USA > Pennsylvania > Book of biographies; This volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of the Seventeenth congressional district, Pennsylvania > Part 27
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BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES.
Our subject, David Camp, was reared in Columbia County and he received a meagre education. He attended a "subscription school" and up to the age of twenty-one years educated himself by reading and hard study, at the same time learning his trade as a car- penter with his father. When he reached his majority, in 1854, David set out on his own account and removed to Bear Gap, remaining there two years; then moved to Mount Car- mel, where he resided one year; he then went to Centralia, in 1859, where he conducted a drugstore for five years, doing unusually well in that and in his trade, building many of the largest coal-breakers. In 1872 Mr. Camp re- moved to Mount Carmel and engaged in the lumber business, in addition to following his trade as a builder. For thirteen years he was so engaged, building as many as thirty houses in one year and putting up many of the most substantial and modern residences and stores erected in Mount Carmel during the period of time referred to. He later engaged in the real estate business and, being far-sighted and a good judge of values, was very successful. In November, 1866, he engaged in business as a general merchant and for several years con- ducted one of the largest and best general stores in Mount Carmel. In 1894 he prac- tically retired from active business operations and has since devoted part of his time to the interests he holds in some of the principal cor- porations of Mount Carmel.
Mr. Camp was one of the organizers and is president of the Mount Carmel Iron Works; he was one of the organizers of the Mount Carmel Banking Company and is its vice-pres- ident, which position he has faithfully and sat- isfactorily filled since the company began busi- ness; he has been president of the People's Building & Loan Association since its forma- tion in 1894.
In politics our subject is an enthusiastic and active Republican. In 1890 he was the nom- inee of his party for the legislature, but suf- fered defeat with the rest of the ticket of his party, making a run, however, which amply demonstrated his great popularity with the voters in the district. He has served as over- seer of the poor for two terms, as a member of the school board for two or three terms and as a member of the borough council sev- eral terms. Mr. Camp is a prominent mem- ber of Mount Carmel Commandery No. 22, Knights of Malta; also of Mount Carmel Lodge No. 378, F. & A. M., and Mount Car- mel Lodge No. 630, I. O. O. F.
Twice has Mr. Camp been happily united in the marriage relation. His first marriage was to Lavinia Persing, daughter of Peter and Mary (Taylor) Persing of Columbia County, two children being born of the union: Ed- ward A., who is engaged in business in the Michigan copper region; and Robert E., who resides in Mount Carmel. His second bride was Phoebe, sister of his first wife, by whom he has had a family of twelve children, seven of whom are living, as follows : Ida, wife of Rob- ert Davis, a merchant who does a prosperous business in Mount Carmel; Joseph, a pattern- maker, who resides in Mount Carmel; Stella, May, Garfield and Carrie, who are at home; and George W., who is in the employ of the Mount Carmel Iron Works. The other chil- dren died in their infancy.
R. JOHN A. ELLIOTT, the oldest leading physician and surgeon of Northumberland, Northumberland County, Pa., was born in Union County, Pa., in 1842, and is a son of William and Christiana (Knox) Elliott.
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The paternal great-grandfather of our sub- ject was of Scotch-Irish extraction, located in Northumberland County when a young man, and worked at the carpenter trade. He was said to be a very large man, over six feet in height and of powerful strength, but with a quiet disposition. He married between the ages of forty and forty-five; his wife died at the birth of their only son, Alexander. After this our subject's great-grandfather formed a second marriage with a lady near Pottsville and resided there until his death.
Alexander Elliott, the paternal grandfather, was born May 29, 1777, and at the age of four- teen years he was apprenticed to a hatter in Reading, Pa., where he remained until he was twenty-one. He then went into business for himself, and manufactured soft hats for several years. He died February 5, 1835. He mar- ried Mary Morrow and subsequently her sis- ter, Florinda Morrow. By the first marriage were born eight children, as follows: Benja- min J .; Mary; Thomas; Margaret; Sarah; William; Ann; and Samuel. By the second marriage were born three children: Simon, James, and Isabelle.
