Genealogical and family history of the Wyoming and Lackawanna valleys, Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 49

Author: Hayden, Horace Edwin
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: New York, Chicago, The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 988

USA > Pennsylvania > Genealogical and family history of the Wyoming and Lackawanna valleys, Pennsylvania, Volume I > Part 49
USA > Wyoming > Genealogical and family history of the Wyoming and Lackawanna valleys, Pennsylvania, Volume I > Part 49

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).

George Casterlin (great-great-grandfather) was born in New Jersey, and there followed the trade of blacksmith for a number of years. At

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an early date he came to Pennsylvania and located in the Wyoming valley. He married Hannah Lickers, whose brother, Henry Lickers, is buried under the Wyoming Battle Monument. George and Hannah ( Lickers) Casterlin were forced to flee in the night to escape from the Indians ; they lost sight of each other, and were not reunited until after they crossed the Delaware river and landed in Sussex county, New Jersey. Here they remained and reared their family, among whom was George Casterlin, of whom further.

George Casterlin (great-grandfather) was born in Sussex county, New Jersey, 1775, and there followed the trade of blacksmith. He married, 1805, Jennie Evans, born 1776, daugh- ter of Robert and Kathrine (Decker) Evans, the former of whom came to America and settled in New Jersey, and the latter was a daughter of Squire Decker, of Deckerstown. New Jersey, which was named for him. George and Jennie (Evans) Casterlin were the parents of ten chil- dren: William, George, Nathaniel, James (see forward) ; Thomas, Robert, Harvey, Harriet, Mehitable, and Eleanor. They were Scotch Pres- byterians in religion.

James Casterlin (grandfather ) was born July 25, 1808, died February 13, 1882. He was a na- tive of Sussex county, New Jersey, where he was educated, and where he learned the trade of blacksmith, which he followed for many years. In 1832 he located in Franklin township, Penn- sylvania, where he purchased five hundred acres of land, two hundred of which he cleared and cul- tivated in conjunction with his trade. His wife was Eliza (Alling) Casterlin, born in Sussex county, New Jersey, October II. 1810, died Oc- tober 10, 1901, daughter of Benjamin and Nancy (Roarich) Alling, who came from Scotland, the latter a daughter of Captain Goshen and Betsy ( Massam) Roarich, who were natives of Pep- percotton, New Jersey. Captain and Betsy Al- ling have six children : Lucy, married a Whalen : Sally, married a Carre ; Lizzie, married a Search, of New Jersey : Kate, married a Clay ; Millie, married a Smith ; Nancy, married Benja- min Alling, mentioned above. 'Benjamin Alling's parents died when he was only seven years of age. They were natives of Scotland.

James and Eliza (Alling) Casterlin were the parents of ten children ; two died in infancy, and eight came to maturity: I. John, married Julia Rosencranse and resides in Scranton, Pennsyl- vania. 2. Mary, now dead; married C. H. Williams, resides in West Pittston. 3. Louis, married Malisia Whitam, both deceased. 4. Jos- eph, married Mary Rosencranse, a sister of Julia,

mentioned above, and they reside in Orange, Pennsylvania. 5. J. George, married Elizabeth King, both deceased. 6. Louisa, married Robert Furman, of Wyalusing, now deceased. 7. Asa, of Orange, Pennsylvania, see forward. 8. Minda, born March 17, 1849, in Franklin town- ship, Luzerne county, Pennsylvania ; married, 1868, Alvin Holmes, born January 30, 1842, in Dexter, Pennsylvania, son of Alvin and Minerva (Ingersoll) Holmes, who came from England. Alvin and Minda (Casterlin) Holmes had two children : Herbert Leland, born June 23, 1871, died June 19, 1881 ; and Frederick Sackett, born May 22, 1887. Mr. Holmes is a member of the contracting firm of Holmes & Son, and resides in West Pittston, Pennsylvania.

