Commemorative biographical record of central Pennsylvania : including the counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, Pt. 1, Part 61

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: Chicago : J. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 1358

USA > Pennsylvania > Jefferson County > Commemorative biographical record of central Pennsylvania : including the counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, Pt. 1 > Part 61
USA > Pennsylvania > Centre County > Commemorative biographical record of central Pennsylvania : including the counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, Pt. 1 > Part 61
USA > Pennsylvania > Clarion County > Commemorative biographical record of central Pennsylvania : including the counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, Pt. 1 > Part 61
USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > Commemorative biographical record of central Pennsylvania : including the counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, Pt. 1 > Part 61

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Soon after his marriage, Mr. Hartman began peddling the old Hathaway cook stoves, manu- factured by Search & Rockey, selling them throughout several counties in Pennsylvania, and later became foreman in their foundry. After acquiring considerable experience, he in company with his brother-in-law, J. D. Foote, purchased the foundry then owned by Haupt, Cummings &

Haupt, which they conducted under the firm style of Foote & Hartman, manufacturing stoves, implements, mill gearings, plow points, and cast- ings in general. At the end of seven years, Mr. Hartman sold out and made a trip to Illinois, with the view of locating in the West, but soon returned to Millheim. He stopped at Bellefonte on his way back, and at a sheriff's sale purchased the property which he now owns. To the coach shop already standing he added a foundry, with which he has since been connected; but is now practically living retired, leaving the active busi- ness management to his son. Besides his own comfortable residence he has also erected five others for his children. Always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need, he has sold many thousand dollars worth of goods on credit to men who were unable to pay for them at the time, and much of which he never collected. Integrity, honesty and fair dealings have characterized all his transactions, and his word has ever been con- sidered as good as his bond.

Mr. Hartman was a Democrat in politics un- til 1892, since which time he has voted the Pro- hibition ticket at State and National elections, but on local affairs votes independent of party ties. He has served as a member of the council and school board of Millheim, but cares nothing for official preferment. Socially he is an Odd Fellow, while, religiously, both himself and wife have been active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church since 1842, and for half a cen- tury he has served as class leader. They are earnest, sincere Christians, and their home has ever been the headquarters for visiting ministers. During the fifty-three years that have passed since they were made man and wife, they have been true to the vows taken, and Mrs. Hartman has proved a true helpmeet to her husband, cheer- ing him in hours of sorrow and adversity, and aiding in securing their present prosperity, which is so richly merited.

TOHN WOLF, a representative and promi- nent citizen of Potter township, Centre county, was born August 21, 1824, upon a farm near Sprucetown, where the birth of his father oc- curred October 22, 1796.

The family, which is quite numerous in Penn's Valley, was founded in Centre county, by Peter Wolf, the great-grandfather of our subject, who came from Carlisle, Penn., in the latter part of the seventeenth century. He had previously visited what is now Centre county, and being im- pressed with the locality returned to Cumberland county, where he owned considerable property,

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which he at once disposed of with the intention of buying in Centre county. He received Conti- nental money for his property in Cumberland, and by the time he got to Penn's Valley he found it was worthless to pay for his land there. He located in the portion of Potter township which was known as Wolf's Den, wild wolves being. very plentiful in that neighborhood, and with the aid of his family succeeded by improvement in securing a home. The deed to the land was ob- tained by Abraham Wolf, June 18, 1810 (after the death of his father), grandfather of our sub- ject, and a portion of it is now in the possession of John Wolf, the subject of this review.

Abraham Wolf, who throughout life followed the occupation of farming, was married in Cum- berland county, Penn., to a Miss Shauffner, and to them were born seven children-three sons and four daughters-namely: (1) Catharine, who married (first) John Hennigh, and (second) Phillip Grove. There was one daughter by her second marriage, who when about seventeen years of age, along with two other children, dur- ing the absence of their parents in Penn's Valley, at a camp meeting, was burned to death, their house it is supposed being set on fire by some men who were fishing at night by the aid of light from pine knots. Mrs. Grove, some years after her husband's death, went to live with her son, Jacob Hennigh, in Illinois, and there died. (2) Peter was the father of our subject. (3) Peggy married John Decker, and died in Potter town- ship. (4) Jacob's death occurred in Illinois. (5) Polly K. married James McBride, and died in Venango county, Penn. (6) John, who was twice married, died in Kansas. His first wife was Mary Wagner, a cousin of our subject (daughter of his mother's sister); she died when her first child, a daughter, was born, and both were buried in one coffin. They resided at Spruce- town, Penn., and the interment was made in Egghill cemetery, the second grave made there. (7) Elizabeth married Samuel Friese, and resides in Wisconsin. The parents of this family passed away in Centre county, and lie buried in what is now known as Tusseyville cemetery (then the Loop cemetery), Potter township.

