History of Erie county, Pennsylvania. Containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, villages schools, churches, industries, etc, Part 110

Author: Bates, Samuel P. (Samuel Penniman), 1827-1902; Whitman, Benjamin, 1940-; Russell, N. W. (Nathaniel Willard); Brown, R. C. (Robert C.); Weakley, F. E; Warner, Beers & Co. (Chicago, Ill.)
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago : Warner, Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1280

USA > Pennsylvania > Erie County > History of Erie county, Pennsylvania. Containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, villages schools, churches, industries, etc > Part 110

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).

JOHN McMAHON, lake engineer, Erie, was horn in Erie City, March 27, 1857, son of M. and Mary (Lehan) McMahon, natives of Ireland; the former, a sea-faring man, came to America in 1854, and here followed R. R. contracting for several years. He reared a family of six children, viz .: Bridget, John (our subject), Daniel, an Alderman, Fourth Ward, this city; P. H., a Captain, sailing on Lake Erie; Katie and Mary. The family are members of the Roman Catholic Church. Our subject was united in marriage, in 1878, with Anna Bowers, a native of Erie City, and a daughter of Isaac Bowers. This union has heen blessed with two children: Josephine and John. Mr. McMahon is a Democrat in politics.

DANIEL McMAHON, Alderman of the Fourth Ward, Erie, was born at Jackson Station, Erie Co., Penn., Jan. 10, 1859, son of Michael McMahon, who came to America from Kilrush, Limerick, Ireland, about 1851, when twenty-one years old, and settled here about 1854. He married Mary Lehan, of Bantry, Ireland, who came to this country about 1852, at eighteen years of age. Their family consists of three sons and three daughters- Bridget, John, alake engineer; Daniel, our subject; Patrick, a lake captain; Catherine Agnes and Mary Frances. Our subject began life for himself, when thirteen, as a cabin boy on a lake steamer, and after three years shipped as a sailor, and at twenty-one became a licensed pilot, and as such remained until the present year, when he engaged in the study of law. He is an active enterprising citizen, taking much interest in the social and industrial devel- opment of this city.

CLARK McSPARREN (deceased) was born in Erie, Penn., July 2, 1810, second son of Archibald and Margaret (Mckay) McSparren. of Scotch-Irish descent. Archibald Mc- Sparren came to Erie Co., in 1802, and for years carried on his business, that of a mer- chant tailor in Erie. He was here during the war of 1812, and made some of the uniforins for the officers of Perry's fleet. Our subject received his education in Erie and at the Waterford Academy, from which he graduated in 1829. He then clerked for three years in *dry goods store. In 1833, he was appointed Cashier of Erie Bank, which position he re-

925

CITY OF ERIE.

tained as long as the institution existed. He, with a brother, then built the Erie City Mills; he subsequently bought his brother's interest and continued the milling business alone till 1859, when he rented the mill. He was considered a good judge of real estate, and dealt in it extensively with more than average success. He married, Sept: 10, 1835, Mary Ann, daughter of Chester and Sarah (Steel) Jones, of English descent, and a native of Conn. Her family moved in a wagon, drawn by an ox team and one horse, from Conn. to Penn. in 1816. Five of the children born to this union are living-Albert J., a book- keeper; Frank, with Stearns Manufacturing Co .: William Clark, with Union Oil Co., Buffalo, N. Y .: Charles: Archibald. Secretary and Treasurer of Art Novelty Co. (limited); Mary Emma (Locke). Mrs. Clark McSparren is a member of the Universalist Church of Erie. Mr. McSparren departed this life April 18, 1875, in Erie. He was a Republican in politics, and for nine years was a member of Erie City Council.