Asa Casterlin (father) was born at Orange, Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, July 2, 1842. In early life he learned the wheelwright's trade, which he followed at different places for several years. After his marriage he removed to Scran- ton, where he remained two years, then located at Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, where he resided four years, after which he took up his abode in Pittston, remaining eleven years, and in 1881 came to Franklin township, where he purchased a part of the old homestead, consisting of one hundred acres, on which he now resides, and which he has cultivated to a high degree of per- fection. On August 4, 1891, his house took fire and burned down, and subsequently he erected a fine modern residence on the same site. For a short period of time he served as a private in the Civil war. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Mr. Casterlin married, March 17, 1868, Mary Blakslee, born in Wilkes- Barre, 1845, daughter of Jerome and Margaret Blakslee, and a representative of an old New England family, members of which followed var- ious professions, including the bench, bar, and pulpit. Their children are: Walter Sterling, born September 27, 1871, see forward; and Frank, born at Pittston, January 29, 1873, edu- cated at the schools of Wilkes-Barre, and the Business College at Glen Falls, New York, and now has charge of the Anthracite Detective Agency. He resides at Scranton, and is a mem- ber of the Ninth Regiment National Guard of Pennsylvania. He married Edith Parrish, of New York City. Asa Casterlin and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Walter Sterling Casterlin acquired his pre- liminary education at the public and high schools of West Pittston, and this was supplemented by attendance for one year ( 1890) at the Wyoming Scminary, Kingston, and two years at the Mans-

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field Normal School, from which he was grad- uated with honors in 1893. He served for one term as teacher in the public school at Cambra, after which he went to Nanticoke and was princi- pal of the public schools there for six years. He then accepted the office of deputy prothonotary for a term of three years, but after two years service resigned and entered the University of Pennsylvania Law School, which he attended one year. He then opened an office for the active practice of his profession in the Bennett block, Wilkes-Barre, and now enjoys a lucrative patron- age. He casts his vote for the candidates of the Republican party, and in January, 1905, was ap- pointed chief deputy coroner of Luzerne county under Coroner Dr. D. W. Dodson, of Nanticoke. Mr. Casterlin attends the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is a member of Camp No. 408, Pa- triotic Order Sons of America, and Lodge No. 541, Free and Accepted Masons, of Nanticoke. Mr. Casterlin married, December 31. 1903, Blanche McHenry, daughter of Hon. James and Bethia (Tubbs) McHenry, of Cambra, Penn- sylvania, whose family consisted of ten children : I. Pauline, deceased. 2. Silas, a salesman.

3 Alice, widow of Clinton Hughes, late of Wilkes-Barre. 4. Stanley, a professor of music, resides at Cambra. 5. Eva, resides at Cambra. 6. Ray, a clerk, resides at Nanticoke. 8. Tor- rence, a clerk, resides at Nanticoke. 8. War- ren, deceased. 9. Fannie, deceased. IO. Blanche, wife of Walter S. Casterlin. Hon. James McHenry, deceased, was a prosperous merchant of Cambra, and for two terms repre- sented his district in the state legislature, when this and Lackawanna county were one. Mr. Mc- Henry and his family were members of the Christian Church.

Mr. Casterlin owns a fine home at No. 269 North Main street, and also purchased the old homestead at Cambra, where he resides in the summer months. H. E. H.

THOMAS ALLEN WRIGHT. This well- known civil engineer and general manager of the Wilkes-Barre Traction Company was born in Quakertown, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, No- vember 30, 1863, son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Morgan) Wright. He is the fifth Thomas in direct line, his father, grandfather, great-grand- father and great-great-grandfather having borne the same name, and is a representative of an old and highly estimable Quaker family of Bucks countv. the original American ancestor of which settled in Maiden Creek township prior to or early in the eighteenth century.

