Twentieth century history of Altoona and Blair County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens, Part 77

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 77

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Up to his twentieth year, Mr. Dudley's time had been mainly spent at school and academy during the winter season and at farm work during the summers. In 1862 he enlisted, as a private soldier in the 114th N. Y. Vol. Inf., and during the next three years, until severely wounded in the battle of Opequan Creek, Va., September 19, 1864, he took part in the battles and severe marches of his regiment. Receiving his honorable discharge in 1865, the young sol- dier entered Oxford Academy and Col- legiate Institute and from there, in the fall of 1867, Yale College, where he was grad- uated in 1871, with the degree of A. B. In the fall of 1872, he entered the Sheffield Scientific School of Yale College, having been engaged in the interim in newspaper work in New Haven, where he was gradu- ated in 1874, with the degree of Ph. D. The next college year was spent as assistant to Dr. George F. Barker, at the University of Pennsylvania, and during this time he at- tracted some attention through the accu- racy of his translations of some technical papers from the German. In 1875 he be- came teacher of the sciences in Riverview Military Academy, at Poughkeepsie, N. Y.,

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HISTORY OF BLAIR COUNTY

but he remained in that position for but one month and in November, 1875, he was tendered and accepted the position of chem- ist of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company at Altoona, a position he so admirably filled for thirty-five years.

Before passing on to note the honors that were accorded Dr. Dudley in the passage of this long period, some notice might be taken of the prevailing conditions in this special line at the time of his acceptance of so much responsibility. When he began his work at Altoona no railroad had a chemist as a reg- ular employee and at that time the whole subject of the relation between scientific knowledge and its practical use by railroads was in a very chaotic state. The study of the valuable properties of metals and other materials used in construction had but been begun. Dr. Dudley's study of steel rails made in the early eighties added largely to the knowledge to the quality of steel which may be depended upon to give the best ser- vice, made as it was with thorough tech- nical knowledge of the subject. Dr. Dud- ley, in addition to his other services, was responsible for the chemical part of the specifications as to the vast amount of ma- terial employed by his railroad and was at the head of a thoroughly equipped labora- tory. His studies and investigations had to do with such matters also as car lighting, steam heating, disinfectants, tests of paints, bearing metals, coals, water supplies both for boiler use and for drinking and of ex- plosives, in the latter case resulting in spe- cial laws being formulated for the transpor- tation of the same. He had a varied experi- ence in the testing of materials and no name carried with it more weight in this line in scientific circles than that of Charles B. Dudley.

Dr. Dudley was vice president of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, and twice president of the American Chem- ical Society and was president of the Amer- ican Society for Testing Materials, from its inception until his death. He had member-

ship in such noted scientific bodies as the English, French and German Chemical So- cieties, of the Iron and Steel Institute of Great Britain, and of the Verein Deutcher Eisenhuttenleute. He belonged also to the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Mining Engineers, the Mechanical Engi- neers and the Electrical Engineers. In 1886 he was sent abroad by his company to ·study oil burning on locomotives in Russia ; in 1900 he was sent as a delegate to the In- ternational Railway Congress in Paris, and in 1909 he was chosen president of the con- gress of the International Association for Testing Material, which convened at Cop- enhagen. He was in distinguished com- pany and more than held his own with rep- resentatives from China, Japan, Italy, Rou- mania, France, Belgium, Germany, Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and England. While at Copenhagen on this mission, Dr. and Mrs. Dudley had an opportunity to hear Dr. Cook lecture on the Arctic regions.

Notwithstanding the great demands made on his time and strength by his scientific duties and many connections, Dr. Dudley was never unmindful of his duties as a good citizen and had many investments at Al- toona and was director in the Second Na- tional Bank. He was chairman of the Al- toona Mechanics' Library, and the wide character of his acquaintance may be seen in his membership with the Union League of Philadelphia, the Cosmos Club of Wash- ington, and the Engineers' Club of New York. Dr. Dudley pased away December 21, 1909.

He married in April, 1906, Mary Virginia Crawford, of Bryn Mawr, Pa.

HARRY REED, superintendent of the Orphans' Home of Blair County, Pa., was for many years engaged in following his trade as a brick and stone mason, and was born in 1857 in Canoe Creek, Blair County, Pa., a son of George and Sarah (Eckert) Reed.

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George Reed was a native of Lancaster County, Pa., and a son of James Reed, who later in life came to Blair County to live. George Reed was a stone mason by trade, and in politics he was identified with the Republican party. He and his wife were both members of the United Brethren church. They were parents of the follow- ing children: James, Caroline, John, Mary Ellen, Harry, George, William, Maggie and Joseph.

