USA > Maryland > Cecil County > Portrait and biographical record of Harford and Cecil counties, Maryland. Containing portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties. Together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States > Part 17
USA > Maryland > Harford County > Portrait and biographical record of Harford and Cecil counties, Maryland. Containing portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties. Together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States > Part 17
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OHN B. WYSONG. Few people deserve more credit for the property they have ob- tained and the prosperity they have enjoyed thian do our honest, enterprising farmers, and of these Harford County has a large number. The farm owned and operated by Mr. Wysong is situa- ted in District No. 3, and for fertility and product- iveness is classed among the best in the neighbor- hood. It consists of three hundred and twenty acres, planted to the various cereals, and im- proved withi substantial farm buildings. This has been the home of the present owner since 1872.
The Wysong family is of French extraction, and one of its early representatives was an officer in the French army. Jolin Wysong, our subject's grandfather, was a merchant in Berkeley County, W. Va., and Rev. T. T. Wysong, the father, was also a native of that county, but has spent the principal portion of his life in Maryland, being engaged in the ministry of the Methodist Church for many years. His home has been near The Rocks, in Harford County, since 1867 and he is well known in this section. For some time he has not been active in ministerial work, but has lived retired. He married Fannie Preston, an estimable lady, who is now ( 1897) seventy years of age. Their children were namned as follows: John B .; Annie; D. P., of Long Island, N. Y. ; and Frank.
At the parental home in District No. 4, Har- ford County, the subject of this sketch was born in 1847, and here his childhood years were u11- eventfully passed. At an early age he was sent to the common school to obtain an education
which would fit him for the duties and responsi- bilities of after days; although this education did not contain the studies now considered indispen- sable and did not include many text books now in vogue, it was nevertheless practical, and would have been very thorough had his health permitted him to remain in school for a satisfactory period. The fact that he was not strong rendered outdoor work a necessity to him, while the confinement in the school room proved detrimental. He there- fore gave his attention mostly to farin duties, con- tinuing at home for a number of years.
In January, 1895, Mr. Wysong was united in marriage with Ella J. Grymes, of King George County, Va., the great-granddaughter of George Mason. John Mason, the only child born of their union, died at the age of sixteen months. Mr. and Mrs. Wysong are members of the Rock Spring Episcopal Church, in which he has been registrar for fifteen years and vestryman for twenty-five years. Interested in matters pertain- ing to agriculture, he is an active member of the Deer Creek Farmers' Club and was its president in 1895. Politically he is a warm adherent of the Democratic party, and is interested in the current questions of government and civic import.
OHN M. MACKLEM follows farming in District No. 2, Harford County. There are no thrilling events in his life, which has been devoted to quiet and honorable business pursuits, but such a career cannot fail to prove of interest, as he is a worthy representative of our best type of American citizenship in the faithful perform- ance of his duty to his country, his neighbor and himself.
Mr. Macklem was born October 17, 1837, liear Newark, Del., which was also the birthplace of his parents, William and Mary (Thompson) Macklem. The Macklem family is of Scotch origin, and was founded in America by John Macklem, the grandfather of our subject, who was born in the land of hills and heather, and
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came to America in early life. He served his adopted country in the War of 1812 and lived to an advanced age. The maternal grandparents were Andrew and Elizabeth Thompson, natives of Belfast County, Ireland, where they spent their childhood days and were married. Crossing the Atlantic to the New World, they took up their residence in Newcastle County, Del.
William Macklem, the father of our subject, was a stone mason by trade, and became an ex- tensive contractor in that line, erecting many bridges for the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Bal- timore Railroad, and many buildings in Newark, Del., and vicinity. His business methods were above question and his word was as good as his bond. Careful management and unfailing indus- try brought him success and he was the possessor of a good property at the time of his death, which occurred when he was fifty-six years of age. His wife was a member of the Presbyterian Church and died when about sixty-eight years of age. She had seven children, two sons and five daughters.
John M. Macklem, the youngest of the family, was reared under the parental roof and with his father learned the stone-mason's trade, perfecting himself in that business until he became an expert workman. Between the ages of twenty-five and thirty years he engaged in contracting on his own account. He then established a meat market in Wilmington, Del., where he successfully carried on business for about fifteen years, when he sold out and purchased his present farm, known as the Quaker Bottom farm, in District No. 2, Har- ford County. Here in connection with general farming, he conducts a large canning factory and raises sweet corn and tomatoes on an extensive scale for canning purposes.
