Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens
Lawrence County Pennsylvania 1897
[p. 55] a lumber dealer and prominent citizen of New Castle, who owes a great measure of his present success to the unremitting efforts that have distinguished his life from that of the generality of men, was born seven miles north of the city, May 7, 1856, and is a son of Samuel and Sophia (Reynolds) Cox, and grandson of William Cox, a native of the Keystone State. Our subject's great-grandfather was born in Ireland, was joined in wedlock there, and when he came to this country settled in Eastern Pennsylvania, whence he came on horseback with wife and family to this county, and settled on the 500 acres of land, which was known as the "500 Acre Tract"; there he built himself a log-house and lived to the end of his years, and after him his son William. Our subject's grandfather passed away when about ninety-five years of age; his wife lived to be about eighty-six. Sixteen children were born to them, of whom thirteen grew up, namely: Rachel, Polly, Becky, Sally, Ann, Catherine, Jane, Betty, and Talithia were the girls; and John, Samuel, William, and Ross were the boys.
Samuel Cox settled in Union township, this county, on a part of the old homestead, which he sold later on, and bought a farm in Pulaski township, where he spent the remainder of his life. He was a very progressive, wide-awake man, and one of the best of farmers. He belongcd to the Methodist Church. The following children were born to him: Mary, the wife of Henry Cooper of New Castle; Lewis C., a dealer in agricultural implements at Pulaski, Pa.; William H., our subject; John D., a farmer and milk dealer; Charles C., a teacher by profession, who has charge of the homestead farm; Joseph R., a physician of Edenburg, Pa.; and Althea, John, and Lewis, the three oldest, who died in extreme youth.
William H. Cox early devoted his energies to the lumber business, and adopted the plan of buying tracts of land covered with timber of marketable quality, and clearing the same, and converting the rough logs into finished lumber in the saw-mills which he erected for that purpose. He operated in Lawrence and Beaver counties, and shipped by the carload to Pittsburg, and to Buffalo, N. Y., likewise furnishing the railroad with a large amount of timber and lumber. In 1886, Mr. Cox took up his residence in New Castle, and in 1893 built himself a fine home of brick, fitted with all the modern conveniences, and furnished throughout in the most artistic and pleasing manner; this is located at No. 307 West Washington Street. He has built several other houses for speculative purposes, buying his building lots from the Fulkerson addition to the city, and owns four tenement New Castle Car Mfg. Co., and is president and director of the same. He is faithful to his Republican principles, and is a member of the Presbyterian Church. Since living in New Castle he has dealt in lumber. His progress in business has been steady and consistant ever since his start as a young man, and his excellent judgment has stood him in good stead in many an anxious hour, and has never failed to point out the right course.
Mr. Cox married Miss Sarah C. Phillips, daughter of Ephraim Phillips, a farmer of this county, and has had four children born to him, namely: Pearl R., born Nov. 23, 1881; George, who died aged two months, Harry W., born Nov. 20, 1883; and, Ephraim, born Feb. 7, 1886.
Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens Lawrence County Pennsylvania
Biographical Publishing Company, Buffalo, N.Y., 1897
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Updated: 14 Apr 2001