USA > Pennsylvania > Blair County > Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Blair County, Pennsylvania > Part 24
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On March 9, 1881, Mr. Montgomery was wedded to Fannie H. Hickman, and to this union have been born two children, a daughter named Mary Oswald, and a son called Charles Berwind. In politics Mr. Montgomery is a republican, giving his party a hearty support on general ques- tions, but inclined toward independent ac- tion on local issues. In religious belief he is an Episcopalian, as were most of his family. He is a man of clear perceptions,
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original ideas, and great breadth of view. He has introduced many original and prac- tical methods into the management of his department, and is widely known in rail- road circles throughout the Keystone State.
JOHN J. WILMORE, one of the older residents and business men of Tyrone, and proprietor of the Tyrone carriage and wagon works, is a son of James and Cath- erine (Helsel) Wilmore, and was born near Wilmore Station, Cambria county, Penn- sylvania, October 8, 1825. The old and well-known Wilmore family of central Pennsylvania was founded during the first decade of the present century by Godfrey Wilmore, the paternal. grandfather of the gentleman whose name appears at the head of this sketch. He was born in or near the city of Cumberland, in western Mary- land, and removed in 1805 to Cambria country, where he died in 1816. He was a farmer by occupation, and became a pioneer settler near the site of Wilmore Station, on the present Pennsylvania rail- road, which was named in honor of him. He was a Catholic in religious faith, and an old-line whig in political opinion, and mar- ried Mary Higgins, by whom he had three sons and three daughters. His son, James Wilmore (father), was born in Cumberland, Maryland, in 1795, resided near Wilmore Station from 1805 to 1872, and then went to Pittsburg, where he died September 15, 1873. He was a Catholic, and a democrat, although formerly a whig. He was a farmer by occupation, and in 1822 married Catherine Helsel, who was born in 1796, and died in 1871. Mr. and Mrs. Wilmore had six children, two sons and four daugh- ters.
John J. Wilmore received his education in the schools of his neighborhood, and being a natural mechanic, took up wagon making and afterwards carriage building, both of which trades he mastered with but little assistance or instruction. He worked in Cambria county until 1862, when he came to Sinking valley, where he remained two years. He then came to Tyrone, where he has followed carriage building and wagon making ever since, and is now operating the Tyrone carriage and wagon works, which is located on South Logan street. The main building is a two-story structure, 40x60 feet in dimensions, to which is at- tached a blacksmith shop, 25x36 feet. The plant is thoroughly equipped with all the necessary machinery, and Mr. Wilmore personally superintends all of the work from the construction of the finest carriage down to the operations of the repairing department. He selects his material with the greatest of care, and is rapidly building up a large trade for his useful wagons and excellent carriages.
October 23, 1864, Mr. Wilmore married Elizabeth Daugherty, of Sinking valley, and to their union have been born six chil- dren, of whom Catherine is the wife of Robert Chaplain, a farmer; Ellen, wife of Robert Bell, a coach painter of Hollidays- burg; Mary E., Joseph, and Francis.
In politics John J. Wilmore is a demo- crat of the Jeffersonian type. He is one of the substantial citizens of his borough, and an influential member and active worker of St. Matthew's Catholic church of Tyrone.
JOHN O'NEIL, a wholesale and retail stationer of Altoona, a director in the Fidelity bank, and manager of the Moun-
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tain City Electric Light Company, is the eldest son of James and Anna ( Fullerton) ()'Neil, and was born February 12, 1839, at Bellefonte, Centre county, Pennsylvania. The ancestors of Mr. O'Neil were natives of Ireland for unknown generations, and there James O'Neil ( father) was born, in County Down, about 1813. After attaining man- hood he emigrated to America and settled in Centre county, Pennsylvania, where he resided until 1840, when he removed to Hollidaysburg, this county, and lived here until his accidental death, in 1850, while running a train on the old Portage railroad. In politics he was a democrat, and in re- ligion a Roman Catholic. He married Anna Fullerton, a native of Donegal, Ire- land, by whom he had a family of seven children, four sons and three daughters : John, the subject of this sketch; James, de- ceased; Daniel, who served as a soldier in the civil war, and is now engaged in mining and stock-raising at Como, Colorado; Ar- thur Hill, engaged in the wholesale tobacco and cigar business at Livingstone, Montana ; Frances Cecelia, married Anthony Book- berger, a contract teamster of the city of Altoona; Sarah J., who was a sister of mercy at Pittsburg, but is now deceased; and one who died in infancy.
