USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens > Part 110
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He was born on a farm near Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland. Came to the United States in 1847. Two brothers, John and Thomas came to America later, but again returned to Ireland. For many years he worked at the Great West- ern Iron Works, Brady's Bend, Pa. His lat- ter years were spent in agricultural pursuits on
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a farm in the beautiful Mahoning Valley, and there he died in honored old age, having reached the unusual age of ninety-two years and one month. His remains are interred in St. Charles' Cemetery, New Bethlehem, Pa.
Bridget ( Healey) Sullivan was the daughter of Michael Healey and Julia ( McMahon) Healey. She was born February 2 1837 in Ireland, on a farm near Gort, County of Galway. She was the eldest of seven chil- dren, three sons and four daughters. Michael Healey came to America in 1847, Mrs. Healey coming with her family two years later, in 1849. Michael Healey settled at Red Bank Furnace, Armstrong Co .. Pa., and worked at furnaces in Armstrong and Clarion Counties all his life.
Owen Sullivan and Bridget Healey were married at Sligo, Clarion County, Pa., June 16, 1859. To this union nine children were born. Thomas F., of Pittsburgh, Pa .; John Charles, Du Bois, Pa .; Owen J., of New Bethlehem, Pa .; James l'., of Du Bois, Pa. ; and Bridget E., of New Bethlehem, l'a. Michael C., who died November 1. 1895, at that time was resi- dent physician of St. Francis Hospital, Pitts- burgh, Pa. He was a graduate of the Univer- sity of Pittsburgh in the class of 1894. Three daughters died in early childhood.
John Charles Sullivan began the study of medicine in 1887 and entered the Western Pennsylvania Medical College at Pittsburgh. Pa .. ( now the University of Pittsburgh) from which institution he graduated in 1890. He located at Du Bois, Pa., in April 1890, and at the present time is the third physician in town in respect to years of practice.
the Du Bois Hospital, of which he was one of the organizers and is a member of the staff.
Dr. Sullivan was married June 7, 1893, 10 Miss Susan Kane a daughter of Patrick and Mary Kane of Renovo, Pa., and they have had eight children, namely: Eugene, Marion, Edward, Loretta, Loyola, John Charles, Susanna, and Jeanne.
Eugene lived but a few hours. John Charles lived but two years and six months.
Dr. and Mrs. Sullivan and family are men- bers of St. Catherine's Roman Catholic Church, Du Bois, Pa. Dr. Sullivan is identified with the Knights of Columbus. In politics he is a Dem- ocrat. Maintains an office in the Deposit National Bank Building, while his residence is at No. 10 S. Main Street, Du Bois. Pa.
WILLIAM HENRY DENSHAM, who conducts a general mercantile business at Oak Grove and Hawk Run, Clearfield county, Pa., is president of the Morris Township School Board and is a representative citizen in every laudable way. He was born in Devonshire, England, March 2, 1872, and is a son of John and Mary Ann (Creber) Densham.
John Densham brought his family to Mor- risdale, Clearfield county, Pa., in August, 1888. He was a coal miner and his death was occa- sioned by an injury received in the Morrisdale shaft, March 2, 1899, at the age of fifty-seven years. His widow survived, was twice mar- ried, and died August 22, 1909. The follow- ing children were born to John Densham and his wife: Elizabeth Ann, who is the wife of Richard Davy. of Oak Grove; Martha, who is the wife of Harry Barkell, of Plymouth,
He is widely known and has taken much in- Eng .; John, a farmer, who resides at Oak terest in medical matters in general in the Grove; Jane, who is the wife of Josiah Jones, county and has been particularly interested in of Morrisdale; William H .: Samuel, who is
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foreman for the Morrisdale Coal Company, and married Elizabeth Vinton; and Lena, who is the wife of Henry Vinton, of Clairton, Pa., who is an electrician.
William H. Densham attended school in his native land and also the night schools of Mor- risdale, after the family settled there, and thus secured an excellent education and has always been an active supporter of the cause of edu- cation, consenting to serve again and again on the school board of his township. He was a mine worker until 1899, and since 1902 has been in business at his present location, at Oak Grove, and in December, 1910, opened a gen- eral store also at Hawk Run.
