Genealogical and family history of the Wyoming and Lackawanna Valleys, Pennsylvania, Volume II, Part 62

Author: Hayden, Horace Edwin, 1837-1917; Hand, Alfred, 1835-; Jordan, John W. (John Woolf), 1840-1921; Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: New York, Chicago, The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 1026

USA > Pennsylvania > Genealogical and family history of the Wyoming and Lackawanna Valleys, Pennsylvania, Volume II > Part 62
USA > Wyoming > Genealogical and family history of the Wyoming and Lackawanna Valleys, Pennsylvania, Volume II > Part 62

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).

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THE WYOMING AND LACKAWANNA VALLEYS.

mill, which he continued to operate as well as superintend his farm all his life. He lived at Seibertsville, and in 1848 married Rosilla Fritz, daughter of Ezekiel Fritz, of Springville, Sus- quehanna county, Pennsylvania. John Engle and his wife had four children : George W., of whom later ; Albert, married Martha Schreck, has three children and resides in Buffalo; Clara, married Josiah Schreck, has two children: John and George; Emma, married a Mr. Bean, resides in Marysville, near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and has several children.

George W. Engle, son of John and Rosilla (Fritz) Engle, was born in Seibertsville, Penn- sylvania, June 1, 1850. He was educated in the common schools of Seibertsville and Bethlehem, Tuscarora Academy, Juniata county, Blooms- burg State Normal, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, and finished the course in science before he had reached his twenty-first year. His first actual work was that of surveying in Seibertsville, an occupation which he followed for two years. For three years he had charge of the work of the Fred Beers Company, mapping and making sur- veys for them, and then made surveys and ex- aminations for the National Diagram Bureau of New York over seventeen different states and the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, Canada, for more than two years. In 1877 he went into the flour, feed and grain business for himself in Hazleton, under his own name, and has con- tinued the business since that time. Politically Mr. Engle is an Independent. He is a member of the Royal Arcanum of Hazleton. He and all his family are Presbyterians.

Mr. Engle married, April, 1877. Caroline E. Rhoads, of Harvey's Lake, daughter of James and Caroline (Drumheller ) Rhoads. Mrs. Engle is one of ten children, among whom were : Frank, Aaron, Eugene, William, James, Hiram, George, Amy, Caroline. Mr. and Mrs. Engle have had four children : Edna, Jessie, deceased, buried in Vine Street cemetery, Hazleton ; George Stuart, and James Rhoads.

CHRISTIAN FREDERICK WETTERAU. The ancestors of Christian Frederick Wetterau. of Hazleton, were Huguenots, and his great- grandfather, in consequence of religious persecu- tion, left France and sought refuge near Cassel, Germany, afterward venturing to go as far as Richelsdorf, where he was overseer of a large estate.

Conrad Wetterau, son of this exile ancestor, was born at Richelsdorf, and succeeded his father

as overseer of the estate mentioned above. He- afterward bought a large farm at Blankenbach, which was the birthplace of his three children : Johannes, mentioned hereafter ; Anna Martha, and Dorothea. He himself died and was buried at Blankenbach.

Johannes Wetterau, son of Conrad Wetterau,. was educated in the public schools and worked on the farm. In 1809 he entered the German army, serving until 1812, when he returned to the farm and there passed the remainder of his. life. His wife Dorothea was one of the three children of Christian Frederick Hussbach, of Unhausen, Hesse Cassel, the others being Fred- erick and Eva Dorothea. Mrs. Hussbach, the mother of these children, died about 1825, and the father survived until 1840. Both are buried in Unhausen. Mr. and Mrs. Wetterau had chil- dren: Conrad, deceased; Eva Dorothea, de- ceased ; Frederick, died at Hazleton ; Anna Eliza- beth, deceased; John, deceased ; Dorothea Eliza- beth, deceased ; Johann Christian, deceased ; and Christian Frederick, mentioned hereafter. The- death of Mr. Wetterau occurred about 1853 on the farm, and his widow expired there also a few years later. Both are interred at Blanken- bach.

