USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens > Part 56
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Mr. Sweeney was married in January, 1906, to Miss Alice Gleason, who was born and reared at Houtzdale, and is a daughter of Andrew Gleason, who was one of the old and successful merchants of this place. Mr. and Mrs. Sweeney have had three children, but one of whom survives, John Burke, a sturdy little lad of two years. Mr. and Mrs. Sweeney are active members of the Methodist Episco- pal church and Mr. Sweeney is an interested and interesting teacher in the Sunday-school. He is identified fraternally with a number of organizations, including the Knights of Py- thias, the Brotherhood of America, the P. O. S. of A., the Elks at Clearfield, and the I. O.
R. M. at Brisbin, together with the United Commercial Travelers, of Clarksburg, W. Va. He is a charter member of Fire Company No. I, at Houtzdale. Personally Mr. Sweeney is of frank and engaging manner and as a public official cannot fail to meet with the approba- tion of his fellow citizens.
JOE BENSINGER, proprietor of the Commercial Hotel, at DuBois, Pa., is one of the prominent hotel men of the state and has been interested in this business for many years. He was born at Middleport, Schuylkill county, Pa., June 28, 1849, and is a son of Charles and Tena ( Kleckner) Bensinger.
Charles Bensinger was born in Schuylkill county, Pa., a son of Jacob Bensinger, who was a pensioner of the Revolutionary war. By trade, Charles Bensinger was a tailor. His death occurred at the home of his son, Joe Bensinger, in September, 1910, at the age of eighty-eight years. He married Tena Kleck- ner, who was born and died in Schuylkill county. Her father, Colonel Kleckner, was also a pensioner of the Revolutionary war. Of their children, three died young, the others be- ing as follows: Sarah, who is the wife of Theodore Hammer, resides in Philadelphia; Joe; John C., at Stroudsburg, Pa. ; Emily, who is the wife of Jacob Olhousen, of Philadel- phia; Louisa, who is the widow of David Stull, of DuBois; Howard O., who is de- ceased (was musical director of his regiment in the Spanish-American war, enlisting at Du- Bois) ; and Ida, who is the wife of E. Fred Vosburg, of DuBois.
Joe Bensinger was educated in the public schools and the State Normal School at Mil- lersburg, after which he taught school for one winter and then went to work in the oil re-
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gions, becoming clerk for Mr. Miller, mana- ger of the American House, at Titusville. That was his introduction to the hotel busi- ness and from that time he has been more or less identified with the same until the present. From Titusville he went to Bradford and there went into the newspaper business, showing a great deal of enterprise. He established and edited a daily paper, the Bradford Evening Times, and also a weekly, the Sunday Mail, for three years, making both first class prop- erties before he sold out in order to come to DuBois, at the earnest solicitation of the late John DuBois. He became a resident of Du- Bois in January, 1886, taking over the man- agement of the DuBois Hotel, on the east side, where he continued until 1887, when he ac- cepted an excellent offer at Pittsburg and took the management of the Colonial Hotel AAnnex, and remained several years in the hotel busi- ness in that city. He had retained many pleas- ant recollections of DuBois and had the busi- ness faculty to foresee the subsequent devel- opment of the place, therefore, he returned and in 1889 opened the Commercial Hotel, which he conducted until 1896, it then being a two-story brick structure, having forty rooms. In 1896 he sold and went then to Kittanning, Pa., where he conducted the Ho- tel Alexander for three years, after which he built the Lincoln Hotel, at Lancaster, Pa., op- erating it for two years. In 1901 Mr. Ben- singer again returned to DuBois, bought the Commercial Hotel property and immediately began its enlargement and improvement. It is now four stories in height, having 100 rooms and is equipped with all modern con- veniences. Mr. Bensinger's rates are $2, $2.50, and $3 per day. Although during the rebuilding a part of the structure was unin-
habitable, Mr. Bensinger thoughtfully pro- vided for the comfort of his guests and not a single meal was eliminated. Mr. Bensinger was one of the organizers of the Pennsylvania State Hotel Men's Association and at differ- ent times has served as president of this body. He is chairman of the executive committee, the working body of the organization. Mr. Bensinger has other claims to popularity. He is known far and wide as an orator and after- dinner speaker, and being gifted with a ready wit and overflowing, kindly humor. he is in great demand at many gatherings.
