Twentieth century history of Altoona and Blair County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens, Part 108

Author: Sell, Jesse C 1872-
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Publishing
Number of Pages: 1036

USA > Pennsylvania > Blair County > Altoona > Twentieth century history of Altoona and Blair County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens > Part 108

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fraternal organization designated as the K. O. T. M.

HARRY A. SPARR,* superintendent of the quarry operated by the American Steel and Wire Company at Wert Station, and a director of the Farmers and Mer- chants National Bank of Williamsburg, Pa., has been a resident of this borough for many years. He was born October 16, 1868, in Blair County, Pa., and is the only child born to Albert D. and Sarah (Gib- boney) Sparr, who are now residents of Williamsburg. His father was for many years engaged in agricultural pursuits, and is politically a Republican. His religious connection is with the Lutheran church.

Harry A. Sparr was reared in his native county and after a common school educa- tion began clerking in a general store at Coldforge, where he remained five years. He also spent nine years as a clerk in a gen- eral store at Williamsburg, and since 1900 has been superintendent of the American Steel and Wire Company's quarry, which is located at Wert Station, and gives employ- ment to 150 men. Mr. Sparr is also one of the directors of the Farmers and Mer- chants National Bank of Williamsburg. He is fraternally a member of the Juniata Lodge of M'asons at Hollidaysburg, the Knight Templars and the Shrine at Al- toona, and the Heptasophs of Williams- burg. In politics he is identified with the Republican party, and is religiously a mem- ber of the Lutheran church.

In 1898 Mr. Sparr was joined in marriage with Grace A. Louden, who is a daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Jane Louden, who were well known agriculturists of Woodbury Township. Mr. and Mrs. Lou- den were parents of the following children: Marion; James; Lucinda, wife of J. H. Li- kens, who is moral instructor at the Hunt- ingdon Reformatory; Ella (Mrs. Eich- oltz); Margaret, who is the wife of David Spealman; Sadie, who married George Spealman; Idela, an instructor in the

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schools at Huntingdon, Pa. and Grace A., men, F. O. E., and Maccabees of Bellwood. who is the wife of the subject of this sketch. He is politically a Democrat and was elected a member of the council on that ticket, and also served as county commit- teeman during his residence in Huntingdon County. He is a member of the Business Mens' Association of Bellwood, and of the American, State and County Medical So- cieties.

DR. THOMAS L. WILSON, who has been actively engaged in the practice of his profession at Bellwood, Pa., since March, 1893, was born August 22, 1862, at War- rior's Mark, Huntingdon County, Pa., and is a son of Christopher and Mary Martha (Wheeling) Wilson.

Christopher Wilson was born in Hunt- ingdon County, Pa., a son of Thomas Wil- son, who was of Scotch descent, and who was one of the pioneers and for many years a resident of Huntingdon County. Chris- topher Wilson always engaged in agricul- tural pursuits, and died in December, 1907. He is still survived by his widow, who in maiden life was Mary Martha Wheeling, a native of Center County, and now a resi- dent of Warrior's Mark, Pa. Three sons and two daughters were born to Chris- topher Wilson and wife: Dr. Thomas L .; Dr. John E., of Butler, Ky .; Elizabeth D., who is the wife of W. R. Wolf of Altoona, Pa .; Ella R., who married J. E. Rumbarger of Warrior's Mark; and Dr. Harry C., also a resident of Warrior's Mark.

Dr. Thomas L. Wilson was reared and obtained his early educational training at Warrior's Mark, and after taking a course at the Millersville State Normal, taught school five terms in Huntingdon County. He then took a course in medicine at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, at Bal- timore, graduating with the class of 1891, and immediately afterward embarked in the practice of medicine at Warrior's Mark, where he continued two years. In March, 1893, he came to Bellwood, and has been in active practice here since that time, and is held in high esteem as an able and skill- ful physician. Dr. Wilson is fraternally a Mason, holding membership with the Ty- rone Lodge No. 494, the Chapter No. 189, the Commandery No. 10, and the Jaffa Temple and the Mystic Shrine of Altoona. He is also a member of the Modern Wood-

On April 6, 1893, Dr. Wilson was joined in marriage with Regina Henderson of Huntingdon County, the youngest daugh- ter of R. L. and Susanna ( Beck) Hender- son. They have one daughter, Helen J. Wilson, now aged fourteen years.

EMANUEL DIEHL, a prosperous farmer and respected citizen of Juniata Township, Blair County, Pa., has resided on his present farm of 60 acres since the spring of 1862, and was born January 13, 1838, in Bedford County, Pa., a son of Philip and Julia A. (Ritchey) Diehl. Philip Diehl was born June 18, 1802, in Bedford County, Pa., and died there July 22, 1873. He was a son of John Diehl and a grandson of Samuel Diehl, both of whom were also residents of Bedford County. The mother of our subject was also a na- tive of Pennsylvania.

