USA > Pennsylvania > Cumberland County > Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of the Nineteenth Congressional District, Pennsylvania > Part 54
USA > Pennsylvania > Adams County > Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of the Nineteenth Congressional District, Pennsylvania > Part 54
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BIOGRAPHICAL AND PORTRAIT CYCLOPEDIA.
paign of 1864. He was then appointed a war postmaster and served at the "drafted rendezvous" at Gallop's Island, off the Massachusetts coast, at Hartford, Conn., and at New Haven, Conn. Upon his re- tirement from the Government service he located at Gettysburg, Penna., and has lived there ever since, farming and com- pounding patent medicines. In politics he is a Democrat and has held township offices. In religion he, as also his wife, is a member of the German Baptist Brethern (Dunkard) faith.
On September 17th, 1865, he married Sarah, a daughter of Henry and Margaret (Cocley) Utz, and to that union have been born thirteen children: Harry G., Marion F., Jr., J. Lawrence, Charles A., Maud B., Emory C., Ada A., Annie M., Maurice E., Samuel U., Effie G., Amos E. and Meader.
J. Lawrence Williams, the subject of this sketch, was graduated from the Gettysburg High School, and after receiving private lessons, took an academic course in Penn- sylvania College, Gettysburg. Having chosen law as his profession he began read- ing under J. A. Kitzmiller, Esq., a well- known Gettysburg attorney, and after fin- ishing his legal studies as required was ad- mitted to the bar of Adams county April 12, 1892. Mr. Williams has already won for himself a prominent place at the bar and in Adams county politics. He is a member of the Democratic party, and is serving liis second year as secretary of the Democratic county committee. He is president of the Magnolia-social-club at Gettysburg. Not the least valuable of Mr. Williams' experiences was his connec- tion for two years as assistant editor of the Gettysburg Compiler, a leading Demo- cratic weekly of the Nineteenth Congres- sional District.
In religion Mr. Williams is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
H T ON. STEPHEN G. BOYD, promi- nent in York county as an educa- tor, jouralist and lawyer, well-known in the State as a legislator and now an ac- cepted authority on Indian local names, is the gentleman, whose name heads this sketch.
He is probably best known as the origi- nal projector and one of the most active promoters of the York Southern railroad. Stephen G. Boyd is a son of John C. and Martha (Farmer) Boyd, and was born in Peach Bottom township, York county, Pa., December 6, 1830. The Boyds are of Scotch-Irish origin and the Pennsylvania branch of the family was founded by Sam- uel Boyd, who married Margaret Campbell in county Antrim, Ireland, and in 1736, settled at Chestnut Level, in Lancaster county, where he followed farming. He reared a large family and one of his sons, Samuel, Jr., served in the Revolutionary war, while another son, John, who was born in Ireland, wedded Alice Cooper, by whom he had several sons and daughters. He spent his life as a Lancaster farmer. His son, 'Squire John Boyd, was a justice of the peace for many years in Peach Bot- tom district, York county, and died Oc- tober 23rd, 1831. He married Nancy Sample, daughter of Cunningham Sample, of Welsh origin and a wealthy farmer of Peach Bottom township, York county, and reared a family of two sons and five daughters. The sons were Stephen, who died in 1854, and John C., who was born May 10, 1798, in Peach Bottom township, where he lived the life of a farmer and died in 1873. John C. Boyd wedded Martha Farmer, who passed away October 14, 1882. She was a daughter of Richard Farmer, a native of Shropshire, England, and a thrifty farmer of Harford county, Maryland. Mr. and Mrs. Boyd had several children, among them Stephen G., George, William, a law-
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J. G. Road
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NINETEENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
yer, who died, in 1873; Nathaniel W., an inventor; John C., George W., and Jane.
