History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 223

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

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JOHN M. WILLIAMS. Among the progressive citizens and prosperous business men of Hazleton, the subject of this sketch occupies one of the most conspicuous places. He was born at Slatedale, Lehigh Co., Pa., in June, 1854, a son of William G. and Elizabeth (Morris) Williams, natives of Wales. The father died at Slating- ton, Lehigh county, in 1883, at the age of sixty-eight; the mother now resides at Hazleton. In their family there were thirteen children, besides the subject of this sketch, four of whom are living. Mr. Williams at no time had the advantage of a scholastic training, but by diligence in studying during his leisure hours he secured an excellent business education; and in the higher scientific and literary branches he universities. is competent to converse with those who have distinguished themselves at the great At the tender age of eight years Mr. Williams found employment in a school-slate factory, where he remained five years, when he secured a position in a general store at Slatington, remaining there two years. He then went to Ringtown, and continued in a similar business nearly one year, and in 1870 came to Hazle- town, where he clerked in a general store nearly two years. At the age of nineteen he embarked in the grocery business on his own account. This he followed about six years, when he engaged as clerk with H. E. Sutherland. After an experience of one year with him, he embarked in the stationery business, which he has since car- ried on on an extended scale with much success. Mr. Williams was united in mar-

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riage, October 8, 1887, with Miss M. E. Schlicker, of Mountain Grove, Columbia county. Both husband and wife are upholders of the Presbyterian Church, and in politics Mr. Williams is a Republican.

JOHN W. WILLIAMS, miner, Plymouth, was born at St. Clair, Schuylkill Co., Pa., February 3, 1851, and is the fifth in a family of ten children born to William and Elizabeth (Price) Williams, natives of Wales. He attended school at Danville, Pa., and at the age of ten years began work with his father in the iron ore mines at Danville and Millerstown, Pa., continuing in that until 1864, when the family removed to Fall Brook, same State, the father and son engaging in coal mining at that place and remaining there until 1866, when they went to Lochiel, and received employment at the rolling mills of that place. In 1868 our subject removed to Shickshinny, and worked at mining until 1870, when he came to Plymouth, and has since been a miner at the Avondale. Mr. Williams is a Republican in politics, and is a member of the I. O. O. F. He attends the Welsh Presbyterian Church.

MILTON F. WILLIAMS, merchant, postmaster and justice of the peace, Nescopeck, was born in that village March 26, 1849, a son of John and Rachel M. (Traugh) Williams. His paternal grandfather, Samuel Williams, settled in Nescopeck in 1827, and resided there until his death, which occurred in 1840. His wife was Maria White, by whom he had seven children, viz. : Mary (Mrs. Wesley Bowman), John, Samuel, Harriet (Mrs. Franklin Fortner), William, Nelson and Susan (Mrs. Charles D. Fowler). The father of our subject, who was a native of Birdsboro, Berks Co., Pa., came to Nescopeck with his parents in 1827; he was sixteen years engaged in the mercantile business, was honored and respected at the time of his death, and was the wealthiest citizen of the place. His wife was Rachel M. Traugh, of Columbia county, Pa., by whom he had six children: Milton F., Susan (Mrs. Oliver E. Yohey), Henry C., Harriet M. (Mrs. Eber H. Roth), John W. and William L. He died June 24, 1891, in his seventy-first year. His eldest son, Milton F., the subject of this sketch, was educated in the township schools, and learned the mercantile business with Bowman & Crispin, at Berwick, Pa. He was afterward manager of his father's store at Nescopeck, and in 1890 he, with his youngest brother, William L., succeeded his father in the store, taking the firm name of Williams Bros. Mr. Williams was married, November 20, 1873, to Alice, daugh- ter of Stephen and Julia (Fritz) Adams, of Briar Creek township, Columbia.Co., Pa., and they have three children, viz. : John (a graduate of the Berwick high school), Kingsley and Victor. Mr. Williams (as his name implies) is of Welsh descent, his grandfather having been a native of Wales. His maternal grandfather emigrated to America from Germany in 1735. A tradition says that the head of the family originally came from Greece. So well is his ancestry in this branch known that he can trace his genealogy back for sixteen generations, beginning with Peter Moelich, who lived about the time of the discovery of America by Columbus, and was a prom- inent citizen of Winningen, Germany. Mr. Williams is a member of the Presby- terian Church and of the F. & A. M. He served as county appraiser one term, and has held several township offices; is now a justice of the peace of his township, and has been postmaster of Nescopeck since 1876. In politics he is a Republican. Mr. Williams is recognized as one of the leading and influential citizens of the "lower end," and one of its enterprising and highly respected business men.