John O'Neil was reared in Blair county, and received his education principally in the common schools of Hollidaysburg, this county. He remained in that city until 1862, when he enlisted in Co. I, 137th Penn- sylvania infantry. He served as corporal of that company for about ten months, and then re-enlisted in Co. B, 192d infantry, as sergeant, and served until the close of the war, being mustered out of the service at Harper's Ferry, Virginia, in September, 1865. In 1866 he removed to Altoona and
embarked in the hotel business, which he successfully conducted until 1872, when he engaged in the wholesale and retail station- ery trade. By good business management, energy, and enterprise, he has succeeded in making this venture a paying one, and now controls a good business. He is also a director in the Fidelity bank of Altoona, being one of the charter members of that organization. He is likewise manager and director of the Mountain City Electric Light Company, and served one year as its presi- dent, and occupied the position of president of the Altoona Natural Gas Company, dem- onstrating in the management of these various enterprises the possession of a high order of business and executive ability.
On May 15, 1864, Mr. O'Neil was united by marriage with Mary Jane MeCafferty, a daughter of Alexander McCafferty, of Blair county. To Mr. and Mrs. O'Neil was born a family of four children : James, who died in youth; Annie, living at home; John A., assisting his father in business; and one that died in infancy.
In politics Mr. O'Neil follows the exam- ple of his father, and is an ardent member of the Democratic party, giving it a hearty support on National and State questions, but inclined to independence in local affairs. Ile is a member of the Roman Catholic church, and has been connected with that church all his life.
CAPT. JAMES S. SHOLLAR, a con- tractor and builder of Williamsburg, who served in the army of the Potomac throughout the late civil war, and during a part of that time commanded Co. B, 208th Pennsylvania infantry, is a son of Jacob N. and Judith (White) Shollar, and was born
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at Etna Furnace, Blair county, Pennsyl- vania, April 11, 1842. His paternal grand- father Shollar was a native of Prussia, and settled in Lancaster county, where he died; while his maternal grandfather White was born in Wales, and became a resident of Huntingdon county, where he died. Jacob N. Shollar, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born at Manheim, Lancaster county, in 1804, and learned the trade of gunsmith, which he followed to some extent during his life, but gave the most of his time to farming and stock raising. In early life he removed to Huntingdon, now Blair county, where he died at Franklin Forge, August 26, 1853, when in the forty- ninth year of his age. He was a democrat in politics and a Lutheran mn religious be- lief. He married Judith White, of Hunt- ingdon county, who was a member of the Evangelical Lutheran church, and died Feb- ruary 8, 1882, at seventy-six years of age. To their union were born eight children, five sons and three daughters, of whom two sons and one daughter are still living : Mrs. Andrew Bice, of Frankstown; Martin V., of Williamsburg, and James S.
James S. Shollar was reared at Williams- burg, received his education in the common schools, and worked on the canal until he was old enough to enter a carpenter shop. Before he had completed the trade of car- penter the late war came, and he left the bench for the tented field. He enlisted as a private on April 20, 1861, in Co. C, 3d Pennsylvania infantry, and at the end of his three months' term of service enlisted for nine months in Co. B, 125th Pennsylvania infantry. After the close of his second en- listment he organized Co. B, 208th Penn- sylvania infantry, was commissioned as its captain, and served as such from September
8, 1864, to June 1, 1865, when the regi- ment was mustered out of the service at Alexandria, Virginia. Captain Shollar was in the battles of Antietam and Chancellors- ville, and led his company at Fort Stead- man, capturing more prisoners than he had men in the fight, two and one-fourth to one. IIe commanded the left wing of his regi- ment at the capture of Petersburg, and was in command of the skirmish line on the morning of April 3, 1865, and as such was the first officer to enter the captured city, driving the last of the enemy across the Appomattox, saving the bridge which they attempted to destroy. The company en- tered the service one hundred and one strong, and was mustered out with but sixty-five men. His regiment was in the 3d division, 9th army corps, commanded by Gen. John F. Hartranft. After the close of the war Captain Shollar returned to Wil- liamsburg, where he has been engaged in contracting and building ever since.
On December 27, 1863, he married Isa- bella, daughter of Samuel F. and Ann Cooper, of Williamsburg. Captain and Mrs. Shollar have six children : Guy M., railroad agent at Duncansville; Juniata, wife of Aaron Snyder, of Williamsburg; Archibald and Charles, twins, of whom the former wedded Lucy Brantner; Frederick J .; and Bessie N.
