Commemorative biographical record of central Pennsylvania : including the counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, Pt. 2, Part 47

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: Chicago : J. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 1266

USA > Pennsylvania > Clarion County > Commemorative biographical record of central Pennsylvania : including the counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, Pt. 2 > Part 47
USA > Pennsylvania > Jefferson County > Commemorative biographical record of central Pennsylvania : including the counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, Pt. 2 > Part 47
USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > Commemorative biographical record of central Pennsylvania : including the counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, Pt. 2 > Part 47
USA > Pennsylvania > Centre County > Commemorative biographical record of central Pennsylvania : including the counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, Pt. 2 > Part 47

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Hezekiah Smeal was born in 1857; in Graham township, was there reared and acquired a good practical education in the local schools. During his entire business career he has successfully engaged in lumbering and farming, and now has a fine farm of fifty acres, under a high state of cultivation, and improved with substantial farm buildings. . \t the time he purchased the land it was covered with a heavy growth of timber, but by persistent labor he has transformed it into a very productive and valuable tract.

In 1893. in Graham township, he was mar- ried to Mrs. Tillie Henry (nee Oster), who is a native of Germany, but has made her home in

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Graham township since 1885. By her former marriage she had two children: Adam and Eva K. By the second union there are: Susannah and Rosy Ella.

Mr. Smeal uniformly casts his vote with the Democratic party, but has never cared for the honors or emoluments of public office, preferring to give his entire time and attention to his busi- ness interests. He is a public-spirited, enter- prising man, however, who gives his support to all worthy movements which have for their ob- ject the welfare of the community.

C G. McNAUL, M. D., a prominent physician and surgeon of Glen Richey, Clearfield coun- ty, is a member of one of the well-known pio- neer families of the State, his grandfather, Will- iam McNaul, a native of Centre county, Penn., having settled in the vicinity of Curwensville, Clearfield county, in early times. The means of transportation in those days were of a crude sort. and Mr. McNaul, in company with Dr. John P. Hoyt (then a young physician practicing in Half- moon), started on horseback to cross the mount- ains and see the town of Curweusville. Early in the following spring William McNaul, with his family, moved to Curwensville and estab- lished a tannery in the village, becoming one of the leading business men of the locality. His death occurred there in 1876; his wife, Hannah McNaul, had passed away many years before. Of their seven children, our subject's father, the late Robert W. McNaul, was the eldest; Zacha- riah resides in Curwensville; Irvin died in Hunt- ingdon county; Mary Ann died in Curwensville; John (deceased) was a resident of Pike township: Mary (deceased) never married; and Jennie (Mrs. David Fleming) died in Pike township.

Mo .; Clara and Wilson are both residents of Curwensville; Annie is Mrs. Frank McCoy, of Bedford, Penn .; William P. is a lumberman and butcher of Coalport, Clearfield county; James F. is an attorney at Jeannette, Penn .; C. G. is our subject; Ai has been engaged in the mercantile business at Niagara Falls, N. Y., since 1898 (he was married in 1892 to Miss Ella Kunes, and has two children-Wava and Willard).

Our subject, whose name introduces this sketch, was born at the old home in Pike town- ship, Clearfield county, and the schools of that township and Curwensville afforded him his early educational opportunities. He prepared for his chosen profession at Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, entering in 1888 and graduating in 1890. Locating at Curwensville, he at once en- gaged in general practice; but in the fall of 1891 he moved to Glen Richey, where he has met with gratifying success. The McNaul family is of Scotch-Irish ancestry, and the Doctor displays the characteristic pluck and energy of that race. and with his ability and skill is certain to win further honors in his profession. He is a mem- ber of the Clearfield County Medical Society; in his political affiliations he is a Republican.

M ISS ISABELLA STRONACH, residing on the old family homestead in Penn town- ship, Clearfield county, is a lady of great busi- ness capacity and marked intelligence, and is distinguished for her straightforward and womanly course. no less than for the tact and energy she has employed in her business affairs since her father's death. She was born February 19, 1861, in Clearfield county, a daughter of Thomas and Jane (Wood) Stronach, both natives of England. where their marriage was celebrated.

