Genealogical and family history of the Wyoming and Lackawanna valleys, Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 81

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 81
USA > Wyoming > Genealogical and family history of the Wyoming and Lackawanna valleys, Pennsylvania, Volume I > Part 81

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emy in June, 1904. 3. Hayden, born August 14, 1886, died 1887. Mrs. Townsend was born September 19, 1861, and educated in the com- mon schools of Plymouth and Wyoming Sem- inary. Mr. Townsend and his family are members of St. Clement's Episcopal Church, South Wilkes-Barre, where Mr. Townsend has been a member of the vestry for four years.

H. E. H.

VIRGIL MURRAY CARPENTER, now deceased, formerly of Pittston, was born in Wyoming county, Pennsylvania, in 1832. His great-grandfather, Carmen Carpenter, was born in Orange county, New York, about 1750. Col- onel Jonathan Carpenter, grandfather, was born in the same county in 1780, and became a build- ing contractor, farmer and merchant. He served as colonel in the state militia in the war of 1812, and as such had charge of the draft in Orange county. In 1824 he removed to Pennsylvania, and died at the age of forty-nine years, in North- moreland, Wyoming county, Pennsylvania. His wife, Abigail Reeves, was a daughter of James Reeves, who was born in Orange county. New York, in 1760, and was engaged in the disastrous battle with the Indians near Port Jervis, New York, about 1778, having his arm shattered by a rifle ball in the engagement.

Washington Reeves Carpenter, son of Jona- than and Abigail Carpenter, was born in Orange county, New York, in 1808. At the age of six- teen years he removed to Pennsylvania with his father, with whom he worked at the carpenter's trade for some time, assisting in the erection of the old Forty Fort Church. He had acquired only a common school education. After leaving home he followed farming and surveying, and later became agent for the Presbyterian Board of Publication and the American Bible Society. He was representing those interests in the state of Arkansas at the time of the outbreak of the Civil war. His horse, wagon and books were confis- cated and he barely escaped with his life, as it was thought he was an Abolitionist. He long held membership in the Presbyterian Church, and in his political views in early life was a Democrat, but became a Republican in 1856. He married Maria Harris, a daughter of Deacon Isaac Harris, a pioneer in what is now North- moreland township, Wyoming county, Pennsy !- vania, to which place he removed from Dutchess county, New York, about the year 1800. Wash- ington R. Carpenter died in Franklin township, Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, at the age of sev .

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enty-four years, and his wife passed away in Pittston, at the age of eighty-one.

Virgil Murray Carpenter, son of Washing- ton Reeves and Maria (Harris) Carpenter, was born in Northmoreland township, Wyoming county, Pennsylvania, in 1832, pursued his early education in the public schools and afterward at- tended the Luzerne Presbyterian Institute. He taught school for several years, and then entered the service of the Mine Hill Railroad Company, in 1857, where he continued till 1866, when he en- tered the employ of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company, where he remained until May. 1903. making a total of railroad service of forty-six years. Mr. Carpenter was originally a Demo- crat, but after 1876 voted with the Republican party, although he might perhaps have been termed independent in politics, as he did not con- sider himself bound by party ties. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of West Pittston, and belonged to the Masonic fraternity, having attained the Knight Templar degree in Wyoming Valley Commandery, of which he was eminent commander. He also affiliated with the Royal Arcanum and the Improved Order of Hep- tasophs.

Mr. Carpenter was married in Minersville, Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, in 1860, to Miss Mary Elizabeth Peel, daughter of Joseph Peel, of Philadelphia, who came from England in his youth and is said to have been connected with the branch of the family to which Sir Robert Peel belonged. Mrs. Carpenter died in 1863, leaving one son, Joseph Reeves Carpenter. Joseph Reeves Carpenter, son of Virgil Murray and Maria Elizabeth Carpenter, was born in Gor- don, Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, in 1861, and was married to Manette Lansing Nicholls, a ·daughter of Rev. Thomas Nicholls, pastor of the Presbyterian Church of West Pittston. He is en- gaged in the manufacture and sale of furniture in 'Grand Rapids, Michigan, as a member of the firm of Stickley Brothers Company. He has three children : Manette Lansing, Joseph Griswold and Mary Elizabeth.

December 26, 1877, Virgil M. Carpenter mar- ried Maria Taggart, daughter of Horatio G. Tag- gart, a grandson of Thomas Taggart, who came to America from Ireland about 1740, and whose descendants are now widely scattered over the United States.

