Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1, Part 217

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 2390

USA > Pennsylvania > Pike County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 217
USA > Pennsylvania > Monroe County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 217
USA > Pennsylvania > Susquehanna County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 217
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 217

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).

William C. Courtright, who completes the fam- ily, was born in Coleville, N. J., September 28. 1845. and as he was a mere boy when his father died he was early forced to provide for his own mainten- nance. For two years he worked in a smithy with his older brothers, and then learned telegraphy, serving as operator at Shohola, Pike Co .. Penn., for one year, and at several other stations on the Erie line. He was next in the dispatcher's office at Port Jervis, N. Y., one year, and then went to Shohola

as station agent, and remained at that place fourteen years; for the past sixteen years he has been sta- tion agent at Lackawaxen.

At Shohola, in December, 1870, Mr. Court- right was united in marriage with Miss Jerusha Wood, who was born July 7, 1844, a daughter of Bradner and Elizabeth ( Middaugh) Wood. Her paternal grandparents were Charles and Phœbe Wood, who were natives of Orange county, N. Y., and there spent the greater part of their lives. The father, Bradner Wood, was born in Orange county, February 2, 1816, and when a young man came to Pike county, Penn. By continual reading he has always kept abreast of the times, was an Abolitionist before the Civil war, and during the early part of that struggle was in some danger, due to his ad- vanced ideas. When young he traveled by water to New Orleans, La., where he was employed on pub- lic works for a time, but finally returned to the North by way of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, and then overland to Pike county, Penn. In early life he was an extensive lumberman, but later turned his attention to farming in Shohola town- ship, Pike county, where he and his wife still live, honored and respected by all who know them. They were married in Pike county, she being a native of that county, born May 8, 1818, and a daughter of Levi and Margaret (Van Aukin) Middaugh. Mrs. Courtright is the eldest of their seven children, the others being James, who died at the age of eighteen years ; Phœbe (deceased), who married George Mc- Carthy and lived in Pike county ; Rebecca J., wife of Thomas Bradford, of Shohola township; John F., who married Rebecca Stephens, and is now on his way to the gold fields of Klondike, having reached Dawson City, November 15, 1898; Hattie E. (de- ceased), who married John Stark, and lived in Ding- man township, Pike county ; and Levi B., who went to Kansas City, Kans., and whose whereabouts are now unknown. Mr. and Mrs. Courtright have five children : Charles G., born December 5, 1873, has been baggage master at Lackawaxen for the past six years ; Ada, who was graduated at the Port Jer- vis Academy in 1897, and has successfully taught three terms of school in Sullivan county, N. Y .; William B., who also attended Port Jervis Academy and has taught in Shohola, Pike Co., Penn. ; Eliza- beth L., who attended the same institution for three years, and is now attending Jamaica State Normal School ; and John W., who is preparing himself for teaching, and is now at home.

Politically Mr. Courtright's views coincide with the principles of the Republican party, but at local elections he votes for the best man regardless of party affiliations, and he has most acceptably served as township and county committeeman, and as town- ship auditor at Shohola. In July, 1897, he was ap- pointed postmaster at Lackawaxen, and, as the du- ties of that office have never been more capably or satisfactorily performed, he is proving a most popular official. Since attaining his majority he has been identified with the Masonic fraternity, and re-

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ligiously he is a member of the Congregational Church, while his estimable wife holds member- ship in the Methodist Episcopal Church.

JOHN IRWIN, a highly respected citizen of Wayne county, now living retired upon his farm in Oregon township, was born in Ireland, March 26, 1819. The first of this family, of whom we have any authentic account, was his grandfather, John Irwin, who was born, reared and married in Scotland, whence he removed to County Fer- managh, Ireland, spending his last vears there. In his family were three sons: James, who emigrated to Canada, where he died; John, the father of our subject ; and Edward, who resided in Ireland.