Stephen G. Boyd, the subject of our sketch was born in Peach Bottom town- ship, on the sixth day of December, 1830, and was reared on his father's farm, re- ceived his education in the common schools, a York private school, Bryansville and Whitehall academies, and the Millers- ville State Normal school, which latter was, at that time, under the charge of Hon. James Pyle Wickersham. At 22 years of age he commenced teaching, which he fol- loived for fourteen years, being employed first in the common schools and afterward as principal of the Wrightsville, Pa., schools, and as associate principal, with Professor S. B. Heiges, of a Summer Nor- mal school, at York, Pa. In 1866, Mr. Boyd was elected by the Democrats to rep- resent York county in the legislature, and in the session of 1867 took an active part in the educational legislation of the State. He framed and secured the passage of the bill incorporating the York and Chance- ford Turnpike Company, of which he served as a director for several years. He also sat in the legislature of 1868, and framed and secured the passage of the bill incor- porating the Peach Bottom, now York Southern Railroad Company, whose or- ganization he assisted in bringing about in 1871. He served as president of this road from its organization until 1877, when he went to Maryland and helped to organize the company which built the present railroad from Delta, York county, to Baltimore, and remained with that company until it went into the hands of a receiver in the autumn of 1884, serving in the capacity of general superintendent and general freight and ticket agent. Return- ing home he devoted his time to literary and educational work at York, where he published his work entitled "Indian Local
Names," which is the largest collection of Indian local names and their signification that has yet been given to the public. Two years later he purchased an interest in the York Gazette, which he edited until 1890, when he disposed of his interest to take up the study of law which he prosecuted suc- cessfully. He was admitted to the York county bar in February, 1893, and has practiced actively ever since.
On December 11th, 1856, Mr. Boyd married Rebecca M. Powers, who was a daughter of Robert Powers, of Lancaster city, and died May 16, 1876, leaving three children: Guy H., of the firm of Dale, Hart & Company; Stephen, of Pittsburg; and Jennie A., a teacher. For his second wife Mr. Boyd on July 28, 1880, wedded Mrs. Ozella L. Hodnett, of Baltimore, Maryland, a daughter of Alfred T. Pettit.
In politics Mr. Boyd has uniformly been a Democrat, but gives most of his time to his professional labors and to other allied projects. During the period of his struggle to secure the construction of the York Southern Railroad he was elected county superintendent and served in that capacity from 1869 to 1872. His admin- istration was marked for the beneficial re- sults accruing to an intelligent and judi- cious superintendency. During his in- cumbency Manheim township, in York county, accepted the free school system, the city schools of York were reorganized and their courses of study expanded and a general institute system adopted through- out York county. Mr. Boyd is a mem- ber of no church, but holds to the teach- ings and general freedom of Unitarianism. Active, energetic and useful, he fittingly represents the great race from which he sprung. He possesses unusual vigor, both physical and mental, and is noted for his capacity to dispatch professional or other business. A writer who is well qualified
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BIOGRAPHICAL AND PORTRAIT CYCLOPEDIA.
to speak says: "The citizens of York county give to Mr. Boyd the credit of being the originator of this enterprise (speaking of the York Southern Railroad), and they feel that for the good work he accom- plished by which the older generation re- ceived untold benefit, and the younger will have greater opportunities afforded them, lie will live in the hearts of a grateful peo- ple as long as they survive."
C HARLES I. NES, a prominent busi- ness man of York, is a descendant of one of the original and most influential families of York county and is of German extraction. The family located in York county in pre-Revolutionary times, when twin brothers emigrated from Germany and came to this country, the one settling in Vork and the other in the southern end of the county. From the former of these brothers Dr. Henry Nes, the grandfather of our subject, descended. The doctor was a native of York, where he was born in 1799. His parents gave him a liberal education in the best schools of the day; and having decided to enter professional life, he studied medicine at Jefferson Med- ical College, Philadelphia, graduated from that institution and began to practice in York. His tastes and talents were, how- ever, for politics, and he gave as much of his time as he could spare from the active prosecution of his profession, to the pur- suit of public and party affairs. In this way he became one of the most prominent citizens and political leaders of Southern Pennsylvania. The Congressional dis- trict of which York county was then a part was strongly Democratic; but despite this circumstance, Dr. Nes became an aspirant for the scat to which it was entitled in the National House of Representatives, and, as an independent, defeated Dr. Alexander Small, his Democratic opponent, by over
six hundred votes. He served in the 28th
Congress from December 4th, 1843, to
March 3, 1845. He was elected to the Thirtieth Congress as a Whig, and was re- clected to the 31st Congress by a slightly increased majority, defeating J. B. Danner, the Democratic candidate. Dr. Nes served in these Congresses from December 6, 1847, to December 10, 1850, when he died in York. He was a personal friend and great admirer of Thaddeus Stevens, Daniel Webster and John Q. Adams. He was a member of the House of Representatives when the latter received a stroke of apo- plexy and fell from his chair; and was one of his attendant physicians in the illness which led up to his death. The doctor was a man of remarkable popularity and at - tractive personality, to both of which attri- butes he owed in a great measure his elec- tions to Congress. He enjoyed the dis- tinction of being the only Whig who ever represented this district at Washington. Ilis wife was Elizabeth, a daughter of Ben- jamin Weiser, and was born January 19, 1806; died April 29, 1845. They had two sons and three daughters: Chas. M., Ara- bella, Frederick F., Margaret and Ada E.
