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/522

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES D a n i e l M. C u r r y, son o f Thom as C. a n d FhoH>e (M usselm an) Curr)', w as born S e p t. 2^, 18 6 1. in Danville, where he passed a ll h is life. H e received a public school edu­ ca tio n and learned the trade o f machinist w h ich he continued to follow, as employe and o w n e r o f works, all his life. H e w as first in bu sin ess as partner with K. H . Vannan. in association with whom he carried on a ma­ ch in e shop and foundry for thirteen or fifteen y e a r s . M r. Vannan retiring at the end of that period, M r. C u rrv purchased his share, becom ing sole owner o^ the business, which he c o n tin u ^ to conduct for four or five years. In 19 0 2 he was associated with Messrs. Price & P u rsel in the organization of the Danville S tru ctu ral Tubing Company, and remained a member o f that concern until his death, June 10 . 1906. T his last named concern w as and is still one of the laigcst employers o f tabor in Danville, and .Mr. C u rry's services in es­ tablishing its affairs upon a solid basis were highly appreciated by his partners, who still c a rry on the business. H e w as considered one of the notably successful men of the borough. M r. C u rry w as a Knight Tem plar Mason, belonging to C ^ lvaiy Commandery, No. 3 7; he w as a past master o f Blue I ^ g e, No. 224. F. & A. M .. and a member o f Danville Chap­ ter, N o. 239, R. A. M.

F O R B E S H A R L E Y V A N N A N is now livin g retired at South Riverside, but still re­ tains targe interests at Danville. Montour Co., P a. H e was born at Glasgow. Scotland. Nov. 24. 18 37, a son o f Jam es and M ary (Binning) Vannan. Jam es Vannan w as in early life a chemist. Coming to the United States in 1842. he learned the machinist’s trade at Carbondale. P a., where he worked until )86.|, the year o f his removal to Scranton. Pa. There he worked until his retirement and continued to reside until his death, which occurred when he was eighty-one and a h alf years old, as he was born Oct. 3 1 . 1806. at A llow ay. Scotland, and died M arch 23, 1888. H e had married at Bathgate. Scotland, on Jan . 25. 1830. M ary Binning, born at Bathgate. Ju ly 24. 1805. who died A u g. 2. 1847. M rs. rannan and the children reniained in Scotland for three years after M r. Vannan canic to this country, w ail­ ing until he had firmly established himself. 'They had the following fam ily: .Mar)' H ut­ ton Eaton, who w as born at Bathgate. Scot­ land. Oct. 3. 18 3 0; Jam es, born at Glasgow, Scotland. Feb. 1, 18 34; Joscph Binning, bom ai I^uriestoii. Scmland, Ja n. 20, 18 36 :

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Forbes I I ., and Thom as Binning, born at G las­ gow, Scotland, N ov. 14, 1839. A fte r the death o f his first w ife M r. Vannan w as m ar­ ried M ay 25, 1849. to M rs. Jan et C raig B rydcn, o f Carbonclalc, Pa. She died and is buried at Forty F ort, Luzerne county. Forbes H arley Vannan grew up at C a r­ bondale, where he attended me public schools. H e learned the trade o f machinist in the D. L. & W. railroad shops, where he was employed fo r nine years, following which he went on the road for a year as an engineer. H e was then with F. K. Haine, working fo r the Penn­ sylvania Railroad Comp.my ( E r ie division) as foreman of the machine shops at Lock H aven, Pa., fo r six months, when he became foreman fo r Charles Graham at Kingston, Pa., and so continued for eight years. F o r the next eight years he was superintendent of the W y­ oming V alley A ianufacturing Company at W ilkes-Barre, Pa., and in 1879 came to Dan­ ville to enter the employ o f W atennan & Beaver, in their iron works, as master me­ chanic. Later, when the Philadelphia & R ead­ ing Railroad Company bought this plant, Mr. Vannan continued with the latter fo r seven years. H e w as with the South Scranton mill at Scranton, Fa., as master mechanic for one year, and w as afterw ard with the North Branch Steel Company and the Mahoning Rolling M ills Company as an engineer at Dan­ ville, until his retirement therefrom, in i < ^. Meantime, in association with Daniel M. Cur­ rv. M r. Vannan bought the foundry and ma­ chine department of the old Malioning R oll­ ing M ills Company, but after a few years sold his interest to M r. Curry. H ow ever, when the latter diwl. M r. Vannan and Thom as J. Price took over the shops and incorporated the Danville Foundry & Machine Company, o f which he has since been president. M r. Vannan designed and built the first locomotive constructed al W ilkes-Barre, while he w as the head of the W voming Valley M an­ ufacturing Company. H is wise and capable supervision of the men under him alw ays gained their confidence and respect, and while he w as superintendent at Danville, in 18 8 1, his men evinced their friendship by present­ ing him a watch, which he cherishes to this day. On Dec. 15. 1859. M r. Vannan m ar­ ried Kmeline Albright P arr, o f Scranton, Pa., who w as bora at Bclvidere, N. J ., in M ay, 18 4 1. daughter o f W illiam and Caroline ( A l­ bright) P arr. M r. P a rr was an iron molder. M rs. Vannan died at 5 iouth Danville, Aug. 3 1, 1 9 1 1, the mother o f children as follow s: