
county by his parents, Jonas and Maria (Faust)
Zimmerman, who located upon the farm now
owned and occupied by our subject. The grand
father, Frederick Zimmerman, lived and died in
West Buffalo township, Union county, whither
he had removed from Snyder county.
The father, who was a shoemaker by trade,
died when his son Samuel was quite small, leav
ing the mother with six little children and a
small farm of thirty-three acres, which was not
entirely paid for. In order to clear the place of
debt, she sold a portion of her land, and in
early life she often did a man's work in the har
vest field and at various other employments in
order to support her family. This estimable
lady died at the age of seventy-two years, six

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1211

months and twenty-four days, upon the farm left
her by her husband, and her remains were
interred in the Mifflinburg cemetery.
The six children of the family were as fol
lows: William, now a resident of Paxtonville,
Snyder Co. , Penn. ; James, of Hancock county,
Ohio; Sarah, wife of David Parker, of Lewis
township, Union county; Samuel, of this sketch;
George, of Hartley township, Union county; and
Mary, wife of Scott Moyer, of Mifflinburg.
For a time Samuel Zimmerman attended the
public schools of Union county, which were
much inferior to those of the present time, but
his educational advantages were limited as at an
early age he began earning his own livelihood
in the employ of D. W. Pellman. He not only
supported his widowed mother during her de
clining years, but he has also helped other rela
tions, and he is a most generous and considerate
man. From the other heirs he purchased the
old homestead, comprising sixteen acres, and
has remodeled the house and made other useful
improvements. He has also laid up some
money, and for the success he has achieved in
life he certainly deserves great credit, for it
is all due to his own untiring efforts. In man
ner, he is quiet and unassuming, attending
strictly to his own affairs, and in politics he is a
stanch Democrat, but no politician in the sense
of office-seeking.

DANIEL HORNER, a prominent and suc
cessful farmer and stock-raiser of Hartley
township, Union county, living near the village
of Cohn, is a self-made man, who, by the exercise
of his resolute will and persevering industry, has
built up one of the most creditable homesteads
of the locality. His straightforward methods of
doing business, and his value as a member of the
community, have gained for him a wide circle of
friends and acquaintances, who have watched^
his career with interest, and are not slow to ac-"
knowledge that he is deserving of all the good
that has fallen to him. Although he began life
in limited circumstances, and commenced work
as a farm hand at $6 per month, he has acquired
considerable property.
In the township where he still resides, Mr.
Horner was born October 27, 1826. His parents
were natives of Berks county, Penn., and became
honored pioneers of Union county, where the
father followed the occupation of farming. In
order of birth, their six children were as follows:
Amos, who at an early day removed to Indiana,
where he engaged in agricultural pursuits until
his death; Samuel, a Union soldier of the Civil

war, who removed west in 1876; Isaac, who is
living in the West; David, who is married and
resides in the West; Daniel, of this sketch; and
John, who is also married and lives in the West.
The boyhood and youth of our subject were
spent upon a farm, while his education was re
ceived in the common schools. In 1846 he pur
chased his present farm, and to its cultivation
and improvement has since devoted his time and
attention. In politics he is an ardent Republican,
and in religious belief is a Lutheran.
In June, 1850, Mr. Horner was married to
Miss Elizabeth March, daughter of John March,
and they became the parents of four children:
Margaret, now the wife of Samuel Church, a
farmer of Hartleton, Union county, by whom
she has three children; Elizabeth, wife of Joseph
Pursley, a prominent farmer of Hartley township,
Union county, by whom she has seven children;
Westie, who married William Libby, a lumber
man, and has six children; and Alice, who died
at the age of eleven years.

J. WEIDENSAUL, a prominent business
man of Lewisburg, Union county, has re
sided in the suburban district known as Smoke
town since 1864. He was born in Hartleton,
Union county, June 11, 1841, and his early life
was mainly spent at the " American House," an
old-time hostelry standing on the turnpike at the
end of the Lewisburg bridge. He remembers
distinctly the days when the chief means of
transportation was by wagons on the turnpike.
The hotel was conducted by Adam Weidensaul,
our subject's father, who was born in Reading,
Penn., but after some years of residence at Selins
Grove, Penn., removed to Union county, his last
days being spent in Hartleton. He was a Re
publican in politics, and in religious faith was a
Lutheran. His death occurred at the age of
sixty-five, and his wife, Leah Woscar, who was
born in 181 3, passed away in 1895. She was a
daughter of Elias Woscar, who came from Ger
many and made his home at Broad Mountain,
Schuylkill county, in this State. To Adam and
Leah Weidensaul eleven children were born:
Elias, Henry, John, Mary, R. J., Emma, Wel
lington, Hannah, Charles, Hayes and Ida.
R. J. Weidensaul learned in his youth the
business of coach painting and trimming, in
which he was engaged for many years. About
twenty years ago he added to this a livery busi
ness, in which he has been very successful. At
the age of twenty-three he was married to his
first wife, Miss Mary Wolfe, and began house
keeping on the same lot in Smoketown that his

1212

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

home is now on. Eight children were born to
this union: John is deceased; Aaron, a resident
of Lewisburg, married Miss Kate Hower, and
they have two children — William and Hilda;
Katie is at home; one child died in infancy;
Isaac is in business with his father; Edith, George
and Charles are now at home. The mother of
this family has been called to the better world,
and Mr. Weidensaul has since formed a second
union, this time with Mrs. Elizabeth Dunklebar-
ger, nee Roohis, by whom he has had two chil
dren: Liza C. and Harry B. Mrs. Weidensaul
has a daughter, Carrie, by her first husband.
In his political views Mr. Weidensaul is a
Republican, and in religious faith believes the
doctrines of the Evangelical Church.

IE ARON SMITH, a prosperous agriculturist
1$L of Buffalo township, Union county, counts
among his ancestors several of the pioneer set
tlers of this section.
On the paternal side his great-great-grandfa
ther, Adam Smith, who was employed during the
Revolutionary period in hauling supplies for the
Colonial forces, settled at a very early period
upon a tract of land lying along " Furnace Road,"
in what is now East Buffalo township, Union
county. His death occurred there, and his re
mains now rest in the old cemetery at Dreisbach
church. He had four sons and two daughters:
Adam removed to Beaver township, Snyder coun
ty, and some of his descendants still reside near
Beavertown; George died in Union county;
Michael is mentioned more fully farther on; John
died at Beavertown, Snyder county; and one
daughter married Michael Maize, and the other
wedded Steffy Touchman.
Michael Smith, the great-grandfather of our
subject, became the owner of two farms on the
Furnace Road, and spent a long life in agricult
ural pursuits, dying in Union county, July 2,
1 84 1. He was married (first) to a Miss Bower,
of Dry Valley, (second) to Miss Susanna Bartges,
of Mifflinburg, and (third) to Miss Sophia Bickle,
whose father, Henry Bickle, was killed by an In
dian. He had three daughters: Mrs. Joseph
Nyhart, Mrs. John Wolfe, and Mrs. David Oldt,
who resided near New Berlin, and five sons:
Michael, who settled in Michigan; Daniel, who
went to Ohio; Benjamin, an early settler in Illi
nois; Jonathan, our subject's grandfather; and
David, who died in Union county. Jonathan
Smith was born in 1792, at the old homestead
on the Furnace Road, and died in 1832, from the
effects of a fall in a barn from the hayloft to the
floor. He was a soldier in the war of 1812.

In religious faith he was a Lutheran, and, al
though he died at an early age, he had already
attained an influential place among his business
associates. His farm of 160 acres was one of
the best in the township. He was buried in
Dreisbach cemetery, and his wife, Elizabeth
Wolfe, who -passed away many years later, at
the age of eighty-two, was interred at White
Deer church. She was born in East Buffalo
township, Union county, the daughter of Jacob,
and granddaughter of George Wolfe, one of the
first settlers in Buffalo Valley. Her mother,
Catherine Basner, was a daughter of John Bas-
ner, who settled in Union county in 1774, near
the present site of New Columbia, and was killed
in 1778, on the Susquehanna river, by some In
dians. To Jonathan and Elizabeth Smith eight
children were born, viz.: Aaron W. , our sub
ject's father; Simon, a resident of White Deer
township, Union county; Mary, widow of Elias
Noll, of Lewisburg; Michael, who was killed in
a stone quarry in White Deer township; Jona
than, who died at an early age; Catherine, widow
of Joseph Moyer, of White Deer; John, who
died in boyhood; and Jacob W., now residing in
Lewisburg. The late Aaron W. Smith spent his youth at
the old farm in East Buffalo township, where he
was born October 6, 18 16. He received a good
education for the time and taught school several
terms. On April 25, 1839, he was married in
the same township, by Rev. M. Anspach, to Miss
Esther Sterner, who was born in that locality,
July 29, 1 82 1, the daughter of Nathaniel Sterner.
They began housekeeping in their native town
ship, where Mr. Smith followed the tanner's
trade, but in the spring of 1842 he bought a tan
nery in White Deer township and removed there,
remaining until late in the " 50s," when he gave
up the business to engage in farming upon some
land which he purchased in the same locality.
About 1 864 he removed to another farm in Lewis
township, to pass his declining years, and his
death occurred there on February 12, 1870,
from typhoid fever. Ten other members of the
family were suffering from the disease at the
time, and a son and daughter died of it. His
wife survived him, and married William Hoff
man, but at her death, in July, 1883, she was
buried beside her first husband in Ray's ceme
tery, in Lewis township, Union county. Both
parents were Lutherans in faith, and the father
held various offices in the Church. Politically,
he was a stanch Republican, but he never sought
office, although at one time he served as jury
commissioner. He left a good estate, mainly ac
cumulated by his own industry, his start in life

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1213

having been a very modest one. Of eleven chil
dren, the eldest, Sarah J. married (first) Jacob
Grove, and (second) A. J. Morningstar, and now
resides in Lewis township, Union county; Cath
arine E. is the wife of J. Young, of St. Joseph
county, Mich.; Joanna died January 22, 1849;
Levi died June 17, 1848; Jonathan died April 23,
1870; Mary Lucinda died August 24, 1850;
Aaron, our subject, was the seventh in order of
birth; Jerusha A., died February 17, 1870; Ur
sula E. is the wife of Martin Harmon, of Nor
folk, Va. ; Delilah A., married James Hacken-
burg, of Buffalo township; and Anna A. married
Wilson Holt, now residing near Centerville,
Michigan. At the time of our subject's birth, September
10, 1 85 1, his parents were living in White Deer
township, and, as he was nearly thirteen years
old when they removed from the locality, his
education was mainly obtained there, the com
mon schools of that day offering but a limited
course. ' He remained at home until after his fa
ther's estate was adjusted, and then began work
on his own account, taking such employment as
he could find in sawmills and lumber camps, or
on neighboring farms. About 1879 he went to
Michigan and later to the vicinity of Osage,
Iowa, where he spent two years working as a
general laborer and farm hand. The following
winter was passed in Pennsylvania, and then,
after seven or eight months in Michigan, he re
turned to his native county to make a permanent
home. On December 28, 1880, Mr. Smith was mar
ried, in Mifflinburg, to Miss Celestia A. Engel
man, a native of White Deer township, born May
3, 1857. Her father, Joseph Engelman, was
born March 18, 1827, and died December 12,
1864, and her mother, whose maiden name was
Mary Stahl, was born December 20, 1834, and
died September 30, 1858. She was the only one
of their children to live to adult age, and, as she
was left an orphan at the age of seven, she made
her home with an uncle, Philip Stahl, who was
appointed her guardian. She received a com
mon-school education, and was reared upon a
farm, where she gained practical knowledge of
her future duties as the helpmeet of an industri
ous farmer. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs.
Smith located temporarily in East Buffalo town
ship, but in the fall of 1 881 they purchased their
present farm of seventy-two acres in Buffalo
township, to which they removed on January 10,
1882. In addition to this property, Mr. Smith
owns another farm of seventy-five acres in the
same township, and a house and shoemaker's
shop in Mazeppa. He is a hard worker, a good

manager, and his quiet, unassuming manner by
no means blinds his acquaintances to his worth
as a man and citizen. He is a prominent mem
ber of the Lutheran Church, and takes much in
terest in public affairs, giving his unwavering al
legiance to the Republican party.
Three children have blessed his home, of
whom the eldest, Esther S., born July 17, 1883,
is living; Orner A., born October 26, 1887, and
Eva M., born June 19, 1891, died in infancy.