Emanuel Diehl grew to maturity in his native county and there attended the public schools. He has always followed general farming and in 1862 came to Blair County and located on his present farm of 60 acres in Juniata Township, where he has lived continuously since that time. Mr. Diehl is a man of enterprise and public spirit and is held in high esteem by his fellow citizens. He is politically a Republican and. has served a number of years as a director of the school board, of which body he was also secretary three years, and also served a number of years as auditor of Juniata Township. He is fraternally a member of the Poplar Run Grange and the Patrons of Husbandry.

In 1863 Mr. Diehl married Fannie Corl,

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a native of Blair County and a sister of Am- brose Corl of this county, and of their un- ion were born the following children : Emma E., married Joseph M. Hazlett of Indiana County, Pa .; A. Ross, a resident of Allegan County, Michigan; Levi H., re- sides in Alabama; James C., who now owns the home farm in Juniata Township; Lena, married George E. Wilt of Duncans- ville, Pa .; and one other now deceased. Mrs. Diehl passed out of this life April I, 1905. She was a member of the Reformed church, as are all the other members of the family.

W. B. DYSART, proprietor of an exten- sive hardware, tinning and plumbing es- tablishment at Bellwood, Pa., has resided here for the past 21 years and is one of the representative business men of the bor- ough. He was born October 2, 1854, at Newton Hamilton, Mifflin County, Pa., and is a son of John and Susan (Mckinstry) Dysart, both now deceased. The father died when W. B. Dysart was 18 months old, and the mother later came to Bell- wood.

W. B. Dysart was reared at Newton Hamilton, Mifflin County, Pa., and at- tended the local schools there. He clerked for some twelve years in a general store in his home town and after coming to Bell- wood, established himself in the hardware business in a small way. He has added to his store from time to time and now car- ries a full line of hardware, besides doing a general tinning and plumbing business. Mr. Dysart is politically a Democrat and has served on the town council and on the school board a number of years. He is fraternally a Mason and an Odd Fellow.

Mr. Dysart was married in 1876 to Clara Linn, who was born in Perry County, Pa., but reared in Mifflin County. They have had the following children: Charles, who died in youth; William A., a resident of Bellwood, who married Fay Carse and they have two children-Helen, and an unnamed

daughter; Russell B., who lives at Sun- bury, Pa .; John, who died aged fourteen years; Ralph, who lives in Bellwood; and Charles, who, died young. The family holds membership in the M. E. church.

CHARLES S. DOWNS,* who has been the efficient electrician of the borough of Altoona, Pa., since 1899, comes of one of the old established and prominent families of Blair County. He was born in 1878 in Greenfield Township, Blair County, Pa., and is a son of Wesley Downs and a grand- son of Daniel Downs, a farmer by occupa- tion, who settled in this county in about 1825. The father of our subject was a blacksmith by trade, and was born in 1850 in Blair County, and died there in 1904.

Charles S. Downs was reared and edu- cated in Altoona and early in life began learning the electrical business with the Pennsylvania Railroad, in whose employ he spent two years. He then was employed by the city one year, after which he worked six months for the Gamewell Company, and since 1899 has been electrician of the borough of Altoona. He is a member of the Association of Municipal Electricians and the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, and is also affiliated with the Eagles. His religious connection is with the Trinity Reformed Church. September I, 1903, Mr. Downs was joined in marriage with Mary E. Housley, of Altoona, Pa., and of their union has been born one son, Charles Housley Downs.

W. FRANK BECK, M. D., who has at- tained wide prominence in the practice of med- icine, is located at Altoona, Pa., and makes a specialty of diseases of the eye, being also eminently successful as a general practitioner and surgeon. He was born in Center County, Pa., in 1866, attended the Grove City Col- lege, and after reading medicine two years with Dr. J. M. Smith of Tyrone, Pa., entered Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, and there received, in 1890, a diploma for the

W. FRANK BECK, M. D.

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practice of medicine and surgery. He then spent two years in the practice of his profes- sion in partnership with Dr. Smith, of Tyrone, Pa., then opened an office for himself at that place, and in 1901 moved to Altoona, locating at No. 1214 Eighth Avenue. His offices are at present located at 1107 Twelfth Avenue. Dr. Beck was formerly surgeon for the Penn- sylvania Railroad, and served as first police surgeon of Altoona, under Mayor Walker. He is a member of the County, State and American Medical Societies, is one of the con- tributers to the Medical Journal, and is one of the founders of American Medicines, a med- ical journal which was established at Phila- delphia.