Mr. Macklem married Miss Elizabeth Davies, of Wilmington, Del., and they have ten children, namely: Elizabeth T., wife of Amos Hughes, a farmer of District No. 2; Mary T., wife of John Gordon, of Wilmington; William J., a farmer of District No. 2; Levinia D., Annie M., Rebecca J., Lucy B., John W., Sarah L. and Bessie V., all at home.
Mr. Macklem is a most ardent worker in the
Prohibition party. His earnest championship of the temperance cause led to liis identification with the political party that embodied his views on this question, and he does all in his power to pro- mote its growth and insure its success. He was .its candidate for congress in 1893, has been its nominee for representative and county commis- sioner and his name was on its electoral ticket in 1896. When twenty-one years of age he united with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and on coming to Maryland joined the Methodist Protest- ant Church, with which he is now connected, serving as a member of its board of trustees. He now resides on his fine farm of two hundred and fifty acres, one of the best improved properties in this section of the state. In his business he lias inet with success, owing to his well-directed efforts. His perseverance has overcome all ob- stacles in his path and he has steadily worked his way upward to success.
P. WILSON is president of the Enterprise Carriage Works of Bel Air, and one of the leading representatives of business interests in Harford County. He was born four miles north of that city, February 19, 1865. His father, Humphrey Wilson, is a native of the same county, and a carpenter by trade, but has followed farm- ing during the greater part of his life. He lias served as magistrate and is a leading and influen- tial factor in local affairs. His father was a native of Ireland, and in 1770 located on the farin where occurred the birth of our subject. Humphrey Wilson married Miss Sarah A. Durham, a native of Harford County, belonging to one of the old families of the state of English ancestry. Her fatlier, Abel Durham, was one of the defenders of Baltimore in the War of 1812. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have three sons and one daughter, of whom Abel and T. J. are engaged in farming at Forest Hill, where the parents reside. Mary F. is the widow of Charles Whitaker.
J. P. Wilson, of this review, was reared on the
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GEORGE W. LOCKWOOD.
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home farm, obtained his education in the common schools, and learned the blacksmithi's trade at Forest Hill, When a young man he came to Bel Air, and has since been associated with its business interests. In I891 he organized the En- terprise Carriage Company, of which he has since been president. This industry has prospered from the beginning and its patronage is constantly increasing, for they manufacture some of the finest carriages in the state, and have a reputation for good workmanship and honorable dealing that commends them to the confidence and support of all.
Mr. Wilson was married in 1895 to Miss Julia Billingslea, of Bel Air. He is an enterprising young business inan, whose integrity stands an unquestioned fact in his history. Endowed by nature with a sound judgment and an accurate, discriminating mind he has not feared that labo- rious attention to business so necessary to achieve success, and this essential quality has ever been guided by a sense of moral right which would tolerate the employment of means that would bear the most rigid examination and require no dis- guise.
EORGE W. LOCKWOOD. We are now permitted to touch briefly upon the life his- tory of one who has retained a personal as- sociation with the affairs of Cecil County, and one whose ancestral line traces back to the colonial epoch. His life has been one of earnest and honest endeavor and due success has not been denied him.
Mr. Lockwood was born February 18, 1847, on the "Meadows" farm in Cecil County, Md., and is the oldest son of Edward Wilson and Sarah E. (Alrichs) Lockwood, both Delawareans by birth, belonging to families conspicuously associated with the earliest history of that state. On the maternal side he is a descendant of Peter Alrichs, who in 1660 was the third governor of Delaware, which was still in the hands of the Dutch. He was a nephew of Jacob Alrichs, the first vice-director (1651). The family had in its possession until recently the old Alrichs home-
stead, and the house is reputed to be the oldest north of St. Augustine, Fla. The grant for this land was obtained from the Dutch. On the paternal side Mr. Lockwood is descended from an old New England family, which was founded in America by two brothers, Edward and Robert Lockwood, who came from England and settled at Watertown, Mass., as early as 1630. From them the Lockwoods of Delaware sprang, and for many generations they have been prominently identified with the history of the Diamond State.
