USA > Pennsylvania > Jefferson County > Commemorative biographical record of central Pennsylvania : including the counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, Pt. 1 > Part 83
USA > Pennsylvania > Centre County > Commemorative biographical record of central Pennsylvania : including the counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, Pt. 1 > Part 83
USA > Pennsylvania > Clarion County > Commemorative biographical record of central Pennsylvania : including the counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, Pt. 1 > Part 83
USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > Commemorative biographical record of central Pennsylvania : including the counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, Pt. 1 > Part 83
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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
in January, 1848, he graduated at the medical college of Geneva, New York.
Dr. Smith began the practice of his chosen profession in Hublersburg, Centre county, where he was unknown, and was therefore dependent upon his skill and ability for success; but he soon succeeded in obtaining a large patronage. There he married Mary Kopp, the wedding ceremony being performed by Rev. Fisher, a Reformed Church minister. She was born in Limestone township, Union Co., Penn., March 15, 1822, and came to Centre county with her parents, George and Elizabeth Kopp, who later removed to Sandusky county, Ohio; but she remained in Centre county, where she was working as a do- mestic at the time of her marriage.
On leaving Hublersburg, Dr. Smith went to Centre Hall, and in the spring of 1871 removed to the George Hoffer farm, which he had pur- chased the previous fall. He was living there at the time of his death, October 4, 1877, and was buried in the cemetery of Centre Hall. He was a successful practitioner, and many would have made more money from the same volume of business, but he was never given to exorbitant charges, and often made no charge at all. He never refused to make a visit because the patient was poor and he knew that he would receive nothing for it, but went as readily as if his fees were sure. At his death he left his family in comfortable circumstances, and the priceless heritage of an untarnished name. The Doctor was well posted on current issues and questions, was a supporter of the Democratic party, on which ticket he was a candidate for the Legisla- ture at one time, and socially he was connected with the I. O. O. F. and the Grange, being a charter member of the latter organization. He was also an officer in the Lutheran Church, with which he held membership.
The following children came to the marriage of Dr. and Mrs. Smith: Sarah A., born October 8, 1850, died in infancy; Susan A., born April 19, 1852, married A. Q. Stover, and died in Clifford, Mich., in October, 1893; Alice C., born January 26, 1854, died June 29, 1855: John J. W., born May 24, 1855, died in childhood; Sa- loma M., born October 20, 1856, died October 7, 1868: William B., born April 21, 1858, died December 25, 1883: Mary M., born March 24, 1861, died July 21, 1865: and S. W., our sub- ject. In 1872 the family removed to Centre Hall, but in 1890 they returned to the home farm, where our subject is living. His mother resided with him until March 6, 1897, when she died after a short illness. She was laid to rest by the side of her husband.
In the public schools of Centre county Mr. Smith was educated, his first teacher being Col. J. L. Spangler, and on laying aside his text- books, at the age of eighteen, he began learning the printer's trade in the office of the Centre Re- porter, of Centre Hall. There he remained un- til September, 1886, when he became associate editor of the Centre County Times, of the same place, and was the mainstay of the office, doing the greater part of the editorial and mechanical work from the very start. After two years' con- nection with this paper he went to Bellefonte, where for nearly a year he worked on the Key- stone Gasette, and then was with the Democrat and Sentinel, of Lewistown, Penn., in the ca- pacity of local editor. Failing health compelled him to abandon the business, and in 1888 he re- turned to the home farm in Potter township, which he has since successfully operated, and half of which he now owns.
On November 12, 1885, in Spring Hills, Penn., Mr. Smith was married to Miss Jennie L. Kuhn, of Boalsburg, who was born in Spring township, Centre county, September 24, 1866, a daughter of William H. and Margaret (Relph) Kuhn, the latter now residing at Jersey Shore, Penn. Mr. Smith has always given his political support to the Democratic party; fraternally he is a member of the Grange. Although a young man, he is classed among the most progressive and enterprising farmers of Potter township, is straightforward and reliable, and is well posted on various topics. He and his estimable wife are faithful members of the Lutheran Church, in which he has served as deacon, and for fifteen years has been a teacher in the Sunday-school.
S AMUEL BRUGGER. There are no rules for building characters; there is no rule for achieving success. The man who can rise from the ranks to a position of eminence is he who can see and utilize the opportunities that surround his path. The essential conditions of life are ever the same, the surroundings of individuals differ but slightly; and, when one man passes another on the highway to reach the goal of prosperity before others who perhaps started out before him, it is because he has the power to use advantages which probably encompass the whoh human race. To-day among the most prominent business men of central Pennsylvania stands Mr. Brugger, whose work as a civil engineer covers a wide radius of territory.
