BIO: George Norcross, 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 XXXVIII.

                          BOROUGH OF CARLISLE.

389  BOROUGH OF CARLISLE.

  GEORGE NORCROSS, D.D., Carlisle, pastor of the Second Presbyterian 
Church, was born on his father's farm near Erie, Erie Co, Penn., April 
8, 1838.  His parents were Hiram and Elizabeth (McClelland) Norcross, 
the former of Erie County, and the latter of Crawford.  George, our 
subject, is eldest in a family of five sons and one daughter:  William 
C., an attorney, of Monmouth, Ill.:  H. Flemming, attorney, of Chicago, 
Ill., Isaiah, a business man, of Monmouth; Thomas Rice, grain dealer, 
Liberty, Neb.; and Sarah, wife of Henry Beckwith, died in 1863, are the 
other children.  The family removed from Erie County to Monmouth, Ill., 
in 1844.  George graduated at Monmouth College in 1861, and the fall of 
that year entered the Northwestern Theological Seminary at Chicago, 
where he remained one year.  Returning to Monmouth he was elected to a 
professorship in Monmouth College, which he held for two years, and 
during that time studied theology at the United Presbyterian 
Theological Seminary, Monmouth, and was licensed to preach by the 
Presbytery of Warren, in April, 1863; preached at North Henderson, 
Ill., where he remained three years, and during one winter of that 
time, attended the Theological Seminary at Princeton, New Jersey.  In 
the spring of 1866 he was called to the Presbyterian Church at 
Galesburg, Ill., and preached there until January, 1869, when, having 
been called to the Second Church of Carlisle, he moved hither.  During 
his ministry here the manse and new church building, corner of Hanover 
and Pomfret streets have been erected.  His labors in this church have 
been very successful; from a membership of 230 it has grown to 400, and 
is entirely out of debt.  He was married, in Monmouth, Ill., October 1, 
1863, to Miss Mary S. Tracy, who died March 25, 1865; and on April 22, 
1867, Rev. Mr. Norcross married Mrs. Louisa Jackson Gale, widow of Maj. 
Josiah Gale, of Galesburg.  To this union five children were born (four 
now living):  Delia Jackson, born in Galesburg; George born in 
Carlisle, where he died December 28, 1878, aged eight years; Bessie, 
Mary Jackson, and Louisa Jackson Norcross.  In 1879 Princeton College 
conferred the degree of D. D. on Mr. Norcross.