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

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Local History Notes:

HUNTINGDON, a county in the S. central part of Pennsylvania, has an area of 730 square miles, The upper branches of the Juniata river, namely, the Little Juniata, and the Frankstone branch, unite in the N. part of the county, which is also drained by the Raystown branch, of the same river, by the Great Aughwick and Standingstone creeks. The surface is diversified by mountainous ranges and fertile valleys, and is remarkable for the grandeur of its scenery. Tussey's mountain forms the boundary on the W,, and Tuscarora mountain on the S.E.; the names of the intervening ridges are Jack's mountain, Warrior's ridge, and Sideling hill. Wheat, Indian corn, oats, hay, and butter are the staples. In 1850 this county produced 365,278 bushels of wheat; 221,392 of corn: 230,126 of oats; 17,842 tons of hay, and 331,263 pounds of butter. There were 40 flour and grist mills, 84 saw mills, 5 iron-mining establishments, 10 furnaces, 5 foundries, 6 forges, 2 manufactories of coaches, 6 woollen factories, and 16 tanneries. It contained 57 churches, 2 newspaper offices, 5925 pupils attending public schools, and 136 attending academies or other schools. Rich iron mines are worked in the highlands; stone coal is abundant on Broadtop mountain, in the S. part of the county; the surface rock of the valleys is blue limestone. The streams furnish a copious supply of motive-power. The county is intersected by the Pennsylvania canal and Central railroad. Organized in 1787, and named from Huntingdon county, England. Capital, Huntingdon. Population, 24,786.

Biographies:

Joseph Saxton, inventor, was born in Huntingdon, Pa., March 22. 1799; son of James and Hannah (Ashbaugh) Saxton. He worked in his father's nail factory, learned the trade of watchmaking, made a printing press on which he printed a small newspaper, removed to Philadelphia in 1817, where he carried on the business of watch-making, and invented a machine for facilitating the making of the wheels for the works. With Isaiah Lukens he constructed an ingenious clock which gave the movements of the planets, and he also made the town clock placed in the belfry of Independence Hall, Philadelphia. About 1828 he went to London, where he became associated with the Adelaide Gallery of Practical Science, for which he constructed several mechanical toys. He there met Telford, Brunel, Whitwell, Hawkins and Faraday, through whose influence he was admitted to the meetings of the Royal institution. In June, 1833, he demonstrated before the British Association for the Advancement of Science, the workings of his magneto-electric machine, capable of decomposing water and of producing brilliant electrical sparks and steady light by bringing charcoal points near together. He also invented a pulley for measuring the velocity of vessels; an air-gun with metallic cartridge; an apparatus for obtaining an electrical spark from the magnetism of the earth; another for measuring the velocity of electricity, and several useful articles. He also perfected the medal-ruling machine, invented by Gobercht of the U.S. mint, and was awarded the Scott legacy medal of the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia, in 1834, for his reflecting pyrometer. He declined the office of director of the printing machinery of the Bank of England, and on his return to the United States in 1837, he became curator of the standard weighing apparatus of the U.S. mint in Philadelphia, and superintended the construction of standard balances, weights and measures for the branch mints and assay offices of the government. He also invented an automatic machine for measuring the height of the tides; one for determining the temperature of the deep sea; an immersed hydrometer; and applied his reflecting pyrometer to the construction of measuring rods. He was awarded a gold medal at the Crystal Palace fair, London, in 1851, for a nearly precise balance. He was a member of the Franklin Institute, and of the American Philosophical society, 1837?73, and a charter member of the National Academy of Sciences, 1863, which society preserved his memoirs, written by Joseph Henry, 1877. He was married in 1850 to Mary H. Abercrombie of Philadelphia, Pa. He died in Washington, D.C., Oct. 26, 1873.

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

David McMurtrie Gregg, soldier, was born in Huntingdon, Pa., April 10, 1833; son of Matthew Duncan and Ellen (McMurtrie) Gregg, and grandson of the Hon. Andrew, Gregg (1755-1835). He was graduated at the U.S. military academy in 1855, as brevet 2d lieutenant of dragoons, receiving his full appointment as 2d lieutenant in September, 1855. He was assigned to Jefferson barracks, Mo., and was then ordered to join his regiment (1st dragoons) in New Mexico, and served there and in California, Oregon and Washington Territory, 1856-61, participating in various Indian skirmishes. In March, 1861, he was promoted 1st lieutenant, and in May, captain in the 6th cavalry, and was assigned to the army of the Potomac. He was appointed colonel of the 8th Pennsylvania cavalry in January, 1862, and led it in the campaign of McClellan on the Peninsula, including the battles of Fair Oaks, Seven Pines and the Seven Days' battles. He was made brigadier general of volunteers, Nov. 29, 1862, and commanded a cavalry division in the Rappahannock campaign and the raid near Richmond under Stoneman. He was conspicuous at Gettysburg, where on the third day he repulsed Stuart's cavalry charge; and was with Grant in the final struggle leading to the surrender of Lee as commander of the 2d cavalry division, 1864-65. He was brevetted major-general of volunteers, Aug. 1, 1864, for "highly meritorious and distinguished conduct throughout the campaign, particularly in the reconnaissance on the Charles City road." He resigned his commission in the volunteer army in February, 1865. He was appointed U.S. consul at Prague, Bohemia, by President Grant in 1874. In 1886 he succeeded Gen. W. S. Hancock to the command of the Commandery of the state of Pennsylvania, Military Order of the Loyal Legion. He was auditor general of the state of Pennsylvania, 1892-94, and after his three years' service he was succeeded by Amos H. Mylin. The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred upon him by the Pennsylvania military college in 1897.

