BIOGRAPHY: Alexander STACKHOUSE, 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. 381-2 ____________________________________________________________ ALEXANDER STACKHOUSE, ex-county treasurer, and superintendent of transportation for the Cambria Iron company, is a son of Joseph and Sarah P. (Shaw) Stackhouse, and was born in Wayne township, Mifflin county, Pennsylvania, October 21, 1851. The Stackhouse family is of English Quaker origin, and its new world ancestor came over from England with William Penn in the “Welcome” in 1682, and became a settler in the new-found city of “Brotherly Love” that arose on the banks of the Delaware. From Philadelphia members of the family drifted into Delaware and Chester counties, while from the latter county the great-grandfather of Alexander Stackhouse removed to the city of his American forefathers, and followed there his trade of cabinet-maker. His son, Powell Stackhouse, lived and died in Philadelphia, where he was a cabinet-maker, and married and reared a family. Of his children, one was Joseph Stackhouse, the father of the subject of this sketch, and who left the life of a tradesman for that of a farmer. Joseph Stackhouse was born in Philadelphia in 1817. He first removed to Delaware county, then went to Mifflin county, and finally settled, in 1857, in Huntingdon county, where he followed his favorite pursuit of farming. He was originally an old-line whig, and when that party passed out of existence, he identified himself with the then new and rising Republican party. Joseph Stackhouse married Sarah P. Shaw. Mr. and Mrs. Stackhouse reared a family of three children; Major Powell, Rebecca and Alexander. Major Powell Stackhouse, now president of the Cambria Iron company, lives at Wallingford, Delaware county, was graduated from the Philadelphia Grammar school; took a position in the store of Wood, Morrell & Co., of Johnstown (Mrs. Susanna (Stackhouse) Morrell being a sister of his father); was promoted for efficiency from one position to another until he became president of the company upon the death of president E. Y. Townsend; and in the late Civil War went out as a private in company A, Third Pennsylvania infantry; re-enlisted in company A, One Hundred and Thirty-third regiment, serving as second, and then as first lieutenant, and made his third enlistment in company F, One hundred and Ninety-eighth regiment, in which he was commissioned as captain and promoted to major. Rebecca Stackhouse, the second child, wedded Dilworth Stackhouse, a farmer of Delaware county, where she has resided since her marriage. Alexander Stackhouse received his education in the grammar schools of Philadelphia; learned the trade of pattern-maker in Chester and Huntingdon counties, and, at the early age of fifteen years, entered the employ of the Cambria Iron company, with which he has been connected ever since. Filling acceptably and efficiently position after position in different departments, he was a length promoted to superintendent of motive power, and shortly afterwards was advanced to his present position of superintendent of transportation. In 1876 he removed to the site of Morrellville, when it was then in a wooded state, and made one of the earliest improvements where he has his present residence. Politically Mr. Stackhouse has always been an active and ardent republican, and never failed to yield a generous support to his party in its most hotly- contested campaigns. Not only active, but popular in political affairs, he was elected treasurer, in 1885, of Cambria county, when it was Democratic, by twelve hundred majority. He served as a member of the first borough council of Morrellville, was president for one term, and was elected as a member at the last election. Aside from political matters, and the discharge of the many duties of his important and responsible position, he takes a deep interest in the affairs of his borough and the employees of his company, and is now serving as president of the Morrellville Fire company and the Cambria Mutual Benefit association. He is a thorough business man, and, wherever his services have been sought, he has always served acceptably and with the most unscrupulous integrity. On January 4, 1875, Alexander Stackhouse married Margaret Maley, a daughter of William and Ann (Wiley) Maley. To Mr. and Mrs. Stackhouse have been born three sons and five daughters: Joseph D., time clerk of Cambria Iron company; Alexander, who died in infancy; William P., now in service of the Cambria Iron company; Rebecca, Annie, Margaret, Sarah P., and Rose M.