A twentieth century history of Erie County, Pennsylvania : a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, and its principal interests, Volume II, Part 45

Author: Miller, John, 1849-
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 910

USA > Pennsylvania > Erie County > A twentieth century history of Erie County, Pennsylvania : a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, and its principal interests, Volume II > Part 45

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James Steele Pollock, one of the eleven children, was born on his father's farm in LeBoeuf township in 1823, and he lived a life of use- fulness and honor and died at a ripe old age in 1908, honored and revered wherever known. He married Mary J. Hamilton, whose father, Hugh Hamilton, was a prominent man in Waterford, and for a century and more the Hamilton family have been conspicuously identi- fied with that community. Mrs. Pollock was born in 1828, and died on the 3d of January, 1894. Ten children were born to bless that union, but four died in infancy, as follows: Thomas, Mary Steele, Charlotte, and infant ; the others are Georgia Anna, Jessie M., Wil- liam S. Steele, Charles Hamilton, Hugh W., and Sallie P. Georgia Anna married G. S. Boyd, of Union City. Hugh W. married Miss Minnie McClellen, and they had four children, Hugh Steele, Charles (deceased). Margaret, and William. Charles H. married Miss Myrna Crowe and has two children, Robert S. and Elizabeth. Sallie P. wed- ded F. L. Arthurs, a resident of Crawford county. Both the McClellen and Crowe families were pioneers of Washington township, Erie county.

CHARLES SWAN. Possessing great mechanical knowledge and ability, Charles Swan is actively identified with one of the leading in- dustries of Corry, where as a skilled machinist he is carrying on a thriving business. A native of Sweden, he was born, October 24, 1852, in Stockholm, a city in which his father, Charles Swan Sr., first saw the light of this world. His great-grandfather Swan, a sea-faring man, born in either England or Wales, was at one time commander of a vessel sent out in pursuit of pirates, and was living in Bordeaux, France, when his son John, Mr. Swan's grandfather, was born. Re- turning with his parents from France to Sweden, their former home, John Swan spent many years as a sailor, following the sea during the earlier part of his life. He spent his last days, however, at Riddars- holm, Stockholm.

Receiving excellent educational advantages, Charles Swan Sr. became an expert civil and mechanical engineer, spending his entire life in his native city. He married Evaline Lindblod, who was born and bred in Southern Sweden, but spent her last years in Stockholm. She reared two children, August, who is a sailor ; and Charles, the subject of this sketch.

After leaving school, Charles Swan followed the sea for a time, making several voyages with his brother. Having a natural taste for the mechanical arts, he soon gave up seafaring pursuits, and in 1868 came to the United States in search of congenial and remunerative employment. Locating in Chicago, Illinois, he worked in a carriage manufactory for a few months, after which he went first to St. Louis, then to New Orleans, subsequently visiting other points in the West and Southwest, making his home, however, in St. Louis until 1874. Turning his steps eastward in that year, he came to Corry, where for three years he was employed in different carriage and machine shops. Embarking in business on his own account in 1877, Mr. Swan has met with genuine success from the start, and is now known as one of the most capable and skillful machinists in the city, his patronage being large and lucrative. Mr. Swan married, in 1875, Margaret Wor- rick, who was born in Michigan. Her father. John Worrick, a native

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of Hungary, married Doris Weaver, who was born in Germany. After coming to this country he worked at his trade of a blacksmith in Michigan for a long time, but afterward removed to Canada, where he spent his remaining years. Mrs. Swan died in 1901, leaving eight children, namely: Clara B., wife of Julius Faulhaber, of New York City: Harry M .; Hattie S .; Jessie M .; Lucy: John ; Maude; and Walter.

MARTIN LUTHER HISKEY, a prosperous farmer of nearly thirty years' residence in Waterford township, was a native of Ohio, born at Lexington. son of Martin Luther and Iantha Hiskey. Although his parents were both natives of Pennsylvania, they spent most of their lives in Ohio. In 1881 Martin Luther, of this sketch, came from the Buckeye state and located in Erie county, where he has since resided as a progressive farmer of Waterford township.

