Portrait and biographical record of Wyoming and Lackawanna counties, Pennsylvania : containing portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties, Part 91

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 91
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 91

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In 1866 Mr. Sherwood was elected to fill the office of county commissioner, and served three years, and he has also acted in the capacity of as- sessor, auditor, poor master and inspector of elections. He votes the Democratic ticket, and strives to do his whole duty as a citizen. For many years he has been a member of the Grange, having acted as master, and has been deputy of Wyoming County for the past seventeen years, and is a member of the Knights of Honor. Be- sides owning one hundred acres of the old home- stead here, he owns one hundred and four acres near Tunkhannock, the county seat.

The eldest child of Mr. and Mrs. Sherwood, Esther E., born November 14, 1859, is the wife of Clayton Sickler, of North Moreland Town- ship. Flora A., born October 15, 1862, is the wife of Jonathan Swartwood, of this township. Clara M., born August 21, 1864, married Frank Marcey, and has one child, Nellie. Preston W., born July 13, 1868, was a brakeman on a train, and was accidentally killed near Athens, Pa., Jan- uary 18, 1891. Anna L., born December 1, 1870, and wife of Bennett E. Brainard, of Bingham-

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ton, N. Y., has two sons, Frank E. and George H. Archie W., born June 19, 1873, resides at home, and has charge of the farm. Nora L., born July 20, 1876, is also living with her par- ents. The family have always regularly attend- ed the Methodist Episcopal Church. Of that de- nomination Mr. Sherwood has been a member for thirty-six years. He is a faithful, consistent Christian, striving to "do good as he has oppor- tunity," and his. example and influence cannot be overestimated.

J OHN W. STARK. A country has but one chief ruler, be he king, emperor or presi- dent. Comparatively few men can attain the highest offices in civil or military life, but commerce offers a broad and almost limitless field in which one may exercise his powers unre- strained and gain a leadership as the head of a chosen calling. Drawing the lessons that we do from the life of Mr. Stark we learn that the quali- fications necessary for success are a high ambi- tion and a resolute, honorable purpose to reach the exalted standard that has been set up. From an early age he has been dependent upon his own resources, and his prosperity is the well merited reward of his labor. He is one of the most wide- ly known men in this section of Wyoming Coun- ty, and for twelve years has been an honored resi- dent of West Nicholson.

The ancestral history of the Stark family can be traced back to the time of King George III., and the family record is an honorable one. The grandfather, Oliver Stark, removed from Con- necticut to Pennsylvania, becoming a pioneer settler of Wyoming County. He located in the midst of the wilderness when wild game of all kinds was plentiful and when advancing civiliza- tion had not relieved the settlers of the hardships and privations of frontier life. He, however, was an energetic, industrious man, who cleared a good farm and faithfully performed his full share in the development of the county. He was a worthy pioneer, to whom the present genera- tion is indebted for what he accomplished on be- half of the county. He married Elizabeth Dixon, of Wyoming County, and died at the age of sev-

enty-two years, while his wife passed away at the age of seventy-four years. Their children were Theron, William H., Mrs. Polly McCelland and Marshall, all deceased; James, of Lemon Town- ship, Wyoming County; Harmon, deceased; Otis N., of Clinton; Mrs. Phoebe Squire, of Nichol- son; Henry, deceased; N. D. and Myer, both of Lemon Township.

William H. Stark, father of our subject, was born in Wyoming County, May 12, 1811, and remained within its borders until his death, which occurred in December, 1896. He was a black- smith by trade, and followed that occupation in connection with farming. He married Miranda Lott, of Lemon Township, who was born in 1812, and died at the age of eighty-four years. They had six children: Betsey, who died at the age of two years; Sarah, deceased wife of Henry Kel- ly; Theron R., of Mill City, Pa .; John W .; Wil- liam E., of Scranton; and George G., who resides near Nicholson.

John W. Stark was born in Nicholson Town- ship, and was reared on the home farm, where he soon became familiar with the duties that fall to the lot of the agriculturist, and also with meth- ods of work at the anvil, learning the trade in his father's smithy. He had to walk two miles to school, and his educational privileges were lim- ited, but practical experience, observation and reading have made him a well informed man. At the age of twenty-two his patriotism rose paramount to all other interests, and he offered his services to the Union, enlisting in Company B, One Hundred Thirty-second Pennsylvania In- fantry, for nine months. He was with the army of the Potomac, and almost from the beginning was engaged in active service on the field of bat- tle. He participated in the hard fought engage- ments of Antietam, Fredericksburg and Chancel- lorsville, and was a brave and loyal soldier who faithfully followed the old flag in defense of the cause which he represented. On the IIth of May, 1863, he received an honorable discharge.

