Twentieth century history of Altoona and Blair County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens, Part 69

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 69

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MARTIN L. EMFIELD, who is owner, with his brother Emanuel, of the Logan Mills, in Logan Township, Blair County, Pa., was born December 26, 1861, near his present place, and is a son of John and Mary (Cree) Emfield.

John Emfield came to Blair County with his brother, Peter Emfield, who was a car- penter by trade, and built many of the barns and some of the houses through this sec- tion of the county. John was a miller by trade and after locating here engaged in farming and milling, and subsequently pur- chased a place near Hillside, and there op- erated the Pottsgrove Mill for some time. He died here in 1886 and was buried at the Antis Cemetery, as was his wife, who died

ELLIOTT H. BRUA MILL, FRANKSTOWN TOWNSHIP

RESIDENCE OF JOHN KAZMAIER, ALTOONA

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in 1888. Six children were born to John and Mary Emfield: David, who is a resi- dent of Roanoke, Va .; Jennie, who is the wife of D. P. Funk, of Juniata; Julia, who is the widow of J. T. Wilt, of Juniata; Emanuel; Elizabeth, who is the widow of L. C. Hagerty of Juniata; and Martin L.

Martin L. Emfield was reared and edu- cated in Blair County, and has been em- ployed at various trades in different parts of the country. He was engaged in the bar- ber business at Juniata for seventeen years, and in 1905 he and his brother Emanuel purchased the Coleman Mill, and changed its name to the Logan Mills. The mill is run by water and gasoline power, and feed, buckwheat and cornmeal are ground. It was established in the early fifties by James Coleman, being previously known for many years as the Coleman Mills. It was later conducted successively by G. A. Gardner, a man named Turner, a Mr. Chambers, and a Mr. Forney, the last named operating it previous to its purchase by our subject.

Martin L. Emfield was married May 31, 1898, to Miss Lillian Johnston, who was a native of Clinton County, and a daughter of Robert Johnston, and she comes of one of the old established families of Clinton County. In politics Mr. Emfield is a Re- publican, and he is affiliated with the I. O. O. F. at Juniata.

JOHN A. SHULTZ, manager of one of Roaring Spring's important industries, The Planing Mill Company, contractors and builders, manufacturers of lumber and mill work, coal, builders' supplies, hardware and plumbing, has filled this responsible position since 1906 and is an experienced man in this line. He was born in Huntingdon County, Pa., February 20, 1859, and is a son of Benjamin F. Shultz. His parents were natives also of Huntingdon County and both are deceased.

John A. Shultz grew to manhood in his native place and there attended school and remained on the home farm until he reached

his majority. In the following year he started to learn the carpenter trade at Mar- tinsburg, having some mechanical ability, and served through an aprenticeship of three years. Later, after a full measure of experience, he began building and contract- ing for himself at Martinsburg and con- tinued in business there for twenty years. His high standing as a business man, in large measure, was the reason of his being called to Roaring Spring to become man- ager of this planing mill plant and he has justified all expectations. The Planing Mill Company is comprised of the following men of capital: D. M. Bare, Dr. A. L. Garver and Lewis F. Garber, it being a Roaring Spring enterprise entirely. It is numbered with the most prosperous industries of its kind in Blair County. Mr. Shultz has charge of thirty employes. He has always been an interested citizen wherever he has lived and has been recognized as such. For three years he was a member of the Mar- tinsburg city council and for six years a member of the school board there. His political affiliation is with the Republican party.

Mr. Shultz was married to Miss Annie Wolf- kill, who was born in Huntingdon County, Pa., a daughter of the late Henry Wolfkill. They have two daughters: Ellen E. and Laura M., the latter of whom is the wife of M. R. Keagy, of Roaring Spring. Mr. Shultz and family are members of the Church of God, in which he is a deacon. He is an enterpris- ing and successful man and is one who has made his own way in the world, setting an example of industry and perseverance that might be profitably followed by those find- ing themselves in the same circumstances in their youth.

JOHN HENRY SHOEMAKER, pro- prietor of Hotel Franklin, is one of the en- terprising business men of Gaysport, Pa., and was born October 7, 1874, at Hollidays- burg, Pa., and is a son of Simon and Bar- bara (Webb) Shoemaker.

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Andrew Shoemaker, grandfather of our subject, was a native of Germany and one of the pioneer settlers of Blair County, having worked here on the canal previous to the advent of the railroad in this section of the country. Andrew Shoemaker died on his farm in Allegheny Township, Blair County, Pa., at the advanced age of eighty-six years, and was the father of four children: Simon, John, Joseph and Andrew.

