BIO: Jacob C. MONTGOMERY, 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, pages 408-409.
__________________________________________________________________ 

  JACOB C. MONTGOMERY, Three Springs, Huntingdon county, Pa., was born 
in 1832, in Trough Creek valley, Huntingdon county. He is a son of 
Daniel and Annie (Curfman) Montgomery. His grandfather, Richard 
Montgomery, was born near Dublin, Ireland, about 1770. He married in 
his native island, and with his wife and family emigrated to America. 
They resided at Manayunk, on the Schuylkill above Philadelphia; there 
Richard Montgomery bought a farm, on which stood a grist-mill, and 
became both farmer and miller. Some of his children went to the far 
west, and settled there. Mr. Montgomery paid them frequent visits, on 
one of which he was either accidentally killed, or waylaid, robbed and 
murdered; the latter appears the more probable, as he was known to 
carry considerable sums of money in a belt, and his body was never 
found. He had previously sold his property at Manayunk. This was about 
1845. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Montgomery are: Samuel, 
resides beyond the Rocky Mountains; John, resided near Bradysport, Pa., 
where he was a lock-tender, was accidentally killed there; Daniel, of 
Huntingdon county; Hugh, resides in the west; Isaac, also went west; 
George, deceased, resided in Iowa; Betsy, who has been twice married, 
resides in the west; Catherine (Mrs. Isaac Smith)
  The third son, Daniel Montgomery, was born in Ireland, and was still 
a boy when he came to this country. He learned the business of the farm 
and the mill, but was also proficient in carpentry and coopering. He 
had a plain common school education. After his marriage with Annie, 
daughter of Jacob Curfman, Mr. Montgomery resided first in Trough Creek 
valley, where he worked at his trades. Removing to Manayunk, he worked 
for a time at milling. On one of his father's trips to the west Daniel 
Montgomery accompanied him, and remained out for two years, during 
which time he bought a house and two lots in Davenport, Ia. At the end 
of the two years he was on his way home to bring his family out, when 
he was attacked by cholera, and only reached Pittsburg, where he died. 
He was buried at that city by Rev. Black, a clergyman of the Methodist 
church, of which he and his wife were members. During his absence his 
wife and family had removed to Cassville, Pa., where Mrs. Montgomery 
died about 1859 or '60. Their children are: Jacob C.; Nancy (Mrs. 
Samuel Diggins), of Cassville; Elizabeth, died young; Catherine Jane, 
died young; Fanny, married first to Charles Dupre, who died, and she 
was again married to James Walker, and resides at Broad Top City.
  His parents removing to Manayunk during the early childhood of Jacob 
C. Montgomery, he was educated in the common schools of that borough. 
Having returned to Huntingdon county, he began to learn chair-making at 
Three Springs, served three years as an apprentice, and continued work 
at the trade until the breaking out of the war. In 1862, when he had 
been about seven years married, and was keeping house at Three Springs, 
he enlisted, in the fall of the year, in Company I, Twelfth 
Pennsylvania Reserves, under Captain Baker. Having gone with his 
regiment to the front, Mr. Montgomery was on picket duty at 
Harrisonburg, Va., when he was taken ill of lung fever, and was 
discharged and sent home. In 1864 he again enlisted, in Company K, Two 
Hundred and Second Pennsylvania Volunteers, joining his regiment at 
Harrisburg, Pa., and went to the front, remaining on duty till the 
close of the war. The effects of the hardships and exposure of camp 
life upon his health were so serious as to disable him permanently for 
work. Mr. Montgomery was formerly a Democrat, but now belongs to the 
Republican party.
  Jacob C. Montgomery was married November 22, 1855, at Shirleysburg, 
Pa., to Elizabeth, daughter of John and Frances (White) Hampson, 
natives of Ireland. The children of this marriage are: Monroe, died 
young; Mary J. (Mrs. Thomas Brownlee), of Three Springs; George, is 
thirty-eight years of age, resides in Virginia; Maggie, died an infant; 
John, of Portland, Ore.; William, died young; Fanny (Mrs. Charles E. 
Reed), of Clearfield, Pa.; Thomas, born May 23, 1867, attended common 
schools, went in 1889 to Portland, Ore, where he became a machinist, 
and after a residence of two years and a half, returned home, and has 
worked since at intervals away from home; Edwin, born September 16, 
1874.