Our subject's father, William Elliott, was born in Northumberland County, November 5, 1814, and was educated in the public schools. He worked for his father and learned the hatter's trade, but, being dissatisfied and not wishing to follow in his father's footsteps, at the age of fifteen he started out for himself. He began at ditch digging, worked on the ca- nal and also at farming. During the winters he worked for his board and attended school, paying for his own tuition. In this way, get- ting a fair start, he carried on farming, and also owned and conducted a canal grocery. In company with Henry Wenck he bought a half interest in a grocery business and carried on a successful trade on the canal. This he
continued until the Philadelphia & Erie Rail- road was opened, when he became the first agent, and afterwards did railroad contract- ing, building the Bennet's Branch, Oil Creek. Pa., and Erie, at Williamsport. Mr. Elliott was then appointed state canal commissioner and superintendent of the canal from Juniata Riv- er to Northumberland, and later to Milton. In 1880 he was elected to the State Legisla- ture. This ambitious gentleman owned many farms and several hundred acres of land which he kept in the best possible condition. Among the farms were those of C. Kohl; J. Heckard: Kaler; Oscar Leighon; W. H. Deihl; C. M. Stern; and also many others. He bought the Rev. Smith property, on the corner of Water and King streets, which was formerly owned by J. Jenkins. This property Mr. Elliott en- tirely remodeled into a large and modern four- story brick building, the largest in the county at that time. He was a member of the I. O. O. F. and a stanch Democrat, holding many borough offices and serving as school director for twenty-five years. Mr. Elliott was a man of noble character and lofty ambitions, and became one of the most prominent and re- spected men in his section of the state, and when his death occurred in 1896 he was great- ly mourned by all. He married Christiana Knox in 1837, and her death occurred at the age of sixty-one, in 1875. The children re- sulting from this union were: Emily, who married Charles Davis; Anna; May J., who married A. Hartley; and John A., our sub- ject.
John A. Elliott, the subject of this biog- raphy, was educated in the public schools and at Freebury College. He read medicine with Dr. Beard and Dr. Kunca of New York, and was graduated from Bellevue College, New York, in 1874, practicing there for five years. At the end of
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that time he moved to Northumberland, Northumberland County, his present location, where, with his thorough knowledge of his profession, he has built up one of the largest practices in the county. If it were not for his strong constitution and perfect health he would be unable to answer the numerous calls for his assistance. Dr. Elliott is a fine-looking man, with the quiet manners and tastes of a gentleman, and for his kindly, pleasant ways he is greatly loved and respected. He mar- ried Jennie Jackson, daughter of Mordecai Jackson of Berwick, and she departed this life at the age of twenty. Dr. Elliott resides on his father's homestead, where he also has his office. For twenty years he has been a Mason, being a member in all the degrees to the K. T. He is also a charter member of the Scottish Rite of Bloomsburg.
EV. JOHN CH. KONSTANKIE- WICZ was born June 10, 1859, and received his education in Austria, completing four lower normal classes in Przce- mysl, and eight gymnasial classes in Lemberg and, passing an examination of maturity, he entered the theological department of the University of Lemberg. He completed the theological course in four years after which he was ordained by the Bishop of Przcemysl. After passing examination of maturity, he served one year as a solicitor in the Austrian Army according to the prescribed law of Aus- tria.
After being ordained our subject assumed the duties of an assistant in a church of Jaro- slaw, where he was also appointed by the minister of war to the office of army chaplain with the 20th Regiment, Infantry, which of- fice he held for three years, after which he as- sumed charge of a parish in the village of
Falin where he remained eight years. In 1893 he came to the United States and located in Shamokin, Pa., and took permanent charge of the Russian Catholic Church. His work here and a brief history of the work of the church is here set forth : Philip Murdza, John Glowa, Mike Demczko, John Madzelan and Anthony Luczkowec were the first Ruthenian immi- grants who came to Shamokin from Galicia, Austria, in 1880. Many others soon followed, but owing to their small numbers and lack of funds with which to build a church for them- selves and maintain a priest, they at first af- filiated with St. Stanislaus Kostki's Polish Catholic Church, which financially assisted this church, and helped to maintain the priest thereof.
