Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens
Lawrence County Pennsylvania 1897
[p. 82] an engineer on the Pennsylvania Co.'s lines, living at Mahoningtown, was born in Jamestown, Pa., Oct. 26, 1860, and is a son of C. L. and Maria (Housel) Truesdale; the former was born in Brookfield, Ohio, March 5, 1833, and the latter in Edinborough, Erie Co., Pa., May 27, 1839. During his residence in Jamestown, the father of our subject ran a planing-mill seven years as an operative, and five years as the owner. He now resides in Sharpsville, following the pattern-maker's trade. Religiously he is a member of the Baptist Church. He is a Prohibitionist in his political affiliations, and his opinions on various phases of the liquor question are clear-cut and decided; he has served eight years as school director, and has likewise filled acceptably the office of tax collector. He is a member of the Royal Templars of Temperance.
Our subject's parents lived in Jamestown until he was four years of age, when they moved to Conneautville, where they made their home seven years, returning then to Jamestown. Frank N. attended the schools of the two towns at odd intervals until his eighteenth year, for from an early age he supported himself, and was unable to devote what time he might have wished to the acquiring of an education. As early as fourteen years of age, he worked out for his board and schooling for a farmer, who lived near Jamestown, with whom he remained two years. For a like period he worked in a hotel, attending school during the sessions. Beween the ages of eighteen and twenty he was in the employ of his father in the planing-mill at Jamestown, and in 1881 he went to Ashtabula Harbor, where for a year he was employed in the planing mill. He then acepted[sic] a position on the Pennsylvania, R. R., and has been in the employ of that railroad ever since. Even before this he had seen something of railroad life, for during his twelfth and thirteenth years he was a newsboy on the trains. In 1882, he secured a position as fireman on the P. Y. & A. R. R., a branch of the Pennsylvania Co.'s lines, and on Oct. 28, 1887, he was promoted to the post of engineer, making his first run two days later.
This elevation in rank came quite unexpectedly, for on the day previous to his promotion the engine which Mr. Truesdale was firing was in a head-end collision, and was completely wrecked; his cool-headed conduct through this occurrence was highly commended by his engineer to the superior officers of the road, that on the following morning he was called up, not having the slightest idea of what was coming, and was informed that he should consider himself as one of the company's trusted engineers thereafter. By his long years of faithful service he has shown himself worthy of the confidence reposed in him, and is now considered one of the best engineers on the road. His record, which in its way is quite unequalled, shows that he has not failed to draw his wages on pay-day since he became an engineer, or in fact since 1882, and has suffered but one suspension. He is a prominent member of Brotherhood circles, and most loyal in his devotion to the cause of united labor; he is a member of the B. of L. E., W. L. Scott Division, No. 298 of Erie, of which division he is the local collector; he organized the Mahoning Lodge of the B. of L. F. in 1890, and is one of the charter members.
Mr. Truesdale has twice been joined in matrimony. His first wife, Mary Leonard, a native of Turner's, Pa., whom he married in Jamestown, died Nov. 30, 1884. Of the two, children, who were the fruit of this union, Bessie, the elder died in infancy, and Harry William makes his home with his grandparents in Sharpsville. Mr. Truesdale's second marriage took place at Jefferson, Ashtabula Co., Ohio, Sept. 16, 1886, the bride being Miss Jennie Fox, who was born in Sheffield, Ohio, a daughter of Henry and Fanny (Meisner) Fox. Mr. Fox is a successful merchant of Ashtabula, though formerly of Sheffield. To Mr. Truesdale and his wife two children have been given: Clyde, and Edna. Mrs. Truesdale is a member of the Methodist Church, and regular in her attendance upon divine worship. Mr. Truesdale, although he has not the time to take a very active interest in politics, whether local or national, is a loyal Republican, and at every legitimate opportunity does what he can to advance Republican principles.
Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens Lawrence County Pennsylvania
Biographical Publishing Company, Buffalo, N.Y., 1897
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Updated: 23 Apr 2001