History of Wyalusing, (Bradford County) Pennsylvania United States of America

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John Welles Hollenback, philanthropist, was born in Wyalusing, Pa., March 15, 1827; son of Charles Fisher and Ellen (Hollenback) Welles; grandson of George and Prudence (Talcott) Welles, and of Col. Matthias Hollenback, a survivor of the battle of Wyoming; great grandson of Col. Elizur Talcott, of Glastonbury, Conn., and a lineal descendant in the seventh generation of Thomas Welles, fourth colooial governor of Connecticut, 1655-58, and of William Pynchon, patentee of the charter of the Colony of Massachusetts, through his daughter Mary, who married Elizur Holyoke. John Reset Welles was educated at the Athens academy, and with his brother Edward had charge of the Welles estate at Wyalusing, 1848-63. He changed his name by suffixing his mother's maiden name, and dropping the second Christian name, Roset; and the change was authorized by the legislature of Pennsylvania. In 1863, at the request of his maternal uncle, George M, Hollenback, he removed his family to Wilkes-Barre, where he became prominent in local affairs and held many important offices. He became a member of the city council; president of the Peoples bank, the Wilkes-Barre institute, the Hollenback Cemetery association, and the Harry Hillman academy; vice-president and director of the city hospital, and a director in numerous corporations. He was elected a trustee of Lafayette college in 1865, and president of the board in 1892. His benefactions to the college were frequent and large. He was married, Oct. 25, 1854, to Anna E., daughter of Eli Beard, of Brooklyn, N.Y. Their two sons died in infancy and their daughter, Emily B., married Dr. Lewis H. Taylor, of Wilkes-Barre. His first wife died in 1864, and he was married secondly, Dec. 13, 1866, to Josephine, daughter of John Woodward, of New York city, and their daughter, Eleanor J., married Murray Gibson, of Philadelphia. His second wife died while her three daughters were of a tender age and he was married thirdly to Amelia Beard, sister of his first wife, and they had three daughters.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Wyalusing, (Bradford County) Pennsylvania

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