USA > Pennsylvania > The Wyoming Valley in the nineteenth century > Part 7
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IRA M. KIRKENDALL was born in Dallas, Luzerne county, 1835 ; son of William W. Kirkendall, a farmer, of Dallas; educated in the public schools; began life, after reaching his majority, as a clerk at Pittston, where he served for ten years; spent two years in the West ; in 1859 had charge of the lumber business at Bear Creek, for Pursel & McKeen for six years ; moved to Wilkes-Barre 1865 ; in the lumber business up to 1871 ; in 1871 elected Burgess for a term of three years, and was elected the first Mayor of Wilkes-Barre in June, 1871, for a term of three years ; from 1875 to 1878 was Deputy Sheriff of Luzerne county under his brother, W. P. Kirkendall ; from 1880 to 1883 a member of the firm of Kirkendall & Whiteman, grocers, and since 1883 a member of the firm of Kirkendall Bros., wholesale flour and feed dealers ; is a Democrat, and has represented the Fourth ward of Wilkes- Barre in Council since 1883.
HON. C. D. FOSTER was born in Dallas, Pennsylvania, November 25, 1836. Son of Phineas Nash Foster, a prominent Justice of the Peace. After attending Wyoming Sem- inary for three years and a school in Illinois, he studied law with Lyman Hakes, Esq., and was admitted to the Luzerne Bar April 23, 1861. Mr. Foster was a member of the Legis- lature in 1884 and 1885; Delegate to the National Republican Convention at New York in 1888; Delegate to State Convention in 1889 and 1890. Was beaten by General Osborne for nomination to Congress by twenty votes in 1887.
CHARLES L. BULKELY, ESQ., was born in Wilkes-Barre January 15, 1843. Mr. Bulkely traces his ancestors back to Robert Bulkely, Esq., one of the English barons who, in the reign of King John was lord of the manor of Bulkely of county Palstine of Chester, Eng- land. After finishing his education he read law with Asa R. Brundage, his brother-in-law, admitted to the Luzerne Bar January 8, 1866; served as Alderman in the Fourth ward of Wilkes-Barre for three different terms and one term by appointment, and is serving in that position at the present time; is a brother of the late Dr. J. E. Bulkely, late surgeon of the U. S. Army, and a cousin of Morgan G. Bulkely, late Governor of Connecticut.
JAMES N. WARNER was born December, 1845, in Huntington, Luzerne county, Pa .; worked on his father's farm ; educated at New Columbus; studied dentistry in South Carolina and graduated from Pennsylvania Dental College, Philadelphia, 1873; located in Hazleton ; came to Wilkes-Barre in December, 1875, and located on North Franklin street ; member of Susquehanna and State Dental Societies; married Miss Jane Stark, of Wyoming ; his father was Dr. Sydney HI. Warner, who practiced for forty-five years in Huntington.
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THE WYOMING VALLEY.
RICHARD D. WILLIAMS was born in South Wales September, 1853 ; came to the United States 1886; a carpenter by trade ; for three years was tenor singer in the Kingston Pres- byterian church and for the past four years in the First Presbyterian church in Wilkes- Barre ; in the largest musical competitions in the State, Mr. Williams has taken most of the first prizes as a tenor solo singer; in his youth he took most of the prizes in Wales ; the Vicar of Llandilo, in Carmarthen, in Collogne, gave him the name, according to the Welsh custom, of Eos Carmen ; took the first prize for a tenor solo at the World's Fair at Chicago, 1893.
WINFIELD LATTIN PARSONS, born in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., April 2, 1857. Educated in his father's (Winfield S. Parsons) school, the city High School, Wyoming Seminary, gradu- ating at Lafayette College, 1879, taking first honors in mathematics. Taught for two years in King's Mountain, N. C., then for three years in the Spencerian Business College, Wash- ington, D. C. Now doing a general collection business throughout Luzerne and Lacka- wanna counties, and instructing in bookkeeping in Harry Hillman Academy, Wilkes-Barre. While in Washington he had a considerable patronage in "private" instruction, i. e., pre- paring political aspirants for the Civil Service Examinations. Several of his pupils now hold positions under "Uncle Sam."
