BIO: John H. PARK, Beaver County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Banja & Joe Patterson Copyright 2005. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/beaver.html http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/beaver/bios/bbios.htm Index for this bio book. _________________________________________________________________ BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES. This Volume Contains Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Buffalo, N.Y., Chicago, Ill.: Biographical Publishing Company, 1899, pp. 349-353. _________________________________________________________________ JOHN H. PARK, one of the reliable business men of Rochester, Beaver county, Pa., is superintendent of the Park Fire Clay Company, a prominent firm whose products are shipped to all parts of this country and Canada. He is a son of James I. and Emiline (McDonald) Park, and was born in New Sewickley township, Beaver county, Pa., in 1856. William Park, the great-grandfather of John H. was born in Cookstown, County Tyrone, Ireland, whence, after attending school, he moved to Philadelphia, Pa., where he learned the trade of a stone mason. Papers in their original state, now in the possession of W. A. Park, show that he was admitted as a member of lodge No. 479, F. & A. M., at Tullaghoge, County Tyrone, December 3, 1873. When he came to America, April 26, 1791, he was given a demit from that order, and also one by the Knights Templar, together with high recommendations as to his character. He landed in Philadelphia, in May, 1791, but located in Wilkinsburg, Allegheny county, Pa., in 1796, where he instituted the first, and for many years the only, Masonic lodge in that region. He followed his trade the rest of his life, and there are many houses standing in that county today which are the result of his work. He died at the age of eighty-eight years and was laid to rest in the Beulah burying grounds. His wife was Mary McGahey, who died at the age of ninety-four years, and they had the following offspring: John, who married Margaret Duff; James, who married Betsey Duff; David, whose 350 BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES wife was Ann Hamilton; Jane; William, who married Nancy Johnson; Robert, who married Elizabeth Loney; and Thomas, who married Helen Duff. David Park, the grandfather of the gentleman whose name heads these lines, was born at Wilkinsburg, Pa., and early in life learned the trade of a wheelwright and wagon-maker. In 1845, he removed to Beaver county, purchasing a farm in New Sewickley township, where he followed his trade, and engaged in agricultural pursuits until his death. This property is now owned by his son, Theodore. He died at the age of eighty-six years, and was buried in Oak Grove cemetery, near Freedom. His wife, Ann Hamilton, was born in Warren county, Ohio, in 1806, and died at the age of seventy-nine. Their children were: James I., the father of the subject hereof; William; George, who married Mary Beal; Elizabeth, the wife of Hiram Phillip; Mary, the wife of Rev. John Brown; David; and Theodore, who married Kate Campbell. James I. Park was born at Wilkinsburg, Allegheny county, Pa., and learned the carpenter's trade, but early in life removed to Freedom, Beaver county, where he became a contractor and lumber dealer. He was very successful, and is now living in retirement near Freedom, where he owns a fine farm. He was first married to Emiline McDonald, a daughter of William and Rebecca (Magee) McDonald, who was of Scotch-ancestry, and she died leaving four children, as follows: William A., a record of whose life appears elsewhere in this Book of Biographies; John H., the subject proper of this sketch; Annie V., the widow of Milton McCullough; and George I., who is also identified with the Park Fire Clay Company. Mr. Park formed a second union, in this instance with Mary Dean, a daughter of Samuel Dean, and they had two children: Mabel D. and Nellie D. John H. Park was reared on the farm and studied in the public schools. He assisted his father in the lumber trade and later entered the field of business on his own account, opening a general store at Park Quarries, which he conducted under the firm name of J. H. Park & Co. He also opened a stone quarry there, and in 1882 established another at New Galilee, from which he furnished fine sand stone for building, - shipping it to Pittsburg and Philadelphia. In 1885, the Park Fire Clay Company was organized at Park Quarries, with J. I. Park, president; W. A. Park, treasurer, and John H. Park, superintendent. They have a capacity of 250,000 brick per day, and three hundred and fifty men are employed. The product is nearly all from Beaver county. The general office is at Rochester, Pennsylvania. They have filled large paving contracts in Pennsylvania and adjoining states, and ship brick to all parts of the United States and Canada. John H., and W. A. Park built a railroad three miles in length, connecting their establishment at Park Quarries with the main line of the Pennsylvania Company at Conway, in 1884, and this they later sold to the Ohio River Junction Railroad Company. Of this the subject of this sketch is now president. BEAVER COUNTY 353 He is a man of great energy, is sagacious and possessed of keen foresight. He has always exerted his greatest efforts in whatsoever he has undertaken, and the fruit of his work is evidenced by the prosperous condition of the plants under his supervision. Mr. Park was joined in hymeneal bonds with Jennie M. Sproat, a daughter of James Sproat, of Economy township, Beaver county, and they are the parents of three children, namely: Emma, aged nineteen years; William, who is seventeen; and Lizzie, who died at an early age.