Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens, Part 47

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 47

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Frank W. Estricher after attending school in his native township, began to learn the blacksmith's trade under his father, with whom he was associated until the latter's retirement. Since then he has conducted the shop alone and is doing a thriving business, the shop hav- ing an established reputation throughout this section. He married Elizabeth Cummings, whose father, John M. Cummings, born in Clearfield county, on the Democratic ticket.

Lycoming county, Pa., came to Clearfield county in 1850, locating at New Washington, where for some years he followed farming. In 1858 he opened a general mercantile store at New Washington, but subsequently sold it and resumed agricultural operations, which he carried on until his death. He married Elizabeth Mahaffey, daughter of Thomas Ma- haffey, of the well known Clearfield county family of that name. Our subject and wife are the parents of two children.

ANTHONY HILE, who is assistant cash- ier of the Curwensville National Bank, at Curwensville, Pa., and also treasurer of the borough, was born in what is now Lumber City, Clearfield county, Pa., in 1864, and is a son of James H. and Mary H. (Henry) Hile.

James H. Hile was born in August, 1840, in a part of Penn township which has become incorporated with Lumber City, Clearfield county, Pa., a son of Anthony and Emily (Bloom) Hile, and a grandson of Henry and Mary (Johnson) Hile. James H. Hile at- tended school in Penn township as opportu- nity offered in his youth and spent a number of years working as a stone mason and in making square timber and also as a clerk in a store at Lumber City. For the last twenty- five years of his active life his business was that of scaling logs and was so engaged in Clearfield and Jefferson counties, Pa., and also in West Virginia. This business requires the accuracy and a mathematical sureness of vis- ion and the workers in this field, therefore, are not as numerous as in many others. James H. Hile settled at Lumber City after his mar- riage, where he was elected a justice of the peace, and served one term as auditor of

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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY

He is interested in the Curwensville National Bank. In 1861 he was married to Miss Mary H. Henry, a daughter of Thomas and Mar- garet ( Moore) Henry, residents then of Fer- guson township, Clearfield county. Two chil- dren were born to this marriage: Anthony and Gurney. The latter married Edith Hep- fer, a daughter of Simon Hepfer, of Fulton county, Pa., and they have two children- Katherine and Hubert.

.Anthony Hile was educated in the public schools and Lumber City Academy, after which he became a clerk in a store at that place, and at Kerrmoor, covering a period of five years. In 1886 Mr. Hile came to Cur- wensville as bookkeeper in the Curwensville Bank. At the organization of the Curwens- ville National Bank in 1904 he was made as- sistant cashier. He is financially interested in this bank and also owns a farm of 100 acres which lies in the north end of Ferguson town- ship, Clearfield county, and was once the homestead of his maternal grandfather. This property he has improved and at present is un- der the management of Mr. Hile's brother.

On October 22, 1890, Mr. Hile was mar- ried to Miss Margaret E. Mead, a daughter of Henry and Lydia Mead, of Lawrence township. Mrs. Hile died in 1897, survived by a daughter, Margaret, who attends the public schools. The first child, Anthony, who was born in 1894, died in 1895. Mrs. Hile was a member of the Presbyterian church. Her burial was in Oak Hill Cemetery. Mr. Hile is an elder in the Presbyterian church, and has been its treasurer since 1887. He is identified with Noble Lodge, F. & A. M., with Bethesda Lodge, I. O. O. F., at Curwensville, and also with Susquehanna Grange.

WILLIAM F. LUMADUE, a general farmer in Boggs township, Clearfield county, Pa., who has charge of the Lumadue estate as executor, has occupied this important position since the death of his father, in 1910. He was born December 29, 1886, on this farm of 145 acres, and is a son of Lewis D. and Mar- tha (Dixon) Lumadue.

Lewis D. Lumadue was a well known farmer in Boggs township. He married Mar- tha Dixon, who died in 1903, his own death occurring on April 20, 1910. They had the following children: John, James, Newton, William Frank, Susie Jane, Anna, Phoebe, Joseph B., Matilda, Jennie; Martha, Freder- ick and Mary. Of the above, Susie Jane is the wife of Walter Williams: Anna is the wife of George Rothrock, and Phoebe is the wife of Foster Woods.

