The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-10-08
JOHN j.. REIFSNIDER.
JOHN l.. REIFSNIDER.
One of the Leading Citizens of West.
minster-His Life Reviewed.

Who can truly say that ''there is moth
ing in name when he reads the story
of some prominent business mans career
from youth to age! In the mails Of
Maryland the names If Yves ,nias,cr sons
are interviewer, who in the nall, of Con
yress, ON the judicial bench, or in the busy
marJs of trade, have gained des'in ton and
stamped their identity on its history
One of those gentlemen who reflect
honor upon community is Mr. John l..
Reifsnider, of Westminster, who was born
at Taneytown October 10, 1886 In
April of the following year his father, Mr..
Jesse Beifsnider, removed to this city, pur-
chased property and opened general store.
Just about then Westminster became the
county town of the new county of Carroll,
and the elder Mr. Reifsnider saw an open
ing for founding general merchandise
store, which he conducted successfully
many years In 1850 John l.. Reifsnider
entered his father store and at the age of
fourteen took charge of the books, but four
years later became associated with him in
conducting the business. The firm then
became Reifsnider and Son.
After having reached his majority, how
ever, in 1857, the junior partner left the
firm and spent some months travelling in
the West, but came back again to Mary
land in 1853 and took a situation with
Penniman and Brother, Hardware Mer-
chants, Baltimore, for the sake of familiar
izing himself with that branch of trade,
which was then the leading feature of his
father business. Until 1860 he remained
with the Penniman Bros, and then made
an arrangement with them to open branch
hardware store as partner at Knoxville,
Tenn. This project, it seems, was aban
boned at the wish Of his parents, and he
returned to Westminster, becoming part
ner again with his father in his prosperous
work About 1862 he secured his father S
interest in the business, as we'll as the
dwelling, store room and warehouse which
had come into the elder Mr.. Reifsnider's
owns the property, which has been in his
family keeping for two generations. In
1864 he resold the branch hardware of the
concern to his father, retaining the shelf
hardware in connection with dry goods and
groceries About 1869 he discarded the
dry goods branch of the business which he
sold to J. Yingling Il Son, and in 1872
he retired from business of that character
and was succeeded by Mr.. w. o. Iggett.
From 1872 until 1875 he was not engaged
in any active pursuit, but built during that
time the handsome residence he now occu-
pies and improved the surrounding grounds,
which are situated on an eminence and his
home is called Terrace Hill. - The
grounds are triangular in shape.
In 1875 Mr. Reifsnider resumed active
business, when he engaged in the whole
sale tobacco trade and the manufacture Of
cigars, in which, like in everything else,
he was successful. He pushed his manu-
features through Maryland and other
States, building up profitable traffic, and
retired from active work finally in 1881,
since which time he has materially increased
his fortune by judicious investments in real
estate
There is no man better known or more
generally respected today in Carroll than
John l.. Reifsnider He was one of the
founders of the Westminster Gas Light
Company in 1870, being its first president,
position which he has since occupied.
His other affiliations have been with the
Westminster Cemetery Co., the Board of
Trade, the Ice and Cold Storage Co., the
Western Maryland College and the First
National Bank here, at all of which his
voice is potential factor in their manage
ment. He owns extensive property, in
Guiding lumber and iron interests in Buck
ngham county, Va, where he is manager
and treasurer of the Rosney Iron Co.,
limited-a company that owns several
Thousand acres of fine iron and timber lands
to which the Chesapeake & Ohio railroad
has constructed branch line seventeen
miles long. Some years ago MIR. Reifsni
der mace an earnest effort to promote the
extension, of the Harrisburg & Gettysburg
Railroad by way of this city to Washing
ton, and with others he gave from his
private means to survey the Westminster
route, but the undertaking failed in conse-
quence of the sale of this road to the Phil
adelphia and Reading Co.
Mr. Reifsnider is strong and energetic
citizen, who, despite of advancing years,
which check most men aims, retains all
of his youthfulvim and keeps up an interest
in public affairs.