USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens > Part 98
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more year, working still for Mr. Patchen, after which he moved to the farm above men- tioned which has never left the family. It was formerly known as the Jacob Walter place. Mr. Thompson operated in lumber for William Irwin of Curwensville, and later was engaged on his own account in Bell and Greenwood townships and became associated as a member with the Reed, Irwin & Betts Company. He cleared about forty-five acres of this farm, which has now about 100 acres under tillage. The larger part of the remain- ing portion of his life was spent on this farm, although in the meanwhile he made three trips to the far West, visiting Washington, Idaho and California. He was a strong Democrat and had been elected to almost all the town- ship offices, as has his son, Edward A., and for years served continuously on the school board. He was born in January, 1832, and died April 1, 1901, and was buried at Ma- haffey.
R. C. Thompson was married to Rebecca Gressley, who was born March 22, 1840, in York county, Pa., and came to this county when a child. Her parents were Henry and Rebecca Gressley, who came to this county from York county. To this marriage twelve children were born, as follows: Annie L., who is the wife of G. A. Nelson, of Coeur d'Alene Idaho; Edward A .; Joseph B., who resides at Spokane, Wash .: Julia M., who is the wife of Harry Hawkins; Thomas J., who resides, with his family, at Park, Idaho; Harry D., who lives at Winchester, Idaho; Sarah E., who is the wife of G. F. Strausbaugh, of Elk county, Pa .; John B., who is a resident of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho: Fannie E., now de- ceased, who was the wife of William McGee ; Elmira; Sarah Nevada, who married J. A.
Allison, and resides at Gillette, Wyo .; and J. Blair, who is a resident of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
Edward A. Thompson with the other mem- bers of the family attended the district schools in Greenwood township, as did many of those who have been his neighbors ever since. He early became a timber expert and was only fourteen years of age when he made his first trip down the river, accompanying his father, and when he was seventeen he piloted his first raft as far as Lock Haven, on the river. He afterwards worked for Bard & Cassidy and for P. & A. Flynn, having charge of horse arks. After his marriage he settled on a part of the old homestead but later moved to Mc- Gee Mills and engaged in scaling lumber for Isett & Ray, of Altoona, for the Bear Run Lumber Company, and for S. T. Foresman of Williamsport, and had charge of the scaling and purchasing of logs for the firm of Weaver & Betts, Clearfield, Pa. When he resigned from that connection he brought his family back to the homestead and afterward, for several years, was engaged in the timber lands and lumber districts of West Virginia, in the interest of Henry McCormick's Sons Co., and ex-Senator J. D. Cameron, both of Harris- burg, Pa. After he returned to Clearfield county he continued to be interested in lum- bering. He was subsequently appointed ad- ministrator of his father's large estate and still fills that office.
Mr. Thompson was married September 26. 1885, to Miss Rebecca M. Newcomer, who was born in Ferguson township, Clearfield county, Pa., December 30, 1864, and is a daughter of W. H. and Melissa Newcomer. They have three children: Alfred Reed, un- married, who is manager of a store for the
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P. V. K. Coal Company, now the R. M. Peil Coal Company, at Emeigh, Cambria county ; Vaughn, who is the wife of K. Hoyt Thorp, residing 'in Greenwood township and has one daughter, Josephine; and Genevieve, who re- sides at home. In politics Mr. Thompson is a Democrat. He is identified with the Odd Fel- lows at Mahaffey, the Blue Lodge, F. & A. M., at Clearfield, and the Consistory at Wil- liamsport.
SALMON TOZER, a retired farmer liv- ing in Chest township, where for many years he also followed the gunsmith's trade. was born January 3, 1835, in this township, and is a son of Baurch and Rebecca (Campbell) Tozer.
