History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 115

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

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ARTHUR E. DETRO, foreman of locomotive engineers on the Lehigh & Susque- hanna Division of the Central Railroad of New Jersey, Ashley, was born in White Haven, this county, April 14, 1855, and is a son of Charles and Eleanor (Brown) Detro, natives of Pennsylvania, and of Holland and Yankee origin, respectively. He is a grandson of Conrad Detro, who was an early settler in Carbon county, and of Brazillian and Mary (Billings) Brown, early settlers in Lackawanna county, bis great-grandfather, Cain Billings, having been one of the participators in the Wyo- ming Massacre. The father, who was married February 27, 1847, reared a family of five children, viz .: Clarence S .; Arthur E .; Elizabeth, married to Robert C. Parker, painter, Ashley; Henrietta, married to Dr. E. S. Hayes, of Wyoming, Pa., by whom she had one child, Malcom; Lucy S., married to Abraham Stroh, fore- man in his father's shoe factory at Mauch Chunk, by whom she had two children, Eleanor and Ethel B. Mr. Detro's father was taken sick in Washington, D. C., when on his way to the battle-field, and died February 17, 1864, at the age of thirty-five years. The family have lived in Ashley since 1867, and in their beauti- ful home on Ross street since 1875. Our subject was educated in the public schools at White Haven and Ashley, and at an early age began picking slate in the breaker; later he wiped engines summers, and attended school winters, for two years, when he began as brakeman on the Central Railroad of New Jersey. He was promoted to fireman June 17, 1872; to engineer December 2, 1879, and to his present position July 8, 1887. He is, for the most part, a self-made and self- educated man, and fills his incumbency with entire satisfaction to his employers, as well as those under his charge. Mr. Detro is a member of the Masonic Lodge at Ashley, the Chapter at Wilkes-Barre, and the Commandery at Mauch Chunk; is also a member of the K. of H In his political views he is a Republican.

CLARENCE S. DETRO, extra engineer on the Central Railroad of New Jersey, was born in White Haven February 21, 1852, and is a son of Charles and Eleanor (Brown) Detro. He was educated in the public schools of White Haven and Ashley,

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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

and then picked slate in the breaker a few months; after this he wiped engines for two years, then braked on the Central Road one year, fired nine years, and in 1879 was promoted to engineer, having run extra most of the time since. Mr. Detro was joined in wedlock with Miss Ruth, daughter of Daniel Frederick, of Ashley, and to this union has been born one child, Helen, who died at the age of three months. Mr. Detro and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church. He is a member of the F. & A. M. and the K. of H., and politically he is in sympathy with the prin- ciples of the Republican party.

WILL DEVANEY, manager of the Pittston department of the Scranton Truth, was born in Pittston August 15, 1860, and is a son of John and Julia (Cannon) Devaney, both natives of County Mayo, Ireland. They came to the United States and located in Sebastopol, where the father followed the occupation of a miner. He died sev- eral years ago, and the mother passed away April 10, 1892. They had a family of children as follows: James, deceased; Patrick, deceased; Will; and Mary A., deceased, showing that our subject is the only living member of the family. He was reared in the vicinity of Pittston, and attended the common schools of Jenkins township until he was fifteen years old. He then left school and began to pick slate in the old twin breaker, remaining there until he was seventeen, when he began work in the mines as door-keeper. Here he remained for about eight years, and then in 1890 accepted the position of solicitor for the Sunday Herald, which he held until February 2, 1891, when he was made manager of the Pittston department of the Scranton Truth, an incumbency he has since filled most successfully, having increased the circulation of that paper until it is now the largest of any outside journal in Pittston. Mr. Devaney was united in marriage April 24, 1884, with Miss B. Bradigan, a daughter of Frank Bradigan, a miner of Pittston, and this union has been blessed with five children, of whom but two are living: Mary and Anna. The family are members of the Catholic Church, parish of St. John. He is a member of the St. Aloysius Society of Pittston. Mr. Devaney has amply dem- onstrated that he has great natural ability as a newspaper manager, which bespeaks for him a brilliant journalistic future.