SOLOMON S. CHAN, born in Germany 1857; graduated at University of Deisberg on the Rhine; came to the United States 1879; held a leading position with the firm of Jonas Long ; assumed the management of the Wilkes-Barre city ticket office of the L. V. R. R. in IS88; also appointed general steamship agent for all Trans-Atlantic steamship lines and represents Thomas Cook & Son, of New York, for the world-famed Tourist Agency ; is a well-known amateur singer and belongs to several musical societies; is a member of the Board of Trade.
HARRY GEORGE MERRILL was born at Delaware, Delaware county, New York, April 4th, 1858. In early life his parents removed to Afton, Chenango county, N. Y., where he was permitted to attend the Academy for two years. At the age of 12 years he commenced learning the printers' trade at Binghamton, and followed this avocation until 1876, when, owing to ill health, he was compelled to seek out-door pursuits, and for quite a time was newsboy on various railroads in Central and Northern New York. Returning to the newspaper business after regaining his health, Mr. Merrill has followed his chosen profession continuously, and is to-day editor and publisher of the Real Estate Intelligencer, editor and co-publisher with Isaac E. Long of the Opera Glass and Dramatic Herald, and on the city staff of the Daily Record.
JAMES J. RIBBLE was born in Warren county, N. J., August 14, 1851; educated in his native town ; lived with his grandfather, after the death of his father, until his seventeenth year; went to learn the trade of harness making in 1869; moved to Wilkes-Barre in 1877 and established his present business, 67 North Main street; member of Washington Camp, No. 408, P. O. S. of A., and Wilkes-Barre Lodge of Odd Fellow's, 704.
HARRY M. SEITZINGER was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and is a son of the late W. G. Seitzinger, who was a son of Jacob Seitzinger, of Tamaqua; educated at Harry Hillman Academy and at Lawrenceville, N. J., and also took an advance course in electricity in the Lehigh University ; graduated in 1888; established himself in Wilkes-Barre as a consulting and constructing electrical engineer: Mr. Seitzginger is thoroughly trained in his profession.
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
JOHN J. MALONEY, one of the editors and proprietors of the Newes-Dealer, was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and at an early age removed with his parents to Lancaster, Pa., where he was educated in the public schools. In 1875 he entered the office of the Lancaster Express, where he did reportorial work; later he was engaged in a similar capacity on the Examiner. In 1880 he came to Wilkes-Barre and accepted the position of night editor on the Record, which position he held till 1887, when. in conjunction with S. W. Boyd, he purchased an interest in the News-Dealer.
GEORGE CHAHOON LEWIS was born on the 14th day of August, 1844; since the death of his father, Josiah, Jr., he has been engaged in the real estate business ; he served in the 30th Pennsylvania Militia during the emergency in 1863 ; on the 6th of September, 1876, he was united in marriage to Mary Pometa Squires, of Chenango Forks, N. Y., a descend- ant of John Barker, one of the first settlers of Broome county ; they have three daughters- Anna C., Ruth H. and Mary S.
CHRISTOPHER WREN, born at Pottsville, Pa., August 16, 1853; educated in public schools ; removed to Plymouth 1869; learned the trade of moulder in his father's foundry and was employed there until he went into the insurance and real estate business in 1880; elected Prothonotary of Luzerne county on the Republican ticket 1888 ; served three years and ran again in 1891, but was defeated with the entire ticket ; was largely instrumental in locating the Pierson Hosiery Mill and the Roxburgh Carpet Mill in Plymouth.
