Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens, Part 95

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 95

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W. EDGAR REILEY, M. D., a successful homeopathic physician of Clearfield county, Pa., was born December 22, 1882, at Hanover, York County, Pa., and is a son of Rev. Wil- liam M. and Fanny (Baker) Reiley. Al- though Dr. Reiley has only been a resident of Clearfield County since 1908, he comes of a family well known for many years in this sec- tion of the county. His great grandfather, Rev. James M. Reiley, was one of the early ministers of the Methodist Episcopal church and was well known in this part of Pennsyl- vania. His circuit extended from Hollidays- burg to Petersburg, Pa., and required a period of six weeks to cover, the entire trip being made on horseback. The four generations fol- lowing Rev. James M. Reiley have all contrib- uted to the Methodist ministry, two of his sons, Rev. James M., Jr. and Rev. Asbury Reiley, entering it. Rev. William M. Reiley, father of our subject, and son of Rev. James M. Reiley, Jr., followed the ministerial profes- sion for more than forty years. He was a na- tive of West Virginia, and his son, Rev. J. Mck. Reiley, had charge of the 11th St. M. E. church, at Clearfield, Pa., seven years, his last assignment being at Newberry, the Fourth ward of Williamsport, Pa., where he died

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January 9, 1907. He is still survived by his widow, Fanny Baker Reiley and the following children: Harry B .; James M., who is a min- ister; Eleanor, wife of J. W. Lowther; Ray W., Dr. W. Edgar; and Alcie.

Dr. W. Edgar Reiley spent his boyhood and obtained his early schooling in the various towns in Pennsylvania, where his father's call- ing brought the family, and in 1902 was grad- uated from the Altoona High School. In 1903 he entered the Southern Homeopathic Medical College at Baltimore, Md., and was gradu- ated with the class of 1907. On January 20, 1908, he embarked in the practice of medicine at Clearfield, Pa., where he has since been lo- cated, having an office with Dr. S. J. Watter- worth. Dr. Reiley is a member of the medical staff of the Clearfield Hospital, and belongs to the Clearfield Medical Society, and also to the Homeopathic Medical Society of Penna. He is a member of the I. O. O. F of Clearfield, and of the M. E. church. Politically he is a Re- publican.

EDGAR A. JOHNSON, postmaster and general merchant at Grass Flat, Cooper Town- ship, was born February 1, 1856, in what was then Morris but is now Cooper Township, a son of Abel B. and Sarah (Dillon) Johnson.

Abel B. Johnson was born in Bradford County, Pa., in 1828, and in 1852 came to the farm in Clearfield County on which he has re- sided for many years. He was formerly a lumberman but for thirty-five years devoted himself to agricultural pursuits. He married Sarah Dillon who died in 1902, at the age of seventy-one years. They had five sons and three daughters born to them, namely : Charles, who is now deceased; Edgar A .; Mary, who is the wife of William Pelton of Morris Town-

ship; Bertha, who is now deceased, was sur- vived by her husband; Helen who is the wife of Edward Hipple who is the home farmer; Miles G., who is a resident of California; An- drew C., who is a resident of Huntingdon County, where he engages in farming; and Guy L., who carries on farming on the home- stead, also is a funeral director at Grass Flat.

Edgar A. Johnson was reared on the home farm attended the local schools and for a time was in the timber business. He then turned his attention to merchandising and in 1892 was appointed postmaster at Grass Flat, the first and only official in this office at this point. Both officially and in a business way, Mr. Johnson is a popular citizen.

In 1879 Mr. Johnson was married to Miss Mary J. Pelton, a daughter of Ephraim and Elizabeth Pelton, of Cooper Township and their children are as follows: Arthur ; Allen, who lives at Winburne, married Mary Maggs and has two children; Minnie, who is the wife of Joseph Kondesky, and lives in Cambria County ; Bessie, who is her father's assistant in the post office; Warren, who died at the age of nineteen years; Lona, who is a teacher in the public schools; Inez, who is a clerk in Kramer's store ; and Floyd, who lives at home. The family attend the United Brethren church. In politics Mr. Johnson is a Republican and by order of the court is serving in the office of township auditor. He is a member of the Patrons of Husbandry.

HOWARD M. FRY, a farmer and promi- nent citizen of Burnside township, was born at Westover, Clearfield county, Pa., December 15, 1857, a son of John Smith and Julia A. (Myers) Fry. He is a grandson of Daniel Fry, who settled at Westover with his family in

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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY

1849, coming from Lancaster county, Pa., and who died in 1883. at the age of 79 years. His wife in maidenhood was Sarah Priestly, a daughter of Jonathan Priestly of Lancaster. Daniel Fry was a son of John Fry, who re- sided in York county, Pa.

