[p. 1002] is proprietor of the B. T. Gealy Lumber Yard and Planing Mill, at Enon Valley, Pa., and has a large and well established business. He is a native of Lawrence County, having been born at New Bedford, November 17, 1851, and is a son of William and Sarah (Harris) Gealy.
William Gealy was born in North Beaver Township, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, and was a son of William Gealy, Sr. The latter was born in the North of Ireland and at an early date came to the United States, settling on a farm in North Beaver Township at a time when wild game abounded and Indians were numerous in the community. He was the father of a family of six children, as follows: Robert, who at one time was sheriff of Lawrence County; John, William, Andrew, Samuel and Jane (Quest).
William Gealy, Jr., father of the subject of this sketch, was reared on the home farm in North Beaver, and at an early age learned the trade of a cabinetmaker. He moved to New Bedford, at that time in Mercer County, but now in Lawrence, and there followed his trade for many years, both he and his wife dying at that place. He married Sarah Harris, a daughter of Barney Harris, whose father was a soldier in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, and some time after the close of the war moved west from New Jersey to Mahoning County, Ohio, settling in Coitsville Township. Ten children were the off-spring of this union: Watson, deceased; Harris; Esther, an instructor in the public schools; Martha, deceased; Phoebe, wife of S. H. Ferree; Merthyne, wife of John P. Lee; Barney Tunis; William, deceased; George, and Sadie, wife of D. McClanhan.
Barney T. Gealy was reared in New Bedford and there received a good common school education. When a young man he went to Rochester, Pa., and assisted his brother, Watson, in his store for some six months. Returning to New Bedford, he worked in the saw mill of Proctor & Rolland, and later went with that firm to Mercer County, Pennsylvania, continuing with them until 1875. At that time he, in partnership with his brothers, Harris and William, began operating a sawmill in Mahoning Township, Lawrence County, on the Book farm, and continued until 1883. They then purchased a timbered farm in Little Beaver Township, and after cutting the timber disposed of the land to good advantage. In 1893 Mr. Gealy purchased his present plant at Enon Valley of Shayner Bros., and has since continued his operations there with great success. He is a stockholder and director in the Enon Valley Telephone Company. He is a man of marked business ability, and is one of the substantial and progressive men of the village.
October 31, 1878, Mr. Gealy was joined in marriage with Miss Ella Rose, a daughter of Aaron and Martha Rose, of Mercer County, her father being now deceased. Two children were born to bless their home, namely: Edna Tiffany, wife of Charles S. Calvert, of Beaver, Pa., and Tunis Ross, who is attending college at Geneva.
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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