Jefferson County, Pennsylvania : her pioneers and people, 1800-1915, Volume II, Part 11

Author: McKnight, W. J. (William James), 1836-1918
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers
Number of Pages: 972

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JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

nation to become the forerunner of civilization in western Pennsylvania did not waver. He returned to what is now Forest county and pre- pared to assume the heavy burdens of the pio- neer. His wife, a southern woman of culture and refinement, found life in the wilderness intolerable. So great was her depression that she yielded to the imperative call born of for- mer associations and returned to her southern home. Undaunted by this greatly deplored action on the part of his wife, though sym- pathizing with her attitude. Colonel Blood found measurable relief from sorrow by pro- jecting himself heart and soul into achieving the object to which he had dedicated himself. The present and future generations shall owe to this indomitable spirit a debt of apprecia- tion and honor, for he was one of the founders and builders of what is now an opulent and at- tractive section of the old Keystone state. llc died at Marienville, Forest county, in the year 1860, and this history of Jefferson county may well accord to his memory a passing tribute.

Parker P. Blood was born in Maryland, where he was reared and educated. In 1852 he became a member of a corps of engineers making a railroad survey through this section of the state, and in the winter of 1852-53 en- gaged in teaching school in Clarion county. In the following spring he established his resi- dence at Brookville, and became associated with Kennedy L. Blood, a brother, in establish- ing and conducting a drug store. He became a leading business man and influential citizen and in 1856, under the administration of P'res- ident Buchanan, was appointed to succeed his brother Kennedy as postmaster of Brookville. In 1860 he associated with Samuel Craig in a general merchandise business, and after the death of his partner continued the enterprise until 1870, when he retired therefrom. Later he engaged in the implement and livery busi- ness, which after his death was purchased by William Divler, long associated with him. Mr. Blood survived his wife about six years, left no children and passed to the life eternal on the 12th of March, 1912, a citizen whose character and achievement made him one of the most revered and valued men of Brookville, where his name shall be held in lasting honor. Mrs. Blood was Virginia Booher, daughter of John Booher, a wagonmaker of Brookville. She' was the youngest of three sisters, all deceased.

P. LOT BROWN is one of the numerous Brown family of old and honorable standing at Bells Mills, where his father, Henry Brown, had extensive property holdings and carried on his principal business operations. The nine

sons of Henry Brown who attained maturity have been, in their turn, among the most cap- able business men of their generation in Jeffer- son county, though some of them have ex- tended their interests into wider fields, with equally favorable results. Initiative, self-re- liance, clear judgment and confidence have been distinguishing traits of all these Browns. whose connection with the industrial advance- ment of this section has been decidedly bene- ficial in character and reflects creditably tipon the progressive disposition they have shown. The early history of the family is given in full in the sketch of David Fisher Brown, of Punx- sutawney, brother of P. Lot Brown.

P. Lot Brown received his education in the schools of Bell township, and was trained to lumbering and farming from his earliest years, working with his father in the woods and at the mill. In 1903 he became associated with his brother Ward F. Brown in lumbering oper- ations in Jefferson county, and in 1905 they turned their attention and energies to similar work in West Virginia, where they were ex- tensively engaged until 1912. Now their prin- cipal interests in this line are in North Caro- lina, where they operate as members of the firm of Brown Brothers, composed of David F., Ward F., Peter L., and George C. Brown. P. Lot Brown owns a farm in Bell township ad- joining the old homestead, but he makes his home in the borough of Punxsutawney, where he is connected with the County National Bank as a director, his brother W. J. Brown being president of that institution. He is duly inter- ested in various local activities, belonging to the Odd Fellows lodge and the Country Club. and is at present serving as a member of the borough council, taking a real share in pro- moting the administrative efficiency of the town government.

Mr. Brown married Margaret Grube, daughter of John R. Grube, of Bell town- ship, and they have had seven children : Nellie, wife of Rev. Meade Dougherty, a Methodist minister, of Cloe. Bell township ( they have one daughter ) : Ned L. ; Madeline. Mrs. Newell Bidewell, living at Homer City, Indiana Co., Pa .; Katherine, now a student at the Indiana ( Pa.) State Normal School: Martha, studying at Beaver, Pa. : Louise, and James Grube.