Mr. Densham was married August 9, 1896. to Miss Agnes Neal, who was born in Tioga county, Pa., February II, 1872, her parents, Jeremiah and Jane (Tate) Neal, having come from England. Mr. and Mrs. Densham have had eight children : Mary, Mildred, Jane, Beatrice, Ruth, Theodore, and two are now deceased. Mr. Densham is identified frater- nally with the Golden Eagles and the Order of Moose. In partnership with Mr. Shugarts and Charles Wrye, Mr. Densham is also in- terested in a grain and feed business at Mor- risdale. He is a self made man, having won financial independence entirely through his own efforts. As a business man he stands high and his relations with his neighbors sociaily are kind and friendly. Politically he is a Re- publican.
CHARLES E. PATTON,* representative in congress from the Twenty-first district of Pennsylvania, composed of the counties of Cameron, Center, Clearfield and Mckean, whose total population in 1910 was 192,704,
was born in Curwensville, Clearfield county, Pa., July 5, 1859. He still resides in that place. He received his early education in the common schools of his native place and later attended Dickinson Seminary at Williamsport, Pa., and was married in 1883 to Mary R. Beggs, of Ebensburg, Pa. He started in busi- ness as a dry goods merchant, but later branched out in various lines of business and won general success in all. He is now identi- fied with many of the most important business ventures of the community in which he re- sides, being stockholder and director in the Curwensville National Bank, president of the Curwensville Electric Company, interested in lumbering and contracting business, besides owning several fine farms, in which he takes an unusual interest, and his agricultural ex- periments have been of great benefit to the community. He has held nearly every elective office in his own town; in the contest for Re- publican nomination for congress he defeated Hon. Lewis Emery, Jr., of Bradford, Pa., who four years ago was candidate for governor on the independent and Democratic tickets and was defeated by Gov. Stuart. He carried the district by 1,355 over Emery; was elected to the Sixty-second congress, receiving a plurality over William C. Heinle, the Democratic nom- inee, of 4,953 votes, the largest plurality ever given for congress in the district. Like his honored father, the late General John Patton, he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Curwensville, and one of the official board. 1
Mr. Patton is a Mason and an Odd Fellow, as well as a member of the Grange. Mr. and Mrs. Patton have four children, namely : Emma Marguerite, wife of William K. Ew-
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ing, of San Antonio, Tex. ; John W. Patton, and Misses Mary Rebecca Patton and Honora Jane Patton, of Curwensville.
EMANUEL S. SHAFFER, whose farm of fifty acres lies two and one-half miles north- west of Kerrmoor, in Ferguson township, is one of the leading citizens of this section, in which he has been engaged in general farming for many years. He was born November II, 1846, in York county, Pa., and is a son of William and Katherine (Thoman) Shaffer.
William Shaffer was born in 1818, in Mary- land, and moved in early manhood to York county, Pa. He was married in 1840 to Kath- erine Thoman and they had seven children : Cornelius, Edward, Albert, Mary Ellen, Hen- rietta, Emanuel S. and an infant daughter that died at birth. The mother of the above fam- ily died in December, 1898. In 1852 William Shaffer moved with his family to Perry county, Pa., and lived there during the re- mainder of his life, his death occurring in Sep- tember, 1897.
Emanuel S. Shaffer obtained his education in the schools of Perry county. He worked as a lumberman there until 1866, when he set- tled along the Susquehanna river and engaged in business as a pilot and as a contractor. He lived in Jefferson county for a time and then came to Clearfield county and settled in Ferguson township, this farm then being known as the Barrett farm. He cleared about twenty acres of his land and has done all the building and made all the substantial improve- ments.
On May 5, 1870. Mr. Shaffer was married to Miss Amanda McCracken, who was born in Ferguson township, September 25, 1852, a daughter of William and Mary McCracken.
Ten children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Shaffer and although some of them have passed away, the family is yet a large and closely united one. Ada, the eldest, married Erfford C. Holt, and they live in Sweet Val- ley, Potter county, Pa. They have had seven children: Earl, Louis, Vada, Edith, Gladys, Leslie, and Ruth. Emma, the second daugh- ter, survived but eighteen months and her bur- ial was in Jefferson county. Elizabeth is the wife of W. D. Helsel of Irvona, Pa., and they have five children: Lester, Emanuel, Martha, Josephine and John. Leslie, the eld- est son, died at the age of six years and his burial was in the Presbyterian cemetery at Fruit Hill. Orel M. married Cora Mitchell, a daughter of George and Lydia Mitchell, and they have three children, Emanuel, Paul and Lena. Norman married Dora Redden, a daughter of James and Emma Redden, and they have one son, James. Anderson married Vena Wiley, a daughter of Herbert and Kath- erine Wiley, and they have one son, Pressly. Bertha resides at home. Sadie died at the age of eighteen years and her burial was in the Fruit Hill cemetery. George S., the youngest, assists his father on the home farm. Mr. Shaffer and family are members of the Luth- eran church. He belongs to the Grange at Kerrmoor, the Odd Fellows at Ansonville and the Masons at Curwensville. In politics, like his late father, Mr. Shaffer is a Democrat. He has served as school director but has accepted no other township office. He is one of the stockholders in the Ferguson-La Jose Tele- phone Company.