Peter Wolf, the father, was a weaver by trade, which occupation he followed through the winter season, while in the summer he engaged in farming. He married Sally Ream, of Penn township, Centre county, after which lie located upon the old home farin of his father (at that time deceased), taking the farin at the appraise- ment. Here his wife died in 1831, and her remains were interred in Tusseyville cemetery. To this marriage there were born five children:

Mary, who married Samuel Harter, and died in Iowa; Margaret, the wife of George Newcomer, of Iowa; John, the subject of this sketch; George, a prominent citizen of Freeport, Ill., who served for one term as judge in Stephenson county, and died in September, 1896; and Peter, a resident of Dakota, Ill. After the death of his first wife, the father married Catharine Karr, of Union county, Penn., who also died on the old home- stead, and lies buried at Egghill. Two children were born to this union: Leah, who died when young; and Catharine (now Mrs. Thomas Toot), of Bellefonte, Penn. After the death of his second wife, the father broke up housekeeping, and died at the home of his son, Peter, near Dakota, Ill., at the age of eighty-six years. He was a tall, robust man, and was successful in his farming operations, succeeding in accumulating a comfortable competence. In early life he was a Lutheran, but later joined the Albright Church; in politics he regularly supported the Democratic party.

John Wolf began his education at the Long Bridge school, in Potter township, under the in- struction of Timothy Ladd, who came from the State of Maine. He was a cripple, and had always to keep his seat, being unable -to walk. Mr. Ladd returned to Maine, and lived to be ninety-six years of age. This was a subscription school. The first free school that Mr. Wolf attended was at Egghill, one of the best country schools of the township, his teacher, at that time, being William Toner. When about seven- teen years of age, he left home to learn the cabinet-maker's trade, in Millheim, under Samuel Harter. During his apprenticeship of two and one-half years, he received only his board and clothes and a two-weeks' vacation in harvest. at which interval he worked for fifty cents per day, thus securing spending money. For some time he continued to follow that trade, and when it was dull, he worked at carpentering. He went to Pittsburg, Penn., after the big fire there, in the spring of 1845, but not finding desirable employ - ment, he, along with five other men and a woman, went by boat to Cincinnati, Ohio. The fare from Pittsburg to Cincinnati was seventy-five cents each, and provisions twenty-five cent- each, the trip, which occupied two days and two nights, thereby costing the party one dollar apiece, the woman doing the cooking for them. and at the end of their journey they still had some provisions left over.

While in Cincinnati Mr. Wolf worked for one week for his board; then he worked two weeks m Dayton, Ohio, and after paying for his board had just $2.25 left. Later he found employment m

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the harvest fields in Perry county, Ohio, at fifty cents per day. From Ohio he went with another man, helping him for his expense in taking horses to Washington, D. C., where he had the pleasure of seeing President Polk, and from there he re- turned on foot to his old home in Potter town- ship. To this Mr. Wolf adds the following: "On my way from Ohio to Washington, D. C., I traveled through Maryland and Virginia, and was there an eyewitness to some of the effects of slavery. I saw one woman and her daughter (about eight years old) driven away, while the husband and father had to remain behind. The little girl cried for her 'papa' to go along, but not being sold with the 'lot', he could not go. It was this selling and breaking up of families that was so hard for the poor slaves, otherwise they were cared for better than the free negroes, or even most poor white people are". While on this trip Mr. Wolf saw the first railroad cars that his eyes ever beheld. They were on the road from Baltimore to Cumberland, Md. In the spring of 1846 he went to Freeport, Ill., in com- pany with his sister Margaret. and her husband, finding board and doing the cooking on the way, the journey being made in a wagon. Their trip was one that took them six weeks to make. This route was by way of Chicago, in which city they passed along Lake street, which was the muddiest piece of road on the route from Centre Hill, Penn., to Freeport, Ill., During the summer at Freeport he assisted in roofing the first brick house in the city. During the following winter and spring he worked at the carpenter's trade in Plainfield, Will Co., Ill., for $10 per month and board, and in 1847 went with surveyors to the Black river valley in Wisconsin, before that State had been admitted to the Union, and while there were still Indians there. The country was very wild, the party walking for days and days through dense pine forests and over swamps.