By his second marriage Mr. Carpenter had one son, William Taggart Carpenter, who was born in West Pittston, in 1881, attended the Harry Hillman Academy at Wilkes-Barre, Penn-

sylvania, and was graduated in the Lehigh Uni- versity in 1902. He was engaged as a civil engi- neer on the United States geological survey in Phoenix, Arizona, but later in Boston in the School of Technology.

Virgil M. Carpenter died in Philadelphia, August 16, 1904. H. E. H.

ISAAC LONG. The sudden and unexpected death of Isaac Long, September 13, 1898, re- moved from the city of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsyl- vania, one of its most prominent and influential citizens, who throughout his active business career was noted for his unfailing honesty and integrity. He was born in Pretzfeld, Bavaria, Germany, February 22, 1833, a son of Louis and Sarah Long, whose family consisted of four other children : Jonas, deceased, who was the founder of the house of Jonas Long's Sons; Mrs. Isaac Langfield, of Philadelphia; Mrs. Julius Wer- theimer, of Philadelphia ; and Mrs. S. Burgunder, of Wilkes-Barre.

When twelve years of age Isaac Long came to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He attended the schools of that city, and in 1857 removed to Phil- adelphia, where he engaged in business for many years. In 1874 he returned to Wilkes-Barre, opening a dry goods store on the north side of. Public Square, but when the Wells building was' completed he removed thither, and as his business, expanded was compelled to increase his facilities. The keen competition that besets the pathway of the active business man with many temptations, Mr. Long met with strict honesty and therefore succeeded admirably. He looked with disdain upon any sort of misrepresentation and, his cus- tomers being aware of this, the result was that he was the proprietor of the largest and most substantial establishment in the entire state. He was kind and generous to his employes and many of them he befriended with special acts of kind- ness known only to them. Employer and em- ploye worked in entire harmony and one was ever mindful of the comfort and welfare of the other.

Mr. Long came to Wilkes-Barre when its in- dustrial possibilities were great, when the real development began which has made it one of the principal cities of the state. While building for himself he was not unmindful of the future of the city, and every industrial enterprise that he deemed worthy of encouragement he favored, and those who approached him on such subjects always found him willing to entertain their pro- position. His counsel and advice were eagerly sought by men of business, also capitalists, for

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they recognized in him a progressive as well as a conservative man. He was a member of the board of trade, and as president of the same his counsel was heard at many a meeting, and whether he upheld or opposed the views of others his suggestions always found favor and were adopted. He was president of the Electric Light Company, a director of the People's Bank, and a stockholder in many of the local organizations, in- cluding the North Wilkes-Barre Lace Company and the Hotel Sterling Company. He was also a member of the Wyoming Historical and Geolog- ical Societies. Mr. Long carried the generous principles that characterized his business career into private life also. His charity was open- handed but not ostentatious, and many deserving applicants found in him not only a sympathizer but an assistant. Public and private charities he remembered munificently, but in such a way as to attract the least notoriety. He was respected and esteemed by all who knew him and his name was a synonym for purity and uprightness. There was never a word of suspicion attached to his name, and never a word of reproach was truth- fully uttered against his character.

In 1863 Mr. Long was married in Philadel- phia to Miss Dora Rosenbaum, of Wilkes-Barre, a daughter of Moses and Caroline (Long) Ros- enbaum, whose family consisted of eight children, as follows: Mary, born May 13, 1840, wife of Nathan Lehmayer ; they reside in York, Pennsyl- vania; Dora, born March 12, 1842, widow of Isaac Long : Isaac, born June 14, 1844, deceased ; Henry, born August 9, 1851, a resident of Phila- delphia ; Lena, born February 22, 1852, widow of Julius Neil, of Altoona, Pennsylvania : Esther, who died in infancy ; Pauline, born December 19, 1853, wife of Moses Ulman, of Philadelphia ; and Edward L., born June, 1855, married Mary Lee, and resides in Philadelphia. Moses Rosen- baum was born near Nurenburg, Bavaria ; about 1845 he located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, where he engaged in mercantile business about twenty-five years. He then went to Philadelphia and followed the same line of business at the cor- ner of Eighth and Market streets. His death oc- curred January II, 1879. His wife was a daugh- ter of Louis and Miriam Long. Three daughters were born to Mr. and Mrs. Long : Ella, wife of Charles Gimbel, a member of the extensive de- partment store of Gimbel Bros., of Philadelphia ; Sarah, wife of Harry F. Stern; of Wilkes-Barre; and Gertrude, deceased, who was the wife of Abram Marks. H. E. H.