DANIEL J. REESE, of Plymouth, Pa., was born at Mountain-Ash, South Wales, on the 7th of December, 1857 ; when very young settled at Bull Run, near Tamaqua, Schuylkill county ; educated in the public schools and at Wyoming Seminary ; came to Plymouth in September, 1873; has worked in and around the mines since he was eight years old and is at present employed as a miner under the L. & W .- B. Coal Co .; a staunch advocate and a true friend of labor ; in politics a Republican ; he was clected a member of the House of Representatives in November, 1892, by a majority of 763 ; Mrs. Reese is a native of Tre- mont, Schuylkill county, and is the daughter of Rev. Edward Jenkins, of Wilkes-Barre ; reside on Gardner street, Plymouth; Mr. Reese is a man of fine literary taste, has written many fine verse compositions and is also a popular speaker on economic questions.
REV. FRANCIS ASBURY KING was born at Dauby, N. Y., 1840; educated in the State Academy at Ithaca ; served in the late war, 179th regiment ; attended the Wyoming Seminary from 1865 to 1867; stationed on the Plains 1868; stationed at Newport, 1870; at Lehman, 1872; at Clark's Green, 1875; at Carverton, 1878; at Nicholson, 1881; at Brooklyn, 1884; at Lackawanna, 1887; at Luzerne, 1889.
JASON MYERS CASE was born in Jackson, Luzerne county, Pa., April 2, 1846; educated in the public schools; completed the trade of carpenter at eighteen years of age; foreman at building breakers; began contracting and building at Plymouth; in 1888 moved to Dorranceton, where he has established a large business; member of the Dorranceton Council ; married in 1870 to Miss Anna James.
JOSEPH H.'SCHWARTZ, born in the city of New York July 20, 1860; educated in the public schools and the College of the City of New York; became the junior member of the firm of Fred. Schwartz & Bro., in Plymouth, ; married Miss Stella Janet Keller, daughter of Philip Keller, and Ellen Hunter, 1887.
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THE WYOMING VALLEY.
DANIEL EDWARDS, son of William and Mary Edwards, was born in Eglwysillian, Wales, April 28, 1825; came to America in 1851. and finally settled in Danville, Pennsylvania; married January 17, 1862, Margaret, daughter of Thomas and Anna Edwards, a native of Merthyr Tydvil, Wales. Mr. Edwards early in life became associated with the extensive coal and iron concern of Waterman & Beaver, finally merged into the Montour Iron and Steel Company, and the Kingston Coal Company. The Gaylord Coal Company also was one of Mr. Edwards' organizations; this Company, too, was finally absorbed by the Kingston Coal Company, which is to-day the largest individual coal operating Company in the Wyoming Valley. Mr. Edwards, by pluck, energy, tact and perseverance, coupled with sound judgment and economieal management, made the wonderful stride that has, in less than thirty years, made out of a sound, practical miner a President and General Manager of one of the largest industrial individual concerns in our State. Mr. Edwards, while avoiding political preferment, has been a strong factor in all the political campaigns of the past ten years, and his influence has been felt in the advancement of political economy. In 1884 Mr. Edwards was one of the Presidential electors, which college carried the Keystone State for James G. Blaine and John A. Logan with over 80,000 majority. At this writing, March, 1894, Mr. Edwards, although in his sixty-ninth year, is general head of the Kings- ton Coal Company and Edwards & Company, the management of which he controls, leaving only the detail for efficient superintendents. The Kingston Coal Company mines some- where about a million and a half tons of anthracite coal per year, while Edwards & Com- pany conduct one of the largest mercantile businesses in Eastern Pennsylvania. Mr. Edwards visited his old home in Wales some five years ago, and many of his friends were of the opinion that it portended a removal to end a well-spent life at the place of its begin- ning; if such a thing was ever thought of by Mr. Edwards, he gave no sign, hence we con- clude that the home of his adoption has become his best love.
WILLIAM JOHN LEWIS was born in Glendyris, South Wales, 1858; came to this country 1868; educated in Wyoming Seminary; associated with Morgan Brothers, of Wilkes-Barre, for ten years; conducted mercantile business for himself for three years; at present represents Lamber & Foster, one of the largest shoe houses in the country; was married when he was twenty-three years of age to Mary J. Price, daughter of Rev. J. R. Price; active in church work; lived in Scranton ten years, now resides in Kingston.
