Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens, Part 46

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 46

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ABNER B. McCARDELL, a prosperous miller and well known citizen of Burnside township, was born in this township, Septem- ber 8, 1848. His father, John McCardell, who was born September 25, 1816, and who was a blacksmith by trade, was the first of the family to settle in this township, where he

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subsequently resided all his life, dying March 16, 1900. He married Sarah Johnson Pilson, who was born January 24, 1816, a daughter of Adam Pilson, her mother's family name be- ing Johnson. The Pilsons were pioneer set- tlers of Indiana county. Mrs. John McCar- dell died April 16, 1881. She and her husband were members of the Methodist Protestant church. The latter was a Republican in poli- tics. He came to Clearfield county with his family, settling at Patchinsville. The children of John and Jane J. McCardell now living, in addition to our subject, were as follows : John, living in the west; Edward, a blacksmith re- siding in Iowa; Charles, engaged in the hotel business in Iowa; D. Alexander, postmaster at Westover, Pa .; Pilson, who is engaged in farming at Burnside, Pa., James, a physician and surgeon residing in Florida: Sarah, the widow of John C. Mitchell of Mahaffey; and Agnes, wife of J. L. Campbell, of Burnside, this county.

the good of the community regardless of party ties. For this well known characteristic he is respected by his fellow citizens, who have con- fidence both in his capacity and integrity.

Mr. McCardell was married in 1874 to Har- riet Bloom, who was born September 13, 1851, a daughter of J. Ross Bloom. Her birth took place in Pike township, as did also that of her father, the latter on February 27, 1822. Mrs. McCardell's mother was in maidenhood Nancy B. McGaughey. She was born November 14, 1829. and was a daughter of Thomas and Margaret McPherson Mc- Gaughey of Armstrong county. Mrs. McCar- dell's paternal grandfather was Benjamin Bloom, born in Center county, August 31, 1790. who married Sally McClurg, born Sep- tember 20, 1792. The father of Benjamin Bloom came from Germany, settling at an early date in New Jersey. whence in the early part of the nineteenth century, he came to Clearfield county, Pa. He fought for Amer- ican independence in the Revolutionary war. He married Mary Metler. Mrs. McCardell has one sister living, Jane, now the wife of Howard McClosky. After her mother's death her father married Matilda R. Hoover. of which union there were born two children, Nora R., the wife of P. Pyle; and Reed R., who resides on the old Bloom homestead.

Abner B. McCardell, after attending school, was variously employed until 1872. He then engaged in the livery business at Burnside, and so continued for eleven years. His next five years were spent in making various busi- ness trips through the West. He then returned and bought the pressed grist mill of John H. Patchin, which is one of the oldest mills in this part of the county. It is operated both Mr. and Mrs. McCardell are the parents of five children, namely : Minnie, residing at home; Horace, at Osceola Mills; Grace, who is the wife of Otis Mitchell, a butcher of Port- age. Pa. : Beulah, in Clearfield; and Ross, who is employed in the mill at Burnside. by water and steam power and Mr. McCardell has put it in good practical working order, so that the business is now in prosperous condi- tion. Mr. McCardell is a Republican in poli- tics and served as village treasurer for several terms, and has also been councilman and street commissioner. He has long been an active worker for his party and indeed is willing at man of Clearfield county, with interests in all times to assist in any feasible project for different sections, has been a resident of Bris-

FRANK CRAIG, a representative business .

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bin, Pa., for twenty-nine years and is a mem- ber of the firm of M. & F. Craig, coal opera- tors. He was born March 28, 1864, in La- narkshire, Scotland, and is a son of James and Bridget (Rooney) Craig, and was, eigh- teen years of age when he accompanied his parents to America.

James Craig was a coal miner all his active life and after coming to Clearfield county, lived at Brisbin until his death, in 1901, his burial being at Houtzdale. He married Bridget Rooney, who survived him four years. They had seven children born to them, namely : Michael, who resides at Brisbin and is the se- nior member of the firm of M. & F. Craig; Frank; Hugh and James, who also live at Brisbin ; Robert, who lives at Houtzdale; Pat- rick, who is a resident of Brisbin; and Mar- garet, who is the wife of Charles Rodden, and they live at Portage.

Frank Craig obtained his education in the schools of his native land. He has been con- tinuously in the coal business and has been an active operator for a number of years. Since 1882 he has been a resident of Brisbin and has been operating since 1888, at present being extensively interested in the Industry mine at New Castle, Clearfield county. He is a di- rector in the First National Bank of Osceola, and has valuable coal lands which he leases in both Geulich and Decatur townships.