Upon his return, Mr. Stark purchased a farm in Nicholson Township, and successfully oper- ated his land until 1888, his practical and pro- gressive methods of farming resulting in pros- perity. In 1893 he established a general store in

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West Nicholson, and is now one of the leading merchants of the place, carrying a large and well selected stock of goods and receiving from the public a liberal patronage. At the time of leav- ing the farm he was elected county commis- sioner, and creditably served for two terms, dur- ing which he did all within his power to advance the interests of the county, and was instrumental in introducing needed improvements. For six years he served as postmaster, and the office is conducted in his store building, his son-in-law being now the postmaster. He was also jury commissioner, holding the office for three years, and for three years has been justice of the peace.

Mr. Stark married Miss Sarah J. Brown, and they have five children: Etta, wife of William Shaw, county recorder of Wyoming County, has one child, Leo; David Hallstead is now deceased; Carrie is the wife of George Doyle, postmaster of West. Nicholson, and the junior member of the firm of Stark & Doyle; Ora B. is attending school in Scranton; Millie is at home. Mr. Stark is a Master Mason, and belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He votes with the De- mocracy, and is a leader in local political circles.

J OHN D. SMITH, who resides upon a well improved farm in Monroe Township, Wy- oming County, has always been an agri- culturist. A man of clear, keen intellect, he readily grasps difficulties whenever they present themselves, and solves them with well balanced judgment. By constant perusal of the leading journals, those relating to farming and to the events transpiring in the busy outside world, he keeps thoroughly in touch with the spirit of the age, and is posted upon all modern discoveries and well tested methods of agriculture. As a school director, in which office he is acting at present, he strives to obtain better facilities and more practical and well drilled teachers for the rising generation. He realizes to the full the im- portance of the educational factor in the fabric of our great republic, and believes, as every thoughtful man must, that therein lies the solu- tion of many of the evils which seem to threaten the stability of the government.

Turning back the pages in the life history of Mr. Smith, we find that he was born in Wyom- ing County, February 2, 1837, the youngest child of Samuel G. and Margaret (DeWitt) Smith. His father was a native of New York State, and the son of a Scotchman, who early settled in the Em- pire State. Margaret Smith was born and reared in New Jersey, and became the mother of eight children, viz .: Olivia, Adeline, Elizabeth, Sam- tel G., Catherine, Margaret, Marie and J. D. In his boyhood John D. Smith received the benefits of a fair education, as good as the schools of the period afforded. When twenty years of age he determined to begin to make his own livelihood, and from that time forward he fulfilled his reso- lution. As he believed that the west offered greater opportunities to a young man of energy, he went to Minnesota, and remained there some three years, being employed as a farmer and car- penter. Returning home in 1860, he worked for his father on the old homestead for two or more years, but the zeal of the patriot was stirred with -. in him, and he determined to enter the country's service. He bade farewell to his young wife, whom he had married two years before, and en- listed in Company D, Sixty-first Pennsylvania Infantry. With the regiment he went to the front, and took part in the engagements at Rich- mond, Sailors Creek, Muddy Run, Appomattox and others. He served from September 29, 1864, until he was honorably discharged at Pittsburg, Pa., June 20, 1865. He now belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic.

Since the war Mr. Smith has given his entire attention to the management of his farm in Mon- roe Township. Aside from being associated with the Grand Army, he belongs to the Masonic fra- ternity. Politically he is an earnest supporter of the men and measures of the Republican party. April 19, 1862, Mr. Smith married Miss Mary A. Westover, and seven children were born to them, namely: Katie and Margaret, both deceased; Tahmeroo, wife of Samuel Eggleston, of Vernon, Pa .; Jennie, Arthur, Mary A. and Bertha. The parents of Mrs. Smith, David and Bethiah (Rog- ers) Westover, were natives of Luzerne County, where the former was a prosperous miller. Mrs. Smith was born in Wyoming County, and was

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well educated and a lady of sweet and loving dis- position. When death, in the form of consump- tion, claimed her October 28, 1891, the whole community in which she had so long dwelt felt that a calamity had, indeed, befallen it, and her memory will be cherished in the hearts of her many friends for long years.

