USA > Pennsylvania > Beaver County > Book of biographies : this volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Beaver County, Pennsylvania > Part 9
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attention to the American Porcelain Com- pany. Nathan Graham was a Republican, and a member of the Lutheran church.
William A. P. Graham attended the high school of Allegheny City, and then pursued the study of photography for three years, but as his eyes failed him, he was obliged to aban- don it. He accepted the clerkship at Ray- mond Bros.' wholesale house in Allegheny, and remained with them until 1889, when he went to New Brighton, and became clerk and bookkeeper for the Pittsburg Clay Manufac- turing Company. When the American Por- celain Co. was incorporated, he became one of the stockholders, as well as secretary and treasurer. He married Lillie M. Farmer, a daughter of Thomas Farmer.
Thomas Farmer was born in Birmingham, England, a son of William Farmer, who was a skilled mechanic in wire drawing, especially in silver and gold metal. His services were sought by New England manufacturers, and he came to this country, but soon went back to England. There for many years he manu- factured iron screws for wood work. Later in life, after retiring, he came to America in 1857, and died at his son's home in Wheeling, West Virginia, at the age of ninety years. He was married twice, first to Miss Coleman, who died early in life. Their children were as fol- lows: Ann; Edward; William ; Mary A .; and Thomas. His second marriage was with Ann Platt, and she bore him three children, namely: John P .; David J .; and Samuel. Thomas Farmer early in life became a portrait painter, and came to America in 1855, locat-
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HENRY ENGLEHART COOK.
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ing in Pittsburg. His brother came to this country in 1857, and Thomas gave up paint- ing, and went into business with his brother, John P., at Philadelphia. They manufactured carriage bolts, and after a few years moved to Newark, N. J., and later, to Wheeling, West Va. After selling out there. they moved to Canton, Ohio, and two years later, located at New Brighton, Pa., where they carried on a general machine shop for a few years. They then began the manufacture of rivets at Pen- . yan, New York. Here Mr. Farmer retired from business and moved once more to New Brighton. Pa., where he still resides. He mar- ried Jane Chivers, a daughter of Joshua Chivers, and their children are as follows: Agnes; Howard: Ella; and Lillie, the wife of the subject of this sketch.
Mr. and Mrs. Graham have one child, Wil- liam A. Mr. Graham is a firm Republican, and is a member of the Royal Arcanum and of the Woodmen of the World; he belongs to the Episcopal church. He is highly respected in the community, and is always willing to give aid to anything which is for the good of the people of his town.
G ENRY ENGLEHART COOK, the superintendent and general manager of the Beaver Valley Electric Light & Power Co., of Beaver Falls, Pa., a highly esteemed citizen and ex-sheriff of Beaver county, was born in Bridgewater, Pa., July 31, 1843, and is a son of Henry and Margaret (Reiter) Cook.
Henry Cook was born in Weingarten, Ger- many, January 15, 1807. He was joined in marriage, in March, 1831, with Margaret Rei- ter, who was also born at the same place. Mrs. Cook is a daughter of Ferdinand and Margaret (Hurst) Reiter, and is still living at Beaver, Pa., enjoying the best of health. Much valuable information, data, etc., for this sketch were generously and cheerfully fur- nished by her, and were obtained from a Bible she carried to school when a child, being in- scribed on the pages reserved for family rec- ords. in a well written German hand. She was born August 13, 1810.
Henry Cook had a brother in Johnstown, Pa., who persuaded him to come to America. With his wife and three eldest sons, he started from the old country in June, 1838, taking passage on a sailing vessel; meeting with much bad weather, they did not arrive at New York until the following September. After landing, they proceeded by wagon and stage to Philadelphia, Pa., thence by canal to Har- risburg and Johnstown. Arriving there, they learned of a great boom in the Beaver Valley, where a canal was in operation and villages were built. They left Johnstown for Pittsburg, and traveled in wagons to Monaca, Beaver county, which was then called Phillipsburg. At that place, Mr. Cook followed the trade of a stone mason for some time, removing later to Bridgewater, and still later settling in Bea- ver, Pa., where he built a fine residence on Fourth street, now owned by his widow. While working upon this residence, he was taken ill with cholera, caused by drinking cold
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water, while overheated from work. This ill- ness terminated in death July 14, 1845. He was a man who possessed a strong constitu- tion and was unfortunately cut off in the very prime of life, and did not live to enjoy what he had planned, a haven of earthly rest.
