[p. 592] senior member of the firm of H. R. Dunlap & Sons, doing business at No. 28 North Mill Street, New Castle, is one of the early men in his line, having been identified with it more or less continuously since 1873, in this city. Mr. Dunlap was born at New Brighton, Pennsylvania, May 8, 1843, and is a son of Gawin and Elizabeth (Cunningham) Dunlap.
In 1849 Gawin Dunlap brought his family to New Castle, and for over thirty-five years he was a clerk in the Cunningham Foundry in this city, a faithful and efficient employe. He married a sister of R. W. Cunningham, who was the founder of that business.
Hamilton R. Dunlap was six years old when the family came to New Castle and he had advantages in her excellent public schools. He then learned the machinist's trade in the Cunningham shops and was working there when the Civil War was precipitated. On August 28 1861, Mr. Dunlap enlisted as a soldier in Company K, One Hundredth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, in which he served for two years and seven months, and then re-enlisted in the same regiment, on the field, and served until the close of the war, being honorably discharged July 25, 1865. Although he was never injured so severely as to make a sojourn in a hospital necessary, he was wounded on three occasions by a rifle ball and barely escaped death hundreds of times. He is an honored member of Post No. 100 Grand Army of the Republic, at New Castle, and belongs to Camp No. 9, Union Veterans' Legion, in which he has passed all the chairs and is serving as quartermaster.
When he returned to New Castle after the close of his long military service, Mr. Dunlap worked for six months in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, engaged in dressing tools and running engines and then re-entered the Cunningham shops and completed his apprenticeship as a machinist. Following this he opened a shop and started to do gasfitting, and when the city installed its water system he took in a partner and learned the plumbing business. In 1873 his business was conducted as H. R. Dunlap, plumber, the present style having been adopted in 1889, when his two sons, Harry L. and William H., became associated in the business, the firm name being then changed to H. R. Dunlap and Sons. His son, Frank G., and his son-in-law, Frank P. Andrews, are now associated with him. This company is the oldest plumbing and gasfitting concern at New Castle, and until 1907 Mr. Dunlap was active in all its work. A partial stroke of paralysis caused him to retire for some months, but the natural robustness of his constitution is asserting itself and in all probability he will soon again be the active head of his firm.
In 1866 Mr. Dunlap was married to Anna Bonhan and they have five children, namely: Harry L., Mrs. Ida Andrews, William H., Annie E., and Frank G. His three sons learned the business with their father, and both Harry L. and William H. are operating shops of their own at New Castle, while Frank G. is associated with his father. In addition to being a member of the patriotic organizations above mentioned, Mr. Dunlap belongs to the Order of Odd Fellows, Lodge No. 195.
20th Century History of New Castle and Lawrence County Pennsylvania and Representative Citizens Hon. Aaron L. Hazen Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company, Chicago, Ill., 1908
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