Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Blair County, Pennsylvania, Part 60

Author: Wiley, Samuel T., editor. cn
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Philadelphia, Gresham
Number of Pages: 1160

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whose home for over a century was in the historie north of Ireland, where he died in 1874, when he was in the eighty-third year of his age. He married and had a family of eight children, of whom one was John White, the father of the subject of this sketch. John White was born in 1828, at Ballamena, County Antrim, Ireland, where he was reared and received his education. At seventeen years of age he left the land of his nativity and the home of his child- hood to seek his fortune in the United States, and settled in the city of Pittsburg, where he was engaged in the general mer- cantile business for nearly thirty years. He was also engaged in various speculations, in which he met with good success. He died in Pittsburg in 1881, when in the fifty-third year of his age, and his remains were interred in that city. He married Fannie Gettis, and to their union were born five children, of whom four are yet living.

Harry J. White grew to manhood in Al- legheny, and received his education in the graded schools of that city and Pittsburg. Leaving school he acted successively as a clerk and a book-keeper for his father, and then opened a general broker's office, which he conducted until 1888, when he and F. P. Bell formed a partnership, under the firm name of H. J. White & Co., and purchased the wholesale grocery and provision store of Kenneweg & Co., at No. 1006 Eleventh avenue, Altoona. Their establishment em- braces two floors and a basement story, 25 x 100 feet in dimensions. It is one of the leading wholesale grocery houses of central Pennsylvania, and its almost phe- nomenal success is largely due to the energy and efforts of Mr. White, who always keeps on hand a large stock of choice and fresh groceries and provisions. Hle carefully

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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

buys in the markets of the leading cities, and imports from the old world everything in the line of staple and fancy groceries that could be possibly desired by the most fastidious housekeeper, while the orchard, the farm, and the dairy are taxed for their best products. The business of the firm has increased so rapidly that they have had to establish a storage warehouse at Eighth and Ninth streets, keep three salesmen on the road, and employ two book-keepers.

In 1891 Mr. White was united in mar- riage with Emma Levan, daughter of John P. Levan, of Altoona.

In politics II. J. White has always been a pronounced republican. He is a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, Franklin Lodge, No. 231, Free and Ac- . cepted Masons, of Pittsburg, and Mountain Chapter, No. 189, Royal Arch Masons, of Altoona. Mr. White ranks high as a man of energy and enterprise, and is one of the wide-awake and progressive young business men of the Mountain City.

EDGAR B. GREENE, a man of busi- ness ability and energy, and superin- tendent of the Electric Light Company of Altoona, is a son of Frank P. and Lavina ( Burrows ) Greene, and was born on the old Greene homestead in Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, September 11, 1859. His paternal grandfather Greene was a native of Scotland, and at seventeen years of age came to Huntingdon county, where he cleared out a large farm, on which he re- sided until his death, in 1863, at seventy years of age. He reared a family of nine children, of whom one was Frank P. Greene (father), who was born in 1835. He learned the trade of carpenter at Freeport,

Armstrong county ; went to Des Moines, Iowa, where he remained but one year, and then returned to his native county, in which he followed carpentering until 1861, when he enlisted in the Union service for three months. At the expiration of his term of service he reënlisted and served as a private for three years under General Hancock. He participated in most of the hard-fought battles of the Army of the Potomac, and endured all the hardships of military life in the swamps of Virginia. After being honorably discharged from the service he returned home, and in 1866 re- moved to Philipsburg, Beaver county, where he followed his trade until 1870, when he went to Bellefonte, Centre county. He there engaged in the sewing machine business, which he followed with varied success until 1875, in which year he dis- posed of his business on account of im- paired health, caused by exposure while in the army. After a few years' rest he partly recovered his health, and since then has followed his trade. He married Lavina Burrows, whose father was a native of En- gland who settled in Buffalo Run valley, Centre county, and afterward died at Phil- ipsburg, Beaver county. Mr. and Mrs. Greene have four children.

Edgar B. Greene was reared in Hunting- don and Centre counties, and received his education in the Bellefonte High school, then under the charge of Gen. D. H. Ilast- ing. Leaving school he served an appren- ticeship of five years with his father to learn thoroughly the trade of carpenter. Ile then worked as a journeyman for seven years, and at the end of that time, in 1883, became manager of the works of the Edison Construction Company at Bellefonte, which position he held until 1886. In that year

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OF BLAIR COUNTY.

he came to Altoona as superintendent of the works of the Electric Light Company, which position he still holds. He has made a thorough study of electrical light- ing, and has given good satisfaction in his management of electric light works for the last ten years.