In the public schools of Middletown, Del., and Fredericktown, Cecil County, Md., George W. Lockwood, of this review, obtained his early ed- ncation, which was supplemented by a course in the Georgetown University, of the District of Columbia, being a student there from 1862-66. He was there at the time of the grand review of the Union army at Washington directly after the late war. On leaving college, Mr. Lockwood went to New York, engaging in the fruit commission business with a large dealer of that city. He saw a good opportunity to become a member of the firm and had made all final arrangements for forming a partnership, when the head of the firm suddenly died. This turn of events made him determine to return to Maryland and take charge of one of his father's farms, devoting it to fruit culture. Engaging in this pursuit quite ex- tensively, he met with excellent success, especially in raising peaches, and was one of the largest growers on the peninsula until a few years ago, when the peach blight made it necessary for him to remove and uproot all trees.
In 1871 Mr. Lockwood was united in marriage to Miss Adelaide Morton, of Strawberry Hill, Cecil County, the oldest daughter of Hamilton and Mary T. (Durkee) Morton. Her father was for many years a resident of Cecil County, but was born in Philadelphia and belonged to an old and honored family there. The Durkees were among the first settlers of Maryland, and many of the representatives of the family became quite distinguished and prominent during the coloniza- tion of the state, among whom was the third governor under the English (1647). Seven chil- dren were born to Mr. and Mrs. Lockwood,
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namely: Marie T., Blanche E., Harry M., Grace A., George I., Julia E. M. and James Booth. All are still living with the exception of Grace A.
Mr. Lockwood was baptized and reared as an Episcopalian, but while a student at Georgetown becanie converted to the Roman Catholic faith, to which he still adheres. In politics he is a Democrat, but takes no very active part in po- litical affairs, the honors or emoluments of public office having no attraction for him. He has ever been a public-spirited, progressive citizen, co- operating in all that is calculated to promote the interests of his locality or state, and wherever he is found he is a sociable, affable, genial gentle- man, whose friends are legion, and all honor and esteem him for his many virtues and genuine worth.
ILLIAM L. DERICKSON. The home- stead of this well-to-do resident of Har- ford County is situated in District No. 3, and includes a large acreage of fertile land, with good improvements. A portion of the property is devoted to the cultivation of fruit, in which the owner is successfully engaged, he having found the canning business to be a profitable adjunct to agriculture. His real-estate possessions aggre- gate two hundred and eighty acres, divided into two farms, and containing the buildings neces- sary for the management of a country estate.
The birth of William L. Derickson occurred in 1862, in the neighboring county of Cecil, where his parents, John P. and Catherine I. (Miller) Derickson, owned and occupied a farm near Rock Springs, in District No. 8. The first representa- tives of the family in America settled in Delaware, and the old homestead in that state is now owned by a descendant of the original purchaser. About 1873 John P. Derickson removed from Cecil to Harford County and for three years made his home near Deer Creek, but in 1876 purchased and settled upon the Howard Grove place, where
he engaged in general farming until his death, in 1896. at the age of seventy-two. Six of his ten children are now living, and they are named as follow: Joseph, Emma, Laura, William L., Florence I. and Lillian M.
Educated in the schools of Harford County, the subject of this notice learned perhaps as much from observation and experience as he did from text books. Reared to farm life, he selected agriculture as his occupation, and on the death of his father he succeeded to the ownership and management of the homestead. Abont 1886 he purchased an interest in a canning business, with which he has since been connected, and in addi- tion to this and the cultivation of his farm he does considerable business in the sale of harvest- ing machinery and in the feeding of stock. As yet unmarried, he makes his home with his mother and two sisters. He is a member of the Bel Air Lodge of Odd Fellows and holds the of- fice of steward in the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he is an active worker. Inter- ested in the Sunday-school, he has held the posi- tion of librarian, doing all within his power to advance this very important department of church work. He loses no opportunity to assist and en- courage all measures looking toward the better- ment of the condition of this district, religiously, educationally and morally.
ON. J. EDWIN WEBSTER. Although aristocracy is unknown in America, there are traits of character which descend from generation to generation and constitute a legacy of greater value than lands and titles. A good name is not only a priceless heritage, but it is all incentive to the highest aims and noblest pur- poses. Such it has proved to be in the career of J. Edwin Webster, attorney of Bel Air, who is a worthy representative of one of the oldest and most honored families of Harford County. The lineage is traced to Samuel Webster, who was employed as tobacco inspector in Joppa. Richard,
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son of Samuel, was a contemporary of Jolin Wes- ley and had the distinction of being the second minister of the Methodist denomination born in America.