On May 28, 1881, Mr. Bensinger was mar- ried to Louise Lorenz, of Clarion county, Pa., and they have an adopted son, James L. In politics, Mr. Bensinger is a Republican but his business responsibilities have always been too numerous to permit him to accept office. Since 1889 he has been a member of the Elks and for many years has been prominent as a Ma- son, belonging to the Blue Lodge and Com- mandery at DuBois; the Chapter at Brackville, Pa .; and the Consistory, Shrine and Masonic Veterans' Association, at Pittsburg.
PROF. HERBERT G. MEANS, who is the able and progressive principal of the schools of Madera, Clearfield county, Pa., and a candidate for the office of county superintendent, is well known over Clear- field county as an educator. He was born in October, 1879, at DuBois, Pa., and is a son of George and Elizabeth (Stewart) Means.
George Means, who is now a retired citi- zen of Punxatawney. Pa., was born in Penn- sylvania and is a son of Foster Means. For a number of years he was in the lumber business and was also in the mail service.
MR. AND MRS. AMOS BONSAI.I.
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He married Elizabeth Stewart, who died in December, 1907. They had the following children born to them: Effie, who is the wife of Clayton Sprankle ; William N .; Her- bert G., and Mabel.
Herbert G. Means was educated in the public schools, Slippery Rock Normal School, and Grove City College, graduating from the first named in the class of 1902 and receiving his degree of Ph. B. in 1907. Prior to this, however, he had taught school for two years in Jefferson county and after graduation he returned to Jefferson county and taught for one year at Fordham, one year at Rossburg and two years at Eleanor. For three years afterward he served as dis- trict superintendent of the schools of Sandy township, Clearfield county, and then took charge of the Madera schools. During the three years that Prof. Means has been at the head of the schools of this borough, he has advanced scholarship and placed these schools on a par with any in the county. He is an enthusiastic worker and knows how to inspire others.
In June, 1904, Mr. Means was married to Miss Ethel Condron, a daughter of William and Catherine (Jewart) . Condron, natives of Indiana county, but at present residents of Jefferson county. Their family is made up of two daughters: Ethel and Mildred, the latter of whom is the wife of David Straitiff. Prof. Means and wife have two children: Fenton, born in January, 1906; and Winnifred, born in March, 1908. They are members of the Lutheran church of Du- Bois. In his political views, Prof. Means is a Republican. He belongs to the P. O. S. of A., an organization that claims a large and representative membership in this section.
JAMES H. KELLEY, district attorney of Clearfield county, Pa., serving his second term in this office, is a native of Clearfield county and was born October 4, 1852. His parents were James M. and Mary (Horton) Kelley, and he is the only survivor of the family.
James H. Kelley attended the public schools in boyhood and later enjoyed academic advan- tages. After deceiding upon the law as a ca- reer, he became a student under Senator Wal- lace, Judge Clark and Frank Fielding and was admitted to the bar on January 14, 1884. He very soon became a recognized force both in his profession and also in political circles. In 1906 he was elected district attorney on the Republican ticket and was re-elected in 1909. His administration of the office has distin- guished him as a man of more than the ordi- nary ability, and he is pursuing in his second term the same honorable methods which marked his first and is thereby adding to the esteem in which he is held by his fellow citi- zens.
Mr. Kelley married Miss Ida Palmer, a daughter of the late Nathan Palmer, of Washington county, and they have two chil- dren: William P., who is engaged in the oil business ; and Mary, who is the wife of Reu- ben F. Nevling, of Clearfield county. Mr. Kelley and family are members of the Presby- terian church. The pleasant family home is situated at No. 312 E. Market street, Clear- field.
AMOS BONSALL, a retired farmer, re- siding in Brady township, Clearfield county, Pa., on his valuable farm of 161 acres, near Troutville, is one of the most venerable resi- dents of this section and one of the most
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highly esteemed. He has spent almost his en-
sum from the sale of timber. In 1857 he built tire life in Brady township but was born in his comfortable farm-house. Recently he has Perry county, Pa., .August 31, 1822, and was disposed of his interests to his son Jackson Bonsall, with whom he now resides. brought here when two years, two months and sixteen days old. His parents were Benjamin and Maria ( Fowler) Bonsall.
Benjamin Bonsall was a tanner in his early manhood, in Perry county, where he also cleared up considerable land and engaged in farming. In 1824 he brought his family to Clearfield county and bought a farm in Brady township, near Luthersburg, where he spent the remainder of his life. Benjamin Bonsall and his wife and youngest son Reuben died within six weeks. They were the parents of eleven children, as follows: Rebecca, John, Jackson, Sarah, Amos, Jane, Emily, Joseph, Anna Maria, Reuben and Louisa, the last named being the wife of Adam Foust of Du- Bois. She and her brother Amos are the only survivors of this large family.
