Twentieth century history of Altoona and Blair County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens, Part 99

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 99

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ADAM H. HAZENSTAB, a well known and popular citizen of Freedom Township, Blair County, Pa., of which township he was elected clerk in the spring of 1910, owns and operates a valuable farm of ninety-six acres. He was born August 19, 1848, near Ore Hill, Blair County, Pa., and is a son of John and Mary (Stanger) Hazenstab.

The parents of Mr. Hazenstab were born in Bavaria, Germany. The father died in Amer- ica, but the mother still survives and has passed her ninetieth year. She and four daughters reside together in Freedom Township.

Adam H. Hazenstab did not have as many excellent opportunities for securing an educa- tion as have the youths of today, but he made use of the advantages afforded him and is num- bered with the well informed and intelligent men of his community. His business has al- ways been farming. He is an independent voter, nevertheless on numerous occasions his fellow citizens, irrespective of party, have

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HISTORY OF BLAIR COUNTY

shown their confidence in him by electing him to township offices, and he has served as au- ditor and, as indicated above, is now township clerk.

Mr. Hazenstab married Miss Agnes Ying- ling, a daughter of the late George Yingling, of Blair County, and they have had nine chil- dren, eight of whom still survive, namely : Regis, Lizzie, Bernard, Vincent, Raymond, Ar- thur, Marie and Irene. Ellen is deceased. Mr. Hazenstab and family are members of the Ro- man Catholic church at Newry, Pa.

D. A. S. OBURN, M. D., a member of the medical staff of the Altoona Hospital, at Al- toona, Pa., and a successful general practi- tioner, with office and modern medical equip- ments at No. 701 Seventh Avenue, was born at Ennisville, Huntingdon County, Pa., in Au- gust, 1874 and came to Altoona in July, 1896.

D. A. S. Oburn was educated in the com- mon schools and Stone Valley Academy, and spent a short time in the Grove City College and Dickinson Seminary and then entered Jefferson Medical College at Philadelphia, where he was graduated in 1896. He imme- diately located in Altoona and has made this city his permanent home, interesting himself in the varied interests of the place and accept- ing the responsibilities of good citizenship. He is a member of the Blair County and the State Medical Societies and of the American Med- ical Association.

Dr. Oburn was married in 1897, to Miss Olive M. Oaks, of McAlevys Fort, Hunting- don County, Pa. They are members of the Eighth Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church. He is a Mason of high standing and belongs to the Blue Lodge, Chapter, Commandery and Shrine. He is identified also with the Elks, and socially, is a member of the Univer- sity Club.

JOHN E. WALTER, a leading agricultur- ist of North Taylor Township, Blair County, Pa., where he owns a farm of eighty-seven acres, was born in Franklin County, Pa., March 20, 1861, and is a son of Jeremiah C.

and Margaret (Wister) Walter, the former of whom was born in Dauphin County and now lives at Harrisburg, aged seventy-eight years. He married Margaret Wister, who was born in Franklin County and is now de- ceased. Of their children two sons and two daughters survive, namely: John E .; Clara Elizabeth; Cornelia Bell, who is the wife of Charles Ketrow; and William M., who has been in the U. S. Navy for three years and is attached to the U. S. battleship, South Dakota.

John E. Walter was two years old when his parents moved to Cumberland County, Pa., where they lived until he was seven years of age and then removed to Altoona where he attended school until his fifteenth year. Mr. Walter then went to Greencastle, Pa., where he learned the milling trade in some large flour mills and followed milling for five years afterward. Desiring to see something of the great country in which he was born, beyond the confines of his own state, he then went to the West, spending several years in Colorado and a shorter period in California and Ariz- ona, during a part of the time was connected with a surveying corps. In 1889 he returned to Altoona and for several more years worked in the Pennsylvania Railroad shops there, fin- ally, in 1907, settling on his present farm in Taylor Township. Here he carries on a gen- eral agricultural line, growing the grains that yield and mature best in this section and also stock and dairy cows for his own use. In all his journeying, Mr. Walter found no land bet- ter suited for his purposes than the fertile soil of Taylor Township.

