Hon. PHIPPS J. BOYD,
of Fairview, for nearly thirty-six years a substantial farmer and stock
raiser, has for nearly half a century been also identified with other
lines of industry and with the public affairs of his resident locality.
He was born March 3, 1840, in New Vernon township, Mercer county, being
the son of Henry and Ann (Phipps) Boyd. His father was a native of
Ireland and had a family of twelve children.
Phipps J. Boyd
attended the schools in New Vernon township and after receiving an
education therein he was apprenticed to a wagonmaker, but at the death
of his eldest brother he returned to the homestead to manage the family
affairs. He there remained engaging in farming until 1863, when he
located in Venango county, Pennsylvania. At that time the oil
excitement was at its height and the young man was among the most
enthusiastic to enter the field. He continued to be thus engaged until
1866, when he returned to Mercer county and associated himself with his
brother-in-law, Andrew McClure, in various lumber enterprises. In 1872
he resumed farming in Fairview township, having purchased property
there in 1864. Since the former year lie has been a prominent resident
of this section of Mercer county and has prospered agriculturally and
obtained influence as an enterprising farmer and a public man. He has
also taken a deep and active interest in educational matters and has
served as school director of his township (two terms) and has also been
influential in public matters of wide scope. In i886 he was elected a
member of the state legislature on the Republican ticket, completing
his term of two years with credit to himself and satisfaction to his
constituents. Upon his return from his legislative services he was
elected a justice of the peace for Fairview township and held that
judicial office for a number of years.
On November 4, 1862, Mr.
Boyd married Miss Mary Grace McClure, a daughter of James and Hannah
(Gamble) McClure, of Lake township. There were eight children in the
McClure family, as follows Robert J., now deceased; Henry, a retired
farmer of Lake township; Andrew, also an agriculturist of that
locality: Mary Grace, Mrs. Boyd; Sarah, now the wife of Lemon Bristol,
a Fairview township farmer; Ruth, who died as the wife of Dr. Thaddeus
Egbert, a leading physician of Mercer and Venango counties; Hannah,
afterward Mrs. H. S. Blatt, of Elwood City; and Eleanor, who married
Captain W. M. Slater, of Toledo, Ohio, her husband at one time being a
resident of Lake township. Both of the parents of this family are
now [1909] deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Phipps J. Boyd have had no
children of their own, but adopted Matilda V. Both Mr. and Mrs.
Boyd are old and faithful members of the Methodist Church, of which the
former was a class leader for nearly half a century.
Source: Twentieth Century History of Mercer County, 1909, pages 844-845
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