NED L. BROWN, eldest son of P. Lot Brown, was born in Bell township, Jefferson county, July 20, 1889. He attended public school at Cloe and at Elkins, W. Va., and graduated from the Reno business college at Pittsburgh, subsequently elerking for his father and uncles at Eskota, N. C., where he re-

JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

mained for four years, having charge of the store owned by the Brown Brothers Lumber Company. He then came to Punxsutawney, and on Dec. 1, 1916, bought out the well known clothier, M. H. Morris, the store, which is located in the Pantall block, being now con- dueted under the name of Ned L. Brown & Co. He carries a full line of men's wear. Socially Mr. Brown is a Mason, affiliating with Burnsville Lodge, No. 192, F. & A. M., of Burnsville, N. C .; with the chapter and com- mandery at Minneapolis, N. C .; and Kerbela Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Tennessee. He married Ada B. Cottle, daughter of George Cottle, of Harper, West Virginia.

BERNARD KLEIN, a venerable resident of Brookville, has lived in Jefferson county from youth and for many years has had a wide reputation in the lumber business, to which all his active years were devoted. In the course of a notably successful career he was connected with one of the foremost concerns in that line in this section of the State, whose operations during a long period were an important item in the lumber trade in western Pennsylvania. Since his retirement some years ago his valu- able interests have been handled by one of his sons, all of whom have given evidence of pos- sessing inherited capacity for important af- fairs. Though Mr. Klein is one of the oldest retired business men at Brookville and has withdrawn from active participation in the life of the borough, he keeps closely in touch with her progress, to which he has contributed a generous share. He is a native of Germany. born April 13, 1828, son of Warnerd Klein. who brought his family to America when his son Bernard was about fourteen years old and settled in old Allegheny City, Pa. The father spent his latter years in Brookville, where he died. Ile had two sons: Cornelius, who died unmarried ; and Bernard.

Immediately after his arrival in this country Bernard Klein found employment at lumber- ing in Jefferson county. It proved to be his life work, for by the time he had acquired some experience he was ambitious to enter the trade on his own account, and he and his part- ners controlled an appreciable share of the operations in their section for a number of years. He was one of the firm of Carrier, Verstine & Klein, and later was associated with Bernard Verstine under the name of Verstine & Klein, remaining in this connection until his retirement, in 1904. He makes his home at Brookville. As a pioneer lumberman of this region he is familiar with the history of its development for three quarters of a century,

and his own honorable part in the work has gained him the goodwill and esteem of all his contemporaries, either in business or in the other relations of life. His sturdy character was an influence for good wherever his activi- ties took him.

In 1850 M.r. Klein was married, in Clarion, Pa., to Mary DeSmet, who died March 22, 1909, after considerably more than half a cen- tury of wedded life. They reared a large fam- ily, viz .: John, the eldest, is deceased ; Albert C .. born in 1859, died Nov. 14, 1892; Matilda, born in 1861, died in 1864; Annie Agnes, born in 1863, died May 26, 1909; Ella May, born in 1865, died July 14, 1909 ; Jamies Bernard, born in 1867. married Lillian Clouse, daughter of Andrew Clouse, and they reside in Brookville ; Rosalia, born Oct. 9, 1869, is unmarried and resides at home ; Della P., born Nov. 26, 1871, is the wife of J. B. Shaffer, and is living at Charleroi, Washington Co., Pa .; Joseph E., born in 1873, died April 4, 1898; William Ed- ward, born May 19, 1875, died June 5, 1897; Norton A., born Oct. 29, 1880, married Matilda Wittman, and they have two daughters, Gene- vieve and Mary Margaret. Norton A. Klein resides at home with his father and sister Rosa- lia, and is engaged in looking after his father's interests. He is a young man of integrity and upright character, and has the confidence of a constantly widening circle of acquaintances.

JOIN KLEIN, eldest son of Bernard Klein. was born Sept. 2, 1855, in Jefferson county, Pa., and had such early advantages for education as the home locality afforded. He had a thorough training in the lumbering business in its various branches, being em- ployed with his father in the woods and at the sawmill, and he also engaged in the manufacture of shingles. Entering the old Red Mill at Brookville, he followed the milling business there for a time, subse- quently purchasing the old Jefferson Milling Company's plant at Brookville, which he con- ducted until his death. It is still owned by

his widow. Mr. Klein passed away in his prime. dying at Brookville Feb. 1, 1905, and his untimely decease was sincerely regretted in Brookville and the various other localities where he had become well and favorably known to all who had dealings with him. He was a member of the Roman Catholic Church, which he supported liberally, as he did every other good enterprise in the town. His word and means were always ready in the encour- agement of any movement which promised to bring about wholesome changes in the community

Mr. Klein married Elizabeth Gooder, and

JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

the following children were born to them: Dora, wife of Hugh F. Lynch ; May ; Ambrose, who is engineer at the Klein mill; Lawrence, also employed at the mill; Rosalia, now en- gaged as a clerk in the James M. Canning es- tablishment at Brookville; Bernard John ; Clare, who died Dec. 29, 1915, at the age of eighteen years; Vincent ; and Frances. Mrs. Lynch took charge of the mill after her father's death and has since conducted it for her mother. The plant is one of the successful in- dustrial institutions of Brookville. Mr. and Mrs. Lynch have four children, all daughters : Mary, Marguerite, Josephine and Gertrude.

