Commemorative biographical record of central Pennsylvania : including the counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, Pt. 2, Part 59

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 59
USA > Pennsylvania > Jefferson County > Commemorative biographical record of central Pennsylvania : including the counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, Pt. 2 > Part 59
USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > Commemorative biographical record of central Pennsylvania : including the counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, Pt. 2 > Part 59
USA > Pennsylvania > Centre County > Commemorative biographical record of central Pennsylvania : including the counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, Pt. 2 > Part 59

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Our subject was born in Picton county, Nova Scotia, in 1846, and is a son of Daniel and Isa - bella (McDougall) Stewart, who were married in that country. The father, who was a native of Invernesshire, Scotland, died in Nova Scotia. in 1853; the mother passed away in the same country in 1883. In their family were the follow- ing children: Peter, a resident of Pictou county. Nova Scotia: Roderick, of Hornellsville, N. Y. ;

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Mrs. Christina Cameron, of Picton county, Nova Scotia; Isabella, who became the wife of Robert N. Banks, and died in Beaver Dam. Wis., in 1875; Janet, wife of John J. Sutherland, of Pic- tou county; and Alexander.

Mr. Stewart, of this review, was reared and educated in his birthplace. where he met with an accident when about nineteen years of age, cut- ting his left knee with an axe. crippling him for life, after which he followed the teacher's pro- fession in Pictou county until 1869. In that year he went to Beaver Dam, Wis., but in October came to Clearfield county, with whose business interests he has since .been identified. He first located at Osceola Mills. where he worked for Whitcomb & Townsend until 1871. when he took up his residence in Houtzdale. the railroad at that time having been completed to the Frank- lin Colliery. He was in the employ of Kirk, Beyer & Co., and Hoover. Hughes & Co., after- ward with Luther & Flynn. as bookkeeper. In August, 1884, was formed his present partner- ship with Edward Pidgeon, since which time they have successfully engaged in the livery and un- dertaking business in Houtzdale, as proprietors of the Keystone livery and feed stables, where they own two large barns and keep on hand from thirty to thirty-five horses. They purchased the Woodin Livery stock, and. in connection with the general livery business. also do teaming. In 1894 Mr. Stewart embarked in the furniture and undertaking business, and has met with a well- deserved success along this line. Besides his excellent store and livery business, he also owns . many lots in Houtzdale and ten acres of land in Woodward township, and is a stockholder in the Bank of Houtzdale.

In 1887 Mr. Stewart wedded Miss Rosamond Clark. a native of Huntingdon county. Penn .. who died in ISSS, and two years later he was united in marriage with Miss Lucy Persing, who was born in Decatur township, Clearfield county. and was a daughter of David and Isabella ( Clark) Persing, pioneers of Houtzdale, where the father conducted the first hotel: he is now living in West Houtzdale. Mrs. Stewart died in Febru- ary, 1892, in Houtzdale. leaving one son. Daniel Sherman.

Politically, Mr. Stewart is an ardent Re- publican, and has served as treasurer of Houtz- dale four years, and secretary of the water works company three years. Socially, he affiliates with Osceola Lodge, No. 747. I. O. O. F. His actions have during life been such as to distinc- tively entitle him to a place in this publication. and although his career has not been filled with thrilling incidents, probably no biography pub-

lished in this book can serve as a better illustra- tion to young men of the power of honesty and integrity in insuring success.

B K. FISHER. proprietor of the .. St. Elmo Hotel," Du Bois, is a man whose history confirms the truth of Lord Byron's oft-quoted re- mark. " Truth is stranger than fiction." It would take a good-sized volume to present at length all the varied scenes of the drama in which he has been the chief actor, but the book would be an interesting one, with its record of the adventure in war and peace, of fortunes won and lost. and of a home life which has been at once an incen- tive and a reward for his efforts. . His entrance into business was not particularly promising. as he had had but limited educational privileges, attending school about six months in all.

His abilities were almost his only capital: but he had enjoyed an unusually careful training in conduct under the watchful eyes of Christian parents, and never wasted his tine on games of chance or weakened his faculties by the use of tobacco or intoxicants; facts which will convey their own moral to the thoughtful reader.

