Northumberland County PA Archives Biographies.....Bennett, George 1837 - 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 1, 2005, 1:35 am Author: Biographical Publishing Co. DR. GEORGE BENNETT, a highly respected citizen and successful business man of Shamokin, Northumberland County, Pa., was born January 31, 1837, in Warwickshire, England. He is a son of George and Harriet (Lane) Bennett, of England. He received his early education in the schools of England but was thrown upon his own resources at an early age. At the age of thirteen or fourteen years he left the home of his father, who was a wood-sawyer by trade, and became apprenticed to a shoemaker, which trade he mastered in about three years. Soon after reaching his majority, Mr. Bennett was united in marriage with Martha Edwards, on January n, 1859. Their home was blessed by one daughter, Martha Elizabeth, who was born June 1, 1860. Our subject came to America in 1865. He first located at Cumbola, Pa., where he remained for about nine years, a portion of which time he was engaged in mining; but subsequently, at the urgent request of a number of his friends, principally miners, he changed his business plans and worked at his trade. He made shoe-making his sole vocation thereafter, and soon enjoyed an excellent trade, supplying not only miners and their families with footwear, but also many others who heard of the excellence of his work and the material he used, and traveled from miles around to patronize him. At first he carried on business on a very small scale, but, as his patronage increased and the demand for his goods became greater, he improved and enlarged his place of business, and made ready to meet all demands for shoes. At the end of eight or nine years, by careful management and strict economy, he had accumulated the neat sum of three thousand dollars. Wishing to still further enlarge and extend his business he felt the necessity of going to a larger place, where the demand for footwear would be greater; accordingly he removed to the borough of Shamokin in 1873, leased a house, and continued the same business on a larger scale. Again success crowned his efforts, and in 1878 he purchased the grounds adjoining his place of business and erected thereon a handsome and commodious brick building three stories high, 24 by 150 feet, which has a large basement, upper floor, hall, and middle floor. This elegant structure is on North Market street, and in this building Mr. Bennett has enjoyed a successful business for the past twenty years. Mr. Bennett carries a large and well-assorted stock, not only of shoes, but of general merchandise. In another part of the city, on Shamokin street, he also has a branch shoe store. By industry and frugality, he has built up a large and exceedingly profitable business, the fruits of which he is now enjoying. Martha Elizabeth Bennett, daughter of our subject, was first united in marriage with Rev. Thomas Philip, a Methodist minister now deceased, and a native of Cornwall, England. Mrs. Philip was deeply attached to her first husband and mourned his demise for seven years when she entered a second union with Rev. William Opie, also of Cornwall, England. Again death deprived her of her companion. Rev. Opie died in July, 1897, having led an exemplary and useful life as a Methodist minister for a period of thirty-five years. Mr. Bennett enjoys the confidence of the people of Shamokin and occupies several positions of trust. He is treasurer of the Anglo-American Building & Loan Association; also treasurer of the Guarantee Building & Loan Association of Philadelphia, for the Shamokin district. He has executed the trusts that have devolved upon him faithfully and efficiently, and is deserving of the high reputation he enjoys for uprightness and fair dealing-He is a devout Episcopalian. Fraternally he is a member of Black Diamond Lodge, I. O. O. F.; also a member of the Knights of the Mystic Chain. 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: 4.5 Kb