Blair County PA Archives Biographies.....Clingerman, John July 20, 1827 - ????
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Source: Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Blair Co, PA: Philadelphia, 1892.
Author: Samuel T. Wiley

JOHN CLINGERMAN,
a highly respected citizen of Altoona, who has a wide experience in life, and
represents the sturdy German element, which has been so prominent in the
development of this State, is a son of Jacob and Sarah (McKinley) Clingerman,
was born July 20, 1827, near the village of Everett, Bedford County,
Pennsylvania. The Clingermans are of direct German descent, Peter Clingerman
(grandfather) coming from that country to America in 1760, and settling in
what is now York County, Pennsylvania. He was a farmer by occupation, and
served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War, fighting shoulder to shoulder
with native born Americans to secure the independence of his adopted country.
He lived to be a very old man, and died at his home in York County, this
state. He married and reared a large family, among his children being Jacob
Clingerman (father), who was born in York County in 1782, but removed to
Bedford County at an early day, and settled on a farm near Bedford. He
remained on the farm until 1831, when he went to Piper's Forge, that county,
and in 1833 removed to Franklin Forge, Huntingdon County. After a year
residence at the latter place, he went to Etna Furnace, where he was employed
for two years, part of the time in hauling stone for the furnace at Point
Lookout. He then resided successfully at Short Mountain Bank and Springfield
Mines, and in 1844 moved to Duncansville, now this county, where he did the
framing for the Portage Iron Company for several years. He died at his home
in that village in 1876, at the good old age of ninety-four years. He was a
very stout, hearty man, and hunted and fished through this section when it
was not unusual to see from thirty to forty deer together in the woods. He
was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and a Whig and Republican in
politics. He married Sarah McKinley, by whom he had a family of ten children.
Mrs. Clingerman was a native of Fulton County, this state, and a devoted
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Her father was of Scotch-Irish
descent and her mother of German descent. She died in Duncansville in 1860,
at the advanced age of seventy years.
   John Clingerman was only ten years old when he was put to work in the ore
mines, driving horse and cart at Springfield mines, and about sixteen years
of age when he came to Duncansville with his father's family. His education,
only a very limited part, was received in the common schools of this state,
partly in this and Huntingdon County. Being put to work when very young, he
had not the advantages that boys have now of public school education, but
studied in the evening, and during the long winter nights by the light of the
fire on the hearth or tallow candle, and received the greater part of his
education after he was twenty-one years of age. Having worked in the rolling
mill several years, he learned the paddlers' trade, and worked at that
business until his health began to fail. In the fall of 1851 he entered the
employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company at Duncansville, under Col.
Thomas Scott, who at that time was baggage agent and train dispatcher at
Duncansville, but subsequently rose to be president of the great corporation
he then served, and became famous as one of the railroad kings of America.
Mr. Clingerman began as a brakeman on the road, was later made freight agent
for the mountain division, and afterward became a freight conductor. He
remained with the company until 1855, and still preserves a letter of
recommendation, given him by Mr. Scott when he quit, by which he procured a
situation on a branch of the Illinois Central Railroad, running from Chicago
to Kankakee. He remained there a short time, and then went to Cincinnati,
Ohio, where he procured a situation on a passenger train between Cincinnati
and Xenia. In the fall of 1855, when the train was discontinued for the
season, he returned to his old home in Duncansville, this county, and again
took up his studies, attending the academy at Hollidaysburg during the
winter, and also receiving private instruction from the Rev. Doctor Junkin, a
Presbyterian minister at Hollidaysburg, and in the spring of 1856 went to
Duff's Commercial College, taking the full commercial course, and graduating
there that year (1856). He then taught school two years at the foot of Plain
Ten, this county, after which he took charge of the Duncansville High School,
which he taught for three years. During all this time he was a very close
student, desiring to stand at the head of his profession, receiving
instruction from Professor Miller and other eminent instructors of that day.
In 1862 he came to Altoona and embarked in the mercantile business, which he
only continued for a short time. In the fall of that year he sold out his
business, and, as he could not enlist in the 125 Pennsylvania infantry, that
went from Altoona and vicinity, on account of lameness, Col Jacob Higgins
gave him the position of sutler for this regiment, which he held for nine
months. He then returned to Pennsylvania and became superintendent in the
saw, shingle and lath mill of Holmes & Wigton, at Snow Shoe, Center County.
   In 1867 he engaged in the grocery business in this city, and continued in
that line for six years, after which he spent two years selling sewing
machines, and then once more started into the mercantile business, running
two stores here for about two years. In 1880 he began shipping milk to this
city, and is the pioneer in that enterprise. He now has a nice business, and
owns some nice real estate in this city.
   On May 15, 1866, Mr. Clingerman married Rebecca Hicks, a daughter of
Daniel Hicks, of Duncansville. To this union was born a family of seven
children, three sons and four daughters, a son and a daughter died in
infancy: Mary B., assistant principal in the high school of this city; Walter
H., served an apprenticeship with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and now
in the draughting room at Altoona; Addie B., Annie L., and Chester P.
   Politically Mr. Clingerman is a Republican, and takes an active part in
politics. He has twice made the race for the nomination of prothonotary, and
served in the city council from 1872 to 1874. He is a member and trustee of
the Third Methodist Episcopal Church of this city, having united with the
Eighth avenues Methodist Episcopal Church in 1871.

Additional Comments:
Originally submitted 2001. Transcribed by Denise.

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