Biographical Sketch of Thomas D. DUNN, M.D. (1893); Chester County, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by John Morris . *********************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** Source: "Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chester County, Pennsyl- vania, comprising a historical sketch of the county," by Samuel T. Wiley and edited by Winfield Scott Garner, Gresham Publishing Company, Phila- delphia, PA, 1893, pp. 254-5. "THOMAS D. DUNN, M. D., a prominent and active physician and surgeon of West Chester, and who has had ten years of successful practice in the hos- pitals of Philadelphia, and at the county seat of Chester county, is the son of Rev. Thoams H. and Diantha M. (Curtis) Dunn, and was born in Craw- ford county, Pennsylvania, January 30, 1855. The Dunns trace their trans- Atlantic ancestry to Scotland, from which country Philip Dunn, the pater- nal great-grandfather of Dr. Dunn, came to Pennsylvania during the last century and settled in New Jersey. In a short time he left that State to become one of the pioneer settles of Crawford county, whose territory was then scarcely free from the incursion of the Indian tribes of what is now the State of Ohio. he took up a large tract of land and cleared out a good farm, on which he resided until his death. His son, Gideon Dunn (grandfather), was born in New Jersey, served in the land forces of the United States along the northern border during the war of 1812, and fol- lowed farming until his death in Crawford county, to which he had removed in early life with his father. He married Rachel Holton, the only white woman who escaped in the Indian massacre at Sandusky, Ohio, and reared a family of two children: Rev. Thomas H. and Philip. Rev. Thomas H. Dunn (father), was born on his father's Crawford county farm in 1826, received his education at Allegheny college of Meadville, Pennsylvania, and served for many years as a minister of the Seventh Day Baptist church. He was a man of influence in his neighborhood, and a republican in politics, and died August 29, 1881, aged fifty-five years. He married Diantha M. Cur- tis, now resident of Meadville, Crawford county, who was a daughter of Miles Curtis of New York, and was born in Crawford county in 1832. To them were born a family of four children, three sons and one daughter: Elizabeth R., Dr. Thomas D., Dr. Ira J., who was graduated from the medi- cal department of the university of Pennsylvania in 1891, and Arthur D., now seventeen years of age and at home. "Thomas D. Dunn attended the public schools and then entered the North- western State Normal school of Edinboro, Erie county, from which institu- tion he was graduated in the class of 1875. Leaving the normal school he took a special course at Allegheny college, and having made choice of a professional career, became a medical student in the office of Dr. Jacob Price, of West Chester, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. After completing the required course of reading he entered the medical department of the university of Pennsylvania, of Philadelphia, from which he was graduated in 1881. Immediately after graduation he entered the University hospital as resident physician, where he served one year. After a term of six months at the Children's hospital, Philadelphia, he settled to the practice of his chosen profession in West Chester. "On the 28th of November, 1883, Dr. Dunn was united in marriage with Kate E. Cobb, daughter of T. B. Cobb, of Tionesta, Forest county. Their union has been blessed with one child, a daughter, named Rachel, who was born April 4, 1885. "Dr. Dunn is a republican in politics, but has never aspired to political preferment or sought office at the hands of his fellow citizens. He is a member of the Philadelphia Pathological society, the college of Physicians of Philadelphia, and of the Pennsylvania State Medical society."