USA > Pennsylvania > Prominent and progressive Pennsylvanians of the nineteenth century. Volume I > Part 30
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40
389
JOHN B. ROACH.
prises, were completed in rapid succession. In 1883 John Roach & Son secured the contracts for the new steel cruisers "Chicago," " Boston," " Atlanta," and "Dolphin," the first vessels of the new navy, the contract price being $2,440,000. The famous dispatch boat, " Dolphin," was ready for delivery in 1885, but a hostile Board which passed upon the merits of the vessel led to a decision from the United States Government authorities that there was no contract for the four cruisers which the Government was bound to respect. This ruined the business and the health of John Roach, and his assignment and death followed. But the builders finally triumphed and the ships were accepted. The senior Roach died January 10, 1887, and it was not long after that the merits of his great achievements were recognized. At the re-organization which followed the death of his father, John B. Roach became the Presi- dent of the Ship Building Corporation at Chester, and the Vice- President of the Morgan Iron Works of New York City. In addi- tion to the construction of the " Priscilla," "Puritan " and " Ply- mouth," which are considered among the finest steamboats in the world, for the Fall River Line, Mr. Roach has built scores of large boats for various other steamship, mail and railroad companies. During that time he has fulfilled contracts reaching close to $40,000,000, and has paid out in wages $15,000,000 of this, besides giving work to others whose aggregate of wages will amount to almost as much more. Summed up in one lifetime this is one of the most remarkable records in the history of American commerce.
John B. Roach lives quietly at his home in Chester with his family. He was married December 12, 1861, to Mary Caroline Wallace, daughter of David and Gertrude Paulding Wallace, of Staatsburg, Dutchess County, New York. Mrs. Roach comes of Revolutionary stock. Major John Paulding, one of the captors of Major Andre, the spy, was one of her ancestors. Mr. and Mrs. Roach have had a family of eleven children, four of whom survive, Emeline Wallace, the wife of William C. Sproul, of Chester, a mem- ber of the Senate of Pennsylvania; Mary Garretta, the wife of Dr. F. F. Long, also of Chester; John, and William McPherson.
GEORGE B. ROBERTS.
EFORE the War of the Revolution, in the year 1683, the family tree of George B. Roberts, who served so long and faithfully as President of the Pennsylvania Railroad, grew its first roots in American soil. From the days of those early settlers until the present time the history of the Roberts family has been replete with instances of patriotic devotion to State and country, and with practical evidences of the sturdiness and vigor of its stock. George B. Roberts possessed all the brightest facul- ties and abilities of the model citizen, and as the chief officer of the Pennsylvania Railroad attained a high place in the world of industry and finance.
GEORGE BROOKE ROBERTS was born January 15, 1833, in the old homestead of his ancestors, "Pencoyd Farms," in which he resided until his death, on January 30, 1897. The family was a Welsh one, its first American member being John Roberts, who, in 1683, emigrated from Bala, the old home of his family, in Merionethshire, Wales. So many other Welshmen settled in the same neighborhood at the same time that that part of Lower Merion Township became known in county geography as the "Welsh Tract." With few exceptions the same families still retain their original farm holds. George B. Roberts was a son of Isaac Warner Roberts, who, at the time of the son's birth, was the head of Pen- coyd Farms. All the members of the family up to that time had contented themselves in the pursuits of husbandry, but the newer generation turned to professional life. After receiving a primary education in the neighboring schools, he finished with a course in the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, at Troy, New York, from
390
Ths 'Restbrunit Eng Co. Philo ..
391
GEORGE B. ROBERTS.
which he received his diploma in 1849. He began his long service as a railroad man in 1851, when but eighteen years old. His start was an humble one, rodman in an engineer corps engaged on the construction of the mountain lines of the Pennsylvania Company, but it gave him an opportunity to show his mettle, and his advance- ment was rapid. In 1852 he became Assistant Engineer of the Sunbury and Erie, now called the Philadelphia and Erie Railroad, and for the subsequent ten years was steadily engaged in the con- struction of various new roads, including the North Pennsylvania and Western Pennsylvania, the Allentown and Auburn, the Mahanoy and Broad Mountains, the West Jersey and others, many of which were completed by him as Chief Engineer.
