Clearfield County PA Archives - Photos: KIRK, George C. Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Ellis Michaels, , Oct 2008 Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/clearfield/ ________________________________________________ http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/clearfield/photos/kirk-george-c.txt Photo may be viewed at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/clearfield/photos/kirk-george-c.jpg Kirk, George C., leading citizen of Clearfield County photo scanned from Roland D. Swoopes "Twentieth Century History of Clearfield County, PA and Representative Citizens", published 1911, page 432 GEORGE C. KIRK, civil engineer, surveyor, and for ten years a justice of the peace in Brady township, Clearfield county, Pa., is one of the representative citizens of this section of Clearfield county, all over which he is known in his profession. He was born in Brady township, April 3, 1837, and is the oldest of a family of eleven children born to his parents, who were Thomas and Eliza (Brisbin) Kirk, and his grandfather was John Kirk. John Kirk, the grandfather, was the founder of this family in Clearfield county. He came of Scotch ancestors and was born May 15, 1777, in York county, Pa. From there he moved to Center county and settled in Boggs township, but it is not known that his parents, Thomas and Hannah (Cadwallader) Kirk, accompanied him. He was married in Bald Eagle Valley, Center county, in 1802, to Lydia Fisher, who was a daughter of William and Hannah (Packer) Fisher. Ten children were born to them, five sons and five daughters. Later John Kirk, about 1832, moved into what was then a wilderness, settling in the deep woods, in Brady township, Clearfield county. There his death occurred December 23, 1856, and that of his widow, March 15, 1864. Thomas Kirk, the fifth of his parents' family, was born September 11, 1811, in Boggs township, Center county. He accompanied his parents to Brady township, Clearfield county, and four years later, on June 19, 1836, he was married to Eliza Foster Brisbin, who was also born in Center county, November 13, 1817, a daughter of Enos and Jane (Moore) Brisbin. They became the parents of eleven children, six of whom still survive. Thomas Kirk engaged in farming and cleared off many acres of land which he improved. He was a well known and highly respected resident of Brady township, where he lived until his death, which occurred August 17, 1898, his wife having passed away on April 4, 1892. George Calvin Kirk had to work hard in his youth as the eldest of a large family, but he had unusual ambition although there was little encouragement or even opportunity to stimulate it. His educational advantages in the common acceptance of the term, were meager, but he made the most of his chances and later became an acceptable school teacher. He learned the carpenter and cabinetmaking trade and worked at it for a time, but whatever occupation or industry he was engaged in he devoted every moment of spare time to acquiring a knowledge of surveying and civil engineering. Only those who have been equally persevering can appreciate the hard studying he had to do before he was able to perform satisfactory work along this line, but those who gave him the first contracts soon realized that he thoroughly understood every principle and the method of application, although he was entirely self taught. Mr. Kirk did a large amount of surveying for John DuBois, when that enterprising man first began his great lumbering operations in the dense woods that still covered the country surrounding DuBois, and has also done professional work of great importance in Clearfield, Jefferson and other counties. Mr. Kirk continues to work at his profession and each day spends some hours surrounded by his maps and charts, and frequently becomes so interested in his calculations that ordinary bed-time finds him yet busy. In addition to his teaching, surveying and engineering, Mr. Kirk was a very successful farmer for a number of years, owning several hundred acres of excellent land, purchasing his first 100 acres from James Irvin, paying $800 for the same and clearing it himself. He improved his land and erected substantial buildings and still makes his home on the farm, which he sold to his son, Lewis N., on May 7, 1910. Mr. Kirk was also one of the organizers of the Luthersburg Pottery, which supplied all this section with earthenware for many years. No work has been done in the old building for many years but it still stands as a landmark. Mr. Kirk was further public spirited, being one of the organizers of the S. N. B. Telephone Company, and has shown interest in and has given encouragement to other enterprises which have proved beneficial to this section. On April 18, 1861, Mr. Kirk was married to Miss Margaret Elizabeth Hamilton, who was born in West Buffalo township, Union county, Pa., December 26, 1835, and is a daughter of Joseph and Mary (Michaels) Hamilton. Nine children were born to them, as follows: Mary E., Lydia J., Ida E., Austin I., Thomas J., Lewis N., Sarah M., William F. and Anna M. Of this family but three survive, namely: Mary E., Lewis N. and Anna M. Mary E. is the wife of Charles S. Carpenter, and they reside at Ashville, N. Y. Lewis N., who now owns the homestead farm in Brady township, married Florence Reams, and they have one child, Marion L. In politics Mr. Kirk is a Democrat. For a number of years he served on the township school board and during a large part of the time was its treasurer. He is identified fraternally with Lodge No. 753, Odd Fellows, at Troutville, Pa. On April 18, 1911, Mr. Kirk celebrated his golden wedding anniversary. One hundred and forty-four people ate dinner, - Joseph H. Kirk of Tylertown, Pa.; Mrs. Boyd Kirk and two of our subject's sisters, Mary Ann and Ellen, were at the wedding of our subject, also at the anniversary. Mr. Kirk was married on what is now known as the Brewery farm in this township, the DuBois Brewing Company being the owners. He and his wife were married by Daniel Goodlander, a justice of the peace. They received many presents, including gold coins of U. S. money.