History of Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming counties, Pa.; with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers, Part 134

Author: Munsell, W.W., & Co., New York
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: New York, W.W. Munsell & co.
Number of Pages: 900

USA > Pennsylvania > Luzerne County > History of Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming counties, Pa.; with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers > Part 134
USA > Pennsylvania > Lackawanna County > History of Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming counties, Pa.; with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers > Part 134
USA > Pennsylvania > Wyoming County > History of Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming counties, Pa.; with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers > Part 134

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).

class certificate as inspector of mines of the eighteen candidates who were examined by the board appointed by the State of Pennsylvania, and received his commis- sion for five years from Gov. Geary as inspector of coal mines, eastern district, being the first inspector of coal in the anthracite coal fields of Pennsylvania. He re- signed his position with the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company and entered upon the duties of inspector July 20th, 1870. January 10th, 1871, he tendered his resig- nation and resumed his former position with the com- pany, which he filled until December 31st, 1873. After having charge of the Green Ridge colliery until 1875 he again resumed his position with the Delaware and Hud- son Canal Company, which he now occupies. Mr. Nicol is the patentee of several inventions. One is a water ejector, operated by a direct steam jet without machin- ery; now much used on steamships for pumping bilge water. Another is a stove for domestic purposes to burn culm or waste anthracite coal, and another a porta- ble miner's hand drill.

June 12th, 1846, Mr. Nicol married Helen, second daughter of David Brown, a merchant and manufacturer of Maybole, Ayrshire, Scotland. She was born in the town of Maybole, August 18th, 1824. They have had five children :- Jannet, deceased: Andrew B., at present division superintendent for the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, who married Alice H., daughter of Or- ville Brown, of Watertown, N. Y., and has two children- Agnes and George; Agnes, deceased; Margaret E. and Mary H. Mr. Nicol has been a consistent member of the Presbyterian church since he was sixteen years of age. In all the varied business interests with which he has been prominently identified he has been uniformly successful, strong common sense and unfaltering energy being his marked characteristics.

Fro. F. Connolly

JOHN F. CONNOLLY.

John F. Connolly was born in Scranton, Pa., April 27th, 1853-the youngest child of Owen and Catharine ( Boland ) Connolly. His father emigrated from Ireland in 1847 and settled in Scranton. The first years of his residence there he was in the employ of the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company. In 1854 he moved to Lehigh Summit, Lackawanna county, where he resided three years in the employ of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company. In 1857 he returned to Scranton, where he remained but a few months. He then moved to Lackawanna township, where in the vil- lage of Minooka he became engaged in the grocery trade, and has ever since resided there. There were five chil- dren in the family, two of whom died in infancy; Maria, wife of F. A. Kane, of Minooka, is the only child living who was born in Ireland. Philip C., born in Scranton, is associated in business with his father.

John F. Connolly received his education in the dis- trict school at Minooka, supplemented by one year's at- tendance at the Scranton high school. On the 3d of October, 1871, he entered the Columbia College law school, New York, and after a regular course there was

graduated on the 14th of May, 1873. He was but twenty years of age at the time of his graduation, consequently could not, under the statute of the State, receive his di- ploma and degree until the commencement of the fol- lowing year, at which time his diploma with degree of LL. B. was conferred upon him. In June, 1874, he opened a law office in the city of Scranton, and' on the Ist of September following entered into a law partner- ship with D. W. Connolly, Esq., and he has continued the practice of his profession under this partnership since. Mr. Connolly possesses in large measure a nat- ural aptitude for the legal profession. Both as coun- selor and advocate he stands high among the young men of the Lackawanna bar. In the latter capacity, es- pecially, few, if any, are his superiors.

In politics he is a Democrat. He received the nomi- nation of his party in Lackawanna county for Congress in 1878, but at the conference withdrew in favor of the Hon. H. B. Wright, who was elected. He married (Sep- tember 12th, 1877) Mary C. Carroll, daughter of John . and Mary Carroll, of Scranton. They have two chil- dren-Catharine and John E.