John Smith Fry, father of our subject, was born February 9, 1832. He followed farming and lumbering at Westover until 1860, and then removed to Burnside township, where he took up land. He settled on the present Fry homestead in 1862, and subsequently resided there until his death, which took place June 12, 1881. He was twice married: first to Julia Ann Myers, the daughter of John and Jane (Ruggles) Myers, natives of Blair County. who came to Clearfield county about 1840. Of this first marriage there were children as fol- lows: Howard M., whose name begins this sketch: Harvey, residing in Texas: Elmer E., also in Texas; John D., a resident of Greensburg, Pa .: Ella, wife of Rev. B. W. Lewis, residing in Mississippi: Mrs. Julia Ann Fry died in 1876 at the age of 37 years, and Mr. Fry subsequently married Jane McEwen, of Burnside township, who was born in 1849, the daughter of James and Elizabeth ( Priestly) McEwen. She is still living and resides at Westover. There were born to this second marriage two children: Flora, who is a teacher at Turtle Creek, Allegheny county, Pa., and James S., an engineer, unmarried and living at home. John Smith Fry was then a member of the Baptist church. He was active in pol- itics as a Republican and served as assessor and treasurer of his township for a number of years up to the time of his death.

Howard M. Fry after attending school en- tered upon an agricultural life, being also en- gaged to some extent in cutting timber. He

remained at home until reaching the age of twenty-one years, when he took up his resi- dence near Westover and Coalport, succes- sively. At his father's death in 1881 he came to his present home, where he has since fol- lowed farming successfully. A Republican in politics, he is now serving as tax collector, and has served for twenty years as assessor, from 1889 to 1909. He has always taken an interest in good government and has been an active worker for his party. He belongs to the Royal Arcanum lodge at Clearfield, and to the lodge of Red Men at Harmony.

Mr. Fry was married December 25. 1879 to Sarah C. McKee, who was born AAugust 27. 1861, a daughter of J. R. and Susan ( West- over) McKee of Burnside township. Her father, who was born in 1838, died in 1903; her mother died in 1907 at the age of 69 years. Mr. and Mrs. Fry have been the parents of the following children: Olive, who is the wife of E. Woods, tax collector of Cambria county, and has four children ; Grier R., Venna, Clyde H., Quay and Lois, all living at home. Mrs. Fry is a member of the Baptist church, and be- longs to the Ladies' Aid Society of the same; she is also a member of Grange No. 1201 of Harmony.

DAVID MITCHELL, who is a prominent and substantial citizen of Clearfield county, Pa., resides on his fine farm of 130 acres which is situated one-half mile west of Curry Run village. He also owns a second farm of 218 acres which lies in Greenwood township, and another II0 acres in this township, Clear- field county, and has besides 340 acres in Bell township, and is a representative of a family that was established in this section in the days of his grandfather. Mr. Mitchell was born in

MR. AND MRS, DAVID MITCHELL

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Burnside township, October 14, 1838, and is acres cleared and under cultivation. After his a son of John and Elizabeth A. (McGee) Mitchell.

John Mitchell was born also in Burnside township, Clearfield county, and died in Kan- sas, at the age of seventy years. In early years he was a blacksmith but did not work long at that trade, engaging in farming in Burnside township where he reared his family. At that time he owned 250 acres of land, which he sold in late middle life and moved to the state of Kansas, where the remainder of his life was spent. He married Elizabeth A. McGee, who was born in Bell township, Clearfield county, a daughter of Rev. James McGee, who was a minister in the Protestant Methodist church. Ten of their family of children still survive, namely: David, Mary Ellen, James, Thomas M., Ann Elizabeth, Margaret, John, Henry and Virgin and Or- lena, twins. The mother of these children died in Kansas when aged sixty-five years. They were members of the Protestant Methodist church.

David Mitchell had but meager school ad- vantages when he was a boy and as soon as old enough he went into the woods and worked at lumbering. He has acquired his position of financial independence entirely through his own efforts and when he says that he never loafed a day in his life, it can easily be seen that persevering industry has had much to do with his success. He had very practical ideas from the start and began buying timber tracts as soon as he had capital, clearing them off and then selling, and as his foresight and judg- ment were excellent, by 1869 he had acquired the means to purchase the farm on which he lives, which was formerly the property of Lewis Smith. He has about 165 of his 800

marriage he had settled on a small place in Burnside township near his timber tract, and lived there until he bought his Greenwood township farm. Other and later purchases were: 130 and 225 acres near Bower; 112 acres of the Hoover farm, and 340 acres in Bell township. He is a stockholder in the Farmers and Traders Bank of Clearfield county and a charter member of the Mahaffey National Bank at Mahaffey, Pa. He has been a very active citizen and has been foremost in all movements to promote the progress and development of Clearfield county. He has served in almost all the township offices and is a man whom his fellow citizens regard with respect and esteem. He is proud of the fact that he has never had a law suit in his life and has lived at peace with his neighbors and friendly with all with whom either business or social life has brought him into contact.

