USA > Pennsylvania > Erie County > History of Erie County, Pennsylvania, Volume One > Part 41
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He was admitted to the bar June 27, 1907, and in that year began the practice of his profession. Feb. 1, 1908, he became associated with Francis T. Nagorski, Esq., under the firm name of Nagorski & English. On Sept. 1, 1909, he became a member of the firm of Benson & Brooks, which upon the appointment of Hon. Paul A. Benson as additional Law Judge of Erie County, became the firm of Brooks & English.
On April 14, 1912, Mr. English was elected city solicitor of the city of Erie and served in that capacity until May 1, 1916, when he resigned. He was appointed by Governor Sproul on Nov. 24, 1919, as a member of the Commission on Constitutional Amendment and Revision and in con- nection with the work of that Commission was made Chairman of the
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Committee on Municipal Affairs and a member of the Committee on Style. On Jan. 12, 1922, he was appointed by Governor Sproul as a member of the Tax Revision Commission of Pennsylvania. He was also appointed by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania as one of a committee of seven members of the bar of the state to revise the rules of practice of the Supreme Court. The rules which became effective Jan. 1, 1923, are to a large extent the result of the labors of that committee.
John R. Haughney, one of the prominent and eminently successful members of the Erie County bar, is a native of Pennsylvania. He was born in Ceres Township, Mckean County, in 1871, and is the son of Pat- rick and Anna (Kenney) Haughney, both deceased. Mr. Haughney was a native of Carlow, Ireland, and his wife was born in Vermont.
John R. Haughney attended the public schools of Mckean County and was graduated from Saint Bonaventure College, Allegany, N. Y. He was admitted to the practice of law in 1898 in Mckean County, and later to all the courts of Pennsylvania, both state and federal.
On Sept. 12, 1910, Mr. Haughney was married to Miss Kathryn Murphy, a native of Erie. They have had three children as follows: Margaret Ann, ten years old; John Robert, deceased, and Patricia Kathryn, four years old.
Mr. Haughney is an independent voter. He is a member of the Catholic church and is identified with the Elks, Kiwanis and Knights of Columbus.
Charles F. Haughney, of Erie, has gained a wide reputation as a successful lawyer. He was born in Ceres Township, Mckean County, Pa., Oct. 4, 1873, and is the son of Patrick and Anna (Kenney) Haughney, natives of Ireland and Vermont, respectively, both now deceased.
Charles F. Haughney was reared and educated in Mckean County and attended Saint Bonaventure College and Clarion State Normal School. He was admitted to the practice of law in 1901 and subsequently admitted to the Supreme and Superior courts of Pennsylvania, as well as the Fed- eral courts. In 1910 he established his practice in Erie and has offices in the Masonic building.
On June 17, 1913, Mr. Haughney was united in marriage with Miss Winifred Sweeney, a native of Eldred, Pa., and the daughter of John and Winifred (Roach) Sweeney, natives of Ireland, and both now deceased.
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To Mr. and Mrs. Haughney have been born four children: Raphael, born June 2, 1914; Charles, born Aug. 24, 1915; Joseph, born March 20, 1917; and Richard, born Sept. 17, 1921.
Mr. Haughney is a member of the Catholic church and belongs to the Knights of Columbus. He is a public spirited citizen, who holds the high regard of all who know him.
John Schreck, superintendent of public safety, is a widely known citi- zen of Erie. He was born in this city, Dec. 12, 1874, and is the son of Andrew Schreck, now deceased. Mrs. Andrew Schreck resides In Erie.
John Schreck was reared and educated in Erie and Titusville, Pa., and began life as a cigar maker. For a number of years his father was a lead- ing cigar manufacturer of Erie.
During the Spanish America War Mr. Schreck volunteered for service in 1898 and served in the navy on the U. S. S. "Mayflower". He was honorably discharged at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1899. He served in the Erie Fire Department for seven years from 1894 to 1901.
Mr. Schreck lives at 2904 Peach Street.
Walter W. Gingrich, vice president of the Erie County Electric Com- pany, is one of Erie County's most prominent and successful business men. He was born in Mill Creek Township, Oct. 7, 1864, and is the son of Henry and Margaret (Wolf) Gingrich.
