USA > Pennsylvania > Book of biographies; This volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of the Seventeenth congressional district, Pennsylvania > Part 67
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ON. WILLIAM M. ROCKEFEL- LER, who for a period of twenty- - one years was recognized as the leading attorney of the Northumberland County Bar, and who for another period of twenty years presided as the judge of the Eighth Judicial District of Pennsylvania, was born in Sunbury, Northumberland County. his present place of residence. August 18. 1830, and is a son of David and Catherine (Mettler) Rockefeller. His active career has been a meritorious one, and his important la- bors on bar and bench entitle him to the highest regard and esteem of his fellow-towns- men. Since he retired from the bench in 1891 he has been leading a more or less re- tired life, because of poor health, and has spent much of the time in the South: he has also indulged himself in considerable travel- ing, visiting the principal countries of Europe. The family is of either Holland or German
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stock. To begin with, the original ancestor of the Rockefellers in America, Peter Rocke- feller, was born in the Old Country in 1710, and emigrated to America, settling in Arm- ville, Hunterdon County, N. J., where he ac- quired a vast tract of land. His will bear- ing the date December 6, 1738, transfers 763 acres of land, situated in Armville township, to his son, who was also named Peter. Of the children of Peter Rockefeller, Jr., one, Godfrey Rockefeller, was a brother of the grandfather of John D. Rockefeller, the Standard Oil magnate, and the great-grand- father of our subject.
Godfrey Rockefeller moved to Northum- berland County, Pa., in 1798 and took up his residence as a pioneer farmer near Snyder- town, in Rush township, where he owned a large farm, which he transformed into a cul- tivated state from a dense wilderness of for- est, its condition when he settled upon it. Of his children William Rockefeller, the grandfather of the Judge, was born, reared, lived and died on the old homestead farm in Rush township, engaged wholly in agricul- tural pursuits. His life was not characterized by any especially stirring events, for he was content to enjoy home life, secure in the estimation and good will of his fellow-citizens. His wife bore him several children, and of these David Rockefeller, the father of the subject of this biographical review, was born on the homestead, September 6, 1802.
David Rockefeller grew to manhood on the homestead and obtained the customary rudi- ments of an education in the common schools of Rush township; he gave especial attention in his young manhood to the study of sur- veying, and practically made it his life occupa- tion. He became one of the most efficient and expert land surveyors of Pennsylvania and had ample scope for his talents in that
line, for he was frequently called upon to sur- vey disputed lines, locate original lines, cor- ners, etc., and to give expert testimony in court in cases arising out of such disputes. He thus obtained wide reputation, for his work carried him into all sections of the Key- stone State. He served as deputy sheriff a number of years in early life, was register and recorder by appointment in 1847-48, and served as deputy surveyor general of North- umberland County for a long term of years, being considered by his fellow-citizens almost a fixture in that office. He was one of the best known men in his part of the state, this distinction resting almost wholly upon his good work as a surveyor. In 1826 he located in Sunbury, and spent the remainder of his life there, dying in that town August 22, 1876. He married Catherine Mettler and they be- came the proud parents of five children, three of whom died in infancy, the two surviving children being: William M., the subject of these lines; and A. Jordan, an attorney-at- law, who died in 1862.
Judge Rockefeller acquired an excellent academic education in Sunbury Academy, and then read law with the late Hon. John B. Packer of Sunbury, and the late Judge Jor- dan, also of Sunbury, with whom he com- pleted his professional training, being admit- ted to the bar of Northumberland County on August 6, 1850. He practiced law one year in Minersville, Schuylkill County, and then located in Sunbury, where he practiced con- tinually until 1871, when he was elevated to the bench. Entering upon the practice of law with a complete preparation and having mental abilities and a natural bent of the kind considered most useful for a lawyer, Judge Rockefeller attained both prosperity and in- fluence in his twenty-one years of varied prac- tice and valuable experience.