ENRY R. BAKER, a representative agri
culturist of Buffalo township, Union coun
ty, was born in the same township, January 13,
1849, on the old home place of his parents, Will
iam and Susan (Kauffman) Baker. With Adam
Kling as teacher, he began his literary education
in the public schools of Cowan, and his training
at farm work was upon the old homestead, under
his father's able directions. For six years after
attaining his majority, he continued to work for
his farm, receiving $150 per year.
On December 9, 1875, in West Buffalo town
ship, Union county, Mr. Baker was married to
Miss Sabilla Shoemaker, who was born Novem
ber 7, 1852, in Buffalo township, but when a
child was taken by her parents, Levi and Martha
(Gebhart) Shoemaker, to West Buffalo town
ship, where she was reared. She was the fourth
child and eldest daughter in a family of ten chil
dren, of whom seven reached manhood and
womanhood. Her education was acquired in
the Kauffman School in West Buffalo township,
and her first teacher was Miss Josephine Thomp
son. Her father still lives near Mifflinburg, but
her mother, who was a consistent member of the
Lutheran Church, died March 25, 1884, and was
buried in the Mifflinburg cemetery. Mr. and
Mrs. Baker have three children: Ada M., born
September 20, 1876; Florence E. , born Decem
ber 26, 1878; and Levi W., born February 10,
1884; all are at home.
On his marriage, Mr. Baker located on one
of his father's farms, which he rented for fifteen
years, but in the fall of 1890 he purchased the
Levi Miller farm in Buffalo township, and has
there resided since the following March. He
has made many valuable and useful improve
ments upon the place, and has one of the finest
country homes in the county — an elegant brick
residence, neat and tastefully furnished. It
abounds in hospitality and good cheer, as the
family have many friends and acquaintances,
whom they delight to entertain. The parents
and daughters are members of the Reformed
Church, in which Mr. Baker has served as dea-

1214

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

con, and the young ladies are actively interested
in the Christian Endeavor Society. While an
ardent supporter of the Democratic party, our
subject is no politician in the sense of office seek
ing, preferring to give his entire time and atten
tion to his business interests.

DAVID ROYER, proprietor of the "Lochiel
Hotel," at Lochiel, Union county, is a man
whose genial temperament, sound judgment and
well-proved integrity have brought him the es
teem and friendship of a host of acquaintances
far and near. "Davy", as he is familiarly
known, keeps many business irons in the fire,
conducting a farm and dealing extensively in live
stock, in addition to managing his popular hos
telry. As a review of one's ancestry gives the. best
possible introduction to a personal history, we
will begin our account of Mr. Royer by mention
ing the head of the family in this country, Se
bastian Royer, who came from Switzerland in
1 718, and located in what was then the Colony
of Pennsylvania, on the Schuylkill river, at a
point which is still called Royer's Ford. Later
he, with two sons, John and Amos, moved to
Lancaster county, where he died in 1758. Amos
Royer, who died 1769, had five sons: Philip,
Christopher, Peter, John and Daniel. Christo
pher Royer, the great-grandfather of our subject,
settled in Union county, and reared three sons:
John, Daniel, and Joel (our subject's grandfa
ther), who was born April 13, 1779, and died
October 30, 1853, and was in his later years an
extensive land owner in Kelly township, Union
county. He was married to Miss Susanna Bren-
heiser, a native of Lancaster county, who was
born June 30, 1779, and died March 30, 1871, at
the age of ninety-two. They had twelve chil
dren: Nancy, Isaac, Israel, Adam, Sarah, Eliz
abeth, Anna, Rebecca, Susanna, Joel, Catherine
and Mary R.
Israel Royer (our subject's father) was born
in Lancaster county, but came to Union county
in boyhood with his parents. His first wife,
Catherine Ritter, was a native of Buffalo
township, in the same county, and they
began housekeeping upon one of the farms
belonging to Joel Royer, where eleven chil
dren were born to them: Susannah, now
Mrs. Daniel Rangier, of Buffalo township,
Union county; Mary A., who married John
Neese, and moved to Iowa; David, our subject;
Rebecca, who married Frank F. Troxel, and
died in Northumberland county; William, of Mc
Ewensville, Penn.; Samuel, of Bellevue, Ohio;

Joel, who was killed during the Civil war at Fort
Gregg while serving in defense of the Union;
Adam, of Lewisburg, Penn.; Anna, deceased,
who did not marry; Elizabeth, now Mrs. Charles
Zechman, of Iowa; and Catherine who died at
an early age. The mother of this family died
when our subject was about fifteen years old,
and the father was married to Mrs. Catherine
Shively, widow of John Shively. There were
two sons by this union: John and Michael, both
living near Hartleton, Pennsylvania.
After the death of his first wife Israel Royer
moved from Kelly township to East Buffalo
township, and later to Hartley township, in the
same county. Both his wives were Dunkards in
religious faith, and he inclined toward that
Church, contributing liberally to its work, and,
when he passed away at seventy years of age,
his remains were laid to their final rest in the
Dunkard cemetery, three miles above Mifflinburg.
He was a man of average height and in his hab
its was industrious, but while he accomplished
much work he never gained more than a moder
ate competence. He had a comfortable home
and was considered well-to-do, and in local
affairs his opinions were listened to with great
respect. Politically, he was first a Whig, and,
later, a Republican, and he never neglected his
duty as a citizen on election day, voting regu
larly according to his convictions.
Our subject was born at the old home in
Kellytownship, Unioncounty, February 16, 1835,
and his schooling was that common to the time
and locality. He keenly appreciates the differ
ence in the schools of the present, and he en
dorses every improvement by which the children
of this day are given better opportunities. His
early training at home prepared him for farm
work, but he had a poor start in life, his avail
able funds on leaving home at twenty years of
age amounting to $2.50. He spent three years
working for Thomas Howard, a farmer in his
native township, at $120 per year, and continued
in the same line of work with other employers
until he was twenty-seven years old, saving nearly
$ 1 , 000. About this time Mr. Royer was married, at
Mifflinburg, to Miss Mary C. Heinley, daughter
of John Heinley, a prosperous farmer of Buffalo
township, Union county. He rented his father-
in-law's farm aud operated it for five years, then
conducted William Royer's farm in Limestone
township two years, returning afterward to the
Heinley homestead. After another year there
he bought a farm of forty acres near Vicksburg,
going in debt to the amount of $1,500. A year
later he made an advantageous sale, and in the

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1215

spring of 1868 bought the old "Biehl Hotel"
property, four miles from Lewisburg, on the pike
between that place and Mifflinburg. There were
thirty-one acres in the place, and he has since
purchased fifteen acres from John C. Dunkle,
and fifty-five acres from Andrew Miller, making
a valuable farm. In addition to his hotel, he
owns two dwelling houses in the same vicinity.
This success reflects great credit upon him, be
ginning as he did with no financial aid. In his
business dealings he asks only for what he con
siders his own, and concedes the same right to
others. In the buying and selling' of live stock
his trade extends over several counties, giving
him a large acquaintance, and wherever he is
known his word is as good as his bond.
One daughter. Miss Adda M. Royer, bright
ened his home. His wife is a consistent member
of the Lutheran Church, and the family has al
ways been in sympathy with the social and phi-
lanthropical movements. Politically Mr. Royer
is a steadfast Republican, but he has been too
closely devoted to business to care for office, al
though hs served one year as constable in East
Buffalo township.

JOSEPH SPANGLER, an agriculturist of en
ergy and ability, who has made his own way
in the world unaided, is a resident of Buffalo
township, Union county.
Born in the same county, three miles from
New Berlin, in Limestone township, April 7,
1836, Mr. Spangler is a son of Daniel and Lydia
(Mees) Spangler. Upon the farm where our
subject's birth occurred, his father was born
January 14, 1804, his grandparents, George C.
and Anna Catharine (Blank) Spangler, being
pioneer settlers of Limestone township. In the
southern part of Pennsylvania the former was
born November 2, 1755, but died on the old
homestead in Limestone township, March 2,
1829, while his wife, who was born May 16,
1762, died July 7, 1841.
Daniel Spangler had a twin brother, Jona
than. The former, who was a man of average
size, devoted his entire life to agricultural pur
suits, was a Democrat in politics, and a Lutheran
in religious belief. On January 31, 1826, he
was married to Lydia Mees, who was born Jan
uary 26, 1807, and was a daughter of Michael
and Anna Barbara Mees. Mr. and Mrs. Spang
ler became the parents of the following chil
dren: Mary A., born April 27, 1827, married
Benjamin Hollabach, of Kelly township, Union
county; George C, born July 21, 1829, died in
Centerville, Penn., in September, 1893; Cath

arine A., born September 8, 1831, is the wife of
Samuel Gramley, of Rebersburg, Penn. ; Henri
etta, born February 23, 1834, died September
S> 1853; Joseph is next in order of birth; David,
born February 21, 1838, is in the planing-mill
business in Van Wert, Ohio; Michael, born July
26, 1840, is a resident of Van Wert county,
Ohio; John, born January 27, 1843, is a farmer
of Limestone township, Union Co., Penn.; Ed
ward, born May 7, 1845, died in a hospital at
Alexandria, Va., June 18, 1864, having been a
member of Company F, 145th P. V. I., First
Division, Second Army Corps, in the Union
service; Willoughby, born January 3, 1848, died
March 21, 1865; and Thomas L., born July 5,
1850, is a farmer of Limestone township. The
father departed this life December 9, 1857, the
mother on May 18, 1865, and both were buried
in the New Berlin Cemetery.
As his parents were in limited circumstances,
Joseph Spangler began work at an early age, and
his educational opportunities were therefore lim
ited, but he is a warm friend of our public-school
system, justly appreciating the value of a good
education. He was married in Limestone town
ship, December 2, 1858, to Miss Barbara Etman,
who was born in what is now Snyder county,
Penn., February 28, 1838, and is a daughter of
Henry and Sarah (Hendricks) Etman, who were
the parents of seven children, two sons and five
daughters, of whom she was the fifth in order of
birth, and the third daughter. Mr. Etman was
a distiller, but never a drinker. As her parents
were poor, she lived among strangers from the
age of eight years, and thus was deprived of
school training. By her marriage she has be
come the mother of five children, namely: Harry
W., born June 19, 1859, is a farmer of Lime
stone township; Martin L. , born March 2, 1861,
died in infancy; Newton E., born November 7,
1865, is a successful teacher; Anna M., born
February 9, 1868, died at the age of twenty-four;
and Thomas E., born July 7, 1872, is at home.
For a few years after his marriage Mr. Spang
ler lived upon his father's farm, and then rented
elsewhere for two years, but in April, 1865, he
moved to his present farm in Buffalo township,
then belonging to Edward Wilson. After farm
ing it on shares until 1875, he purchased the
place, comprising 116 acres, at $100 per acre,
but went heavily in debt, as he had only $3,000
to pay down. Soon afterward he sold six acres,
but still owns the rest, which he has placed under
a high state of cultivation. His life is a worthy
example of what may be accomplished by the
exercise of honesty, economy and industry. His
good and noble wife bore her share in the hard-

1216

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ships of their early married life; for two years
and a half she was compelled to do her cooking
upon an old-fashioned tin-plate stove, and she
began housekeeping with only $35 worth of fur
niture and other necessary articles. She patiently
endured all inconveniences, cheerfully bore her
part in the work, and ever proved a true and
faithful helpmeet to her husband. They have
reared a family of which they have just reason
reason to be proud, and all have the respect and
esteem of the entire community. The parents
are consistent members of the Lutheran Church,
and in politics Mr. Spangler is a Democrat.

JOSEPH CLINTON BAKER, of White Deer
township, Union county, is an enterprising,
progressive citizen, who is not only success
fully engaged in agriculture, but conducts also a
sawmill and an extensive threshing business, his
brother, John H. Baker, being a partner. The
Baker homestead, upon which both brothers re
side, was settled about a century ago by John
Baker, the grandfather of our subject, who came
from Berks county, Penn. , with his wife, Heddie,
to locate permanently. They reared a family of
ten children: Daniel, a farmer in Illinois; Abra
ham, a farmer in White Deer township, Union
county; Amos, who owns and operates a part of
the original Baker farm; George, who resides
with his brother Abraham; Benjamin; Moses, a
farmer in White Deer township; Michael; John;
David; and Jacob.
The late Benjamin Baker was born at the
present homestead August 31, 1835, ar>d passed
his life there, his death occurring January
9, 1897. He was a blacksmith by trade, but
owing to ill health retired from active work some
years prior to his death. While he was inter
ested in the questions of his day, and was a
strong Democrat, he was averse to public life,
and gave his attention strictly to his private af
fairs. In religious faith, he was a Lutheran.
His wife, whose maiden name was Harriet Engle,
was born in Clinton county, September 12, 1844,
and passed to her eternal rest June 20, 1871.
They had three children, of whom our subject
was the youngest, the others being: Anna J.,
wife of Percy Beaver, a farmer of Buffalo town
ship, Union county; and John H., who is men
tioned more fully farther on.
Joseph C. Baker was born July 9, 1870, and
has always lived at the homestead, the schools
of that locality affording him his early education.
Through practical work at home he was taught
the art of farm management, which he and his
brother gradually assumed as their father's

