History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume II, Part 38

Author: Prowell, George R.
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: J. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 1390

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Henry W. Miller is a member of St. John's Lutheran Church, in which work he has al- ways been active, and is highly respected in York for his many fine traits of character.

ROBERT BOYD, alderman of the Twelfth ward, was born Dec. 4, 1846, in Wrightsville.

John Boyd, grandfather of Robert, came from Ireland to America and settled in Oxford, Chester county, where his son, our subject's father, was born. In early manhood Robert Boyd's father was a farmer, and removed to Wrightsville, York county, in 1836, where, with his brother Robert, he engaged in the lumber business until 1855, at the end of which time he purchased a large farm in Lower Chanceford township. He died in 1882, aged eighty-two years. His wife was Anna Cath- erine Shrader, who was born in Germany, daughter of Michael Shrader, who came to America and became a farmer in Pine Swamp, whence he removed to Ohio, where he met his death in a railroad accident. These children were born to the parents of Robert Boyd : John Calvin, who died in 1870, in his twenty-first year, meeting a tragic death by the caving in of a bank; Martin Luther, who died in 1881, in his twenty-eighth year; Dr. I. M., a practic- ing physician of York; James M., who is in the patent medicine business in York; and Robert.

Robert Boyd received his education in the public schools of Lower Chanceford town- ship, and at Airville, under Prof. James Mur-

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phy. He first occupied himself at farming, the son, soon after leaving school, became a then learned milling, and next conducted a pas- senger stage and mail route from New Hol- land to York, remaining at the latter for three years, at the end of which time, he was appoint- ed steward of the York County Almshouse, filling that position with great credit to himself for three years and three months, and was then elected alderman of the Twelfth ward of York for a period of five years, this election having taken place in 1903.

Alderman Boyd was married Sept. 28, 1865, to Martha Jane Robinson, daughter of Daniel Robinson, a farmer who formerly lived in Lancaster county. Twelve children were born to this union, one of whom died in in- fancy, and another, Nora May, died June 5, 1892, aged five years. The survivors are : James F., a wealthy merchant of Maryland; Isaac N., a storekeeper of York; John C., train inspector of the Northern Central Railroad, of York; Robert D., a baker of York; Jesse W., a sten- ographer at the Pennsylvania Railroad of- fice, in York; Annie C., wife of Dr. John B. Kain, of York; Maggie Jane, who married Israel Able, of the Merchants' Oil Company, of York; Elizabeth, the wife of Charles Koh- ler, in the Northern Central Railroad service, New York; and Bertha B. and Ida May, at home.

Alderman Boyd belongs to the Odd Fel- lows; Good Will Fire Company, No. 5; the Firemen's Relief Association; and Camp .No. 439, P. O. S. of A. He is an active member of the Duke Street Church, where he has been steward and trustee at various times. He is very prominent and influential in the Demo- cratic politics of the city and county of York, but is popular with the men of both parties.

WILLIAM L. GLATFELTER, treas- urer of the York Manufacturing Company, is a son of Mr. P. H. Glatfelter (mentioned else- where), president of the concern, and was born in Spring Grove, York county, April 27, I865.

William L. Glatfelter received his educa- tion in York County Academy, Pennsylvania College at Gettysburg and Eastman's Business College at Poughkeepsie, N. Y. After leav- ing the latter institution Mr. Glatfelter entered the office of the Spring Grove Paper Mills, of which his father was the founder, and in which

partner. The York Manufacturing Company, of which Mr. Glatfelter is treasurer, was or- ganized as it at present exists, March 5, 1875. In 1887 Mr. Glatfelter became associated with this concern, his father having become inter- ested in the business at the same time, the lat- ter having been the assignee of the old con- cern, which he purchased. After this pur- chase the business was conducted under the firm title of P. H. Glatfelter & Co., the son, our subject, being a partner, and the next move was to organize the York Manufacturing Company, Limited, and later incorporated with a capital of $400,000, which was after- ward increased to $1,500,000. The company employs one thousand skilled workmen, and they have the largest clerical force of any in- dustrial concern in York. Their products, of which ice and refrigerating plants are the lead- ing features, are shipped all over the world, and such is the demand for them that the works, although covering acres of ground and equipped with the latest machinery of the cen- tury, are constantly taxed to their utmost capacity.

