Northumberland-Schuylkill County PA Archives Biographies.....Wiest, Daniel A. 1849 - living in 1899

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Author: Biographical Publishing Co.





DANIEL A. WIEST, whose portrait, executed from a recent photograph, appears on

the opposite page, is a prominent citizen of Trevorton. Zerbe township, and is

outside foreman of the North Franklin Colliery; he accepted his present

situation in 1888 and realizes and fulfils to the fullest extent the

responsibilities of his duties. Mr. Wiest has led a varied and remarkable career

and is still in the prime of his life. He was born March 1, 1849, in Sacramento.

Schuylkill County, Pa., and is the only son of Edward F. and Elizabeth (Smeltz)

Wiest. He was highly educated, passing through the high school of Pottstown, and

afterward attended Dickinson Seminary.



  At the age of twenty years our subject joined the engineer corps of the

Philadelphia & Reading Railroad and continued at that occupation for over a

year. He subsequently took a trip West and combined business with pleasure by

clerking for nearly a year at Denver, Colo., after which he drifted back to

Pennsylvania and at Mount Carmel began railroading on the Sunbury Branch of the

Philadelphia & Reading Railroad, remaining about one year and serving as fireman

and brakeman. He next accepted a position as shipper for the Reading Company at

Locust Summit and worked there for seven years, discontinuing the same only to

accept a similar and more lucrative position at the North Franklin Colliery,

where he was also telegraph operator. He retained this position also for seven

years, after which he was advanced to his present situation. Persevering,

continuous and energetic efforts are factors of his success.



  On May 1, 1873, our subject was united in marriage with Mary J. Evans, and

they have one son and three daughters, namely: Annie, Frank, Katie and Beulah.

Mr. Wiest takes an active interest in educational matters, being a member of the

board of school directors of Zerbe township. Fraternally he is a member of

Shamokin Lodge, No. 255, F. & A. M.; Shamokin Chapter; Shamokin Commandery; and

Camp No. 124. Sons of Veterans, at Trevorton. Religiously he is an active member

of the Methodist Episcopal Church and is president of the board of trustees of

that church and also superintendent of the Sunday School. He has faithfully and

honestly performed the duties of every position he has held and he has gained

the confidence and esteem of his fellow-townsmen to the fullest extent.



  Daniel Wiest, grandfather of our subject, was a native of Berks County, but

removed to Klingerstown, Pa., and subsequently to Sacramento. He was a drover

and was also engaged in the mercantile business. At one time he was a large real

estate owner, owning the greater part of the land now included in the Brookside

Colliery at Tower City. Later he operated a colliery at Ranch's Gap.



  Edward F. Wiest, father of our subject, was born in January, 1828, and was

reared and educated in Schuylkill County. He began life as a farmer, but later

went into the hotel business at Tremont. He rendered valuable service to his

country in the Civil War. He was among the first to enlist, first serving in

Company C, 25th Regiment, for three months; he then re-enlisted in Company A,

50th Regiment, as first lieutenant, and served three years four months and ten

days. After the war he engaged in the coal operating business as foreman at

Mahanoy Valley for a short time, after which he again adopted the calling of an

agriculturist, and is now spending his declining years in retreat at his elegant

country home at Gratz, Dauphin County. When Gen. Kossuth, the Polish patriot,

made his famous visit to America in 1854, Mr. Wiest was on the staff of Gen.

Wyncoop. He holds four commissions from different governors of the state of

Pennsylvania. He was a member of the old state guard or militia and took a very

prominent part in the organization. He was aide-de-camp on Gov. William

Bigelow's staff with rank of lieutenant-colonel. He and his wife were blessed

with two children: Daniel A., the subject of this sketch, and Katie, wife of

Pulaski Gensel of Ashland, Pennsylvania.





Additional Comments:

Extracted from:



Book of Biographies of the Seventeenth Congressional District

Published by 

Biographical Publishing Company of Chicago, Ill. and Buffalo, NY (1899)







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