Mr. Fisher was born in Berks county, Penn .. June 21. 1834, the son of John and Katharine (Cramer) Fisher, who were both natives of Orwigsburg, Schuylkill Co .. Penn .. the father born in 1804. the mother in 1800. Our subject had four brothers and two sisters: ( 1) Elizabeth. the eldest in the family. married Abram Heck. of Berks county, and died in 1879, leaving three sons and three daughters. (2) Charles was born in Berks county. and now resides in Schuylkill county, where he owns 295 acres of farming land in a good state of cultivation: he married Miss Phoebe Byer. and has had seven children. of whom three daughters are now living. (3) Louisa (deceased . married Mr. Mudamouth. and had five sons, four of whom are living. (4) William was born in Schuylkill county, and now owns a large farm there: he married Phoebe Foust, and has reared a family of five daughters and four sons (5) Elijah is a railroad employee at Palo Alto, Penn. He married. and has six children. (6) Daniel, also a native of Schuylkill county, is in the railroad business at Philadelphia. He married. and has eight children.

Mr. Fisher's youth was spent mainly in Schuylkill county, and in early manhood he minar- ried Miss Sarah Livengood. of Berks county. His first important business venture, undertaken soon after his marriage, was a contract for mak- ing four million brick, on which he cleared $4.000. He then bought a farm. gristmill and

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

sawmill, with all improvements, in East Hanover township, Lebanon county; but after five years he sold it to Mr. Krider, of Lebanon, clearing about $7,000 on the transaction. In 1860 he leased his father's farm of 600 acres, and re- mained there until the war broke out, when he disposed of his interest in the estate, and enlisted in the three-months' service with the rank of lieutenant. At the close of his term he re-en- listed, and soon afterward became the wholesale sutler of the 173rd P. V. I., establishing his quarters at Norfolk, Va. This field of specula- tion he found extremely profitable, and after a short time he sold out, clearing $25,000, and re- turned home with $68,000 in cash. In 1864, he re-enlisted, and remained in the service until the' close of the war. Among the engagements in which he participated was the battle near Gettys- burg.

On his return home from the front Mr. Fisher engaged in the flour and feed business at Auburn, Penn., but sold it and purchased a farm in Schuylkill county, which he laid out in town lots, founding the present village of Johnstown. He invested largely in the place, constructing a brick-yard, and a large two-story frame building, in which he carried on a wholesale and retail mercantile business. He dealt in all sorts of commodities, including flour and feed, his sales ! often amounting to $15,000 or $20,000 a month; but after a time he disposed of the business for ! $50.000.

Mr. Fisher then moved to Philadelphia, Penn., and continued the same line of trade, building a three-story frame house for his store. The Molly McGuire difficulties arose when he was in : the full tide of success, he handling from $25,000 ; to $30.000 worth of goods per month, and he lost about $75,000; but he sold his stock and realty in order to meet his debts, and going to Philadelphia, returned with receipts in full from every creditor. His next venture was at Read- ing, Penn., where he carried on a wholesale and re- tail business in oysters and candy, buying the first by the car-load and the latter by the ton: and in 1876, on disposing of this store, he leased a hotel which he remodeled and fitted up for the Centennial trade with excellent results, his in- come for two weeks only in the busiest season amounting to $1,000 per day. While in Read- ing he resided in a brick house on Ninth street, for which he paid $5,000, and his three children were given every social and educational advant- age. After the close of the Great Exposition, Mr. Fisher sold his interests in Reading and moved to Punxsutawney, purchasing the .Jen- nings House," which he remodeled and called

the "St. Elmo." Here his usual luck deserted him. On June 3, 1879, the hotel, on which he held but little insurance, was burned, leaving him $3,750 in debt. He was thus obliged to be- gin anew under circumstances which would have discouraged most men; but in the same year he began to rebuild. Fortunately his barn, a large structure, 150 x 46 feet, and finished in front like a three-story house, was available for business uses, and he kept hotel there until October, 1880, when the new building was far enough advanced for occupation. He moved in time for the trade of fair week, which brought him $9,977.50, a comfortable sum for a man owing $20,000, as he did at that time. Just the week before he had borrowed $1,000 from Mr. Arnold, the banker at Reynolds, Penn., giving only his word as secur- ity, and ten days after opening the hotel he paid this back and deposited $5,000 in the bank.

