USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens > Part 107
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112
helmina, wife of B. Hughes of Jonestown, Pa .; Emma, living at home; Edward and Mil- wood, also residing at home.
DE LANCY H. WARING, a successful farmer of Morris Township, and formerly a county commissioner, was born in this town- ship, one mile from where he resides, in Sep- tember, 1850. He is a son of Samuel and Susannah (Shimmell) Waring.
Samuel Waring was born in England and came to America and settled in Morris Town- ship, Clearfield County, in March, 1830. He bought a farm from James Allport, who was also a native of England and was the first set- tler in Morris Township. Samuel Waring was an educated man and was not only a farmer but also a teacher and a surgeon. His death oc- curred in 1851, at the age of fifty-seven years. His father as well as the father of his wife crossed the Atlantic Ocean, the latter coming from Germany. Samuel Waring married Su- sannah Shimmell, who died in 1879, at the age of sixty-nine years. They had eight children, namely: James, who died in infancy ; Cather- ine, who married first Newton Antis, and sec- ondly John Ebbs, and resides at Philipsburg, being now in her seventy-second year; Wil- liam, who lives near Clearfield; George, who was a lumberman and died in 1899; John, who has lived in Oregon since 1876; Samuel, who lives in the State of Washington; Elizabeth, who was married first to George Wagner and secondly to John Sullivan, is now a widow and lives in Morris Township; and De Lancey H.
De Lancey H. Waring was the youngest born in his parents' family and he secured his education in the Allport schools and at Pine Grove Academy, in Center County. After leaving school he was engaged for a time in the
040
HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY
lumber business in Clearfield and Center Coun- ties. In 1875 he had bought his farm, origin- ally containing 106 acres, but now having but ninety. It was formerly the property of Jo- seph Rothrock, who built a large barn, but Mr. Waring had to move into a log house and it remained the home until 1876, when he put up his present comfortable residence, making many improvements from time to time. He found an orchard in bearing condition but he set out the trees that now bear the choice fruit for which the place is noted, while he also made provision for small fruits, and each season brings an abundance of currants, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries. He takes par- donable pride in the appearance of his fine es- tate. From a part of the land he cleared the stumps and with careful methods prepared the soil for the high state of cultivation that it shows.
In 1875 Mr. Waring was married to Miss Sarahı C. Hicks, a daughter of William and Elizabeth Hicks, the former of whom was reared in Elk County and the latter in Center County. William Hicks was a lumberman and also worked around the mines. Both he and wife died near Osccola, Pa. Mr. and Mrs. Waring have had children born to them as fol- lows: Millie, who is the wife of Charles Dai- ley, of .Altoona; Elizabeth, who is the wife of Thomas Murphey, and they have five children ; Susan, who died unmarried, at the age of twenty-one years: Eliza, who is the wife of John Johnson of Philadelphia who is employed with the Stephen Green Publishing Co. (has one childl) : Marjorie, who is a teacher at Mor- risdale: Alfred C., a resident of Altoona, who owns and operates a vacuum cleaner; and Thomas, who assists on the home farm. Mr. Waring's children have all been well educated
and all the girls have taught school, with the exception of Susan. Mr. Waring was reared an Episcopalian but the family attend the Methodist Episcopal church. He is an inter- ested and useful member of Center Hill Grange, in Graham township, and belongs to Moshannon Lodge No. 391, F. & A. M. He is one of the leading Democrats of the town- ship and at different times has held almost every office, serving as school director, treas- urer for several terms, auditor for some four terms, filling that important office when this township was united with Cooper township, and at present is township assessor. In 1896 he was elected a county commissioner and served out his term with faithful efficiency. Perhaps no man in Morris township stands higher in the personal esteem of his fellow citizens.
W. O. LONG,* who is the operator and half owner of Long's Mill, situated in Pine township, Clearfield county, Pa., a custom mill manufacturing shingles and torpedo caps and doing general contract work, is a well known business man of this section and a substantial and representative citizen. He was born in Sandy township, Clearfield county, October 26, 1860.
With the exception of some years spent in Jefferson county, Pa., Mr. Long has always lived in Clearfield county. He resides on his farm of seventy-five acres, which is situated twelve miles from Clearfield and four miles from Penfield, on the Clearfield and Penfield road. ten acres of which is cleared. In 1899 he erected his present mill and all of the camp buildings. Ever since he has been very closely engaged and at the present time ( 1910) has just finished cutting 380 acres of timber on
941
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
the Thompson tract and also has had the con- tract for cutting and sawing some state timber. His mill is an important business adjunct of this section.