Johann Rudolph Brugger (grandfather of our subject), a son of Samuel Brugger, was born in October, 1772. in the District of Brugg, Canton
--
Same Brugger
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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
Aargau, Switzerland, and after his marriage with Catherine Wildi located at Veltheim, in the same canton, where he engaged in linen weaving. In 1817, with his family, consisting of wife and six children, he started for the New World; but dur- ing the three-months' voyage one of his three sons died and was buried in the ocean. On land- ing at Philadelphia, Grandfather Brugger went up the Susquehanna river to McKee's Half Falls, and located at Grubb's Church, five miles from the river, where he made his home for several years. He then removed to what was then Union county, but is now Snyder county, Penn., locating a few miles from the mouth of Mohan- tongo creek, where his death occurred at the age of eighty-two years.
Gabriel Brugger (the father of our subject) was born in Veltheim, Switzerland, June 1, 1804, and was thirteen years old when he came with the family to this country. He wedded Cath- erine Arnold, who was born in Chapman town- ship, Union county, Penn., May 19, 1805, and was a daughter of George Arnold. Ten chil- dren were born of this union: Saloma, now the widow of Nathan Forrey, of Sandusky county, Ohio; Rudolph, a farmer of the same county; Samuel, the subject of this review; Gabriel, also a farmer of Sandusky county, Ohio; Benjamin, a farmer of Murfreesboro, Tenn. ; George, deceased; Jonathan, a carpenter of Berrysburg, Penn .; Mary A., deceased wife of Joseph Vogt, of Clyde, Ohio; William, deceased; and Mary E., wife of Silas Malich, of Wayne, Neb. After his mar- riage the father of our subject removed to the old Stone Valley church, in Lower Mahanoy township, Northumberland county, Penn., where he resided until October, 1839, when he went to Perry township, Union county, Penn. (now Sny- der county), and located upon a small farm near Mt. Pleasant Mills.
The birth of our subject occurred near the old Stone Valley Church in Northumberland county, August 26, 1830. His early education was rather limited, he at first attending a Ger- man school for a part of a year in his native county, where the public-school system had not yet been adopted. During the last two years he attended school there, he learned to read English, but did not understand what he read. After the removal of the family to Union county, he at- tended the public schools for three months, the length of the winter term. By the law then ex- isting the citizens of the district could take a vote every three years, and reject or adopt the pub- lic-school system, and for several years afterward there were no public schools.
At the age of ten years, Mr. Brugger started 26
out to fight life's battle, at first working for his board and clothes with an uncle, Jonathan Gel- nett, of Juniata county, Penn., where he re- mained three years and one-half. Returning home, he was a student in a private school for two months during the winter for a couple of years, taking up reading, arithmetic and a little penmanship. In the fall of 1846 he taught a two-months' term of school in Greenwood town- ship, Juniata county, and so successful was he in this venture that he followed the profession for several years, alternately teaching and attending school. In 1849 he pursued his studies for one session in the Dickinson Seminary, at Williams- port, Penn., under Rev. Thomas Bowman, now a retired bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In the year previous his father had given him his time, and he left home with his small stock of clothing and school books in a trunk, going to Boalsburg, Centre county, where he clerked in the general store of George Jack for $5 per month for three months. He next cooked for a party of lumbermen in Clearfield county, Penn., for his board. In the winter of 1848-49 he taught school at Grahamton, in that county, but in the following spring he returned home.
After attending the seminary at Williamsport for one term, Mr. Brugger's funds were exhausted. and he engaged in teaching for a time at Mt. Pleasant Mills, Union county, and near Union- ville, in Centre county. In the summer of 1851 he traveled on foot through Pennsylvania. Mich- igan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Ohio, and back again to his old home. He then taught school until 1853, when for five months he attended Joshua Hoope's school for boys at Westchester. Penn. He then entered the railroad service. with which he has since been mainly connected, first going to Unionville, where he was chainman on the Bald Eagle Valley railroad. During the summer of 1854 he was rodman on the Tangas- cootak railroad, later taught school at Union- ville, and in April, 1855, he went to Minnesota, for a time being employed as assistant city en- gineer on the streets of St. Paul. In the fall of the same year he was engineer in charge of the survey of the Minnesota & Northwestern railroad from St. Paul to Cannon river, the first railroad projected in the territory.
