Portrait and biographical record of Wyoming and Lackawanna counties, Pennsylvania : containing portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties, Part 40

Author: Chapman Publishing Company (NY)
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: New York ; Chicago : Chapman Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1068

USA > Pennsylvania > Lackawanna County > Portrait and biographical record of Wyoming and Lackawanna counties, Pennsylvania : containing portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties > Part 40
USA > Pennsylvania > Wyoming County > Portrait and biographical record of Wyoming and Lackawanna counties, Pennsylvania : containing portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties > Part 40

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).

H ENRY CHAPPELL, of Scranton, was born in Bridgend, Wales, March 14, 1851, and is a member of a family at one time prominent in South Wales. Reference to the his- tory of his parents will be found in the sketch of his brother, William, upon another page. He was educated in the public schools of Bridgend, and at an early age began to assist his father in the store. In 1868 he went to the coal fields of Wales, and gaining employment soon became a practical miner. From an early age it was his intention to seek his fortune in America and as soon as the way was made clear he carried out

this resolve, crossing the Atlantic in November of 1873, and locating in Jermyn, where he en- gaged in mining in the employ of John Jermyn.

The year 1878 witnessed the arrival of Mr. Chappell in Scranton, where he has since made his home. For a time he was employed in the Jermyn (now the Manville) inine, but in March of 1888 he retired from the mining business and the following month bought from A. F. O'Boyle the Castle Hotel in West Market Street. After hav- ing conducted it for three years, he bought Cen- tral Hotel, No. 116 West Market Street, from Charles Lowry, and was "mine host" there until April 1, 1896, when he sold out. It is his inten- tion to again enter the hotel business in West Market Street April 1, 1897.

After having been in America a number of years, Mr. Chappell visited his old home in 1882, and spent three months in Wales and England. Two years later his wife returned to her old Welsh home for a visit. In 1896 he again vis- ited his parents and friends in Wales, sailing May I, and returning September 2, after having en- joyed a delightful trip in Wales, England, Ire- land and the Isle of Man. He owns some val- uable property in Scranton, including several residences in Ferdinand Street, Providence. In politics he is a strong Republican, but not radical in his opinions. While in Jermyn he was active- ly connected with the Ivorites, and now holds membership in Celestial Lodge, I. O. O. F., and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks at Scranton.

In Wales, March 1, 1873, Mr. Chappell mar- ried Miss Ann Jenkins, who was born in Glamor- ganshire, and is a lady of amiable disposition and a consistent member of the Puritan Congre- gational Church. They are the parents of one child now living, a daughter Nellie. The father of Mrs. Chappell was John Jenkins, a native of Carmarthenshire, and a son of William Jenkins, who was a miner by occupation. He was em- ployed as fire boss in Wales until his death in 1874. Twice married, by his first union he had four children, all but one of whom are living. His second marriage was to Elizabeth Williams, who was born in Glamorganshire, the daughter of Thomas Williams, a farmer and dealer in coal

352

PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

there. She became the mother of four children and is still living, making her home in Wales. Mrs. Chappell, who was next to the eldest of the children born to her father's second marriage, was reared in Glamorganshire and continued to make her home in Wales until her marriage.

B ARNARD McTIGHE, formerly one of the foremost citizens of Carbondale, was born in Lakeland, County Mayo, Ireland, in 1825, and received an excellent education at Castlebar, capital of the county of Mayo. A thoughtful reader and thorough student, he was particularly interested in works published in the Gaelic language, and many of the books brought with him from his native heath are found in the library of his widow at this time.

When a young man, Mr. McTighe came to America and settled at Carbondale, where he be- came an influential citizen. After teaching school for a time, he embarked in the mercantile business and continued thus engaged during the remainder of his life. While he met with numer- ous and heavy losses by fire, yet he achieved fair success in the end, and at the time of his demise was well-to-do. He was elected clerk of the mayor's court, and served in that capacity for twelve years, meantime giving naturalization pa- pers to more men than any other person had ever done in the locality in the same length of time. He was a school director for several years and was one of the board at the time of the construc- tion of the present elegant high school building. He was a genial, good-natured man, endowed with a large stock of native Irish wit that made him a favorite with all classes of people. On one occasion, when he had administered the oath of allegiance to a fellow countryman, he closed with the words, "And vote the Democratic ticket," saying this without an expression of humor on his face. The candidate was about to refuse to agree to this, when his countenance broadened into one of his bland smiles, and he added, "If you want to."