CHURCHES OF SCRANTON-Y. M. C. A.

437

to which the following names were attached: Henry Isaac Jones, Edward Thorp, Thomas White, B. G. Morgan, J. W. Gibbs, John Morris, John G. Noakes and William Vickery Smith. The strength of the parish is indicated in the following items taken from the journal of the con- vention of 1879: Families, 53; baptized persons, 144; communicants, 47; Sunday-school teachers, 7; pupils, 83. Up to December 31st, 1879, there were 23 baptisms, 14 confirmations, 2 marriages and 7 burials.

OTHER CHURCHES.

Welsh Congregational (Providence) .- The Providence Welsh Congregational church was organized August 19th, 1855, at a meeting held in the Presbyterian church of Providence, under the charge of Rev. E. B. Evans, then of Pittston. The original members were only fifteen or twenty, including Rhys Price and wife, Henry Christmas and wife, Thomas L. Davis and wife and Thomas and Ann Williams. Thomas L. Davis was elected deacon and Rhys Price secretary. Deacon Davis died in May, 1872. For about eight months services were held in the Presbyterian church; afterward the school-house at the Notch was used until the completion of the present house of worship. This structure stands on a lot pur- chased by the church in 1859, on the west side of Market street, and is 48 by 32 feet. It cost $1,300, and was consecrated Christmas, 1862. In 1873 and 1874 it was remodeled and enlarged at an expense of $4,450. A debt was thus incurred which has not been entirely liqui- dated.

About 1856 Rev. E. B. Evans assumed pastoral charge of the church, in connection with the Hyde Park Welsh Congregational church, but resigned the Providence charge in 1866. From 1867 Rev. David Parry was the pastor until his death, September 8th, 1870. Early in the spring of 1872 the present pastor, Rev. Rees S. Jones, was called. Under his pastorate the church has pro- gressed favorably. The membership is about 200; the average attendance at Sunday-school is from 200 to 225. The services are held almost exclusively in the Welsh language.

Evangelic Lutheran Zion's (Scranton) .- In 1859 the Evangelic Lutheran Synod of Pennsylvania appointed the late Rev. N. Yaeger, of Bethlehem, to work as mis- sionary among the numerous members of the Luther in church who lived in Scranton and vicinity. He visited Scranton several times, preaching and administering the sacraments in Wyoming Hall. In accordance with his advice, the synod sent Rev. P. F. Zizelman to Scranton, to work and see whether a permanent organization could be effected there. In May, 1860, he preached his first sermon in Wyoming Hall. In August the same year an organization was effected. The congregation was duly incorporated. Its charter members were: Elders, John Malter, Christian Gans, Christoph Forbach; deacons, Peter Kaehler, John Schumacher, Horace Schirer, C. Soellner, C. Forbach and J. Schumacher. C. Soellner, H. Schirer and P. Kaehler are still living. On the date of organization the constitution of the congregation was

signed by 20 male members. In spite of difficulties, the congregation prospered, and needing a more suitable place of worship, in October, 1863. bought its present church, with the parsonage lot, on Mifflin avenue, of the First Welsh Baptist church. In 1864 the parsonage was built. In 1866 the basement under the church was fin- ished for a parochial school, which is vet in existence. A Sunday-school was established in 1860, with about 40 scholars; its first superintendent was l'eter Kaehler; his successors were P. Doersam, W. Schultz, George Pfeifer. P. Geiger, John Greiner, I. G. Mayer, W. F. Kiesel and C. Lange. The present superintendent is M. Blickens. The pastor also has general supervision of the Sunday- school, which numbers about 350 scholars, with 35 teach- ers. The parochial school numbers from 50 to 80 scholars, all under one teacher, who is occasionally assisted, in particular branches, by the pastor.

