BIO: William Thomas LEATHERS, Centre County, PA

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Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania: Including 
the Counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion: Containing 
Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, Etc. 
Chicago: J. H. Beers, 1898.
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  WILLIAM THOMAS LEATHERS, a well-known and reliable business man of 
Howard township, Centre county, is the senior member of the firm of W. 
T. Leathers & Son, roof painters and dealers in the Excelsior Graphite 
Roofing paint for iron, tin, shingle and paper roofs, with headquarters 
at Howard.  He was born on a farm near Mount Eagle, December 25, 1844, 
a son of Frederick and Rebecca (Working) Leathers, who spent their 
lives upon that farm.  His paternal grandparents, Jacob and Mary 
(Slick) Leathers, were natives of York county, Penn., where they were 
married, but as early as 1795 they became residents of Howard township, 
Centre county.  The maternal grandparents, Jacob and Christina Working, 
made their home in Penn's Valley, Centre county, whither they had 
removed by ox-teams when the place was an unbroken wilderness.
  Frederick Leathers was three times married, his first wife being 
Nancy Barthurst, of Mount Eagle, by whom he had four children: Hannah, 
who married James Antes (both are now deceased); Elizabeth, deceased 
wife of Reuben Idings, a farmer of Centre county; Martha, who wedded 
Eastings Guthrie (both are now deceased); and Mary, wife of John N. 
Barnhart, a retired school teacher living in New Jersey.  For his 
second wife, Mr. Leathers wedded Rebecca Working, who died December 25, 
1849, at the age of forty-five years, leaving four children: James K., 
a farmer of Howard township; Nancy E., widow of James Antes, of Jersey 
Shore, Penn.; William T., our subject; and Frederick M., a farmer of 
Farnhamville, Iowa.  The third wife of Mr. Leathers bore the maiden 
name of Jane D. Stiver, and was a native of Penn's Valley, Penn.  She 
died in 1891, at the age of eighty-five years, and her husband passed 
away April 1, 1879, when aged seventy-nine years.
  At the age of sixteen years, on August 16, 1861, young Leathers 
enlisted in Company A, 45th P. V. I., then commanded by Capt. John I. 
Curtin (later, Gen. Curtin), and until in July, 1862, the command 
served under Sherman.  It participated in the battle of James Island 
and in many skirmishes.  The command took part in the battle of 
Antietam, Md., on September 17, 1862, after which engagement Mr. 
Leathers was transferred to the 6th U. S. Cavalry, Troop I, in which he 
served until September, 1864.  He was engaged at Beverly Ford and in 
other minor battles, and in the battle of Gettysburg almost his entire 
regiment was captured, he narrowly escaping.  After the battle he 
served principally as a messenger at the headquarters of Gen. Sheridan.  
Mr. Leathers was twice wounded, once while with the infantry and again 
while carrying a dispatch from Gen. Sheridan to Gen. Kilpatrick, 
receiving a bullet in the left thigh, which he carried some six months 
or more.  On September 21, 1865, Mr. Leathers was married in Canada, 
Centre Co., Penn., to Miss Mary E. Hughes, who was born in Howard 
township, July 22, 1844, a daughter of Rev. John and Mary A. 
(Goodfellow) Hughes, natives of Blair and Centre counties, Penn., 
respectively.  When a small boy her father had come to Centre county 
with his parents, Corney and Margaret (Brown) Hughes, who were born in 
Ireland.  His mother

254  COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

died in Huntingdon county, Penn., but his father's death occurred in 
Centre county.  The maternal grandparents of Mrs. Leathers, Thomas and 
Mary A. (Graham) Goodfellow, were also natives of Ireland, but at an 
early age became residents of Howard township, Centre county, Penn., 
where they spent the remainder of their lives, and where for several 
years the grandfather engaged in farming, and then lived retired.
  Rev. John Hughes was a devout Christian, and a local minister of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church.  He was quite prosperous in his business 
undertakings, and was an extensive dealer in coal and wood.  He 
departed this life in Canada, Centre county, February 14, 1876, at the 
age of sixty-three years; his wife died in the same house May 14, 1871, 
at the age of seventy-four.  In their family were three daughters: 
Eliza, who died at the age of one year; Martha, wife of George D. 
Johnson, who is operating the old homestead farm in Canada; and Mary E. 
  Twelve children graced the union of Mr. and Mrs. Leathers: (1) Mary 
A., died at the age of six years; (2) James L., a roof painter, of Mt. 
Eagle, married Edith Leathers December 19, 1888; (3) Frederick resides 
at home, and assists his father in roof painting; (4) Lott H. died in 
infancy; Lucy B. is at home; Ida R. was married to Howard B. Neff 
October 14, 1897; Mattie M. is at home; George H. travels for his 
father; Gilbert C. died when fourteen months old; and Cookman A., 
Jessie and Milton W. are all three at home.  For seven years after his 
marriage, Mr. Leathers lived with his wife's parents, and then located 
on the old Leathers homestead, where he resided until April 7, 1897, 
when he removed to Howard.  In 1884 he began the paint business, and 
July 2, 1895, patented the Excelsior Graphite Roofing Paint, which is 
highly commended by those who have used it.  He has some excellent 
testimonials from prominent citizens of Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York 
State, etc., among whom may be mentioned President McKinley (all of 
whose roofs in Canton the firm covered in September, 1897), Lieut-Gov. 
Jones.  The business of W. T. Leathers & Son has ever been conducted on 
the strictest principles of honesty, and their prosperity cannot be 
attributed to a combination of lucky circumstances, but rather to their 
well-directed energy, enterprise, integrity and intellectual effort.
  In February, 1895, Mr. Leathers was elected justice of the peace, and 
he has also held other local positions, which he has filled to the 
satisfaction of all concerned.  Fraternally he is connected with the 
Veteran Legion of Bellefonte, the Grange, and Grand Army Post No. 262, 
of Howard, while politically he is prominently identified with the 
Republican party.  He and his amiable wife are consistent and worthy 
members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and occupy a high social 
position among the residents of the community.