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

Horatio Gates Fisher, representative, was born in Huntingdon, Pa., April 21, 1838. He was graduated from Lafayette college in 1855; was a member of the Huntingdon common council, 1862-65; county auditor, 1865-68; county burgess, 1874-77; state senator in 1876, and represented the 18th Pennsylvania district in the 46th and 47th congresses, 1879-83, being the first congressman ever elected by the Republicans in that district. In business he was closely identified with the coal industries of Pennsylvania. He died in Punxsutawney, Jefferson county, Pa., May 8, 1890.

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

Horace Porter, soldier and diplomatist, was born in Huntingdon, Pa., April 15, 1837; son of Gov. David Rittenhouse and Josephine (McDermett) Porter, and grandson of Gen. Andrew Porter. He attended the Harrisburg academy and prepared for college at Lawrenceville, N.J. He entered the scientific department of Harvard university in 1854; was appointed a cadet at the U.S. Military academy in 1855, and was graduated third in a class of forty-two members, brevet 2d lieutenant of ordnance, July 1, 1860. He was instructor in artillery at the academy, July-October, 1860; and was assistant ordnance officer at Watervliet arsenal, N.Y., 1860-61. He was promoted 2d lieutenant, April 22, 1861, and 1st lieutenant, June 7, 1861, and joined the expedition under Sherman and Dupont as assistant ordnance officer of the Port Royal expedition corps, 1861-62. He was stationed at Hilton Head Dep?t, South Carolina, and engaged in erecting batteries of heavy artillery on the Savannah river and at Tybee Island, Ga., for the bombardment of Fort Pulaski. He was chief of ordnance and artillery at the reduction and capture of the fort, April 10-11, 1862, and was brevetted captain April 11, 1862, for gallant and meritorious conduct at the siege of Pulaski, and presented with a captured sword bearing a suitable inscription. He prepared the heavy artillery and ordnance stores for the James Island expedition, April 13-June 1, 1862; was wounded in the attack on Secessionville, S.C., June 16, 1862; was chief of ordnance of the Army of the Potomac under General McClellan, and superintended the transfer of the artillery from Harrison's Landing, Va., to Maryland, July 25-Sept. 19, 1862. He was chief of ordinance, Department of the Ohio, September, 1862-January, 1863, and of the Department and Army of the Cumberland, January-November, 1863. He was married Dec. 23, 1863, to Sophie King, daughter of John McHarg of Albany, N.Y. He was promoted captain March 3, 1863, and served in the Tennessee campaign with the Army of the Cumberland, June 24-Nov. 1, 1863, receiving a congressional medal of honor for a special act of gallantry at the battle of Chickamanga, Sept. 20, 1863. He was detailed on special duty in the ordnance bureau, Washington, D.C., November, 1863, and was promoted lieutenant-colonel of staff and aide-de-camp to Lieut.-Gen. U.S. Grant, April 4, 1864. He took part in the Richmond campaign, April 30, 1864-April 9, 1865: was brevetted major, May 6, 1864, for gallant and meritorious services at the battle of the Wilderness; lieutenant-colonel, Aug. 16, 1864, for gallant and meritorious services in action at Newmarket Heights, Va.; colonel of U.S. volunteers, Feb. 24, 1865, and colonel U.S.A., March 13, 1865, for meritorious services during the rebellion, and brigadier-general, March 13, 1865, for gallant services in the field. He was promoted colonel of staff and aide-de-camp to the general-in-chief, July 25, 1866, and served with Grant at the army headquarters in Washington until 1869. He was assistant secretary of war, 1866, and executive secretary to President Grant, 1869-73. In 1873 he entered into business in New York as vice-president of the Pullman Palace Car company. He was the first president of the New York, West Shore and Buffalo railroad, president of the St. Louis and San Francisco railroad, and a director of several banks and railroads. In 1897 he was appointed by President McKinley U.S. ambassador to France, and was reappointed to the office by President Roosevelt. He was elected a member of the Massachusetts Historical society, the American Geographical society; president-general of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution; president of the Union League club, commander of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion, New York commandery; past commander of the G. A. R., and vice-president of the New York Chamber of Commerce. As president of the Grant Monument association he completed the monument, having during the months of April and May, 1893, raised $400,000 by popular subscription for the purpose. He was orator at the inauguration of Washington Arch, N.Y., May 4, 1895, and at the dedication of Grant's tomb, N.Y., April 27, 1897; and delivered the oration at the West Point Centennial celebration, June 11, 1902. He is the author of: West Point Life (1860); Campaigning with Grant (1897), and contributions to the leading magazines.

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