BIO: John GUNSALLUS, Centre County, Pennsylvania Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Banja & Carolyn Wilkinson Copyright 2005. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/centre/ _______________________________________________ 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. _______________________________________________ COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD, pages 138-139 JOHN GUNSALLUS, who is now retired from active business, is one of the prominent and representative citizens of Snow Shoe township, Centre county. Throughout his business career he was engaged in various enterprises, and by sound judgment, excellent management and fair dealing, acquired sufficient property to enable him to give up business cares and enjoy the result of his former labor. Mr. Gunsallus was born in Snow Shoe town- COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 139 ship, Centre county, December 19, 1837, and is a son of Meese and Ruth (Lucas) Gunsallus, natives of Clearfield and Centre counties, respectively. The former came to Centre county in 1820, and was here employed as a farmer and coal mine operator until his death, which occurred in 1882, when he was aged seventy- eight years. His wife passed away in 1889, at the age of seventy-six years. She was the daughter of John P. Lucas, a farmer of Centre county, while the paternal grandfather of our subject James (crossed out in ink and Samuel written below) Gunsallus, was an agriculturist of Clearfield county. Eight children blessed the union of the parents of our subject; Lovy, deceased wife of William McKinney, a mine of Clearfield county; John; Adeline, wife of Richard Miles, superintendent of a stationery store and bindery in Harrisburg, Penn.; Samuel, who was killed during the Civil war; Taylor, a coal miner of Ehrenfeld, Cambria county; Mattie, wife of Gust Holt, a lumberman of Snow Shoe; Ellen, wife of William R. Haines, who is engaged in the liquor business in Clarence, Centre county; and Eliza, wife of James Moor, a shoe merchant of Irvona, Pennsylvania. John Gunsallus, the subject of this review, remained under the parental roof until the outbreak of the Rebellion, when, in April, 1861, he enlisted for three months in Company B. 10th P. V. I., and in September following enlisted in Company G. 51st P. V. I., under Capt. Snyder. He took part in many of the most important battles of the Civil war, including those of Roanoke, Newbern (N. C.), Cedar Mountain, second battle of Bull Run, Cold Harbor, Antietam, Spottsylvania, Wilderness, Petersburg, Weldon Railroad, Black and White Stations, Jackson (Miss.), and Knoxville (Tenn.). He also participated in various skirmishes, and was twice slightly wounded both times in front of Petersburg. On July 27, 1865, he was honorably discharged and returned home with an enviable war record. He served as a private until after the battle of Antietam, Md., when he was made a corporal; later he was appointed orderly sergeant of the company. On January 1, 1864, he was his regiment re-enlisted to serve during the war, and soon after he was promoted to the second lieutenancy; later he was promoted to first lieutenant, and mustered out as such. During the period of his service he was never in the hospital or away from his regiment. Mr. Gunsallus resumed work on his father's farm, where he remained a short time, and also engaged in lumbering. Subsequently he went to West Union, Iowa, where he rented a farm for a year, after which he returned to the county of his nativity, and once more engaged in lumbering, following that pursuit for four years. He next engaged in cutting prop timber for the coal mines for fourteen years, and alter followed mining for about a year, and is now living retired. On October 11, 1865, at West Union, Iowa, John Gunsallus was married to Miss Pamelia A. Lucas, who was born in Centre county, Penn., in July, 1840, and is the only survivor in the family of eleven children of Samuel and Rachel (Leech) Lucas, who died at West Union, Iowa, where the father carried on agricultural pursuits. Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Gunsallus, namely: Samuel, a teamster at Winburne; Maggie, deceased wife of Charles French, an insurance agent of Philipsburg, Centre county; Anna, who is the widow of John Houston, and is residing with our subject; Harry a clothing merchant of Snow Shoe; Edith, at home; Nora, who died when young; and Ruth at home. In his political affiliations, Mr. Gunsallus is an ardent Republican, and has served his fellow citizens in the capacity of supervisor four terms, and tax collector three terms. Socially he is a member of the I. O. O. F. and the Encampment, of the Knights of Pythias, and of the order of American Mechanics. He is a public-spirited, enterprising man, one who takes an active interest in everything which seems to promise a benefit to the community, and enjoys the esteem and confidence of all who know him.