In 1829 Mr. Iliskey wedded Miss Ellen J. Ring, a native of New York state and a daughter of Michael and Anna (Maher) Ring. Her parents emigrated from Ireland in 1855; first located in New York and after purchased a tract of thirty-five acres in Waterford township which the husband cultivated as a farm for a number of years. He finally bought a house and lot at Waterford station and there passed his last years. The deceased was an industrious and useful pioneer in many ways. His first house was a log cabin in the forest which he constructed himself, afterward clearing the land and fashioning the farm into a comfortable homestead for his family. He not only con- ducted his own affairs with credit, but was public spirited in every way and was especially prominent in the construction of the first rail- road through Waterford.

The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Martin L. Hiskey have been as follows: Anna May. May 5, 1880, who married Frederick Joseph Burns. October 21, 1901, and is now a resident of California and the mother of Helen, Frederick (who died at two years of age), and Paul Donald : and William Barnard Hiskey, born July 13, 1887. Mrs. His- key and her children are all members of the Catholic church at Water- ford.

ADOLPH BOES, the proprietor of the Park Hotel at North East, is a native of the fatherland of Germany, born at Duesseldorf on the Rhine, December 8, 1865, the ninth born of the ten children of John and Christina (Lampenscherf) Boes. When he had attained the age of sixteen years young Boes left his parents' home to work in the iron works. When he was twenty-one he began a three years' service in the army, and at the expiration of his military term he returned to the iron works and was thus employed until he left his native land for the United States in 1892, and located in Mckeesport, Pennsylvania, where he was employed in the iron and steel works until 1892. Turning his attention then to the hotel business, he was the proprietor of the Fifth Avenue hotel at Monessen in Westmoreland county, this state, for four years, and then selling his interests there he moved to Mononga- hela City and purchased and conducted for eighteen months the Schire Oaks Brewery, which had a capacity of forty-five barrels of beer, ale and porter in a day, but this he sold later to the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, who desired the land for freight yards. Mr. Boes then re-

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

ASTON, LEAUX TIDEN FOUNDATIONS

MRS. DORA E. BORSTORFF'S FAMILY

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turned with his family to his old home in Germany, visiting the land of his birth for six months and then returning and locating at Du- quesne, Pennsylvania, where he bought and conducted for eighteen months the Oliver Hotel, while from that time until the 28th of August, 1905, his home was at Mt. Pleasant in Westmoreland county. At that date he bought the Park Hotel in North East, and has since been its popular and efficient proprietor.

Hle married October 12, 1891, in Germany, Bertha Innhoven, a na- tive daughter of that country, and their children are Josephine, An- tonia, Alfred and Edward. The family are members of the St. Greg- ory's Catholic church. Mr. Boes is a Republican politically, and he was one of the organizers and is a deputy of the German Beneficial Union of United States, with headquarters in Pittsburg. He is also a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks No. 751, of Duquesne, and of the Turners Singing Society of Duquesne, and since 189% of the New York Life Insurance Company.

MRS. DORA E. BORSTORFF. There is no agriculturist in Wayne town- ship who has a more intelligent comprehension of the industry and science of modern dairying than the practical and able woman mentioned in the title to this sketch. Mrs. Borstorff has owned her valuable farm of one hundred acres since 1902, and devoted it to dairy purposes since 1905. Her twenty-two head of choice Jerseys furnish the dairy with one hundred and fifty quarts of milk daily, the product passing the most severe test for richness and purity. Both buildings and appliances are of the most modern type, both convenience and sanitary considera- tions being always in mind. Mrs. Borstorff not only has active super- vision of all the operations of the farm, but presides over a commodious and beautiful home, being both a thorough dairy woman and a lady of sound and wide information.

Dora E. Thomas was born in Wayne township, this county, on May 18, 1851, and is a daughter of Oliver and Nancy L. ( Button) Thomas. Her parents were natives of Madison county, New York, who came to Erie county in 1850. The father, who was a farmer, at once settled on the one-hundred-acre farm in Wayne township, which he occupied until his death in 1900. His wife had died in 1848, mother of Dora E., Flora L., Charles A., Nancy E., Orrin L., Lewis B. and five others, who are all deceased.

In 18:1, at the age of twenty, Dora E. Thomas was united in marriage to Charles E. Borstorff. Her husband was a native of New Jersey, born October 21, 1844, and spent most of his life as a railroad man. He came to Erie county in 1868, but moved to Crawford county, where he died in February, 1889. Six children were born of this marriage, as follows: May, wife of Mr. Weber; Ferman, who died in 1903; Charles L., who married Miss Bertha Long: William O., who married Miss Lillian White (died August 26, 1908), and is the father of two daughters, Pearley Fern, and Ruby Irene and is now living with his mother assisting her in the dairy business ; Sadie H., who is the wife of C. E. Munn and Bertha L., now Mrs. David Benzink.