In politics Captain Shollar is a republi- can. He is a member of R. N. Johnson Post, No. 474, Grand Army of the Repub- lic, and has been prominent for over a quar- ter of a century as one of the useful citizens and leading business men of Williamsburg. He does a large and very successful con- tracting business, has erected nine churches within the last decade, and has built dwell- ing houses from the summit of the Alle-
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ghenies as far westward as Greensburg, Westmoreland county, and Connellsville, Fayette county ; and eastward to Mifflin- town, this State.
THOMAS BUSHMAN, senior partner in the planing mill firm of Bushman & Co., and a well known contractor and builder of Altoona, who served with dis- tinction during the late civil war, is a son of William and Apalonia (Sanders ) Bush- man, and was born near Fairfield, Adams county, Pennsylvania, July 5, 1840. The Bushmans are descended from an ancestry that came from Germany at an early day and settled in Pennsylvania. Henry Bush- man (grandfather) was born in Adams county about 1800, and died in that county at an advanced age. He grew to manhood among the early settlers of that section, becoming familiar with the hardships and privations incident to residence in a new country. He was a farmer by occupation, and passed a long and toilsome life in efforts to redeem his land from its natural state, and improve and cultivate his fertile fields. He married and reared a large fam- ily, among them being a son named Wil- liam Bushman (father), who was also a native of Adams county, where he died March 10, 1892, in the seventy-sixth year of his age. He was a laborer by occupa- tion, a stanch republican in politics, and a regular attendant and supporter of the Dunkard church. He married Apalonia Sanders, and to their union was born a family of eight children, the eldest of whom was Thomas, the subject of this sketch. Mrs. Bushman ( mother ) was born in Adams county in 1816, and died at her home there in 1891, after a life spanning three-quarters
of a century. Her mother, the maternal grandmother of Thomas Bushman, is still living at Fairfield, Adams county, and now lacks only six years of rounding out a full century. The Sanders family is also among those early settled in the county of Adams, and are well known in that part of Penn- sylvania.
Thomas Bushman passed his boyhood in Adams county, this State; attended the public schools of his neighborhood, receiv- ing a good practical education, and after leaving school learned the trade of carpen- ter. When the great civil war began he had just reached his majority, and moved by that spirit of patriotism which created vast armies almost in a day, he enlisted early in 1861 in Co. K, 101st Pennsylvania infantry, and served until Lee's surrender at Appomattox dispelled the last vestige of that dream of a new empire which, had haunted the southern mind for the space of two generations. He was made a prisoner of war at Plymouth, North Carolina, and for eleven months suffered all the priva- tions and horrors that rendered the Confed- erate prison pens a reproach to civilization. He was confined successively at Anderson- ville, Georgia; Florence, South Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina; but was finally exchanged, and, with his regiment, mus- tered out of service at Harrisburg, this State, on the 5th of June, 1865. He en- tered the service as first duty sergeant, was promoted to be orderly sergeant, and later was made adjutant of the regiment. When the war was ended, however, and there was no longer a question as to whether one flag or two should kiss the northern breezes as they swept toward the gulf, Mr. Bushman returned to his home in the old Keystone State and applied himself to the useful occu-
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pation in which he was engaged when the bugle blast first summoned him to the tented field. For a time he worked as a carpenter, but soon began business as a con- tractor and builder at Arendtsville, Adams county, where he remained until 1873, when he removed to Altoona and became fore- man in the planing mill of William Stoke. In this position he served for a period of six years, when he formed a partnership with Mr. Noffsker, under the style of Bush- man, Noffsker & Co., and began operating a planing mill, contracting and building on his own account. This firm soon became prosperous and did a large business, which was continued until 1891, when Mr. Noff- sker withdrew, and the firm name was changed to Bushman & Co. Mr. Bushman has always been the leading spirit in this enterprise, and the business is now quite extensive, giving employment to a large number of men, and controlling, as con- tractors, many of the substantial improve- ments recently made in this city.
On November 27, 1865, Mr. Bushman was united in marriage to Sallie A. Lower, a daughter of Conrad Lower, of Adams county, this State. She is a very pleasant, intelligent lady, and quite popular among her wide circle of friends and acquaintances.