On January 1, 1896, Mr. Walter was mar- ried to Miss Annie M. Long, who was born at East Sharpsburg, Pa., and is a daughter of John H. and Margaret (Eisenhut) Long, na- tives of Germany. The mother of Mrs. Wal- ter died July 10, 1910, but the father survives and resides at Altoona, being now in his sev- enty-sixth year. Mr. and Mrs. Long had six children born to them, four of whom survive and Mrs. Walter is the third of these in order of birth, the others being: Harry E., and Charles O., both of Altoona; and Laura M.,

LEWIS W. IRWIN

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

wife of Prof. W. F. Kyle, a teacher in the Huntingdon, Pa., Reformatory. Mrs. Walter is a member of the Lutheran church at Roaring Spring. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Walter: William C., and Margaret E. Mr. Walter is a member of Hiram Lodge, No. 616, F. & A. M., at Altoona; of the Con- sistory at Williamsport and the Mystic Shrine, at Altoona, and has also reached the 32d de- gree. He belongs also to Mountain City Lodge, No. 837, I. O. O. F., Altoona, and to Altoona Encampment, No. 129, and in these connections has a wide acquaintance.

Mr. Walter is not specifically identified with either political party but this does not mean that he is unmindful of his privileges of cit- izenship. On the other hand, voting independ- ently, he feels that he is giving support to can- didates of whom his own judgment can ap- prove. He is a practical, well informed man and largely a self made one, never having had any special advantages except those he pro- vided for himself.

LEWIS WILLARD IRWIN, owner and proprietor of the leading department store at Bellwood, Pa., is one of the representative business men of this borough and was born July 7, 1856, on a farm in Antis Township, Blair County, Pa .; a son of John E. and An- geline (Grazier) Irwin. Daniel Irwin, grand- father of our subject, was of Scotch-Irish de- scent, although a native of Blair County, Pa., his father having come here from Chester County, Pa. One of his brothers located at Irwin, Pa., which was named after him.

John E. Irwin, father of Lewis W., was born on the Wentzell farm near Hensheys- town in Antis Township and made farming his life occupation. He married Angeline Grazier, who was born at Warrior's Mark, Pa., a daughter of Henry Grazier, who was one of the early settlers of the county, and their marriage resulted in the following issue: Lewis W., subject of this sketch; Frank H., who died aged 18 years of age from the effects of scarlet fever; Emma V., living at Bell- wood; Mrs. Alice Rheinhart, of Pittsburg,

and Mrs. Edith Bauer, of Pittsburg. John E. Irwin died of typhoid fever in 1866 at the age of 42 years, and his wife died in January, 1899, at Bellwood, her death being due to pneumonia.

Lewis W. Irwin has always lived in Blair County, and obtained his education in the schools of the county and at Logan's Academy. He was then employed in various ways until 1876, and during that time learned the car- penter's trade, but owing to the dullness of the times, taught school for five years in Cambria, Clearfield and Blair Counties. In 1881 he entered the employ of Isett & Wray, whose store was located on the other side of the town, and continued with them and their suc- cessor, Mr. Wray, until 1889. At that time Mr. Wentzell bought the business from Mr. Wray and Mr. Irwin continued with him until 1892, when in partnership with W. P. Wray, our subject established a general store with about half the stock which he carries in his present store. Irwin & Wray erected a build- ing in which they successfully operated a gen- eral store until 1898, when the entire building was destroyed by fire, but they arose from the ashes greater than ever, and built a magnifi- cent brick and stone building. In 1904 Mr. Irwin purchased Mr. Wray's interest in the business for the benefit of his eldest son, who subsequently died. He has since given a work- ing interest in the business to J. C. McFar- land, and R. L. McCloskey, both of whom are employed in the store. The firm is known as L. W. Irwin Company, and they carry a gen- eral line of groceries, dry goods, flour, feed, hardware, etc. Mr. Irwin resides in a beauti- ful home, which is built of natural stone from Brush Mountain, and was formerly the home of Mr. Wray, from whom our subject bought the property in 1904, at which time he also bought the former's interest in the business. Mr. Irwin is a stockholder in the Bellwood Bank.

Mr. Irwin is a Democrat in politics, al- though inclined to independent action locally. He is a director of the Logan Valley Ceme- tery Association, and has for years been a

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member of the school board, of which he has been president about six years. He is presi- dent of the business men's association of Bell- wood, and is a member of the borough coun- cil, and has been clerk for six or seven years. He has been a member of the Presbyterian church since 16 years of age, and has been an elder in it for 23 years, and superintendent of the Sunday School for the past ten years. He is affiliated with the I. O. O. F.