The father of Mr. Tozer was born in the state of New York and died in Chest township in 1866, at the age of sixty-five years. He came to this section with his brother, Andrew Tozer, in 1830, settling near La Jose, where he spent the remainder of his life. His par- ents were Thomas and Jane (Stevenson) To- zer, natives of Maine, who came very early to Pennsylvania and lived first in Clearfield county and then in Indiana county, where they died. The father of Mr. Tozer was a gun- smith by trade. He married Rebecca Camp- bell, who died in her seventy-sixth year. She was a daughter of John and Jane Campbell, of Campbell town, or Pine Creek, Clearfield county. Twelve children were born to this marriage, of which family three survive: Sal- mon : John, who is a clerk in a business house at Brookville, Pa .; and Melissa, who is the wife of John Wherle, a farmer near La Jose. Salmon Tozer attended school in boyhood in Chest township and then learned the gun- smith trade in his father's shop and remained
at home, on what was called the Alger place, until he was eighteen years of age. He then went into business for himself where he now lives. Mr. Tozer has a fine record as a sol- dier. He enlisted in August, 1861, and served two years in the Civil war as a mem- ber of Co. D. 105th Pa. Vol. Inf., which gained a name for bravery as the "Wildcat" regiment. He was in the 3rd Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, under Gen. McClellan. He participated in many of the great battles of the war but was fortunate enough to escape all serious injury. He was honorably dis- charged in 1863 and then returned to his for- mer home and has been more or less en- gaged in farming and in working at his trade until the present time, but is now practically retired. He is a valued member of the John Telford Post, G. A. R., at Westover, Pa. Mr. Tozer has never married.
GEORGE W. READ, one of the enter- prising and progressive farmers and substan- tial citizens of Ferguson township, owns the farm of 120 acres on which he was born. Oc- tober 28, 1875, a son of Emberson and Agnes (Ross) Read.
Emberson Read was born also in Ferguson township, but on an adjoining farm, and spent his entire life in Clearfield county. After marriage he settled in Greenwood township and lived there until after the birth of his first child, and then moved to Ferguson township, where he acquired the farm now owned by his son, George W., and here he died, at the age of fifty-four years. His burial was at Lum- ber City, he being a member of the Presby- terian church there. He was interested in everything that promised to be of substan- tial benefit to his section and was a charter
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member of the Grange at Kerrmoor. He tive of New Jersey, who with several brothers, married Agnes Ross, who survives and re- settled at an early day on the border of Bed- ford and Wyoming counties, Pa., where he fol- lowed the trades of carpenter and millwright, erecting most of the barns and water-mills in that section. In later life he followed farm- ing. sides with her son on the home farm. She was born in Greenwood township, a daughter of George Ross, a well known farmer. Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Read: Ida, Effie, Blanche, George, Frank, Martin and Sadie.
George W. Read was mainly educated at the Friendship school in Ferguson township, later passing three terms in the Kerrmoor schools. He has devoted himself to farming ever since and has kept his buildings repaired and has made improvements as have seemed desirable. Like his father he is one of the in- telligent agriculturists that follow modern methods understandingly and have satisfac- tory profits at the close of the season. He is an active member of Kerrmoor Grange, being one of its charter members. He is a stock- holder in the Farmers and Traders Bank at Clearfield, Pa., and belongs to the body of progressive and public spirited men who or- ganized and financed the Ferguson Township and Lumber City Telephone Company.
In June, 1906, Mr. Read was married to Miss Julia McCracken, who was born October 27, 1884, in Ferguson township, a daughter of Seth McCracken, and they have two children, Diantha and Blanche. Mr. Read is a Prohi- bitionist in his political views, as was his late father, and he has served very acceptably as a member of the township school board for two years.
BERTEN MERRITT, a prominent busi- ness citizen of Cooper township, was born in Bradford county, Pa., June 23, 1839, son of Elijah and Jane Ann (Yearington) Merritt. He is a grandson of Hezekiah Merritt, a na-
Elijah Merritt, father of our subject, was reared in Bradford county, near the Wyoming county line, and was twelve years old when he accompanied his parents to Wyoming county. He learned the carpenter's trade, which he fol- lowed in his younger days, but became a farmer later in life. He died in August, 1874, at the age of eighty-six years. He was a Democrat in politics and was always regarded as a worthy, reliable citizen. His wife, Jane, was of Scotch ancestry, her parents settling in the Wyoming valley. She died in 1844 at the age of forty-four years. Elijah Merritt served as a soldier in the War of 1812. He and his wife were the parents of five children -- George, Elijah, Nelson, Clarinda and Berten, all being now deceased except the subject of this sketch. , George and Nelson came to Clearfield county and died here.