Rev. P. F. Zizelman, the founder of the congrega- tion, is its pastor; he is, next to Father Moses Whitty, the oldest resident pastor of Scranton. The congrega- tion is without debt.

Hebrew Congregation Anshe Chesed (Scranton) .- The synagogue is on Linden street, with parsonage adjoining, occupied by the minister of the congregation, Rev. S. Freudenthal. The congregation was organized August 26th, 1860, with a membership of 16, viz .: G. Brooks, Isaac and M. Newhouse, S. and M. Green, Jonas Lauer, Jacob Galland, Samuel Fulda, E., S. and J. Sutto, Julius and Judas Josephson, S. Wertheimer, S. Krotoski and N. Kramer. A charter was granted to them January 7th, 1862. Up to 1868 the congregation occupied Alhambra Hall, on Lackawanna avenue, for church and school pur- poses. In 1867 the lots on Linden street were purchased of the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company, and building thereon was commenced at once under the supervision of S. Sutto, J. Galland, J. Josephson, D. Ackerman and I. Newhouse. The corner stone was laid by the masonic fraternity of Scranton. The building was completed in April, 1868, and dedicated by Dr. T. M. Wise, of Cincin- nati. The congregation has a cemetery on the road be- tween Scranton and Dunmore. The board of trustees consists of S. Sutto, S. Rice, S. Krotoski, E. Morris, N. G. Goodman, B. Moses and S. Goldsmith.

Young Men's Christian Association .- The Young Men's Christian Association of Scranton was organized in No- vember, 1868, with the following officers: Pres., Alfred Hand; Vice-Pres'ts, L. B. Powell and Rev. F. Evans; Cor. Sec., H. M. Boies; Sec., C. W. Hartley; Asst. Sec., Joseph Bachelor; Treas., A. D. Holland; Lib., N. H. Shafer, and the following board of directors: J. A. Linen, F. E. Nettleton, Thomas Moore, A. M. Decker, J. S. Reynolds, C. Brinkerhoff, G. W. Miller, Corydon H. Wells, H. M. Boies, Il. B. Rockwell, R. W. Luce and P. B. Finley. The association occupied rooms over No. 324 Lackawanna avenue until the fall of 1871, when apartments were secured in the Exchange block. This block burned January 13th, 1877, and the association oc- cupied a room in the Trust and Savings Bank building until April, 1878, when it removed to its present location,

438

HISTORY OF LACKAWANNA COUNTY

Nos. 314 and 316 Lackawanna avenue. The presidents have been as follows: Alfred Hand, 1869; H. M. Boies, 1870-72; E. B. Sturges, 1873, 1874; F. L. Hitchcock, 1875-77; J. H. Torrey, 1878, 1879.

From August, 1870, W. D. Mossman was general secretary until July, 1872. At no time in its history has the association done so much or so efficient work as dur- ing Mr. Mossman's secretaryship. It was during this period, and principally through his efforts, that steps were taken which have culminated in the Home for Friendless Children, whose record is one of great usefulness. F. A. Goodwin was general secretary for six months from April, 1873; William Hadden from December, 1873, until July, 1874. During his secretaryship the association began to hold meetings in Park Place, which resulted in a revival of religion there, the erection of a chapel and, eventually, the organization of the Park Place Methodist church. George A. Jessup and Doctor Thomas McCune performed some of the duties of the general secretary when there was no incumbent. From January, 1875, W. H. Chapin was general secretary until September, 1876; T. H. Roe from December of that year till February, 1879. He was an active worker, especially in connection with the charitable work of the ladies' aid society for the poor of the city. It was during his term of office that the fire occurred, already referred to, by which the asso- ciation lost its museum and library and all of its records; the insurance was $2,000. In March, 1878, C. W. Kirk- patrick was employed as general secretary, and served seven months, entering with much spirit into the temper-

ance work which was begun by Francis Murphy and carried on by Prof. Kelly, of Pittsburg. After Mr. Kirk- patrick's retirement the office was vacant until Novem- ber, 1879, when W. A. Cook, of York, Pa., assumed its duties.

