Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens, Part 85

Author: Swoope, Roland D. (Roland Davis), 1885-
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Richmond-Arnold publishing co
Number of Pages: 1040

USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens > Part 85

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Dr. Rowles was married April 24, 1907, to Miss Edna Mill Stetson, a daughter of Lewis Stetson, of Philadelphia, and they have had two children: Stetson Dewitt, who died when but three days old; and Eleanor Frances, who was born March 9, 1910. Dr. Rowles casts his vote with the Democratic party. He re- tains membership in his college fraternal so- ciety but has not identified himself with any other organization. He is serving as a mem- ber of the Grampian school board.

where he owns and resides on a valuable farm and one-half mile northwest of Bell's Landing. He is a son of Joseph and Mary (Thomas) Newcomer.

Joseph Newcomer was born in Maryland and from there moved to Broad Top, Bedford county, Pa., and later to Somerset county. He married Mary Thomas, who was born in Westmoreland county, Pa., and they lived in Somerset county until after the birth of four children-Frances, Aaron, Nancy and Josiah R .- and then moved to Clearfield county and settled in Burnside township, near New Wash- ington. While living there their last child, Sarah, was born, who died in 1907, Josiah R. being the only survivor of the family. From Burnside township Joseph Newcomer moved to Greenwood township and in May, 1860, set- tled on the farm above mentioned. At that time the land was entirely covered with brush and timber and with the help of his children he cleared his property and developed a farm. The only improvement on the place was a small plank house, but there was no barn or other building. The family managed to live in the cabin and in 1866 he put up the log barn now standing, which was later enlarged by the present owner. In 1880 Joseph Newcomer and wife moved to Cherry Run, where they lived retired, in great comfort, during the rest of their lives. He was born January 29, 1822, and died in 1899. She was born October 6. 1821, and died August 4, 1881, and both were laid to rest in the Bower cemetery. They were good Christian people, members of the Meth- odist Episcopal church.

JOSIAH R. NEWCOMER, who was born in Somerset county, Pa .. July 29, 1848, is one Josiah R. Newcomer attended school until of the representative and respected citizens of he was about thirteen years of age, walking a Greenwood township, Clearfield county, Pa., long distance to the Deer Run schoolhouse

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near New Washington. The clearing of the farın had to be accomplished and Mr. New- comer very early became accustomed to heavy work. He has always lived on the place and his occupations have been farming, stock rais- ing and lumbering. For thirty years he has been a member of Greenwood Grange, taking an interest in the movement when it was first started.

Mr. Newcomer was married February 22, 1880, to Miss Margaret Brisbin, who died without issue, November 29, 1881, and was buried at Luthersburg. On August 24, 1884, Mr. Newcomer was married secondly to Miss Phinella E. Newcomer, who was born in Fer- guson township, Clearfield county, Pa., a daughter of William and Malissa (Bloom) Newcomer. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Newcomer: Nina A., who was born June 22, 1885; Reese O., who was born December 3, 1887, and is a railroad engineer, in West Virginia; Lulu P., born January II, 1891, who is the wife of Raymond Bloom (they have one daughter, Fannie) ; William Joseph, who was born July 10, 1899, and died on the same day; and Eunice, who was born November 7, 1900. Mr. and Mrs. Newcomer are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Curry Run. He has served three years as a member of the school board. In pol- itics he has always been a Democrat.

DAVID C. HENSAL, who has been a lumberman all his mature life, for a number of years has been a resident of Bigler town- ship, Clearfield county, where he owns forty acres of valuable coal land at Glen Hope, to- gether with a half dozen houses and about thirty lots at Madera. He was born March 20, 1833, seven miles west of Gettysburg,

Adams county, Pa., and is a son of John and Anna (Coshun) Hensal, and grandson of Ja- cob Hensal. Mrs. Anna Coshun Hensal's mother was a Conover, a sister to the wife of the old Commodore Vanderbilt.

John Hensal was of French and German ancestry. He followed tailoring as his occu- pation all through life. He married Anna Coshun, who was born in Pennsylvania, and they had the following children: David C .; Hannah Mary, who married Ephraim Bittin- ger; Jane, who married Reuben Kuhn; and James, Charles, Amos, Emory and John. Mrs. John Hensal died about twenty-five years ago.

David C. Hensal never had other than the rather meager educational opportunities of- fered by the district school. He has been more than usually successful as a business man and owns a large amount of property in Pennsyl- vania and in association with others is inter- ested in the development of other tracts. He is in partnership with Allison O. Smith and John R. Scott, in the ownership of 3.000 acres of coal land in Somerset county, Pa. ; and with the latter in 2,000 acres in the same county, under lease, and owns also 200 acres also in Somerset county and forty acres of coal and timber land in Clearfield county ; also fifty acres in Bigler township, Clearfield county, to- gether with his above mentioned residence properties at Madera, Pa., and two houses at Belsena, Clearfield county.

