Franklin County Pennsylvania Biographies
| GEORGE MAGEE, farmer, P.O. Amberson's
Valley, represents one of the old time families, who came to the Valley over
a score of years prior to the Revolutionary period. Patrick Magee, his
grandfather, was born in Ireland, where he married a Miss Hall, daughter
of James hall, and with her and one child, John, immigrated to America, and
settled on the farm now owned by our subject, and there died. He reared the
following children: John, George, James Adam, William, Alexander, Patrick,
Nancy, Mary and Nicolai. Adam, the father of our subject, was born on the
homestead in 1779, being the third son. The farm was left to him and his
younger brother, Alexander, whose interest he subsequently purchased. Upon
this farm he spent his life, and died August 9, 1854. His wife was Martha
Appleby, who was born near Shade Gap, a daughter of John Appleby. George
Magee, our subject, was reared on the farm, and remained with his father
until his death, and worked for him. March 27, 1847, he married Margaret
J. Taylor, who was born April 18, 1825, a daughter of Thomas and Hannah (Adams)
Taylor, and they have one child, William A. Mr. Magee is a member of the
Presbyterian Church, and has served as trustee and deacon for several years.
He is a Democrat, the political faith of his father. Our subject's son, William
A., married Margaret, a daughter of Robert McVitty, and five sons and two
daughters have been born to them: Clinton A., Emma, Robert C., Franklin G.,
Joseph, William and Cora M. George Magee has filled several positions of
trust in the township; he is a Democrat in politics.
History of Franklin Co., Pennsylvania, published by Warner, Beers & Co., Chicago, IL, 1887, p. 749-750. . - Transcribed and Donated by Carol Parrish |
| JACOB SNIVELY, retired farmer, P.
O. Fayetteville, was born in Greene Township, this county, on the old family
homestead. His great-grandfather came from Switzerland about 1750, and died
in Philadelphia, on this arrival in this country; he had three sons: John,
who never married; Henry, who married, and has wealthy descendants living
near Lancaster City; Jacob, who came to Franklin County, in 1805, and bought
200 acres from David Eby, who had a distillery on the place. Jacob married,
in Lancaster County, Barbara Linder, of Swiss descent, and who died aged
sixty-eight; he died at the age of seventy-three. They had eight children
who reached maturity: John, Jacob, Henry, David, Elizabeth, Nancy, Barbara
and Samuel; of these Jacob married, here, Maria Rhode, of German descent,
who died at the age of forty-three years, the mother of five children, who
came to maturity. Jacob Jr., married for his second wife, Catherine Crider,
and died at the age of eighty-eight years. He was a farmer and owned half
of the homestead, the other half being the property of his brother John.
He was a Democrat, served as supervisor of Greene Township; was a member
of the United Brethren Church, and made his house a stopping place for ministers
of that denomination. Of his children, Jacob, our subject, continues to reside
on the old homestead.
History of Franklin Co., Pennsylvania, published by Warner, Beers & Co., Chicago, IL, 1887, p. 790-791.
. Transcribed and Donated by Carol Parrish |
| HENRY STRICKLER, Greencastle. The
Stricklers of this county are of German-Swiss descent, and came here from
York County, Penn., near the Lancaster County line. Henry Strickler was the
first of the name to _____ in this county, settling near Greencastle in the
year 1807. His children were Martha, Elizabeth, Henry, Joseph, Barbara, Susan,
Mary and Sarah. Joseph married Mary Snively, and their children were namely;
Henry, our subject; Joseph B. and Abraham H. Snively was a lawyer by profession
and practiced in Chambersburg for a number of years; published the leading
Republican newspaper of the county, the Repository and Transcript (now the
Repository), for a short time; afterward removed to Greencastle, where he
died. Joseph B. followed merchandising at Greencastle for some years; was
a first lieutenant in Company C, Second Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry,
in 1861; moved to Nemaha County, Neb., in 1872, and is farming. Abraham H.
is a prominent physician, living in Waynesboro, whose biography will be found
elsewhere in this volume. Henry Strickler, the subject of this sketch, a
grandson of the pioneer, Henry and a son of Joseph and Mary (Snively) Strickler,
the latter a daughter of Peter and Elizabeth (Hollinger) Snively, was born
two miles east of Brown's Mill, in Antrim Township, this county, February
28, 1834, and at the age of eighteen began learning the saddler trade at
Greencastle, afterward finishing his apprenticeship at Martinsburg, Va. In
1861 he became bookkeeper in the office of the Repository and Transcript,
in Chambersburg; in August, 1862, under the call for nine months' volunteer
troops, he resigned his position and enlisted in defense of the Union in
Company K, One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry,
and when mustered in at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, Penn., was made a sergeant.
