JOSEPH MATCHETTE, of Catasauqua, was horn in Seacombe, county of Chester, England, March 18, 1841. Before coming to America he attended the Episcopalian schools of England. After coining to America he was employed for a few seasons as towboy on the canal during the summer. The winter months were spent in the public schools. At the age of fourteen years he secured employment with the Crane Iron Company and was employed in various capacities: hauling iron ore, running a stationary engine, firing locomotive, etc. Later he ran an engine between Catasauqua and Trexlertown. In 1860 he entered the machine shop of the same company. Shortly after the outbreak of the Civil War he enlisted in August 1861, in a company organized by Captain Arnold C. Lewis, a veteran of the Mexican War which was known as Company C, Forty-sixth Pennsylvania Infantry. The war record of Mr. Matchette is one of which any man can justly feel proud of. As an officer of the army he received his commissions as follows: Corporal August, 1861, at Harrisburg; Sergeant, April, 1862, at Winchester; First Sergeant, winter of 1862, at Maryland Heights; First Lieutenant at Fairfax Court House; Captain May 25, 1863, at Dallas. The Captain had a number of narrow escapes and was severely wounded in the abdomen in the battle of Cedar Mountain. He took part in fifty-two battles. He was mustered out at Harrisburg, July 22, 1865. After the war he returned to Catasauqua, where he again entered the machine shop of the Catasauqua and Fogelsville Railroad. Three years later he resigned and engaged in building railroads being thus engaged in the Saucon Valley, Chattanooga, Atlanta, Selma, and other Southern cities. In 1870 he located at Catasauqua again where he was engaged in a rolling mill, later in the machine shops of the Crane company, also running a steam drill in the Jordon quarry for the Crane and Thomas companies. From 1882 to 1906 he was agent for the Atlantic Dynamite Company and the Ingersoll-Sergeant Drill Company. He also carried a full line of quarry equipment and contractors
suppIies.

In politics Captain Matchettee is a staunch Republican and for several years has served as a member of the Republican County Committee. He was a member of the Catasauqua School Board for many years and for two years he was President of the Board. He was nominated by his party for treasurer of the county and for the Legislature. Socially he is Past Master of the Masonic fraternity and represented the Knights of Honor in the Grand Lodge. He has been Past Commander of Fuller Post No. 378, G. A. R. He is a member and has been major of the Union Veteran Legion of Allentown. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church of which he has been an elder and superintendent of the Sunday school for many years.

On April 8, 1863, he was married to Fannie E. Lazarus, a daughter of Joseph Lazarus. Mr. and Mrs. Machette are the parents of nine children: Minerva L., Adah S., wife of John E. Walters, of Catasauqua ; J. D., who was in business with his father; Blanche T, Fannie M., Thomas T., Sophie S., John Logan and T. Sherman.