Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens, Part 100

Author: Swoope, Roland D. (Roland Davis), 1885-
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Richmond-Arnold publishing co
Number of Pages: 1040

USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens > Part 100

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Reuben B. Kantz, after obtaining some ele- mentary schooling, began to make himself use- ful on the parental homestead, assisting his father by teaming and helping to cut logs, and this work he began when but eight years old. Marrying at the age of 20, he bought a piece of wooded land which he cleared, living in his present residence, which he built in 1873, and working in the woods during the winter and spring. He spent much time on the river also, in rafting and acting as raft pilot until the de- cline of that industry. In more recent years he has been occupied in building both barns and houses throughout this section. He is a Re- publican politically and has served on the school board and in other offices. He is a member of the United Brethren church.

Mr. Kantz married Sue A. Bowder, who was

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born in Lancaster county, Pa., in 1850, a daughter of Jacob Bowder, a farmer of that locality, who was a Civil war veteran, serving as wagon master. He was killed with three others, near Cresson, by being struck by a train during a snow storm in 1874. His wife in maidenhood was Margaret Jane Bennerd, a native of Ireland. Mrs. Kantz was reared from the age of nine years by Charles and Eliz- abeth Eden, going to live with him from the time of her mother's death and father's en- listment in the army. Her paternal grandpar- ents were John and Anna ( Frankfort) Bow- der, the former a shoemaker and farmer by occupation, and the father of seven sons; six of them were in the war at one time, also a grandson.

Our subject and wife have been the parents of children as follows: Pearl, who is now de- ceased : Charles, a dentist practicing in Philadel- phia, who married Lillian Sparks; Howard, of Burnside, who married Marie Fishel; Edwin E., a prominent coal operator of Burnside, who married Sarah Elizabeth Bellis, daughter of the late Thomas Bellis; Milton Leroy, who mar- ried Beyrl Duke, resides in Oklahoma, and has three children; Paul S., who graduated at Valparaiso, Ind., in the classic and scientific course and is now superintendent of schools at Spirit Lake, Ida .; Guy V., who is a Valparaiso graduate and engaged in teaching school in the state of Washington : Violet E., who attended school at Valparaiso, Ind., and is now teaching in her native township; and Geneva, who is attending school. It will be seen from the above family record that the members of Mr. Kantz's family are ambitions and enterpris- ing, and is may be further said that they have a habit of "making good" in whatever position they may find themselves.

DANIEL JOSIAH SMEAL,* whose val- uable farm of thirty-four acres is situated in Boggs Township, on the town line of Blue Ball, is one of the representative men of this section, in which he has lived for many years. He was born in Morris Township, Clearfield County, Pa., July 16, 1853, and is a son of Peter and Mary (Goss) Smeal.

Peter Smeal was born in Clearfield County in which he spent his life, engaged in farming and lumbering, his death occurring when his son, Daniel J., was a boy of eleven years. He was a Democrat in his political views and his sons have followed in his way of thinking. He married Mary Goss, who was a daughter of George Goss, and they had six children : Ellis, William, Jessie, Luzetta, Daniel J., and Miles, the last named being deceased. Luzetta is the wife of Miles Mease. The parents of the above family were members of the United Brethren church.

Daniel J. Smeal has followed farming ever since he was old enough and strong enough to hold an implement. He purchased his farm in 1885, from Ellis Smeal, and carries on general farming and raises just enough stock for home use. There is a coal mine on the farm, which Mr. Smeal has leased to his son, who operates it and supplies coal.to the local trade.

In 1876 Mr. Smeal was married to Miss Mary Ellen Shaw, a daughter of Robert and Elizabeth ( Pierce) Shaw, who were residents of Bradford Township, Clearfield County. Mrs. Smeal is one of the following family born to her parents : Olive, who is the wife of Al- exander France; Mary Ellen, who is Mrs. Smeal; Hannah, deceased, who was the wife of Edward Albert: Winfield; Henrietta, who is the wife of William McQuillan: Harvey ;

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Walter;and Viola, who is the wife of James Mallory.

