USA > Maryland > Portrait and biographical record of the Sixth congressional district, Maryland V. 1 > Part 42
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In 1862 Mr. Best married Elizabeth Haller, daughter of Michael H. Haller, who at one time was sheriff of Frederick County. George Z., eldest child of our subject and wife, is in the pas- senger service in the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Lydia is the wife of Henry J. D. Higgins, who is connected with the whole- sale house of Col. D. C. Winebrener, of Fred- erick. David H. died when thirty-two years of age. Edith M. is the wife of Daniel T. Ordman, of the firm of Price & Ordman, hardware mer- chants of Frederick. Lnhu Grace and Mary are at home with their parents. With the exception
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JOHN W. COOK.
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of Mrs. Ordman, the whole family, parents and children, are members of the Lutheran Church, she being identified with the Episcopal denomi- nation since her marriage.
OIIN W. COOK, deceased, was for his whole life one of the representative farmers of Buckeystown District, Frederick County. Beginning his career a poor boy he left at his death a large and valuable estate, which, by the assistance of his faithful wife, who survives him, he had amassed. He was a good man in every sense of the word, upright and honorable, true and just, kind to the poor and unfortunate, and delighting in helping his fellow-men. The beau- tiful homestead which is now the property of his widow is known as Carlton Farm and is situated on the Point of Rocks road, about five milesfrom Frederick and two miles from Buckeystown.
The birth of J. W. Cook took place on his fa- ther's homestead in this district in 1827, and as lie died in January, 1897, he almost reached the threescore and ten years that the psalmist de- scribes as the lifetime of most men. He had the usual uneventful routine of a farmer's boy, learil- ing to do such little things about the farm as he could, and attending the district school. He re- mained with his parents until he was considera- bly past his majority. They were John and Christiana (Myers) Cook, both natives of this part of Frederick County, and from old and re- spected families here. The two brothers of our subject, George and Benjamin, are residents of Jefferson, Frederick County, and the two sisters are Henrietta, who married William Lamb; and Annie, Mrs. Luther Renn.
J. W. Cook started out to make his own liveli- hood and thenceforth devoted himself to agricult- ural duties. He lived for a quarter of a cen- tury on the fine farm of one hundred and sixty- eight acres now operated by his widow. On the place are to be seen a substantial residence, fine barns, good fences and grand old trees, and it
was always the especial pride of our subject to keep everything about the place in a neat and thrifty manner. He was a faithful member of the Reformed Church, and was very generous in the support of the same. He gave the land on which stands the church on one corner of his farm, contributed also largely towards the build- ing, and was an official member of the congrega- tion. The community in which he was for so long a valuable citizen, neighbor and friend, felt, when he was called to another world, that they had indeed met with a loss that could not be filled. His memory is held in tenderness in the hearts of a multitude of his old acquaintances. His mortal remains were placed to rest in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Frederick.
September 3, 1859, Mr. Cook married Char- lotte Thomas, who, with one sister, alone sur- vives from a large and happy family circle. She is a daughter of George Thomas, and her eiglit brothers as well as two sisters have been sum- moned to the silent land. The remaining one is Margaret, wife of George W. Myers, a farmer. The father of Mrs. Cook was a farmer by occu- pation and was very much loved and respected by all. He was very actively identified with the work of the Reformed Church. Mrs. Cook has always resided in this district, and was a pupil in the local schools in her girlhood. As she and her husband had no children, two nephews of hers came to live with them a few years ago, and have undertaken the management of the farm. One of the young men has been a member of the household for eight years.
ETER W. SHAFER, who for three terms was burgess of Middletow11, Frederick Coun- ty, in which city he is now living retired from active business life, was long numbered among the leading educators of this county, though his efforts were not confined to this par- ticular portion of the country. During the years 1878 and 1879 he was the county tax collector of
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Frederick County, giving general satisfaction to all concerned, and for several years he served in the capacity of justice of the peace in this county. He has always been greatly interested in the pro- motion of local industries and enterprises, and was one of the leading agitators of the Middle- town & Frederick Railway, now in successful operation. He is a director in the company, which handles more grain, produce and freight for a road of the kind than any other, perhaps, in the country.