The Ruthenians were illy treated, however, both by the priest and many of the Poles; the chief cause of this lay in the difference be- tween the Polish and Russian rites, although both classes are Catholics, having the same religious beliefs and the Holy Father for the highest authority of the church. The Ruthen- ians, nevertheless, use their mother tongue, the ancient Slavonic language, in all their church rites. This language is understood by all Ruthenians; while the Poles use the Latin language in all their church rites. The dis- satisfaction thus created compelled the Ruth- enians to erect their own church edifice. En- ergetically setting to work and raising the necessary funds in their own midst, they suc- ceeded in seeing the desires of their souls com- pleted in 1889, corner of Pearl and Pine streets. The same year the church was con- secrated by Rev. John Wolanski, the first Rus- sian Catholic priest in America, holding at that time the pastorate of the Russian Catho- lic Church at Shenandoah, Pa. He adminis- tered to this church until 1890 when, accord- ing to the request of the parishioners, Rev.
HENRY EYRE DAVIS.
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SEVENTEENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
Th. Obuszkiewicz came to Shamokin; he how- ever remained only one year, when he moved to Oliphant, Pa.
In accordance with the ardent desires of the Russian parishioners, Rev. J. Ch. Konstankei- wicz was sent here from Europe by superior authority and took charge of the parish, May 1, 1893, and has since remained at the head of the church. Thenceforth the parish increased in property and grew in number of parish- ioners until to-day the number in the congre- gation reaches 1,300 and the value of church property exceeds $15,000. The church prop- erty includes the following : Church building, the parsonage at Franklin and Pine streets, cemetery, two lots located near the Catholic Parochial School building between Shamo- kin and Franklin streets,-these lots were pur- chased from John Mullen for $8,000 and upon this will be built a church and parsonage as soon as sufficient funds are raised. Connected with the church are four societies with a mem- bership of 630, a reading department, a band, a political club, and a school. Children attend the parochial school for three years in order to familiarize themselves with the native tongue and subsequently enter the public schools.
ENRY EYRE DAVIS. Judging by results there seems to be something in the atmosphere of Pennsylvania which develops talent for practical affairs. In every section of the Commonwealth there are to be found young men who have disclosed tact and capacity for business enterprises, and without the class schooling, which is applied elsewhere, they master the details and conquer the intricacies of commercial life. Among those who have conspicuously achieved this distinction is Henry E. Davis, of Sunbury,
Pa., whose portrait precedes this sketch. He was born in Selinsgrove, Snyder County, on June 7, 1845, and is a son of James K. and Agnes (Swineford) Davis. He was always a bright and industrious boy. He received his rudimentary education in the public schools, and took a course in the Selinsgrove Mission- ary Institute, a modest but efficient institution of learning, which won deserved praise in the state in its time.
At the age of twenty years young Davis be- gan his business career and has been active in affairs ever since. His first experience was as clerk in a store in his native town, in which position he served one year. Then he removed to Meadville, Pa., where he obtained a position in a large retail dry goods store and remained a year. In 1867 he entered the First National Bank of Sunbury, Pa., the most extensive institution of its kind in that section. He remained there some years and mastered every detail of the business. But the arduous nature of the work impaired his health and he was compelled to relinquish the position and seek employment of a less confining char- acter.
In 1871 he became the representative of Hall Brothers & Co., a Baltimore firm, which was the sole agent for the sale of anthracite coal mined by the Mineral Railroad & Mining Company and the Lykens Valley Coal Com- pany, both companies being owned and con- trolled by the Pennsylvania Railroad Com- pany. His district embraced Pennsylvania and the West, and his office was located in Sunbury. He held this important relation to the business interests of his community for ten years. At the expiration of that time he severed his connection with the firm he served so long, so faithfully and so well, and went into the business of buying and shipping an- thracite coal on his own account. The venture
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met with gratifying success from the outset, and has been prosecuted with characteristic energy ever since. Some years ago he added to his business the industry of mining and shipping bituminous coal from mines which he acquired in Somerset County, Pa.
Mr. Davis has always been one of the most progressive citizens of his adopted home, and every enterprise which promises the promo- tion of the business and the development of the material interests of the community has found in him a willing promoter. He was first president of the Sunbury & Northumberland Street Railway, which was built by Hon. S. P. Wolverton, F. P. Abercombie and himself. He is president and general manager of the Bethel Coal Company, of Somerset County, Pa .; a director of the First National Bank of Sunbury, the institution in which he spent several years of his early life; and a director of the First National Bank of Selinsgrove. He was also president and one of the foremost promoters of the Sunbury Electric Light & Power Company, which was among the first and is now among the most perfectly equipped electric plants in the Commonwealth. In ad- dition to that he has always been among the first and most active men in the community to advocate progressive ideas and improvements in the affairs of the town, and many of the advanced steps which mark Sunbury as among the leading towns in the interior of the state are traceable to his enterprise and fore- sight. He is a trustee of the Mary M. Packer Hospital of Sunbury.
