BIO: Harvey BENNETT, Huntingdon County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by JO Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ********************************************************** __________________________________________________________________ Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of the Juniata Valley: Comprising the Counties of Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata and Perry, Pennsylvania, Containing Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens and Many of the Early Settlers. Chambersburg, Pa.: J. M. Runk & Co., 1897, page 356. __________________________________________________________________ HARVEY BENNETT, Mount Union, Pa., was born in Belleville, Mifflin county, March 12, 1850. He was a son of Seneca H, and Sarah (Miller) Bennett. William Bennett, his grandfather, was a native of the State of New York. His vocation was the trade of shoemaking, in which he was engaged during all of his business life. He had a family of eleven children. The following are deceased: Jacob; Seneca H.; Isabella; and Everett. The surviving members of his family are: Katherine (Mrs. John Meyers); Elizabeth (Mrs. Joseph Sherk); Lucretia, widow of Thomas Ledawell; Mary; and Caroline (Mrs. Jacob Long). William Bennett and his wife are deceased; the latter lived to the age of 101 years, dying in 1883. Seneca H., the son of William and father of Harvey Bennett, was born in New York State; his wife was a native of Mifflin county, Pa. The father was a shoemaker, and carried on that business all his life. His wife Sarah was the daughter of Isaac Miller. Seven of their thirteen children are deceased; the survivors are: Annie M. (Mrs. John B. Black); Etta (Mrs. Benjamin Alsbaugh); Harvey; B. B.; Charles; and Elizabeth (Mrs. George Heffley). The father died July 24, 1876, at the age of sixty-three; the mother lived to the age of seventy-nine. They were members of the Lutheran church. Harvey Bennett received his early education in Mifflin county in the common schools, which he attended until he was eighteen. He then passed through an apprenticeship of four years and about six months, at the trade inherited from his father and grandfather, that of shoemaking. This time being ended, he worked as a journeyman for five years with M. Hinery, in Huntingdon county, whither Mr. Bennett had come in 1871. From the year 1878 until February 12, 1883, Mr. Bennett was in business for himself; at the latter date, he engaged with Faust Bros., also engaged in the manufacture of shoes, with whom he continued for seven years. During the centennial year, 1876, Mr. Bennett made a six months' tour through the western States. Since 1890, he has been in business on his own account. The public offices he has held are those of inspector of elections, to which he was elected for four years, and in 1895; his term in the latter office has not yet expired. He is a Democrat. Harvey Bennett was married, January 14, 1875, to Margaret, daughter of William and Jane (Kirk) Dean. Their children are: Gertrude J.; Lizzie G.; Mary; Nettie H.; Bessie; and Maud, who died in 1879, aged two years, six months and twenty-four days. Mrs. Margaret (Dean) Bennett was born April 29, 1857. Her father was a native of Lancaster, her mother of Juniata county. Mr. Dean was in early life a teamster, but removed to Huntingdon county in 1865, where he engaged as engineer in the tannery of Hoffman, now Faust Bros. Of the nine children of William and Jane (Kirk) Dean, five are deceased: Martha and William, infants; George W.; James; and William. Four are still living: Mollie (Mrs. John Kauffman); Robert A.; J. Hoffman; and Margaret (Mrs. Bennett). The father died in October, 1886, aged seventy-four; Mrs. Dean, in good health at the age of eighty, still resides in Harrisburg, Pa.