Our subject is the youngest child of John Shafer, who was a native of this valley, and was a farmer by occupation. His valuable homestead was situated about two and a-half miles from Middletown. He was a justice of the peace for years, and was a Whig in his political proclivities. He lived and died in the faith of the Reformed Church, to which his father before him had be- longed. The latter, Jolin, Sr., was a native of Germany, and owned a large tract of land in this district. John Shafer, Jr., died when but fifty- one years of age, and was buried in the Reformed Church Cemetery. His wife was of German ex- traction and bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Leinbach. She was born in the beautiful Mid- dletown Valley, and was reared upon her father's large and valuable farm. She lived to the ripe age of eighty, dying in 1876, and was placed by the side of her husband in the quiet churchyard. Their family comprised the following children beside our subject: John Randolph, who died in 1885, and had long been a wealthy farmer of this valley; C. Routzahn, also a farmer, and who left six children at his death; Robert, who was in partnership with his eldest brother, John R., and was the first to be laid to rest in the new cemetery (of which he had been one of the com- mittee of purchase), as lie died in May, 1863; Thomas, whose fine farm adjoined the one where our subject was born, and whose death occurred about two years ago; George, who died in 1884 in Petersville, but had previously been a farmer of this vicinity for some years; Margaret, who married Ezra Routzahn and died in 1886, leaving two children, Frances V., Mrs. Charles H. Cob- lentz, and Charlotte C., Mrs. Lewis P. Coblentz;
Lydia E., who married Samuel DeLauder, and died in 1895, leaving four sons and four daugh- ters, all residents of this valley; Sarah, widow of A. C. Bowlus, and mother of three sons, Dr. Em- ory L., DeLauder Wilbur and Edward L .; and one daughter, Sophia Melinda C., who is unmar- ried. The brothers of our subject were all Re- publicans, and members of the Reformed Church.
Peter W. Shafer is the sole survivor of the sons, He was born June 8, 1834, and when he was a lad of nine years he commenced attending the parochial school of the Reformed Church in this town, preparatory to entering Marshall Col- lege. From that noted institution of learning he graduated with high honors in the class of 1853, after which he took up teaching as a profession. For some years he was a member of the faculty of Fredericksburg ( Va. ) Academy, and was then offered a position as principal of the parochial school in Middletown, where he had formerly been a pupil, and during the seven years which followed with him at the head of the institution it was greatly prospered. Tlien he was engaged in teaching in Wayne County, Ind., for a few years, returning at the end of that period to his old place in the Middletown school. An interval succeeded while he taught schools in this and Washington Counties, and then, for the third time, he came back to the local school, with which he was connected altogether some ten years. He has been very successful in his favorite field of labor, being devoted to the work and in thorough sympathy with the young, ambitious minds with which he was thus brought into touch. He owns a comfortable home in the center of the town, and has lived within its walls for the past thirty years.
In 1864 Mr. Shafer married Anna L., daughter of the late Peter Young, who was a life-long resi- dent of this locality. To our subject and wife five children have been born. Charlotte Eliza- beth, who graduated from the state normal school in 1882, bore off the highest honors of hier class, and, after teaching for about a year in the schools of this county, was urgently called to accept a position in the faculty of the Woman's College at Allentown, Pa., where she is up to the present
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time. Evalinda received the highest honors in a large class that graduated in the fall of 1889 from the Maryland Institute School of Art and Design in Baltimore, and was long connected with the art de- partment of a college which was situated in Princeton, Ind., but was subsequently removed to Evansville, Ind., and later to Madison, Ky. She followed the institution in its various remov- als, and was considered one of the most valued teachers of the college. She is now the wife of Prof. R. H. Bansen, who was also a member of the same faculty, and who afterwards hield a po- sition in Trinity School, one of the finest in New York City, and some time later he and his family became residents of Kent County, Del. He has a bright little son, Donald Clifton, about five years of age. Mary Eleanor, after graduating from the Middletown high school, entered the Allentown Female College, now called the Allentown Col- lege. She completed the course, and graduated with distinction in the fall of 1887, the gold med- al being bestowed upon her for elocution. For two years she was a teacher in the elementary depart- ment of the same school; then was appointed to take charge of classes in Latin, elocution and phy- sical culture, serving in that capacity six years. In the spring of 1897 she graduated from the Bos- ton School of Expression, and has since taught el- ocution and physical culture in Perkiomen Semin- ary, in Pennsburg, Pa. During the time of her at- tendance at the Boston School of Expression, she was also engaged in taking a course in literature in Radcliffe College. Harriet Geisinger is specially gifted as a musician, and for years has been the organist of the Reformed Church here. She graduated from our high school and has taken lessons in music from some of the ablest instruct- ors to be found both in Frederick and Allentown, Pa. John P., also a graduate of the high school here, shared the honors of the class of 1894 with Edward L. Bowlus, subsequently read law in the office of Hon. C. W. Ross, of Frederick City, and since 1895 has occupied a responsible position with the law firm of Harrison & Byrd, of Wall street, New York City.