In the fall of 1847 Mr. Wolf returned to Pot- ter township, Centre Co., Penn., where, on Jan- uary 1, 1852, he was married to Miss Rebecca P. Sankey, who was born in 1828, in Nittany Valley. Clinton county, a daughter of James and Rebecca (Pennington) Sankey. Three children blessed their union: (1) Virginia, wife of David R. Sweetwood, of Potter township; they have four children-Charles M., Franklin W., Jennie A. and Verna C. (2) James, who died at the age of twenty-three years. (3) Sally, who was twice married, the first time to James Lee, by whom she had one son-Rufus Lee; her second husband is Jacob Kamp, of Lock Haven, Penn., by whom she lias two children-Edna C. and John W. The mother of this family died in De-

cember, 1876, and was buried in the Sprucetown cemetery. Later, the father married Miss Jen- nie E. Kohler, and they have one child-Mary M., at home. Our subject had purchased prop- erty near the Sprucetown Church, where for two years after his first marriage he made his home working at carpentering, then removing to a farm owned by his father, and located in the northwest part of Potter township. On this farm, years before the Indians left the Valley, they killed a white man and took a young lady a prisoner. During the eleven years he resided on that place, Mr. Wolf followed farming ex- clusively. In 1865 he purchased a portion of the old Wolf homestead near Sprucetown Church, and erected thereon good and sub- stantial buildings, where he continued to reside until his removal, in 1890, to his present place adjoining the farm. Renting his farm, he has now practically laid aside business cares, and is enjoying a well-earned rest. Mr. Wolf began life without means, and may properly be num- bered among the self-made men of Centre coun- ty, who have attained a good position among their fellow-citizens by the exercise of their na- tive resolution and industry. At the time he started for Illinois he had just thirteen dollars in money to go on. To secure .a competence he has also kept in view the good of the community, and he is one of the first men to be approached in the inauguration of any enterprise tending to build up the township and the welfare of its peo- ple. He cast one of the only two votes deposited in Potter township for Fremont in 1856, and also supported Lincoln at each election; but for the past twenty years he has been a Prohibitionist. During the Civil war (in the last draft made in 1865) he was drafted, but sent another man in his place, paying him $550. He keeps himself well posted in regard to current events, espe- cially matters pertaining to prohibition, and justly deserves to be numbered among the hon- ored and valued residents of Centre county. He has never united with any Church.

The following account of a trip made by Mr. Wolf, as one of a surveying party, from Free- port, Ill., into Wisconsin in 1847 when the coun- try was new, in thus graphically described by him: "We started from Freeport. Ill., went on foot with two horses with pack-saddles to the Mississippi river, which we crossed on a ferry- boat to Dubuque, Iowa. We had to wait there nearly a week before there was any boat going up the river. While there I saw the first Indians coming east to Indiana, where they had a Re- serve. The chief could talk some English and told us there was no game in Iowa, and couldn't

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live there. They crossed the river on the ferry- boat, which required several trips. After the first load had gone the chief knew what the price was for each Indian, pony and so on. He then got his money ready for the next load, and he appealed to Mr. Strohm, who was also from Centre county, Penn., and myself to see whether he was correct in his count, and said to us ' whiteman will cheat Indian.' We finally got a chance to go on a steamboat as far up the river as LaCrosse, Wis., which was as far as the boat went. We had to stay there several, days (as boats seldom went farther up the river). At that point, and at that time there were seven little buildings only, in all were kept flour, whiskey and some few groceries. The day after we arrived at LaCrosse, we were looking around, and were told by those keeping one of the larg- est stores there, that all of them were out of flour and whiskey. The day before when the boat came they all got a new supply, and he had retailed one barrel of whiskey and half a barrel of flour, mostly to the Indians, as there were scarcely any white people at that place. The boss of our party hired a small boat, about thirty feet long, which we pushed along with long poles, which reached the bottom of the river. There was one place the water was so deep that we could not reach the bed of the river and we had to cross over to the Iowa side, and had to paddle the boat with our hands and with little bits of boards that happened to be on the boat. We were taken some distance down stream and the same occurred in getting back to the Wisconsin side, where we found the mouth of the Black river.

