USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens > Part 77
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Mr. Wachob's remarkable success in all of his undertakings might give encourage- ment to other youths situated as he was. Starting out a mere boy he had to make his own way with very little help. That he has succeeded proves that he combined indus- try, honesty, courage and good judgment, all with a prudence that his desire to be- come a man of independence, made him save his money. He did not purchase his 100 acres of land all at once. His first tract was bought from Jonathan Shaffer. The old way of cultivating the land had been in sections and the entire farm, under such methods, produced no more than one acre
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does for Mr. Wachob, who makes use of entirely different methods. He has brought the land to a very high state of cultivation but it has required intelligent study, a great amount of well directed labor and the ex- penditure of considerable money at first. His buildings are suitable and attractive and he has erected two residences, one of which he occupies with his family. He was mainly instrumental in having the Farmers' Insti- tute held at DuBois, in March, 1911, and at this time, he and his estimable wife enter- tained the visiting farmers for two entire days on their farm where the guests were glad to have a chance to view Mr. Wach- ob's admirable plans and his growing crops and valuable herds. Without doubt a fa- vorable impression was made and farmers returned to their respective homes with an entirely new set of agricultural ideas. For years Mr. Wachob has been actively inter- ested in the Grange and, as indicated above, he is serving as the present master of Po- mona Grange at Luthersburg.
On Christmas Day, 1882, Mr. Wachob was married to Miss Laura Shaffer, who is a daughter of Jonathan Shaffer, one of the early settlers in Brady Township. Mr. and Mrs. Wachob have one son, Thomas B., who is associated with his father in the stock business. Thomas B. Wachob mar- ried Miss Hazel Doubles, a daughter of the late Con. Doubles, and they have a son, Lynn Ferman, who was born October 17, 1910. Mr. Wachob, wife and son are mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he is a steward and a trustee. He is a charter member of the order of Knights of Pythias, at Salem, Brady Township, where he attends the lodge. He is one of
the few Republicans living in Brady Town- ship and recalls many exciting but friendly contested township elections. He has never served in any office except as a mem- ber of the school board, in which he took a deep interest for some six years.
MRS. ELIZA C. BELL, who was born in Jordan Township, Clearfield County, Pa., February 27, 1842, resides on her valuable farm of ninety acres, which is situated in Greenwood Township. She is a daughter of David and Mary (Glenn) Williams, and the widow of the late John WV. Bell.
David and Mary Williams, parents of Mrs. Bell, were born and reared in Center County and after their marriage lived there until after the birth of three children. They then moved to Jordan Township, near An- sonville, Clearfield County, where David Williams acquired a farm of more than 200 acres. His death occurred there when he was but forty-two years of age. His widow survived to be eighty years old. Their burial was in the old Zion Cemetery in Jor- dan Township. They were consistent mem- bers of the Baptist church and were good and worthy people in every relation of life. They had six children, namely: Martha, Austin C., James G., William G., Eliza C., and John.
Eliza C. Williams attended the country school and grew to womanhood under the care of a loving and judicious mother. She was married in 1868, to William Thompson, who was born in Jordan Township, in 1842, a son of John Thompson, and died Sep- tember 31, 1872, at the age of thirty years. After marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Thompson lived in Greenwood Township, where he
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was engaged as a timber marker. During the Civil War he served as a soldier in Co. M, in a cavalry regiment and for three years was exposed to all the dangers of a sol- dier's life, but was never either wounded or captured. He was a man of excellent stand- ing in his community, an active member of the Republican party and belonged to the local Masonic lodge. Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Thompson: Martha M. and William Harry. The former is the wife of the famous missionary, Dr. Corson, of Bridgeton, N. J., with whom she spent six years in mission work in India. They have one child, Ethera Glenn. William Ilarry Thompson lives with his family at LaJose, Pa. He married Emma Stevenson, a daughter of James Stevenson, and they have two children, Helen Elizabeth and Glenn Elton.
After the death of her husband, Mrs. Thompson returned to her old home in Jor- dan Township, where she was married a second time, December 28, 1876, to John WV. Bell. To this marriage was born, Febru- ary, 1878, one child, Ai T., who resides at home. John W. Bell was born in Green- wood Township, Clearfield County, Pa., July 12, 1838, a son of Arthur and Katherine (Ilazlett) Bell. He was well educated, having attended the Normal School at In- diana, Pa. He became a man of wealth, making a fortune in lumber and acquired 700 acres of land in Greenwood Township. He cleared 150 acres of this land and sold much of the timber. He was a member of the Baptist church and one of its most lib- eral supporters. In everything pertaining to the advancement and development of Greenwood Township he was progressive
and public spirited. In his early manhood he was a Republican in his political views but later became a supporter of the Pro- hibitionist party. He was a charter mem- ber of Greenwood Grange and belonged to both the Masons and Odd Fellows. When his death occurred, February 7, 1904, Green- wood Township lost one of its most worthy men.