WILLIS CAMP, of North East township, is one of the successful horticulturists in the great fruit growing country of Erie county, Pennsylvania. He is a native of Chautauqua county, New York, born Feb. 26, 1864, son of Orin and Lucy Malinda (Sawyer) Camp, the

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father being born in Owego, Tioga county, New York and his mother in Greenfield, Hillsboro county, Vermont. As his grandparents, John and Louisa (Hewitt) Camp, were natives respectively of Vermont and Ohio, he comes of some of the most substantial famlies of New England and the middle west. His parents were married in Owego and his father spent many years in that locality engaged in farming and carpentering. removing in 1853 to Ripley, Chautauqua county. New York. In the fall of 1864 he disposed of his business and pur- chased a farm in North East township. this county, where he spent the balance of his life in agricultural pursuits, his death occurring March 3, 190%. His wife, who was born September 23, 1820, still lives on the old homestead, in North East township, with her daughter Julia, who is the widow of William Cluxton, a soldier of the Civil war. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Orin Camp were: Marvin, who is supposed to have died in South America; Julia, already men- tioned ; Mrs. Martha L. Robinson, who now resides in North East township, this county ; Orin, Jr., of Owego, New York; and Willis, of this sketch.

During his earlier career as a farmer, the father became acquainted with the young John D. Rockefeller, who in latter years became well known to the people of this country. He always insisted that Mr. Rockefeller earned his first fifty cents while in his employ so that in the advance of the oil king the elder Mr. Camp considered that he had somewhat of an interest. The great-grandfather of Willis Camp, Asa by name, was a soldier in the Continental army and was one of the party detailed to assist in the hanging of the British spy, Major Andre. In common with his companions he not only witnessed the tragedy with moist eyes, but it fell to his lot to assist in the digging of the grave of the unfortunate British officer. Towards the close of his service Mr. Camp was commissioned as colonel in the Continental army.

Willis Camp, of this sketch, resided with his parents until the death of his father, his marriage to Miss Bertha Covey, occurring December 24, 1895. Mr. Camp's wife is a native of North East town- ship and a daughter of Levi and Clara (Colby) Covey. The children of their union are: Ralph W., born September 6, 1899; Maisie J., born December 11, 1901 ; and Reta B., born August 26, 1905. Mr. Camp's residence is one of the prettiest homesteads in this part of the country, consisting of ninety-six acres of fruit land, fifteen acres of which are devoted to grapes, and ten acres devoted to the culture of peaches, plums and berries. He is an Odd Fellow and a member of Grape City Lodge. In politics he is a Democrat. He cast his first presidential vote for Grover Cleveland-a man whose name will ever be bright in American history.

ORIN CAMP, whose death occurred March 3, 1907. on the old homestead in North East township, which he had occupied for more than forty-three years, had passed more than four score years and ten in this world which had been so good to him, because he had been so kind to it. His faithful and Christian widow still survives him, surrounded by countless evidences of their domestic happiness which extended over a period of nearly sixty-nine years. Four years her husband's junior, the two were school mates together in the little

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district school at Owego, New York, and the affection which then sprung up in their childish breasts developed into the love of sturdy manhood and womanhood, and was mellowed and purified in the long passage of the years. It is seldom that Providence has vouchsafed so great a happiness to be continued over such a span of time.

Orin Camp was the son of John and Louisa Camp, and was born at Owego, Tioga county, New York, on the 5th of August, 1816. His father was a Vermonter and his mother's people Ohio pioneers. Early in life he became a carpenter and joiner, and erected many homes both in his home locality and Erie county. Orin Camp re- ceived his education in his native town, where he met Lucy M. Sawyer as one of his school mates. The little girl had been born at Greenfield, Vermont, September 23, 1820, but when quite young had been brought to Owego by her parents. They were married August 1, 1838, and lived fourteen years at Owego, removing in 1853 to Chautauqua county, New York, and in 1861 to the farm in North East township, which was their only homestead in Erie county.

Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Orin Camp and among their neighbors at Owego were the parents of John D. Rockefeller. The Camp children and John D. were naturally thrown together and became quite intimate, both as school mates and playmates. Even in his early boyhood it was evident that the latter was "cut out for business." He was shrewd, bright, active and "always planning some big undertaking," Mr. Camp was wont to relate. He also stamped him as a brave boy and a natural leader, and told a story of how his oldest, son, Marvin and young John D. were skating on the Susque- hanna river and a smaller comrade broke through the ice, the two boldly coming to his rescue at the risk of their own lives. But there is a fact of family history which is even of more interest than that the great old magnate was a playmate of the Camp children, and that is the connection of Asa Camp, Orin's grandfather, with the un- timely fate of the gallant Major Andre, the British spy. A faithful soldier in the Continental army, the representative of the Camp family was not only detailed to assist in the hanging of the British officer, but to assist in digging his grave. The execution was wit- nessed by a large crowd, many of whom shed tears when the young victim of military necessity walked fearlessly to his death. The five children mentioned as the offspring of Mr. and Mrs. Orin Camp were as follows: Marvin, now deceased; Julia, who became Mrs. Cluxton and was long the housekeeper for the aged couple ; Martha L., who married a Mr. Robinson and lives in North East ; Orin Camp, Jr., of Owego, New York, and Willis Camp, whose biography appears on preceding pages.

WILLIAM WALLACE LEE, of Waterford township, is a young far- mer of the progressive type who thoroughly believes not only in prac- tical experience but in a scientific training for his chosen calling. He is a native of the township in which he now resides, born August 15. 1868. a son of William and Jeanette (Gourley) Lee. His father was a native of Canada who came to Waterford township at an early day and purchased the one hundred and sixty acre farm now owned by William W. It was then, however, thickly covered with timber, which the father cleared away as a necessary step to cultivating and

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improving his farm and it was upon this homestead that he passed the last years of his life, dying in 1899. He acquired a substantial standing as a farmer and as a citizen of activity in local public affairs, serving for many years as a member of the township school board. His wife died in 1908.

William W. Lee, of this sketch, laid the foundation of his educa- tion in the public schools of his native township and afterward at- tended the Waterford Academy and Clarke's Business College, of Erie, Pensylvania. After this varied and thorough training he en- tered the Pennsylvania State University and there pursued a complete creamery course. At its completion he returned to the parental farm where he has since lived, thoroughly equipped as a farmer, business man and a manufacturer of creamery products. In politics he is a Republican, and has been called to the public service in such offices as those of township assessor and auditor.

In December, 1894, Mr. Lee married Miss Emma Griswold, daughter of L. F. and Phoebe (Fish) Griswold, both natives of Edin- boro, this county. His wife passed away, after a short illness, on the 3rd of December, 1906, and was the devoted mother of four chil- dren, Mildred, William, Harold and Emma, the last named dying in infancy. The surviving children are living at home, attending school under their father's care. At the time of her death, which so saddened the community, Mrs. Griswold was only thirty-four years of age. She was prominent in church and charitable work, a member of Waterford Grange, and a lady of sweet and wholesome influence. The earthly loss to her husband and children was the bitterest sorrow known to man, as hier wifehood and motherhood were ideal. She also left a mother, two sisters and a brother, who had the comfort of those even nearer to her-that she had consecrated her life to high duties and lofty ideals.

WILLIAM H. CRABB. A native of England and possessed of the substantial traits of his countrymen, William H. Crabb is a prosper- ous farmer and horticulturist of Harbor Creek township, and has been a resident of Erie county for nearly forty years. He was born on the Isle of Jersey, on the 19th of June, 1846, son of John and Ann (Collins) Crabb, both of whom were natives of Cornwall. The father was born October 10, 1811, and the mother, September 25th of the same year, their marriage occurring March 12, 1836. John Crabb was a tailor by trade, and after moving to the Isle of Jersey raised ten children. When William H. was twelve years of age the father emigrated to Canada, locating at Willowdale, eight miles from the city of Toronto. There he remained for a year, working at his trade, when he sent for the other members of his family, who arrived at Toronto, after an ocean voyage of thirty-two days on a sailing vessel, on the 24th of May, 1859. This was quite an undertaking. for a woman with ten children to make the trip across the Atlantic in a sailing vessel of those davs. But the Crabb family arrived in good health and found the father so happy and busy at his work that he could not promise to make a suit of clothes in less than four weeks. It will be remem- bered that there were no sewing machines at that period. William H. and his elder brother assisted their father at his trade and within the following four years two more children were born into the family,

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making eight girls and four boys altogether. The head of this grow- ing household decided that the family prospects would be brighter on a farm than in a tailor shop, and as the Canadian government was selling timber land at one dollar per acre to actual settlers, he pur- chased two hundred acres in Carden township (one hundred miles north of Toronto), cleared a small tract, built a log house and moved everybody and everything to the new homestead.

