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Adelbert Sheldon |
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Adelbert Sheldon, assistant chief engineer of the works of the Fort Pitt Bridge Works in Canonsburg and for many years a distinctive personal factor in the industrial and civic life of that city, formerly and for thirteen years a member of the borough council and in other ways actively interested in local development work, is a native of the Empire state but has been a resident of Washington county and of Canonsburg for more than a quarter of a century and thus has long felt himself quite as much a Pennsylvanian as any. He was born in Royalton, Niagara county, New York, August 4, 1869, a son of Hiram G. and Frances (Penly) Sheldon, the latter of whom was born in the immediate vicinity of that place and is still living, now making her home in Middleport in that same county. She is a daughter of William and Clarissa Penly, who many years ago had their home in Pennsylvania, William Penly’s father having been a farmer in the vicinity of Philadelphia. The late Hiram G. Sheldon also was a native of the Royalton (New York) neighborhood, born on a farm there, and was a farmer all his life. He was a son of Elijah and Frances (Alford) Sheldon, both of whom also were native New Yorkers, born in the Gloversville neighborhood in Fulton county, and their last days were spent in Royalton. Elijah Sheldon, who was a substantial farmer and a veteran of the Mexican war, was a son of Elijah Sheldon, who was born near Hartford, Connecticut. The Sheldons of this line in America are an old colonial family and one of the name was an officer on General Washington’s staff during the time of the Revolutionary war. Reared on the home farm in the Royalton neighborhood, Adelbert Sheldon finished the high school in the nearby city of Lockport and then attended Syracuse University for one year; then Lehigh University for three years. Thus admirably equipped for the profession to which he has devoted his life, Mr. Sheldon became employed on the engineering staff of the city of Cleveland (Ohio), with particular reference to street work, and after a year of such employment transferred his services to the Variety Iron Works Company of that place and was for two years connected with the drafting room of that concern’s bridge department. He then for eighteen months was with the King Bridge Company of Cleveland, on structural work, after which he returned east and was connected with the operations of the Berlin Bridge Company of Berlin, Connecticut, for five years, at the end of which time he took temporary service with the Wisconsin Bridge Company of Milwaukee and after six months of such service entered, in 1900, upon a connection with the operations of the Fort Pitt Bridge Works in Canonsburg which has continued uninterruptedly to this day, this period of service now covering more than twenty-five years, making him one of the best established figures in the industrial life of the community. Since 1921 Mr. Sheldon has been serving as assistant chief engineer of the Canonsburg plant of this company and is widely known in engineering circles. He is a republican, has ever taken a good citizen’s interest in local civic affairs and for thirteen years rendered effective public service as a member of the borough council, for some years being president of that body. During the time of his residence in Connecticut Mr. Sheldon rendered service as a member of the naval militia of that state and during the Spanish-American war and during the time of the World war he was a member of the local company of Home Guards. He is a member of the Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce and of the locally popular Yorick Club, and he and his wife are members of St. Thomas’ Protestant Episcopal church, of which parish Mr. Sheldon is treasurer and a member of the vestry. On November 3, 1900, the year in which his home was established in
Canonsburg, Adelbert Sheldon was united in marriage in Royalton, his old
home town, to Miss Emma Mary Dale, and to this union the following
children have been born, namely: Dorothy Eileen, born April 12, 1902, who
was graduated from the Canonsburg high school in 1922; Martin Dale, born
August 21, 1903; Edyth Mary and Ethyl Frances (twins), born October 18,
1905, the former of whom died in 1907; Marjorie, who was born March 19,
1908, and died in 1909; Emma Mary, born September 16, 1910; Sarah
Margaret, who was born October 30, 1911, and who died in 1913; Eleanor
Sheldon, born October 4, 1913; and Adelbert Sheldon. Jr. born February 6,
1918. Mrs. Sheldon was born November 3, 1875, and her schooling was
completed in the high school in Lockport, New York. She is a daughter of
Martin and Mary Wilson (Dale) Dale, the former of whom was born in the
Royalton neighborhood and the latter in the vicinity of Orangeport in that
same county (Niagara), Martin Dale died on his farm in the vicinity of
Royalton and his widow’s last days were spent in the neighboring village
of Gasport, also in Niagara county.
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