Mr. Irwin was first united in marriage with Mattie A. Hommer, of Glasgow, Cambria County, Pa., and ten children were born of their union, as follows: Maud, who is the wife of Clark Smith, and lives in Philadel- phia; Edna Catherine residing at home; Harry T., who was engaged in business with his father and died in 1907 at the age of 25 years; Herman P., who died aged six years; Evelyn, who is the wife of LeRoy Keeley, of Washington, D. C .; Anna, who died aged fourteen months; Alice Marguerite, who at- tends the High School at Altoona, Pa .; Eliz- abeth, who died in infancy; Robert E., who lives in Texas; and John Howard, now six- teen years of age, who is in the store with his father. Mrs. Irwin died December 7, 1897, and our subject subsequently married Ida A. Henshey, a daughter of Samuel Henshey, a resident of Hensheystown, which was named after the grandfather of Mrs. Irwin. Four children have been born of the second union: Dorothy, Lewis Willard, Jr., Mary, and Laura.

LOUIS G. LAMADE, who is recognized as one of Altoona's prominent and representa- tive citizens, active along many lines and exceedingly public spirited, is the manager of The Deutscher Volksfuehrer Publishing Company of this city. It issues a journal of wide circulation and of great interest and value to the German people all through the Juniata Valley, being the only newspaper devoted entirely to their interests in their own language. He has been a resident of the United States since 1867. His birth took place near Bretten, Germany, Au-

gust 22, 1854, and his parents were Diet- rich and Caroline (Zuepfle) Lamade. When they came to America they located at Williams- port, Pa., where the father died two years later. His widow was left with a large family, there being fourteen children.

Prior to coming to America, Louis G. La- made had attended school in his native land and soon after reaching Williamsport became an apprentice in a printing office, learned the business and has been identified with newspa- pers ever since. During several years he was foreman of two Williamsport publications, and afterward, according to the way of printers, journeyed from city to city, comparatively care free, always being sure that work in his line was awaiting a competent typesetter or capable foreman. In his travels he finally reached New York and worked there at his trade until 1880, when he accepted a position as foreman on the Altoona Call.

Mr. Lamade came then to Altoona and con- tinued with the Call until 1881, when he pur- chased his present paper from Harry Slep, then of the Altoona Mirror, who had founded it, and put out the first issue on March 28, 1878. After coming into possession, Mr. Lamade by his energy and enterprise, injected new life into the paper, adding many interesting features, and has ably edited it ever since. He is a Dem- ocrat in his personal political sentiments but the Volksfuehrer is conducted as an independent paper and thus appeals to all parties among its army of German readers. In 1899 a stock com- pany was formed and Mr. Lamade has been manager of the publishing business ever since and also of the job office. He has been an act- ive citizen of Altoona and has done much to add to the city's material prosperity, serving for many years as treasurer of the Germania Build- ing Association, encouraging the investment of capital through his newspaper and giving sup- port to civic movements promising to be of sub- stantial benefit. He served one term as alder- man of the Fourth Ward, being appointed by Governor Patterson, also one term as jury com- missioner of Blair County.

Mr. Lamade was married in 1881, to Miss

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Frances Soller, a daughter of Leonard Soller, an old German resident of Altoona, and they have four children: Carl, who is General In- spector of the Westinghouse Electrical Works of East Pittsburg; Elizabeth ( Mrs. John Mau- rer) ; Katharine (Mrs. Robert Hanna) ; and Louis. Their pleasant home is situated at No. 212 East Fifth Avenue. For many years Mr. Lamade has been identified with the Artisans' order of M. P., the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the Moose, and the Owls, and is prominent also in a number of German benevolent and so- cial organizations. He is past president of the Altoona Branch of the German-American Al- liance, comprising all the German organizations of Blair County.

OLIVER W. SHAW, a leading citizen and successful agriculturist of Blair Township, Blair County, Pa., resides on his well improved farm of seventy acres, to which he came in 1892. He is a native of Blair County, born in Freedom Township, March 31, 1862, and is a son of Samuel and Anna ( Wilt) Shaw.

Samuel Shaw was born also in Freedom Township and passed his whole life there, dying in 1891. His father, Thomas Shaw, was a native of the north of Ireland and was one of the very early settlers of Freedom Township, Blair County. In politics, the late Samuel Shaw was a Democrat, and in religious faith and observance, a Lutheran. He married Anna Wilt, whose father, Capt. Peter Wilt, was a pioneer in Freedom Township, and six of their family of children still survive, namely: Peter A., who is in business at Altoona; Samuel T., who lives in Blair Township; Oliver W .; Jen- nie M., who is the wife of Albert Growden, of Reed City, Mich .; Ellen E., who is the widow of Michael Stultz, formerly of Frankstown Township but now of Los Angeles, Calif. ; and Martha M., who is the wife of Scott Wilson and resides near Los Angeles, Calif.

Oliver W. Shaw remained in Freedom Township through his school period and until 1892, when he came to Blair Township and started a dairy business on his present farm and for a number of years was engaged in the

wholesale milk business. Later, when he some- what curtailed his business activities, he dis- posed of a part of his farm, and the village of Shawsville, named in his honor, was laid out according to his ideas and plans.