Frederick F. Nes, the father of our sub- ject, was born in York on October 23, 1832, and died there July 2, 1879. He was educated at the York County Acad- emy and at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. After resigning from the latter institution, he was assigned to the United States coast survey, attaining the rank of captain in the navy, and was connected with that bureau all his life. At the breaking out of the war, he was the second officer in the Uni- ted States civil service to volunteer his ser- vices to the Government for military duty and was assigned to the command of a blockading vessel. Before he could as- sume command, however, sickness inter-
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Henry N. Fregley
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NINETEENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
vened and prevented him from serving as he had volunteered. He was then assigned to the United States Secret service and was stationed at Key West, Florida. He mar- ried Agnes, a daughter of Thomas Fulton, a native of Ireland who had settled in Bal- timore in the early part of the 19th cen- tury and had built and successfully con- ducted the cotton works at Phoenix, Mount Washington and Baltimore. To that union were born nine children, six of whom died in infancy and one in maturer years. Those living are our subject and his sister Agnes Fulton, wife of Robert F. Irvine, of Zanesville, Ohio.
Charles I. Nes was born at York, Jan- uary 25, 1863. He received his educa- tion at the York Collegiate Institute, being one of the first students to enter this insti- tution at its opening, from which he grad- uated at the age of sixteen, in the class of '79. Having very practical ideas, he learned the carpenter trade and then taught for a time, though not with the intention of fol- lowing either of those callings perma- nently. He served one season in the United States coast and geodetic survey doing primary triangulation in New York State. In 1882 he became bookkeeper and cashier with the Billmyer & Small lumber com- pany and continued in the service of that firm for three years. He then clerked in the York National Bank for a year, af- ter which he connected himself with John C. Schmidt, under the firm name of John C. Schmidt & Company, and engaged in the manufacture of chains. The business was continued for three years, Mr. Nes serving as managing member of the firm. At the end of that time the partnership was dissolved and each member of the firm established a manufacturing plant of his own. Mr. Nes associated with him- self his brother, David S., who had been an ensign in the United States navy, but who
retired on account of ill health and died August 14, 1893, in New Mexico. The business is conducted under the limited title of Nes Chain Manufacturing com- pany. Mr. Nes is a director in the Se- curity Title and Trust company ; vice pres- ident of the Central Market company; vice president of the York Milling company, and a director of the York Southern Rail- way. He is past master of York Lodge, No. 266, Free and Accepted Masons; High Friest of Howell Chapter, No. 199, Royal Arch Masons, and Generalissimo in Geth- semane Commandery, No. 75, Knights Templar.
June 6, 1893, he married Lucy D., a daughter of J. A. Brown, D. D., LL. D., deceased, late president of Gettysburg Theological Seminary. They have one child, Mary E.
R EV. HENRY N. FEGLEY, of Me- chanicsburg, Pennsylvania, is the son of Stephen and Levina (Neidig) Feg- ley, and was born near Boyertown, Berks county, Pennsylvania, on November 18th, 1848.
The family is an old one in Berks county, his great-grandfather, a German, having located in that county in its early history. He was an agriculturalist and a devout member of the Lutheran Church. Peter Fegley, grandfather of Rev. Henry, was likewise a native of Berks county, a farmer by occupation and a consistent member of the Lutheran Church. Stephen Fegley, father of our subject, like his pred- ecessors, was also a native and farmer of the same county and a member of the same church. He died September Ist, 1885, where he had lived a number of years, in Montgomery county, aged sixty-two years. He was twice married, his first wife being Levina Neidig, daughter of Conrad Nei- dig, of Montgomery county. By her he
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BIOGRAPHICAL AND PORTRAIT CYCLOPEDIA.
had three children, the subject and Mes- dames Sarah Ackerman and Catharine Moyer. His second wife was Mrs. Leah Umstead.
