Biography

08/10/1839 - 11/19/1924

Lewis Emery, Jr. (R25) McKean County, Potter County and Tioga County 1881-1888

Early Life: 

Lewis Emery, Jr.; born Cherry Creek Township, Chautauqua County, New York, August 10, 1839, son of Lewis Sr. and Maria (Gilson) Emery; raised in Michigan; attended common schools; graduated, Hillsdale College, Mi.; miller; proprietor, Emery Oil Company; proprietor, general hardware store, machine and railroad supply house; Married Elizabeth Caldwell. Died, November 19, 1924, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania; interred, Oak Hill Cemetery, Bradford, McKean County, Pennsylvania (i)

Early Career:

Senior year, student-professor, Hillsdale College. Moved, Pennsylvania, oil business, drilled, first well, Toad Hollow outside Bradford, 1875, owned over 500 producing oil wells. President, Bradford, DeGolier & Smethport Railroad Company (1880); engaged, merchant flour milling, Mi.; proprietor, lumber mill, Ky.; proprietor, wheat farms, North Dakota. World traveler, exhibited items from travels, personal museum, located, second floor, Emery Hardware Store, Bradford.

Pennsylvania Politics:

Elected, Republican, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 1879 term, not a candidate for reelection 1881 term.

Pennsylvania State Senate (1881-1882, 1883-1884, 1885-1886 and 1887-1888) member, Education, Banks, New County and County Seats, Insurance and Legislative Apportionment Committees. (Rumored knocked out a fellow senator on the floor of the capitol building)(ii)  

Continued Government Service/National Politics:

Unsuccessful campaign, Governor of Pennsylvania (1906)

Pa. House of Representatives Biography:

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/BiosHistory/MemBio.cfm?ID=6878&body=H

Legacy:

The SS Lewis Emery Jr., World War II liberty ship, built, Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company, Mobile, Alabama, launched October 15, 1943. (iii)

Lewis Emery County Park and Lewis Emery Community Center Hillsdale, MI 49242 (iv)

The History of The Emery Hotel (v)

Minard Run Oil Company (vi)

The Lewis Emery House, 116 Congress Street (vii)

Cited:

Smull’s Legislative Hand Book, (!888) Smull, J.A., Biographical Sketches of Senators, page 642, 670 and 676-678.

(i)  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/80918493/lewis-emery

(ii) https://www.upb.pitt.edu/posts/news/university-restores-painting-owned-oil-tycoon

(iii) http://www.armed-guard.com/item05.html

(iv) https://co.hillsdale.mi.us/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=92&Itemid=414

(v) https://bradfordlandmark.org/index.php?The%20History%20of%20The%20Emery%20Hotel

(vi) https://minardrunoil.com/our-history

(vii) https://www.facebook.com/BradfordLandmark/posts/the-lewis-emery-house-at-116-congress-street-it-was-quite-the-place-daniel-kings/2462648860416427/