The first Thomas Wright was born May 15, 1719. The second Thomas was born February 14, 1757, died March 18, 1821, married Decem- ber 10, 1783, Deborah Starr, whose birth took place February 8, 1764, and she died December 21, 1836. The third Thomas Wright, grand- father of the subject of this sketch, was born in I789. He was a prominent farmer of Maiden Creek, and served as an elder in the Friends' Meeting of that township, where he died June 26, - I852. On November 14, 1833, he married Abi- gail Foulke, who was born January 5. 1794. Her death occurred in 1869. Abigail Foulke was a daughter of John and granddaughter of Samuel and Ann Foulke. Samuel was the son of Hugh and from the latter the line of descent is trace- able through Edward, Jr., and Edward, Sr., to its English progenitors, who had their origin in one of the early dukes of Cornwall, living in the early part of the Fourth century. The fourth Thomas Wright, father of Thomas A. Wright, was born in Maiden Creek township, August 19, 1837. He was in early life a farmer, but relinquished that occupation and became a civil engineer. After serving as city engineer in Reading and also in Philadelphia for a number of years, he went to Luzerne, Luzerne county, where he engaged in the milling business. In 1897 he resumed his profession, but three years later retired perma- nently from active business pursuits and is now residing in Wilkes-Barre with his son. On De- cember 27, 1860, he married Elizabeth Morgan, who was born in the vicinity of Philadelphia, in 1838, daughter of Joseph and Theresa (Wint) Morgan. Of this union there were three chil- dren, two of whom are living, namely: Mary, born September 14, 1861, is the wife of George Walton, of Factoryville, Pennsylvania ; and Thomas A., the principal subject of this sketch. The youngest child, Elizabeth, born March 3, 1867, died August 22, 1867. Mrs. Elizabeth (Morgan) Wright died in 1865. She was a mem- ber of Friends' Meeting, as is also her husband.

Thomas Allen Wright acquired his early edu- cation in the public schools of Quakertown. He subsequently pursued a course of study at the business college of Wyoming Seminary in Kings- ton, Pennsylvania, and then turned his attention to the study of civil engineering. For a number of years he served as assistant to the well-known civil engineer, W. H. Sturdevant. He finally turned his attention to railroad work, assisting in the survey of the Harvey's Lake Branch Railway, and in 1892 entered upon the survey of the pres- ent street railway system of Wilkes-Barre, with which he has ever since been officially connected.

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In 1897 he was made general manager of the maintenance of way department, and two years later was appointed general superintendent of the entire system, consisting of nearly one hundred iniles of track, all of which was surveyed, con- structed, and brought to its present high standard of excellence under his immediate direction. Mr. Wright is prominently identified with the Ma- sonic order, in which he has taken thirty-two de- grees, Scottish Rite. In 1886 Mr. Wright was united in marriage with Miss Helen Reese, who was born in Luzerne, daughter of Thomas and Sarah (France) Reese, the former of whom was a native of Hunlock township, and his wife was born in Dallas, this state. Her father, who was a prosperous farmer, died in Hunlock, in 1890. Mrs. Wright is the eldest of six living children, the others being: Edward Reese ; Emma, wife of D. A. Gilbert ; Calista, who married George Shep- herd; George Reese, who with his sister Sadie is residing at the old homestead in Hunlock. Mr. and Mrs. Wright have one son, Thomas A., Jr., who was born July 30, 1887. H. E. H.

JEROME GREEN MILLER is of Irish des- cent. His great-grandfather, Rev. Alexander Miller, who was born in Ireland came to America when eleven years old, studied for the ministry of the Gospel, and became a clergyman of the Congregational church. He was reckoned an eminent scholar for that day and a dignified preacher. His son Alexander Miller, born Volun- town, Windham county. Connecticut, is said by his son, Rev. John Miller, in his autobiography, to have been "a man of more than ordinary tal- ents, refined manners and good education," and a member of the Universalist church. He mar- ried Mercy Hall, a member of the Baptist church in Rhode Island across the line from Connecti- cut. He had five sons and one daughter. In 1789 he moved his family to Plainfield, Connecti- cut, bought a farm, and probably died there.

