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/464

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COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

children: Philip P ., bom Sept. 27, 1 8 1 0; and the old M aus home, one of the oldest and John M., bom in 18 12, who in 1822 married most beautiful residences in Montour county. Rebecca C ray, born in [8 12. Jo$eph Maus died Ju ly 26, 1867, his w ife surviving until C H A R L E S P. H A N C O C K, a dry goods M ay 20, 1872. merchant o f Danville, was bom in that I'hitip R Maus w as born Sept. 27, 18 10, in borough Feb. 5, i860, son o f William and ‘ailey (ownsbip, was a farm er and miller at M ary (R e a y ) llancock. The Hancock fam­ M au:^ale all his life, amassing a handsome ily is o f English extraction and considerable competence, and died at Danville, lul;*- 3, 1891. prominence m both G reat Britain and the In M ay, 1838. he married Sarah Gallagher, United States. a native o'f Lycom ing county, Pa., o f Scotch* T he paternal grandfather resided at LainesIrish and German extraction, daughter of ficld, Staffordshire, England, fo r many years, William and >Margarct Gallagher, early set­ engaged as a clerk at the Spring Dale Iron tlers o f that county. S ix children, four sons W orks, located near Bilston, England, for a and two daughters, were born to Mr. and Mrs. long period, l^ te r . becoming an expert ac­ Maus. all dying in infancy but Philip Eugene. countant, he branched out and scr%’^ many When the first building of the Grove iTes- important concerns. H is two sons, Jam es byterian Church (once called the Mahoning and William, both came to the United States, Presbyterian Church), a log structure, w as locating at Danville. .Montour Co.. P a.. Inii erected, the logs were s c o r ^ and hewed by Jam es relum ed to his native land, his stay in George Maus. Isaac Boudman and Thomas Danville being limited. Hughes. T his building was used up to 1826, illiam Hancock, father of Cliarles P. when a larger one w as put up. The congre­ Hancock, w as bom in Laincsfield, Stafford ­ gation was organized in 1785, and among the shire, England, about 18 12. Growing up m families connected with it. many o f whose the iron trade he became an expert as stock descendants have continued to worship in the taker and iron finisher, and his ability along old church, we find mentioned the Mauses and these lines was widely recognized. W hen the Montgomery’s. .Montour Iron W orks o f Danville cam e into I’hitip Eugene M aus w as born M ay 22, existence it w as lo carry out the ideas of 1852. on the homestead farm in Valley town­ some o f its organizers that p ^ iron could Ik ship. H e began attending school in Danville, manufactured with anthracite. A rolling where he w as a pupil at the Kelso Institute, mill was built in 1844. with A. j. V'oris as and also went to the Chambcrsburg academy general builder and Henry Hrevoost as super­ (under Dr. Shoem aker), and to the Tusca­ intendent. While these men were capable in rora academy for three years. He commenced their several lines, it was necessary' to secure business on his own account us a lumber the services o f experts lo carry out the pro­ dealer, but came home to assist his father on posed experiments. In order to secure them account of the lalter's health, becoming book­ a man was sent lo Sunderland. England, and keeper and business manager, and they con­ brought back with him two of the best men ducted the flour and feed mill together for in their line. W illiam Hancock and John some time. Then the son look over the busi­ Foley. In 1844 these two men arrived at ness, which he c.trried on alone fo r a period of Danville, and taking charge o f (he plant Ikten years, retiring at the end o f that time gan operations at once. 'I'heir expcrintents and renting the mill. Like the members o f resulted in the production o f what is known this familv generally, he has been a .strong as (he T rail, now universally used. T h e U influence (or progress in his community, up­ rail had been the only thing o f its kind in use holding high standards o f citizenship and in prior to the discovery of the experts at the the regsilar round o f his ordinary' duties assist­ Montour Iron W orks, but the new invention ing in the advancement of the general wel­ was so much its superior that it supplantc<l fare. H e is a Knight Tem plar Mason, be­ the U rail, and was put into general use all longing to Blue Lodge No. 224 and Calvary over the world. These rails were thereafter made under Commandery No. 37. I’ oHtically he is a R e­ (lie personal supen'ision o f Mr. Hancock. %vho publican. In 1878 M r. M aus married -Mary K. I.ein- had c h a ^ e of the straightening and finishing, iKtch o f M cEwensvilte, Northumberland Co.. and in this capacity he esiab li^ ed him self in Pa., who is o f German descent, being a daugh­ railroad circles as a man o f unusual ability ter o f John B. and M ary (D unkcl) Leinbach. and expert efficiency. In 1847. with John o f that countv. Mr. and Mrs. Maus live at Folev. he formed the firm o f Hancoi-k &