W ILLIAM N. SMITH. Many of the prominent citizens of Lackawanna County served their country during the dark days of the war, making their record honorable and glorious. Among the brave boys in blue was the subject of this sketch, now a lead- ing agriculturist of Newton Township. He was . fore Yorktown. You were the first to advance born in this township March 6, 1844, was there reared to habits of thrift and industry, and was under the parental roof when the war broke out. October 2, 1861, he enlisted in Company H, Fif- ty-second Pennsylvania Infantry, at Harrisburg, and was mustered into the service. With his regi- ment he participated in the following engage- ments: Lee's Mills, April, 1862; Williamsburg, May 5, 1862; Chickahominy, May 19; Seven Pines or Fair Oaks, May 31; Railroad and Bot- tom Bridges, June 27 and 28; White Oak Swamp Bridge, June 30; Carter's Hill, July 2; Mathews County, November 22; Gloucester, Va., Decem- ber 14; and Yorktown, from August 17 to De- cember 31, all in 1862. Afterward he took part in the campaign to North Carolina, following the fortunes of the war along the Carolina coasts until 1864, which made over two years of hard service there. At Morris Island, August 24, 1864, he was wounded by a shell fired from Ft. Johnson, which struck him between the knee and ankle, and the same day at the field hospital the limb was amputated just below the knee. Soon afterward he was taken to Hilton Head Hospital, and subsequently transferred to Davids Island, New York City, being confined in the different hospitals about six months before he was able to return to his home in Newton Town- ship. He was present with his regiment every day from enlistment until wounded, and partici- pated in all its hardships for nearly three years. The engagements in which the Fifty-second

Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers took part in the Army of the Potomac, under General Mc- Clellan, are given in General Order No. 3, is- sued by Gen. H. M. Naglee, January 8, 1863, from which we quote as follows: "The general lately commanding the brigade most happily takes this occasion to congratulate the officers and soldiers with whom he has been so intimate- ly associated. While memory lasts, it will con- tinually recur to the scenes of deprivation and danger and blood and battle through which you have passed, and you will remember your expe- rience and discontent, and then your discipline and friendly happy affiliation. All will remember with regret the deadly effects of the swamps be- upon Williamsburg, and when ordered by Gen- eral McClellan to support General Hancock, the enemy gave up the contest. On the 19th of May, at Bottom's Bridge, you waded waist deep in the swamps of the Chickahominy, drove away the en- emy and were the first to cross that stream. On the 23d, one hundred and seventy of your number made a reconnoissance from Bottom's Bridge to the James River, near Drury's Bluff, and re- turned, bringing valuable information. On the 24th, 25th and 26th, after other troops had failed, you made the gallant dashing reconnoissance of the Seven Pines, driving the superior force of General Stuart from Bottom's Ridge to within four and a half miles of Richmond, the position nearest that city ever occupied by our troops. On the 3Ist of May, at Fair Oaks or Seven Pines, occupying the above advanced position, your brigade made the most desperate, bloody, ob- stinate fight of the war, and while we mourn the loss of one-half of your comrades in arms, you have the consolation of knowing that by their heroic sacrifice and your stubborn resistance, you saved the Army of the Potomac from great dis- aster. On the 27th, 28th and 29th of June, the rebel General Jackson hurled his immense force suddenly upon our right and passed that flank of the army, and all turned with extreme solici- tude towards the rear at Bottom's Bridge, which, if crossed, would result in irretrievable ruin; and it should be a source of great pride and satisfac- tion in the future to remember that all this in-

