OBIT: George POTTS, 1872, Altoona, Blair County, PA

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Death of General Potts.

  The citizens of Altoona were on Tuesday morning last shocked and 
pained to hear of the demise of their first Mayor, Gen. George Potts, 
in his sixty-seventh year, after a painful illness from a complication 
of diseases of several months' duration.  At nine o'clock on the 
morning of the day mentioned, the soul of our late Mayor started on the 
journey to that land pathetically termed by a brilliant author, "Over 
There."  It is with feelings of deep regret that our position as a 
chronicler of passing events compels us thus to record the passing away 
of so earnest a man, so good a citizen, so faithful a friend, so 
devoted a servant to the public, and a dutiful and affectionate husband 
and father.  General Potts may have been eccentric in some of his views 
of life, but no one will attempt to assume that he was anything else 
than honorable.  Plain of speech, some would say of rough exterior, yet 
within he was the very soul of generosity, with a heart always filled 
with human sympathy.  No hypocritical smile ever distorted his genial 
face, nor a false thought ever entered his heart against his fellow-
man.  He was honest in all things, a friend of the poor at all times, 
and one whose memory will be graven on the hearts of many whom he 
helped in distress.  Nor did he shine less brightly as a public officer 
than as a private citizen.  He was appointed to a position on the 
public works at a time when official corruption was almost universal, 
and to hold an office on the old Portage Road for even a few months was 
opportunity enough to secure a fortune.  But no charge of corruption, 
official or otherwise, was ever made against him, and beyond the mere 
pittance of a stinted salary he never pocketed a cent.
  Gen. Potts was born in Butler county on the 8th day of May, 1806, 
consequently he was in the 67th year of his age.  In 1830 he was 
elected Brigadier General for the militia embraced in the counties of 
Beaver and Butler.  In 1840 he was elected to the legislature, and in 
1844 appointed weighmaster of the Portage road, and stationed at 
Hollidaysburg, where he resided until the sale of the canals to the 
Pennsylvania railroad company, when he removed to this city, and was 
placed in charge of the weigh scales of the company here.  He was 
always a democrat of the most ardent type, and had opposed every 
measure calculated to create disturbance between the North and South, 
but as soon as the war commenced he entered the service of the 
government in furnishing supplies for constructing railroads, and other 
means of transportation.  In 1868 he was elected the first Mayor of 
this city, and was re-elected in 1870, running far ahead of his party.
  His mortal remains were followed to their last resting place 
yesterday morning at ten o'clock, by a very large concourse of 
citizens, including many relatives and personal friends from a 
distance.

Altoona Sun, Altoona, Pa., Friday morning, December 13, 1872

1860 Logan Township, Blair County census -
George Potts, 54, weigh master  
Jane Potts, 49  
Margaret Potts, 26  
Steven C. Potts, 19  
George A. Potts, 17