Mr. Greene was united in marriage to Minerva, daughter of James O. Bryan, of Bellefonte, this State. To this union have been born four children, two sons and two daughters : James A., Fred W., Nannie, and Bessie.

In politics Mr. Greene is an independent republican, and supports, without regard to party, those measures which he thinks best calculated to advance the public welfare and protect the rights of the individual cit- izen. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Altoona, Knights of Honor, and Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

JOHN H. MOHR, LL. B., a graduate from the law department of the Uni- versity of Michigan, and a rising young lawyer of the Blair county bar, residing at Altoona, is a son of John and Mary ( Pote) Mohr, and was born in the city of Holli- daysburg, Blair county, Pennsylvania, Feb- ruary 5, 1857. The Mohrs, as the name would indicate, are of German stock. John Mohr (father) was born in Hesse, Ger- many, about 1835, but leaving his native land came to the United States in 1853, and two years later settled at Hollidays- burg, Pennsylvania, where he lived until 1858, when he removed to Bloomfield town- sahip, Bedford county, and now resides there. While yet a young man he learned the trade of cooper in his native place, and has followed that occupation much of the

time since coming to America. He and all his family are members of the Evangelical Lutheran church. Politically he is a re- publican, and has held several local offices where he lives. IIe married Mary Pote, a native of Bloomfield township, Bedford county, this State, by whom he had a fan- ily of children. She is now in the sixty- fifth year of her age, while her husband is her junior by eight years.

John H. Mohr, although born in this county, was taken by his parents to Bed- ford county when only one year of age, and there grew to manhood. He attended the common schools while a lad, and in 1880 entered the State Normal school at Millers- ville, from which institution he was grad- uated in 1884, with the degree of B. E., and two years later was granted the degree of M. E. When only seventeen years of age he began teaching in the public schools, and for several years continued to thus ent- ploy his time in the winter season, while working at the cooper trade or in the mines during the summer. Immediately after his graduation from the Normal school he taught for two years at Lancaster, this State. In the summer of 1886 he went south as superintendent of a large lumber and lime business in the Shenandoah val- ley, Virginia. In the fall he returned to Pennsylvania and spent the winter teaching at Roaring Springs, this county. In the spring of 1887 he went to Fredericksburg, Virginia, where he was employed by the same firm for which he had previously worked, as superintendent of their business at that point. He remained with them until October, 1888, when he came back to Bedford county, and was engaged in teach- ing for two winters. On May 6, 1889, Mr. Mohr passed his preliminary examination,

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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

and was registered as a student of law at Altoona. Ile entered the office of A. V. Dively, where he read law during the three following summers, and in October, 1889, matriculated in the law department of the University of Michigan, from which he was graduated on June 25, 1891, with the de- gree of LL. B. On May 25, 1891, while yet a law student at Ann Arbor, he was ad- mitted to practice in the circuit courts of Michigan, and on the 9th of the following June was admitted to practice in the su- preme courts of that State. Soon after his graduation he returned to Pennsylvania, and on August 24, 1891, was formally ad- mitted to the Blair county bar, and has been in active and successful practice here since that time.

In politics Mr. Mohr is a stanch republi- can, and keeps well posted on current po- litical questions, but is too much wedded to his chosen profession to take any great part in the heated contests which mark the flood tide of practical politics. He Las been earnest and thorough in his prepara- tion for the bar, and comes to it with a mental equipment which promises soon to place him in the forefront of his profession.

J. WESLEY ALLEN, M. D., who served as assistant surgeon of the 148th Pennsylvania infantry during the late civil war, is one of the oldest and most efficient physicians and surgeons in active practice in the city of Altoona and in Blair county. He is a son of Dr. James McCor- mick and Elizabeth (Butler) Allen, and was born in the town of Carlisle, Cumber- land county, Pennsylvania, August 12, 1838. Ilis paternal grandparents, Jacob and Jane (Spottsford ) Allen, were natives of the far-

