USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens > Part 72
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When Shaft No. I of the DuBois mines was sunk, Mr. Chick entered the employ of the company as sinker and later resumed mining and subsequently was made check weighman. From that position he was promoted to that of fire boss, then was made mine foreman, and in October, 1910, was appointed superinten- dent of the shaft, succeeding S. C. Crist. His long experience as a miner makes Mr. Chick a valuable official to the company and a popu- lar one with the miners as he has passed through every experience and thus thoroughly understands every condition.
Mr. Chick was married December 25, 1888,
to Miss Margaret Bogle, a daughter of Rob- ert and Harriet Bogle, and they have had ten children : William R., Harriet, Adeline, Grace, Margaret, Ruth, Joseph, Myrtle, Lil- lian and Amelia, all of whom survive except little Myrtle, who died when only six years old. Mr. and Mrs. Chick are members of the Episcopal church. He is identified fraternally with the Red Men and the Knights of Pythias, and belongs also to the Grange.
A. M. KIRK & SON, jewelers, with busi- ness location on the corner of Filbert and State streets, Curwensville, Pa., is a business name of much importance in this borough and for many years it has been one that is a syno- nym for business integrity. The founder of the business was the late A. M. Kirk, who later associated his son, Henry P. Kirk, with him and the present firm style was then adopted.
A. M. Kirk was born October 5, 1849, at Lumber City, Pa., and died at Curwensville, September 19, 1904. He was a son of Samuel and Alice (Moore) Kirk, the former of whom was an extensive lumberman at one time and with his father, A. M. Kirk, was in the same business for some years. In 1870 he married and continued to reside at Lumber City for two more years, living on a farm adjoining the town, and then came to Curwensville, where he learned the jeweler trade and opened his first store on the corner opposite to the present building, which he erected in 1882, having lost his first one by fire. He became one of the representative citizens of Curwensville, taking his part in public matters as became a good citizen, investing in property and furthering laudable enterprises of different kinds. He was one of the charter directors of the Citi-
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zens' National Bank of Curwensville. In his political views he was a Republican and occa- sionally he consented to serve in such offices as school director, from a sense of duty. He was a birthright member of the Society of Friends, but attended the Presbyterian church with his family and served as a trustee of the same. Fraternally he was identified with the Odd Fellows and the Masons, having attained the thirty-second degree in the latter organiza- tion and his funeral, at Oak Hill cemetery, was under the direction of the local Masonic lodge.
On March 31, 1870, A. M. Kirk was mar- ried to Miss Rebecca Port, a daughter of Henry and Rebecca (Clover) Port, and six children were born to them, namely: Samuel B., who was born near Lumber City, is a graduate of Swarthmore College and is now in the drug business in Philadelphia, and mar- ried Cecelia Morgan of that city; Henry P., who was born near Lumber City, is a graduate of Horological Institute, Philadelphia, is now at the head of the firm of A. M. Kirk & Son, at Curwensville, and married Laura Haworth; Frank H., who was born at Curwensville, is a graduate of Swarthmore College and is in the drug business at Memphis, Tenn .; Alice, who is a graduate of the Women's College, at Frederick, Md .; M. D., who is a graduate of Lehigh University, resides at Ebensburg, be- ing a mining engineer; and Fred S., who is also a college graduate, is in business at Phil- adelphia, Pa.
W. A. DENLING* proprietor of a grocery store at Woodland, Pa., has been a resident of this borough for the past twenty-five years, and was born in Indiana county, Pa., a son of William and Nancy ( McClain) Denling. Both
parents were natives of Indiana county, Pa., and the father was a miller by trade.
W. A. Denling was nine years old when his parents died, and he spent his early boyhood days in Indiana county, where he attended the local schools. At the age of sixteen years he came to Woodland, Pa., and began working in the Clay mines near here. He worked contin- uously in these mines for twenty years and in 1905 established himself in the grocery busi- ness at Woodland. He carries a full line of groceries and has met with uninterrupted suc- cess.
Mr. Denling was married in 1882 to Blanche Peters of Woodland and they began housekeeping at Wallaceton, Pa. Her father, now deceased, was one of the prominent farm- ers of this section of the county. One child has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Denling-Ma- bel. They hold membership with the Breth- ren church of Woodland. Mr. Denling is a member of the I. O. O. F. No. 198, of Clear- field, and also in the order of Moose, of Clear- field.
