USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens > Part 50
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ALFRED M. LIVERIGHT, county solic- itor of the county of Clearfield, Pa., and junior member of the well known law firm of Krebs & Liveright, with offices on Locust Street, Clearfield, between First and Second, is a lead- ing member of the Clearfield Bar.
He was born at Davenport, Iowa, November
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10, 1872, and is one of a family of six chil- dren born to his parents, Henry and Henrietta ( Fleisher) Liveright, the former of whom was largely interested in the coal industry.
Alfred M. Liveright was afforded educa- tional opportunities which included collegiate advantages, and in 1891 he was graduated at the University of Pennsylvania. In the fol- lowing year he entered upon the study of law and was admitted to the bar in November, 1894, selecting Clearfield County as the field of his efforts. In 1898, during the war with Spain, he was appointed deputy district attor- ney of the county, and performed the duties of that office until the end of the war. In 1900 he entered into a partnership with former Judge David 1. Krebs, whose death occurred January 25, 1911. The combination of legal talent proved a strong one. From early man- hood Mr. Liveright has been interested in pub- lic affairs, and has identified himself with the Republican party. In May 1906 he was first elected county solicitor of Clearfield County, and was re-elected in 1909.
Mr. Liveright was married in 1899 to Miss Margaret Krebs, a daughter of D. L. Krebs, and they have two children, Mary Krebs and Henry, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Liveright are prom- inent in the social and educational life of the borough.
PATRICK GRATTAN, mine foreman at Morgan Run mine and the owner of four and one-half acres of land in Bigler Township, Clearfield County, Pa., together with three residence properties at Madera, is a well known and highly respected citizen of this sec- tion. He was born at Bartley, in Bradford County, March 17, 1871, and is a son of Ber- nard and Julia (Ague) Grattan.
The parents of Mr. Grattan were born and married in Ireland. They came to America in 1862 and the father first found work as a brick-layer and later as a miner and still later was engaged in a mercantile business at Ma- dera, where both he and wife died, the former at Madera. Mrs. Bernard Grattan died at Centerville, Elk county. They were devoted members of the Catholic church. They had four children: Patrick, Bernard, Thomas and Nora, the last named dying at Madera, Clear- field county, at the age of eleven years.
Patrick Grattan attended the Catholic schools at Centerville, but not satisfied with the opportunities he could command here, he made arrangements with the International Correspondence School of Scranton, and con- tinued a student with that organization for seven years and completed the course in min- ing. In the meanwhile he learned all the prac- tical details by personal experience, having started to work in the mines when he was only twelve years old. He has been very enter- prising, ambitious and persevering and has won his own way through his own efforts. For the past six years he has been mine foreman, working first in this capacity for H. B. Swoope, afterward for H. B. Swoope & Co., and at present is with the Arctic Coal Com- pany. He took charge of the Betz mine March 16, 1911, as mine foreman for the Arctic Coal Company. H. B. Swoope, general manager. He has worked under H. B. Swoope for the last nine years. He is consid- ered a well informed and thoroughly reliable mine man.
Mr. Grattan was married December 26, 1893, to Miss Mary Murray, a daughter of Patrick and Bridget (Daugherty) Murray. The parents of Mrs. Grattan were residents
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of Brisbin, Clearfield County, and her father was a coal miner. They had the following children: Mary, who is the wife of Mr. Grat- tan; Daniel and Hugh, both of whom are de- ceased; James; Rose, who is the wife of Dan- iel Murphy; Sarah, who is the wife of Bern- ard Carr; and Catherine, who is the wife of Robert Sturbord. Mr. and Mrs. Grattan have six children: Hugh, Leo, Murray, Bernice, May and Sarah. The family belongs to the Catholic church. Nominally Mr. Grattan is a Democrat but he is a man capable of doing his own thinking and frequently votes according to his own judgment. He is a member of the A. O. H. at Houtzdale, Pa.
JAMES BURTON LUTHER, of the J. B. Luther Undertaking Co., the oldest es- tablished business of its kind at DuBois, Pa., with commodious quarters on the corner of Park Avenue and Brady Street, was born at West Fairfield, Pa., July 19, 1871, and has been a resident of this borough since 1901. His parents are J. G. and Alice (Peoples) Luther.
