Commemorative biographical record of central Pennsylvania : including the counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, Pt. 2, Part 7

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 7
USA > Pennsylvania > Jefferson County > Commemorative biographical record of central Pennsylvania : including the counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, Pt. 2 > Part 7
USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > Commemorative biographical record of central Pennsylvania : including the counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, Pt. 2 > Part 7
USA > Pennsylvania > Centre County > Commemorative biographical record of central Pennsylvania : including the counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, Pt. 2 > Part 7

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Elizabeth, widow of George Wagoner, of Mor- ris township, and now the wife of J. P. Sullivan, of the same township: and D. H., who is mar- ried and lives in Morris township.

Upon the home farm, William Waring early became familiar with the duties that fall to the lot of the agriculturist, and since reaching man- hood has continued to follow the occupation of farming and lumbering with a fair degree of suc- cess. In the schools of Morris township he ac- quired a good education, which has fitted him for the practical and responsible duties of life. Under his able management the homestead farm is made to yield bountiful harvests for the care and labor bestowed upon it. In Centre county, Penn., March 3, 1871, Mr. Waring married Miss Mag- gie Williams, of Martha Furnace, that county, and they have seven children, whose names and dates of birth, &c., are as follows: Thomas, October 4. 1873, died December 6, 1873; George W., November 6, 1874, was married September 27, 1897, to Mary Ellen Travis: Jes- sie S., July 8, 1878; Lillie V., March 31, 1881; Nancy B., October 21, 1883; Mabel E., No- vember 11, 1885, died in infancy; and Martha. June 2. 1888.

In his political affiliations, Mr. Waring is a Democrat, and has held the office of school di- rector three terms. He is honored and respected by the entire community, who look upon him as one of their most wide-awake agriculturists and model citizens. Religiously, he is an Episcopa- lian, while his wife holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal Church in Morrisdale. They are industrious, intelligent people, and well de- serve the high regard in which they are uni- versally held.

R EV. MARTIN MEAGHER, the beloved rector of St. Lawrence's Catholic Church of Houtzdale, was born in Ireland, in 1846, a son of Thomas and Mary Meagher, who spent their eu- tire lives on the Emerald Isle. There he was reared and began his education. After coming to this country, in 1868, he entered St. Michael's College, at Pittsburg, Penn., where he was a student from 1868 until 1871, and in the latter year was ordained in that city a priest of the Catholic Church.

Father Meagher then served as assistant pas- tor in a Church in Oil City, Penn., for a few months, after which he went to Potter county, this State, and later located at Conneautville, Penn. In December, 1874, he became rector of the Church of the Immaculate Conception at Osceola Mills, and subsequently had charge of

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

churches in Jonesville, Morganland and Coalport, all in Clearfield county, but since 1878 he has been resident pastor of St. Lawrence's Catholic Church in Hontzdale. He started the mission at Coalport, and under his pastorate the congrega- tions all constantly grew.

In 1869 a mission was organized at Houtz- dale, services first being held in the depot, but in 1876 the present house of worship was erected. During his service here Father Meagher also built a parsonage in 1879, a convent in 1886, which cost $3, 500, and in 1892 a good two-story frame school building, which cost $4,000. Previous to the erection of the school and convent, the church was divided, a Slav church being taken from the original. St. Lawrence's Church, which is in a flourishing condition, now has a member- ship of 175 families. In connection with the buildings put up in Houtzdale, our subject also erected the parsonage in Osceola Mills, and a commodious little church at Madera, Penn., which he still attends.

Father Meagher is a man of good address and winning manners. He is a zealous, active and efficient worker for the Church, and is held in high esteem not only by the people of his own congregation, but by the residents of Houtzdale generally. Preparations for and labors in the priesthood are perforce exacting, demanding an ever ready sympathy, a broad intellectuality and an unswerving fidelity. Scoffing synicism and careless irreverence would often be silenced if only the inner life of those who minister in holy places might be laid open for inspection. In Father Meagher is found a most devoted and faithful worker in the Master's vineyard.

J OHN A. READ. One of the most prominent pioneer settlers of Lawrence township, Clear- field county, was Alexander Read, the grand- father of the subject of this sketch. He was born in Maryland, of Scotch-Irishi ancestry, was married there to Miss Jemima Alexander, and lo- cated in Penn's Valley, Centre Co., Penn., in 1795, where he resided seven years, clearing a farm.