Mr. Hensal was married in 1854 to Miss Margaret Mullin, a daughter of George and Sarah Mullin, who came from Ireland to Clearfield county and settled at Glen Hope. Mrs. Hensal died at Madera, September 20, 1909, and her burial was in the Cross Roads cemetery. To Mr. and Mrs. Hensal the fol- lowing children were born: George, John,

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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY

Thomas, Blanche, Cora, Mary (deceased), (Tibitt) Rager, who still reside in Burnside Sadie (deceased), Sherman, Amos and Da- vid (deceased). Of the above family, Cora is the wife of John O. Stanley. Mary, who was the wife of Charles Flynn, was a victim of that terrible catastrophe, the Johnstown flood. Sadie was accidentally drowned at Madera. Mr. Hensal is a Republican in his political views. He was reared in the Methodist Episcopal church.

JAMES T. MITCHELL, general farmer, who owns 130 acres of valuable land in Greenwood township, Clearfield county, Pa., all lying along the northwest branch of the Susquehanna river, was born January 24. 1867, in Burnside township, Clearfield county, and is a son of David and Henrietta Mitchell, who reside on an adjoining farm.

James T. Mitchell was educated in the schools of Greenwood township and attended through one term at Lumber City. He then went into the woods and began contracting, cutting by the thousand fect and during sev- eral summers had from twenty-five to thirty men in his employ. For a time after his mar- riage, in 1893, he lived near Bell's Landing, in Greenwood township, and then bought his present farm from Alex. Patton, but which was the David McCracken farm. All of it is cleared except fifty acres still in fine timber. All of the substantial and appropriate build- ings which in their appearance and surround- ings give an idea of thrift and good manage- ment, Mr. Mitchell erected, or entirely remod- eled.

On September 21, 1893, Mr. Mitchell was married to Miss Nora Rager, who was born in Burnside township, Clearfield county, July 10, 1874, a daughter of Thomas and Agnes

township. Nine children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell, as follows: Daisy, Paul McKinley, Pearl Etta, Bertha June, Lucy May, Margaret, Nan, Pauline Flora, Elizabeth Ann and James David. Mr. Mitchell and family are members of the Methodist Protes- tant church. He is a Republican in politics and has occasionally consented to accept town- ship offices. He is a leading member of Greenwood Grange and is treasurer of the Curry Run Telephone Company.

ALEXANDER MURRAY, deceased. For many years Alexander Murray was an hon- ored and respected citizen of Girard township, Clearfield county, where he had acquired a competence through the industry and prudence which had marked his way from early youth. He was born in Shaver's Creek Valley, Hunt- ingdon county, Pa., and in youth was brought to Clearfield county by his parents, who were Jolin and Mary Murray, of Scotch ancestry.

Alexander Murray was cleven years old when his father died, in January, 1824, leav- ing the mother with a family of young chil- dren to care for, all of them, except himself and the two youngest girls, with no provision made for them, except such as she could secure for herself. She could weave the cloth for her children's clothing, and possibly she may have been able to sell a small portion to others, but their whole living had to be made out of the wild land, very little of which had as yet been cleared or put under cultivation. In later years Mr. Murray was frequently heard to speak of the industry, patience, fortitude and endurance of this admirable mother. She survived to see her son in comfortable circumstances, her death taking place in April, 1871.

THOMAS H. MURRAY

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Alexander Murray had no educational ad- vantages, but he was naturally apt, and soon acquired enough knowledge to enable him to transact business properly. By the time he was fifteen years of age he was busy at differ- ent things-farming, lumbering and teaming -and when twenty years old he did the first piece of work for himself, which was the con- struction of one mile of the old Milesburg and Smithport turnpike road. When he received his pay for the latter-fifty dollars in cash and an order for forty-five dollars more-he doubt- less felt rich, although the order was never cashed, as the company had become insolvent. He engaged in lumbering and cleared and cul- tivated his land as he was able and finally paid for it. He was a typical pioneer, honest and upright, but careful and shrewd in his business transactions. He was widely known and was held in honor and esteem by all.