William L. Glatfelter is secretary and treasurer of the P. H. Glatfelter Company of Spring Grove, Pa., manufacturers of book and lithograph papers. Mr. Glatfelter is also treasurer of the Carroll Manufacturing Com- pany of Baltimore, manufacturers of artificial ice; president of the Hanover Wire Cloth Company; president of the First National Bank of Spring Grove; president of the board of school trustees of Spring Grove, to which office he was first elected in 1895, and was chief burgess of Spring Grove for a period of three years. In his religious views Mr. Glat- felter belongs to St. Paul's Lutheran Church of Spring Grove, in which he was a deacon for several years. Politically he is a stanch Re- publican.

William L. Glatfelter was married Sept. 15, 1887, to Kathryn Rebecca Hollinger, daughter of George Hollinger, a prominent farmer living near Abbottstown. One son has been born to this union, Philip Hollinger. Mr. Glatfelter, although unostentatious in manner, has accomplished much for a man of his years, and has evidently inherited from his father that force of character which has made the latter one of the prominent men of the State.

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

SYDNEY H. SOUTER is one of the able and popular representatives of the younger generation of leading business men in the city of York, where he is concerned in a line of industry with which the family name has long been identified, as president and general man- ager of the Monarch Silk Mill Co., one of the important industrial enterprises of York county.

William Souter, grandfather of Sydney H., was born near the Scottish border in England, where he was reared and educated, and where he learned the silk manufacturing business. He came to America about 1865, and settled in Paterson, N. J., becoming one of the pioneer silk manufacturers of that State, and at the time of this writing, in January, 1906, he was residing in Paterson, well preserved in mind and body, though he had attained the patriar- chal age of ninety-two.

William Souter, Jr., father of our subject, was born and reared in England, and his en- tire business career was one of prominent identification with the silk manufacturing in- dustry. At the time of his death he was vice- president and manager of an extensive silk manufacturing concern in Whitehall, N. Y. He was an authority in his line of business, having traveled extensively, making a special study of the methods of silk making in both China and Japan. He met his death in Oc- tober, 1900, as the result of an accident, being killed by a trolley car in Newark, N. J. He was only fifty-three years of age at the time of his demise. His widow, whose maiden name was Martha Anna Chanelley, and who died in 1880, was born and reared in England, a daughter of Robert Chanelley, who was a prominent contractor. Of the ten children of William Souter, Jr., and his wife, Annie died in infancy; Sydney H. is mentioned be- low : Robert William is superintendent of the Littlestown silk mill in Littlestown, Pa .; Charles Harold is in the railroad service at Schenectady, N. Y .; Clyde Douglass is a mem- ber of the class of 1907, Dartmouth College; Ada is the wife of Edward Sargent, a con- tractor of Newark, N. J .; Jessie, Elizabeth and Margie are all trained nurses, graduates of the training school of the Newark (N. J.) General Hospital; and Edna is attending school.

Sydney H. Souter was born in Presbury,

England, April 1, 1869, but his eldest sister was born in America, the parents having emi- grated to this country in 1865, and having re- turned to England two years later, not be- coming permanent residents of the United States until 1879. Our subject secured his early education in the common schools of his native land, and after the coming of the fam- ily to America he became a student in Lati- mer's Business College, in Paterson, N. J., and later completed a course in the celebrated Bryant & Stratton Business College, Buffalo, N. Y. He began his active business career by securing a position in a silk mill in Paterson, N. J., where he was employed in 1881-82, af- ter which he attended school for one year at Northampton, Mass. He then secured a posi- tion in the silk mill in that city, where he re- mained employed for the ensuing nine years. at the expiration of which he returned to Paterson, where he continued to be identified with the same line of industry for one and one half years. He next passed a year in a silk mill at Pompton, N. J., and for the following three years was employed in the mill of which his father was manager and vice-president at Whitehall, N. Y. During the following two years he was again employed at Paterson, and he then removed to Catasauqua, Pa., where he had charge of the establishing, equipping and placing in operation of a silk mill. ably completing his work, after which he came to York, arriving in this city Sept. 6, 1900. Here he became associated with Henry Musser, unt:1 recently the president of the Monarch Silk Co., which they forthwith organized, equip- ping a modern mill and instituting active oper- ations on Sept. 18th of the same year, the date the company received its charter from the State. Employment is afforded to a corps of about six hundred persons, and the annual busi- ness has already reached an aggregate of a mi1- lion and a quarter dollars, while there is a con- stantly increasing demand for the company's goods in the markets of New York City, Phil- adelphia, Chicago, San Francisco and other commercial centers. As vice-president and general manager of the company Mr. Souter showed great administrative and executive ability, while his intimate knowledge of the details of the business has largely conserved the phenomenal but substantial growth of the enterprise. So well was this appreciated that

MONARCH SILK MILLS, YORK, PENNSYLVANIA

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on the resignation of President Musser Mr. Souter was the unanimous choice of the direc- tors for president, while he will continue to act as manager.

