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biography
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Schwartz, James Ernest, was born in Allegheny, Pa., on March 9, 1843.
He was the son of Jacob Loeser Schwartz, b. December 20, 1816, d.
May 3, 1868, and Eveline, nee' McDowell, b. August 22, 1823
(daughter of James McDowell, b. October 21, 1771, d. August 22, 1850,
son of John. The McDowell family settled in Franklin and Cumberland
Counties, coming from the north of Ireland early in the 18th
century), son of Corned Stewards, b. December 6, 1784, d. October 9,
1818 (m. Mary Pinkerton, b. February 20, 1788), son of John (?), son
Conrath Schwartz, who emigrated from the German Palatinate, reaching
this country September 3, 1789, on the ship "Friendship" (married
Anna Maria Loeser).
His father, Jacob, was a prominent business man of Pittsburgh, Pa.,
being for many years partner in the wholesale drug house of B.A.
Fahnestock & Co., of Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and New York, and also
in the white lead manufacturing firm of Fahnestock, Hazlet & Schwartz.
His ancestor, Conrath, the emigrant, was a prominent citizen of
Lancaster, Pa., being County Commissioner in 1805, Burgess of
Lancaster in 1786, 1802 and 1805, and the first president, probably,
of the first bank in Lancaster, now known as "The Farmers' National
Bank." Through Anna Maria Loeser, wife of Conrath, he was descended
from John Jacob Loeser, one of the earliest educators of Lancaster
County, being sent from Germany expressly for that purpose.
Mr. Schwartz received his education in the private schools of
Pittsburgh and the Western University of Pennsylvania. At the age of
eighteen he began his business career in his father's office, but the
outbreak of the Civil War brought a speedy interruption. His
services during the war were of a most honorable character. He first
served as corporal in the 14th Reg. Penn. Vols., then reenlisted as a
sergeant in Knapp's Penna. Battery A. He was promoted to Lieutenant,
and, during 1864, was Acting Assistant Adjutant General of First
Brigade, commanded by Col. Warner. In 1865 he was commissioned a
Lieutenant in the 22nd Regiment U.S. Colored Troops, and became
Acting Regimental Quartermaster, Commissary of Musters, Assistant
Provost Marshall in Richmond, Va., and Mustering Officer First
Division 25th Army Corps. He was promoted to Captain in the Regular
Army, but resigned shortly afterwards because of his father's ill
health.
After the war he served for several years as Captain of Knapp's
Battery N.G.P. He also resumed his business career, and at the death
of his father in 1868, and the decease of most of the other partners
about the same time became the head of the establishment. He
remained such until about 1872, when he sold out his interest in
the wholesale drug and white lead business and organized "The
Pennsylvania Lead Co.," for the purpose of refining lead, silver and
gold; which was among the earliest works of its character. Previous
to this time most of the pig lead, used by the white lead
manufacturers of western Pennsylvania, was imported, but Mr.
Schwartz lived to see the day his company exported to Europe large
quantities of both lead and silver. As a western connection, the
necessity for which became apparent, he purchased later the Mingo
Furnace of Salt Lake City, Utah. He remained as President of these
companies until their incorporation with the "American Smelting and
Refining Co.," in 1898. He was also one of the organizers and
President of the Pittsburgh, Chartiers and Youghigeny R.R. as well as
a director of the Bank of Pittsburgh, the oldest bank in that city.
In January, 1897, he had a stoke of apoplexy, from which he
partially recovered. Upon the advice of his physician he went abroad
in October 1899, but his earthly career was terminated on May 16,
1900, in Dresden, Germany, by another severe apoplectic attack.
He was married on February 27, 1868, to Miss Emma Nicholson, of
Pittsburgh Pa., who survives him, with two sons, Messrs. F. N.
Schwartz and J. L. Schwartz.
Mr. Schwartz was a member of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania,
the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania, the Military Order
Loyal Legion, the Society of the Army of the Potomac, the Duquesne
Club, and became an honored member of the Pennsylvania-German Society
on July 20, 1894. H.M.M.R.
Proceedings of Pennsylvania-German Society
Volume X, 1899
Copyright 1999
Contributed by Tena Hanna.
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