Mr. Murray was married February 23, 1842, to Miss Isabella Meek Holt, of Brad- ford township, and they had nine children, six of whom reached maturity. The mother of these children died October 1, 1879. On Jan- uary 19, 1882, Mr. Murray married for his second wife Mrs. Ermina J. Spackman, who died in 1885. Mr. Murray survived her for four years, his death taking place April 6, 1889. His mother and her people were Pres- byterians, but he united with the Methodist Episcopal church in 1856, and continued a faithful and official member and the principal supporter of that church in his community un- til his death. He was the father of Thomas H. Murray, of Clearfield, Pa.

EDWARD W. FERGUSON, who carries on a general mercantile business at Kerrmoor,

Pa., was born in Ferguson township, Clear- field county, Pa., April 26, 1860, and is a son of J. C. Ferguson and a grandson of John Ferguson.

John Ferguson with his brother David came to Clearfield county from Northumberland county, Pa., when he was about thirty years of age, and he became one of the prominent and useful men in the early settlement of what is now' Ferguson township, which part of the county was named in honor of John and David Ferguson. He cleared up a farm of 160 acres here, after which he moved to Lumber City, where he was a merchant for a time, and later to Lock Haven, where he died at the age of seventy-two years. He was married after coming to Clearfield county, to Betsey Wiley, and they had five children born to them : Mary, who married Dr. Ross; Deborah, who married Gibson Jamison; J. C .; Elizabeth, who mar- ried Lewis Hoover; and an infant son, de- ceased.

J. C. Ferguson was reared in Ferguson township, and lived on the old homestead, which is now owned by William Thurston. He served without injury in the Civil war, and passed his entire life, with the exception of eighteen years, engaged in farming. He was a man of high standing in his neighborhood and of ample fortune, and was a charter mem- ber of the Clearfield National Bank at Clear- field, Pa. His death occurred at Kerrmoor, when he was aged sixty-two years. He mar- ried Ann Price, who was born near Bloom- ington, Pa., and died in her sixty-first year, both she and husband being interred in the McClure cemetery in Pike township. They had four children, namely: Edward W .; Abby, who is now deceased; Harry, who is a

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member of the business firm of Ferguson & Rossner, at Clearfield; and Robert, who died at the age of eight years.

Edward W. Ferguson went to school in his boyhood in both Ferguson and Pike township. the old schoolhouse in the latter then standing on the present site of the McClure cemetery. and afterward he taught one term of school in Ferguson township. Since marriage Mr. Fer- guson has lived in Kerrmoor, where he has been engaged in merchandising. He has 1111- merous additional interests, being concerned with the milling business of W. L. Bloom & Co., at Kerrmoor, and is a stockholder in the C. & C. Telephone Company, the Ferguson & La Jose & Lumber City Telephone Company, being secretary of the same. He and his brother, Harry F., conducted a hardware store in Kerrmoor, when the town was first started. in the spring of 1886, they continuing together until April, 1907.

Mr. Ferguson was married first to Miss Eunice Swan, who was born in Jordan town- ship. a daughter of Henry Swan, of Anson- ville, and they had two children, Raymond and Lorraine, the latter surviving. Mr. Fer- guson was married secondly to Miss Bertha Ilile, a daughter of John P. Hile, of Lumber City, and they have two children, Ellery and Warden. Mr. Ferguson is a Republican in politics but has accepted no public office.

PHINEAS WESLEY RUDOLPH, one of Huston township's sucessful agriculturists and leading citizens, residing on his farm of twenty-five acres situated two and one-half miles north of Penfield. Clearfield county, Pa., known as Alta Vista Garden, also owns two other farms of fifty acres, also located in Hus- ton township. He was born on his father's

farm in Henderson township, Jefferson county, Pa., October 20, 1861, and is a son of David Rudolph, who was born in Westmoreland county, Pa.

From Westmoreland David Rudolph was taken to Jefferson county by his parents, Ja- cob Rudolph and wife, who spent the rest of their years in that section, Jacob Rudolph be- coming a well known farmer and lumberman. David Rudolph moved from Jefferson county to DuBois, Pa., where he was foreman for John DuBois for many years and his death oc- curred there at the age of seventy-two years. During the Civil war he served as a member of the 15th Pa. Vol. Cav. He was married in Jefferson county to Anna Maria Smith, who was a daughter of Peter Smith, an old and respected resident of Punxatawney. Nine children were born to David Rudolph and his wife, namely: Smith M., Wheeler, George, Lucy, Jane, Phineas W., William, Monroe and Ana. Lucy married Peter Hallowell and Jane married Frank Rudolph.