health failed. In 1893 a sawmill was built on the
place, has since been operated, and for four
teen years past has been run a threshing ma
chine each season. Business having occupied his
thoughts so extensively and profitably, J. C.
Baker has not taken an active part in local pol
itics, but he is an earnest believer in Democratic
doctrines. He is interested in religious work as
as a member of the Reformed Church, and is in
sympathy with local progress in all lines.
On November 13, 1890, he was married to
Miss Sevilla C. Brown, and four bright children
have blessed their union: Edith M., born Janu
ary 13, 1892; George W., March 26, 1893; Dora
E., April 16, 1894; and Florence, November 28,
1896, making the fourth generation of the Baker
family to occupy the homestead.
Mrs. Sevilla Baker is also descended from an
old Pennsylvania family, her great-great-grand
parents having come from Germany and located
in Berks county. Her great-grandfather was a
farmer in that county for many years, but his
son, George Brown, Mrs. Baker's grandfather,
was born and reared in Schuylkill county, where
he married Miss Sarah Bartley, a daughter of
Abraham Bartley, of that county, and who was
a native of Germany. Mrs. Baker's father,
George Bartley Brown, was born in Schuyl
kill county, February 18, 1827, and is now
a prominent resident in White Deer township,
Union county. His second wife, Sarah E. Yost,
Mrs. Baker's mother, was a daughter of Michael
and Catherine (Fulmer) Yost, of Bucks county,
Penn. She died April 12, 1883, at the age of
forty-eight, and of her seven children all but one
are now living: James M. , born November 27,
1865, is a coachmaker at Montgomery, Penn.;
Paden S., born January 6, 1867, died October
30, 1884; Irene, born February 26, 1868, mar
ried Alpheus Koch, a farmer in Lycoming county,
Penn. ; Sevilla C, born March 1 , 1870, is the wife
of our subject; George A., born April 6, 1871, is
a farmer in Buffalo township, Union county;
Miss Eva D., born February 27, 1878, resides
with her sister, Mrs. Koch; and Cyrus W. , born
April 9, 1883, is at home.
John H. Baker (son of Benjamin) was mar
ried on September 25, 1890, to Miss Anna Maria
Catterman, and has two children: George B., born
May 8, 1891; and Hazel M., born May 27, 1894,
brighten their home. Mrs. John H. Baker was
born in Kelly township, Union county, May 8,
1 87 1, and her parents, George and Margaret
(Young) Catterman, who were both natives of
Union county, are now residing upon a farm in
White Deer township. The father is a well-
known Democrat, and both parents are members

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1217

of the Lutheran Church. They have had six
children, of whom Mrs. J. H. Baker was the
youngest; Jacob L. is a resident of Buffalo town
ship, Union county; Mary E. married William
Hughes, of Montgomery, Penn. ; Harris, a farmer,
resides with his parents; John W. is deceased;
and Minnie is the wife of John Kostoboder, a
clerk in a store at Montgomery, Pennsylvania.

WATHAN KNAUER is now retired from the
 active labors of life, and occupies a com
fortable home in the town of Swengel, Union
county. His has been a long and useful ca
reer, with little time for idleness along the
thoroughfare of life, and by his straightforward,
honorable course he has won the high regard of
all who know him.
Mr.' Knauer was born in Chester county,
Penn., October 16, 1836, a son of Samuel and
Elizabeth (Munchauer) Knauer, who spent their
entire lives in that county, the former dying at
the age of seventy-three, and the latter at the
age of fifty-two years. Their remains were in
terred in St. Peter's cemetery in Chester county.
They were the parents of ten children, namely:
Samuel, deceased; Susan, wife of John P. Church;
Elizabeth, wife of F. Painter, a farmer of Ches
ter county; Isaiah, who married, and reared a
family in Chester county, where he still resides;
Mary, who became the wife of Jacob Airgood, a
carpenter and farmer of that county, and died in
1890; John, who is married and lives on the old
homestead in Chester county; Anna, wife of
Louis Dampman, a tailor of Montgomery coun
ty, Penn. ; Sara, widow of Eben Sheeler, of
Chester county, who died while serving in the
Union army during the Civil war; Asenath, widow
of Josiah Keim, of Pottstown, Penn., who died
in 1893; and Nathan, of this sketch.
Our subject attended the common schools to
a limited extent, but is almost entirely self-edu
cated. He early became familiar with the work
of the farm and the mill, his father being en
gaged in both occupations. At the age of twenty
he came to Union county, and for forty-one years
was successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits
in Lewis township, but he has now retired from
the active management of his farm.
Mr. Knauer was married to Miss Harriet
Hilbish, who was born January 27, 1840, and
when ten years old came to Union county with
her parents, Jacob Hilbish and his wife. Her
father became a prominent farmer of Lewis town
ship but in 1 87 1 removed to the West, first lo
cating in Ohio, later in Indiana, and finally in
Missouri, where he died in August, 1893. His
77*

wife, who was born February 25, 1809, is still
living and retains her faculties to a wonderful
degree. She has traveled quite extensively
throughout the West. She is a descendant of one
of the three Revolutionary soldiers who captured
Major Andre, the spy, and delivered him to Gen.
Washington. Mr. and Mrs. Knauer have eight children:
Maria B., wife of Joseph Heater, a farmer of
Ohio, by whom she has two children; John W. ,
a telegraph operator, now stationed at Crestline,
Ohio; Margaret, a resident of Milton, Penn.;
Charles A. , who married Miss Anna Hirsh, and
lives in Swengel, Penn.; Susan E., an estimable
young lady residing with her parents; George M.,
a telegraph operator; Anna M., at home; and
William C, who is attending school at Selins
Grove, Penn. The family is connected with the
Lutheran Church, and holds an enviable position
in the social circles of the community. Politically,
Mr. Knauer is identified with the Republican
party.

LEVI BEAVER, one of the intelligent and
 / highly respected farmers of Buffalo town
ship, Union county, was born in Monroe town
ship, Snyder county, Penn., June 11, 1843. His
parents were George E. and Mary (Bower)
Beaver. The grandfather, George Beaver, Sr. ,
removed from Berks to Snyder county, where he
spent his remaining days as a farmer and pump-
maker. His children were: Matthias, John,
George E. , Nathan, Michael, Absalom,. Elias,
Catharine, Anna, Lydia, Dena and Elizabeth.
George E. Beaver was born in Monroe town
ship, Snyder county, was reared on a farm, and
in the fall of 1832 married Miss Bower, who was
born in Union township, Snyder county, March
19, 1 8 14, a daughter of Henry and Catharine
(Wise) Bower. Her father was a farmer, and
his children were: Henry, William, Polly, Cath
arine, Elizabeth, Dena, Mary and Sally. At the
time of this marriage, Mr. and Mrs. George E.
Beaver received from her father $100, with which
they purchased seven acres of land. They built
there a little home, which was scantily furnished,
and began their domestic life. The husband
worked as a laborer, and as the years passed
was able to add to the comforts of his home.
During his later years he suffered much from ill-
health, and resided with his children. His death
occurred in 1892, at the age of eighty-one, and
he was buried in the cemetery in Kratzerville,
Snyder county. In politics he was first a Whig,
and afterward a Republican. He belonged to
the Lutheran Church, of which his wife has been

1218

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

a faithful member since 1832. She is still living,
and makes her home with her sons, Levi and
Elias J. Her children are: William, who was
killed at a limekiln, in Union county, when sixty
years of age; Jacob, of Penn township, Snyder
county; Aaron, who died in infancy; Levi; Cath
arine, wife of Absalom Beaver, of Union town
ship, Union county; Elias J., of Buffalo town
ship; and Lavina, who died at the age of eighteen
years. Levi Beaver, of this review, is a self-made
man, who, since the age of nine years, has been
dependent upon his own resources. At the age
of ten he received twenty-five cents per day for
his service as a farm hand. He was energetic
and persevering, and if he had once worked for a
man he could always secure employment with
him again. At the age of eighteen he entered
the employ of Charles Bellman, of Buffalo town
ship, but after a year returned to Union town
ship, and was employed by various farmers.
On December 24, 1862, Mr. Beaver was mar
ried to Miss Mary J. Swartzlander, who was born
in Penn township, Snyder county, December 31,
1842. Her parents, Daniel and Susanna (Oldt)
Swartzlander, had seven children, namely: John,
Mary, Elizabeth, Emanuel, Charles, Lydia and
Benjamin F. The father was a shoemaker by
trade, and when a young man worked in Brush
Valley, Centre county, hauling grain to that
point from Lewisburg. He died at the age of
seventy-five, and his wife, who passed away at
the age of seventy-seven, was buried by his side
in New Berlin cemetery.
After his marriage our subject located in
Limestone township, Union county, renting a
home there, and was employed in the mines. In
March, 1865, he enlisted in the 74th P. V. I., as
a member of Company D, and joined his com
mand at Beverly, W. Va. At the close of the
war he returned home, and for five years was
employed by Sheriff David Gross, in Union
township. He afterward worked at different
places until the spring of 1879, when he rented a
farm in Dry Valley. In the spring of 1881, he
came to the Peter Voneida farm, near Cowan,
where he has since lived. In the spring of 1896,
he purchased a small farm of twenty-seven acres
in Buffalo township.
The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Beaver has
been blessed with the following children: Anna
E., wife of John Reedy, of Buffalo township;
Franklin H., a carpenter of Buffalo Roads;
Charles I., a farmer of West Buffalo township;
Jerome E., a farmer of New York; Daniel A.
and Bertha M., at home. The parents are mem
bers of the Evangelical Church, and the family

is one of prominence in the community, its rep
resentatives being leaders in the social circles in
which they move. Mr. Beaver gives his political
support to the Democracy, and is a member of
the Farmers Alliance. He makes the most and
best of life, is a loyal citizen and a good neigh
bor, and has the respect of all who know him.

J

THEO. SMITH, druggist, New Berlin,
Limestone township, Union county, Penn
sylvania.

T^HOMAS O. CRISWELL, a well-to-do ag
riculturist of Kelly township. Union coun
ty, now residing at Taylorville, is a member of a
family which has long been prominent in that lo
cality, his grandparents, Joseph and Elizabeth
(Hutchison) Criswell, having been among the
leading pioneers. The late John Hutchison
Criswell, the father of our subject, was a man
who stood high in the esteem of the community,
and he and his wife, whose maiden name was
Jane Mathers, so endeared themselves to all by
their kindliness and sterling worth that they were
universally known as " Uncle and Auntie Cris
well." The former was born March 20, 1812,
and died April 17, 1894, while his wife's life ex
tended from June 24, 181 1, to September 4,
1884, and both were mourned on their departure
as but few have been.
They had ten children, whose names, with
dates of birth, are as follows: Joseph, February
J9, 1835; James, April 16, 1837, deceased; Will
iam, April 12, 1839; Elizabeth (Mrs. Daniel
Kuhns), September 24, 1841; Mary A., July 15,
1843; Isabella, July 21, 1845, deceased; Rachel,
April 21, 1848, deceased; John, May 5, 1850.
deceased; Sarah M., October 10, 1852, deceased;
and Thomas O., September 2, 1853.
Thomas O. Criswell was born at the old Cris
well homestead, and until the age of twenty-one
his life was passed there in the healthful work of
the farm, his education being acquired in the
neighboring schools. On arriving at his major
ity he began working the farm on shares, but
after continuing this arrangement six years he
made a trip to the West, visiting Iowa, Wisconsin,
Kansas, Minnesota and Colorado. One year and
nine months were spent in sightseeing and pros
pecting, his expenses being met by work on farms,
in elevators, and, in fact, whatever he could find
to do. Naturally he found no place more at
tractive than this favored section, and returning
home he resumed work at the homestead for a
year, when he took another farm in the same

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1219

township, belonging to his father, and conducted
it until 1894. He then purchased his present
estate from John Reedy, and, having delegated
the active work of the place to other hands, he
is enjoying a well-deserved leisure.
He has a pleasant home and an interesting
family. On September 27, 1885, he was united
in marriage with Miss Lizzie Prutzman, and they
havefour children: JamesLee, born November 13,
1886; Clarence T., December 17, 1888; Jennie
E., January 27, 1891; and Harvey F., January
28, 1895.
Mrs. Criswell was born in Hartleton town
ship, Union county, February 16, 1856, is a
daughter of the late Enoch G. Prutzman, who
died in Union county, in 1891, aged seventy-
one years. He was by occupation a shoemaker,
and he had been throughout his life a stanch
Democrat in political faith. He was a native of
Reading, Penn., as was his wife, Susanna Dil-
camcamp, who was born in January, 1817,
and is now living in Mifflinburg, Penn. Both
united with the Reformed Church many years
ago and remained devout and consistent mem
bers of the same. They had the following chil
dren: Jacob, a farmer in California; Hiram, a
shoemaker at New Berlin, Penn. ; George, a
blacksmith at Winfield, Penn. ; Daniel, a farmer
in Kansas; Sarah, widow of Peter Guyer, of
Mifflinburg; Lizzie, Mrs. Criswell; Mary, who mar
ried Joseph Raybuck, a farmer in Buffalo town
ship, Union county; and Edward, who is also
engaged in agriculture in that township.
Thomas Criswell is a most agreeable com
panion, having a genial nature and an active,
clever mind. As a good citizen he takes an in
terest in the problems of the time, and, politic
ally, he supports the doctrines of the Repub
lican party. He and his wife are prominent
members of the Reformed Church.