Politically Mr. Bushman is a straight, old-fashioned republican, always giving a prompt and steady support to the principles and policy of his party, but taking no active part in the heated contests usually en- gineered by the politicians. IIe has been elected and served three years as school director, one year of which time he was secretary of the board. He is a member of the First Evangelical Lutheran church of Altoona, in which he is an elder, and also holds membership in Stephen C. Potts Post,
No. 62, Grand Army of the Republic, being one of its past commanders, and of Altoona Lodge, No. 132, Improved Order of Hepta- sophs; also past arkow of this association.
JOHN D. ROSS, M. D., the oldest phy- sician in years of practice in Blair county, and one of the best known and most successful physicians in central Penn- sylvania, and who has well performed the duties and honorably borne the responsi- bilities of good citizenship at Williamsburg for over half a century, is a son of John and Elizabeth (Dean) Ross, and was born at Indiana, Indiana county, Pennsylvania, Sep- tember 2, 1806. His paternal grandfather Ross was of that wonderful Scotch-Irish race from the north of Ireland, whose cour- age and whose rifles won the country from the Alleghenies to the Rocky mountains from the sway of the red lords of the for- est. He settled in what is now Juniata county, where he died. His son, John Ross (father), was born in 1776, learned the trade of carpenter, and removed to Indiana, this State, where he followed con- tracting until his death, which occurred June 8, 1846. He and Major John Huey built the first court house of Indiana county, in 1809. He married Elizabeth Dean, by whom he had nine children, of whom three are still living: Dr. Samuel M. Ross, of Altoona (see his sketch, which appears else- where in this volume); Joseph Ross, of Mahoning county, Ohio; and Dr. John D. Ross.
John D. Ross received his education at Indiana academy, read medicine with the celebrated Dr. James M. Stewart, who was a practicing physician in Indiana county for over half a century. He then attended two
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courses of lectures at the medical depart- ment of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, from which institution he was graduated March 29, 1832. Immediately after graduation he opened an office at Water Street, Huntingdon county, this State, at which place he practiced for six years, and then, in 1838-the year of the great flood in the Juniata valley-he came to Williamsburg as a wider field for the practice of his chosen profession. Ile soon built up an extensive practice, not only at Williamsburg, but for twenty miles or more in every direction from that place. This practice he held for over half a century, and was often called in difficult cases in many other parts of Blair county and in adjoining counties. He has always enjoyed the confidence of his patients, and com- manded the respect of the public by his knowledge and skill as a physician. One, writing of him as a successful, earnest, and enthusiastic physician some years ago, said : "Dr. Ross will continue to fulfill his mission as a healer until nature falters weary by the way and ceases to feel the spur of ambi- tion's call or humanity's appeal."
On May 21, 1849, Dr. Ross married Ilannah, daughter of William and Catha- rine Morrison, of Big Valley, Mifflin county. Dr. and Mrs. Ross have two children: Charles, who is now engaged in farming; and George, a marble dealer of Williams- burg.
In politics Dr. Ross is a republican, and has often yielded to public demand to serve in township offices. He always gave gen- eral satisfaction as a public official, and his borough elected him continuously as audi- tor for twenty years. Dr. Ross has always aimed, and most successfully, too, to keep abreast of the rapid advancement of his
profession. He was one of the founders of the Blair County Medical society, of which he has been repeatedly president, vice- president, and treasurer. In 1850 he be- came a member of the Pennsylvania State Medical society, of which he was first vice president in 1864, and during the succeed- ing year elected president of the same, and from which, in 1876, he was sent as a dele- gate to the National Medical congress, which was held in Philadelphia in Septem- ber of the centennial year. In 1854 he was elected as a member of the American Med- ical association, and some years later be- came a member of the Juniata Valley Med- ical association, which embraces the leading physicians from the mouth of the river to the mountain. In his long years of active and fatiguing practice, in which he has ministered to as high as four generations in many families, he never lost a week of time from his professional labors. Success like his is practical and indisputable testimony of worth, yet his efforts for the good of his fellow men, and the weal and social and moral reputation of his borough and county have given Dr. Ross high place and honor- able standing among the useful and highly respected citizens of Blair county.
