Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.pdf/320

 280

COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

who is slil) alive and has a large family, is about forty-seven years o ld; John* who is about two years younger and has also a laige fam ily; Daniel* who is still two years younger than John and has a fam ily; Alexander, who died about one year old. "A bout twenty-two months a fte r her de­ cease 1 married Isabella Evans, a most dis­ tinguished and delightful woman, by whom I had issue* Robert* boni in A pril, 17 7 3; H an­ nah, born the 22d o f Jan uary, 17 7 5; A lex­ ander. bom October 8, 1777* and Margaret, l)om January' 8* J784. The three former are still living* but she died soon after her mar­ riage with Thomas Woodside. Their mother was called aw ay from me in August, 179 1, and in .April* 1793. I married a worthy and eminent wom an; her maiden name was Boyd* and she was the widow' o f Col. Mathew Boyd, by whom she had issue* Jdlin, who died with the dysentery* aged about twenty-three years; also* Rebekah. who is married to Kev. John B. Patterson* Itvcs happily and is raising a fine family. But I have had no issue by my present w ife nor has any uneasiness arisen in consequence o f it. N or can it be said that any o f .my children have had step-mothers, being alw ays treated with as much tcndemess and respect as they could have expected from their own mothers. .Another instance o f my happiness, anti for which I ought to be very thankful, is the untarnished morality o f my children, and the [>eace and harmony that has alw ays subsisted among them. "ITirough all this long life I have l>ccn abundantly provided for* have enjoyed honor enough unsought hy any other means than honestly endeavoring to do my duty to my God and my country—great health and much comfort* retaining my natural powers w'ith lit­ tle diminution until about five or six years past, since when I feel sensibly the advances o f age. But I hope that goodness and mercy which have followed me through life will not forsake me when gray hairs appear, but con­ tinue to conduct me down to death* after which, through the merits o f our Lord Jesu s Christ alone and the mercy o f God our Saviour* I hope to obtain eternal rest and happiness.

ville, where Philip Benzbach now lives. H e was a painter and said to be a very good one. G bk. D a n i e l M o n t g o m e r y was the third son of the above Gen. William Montgomery, and W'as fifteen years old when his father brought hts fam ily to Danville to reside. When only tw'cnty-five years o f age, under the guid­ ance and assistance of his father* l^ n ie l Montgomery opened the first store in i>anville. Soon he was the trusted merchant and factor o f a wide circle o f patrons. T his first store building w as where the "M ontour House” now' stands. On N ov. 27, 1791* Daniel Montgomery married M iss Christiana Straw bridge. T he next year he laid out the tow'n o f Danville— the part cast o f M ill street. The new' tow*n received its bapti.smal name from the abbreviation of his Christian name, through the partiality o f his customers. I'rom this time until his death he was the most prominent man in this part of the State. Elected to the l.egislature in 1800, he at once took his father’s place as a trusted leader in the (mblic enterprises and politics o f his dis­ trict. B y leading men throughout the State he was recognized as a man o f great influence in wisely shaping public affairs. During his active political life o f many years he carried on his extensive mercantile cstablisliment* pur­ chased and owned large tracts of Und. In 1805 he was lieutenant-cokmel in (he 81 si I*ennsylvania Militia. He w as ap(>ointed major-general of the 9th Division Ju ly 27* H e was the chief promoter in the building o f turnpike roads in this portion of the State. Elected to Congress in 1807 as a Democrat* he sen*cd out nis term ably and acceptably and declined a rcclection. He W'orkcd t^ cicn tly for the division o f N onhum1 >crbnd county and the erection o f Columhia and Union counties; Danville w as made the county seat of Columbia county, and the father and son donated the land for the county buildings, and contributed laigciv in money towards their erection. In 1823. though strongly urged by prominent men all over the State, he declined 10 stand fo r the office of governor. In 1828 he was appointed one of the canal commissioners* and it w as w'hilc he W'as in this office that the great internal State W m . M o s t (X)M k h y . improvements were inaugurated — among others the North Branch canal w as located •‘ Note this year the woolen factory at Dan­ and well advanced tow*ards completion. He was a laigc stockholder and a strong promoter ville established under my care.” D a n i e l M o n t w i m e r y * b ro th e r o f G en. W i l ­ of the Dananllc Bridge Company* completing lia m M o n tg o m e r y, c a m e w ith h is b r o th e r fr o m the bridge in 1829. H e o rig in a te the project t e s t e r co u n ty a n d f o r a lo n g tim e liv e d in of the Danville & Pottsville railroad and was Resides ad­ an o ld fr a m e h ou se on W a t e r stre et. D a n ­ first president of the company.