His genial qualities of head and heart, his true sterling worth, and his large benevolent spirit, brought to Mr. McTighe the respect of all who

knew him. His unbounded stock of humor made him a most companionable man. When he died, March 21, 1869, in the prime of life, he was deeply mourned, and it is said that his funeral was one of the largest ever held in Car- bondale. He was united in marriage, November 26, 1854, with Miss Catherine Nealon, sister of the present postmaster, John Nealon, and a member of one of the pioneer families of this city. She is a modest, unassuming woman, but possesses the courage of her convictions, and is well informed in literature, being, like her hus- band, a close student of the Gaelic language. Some years ago she gained some prominence by being declared a legal voter and is the only woman in Pennsylvania entitled by law to a bal- lot. The right of franchise, however, she has but once exercised. She had taken out regular nat- uralization papers and was the owner of consid- erable real estate, which caused her to demand the right to vote, and this the courts accorded to her. She is proud of this fact, as she is also of her husband's prominence.

The family consists of the following named children: John B., who was born April 12, 1856, and is now in the west; Matilda A., born Decem- ber 15, 1858, now the wife of Thomas F. Welsh, of Green Ridge, Scranton; William P., born Jan- uary 25, 1860, and died in 1888, at the age of twenty-eight; Thomas M., born December 17, 1862, at present a salesman in Carbondale; Mary, who was born November 4, 1864, and died August 21, 1889; and James B., now an enter- prising business man of Carbondale.

S TEPHEN CHAPPELL. After having acquired a thorough business education in the employ of others, Mr. Chappell deter- mined to utilize his knowledge for his own finan- cial benefit, and accordingly embarked in busi- ness for himself. For three years he was pro- prietor of a general mercantile store in Hagers- town, Md., where he carried on business under the firm name of Stephen Chappell & Co. From there, in the February of 1896, he returned to Scranton with the intention of beginning in busi- ness here. At No. 1840 North Main Avenue,

353

PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Providence, he opened the only exclusive cloth- ing store in this part of Scranton, and here he carries a full line of ready-made clothing manu- factured especially for him, also a complete as- sortment of hats and caps and gents' furnishing goods.

Reference to the history of the Chappell family may be found in the biography of William Chap- pell, upon another page. Stephen was born in Bridgend, County of Glamorganshire, South Wales, in 1862, and was the sixth among eleven children, of whom three sons are in the United States. In 1877 he went to Maesteg, the same county, where he served an apprenticeship in the dry goods and clothing business, gaining a thorough knowledge of this occupation. On the 25th of October, 1881, he arrived in New York City, and the following month came to Scran- ton, where for a short time he held a clerkship in the Boston Store. At two different times he was employed as a clerk at Finlay's, each time remaining three years, and in the meantime clerked for Fenner & Chappell for two years. In February, 1893, he went to Hagerstown, Md., where lie believed he would find a favorable opening for a mercantile business, but after three years in that place he came back to Scranton, which he expects to make his permanent home.

Fraternally Mr. Chappell is identified with Ce- lestial Lodge of Odd Fellows in Scranton. In this city he was united in marriage with Miss Cora, daughter of the late W. G. Thomas. She was born in Schuylkill County, Pa., received an excellent education in Keystone Academy, and afterward became a teacher in the Scranton schools. One child, Stephen Leroy, blesses the union.

J OHN W. McLEAN, who for many years was a member of the common council and the board of school control from the sev- enth ward of Scranton, was born in Carbondale, Lackawanna (then Luzerne) County, Pa., Sep- tember 27, 1847. He is a son of Owen McLean, a pioneer of Wayne County, where he bought and improved a farm and also engaged in the lumber business. For a short time he was em-

ployed by the Delaware & Hudson Canal Com- pany at Carbondale, but throughout most of his life resided near Waymart in Wayne County. His last days were spent in our subject's home, and here he died at eighty years. His wife, whose maiden name was Ann Timon, died in 1848.

Of the family of four children John W. was next to the youngest, and is the youngest of the three survivors. Reared near Waymart, he re- ceived his education in the public schools. In 1861 he enlisted as a drummer boy under Major Bradford of Waymart, but the interposition of his parents prevented him from going to the front. The following year he came to Scranton and was employed on the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western road. While here, in 1864, he en- listed again, but Major Bradford was the provost . marshal, and reported the matter to his father, who took him out. In 1866 he went to Pittston and was apprenticed to the tinsmith's trade un- der Thomas F. Barrett, remaining there for two years and six months. On his return to Scran- ton he took a position with Leonard Brothers, with whom he remained about nine years, and afterward was in the employ of Martin Maloney for some six years. About 1883 he took a posi- tion as forenian of the tinner's department with Hawley Brothers, corner of Penn Avenue and Linden Street, and has since remained with this firnı. He has lived in Pine Brook most of the time since 1862, and occupies a residence at No. 322 New Street.