j

R. ZELLER, retired, post office Mifflinburg,
Union County, Pennsylvania.

MRS. PRISCILLA E. AMMON, widow of
Elijah W. Ammon, is one of the most highly
respected ladies of Vicksburg. Union county.
She was born in West Hanover township, Dau
phin county, Penn., February 26, 1828, and is
the tenth child and sixth daughter in the family
of eleven children, four sons and seven daugh
ters, belonging to John and Christina (Killinger)
Early. The father, who was a farmer in early
life, served as justice of the peace many years,
and, although not wealthy, he was in comfortable

circumstances, able to provide his family with
many luxuries and pleasures which money only
can bring. He died at the age of eighty-two, and
his wife when eighty-eight, and both were buried
in West Hanover township, Dauphin county.
He was a Lutheran in religious belief, while she
held membership in the Reformed Church, and
both were honored and esteemed citizens of the
community where they so long made their home.
In her native township Mrs. Ammon was
reared and educated, the school house she went
to being some distance from her home. With
the other children of the family, she was taught
lessons of obedience and respect to those older,
and was twelve years of age before she knew her
father's first name, having always heard him
called father, at home, and squire, by strangers.
On September 28, 1848, she gave her hand in
marriage to Elijah W. Ammon, their wedding
being celebrated in Reading, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Ammon was born in Robinson township,
Berks county, Penn., January 24, 1824, and was
a miller by trade, following that occupation in
Dauphin county at the time of his marriage.
During the eleven years that he continued mill-"
ing there, he purchased the property known as
Early's Mill, which he finally sold, and purchased
a hotel at Linglestown, Dauphin county, con
ducting the same for several years. Later he
engaged in farming in West Hanover township,
that county, but in 1870 came to Vicksburg,
where he bought the " Great Western Hotel,"
and carried on business until his death, which
occurred August 31, 1877. He was laid to rest
in the Dreisbach cemetery. He was an unswerv
ing Republican in politics, and was widely and fa
vorably known.
A woman of rare business ability, Mrs. Am
mon successfully conducted the hotel for several
years after her husband's death, and then erected
her comfortable residence in Vicksburg, where
she has since lived. Having no children of their
own, she and her husband reared three others.
Agnes Baker, a niece of Mrs. Ammon, was born
in Dauphin county, June 7, 1 862 , and from the age
of six years she has made her home with her
aunt. She is now the widow of Peter Guyer.
Edward A. Baker was taken to their home when
only twenty-two months old. He was born in
Dauphin county in September, 1864, the child of
Mrs. Ammon's youngest sister, Rebecca, who
had just died. Here he remained until 1881,
when he went west, where he spent several years,
and, after returning to Pennsylvania on a visit,
went to Nicaragua. At Greytown, in that
country, he was accidentally killed by a. falling
lighter, October 25, 1890, and was buried there.

1220

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Robert Patrick lived with Mr. and Mrs. Ammon
until seventeen years of age, learning the miller's
trade with the former. He now lives in Harris
burg, Pennsylvania.
Since fifteen years of age Mrs. Ammon has

been aconsistent member of the Lutheran Church,
and her straightforward, womanly course and
many excellent traits of character have gained
for her the love and high. regard of all with whom
she has come in contact. Mrs. Guyer holds
membership in the Reformed Church.

v

T w I

%.

U/

INDEX.

PAGE
Adams, Rev. J. Q  581
Adams, William T  581
Africa Family  846
Aigler Family  1141
Aigler, Jacob A  1141
Aigler, Jerome F  1142
Albrecht, Andreas  :  788
Albright, Andrew  789
Albright Family  788
Albright, John H  789
Alexander, Hon. Cyrus T  445
Alexander, Miss Emily  124
Alexander Family  444
Alexander, Francis  123
Alexander, Francis M  364
Alexander, James  123
Alexander, J. W  446
Allbaugh Family  336
Alleman Family  1031
Alleman, Hon. Horace  1031
Alleman, Hon. Samuel  1030
Allen, William P  956
Allison, Edward  227
Allison Family  504
Allison, William, Esq  505
Allison, William M  504
Allport Family  138
Ammon, Capt. Beach C  991
Ammon, Elijah W  1219
Ammon, Mrs. Priscilla E  1219
Ammon, Samuel  991
Andrews Family  135
Andrews, W. W., M. D  135
Anthony Family  727
Anthony, John P  727
1 App, D. Norman  1096, 1100
App Family  1096
App, John  1097
Ard Family  403
Ard, George  139
Ard, J. B  403
Ard, Joseph B., M. D  139
Ard, Wilson Potter, M. D  139
Armstrong, Andrew  807
Armstrong, Anthony  806
Armstrong Family  590
Armstrong, Mrs. Ida M  552
Armstrong, John  491
Armstrong, Lewis  551
Armstrong, Richard, M. D  590
Armstrong, Robert.. . .,  491
Arney, B. H  348
Arney Families  348, 365
Arney, Jacob  365
Arney, John J  365
Arnold, Augustus  lUdd
Arnold, B. F  1124
Arnold, George B  1105
Arnold, George B. M  1105
Arnold, Henry  1124
Arnold, Miss Kathryn A  1033
Atherton, David  486
Atherton Family  48b
Atherton, George W., LL. D  64
Aurand, Ammon M  11^9
Aurand Family  1106
Aurand, James.  1106
Aviragnet, Jean F. E  y^U

Backus, Dr. William H  1034
Bair, D. H  456
Bair, W. T  455
Bairfoot, Mrs. Flora O  479
Bairfoot, Sidney W  478
Baker, Benjamin  1216
Baker Families  961,974, 1132
Baker, Henry R  1213
Baker, Henry S  552
Baker, J. M  1132
Baker, Jacob  974
Baker, John H  1216
Baker, Joseph C  1216
Baker, J. Thompson, A. M  810
Baker, P. A  961
Baker, Samuel  941
Baker, William  996
Baker, William H  996
Baptist Church, First, of Lock
Haven  553
Barber, Mary (Marr)  796
Barker, Capt. Robert S  549
Barner, Christian  711
Barner Family  693
Barner, Henry  694
Barner, J. C...  711
Barner, Jeremiah J  693
Barnes Families  323, 440
Barnes, John  323
Barnes, Thomas  440
Barnhart, Judge Henry  277
Barnhart, Philip W  277
Barr, Mrs. Carrie S  838
Barrows, Mrs. Elizabeth  565
Barrows, William W  565
Bartol, Elias  845
Bartol, William C, Ph. D  845
Bassler, Edward  1080
Bassler, Mrs. Catherine A  1081
Batcheler, Jesse H  614
Batcheler, Kimball D  614
Beaber Family  831
Beard, Augustus W  966
Beard, John A  966
Beaver Family  1
Beaver, George E  1217
Beaver, Hugh McAllister  200
Beaver, Rev. Isaiah  1011
Beaver, Jacob  1
Beaver, Hon. James A  1
Beaver, Rev. John L  1011
Beaver, Levi  1217
Bechdel, John  461
Bechdel, S. Mitchell  '461
Bechtel, Jacob  641
Bechtel, John  642
Beck, Benjamin F  460
Beck, Charles  584
Beck, Charles W  578
Beck Families  167, 578, 848
Beck, Henry  460
Beck, Isaac  313
Beck, Isaiah  379
Beck, John G  578
Beck, Samuel L  848
Beck, William H  849
Becker, Amos  851
Beerly, Nathaniel  242

PAGE
Beerly, Peter  244
Beerly, Robert  313
Behrer, Jacob  345
Behrer, John H  345
Beirly, Charles  325
Bellefonte Academy  66
Bennage, David  903
Bennage Family  921
Bennage, Henry  921
Bennage, John O  926
Bennage, Samuel  926
Bennage, Simon  903
Benner, John  914
Benner, Solomon  914
Bennett, Mrs. Margaret B  913
Bennett, Sylvanus  913
Berkenstock Family  1204
Berkenstock, Franklin Wm  1204
Bernhart, Charles H  1207
Bernhart, Isaac  1207
Bersy, John  662
Berry, William K  662
Bickel, John  702
Bickel, T. N  702
Bickford, Charles F  755
Bickford Family  611
Bickford, James A  611
Biehl, Gideon  868
Biehl, James  867
Bierly, Anthony, Jr  236
Bierly, Edwin S  238
Bierly Families  235, 243, 269
Bierly, Prof. H. E  237
Bierly, Joseph C  235
Bierly, Melchoir  326
Bierly, R. D...  269
Bigony, Ephraim W  558
Binder, Edward L  629
Binder, Mrs. Luke,  629
Binder, Luke  629
Bingaman, Christian  1209
Bingaman, F. A  1139
Bingaman, Peter  1209
Bitner, Abrah'am B  642
Bitner, Christian  663
Bitner Family  221
Bitner, Jacob A  663
Bitner, John  643
Blair Family  101
Blanchard, Hon. John  188
Blanche, Miss Mary  627
Blanche, Michael  627
Bliss, Rev. George Ripley, D. D.,
LL. D  762
Bloom, W. H  199
Blyler, Absalom  1004
Blyler, Samuel  1004
Boal Family  159
Boal, George M  159
Boal, George W  159
Bobb Family  .,  1110
Bobb, Peter S  1110
Bogar, Charles A  970
Bogar Family  1116
Bogar, John D  1116
Bogar, William  970
Boggs, Andrew  178
Boggs, Col. John  178

1222

INDEX.

PAGE
Bollinger, Samuel  1138
Boob, Adam  314
Boob, R. B  314
Boob, William W  ;.... 441
Bossert, H. M  700
Bossert, John S  700
Boush, Charles W., M. D  1173
Boush, David F  1173
Bower, Calvin M  59
Bower, Frederic Evans  817
Bower, Henry  1190
Bower, Jacob (Centre Co.)  60
Bower, Jacob (Union Co.)  1190
Bowersox, David F  289
Bowersox Family  289
Bowersox, John  289
Bowersox, Nathaniel  367
Boyer, Charles  1053
Boyer, Daniel S  1120
Boyer Family  1120
Boyer, George  1053
Braucher, John  970
Braucher, Miss Katie E  970
Braucht, R. O  339
Braucht, William.  339
Breon Family  254
Breon, Peter  254
Bressler, C. H  651
Bricker Family  283
Bricker, John C  283
Bricker, L. S  283
Bridgens, James W  641
Bright Family.!  122
Bright, J. W., M. D. . . . .  122
Bright, Samuel  122
Brobst Family  1116
Brooke, Capt. J. P  950
Brooks, Jasper N  476
Brooks, Richardson  476
Brown, A. H  :.....'.... 677
Brown, Abraham G  830
Brown, Benjamin F  619
Brown, Christian  818
Brown, Elias  928
Brown Families 
 677,890,818,1203,1211
Brown, Francis E  928
Brown, George  783
Brown, George B  890
Brown, Henry (pioneer)  704
Brown, Henry  828
Brown, Isaac F  1208
Brown, Jacob  619
Brown, Jacob (Union Co.)  1208
Brown, John  704
Brown, John J  783
Brown, Peter  818
Brown, Mrs. Sarah E  891
Brugger Family  400
Brugger, Gabriel  401
Brugger, Samuel  400
Brumgard, Henry A  425
Brumgard, Martin  425
Brungard, George  679
Brungard, Samuel  679
Brungart, Daniel  276
Brungart Family  276
Brungart, Frederick, Sr  593
Brungart, Jacob  593
Brungart, Jasper R  276
Brungart, Samuel  488
Brungart, Thomas F  488
Brungart, W.L  594
Brunner, Samuel  1164
Bucher, Joseph C  784
Buckhout, William A., M. S  86
Budinger Family  232

PAGE
Budinger, Thomas B  232
Bumiller, R. A  281
Burd, Edwin J„ M. D  121
Burd Family  1154
Burket Family  310
Burkholder, Catharine  228
Burkholder, Elizabeth  228
Burkholder, F. M  228
Burkholder Family  228
Burkholder, Felix  228
Burkholder, Mrs. Mary E  229
Burns, Christian  1025
Burns, Samuel  1025
Burnside, Hon. James  27
Burnside, Judge Thomas  25
Burrell Family  246, 670
Burrell, Samuel  245
Burrell, William J  670
Burrey, J  984
Burrey, Simon  984
Bush, Daniel Griffen  45
Bush, George T  44
Butz Family  464
Butz, Prof. George C, M. S  464
Caldwell, Hon. S. Woods  571
Cameron, Mrs. Eleanor  776
Cameron Family  775
Cameron, William  775
Carlin, George  282
Carlin, W.J  282
Carlisle, H. L„ M. D  212
Carlisle, Samuel'.  212
Carpenter Family  351
Carver, John  531
Christ, Levi B  248
Christ, Theo. S., M. D  248
Christie Family  717
Christie, Thomas  717
Church, Frank P  1013
Church, John H  1014
Clark, Judge James W  567
Cleaver, Jesse  316
Cleaver, William  316
Clemson, Amos E  520
Clemson, Frank H  520
Clingan, Paschal L  990
Clingan, Thomas  990
Clinton, A. L  1179
Close, John  544
Close, W. H  .'  544
Clouser Family  908
Clouser, Rev. Wm. W  908
Coburn Family  48
Coburn, Col. J. P  48
Cole, Edward T  518
Cole, John L  517
Colyer, Daniel  490
Colyer, William  490
Comly, John T  341
Comly, Reuben T  341
Condo, Daniel  374
Condo Family  472
Condo, James C  374
Condo, John P  472
Confair, Ezekiel  391
Confair, Mrs. Ezekiel  391
Confair, Philip, Jr  391
Confer Family  398
Confer, Jerome A  398
Confer, John A  514
Confer, Solomon  514
Conley Family  219
Conley, John W  219
Cook, H. A  1004
Cook, J. B  1004
Cook, Mrs. Mary A  974