DANIEL DEVENPORT, farmer, P. O. Orange, was born in Plymouth, November 25, 1813, a son of John and Hannah (Robbins) Devenport, the former born in Orange county, N. Y., the latter in Sussex county, N. J. John was a son of Thomas Dev- enport, who removed to Plymouth at the close of the Revolutionary war, in which he had served. He was one of the first settlers in Plymouth, and owned a large tract of land in that town. His family numbered nine children, all of whom are dead. John, when eight years of age, came with his father to this county, and always lived in Plymouth as a farmer; his property was very valuable, and is yet in the hands of his sons. He was a man of retiring disposition; never sought, and yet held several town offices. To some extent he dealt in coal, but confined himself principally to farming. He died in 1852, at the age of eighty. His family con- sisted of nine children, five of whom are now living, Daniel being the third in the family. Our subject was reared and educated in Plymouth, and in early life he confined himself to farming, lumbering and coal mining on his father's farm. In November, 1838, he married Miss Phoebe, daughter of Isaac Smith, and by her he had eight children, four of whom are yet living: Robert, Isaac, Mary and Lydia. Mr. Devenport, in 1874, for his second wife, married Miss Mary A., daughter of John and Sarah Delong. In the fall of 1847 he removed to Franklin township, where he bought a farm of 236 acres, now reduced to 118 acres. Mr. Devenport is a Republican, and held the offices of justice of the peace, constable, and other minor incumbencies. He is a member of the Christian Church.

ISAAC DEVENPORT, miner in the Keystone Colliery, Miners Mills, was born in Franklin township, this county, December 6, 1851, and is a son of Daniel and Phoebe (Smith) Devenport, natives of Luzerne county, and of English origin. The father, who is a farmer in Franklin township, reared a family of eight children, four of whom are living, and of whom Isaac is the fifth. Our subject attended the common

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schools, and remained on the farm until 1882, when he removed to Miners Mills. He drove team one year, and then began working about the mines, an occupation he has since' followed. He built his present residence in 1883. Mr. Devenport was married July 31, 1875, to Miss Elizabeth Gray, daughter of James Gray, and they had nine children, viz. : Claudius O., Phoebe S. (who died at the age of three years), Elizabeth G., Thomas D. (who died at the age of two years), Mary A. and Martha (twins, the latter of whom died soon after birth), Ellen, Anna P. and Robert. Our subject and wife are members of the Salvation Army, and attend the Presby- terian Church; he was formerly a Democrat in politics, but now upholds the prin- ciples of the Prohibition party.

J. C. DEVERS, grocer, Plymouth, was born at Washington, D. C., August 19, 1847, and is a son of James and Kate (Pleckner) Devers, natives of Pennsylvania. There were six children in their family, as follows: Cecilia, married to John F. Fields and residing at Denver, Colo .; Mary B., wife of William Young, of Dan- ville, Pa .; Clarissa, deceased; Marjorie, wife of Arthur L. Little, of Portland, Ore .; John C., of Plymouth, and William H., who resides at Olean, N. Y. The mother of this widely-scattered family lives at Perth Amboy, N. J. This active and pros- perous young business man, who forms the subject of this sketch, was educated in the public schools of Danville, Pa., and after completing his course of studies he was employed as a clerk in 1861, first at Danville, Pa., where he remained five years in the employ of Clark, Shopp & Co .; from Danville he went to Kingston, and was employed as clerk by H. D. Conover & Co., with whom he continued three years, at the end of which time he established a business under the firm name of Devers & Co., which business the firm carried on for two years, dissolving partnership at the end of that period. He then engaged with H. H. Ashley & Co., as clerk in the boot and shoe department of the store, and continued with them five years. Soon after leaving this firm our subject again started in business for himself, and established a grocery store, meat market and millinery store. He is at present carrying on the grocery store, while his wife has charge of the millinery business. Mr. Devers was united in marriage June 24, 1877, with Emma R., daughter of Ellis P. and Mary A. (Hassler) Walton, residents of Beach Haven, Pa. One child has blessed this union, Charles W., born September 10, 1880. Politically, Mr. Devers is a Repub- lican. He is a supporter of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and takes great inter- est in the Y. M. C. A. of Plymouth.