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Ever since the War of the Rebellion, our subject has been a stanch Republican, al- though he was a Democrat before the struggle that showed the folly of secession. He was. elected to the position of president judge of the Eighth Judicial District of Pennsylvania on the Republican ticket and served two terms of ten years each, presiding until 1891, his excellent record as a judge being indorsed in 1881 by a re-election to the judgeship. He was succeeded in 1891 by the present in- cumbent, Judge Savidge, whose personal his- tory we present on another page of this Book of Biographies. In 1855, a few years after locating in Sunbury for the practice of his profession, our subject was elected chief bur- gess of the borough. In 1853, in collabora- tion with Judge Jordan and M. L. Shindel, he revised and edited the second edition of the "American Pleader's Assistant," a guide for young lawyers in pleading and legal forms, that has found a place in many libraries. During his twenty years on the bench Judge Rockefeller tried a great number of cases, among which were many prosecutions brought against the "Molly Maguires." He delivered the opinion of the court in the Ly- coming judicial contest, which covered a long term of years, and a vast amount of com- plicated evidence. As a judge, our subject was clear, concise and decided, upholding well the dignity of the bench, and exhibiting legal learning that made all of the members of the bar entertain for him the profoundest re- spect. Few of his rulings ever admitted a questioning doubt, and very rarely have his decisions been reversed in a higher court. . He was very popular in legal circles and was a man of no small political influence.
On August II, 1857, occurred the cere- mony that united Judge Rockefeller in mar- riage with Emily Jones, daughter of Thomas
and Maria (Housel) Jones of Lewisburg, Union County, Pa. They have three child- ren, namely: Mary, the wife of J. Nelson Ewing, of Baltimore; Charles W .; and Flora, the wife of Ward Rice of Pueblo, Colo.
Charles W. Rockefeller, our subject's only son, is a leading attorney at Sunbury, and is also engaged in the insurance business, be- ing a member of the firm of Derr & Rocke- feller. The family are members of the Pres- byterian Church, in which the judge has been a trustee for nearly forty years and chair- man of the board since 1876. He is a man of fine, gentlemanly instincts, true to all that is best in life, and a power for good in the community where almost his entire life has been spent.
ISS FRANCES E. HAWLEY is one of the most estimable women of Watsontown, Delaware town- ship,. Northumberland County, Pa., and is a descendant of families of great prominence. She is the only surviving child of John Milton and Jane L. (Alder) Hawley.
John Milton Hawley, who is living in prac- tical retirement on his farm near the village of Watsontown, was born in Muncy. Lycom- ing County, Pa., June 26, 1825. and is a son of Enos and Mary (Sweeney) Hawley, and a grandson of Robert Hawley. Robert Haw- ley, who was born on the Brandywine, River in Chester County, Pa., was of English an- cestry. Being a strict adherent to the Quaker doctrines he did not participate in the Revo- lutionary War, but tradition tells us that Rob- ert Hawley was warned to flee from his home and, shortly after, the battle of Brandywine was fought upon his premises. He learned the tanner's trade. In 1800 he settled in Ly- coming, Pa., with a colony of Quakers at
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Pennsdale, near Muncy, where he conducted a tannery. He subsequently operated a tan- nery in Hughesville, but at the time of his death resided at Muncy. He and his wife, Patience, both lived to an advanced age and lie buried in the Friend's Burying-ground at Pennsdale. They reared the following child- ren: Robert; Gideon; Enos; Ann (Haynes); Hannah (Whitaker); and Mary (Yearsley).
Enos Hawley, the grandfather of our sub- ject, was born in Chester County, Pa., and when young moved with his parents to Ly- coming County, where he learned the trade of a tanner. He first located in Muncy but later went to Hughesville where he succeeded to his father's business and continued it until his retirement, when he removed to Muncy. He was appointed postmaster and served in that capacity for seventeen years. He was a good general business man and lived a long and useful life, dying at the age of eighty years; his wife died at the age of seventy-eight years. He married Mary Sweeney, a daughter of John Sweeney, a soldier of the Revolutionary War who lived to reach the age of ninety- nine years, and their union was blessed by the birth of four children : John Milton, the fath- er of our subject; Robert, who married Sarah J. Cook; Lucretia, the wife of Russell Bo- dine; and Alfred, who married Rachel Wil- letts.
John Milton Hawley attended the com- mon schools and received a good intellectual training, after which he took up the occupa- tion which his father had followed for many years with good results, that of a tanner. In 1863 he was appointed clerk to the superin- tendent of the Catawissa Railroad and re- moved to Catawissa where he faithfully dis- charged the duties of that position until 1874. In that year he located at Watsontown and purchased part of the Pardee estate near the
village, and there followed market gardening until 1893, since which time he has lived in retirement. He is a man of strong character and splendid habits, and is highly respected by all. He was joined in matrimonial bonds with Jane L. Alder, September 2, 1848, on the old Alder homestead known as "Rose Hill," at Muncy. Mrs. Hawley is a daughter of Joshua and Elizabeth (Lewis) Alder, and comes from a distinguished family.