"The second evening after, on Black river, we stopped to get our supper, there came a few Indians to us and wanted some whiskey, but we had none. We had two barrels of mess-pork, which they thought were barrels of whiskey, so we had some trouble to make them understand the situation as they could not speak English, and we couldn't talk to them only by motions. They could say ' whiskey,' and would point to the barrels and to their mouths. They went away, but soon returned and brought a few more In- dians with them, and a large fish weighing about thirty pounds, and also about a gallon of whor- tleberries which they wanted to trade for whis- key. We showed them the barrel of pork that we had opened, but they insisted for us to open the other barrel. Finally we got them convinced that we had no whiskey. We gave them some pork, bread and some money for the fish and berries, and then they left in peace. After we got up the river we stopped at a lumber camp

and then we went about seven miles south of the river where some surveyors had been before we went there. They had run the land into town- ships, and we were to run the section lines. At one place we got on a high ridge, one side of which was straight up and down, and on looking around to see the sights I stepped on a big rock that lay nearly on a balance over-hanging the other rocks. This nearly pitched me over, but I stepped back and told Strohm that it wouldn't take much to tumble it over, which we did with very little lifting, and when it struck below it broke into many pieces, which we could see roll- ing down into the valley. I just thought we would put it out of the way for somebody might go there some time, and step on it as I did, and tumble over. Well we did not finish the sur- veying as one of our men got hurt in one of his legs, and we had nothing with us to doctor him with, so the boss took him to the river, and he went home. After this I did his work (which was that of flagman) and my own, too (which was marking lines and corners). About a week later one of the chain carriers ran away. He went to the Black river, where he picked up a little boat and went back to Galena, Ill. Mr. Strohm and I helped him away without the boss knowing it, we were both tired of the job; then we could not go on with the work, so the four of us that were left started for Freeport, Ill., on foot with the two horses. We were four days in getting to the first little settlement, and we had only taken provision for three days, the distance being some ninety miles, so the last day we had nothing but coffee. The settlers were out of flour, but had a little cornmeal and milk, so we had mush and milk for supper. The settlers had sixty miles to go for flour. The next day we got to another settlement and soon were provided for."

The reason for Mr. Wolf's going to Illinois was that in the east there was little work to be found at such wages as would satisfy him. Wages were low. He had been offered work at his trade at eight dollars per month, but he was to furnish his own tools, and was required to pay his board on Sundays, and his laundry. He had been offered six dollars a month and board to drive a team, but this he declined as the hours were. long-from 6 A. M. to 6 p. M. - with other unsatisfactory features about it. This was in the spring of 1846. That same year, while in Chicago, he applied to a cabinet-maker for work. and was offered employment at piece work as follows: for making a breakfast table, seventy- five cents: for making a bedstead, forty cents; and all other kinds of work in proportion. At that time it took a workman two days or longer

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to make a table, so Mr. Wolf figured that at such prices he could make about thirty-eight cents per day. These prices were without board and lodging, which was three dollars per week. On Mr. Wolf's stating that he did not see how men could work for such prices, his reply, in substance, was that foreigners coming to that city would do it as they could live on about five cents a day. Mr. Wolf could then do about as much work as any other man, but he could not live on five cents a day or compete with men who did.

C HARLES GUMMO is numbered among the leading and enterprising farmers of Patton township, Centre county, and is also a stone. mason by trade. He comes from "over the sea," his birth having occurred in Wittenberg, Germany, March 24, 1827, and is a son of Charles and Elizabeth (Behrer) Gummo, both now deceased, the former dying in 1830, and the latter in 1888. They were the parents of four children, the others being Madaline, wife of B. Ruskin; Caroline, who married, and reared a family; and John, who married, and spent his en- tire life in the Fatherland.

In the land of his nativity Charles Gummo was reared and educated, and in 1852 he married Frederica Bardt. In the following year he sailed with his wife for America, landing in New York May 19, 1853. He was the only one of his fam- ily who ever sought a home in the New World, but here he has prospered, and is the owner of a good farm of forty acres in Patton township, Centre Co., Penn., which is under a high state of cultivation and well improved with good and substantial buildings. Before coming to this country he had served for four years in the Ger- man army, was therefore well drilled and dis- ciplined, and during the dark days of our Civil war, enlisted in the Union army September 14, 1864. On the battle field he was a brave and fearless soldier, and for meritorious conduct was promoted to lieutenant in the spring of 1865. Among the important engagements in which he participated was the battle of . Stony Creek. When the war was over and his services were no longer needed he was honorably discharged June 7, 1865, and returned home.