William F. Lumadue obtained huis education in the country schools. He carries on general farming on the old homestead and carefully looks after every interest on the place. When the youngest child of the family has reached maturity the estate will be divided. In 1908 Mr. Lumadue was married to Miss Matie .1. Butler, the youngest child of Robert and Jen- nie (Ogden) Butler, the others being: Nellie, John, Guard and Fred. Mr. and Mrs. Luma- due have two children: Virginia and Lewis G. They attend the church of the Brethren. In politics Mr. Lumadue is a Republican but he takes no very active interest.

A. G. PETERS, who owns and resides on a fine farm of 53 acres in Bradford township. Clearfield county, Pa., is a native of this county, and was born in 1852, a son of J. R. and Mary (Graffius) Peters. The father,

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born in Lancaster county, was a miller and stone mason by trade, and died in 1895 in Bradford township, Clearfield county, Pa. The mother died in 1901 in Brad- ford township.

A. G. Peters has always lived in Clearfield county, Pa., and has made farming his life occupation. After his marriage he located on a farní about a quarter of a mile from his present place, residing there until 1901, when he bought and settled on his farm of fifty- three acres, and is here engaged in general farming and stock raising.

In 1875 Mr. Peters was united in marriage with Alpharetta Bumgarner, who was reared in Bradford township, and their union has re- sulted in the following issue: Lida May, born in 1876, died June 20th, of that same year ; Hallie, born in 1877, married William Biesh of Boggs township, and has three children, Earl, Lena, and Ardith: Ashley, married Elva May Thompson of Bradford; Charles W., married Ethel Eshelman of Bradford town- ship, and they have one boy, Marvin Leroy ; Mary, born September 13, 1886, died January, 1887; Edith Alma, who has taught four terms in the schools of Bradford township. attended the home normal schools at Houtzdale and at Philipsburg, Pa., and married W. R. Knepp, formerly of Bradford township.

Mr. Peters is a citizen of enterprise and public spirit and has served three years as president of the school board, and two years as supervisor of the roads of Bradford town- ship. He and his family are members of the U. B. Church of Woodland, Pa. Besides rearing his own family, Mr. and Mrs. Peters have taken into their home an orphan, Ethel Templeton Clark, and given her their protec- tion and love.

JAMES MITCHELL, president of the Clearfield National Bank, at Clearfield, Pa., is one of the representative business men of this section and for many years was prominent in the lumber industry. He was born on his fa- ther's farm in Lawrence Township, Clearfield County, Pa., May 8, 1842, and is a son of William and Elizabeth (Spackman) Mitchell.

William Mitchell was born in Ireland, a son of Jolin and Isabella Mitchell, who were of Scotch-Irish birth. When William was six years of age they sailed for St. John's, New Brunswick, where they lived for a time before coming to the United States. They landed at Philadelphia and went from there to Center County and then settled on 400 acres of land situated in Lawrence Township, Clearfield County. This was in 1830 and John Mitchell died on that land in January, 1849. William Mitchell was one of a family of eight children, all now deceased. He became a farmer and lumberman, purchasing land of his own ad- joining that of his father. He married Eliz- abeth Spackman, who died in 1887, at the age of 74 years, having survived her husband since 1858. She belonged to a prominent old Quaker family of Chester County, Pa. The following children were born to William and Elizabeth Mitchell : Theodore, John, Eliza, Isabella, James, Sarah, Caroline, Oscar and Alfred, all surviving except Theodore, John and Isabella.

James Mitchell remained on the home farnı, a tract of 231 acres, which he purchased in 1865. until 1871, following farming and stock raising and being interested also in surveying and lumbering. He had country school advan- tages in his youth, supplemented by three months attendance in the Clearfield schools, the opportunities for securing an education in

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his youth being very different from those now presented to the boys and girls all over the land. In 1871 Mr. Mitchell built and took pos- session of liis comfortable residence at Clear- field and has been identified with the leading interests of the city ever since. He was one of the organizers of the Clearfield National Bank and filled the office of vice president un- til 1911, when made president. In politics he is a Republican and the confidence of his fel- low citizens was shown by his election in 1888 to the responsible office of county treasurer.

On May 15, 1883, Mr. Mitchell was married to Miss Grace B. Row, who is a daughter of the late Samuel B. Row, and nine children have been born to them, namely: George, Cather- ine, John, Elizabeth, James, Theodore, Sam- uel, Grace and Eugene. Mr. Mitchell and fam- ily attend the Presbyterian church.

JAMES D. WALL, assessor of Penn Town- ship, Clearfield County, Pa., of which he is a leading citizen and substantial farmer, resides on his farm of 100 acres, which adjoins the bor- ough line of Grampian, Pa. He was born in this township, one and one-half miles south- west of Grampian, July 15, 1855, and is a son of Thomas and a grandson of Jonathan Wall.

