History of Erie County, Pennsylvania, 1884



George  Allen Biography

George A. Allen, attorney at law, Erie, Penn., was born Dec. 31, 1839, near Pulaski, Mercer (now Lawrence) Co., Penn. He is the sole surviving child of Maj. Wm. and Mary (Steel) Allen, the former of whom died June 6, 1881, the latter May 28, 1856.

Mr. Allen is of Scotch-Irish lineage, his ancestors settling near Carlisle, Penn., from Ireland in the year 1787. Shortly afterward they removed to Mahoning Co., Ohio, where his father, Maj. Wm. Allen, was born Aug. 21, 1803.

After his marriage, in 1828, he moved to Pulaski, Lawrence Co., where he lived about 17 years.

In 1843, he sold his farm in Mercer Co., purchasing what was then known as the McGarvey Mills, in the village of Waterloo, Venango Co., Penn., where he lived until the close of his life, excepting a period of about 6 years, during which he lived near Meadville, Penn.

George A. Allen's early educational advantages were only such as the common schools of that time and place afforded. In the course of time, however, he spent 2 years at the Clintonville Academy and 1 year at the State Normal School at Edinboro, Penn.

He still continued to pursue his classics and mathematics, under the private tutorship of Prof. Wm. Burgwin, a graduate of Allegheny College, and a teacher of rare skill and experience.

Having studied law with W. R. Bole. Esq., of Meadville, Penn., he was admitted to the Crawford Co. bar in June, 1868.

Shortly afterward he came to Erie, where he has since practiced his profession. In 1870, he was the Democratic candidate for the office of State's Attorney, and in 1872 he was sent as a delegate to the State Convention held at Reading, which nominated George R. Buckalew for Governor.

In this year he was likewise appointed City Solicitor; he was again a delegate to the Democratic State Convention held in Erie in 1875.

In 1878, he was the Democratic candidate for Congress from the Twenty-seventh Congressional District.

In 1880, he represented his district as delegate to the Democratic National Convention at Cincinnati, when Gen. Hancock was nominated for the Presidency.

Mr. Allen was married, July 18, 1865, to Miss Phebe A. Burlingham, of Edinboro, Penn. She died April 1, 1881, leaving her husband with 4 children to mourn her irreparable loss.


Source: History of Erie County, Pennsylvania; City of Erie; Chicago; Warner, Beers & Co.; 1884












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