Robert W. McNaul was born in Centre county. In 1850 the parents bade good-bye to home and friends, and sailed for the New World, first locating in Grampian, Clearfield Co., Penn .. where the father purchased property and resided for a few years. Subsequently he bought a tract of seventy-five acres in Penn township, all wild : land, which he at once began to clear and in- prove, erecting thereon a comfortable residence and good barns and outbuildings. To the original purchase he later added eighty-five acres adjoin- ing, on which he erected a sawmill and engaged in the manufacture of sawed lumber. He also rafted square timber on the river, running it to Eastern markets, and he cleared and improved the land on which his daughter now resides. In ' his early labors he was materially assisted and Penn .. in 1818, but the greater portion of his life was spent in Clearfield county. He attended school at Curwensville in youth, and his first business enterprise was as a tanner there. After some years he became interested in lumbering, and in 1845 he settled upon a farm, whereon he made his permanent home. In 1840 he was married in Curwensville to Miss Melissa L. Wil- son, a daughter of William Wilson, a prominent resident of Bradford township, Clearfield county. R. W. McNaul was a man of worth and influence, a Republican in politics, and a sympathizer with every progressive inovement. He died October 22. 1890; Mrs. McNaul still resides in Curweus- ville. They had eight children, namely: Stephen married Nettie Holton, and lives in Mansfield, ! encouraged by his good wife, who shared with

ESmon aul M.L.

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

him the hardships of frontier life. She died at the early age of thirty-nine years.

Mr. Stronach was liberally educated in Lon- don, England, and fitted for the Methodist Epis- copal ministry. After coming to this country he was called to the pastorate of the churches in Grampian, Lumber City, Glen Hope, Bloom- ington, Mt. Zion and other charges in Pennsyl- vania, devoting about forty years of his life to the work of the ministry. During the week he would attend to his farming and lumber interests and on Sunday would hold religious services. He was a faithful minister. Politically he was always a stanch Republican, and he gave his earnest support to all worthy objects which would in any way benefit the community or advance the welfare of his fellow men.

Miss Stronach, of this review, is the only one now living of a family of nine children, of whom five died in infancy. Edwin and Polly, both born in Penn township, Clearfield county, died at the age of seven and five years, respect- ively. Katie, born in the same township, in 1865, remained at home with her parents until after the mother's death, when she and our sub- ject were taken by their father to England, liv- ing with their mother's sisters for seven years. At the end of that period, when Isabella was but thirteen and Katie nine, they rejoined their father in Grampian, Penn., traveling the entire distance alone, and being seventeen days in crossing the Atlantic. On arriving in Philadel- phia, they at once proceeded to their destination. Their education was such as the common schools of Clearfield county afforded. On the 5th of November, 1877, Katie died of typhoid fever, and was laid to rest in the Friends cemetery at Grampian. After her return from England, Isa- bella Stronach conducted the household affairs for her father until February 14, 1893, when he too, departed this life, since which time she has ably managed her business interests. She has the love and confidence of all who know her. and her circle of friends is indeed large.

W ELLIS PETERSON, the postmaster of Munson, who is also engaged in clerking in the mercantile establishment of Jones & Wal- ton, of Munson, Clearfield county, was born in 1863, in Huntingdon county, Penn., a son of D. S. and Eliza Jane (Stitt) Peterson. The grandfather, Robert Peterson, was a prominent early settler of that county, whose immediate ancestors removed from Delaware. In his family were ten children, four .sons and six daughters, of whom three are still living: James, a resident of

Huntingdon county; and Mrs. Anna Mathews, and Mrs. B. Mathews, who make their home near Glasgow, Cambria Co., Pennsylvania,

The father of our subject was born, reared and educated in Huntingdon county, where in early life he also learned the carpenter's trade, and successfully engaged in contracting and building until 1866, when he turned his attention to agricultural pursuits. He died upon his farm in that county on May 11, 1881, but the mother of our subject is still living. She was also a na- tive of Huntingdon county, as was her father, James Stitt, but her grandfather was born in Ireland. The following children bless the union of Mr. and Mrs. D. S. Peterson: Tirza is the wife of E. K. Beyers, a dealer in stock, residing in Neelyton, Huntingdon county, and they have five children; J. C., a farmer of that county, married Sadie Clymans, and has two children: J. N., a resident of Monticello, Iowa, married a Miss Harper, of that State, and has two children; Rhoda J. lives with her mother on the old home- stead; F. Elizabeth is the wife of John Byers, of Huntingdon county, and resides on a farm near Harrisburg; S. D., who is engaged in mercantile business in Neelyton, Huntingdon county, mar- ried Retta Montague, and has three children; Maggie L., who married T. Bruce Appleby. also lives on a farm in Huntingdon county; W. Ellis is again referred to farther on; Anna E., John W. S., Cora B., and C. D. Hays are all at home with their mother. Of the family three sisters and two brothers have been school teachers; also one sister and one brother are now preparing themselves for teachers.

