BIO: William H. Eckels, Jr., Cumberland County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Bookwalter

Copyright 2009.  All rights reserved.
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http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/
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History of Cumberland and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania.
Containing History of the Counties, Their Townships, Towns, Villages, 
Schools, Churches, Industries, Etc.; Portraits of Early Settlers and 
Prominent Men; Biographies; History of Pennsylvania; Statistical and 
Miscellaneous Matter, Etc., Etc.  Illustrated.  Chicago: Warner, Beers 
& Co., 1886.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/beers/beers.htm
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                                PART II.

             HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA.

                             CHAPTER XXXIX. 

                        BOROUGH OF MECHANICSBURG.

410  BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES:

  WILLIAM H. ECKELS, JR., proprietor of a general grocery and provision 
store on West Main Street, Mechanicsburg, was born on his father's 
farm, on the State road leading to Harrisburg, Silver Spring Township, 
this county, January 5, 1820.  His grandfather, Nathaniel Eckels, a son 
of Francis Eckels, was born on the sea while his parents were coming to 
America; they were Scotch-Irish Presbyterians, who, on account of 
religious oppression, were driven out of the North of Ireland, and were 
among those hardy pioneers who sought homes in America; they landed at 
Baltimore, Md., and settled in western Pennsylvania.  Nathaniel Eckels 
was born in 1744, and died in 1830, in the eighty-sixth year of his 
age; he had two sons:  William and Francis, born near Carlisle, this 
county.  William first married Miss Rebecca Huston, born in Silver 
Spring Township, this county, daughter of Jonathan and Margaret Huston, 
of Silver Spring Township, members of the old Silver Spring Church.  
Mrs. Eckels, her father and mother have been taken to the Silver Spring 
grave-yard, where they now peacefully repose.  Mr. and Mrs. William 
Eckels were members of the old Silver Spring Presbyterian Church; they 
had five children - three sons and two daughters - William H. being the 
only one living.  Mrs. William Eckels, Sr., dying in 1820, aged thirty-
three, Mr. Eckels then married Miss Jane Starr, by whom he had four 
children, one now living, James S., an attorney in Princeton, Ill.  
William Eckels, Sr., married on third occasion Miss Hannah Starr, by 
whom he had three children, one now living, John S., residing near New 
Kingston, this county.  The subject of this sketch remained with his 
father, engaged in farming until his marriage, in January, 1844, with 
Miss Elizabeth Adams, a native of Hampden Township, this county,

411  BOROUGH OF MECHANICSBURG.

a daughter of Isaac and Jane (Anderson) Adams.  Some two years after 
his marriage he engaged in mercantile business at Sporting Hill, 
Hampden Township, where he remained until 1862, when he opened a 
general store in Hogestown.  His wife died in 1866, the mother of three 
children, one living:  Agnes, wife of Samuel Sample, employed in steel 
works in Steelton, Dauphin Co., Penn.  He and wife were raised in 
Silver Spring Township; the former was born in Hampden Township.  Mr. 
William H. Eckels, after the death of his wife, retired from business 
and settled on a farm near Hogestown, now owned by Mrs. Gibble.  He 
resumed business in Hogestown, three years later, with L. B. Ewalt, and 
also had a branch store, two miles north of Huston's mills in Silver 
Spring Township.  In April, 1881, Mr. Eckels came to Mechanicsburg and 
formed his late partnership with Andrew O. Sample and established the 
business.  This partnership was dissolved by mutual agreement, Mr. 
Sample taking the entire stock, and Mr. Eckels opening his present 
place of business, where he has succeeded in building up a fair trade.  
Mr. Eckels married, in June, 1881, Mrs. Jennie Armstrong, born in 
Silver Spring Township, this county, daughter of William and Rebecca 
Hershman, and to this union have been born three children:  Minnie, 
Blanch and Olive.  (Mrs. Eckels had two children by her first husband:  
Charles S., clerking for our subject, and Clara.)  Mrs. Eckels is a 
member of the Evangelical Church.  Mr. Eckels is an enterprising, 
representative business man and citizen.  He has been a member of the 
board of trustees of the Presbyterian Church of Silver Spring Township 
for twenty-five years.