BIO: Isaac THOMAS, Centre County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by JO Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/centre/ http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/centre/1picts/commbios/comm-bios.htm _____________________________________________________________________ Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania: Including the Counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion: Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, Etc. Chicago: J. H. Beers, 1898. _____________________________________________________________________ ISAAC THOMAS. Prominent among the prosperous and progressive residents of the charming city of Bellefonte, Centre county, is the subject of this sketch. He is, moreover, a native of the place, having been born there April 17, 1837, and throughout his life has been identified with its interests. William A. Thomas, his father, was the 464 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. youngest son of the fourth Richard Thomas, having descended from Richard Thomas, of Whitford Garden, Flintshire, North Wales, who in 1661 purchased a grant or location of five thousand acres in Clinton Valley, came to America in William Penn's first migration, and came to the present site of Philadelphia, with an only son, Richard, and died there in 1683. Richard, the son, being only eleven years of age, and the estate passing into trustees, the grant was never all located; however, one portion, some 600 acres, embraced a part of what is now the county seat-West Chester. The son returned to Wales, where he married Grace Atherton, an English maiden, and in a short time again came to America and Settled (in 1711) in the Great Valley on one of his places called Calamornshirk, in West Whiteland township, where he died in 1744. He left several children, and among them a son Richard, who married Phoebe Ashbridge, one of whose sons was Richard, the fourth in line. He was born in 1744, and married Thomazine Downing, of Downingtown; they were the parents of William A. The latter was born in Chester county in 1795. In 1817 he came to Centre county, and became identified with the several Valentine Brothers who were operating iron works here, having in 1815, in connection with Jacob Thomas, elder brother of William A., established the business here. Mr. Thomas remained actively connected with the iron industry of Bellefonte and vicinity, and throughout his life, which closed December 4, 1866, "he was closely identified with the Mill Hall Iron Works, with the Howard Iron Works and with Willow Bank at Bellefonte. He was variously connected with the business interests of Centre county, actively concerned in advancing its material prosperity by public improvements - turnpikes, canals, railroads-and in the development of the bituminous coal region. As a business man, he had no superior in ability and enterprise in central Pennsylvania, and has left the impress of his ability in the training he gave some of our most distinguished business men." In August, 1817, William A. Thomas was married to Elizabeth Miller, who was born in 1793, and died June 16, 1879, and their children were: Jacob V., who died in 1893, was a merchant and interested in the iron and glass industries; William A. was captain of Company H, 49th P. V. I., in the Civil war, was engaged in the iron business, and lost his life by accident, falling into a mine in 1865; Isaac is our subject, and is mentioned more fully below; Thomazine died of typhoid fever when in her twenty-second year; Marion and Richard died young. The parents of these were devout members of the Society of Friends. Isaac Thomas received a good practical education in youth, attending the Westtown Quaker school and, later, the schools in Westchester and in Kennett Square. On completing his course of study he sought the necessary experience and training for business life, and for a time clerked in a hardware store. In early manhood he engaged in the glass business with Jacob V. Thomas, and continued about two years. During the Civil war Mr. Thomas proved his patriotism by being one of the first to go to the defense of the Union. He enlisted in Company H, 2d P.V.I., and at the end of his term of three months he re-enlisted in the famous 49th P.V.I., and took part in the battle of Falling Waters. In his political sympathies he is a Republican, and he is a member of the Society of Friends. Fraternally he is connected with the I.O.O.F. Encampment at Bellefonte. In October, 1872, our subject and Miss Maria J. Reed, a native of Huntingdon county, Penn., were united in marriage, and to this union eight children were born. Lidie is at home; Thomazine died at an early age, of diphtheria; Debbie also passed away in childhood; and the others - Will, Isaac, Joseph, Arthur and Lulu-still remain to brighten the home.