PAGE
Cook, W. H  974
Cooke Family  133
Cooke, Robert, Sr  133
Cooke, Walter L  134
Cooper Family  1070
Cooper, John L  1069
Corl, Benjamin  525
Corl Family  469
Corl, Israel  461
Corl, Peter  468
Cornelius Family  977
Cornelius, Jesse  977
Corson, Benjamin  608
Corson Family  572
Corson, Joseph M., M. D  572
Corss, Charles  584
Corss Family  584
Courter Family  331
Crawford Family  639
Crawford, George  639
Crawford, James A  587
Crawford, Judge James W  587
Crider Family  72
Crider, Fountain W  73
Crider, Philip B   72
Crider, William, Sr  72
Crider, William, Jr  72
Criswell Family  778
Criswell, John H  1203
Criswell, Joseph  1203
Criswell, Mrs. Mary A  1203
Criswell, Thomas 0  1218
Criswell, William S  778
Cromley, Jacob  1191
Cromley, Levi  1191
Crossgrove, James  978
Crossgrove, Samuel  977
Crowe, James  709
Crust, James  510
Crust, William E  510
Curtin, Hon. Andrew G  15
Curtin, Hon. Harry R  83
Curtin, John  79
Curtin, Roland  79
Dale, Alfred A  91
Dale, Austin W  91
Dale, Christian  89
Dale, Capt. Christian  90
Dale, Clement  88
Dale, David  136
Dale Families  89, 136, 240
Dale, Henry  90
Dale, Jared Y..-M. D  136
Dale, John M  240
Dale, William  240
Daley Family  300
Daley, John A  300
Darrah, W. P  581
Dauberman, John  208
Dauberman, J. S  207
Daup, Daniel  286
Daup Family  286
Davidson, Alexander  463
Davidson Family  342
Davidson, Joseph H  463
Davis, Mrs. Agnes D  1041
Davis Family  1040
Davis, Henry E  1042
Davis, James K., Sr  1040
Davis, James K., Jr  1048
Decker Family  270
Decker, Green C  340
Decker, M. J  270
DeHaas, Alexander M   710
DeHaas Family  710
Deibler, J. H  406

INDEX.

1223

PAGE
Deininger Family  345
Deininger, Jonathan 0  345
Deitrich, David A  545
DeLong, John H  149
Denlinger, Prof. David  86
Denlinger Family  480
Denlinger, William H  480
Dennis, Charles Thomas  1006
Dennis Family  1006
Dennis, George  791
Dennis, Mrs. Mary J  791
Dennis, William H  791
Derr Family  809
Derr, Joseph Y  809
Derr, Mrs. Mary J  810
Dershem, Jacob  797
Dershem, Jerome B  797
Deshler, E. J., M. D  280
Deshler Family  280
Deshler, Mrs. Maria J  281
Dewire, John  937
Dewire, Thomas  937
Dickey, Adam  679
Dickey Family  679
Dieffenderfer, Mrs. David D . . . . 867
Dieffenderfer, David D  866
Dietrich, J. A  534
Dietrich, John  534
Dimm Family  1029
Dimm, J. R., D. D  1029
Dorman, John  634
Dorman, Peter  634
Dornblaser Family  591
Dornblaser, Gideon  583
Dornblaser, John  591
Dornblaser, Lewis W  633
Dornblaser, Peter  631
Dornblaser, Pierce M  630
Dornblaser, W. H  583
Dorworth, Charles E  261
Dorworth, Dr. E. S  261
Douty, Elmer E  735
Douty, Reuben  736
Downing Family  70
Dreese Families  1149, U5k
Dreese, Isaac  1095
Dreese, John  1095
Dreese, Reuben  1149
Dreese, William  1155
Dreisbach Family  826
Dreisbach, Martin  '. 827
Dreisbach, Solomon K  826
Dubbs, John G  198
Dundore, Nathan T  1046
Dunham, Fred S . . s  218
Dunkei, Conrad  1182
Dunkei, John C  1182
Dunkei, Michael  1182
Dunlap, James  624
Dunlop Family  177
Dunlop, James  178
Dunlop, John  178
Dunlop, William  178
Dunn, Mrs. L. A  581
Dunn, Mrs. Elizabeth  577
Dunn, Washington, Esq  580
Dunn, Hon. William  576
Durst Family  ! 195
Durst, George  297
Durst, George, Sr  ^97
Durst, Hiram  381
Durst, Joseph  1195
Durst, Philip  4(J7
Earon Family  613
Earon, John  old
Eby Family  dD'

PAGE
Eby, John. W  366
Eddy, Lyman T  500
Eddy, Thomas H  500
Edelman, Alex  1205
Eisenhauer Families  940, 948
Eisenhauer, Henry  940
Eisenhauer, Uriah A  948
Eisenhower, Daniel  732
Eisenhower, Samuel  732
Elliot Family  573
Elliot, William F  573
Elliott, Prof. James W  579
Emigh, G. W., M. D  454
Emigh, Jonathan  454
Emory, Henry J  729
Emory, Jacob F  730
Engle, A. W  1165
Engle, William C  1165
Engleman, Joseph  1208
Erdley, G. F  932
Erdley, Jacob, Jr  932
Ertel, Philip  430
Ertel, Samuel  430
Etters, David 0  547
Evans, Eliezer  138
Evans Family  138
Ewing, William H  1125
Ever, Daniel  739
Eyer Family  739
Fabel, John W  714
Fabel, Peter   714
Fair, Rev. M.W  716
Fair, Mrs. Sarah A  716
Fairchild, Ambrose  996
Fairchild, Solomon  997
Fairlamb Family  85
Fairlamb, George A., M. D  85
Farley, Abraham  781
Farley, Abraham W  781
Farwell, Absalom  692
Farwell, Lemuel  692
Faulkner, Hon. C. A  203
Faulkner, W. A  203
Felmlee, Oscar F  734
Fessler, F. P  1115
Fessler Family  1123
Fessler, Reuben B  1122
Fetterolf, E  306
Fetterolf, Peter  306
Fiedler, David  516
Field, B. M  718
Fink, George G  436
Fink, George W  436
Fishburn, Michael M  392
Fisher Family  1085
Fisher, George  1136
Fisher, Prof. George E., Ph. B. . 1049
Fisher, Levi  1075
Fisher, M. O...-.  1085
Fisher, Samuel  1075
Fisher, Mrs. Susan  1136
Fleming Family  563
Flisher, Daniel  285
Flisher Family  285
Focht, Benjamin K  761
Folmar Family  308
Folmar, Joseph W  308
Follmer, Daniel  1201
Follmer, Daniel G  1201
Follmer Family  1200
Follmer, John R  1201
Foote, G. W  834
Forcey, David  279
Forcey Family  279
Forry [Forrer], John  1074
Fortney, David F  60

PAGE
Fortney, David, Sr  61
Fortney Family  60
Foster, Charles H  156
Foster Family  153
Foster, Robert McCay  91
Foster, Capt. Robert M  91
Foster, William.  153
Fowler Family .... '.  166
Fowler, John T  166
Fox, Thomas J  699
Frain Family  404
Frain, Isaac S  -  404
Frank Family  171
Frank, G. S., M. D  171
Frank, Samuel  172
Frantz, Daniel  470
Frantz Family  831
Frantz, Harvey E  831
Frederick, Jacob  (  1193
Fredericks Family.. .  550
Fredericks, Hon. James W  550
Fredericks, John  610
Fredericks, Newton W  610
Frick Family  907
Frick, Henry  907
Frick, John  908
Fritz Family  691
Fritz, Henry H  691
Fry Family  263
Fry, Capt. William H  '^_263
Fryberger, Charles Theo  448
Fryberger, John  448
Fullmer, Charles L., M. D  629
Furey, William P  487
Furst, Judge Austin O  51
Furst Family  52
Furst, R. H  551
Furst, Samuel  716
Furst, William G  438
Furst, William 1  438
Gardner, Andrew J  256
Gardner, William R  255
Garman, Daniel  105
Garman Families  106, 321, 1175
Garman, George W. . . ,;  746
Garman, John F  ;  _J. . 746
Garman, Martin   '.  272
Garman, Martin B  272
Garman, Michael  321
Garman, Peter  1175
Garner Family  473
Garner, Samuel  472
Garthoff, John F  435
Garthoff, John H  435
Geary; D. B  342
Geary, Reuben  343
Gebhart, John George  929
Geddes Family  964
Gellinger, Henry  953
Gellinger, Robert1.  953
Gemberling, Augustus A  1019
Gemberling Family  949
Gemberling, Franklin  949
Gemberling, Samuel  1019
Gephart, A. J  126
Gephart Families  125, 539
Gephart, Jacob  125
Gephart, Hon. John P  538
Gephart, J. Wesley  458
Gephart, M. C  126
Getgen, Samuel  1015
Getgen, Thomas M  1015
Getz, D. H  867
Getz Family  719
Getz, John N., Jr  719
Getz, William  867

1224

INDEX.

PAGE
Ghaner, John  540
Gilliland Family  43
Gilliland, Col. James  43
Gingery, John  521
Gingery, Joseph  521
Ginter.David  918
Ginter Family  918
Ginter, William M  918
Glace Family  386
Glace, George W  386
Gleason, Irwin W  712
Gleason, LeRoy  713
Glenn, Ephraim  384
Glenn, W. S., M.D  384
Glosner, George D  438
Glosner, Sampson  439
Glossner Family  689
Glossner, George  689
Glover Families  840, 995
Glover, Hon. Horace P  840
Glover, James  995
Glover, Oliver W. H„ M. D  994
Glover, Robert V  841
Good, Daniel  1111
Good Family  1112
Good, George  680
Good, George S  680
Goodman Family  688
Goodman, William R., M.D.-. .. 688
Gordon, Gideon  1135
Gordon, W. H  1135
Gormley, Rev. J. J  684
Gottschall, Jacob  742
Gottschall, John  742
Gowland Family  372
Gowland, John  372
Gramley, Prof. Cephas L  156
Gramley, T. M  152
Gramly, Clement H  175
Gramly Family  368
Gramly, J. Austin  473
Gramly, Joseph  473
Gramly, Philip  369
Gramly, Samuel  368
Gray Families  104, 129, 408
Gray, Isaac  128
Gray, Mrs. Isaac  129
Gray, Lieut. Samuel  1199
Gray, Samuel R  1199
Gray, Samuel T  104
Gray, Hon. William E  105
Gray, William Y  408
Green, G. Dorsey  452
Green Family  341
Green, Squire Joseph M  234
Green, Gen. Samuel M  452
Gregg, Hon. Andrew  19
Gregg P'amily  19
Gretzinger, William C  880
Grieb, D.C  685
Grieb Family  685
Grimm, Daniel  354
Grimm, Henry  519
Grimm, Reuben  354
Groff, Amos  966
Groff, Andrew  951
Groff Families  872, 951, 966
Groff, George G., M. A., M. D. . . 872
Groff, John  945
Groover, Henry  931
Groover, Nicholas  931
Gross, David  912
Gross, George  849
Gross, Jacob  912
Gross, Gen. Philip  849
Group, Andrew V  651
Group, John Stuart  652

