USA > Pennsylvania > Lycoming County > Genealogical and personal history of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. Volume II > Part 30
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THOMAS LYON, M. D.
Thomas Lyon, M. D., who was a leading physician and surgeon of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in which place he practiced his profession for more than half a century, was born at Pennsdale, Pennsylvania, October 13, 1812, a son of Edward Grundy and Sarah ( Huckle) Lyon, both natives of England, the former born April 25, 1783, and the lat- ter in 1777, and a grandson of Edward Lyon.
Dr. Thomas Lyon was the third of the six sons who constituted his father's family. His parents fully appreciated the advantages of a sound education, and after he had acquired the ordinary branches in the district schools of Pennsdale, Hughesville and Muncy, was placed under the tutelage of the Rev. Dr. Kirkpatrick, a noted instructor of that day, and the only one in the locality competent to teach the lan- guages. A number of the fellow-students of Dr. Lyon at Dr. Kirk- patrick's school have since risen to eminence in Pennsylvania and else- where. Dr. Lyon began his medical studies with Dr. James S. Dougal. at Milton, Northumberland county, and in 1838 graduated from Jef-
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ferson Medical College with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. In April of that year he established himself at Williamsport, where he practiced without intermission up to the time of his death, January 2, 1892.
At the time Dr. Lyon came to Williamsport its total population did not exceed one thousand persons, and he found but one professional rival among the inhabitants, a young man of thorough education, well grounded in his profession, and possessing the charm of refined man- ners and pleasant conversational powers. Dr. Lyon rapidly grew in favor, and in the course of a few years acquired a practice which ex- tended over a large territory. In those early days the country roads as a rule were rough and at times almost impassable for any kind of vehicle, and the only reliable mode of travel was on horseback. Oc- casionally, when the roads were in good condition, short journeys might be made in a "sulky," a light vehicle, stray specimens of which may still be encountered doing good service under similar circumstances. Dr. Lyon's rides and drives extended twenty-five miles up Loyalsock and Lycoming creeks, and he frequently made both trips on horseback. his night rides being always made in this manner. He often made a trip on professional service to Trout Run and back after supper, a distance of fifteen miles each way, and that after a hard day's ride. Nevertheless, he was always ready for his professional work early in the morning. He possessed an interesting fund of anecdote illustrative of the prevalence of a superstition among the people during his early practice, and his faculty of calling up certain cases and the peculiarities of the patients and of the conditions surrounding them was truly remark- able. Owing to the primitive modes of travel during the early part of his professional career, professional visits were not infrequently made at considerable hazard.
Dr. Lyon performed many important surgical operations, some of
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them under circumstances so hazardous and trying that one less skilled in meeting and providing for serious emergencies would have declined to act. Not only this, but in days when instruments and appliances, as compared with the present, were few, cumbrous and nearly always unre- liable, he was very successful in improvising aids which often proved all that was required. When long past three score and ten years of age, Dr. Lyon was still noted for his vigorous health and great activity, both of which put to shame many much younger men. He was an honored member of the Lycoming Medical Society, the Pennsylvania Medical Society, and the American Medical Association. He was a Republican in politics, but never held any public office except the purely profes- sional one of examining surgeon, to which he was appointed by Gov- ernor Curtin in the early part of the civil war, the duties of the posi- tion being the examination of applicants for the positions of surgeons in the army.
The following paper was read at the banquet held at the Hepburn House, Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on the fiftieth anniversary of the Lycoming County Medical Society, April 2, 1889, by Dr. Lyon :
"In reflecting over some of the incidents which occurred during my early adventures in the practice of medicine in Williamsport, which commenced in April, 1838, I bring to mind a great many events that might interest the medical profession and others who have located here at a later date. In the first place I will address myself more particularly to the medical fraternity, and to some extent contrast it with the present.
"Previous to my locating here, Drs. James Hepburn and Taylor were in possession of the field, and for one year Dr. Seiler practiced after Dr. Hepburn had left. The latter had also ceased to practice, and had engaged in the mercantile business; Dr. Taylor had been elected to the legislature ; and Dr. Vastine and myself were the only physicians until
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Dr. Samuel Pollock, from Milton, located here, which made three to do the work.