Harry Reed has always lived in Blair County and after a common school educa- tion learned brick and stone masonry, which he followed successfully until March 25, 1910, when he was appointed superintendent of the Orphans' Home by the commission- ers of Blair County. In 1889 Mr. Reed was joined in marriage with Miss Ella Rutledge, who is a daughter of Alexander and Sarah Rutledge, of Williamsburg. Mr. and Mrs. Reed are members of the Presbyterian church; politically he is an adherent of the Republican party.

CHARLES E. APPLEBAUGH, who has been a resident of Blair County, Pa., since 1865, is now collector of the borough of Juniata, and was previous to that identified with the P. R. R. Company from 1872 until 1907. He was born May 15, 1837, in Mifflin County, Pa., and is a son of James E. and Maria (Baker) Applebaugh. The Apple- baugh family originally came from Prussia, the first of the family being John Rennsalaer Applebach, grandfather of our subject. He spelled his name differently from the present family of Applebaugh. John R. Applebach located in Bucks County, Pa., and died in Lewistown. He built the Springfield Furnace, in Blair County, and the Paradise Furnace, in Huntingdon County.

James E. Applebaugh was born July 8, 1810, in Northampton County, and at the time of his death, October 6, 1841, was engaged in running a stove and tinware store. He mar- ried Maria Baker, a native of Woodcock Val- ley, Huntingdon County, Pa., and a daughter

of John and Rebecca ( Royer) Baker, and they had three children: Rebecca Elizabeth, widow of Henry Brumbaugh, who lives in Trout Creek Valley ; Charles Edwin, and John Ealor, who lives at Wooster, O. He served in the same cavalry regiment with our subject, in the Civil War, and also in the IIoth and 184th Regiments. It is said that John Baker, ma- ternal grandfather of subject, was captain of a company of men in Huntingdon County, who fought the Indians. He had a big hunt- ing knife, a tomahawk, and also a belt, which had been given him by an Indian, whose life he had saved. Mr. Baker received a land war- rant from the government for services ren- dered.

Charles E. Applebaugh was past four years of age when his father died and in 1842 he came with his mother to Huntingdon County, where he was reared and attended school. After teaching four terms in Huntingdon County, he took a course of study at Cassville Seminary, and on April 26, 1861, enlisted as a member of Criswell Battalion, but was not at that time called into service. On August 26, 1861, he enlisted for three years' service, in Co. B., IIoth Pa. Vol. Inf., and at the end of fourteen months was transferred to Troop D., 6th U. S. Cavalry. He spent twenty-two months with this company, completing his en- listment of three years. After his return home he braked during the summer and taught school at Springfield Furnace during the win- ter. Then on February. 22, 1865, he enlisted in. Co. C., 76th Pa. Vol. Inf., which was known as the Keystone Zouaves, and was mustered out July 18, 1865, at Raleigh, N. C. Mr. Applebaugh was slightly wounded June 9, 1863, at Beverly Ford, Va., and although still bearing the scar, it did not incapacitate him from service. His brother, John E., who fought by his side, was taken prisoner at that battle, but was only imprisoned eleven days, when paroled. Mr. Applebaugh returned to Huntingdon County after the war and in November, 1865, came to Blair County and located at Clappertown, now known as Mor- rell. He taught school there for three winters

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and farmed during the summer months and in May, 1867, began as a clerk at the Springfield Furnace, where he continued four years. He moved to Martinsburg in June, 1871, and shortly afterward located at Altoona, where he was employed four years in the freight shops. During that period he obtained leave of absence from the Railroad Company and taught school during the winter of 1874, in the Third Ward at Altoona, being the only male teacher in the school that year. In December, 1875, he left the freight office and went into the yards as car inspector, continuing in that capacity until August 17, 1876, when he lost his arm in an accident. He was subsequently messenger in the yards for more than three years, then was employed in the blacksmith shop of the car department some time, and in March, 1879, became watchman at Gate No. I, where he continued three years. In October, 1890, he was appointed mail messenger of the Juniata Shops and served continuously in that position until his retirement from railroad service on June 1, 1907, having been identified with the railroad company continuously from 1872 until 1907. Since his retirement from the railroad service, he has been employed as collector of the borough of Juniata, having been first appointed to fill out E. N. Bulick's unexpired term of two years, and at the ex- piration of these two years, was elected for a term of three years.