Mr. Cook built much of the masonry of his day, in and around Beaver. He also built the reservoir now standing back of Henry E. Cook's residence. He was born and christened with the name of Koch, as the family for- merly spelled their name. Upon getting his naturalization papers made out, he was asked his name, and omitted to tell the authorities how it should be spelled. Upon the comple- tion of the papers, he accepted them, suppos- ing them to be correct. Later, upon discover- ing the mistake, he thought it would make no material difference and did not have them changed; this course he afterward regretted very much as, by voting under the name of Cook, he soon became known by that name, until the family finally adopted that method of spelling it. He built his home on Fourth street in 1844, and there his death occurred. His good wife was left to rear and educate the family, which she did as few mothers have done,-devoting her whole life to that task. She is now esteemed by all and revered by her children, whose names are as follows: Jacob Frederick, born in Germany, January 19, 1832, died February 14, 1847, and lies buried in the Lutheran burial ground of Pittsburg; John Francis, who was born in Germany, February 23, 1834, and died October 18, 1855; Christian Frederick, who was born in
Germany, January 10, 1838. and was killed May 12, 1864, in the battle of the Wilderness, being a member of Company F. 140th Reg .. Pa. Vol. Inf .; Christine Louise, born August 10, 1841, who became the wife of D. M. Miller of Beaver, and is the mother of five children ; and Henry Englehart, the subject of these lines.
Henry Englehart Cook attended the public schools, and with a careful mother's training grew to be a boy who was respected and trusted by all who knew him. At the age of thirteen years (in 1856), he was appointed un- der James Buchanan, to carry mail on horse- back from Beaver to New Lisbon, Ohio; this duty occupied two days every week, in all kinds of weather, and involved a trip of 28 miles. In addition to this, he carried the mail, four days each week, from Beaver to Roches- ter, Pennsylvania. In accomplishing this task he never failed, and his reliability and punc- tual habits won him a reputation which deter- mined his future. At the age of eighteen years, he enlisted in the Union Army, October 9, 1861, on the first call for volunteers. He was a private in Company F, IOIst Reg., Pa. Vol. Inf., and served three years. In the bat- tle of Plymouth, N. C., he was taken prisoner and confined in the Andersonville prison, in Georgia, being removed thence to Charleston, and then to Florence, S. C., where he was ex- changed December 13, 1864. Returning to parole camp at Annapolis, Md., he was grant- ed a thirty days' furlough on account of his poor health, and went home to recuperate, and relieve an anxious mother's fears. He
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went back to his regiment and received an honorable discharge March 18, 1865, al- though his papers bore date of December, 1864.
On the termination of the war, Mr. Cook returned to his home, and, after following the carpenter trade for a short time, he became interested in the lightning-rod business. Sub- sequently he was elected constable of Beaver, serving three consecutive years, until 1881, when he was elected sheriff by the Democratic party by over two hundred majority. He served three years as sheriff, during which the great riot at Beaver Falls took place, in which some twenty rioters were placed in his cus- tody, four of whom were convicted,-sentence being suspended. At the close of his term. Mr. Cook was appointed deputy revenue col- lector of the twenty-third district of Pennsyl- vania, serving four years and three months. He then became superintendent and manager of the Beaver Valley Electric Light & Power Co., of Beaver Falls, which position he is still filling in an eminently satisfactory manner. In 1873, he purchased about one acre of land on Fifth street, and built a fine residence thereon, grading the lawns surrounding it, and setting out an abundance of small fruit and shade trees. In addition to this he re- built his mother's residence, adding another story ; he also owns a fine tenement house on Fourth street, built by his uncle, Jacob, in 1844. His possessions include a number of choice building lots, he having purchased, in 1890, a tract of land 120 by 300 feet. This tract is known as the Mark estate, and is sit-
uated on Beaver street. Mr. Cook divided a portion of it into five fine lots, one of which he sold to each of the following persons: E. J. Allison, James Reed, Lewis Reed, and the purchaser of the premises where J. I. Martin now lives. These are among the best resi- dents of Beaver.
The subject of this writing has been twice married. His first wife was Sarah K. Shel- drake, a daughter of Joshua and Elizabeth (Shoemaker) Sheldrake. She was born in 1845, and passed to her final rest, leaving five children, namely : Frederick H., a contractor and carpenter of Beaver; Carrie Louise, still unmarried; Charles O., an electrician of Bea- ver Falls, who married Ollie Miller, and had two children, Lloyd and Henry ; Henry W., a carpenter; and Mary E., also enjoying single blessedness.