J. G. Luther, who is a veteran of the Civil War, was one of a family of fourteen chil- dren born to his parents, who were early settlers in Westmoreland County, Pa., and grew to manhood on the pioneer farm. In 1861 he enlisted for three years' service in the Civil War, entering an infantry regiment as a private. He was once made prisoner and confined for three months at Anderson- ville but was then exchanged and served out his first term of enlistment. He then re- enlisted as sergeant in an artillery regiment, and was a second time captured, in the pre- vious fighting barely escaping with his life, his uniform being riddled with bullet holes.
He was sent to Libby Prison and there en- dured torture for three months before he es- caped. After the close of the war he returned to his home and followed the car- penter's trade for a time and also undertak- ing, making coffins by hand at first. He also started a grist mill, but this enterprise he later abandoned. He still is engaged in the undertaking business at West Fairfield. He married Alice Peoples, who was born in Westmoreland County, and eight children were born to them, namely : Margaret, who is the wife of Charles Mabon; James Bur- ton : Cora, who is the wife of L. R. Hamil- ton ; William P .; John M., who is a physi- cian ; Harry J .; Blanche, who is deceased ; and Nan, now deceased, who was the wife of S. C. Huston.
James Burton Luther was educated in the common and High School at West Fair- field and later took a business course at Duff's Commercial College, Pittsburg, Pa. In preparation for his future business he then entered the Philadelphia College of Embalming, where he remained until gradu- ation, after which he spent a year in the morgue at Pittsburg, gaining practical ex- perience in his profession. For two years Mr. Luther was in the furniture and under- taking business at Florence, Pa., and from there came to DuBois. Here he entered into the employ of the undertaking firm of Flegel & Weber. On September 7, 1909, in partner- ship with P. T. Sullivan, he bought out the entire interests of that firm and since then the business has been conducted under the style of the J. B. Luther Undertaking Co. It was established by Mr. Flegal who later admitted L. E. Weber to partnership, by whom he was succeeded in 1907, and in 1909,
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY
as stated above, it came into the hands of the present competent business men, both of whom hold state embalmer's licenses. The new firm has all necessary equipments for their business, including two fine teams, one white and the other black, four funeral cars, a casket wagon, an ambulance, and cabs to accommodate pall bearers.
On July 15, 1899, Mr. Luther was mar- ried to Miss Anna Brown, who died May 28, 1909. Two children were born to them : Francis, in 1903, and Alice, in 1906. Mr. Luther was married secondly October 17, 1910, to Mrs. Eva C. Schwem, widow of Walter Schwem and daughter of S. C. Christ, of Brookville, Pa. Mr. Luther and family reside at No. 212 E. Long Avenue, and they attend the Presbyterian church. He belongs to the Royal Arcanum and to the Knights of Pythias.
E. D. BILLOTTE, whose energy and enterprise have made him one of the most prominent men of Girard township, Clear- field county, Pa., not only owns and ope- rates a grist-mill, a saw-mill and a general store, but also owns 550 acres of valuable land. Although not a native, Mr. Billotte has lived in Clearfield county since he was four years old and all his interests arc cen- tered here. He was born on Moore's island, in Clinton county, Pa., January 14, 1865, and is a son of Justin and Catherine (Coneway) Billotte, the former of whom was born in France and was brought to America by his parents in the year 1847 when eight years old. They settled at Frenchville, Pa
E. D. Billotte attended school in Girard township, but other duties limited his days
at school, and from the age of 12 to 21 he helped his father in lumbering. When he reached manhood he married August 22, 1889, Miss Eliza C. Blubell, a daughter of Victor Blubell, a prominent lumberman of Girard township, and seven children have been born to them, namely: Ferdinand, Anna, Mabel, Alice, Clare, Levina and Viola. They have also an adopted son, Clarence.
In almost all that he has undertaken, Mr. Billotte has been successful, the reason be- ing, perhaps, that he conducts all his busi- ness enterprises according to sound busi- ness principles. He possesses the knowl- edge and foresight that enables him to carry on store, mills, farming and stockraising where thesc industries are most needed, and thus, while contributing to his own success, advances the prosperity of his section. He has also taken a civil engineering course at Scranton, Pa. His mills and large general store are situated at Lecontes Mills, where said postoffice originated. Notwithstanding his numerous business interests and his prac- tice in civil engineering, contracting, etc., he has been active for years in public matters. For nine years he has been auditor of Gir- ard township, for seven years has been clerk, and for six years has been assessor of Girard township, in 1901 he was elected justice of the peace and in 1906 was re- elected. From 1897 until 1902 he was post- master at Odessa. Pa., and his wife from 1902 until 1909. Mr. Billotte and family are members of the Catholic church at French- ville, and he belongs to the C. M. B. A., at Emporium, Pa. His large plant is situated at Lecontes Mill, sixteen miles northeast of Clearfield.