Christian Frederick Wetterau, son of Jo- hannes and Dorothea (Hussbach ) Wetterau, was born August 4, 1828, in Hesse Cassel, received his education in the public schools, and until his twentieth year worked on the farm. At the time of the revolution in Germany he was among the number who refused to enter the army. In April, 1848, he came to the United States and settled in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, where for seven years he worked as a miner. For five years thereafter he was employed as a driver by A. Pardee & Company, after which he engaged for the same length of time in the general teaming business. Returning to the service of A. Pardee & Com- pany, he held for twelve years the position of outside foreman at Cranberry breakers and Ha- zleton mines, then had charge for eight years of the work of excavation, but having the misfor- tune to break a leg was forced to retire. For two years he was street commissioner. He was a member for twenty years of the Uhlan Haru- gari. He and all his sons are steadfast Repub- licans. He is a member of the German Reformed Church of Hazleton, in which he has served for a number of years as elder and trustee.

Mr. Wetterau married, October 18, 1848, at Seibertsville, Luzerne county, Anna Margaret Zierdt, of Klinen See, Hesse, Germany, and their

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children were: I. Louisa Catharine, born De- cember 4, 1849, married Charles Mans, of Hazle- ton, and has five children: Anna Margaret, Henry, George, Louisa and Augusta. 2. Cath- arine, born February 17, 1852, died January 17, 1857, and is buried in Vine Street cemetery. 3. Maria Elise, born June 20, 1854, married Henry Meyer, of Akron, Ohio, and had nine children : Louisa, Frederick, Augusta, Charles, William, John, Caroline, George, and an infant son. Mrs. Meyer died September 20, 1892. 4. George William, born December 29, 1856, died Novem- ber 15, 1882, and is buried in Vine Street cem- etery. 5. Elizabeth, resides in Hazleton. 6. Frederick Christian, born May 28, 1863, died March 13, 1864. 7. Anna Margaret, resides in Hazleton. 8. John Frederick Christian, born October 19, 1869, married Catharine, daughter of Charles Altmiller, of Hazleton, and has one son, Paul Christian, born August 10, 1903.

HON. THOMAS H. DALE, numbered among the most prominent men of large affairs, who during a long and busy career contributed in a large degree to the advancement of the indus- trial and financial interests of the Wyoming val- ley, and has occupied various important official positions, is a native of Pennsylvania, descended from an English family whose members were early identified with the upbuilding of the com- monwealth.

The founder of the Dale family in Pennsyl- vania was his grandfather, David Dale, who came from Yorkshire, England, about 1816, and settled upon a farm in Covington township, where he was a farmer and hotel keeper. He became the owner of a large tract of land which was originally known as the Drinker settlement, but which was afterwards named Dalesville in his honor. He was one of the most prominent citizens, and was active in religious affairs, and the largest contributor to the building of the church, in which he was a trustee. He married a Miss Tanfield, before coming to America, and their children were: John. married Eleanor Gates, and they lived in Springbrook township ; David, married Sarah Fish ; William, mentioned hereinafter ; Elizabeth, married Michael Mc- Wade, and they lived in Covington township ; James ; Mark, married (first) Louvenia Trible, and (second) Mary A. Bennett. He resided in Covington township. Frank, married Maria Webster, and lived in Illinois; Mary, married Arthur Hodgson and lived in Covington town- ship.