Mr. Fisher continued in business until he had cleared off all his debts and expended $20,000 besides, and in 1886 he bought the "American House," in Brookville, Penn., paying $25,000 for the house and $7,000 for the stock. He re- mained there until 1889, spending $20,000 in im- provements in the meantime, and then leased the place to his bartender, David Buffington, and the clerk, A. D. Long, at a rental of $368.68 per month. For three stores and a barber shop they paid $84.50 per month, making $453. 18 in all. They had no capital, and he left them $122 in cash to pay current expenses at the start; but they succeeded, and after four years bought the furniture at $10.000. Later they bought the house for $40,000, giving mortgages of $10,000 for seven years and $20,000 for fifteen years, and paying the interest promptly every quarter. Mr. Fisher then bought the ". Commercial House, " in Wellsville. Ohio. for $15.000, which he sold afterward for $30,000. A jewelry store in which he then invested caused a loss of $1. 100. and he next purchased a half-interest in the "McGuire House." at Pittsburg, Penn .. but sold out in two months with a profit of $5.000. A farm of ninety acres at Brookville was bought for $3.000, and after spending $3. 500 on improvements he sold the produce therefrom for $6,000, and later traded the farm for a double brick house and outbuildings at Punxsutawney, the deed for which called for $5.000. $1,000 being given to boot. making a total of $6.000 for the farm.

In 1894 Mr. Fisher removed to Du Bois, buying the .. St. Elmo Hotel " for $5.000. This he has greatly improved, making extensive ad- ditions, and it represents at present an invest- ment of $13,000. The hotel is managed upon strict principles, and. in fact. in the twenty years

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

that Mr. Fisher has spent in the business he has never allowed any card playing or other games, or admitted any guests of questionable habits. He has never been refused a license, but no liquor is ever knowingly sold to minors or to men of intemperate habits. Every detail of his immense business receives Mr. Fisher's personal supervision, his genial and kindly nature being often revealed, as in his rule that no clergyman should ever pay for entertainment and no needy man be turned away hungry.

Mr. and Mrs. Fisher are members of the Evangelical Church of Reading, and have care- fully reared their family in that faith. In their home family worship was observed every day by the reading of a chapter from the Bible, followed by a prayer and a hymn. A blessing is asked before meals and thanks given afterward, these customs being handed down from previous gen- erations. The three children have received ex- cellent educations, no expense being spared, and they are now well established in life: (1) John M., who was born June 23, 1858. in Lebanon county, Penn., received his academy education mainly in Reading. He read law one year and then began the study of medicine at Columbus, Ohio, his course being completed in Jefferson Medical College at Philadelphia. His profes- sional career has been remarkably successful, and at present he is city physician in Philadel- phia at a salary of $10,000 per year. (2) Katie was born March 5, 1860, in Schuylkill county, and was educated at Reading. She married F. P. Graff, formerly of Punxsutawney, and now of New York City, where he is engaged in railroad and insurance business. They have four chil- dren -- Bertha, Carrie, John, and one whose name is not given. (3) Jacob L .. born March 12, 1862, in Schuylkill county, also attended school at Reading, and has mastered four lan- guages, English, German, Latin and Greek. He also completed a course in pharmacy, winning the chief prize. a gold medal, among eight hun- dred students, and then read law with Reuben Winslow. of Punxsutawney, and the Hon. George Jenks, of Brookville, being admitted to the Bar in 1889. He has since been in practice at Punx- sutawney, where he ranks among the best in his profession.

As will be seen, Mr. Fisher has every reason to feel proud of his children. Both of his sons promise to add distinction to the family name, and neither of them has ever touched tobacco or any kind of liquor. or indulged in card playing. Like their father, they are stanch Republicans, and are active and influential in political affairs. So far neither of thein has married.

Mr. Fisher has held various positions of pub- lic trust: he has served as postmaster at Orwin, which office was closed; then as postmaster at Reynolds City; then re-established the Orwin post office. all within three years, three terms. Socially, he is prominent, and he belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic, the Patriotic Sons of America, the Knights of Pythias, and the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows.

R OBERT T. McMURRAY, of Ramey bor- ough, Clearfield county, is one of the public- spirited citizens to whose energy and foresight that locality is indebted for many improvements. While Mr. McMurray as a prosperous business man has given close attention to his private af- fairs, he has never forgotten or ignored the bond of common interest which should unite the people of every community, and has always been ready to promote general progress. Something of the ardent Irish temperment is revealed in his earn- est advocacy of various improvements, and we are not surprised to learn that his paternal grandparents were natives of the Emerald Isle.

