BIOGRAPHY: Henry ANDERSON, Cambria County, PA 

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From Wiley, Samuel T., ed. Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Cambria 
County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Union Publishing Co., 1896, p. 212-4
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HENRY ANDERSON, a successful business man, and who enjoys the distinction of 
being one of the pioneer merchants of Morrellville, is a son of John and 
Elizabeth (Ferguson) Anderson, and was born in Londonderry township, Bedford 
county, Pennsylvania, October 24, 1844. 
     The name of Anderson is of common occurrence in Scotland, and most of the 
families there who bore it were more or less closely related. Descended from an 
Anderson that came from Scotland to Pennsylvania, was John Anderson, Sr., of 
Bedford county.
     The younger John Anderson, the father of Henry Anderson, was born in 
Bedford county in 1802. After receiving instruction in the common English 
branches of that day, he learned the trade of carpenter and builder, at which he 
worked during all the years of his active life. He resided near the town of 
Bedford, and died September 1, 1853, aged fifty years and eleven months. Mr. 
Anderson married Elizabeth Ferguson, whose father, William Ferguson, was a 
resident of Bedford county. Mrs. Anderson was born August 25, 1807. To Mr. and 
Mrs. Anderson were born eight children; William, who resides in Illinois; John 
and James, who are dead; Henry; Rev. Joseph, pastor of a Methodist Episcopal 
church at Williamsport, this State; Hannah, married David Brown, and resides in 
Nebraska; Susan, a resident of Nebraska, and wife of Philip Hoover, and Martha, 
now of Clearfield county.
     Henry Anderson grew to manhood in his native county, and was so situated 
during his boyhood years that he received but six months' schooling, and that in 
the early common schools of Pennsylvania. Being reared to farm life, when he 
came to do for himself, he continued to follow farming until 1862. On February 
10th, of that year, he enlisted in company H, Fifty-fifth Pennsylvania infantry, 
and served as a private up to August 30, 1865, when he was honorably discharged 
from the Federal service at Petersburgh, Virginia. He participated in the 
battles of Hatcher's Run, the Wilderness, Cold Harbor and Drury's Bluff, 
Petersburgh, Richmond, Weldon Railroad, besides numerous skirmishes; was wounded 
three times; spent three months in Libby prison in 1864; was captured at Drury's 
Bluff May 16, 1864; four hundred captured; at the same time thirty-two of 
Company H, and two out of the thirty-two returned to the company; the other 
member was Samuel Call, of Shellsburg; the other thirty died in prison. After 
the war he worked on Bedford county farms until 1868, in which year he came to 
Johnstown as an employee of the Pennsylvania Railroad company. A year later he 
went into the service of the Cambria Iron company, working for one year as a 
bricklayer, and then acting as a night watchman for seven years. Leaving the 
latter position in 1880, he came to Morrellville, where he opened his present 
grocery store which is one of the first grocery stores of that place. His store 
is on Chandler street, where he carries a large stock of general merchandise.
     On April 14, 1867, Mr. Anderson married Ellen R. Hull, whose father, John 
Hull, is a resident of Bedford county. To their union have been born five 
children: Harry, in business with his father; Mary, wife of John Overdorff, of 
Altoona; John, who died at two years of age; Minnie and Maud, at home.
     In political affairs Mr. Anderson has always been a staunch supporter of 
the Republican party. He has served at different times as tax collector and as 
school director. He is a member of the Evangelical church, Emory Fisher Post No. 
30, Grand Army of the Republic, and Council No. 941, Royal Arcanum. It is a 
mistake to suppose that men always succeed with ease and without effort. Mr. 
Anderson is one who has succeeded by commendable labor. When he left home at the 
age of eight years he had only a silver three-cent piece as stock in hand. He 
took for his motto this familiar proverb, "Honesty is the best policy," and by 
close observance of this, and the "Golden Rule," he has achieved an enviable 
record as a soldier and a successful career as a merchant. He has won everything 
by persistent and self-reliant effort.