Mr. Mitchell was married December 31, 1863, to Miss Henrietta Weaver, who was born in Burnside township, June 16, 1844, a daughter of James H. and Sarah Ann ( Camp- bell) Weaver. James H. Weaver was born in Union county, Pa., and came to Bell town- ship, Clearfield county, when ten years of age. He became a farmer and earlier was a pilot lumberman and took rafts down the river. He died at the age of eighty-eight years and three months, leaving an estate of 100 acres. He married Saralı Ann Campbell, a daughter of Thomas Campbell, and she accompanied her parents to Clearfield county when eight years old and still survives, residing in Burnside township. She is so well preserved both in mind and body that it is difficult to realize that she is in her eighty-ninth year. Six children were born to Thomas Campbell and wife,

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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY

namely : Henrietta, Francis E., Mary Ke-, iel, who lived at Tremont; Philip, who lived ziah, John Thomas, Harriet Ruth and James in Iowa, and John, who died young. One Lewis, the last named being a merchant at Burnside, Pa. year after his marriage, Martin Kopp left Schuylkill county and started for Karthaus To David Mitchell and wife the following children were born: Harry S., who resides in Burnside township, married Ida Thorp: James Thomas, who lives in Greenwood township, married Nora Rager; John Francis, who is a merchant at Bell Landing, married Gertrude Johnson; Robert Clyde, who lives in the state of Washington; Rosetta, who is a teacher of music; David Attley, who is a physician at Pittsburg, married Blanche Dawson; Sarah Elizabeth, who is the wife of Ernest Miller, of Carlisle, Pa. : Samuel Orvis, who resides at Seattle, Wash .; Della, who lives at home; Mary, who is the wife of Stratton Stevens, of Wilkesbarre, Pa .: Ruth, who is the wife of Henry Hunter ; and Cora, who is a teacher in the Clearfield High School. Mr. Mitchell is a Republican in his political sentiments. He belongs to the order of Odd Fellows at Mahaffey and for thirty-five years has be- longed to Greenwood Grange, of which he is a charter member. township, Clearfield county, journeying to Tyrone by way of the canal and from there by wagon. He bought 150 acres of wild land from Peter Karthaus and had to clear a spot before he could erect his first log house. From this little home, in 1864, went out five soldiers to fight the battles of the country, three of these being Heichels, the fourth being Jacob Hertlin, all boarders, and the fifth being Mar- tin Kopp, and all returned alive. Uriah Clark, Mrs. Kopp's father, enlisted near the beginning of the Civil war, at Lock Haven, Clinton county, as a private in company D. 7th Regt. Pa. Reserve Volunteer Infantry, and also served in Co. E, 190th Regt. Pa. Vol. Infan- try. His period of service was marked with hardship. He took part in many of the most important battles of the war, including Shiloh (where he was wounded in the shoulder), Gettysburg and Roanoke. He was captured by the Confederates at the battle of the Wil- derness, and incarcerated in Andersonville prison, nine months and twenty-one days. There he was kept until little life remained, his exchange coming just in time to preserve it. At Shiloh, where he was wounded, he had a brother killed by his side. His death occurred June 20, 1902, when he was eighty-two years old, and his burial was at Oak Hill.

WILLIAM J. KOPP, one of the leading citizens of Karthaus township, where he is en- gaged in general farming, was born on his present place, July 6, 1855, and is a son of Martin and Caroline (Heichel) Kopp, who, for years were among the most highly re- spected people of this section.

Both parents of Mr. Kopp were born in Germany although in different provinces. Martin Kopp came to America with his par- ents, who settled at Tremont, Schuylkill county, Pa. He had two sisters and four brothers. the latter being: Conrad and Dan-

Martin Kopp married Catherine Heichel, a daughter of Christopher and Johanna Cath- erine (Stein) Heichel. They came to Amer- ica in 1855 and located in Karthaus town- ship, where Mrs. Heichel died in 1869 and her husband in 1879. Mrs. Kopp died September 28, 1909, and her burial was also at Oak Hill.

