BIO: Thomas L. MINESINGER, Beaver County, PA
    
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    BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES.  This Volume Contains Biographical Sketches 
    of Leading Citizens of Beaver County, Pennsylvania.  Buffalo, N.Y., 
    Chicago, Ill.: Biographical Publishing Company, 1899, pp. 106-107.
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    THOMAS L. MINESINGER is a prominent and well-to-do resident of Beaver Pa.,
  and is one of the successful oil producers of the county. He is a native of
  Ohio township, Beaver county, Pa., his birth occurring April 12, 1844; he is
  a son of Godfrey and Sarah (Laughlin) Minesinger, and grandson of Jacob
  Minesinger.
    
    Jacob Minesinger was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, though his parents were
  originally from Italy. Jacob learned the stone-mason trade in his native
  country, and in 1798 came to the United States; he bought four hundred acres
  of timber land in Green township, Beaver county, which is now the home of Mr.
  Robert Sweney. He made many improvements upon the farm, besides clearing a
  large portion of it, he and his sons built a large stone house. Jacob and his
  wife Catherine were buried in the family ground on the homestead farm. He and
  his family were members and regular attendants of the Presbyterian church.
  His children were: David; Jacob; James; John; Joseph; Godfrey; and Elsie.
    
    Godfrey Minesinger was born on his father's farm and his boyhood days were
  spent in learning the masonry trade and aiding his father in cultivating the
  farm; he bought one hundred and fifty-five acres of new land, upon which he
  built a fine set of buildings; as his boys grew up they operated the farm
  while he worked at his trade as a mason. He built the stone abutment for the
  suspension bridge at Wheeling, West Virginia, and contracted for railroad
  masonry for many years. His farm is now the property of Charles Brooker. He
  owned a considerable amount of other property in this county, including the
  George Brown estate. He died in the latter part of 1874, aged sixty-eight
  years. His wife was Sarah Laughlin, a daughter of Thomas
    
    BEAVER COUNTY  107
    
  Laughlin; she was born in 1800 and died in 1886; their children were three:
  John and Joseph, deceased; and Thomas L., the subject hereof. Mr. Minesinger
  was well-read, intelligent, and public-spirited; he was a man who delighted
  in debates and for the sake of an argument he would often support the side of
  a question contrary to that which he really believed; being a man of superior
  judgment, he was often called upon for advice in various business
  transactions. He was a consistent Presbyterian.
    
    Thomas L. Minesinger attended the district school and assisted his father
  during his youthful days; and at seventeen years of age he was apprenticed to
  the blacksmith trade; after three years of that labor he sought the river life
  and in 1862 he started as striker's engineer on the Ohio River, but the last
  four years of his river life were spent as engineer. Returning home, with his
  brother John he followed farming five years, when he accepted a position as
  station agent at Smith's Ferry; he afterwards spent twelve years as a
  merchant, and was also postmaster of the village. Selling out to S. J. Fair
  in 1894, he settled in Beaver and became associated with S. P. & D. H. Stone,
  also of Beaver, in the production of oil, -working in Ohio township and other
  places in the county. Mr. Minesinger owns a neat residence on the corner of
  Bank and Commercial avenues, which he makes his home.
    
    The subject of this sketch was first united in marriage with Narcisse B.
  Smith, a daughter of Jesse Smith of Smith's Ferry; she died aged thirty
  years; three children were born to their union: John L., a graduate from
  Western Pennsylvania Medical College of Pittsburg, now practicing at
  Bellaire, Ohio; Jesse, deceased; and Eddie S., who is now in his second year
  in the above named medical school. Mr. Minesinger's second wife is Mary
  Ecoff, a daughter of J. Ralph Ecoff of Rochester, Pa., and they have one
  child, Thomas L., who is now attending school in Beaver. Mr. Minesinger is a
  Republican in politics; socially, for the past twenty years he has been a
  member of the Glasgow Lodge, No. 485, F. & A. M., of which he has also been
  past master; and of the I. O. O. F. In religious views, he is a prominent
  member, and a trustee, of the Presbyterian church of Bridgewater.