The company at once moved to the front, and was made part of the Army of
the Potomac. At the battle of Fredericksburg, Va., December 13, 1862, the
company was in the division commanded by Gen. Humphrey in his noted charge
on the stone wall at "Marie's Heights." In this charge he was severely wounded
in the left arm by a minie-ball from the enemy, the ball entering the wrist
and passing out at the elbow, shattering the arm and necessitating immediate
amputation. In 1863 he received the nomination, and was elected register
and recorder of the county for the term of three years; was re-elected in
1866, serving two terms. In March, 1872, he was appointed and commissioned
general United States store-keeper of internal revenue, and in January, 1877,
deputy collector of internal revenue for the district composed of Franklin
and other counties; held the latter position until July, 1885. He was married
December 24, 1883, to Miss Anna M. Fleming, a daughter of William Wallace
Fleming, of Greencastle. They have two children: Mary Ida and Arthur Fleming.
Mr. Strickler is a member of the Christian Church and Mrs. Strickler of the
Presbyterian.
History of Franklin Co., Pennsylvania, published by Warner, Beers & Co., Chicago, IL, 1887, p. 732-733.
. Transcribed and Donated by Carol Parrish |
| REV. JAMES B. WEIDLER, pastor
of the United Brethren Church, Greencastle, is a native of Southampton Township,
this county, born in April, 1850, and is a son of Reuben and Catherine (Holl)
Weidler. Our subject obtained his literary education in the common and select
schools of his native township, and at the normal school at Shippensburg.
He began teaching school January 1, 1871, in Warren Township, and followed
that calling until March, 1881, having taught eleven terms, eight of them
in Porter Township, Schuylkill County. During the last two years of his teaching
he studied theology, preparing himself for the ministry, and in March, 1881,
took charge of the United Brethren Church of Path Valley, this county, and
supplied that congregation as their minister for four years. In the spring
of 1885 he was appointed by the conference pastor of the Greencastle United
Brethren Church. Mr. Weidler was married in October, 1875, to Sarah E. Swab,
a daughter of Jacob W. Swab, of Dauphin County, Penn.
History of Franklin Co., Pennsylvania, published by Warner, Beers & Co., Chicago, IL, 1887, p. 733.
Transcribed and Donated by Carol Parrish |
| WILLIAM H. SNIVELY, Greencastle,
was born February 5, 1843, a son of Samuel and Susan Snively, the former
a son of Andrew and the latter a daughter of Jacob Snively, who was the son
of Joseph Snively, Andrew and Joseph being the sons of Jacob Snively. Our
subject was reared to and learned the vocation of a farmer. September 3,
1862, when nineteen years of age, he enlisted in the Union Army during the
war of the Rebellion, in Company K, One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Regiment
Pennsylvania Volunteers, and served until the expiration of his term of
enlistment, which was nine months. In October, 1863, he again enlisted, this
time in Company K, Twenty-first Pennsylvania Cavalry, and served until the
end of the war, making in his two enlistments nearly two years' service.
He was in the battle of Chancellorsville (where he was taken prisoner and
held twelve days, when he was paroled) and in several skirmishes; he was
with the Army of the Potomac throughout the whole time of service. He returned
home in 1865. In 1872 he was married to Miss Nannie Gearhart, and they have
one child, Mary Georgietta, born in December, 1874.
History of Franklin Co., Pennsylvania, published by Warner, Beers & Co., Chicago, IL, 1887, p. 732.
Transcribed and Donated by Carol Parrish |
JACOB S. SNIVELY, county commissioner, P. O. Chambersburg, was born in Antrim Township, this county, January 3, 1837, the second son of Samuel and Susan Snively. He was educated in the public schools and Fayetteville Academy, and was reared on the home farm to agricultural pursuits. He married, December 4, 1856, Margaret H., daughter of Squire Peter Snider, a former well known resident of Guilford Township, this county. Mr. Snively remained at home until October 16, 1862, when he raised Company D, One Hundred and Fifty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, of which he was elected first lieutenant; he served out his term of enlistment and was mustered out at Harrisburg August 12, 1863. He again enlisted in 1864, this time in the Twenty-first Pennsylvania Cavalry, and served until the close of the war, being mustered out at Lynchburg, Va., in July, 1865. Mr. and Mrs. Snively are parents of seven children: Clara B., S. F., Sprague E., Harry (deceased), Bertha C. (deceased), Claud (sic) S. and Stuart M. (deceased). The eldest son, S. F., a lawyer in Duluth, Minn., is a graduate of Dickinson College and of the law department of the university of Philadelphia; the second son, Sprague E., is engaged in mining in Leadville, Col.; the others are at home. Mr. Snively was elected county commissioner in 1884, a position he still fills. He is much interested in school matters and has been school director for several years. He and his family are members of the Methodist Church. In politics, he is a Republican. History of Franklin Co., Pennsylvania, published by Warner, Beers & Co., Chicago, IL, 1887, p. 732. Transcribed and Donated by Carol Parrish |
| Transcribed and Donated by Carol Parrish |
| Transcribed and Donated by Carol Parrish |