Grandfather James McMurray was born in 1764, and was already in the prime of life when he and his wife, in 1808, came to America. locat- ing in Half Moon Valley. Centre Co .. Penn .. where the grandmother died a few years later, leaving two sons, Russell and John. James Mc- Murray for his second wife married a Miss. De- vine, and had several children. One, Rev. Jacob McMurray, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, was for several years presiding elder in the Altoona district, and died in the work. Rus- sell, another son of this union, was a wealthy merchant and lumberinan, of New Washington, Pennsylvania.

John McMurray, the father of our subject, was born March 27, 1808, on the broad At- lantic Ocean, and grew to manhood at the new home in Pennsylvania. In 1830 he married Miss Dorcas Runner, and three years later located at New Washington. She died June 6, 1845, leav- ing one son. Jacob R., who passed away before the year ended, and one daughter, Mrs. Martha Mehaffey. also deceased. In 1848 John McMur- ray formed a second union, this time with Mrs. Jane (Alexander) Hegarty, widow of John Hegarty, of Becaria township, Clearfield county. For some years he resided at Hegarty's Cross Roads, but later purchased a partially-improved farmi of 160 acres in Knox township, Clearfield county, known as the Wiley property. He added many improvements, clearing about sixty acres of it, and followed farming there during lus active

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life, with the exception of a few years when he was engaged in mercantile business in Ansonville, His wife died at the farm in 1874, and two years afterward he sold the place and made his home with his daughter, Mrs. Wiley, at Ansonvile, where he breathed his last in 1878.

There were four children by the second mar- riage: (1) John A., born at Hegarty's Cross Roads, February 14. 1849. received a common- school education in Knox township. In 1869 he married Miss Sophie Young, of Ferguson town- ship, Clearfield county, and they now reside upon a farm near Beulah: they have had twelve children. of whom all but two are living. (2) Robert T. is mentioned more fully below. (3) Catherine Jane, born March 1. 1853. married James D. Wiley, formerly of Ansonville, and now a farmer of Gazzam, Penn. ; they have had eight children, of whom five-Murray, Flora, Ethel Velma, Ruby and Vern -- are living. (4) Charles D., born May 15, 1856, was married in 1878 to Miss Me- lissa Shoff, of Woodward township. Penn., and made his home at Madera. For some years he followed lumbering. but is now engaged in mer- cantile business. His first wife died in 1881, leaving one daughter, Myrtle, now a young lady of eighteen attending the Birmingham Seminary in Huntingdon county, Penn. Charles McMurray, for his second wife, married Miss M. L. Mc- Keehen, of Ansonville, by whom he has two chil- dren, Georgie and Ruth.

The subject of our sketch was born April 18. 1851, and remained at the old home in Knox township, Clearfield county, until fourteen years of age, attending the local schools. He then left the parental roof, and found employment in the woods at hauling timber. In 1866 he went to Missouri with an uncle, Mr. Bell, but returned three months later, and for some time worked at any employment that he could find. In 1871 he married Miss Annie Hersh, daughter of John and Martha Hersh, of Becaria township, Clearfield county, and established a home of his own, pur- chasing a partially-improved farm of 160 acres in Gulich township, which is known as the Robert Hegarty property. He finished clearing the place, made further improvements, and after a residence of about ten years sold it 'in June, 1885), and bought the Davidson property in Ramey borough. That home he occupied four years, and then built an elegant modern house. 49 × 47 feet, fitted with bathroom, hot and cold water pipes, also with all the latest conveniences, and has it heated by a hot-water system. In fact. it is one of the finest homes in the vicinity. Mr. McMurray also owns five tenement houses in Ramey, with other valuable property, and in 1891 he purchased 600

acres of timber land in Garrett county, Md .. to which he gives attention. For some years he was engaged in mercantile business at Ramey. conducting a grocery from 1883 to 1885. and then a general store until 1894, when his estab- lishment was destroyed by fire.

Mr. and Mrs. McMurray have two talented and attractive daughters, whose accomplishments would be a source of gratification and pride to any parent: (1) Louise M., born May 13, 1873. was graduated from the high school at Ramey. and then pursued a course of study at the Mount- ain Seminary, in Huntingdon county, Penn. ; she is a fine musician, and gives lessons to a few fa- vored pupils at her home in Ramey. (2) Martha J., born August 4, 1875, is also a graduate of the Rainey high school, and attended the Mountain Seminary with her sister; she is highly gifted in music, and stood at the head of her classes in other branches of study throughout hei school course. Two other daughters. rarely gifted and . greatly beloved by all who knew them, died in 1892, from diphtheria, within twelve days of each other: (1) Ella May, who was born May 5. 1879, and died August 4. 1892. was one of the brightest pupils in the schools of Ramey, and a leader among her young associates. - (2) Grace E., born March 22, 1883. died August 16. 1892. was also nnusually bright. and the death of these two beloved children caused the deepest sympa- thy throughout the community for the afflicted parents.