The Gingrich family is of German origin but has been established in Pennsylvania for at least seven generations. John, the grandfather, was a native of Lancaster County, Pa., and came to Erie County in 1812, settl- ing in Mill Creek Township on what afterwards became known as the Ging- rich farm, but is now part of the city. Here he followed farming the bal- ance of his days. Henry, his son, was born on the Gingrich farm, Aug. 27, 1821. At first a farmer, later in life he became interested in one of the pioneer mills of the township and became prominent in not a few public capacities. While he was a resident of Mill Creek Township, he served as justice of the peace for 25 years and for 12 years was an active member of the city school board. His death occurred June 25, 1896. The deceased married Margaret Wolf, born in Lancaster County, Pa., June 8, 1829, the daughter of Cyrus Wolf, an early settler of Mill Creek Town- ship. She died Dec. 24, 1897. Mr. and Mrs. Gingrich were the parents of the following children: Mary G., the widow of J. H. W. Stuckenberg,
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lives at Springfield, Ohio; Etta G., the widow of John M. Ormsbee, lives at Erie; William H., who died in August, 1920; Lewis E., who died in July, 1897; Walter W., the subject of this sketch and Gertrude, an instructor in Wooster (Ohio) University.
Walter W. Gingrich was educated in the public schools of Erie. In 1896 he was elected city controller, in which office he served until 1902. Previous to this, from 1886 until 1896, he had been employed as book- keeper by the Erie Burial Case Company. He was one of the main pro- moters and acted as treasurer and manager of the Wayne Brewing Com- pany from 1900 until 1920, and in 1923 was elected vice president of the Erie County Electric Company, which office he now holds.
Mr. Gingrich is affiliated with Keystone Lodge, F. A. & A. M., and is actively identified with Temple Chapter, Mount Olivet Commandery, and Erie Lodge, P. B. O. E. He is a Republican.
Hon. William E. Hirt. A native of Erie, a product of the city's public schools, and a law student in the offices of Erie attorneys, William E. Hirt, when he came to the bar of Pennsylvania, located in his native city, won his reputation in the courts of Erie and now sits upon the county bench. Judge Hirt is a son of Charles F. and Mary (Melhorn) Hirt, his father, a Union veteran of the Civil War, now lives retired in Erie.
William E. Hirt was born in Erie, May 13, 1881, and passed through the public schools from primary to high school graduation, class of 1899. He entered Princeton University in 1901 and received his degree of Bach- elor of Arts from that institution with the graduating class of 1904. He studied law with Henry E. Fish and John S. Rilling of the Erie bar, and in 1908 was admitted to the bar of Erie County. He conducted a general law practice in Erie from that year until March 1, 1921, when he was appointed Judge of Erie County by Governor William C. Sproul to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Judge Edward L. Whittelsey. Judge Hirt was elected to this office in 1924. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and of the Erie Bar Association, being chairman of the executive committee of the latter body.
In politics Judge Hirt is a Republican, and in religious connection a member of Luther Memorial Church. During the World War period, 1917-18, he was chairman of the professional division on all Liberty Loan drives; was associate member of the Legal Advisory Board, and a "four
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minute man." He is a 32nd degree member of the Erie Consistory, An- cient Accepted Scottish Rite; member of Erie lodge, Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks; and of the Knights of Pythias. His clubs are the Erie, University, Kahkwa, and Shrine. His sports and recreations are those of the open, he being very fond of hunting, fishing, canoeing, golf, and trap shooting.
Judge Hirt married in Erie, Nov. 24, 1908, Emma L. Stafford, daugh- ter of John D. and Emma L. Stafford.
Ritchie T. Marsh, an attorney of Erie, a member of the firm of Marsh & Eaton, is recognized as one of the representative members of the bar of Erie County. He was born in Waterford Township, this county, Nov. 15, 1870, and is the son of Wilson and Elmina M. (Sedgwick) Marsh.
As a young man Wilson Marsh sailed the Great Lakes with Capt. A. T. Marsh, and later engaged in general farming which he successfully followed until about 1900. Since that time he lived in Erie retired until his death, April 11, 1924. His wife died July 22, 1924, and they are both buried in Erie cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. Marsh, who were natives of Erie County, were the parents of the following children: Mrs. W. M. Graham, lives in Erie ; Eugene S., lives in Erie ; Mrs. E. L. Hanson, lives at Girard, Pa .; Ritchie T., the subject of this sketch; Greeley G., lives at Waterford, Pa .; Rachel, lives in Erie; Mrs. Orton Ryan, lives in Cleveland; and John A., lives in Erie.
Ritchie T. Marsh was reared and educated in Waterford Township, and after attending Edinboro State Normal School, he engaged in teach- ing for six years. He then entered the law offices of Emory A. Walling and Henry E. Fish. He was admitted to the bar July 3, 1899, and has since been successfully engaged in the practice of his profession in Erie.