Rev. John Miller, son of Alexander and Mercy (Hall) Miller, was born at Voluntown, February 3. 1775, died Abington, Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, February 19. 1857, aged eighty- two years and sixteen days; married (first), Plainfield, Connecticut, February 18, 1797. Polly Hall, second daughter of Jonathan and Elsie Hall. She died about 1817. aged forty-two years. He married (second), April 13, 1823, Elizabeth Grif- fin, daughter of James Griffin, of Providence, now Scranton, Pennsylvania, and sister of the Rev. Samuel Griffin, a minister of the Methodist Epis- copal church. Elder Miller, as he was always called, had very few educational facilities in his

youth, as he worked on a farm when sixteen years old, but he was a great reader and had the power of discrimination and retention ; he read only good books. He records the fact in his autobiography that, "the winter when he was seventeen years old he taught a large school at Plainfield, following this occupation for several years." In 1794 he bought one hundred acres of land near Albany and farmed it for three years ; in 1797 returned to Plainfield, and early in February, 1802, removed to Abington, then Luz- erne county, Pennsylvania, and under very great difficulties built a home for his family, his three hundred and twenty-six acres costing him forty dollars. His wife was the first woman to start housekeeping in this wilderness neighborhood. Business on the farm prospered and his property soon became one of the best cultivated farms in Abington. Mr. Miller had learned the tinner's trade and had also learned something of farming, and was a practical surveyor and naturally in- genious. He was postmaster of Abington sixteen years, from 1811 to 1827. He was a generous con- tributor to education and religion, giving over three hundred dollars, nearly the whole cost, to build Abington Baptist Church, one hundred dol- lars to Madison Academy, of which he was the first president and a trustee, and as much to build the Baptist church at Waverly. . His heart was not in worldly affairs. Converted when eighteen years old he united with the Baptist church, and obeying the call of duty he aided the Rev. Sam- uel Sturdevant in organizing at Abington, No- vember 18, 1802, a church of which he was or- dained the pastor. His field was large, his ener- gies untiring, his zeal according to knowledge, and the membership in time extended sixty miles east, west, north and south. His relations to this church lasted over fifty years, from 1802 to 1853. "Eighteen hundred funeral sermons, nine hun- dred marriages and near two thousand baptisms," indicated the life work of this tireless, devoted and godly missionary. In 1853 he retired from this church and continued his ministry in the Newton church until his death. At the close of his pastorate he could say that no church of any denomination in northern Pennsylvania had so many members as Abington Baptist church. Rev. John and Mercy (Hall) Miller had eight children, among whom were:

Joseph B. Miller, of whom later. Rev. Ben- jamin Miller, born Abington, March 4, 1809, now deceased : he married, April 25, 1833, Ruth Dean, daughter of Ezra Dean, of Abington. She died about 1886, aged seventy-seven. Mr. Miller was a farmer, a Baptist deacon and minister. He

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had Caroline, John W., of Scranton, and Eliza- beth. Sophia, born Abington, June 5, 1811, died 1843, married, January 31, 1829, Immanuel Northup, son of John and Patience (Clark) Northup, and grandson of Jeremiah G., and De- borah ( Arnold) Northup, of Rhode Island and Abington, Pennsylvania. They had one son, Henry W. Northup, of Scranton, and four daugh- ters.

Joseph B. Miller, son of Rev. John and Mercy (Hall) Miller, was born in Abington. He mar- ried Emily Green, daughter of Dr. Henry Green, the first resident physician of the township. Joseph B. Miller was a farmer, an active mem- ber of the Baptist church of Abington, of which he was also a deacon, and of which he was the clerk for twenty-eight years.