In politics Mr. Shafer has always given his vote and influence to the Republican party, and
was a strong Union man during the war. He is a member of high standing in the Reformed Church of this place, and is usually sent as their representative to conventions and senate meetings of the denomination. Fraternally he is asso- ciated with Waverly Lodge No. 113, Knights of Honor; the Odd Fellows and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He enjoys the distinction of being the oldest in membership of the Odd Fel- lows', lodge here.
OHN DAVIS BYERLY, the leading photog- rapher of Frederick, has resided here nearly his whole lifetime, and from liis boyhood has followed his present line of business. He enjoys a justly deserved reputation of superior excellence in his chosen field of enterprise, and has a very large and remunerative patronage from the sur- rounding country, as well as from the city. He owns a valuable piece of property in his fine three-story brick business block on North Market street, renting the first floor for stores, the second for offices and the third being reserved for his well-equipped photograph gallery.
Though a native of Newville, Pa., born there in 1839, Mr. Byerly has lived in Frederick since 1842. His father, Jacob Byerly, was in the same kind of business, at least the art of making da- guerreotypes, the forerunner of modern photog- raphy. He retired from business in 1868, and continued to reside in this city until his death, in 1881. His father, Henry, who died when a young man, was a resident of Cumberland Coun- ty, Md. The mother of our subject was Cathe- rine Bear, daughter of David Bear, of Cumber- land County, a farmer and natural mechanic. The two daughters of Jacob and Catherine Byerly died in childhood. In 1849, his first wife having died, Jacob Byerly married Catherine E. Hauer, by whom he had two daughters, Grace, who died in 1888, and Harriet Q., ummarried and a resi- dent of Frederick.
J. D. Byerly was educated in the public schools
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and academy of Frederick, and in the academy at Urbana. From 1860 to 1866 he was associated with his father in business here, and then went south, remaining there two years or more. In 1868 he returned and purchased the property where his gallery is now situated from his father, and has since carried on the business that lie es- tablished at that time. He lias kept in touch with the new ideas, nowhere more rapidly ad- vanced than in his line of business, and is an ex- pert in the modern science of photography. He owns a very pleasant and desirable home on West Patrick street, and is well off in this world's goods. He lias always rendered allegiance to the Republican party, and is a member of the Inde- pendent Order of Red Men. With his wife and family he holds membership with the Reformed Church.
In 1869 Mr. Byerly married Miss Mary, daughter of George Markell, a retired merchant of Frederick. Four children came to bless their union, but two were called to the better land. John D., a very promising young man of nineteen, died in 1891. Charles is a graduate of the pub- lic schools of this city, and is a young man of en- ergy and ability, at present being his father's able assistant in the photograph gallery. Mary Catlı- erine, the only daughter, is at home.
D HARLES HAHN, now numbered among the representative citizens of Frederick City, is a striking example of what can be accom- plished by a young man who starts out to make his own way in the world, provided that he pos- sesses ability and a brave and true heart. The gentleman of whom this brief tribute is penned is entitled to great credit, for he rose to a position where he is honored and esteemed by all who know him, through the exercise of industry con- tinued during many years, earnest purpose to succeed, and good business methods. . He never allowed himself to become overreaching in the slightest degree, as defeat in his chosen career
was far preferable to him to victory won in any unfair manner, and probably one of his secrets of success has been his devotion to high and upright principles of action.
