USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens > Part 61
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To George Perry Greene Mattern and his wife the following children were born: John Asbury, who is a minister in the Methodist Episcopal church, is located at Martinsburg, in Blair County; George Washington, who resides at Osceola ; Mary Elizabeth, who is the wife of Jacob Miller, of Decatur Township; Lidie J. who resides with her parents, has been a school teacher for fifteen years; Charles Oliver; and Wil- liam Luman, who died at the age of four- teen years. The mother of the above fam-
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ily is a member of the Methodist Episcopal ing on the township school board. He is church. For some twenty years George numbered with Decatur township's repre- sentative men. P. G. Mattern was a justice of the peace as well as school director and during a long period was secretary of the school board. The family is a long-lived one and both Mr. Mattern and wife retain their physical vigor and mental faculties to a remarkable degree.
Charles Oliver Mattern obtained his edu- cation in the local schools and Stone Valley Academy, in Huntingdon County. He then interested himself in farming and dairying and was in the dairy business for three years at Osceola. In March, 1901, he bought the Walter B. Morgan farm in De- catur Township, a valuable property which he has improved by remodelling the build- ings and making changes that have trans- formed it into a model dairy farm. He is a man of practical knowledge along the line of his business and is deeply interested in everything that contributes to the advance- ment of agricultural conditions. He is a charter member of Moshannon Grange, Patrons of Husbandry, at Philipsburg, and the Odd Fellow Lodge at Osceola Mills.
Mr. Mattern was married February 14. 1895, to Miss Luella Shipton, who was born at £ McAlevy's Fort, Huntingdon county, Pa., and is a daughter of J. Bilger and Clara (Harman) Shipton. After the death of Mrs. Shipton, Mr. Shipton moved to Philipsburg, where he still resides. Mr. and Mrs. Mattern have four children : Clara Lucinda, James Lawrence, Angeline Marks and William Luman. They are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics Mr. Mattern is identified with the Republican party and at present he is sery-
WILLIAM HARRY THOMSON, min- ing superintendent and manager of a general supply store at Lee Hollow Mines, was born in Greenwood township, Clearfield county, Pa., July 1, 1872. His father was William Thom- son, and his mother in maidenhood Eliza Cary Williams, a daughter of David Williams. The Thomson family was established in this coun- try by John Thomson, who came from Scot- land, at an early day, settling in Clearfield county, Pa. This immigrant ancestor was ac- companied by his family, or at least, by his son John, the grandfather of our subject, who mar- ried a Miss Lord.
William Thomson was born on the old Thomson homestead near Ansonville, this county. When nineteen years old he enlisted for service in the Civil War, in the 9th Penn. Cavalry, his term being for three years. After the war he bought a tract of timber land at Cherry Corner and engaged in lumbering. His business career was however, short, for he was cut off at the early age of thirty years, in 1872. He was a member of the Baptist church, and was a Mason, belonging to the lodge at New Washington, Pa., of which he was a charter member. He was not active in politics. His wife, Eliza, survived him and is now living at Bower, in Greenwood township, at the age of 69 years. After Mr. Thomson's death she married for her second husband John W. Bell, a farmer and lumberman of Green- wood township, who is now deceased. Of the first marriage there is now living, in addition to the subject of this sketch, a daughter, Mar- tha Margaret, who is the wife of Dr E. S.
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Corson, of Bridgton, N. J. One child was born of the second marriage, Ai T. Bell, who is engaged in farming at Bower.
William Harry Thomson attended school until reaching the age of 17 years. His time was then occupied in farming or in working in the woods or in the saw-mill until he was 20 and he also taught school for two terms. He then entered the normal school at Lock Haven, Pa., and after a two years' course was gradu- ated therefrom in 1894. Accepting the posi- tion of assistant school principal at Cambria, Pa., he remained there for one year, and sub- sequently entered the State college, from which he was graduated in 1899. In the following year he accepted a position with the Sterling Coal Company of Cambria county and re- · mained with them two years as assistant super- intendent. He then came to La Jose, in the spring of 1903, becoming engineer for the Clearfield & Cambria Coal & Coke Company, and was later promoted to the position of su- perintendent of mines. He is also general manager of the New Washington Supply Com- pany, and in both positions has proved his ca- pacity as a good practical business man. He is a member of the Baptist church at Anson- ville, Pa. A Republican in politics, he has served on the school board of the borough. He belongs to the Masonic lodge at Clearfield.