Phineas W. Rudolph grew to the age of fif- teen years in Jefferson county, where he al- tended the district schools, and grew to man- hood at DuBois. He learned the carpenter's trade, working at it for three years, after which he worked in the saw mills for John DuBois until 1891. when he came to his pres- ent farm, purchasing his residence farm from Abel Gresh and the other land from Stephen Bunday. He did not immediately take per- sonal charge of his property, merely oversee- ing it prior to April, 1911, in the meanwhile working as engineer and electrician in the mines at Tyler. Pa. Since the above date he has devoted all his attention to his agricul- tural affairs.

Mr. Rudolph was married October 18, 1883.

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to Miss Elizabeth Funk, a daughter of Jacob and Louisa Funk. Mrs. Rudolph was born in Germany and was brought to the United States when two years old. To Mr. and Mrs. Rudolphı eleven children have been born, as follows: Laura, who died April 12, 191I (she was the widow of George Paine and had one child, Velma) ; and Walter, Pearl, How- ard, James, Emma and Adam (twins, the lat- ter deceased). Arthur, Vira, and Pauline W. and Maxine (twins, the last named being de- ceased). Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph are mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal church. He belongs to the Grange (as also does Mrs. Ru- dolplı) and to the P. H. C., at DuBois. In politics he is a Democrat. Mr. Rudolph re- cently turned over twenty-five acres of his land to his eldest son.

JOSEPH N. MCCRACKEN, who owns the old homestead farm of 100 acres, which was the home of his grandfather, Nicholas McCracken, and which is situated on the north side of the west branch of the Susquehanna river, in Greenwood township, Clearfield county, Pa., was born here December 23, 1871. and is a son of D. W. and Emma (Nichol- son) McCracken.

D. W. McCracken was also born on this farm and spent his life in Greenwood town- ship, his death occurring when he was sixty- three years of age. He owned 150 acres of excellent land. He was a member of Green- wood Grange and was identified also with the Odd Fellows at Mahaffey. D. W. McCracken married Emma Nicholson, a daughter of Jo- seph Nicholson. They had the following chil- dren born to them: Edith, who is the wife of Ashey Hill; Belle, deceased, who was the wife of Kirk Richard; Joseph N .; and Hannah,

who is the wife of Dell Richards. The mother of the above family lived to be seventy-five years of age. Her burial was by the side of her husband in the Friends' cemetery at Grampian. They were members of the Meth- odist Protestant church.

Joseph N. McCracken obtained an educa- tion in the schools of Greenwood township and since then has carried on farming and stock raising on the homestead and has all his land under cultivation with the exception of fifty acres in woodland. He has substantial and comfortable buildings and assisted in the erection of his residence. He has always taken a deep interest in everything pertaining to agricultural matters and is a member of the Greenwood Grange, in which he holds the of- fice of assistant steward. Mrs. McCracken is ladies' assistant steward in the Grange.

Mr. McCracken was married June 25, 1902, to Miss Sarah Elizabeth Byers, who was born at Westover, Pa., June 29, 1871. She is a daughter of Samuel and Sarah Jane (Lloyd) Byers, the former of whom was born at New Washington, and the latter in eastern Penn- sylvania. After Mr. and Mrs. Byers were married they moved to near Westover and now reside on a farm of 225 acres and the father owns an additional 100 acres in Burn- side township. They are members of the Bap- tist church. The following children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Byers; James, who died when two years of age: Barbara, who was married first to Thomas Black and secondly to J. L. McCracken; John L., who married Ellen Scott; Sarah Elizabeth; William H., who married Ella Westover; Jesse, who lives in West Virginia ; Aaron, who lives at Braddock, Pa .: Jane, living at home; and Rose, who is the wife of Ralph Palmer.

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Mr. and Mrs. McCracken have two chil- dren : Ruth and Earl Wilson. Mr. Mc- Cracken is a stockholder in the Curry Run Telephone Company. The family and its con- nections are all representative people of this section.

ADAM BRETH. The parentage of this subject is as follows: The father's name was Henry Breth, born in 1792, and was the son of Henry Breth, who lived and was born in Germany, not far from the city of Mayance, and lived till he was one hundred and six years old; of the mother nothing is now known. Henry, Peter and Adam, three brothers, came to the United States in the year 1819. Henry, was married in Germany, and brought two daughters with him; the mother's maiden name was Mary C. Martin. This family lo- cated at Karthaus in Clearfield county; the father worked for Peter Karthaus as a stone mason when the works at Karthaus were first started. Here at this place the following named children were born to them. But first say, that Mary and Margaret were born in Germany, Mary in 1813 and Margaret No- vember 5, 1815; at Karthats, Elisabeth born February 24, 1820; Susan, February 17, 1822; Samuel, February 14, 1824. The parents then moved to Marsh-Creek, Center county, Pa. Here, Henry, the next, was born on April 12, 1826: Jacob, born at the same place, August 3, 1828. The parents then moved to Howard, Center county. Pa., where Joseph Harris, another son, and Adar, the present subject, were born, Joseph Harris on Novem- ber 30, 1830, and Adam, February 10, 1833. In April of the same year the parents moved to what is Burnside township, near Patchin- ville. Here the family lived and worked at