Simon Shoemaker was born and reared in Hollidaysburg, Pa., and for thirty years ran a dairy wagon to that borough, but is now living in retirement on his farm near De- light Park. Mr. Shoemaker is now sixty- one years of age, is politically a Republican, and is now serving his second term as direc- tor of the Poor. He is fraternally a mem- ber of the B. P. O. E. Mr. Shoemaker mar- ried Barbara Webb, who was born in Ches- ter County, Pa., and to them were born the following children : William, who is de- ceased; John Henry; Mamie, who married Benjamin C. Wilt; Stella, who is the wife of William Mallagan; and Joseph, Jesse, and Charles.

John Henry Shoemaker was reared to man's estate at Hollidaysburg and was edu- cated in the Catholic schools of that bor- ough. He subsequently ran a dairy wagon to Altoona, Pa., for about eight years, then sold his route to Charles Kepple, and pur- chased his present hotel in Gaysport from George Strout. The Hotel Franklin is a brick building, containing fourteen bed- rooms, and is one of the leading $1.00 and $1.50 per day houses of this borough. Mr. Shoemaker was married April 28, 1895, to Fannie McGuire, a daughter of Patrick and Frances (Fagan) McGuire, and of their union two children have been born: Alma, and Margaret. The family holds member- ship with St. Michael's Catholic Church. Mr. Shoemaker is politically identified with the Republican party.

HON. D. M. BARE, president of the Roar- ing Spring Bank, at Roaring Spring, Pa., and

practically the founder of the many industries which make this a busy, prosperous modern town, is well known in a business way all over Pennsylvania and in his own community is justly considered in the light of a benefactor. He was born in Sinking Spring Valley, Blair County, Pa., October 24, 1834, and is a son of Daniel and Elizabeth (Mathias) Bare.

Daniel Bare was born in York County, Pa., after the family had moved there from Lan- caster County, where his father, John Bare, had been born. Daniel Bare was the ninth child born in a family of eleven children. He fol- lowed agricultural pursuits through life.

D. M. Bare grew up on his father's farm in Morrison's Cove, Pa., remained at home until he was twenty-four years old and then went to Loysburg, in Bedford County, where he en- gaged in a mercantile and flour mill business for several years and then came to Roaring Spring. Here he continued the same activities for a time and still is a member of the D. M. Bare & Co., mercantile firm of this place. As early as 1866 he became one of the partners in a paper manufacturing enterprise at Roaring Spring, the original style being Eby, Morrison & Co. Later it was merged into Morrison, Bare & Cass and under this name paper man- ufacturing was carried on until 1886. In 1880 the firm built a paper mill at Tyrone, Pa., of which John S. Morrison became manager, while Mr. Bare assumed the management of the mill at Roaring Spring. In 1886 a division was made and Mr. Morrison and Mr. Cass be- came owners of the Tyrone mill and Mr. Bare the owner of the Roaring Spring mill, the orig- inal property, and continued the manager of this plant until 1899, when E. G. Bobb became active manager and has continued in this posi- tion. The business was incorporated in 1907 as the D. M. Bare Paper Company, its present style, as mentioned. The D. M. Bare Paper Company have a daily capacity of between twenty-five and thirty tons at their mill. They manufacture super-calendered and machine fin- ish book papers, lithograph, mimeograph and white flats, and employment is afforded over 200 people. Mr. Bare has many additional

HON. D. M. BARE

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interests, included in these is the Roaring Spring Planing Mill Company. He was one of the founders of the Roaring Spring Bank, established in 1902, of which he is president, and about 1888 was one of the four founders of the Roaring Spring Blank Book Company, his partners being: D. R. Wike, A. L. Garver and E. G. Bobb. This is a very large business, 200 people being employed, and trade connec- tions being maintained all over the United States. Unusually active in business affairs, Mr. Bare had no particular training in this line, his only educational advantages being those se- cured in the district schools of Bedford County, after which he taught school for several terms. He has been sincerely interested in the progress and development of Roaring Spring, where his investments are so heavy and where his most cherished friends live. His many public spir- ited efforts have been appreciated and he is held in the highest esteem by his fellow citizens. His business interests have been so absorbing that little time has been left for performing public duties, but for several years he consented to serve as burgess of the borough.

