BIO:  Col. John WOLFORD, 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 466-467

COL. JOHN WOLFORD (deceased).  The first ancestor of this gentlemen to settle in 
America was George Wolford, a native of Germany, who located in York County, 
Penn., early in the eighteenth century.  His son, Peter, resided for many years 
near Gettysburg, but afterward moved to York County.  He married Margaret 
Albert, and they had four children:  John, Elizabeth (married to Martin Herman, 
of Cumberland County; Judge Martin Herman, of Carlisle, was their son), Peter 
(married to Mary Ann Carl, of York, York County), and Andrew (who was drowned at 
the age of sixteen).  Col. John Wolford was born February 13, 1800, near 
Gettysburg, and his father afterward moved to York County, locating near Clear 
Springs, where our subject was reared to the life of a farmer.  Our subject’s 
father owned 400 acres of land, and was proprietor of and operated two large 
flour-mills for many years.  Col. John Wolford received a good common school 
education, and during his long life was a student, constantly seeking and 
acquiring knowledge.  At the age of twenty-four he married Miss Jane Whitman, a 
daughter of Daniel Whitman and Elizabeth (Good) Whitman, of Adams County.  Soon 
after marriage he moved to Latimore Township, Adams County, and bought a farm of 
320 acres, where he lived for over forty years, and built on this tract a 
clover-mill, flour-mill and two saw-mills, all of which were operated under his 
direction.  The homestead was one-half mile east of the famous York Sulphur 
Springs.  He was an uncompromising temperance man, an ardent friend and 
supporter of the free school system, and during the war helped in all proper and 
patriotic ways to support the Union cause, both by means and influence.  At the 
age of fifty he became a member of the Episcopal Church, and ever after was 
consistent to his profession.  He was a general controller of the community, was 
trusted almost to an unlimited degree, and settled many estates and acted as 
guardian to several minors.  He was kind and sympathetic by nature, and ready to 
help all those whom he thought to be deserving, and lost in this way nearly 
$100,000.  In 1860 he became interested in coal lands, and in 1865, or about 
that time, became a partner in the Honeybrook Coal Company, which proved to be a 
very successful venture.  The mine was located at Audenreed, Carbon Co., Penn.  
In 1873 he left his farm and moved to York Springs Borough, which was 
subsequently his residence.  He was a heavy stockholder in the First National 
Bank at Gettysburg, and a director.  He died April 10, 1883, leaving a large 
estate of upward of $200,000.  He had, however, previously distributed $140,000 
among his children.  His widow died December 9, 1883, aged about eighty-one.  
The names of their children are as follows:  Albert, married to Lucy Martin; 
Margaret C., married to Anthony K. Myers, formerly of York Springs, now of 
London, Ohio; Elizabeth, married to Richard W. Sadler, and died, leaving two 
daughters; Rebecca R., deceased, married to Herman Beltzhoover, and left a son 
and daughter; and Mary Ann, widow of Abram L. Mumper, who was a partner in the 
Honeybrook Coal Company (she resides at Columbus, Ohio, and has two sons:  John 
Wolford and Harry Abram; Clarissa J., married to Josiah Geiger, formerly a 
merchant of New Windsor, Carroll Co., Md., now deceased (the widow resides at 
Columbus, Ohio; has one son - John Wolford Geiger); Peter, drowned at the age of 
sixteen; and Emily W., the youngest, now the wife of Albert Sydney Hartman, of 
Chester County, Penn. (they are living in the last homestead of Col. John 
Wolford, at York Springs Borough, this county).  Col. Wolford’s title was 
obtained by serving for several years as colonel of the State militia.