Joshua WV. Alder was born in New Castle, Northumberland County, England, in Octo- ber, 1788, and was a son of Caleb and Doro- thy (Walker) Alder. The family is of French origin and was established in England by French refugees. Caleb Alder was born in New Castle, Northumberland County, Eng- land, it is thought, and with his wife and only child came to the United States, locating in New York City, in 1802. He was a man of wealth and lived the life of an English gentle- man, doing no active work but investing his capital in real estate, owning at one time what is to-day known as Hoboken, N. J. There he died and there his son, Joshua W. Alder, grew to manhood, attending the public schools for some years. He later went to England to complete his education, and while in that country met and married Jane Lewis, a daughter of Lyson Lewis, returning to this country soon after. He settled in New York City and there studied chemistry and survey- ing, acquiring an extensive knowledge of both branches which was invaluable to him in his subsequent work. George Lewis, the uncle of Joshua WV. Alder's wife, who was a large mer- chant and a very wealthy man of New York City, acquired several thousand acres of land in Sullivan County, Pa., and desiring to know its worth, engaged Mr. Alder, then a young and energetic man, to investigate his pur-
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SEVENTEENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
chase. This he accordingly did and while prospecting discovered a beautiful lake on a mountain top which he immediately named Lewis Lake, but it has since been renamed Eagle's Mere and is at the present day one of the most popular summer resorts in the state of Pennsylvania. There Joshua discov- ered a fine quality of white sand, and by means of his deep knowledge of chemistry, he read- ily saw that glass could be made from it. This afforded a valuable field of industry, as there was very little glass manufactured in the United States. He gathered a sample of the sand, returned to New York City, and there analyzed it, proving to his satisfaction that it was of the desired quality. George Lewis immediately made preparations to open this valuable industry and engaged Mr. Alder and Israel Lewis, his brother-in-law from Eng- land, to go to the lake and erect suitable buildings for the manufacture of glass. As there were no railroads, they, with a large force of men, made their way overland by means of wagons and horses, going by the way of Berwick, Danville, and Muncy, and finally up the valley to their destination. Then their work began in earnest, making roads through an almost inpenetrable forest and hewing down trees for the erection of build- ings. Finally all was accomplished and every thing ready for the manufacture of glass. In a short time they were turning out a very fine quality of clear window glass and nothing remained but to place it upon the market, but then the most serious obstacle of all pre- sented itself. The only market to which the glass could be taken was Philadelphia, and that could only be reached by wagon over a rough and mountainous road. Many attempts were made to take glass to Philadelphia, but each time the glass was broken, and after a trial of six years the venture was abandoned.
They then attempted to raise sheep there and shipped many hundred out from New York City, and in this too they were unfortunate, for the sheep died in the winter months. It has been estimated that George Lewis sunk a half million dollars in these ventures, and there is now no trace of what promised to be one of the most prosperous industries in the state, the buildings having long since been torn down, and in their stead are to be found nothing but pleasure resorts. Joshua W. Alder and his wife moved to Lewis Lake in 1810, and after abandoning the glass enter- prise, moved to Muncy, where he built a home which is now owned by William Ellis. In 1822 he built the handsome residence there which is now owned by Mrs. Fanny Musser and occupied by her and his daugh- ter, Mrs. Elizabeth L. Foster. Mrs. Foster now owns the old piano which was manu- factured in London by George AAstor, and which her father moved about with him to his various homes, and she values it very highly as a family heirloom. Mrs. Alder died at the age of twenty-eight years, and Joshua subsequently returned to England where he married Elizabeth Lewis, a sister of his first wife, and a woman of many accomplishments. Mr. Alder died in 1837, at the age of forty- seven years, but his wife lived to the age of eighty-two years, before passing into the world of rest. Their union was blessed by the birth of six children: George: Lyson: William A .; Jane L .; Fanny: and Emma.
Mr. and Mrs. John M. Hawley became the parents of four children, namely: Elizabeth: Joshua W .: Frances E .; and Caroline L., all dead but our subject. Her parents are both enjoying excellent health, although now well along in years, and they enjoy the love and respect of all who know them.