Mr. Long was married the first time to Miss Isabella Rockbach, a daughter of Thomas Rockbach, of Union township. She died in Sandy township and her burial was at Gram- pian, Clearfield county. Two children sur- vived her, Thomas J. and Belle. Mr. Long was married a second time, to Miss Bessie Mimm, a daughter of George Mimm, of Du- Bois, Pa., and four children were born to this union : Mayme, Hays, Edward and Viola. Mr. Long's third marriage was to Miss Fan- nie Soliday, a daughter of S. C. Soliday, of Huston township, and they have seven chil- dren: Mary, Essie, Lottie, George, William, James and Roxie. In politics Mr. Long is nominally a Democrat but he has independent inclinations. He is identified with the frater- nal order of Knights of Pythias, at Rockton.
JOHN N. SMITH, a representative busi- ness man of Irvona, Pa., where he conducts a general store, was born in Beccaria township, Clearfield county, Pa., two miles north of Utahville, February 22, 1854, and is a son of Joseph M. and Fannie (Shoff) Smith. He is a great grandson of Evi Smith, who came to New Jersey from Ludgate Hill, London, England. It is known that Evi had three chil- dren-two daughters and a son. The latter, Samuel M. by name, was born in New Jersey in 1796, and died in Clearfield county in 1865, at the age of sixty-nine years. He married Ann Monroe, a member of the family from which sprang James Monroe, the fifth presi- dent of the United States. Of this marriage the following children were born: Joseph M.,
the father of our subject (deceased) : Eliza- beth, Mary A. and Evi, all three deceased; Samuel, who is living in Virginia; William and David, both of whom are deceased; Sa- rah, who is the widow of Philip Lusher; and Jane, who is the wife of David Persing, of Houtzdale. Samuel Smith, father of the above mentioned children, resided in Clear- field county and was an elder in the Hagerty Cross Roads Presbyterian church. By a sec- ond marriage he had one son, James who lives in Iowa.
Joseph M. Smith, father of our subject, was born in Clearfield county, Pa., in 1819 and was a farmer by occupation. An active and useful citizen, in early days he gave his sup- port to the Whig party, subsequently joined the "Know-Nothing" party, and afterwards became a Republican. He served for a num- ber of years as assistant deputy sheriff under Sheriff Perks. For sixty-two years he was a member of the church, in earlier life being a Presbyterian, but later joining the Methodists. His first marriage was to Fannie Shoff, of Pennsylvania Dutch extraction and lived near Hagerty's Cross Roads, in Clearfield county. Seven children were born to this union, those now living being as follows: Josiah W., who lives on his grandfather's old homestead near Glen Hope; William M., who is in the employ of the Standard Oil Company, at Sistersville, WV. Va .; Abraham C., who is a farmer at Utahville; Levi, who is with the Prairie Oil and Gas Company at Glen Pool, Okla. A half brother, Edward B., is with the Pa- cific Telephone Company and is also in the real estate business at Seattle, Wash. Joseph M. Smith died in 1896 at the age of seventy- seven years. His second marriage was to Mrs. Rebecca (Hunter) Gallagher, who was born
942
HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY
in Iowa and is now a resident of Seattle, I. O. H. at Coalport. For the past nineteen Wash.
John N. Smith in his boyhood attended school at Mt. Pleasant and at Hagerty's Cross Roads. He then began to assist his father on the home farm, and he subsequently followed agriculture until May 7, 1886, with some in- tervals also devoted to work in the woods. On the date last mentioned he came to Irvona, where he erected his present building, and since 1892 he has been prosperously engaged in a general mercantile business. His entire life up to date has been spent in Clearfield county, and he belongs to one of its oldest families, dating from 1818, when it took his grandfather two weeks to make the overland trip from Philadelphia. Joseph M. Smith, our subject's father, spent seven years in that city, but in 1825 was brought to Clearfield county again. The old homestead is still owned by his son, Josialı W. Smith.
In 1875, John N. Smith was married to Miss Almira Litz, who died November 2. 1910. She was a daughter of John Litz, a farmer of Beccaria township. One son, John Monroe, was born to this marriage, who is a civil engineer, a graduate of the Westchester Normal School, and later of the Massachu- setts Institute of Technology at Boston, Mass., and since May, 1909, has been city engineer at Mckeesport, Pa. He was engineer and su- perintendent of construction for the new plant of the National Tube Company at Mckees- port, the building being the largest of its kind in the world. He married Miss Francelia S. Huntley, a daughter of Hon. George W. Huntley, and they have two sons, Conrad Litz and William Huntley.
