Sullivan County PA Archives Biographies.....MASON, William Clayton 1853 - living in 1899
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  Author: Biographical Publishing Co.
  
  WILLIAM CLAYTON MASON. Prominent among the civil engineers and surveyors of this
  section of the state, is the gentleman whose name appears at the head of this
  narrative and whom we represent with a portrait on the opposite page, who is
  pursuing that profession in Sullivan County, making his headquarters in the town
  of Laporte. Our subject has followed this profession nearly all his life, having
  learned it during his boyhood days by working with his father who was also a
  civil engineer and surveyor. This highly esteemed citizen was born on the site
  of his present home, July 11, 1853 and is a son of William A. and Mary A.
  (Cheney) Mason, and grandson of Eliphalet and Roxy (Fowler) Mason.
  
    This prosperous family is supposed to have originated from one of three
  brothers, John. Robert and Nathaniel, who emigrated from England during
  Cromwell's war. These three brothers settled in Ashford, Windham County, Conn.,
  where they purchased farms and engaged in farming; it is thought that this
  branch of the family sprang from Robert Mason, whose farm remained in possession
  of his descendants until after the time of Ebenezer Mason, the great-grandfather
  of our subject, after whose death the farm passed through many different hands.
  Ebenezer married Mary Hastings and they reared seven sons and three daughters;
  three of the sons, David, William and Alva settled in Philadelphia; Eliphalet,
  Ebenezer and Chester located in Monroetown, Bradford County, Pa., and the
  remaining son, Rufus, settled in New York State, near Johnstown.
  
    Eliphalet Mason, our subject's grandfather, was born June 23, 1780, and was
  named after his uncle, Eliphalet, who was a Revolutionary soldier and died in a
  prison-ship in New York harbor. Our subject's grandfather prepared himself for
  the ministry but later took up surveying and followed that profession the
  greater part of his active days. He resided in Bradford County, Pa., during his
  early life and in connection with his profession he taught penmanship, being an
  expert with the quill, and also taught singing, during the years 1822 and 1823.
  Later he moved to Monroetown, Pa., near which place he built a grist-mill which
  he operated until his death; the mill is now situated within the limits of the
  town called Masontown, named in honor of our subject's grandfather. Eliphalet
  was wedded June 22, 1802, to Zilpah Coburn, who passed from this life shortly
  after their marriage; he was again married October 22, 1804, with Roxy Fowler,
  who was born July 16, 1786, and who died February 15, 1851. Our subject's
  grandfather died March 11, 1855. He was the father of the following children:
  Zilpah, born June 26, 1806; Roxy, born December 10, 1807; Gordon, born January
  19, 1810; Rufus, born January 31, 1812; Eliphalet H., born April 28, 1815;
  William A., the father of our subject; Samuel A., born March 22, 1821; and Mary,
  born August 13, 1824.
  
    William A. Mason, father of our subject, was born in Towanda, Pa., September
  29, 1818, and his boyhood days were spent attending the district schools and
  working with his father learning the profession of a civil engineer and
  surveyor, which profession he made his life's work and so thoroughly mastered it
  that his surveys and charts are of great value to-day. In 1848, when the town of
  Laporte originated, Mr. Mason located in that little village where he laid out
  the town; he also did much surveying throughout Sullivan and adjoining counties.
  He erected a frame house on the site where our subject resides; it was the third
  house built in the village and is now standing on an adjoining lot. He continued
  in his profession all his life, with the exception of one year when he was
  engaged in the photograph business at Towanda. At the expiration of that time he
  returned to Laporte, where he followed his profession until 1868 when he removed
  to Mon-tour and was resident engineer for the S. L. & S. R. R. for about three
  years, when he returned to Laporte. Mr. Mason was widely known throughout the
  county as a man of sterling worth, and he was a man of much weight as his
  opinion and judgment was often sought by his fellow-citizens. He served as
  associate judge of Sullivan County; was the first justice of the peace of
  Laporte, in which capacity he remained many years; was county treasurer, and
  also held the office of postmaster. Mr. Mason was called from this earth January
  7, 1892, and his demise was deeply lamented by a large circle of friends and
  acquaintances, who held him in high esteem. He was united in marriage with Mary
  A. Cheney, a daughter of Abel and Priscilla Cheney, who was born in Cortland, N.
  Y., October 28, 1820. Her parents removed to the state of Pennsylvania when she
  was a small girl. Her father was a bricklayer by vocation. The mother of our
  subject resides in her beautiful home in Laporte and is a lady well preserved
  for one of her years, not having a single gray hair in her head, and looks much
  younger than her age signifies. She was a faithful wife, is a kind and loving
  mother and a good neighbor, and is highly respected by a host of friends and
  acquaintances. She is the mother of the following children: Ethlen M., a
  teacher, born November 17, 1842; Ida Adel, born July 11, 1845, was the wife of
  Warren T. Waters, and died September 26, 1891; Mary Ellen, born November 22,
  1847, and died in 1874; Will E., born May 18, 1850, and died two years later;
  William Clayton, the subject of this personal history; and Gordon Hastings, born
  June 22, 1861, and died in 1863.
  
    William Clayton Mason, our subject, acquired a. good education in the public
  and private schools of his native town and at the Mannsville Normal School. His
  leisure hours were spent working with his father, learning the profession of a
  civil engineer and surveyor, and he continued to work with him throughout his
  early life and upon his father's death he succeeded him in the work. Our subject
  also studied under Rev. H. Armstrong, a prominent Presbyterian clergyman and an
  excellent instructor.
  
    Mr. Mason has been very successful in his chosen profession and is the
  possessor of many valuable maps and charts; he has all the field notes of the
  late Michael Meylert who made surveys of Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wyoming, Bradford,
  Pike, Wayne, Tioga and Sullivan counties; he has the field notes of his father
  of the above counties and of Columbia, Lycoming, Northumberland, Union and other
  counties; has Baird's book of maps on the lands of the Asylum Company; and notes
  and maps of the late Gordon F. Mason of Towanda, Pa. Our subject is chief
  engineer for the W. & N. B. R. R. and is also chief engineer for the Eagles Mere
  R. R., and is the most prominent civil engineer and surveyor in Sullivan County.
  It was under his supervision that the W. & N. B. R. R. was constructed from
  Halls to Nordmont; he also located the line from the latter place to
  Satterfield, the eastern terminal. The road was built, practically, on his
  location.
  
    On December 20, 1881, Mr. Mason was wedded to Eliza Stormont, a daughter of
  Robert Stormont of Laporte, Pa., who was born May 31, 1860, and died October 15,
  1895, leaving the following children: Mary Irene, born December 2, 1882; William
  Robert, born August 24, 1885; Ethelyn Ione, born January 9, 1889; and Marjorie
  Ida, born August 14, 1894. Our subject in politics, as was his father, is an
  ardent Republican and has served fifteen years as justice of the peace.
  Fraternally he is a member and past chief patriarch of the Encampment, I. O. O.
  F., and district deputy grand patriarch of Sullivan County.
  
  
  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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