Biographical Sketch of Harvey S. Garrett, from the 'Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chester County, Pennsylvania, Comprising a Historical Sketch of the County', by Samuel T. Wiley (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/ *********************************************************************** From the 'Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chester County, Pennsylvania, Comprising a Historical Sketch of the County,' by Samuel T. Wiley, revised and edited by Winfield Scott Garner, published by the Gresham Publishing Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pp. 521-522: "Harvey S. Garrett, a prominent farmer and paper manufacturer, is a worthy representative of one of the old English Quaker families of this county. He is the third son of William and Eliza (Sharpless) Garrett, and a native of Willistown township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, where he was born June 16, 1834, in the house where he now resides. Here he grew to manhood, receiving his primary education in the public schools and later attending the Westtown boarding school and Professor Olslop's academy at Wilmington, Delaware. Upon finishing his studies and returning home he took charge of a farm containing sixty-five acres, and a little later, in 1863, also assumed the management of the paper mill formerly owned by his father, which he has successfully conducted ever since. The mill is located on Ridley creek, in Willistown township, and is devoted entirely to the manufacture of tissue manilla paper. Its weekly output is between two and three tons of fine tissue manilla paper, and its product finds a ready sale and is used in wrapping fruit, butter, and other articles, in all parts of the country. The mill building is fifty by one hundred feet in dimensions, and furnishes employment to five skilled workmen the year round. Politically Mr. Garrett is a stanch republican, and in religion adheres to the faith held by his ancestors for many generations, being a prominent member of the Society of Friends. On May 5, 1860, Mr. Garrett was united by marriage to Mary Worrell, a daughter of Elisha and Mary Worrell, of Upper Providence township, Delaware county. To this union was born a family of four children, two sons and two daughters: Edwin, who married Belle Hoopes, and is now a successful paper manufacturer of Delaware county; Philena, died July 15, 1882; Joseph H., living at home and employed in the paper mill here; and Phoebe, also living with her parents on the farm near Cheyney. The Garrett family is of English descent, and its founders in America were among the early Quaker settlers of Pennsylvania. Isaac Garrett, paternal grandfather of Harvey S., was a farmer residing on Ridley creek, in Willistown township, this county, where he died in 1837, aged eighty-two years. He was a member of the Hicksite branch of the Society of Friends, and had a family of three sons and a daughter: Isaac, Amos, William, and Mary, all now deceased. William Garrett (father) was born in this county in 1800, and died here in 1854, from the effects of being accidentally hit by a lever while prying up a large rock near his paper mill. He owned and operated a farm here, and for many years was engaged in manufacturing edged tools on the present site of the paper mill. After tools began to be made so extensively by machinery, and the price became too low for hand-made tools, Mr. Garrett converted his tool works into a paper mill, which he ran successfully until his accidental death. He was a Whig and republican in politics, and in religion a strict member of the Society of Friends. In 1826 he married Eliza Sharpless, a daughter of Jesse Sharpless of East Goshen township, Chester county, and was the father of five sons, all of whom grew to maturity and are now active and useful citizens of this State. They are: Edward T., who married Alice Priest, and is now a paper manufacturer of Darby township, Delaware county; Casper S., also a paper manufacturer, who married Elizabeth Williamson, and now resides in West Philadelphia; Harvey S., the subject of this sketch; William H., a liveryman at Swarthmore, Delaware county; and Sylvester, who, while residing at the last named place, is engaged in Philadelphia, in the sale of paper at that point..."