BIO: George MINNS, Jr., Clearfield County, PA
 
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From Twentieth Century History of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania,
and Representative Citizens, by Roland D. Swoope, Jr.,
Chicago: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company, 1911, pages 360-361.
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  GEORGE MINNS, JR., a representative citizen and prominent business man of 
DuBois, Pa., a successful coal operator and interested additionally in other 
enterprises, was born August 4, 1873, at Renovo, Pa., and is a son of George 
T. and Alice (Hunter) Minns.
  George T. Minns was born in England in 1845 and became a miner at an early 
age, his experience in this direction covering many years.  He was married in 
England to Alice Hunter and they remained there until after the birth of two 
children and then came to America.  Mr. Minns was led to settle at Renovo, 
Clinton county, Pa., because it was a fine mining district and after working 
for coal companies there for a time he leased and operated a mine of his own.  
He removed then with his family, to Butler county, Pa., continuing in the 
coal business and during his period of residence there sold coal to the oil 
fields at a profit.  In 1880 he came to DuBois and here entered the employ of 
John DuBois, for whom he opened up mines and from whom he later bought a farm 
in the Clear Run neighborhood.  This land Mr. Minns cleared and it is the 
present place of residence of the family.  Mr. and Mrs. Minns had twelve 
children born to them, namely:  Bessie, who is now deceased, was the wife of 
Oscar Long; Sarah, who was the wife of Wm. Guntrum; Catherine, who is the 
wife of Edward Trude; George; John; William; Robert; Alice, who is the wife 
of George Whipple; Abbie, who is the wife of W. B. Johnson; Martha, who is 
the wife of Everett Case; Henry, youngest, at home.
  George Minns attended school as circumstances permitted, during boyhood, 
but by the time he was fifteen years of age he had become very useful to his 
father on the newly purchased farm.  Four years later he went to lumbering 
and continued to farm and to work in the woods until 1896, when, with his 
father, he leased a tract of coal land from A. C. Hopkins, of Loch Haven, Pa.  
There was one mine already on the place and they started their drift on the 
left of it and began producing coal.  In a short time the younger partner 
bought out the entire interest and ever since has operated this mine alone.  
It has fulfilled every expectation and has proved a valuable investment.  Mr. 
Minns runs three wagons and sells coal to the local trade and supplies the 
larger number of the factories at DuBois.  He has other business interests 
and owns a large amount of valuable real estate, including a farm in Sandy 
township and the Hotel Logan, at DuBois, which he leases, having previously 
remodeled the building.  In 1900, Mr. Minns erected his handsome brick 
residence at No. 601 First Street.
  Mr. Minns was married to Miss Ella Bair, a daughter of William Bair, of 
Falls Creek, Pa., and they have four children:  Earl, Mary, Alice and Ruth.  
Mr. Minns and family are members of the Episcopal church.  In politics he is 
a Republican and is an active, interested and public-spirited citizen.  Since 
1905 he has been a member of the borough council of DuBois and has been 
sincere in his efforts to secure and regulate beneficial measures for the 
people.  He belongs fraternally to the Elks and the Knights of Pythias and 
socially to the Acorn Club.  Mr. Minns is a stockholder in the Union Banking 
and Trust Company of DuBois.