Jerome Green Miller, only son of Joseph B. and Emily (Green) Miller, was born in Abing- ton, February 27, 1835, married October 13, 1864, Emily Lindsey Hollenback, daughter of John Hollenbeck, of Wyalusing, and his wife Rebecca Daugherty, and granddaughter of George and Hannah (Barton) Hollenback, the former a son of Johannes and Eleanor (Jones) Hollenback, and a brother of Colonel Matthias Hollenback. with whom John Hollenback, of Wyalusing, was long engaged in business. (See Welles and Hol- lenback Families). Mr. Miller was educated at Madison Academy, Waverly, Pennsylvania, of which his grandfather, Rev. John Miller, was president. At this academy were educated also Hon. Garrick Mallery Harding, George R. Bed- ford. Esq., Alexander H. Farnum, Esq., G. B. Nicholson, Esq., D. L. Patrick, Esq .. and others of the Luzerne county bar. After leaving the academy Mr. Miller studied law with the firm of Fuller and Harding ( Henry M. Fuller and Judge G. M. Harding), at Wilkes-Barre. He was ad- mitted to the bar April 24, 1898, and has been engaged in the practice of his profession with suc- cess ever since. He was the Republican candi- date in 1861 for the office of district attorney of Luzerne county, and was declared elected, but his election was contested in the courts. By counting the votes of the soldiers in the field he had a majority of about 150, but by rejecting this vote he was defeated. The question was brought before Judge John N. Conyngham of the lower court, who decided that the vote of the soldiers was legal, should be counted and that Mr. Miller was elected. The case was, however, appealed to the supreme court, where it was held that the act allowing the soldiers in the field to vote was un- constitutional and their votes should not be counted. Mr. Miller, after holding the office for

six months, was removed by the decision of the. supreme court and Hon. E. B. Chase, his Demo- cratic opponent. took the office. Mr. Miller en- listed in the Pennsylvania Volunteers as second lieutenant of Captain Agib Ricketts' company in 1861 at the time of the battle of Antietam or Sharpsburg, Maryland. He was discharged from this service, but at the time of the battle of Gettys- burg he again enlisted as a private soldier, and when the emergency was passed returned to his . practice. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have two sons : George Hollenback, of Long Island ; and Walter, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

H. E. H.

JAMES MARTIN COUGHLIN, superinten- dent of the city schools of Wilkes-Barre, Penn- sylvania, and a well-known educator, is a native of Fairmount township, Luzerne county, Penn- sylvania. born November 12, 1848, a son of John and Diana ( Seward) Coughlin, grandson of Den- nis and Mary (O'Brien) Coughlin. and a des- cendant of Irish lineage.

John Coughlin was born in Kilrish, county Clare, Ireland. 1810. He was reared and edu- cated in his native land, and at the age of nine- teen years came to the United States, locating in the state of Pennsylvania. He was employed by Titus Seward, of Huntington township, Luzerne county, who was a contractor for the Lehigh Val- ley Railroad Company, and who also devoted considerable attention to the buying and selling of land. Later Mr. Coughlin settled on lands in. Fairmount township, Luzerne county, and in ad- dition to agricultural pursuits served as fireman and engineer in various sawmills. During the civil war he enlisted as a private in Company I, One Hundred and Forty-third Regiment Penn- sylvania Volunteers, under Captain Hughes, served two and a half years, and was honorably discharged with a sergeant's certificate. He mar- ried Diana Seward, daughter of Titus and Clar- issa (Forbes) Seward, the former of whom came to Huntington Valley from Connecticut and died in the prime of life, and the latter died at the advanced age of ninety-two years. Titus Seward was a descendant of Enos Seward, Sr., born July 7, 1735, and a son of Enos Seward, Jr., who married Sarah Goss and lived in Granville, Mass- achusetts, until he came to Huntington and occu- pied the farm formerly owned by his father-in- law. Philip Goss, Sr., the father of Mrs. Sarah (Goss) Seward, was one of the first claimants of land in Huntington. His sons ( Philip, Solomon, David, Comfort and Nathaniel), were with their father in the place before the Indian and Tory

James m. Rough

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invasion of 1778. Solomon Goss was a prisoner in Forty Fort with Captain John Franklin and others for a short time. The names of Philip and Comfort Goss are enrolled among the first two hundred settlers who braved the hardships and dangers of the advance force who came "to man their rights." Before the massacre of Wyom- ing the family of Philip Goss, Sr., lived on the farm now occupied by Levi Seward.