John W. Bell was married first in 1862, to Elizabeth Cook, a daughter of Alexander Cook, and they had five children, namely : Ida, who is now deceased; Cora E., who is the wife of Frank Cooper, and lives at Cherry Tree, Pa. : Alice C., who is deceased ; Arthur A., who is a farmer in Greenwood Township; and Saner C., who resides in New York.
Mrs. Bell is widely known and is very highly esteemed. She is a very active mem- ber of the Baptist church at Bells Landing and a liberal contributor to its many benev- olent enterprises. She is one of the stock- holders in the Mahaffey National Bank at Mahaffey, Pa.
WILLIAM HELSEL, a highly respected retired citizen of Chest Township, where he engaged in a milling business for a num- ber of years, is also an honored veteran of the great Civil War. He was born Decem- ber 25, 1837, in Cambria County, Pa., and is a son of George and Catherine (Suse) Helsel.
George Helsel was born in Cambria County, Pa., and died there in 1867, having reached the great age of ninety-five years. He followed milling and never left the vi- cinity of his birthplace. He married Cath- erine Suse, who was the daughter of John
J. C. STRICKLAND
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Suse and her grandfather and Tobias Hel- sel, father of her husband, were also na- tives of Cambria County, among the oldest families. The mother of William Helsel' died in 1843. He has one surviving sister, Rachel, who is the wife of J. King, resid- ing in Bedford County, Pa.
William Helsel had but meager educa- tional opportunities when he was a boy and when his school days were over he engaged in farming and learned the milling trade. After his mother died he worked away from home until his marriage. In October, 1886, he took charge of the old Porter mill, at Center, Pa., which he operated for three years ; then conducted a mill at Coalport for one year; then was engaged in milling for four years at Janesville, Pa., and then returned to Cambria County, where he op- erated the Walters mill for some seven years following which he came to the Hurd grist mill in Chest Township, which he con- ducted until 1896, since when he has been retired from active work.
Mr. Helsel has a fine military record. On August 6, 1861, he enlisted for service in the Civil War, entering Co. A, 54th Pa. Vol. Inf., under Col. J. M. Campbell, in the Army of the Potomac and served three years and ten months, reenlisting May 15. 1864. He was a brave, cheerful and effi- cient soldier and was promoted to be cor- poral of his company, in 1863. He had many narrow escapes from death and cap- ture and was injured quite seriously at one time, from a gunshot wound.
In 1858 Mr. Helsel was married to Miss Susan C. Phenicie, who was born January 31, 1832, in Westmoreland County, Pa., a daughter of Stephen and Susan (Losher)
Phenicie, natives of Germany. To Mr. and Mrs. Helsel the following children were born: Stephen, who married Lida Yarlet, and they have five children; Emma J., who is the wife of Arthur Taylor, residing at Middlefield, O., and they have two chil- dren; Frances, who is the wife of N. Ran- dall, of Providence, R. I .; Benjamin, who married Emma Wagner, resides near Pitts- burg, and they have four children ; William, who married Mary Young, and they have three children; and Elizabeth, who is the wife of George M. Keck. Mr. and Mrs. Helsel have four great-grandchildren. They are members of the Methodist Epis- copal church at New Washington, Pa. He casts his vote with the Republican party but has never accepted any public office.
J. C. STRICKLAND, proprietor of the Park Hotel, a first class hostelry situated at Grass Flat, Pa., has been a resident of Clear- field county for forty-nine years of his life and is well and widely known. He was born in Dauphin county, Pa., September 28, 1856, and is a son of Jacob and Mary Jane (Ault) Strickland.
Jacob Strickland was born in Dauphin county, Pa., March 28, 1823, and died in May, 1897. He was a shoemaker by trade and fol- lowed the same in Dauphin county until 1862, when he moved with his family to Clearfield county, settling at Humphrey's steam mill, which was the first steam mill built in the county. At that time the country round about was still covered with timber and it was no unusual thing to see from eight to ten deer in one day. Jacob Strickland married Mary Jane Ault, who was born in Lancaster county, Pa .. and died July 31, 1910, aged eighty-eight
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY
years, eight months and seven days. To this marriage there were seventeen children born, J. C. being the twelfth in order of birth. The other survivors are: W. H., who conducts a restaurant at Burnside, Pa. (was formerly a lumberman) ; Emma, residing in West Clear- field, who is the widow of Albert C. Walters, who was a veteran of the Civil war; George, who conducts a tannery at Curwensville, Pa. ; and Jacob and Mary, twins. The former went to Maryland in 1872-3 and owns about 500 acres of land in Cumberland county. Mary is the wife of A. F. Flegal.