John N. Smith is a member of Mckeesport Lodge, No. 171, K. P., at Irvona, and of the
years he has been a member of the First Pres- byterian church at Irvona.
LEWIS P. MILLER,* one of the best known residents of Karthaus, Pa., whose name up and down the river is a synonym for brav- ery, honesty and efficiency, still operates a ferry, which he has conducted since he came here in the spring of 1880, and maintains something of a summer resort for those who enjoy water sports. In the old days he has entertained as many as sixty guests a night. Mr. Miller was born November 13, 1850, at Mulsonburg, Covington township, Clearfield county, Pa., and is a son of William Miller and his wife, Lucy ( Mulson) Miller.
William Miller was born in Luzerne county, Pa. By trade he was a tailor but never fol- lowed it very much after coming to Clearfield county, lumbering and rafting being more in- teresting and profitable to him. He won the reputation of being the best pilot on the river in his day, and for forty years he served in the office of justice of the peace. He lived to the age of seventy-four years, his death occurring in 1900. William Miller married Lucy Mul- son, who was born in France and was but one month old when her parents brought her to America. Her father was Peter Mulson, who was a wagonmaker by trade and a man of such pioneering qualities as to have the place where he located called by his name. Six children were born to William and Lucy Mil- ler, namely: Lewis P .; William, who lives at Keewaydin; Minnie, who is the wife of Chris- topher Rosenhoover, of Johnsonburg : Charles, who died in infancy; Titus, who died at the age of twenty years; and Frederick, who lives at North Bend, Clinton county, Pa.
943
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
Lewis P. Miller was reared and obtained parents. Mr. Miller and family attend the his district school education in Covington Catholic church at Cooper. In politics he is township. He worked in the oil regions in a Democrat. the vicinity of Tidioute, Warren county, Pa., for some nine years but returned to Clearfield county in 1879 and for one year afterward was engaged in lumbering on Deer Creek. On June 4, 1880, he came to his present place, owning 100 acres of land surrounding his res- idence which is situated one mile distant from any neighbor. The place was built in 1869 by Fred Schmarrs. About seven years ago, in order to meet with the demands of visitors to this region, Mr. Miller fitted his place up for a comfortable summer resort and during the warm season he has as many guests as he can accommodate. The residence is situated so near the water that Mr. Miller will take good care that in a second disaster like the Johns- town flood, in 1889, none of his family or prized possessions will be left there, as on that memorable occasion there were six inches of water over his floors. The river's sudden rise at this point was twenty-seven feet, all told.
On October 12, 1880, Mr. Miller was mar- ried to Miss Clarissa Rosenhoover, who was born in Cooper township, a daughter of Rob- ert and Mary (Dreekle) Rosenhoover, the lat- ter of whom died at the age of eighty-eight years. Mr. Rosenhoover was born in Ger- many and was one of the early settlers here, where he still resides. Five sons and one daughter were born to Mr. and Mrs. Miller, as follows: Fred C., who is a photographer ; John C., who is a student at Williamsport ; Paul Eugene, who is a telegraph operator at Rustic ; Robert, who was accidentally drowned, falling off the ferry, when a child of thirteen months; Charles, who is a miner at Karthaus; and Grace, who resides with her
From boyhood Mr. Miller has been accus- tomed to the water and his stories of early days on the river, at this point, are intensely interesting. He was of great assistance to his father in those days, when the latter piloted immense rafts down the stream, and Mr. Mil- ler can remember when this traffic was of enormous proportions, rafts being so close to- gether that one could walk dry shod from shore to shore. He has had many exciting ad- ventures in straightening out rafts in troubled waters, and as ferryman, has many times per- formed heroic deeds that more than entitle him to a Carnegie medal. He bears the rec- ord of never refusing to carry passengers, no matter what the weather might be or portend. and at least six lives were saved by his timely assistance. Frequently he has crossed the flooded stream and with great danger to him- self, has tied up rafts which otherwise would have gone to pieces, and thus hias saved thou- sands of dollars to their owners. Mr. Miller tells of these deeds with a great deal of mod- esty, notable as they were, and no one can ever assert with truth that he ever hesitated in the face of duty on account of monetary consid- eration. His circle of friends extends over a very wide territory and the mention of his name in this section evokes expressions of high regard.