In 1802 he went to Clearfield county and se- cured a tract of land in Lawrence township, to which he removed his family in the following year. He was the first postmaster appointed in Clearfield county, and was a man of marked in- fluence. He died at the Read homestead in Lawrence township in 1826; his wife passed away in 1840, aged eighty-four years. They reared a large family as follows: Eleanor, de- ceased; Sarah, born in '1781, married William

Dunlap, and died in Pike township, Clearfield county, in 1852; Alexander, born in 1783, in Maryland, died in Lawrence township, Clearfield county in 1843; Thomas, born in 1735, died in Lawrence township in 1851 ; William, 1788, died in Clearfield county; John Ross, 1789, died in Lawrence township in 1858; Rachel, 1792, inar- ried Alexander B. Reed, and died in Clearfield borough in 1875, aged eighty-three years; James A. Alexander, 1795, died in Lawrence township, June 13, 1871, aged seventy-six years, one month and nineteen days; and Amos, our subject's fa- ther, born January 15, 1798, died November 9, 1884, aged eighty-six years, nine months and twenty-five days.

Amos Read accompanied his father's family from Centre county to the new home in 1803, and spent his life in Lawrence township, settling in 1830 upon a tract of wooded land which he cleared for a homestead. He was married in Clarion county to Miss Sarah Ardery, a native of Franklin county, Penn .. whose father, John Ardery, was born in this State, and after some years of residence in Clearfield county moved to Clarion county, Penn., where he spent his last days. Mrs. Read passed away in 1870, and her husband followed her in 1884. Their children were Margaret A. (Mrs. Benjamin Love), who died on the farm in 1878; William S., married. resides in Lawrence township, Clearfield county; John A., our subject; Alexander, who died Jan- uary 16, 1897; James C., who died in 1864, in Lawrence township; Sarah E., who resides at the old farm; and Samantha Ann, who died in childhood.

Mr. Read, whose name opens this sketch, was born in Lawrence township, January 28, 1829, on the " Mitchell farm," and was educated in the schools of that vicinity. He remained at home until the age of twenty, and then went to Clarion county, Penn., to learn the carpenter's trade, which he followed for more than a quarter of a century. He spent some time in Clearfield county, but also carried on his trade in 'Stephen- son county, Ill., in Monroe county, Wis., and in Mitchell county, Iowa. For many years past he has been engaged in agriculture in his native township, and he owns a fine farm of 119 acres not far from Clearfield, with seventy-five acres cleared and under cultivation. In 1860 he was married in the same township to Mrs. Fiana Bloom Condo, widow of George Condo. She was born in Pike township, Clearfield county, and her parents, William and Mary (Rowles) Bloom (the latter of whom was a native of Clar- ion county, Penn.) were early settlers in Pike township, Clearfield county. Both are now de-

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ceased, Mr. Bloom, who survived his wife by a few years, dying in 1870. Mr. Read's home was darkened in 1892 by the death of his wife, who was sincerely mourned by all who knew her.

As a public-spirited citizen, Mr. Read has al- ways taken great interest in local progress. His political allegiance was given to the Democratic party, and he was a leading member and an el- der of the Presbyterian Church of Curwensville until the organization of the Pine Grove Bethel Presbyterian Church, in May, 1897, to which he transferred his membership, and of which he was elected an elder.

OHN WEAVER, who departed this life on the 26th of April, 1895, was one of the honored pioneers and most prominent and represent- ative farmers and lumbermen of Burnside town- ship, Clearfield county. He was born in Union county, Penn., February 27, 1825, but when a child was brought to Clearfield county by his parents, John and Ruth (Zimmerman) Weaver, who were born in Pennsylvania of German ances- try. In their family were ten children, namely: Samuel, Sarah, Esther, James, Ruth, Eliza, Peter, Anianda, Mary C. and John.

Upon the home farm our subject grew to manhood, and in early life learned the carpen- ter's trade, which he followed to a considerable extent in connection with lumbering. He was one of the best pilots on the river. At the time of his marriage he was engaged in merchandising in Burnside with James McMurray, but three years later he sold out and removed to Illinois, where he purchased a farm which he operated until the Civil war. On disposing of that place he returned to Clearfield county, and located upon a timbered tract, which he at once began to clear and improve. Being in poor health, his physician advised him to travel with the hope of finding some climate that would be beneficial; accordingly in 1871 he went to Colorado and California, returning home by water in 1873. His family had remained in Clearfield county.