Mr. and Mrs. Smeal have nine children, namely: Frances, who is the wife of James Myers; Sheridan; Mabel, who is the wife of Delbert James; and Foster, Arnold, Grant, Roland, Walter and Raymond. Mr. Smeal and family attend the United Brethren church. He has served his township in the office of roadmaster for two and one-half terms.

JOSEPH LAROCK,* who operates a gen- eral custom saw mill, cutting timber on State land, by contract, is a resident of Pike town- ship, and owns a valuable farm of fifty acres, situated in Union Township. He was born in the Dominion of Canada, April 15, 1842.

Mr. Larock came to the United States in 1860 and worked for some years in the Maine woods, having been identified with lumber in- terests ever since. He has been a resident of Clearfield County for about forty years and is well and favorably known. He was married in this county to Miss Deborah Johnston, and they have nine children, namely : Martha, who is the wife of John Rieter; Rebecca, who is the wife of William Durham: Josephine, who moved to Michigan after marriage; and John, Rose, Amanda, Anthony, Andrew and Della, all residing at home. Mr. Larock and family. are members of the Catholic church at Rock- ton, Pa. In politics he is a Democrat. Al- though a large part of his time is taken up with his contract timber work, he is interested also in farming and is a member of the Grange.

JOSEPH GILLILAND, a leading member of one of the prominent old families of Centre and Clearfield Counties, Pa., who is engaged in a general mercantile business at Karthaus,

was born January 6, 1841, at Sprucetown, Centre County, Pa., and is a son of John and Lydia (Smith) Gilliland.

John Gilliland was born at Spring Mills, Centre County, July 15, 1806, and his death occurred March 5. 1888. His parents were Joseph and Catherine (Cowden) Gilliland, and his grandfather was James Gilliland, a native of Ireland. The Gillilands moved from Ches- ter into Centre County, where Joseph Gilliland settled. acquiring land in Potter Township, which was the old family homestead and was retained as such until 1906, when it was dis- posed of. John Gilliland lost a leg in early youth but nevertheless he became a useful and very active man and although he was forced to use a crutch, became so accustomed to its use that he could walk faster than others who had full use of both limbs. For eighteen years he taught school, riding back and forth on horseback. He then went into the mercantile business, buying the Penn's Valley Trading Company, under the firm name of Boozer & Gilliland, which later became J. & R. Gilliland and continued until 1857, when he took up his residence in Karthaus Township, where he had up to this time, conducted a branch store. In politics he was a Democrat. He married Lydia Smith, who was born March II. 1808, at Boalsburg, Centre County, Pa., and died in Karthaus Township, Clearfield county, Jan- nary 22, 1889. She was a daughter of Wil- liam and Hannah (Lytel) Smith.

William Smith, the grandfather of Mrs. Gilliland, was an officer in a Pennsylvania reg- iment in the Revolutionary War and afterward engaged in farming and also operated a mill, in Lancaster County, where his son, William Smith, Jr., was born. The latter engaged in teaching during his early manhood and later

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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY

conducted a store at Warrior's Mark. In 1808 he settled at Smithfield, now a part of Belle- fonte, where he followed merchandising for a time and later resumed teaching. His death occurred before the marriage of his daughter. he and his wife passing away at Boalsburg.

Four sons and two daughters were born to William and Lydia Gilliland, namely : Hannah Catherine; Joseph; William Smith; Edward I., who was engaged in numerous business en- terprises at Pottersdale prior to his death, on July 19th, 1906: Mary Ann, who lives at Kar- thaus; and Robert Cowden, who resides at Snow Shoe, Centre County.

