BIOGRAPHY: William C. LEWIS, 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. 131-2
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WILLIAM C. LEWIS, treasurer of the Johnstown Savings bank, is a son of William 
and Mary Ann Lewis, and was born August 23, 1820, in Mitcheldean, 
Gloucestershire, England. 
     His father, William Lewis, having been born and raised in the same town, 
engaged in the mercantile business, in the drug and grocery line. He married 
about 1817 Mary Ann Lake, whose native place was Boston, Massachusetts, United 
States, having gone to England in her youth. In May, 1834, he emigrated with his 
family to the United States, landing in Philadelphia July 4, of that year. Later 
he located in Hollidaysburg, then in Huntingdon county, now the county seat of 
Blair county, where he died in 1854, survived by his wife, who died in Altoona 
in 1876, and the following children: Mary Ann, deceased; William C., Thomas B., 
of Hollidaysburg, now deceased; Sara Jane, of Altoona, widow of Christian Kuhn, 
now deceased; Alfred J., of Altoona, this State; George H., of Philadelphia, 
deceased; Eliza B., now of Pittsburg, widow of Thomas Clark; Emma Penelope and 
Amelia L., of Altoona. 
     Mr. Lewis had very poor advantages for scholastic training, as his school 
privileges were broken off when he emigrated to this country. The common-school 
system had not yet been established, and he was put to the necessity very early 
of leaving school to enter upon duties in a store, combining the business of a 
grocery and bakery. To say, however, that he is uneducated would be misleading. 
His education has been by association with men in the business relations of life 
-- of that practical character so essential to every man's success in life. He 
learned the trade of a baker in Hollidaysburg, and on August 20, 1839, came to 
Johnstown, where he has lived ever since. He worked as a journeyman, at his 
trade for D. B. Wakefield until April, 1847, when he embarked in a grocery, 
confectionery and bakery business. He successfully pursued the mercantile 
business along these lines until 1864. Among the incidents of his first years of 
business was the introduction of the first stock of toys, and the first invoice 
of bananas and strawberries shipped to Johnstown. In 1864 he withdrew from 
mercantile pursuits and took up insurance in its various departments of fire, 
life and accident. 
     In about 1857 he was elected borough treasurer, and with the exception of 
one year served continuously by re-election for a period of fifteen years. While 
acting in these capacities he was at the same time holding other positions of 
honor and trust; among them were the following: For several years the position 
of Secretary of the Johnstown Building and Loan association, and treasurer of 
the Johnstown Water and Gas company a number of years, and treasurer of the 
Johnstown Flood Finance committee; also treasurer of the Union Benevolent 
association of the Conemaugh valley, and treasurer of the trustees of the Young 
Men's Christian association. On September 12, 1870, the Johnstown Savings bank 
was chartered, and in March, 1878, Mr. Lewis was chosen treasurer of this bank 
by the board of trustees to succeed Frank Dibert, resigned, and has remained 
continually in that position to the present time. 
     The other present officers of the bank are: James McMillen, president; 
George T. Swank, first vice-president; Herman Baumer, second vice-president, and 
James Quinn, third vice-president. The board of trustees are: Herman Baumer, 
James G. Ellis, John Hannan, Charles F. Kress, W. B. Lowman, James McMillen, 
James Quinn, John D. Roberts, Dwight Roberts, W. Horace Rose, H. W. Storey, 
George T. Swank, John Thomas, George W. Moses, John H. Waters and Erhard Zang. 
     Mr. Lewis is an upright and consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal 
church. He has been a member of this church for fifty-nine years, and is an 
ardent and devoted church worker. For twenty-five years consecutively he has 
been superintendent of the Sabbath-school, has been a member of the board of 
stewards for the period of forty-five years, and for twenty-five years was 
leader of the church choir. 
     On September 23, 1847, Mr. Lewis married Catherine Swegler, a daughter of 
John Swegler, and sister of Captain John S. Swegler, and their union has been 
blessed in the birth of one son, William J., a teller in the Keystone National 
bank of Pittsburg. His experience in the flood of May 31, 1889, was similar to 
that of hundreds of others resulting in the entire destruction of his home and 
contents, but with his family he escaped death in the flood to commence life 
anew in vigorous efforts to rebuild and replace losses, and thus assist in 
building a new city. 
     William C. Lewis is a gentleman well-known for his strict integrity, 
probity and uprightness of character, one in whom is reposed the highest 
confidence of all who have business or social relations with him.