Amos Bonsall had but meager school ad- vantages in his youth. The family was a growing one and there was a great deal of necessary work to be done on the farm and very early Mr. Bonsall and his older brothers, John and Jackson, were able to be of great assistance to their father. Farming in the summer time and lumbering in the winter sea- sons in large degree filled up the measure of Mr. Bonsall's time prior to his marriage, after which he left the homestead and bought a farm of fifty-two acres at Coal Hill. After clearing one-half of that land he sold it and bought the farm on which he still resides, it having previously been the property of his father-in-law, Jacob Kuntz. Mr. Bonsall paid $1,500 for the 161 acres, which was then un- derlaid with coal which he subsequently sold for $87.50 per acre. He also realized a large
On January 25, 1849, Mr. Bonsall was mar- ried to Miss Catherine Kuntz, who was born in Germany and came to America with her parents in childhood. She lived to be eighty years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Bonsall had ten children: three died in infancy; the others were: Jacob L., Susanna (deceased), Sarah (deceased) ; Mary, wife of Jonas Peifer ; Vina, wife of George H. Weber, and Jackson. Mr. Bonsall has a number of grandchildren and even great-grandchildren and takes much pleasure in viewing such a vigorous lot of de- scendants.
For many years Mr. Bonsall has not taken much interest in public matters although he never fails to cast his vote for the candidates of the Democratic party. In earlier years, however, he was considered one of the reliable men when it came to appointments to office and it is related that in 1848, against his own wishes, he was made constable of Brady town- ship and while serving in that capacity it be- came his duty to take Lorrin Solliman to Clearfield, on a charge of murder. It created a great excitement, as that was the first mur- der case ever tried in the county. Mr. Bon- sall is a valued member of the Lutheran church.
THADDEUS IRELAND, whose well im- proved farm of 100 acres is situated seven and three-fourth miles north of Clearfield, Pa., has been a continuous resident of this county since 1885 and is a representative and respected citizen of Goshen township. He was born in Washington county, Me., June 22, 1855, and
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is a son of Abraham and Mary ( Henderson) Ireland.
Abraham Ireland and wife were both na- tives of Maine and he still resides in Wash- ington county, now aged eighty-eight years, but nevertheless hale, hearty and useful. He is still interested to some degree in farming and lumbering. He married Mary Hender- son, who died in 1864, and they had the fol- lowing children born to them: Edward; Amanda, who is now deceased (was the wife of Samuel Rankin) ; Emma, who is the wife of Alexander Rankin, of North Bend, Clinton county, Pa .; Oran, who resides in Montana; Elizabeth, who died at the age of eight years; Nancy, who succumbed to diphtheria at the same age; and Thaddeus, of Clearfield county. The mother of the above family was a mem- ber of the Baptist church while the father has always attended the Methodist Episcopal body.
Thaddeus Ireland knows a great deal about lumbering, having worked in the woods of his native state after his school days were over, and later, after coming to Clearfield county in 1879, in the lumber regions in this section. For one year after marriage he lived in Clin- ton county, Pa., and then bought his present farm, formerly the property of D. Cyphers. He found about fifteen acres cleared and a barn on the place, and all the subsequent clearing Mr. Ireland has done for himself. He has erected other substantial buildings and has a very comfortable home as well as valuable land. It may be more valuable than he knows, as no tests have yet been made for coal.
On July 4, 1883, Mr. Ireland was married to Miss Jennie Sankey, a daughter of John and Laura Sankey, well known residents of Goshen township. The family of Thaddeus
and Jennie Ireland are as follows: Julia, wife of Ernest Wilson (they have four children- Amanda, Irwin, Margaret and Wayne) ; Clayton, who died at the age of three months; Bessie, wife of Charles Young (they have two children-Doris and Erma) ; Gray, Ada, John, Ora, Elon, Leda, Mitchell, Heichhold, A. T. Theodore, N. L. Neal, Loris, and Omas. Mr. Ireland and family attend the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics he is a Repub- lican and on the ticket of that party has fre- quently been elected to important township offices, as supervisor and judge of elections. He belongs to the Goshen Grange and takes an interest in agricultural progress.
