BIO:  Winfield Scott Hammond, York County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Kathy Francis

Copyright 2005.  All rights reserved.
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History of York County, Pennsylvania.  John Gibson, Historical Editor.
Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886.
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Part II, Biographical Sketches, Newberry Township, Pg 153

WINFIELD SCOTT HAMMOND, the youngest son of Hervey Hammond, was born in 
Lewisberry September 11, 1847.  He attended the public schools and studied the 
higher branches at home.  When quite young he acquired a fondness for reading, 
and hence made good use of his father’s library, and such other libraries as the 
town afforded.  In the spring of 1865 he enlisted in Company I, One Hundred and 
Ninety-second Regiment of the Pennsylvania Volunteers, and remained in the 
service until the fall of the same year.  Shortly after the war he went to the 
southeast Missouri, and remained in that section about eighteen months, spending 
a part of the time in a printing office as compositor and local editor, and 
assisting in the United States land office, which was under the charge of one of 
the proprietors of the paper.  While there Mr. Hammond became intimate with the 
leading business men and politicians of the county; one was State senator, and 
afterward land agent for a leading railroad in the West; another, a prominent 
lawyer, pleading before the Supreme Court of the United States; another, State 
treasurer of Missouri; another delegate from the State-at-large to the National 
Democratic Convention; another, district attorney, etc.  This was ender the 
“carpet bag” regime, and Mr. Hammond being a “Radical” (in Missouri politics) was 
offered the office of county clerk in one of the southeastern counties, which he 
refused and returned home to take charge of the window-spring business, and 
became owner and controller of the popular springs, which he has manufactured and 
sold with great success.  He introduced some new improvements in the construction 
of them, and entirely changed the process of manufacture, doing by machinery what 
was formerly done by hand.  He has recently invented some new styles of springs, 
and is engaged in their manufacture, and has a number of workmen in him employ.  
Large quantities of the springs are sold annually to wholesale dealers.  Early in 
life Mr. Hammond developed a taste for painting, and now spends his leisure hours 
in sketching places interesting to the scenes of his childhood, and the 
picturesque ravines and hills of the upper end of the county.  Mr. Hammond is the 
artist who furnished the sketch, from which we have engraved the cut of the “Old 
Friends Meeting House,” two miles east of Lewisberry; which engraving will be 
found in this work.  Mr. H. is at present secretary of the school board, and was 
a member of the committee on resolutions in the late Republican State convention.  
Mr. Hammond was married, in 1873, to Miss Jeannette Starr, daughter of Reuben T. 
Starr, and Elizabeth (Lloyd) Starr, of Lewisberry.  They have two children, viz.:  
Edward and Grace.  Mrs. Hammond is a descendant of the Friends of Chester County, 
her ancestors being of the celebrated Taylor, Sharpless, Lloyd and Starr 
families, and is an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.  Mr. Hammond 
keeps himself abreast of the times in literature, science and art, being a 
constant reader of various periodicals, literary and art magazines, mechanical, 
scientific and architectural journals, etc., etc., and is a book buyer.