Joseph Gilliland attended school at Centre Hill until he accompanied the family to Kar- thaus Township, in 1857. . After his marriage in 1866, he engaged in farming near Salt Lick and worked at lumbering during the winter sea- sons. He continued to live on that farm until the fall of 1869 and then removed his residence to a hotel at Salt Lick, continuing his farm ac- tivities and also operated the hotel from 1869 until 1873, when he sold the same. He then became a clerk for Dr. J. W. Potter, at Pot- tersdale, remaining until 1877, when he dis- posed of property he still owned in this vicin- ity and then engaged in operating a mill and general store in partnership with his brother- in-law. Joseph Yothers. In the spring of 1882 he bought his partner's interest and continued the mill and store for six years, when he sold to R. L. Potter and returned to Salt Lick. In 1889 he bought store buildings there and with his brother. Edward I. Gilliland, conducted a mercantile business until the spring of 1898, when he disposed of the same to James Hunter. and then moved to Lock Haven, where he lived until October 31, 1908, then moving to Kar- thaus. In the following March he bought his

present store from Joseph A. Heckendorn and still continues in the mercantile business at this point. During his residence at Lock Haven he was in the cigar manufacturing business and while there he and Aaron Kyler established the second laundry in that city. He has always been a man of business enterprise and is widely known through this section of the state.

Joseph Gilliland was married May 17, 1866, to Miss Adeline Yothers, who was born in what is now Karthaus Township, and died De- cember 30, 1878, and her burial was at Kee- waydin, Covington Township. She was a daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Reiter) Yothers, people of German extraction, who came to Clearfield from Centre County. Two daughters were born to this marriage, Lydia Elizabeth and Clara Bell. The latter is the wife of James Heaney and they live at Vinton- dale. Cambria County, and they have had four children : Adeline G., born October 24, 1892, who died at the age of one year; Anna Lu- cetta, born August 1, 1894: Joseph G., born March 12, 1898; and Mabel E., born Novem- ber 30, 1904.

Mr. Gilliland was married secondly in Oc- tober, 1880, to Miss Lucetta B. Lucas, of Snow Shoe, Centre County. Her father, John Lucas, was in the War of 1812, and was wounded in the battle of Lake Erie, September 10, 1813, and was afterward known at Perry John Lucas. He was awarded a medal by Congress as one of Commodore Perry's vet- erans. His death occurred in September, 1858, at the age of sixty-nine years. In National politics. Mr. Gilliland votes with the Demo- cratic party but in local affairs is independent. From 1877 until 1881 he was postmaster at Pottersdale. He is a member of the Meth- odist Episcopal church.

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CHARLES EDWARD ROBACKER,* outside foreman and weigh boss for the Pen- field Coal and Coke Company at Penfield, Pa., has lived in Clearfield County all his life. He was born on his father's farin, situated two miles southwest of Penfield, Pa., April II, 1877, and is a son of Charles and Georgia (Hanes) Robacker.

Charles Robacker was born in Luzerne County, Pa., and grew up in the lumber re- gions there, and was one of the early settlers from Kettle Creek that came to Clearfield County about the time that Hiram Woodward located here. For many years Charles Ro- backer was foreman for John DuBois in his lumber camps and later he operated a general store at Penfield, in partnership with E. S. Gray, which was continued for ten years. He then purchased the present C. E. Robacker farm from a Mr. Abbott, an early settler, and finished the clearing of the land and erected buildings and made numerous improvements. His death occurred in October, 1894, when he was over sixty years of age He was a steady, capable man and enjoyed the respect of those with whom he was associated. He was thrice married. His first wife was the mother of two children: Lillian, who is the wife of W. D. Woodward, Jr .; and Ella, now deceased, who was the wife of E. S. Gray. Mr. Robacker's second wife was Amelia Thompson, who died without issue. His third marriage was to Georgia Hanes. She was born at Baltimore, Md., and resides with her son, Charles Edward. Her second son, Frank O., is foreman of the St. Mary's Gazette, at St. Mary's.

Charles E. Robacker has always made his present farm his home. He attended the pub- lic schools at Penfield and then engaged in farming in the summers and in teaming in the

winters. When his father died he took charge of the farm in Huston Township. On April 14, 1902, he entered the employ of the Pen- field Coal and Coke Company, after receiving an injury while at work in the woods. Mr. Robacker began with this company as weigli man and in September, 1910, succeeded Alex- ander Stewart as outside foreman. He has proved reliable, efficient and trustworthy.