On February 14, 1856, Mr. Brugger was mar- ried to Miss Margaret Peters, who was born at Unionville, Penn., February 29. 1836, and is a daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Iddings) Peters, also natives of Centre county. Her paternal grandparents, Lawrence and Elsie (McGinnis) Peters, were born in Lancaster county, Penn.,
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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
and were among the early settlers of Centre county, where they spent their remaining days upon a farm. Joseph and Margaret (Henry) Iddings, the maternal grandparents, were natives of Chester county, Penn., and were also pioneer farming people of Centre county. The brothers and sisters of Mrs. Brugger are as follows: John died in the Union service during the Civil war; Joseph died from the effects of his army serv- ice; Mary A. is the wife of Daniel Schuman, of Missouri; and Sarah F. is the wife of Daniel Hall, a blacksmith, of Unionville, Penn. Six children blessed the union of our subject and his wife: Walter M., a carpenter by trade, but now on the road; Nora I., wife of William F. Becker, stationery agent at Harrisburg, Penn .; Caroline A., wife of John C. Rumberger, agent for the Central railroad of Pennsylvania at Salona, Clin- ton county, Penn .; Joseph, a farmer of Union township, Centre county; and John P. and Eliz- abeth C., at home.
After his marriage, Mr. Brugger erected his pleasant home at Unionville, Centre county, where he has since resided. From October, 1856, until November, 1864, he was connected with the construction of the Bald Eagle Valley railroad; was next with the Sterling Mountain railroad at New York: in 1866 located about fifty miles of the Winslow Colliery & Clarion River road; and in 1867 helped to construct the West- ern Maryland railroad. In the following January he went to New York as principal assistant en- gineer on the Boston, Hartford & Erie railroad, with which he was connected until 1870, when on account of lack of funds work was abandoned. Returning to the Western Maryland road, he was resident engineer for three and one-half years, or until its completion, when he returned home. For several years he was then with the Pennsyl- vania & Western railroad, and subsequently for three years was with the Susquehanna & South- western, now called the Beach Creek railroad, which extends between Jersey Shore and Ma- haffey, Penn. Since 1882 he has located the Dickerson Run & Red Stone railroad between Dawson and Uniontown, Penn .; the Kettle Creek railroad, between Westport and Trout Run, Clinton county; a part of the Southern
Central between Sunbury and Harrisburg; Chest Creek, between Patton and West Dover, Penn .; Clearfield, Conemaugh & Western railroad, be- tween Clearfield and Johnstown, Penn. ; and at present is their civil engineer. The Clearfield & Mahoning railroad, between.Clearfield and In- Bois, Penn., was located by him in 1892.
As a civil engineer, Mr. Brugger has few equals in this section of the State, and that his
work has been eminently satisfactory is shown by his long retention with important railroad com- panies. A great student, he owns one of the most elegant libraries in Centre county ; is a man of broad general information, and well-informed on the leading topics of the day. He is one of the most prominent and influential citizens of the community, honored and respected by all, and the confidence which he receives is justly merit- ed. For the past twenty-two years he has been a consistent member of the Methodist Epicopal Church, of which he is steward and trustee. He casts his ballot in behalf of Democratic prin- ciples, but cares nothing for political office, though in 1880 he was elected county surveyor. During all the time he has been engaged in his profession he made his home on his farm at Unionville, consisting of about 160 acres of land, 100 of which have been improved. Besides this he owns a piece of land in the Alleghany Mount- ains, which he is clearing and converting into a fruit farm.
A NDREW KORMAN, one of the most sub- stantial, thorough and painstaking agricult- urists of Gregg township, Centre county, is a native of Pennsylvania, born in Huntingdon county, in March, 1845. When a mere child he was brought to Centre county by his parents, George and Christina (Royer) Korman, where the father followed farming throughout the re- mainder of his life. He was called to his final rest at the age of seventy years, and was buried in the Union cemetery in Gregg township. He was a highly respected and valued member of the community, where he had hosts of warm friends. His widow now makes her home with a daughter in Gregg township. This worthy couple were the parents of eight children, in order of birth as follows: Aaron, deceased: Catharine, wife of B. Yearick, of Potter township, Centre county; An- drew; Mary, wife of Washington Garvick, of Centre county: Maggie, wife of Jesse Long, of Gregg township; Ellen, wife of Samuel Long. of the same township; Alfred, deceased: and Louisa. wife of John D. Honer, of Creston, Pennsylvania.