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J. L. HENDERSON. M. D., who has been engaged in the practice of medicine at Os- ceola Mills, Pa., for more than two decades and is known professionally over a wide territory, is also one of the progressive and representative citizens of the town. He was born at Lewistown, Mifflin county, Pa., February 20, 1853, and is a son of Dr. Jo- seph and Margaret (Isenberg) Henderson.
Dr. Joseph Henderson was born at Car- lisle, Pa., in 1792, a son of Matthew Hender- son, and a grandson of Daniel Henderson, both of whom were born in Pennsylvania, of Scotch ancestry. Daniel Henderson spent his life in Chester county. Matthew Henderson, who was the grandfather of Dr. J. L. Henderson, of Osceola Mills, was a civil engineer and surveyor and appears to have been a man of excellent parts. He was a collector of excise for the Penn family, prior to the Revolutionary War and was a deputy surveyor in the laying out of Frank- lin and Cumberland counties. He was mar- ried in 1796 to Margaret Kearsley, who was living at Valley Forge at the time Wash- ington's army wintered there, and it was her brother Captain Samuel Kears- ley and his wife, who gave liberally of their means to provide for the comfort of the starving and freezing soldiers during that terrible winter, and in appreciation of this generosity, General Washington, in the presence of the assembled soldiers, later presented his own sword to Captain Kears- ley. Margaret Kearsley was a daughter of Jonathan and Jane Kearsley, the former of whom was born in Scotland in 1718, and the latter in 1720. Dr. Joseph Henderson lo- cated in Mifflin county, Pa., in 1832, where he continued the practice of medicine until
his death, in 1863. He traced his American ancestry back to 1715. He married Marga- ret Isenberg and they were parents of three sons, two of whom are physicians, William B. and James Linn, the former of whom is engaged in practice at Philipsburg, Pa.
James Linn Henderson was ten years old when his father died. When aged about six- teen years he went west and spent ten years in Kansas and Illinois. When he re- turned to the east he located at Lima, O., where he engaged in medical study under one of the well known old practitioners of that city, and subsequently entered the Ohio Medical College, at Cincinnati, where he was graduated in 1881, receiving his di- ploma. He returned to near Lima and con- tinued to practice among his former friends until failing health caused him to seek an other location. For three years he was in practice at Karthaus, Pa., and then came to Osceola Mills, where he has continued ever since, building up a fine practice here as the result of professional capacity, and at the same time winning the confidence and es- teem of his fellow citizens through personal worth. For more than ten years Dr. Hen- derson has been a member of the Board of Health and for fifteen years has served on the school board. For ten years he has been also president of the Osceola Mills Building and Loan Association.
Dr. Henderson was married first to Miss Frances Hughes, of Indiana, who died in 1897, leaving three children: William Hughes, who is assistant chief engineer for a steel company at Youngstown, O .; Joseph Linn, who is in the U. S. Government em- ploy, in the Forestry service, in Arizona ; and Matthew Francis, who resides at home.
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Dr. Henderson was married second to Miss Annie Allen, of Lewistown, Pa. Since its organization, Dr. Henderson has been a member of the West Branch Medical So- ciety and belongs also to Clearfield County, Pennsylvania State and the American Medi- cal Associations. For twenty years he has been identified with the order of United Workmen.
LEWIS W. BEYER, postmaster at Smoke Run, owner of a general store, at this point and an extensive lumber dealer, is also president of the First National Bank at Houtzdale, Pa. He was born in Bigler township, Clearfield county, Pa., Septem- ber 25, 1870, and is a son of John and Emma E. (Ross) Beyer.
John Beyer was born in 1830, near Jun- iata, in Blair county, and died at Smoke Run October 23, 1910. He settled at what was then called Muddy Run, in 1843 and en- gaged in lumbering and thus continued dur- ing his active years. He first married a Miss Keagy of Glen Hope, of which union there were three children: Jennie, who is the wife of Lewis H. Irvin ; Mary Malissa, who resides at Clearfield ; and William V., who was accidentally killed by a railroad train in 1890. Mr. Beyer married for his MANLEY B. GOFF, proprietor of the Brady Street Roller Mills, located at No. 340 South Brady street, DuBois, Pa., is one of the representative business men of the place, with which he has been identified since 1900. He was born March 14, 1867, in Jay township, Elk county, Pa., and is a son of Algenorn E. and Caroline E. (Pearsall) Goff. second wife, Emma E. Ross, who survives him and resides at Smoke Run. They had the following children: Sarah, who is the wife of Rev. W. J. Shaffer, of the Methodist church at Everett, Pa .; Christianna, who is the wife of Rev. C. W. Rishell, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church at Montours- ville; Lewis W .; and Hannah, who is the wife of G. R. McMurrey, who conducts a Elk county. Pa. He was a son of Potter meat market at Beulah, Pa.