CHARLES B. MAXWELL, who has been a resident of Morrisdale Mines, Clearfield county. Pa., since November 20, 1898, has
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been identified with the coal industry since he ized in 1895, prior to which, from 1885, its was eleven years of age and has rapidly risen from a humble position, through one office of responsibility to another, until he is now general superintendent of the Morrisdale Coal Company and one of the most representative business men of Clearfield county. He was born February 10, 1873, at Morris Run, Tioga county, Pa., a son of George and Margaret (Clement ) Maxwell.
For many years George Maxwell was con- nected with coal interests in Tioga county, where both he and wife were born. For sev- enteen years he was superintendent of the Morris Run Coal Company. In 1880 he left Tioga county and moved to Houtzdale, Clear- field county, where he had charge of coal op- erating for a number of years afterward. His death occurred in 1902, at Houtzdale, where his widow has lived for the past thirty-one years. Of their six children, three grew to maturity, namely: Anna M., who lives at Houtzdale: James and Charles B. James Maxwell died in 1904, at which time he was bookkeeper for the firm of Harbison & Walker, of Woodland, Pa.
Charles B. Maxwell went to school at Houtzdale until he was eleven years of age and then went to work in the mines, learning every detail of mine work. For fifteen years he was a member of an engineering corps and for four years was engineer of the Morrisdale Coal Company's plant. In 1902 he was made superintendent of the Broad Top operations for this company ; in 1903 he was made super- intendent of the Morrisdale and Broad Top operations, and in 1904 was further promoted, becoming general superintendent of all of the company's operations or mines.
The Morrisdale Coal Company was organ-
operations were conducted by R. B. Wigton & Sons, and prior to that, from 1865, by R. B. Wigton. The plant is modern and is equipped with the latest and most approved machinery. There are three shafts and two drift mines, and the coal is of a high grade and is well con- sidered in the market. The capacity is 22,000 tons daily and employment is given 800 men. Few mines have been operated more regularly than the mines of the Morrisdale Coal Com- pany. Mr. Wigton, the president of the com- pany, is the oldest operator in the Central Pennsylvania field.
On June 23, 1898, Mr. Maxwell was mar- ried to Miss Dollie B. Stine, a daughter of S. B. Stine, a prominent manufacturer of Osce- ola Mills. Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell have had two children, both of whom are now deceased, neither surviving infancy. They are members of the Presbyterian church. In politics Mr. Maxwell is a Republican. His fraternal con- nections are mainly with the Masonic bodies, he being a member of Philipsburg Lodge, No. 391, F. & A. M .; Clearfield Chapter ; Philips- burg Commandery; Williamsport Consistory, and Jaffa Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Al- toona.
THE MOSHANNON COAL COM- PANY,* operating extensively in the coal fields surrounding Osceola Mills, Clearfield county, Pa., where the offices of the company are located, had its inception in 1903. In July of that year it took over the interests of Brown & Dyer, T. C. Heims and C. H. Rowland. The officers of the company are: C. H. Row- land, of Philipsburg, president; John G. An- derson, of Tyrone, first vice-president ; L. Baird. second vice-president ; J. L. Reeves,
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third vice-president, and A. S. Brown, secre- a wholesale license was secured, and three tary, treasurer and general manager. The years later removal was made to the present officers serve as the board of directors and are the sole stockholders. location. After the death of Mr. Dempsey, April 8, 1908, Mr. Boyle became sole owner, having purchased the Dempsey interest, and has continued in the wholesale trade ever since.
The Moshannon Coal Company own ten mines, located on the Pennsylvania and New York Central Railroads, and all of these are in full operation. The company is amply financiered and ably officered and the direct result of its successful operations is far reach- ing and beneficial, bringing plenty and pros- perity into many homes.
J. J. BOYLE, wholesale liquor dealer, with business location at No. 237 W. Long avenue, DuBois, Pa., is one of the self-made men of this borough, having obtained all he possesses through his own industry. He was born in county Donegal, Ireland, June 1, 1869, and is a son of John and Cecely (O'Donald) Boyle, both of whom died in Ireland.