JOHN BALL,* who is superintendent of the Victor Coal Mining Company, Acme Slope, and is a leading resident of Morrisdale Mines, was born October 4, 1863, in Adams county, Pa., and is a son of Patrick and Ra- chel (Stiner) Ball.
54
944
HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY
Patrick Ball was born in Ireland and in of Pythias; of the P. O. S. of A., and ot ine early manhood came to the United States and O. A. M. At present Mr. Ball is serving as settled in Adams county, where he engaged in secretary of the Morris township school board. farming. He enlisted there for service in the Civil war, and died at the battle of the Wil- WILLIAM BIGLER POTTER. a mer- chant and prominent citizen of Karthaus, Pa., has been in the mercantile line here since 1884. He was born at Mulsonburg, Clearfield county, Pa., June 9, 1863, and is a son of Dr. John- son William and Alamanda ( Hoffman) Pot- ter. derness. His widow survives and is now aged seventy-five years. To Patrick Ball and his wife the following children were born : George, who is a resident of Morrisdale; Mary, who is the widow of Samuel Haywood, a native of England, who was formerly pro- prietor of a hotel at Hawk Run: Maggie, who is the wife of Jacob Conrad, of Nantiglo, Pa .; and John, of the present record.
John Ball went to school in boyhood when the sessions were held in an old log structure, but when twelve years of age came to Mor- risdale and afterward had no school opportu- nities. He went to work in the Morrisdale Coal Company's mines, for R. B. Wigton, un- til twenty-one years old, and then entered the Allport mines and remained for a number of years. He has always been connected with the coal industry and for the past fifteen years has been with the Victor Coal Mining Com- pany and has been promoted from the bottom until five years since when he was made super- intendent and has filled this responsible posi- tion ever since. The output of the two mines of this company is about 400 tons daily and employment is given 125 workmen.
Mr. Ball was married in 1889 to Miss Ma- lettie Hendershot, a daughter of Stephen Hendershot, of Allport, and they have three children: I. Chauncy, who is a coal miner ; and Rosanna and Moncena, who reside with their parents. Mr. Ball and family are mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics he is a Republican and is serving in his fifth term as school director. He is a mem- ber of Morrisdale Lodge, No. 161. Knights
Dr. Johnson William Potter was born March 6, 1835, in Clarion county, Pa., and for a period of forty years was one of the leading citizens of Clearfield county. He lived with his parents until he was eighteen years of age, then went to Indiana county, Pa., where he was a clerk in a store for one year. From there he came to Clearfield county and for two years taught school at Driftwood and then read medicine with Dr. Matthew Woods of Clearfield, and through the influence of George Bigler received a government ap- pointment at Washington entitling him to in- struction in the National Medical College. where he continued his studies until 1860, when he returned to Clearfield county. He practiced first at Lecontes Mills, then at Mul- sonburg and later at what is now known as Keewaydin, Covington township. He subse- quently moved to Three Runs, now known as Pottersdale, where he operated a saw and grist mill, and also conducted a general store. He later returned to Keewaydin, where he had a handsome residence and for a few years was engaged in the lumber business and then re- tired to Clearfield, where his long and busy life closed March 31, 1898. During his later years he gave up the practice of medicine. He was influential in the Clearfield County Na- tional Bank and was a director until his death,
945
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
his son, William Bigler Potter, now serving in the same capacity. He was interested in public affairs, was a member of the school board for four years and in 1873 was elected, on the Democratic ticket, a member of the state legislature, in which body he was useful and active.
Dr. Potter married Miss Alamanda Hoff- man, who was born at New Bethlehem, Clar- ion county, Pa., in 1858, and to this marriage three daughters and six sons were born, three of the latter still surviving, namely : Roger L., who lives at Pittsburg; William Bigler, and Frank, who is a resident of New Jersey. Dr. Potter was a member of the ses- sion of the Presbyterian church.
William Bigler Potter attended the local schools regularly through boyhood and youth, and when he reached his majority bought his father's interest in the Karthaus store and conducted it, in partnership with a brother, for one year, when he bought his brother's in- terest and has since managed the business alone. In the fall of 1898 he met with a se- rious loss in the destruction of his store, house and barn by fire. In 1899 he rebuilt the store and resumed business in September of that year. He is interested also in coal op- erating under the firm name of Potter, Bigler & Potter, the company operating the Horse Shoe mine. He is otherwise interested in busi- ness, being a conservative capitalist, although an energetic and efficient citizen. His polit- ical preferences are such as to make him a Democrat and he has capably filled many local offices where judgment and foresight were necessary qualifications along with business probity.