Subsequently, Mr. Weaver purchased the farm of one hundred acres on which his widow still resides. But little of the land had been cleared, and only a small house erected. By industry and perseverance he soon had the land under cultivation and improved with good and substantial buildings, making it one of the finest homesteads in Burnside township. He also owned another good farm, gave his son another tract, known as the John Rorabaugh farm, and had land in Virginia. He was an active business man, enterprising and public-spirited, and, pros-

perity crowning his efforts, he left to his family a fine estate, though he lost considerably in loan- ing money. On starting out in life for himself he was without capital, and the success that he achieved was due entirely to his own individual efforts and the able assistance of his wife, who indeed proved a most faithful helpmeet. Al- though never a robust man, his death came suddenly, and was a terrible shock to his family and many friends. His influence was great and always for good. His sympathy, his benevo- lence, his kindly greeting will long be remem- bered. His duties were performed with the greatest care, and throughout his life his personal honor and integrity were without blemish. Al- though he held membership with no religious denomination, he was a Christian in all his acts, and liberally supported all Churches.

On June 2, 1853, Mr. Weaver was united in . marriage with Miss Margaret G. McGee, a lady of intelligence and culture, a daughter of James and Mary (Barnhart) McGee. To this union were born the following children: Ruth, who died in childhood; James M., a prominent farmer of Burnside township; Dow, who died at the age of five years; Sadie, the wife of William Steven- son, a well-known agriculturist; and John H., who resides on the old homestead with his wid- owed mother. She and her son are active mem- bers of the Methodist Protestant Church, and are held in the highest regard by all who know them.

John McGee, the grandfather of Mrs. Weaver, was born in the North of Ireland, and about the commencement of the Revolutionary war in this country, he and a brother left their native heath to join the Americans in their struggle for inde- pendence. The vessel on which they sailed was captured by the British, and the young men were made prisoners. On their arrival here the brother escaped and joined the American forces; but John was put into the British army. For a long time they heard nothing of each other, but finally, in battle, when engaged on opposite sides, the Americans were victorious, and among the British that were captured was John. The brothers were then united, and served together for seven years or until the war was over. Dur- ing the long struggle neither received a wound, and the object for which they had come to the New World was achieved. For bravery and good discipline John was promoted to the rank of colonel. When hostilities had ceased they chose Pennsylvania for an adopted home. The name of McGee is now very general, and the de- scendants of these brothers have ever been loyal to the cause for which their ancestors struggled. Having lost none of their patriotism, during the

John weaver

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war of 1812, they again enlisted in the American army, but while on their way to the front the war closed. The brothers finally became separ- ated, and John McGee located in Centre county, where he reared a family of children, namely: John, who became a resident of Virginia; Thomas, a Methodist Episcopal minister; James, the fa- ther of Mrs. Weaver; Mrs. Mary Barnhart; Mrs. Elizabeth Goodfellow; and Mrs. Margaret Gapin. The parents were both prominent members of the Methodist Protestant Church, of which Mr. Mc- Gee served as a local preacher.

James McGee was reared and married in Centre county, and about 1822 came to Clear- field county, securing a large tract of land in Bell township, which he at once began to im- prove and develop. There was a small corn cracker at Bell's Landing, but he built the first gristmill in that portion of the county, which was patronized by the early settlers for many miles around. He also erected a sawmill and engaged in the manufacture of lumber; in 1841 he built a larger gristmill, which he still operated. He converted into lumber the timber from his ·own land, was extensively engaged in that busi- ness, and also improved a large farm. In com- pany with Governor Bigler, he opened and con- ducted a general store, and succeeded in having a post office establised, known as McGees Mills. He was appointed the first postmaster, and con- tinued to hold, the position throughout life, re- gardless of the party in power. The office was created in 1830, and he died in 1854. He was a prominent and influential member of the Dem- ocratic party, and at the solicitation of his friends became a candidate for the Assembly but was defeated by a small majority. How- ever he never aspired to office, preferring to give his time and attention to his business interests,- in which he met with such excellent success. He passed away at the age of sixty-five years, and his wife died in 1872, at the age of eighty- four. Both were faithful members of the Methodist Protestant Church, and had many warm friends throughout the community.

Philip Barnhart, the maternal grandfather of Mrs. Weaver, was of German descent, and a son of a Revolutionary hero who fought for seven years for American independence. Tlie Barn- hart family has been a very prominent one in the history of Pennsylvania, one of its members, Henry Barnhart, serving for three terms in the Assembly. Its representatives became early set- tlers of Centre county, and took an active part in the growth and development of this region. In the family of Philip Barnhart were the follow- ing children: Henry; Jacob; John; Mary, the

mother of Mrs. Weaver; Mrs. Sophia Johnson; Mrs. Catherine Neff; Mrs. Ann Ross; Mrs. Julia · Curtin; and Mrs. Clarissa Neff. All were mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

All of the eight children born to James and Mary (Barnhart) McGee grew to maturity, and became widely and favorably known in the localities where they made their homes. They were John, a resident of Kansas; Thomas, de- ceased; Philip; Mrs. Elizabeth A. Mitchell; Mary, wife of R. Mehaffee; Margaret G., now Mrs. Weaver; and James and Henry, deceased.