JAMES C. MARSHALL, retired attorney, Erie, was born July 27, 1799, in Franklin Co., Penn. His parents moved to a farm in Weathersfield, Trumbull Co., Ohio, in the spring of 1805. Our subject attended a country school until March, 1813, then went to select school taught by Elias Grover, until May, 1816. Mr. Grover and he went to Win- chester, Frederick Co., Va., and there jointly engaged in teaching school for one year. Mr. Grover desiring to return to Mass., his native State, Mr. Marshall took a school alone and continued in that profession until the spring of 1820, in which year he returned to Ohio, and soon after entered the academy in Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, remaining in that insti- tution four years. In April, 1824, he entered the office of Hon. Thomas D. Webb, and com- menced the study of law; was admitted to the bar in that town, June 15, 1826. Soon after his admission he entered into partnership in the practice of law, with Hon. Rufus P. Spalding, late one of the Supreme Judges of the State of Ohio. At that time there were four counties in one circuit-Trumbull, Portage, Geauga and Ashtabula, and Mr. Marshall was a regu- lar attendant on them all. One winter he met Don Carlos Barrett at court in Ashtabula Co., who proposed to him to go to Erie and form a partnership with him. Mr. Barrett was a gentleman of fine address, and a fluent speaker, so Mr. Marshall concluded to try it for a year. Consequently, on the 1st of May, 1828, he planted himself in the borough of Erie, Penn., entered into articles of copartnership with Don Carlos Barrett for the term of one year; when the year expired he declined to renew the partnership. He then opened an office on his own hook. "In Nov., 1829, our subject married Eliza Weatherbee, niece of Judge Freeman, of Warren, Ohio, and at once brought his young wife to Erie, settling down permanently. In the winter of 1830, James C. Marshall, Jonathan Weatherbee and Alexander Wilson bought out a mercantile establishment, together with the lease of a flouring mill and distillery. Mr. Marshall then moved from Erie to Girard to take charge of the financial part of the business, Weatherbee and Wilson being experienced merchants. In the winter of 1832, our subject sustained a severe compound fracture of the leg, and Mr. Weatherbee died. Mr. Marshall soon afterward sold out his interest to Mr. Wilson, and devoted his time and attention to the practice of law. About Jan. 1, 1839, he was ap- pointed Prothonotary and Clerk of several Courts of Erie Co. by Governor Porter, but owing to certain disputes as to the validity of David R. Porter's election for Governor, Mr. Marshall did not obtain the keys of office till May 1, that year. He was appointed Postmaster at Girard under President Van Buren's administration, an office he held until after the election of Gen. Harrison. He remained in Girard until April 1, 1844, when he removed to Erie and entered into partnership in the practice of law with the late Chief Justice James Thompson. When the latter was elected to Congress in the fall of 1844 or 1845, the partnership was mutually dissolved. Mr. Marshall was appointed Revenue Com- missioner in the spring of 1848, to represent Erie, Crawford and Warren Cos., serving the term required by law. A partnership in the practice of the law by the Hon. John P. Vin- cent and James C. Marshall, May 1, 1849, for the term of five years was mutually dissolved at the expiration of that period. A partnership was then entered into between James C. Marshall and his son Francis F. Jan. 1, 1861, which continued until the former gave up the practice in the spring of 1881. Our subject has held the office of President of the Erie Co. Mutual Insurance Co. since March, 1859; was elected President of the Marine National Bank of Erie on Jan. 19, 1867, and has been re-elected every year since; was one of the Trustees of the Erie Academy from 1847 to 1856. Mr. Marshall's father and grandfather (James Marshall) died in Trumbull Co., Ohio, each in his eighty-fifth year; his mother died aged eighty-seven. Our subject has four children, two sons and two daughters. His oldest son, James, is a fruit grower in the county of Solona, Cal .; Mary W. is the widow of Com- mander James W. Shirk, U. S. Navy (she has three children, all living in Philadelphia); Francis F., a lawyer living in Erie (has a wife and three daughters), and Laura O., wife of S. E. Norris, of Philadelphia (they have no children, having lost two).

F. F. MARSHALL, attorney at law, Erie, was born in Girard, this county, May 21, 1835; son of James C. and Eliza (Weatherbee) Marshall, the former of whom was a prom- inent lawyer of Erie City. Our subject received his education at the Erie Academy, and Yale College-was a member of the class of 1856. He commenced the study of law with his father in 1855, and was admitted to practice his profession in 1856. The Committee of Examination before whom he passed were Chief-Justice Thompson, Judge Galbraith, E.

