BIO: David Miller, Cumberland County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Bookwalter

Copyright 2009.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
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.

425  BOROUGH OF MECHANICSBURG.

  DAVID MILLER, grain and coal merchant, Mechanicsburg, was born May 
14, 1825, on the old homestead farm of his father in Windsor Township, 
fourteen miles north of Reading, Berks Co., Penn.  His parents, George 
and Mollie (Raver) Miller, natives of Berks County, were members of the 
Lutheran Church; they had a family of eight children - five sons and 
three daughters.  David, the second son and child, worked on his 
father's farm, attending school during the winters, until he was 
seventeen, when he went to Leesport, Berks Co., Penn., and began to 
learn the trade of miller.  After remaining here three years and three 
months he attended school at Reading six months.  He then 

426  BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES:

rented a water-mill on Maiden Creek, Maiden Creek Township, Berks Co. 
(before he was twenty-one), and operated the mill three years; then he 
returned to Leesport and here formed a partnership with William Major 
and bought the steam-mill (in which Mr. Miller learned his trade) some 
twelve months later.  Mr. Miller sold his interest to his partner, and 
in the fall of 1853 came to Mechanicsburg, this county, and built the 
steam flouring-mill now owned by the Cumberland Valley Railroad 
Company, and used as a warehouse.  Mr. Miller operated this mill some 
seven years, in partnership with E. Zook two years; then Mr. Zook sold 
his interest to Moses Eberly, and in 1861 Mr. Eberly purchased Mr. 
Miller's interest.  Our subject then engaged in the grain business, and 
some four years later began to handle coal in connection with same.  
Mr. Miller was married, October 18, 1852, to Miss Leah Forney, born in 
Berks County, Penn., daughter of John and Lydia (Hartzler) Forney, 
natives of Pennsylvania.  Mr. and Mrs. Miller are members of the 
Lutheran Church.  They have had seven children, three now living:  
Samuel F., clerking for his father, married to Miss Sallie Landers; 
Lillie, residing with her parents; Annie M., wife of John Planck, dry 
goods merchant of Carlisle.  Mr. Miller is a member of Eureka Lodge, 
No. 302, F. & A. M.; is one of the directors of the Second National 
Bank, and is one of Mechanicsburg's enterprising representative 
business men, and stands high in the estimation of all who know him as 
an honorable citizen and Christian gentleman.  He is of Scotch and 
German descent; his great-grandfather came from Scotland.  Mr. Miller 
now owns and runs a flour-mill two miles south of Shermanstown, York 
county (it is a mill of fifty barrels per day capacity), and a farm of 
fifty acres - the mill stands in the center of the farm - and a 
dwelling-house in Mechanicsburg, and a warehouse for handling grain.