WILLIAM J. DE VOE, physician and surgeon, Pittston. Among the prominent young physicians of Pittston, none are making more rapid strides in the profession than the one whose name opens this sketch. He was born at Bethel, N. Y., Octo- ber 13, 1855, and is the only son in the family of three children of James A. and Margaret (Hurd) De Voe, natives of New York. Our subject was reared and edu- cated in Cattaraugus county, N. Y., and in 1872, when the family removed to Mon- roeton, Pa., he learned the tanner's trade, at which he worked until 1879, when he concluded to study medicine. At once entering the office, of Dr. W. C. Hull, of Monroeton, he began his medical studies, continuing with him until the fall of 1884, when he went to Baltimore, Md., entering the College of Physicians and Surgeons at that place, from which institution he graduated in March, 1887. Dr. De Voe immediately began the practice of his profession at Mansfield, Pa., where he con- tinued until October, 1891, when he removed to Pittston, Pa., where he is at present located, and where he is rapidly building up a large and lucrative practice. The Doctor was united in marriage in 1878 with Miss Anna, daughter of Henry and Sarah Myer, natives of Pennsylvania, and this union has been blessed with one daughter, Bessie. Dr. De Voe in his political preferences is a Republican, and is a member of the I. O. O. F. The family attend the Presbyterian Church.

A. MCINTYRE DE WITT, treasurer of the Clear Spring Coal Company, West Pitts- ton, was born at Albany, N. Y., and is the only son of Jacob V. and Mary (Free- land) De Witt, natives of New York. They came to West Pittston in 1853, when the father became interested in mining, and afterward operated at different times the 46

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Old Benedict, Old Head of Canal and Carbon Hill Mines. He was among the first coal operators in the Valley, and followed it extensively until his death, which occurred August 27, 1872. Although seventy years of age at the time of his decease, yet up to then he had been an active and energetic man, and during the period of his life spent in Luzerne county did much to develop the coal industry in the Valley. The subject of this sketch, being the only son, naturally took up the coal business with his father, and has been engaged in it all his life. He was edu- cated in the public schools of Pitteton, Wyoming Seminary and Dickinson Semi- nary, Williamsport, Pa. In 1882, in partnership with Joseph Cake, he opened up the Clear Spring Mines, and in 1883 had them in full operation. The company employed about 550 men and boys and put out about 1,000 tons of coal daily. Mr. De Witt married, December 25, 1872, Miss Nettie, daughter of Henry and Louisa Beach, of Boonton, N. J., and to this union has been born one son, Archie. In political matters Mr. DeWitt is a Republican; socially, he is a member of the Masonic Fraternity. The family are members of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. De Witt is an ardent lover of music, both vocal and instrumental, and it might be said of him that he has made it a life study, his favorite instrumente being the piano and guitar. He is also an admirer of good, speedy horses, and in his well- regulated stables are to be found some of the best-blooded trotters in the Valley, among which may be mentioned Billy Penn, by Orange Co., Black Frank, and Gray Jue.

