Northumberland County PA Archives Biographies.....Packer, John B. 1824 - 1891 ************************************************ 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, 8:59 pm Author: Biographical Publishing Co. HON. JOHN B. PACKER, deceased, whose portrait is shown on the opposite page, was at his death the Nestor of the Northumberland County Bar. During the period of forty-seven years in which he was actively engaged in practice there was scarcely a case of any prominence in that section of the state in which he was not retained as counsel for one party to the suit. His knowledge of law was comprehensive and, being a man of commanding appearance and pleasing personality, he always created a favorable impression on court and jury. As a speaker he was both argumentative and eloquent in style, and he entered upon a case with enthusiasm and energy which could but bear good results to the cause of his client. He gained renown as a lawyer and financier and at his demise he was counsel for several prominent railroad corporations, and was also president of the First National Bank of Sunbury. It has been well said that no man possessed the respect and confidence of the citizens of Sunbury to a greater extent than did John B. Packer. Mr. Packer was a son of Samuel J. and Rachel (Black) Packer, and was born at Sunbury, Northumberland County, Pa., March 21, 1824. He received a high classical education under the excellent tutorship of Cale Pelton and Frederick Lebrun in the Sunbury Academy, which had been established but a short time previously. In 1839 he was appointed a member of a corps of engineers employed in the survey and construction of public improvements for the state, continuing in that capacity until 1842, when he entered upon the study of law under the direction of Ebenezer Greenough. He made rapid advancement, being admitted to the bar of Northumberland County August 6, 1844, and then began his practice. He received an appointment as deputy attorney general and served as such for a period of three years, the position giving prominence to his ability. His clientage soon grew to large proportions and he practiced not only in his native county but in various counties in the state and also before the Supreme Court. He was one of the organizers and a director of the Susquehanna Railroad (now known as the Northern Central), and during the remainder of his life served as its counsel. He served in a like capacity for many years prior to his death for the Philadelphia & Erie, the Pennsylvania and other railroad companies. He was also concerned in the sale and reorganization of the railroad properties of the Shamokin Valley & Pottsville Railroad. In 1855 he identified himself with the Bank of Northumberland, becoming president of the same in 1857, and continued as president until his demise, although in 1864 the bank was merged into the First National Bank of Sunbury. He was connected with banking interests at Selinsgrove and Lewisburg, Pa. He was also a very large landowner, in fact one of the largest landowners in this section of Pennsylvania. Politics entered largely into Mr. Packer's career and he was called upon to fill many offices of trust. He was originally a Tariff Democrat; he represented his party in the State Legislature two terms, 1849 and 1850. He was actively connected with that organization until 1856, when he allied himself with the newly-organized Republican party, and in 1868 was elected to Congress from the Fourteenth District of Pennsylvania. He served four terms which were marked by the greatest activity on his part, being a member of many committees, among them being the committees on banking and currency; railways and canals, of which he was chairman; postoffices and post-roads, of which he was also chairman; and the committee on foreign affairs. He declined a nomination for a fifth term as representative. On May 22, 1851, Mr. Packer was joined in hymeneal bonds with Mary M. Cameron, a daughter of the late William Cameron of Lewisburg, and they became the happy parents of five children: William C., who died June 4, 1886, was born May 1, 1852, and became one of the leading young barristers of the county; Rachel, who is the wife of F. K. Hill of Sunbury; James C., an attorney-at-law at Sunbury; Mary; and Nellie C. Although much of his life was given to business affairs, Mr. Packer found his greatest pleasure in the companionship of his family; he was a true husband and a kind father. He had many friends, and at his death, on July 7, 1891, Sunbury mourned the loss of a public benefactor. Samuel J. Packer, a brother of the late Hon. John B. Packer, is president of the First National Bank of Sunbury and also one of the first citizens of the borough. He was born on June 19, 1831, and is a son of Samuel J. and Rachel (Black) Packer. He obtained his education in the public schools and in Sun-bury Academy, acquiring a good intellectual training. Subsequently he read law under the preceptorship of his brother, John B. Packer, deceased, and was admitted to the bar of Northumberland County on April 4, 1860. Immediately thereafter he entered actively upon the practice of his profession and continued until his election as cashier of the Bank of Northumberland, November 19, 1863. When the bank was merged into the First National Bank of Sunbury in 1864 he accepted a similar position with the new organization, and continued until his brother's death, in 1891, when he was elected to succeed him as president. He continues in that capacity, and conducts the affairs of the bank with the judgment and foresight which have always characterized his business transactions. 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