"Dr. Shoemaker was practicing in Newberry, and Drs. Davidson, Reed and William Hepburn at Jersey Shore; Drs. Wood and Rankin at Muncy, and Dr. George Hill in Hughesville, making in all ten physi- cians in Lycoming county. Now contrast that with seventy-five male and four female and you will come to the conclusion that medical males and females have increased more than population. Now for the medical fees : Dr. Hepburn had charged fifty cents per visit, and Dr. Taylor reduced it to twenty-five; the former afterward compromised by charg- ing thirty-three and a third cents per visit, twenty-five cents per mile in the country, with no extra charge for night visits; five dollars for con- finement in town or country. There was but one drug store, and that entirely behind the times, and we were obliged to carry medicine with us in town or country. I bought my medicine from Charles Ellis, of Philadelphia, who charged very high, but was always perfectly reliable. Quinine at that time was five dollars an ounce, and as intermittent fever prevailed to a great extent, and being obliged to find it ourselves with our small fees, we were obliged to go almost day and night to meet our expenses. We charged twenty-five cents for bleeding, fifty cents for cupping, twenty-five cents for a blister of cantharides, twenty-five cents for extracting teeth, for which we got more cusses than money. There were no physicians in Linden, Montoursville, Warrensville, or up either Lycoming or Loyalsock creeks, nor any one except Dr. Charles Ludwig, an uncle of Dr. Youngman, in all of White Deer township, you can now draw your inference of the amount of labor we had to perform.
"The practice in the country was always on horseback after night, and when the roads were rough or muddy also in the daytime. Occa- sionally, as a great treat, we would use a sulky. A four-wheeler was
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never seen except for pleasure riding, a kind of luxury unknown to doc- tors in that day. We finally got to using what were called buck-boards, almost destitute of springs, but an improvement over the sulky. If there was snow in the winter we would use sleighs, if we could get them. Frequently the roads were almost impassable in consequence of snow-drifts, and we were obliged to go through fields, which made it dangerous traveling after night. There were no extra charges for night rides, and the country patients took advantage of it; they would work hard all day and send for the doctor at night. A doctor, in their opinion, had no business ever to get tired, sleepy or hungry. Some of them were very good pay, and would treat you like human beings; others would occasionally haul you small loads of poor wood and charge the highest price, and sometimes a load of spoiled hay or soft and musty corn, that their own animals rejected. About the only circulating me- dium was what were called 'shin-plasters,' issued by the merchants, small notes from twenty-five cents to a dollar, redeemed at their stores in merchandise. It would not pay taxes or boarding bills.
"There were but six attorneys residing here at that time, viz. : Anson V. Parsons, Esq., who was afterwards President Judge of the Criminal Court of Philadelphia, and the father of Hon. H. C. Parsons, of this city, who is one of our most eminent attorneys at the bar ; Joseph B. Anthony, Esq., who was afterwards President Judge; James Arm- strong, Esq., who was also President Judge for a short period; Robert Fleming, Esq., who was elected to the State Senate, and also a member from Lycoming county to revise the constitution. Francis Campbell, Esq., Judge Ellis Lewis and Henry Ellis, Esq., who also possessed a poetic genius, resided here at that time.
"Dr. Davidson, of Jersey Shore, was one of the Associate Judges. We had but one school house, and a small one at that, one and a half
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story brick, on West Third street, near Mr. John B. Hall's mansion. Mr. Joseph Rathmell was the teacher, the father of Messrs. Thomas and Ezra Rathmell, who are now residents of this city, and five daugh- ters, all living but one. We had but two four-wheeled vehicles, one owned by Colonel Packer, the other by Mr. Robert Fanes. Some years afterwards Dr. Thomas Vastine became the owner of a carriage, which was as great a curiosity as Barnum's Museum. He was thought to be a wealthy doctor, a name unknown to the medical fraternity of that day. It was never brought out except on special occasions.
"The town could only boast of two old dilapidated churches, one located on Pine street, belonging to the Methodist Association, on the same ground that the present one now stands; the other, an old dilapi- dated stone church, on West Third street, where the Reformed German church is now located. The Rev. Mr. Hudson, who is still a resident of our city, was the pastor.
