BIO:  W. H. TIPTON, Gettysburg, 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, Page 374

W. H. TIPTON, photographer, Gettysburg, was born in that place August 5, 1850, 
and is a son of S. R. and Elizabeth (Kitzmiller) Tipton, both natives of 
Pennsylvania, and of German origin.  S. R. Tipton is a resident of Gettysburg; 
he early learned the barber’s trade, but for a number of years was engaged in 
the carriage business, canvassing principally in the Southern States.  He 
devoted a few years to farming near Gettysburg.  Our subject, the eldest of 
eleven children, seven of whom are still living, attended the common schools of 
his native county less than one year.  He quite early developed a taste for 
drawing and whiled away many an hour in executing pictures, some of which, 
coming to the notice of Mr. C. J. Tyson, so greatly attracted his attention as 
to result in an engagement to learn the art of photography in 1863, when our 
subject was twelve years old, which he did in the gallery of Tyson Bros. and 
continued with the firm till 1866, when C. J. Tyson purchased the interest of 
his brother, and Mr. Tipton was employed by him to conduct it, which he did 
until October 8, 1866, when Mr. Myers was associated with him, and the business 
was conducted until 1873, under the firm name of Tipton & Myers.  Mr. C. J. 
Tyson, his former employer, purchased Myers’ interest in 1873, and remained as 
partner until 1880.  Since 1880 Mr. Tipton has carried on the business himself, 
is meeting with marked success, and is doubtless one of the best known 
photographers in the country; his landscape work is known in every country, and 
golden opinions come in from it everywhere.  From 1873 to 1882 he was a regular 
contributor to several of the leading photographic journals, and in some of the 
more recent publications on the art is quoted as eminent authority.  From 1875 
to 1886 he was, in connection with his other interests, agent for the New 
England Mutual Life Insurance Company of Boston, Mass., but was compelled to 
give up the agency on account of his rapidly increasing business.  In 1871 he 
was married to Mary E., daughter of Eli and Esther (Brown) Little.  Mary E. was 
a native of Franklin County and of German descent.  This union has been blessed 
with four children:  Beulah M., C. Tyson, Bessie V. and Esther.  The parents are 
members of the German Reformed Church.  Mr. Tipton is Senior Warden of the 
Masonic Lodge, No. 336.  He is also a past chief patriarch in Union Encampment, 
I. O. O. F. as well as Past Grand of the subordinate lodge of Odd Fellows, and a 
Past Sachem in the Improved Order of Red Men.  He is a member of the Gettysburg 
Battle-field Memorial Association, and is serving his third term as chief 
burgess of Gettysburg.  Mr. Tipton has three places of business in successful 
operation.  The main gallery and office is located on Chambersburg Street. 
branch gallery and printing department at old stand on York Street, and a 
battle-field bazaar gallery at Round Top Park.  During his official career he 
has inaugurated some much needed reforms; he prepared and the council adopted a 
series of effective ordinances for the sanitary improvement of the town; he 
established a health committee in conformity to the ordinances referred to; 
remodelled, and had adopted by the council, all licence ordinances, which are 
now on a solid footing; he remodelled the form of the license blanks, making the 
license fees payable to the borough treasurer, who is under bonds, and not to 
the burgess as heretofore.  He is now active in having the streets and sidewalks 
improved, and having the town put in a more cleanly condition.  The writer 
became personally well acquainted with the subject of this sketch and has tried 
to write in no spirit of eulogy, but with the sole object of historical 
fidelity.  The strong hold Mr. Tipton has on the affections of his constituents 
is better accounted for by his attractive, social and moral qualities.  The 
unselfish and generous impulses of his nature do not permit him to serve any one 
by halves, and yet his opponents never have cause to complain that his demeanor 
toward them was wanting either in justice or in courtesy.  In all the offices he 
has held he has conducted himself to the entire satisfaction of the public, and 
with a degree of popularity in each, which few persons can command.  In politics 
he is a firm and unwavering Republican, neither turning to the right hand nor 
the left, and has a record, politically as well as morally, above reproach.