J. C. Strickland attended school irregularly until he was about fifteen years old and then went to work in the timber and has followed work in the woods continuously until within the past six years. In 1881 he commenced to operate a saw-mill for the firm of Plack & Glunt, in Cambria county and was connected with it until 1905, when he moved to Grass Flat, where he went into the restaurant busi- ness, in which he was concerned for two years, five months and ten days, to be exact, when, in August, 1907, he took possession of the Park Hotel, which he had purchased. This public house was originally built by a Mr. Dunlap and was later improved by Mr. Shef- fer. It contains forty rooms and under Mr. Strickland's management enjoys a large amount of prosperity, he, as host, personally looking after the comfort of his guests and providing a fine table.
Mr. Strickland was married first to Miss Amanda Turner, on July 10, 1881, who died without issue in 1901. She was a daughter of James H. Turner, Esq., of Wallaceton. Mr. Strickland belongs to the order of the Moose at Philipsburg. In his political views he is a Republican.
JOHN T. STRAW, a retired farmer whose life has been spent in Clearfield County, Pa., and whose large ownership of land and prominence in public affairs have made him well known in different sections, still resides on his farm of 200 acres in Fer- guson Township. He was born in Pike Township, Clearfield County, Pa., October 7. 1833, and is a son of Joseph and Ann (Thompson) Straw.
Joseph Straw was also born in Pike Township and was a son of Christian Straw, who had the distinction of serving on the first jury ever summoned in Clearfield County. Joseph Straw obtained his edu- cation in what was called the McClure Cemetery schoolhouse. After his mar- riage he continued to live for a short time in Pike Township and then moved on a farm of 100 acres, in Ferguson Township, where he remained until the end of his life, dying in 1877, at the age of seventy-one years and six months. He was buried by the side of his first wife. After the Civil War he was a Republican. He had served as road supervisor and as assessor of Fer- guson Township. To his 100 acres was joined 100 owned by his wife and this land is all retained in the family.
Joseph Straw was married first to Ann Thompson, a daughter of Agnatious Thompson, of Lawrence Township, Clear- field County, and they had the following children : Margaret : Maria, who died when small : John T. ; Isaac and Enoch, twins, the former dying at the age of sixteen years; and Amanda, Mary E., Esther A., Harriet and Joseph N., the last named being acci- dentally killed while hauling logs. The mother of the above mentioned children
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died at the age of forty-nine years and was buried in the Baptist Cemetery in Jordan Township. Joseph Straw's second mar- riage was to Mrs. Elizabeth Templeton, a widow. and they had three children, George, Harvey and Alice, all of whom are now de- ceased.
John T. Straw attended schools in Law- rence, Ferguson and Jordan Townships and afterward taught school for some time. He was satisfied to become a farmer and after looking over the county found no place that suited him better than his present farm, which he subsequently bought. He has about 60 acres cleared and thus still retains some valuable woodland. Mr. Straw also owns 100 acres of fine coal land in Green- wood Township, has a house and lot at Kerrmoor and an improved lot at Marron, Pa., and is a stockholder in the Ferguson and La Jose Telephone Company, of Fer- guson Township, and is a charter stock- holder in the Farmers and Traders Bank at Clearfield.
Mr. Straw was married first to Miss Sarah Young, who was born in 1837, in Center County, Pa., a daughter of Albert Young, and died in July, 1866, her burial being in the old Jordan Township Ceme- tery. She was a consistent member of the Zion Baptist church. To this marriage the following children were born: Albert Y., who lives at Clearfield, married Margret Bailey, a daughter of Abraham Bailey, and they have ten children- Maud, Annie, Eart, Grace, Ruth, John, Abraham, Winfred, Samuel and Albert ; Harrison, who married Emmeline Reed, lives in Goshen Township ; William E., who married first, Katherine Patterson, has one child, Ethel, and mar-
ried secondly Mrs. Ellison; Anna Mary, who married Amos Reed, lives in Lawrence Township and they have had four children -Edna, Cecil, Ellsworth and Eldon; Jere- miah Franklin is deceased.