926

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES:

Babbitt and John H. Walker. In 1864, Mr. Marshall was admitted to the United States' and Supreme Courts. He was appointed United States Commissioner under Pres. Lin- coln's first administration in 1861. Mr. Marshall was married, in 1862, to Fannie, daugh- ter of Col. Camp, civil engineer, Erie City. Their children are Florence C., Laura and Mary. Mrs. Marshall is a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church; in politics he is a Democrat.

ELISHA MARVIN, eldest son of Elisha Marvin and Elizabeth Selden, his wife, was born at Lyme, Conn., Nov. 22, 1768; brought up on a farm. About 1792, in company with his brother-in-law, Judah Colt, and his brother Enoch, he settled in Canandaigua, N. Y. In 1796, Mr. Colt having been appointed agent for the Population Company, both brothers removed with him to Erie Co., and settled at Colt's Station, in Greenfield Township, where Elisha bought a large tract of land. He was Justice of the Peace in Greenfield for many years, and long one of the most prominent surveyors and farmers in the county. He mar- ried Minerva Prendergast, of Jamestown, N. Y., May 13, 1812; died Sept. 29, 1829. Mrs. Marvin, who was a woman of more than usual culture, died April 1, 1858. Their children were William E., born March 21, 1814; and Elizabeth Susan, boru Nov. 29, 1818, died in the fall of 1873.

Enoch Marvin, brother of Elisha, was born in Lyme, Oct. 19, 1774; after spending a number of years at Greenfield and Erie, he went to Beaver Co., Penn., as agent of a land company, where he died March 31, 1840, leaving a large estate, much of which was in Erie Co. He married Eliza Hull in 1820. She survived him a number of years. They had one child which died in infancy.

Elihu Marvin, youngest brother of Elisha and Enoch Marvin above named, was born at Lyme, Conn., Aug. 1, 1791. He early developed a taste for business pursuits, and be- came associated with Gen. David Humphreys, of Derby, Conn., in the woolen manufact- ure. Sept. 10, 1813, he married Ann Humphreys, a niece of the General. After several years of active prosecution of the woolen husiness, his health failed and he withdrew from the concern. About 1823, he moved to Ripley, N. Y., where he purchased a farm and de- voted himself to agricultural pursuits. In 1842, changed to Erie, living for a number of years on a farm which included the site of Marvintown. About 1854 or 1856, he laid out part of his farm in town lots, and sold off a large number. About 1864, he built a resi- dence on Tenth street, where he resided until death. He was influential wherever he lived, but had a great repugnance for holding office; was an enthusiast in favor of schools and as a fruit grower; a liberal giver to the Presbyterian Church, with which he early associated himself. Mrs. Marvin died April 30, 1875. Mr. Marvin died Aug. 29, 1878, having ac- quired an extensive property. They had two children-Susan, born in 1816, died in 1834; Sarah, born Jan. 29, 1820, married Rev. L. G. Olmstead Dec. 20, 1838, died May 25, 1843, leaving an only child-Sarah L., born May 18, 1840, who married Matthew Griswold, Jan. 8, 1866, and died Feb., 1871, leaving two sons, viz., Matthew Griswold, Jr., and Elihu Mar- vin Griswold.

SELDEN MARVIN, City Recorder and Attorney, Erie, only child of Dudley and Mary (Whalley) Marvin, (brother of Elisha, Enoch and Elihu) was born in Canandaigua, N. Y., June 9, 1819, named after his grandmother, who was of the Connecticut family of Seldens; received his education mainly at Canandaigua Academy, and at Jefferson College, Cannonsburg, Penn .; spent one year in printing office in Boston. Parents moved to New York City in the summer of 1837, where he read law until 1841 in the office of his father, who was one of the most distinguished attorneys in the State, and for eight years a mem- ber of Congress. In 1841, removed to Ripley, Chautauqua Co., N. Y., where he was ex- clusively engaged in farming until 1846; in the latter year entered upon the practice of law at Jamestown. In 1847, was married to Miss Sarah Wilson Dinsmore, of Ripley, and returned to the farm. A year or so later formed a connection with Hon. Geo. W. Parker, now of the city of New York, and resumed the legal profession at Westfield, N. Y .; in the fall of 1852, was elected Special County Judge, and in 1855 County Judge of Chautauqua County, serving in the latter position until Jan. 1, 1860; moved to Erie in June, 1860; be- came a member of the firm of Spencer & Marvin, and practiced law until 1877. Was the Democratic candidate for Assembly in 1862; Democratic nominee for Congress in 1870. coming within 500 votes of an election; Democratic candidate for Elector at Large in 1872; Mayor of Erie City in 1877; the same year elected City Recorder for five years which office, hy re-election in 1882, he still holds. The marriage of Judge Marvin and his wife has been blessed with five children, three of whom survive, viz .: Charles Diusmore Mar- vin, engaged in the banking business in the city of New York; Anna Humphreys, wife of William D. Lewis, and Elizabeth Selden Marvin, wife of Robert W. Neff, of Boston, Mass.