Besides the general work of such associations, the Scranton Young Men's Christian Association has organ- ized the Home for Friendless Children, Park Place Mis- sion, Cedar Street Mission and Green Ridge Sunday- school; has held meetings in the poor house, jail and hospital, and has actively and efficiently co-operated in every general religious reformatory and charitable effort in the city and vicinity since its organization. The expen- ses of its work from November, 1868, to November, 1879, were from $28,000 to $30,000, which have been met by membership dues, voluntary subscriptions, and the pro- ceeds of entertainments, lectures, &c. The present membership of the association is about 200. The library contains from 1, 100 to 1,200 volumes. The annual election of officers for 1879-80 was held at the rooms of the association Tuesday evening November 25th, 1879, and resulted as follows: Pres., G. F. Rey- nolds; Vice-pres., Charles Henwood and H. C. Cornell; Rec. Sec., W. F. Hackett; Asst. Rec. Sec., E. G. Cour- sen; Cor. Sec., E. B. Sturges; Treas., Lt. Col. F. L. Hitchcock; Lib., E. H. Ripple, and the following board of managers: H. M. Boies, Rev. Thomas M. Cann, H. F. Warren, A. W. Dickson, Dwight Baker, J. H. Torrey, S. P. McDivitt, J. L. Connell, L. M. Horton and W. A. May.

R.R. Everhart

GENEALOGICAL AND PERSONAL RECORD,

SCRANTON AND DUNMORE.

Pre Racy

HON. PATRICK DE LACY,

son of William and Catherine(O'Boyle) De Lacy, the former of county Wox- tord and the latter a native of Kilkenny, Ireland, was born November 25th, 1835, and is the second child of a family of seven children, four boysand three girls, all of whom are now living. This family, both on the fath- er's and mother's side, was prominently identified with the rebellion of 1798 in Ireland, and is of French extraction. William, a shoemaker by trade, emigrated to America when he was nineteen years of age, and was among the carly settlers of Carbondale, where he resided and worked at his trade until 1839, when he moved to Tamaqua, Schuylkill county, and subsequently to Hazleton, Luzerne county, and removed to Carbondale in 1840, and in 18@ to Scranton. After residing in Scranton (then Slo- cum Hollow) one year he removed to Covington township and purchas- ed a farm, upon which he resided until 1851, when he returned to Seran- ton, where he died in 1863.

Patrick De Lacy spent his carly boyhood on the farm, and his educa- tion was limited to the common school. At the age of seventeen he commenced life for himself as a laborer in the coal mines, and in 1853 he commenced to learn the tanner and currier's trade with Jolin Mehan, of Covington, with whom he remained two years and a half, most of which time he was foreman, having full charge of the business. After spending one year with his father-in-law, Jeremiah Wouders, in com-

pleting the trade of currier, he was employed as journeyman in King- ston and vicinity until 1858.

January 9th,- 1858, he married Rebecca Elizabeth, daughter of Jere- miah and Sarah A. Wouders, of Wyoming. She was born April 11th, 1840. The result of this union is as follows : Sarah Catherine, born June 1st, 1861; Mary Elizabeth, born April 9th, 1863; Anna C., born February 14th, 1866; William P., born March 15th, 1868; Nellie, born December 19th, 1870 (died when two years and six months old); Julia (died in infancy) and Susan, born December 19th, 1873 (died November 8th, 1876). After his marriage he moved to Newark, N. J., and followed his trade for one year, when he was engaged as foreman currier in the tannery of A. G. Hull, at Bushkill, Pike county, Pa., for a year and a half; then he re- moved to Truxville, Luzerne county, where he leased a taunery which he conducted for a short time, when he abandoned it and cutered the army as a private in the 143d regiment Pennsylvania volunteers ( Colo- nel Dana's regiment), and was soon promoted sergeant of Company A. He was in every engagement in which his regiment participated (some twenty general battles and several skirmishes) and at one time during that memorable epoch was under fire every day tor thirty days. In the fall of 1864 he was promoted sergeant major; in the spring of 1865 was made lieutenant, and was honorably mustered out of service with his regiment in June, 1865. As an officer and soldier his reputation is best attested by his old comrades in arms, who have elected him president, for the past fourteen years, of the Veteran Sol- diers' Association, composed of the old 143d, 149th and 150th regiments.

