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/679

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COLUMBIA AXD MONTOUR COUNTIES

took a trip to England in the hope o f benefit­ ing her health, but without relief. Formerly a niembcr of the M. E. G iu rch in Philadel­ phia. she )oine<l S t. Pau l's Episcopal Oturch in Kloontsliurg, and Rev. M r. M usser, the pastor, officialeil at her funeral. She is sur­ vived by her daughter and a sister, Miss Eliza­ beth Lathlcan, o f Exeter. England. A. P H I L I P Y O U N G has been a leader in the p r t ^ c s s o f agricultural interests in his section o f Pennsylvania fo r several decades, and his success in enthusing others to a proper appreciation of the dignity and value o f in­ telligent fann in g has gone hand in hand with the prosperity o f his own undertakings..

eminently practical farm er, he has made some demonstrations in his work which are truly examples. The thorougli methods and system he has advocated in his addresses to fo rc farm ­ ers' inslilules, at picnics and at Grange meet­ ings. are those he has put into jiractice and proved worth while in his own experience, and he merits the position o f authority which he has held fo r many years. O ver fifty years ago he bought a womout, rundown tract, lo­ cally known as the "old B ria r farm .” novr converted into one of the bc.st cultivated, best equipped and tost kept farm s in the county, productive beyond the ordinary. Mr. Young was born near Benton. X o v. 17, 1X35, and the family has been established in Columbia county for over a century.^ T he Youngs arc o f Scotch extraction. Mr. Young’s grandparents both died to fo rc his birth. H is father. Abram Young, a native o f New Je r ­ sey, came lo Pennsylvania from that Stale atout 18 10 . arriving in Columbia county in t8 i2. On the w ay he worked at different occui«iions. He was employed on the construc­ tion of the river bridge at TTarrisburg. which w as then toing erected. Upon arriving at Benton. Columbia county, he purchased a tract o f timtorland consisting^of I I I acres, later the pro))crty o f Washington K n ou sc: he c!carc<l part* o f his purchase, and cngage<l in farm ing the rest o f his life. H e cntcnxl heartily into the advancement o f his section. In politics he was a strong Democrat, hehl the office o f county commissioner, and also was justice of the peace for over thirty years. H e look ,m active part in the war o f 18 12. and was a captain in the militia. Though he belonged to no religious denomination he in­ clined to the Baptist faith. He pas.scd from this life at his home in Benton in 1872. at the age o f eighty-scvcn years. H is w ife was .Ann Peterman, a daugliter o f Jam es Peterman, who

canic to where Benton now is from Mont­ gom ery county. P a .; he was a blacksmith. M rs. Young w as to m in Montgomery county. Pa., o f Revolutionary stock, and she li%'ed to the remarkable age o f ninety-seven years. O f her children, two sons and two daughters reached m aturity: M ercy Ann married .Math­ ias Roberts and died without issue; .'aron. deceased, went in 18 5 1 to Illinois, settling at Round Grove. Whiteside county, and became a well-to-do farm er (he married and had sev­ eral ch ild ren ); Sarah is the widow o f E li M cH enry, o f Benton, Columbia county; A. P. completes the family. A. Philip Young lived and worked on his father's farm near Denton until he reached his m.ajority, meantime having received alt (he advantages o f (he local public schools. Then he took a course in the Greenwood S e m ­ inary at M illville and subsequently engaged in (caching, fo r three years in the public schools and two years at Greenwood Sem ­ inary. H is interest in education w as not con­ fined to this work, fo r he took an active part in the institute and educational gatherings o f all kinds, and in the various movements which had the advancement o f school standards fo r thcir object. B efore engaging regularly in fann in g he took a trip to the South and W est, returning in the fall o f i860, and in 1861 pur­ chased and took possession of the cighty-acrc farm where he has since lived, in the fertile Greenwood valley. Entering upon the w ork o f improvement sy.stcmarically and scientificalIv. he has carried on the development until the whole tract has been brought up to m odem standards o f use and profit— a triumph fo r the owner and an encouragement to evervf.'irmcr in the neighborhood. M r. Y ou n g has followed general farm ing, but he has also given much lime to special work. T h irty years ago he estab lish ^ his herd o f regis­ tered Je rse y cattle, and he has worked zealous­ ly to improve the stock in his locality. .A number o f years ago he btyjan breeding Brahma ooultr>'. later adding bronze turkcvs. Mr. Young has been a member of the Grange since its organization and has filled many of its important offices, serving fifteen years as deputv master in his county, and two terms as member of the executive committee of the State Grange. H is early experience in educational work has been o f great value in his activities In sorcading scientific inform a­ tion among his fellow farm ers. F o r a number of years, commencing almost with the estab­ lishment o f farm ers’ institutes in the State, he was on the Stale list o f lecturers fo r the