Jonathan Wall was born in Chester County, Pa., and later was a resident of York County, moving from there to Center County and in 1820 coming to Clearfield County. He set- tled on 200 acres of land that was then in Pike Township, but now that section is Penn Town- ship. He improved his property and lived on it until his death, in 1855. This farm is now owned by E. M. Davis. Jonathan Wall mar- ried Jane Thomas, of York County, and they reared a family of children and lived long and

virtuous lives. subscribing always to the teach- ings of the Society of Friends.

Thomas Wall, father of James D., was born after his parents had settled in Penn Township. He was reared on the home farm and remained there for two years following his first mar- riage and then moved to Pennville, where he was a merchant for two years. After the sale of his store he bought another farın in Penn Township, on which he operated a saw-mill and a grist-mill, together with farming, until 1870, when he bought a tract of 425 acres of timber land, on Bell's Run and continued to be interested in lumbering until his accidental death, at the age of sixty-five years. He was a member of the Society of Friends. In pol- itics he was a Republican and served occasion- ally in township offices. His first marriage was to Hannah Davis, a daughter of Joseph Davis, Sr., and they had three children : James D .: Milton, who died in 1888, in California; and Sarah, who is the widow of Clark Norris. The mother of these children died in 1860 and her burial was in the Friends' Cemetery. Thomas Wall married for his second wife, Eliza Nicholson, a daughter of Joseph Nichol- son, of Bell Township, and they had six chil- dren : Mary, Annie, Leona, Blanche, Charles and Maud.

James D. Wall obtained his education in the schools of Penn Township and remained at home assisting his father until after his own marriage, in 1879. He spent three years in Colorado and then returned to the old home- stead and became manager of the mill and con- tinucd until its sale. Mr. Wall then purchased his present farm of Isaac B. Norris. As the land was already well improved he had little in that direction to do but subsequently built his present commodious and attractive resi-

GEORGE C. KIRK

MRS. MARGARET H. KIRK

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dence. Mr. Wall is a charter director and a stockholder of the Curwensville National Bank.

In May, 1879, Mr. Wall was married to Miss Clara Miller, who was born in Jefferson Coun- ty, Pa., October 14, 1860, a daughter of Col. James and Louisa ( Farnsworth) Miller. Po- litically Mr. Wall is a Republican and he has been an active and practical citizen. Fre- quently his fellow citizens have elected him to public office and he has served as school direct- or and auditor, and for nine years was collect- or of Penn Township, of which he is now assessor.

CYRUS ROBISON, who conducts the III- acre farm in Boggs Township, owned by his wife, Mrs. Alice Robison, and carries on gen- eral farming and stock raising, is numbered with the substantial citizens of this section. He was born July 18, 1872, in Knox Town- ship, Clearfield County, a son of Samuel and Agnes (Sloss) Robison.

Samuel Robison was one of the early teach- ers in this part of Clearfield County and was highly regarded as an instructor. He was a son of William and Jane ( Vanormer) Robison. He married Agnes Sloss, who was a daughter of William and Margaret Sloss. They had three children: Cyrus, Eva and Jennie. Both daughters are deceased. The latter was the wife of Charles Goss. Samuel Robison was identified with the Democratic party. He and his wife belonged to the Presbyterian church.

Cyrus Robison obtained his education in the public schools and had the advantage of father- ly instruction at home, up to the age of eight years, when this parent died. The farm came to Mr. Robison by inheritance from his father, who purchased it from its former owner who had bought it from a Mr. Peters. Mr. Robi-

son has the deed that proves this farm to have been settled on 104 years ago. He has been connected nearly all his business life with saw- mill work, formerly quite actively but latterly not to so great an extent.

In 1894 Mr. Robison was married to Miss Alice Boyd, a daughter of Robert and Matilda ( Ralston) Boyd, residents of Clearfield Coun- ty. Mr. and Mrs. Boyd had the following children: Charles; Mary, wife of Samuel Blankley; Alice; Anna, deceased, wife of Ord Shirey; George; Clara, wife of Richard How- ell, and William. To Mr. and Mrs. Robison three children have been born: Mabel, who died at the age of sixteen months ; and William and Leland. Mrs. Robison is a lady of educa- tion and culture and taught school in Boggs Township for three years prior to her mar- riage. Mr. and Mrs. Robison are members of the United Brethren church. He is a Repub- lican in politics, and he is identified with the organization known as the P. O. S. of A.

GEORGE C. KIRK, civil engineer, sur- veyor, and for ten years a justice of the peace in Brady township, Clearfield county, Pa., is one of the representative citizens of this sec- tion of Clearfield county, all over which he is known in his profession. He was born in Brady township, April 3, 1837, and is the old- est of a family of eleven children born to his parents, who were Thomas and Eliza ( Bris- bin) Kirk, and his grandfather was John Kirk.

John Kirk, the grandfather, was the foun- der of this family in Clearfield county. He came of Scotch ancestors and was born May 15, 1777, in York county, Pa. From there he moved to Center county and settled in Boggs township, but it is not known that his parents. Thomas and Hannah (Cadwallader) Kirk,

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accompanied him. He was married in Bald Eagle Valley, Center county, in 1802, to Lydia Fisher, who was a daughter of William and Hannah ( Packer) Fisher. Ten children were born to them, five sons and five daughters. Later John Kirk, about 1832, moved into what was then a wilderness, settling in the deep woods, in Brady township, Clearfield county. There his death occurred December 23, 1856, and that of his widow, March 15, 1864.

Thomas Kirk, the fifth of his parents' fam- ily, was born September 11, 1811, in Boggs township, Center county. He accompanied his parents to Brady township, Clearfield county, and four years later, on June 19, 1836, he was married to Eliza Foster Brisbin, who was also born in Center county, November 13, 1817, a daughter of Enos and Jane ( Moore) Brisbin. They became the parents of eleven children, six of whom still survive. Thomas Kirk en- gaged in farming and cleared off many acres of land which he improved. He was a well known and highly respected resident of Brady township, where he lived until his death, which occurred .August 17. 1898, his wife having passed away on April 4, 1892.

George Calvin Kirk had to work hard in his youth as the eldest of a large family, but he had unusual ambition although there was lit- tle encouragement or even opportunity to stimulate it. His educational advantages in the common acceptance of the term, were meager, but he made the most of his chances and later became an acceptable school teacher. He learned the carpenter and cabinetmaking trade and worked at it for a time, but what- ever occupation or industry he was engaged in he devoted every moment of spare time to ac- quiring a knowledge of surveying and civil en- gineering. Only those who have been equally

persevering can appreciate the hard studying he had to do before he was able to perform satisfactory work along this line, but those who gave him the first contracts soon realized that he thoroughly understood every principle and the method of application, although he was en- tirely self taught. Mr. Kirk did a large amount of surveying for John DuBois, when that enterprising man first began his great lumbering operations in the dense woods that still covered the country surrounding DuBois, and has also done professional work of great importance in Clearfield, Jefferson and other counties. Mr. Kirk continues to work at his profession and each day spends some hours surrounded by his maps and charts, and fre- quently becomes so interested in his calcula- tions that ordinary bed-time finds him yet busy. In addition to his teaching, surveying and engineering, Mr. Kirk was a very success- ful farmer for a number of years, owning sev- eral hundred acres of excellent land, purchas- ing his first 100 acres from James Irvin, pay- ing $800 for the same and clearing it himself. He improved his land and erected substantial buildings and still makes his home on the farm, which he sold to his son, Lewis N., on May 7. 1910. Mr. Kirk was also one of the organizers of the Luthersburg Pottery, which supplied all this section with earthenware for many years. No work has been done in the old building for many years but it still stands as a landmark. Mr. Kirk was further public spirited, being one of the organizers of the S. N. B. Telephone Company, and has shown in- terest in and has given encouragement to other enterprises which have proved beneficial to this section.

On April 18, 1861, Mr. Kirk was married to Miss Margaret Elizabeth Hamilton, who

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was born in West Buffalo township, Union county, Pa., December 26, 1835, and is a daughter of Joseph and Mary (Michaels) Hamilton. Nine children were born to them, as follows: Mary E., Lydia J., lda E., Aus- tin I., Thomas J., Lewis N., Sarah M., Wil- liam F. and Anna M. Of this family but three survive, namely: Mary E., Lewis N. and Anna M. Mary E. is the wife of Charles S. Carpenter, and they reside at Ashville, N. Y. Lewis N., who now owns the homestead farm in Brady township, married Florence Reams, and they have one child, Marion L. In politics Mr. Kirk is a Democrat. For a number of years he served on the township school board and during a large part of the time was its treasurer. He is identified fra- ternally with Lodge No. 753, Odd Fellows, at Troutville, Pa.