Mr. Cook contracted a second matrimonial alliance, this time with Mary E. Matheny, a daughter of John and Caroline (Shoemaker) Matheny. No issue resulted from this union. The family worship with the Presbyterians, and contribute liberally toward the support of that denomination. Mr. Cook's portrait accompanies this sketch.
OSEPH W. KNOTT, the secretary and treasurer of the firm of Knott, Harker & Co., of Beaver Falls, Pa., has lived a varied and useful life, every act of which has been marked by some innate honesty of pur- pose, and by such strict adherence to the highest principles of probity, that his name is
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honored and his influence is felt throughout his chosen community. Mr. Knott has occu- pied his present responsible position ever since the organization of the firm of Knott, Harker & Co., in 1884. The company was formed for the purpose of manufacturing fire- place grates, and hardware novelties, but quite recently, extensions have been made, machine shops added, etc., and castings of all descrip- tions are now manufactured. When the plant 'is running full time, about 60 men are employed.
Mr. Knott is also a director in the First National Bank of Beaver Falls and takes a fitting and appropriate interest in the progress of the town, being classed among its most progressive citizens. The subject of our sketch was born near Manchester, England, April 4, 1844, and is a son of Moses and Ann (Whitworth) Knott. His parents came to America in 1849, when he was only five years old. They crossed the Alleghany Mountains by way of the Ohio Canal and the Pittsburg R. R. going first to Lawrence county, and later to Beaver county. His father had learned the trade of a cotton spinner while living in England, and followed that business in this country for many years. In 1853, he located in Fallston, Pa., where he secured a situation in a cotton mill, but subsequently went to the town of Brighton, now Beaver Falls. Some time after locating at the latter place, he embarked in the grocery business, keeping a little store stocked with staple gro- ceries; and at same time holding the position of postmaster of Brighton. The office was
discontinued while he was in charge, under Buchanan's admini tration, and the p'ace was without a postoffice until about the year 1865, when the town took new life under the name of Beaver Falls.
Moses Knott was a man of quiet, unassum- ing manner and gentle disposition. He was for many years a member of the Methodist church. His death occurred in August, 1894, at the age of eighty-five years. His sterling qualities secured for him the esteem and love of a large circle of friends, and made his name honored throughout his locality.
Joseph W. Knott was primarily educated in the public schools of New Brighton. After leaving school, he accepted a position in a dry goods store at that place, where he remained from 1865 to 1870. In 1870 he held a position with an iron firm in Sharpsville, Mercer county, after which he was employed as book- keeper and cashier for the Beaver Falls Cut- lery Works until 1884. covering a period of fourteen years. In 1884, he became a mem- ber of the firm of Knott, Harker & Co., and was chosen secretary and treasurer of the same,-his present position,-which he has filled in a highly creditable manner, satisfac- tory to all concerned.
The subject of our sketch chose for his wife and life partner, Martha Brierly. Mr. and Mrs. Knott have only one child now living, and that is Lois, who is a prominent teacher in the schools of the state of New York, and of whom they are exceedingly proud. Mr. Knott is a gentleman who has traveled life's road, attending strictly to the matters which
DR. ORRIN H. FRANKLIN.
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have confronted him along his path. His ex- perience is filled with a record of labors well done. Wherever his duties have led him, all branches of service have received his atten- tion, and he lias tried to discharge all the obli- gations of his citizenship with a fidelity which has borne to him the merited good will of his fellow men.
R. ORRIN H. FRANKLIN, whose portrait is presented on the opposite page, is a leading and successful dentist of Beaver Falls, where he has been en- gaged in the practice of his profession for many years; he is a practical man and has a shrewd eye for improvements and new adap- tations in his profession. Almost his entire time not devoted to practice, is spent in study, and his friends and admirers are satisfied that he will yet win a name that will rank high in the world of science; even the few that are slow to take up with any new thing, no mat- ter how meritorious, concede that his success is something wonderful. Dr. Franklin is a son of Benjamin and Martha (Reed) Franklin, and was born in Industry township, Beaver county, Pa., February 3, 1859. He received a good common school training; after leaving school he learned the trade of a cooper and keg maker, commencing at about the age of fifteen years, with the firm of M. T. & U. S. Kennedy.
