PHGS Members Forum

[MEB]

From Beer's History of thecounties of McKean, Elk, Cameron and Potter,
PA. Page 1219
WILLIAM J. LOUCKS, farmer and lumberman, P. O. Ulysses, was born in Oneida county, N. Y., July 18, 1834. In 1844 his parents moved to Potter county, and settled in Hector township, where he was reared, and on reaching manhood he embarked in
the lumber business, his father having purchased a saw-mill and a quantity of timber land in Hector and Ulysses townships. He learned the use of tools easily, and soon became a good carpenter. He also worked at repairing mills until he became a good millwright, and put up two saw-mills, one a water-mill for himself, in 1876, on what is called the Genesee forks of Pine creek (now known as Loucks' Mills). At this
place the first settler was George Parker, who died in 1845. His farm was sold and resold to a dozen different parties, until at last Mr. Loucks and C. B. Watrous bought it for the purpose of building the above mentioned saw-mill. Mr. Loucks has also been engaged in farming, and is now one of the successful business men of the county. He was married, May 20, 1854, to Miss Janet Glover, of Steuben county, N. Y.,
and she died in January, 1875, leaving seven children - the eldest about sixteen years old, and the youngest seventeen months. Mr. and Mrs. Loucks had
previously lost three children - two girls and one boy. The mother of our subject died
September 11 , 1870, and the father, Cornelius Loucks, a few years thereafter married Miss Huldah
Sunderlin, an elderly maiden lady, with whom nearly all in this vicinity were well acquainted. The early settlers well remember her father, Joseph Sunderlin.
who built the first mill in Hector some time between 1835 and 1840. In 1844 the township of Hector had but thirty-six voters in it, and Cornelius Loucks was elected constable and collecter for a dozen years or more in succession. When the Civil war broke out C. H. Loucks, the eldest brother of William J., enlisted, and he lost his left arm in front of Petersburg just at the close of the war. Stephen L. Loucks, the youngest brother, died in the army in Virginia, January 9, 1864. He was himself drafted twice, and reported at Williamsburg, Penn., but on account of disability was rejected. At the close of the war C. H. Loucks returned and lived on his farm for a number of years, then built a house in Lewisville, where he now resides with his second wife. William J. Loucks also married a second wife, November 16, 1879, in the person of Mrs. Itta C. Barnhart, daughter of George Harvey, of Clymer township, Tioga county, Penn. They have one child, a son, named Ray Harvey Loucks. Mr. Loucks has seen deer and other wild animals run through the woods and brush where now are large fields without a stump in them; where forests were then, orchards are now. The parents of W. J. Loucks, Cornelius and Naomi (Johnson) Loucks, were married
January l, 1822, and their children were born in the following order: Mary Jane, Cornelius H., Mehitable D. (deceased), Harriet R. (deceased), Elizabeth A.
(deceased), William J. , and Stephen L. (deceased). The children born to William J. and Janet (Glover) Loucks were named Mary E. , William J., Jr. , Charles
A. , Janet E., George W. , Hatta N., Henry C., Jenny M., Peter S. and Alexander X.

posted by mhender mhender@watson.ibm.com