Being an ambitious enterprising young man, W. Ellis Peterson resolved to secure a better education than was afforded by the public schools near his home, and after his father's death earned the money with which to pay his expenses while pursuing his studied at Dry Run, Franklin Co., Penn., Mill Wood Academy, Shade Gap, Hun- tingdon county, and the Cassville Normal. For eleven years he successfully followed the teacher's profession, and then embarked in merchandising in Neelyton, where for three years he also served as postmaster under President Harrison's admin- istration, and on selling out there engaged in mercantile pursuits in Osceola, Clearfield county. in connection with J. C. Swan, the firm being Peterson & Swan. At the end of eighteen months he disposed of his business and came to Munson in 1891. For four years he was man- ager of the store of Jones & Walton, and is still one of the trusted employees of that firm. On April 11. 1888. in Huntingdon county, Penn .. our subject was married to Miss Stella Ammer-

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man, a successful public-school teacher, and they became the parents of four interesting chil- dren: Oscar E., Claire E. M., Ralph E. Aminer- man and Alma Eleanor. In his political views, the father of these is a strong Republican, and he is a recognized leader of his party in Morris township. He is a prominent and influental citi- zen of Munson, possessing the esteein and re- spect of the entire community. He has been the architect of his own fortunes, and is deserving of the highest commendation. In religious be- lief both he and his wife are consistent Method- ists, and he has served as superintendent of the Sabbath-school of Munson. True and sincere Christians, they have always taken a prominent and active part in all Church work, and given their support to all measures which will elevate the moral standard of the community.

M ATTHEW T. KNEPP. Among the young men of Clearfield county who have selected agriculture as their vocation in life, and who. judging from present indications, are bound to realize their mnost sanguine anticipations, is the subject of this biographical notice, who has a fine farm of 106 acres of well-improved and ara- ble land in Bradford township, which he is now successfully operating. His paternal grandfather was one of the first to locate in the township, and with its agricultural interests the family have since been identified.

Our subject was born in 1868 in Bradford townsltip, a son of Benjamin and Sarah ( Barger) Knepp. His father was born in 1824. in the same township, was there reared, educated and married, and throughout his business career fol- lowed farming during the summer season, while the winter months were spent in lumbering. He always made that township his home, and was numbered among its prominent and influential citizens, being widely and favorably known throughout the county. His death occurred in Wallaceton, Boggs township. Clearfield county. in 1894, and his wife passed away in Bradford township. in January, 1892. Of the fourteen children born to this worthy couple, nine are still living: William, a resident of Wallaceton: Isaac. of Bradford township: Henry, of Wallaceton; John, of Woodland, Clearfield county: Wilson, Walter and McClellan, all of Bradford township; Matthew T., of this sketch: and Mrs. Martha Williams. of Bradford township. Florence died at the age of seven years; Jane died when young; David, James and Frederick also are deceased.

The education of Mr. Knepp, of this review,

was such as the district schools of Bradford town- ship afforded, while his farm training was under the able direction of his father, who in 1884 pur- chased an improved place of 106 acres and erected thereon a comfortable and substantial brick resi- dence. In Bradford township, in 1888, our sub- ject was married to Miss Carrie jury, a native of Girard township, Clearfield county, where her father. John Jury, located after his marriage. becoming one of its honored pioneer farmers. Mr. and Mrs. Knepp have three children: Blanche May, Virgie Oma and Chester Kale. They also lost one daughter, Gertie Bell.

In his political views Mr. Knepp coincides with the platforms formulated by the Democratic party, and religiously is a member of the United Brethren Church. Although a young man, he is rapidly growing into the esteem and respect of his neighbors, and bids fair, in the near future, to assume a prominent and influential position in the community.

C HARLES C. BALL, of Bigler township. Clearfield county, is one of six brothers who fought gallantly in defense of the Union during the Civil war, and this honorable family record is the more remarkable from the fact that these six were the only living sons of their parents. Patriotisni is a family trait, our subject's father, the late William Ball, having served in the Amer- ican navy during the war of 1812. He was a native of Connecticut, and for sixteen years fol- lowed the sea, but afterward settled in Blair county, Penn., and spent some years in the ein- ploy of the Juniata Iron Works, in Huntingdon county. In 1854 he took passage from Phila- delphia to Palestine, but while at sea he was taken ill, and falling overboard was drowned. His wife, whose maiden name was Anna Beaver .. survived him and reared their large family to a life of usefulness. She remained at the old home in Blair county one year, and then moved to Hunt- ingdon county, then to Dauphin county, and finally, in 1857. located in Clearfield county, near Lumber City, where she died soon after.

Of their eleven children nine lived to adult age: (1) Stephen learned the blacksmith's trade, and, after working in Huntingdon county for a few years, moved to Iowa. Early in the 'jos he

helped to organize a company which started for California by the overland route, but the Mor- mons intercepted the train, and he was murdered by them. (2. Hannah died in infancy. (3) Susan married (first) Michael Cavener, of Blair connty, Penn., who was killed in a stone quarry.

