Clearfield County PA Archives - Photos: Wall, Miles 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/wall-miles.txt Photo may be viewed at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/clearfield/photos/wall-miles.jpg Miles Wall, leading citizen of Clearfield County photo scanned from Roland D. Swoopes "Twentieth Century History of Clearfield County, PA and Representative Citizens", published 1911, page 808 MILES WALL, one of the representative men of Curwensville, Pa., who has long been identified with large business interests here and is prominent in the public affairs of the borough, perhaps is still more widely known as a Faith healer, a name that justly typifies the useful activity in which he has been interested for some time. Mr. Wall was born at Grampian Hill, Clearfield county, Pa., January 10, 1848, and is a son of Reuben and Sidney (Wall) Wall. Reuben Wall was born October 17, 1811, in Center county, Pa., a son of David and Elizabeth Wall. David Wall secured 160 acres of wild land near Grampian Hills which he cleared with the help of his sons. Reuben Wall attended one of the primitive school houses of the time, which was made of poles, with rough seats inside and with greased paper in place of glass at the windows. It was situated near Moore's Run. He often told of the pranks he assisted his school mates to play on the Irish teacher, none of them being inspired by any ill will but merely the result of overflowing boyish spirits. There were few relaxations in those days for the youths, compared to the present time, for the hardest kind of work awaited almost all as soon as their years and strength permitted. His life was spent as a farmer and his death occurred in February, 1892. He married Sidney Wall, in 1842, who was born in York county, Pa., July 19, 1813. Her parents were Jonathan and Jane Wall, natives also of York county. Three children were born to Reuben and Sidney Wall, namely: an infant that died at birth; Alice, who married S. L. Kester, and resides on the old homestead on which Grandfather Wall first settled; and Miles, of Curwensville. The mother of these children died July 16, 1885, and her burial was in the Friends' cemetery, where her husband was later laid by her side. They were members of the Friends' church at Grampian Hills. Miles Wall obtained his education in the district schools of Penn township, Clearfield county, in boyhood walking two miles to attend. Later he assisted his father in carrying on the farm until 1882, when he moved to Curwensville and embarked in the agricultural implement and fertilizer sale business and still later became interested in a planing-mill and general job works and so continued until the spring of 1910, when he retired, after a successful business career. This by no means indicates, however, that Mr. Wall is not one of the busiest men in Clearfield county. He was reared in the Society of Friends and has always been a member of this quiet, peaceful religious body, one that has produced men of mighty power in spiritual matters. In 1900 Mr. Wall began to realize that he possessed a spiritual gift that enabled him to lead many of his fellow beings out of what seemed to them the darkest depths of disease and pain. The realization of this gift must have been as a wonderful revelation. Mr. Wall has not hidden his light under a bushel but has devoted himself to helping those who come to him for healing and it is estimated that he now is called on to treat an average of 500 cases monthly. People come from points 100 miles distant and it is not recorded that any patient has ever gone away unhelped both physically and mentally. Mr. Wall modestly denominates himself a Faith Healer. He charges very moderately those who can afford to pay but treats the poor without money and without price and more that that, never permits inclement weather to prevent his attending a patient who solicits his help. He has not placed himself at the head of any cult although his remarkable success indicates that some mighty force is at work that might develop into a vigorous religious movement. Mr. Wall was married on October 20, 1871, to Miss Elizabeth Cleaver, a daughter of Charles and Mary Cleaver, and they have had seven children, namely: Dillwyn P., who is deputy postmaster at Curwensville, married Bessie Wright, of Pike township; Mary, who is the wife of W. A. Thompson, of Curwensville; Charles M., who lives at Curwensville, married Grace, a daughter of Vincent and Alice Spencer; Vernon S., who is superintendent of the electric light plant at Curwensville, married Mae Sharp, of Pittsburg; Wilbur L., who resides at home; and two infants, who died early. Mr. Wall is a member of the Royal Arcanum, a beneficiary society. In politics he is a Republican and for five years has been a member of the borough council, of which he has been president for two years.