Lewis W. Beyer was educated in the pub- lic schools, Williamsport Seminary, and Iron City Commercial College, at Pitts- burg, after which he was associated with his father in the lumber business and they con- tinued as long as it was profitable in this section. Then Mr. Beyer together with his sister, Miss Mary Malissa Beyer, started a general store under the firm name of L. & M. Beyer, and the partnership continued until in November, 1910, when Mr. Beyer pur- chased his sister's interest. He has been postmaster since 1898. He has other im- portant interests, as indicated above, and is one of the representative business men of the county.
Mr. Beyer was married December 21, 1892, to Miss Fransena Rumery, a daugh- ter of M. D. and Martha Rumery. The father of Mrs. Beyer was born in New Hampshire and formerly was a lumberman. He now owns a general store at Glen Hope, where he is also postmaster. In politics Mr. Beyer is a stanch Republican. With his wife he belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church. Fraternally he is identified with the Masonic lodge at Coalport, and the P. O. S. of A., at Madera.
Algenorn E. Goff was born and reared in Goff, and was but a boy when his father died.
MANLEY B. GOFF
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The latter was one of the pioneers of Elk county, a descendant of Lord William Goff, a native of Ireland. Great-grandfather Goff was a cooper by trade but became blind in his last years and was taken care of by his chil- dren. Algenorn E. Goff was reared by his half-brothers and followed farming and lum- bering in Elk county for many years. After retiring from active labor he came to DuBois, where he now resides. He married Caroline E. Pearsall, a daughter of Alfred Pearsall, formerly of Elk county, and five children were born to them, namely: Florence E., who is the wife of W. H. Weed, of Weedville, Pa .; Manley B .; Elvira, who is deceased, was the wife of Edward Henry, of Clearfield county ; Mary, who is the wife of R. D. Hall, of Du- Bois; and Carrie, who is the wife of U. G. Green, of DuBois.
Manley B. Goff grew to manhood on the home farm and attended the district schools of Jay township and the High School at Pen- field. Pa. After spending twenty-eight years on the farm he determined to engage in other business and moved to Caledonia, Elk county, where he embarked in a general mercantile business, in partnership withi Fred A. Tozier, which was continued for one year, when Mr. Goff removed to Johnsonburg and bought out the grocery, flour and feed business of E. C. Stanley. Mr. Goff carried on this enterprise for about eighteen months but not being sat- isfied with results then spent a short time look- ing about for a better business field, finding promising prospects at DuBois, to which place he came in April, 1900. Here he purchased the Brady Street Roller Mills, from S. J. Schrecongost, and conducted the business alone until July, 1909, when he admitted M. W. Barclay as a partner, the latter of whom
was succeeded in December, 1910, by R. L. Hunter. The capacity of the mill is fifty bar- rels a day of high grade flour, their chief brand being the Lily White, and buckwheat and other grains are also ground. The mill is well equipped and the business is in a very flourish- ing condition.
Mr. Goff was married first in September, 1895, to Miss Lulu V. Terry, whose death oc- curred three years later. In October, 1900, Mr. Goff was married second to Miss Olive May Rexford, a daughter of T. E. Rexford. Their residence is at No. 337 S. Brady street, opposite the mill.
In politics Mr. Goff is a Republican and he has always been an active and interested citi- zen. While residing in Elk county he served three years as jury commissioner, was auditor of Jay township and three years served as township treasurer. In 1896 he was the Re- publican candidate for associate judge of Elk county and in the election was defeated by only 200 votes, which was a very close mar- gin, considering that the county is normally Democratic. Since becoming a citizen of Du- Bois he has served three years as a member of the borough council. His only fraternal connection is with the Patriotic Order of Sons of America.
Algenorn Goff's great-grandfather was Guernsey Goff, who was a blind man and cooper by trade, and worked at his trade although blind.