On February 5, 1902, Mr. Craig was mar- ried to Mrs. Catherine (Coons) Simendinger, who was born at Loretta, Cambria county, Pa., a daughter of William and Anastasia ( Byrne) Coons, and the widow of John Simendinger. The father of Mrs. Craig died in 1895 at Houtzdale, but the mother had died in 1857, when Mrs. Craig was a babe of two months. Mrs. Craig was married first to John Simen-

dinger and they had nine children, the three survivors being: Raymond L. and Albert J., both of whom are students at the Niagara Uni- versity at Niagara Falls; and Rose, who is a student at Villa Marie Academy, at Erie, Pa. Mrs. Craig is the youngest of a family of four children. She has one brother and two sis- ters : Bernard, who lives at Pittsburg ; Mary, who was the wife of Hayden McGuire, of Lo- retta ; and Emma, who is the wife of Charles Kane, of New Kensington, Pa. Mr. and Mrs. Craig are members of the Catholic church at Houtzdale. He is identified with the Knights of Columbus at Clearfield. He is an earnest and enterprising citizen, ever ready to work for the betterment of his borough and county and has served thirteen years on the school board. In his political views he is nominally a Democrat but is inclined to be more or less independent of party ties.

ALBERT SHAFER, proprietor of Albert Shafer's Milk Depot, at Clearfield, Pa., is a representative business man of this city and has been a resident of Clearfield county his en- tire life. He was born on his father's farm in Brady township, Clearfield county, Pa., April 10, 1879, and is a son of Samuel and Lucilla ( Porter) Shafer.

Samuel Shafer was born on the farm in Clearfield county on which his pioneer parents settled many years ago. He still survives, having devoted the greater part of his life to agricultural pursuits, and now lives on a small farm near Luthersburg, entirely retired from hard work. He married Lucilla Porter who died about 1880. Six children were born to them, four of whom still survive, as follows: Mary, who is the wife of L. A. Zortman, of DuBois, Pa .; Martha, who is the wife of Ells-

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worth Phillips, of Erie, Pa .; William, who odist Episcopal church. In politics he is a lives at Mt. Union, Pa. ; and .Albert. Republican and his other organization con- nections are with the Patriotic Sons of Amer- ica, the Loyal Order of Moose and the Pro- tected Home Circle, all of Clearfield. His res- idence is situated on East Market street, Clearfield.

Albert Shafer spent his boyhood on the home farm and during six months of the year usually attended the district school, three miles distant from his home, up to the age of ten years. He then secured work in the dairy of George Wachob, at Luthersburg, and re- mained there for several years and later worked for John Watts in the same business, in Ferguson township, and afterward for three years was with the well known dairyman, C. F. King, at DuBois. After then making a trial of the brick business in the yards of Har- bison & Walker, he decided to return to the work in which he had become so skilled and re-entered the employ of Mr. J. P. Watts, opening up a dairy for him at Clearfield. Later, Mr. J. P. Watts sold out to Thorp & Kirk, and that firm was succeeded by Mc- Pherson & Mitchell, of whom Mr. Shafer pur- chased the plant, January 22, 1909. Mr. Shafer has proven himself an excellent busi- ness man and through his many years of deal- ing with the people of this section has won con- fidence and regard. He secures his milk from six large dairy farms near Clearfield and he has a large wagon trade, supplying almost every hotel and many private residences at Clearfield. Additionally he supplies the tu- berculosis patients and the Clearfield Hos- pital. He has fine sanitary quarters and mod- ern equipments and deals in cream, home milk, skim milk, buttermilk and eggs. His private office is at No. 213 Reed street.

Mr. Shafer was married in June, 1902, to Miss Florence Ross, of Huntingdon county, Pa., and they have two children, Esther and Ruth. Mr. and Mrs. Shafer attend the Meth-

JAMES S. HOYT, the efficient superin- tendent of the Clearfield County Poor Farm, in Clearfield county, Pa., is widely known and has been a lifelong resident of Clearfield county. He was born in Lawrence township, October 23, 1860, and is one in a family of three children born to his parents, John S. and Maria (Augenbaugh) Hoyt, the former of whom died in 1893 and the latter in 1883.

James S. Hoyt spent his early years on a farm and obtained his education in the public schools. His father was a shoemaker by trade but his choice was different and he became a carpenter and engaged in work as such for a number of years. He identified himself with the Republican party when he reached man- hood and has been an active factor ever since and his usefulness has been recognized at dif- ferent times. Under the administration of the late President Mckinley, he served as post- master at Glen Richey, eleven years, and re- signed to accept the present position of super- intendent. In January, 1909, he assumed the duties of superintendent of the Clearfield County Poor Farm, which include the care of 155 public charges and the cultivation of 250 acres of land. In this position he has ac- quitted himself with credit.