In his political proclivities Mr. Souter is a consistent and unswerving advocate of the principles of the Republican party, and his re- ligious faith is that of the Presbyterian Church, in which he has been a zealous worker for many years. Within the time of his resi- dence in Paterson, N. J., he was secretary of the board of trustees of the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church, and both he and his wife are now members of the First Presbyterian Church of York. Fraternally Mr. Souter has attained degrees of high distinction in Free- masonry, in which he has passed the thirty- second degree of the Ancient Accepted Scot- tish Rite. His affiliations are as follows : Zeredatha Lodge, No. 451, F. & A. M .; Howell Chapter, No. 199, R. A. M .; Geth- semane Commandery, No. 75, Knights Tem- plar, all of York; while he is identified with the Consistory of the Scottish Rite and also the Temple of the Mystic Shrine, in Harris- burg. He is also identified with the I. O. O. F., the B. P. O. E. and the Lafayette Club, of York; and the Woll Club of New York City.

On June 25, 1890, Mr. Souter was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Morton Mc- Leod, daughter of Alexander McLeod, a rep- resentative business man of Paterson, N. J. Of this union have been born two children, Sydney Herbert, Jr., and Martha Catherine.

But the Monarch Silk Co. is not the only vast concern in which Mr. Souter is actively and prominently interested. He and Mr. Henry Musser successfully organized the Lit- tlestown Silk Co., which was organized at Lit- tlestown, Adams Co., Pa., on July 2, 1903. It was capitalized at $50,000, and, like the Mon- arch, it is running to its full capacity, the de- mands for its products keeping the mill in op- eration until midnight. Mr. Souter is vice- president and general manager of the Littles- town Company, paying the place a weekly visit; and, between this mill, the Monarch and the main office, at No. 27 Spring street, New York, which Mr. Souter also visits weekly, there is certainly no busier man in York, and yet so systematically does he work that he is ever ready to give courteous attention to those who call upon him.

JONAS R. TRIMMER, vice-president and secretary of the firm of John E. Graybill & Co., of York, was born July 16, 1879, at Big Mount, son of C. G. Trimmer, at that time a merchant, now a shirt manufacturer of York. Jonas Trimmer, the grandfather of Jonas R., was a prominent farmer of Big Mount, York county.

C. G. Trimmer married Emma Elizabeth Zinn, whose father was also a prominent farmer of York county, and seven children were born to this union, namely: Flora died at the age of twenty-six years; Alice died in infancy; W. H. is employed with John E. Graybill & Co .; Clarence is employed at the same place; Sallie married George Pfaltz- graff, a cigar manufacturer of York; Martha resides at home ; Jonas R. is the subject of this sketch.

During the Rebel invasion of York county Mr. C. G. Trimmer had quite an experience, as lie had left home with his father's horses for Lancaster county. After getting close to the Susquehanna river, however, it was reported that it was impossible to cross, so turning aside into the mountains they remained there for one week, and then set out for home. When they had arrived within five miles from there Stuart's Confederate Cavalry pounced upon them and made Mr. Trimmer prisoner, to- gether with twenty-four others and forty-five head of horses. After traveling a distance of twelve miles they were discharged, but were compelled to abandon their horses and walk home, arriving there the following morning, sadly the worse for the experience and minus a number of valuable horses.

Jonas R. Trimmer received his education at the York high school and graduated from the commercial department in 1896. At that time he became a clerk in a store, at which work he continued for a period of one and one- half years, and then entered the firm of John E. Gravbill & Co., electrical contractors and supply dealers, which firm was incorporated as a company in 1900, with branch stores in Carlisle and Hanover. The company does an extensive business, installing electrical work all over the country, and their exhibit at the York County Fair of 1904 was the most notable electrical display ever seen at York. Mr. Trimmer, besides being vice-president of this firm, has other interests, being secretary and

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treasurer of the York Electrical and Machine the leading hostelry of that section. He also Company, of which his partner, Mr. Graybill, is president. built the "Seashore Hotel," on Frying Pan Shoals, the railroad company deeding the land to him for building the hotel. Selling his in- terests there. Col. Campbell removed to Wash- ington, D. C., where he still owns considerable property, and in the fall of 1898 located in York, becoming the proprietor of the "Colonial Hotel." Col. Campbell also owned and man- aged the beautiful "Cadillac Hotel," in New York City, which he sold in 1903.

