BIO: Henry McCORMICK, 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 254. _______________________________________________________________ McCORMICK, HENRY, son of James McCormick and his wife Eliza Buehler, was born March 10,1831, in Harrisburg, Pa. He received his education at the Harrisburg Academy, Partridge's military institute, and graduated from Yale College in 1852. He commenced the study of law with his father, but his taste being for a more stirring pursuit, he gave it up and learned the iron business at Reading furnace, now Robesonia, at the first opportunity purchasing an interest in the Henry Clay and Eagle furnaces, near Marietta, Lancaster county. In 1857 Paxtang came under his management, and in 1866, the nail-works at Fairview, Cumberland county, at the mouth of the Conedoquinet creek, which he conducted for twenty-five years. In 1865, before a railway spanned the continent, he crossed the great plain and mountain range to the Pacific coast, returning by the Isthmus of Panama. In 1877 he visited Europe. Long before these journeys he had shown his devotion to his country. At the opening of the Rebellion he offered his life and services to the cause of patriotism, gathering a company of volunteers, company F, Lochiel Grays, of the Twenty-fifth regiment, Pennsylvania volunteers, in the three months' service. In 1862 he was chosen colonel of the First regiment, Pennsylvania militia, under Maj. Gen. John F. Reynolds and assigned to the command of the First brigade. The object of forming this division being accomplished by the contest at Antietam, it was mustered out of service. Under the act relative to a new geological survey of Pennsylvania, he was appointed by Governor Hartranft a commissioner, and by his colleagues its treasurer, filling these positions until the work was done. As a co-trustee of his father's estate, he has shown tact and judgment, and, in the pursuit of all the business in which he is engaged, great energy and success. To all benevolent objects he is a most generous giver, without ostentation or publicity. As an evidence of the esteem in which he is held, it may be stated that when a candidate for Congress in 1882, his majority in his native county was one hundred and fifty-nine, while his party was in a minority of nearly fifteen hundred on the vote for other offices. Colonel McCormick married, June 29, 1867, Annie Criswell, daughter of John Vance Criswell and Hannah Dull.