248

BIOGRAPHICAL AND PORTRAIT CYCLOPEDIA

was born September 23, 1845, in the borough of Ebensburg, this county.     He received his education in St. Francis college, at Loretto, this county, from which old and reliable institution he graduated in 1862. His father was a merchant at Ebensburg, and Harry took a position in his father's store, where he remained until about 1866, when having shown his aptitude for business, he was taken into a partnership with his father, remaining with him until the latter's death, which occurred in 1867. He then conducted business for himself and the estate until 1871. Upon the latter date he disposed of his mercantile interests, and emigrated to the State of Iowa, and remained there engaged in agricultural pursuits until September 1872, when he returned to the town of his nativity and formed a partnership with his brother, James A., and went into the foundry business. This partnership continued until September, 1891, when Harry A. became sole owner by purchase of his brother's interest, and has since conducted it alone. Mr. Shoemaker has always been a staunch democrat, and on September 23, 1877, was appointed deputy-sheriff under Sheriff John Ryan, and served in this capacity until 1880. On the completion of Mr. Ryan's term Harry, showing his capacity for public business, was elected in the autumn of 1883 to the office of prothonotary of Cambria county, and served a full term of three years in a manner that reflected credit upon himself, and acceptably to all concerned, as is evidenced by the fact that he was renominated and re-elected for a second term. Since his term of office has expired he has been engaged in the stove and agricultural implement business in Ebensburg.     In May, 1869, he married Lydie Myers, a daughter of John V. Myers, of Pittsburg, and

their union has resulted in the birth of six children, as follows: William, Maude, Philip, Bessie, Edward and Mildred. WILLIAM WILLIAMS, a young attorney of Johnstown, this county, was born January 3, 1863, in Pittsburg, and is a son of Thomas and Margaret (Morgan) Williams. The trans-Atlantic origin of the family of which Mr. Williams is a member is in the little principality of Wales. His paternal grandfather, John Williams, was a native of North Wales, and lived and died in the land of his nativity.     Thomas Williams, father, was born in North Wales on December 25, 1813, and died in Indiana county, this State, April 28, 1878. He was reared in his native country, and, like so many of his countrymen, was an iron-worker by trade, and followed that trade there until 1850, when he sought a new home in America, with its more liberal economic conditions. As Pittsburg was the centre of the great iron industry of this country at that time, he located in that city, and plied his trade there until 1863, when he removed to a farm he had purchased in the vicinity of Pine Flats, in Indiana county, in 1853. He had purchased a large tract of land in that section, and after locating thereon was engaged in the improving of it, and clearing it to cultivation. This led naturally to lumbering, and, in addition to farming and stock-raising, he was for a number of years engaged in that industry. Politically he was a whig, but upon the disruption of that party became a republican, with which party he affiliated the rest of his life. He was a reader and a thinker, and kept well posted on the political issues of the day, but was in no sense a politician.     He was a devout Christian, and a zealous

Title Page

Contents

Image

Index