Dr. Beck is also interested in agriculture, owning a fine country home at Lakemont, called Craigs. He has always taken an active interest in politics and in 1910 was a candi- date before the Republican primaries as a del- egate to the state convention. He is frater- nally a member of the Eagles, Moose, the I. O. O. F., and J. O. M. His religious con- nection is with the Second Presbyterian church, at Altoona.

In 1894 Dr. Beck was joined in marriage with Miss Sarah Campbell, a daughter of Colonel Campbell, who is a well known con- tractor and coal operator. They have two children-Elizabeth C., and C. Campbell.

JOHN PIERCE McKNIGHT, who re- sides on a farm of 60 acres in Antis Town- ship, has been a life-long resident of Blair County, Pa. He was born March 24, 1843, in the vicinity of Elizabeth Furnace, and is a son of Robert and Mary (McIlwain) Mc- Knight.

John P. McKnight, the grandfather, af- ter whom our subject was named, was born within what was then ten miles of Phila- delphia, and doubtless the Philadelphia proper of today, and was the son of a pub- lisher, who came from the north of Ireland. The family is of Scotch-Irish ancestry and located in this country at a very early pe- riod. John P. McKnight was a very prom-

inent man and located in Huntingdon County, where he was agent for the Rich- ard Neve Land Company of Philadelphia. His name appears on many of the deeds in this county, they having been made out to him, and transferred from him to the pur- chasers. He was the owner of much land himself in Huntingdon, Bedford, and In- diana Counties. He died about 1806 at the age of 33 years and was buried at Manor Hill, Huntingdon County. He married a Miss Adams, and they had the following children: Robert, father of our subject; Jane (Crane), who was a resident of Bed- ford County some years but died in Blair County, Pa .; Margaret, who was the wife of David Bell; and Eliza, who was the wife of Martin Bell.

Robert McKnight was born January 4, 1803, on a large farm up Shaffers Creek in Huntingdon County, Pa., and after his father's death, which occurred about three years later, his mother located in the bor- ough of Huntingdon, where he was reared. He was 12 years old, when with his mother he went on horseback to Tennessee, a dis- tance of more than 500 miles. They went to see a cousin of hers named Patton and remained all winter, Robert attending school there during their stay. After their return home he wrote a letter back to where they had visited, and for nearly 45 years received no reply. Then unexpectedly a letter came from a son of the recipient of the letter in 1859, with due apology. It was the beginning of an interesting correspond- ence relating largely to ante-bellum condi- tions. Robert McKnight was an excep- tional student for that day, a fine penman and a mathematician. He, with his mother and three sisters later located on a farm of 175 acres in the vicinity of Elizabeth Fur- nace, and resided there until his death, December 27, 1860.

He married Mary McIlwain, who was born February 14, 1813, near the big spring at Williamsburg, Blair County, Pa. Her father died young, and her mother, who in

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maiden life was an Ake, later married Brit- ton Pierce, an old soldier of the War of 1812, and at the time of her death was liv- ing in Bedford County, Pa. Robert and Mary McKnight had the following chil- dren: Eliza, widow of John A. Sprankle ; Margaret, widow of Allen McCartney of Altoona; Ellen, deceased, who was the wife of Maj. George H. Gwin of Altoona ; Anna and Sarah, both of whom died of scarlet fever; John P., subject of this rec- ord; William, who lives in Huntingdon County ; Blair, who lives in Allegheny Township; Robert, of Altoona; Wilson, of Altoona; Reuben, deceased, who re- sided in Altoona and was about 24 years old at the time of his death; and Mary, who is the wife of Oscar Nelson, of Al- toona. Mrs. McKnight died February 26, 1904, aged 91 years and was buried in Fair- view Cemetery at Altoona. She was for years a member of the Baptist Church of Logan Valley, and Robert Mcknight at- tended the various churches of the neigh- borhood, but was a member of none. The grandfather of our subject was a member of the Church of England. Robert, who was politically a Whig, served as justice of the peace during his entire active life, and held some office after coming here. He was many years auditor, and because of his excellent handwriting made a most effi- cient one. He served also as school di- rector, and in all minor offices, except that of constable.