William Dale, third son of David Dale, was born in Yorkshire, England, and was nine years old when his parents brought him to the United States. He was reared upon the paternal farm, a portion of which he subsequently inherited. He was primarily instrumental in the establishment of a postoffice at Daleville, and he was the first postmaster and served in that capacity for sev- eral years. He was a general merchant, and was also engaged in the lumber and sawmill busi- ness. He occupied nearly all the local offices, serving with credit to himself and usefulness to the community. He was an original Republican, and voted for John C. Fremont, the first presi- dential candidate of his party. His wife was Susan Hodgson, born in London, England, daughter of Matthew Hodgson, who came from England about the same time as did David Dale, and engaged in farming. The children of Will- iam and Susan (Hodgson) Dale were: Matthew H., who died from injuries received in a railroad accident, and sketch of whom appears elsewhere ; David M., who performed splendid soldierly service during the Civil war in the Sixty-first regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, serving for four years and participating in forty-three bat- tles ; Mary E., married Rev. Reece Hanks, D. D., a Methodist clergyman, residing in Dale- ville ; Eliza, unmarried ; Thomas H., mentioned hereinafter ; Alice L., wife of Muron Kasson, who served as prothonotary of Lackawanna county and alderman of the city of Scranton ; Frank, a brick and tile manufacturer at Des Moines, Iowa; he married Anna Haven, and their children are Bessie and Haven. Eleanor E., married Rufus R. Howland, professor of mathematics in Wyoming Seminary for fifteen years ; they have a daughter, Susan, attending Wellesley College. Everett E., a tile and brick manufacturer at Des Moines, Iowa ; he married Elizabeth -, no children.

Matthew Hodgson, maternal grandfather of Thomas H. Dale, was father of the following children : Allen, married Harriet Rush and re- sided in Covington township; Thomas, married a

Philadelphia woman ; Arthur, married Mary Dale, and lived in Covington : Henry, who never married ; Richard, married Harriet Taylor and lived in Covington; Matthew, married Harriet Kipp, of Covington township; Susan, mother of Thomas H. Dale; Elizabeth, married Silas Hol- gate and lived in Covington.

Thomas H. Dale, fifth child and third son of William and Susan ( Hodgson) Dale, was born in Daleville, June 11, 1846. He began his

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education in the common schools. In 1863, at the age of seventeen, he was pursuing a course in Eastman's Business College in Poughkeepsie, New York, and left that school to respond to Governor Curtin's call for emergency men to repel the invading army of General Lee, and en- listed in an independent company at Harrisburg, in which he performed the full duty of a soldier for a period of three months. He entered upon his business career as clerk in a country store, devoting his leisure hours to study. On attain- ing his majority his father offered to establish him in business, but, realizing the advantage of a more complete education, he preferred to take the proffered capital for the payment of his tui- tion at Wyoming Seminary. His means were soon exhausted, and he found it necessary to either seek employment or forfeit his education. He decided to continue the latter, although it involved considerable hardships and much self- denial. He succeeded in obtaining a situation as teacher in a country school, and was thus enabled to complete his seminary course to grad- uation. His persistence in this laudable effort was warmly approved by his friends, who pre- dicted for him a brilliant career. He left school broken in finance and was not yet out of debt when he was married, but he has often referred to that event of his life as the most satisfac- tory of all. In 1869 he engaged in the whole- sale produce business with his brother, Matthew H. Dale, under the firm name of Dale & Com- pany. They opened a store on Franklin avenue, and were among the first wholesale merchants in the city. This association was maintained un- til 1892, when Thomas H. Dale retired from the firm. In 1886 he entered into partnership with Reese G. Brooks in the organization of the Green- wood Coal Company, and afterwards in the Langcliffe Coal Company and the Laflin Coal Company, all of which interests he sold in 1901 to the Hudson Coal Company, now the Delaware and Hudson Coal Company. For fourteen years, while under the control of Messrs. Brooks and Dale, these gentlemen never had a single differ- ence with their employees, numbering nearly fifteen hundred. Mr. Dale's tact and fair deal- ing kept him on constant good terms with his little army of workers-a remarkable record when considered in connection with the many disturbances which marked the conduct of the coal industry in the vicinity.

Mr. Dale's activities also extended into vari- ous other fields wherein his efforts were highly conducive to the industrial and financial interests

of the Wyoming Valley. He was primarily in- strumental in the organization of the board of trade of Scranton, of which he was president for several years, and in that position displayed a highly commendable degree of public spirit and business sagacity, as was evidenced by the va- rious manufacturing establishments which were built up in Scranton and vicinity. He was equally interested in educational affairs, and performed excellent service as a trustee of Wyoming Sem- inary, and as trustee and chairman of the finance committee of the Albright Public Library. In all these and other relations he displayed the best characteristics of the enterprising and public- spirited citizen.