clearing up land and lumbering. In 1843 the family moved onto a farm two miles direct west from New Washington; lived on this farm till April of 1844, and then moved into Bell township and bought a farm in that town- ship. Here the father lived till July 4, 1875. The mother died March 22, 1869, in the sev- enty-sixth year of her age. On the 29th of May, 1850, the subject of this sketch left home by the parents' consent to learn the trade of blacksmithing; served till September, 1853, at which time he had served three years, all but two months; for this two months he paid "his boss" $25.00, and went to New Washington, Pa. Here he worked in partnership with a brother at the smithing business. On the 24th of May, 1854, he was united in marriage with Margaret G. Lee, daughter of Isaac and Han- nah Fulton Lee; to this union were born ten children, six of these died in infancy ; the first born is Lettie Lucretia, born July 18, 1855, and is married to John H. Baker; Isaac Henry, born October 5, 1856, and died Janu- ary 6, 1877; James, born August 31, 1860. He married Alice Fryer ; to this union is born two sons, Adam Breth, born October 20, 1884, and Ernest, born January 31, 1885. The par- ents named were married December 20, 1883. Jane R., born May 8, 1862; she was married to William Thompson,. November 11, 1886; to this union were born seven children, as fol- lows: Lillian Elisabeth, born May 3, 1887; James Horace, February 4, 1889; Hazel Amanda, February 2, 1894; Margaret Anna. April 14, 1896; John Adam, February 26, 1899; William Herman, January 2, 1902; Helen Maxine, June 4, 1909.

On the 28th day of July, 1869, the mother of the above named children, wife of the sub- ject, died; the oldest girl took charge of the

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family of younger children. On the first day of April, 1872, the subject of this biography was again married, to Maria G. Armor, at Smicksburg, Indiana county, Pa. She was the daughter of John Armor and Jane Cochran Armor; the father was born in Lancaster county, Pa., and the mother was born in Westmoreland county, Pa. (have not the dates of either one's birth). To this union were born two children-a daughter, born Septem- ber 27, 1873, and died October 3, 1873. Ar- mor Gregg, born May 28, 1875, died Septem- ber 8, 1876.

In 1859 he was first elected justice of the peace for Bell township at the age of twenty- six years, and was elected for that township four terms (twenty years). Followed smith- ing, farming and lumbering up to February 27, 1877, when he moved to New Washing- ton, Pa. Carried on smithing. In 1880 was elected justice of the peace, and is still serving out now (May 15, 1911) his eleventh term. In 1883 he was employed by a coal company (Clearfield and Cambria Coal and Coke Com- pany) to take options for coal lands, and took up with but a few exceptions nearly 13,000 acres. The deeds of nearly all these proper- ties was or were acknowledged before his term as justice of the peace, and checks of the com- pany were delivered by him for the payment of the same. He continued with this company as bookkeeper-paymaster, and did the general business for the company up to July 5, 1902, when he left the employ of this company.

He served as a notary public for two suc- cessive terms, of four years each. Served a number of terms as school director, one term as burgess, a number of terms on the council, has been borough auditor for years and is now auditor ; is under appointment a local registrar

of vital statistics of District 390, under the State Department of Health, and is secretary of the Board of Health for this borough.

In 1890 he took up the study of surveying and civil engineering, also the study of short- hand and typewriting, and was successful in all these callings. Is now, since July 23, 1908, acting postmaster of the New Washington postoffice, Clearfield county, Pa. His wife be- ing appointed postmaster, as he could not, un- der a State law, hold the office of justice of the peace. Can now in his seventy-ninth year write four different systems of shorthand, still does surveying, and does the work of the post- office. Has five great-grandchildren.

WILLIAM THORP SCHRYVER,* gen- eral farmer and representative citizen of Law- rence township, resides on his valuable farm of eighty acres, which lies four miles south of Clearfield, Pa. He was born at Coal Range Forge, Center county, Pa., October 8, 1837, and is a son of Abraham Thorp and Rebecca (Wells) Schryver.

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Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens, Part 85

Author: Swoope, Roland D. (Roland Davis), 1885- Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Richmond-Arnold publishing co Number of Pages: 1040

Author: Swoope, Roland D. (Roland Davis), 1885-
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Richmond-Arnold publishing co
Number of Pages: 1040