MART MAUER, wholesale confectioner, Erie, was born in Germany Sept. 13, 1849, son of Jacob Mauer, a farmer. Our subject was reared on the farm until 1867, when he came to America, settling in Erie City. Here he clerked in a grocery store till 1869. in which year he entered on his present enterprise, and with the increase of facilities in mak- ing confectionery by steam power, the business, which has a bakery in connection, is steadily increasing, and he is soliciting trade all over the United States, as Mr. Mauer fully understands the wants of his customers, and the necessity of keeping in stock, of his own

Pokor Ho Instore

929

CITY OF ERIE.

manufacture only, a class of goods fresh and pure. He was married to Annie Mary Von Busich, a native of Erie, Penn., who bore him four children-Frederick W. J., Laura, Ella and Charles A. Our subject and wife are members of the Protestant Church.

GEORGE V. MAUS, general agent Penn. R. R. Co., and President of the Board of Trade, Erie City, was born in Peunsylvania July 29, 1841, son of Lewis H. and Elizabeth (Vance) Maus, natives of Pennsylvania. L. H. Maus in early life was a manufacturer, but latterly a farmer, and is now a resident of Harbor Creek Township, this county. Our subject received the rudiments of his education in Columbia Co., Penn., and completed his tuition in Philadelphia. In early life he embarked in the commercial business, which he carried on for some years, and in 1862 accepted a position with the Penn. R. R. Co. in Philadelphia. Since 1870, Mr. Maus has been general agent for that company in Erie, Penn. At the commencement of the late war he was in Georgia, and there drafted into the Confederate army, but managing to get North, was drafted into the Federal army, and fought the South by proxy. In 1862, our subject was married to Harriet M., daughter of Reuben Marcy, and by this union were born Frank G., Annie W., Bessie V., Robert S. and Clara L. Mr. and Mrs. Maus are members of the St. Paul's Episcopal Church of Erie City, of which he has been Vestryman for several years. He holds other offices in connec- tion with benevolent societies, etc. He has taken 32º in Masonry; is a member of the Grand Commandery of Pennsylvania. He owns valuable property in Erie City, and sev- eral farms in Erie Co., and is an admirer of and interested in raising valuable blooded horses and cattle.

DR. GEO. J. MEAD, dentist, 728 State street, Erie, was born in Chesterfield, New Hampshire, in 1844. At the age of seventeen he began the study of his profession in the office of Drs. A. A. and G. L. Cooke, able dental practitioners at Milford, Mass., where he continued until 1864, when he enlisted in the 4th Mass. Cavalry, with which he served un- til the close of the war. He subsequently located at Meadville, Penn., but came to Erie in 1867, where he has since been in the practice of his profession. In 1871, he was united in marriage with Anna M. Wilhelm, of Mishawaka, Ind. Of three children born to them only one survives-Edwin Bradley, born in 1875.

FRED C. MEISER, meat market, Erie, was born in Prussia, Germany, July 9, 1849; son of Charles and Elizabeth (Rhode) Meiser, who were also natives of Germany. Our subject naturally following the occupation of his father, grandfather and great-grandfather, became a butcher. He came to America, landing in Erie City, in 1865. For the first six months he just managed to make his board, then after working for four and a half years by the day and month, he and a brother joined and started a butcher shop, which he has conducted successfully since. For a time Mr. Meiser ran two places of business, but gave up one, preferring to keep the business so that he could attend to the minutest details per- sonally. He was married in Erie City to Sophia Bach. Of the five children born to this union, four are living, viz. : Henrietta, Augusta, Martha and Alfred. Mr. and Mrs. Meiser are members of St. Paul's Church, this city; the former is a member of the A. O. U. W., and of the D. O. H. societies.