Young Franklin was quick and handy with tools, having much natural ability in that di- rection, and soon became an expert keg
maker; he worked at that trade for four or five years, receiving at first but 30 cents per day. It was his amibition to fit himself for something better, and to this end he applied himself with an ardor that has been followed by very successful results. By strict attention to business and by economy, he saved enough money while in the cooper business to carry him through college. After studying for two years with Dr. A. M. Whisler, of New Brigh- ton, one of the oldest practitioners of the county, he entered the Pennsylvania Dental College of Philadelphia, completing the course February 25, 1882. Immediately after his graduation, Dr. Franklin located in New Brighton and practiced dentistry there for four years, securing a liberal patronage. In the meantime, Dr. Franklin had opened up a branch office at Beaver Falls, where he also practiced dentistry a part of his time. At the end of his fourth year he had opportunity to sell the business at New Brighton for a satis- factory consideration, and was induced to dis- pose of his interests at that place and devote his whole attention and time to the practice of his profession in Beaver Falls, which, by that time, had increased to extensive propor- tions.
Dr. Franklin is a conscientious gentleman and is very highly regarded wherever he is known. His professional ability is recognized and the high position he occupies in the esti- mation of the citizens of Beaver Falls is well merited. He is a member of the Odontologi- cal Society of Pittsburg.
Dr. Franklin was married to Lucy Thorn-
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ley, an accomplished lady, September 30, 1885. One son, Benjamin, resulted from this union.
Benjamin Franklin, father of the subject of these lines, was a native of the state of New York, and was reared and educated in Ohio, whither he had been taken. He subsequently located in Beaver county, Pa., and adopted the profession of teaching, to which he has de- voted his energies since that time; he now has the distinction of being the oldest teacher in Beaver county. He is spending his declin- ing years at New Brighton, in charge of a school. He ranks high among the ablest in- structors in Western Pennsylvania and has served two terms of three years each, as super- intendent of schools of Beaver county. He has always taken a leading part in the educa- tional development of the county, being an advocate of good schools and competent teachers as the best means of suppressing lawlessness, and making honorable citizens, and true men and women. He and his good wife were blessed with two children, the elder of whom is the subject of this biography, and the younger, Milan O., resides with his father, in New Brighton, and occupies a position in the Union Drawn Steel Works.
HOMAS L. MINESINGER is a prominent and well-to-do resident of Beaver Pa., and is one of the successful oil producers of the county. He is a native of Ohio township, Beaver county, Pa., his birth occurring April 12, 1844; he is a son of
Godfrey and Sarah (Laughlin) Minesinger, and grandson of Jacob Minesinger.
Jacob Minesinger was born in Wurtem- berg, Germany, though his parents were orig- inally from Italy. Jacob learned the stone- mason trade in his native country, and in 1798 came to the United States; he bought four hundred acres of timber land in Green towil- ship, Beaver county, which is now the home of Mr. Robert Sweney. He made many im- provements upon the farm, besides clearing a large portion of it, he and his sons built a large stone house. Jacob and his wife Cath- erine were buried in the family ground on the homestead farm. He and his family were members and regular attendants of the Pres- byterian church. His children were: David ; Jacob; James; John; Joseph; Godfrey; and Elsie.
Godfrey Minesinger was born on his father's farm and his boyhood days were spent in learning the masonry trade and aiding his father in cultivating the farm; he bought one hundred and fifty-five acres of new land, upon which he built a fine set of buildings; as his boys grew up they operated the farm while he worked at his trade as a mason. He built the stone abutment for the suspension bridge at Wheeling, West Virginia, and contracted for railroad masonry for many years. His farm is now the property of Charles Brooker. He owned a considerable amount of other property in this county, including the George Brown estate. He died in the latter part of 1874, aged sixty-eight years. His wife was Sarah Laughlin, a daughter of Thomas
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Laughlin; she was born in 1800 and died in 1886; their children were three: John and Joseph, deceased; and Thomas L., the subject hereof. Mr. Minesinger was well-read, intelli- gent, and public-spirited; he was a man who delighted in debates and for the sake of an argument he would often support the side of a question contrary to that which he really believed; being a man of superior judgment, he was often called upon for advice in various business transactions. He was a consistent Presbyterian.