J. Edgar Thomson, who was President of the Company at that time, recalled him to the Pennsylvania Railroad, in 1862, to act as his assistant. The President, who still has control of the construc- tion and kindred departments, at that time bore a heavier burden of management, his supervision being more direct. Mr. Roberts was placed in the President's office, and, with the approval of his superior, had full charge of the building of the company's lines. In 1869, when the departments of the company were organized, he was made Fourth Vice-President and his duties continued as before. He was almost immediately advanced to the position of Second Vice-President, where his power and responsibility in the construc- tion and extension of the lines were widened, and, in 1874, when Thomas A. Scott was elected to the Presidency, he was moved up into the vacant chair of the First Vice-President. He not only assisted the President in all business pertaining to leased or con- trolled roads, but had charge of all engineering matters relating to the construction, extension and improvement of the company's lines, and a general supervision of accounts. On the resignation of Mr. Scott, on June 1, 1880, Mr. Roberts was elected to the suc- cession, and to duties for which the course of his promotion and his whole railroad experience had admirably fitted him. Among the first and greatest of the tasks that he accomplished on assum- ing his office was the leasing and re-organization of the roads west of Pittsburg, now in the Pennsylvania system. His genius as an I .- 26.
392
GEORGE B. ROBERTS.
administrative officer, as an engineer, and as a financier have marked his career as Director of the great company with brilliant success. The strain of holding an institution of such magnitude to its standard is one that demanded all the thought and all the effort of the one at the helm, and the responsibility left its imprint on the face of the man who for seventeen years carried the honor and care of the President's title in one of the greatest railroad systems of the world. Mr. Roberts' management of the road was a gentle one, his aggressiveness only showing when great occasion demanded it. The capture of the control of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad, in 1881, when the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was after it, was one of the notable coups of his administration. The pronounced abilities that made Samuel V. Merrick pre-eminent as a promoter, William C. Patterson as a business man, John Edgar Thomson as an engineer, constructor and organizer, and Thomas A. Scott as a manager and developer, were united in George B. Roberts. In private and social life he was an equally active figure. He was a Director of the Free Library of Philadelphia, Vice-President of the Fairmount Park Art Association, a member of the Pennsylvania Historical Society, of the Sons of the Revolution, of the Lawyers' Club of New York, of the Church Club, the Art Club and the Farmers' Club. His leisure hours were spent generally on his farm, the old family place, near Bala, on the Schuylkill Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Like the name of Merion, the derivation of Bala may be traced to the Welsh seat of the Roberts ancestors. Mr. Roberts was twice married; in 1868 to Sarah Lapsley Brinton and, in 1874, to Miss M. P. Williams, of Philadelphia. His children, six in number, are G. Brinton Roberts, a member of the coal firm of D. E. Williams & Company; Algernon B. Roberts, at present study- ing for the Bar; Thomas Williams Roberts, Elizabeth W. Roberts, Isaac W. Roberts and Miriam W. Roberts.
WILLIAM T. B. ROBERTS.
NE of the most important factors in the development of Pennsylvania's home resources during the past score of years has been the reclaiming and improv- ing of its large tracts of vacant lots and waste lands. William T. B. Roberts, the subject of this biography, is one of the pioneers in this work, and he enjoys the further distinction of being one of the operators who have, by their untiring energy, given Philadelphia the title of the City of Homes.
WILLIAM T. B. ROBERTS was born in Philadelphia, June 15, 1850, and, with the exception of very short periods at various times of his life, he has resided in the city of his birth ever since. Owen Roberts, one of the sturdiest of Pennsylvania's sons, was his father, and his mother was Susan J. Roberts. All the schooling he possesses was obtained in the public schools of his native city, and that he was enabled to take advantage of the admirable sys- tem even then prevailing was due to the determination of his parents to give him the best education that their limited means would afford. When he was seventeen years of age he started in to learn the building business, beginning as an appren- tice and passing through the various courses until he had accom- plished the completion of his trade. His entrance into the trade was made March 17, 1867, and ever since that time he has been in the same business. In conjunction with the building line, however, he has been concerned with and largely interested in the development of large tracts of land. In fact, Mr. Roberts is one of those who have helped to make Philadelphia the City of Homes, and his part in securing the progress of Philadelphia has been a large one. His first real business enterprise was enjoyed in con-
393
394
WILLIAM T. B. ROBERTS.