J ONATHAN SHAFER, a progressive agricult- urist and leading citizen of Brady township, Clearfield county, is an active promoter of the business interests of his community, has done much to advance the general welfare, and is widely and favorably known.

Mr. Shafer was born, in 1837, in Lebanon county, Penn., a son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Haenzerling) Shafer, who were born, reared and married in that county, whence, at an early day, they removed to Centre county, taking up their residence near Millheim, where they remained some ten years. In 1848 they came to Brady township, Clearfield county, locating about three miles south of Luthersburg, on what was known as the England land, where the father built a cabin and log barn and cleared a small farm, which our subject purchased on reaching man- hood. His parents then remained with our sub- ject five years, he becoming their support. At the end of that time they returned to Centre county, and made their home with Jacob, who was then a prosperous farmer, and three years afterward the father died at the age of seventy- five years, three months and ten days. Soon after his death his widow returned to Brady and made her home with Rebecca Snyder; but after one year she (the mother) once more went to live with our subject, and remained there until her death, which took place October 28, 1889, when she was aged eighty-four years, two months, six- teen days.

In the family of this worthy couple were nine children, as follows: (1) Susan became the wife of David S. McCracken, of Lumber City, near which place they resided until her death January 4, 1886; she left a family of eleven children. (2) Solomon, a native of Lebanon county, now resides in Brady township, Clear- field county, on what was known as the Emerick property; he wedded Mary Yeakley, of Centre county, and has nine children-Hiram, who is living in the West; Nettie, wife of George Perdy,

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of Du Bois, Penn .; Floyd; Jaines; Henry, who married Joanna Mckinney, and lives on a farm in Brady township; Ellen, who died in infancy; John; Perry, who died in early inanhood; and Ida. (3) Jacob, a native of Lebanon county, married Susan Gansel, of Centre county, and died on his farm in that county, leaving a wife and family. (4) Lydia (twin sister of Jacob), married Hiram Passmore, of Clearfield, and upon a farm near Bell's Landing, in Clearfield county, they made their home and reared their family. (5) Joseph, born in Lebanon county, died in childhood. (6) John, born in Centre county, ac- companied his parents on their removal to Clear- field county, where he grew to manhood; he wedded Miss Lavina Horn, of Brady township, and located near Luthersburg, where his wife died, leaving three children-Amanda, now Mrs. Jackson Henry, of Redfern, Clearfield county: Clara, Mrs. Zacharia Marsh, of Du Bois, and Willis, who is still with his father. John Shafer was again married, his second union being with Miss Ellen Horn, of Brady township, and to them have been born three children-Harry, Charles and Annie; when Mrs. Shafer died the balance of the family went to live at Redfern. (7) Samuel, a native of Centre county, was reared in Clearfield county, and married Miss Comfort Parker, of Brady township. At his home near Luthersburg his wife died some years ago, leaving a family of children. (8) Rebecca, born in Centre county, is the wife of William Snyder, of Penn township, who now resides near Redfern, in Brady township; they have three children-George, Delila and Lydia.

Jonathan Shafer, who completes the family, was reared in much the usual manner of farmer boys, and received a very limited education in the local schools. In 1864 he married Miss Mary E. Horn, a daughter of Daniel and Nancy Horn, prosperous farmers of Brady township, and they began their domestic life in Salem, where Mr. Shafer purchased two houses, and made his home for five years. In 1870 he bought sixty-two acres of partially-improved land, of G. M. John- son, and, later, forty-one acres adjoining, of J. H. Bailey. Upon his place he erected a pleasant residence in 1888, and has made many other use- ful and valuable improvements, so that to-day it is one of the finest farms in Brady township.

Mr. and Mrs. Shafer have eleven children: (1) Elorah Jane, born in 1866, married G. B. Wacht, of Brady township, who now conducts the Du Bois Dairy; they have one son, Thomas. (2) Alva A., born in 1868, is a carpenter by trade, and resides in Du Bois; in 1893 he mar- ried Miss Ines Brisban, of Brady township, and

has two children --- Laura and Hazel. (3) Reuben C., born in 1870, married Zoe Clover, of Clarion county, Penn., and now lives in Richardsville, Jefferson Co., Penn .; they have a daughter, Katie. (4) Maggie R., born in 1872, is the wife of Marsh Hayes, of Brady township, whose home is near Luthersburg, and they have one child, Ruth. (5) George W., born in 1874, married Ida Swope, of Brady township, and resides with his parents. (6) Ada A. Bell, born in 1877, (7) Harvey Q., in 1879, (8) David I .. , in 1881, (9) Emma M., in 1885, (10) Jonathan E., in 1887, and (11) Lena M., in 1889, are all at home.