Thomas L. Minesinger attended the district school and assisted his father during his youthful days, and at seventeen years of age he was apprenticed to the blacksmith trade; after three years of that labor he sought the river life and in 1862 he started as striker's engineer on the Ohio River, but the last four years of his river life were spent as engineer. Returning home, with his brother John he followed farming five years, when he accepted a position as station agent at Smith's Ferry ; he afterwards spent twelve years as a mer- chant, and was also postmaster of the village. Selling out to S. J. Fair in 1894, he settled in Beaver and became associated with S. P. & D. H. Stone, also of Beaver, in the production of oil,-working in Ohio township and other places in the county. Mr. Minesinger owns a neat residence on the corner of Bank and Commercial avenues, which he makes his home.
The subject of this sketch was first united in marriage with Narcisse B. Smith, a daugh- ter of Jesse Smith of Smith's Ferry; she died
aged thirty years; three children were born to their union : John L., a graduate from West- ern Pennsylvania Medical College of Pitts- burg, now practicing at Bellaire, Ohio; Jesse, deceased; and Eddie S., who is now in his second year in the above named medical school. Mr. Minesinger's second wife is Mary Ecoff, a daughter of J. Ralph Ecoff of Roch- ester, Pa., and they have one child, Thomas L., who is now attending school in Beaver. Mr. Minesinger is a Republican in politics ; socially, for the past twenty years he has been a member of the Glasgow Lodge, No. 485. F. & A. M., of which he has also been past master; and of the I. O. O. F. In religious views, he is a prominent member, and a trus- tee, of the Presbyterian church of Bridge- water.
DWARD L. DAWES, whose pro- nounced success as a member of the firm of Dawes & Myler has brought him into wide prominence, is a man gifted with extraordinary ability. He is a young man in t':e prime of life, but in all his transactions, he has displayed shrewdness and foresight far beyond his years. He is a son of John L. and Charlotta Jemima (League) Dawes, grandson of Jonathan Dawes, and was born in Alle- gheny City, Pennsylvania.
His father, John L. Dawes, was born in Nottingham, England, and came to America a single man. He followed the trade of a painter in Trenton, N. J., and afterward in Pittsburg and Allegheny City. In the last
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named city he was engaged in contracting for painting and continued thus until he be- gan the manufacture of glass in the line of drug supplies and sundries. He conducted a wholesale house in that line until his demise at the age of sixty-one years. He was united in marriage with Charlotta Jemima League, who was born in Virginia but is now living in Allegheny, and their union resulted in the following offspring: Harriet ; Mary ; Martha, deceased; Edward L., the subject of this bio- graphical record; and John L.
Edward L. Dawes was reared and educated in Allegheny City, and at the age of thirteen years entered into active employment as tru- ing boy for his father. Upon reaching man's estate he became a partner in his father's busi- ness, continuing as such with good results un- til he was twenty-seven years of age. He then became bookkeeper of the Standard Manufac- turing Co. of Pittsburg, and ten months later was chosen as manager of that concern, re- maining in that capacity until 1888. Having gained largely in practical business experi- ence, he was qualified to enter into business on his own behalf, and in that year he removed to New Brighton and formed a partnership with W. Albert Myler, under the firm name of Dawes & Myler. This firm is now proprie- tor of one of the largest establishments in this section of the state.
Messrs. Dawes and Myler, both men in the prime of life and possessed of considerable ex- perience, located at New Brighton, Beaver county, in 1887, and purchased four acres of land at Allegheny street and Block House
Run, on which they built a brick plant and engaged in the manufacture of porcelain lined bath-tubs and sanitary specialties, and also of plumbers' supplies. They employed about eighty men of experience during the first year, and in March, 1889, placed their product on the market. Being of a superior quality, no difficulty was experienced in selling all that could be produced, and in time it was seen that the plant must be enlarged to meet the requirements of the demand. In 1892, an ad- ditional three acres of land was purchased, and now six acres are covered with buildings, all of which are of brick but the foundry. which is a substantial frame building. It is heated by hot air and lighted by electricity from their own plant. The works are run by steam and are in operation day and night, as many as 425 men being employed daily, and the pay roll per day being not less than $1,000. It is a fact worthy of mention that ever since the firm was first organized the plant has been in full operation and has not missed a single pay day. It can readily be seen that in addi- tion to bringing industrious men and estab- lishing new homes in the town, the large amount of money put in circulation by the employees has resulted in material benefit to the borough of New Brighton. The goods of their manufacture have a wide reputation and are sold in the markets of all the countries of Europe, in Australia, Japan, Cuba, and the Hawaiian Islands, as well as in every state in the Union.
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