Mr. Applebaugh was first married January 23, 1866, to Miss Nancy R. Brumbaugh, a native of Clappertown, and a daughter of Jacob Brumbaugh, who was a miller by trade. Eight children were born of this union: Clara (Mrs. Whitfield), a resident of Logantown ; James Lincoln, living at Cape Charles, Va .; Mrs. Mary Jones, of Altoona; Irene, deceased ; John Ealor, deceased : Charles Meade, married Nellie McElroy, of Altoona ; Ida May (Hunt), of Juniata; and Daisy Viola, living with our subject, is the widow of Leroy J. Elliott, who died January 5, 1909, from an injury received at Mill Hall. Mr. Applebaugh formed a sec- ond union on February 2, 1893, with Mrs. Rebecca L. (Chilcoat) Barnett, who was born

near Shellsburg, Bedford County, Pa., a daughter of John Chilcoat, who lived and died in Huntingdon County.

Mr. Applebaugh was the first Republican assessor of the city of Altoona, serving as such three years, and was also assessor of the Eighth Ward for three years. He was a member of the borough council six and a half years, serving as president of same two years, and was burgess eight months, when he filled the unexpired term of Burgess Rogers. He is identified with the Republican party in politics, and is fraternally a member of the G. A. R. No. 62 of Altoona. He is a member of the Methodist Church, of which he is president of the board of trustees, and a member of the board of stewards.

JOHN WOODCOCK, deceased, the closing years of whose long and useful life were passed at Altoona, Pa., was born in 1800, at Wilmington, Del., in which city his grand- father, Bancroft Woodcock, had located when lie came to the American colonies, and where Isaac Woodcock, father of John, married and lived for several years. The family is an old one in Lancashire, England, where it is still numerously represented, some of the descend- ants bearing titles.

When five years of age, John Woodcock was taken by his father to Bedford County, Pa. It is difficult to believe that the family at that time was unduly prosperous for the rea- son that Isaac Woodcock was not an agricul- turist, on the other hand being a man with artistic tastes and skilled in the manipulation of delicate tools vastly removed from the homely plough, hoe and scythe of the farmer. He was a jeweler and silversmith and it would seem that in the mountainous region in which he first settled, where Indians were most fre- quent visitors, there could have been little de- mand for the products of his cunning fingers. However he remained there and evidently made a fair subsistence for he continued to work at his trade, in which he retained a mar- velous skill into old age. His grandson prizes some specimens of it executed when he was

HON. THOMAS J. BALDRIGE

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seventy-two years old, consisting of a set of silver spoons made out of silver dollars fur- nished him by his son John.

John Woodcock resided in Bedford County until he was thirty years of age, becoming a tanner as well as farmer, and then removed to Wells Valley, in Fulton County, where he lived for thirty-five years. He was a man of more than usual value to his community, one of superior understanding and of exemplary life. Foremost among his neighbors, he was frequently elected to positions of trust and re- sponsibility by them and this confidence was never betrayed. He married Miss Sarah Alexander, who was born in Fulton County, Pa., and died in 1850, when aged but thirty- five years, leaving seven children, one of whom, William L., is one of Blair County's most prominent attorneys and best known cit- izens. John Woodcock was identified with the Republican party. He was an earnest member and unusually liberal supporter of the Methodist Episcopal church, being a class leader for forty years. His death occurred at Altoona in 1874, when aged seventy-four years.

HON. THOMAS J. BALDRIGE, judge of the Common Pleas Court of Blair County, has been identified with the legal profession of this county since 1895, and was born April 5, 1872, in Hollidaysburg, Pa., a son of Howard M. Baldrige, a prominent attorney of Blair County.

Judge Baldrige received a common school education and then attended Andover & Buck- nel University, and after spending some time on the government engineer corps, took a spe- cial course in law at the University of Penn- sylvania. He was admitted to the bar of Blair County in 1895, and has been located at Hollidaysburg, Pa., in the practice of the pro- fession since that time, and in January, 1910, was appointed common pleas judge to fill the unexpired term of the late Judge Bell, and has made a most favorable impression on the Bench.

Judge Baldrige is religiously a member of the Baptist church of which he is one of the board of trustees.