Mr. Shaw married Miss Margaret J. Hanna, who was born in Cambria County, Pa., where her father, Thomas Hanna, still resides, being now in his eighty-first year. To Mr. and Mrs. Shaw five children have been born, namely : Byron E., Thomas T., Verus P., Martha I, and LaRue. Mr. and Mrs. Shaw are members of Zion Lutheran Church at Hollidaysburg. In politics he is a Republican and he has frequently been his party's choice for township offices. He has served several terms on the school board of Blair Township, of which he is treasurer, and is serving in his first term as township auditor. He is identified fraternally with Wa- neta Lodge, No. 1142, Odd Fellows, at Hol- lidaysburg, and formerly was connected with the Junior Order of American Mechanics, at the same place. He belongs also to Scotch Valley Grange, No. 510, and served one year as secretary of this organization. Like other far seeing and sensible men, Mr. Shaw recog- nizes the practical benefits that accrue to the farmer through some of the latter-day scientific inventions, and thus he became one of the pro- moters and is now the president of the Loop Telephone Company, which has proved a profit- able investment.

SAMUEL E. LONG, a leading farmer of Frankstown Township, Blair County, Pa., who owns 200 acres of fine land here, 100 of which is under cultivation, was born in Hare's Valley, Huntingdon County, Pa., October 1, 1868, and is a son of Eli and Anna (Wagner) Long.

The late Eli Long was born in Huntingdon County, a son of George Long. His entire life was spent there and his business was farm- ing. In his political sentiments he was a Re- publican but did not aspire to public office. He was a consistent member of the Methodist Prot- estant church. His widow, Anna ( Wagner) Long, survives and still resides in Huntingdon County, where her father, Samuel Wagner,

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was an early settler. To Eli Long and wife the following children were born: Burdine, Samuel E., John, Robert M., Madge, Clara, Elizabeth and Amanda. Burdine and John are both deceased. Madge is the wife of Neal Walker; Clara, of Frank Dath; and Amanda, of Robert F. Gurd ..

Samuel E. Long obtained his education in the public schools. He then spent nine years working in coal mines and lumbering and thus acquired the capital that he invested, in the spring of 1903, in the purchase of his present farm which formerly was the property of Wil- liam Mattern. Since locating here he has been very busy clearing and improving. The half of his land which is under cultivation, in its productiveness, justifies him in believing that the other half will be equally valuable as farm land and to its rapid clearing he is closely de- voting himself.

On September 15, 1898, Mr. Long was mar- ried to Miss Lena Cutshall. Her parents are John and Jane ( Ramsey) Cutshall and her grandfathers were John Cutshall, who was killed in the Revolutionary War, and Alexander Ramsey, an early settler in Huntingdon Coun- ty, Pa. Her father is a farmer there and was a mail carrier for two years. To Mr. and Mrs. Cutshall the following children were born: Cinda, wife of William Grisinger; Rosella, wife of Christ Hobble; Eliza, wife of Samuel Taylor; Etta, wife of John Brown; Susan, wife of Alfred Jamison; Exey, widow of Bur- dine Long; John; Alexander; Nahem and Lena. Mr. and Mrs. Long have nine children : Lloyd, Sylvester, Ira, Nora, Jessie, Ruth, Mary, Olive and Ethel. Mr. Long and family belong to the United Brethren church. He is a member of the Grange. In politics he is a Republican. Mr. Long is one of Frankstown Township's most reliable men.

DR. H. LEWIS DAVENPORT, one of the leading and successful practitioners of Al- toona, Pa., has been located here in the prac- tice of his profession since February, 1901, and was the first osteopathic physician to locate in this city. He was born in Plymouth, Lu-

cerne County, Pa., in 1875 and was reared there and obtained his early education in the public schools. After graduating from the high school, he spent two years in his father's store at Plymouth, then took up the study of osteopathy at the College of Osteopathy at Wilkesbarre, Pa., graduating in February, 1901. That same month he came to Altoona, and has since been continuously and success- fully engaged in the practice of osteopathy, and has won the esteem and confidence of his fellow citizens. Besides his practice Dr. Dav- enport is also actively identified with the Build- ing & Loan Association of Altoona. Dr. Davenport was married in October 1903 to Inez Gardner of Altoona, and they have three children: William, John, and Mary. He is fraternally a Mason, and his religious connec- tion is with the Ist. M. E. Church.