HARVEY BLOOM, a leading citizen of Pike township, residing on his well improved farm of 140 acres, which is situated one mile east of Curwensville, was born in this town- ship, September 18, 1841, and is a son of James A. and a grandson of Isaac Bloom.
James A. Bloom was also born in Pike township, the Bloom family being one of the old and substantial ones of this part of Clear- field county. He settled on the farm now owned by his son, Harvey Bloom, following a short period on a rented farm north of Cur- wensville, and this remained his permanent home, his death occurring here at the age of eighty-eight years, four months and eight
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days. He was a member of the Baptist church. In politics he was identified with the Democratic party and he frequently served in township offices, having been constable, collec- tor and supervisor and also overseer of the poor. He married Mary Ann Hile, a daugh- ter of Henry Hile, Sr., and they had eleven children born to them, as follows: Naomi, Frampton, Harvey, Jane, Edward, Amos, Harriet, Mary, Daniel, Julia Ann and Lucy. The mother of the above family died at the age of seventy-six years and both she and the father were buried in the Bloomington ceme- tery. They were good people in every sense of the word and enjoyed the respect and es- teem of those who knew them.
Harvey Bloom attended school at Cur- wensville. He has devoted himself to agri- cultural pursuits and has always lived on the old homestead. He has been an active and in- terested citizen of his community and, like his late father, has frequently been chosen by his fellow citizens for public office in the town- ship and at present is serving as supervisor and as overseer of the poor.
Mr. Bloom was married to Miss Fannie Lei- sher, who is a daughter of Daniel Leisher, of Snyder county, Pa., and they have one son, G. Gordon, who assists his father. Mr. and Mrs. Bloom are members of the Baptist church at Curwensville. Formerly he was identified with the order of Knights of Pythias at the same place. He has always given his polit- ical support to the Democratic party.
PATCHIN. Among the old and repre- sentative families of Clearfield county is that of Patchin, one that has been prominently identified with many business interests partic- ularly along the lines of lumbering and mer-
chandising. The family has also been one that has been foremost in good citizenship and through marriage is closely connected also with other leading families of this part of Pennsylvania.
The first of the Patchin family of whom there is record, was John Patchin, who was born in 1789, at Sabbathı-Day Point, near Lake George, Warren county, N. Y., where he married Elizabeth Wright. He early en- gaged in lumbering and had a slide for logs on the side of Black Mountain above the lake. In 1835 he came to Clearfield county and set- tled among the pines along the Susquehanna river, purchasing 10,000 acres of timber land. He was a man of much enterprise and was one of the first to engage in logging and raft- ing lumber down the Susquehanna river to supply distant markets. In 1847 he brought his family to Clearfield county and they lived at first at Curwensville but later established a settlement in the county which was named Patchinsville, in his honor, and there he started the first mercantile supply store in this section of the country. In 1848 he admitted his sons to partnership in his large lumbering enter- prises and the business was conducted under the firm name of John Patchin & Sons. This pioneer of the family died December 21, 1863, at the age of seventy-four years. His widow survived until 1860. They left seven children.
Aaron Patchin, son of John and Elizabeth (Wright) Patchin, was born August 15, 1822, at Hague, Warren county, N. Y. He early engaged in the lumber business on Lake George, N. Y., and in 1847 he followed his father to Clearfield county and became asso- ciated with the latter and with his brothers in lumbering on the Upper Susquehanna river, working under the firm name of John Patchin
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& Sons. When John Patchin died, Aaron, who first married Theresa Jordan, and sec- who had been his father's chief advisor, inher- ond, Mary Kodar; Samuel S., who married Jane Witherow; Mary, deceased, who was the wife of George High; and Abigail, who mar- ried Daniel P. Bloom. After marriage, Mr. Bloom resided for a short time in Pike town- ship and then moved to Morris township but returned to Pike township, later removing to Lawrence and then to Knox township, in which section he died at the age of fifty-one years. His widow survived to be seventy-six years of age. They were members of the Fruit Hill Presbyterian Church and were in- terred in the cemetery belonging to it. Abra- ham H. Bloom was a lifelong Democrat but he never accepted any political position. · ited the greater part of John Patchin's real es- tate, but later settled all claims with his brother and sisters and this estate now covers over 8,000 acres of land. Aaron Patchin also be- came the owner of a general store at Patch- insville, which was founded by and named for his father, at which time it was a supply sta- tion for this entire community. Aaron Patchin was, like his father, a man of great industry and enterprise. In 1887 he acquired large in- terests at Camden, N. J., and established there a saw-mill and also went into the manufac- turing of spars, masts, etc., for sailing ships, on an extensive scale. On June 26, 1862, Aa- ron Patchin was married to Elizabeth Barrett, a daughter of George Barrett, of In- diana county, Pa.