Henry, son of Richard, had a son, Col. Edwin Hanson Webster, father of our subject and one of the most influential citizens Harford County has ever had. He was born at the old homestead near Churchville March 31, 1829, and received an ex- cellent education, attending the academy at Churchville, also the New London Academy in Chester County, Pa., and at the age of fiftecu en- tering Dickinson College at Carlisle, Pa., from which he graduated in IS47. For a short time he taught a classical school near his father's home; but this occupation was but temporary, and pre- liminary to his life work. Desirous of becoming a lawyer, he studied law in the office of Otho Scott, at Bel Air. In 1851, prior to his admis- sion to the bar, lie was nominated by the Whig party for state's attorney, his opponent being Maj. William H. Dallam, a man of great personal popularity and family influence. The election was very close, Mr. Webster being defeated by only ten votes.
The public life of Mr. Webster may be said to date from 1855, four years after his admission to the bar. He then became the candidate for state senator on the American ticket and was elected by a majority of one thousand. During the second session he was president of the senate, which responsible position he filled with tact and impartiality. In 1856 he was presidential elector and gave his influence to the support of Mr. Fill- more. Three years later he was elected, after an exciting campaign, to represent the second con- gressional district in congress, his majority being two hundred. In that honorable body he served as a member of the committee on militia, special committee on the dedication of the Washington equestrian statue, and others of importance. During the period of excitement between the se- cession of South Carolina and the outbreak of the Civil War, he favored pacific measures, and took an active pait in thwarting commissioners who were attempting to influence citizens of Maryland. When the war broke out, he declared in favor of
the vigorous prosecution of war by the govern- ment and was re-elected to congress on that issue. During his second term as congressman he was a member of the committee on claims. The presi- dent of the United States, realizing the influence he wielded and the services he had rendered, wished to tender him an appointment as brigadier- general of volunteers, but he would not accept it. In- 1862 he recruited the Seventh Regiment, Maryland Volunteer Infantry, and September 12th of that year the regiment marched from Bal- timore under the command of Colonel Webster. Most of the time it formed a part of the army of the Potomac, and he was in active command more than twelve months, accepting no pay, and fur- nishing his own servants and horses. January I, 1863, he took his seat in the house of representa= tives and served in the short session that followed.
In July, 1863, Colonel Webster, while in the field, was re-elected to congress, and resigning his military commission took up his duties as a public official. He voted for abolition of slavery by the United States. When Maryland was in- vaded by the Confederate forces in 1864, he teil- dered his services to the governor for the defense of the state, and received an appointment upon the committee that drafted a military code for the state militia. In November, 1864, he was for the fourth time elected to congress, but in August of the following year resigned to accept the appoint- ment, made by President Lincoln, as collector of the port of Baltimore. This position he heid for four years. When President Lincoln was shot he had in his pocket a list of appointments ready for announcement the following day, and among them was the appointment of Colonel Webster. Upon retirement from that office he was presented by his subordinates in the custom house with a handsome service of silver plate. On his retire- ment from office he returned to Bel Air and resumed the practice of law. Some years later, however, President Arthur appointed him col- lector of the port of Baltimore, and he served for four years, his withdrawal from the position signalizing his final retirement from politics. Afterward he was chosen president of the Har- ford National Bank on its organization and held
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that position until his death, which occurred after a lingering illness, April 24, 1893.
It may well be doubted if the generation now upon the scene of action can accurately measure or adequately appreciate the distinguished public · services of Colonel Webster. To do this one must read backward, word by word, line by line, and page by page, the history of our country during the perilous days of war and the exciting period of reconstruction. Firm in his opinions, and pos- sessing at all times the courage of liis convictions, fearless in his expression of and adherence to what lie believed to be right, it was but natural that he should meet with opposition from those of different opinions; yet to his credit be it said, that never was a word spoken against liis character as a man or his integrity as a citizen. He evinced in every act a true and noble manhood, which in- vited the love of relatives and commanded the re- spect of all who knew him. His personal integ- rity and high sense of honor were never ques- tioned.
