BIOGRAPHY: John H. HORROCKS, Cambria County, PA 

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Lynne Canterbury and Diann 
Olsen. 

Portions of this book were transcribed by Clark Creery, Martha Humenik, Betty 
Mirovich and Sharon Ringler.

USGENWEB ARCHIVES (tm) NOTICE All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives 
remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in 
accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of 
providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by 
anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities 
so long as all notices and submitter information are included. These electronic 
pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including 
copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to 
uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb 
Archives to store the file permanently for free access. 
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cambria/ 
____________________________________________________________

From Wiley, Samuel T., ed. Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Cambria 
County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Union Publishing Co., 1896, p. 394-5
____________________________________________________________

JOHN H. HORROCKS, a veteran Union soldier, and chief of the Johnstown fire 
department, is a son of Jonathan and Sarah (Wilson) Horrocks, and was born at 
Pottsville, Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, February 15, 1848. Jonathan 
Horrocks is a native of Lancashire, England, and in 1840 came to Schuylkill 
county, which he left fifteen years later to settle in Johnstown, where he still 
resides. He was a coal dealer for many years, and is now in the seventy-ninth 
year of his age. He is a republican in politics, has been for many years a 
member the First Methodist Episcopal church of Johnstown, and served two terms 
as a councilman before the borough was organized as a city. Mr. Horrocks married 
Sarah Wilson, who was a native of England and a methodist, and died 1883, aged 
sixty-five years. Of their children John H. is the subject of this sketch; James 
D. is the chief of the fire department of Tacoma city, Washington, and Sarah has 
been assistant principal of the Johnstown High school for several years, and was 
elected by the readers of the Pittsburg limes, in 1896, as one of the most 
popular teachers in western Pennsylvania, thereby winning a free tour to Europe 
at the expense of that paper.
     John H. Horrocks was reared at Johnstown, and at sixteen years of age left 
school to enlist on February 13, 1864, in company F, Twenty-First Pennsylvania 
cavalry. He served until July 28, 1865, when he was discharged at Harrisburg, 
and, nearly a year later, on June 13, 1866, he enlisted in the regular service 
of the United States. He was assigned to company F, Thirty-Fifth United States 
infantry, and was stationed in Texas, where he was discharged at Ft. Consho, 
June 13, 1869, as first duty sergeant. Returning to Johnstown he remained there 
until December, 1870, when he went to the oil regions and followed contracting 
in Armstrong and Butler counties up to October, 1879. He was then engaged in the 
coal and stone business at Johnstown up to March 1, 1885, when he went west, 
locating first in Warm Spring valley, Montana, and later, taking up a homestead 
in Pierce county, Washington, sixteen miles from Tacoma city, where he resided 
up to November 9, 1892. He then returned to Johnstown and has been engaged in 
the retail coal business ever since. He sells direct from the mines.
     In his political views Mr. Horrocks is a staunch republican, and has always 
been active in the support of his party and its measures. A man of varied 
business experience and extensive travel, he is well informed and an 
entertaining conversationalist.
     On September 1, 1895, Mr. Horrocks was appointed chief of the Johnstown 
fire department, which is already showing improvement, and promises increased 
efficiency and thorough organization under his charge.