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R. KIMBER C. McWILLIAMS, one of the leading physicians of Shamo- kin, Pa., was born at Elysburg, Northumberland County, Pa., October 7, 1857, and is a son of William and Catherine (Caldwell) McWilliams. His grandfather, Da- vid McWilliams, was born in Turbot town- ship, Northumberland County, Pa. Soon after his marriage to Jane Craig he removed to a farm near Elysburg, being one of the earliest settlers in that community.
Dr. McWilliams began his education in the public schools and later took a finishing course at Elysburg Academy, afterward teach- ing school for a number of years. In the course of these events he chose a profession and began the study of medicine under Dr. S. F. Gilbert of Elysburg, after which he en- tered Jefferson Medical College of Philadel- phia, graduating in 1884. He immediately be- gan the practice of his profession at Main- ville, Columbia County, where he remained, however, only two months, subsequently lo- cating in Snydertown, where he remained about two years. In 1886 he removed to Shamokin, and on October II, 1887, was united in marriage to Elizabeth J. Chester of that place. Desiring to treat special diseases scientifically, he removed to Philadelphia in 1892, where he practiced his profession three years, at the same time taking special lectures on diseases of the eye, ear, nose, and throat at the Jefferson Hospital.
During the last year of his stay in Phila- delphia he was chief assistant of a clinic at the Polytechnic Hospital and was superintend- ent of the Beacon Dispensary the entire three years of his stay in Philadelphia. Having completed his purpose in these three years of study and practical experience in the hospi- tals named above, he returned to Shamokin and began treating diseases of the eye, ear,
nose, and throat. His success in these special departments of medicine has been greater than anticipated. Aside from having a large practice among a desirable class of patrons our subject does much charity work and is amply repaid in the knowledge of his power to relieve suffering and by the expressions of gratitude from the recipients of his benefi- cence. In religious belief he is a Presbyte- rian and has been an elder in that church for a number of years.
William McWilliams, father of Dr. K. C. McWilliams, was born in Turbot township, where he lived through the period of his early years. He was educated in Milton Academy and learned the profession of a civil engineer, following it throughout his active life. He assisted in laying out the borough of Shamo- kin, and was employed in making the survey of the railroad from Shamokin to Sunbury, working under Kimber Cleaver. Many of the mines in the early development of the coal in- dustry were surveyed by him and many of the maps were made from his measurements.
In politics he was always a Republican, but never aspired to office. He was an elder in the Presbyterian Church for many years, was greatly interested in the educational system of our country, and was very active in its cause, being one of the prime movers in the founding of Elysburg Academy. He was es- pecially interested in the common schools of his township. He and his estimable wife were blessed with a family of five children, four sons and one daughter: Clifton C., who was engaged in teaching during his younger days and now resides on the old home farm near Elysburg,-he is an active Prohibitionist; Kimber C .; David A., a graduate of Dickin- son Seminary, who studied law at Minneap- olis, where he practiced several years,-he subsequently entered the McCormick Theo-
MOSES AUSTIN ROGERS.
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SEVENTEENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
logical Seminary at Chicago, became a min- ister and now holds a charge in that city; Cora R., for eight years a successful teacher in the Shamokin schools, who is now a student in the University of Chicago; and William Caldwell, who died in early childhood.
OSES AUSTIN ROGERS, whose portrait the publishers present on the opposite page, is the oldest merchant in Sullivan County, Pa., having es- tablished himself in business in the town of Forksville in 1855, and it may be easily said that no other store in the county excels his. He is the senior member of the well known firm of M. A. Rogers & Son, which was formed in 1882, his son, William C., being junior member, and he is respected as one of the valued men of his community. He has been a life-long resident of Forksville. He was born March 22, 1833, and is a son of Moses and Jane (Sadler) Rogers, and grandson of Samuel Rogers.
