Blair County PA Archives Biographies.....Canan, John J. 1813 - ????
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Source: Twentieth Century History of Altoona and Blair County, Pennsylvania, and Representative Citizens, Chicago, IL: Richmond-Arnold, 1911
Author: Jesse C. Sell

JOHN J. CANAN, deceased, for many years was a leading business man at Altoona
and had additional interests at other points. He was born in Huntingdon
County, Pa., in 1813, where his grandfather had first settled in 1760, and
was a son of Major Moses and Mary (Henderson) Canan, and a grandson of Col.
John Canan, the founder of the family in America.
     Col. John Canan was born in North Ireland and in his vigorous young
manhood came to America, where, a few years later he joined the colonists in
their struggle for independence. His valor won him the rank of colonel and
his memory is preserved in the annals of the State of Pennsylvania, because
he also became a man of distinction aside from his military prowess. He was
early interested in iron and coal lands and is credited with building the
first furnace ever erected in Blair County. >From 1787 until 1788, he served
as a member of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania, from Huntingdon
County; in 1791 served as associate judge; in 1791 and 1792 represented his
county in the General Assembly; and in 1794 was elected state senator as a
representative of Huntingdon and Bedford Counties. Despite his many public
responsibilities and business cares, he survived into his ninetieth year.
     Major Moses Canan, father of the late John J. Canan, was also a
distinguished man in his native state. He served as an officer in the War of
1812 and later became one of the leading lawyers of Cambria County and served
one term as associate judge. He married Mary Henderson and they both died
about 1863. She was a daughter of Major William Henderson, who was an officer
in the Revolutionary War and was taken prisoner by the British in the Battle
of Long Island.
     John J. Canan accompanied his parents to Ebensburg, Cambria County, in
1831. He had literary tastes and talents and started a newspaper which he
conducted at Ebensburg and later at Johnstown. In 1846 he removed to
Hollidaysburg, Blair County, where he was interested in the business of
freight handling until 1858, when he started the lime business, one that
proved very profitable and through his energy and enterprise was extensively
developed. In this business he was associated for a number of years with his
son, John A. Canan, who is now manager of the Canan-Knox Supply Company of
Altoona, successors to John A. Canan & Co. This company are dealers in terra
cotta drain pipe, flue pipe, chimney tops, American and foreign cements,
lime, sand, brick, paving brick, plaster, mortar colors, hair, lath, fire
brick, and fire clay, etc., doing a business at Altoona that reaches yearly
into thousands of dollars. John J. Canan married Margaret Davis, who was born
in Wales, and they reared what is one of the representative families of
Blair County. They were members of the First Presbyterian Church at Altoona.

Additional Comments:
Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by the Blair 
County Genealogical Society, 431 Scotch Valley Road, 
Hollidaysburg, PA 16648. Copied and proofread by Linda M. 
Shillinger LindasTree@aol.com  OCRed by Judy Banja 
jbanja@comcast.net

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