John and Diana Coughlin had children : Mary Ann, a resident of Shickshinny; Caroline, who became the wife of Nathan Laning : Titus, died in infancy ; James Martin, mentioned later ; Doro- thea, died in early life ; Clarissa, widow of Simon Remaly, of Shickshinny ; Henrietta, married Clar- ence Wheeler: Nan S., a teacher in the city schools of Wilkes-Barre, and Dennis O'Brien, a well-known lawyer of Wilkes-Barre, who, Feb- ruary 20, 1883, married Emma Hughes, a daugh- ter of Edward W. and Elizabeth ( Norris) Hughes, of West Berwick, Columbia county. Her father, Edward W. Hughes, was the son of James Hughes, whose wife was Elizabeth Swet- land, daughter of Joseph Swetland, a descendant of Luke Swetland, of Kent, Connecticut, and one of the early settlers of Wyoming. Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Dennis O'Brien Coughlin had nine children : Nanette, Elizabeth, Clara, Donald Otto, Frank, Edward, Emma, Evaline, and Wal- ter James.

James M. Coughlin, eldest son of John and Diana (Seward) Coughlin, is in a large degree self-educated. Much of his study when young was at night, and his instruction by others was limited to that which he received in the public schools of his native village. Of a naturally receptive mind and possessing a desire for knowledge, he equipped himself so thoroughly that when twenty years of age he was well quali- fied as a teacher. His first experience was gained in the Montgomery school, where he taught for one term. For two years following he taught in the Mossville school in Fairmount township and, in succession, in a private school for one year; in a public school in Red Rock for two years ; in a private school at McKendry, Union township ; and a public school in Butler township. He then advanced to the principalship of the Ben- nett grammar school at Mill Hollow, borough of Luzerne, in which he rendered efficient service for a period of three years. For a year after- ward he taught in a private school in Muhlen- burg, and then was appointed principal of the New Columbus Academy. Here he remained three years, and then removed to Kingston, where he taught in the public schools until 1878,

when he was elected superintendent of schools for Luzerne county. The efficient manner in which he filled this important position is attested by the fact that his official term of three years was three times extended by successive re-elections to cover a period of twelve years, and this is of greater significance in view of the further fact that none of his predecessors had served for more than two consecutive terms. The magni- tude of his labors while here is in some degree measurable by statistics. When he first entered upon the duties of superintendent the county of Luzerne included that of the present Lacka- wanna. More than eight hundred schools came under his supervision, and in the first year he examined eleven hundred and fifty-five teachers. Since then, coming down to the present year, in addition to the other duties of the office, he has examined fifteen thousand teachers. During the year of 1890-91 he was vice-principal of the Bloomsburg State Normal School, having under his supervision the department of civics and his- tory. He was re-elected for another term, but resigned in order to accept the superintendency of the Wilkes-Barre city schools, a position which he is still holding, having been re-elected to another three year term in 1905.

Mr. Coughlin has made a fine record as an educator. From his very entrance upon his vo cation and during his entire career as a teacher, he has never ceased to be a student. As a teacher he has been engaged in every department of schoolroom work, from the primary to the gram- mar school, and in private schools and academies. His intimate knowledge of school conditions, necessities and possibilities, his enthusiasm in their interests, and his enterprise and progressive- ness in all pertaining to their advancement in use- fulness, have for many years past brought him into frequent demand as a lecturer before educa- tional bodies. He has appeared before Teachers' Institutes in every county in Pennsylvania except three, and has spoken in the principal cities of the state. He delivered a course of lectures at Le- banon Valley College, and has addressed educa- tional assemblages in New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio and Nebraska. He served as president of the State Teachers' Association of Pennsylvania, and is a member of the College and University Council of Pennsyl- vania under appointment of Governors Hastings, Stone and Pennypacker. He enjoys a wide and personal acquaintance in educational circles throughout the Union, and is regarded as one of the advanced practical educators in the country. He is a member of the order of Free and Ac-

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Genealogical and family history of the Wyoming and Lackawanna valleys, Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 49

Author: Hayden, Horace Edwin Publication date: 1906 Publisher: New York, Chicago, The Lewis publishing company Number of Pages: 988

Author: Hayden, Horace Edwin
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: New York, Chicago, The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 988