BIOGRAPHY: Edward McHUGH, Cambria County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Lynne Canterbury and Diann Olsen. Portions of this book were transcribed by Clark Creery, Martha Humenik, Betty Mirovich and Sharon Ringler. USGENWEB ARCHIVES (tm) NOTICE All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information are included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cambria/ ____________________________________________________________ From Wiley, Samuel T., ed. Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Cambria County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Union Publishing Co., 1896, p. 412-3 ____________________________________________________________ EDWARD McHUGH, a member, and the general manager of the Stirling Coal company, of Hastings, is a leading wholesale business man of over fifty years' successful experience. He is a son of Dennis and Margery (McHugh) McHugh, and was born near Liverpool, Mifflin, now Juniata county, Pennsylvania, March 16, 1825. Dennis McHugh was born about 1779, in county Donegal, Province of Ulster, Ireland, and was reared to a farmer's life. During the elder John Adams' presidential administration young McHugh came to Pennsylvania, and with his change of country also made a change of pursuit, dropping farming and learning the trade of a forgeman at Grube's forge, Birdsboro, Berks county. His trade, although remunerative, was dropped, like farming, when something better came, in contracting on the Union canal, between Philadelphia and Middletown. Pike contracting came next in order, between Lewistown and Bellefonte, and then he removed on a Centre county farm, where he was killed by lightning, on July 2, 1833, while engaged in work on a contract of clearing that he had taken. He was a man of limited education, but possessed energy, good judgment, and keen perception. He was a Catholic, and in eastern Pennsylvania married Margery McHugh, who, although from county Donegal, yet was in no wise related to him. Their children, nine sons and five daughters, were: Miles, a mine overseer; Hannah, married Patrick Supple; Susan, wedded Edward Clute; Mary, married Joshua Edgerton; Bernard, captain of a line of canal boats; Michael, engaged in canal boating; Margaret, wife of John McGraff, a superintendent of coal mines in Blair and Huntingdon counties; Isabella, married James Harset, and, after his death, wedded James Hatton; Dennis, a superintendent of ore and coal mines; James, a superintendent for years of coal mines and coke yards in the great Connellsville coal and coking region, and now a resident of Pittsburg. All of this large family are now dead except James and Edward. Edward McHugh was of delicate constitution as well as of tender years, when his father died and left the family in reduced circumstances, as the result of some previous financial losses. Edward received the advantages of such education as the schools of that early day afforded, and at sixteen years of age became a clerk at old Elizabeth furnace of Bedford county, which he left a year later, to assist his brother on the canal, and then to teach a winter term of school. Life now opened actively before him, and he successively served as transportation clerk, school-teacher, partner with his brother in the coal business, at No. 6, in Blair county, bookkeeper and store manager at Ashland furnace, assistant manager under Dr. Shoenberger at Cambria furnace, and bookkeeper for three years at Somerset furnace. He then bought a boat on the Union canal, a year later sold it and engaged as bookkeeper with the Conemaugh furnace company, which position he resigned in 1852, to accept a similar position with Robert Lemon & Co., a coal, lumber and commission firm of Hollidaysburg, Blair county. Four years later he left Hollidaysburg, and accepted the superintendency of the Powell, Saxton & company's coal mines, at Broad Top, this State. Being a practical miner, and having privately studied civil engineering early in life, under a competent instructor, Mr. McHugh was so well qualified for his place that he held this position through all the many changes of the firm from 1856 up to 1888. New blood was then infused into the company, and it was reorganized as the Sterling Coal company, with Mr. McHugh as a member, and the general manager. Soon after this he came to Hastings, and opened up the mines whose location he had been sent a few years back to examine. On August 8, 1855, Mr. McHugh married Catherine Louise Savage, of Clearfield county. To their union have been born six children: Miles L., now deceased; Eber, an attorney-at-law, of West Superior, Wisconsin; Mary Ellen; Charles, foreman of the West Superior Telegram, of Wisconsin; and Thomas, who owns and operates the Hastings Electric Plant. Edward McHugh is a Democrat in politics, and a member of the Catholic church. His life has been one of varied business interest, and illustrates the value of persistent effort and improved opportunity to him who would now win in this country, where competition is not only keen but enduring. Mr. McHugh has evinced business capacity of a high order, and his present management of his company's large plant is indicative of future enlargement and prosperity.