When William II. Crabb thus settled in the Canadian forest he was a sturdy youth of seventeen, and has a lively recollection of the wolves howling around his rude home, of the fearless deer coming to feed in the little clearing around the cabin, and of the panic caused in the family circle by the foray of a big black bear into the Crabb hog pen. When the family first came into that part of Canada the nearest postoffice was nine miles away. It was twenty miles to the grist mill, and the round trip consumed two days. Lindsey, thirty- five miles distant, was the nearest grain market, and it took three days to go there, dispose of the grain raised on the home farm, do the necessary trading and reach home again. Those who have ever traveled over corduroy roads through cedar swamps will understand why these trips were unusually slow, when it is known that the family wagon was obliged to bump over a number of miles of these thorough- fares. While the first year's grain was being threshed the father met with a serious accident which made his right arm useless for some time. As the machine was run by eight or ten horses, a neighbor had combined his animals with those owned by Mr. Crabb and also sent over his boy to assist in the threshing. The youth was driving the horses, the grain had all been threshed and Mr. Crabb was sweeping the loose grain around the cylinder with a handful of straw, when the youth jumped from the platform to unhitch the team. His foot slipped between the cog wheels, the sole and heel were ripped from his boot, he gave a sharp cry and Mr. Crabb turned around to see what was the trouble. As he did so the cylinder caught the leather glove on his right hand and drew in his arm up to the elbow, crushing and wrenching it so badly that it was useless for an entire year. As William was the oldest son at home now, the heaviest burden fell upon him, and as the family was in rather poor circumstances, after the year's crop was in the ground, he started out to find work.

This was rather an unfavorable period in which to seek one's fortune in Canada, since the country was full of refugees from the States who had crossed the line to escape service in the Civil war, many of them even wearing their uniforms. After tramping through the country for some ninety miles the young man found work at nine dollars a month, which sum was increased to ten dollars the following year. He then returned home to reside upon the Canadian farm for seven years, during which time he cleared about forty acres of solid timber, and, as there was no sale for logs in those days, he burned them on the ground. Naturally, he tired of this unprofitable labor, and while on a visit to two of his brothers-in-law at Green- field, Pennsylvania, who were both running saw mills, he obtained work from one of the proprietors, Adolphus Prindle, his duties being 1869 he induced his father and family to move to Greenfield, all mak- chiefly the driving of oxen. Returning to his home in the fall of ing the journey by rail with the exception of William H., who drove

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the family horses from Canada to their Pennsylvania destination. Nine days were occupied in the trip, which was made partly by sleigh and partly by wagon, both vehicles being taken for emergen- cies. The sleighing proved good until within a mile of Hamilton, and after staying there over night Mr. Crabb put his wagon together and resumed his journey by this means. At this point he had made one hundred and fifty miles of the three hundred, and the balance of the journey proved smooth wheeling, Greenfield being reached about a week after the arrival of the other members of the family. The parents finally located in Erie, where they both died.

Mr. Crabb, of this sketch, first rented a farm in Greenfield, resid- ing with his brother-in-law from 1820 until January 1, 1821, when he married Miss Sarah Miranda Pierce, daughter of Jonathan and Philanda (Wright) Pierce, both natives of Erie county. Mrs. Crabb was herself born in Harbor Creek township in 1852. They lived on rented farms for about four years, when they purchased a homestead in Greenfield, residing on that for some six years and then buying the farm in Harbor Creek township, of which he is still the proprietor. Mr. Crabb has since been engaged in general farming and the raising of fruit, and now holds about fifty acres of the original sixty. He has not only succeeded in placing himself in comfortable circum- stances, but has been honored by election to various local offices, having already served as school director for three years and as road commissioner for six years. In religion he is a Presbyterian. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. William H. Crabb, as follows : William H., who married the daughter of Jehu Mead and resides in Harbor Creek township; Anna, now Mrs. E. E. Cochran, residing in Greenfield township: John, who married the daughter of Buel G. Thornton and lives in the same township; and Walter, who is at home.

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A twentieth century history of Erie County, Pennsylvania : a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, and its principal interests, Volume II, Part 45

Author: Miller, John, 1849- Publication date: 1909 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 910

Author: Miller, John, 1849-
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 910