GEORGE BOYCE (deceased) was born in England in May, 1805, and
after reaching manhood immigrated to London, Ontario, Canada. He
received a thorough classical and scientific education in Paris,
France, and learned the civil engineer’s profession in his native land.
Soon after coming to Canada be removed to Beaver, Penn., where he
became one of the engineers in the survey of the Beaver & Erie
Canal. He was connected with this enterprise till its completion, and
in 1837 took up his residence in Sharon. In 1839 he was there married
to Miss Satira A., daughter of Linus and Margaret Curtis, and sister of
Gen. Joel B. Curtis, a prominent citizen of Sharon. Mrs. Boyce was born
in Charlestown Township, Portage Co., Ohio, February 20, 1815. After
his marriage Mr. Boyce went to St. Catharines, Ontario, and was a
contractor in the construction of the Welland Canal, on which
enterprise he was engaged about four years. Returning to Sharon he
entered into partnership with his brother-in-law, Mr. Curtis, in the
development of the coal fields adjacent to Sharon, in which business he
was engaged for many years, and accumulated a large fortune. Soon after
forming the partnership with Mr. Curtis our subject removed to Erie,
Penn., to look after the interest of their business at that point,
where he resided until after the death of Gen. Curtis, in 1862, when he
returned to Sharon and continued in the coal business until the mines
would no longer pay for working. He was a leading member of the firm of
Boyce, Rawle & Co., which operated the furnace between Sharon and
Sharpsville for many years, and he was also interested in the iron
business at West Middlesex. Mr. Boyce took a prominent and active
interest in having the Sharon Railroad built from Sharon to Sharon
Junction, and from Sharon to West Middlesex. He was also largely
interested in the Emmit Mining Company, in its iron ore lands in
Michigan. For several years preceding his death he was a director of
the New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio Railroad, and vice-president of
the Sharon National Bank. Politically a Whig in early life, on the
dissolution of that party he became a Democrat, and was ever afterward
a stanch advocate of the principles of that party. He died December 28,
1885, at the ripe old age of nearly eighty-one years. He was a
life-long member of the Church. Throughout his career he commanded the
respect and confidence of the best citizens of the Shenango Valley,
wherein he had spent the greater portion of his life. Of wide
information, sterling integrity and scrupulous honesty in all his
dealings, his death was recognized as a deep loss to the social and
material interests of Sharon, where his memory will long be held in
kindly remembrance. His widow resides in the beautiful home, on the
west hill, which he erected and beautified.
Source: History of Mercer County, 1888, page 708 - 709
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