JACOB D. SMITH, one of Huston Township's well known citizens and substan- tial and practical farmers, owns 125 acres of valuable land which he devotes to general ag- riculture. He was born in Huston Township, Blair County, Pa., February II, 1842, and is a son of Jacob B. and Susan (Dilling) Smith.

Jacob B. Smith and wife were both born in Huston Township, the Smith and Dilling fam- ilies being old and honorable ones here for several generations. Jacob B. Smith was a son of John and Christena (Brumbaugh) Smith, also of Huston Township. His busi- ness was farming and stockraising and with industry and prudence he became the owner of six ordinary farms. He was much respected by his fellow citizens and they elected him to township offices on many occasions.

Jacob D. Smith was reared in Huston Town- ship and attended the country schools. He has devoted himself to agricultural pursuits for many years but in early manhood he worked for a time in a rolling-mill at Pitts- burg. In politics, like his late father, he is a Democrat, but he is not a politician nor a seeker for office. During his life since boy- hood he has seen marked changes take place in Huston Township and some of the old fam-

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ilies have entirely disappeared and their farms are owned by later settlers. Mr. Smith is hos- pitable and a visit to his well cultivated farm and a view of his fine stock are enjoyable ex- periences.

HON. MARTIN BELL, deceased, formerly president judge of the Blair County Courts, was long one of Hollidaysburg's representa- tive citizens. He was born in Antis Town- ship, Blair County, Pa., September 30, 1849, and was the only surviving son of Rev. Adie K. and Mary E. (Allen) Bell.

The founder of the old pioneer Bell family of central Pennsylvania was John Bell, the great-grandfather of the late Judge Bell, who settled in Sinking valley prior to the Revolu- tionary War, during which he was often com- pelled to flee with his family to Lowery's Fort to escape massacre by the Indians.

Edward Bell, son of John Bell, was born in Sinking valley, March 17, 1769, and died April 14, 1852, aged eighty-three years. He was a millwright by trade, and in 1800 he came to the site of Bellwood, Pa., where he built a grist mill, distillery and saw mill, which im- provements gave the place the name of Bell's Mills, and later, in honor of Mr. Bell, was named Bellwood. Edward Bell was a re- markably energetic and successful man, and in 1830 had come into the ownership of 3,674 acres of land. Two years later he built Eliza- beth Furnace and Mary Ann Forge, and in 1836 his son, Martin Bell, at Elizabeth Fur- nace, was the first man in the world to use escaping gas from the tunnel head of a furnace for the production of steam, and also, it may be said, the first man to rest his furnace over Sunday.

Rev. Adie K. Bell, father of Judge Bell, was born also in Blair County, in 1814, and died in 1888. He was an able Baptist minister and for a number of years was pastor of one of the leading Baptist churches in Allegheny City. The mother of Judge Bell was a native of Dauphin County, a member of the old Allen family of that section. Rev. Adie Bell was one of the early financial secretaries of Lewis-

burg University, now Bucknell University, at Lewisburg, Pa.

Martin Bell was educated at Lewisburg, and was graduated from the university there in the . class of 1873, being later admitted to the bar. Subsequently he was elected district attorney of Blair County and filled that office for three consecutive terms. Judge Bell was elected in the fall of 1893 to succeed Judge Augustus S. Landis, the Democratic appointee of Gov. Rob- ert E. Pattison, who succeeded the late Justice John Dean on the Blair County Bench. Judge Bell was also elected for his second full term on the Republican ticket in the fall of 1903.

Judge Bell was prominent in Masonic circles, being a 32d degree Mason, past master and a Knight Templar. He also took an active part in the military affairs of the State and was for many years the captain of Company C, N. G. P., stationed in this city. He was one of the most able, eminent and widely quoted judges of the Courts of Common Pleas of the State. When it became necessary to pass upon the re- cent act of Assembly increasing the salaries of the judiciary of the State, Judge Bell was se- lected to sit with Judge Robert Von Mosch- zisker, of Philadelphia, specially upon the Dauphin County Bench, to decide that ques- tion, and they sustained the constitutionality of that act.

Judge Bell's decisions were well written and carefully considered, and it was a rare oc- casion when he was reversed by an Appellate Court. He left to survive him a widow, three sons and three daughters.

WILLIAM H. FEATHER, general farmer, residing in Taylor Township, Blair County, Pa., has spent thirty-four years of his life here and is well and favorably known all through this section. Mr. Feather was born in Bloom- field Township, Bedford County, Pa., January 21, 1849, and is a son of George and Elizabeth ( Barley) Feather. His parents were both na- tives of Bedford County, where their parents had settled at a very early date.

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Twentieth century history of Altoona and Blair County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens, Part 99

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