Berten Merritt attended the subscription schools for about four months in his boyhood, but devoted many of his leisure hours to pri- vate study, by which means he obtained a fair practical education. He entered into the lum- ber business in 1862 on the Morgan Run, he and his brother George purchasing the saw- mill of Munson & Hale, which they carried on together for some time. Later our subject bought his brother's interest in the mill and business and, taking a new partner, built a new mill and operated it under the firm name of Merritt & Mitchell. Of this also after a time he became the sole owner; and he still
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owns the land, about 700 to Soo acres-which is underlaid with about five feet of fire clay- a valuable holding. About 1887 he entered into a new partnership under the firm name of B. Merritt & Co., the firm being composed of himself, John F. Weaver, W. W. Betts, and A. B. Weaver, and this concern was operated until about 1899, when Mr. Merritt, with his son George, purchased the business, operating at l'ine Glen, in Center county. The plant was subsequently destroyed by fire, and later Mr. Merritt started business on Morgan Run, conducting it until 1909, when he sold out. He rafted square timber down the river to Wil- liamsport. Forty-nine years of his business life have been spent in this county, two years -from 1860 to 1862-were spent at Philips- burg, Center county. During this time he has helped many business friends by indorse- ments. He is the owner, either entirely or in part. of 125 houses-a substantial result after so many years of effort. He has worked hard all his life and has a thorough practical under- standing of the lumber trade, in which he has a wide acquaintance.
Mr. Merritt was first married. March 4, 1866, to Catherine Coulter, a daughter of John and Mary ( Meriman) Coulter. Her father was of Irish and her mother of Penn- sylvania-German stock, the latter being reared in this county. Her father owned a farm in Woodward township, which he subsequently sold.
Of Mr. Merritt's first marriage to Cather- ine Coulter, six children were born-three sons and three daughters, namely: George. John, June. Howard. Josephine and Martha. whose records in brief are as follows: George Merritt was educated in the district and high schools of Clearfield and read law under Mc-
Enally and McCurdy, being admitted to prac- tice in Clearfield. Going to Oklahoma, he settled in Pawneetown, Pawnee county, where after a short residence he was nominated for judge of the court, but was defeated by fifty- eight votes, leading his ticket. however, by one hundred votes. He married Miss Stella Barrett, of Erie county, Pa., of which there is one child, Mildred.
John Merritt resides at Winburne, Clear- field county. Pa., and is a fireman. He mar- ried Miss Etta Wertz, and has three children. Berten, George and Marguerite. June resides at home. Howard M. is superintendent of schools at Somerset, Pa., being elected for three years, and served one year as principal. He was educated in the public and normal schools at Lock Haven and in Lafayette col- lege, also taking a special course at Columbia University. N. Y. He married Miss Nellic Buzell of Philipsburg, Center county. Pa., and they have three children-one daughter and two sons, namely : Alfretta. Royden, and Donald. Josephine is the wife of .I. E. Hess ot Winburne and has two children, Catherine and George Merritt Hess. Martha is the wife of W. F. Straw of Philipsburg, and has two children, George and Merritt.
Mrs. Catherine Merritt died January 16. 1885, and Mr. Merritt married in December, 1885. Mrs. Jane ( Dixon ) Wiser, a widow, and daughter of James and Sarah Dixon, of this county, both now deceased. Her father died in 1875 and her mother in 1873. Mr. Merritt belongs to the Knights of Pythias. having been a member for two years. He is one of the elders of the Presbyterian church and has always been active in church affairs. He served for fourteen years as school di- rector and assessor of the township one year
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He came to Winburne from Kylertown in McKee, residing in Burnside township. Ben- 1898 and erected his present residence. At jamin Yingling was a miller by trade. In one time he owned all of Winburne and sold part of same to Sommerville. He owns an interest in the butcher shops and is vice-presi- dent of the Bituminous National Bank of Winburne. He erected a saw-mill here and through his instrumentality also the coal bank was opened. Mrs. Merritt had one daughter by her first marriage, Fannie, who is the wife of Charles Lenig, and she and her husband are the parents of seven children: Ruth, Jane, Sallie, Lavina, Berten, Ray and Elizabeth. Mr. Lenig is a carpenter by occupation. 1831 he moved with his family to Clearfield county, settling in Burnside township. He cleared off the timber from 300 acres of land and showed still more enterprise by erecting a saw mill in 1835, which was the first one built in the southern part of the county. In 1852 he erected a larger and more modern mill, near the site of the former one, which he operated for seven years, when it was de- stroyed by fire. He was one of the solid and substantial men of this section in his day, one of the real civilizing factors. From the time of the organization of the Republican party he was actively identified with its movements in local affairs and served in many township of- fices and for fifteen years was a justice of the peace. He was one of the leading members of the Lutheran church in Burnside township.
