USA > Pennsylvania > Genealogical and family history of the Wyoming and Lackawanna Valleys, Pennsylvania, Volume II > Part 81
USA > Wyoming > Genealogical and family history of the Wyoming and Lackawanna Valleys, Pennsylvania, Volume II > Part 81
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livelihood for his family. He was united in marriage to Emma Hart, also a native of Hol- Ienback township, and two children were born to them, Irvin P. being the only survivor. Na- than Walp died in 1875, when his son Irvin P. was eight years of age. His widow is living at the present time ( 1905).
Mr. Hart, grandfather of Mrs. Walp, was one of the pioneers of Hollenback township. where he owned about one thousand acres of good farm land. He was the father of five chil- dren: Aaron, Peter, John, Joseph and Mary. Peter Hart, father of Mrs. Walp, was a resident of Hollenback township, and there owned a farm of one hundred and ten acres, which he culti- vated and improved. He was a man of promi- nence in the neighborhood, and served in the ca- pacity of justice of the peace for thirty years .. His wife, whose maiden name was Rebecca Deets, bore him thirteen children, twelve of whom attained years of maturity, and six of whom are living ( 1905) : Emma, Sarah, Louise, Martha, Alice and Amelia.
Irvin P. Walp attended the common schools of Ashley, completing his studies in the schools of Nanticoke, to which town his parents moved in 1881. At the age of nineteen years he en- tered the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, served as brakeman for two and a half years, then flagman two and a half years, and was then promoted to his present position, conductor, and during his incumbency of office has never met with an accident or injury. He is eminently fitted by nature and training for the position he now fills. He is a member of Nanti- coke Lodge, No. 541, Free and Accepted Masons, and a member of the Order of Railroad Conduc- tors.
On October 17, 1896, Mr. Walp married Mary M. O'Brien, and four children were born to them: William H., Walter A., Helen E., and Marie. E. The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Walp were Jeremiah and Mary (Donovan) O'Brien, natives of Ireland. Their son, Dennis O'Brien, father of Mrs. Walp, was born in Bradford county, Pennsylvania. For a number of years he conducted a hotel at Sugar Notch, after which he turned his attention to mining. and lost his life at Slope No. 1, May 15, 1883. His wife, Ellen (Stepleton) O'Brien, whom he married in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, was a na- tive of Scotland, from whence she emigrated to this country in young womanhood: her death occurred in April, 1895. Their family consisted of twelve children, four of whom grew to ma-
turity, and three of whom are living: Ellen, Michael, and Mary M., aforementioned as the wife of Mr. Walp.
THOMAS W. PARRY. Throughout the anthracite coal belt there is no better educated or more expert miner than Thomas W. Parry. of Avoca. Mr. Parry is the son of Thomas Parry, who was born in North Wales, but for a number of years made his home in Northum- berland, England. He was an experienced and practical miner. In 1866 he came to the United States, and for six months lived in Plymouth, Luzerne county, returning at the end of that time to his home in Northumberland. In 1887 he came again to the United States, and this time made it his permanent home. His wife was Mary Hughes, also a native of North Wales, and they were the parents of thirteen children, nine of whom are living : Thomas W., mentioned at length hereafter; Rebecca, who married John Manghan ; Peter : Robert ; David ; George; John W .; Alfred G., and Katie, who became the wife of Henry Morton. The death of Mr. Parry. the father of the family, occurred November 16, 1903. Notwithstanding the fact that he had worked in the mines for almost fifty-six years, he was a well-preserved and vigorous man to the close of his long life. His widow survives him and is now a resident of Avoca.
Thomas W. Parry, son of Thomas and Mary (Hughes) Parry, was born in 1866, in North Wales, but passed his boyhood and youth in Northumberland, England, where he was em- ployed with his father in the mines. They both worked in the Waremouth colliery, in Sunder- land, one of the largest mines in the world. The shaft is twenty-one hundred feet deep. The first manager of this mine was Sir George El- liott. There Mr. Parry worked eight years un- der the supervision of his father, beginning as a lad of ten years and remaining until 1885. when he emigrated to the United States, settling in Scranton, Pennsylvania. There he engaged with the Delaware. & Hudson Company as la- borer, but soon moved to Troop, where he en- tered the service of the Pancoast Coal Company, with whom he remained four years as a miner. Thence he moved to Richmondale, where he spent another four years. While living in Rich- mondale he took a course in the International Correspondence School of Scranton, and passed a creditable examination as mining foreman. He then entered the Pennsylvania College, where he took a two years' course, graduating in 1896
1
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THE WYOMING AND LACKAWANNA VALLEYS.
