History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 108

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.)
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago : S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1532

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Lewis H. Conover received his early education in an old log schoolhouse near Beach Haven, in the pioneer days of the Luzerne county publio-school system. At the age of sixteen he engaged as clerk in a store at Berwick, Columbia Co., Pa., where he remained two years. He then went to Weatherly, Carbon county, and there was engaged in clerking about a year, when he returned to Beach Haven and engaged in huckstering, after which he resumed his position in the store, where he remained a short time; then went to Rocky Mountain, where he was also employed as clerk about eighteen months. He then came to Nanticoke, also working as clerk, and remained about a year; then moved to New Columbus, same county, and entered the employ of D. L. Chapin, where he remained a short time, and then proceeded to Shickshinny, Pa., where he began the study of medicine with Dr. Charles Parker. After remaining there about two years, he returned to Berwick. Sojourning in that town a short time, he went to Beach Haven and clerked for

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Hill & Sibert, remaining with them till the dissolution of the firm, when he moved to Foundryville, Pa., and there remained until 1859, when he embarked in his present business. Mr. Conover has been twice married: first time to Rosanna Wil- son, of Huntington, Pa., by whom he had three children, viz. : Franklin, Collins, (deceased) and Alveretta (now Mrs. Charles Anderson, of West Nanticoke). This wife dying, Mr. Conover married, for his second, Miss Martha H. Opdyke, and to them were born three children, viz. : Reuben H., Elmer Frank and Jennie. Our sub- ject is a member of the F. & A. M., Sylvaria Lodge, No. 354, and in politics he is a Republican.

REUBEN H. CONOVER, clerk in the Susquehanna Coal Company's supply store, Nanticoke, was born in Beach Haven, Luzerne county, May 8, 1858, and is a son of Lewis H. and Martha H. (Opdyke) Conover. Our subject was educated in the public schools of Luzerne county and in the State Normal School at Bloomsburg, Pa. At the age of twenty-one he entered the employ , of the Susquehanna Coal Company, as shipping clerk, and two years later he entered the supply department of the same company, where he has since been engaged. Mr. Conover was married, October 14, 1885, to Miss Fannie, daughter of W. V. Harrison, of Buttonwood, Pa. He is a member of Nanticoke Lodge No. 541, F. & A. M .; Valley Chapter No. 214, R. A. M., Plymouth, Pa .; Dieu le Veut Commandery No. 45, K. T., Wilkes- Barre; Caldwell Consistory S. .. P. :. R. .. S. .. 32°, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, Bloomsburg, Pa. Mr. Conover is one of Luzerne county's most progressive citi- zens, a firm upholder of the principles of the Republican party, and is a sup- porter of every worthy and popular enterprise.

CHARLES A. CONRAD, farmer, P. O. Huntsville, was born in Ashley, Pa., May 24, 1862, a son of Philip and Catharine (Mathias) Conrad, both of whom were born in Germany. Philip came to this country about 1854, locating in Ashley, where he engaged in mining, hotel and restaurant keeping and other speculations, by which he accumulated considerable property in Ashley, as well as a large farm in Jackson township, on which his son, Charles A., the subject of this sketch, now lives. His family consisted of five children, three of whom are now living. Our subject was educated in Ashley, at the high school, where he graduated with honors, since which time he has always worked on a farm. Mr. Conrad is a young man of promise and ability, bound to make his mark in the world. Since 1879 he has lived on his father's farm of ninety-three acres, which farm was purchased from Nicholas Con- rad, who had purchased it from Harrison Sickler, he from Wesley Major, and he from Absalom Skadder, who was one of the pioneers of Jackson township. The place is beautiful, well stocked, well kept and in fine repair. Mr. Conrad is a gen-, eral, practical farmer. . On November 16, 1881, he married Miss Lizzie, daughter of John and Mary Hendricks, by which union there were born six children, all yet living: Louisa K., Sophia A., John H., Maggie E., Philip J. and Louis C. Mr. Conrad, in his political preferences, is a Democrat.