Mr. Robacker married Miss Abigail W. Wickett, a daughter of Martin Wickett, who makes his home with Mr. and Mrs. Robacker. They have two children, Mary Helen and Ber- nice Irene. Mr. Robacker is a member of Penfield Lodge No. 567, I. O. O. F., and has been through all the chairs; he belongs also to the Grand Lodge at Penfield, of which he has been secretary for the past two years; to the Encampment at Benezette, Pa., and to the Maccabees at Penfield. He usually votes with the Democratic party. For four years he has been a member of the school board and its sec- retary for three years. Mr. Robacker was one of the organizers of the Penfield Band, of twenty-three pieces and is its manager.

BLAKE W. NORRIS,* one of the prom- inent citizens and substantial farmers of Fer- guson Township, who for the past five years has served continuously as township road sut- pervisor, lives on his valuable farm of 145 acres, which lies one and one-half miles north- east of Kerrmoor, Pa. He was born on Mont- gomery Creek, in Pike Township, Clearfield County, Pa., October 30, 1871, and is a son of T. S. and Mary J. (Askey) Norris.

T. S. Norris was born March 24, 1837, in Lawrence Township, Clearfield County, a son of John and Priscilla (Bloom) Norris. He went to school in both Lawrence and Pike

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Townships and afterward followed farming. member of Kerrmoor Grange. He is one of He was a well known and highly respected res- the active Republicans of Ferguson Township. ident of Ferguson Township for many years, a member of the Masonic lodge at Curwens- JOHN H. HORNING, one of the substan- tial citizens of Clearfield county, Pa., who is engaged in cultivating Manta Vista Farm, a tract of 125 acres of excellent land situated about one mile east of Penfield, in Huston township, was born on his father's farm in Montgomery county, Pa .. September 22, 1853. a son of David and Susan D. (Hunsicker ) Horning. ville. He was a Republican in his political views. In youth he had united with the Meth- odist Episcopal church. He married Mary J. Askey, who was born January 12, 1840, in Center County. Pa., a daughter of Ellis and Annie ( Wodel) Askey. The father of Mrs. Norris was a well known pilot on the Susque- hannah River, who lost his life while at the post of duty, at Lock Haven. He was sur- David Horning was born January 3, 1819. in Montgomery county, and was there mar- ried to Susan D. Hunsicker, in March, 1845. Later he came to Clearfield county, locating on the farm which is now occupied by John H. Horning. Here he continued to reside until his death, which took place in 1905. His wife, who was born in Montgomery county in 1826. passed away in 1892. They were the parents of seven children, as follows: William and Mary, who died when about six years old; Da- vid, who died at the age of 27 years: Lewis H., who resides in Huston township; John H., subject of this sketch ; Sarah Ella, who died at the age of six years ; and Emma, who died aged three years. vived by his widow and nine children, of whom three sons and one daughter (Mrs. Norris) still are living. To T. S. Norris and wife the following children were born: Nora, who mar- ried Joseph Soul of Clarke County, Mont. : Perry, who married Ella Shoning. and lives on the old Smith farm near New Millport ; Min- nie, who died at the age of nineteen years, and was buried at Curwensville: Laura, wife of Oscar Ferguson, of Eureka, Calif. : Wade, who married Clara Tobias and lives in Ferguson Township: Grant, who lives at Braddock, Pa .. and married Katherine Ferguson; Ella, who is the wife of George M. DeHaas: Blake W., who married Lulu Curry, a daughter of Wil- liam Curry : May, who is the wife of George Thurston, of Clearfield; and Ida, Caleb, Mary and Thomas, the last twins, all four of whom are now deceased, their burial being in Wil- liams cemetery, in Ferguson Township.