as mining engineer. The same year he was em- ployed by Mr. Richmond as foreman. In 1898 he resigned his position, the Thirteenth Regi- ment. National Guard, in which he held the rank of first sergeant of Company H, being mus- tered into service. For eleven months he was stationed in various parts of the country, but was not sent abroad. On his return he resumed his old position as mine foreman, a position which had been reserved for him, despite the fact that during his absence the Richmond prop- erty had passed into the control of the New York, Ontario & Western Company. He re- mained with this company for two years, and then became mine foreman for the Hillside Coal Company. In 1900 he moved to Avoca and en- tered the service of the Butler colliery, where he has since remained. He has charge of two slopes and a "stripping," with four hundred men under his control. He is conscientious and faith- ful in the discharge of his duties toward both employers and employed, and is trusted and hon-
ored by both. He belongs to the Spanish-Ameri- can War Veterans, and is a member of the Pres- byterian Church, in which he holds the office of trustee. Mr. Parry married in 1901, Mame G., daughter of Thomas W. and Mary McCrindle, and they have one child. Wesley G., born in 1904. Mrs. Parry was born in Avoca, in 1873. Her parents were natives of Scotland, who emi- grated from Glasgow to the United States in 1864. Thomas W. McCrindle was a miner and a worthy man. He was the father of seven chil- dren, three of whom are living: John, James and Mame G., mentioned above as the wife of Thomas W. Parry.
PATRICK H. MCCLELLAN. Among the enterprising and energetic young men of the county must be numbered Patrick H. McClellan, of Avoca. He is the grandson of Patrick and Elizabeth McClellan, of Scotch-Irish origin, who both died in the north of Ireland. Eight of their children came to the United States : John. Peter, William, mentioned at length hereafter ; James Rose. Sarah. Kate and Elizabeth.
William McClellan, son of Patrick and Eliza- beth McClellan, was born in Scotland, and in 1870 emigrated to the United States. He set- tled in Plains, Pennsylvania, where he was con- nected with the boot and shoe business, which he thoroughly understood and in which he was remarkably successful. Subsequently he went to South Africa in connection with a mining com- pany, by whom he was employed as bookkeeper. This occupation he abandoned after a time, and
engaged in the boot and shoe business at Kim- berly, South Africa. He married Anna, daugh- ter of John and Mary Pryor, both natives of. Ireland, who emigrated to this country in 1840. They settled at Plains, where Mr. Pryor en- gaged in mining and became a prosperous citi- zen. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Pryor were: Anna, born in Plains, became the wife of Will- iam McClellan, as mentioned above ; Mary, Cath- erine and Margaret. Mr. Pryor was a man re- spected by all who knew him. Mr. and Mrs. McClellan were the parents of one child : Patrick H., mentioned at length hereafter. The death of Mr. McClellan occurred in 1896, at Kimberly, South Africa. He is survived by his widow.
Patrick H. McClellan, only child of William and Anna (Pryor) McClellan, was born Oc- tober 12, 1876, in Plains, and in boyhood at- tended the common schools of his native town- ship. Later he attended the Wyoming Business College, at Kingston, from which institution he graduated in 1893. From that time to the pres- ent he has been employed by different leading coal companies in some clerical capacity, and for the last two years has held the position of book- keeper with the Delaware & Hudson Company. His record for efficiency and trustworthiness is beyond dispute." Mr. McClellan married in 1898, Annie, daughter of John Stanton, and they have one daughter, Mary, born July, 1900.
JOHN WATROUS. One of the represent- ative men of Lackawanna county is John Wa- trous, of Dunmore. Mr. Watrous was among the pioneers of the town in which he resides. He belongs to an English family of good stand- ing, the American branch of which was planted in this country some time prior to the Revolu -. tionary war. In that conflict his grandfather, Jonathan B. Waterhouse (as the name was then spelled), participated as a ntember of Wash -. ington's staff. He married Abia Webster, whose family was closely connected with that of Noah Webster, the lexicographer. Mr. and Mrs. Waterhouse were the parents of the fol- lowing children: Elijah, Ichabod, Dudley, Jud- son, Morgan, Jonathan B., mentioned at length hereafter ; and Polly.