Thomas and Elizabeth ( Endres ) Gooder, parents of Mrs. Elizabeth Klein, came to the United States from Germany and settled at Brookville, Jefferson Co., Pa., where he fol- lowed the trade of stonemason. He died in 1876, his wife in 1901. They had four chil- dren : Thersa, deceased ; Elizabeth, widow of John Klein ; Edward, a jeweler, of Reynolds- ville, Pa. ; and Albert, deceased.

ALBERT GOODER, late of Brookville, who died April 23, 1911, was truly one of the most es- teemed residents of that borough. He was born there in June, 1866, was educated in the parochial schools, and when a youth entered the Mcknight drug store, with which he had been connected for twenty-seven years at the time of his death. After long and faithful service as an employe he became a member of the firm of MeKnight & Son, and at the time of his death was associated with J. B. Mc- Knight in the management of their extensive interests, for which responsibility he had proved himself fully capable. He had all the substantial qualities necessary to business suc- cess, and also the geniality, courtesy and kind- ness which won and kept the friendship as well as the patronage of customers, there hay- ing been few citizens of Brookville who had so many devoted friends there. Modest and un- assuming, and devoted to his work, Mr. Gooder found in pursuing the simple round of (luty so many opportunities for gracious acts that even those who came into only occasional contact with him were attracted by his sincere amiability. We quote from two newspaper ar- ticles which appeared in the Brookville papers at the time of his death illustrating this feel- ing: "In Mr. Gooder's death the community loses a man faithful to every trust-a business man whose word was truth, whose every deal- ing with his fellow man was honorable and just ; a citizen who was ever ready to do his part in any work of usefulness ; a husband and father whose whole heart was in his home and the happiness of those dependent upon him."

The second article referred to was in part as follows: "A most extraordinary tribute was paid to the memory of the late Albert Gooder when practically every business house in Brookville closed its doors, and the active busi- ness and professional men of the community to the number of over one hundred attended the funeral services over his remains in a body. Nor did the tribute end with the presence of Mr. Gooder's business associates, but from every walk of life came young and old, of every religious faith and creed, to lay their measure of respect at the feet of the departed. The outpouring of the people was not the re- sult of organized effort, but a spontaneous voicing of the grief of the community in the death of one of its best beloved. The life of the departed had been unostentatious. He craved no place of prominence in the com- munity, nor sought the seats of power. Others had won more distinction, still others taken from the marts of trade greater monetary re- wards of service. His was a life lived in an ordinary way-unselfishly devoted to the com- mon labors of mankind-and he asked only the common things of life for himself, and com- mon comforts for his own. Yet in his death was proved the innate power of the simple life to melt the hearts of men. In the presence of the Grim Reaper men looked upon the calm face of Al. Gooder and realized that there are greater things than wealth and power and fame. After all it is not faith nor creeds nor sacraments that are the test of life and win the victor's crown in death, but the act of so living, in daily communion with one's fellow men, as to earn their approval and esteem."

Mr. Gooder passed away in his prime, after but a few days' illness, and was buried in the Catholic cemetery at Brookville. He was a member of the Immaculate Conception Church.

In October, 1898, Mr. Gooder married Ger- trude Bothuyne, who survives him with the seven children born of this union: Thomas, Charles, James, Joseph, Albert, Richard and Mary.