"We had very poor weapons to battle against fires. The only im- plements were buckets to convey the water from pumps and open wells, and a few rickety ladders which could not be found when needed. Males and females turned out on all occasions. We had no organization, but it was understood that lines were to be formed, and the males to handle the full buckets and the females the empty ones; but, as a general thing, the latter had to perform both. The men would get excited, break open doors, carry out some furniture, and then with axes and saws get rid of the balance and throw them out of the windows. You were obliged to watch and dodge or you would have an old trunk or some broken chairs on your head. There was no method or judgment exer- cised, and as a general thing not much accomplished until the fire ex- hausted itself. We had no postoffice, except a portion of the bar-room owned and occupied by Mr. Henry Hughes, an old and honored citizen,
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who had been the landlord for nearly half a century. In speaking of our fires in an early day, and the primitive mode of fighting them, I omitted to mention one which caused great destruction of property. It com- menced in what was called the United States Hotel, which was one of the largest and best hotels of the town. After destroying the building it took a northerly direction, coming up what was then called Court Alley, now Court street, destroying all the stables on both sides, and burning the old school house; our house, being just across the street, was on fire a number of times, the roof suffering the most. My wife used to remind me of the part she took in it. I got on the roof, taking carpet with me, and she, with Dr. Ed. on one arm (who was then a child), and a bucket of water on the other, supplied me with water to saturate the carpet, and after a hard struggle we succeeded in prevent- ing it from going any further. We had no saloons, and the mode of making ice cream had not been developed.
"Old Mr. Deitch, who kept a small hotel on Pine street, made ginger cakes and manufactured small beer, and on hot summer evenings it was a perfect luxury. Would it not now be a good idea to compro- mise with our ardent friends of Prohibition and start up a cake and beer factory ?
"The lumbering business was undertaken by several persons at dif- ferent times, but always ended in a failure. Major James H. Perkins was the first one to make it a success and an honorable calling. It was he who started the first boom in the river, and gave the lumbering busi- ness an impetus which has been the means of building up our city and making it one of the great centers of Northern Pennsylvania. He was at the time of this writing over eighty-six years of age, mind and judg- ment as clear as day.
"When General Grant was a candidate for the presidency I was
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attending professionally Samuel Titus-Old Uncle Sammy, as he was usually called-who was dangerously ill. He was a strong and decided Republican, his brother Joseph an uncompromising Democrat. They were quite old and very deaf. Joseph called to see him, supposing his time was short in this world, and desirous of rendering some aid and comfort, and putting his mouth to his brother's ear hallooed at the top of his voice: 'Brother, what can I do for you?' Samuel, after collect- ing himself and turning over, said: 'Vote for Grant.' Joseph made no response, but soon left the room. The impression among the friends was that he did not carry out his brother's wish. Samuel recovered and voted for Grant, and after he had deposited his vote, he said: ‘I am now ready to die.' But he lived to vote for other Republican candidates for the presidency, but never changed his politics.
"In the spring of '38 our town was visited by an individual calling himself Daniel Cobb, who hailed from the north, representing himself as being very wealthy. When he made his grand entrance in our quiet town he drove a team of four horses to a carriage, which caused as much excitement ·as a first-class menagerie. He soon ingratiated himself into the good graces of Mr. John Cowden, who was one of the wealthiest citizens of the town and county. Among his first acts was to buy up all the stores and their contents and merge them into one on the principle of consolidation. He professed to be largely engaged in the mercantile business in the north, and had teams going constantly in shipping goods to that point. Dr. Seiler, who was practicing medicine here at the time, was induced to sell out and put the money in the mammoth store, and in less than one year he was a bankrupt. He scraped up a little money from some of his patients and moved to Harrisburg, where he remained until his death. I purchased the property from Cobb a short time after coming to Williamsport."
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Dr. Lyon was married in May, 1842, to Elizabeth Priestley, who died January 9, 1896, daughter of Joseph R. and Frances Dundas (Bid- dle) Priestley, the former named having been at one time cashier of the Northumberland County Bank, and great-grandson of the noted chemist, Dr. Joseph Priestley. Six children were the issue of this union, two of whom died in infancy, and the surviving members of the fam- ily are as follows: Fannie P., who became the wife of Thomas H. Hayes, and their children are: Robert, married Eliza Place, no issue ; and Thomas H., unmarried. Dr. Edward, married Mary J. Lescure, and their children are: Leslie Clyde, married Rose McGowan, of Phila- delphia, and they are the parents of two children: Mary and Leslie; Dr. Edward, unmarried, and Thomas, unmarried. Sarah became the wife of J. Augustus Stearns, deceased, son of Laten Legg Stearns, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work; one child was born of this union, Thomas Lyon Stearns. Jennie Priestley, who became the wife of Dr. E. B. Campbell, and they are the parents of one child, Eliza- beth Priestley Campbell.
THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF WILLIAMSPORT, PENN- SYLVANIA.
The First National Bank of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, was organ- ized December 3, 1863. It was the first National Bank to do business in the city, and the fourth in the state. Its organizers were among the most prominent and substantial men in the community. The policy adopted by the management has always been progressive and liberal, while at the same time conservative. This course has brought prosper- ity and the high credit that goes with it.
There have been paid to its stockholders from the beginning satis-
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factory dividends, amounting in the aggregate to more than one million dollars ($1,000,000.00), and a surplus fund earned and accumulated of two hundred and sixty thousand dollars ($260,000.00). This marked success has greatly surpassed in the same period any other bank in the city.
Among its directors have been many of the "captains of industry" in the business community, and so well has this been understood that to be invited to a seat in its directorate has been deemed a business triumph for the individual.
Mr. Abraham Updegraff served as president from December 6, 1863, to the time of his death, April 17, 1884. His force of character and high standing are well remembered by those who were fortunate enough to know him. On the first day of May, 1884, J. A. Beeber, Esq., was elected to succeed Mr. Updegraff, and remains in service at this time, October 1, 1905. Mr. W. H. Sloan entered the bank in October, 1865, and was elected cashier July 1, 1871, which position he still fills.
The capital of the bank is $300,000.00
260,000.00 Surplus
Total $560,000.00
Deposits $1,100,000.00
DIRECTORS.
J. A. Beeber.
S. N. Williams.
John M. Young. A. D. Hermance.
David A. Howe.
Charles W. Weis.
James J. Gibson.
W. H. Sloan.
Henry D. Brown.
ASA A. WHITE.
Asa A. White, national superintendent of agencies and a member of the board of directors of the National Protective Association, whose home offices are located at No. 20 West Market Square, Williamsport,
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Pennsylvania, is a native of that city, born December 26, 1869, a son of Robert H. and Harriet (Bubb) White, and grandson on the paternal side of Asa A. White, in whose honor he was named, who was a mer- chant at Lawrenceville, Tioga county, Pennsylvania, for many years.
Robert H. White ( father) was a carpenter by trade, and for many years was employed as journeyman by Peter Herdic, a leading con- tractor and builder of Williamsport. Mr. White resided in Williams- port for a period of almost twenty-six years, during which time he built many of the older buildings in the city, including the Baptist church, Park hotel and Court house, which now stand as monuments to his skill and ability along those lines. Subsequently he took up his residence in South Williamsport, and there the remainder of his life was spent. He died in 1890, and his remains were interred in Wildwood cemetery. His wife, Harriet (Bubb) White, who was a daughter of the late Christo- pher Bubb, bore him two children, namely: Asa A., mentioned at length hereinafter; Charles, who is now employed as clerk in the dry goods store of Bush, Bull & Company; Charles White, married a Miss Weaver, who bore him the following named children: Alma, Robert, Marian, Samuel, deceased, and Ethel, deceased. Mr. White is a mem- ber of the Evangelical church of South Williamsport, in which he holds the office of deacon. He is a resident of South Williamsport.