Jonathan B. Watrous, son of Jonathan B. and Abia (Webster) Watrous, was born Sep- tember 28, 1795. in Connecticut, and was a shoe- maker by trade, but by reason of his remarka- ble aptitude was able to engage in various branches of mechanical industry. While still a youth he served in the war of 1812. He was a noted Nimrod of his day. At one time he
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THE WYOMING AND LACKAWANNA VALLEYS.
hunted two days and out of eighteen shots killed seventeen deer. He married, June 8, 1820, Ma- tilda, who was born February 17, 1804, in Wayne county, Pennsylvania, daughter of Joseph and Matilda Moore, whose other children were Jo- seph and Abigail. The following children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Watrous: Egbert, who had a son, Friend Watrous, who served in Thir- ty-third Regiment, Pennsylvania Reserves. Jo- seph, who served in the Civil war and was a preacher in the Protestant Methodist Church. Judson; Dudley, who served in Thirty-third Regiment, Company B, Pennsylvania Reserves, through the Civil war; Abigail, who was born December 25, 1829. died May 17, 1901; Ar- menia, who married Rhodes Berry; Ann, who became the wife of J. R. Rosencrans ; Lucy, who married James Black ; John, mentioned at length hereinafter ; Randolph; Jane; Electa, and Win- field S. Of this large number John and Dudley are the only ones now living. During the Civil war the latter served three years in the Third Penn. Reserves, with rank of orderly sergeant
John Watrous, son of Jonathan B. and Ma- tilda (Moore) Watrous, was born September II, 1838, in Wayne county, Pennsylvania, where he was educated in the common schools of Salem township. His early life was spent in working on the Gravity road, in the service of the Penn- sylvania Coal Company, until the Civil war caused him to abandon his labors in order that he might offer his services to the government. In 1864 he was enrolled as a corporal in Com- pany A, Two Hundred and Thirty-seventh Regi- ment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. He served ten months, during which time he par- ticipated in the battles of South Mountain, An- tietam, Chancellorsville, Platt's Plantation and a number of minor engagements. At the close of the war he was honorably discharged, and the same year again entered the service of the United States, this time as a member of the construc- tion corps, remaining six months. In 1865 or '66 he went firing for the Delaware. Lackawanna & Western Railroad, filling the position sixteen months. He next served for a short time in a similar capacity on the Erie & Wyoming Rail- way, and was then promoted to the post of en- gineer, which he held for two years. He finally returned to the Delaware, Lackawanna & West- ern Railroad and remained in the shop for three years. He was afterward employed as a watch- man by A. D. and F. M. Spencer. Since 1886 he has been a resident of Dunmore. He is a member of Hiram Lodge, No. 365, F. and A. M.,
and a charter member of Dunmore Lodge, I. O. O. F. He also belongs to the Junior Order- of United American Mechanics. He is a mem- ber of Ezra Griffin Post, No. 339, G. A. R. Politically he is a stanch Republican. Mr. Wat- rous married, September 22, 1860, Annie M., daughter of Eli and Margaret (Quick) Shaffer, and the following children were born to them: Ralph, who is deceased: Frances A., who is a teacher ; Celia. deceased; Margaret, who is a stenographer : Anna, who is the wife of A. R. Nash ; Ida : Abby, deceased : Luhu, deceased ; and Seth. Like his father, Mr. Watrous is an ardent lover of the chase, and is renowned for his achievements as a hunter.
WILLIAM N. ELLIS, of Moosic, Pennsyl- vania, is a descendant of one of the pioneer fam- ilies of Wyoming county, whose industry and thrift were potent factors in the transformation of the land from a wilderness to that of well cul- tivated farms with substantial buildings thereon. These sturdy pioneers bequeathed to their de- scendants those characteristics which made them true and loyal citizens of this commonwealth. William N. Ellis was born at Meshoppen, Wyo- ming county, Pennsylvania, May 6, 1862, a son of Benjamin and Melinda (Carrier) Ellis, and grandson of Levi Ellis, who purchased the home- stead at Meshoppen in the late 30's, the same remaining in the possession of the family up to the present time ( 1905).
Benjamin Ellis (father) followed the occu- pation of farming, in which pursuit he was very successful. He was patriotic and loyal to his country, a fact clearly demonstrated during the Civil war, when the souls of men were tried, and the integrity of the nation hung in the bal- ance. He voluntarily offered his services in de- , fense of the flag of his country by enrolling him- self a member of Company E, Fifty-second Reg- iment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, participated in a number of battles, and was twice wounded. He had the honor of being present when General Lee laid down his arms at Appomattox. He was hon- orably discharged at the close of the war, and im- mediately returned to civil life. By his mar- riage to Melinda Carrier five children were born, namely : Frank, deceased ; Frederick M., Will- iam N., Mrs. Eva Reighard, deceased, and a daughter who died in infancy. The mother of these children died in 1868. and subsequently Mr. Ellis was united in marriage to Frances Pot- ter. His death occurred at the homestead in Meshoppen, in February, 1897.
