History of Clearfield, (Clearfield County) Pennsylvania United States of America

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Local History Notes:

CLEARFIELD, a county in the W. central part of Pennsylvania, has an area of about 1150 square miles. It is intersected by the W. Branch of the Susquehanna river, which divides it into nearly equal portions. Mushannon creek forms part of the S. E. boundary, and Clearfield creek, from which the name is derived, enters the river about the middle of the county. The county lies mostly on the W. declivity of the Alleghany mountain; the eastern part is traversed by deep ravines formed by the watercourses, and is too rugged for cultivation; the remainder is generally rolling and uneven. The soil in the valleys of the large streams is productive, and much of the upland is moderately fertile, and adapted to grazing. Wheat, oats, bay, and butter are the staples. In 1850 there were raised 80,588 bushels of wheat; 158,870 of oats; 10,556 tons of hay, and 168,845 pounds of butter. There were 96 saw mills, 13 flour and grist mills, 1 woollen factory, 2 iron foundries, and 6 tanneries. It contained 20 churches, 1 newspaper office; 2810 pupils attending public schools, and 50 attending academies or other schools. Large quantities of timber, pine, oak, poplar, and cherry are procured from the forests, and floated down the river to market. Mines of iron ore and stone coal are worked. The turnpike leading from Centre county to Erie passes through the county. Organized in 1804. Capital, Clearfield. Population, 12,586.

Biographies:

Mark Harvey Liddell, educator, was born in Clearfield, Pa., April 1, 1866; son of Thomas and Sophronia (Swan) Liddell. His father came to America from Berwickshire, Scotland. He was graduated B.A. from the College of New Jersey in 1887, returning thither as university fellow in English in 1888-89. He was Latin master at Germantown academy, Philadelphia, 1889-91, and at Lawrenceville school, N.J., 1891-93. He continued the special study of English at Oxford, 1893-94; at Berlin, 1894-95, and again at Oxford, 1895-96. He was elected associate professor of English literature at the University of Texas, 1897-98, and was made professor of English there in 1898, resigning in 1900 to devote his time to the preparation of an edition of Shakspere. He was married, Dec. 30, 1890, to Mary Stanley, daughter of Samuel and Mary Gray (Patterson) Field, of Philadelphia. He was part editor of the Globe Chaucer (1896); editor of The Middle Translation of Palladius' de Re rustica (1895); Chaucer's Prologue, Knightes Tale and Nonnes Preestes Tale (1901), and Shakspere's Works in Elizabethan English, with a new critical text (40 vols., 1901. et seq.)

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