Mr. Hoyt married Miss Anna E. Kephart, a daughter of the late Abraham Kephart, and they have ten children.

FREDERICK MOSSOP

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RICHARD MOSSOP, now deceased, to whom this sketch is dedicated, will be remem- bered as one of the pioneer merchants of Clearfield, Pa. He was born in the city of Phil- adelphia, May 4, 1819, and was a son of John Mossop.

In early manhood, Richard Mossop came to Clearfield and engaged in merchandising, con- ducting a general store until his death, which occurred January 1, 1891. Richard Mossop was married in June, 1845, to Miss Margaret Graham, who was born in Clearfield county, Pa., and died in January, 1894. Her father, Francis Graham, was one of the pioneers of Clearfield county. Richard Mossop and wife were members of the Presbyterian church. In politics he was a Republican but never con- sented to have his name brought forward for public office. He was a man of ample fortune and a bank director.

Frederick Mossop, a son of Richard Mos- sop, succeeded his father in his mercantile bus- iness and successfully continued it until his own death. His business methods were, per- haps, more up-to-date than his father's had been, having an ambition to enlarge the scope of the enterprise and to introduce modern ap- pliances. He did not confine his public spir- ited energies to his own business but assisted in developing the commercial interests of Clearfield by erecting many of the substantial structures which are a credit to the business district of the city. Suffering frequently from ill health himself, his attention was thus called to the crying need of the city for a well equipped hospital and, following his death, his heirs respected his expressed wish in this re- lation. They donated the hospital site, to- gether with the sum of $20,000, and the Clear- married Emma Thompson, of Lawrence town-

field Hospital stands as a lasting monument to the memory of Frederick Mossop.

H. L. BOWMAN, justice of the peace, is one of the prominent men of Pike township, Clearfield county, Pa., and resides on his well improved farm of seventy acres situated two miles south of Curwensville. He was born in Lawrence township, Clearfield county, May 31, 1878, and is a son of Jonathan and a grandson of Daniel Bowinan, the latter of whom was one of the pioneers of Knox town- ship, Clearfield county.

Jonathan Bowman was born in Union county, Pa., September 14, 1836, and accom- panied his father to Clearfield county, when the latter settled in Knox township. After he married he continued to operate his father's farm near the Turkey Hill schoolhouse, which he had helped to clear, and also engaged in lumbering. Later he purchased what was known as the Powell farm, in Lawrence town- ship, and moved from there into Pike town- ship, buying the A. A. Long farm, on which he continued to reside until his death, October 13, 1898, when he was aged sixty-three years. He was a member and liberal supporter of the Methodist Episcopal church at Mt. Zion. In politics he was a Democrat but never desired public office, serving however as overseer of the poor when his fellow citizens elected him. He married Eliza Rowles, who still survives, and lives on the old homestead. She is a daughter of Tidus H. Rowles and a member of a large and substantial family of this sec- tion. To Jonathan and Eliza Bowman fifteen children were born, as follows: Harry, who is a member of the police force at Altoona,

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ship; Elam, who lives in Lawrence township, married Ollie Peoples; Stacy, who resides in Pike township, married Maude Wise; C. P., who makes his home in Oregon: Rosa, who is deceased, was the wife of John M. Peoples; Julia, who is the wife of A. B. Owens, of Pike township: John, who lives in Pike township, married Almeda Bloom; Daniel, who lives at Echo, Ore., married Hannah Barnett: Anna, who died at the age of twelve years: Sarah, who is the wife of F. T. Kyler, of Philipsburg, Pa .; H. L .: Jonathan, who is deceased, mar- ried Edna, daughter of Allen Bloom: Lucy. who is the wife of Clarence Withrow, of Pike township: Samuel, who lives in Pike township, married Edna Henderson; and Paul, who lives in Pike township, married Edith Maerfield.

H. L. Bowman attended school in Pike township and later was a student in the Kerr- moor Normal School. After marriage he set- tled at Olanta and subsequently bought his present farm from William Bloom, making a number of improvements and remodeling the buildings. He is a prominent Democratic pol- itician in this section and is State fire warden for this district. He has been a justice of the peace for ten years and has also been tax col- lector for the same length of time. And is at the present a candidate for county commis- sioner on the Democratic ticket.