The subject of this sketch was reared on the farm until he was nineteen years of age. He received his primary education in the public schools and then attended Frederick Institute and Boyertown Acad- emy. In 1866 he entered the University of Pennsylvania, at Philadelphia, from which he was graduated in 1869, with the degree of A. B. He then entered the Lutheran Theological Seminary, of Phil- adelphia, now Mount Airy Theological Seminary, from which he graduated in 1872, receiving also the degree of A. M., September 2nd, in the same year, from his alma mater, the University of Pennsyl- vania.
Immediately upon his ordination to the holy office of the ministry in the Lutheran Church, by the Ministerium of Pennsyl- vania, he moved to Mechanicsburg and became pastor of St. Mark's and St. John's parish. He filled this position until 1896, when he ceased to serve St. John's charge and retained St. Mark's, which was but one year old when he first took charge twenty-five years ago, in June, 1872. He had received the call six months before he had completed his theological education. In 1892 he was called to the chair of mental and moral science at Irving Female Col- lege, in Mechanicsburg. In 1894 he also became professor of German in the same institution. He has for the last sixteen vears been a regular contributor to The Helper, of the Lutheran Church, a Sun- day school teachers' journal, which he had to relinquish on account of his labors in connection with the college.
On April 13, 1885, he married Belinda Cecilia Reichard, of Allentown, Pennsyl- vania, by whom he has two children:
Charles Krauth and Edith Elizabeth, both of whom are now pursuing classical courses of study, one at Muhlenberg Col- lege, Allentown, Pa., and the other at Irv- ing Female College, to fit them for some of the learned professions.
In May, 1897, he celebrated, in St. Mark's church, Mechanicsburg, the double silver jubilee of his ordination to the gos- pel ministry, and of his pastorate in St. Mark's.
W TILLIAM S. BOND, secretary and treasurer of the Weaver Organ & Piano Company, of York, Pennsylvania, was born in York, May 9, 1863, the son of William H. and Elizabeth (Slagle) Bond, both natives of York county. On his father's side Mr. Bond is of Scotch and Welsh, and on his mother's side, of Ger- man, ancestry.
William H. Bond, in his younger days was a popular and highly esteemed teacher in the rural public schools nearby York, and after teaching for several years opened a general merchandise store in Bottstown, which is now a part of the city of York. The store is still in existence, though its owner, Mr. Bond, has passed from life, and it is now kept by one of his sons, Frank Bond. Here Mr. Bond resided for many years and his store became a popular place among the farmers from the section north- west and west of York who came to town to attend the markets and at the same time lay in a store of household supplies. They made it a distributing place for their mail, frequently met there to transact bus- iness and in the winter evenings it became the forum where the local philosophers met for an interchange of views and the discussion of the topics of the day. Mr. Bond, the proprietor, was one of those rare kindly, genial and unostentatious men, who have almost become extinct in these
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NINETEENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
fin de siecle days of business. For many years he served as superintendent of the Union Lutheran Sunday school and as deacon and elder in the congregation. He was also leader of the church choir and manifested an active interest in everything that pertained to religion, especially if it affected his own particular faith and church. In politics Mr. Bond was a Re- publican, but he never flaunted his opin- ions in the face of others and in this as in all other relations of life he was of a quiet, peaceful nature. In 1855 he married Eliza- beth, a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Lichty) Slagle, of West Manchester town- ship, by whom he had seven children: Emma J., became the wife of Charles Len- hart, D. V. S., of Dover, York county. Allen became a member of Bender, Bond & Com- pany, one of the leading grain, flour and feed firms in the city and after a successful career of several years in this business his useful and Christian life was cut short by death, at the age of thirty years. He was a young man of noble and generous quali- ties of heart and mind and his memory is revered by all who knew him. Charles died in infancy. 3 Frank clerked in his father's store until the time of the latter's death, when the business was transferred to him and he is conducting it at the pres- ent time. Luther is a machinist in the employ of the York Manufacturing Com- pany. Bertha E., is the wife of John Rosenfield, of York.
