BIO: James Murray AFRICA, Huntingdon County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Lana Clark 
<myclarkhistory@hotmail.com>

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Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of the Juniata Valley: 
Comprising the Counties of Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata and Perry, 
Pennsylvania, Containing Sketches of Prominent and Representative 
Citizens and Many of the Early Settlers.  Chambersburg, Pa.: J. M. 
Runk & Co., 1897, pages 32-33 
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  JAMES MURRAY AFRICA, civil engineer, Huntingdon, Pa., was born in the borough 
of Huntingdon, April 11, 1863, and is a son of J. Simpson and Dorothea C. 
(Greenland) Africa.  J. Simpson Africa was born in the town of Huntingdon, 
September 15, 1832; his wife was a daughter of the late Joshua and Elizabeth 
(Wright) Greenland, and was born in Cassville, Huntingdon county, September 29, 
1834.  Mrs. Africa died in November, 1886. J. Simpson Africa, Esq., now resides 
in Philadelphia. 
  During the childhood of James Murray Africa, his parents removed to 
Philadelphia, and afterwards to Atsion, Burlington county, N.J., where he 
attended a private school for a short time.  In 1870 the family returned to 
Huntingdon, where James Murray pursued his studies in the public schools, and at 
Juniata College.  His education was finished at Rensselaer Polytechnic 
Institute, Troy, N.Y., where he took a thorough course in civil engineering, was 
graduated June 13, 1888, and at once entered upon the practice of his 
profession, making the town of Huntingdon his headquarters.  Mr. Africa's first 
professional enterprise of any magnitude was the designing and construction of 
the water-works plant at Palmyra and Riverton, N.J., where the water is brought 
from a well having natural filtration.  This work has given general 
satisfaction. Mr. Africa's record as an engineer, from its beginning, is as 
follows: 
  In 1875 he entered an engineer's office as student; in 1881, was appointed 
member of the commission to determine the lines of Jackson, Miller and Barree 
townships, Huntingdon county, Pa.; in 1882-3, was in charge of topographical and 
boundary surveys of coal and ore lands of R. H. Powell & Co., in Huntingdon and 
Clearfield counties, Pa.; also lands of Huntingdon Broad Top R.R.; in 1884 and 
189-, was elected city engineer of Huntingdon, Pa., and designed and constructed 
the sewerage system of the borough of Huntingdon; in 1887, designed the 
Huntingdon water works; in June, 1888, graduated at Rensselaer Polytechnic 
Institute, Troy, N.Y.; in the same year, he designed the water works already 
mentioned for Palmyra and Riverton, N.J., and was consulting engineer for the 
Union Trust Co., of Philadelphia, Pa., furnishing funds for the Westmoreland 
county water works; October 20, 1888, was elected a member of the Engineers' 
Club, of Philadelphia; in December, 1888, became assistant engineer of the 
Chautauqua Lake R.R., Jamestown, N.Y., of which he was made chief engineer in 
January, 1889; in July of that year, the office of general manager of the 
Chautauqua Lake R.R. was added to that of chief engineer, and he also became 
general manager of the Chautauqua Steam Boat Co.; in 1890, he was chief engineer 
and general manager of the Etowah Iron Co., Cartersville, Ga., and constructed 
twelve miles of railroad; also designed and erected a mill for the concentration 
of manganese ore; this office, in February, 1891, he was obliged to resign on 
account of ill health, and was until June of that year at the University 
Hospital, in Philadelphia.  From July to December of that year, he was in charge 
of the survey of the lands pertaining to the Rockhill Iron and Coal Co., of 
Huntingdon county; 1892-3 were passed in designing and superintending the street 
improvements of the borough of Huntingdon; and in 1894, he was elected chief 
engineer of the Pennsylvania Midland R.R., at the general office, at Huntingdon, 
Pa.  During the past twelve years, Mr. Africa has designed and erected six Howe 
truss bridges, not included in the above enumeration of his engagements, and has 
been employed on important surveys by Eckley B. Coxe, Drifton, Pa.; William 
Thaw, Pittsburg, Pa.; the Lehigh Valley Coal Co., Pa.; the Pa. R.R. Co.; the Pa. 
Canal Co., Cresson Springs Co., of Cresson, Pa., and the Tyrone Mining and Mfg. 
Co., Tyrone, Pa.  He holds at present the position of chief engineer Pa. Midland  
R.R., and of city engineer of Huntingdon, Pa.  On October 2, 1896, he was 
elected a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. 
  At this writing, Mr. Africa is Master of Mount Moriah Lodge, No. 300, F. and 
A.M., of which he has always been an active member; also of Standing Stone 
Chapter, No. 301, R.A.M., and Huntingdon Commandery, No. 65, K.T.; of Standing 
Stone Conclave, No. 134, and of the Improved Order of Heptasophs.  Mr. Africa's 
political opinions are Democratic. 
  J. Murray Africa was married at Reading, Pa., June 1, 1893, to Eleanor, 
daughter of Charles B. and Elizabeth McKnight, of that city, both now deceased.  
Mr. and Mrs. Africa have two children: J. Murray, Jr., born May 21, 1895, and 
Charles McKnight, born October 3, 1896. The family attend the Presbyterian 
church.