Mr. Trimmer is a member of York Lodge, No. 213, B. P. O. Elks, and an officer of the Royal Fire Company. In religion he is a Ger- man Baptist. Mr. Trimmer votes the Republi- can ticket, but he has never aspired to public office. Jonas R. Trimmer is one of the prom- ising young men of his section, and is quickly working his way to success. He has many warm friends in the community, and is justly regarded as a representative citizen of York.

COL. GEORGE C. CAMPBELL, the popular proprietor of the "Hotel Colonial," in York, is not a colonel "by courtesy," but won his title and his spurs in fighting Indians on the Pacific coast.

Col. Campbell's ancestors, as the name indicates, came from Scotland. His grand- father, William Campbell, was a druggist, and his father, George Campbell, was a hotel- keeper on the Pacific coast. The latter mar- ried Hannah A. Clendening, a daughter of one of the famous "forty-niners," her father having been one of the earliest in the gold fields of California, where he became a mine owner.

George C. Campbell was born Jan. 1, 1857, at Oshkosh, Wis., and received his education in the Maine public schools, and the Maine College. His early manhood was spent in the far West, where he was frequently located three hundred miles from any railroad. There he fought the Coyotes and Shawnee Indians, and many and varied were his experiences. It was for gallantry in fighting the Indians that he was made a colonel. After his services were no longer needed in the Indian warfare Col. Campbell kept a hotel for two years on the Pacific Coast, and returning to the East lo- cated in Corry, Pa., where he owned and con- ducted the "Phoenix Hotel" for three years. He next became proprietor of the "Albemarle Hotel," at Pittsburg, managing it for two years, when the establishment was blown up by natural gas. After settling with the gas com- pany Col. Campbell left that section and lo- cated in Parkersburg, W. Va., where he drilled an oil well and became very successful. After spending seven years in that locality he sold his interests and removed to Charlotte, N. C., where he kept the "Central Hotel," which was

The Colonel belongs to the Masonic fra- ternity, having become a Knight Templar and Shriner in Charlotte, N. C., and he is also a prominent and popular member of the B. P. O. Elks.

DR. MARTIN L. BARSHINGER, son of Henry S. and Mary ( Geesey) Barshinger, was born in Dallastown, March 16, 1867. He came of reputable and sturdy stock of Swiss ances- try. The first of the family to come to America was Andreas Bersinger, a native of Switzer- land, who emigrated some time between 1727 and 1735. Since then the name has under- gone a modification to its present form. The Doctor's grandfather, Henry Barshinger, was born near York, and was a farmer all his life. He was a Republican in politics and a Lutheran in religion. The grandmother was Susan Stabley.

Henry S. Barshinger was born near York, Oct. 31, 1840, and was educated in the com- mon schools. He engaged in the general mer- cantile business at Dallastown and afterward came to York, and opened a fire insurance and fertilizer agency. On November 8, 1862, he enrolled in the 166th P. V. I., and served until July 28, 1863, retiring with the rank of ser- geant. He was a Democrat in politics, and of the Lutheran faith in religion. Through the insurance business he became secretary of the Southern Mutual Fire Insurance Company. He died May 19. 1885, survived by a widow, his son and a daughter, Sallie A. On the ma- ternal side the Doctor is descended from an- other old and prominent York county family. His grandfather. Jonathan Geesey, was born near York, son of Jacob Geesey, a Revolution- ary soldier. He farmed all his active life, in later years retiring and living in Dallastown. He was a Democrat in politics, and a member and elder of the Lutheran Church. He died in

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1877, aged sixty-six. His wife. Sarah (Flinchbaugh) Geesey, survived him twenty years, dying in 1897, at the advanced age of eighty-seven years, three months and twenty- five days.