Our subject's father was born in Scotland, but was married in Ireland. In 1831 he crossed the Atlantic, and first located at Montreal, Canada, where he remained three years. The family then moved to the Province of Ontario, where they bought 600 acres of land in Northumberland coun- ty, and on selling that farm went farther west, each male member of the family taking up a tract of land in Huron and Bruce counties. The children were. as follows: Francis William ( now deceased ) was a prominent man in the Dominion, holding the offices of commissioner in the court of the Queen's bench, notary public, officer in the militia, justice of the peace, provincial land surveyor and post- master, and he also had the authority to issue marriage permits; John is second in the order of birth ; James took up land in Canada, but afterward removed to Kalamazoo, Mich., where his death oc- curred : Thomas 'makes his home in Wingham, Huron Co., Canada; William is a farmer of Bel- more, the same county : Mary Jane is the deceased wife of Archibald Huston ; Margaret is the widow of John Abraham; Elizabeth died in 1896.

The public schools of Ireland afforded our sub- ject his educational privileges. At the age of twelve years he accompanied his parents on their emigration to the New World, arriving at Mont- real, Canada, at about the time the Asiatic cholera first made its appearance in America, and he can well remember seeing the dead bodies piled into carts and hurried away through the almost desert- ed streets. In Wellington, Ontario, Canada, Mr. Irwin was married, December 28, 1846, to Miss Helen Afflack, native of Scotland, and a daugher of William and Janette ( Miller ) Afflack. Four children blessed this union, namely: Mary Jane, born November 8, 1847, is now deceased ; William, born January 16, 1849, died at the age of twenty- two years; William Afflack, born May 20, 1850, is deceased : and Helen, born April 1, 1852, is the wife of Alex. Orr. The wife and mother departed this life April 11, 1852. Mr. Irwin was again mar- ried, December 28, 1857, in Belmore, Huron Co., Canada, his second union being with Miss Mary MeEwen, a daughter of David and Margaret ( Mc- Gregor ) McEwen, natives of Scotland. Mrs. Irwin was born in Stirlingshire, Scotland, September 30,

1829, and at the age of twenty-six years crossed the Atlantic to Canada. By her marriage to our subject she became the mother of the following children : Francis William, born December 1I, 1858, died June 13. 1859; John David, born July 15. 1860, makes his home in Lebanon township, Wayne county : Margaret, born February 27, 1862, is the wife of A. T. Searle, a lawyer of Honesdale; Elizabeth, born May 9, 1864, died in 1886; Charles H., born in Honesdale, July 1, 1866, is living in Honesdale : James Hamilton, born February IO, 1869, is a resident of Lebanon township; and Bis- marck, born April 19, 1871, now has the farm and is caring for his parents.

On the Canadian frontier Mr. Irwin grew to manhood, and during his youth assisted his father in the arduous task of clearing and developing a new farm in the midst of an almost unbroken for- est. In 1865 he came to the United States, and located near Honesdale. Wayne Co., Penn., where he successfully engaged in farming and in the meat business for several years. In 1886 he purchased an improved farm of thirty acres in Oregon town- ship, upon which himself, wife and son are now liv- ing, the last named having charge of the farm duties, while our subject practically lives retired.

While in Canada Mr. Irwin was appointed first captain in the militia, and as such was re- quired to take an oath adhering forever to the government of his birth. Accordingly, since com- ing to the United States, he has remained an alien, not because of any unfriendly feeling toward our government, but because he has always felt that in taking the oath of citizenship he would be break- ing his former oath. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, while his wife and children all belong to the Presbyterian Church.

GEORGE W. TISDEL, well known as the pro- prietor of the Maplegrove Stock Farm, of 115 acres, manufacturer of cider, cider vinegar and shingles, also dealer in bicycles, sewing machines and other machinery, was born October 24, 1840, a son of Lawrence and Hannah C. (Jones) Tisdel, natives of East Windsor and Colchester, Conn., respect- ively.