ISAAC J. YINGLING, a worthy repre- sentative of one of the old and substantial families of Burnside township, Clearfield county, Pa., who is interested in lumbering and farming on the old homestead, on which he was born, October 12, 1845, is a son of Benjamin and Margaret (Hingst) Yingling, and a grandson of Abraham and Mary Ying- ling.
Abraham Yinling, the grandfather, was born July 18, 1770, and died August 9, 1831, probably before his son Benjamin had moved to Clearfield county, in the same year. His wife, Mary, was born October 16, 1777, and died April 12, 1853, and she probably was with the family in its exodus to Clearfield county.
Benjamin Yingling, the father of Isaac J., was born March 1, 1802, and died July 8, 1862. He married Margaret Hingst or Hengst, who was born February 10, 1804. They were natives of Huntingdon county, Pa. They had eight children born to them and ' three sons and one daughter survive, namely : Abraham; Michael, residing in Burnside township: Isaac J .; and Mary, wife of Robert
Isaac J. Yingling obtained his early educa- tion in the subscription and district schools. He then assisted his father in his farming and lumbering enterprises and after the latter's death, continued the same in association with his brother Michael, but has been engaged in business independently since 1869. Like his father, he has been interested in Republican politics, but has never been willing to accept office, his tastes being for a quiet life. On March 9, 1872, Mr. Yingling was married to Miss Ellen McDermott, who was born in 1850, in Indiana county, Pa. She is a daugh- ter of Marshall and Mary (Salsgiver) Mc- Dermott, who were born near Punxatawney, Pa. Mr. and Mrs. Yingling attend the Luth- eran church.
EMORY E. OWENS, who is one of Fer- guson township's representative and substan- tial citizens, owns 450 acres of valuable land
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in Clearfield county and resides on one of his farms which is situated one and one-half miles north of Kerrmoor. He was born on an ad- joining farm, March 17, 1851, and is a son of Thomas and Emeline ( Hile) Owens.
Thomas Owens spent his life in Clearfield county, living in Pike township for a short time after his marriage and then moving to Ferguson township, where he died at the early age of forty-two years, his burial being in the cemetery at New Millport. In his earlier po- litical days he was a Whig but later identified himself with the Republican party. He was a stanch friend of the public schools and served some years as a school director in Ferguson township. He married Emeline Hile, who was a daughter of Henry Hile, Sr. She died at the age of forty-five years and her burial was by the side of her husband. They were members of the United Brethren church. Ten children were born to them, four of whom survive, namely: Clara, Lucy, Nora and Em- ory E. Those deceased are: Robert H., Lo- renzo, Alfred W., Perry, Liman and Henry.
Emory E. Owens obtained a common school education and afterward taught school for five years in Greenwood and Ferguson town- ships, in Clearfield county, and in Jefferson county, and also engaged to some extent in lumbering, this being a leading industry in his early manhood. Since his marriage he has lived on his present farm near Kerrmoor, which he has improved from time to time with substantial and attractive buildings.
Mr. Owens married Miss Lola Schoning, who was born in Jordan township, Clearfield county, a daughter of Ferdinand and Mary (Moore) Schoning, and they have had the following children: Lottie, who is the wife of James Noland, residing in Jordan town-
ship: Alfred and Maude, both of whom are deceased; Chester, who lives in Chester county, Pa., married a Miss Goldthread; Nora, who is a successful teacher in the pub- lic schools of Philadelphia; Ralph, who is a member of the class of 1912, in the Ada (Ohio) Normal School; Leonard, Stanley and Ardie, who are students in the State Normal School at Lock Haven; and Edward and Pau- line, both of whom are students in the Lumber City High School. Mr. and Mrs. Owens are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He belongs to the Grange at Kerrmoor and in his political views is identified with the inde- pendent branch of the Republican party. He has been a member of the school board for eleven years and has also served in the office of constable. In all matters relating to the best interests of his neighborhood, he is al- ways concerned, actuated by public spirit, and he is ever ready to do his full share as a man and citizen.
WALFRID JOHNSON, who has been en- gaged in a general mercantile business at Lanse, in Cooper township, Clearfield county. Pa., for the past sixteen years, was born April 28, 1867, at Lidkoping, Sweden, and is a son of John and Eliza Johnson.
The parents of Mr. Johnson were born, reared and married in Sweden and there the father died. The mother still survives and is now aged seventy-three years. She was mar- ried second to Carl Sunberg, who is now in his seventy-ninth year and they reside with Mr. Johnson. The latter has one sister, Mrs. L. J. Anderson, who is a resident of Allport, Pa.