Mr. Bare married Miss Sarah Eby, who was born in Huntingdon County, Pa., and they have four children, namely: Clara S., who is the wife of E. G. Bobb, of Roaring Spring; Ella, who is the wife of Dr. A. L. Garver, of Roaring Spring; Anna, who is the wife of Dr. W. M. Eldon, of Roaring Spring; and Ina, who died in infancy. Mr. Bare is a member of the Church of God and is one of the board of elders.

AUGUSTUS V. DIVELY, a leading member of the Altoona bar and the senior in the prominent law firm of Dively & Dively, was born in Greenfield Township, Blair County, Pa., June 17, 1848, and is a son of Michael and Elizabeth (Fickes) Dively.

The Dively family is one of the very old ones of Central Pennsylvania and the grand- father gained distinction in the Revolution- ary War. After its close he settled in York County, Pa., and in 1783 moved to Green .

field Township, Blair County, and the land he there acquired has remained a possession of his descendants ever since. On that land, Michael Dively, father of Augustus V., was born in 1800, and lived there until his death in 1870. He married Elizabeth Fickes, a daughter of Valentine Fickes, who belonged to an old family of Bedford County.

Augustus V. Dively enjoyed many advan- tages in his pursuit of an education, attend- ing both the Juniata Collegiate Institute and the Michigan State University. He pre- pared for the law under Attorney Essington Hammond of Blair County, and then took a law course at Ann Arbor, Mich., gaining his admission to the bar in April, 1873. He be- came a partner in law practice with S. M. Woodcock at Altoona, later was with James Flannigan and still later was asociated with J. S. Leisenring. Subsequently he asso- ciated his son, Edwin L. Dively, with him, and since then the style has been Dively & Dively, while the combination of years of experience with youthful energy brought to the bar of Blair County a firm that has been strong and succesful before the courts, prac- ticing in all the courts of the state and en- joying high standing with both bench and bar.

On May 16, 1870, Augustus V. Dively was married to Miss Mary E. Shoenfelt, whose father was Henry Shoenfelt, a resi- dent of Sharpsburg. Of their four children, two survive. The family residence is situ- ated at No. 1324 Twelfth Avenue, Altoona.

Occasionally Mr. Dively has been identi- fied with successful business enterprises at Altoona and for years he has been more or less active in public affairs. In his political affiliation he is a Democrat. With his fam- ily he belongs to the Reformed church, in which he has served as a deacon.

Edwin L. Dively, the junior member of the law firm of Dively & Dively, at Altoona, is a graduate of the Dickinson Law School, and he has been admitted to the bars of

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both Cumberland and Blair Counties. He ness is excellent and future prospects all. married Miss Ray Chanes. that could be desired.

JOHN D. HAGEY, one of the enterpris- ing and public spirited young business men of Martinsburg, Pa., is a member of the milling firm of Hagey Bros., manufacturers of Ivory White flour, also feed, and dealers in all kinds of grain, with mill situated at Martinsburg. John D. Hagey was born here, August 29, 1880, and is a son of George W. and Maggie (Clapper) Hagey.

George W. Hagey was born in Blair County, Pa., his father, David Hagey, hav- ing been an early settler at Martinsburg. For many years prior to his death, in 1899, George W. Hagey was proprietor of the well known old Hagey House, now the Royal Hotel, at Martinsburg, and in 1890 he purchased the mill which is now operated by his sons. In politics he held independent views. He was a consistent member of the Lutheran church, and throughout life was a man worthy of the confidence and esteem in which he was held by all who knew him. In early manhood he married Maggie Clapper. who survives. She also was born in Blair County, a daughter of John H. Clapper, a resident of Clappertown, in Huston Town- ship, which village was named in honor of her father.

John D. Hagey obtained a public sshool education at Martinsburg and for a short time was a student of dentistry in the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania, but the death of his father recalled him home. For three years afterward lie conducted the Hagey House and in 1905, in partnership with a brother, entered into the milling business under the firm style of Hagey Bros. This mill is one of the pioneer mills of the county, little of its original structure standing, however, for it has been continuously remodeled and re- built and at present is equipped with mod- ern machinery and the roller process that gives it its name of the Martinsburg Roller Mill. The capacity of the mill is fifty bar- rels of flour every twenty-four hours. Busi-

On February 5, 1905, Mr. Hagey was married to Miss Clare Keyler, a daughter of the late Thomas Keyler, formerly a resi- dent of Fredericksburg, in North Woodbury Township. In politics Mr. Hagey is a Re- publican. He is identified with Clover Lodge, Odd Fellows, at Cambridge, Pa., and with Woodbury Lodge F. & A. M., at Roaring Spring, Pa.

