BIO: P. M. WALLOVER, 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. 331-333. _________________________________________________________________ P. M. WALLOVER, an extensive oil producer and refiner of Smith's Ferry, Beaver county, Pa., whose portrait appears on the opposite page, was born near Philadelphia, Pa., in 1824. Several generations of the Wallover family were born in that vicinity. The birth of his father, William H., and of his grandfather, after whom he was named, also occurred in that part of the state. His grandfather, M. P. Wallover, was the son of a well-known sea captain. He was reared and educated in the city of Philadelphia, and at an early age became interested in the manufacture of paper. In those pioneer days all the work was done by hand, and to do an ex- 332 BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES tensive business required considerable capital. He was successful in his operations and established two mills, one on Mill Creek, the other on Wissahickon Creek. He became very wealthy. At that early day, only wealthy people could afford to buy a piano, and he bought one of the finest instruments shipped to this country. The whole family became expert players on this instrument. He reared a family of six children, namely: Peter; William H.; Harry, who went to Mexico, and there formed a partnership with a Mr. Bellfield (both of whom showed their patriotism by offering their place to the government for a garrison); Harriet, who became the wife of a Mr. Duckett, a wealthy paper manufacturer; Margaret (Shee); and Mary Ann. William H. Wallover, father of the subject of this sketch, obtained his intellectual training in Philadelphia, and, although the ad-vantages were meagre, he received a fair education. His first business relations were those with his father, whom he assisted in the paper mills. He was interested in that business during all of his active career. He married Harriet Mervine, and they reared three children: P. M., the subject of this sketch; Anna, the wife of General Daniel Dare; and Henry, who died at the age of six years. William H. Wallover died in 1829, and his widow married a Mr. Stott, a mechanic of no mean ability. He it was who put the machinery in the United States steamship Prince-ton. He was superintendent of the Phoenixville Iron Works for many years, and retained this position up to the time of his death, which occurred very suddenly. P. M. Wallover received his education under private tutorship. He learned the trade of a machinist, but, although he never followed it, he has found his knowledge of mechanics very useful during his business life. His first work was in a paper mill of his uncle, near Philadelphia, where he labored for eight months; he was then given the management of the establishment. Afterwards he became interested in two mills, working them on shares, - and continued thus until 1854, when he came to Beaver county to manage a mill opened by a relative on Little Beaver Creek. This mill was operated for three years. Mr. Wallover purchased property near Smith's Ferry, and on February 9, 1860, he began to drill for oil. March 1, of that year, he struck a five-barrel well. This gave him encouragement, and he leased more property and struck a well which produced $60,000 worth of oil. He has drilled and operated twenty-eight wells, and all of them were good producers. In 1863, he started an oil refinery, - it being the first one in this district. He at once began to experiment in the oils, and his efforts were crowned with success. He made the first signal oil used on the Ohio River; he also made the first brand of wool oil used in the woolen mills, and got several brands of fine machinery oil. In those days the war tax was twelve cents per gallon, and one dollar per barrel. The firm name of the refinery was the Wallover Oil Co., but there were three BEAVER COUNTY 333 parties interested in it. Two of them were railroad men, and when the railroad was put through that section, the railroad partners had to withdraw from the Wallover Oil Co., as it was against the rules of the railroad company for any of its stockholders to hold outside interests. Consequently Mr. Wallover purchased their shares and continued the business alone. Our subject was joined in the bonds of wedlock with Margaret Arthur. She was also born in Philadelphia. They have a family of eight children: Charles A., now engaged in paper manufacturing; William H., who is in the oil business, in Indiana; Robert A., who is with his father; Joseph D., a contractor for drilling oil wells; Bert S., deceased; Edwin S., a salesman and teacher of music; Katie, deceased; and Laura (Boyd). Mr. Wallover is a Republican, and has served in minor offices of his town. The family is in accord with the M. E. church, of which he is a liberal supporter.