Mr. Marsh was married first on Oct. 22, 1902, to Miss Henrietta Mc- Clelland, a native of Erie, and the daughter of George M. and Elizabeth McClelland, natives of Erie County, and both now deceased. He was later married on Sept. 23, 1911, to Miss Clara M. Roberts, a native of Cleveland, and the daughter of Lewis and Walburga Roberts, natives of Sandusky, Ohio. Mr. Roberts resides in Erie. His wife is deceased. Mr. Marsh has a daughter, Winifred Marsh.
In politics Mr. Marsh is identified with the Republican party and for a number of years served as a justice of the peace of Mill Creek Town- ship. Both Mr. March and Mr. Eaton pursued the study of law together,
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were admitted to practice on same day and have been associated as part- ยท ners ever since. He is a member of the Park Presbyterian Church and is identified with the Masonic lodges and Shrine, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, Elks lodge, and the Kahkwa and University clubs.
Charles Hamot Strong has been an important factor in the industrial development of Erie, and he is recognized as one of the thoroughly rep- resentative citizens of his native city, where his business interests are of wide scope and varied order, besides which he has the distinction of being a scion of one of the old and honored families of Erie County, with whose annals the name has been identitfied for fully a century. He was born in Erie, March 14, 1853, and is the only son of Dr. Landaff and Catherine Cecilia (Hamot) Strong.
Landaff Strong was born in Summit Township, Erie County, Dec. 30, 1821, the son of Martin Strong, who came to this county from Con- necticut during the early days. He was a graduate of Washington Col- lege (now Trinity) Hartford, Conn., with the degree of B. A. in 1842, and from the University of the City of New York with the degree of M. D. in 1846. He practiced medicine in Erie for a number of years, and during the War of the Rebellion was proprietor with his brother-in-law, George W. Starr, of the Reed House Drug Store. He died in Erie, July 13, 1869, and his wife died Aug. 12, 1856. They are buried in Erie Cemetery. To Doctor and Mrs. Strong were born two children: Charles Hamot, the subject of this sketch; and Kate, born in Erie, July 5, 1856. She was married on Sept. 25, 1884, in St. Paul's Church, Erie, to Edward Higginson, Esq., of Fall River, Mass. Mrs. Higginson died March 12, 1921, in Greenwich, Conn. Her two daughters were Annie Storrow Hig- ginson, born in Fall River, Mass., on April 26, 1887, died in Fall River, Mass., July 24, 1892; and Mary Hamot Higginson, born in Fall River, Mass., on May 7, 1889, died in New York City, Dec. 31, 1913. Her hus- band, Edward Higginson, died in February, 1922, en route to the Mediter- ranean, on the Empress of France. All are buried in the Erie Cemetery.
Charles Hamot Strong secured his preliminary education in the pri- vate schools of Erie, and attended Erie Academy, and in 1872 went to New Haven, Conn., where for one year he pursued his study under the tutorship of Thomas Thatcher, who later became a prominent member of the bar of New York City. In 1877 he was graduated from Yale
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University with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He then returned to Erie where he read law for a few months in the law office of Frank Gunnison, later Judge Gunnison. Mr. Strong's business career began as a shipping clerk in the Mount Hickory Iron Works, Erie, of which he later became president. He was president of the Union Coal Company, Shamokin, Pa., miners of hard coal operating four collieries with several thousand em- ployes, distributing coal to seaboard and to the lakes through the port of Erie. He was vice president of the Youghiogheny River Coal Com- pany until it was taken over by the Pittsburgh Coal Company, was vice president of the Spring Valley Coal Company of Illinois for about 30 years, and in 1920 was made president. At the present time this com- pany operates two bituminous mines in a reduced way. He also served as vice president of the W. L. Scott Company for a few years in the 90's. This company distributed hard and soft coal by lake into the northwest.
Mr. Strong has been president of the Erie & Pittsburgh Railroad Com- pany (leased by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company) since about 1891. This was an official position requiring the Board of Directors to per- petuate the corporate standing of the railroad leased in perpetuity to the Pennsylvania Railroad Company.
Mr. Strong became president of the Dispatch Publishing Company in 1902, publishing the Erie Morning Dispatch. Later this was succeeded by the Dispatch-News Company, a new corporation, which published the Erie Morning Dispatch and the Evening News. Later this company was succeeded by the Record Publishing Company of Erie, of which Mr. Strong was president. This company published the Erie Morning Dispatch and later purchased the Erie Evening Herald. For a brief time the Record Publishing Company of Erie published the Erie Morning Dispatch and the Erie Evening Herald. The two were combined in about 1922 into the Dispatch-Herald, an evening publication. His connection with the Record Publishing Company of Erie terminated Nov. 1, 1924.
