JAMES
PIERCE.
- - It is now more than a third of a century since General
James Pierce, of Sharpsville, Mercer county, passed from the scene
of his earthly labors, but the influence of his strong mind, his practical
work and his warm heart is still vital in western Pennsylvania. He more
than any other man who ever lived saved the iron industries of the
Shenango and the Mahoning valleys from a profound depression which might
have brought death to them; first, by organizing and developing necessary
transportation facilities, and, secondly, by introducing Lake Superior ore
to the region and opening to its blast furnaces an inexhaustible supply of
unexcelled raw material. These were the most pronounced exhibitions of his
genius as a man of affairs, while the kindly, warm and Christian traits of
his character spread, in a wide radius, from his beautiful old homestead
near Sharpsville, known so widely and affectionately as “Mount Hickory
Farm.”
James
Pierce, of this review, was a native of the Granite state, born on
the 24th of September, 1810. Working faithfully on his father’s
farm and receiving the education of the neighboring country schools, he
renamed at home until he had attained his majority, when he left the
paternal homestead and commenced the work in the lumber business by the
month. As enterprise accompanied his industry, however, he was soon
engaged in the project of manufacturing shooks for sugar hogsheads,
conveying his product to market down the Connecticut river. Immediately
after his marriage in 1839 he added farming pursuits to his manufacturing
enterprise, but even this extension of his activities was not satisfactory
to the energetic and ambitious young man, and in 1844 he ventured into the
mercantile field. Forming a partnership with his cousin, Jervis
Bates, he transported a stock of cotton and woolen cloth to Erie
county, Pennsylvania, and turned the proceeds into horses, which they took
back with them to their New Hampshire home. In December of that year Mr.
Pierce was engaged in selling clocks through Erie and Crawford counties
and, as money was scarce, he found that the net results of his venture
consisted of $1,000 in Erie extension canal bonds, which he exchanged for
a stock of stoves. This first territory of his mercantile ventures seemed
so promising that in 1845 he sold his property in New Hampshire and
removed with his family to Cranesville, Erie county, where he remained
until his removal to Clarksville, Mercer county, in the spring of 1847.
Mr. Pierce’s
first business enterprise in Clarksville, inaugurated in the above year,
was the mining of coal in the vicinity and shipping it to its market in
Erie via the Extension canal. He was a pioneer in the business and,
although his first venture was only moderately profitable, he showed
characteristic confidence in his judgment; for when the small mine from
which he drew his first supplies was exhausted he opened new coal deposits
on his land in Hickory township, near the location of his future
homestead. The mines proved productive, and to convey the output to canal
water he constructed a tram road operated by horse power, an exhibition of
individual enterprise which brought him into wide prominence. Later he
showed his ability to keep even in advance of the times by abandoning his
tramway in favor of the Erie and Pittsburg and the Sharpsville and Oakland
railroads, in whose construction he took an active part and a large
financial interest; in fact, he was the president, general manager and
principal stockholder in the Sharpsville and Oakland road from its
establishment until his death in 1874. As no two agencies have more
greatly contributed to the industrial development of this part of the
state than these lines, Mr. Pierce’s eminence as a “captain of
industry” cannot he overrated to the people of the Shenango and Mahoning
valleys. To the day of his death be continued the foremost figure
connected with these strategic transportation lines, as well as one of the
most prominent coal operators of western Pennsylvania.
The connection of General
Pierce with the furnace business commenced in 1859, when he began
to operate the Sharpsville plant, of which he was proprietor, and began
his experiments with the Jackson ore of Lake Superior, succeeding in
producing from it, in combination with bituminous coal, a good grade of
red short pig iron—which was the first to be manufactured in the
country. This was the cause of the revival of the iron industry in the
Shenango and Mahoning valleys, and in 1865 General Pierce, with William
L. Scott, of Erie, began a large expansion of his own interests,
erecting the Mount Hickory furnaces (two stacks), and later, in company
with his sons, Jonas J. and Wallace Pierce,
and George D. Kelly, he built the Douglas
furnaces, also two stacks. As another son, Walter, was associated with him
in the Spearman Iron Works, he was identified with seven of the nine large
furnaces located at Sharpsville, and he had investments in the Lake
Superior mines. To add to the complete ness of his combinations he was
president and principal owner of the Sharpsville Iron Banking Company and
a stockholder in the Sharon Banking Company.
Mr. Pierce’s
standing as a householder and a citizen was equally noteworthy. In the
early years of his residence he became widely known as a scientific farmer
and stock-raiser, and Mount Hickory Farm, with its spacious mansion and
large outbuildings, was considered a model country place. This was the
scene of his death, on Wednesday morning, December 2, 1874, his decease
being the ultimate effect of a shock caused by a fall during the week
previous, his partial unconsciousness gradually merging into the sleep of
death.
During his life Mr.
Pierce manifested his appreciation of the wide spread advantages of
public education in many practical ways, being a large taxpayer in support
of the schools, a liberal contributor in lands and money for their sites
and erection, and for a number of years an active member of the hoard. The
churches of Sharpsville and vicinity were also warmly supported through
the generous expenditure of money and the benefit of his moral influence.
His special religious faith was that of Universalism, and it was through
his exertions and liberality that the first organization of that
denomination in the county was effected at Sharpsville, his generous
support continuing through life.
General
Pierce was one of the leading members of the Democratic party in
northwestern Pennsylvania and influential in the shaping of legislation
generally beneficial to the state, and especially to the section in which
he was most vitally interested, but his large and straightforward
character was utterly at variance with the makeshifts and schemes of
common politics, and he therefore never sought office. He was once,
however, the Democratic candidate for the legislature and, although
defeated, polled a far larger vote than the full strength of his Party.
His broad usefulness, his unimpeachable character, his attractive,
generous, charitable and kindly personality brought him the loyal support
of many irrespective of partisan considerations. It will never be known
how many he assisted along the hard roads of life by his encouragement
both of kindly words and pecuniary aid, but when such as these are added
to the thousands who admired him for his rare and substantial ability it
will be readily understood why it was that General Pierce carried with him
to the last such a large and stanch following of men, women and children.
On the 1st of
January, 1839, General Pierce was married to Miss
Chloe Holbrook, a native of New Hampshire, born on the 20th of
March, 1816, and the following were born to their union: Jonas
J., born September 23, 1839, who married Miss
Kate Pritz, of Baltimore, Maryland, who bore him five children; Walter
and Wallace (twins), born October 19, 1842, a sketch of the former
appearing elsewhere in this work; Frank,
whose biography is also published elsewhere; and James
B., born September 2, 1856, who married Miss
Albertine Pomplitz (also a Baltimore lady), June 17. 1880 General
Pierce’s widow survived him until August 16, 1886, when she died
at the age of seventy years. It is needless to say that the sons have
enjoyed most honorable careers as public citizens and industrial promoters
of the Shenango valley.
Twentieth Century History of Mercer County,
1909, pages 360-362.