junction with his father under the firm name of Owen Roberts & Son. This co-partnership lasted a few years, after which the young man determined to branch out for himself on a more extensive scale, and ever since has been an independent operator. He was quick to observe the opportunity afforded the bright energetic builder to reap the advantage of the growing demand for homes in Philadelphia, and at once began the erection of numerous houses. In this he was eminently successful, and as the years went by he accumulated quite a working capital upon the basis of which he has since conducted some remarkable operations.
Mr. Roberts' connections with the building trade of Philadel- phia is a very important one. When the operative builders of the city a number of years ago discussed the advisability of forming some sort of an exchange for their mutual advancement and bene- fit, Mr. Roberts was one of the first to give to the undertaking his practical suggestions and earnest support. Being at that time one of the largest builders in this line, he naturally took a par- ticular interest in the success of the project. When the Operative Builders' Association was organized, in 1890, he was elected Presi- dent, and has remained in that office ever since.
In the city of Philadelphia alone the name of Mr. Roberts is associated with some of the most notable building operations in the State. He has erected several thousand dwellings and stores, many of which are structures of handsome design and ornate architec- ture. Among the latter may be mentioned the magnificent resi- dence of P. A. B. Widener, at Broad and Girard Avenue, and that also of George D. Widener, his son, which adjoins it. The mag- nificent brownstone pile which is occupied as the residence of George W. Elkins, the son of William L. Elkins, was also erected by Mr. Roberts, and these structures remain as monuments to his superior skill as a builder and architect of the most advanced type. Some of the most beautiful private dwellings of the family type, now known throughout the country as "Philadelphia Homes," are the work of Mr. Roberts, and so wide did the recognition of his ability and superiority become in this line that he was afforded an opportunity in Scranton, Pennsylvania, some few years ago, to
395
WILLIAM T. B. ROBERTS.
erect several structures, the first houses of Philadelphia pattern in that thriving city.
While Mr. Roberts' chief interests have always been centered in building, yet, from time to time, he has interested himself in investments in large tracts of vacant land to be subsequently developed as the centre of his operations. He is now giving most of his time to the latter feature. Aside from this, Mr. Roberts takes a great interest in the advancement of Philadelphia as a close follower of the political affairs thereof. While he has never had any desire to actively participate in municipal affairs, yet as a Re- publican of life-long fealty he is identified with many movements of a public nature. In connection with his building affairs Mr. Roberts is a Director of the Perpetual Fire Insurance Company, in which institution his ripe judgment is always appreciated. On June 15, 1871, Mr. Roberts was married to Emma J. Britton. They have had two children, Forrest H. Roberts and Miss Leola Roberts. In the real estate affairs of Philadelphia, particularly in the development of its vacant tracts of land, Mr. Roberts continues to be one of the most active factors. He is a thoroughly repre- sentative citizen, and one of whom his city and State may well feel proud.
WILLIAM DROWN RORER.
O field of professional life, perhaps, can exert a greater and more beneficent influence upon the lives of the rising generation, and through them upon the future of the country, than the notable, and, to a certain extent, self-sacrificing calling of teaching, and there is none which calls for keener intuition and clearer judgment of character. To chain the attention by arousing a genuine interest and a desire for inquiry, and to awaken the love of study-this is indeed an art. In the "olden time," middle age and austere dignity were considered essential to the successful practice of pedagogy, but in these progressive days the successful teachers have been those who could best unbend and, by sinking their individuality and placing themselves on the level of the pupil, win his interest without forfeiting his respect. In this peculiarly modern and progressive plan of education none have been more successful than those earnest young men who have been so rapidly forging to the front of American instructors. Very prominent among the youthful teachers who have won reputation for their erudition and power to successfully impart knowledge to the young mind is Professor Rorer, one of Philadel- phia's best known and most highly honored instructors.
