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/711

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

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out his active career. On A pril 4, 1782, he (IX ) E d w ard Rodman D rinker w as bom m arried M a iy H owell, daughter o f '.Abram Nov. 5, 1830, near Clifton post ofticc, in Cov­ and Rebecca (W ain ) Howell, and they had ington township, Luzerne (now Lackaw anna) children: John, Henry W ain, Rebecca W., Co., Pa. M oving to Bloomsbutg with his Kichard and William Wain. father in 1 ^ 6, he began his connection with In 1787 he came to the region in Pennsyl­ the iron business that year finding employment vania now included in W ayne, Pike and L u ­ as an office boy with the Bloomsburg Iron zerne counties, being the first white man there. Company, and at the age o f seventeen became D uring the y e a r 1792 h e bought fro m the bookkeeper. H e held that position with in­ S u t e 25,000 acres o f “ unseated" land there, creasing responsibilities fo r the next twentyin the Lackawanna v alk y. “ A s the dweller seven years, and in 1880 became manager o f in wigu'ams turned his footsteps towards the the company, remaining with the concern until setting sun, in search o f other hunting grounds it discontinued business ( 18 8 7 ). H e then be­ where the deer and moose and buffalo had came a member of the H ess M anufacturing not been driven out by the white conqueror, Company (fo u n d ers), continuing in that asso­ no region w as left behind him more fitted for ciation until his decease. In M r. Drinker's the chase, the w ar dances or hostile campfires death, which occurred at Bloomsburg Aug. than that section lying between Stro u d sb u ^ 24, 1 ^ 3 . that p b c e lost one o f its most v al­ and the Lackawanna, first known as 'D rink­ ued citizens. H e w as prominent and success­ e r’s Beech.” ’ M r. D rinker's fam ily became ful in business; had served his fellow men in prominent in that section, his sons Kichard various public capacities, fo r five years as and Ilen ry W ain coming out to u k e charge of member of the Iwrough council; and w as a it. T hey received the charter fo r the railroad leading member and liberal supporter o f St. from (ircat Bend to the D elaw are river, now Pau l's Episcopal Clmrch. serving as vestry­ the Delaw are, I,ackawanna & W estern road, man fo r over thirty years, and acting as one and also built fifty miles o f turnpike in L u ­ of the building committee when the present zerne county, still known as the Drinker turn­ edifice was constructed. Fraternally he be­ longed to the Blue Lodge. F . & .A. M. pike. (V III) Richard Drinker, son o f Henry In 1862 M r. Drinker enlisted in the Union Drinker, J r ., w as bom Jan . 28, 1796, in service as an emergency man, and soon a fte r­ Phibdclphia. H e studied b w and w as ad­ w ards went w ilh his regiment to the front, mitted to the bar at Philadelpliia. In 184O arriving at Antietani during the battle, after he moved to Bloomsburg, Columbia county, which the regiment returned home and was that year buying the farm just adjoining the disbanded. v ilb g c (la te r known a s the T roup fa rm ), On Jan. 18. 1859. M r. D rinker was whereon he made his home fo r several years, married to M artha Mendenhall, who w as born in 1854 settling at Scranton, P a., where he M ay I I. 1834. at D cr^ ', Pa., daughter of engaged in conveyancing and the real e su te Joshu a and Susan (D ictrick) Mendenhall, business and passed the remainder o f his life. and died at Bloomsburg, Nov. 5, 1907. .Mr. H e died there N ov. 2>, i8 6 i. F o r over twenty and M rs. Drinker are buried in Roscmont years he served as a justice of the pence, and cemetery at Bloomsburg. F o u r children were h e w as known fo r h is good judgment and born to M r. and M rs. D rin ker: Eilw ard intellectual atuinm cnts. H e had a g ift of Wain is associated with the Lehigh Coal & writing poetry, and composed and published Navigation Company and is Iocate<l at Pliilaa number o f poems. H e n urried L yd ia E. dcljihia. P a .: Richard Carlton is in the steel W 'r a ^, tiaughter o f Jo h n W’ragg, a native m anufacturing business, associated with the o f E n gb n d who came to America about the Heppenstall Forge and K n ife Co., at Pitts­ time of the French Revolution, 'flic ship in burg, P a .: M iss L yd ia W ragg resides in which he crossed the A tb n tic was captured Bloomsburg, P a .; Susan died in infancy. with all on board, and he was held prisoner a long time. Upon his release he came to G E O R G E L. R E A G A N. M. D.. deceased, L u zcm c county. Pa., but later he moved West, fo r years a physician and surgeon o f B er­ dying at lleloit. W is., when about ninety years wick. Columbia Co.. Pa., w as bom Feb. 9. old. T o M r. and M rs. Richard D rinker were 18 34. in B erks county, P a „ son o f George and hom children a s follow s; Ricliard W ain, M ary (I-ong) Reagan. E liza M oi^an, Edw ard Rodman, Francis George Reag.in. father o f D r. Reagan, was Perot, .Alfred Cope, Rebecca Howell, Charles an ironmaster o f Berks county, and subse­ quently move<l to Sunbury, Pa., whore he M otgan and M ary Ann.