Blake W. Norris has spent the larger part of his life on the home farm. His father did all the remodeling of the buildings, which are substantial and comfortable. Mr. Norris has no open coal bank and has about fifty acres yet in valuable timber. He is a stockholder in the C. & C. Telephone Company and is a

John H. Horning spent his youth much as did other farmers' boys of his day, attending the district schools when he could be spared from the duties of the farm. He accompa- nied the family to Clearfield county, and on the settlement of his father's estate received his present property, which he has been cultivating successfully ever since. Although his agri- cultural operations have kept him pretty busy, he has found time to serve his township in sev- eral official capacities, having been school di- rector for nine years, and treasurer of the

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road fund for three years, an office he now tler of Luthersburg who was a farmer and holds. In political matters he is a Democrat, and he is also an active worker in behalf of the Grange.

On April 28, 1881, Mr. Horning was mar- ried to Samantha Hevener, a daughter of Nancy Hevener and a granddaughter of Phil- ip Hevener, who at one time owned our sub- ject's present farm, where she spent hier child- hood. She lived for some time in Minnesota and was a resident of Mt. Pleasant for 16 years, teaching school and both vocal and in- strumental music. A member of the Meth- odist Episcopal church, she played and sang in that church for about 30 years, but is now a member of the Christian Science church. Mr. and Mrs. Horning have been the parents of three children, namely : June Bell, who was ed- ucated at Clarion Normal School, Grove City College, and the Cincinnati Bible school, and is now an evangelist ; John Kline, a graduate of the Penfield High school, who is now at home on the farm; and Willie Hevener ( Horn- ing) who died in infancy.

GEORGE BREON KIRK, M. D., a well known physician and surgeon of Clearfield County, whose field of practice is the thriving town of Kylertown, Pa., has been located here for the past thirteen years, and is a member of one of Clearfield County's old and honored families. Dr. Kirk was born at Luthersburg, in Brady Township, Clearfield County, Pa., May 10, 1873, and is a son of Joseph H. and Anna (Goodlander) Kirk.

William Kirk, the grandfather of Dr. Kirk, carried on agricultural operations in the vi- cinity of Luthersburg, where his father had been an early settler. On the maternal side, Dr. Kirk is descended from another early set-

hotel keeper and the proprietor of a shoemaking establishment. The children of William Kirk were as follows: Dr. M. A. Kirk, of Belle- fonte; Dr. Thomas Kirk, of Burr Oak, Kans .; Brady, also of Burr Oak, Kans .; Dr. Ellis Kirk (deceased), formerly of Cleveland, O .; John (deceased) ; three who died in infancy ; Mary, also deceased (Mrs Erastus Luther of Troutville) ; and Joseph H. The mother of Dr. Kirk also belonged to a large family, her sisters and brothers being: Hon. George B. deceased, who resided in Clearfield; Daniel. deceased, who lived in Luthersburg: Charles, residing on a farm near DuBois; Sophia, who is the wife of George Nolder of Luthersburg; Mary, who is the widow of the late Joseph Shugarts of Luthersburg; Jane, who is the widow of the late James Schofield; Clara, who is the wife of William Dilley: Mrs. Fred Ar- nold, Reynoldsville, deceased; Sadie, wife of Wm. Porter, of Brookville, Pa., Catherine, de- ceased ; Margaret, deceased ; and one who died in infancy.

Joseph H. Kirk was born at Luthersburg, Brady Township, and as a young man learned the trade of wagon and carriage maker, spend- ing his entire life in Luthersburg except the last two years. He is of Quaker origin, al- though his wife's family were all Lutherans. Mrs. Kirk died in about 1900. Nine children were born to Joseph H. and Anna Kirk, name- ly : Alice, who married D. A. Moyer of Kyler- town; Lorana, who is living at home: Nora, also residing at home: Harvey, a bookkeeper of Philadelphia, who married Agnes Clark ; George Breon: Dr. Charles, who is engaged in practice at Troutville; Elizabeth, who is the wife of the Rev. James Heron, of Iowa, a Presbyterian minister; Mary, who is a teacher

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in the Clearfield public schools and Ralph, who then a widow. She was born in Mercer is a student at the State College, taking a course in mining engineering.

George Breon Kirk attended the public schools of Brady Township, the Bellfonte High school and the State normal school at Lockhaven, and then taught school for four years in Brady Township. At the end of this time he entered the Baltimore Medical College, from which he was graduated with the class of 1898, immediately after which he located in Kylertown, where he has since built up a large and lucrative practice.

