BIOGRAPHICAL AND PORTRAIT

CYCLOPEDIA

OF

CAMBRIA COUNTY,

PENNSYLVANIA

COMPRISING ABOUT FIVE HUNDRED SKETCHES OF THE PROMINENT

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS OF THE COUNTY.


ILLUSTRATED


THE UNION PUBLISHING COMPANY,

PHILADELPHIA, PA.

1896

Source: http://www.camgenpa.com/books/BP/title.html

 

ISAAC EATON CHANDLER,  deceased, one of the most prominent and respected citizens of Johnstown, was born at Rising Sun, Cecil county, Maryland, July 26th, 1824. While still an infant his parents removed to Chester county, Pennsylvania, and located on a farm in London Grove township.


    At an early age Mr. Chandler was apprenticed to learn the trade of blacksmith. After serving his time he opened a shop in Unionville, Chester county, where he remained until 1849. In that year he removed to Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, and with his brother-in-law, Frank Stroud, started a blacksmith and wheelwright shop. They built and shipped many carriages through the Lehigh Valley, from Mauch Chunk to Easton. About 1851 they, with John and George Fritz, built the Union Foundry and Machine works, and continued in business until 1854, then they sold out. John Fritz having assumed the management of the Cambria Iron works at Johnstown, Mr. Chandler, in company with John and George Fritz, Frank Stroud, Dr. W. W. Walters, James Williams, John E. Fry, Thomas Magee and Jacob Kuhn, removed to Johnstown, just as the Cambria works were entering a period of prosperity. During the early years of the operation of the works, he was connected with them in different clerical capacities.


    In 1861 he was appointed postmaster of Johnstown by President Abraham Lincoln. After leaving the post office, in 1865, he reentered the service of the Cambria Iron company as receiving clerk, which position he held until 1892, when he retired.


    Mr. Chandler was best known among the older citizens of Johnstown and Morrellville, in the development of the latter thriving borough. In 1870 he and his family moved from the corner of Locust street and Court Place to the residence now owned by Mr. Alex. Stackhouse, on Fairfield avenue. Mor- rellville, he having purchased about one hundred acres upon which Morrellville now stands, and having layed it off in building lots, sold them on easy terms, and to a large number of buyers he furnished the money to erect their houses. The records at Ebensburg will probably show that Mr. Chandler helped more people to homes in and about Johnstown than any other one who ever lived there, and it has been said there never was a difficulty between him and the purchaser, which illustrates his probity of character. Mr. Chandler built the brick residence at 317 Main street, Johnstown, and removed to it in 1882.


    Mr. Chandler was a stalwart republican from the organization of the party. In 1864 he was sent from Cambria county as a delegate to the national Republican convention at Baltimore, in which President Lincoln was nominated for a second term. He represented his ward in the borough council. He was a member of the Young Men's Republican club. He was a director of the Citizens' National bank, and a director of the Cambria and Johnstown Building and Loan associations.


    Mr. Chandler was a descendant of very old families in Pennsylvania. In the year 1687, George Chandler and Jane, his wife, started from Westshire, England, to America, with their seven children. The father died at sea. His family continued their journey, landing at Philadelphia in December, 1687. For a time they lived in a cave on Delaware front, but later built a house in Apple Tree alley, between Fifth and Sixth, and Arch and Cherry streets. This house was recently standing, was built of brick and covered with tile, and was considered one of the oldest houses in the City, there being probably one older, the Letitia house, formerly the residence of William Penn. William Chandler, the youngest

 

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Rev. July 2010