The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1909-04-14
Death Of Hon. John A. Proper.


Proper, passed to the other shore oil
April %, 1904. He is survived by thre,
sons and four daughters, as follows: Mrs
Daniel Walters of Tionests; Mrs. S. A
Warner Of Litchfield, Illinois; o. w
Proper, Mrs. f. r. Lsnson, J. +. Proper
Miss EuRetta Proper and f. c. Proper
all of Tionesta. Funeral services wer,
held at his late home Tuesday afternoon
at 200 O'Clock, conducted by Mrs. Clar,
Watson of Jamestown, N. Y, and tn,
body was laid to rest in Mt. Collin,
cemetery.
John Archer Proper was born in Plum
township, Venango county, Pa, on Sept
u, 1915. His fathers name was DAME
Proper of Holland Dutch, and his mother
Margaret (Archer) Proper, of Highland
Scotch descent. His grandparents wer,
pioneers of Plum and Cherrytree town
ships. In youth our subject received th,
limited education which the schools o
that early day afforded and he improved
these opportunities, going to school and
working on his fathers farm until he was
of age, when he ven from home, going
to Randolph, N. Y, where he worked for
some time. He next engaged as a jobber
in the lumber business in Warren and
Venango counties. The writer obtained
from Judge Proper some years ago the
following statement of his interesting life
which l give in his own words as near as
possible: 81 was named for my mater
nal grand father, John Archer. My
grandparents, the Archers, died within a
short time of each other during the wal of
1872. When the soldiers passed through
C~herrytree village where they had settled,
on their way to Erie, they caught the
camp fever and died and were buried
among the first in the old Cherrytree
graveyard. l was married to Sarah
Grove in September, lS47, in Plum town
ship. She was a daughter OF jacob Grove,
who was a son of Peter Grove, the famous
pioneer and Indian fighter. His family
consisted of two girls and two boys"
Concerning himself he further says: Il
numbered on the Conewango about eight
years. At that time the Indians helped
me to run my lumber; they made good
raflmen as well as good pilots. l ran the
Allegheny river for over 80 years. As a
pilot l ran RATS for Guy Irwin and Judge
Chamberlain and never stove or wrecked
a raft. / knew the river we'll and oflimes
ran both day and night from Warren to
the mouth of the Ohio"
These sketches are interesting as they
relate to the early days and illustrate the
vast enterprises and hardships of the
pioneer in the lumber industries of this
portion of our State, in which our subject
was so prominent an actor. AS imme-
diately connected with his Forest county
life, he came into what is now its borders
in lS47, and purchased warrants 3sl6 IL
and he thus narrates it:
az then bought the tracts on Little Coon
creek, cleared up a field or two with great
labor, raised hay and farm products,
planted an orchard, built two saw mills
on it and sawed off about Is, 900, 900 feet Of
lumber. / originally supposed that there
was only 1000 acres in these two tracts,
but Richard Irwin surveyed it for me,
and ii turned out to be 1900 acres. l
afterward sold this property to John A.
and Joseph G. Dale"
In the fall of 1856 he purchased two
farms in Clarion county and lived on
them until the fall of 1867. Selling these
places be then moved to Tionesta where
he has resided aver since.
"Man in his time plays many parts"
has been truly said, and our subject was
no exception to the general rule. After
to TiOns sta he purchased the To
nesta House at the mouth of the creek, a
old inn of the town in its day.
He was the well known proprietor for a
years and bought other valuable
property in the same vicinity. He in
company with John Reck, deceased. was
extensively engaged in merchandising,
the firm being known as Proper Il Reck.
They eventually sold out the store to M.
After this he was largely en-
gagged as an oil producer, especially in the
field, which business was sue
cessful in his hands. He also purchased
. large tract of over 500 acres adjoining
the borough known as the "Arhuckle
lately known as the proper
This he cleared up in fine shape
placed thereon valuable buildings,
and it is worthy of note hat the first crop
be put out was a field of wheat which
wonderfully, having enough for
himself and shipping away two car loads
by rail. Can l do better than to here
quote from The "History of Forest Coun-
ty," where it says:
Judge Proper has been one of the
most rugged and enterprising pioneers of
section of the county, of remarkable
strength, courage and powers of endur-
ance; a natural woodsman and noted
hunter. having in recent years, when
20 years of age, hunted and killed
as many as four deer in one day"
This is a fine tribute but to il may be
added that for over half a century he has
been a citizen of what is now Forest
county. that he was one of the last links
uniting this generation with the earlier
settlers of this section. To boys who have
grown up, become men and to their
families he was always a familiar and
welcome person, and was one of the most
widely known and respected citizens of
the northwestern part of our State. AS
an Associate judge he was not one in
name only, for he had the natural ability
and fearlessness to decide for himself
what justice and mercy required when
occasion offered. The fields he cleared,
the houses he built, the industries he
promoted are all monuments and wit
nesses of his energy and activity, but
this long and useful life is now ended and
he peacefully passes away to that rest so
welcome to the weary toiler of earth.
Without being a professor of any partic-
ular creed he was governed by mercy