In this city Mr. McLean married Miss Cather- ine McCann, daughter of Martin McCann, de- ceased, formerly a merchant tailor here. Mrs. McLean was born in Carbondale, and is the mother of six children, namely: William F., a graduate of Wood's Business College, and now employed as bookkeeper with Hawley Brothers; John, deceased; Mary, Robert, Annie and Mar- tin.

Soon after the incorporation of Scranton, about 1871, Mr. McLean was elected to repre- sent the seventh ward in the common council, which had but twelve members at that time. He was re-elected the next year and served two terms of one year each. Some years afterward he was appointed a member of the board of school con-

354

PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

trol from what was then the fourth district, being villages along the way. He died in Cortland Coun- chosen at first to fill a vacancy, and afterward ty at eighty-three years of age. His wife, Nancy, was born near New London, Conn., daughter of Capt. Daniel Partridge, a soldier in the War of 1812. In early life he engaged as a farmer in Connecticut, and there died at eighty-eight years ; his wife died when ninety-six and one-half years of age. After the death of Zenas Miller, his widow made her home with a son in Weedsport, N. Y., and there died at the age of eighty-eight years and nine months. elected regularly. In the spring of 1889 he was elected to the common council on the Democrat- ic ticket, and was re-elected in 1891, and 1893, serving until April 1, 1895, when he refused fur- ther election. While in the council he served as chairman of the sewers and drain committee, the committee on railroads and the auditing commit- tee. During his term the new bridge was built across the Lackawanna River in Carbon Street. He also introduced a bill which secured bridges across Linden Street and Roaring Brook. About the same time the electric streets cars were introduced, the heat and power company was or- ganized, electric lights inore generally distributed and sewers put in, and all these advance move- ments received his support. He has served on Democratic county and city committees and has been delegate to different conventions. In the organization of the Rescue Hose Company he took an active part and was first assistant. A Catholic in religious belief, he is identified with the Catholic Mutual Benefit Association and with other movements connected with his church.

E DWIN E. MILLER, a resident of Scran- ton since 1856, was born in Cortland County, N. Y., July 10, 1828, and is a de- scendant of English ancestors who were among the early Puritan settlers of Massachusetts. His paternal grandfather was a native of the Bay State and engaged in agricultural pursuits there un- til his death; his wife died when lacking only a half year of rounding out a full century. Lon- gevity is one of the family characteristics, and several of the name attained the age of one hun- dred years or more.

The father of our subject, Zenas Miller, was born in Haydenville, Hampshire County, Mass., and when about twenty years of age removed to Cortland County, N. Y., where he bought two hundred acres of wild land. This he cleared and improved, making of it one of the best farms in the neighborhood. In the early days he engaged in wholesale peddling between New York and Buffalo, and sold his wares to the merchants in

The eight children in the family of Zenas Mil- ler were Annie W., Mrs. Babcock, of Allegany County, N. Y .; Mrs. Lucretia C. Stevens, also of that county; Celestia S., deceased; Cornelia L., deceased; Seymour P., who died at Port Byron, N. Y., in 1895; Edwin E .; Charles F., a farmer and manufacturer of sugar in Rice County, Minn .; and Harriet L., who died in girlhood. Reared on the home farm, our subject purchased the place in 1850, and during the same year mar- ried Miss Matilda Brown, of Cortland County. In 1856 he came to Scranton and began to ship produce from Cortland County, N. Y., into this city. He also erected the St. Charles Hotel, which he leased for ten years and then sold. In 1858 he began in the real estate business and also took contracts for the building of houses, many of those still standing in Scranton being his workmanship. When there were only seven families in Park Place, he built the first brick block here, it being four stories high and eighty- seven feet long. During the war he was very successful in the wholesale business with mer- chants between Scranton and Lake Erie.

In 1891 Mr. Miller was appointed superin- tendent of the Pennsylvania Roofing Company, which position he held four years. In 1896 he was offered and accepted the position of super- intendent of the National Roofing Company, which he represents throughout the valley, selling the ebonite varnish for roofing purposes. In Carbondale Township he owns four hundred acres of land; upon it there are two flowing wells, three hundred and eighty-seven and one-half feet below the surface, from which the water spouts up eighty feet above the surface with a loud noise. Gold has been discovered on the adjoining tract.