Dr. Barshinger secured his early education in the public schools and his professional train- ing at the University of Pennsylvania. In preparation for his calling he attended Phillips Exeter Academy at Exeter, N. H., and Penn- sylvania College at Gettysburg. He was one of the most active students, becoming Presi- dent of his class, a member of the Phi Kappi Psi fraternity, a member of the baseball team and the leading athiete of the college. On field day he won the first prize, a gold medal, taking the following events : The hundred-yard dash, standing broad, running broad, standing high and running high jumps, the hop, step and jump, and putting the shot. In 1890 he en- tered the University of Pennsylvania, where he made a notable record as one of the oars of the 'Varsity crew of '91. He graduated in 1893, and the same year began active practice at his home. The Doctor is a pleasant and agree- able gentleman to meet, takes more than the ordinary interest in his profession, and is alive to the topics and movements of the times. From 1896 to 1902 he served as physician to the York county jail and also to the county almshouse. He was appointed a member of the York Board of Health for the year 1897, and was chosen Health Officer of the city for the years 1898 and 1899. He is a member of the American Medical Association, American Electro-Therapeutic Association, Pennsylvania State and York County Medical Societies. The Doctor, like his people before him, is a member of the Lutheran Church and has served as deacon in Christ's Congregation. He was married Sept. 1I, 1894, to Emmelyn Greacen, daughter of Stephen Bailey and Hesse (La Monde) Greacen, of Perth Amboy, N. J. Mr. Greacen is a naval engineer.

Dr. and Mrs. Barshinger have one child, Henry Stephen, born April 10, 1897. They reside at No. 308 East Market street, and one of the most agreeable family circles in the city is that which gathers about the Barshinger hearth.

1857, son of Charles H. and Charlotte Smith, the former of whom was engaged in the lime business and died in May, 1902.

Mr. Smith received a common school edu- cation in West Manchester township, where he remained until fifteen years of age, when he entered Professor Clark's school in York, where he continued for two terms. After leaving that institution he learned the wood turner's trade with Nathaniel Weigle, remain- ing with the latter four years. Mr. Smith then went to Baltimore, Md., working at his trade there two years, when he returned to York, entering the employ of Bilmyer & Small. In 1881 he married Annie M. Rabe, daughter of Henry and Sophia Rabe, both of whom were born in Germany. Mrs. Smith's father was engaged in the lime burning business in York until his death in 1867, and he was buried in Prospect Hill cemetery. Mrs. Rabe died in August, 1905.

Mr. Smith has been a member of the Fire- men's Relief Association for nine years. From 1884 to 1887 he was county assessor in West Manchester township, and from 1900 to 1904 represented the Thirteenth ward in the select council of York. He has been a lifelong Dem- ocrat, and takes a great interest in the success of his party in this section. In his religious views he is connected with St. John's Evange- lical Lutheran Church of York.

To Mr. and Mrs. Smith the following chil- dren have been born: Charles H., born July 17, 1882; William E., born Dec. 17, 1883; Edward J., born Nov. 9, 1885, died Feb. 28, 1892, and was buried at Prospect Hill ceme- tery; Walter T., born Nov. 13, 1887; Bertha C., born Nov. 25, 1889: Norah M., born March 25, 1892; Mabel M., born July 27, 1894; Ar- thur F., born Nov. 9, 1896; Frank M., born June II, 1899 ; Horace J., born June 19, 1901, and Julia M., born Oct. 20, 1903.

FITZ JAMES EVANS (deceased), for many years purchasing agent for the A. B. Farquhar Company. of York. and considered, in his time, one of the best buyers in York, died at his home May 27. 1898. Mr. Evans was born in York Oct. 31. 1859. son of Fitz James Evans.

Fitz James Evans, Sr .. came from Scot- land to America when sixteen years of age.

WILLIAM F. SMITH has spent his whole life in York city, where he was born Dec. 29, and located in Philadelphia, where he followed

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photography for a number of years. Coming land and go into neutral Holland. How long to York, he engaged in business at the Square, they remained there before emigrating to America is not known, but a well preserved family tradition has it that they also lived a number of years in one of the colonies north of Pennsylvania, in all about thirty years, prior to their arrival with other German fam- ilies in the Province of Pennsylvania. as a member of the firm of Prince & Evans, and was later employed by 'a mining syndicate in Mexico, where he died, being buried there. He married Anne Maria Boyer, of Parkers- burg, Md., and she died at the age of sixty-three years. Their children were: Fitz James, Jr., Claude, Arthur, Eugene (deceased), Jessie (deceased ), and Vian. Fitz James Evans, Sr., was a vestryman in the Episcopal Church, taking an active interest in the work of that body.

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History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume II, Part 38

Author: Prowell, George R. Publication date: 1907 Publisher: J. H. Beers Number of Pages: 1390

Author: Prowell, George R.
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: J. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 1390