Five brothers of the An Tisdel (as the name formerly was spelled) were noted swordsmen of Scotland, from which land they were driven during religious persecution. They settled in Connecticut, and the name remained An Tisdel, until Lawrence Tisdel was born in Connecticut and followed the hatter's trade there. On April 5. 1822, he came West, settling in Salem (now Lake) township, Wayne county, and erected a building for a hat fac- tory, but altered his plans and devoted the balance of his life to agricultural pursuits. He was a man of quiet disposition, prominent in his community be- cause of his sterling worth and wisdom, and faith- ful in his attendance in the Methodist Church. In politics he was a Democrat, but took no part cutside of casting his ballot. He married Hannah C. Jones,

G. W. Disdel -

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

and to them were born children as follows: Fred- erick L., born August 21, 1819, is a gardener near Pittston, Penn. ; Betsey H., born December 18, 1820, married Hamlin Bonaham, a farmer of Mt. Pleasant township ; Gilbert, born October 30, 1822, died De- cember 10, 1822 ; Oliver, born October 22, 1824, died June 29, 1828; Mary, born March 6, 1826, married Robert Glossinger, of Hemlock Hollow, Wayne county, and died September 9, 1881 ; Esther, born December 1, 1827, was twice married, her first hus- band being James Thornton, and she is now the widow of Newton Kimble, of Hawley, Penn. ; Lu- ther W., born July 25, 1829, is a gunsmith and sporting-goods merchant at Scranton, Penn. ; Abner G., born December 13, 1830, an inventor and electri- cian of Brooklyn, made in 1853 the first car run by electricity (this car ran on a circle track, taking the electric current from a center post with wire from car to post, so arranged as to not wind up on the post, similar to the trolley) ; Julia, born April 30, 1833, died September 1, 1833; Amanda and Arme- nia ( twins ), born July 30, 1834. the former the wife of Heth Bonhan, a farmer of Herrick Center, Penn., and the latter the deceased wife of Almond Carpen- ter, of Abington, Penn., having been called to her final rest March 10, 1861 ; Cyrus, born July 17, 1836, died May II, 1838; Bethnel I., born December II, 1838, is now of the firm of Ithaca Calendar Clock Works, at Ithaca, N. Y. ; George W., our subject, is next in the order of birth ; Samuel R., born January 16, 1844, is a gunsmith and dealer in sporting goods at Ithaca, N. Y. Lawrence Tisdel, the father of this family, died January 8, 1888 ; his widow passed away October 24, 1893, and the remains of both now lie in the private burying grounds on the old home farm.

Until George W. Tisdel was nineteen years of age he remained on the home farm, and then went to Scranton, where he entered the machine shops of the Lackawanna Iron & Coal Co. After two years spent in learning the mysteries of the machinist's trade he secured employment at Binghamton, N. Y., in the Starr Arms Co., manufacturers. of firearms, etc. His work there gave great satisfaction to those in charge, his fidelity to duty winning the attention of the proprietors themselves, and he was given a more responsible position in the works of the same company at Yonkers, N. Y. In August, 1862, he enlisted in the United States navy, serving on the "W. G. Anderson" and the bark "Arthur," on the blockade between the Rio Grande river and Galves- ton, fourteen months as landsman on these two ves- sels, and on October 16, 1863, he was honorably dis- charged at the Boston navy yards, Boston, Mass. He at once returned to the works of the Starr Arms Co., at Yonkers, and there remained until the oil ex- citement in 1865. when he went to Titusville, Penn., and began dressing tools and running an engine at Prather Hill, near Pit Hole; then taking charge of Col. Keys Oil Works. His parents were becom- ing aged, and he saw his duty to them pointed to a return to the old farm, which he purchased Novem-

ber 20, 1867, and cared for them the remainder of their lives.