The father of Charles Halin was a native of Germany, and became a resident of Frederick City in 1855. He bore the Christian name of Adolph, and was a life-long member of the Luthi- ern Church. He followed the tanner's trade from the time that he arrived in America, and for years was in the employ of Kunkle & Kun- kle, of this place. He married Caroline Jacobs, by whom he had five children. Henry A., who learned the same business as his father followed, was employed by the same firm: William is in the manufacturing department of our subject's establishment; Annie C. is unmarried: and Clara is the wife of Harry Blackstone.
Charles Halin was born in Frederick in 1855 and was a mere child of eight years when he took up the burden of life, assisting in earning his own way by helping his father in the tannery. He continued in the business until I870, when he began att apprenticeship to the tinner's trade, serving for six years. In 1879 he commenced in a small way to do business on his own account where his present store and factory are now lo- cated. He carried a limited selection of tinware and hardware at first, but gradually increased his stock until he gained the best custom of the city people. He now owns a well-built brick store of two floors, and in the rear is the large factory where various kinds of tinware, etc., are manufactured. Employment is given to several men and boys, and affairs are in a most flourish- ing condition. He carries a well-selected stock of light and heavy hardware, stoves, etc., and long since reached a secure competence. There is no finer store and fittings in his line in the city and he lias reason to be proud of the success lie lias won.
In 1884 Mr. Hahn married Ida Sawyer, daugliter of Hudson and Harriet Sawyer, of this city. Three sons and a daughter have come to bless the happy home of Mr. and Mrs. Halin, and the children are all now attending school. In politics our subject affiliates with the Denio-
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cratic party. He is a Mason of high standing, belonging to Columbia Lodge No. 58, A. F. & A. M., to Enoch Chapter No. 23, R. A. M., and to Jacques de Molay Commandery No. 4, K. T. He is also a member of the Royal Arcanum. From 1885 to 1892 he was the superintendent of the Frederick water works and made a most acceptable official. He is president of the Fred- erick City Packing Company, an important con. cern here, which transacts a very large business in the course of a year. Socially Mr. Hahn is very genial and well liked by all who have the pleasure of knowing him.
5 EORGE C. RHODERICK, editor and pro- prietor of the Valley Register, published in Middletown, Frederick County, is one of the old residents and honored citizens of this locality, having been closely identified with its welfare since his earliest recollections. The long-established paper which he edits is one of the landmarks of this valley, having been known under its present name for over forty years, and having been previously published under different titles for a long period.
The paternal grandparents of the above-named gentleman were Benjamin and Susanna Rhoder- ick, the former a native of Harper's Ferry, and the latter of Middletown Valley. They were members of the Reformed Church, were a devout and God-fearing couple, and reared their children to be good and useful citizens. Their son, Mahlon, married Miss Mary Flook, who, though she has attained the advanced age of eighty- seven years, is in the enjoyment of fair health to-day. At present she is a member of the fam- ily of her daughters, Marietta and Rebecca, and her youngest son, M. Dorsey Rhoderick, wlio are tenderly caring for her in her declining years. Mahlon Rhoderick was born and reared in this fertile valley. Late in life he removed to the vicinity of the county seat, where he continued to dwell as long as he lived. He died at thie
allotted age of man, "threescore and ten," and lies sleeping his last sleep in peaceful Mount Olivet Cemetery, his grave being on the lot adjoining that of Francis Scott Key, who is famed as the author of the "Star Spangled Banner." Mahlen Rhoderick was a very popu- lar citizen --- conscientious, just and upright in all his dealings. In early manhood he voted with the Whig party, and at the organization of its successor, the Republican party, he enlisted under its banner. He was strongly in sympathy with the north during the war, and was ever a friend to the down-trodden and oppressed. From 1855 to 1857 he served as sheriff of Frederick County, and later he acted in the offices of con- stable and deputy sheriff, acquitting himself in these several important positions with credit to himself and constituents.
George C. Rhoderick, born in Middletown in 1835, is the eldest son of Mahlon Rhoderick. His brother, Henry F., is a resident of Spring- field, Ohio; Morris H. is a farmer of this county; M. D. is a bookkeeper for P. L. Hargett & Co., of Frederick; and the two sisters, Marietta and Rebecca, live in Frederick City.