Asa A. White received a practical education in the public schools of Williamsport. He gained his first practical experience in business life with the Williamsport Furniture Company, serving as an employee in the finishing department for seven years. He then learned the house painting business, which he followed for about six and a half years, and the following two years he served the city fire department as extra houseman. He then became an engineer at Fire Department No. 2, re- maining for one year, and for a similar period of time thereafter served
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in the same capacity for the Edison Light Electric Company. He was then appointed district organizer of the Modern Protective Association, with whom he served sixteen months, at the expiration of which period of time he resigned in order to accept his present position of superin- tendent of agencies for the National Protective Association, his office being at No. 20 Musina block, Market square, Williamsport. This asso- ciation, which was incorporated under the laws of Pennsylvania, June 6, 1905, is a fraternal beneficiary society, with uniform monthly payments, men and women both, from the ages of sixteen to sixty-five, being eligible to membership. They issue the most liberal certificate known to the insurance world. At the end of each five years that the member belongs there will be a cash settlement or dividend paid, which will com- prise the excess accumulations and profits of the association. The bene- fits derived are fifteen dollars per week when disabled because of either sickness or accident. It pays upon practically every form of disease or kind of injury and disability, and begins with the first and continues until the last attendance of a physician. The number of weeks of disa- bility allowable depends upon the months of membership. Thus, after two months of membership, one week, fifteen dollars is allowed; after four months, two weeks or thirty dollars; after six months, three weeks or forty-five dollars; after nine months, four weeks or sixty dollars, and so that rate is continued until twenty-five weeks of benefits are per- mitted during five years. In the event of a death of a member of the three classes, Nos. 1, 2 and 3, there will be paid to the beneficiary named the following sums: No. 1/2 certificate, $1.25; No. I certificate, $2.50; No. 2 certificate, $5.00; No. 3 certificate, $7.50 for each month that the member has belonged during a period of five years. The officers of the association are as follows: James M. Rook, national president; Albert L. Scholl, national vice-president; Clarence J. Dun, national secretary ;
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J. Harry Spencer, national treasurer ; Asa A. White, national superin- tendent of agencies; Frank L. Moyer, M. D., national medical exam- iner; Clarence L. Peaslee, national counsel; D. M. Hinkel, national director; Asakiah K. Gaul, national director, and F. W. Plankenhorn, national director. The trustees are: Albert L. Scholl, Frank L. Moyer, M. D., and Asakiah K. Gaul. Mr. White also serves as director of this society, and holds membership in the Modern Protective Association, with which he was formerly connected. He attends the First Baptist church of Williamsport, and his political affiliation is with the Repub- lican party.
Mr. White was united in marriage to Minnie Potter, daughter of John and Maria Potter, and the issue of this union is as follows: Bessie, born April 5, 1888, died in infancy ; Harry, born May 1, 1892; Nellie, born August 8, 1889; Effie, born April 17, 1901. Mr. White resumed work for the Modern Protective Association as state superintendent of Rhode Island, to which state he is about to remove.
MICHAEL ROSS.
Michael Ross, while he was the pioneer and founder of the city of Williamsport, yet for various reasons but little is known of his ancestry, and no very extended account of his own career is now at hand. It is claimed that he was living in Philadelphia in 1772, with his mother ; that April II, 1772, he and his mother entered into a written agreement with Samuel Wallis to accompany him to Muncy Farms. There he served until 1779, when he was in his twentieth year. Wallis owned a large body of land, and Ross became a surveyor's assistant. At the close of his agreement Wallis gave him a high recommendation in writ- ing and one hundred acres of land, which probably was the foundation
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of his future fortune. Mrs. Ross came with her son to the West Branch valley and died within the city limits. No records on paper have ever been found to show who the father of Michael Ross was. That he was born in Europe seems to be the general opinion of his de- scendants, but whether he came as a " Redemptioner " to this country is unknown. His name indicates Scotch origin, and the mother was probably German.
After acquiring the two hundred and eighty acre tract farm from William Winter, on which the town was afterward platted, Ross found it necessary to locate here. He found a log cabin, which some squatter had abandoned, on the site of the present L. L. Stearns residence, which he occupied several years-until about 1800, when he built a two-story brick house, which stood where now stands the J. V. Brown residence, on East Third street. This was the second or third brick house in Williamsport.
The wife of Michael Ross was Anne, daughter of Christian Cour- son, whom he married about 1793. They had three sons and two daugh- ters. Michael Ross, the father, died June 20, 1819, in the sixtieth year of his life. Anne, his wife, died July 31, 1818, in her fifty-fifth year. William, the eldest son, died, single, December 23, 1818, aged twenty- four years, and soon after he had graduated at a medical school, as a physician. John, the second son, also unmarried, died July 6, 1833, aged thirty-seven years. One of the daughters, Elizabeth, the eldest, mar- ried Peter Wycoff Vanderbelt, and died July 31, 1828, aged thirty-seven years. Margaret, the second, married James H. Huling, and was in- stantly killed by a locomotive while she was crossing the Philadelphia & Erie railroad tracks at Market street, Williamsport, July 25. 1872. She was eighty years of age. Anna, the third, married Major Charles Low, and died January 30, 1882, in her eighty-second year.
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