Being a strong temperance man, Mr. Shafer gives his unwavering support to the principles of the Prohibition party, and does all in his power to advance its interests. He has held the office of constable of Brady township one term, and has been school director for the long period of fifteen years. Both he and his wife are active workers in and prominent members of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church, to which several of their children also belong. . Mr. Shafer being a man of pleasant disposition and social manner, wins friends wherever he goes, and has the happy faculty of drawing them closer to him as the years pass by. He is liberal in support of both Church and educational institutions, and in fact. gives his aid to every movement for the good of the community.

W ILLIAM D. WOODWARD, one of the most thoroughly progressive citizens of Clearfield county, is quite a prominent agricult- urist of Huston township, and his valuable farm near Penfield was redeemed from the primitive wilderness by him. As one of the pioneer set- tlers of that locality he has seen great changes, and his own energy and public spirit have been factors in the various movements through which progress has been attained. As one instance of the trials of the early days, we may note the fact that he had to go to Tyrone or Bellefonte for his supplies-a distance of more than sixty miles!

Mr. Woodward is a native of Pennsylvania, having been born in 1830 in Luzerne county. His father, Daniel Woodward, was born in Utica, N. Y., and came to Pennsylvania in early man- hood, locating first in Wayne county and then in Luzerne county, where he made his permanent home, and followed farmning and lumbering. He was married there to Miss Nancy Eiek, who died in 1876, his own death occurring in 1884 when he was eighty-four years old. Of their eleven children, nine reached adult age, nainely: Mary

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(Mrs. Trout) died in Williamsport. Penn. ; Sarah (Mrs. Roberts) resides in Penfield; Susan is de- ceased; Mrs. Campbell is deceased; Mrs. Fran- cis Sutton lives at Wilkesbarre, Penn. ; Hiram lives in Penfield; Williamn D. is our subject; Denison died in Luzerne county; and George is deceased.

Our subject received his education in his na- tive county, and began his business career as a lumberman on the Lehigh river. In 1858 he went to Clearfied county and settled at the pres- ent site of Penfield, purchasing and clearing one hundred acres of land. The old hotel stands on a portion of this tract, and he was its first pro- prietor and manager; he was also extensively engaged in lumbering. In 1861 he was appointed postmaster at Penfield, and served two years: Soon after this he sold his property and moved to Lake Pepin, Minn., but returned, and in 1865 settled upon his present farm, which was then a thickly-wooded tract. It contains 300 acres, and he has cleared and improved 160 acres. In 1876 he built a fine residence with a main por- tion two stories high, 18 x 36, and a two-story L, 18 x 23; he has two other residences on his estate. The land is devoted to general crops, and Mr. Woodward is also engaged in stock raising.

In 1856 Mr. Woodward was married in his na- tive county to Miss Ann Tomson, a native of New Jersey, and a daughter of John and Abigail (Beckwith) Tomson, who came from that State to settle in Luzerne county, where their remain- ing years were spent. Mrs. Woodward died in 1884, leaving seven children: (1) Amarvin, who resides at the homestead, married Miss Lola Lo- der, and has two sons-Dauphin and Boyd. (2) Stanley lives at the homestead. (3) Walter resides in Penfield. (4) Mattie (Mrs. Marsden, of Johnstown, Penn. ) has two sons-Walter and one whose name is not given. (5) Augusta (Mrs. Buoy, of Penfield) has one son-James. (6) Ida (Mrs. Campbell. of Penfield) lias two sons-John and Elmer. (7) Americus, who married Miss Ella Bissell, is prosecuting attorney of Clearfield county, and resides in Clearfield. In 1888, at Penfield, Mr. Woodward, for his sec- ond wife, married Mrs. Clementine Iddings, granddaughter of Lebbeus Luther, one of Clear- field's pioneer settlers, and founder of Luthers- burg, in said county, and daughter of George and Mary Ann (Luther) Horam, the latter of whom was the eldest daughter of Lebbeus and Elizabeth Luther. Politically, Mr. Woodward is a Repub- lican, and he is both active and influential in the work of his party; he has at different times cred- itably filled every office in his township, except- ing that of justice of the peace.

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Commemorative biographical record of central Pennsylvania : including the counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, Pt. 2, Part 7

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