PAGE
Group, John W  672
Group, Peter  672
Grove, A. E  826
Grove, John  1012
Grove, William, Jr  467
Grow, Alva S  588
Gudykuntz Family  956
Guiswite, John  _. . . 451
Guiswite, Luther  451
Gummo, Charles  295
Gummo, Edward  748
Gummo, Richard  668
Gummo, William  668
Gunsallus Family  139
Gunsallus, John  138
Gunsallus, Meese  139
Guss, Isaac, M.D  545
Gutelius, Charles H..M.D  887
Gutelius, Hon. D. F  843
Gutelius, John  843
Haag, George  284
Haag, Gottlieb  284
Haagen, John  684
Haas Family  1036
Haas, Rev. W. A  1036
Hafer, Aaron W., D. D. S  427
Hafer, Harrison  813
Hafer, Jacob  813
Hafer, Moses  427
Hagenbuch, Mrs. Julia A  .-.. 812
Hagenbuch, Peter  811
Haines, Frank  442
Haines, George B  309
Haines, Jeremiah  309 ¦
Haines, Joseph  442
Hale, Elias W., M. D  78
Hale Family  78
Hale, Lt.-Col. Harry S  79
Hale, Hon. James T  26
Halenbake Family  597
Halenbake, Giles W  597
Halfpenny Family  1019
Halfpenny, John L  1019
Halfpenny, Mark, Jr  1198
Halfpenny, W. Scott  1198
Hall, Henry T  756
Hall, James  756
Hall, Capt. James S  609
Hall, John Glen  214
Hall, John Newlin  335
Hall, Mrs. Mary A  609
Hall, Robert  214
Hamilton, Alexander K  748
Hamilton, Alexander  748
Hamilton, James  92
Hamilton, Joseph  92
Hancock, Prof. Elias  395
Hancock, James R  395
Hand Family  171
Harbeson, Hon. Daniel R  860
Harbeson, Thomas Grant  861
Harbeson, Thomas V  861
Harley, B. F  1170
Harman, Jackson  499
Harman, Lawrence C, M. D . . . . 499
Harnish, John M  383
Harnish, Martin  383
Harper Family  127
Harper, J. C  101
Harper, John  101
Harper, Simon  127
Harris, B. B  769
Harris, Edward  182
Harris Families  182, 611, 771, 871
Harris, James (Centre Co.)  183
Harris, James (Union Co.)  771

PAGE
Harris, John H., LL. D  844
Harris, John W  611
Harris, William S  725
Harrison, Francis C, M. D  775
Harrison, Mrs^J. C  775
Harshberger a amily  163
Harshberger, H. H  163
Harter, Andrew (Coburn)  211
Harter, Andrew (Marion Tp.). . . 234
Harter, Emanuel  502
Harter Families  211, 220, 234, 502
Harter, George  503
Harter, Jacob  234
Harter. John F., D. D. S  174
Harter, J. W  375
Harter, Samuel  376
Harter, Thomas H  160
Harter, William  161
Harter, William I  •. . 220
Harter, Dr. William S  174
Hartman, R. B  290
Hartman, Simon  290
Hartswick, Christian  485
Hartswick, H. B  485
Harvey, Frank  724
Harvey, George C  574
Harvey, Henry T  574
Harvey, Ira M  575
Harvey, Irwin M  340
Hassenplug Family  274
Hastings, Gov. Daniel H  30
Hastings, George G  456
Hastings, William  30
Hause, George  779
Hause, Peter  779
Hayes, Hon'. Alfred  793
Hayes Families  108, 793
Hayes, James  749
Hayes, Joseph H  749
Hayes, Joseph H., M. D  567
Hayes, Hon. Thomas  794
Hayes, Thomas R., M. D  108
Hays, William  678
Haynes, Mrs. Martha  225
Haynes; Robert Jas. (deceased).. 224
Haynes, Robert J  225
Haynes, William R  226
Heard, John P  606
Heard, Samuel L  606
Heaton, Henry  387
Heaton, Michael  387
Heaton, Mrs. Sarah E  388
Heckman, A. N  660
Heckman, Gen. Daniel K  632
Heckman Family  660
Heckman, John  632
Heckman, Peter  632
Heffner Family  1187
Heffner, Jacob  1187
Heim Family  164
Heimbach, A. Eugene, M. D. . . 630
Heimbach, Elias  987
Heimbach, Samuel  987
Heinley, David  927
Heinley, Jacob  927
Heiser, Henry J  1111
Henderson, David  418
Henderson Families  204,486
Henderson, James  486
Henderson, Hon. John C  204
Henderson, Milton J  418
Henderson, W.B..M.D  202
Henneich Family  223
Hensyl Family  164
Hensyl, Lot R., M. D  163
Hepburn, Robert Jones  245
Herb Family  556

INDEX.

1225

PAGE
Herb, Joel H  556
Herbster, W. H  1170
Herman, Phares  1167
Herr, George, Sr  673
Herr, George B  706
Herr, George W  673
Herr, Joel A  705
Hess Family  389
Hess, William  389
Hess, Mrs. William  389
Hilbish, Benjamin  1171
Hilbish, Rev. W. H  1171
Hillbish Family  1086
Hillbish, Col. Philip  1085
Hillibish, Nicholas  512
Hillibish, William T  512
Himmelreich, William D  780
Hinkson, Mrs. B  271
Hinton Family  130
Hippie, George W  556
Hoch, A. S  938
Hoch, Samuel  938
Hoffa, Cyrus  261
Hoffa, John, Jr  261
Hoffman Family  952
Hoffman, Hary N  952
Holmes Family  344
Holmes, James H  344
Holmes, Robert  344
Holt Families  87, 277
Holt, Hon. John Harbison  85
Holt, Squire John  85
Holt, William  87
Holt, William F  87
Holter, Henry Clay  315
Holter, Jacob, Jr  315
Holtzman Family  1100
Hoop Family  132
Hoop, Gibbony F., M. D  132
Hoover Families  231, 426
Hoover, George D  427
Hoover, Grant  426
Hoover, Harvey  426
Hoover, Jacob  428
Hoover, Samuel  231
Hoover, William E  428
Horner, Daniel  1211
Hosterman, F. O  477
Hosterman, George  -. . . . 382
Hosterman, Squire Jacob  477
Hosterman, John K  382
Hosterman, Thomas  423
Hosterman, T. W  423
Hottenstein, Hon. Charles C  815
Houseworth, William Eugene.. . 1043
Houtz, Emanuel  1093
Houtz Families  1058, 1092
Houtz, John  1092
Howell Family.  1107
Howell, William F  1107
Hower, Charles  1078
Hower, Hon. Jacob  815
Hower, John  816
Hoy, Judge Adam  39
Hoy, Hezekiah K  227
Hoyt, A. V  94
Hubler, George M  537
Hubler, Henry  1186
Hubler, Isaac  1186
Hubler, John, Sr  950
Hubler, W. T  537
Hudson Family  507 .
Hudson, Robert  507
Huey Family  j»
Huff, James  557
Huff, Wilham  557
Hufferd Family  1014

PAGE
Hufferd, John  1014
Hughes Families  66, 254
Hughes, Rev. James P  66
Hulley, Prof. Lincoln, Ph. D. . . . 864
Humes, Edward C  28
Humes, Hamilton  28
Humes, William P  28
Hummel, A. A  1161
Hummel Families  1026, 1161
Hummel, John  1084
Hunter, Andrew  137
Hunter, Maj. Andrew  1 37
Hunter Family  137, 878
Hunter, Henry F  878
Hunter, James P  879
Hunter, John A., B. S. and M. E. 479
Huston, Hon. Charles  23
Hutton Family  215
Hyatt Family  763
Hyatt, Hon. John T  765
Hyatt, Hon. Pulaski F  763
Ickes Family  268
Iddings, Mrs. Mary  900
Irland, T. Edwin  945
Irvin, J. G  117
Irvin, John, Jr  117
Irvine, Robert H  757
Irwin, Daniel  118
Irwin, Daniel Pontius  312
Irwin Families  149, 417
Irwin, John  312
Irwin, Louis C  312
Irwin, William  149
Irwin, William Ellis  416
Irwin, William L  939
Irwin, William U., M. D  118
Isenberg Family  333
Jacobs Family  70
Jarrett, Hiram P,  1035
Jarrett, John O  1035
Johnson, Daniel Irwin  466
Johnson, David  931
Johnson, David C  973
Johnson Family  647
Johnson, John  645
Johnson, Jonathan C  466
Johnson, Thew  645
Johnson, William M  646
Johnston, John T  112
Johnston, Mrs. Mary A  112
Jones, Alexander Y  760
Jones, Benjamin  357
Jones, David  483
Jones Family  357
Jones, Jabez C. P  483
Jones, Thomas  917
Jones, William  917
Jordan Family  304
Jordan, Joseph  304
Jordan. R. Emma  304
Kanawel, J. F., M. D  1087
Kantz Family  1118
Kantz, John P  1118
Kaufman, D  648
Kaup, John  944
Kaup, Levi  944
Keefer Family  901
Keefer, Thomas W  901
Keen Family  356
Keen, Jacob  356
Keichline Family  169
Keichline, John M  169
Keichline, Peter  169
Keiser, Benjamin F  924

PAGE
Keiser, Mrs. Emily A  1186
Keiser Family  925
Keiser, Jacob  924
Keller, Daniel C  103
Keller, Col. Daniel S  56
Keller Families  56, 103, 251
Keller, Frederick W  757
Keller, Harry  57
Keller, James A  250
Keller, John H  251
Keller, Mrs. Martha E. R  57
Kelley, George W  470
Kelley, Harry P  256
Kelley, John  470
Kelley, Michael D  264
Kelley, Patrick  264
Kelly, David H  894
Kelly, John A  893
Kemmerer, John N  754
Kemmerer, Joseph  754
Kendig, Joseph R  674
Kepler, Jacob  422
Kepler, Jacob M  422
Kerlin, Edward M  536
Kersteter, Jacob  412
Kersteter, John  450
Kersteter, Leonard, Jr  450
Kessinger, Henry F  466
Kessinger, Joseph Ross  301
Kessinger, Thomas L  302
Kessler, H.T.a  559
Kessler, Jacob  559
Keys Family  232
Kimpel, Adam  832
Kimpel Family  832
King Families  847, 1009
King, Isaac  1009
King, James, Jr  1009
Kinsloe, Frank G  567
Kinsloe, J. B. G  565
Kinsloe, William A  567
Kintner, Col. Jacob C  650
Kintner, Joseph J  650
Kissell, Andrew C  623
Kissell, Henry  623
Kister Family  418
Kistler Family  592
Kistler, Wilson  592
Kistner, Mrs. Annie C  1085
Kistner, H. U  1140
Kleckner, Miss Alice  924
Kleckner, Michael  923
Kleckner, Solomon  923
Kline, Daniel Z  216
Kline Families  216, 1027
Kline, George  99
Kline, Harrison  99
Kline, H. H  226
Kline, Reuben  1026
Klinefelter, Charles H  731
Klinefelter, Peter  732
Kling, John  1178
Klingler, Enos  1159
Knauer Family  1217
Knauer, Nathan  1217
Knight, John L  . ... 901
Knight, Samuel H  901
Knouse, David  1166
Knouse, Samuel  1166
Kolp Family  911
Korman, Andrew  402
Korman, George  402
Krape, C. A  498
Krape Family  498
Krape, George  498
Kreamer, A. F  157
Kreamer, Elias  840

1226

INDEX.

PAGE
Kreamer Families  215, 839
Kreamer, George W   252
Kreamer, H. W  215
Kreamer, Jonathan  157
Kreamer, Joseph  252
Kreamer, William  247
Kreider, Philip  481
Kremer, Abraham  790
Kremer, John K  790
Kress, Conrad  568
Kress, Hon. William C  568
Krouse, John  1051
Krouse, Reuben  1051
Krumrine, Adam H  197
Krumrine, F. W  493
Krumrine, John  197
Kunes, Daniel B  280
Kunes Family  279
Kunes, James 1  279
Kunkel, George  1184
Kurtz, Charles R  75
Kurtz, Hon. Frederick  39
Kurtz, W. L  838
Kuster, Daniel  1114
Kuster, George C  :  1114
Lachat, Damien  719
Lachat Family  719
Lahr, Nicholas C  1202
Lahr, Paul  1202
Landis, William  1039
Landis, Rev. William M  1039
Laubach, Christian  743
Laubach, Jesse  743
Lauck, Peter  526
Laurelton Lumber Co  821
Laurie, J. Malcolm  443
Lauth, Bernard  58
Lauth, Mrs. Elizabeth  59
Lauth Family  58
Leathers, Mrs. Mary E  253
Leathers, William Thomas  253
Lebkicher, Edward D  1196
Lebkicher, John  1196
Lehr, Christian  741
Leiby, David  1022
Leiby, John J  1022
Leiser, Andrew Albright  786
Leiser, Jacob  787
Leiser, Dr. William  788
Leiser, William, Jr., M. D  865
Lesher Families  1035, 1128
Lesher, Joseph G  1035
Lesher, Robert  1128
Lewis Family  434
Leyman, George H  371
Leyman, John  371
Liggetts Family  129
Lilley Family  819
Lilley, Henry  1205
Lilley, John  819
Lilley, Walter P  1205
Limbert, Henry J  518
Limbert, John  518
Lincoln Family  766
Lincoln, John  768
Lincoln, Richard V. B  768
Linden Hall Lumber Co  821
Lingle, James  453
Lingle, Paul  453
Linn Families  49, 183, 776
Linn, Rev. James, D. D  77
Linn, James F  50
Linn, Hon. John Blair  49
Linn, James Merrill  776
Linn, Philip B  778
Livingston, N. J  1142