HON. JOHN NESBITT CONYNGHAM, LL. D., distinguished during a long and useful life in the threefold capacity of Christian, citizen, and jurist, and, for thirty years preceding his death, conspicuous as president judge, at first, of the Thirteenth Judicial District of Pennsylvania, and afterward, of the Eleventh District, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., December 17, 1798, and died (the victim of an unfortunate railroad accident) at Magnolia, Miss., about one hundred miles above New Orleans, La., February 23, 1871, in his seventy-third year. His ancestral relatives on both sides, for many generations, were people of eminence, respectability and worth. As the name indicates, the family of Conyngham is of Scotch origin. For several generations, however, the ancestors of the Judge were domiciled in Ireland, and ranked there among those who were the honor of the land, among them being num- bered several distinguished divines and prelates of the Church of Ireland. His grandfather, Redmond Conyngham, a native of Ireland, was a highly respected citi- zen of Philadelphia. He was a prominent member of the old Christ Church of that city, and was a vestryman and warden of the Church. He was one of the founders

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of St. Peter's Church, of that city, and continued a member of the united parishes of Christ Church and St. Peter's until his death. His son, David Hayfield Conyng- ham, was the father of Judge Conyngham. He was born in the North of Ireland about 1750, and came to Philadelphia very early in life. He took an active part in military affairs, and was one of the founders of the first troops of city cavalry. As a business man he stood among the wealthiest and most prominent members of the mercantile community of Philadelphia, being a partner of the firm of J. W. Nesbitt & Co., and senior member of the house of Conyngham & Nesbitt, which, in the darkest period of the Revolution, in 1780, when Washington was apprehensive that he could not keep the field with his impoverished army, nobly came forward and supplied the needed means (some five thousand pounds) for the relief of the suffer- ing patriots. This magnificent exhibition of patriotism and confidence was grate- fully acknowledged by Washington, and also by Robert Morris, the distinguished financier of the Revolution.

The subject of this sketch received his early education under the most favorable auspices in the city of his birth. He then entered the University of Pennsylvania, and taking the full course, was graduated with high honors in 1817. Selecting the law for his profession, he entered the office of Hon. Joseph R. Ingersoll, of Phila- delphia, and was admitted to the bar, in that city, February 12, 1820. The same year he located in Wilkes-Barre, where he was admitted to the bar of Luzerne county, April 3, and immediately entered upon the practice of his profession. To the careful training, fitting him for its ordinary duties, the young lawyer added great energy and superior discrimination. His practice was scientifically conducted, and success came to him slowly at first, but with increasing volume each succeeding year. After a most successful career at the bar, covering nearly a score of years, during two of which he represented his District in the State Legislature, he was appointed in the spring of 1839, by Governor D. R. Porter, to the position of presi-' dent judge of the Thirteenth Judicial District of Pennsylvania, then consisting of the counties of Susquehanna, Bradford, Tioga, Potter and Mckean. The first session of his court was held at Tioga. By an Act passed April 13, 1840, Luzerne was added to his District, and Susquehanna was transferred to the Eleventh District -a proceeding which permitted Judge Conyngham to live at his home in Wilkes- Barre. His commission expired in 1849, but in the fall of 1851, under the amended constitution, he was elected to the presidency of the Eleventh District, then com- posed of Luzerne, Wyoming, Montour and Columbia counties. In 1853, and again in 1856, changes were made in the District, which finally consisted of Luzerne county only. In 1861 he was re-elected to office, although holding political opinions differing on many points from those promulgated by the national administration. The firing on Fort Sumter aroused his patriotism, and immediately sacrificing every party feeling he addressed himself with special vigor to the preservation of the imperiled Union. His name and influence were all-powerful in his judicial Dis- trict, and few men gave greater personal, or more support, than Judge Conyngham. He resigned his position on the bench in July, 1870, and on his resignation, the entire bar of Luzerne county, as one man, rose up to do him honor-the first instance of the kind in Pennsylvania. No less than sixteen judges from the Supreme Court of the United States, down through all the State judiciaries, gave in writing their deliberate judgment of his character as a judge. In 1824 he married Ruth Ann, daughter of Gen. Lord Butler, and granddaughter of that distinguished Revolutionary officer, Gen. Zebulon Butler. His family consisted of seven children, six of whom grew to maturity: Col. John Butler, U. S. A. ; William Lord; Thomas; Maj. Charles Miner, U. S. A. ; Mary (Mrs. Charles Parrish), and Anna, who mar- ried the Right Rev. William Bacon Stevens, of Pennsylvania.