Mr. Dale's introduction to official life dates from 1882, when he was elected prothonotary. His conduct of that office was so exceptional that three years later he was re-elected by a largely increased plurality, and in 1888 he was elected by a plurality of twelve hundred. His third term of service expired in January, 1892, when he de- clined a renomination. A Republican in politics, he has long exerted a potent influence in the councils of his party, serving for many years on the county central committee and as secretary, treasurer and chairman of that body. He was also long connected with the city committee. In 1904 he was nominated for congress, and, not- withstanding his party was normally in the mi- nority, he was elected by a decisive plurality. He- brings to the duties of his high office the best possible qualifications-business abilities of a high order and a lofty conception of public ne- nessities and official responsibilities. Personally Mr. Dale is held in high regard for his excellent traits of character as a citizen and neighbor, rec- ognized as one who is ever ready to take what- ever part is possible in the interests of the com- munity. In religion he is a Methodist. From 1871 until 1895 he held membership in the Simp- son Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he was president of the board of trustees during the greater part of the time, and superintendent of the Sunday school for eleven years. He is now identified with the Elm Park Church. In 1892 he was one of the lay delegates represent- ing the Wyoming conference in the general con- ference at Omaha.

At San Francisco, California, August 20, 1870, Mr. Dale married Martha Grace Rounds, and of this union were born three children : Ruth E., Louisa F., wife of Robert E. Landon, a son of Rev. George Landon, ex-senator and distin- guished citizen of Bradford county, Pennsylva-

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nia. Mr. Landon is a member of the firm of Brooks & Landon, lumber merchants, and of the firm of R. G. Landon & Company, wholesale cigar dealers at Scranton, where he resides. Mr. and Mrs. Landon are the parents of three chil- dren, Grace, Ruth and DeWitt. Everett Thomas, who is attending school.

Mrs. Thomas H. Dale is a member of the Rounds family, descended from John Rounds, of Swansea, Massachusetts. It is a tradition that the family sprang from a young man who es- caped from the Swansea massacre of 1675 and made his way to an island in a rowboat. John Rounds died in Swansea. October 7. 1716. His descendants spread into Rhode Island, Vermont, New York and the west. Of his children George Bertram Rounds (great-grandfather of Mrs. Dale) was born December 22, 1741, at Rehoboth. Massachusetts, and lived later at Scituate, Rhode Island. He was ensign and lieutenant in the "Scituate Hunters," a company of Rhode Island troops in the Revolutionary war, and bore three commissions from the governor. He removed to Richfield, New York, where he died October I, 1833, at which time it is said he had two hun- dred and thirty-six descendants. He married Alice Wilkinson, and of their children Alfred (grandfather of Mrs. Dale) was born May 25, 1786, married Martha Lynde, and they had four children-Alanson, Nelson, Alanson and Hen- rietta. The second of the children, Nelson, was born in Litchfield. New York, May 4, 1807. He was professor of languages at Cazenovia Sem- inary. New York, and later principal of Beth- any Seminary. He subsequently became a min- ister of Oneida conference ( Methodist Episco- pal), in which he was presiding elder for eight years. He was for four years editor of the Northern Christian Advocate. He was president of Willamette University, at Salem. Oregon, and superintendent of schools in Washington Territory. He received the degree of Doctor of Divinity. He died January 6, 1874, at Wildwood, Washington Territory, in the sixty-sixth year of his age. By his marriage with Mary Comfort. March 28, 1835, he became the father of thir- teen children, of whom the seventh was Mrs. Thomas H. Dale.