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THE WYOMING AND LACKAWANNA VALLEYS.
William N. Ellis was reared in his native town, educated in its common schools, and chose for his vocation the free and independent life of a farmer. Later he engaged in the stone busi- ness in conjunction with farming, continuing the same in his native place until February, 1896, when he removed to the borough of Moosic and engaged in his present business of dairying. Having inherited a love for pastoral pursuits from his ancestors, he chose for himself the pro- prietorship and management of a large and ex- tensive dairy farm, which is one of the finest and most extensive in the Lackawanna valley. His excellent herd of fifty-four cows are thor- oughbreds and grades, producing on an average three hundred quarts of milk per day, which com- mands the highest market price. Mr. Ellis stands high in the community, and is respected and es- teemed for his sterling worth and integrity of character. On December 4, 1883, Mr. Ellis was united in marriage to Caroline Adams, daugh- ter of Perry and Margaret (Bennett) Adams, of Mehoopany, Wyoming county. Their chil- dren are: Perry A., Clara B., Ethel M., Benja- min F., Margaret, William N. J. ; Roy, deceased ; Raymond, Pearl E., Anna M., and Hazel D.
WILLIAM J. THOMAS, a worthy and well known citizen and a prosperous and practical farmer of Hanover township, where he leases and operates a well tilled farm of one hundred acres, this being one of the oldest farms in the vicinity and on which is the oldest house stand- ing in the surrounding country today, is a na- tive of Wales, born April 14, 1840. His parents were William and Sarah (Williams) Thomas, both natives of Wales, in which country their entire lives were spent.
William J. Thomas received his training and education in his native land, and there he also followed farming and mining up to 1887, in which year he emigrated to the United States. He came direct to Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, in and about which borough he has since made his home. He was employed in the mines of the Susquehanna Coal Company for eight months, and Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Coal Company for about four years. The following nine years he worked a farm in Plymouth town- ship, and since then has resided on his present farm, which is owned by the Susquehanna Coal Company, whose mines have honeycombed the interior so that some fields have fallen in or sunk five feet. On one corner of this farm, in 1885, there was a cavein in the mines which entombed twenty-three men, their bodies having
never been discovered. Several of the widows of these men are living now ( 1905) and receive their house rent from the company. Mr. Thomas followed mining for twenty-six years, during which time he met with no serious accident, this fact being explained by his extreme careful- ness. He is a practical farmer as well as an experienced miner, this fact being clearly demon- strated by the neat and thrifty appearance of his broad acres and the buildings thereon. By economy and thrift Mr. Thomas has accumulated a sufficient competence to enable both him and his wife to spend the remaining years of their lives in the enjoyment of every comfort. In 1901 Mr. Thomas visited the scenes of his boyhood, spending four months on the trip, and the change of air and scenery was extremely beneficial to him, as well as it was a source of pleasure to him to meet again old friends and associates.
On April 9, 1862, prior to his emigration to the United States, Mr. Thomas married Eliza- beth Thomas, daughter of John and Mary (Thomas) Thomas. Sixteen children were the issue of this union, all of whom were born in Wales, and nine of whom attained years of ma- turity and are married, namely : Mary A., Sarah, Elizabeth, James, William, Rosina, Margaret J., John and Harriet. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas are the happy grandparents of twenty-nine grand- children. Their marriage is remarkable from the fact that the paternal and maternal grand- parents of Mrs. Thomas also bore the family name of Thomas.
ALFRED A. ENKE. No higher words of commendation or praise can be said of any man than that he has made a prominent place for himself in the world and honorably fills it. The most useful and trustworthy men are those who have risen to a high position by their own ef- forts, and asserted thereby their right to a place with those whose names have been handed down in the pages of history as men worthy of recog- nition. Among these is Alfred A. Enke, presi- dent of the Nanticoke National Bank, who was born in Berwick, Columbia county, Pennsylva- nia. June 19, 1851.
The paternal grandfather of Alfred A. Enke was John Enke, a native of Germany, who left his native country during the struggle for in- dependence between England and the young colonies, and in this conflict he bore an active part. He was a man of considerable ability and intelligence, whose parents had set him apart for the church, but who thought for himself as he advanced in years and determined to choose
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THE WYOMING AND LACKAWANNA VALLEYS.
his own career. After the war ceased and the colonists were victorious, he settled at Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania. The maternal grand- father of Alfred A. Enke was Abel Dalbey, who was a cabinet maker and painter by trade. Both he and his wife lived to an advanced age, he passing away at seventy-seven and she at seventy- six years.