ROBERT V. WILSON, M. D., deceased. In recalling the no longer living profes- sional men who left an impress on the de- veloping agencies of Clearfield, Pa .. the name of Dr. Robert Van Valzah Wilson readily comes to mind, for he not only pos-
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sessed the qualities necessary for success as a man of medical science, but also had the broad-minded and enlightened understand- ing which, combined with a deep respect and love for his felow men, even those most un- fortunate, made his influence acknowledged during life and lasting since he passed away.
Dr. Wilson was born at Spring Mills, Center county, Pa., in October, 1828. He made his preliminary medical preparation with Dr. Van Valzah, a relative, at Mill- heim, in Center county, and in 1849 was graduated from Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia. In 1850 he came to Clearfield county, locating for a short time at Cur- wensville and then removing to Clearfield. Here the remainder of his useful life was spent, his death occurring in the midst of usefulness, February 13, 1878. His reputa- tion as a physician and surgeon extended all over the state, and among his chosen as- sociates were others of like high aims, and his name is linked with theirs when Penn- sylvania points with pride to her men of merit. He was a member of the State Geological Survey.
In 1852 Dr. Wilson was married to Miss Carrie Smith, who was a daughter of Josiah W. Smith, and a family of seven children was born to them. One surviving son, Smith V. Wilson, is a leading member of the Clearfield bar, as was his maternal grand- father. IIe married Miss Martha L. Thompson, a daughter of Dr. Thompson, and they have two children.
CHARLES C. BAILEY, general farmer and owner of 128 acres of valuable land, situated three miles north of Curwensville, Pa., in Pike township, Clearfield county,
was born on this farm, December 17, 1868, and is a son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Boal) Bailey.
Joseph Bailey was born also in Pike town- ship, where his parents, Daniel and Jane Bailey, were early settlers. He attended school in this township and also at Cur- wensville, after which he assisted his father on the home farm until his own marriage. He then lived for a time on a part of Abra- ham Bailey's estate, later buying the farm of 128 acres from Isaac Bailey and complet- ing its clearing. He gradually acquired other farms until he owned about 500 acres, only a part of which, however, was put un- der cultivation. He married Elizabeth Boal, a daughter of James Boal, of Center county, Pa., and six children were born to them, as follows: Mary Alice, who is the wife of Vincent Spencer, of Curwensville; Martha Jane, who is the wife of Jonathan Ogden, of Lawrence township; James Dorsey, who married Mary Neeper, of Lawrence town- ship; Annie G., who married twice, first Charles Boyd and second William Vanga- vich; Charles C .; and George Boyd, who died when two years of age. The father of the above family died in October, 1901, at the age of seventy-eight years, seven months and eleven days, having survived his wife for many years. Her death took place in October, 1877, at the age of forty-three years. Their burial was in the Center ceme- tery. Both were members of the Center Methodist Episcopal church.
Charles C. Bailey obtained his educa- tion at Curwensville, Pleasant Grove school house and at Clearfield, after which he taught school for some time in the same sections where he had been a pupil. Mr.
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Bailey remembers this season as a very pleasant part of his life, but farming and stock raising have been of still more im- portance and after his marriage he settled on his present home in preference to any other. He made many improvements here, remodeled the buildings and added modern comforts. In addition to his home farm he owns forty acres in another part of Pike township, a one-half interest in another tract of thirty-five acres and a one-fifth in- terest in one of fifty-seven acres, all these being parts of his father's estate. Mr. Bai- ley is a stockholder in the Farmers and Traders Bank, of Clearfield, and a stock- holder in the Curwensville Rural Telephone Company.
On November 30. 1893, Mr. Bailey was married to Miss Myrtle E. Leslie, who was born in Clarion county, Pa., September 13, 1868, a daughter of Noah and Mary Eliza- beth (Mesner) Leslie, who reside near Home Camp, in Clearfield county. Mr. and Mrs. Bailey have had two children. Walter S .. born in May, 1895, is a member of the class of 1914 in the Curwensville High School; and Lillian Elizabeth, who was born in 1901 and died in 1902, being laid to rest by the side of her grandparents in the Center cemetery. In politics Mr. Bailey is a Republican. He belongs to Susquehannah Grange at Curwensville. He is one of the representative men of this section, is widely known and enjoys the esteem and warm friendship of his fellow citizen.
A. J. POWELL, a prominent and highly esteemed citizen of Woodland, Pa., was born here in 1862, in an old log house which has been standing for more than 100 years, and
is a son of William and Hannah (Young) Powell. William Powell was a farmer and a miller by trade and in 1859 came to Clear- field County and located at Woodland, where he lived until the time of his death in 1904. His wife died here in 1890.
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