RALPH DUPUY LACOE was born in Jenkins township, Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, on his father's farm near Inkerman, November 14, 1824, and died at West Pittston, February 5,. 1901. He was a man of wide knowledge of the world, and the record of his life affords a con- spicuous example of a noble character and an honorable and useful career. He was the young- est son of Anthony Desire Lacoe, born near Havre, France, March II, 1780, and died in. Newton township, Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, March 7, 1883, having reached the remarkable age of one hundred and three years.

The name Lacoe was originally spelled Lacoq, and from 1819 to 1849 Anthony D. Lacoe signed his name to checks Anthony D. Lacoq, and not un- til 1853 was the name spelled Lacoe. He was the son of Stephen Lacoq, born in France, 1750, was. a farmer by occupation and had five children : Pierre Stephen, Pierre Grehome, Louis Emma, Louis Annabel, and Anthony Desire. They all re -. mained in France but Anthony Desire Lacoq,. who came to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1792, under the auspices of Francis Gurney, the emi- nent merchant, who was lieutenant-colonel of the famous Eleventh Pennsylvania Regiment, which, under Colonel Adam Hubley, followed General Sullivan through the Wyoming valley in 1779. Francis Gurney served as colonel during the Whiskey Insurrection, and rose to the rank of brigadier-general in 1799. He brought Anthony D. Lacoe to Philadelphia to place him in a count- ing house as clerk. After remaining with Mr. Gurney three or four years, Anthony D. Lacoe decided to become a mechanic, and apprenticed himself to a carpenter to' learn that trade, but before the term had expired the second great scourge of yellow fever visited Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (1798), and carried off his master- and all his family, leaving Anthony D. Lacoe quite among strangers. Upon his recovery from the fever he removed to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsyl- vania, where he followed his trade successfully until his removal to Pittston township, subse- quent to the year 1812. He married, in Wilkes -. Barre, Pennsylvania, April 19, 1812, Emelie Magdalene Dupuy, born on the island of St. Do- mingo. November 10, 1791, daughter of Jean; Francois and Jane Elizabeth (Desire) Dupuy. They had the following children : John Francis, Elizabeth Palmira, Louis Stephen, William An- thony, and Ralph Dupuy. . Anthony D. Lacoe re- tained all his faculties except his sight until the end of his life. He voted regularly until he was.

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one hundred and one years old. He was an ex- cellent carpenter, worked at his trade in this vicin- ity, and was always known as an industrious and upright man. Mrs. Anthony D. Lacoe died in Pittston township, now Jenkins township, Jan- uary 7, 1844. It is a well known fact that the great formative influence in development of char- acter is the maternal, and Ralph D. Lacoe owed much of his distinguished success in later life to the training of his mother, whose family history is worthy of note.

Her father, Jean Francois Dupuy, was born September 30, 1750, in Bordeaux, France. Her mother, Jane Elizabeth (Desire) Dupuy, was born August 20, 1760, in Nantes, France. Her fam- ily were Huguenots, members of that religious body that gave to America many of her most distinguished religionists and citizens. "Having removed from France to the island of San Do- mingo, he lived there many years, until the negro insurrection in 1791, when he escaped and came to the United States. Most of his valuables, hastily shipped on a vessel that landed at Balti- more, Maryland, were either lost overboard, as claimed by the ship officers, or stolen by them, so that he was left with only the means which he carried on his person in his retreat. The bulk of his large estate had been necessarily left in San Domingo, for which his family received some compensation from the French government after the independence of Hayti was established. Leaving Baltimore, Maryland, he went to Phila- delphia, Pennsylvania, then to (what is now) Nicholson township, Wyoming county, Pennsyl- vania, where on June 29, 1795, J. F. Dupuy of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Gentleman, bought land of William Moore Smith. There he resided till 1795, when he removed to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and settled at the northeast corner 'of Franklin and Northampton streets, where Mr. Dupuy resided until his death in 1836. He was made a Mason, probably in San Do- mingo, and became a member of Lodge No. 61, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, June 10, 1726, and from March, 1799. until his death, a period of thirty-seven years, he served as tyler of the lodge. He was a very estimable and intelligent man, who, from having been a wealthy planter, was reduced for a time to rely on personal labor, but in the lodge he forgot his misfortunes, and there assumed the proper station of an intelligent French gentleman, instructing and entertaining." (Harvey's History of Lodge No. 61, F. & A. M).