CHARLES MINER CONYNGHAM, youngest in the family of the late Hon. John Nes- bitt and Ruth (Butler) Conyngham, was born in Wilkes-Barre July 6, 1840; edu- cated at the Protestant Episcopal Academy, Philadelphia, also at Trinity College, Hartford, Conn., and was graduated A. B. in 1859, and A. M. in 1862. He studied

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law with G. Byron Nicholson, of Wilkes-Barre, and was admitted to the bar in August, 1862, but never engaged in the practice of his profession. On August 26, 1862, he entered the U. S. army as captain of Company A, One Hundred and Forty- Third Regiment Pennsylvania Infantry, and in September, 1863, was promoted to major, to date and rank from June 1, 1863. He participated in the battles of Chan- cellorsville, Gettysburg, Wilderness and Spottsylvania C. H., and was severely wounded May 12, 1864. He was honorably discharged July 26, 1864, and then engaged in mercantile pursuits under the various firms of Conyngham & Paine and C. M. Conyngham, and in mining operations as Conyngham & Teasdale, at Shick- shinny; he has been president of the West End Coal Company, as well as director of the Hazard Manufacturing Company and the Parrish Coal Company. He is also the head of the firm of Conyngham, Schrage & Company, who have extensive mer- cantile interests in Wilkes-Barre, Ashley and Sugar Notch. Under the administra- tion of Governor Hoyt of Pennsylvania, he held the office of inspector-general of the National Guard; is a prominent member of St. Stephen's Protestant Episcopal Church, Wilkes-Barre, a member of Lodge No. 61, F. & A. M., the Loyal Legion of the United States, Society of the Potomac, and the Grand Army of the Republic. On February 9, 1864, he married Helen Hunter Turner, daughter of William Wol- cot Turner, of Hartford, Conn., and has three children, Helen, Herbert and Alice.

JAMES COOGAN, stationary engineer at No. 2 Shaft, Susquehanna Coal Company, Nanticoke, was born at Tamaqua, Schuylkill Co., Pa., and is a son of Nicholas and Julia (Dawning) Coogan, both natives of Ireland. Mr. Coogan was educated in the village schools, and at the age of fourteen engaged in farming in the Sharp Mount- ain collieries at Tamaqua, where he remained seven years, when he entered the employ of the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company, at Summit Hill, Pa. He remained there about six years, when he returned to Tamaqua, in the employ of Carter & Borda, remaining with them until 1873, when he came to Nanticoke and accepted his present position; here he has since been engaged, with the exception of one year that he was employed at Mill Hollow, also as engineer. In 1877 he was united in marriage with Miss Jane Vanfossin, of Slocum township, this county. They have had six children: John, Lizzie, William (deceased), Martha, James and Flora. Mr. Coogan is a member of the I. O. O. F., and politically is a Republican.

