BIO: John W. GERMAN, Dauphin County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Bookwalter

Copyright 2008.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/dauphin/
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/dauphin/runk/runk-bios.htm
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Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, 
Containing Sketches of Representative Citizens, and Many of the 
Early Scotch-Irish and German Settlers.  Chambersburg, Pa.: 
J. M. Runk & Company, 1896, page 327.
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  GERMAN, JOHN W., was born in Harrisburg, October 27, 1851.  He is the 
son of Emanuel S. German, who was born in Harrisburg in 1821, whose 
father, Philip German, a native of Germany, came to Harrisburg in 1800, 
and established a brewery, celebrated for its "Cream Beer," and 
conducted it for many years. 
  Emanuel German, father of the subject of this sketch, established the 
first exclusively religious bookstore in the United States, at 
Harrisburg, in 1841 or 1842, and conducted it till 1878, when he was 
succeeded by his sons.  He carried a stock of strictly church and 
Sabbath-school literature and his store was the headquarters of 
theological students.  He lives retired from active life.  He was first 
a Democrat, but upon the organization of the Republican party he joined 
that political organization, and has remained with it until the present 
time.  He is a member of the Lutheran church.  He married Sarah Jane 
Westfall, whose father came from Allegheny, and who was the proprietor 
for many years of the celebrated Black Tavern of Harrisburg, and who 
died in this city.  They had seven children:  Philip, of the Harrisburg 
bookstore; Sarah E., wife of Rev. J. S. Detweiler; John W.; Luther W., 
dentist, of Louisville; James W., auditor of the Pennsylvania Railroad 
Company, at Pittsburgh; Grace H., wife of Orville Chamberlin, of New 
Orleans, La.; Charles H. H., of Louisville, Ky., book-keeper; one 
daughter, Mary E., died in 1863.
  John W. was reared in this city, and was educated in the public 
schools.  He learned the trade of printer and subsequently entered his 
father's store, and became bookkeeper.  In 1878 he and his brother 
succeeded to their father's business, and continued it to 1882, when he 
went to Dakota.  Returning to Philadelphia in seven months, he became 
agent for the Travellers' Insurance Company, of Hartford, Conn.  In 
1884 he was appointed special agent of the Mutual Life Insurance 
Company, of New York.  January 12, 1886, he became one of the 
organizers of the Harrisburg Board of Trade, was elected the third 
secretary of the same, and he served in that office uninterruptedly 
since 1889.  He was prominent in locating the Lalance & Grosjean 
Manufacturing Company and other industries in this city.  Mr. German is 
prominently identified with the P. O. S. of A.  He is active in the 
Republican party.  He was married in 1877 to Miss Ida M. Wright, 
daughter of Theodore Wright, editor-in-chief of the Philadelphia 
Record.  They had two children:  Helen I., deceased, December 7, 1895, 
and John W., Jr.  They are members of the Lutheran church.