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tense anxiety was dispelled, and all breathed with relief and felt secure, when it rapidly ran through the army that 'Naglee's brigade had destroyed the bridges, and stood night and day, for three days, in the middle of the Chickahominy, suc- cessfully and continually resisting its passage.' Again, on the following day, you held a post of the greatest importance and danger; at the White Oak Swamp the most determined efforts of the enemy to cross the bridge in pursuit of our army were thwarted by our artillery, and you stood for ten hours supporting it, quiet spectators of the most terrific cannonade, while other regiments were only kept in place by being ordered back when they approached your line. Retreating all night, you stood ready in position on the follow- ing day, expecting to be ordered to take part in the battle of Malvern Hill. Retreating again all night, at Carter's Hill, on the 2d of July, you stood by the artillery and wagon train, and when all expected it would be destroyed, you brought it safely to Harrison's Landing. During Decem- ber you destroyed a dozen large salt works in Mathews County, Va., and drove the rangers from that and Gloucester, Middlesex, and King and Queen Counties, captured large herds in- tended for the rebel army, and destroyed all their barracks, stables and stores. At Yorktown, from August to the end of December, you restored the works at that place and Gloucester Point, and they are by your labor rendered strong and de- fensible. Thus is yours the honor of having been the first to pass and the last to leave the Chicka- hominy, and while you led the advance from this memorable place to near Richmond, you were the last in the retreating column, when after seven days' constant fighting it reached a place of se- curity and rest at Harrison's Landing. Your de- scendants for generations will boast of the gallant conduct of the regiments to which you belong, and when all are laid in the dust, history will still proclaim the glorious deeds performed by you. Go on! 'The truth is mighty and will prevail.' Pretenders for a time may rob you of your just deserts, but, as you have experienced, their evil report will certainly be exposed; for your many friends at home, ever watchful and identified with your reputation, will see that justice is done. A

new page in your history is about to be written, let it be still more brilliant than that already known. Your past good conduct has won the warmest esteem and confidence of your late brig- ade commander; he has no apprehensions for the future."

(Signed) Henry M. Nagiee, Commanding Division. George H. Johnson, Captain and A. A. G.

At the time General Naglee issued the above order, the Fifty-second Regiment was on its way from Fortress Monroe to Port Royal, S. C. In this new field it was placed under new generals, serving at Port Royal and Beaufort, under Gen- erals Foster and Hunter, and at Charleston un- der Generals Gilmore and Terry. During the siege of Charleston it took an active part from the beginning to the end, serving in the land attack upon the city by way of James Island; the siege and capture of Ft. Wagner, on Morris Island; the boat infantry service in Charleston Harbor; the night attack upon Ft. Johnson, where all who landed were either killed, wounded or captured, Colonel Hoyt and Lieutenant-Colonel Conyng- ham (who led the attack) being among the cap- tured, and Lieutenant Bunyan (acting adjutant) among the killed. Afterward, under Major Hen- nessy, the regiment was the first to enter Charles- ton at its fall, the major raising the stars and stripes upon the ruined ramparts of Ft. Sumter before entering the city, February, 1865. This flag was the first United States colors raised on the fort after Major Anderson took down his flag in 1861, and is now in possession of the Sur- vivors' Association. From Charleston the regi- ment engaged in an expedition to Santee River, then joined Sherman's army in its final Carolina campaign, being attached to Ruger's Second Di- vision, Cox's Twenty-third Corps, Army of Ohio, commanded by General Schofield. In this final campaign the regiment was under command of Col. John B. Conyngham, who had but lately been exchanged from Libby prison, and, coming back as colonel, led until the rebel army of Gen- eral Joe Johnston laid down its arms at Greens- boro, N. C., shortly after Lee's surrender at Ap- pomattox. The regiment remained in the field

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until July 12, 1865, when it was mustered out at Salisbury, N. C., having a record of nearly four years' continuous service by land and by sea, un- der McClellan and Foster and Gilmore and Terry, and finally at the closing scene under Gen- eral Sherman, a record of which it may well be proud.

Since the war Mr. Smith has resided in Lacka- wanna County. He owns a fine farm of sixty- five acres, which, under his careful management, is made to yield bountiful harvests. He is a pro- gressive citizen, as loyal to his country's inter- ests in days of peace as when he followed the old flag to victory on southern battlefields. Political- ly he has always been identified with the Repub- lican party, and fraternally affiliates with Griffin Post No. 139, G. A. R., at Scranton. In 1872 he married Margaret Nary, by whom he had two children, and who died May 7, 1888. The older child, Blanche, is the wife of Charles Searles, and has a little daughter, Bessie M. The son, Mar- cus, married Rebecca Wescott, and assists in the operation of the home farm.

D EXTER W. STARK is an example of what a man may become, provided he possesses good business judgment, unit- ed with qualities of industry and perseverance in whatever he undertakes. Through his individ- ual efforts he has won success, and occupies a high place in the business circles of Tunkhan- nock. A lifelong resident of this locality, he is esteemed by his large circle of acquaintances, and we take pleasure in adding his name to the list of representative men of Wyoming County.

