BIOGRAPHY: Benjamin F. SLICK, 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. 161-3
____________________________________________________________


BENJAMIN F. SLICK, justice of the peace in Conemaugh township, this county, and 
a man of intelligence, honesty and probity of character, was born August 12, 
1821, in Geistown, then Slickville, in this county. He is a son of William and 
Rebecca (Hemphill) Slick.
     His grandfather, John Slick, was a native of Frederick City, Maryland, of 
Swiss-German lineage. At an early day in the history of the county he removed to 
St. Clair township, Bedford county, Pennsylvania. He was a farmer by avocation, 
and a man of fine physique.
     William Slick, father of the subject of this biographical sketch, was born 
in Frederick City about the time of the Declaration of Independence in America, 
and died in Johnstown in 1866, at the advanced age of ninety-three years. He 
came into what is now Cambria county in 1806, and purchased a considerable tract 
of land, upon which is now located the portion of the city of Johnstown, 
extending from Market square to what is known as the “point,” or the confluence 
of Stony creek and the Conemaugh river. He was a tanner by trade, and built and 
operated for six years a tannery which was located upon the present site of the 
Carnegie Free library. He sold out in 1812, and removed to the present site in 
Geistown, three miles southeast of Johnstown. This section was then a 
wilderness. He purchased a large tract of land, and with characteristic pioneer 
industry and determination, began the clearing of a farm and the establishment 
of a home. Upon this farm he lived until 1866, when he disposed of his land, 
which at that time consisted of three large farms, and removed to Johnstown, 
where he spent the remainder of his days. He was an old-line whig, politically, 
but became a republican upon the organization of the Republican party, in 1856. 
He was a man of many strong traits of character, a great reader, and, possessing 
a peculiarly retentive memory, he became the possessor of a great store of 
information of an historical nature. Of strictly temperate and moral habits, his 
services and councils were frequently sought in matters requiring calm judgment, 
and for at least twenty years served as justice of the peace of Richland 
township. He was a believer in the religious tenets of the sect of John Wesley, 
and the first class of Methodism ever established in Cambria county, was in his 
home, on December 25, 1827.
     He was twice married; his first marital union was with Rebecca Hemphill, 
who died in 1846, and in 1847 he married Rachel Benson, widow of William Benson. 
His children were of the first union, and were as follows: Annie, deceased; 
Eliza, was the wife of William Makin; Robert, died at the age of twenty-six 
years, of small-pox; Nancy, wife of John Amsbough; Julia Ann, wife of Robert E. 
Rodgers; John; Benjamin Franklin, subject; William, a surveyor of Johnstown; 
Rebecca, died young; Joseph, a resident of Johnstown; George, father of Dr. 
George A. Slick, of Johnstown, was lost in the great flood of 1889.
     Mr. Slick had very poor advantages for securing an education. His father 
was a man of progressive spirit, and fully realized the advantages to be gained 
through education, and made a strong effort to secure enough pupils in Richland 
township to run a subscription school, but failed in this very worthy effort. He 
then secured a private teacher for his own family in the person of Rev. John 
Spencer. Young Slick profited under the instruction of this tutor two winter 
sessions of three months each. It is misleading, however, to say that he is 
without education. He has always been a close reader, and has learned much from 
experience and by mingling with the business world.
     He learned the trade of tanner with his father, and, until twenty-seven 
years of age, followed journey work. He then purchased a property at Summerhill, 
this county, built a tannery upon it, and successfully operated it from 1848 to 
1861. The crisis of the Rebellion was then upon us, and his services were sought 
in another and perhaps more useful field. He was engaged for a time as enrolling 
officer, and as provost guard. In 1864 he enlisted in company K, Two Hundred and 
Sixth regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer infantry, in which he served as 
quartermaster sergeant from the autumn of that year until December 10, when he 
was transferred to the office of Capt. William C. Crandall, of St. Louis, where 
he remained until March 30, 1865, when he returned to his regiment, which had 
the honor of being the first organized regiment to enter the city of Richmond on 
April 3, 1865, and he was the first man assigned to duty after entering. Shortly 
after this, being a good penman and man of good clerical ability, he was 
selected by Gen. Devin as a clerk, and later held a similar position at the 
headquarters of Gen. F. T. Dent, where his services were very satisfactory and 
highly appreciated.
     Having served his country faithfully and well upon the field of battle, he 
returned to the peaceful pursuits of the civilian, and for twenty-two years was 
weighmaster for the Cambria Iron company, since which time he has followed 
farming in Conemaugh township. In his political texture Mr. Slick was an 
adherent of the school of political economists, of which Clay was an illustrious 
exponent, but upon the organization of the Republican party as a substitute to 
Whigism he became an ardent exponent of the new party, and has steadfastly 
pinned his faith to the party of protection and sound finance.
     He has been active in the councils and work of his party, holding many 
local offices. He served as postmaster at Summerhill seven years, as enrolling 
officer about four years, and has served in the honorable roll of justice of the 
peace for the long term of thirty-two years, and always with credit to himself 
and with entire satisfaction to his constituents.
     Religiously, Mr. Slick is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and 
fraternally a member of Emory Fisher Post, No. 30, Grand Army of the Republic, 
at Johnstown.
     Mr. Slick has been twice married; his first union was on March 30, 1848, 
with Ann Elizabeth Gordon daughter of Peter Gordon, a soldier in the 
Revolutionary war, who participated in the first battle of Bunker Hill April 19, 
1775. This union resulted in the birth of eleven children, as follows: Henry T., 
Helen M., William A., Alexander, Elmer, Clemena Jane, Franklin, Meade and 
Dorsey. The rest died young. He married as his second wife Frances Cashun, March 
9, 1887, and is now living and owns what is called the old Cashun farm, one mile 
east of Johnstown, and is at present an acting justice of the peace.