John P. McKnight was reared at the old home at Sabbath Rest and attended the lo- cal schools of that locality, and after the war, in 1865 and 1866 attended the acad- emy at Martinsburg. He was a boy when the war was in progress, and had given his father a promise not to enlist until of age. He served in Company E, 104th Pa. Vol. Inf., enlisting for one year or during the remainder of the war, and he served until its close. His company was stationed at Richmond and Petersburg, being at the latter place when Lee surrendered, and af-

ter the war, they policed Norfolk for some time. He was discharged at Philadelphia August 28, 1865. He then completed his education at the Martinsburg Academy, and for one winter was engaged in carpen- tering. In 1867 he went west prospecting, but worked for a while in Illinois, in Sep- tember of that same year returning to the home place. His family owned property and he built in Altoona and farmed at the same time, and after his marriage located on his wife's property, which is situated in the city of Altoona, and consists of one lot and house. They resided here nine years, and during this entire time he held some township office. About 1884 he located on his present place, which then consisted of two acres and a blacksmith shop. It was

humorously referred to as "Crider's Forge," the blacksmith shop and a log house having been built by Jacob Crider. Mr. McKnight has remodeled the house, and now has sixty acres of farm land, which he bought from David Smith.

Mr. McKnight was married June 23, 1874, to Grace Matilda Hagerty, who was born in Logan Township, near the limits of Al- toona, and is a daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Reed (McGlathery) Hagerty. They have three children living and one deceased, namely: Mary E., living at home; Grace, who died aged four years; John Roy McKnight, M. D., an army sur- geon, who attended the local schools of the county, Bucknell University, and Jefferson Medical College, and is now completing an eight months' government course in Wash- ington, D. C .; and Abram Garfield. The last mentioned, who has charge of tests on gasoline engines for the Fairbanks-Morse Company, attended the local schools and is now taking a night course-the Dominion Commercial Course-at the Toronto Uni- versity at Toronto, Canada. He is an ex- pert machinist and served a four years' ap- prenticeship at Bellwood, then went to Be- loit, Wis., and entered the employ of the Fairbanks-Morse Company, and when that

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firm began manufacturing in Toronto, was placed in charge of the tests there.

Mr. McKnight and family are members of the Baptist church, of which he is also one of the board of deacons. He is politic- ally a Republican, and has filled all of the local offices except that of constable. He was for many years a school director and did much for the cause of education, study- ing the conditions and requirements of the schools. He is an avidious reader and an intelligent and well informed man. Mr. McKnight is fraternally a member of the Patrons of Husbandry, Grange No. 664 of Bellwood. He was formerly an Odd Fel- low, and also belonged to Sanford Beyer Post, G. A. R., No. 426, of Bellwood.

CLARENCE HAMILTON BOOKS, M. D., deceased. In the death of Dr. Clar- ence Books, at his home at Barbara, Pa., on March 2, 1910, Blair County lost a worthy citizen and the medical profession a skillful and conscientious practitioner. He was born at Roaring Spring, Blair County, Pa., June 9, 1872, and was a son of Abra- ham F. and Sarah (Henry) Books, the lat- ter of whom is deceased.

Dr. Books .was a self-made man, having made his own way in life from the time he was twelve years old. From boyhood it was his cherished ambition to finally be- come a doctor of medicine, but little en- couragement was given his aspirations and his educational opportunities were con- fined to the public schools of Roaring Spring. At the age of twelve he entered the employ of the P. R. R. Company, and learned telegraphy under Mr. Sam. A. Hamilton of Roaring Spring. He soon be- came an expert in receiving messages, be- ing one of the ablest in the employ of the company.

After thirteen years' service, he left the employ of the company in order to prepare himself for his chosen work in life; and, after doing preparatory work at a Roaring Spring summer normal school and the Uni-

versity of Valparaiso, at Valparaiso, Ind., he finally entered the University of the South, at Sewanee, Tenn., where he was graduated in the medical department in 1900. He took a special course in operative surgery, and in diseases of children.

Coming back to Pennsylvania, he took the State Board examination and located at Mines, where he built up a substantial prac- tice and at the same time, through a win- ning personality, won many friends. Dur- ing the summer of 1908 he took post-grad- uate work in Philadelphia, but owing to ill health he practiced medicine only a few months after his return. When he found himself in the grip of the "white plague," he moved from Martinsburg, where he had lived for the past year, to his farm at Bar- bara, where he died on the above men- tioned date.

Dr. Books never took any very active part in politics but was a Republican in his views. He was a member of the Church of God, having early in life identified him- self with that denomination.

On April 13, 1901, Dr. Books was mar- ried to Miss Nannie J. Nugent, a daughter of Willis J. and Mary (Bolger) Nugent, both deceased, who were former residents of Cherry Tree, Indiana County, Pa. He is survived by his wife and one little daugh- ter, Mary Sarah.