Mr. Thomson was married, October 22, 1903, to Emma Delilah Stephenson, whose father, James Stephenson, now deceased, came to America from Ireland when a boy, settling in Bell township. He married Eliza- beth Bell, who is also now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Thomson have been the parents of two children : Helen Elizabeth, born May 27, 1906; and Glenn Elton, born Dec. 30, 1909.
GEORGE S. COPELIN, who is agent for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company at Mc- Cartney, Pa., has lived at this place for the past seventeen years, has invested in property and is one of the settled and representative citizens. He was born November 19, 1864, in Clearfield county, and is a son of David F. and Eliza Jane (Spanogle) Copelin.
David F. Copelin was born in Mifflin county, Pa., and was a veteran of both the Mexican and Civil wars. In the latter he was a member of Co. K. Hroth Pa. Vol. Inf. He followed lumbering during his active years. He married Eliza Jane Spanogle, who was born in Center county, and they had the fol- lowing children born to them: Duke, Perry, Electa, Charles, Miriam, George S., Fannie and Willis.
George S. Copelin obtained his education in the public schools and the State College, spend- ing two terms in that institution. He then learned telegraphing with the New York Cen- tral Railroad and has been telegraph agent continuously ever since, in the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and stands high in the esteem of its officials with whom he is brought into contact.
Mr. Copelin was married in November, 1896, to Miss Sarah Straw, a daughter of Henry and Emeline Straw, of Clearfield county. Mrs. Copelin's father was a lumber- man. She is one of the following family : Merritt, Elmer, David, Bruce, Camelia, Sa- rah, Alta, Margaret, Theresa, and Ruth. The last named is the wife of Robert Barnett. Ca- melia is the wife of County Treasurer Wil- liam Boyce. Mr. and Mrs. Copelin have had three children: David, Harold and Maude. Little David died when but three years old.
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They attend the Presbyterian church and own pal church at DuBois, Pa. In politics, Mr. a nice home at McCartney. Mr. Copelin be- longs to the Masons at Philipsburg.
W. H. LIDDLE, justice of the peace and prominent citizen of Goshen township, Clear- field county, Pa., was born April 11, 1856, in Brady (now Sandy) township, Clearfield county, and is a son of Andrew and Mary A. ( Fleming) Liddle, and a grandson of James and Elizabeth (Crawford) Liddle.
Andrew Liddle, father of Justice Liddle, was born in Ireland in 1820, but was early left an orphan and during boyhood experienced many vicissitudes. In March, 1848, he took pas- sage on a sailing vessel for America and landed at Philadelphia. He had worked as a farmer and gardener in his native land and secured employment along these lines with men who owned large estates near Wilmington, Del. As soon as he had acquired sufficient capital, he bought fifty acres of land for himself, a partially improved tract situated in Brady (now in Sandy) township, Clearfield county. Pa. In 1853 he was married to Mary A. Fleming, then a resident of Pittsburg, but a native of County Donegal, Ireland, and in her found a beloved companion and a cheerful and willing helpmate. With her assistance he greatly prospered and within ten years com- fortable buildings were erected on their farmi, which had been gradually increased as to acre- age, and the time came when hundreds of acres belonged to this worthy couple, all earned through industry and frugality. To them the following children were born: Fan- nie J., James A., William H., John T., John T. (2d), Fannie A., Eliza Jane, Mary E., An- drew J., Edwin M., and Samuel C. Andrew Liddle and wife were members of the Episco-
Liddle was a Democrat and he was one of the first men in his township to be elected to the office of school director.
William H. Liddle attended the public schools in Brady township and afterward en- gaged in teaching school and for fourteen years followed this occupation in which line of endeavor he met with success. In 1882 he took a commercial course in a business college, at Lebanon, O., and after his graduation re- turned to Clearfield county. On March 7, 1883, he married Miss Josephine Marsh, who died February 6, 1888; three children were born to this union: Celia and Josephine, now living, and John, who died at the age of 10 years. Her parents were Zacheus and Mary Marsh, natives of Dutchess county, New York. . On September 29, 1891, Mr. Liddle was mar- ried to Miss Gertrude M. Read, a daughter of John F. Read, of Lawrence township, Clear- field county, Pa. ; four children have been born to this union: Samuel C. and James I., living; and Paul and Evelyn, who died in in- fancy. In 1894 Mr. Liddle entered the busi- ness of general merchandise at Spangler, Cam- bria county, Pa., and continued in the business for three years when he sold out. In 1897 Mr. Liddle purchased his valuable farm of 165 acres, which lies in Goshen township, six miles northeast of Clearfield, and additionally owns forty-six acres of land in Sandy township, which was left him by his late father. In pol- itics he is a Democrat and on the ticket of that party has frequently been elected to township offices, and has served as school director and road superintendent and for many years has been a justice of the peace and probably one of the most active officials in this relation, in the township. He is interested in everything that
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particularly concerns this section, belongs to were respected and appreciated. They were the Farmers' Alliance and Industrial Union, being one of the State officers; one of the leading insurance companies of the county, and almost since its organization has given support to the Grange, or Patrons of Hus- bandry.
