BIO: Lewis Melvin IMPSON, 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, page 827. _____________________________________________________________ LEWIS MELVIN IMPSON, postmaster at Karthaus, Pa., has been a resident of this place since 1884, during a large part of the time being in the mercantile business and also many years postmaster, appointed first by President Harrison in 1891, and secondly in 1899. He was born January 30, 1859, at Geneva, N. Y., and is a son of Solomon C. and Elizabeth (Scott) Impson. Solomon C. Impson was born in Ulster county, N. Y., and was a carpenter and builder by trade and after moving to Scranton, Pa., he followed contracting. After the panic of 1873 he gave up this business and moved to a farm some twenty-five miles distant from Scranton, on which he lived until after the death of his second wife, when he came to Karthaus and made his home with his son, Lewis M. Impson, where his death occurred. He was of Scotch-Irish descent. He was married first to Elizabeth Scott, who was probably born and reared in Sullivan county, N. Y., a daughter of Lewis and Maria (Torrey) Scott. Her father and mother moved to New York from Massachusetts and settled in Bethel, Sullivan county, among the pioneers. They were people of sturdy character and real worth. When their daughter, Mrs. Impson, died and left a son of thirteen months, they took the child to their home and hearts and reluctantly gave him up to the father after his second marriage. One son, Murray R. Impson, survives of this marriage and resides at Elmira, N. Y. Lewis Melvin Impson remained with his maternal grandparents until he was ten years old and then joined his father at Scranton, where he attended the High School until 1875, when he accompanied the family to the farm above alluded to, at Boyd's Mills. He remained there for one year and then left home and began to look out for himself entirely. He worked at the carpenter's trade until 1884, when he came to Karthaus and here followed contracting largely until 1891, the last building in which he was concerned being the schoolhouse at Cataract. He then went into a general store business at Karthaus, six years at one place and two years at another, and then built his present store building and devotes himself to the grocery trade in connection with his duties as postmaster. Formerly he was very active in Republican politics in the county and in 1908 was a candidate for county commissioner on the Republican ticket, being defeated by a small margin. He still is interested and occasionally served in local offices but when importuned to accept the office of justice of the peace, declined. Mr. Impson was married January 1, 1881, to Miss Hannah Phillips, who was born in New York but at the time of marriage was living in Wayne county, Pa. She is a daughter of Dr. Thomas C. and Clarissa (Cross) Phillips, both now deceased, her father passing away, January 29, 1906, and her mother prior to that date. Mr. and Mrs. Impson have one daughter, Harriet Adele, who served five years as stenographer in the register's and recorder's office in Clearfield county, and is the wife of Robert Lee Bierly, residing at Renova; they have one son, Robert Lewis Bierly. Mr. Impson is identified with the Masonic lodge at Renova.