CORRINGTON S. VON STORCH.

357

PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

In addition, he owns other property in the coun- ty, and is also a stockholder in the Glass Pipe & Conduit Company.

The first wife of Mr. Miller was a daughter of Amos Brown, a farmer who went to Cortland County, N. Y., from Massachusetts. This lady died in Scranton, and of her seven children only two are living: Iona A., wife of Rev. J. B. Sweet, of the Simpson Methodist Episcopal Church; and Charles Theodore, a merchant in Park Place. A son, Dana E., formerly a mer- chant in Park Place, died in 1888. The second marriage of Mr. Miller united him with Miss Anna G. Huff, who was born near Towanda, Pa., Politically a Republican, he was elected on that ticket to represent the second ward in the com- mon council, but on the expiration of his term refused renomination. He is a member of the Park Place Methodist Episcopal Church in Court Street, and has been superintendent of the Sun- day-school. In the erection of the first church in Park Place he took an active part, and the first Sunday-school was held in his house.

C ORRINGTON S. VON STORCH. The record of the von Storch family discioses a creditable history, both in Europe and America, and the present repre- sentatives possess in a marked degree those hon- est and substantial qualities which gave their an- cestors prestige and brought them success. The gentleman whose name introduces this sketch and who has been a life long resident of Scran- ton, was born here December 4, 1835, and is a grandson of the founder of the family in Amer- ica, Heinrich Ludvig Christopher von Storch, represented elsewhere in this volume.

Ferdinand, son of Heinrich, was born in a log house in Providence, December 4, 1810, and af- ter the death of his father assisted his mother in caring for the younger children. He owned one hundred acres, comprising a portion of his fath- er's estate, and this place he improved by the erection of a house on the west side of North Main Avenue. Much of his time was given to agriculture, but in addition he engaged in lum- bcring and coal mining. He organized the von

Storch Coal Company, which sank the shaft now owned by the Delaware & Hudson Company. In early life he affiliated with the Whigs and upon the disintegration of that party became a Repub- lican. While in the main he was successful, yet he had his share of reverses. At one time he was obliged to pay a security note of $30,000 given by Herman Brothers; there had been two other endorscrs besides himself, but they swore out of their obligation, throwing the entire burden upon him.

The mother of our subject, Caroline Jane Slo- cum, was born in Providence, April 29, 1814, and died here February 21, 1855. Her father, Sidney, a native of Wyoming, Luzerne County, Pa., was a farmer, owning one hundred and sixty acres in Scott Township, now the property of Leander von Storch. In addition he was a millwright and built a grist mill near his home. He was acci- dentally killed there by falling through a trap door that had been carelessly left open in the mill.

The parental family consisted of eleven chil- dren who attained mature years, namely: Ellen, Mrs. E. V. Sawyer, of Yonkers N. Y .; Corring- ton S .; Leander, a farmer of Scott Township; George, who engaged in farming in Scott Town- ship until his death; Henry Ferdinand, a jeweler, who died in Yonkers; Alexander J., member of Company K, Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry, serving for three years and eight months, until in a raid lie reccived injuries which finally re- sulted in his death, at Yonkers, in 1880; Robert, also a soldier in the late war, responding to the emergency call; Cassius M., who is living re- tired in Providence, R. I .; Mrs. Caroline J. Dow- ling, of Yonkers; Frederick, a retired citizen of Yonkers; and Hannah M., Mrs. George Wright. of Tarrytown, N. Y. The eldest child, Henry, died when one year old.

At the age of sixteen our subject was appren- ticed to the machinist's trade at Whitehaven with the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company, and for some time was stationary engineer in a sawmill. Returning to Scranton in 1856, he became out- side foreman for the Luzcrne Coal Company, and in 1859 began to work for the New York & Pennsylvania Coal Company, after which he was

358

PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

engineer for a sash and door company. Decem- ber 2, 1861, he became a member of Company H, One Hundred and Twelfth Pennsylvania In- fantry or Second Artillery. Three months were spent at Ft. Delaware, after which he was or- dered to Ft. Thayer, and assisted in building forts until an attack of fever obliged hint to leave the service. In spite of his remonstrance, he was dis- charged on account of physical disability. Soon after his return home, he recruited sixty-nine men for a construction corps and was sent southwest to Chattanooga, where he assisted in building bridges and railroads. He had in charge the con- struction of the fortifications that the rebel forces attempted to storm with such disastrous results. While in charge of the corps he drew the pay of captain and ranked as such. At the expiration of his time he returned home, in March, 1865.