PAGE
Lock Haven Chorus  555
Lock Haven Hospital  554
I*pck Haven Library  555
/'Long, Benjamin  854
' Long, Benjamin H  Z". .iC. . S. 854^
! Long Families  134, 324, 934, 120(1
Long, George  324
Long, George W  331
Long, Jacob  331
Long, John D  324
Long/William H  134
r Longaker Family  1067
' Loomis, Mrs. Augusta  772
Loomis, Justin R„ LL. D  772
Loose, Charles C  496
Loose, Samuel  496
Lorain Family  176
Lorain, Mrs. Fannie M  176
Lorain, Henry McD  177
Lorain, Maj. Lorenzo  176
Love, William  431
Loveland, Charles W  753
Loveland, Reuben  753
Loyd, Charles  501
Loyd, Robert N  501
Lucas, Charles  310
Lucas Families  310, 332, 528
Lucas, Ferdinand C  720
Lucas, John T  332
Lucas, Morgan M  527
Lukens Family  165
Lukens, James A  165
Lumbard, Hon. Joseph A  1030
Lutz, William M  532
Lynn Family  1010
Lytle Family  288
Lytle, Samuel F., M. D  288
McAllister Familv  17
McAllister, Hon. Hugh N  16
McCall, Alexander...,  799
McCall, John  799
McCall, Joseph H  800
McCarthy, Rev. Francis P  755
McClintock Family  229
McCloskey, James A  708
McCloskey, Nathan  708
McClure Family  793
McClure, Hon. Harold M  792
McClure, John  182
McCormick, Charles S  560
McCormick Families  757, 560
McCormick, Robert  562
McCormick, Robert W  564
McCormick, Samuel M  757
McCoy, Alexander  161
McCoy Family  162
McCoy, Frank  196
McCoy, John  162 ,
McCoy, Dr. John M  196
McDonald Families  177, 393
McDowell Families  323, 616
McDowell, Perry W  616
McDowell, William  617
McEntire Families  130, 539
McEntire, L. B  130
McEntire, O. W„ M. D  539
McFarlane Family  509
McFarlane, Frank  509
McFarlane, William  '  509
McGhee, John  607
McGirk Family  170
McGirk, James  170
McGirk, John D., M. D  170
McGuire, David  547
McGuire, Joseph F  547
McKinney, Andrew C  637

PAGE
McKinney Family  637
McKinney, Hon. J. Harris  585
McKinney, James Harris  637
McKinney, James H  586
McKinney, Samuel  112
McLanahan, Robert  195
McLeod, Hugh  715
McMahon, Patrick  550
McMahon, Mrs. Mary  550
McMeen, Mrs. Nancy J  84
McMeen, Dr. William  84
McMicken Family  1180
McMunagle, John  523
McNamara, James  696
Mallory, C. O  398
Mallory, James B  399
Mann Family  620
Mann, John  327
Mann, John Thomas  437
Mann, Robert (Clinton Co.)  620
Mann, Robert (Centre Co.)  328
Mann, William, Sr  620
Mann, William, Jr  621
Mark Family  385
Mark, Henry  385
Marr, Rev. Phineas B  795
Marshall Family  876
Martin, Joseph  683
Martin, Joseph, Sr  683
Matlack, George Smediey  796
Matlack, Mrs. George S  796
Mattern, David  361
Mattern, George  361
Mattern, Jacob G  361
Mattern, John  360
Mattern, Miles  361
Mauck, David  822 r
Mauck Family  822
Mauck, Dr. John H  822
May, Dennis M  750
Mayer, Adam  506
Mayer, Hon. Charles A  548
Mayer Family  506
Mayer, Hon. William H  616
Mays Family  533
Meek, Herbert D  265
Meek, Hon. P. Gray  24
Meek, Reuben H  124
Meitzler, Peter  1178
Mench, John  888
Mench, John R  890
Mench, Melancthon  888
Mendenhall, Benjamin  191
Mensch, Abraham  930
Mensch, Abraham, Sr  930
Merrey, Hon. Joseph W  573
Merrill, Gen. Jesse  564
Merryman, Leonard  523
Merryman, Thomas  523
Mertz, Abraham  j  1193
Mertz Family  1193
Mertz, Henry  1183
Mertz, William L  1183
Meyer Families  140, 299, 530
Meyer, George J  530
Meyer, Hon. Henry  140
Meyer, J. C  107
Meyer, Jacob  141
Meyer, Jacob S  298
Meyer, John  299
Meyer, William H  530
Middleswarth, Hon. Aaron J  1091
Middleswarth, Abner  1045
Middleswarth, Capt. Abraham K 1145
Middleswarth Family  1090
Middleswarth, Joseph  1089
Middleswarth, Hon. Ner.. . .1044, 1145

INDEX.

1227

PAGE
Middleswarth, Ner B  1 144
Middleswarth, Robert  1044
Miles, John Q  443
Miller, Abram V  238
Miller, B. F  219
Miller, Charles  475
Miller, Hon. Charles  1058
Miller, Daniel  1001
Miller, Daniel S  1129
Miller, David  420
Miller, Elias (Union County) .... 985
Miller, Elias (Centre County). . . 420
Miller, Enoch  904
Miller, F. W  1001
Miller Families  205,
239, 798, 959, 997, 1012, 1059. 1129
Miller, George, Jr  985
Miller, George D  1059
Miller, George F  1163
Miller, H. M  997
Miller, Isaac  515
Miller, John F  798
Miller, Levi  958
Miller, Mrs. Maria  900
Miller, Michael  205
Miller, Moses  798
Miller, Moses W  904
Miller, Peter  1196
Miller, Mrs. Peter  1196
Miller, Robert V  239
Miller, S. F  1012
Miller, William...'  475
Miller, William H  363
Millner, Meyer  1113
Mingle, Albert C  210
Mingle Family  210
Mingle, Henry A  210
Mitchell Family  241
Mitchell, Hon. John  21
Mitchell, John  241
Mobley, Edwin S  740
Mohn, George C, M. D  820
Mohn, John  820
Moll, Charles A  1023
Montelius Family  1108
Montelius, Frederick M  1108
Montgomery Family  878
Moore, Katherine V  955
Moore Family  487
Moore, H. A  487
Moore, John B  954
Moore, Joseph  954
Morgan Family  971
Morgan, John E  971
MorJock, G. L  560
Morningstar Family  1206
Morningstar, J. A., Esq  1206
Mortimer, Samuel  678
Mosebarger Family  257
Mothersbaugh, H. H., M. D. ... 723
Motz Family  352
Motz, Jacob F  528
Motz, John  60
Motz, John C   352
Motz, John C.F  528
Motz, Mrs. Maranda A  353
Motz, William R  • • • • 528
Moyer Families  H4o, 1150
Moyer, Frederick C  1102
Moyer, Henry  •  1148-
Moyer, Prof. Henry B  H04
Moyer, T. G., Esq  1150
Moyer, John A  1160
Moyer, Joseph K  ™
Moyer, Philip...  1160
Moyer, Robert J  906
Moyer, William  Hud

PAGE
Mulhollan, Mrs. Caroline  349
Mulhollan, David R  272
Mulhollan, John  271
Mulhollan, Nancy J  349
Mulhollan, Rudolph  349
Munro, Alexander  664
Munro, Archibald  664
Murphy, James  635
Murphy, Martin F  751
Musser, Adam  829
Musser, A. Clark  417
Musser, C. Sumner, M. D  376
Musser, D.J  529
Musser, Daniel A  336
Musser, Emanuel  258
Musser Families  258, 336, 522, 529
Musser, J. G  417
Musser, James E  536
Musser, Jeremiah  828
Musser, John  337
Musser, John J  381
Musser, Mrs. Lydia A  337
Musser, M. M  337
Musser, Philip  529
Musser, Philip B  336
Musser, Dr. Philip T  377
Musser, Maj. William L  522
Musser, William S. (Millheim) . . 522
Musser, William S.(Sp'g Mills).. 198
Muthler, Frederick  735
Muthler, John  736
Muthler, Joseph  737
Myers, David  872
Myers, Christian  690
Myers, Christian, Sr  690
Myers Family  690
Myers, Isaac  990
Myers, John  989
Myers, Joseph  494
Myers, Mrs. Valeria R  872
Myers, William J  494
Nearhoof Family  347
Neese, David (pioneer)  495
Neese, David  469
Neese Families  469, 494
Neese, William  494
Neff, Charles B  439
Neff Families  439,479
Neff, Lafayette  440
Neidig, David  432
Neidig Family  432
Neidig, Jacob M  432
Nesbit, David B  998
Nesbit, John  999
Nipple, H. M., M.D  1088
Nogel, A. T  988
Nogel, Jacob  988
Noll Families  513, 960
Noll, George  513
Noll, George P  960
Noll, Mathias  1008
Noll, Samuel L  1008
North, Calvin B  1052
North Family  1052
North, Hon. James  75
Noweil, Charles H  666
Nowell, Joshua  667
Nowland, Andrew  722
Nowland, John  723
O'Bryan, James  393
O'Bryan, Walter  393
O'Dwyer, William  724
Odenkirk, George  543
Odenkirk, Mrs. Martha P  543

PAGE
Orndorf Family  333
Orndorf, John J  333
Orner, Jacob  728
Orner, William H  728
Orvis, Ellis L  14
Orvis Family  8
Orvis, Hon. John H  8
Orwig, Emanuel  957
Orwig Families  856, 1073
Orwig, Mrs. Samantha  957
Orwig, Samuel  856
Orwig, Hon. Samuel H  856
Osman Family  303
Osman, Uriah D  303
Owens Family  862
Ott, Daniel  1145
Ott Family  1146
Owens, Capt. John A  862
Packer, Jesse P  392
Packer, Hon. William F  20
Parsons, Joseph  758
Pawling, Charles W  933
Pawling Family  853, 1020
Pawling, James M  853
Pawling, Jefferson S  1021
Pawling, John. . .•  1020
Pawling, Levi  1021
Pawling, Mrs. Lydia C  933
Pawling, Samuel B.  853
Paxton Family  193
Pealer, Daniel  370
Pealer, William  370
Peck, Solomon  229
Pellman Family  841
Pennsylvania State College, The 35
Perkins Family  552
Perkins, Rev. Dr R. W  552
Perkins, Joseph  552
Persing, Amos V., M. D  922
Persing, Emanuel S  923
Peters, George L  428
Petrikin, Senator Henry  8
Pinogel Family  240
Piatt, Alfonso  508
Piatt Family  508
Piatt, John G  508
Pletcher Family  350
Poorman, Daniel F  419
Poorman Families  535, 738
Poorman, Fleming  535
Poorman, John  419
Porter, A. D  752
Porter Family  658
Porter, James  658
Porter, James H  752
Porter, R. Williamson  658
Potter, A. W  1056
Potter Family  109
Potter, George L  HI
Potter, Rev. Isaiah  1056
Potter, Gen. James  109
Potter, Judge James  110
Potter, James  110
Potter, Thomas B., M. D  63
Potter, William M  63
Potter, Hon. William W  22
Potter, William W  110
Poulsen, Bertel  415
Poulsen Family  415
Powers, Edward L  465
Powers, John  465
Pringle Family  268
Pringle, Sylvester R  268
Prutzman, Enoch G  1219
Pursley, James  1000
Pursley, William  :  1000

1228

INDEX.

PAGE
iggle, Daniel, Esq  589
liggle, Mrs. Eliza  606
liggle Family  589
uggle, George  600
uggle, Harry L  605
liggle, Jacob  604
uggle, Jacob V . '  606
liggle, Hon. James C  570
liggle, Hon. James W  570
liggle, Mrs. Margaret A  601
liggle, Richard  612
liggle, Robert C  600
liggle, Thomas  608
liggle, William C  612
linn Family  134

Ranck, Edward 
Ranck Family 
Ranck, Harry P 
Ranck, Levi 
Ranck, John J 
Ranck, Jonathan 
Ranck, Norman L 
Rangier Family 
Rangier, Peter 
Rankin Family 
Rankin, James H 
Rankin, John 
Rankin, Joseph A 
Rankin, William B 
Rauch, Jonas 
Rauch, William S 
Raudenbush, J. S 
Raudenbush, Mrs. Mary A..
Raup, George M 
Reagel, Frederick 
Ream Family 
Ream, J. B 
Rearick Family 
Rearick, George P 
Rearick, Jesse D 
Rearick, Philip 
Reber, David 
Reber, Isaac 
Reber, Jacob 
Reber, James 
Reber, Prof. Louis E., M. S.
Reber, Mrs. Margaret 
Redlin, A. A., M. D 
Reed, Daniel 
Reed Family 
Reed, Jacob 
Reed, Robert H 
Reed, Samuel 
Reed, Thomas B 
Reed, William 
Reeder Family 
Reeder, Hiram J 
Reeder, Col. Wilbur F 
Reedy, A. E 
( Reedy, Emanuel 
Reedy Family 
Reedy, John  ¦. .
Reeser, Henry 
Reeser, John H 
Reesman, John 
Reiber, George 
Reiber, Jacob 
Reifsnyder, J. H 
Reifsnyder, William 
Reigard, Dr. Jacob 
Reish, Benivel M 
Reish Family 
Reish, James K 
Reish, Joel 
Rerick Family 
Rerick, L. C 

919,

905
1010 850851 919905
1010 994994 100
202 202 100100
835835
11971197 744 969302
302273 274273274 968983 93
983 93
969492395527395
267 558558
267 646464
942
1201 942
1201 542542 622
459 460 118 119
353
1016 1015
1015 1023 476476