The education of Andrew Korman was prin- cipally obtained in the schools of Spring Mills, but his opportunities were much poorer than those afforded the children of the present day, and, feeling the lack of a good education, he has : become a firin friend of our common-school sys- tem. Upon the home farm he was reared, and under his father's able instruction acquired an excellent knowledge of that business, remaining with him until his marriage, when he was twenty-
8
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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
five years old, to Miss Julia A. Tibbens, who was born in Brush Valley, Gregg township, No- vember 19, 1851. She is the oldest child of Michael and Anna M. (Ziegler) Tibbens, farming people, in whose family were nine children-two sons and seven daughters. Mrs. Korman was provided with a good education, to which she has added greatly by reading in later years. By her marriage she has become the mother of five children: Oliver T., of Gregg township; Agnes D., wife of R. B. Gentzel, of the same township; Anna M., at home; Irvin W., who died at the age of nine years; and Harry A., at home.
After his marriage, Mr. Korman located upon his father-in-law's farm, in Gregg township, along the pike west of Spring Mills, where he remained until 1883, when he purchased the Rev. P. Fisher farm in the same township-a tract of 148 acres -and paid $6, 158 for it. He has greatly im- proved the farm and placed it under a high state of cultivation. In 1888 he built his present com- fortable residence, which is one of the best in the township. Being a skillful and progressive farmer, the fields are made to yield abundant harvests and the entire appearance of the place indicates a thrifty and prosperous owner.
Politically, Mr. Korman follows in the foot- steps of his father, supporting the men and meas- ures of the Democratic party as a general rule, but endeavors to vote for the man best qualified to fill the office, regardless of party affiliations. His excellent wife, who is a member of the Re- formed Church, has been a most faithful help- meet to him, and to her no little credit is due for the success that he has achieved in life. Their family all belongs to the Reformed Church, and is one upon which they can look with pride, all holding honorable positions in society, and the name of Korman certainly deserves an hon- ored place in the records of Centre county.
J B. ARD. One of the prominent represent- atives of the commercial and industrial interests of Centre county is the gentleman whose name introduces this brief notice, the well-known merchant miller of Pine Grove Mills. He belongs to one of the leading and influential families of Central Pennsylvania. His paternal grandfather, Dr. Joseph B. Ard, was for many years an eminent physician of Mifflin county, making his home in Lewistown, but finally re- tired from active life, and spent his remaining days in Philadelphia, where his death occurred February 27, 1861. He was born September 18, 1784, and was of Scotch extraction, his ances-
tors coming to this country prior to the Revolu- tionary war.
George Ard, the father of our subject, was born in Lewistown, Penn., May 14, 1814, and on attaining to man's estate was united in mar- riage with Miss Emeline Harvey, a daughter of Nathan Harvey, of Mill Hall, Clinton Co., Penn. She died when our subject was but six years of age, but her husband long survived her, passing away in 1892. He was laid to rest in the ceme- tery at Lewistown. In their family were four children, namely: (1) Eliza R. married Francis Shoemaker, of Philadelphia, where they made their home for about thirty-five years. There she died some twenty years ago, leaving three children-Ellen A., wife of Duncan L. Buzly, an attorney at law of Philadelphia; George A., who died in 1883, at the age of twenty-two years; and Francis, an importer of drugs. (2) J. B., subject of this sketch, is next in order of
birth. (3) Dr. Wilson P., a practicing physician of Woodward, Centre county, married Amanda Body, of Berks county, Penn., and has four chil- dren. (4) Ellen R., twin sister of the Doctor, became the wife of Robert A. Lovett, and died in 1878, in Florida, whither she had gone for her health, being troubled with pulmonary dis- ease. Her remains were interred at Lewistown. For a number of years she and her husband had lived in Paris, France, where he was engaged in the banking business. When last heard from he was in the West.
Being left without a mother's tender care at an early age, J. B. Ard and his brother, Wilson P. were placed by their father in school at Mc Vey- town, on the Juniata river, near Lewistown, Penn .. where they remained some five years, and were subsequently students in the Pine Grove Mills Academy for the same length of time, there com- pleting their literary educations. On leaving the school room our subject entered a store as clerk, where he was employed for two years, and then held a similar position in the dry-goods estab- lishment of Cooper & Conard, of Philadelphia. In 1864 he took a course in Pollock's Mercantile College. Returning to Pine Grove Mills, Mr. Ard, in 1868, established himself in mercantile business, which he successfully carried on until 1871, when he disposed of his business, and has since given his attention to merchant milling.
