BIO: DAVID T. DUNLAP, Clearfield County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Banja & Sally Copyright 2005. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/clearfield/ NOTE: Use this web address to access other bios: http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/clearfield/1picts/swoope/swoope.htm _____________________________________________________________ From Twentieth Century History of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and Representative Citizens, by Roland D. Swoope, Jr., Chicago: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company, 1911, pages 661 & 662. _____________________________________________________________ DAVID T. DUNLAP, one of the representative citizens of Brady township and one of the substantial men of Clearfield county, resides on his well improved farm of seventy-five acres in Brady township and owns a second farm containing fifty-five acres, situated in Sandy township. He was born in a log house then standing on his home farm, in Brady township, May 30, 1843, and is a son of Alexander and Nancy (Hadden) Dunlap, and a grandson of William Dunlap. William Dunlap was born in Ireland. When he came to Clearfield county from the eastern coast, he drove his horse and wagon all the way, there being no railroads at that time, and settled in the midst of the woods in what is now Penn township. At that time Harrisburg, the capital, was the nearest trading place. William Dunlap was not only an industrious man but he was exceedingly enterprising. He built what was probably the first saw mill on Little Clearfield Creek, and after clearing up his first tract of land made additions to it and became possessed of 400 acres. At the time of his saw-milling industry dressed lumber was not in such demand as were shingles, logs being available all through this section for building purposes, and his saw-mill output was mainly shingles which, at that time, were largely made by hand. He married Sarah Reed and they reared a family of ten children, all of whom grew up on the pioneer farm. Alexander Dunlap was the second son in the above family and he was born September 4, 1807, after his parents had come to Clearfield county. He engaged in farming and also in shingle making. In 1840 he moved to the farm on which his son, David T., resides, and completed its clearing and resided here until his death, which occurred in 1895. He married Nancy Hadden, who was born in Jefferson county, Pa., and died in 1897, an aged woman. To Alexander and Nancy Dunlap ten children were born, as follows: William, who is deceased; Sarah, who is the wife of Isaac Zartman; Mary J., who is deceased; Archibald H.; David Thomas; Isaac Ross, who is deceased; James N.; John R., who is deceased; Martha E., who is the widow of David Snyder; and an infant, deceased. David T. Dunlap has always lived on his own farm while engaged in agricultural pursuits but spent many winters in the lumber camps and some fourteen years in milling, two of these in Maryland, where some DuBois capitalists were interested, and the rest of the time at Brockwayville, Pa. He remained at home with his parents until they died. In 1868 he had bought the home farm from his father and for some years has given all his attention to its improvement and development. The land is all under cultivation with the exception of twelve acres and there is a valuable six-foot vein of coal which has not been minded. The buildings on the place were put up by his father but he has remodeled them and added features which make them more attractive and comfortable. In 1870 Mr. Dunlap was married to Miss Sarah Pence, who was born on the old Pence farm in Brady township, and died in March, 1909. Ten children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Dunlap, as follows: Clarence, who lives on the Sandy township farm, married Ella Harman and they have seven children; Cora, who married Sherman Starr, of Jefferson county, Pa., and they have seven children; Jacob, who is deceased; Rose, who is the wife of William Pierson, and they have two children; Pearl, who is the wife of Jesse Barr, of Potter county, Pa.; Thomas, who married Eva Askey, who was born in Sandy, and they live at Beech Creek, Pa., and have two children; Lula, who married James Luther, who assists Mr. Dunlap on the farm, and they have three children - Helen, Russell and Jesse; Charles, who is a farmer in Sandy township, married Ruth Carlbaugh, and they have one child; Plumb, who resides with his father; and Firman, who died young. In politics Mr. Dunlap is a Democrat and he is serving in his third term as a member of the school board. He belongs to the Grange and to the Owl Club at DuBois, and is identified also with the Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the order of the Moose.