On July 23, 1897, Mr. Bowman was mar- ried to Miss Jessie Ardary, a daughter of James and Martha (Price) Ardary, and they have had two sons : one who died in infancy. and Cyrus F., an intelligent and promising youth now attending school. Mr. Bowman is a member of a number of fraternal organiza- tions, belonging to the Elks, the Eagles, the Moose and the Red Men, and is also identified with the local Grange.

GEORGE W. GALLAHER, owner of a valuable sixty-acre farm situated in Boggs township, Clearfield county, Pa., was born in White township, Cambria county, Pa., April 6, 1853, and is a son of William and Har- riet ( Derrick) Gallaher.

William Gallaher was born in Cambria county and was reared on a farm and followed farming all his life, passing away in advanced years. He married Harriet Derrick, who was born in Clearfield county and is also deceased. They were good people, devoted members of the United Brethren church. They had the following children born to them: Nimrod, who is deceased; Anna, who is the widow of George W. Davis; Elizabeth, who is deceased, was the wife of Jacob Mathews; James Wil- liam: Carrie, who is the wife of Israel Wisor ; George W .; and Victoria, who is deceased, was the wife of Theodore Bloom.

George W. Gallaher attended the common schools in boyhood but as soon as he was old enough he went into the woods and ever since he has worked more or less every winter at lumbering and has spent his summers on his farm. His industry has been rewarded and he is in the enjoyment of a substantial in- come, and is well and favorably known all through this section in which he has lived for many years.

Mr. Gallaher was married in April, 1873. to Miss Elizabeth Hammond, a daughter of Joseph and Catherine (Noll) Hammond. Mrs. Gallaher's mother died and her father was married second to Martha Hoover. The chil- dren of the first marriage were: Anna Mary, who is deceased, was the wife of George Rick- ard: Elizabeth; Rebecca, who is deceased, was the wife of Frank Russell; and Simon. To the second marriage were born: William ;

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Frank; Jane, wife of John Ender ; David; Ed- ward; Mary; Matilda, who is deceased; and Anna, who married in Iowa.

Mr. and Mrs. Gallaher have had the follow- ing children: Frank, who is now deceased; Harry; Lala, who is deceased; Fada, who is also deceased; May, who is the wife of Fred Wiser; Pearl, who is the wife of Leonard Smeal; and Leonora, who is the wife of Ro- land Mease. Mr. Gallaher and family are members of the United Brethren church. In politics he is a Republican and has served two years on the school board. He is a leading member of the Grange at Blue Ball.

E. W. HESS, civil engineer, with offices in the Kratzer Building, at Clearfield, Pa., and in the Deposit Bank Building, at DuBois, Pa., has a professional reputation second to few in this section of Pennsylvania. Mr. Hess was born on a farm in Columbia county, Pa., September 5, 1868.

Mr. Hess was educated in the public schools and a local academy and taught school for a short time before 1887, when he began work as a surveyor and civil engineer. His first important railroad work was for the Louis- ville & Nashville and after it was satisfactorily completed, he was engaged by the Erie Rail- road, the Norfolk & Western Railroad and the Pennsylvania Lines west of Pittsburgh, and later for the New York Central. He also as- sisted in the building of the Lehigh Traction Company line at Hazleton, and from there to Wilkes Barre. He opened his Clearfield of- fice in 1900 and his DuBois office five years later and finds it necessary to maintain them both. Mr. Hess and his associates have done engineering on the construction of many of the street railway systems in the state, nota-

bly : the Philipsburg Street Railway; the Du- Bois Street Railway and the Patton, Pa., Street Railway, and they have also put through a number of railroads in this state and in the Southern States, for lumber and other busi- ness firms. Mr. Hess has done some remark- able work in the line of construction for the water supplies and building of reservoirs in different cities, and the residents of Clearfield, Du Bois and Fall Creek point with justifiable pride to their complete and efficient systems. Mr. Hess and his firm have charge of the en- gineering for Clearfield, Curwensville, Du- Bois, Coalport and Fall Creek, in Clearfield county and for Brockwayville, and Sykesville, in Jefferson county.

Mr. Hess was married June 10, 1899, to Miss Maude Bouton. They enjoy a beautiful home which is situated at No. 409 Locust street, Clearfield, and they attend the Presby- terian church. In politics Mr. Hess is a Re- publican. He is prominent in Masonry, be- longing to various branches at Clearfield and to the Consistory at Williamsport.

JOHN A. GREEN, justice of the peace and engaged in an insurance and real estate business at Irvona, Pa., has been a lifelong resident of Clearfield county and was born at Glen Hope, February 3, 1861. His parents were James H. and Sarah (Keagy) Green.