Mr. Straw was married secondly to Miss Mary Ellen Barrett, who was born in 1843, in Ferguson Township, a daughter of Luther Barrett, and died in May, 1874. She was a member of the Baptist church and her burial was in Jordan Township. To this marriage the following children were born: Perry C., lives in Greenwood Township; Charlotte is the wife of Blake Summers, of Jordan Township, and they have had five children-Cora Luella, Quay and Ray (twins), Mary, and George Mel- vin : Ida is the wife of James Rowles, lives at Glen Richey, and has one son, Carlton. Mr. Straw's third marriage was on July 12, 1874, to Miss Priscilla Barrett, who was born in Jordan Township, Clearfield County, August 8, 1856, a daughter of Hiram Barrett. They have had the fol- lowing children: Rosetta, whose death oc- curred January 26, 1911, was the wife of James Lang, of Dixonville, Indiana County, Pa., and three children survive her-Arbu- tus, Robert and James : Cora is the wife of Dr. II. G. Purnell, of Ansonville, and they have three children-Charles T., John T. and H. Garrett : Susanna died at the age of fifteen months: Blanche E. is the wife of J. B. Gates, residing in Cambria County ; Myrtle is the wife of Stewart Williams, re- siding at Monmouth, Pa., and they have one daughter, Priscilla; Carrie E., who is the wife of Clyde Bolender, has had two children, George and Mary, the latter now deceased ; Perie Z .; John T., a teacher at
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Millport, Pa .; Iva Belle, who is at home; Jerusha, who is deceased ; and Nora V. and Sarah L.
Mr. Straw's first purchase of land was of 100 acres and later he bought the second 100 acres, on which he lived for three years and then returned to his first farm. He has always been an ardent Democrat and has long been influential in party affairs in this section. He was elected county commis- sioner of Clearfield County in 1882 and served until 1885. With his wife and family he belongs to Zion Baptist church. He has al- ways been interested in the Patrons of Hus- bandry. For fourteen years he served as school director in Ferguson township. Mr. Straw has always been a very robust and vig- orous man and has easily attended to his nu- merous business affairs, never being willing to give himself a needed rest, until some two years ago, when an attack of rheumatism caused him to relieve himself of many of his responsibilities, turning them over to his very capable sons.
JOHN R. SHAFFER, who is an honored veteran of the great Civil war, resides on his farm of forty-eight acres, which is situated in Sandy township, about one mile southwest of West Liberty, Pa. He was born June 3. 1845. on his father's farm which was then situated in Brady township, Clearfield county, but is now included in Sandy township, and is a son of Michael and Polly (Reishall) Shaffer.
Michael Shaffer was born in Dauphin county, Pa., one of a family of four sons, the eldest of whom, John, remained in that county. The other three, Michael, George and Fred Shaffer, all came to Clearfield county and Michael and Fred bought adjoining tracts
of land, on the present site of the B. & S. Shaft No. 1, and cleared up their property. Michael Shaffer sold his land and moved then to West Liberty where he lived during the re- mainder of his life. He married Polly Rei- shall, who survived him some years, and they had six children : Innes, who is deceased ; Elias: Emeline, who died when young ; John R .: Mary, who is the wife of Augustus Heb- erling : and Caroline, who is now deceased, was the wife of David Lyon.
John R. Shaffer learned his first lessons in a log schoolhouse where the rough slab benches were arranged around the room, the teacher, with his hickory stick usually in hand ready for any emergency, standing in the cen- ter. Mr. Shaffer was obliged to walk quite a distance through the woods to reach school and frequently saw deer and other wild crea- tures in the forest. When the Civil war broke out he determined to become a sol- dier, although he was then but a boy of sixteen ycars. He managed to be accepted and on August 31, 1861, was enrolled in Co. D, 105th Pa. Vol. Inf., as a private, but shortly after- ward gained promotion and was made cor- poral. In July, 1863. he was detailed as an orderly on hospital duty first at Philadelphia and later at Washington. He took part in the battles of Yorktown, Williamsburg, Freder- icksburg, Chancellorsville, Kelley's Ford, the Wilderness and the Siege of Petersburg. On May 3, 1863, at the battle of Chancellorsville. he was wounded in the arm and was taken to a hospital at Philadelphia, where he remained a patient for five months, after which he re- turned to his regiment and on May 5, 1864, was wounded by a spent ball, in the shoulder, which injury caused his remaining in a Wash- ington hospital for four months. From an
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attack of lung fever, produced by exposure, he was kept in a hospital at Camp Jamison for two months, this being in the winter of 1861. In June of the following year he was pros- trated with typhoid fever and he spent four months recovering from this in a hospital at Brooklyn, N. Y. In 1863 he was accorded a furlough of thirty days and on July 11, 1865, he was honorably discharged at Washington, D. C.