For two years Mr. von Storch was an engineer for the Delaware & Hudson Company and after- ward had charge of the erection of breaker ma- chinery. Failing health forced him to give up active work and he resigned his position in 1873, since which he has lived quietly at his home, No. 1812 North Main Avenue. In Providence, De- cember 28, 1858, he married Miss Harriet M. Rogers, who was born in Walton, Delaware County, N. Y., and was the fifth among eight chil- dren that attained maturity, but all of whom are now deceased excepting herself and E. W. He was reared in Delaware County, N. Y., and was a teacher there, also followed that occupation in Scranton after coming here in 1856.

The father of Mrs. von Storch, William C. Rog- ers, was born in Guilford, Conn., and engaged in farming in Delaware County, N. Y., until his death, at the age of sixty-six. His mother, Cath- erine, was a relative of the illustrious Alexander Hamilton. Grandfather Asa Rogers, a native and merchant of Guilford, was a pioneer in the wilds of Delaware County, where he cultivated a farm. The mother of Mrs. von Storch, Elizabeth Felter, was born in New Jersey, but spent her girlhood years principally in New York City, and died in Scranton in March, 1889, aged eighty- four and one-half years. Her father, Henry Fel- ter, was an early settler of Susquehanna County, Pa., where he followed the occupation of a farmer

together with the shoemaker's trade. Mr. and Mrs. von Storch attend the Presbyterian Church, of which she is a member. They are the parents of a daughter, Ida. Fraternally our subject is identified with Hiram Lodge No. 261, F. & A. M., Lackawanna Chapter No. 185, R. A. M., and Coeur de Lion Commandery No. 17, K. T., also Lieut. Ezra S. Griffin Post No. 139, G. A. R. In political faith he is a Republican and has served on city and county committees, rendering effi- cient service in every responsibility which he has assumed.

C HARLES H. NORTON, manager of the retail department of the Delaware & Hudson Coal Company, was born No- vember 27, 1863, in the city of Carbondale, where he still resides. His father, James, was born in Ireland, and at the age of fourteen years accompanied his parents to America, where he became an employe of the Delaware & Hudson Company at Carbondale, and retained his con- nection with that organization throughout his entire business life, holding the position of gen- eral coal inspector. For a number of years he served in the city council. He assisted in' or- ganizing the Father Matthew Society, in which he was an active worker and treasurer for many years. In the Catholic Church he was well and prominently known, and in that faith he passed away in April, 1889.

Mary Conner, our subject's mother, was born in Mt. Pleasant, Pa., daughter of Patrick Con- ner, a farmer who died in early life. She is still living, and makes her home in Carbondale. Her family consists of three sons, Charles H., Mat- thew and James. Matthew is a clerk for the New York, Lake Erie & Western Railroad in Carbondale, is treasurer of the board of educa- tion, secretary of the Hospital Society and treas- urer of the Father Matthew Society. James is general coal inspector for the Delaware & Hud- son. The subject of this sketch was educated in the public schools of Carbondale. At the age of fourteen he became a breaker boy in the employ of the Delaware & Hudson Coal Company, after- ward was promoted to be weighmaster at shaft

359

PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

No. 3, later was made assistant of the retail coal department, and in 1888 was made manager of the retail department, in which capacity he has since been employed.

In addition to the duties connected with this position, Mr. Norton is serving as collector for the Fall Brook Water Company. In religious belief he is a Catholic and a generous contributor to the work of the denomination. For a number of years he has been actively interested in and a member of the Father Matthew Society. He makes his home with his mother at the family residence in Carbondale.

G EORGE R. CLARK. In the spring of 1879 the firm of George R. Clark & Co., embarked in the florist's business in Scranton, at first occupying rented quarters, but afterward building on the corner of North Main Avenue and Wood Street. Here he has twenty greenhouses, containing forty thousand square feet of glass, and with twenty-three departments. The buildings are heated by steam, two boilers of sixty-horse power each being used for this pur- pose. Later the seed and nursery business was added, and in the former department everything may be found that can be grown here. Opposite the greenhouses, at No. 1350 North Main Ave- nue, stands the family residence.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Portrait and biographical record of Wyoming and Lackawanna counties, Pennsylvania : containing portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties, Part 40

Author: Chapman Publishing Company (NY) Publication date: 1897 Publisher: New York ; Chicago : Chapman Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1068

Author: Chapman Publishing Company (NY)
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: New York ; Chicago : Chapman Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1068