BIO: G. Dorsey GREEN, Centre County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by JO Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/centre/ http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/centre/1picts/commbios/comm-bios.htm _____________________________________________________________________ Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania: Including the Counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion: Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, Etc. Chicago: J. H. Beers, 1898. _____________________________________________________________________ G. DORSEY GREEN, of Patton township, Centre county, has descended from a family prominent in civil and military affairs of the Commonwealth. In 1791-2 Col. Samuel Miles and Col. John Patton, two officers of the Revolutionary war, erected Centre furnace, in what is now Boggs township, Centre county, which, with a store at that point, was in operation under the name of Miles, Patton & Miles as early as May 2, 1792 - the first blast furnace erected in the county. Col. Patton died in 1802, and Col. Miles, who was a resident of Montgomery county, and whose interests were represented by his sons, Joseph and John, residents of Centre county, died in 1805. The furnace was blown out in 1809, and laid idle until about 1825, when Joseph Green, Sr., and Joseph Miles started it again. Col. Miles had, in 1792, purchased large tracts of land on Spring and Bald Eagle creeks, and he, with his sons, laid out Milesburg and established the Milesburg Iron Works in 1797, which, for a time, were carried on in connection with the Centre furnace. After Joseph Green, Sr., came in 1825, the firm name was Joseph Miles & Co. John Miles died in 1829. In 1832 Joseph Miles sold his interest to Gen. James Irvin, and until 1836 James Irvin & Co. conducted the business. Joseph Green, Sr., then retired, and was succeeded by Gen. Huston. In the Revolutionary war Gen. Miles was colonel of one of the rifle battalions, and was taken prisoner at Long Island in 1776. He was subsequently judge of the Court of Errors and Appeals, and mayor of Philadelphia. Joseph Green, Sr., his nephew, was a carpenter, and came from Chester county with Joseph and John Miles to assist in building the Iron works, and, as stated above, later became a partner. He built and lived in a house that stood upon a lot occupied in 1882 by Harry Levi's residence; the kitchen, constructed of stone, was then still standing. In 1836 he moved to Milesburg, and became the first postmaster at that place. His wife, Hannah (Griffith), was also from Chester county, Penn., and their children were: Capt. William G., of the U.S.A. (died in 1815 at Lexington, Ky.); Gen. Samuel Miles; Esther, married to Joseph Butler; Joseph; Eliza, married to H. L. McMinn; and Hannah, married to John Irvin, Jr. Of this family, Gen. Samuel Miles Green was the father of G. Dorsey Green. The General was born at the iron works near Milesburg, April 13, 1797. He read law with Hon. John Blanchard, and was admitted to the Bar in 1821, contemporary with the late Hon. A. S. Wilson and John G. Miles. Shortly afterward he was appointed deputy attorney-general for Clearfield county, and subsequently removed to Meadville, Penn., where he remained five years, during which time he was employed by the attorney-general in the prosecution of some important criminal cases, in which he acquitted himself with great credit. He retired from the Bar in 1834, became the manager of the Centre County Iron Works, and in 1836 he removed to Barre Forge, on the Little Juniata, in Huntingdon county, where he was extensively engaged in the manufacture of iron until 1874, when he returned to his native county, and passed the evening of his life on a farm on Buffalo run, with his son, G. Dorsey, dying December 21, 1878, in the eighty-fourth year of his age. He was a good type of the old-school gentleman, with a hearty and sincere manner. Carrying the weight of almost an additional span to the years of man's allotted life, he stood as erect as a boy of twenty, and retained to a remarkable degree the manly strength and vigor of early life, worthy his Revolutionary ancestry. While a resident of Huntingdon county he was commissioned a brigadier-general of militia by Gov. Porter. Gen. Green was a very genial and kind-hearted gentleman, beloved by all. In politics he was originally a Whig, later a Republican. He married Rachel E., daughter of Greenberry and Elizabeth (Bartholomew) Dorsey, of COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 453 Philadelphia. Rachel E. Dorsey was born at Barre Forge, and there died. The children of the General and his wife were: G. Dorsey, Hannah E. and Joseph A. Greenberry Dorsey and Edward Bartholomew (the father of Elizabeth) erected Barre forge on the Little Juniata in 1790. G. Dorsey Green was born at Centre Furnace, March 13, 1832. He attended the academy at Lewisburg, and subsequently entered college at Lawrenceville, N.J. from which institution he was graduated at the age of eighteen years. He afterward was in the employ of his father and Gen. Irvin, the latter's associated in business at Barre Iron Works, first as clerk, then as storekeeper, and later as manager. In 1856 he became proprietor of the works, and until 1874 was most extensively and successfully engaged in the manufacture of iron. From his works went out the blooms from which the wire was made that was used in the construction of the suspension bridge across the river at Niagara Falls; also the iron work in the bridge across the Allegheny river at Pittsburg came from the Barre works. The works made money rapidly; but the proprietor was heavily caught in the failure of Jay Cooke, after which he sold the plant and retired to a beautiful farm of about 400 acres of land on Buffalo run, near Bellefonte, where he has since made his home and followed farming. Mr. Green in his active business life, and in his earlier career, had opportunities not afforded to many young men. In 1860 it was his privilege to attend the National Republican Convention at Chicago, at which President Lincoln was nominated. His brother was a delegate to that convention, and he accompanied him. He was an aide on the staff of Gov. Packer, which entitled him to the rank of colonel, a title, however, he was too modest to assume. In politics he is a Republican. He is identified with the Presbyterian Church, and for years was superintendent of the Sabbath-school. He is one of the highly esteemed citizens in the community in which he resides, and one of the substantial men of Centre county. Mr. Green was united in marriage with Miss Mary Gregg, a daughter of Matthew Gregg, of Centre county, and their children are: Ella Gregg, now the wife of W. E. Gray, a lawyer of Bellefonte; Samuel Miles, in the employ of a railroad company in California; Elizabeth Dorsey, unmarried; Allen McGregor, a resident of California; and George Dorsey, now attending medical lectures at the University of Pennsylvania (he graduated from the State College in 1896, taking the class honors).