WILLIAM DROWN RORER was born on the ancestral homestead, at Oak Lane, on the 24th day of February, 1864. He is the son of David Rorer and Mary Bickley. His ancestry on his father's side was largely German, though the original Rorer in this country settled near Philadelphia as early as the year 1720, a fact verified by a reference to the Penn deed for the old homestead. His mother's people were Welsh, and Professor Rorer thus combines 396
TERunnis &Er
#:
397
WILLIAM DROWN RORER.
in his genealogy the staunchness of the German with the quick intelligence of the people of Wales. No settlers were stronger in their allegiance to their adopted country, or more devoted to the cause of American independence than his forefathers, and several of them served with honor and distinction in the War for Inde- pendence, and later in the War of 1812.
Professor Rorer's elementary instruction was gained in the primary schools at Oak Lane, and, as he progressed and it became necessary for him to attend institutions of a higher grade, he entered the Rutledge Grammar School of the Twentieth Ward of Philadelphia, whence he passed to the Central High School, in June, 1879, and graduated, four years later, with marked distinc- tion. Then it was that he chose the profession of pedagogy, and, without further preparation for the calling, at once was given a school. He taught, beginning at the very next term succeeding his graduation, at Godfrey Consolidated School, Byberry, Philadel- phia, which post he held for two years. How successful were his efforts is evidenced by his selection, only two years later, and while scarcely older than many of his pupils, to take charge of the Preparatory Department of the well known Eastburn Academy, Philadelphia. This promotion, too, brought with it larger oppor- tunities for further study, notably in the line of perfecting himself in the languages. So well were these opportunities improved that, two years later, in June, 1887, he entered the Academic Depart- ment of Yale University, where he pursued a four years' course with earnestness and zeal. Among the special honors which he gained were two which were conferred at his graduation, in 1891, in the widely diverse fields of Medieval History and Political Economy and Economics.
Having thus won fresh distinction as a scholar, he returned to the Eastburn Academy to gain new laurels as a teacher, being proffered and accepting the chair of Greek and Latin. So rapidly did he win favor that, in May, 1893, he became co-principal with Professor George Eastburn; and, the following September, accepted the additional post of Dean of Bethany College, Philadelphia, founded by John Wanamaker. These two distinguished positions
398
WILLIAM DROWN RORER.
he filled acceptably until June, 1897, when his career was crowned by his selection as Principal of the Girls' High School, of Phila- delphia, which has a larger body of students under one roof than any other institution in the United States, there having been 2,846 girls enrolled for the school year of 1897-98. Professor Rorer is, so it is believed, the youngest High School Principal ever elected in Philadelphia.
On July 13, 1893, he was united in marriage with Miss Laura Irene Weidle, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and has a son, William Yale, and one daughter, Mary Dorothy. Professor Rorer is a very earnest and enthusiastic member of the Post-Graduate Department of Yale University, and his devotion to his Alma Mater is strikingly shown by his having named his only son "Yale," in honor of the venerable institution which is proud to claim him as one of her most distinguished sons.
The Reichrandt Eng. Co. Fire
allen B Kinks 7
36.8
2)
ALLEN B. RORKE.
N the city of Philadelphia many monuments are I reared to the skill, the energy and the ability of Allen B. Rorke, the famous contractor and builder, one of the greatest of them being the Bourse, on Fourth and Fifth streets, between Market and Chestnut, a magnificent edifice which was fashioned by the hands of Mr. Rorke, to become world-famed as a temple of trade.
ALLEN BEARLY RORKE, who came of a line of builders, was born in Philadelphia on March 21, 1846, and, until he was four- teen years old, attended the public schools in the city of his birth. At that age, determining to follow in his father's footsteps, he apprenticed himself to a carpenter and builder. His aptitude and quick perception impressed his employer so favorably that at twenty-two he was placed in full charge of some of the most important operations that the firm had in hand. The Pardee School at Easton; the buildings of the Girard Estate occupied by the Board of Brokers in the rear of the Girard National Bank on Third Street, and Horticultural Hall, one of the few remaining buildings of the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, were built under his supervision. His energy and ambition led him, in 1879, to enter the field on his own account, and he rapidly became one of the leading builders of the city. Some of the finest structures in Philadelphia were erected by him, the most notable of them being, of course, the Bourse Building. His work has never been limited to any particular branch of the builders' trade, and has ranged from mills to office buildings, and from private residences to hotels and club houses. A few of the structures built by him are: The Manufacturers' Club House, on Walnut Street west of Broad; the
399
400
ALLEN B. RORKE.