GEORGE T. DICKOVER, of the firm of W. Dickover & Son, brick manufacturers and contractors, Wilkes-Barre, was born in that city January 28, 1849, and is a son of William and Elizabeth J. (Olver) Dickover, and comes of Revolutionary stock, his paternal great-grandfather having been a soldier in that war. Hie paternal grand- father, George Dickover, formerly of Lancaster county, Pa., was a pioneer of Wilkes- Barre, a bricklayer and plasterer by trade, and resided there until his death. His wife was Catharine Rymer, by whom he had nine children: George, Elizabeth (Mrs. Peter Stroh), William, Catharine (Mrs. A. B. Sands), John, Charles, Louisa (Mrs. Miles Barnum), Mary (Mrs. Oscar Lewis), and Henry. The father of subject was a native of Wilkes-Barre, and still resides there at this writing (1891), aged seventy-two. He also was a bricklayer by trade, which occupation he followed for many years; for twenty-two years he has been a manufacturer of brick, and engaged in contracting about forty years. His wife was a daughter of John Olver, of Wayne county, Pa., by whom he had seven children: Maria, C. Lavinia (Mrs. H. L. Moore), George T., Sarah, Abi, Helen and Hattie (Mrs. John Howell). Our subject was reared and educated in Wilkes-Barre, where he has always resided. He learned the bricklayer's trade under his father, which he followed for many years, as well as superintending contracts for both his father and himself. Since 1873 he has been in partnership with his father. They manufacture about three million of brick annually, and give employment to from twenty-five to fifty hands. Our subject married, on April 25, 1883, Frances, daughter of Richard and Deborah (Harrison) Stockton, of Camden, N. J., and of Revolutionary stock. She is a descendant of Richard Stockton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. By this union there were five children-three living: Georgie A., William S. and Gertrude M., and two dead: Helen O. and Harold R. Mr. Dickover is an enterprising and well-known citizen of Wilkes-Barre. In politics he is a Republican.

WILLIAM DICKOVER, contractor and brick manufacturer, Wilkes-Barre, was born in that city December 15, 1819, a son of George and Catherine (Reimer) Dickover. His father was a native of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, a son of a Revolution- ary soldier, and a mason by trade. About the year 1810 he settled in Wilkes-Barre, where he resided until his death. His wife was a daughter of Henry Reimer, of Luzerne county, Pa., and by her he had nine children: Henry, George, Elizabeth (Mrs. Peter Stroh), William, Catherine (Mrs. Amos. Sands), Louisa (Mrs. Miles Barnum), John, Charles and Mary (Mrs. Oscar Lewis). Our subject was reared in Luzerne county, where he has always resided. He learned the bricklayer's and

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plasterer's trades, and since 1850 has been a prominent contractor in that line of business; since 1871 he has been engaged in the manufacture of brick. In 1844 he married Elizabeth, daughter of John and Sarah (Aunger) Oliver, of Wayne county, Pa., and by her has had four children: Maria, Lavinia (Mrs. H. L. Moore), George T., and Hattie H. (Mrs. J. B. Howell). Mr. Dickover, with one exception, is the oldest native-born citizen of the borough of Wilkes-Barre. He is a member of the M. E. Church and I. O. O. F. Politically he is a Republican, and has served three terms as poor director for the central district of Luzerne county.

HIRAM DIETRICK, shoemaker and notion dealer, Shickshinny, was born at Orange- ville, Columbia Co., Pa., December 19, 1841, a son of Conrad and Anna M. (Auman) Dietrick. His paternal grandfather, John Dietrick, a native of Northampton county, Pa., was a resident of Hollenback township, this county, and in later life resided in Shickshinny, where he died. Conrad Dietrick was a boat builder; in 1848 he located in Shickshinny, where he followed his vocation until his death, which occurred in 1880. His children were Rebecca A. (Mrs. John J. Kline), Emanuel, Elijah (who was killed near Uniontown, Va., in a skirmish during the Civil war), Hiram, Penina (Mrs. William Wright), Lavina (Mrs. Alexander Good), John F., Charles W. and Sarah E. (twins), Lydia and Eliza (twins, the former the wife of Jacob Stackhouse) and Amanda M. Our subject was reared in Shickshinny from seven years of age, and received a public-school education. He served an apprenticeship of two years at the shoemaker's trade, and also learned boat building. On July 15, 1861, Mr. Dietrick enlisted in Company F, Seventh Pennsylvania Reserves, and served three years, a part of the time on detached duty, commissary department, in the army of the Potomac, and was honorably discharged in June, 1864. Since the war he was in the employ of G. W. and L. Search, of Shickshinny, eleven years, and the balance of the time he has followed his trade and dealt in notions. He married, October 18, 1863, Phoebe, daughter of Darius S. and Lydia (Dodson) Sutliff, of Huntington township, and has one daughter, L. A. Natalie (Mrs. Walter E. Harter). Mr. Dietrick is a member of the M. E. Church; also of the G. A. R., P. O. S. of A., and A. L. of H .; he was councilman of Shickshinny two terms, and overseer of poor two terms, and politically is a Republican.

