Dr. Winters D. Hamaker

biography

Dr. Winters D. Hamaker, of Meadville, Pennsylvania, was born September 21, 1859, at Schellsburg, Bedford county, Pennsylvania, where he spent his youth. His ancestors were of Revolutionary stock, three of his great-great-grandfathers having been in the Continental army. He is the son of the late A. P. Hamaker, a merchant, who died in 1875, and Sarah J. McVicker, daughter of Duncan McVicker. At the time of his father’s death, Dr. Hamaker was but fifteen years of age, and for two years subsequently he assisted in the management of the business left by his father and prepared for college at a private school in his native town. At the age of seventeen he entered the last term of the freshman class of Washington and Jefferson College, at Washington, Pennsylvania, graduating in the class of 1880, In 1883 this college gave him the degree of Master of Arts. Having read medicine for a year, he entered the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, in i88i and graduated in 1884, fifth in a class of one hundred and five. On competitive examination he was elected resident physician to two hospitals in Philadelphia,—the Presbyterian and the University,—where he served for nearly. two years. On the completion of his terms in these hospitals he was offered the position of resident physician in the Orthopedic Hospital, Philadelphia, and was also offered a lucrative position as surgeon in the relief department of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Both of these positions he declined. In 1886 Dr. Hamaker settled in Meadville, Pennsylvania, where he at once secured a large practice, both medical and surgical. Since coming to this city he has been one of the surgeons of the Meadville Hospital, where he has performed most of his operations, which have included many cases of amputation,—hernia, ovarian tumors, hysterotomy, cystotomy, stone, nephrotomy, appendicitis, trephining, colotomy and operations for gallstones. He is a member of the Crawford County Medical Society, of which he has been president; of the Medical Society of the State of Pennsylvania; of the American Medical Association and of the Pathological Society of Philadelphia. For several years he has been a member of the State Society’s Committee on Increase of Membership and Clinical Teaching. In 1895 he was appointed a member of the Board of Medical Examiners of Pennsylvania by Governor Daniel H. Hastings, was reappointed in 1896 for a three-year term, and in 1899 he was reappointed by Governor William A. Stone for a three-year term. His mother, Mrs. Sarah J. Hamaker, and his sister, Miss Ida R. Hamaker, a graduate of the Washington Female Seminary, Pennsylvania, are living in Washington. D. C. In 1887 he married Miss Lizzie G. Townsend. who was born May 12, 1861, a daughter of Rev. D. W. Townsend, D. D., pastor for thirty years of the Unity Presbyterian Church, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania. To Dr. and Mrs. Hamaker have been born three sons and one daughter, of whom two sons are living,—Charles Townsend and Edward McVicker, born August 19, 1888, and June 9, 1890, respectively. To preserve it for those who come after, the following family record is added: (1) John Hubrecht Hamaker and Adam Hamaker, two brothers, came to America in 1740, sailing from Rotterdam, Holland, on the ship Elizabeth. They settled in Lebanon county, Pennsylvania, and their descendants are living widely scattered over eastern and central Pennsylvania and the western states. Nearly all of these descendants spell the name Hammaker. Adam Hamaker, born in 1717 and died in 1784, was the father of Adam, a member of the “Flying Camp” of Pennsylvania, during the Revolutionary war. The latter’s son, Samuel, educated at Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, married Annie Overdear, a relative of the Leiters of Leitersburg, Maryland, and was the father of Adam Hamaker, - - born 1799, died 1831,—who built what is now known as Diffendall’s Mills, near Cavetown, Maryland, and who, becoming involved in this enterprise and dying at the early age of thirty-one, left his widow and three children—Simon LeCron, Elizabeth and A. P.—without means. The youngest son, A. P. Hamaker—born 1831, died 1875—was two days old at the time of his father’s death, and at the age of eight years went to live with a farmer named George Winters, who became a second father to him. He was commissioned justice of the peace during the term of Governor Hartranft. (2) Mons. LeCron emigrated from Alsace-Lorraine France, probably at the beginning of the French revolution, going first to Poland. Thence he emigrated to Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. His son, Simon LeCron, born 1765 and died 1814, was married to Elizabeth Flory and was the father of Mary M. LeCron,—born 1799 and died 1876—who married Adam Hamaker and was the mother of A. P. Hamaker. (3) Captain Duncan McVicker—born 1739 and died 1818 - was born in Scotland. He went to the north of Ireland and thence at the age of eighteen emigrated to the province of New Jersey. He served through the Revolutionary war, being at first a lieutenant and afterward a captain in the Second New Jersey Line. He married Miss Laurie. He is buried at Schellsburg, Pennsylvania. His son, Alexander,—born 1773 and died 1832,—who was justice of the peace by appointment of Governor Hiester, was the father of Duncan McVicker,—born 1799 and died 1879,—who was appointed justice of the peace by Governor Johnson. Sarah J.,—born in 1837,—the daughter of Duncan McVicker, became the wife of A. P. Hamaker in 1857. (4) John Tayior,—born 1717 and died 1811 - —born in Ireland of Scotch-Irish parentage, and his wife, Mary, were the parents of Jane Taylor, —born 1774 and died 1834,—the wife of Alexander McVicker. John Taylor died in Bedford county, Pennsylvania, in 1811, aged ninety-four. (5) Peter Minnich—born 1702—came from Germany in 1737 and settled in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. His son Michael was born in 1737 in Tulpehocken township, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. He lived in Berks county and served in the Revolutionary war as lieutenant in Captain Null’s company of Colonel Laurence Greenawald’s battalion. His son, George Minnich, served in the war of 1812, and died in 1816. George Minnich’s youngest daughter, Salome,—born 1814 and died 1876,—married Duncan McVicker in 1836. She changed her name to Sarah because of the dislike of her husband to the name of Salome. (6) Mons. Frank, according to family tradition, was a French naval officer and came to America on the ship Victoire at the time she brought the Marquis de La Fayette to this country the first time. His daughter Salome married George Minnich. (7) Isaac Townsend,—born 1763 and died 1837,—according to one account, is said to have come from Chester county, Pennsylvania, and according to another from England. He settled on the Kiskeminitas river in Armstrong county about 1800, where he engaged in farming and the manufacture of salt. His son John,—born 1786 and died 1869,—married Elizabeth Shoemaker and was the father of Rev. Daniel W. Townsend, D. D. Dr. Townsend is a Presbyterian clergyman and has been pastor at Parnassus, Pennsylvania, Alliance, Ohio, and for the past thirty years of the Unity Church, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania. The degree of D. D. was conferred upon him by his alma mater, Washington and Jefferson College. The Townsends were originally Quakers and said to have descended from Robert Townsend, of England, whose wife was Elizabeth Richards. (8) Matthias King married Christine, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hartzell (nee Ritter), and his daughter Rachel became the wife of Isaac Townsend. (9) Andrew Kier, a native of Ireland, emigrated to western Pennsylvania. Armstrong county. about 1785. His son David was born September 25, 1766, at Balimony, County Antrim, Ireland. David Kier's wife was Elizabeth Bush,—born 1765. One of their sons, James Kier, of Elder’s Ridge, Pennsylvania, was the father of Elizabeth M. Kier, the wife of Rev. Daniel W. Townsend, D. D. (10) John Gray, of Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, married Mrs. Margaret Finley (nee Thorn). Their daughter Hannah,—born 1800 and died 1864—married James Kier.

Our county and its people: a historical and memorial record of Crawford County, Pennsylvania by Samuel P. Bates, 1899, pages 693-696.