famed highlands of Scotland, which the left shortly after their marriage to seek home in the distant America, of which the had heard so much. They settled, prior 1808, in the city of Baltimore, Marylan where they resided until death called the out of this world. Jacob Allen ( who family name in Scotland was formerly wri ten Allan ) was a man of good taste ar fine talent as an artist. Ile was a scen painter by profession, and a choice spec men of his work is to be seen in the beaut ful frescoing of the Catholic cathedral ( the Monumental City. His son, Dr. Janie McCormick Allen, was born in Baltimor in 1808, and studied dentistry, which b afterwards practiced in St. Louis, Missour and other cities beyond the Mississip} river. He returned, after a few years sc journ in the far west, and settled in Cal lisle, in Cumberland county, where he ha resided ever since. He was way maste and general freight agent for several year of one of the railroads at Carlisle. Hle wa an old line whig and a know-nothing, and in 1852 helped to organize the Republica) party, which he has supported ever since While never asking for any office, he ha always been active in politics, and a fev months ago his party elected him an alder man of Carlisle, which office he is still hold ing. Dr. Allen is a member of the Pres byterian church, and married Elizabetl Butler, who is a member of the same Butle family of which one branch furnished so many brave and able officers to the Ameri can army during the revolutionary war They reared a family of four sons and two daughters, of whom three sons are dead.

J. Wesley Allen grew to manhood in the town of Carlisle, and at the completion of his academic studies, entered Dickenson

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OF BLAIR COUNTY.

college, of Carlisle, from which he was graduated in the class of 1858, with the de- gree of A. B., and afterward received the degree of A. M. After graduation, having made the choice of medicine as his life vo- cation, he entered, in August, 1858, the office of Drs. J. J. Ziegler and A. F. Har- mon. When he had completed with them the required course of reading he entered the Medical university of Pennsylvania, from which he was graduated in 1861. After graduation he practiced for three or four months, and then entered the Federal army as assistant surgeon of the 148th Pennsylvania infantry, and saw active and severe service under Gen. W. T. Sherman in the West and in the Army of the Po- tomac, before the defenses of Richmond and Petersburg, in the latter part of 1864 and the early spring of 1865. The 148th was commanded during 1863 and 1864 by ex- Governor James A. Beaver, whose leg Dr. Allen helped to amputate in the last named year. Dr. Allen had his horse shot from under him and received two slight wounds in one of the battles before Petersburg, and after Lee's surrender was honorably mus- tered out of the United States service. He then came to Altoona, where he opened an office and where he has remained ever since, in active, continuous and successful prac- tice. He is a well read and progressive physician and a skillful and successful sur- geon, and ranks among the best physicians of central Pennsylvania. Dr. Allen was married to Anna J., a daughter of Rev. William R. Mills. To this union have been born two children: Oakes, who is a pattern-maker at Altoona, and Walter.

Dr. Allen is a member of White Cross Lodge, No. 354, Knights of Pythias, which was organized in Altoona on March 28,

1872. He is also prominent and active in the Masonic fraternity. IIe is a member of St. John's Lodge, No. 260, Free and Accepted Masons, St. John's Chapter, No. 171, Royal Arch Masons, St. John's Com- mandery, No. 8, Knights Templar, and Sy- ria Temple of the Mystic Shrine, of Pitts- burg. He is a democrat in politics, and served three years as a member of the board of health of Altoona. Dr. Allen has always given a whole-hearted and vigorous support to his party and its principles. A few years ago he was put forward by the democrats of Blair county as one of their candidates for the house of representatives of Pennsylvania, and although the repub- lican majority was nearly twenty-five hun- dred at that time, yet Dr. Allen cut it down to one thousand, and was highly complimented on the remarkable strength which, as a candidate, he had developed.

BENJAMIN M. BUNKER, for many

years a prominent carpenter, contractor and builder of Altoona, and senior partner in the well-known firm of Bunker, Orr & Flick, whose handiwork is seen in many of the more substantial structures of that city, is a son of Isaiah W. and Isabella ( Maizh ) Bunker, and was born in the city of Holli- daysburg, this county, on the 30th of Octo- ber, 1847. The Bunker family is of Scotch- Irish descent, and has long been settled in the State of Delaware, where Isaiah W. (father ) was born and reared. In the spring of 1840 he removed to Pennsylvania, locat- ing at Hollidaysburg, Blair county. In that city he resided until 1855, when, having lost his wife, he went east and remained until the civil war came on. He then en- listed in the Union army and served for a

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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

term of three years. At the close of the war he came back to Pennsylvania, and lived in Blair county for a number of years. lle died in 1886, at the Soldiers' home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was a stanch democrat in politics, a blacksmith by trade, and married Isabella Maizh, by whom he had a family of children. She was born in Huntingdon county, this State, and died in Blair county in 1854.

