BIO: John WEAVER, Centre County, PA

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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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  JOHN WEAVER, a self-made man, whose energy and well-directed efforts 
have brought to him a comfortable competence, and whose sterling worth 
has won him the high regard of many friends, is now living a retired 
life upon his farm of 206 acres at Dick's Station, in Taylor township, 
Centre county. He was born in Sinking Valley, Huntingdon Co., Penn., 
March 22, 1829, but almost his entire life has been passed in Centre 
county, where he experienced all the trials and hardships of pioneer 
life.
  Samuel Weaver, our subject's paternal grandfather, was born in 
Pennsylvania of German descent, and at an early day became a resident 
of Huntingdon county, where he followed farming throughout life. The 
maternal grandparents, Jacob and Elizabeth Isett, were also natives of 
Pennsylvania, of German extraction, and early located in Huntingdon 
county, there residing upon a farm.
  John and Rachel (Isett) Weaver, parents of our subject, were also 
natives of Huntingdon county, where their marriage was celebrated, and 
where they remained until 1834, when they came to Centre county, 
locating near our subject's present home. For a time the father worked 
for the Huntingdon Furnace, later engaged in charcoaling and chopping 
cord wood, but spent his last days in farming. He was first a Whig in 
politics, afterward a Republican, and by his fellow citizens was called 
upon to serve as supervisor and school director in Taylor township. In 
religious belief he was a Presbyterian. He died June 23, 1872, at the 
age of seventy-seven years; his wife passed away March 5, 1857, at the 
age of seventy-six.
  Our subject is the eighth in order of birth in their family of twelve 
children - seven sons and five daughters, as follows: Solomon and Jacob 
are both deceased; Sallie married John Lewis, and both are now 
deceased; Samuel was scalded to death by the explosion of a steamboat; 
Barbara married William Robinson, and both are now deceased; Joseph is 
a farmer of Blair county, Penn.; Margaret is the deceased wife of 
Thomas Hamer, also deceased; John is our subject; Franklin is deceased; 
Rachel is the widow of Adam Waltermeyer; David is a retired lum-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.  347

berman, of Tyrone, Penn.; and one died in infancy, unnamed.
  Until he had reached the age of twenty-one years, John Weaver 
remained under the parental roof, assisting his father in the labors of 
the farm, and attending school when the opportunity afforded. For a 
time he crossed the mountains into Huntingdon county to school, a 
distance of three miles, through the unbroken forest, and later pursued 
his studies at a school in Centre county, to which he walked a distance 
of five miles through the woods. On a winter morning he would start 
before dawn with the other children, carrying pine lights, and they 
would take turns in breaking the path through the snow. On coming to 
Taylor township with his parents, the country was a dense wilderness, 
inhabited by wild animals of many varieties, including bears, panthers, 
wildcats and deer, and they experienced all the difficulties of 
frontier life.
  On leaving home, Mr. Weaver went to Bald Eagle Furnace where he 
worked as a farm hand by the month for a year and a half, and then 
engaged in chopping wood in Huntingdon county during the winter, and in 
charcoaling in the summer for the same length of time. Subsequently he 
was employed in various iron works in this section of the State, after 
which he returned to the old homestead, and again engaged in chopping 
wood and charcoaling for some time. In connection with William Robinson 
and Jacob Ridering, Mr. Weaver next contracted to grade three miles of 
the Bald Eagle Valley railroad, but for this work he says they got 
nothing, "as the head contractor ran away with the funds". After 
another company had taken charge of the road Mr. Weaver contracted for 
three-quarters of a mile of grading, and later was made track foreman 
over a crew of men. When the track was laid he was appointed division 
foreman, and continued his connection with the railroad service for 
thirty-one years, during which time he graded for the round house at 
Tyrone. His faithfulness to the company's interests is plainly shown by 
his long retention in their service. On leaving the road he purchased 
his present fine farm, which he continued to operate until 1893, but is 
now enjoying a well-earned rest. During his service with the P. R. R. 
Co. as track foreman, no less than eleven men were promoted from his 
subdivision as track foremen.
  On November 22, 1849, Mr. Weaver was married to Miss Nancy Nearhoof, 
and to their union came the following children: The eldest, Mary, died 
when young; Jeremiah, born December 3, 1851, married Etta Woomer, and 
is a merchant of Altoona, Penn.; Miles, born February 17, 1853, died 
from the bite of a rattlesnake; Anna Eliza, born October 4, 1854, is 
the wife of Henry Sharer, a mechanic in the railroad shops of Tyrone, 
Penn.; Sarah J., born July 15, 1856, is the wife of W. S. Johnson, a 
farmer of Blair county, Penn.; Samuel, born February 22, 1858, married 
Bertie Brisbon, and is railroad foreman at Lemont, Penn.; John W., born 
December 10, 1859, married Elizabeth Walk, and is still on the home 
farm; Harriet, born October 25, 1861, is the wife of S. C. McAlister, 
clerk at Morrisdale Mines, Penn.; George, born December 10, 1863, is at 
home; Alice, born September 22, 1866, is the wife of W. O. Irwin, 
hostler at the Punxsutawney (Penn.) round house; Ellen, born May 8, 
1869, is the wife of W. H. McAlister, flagman on the Beech Creek 
railroad, Penn.; and Nannie B., born July 11, 1874, died young.
  Mrs. Weaver was born in Huntingdon county, April 2, 1825, and is a 
daughter of Andrew and Mary (Kephart) Nearhoof, also natives of that 
county, who came to Centre county in 1835, where the father engaged in 
farming until his death about 1871, when he was aged seventy-two years. 
His wife passed away May 30, 1889, at the age of eighty-three years, 
eleven months, twenty-three days. Both held membership in the Dunkard 
Church, and in politics he was a Republican. They were the parents of 
eleven children, namely: Nancy, wife of our subject; Mary, who wedded 
Jacob Rider, but both are now deceased; Henry (deceased) was a farmer 
of Blair county; Simon is an employee in a planing mill at Tyrone, 
Blair county; Eliza is the deceased wife of Joshua Beck, of 
Philipsburg, Penn.; John is a farmer of Centre county; Andrew is a 
farmer of Taylor township; Catherine is the deceased wife of E. Lewis, 
a farmer of Blair county; George is an agriculturist of Centre county; 
Martha is the wife of Fulton McMonagle, a butcher living near 
Pittsburg, Penn.; and Abner, an iron worker of Mifflin county, Penn. 
The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Weaver - Henry and Mary Nearhoof, 
were early settlers of Huntingdon county, where they resided upon a 
farm, while the maternal grandparents, Henry and Kate Kephart, also 
farming people, came to Centre county at an early day.
  Mr. Weaver served his fellow citizens in the capacity of school 
director for many years, and was also elected supervisor of his 
township, but got another man to serve in his stead. He was drafted 
during the Civil war, but owing to illness in the family he sent a 
substitute. He was ever a hardworking, energetic man, and the 

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.  348

success that has come to him is but the just reward of earnest, 
persistent effort. The obstacles and difficulties in his path he 
overcame, and worked his way steadily upward until he can now spend the 
evening of life in retirement, surrounded by all the comforts and many 
of the luxuries of life. He is an ardent Republican in politics, though 
has never aspired to public office. Himself and wife hold membership in 
the United Brethren Church, and they have the respect and confidence of 
the entire community.