Northumberland-Montour County PA Archives Biographies.....Gearhart, George M. 1841 - 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 3, 2005, 7:50 pm Author: Biographical Publishing Co. GEORGE M. GEARHART, a scion of one of the oldest and most prominent families of Northumberland County, is at present assistant cashier of the Danville National Bank, with which he has been connected since 1864. He is a son of Bonham and Elizabeth S. (Boyd) Gearhart, and was born in Rush township, Northumberland County, March 18, 1841. The great-grandfather of our subject, Jacob Gearhart, was a native of Strangsberg, Germany, and came to America prior to the Revolutionary War, locating in New Jersey, in what is now Hunterdon County. He fought throughout the Revolution as a captain in the Jersey State Militia and rendered valuable aid to the cause of liberty. The war having closed, and as he had friends residing in what is now Northumberland County, Pa., he migrated to that section with his family. By means of horses and wagons they made their way over uncultivated and almost pathless land to their new home, stopping to rest on the property now owned by William F. Gearhart, where they found a small and rude log cabin which was vacant. They took a survey of the surrounding country, and, the land upon examination proving very fertile and well adapted for cultivation, decided to settle there. Mr. Gearhart made purchase after purchase, until he owned about 500 acres of good but uncleared land, upon which he built one of the first frame houses in the county, the one in which William F. Gearhart now resides, which is still in good condition and will stand for many years. With the assistance of his children he cleared some 200 acres and set out a large orchard which was totally destroyed by a hail-storm in 1846. This sturdy old pioneer lived a long and useful life. His worthy wife was Katherine Kline, by whom he had the following offspring: Jacob, born in 1763, died in 1841; Herman, born in 1765, died in 1835; William, died in 1854, at the age of seventy-eight years; George; Tunis; John, died in 1858, aged seventy years; Charles, born in 1783, died in 1863; Isaac; Catherine; Mary; and Betsey. George Gearhart, the grandfather of our subject, was born in what is now Hunterdon County, N. J., and after attaining man's estate his father transferred a tract of land to him, which is situated about one mile from the river bridge on the Susquehanna River. He erected good substantial buildings and was successfully engaged in the cultivation of the soil all of his life. He added to his property from time to time and at his death owned some 300 or 400 acres lying along the Susquehanna. The buildings upon this property have long since been torn down and the estate laid out in lots, now forming a portion of the village of South Danville, adjoining Riverside. George was joined in wedlock to Achsah Reynon, who died at an early age, and they became the parents of the following children: Bonham R., the father of our subject; Benjamin; Eliza; and Rebecca. Mr. Gearhart formed a second alliance, with Phoebe Lott, which resulted in the birth of three children: Achsah; George; and Herman. Bonham R. Gearhart was born in the same room, in the same month, and same day of the month as our subject, and obtained his schooling in the common schools. He was a natural scholar, and at the age of twenty-one years was graduated from the Jefferson Medical College. He immediately after took up practice at Sunbury, and later at Washingtonville, where he remained for a time before locating in Turbotville, whence he moved to Danville, Montour County. He was a skilled physician and had a large practice throughout the township, numbering among his patients many of the leading citizens of Danville. He was well posted on all advances made in medical sciences, and was up-to-date in his treatment of complicated diseases. He was very highly thought of by all classes of people as he treated many cases for which he knew he would never receive pay. He was called to his final rest at the age of forty-two years, as a result of an attack of pneumonia. He was united in hymeneal bonds to Miss Elizabeth Boyd, a daughter of William Boyd of Danville, and they became the parents of the following children: Achsah; William B. of Danville; George M., whose name heads these lines, had a twin sister whose death occurred in infancy; Bonham R., Jr., of Danville; Jasper B.; James B.; Alexander M., a record of whose life appears elsewhere in this Book of Biographies; and M. Grier. Mrs. Gearhart is now past eighty-four years of age and is enjoying life as a resident of Danville, where she has many lifelong friends. George M. Gearhart received a good education in the public schools and in the high school at Danville, from which he graduated. He learned the drug trade with Michael C. Grier, and, as the telegraph office was in the same store, he learned telegraphy and subsequently was train dispatcher at Kingston, Pa., on the D., L. & W. Railroad, at which he continued until 1864, when he moved to Danville and became teller in the Danville National Bank. He served in that capacity for twenty-seven years, during which time he thoroughly familiarized himself with banking business and banking methods and was thus well qualified for his next step in life, assuming the duties of cashier of the bank, which position he held in a satisfactory manner until 1896, when he was obliged to give up work on account of ill health. Mr. Gearhart spent some time in retirement and has now recuperated to such an extent that he can do work about the office and is now acting as assistant cashier. He is a man of excellent business ability, is shrewd and calculating, and has been decidedly successful in his business affairs. He has many excellent traits of character and we may safely assert, without fear of contradiction, that no citizen of Danville ever had more friends or was held in higher esteem than Mr. Gearhart. He lives in a beautiful residence on Market street and owns considerable other property in the town. He is treasurer and secretary of the Danville Bridge Company, and has served on the school board for three years. Our subject was united in marriage to Cordelia Clark, a daughter of David Clark, deceased, who was cashier of the Danville National Bank from 1850 to 1893, and was also president of that institution. This happy union has been blessed by the birth of the following children: David Clark, who died at the age of three years and six months; Charles Willits, a graduate of Lehigh University, who is electrical engineer at the power-house of the Brooklyn Bridge, New York City; and Eleanor Clark, the wife of Frederick C. Kirkendall, by whom she has one son, Charles F. Religiously Mr. Gearhart is a member of the Presbyterian Church, of which he is an elder. 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: 7.4 Kb