On April 18, 1911, Mr. Kirk celebrated his golden wedding anniversary. One hundred and forty-four people ate dinner,-Joseph H. Kirk of Tylertown, Pa .; Mrs. Boyd Kirk and two of our subject's sisters, Mary Ann and Ellen, were at the wedding of our subject, also at the anniversary. Mr. Kirk was married on what is now known as the Brewery farm in this township, the DuBois Brewing Company being the owners. He and his wife were mar- ried by Daniel Goodlander, a justice of the peace. They received many presents, includ- ing gold coins of U. S. money.

of Mark L. and Agnes (Shirey) Wilson, and comes of one of the pioneer families of the county. The Wilson family originally came to America from Scotland, and first settled in York County, Pa., but subsequently located in Clearfield County. John L. Wilson, grand- father of our subject, was a brother of Samuel Wilson, who was one of the first men to serve as Justice of the Peace in Bradford township. Mark L. Wilson, father of our subject, was a life long resident of Clearfield County and was for many years identified with the lumber in- dustry of the county. He was for some time associated with A. B. Shaw, and also Weaver and Betts, who were all well known lumbermen of this section of Pennsylvania, and died Jan- uary 13, 1884, when a comparatively young man. Of this union with Agnes Shirey, who is a daughter of George Shirey of Gillingham, Pa., were born two sons, Walter V., who died aged two years; and Ward O., the subject of this record. In 1906 Mrs. Wilson formed a second union with Simeon Cross, and they re- side on Nichol Street at Clearfield, Pa.

Dr. Ward O. Wilson spent the first ten years of his life on the farm, and then entered the employ of Edward Shaw, who conducted a general store at Shawsville, Pa. He continued in the employ of Mr. Shaw three years, and during the winter of two years of that time, he attended the local schools of Shawsville, and later took a course at the Central State Nor- mal at Lock Haven, Pa. In 1894 Dr. Wilson began teaching and followed that profession five years, his schools being at Palestine, Gra- ham township, the Black Oak school of Gra- ham township, the Shawsville school, which he himself had attended. in Goshen township, the Center School in Lawrence township, and his

WARD O. WILSON, M. D., whose office is located at No. 210 North Second St., Clear- field, Pa., is one of the successful and leading physicians of this borough, and has been a life long resident of Clearfield County. He was born December 4, 1875, in the village of Shawsville, Clearfield County, Pa., and is a son fifth a graded school at Glenn Richey, Law-

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rence township, his last assignment. In 1898 Dr. Wilson entered a medical college at Phil- adelphia, from which he graduated with the class of 1902, and since September II, of that year, has been engaged in the practice of his profession at Clearfield. He first located over the present Thatcher Drug Store, and in Janu- ary, 1903, moved temporarily to No: 303 Reed

Street, and subsequently bought and remodeled his present office and residence, which are lo- cated at No. 210 No. Second Street. On Octo- ber 29, 1903, Dr. Wilson was united in mar- riage with Lottie I. McCoskey, who is a daugh- ter of A. E. MeCoskey of Lock Haven, Pa.

JOHN BOAG, postmaster at Boardman, Pa, and superintendent of Mines No. 2 and 3, for the Potts Run Land Company, in Knox Township, Clearfield County, is a reliable and experienced mine man and is well and favor- ably known all through this section of Penn- sylvania. He was born in Scotland, March 14, 1858, and is a son of David C. and Mar- garet ( Halbert) Boag.

David C. Boag and wife were both born in Scotland and when they came to America in December, 1869, their five children accompa- nied them. They settled first at Arnot, Tioga County, Pa., and during their years of resi- dence there, eight more children were added to the family. The mother and ten of the children still survive. The father died at the age of sixty-six years, while on a visit at Arnot, having previously removed to Glen; Richey, where he worked as a miner. He was a Pres- byterian in his religious convictions and a Re- publican in his political views.

completed his period of school attendance at Arnot, Pa. Like his father he became a miner and when he came to Clearfield County, in 1892, it was as a mine foreman at Glen Richey, where he remained for four years, after which he was mine foreman for six years at Burnside. In 1902 he came to Boardman and accepted his present position as superintendent, serving as such ever since. Mr. Boag is not only a well qualified man in his special line of work but he is a representative citizen and while still living in Tioga County served as school director and as township clerk, being elected on the Republican ticket. Mr. Boag at present is identified with the Prohibition party. He is serving in his second term as postmaster at Boardman, the mail being received from Olan- ta or Mitchell by carrier.

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Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens, Part 47

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