PAGE
Rhinesmith, David  412
Rhoads, Judge Daniel  40
Rhoads, Edward K  43
Rhoads Family  40
Rhoads, Joseph  41
Rhone Family  113
Rhone, Jacob  H5
Rhone, Hon. Leonard  H3
Rhone, Michael  H4
Rich, Charles H  645
RichFamilv  624
Rich, Mrs. ]. F  626
Rich, John  625
Rich, John, Jr  626
Rich, John F  625
Rich, Michael B  626
Rich, Stiles Edward  627
Rich, W. Fleming  626
Richards Family  364
Richter Family  1091
Richter, John P  : 1091
Ricker, Charles L  751
Ricker, Jacob  752
Ricker, Samuel L  751
Rider Family  314
Riegel Family  1080
Riegel, W. H  1079
Rine Family  H37
Rine, George S  H4l
Rine, John M  1137
Rine, John S  1137
Rishel*Family  260
Rishel, Jacob P  721
Rishel, Col. John  278
Rishel, Martin L  278
Rishel, William.  260
Rishel, Wilson H  721
-Ritter Family  772
Ritter, H. J  1047
Ritter, Hon. James R  772
Ritter, John  1017
Ritter, Noah  1017
Ritter, P. Scott  1047
Rittman Family  575
Rittman, Philip P  575
Roach, James P  703
Roach, Thomas E., M. D  722
Roach, William  703
Robbins Family  1179
Robbins, James E  1179
Robbins, John W  1179
Robenold, Solomon  435
Rockey, Barnet  720
Rockey Family  740
Rockey, Jacob  265
Rockey, John F  740
Rockey, John L  517
Rockey, Michael D  720
Rockey, W. F  265
Rodenbaugh Family  972
Rogers, Miss Martha J  551
Rogers, Mathew  551
Romig, Ephraim  1143
Romig, Hurley  1143
Rooke, James  838
Rooke, Levi, M. D  838
Ross, Franklin M  596
Ross, Mrs. Franklin M  597
Rosser, Orrin H., M. D  731
Rossman Family  334
Rossman, John, Sr  334
Rossman, John  .i334
Rote, D. H  424
Rote, Simon  425
Rothermel, William H  828
Rothrock, D. Roswell, M. D . . . . 896
Rothrock Family  896

PAGE
Rothrock, Dr. H. H  655
Rothrock, James H  655
Rothrock, Dr. Roswell  896
Roush, Benjamin  514
Roush, Daniel  429
Roush, Frederick  514
Roush, John H  532
Royer, Aaron C  437
Royer, D. D  359
Royer, David  1214
Royer Families  411, 1214
Royer, Henry  411
Royer, Israel  1214
Royer, J. E  437
Royer, J. George  985
Royer, Jefferson  359
Royer, T. E  410
Ruhl, David H  327
Ruhl Family  327
Ruhl, George  957
Ruhl, Samuel F  957
Ruhle, George P  958
Russell, Allen D  602
Russell, Rev. Charles D  627
Russell Family  627
Rute, Benjamin  698
Rute, John B  698
Rutherford, S.W  822
Saas, Rev. James  754
Sampsel Family  1060
Sampsel, Hopnia  1061
Sampsel, J. W., M. D  1060
Sanders, Henry, Jr  967
Sanders, Jonathan  967
Sankey Family  373
Sankey, H. P  373
Sauer, Adam  1101
Sauer, Charles A  1101
Schmeltzer Family  319
Schmeltzer, George  319
Schnure, Christian  1210
Schnure Families. .858, 959, 1027, 1210
Schnure, Francis M  859
Schnure, G. W  959
Schnure, George, Esq  1027
Schnure, George G  858
Schnure, Howard D  1032
Schoch, B. S  989
Schoch, Charles  877
Schoch Families  934, 1057
Schoch, Franklin J  1107
Schoch, George W  832
Schoch, H. Harvey  1071
Schoch, Ira C  1057
Schoch, J. C  1077
Schoch, Jacob  1115
Schoch, Jacob M  1003
Schoch, James  934
Schoch, Dr. John  1115
Schoch, John A  1078-
Schoch, John F  877
Schoch, Michael  832
Schoch, Sem  934
Schofield, Hon. James  120
Schrack, David  687
Schrack Family  687
Schrack, John G  687
Schray, Gottlob  1157
Schwenk Family  681
Schwenk, George  682
Schwenk, Henry M  681
Scott, Amos  946
Scott Family  946
Scott, Jacob  659
Scott, Simon  659
Seebold, Charles  '  836 '

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1230

INDEX.

PAGE
Strunk, John  697
Strunk, William  697
Stuart, David  266
Stuart Family  r  392
Stuart, Howard M  392
Stuart, James T  173
Stuart, John W  266
Suffel, F. H  1158
Suffel Family  1158
Suffel, John H  1158
Susquehanna University  1038
Swartz, George, Jr  541
Swartz, H. M  541
Swineford, Jacob  1041
Swires Family  482
Swires, J  482
Sypher, Abraham  915
Sypher, Henry J  915
Taylor, Curtin C  135
Taylor Families  144, 396, 648
Taylor, George  135
Taylor, Hugh S  102
Taylor, James T  648
Taylor, Thomas J  144
Temple, James  409
Temple, William H  409
Thomas, Charles  852
Thomas, Charles W  852
Thomas Family  287
Thomas, Follmer D  982
Thomas, Isaac  463
Thomas, Lewis  982
Thomas, William A  463
Thomas, Z. D  287
Thompson, Benjamin F  1177
Thompson Families  98, 1177
Thompson, James T  726
Thompson, John I., Jr., M. S. A. . 97
Thompson, John R  726
Thompson, Moses  98
Thompson, W. J  424
Throne, James R  733
Throne, Michael  734
Tibbins Family  595
Tibbins, Joseph E., M. D  595
Tice Family  394
Tice, Solomon D  394
Tipton, Absalom S  320
Tipton, Mrs. R. J  320
Tipton, William  320
Tobias, Rev. D. S  396
Tobias, William A  396
Todd, John O  115
Tool, E. W., M. D  1168
Troxell, John  1172
Troxell, Miss S. Delilah  1173
Trutt Family  1162
Tuten, Edward T  55
Tuten Family  55
Twitmyer, Henry N  263
Ulrich, A. W  329
Ulrich Family  329, 1119
Ulrich, Hiram  1119
Ulsh, Andrew  1133
Ulsh, Isaac R  1133
Underwood, Dr. Wm  312
Uzzell, George B  511
Uzzell, John G  511
Valentine, Abraham S  71
Valentine, Anna J  70
Valentine, Bond  72
Valentine Family  69
Valentine, George  70
Valentine, Reuben B  71
Van Dyke Family  955

PAGE
Van Dyke, Henry H  636
Van Dyke, Mrs. Henry H  636
Van Pelt, Mrs. Anna  2l'3
Van Pelt, Harvey D  203
Van Valzah Family  82
Van Valzah, F. H., M. D  82
Van Valzah, Robert F., M. D. . . 82
Vonada, Adam H.....  467
Vonada Families  .'  468, 644
Vonada, Henry  421
Vonada, Jacob  644
Vonada, Thomas E  421
Voneida, Miss Esther  941
Voneida Family  941
Waddle Family  93
Waddle, Thomas  93
Wagenseller, Benjamin F., M. D. 1064
Wagenseller, F. J., M. D  1082
Wagenseller Families. 1064, 1073, 1082
Wagenseller, George W., A. M.. 1072
Wagenseller, Jacob, M.D  1067
Wagenseller, Dr. Peter R  1083
Wagner Families. . .272,534, 707, 1112
Wagner, George  707
Wagner, J. O., M. D  1147
Wagner, Jacob  378
Wagner, Jacob, Sr  378
Wagner, John  106
Wagner, John, Sr  106
Wagner, John C  534
Wagner, John M  272
Wagner, Mrs. Susanna  273
Wagner, Yost H., Esq  1112
Waite, Samuel W  537
Walker, Mrs. Amanda  131
Walker, Daniel  307
Walker, Elijah 1  429
Walker Family  410
Walker, Jeremiah E  307
Walker, John  296
Walker, Jonathan  131
Walker, L. W  431
Walker, Samuel E  595
Walker, W. Harrison, Esq  120
Walker, William  296
Wallace, Frank T  380
Walter, Abraham  1018
Walter, Alfred  492
Walter, David H  886
Walter Families  492, 881, 981, 1127
Walter, George  981
Walter, Longinus  886
Walter, Thomas (Limestone Tp.) 1018
Walter, Thomas (Lochiel)  981
Walter, Valentine  1127
Walter, William  1204
Walton, J. Albert  512
Ward, J. E., D. D. S  116
Ward, Joseph  116
Ward, Simon  116
Warfel, Adam  311
Warfel, Henry C  311
Wate, John F  538
Waters, Emory B  676
Watson, John  999
Watson, Stanley K  405
Watson, Thomas  405
Watson, William  999
Weaver, C. A  446
Weaver, Daniel B  217
Weaver Families  95, 168, 217, 295
Weaver, Frederick  242
Weaver, F. J  496
Weaver, G. W  1094
Weaver, George B  295
Weaver, Henry A  446

PAGE
Weaver, Israel  241
Weaver, James C  168
Weaver, Col. James F  95
Weaver, John  346
Weaver, Thomas M  363
Weber, Abraham  350
Weber, Balser  349
Weber Family  350
Weidensaul, R. J  1211
Weidler, Christian  665
Weidler, Houston  665
Weiser Family  1070
Weiser, Jay G  1070
Wentzel, J. J., Esq  729
Werts, David R  677
West Family  745
West, O. H  745
Weston, Elijah  406
Weston, Orlando  406
Wetzel, Charles L  1069
Wetzel Family  414
Wetzel, John (Centre County). . . 414
Wetzel, John (Union County)... 1076
Wetzel, John B  510
Wetzel, John P  1069
Wetzel, Hon. Samuel A  1076
Wetzel, Tobias B  510
Wheland Family  846
White, Dr. F.K  244
White, Hugh  675
White, William  675
Whiteleather Family  330
Whiteleather, Henry  330
Whitman, Frederick O  943
Whitmer, Galen C  1206
Wickersham Family  317
Williams, Abednego  118
Williams, Albert Y  322
Williams Family  96, 436
Williams, Herbert  130
Williams, John  738
Williams, John F  96
Williams, Joseph  322
Williams, J. Meyer  738
Williams, Mrs. Rebecca  130
Williams, Samuel H  96
Willis, John H  1077
Wilson, Edward  869
Wilson Family  963
Wilson, H. M., M. D  869
Wilson, Mrs. Margaret H  77
Wilson, Col. Philip B  78
Wilson, Thomas  963
Wilson, Thomas H., M. D  870
Wilson, William  871
Wilson, Col. 'William P  76
Winters, Benjamin S  964
Winters, Joseph D  964
Wirt, George  484
Wirt, Philip  708
Wirt, Solomon  484
Wise Family  343
Wise, John H  1109
Witherrite, John,  328
Witherrite, Mrs. Mary  329
Wolf Family  291, 686
Wolf, John,  291
Wolf, Michael, Jr  549
Wolf, Peter  292
Wolf, Robert J  686
Wolf, Thomas M  549
Wolfe, Abraham  1185
Wolfe, Andrew  1192
Wolfe, Emanuel  1188
Wolfe Families  1180, 1185
Wolfe, Henry C  1180
Wolfe, John  1189

INDEX.

1231

PAGE
Wolfe, Jonathan  1181
Wolfe, Leonard  1188
Wolfe, Martin D  1192
Wolfe, W. W  1185
Womelsdorf Family  94
Womelsdorf, Hon. Philip E  94
Woodring, Abraham  489
Woodring Family  520
Woodring, General Jackson  519
Woodring, Michael  489
Woodruff Family  1037
Woodruff, Prof. J. I., A. M  1037
Worts Family  313
Wright Family  585
Wright, Rev. John Eliot, D. D. . 585
Yarnell, H. B  546

PAGE
Yeager, Simon  1126
Yearick Families  650, 1165
Yearick, Henry  517
Yearick, J. S  1165
Yearick, John  650
Yearick, N. H  516
Yocum, Anthony  910
Yocum Family  910
Yocum, Henry J  910
Yoder Family  1122
Yoder, J. P  1122
Young, Adam  917
Young, Bower C  701
Young Family  262
Young, John  70l
Young, Robert J., M. D  262
Young, Mrs. Sarah  916

PAGE
Young, William D  972
Youtz, William  654
Zeigler, John B  821
Zeller.J. R  1219
Zerby, Adam  413
Zerby, A. P  413
Zerby, David L  355
Zerby Family  413
Zieber, Daniel  1194
Zieber, Joseph  1194
Ziegler Family  348
Ziegler, Henry  635
Ziegler, Michael  635
Zimmerman, Elias  544
Zimmerman, H. E  544
Zimmerman, Samuel  1210