Mr. Shaffer returned home and as soon as he had sufficiently recuperated, went to work at various things as occasion offered, having his own way to make, and it was not until the summer of 1879 that he was able to invest in farm land as was his desire. He then pur- chased 116 acres of land from Samuel Arnold, paying $800 for the same, and later sold a part, the Mapledale lots having formerly been a part of his farm. He cleared off the larger part of his remaining land and put up all the substantial farm buildings. He continued to operate his farm until his son, Harvey Le Roy, was old enough to take the responsibility and Mr. Shaffer is now somewhat retired.
Mr. Shaffer has been twice married, his first marriage taking place when he was twenty- one years of age to Miss Mary J. Downey, who died shortly afterward. He was married second on May 25, 1879, to Miss Penina J. Kness, a daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (Morehead) Kness. The father of Mrs. Shaffer was a soldier in the Civil war, a vol- unteer from Armstrong county. Both of her parents are now deceased. She was the sec- ond born in a family of six children, the otli- ers being: John, who is deceased; Nancy, who is deceased, was the wife of Jefferson Labord; William; Isaac; and Amanda, who is the wife of David Lyons. Seven children
were born to Mr. and Mrs. Shaffer, namely : Mary, who is the wife of Arthur De Lorm, resides in Jefferson county, Pa., and they have two children-Ruby and Myrtle; Harry, who married Grace Marshall, lives in Sandy town- ship, and they have three children-Alice, and Ruth, an infant, unnamed; Vergie, who is the wife of Stacy Lyons, lives in Jefferson county and they have one child, Cecil; Harvey Le Roy, who resides on the homestead and manages the farm, married Martha Horn and they have two children-Robert and Floyd ; Olive, who is the wife of James Pierce and they live in Sandy township and have three children-Alto, Calvin and Russell; Myrtle, who is the wife of Dell Askey, and they reside in Montana and have two children-Alberta and Myrtle ; and Cora, who lives at home. Mr. Shaffer and family attend the Baptist church. In politics he is a Republican. He is a mem- ber of the Grange and belongs to Mingle Lodge, No. 753. Odd Fellows, at Troutville, while his son belongs to Lodge, No. 417, Knights of Pythias, at Salem. The family is one that is held in the highest esteem in this section.
DAVID R. READ, residing on his farm of 103 acres, which is situated in Ferguson town- ship, Clearfield county, Pa., two and one-half miles northwest of Kerrmoor, was born Au- gust 7, 1837, in this township but on an ad- joining farm. His parents were William and Jane (Ferguson) Read.
William Read was born, reared and edit- cated in Lawrence township, Clearfield county. moving into Ferguson township at the time of his marriage to Jane Ferguson, and he lived there until his death. He owned 150 acres of land which had been cleared by his own indus-
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try. He survived his wife many years, her death taking place when aged forty-three years, while he lived to be seventy-two years. They were members of the United Presbyte- rian church. Their family consisted of seven sons and three daughters.
David R. Read attended what was known as Friendship school, in Ferguson township, when he was a boy, and afterward went into the woods and worked at timbering. After bis marriage he moved to what was known as the Hockenberry farm, in Ferguson town- ship, after living for a time in Greenwood township. Here he found a great deal of im- proving necessary and has done considerable building, putting up all the substantial struc- tures now standing, except the barn. Ile has carried on general farming and is numbered with the prosperous agriculturists of the town- ship.
Mr. Read was married on July 7, 1864, to Miss Clara J. Owens, who was affectionately known to family and friends as Sis Owens. She was born on an adjoining farm, Septem- ber 16, 1843, and is a daughter of Thomas and Emeline (Hile) Owens. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Read, namely : Emeline, who is the wife of Harrison Straw, of Goshen township; Lyman, who is deceased; B. W., who resides in Oregon, and married Nettie McCarty ; J. Perry; and an infant who died.
J. Perry Read assists his father in operat- ing the home farm and owns a tract of forty- three acres adjoining it which is quite valua- ble. He married Miss Stella Hamilton, who is a daughter of Harvey Hamilton, and they have had five children: Burl, Curtis, Winni- fred, Emeline and Dorothy, Curtis and Doro- thy being now deceased.
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