Benjamin M. Bunker was reared princi- pally in the city of Hollidaysburg, and edu- cated in the public schools there. After leaving school he became an apprentice and learned the trade of carpenter. In 1866 he removed to Tyrone, this county, where he remained for a period of five years, em- ployed in the line of carpentering and building. In 1871 he came to Altoona, where he has resided ever since. For a time he worked at his trade, but in 1883 he formed a partnership with J. S. Booth, of this city, under the firm name of Booth & Bunker, and the firm began operating a planing mill, and engaged in contracting and building. This combined business was vigorously and successfully prosecuted by that firm until 1886, when Mr. Booth re- tired, and Mr. Bunker became associated with G. W. Rhine, under the style of Bunker & Rhine. They carried on the business of contracting, building and furnishing build- ers' supplies until 1890, when the firm dis- solved. Soon afterward Mr. Bunker became a partner with J. C. Orr and J. S. Flick, under the firm name of Bunker, Orr & Flick, and they succeeded to the business of the old firm. This firm is composed of practical men, who thoroughly understand their business in all its details, and the energy and ability they possess, evinced by the substantial work they do, has given

them a reputation as first-class builders. They employ an average force of fifty men, and turn out great quantities of finished lumber from their planing mill, in addition to their constantly growing business in the line of contracting and building.

In 1870 Mr. Bunker was married to Louisa Glint, of Hollidaysburg. To this union has been born a family of five daugh- ters : Elizabeth B., Bertha M., Annie C., Gertrude M., and Louisa-all of whom are living at home with their parents.

In his political affiliations Mr. Bunker is a republican, giving his party a general support on National and State issues, but inclined toward independence on local poli- ties, and too liberal in his views to ever be- come a partisan. IIe is a member and trustee of the Baptist church at Altoona, and earnest in his support of all church interests. He has always taken an active part in Sunday school work, and is now serving as superintendent of the Sabbath school connected with his church. He is a pleasant, affable gentleman, and deserves the respect and esteem so willingly accorded by his friends and neighbors.

D. WILMOT CROSTHWAITE, M.

D., is a graduate from the medical department of the University of Pennsyl- vania, who has been a practicing physician since 1881, and has built up a large and lucrative practice in the city of Altoona. He is a son of Hiram V. and Anna M. . (Blair) Crosthwaite, and was born Febru- ary 22, 1857, at Bellefonte, Centre county, Pennsylvania. The family is of English extraction. Mr. Crosthwaite (grandfather) lived most of his life in Centre county, this State, to which he removed when a young

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OF BLAIR COUNTY.

man. He was a wheelwright by trade, married, and had a family of children. Ile died in Centre county at an advanced age. His son, Hiram V. (father), was born Sep- tember 3, 1825, and was a native of Centre county, Pennsylvania, where he grew to manhood, and received a good common school education. In 1863 he removed to Blair county, and located at Altoona, where he still resides. He is a blacksmith and engine builder by trade, and in politics a stanch republican. He married Anna M. Blair, and to their union was born a family of two sons and a daughter: Anna, mar- ried J. E. Wingard, of Columbus, Ohio, who is in the employ of the Panhandle railroad; B. Herbert, who studied medicine, graduated from the Keokuk Medical col- lege, and is now practicing at Bennington, Ottawa county, Kansas; and D. Wilmot, the subject of this sketch.

Dr. D. Wilmot Crosthwaite was reared and educated in Altoona, and, after grad- uating from the High school of this city, embarked in the drug business here. He was thus engaged for a period of seven years, when he entered the office of Dr. G. E. Brehman, now deceased, and began the study of medicine. Later he matriculated at the University of Pennsylvania, and was graduated from the medical department of that institution in 1881 with the degree of M. D. Hle shortly after opened an office in the city of Altoona, where he has met with a good degree of success. He makes a specialty of obstetrics and diseases of women, and is winning reputation as a skillful and successful physician. He is a close student of his profession, and endeav- ora always to keep abreast of the advancing knowledge of medicine, and its application to the cure of disease.

On January 2, 1880, Dr. Crosthwaite was united in marriage to Ida F. Elliott, a daughter of Christopher II. Elliott. This union has been blessed by the birth of one child, an only daughter, named Annetta M. W.

