Montour County PA Archives Biographies.....WEST, Isaac D. 1865 - living in 1899 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com July 8, 2005, 6:37 pm Author: Biographical Publishing Co. ISAAC D. WEST, whose reputation as a surveyor, civil and mining engineer extends throughout Central Pennsylvania, is one of the progressive and enterprising young business men of the town of Danville. He is a son of George W. and Catherine A. (Kase) West, and was born in Danville, Montour County, Pa., September 25, 1865. Thomas West, the great-grandfather of our subject, was of English-German descent, and was born in Schoharie County, N. Y., where he built a log house near the homestead of his father, and carried on farming for many years. He was a soldier of the Revolutionary War, and was captured and held for a time by the British troops. However, he made his escape and immediately thereafter organized a foraging company of which he was captain and served throughout the remainder of the war, making an enviable record as a soldier. In 1808, or soon after, he and his family removed to Ararat, Susquehanna County, Pa., where he took up a tract of land and resumed his occupation as a farmer, continuing until his death. His death occurred at the age of sixty years, his wife surviving him many years and dying at the age of eighty. Their union resulted in the following issue: Thomas; Hannah; Jones; Benjamin; William; Nathaniel; Permelia; and Eunice. William West, our subject's grandfather, was born in the vicinity of Schnectady, Schoharie County, N. Y., where he followed the occupation of a blacksmith during his younger clays. He moved to Susquehanna County, Pa., with his parents, where he cleared a farm and engaged in agricultural pursuits. He later moved to Masonville, Delaware County, N. Y., where he continued at the trade of a blacksmith until his death, aged seventy-five years. He married Eliza Rogers, whose father, Robert Rogers, was for many years a sea captain, but although he loved the water he gave up his sea life in order that his family might receive the benefits to be derived from living on the land. He bought a farm in Delaware County, and followed the life of a farmer for some time, but at last built a large boat in which he and his family sailed down the river to Chesapeake Bay, where he resided the remainder of his life. Mr. and Mrs. West reared two sons—George Williston and Hobert Rogers. The death of Mrs. West occurred at the age of twenty-seven years, and her husband formed a second alliance with Hannah Demenstoy, by whom he had three sons: Milo, Filo, and Jabez. George Williston West, the father of our subject, after the death of his mother, entered the employ of a farmer of Ararat, Pa., when but thirteen years of age. By saving what he could from the small compensation which he received for his services, he accumulated enough to enable him to enter Beech Woods Academy at the age of nineteen years. After remaining in that institution for one term, he attended Wyoming Academy, which had been established but a very short time previous, and there took up the study of surveying. He taught school for the following six years after leaving school in what is now Montour County, formerly being included in Columbia County. In 1850 he received the appointment as surveyor of Montour County, and has continuously served in that capacity since. He is considered an authority on lines and boundaries in this section of the state, his work not being confined to the limits of Montour County, as he is often called to different counties in Northern and Central Pennsylvania. He is now past eighty years of age, and enjoys the best of health. He is a prominent figure throughout this section and is held in high esteem by a large circle of friends. He owns a residence at No. 212 Pine street, where he has resided for the past few years. He has also served for twenty-four years as clerk for the county commissioners. In 1854 he formed a matrimonial alliance with Catherine A. Kase, a daughter of John Kase of Elysburg, Pa., by whom he had eight children: John, who died in infancy; Charles W., a carpenter and painter of Danville; Eleanore Eliza, the wife of Oliver Deihl of Marionville, Pa.; William Kase, a record of whose life appears elsewhere in this Book of Biographies; George M., the manager of the gas and electric light plant of Danville; Louise M., who is living at home with her parents; Isaac D., the subject of this personal history; and Catherine, who died in infancy. Isaac D. West obtained his intellectual training in the public schools of Danville, after which he studied surveying and civil and mining engineering with his father. He began teaching school in 1884 and continued for four years, prior to and during which time he was associated in business with his father, learning every detail of such professions, soon building up a fine patronage, making a specialty of mining engineering. He is considered an expert in that line and has done work for most of the prominent coal companies of Central Pennsylvania. He has also made a specialty of real estate and mining laws in both of which he has met with equal success. He resides just outside of the borough of Danville's limits, in a very comfortable and commodious residence. Mr. West was united in marriage in 1890 to Miss M. Pauline Groff, a daughter of the Rev. J. R. Groff of Doylestown, Pa., and they are the happy parents of three children: Elizabeth, deceased; Karl Groff, and Alan Dewitt. Socially he is a member of Danville Lodge, No. 224, F. & A. M. Additional Comments: Extracted from: Book of Biographies of the Seventeenth Congressional District Published by Biographical Publishing Company of Chicago, Ill. and Buffalo, NY (1899) This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/pafiles/ File size: 6.1 Kb