FORCEY, THOMAS H., was born in Bradford township, Clearfield county, on the 9th day of April, 1829. Of the children born to Matthew A. and Margaret (Murray)
Forcey, he was the second child. The father, Matthew A., was for many
years engaged in business in
Bradford
as a farmer, merchant, and lumberman, and here Thomas acquired his first
experience in business life, rendering such services as his father's extensive
operations demanded.
In the year 1848 Thomas H. Forcey married Anna, daughter of
Thomas Leonard, of Bald Hills, Girard township, and soon after located in that
part of
Bradford
that was subsequently erected into Graham township, where he engaged in farming
and lumbering. On the 10th day of August, 1859, Mr. Forcey established himself
in the mercantile business at Grahamton, which business he has ever since
retained, although, for a number of years past the management of it has been
entrusted to others.
The year 1861 was an eventful one in Mr. Forcey's
business career. He had been for some years engaged in manufacturing and
rafting lumber to the markets down the river, and having no capital saved, a good and well used
credit, he was considerably in debt. He had at that time no less than
twenty-eight rafts lying in the river awaiting sale. Other large dealers had
their rafts in the same place, and were selling at "five cents."
Mr. Forcey's had cost him eight cents, and to sell at five meant financial ruin.
The war was imminent, and rafting through Maryland
was hazardous. Old rivermen advised him to sell, but he determined to hold on.
A proposition was offered by a party of raftsmen that they would take the
chances of getting the rafts safely through the State of
Maryland, and thence by the usual route to New York City, at an expense of five cents additional per foot, and wait for their pay until
a sale was made. To this Mr. Forcey assented, and the task attempted, and,
fortunately, successfully accomplished. The next year, 1862, he sold at
fifteen cents, and pocketed a handsome profit as the result of his good
judgment. By that act Mr. Forcey's business ability and sound judgment
became recognized, and he became the adviser, not the advised. His
successful operations were noticed by the sound business men of
Clearfield, and he was made one of the board of directors, and afterward vice-president of
the
County
National Bank.
In April, 1881, he moved to
Clearfield
and purchased the elegant residence of Judge Leonard, on Second street, where he now resides. Upon the death of Mr. Leonard, in July, 1882, he
was appointed, and at the next annual meeting of the board was duly elected
president of the bank, an office he has ever since most satisfactorily filled,
the present healthful condition of this institution being in a measure due to
his sagacity and foresight.
In business life his dealings have been characterized by
honesty, frankness, and entire fairness, and no person can well charge to the
contrary. As a result of hard work
Mr. Forcey has acquired a handsome fortune, fairly earned in the busy fields of
life. For nearly forty years he has been interested in farming and
lumbering enterprises, and now owns nearly five thousand acres of land in
Bradford and Graham townships.
In early life he was brought up under the teachings of the
Methodist Episcopal faith, but since their residence at the county seat both he
and his wife have united with the Presbyterian Church.
Source: Pages 702-703, History of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania,
edited by Lewis Cass Aldrich, Syracuse, NY: D. Mason & Co., Publishers,
1887.
Transcribed January 2011 by Alice J. Gayley for the Clearfield County
Aldrich Project
Published 2011 by the Clearfield County Genealogy Project