HON. MORGAN B. WILLIAMS, a prominent citizen of Wilkes-Barre, was born in Rhandir-Mwyn, Parish of Llanfair-ar-y, Carmarthenshire, Wales, September 17, 1831, and is a son of William and Rachel (James) Williams. In early boyhood he attended one of the primitive elementary schools at Cit-y-Cwm, where he was taught to read, write, and work out some of the primary rules of arithmetic. In early youth, on account of the ill health of his father, who had charge of the important work of separating and clearing the lead ore at the mines, our subject was taken to assist him, and thus soon learned to supervise the work, and in the absence of his father (which frequently happened) the oversight and responsibility of properly and carefully clearing the ore fell entirely upon him. On the death of his father, in

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March, 1874, the company placed this work entirely under the charge of our sub- ject, who was then but sixteen years of age. Thus, at the commencement of his career, he was placed in a position which developed within him the power of self- reliance and independent judgment. After performing the duties of this position with fidelity and satisfaction for two years, he went to work as a miner in the lead ore mines. In March, 1856, he sailed for Australia, and after a voyage of 103 days landed at Melbourne, whence he walked a distance of ninety miles to Camp Forest, and at once began the search for gold. For five years he labored faithfully, suc- ceeding fairly well. In 1861 he sailed for home, where he arrived in August of the same year; in 1862 he sailed for America, landing in New York in March; from there he went to Hyde Park, Pa., where he worked in the coal mines until the strike of 1865, when he removed to Wilkes-Barre, where he was engaged as a foreman in the Hollenback Slope, and where he has since resided. While in the position of mine fore- man, which he held fourteen years, he met with a severe accident which nearly cost him his life: While going through some of the old workings, an explosion of fire damp occurred, which burned him severely, but in time he entirely recovered, with only a few scars remaining. Mr. Williams was twice married: His first wife was Catherine, daughter of Joshua and Mary (Armstrong) Jones, of Rhandir-Mwyn, Wales, and by her he had three children: Mary (Mrs. T. H. Griffiths), Rachel (Mrs. J. H. Williams) and Benjamin F. His second wife was Mrs. Mary (Edwards) Davies, of Susquehanna county, Pa., by which union he has one son, Willie M. In May, 1878, Mr. Williams leased a tract of coal land in the vicinity of Wilkes-Barre. and organized the " Red Ash Coal Company" to mine the coal from it. Although this land was pronounced worthless by some coal operators, Mr. Williams' sound prac- tical judgment proved otherwise, for the enterprise has been successful beyond all expectations. Our subject has taken an active and prominent part in public affairs, and has been successfully honored with various offices. He has been a councilman- at-large for three wards in the city of Wilkes-Barre, three years; also a member of the school board. He was an alternate delegate to the National Republican Con- vention at Chicago, in 1884, which nominated James G. Blaine for the Presidency; and the same year was elected State Senator for Luzerne County by a majority of over 1,200 in a District which usually had an adverse Democratic majority of 1,500. This position he held four years with credit to himself and satisfaction of his constituents. He is prominently identified with a number of important enter- prises in the Wyoming Valley, and especially in the city of Wilkes-Barre. He is one of the directors of the Wilkes-Barre Deposit & Savings Bank; a director of the Wilkes-Barre Electric Railway Company; president of the Wilkes-Barre & Susque- hanna Street Railway Company; a director of the West Pittston Manufacturing Com- pany, and also a director, general manager, and coal agent of the Red Ash Coal Company; in 1891 he was elected one of the commissioners of the Columbia Exposi- tion to be held in Chicago in 1893. Distinguished for his sound, practical judg- ment, his public spirit, his enterprise, his generosity, and genial bearing, Mr. Williams has become one of the most successful and influential Welshmen in the State of Penn- sylvania.

