BIO: Philip E. WOMELSDORF, 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, page 94

HON. PHILIP E. WOMELSDORF, ex-member of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth 
from Centre County, and a prominent mining engineer, was born in Pottsville, 
Schuylkill Co., Penn., September 17, 1859.
  The ancestry of the Womelsdorf family on the paternal side emigrated from the 
province of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, sometime in the seventeenth century, 
and founded the beautiful little town of Womelsdorf in Berks County, Penn. From 
them has descended a large number of the Germans of that region, who for their 
great patience, confidence and steadfastness of purpose, are distinguishable as 
the true types of the Pennsylvania Germans. Womelsdorf was laid out in 1762, by 
John Womelsdorf, and is noted as being one of the points at which the "Father of 
his Country" stopped - Gen. Washington having remained over night there, 
November 13, 1793. On his mother's side, the Mills were Puritans, and the 
records show that many of them have won distinction in the Revolutionary war for 
their loyalty and bravery. Mr. Womelsdorf was educated in the common schools of 
the town in which he was born, and was graduated therefrom in June 1876. He then 
spent one year in a business college, and another in working in the tanneries of 
Warren County. Early in 1878 he entered the services of his brother, A. J. 
Womelsdorf, and the Girard estate in Schuylkill County, as a mining engineer, 
and for four years worked in a very large number of the great anthracite coal 
mines of that region, in his profession. He came to the bituminous region in 
1882, operating at Houtzdale, Osceola and Philipsburg, and since that time he 
has been interested in the development of the mines of these and other 
bituminous regions, and is still actively pursuing that profession. In September 
1894, he was nominated for the Legislature by the Republicans of Centre County, 
and was elected the same fall. He served the county in this position very 
creditably to himself and acceptably to his constituents. His colleague from the 
county was the Hon. Harry R. Curtin. Two years later both gentlemen were again 
nominated for the same position, but were defeated at the election by the 
present members of that body, who are Democratic in politics. After their second 
nomination the press in October, 1896, thus alluded to them: " For Assembly our 
candidates are Harry R. Curtin, of Boggs township, and P. E. Womelsdorf, of 
Philipsburg. They have both served one term in the Lower House; they have both 
been candid, upright and unceasing in the discharge of their legislative duties. 
Each one has come up to his present position from the ranks of labor. They are 
both examples of what honest labor, good morals and intelligent action will 
achieve."
  Mr. Womelsdorf is a man of acknowledged ability, honorable, honest and upright 
in his dealings with his fellow men, and as a recognition of his manly qualities 
he was elected a member of the town council of Philipsburg, a position he held 
three years. On September 21, 1882, our subject was married to Mary A. Bechtel, 
and their children are: Philip Campbell and Frances B.