THOMAS COOK, engineer at the Wyoming Colliery, Plains, was born in Lanark- shire, Scotland, July 11, 1850, and is a son of Adam and Elizabeth (Magot) Cook, the former of whom was a miner. They reared a family of five children, viz .: Adam, a butcher in Hazleton, Pa .; Jennette (deceased), married to Archibald Nichol, a tin- smith in Scotland, by whom she had five children; Thomas, the subject of this memoir; Elizabeth, married to James Conyngham, gardener, Holyoke, Mass., by whom she has four children; and Mary, married to Alexander Thompson, head saw- yer, Glasgow, Scotland, by whom she has seven children. Adam Cook was killed by a fall of coal in the mines, and his widow, who now lives at Peckville, Pa., mar- ried John Good (since deceased), by whom she had two children: John (deceased), who was a machinist of more than ordinary ability, and David, a civil engineer, now residing in Philadelphia. Our subject, who had been employed in the Speedwell machine shops in Scotland, came to America in 1883, and found employment as night watchman at the Wyoming Colliery, where he has since remained, and in 1889 he was promoted to his present position. He built his residence, a large double block, in 1886. Mr. Cook was married, June 4, 1888, to Miss Isabella, daughter of James Ralston, of Plains. Our subject and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church, of which he is trustee; in his political views he is in sympathy with the Republican party.

WILLIAM H. COOK, carpenter, Larksville, P. O. Edwardsdale. This gentleman was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1850, and is a son of John and Elizabeth (Kelly) Cook, the former a native of England, the latter of Ireland. He was educated in the land of his birth, and learned his trade there. In 1878 he came to America, and remaining in New York City a short time, proceeded from there to Wilkes-Barre,

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and engaged in his trade, remaining there a few years, when he removed to the West Side and entered the employ of the Kingston Coal Company as a mine carpen- ter, at which he is now employed. Mr. Cook was married in 1873 to Miss Emily, daughter of William Walker, of Hull, England, and this union has been blessed with five bright children, named respectively, Arthur, Elizabeth, Edward, Beatrice and Rachel Ellen.

CHARLES H. COOKE, surveyor, Dallas, was born November 30, 1850, at Blains- town, Warren Co., N. J., where he was reared and educated. He is a son of Simeon and Sarah Ann (Smith) Cooke, both of whom were born in New Jersey. Simeon Cooke was a man of great influence in his own town, and held many offices of trust and responsibility. At one time he held the office of surveyor general of the State of New Jersey; at another time he was county clerk for two terms. His advice was sought by all who knew him, because of his knowledge of law and matters pertain- ing to business in general. In his earlier life he was a successful school-teacher. He died in 1866 at the age of sixty-seven years. His widow is now (1892) living at the age of seventy-nine years. They reared a family of six children, all of whom are living, Charles H. being the elder son, and the third member of the family. In his early life our subject confined himself to the study of surveying, under the watch- ful eye of his father. In 1873 he removed to Scranton, where for two years he engaged as clerk in a wholesale establishment, at the end of which time he removed to Dallas, and here for a time was engaged by A. Ryman & Sons in their mercantile business. In 1876 Mr. Cooke married Miss Clara, daughter of Ira D. and Phebe Shaver, by whom he had three children, viz. : Helen S., Ira P. and Claude H. The same year in which he was married, he began business on his own account as a surveyor, and he has held the office of county surveyor three years. He is a justice of the peace, an office he has held for three terms. He has also held the office of secretary of the borough of Dallas since its incorporation. He is a member in good standing of the F. & A. M., and is a man of intellect and refinement. He is now (1892) erecting a town hall, the ground floor of which is to be used for manufact- uring purposes.

THOMAS COOKE, a prominent contractor and builder, Wilkes-Barre, was born in Devonshire, England, May 27, 1849, a son of Thomas and Mary A. (Rowe) Cooke. He was reared and educated in his native country, and learned the carpenter's trade with his father. In 1873 he came to Wilkes-Barre, worked with M. B. Houpt for a time, later with the Lehigh & Wilkes-Barre Coal Company, and since 1880 has been in business for himself as a contractor, in which line he has built up a first- class trade. He married Delia, daughter of John J. and Frances (Hughes) Edwards, of Wilkes-Barre, and has one son living, Willie T. Mr. Cooke is an adherent of the M. E. Church; is a member of the K. of M., and O. of W., and in politics is a Republican.