In 1867 Mr. De Lacy was appointed United States deputy marshal by General Thomas A. Rowley, and served in that capacity until the fall of 1871, when he resigned to take his seat in the State Assembly, having been elected to the Legislature that fall by the Democratic party ; he was again elected in 1872. In the fall of 1874 he was a candidate for the State Senate, but owing to a split in his party was deteated by the opposing faction. In 1875 he was appointed deputy sheriff under W. P. Kirkendall, which position he filled one year, and in 1876 was appointed county auditor for two years; and in addition to this he was appointed chief of police of the city of Scranton, which position he still holds.

THE EVERHART FAMILY.

This is one of the oldest family names in America. The subjects of our engravings spring trom Zachariah Everhart, who came to this country from Saxony, Germany, in 1689, and settled in Pennsylvania nine years after William Penn founded the colony. His son, Christian, was born in 1728 and died in 1777. He was a man of prominence, and held a royal commission under the crown. He was the father of nine children, and with the exception of two, who died young, the aggregate ages of the remaining seven reached 574 years, or an average of &2 years. James, the third child, grandfather of James M. and Dr. Everhart, was born in 1760 and died in 1852. He was remarkable for activity, strength and a good constitution, which, with scarcely a day's sickness, carried him through the experiences of nearly a century. Bred in the heroic period of the public, amid the hardships and dangers of the Revolution. in which he was a soldier, he passed the memorable winter of 1778 at Valley Forge under Washington, whose imposing form and features he well remembered, together with the handsome face of Wayne and the vonthtul figure of La Fayette. He had seen individuals who had held office under Penn, and soldiers who fought under Braddock. He had three children, William, Jolm and James, all of whom became mien of wealth and prominence. James, the youngest and father of the sub- jeets of our sketch, was born in 1789, and died in 1863. He was an officer in the war of 1812. After the war he engaged in the mercantile business in Chester county, Pa., during which time he took a ship lond of bark to England and exchanged it for merchandise. In 1820 he moved to Berks county, where he became extensively engaged in agriculture,

438 A

438 B

HISTORY OF LACKAWANNA COUNTY.

tanning and the iron trade. lle was n man of sound judgment and cor- rect principles, whose inthience was more than local, and whose opinion was songht as a matter of worth by those who knew him best. In all the leading topies of the day he was a close observer, and in those cal- culated for the general good he was deeply interested. lle was an ardent supporter of the free school system, and before its day estab- lished schools at his own expense, in order that the rising generation of his neighbors might have the rudiments of a connnon education. Ile was in no sense of the word a politician, though twice he represented his district in the Legislature, the second time receiving the unanimous support of both political parties. He was nrged to accept a nomination to Congress which was equivalent to an election, and declined. In 1817 he married Mary M., the only child of Isaac and Catharine Templin, a woman noted for her many good qualities of head and heart. This happy union was blessed with eight children : John T., Mary, Eveline, William, James M., Samnel A., Oliver 1. and Isaiah F.