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She then married Daniel Dixon, of Blair county, who died. and her third husband. John Lender, of Becaria township, Clearfield county, is also deceased. She has no children by the last mar- riage, but there were three-John, Orvilla and Ira -- by the second, and one-George -- by the first. (4) William W. (deceased) was a resident of Clearfield county, served in the 76th P. V. I., during the Civil war, and was wounded at the battle of Cold Harbor. He married Miss Caro- line Hilliard, of Becaria township, Clearfield county, and has the following children -- John, George, Stephen. Guy, Perry, Rachel. Florence and Adda Hilliard. (5) George W. enlisted in the navy during the Rebellion, and was lost at the battle of Fort Fisher, N. C .; he was not married. (6; John enlisted in the first three- months' service, and then joined the 149th P. V. I. for three years. At the close of the term he came home and, later, moved to Michigan, but has not been heard from since 1886. He mar- ried Miss Durkey, of Woodward township. Clear- field county, but had no children. (7) Charles C. comes next. (8) David, who now resides in Lawrence township, Clearfield county, was one of the gallant six who went to the front in the ; 12th U. S. Infantry. He married Miss Magda- lena Kesser, of Altoona, Penn., and has the fol- lowing children: Elmer E. Ellsworth, Flora C., Mary M., William J., Peter J. Sheridan, Francis Leo, Agnes Lonise, Alice Gertrude, Ida Theresa, Lawrence and Victor P. (9) Lewis died in Huntingdon county at an early age. (10) O. Perry was a member of the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry during the war. He went to the West to engage in agriculture, locating in Minnesota, where he married Miss Sarah Devens. They have no children. (11) Jane married Joseph Campbell. of Clearfield county, who is now en- gaged in farming in Minnesota. They have the following children-Frank. Mand, Alice and Scott.

his wife working together to build up a comfort- able home. Their first house was a small one, and other improvements were of a primitive order; but as time passed Mr. Ball made substantial additions, and now has a fine homestead. For two years past he has been agent for the Adains Express Co. at Smoke Run, and he is often em- ployed by other parties in jobbing in logs and square timber, and in prospecting for coal.

Mr. Ball's military service began during the excitement over Lee's invasion of Pennsylvania, when he served as a member of the 30th Regi- ment State Militia. On February 29, 1864. he enlisted for three years and served as corporal in Battery G. 3rd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery, under Col. Joseph Roberts and Capt. Joseph W.

Sanderson. He saw much active service in Vir- ginia that year, participating in the engagement at Bermuda Hundred, May 16; Strawberry Plains, April 14; Six Mile House, April 18-21: Peters- burg, September 1-October 30; Chapman's Farm; Deep Bottom; Fort Darling; and April 2, 1865, he saw the fall of Petersburg; on April 3. 1865, the occupation of Richmond; and on April 9, 1865, Lee's surrender. He was mustered out of service November 9, 1865, and returned to the paths of peace.

Mr. and Mrs. Ball have twelve children, whose names, with dates of birth, are as follows: (1) Elizabeth, November 18, 1858, married B. F. Smith, a farmer of Becaria township, Clearfield county, and has four children-George, Amasa, Maud and John. (2) Arabella, October 26. 1860, married John Neff. of Chest township, Clearfield county, and has three children-Blair, Ralph and Beatrice. (3) Morah. September 29, 1862, died December 20, 1867. (4) Ulysses S. G., June 1. 1864, resides at his father's homestead. He married Miss Alretta Straw, a daughter of Samuel and Melissa Straw, of Houtzdale, Penn .. and has four children-Pearl, May. Harvey and Clare. (5) Philip Sheridan, January 3. 1867. resides in Becaria township, and is a butcher by occupa- tion. He married Miss Bell Turner, daughter of Ebenezer and Martha Turner, of Becaria town-

Charles C. Ball. the subject proper of this sketch. was born in Huntingdon county, Penn., December 31, 1837. After his mother moved to Dauphin county with her sons, Charles C., in . ship, and has three children living-Walter. Al- 1857, at the age of twenty years, married Miss fred and Charles. (6) Charles Custer. Decem- ber 24, 1868. is not married, and resides in Becaria township. (7) Panlina Theresa, Novem- ber 23, 1870, married Wilmer Heverly, a farmer residing near Utahville, Penn., and has one son. Frederick. (8) Emma Jane, April 23. 1873. married Frank Snyder, a farmer of near West- over. Penn., and has one son, Walter. 19. George Martin, September 30. 1875. died Sep- tember 9, 1877. (10) Allison Leslie, December 17, 1877, (11) Thomas Otto, April 10. 1880. Amelia Morgan, daughter of William and Mar- garet Morgan, of Harrisburg, Penn. His mother broke up housekeeping a year or two afterward, came to Clearfield county, and died among friends near Lumber City. After marriage, same year. Mr. and Mrs. Charles C. Ball moved to Clearfield county, and located at Muddy Run, where he vet lives. For one year he worked for John Byers, and then bought fifty-five acres of woodland, which he cleared for a farm, he and