In February, 1887, Mr. Potter was married to Miss Emma B. Emerick, who was born and
reared in Karthaus township, a daughter of George and Lavina (Reiter) Emerick, both of whom are now deceased. They have seven children, namely: Bessie, Grace, Johnson W., Dudley, Mary, George and Harry Bryan. Bes- sie, the eldest daughter, makes her home with her grandmother in Clearfield. Mr. Potter has been identified with public spirited movements. He belongs to the Masonic fra- ternity, connected with the lodge at Drift- wood.
ALFRED JAMES HARBER,* a success- ful merchant and representative citizen of Blain City, Pa., was born July 15, 1859, at St. Augustine, Cambria county, Pa., and is a son of Henry and Anna Maria (Cramer) Harber.
Henry Harber was a carpenter by trade and in his day was considered an expert and skill- ful workman. He built the first Catholic church at St. Augustine, and later engaged there in the hotel business. He died in 1869. He married Anna Maria Cramer, who was born in October, 1821, and still survives. Of the family of twelve children born to Henry Harber and his wife, Alfred James is the youngest and there are three sons and three daughters living. Kate is the wife of F. S. Burgone, of Ashville; Christiana is the wife of Henry Shepherd, a merchant at Home- stead; Peter is a farmer in Dakota; and Rob- ert is a painter at DuBois. The parents came from Germany about 1839 and lived in the city of New York for a short time and moved from there to Cambria county, Pa., and later to Williamsport and Altoona. The father died at St. Louis, Mo., and the mother lives with her youngest son.
Alfred James Harber attended the public
946
HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY
schools at Altoona, to which place the family township, residing on the old Shepherd home- moved after leaving St. Augustine, and after- ward worked in a blacksmith shop there until 1883, when he came to Blain City. Here he embarked in the general mercantile business, on his present site, and in point of time en- gaged, is the oldest merchant in the place. He has devoted himself very closely to the devel- opment of this business, has carefully watched markets and has kept closely in touch with the wants and tastes of his customers with the re- sult that he has prospered.
Mr. Harber was married in 1879 to Miss Edith Grenoder, who was born at .Altoona, a daughter of Martin and Eva Grenoder, and five sons and one daughter have been born to them, namely: Joseph, who is a telegraph operator, residing at Irvona, Pa., married Mame Clarkson; Leo Martin, who is a tele- graph operator, resides at Bellwood; Esther Christina, who is a teacher in the Blain City public schools; Alfred J., who is a student at St. Vincent College, Beatty, is captain of the college base ball team; and Clair and Claud, both of whom are in school. Mr. Harber and family are communicants of St. Basil's Catho- lic church, at Blain City. He is a member of the Brotherhood of America and of St. George's Society. In politics a Democrat, he has been something of a leader in this section in his party, served four years as postmaster, during the first administration of the late President Cleveland and for four years was treasurer of Beccaria township. Both as a business man and as a personal factor, Mr. Harber stands high in the estimation of his fellow citizens.
NATHANIEL H. SHEPHERD, a pros- perous and well known farmer of Burnside
stead in this township, was born at his pres- ent location February 6, 1850. His parents were Frederick and Elizabeth ( Breth) Shep- herd, and he is a grandson of John Shepherd, a native of England, who came to this coun- try with his parents at the age of five years, they settling in the Shenandoah Valley. Here the family were all massacred by the Indians except himself, who was taken prisoner and held for three years by the savages. He then found an opportunity of escaping and reached the vicinity of Lock Haven, where he spent the rest of his life. It is not known whom he married.
Frederick Shepherd, father of our subject, was born at Lock Haven, Pa., in October, 1810. At the age of eighteen he came to Clearfield county, settling at McGee, Burnside township, where he resided for some years with the Young family, being engaged in lum- bering. In 1835 he removed to Patchinsville, where he lived for five years, at the end of which time he took up his residence on the present homestead. the only building then standing being an old log barn, the land con- sisting of 100 acres. Here the rest of his life was spent in farming and lumbering. his death taking place December 19. 1882. On May 25, 1835, he married Elizabeth Breth, who was born in Germany, February 7. 1820, a daughter of Peter and Margaret Ann (Jenny) Breth, natives of that country. Her father came to America in 1819, locating first in Center county, Pa., whence in 1833 he came to Clearfield county, settling in Burnside township, where his death occurred July 4, 1875. his wife, who was born in Germany in 1702, died at Hollidaysburg, Pa., March 22, 1859. They had a family of eleven children
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.