GEORGE B. DILLEY, carpenter, Forty Fort borough, was born February 11, 1850, at Ashley, Pa., and is a son of Richard and Mary (Barnes) Dilley, natives of Luzerne county, and of French and English origin, respectively. ' The father was a farmer by occupation, and reared a family of six children, five now living, of whom our sub- ject is the oldest. He was educated in the common schools, and at the age of twenty was apprenticed to learn the carpenter trade, which he followed for seven years. He was then employed as Government detective, under the Treasury Department, for two years; then for four years in the insurance business at Kingston, after which he came to Forty Fort, where he now resides, and where he has followed his trade up to the present time. He was elected justice of the peace in 1886, still holding the office; he was also burgess for the year 1887. In 1885 he purchased three lots, and built his own comfortable home on one of them, where he now lives: He was mar- ried September 30, 1874, to Emily O., daughter of William and Catherine (Butler) Dilley, natives of Pennsylvania, and of French and Irish origin, respectively. By this happy union they have two children to cheer their cozy home: Mary B. and Sheldon R. Mrs. Dilley is a member of the St. Stephen Episcopal Church, of Wilkes-Barre, and both she and Mr. Dilley are members of the Independent Order of Good Templars. Mr. Dilley votes the Prohibition ticket.

JOHN F. DILLS, manager of the Florence Coal Company store at Dupont, was born in Berlin township, Wayne Co., Pa., November 26, 1855, a son of John D. and Lucretia (Kimble) Dills, the former of whom was born in Sussex county, N. J., the latter in Wayne county. John D. Dills was the son of John Dills, a native of New Jersey, and a farmer by occupation. He removed to this county in 1819, purchased a large tract of timber land, and engaged extensively in the lumber business, his location being at the junction of Spring brook and Mill creek. He was a thorough-

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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

going man of business, and a loyal citizen, manifesting his patriotism by serving under Gen. Jackson in the war of 1812. He died in 1872 at the age of ninety-two years, having reared a family of five children, two of whom are now living. His son, John D., was four years of age when he removed to this county, and he first entered business in Wayne county as a farmer and lumberman on the Lackawaxen river. He was a successful business man, and was possessed of the courage of his father. While too old to serve his country during the Rebellion, yet as a loyal citi- zen he did good service. During one of the drafts he was chosen to serve draft notices on a certain element in his neighborhood, a duty not pleasant, yet he did it unshrinkingly at the risk of making many enemies for himself, sometimes even risk- ing his life. He held township offices with much credit. In 1891 he died at the age of seventy-six years; hie wife surviving him. Their family consisted of seven children, six of whom grew to maturity, and five of them are now living. John F. Dills, who is the youngest in the family, was reared and educated at the common school in Wayne county, afterward attending the Prompton Normal School. After he finished his courses in that institution, he taught school for several terms. In 1881 he entered the services of S. N. Stettler, as head clerk in his store at Old Forge, and here he continued till 1885, when an opening presenting itself in the Florence Coal Company's store as chief manager, he accepted the position, which he has since held with much credit to himself and profit to his employers. On December 12, 1889, he was appointed postmaster at Dupont, the postoffice having been opened at that date, and it is now a money order office. On December 30, 1883, Mr. Dills married Miss Sarah, daughter of Benjamin and Ella Richardson, and hy her has had three children: Duane R., Nellie and Horace G. Mrs. Sarah (Richardson) Dills was born in England in 1866. Mr. Dills is a young man of marked ability, well adapted to his present vocation, and possessed of sound principles and sterling qualities. Politically he is a Republican.