PRESCOTT METCALF. Prominent among the self-made men of Erie who have taken an active part in the development of the city is Prescott Metcalf, Esq. No one individuality is more indelibly stamped upon the community. He is the son of the late Joseph Metcalf, the evening of whose life was spent in Erie, and was born in Putney, Windham Co., Vt .. Jan. 25, 1813; he was one of thirteen children, and at the age of eight years commenced to provide for himself by his own labor, being employed by an uncle, with whom he remained for a number of years. During this period, he attended for three months in the year, through three years, the common schools of the neighborhood, at that time of the commonest sort. At the age of twenty-two, he came to Erie and engaged with his brother-in-law, Ira W. Hart, as manager of the livery business on 5th street, east of French street, where he remained five years. While thus employed, he attracted the favorable notice of Rufus S. Reed, the leading business man and capitalist of Erie-then in the zenith of his career-whose intuitive judgment of the character and capacity of men was seldom at fault. Mr. Reed engaged him to take charge of a particular branch of his immense business. Soon afterward, the position of steamboat agent at Erie became vacant, which by the request of his employer was added to Mr. Metcalf's other duties. Having for some years successfully performed these double duties, he was then entrusted with the general management of their entire shipping and vessel interests at Erie. These trusts were discharged with fidelity, and to the satisfaction of his employer. This was so manifest, and his services so indispensable to his employer, that when another situation with increase of salary was offered to Mr. Metcalf, Gen. Reed candidly admitted that it was out of the question to dispense with his services, that he could make his salary what- ever he might choose to. Mr. Metcalf drew for years $2,500 per annum, a sum more than equivalent to $5,000 at the present day. He remained in Gen. Reed's employ for twenty-two years, from 1840 to 1862. This embraced the closing years of Rufus S. Reed's career, and the most important part of Gen. C. M. Reed's. In these years, their steamers and sailing vessels ran on all the lakes from Buffalo to Chicago, all to be built, equipped, provisioned and overseen, their cargoes to furnish, and all to be kept afloat and made to pay. Steamers

930

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES:

of national repute, as the Pennsylvania, Jefferson, Madison, Erie, Buffalo, Missouri, Niag- ara, Ohio, Louisiana, Keystone State and Queen City, with the brigs Clarion, America, Susquehanna, St.Paul, St. Anthony, etc., all of which were run in the course of this period, and nearly all built by the Reeds in those years. It will be remembered that there were no railroads in operation to Erie until January, 1852. The canal, left unfinished by the State from Erie to Beaver, was taken up and.completed, Mr. Reed being President, and Gen. Reed contrac- tor, and when completed he entered upon an active business, in which the building, equip- ment and running of boats became necessary; the railroad from Erie to New York State line, in the building of which Gen. Reed was President, and contractor for the ironing of the whole, the Erie Bank, with numerous farms, and mill, and all the details of a business

