U Surnames

History of Luzerne County, Pa.,

by H.C. Bradsby, 1893

THOMAS CHALMERS UMSTED, attorney at law, resides at Wilkes-Barre and practices his profession at the Luzerne county bar. He is a direct descendent of, and in the ninth generation, from Hans Peter Umsted, of Crefeld, Germany, who with his wife and family came to America and settled near Philadelphia, Pa., in 1682. Mr. Umsted is the son of Rev. Justice T. Umsted, D. D. a Presbyterian minister, who is now living in Philadelphia, and was born at Faggs Manor, Chester county, Pa., (where his father then resided), October 10, 1862. He received his education at the West Nottingham Academy, Maryland, and at Princeton College, New Jersey, after which he studied law with E. Coppee Mitchell, of Philadelphia, and at the same time entered the law school of the University of Pennsylvania, from which he graduated, and was admitted to the Philadelphia bar, in June, 1886. In the fall of the same year, Mr. Umsted moved to Wilkes-Barre, where he was admitted to the bar, December 6, and where he has since resided. Mr. Umsteds practice has been confined principally to the civil courts, the law of real estate, and the safe investment of capital, in which department he has been singularly successful, possessing also a wide reputation as an expert in question of land law. On January 21, 1891, Mr. Umsted married Miss Catherine Scott Moore, of Wilkes-Barre, daughter of Col. Oliver K. Moore, and a direct descendant of Judge Luther Kidder on the one side, and of the distinguished Judge David Scott on the other. Mr. and Mrs. Umsted have one child, Thomas Scott, born April 27, 1892. In politics Mr. Umsted is a Democrat, but takes little part in the campaigns, preferring to devote his time to his business and profession.

EMANUEL LEWIS UNDERWOOD, dairyman, Wilkes-Barre, was born at Forty Fort, this county, November 17, 1833, and is a son of William and Margaret (Swetland) Underwood. His paternal grandfather, Gideon Underwood (formerly of New England) was among the pioneers of Forty Fort, where he engaged in farming, dying there. The father of our subject was a native of Forty Fort, was a carpenter by trade, and resided at his native place until his death. His children were as follows: Sara (Mrs. Thomas Hale), Melissa (Mrs. John Hufford), Emanuel L., and Frank. Our subject was reared in Scranton from seven years of age, was educated at Wyoming Seminary, Kingston, and after attaining his majority taught school fourteen consecutive years. He then embarked in the milk business at Wilkes-Barre, at which he still continues. He was twice married, his first wife being Harriet W., daughter of Alvah and Ann (Pierce) Phillips, of Wyoming, this county, and by her he had four children: Frank L., Fred, Orran and Eva (Mrs. Penn Spencer). Mr. Underwoods second wife was Mrs. Mary Becker Hay, widow of Peter H. Hay, of Wilkes-Barre. Mr. Underwood is a resident of Wilkes-Barre since 1879. In politics, he is a Republican.

GIDEON UNDERWOOD, the oldest practicing physician in Luzerne county, was born at Forty Fort December 3, 1819, a son of Gideon and Sarah (Brown) Underwood, natives of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, respectively, and among the pioneers of the Wyoming Valley. Of a family of ten children, our subject is the only survivor. He was reared on a farm, and educated in the public schools and a private academy at Wilkes-Barre. He began the study of medicine in 1842, under George Wurts, of Kingston, and in 1846 was graduated from Geneva Medical College, Geneva, New York. He at once began the practice of his profession in Scranton, removing to North Moreland in 1848, and thence, in the same year, to Pittston, where he has since resided. Dr. Underwood married, February 3, 1848, Martha, daughter of Elisha and Martha (Harding) Newman. Her father, born in 1791, is still living at the age of one hundred and one years, and resides in Bradford county, Pa. The issue of this marriage was the following children: Caroline (Mrs. Henry Coward), Edwin N., Helen M. (Mrs. Rev. F. A. Falkner), Walter S., George F., Charles S. and Sanford L., a student in the Medical department of the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Underwood has been a member of the Broad Street M. E. Church since 1848, and through all its trials and troubles one of its staunchest supports. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. K. of P., T. of H. and G. A. R.; during the war he was assistant surgeon of the Forty-ninth Pennsylvania Volunteers. In politics, he is a Republican and an advocate of Prohibition.

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