Western Saving Fund, at Tenth and Walnut streets; the Betz Building, on South Penn Square; the two massive buildings of the Girard Estate, on the Market Street block, between Eleventh and Twelfth streets; Buildings Nos. Eight and Nine, Girard College; the granite Annex of the Bank of Northern Liberties ; the Fidelity Storage Warehouse, on Market Street; the State Fencibles' Armory, on North Broad Street; the new Aldine Hotel; the residence of Thomas Dolan, on Walnut Street, above Eighteenth, and of John T. Bailey, on Master Street, near Fifteenth; and a large number of important mills. Among these are the Fitler Rope Works, at Bridesburg; McCallum's Car- pet Mills, at Wayne Junction ; Dolan's Mills; J. H. Michener & Company's smoke house, packing house and stables; John T. Bailey's Cordage Works; the Brush Electric Light Building, on Johnson Street, above Twentieth; The Lennox Mills, at Brides- burg; Dornan Brothers' Monitor Mills, and Leedom's Mills, at Bristol.
Claus Spreckels, when he built his sugar refinery, gave the contract to Mr. Rorke, and was so impressed by the completeness of the work that without asking for bids he gave the contract for the construction of the other buildings to Mr. Rorke. The plant was completed in twelve months, and the buildings are the largest ever erected in Philadelphia in that space of time. Mr. Rorke has numerous other business interests, and he is a Director of the Chestnut Street National Bank and of the Chestnut Street Trust and Safe Deposit Company.
For many years Mr. Rorke has been active in Republican politics, having always been a member of that party, and a ready contributor since his business assumed its present proportions. When Mr. Fitler was elected Mayor of Philadelphia the name of Allen B. Rorke was among the most prominent of those mentioned for the office of Director of Public Works. He was supported most earnestly for this position by business men and his former clients, who admired him for his executive ability and business talents, of which he had given them ample proof. In 1888 he was elected Chairman of the Republican City Committee, in which his counsel
40I
ALLEN B. RORKE.
had already been received and heeded for a number of years, and he managed the affairs of the committee with a success that was pronounced remarkable. As a matter of fact, Mr. Rorke is well known outside of the city, not alone for his remarkable achieve- ments in the construction of massive and beautiful buildings, but for his share in rearing so imperishable an edifice as the Republi- can organization in Philadelphia. In all his public works, as well as his business ventures, Mr. Rorke has given ample evidence of the versatility of his powers and the excellence of his judgment in all detail matters. In a few words, Allen B. Rorke is, beyond question, a remarkable man.
Mr. Rorke is a Mason, and has taken nearly all the degrees of that Order; he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of the Legion of Honor, the Five O'Clock Club, the Union League, the Clover Club, the Manufacturers' Club, the Columbia Club, the Builders' Exchange, the Hibernian Society, and the Union Republican Club.
When he was twenty-one he was married to Miss Lizzie May- nard. They have two sons, and Mr. Rorke's domestic, as well as his social and business life, seems to have been blessed with success.
PETER F. ROTHERMEL.
MONG those artists who have been conspicuous in the development of art in America, none has brought more deserved fame to his country than Peter F. Rothermel, the celebrated historical painter, a native-born Pennsylvanian. Few painters have enjoyed the popularity that he did, and his success was based upon sincere work and real achievement. His efforts covered a wide field, and while less ambitious pictures of his won high admiration, yet the general public, perhaps, best remembers him as the famed painter of "The Battle of Gettysburg," a superb depiction of that memorable event, and one which conveys one of the truest, most realistic and most impressive pictures of the American soldier in battle. In the masterly handling of details, in skilful and effective grouping, and in the nice adjustment and management of all accessories, Rothermel, as a painter, had few equals. As a colorist he held a position peculiarly his own, and had a wide and lasting influence upon the trend and purpose of American Art. He was gifted with rare, original powers in crea- tive fancy; he was a scholarly student of all that appertained to his profession, and he was specially read and informed in romantic history-a branch which he made a distinct specialty.
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.