************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm
************************************************


E.R.C. BLACKBURN, D.D.S., is a well known dentist of Altoona, who 
received his degree from the Pennsylvania college of dental surgery in 
Philadelphia, and has been in practice since 1874.  He is a son of John 
G. and Rebecca (Rouzer) Blackburn, and was born in Bedford county, 
Pennsylvania, September 8, 1845.  The Blackburns are of old English 
Quaker stock, and came into Pennsylvania about 1750, just before the 
beginning of the French and Indian war, and before there were any 
settlements west of the Alleghenies.  Thomas Blackburn (grandfather) was 
born in Bedford county, this State, and spent his long and active life 
in agricultural pursuits in that county.  He was a Friend or Quaker in 
religion, and a farmer by occupation.  His son, John G. Blackburn 
(father), was also a native of Bedford county, and died there in 1881, 
having attained the ripe old age of four-score years.  He was reared in 
Bedford county, and received what was regarded as a good education in 
that day.  He became a farmer, as his father had been, and spent his 
life in the cultivation of the soil.  He was a Quaker in church 
membership and served as elder in his denomination for many years.  He 
was a republican in politics, and married Rebecca Rouzer, by whom he had 
a family of twelve children.  She was a native of Bedford county, an 
elder in the Society of Friends, and died in 1881, in the seventy-ninth 
year of her age.  Two of their sons, Samuel and J. Martin, served in the 
civil war, and another, William, was also in the employ of the 
government. E.R.C. Blackburn grew to manhood on his father's farm in the 
county of Bedford, and attended successively the common, select and 
normal schools of that county, acquiring a fine English education.  He 
engaged in teaching during the winter season, and followed that vocation 
for ten years.  While still teaching he began the study of dentistry, 
and in the fall of 1875 commenced practice at Philipsburg, Centre 
county.  In 1883 he entered the Pennsylvania college of dental surgery 
at Philadelphia, from which he was graduated in the spring of 1884, with 
the degree of D.D.S.  He soon after located in the city of 
Hollidaysburg, where he practiced his profession for a period of three 
years, and then removed to Altoona, where he has ever since given his 
time and attention to the various branches of dental surgery.  His work 
is always first-class, and by his energy, skill and ability he has 
succeeded in building up a fine practice in this city, and won an 
honorable standing in his profession. On January 12, 1876, Doctor 
Blackburn was married to Gulielma Blackburn, a daughter of Abram 
Blackburn, of Bedford county.  He is a member of the Royal Arcanum, and 
of the Pennsylvania State Dental society.  In politics Doctor Blackburn 
is an ardent republican, and takes an intelligent interest in the 
advancement of the policy of his party.  He is an affable, pleasant and 
popular gentleman. Transcribed and submitted to the Blair County, PA, 
USGenWeb archives by Judy Banja <jbanja@comcast.net>