L. S. WALTON, M. D., an eye, ear, nose and throat specialist, whose offices are lo- cated in the Central Trust Building, is one of the prominent young professional men of Altoona, Pa., and was born in this city in 1877. After obtaining an elementary edu- cation in the public and High schools of Al- toona, Dr. Walton spent two years at Swathmore College, and then took a course in medicine at the University of Pennsyl- vania, from which he graduated with the class of 1902. He immediately engaged in the practice of medicine at Pittsburg, where he continued with much success for five years, and during that time was also actively iden- tified with the Pittsburg Eye, Ear and Nose Hospital. During the winter of 1908-09 he was engaged in special work at the Will's Eye Hospital of Philadelphia. Since May, 1909, he has been located at Altoona, Pa., where he has established a large and profitable practice and has gained an envi- able reputation as an eye, ear, nose and throat specialist. Dr. Walton is a member of the county, State and American Medical Societies. In 1904, Dr. Walton was joined in marriage with Angeline McCray of Un- iontown, Pa. The religous connection of the family is with the Presbyterian church.

SAMUEL H. DILLING, secretary of the board of road supervisors of North Wood- bury Township, Blair County, Pa., and a prosperous farmer of this section, was born April 19, 1861, in North Woodbury Town- ship and is a son of John H. and Susan (Hoover) Dilling.

John H. Dilling was born in Blair County, in what is now North Woodbury Township, a son of Henry Dilling, and a grandson of Casper Dilling, who was the founder of the family in Blair County. Casper Dilling was born in Germany, came to the American colonies prior to the Revolutionary War

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and subsequently joined the Patriot Army and was with Gen. Washington and his suf- fering soldiers during the notable winter at Valley Forge. He probably served through the entire war and afterward came to what is now Blair County and later settled at Rebecca Furnace. The early records fre- quently mention the Dillings, for the family has been one of the leading and representa- tive ones of this county. John H. Dilling died in July, 1894. He had held many of the local offices and was a leading member of the German Baptist church. He mar- ried Susan Hoover, who was born in Bed- ford County, and of their children the fol- lowing survive : Susan, who is the widow of David Sell, of Bedford County; Sarah, who is the wife of Daniel S. Baker, of North Woodbury Township; Samuel H. ; Lucinda, who is the wife of J. B. Brumbaugh, of Juniata, Pa .; Harriet, who is the wife of Harry Longenecker, of Woodbury Town- ship.

. Samuel H. Dilling was reared on his father's farm near Fredericksburg and ob- tained a good public school education. From his youth up he has been engaged in agricultural pursuits and devotes his ninety- five acres of valuable land to farming and stock-raising. He is one of the township's representative men, ever ready to do his duty and taking an interest in the general welfare. In politics, like his late father, he is a Democrat. He served three years as tax collector of North Woodbury Township and afterward was elected to his present office.

Mr. Dilling was married first to Miss Harriet Brumbaugh, a daughter of the late Andrew Brumbaugh, formerly of Hunting- don County, Pa. She is survived by one son, Abner B. Mr. Dilling was married the second time to Miss Elizabeth J. Zook, who is a daughter of Frederick H. Zook, of Bedford County, and they have four chil- dren: J. Fred, Bessie M., Hattie V. and Edgar O. Mr. Dilling and wife are mem- bers of the German Baptist church.

WILLIAM HENRY WOLFF, senior member of the firm of W. H. Wolff & Son, proprietors of a first class laundry at Hol- lidaysburg, Pa., has been a resident of Blair County since the spring of 1880 and was born June 25, 1854, at Chambersburg, Pa., a son of Henry and M. C. Wolff, both now deceased.

William Henry Wolff grew to man's es- tate in Chambersburg, Pa., and here learned the carriage making trade, which he fol- lowed there successfully for four years. In 1880 he removed to Altoona and entered the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, working in the cabinet depart- ment under John Burley (now deceased), for nineteen years. He resigned that posi- tion to accept the office of treasurer of Blair County, being elected to that office in 1899, and served very efficiently in that capacity for three years. Mr. Wolff then embarked in the laundry business, which was entirely new to him, and employed a Mr. Lynch, an experienced laundryman from the East to establish the business for him. He erected his present buildings, installed new and modern machinery throughout the entire plant, and now runs two wagons in Altoona and one wagon and motor truck in Holli- daysburg. His office is located at No. 705 Twelfth Street, Altoona, Pa., and he has established an extensive and steadily in- creasing business, now having 1,400 patrons on his list.

Mr. Wolff was joined in marriage with Ida Belle Kuhn, and they have one son, William Henry, junior member of the firm of W. H. Wolff & Son, who maried Emma B. Walls. In politics Mr. Wolff is identified with the Republican party and has served as a member of the borough council, of which he was president, and was also chair- man of the Water Department. He is fra- ternally a member of the I. O. O. F .; the Knights of Pythias; Independent Ameri- cans; and the Maccabees. The religious connection of the family is with the M. E. church of which our subject is steward.