Ralph Dupuy Lacoe was a devoted student of paleontology. He collected many very interest-

ing specimens, and contributed a large and val- table collection of one hundred thousand pieces of paleobotany to the United States Museum at Washington, D. C., known as the "Lacoe Collec- tion." Mr. Lacoe not only continued until his death to enrich his splendid gift, but in 1898 he also presented to the National Museum his ex- tensive collection of fossil insects of more than two hundred types and nearly five thousand specimens. Mr. Lacoe was president of the Wy- oming Valley Knitting Company, 1874 ; president of the Water Street Bridge Company ; trustee of the Miners' Savings Bank of Pittston. He be- came a life member of the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society, March 2, 1882, was trus- tee from 1882 to 1889, and was also curator of Paleontology from 1884 to 1899, fifteen years. He presented to this society a fine collection of five thousand paleozoic fossils.

He was married in Pittston, Pennsylvania, by the Rev. N. G. Parke, D. D., April 26, 1860, to Bridget Clary,born March 14, 1831, died October 31, 1872. They had four children: Josephine, died in infancy ; Margaret Clary, married I. S. White, of Rock Island, Illinois ; Ralph Dugue, of West Pittston, mentioned hereafter ; William Clary, died in early life.

Ralph Dugue Lacoe, son of Ralph Dupuy and Bridget (Clary) Lacoe, was born in West Pitts- ton, Pennsylvania. April 5, 1866. He was edu- cated in the common schools and at the Wilkes- Barre Academy. He took up engineering for a time, but being fond of travel has been kept much of his time away from his home. He is an enter- prising business man, his labors and responsibili- ties being discharged with efficiency, testifying to his capabilities as a man of affairs. Mr. Lacoe married, January 8, 1890, Hattie C. Stark, born November 6, 1868, in Plains, Pennsylvania, daughter of William Shepherd and Lydia A. (Kropp) Stark. (See Stark Family). They had one child, Ralph Dugue Lacoe, born May 21, 1898. H. E. H.

HONEYWELL FAMILY. The Honey- wells were a prominent family in Warren county (New Jersey) history more than a century ago, but present researches do not give satisfactory in- formation as to their American ancestor, whence he came, or who were the members of his family. Among the earliest of the Honeywells of whom there is a known record was John Honeywell, who by thrift accumulated a comfortable for- tune and made good use of it for the benefit of his descendants and townspeople. In his will was a

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provision for the erection and maintenance out of his estate of a school house on a part of his farm lands for the education of the poor children of that vicinity, and that has been added to and is now known as the Honeywell Academy, at Mt. Hermon, New Jersey. In 1900 a centennial cele- bration was held at this school house, and the ceremony was attended by William J. Honeywell, of Dallas, then seventy-eight years of age. As a youth the noted divine T. DeWitt Talmage was a pupil attending the same school.

The pioneers of the Honeywell family in the Wyoming valley in Pennsylvania were William and Richard Honeywell, brothers, who left their former homes in Warren county, New Jersey, in 1808, and with their families journeyed overland by slow travel into the mountainous regions of Luzerne county. They comprised quite a colony, twenty. in all, William Honeywell, his wife and eight children, and Richard Honeywell, his wife and eight children. They made their way into the then sparsely settled territory of Dallas from Pittston, cutting the road through the forests for much of the distance of several miles, which work alone occupied their entire time for three or four days. William Honeywell's five hundred acres in- cluded the lands where now are the Dallas fair grounds, while Richard's five hundred acres in- cluded the site of the A. S. Orr Sanitarium, which was destroyed by fire in June, 1905. In later years each of these pioneers gave to his children sufficient land for a good farm, and by their ef- forts in many ways contributed to the growth and prosperity of the township during its early his- tory. William Honeywell built first a log cabin, and later a frame house, the latter being the first structure of its kind in the township. In 1816 the first school house in Dallas was built by William and John Honeywell, Philip Shaver and William Hunt. William Honeywell was a man of sterling qualities, honest, industrious, and pa- triotic in the extreme. He was also a thoroughly religious and conscientious man, and in those days, when church buildings were scarce, his house was the central place for worship for that country. His heart was in sympathy with the work of the Gospel ; his hand was always ready to help and his hospitable home was ever open to, the preacher of the Gospel.

These pioneer Honeywells were in many other ways identified with early events of Dal- las history, and in all later years their descendants in each succeeding generation have been in some prominent way connected with the best elements of the township's history. William Honeywell's

children were Grace, who died unmarried ; Thomas, Abraham S., Jacob, Joseph, Hannah, who married Andrew Puterbaugh; Catherine, who married Christopher Shaver; and Betsey, who married Eleazer Swetland. Richard Honey- well's children were William, Charles, Samuel, Isaac, Nathaniel, Richard, Jr., Esther, who mar- ried Edward McCarty ; and Catherine, who mar- ried Elijah Ayers.