CONRAD BLOOM, a highly respected citizen and substantial farmer of Pike town- ship, owns 100 acres of excellent land situated six miles south of Curwensville, all but twenty of which is under cultivation, that be- ing in valuable timber. He was born in Pike township, December 1, 1839, and is a son of Abraham H. and Anna Eliza (Kyler) Bloom.
Abraham H. Bloom was born also in Pike township, in 1813, and was a son of John Bloom, this family being one of the old and prominent ones of this section. Abraham H. Bloom married Anna Eliza Kyler, who was born in Morris township, a daughter of Con- rad Kyler, of Greencastle, Lancaster county, Pa., and they had nine children, namely: Ra- chel, who is deceased, was the wife of Samuel Snyder; Conrad; Isaac, who is deceased; Katherine, who is the widow of William With- row; Alexander, who is deceased; Martin,
Conrad Bloom attended school in Pike and Lawrence townships. When he was old enough he engaged in lumbering, during the winter seasons, devoting his summers to farm- ing, and continued until he was married, after- ward residing upon a farm of 100 acres in Knox township for some years, then sold it and came to his present farm in Pike town- ship, purchasing it from William R. Curry. He made improvements on the buildings and has everything very comfortable in his sur- roundings. Mr. Bloom has been a very suc- cessful farmer but the larger burden of re- sponsibility now rests on the shoulders of his son, Allen H. Bloom, who is a member of the Pike Township School Board.
On March 1, 1866, Mr. Bloom was married to Miss Mary Jane Hoover, who was born in Pike township, a daughter of Abraham Hoo- ver. Mrs. Bloom died December 9, 1893, and her burial was in the Fruit Hill cemetery. One son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Bloom, Allen H., who married Mary C. Tobias, a daughter of Samuel Tobias, and they have
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five children: Ruth, who teaches at the Oak- land school house; Edwin, who is a teacher at Olanta; and Zoe, Oma and Floyd. In politics Mr. Bloom is a Democrat. He served as a school director in Knox township and as road supervisor in Pike township. He is an elder in the Fruit Hill Presbyterian church.
DAVID TYLER, deceased, for years was one of the leading men of Huston Township, Clearfield County, being identified with its im- portant interests, many of which he founded and encouraged through his progressiveness and public spirit. The prosperous town of Tyler, named in his honor, stands on a part of his 600- acre farm. He was born in Oneida County, N. Y., March 19, 1809, and was a son of Mar- tin and Elizabeth ( Alfoot) Tyler. The parents were natives of Connecticut and came to Penn- sylvania and settled in Bradford County.
David Tyler was one of a family of ten chil- dren and his boyhood was spent in Oneida County, where he later taught school, and he continued to teach after coming to Lycoming County, Pa. At the time of the building of the West Branch Canal, he went to Northumber- land County and worked on its construction for a time. After his marriage, in 1830 he en- gaged in the lumber business with Dr. Reed at Trout Run, in Lycoming County and became a man of public importance there. He was first appointed to the office of justice of the peace by Governor Shultz; second by Governor Rit- ner, and was elected to his third term. In 1848 he moved to Clearfield County and came to Huston Township, which was then so much of a wilderness that the road had to be cleared in order that his wagons could penetrate the for- est, and deer and other wild animals were nu-
merous. The first home was only a log shanty but a substantial frame house soon took its place and later, after he had burned the bricks on his farm, Mr. Tyler built the present 16- room brick mansion that continues to be the family homestead.
