McKean County GenWeb Biography Section Various Biographies
WEAVER, George Perry b. 1 Jan. 1883 to Wilbur Perry Weaver and Viola Emma DeMills.
Byron D. Benson - First president of the Tidewater Pipe Company,
Limited, which was organized in Titusville on November 13, 1878, for
the purpose of building a pipe line from the Bradford field to
Williamsport, PA. An arrangement was made whereby the Reading RR would
then haul the crude oil in tank cars to Philadelphia.
David K. McKelvy - As the first counsel for the Tidewater,
McKelvy piloted the company through all of its legal difficulties and in
collaboration with J. G. Benton
designed tongs, pipe jacks, jack boards, swabs, and other equipment
needed to lay the line. McKelvy succeeded Benson as president in 1888.
C. L Wheeler - was president of the first Oil Exchange in
Bradford. Organized March 1878. A building was erected in 1879. It
became the foremost oil exchange in the world. High mark transactions
exceeded $1,000,000 a day.
Captain J. T. Jones - the biggest producer in the Bradford field
furnished money for the Captain J. T. Jones Juvenile band of Bradford.
Although the town band practiced diligently it lacked the money for
uniforms and instruments. Captain Jones furnished the money for these
items. When the band made its next public appearance the gift was well
advertised by the inscription on the drum.
Mathias W. Thessen - was a prominent Bradford resident. He
conducted a meat market in East Bradford. He was engaged the the meat
business for 5 years. He was a memeber of the Eastend Presbyterian
Church, Tuna lodge, I.O.O.F., and the K.O.T.M. He was married to
Margaret V. Thessen, she was a member of the Church of the Ascension,
the Margaret Guild of the church and the Foster Valley Club. They had a
son Wayne H. Thessen of Bradford and a grandson William Thessen of
Salamanca, and great grandchildren, Margo, Fred, and Wayne Thessen.
William Major TOY - was working in his father's hotel in
Titusville in 1859 and when he was 17 there came a group of men who
claimed to be looking for salt. They were making test borings in the
area. William was assigned to drive them about in the family dray and
was actually with them when they brought in the first successful oil
well in 1859. The group was of course headed by the renowned Colonel
Edwin Drake. Bill Toy was a good country fiddler and dance caller, and
he was chief of the volunteer fire department in Bradford for many
years.
Ed McIntyre from Bradford went to Texas where he edited the Oil
Journal and Jim McIntrye his brother went to Oklahoma's oil fields were
he was an advisor to oil companies on where to dig for oil.