WILLIAM W. BOUSLOUGH, one of the substantial farmers and a life-long resi- dent of Frankstown Township, Blair County, Pa., was born on his present farm December 25, 1866, and is a son of William and Anna (Fleck) Bouslough. His parents were both natives of Blair County, the father being of German descent, and a farmer by occupation. He spent his entire life in this county, was a Republican in poli- tics, and a member of the Lutheran church. He was twice married, his first wife being a Miss Young, by whom he had two children, one of whom died in infancy, and Blair Y., who is a resident of Altoona. His marriage with Anna Fleck resulted in the following issue : Mary, who is deceased, was the wife of Lorenzo D. Stewart; Harry F .; Sadie, who is the wife of Robert Hileman; Anna Margaret, who is the wife of Fletcher Hand; William W .; and Lydia, who died young.

William W. Bouslough spent four months each year in the common schools of the township until eighteen years of age, and assisted his father on the farm during the summer months. He has made farming his life occupation, and has always lived on his present place, which he inherited from his father in 1904, although he has operated it for himself for the past twenty years.

On November 26, 1891, Mr. Bouslough married Miss Ora H. Caldwell, who is a daughter of Sylvester and Carrie (Smith) Caldwell. The father is a native of Clarion County and the mother of Bedford County, but have resided in Blair County since the

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close of the Civil war. They are the par- 22, 1862, for three years, and saw much hard ents of the following children: Ora H., wife of our subject; T. N. and Rhoda and Grace, both of whom died in infancy. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Bouslough, namely: Anna C., Ralph W. S., and Nicholas Fleck, all residing at home. In politics Mr. Bouslough is identi- fied with the Republican party, and has served two terms as inspector of elections, and as road master one term. The family belongs to the Lutheran church.

JOHN MILLER, an old soldier and a re- tired citizen residing on the Dry Gap Road, about a mile out of Altoona, was born Oc- tober 14, 1833, in Logan Township, where Fairview Cemetery is now located, and is a son of Peter and Margaret (Rice) Miller. He is a grandson of Jacob Miller, who came to America from Germany and bought land on which was built what became known as Millerstown, which is now included in the city of Altoona.

Peter Miller, father of our subject, was born at Millerstown, Pa., and engaged in agricultural pursuits and also worked as a forgeman and blacksmith. He lived at va- rious places in Blair County, but finally set- tled on a farm of 100 acres which he owned at Millerstown. He married Margaret Rice, who was born at Petersburg, and of their children, but four are living; Rachel, who is the widow of Jonathan Glunt; John, who is the subject of this sketch; Frank, who lives at Red Hill, Logan Township; and Gwin, who lives in Logantown.

John Miller was a small child when his parents located at Tyrone. They moved then to Petersburg, later returned to Ty- rone, and afterwards lived in other parts of Blair County. From early life Mr. Miller engaged in farming and teaming, and hauled rock for the Pennsylvania Railroad. He went to Iowa and worked on farms for some six years, when he yielded to his patriotic instincts by enlisting as a member of Co. K., 20th. I. Vol. Inf. He was enrolled August

service throughout the West, and was dis- charged at Mobile, Ala., July 8, 1865. He served under Capt. H. B. Doolittle, for whom he entertained high regard, and among his treasured possessions is a photo- graph of the captain sent to him by the latter shortly after the war. Mr. Miller was fortu- nate enough to escape injury in battle, and after he was mustered out returned to Altoona, where for some years he engaged in teaming. He later located on the farm owned by John H. Hagerty, and still later farmed the Loudon place, after which he built his present house in Logan Township, where he bought one acre of land. Mr. Miller is a member of the G. A. R., Post No. 468, and in politics is identified with the Republican party.

Mr. Miller was first married to Emma Morgan, who was a native of England, and of their union were born two sons and one daughter, namely: Wilford B., who works in Johnstown, Pa., and lives in Logan Township, married Ola Ickes, and has the following children : Raymond, Barnes, Marian, Naomi, Russell, and Louis; Emory, who is deceased, married Ida Anderson, and they had four children, but two of whom are living-Downs and Margaret; and Minda May, who is the wife of James Brown, of Wilkesbarre, Pa., and they have six chil- dren, all living. Mr. Miller formed a second union with Ann Elizabeth (Irvin) Smith, who was the widow of William C. Smith. She is a daughter of John and Margaret (Metz) Irwin, the former a teamster and farmer by occupation, and was born in the vicinity of Wililamsburg, but later lived at Hollidaysburg and still later on the Wertz- berger farm, on Dry Gap Road, where her father carried on general farming.