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JOHN D. HUGHES, deceased, for a number of years was engaged in business at Altoona and was one of the representative and useful citizens. He was born at Belle- fonte, Center County, Pa., in 1824 and died at Altoona in 1885. The Hughes family of Pennsylvania, originated in Wales and its first representative in America was the grandfather of John D. Hughes. He came to Center County in early manhood.

The late John D. Hughes learned the blacksmith trade and in 1865 obtained work in the railroad shops at Altoona where he continued for three years and then moved to Penn Furnace where he had charge of the blacksmith shop of Shorb, Stewart & Co. until 1876, when he returned to Al- toona. He then embarked in the coal busi- ness and continued active in that line until his death. He was more or less prominent in local politics during his active years and was a stanch Jacksonian Democrat. For many years he was an earnest worker in the Methodist Episcopal church and at different times held church offices. He married Miss Hannah Hicks, who was born in Center County, Pa., and they reared a family of children. One son, James C. Hughes, is one of the influential business men of Al- toona, being identified with a number of im- portant enterprises.

JOHN I. HOOVER, an honored veteran of the Civil War and a well known resident of Claysburg, Pa., which place has been his home for many years, was born in Bedford County, Pa., August 16, 1843, and is a son of John and Mary (Boring) Hoover.

John Hoover was born in Huntingdon County, Pa., and was a son of John Hoover, who was also a native of Huntingdon County, where, at one time he owned large tracts of land. About 1850 he removed to North Bend, Ia., where he was a pioneer, and died there. The mother of John I. Hoover was a daughter of Elijah Boring, who, for a number of years was a blacksmith at Sarah Furnace and at other points. They had three children : Emily

Ann, who died young; John I., and David, who died aged eighteen months.

John I. Hoover was about two years old when his father died and only ten years old when his mother also passed away. He grew up with his mother's people, around Saran Furnace, and had but meager educational op- portunities, but fortunately made the most of these and thus laid a fair foundation for future study. In later life he has been frequently called on to serve in important public positions and his qualifications have equaled those of others whose early lines fell in easier places. In June, 1863, Mr. Hoover enlisted in Co. L, 19th Pa. Vol. Ca.v., which was attached to the Army of the Cumberland and operated through Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri and Kentucky. Although he remained in the service for more than two and one-half years and took part in twenty- seven engagements in all, he was but once wounded, that being during the second day's battle at Nashville. He participated in the siege and battle of Nashville; Hollow Tree Gap; Franklin; Chattanooga; Lookout Moun- tain; Guntown; Mobile; Ivory Farms; Grand Gulf; Sand River, and Holly Springs, Miss. He is a member of the G. A. R. Post at Roar- ing Spring.

After the honorable close of his military service, Mr. Hoover returned to Blair County and learned the carpenter trade and followed the same for a quarter of a century and dur- ing this time did considerable contracting. He is a prominent Republican in Blair County and has frequently represented Greenfield Township at the county conventions. He has served as school director and as judge of elec- tions and in party matters his judgment is fre- quently consulted.

Mr. Hoover was married to Miss Elizabeth Dotson, a daughter of the late Levi Dotson, of Bedford County, who lived to be ninety years old. To Mr. and Mrs. Hoover seven children were born, namely : Elizabeth A., wife of William McVicker, of Johnstown, Pa .; Charles H., of Altoona; Mary, wife of Oscar McGinnis, of Altoona; George C., of Altoona ;

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and Harry, Herbert and Martha, all three of whom are deceased.

DAVID T. KETRING, one of the leading druggists of Williamsburg, Pa., and a stock- holder and second vice president of the Farm- ers and Merchants National Bank, of this bor- ough, was born May 9, 1857, at Waterside, Bedford County, Pa., and is a son of Adam and Susan (Teeter) Ketring. The parents both died and were buried in Bedford County. The father was a blacksmith and coach builder by trade, but during his later years was en- gaged in the lumber business. He was polit- ically a Republican. He and his wife were members of the German Baptist church. Adam and Susan Ketring reared the following children: Jacob T., deceased; Elias T., de- ceased; Charlotte, the wife of H. P. Brink- worth, of Louisville, O .; and David T., the subject of this record. John Adam Ketring and wife, grandparents of our subject, came from Germany on the same boat, where they met for the first time. After a three months' voyage, they landed in New York, where they were married, and shortly afterward came on foot to Blair County, Pa., where they spent the remainder of their lives.

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Twentieth century history of Altoona and Blair County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens, Part 77

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