DAVID McINTOSH, who for forty years has been in the employ of the DuBois Lumber Company, at DuBois, Pa., and enjoys the dis- tinction of being the oldest man in point of service, on the company's payroll, is a well known and highly respected resident of this borough. He was born on his father's farm in Nova Scotia, August 10, 1843, and is a son of John and Elizabeth (Kennedy) McIntosh.
John McIntosh was born in Scotland, the second of a large family of children born to William and Catherine ( Murdock) McIntosh. He was eleven years old when he accompanied his parents from Scotland to Nova Scotia. In his native land, William McIntosh had been a road builder. He acquired large tracts of virgin land in Nova Scotia and became a man of independent means and owned enough land to enable him to leave each of his children a farm. Both he and wife lived into advanced age, her death occurring when she was eighty years old and his, in 1878, when he was over ninety years. John McIntosh gave his father assistance in youth and later became a pros- perous farmer and lumberman and accumu- lated a modest fortune in selling lumber for ship building. He married Elizabeth Ken- nedy, who was born in Scotland and had ac- companied her parents to Canada in childhood. They both lived to be about eighty years of age, spending it in peace and good will to each other and to the community in which they
the parents of eleven children, namely: Wil- liam; Agnes, who is the widow of George Brymer; David; James; Mary, deceased, who was the wife of Isaac McClain; John; Peter and Eliza, both of whom are deceased; Jessie, who follows the profession of a trained nurse, residing at Boston, Mass .; and Robert and Clarence.
David McIntosh grew to manhood in his native land. He attended school during the winter seasons, from early boyhood until he reached maturity, his summers being spent in helping his father and working in the woods at lumbering. Mr. McIntosh was twenty-six years of age when he decided to come to America and as he had so much knowledge of lumbering he naturally sought to establish himself in a lumber region, and thus came to DuBois, Pa. Here he entered the employ of John DuBois, on April 5, 1870, and thus be- came identified with the concern with which he has been continuously connected ever since. His first work was teaming, later he was sent by Mr. DuBois to Anderson Creek, where he remained two years working in the saw-mill. In 1874 he came back to DuBois and was placed in charge of the woods department of the business. Mr. McIntosh has been a wit- ness of the development of DuBois from the forest into its present borough conditions. Forty years ago its site was all woods and one of the first duties to which he was assigned was the cutting down of trees along the newly built railroad to keep them from falling and obstructing the tracks. Many acres of now highly cultivated land in the vicinity of Du- Bois, was cleared by Mr. McIntosh, in those early days. His business interests have, as mentioned above, always been with the same
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firm and in the course of years he has accumu- lated valuable real estate, mainly situated in the Third ward, DuBois. His comfortable residence is situated at No. 106 Second ave- nue.
Mr. McIntosh was married in October, 1875, to Miss Rosa M. McGee, a daughter of William McGee, who was an old settler of Beech Woods. They have four children, namely: Elizabeth, who is the wife of W. C. Cooper, of Brewster, O .; Robert, a resident of DuBois, who married Rosa Johnston, and they have four children-Helen, Alice, David and Warren; Warren, who is in business at DuBois, married Blanche Thompson; and John, who resides at home. Mr. McIntosh, with a true Scotchman's respect for learning, gave his children every educational advantage in his power, their opportunities being far bet- ter than his own were, in the little log school- house in far off Nova Scotia. Mr. McIntosh and family are members of the Presbyterian church. He has been an active citizen in the building up and governing of DuBois and for three years was a valuable and judicious mem- ber of the borough council. In his political views he is a Republican.
WILLIAM A. GOULD, proprietor of a general store at Brisbin, Pa., in partnership with his brother, Thomas V. Gould, has been in the mercantile business at this point for the past twenty-two years, under the firm name of WV. A. Gould & Bro., which firm also operates coal mines. Mr. Gould came here in 1877, but his native land is Wales, where he was born July 29, 1859. His parents were George and Sarah (Davis) Gould.
