BIO: George W. MACKALL, Beaver County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Banja & Joe Patterson Copyright 2005. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/beaver.html http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/beaver/bios/bbios.htm Index for this bio book. _________________________________________________________________ BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES. This Volume Contains Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Buffalo, N.Y., Chicago, Ill.: Biographical Publishing Company, 1899, pp. 217-218. _________________________________________________________________ BEAVER COUNTY 217 GEORGE W. MACKALL, who has acted in the capacity of prothonotary of Beaver county, Pa., for many years, is an active citizen of the borough of Beaver. He is interested in various enterprises in the town, including the well-known Beaver Signal Manufacturing Company, and other concerns of equal note. He is of sturdy Scotch-Irish extraction, and was born in Green township, Beaver county, July 12, 1842, - his parents being James and Mary (Foster) Mackall. George W. Mackall's grandfather was Benjamin Mackall, a native of northern Ireland, who, at the age of twenty-one years, was commissioned a captain in the Colonial Army, and served throughout the major part of the War of Independence. He came to Georgetown, Beaver county, in 1802, and was there engaged in farming; his wife was Miss Rebecca Dawson, by whom he reared a family of six children, as follows: Jane; James; Thomas; Nellie; John D.; and Samuel. James Mackall was born at Point-of-Rocks, Md., January 16, 1788. In 1817, he bought two hundred and forty-four acres of land and began agricultural pursuits; he made all the present improvements upon this land, and was recognized as an enterprising and progressive farmer. He was a Whig and a Republican in politics, and served as county commissioner. Religiously, he was a member of the Episcopal church. In 1815, he married Mary Foster, a daughter of Thomas Foster; she was born November 7, 1797, and died November 22, 1860, her husband dying August 20, 1874. Their union was blessed by the following children: Thomas; Rebecca; Benjamin; Phoebe; Jane; John D.; Mary; Samuel; James; Sarah Ellen; and George Washington. Rebecca married Jesse Kinsey; Benjamin wedded Mary Dolby; Phoebe was the wife of Milton Calhoun; Jane was joined in wedlock with James Mackall; John D. married Harriet A. Cornell; Samuel, a farmer of Green township, Beaver county, married first Sarah Harvey and had three children, - she died and he married Jennie Dawson; James, of Georgetown, Pa., married Sidney A. Miller; Sarah Ellen wedded Harrison Dawson; and George Washington is the subject hereof. He has but two brothers living, - James and Samuel. George W. Mackall attended the public schools, and at fourteen years of age became a clerk in a store at Hookstown, Beaver county, for John Sterling; he later accepted a like position with Joseph Hall, and then with M. L. Christler. Like many other boys of his day, he was fond of river life, and accepted a position as cabin boy on one of the boats that plied up and down the Ohio River; after several years of this life, he became a second-mate, but becoming tired of that life, he engaged in boating coal down the river, for a period of six years; he then became a contractor for oil drilling in Ohio township and vicinity, after which he conducted a store at Glasgow, Pa., and also served as justice of the peace of that village for five years. In 1887, he went to New Brighton, Pa., and became connected with the publication of the Tribune. In August, 1892, he was elected to the office of 218 BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES prothonotary of Beaver county, which made it necessary for him to come to Beaver, where he has since resided. Mr. Mackall discharged the official duties of that position in such a thorough manner that he was re-elected. Since the closing of his term, he has been living in retirement. He is a stockholder in the Beaver Signal Manufacturing Company; he resides in a fine house, situated at the end of Fourth street. The subject of this sketch participated in the War of the Rebellion, having enlisted, in 1863, in Company H, 56th Reg., Pa. Vol. Inf.; at the expiration of his term he became a member of Company H, 5th Reg., Heavy Artillery; at the close of the war, he had been promoted to be a sergeant. Mr. Mackall was wedded to Miss Mary Jane Calhoun, who was born in 1845, - a daughter of James and Eliza (Gamble) Calhoun. Her father was a ship carpenter, and was born in Allegheny county, Pa., but spent most of his life in Beaver county, building boats. He was the father of the following children: Seraphina S., the wife of D. S. Hamilton; Nancy Ann, deceased; Ellen, first wedded to J. McKee, and later to D. A. Jolly; Lucinda, the wife of Abner Martin; Priscilla, wedded to John Laughlin; Peggie Ann, deceased; Isabella, deceased, and Elizabeth, twins, - the latter wedded to John Strain; William G., deceased; Mary Jane, the wife of the subject hereof; and Arvilla, the wife of S. L. Dawson. Mr. and Mrs. Mackall are the parents of three children: Howard C.; Mary Eliza; and George Raymond. Howard C. served as deputy prothonotary for his father, and was married to Roberta Waterson; one child, Mary Addie, has been born to them. Mary Eliza is the wife of 'Wilbert W. Knowles, clerk for the P. & L. E. R. R., and has a son, Duane M. George Raymond is attending Beaver College. Mr. Mackall is a member of the E. M. Stanton Post, G. A. R., No. 208, of New Brighton; of the Sr. O. U. A. M., No. 301; and of the Elks, of Rochester, No. 283. Religiously, Mr. Mackall and family are members of the Methodist church. Mr. Mackall's portrait is shown on the opposite page.