BIO: James A. Cathers, Jefferson County, PA

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Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania, Including 
the Counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, Containing 
Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens. 
Chicago, Ill.: J. H. Beers, 1898, page 
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JAMES ALEXANDER CATHERS.  One of the prominent and influential 
residents of Winslow township, Jefferson county, has lived in this 
vicinity from his early youth.  He came with his parents when the 
country was yet virgin, and helped bear the burden of its preparation 
for settlement.  Mr. Cathers has been closely identified with the 
natural and largest interests of this vicinity, has engaged extensively 
in farming and lumbering, and is now living a retired life.
  His great-grandfather Cathers and a brother came to America together, 
the brother finally settling in the South.  Two of his great-grandsons 
now reside at Omaha, Neb., where they are bankers and prominent 
business men.  The great-grandfather of our subject was married to a 
Miss Wallace, whose brother was a general in the Continental army 
during the war of the Revolution, and fought gallantly for the 
independence of the colonies.  Our subject's great-grandmother Blake, 
whose maiden name was Smiley, had a brother, Robert Smiley, who was a 
colonel in the war of the Revolution; also fought in the Indian war, 
and was shot through the lungs by an Indian, but, being a large and 
powerfully built man, recovered.
  James Alexander Cathers was born in Clarion county, a mile from the 
present town of that name, April 24, 1828, the son of Robert and Nancy 
(Thompson) Cathers.  Robert Cathers was born in Somerset county, and 
became a prominent citizen of Clarion county, and later was identified 
with important industries of Jefferson county.  His parents were Joseph 
and Rachel (Blake) Cathers, who were of Scotch-Irish extraction, and 
were also early residents of Juniata county, and who spent the closing 
years of their lives in Clarion county.  James and Nancy (Murray) 
Thompson, the maternal grandparents of our subject, were natives of 
Ireland and became early settlers of Clarion county.  James Thompson 
was drowned in the Juniata river, while coal-boating.
  It was in April, 1848, that Robert Cathers became a resident of what 
is now Winslow township; he had purchased 100 acres of land, paying 
$1.25 for it per acre, and in 1844 had come out with his two sons, 
James A., subject of this sketch, and William, and cleared the farm and 
put in a crop of wheat.  He thus looked after the farm until he moved 
his family to the place in 1848.  Later he purchased 300 acres at $3.00 
per acre, which has good coal under it.  Robert Cathers, in addition to 
other enterprises, also had a farm in Clarion county and operated an 
old "up-and-down" water sawmill at the mouth of Cathers run on the 
Clarion river.  He also built a saw and grist mill in Winslow township, 
which was destroyed by fire August 25, 1877.  It was rebuilt, and is 
now known as the McCreight mill.  Robert Cathers and his son, James 
Alexander, in their operations, bought considerable land.  The father 
purchased the timber on 1,000 acres, paid stumpage for it, manufactured 
the lumber and took it to the Pittsburg market; he also cleared up two 
farms, giving employment to many men.  The son bought and paid for 
1,100 acres of coal and timber land in Clearfield and Jefferson 
counties.  In religious faith Mr. Cathers was a Seceder, and in 
politics a Whig.  He died in February, 1878, aged eighty-six years.  
His wife, the mother of our subject, died in the spring of 1865, aged 
seventy-six years, and they are both buried on the Fuller farm in 
Winslow township.  To Robert and Nancy Cathers were born the following 
children: Rachel, who married William McGhee, and died in 1875, 
surviving her husband fourteen years; Joseph (deceased); William T., a 
retired farmer of Rathmel; James A., subject of this sketch; Robert S., 
a liveryman, living in Kansas, and Rosanna, of Jefferson county.
  James Alexander Cathers was twenty years of age when he came with his 
family to the new home in Jefferson county.  For a year he worked on 
his father's farm and at the sawmill, then for a year engaged in 
clearing some land near Prescottville, which his father had given him.  
He was married, June 6, 1850, at Beach Woods settlement, Jefferson 
county, to Miss Eliza Ann McGhee, who was born at Beechwood, June 16, 
1830, daughter of John and Nancy (Smith) McGhee, natives respectively 
of New York, and County Tyrone, Ireland.  John McGhee was the son of 
William and Lena (Johnson) McGhee, natives of Scotland and England, 
respectively, and Nancy Smith was the daughter of James and Margaret 
(Hamilton) Smith, lifelong residents of Ireland.  John McGhee was a 
millwright by trade, and followed farming later in life.  He settled in 
Washington township, Jefferson county, and died at the old homestead in 
May, 1865, aged sixty-nine years.  In religious faith he was a Quaker, 
while his wife was a Baptist.  She died in 1835 aged thirty-seven 
years.  The children of John and Nancy McGhee were: Margaret, who 
married John McMinn, and both are now deceased; William (deceased); 
Sarah, living at the old homestead; Charlotte, widow of David McGeary, 
also living at the homestead; James, a lumberman of Sandy Valley, 
Winslow township, and Eliza A., wife of our subject.  In 1851, soon 
after his marriage, Mr. Cathers came to his present farm, moving into a 
small house which he had erected.  In 1889 he erected a cozy brick 
dwelling, and took possession the following year.  He has been a 
prominent farmer and lumberman, engaging in extensive operations up to 
about 1887, since which time he has lived a more retired life.
  His children are as follows: John T., born July 20, 1851, an attorney 
at Omaha, Neb., who married Louie [sic] McDaniels, and has two 
children; Robert S., born September 17, 1853, a prominent lead miner in 
Missouri; James A. Jr., born February 5, 1856, a farmer of Winslow 
township, who married Alice H. Morgan; Anna E., born June 20, 1858, 
died in 1860; Charlotte J., born March 23, 1861, wife of A. L. Long, a 
farmer living on subject's place; Cassa Adanna, born August 23, 1863, 
died November 22, 1863; Rachel, born January 4, 1865, wife of Joseph 
Patton, a miner of Winslow township; William C., born October 22, 1867, 
died March 4, 1882; Harry W., born October 12, 1874, living at home; 
Abigail E., born December 13, 1877, died March 4, 1882.
  In politics Mr. Cathers is a prominent Republican.  He has been 
honored by elections to numerous offices, and, in 1877, he was elected 
commissioner of Jefferson county, for a term of three years.  He is a 
man of sterling character, and is highly esteemed by the people among 
whom he has lived for many years.  Mrs. Cathers is a member of the 
Presbyterian Church, and their pleasant home is cheered not alone by 
the material comforts which it possesses, but by the graces of 
hospitality, culture and rectitude.