On November 18, 1867, at Owego, N. Y., Mr. Tisdel was united in marriage with Miss Martha E. Coover, by the Rev. W. B. Westlake, of the Methodist Church. She was a daughter of Andrew and Almira (Cutler) Coover, both of whom were natives of Vermont, becoming residents of Titusville,

where Mr. Coover followed farming. Besides

Mrs. Tisdel, they had children as follows: Har- rison, manufacturer of brick at Titusville; Oscar, an engineer ; Joanna, wife of Robert Dunn, an en- gineer at Bradford, Penn .; Hannah, of Warren, Penn. ; Mary, wife of Samuel Knoel, an engineer in the oil fields: Lida, wife of David Coleman, con- tractor at Bradford, Penn .; Sarah, of Titusville ; David, an engineer at Bradford; and Ellen, now Mrs. Charles Kirchie, of Titusville. Andrew Coover was a son of George and Martha Coover, of German extraction, who died in Crawford county, Penn. He died .in October, 1868, when he was fifty-nine years of age ; his wife Almira, daughter of David Cutler, of Vermont, died in July, 1887, at the age of sixty-two years, and her remains now rest by the side of her husband in Titusville. She was a faithful member of the Baptist Church.

George W. Tisdel is a man whose word carries great weight in the community in which he dwells. His political ideas have made him a pronounced Re- publican, and he has served as school director for three years. He is a member of the Lincoln Club, of the Masonic fraternity, and a charter member of George Davenport Post No. 534, G. A. R., of which he has been three times commander. In religious belief he is a member of the Methodist Church. Pro- gressive, wealthy and the possessors of a happy, beautiful home, together with the charming indi- vidual personality, combine to make him and his wife important factors in the social world. Mr. Tisdel is a good financier, and in the world of finance plays a prominent part as an advisor. His influence in this world is one for good, sound advancement on con- servative principles.

HENRY R. BIESECKER, an ex-county commissioner of Monroe county, is one of the prom- inent residents of Stroud township, and his long and useful life has endeared him to all classes of people in the community.

Our subject was born January 2, 1827, in Madi- son, Lackawanna county, a son of John and Susan ( Riegal ) Biesecker, the former of whom was born September 6. 1787, and reared in Bucks county, Penn. For some years he followed the blacksmith's trade near Scranton; but soon after his marriage he located upon a farm near Moscow, Lackawanna county, where his wife died in 1849. He died May 6, 1872, at Mondovi, Wisconsin.

Our subject was one in a family of eleven chil- dren. (1) Katie, who was born in Northampton county, married Peter Alt, and now resides in Buf- falo county, Wis. They have children, John, Henry,

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Mary and Adam. (2) Jacob, a resident of Madi- son, Penn., married Matilda Swartz, and has chil- dren, David, Andrew, William H., Hiram, Ira, and Margaret. (3) John, a resident of Buffalo county, Wis., died in 1864. (4) Susan married William Yeager, of Lackawanna county. (5) Sallie mar- ried Hiram Knapp, of. Mondovi, Wis. (6) Charles resides in Sterling, Wayne county. (7) Reuben en- listed as a soldier in the Union army during the Civil war, and died from the effects of a wound received at the battle of Cold Harbor. (8) Henry R., our subject, is mentioned more fully below. (9) Lucinda married Henry Rowe, of Eau Claire, Wis. (10) Maria married John Pace, now a resident of Buffalo county, Wis. (II) Polly married Peter Yeager, of Lackawanna county, and died leaving five children, Spencer, Charles, Ella ( who married Bowen Swarts), Mary (wife of Jacob Krotzer, of Madison, Penn.), and John (a lumberman in Bing- hamton, N. Y.).