The parents of Alfred A. Enke were Jesse P. and Hannah (Dalbey) Enke, the former was born at Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania, in 1825. and the latter in Luzerne county. Pennsylvania, a descendant of a Quaker origin. She died April, 1863. Their children were seven in num- ber, three of whom are living at the present time (1905) : Alfred A., Joseph M., John W.
Alfred A. Enke was reared in Shickshinny, Pennsylvania, and educated in the common schools thereof, qualifying himself during this period for a clerical calling. In 1876 he moved to Nanticoke, where he has since resided. He entered the employ of the Susquehanna Coal Company, and for a period of thirty-two years held the respect and confidence of its manage- ment, during the greater portion of which time he had charge of one of the pay rolls of the company. He is a member of Nanticoke Lodge, No. 541, Free and Accepted Masons, of which he is past master; Caldwell Consistory, Blooms- burg : and Irem · Temple, Wilkes-Barre. Mr. Enke has never entered the arena of politics, pre- ferring to devote his time to business undi- videdly.
In 1874 Mr. Enke was married to Miss Mary A. Rambach, who bore him two children: Dan- iel Clyde, deceased, and Mary E. Mrs. Enke died May 10, 1878. In 1881 Mr. Enke was mar- ried to Miss Ida E. Hess, who also bore him two children : Emily L., a trained nurse, a grad -- uate of Wilkes-Barre Hospital, and George P., a graduate of Lehigh University in mechanical engineering, and now employed as a specialist with the German Insurance Company of New York City. The mother of these children died April 4, 1884. In 1888 Mr. Enke was married to Miss Amy I. Anderson, of Herrick, Bradford county, Pennsylvania. There is no issue of this union.
MATTHEW NASH, who has been in the employ of the Susquehanna Coal Company, at Nanticoke, for twenty-two continuous years, dur- ing :en of which he has served in the capacity of assistant mine foreman, or fire boss, in No. 4 slope, is a man of sterling qualities and ir- reproachable character, one in whom the com-
pany places implicit confidence. His thorough knowledge of mining in general, and his complete understanding of the geography of the mines in their various ramifications makes him very valu- able to the company, and should he be removed it would be difficult to fill his place. He is a na- tive of England, born November 20, 1858, the seventh in order of birth of the thirteen children born to James and Hannah (Latchen) Naslı, both natives of England. James Nash was a miner by occupation. Matthew and his brother Mark were the only members of the family to leave their native land, but Mark, who was a miner by occupation, returned to England, where he now resides.
Matthew Nash was reared and educated in the country of his birth, and after laying aside his school books began the life of a miner. In March, 1883, attracted by the possibilities offered to young men in the United States, he emigrated thither and located in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, where he has since been a continuous resident, a citizen in whom his neighbors have implicit con- fidence. He entered the employ of the Susque- hanna Coal Company, served twelve years as miner, and ten years in his present position, as- sistant mine foreman, having creditably passed the examination exacted by the mining laws of the state. His hours are from 3 A. M. to 12 M., and his office is to pre- cede the miners in their descent to the mines in order to inspect the various headings and chambers in search of gas and imperfect roof, either of which would prove fatal to the life of the miners, who are guided and governed entirely by the report of the fire boss. His position is one of the most important in the production of coal, for on his faithfulness to duty depends the safety of life and property. During his experience as assistant mine foreman no accident has happened to either him or those who follow him, and during his experience as a miner he has met with but one accident-being burnt by an explosion of gas-which incapaci- tated him for work for three weeks. By the exercise of thrift and economy he accumulated sufficient capital to purchase a home for him- self and family, wherein reigns love, peace and harmony.
On November 10, 1888. Mr. Nash was united in marriage to Mary Beynon, of Trumbull county, Ohio, a most estimable lady who grace- fully presides over his home. To this union there were born three children : Cassie, deceased ; Emily, deceased ; and Howard B. Nash. Mr. and Mrs. Nash are members of the Baptist
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THE WYOMING AND LACKAWANNA VALLEYS.
Church, in which he holds the office of trustee. Mrs. Nash is the only child of her parents, Thomas and Catherine (Lewis) Beynon, natives of Wales, who came to this country in 1855, set- tling in Ohio, where there were then coal fields, but which are now fertile fields tilled by the farmer.
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