Mr. Davis is an active and earnest Demo- crat. Naturally a man of his progressive spirit would be called upon by his party to serve in official capacity, and he has proved himself not only useful, but faithful, in the discharge of municipal functions imposed on him in town council, the school board and
other honorary capacities. He has frequently been delegate to state and county conven- tions, and has discharged every trust which he has accepted with scrupulous fidelity and not- able intelligence. But he has never consented to take an office of emolument, and to those who have suggested such compliment his in- variable answer has been that he had too much business to attend to, to sacrifice his time in the discharge of public duties, which there were plenty of competent persons willing to assume. But while he thus abstained from political aspirations on his own account, he has always been zealous and active in the ad- vancement of his friends, and thus exercised an important influence in the affairs of the county.
Of honorary offices, however, he has had a full share, and in 1876 the Democrats of Northumberland County named him for state senator, but he readily yielded the district nomination to his friend, Hon. A. H. Dill. When Mr. Dill resigned to become the Demo- cratic candidate for governor two years later, the eyes of the party naturally turned to Mr. Davis, but he was among the first earnest ad- vocates of Hon. S. P. Wolverton. In 1878 he was a member of the state committee, and in 1880, during the Hancock campaign for presi- dency, was on the electoral ticket for the Twenty-seventh Congressional District. In 1886 he was one of the secretaries of the Democratic State Convention, and was an earnest advocate of the nomination of Hon. William A. Wallace for governor. In 1898 he received the Democratic nomination for Con- gress. He has always been a liberal contribu- tor to the party campaign funds and is regard- ed by the Democratic leaders of the state as one of the safest party counsellors and most sagacious political advisers.
On October 18, 1869, Mr. Davis was mar-
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SEVENTEENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
ried to Kate C. Haas, a member of one of the most respected families of Sunbury. The fruits of the union are two accomplished daughters, Helen A. and Mary C. Mr. Davis lives with his family in a beautiful and comfortable home in Sunbury, the hospitalities of which he takes delight in dispensing to strangers visiting the town.
RS. ANNIE P. TAGGART, an es- timable lady and esteemed resident of Northumberland, Northum- berland County, Pa., is the widow of Col. David Taggart, both being descendants of the pioneer settlers of Northumberland County.
The great-grandfather of our subject's hus- band was Thomas Taggart, who was united in marriage with Mary Vanderbilt. Thomas Taggart was born in Ireland May 10, 1728, and was of Scotch-Irish descent. He immi- grated to the United States and settled, with his brother Robert, in Philadelphia, where he engaged in the mercantile business. In 1775, when Northumberland was becoming a cen- ter of this section, although there were but few houses in the village, Mr. Taggart moved there with his wife, who was a native of Phil- adelphia, and entered the mercantile business. His store was located on the corner of Queen and Front streets, and, being a man of means, he became the leading merchant of the place. He died April 13, 1788, and his wife died in 1805. Their children were: Elizabeth, born June 15, 1753, married William Bonham; Christiana, born May 12, 1755, married Mr. Staple; Robert, born February 13, 1757; John, born June 30, 1759, died in infancy; Catherine, born September 6, 1760, married Capt. J. Painter; Thomas, born January 16, 1762; Mary, born January 19, 1765, married Mr. Patterson; John, born July 11, 1767, died
young; David, born February 21, 1769; Wil- liam, born October 3, 1771, died in infancy; William, born August 6, 1773; M. James, born January 1, 1780.
David Taggart, the paternal grandfather, was born in Philadelphia. He was a mer- chant, very prominent in politics, being an unswerving Democrat, and though a very young man, was active in all business and political affairs. He died at an early age, May 17. 1812. He married Mary McCalla of Bucks County, Pa., who was born September 13. 1764, and attained a good age. Several children resulted from this union, namely : John, born April 12, 1796; James, who be- came a prominent merchant and owner of packets on the canal; Mary, who married Alexander Colt; and Sarah, who married L. C. McCormick.