Our subject was educated in Moscow, Penn., and on leaving school he learned the carpenter's trade. In December, 1849, he married Miss Julia A. Edinger, daughter of David and Eva Edinger, well known residents of Cherry Valley, Hamil- ton township, Monroe county. For some time Mr. Biesecker followed his trade in Moscow, where his first wife soon died leaving one son, Elwood, who passed away at the age of six years. On December 26. 1852, Mr. Biesecker married Miss Catherine J. Edinger, sister of the first wife, and soon after he purchased the old Edinger homestead in Cherry Valley, and for some years he followed farming there in connection with his trade. In 1867 he sold out and bought his present homestead of 96 acres, situated three miles west of Stroudsburg, and for- merly known as the Jacob Walter farm. Politically he has always been a Democrat, and in the fall of 1869 he was elected county commissioner for the term of three years, his able and faithful service proving him to be entirely worthy of the confidence of his constituents. In religious faith he is a Meth- odist, and he and his family are active members of the Church at Wesley Chapel, in Stroud. Of his nine children, three, Abram, Frank and William. died in childhood. (2) Alice M., born August 9, 1856, wife of Chester H. Swarts, is mentioned more fully below. (4) John S., born November 22, 1860, is a dealer in dairy supplies in New York City. He married Miss Ella Ransbury, of Stroud township. and has one son living, Royal K. (6) Edgar, born April 13, 1866, in Hamilton, Monroe county, mar- ried Miss Lizzie Riesdorf, of New York, and now resides in Hasbrook Heights, N. J. (7) Charles N., born June 26, 1868, in Stroud township, and now in the employ of his brother John in New York City, married Miss Annie Gregory, of Long Island, and has one son, William Henry. (8) Lizzie E., born July 28, 1871, on the present homestead, mar- ri d William Merring, of East Stroudsburg, and had two children, Frederick and Alice. (9) Bur- ton H., born June 20, 1876, at the homestead, is

not married, and is in the employ of his brother John in New York City.

CHESTER H. SWARTS, our subject's son-in-law, was born November 3, 1853, a son of Isaac and Elizabeth Swarts, prominent residents of Moscow, Penn. He was educated chiefly in Moscow,and after his marriage, in 1879, to Miss Alice M. Biesecker, he followed the butcher's trade for about three years. He then removed to Scranton, where he was engaged in different lines of business until 1893, when he went to Pottsville, Schuylkill Co., Penn., to engage in dairying. In 1895 he purchased the Biesecker homestead, where he has since resided. From time to time he has made improvements, and the entire tract is kept in a fine state of cultivation under his skillful management. He is an enter- prising and successful business man, and in addi- tion to his other lines of effort he has, at times, dealt extensively in horses. In politics he is a Democrat, and he and his wife are devout Meth- odists, attending Wesley Chapel, in Stroud town- ship. Mrs. Swarts was born August 9, 1856, in Hamilton township, Monroe county, received a good public-school education, and is a leader in a cultured social circle, she and her husband making their home the center of a refined hospitality. They have one daughter, Miss Leahna K. Swarts, born October 30, 1881, who has supplemented her course in the local schools of Pottsville and Scranton. She is especially proficient in music, and is also fond of outdoor life, being unusually skilled in horseman- ship, and at any time she may be seen driving through the picturesque region around her home with a spirited pair of ponies.

DAVID B. SMITH, a well known farmer at Newfoundland, Wayne county, commonly known as the Dutch Flats, was born in Greene township, Pike Co., Penn., January 24, 1870, and is a son of Louis R. Smith, a retired farmer of Newfoundland.

The father of our subject is also a native of Pike county, born in Palmyra township, December 16, 1832, and is a son of George and Maria (Rock- well) Smith, natives of Harmony, N. J., and Mil- ford. Pike Co., Penn., respectively. George Smith was born June 30, 1806, a son of George and Mar- garet Smith, who spent their entire lives in New Jersey, while his wife was born in April, 1809, and was a daughter of Louis and Rebecca ( Gainsford) Rockwell, who were natives of Connecticut and came to Wayne county, Penn., at an early day. In 1828 George Smith, Jr., came to Wayne county, where he worked at his trade as a shoemaker for one year, and then moved to Palmyra township, Pike county, but three years later he returned to New Jersey, where he spent a few years. He was next a resident of Luzerne county, Penn., for one year, and at the end of that time again located in Pike county, where he remained until, in 1842, he came to Sterling township, Wayne county. Here he retired from shoemaking and gave his attention to farming until his death, which occurred in 1883.