The Rogers family is of English descent and our subject traces his ancestral history back to William Rogers, who was a grandson of John Rogers, the martyr, who was born in 1505. The next in line of descent was Jos- eph, born in 1732; then Samuel, born in Standah, England, May 1, 1760; the next was Samuel Rogers, Jr., the grandfather of our subject, who was born December 6, 1762, at Bramley, three miles west of Leeds in York- shire, England. He learned the trade of a weaver in his early days and followed it in his native country until the summer of 1801, when he and his family joined his oldest son, Samuel, who had come to America in 1800, and had located in the city of Philadelphia, Pa. He rented a small farm near that city, but,
wishing to make a larger settlement for his family, he went north and at the forks of Loyalsock Creek, in Sullivan County, Pa., he purchased of Dr. Joseph Priestley, a tract of land consisting of 124 acres, the price per acre being but $2.50. Hle then returned to his family, sending his son, Jonathan, to his new home to erect a log cabin and prepare for their coming: there he cleared a part of his land and in addition to farming and work- ing at his trade manufactured neatsfoot oil. His estate is now in the possession of his grandson, John W. Rogers. Samuel was married June 1, 1782, to Ann Gaunt, who was born in 1762, and they reared the following children: Samuel, born December 6, 1782. (lied February 14, 1857; Joseph, born August 1, 1784, died April 3, 1847; Jonathan, born October 7. 1785, died August 20, 1830; John. born February II. 1787, died March 1, 1858: William, born March 17, 1788, died Novem- ber 19, 1872; Hannah, born February 13. 1790, died October 13. 1848; Richard, born July 15; 1791, died November 15, 1875; David, born January 9. 1793, died February 10, 1840; Abram, born February 28, 1794. died March 6, 1794: Elizabeth, born April 9, 1795, died on the day of her birth: Martha. born May 8, 1796, died February 1. 1798: Benjamin, born September 28. 1797, died May 7, 1851; Reuben, born December 8. 1798, died July 24, 1850; Jacob, born January 31, 1800, died in June, 1801; George, born De- cember 9, 1802, died October 24. 1804: Isaac. born July 26, 1804. died February 15. 1856: Moses, our subject's father: and Martha, born May 11, 18c8, died February 18, 1879. Our subject's grandfather died January 29, 1828. and his grandmother died in 1823.
Moses Rogers was born on his father's homestead April 14, 1806, and worked with his father during his youth, assisting him in
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BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES.
farming and the lumber business. He also worked in the woolen factory which was erect- ed in 1803 by his brothers, Jonathan and Sam- tel. It was the first factory of its kind in that section of the state. They bought their wool in Philadelphia, hauled it over the mountains by teams, and manufactured it into cloth, which was then taken back to Philadelphia where it was made into clothing for the soldiers of the War of 1812. In 1817 the factory was de- stroyed by a flood and was never rebuilt. Moses later took possession of the homestead upon which he built a fine house and out- buildings and increased the acreage of the farm to 400 acres. He died February 18, 1879. His wife was Jane Sadler, a daughter of Joseph Sadler, and she was born August 20, 1810, and died February 6, 1892. The following children resulted from this union: Zilphia, born August 2, 1829; Samuel S., born September 22, 1831; Moses A., our subject; Isaac, born August 19, 1834; William, born October 8, 1836, was killed at the battle of Spottsylvania, May 12, 1864; Mary Jane, born February 8, 1838; and John W., born Jan- uary 2, 1845. In politics Mr. Rogers was a Republican.
Moses Austin Rogers attended the common schools and then started in business as a clerk in the store of Alonzo Potter, who owned the first store in Forksville, and later was with W. J. Eldred, remaining with him for four years. In June, 1855, he erected a building and buying a complete line of general mer- chandise began business for himself; in 1874 he built on a new front to the store and to-day has one of the most complete general stores in Sullivan County; his store occupies two floors, both being stocked with all the articles which tend to make his stock of goods complete. He gives his customers the closest attention and by honesty and courtesy to his patrons
has built up a very large trade. In 1882 he took his son William C. into the business, and the firm has since been known as M. A. Rog- ers & Son. In 1866 our subject erected a handsome home in the town; he also owns considerable other property in the township. Mr. Rogers is one of the most enterprising and progressive business men in the town of Forksville, always interested in any movement which tends to advance and build up his adopted town.
Mr. Rogers was wedded to Abigail Potter, a daughter of George W. Potter, a retired ma- chinist of Towanda, and this union resulted in the following offspring: William C .; Charles S .: Josephine married R. W. Stephens, by whom she has two children, Leon and Carl- ton; George Arthur; and Mary Eva, de- ceased.
William C. Rogers was born December 4, 1859, and was educated in the high school at Vineland, N. J., and at the Poughkeepsie Business College, graduating from the latter institution in 1882; upon returning home he entered the store of his father as a partner. He married Mary E. Wright, a daughter of John Wright, and to them one child has been born, Guy W., born March 31, 1884. He is a member of Evergreen Lodge, No. 163, F. & A. M .; No. 161, R. A. M., of Towanda; and No. 16, K. T., of Towanda. He served in the State Legislature in 1887-88 and has also served in the town council. He is vice-presi- dent and a director of the National Bank of Dushore.
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