BIO: Jacob GREENAWALT, Dauphin County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by JAWB Copyright 2006. 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 _______________________________________________________________ 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 310. _______________________________________________________________ GREENAWALT, JACOB, was born in Harrisburg, Pa., August 10, 1826. He is a son of Jacob and Catherine (Krause) Greenawalt; a sketch of his parents appears elsewhere in this volume. He was educated in the subscription schools, and learned the trade of tanner and currier in his father's tannery, where he worked for twelve years. In 1852 he and his brother Jeremiah K. engaged in the leather and shoe finding business at the present site of King's hardware store, on Market street. In 1854, at the death of their father, these brothers took his business at the appraisement, and conducted it for some years. They finally sold this interest to William Calder, and purchased a site from General Cameron and Dr. Robert Harris, on the corner of Eleventh and Paxton streets. Here they erected buildings, and equipped a tannery which they conducted for about twenty years. They removed to Seventeenth and Derry streets, and started a tan yard. They were joined by their brother, Major T. D. Greenawalt, and under the firm name of Greenawalt Bros. Continued this business until 1888. In 1863 they purchased a three-story property on Market street, below Second street, of Kelker Bros., added two stories to the building, and removed to that location their salesrooms and their finishing shops. They continued their leather store until 1892. They manufactured harness, sole, kip, upper and calfskin leathers, and found market at home and in foreign countries. The excellence of their manufactures was such as to enable them to win medals in various expositions, at home and abroad. The increased cost of transportation of bark from a distance reduced the profits of their productions, and caused them to retire from business. Mr. Greenawalt is a stockholder in the Harrisburg Gas Company, the Harrisburg Electric Light Company, and the Harrisburg Traction Company. He is a member of Perseverance Lodge, A.Y.M., and Royal Arch Chapter. His politics are Republican. He was married in 1879 to Miss Julia, daughter of John Pifer, a native of Prussia, who served in the German army, came to America and settled in Wormleysburg, and from there moved to Harrisburg. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Greenawalt are Catherine, Theodore David, Julia Louisa, deceased, Bertha May, Mary Elizabeth, and Charles David. Mrs. Greenawalt is a member of the German Catholic church.