When Mr. Tyler came first to Huston Town- ship it was in the interest of John DuBois. the great lumberman of this district, and he was connected with him until he began operating timber tracts for himself. It was while he was yet with Mr. DuBois that he took the first load of coal from this section down the creek, in a flat-boat, in order to have it tested. Mr. Tyler was a far-seeing, sensible man and his ideas along all lines were far in advance of his fellow citizens. It was he who first saw the wisdom of introducing farm machinery and owned the first threshing machine and other farm imple- ments that before his time had been entirely unknown to even the best informed farmers of the county. He also was the first purchaser of a sewing machine. He and Mahlon Fisher in- vented the first log slide. His house was the place of hospitable entertainment for all stran- gers, there being no inn of any kind in this section at the time, and his kindness, cordiality and good feeling entitled him to the high re- gard in which he was universally held. He organized the first general store in Huston Township, hauling his goods from Tyrone, Pa. He was the first postmaster at Tyler and re- mained in office for many years and was suc- ceeded by his daughter, Miss Phebe Tyler, who held the office for thirteen years. He was a generous supporter of schools and churches and not only brought the first M. E. minister to this section but supported him until the church membership provided a fund. In partnership
DAVID TYLER
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with Dr. Hills of Clearfield, he operated the stage coach, carrying the mails between Clear- field and Ridgway, in Elk County. He was one of the earliest members of the order of Odd Fellows in this section and until his death was active in that organization. His long, use- ful and every way worthy life closed in Novem- ber, 1882.
On January 30, 1830, Mr. Tyler was mar- ried to Miss Isabella Mahaffey, who was born in Lycoming County, Pa. An interesting inci- dent in connection with this marriage was that the bride insisted that she be married in her native county, although the appropriate room, the parlor of the house, stood just across the line in Northumberland County. There was nothing left to do except to have the ceremony performed in the kitchen, which stood in Ly- coming county. She was a granddaughter of John Clendenen, who served as one of General Washington's bodyguards, during the Revo- lutionary War, and was a witness of the exe- cution of Major Andre, as a spy. She lived into extreme old age, passing away in 1902 at the age of ninety-two years. Ten children were born to David Tyler and his wife, namely : Mary, who resides at Lock Haven, Pa., is the widow of Robert C. Packer, a cousin of former Governor Asa T. Packer, of Pennsylvania ; John C. and Roxanna, both of whom are de- ceased; Margaret, now deceased, who was the wife of William Schryver; Martin V. and Mar- tha, twins, the former of wliom lives in Huston Township, the latter dying young; James A. and Phebe, who, with Martin V., occupy the old homestead ; Emma, now deceased, who was the wife of Charles Coryell, also deceased; and David, who is also deceased. The children were all born at Trout Run, Lycoming County. They were reared in the Presbyterian church.
DAVID T. DUNLAP, one of the repre- sentative citizens of Brady township and one of the substantial men of Clearfield county, re- sides on his well improved farm of seventy-five acres in Brady township and owns a second farm containing fifty-five acres, situated in Sandy township. He was born in a log house then standing on his home farm, in Brady township, May 30, 1843, and is a son of Alex- ander and Nancy (Hadden) Dunlap, and a grandson of William Dunlap.
William Dunlap was born in Ireland. When he came to Clearfield county from the eastern coast, he drove his horse and wagon all the way, there being no railroads at that time, and settled in the midst of the woods in what is now Penn township. At that time Harris- burg, the capital, was the nearest trading place. William Dunlap was not only an in- dustrious man but he was exceedingly enter- prising. He built what was probably the first saw mill on Little Clearfield Creek, and after clearing up his first tract of land made addi- tions to it and became possessed of 400 acres. At the time of his saw-milling industry dressed lumber was not in such demand as were shingles, logs being available all through this section for building purposes, and his saw- mill output was mainly shingles which, at that time, were largely made by hand. He mar- ried Sarah Reed and they reared a family of ten children, all of whom grew up on the pio- neer farm.
Alexander Dunlap was the second son in the above family and he was born September 4, 1807, after his parents had come to Clear- field county. He engaged in farming and also in shingle making. In 1840 he moved to the farm on which his son, David T., resides, and completed its clearing and resided here
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David T. Dunlap has always lived on his own farm while engaged in agricultural pur- suits but spent many winters in the lumber camps and some fourteen years in milling, two of these in Maryland, where some DuBois cap- italists were interested, and the rest of the time at Brockwayville, Pa. He remained at home with his parents until they died. In 1868 he had bought the home farm from his father and for some years has given all his attention to its improvement and development. The land is all under cultivation with the ex- ception of twelve acres and there is a valuable six-foot vein of coal which has not been mined. The buildings on the place were put up by his father but he has remodeled them and added features which make them more attractive and comfortable.