John Taggart, our subject's father-in-law, was a well-educated man. One of his first business enterprises was the large brewery which was located near the steamboat land- ing, but later was sold to give place to the canal, and Mr. Taggart was appointed canal commissioner by Gov. Joseph Ritner. He married Hannah Collon Huston, and their children, all prominent men and women, are as follows: Col. David: Matthew Hus- ton, born February 18, 1824. teacher, at- torney, merchant and nail manufacturer, who married thrice, to Rebecca McCurly, Eliza- beth McCurly and Ella G. Royer, respectively; Hannah, born September 10, 1827, married Dr. Joseph Priestly: James, born February 4. 1827, who served in the Rebellion, and when he received promotion to captain formed Company B, 5th Pa., in his own store. The elder John Taggart was charter member, stockholder and director of the First National Bank at Northumberland. and was also presi- dent of the bank from April 30, 1840, to No-
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vember 26, 1850, resigning at the end of that time. He married Hannah C. Huston of Philadelphia, who was born in Berks County, Pa., February 22, 1796, and was a daughter of Matthew and Hannah (Cox) Huston. Their children were: John K., born November 12, 1829, became clerk in the paymaster's depart- ment in the army; Mary, born June 13, 1831; and Francis A., born February 26, 1833, who for many years has been employed in the office of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company at Philadelphia.
Col. David Taggart, our subject's husband, attended the common schools and the acade- mies at Dickinson and Milton, and then read law with Ebenezer Greenough of Sunbury. He began the practice of his chosen profession in Northumberland, Northumberland County, Pa., and later in life was appointed paymaster in the regular army, serving many years in the West and South, and giving entire satis- faction until he resigned. Col. Taggart was very much interested in agricultural life, and for some years was president of the Pennsyl- vania State Agricultural Society. He was nominated and ran for governor of the state, but was defeated by A. G. Curtin. Col. Tag- gart was elected to the State Senate before the war and served three terms, the last three years as speaker of that body. He was also chairman of the Whig State Central Commit- tee; also served as school director and held a number of offices in the borough. His death occurred on June 30, 1888, and he was much mourned by all in the community. On May 5, 1848, he married Annie P. Cowden, a daughter of John H. and Hannah (Pleasants) Cowden.
John H. Cowden, our subject's father, was born in Northumberland County, and was a son of John Cowden, who was born in Ireland and came to this country and settled in North-
umberland County, becoming one of the ear- liest merchants in that section. He was post- master from 1795 until January 12, 1837. His store and residence was sold in 1836, when he retired from business. He married Sarah Hopewell, and they both lived to an old age. Their children were : an infant son, unnamed; Elizabeth, who married Dr. Wallace; Debor- ah, who married a Scotch artist, William Mc- Quhar, who painted a miniature portrait of Robert Burns, the poet, from life; Sarah, who married Judge Merrill of New Berlin, Pa .; Mary, who married Judge Bradford; Rebecca, who married James Hepburn; John, our sub- ject's father; and Anna M., who married Judge Donaldson.
John H. Cowden, the father of our subject, was a merchant, also president of the West Branch Bank at Williamsport. He was a very successful business man and amassed a large fortune. For some years he was owner of the beautiful Packer Island. He departed this life at the age of sixty-four; his wife, formerly Hannah Pleasants, died at the age of twenty- seven. They were blessed with four children, as follows: John, who died at the age of forty- six; Annie Pleasants, our subject; Sarah H., who married Capt. James Taggart; and Han- nah P., who lives in West Virginia, and mar- ried William Potter Withington.
Since Col. Taggart's death, Mrs. Taggart has bought the Martin property on Queen street, where she now resides. Her children are : Helen T., who married David H. Clark, now deceased, and lives in New York City; John C., who died at the age of six years; Hannah C. H., of Northumberland. Pa .; and James, a farmer of Northumberland, Pa. Mrs. Taggart is a woman of great re- finement and of admirable character and dis- position. She has a taste for literary work and is a splendid conversationalist. Through-
STANLEY S. MERITHEW.
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SEVENTEENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
out the vicinity she is known and loved for her kind and charitable deeds.
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