In 1885, Mr. Ard was united in marriage with Miss Mary C. Lytle, a daughter of Piersol and Lydia Lytle, of Ferguson township, Centre county. Two children were born to them, one of whoin died in infancy: the other, a bright lit- tle boy, was born Angust 16, 1893. In politics, Mr. Ard is a stalwart Democrat, and in religious
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belief is inclined toward the Presbyterian doc- trine, to which his wife adheres. They occupy a most elegant home, tastefully and luxuriantly furnished, and here their many friends are sure to receive a hearty welcome.
TSAAC S. FRAIN. The spirit of self-help is the only true worth in the individual. It is this which enables man to rise above his sur- roundings, overcome obstacles and work his way upward to prominence. The space between what a man is and his ideal is his opportunity, and he who utilizes every advantage, by which he may rise to the level of his ideal, must ulti- mately win success. Such has been the life record of Mr. Frain, who by his own efforts has risen to a position of affluence, and to-day stands among the most substantial and highly-respected farmers of Centre county. He is the proprietor of the Fair View stock farm, in Marion town- ship, and is one of the best known citizens of his locality.
Mr. Frain was born in Berks county, Penn., February 3, 1834, a son of Henry and Catherine (Shoemaker) Frain, also of Berks county. The latter was a daughter of Jacob Shoemaker, of that county, who served in the Revolutionary war, and after its close his father and all his brothers and sisters removed to Waterloo, On- tario, Canada, where several of his descendants still reside, engaged in farming and stock raising. Jacob Shoemaker and his family remained in Berks county. In 1840 Henry Frain removed with his family from Berks to Union county, where his wife died in July, 1852, at the age of forty-four years. He then went to live with our subject and another son, remaining with them until his death in September, 1874, when he was aged seventy-seven years, his birth having oc- curred August 17, 1797.
Henry and Catherine Frain were the parents of the following named: Isaac, subject of this sketch; Henry, who is engaged in the hotel business in Kansas City, Mo .; George, a car- penter of Altoona, Penn .; John, of Kansas, who served in the 56th P. V. I., and had the fingers of his left hand shot off; Samuel, proprietor of a grocery in Harrisburg, Penn., who served in the 149th P. V. I. and was wounded in the ankle; Charles, who was a member of the same regi- ment, and was wounded in the arm (he is now a farmer of Salina, Kans. ); Frank, of Williams- port, Penn., who served as a member of the first cavalry regiment from this State, and lost his right arm in the war.
Until seventeen years of age, Isaac S. Frain
remained under the parental roof, during which time he attended the public schools, and assisted his father in the cultivation of the farm. He then served a two-years' apprenticeship at the carpenter's trade under Jacob Hazel, after which he worked as a journeyman one year. On April I, 1855, he embarked in business on his own ac- count as a contractor- and builder, and success- fully followed that pursuit until April 1, 1865, when, with the capital he had acquired through his own labors, he purchased his present farm. The buildings were then dilapidated, and much of the land was at that time uncultivated; but with characteristic energy he began the work of improvement, and to-day has one of the finest farms in Centre county, supplied with excellent buildings and all the accessories and conveniences found upon a model farm in this latter part of the nineteenth century. In addition to the culti- vation of the fields, he has extensively and suc- cessfully engaged in the raising of thoroughbred stock, making a specialty of Percheron and French coach horses. In his stables are found a Percheron horse, "Royal" (registered as No. 15,862), a French coach horse, "Bison" (No. 190), and another French coach horse. "Ignor" (No. 752). Mr. Frain was president of the first French horse company of Centre county, and to no man is due in a greater degree the result of raising the high standard of horses bred in this locality.
On February 5, 1855, Mr. Frain was joined in wedlock with Mary A. Ziegler, who died May 1, 1884. They had nine children, three of whom died in infancy; William A. died at the age of five months and five days; Davis Z. is a farmer of Marion township, Centre county; John H., a graduate of the college at New Berlin, went to Kansas March 4, 1885, engaged in school teach- ing in that State for some years, went to Pueblo, Colo., in the spring of 1891, and remained until his death, November 1, 1894: Cephas W. resides with his father: Mary K. is the wife of Prof. G. F. W. Mark, principal of the High School at Northeast, Penn .; Clara E. is the wife of A. N. Womelsdorf, of Mill Hall, Penn. ; E. Frank is a graduate of the Potts Shorthand and Commer- cial College, Williamsport, Penn., and of the Rochester Business University, Rochester, New York.
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