JAMES CHURCHILL COON, editor, Nanticoke, is a native of Saratoga, N. Y., born in 1842. The father of our subject died when the latter was seven months old, and the mother when he was eighth years of age. His childhood days were spent with relatives in Connecticut, Michigan and Ohio. In 1852 he entered a Michigan print- ing office to learn the printer's trade, and after spending three years in the Michigan office, he went to Chicago. In the spring of 1856 he joined his fortunes with a circus as assistant to the treasurer, and traveled through Illinois, Missouri, Iowa and Wisconsin. In August of that season he quit the circus at Fond du Lac, Wis., and became a clerk in a hotel, and two years later he went to Eau Claire, same State, and clerked in a hotel for a few months. He then engaged in a printing office for about a year in that place, and in 1861, being still a minor, he established the Eau Claire Herald. This paper he sold in 1863, and then went to Chicago, where he accepted employment on the Chicago Times as typesetter, assistant foreman, reporter, sporting editor, etc. He was thus engaged until 1865, when he moved to Waterbury, Conn., and founded a weekly Democratic newspaper, the Nangatuck Valley Messenger. Selling this paper in 1867, he returned to Chicago and resumed work on the Times

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until 1869, when he journeyed to Rochester, N. Y., in which city he spent a few months and then took charge of the Owego Press, on which he remained until 1871. From there he went to Scranton and became connected with the Republican and Times, being city editor of the latter. In June, 1872, he founded the Sunday Free Press of that city, which met with great success; but owing to a disagreement with the partners he left that establishment in 1877, and in the spring of 1878 founded the Newsdealer, a Sunday paper, and in 1883 commenced it as a daily. In 1887 he sold the Newsdealer to its present owners, and took a trip to the Pacific coast, traveling extensively over the Golden Slope, returning via Texas, and spending the winter in Florida, where he established a paper called Life in Florida. Returning to Scranton, he organized the "Times Publishing Company," and had control of the business and paper until 1891, when he retired and sought a long-needed rest. In August of the same year he became possessed of the Nanticoke Daily and Weekly News, which is one of the successful and prosperous institutions of the county, and of which he is editor and publisher. Mr. Coon in his very active busy life, has always been a great reader, a close and diligent student, and the works of all the great authors in both prose and verse, as is manifest in his writings, are familiar to him. As he learned the art of typesetting, at the same time he learned to think and write. Among his earliest efforts were communications accepted and published in " Brick" Pomeroy's La Crosse Democrat. During his journalistic career in Scran- ton and Wilkes-Barre Mr. Coon was defendant in no less than fourteen criminal libel suits, all of which resulted favorably for him.

WILLIAM COON, watchman at the Delaware & Hudson Railroad crossing, Miners Mills, was born in Freeburgh, Union (now Snyder) Co., Pa., April 26, 1835, and is a son of William and Sarah (Boyer) Coon (originally Kuhn), natives of Pennsylvania and of German origin. His grandfathers, George Coon and David Boyer, were Revolutionary soldiers, the latter being a drummer boy under Washington at the age of fifteen. The father of our subject who was a millwright by trade, died in 1872 at the age of sixty-two years, and the mother married, for her second husband, John Wal- burn (now deceased) by whom she had five children, four of whom are living; she is now living in Dushore, Sullivan Co., Pa. In his father's family there were two children, viz .: George, who is a farmer and music teacher in Snyder county, and William. Our subject received a common-school education, and embarked in life working on a farm in Bradford county, which he followed five years, and then worked at the tinner's trade in McKunesville, Pa., for four years. Then, after boating on the canal for a short time, engaged as teamster for Dr. Jackson of Dushore, Pa., where he remained two years, and next worked on a farm in Abington, Pa., till the beginning of the war. In September, 1861, he enlisted at Washington in Company L, Twenty-Third Pennsylvania Volunteers, General Birney's Zouaves, and in March, 1862, was transferred to Company D, Sixty-First Pennsylvania Volunteers; he re-enlisted, in January, 1864, for three years longer, and received a thirty-five days' furlough; he went with Grant to Petersburg, where he was wounded in the left knee, but as soon as he was able was with the regiment with crutch and cane; he was mustered out June 30, 1865, at Pittsburgh, Pa. Mr. Coon then went to Abington and rented farms for four years, and superintended a large farm for Northrope Brothers at Clark's Green three years. He then came to Miners Mills, where he drove team for Miner & Co. for fourteen years, worked in the mill for three years, and accepted, in 1888, his present position. Mr. Coon was married, October 1, 1865, to Miss Maria, daughter of Harry Smith, of Abington, and they have one child, Stella A. (Mrs. M. D. Moot). He and family attend the Presby- terian Church; he is a member of the G. A. R. at Wilkes-Barre; he is Republican in his political views, and has been a member of the borough council for four years.