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and (12) Margaret Louisa, January 3, 1883, are all at home, the last named being a pupil in the local schools.

Mr. Ball is an ardent Republican, and has marked influence in local politics. He served four years as postmaster at Smoke Run under appointment from President Harrison, and has also held the offices of school director, overseer of the poor, tax collector, and for three years was jury commissioner; at present he is assessor. In religious faith he and his wife are Methodists, and have been identified with the Church at Smoke Run for several years.

J JOHN C. FERGUSON. The deserved re- ward of a well-spent life is an honored retire- ment from business, in which to enjoy the fruits of former toil. To-day, after a useful and beneficial career, Mr. Ferguson, in Kerrmoor, Clearfield county, is surrounded by the comfort that earnest labor has brought him. He is not only one of the leading citizens of the community. but is also an honored veteran of the Civil war, and for many years was prominently identified with the agricultural interests of Ferguson town- ship, where his birth occurred June 10, 1838.

John Ferguson, paternal grandfather of our subject, was a native of Ireland, and on coming to the New World located in Pennsylvania, near Milton, Centre county, then called " Slab Town," because the houses at that time were all built of slabs. About 1800 he took up his residence in Clearfield county, and thus became one of its pioneer settlers. From the wild land he opened up a farm near the present site of Lumber City, and there spent the remainder of his life. The place is still in the possession of the family, at the present time belonging to a cousin of our subject, John B. Ferguson. The grandfather married a Miss Hannah -, and they became the par- ents of the following children: Mrs. Betsey Wiley: David: James; Mrs. Polly Campbell; John; William: and Jennie, the wife of William Reed. The parents of this family were consist- ent members of the Presbyterian Church. Grand- father Ferguson died about 1843, his wife passing away shortly afterward. In politics he was a Whig.

John Ferguson, the father of our subject, was born, in 1801, at Slabtown, near Milton, Penn., and when a child came with his parents to Clear- field county, where he was reared. He assisted his father in clearing and improving the farm, where he remained until he was twenty-three years of age, and then bought a tract of land in

what is now Ferguson township, and opened up a farm in the midst of the forest, burning the timber upon the place in order to get rid of it. At the age of twenty-five he married Elizabeth Wiley, their wedding being celebrated in York county, Penn., of which she was a native, and where her parents spent their entire lives. Her father was a farmer by occupation. Of the seven children born of this union three died when young; the others are Mary H., wife of Dr. Ross, of Du Bois, Clearfield county; Deborah, wife of Mr. Jamison; John C., of this sketch; and Eliza- beth, wife of L. Hoover, of Lock Haven. Mrs. Jamison died in Kansas, in 1894, the other three are still living.

The parents of our subject began their do- mestic life in a cabin which Mr. Ferguson had erected upon his land. When the county was more carefully laid out. the township in which he lived was given the name of Ferguson in honor of the family. In connection with general farm- ing he also engaged to a considerable extent in lumbering until 1856, when he removed to Lum- ber City and opened a confectionery and grocery store, which he conducted for five years. With a partner he then engaged in general merchandis- ing at the same place, continuing business through the Civil war, but in 1870 he went to Lockport, Penn., where he conducted a general store and hotel until his deatlı, four years later. The great want of the early settlers was machin- ery with which to improve and cultivate their land, and Mr. Ferguson, being a natural mechanic, manufactured many of his implements in use upon his farm, making a wheat fan with an augur, jack plane and broad axe, which answered the purpose well, and also a wooden plow, be- sides a loom for weaving yarn. He was enter- prising and prominent, but would never allow his name to be put up for office, with exception of once when he served as burgess of Lumber City. His political support was ever given the men and measures of the Whig party, while in religious faith he and his estimable wife were consistent members of the old school of Presbyterianism. She survived him, dying in 1878.

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Commemorative biographical record of central Pennsylvania : including the counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, Pt. 2, Part 47

Author: J.H. Beers & Co Publication date: 1898 Publisher: Chicago : J. H. Beers Number of Pages: 1266

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: Chicago : J. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 1266