Abraham S. Honeywell, the second son and third child of William Honeywell, the pioneer was born in 1792 in Warren county, New Jersey. The greater part of his life was spent in Dallas, where he was a thrifty farmer; but about twenty years before his death he removed to Wyoming borough, where he passed the remainder of his days in comfortable retirement. He was a man of influence in his day ; he held the office of con- stable of Dallas for twenty years, and held several other offices of trust in the town. In those days of no railroads he was in the habit of hauling goods from Easton to Wilkes-Barre, drawing shingles from the wood country, south, and bring- ing back supplies. The first cast iron plow used or seen in Dallas was owned by him. He died in Wyoming at the advanced age of ninety-five years. He married, 1820, Lydia Hawk, and they had two- children : William J., born June 3, 1824, and Sam- uel, born May 27, 1828. The marriage of Abra- ham S. Honeywell and Lydia Hawk was one of the earliest in Dallas.

William J. Honeywell, "Squire Honeywell," son of the late Abraham S. and Lydia (Hawk) Honeywell, was born June 3, 1824, in Dallas. He- was one of the first white children born in that locality. In his youth he was a pupil in the log school house built by his grandfather and others. in Dallas, and he was brought up to farm work. When he reached his majority he took charge- of his father's home farm and conducted it for several years, thus relieving his parent of much hard work in his declining years. Later on he- was the owner of a seventy-five acre farm where the Fair Grounds are located, but even before that time he was the proprietor of a farm of the same- size. He made the first wagon brake that was. used on any wagon. In 1902 he sold his lands and took up his abode in Dallas borough, where he now resides, being the owner of a house and lot. He is a man of influence, both socially and religious. For fifteen years lie served as justice of the peace, hence the title by which he is famil- iarly addressed-"Squire Honeywell". He still holds that position, although having attained the age of eighty-two years. He was assessor of the

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town in 1844 and served for three terms. There are only two now living that were assessed at that time-Robert Wilson and William J. Honey- well. He also served three terms as notary pub- lic, and for six years was an officer of Dallas borough, at one time serving as burgess, he being the first one there. When young he taught school for a time, and later on in life was a member of the board of high school directors. At the time of the erection of the Methodist Episcopal meet- ing-house he was president of the building com- mittee. Squire Honeywell married, May 29, 1847, Sarah Perry, of Wilkes-Barre, daughter of James and Mary Perry, who bore him four chil- dren : Hiram M., of Parsons, Luzerne county ; he married Martha, daughter of Joseph Shotwell. Mary, wife of Josiah Milton Rood, of Dallas. Lydia A., died in infancy. Clinton De Witt, of whom further mention is made.

Clinton DeWitt Honeywell was born in Dal- las, February 9, 1853. His young life was spent on his father's farm and in attending the public schools. Later on he had charge of the home farm, but after his marriage he engaged in the butcher business, which was his chief occupation sixteen years, until his health compelled him to turn to some other pursuit. He then engaged in the sale of agricultural implements and machin- ery in partnership with A. D. Hay. This busi- ness was continued several years, when Mr. Hay was elected county commissioner, and Mr. Honeywell was made mercantile appraiser. Later on he was deputy sheriff under James G. Harvey, serving in that capacity three years. About this time Mrs. C. De Witt Honeywell's father died, soon after which Mr. Honeywell succeeded to the ownership of the Ferguson farm, where he resided some years, and in 1904 sold it and now resides with his father. He is a member of George M. Dallas Lodge, No. 531, F. and A. M., and is also a member of the Methodist Epis- copal Church.

Mr. Honeywell married, February 12, 1873, Mary Ferguson, daughter of John Ferguson, a descendant of one of the old families of Dallas. John Ferguson was born on the farm where he died at the age of seventy-three years. His father was Alexander Ferguson. John Ferguson's wife was Amy Ferguson, daughter of Richard Fer- guson, a farmer of Centermoreland township, Wyoming county. Mr. and Mrs. Honeywell have three children : Eugene Honeywell, of Kingston ; Carrie Honeywell, wife of Dr. Samuel Ruffner, of Wilkes-Barre : and Liang Honeywell, of Dallas.

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Genealogical and family history of the Wyoming and Lackawanna valleys, Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 81

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