In the spring of 1899, Dr. Kirk was mar- ried to Miss Alice Barrett Moore, of Luthers- burg, and three sons have been born to this union, namely : Robert, Thomas and Jolin. Mrs. Kirk was educated in the public schools of DuBois, where her parents, R. H. and Hen- rietta (Barrett) Moore, resided for some years. Dr. Kirk is a member of the Clearfield County Medical Society, of which he is secretary, and also holds membership in the West Branch, State and National associations, and of Mo- shannon Lodge No. 391 of Philipsburg, F. & A. M. He is a Democrat in his political views.

MARSHALL HUMPHREY LEWIS, for many years a citizen of Clearfield county, Pa., and a veteran of the Civil war, was born at Port Matilda, Center county, Pa., in Bald Eagle Valley, February 13, 1842, and is a son of William and Susan ( Neal) Lewis.

William Lewis, a son of William Lewis, who came to Center county from near Phila- delphia, was born December 31, 1813, at Bellefonte, Center county, Pa., and died Jan- uary 25, 1909, at Tyrone, Pa., in his ninety- sixth year. In 1840 at Stormstown, in Half Moon Valley, he was married to Susan Neal,

county, in 1813, but was reared in Center county and died in 1854. She was a daughter of John Neal and a cousin of both Judge and Sheriff Neal, both prominent men. Three children were born to William and Susan Lewis, namely: Marshall H .; Hannah, who is the wife of James B. Williams, of Port Ma- tilda; and Medora, who was married first to James T. Marks, and secondly to Henry Ben- nett, of Port Matilda. William Lewis was married secondly to Ann Elizabeth Kelley, who survives and resides at Tyrone. There were four children born to this marriage, as follows: William M., who lives at Tyrone; Mary, who died in 1908 ( was married first to William Ardery and secondly to Rankin Mc- Monigal) ; Minnie, who is the wife of Charles Trimble, of Tyrone; and Orlando, who lives with his family at Elmira, N. Y. William Lewis was an engineer by profession and op- erated stationary engines during the greater part of his active life.

Marshall H. Lewis attended the district school at Port Matilda in his boyhood and for two winters the Buffalo Run School in Center county, Pa. When thirteen years of age lie went to work for Samuel T. Gray and re- mained with him until July 19, 1861, when he enlisted for service in the Civil war, entering Co. I, 5th Pa. Reserves. After the termina- tion of his first enlistment he re-enlisted, at Catlett Station, Va., entering Co. C, 191st Pa. Regt., December 27, 1863, and continued a Federal soldier until he received his final discharge on July 3. 1865, having served four years, less sixteen days. He took part in many of the most important battles of the war, in- cluding : The seven days' fight under Gen. McClelland, the second battle of Bull Run, An-

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tietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg and the Wilderness. He received a slight wound at Charles City Cross Roads, Va., and was cap- tured in front of what was known as the Yel- low House, at Petersburg, Va., and was in- carcerated in Libby prison, on Belle Island and at Salisbury, N. C. He was present at the surrender of General Lee, at Appomattox, and later took part in the Grand Review at Washington, D. C. He is a member of the John W. Geary Post, No. 90, G. A. R., at Philipsburg, Pa., uniting with it in 1878. Mr. Lewis still preserves his interest in everything pertaining to that great period, attends reun- ions and meets frequently the comrades who, like himself had so much to do with preserving the Union. He is now in his seventieth year but is as well preserved as a man ten years younger. On November 16, 1911, he was present at Salisbury, N. C., to witness the un- veiling of the monument there in memory of those who died in that prison, during the Civil war, Mr. Lewis having been mercifully pre- served from the fate that met many of his companions.

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Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens, Part 100

Author: Swoope, Roland D. (Roland Davis), 1885- Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Richmond-Arnold publishing co Number of Pages: 1040

Author: Swoope, Roland D. (Roland Davis), 1885-
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Richmond-Arnold publishing co
Number of Pages: 1040