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

His wife died in 1889, and was laid by his side in the South Sterling cemetery, Pike county. Both were consistent members of the Methodist Protest- ant Church. Their children were as follows: Hugh E., who died in infancy; George G. and Louis R., twins, the former foreman of a lumber company at Gouldsboro, Wayne county, the latter the father of our subject; Emeline E., widow of Benjamin Smith, and a resident of South Sterling ; Tunis M., a hunter and farmer of Pike county ; Levi, a retired merchant of Luzerne county, Penn .; James R., a farmer of South Sterling, Penn .; Han- nah J., wife of Charles Houck, a manufacturer of sticks, toys, etc., at Houckstown, Pike county ; John and Benjamin J., both farmers of that county ; Rebecca, wife of Albert Edwards, a civil engineer of Wayne county; Francis M., deceased; Mary, wife of Theobold Edwards, a farmer of Norfolk, Va. : and Samuel, deceased.

Throughout his active business life Louis R. Smith engaged in lumbering and farming, and for a time conducted the "Hopewell Hotel." Coming to Wayne county in 1853, he located at South Sterling, but since 1881 has resided at his present home in Newfoundland, where he is now living retired, enjoying a well-earned rest. He is sur- rounded by a large circle of friends and acquaint- ances who esteem him highly for his sterling worth and many excellencies of character. He is a mem- ber of the Odd Fellows Lodge at Wallenpaupack, and is a stanch Republican in politics. In Pike county, January 1, 1854, Louis R. Smith was mar- ried, by William Lancaster, Esq., to Miss Christina Baillie, who was born in Manchester, England, September II, 1835, a daughter of James and Christina (Hunter) Baillie, natives of New York City and Edinburgh, Scotland, respectively. Her paternal grandparents were David and Jean Bail- lie, of Scotland, the former a sea-faring man, and her maternal grandparents were James and Chris- tina Hunter, who spent their entire lives in Edin- burgh, Scotland. James Baillie, who was a sign, house and carriage painter by trade, died in Minne- apolis, Minn., in 1883, and his wife passed away in 1851, at the age of fifty-two years. Their children were Jane, who died in infancy; David, deceased ; James, a resident of Minnesota; Marian, wife of Anthony A. Roner, a farmer of Pike county, Penn .; John, a farmer of Minnesota ; John, who is living in the West; Ann, widow of Daniel Bennett, and a resident of Louisville, Kv .; and Christina, mother of our subject. In the family of Louis R. and Christina Smith are the following children : Charles E., born December 15, 1855, married Theressa Stark, and is a farmer of South Sterling, Penn. ; Rev. Horace A., born October 31, 1858, married Susie A. Robacker, and i. a resident of South Canaan, Wayne county; Louis B., born April 23. 1860. married Jennie Hoover, and resides in Scran- ton, Penn. ; Ernest E., born August 20, 1862, wed- ded Mary Banks, and is deceased : George A., born June 1, 1865, is prothonotary of Wayne county ;

Hugh B., born October 8, 1867, married Minnie Hinkley, and is a traveling salesman, residing in Nicholson, Penn .; and David B., the subject of this sketch, completes the family. The mother of these passed away November 30, 1899.

Until eleven years of age David B. Smith was reared on the home farm, and he then accompanied his parents on their removal to the hotel in New- foundland, which he so successfully conducted. In 1888 he went to Scranton, where he remained nine months, but on December 30, 1889, returned to Newfoundland and took charge of the hotel. Being a genial and obliging landlord, his house became a favorite with the traveling public, and received a liberal patronage. He has just completed the "Central House," at Newfoundland. Socially he affiliates with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows and the Patriotic Order Sons of America at Newfoundland, while politically he is identified with the Republican party.

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Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1, Part 217

Author: Publication date: 1900 Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co. Number of Pages: 2390

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 2390