JOSEPH D. LLOYD, born April 24, 1867, at Stockton, Pa .; educated at the Bloomsburg State Normal School and the Commercial Department of Wyoming Seminary, graduating . . in 1883; with Coxe Bros. & Co., at Drifton, as bookkeeper ; 1887 in the stock business with his father in Wyoming; in 1890 with Morgan & Co., Planing Mill Co., as assistant mana- ger ; 1892 became traveling salesman for the Atlantic Dynamite Co., for Wyoming Valley : member of the Masons at Kingston; married to Carrie Miller December 10, 1890, who died June 14, 1891 ; married Miss Margaret J. Gray, of Plymouth, October 4, 1893 ; elected by the Republican party Burgess of Wyoming Borough February 20, 1894; son of John Lloyd, brick contractor.
ARTHUR CHARLES HOWLAND was born December 24, 1869; attended Wyoming Seminary from January, 1886, to June, 1888, when he graduated ; graduated from Cornell University, in the course of Arts, June, 1893; became teacher of Rhetoric and Latin in Wyoming Seminary, September, 1893.
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
ABRAM NESBITT was born in Plymouth township. His great grandfather was one of the forty claimants that came from Connecticut in 1769; his son. Abram, was Mr. Nesbitt's grandfather. Mr. Nesbitt's father's name was James. He served in the Legislature in the winter of 1835-36; served as Judge and District Attorney; was Sheriff of the county. He died in 1840. The subject of this sketch was educated at the Dana Academy, in Wilkes- Barre, and at Wyoming Seminary, Kingston, Pennsylvania. He began life as a surveyor ; was one of the organizers of the Second National Bank, in 1863; was elected Vice-Presi- dent, 1872, and President, 1878. He is Director of the Wyoming Valley Coal Company and Director of the Irvona Coal Company, in Clearfield; Treasurer and Secretary of Forty Fort Cemetery; Director of the Poor for several years; Treasurer of the Sanson Cutlery Company ; one of the organizers of the Spring Brook Water Company, one of the largest in the State, and the People's Water Company of Pittston, Pennsylvania.
REV. H. H. WELLES, born at Wyalusing, September 15. 1824. Son of Charles F. and Ellen Hellenback Welles. Graduated at the College of New Jersey at Princeton, class of 1844. Two years' study in Princeton Theological Seminary; licensed to preach by Presbytery of Susquehanna August 29, 1850; began supplying Kingston Presbyterian church December 1, 1850, and was ordained and installed its pastor June 12, 1851 ; resigned from the pastor- ate in April, 1871. Has since acted as stated supply for various churches in the Presbytery of Lackawanna, of which he was the first Stated Clerk. Married, October 12, 1849, Ellen S., daughter of General Samuel G. Ladd, of Hallowell, Maine. Has been President of the Alumni Association of Princeton Theological Seminary, and is Trustee of Lincoln Univer- sity. Resides at Forty Fort.
HENRY GABRIEL ROAT was born in Kingston January 7, 1856; educated in the Wyoming Seminary; associated with his father, A. J. Roat, in the hardware business ; Second Lieutenant in the National Guard.
FRED. L. SPACE, born in Forty Fort 1865; Educated at the Wyoming Seminary ; entered the Wyoming Valley store 1880 and later the store of Harvey Yeager, where he is at the present time : Treasurer of the M. E. Sunday School; Secretary of the Borough Council ; member of the Good Templars ; son of James and Lucinda Space, old settlers of the town ; married Maud, the daughter of Isaac Tripp, 1888.
CLARENCE B. MILLER was born in Tunkhannock, Pa., September 8. 1860; entered in the Mansfield Soldiers' Orphans' School 1872 and in the State Normal School 1876; graduated 1878; entered the educational work as principal of the Tunkhannock public schools; has been principal at Pine Ridge, Northumberland ; in 1883 became superin- tendent at Nanticoke, where he is principal at the present time ; married Miss Gertrude Hlarder, 1886.