Pa., where he became a mine superintendent and worked in the same capacity after moving to Huntingdon county, where he remained un- til 1873, when he came to Clearfield county. He took charge of the old Moshannon mine in Decatur township. At the time of his death, in November, 1900, he was living at Brisbin. His widow still survives and resides at Bris- bin, being in her seventy-eighth year. To George Gould and his wife eight children were born, five living at present, three dead, namely : Mary E., who is the widow of William Rosa- vear. of Parks City, Utah ; and John. William A .. Thomas V. and George, all residing at Brisbin.
William A. Gould was about fourteen years of age when the family came to Brisbin. Dur- ing 1875-6 he was a student in the State Col- lege, near Bellefonte. After he returned home he followed mine work for a short time and then became a clerk in a store at Brisbin and later at Houtzdale, and then entered the employ of the firm of Liveright & Co., with which he continued for seven years. Mr. Gould then started into business for himself in partnership with L. A. Flenner, under the style of Gould & Flenner. Some five years later Mr. Gould bought his partner's interest and conducted the business alone for some time and then admitted his brother, Thomas V., to partnership, about 1900. This firm op- erates mines at Brisbin, also in Knox town- ship, and also in Cambria county. Mr. Gould is a stockholder and a member of the board of directors of the First National Bank of Osce- ola. He is widely known all through this sec- tion and has the deserved reputation of being an upright business man and a useful citizen.
George Gould brought his family to Amer- In 1896 Mr. Gould was married to Miss ica in 1864 and located in Bradford county, Martha E. Greist, who was born in Adams
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county and was young when she came to Clearfield county with her parents, Nathan and Lucy Greist, who settled at Osceola Mills. Mr. and Mrs. Gould have one daughter, Sara, who is in school. Mr. Gould has been secre- tary of the school board at Brisbin for nine years, having been elected to this office on the Republican ticket. He is a member of the or- der of Odd Fellows at Brisbin and is promi- nent in Masonry, belonging to the Blue Lodge at Osceola; the Chapter at Clearfield; the Commandery at Philipsburg; the Consistory at Williamsport and Jaffa Temple, Mystic Shrine, at Altoona.
WILLIAM HENRY STRICKLAND, burgess of the borough of Burnside and a prominent citizen of this part of Clearfield county, was born in York county, Pa., Novem- ber 16, 1842, son of Jacob and Mary Jane (Ault) Strickland. The father, who also was a native of York county, first came to this sec- tion with his son, our subject, in 1859, walk- ing from Milesburg to Frenchville, Clearfield county. After operating a saw mill for about a year he gave that up to take charge of Judge Lamb's water mill at Deer Creek, which he conducted for two years. He subsequently resided at Shawsville for two years, finally re- moved to Clearfield bridge, later moving to Clearfield, following the trade of shoemaker at that place, until his death, which took place in 1896, when he was 76 years old. In poli- tics he was a stanch Republican, and very ac- tive for his party. He married Mary Jane Ault, who died in 1910 at the age of 93 years. She was the daughter of Joseph and Sarah Ault, natives of Lancaster county. Jacob Strickland and wife had a large family, and their children now living are as follows:
George, who is foreman for a manufacturing concern at Curwensville; Jacob, Jr., who is engaged in farming in Maryland; Mary (twin sister of Jacob), who is the wife of Alexander Flegel, of Ashtola, Pa .; Joseplı, a hotel pro- prietor in this county; Emma Jane, who is the widow of Albert Walters, and William Henry, the subject of this sketch.
William Henry Strickland, who was the second child of his parents, after completing his school studies, was employed in the saw mill industry with his father, until reaching the age of 18 years. In February, 1864. he enlisted for service in the Civil war and re- mained in the army until the close of the great struggle. He was in seventeen different en- gagements, or rather pitched battles, in Gen- eral Warren's command, and was slightly wounded at the battle of the Wilderness. On August 19, 1864, he was captured by the en- emy near the Petersburg & Weldon Railway and sent to Belle Isle prison, where he re- mained 43 days. He was then transferred to Salisburg, N. C., where he was kept until his release on March 28, 1865, being then in very bad physical condition from his confinement, insufficiency of food and the general treatment he had received as a prisoner. After passing through Atlanta and Augusta, he was sent to Washington, and further was stationed for a short time at Fortress Monroe, being finally mustered out at Harrisburg, Pa., June 23. 1865
On his return from the war Mr. Strickland re-engaged in the saw mill business in Clear- field county, remaining two years, and then spending three years in the same business at Forest, Pa. He was subsequently engaged in lumbering for nine years at Morgan Run, re- moving later to Lodgeville, Pa., where he re-
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sided ten years. From there he went to Sid- ney, Indiana county, where he remained five years. He then came to Clearfield county again and engaged in farming, in which occu- pation he continued seven years, or until 1894. In that year he entered into the hotel business in Arcadia, Indiana county, but after a two years' experience in this line, took up his resi- dence in Burnside, where he now lives retired from active industrial life. A Republican po- litically and an active worker for his party, he was elected burgess of Burnside in 1908, although the honor was unsolicited and even undesired by him. He bowed to the will of his fellow citizens, however, and has made a ca- pable official. He has also served as a mem- ber of the school board.