J. J. Boyle is one of a family of eleven chit- dren and three of his brothers also live at Du- Bois-Anthony, Niel and Michael. He spent his early years on his father's small farm and attended the public school as opportunity of- fered. The family was large and the first one to leave home for America was Anthony, whom our subject followed in 1886. For six years. the boy, for he was little more when he reached Clearfield county, worked in the coal mines for Bell, Lewis & Yates Coal Company. In 1889 he was employed by the old Daily House management at DuBois, now the Cen- tral Hotel, but in 1891 he left there and ac- cepted a position in what is now the St. James Hotel, on Long avenue, after which he was also with the Commercial Hotel. In 1903 he entered into partnership with Mr. Dempsey and under the firm name of Dempsey & Boyle,
Mr. Boyle was married in 1898, to Miss Mary Hollihan, who was born at Blairsville, Pa., a daughter of Michael and Mary Holli- han, who were born in Ireland. Mr. and Mrs. Boyle have six children, namely: Marcella, John, Lucille, Donald, Mary Josephine and Carl Eugene. The family residence is at No. 100 N. Main street, DuBois. Mr. and Mrs. Boyle are members of St. Catherine's Roman Catholic church.
HON. JAMES W. LAING, burgess of Coalport, Pa., one of the leading men of the place in public affairs, is also representative in business and as a dealer in musical instru- ments and sewing machines, handles a large enterprise. He is numbered with the younger element, his birth having taken place August 22, 1881, at Moshannon, Clearfield county, Pa. He is a son of Robert and Margaret (Chalmers) Laing.
Robert Laing and wife were both born in Scotland and emigrated from that country to America, settling in Tioga county, Pa., in 1873. In 1880 the father moved with his family, to Clearfield county, but in 1885 he returned with his wife to Scotland, where they remained for sixteen years. In 1901 they came back to Clearfield county, locating at Coalport, where Robert Laing died in the fol- lowing year. His widow survived until 1909, when she passed away also at Coalport. Rob- ert Laing was a coal miner and the greater
HON. JAMES W. LAING
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part of his life of fifty-two years was given to musical instrument business and in the few work in the coal mines. He was a man of years since has prospered exceedingly, at the present time carrying a stock valued at $3,000, while his trade relations are such that he en- joys the confidence of the great manufactur- ing houses with which he deals, in every part of the country. sturdy and manly character and his wife was a woman of rare judgment and Christian vir- tues. Their children were as follows: John, the oldest, resides in Scotland, where he fol- lows mining. Jennie is the wife of Charles Ross, of Fifeshire, Scotland. Thomas is a miner in Fifeshire and Robert is a miner at Coalport. James W. is the fifth of the family in order of birth. Alexander is a resident of Coalport. Jessie is the wife of John Caynock, who is a coal miner at Portage. Peter lives at New Haven, Conn., where he is in the em- ploy of the street railway company. Duncan also lives at New Haven, where he is an em- ploye of an automobile company.
James W. Laing attended school in Scot- land and as he early displayed musical talent he was afforded advantages for cultivating it, and holds a certificate for efficiency in music from London College. He was about nine- teen years of age when he accompanied his parents back to Coalport, after which he went to New Haven, Conn., seeking a business opening, but the serious illness of his father recalled him six weeks later. After his fa- ther's death he went to New York and then re- turned to Scotland, at that time determining to remain in the land of his forefathers. Within six months, however, he found that America had also a place in his affections and he again crossed the Atlantic Ocean and from the seaboard traveled as far west as Montana, where he remained for a time and then came back to Coalport. After his marriage in 1906 he moved to New Haven, Conn., but failed to establish himself there and decided to return once more to Coalport. On a borrowed cap- ital of forty-five dollars he started into the
On March 7, 1906, Mr. Laing was married to Miss Christina Shanks, a daughter of Rich- ard Shanks, and they have three children : Geraldine May, Bessie Marie and Christina. Mr. Laing was reared in the Presbyterian church and in Scotland was the church organ- ist and filled the same position in St. Basil's church, Coalport. He has been a very active citizen, a Republican in politics, and was elected burgess in 1909, on the citizens ticket, and is serving in the most efficient and satis- factory manner. He is chief and secretary of the local fire department. Fraternally he be- longs to Lodge No. 781, F. & A. M., Thane of Fife, Scotland, and to the order of Eagles at Bellwood, Pa.