HENRY LEES was born in England in 1842; educated in that country; came to this country in 1862; established his present business in Plymouth twenty-three years ago; President of the Town Council of Plymouth two years, member four years; is a Mason ; Superintendent of the M. E. Sunday School.
MORGAN J. REES was born in South Wales, 1851 ; came to this country 1860; mine foreman at Janesville for the Spring Mountain Coal Company twelve years; established his present business 1887.
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THE WYOMING VALLEY.
DANIEL METZGER was born at Lewisburg, Pa., July 28, 1808; settled in Wilkes-Barre 1847 ; was the leading man in his business (plasterer) for a number of years: Councilman for eight years for the borough : was a prominent member of Lodge 61, F. and A. M.
SIMON LONG was born in Pretzfeld. Bavaria, 1827; went to school; established his business in 18446 on the north side of Public Square, and later moved to the west side; in 1859 moved ; 1872 purchased his present store on South Main street; President of the Jewish Congregation, B'nai Brith.
EPHRAIM L. DIEFENDERFER, M. D., was born, at White Deer Cross Roads, Union county, Pa., on the 23d of March, 1829. Educated in the public schools and at the Blooms- burg Academy. Served a number of years in the drug business under the tutorship and in the drug store of E. P. Lutz, of Bloomsburg, Pa. Studied medicine in the same town under the direction of Dr. J. Boyd McKelvy. Entered the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania in 1860, from which institution he graduated in medicine in March, 1862. Located for the practice of his profession in White Haven, Pa., immediately thereafter ; remained there six years; removed from there to Ashley, Pa., in the spring of 1868, where he was actively engaged in the practice of medicine till in the winter of IS90, when, on account of failing health, he discontinued business. During the earlier years of his practice there he opened a large drug and prescription store, at that time the first of the kind in the town ; was appointed postmaster, and was examining surgeon for a large number of life insurance companies; was among the first members of the Luzerne County Medical Society ; one of the incorporators of the Borough of Ashley, Pa, and one of its first coun- cilmen. After quitting the general practice he took a post graduate course in Gynecology and surgery at the New York Polyclinic and Hospital during the winters of 1890-91 and 1891-92, from which faculty he holds two certificates of three months' attendance each ; came to Wilkes-Barre, Pa., to practice his specialties in the spring of 1892. The Doctor is one of the oldest practicing physicians in the valley, and at one time accredited as having as large, if not the largest practice in obstetrics of any physician in this section of the country.
HON. GARRICK M. HARDING, ex-Judge, was born in Exeter, Luzerne county, Penn- sylvania, July 12, 1830. His great-grandfather commanded Fort Wintermute in the Wyoming Massacre, and his father Judge of the Court in Lee county, Illinois. Mr. Hard- ing was educated in the Franklin Academy, in Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Dickinson College. Studied law with Hon. Henry M. Fuller, and was admitted to the Luzerne Bar in 1850; in 1858 was elected District Attorney of Luzerne county; in 1870 was elected President Judge of the Eleventh Judicial District, and resigned January 1, 1880. Judge Harding is a man of fine literary taste and is well known as a writer.
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GEORGE R. BEDFORD, ESQ., born in Abington, Lackawanna county, November 22, 1840. Attended Madison Academy and the Albany Law School. Admitted to the Bar at Albany, New York, May, 1862, and at Wilkes-Barre November, 1862. Been in active practice as a lawyer ever since, on the civil side of the Court, mainly in corporation cases. Studied law in the office of Judge Stanley Woodward. Married, May 19, 1874, to Emily, daughter of Hon. Henry M. Fuller. Trustee of Female Seminary and of the Hillman Academy; one of the organizers of the Anthracite Bank. Served as a soldier in 1863 under the call of Governor Curtin.
