History of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, 1887
Carpenter Family - WILLIAM G. CARPENTER Biography
William G. Carpenter, deceased, who, throughout his residence of half a century in Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, was recognized as an industrious and honorable citizen, a man whose character was above reproach, and whose success was attained by a conscientious performance of duty, was born in Dutchess county, New York, a son of John and Amy (Green) Carpenter, who were also natives of Dutchess county and members of Friends Meeting, Hicksite (Quakers). John and Amy
(Green) Carpenter were the parents of five children: Leonard, Caleb, Jacob G., William G., and John G. Carpenter.
William G. Carpenter was reared on a farm in his native county,
residing there until fourteen years of age, when he came to New York City and for a number of years served as clerk in the dry goods store of Jager & Skidmore. Later he and his brother, Leonard Carpenter, took a three-mile section of canal and contracted to build it, i. e., the Delaware and Hudson Canal, and he and two others named the city of Port Jarvis, New York, for John Jarvis, who served as engineer of the work. About 1832 he located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, built up a large dry goods business, but, the work proving too, confining, he disposed of the same after a period of three years to Jacob Heivly. He then turned his attention to the purchase of land in various places both for himself and others, the greater portion of it being in the vicinity of Ralston and Roaring Branch, Pennsylvania. He then advocated the building of a railroad from Elmira, New York, to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and as a result of his efforts and the use of his capital, the United States government sent a corps of engineers to make an experimental survey. Mr. Carpenter visited the cities along the proposed line, and secured the promise of the citizens to furnish the money, but they failed to do so, and he was obliged to contribute the capital himself, but the result was that he became broken down in health and capital also. He labored exceedingly hard to get this road through, secured the influence of the prominent men of the state, and by his thorough business methods and intelligence accomplished much, but, failing in achieving the object of his life, he returned to his old business of buying and selling land for himself and others. He was called the father of the Elmira and Williamsport Railroad.
Mr. Carpenter purchased coal lands for McIntyre and Robertson, the former of Albany, New York, and the latter of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the lands being located in Lycoming county, near Ralston, and subsequently these were known as the McIntyre Mines. He also had extensive holdings of his own in the same section. He engaged in the manufacture of lumber, owning and operating a sawmill at a place called Carpenter, which was named in honor of him, and this business he continued up to the time of his decease. He was a Whig and Republican in his political affiliations, but never sought or held public office. He was a great admirer of Horace Greeley, whose paper, the " New York Tribune," he read for many years; " it was his Bible." He was an incessant reader and possessed the faculty of remembering everything he read, being almost able to repeat in verbatim. He acquired this power early in life by carefully studying and reading everything that came within his reach. His friends were his books, and geology was his most interesting study, and when walking in the fields with his wife would pick up a stone and explain its formation, etc., which proved both a pleasant and instructive way of passing the time. His influential friends in New York City gave him " carte-blanche " to the leading library in that city, which was a source of gratification to him. Religiously he followed in the footsteps of his parents, believing in the doctrines of the Friends' faith. He was a broad-minded, well-balanced man and liberal in his views. He was a great admirer of Thomas Payne. Nature was his Bible, nature his religion.
Mr Carpenter married, June 21, 1844, Miss Pamelia Alden, who was born at Cold Springs-on-the-Hudson, a daughter of Manoah and Sarah (Nead) Alden, the former having been born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, a son of Noah Alden, who was a farmer by occupation, settled at Monroeton, Pennsylvania, but later removed to Steuben county, New York, where he died, and the latter was a native of Litchfield, Connecticut, a daughter of John Nead, an iron founder. Manoah Alden learned the blacksmith trade at West Point, New York, where he met and married Sarah Nead. Later they resided for some time at Cold Spring, from, whence they removed to New York City, where he met a friend who induced him to come to Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, where he followed his trade in a foundry for three years, and then located in Williamsport, Lycoming county, where he followed his trade. Here his daughter, Pamelia Alden, met William G. Carpenter, and they were united in marriage in Ralston, where she has since made her home, and where she is highly honored, being a lady of rare intellectual attainments and liberal in her views of men and affairs. Three children were the issue of this marriage: Emery, who resides in Oakland, California; Archibald, who resides at Salida, Colorado, at the foot of Marshall Pass, engaged in the real estate business; and Alice C., wife of Dr. James Bullock, a medical practitioner, and they reside at Lonaconing, Maryland. William G. Carpenter, after a long and useful life, died February, 1882.
Source: Genealogical and Personal History of Lycoming County, John W. Jordan, Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1906.
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