BIO: William Tuttle MAHAFFEY, 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 755 - 757. _____________________________________________________________ WILLIAM TUTTLE MAHAFFEY, a retired banker and lumberman of Cherry Tree, Pa., is one of the best known citizens of this part of Clearfield county, and a man highly thought of wherever known. He was born at Locust Villa, the old Mahaffey homestead one mile below Cherry Tree, June 25, 1848, son of John and Ella (Byers) Mahaffey. Both the Mahaffey and Byers families are well known and respected ones in Clearfield county. A sister of our subject, Margaret B., is the wife of Porter Kinports, of Cherry Tree. W. T. and Margaret B. are the only surviving members of John Mahaffey's family that are living at this time in Cherry Tree. William T. Mahaffey, after completing his school studies about 1864, took an active part in the war, being drum major of Co. D, 78th Regiment, P. V. He was only thirteen years old at the beginning of the war. After the war, in 1869, he engaged in teaching school, which occupation he followed for some seven years, making a great success along this line of work. About the time of his marriage in 1876 he entered into the mercantile business, conducting a store for two years at Cherry Tree and during this time was also associated with his father in the lumber business. He then engaged in the manufacture of farm, lumber and saw-mill machinery. This business which he purchased was the first one of its kind established in northern Pennsylvania, the factory having been built in 1844, and after buying it he continued to operate the concern for twenty-one years. He then sold out and was engaged in the lumber business for six years subsequently being one of a company and a director of the company called the St. Lawrence Broom & Manufacturing Company, of West Virginia, owing and operating one of the largest and heaviest timber tracts in the state of West Virginia, consisting of 86,000 acres. The company called St. Lawrence Broom & Manufacturing Company consisted of eight partners, Mr. Mahaffey being one of the directors. He still owns considerable timber land, besides other real estate. In 1902 Mr. Mahaffey was also one of the founders of the First National Bank of Cherry Tree, of which he is still a director. He was a founder and president of the Cherry Tree Electric Light Company, and founder and a director of the Cherry Tree Water Company. He has also valuable coal interests in this vicinity. As will be seen Mr. Mahaffey has been a man of wide and strenuous activities, though now retired from active business life. In 1876 he united with the Methodist Protestant church of Cherry Tree but afterward united with the Presbyterian church, and has for many years been active in Sabbath school work, serving now as president of District No. 2, of Indiana county. Mr. Mahaffey was formerly a Republican in politics, but has joined what is known as the Keystone party. In 1909 he made a special trip to visit the old home of the Mahaffey family at Dublin, Ireland. On this occasion he gathered valuable data in regard to the ancestral history of the Mahaffey's, a subject in which he is much interested, as during a year or more he has been engaged in compiling a history of the family that will be of much interest and value when completed. He is president of an organized society that holds annual reunions of the Mahaffey clan each year. They meet this year, 1911, in the city of Williamsport, the home of Thomas Mahaffey, who came from Donegal county, Ireland, and settled here in 1723. Mr. Mahaffey married Julia Jane, eldest daughter of Col. Clark and Hettie (Graham) Patchin, and he and his wife have been the parents of children as follows: John C., born September 18, 1877, is cashier in the Cherry Tree Bank. He married Mary Beyer, daughter of Dr. Beyer of Punxatawney, Pa. Leroy, born October 10, 1879, is a dentist following his profession in Pittsburg. Graham Garfield, born July 28, 1881, is deceased. Hettie Ellen, born November 2, 1883, is unmarried and resides at home. Boyd Tuttle, born April 20, 1886, is superintendent for the Pennsylvania Coal Co., at Amsbry, Cambria county, Pa. Crissie C., born January 27, 1888, is residing at home. Mrs. Julia J. Mahaffey, the mother of the above mentioned children, died October 3, 1894. She was an earnest Christian woman, and an active member of the Methodist church, which she joined at the age of 14 years. Mr. Mahaffey was again married, December 18, 1902, to Sarah Edmonson, of Glassport, Pa., and she resides with her husband in Cherry Tree. She is a lady highly esteemed, and is a very earnest church and Sabbath school worker.