unequaled by any one in this region. In 1843, Gen. Reed was elected to Congress, which made his absence necessary. While absent, the health of his father, R. S. Reed, forbade his active participation in business, so that Mr. Metcalf was required to take active super- vision of the whole. Though, in 1862, Mr. Metcalf went into the coal business for himself and left Gen. Reed's employ, yet for years he was consulted by him constantly on matters of importance. During and since his connection with the Reeds, he has been identified with many important enterprises, both in and out of the city. Of these we may name the running of a line of stages between Erie and Pittsburgh from 1840 to 1843; the construc- tion of the Northern Canada Railroad, in which he was associated with Gen. Reed and Milton Courtright; the Erie Extension Canal; the Erie & North East Railroad, in which he was a Director for some years; the Erie & Pittsburgh Railroad, of which for many years he was a Director; a corporator and one of the originators of the Erie Cemetery, in the purchase of the grounds for which he, with others, gave his personal guarantee. To him, as one of the principal projectors of the Erie Gas Works, in which he has always been a large stockholder, is the city mainly indebted for the Gas Works, carrying the stock when it paid but one per cent on the investment. He was manager for the oil shipments for- various railroads during the early years of that trade. He was one of the organizers of the Dime Savings Bank, Trustee of Erie Academy, Director of Public Schools, and Mayor of the city from 1862 to 1865; and an organizer, Trustee and liberal contributor to the Park Church. Among other of his enterprises, was the erection of the Burdett Organ Factory, begun Jan. 2, 1872, and in ninety days occupied by 120 mechanics in the manufacture of organs. Since its erection, 3,000 of its instruments have been completed and shipped, to the value of millions of dollars. In 1880, associated with John Clemens as equal partner, he built the Malleable Iron Works, giving employment to over 180 mechanics. With Col. Benjamin Grant, he built Wayne Block, in 1860, on Front street, and rebuilt it after its destruction by fire in 1868. In 1872, he built the block on the west side of State, between 7th and 8th streets, and in 1866 his elegant residence corner Sassafras and 9th-his home for the last eighteen years; also purchased residences for his sons on adjacent lots, and other residences in the city and on his several farms. His domestic surroundings have been exceptionally happy. He was married, June 9, 1846, to Miss Abigail R. Wilder, a schoolmate, from Putney, Vt. They have had five children-Joseph P., William Wilder (deceased), Frederic W., Nellie (deceased) and George R. His father, for about twenty years, made his home with his son where, in 1868, at the age of ninety-four, he died, being then reputed to be the oldest Mason in the United States, his body having been taken to Vermont for interment. This venerable man, a type in habit. and deportment of the old school, was a link connecting us with the past, for he remem- bered distinctly some of the events of Shay's insurrection in 1794. In politics Mr. Metcalf acted with the Whig party during its existence, and then with the Republican. Into his party associations, he brought all of his characteristic force and energy. While never a candidate for other than a municipal office, he has exerted a marked influence, bringing to the support of his favorite candidate all of his intensity of purpose and energy of action. The war, with its large levies of men for the army and navy, furnished him full scope for the exercise of his versatile abilities. Here his zeal was manifested, and the large reinforcements sent forward from Erie during his occupancy of the Mayor's office were much augmented by his ceaseless efforts. He had three brothers who were in business in Erie-Samuel H., who died some fourteen years since; Charles, long in mercantile and banking business, now in Toledo, Ohio, and James, deceased. He had also three sisters, Eliza, wife of Ira W. Hart who died in 1839, Lucy (Mrs. Hart) who died in 1842 and Mary, the esteemed widow of Joseph D. Clark, deceased, who resides in Erie with her family. Of all these, he has been the counselor and firm friend, and has managed with success numerous trusts confided to his charge. Such has been the career, such the record of a busy, active and successful life. If to do the work of five men could be called busy, then it may be so denominated; and if to acquire wealth and to know how to use it for the en- joyment of himself and the happiness and employment of others, and to lend a helping hand to all those enterprises which in church or State may merit assistance, and having projected to aid them through, then Mr. Metcalf's life may indeed be called a success; and now in the fruition of all these objects, surrounded by a family of prominence and useful- ness, and in a community which appreciates his services and worth, Mr. Metcalf, still act- ive and useful, is enjoying the evening of a life, old in years, but still erect, vigorous and active, apparently good for a score of years of labor, usefulness and success.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Erie county, Pennsylvania. Containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, villages schools, churches, industries, etc, Part 110

Author: Bates, Samuel P. (Samuel Penniman), 1827-1902; Whitman, Benjamin, 1940-; Russell, N. W. (Nathaniel Willard); Brown, R. C. (Robert C.); Weakley, F. E; Warner, Beers & Co. (Chicago, Ill.) Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Chicago : Warner, Beers & co. Number of Pages: 1280

Author: Bates, Samuel P. (Samuel Penniman), 1827-1902; Whitman, Benjamin, 1940-; Russell, N. W. (Nathaniel Willard); Brown, R. C. (Robert C.); Weakley, F. E; Warner, Beers & Co. (Chicago, Ill.)
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago : Warner, Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1280