PROF. HARRY ELMER WARD,* su- perintendent of the public schools of Clearfield, Pa., is a well known educator and is a member of one of the old and honorable county fam- ilies. He was born May 19, 1876, at Gray- hampton, Clearfield county, Pa., and is a son of John Lucine and Henrietta (Forcey) Ward.
John Lucine Ward was born in Clearfield county, in 1846, and is a son of Robert F. Ward, who was formerly deputy sheriff of Clearfield county. Robert F. Ward came to this county from Lewisburg, Ky., and later became associated with William Rodebaugh, in the tailoring business at Clearfield, where he died in 1860. John Lucine Ward learned
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the saddler's trade in early manhood and later was in partnership with F. H. Forcey, in the lumber and general mercantile business, at Grayhampton, where he resided until 1898, when he and wife retired to their farm in Graham township, where they still reside. She also is a native of Clearfield county and was born in Bradford township. To John Lucine and Henrietta Ward five children were born. namely: Margaret, William, Harry Elmer, John and Robert F., all of whom live in Clear- field county with the exception of William, who resides at Altoona, in Blair county.
Harry E Ward passed from the public schools, where he had been a creditable stu- dent, into the Lock Haven State Normal School, from which institution he was grad- uated in 1900. Shortly afterward he became principal of the Third Ward School at Clear- field and also became a student of law, but finding more satisfaction in educational work than in his law studies, he gave up the latter in order to devote himself more entirely to the former profession. He remained at the head of the Third Ward School for four years and then resigned and for a change in occupation. accepted a position with the Hamilton Leather Company, at Hamilton, W. Va. In August. 1905, Prof. Ward returned to Clearfield in or- der to accept the position of principal of the Market Street School, where he continued un- til June. 1910, when he was elected superin- tendent of the city schools. More or less con- tinuously Prof. Ward has been engaged in school work since 1892. He is widely known throughout Clearfield and adjacent counties and is recognized as an earnest and progres- sive leader in his profession.
Prof. Ward was married November 25. 1896, to Miss Margaret Pierce, a daughter of Jacob and Jane (Rigley) Pierce, and they
have three daughters, Catherine, Margaret Elizabeth and Helen Lenore. Prof. Ward and family are members of the Presbyterian church. The family residence is situated at No. 495 Fifth street, Clearfield. In identify- ing himself with a political party in early manhood, Prof. Ward became a Republican and is an interested citizen but by no means a politician. He is an educated, cultured man, one who commands the respect and enjoys the esteem of his fellow citizens.
HON. JOHN E. HARDER, long a suc- cessful business man and representative citi- zen of the borough of Clearfield, which, just previous to his death, he was serving as chief burgess, was owner and proprietor of Hard- er's Gun Works, one of the old and prosper- ous business concerns of this place, established in 1878. He was born at Lock Haven in 1858, being one of a family of four children born to his parents, who were Jacob and Maud (Fletcher) Harder. After graduating from the Lock Haven Seminary, he learned the gunsmith's trade under his father, and when sufficiently skilled, came in 1878 to Clearfield, where he established himself in business. Keeping well in touch with the discoveries in mechanical science, Mr. Harder was always up to date in the character and quality of his goods, and from time to time found himself obliged to enlarge his plant. The Harder's Gun Works manufacture and deal in gas and electric supplies, automobiles, guns, bicycles, fishing tackle, cutlery, base ball supplies and sporting goods, umbrellas, electrical applian- ces, fireworks and musical instruments. They also repair bicycles, automobiles, guns, safes, umbrellas, typewriters. sewing-machines, talk- ing machines and skates. and make electric light and bell work a specialty. In connection
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with the factory an automobile garage is also carried on and gasoline, lubricants and sup- plies handled. A wide field is covered and there is a growing demand for the firm's prod- ucts.
Mr. Harder was a thirty-second degree Ma- son and belonged also to other fraternal organ- izations. From early manhood he was polit- ically identified with the Republican party, and whether serving his friends or holding of- fice himself, was always loyal to its principles. In 1898 he raised a volunteer company for pos- sible service in the Spanish-American war and was chosen captain. In February, 1909, he was elected chief burgess of Clearfield, having a majority of 100 votes over his opponent, al- though the borough is nominally Democratic, and he was serving in this office at the time of his death, which took place suddenly on the afternoon of October 1I, 1910. He had made an excellent record as burgess, and his efforts in the direction of reform and progress were encouraged and supported by the best and most substantial citizens.
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