PROF. WILSON W. OSBORNE, who, for twenty-one years has been principal of the justly noted Jefferson School at Altoona, Pa., has practically devoted his whole life to educational work, and to him Altoona is much indebted, for he has set the highest

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standards to which any of the schools of this city have attained and aroused a spirit of emulation which has been most beneficial. For fifty-six years he has been a teacher, and forty-six of these have been spent at Altoona. He was born in Fulton County, Pa., July 3, 1830, and is a son of David and Lillie (Stevens) Osborne.

The Osborne family is of Scotch extrac- tion and many of Prof. Osborne's fore- fathers followed agricultural pursuits, both father and grandfather having been success- ful tillers of the soil. Both of his parents are now deceased, having lived into honored old age. They set a Christian example, liv- ing consistently as members of the Method- ist Episcopal church, and they reared their children frugally and carefully, and when the time of necessity came sent two of their sons to do battle for the preservation of the Union.

Wilson W. Osborne was reared in his na- tive county and his father's calling was open to him, but one of his earliest ambitions was to cultivate a natural bright and receptive mind rather than his father's broad acres. He was given educational advantages and in 1853 was graduated from Cassville Acad- emy, in Huntingdon County. Not only had the youth ambition to learn but also the de- sire and evident faculty to impart knowl- edge, and, in following the natural bent of his mind and inclination, Prof. Osborne has reached a point where he can look back with contentment and satisfaction, over a period of fifty-six years of purely educational ef- fort. He came to Altoona in 1863 and this city has remained his home, a place where he can feel assured that the friendliness he sees on every face is sincere, and that the hearty hand-clasp that greets him, in all probability, is from one of the army of stu- dents who, at one time or another, have profited either by his teaching or advice.

Prof. Osborne was married in 1857, to Miss Catherine Bowles, who died April 22, 1891. She was a sister of Prof. James B. Bowles of Altoona. To this marriage the

following children were born: Woods, who died at the age of twenty-seven years ; Craw- ford B .; Jennie, who became the wife of C. D. Jordan; and Bertha E., who married Theodore H. Griffin.

As a man of scholarly attainments and a close student of human nature, Professor Osborne has naturally been interested in public affairs both in his city and in the great outside world, but no persuasion has ever succeeded in leading him to entertain any offer of political office. He is identified with various educational organizations and has kept thoroughly abreast of the times along this line. He was reared to believe in the principles of the Democratic party and has never seen any reason to change his sentiments from those cherished by his honored father.

A. L. GARVER, M. D., one of Roaring Spring's best known business men and sec- retary and treasurer of the Roaring Spring Blank Book Company, which was incorpor- ated in 1907, has been a resident of this borough since 1879. He was born in Hunt- ingdon County, Pa., in June, 1859, and is a son of Benjamin Garver, who was once a well known and highly respected resident of Huntingdon County.

Dr. Garver is the youngest of a family of eleven children and he was given educa- tional advantages which included attend- ance at the Juniata College and was one of the early students there. He then engaged in teaching school, spending five consecu- tive winters in the school room, two of these in his native county and three in Blair County, and for one year was principal of the Roaring Spring High School. He had turned his attention in the meanwhile to the study of the science of medicine and in 1883 was graduated from Jefferson Medical Col- lege. He located at Roaring Spring and en- gaged in the practice of his profession at this place for four years, retiring then in order to give his whole time to promising business interests. He was one of the four

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original founders of the Roaring Spring Blank Book Company, which was started in 1887, with fifty employes. Since 1891 he has been manager of the plant and now em- ployment is given to 230 people and the business is in a very prosperous condition. Dr. Garver is an able and shrewd business man, and his undertakings usually prove successful. In addition to the concern men- tioned, he is identified with others. He is vice president of the First National Bank of Hollidaysburg, and some years since as- sisted in the reorganization which placed this financial institution on its present firm basis. He is a member of the D. M. Bare Paper Company and one of the board of di- rectors; is a member of the Planing Mill Company of Roaring Spring; and in the summer of 1909 assisted in the reorganiza- tion of the Nason Hospital at Roaring Spring. Dr. Garver is recognized as one of Blair County's solid citizens.

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Twentieth century history of Altoona and Blair County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens, Part 69

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