History of Halifax, (Dauphin County) Pennsylvania United States of America

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James Kennedy Moorhead, representative, was born in Halifax, Dauphin county, Pa., Sept. 7, 1806; son of William and Elizabeth (Kennedy) Young Moorhead. William Moorhead, a native of Ireland, immigrated to the United States in 1798, and settled in Lancaster county, Pa., and afterward in Dauphin county, and was appointed by President Madison collector of internal revenue for the tenth district of Pennsylvania, in 1814. James attended the district school, and in 1817, on the death of his father, became manager of the farm, and of Moorhead's ferry, established by his father. He was apprenticed to William Linville of Lancaster county in 1822, to learn the tanning business; served as a journeyman tanner, and in 1827 engaged as a contractor on the Penusylvania canal. He was superintendent of the Juniata division, 1828-38; was the first to place a passenger packet on this line, and in 1836 removed to Pittsburg to take charge of the pioneer packet line. He served as adjutant-genneral of the state of Pennsylvania in 1839. He was married in 1830, to Jane Logan of Lancaster county, Pa. He was prominently connected with various manufacturing and transportation enterprises, and with the early development of telegraph and railroad lines in Western Pennsylvania. In 1856 he joined the Republican party, having theretofore been a Democrat, and he was a representative in the 36th, 37th, 38th, 39th and 40th congresses, 1859-69, and was chairman of the committee on manufactures. He was a delegate to the Republican national convention at Chicago in 1868, and to the Pan-Presbyterian council at Belfast, Ireland, in 1884. He took an interest in the charitable and educational affairs in Pittsburg, and was president of the Chamber of Commerce of Pittsburg for several years. He died in Pittsburg, Pa., March 6, 1884.

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

History of Halifax, (Dauphin County) Pennsylvania

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