BIO: Thomas B. POTTER, Centre County, Pennsylvania

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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.
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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD, pages 63-64

THOMAS B. POTTER, M. D., and his son, William M. Potter, are prominent among the 
substantial citizens of Philipsburg, Centre county, and worthily represent a 
family which has been held in high esteem in this section from pioneer times.
  James Potter, the grandfather of Dr. Thomas B. Potter, was one of the early 
settlers of Penn's Valley, and his son, John Potter, the Doctor's father, who 
was born at Potters Mills in 1800, became a leading businessman there, operating 
woolen-mills and gristmills, and owning several farms. He died at Fond du Lac, 
Wis., in 1886, while on business connected with his lumber interests there. His 
wife, Amelia (Burnside), a native of Centre County, lived to the age of seventy.  
Only three of their children attained adult age:  James G. (deceased) was 
formerly a bookkeeper at Fond du Lac; Thomas B. is the subject of this sketch; 
and William W., is a dentist in Marinette, Wisconsin.
  Dr. T. B. Potter was born at Potters Mills November 21, 1829, and his early 
years were spent in that vicinity. After the local educational resources were 
exhausted he attended school at Lewistown, and later studied at Princeton 
College. His medical studies were begun under the supervision of Dr. George L. 
Potter, of Bellefonte, and finished at the University of Pennsylvania, 
Philadelphia, where he was graduated April 6, 1851. Locating at Stormstown, Half 
Moon township, Centre county, he practiced there five years, and then removed to 
Philipsburg and became the leading practitioner there.  After forty years of 
successful practice he withdrew to private life. He has acquired wealth, and 
owns one of the most valuable brick blocks in Philipsburg, the "Potter House," 
the principal hostelry of that city being a part of it. His residence is in the 
Centre county portion of the city.
  Dr. Potter was married, in 1858, to Miss Mary E. Myers, a native of 
Stormstown, who died in 1869, leaving two sons: William M., who is mentioned 
more fully below; and Dudley, who died at the age of nineteen years. In 1880 Dr. 
Potter formed a second matrimonial union, this time with Miss Ellen McMullen. 
They have no children.
  When Dr. Thomas B. Potter came to Philipsburg it was but a small village, with 
grass growing in the streets, and he has lived to see great improvements and 
solid growth, in the bringing about of which he himself was among the foremost.  
During the first five years of his residence in the then village, he was the 
only physician in the place. In 1869 he built the block where he now resides; in 
1871 he erected the Arcade, and in 1879 the 
"Potter House," all adjoining one another. In politics the Doctor is a stanch 
Republican; he was the second burgess elected in the borough; was member of the 
first council, and was president of the school board some six years. Socially, 
he is a Master Mason, and he is a member of the Centre County Medical Society. 
During the war of the Rebellion he served as assistant surgeon of the 77th 
P.V.I., from October 1862. to May, 1863, serving in the Western army, in 
Tennessee and Georgia, and was present at the engagements at Pittsburg Landing, 
but had to resign on account of impaired health.
  WILLIAM M. POTTER was born in Philipsburg, March 27, 1863, and obtained his 
elementary education in the public schools. He attended State college for two 
years and a half, and then took a course in bookkeeping at Lewisburg Academy. 
Thus equipped for business life, he returned home, and for some time was 
employed in the office of Hoover, Hughes & Co., also working for W. P. Duncan, 
in his mine and coal office, and then spent four years as clerk in the Moshannon 
Bank. During the next two 

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 64

years he visited various points in the West, and on his return he remained two 
years with the Pardee Mine Co., as check weigh man; then, after a short time in 
I. V. Gray's store as bookkeeper, he took a position as paymaster for R. B.  
Wiglan & Sons, remaining with them six years.  For two years past he has been 
secretary for the Philipsburg Electric Light Co., and the Philipsburg Water Co., 
being a stockholder in both.  
  In May 1888, Mr. Potter was married to Miss Rachel M. Steiner, who was born in 
Chester Hill. His residence is in that portion of the city which lies in 
Clearfield County, and he is one of the leading workers in the Republican party 
there. As candidate for county treasurer he greatly reduced the normal 
Democratic majority.