WILLIAM DICKEY, late of Brookville, belonged to that class of representative citi- zens whose sterling worth and fidelity to duty make them valued acquisitions to the com- munity of which they are a part. Born Dec. 14, 1832, in Jefferson county, a few miles from Brookville, Mr. Dickey was a son of Matthew and Elizabeth Ann (Templeton) Dickey. His father was born in County Derry, in the North of Ireland, in 1800, and came to America in

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JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

IS17. His mother was a native of Rich Hill (now called Templeton), Armstrong Co., Pa. Full of the vigor of youth and with five hun- dred dollars to start him on life's journey, Matthew Dickey invested his money in coal land in Armstrong county, where he was en- gaged in school teaching. In about 1831 he took up his residence in Jefferson county, Pa., where, in connection with his educational work, he also followed farming and merchan- dising, opening a store in Brookville in 1833, and another in 1852. Every trust reposed in him was faithfully performed, and he was honored by all who knew him when he died in 1882, at the venerable age of eighty-two years. His estimable wife passed away in 1887. One son, David, a resident of Brookville, still sur- vives them.

William Dickey acquired his primary edu- cation in the old-time log schoolhouse, where he mastered the elementary branches of learn- ing. Subsequently he pursued his studies in the academy in Brookville, and still later at- tended a select school at that place. His ini- tiation into business life was obtained through clerking in his father's store. After working in that way for about five years, his father established him in a mercantile business in Dowlingville (Baxter), this county, where he remained two years, after which he went to Troy (Summerville), being there engaged in merchandising for a similar period. Return- ing then to Brookville, he conducted a store here for a quarter of a century. In 1865, in association with George H. Kennedy and M. M. Meredith, Mr. Dickey opened a general dry goods store in Brookville. In 1866 Mr. Mere- dith sold out to Dr. J. H. Wick. In January, 1860, Dr. Wick retired, but Messrs. Dickey and Kennedy continued the business until 1878, when they sold out to M. W. Dickey. From the time he gave up the mercantile busi- ness Mr. Dickey devoted his energies to his lumber investments, being one of the leading lumber merchants of Jefferson, Elk and For- est counties. The foundation of his large for- tune-he was generally considered the wealth- iest man in Jefferson county-was laid in this industry, which was really his chief interest throughout life.

William Dickey was elected a director of the National Bank of Brookville Aug. 1, 1891, elected president of the bank Nov. 11, 1893, and resigned Oct. 31, 1912, resignation ac- cepted Jan. 14, 1913. His death occurred Jan. 10, 1917, in his eighty-fifth year, while he was on a visit to the home of his daughter, Mrs. 4

Maxwell, in Pittsburgh. He had been ill since Christmas.

On May 22, 1856, Mr. Dickey was married to Miss Mary A. Douthett, a daughter of Rev. William Douthett, at that time a minister of Allegheny ( now called the North Side of Pitts- burgh). They had six children who reached maturity, namely: Matthew W., a lumber merchant of Tennessee, residing at Johnson City ; William W., who is engaged in the same business in Pittsburgh, Pa .; Ada M., widow of John Means, a prominent merchant of Brook- ville; Lula M., wife of Frank K. Brown, of Clarion ; Myrtle H., wife of L. Benton Long, of Ridgway, Pa .; and Mary E., wife of Dr. Wilson Maxwell, of Pittsburgh. The mother died April 28, 1911.

Mr. Dickey served in the war of the Re- bellion as first lieutenant of Company B, 57th Pennsylvania United States Emergency Men, and took part in the capture of Morgan. The war chapter of this work shows a complete history of the operations of the regiment. He was mustered in July 3. 1863, discharged Aug. 17, 1863., Matthew Dickey, Sr., and his son William were both conductors on the Under- ground Railroad for Jefferson county.

Mr. Dickey, with his family, was a faithful member of the United Presbyterian Church, and his funeral services were held in the Brookville Church. From the time he cast his first presidential vote, for John C. Fre- mont, in 1856, Mr. Dickey was a stalwart sup- porter of the Republican party, and was heart- ily in sympathy with its present policy, being an advocate of sound money and protection to American industries. The world instinc- tively pays deference to the man who has won prosperity by honorable methods and untiring industry. Such was the career of William Dickey, and he well deserves mention among the leading citizens of Jefferson county. For the last thirty-four years Mr. Dickey had spent his winters in California.

FRANCIS C. SMATHERS, M. D., one of the best known physicians of southern Jeffer- son county, is a son of Dr. W. J. Smathers, the pioneer doctor at DuBois, Clearfield county, who is as well known in the adjoining section of Jefferson county as in his home territory. His maternal great-grandfather, Dr. W. N. Sims, was an early physician at Smicksburg. Indiana county, so that he had a record of achievement in professional work in this region to live up to. It is but fair to say that the de- votion to duty which made them so popular and highly regarded has animated him in his work.

JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

His services have been of distinct value in the advance of medical science in this county, for he is one of those progressive practitioners who endeavor to follow the most approved modern principles, both in his attendance upon private patients and his activities in behalf of the gen- eral welfare. Dr. Smathers makes his home at Big Run, but he finds it more convenient to maintain his office at Punxsutawney.

The Smithers, Smethers or Smathers family is of English stock. The original form of the name is Smithers, but it is spelled with either of the first three vowels of the alphabet and sometimes o or u in America. The first men- bers of the family in this country, Robert and Jacob Smithers, came to America from Lan- cashire, England, about 1767. Both were then unmarried, aged twenty-one and eighteen years respectively. Robert settled in Delaware and Jacob, from whom Dr. Smathers is directly descended, settled in Luzerne and Columbia counties, Pa .. on the north branch of the Sus- quehanna river, convenient to where the fol- lowing towns now are: Berwick, Nescopeck, Beach Haven, Shickshinny and Salem. There he married a German woman. He was a sol- dier in the Revolutionary war, during which he had one of his hands shot off by an Indian. His grandson, Christian Smathers, great- grandfather of Dr. Francis C. Smathers, mar- ried Susanna Harriger, like himself a native of Luzerne county, and they spent their entire married life in Clarion county, Pa. Their son, John Smathers, the grandfather, was born in Clarion county Jan. 4. 1828. and grew to man- hood there. On Jan. 31, 1850, he was married, in Jefferson county, to Ann Jones, who was born March 9, 1829, and they settled in Jef- ferson county in 1852, making a permanent home there. Mr. Smathers was a farmer and stock dealer, buying stock extensively all over the county, and was well known in his day. He died Aug. 25, 1895, and his widow contin- ued to reside on the homestead until her death, May 10, 1915. They were the parents of five sons : Wilson Jones; M. F., a farmer of Jef- ferson county; Winfield Scott. formerly a merchant at Worthville, who moved to Clarion, Pa., in 1001. was elected sheriff of Clarion county in 1909, and died Feb. 11, 1913, while serving in that office; J. C., who engaged in farming at North Point, Indiana county ; and Charles E., who remained with his mother on the home farm.

WILSON JONES SMATHERS, M. D., was born March 28, 1851. near Greenville, in Clarion county, Pa., and spent his boyhood on his

father's farm. He began his education in the local public schools, pursued his higher studies in the Union Academy at Dayton, Pa., which he attended for three and a half years, and in the winter of 1870-71 taught at Fair- view, Jefferson county. In the spring he be- gan the study of medicine with Dr. R. B. Brown, of Summerville, this county, and in the fall of 1871 matriculated at Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, graduating from that in- stitution March 12, 1873. Having chosen DuBois as his field of practice he located there June 20, 1873, and there his interests have centered since. The settlement then consisted of not more than twenty-six families, known as Rumberger ; the nearest post office, Jeffer- son Line, was four miles away, and the Alle- gheny Valley railroad to the town was not com- pleted until the next year, passenger trains being first run in the fall of 1874. Indeed, when he located here it was in the forest, with 110 officers of the law, no schoolhouse, no churches, no government of any kind, no streets except the public roads running from Jefferson Line through Rumberger to Beech- woods, and another road starting at this place running in an easterly direction, striking the pike at Goodlanders, four miles distant. The roads were poor and could only be traveled on foot or horseback, which made his work extra hard during the early years when his practice took him into the country a good deal, often twenty miles or more up the creek, into the logging camps. It was some years before an- other physician came to the town, and mean- time he took care of a large and constantly in- creasing practice, whose demands grew heavier yearly as the region became settled and de- veloped. DuBois is now the most important city in the county, and Dr. Smathers has taken part in its growth and has found his own in- terests expanding accordingly. He has held a foremost place in his profession throughout the forty years and more of his practice, and has been a leader in its various activities. He joined other influential physicians in the organ- ization of the Du Bois Academy of Medicine in September, 1894, and became its president, holding that position for several years. When the local board of health was organized, in 1893, he became president, and acted in that capacity until June, 1896, when he resigned to accept the position of school director, shortly afterwards becoming president of the board. The first board of pension examining surgeons at. DuBois was established Ang. 11, 1897. and he was one of the appointees, and upon the organization of the board he was made treas-

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Jefferson County, Pennsylvania : her pioneers and people, 1800-1915, Volume II, Part 11

Author: McKnight, W. J. (William James), 1836-1918 Publication date: 1917 Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers Number of Pages: 972

Author: McKnight, W. J. (William James), 1836-1918
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers
Number of Pages: 972