PETER E. WILLIAMS, jeweler, Dallas, was born September 17, 1835, in Monroe county, Pa., where he was reared and educated. He is a son of Jacob and Hannah (Eyere) Williams, both of whom were born in Monroe county, of Welsh and German origin, respectively. They moved to this county in 1850, before the division, locat- ing in Gouldsboro, now in Lackawanna county. Jacob learned the weaver's trade in early life, but, being ambitious, and desiring to make the best of the time allotted him, and not being afraid to work, and weaving not being a lucrative business, he turned his attention to the manufacture of lumber. Being a live man and an expert sawyer, he became successful. There were born to him twelve children, eleven of whom grew to maturity, six of them now living, Peter E. being the fourth in the family. In early life he learned the trade of wheelwright, but it not agreeing with him he went to shoemaking. After following that trade a few years, he felt that he

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had not been called to minister to the wants, or the repairing, of shattered soles. Being a natural genius, he took to the jeweler's trade, at which he has become an expert. Dallas was without a jeweler, in fact a business of that nature would not be sustained there-no blame attached to Dallas. Several parties started the business but failed. In 1888 Mr. Williams moved in as a practical jeweler, went to work, first feeling his way; but, governed by business principles, and carrying out the " golden rule," he succeeded in gaining the full confidence of the people, and ingratiating himself into their good graces. He is now doing an extensive business, and carries a full line of goods and small musical instruments. On January 1, 1863, Mr. Williams married Miss Sarah, daughter of Jacob and Jane Englemeyer, and there were born to them four children, one of whom is now (1891) living: John F. Mrs. Sarah (Englemeyer) Williams was born in Hamilton township in January, 1831. Mr. Williams has had and now holds the full confidence of his fellow citi- zens. He has held the office of justice of the peace for seven years, and that of con- stable for two years. In 1865 he entered the army for the term of one year as a member of company H, Two Hundred and Fourteenth P. V. I., serving to the close of the war; he was honorably discharged, and is now enjoying a pension. He is a member, in good standing, of the M. E. Church. Politically, he is a Republican.

RICHARD NORRIS WILLIAMS was born in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1858, a son of Duane and Alice (Norris) Williams, and grandson of Charles and Mary (Duane) Williams. Mary Duane was a daughter of William J. Duane, a native of Clonmel, Ire- land, born in 1780, who became secretary of the treasury in 1833, and was removed by Gen. Jackson for declining to remove the deposits from the U. S. banks at that time. He was a son of William Duane, journalist, born near Lake Champlain, N. Y., in 1760, and educated in Ireland; learned the printing business, and in 1784 went to India, where he amassed a large fortune, and edited a journal entitled The World; in 1795 he returned to Philadelphia, and became editor of the Aurora, the leading organ of the Democratic party. William J. Duane married Deborah, daughter of Richard Bache, who was born in 1737 and died at Philadelphia in 1811. He was secretary, comptroller, and register-general of Pennsylvania, and in 1776 became postmaster general, continuing in that office until 1782. His wife was Sarah Frank- lin, only child of Benjamin Franklin. The father of Richard Bache was Theophy- lact Bache, born in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, in 1734, and died in New York in 1807. Duane Williams was born in Philadelphia in 1833. His father Charles was born about 1804, and was a son of Samuel Williams whose great grand- father was one of the original Quaker settlers of Pennsylvania. Alice Norris, wife of Duane Williams, was the daughter of Richard Norris, and was born in Baltimore, Md., in 1835. Richard Norris was the son of Richard Norris, a native of Virginia. The first Richard was the head of the firm of Richard Norris & Sons, locomotive builders, Philadelphia, and was a descendant of Sir Henry Norris who settled in Vir- ginia about 1680.

