Vachel Harding, p. 10

VACHEL HARDING, retired merchant, residing in the borough of Washington, was born in Maryland in 1828, and is descended from an English family who had immigrated to that State in an early day. Matthew Harding, the grandfather, also a native of Maryland, was a prominent farmer in that State, and died there.

Joseph Harding, father of our subject, was also born in Maryland, where he married Sophia Young, who died there about the year 1845. Twelve children were born to them, five yet living, of whom: Vachel is the only one in Washington county, Penn.; Joseph is a farmer in Allen county, Ind.; Edward is a farmer in Alabama; John Hersey is a farmer in Allen county, Ind.; Rebecca is married to John Elrichs, and lives in Maryland. The father departed this life in 1874, in Ohio, while on a visit to one of his sons. In his political preferments he was an Old-line Whig.

Vachel Harding received but a limited education at the subscription schools. At the age of fifteen he commenced clerking in a store at Hyattstown, Md., and as he was then learning the trade he received no salary for his services while there. At the age of eighteen years he removed to Uniontown, Penn., where he remained clerking in a dry-goods store for five years, or until 1851, when he came to Washington, this county, and here clerked for a short time for William Mills, an old- established dry-goods merchant of the place. Afterward he went into business in a partnership; then for a time carried on business alone, and, later, was associated with James Brown in the clothing business, at the same time carrying on his dry-goods department. In 1864 he gave up the dry-goods business, and later he carried on a music business in Wheeling, W. Va. (but did not move from Washington), which after four years he sold to Adams & Lucas. After that he purchased a coal property, and was engaged in that business several years. In 1888 he retired from active life, and is now peacefully enjoying the fruits of his industry at his comfortable home on Maiden street, Washington, where he has resided since 1861.

Mr. Harding married, October 15, 1855, in Washington, Annie Le Moyne, daughter of Dr. Francis Julius and Madelaine Romaine (Bureau) Le Moyne, the former of whom was born September 4, 1798, in Washington, this county, and died October 14, 1879, his wife having preceded him to the grave in July, 1873. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Harding were born children as follows: Charles V. (is married and lives in Washington, Penn.), Madeline Sophia, deceased, and Annie, at home. Politically Mr. Harding is a Republican, and has held several offices of trust; he is now a trustee of Washington and Jefferson College, and of Washington Female Seminary. He has been a member of the M. E. Church for forty years, and for a long period was superintendent of the Sunday-school. During the war of the Rebellion Mr. Harding subscribed liberally of his means to assist in filling the quota for the army, and also put in a substitute. He is a representative self-made man, having commenced life quite a poor boy, and presents an illustration of what can be accomplished in business life by earnest application, industry and economy.

Text taken from page 10 of:
Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893).

Transcribed March 1997 by Neil and Marilyn Morton of Oswego, IL as part of the Beers Project.
Published April 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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