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Two sons were born to this marriage: Wil- liam J. and Daniel, the latter of whom lives at Newburg, Ore.

William J. Kopp was reared in Karthaus township and attended the local schools. With the exception of four years, during which he was in the far West, Mr. Kopp has always resided here and is one of the best known men of his township. As a citizen he is held in high esteem and is a leader in Demo- cratic politics in this section and has served as assessor, road master and in other offices for a number of years.

On May 21, 1885, Mr. Kopp was married to Miss Annie Nora Clark, who was born at Beech Creek, Clinton county, Pa., and is a daughter of Uriah and Mary (Liggett) Clark. Mr. Clark was born in an old stone house where the Potter House now stands, in Karthaus township. He died at DuBois, Pa., where the mother of Mrs. Kopp still resides. Formerly they resided at Winterburne, Clear- field county. To Mr. and Mrs. Kopp the fol- lowing children have been born: Willard; Margaret, who is a popular teacher in Kar- thaus township; Edward, who is settled on a ranch in Oregon; Mabel Elizabeth, who is a graduate of the township High School, holds a teacher's certificate; and Theresa, Leona, Gaylord, Beatrice, Genivieve and Harvey, twins, Myra. William and Clark. Mr. Kopp and family are members of the Lutheran church at Oak Hill. He is identified there with the lodge of Odd Fellows. With other members of his family, he is a musician of more than usual ability. His father was a skilled violinist, while his brother, Daniel, was an instructor in music. At one time the brothers had a musical organization of their own which was well known locally as Kopp's Band.

REYNOLD LAMONT, owner and pro- prietor of the Mountain House, a well kept and comfortable hotel at Janesville, Pa., was born in Scotland, October 27, 1860, and is a son of Thomas and Elizabeth ( Pollock) La- mont, and a grandson of Daniel Lamont, of Irish descent.

The parents of Mr. Lamont never left Scotland and only two of their family of six children came across the Atlantic to become residents of America, these being Reynold, of this record, and his sister Rachel, who is the wife of William Rumgey. The others are: Catherine, wife of Joseph Reiley; Jennie, wife of Thomas Duffie; Roseann, wife of James Howden; and Elizabeth, wife of John Gor- man.

Reynold Lamont was educated in the public schools of Scotland and in an academy near his home, which he attended for three years. He came to America in his twentieth year and lived first in Lycoming county, Pa., coming from there to Clearfield county, where he has lived for the past twenty-four years. During a large part of this time he has worked in the coal mines but since November 14, 1904, when he purchased the Mountain House, at Janesville, he has devoted himself to hotel keeping. Travelers through this section find excellent entertainment at his hostelry, where a substantial table is set and clean and com- fortable bed-rooms provided. Mr. Lamont has other property, owning real estate at Bec- caria, Pa.

In 1882 Mr. Lamont was married to Miss Catherine Brogan, who is a daughter of Wil- liam and Mary (Crawford) Brogan, natives of Ireland. William Brogan was a miner and lost his life in the mines when his one little daughter was only six weeks old. Mrs. Bro- gan subsequently married James O'Reiley,

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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY

and they had three children: Anna, wife of Charles, who is assistant foreman of the Knox George E. Lambe; Sarah, wife of Burt Bris- Run mine and resides in Lanse; Lars, who is engineer of the Knox Run mine; Gust, who is a resident of Peale and employed as a mi- ner at Grass Flat; Annie, who is single; Amelia, who married Charles A. Carlson, as- sistant foreman of one of the Winburne mines; and Emanuel, who died in Sweden after the family came to America. bine; and Joseph, married to Agnes Hughes. To Mr. and Mrs. Lamont seven children have been born, namely: Thomas, Mary, William, Elizabeth, James, Margaret and Reynold. Mary is the wife of Frank Callan. Mr. La- mont and family are members of the Catholic church at Coalport. In politics he is a Demo- crat but has never been willing to serve in of- fice, at all times having plenty of business of his own to engage his attention. He is a member of Lodge No. 154, L. O. O. M., at Osceola Mills, and of Lodge No. 312, Broth- erhood of America, at Houtzdale, l'a.

ANDREW FRENDBERG, foreman of the Knox Run mine of the Clearfield County Bituminous Coal Corporation, and for more than a quarter of a century a well known resi- cent of Peale, Pa., was born in Dalsland, Sweden, March 18, 1864, and is a son of Lars and Bertha S. Frendberg.