Mr. Strickland was married to Mary Re- becca Carr, who was born in Duncansville, Blair county, Pa., January 18, 1844, a daugh- ter of Alexander and Mary Ann (Hoop) Carr. Mrs. Strickland's father, who was born in Ireland and came to America when a boy, settled in Cambria county, Pa. He subse- quently went out as a soldier in the war with Mexico and was killed in battle. Mr. and Mrs. Strickland have been the parents of ten chil- dren, of whom there are seven now living- four sons and three daughters.
LLOYD C. STEVENS, postmaster at McCartney, Pa., is manager of a general store at this point which is owned by his brother, Blair Stevens. Mr. Stevens was born May 2, 1856, and is a son of Henry and Susannah (Beck) Stevens, and a grandson of Vincent Stevens and Davis Beck.
Henry Stevens and wife were both na- tives of Huntingdon county, Pa. He was a
shoemaker by trade and later was also in- terested in farming. During the Civil War he organized and served as captain of Co. E, 45th Pa. Vol. Inf. He married Susan- nah Beck and both are now deceased, their burial being at Lutheran cemetery, Center Line, Center county. They had the follow- ing children : John, who is deceased ; Blair, who is a merchant at Kerrmoor; Martha, who is the wife of Charles Blake; Frank ; Lloyd C .; George ; Anna, who is the wife of Emory Stover; and Vincent, James, Abed- nego and Charles.
Lloyd C. Stevens attended the public schools and had two terms of academic training in an institution conducted by the Society of Friends before one term at the Warrior's Mark Academy, after which he taught school for five terms, four in Center county, and one in Blair county. In 1882 with his brother, Frank Stevens, he came to Clearfield, Pa., and they went into the farm implement business there and he re- mained in that place until 1892 when he came to McCartney where he is one of the leading citizens. He was appointed post- master during the period when Hon. John Wanamaker was postmaster-general.
Mr. Stevens married Miss Jennie E. Con- fer, of Tyrone, a daughter of David M. and Anna M. (Wisegarber) Confer, natives of Bedford county, Pa. Mr. Confer was a rail- road man and met with an accidental death while at the post of duty. Mrs. Stevens is the third born in a family of seven children, as follows: Anna, who is the widow of J. D. Lucas: Leonora; Jennie E., Mrs. Ste- vens : Ella, who is the wife of Garvey Donald- son ; Ida R., who is the wife of William Gin- gery : Samuel Harry Blair; and Margaret,
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who is the wife of William H. Huss. Mr. and Mrs. Stevens attend the Presbyterian church at McCartney, but he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church at An- sonville, and she of the United Brethren church at Tyrone. In politics Mr. Stevens is a Republican and formerly served as auditor of Jordan township and as treas- urer for one term, while at present he is a justice of the peace.
IRA F. TATE, a representative citizen and general farmer of Goshen township, Clearfield county, Pa., where he owns ninety-six acres of valuable land, was born in this township, May 23, 1868, and is a son of Matthew and Jane (Mead) Tate.
Matthew Tate was born on Clover Hill, near Clearfield, and he purchased a part of the farm now owned by his son Ira F., prior to his marriage and erected several of the buildings which now stand. He was a farmer all through his years of strength and activity, and continued to reside on this farm until his death, which occurred in his seventy-ninth year. He was a man of ster- ling character, a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, a just neighbor and a broad-minded citizen. For a number of years he was identified with the Goshen Grange. He married Jane Mead, who was born in Elk county, and who died at about seventy-six years of age. They had the fol- lowing children; Margaret, who is now de- ceased; Elizabeth, who is the wife of Wil- liam Lutz; Rachel, Allen, Emma, Mary, Samuel J. and Ada, all of whom are now de- ceased; Bertha, who is the wife of George Fulton ; and Edith and Ira F.
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