BIOGRAPHY: D. S. BURKHART, Cambria County, PA 

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From Wiley, Samuel T., ed. Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Cambria 
County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Union Publishing Co., 1896, p. 353-4
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D. S. BURKHART, justice of the peace at Morrellville, and an active republican 
in political affairs, was born on the homestead farm in Jackson township, 
Cambria county, Pennsylvania, January 11, 1859, and is a son of Philip and 
Mollie (Shoemaker) Burkhart, respectively of Scotch and German descent. His 
paternal grandfather, Joseph Burkhart, was a life-long resident and successful 
farmer of Jackson township, in which he owned a farm containing a large vein of 
cannel coal, then quite valuable. This farm was bought for $13,000 by a 
prospective mining company that failed, and it was taken back by Mr. Burkhart, 
who resided upon it until his death in 1884, at eighty-one years of age.
     Joseph Burkhart was a Dunkard, a republican, and a music teacher. He was 
twice married. His first wife died at sixty-three years of age, leaving a family 
of five sons and six daughters. By his second wife, who is still living he had 
one child, a daughter. Of the five sons by the first marriage, Philip was the 
father of Squire Burkhart, the subject of this sketch. Philip Burkhart was born 
on the home-farm, received his education in the schools of his neighborhood, and 
then followed farming and tanning as his lines of special business. He was an 
active republican like his father, and like his father, would never accept an 
office. He was an active dunkard. He married Mollie Shoemaker, a daughter of 
Jacob Shoemaker. To their union were born four children: Samuel, a confectioner 
in Johnstown; D. S.; Frank, engaged in the butchering business; and James, who 
died in infancy. Mrs. Burkhart comes of a family noted for its longevity, her 
grandmother living to be ninety-three years, and her great-grandmother dying at 
one hundred and two years of age.
     D. S. Burkhart grew to manhood on the old homestead farm in Jackson 
township, where he received his education in the public schools. Upon attaining 
his majority he left the farm and farm pursuits to enter the employ of the 
Cambria Iron company, for which he worked for several years, at Johnstown. Then 
the Pennsylvania oil field became to him, as to hundreds of others at the time, 
an inviting field for labor, and he removed to McKean county; but not finding 
sufficient inducements in the oil business there, he learned the trade of 
barber. Two years later he returned to Johnstown, and, after working in the 
mills of the Cambria Iron company for one year, he opened, at Rosedale, a 
general mercantile store, which he sold in 1886 to the late Eli Rogers. Leaving 
Rosedale, he came the same year to Morrellville, where he opened up his present 
barbering establishment. Mr. Burkhart is a member of the Progressive Dunkard 
church, and the Ancient Order of United American Mechanics. In political opinion 
he has always been a staunch and working republican, who believes in the 
principles of the party as enunciated by Lincoln, Grant and Harrison. In success 
and through adversity Mr. Burkhart has always been a Republican of republicans, 
and has always yielded unswerving allegiance to his party. In 1894 his ward 
elected him as justice of the peace for two years; but technical difficulties 
unforeseen, and hence unprovided for at the time, prevented him from taking the 
office upon the certificate of his election, and he was enabled to service by 
special appointment of Governor Robert E. Pattison for one year, and also of 
Governor D. H. Hastings for the second year. In the spring of 1896 he was 
elected for a term of five years as justice, and is now serving out the same.
     On Christmas, 1884, Squire Burkhart was united in marriage with Annie C. 
Finley, a daughter of Abel Finley, of North Taylor township, Cambria county. To 
their union have been born five children, two sons and three daughters: Howard, 
Elda, Laura (deceased), Williard, and Blanche, who died in her second year.