Charles Williams was a merchant of Philadelphia, and his son Duane was a law- yer in the same city. He was reared in Philadelphia and Baltimore, and educated in the University of Pennsylvania; has been a resident of Luzerne county since 1874, and of Conyngham township since 1882, engaged in stock farming and the breeding of Jersey cattle. He was married, in 1882, to Marion Wharton Morris, daughter of Robert, Jr., and Ellen Markoe (Wharton) Morris. Her father was major of the Sixth P. V. C. during the Civil war, and died in Libby Prison in 1863. He was a son of Robert and Caroline (Nixon) Morris, of Philadelphia. Dr. Robert was a son of Robert Morris who was a son of Robert Morris, one of the Signers of the Decla- ration of Independence. The mother of Mrs. Williams was a daughter of George M. Wharton, a lawyer of Philadelphia, and his wife was Maria Markoe, granddaugh- ter of Fishbourne Wharton, who was a son of Thomas Wharton, governor of Penn- sylvania in 1777-78. Mrs. Williams' mother, Ellen Markoe Wharton, is now the wife of U. S. Circuit Judge George M. Dallas, of Philadelphia. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Williams are two in number, viz. : Alexander Coxe and Ellen Markoe

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Wharton, members of the Episcopal Church. Politically Mr. Williams is a stanch Democrat. He is a member of the American Jersey Cattle Club, and has a herd of forty Jerseys registered. His farm is said to be the scene of the fight between the Indians and soldiers after the Wyoming Massacre.

SAMUEL WILLIAMS ["Gwentydd Fardd"], dealer in books and stationery, and publisher of Welsh Sunday-school books and other Welsh publications, Wilkes- Barre, was born in Glamorganshire, Wales, December 5, 1827, and is a son of Will- iam and Ann (Davis) Williams. He was reared in Monmouthshire, and his educa- tional advantages were limited to a brief attendance at night and Sabbath schools. At the early age of nine years he began work in a rolling-mill, where he learned the heater's trade. In 1851 he came to America and settled at Scranton, Pa., residing there twenty-six years, employed at his trade. In 1877 he removed to Wilkes- Barre, where he has since resided, and for several years was time-keeper for the Wilkes-Barre Iron & Coal Company. In 1881 he embarked in the book and station- ery business, which he has since continued, and in 1883 added a printing office, which he has since run in connection, having learned the art of setting type in his leisure moments. On May 25, 1849, he was married to Mary, daughter of Stephen and Mary A. (Jenkins) Jones, of Wales, and has nine children: William S., Mary A. (Mrs. George J. Llewelyn), Lizzie J. (Mrs. D. J. Levi), Stephen J., Ebenezer, Lincoln H., Samuel, Joshua and Sarah (Mrs. Edward B. Carr). Mr. and Mrs. Williams have long been members of the Welsh Presbyterian Church, in which he is a lay preacher, and has been secretary of the Presbytery since 1889. Mr. Will- iams has for years been a writer of Welsh magazines, and a successful competitor in Welsh literature, having won several valuable prizes. In politics he is a Repub- lican.