The Green and the Keagy families both were early settlers in this section. The pater- nal grandfather was John Green, who estab- lished his first home in the county, near what is now Marion postoffice. He was a farmer and died on his own land. James H. Green became a large land owner and a prominent lumberman. He bought the logs and paid for the cutting of them and with his brother-in-

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law, Abraham Beyers, made the first drive of logs down Clearfield Creek. The value of these logs was about $16,000, and they were destroyed in what was called the Buckshot war, which was a local trouble between the lumbermen and the raftsmen. Mr. Green died soon after this misfortune, in 1867, at the age of forty years. He married Sarah Kcagy, who died in 1883, when aged fifty-one years. Her parents were Abraham and Elizabeth Keagy, who came from Delaware and were among the earliest settlers on Clearfield Creek. Mrs. Elizabeth Keagy was born in 1800 and died in 1881. Five children were born to James H. and Sarah Green, one of whom died in infancy, the four survivors be- ing: Abraham Keagy, who has been black- smith at the Pine Run mines for five years, married Emma J., a daughter of G. WV. Rex; John A .; Walter E., who resides on a farm near Marion, adjoining the old Green home- stead, married Martha Barrett ; and H. Irene, who is a trained nurse in Philadelphia, where she has resided for the past seven years.

John A. Green was educated in the public schools and for twenty-six terms engaged in teaching and also taught in several summer Normal schools. He then became manager for the Wister Supply Company and was su- perintendent for a time, taking charge in the spring of 1906. Ile was one of the pioneer merchants at Irvona but moved from that place to Glen Hope, where he spent six years and then returned to Irvona where he has been in business for the past eight years. In 1909 he was elected a justice of the peace, an office for which he is particularly well qualified. In politics he is a Democrat and formerly was very active in party affairs and served as the first treasurer of Irvona borough.

'Squire Green was married in 1895 to Miss Margaret Baer, a daughter of David and Mary Baer, of Glen Hope, where Mrs. Green was reared, and they have had eight children : Gwendola C., William Russell, Carmen and Dorothy, twins; D. Byron, Charles Leroy, and Harry and J. Elvin, both of whom are de- ceased. The family belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church at Irvona. Mr. Green is a member of Glen Hope Lodge, No. 669. Odd Fellows, and also of the Encampment at Glen Hope, Pa. He is a man of scholarly tastes and during his long period of educational work impressed himself forcibly on his pupils and it is not an unusual occurrence for him to have personal messages from them from either coast. or from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.

FRANK W. ESTRICHER, who is en- gaged in the blacksmith's business at New Washington. Burnside township, was born in this locality, son of Christian and Emily (Orr) Estricher. He is a grandson of Adam Estricher, of Hesse-Darmstadt, who came to this country in 1849 at the age of 37 years, but who, being taken sick while on the voyage over, died not long after landing in America.

Christian Estricher, father of our subject, was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, June 26, 1840, and was therefore about nine years old when he accompanied his parents to America, they settling in Burnside township, Clearfield county, Pa., where the father died. Though this sad event left the family for a time in somewhat straitened circumstances, young Christian found means to attend school until reaching the age of 16 years, after which he was engaged for a short time in agricultural pursuits. At the age of 17 he began to learn the blacksmithi's trade, and subsequently-

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about 1865-opened a blacksmith's shop at New Washington, which he carried on for many years, though now retired. He is a member of the Masonic lodge at Curwensville, and of the Odd Fellows' lodge at New Wash- ington. For many years he has been a mem- ber of the Methodist church at New Wash- ington, serving as steward. He is a Democrat politically and has at various times rendered active service to his party. He has frequently held local office and since 1908 has been bur- gess of the borough.

Christian Estricher married Emily Orr, a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Baker) Orr, natives of Cumberland county, who subse- quently settled in Clearfield county. She was born in 1837 and died in September, 1898, at the age of 61 years. The children of this marriage were as follows: Ora Matilda, who is the wife of J. Day, residing in the state of Washington (has one child) ; Catherine Eliz- abeth, wife of Henry Campbell of Braddock, Pa .; Edith, wife of J. C. Harper of Big Run, Pa., who has two children; Alice Maud, wife of Hugh C. Mitchell, of New Washington, and mother of three children; Frank W., whose name appears at the head of this sketch ; Charles C., of Braddock, Pa., who is married and has two children; and Adaline, wife of C. King, residing in California, who is also the mother of two children.

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Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens, Part 46

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