Isaac Colegrove    

ISAAC COLEGROVE, Mayor of Corry and farmer. The Colegrove family is descended from an ancient English ancestry. Isaac, the father of our subject, was born in Berkshire County, Mass., and married Sarah Keith, a native of Worcester County, the same State. They removed to Pennsylvania in 1835, settling on the line between Warren and Erie Counties. Here the father Purchased 200 acres of land, but little improved, and, with his sons, set to work to eradicate the forests and cultivate the soil. Notwithstanding the adverse circumstances, privations and hardships that fell to the lot of almost every pioneer family, they made rapid progress, and subsequently added to their worldly possessions until a beautiful farm of about five hundred acres was theirs. The father hired a substitute for the war of 1812; was at his death, 1863, a prominent member of the Baptist Church. His union with Sarah Keith, deceased in 1863, resulted in fourteen children, all of whom grew up save one, viz.: Levica, Ziba, Perces, Amy, Rev. Mager, Anna, Isaac, son deceased in infancy, Lawrence, Delia, Stephen, Washington, Andrew J. and Sarah. Isaac, our subject, attended the country schools about three months during the year, until fourteen years old, when his school days were no more. Until reaching his majority, he was subject to the duties required of him by his indulgent parents; not among the most irksome were his trips to mill on horseback, a distance of several miles. It was a common occurrence for the bag of corn to tip by being struck against a sapling, and force him to the ground. On one occasion the faithful farm dog accompanied Isaac on a milling trip, and accidentally discovered a "woodchuck" in a hollow tree, and the young lad, at once forgetting his errand, alighted from the horse, to assist in capturing the little animal that "Bowser" had quarantined. On his return to the horse, he found that the sack had fallen to the ground, and he, being too small to replace it, must wait until some one chanced to pass along. In about one hour a good neighbor relieved the young man from the terrible suspense, and he went on his way rejoicing. He took considerable interest in hunting, and slew quantities of wild game over the present site of Corry. At the age of twenty-one, he engaged in a saw mill at Jamestown, for Henry Baker, and at the end of four years he withdrew and continued the same at Columbus, Penn., with Luther Mather. January 11, 1846, he married Levene Tillotson, of Columbus, and at once entered actively in the improvement of 100 acres, now within the present limit of Corry, a portion of which he has sold and laid off in lots. His wife died May 29, 1882, and the only child blessing their marriage died at the age of three years. January 22, 1884, he celebrated his birthday by marrying Mrs. Winifred M. Davis a daughter of George and Margaret Adams, who removed from her native State, Kentucky, to Brown County, Illinois, when she was quite young. Here she grew up and married Moses W. Davis, who was Captain of Company D, Eighty-fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry; he was also in the Mexican war, and participated in the great battle of Buena Vista. He was killed in the late war, and Thomas D. Adams, a brother of the present Mrs. Colegrove, was commissioned and served as Captain of the above company until he was shot at the battle of Chickamauga. Capt. Adams was a man of the most unflinching integrity and sterling worth, of purest morals and most inflexible courage. He was admired and beloved by the whole regiment, and his fall was more lamented than almost any of the noble ones who breathed their last at this ever memorable struggle. A letter bearing date February 11, 1863, to Mrs. M. W. Davis, from L. H. Waters, Colonel of the Eighty-fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, speaks of Capt. Davis in high commendation, saying: "No man stood higher with the entire command than did he, and we will not soon forget his many virtues. True to his Christian profession under all circumstances, uniformly kind and brave, all were his friends and none his enemies. In the terrific battle of the 31st of December, he was at his post, cheering and encouraging his men, until he was wounded and carried to the rear. Badly wounded as he was, he could not forbear visiting the regiment the next day, and was received with cheers from all." Mrs. Colegrove removed to Corry in 1865, with her two children, George and Maggie; the latter is well known as an efficient school teacher, now engaged at Bradford. Penn., and the former is engaged in the shingle business in this county. Mrs. C. is a member of the Baptist Church, and is Superintendent of the State Evangelical work of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. The official positions of Isaac Colegrove have been as varied as might be expected from a man of his abilities, his extended and somewhat varied experiences, and the numerous vicissitudes of a long and active life. In addition to the position as a member of the first Council of Corry, in which capacity he has served for nine years, he has officiated as Assessor of the First Ward of Corry in 1873, 1881 and 1882, and Mayor, 1883, and is the present incumbent; his careful attention to business, showing his good natural abilities, good common sense, and careful observation and self-reliance, having merited his re-election in 1884, with no opposition. He and first wife were long connected with the Methodist Church, but at her demise held letters in the same, and he is now a Baptist. In all the varied experiences of the life of our subject he has been peculiarly fortunate, especially in possessing a well-balanced mind; of great vigor and fine physical organization and excellent health; benevolent and charitable to the extent of his means. In politics he is a Republican.

History of Erie County, Pa Containing a History of the County: Its Townships, Towns, Villages, Schools, Churches, Industries, Etc.: Portraits of the Early Settlers and Prominent Men; Biographies; etc., etc. Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co., 1884. Read this book online  More Erie County History Books   Search Hundreds of 1880s-1890s Pennsylvania County History Books for biographies and historical information on your ancestors.  View the book page images on line and print them out for your genealogy file!  Free Access to the old history books - plus birth & death records, census images and ALL other records at ancestry.com.