SAMUEL WILLIAMS, tinner and plumber, Nanticoke, was born in Scranton, Pa., March 14, 1863, where he received his early education. At the age of ten he began work in Mt. Pleasant Breaker, at Scranton, in the employ of Howell & Company, remaining there until he was twelve years of age, when his parents removed to Wilkes-Barre, where the father, Samuel Williams, who is one of Luzerne county's leading educators, now resides. Our subject worked in the mines at Wilkes- Barre as runner and driver, about four years; then engaged with W. R. Williams, of Wilkes- Barre, as an apprentice at plumbing and tinning, remaining with him several years, at the end of which time he entered the employ of W. P. Connell & Sons, at Scran- ton. For about one year he worked at his trade there, and then came to Nanticoke, where he worked for S. J. Willover & Co., two years. He then entered the employ of the Philadelphia Steam Heating Company, with whom he worked about eight months, when he returned to Nanticoke, and in 1889 embarked in business for himself, in which he has since continued with satisfactory results. He employs about nine mechanics, and is doing a continually growing business. In his father's family there were eleven children, nine of whom are living, viz .: W. S., collector for the Scranton Republican, at Scranton, Pa .; Mary, married to George Llewellyn, a hardware merchant in West Pittston, Pa. ; Stephen, assistant foreman in the Empire mine, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. ; Eliza, married to D. J. Levy, auditor for the Delaware & Hudson Railroad Company at Scranton; Ebenezer, a printer and justice of the peace; Lincoln, a plumber in ,Nanticoke, Pa .; Joshua, a book-binder in Wilkes- Barre; Sarah, now Mrs. E. B. Carr, living in Wilkes-Barre, and Samuel. Our sub- ject was married November 24, 1888, to Miss Elizabeth M. Jenkins, of Nanticoke, and they have one child, Mary Jones. He is a member of the Cambro-American Society, and in politics is a Republican.

WILLIAM R. WILLIAMS, of Williams Hardware Company, Wilkes Barre, was born in Carnarvonshire, North Wales, December 25, 1833, and was reared in that coun- try until nineteen years of age. In 1852 he came to America, and located at Slating- ton, Lehigh county, where he was engaged in the slate business until 1867, in which year he removed to Wilkes-Barre, there engaging in the slate and roofing business until 1875. He then embarked in the hardware business, which he has since car-

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ried on with great success. In 1854 Mr. Williams was united in marriage with Mary A., daughter of William and Ellen (Jones) Lunt, natives of Carnarvonshire, North Wales. To this happy union four children were born, as follows: William, Robert, Ellen and Acquilla. In politics he affiliates with the Republican party; in his religious faith he is a Congregationalist, and his motto is: "Be true to thy country, love thy fellow-men, and reverence thy God."

THOMAS WILLIAMSON, outside foreman, Empire Mines, No. 4, Wilkes-Barre, was born in Northampton county, Pa., July 1, 1844, a son of James and Mary (Roarty) William- son, natives of County Donegal, Ireland. His parents came to America about 1839, first locating in Northampton county, Pa., later in Monroe county, in 1856 in Luzerne county, and in 1860 settling in Wilkes-Barre, where they resided until their death. Their children who grew to maturity were James, Annes (Mrs. Daniel McBride), John, Thomas, Mary (Mrs. Frank Hanlon) and Joseph. Our subject was reared in Pennsylvania, began life as a slate-picker in the mines, and came to Wilkes-Barre in 1859, where he has since resided. He worked as a miner until 1864, when he was appointed ticket-boss of the Empire Mines, which position he held three years. In 1860 he was promoted to outside foreman, and has held that position continuously since. He was twice married. His first wife was Miss Ellen, daughter of John and Kate (Ward) Wallace, of Plymouth, Pa., by whom he had twelve children, eight surviving, viz. : James, John, Joseph, Thomas, Kate, Ellen, Charles and William. His second wife was Miss Mary, daughter of John and Ellen Brislin, of Wilkes-Barre, and by her he has had five children: Annie, Leo and Frank (twins), May and Rose. Mr. Williamson is a member of the Catholic Church, and in politics is a Democrat.

