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/518

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES When he was eleven years o f age his parents moved to Wilson, Kans., where ac the age of fifteen he w as taken into the employ o f his father as bookkeeper and clerk in the Bank o f Wilson. H e rapidly acquired a thorough knowledge of the banking business, and in Jan u ary, 18 9 1, came to Danville as bookkeeper for the Danville National Bank. Ot) N ov. 2 1, 1894, he w as elected assistant cashier, and on Ju ly 15, 1897, was elected cashier, and con­ tinues at present to discharge the responsible duties o f that office. H e has also served as president of the board o f trustees of the Thomas Beaver Free Library, treasurer of the Danville State Hospital, and treasurer and manager of the Consumers' Gas Company. H e is now a director of the local Y . M . C . .A., a trustee of the Bloomsburg State N ornul School, and a member o f Ihe board o f trustees of the Grove Presbyterian Church. On OcL 1 1, 1894. M r. Youngman was n u r­ ried to Anna M . Gearhart, daughter o f Bon­ ham K . and M ary Louise (Y o rk s) Gearhart, D r. M cAtee, pastor o f Grove Presbyterian Church, Danville, perform ing the ceremony. T hey have three ch»ldren; M ary Louise, John Bonham and Emma Margaret. M r. Young­ man is a past master o f Mahoning Lodge, No. 5 16, F. & .A. M ., past high priest o f Danville Chapter, No. 229, R. .A. M ., past commander o f C alvary Commandery. No. 37, K. T .. D i­ vision Commander of the Eighteenth D ivi­ sion of the Grand Commandery o f Knights Tem plar o f Pennsylvania and a member o f !rem Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S ., o f WilkesBarre. M r. Y ou ngnu n’s father, the late Afaj. John C. Youngman, shortly a fte r the Civil w ar cam e to Danville and entered the employ of the First National Bank. Later he went to Hazleton as an officer of the Pardee, Markle & G rier bank. About that time he was m ar­ ried to Hannah J. G rier, daughter o f Michael C. G rier. Besides M. G rier there were five children in the fam ily, the others being: G eorge C ., cashier of the Turbotville National B a n k; John M.. o f Chicago; M ary G ., w ife o f P ro f. G. C. L. Riemer. o f Lewisburg, P a .; Je a n, o f Elw yn, P a .; and Emma P ., o f Dan­ ville. G E O R G E M. G E A R H A R T, deceased, was best known in lin v ille through his associa­ tion with the Danville National Bank, with which he w as connected from 1864, for many years as cashier and assisun t cashier. Mr. G earhart belonged to an honored old family o f Northumberland county. Pa., where he was 2,

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born M arch 18, 18 4 1, in Rush township, son o f Bonham K. and Elizabeth S. (B o yd ) Gearhart. Ih c Gearharts have been numerous and prominent io Northumberland county since shortly a fte r the d o se of the Revolutionary war, and one townsliip of the county has b c w named in their honor. T w o broUiers, Jacob and William Gearhart, came to Northumber­ land county about 1790, the form er settling in what is now Gearhart township, the latter in Kush township. Jacob Gearhart was bom in 17 3 5 m Sirasburg, then a city o f F'rance, now belonging to (icraiany, and came to the New W orld when a young man, landing at New Y ork in 1754. l i e soon crossed over into Hunterdon county, N . J ., where he made his home fo r many years. When the Revolution broke out he was among the first to offer bis services to his adopted country, enlisting in 1775, Hunterdon county volunteers, with which he ser'cd as a private. A man o f brave and fearless spirit, he w as soon promoted to en­ sign and later to captain of the 2d N ew jerse y R a im e n t, and stood so high tn the conhdcnce o f his superior officers that he was one of the two New Jersey men chosen by Washington to take charge of the crossing of the Dela­ ware on the eventful night o f Dec. 25. 1776, when the Hessian camp at Trenton was at­ tacked. T he other w as Captain Van Tcnyck. A fte r the crossing had been effected the boats were placed in their charge, with orders to destroy them should the expedition prove a failure. Captain (icarhart also took part in the battle of the Brandywine and spent the hard winter o f 1777-78 with Washington at V alley Forge. A t the close of the w ar he returned to his old home in Hunterdon county, N. J ., but a few years later he joined the tide o f emigration which look many west­ ward from New Jersey into Pennsylvania and from the eastern counties o f Pennsylvania farther out. Between 1785 and 1795 many families from that region settled in what arc now Rush and Gearhart townships, Northum­ berland county, among them those o f C a p t Jacob Gearhart and his brother William. In 178 1 the form er came W est on a prospecting tour, and he brought his fam ily out later. In 1790 (another account says 178 2) the Captain and his fam ily left Hunterdon county by wagon train. l«ate one afternoon they came to a deserted Indian hut close by a fine spring, on the farm now owned by Mrs. I. II. T o r­ rence. a great-granddaughter of the Captain, and decided to ramp fo r the night. When