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
HON. STANLEY WOODWARD, Additiona! Law Judge of Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, was born in Wilkes-Barre in 1833. Son of a former Chief Justice of Pennsylvania. Edu- cated at the Episcopal High School and Wyoming Seminary, graduating with honor from Yale College in 1855. Studied law with the Hon. Warren J. Woodward, of New Haven, Connecticut ; admitted to the Luzerne Bar in 1856. Was counsel for the Dela- ware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, and Central Railroad of New Jersey. Served in the War of the Rebellion and commanded a company. Was appointed Additional Law Judge of Luzerne county in 1879; elected in 1880 for a term of ten years, and re-elected in 18go for a further term for the same period.
HON. EDWIN S. OSBORNE was born in Wayne county, Pennsylvania, August 7, 1839. Graduated from the University of Northern Pennsylvania at Bethany, and the Law School at Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1860. Read law with Hon. Charles Denison, and was admitted to the Luzerne Bar in 1861. Served in the late Civil War; Major-General of the Third Division of the National Guard for ten years. Was a candidate for Law Judge of Luzerne county in 1874. Served in Congress from 1884 to 1891.
HON. HENRY W. PALMER, born in Clifford township, Susquehanna county, Pennsyl- vania, July 10, 1839. Educated at the Wyoming Seminary, and Fort Edward, New York, graduating from the Poughkeepsie Law School in 1860. Studied law under Garrick M. Harding. Served as paymaster's clerk during the war of the Rebellion. Member of the Constitutional Convention in 1872. Attorney-General of Pennsylvania under Governor Henry M. Hoyt's administration.
W. S. MCLEAN, ESQ., born at Summit Hill, Pennsylvania, August 27, 1842. Educated at Wilkes-Barre; graduated at Lafayette College, 1865; took the valedictory addresses and delivered the master's oration three years afterward. Admitted to the Luzerne Bar in 1867; City Attorney, 1875, and has continued in that office ever since; candidate for Judge of Luzerne county in 1879. President of the First National Bank.
DR. JOSEPH A. MURPHY was born in York county, Pennsylvania. Worked on his father's farm until he was sixteen years of age, and attended school during the winter; attended Stewart's Town Academy, conducted by his cousin, Professor J. A. Murphy. Studied languages with the Rev. J. L. Menill. Served in the late war. Studied medicine with the celebrated Dr. John L. Atter, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania; graduated in medicine from the University of Pennsylvania in 1868; practiced medicine in Columbia, Pennsylva- nia, and came to Wilkes-Barre in 1870. A member of the County, State and National Medical Societies; member of the Board of Trade and Historical Society: stockholder in many of our local industries. Married Miss Fannie Parrish, granddaughter of the late Dr. Smith; his children are Louise, Mabel and Kathleen. Dr. Murphy was one of the pro- jectors of the Luzerne Medical Society, also one of the attendant physicians of the Wilkes- Barre Hospital from its establishment. He is one of the leading physicians of this section.
OSCAR OLIVER ESSER was born January 25, 1850, at Mauch Chunk, Pa .; entered railway service 1862, since which time he has been consecutively water boy, messenger, telegraph operator, yard master, train dispatcher and train master of the Lehigh Valley Railroad ; was superintendent of the Wyoming Division of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad ; appointed superintendent of the Northern Division of the Lehigh Valley Rail- road 1894. Married June 29, 1871, to Miss Mary C. Mott.
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THE WYOMING VALLEY. 53
HENRY A. FULLER, ESQ., born at Wilkes-Barre, January 15, 1855. Educated in pub- lic school of that place; entered Princeton College 1871; graduated 1874; read law in the office of Hon. H. W. Palmer, and admitted to the Bar of Luzerne county, January, 1877, where he has since been in active practice. Married November, 1879, to Miss Ruth H. Parrish. Was Assistant District Attorney nine years; Trustee of Osterhout Free Library ; Director of Anthracite Savings Bank; Superintendent of St. Stephen's Episcopal Sunday School.
C. M. CONYNGHIAM was born in Wilkes-Barre, July 6, 1840. Son of Judge John N. Conyngham. After graduating from College, was admitted to the Luzerne Bar in 1862. went into active business, and is identified with the corporations of the valley. Served in the War of the Rebellion.
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