F. LEE HOLLISTER, one of the leading dentists of Wilkes-Barre. Pennsylvania, was born August 16. 1846, in what is now Forest Lake township, Susquehanna county. Pennsylvania. He is a son of Frederick P. and Alice B. (Young) Hollister, and grandson of Cuza and Susan ( Rob-

inson) Hollister, both natives of Connecticut, of Puritan stock, Cuza being of English descent and Susan of Scotch descent. They were pio- neers of Delaware county, New York, settling in .Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania, in 1836, where they both died, aged ninety-six years.

Frederick P. Hollister, son of Cuza and Susan (Robinson) Hollister, was born January 21, 1820, in Delaware county, New York, and en- gaged in teaching, farming, tanning and later in mercantile pursuits. He served one term as sheriff of Susquehanna county, was a resident of Myersdale, Somerset county, Pennsylvania, and died August 6. 1902. He married, September 30. 1844, Alice B. Young, daughter of George and Mary ( Bard) Young. of. Susquehanna county, formerly of Connecticut. Four sons were born of this union: F. Lee, mentioned hereinafter ; Chester Wright, deceased, aged fourteen years ; George Young, residing in Dubois, Pennsylvania ; and William Starr, resides in Montgomery, Ala- bama, president of Pine Plume Lumber Com- pany.

F. Lee Hollister, eldest son of Frederick P. and Alice ( Young) Hollister, was reared in his native county, and received his education in the Montrose Academy and United School at Hamil- ton, New York. In young manhood he assisted his father in the management of the tannery and store at Forest Lake, and in 1877 entered into the study of dentistry at the Pennsylvania Col- lege of Dental Surgery in Philadelphia. He grad- uated with the degree of D. D. S. in 1879, and immediately engaged in the practice of his pro- fession at Tunkhannock, remaining there a year and a half. He then located at Towanda, where he was engaged for five years. In 1886 he re- moved to Wilkes-Barre, where he has achieved the most gratifying success in his chosen pro- fession. Politically Dr. Hollister is a sound Re- publican. He is a member of the Susquehanna District Dental Association and of the Pennsyl- vania State Dental Society.

Dr. Hollister married, September 10. 1869, Lillie Baker, born February 9, 1847, daughter of Hon. Isaac P. and Anese (Handrick) Baker, of Susquehanna county. Two children were born to them: Lizzie, now Mrs. Harradon S. Smith, see sketch elsewhere in this work, and Fred P. Hollister.

ERNEST KERR LITTLE, of Wilkes-Barre, a representative member of the Wyoming county bar, born at Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania, July 28, 1876, is a lineal descendant of Thomas Little,

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for many years a prominent resident of Littleton, now Sea View, Massachusetts. In the town of Plymouth, in 1630, he was united in marriage to Ann Warren, daughter of Richard Warren, a Mayflower pilgrim, son of Christopher Warren, son of William Warren, son of Christopher War- ren, son of John Warren, son of John Warren, son of William Warren, son of Sir Lawrence Warren, son of John Warren, son of Sir Law- rence Warren, son of Sir John Warren, son of Sir Edward Warren, son of Sir Edward Warren, son of Jolin Warren, son of Sir John Warren, son of William de Warren, son of Reginald de Warren, son of William de Warren, son of Will- iam de Warren, son of William de Warren, the first Earl of Warren and Surrey ; and of Gunden, daughter of William, King of England, surnamed the Conqueror. This William de Warren was son of William de Warren, Earl of Warren in Normandy.

Ephraim Little, son of Thomas and Ann (Warren) Little, born 1650, married Mary Sturdevant. Their son, David Little, born 1681, was a lawyer by profession. He married, De- cember 2, 1703, Elizabeth Southwart, the great- granddaughter of John and Priscilla (Mullins) Alden. Their son, Ephraim Little, born 1707, died 1787. He graduated at Harvard College in 1728, and served as a minister of the gospel at Colchester, Connecticut, fifty-five years. Their son, Captain Ephraim Little, born 1746, married Ann Wright Bulkley. Their son, George Little, married Mary Esterbrook. Their son, Robert Little, a lawyer by profession, married Harriet Avery, 1844. Their son, William Ernest Little, was born at Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania, June 13, 1846. He was educated in the public schools of his native town, studied law with his father, Hon. Robert A. Little, was admitted to the Wyoming bar. April, 1866, and is now a member of the Lu- zerne county bar. He married, December 29, 1869, Sallie Rease Kerr, born at Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, daughter of Joseph and Eleanor (Stroud) Kerr, the latter named having been a daughter of John and Elizabeth (DuPui) Stroud, and a granddaughter of Jacob Stroud, a colonel in the Revolutionary war and the founder of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Little : Harriet R., wife of Dr. F. Judson Bardwell, of Tunkhannock ; Eleanor J., a lawyer, practicing her profession at Tunkhannock ; and Ernest Kerr Little.