JOHN VEESER, a reliable and prosper- ous business man of Madera, who is one- half owner and proprietor of the Veeser Brothers Brewery, which is located on the Houtzdale road, about one and one-half miles from Madera, Pa., was born Decem- ber 22, 1857, in Germany. His parents, Thomas and Julia Veeser never came to America. They had the following children : Mary, who is the wife of Charles Mussgung ; Cecelia : Elizabeth ; and Andrew, who died in August, 1908, survived by his widow, who was formerly Elizabeth Dett, and two children, Julia and John E.
John Veeser came to the United States in 1881. He had few educational chances as he went to work in a brewery when only thirteen years of age, but he learned this business very thoroughly, and has engaged in it all his mature life. He spent some ten years mainly in Allegheny county, and came to Madera in 1891 and worked at the plant of which he is now half owner, for two years before he and his brother, An-
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY
drew, bought it. They conducted it under the name of Veeser Brothers and the name has not been changed since Andrew's death, his widow and children still retaining the half interest. The plant was built in 1887 and became the property of the Veesers in 1894, when they obtained their first license. Three acres of land surround the brewery. The output is 1500 barrels of beer a year and two men are given employment all the time.
John Veeser has never married. He was reared in the Catholic faith and belongs to St. Lawrence Catholic church at Houtsdale. In politics he is nominally a Democrat, but exercises his own judgment to a large de- gree when casting his vote.
JOHN HARRIS, deceased, spent a quiet, useful, industrious life. For many years he was a respected citizen of Clear- field County, Pa., to which he came when thirty years of age, and faced many dif- ficulties and hardships with Scottish stoi- cism. He was born at Glasgow, Scotland, in 1810, and like every Scotch youth, was sent regularly to school.
In 1840 John Harris settled in Clearfield County, Pa., having been attracted to this region on account of its mining possibil- ities, and for many years afterward he was engaged in mining for both coal and iron ore in the Karthaus mines. Later in life he moved to Brookville, where he died in 1855. He followed farming also in Clear- field County, but his main business in life, -the one in which he had been trained -was mining.
In Bradford Township, Clearfield County, Pa., in 1842, Mr. Harris was mar-
ried to Miss Eleanor Graham, who was born in Center County and was a daughter of Francis and Jane (Boggs) Graham, and a granddaughter of Judge James Boggs, of the Center County Bench. Mrs. Harris died at Polk Furnace, Clarion County, Pa., in 1849. She left three sons : Joseplı, Rob- ert Bruce, and Frank G. Of these sons, Joseph died in April, 1870. Frank G. is one of Clearfield County's most prominent citizens, formerly a member of the State Legislature and also state treasurer. Rob- ert Bruce has been identified with the oil industry for many years and in his pros- pecting trips has visited many lands, and as a representative of an English syndicate, spent some time near the Caspian and Red Seas.
In 1851 John Harris was married a sec- ond time. This lady was Miss Eliza Scott, of Brookville. Pa., who survived him for some time and died at Brookville.
GEORGE W. WALKER, a well known res- ident of Brisbin, Clearfield County, Pa., was born at Snow Shoe, Center County, Pa., June 17, 1859. and is a son of James and Mary (Hirslı) Walker.
George W. Walker was reared at Snow Shoe and accompanied the family from there to Houtzdale and then to Brisbin, where he has resided for a number of years. He was mar- ried January 1, 1883, to Miss Mandaine Do- herty, who was born at St. Johns, New Bruns- wick, and is a daughter of John and Sarah (Taylor) Doherty.
John Doherty was born in Canada and his mother's maiden name was Blackmore. When he was nine years old he was sent to England to live with an aunt, Mrs. Kelly, a lady who
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had large estates there. Probably he would have been her heir as she entrusted her affairs to him and treated him well, but he grew home- sick and returned to Canada as a stowaway on a vessel. He married in Canada and lived there until 1881, when he came to the United States and located at Brisbin. He was a filer and saw hammerer by trade and his business was an important one in the days when lumber- ing was carried on so extensively and tools were yet fashioned by hand. He was a man of robust constitution and lived to be eighty years of age. When he was seventy-five years old he was still capable of hard work and could earn as high as $4.50 a day at his trade. His death occurred November 3, 1908. He mar- ried Sarah Taylor, who was a daughter of Abraham and Matilda (Stover) Taylor, her father being a cousin of Zachery Taylor, who was once President of the United States. Al- though Mrs. Doherty was born in Canada her people on both sides were of Pennsylvania Dutch extraction. Both of her grandfathers were Revolutionary soldiers, hence she was eligible, as are her daughters, to the Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She survived her husband for two years, pass- ing away September 4, 1910, at the age of eighty-two years. To John and Sarah Do- herty, three children were born, namely : Mandaine, who is Mrs. George W. Walker, Willard, who lives at Williamsport, Pa .; and Maud, who is the wife of S. N. Hewlett, civil and mining engineer for the Lackawanna Coal and Coke Company, at Wehr, Ind. Mr. and Mrs. Walker have had six children, as follows: John Doherty, who was born October 7, 1883, and is superintendent for E. J. Walker & Co., large coal operators; Benjamin F., who was born March 13, 1885, died aged eight years;
Urania, who was born January 1, 1887, mar- ried T. B. Lobb and they have one daughter, Eleanor; Wallace, who was born October 3, 1888, died a babe of two months; Willard, who was born September 15, 1890, is pursu- ing an electrical engineering course at the Car- negie Technical School at Pittsburg and evi- dently possesses unusual mechanical skill; and Maud, who was born June 17, 1893, and is a student in the Brisbin High School. The fam- ily belongs to the Baptist church. John D. Walker is a member of the Patriotic Order Sons of America.