Mr. McMurray's interest in higher education is shown by the careful education of his daugh- ters, and he has been one of the most energetic and efficient workers in securing for Ramey its excellent graded-school system and fine modern building. Politically he is a Republican, and he has held various official positions, serving as school director, overseer of the poor, supervisor. street commissioner, and as a member of the borough council. In religious faith he is a Meth- odist, and he and his wife are prominent mem- bers of the Church in Ramey.

J S. McQUOWN, an enterprising, wide-awake business man of Lumber City. Clearfield county, has through his own efforts estab- lished himself among the prominent and well-to- do citizens of the place. . \ native of Indiana county. Penn., he was born March 2. 1848, a son of John and Hannah t Wall. McQuown. The birth of the father occurred in 1812. in the same county, where throughout life he carried on ag- ricultural pursuits, operating a farm near Marion

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Center. He died in 1858, his wife about a year ; gaged in the work of scaling and estimating lum- later.

Samuel Leisure, a fariner of East Mahoning, In- . diana county, and had two children-Josephine 1 and Matilda, who are both married and reside in that county. (2) Mary C. wedded T. A. Hen- dricks, of Brookville. Jefferson Co .. Penn., where she still resides, but her husband was drowned while rafting, in the spring of 1888; they had three children. (3) Margaret married Watson Guthrie, a carpenter, and with their two children they resided in Punxsutawney, Penn .; the husband was killed by falling from a scaffold while at work on a building in Pittsburg, and his widow now resides in Punxsutawney. (4) Will- iam Wallace died at the age of three years. (5) Rev. James R. has been a minister of the Pres- byterian Church for twenty years. and now has : charge of a congregation in Caldwell. Kans .: he married Elizabeth Evans, of Jefferson county, Penn., and has nine children. (6) Lafayette M., who is engaged in the lumber business in Stam- baugh, Mich., married Lucy McCalluster, of Jef- ferson county, Penn., and has six children. (7) H. K., who is engaged in the railroad business. married and has a family.

The early education of J. S. McQuown was such as the common schools of his native county afforded. Being left an orphan at the early age of twelve years, he was cared for by William Black and wife, with whom he resided for five years, during which time he worked on their farm and at the carpenter's trade. At the age of seventeen he took a year's course of study in the Covode (Indiana) Academy, and afterward en- gaged in teaching for one term in Richmond, that county. Coming to Clearfield county in the fa of 1866, he commenced work for John W. Raf- erty, in Penn township, making timber, and later he was with J. W. Bell, of Bower. Bell town- ship, serving as foreman of his mill. and looking after his lumber interests for eleven years. In 1876. Mr. McOnown married Miss Rebecca Ameigh, of Big Run, Jefferson county. daughter of John and Sophia Ameigh. Her father died in the spring of 1884, and her mother now makes her home in Jefferson county. Our subject and his wife have five children. all at home, whose names and dates of birth are as follows: Edna, June 18, 1877: Alta. June 7. 1880: Wayne S .. March 7, 1883; J. Roe, September 28. 1885; Carlton Read, October 23, 1890.

After his marriage. Mr. McQuown removed to Luniber City, where he followed the sawmill business for a number of years, and is still en-

ber. He is an energetic, progressive business

The brothers and sisters of our subject were | man, but finds time to devote to public affairs,

as follows: (1) Rebecca became the wife of : taking an active part in all the improvements of

his town; and being a warm friend of the cause of education. he is prominently identified with the school interests. Politically, he was a Re- publican until 1891, when, on account of his views on temperance he joined the Prohibi- tion party, and in the spring of 1897 was the candidate on that ticket for commissioner of Clearfield county. He has creditably filled the offices of tax collector and assessor for two terms, being the present incumbent in the latter posi- tion in Lumber City. He is also president of the school board, and a member of the Lumber City Classical Normal School board. Religious- ly, he is a faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, to which his wife and two daughters also belong.

JOHN A. MURRAY, one of the self-made

business men who constitute the most effect- ive and successful workers in commercial life, is a well-known agriculturist, lumberman and land owner of Goshen township, Clearfield county.

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Commemorative biographical record of central Pennsylvania : including the counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, Pt. 2, Part 59

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