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/481

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES John Boyd, grandfather o f Daniel M.* w as apprenticed to a tanner* and soon a fte r his apprenticcship ended enlisted in the w ar for independence* ser>*eil the colonists' side wilh distinction, w as honorably discharged in 1782* and w as afterw ard appointed general of the Ist Brigade* 3d Division* of the Pennsylvania State Militia* by the govcm or. H e married* Dec. 18* 1782. M ary, daughter o f Jam es Cowan* o f Chester county* and they had these children: Jane* Joseph, William* lames* John C.» M ar)’* Hannah and Kliza. A fte r his mar­ riage he established a tannery at W est F aL lowficid, Chester county* which he conducted until his death. H e w as at one time a mem­ ber of the Legislature, and he attended the Presbyterian Church* o f which he w as a rul­ ing cider* John C. Boyd, father o f Daniel M.* was bom at W est Falluwfield* Chester county* and grew to manhood on the home farm* helping his father in the tannery. On 18, 1820, he married Hannah, daughter o f Ckn. Daniel •Montgomery, the founder o f Danville, moved to that place and entered (he business o f storekeeping. H is w ife having received from her father the farm now known as "B o y d 's” he* in 1824, sold out his store and retired from nterchandising to cultivate the homestead. He erected on it a large and artistic mansion and added to the farm until it comprised almost nine hundred acres* most o f it under cultiva­ tion. With the assistance o f his sons and his father-indaw he promoted the Danville & Pottsville railroad,built a furnace at Shamokin* and was interested in other projects o f public utility. A fte r a life o f more than average usefulness he died un Aug. 18* 1849* at the age o f fift^'-six. H is children w ere: M ary L.* w ife o f W illiam Neat* proprietor of the Neal Furnace at Bloom sbui^: Daniel Monlgomery, named after his gran d fath er; Hannah E liz a; Jam es* who married I^iuisc* daughter o f Rev. J . W . Yeom ans; Jam es A lexander, who m ar­ ried a M iss Titus* o f Fhiladelphia; Cliristianna, w ife o f Col. W illiam M cC lu re; and Joseph C., who married Anna* daughter of W'illiam Butler, o f Danville. Daniel Montgomery Boyd w as bom on the ohl homestead, in Rush township, Northumlicrland county* two miles from r>anvillc. H e w as the second child in the family. H e ac­ quired most o f his education in the Danville Academ y, founded by Gen. W illiam Mont­ gom ery, his great-grandfather. A fte r gradu­ ation he went to Pottsville and entered the coal business. Soon his capacity fo r organiza­ tion l>ccame evident and he w as associated

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with the oiKning of the Shamokin coal basin* built the lirst improved coal breaker* con­ structed railroads* and w as one of the promi­ nent operators of the day. In 1862 he went to liavrc-de-Grace* Md.* and started a line o f vessels in the coal shipping trade* plying from that port to the South, but in 1881 he w as obliged to retire, because o f ill health, anil returned to Damn Ilc. Recovering some o f his vigor he interested himself in the prin­ cipal industries of the town* becoming presi­ dent of the F irst National Bank and of the Danville N ail Company. H e w as also presi­ dent of the board o f trustees of the Stale Hospital for the Insane* but resigned when declining health prevented his active* partici­ pation in its affairs. In the winter o f 1897-98 he w as seized with a severe attack of the grip, from which he never fully recovered, his death occurring Ju ly 4* 1899. Mr. Boyd w as twice married, first to Caro­ line* daughter o f Samuel Bockius* o f Germ an­ town* Pa., in 1869. A fte r her death* in 1878* he m arried Ida, daughter o f Joseph W. and Esther A. (Slo an ) Cottrell, the form er a pros­ perous merchant o f Columbia, P a. B y this union he had two children: Daniel Montgom­ ery* deceased; and E lsie M. M r. Boyd and his fam ily were all members of the P resby­ terian Church* o f which he w as a trustee. He w as a member of the Republican party all his life. S A M U E L W IG F A L L * o f Bloomsburg* president o f (he Bloomsburg & Sullivan R ail­ road Company, has been associated with that company fo r over twenty years, in his present capacity since 1904. There is scarcely any one enterprise o f sim ilar magnitude which has had greater local value than this road. Bring­ ing new life and jx>ssibilities to the towns along the route, affording transportation fa­ cilities for (he agricultural and manufactured products of the vicinity, and a means o f com­ munication long desired by the people o f this region, it has been a success from the very beginning and (he steady patronage it lu s a l­ w ays received is sufficient to show how desir­ able and popular a convenience it has been. M r. W igfall has proved an able executive* and his business qualities have won him deserved recognition in his atloptcd home. H e is a native o f Philadelphia, born Sept. 2* (866* and his father, Samuel W igfall* spent all his active life in that city* where he w as con­ nected with the F irst National Bank. He died A pril 2, 1885. T o him and his w ife M ary L. (Jackso n )* who survives him* were bom two