Dr. Crosthwaite is a republican in poli- tics, and while taking little part in the heated contests between opposing parties, he steadily exerts his influence and casts his vote in favor of the general policy of his party. He is a member of the Altoona Academy of Medicine and Surgery, of the Blair County Medical society, of the Penn- sylvania State Medical society, and the American Medical association. IIe is also a member of the Knights of the Golden Eagle, the Improved Order of Heptasophs, and Knights of Pythias.

JAMES E. WINN, ex-city treasurer of

Altoona, and the senior member of the present reliable insurance firm of Winn & Nicholson, who represent first-class fire, life, and accident companies, is a son of William and Mary (Capstick ) Winn, and was born in Altoona, Blair county, Pennsylvania, April 6, 1853. His paternal grandfather, James Wine, was born in Yorkshire, one of the northern and most productive coun- ties of England, in 1794, and died at Shef- field, that county, in 1880, aged eighty-six years. He was a carpenter by trade, and married and reared a family of children. His son, William Winn, was born in 1824 in the great manufacturing town of Shef- field, which is noted all over the world for its celebrated cutlery. Ile learned the trade of pattern maker, which he followed in England until 1849, when he came to Pennsylvania and settled at Huntingdon,

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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

Huntingdon county. He soon came to Al- toona, where he entered the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company as a pat- tern maker, and has remained with them ever since. He is now the oldest man on their pay roll in years of service. He is a democrat in politics, and a member of the Protestant Episcopal church of Altoona. IIe married Mary Capstick, and to them have been born a family of children.

James E. Winn was reared in Altoona, and attended the common schools until he was fifteen years of age, when he became a clerk in the Altoona postoffice. At the end of six years' service in that capacity he was appointed assistant postmaster, and held that position for twelve years, when he resigned to accept the nomination for city treasurer. IIe was elected, and at the end of his term of office was reelected for a sec- ond term, which he served with credit to himself and satisfaction to the city. When he retired from the office of city treasurer, in 1890, he purchased a half interest in the insurance business of A. F. Kerr, which had been established in 1871. Mr. Kerr sold his remaining half of the business to W. L. Nicholson, and the firm became Winn & Nicholson. Their office is at No. 1,228 Eleventh avenue, and they have a large fire, life, and accident insurance business. They represent the following old and well known companies of the United States, England, and Germany : Insurance of North America, of Philadelphia; Phoenix, of Hartford, Connecticut; Union, of Philadelphia; Alle- mannia, of Pittsburg; Royal, of Liverpool, England; Sun, of London, England; Lon- doa & Lancashire, of Liverpool, England; Guardian, of London, England; Hamburg- Bremen, of Germany ; and Travellers' Life and Accident, of Hartford, Connecticut.

They are also agents for the Anchor and American lines of steamships plying be- tween this country and Europe. Mr. Winn has built up a large and first-class patron- age by attention to his business and fair dealing with the public. His many years of continuous experience in the postal ser- vice, and as city treasurer, has specially

fitted him for his present line of business, in which he has won success by executive ability and strict integrity. He is a mem- ber of Hancock Lodge, Knights of the Mys- tic Chain, and Centennial Castle, Knights of the Golden Eagle.

Mr. Winn married Margaret S. Grant, daughter of John and Eliza Grant, of Blairsville, Westmoreland county. To Mr. and Mrs. Winn have been born four chil- dren, two sons and two daughters : Robert, James, Mary, and Grace.

JOHN B. STAHL, the editor and one of the proprietors of the Daily Times, of Altoona, a leading democratic paper of central Pennsylvania, is a son of John and Rachel (Shute ) Stahl, and was born at HIol- lidaysburg, Blair county, Pennsylvania, No- vember 16, 1854. Ilis paternal grand- father, Ilenry Stahl, was a native of Ger- many, and in early life came to Lewistown, Mifflin county, where he died in 1878, at seventy-six years of age. Ile was a repub- lican in politics, and of his family of sixteen children, nearly all are living to-day, and three of the sons served in the late civil war. His son, John Stahl (father), was born in Mifflin county, and came, in 1848, to Hollidaysburg, which he left in 1855 to remove to Altoona, where he died in 1864, when in the forty-fifth year of his age. Hle learned butchering and brick making in

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Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Blair County, Pennsylvania, Part 60

Author: Wiley, Samuel T., editor. cn Publication date: 1892 Publisher: Philadelphia, Gresham Number of Pages: 1160

Author: Wiley, Samuel T., editor. cn
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Philadelphia, Gresham
Number of Pages: 1160