"The elements so mixed in him, that Nature iniglit stand up and say to all the world, "This was a man.'
Fraternally he was connected with Mt. Ararat Lodge of Masons, the Grand Army post at Havre de Grace, and in religious belief he was identified with the Presbyterian Church. In June, 1855, he married Mrs. Caroline H. Earl, daughter of James McCormick, Jr., of Washington, D. C., and Elizabeth (Henderson) McCormick, of Bel Air. Of their family three daughters and our sub- ject survive. The former are Ida M., wife of J. Abell Hunter, who resides at Bel Air and is con- nected with the Baltimore & Ohio at Baltimore; Bessie, wife of William H. Harlan, who is in partnership with our subject; and Caroline H., who married E. P. H. Harrison, a civil engineer at Martinsburg, W. Va.
In the village of Bel Air, where he now resides, J. Edwin Webster was born September 24, 1857. His education was commenced in Bel Air Aca- demy, and in 1872 he entered Brooklyn Colle- giate and Polytechnic College. Three years later he matriculated at Princeton, graduating from that institution in 1879. His legal readings were con-
ducted under his father's supervision and in the law school of the University of Maryland. Ad- mitted to the bar in 1881, he began his profession- al practice in Bel Air, where he has since built up an extensive practice. In the fall of 1887 lie was elected state's attorney and filled that posi- tion for four years. As a rule, however, he has not sought public office, but has been content with casting a straiglit Republican ticket at local and national elections. He lias other interests, busi- ness and professional, the supervision of which engrosses his entire time. A Presbyterian in re- ligious belief, he is a trustee and the treasurer of the church with which he is identified. June 6, 1896, he married Dora C., daughter of John G. Rouse, of Bel Air, and they reside on a well-im- proved farm near the village, their location en- abling them to enjoy all the comforts of country life as well as the advantages of the town.
= DMUND S. WHITAKER. In the perusal of this volume the reader is doubtless ini- pressed with the fact that it is not accident that helps a man in the world, but persistent energy, economy and industry. The life of Mr. Whitaker affords another illustration of the fact that he who is quick to see an opportunity, and equally quick to grasp it, will attain, if not wealth, at least a goodly amount of all that goes to make life happy-the esteem of acquaintances, the affection of relatives, and a position among the influential men of the locality. He is a hard- working, energetic man, and his life has been one of diligence and industry. Since early life he has been connected with the iron business, and is one of the well-known manufacturers of Principio Furnace, Cecil Comity.
The Whitaker family came to America from Wales about the time of the Revolution, and have since been loyal to our institutions and government. George P. Whitaker, the father of our subject, was born near Reading, Berks County, Pa., December 30, 1803, and was edu-
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cated in the schools of his native place, where ing his studies in an academy at New London, later he learned the business of an iron manu- facturer. I11 IS32, with his brother Joseph, Robert Garrett, and others, he bought out the Elk Rolling Mills, near Elkton, Cecil County, and afterward, with the same partners, purchased the North East Rolling Mills; but these they sold in IS35, at the same time buying the mills at Principio Furnace. After they were remodeled, the company engaged in the manufacture of pig iron here. This property had been owned by the British government before and during the Revolution, and at one time Lawrence Washing- ton, a relative of George Washington, owned an interest in the furnace. . During the war the British destroyed the works to keep them from falling into the hands of the patriots. In 1861 George P. Whitaker and his brother, Joseph, dissolved partnership, and the former incorporated the business under the name of the George P. Whitaker Company, of which he was the head until his death, December 31, 1890, at the age of eighty-eight. Upon the disintegration of the Whig party, which he had supported, he became an adherent of Republican principles and a stanch advocate of the policy adopted by the new party. At the breaking out of the Civil War he was a delegate to the state legislature. Both in public life and in business affairs, he was undoubtedly the most prominent man of his locality, and no one wielded a more vital influence in its upbuild- ing than did he. For years he was a vestryman of St. Aun's Episcopal Church, and his wife was also identified with that congregation. Twice married, his first wife, who bore the maiden name of Eliza Ann Simmons, passed away in 1875. His second wife, Mrs. Mary Evans, is still living. The second union was childless, but by the first he had ten children, three now living: Mrs. Caroline Naudaine, who lives near the old home- stead; Edmund S .; and Nelson E., of Wheeling, W. Va. .
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