In 1870 Mr. Dunlap was married to Miss Sarah Pence, who was born on the old Pence farm in Brady township, and died in March, 1909. Ten children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Dunlap, as follows: Clarence, who lives on the Sandy township farm, married Ella Harman and they have seven children ; Cora, who married Sherman Starr, of Jeffer- son county. Pa., and they have seven chil- dren : Jacob, who is deceased; Rose, who is the wife of William Pierson, and they have two
until his death, which occurred in 1895. He children : Pearl, who is the wife of Jesse Barr, married Nancy Hadden, who was born in Jef- of Potter county, Pa .; Thomas, who married ferson county, Pa., and died in 1897, an aged Eva Askey, who was born in Sandy, and they live at Beech Creek, Pa., and have two chil- dren; Lula, who married James Luther, who assists Mr. Dunlap on the farm, and they have three children-Helen, Russell and Jesse ; Charles, who is a farmer in Sandy township, married Ruth Carlbaugh, and they have one child; Plumb, who resides with his father; and Firman, who died young. woman. To Alexander and Nancy Dunlap ten children were born, as follows: William, who is deceased; Sarah, who is the wife of Isaac Zartman; Mary J., who is deceased; Archi- bald H .; David Thomas; Isaac Ross, who is deceased; James N .; John R., who is de- ceased ; Martha E., who is the widow of Da- vid Snyder; and an infant, deceased.
In politics Mr. Dunlap is a Democrat and he is serving in his third term as a member of the school board. He belongs to the Grange and to the Owl Club at DuBois, and is identi- fied also with the Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the order of the Moose.
THOMAS HUMPHREYS, whose valua- ble farm of 138 acres is situated in Pike township, two miles southwest of Curwens- ville, is one of the substantial and useful men of this part of the county. He was born in Pike township, July 12, 1840, and is a son of Richard S. and Mary Ann (Wright) Hum- phreys.
Richard S. Humphreys was born in Hunt- ingdon county, Pa., where he attended school in his early years and then learned the milling business, residing for some years after his marriage at Moose Creek. He then moved to Curwensville, where he operated a mill for one year, after which he ran a mill at Clearfield for a year. Mr. Humphreys then returned to the Curwensville mill and for several years alternated between his farm which adjoined the one now owned by his son, Thomas Hum- phreys, and Curwensville, finally settling per- manently on the farm and there his death oc- curred March 18, 1891. at the age of eighty-
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nine years, his birth having taken place on From the Bull Run battle he accompanied his April 2, 1812. From the time of its organiza- regiment to Frederick City, Md., after which followed South Mountain and Antietam. In the latter battle he was wounded in the jaw and also in the neck but it may be noticed that he was never wounded in the back. After his discharge he returned to Pike township and here has been engaged in agricultural pur- suits ever since. With the exception of forty acres still in valuable timber, Mr. Humphreys has all his land under a fine state of cultivation. tion he was a member of the Republican party. He married Mary Ann Wright, who was born in Huntingdon county, Pa., a daughter of John Wright, and died December 24, 1888. Her burial was at Oak Hill cemetery and three years later her husband was laid by her side. They were members of the Baptist church. Ten children were born to them, as follows: William, who died in infancy; Lou- isa, who is the wife of Daniel Fost; Thomas; Mary Ellen, who died in infancy ; Annie M., who lives on the old homestead; Judson M., who resides at Reynoldsville, Pa .; John W., who lives on the old homestead; Edward, who died when two years old; Emma, who lives with her sister and brother on the old home- stead; and Ella, who is deceased.
Thomas Humphreys obtained his education in the common schools and the academy at Curwensville, after which he assisted his father on the farm and also worked at lum- bering. When Civil war was precipitated he, with other loyal young men of his neighbor- hood, soon gave proof of their patriotism by offering their services to their country. He enlisted in Co. K, in the famous regiment known as the Bucktail Rifles, and continued in the army until his honorable discharge on December 29, 1862. Mr. Humphreys was a brave and efficient soldier but this did not pre- vent his suffering from many of the dangers of war. He participated in many skirmishes and in such terrible battles as the second Bull Run, South Mountain and Antietam. He was made a prisoner on one occasion, after having been in a swamp for four days with nothing to eat, and was sent to Belle Isle, where he fared little better but was finally exchanged.
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