The education of G. C. Rhoderick was merely that of the local schools, supplemented with the lessons of practical experience and the knowl- edge gained from contact with the world. He has been a great reader, and is a man who forms his opinions only after carefully weighing evi- dence. His journalistic career commenced when lie was a small lad, and from that time to the present he has been more or less intimately con- nected with a newspaper office. His father and H. L. Brady were the owners of the Catoctin Whig in 1844, when our subject obtained his initial experience in the minor duties pertaining to the publication of a paper, and lie gradually worked upward, filling every position in the office, and thoroughly mastering the details of the business. In 1850 the senior Rhoderick withdrew from the firm, and for a few years the otlier partner ran the business alone.
In March, 1855, the Whig was purchased by Elder George Bear, who placed George C. Rhoderick in charge as manager. In May,
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1856, tlie latter, in partnership with Dr. Edward Bowlus, bought the paper and changed the name to the Valley Register. At the end of two years Mr. Rhoderick became the sole owner of the plant, which he has since conducted alone. From time to time he has enlarged the paper and improved it very materially, keeping in touch with the spirit of progress. The circulation has gradually increased from about three hundred to over eighteen hundred, and many are the homes in this valley wliere its coming is eagerly looked for.
October 7, 1858, Mr. Rhoderick married Miss Mary Ellen Koogle, daughter of the late Adam Koogle, who owned a farm near Middletown, and in addition to carrying on the place was en- gaged in the manufacture of wagons. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Rhoderick eight sons and two daughters were born. Five sons and one daughter survive. George C., Jr., is em- ployed in the office of the Valley Register, as is also his younger brother, Charles K. Bernard J. is operating a ranch in Texas, and Roy L, and Frank are still at home. Maggie E., the only daugliter, is also living with her parents. The family are Lutherans in religious faith, and very active workers in the denomination. Mr. Rhoderick has been secretary and librarian of the Sunday-school for the past thirty-five years, and takes great interest in the training of the children and young people. Socially he is a member of the Odd Fellows' order and of the Ancient Order of United Workmen.
AMUEL BOWEN, bailiff, of Frostburg, is one of the leaders of the Republican party in Allegany County. After coming to this place he engaged in mining until the strike of ISS6, when he was chosen a member of the exec- utive board of tlie Federation of Labor, and as- sisted in bringing the strike to an end. On the conchision of that work lie became assistant superintendent of track laying for the Borden
Company, in which capacity he remained until 1891, and afterward was employed by the same company in sinking shafts on Savage Mountain for testing the quality of different veins of coal. His next employment was the mining of coal. May 1, 1893, he was appointed bailiff of Frost- burg, receiving the support of five out of the seven members of the council. The following year he was again appointed to the position by the same vote. In 1895 the law regarding this office was changed and it was made an elective position. He became the candidate of the Re- publican party and was elected by a large ma- jority. At the expiration of his term, in 1897, he was re-elected, and is now serving his fourth term in the office, a fact that speaks more con- vincingly than could words of eulogy as to the satisfactory manner in which his duty has been performed.
In Allegany County, where he still resides, the subject of this sketch was born April 20, 1858. His father, William Bowen, was born in Wales in 1816, the son of James Bowen, a native of Wales and a miner by occupation. In 1840, the year in which Queen Victoria was married, William Bowen was married in England to Eliza Vaughn, a native of Gloucestershire and a de- scendant of the original Deans. After his mar- riage he established an inn in Gloucester and was thus engaged for five years or more, coming from there in 1846 to America, with his wife and three children. He settled at Mount Savage, Allegany County, Md., where he was employed in the capacity of foreman of the rolling mills and assisted in the construction of machinery for railroads. After one year he removed to Frost- burg and engaged as a miner in the Frostburg coal mines. Later lie was made assistant fore- man of tlie Allegany mines, where he continued until the outbreak of the Civil war, and was then given charge of what is now known as Union Mine No. I. This he opened and developed. It was the last work of liis life and on its conclu- sion he retired from active labors. His remain- ing days were quietly passed at Frostburg, where he died April 10, 1896, at the age of eighty years. His wife passed away in October of the same
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