Built nearly all blast furnaces in the Lehigh Valley inculding the Crane - see list in reference. Established the McHose & Ritter Co. with O. A. Ritter.

Allentown has been served by fifteen Mayors in the forty years of its corporate history. Created a city by act of the State Legislature, approved by Governor John W. Geary, March 12, 1867, its first Mayor was Samuel McHose. He was elected on the third Friday of March, 1867, over Robert E. Wright, Sr., by a vote of 974 to 881. Mr. McHose at the time of his election was president of the Borough Council. He was born in Northampton County, February 15, 1816, a son of Isaac and Elizabeth (Laubach) McHose, and when he was four years old his parents moved to Rittersville, in this county. He became a mason and a contractor in stone and brick. As such he assisted in the construction of the first successful anthracite blast furnace, built by David Thomas at Catasauqua in 1839. In 1846, he built the Allentown Iron Works. Mr. McHose built nearly every blast furnace and rolling mill in the Lehigh Valley, in the earlier days of the iron industry and in 1854, with Oliver Ritter he engaged in the fire brick business in this city. He also started the Lehigh Valley Fire Brick Works at Catasauqua, with David Thomas and Oliver Ritter. Mr. McHose moved to Allentown in 1856. He built the beautiful home. at 448 Hamilton Street. The Jay Cooke panic Of 1873, which nearly completely prostrated the iron industry in the Lehigh Valley, dealing blows from which some of the companies never recovered, played havoc with Mr. McHose's fortunes and thereafter to the day of his death he lived a retired life. In his early life, Mr. McHose was a democrat and he cast his first Presidential vote for Martin Van Buren in 1841. Later he became a Whig and on the disintegration of that party, he joined the republicans. As a republican he was twice a delegate to National conventions in which he voted for Lincoln and Grant. Mr. McHose served in Borough Council, 1858 and 1859 and again in 1865 and 1866. From 1884 to 1886 he was a Select Councilman and was I elected President of the body. He was one of the chief mermbers of the Rotunda Association. Mr. McHose was the father of 11 children. He died April 2l, 1893, at the age Of 77 years.

Hon. Samuel McHose was the first Mayor of Allentown, and was born in Lower Saucon, this county, February 16, 1816. He was a prominent businessman of the city, and the builder of nearly all the blast furnaces in the Lehigh Valley. He departed this life in April 1893, after an illness of two weeks. He was the son of Isaac McHose, and at his decease was in the seventy-eighth year of his age.

When a lad of five years the parents of Samuel McHose moved to Rittersville, where his father carried on his trade of a mason and bricklayer. When Samuel arrived at the proper age he became an apprentice under his father in the same business, which he followed until attaining his twentieth year. He paid particular attention to the erection of blast furnaces, and among the most prominent of those which he built were the Thomas Iron Company's, at Hokendauqua; the Crane Iron Company's, at Catasauqua; the Coplay Iron Company's, the Lehigh Iron Company's, the Allentown Iron Works, and the Allentown Rolling Mills. He was a projector of the Roberts Furnace, and at one time an extensive stockholder. Mr. McHose also built several blast furnaces in New Jersey, and was the contractor who erected the Durham Iron Works near Richmond, Va.

In 1854 Samuel McHose, in company with the late O. A. Ritter, established the Allentown Fire Brick Works on Front and Gordon Streets, and were associated in business for a quarter of a century, under the firm name of McHose & Ritter. In 1861 the former built and became one of the proprietors of the Hope Rolling Mill, which about fifteen years later was the source of heavy financial loss to him. For the ten years prior to his decease the father of our subject was engaged in the manufacture of fire-clay brick, which business is now carried on by our subject, and the firm hold leases on extensive deposits of Clay in New Jersey.

The political life of Samuel McHose is as interesting as his business career, and volumes could be written from his experiences in politics. In early life he was a Democrat, but during the '50s, while in Richmond, Va., he saw a slave sold from an auctioneer's block, which caused him to change his political sentiments. After that time he was just as ardent a Republican as he had previously been a hard Democrat. In 1856 he became a resident of Allentown, and was at once active in politics, serving the North Ward of the borough in the council for several years.

In 1867, when Allentown was made a city, both political parties began to look around for available candidates for the first Mayor. Mr. McHose was nominated and elected over his opponent, the late Robert E. Wright, by a majority of ninety-two. In 1883 he was elected a member of the Select Council from the Democratic Fifth Ward, and at the organization of that body he was made its President, a position he filled with honor.

During Allison's administration the father of our subject was a member of the Board of Health and a delegate to the National Convention that nominated Lincoln for President in 1861, and Grant in 1868. During the last ten or twelve years of his life he was regularly elected a delegate to all the Republican county and city conventions, and was in truth a "war horse" in that party.