BIO:  Henry C. PETERS, Huntington Township, Adams County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Kathy Francis

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History of Cumberland and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania
Chicago:  Warner, Beers & Co., 1886
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Part III, History of Adams County, Pages 462-463

HENRY C. PETERS, proprietor of fruit-canning business, York Springs, is a native 
of Oxford Township, born near New Oxford, this county, November 18, 1828, and is 
a son of Henry and Elizabeth (Bottorff) Peters, both natives of this county.  
The father was born March 16, 1797, and the mother August 10, 1800, in Straban 
Township, this county.  The grandparents were Isaac and Abigail (Thompson) 
Peters, the former of whom died in 1829 or 1830 in Baltimore City, Md., and the 
latter about 1858, aged ninety-three years, in Oxford Township.  The maternal 
grandparents were John and Elizabeth (Taney) Bottorff, who both died in Straban 
Township, this county, aged seventy and seventy-five years, respectively.  Henry 
C. lived with his father until the age of nineteen, when he went to Gettysburg 
and learned the tinner’s trade with George E. Beuhler, with whom he remained 
four years.  In 1851 he came to York Springs and opened a stove and tin shop, 
which business he conducted until 1876, when he turned the establishment over to 
his sons.  In 1855 he became interested in the fruit-canning industry, under the 
firm name of Worley & Peters.  In 1858 the firm became H. C. Peters & Co., and 
since 1862 Mr. Peters has conducted the business alone and has been largely 
interested every season, in one year (1874) canning $27,000 worth of goods, and 
for ten years has averaged about $8,000 per annum.  The business is now 
conducted under the name of “The Sunnyside Canning Company.”  They put up all 
kinds of fruits, vegetables, jellies, etc.  Mr. Peters was originally a Whig, 
but is now a Republican, and has served the township as school director, and the 
borough three times as burgess; has been a member of the council three terms, 
and was elected in 1878 a justice of the peace, and in 1883 re-elected for five 
years.  Mr. Peters takes an active interest in the affairs of the community; is 
a prominent member of the I. O. O. F. Lodge of York Springs, Grand Lodge and 
Grand Encampment; has been a Royal Arch Mason for twenty-eight years, a Knight 
Templar for twenty-seven years and a Master Mason twenty-nine years; is a member 
of Lodge No. 465, York Springs, also of St. John’s Chapter, at Carlisle, No. 
171, and Commandery No. 8.  In 1851 Mr. Peters married Rebecca L., daughter of 
Jacob Kuhns, of Cumberland Township, this county.  They have had eight children, 
four of whom are living:  John F., Charles Harry, Mary Kate and Myra L.  Mrs. 
Peters died November 30, 1884, a member of the Lutheran Church, of which Mr. 
Peters is still a member; he served ten years as Sunday-school superintendent.  
He was prominent in getting a charter for the borough; active in educational 
affairs, building of the schoolhouse, etc., and a charter member, first 
president and last secretary of the York Springs Building & Loan Association, 
and a member of the board of directors for thirteen out of its fourteen years of 
existence.