Referring to the Stark ancestry, John, our sub- ject's grandfather, was a son of William and a grandson of Christopher Stark, who came to the Wyoming Valley about 1772-73 with his three sons, Aaron, James and William. John was born in this valley December 5, 1776, and was one of a family of ten. In 1797 he married Temper- ance Pratt, who was born May 16, 1780, and died in 1814. His second marriage, which took place February 12, 1815, united him with Mary Camp, who was born March 22, 1784, and died in 1862. They resided at East Lemon, Pa., opposite

Reed's grist mill, and at that place he died, July 18, 1841. By his first marriage he was the fa- ther of six children, and by his second wife had seven.

Seth B., father of our subject, was the fourth child of his father's first marriage, and was born May 28, 1808. During most of his life he gave his attention to the management of his farm, but found time, nevertheless, to serve his fellow-citi- zens as justice of the peace and in other local of- fices. October 24, 1833, he married Fannie, daughter of Arah Squires, Sr., of Nicholson Township, Wyoming County, and they resided at Niven, Susquehanna County, Pa. She was born September 4, 1815, and died December 6, 1895, while he passed from earth May 2, 1881. They were consistent Christians and faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Their fam- ily consisted of eleven children, eight sons and three daughters, whose names are as follows: Harmon, Mary, Rosetta A., Eliza, Bentley, Na- than R., Zurah, Dexter W., Arah A., Delmer and Hiester Clymer. Three sons, Harmon, Bentley and Nathan R., enlisted in the Civil War. Har- mon was a member of Company B, One Hun- dred and Thirty-seventh Pennsylvania Infantry, and was wounded in the battle of Antietam, Sep- tember 17, 1862. Bentley, of Company A, Fifty- seventh Pennsylvania Infantry, died in a regi- mental hospital at Harrison's Landing, Va., Au- gust 3, 1862. Nathan R., who was a member of the One Hundred and Ninety-second New York Infantry, died January 26, 1876.

The subject of this article was born in Sus- quehanna County, Pa., October 6, 1849. In youth he attended the district and select schools in the neighborhood of his home, and so rapid was his progress that at the age of sixteen he was given charge of a school, teaching successfully for two terms. Afterward he went west, and for a time was engaged in teaching in Stark County, Ill., a county that was named in honor of some of his relatives. From the west he went to New York City, and for two years was employed as clerk in a railroad office. Since 1874 he has been the representative in Tunkhannock of the Cham- pion binders, reapers and mowers, in connection with which he carries on a farm and owns a half

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interest in a flourishing factory in this place. Politically he is a Democrat, and has twice offi- ciated as burgess of the borough. He is a lead- ing Mason, and belongs to the local lodge, chap- ter and commandery.

December 3, 1876, Mr. Stark married Mary E. Prevost, who was born in 1852 and died in July, 1886. The two children born of that union are Lee P. and Fannie. The second marriage of Mr. Stark took place in 1887, and united him with Angelique F. Prevost, a sister of his first wife.

C HARLES SICKLER. A man's reputa- tion is the property of the world. The laws of nature have forbidden isolation. Every human being submits to the controlling in- fluence of others, or as a master spirit wields a power either for good or evil on the masses of mankind. There can be no impropriety in justly scanning the acts of any man as they affect his public and business relations. If he is honest in his chosen field of labor investigation will bright- en his fame and point the path that others may follow with like success. From among the ranks of quiet, persevering, yet prominent citizens of Wyoming County, there is no one more deserv- ing of mention in a volume of this character than Mr. Sickler, of Exeter Township, who is one of the wealthiest and most successful farmers of the county.

A native of Pennsylvania, he was born Septem- ber 19, 1847, a son of Benjamin and Ellen (Eyet) Sickler, who were both born in New York. His paternal grandfather, William Sickler, was a na- tive of Germany, and emigrated at an early day to the United States, where he followed the occu- pation of farming throughout the remainder of his life. Our subject is the oldest in a family of nine children, the others being as follows: Alice, Giles, Edward, Clayton, Sarah, Orpha, Stella and Layton. He early became familiar with all the duties that fall to the lot of the agriculturist, and on starting out in life for himself chose the occu- pation to which he had been reared. By earnest, persistent and well directed effort he has met with remarkable success in his undertakings, and is

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Portrait and biographical record of Wyoming and Lackawanna counties, Pennsylvania : containing portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties, Part 91

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