Thirteen children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Gummo, namely: Charles F., who is mar- ried, and living in Wisconsin; Frederick, who is married, and is a farmer of Pine Grove Mills, Centre county; Elizabeth, wife of Samuel Dun- lap, also of Pine Grove, Mills; Andrew, married, and engaged in farming in Patton township, Cen- tre county; George, married, and also a farmer

of the same township; William, a resident of Wisconsin; John, who is married and is an agri- culturist of Pine Grove Mills; Emma, wife of Ed- ward Louck, a farmer of Ferguson township, Centre county; David, who is married and is fireman in a sawmill in Patton township; Katha- rine, now a resident of California; Minnie, at home; and two children who died in early child- hood.

Since casting his first vote in 1860, Mr. Gummo has been a stalwart Democrat in politics. Socially he is connected with the Grange, while in religion he is a member of the United Breth- ren Church. That he is true and loyal to the interests of his adopted country was manifest by his service in the Civil war, and for injuries sustained in that struggle he now receives a pen- sion of $12 per month.

G MEORGE B. WEAVER, a valued and es- teemed resident of Rebersburg, was formerly an agriculturist of Miles township, Centre coun- ty, and enjoyed more than ordinary success, but has now laid aside the cares and responsibilities of active business life, and is enjoying a well- earned rest. He was born in Miles township, in August, 1821, a son of John Weaver, also a na- tive of Centre county, whose father was one of the pioneers of Brush Valley, coming from southern Pennsylvania to Centre county in the latter part of the eighteenth century. He was a farmer, and reared a large family, several of whom died in Brush Valley, others being scat- tered over the West.

John Weaver for his first wife wedded a Miss Fallgate, by whom he had one daughter. Sally, who became the wife of John Kreamer, and died in Brush Valley. After the death of the mother. Mr. Weaver wedded Polly Brungart, and to them were born five children: Jacob, who died un- married at the age of fifty-five years; John, who died in Brush Valley at the advanced age of eighty years; Henry, who died in the same place; George B., of this review; and Susan, who mar- ried Daniel Kreamer, and died in Rebersburg. The father was a distiller and farmer by occupa- tion, and was very successful in his business ventures, owning three valuable farms. He was a man of about five feet, eleven inches in height, very robust in his younger days, and at the time of his death, which occurred when he had reached the advanced age of ninety years, he was still well preserved, retaining his vitality to a remarkable degree. His second wife died at the age of seventy-seven, and was laid by his side in the cemetery of Rebersburg. They held mem-

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bership in the Reformed Church, and in politics he was a Democrat.

Upon the home farm George B. Weaver was reared, his education being obtained in the sub- scription schools of the neighborhood, which he was only able to attend about three months dur- ing each year as his services were needed on the farm. After the plowing, sowing and reaping were completed, the grain had to be threshed by tramping it out, and this was done during the winter season, so that it left little time for him to attend school. At the age of ten years he be- gan hauling wood by ox-team for his father's dis- tillery. In January, 1843, he was married, in Miles township, to Miss Sallie Harper, who was born in Brush Valley, in 1822, a daughter of George and Elizabeth (Kreamer) Harper. They became the parents of three children: Fietta (now Mrs. S. Krumrine); Joanna. wife of Prof. C. L. Gramley; and Della, at home.

Mr. Weaver began his domestic life upon one of his father's farms, which he later pur- chased and still owns. In the early days he had to haul all his grain and produce to Lewisburg, and it took two or three days to make the round trip as the road was very rough and steep, and often four or six horses were required to haul a load of fifty or sixty bushels of grain. Mr. Weaver remained upon the farm until April 4, 1868, when he removed to Rebersburg, where he is now living a retired life in the pleasant and comfortable home which he there purchased. However, he still owns an excellent farm in Miles township.

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Commemorative biographical record of central Pennsylvania : including the counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, Pt. 1, Part 61

Author: J.H. Beers & Co Publication date: 1898 Publisher: Chicago : J. H. Beers Number of Pages: 1358

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: Chicago : J. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 1358