Ernest Kerr Little pursued his studies in the public and high schools of Tunkhannock, gradu- ating from the latter institution June 6, 1894. He

studied law under the supervision of his father, William E. Little, at Tunkhannock, and after passing a successful competitive examination was admitted to the Wyoming county bar, January 21. 1897, and to the Luzerne county bar, June 26, 1897. He established an office at No. 27 South Franklin street, Wilkes-Barre, where he is now practicing his profession. He is a member of the First Presbyterian Church at Tunkhannock. His political affiliations are with the Democratic party. He is a member of the Wilkes-Barre Law and Library Association, Westmoreland Club, Wyo- ming Valley Encampment, No. 25, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and also Wyoming Lodge No. 39, of the same order.

RICHARD SAWYER BRENTON, D. D. S. of Pittston, Pennsylvania, whose professional ability, popularity and personal characteristics have won for him a high position in the profession which he has chosen for his lifework, was born at Pittston, Pennsylvania, November 10, 1878, a son of William C. and Catherine (Sawyer) Brenton.

In 1894, after completing his preliminary studies in the public schools of Pittston, he entered Wyoming Seminary, and in 1897 became a stu- dent at the University of Pennsylvania. The fol- lowing year he enlisted as a private in a company of Pennsylvania volunteers, for the Spanish- American war, and later was promoted to the rank of corporal. He served at Chickamauga, Georgia, and at Camp Hastings. Lexington, Ken- tucky, discharging his duties with credit and dis- tinction. He was mustered out of the United States service November 29, 1899. He immedi- ately resumed his studies at the University of Pennsylvania, from which institution he was graduated in the class of 1902 with the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery. He located in Scran- ton and has since been accorded a more exten- sive practice than usually falls to the lot of young dentists, and he has the promise of a flattering future. He attends the Methodist Episcopal Church, is a member of Valley Lodge, No. 499, Free and Accepted Masons, of Pittston, and is a staunch advocate of Republican principles.

EDWARD HENRY CHASE, of Wilkes- Barre. Pennsylvania, a man of absolute integrity and quick and unerring judgment, traces his an- cestry to Aquila Chase, a native of Cornwall, Eng- land, from whence in 1640 he migrated to Amer- ica, and six years later settled in Newbury, Mass- achusetts, on a grant of a four-acre house lot which was given to him in consideration of his

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services as a mariner to the colony. At his death, in 1670, he was survived by eleven children, and their descendants now reside in the various states of the Union. Edward H. Chase was born in Haverhill, Essex county, Massachusetts. Febru- ary 28, 1835, a son of Samuel Chase, a native of Hampstead, New Hampshire. and grandson of Benjamin Chase, a native of Newbury, Mass- achusetts, who served during the Revolutionary war as a musician.

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Genealogical and family history of the Wyoming and Lackawanna Valleys, Pennsylvania, Volume II, Part 62

Author: Hayden, Horace Edwin, 1837-1917; Hand, Alfred, 1835-; Jordan, John W. (John Woolf), 1840-1921; Lewis Publishing Company Publication date: 1906 Publisher: New York, Chicago, The Lewis publishing company Number of Pages: 1026

Author: Hayden, Horace Edwin, 1837-1917; Hand, Alfred, 1835-; Jordan, John W. (John Woolf), 1840-1921; Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: New York, Chicago, The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 1026