M ATTHIAS HOMER, Jr., ticket re- ceiver of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company at Altoona, and who was for sev- eral years a member of the wholesale mer- cantile house of M. Homer & Son, of Phila- delphia, is a son of Matthias and Rebecca (Bowman) Homer, and was born in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 8, 1853. Mr. Homer was born June 19, 1813, in the great manufacturing city of Birmingham, in the northwestern part
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of Warwick county, England. At seven- teen years of age he left Birmingham and came to Philadelphia, where he soon be- came a wholesale dealer in fancy goods and toys. He has prospered in his business, which he has conducted successfully for over half a century, and during all those long years has been known as an honest and fair dealing man. He is a republican in politics, and a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He has been a resident of Merchantville, New Jersey, for many years, although doing business in Philadelphia. He has always taken an ac- tive and useful part in the municipal affairs of Merchantville, of which he was burgess for several years, and of whose town council he is now a member. He is a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity, and stands deservedly high as a citizen and man. He married, on January 1, 1852, Rebecca Bowman, a native of Philadelphia, and a member of the old Swedes Protestant Epis- copal church in Southwark, Philadelphia, who died January 16, 1870, at forty-two years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Homer reared a family of three children, one son and two daughters.
M. Homer, jr., although born in Phila- delphia, was reared at Merchantville, New Jersey, and received his education in the public schools of Merchantville and the graded schools of Philadelphia. Leaving school he engaged in the wholesale fancy goods and toy business with his father, with whom he remained until 1877, when he and his brother-in-law, Jacob L. Tripler, embarked in the beef and pork packing business at Norristown, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania. They followed that line of business until 1881, when, on October 6th of that year, Mr. IIomer became a clerk in the 1
general office of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company in Philadelphia. In a short time he was promoted to the position of ticket receiver at Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he remained sixteen months, and then was appointed to his present position of ticket receiver at Altoona, May 1, 1887.
On June 6, 1886, Mr. Homer was mar- ried, by Friends' ceremony, to Ellen B. Be- dell, daughter of Matilda S. and the late William Bedell, of Norristown, this State. To their union have been born, in Altoona, two children, both sons: Maurice Bedell, and Henry Lippincott.
In politics Mr. Homer is a republican. He is a member of Trinity Lodge, No. 79, Free and Accepted Masons, of Atlantic City, New Jersey, and is a man of good business capacity, as is attested by his sue- cess in his own different business enter- prises, and in the various responsible posi- tions which he has held under the Pennsyl- vania Railroad Company.
JOHN T. CRISWELL, ex-justice of the peace, who has been successfully engaged in the general mercantile business at Bellwood since 1885, and is now a notary public at that place, is a son of Joseph and Bridget (McIntyre) Criswell, and was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, June 16, 1835. His paternal great-grandfather, George Cris- well, was a native of Ireland, and settled, during the latter part of the eighteenth century, in Delaware county, where he passed the last years of his life. His son, Thomas Criswell (grandfather), was born in Delaware, and settled in Chester county, where he died at the ripe old age of ninety- eight years. Of his sons, Joseph Criswell (father) was born in 1809, near Fog Manor
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Presbyterian church, in Fallowfield town- ship, Chester county, where he died in 1841. He was a tailor by trade, an old-line whig in politics, and a Presbyterian in church membership. He married Bridget McIntyre, a daughter of John McIntyre, of Chester county, and to them were born four children, two sons and two daughters: James A., a pattern maker of Philadelphia ; Mary E., wife of Andrew A. Best, of near Philadelphia; John T .; and Lucinda Ann, who married William Kelley, of New Lon- don, Chester county, and died about 1883. Mrs. Criswell, who was born in 1793, sur- vived her husband until July 5, 1879, when she was killed in a windstorm at Mifflin- town, Juniata county.
John T. Criswell spent his boyhood days in his native township, received his educa- tion in the common schools, and learned the trade of wagonmaker, in Lancaster county, with Joseph B. Davis, and cast his first vote for Fremont in 1856. At the end of his four years' apprenticeship, in 1860, he engaged in the wagon making business at McCalisterville, Juniata county, for himself, which he followed until 1861, when he turned his attention to carpentering, and fol- lowed it until September 16, 1861. On that day he enlisted as a private in Co. D, 151st Pennsylvania infantry, and served until August 7, 1863, when he was honorably dis- charged from the Union service. He partici- pated in the battles of Fairfax Courthouse, Second Bull Run, and Gettysburg, where he received two slight flesh wounds. Returning home from the army, he went to the oil regions of western Pennsylvania, where he followed his trade until 1864. Four years previous to quitting work in the oil regions he moved to Bellwood, where, on March 22, 1885, he embarked in his present
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