Mr. Strong was president and one of the organizers of the Edison Electric Light & Power Company in 1886, also of the Erie County Electric Company organized some years later. The Edison Electric Light & Power Company purchased the Erie County Light Company and subsequently consolidated with the Erie County Electric Company into the present Erie County Electric Company, of which Mr. Strong is still president.
On Sept. 8, 1881, Mr. Strong was united in marriage with Miss Annie Wainwright Scott, a native of Erie, and a daughter of William Lawrence
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and Mary Matilda (Tracy) Scott, the former a native of Washington, D. C., and the latter of Erie. Mr. Scott, who was one of Erie's most honored and influential citizens, died Sept. 19, 1891, and his wife died May 19, 1898. To Mr. and Mrs. Strong a daughter was born, Matilda Thora Wainwright Strong. She was married in Erie on Feb. 24, 1906, to Regi- nald Ronalds, from whom she was divorced in New York City on Nov. 23, 1910, and by whom she had one daughter, Thora Scott Ronalds, born Dec. 14, 1907, in New York City. She was married a second time to Clyde B. Leasure, in the chapel of St. George's Church, New York City, on June 28, 1917, from whom she was divorced on Dec. 23, 1921, In Erie.
Mr. Strong is a Republican, a member of the Protestant Episcopal Church, and belongs to the Erie, University, Kahkwa and Yacht clubs of Erie, and the University, Manhattan, Yale and Delta Kappa Epsilon clubs of New York City.
Henry Clark .- David Clark lived in Sheffield, Berkshire County, Mass., and was there married in 1723. His son David was born there, and died Dec. 12, 1824, at the age of 80, and he was the father of Henry Clark, the subject of this brief sketch, who was born May 3, 1779, at Sheffield, and came to Erie County, Pa., about the year 1795, before he attained his majority. He and his wife, Sally Clark, were among the first pioneer settlers of this County; he took up a tract of land in Harbor Creek Town- ship, designated in the official records as "Launceton," located on what has for many years been known as the Clark road. There he built for his first residence a log cabin where he and his wife made their home. Subsequently another house was built and is now standing ; it very greatly resembles the old homestead at Sheffield. In this new home they lived the unostentatious and quiet life of those who till the soil, but still retaining their New England appreciation of instructive reading.
They reared a family of five sons and three daughters, in the order of their age, William, David, Prudence, Joel, Sally, Henry, Jane and Chauncey ; the latter was the youngest son, born Feb. 23, 1819, and died Feb. 26, 1897, at Erie, Pa. The first white male child born in Harbor Creek Township was the oldest son, William, born March 26, 1801, and died in 1876.
Henry Clark was an active person, generous and scrupulously just in his dealings, and he was highly respected in the community where he lived.
HENRY AND SALLY CLARK
HENRY A. CLARK
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1
He died Jan. 9, 1859, aged 79 years, eight months and six days, his wife Sally predeceased him, dying Feb. 27, 1856. Upon her tombstone is inscribed,
"For I Know That My Redeemer Liveth."
Henry Alden Clark is a grandson of Henry and Sally Clark, early set- tlers of this County. His father was Chauncey George Clark. His mother's maiden name was Emeline Elizabeth Wheelock, and they were united in marriage March 22, 1849. His father was born Feb. 23, 1819, in Harbor Creek Township, this county, and he died at Erie, Pa., Feb. 26, 1897, his mother died Oct. 20, 1864, aged 39 years, 10 months and six days. Her earliest ancestor to this country was Ralph Wheelock, a graduate of the University of Cambridge, England, who came here about 1632. From this union there were born in Harbor Creek Township, Erie County, Pa., two sons, William Orville Clark, born Nov. 16, 1852, who died Dec. 26, 1889, and the subject of this sketch, born Jan. 7, 1850, whose first recollections are of the moral and educational instruction of his mother, whose experi- ence and accomplishments made her a valued and effective instructor in the formative period of his youth, and this continued daily while he was attending the common schools of his native township, and as long as she lived.
After leaving these schools, he attended the Erie Academy in the fall of 1864; State Normal School in Edinboro, Pa., 1865-66; Willoughby Col- legiate Institute, in Willoughby, Ohio, in the fall of 1866 to the spring of 1867; taught school the following winter, and from the spring of 1869 to the fall of 1870, attended Erie Central High School in Erie, Pa., gradu- ated from that school and entered Harvard College in the fall of 1870, and received the degree of A. B. with the class of 1874. During his college course, he and a few other classmates started a new paper called "The Magenta," in the field of college journalism. It has developed into a daily now, known as "The Crimson," the editors of which find this publication a helpful source of revenue for defraying their college expenses.