JAMES M. EVERHART, the subject of one of our engravings, is the third son and was born June 7th, 1828. After receiving a common school edu- cation he entered his father's tannery, on account of ill health, where he learned the trade of a tanner in all its branches. His health recovered, he entered the New London Academy, one of the oldest high schools of the State, and was graduated from that institution with honors. After serving two years in his uncle's store in West Chester, Pa., he went to Philadelphia, and entered the wholesale house of Odenheimer & Tenent. then doing the largest western trade of any firm in that city, In 1853 he came to Pittston, Pa., with his brother Jolin to superintend large landed interests which his father had purchased in the coal fields of that region. Situated on these lands are several of the farms lying in the valley at the foot of Campbell's Ledge, and that beautiful spot in the Lackawanna known as Everhart's Island. When Pennsylvania was in- vaded by the rebel army he volunteered his time and influence, and hurried to the front. In 1867 he made an extensive tour through Europe in company with his brother, Dr. Everhart, gaining mnuch valu- able information. Shortly after his return he came to Scranton and purchased a half interest in the Seranton Brass Works. On the death of his partner, John McLaren, he succeeded to the entire control, and by the introduction of new machinery and skilled workmen, with a liberal expenditure of money, has raised the standard of the establishment to the front rank of brass, works in the State. Mr. Everhart being a man of ingenious turn of mind, he is the patentce of several important inven- tions and has improved and perfected several others, some of which he is now extensively manufacturing. In person he is a man of mild and even disposition, with strong traits of character, business qualities of no ordinary merit, against whose honor and integrity there has never been the first shadow of suspicion. Blessed with a robust constitution and excellent health, his lease of life bids fair for many years of usefulness.

DR. ISAIAH F. EVERHART is the youngest child, and was born Janu- ary 22nd, 1840. lle spent his early youth at the old homestead, attending the common schools and academies of the neighborhood. At the age of sixteen he entered Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pa., where he spent four years in tac completion of a scientific course, pay- ing special attention to the natural sciences, for which he has always shown a marked fondness. He then read medicine under his brother-in- law, Dr. Charles A. Ileckel, a most excellent practitioner, where he received his first lessons in that most intricate science which knows no limit. The great civil war breaking out, he, becoming impatient to serve his country as medical cadet, entered the West Philadelphia or Saterlee United States Military Hospital, under the charge of Dr. 1. I. Hayes, of Arctic expedition fame. llere was material sufficient to sat- isfy the most enthusiastic Esculapian, with nearly four thousand sick and wounded soldiers, who upon the field of battle had received wounds of almost every imaginable description, or on the march or in the biv- onac of war had contracted nearly every ailment to which the soldier of our northern clime has fallen heir.

With the class of 186 ?- 63 he graduated from the University of Pennsyl- vania, and shortly after went to the front as assistant surgeon of the Sth regiment Pennsylvania cavalry, with the Army of the Potomac. During the active operations of 1863, 1861 and 1855, in all the campaigns in which the regiment was engaged, in over thirty battles, he was faitli- fully at his post, discharging the duties of full surgeon. February 4th, 1865, he was promoted fall surgeon, and on the consolidation of the 8th and 16th regiments of Pennsylvania cavalry he was made surgeon of the 16th regiment, and took charge of the military district of Lynch- burg, Va., which position he held until mustered out of service with the regiment, August 11th, 1865. Thus in the three great wars through which the nation has struggled this family has been represented-by the grandfather in the Revolution, the father in the war of 1812 and the sons in the Rebellion.

On his return from an extended tour through Europe in 1867 the doctor settled in Scranton, where he has since successfully pursned the practice of his profession, has gained the confidence and respect of the people and built up a reputation for honesty and integrity second to none. During thegreat strike in the coal regions in 187I he was surgeon of the 9th Pennsylvania guards. Seven years he was a member of the medical staff of the Lackawanna Hospital, and now is a member of the Scranton board of health and president of the Lackawanna Game and

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History of Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming counties, Pa.; with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers, Part 134

Author: Munsell, W.W., & Co., New York Publication date: 1880 Publisher: New York, W.W. Munsell & co. Number of Pages: 900

Author: Munsell, W.W., & Co., New York
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: New York, W.W. Munsell & co.
Number of Pages: 900