J. A. DILS, Hudson, engineer on the Delaware & Hudson Railroad, was born in Wayne county, Pa., October 14, 1854, and is a son of John and Permilia S. (Milla) Dila, also natives of Pennsylvania, and of German and Irish origin, respectively. He is a great-grandson of Jesse Dils, who was a very early settler of Pittston. The father, who was in the Fifteenth Engineer Corps during the Civil war, helped to build the Pennsylvania Gravity Railroad, and then as conductor ran the first train over it; he was killed by the cars on that road in December, 1865, at the age of forty-five years. The family consisted of three children, viz. : William H., a mason in Carbondale; John A., and Elmer, a brakeman, living at Mill Creek. Our subject received a common-school education, and commenced practical life as a brakeman on the Delaware & Hudson Railroad, in which he continued eight years; then fired five years. He was married, March 14, 1883, to Miss Ellen, daughter of John and Mary (Bray) Trethaway, and the fruits of this union were four children, three of whom are yet living, viz .: Charles H., John S. and Ralph R. Mr. and Mrs. Dils attend the Primitive Methodist Church, of which she is a member. He is a member of the F. & A. M., I. O. R. M., and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen; iu his political views he is a Republican. He built his present beautiful residence in 1889.

THOMAS J. DINENNY, general bottler, P. O. Weston, was born in Danville, Pa., December 22, 1861, a son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Lenahan) Dinenny. His father, a native of Ireland, was a resident of Danville for several years, and since 1864 has lived in Allentown, Pa., where he is now a member of the police force. Our subject was reared in Allentown from three years of age, and was educated in the public schools of that city. He began life as helper in a rolling mill, serving an apprenticeship of one year, afterward working as heater for two years. In 1876 he was clerk in a grocery house at Coaldale, Pa., and in 1877 located in Hazleton, where he was engaged in the same capacity three years. Mr. Dinenny then spent two years in St. Louis and in 1884 located in Weston, where he has since been engaged in the bottling business. He married, November 3, 1887, Mary, daughter

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of Thomas and Mary (O'Donnell) Devenny, of Allentown, Pa., and they have one daughter, Elizabeth. He is a member of the Catholic Church, and in politics is a Democrat.

JOHN DIPPLE, Hazleton, conductor, Lehigh Valley Railroad, Hazleton Division, This genial and popular conductor was born at Hazleton, October 13, 1863, and is the fourth in the family of twelve children of William and Eliza (Brill) Dipple, natives of Germany. He was reared and educated at the place of his birth, and at an early age commenced work at the mines, picking slate at the Laurel Hill Colliery for a period of two years. He then went inside and worked for about three and one- half years, at the end of which time he went into a breast at Harleigh, mining coal with his father. He worked there two years, and then moved to New Hazleton, Ohio, where he was a practical miner one year. In 1881 he returned to Hazleton, and began railroading on the Lehigh Valley road. For four years he was employed as brakeman on a freight train, in 1885 commenced braking on a passenger train, in which capacity he worked until 1891, when he was promoted to the position of freight conductor, running between White Haven, Packerton and Hazleton. Mr. Dipple was united in marriage September 23, 1886, with Miss Julia, daughter of Frederick and Mary K. Knyrim, natives of Germany. Mr. Dipple is a member of the following Orders: Knights of Malta, Railway Trainmen, and Sons of America.

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History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 115

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