William S. Bond attended the common schools of Bottstown, where he obtained his preliminary education, and then entered the National Normal University, at Leb- anon, Ohio, where he took a business course and graduated in 1882. Prior to this he had taught school two terms in York county, and after returning from the college, at Lebanon, he taught another year in the Bottstown school. After qual-
ifying himself for business pursuits he be- came bookkeeper for the York Daily Pub- lishing Company, and remained in the em- ploy of that newspaper for two years. In partnership with J. Wesley Link, Mr. Bond then went into the piano, organ and music business, under the firm name of Link & Bond. The business was conducted four years, when Mr. Link's death occurred, in 1889, and for two years subsequent Mr. Bond continued the business alone. About that time he became interested in the Weaver Organ & Piano Company and was made treasurer of the corporation. After holding that office for five years he be- came, in addition, the company's secretary and has held both positions up to the pres- ent time. In his official capacity Mr. Bond has done much to develop the com- pany's interest and to-day there is prob- ably not another establishment in York whose goods enjoy a wider geographical distribution than those of the Weaver Or- gan & Piano Company. About 100 men are employed in the factory and from 2500 to 3000 instruments are produced annually. The company has a large export trade to Europe, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.
Mr. Bond is a member of the Union Lutheran Church, where for fifteen years, he has been organist and musical director and a leading member of the congregation and Sunday school. He takes an active in- terest in religious affairs and for many ycars has been connected with the Young Men's Christian Association and its work. This organization has repeatedly re- quired his services on its board of directors and as its treasurer. Mr. Bond is also a member of the Weaver Organ & Piano Company Beneficial Society, an or- ganization maintained among the working nien both for fraternal and beneficial pur- poses. In politics he is a Repub-
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BIOGRAPHICAL AND PORTRAIT CYCLOPEDIA.
lican, but exercises his right of opinion and suffrage so as to respect the convic- tions of others. Personally he is modest, unassuming and agreeable. His mind re- flects intelligence and his heart is a store house of domestic, moral and Christian virtues.
In 1888 Mr. Bond married Sally S., a daughter of Franklin and Mary (Smyser) Loucks, of York. Four children have been born to that union: Walter L., Urban S., Mary J. and Annie E.
J. ELMER MUSSELMAN, a well- known young banker of Gettysburg,
was born at Fairfield, Adams county, March 28, 1882, the son of Adam C. and Lucinda (Nunnemaker) Musselman. The Musselman's are of German origin.
John Musselman, the paternal grand- father of our subject, was born near Fair- field, Adams county, and received a com- mon school education in the public schools of his neighborhood. During the greater part of his life he was a farmer. Being a man of intelligence with a taste for politics he became prominent in public affairs and as a Whig was elected a member of the State Legislature from Adams county. In religion he was a member of the Lutheran church, an active Christian and a man of good works. He married Susan M., a daughter of Adam Myers, by whom he had two sons and six daughters: Adam C., Amos S., Susan, who married M. P. Shields; Mary E., who married James E. McCreary; Laura, who married E. M. Yount; Alice, who married A. S. Sudler; Fannie, deceased, wife of Rev. S. E. Smith, and Amanda, wife of Wilson McCleary, both deceased.
Adam C. Musselman was born at Fair- field, Adams county, received his educa- tion in the common schools of his native township and then attended Pennsylvania
College for a short time. After complet- ing his education he engaged in farming for a short time in Hamilton ban township and later became a merchant at Fairfield. In politics he was a Republican and as such was elected for five consecutive terms as justice of the peace of Hamiltonban township. He was a firm follower of Martin Luther and as a member of the Fairfield Lutheran church took an active part in religious work and held various church offices. He was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, first of the Gettysburg lodge, and later by transfer to the lodge at Fairfield.
In 1859 he married Lucinda, a daughter of John and Rebecca Nunnemaker, by whom he had eleven children, only five of whom are living: J. Elmer, Howard A., Carry L., Morris M. and Alice. The others died in infancy. Mr. Musselman lived until December 9, 1892; his wife is still living at Gettysburg.
J. Elmer Musselman obtained an ordi- nary English education in the public schools of Fairfield, Pa., and then entered Pennsylvania College, at Gettysburg, where he graduated in the class of '83. On the 21st of March, 1884, he entered the First National Bank of Gettysburg as a messenger, from which position he was promoted to that of teller and has been connected with the institution in that ca- pacity ever since. In politics he is a Re- publican. He was elected treasurer of the Gettysburg school board in 1889, and held the same office until 1897. He was ap- pointed treasurer of the Adams County Mutual Fire Insurance Company in 1896. Although yet a young man, Mr. Mussel- man is numbered with the leading citizens of Gettysburg. He is a man of energy and has worked his way up step by step in the confidence and esteem of the com- munity, so that to-day he is looked upon
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