WILLIAM WILLIAMSON, merchant, Freeland, is a native of Summit Hill, Carbon Co., Pa., born April 5, 1849. His parents, William and Matilda (Lees) Williamson, were natives of County Derry, Ireland, the former of whom died in 1886 at the age of sixty-five years; the latter now resides in Freeland. In 1857 the family removed to this county and located at Eckley. Here William, at the age of ten, entered the employ of Bellford Leisenring & Co., picking slate in the summer time, while in the winter season he attended school. He worked in various capacities around the mines, running a stationary engine four years. He then followed the carpenter's trade three years, at the end of which time he entered the employ of J. H. Lindsay, of Freeland, as clerk. With him he remained four years, and then engaged in gen- eral mercantile business at Freeland, in partnership with J. C. Berner. At the end of four years he sold out and embarked in the hardware business, in which he has since successfully carried on a large trade. Mr. Williamson was married June 22, 1880, to Miss Alvaretta Schlaubach, of Plains, Luzerne county; they have no chil- dren. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. and the Jr. O. U. A. M. He is a Repub- lican, and has been a member of the Freeland school board, also collector of taxes one term.

GEORGE WILLIS, engineer at the Henry Colliery, Plains, was born in the County of Durham, England, September 24, 1850, and is a son of John and Mary (Cheaston) Willis. The father, who was a stationary engineer, reared a family of three children, of whom George is the eldest; since reaching maturity he has followed his father's trade as his life occupation. Our subject came to America in 1881, and located at Wilkes-Barre, where he did Company work for six months, and then secured a posi- tion as engineer at Maltby, where he remained one year, when he removed to Plains and accepted the position he now occupies. Mr. Willis was married, November 25, 1872, to Miss Elizabeth, daughter of Stephen and Jane (Sheigh) Graham, of North England, and their union has been blessed with eight children, viz .: John, who died at the age of seven years; Stephen, Thomas, both of whom are drivers in the Henry Colliery; Mary J. ; Margaret A. ; John; Pearl and Edna Mr. Willis and wife are members of the Primitive Methodist Church; he is a member of the A. O. K. of M. C., and the Sons of St. George, and is a Republican in his political views. He built his present residence and moved therein in 1888.

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HISTORY OF LUZERNE. COUNTY.

CHARLES F. WILSON, farmer, P. O. Carverton, was born in Franklin township, December, 2, 1850. He is a son of E. D. and Sarah (Frantz) Wilson, the former born in Deckertown, Sussex Co., N. J., the latter in Northampton county, Pa. E. D. is a son of William Wilson, who removed to this county about 1833, locating in Exeter township on 200 acres of wild land, most of which he cleared during his life- time. His family consisted of eight children, five of whom are yet living. His son E. D. began life for himself on fifty acres of the old homestead, to which he added 120 acres more, thus proving himself an industrious man and a practical farmer in every respect. He was a man of noted piety, a consistent member of the M. E. Church, and a trustee in that organization. He held various offices in the township, and at a time, too, when some offices and officers were odious in the eyes of people who were friendly to the South during the Civil war. His family consisted of seven children, six of whom are now living. He is still living and is a resident of Wyoming, Pa. C. F. Wilson, who is the fourth in the family in the order of birth, and is the youngest son, was reared and educated in Franklin township, and spent several terms at the Wyoming Seminary, Kingston. Mr. Wilson has always followed farming, and his surroundings give ample proof of his success in that line. He lived with his father till he reached the age of twenty-three, when he married, Octo- ber 16, 1873, Miss Sarah J., daughter of Nelson W. and Adeline Burgess. Four children have been born to them, three of whom are living: Addie M., Rollie B. and Harold E. After his marriage Mr. Wilson removed to his present place, consisting of seventy-five acres, which is a part of the homestead of Nelson Burgess, and to which he has added sixty more of the old homestead, making in all one hundred and thirty-five acres. The seventy-five acres on which he resides were uncultivated and entirely unimproved. He has erected a beautiful house and a commodious barn, and the whole scene reminds. the beholder of a model farm. Mr. Wilson is a striving man, and keeps well abreast of the times. His principal crops are grain and grass; his stock is superior; and his house and barn are well watered by a living spring, which fully supplies the needs of both. He has held various offices of responsibility in the township, and is a member of the Masonic Fraternity, in high standing.

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History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 223

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