Lars Frendberg was born in Sweden, in March, 1841, and there he followed the occu- pation of farmer. In 1873 he came to .Amer- ica and located at Fallbrook, Pa., where he was employed, in the mines, and was later lo- cated at Stockdale, Arnett, Antrim, Houtz- dale and Clairmont, also spending a short time in Elk county, Pa., having been en- ployed in and around the mines up to 1880. In that year he went back to Sweden for his family, and on July 22nd of that year they all located in MeIntyre. Mr. Frendberg has charge of the boilers of the Knox Run mine, and is still active and in the best of health in spite of his advanced years. Lars and Bertha S. Frendberg had seven children, the first four of whom were born in Sweden: Andrew;

Andrew Frendberg was about sixteen years of age when the family came to America, and he went to MeIntyre, working there until Oc- tober 4, 1884, from there coming to Peale, where he dug coal, laid track and acted as as- sistant foreman under James Adamson and William Creighton, from December, 1884, to February, 1902. At this time he took a course of educational training from the Scranton School of Correspondence, and this enabled him to pass the examination for the position of foreman, which he has held to the present time. Since first starting to work at the foot of Big Plain, about one mile east of Ralston, Mr. Frendberg has made many acquaintances in the coal fields and he is known by all to be a man of capability, honesty and integrity.

On June 7, 1884, Mr. Frendberg was mar- ried to Miss Christina Peterson (or Pierson) daughter of Peter Peterson, who died in June, 1887, in No. 2 drift tunnelside. Mr. and Mrs. Frendberg are the parents of the following children : Annie Elizabeth, born January 31, 1886, who is a graduate of Upsala College of Kennilworth, N. J .: William Robert, born June 21, 1888, who is a student in his sopho- more year at that same institution: Victor Conrad, born January 12, 1892, who is a clerk in the .A. F. Kelly store at Grass Flat. Mr. Frendberg is a member of the Swedish Lutheran church at Peale. In politics he is a

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Republican, and for four years he served as a member of the school board of Cooper town- ship, it being during his term that the hand- some new school building was erected at Win- burne. Fraternally, Mr. Frendberg is con- nected with Moshannon Lodge, No. 391, F. & A. M.

GEORGE YOUNG HALFPENNEY, who has been connected with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company at McGee, Pa., since the station was first opened in 1887, is a well known railroad official, serving as agent here and in other capacities. He was born at Bell- wood, Pa., November 29, 1864, and is a son of Col. John and Mary Ann (Fisher) Half- penney.

wife of William West, of Olean, N. Y .; and Benjamin B., an engineer, who lives at Brad- dock, Pa.

George Y. Halfpenney attended the Bell- wood schools and afterward learned tele- graphing and was an operator at Bellwood for three years. He was then appointed agent at McGee, or McGee's Mills, and opened the of- fice here. In 1908 he engaged with the New York Central Railroad as traveling agent. He is an active citizen in a public spirited and political way and has frequently served as a delegate to conventions of the Republican party. For years he has served as auditor and on the school board, and has also been chairman of the borough vigilance committee for fifteen years.

Mr. Halfpenney was married to Miss Anna May Knoll, who was born February 8, 1872, at Howard, Center county, Pa., a daughter of William and Susan O. (Mahaffey) Knoll. The mother of Mrs. Halfpenney is a daugh- ter of James and Elizabeth (Holter) Mahaf- fey, and she still survives, being in her sixty- third year. After the death of her father, Mrs. Halfpenney, who was one of four chil- dren, was reared in the home of Thomas A. McGee. Mr. and Mrs. Halfpenney have one daughter, Mary Elizabeth, who was born September 23, 1900, and is now in school. They are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and of the Epworth League. Mr. Halfpenney is identified with the Elks at Punxsutawney.

The late Col. John Halfpenney was a prominent figure in Blair county politics for a number of years, being appointed in 1856 on the staff of Governor Pollock, with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He was born April 9, 1809, in Columbia county, Pa., and died in his native state in January, 1881. From 1851 un- til 1875, when his factories were destroyed by fire, he was engaged in manufacturing, and his products, including jeans, woolen cloth and blankets, were known and in wide demand all over the country. In 1856 he moved to Bell- wood and continued in business there until he retired. In his early political life he was a Whig and later became an active worker in the Republican party, in 1875 being elected a county commissioner and serving continu- ously until 1881. He married Mary Ann Fisher, who was born in 1817 and died in GEORGE W. REESE, who carries on gen- eral farming on the old Reese homestead in Covington township, is one of the leading 1891. They had eleven children, George Young being the youngest born. There are two other survivors: Catherine, who is the men of this section and at present is serving

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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY

in the office of township supervisor. He was party may decide. He belongs to the Patrons born here in 1873 and is a son of John and of Husbandry. Mary (Lingle) Reese.

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Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens, Part 95

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