ROBERT COOPER, machinist, Kingston. This gentleman, who is a native of Dru- moak, Scotland, was reared and educated at Kirktown, and at the age of nineteen came to America and settled at Kingston, Pa., where he engaged in stationary engineering, in the employ of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Coal Company.

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He remained at that business four years, and then went to work in the machine shop of that company, where he learned the machinist's trade, and where he has since been employed. Mr. Cooper was married April 18, 1878, to Miss Sophia A., daughter of William and Elizabeth (Zink) Frauck, of Kingston, which happy union has been blessed with three children: Franklin D., Robert E. and Hannah A. Mr. and Mrs. Cooper are members of the Presbyterian Church. He is a member of the F. & A. M. and the I. O. O. F., standing very high in both; his political views are Republican, and he is at present a member of the Kingston borough council.

H. E. COPE, farmer, P. O. Berwick, Columbia county, was born in Salem town- ship, Luzerne Co., Pa., July 15, 1843, and is a son of John and Susannah (Seybert) Cope. Our subject was reared in Salem township, where he has followed farming as an occupation, and, with his sister Rebecca, resides on the homestead, which was cleared and improved by his father. He is a member of the Evangelical Church, is a Democrat in politics, and has served one term as school director.

JOHN COPE, farmer. P. O. Gregory, was born in Hunlock township, April 7, 1855. He is a son of Jacob and Hephziba Cope, worthy farmers by occupation; the exact place of their birth. is not known. Jacob came to this county about 1828, locating in Huntington township, where he followed farming. His father was a native of Germany and also settled in Huntington, in the early settlement of the county, on this farm of his fathers. Jacob worked as a faithful tiller of the soil, and in 1848 he removed to Union (now Hunlock) township, where he purchased one hundred and twenty-six acres of land, on which he erected buildings and other improvements, although there were some improvements on the place when purchased. During his lifetime he brought under the plough about fifty-five acres. He was much respected among his fellow-citizens, and held several township offices. Mr. Cope was a devout man and a member of the Presbyterian Church. He died in February, 1890, aged seventy-seven years. He reared a family of nine children, five of whom are now (1892) living. John is the seventh in order of birth, and always lived in Hunlock township, where he was reared and educated. In his early life he served his time at the wheelwright trade, which he abandoned for farming. March 1, 1880, he married Miss Rosa A., daughter of Caleb and Jane Hess, and to them has been born one child, Laura M. Mrs. Rose (Hess) Cope, was born in this county in 1859. Mr. Cope is living on his father's farm of one hundred and twenty- six acres, which he improves every year. He is a worthy man who will achieve great prominence in agricultural circles. Politically he is a Democrat.

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History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 108

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.) Publication date: 1893 Publisher: Chicago : S. B. Nelson Number of Pages: 1532

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.)
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago : S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1532