ISAAC STRAW, proprietor of a large general mercantile business at Westover, where he is also largely interested in lum- ber, was born in Ferguson township, Clear- field county, Pa., Nov. 14, 1863. His par- ents were Enoch I. and Mary H. (Wil- liams) Straw, and he is a grandson of Joseph Straw, who came here as a pioneer settler from Center county. The grand- father, who married M. Thompson, was engaged in lumbering as his life occupa- tion.
Enoch I. Straw was born in Clearfield county and followed farming and lumber- ing all his life, dying in the year 1900. He was a member of the Baptist church. In politics he was a Democrat and at differ- ent times held local office, serving as col- lector and also on the school board. His wife Mary was the daughter of George Williams of Center county, her mother's maiden name being Wagoner. Of their family, in addition to our subject, there are now living the following children: Lydia, who resides with her brother Isaac; Laura Belle, who is the wife of John McKugan
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY
of Jordan township; and Hattie, wife of Or- lando Williams, residing on the old home don, l'a. farm.
Isaac Straw after completing his school attendance as a scholar, taught school for three terms from the age of 20 years, nine months of this time being spent in New Washington. In 1887 he came to West- over, becoming a partner in the firm of Michaels & Straw, general merchandise business. Later Mr. Straw bought out his partner and has conducted the business alone up to the present time. His is one of the largest supply stores in this part of the county and in its operation Mr. Straw has shown excellent business capacity. Mr. Straw is a charter member and is on the advisory board of the Order of Unity of Pittsburg, which was organized in 1906. He was also one of the organizers and di- rectors and for two years vice-president of the Farmers & Travelers National Bank of Clearfield, which was organized in 1907. Of the Reading Life Insurance Company of Reading, which was organized in 1909, Mr. Straw was one of the charter stockholders and directors. He is also interested in lum- bering to quite an extent and has large farming interests in this vicinity. He is member of the Grange at Harmony, Pa. A Democrat politically, he has served on the borough school board four terms, and is now auditor, serving his fourth term in this office. He takes an active part in pub- lic affairs and is in every way a useful and progresive citizen.
now a student at Juniata college, Hunting-
J. A. SLAUGHENHOUPT, a leading citizen of DuBois, Pa., formerly president of the DuBois Business Men's Asociation, is proprietor of a large grocery store at DuBois, of which place he has been a resi- dent since 1886. He was born on his fath- er's farm in Clarion County, Pa., Septem- ber 10, 1861, and is a son of Harrison and Catherine (Wiant) Slaughenhoupt.
Harrison Slaughenhoupt and wife were born in Clarion County and were members of old pioneer families that had come to that section from east of the Allegheny Mountains. Harrison Slaughenhoupt was engaged in farming and stock raising during his active years and then retired and he and wife reside in a comfortable home at Rimersburg, Pa. Five children were born to them, namely: James Milton, of Irwin, Pa .; Jacob Alvin, of DuBois; Hannah Mary, wife of W. T. Harley, of Sheffield. Pa .: William H., of Oakmont, Pa., and Lawson Merle.
Jacob Alvin Slaughenhoupt remained at home until he was seventeen years of age, in the meanwhile assisting his father and attending the district school situated some three miles from the homestead. When he started out for himself he first found em- ployment with neighboring farmers, after which he worked on the grading of the nar- row-gauge railroad then being constructed between Foxburg and Kane, Pa. Two years later he went to Brookville and there engaged in teaming and was married there
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