Blair County PA Archives Biographies.....Fraser, William Mark April 13, 1859 - ????
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Judy Banja http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00004.html#0000757 December 19, 2024, 9:23 am

Source: Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Blair Co, PA: Philadelphia, 1892.
Author: Samuel T. Wiley

WILLIAM MARK FRASER,
a prominent civil and mining engineer of Blair county, is the eldest son of
Donald St. George and Janette (MacDonald) Fraser, and was born April 13,
1859, at Everton, Wellington county, in the British province of Ontario,
Canada.  William Russel Fraser, the paternal grandfather of the subject of
this sketch, was a native of Scotland, and his youth was spent in Edinburgh,
his native city.  Passing through the several schools, he began the study of
medicine, and after spending the required number of years at Edinburgh
university, received his diploma from that celebrated institution, and within
sight of her walls built up for himself a large and successful practice. 
After several years he crossed the Atlantic, and finally settled in
Frederiction, the capital of the Canadian province of New Brunswick, where he
continued the practice of his profession for a number of years, and then
returned to Edinburgh with his family, where he died in the year 1844.  He
married Mary Anne Needham, by whom he had a family of five children.  His
eldest son, Donald St. George Fraser, was born in Frederiction, New
Brunswick, on the 23d day of April, 1833, and now resides in Staunton,
Virginia, where he is engaged in his profession of civil and mining
engineer.  He came to the United States in 1861.  By his marriage with
Janette MacDonald he had a family of six children, William M., Louis A., C.
Frederick, Annie, Mary E., and Lenora I.  Mrs. Fraser died on the 10th day of
April, 1881.
     William M. Fraser obtained his instructions in the common schools of
Saxton, Bedford county, this State, until the age of fourteen, when he
attended night school at the same place and also at Houtzdale, Clearfield
county.  Compelled by circumstances to labor during the day, but with a
determination not to be kept down by unpropitious surroundings he began the
battle of life on such lines as commended themselves to his youthful mind and
started in to get an education.  He not only acquired a good ordinary English
education, but to that he added a knowledge of civil and mining engineering,
in which profession he is engaged.  For a time he worked with his uncle, L.
MacDonald, of Huntingdon, and then went to Houtzdale.  Here he entered the
employ of Fraser & Hartman, the senior partner being his father.  He
continued with this firm for some time, but on January 12, 1878, he resigned
his position and embarked in the business on his own account.  In company
with his brother, Louis A. Fraser, he began the publication of a weekly
paper, the Houtzdale News, which was conducted for eighteen months.  This
publication ceased, afterward.  As one of a company, he again entered the
journalistic field, this time with the Houtzdale Observer.  There was more
glory then money in this venture, so, in 1883, the paper passed into the
hands of B. W. Hess.  Later he disposed of it to White Nixon, who still
published it.
     Mr. Fraser moved to Altoona in 1884, and has since resided in that
place.  He is engaged as engineer of the City & Park Railroad Company, of
Altoona.  He is also mining engineer and manager of the J. C. Martin coal
estate of Cambria county.  In October, 1891, he completed a fine map of the
city of Altoona and its suburbs.  In constructing this map he, at
considerable labor and expense, secured nearly all the original plots of the
city and its various extensions.  These drafts he retained.  The possession
of these papers, and the fact that he does fully nine-tenths of the
engineering of the city (outside of the engineering in the city engineer's
forces), makes him the best informed man in the city on matters of this
kind.  Besides the engagements mentioned above, he has a prosperous and
growing general business.
     On October 26, 1880, Mr. Fraser was wedded to Ida M. Evans, a daughter
of Albert Evans, of the city of Altoona, and their union has been blessed of
a family of three children, one son and a daughter, Walter R. and Bertha P.,
still living.  In his political affiliations Mr. Fraser is republican, but
exercises a great deal of independence, particularly in local politics.  He
is connected with a large number of fraternal organizations, being a member
of Pacific Lodge, No. 450, Knights of Pythias; Houtzdale Lodge, No. 990,
Independent Order of Odd Fellows; Unity Lodge, No., 2, Independent Order of
Good Templars; Moshannon Tribe, No. 255, Improved Order of Red Men;
Perseverance Division, No. 26, Sons of Temperance; and of the Star of
Bethlehem, being the duly appointed State deputy for the last order.

Additional Comments:
Originally submitted 2001. Transcribed by Donna Thomas

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