While at Harvard he was engaged by James Russell Lowell ambassa- dor to the court of St. Petersburg, Russia, to go with him as his private secretary, but the President changed the appointment and sent Mr. Lowell to the court of St. James, England, where assistants were already provided.
During the year after his graduation, he was engaged in the publica- tion of the "Harvard Book"; entered the Harvard Law School in the fall
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of 1875, and graduated in 1877. He entered the office of Jonathan M. Wood, Esquire, at Fall River, Mass., in the fall of 1877, and formed a co-partnership with him on Feb. 1, 1878, under the firm name of Wood and Clark, which continued to Feb. 22, 1879. He was formally admitted to practice law in Massachusetts in March, 1878; in the meantime en- gaged in the publication of the College Book. The partnership was dis- solved after a continuance of a little over a year and Mr. Clark started alone.
In the fall of 1880, he formed a partnership with Hugo A. Dubuque, under the firm name of Clark and Dubuque, which continued until August, 1882. He then removed to the city of Erie, Pa., being temporarily en- gaged with the Edison Electric Light Company and Edison Company for Isolated Lighting, both of New York, having general charge of the busi- ness in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Vir- ginia, West Virginia, and subsequently New York.
May 9, 1884, he was admitted to the Pennsylvania bar, and formed a partnership with his father-in-law, Gen. David B. McCreary, under the firm name of McCreary and Clark, with offices at Erie, Pa., and in the fall of 1890 bought the Erie Gazette, a paper on which Horace Greeley set type in his younger days. Subsequently the Gazette consolidated with the Erie Dispatch Company, Ltd., and on May 4, 1892, he dropped jour- nalism entirely.
In February, 1890, he was chosen chairman of the Republican City Committee, and in June, 1890, of the county committee. He has been several times delegate to State conventions. He was elected trustee of the Erie Academy, Nov. 17, 1893, and has been a director of the Art Club, is president of The Erie County Historical Society and was president of the University Club.
July 18, 1878, he married Sophy G. McCreary, daughter of Gen. David B. McCreary, lawyer, and Annette Gunnison McCreary, of Erie, Pa. He has two children, Sophy Annette and Henry McCreary Clark.
In February, 1888, was elected a member of the Common Council from the First Ward of the city. July 11, 1896, was elected city solicitor for an unexpired term, and in April, 1897, was reelected for a full term which ended April 30, 1899. In November, 1910, elected State senator for an unexpired term, and in 1912, elected for a full term of four years. Served in the Sessions of 1911, 1913 and 1915; was a member of several important committees during his years of service, and in the Session of 1915 was
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chairman of the General Judiciary Committee. Was sponsor of the bill which changed the bicamera system of cities of the third class to what is popularly known as commission form of government.
In November, 1916, he was elected a member of the House of Repre- sentatives at Washington, from the district composed of Erie and Craw- ford counties. This was the 65th Congress, and known as the War Con- gress. Not seeking or desiring a re-election, he resumed the practice of his profession at Erie, Pa.
On the 24th day of May, 1921, the Legislature of Pennsylvania cre- ated the separate Orphans' Court for Erie County, and on the same day Governor William C. Sproul appointed him presiding judge until the next election. In November, 1921, he was elected for a full term, and is now engaged in the discharge of the duties of that office.
Thomas Mehaffey, city commissioner, is a well known and highly esteemed citizen of Erie. He was born here April 12, 1874, and is the son of Robert R. and Mary (Campbell) Mehaffey.
Robert R. Mehaffey was born in Erie in the Old Farmer's Hotel, which was then located at Fifth and French streets. He was the son of Thomas Mehaffey, a pioneer resident of Erie. In 1834 Thomas Mehaf- fey was proprietor of the Old Farmer's Hotel and during that year was commissioned sheriff of Erie County by the governor of Pennsylvania. He was a member of the first fire company organized in Erie in 1826, which was known as the Erie Active Fire Company. In 1837 he was a mem- ber of the city council. During the visit to Erie of General Lafayette in 1825, the escort was composed of the Erie Guards, of whom Thomas Mehaffey was second lieutenant. During his active career Robert R. Mehaffey was a successful contractor and builder. He spent his entire life in Erie and died April 4, 1913. His wife died July 14, 1893. Mr. and Mrs. Mehaffey had two children: Thomas, the subject of this sketch, and Mrs. Margaret Mehaffey Scarlett, the widow of William J. Scarlett. She was born in Erie, Dec. 10, 1871, and resides at 230 East Sixth Street.
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