JOHN RODGER FRASER, a much es- teemed citizen, who is living in retirement in Juniata, Pa., after years of unceasing ac- tivity in the business world, was for 42 con- secutive years in the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and has been a resident of Blair County, Pa., since Decem- ber 29, 1865. He was born June 9, 1841, in Glasgow, Scotland, the second child of Alexander and Mary (Logan) Fraser.

Alexander Fraser, a highlander and a na- tive of Peterhead, Scotland, was an actor by profession and followed that business during his residence in his native country. In 1848 he brought his wife and son, our

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subject, to America in a sailing vessel, and located in Tariffville, Hartford County, Ct., until June, 1865, then came to Altoona, Pa. He resided here until his death, which oc- curred some time during the middle eight- ies. His wife, Mary Logan Fraser, was born in Paisley, Scotland, and was a daugh- ter of Thomas Logan, a hand-loom weaver and local preacher.

John R. Fraser was about seven years old when his parents came to this country, and was reared at Tariffville, Ct., where at the age of nine years, he started to work as a draw boy in a brussels carpet manufactory. He later assisted his father in painting dur- ing the summer months, returning again to the factory in the winter. On April 18, 1861, in answer to the first call for troops, he enlisted as a private in Capt. Jos. R. Hawley's Rifle Company A, Ist Reg. Ct. Vol., for three months' service, and was honorably discharged July 31, 1861. After remaining home one month, he re-enlisted in September, 1861, as a private in Com- pany B, 8th Ct. Vol. Inf., for three years, and on April 1, 1862, for meritorious con- duct at Boque Banks, N. C., was advanced to sergeant. In 1864 he re-enlisted in the same company and regiment and contin- ued in the service until the war closed, be- ing mustered out at City Point, Va., and discharged at Hartford, December 18, 1865. During his entire service he did not miss any of the engagements of his regiment. He was with Burnside in North Carolina, was in the Ninth Corps until the battle of Fredericksburg, and was with the Army of the James. After his return home from the war he was married, on Christmas Day, 1865, and four days later joined his parents in Altoona, Pa. He then engaged in paint- ing between Altoona and Harrisburg for the Pennsylvania Railroad and in Septem- ber, 1866, entered the car shops, where he worked for about four months under Rob- ert Scott. He was then made gang foreman and spent 27 years in the paint shops of the car department, after which

he entered the machine shops at Juniata, where he continued for 15 years, when he was put on the retired list. It is seldom one undertakes to learn a new trade at the age he did, but he was rated as a machinist when he retired.

Mr. Fraser was married December 25, 1865, to Mary Whitelaw, who was born in Tariffville,, Hartford County, Ct., and died March 21, 1907. Of the six children born of this union only two are living: William A., a resident of Pittsburg, and an employee of the Pennsylvania Railroad, who married Annie Fresht, and has three children, Will- iam J., Mary Alberta, and Florence; and Mary, wife of John Hollingshead, who also is in the employ of the Pennsylvania Rail- road at Juniata.

Mr. Fraser is politically a Republican and was for nine years justice of the peace, re- signing from that office after the death of his wife, at which time he also retired from the shops. He was at one time chairman of the county committee, was three years a member of the city committee of Altoona, and was a member of the first select council at Altoona. He was chairman of the high- way committee when the Seventh Street, and the Ninth and Fourth Street bridges were built, and was also a member of the council of Juniata, of which he was presi- dent one year, and was serving when that borough obtained water works.

Mr. Fraser has been very prominent in Masonic circles, and highly honored in the lodge. He is a member of the Logan Lodge No. 490, F. & A. M., at Altoona. He was for a number of years correspondent for the Altoona Tribune and also contrib- uted a number of articles under the nom de plume of "Aunt Emma." Many years after the war, the State of Connecticut gave a medal to the members of the First, Sec- ond and Third Volunteer Regiments, who enlisted in the United States service in re- sponse to President Lincoln's first call for troops for the defense of Washington, in

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April, 1861, and the medal received by Mr. Fraser is treasured most highly by him.

HARRY FRANKLIN WALTERS, a member of the bar of Blair County, with offices in the Casanave Building, Altoona, Pa., who has, by force of energetic applica- tion to his profession, acquired a practice that ranks second to none, is a son of Moses and Sarah E. Walters, and was born at Claysburg, Blair County, Pa., October 16, 1869. His parents are both living and re- side at Pleasant Hill, a suburb of Altoona, where his father is a well known gardener, and is also a veteran of the Civil War.

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Twentieth century history of Altoona and Blair County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens, Part 108

Author: Sell, Jesse C 1872- Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Publishing Number of Pages: 1036

Author: Sell, Jesse C 1872-
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Publishing
Number of Pages: 1036