Walfrid Johnson landed at the port of New York, from Sweden, on June 5, 1887, and
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came thence to Clearfield county, Pa., finding employment in the Morrisdale mines. He made his home at Allport and worked four years in the mines but after being sick there for several years, in 1895 he came to Lanse. He had very small capital at this time but the place was just started and he was the first merchant and managed his early business af- fairs so well that he prospered and is now the leading merchant in the town. He served ten years as postmaster and then resigned that of- fice in order to give all his attention to his busi- ness. He erected his business house and car- ries a large and carefully selected stock. His standing is high in business circles and his sig- nature placed at the bottom of a legal paper now possesses value. He has every reason to take some pride in his success as it is the result of his own unaided' efforts.
In 1891 Mr. Johnson was married to Miss Catherine Olson, a daughter of Olaf Olson, of Allport. Mrs. Johnson died in the summer of 1904, having been the mother of four children, namely: Rudolph, Anton, and Ebba and An- nie (twins), the last named dying at the age of four months. Mr. Johnson was married secondly in September, 1906, to Miss Mary Lyon, a daughter of Andrew Lyon, of Cooper township, and they have one son, Iver Wal- frid. Mr. Johnson is a member of the Swed- ish Evangelical Lutheran church at Lanse. In politics he is a Republican and has served as a member of the school board of Cooper town- ship. He is actively interested in all that con- cerns this section and is a well known and in- fluential citizen.
JOHN ANDREW MAGEE, a retired farmer and an honored veteran of the Civil war, for many years has been a resident of
Burnside township, Clearfield county, Pa. He was born in Clarion county, Pa., November 9. 1832, and is a son of William and Sarah (Palmner) Magee, and a grandson of John A. Magee.
William Magee was born in Clarion county, Pa., of Irish parentage. His life was one of industry, his business being farming and lum- bering. He died early, in 1834, when his son, John Andrew, was only two years old. He had married Saralı Palmer, who survived him many years, her death occurring in 1890. Her father came from the Isle of Man.
John Andrew Magee attended school for a short time in his boyhood, but as soon as his strength permitted, began to take care of him- self by his own industry and afterward learned the carpenter's trade. In the meanwhile he married and with his wife and family spent some three years in the West, working at his trade in different places. When the Civil war broke out, Mr. Magee and family were in Iowa, and there he enlisted for three years, entering Co. I, 15th Ia. Vol. Inf. He saw much hard service, including many desperate battles and made the memorable march to the sea with General Sherman, and on October 3. 1862, he was seriously wounded, at Corinth, Miss. At the expiration of his term of en- listment he was honorably discharged and was mustered out at Davenport, Ia. From there Mr. Magee came to his present farm, which he not only cleared but has greatly im- proved. Here he carried on farming and stockraising until he passed his responsibilities to younger hands and is now enjoying a pe- riod of well earned rest. He is a valued mem- ber of the G. A. R., Post No. 40, Cherry Tree.
Mr. Magee married Miss Caroline Brickell, who was born December 6, 1835, in the State
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY
of New York, a daughter of John and .Ann Maria ( Underdunk ) Brickell, old New York state people, probably of Holland ancestry. Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Magee, namely: Thomas, who married Mary Vasbinder, and has three children and two grandchildren: Mary, who is the wife of S. Wilson, of Cherry Tree, and has six children and eight grandchildren: Cordelia, who is the widow of C. Lockard, and has five children and six grandchildren; Luella, who married George Lydic, a farmer in Burnside town- ship. and has five children: John, who is the home farmer, married Maud Lydic and has one child, Mona: Cora, who is the wife of Thomas Frank, of Slabtown, Pa., and has three children, and three children who are de- ceased. Mr. Magee can take much pride in his fine family of vigorous descendants for they are creditable to their ancestry and com- munity. Mr. Magee is a leading member of the Methodist Episcopal church in Burnside township. In politics he is a Democrat and has served as a member of the school board and also as township supervisor.
LEWIS C. ROBBINS *. general farmer and well known citizen of Knox township, re- sides on his finely cultivated and well im- proved farm of fifty-four acres, which is sit- uated two miles southwest of Olanta, Pa. His parents were George W. and Margaret E. (Bloom) Robbins. Ile was born October 16. 1848. in Clearfield county, Pa.
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