The Pearces of Clearfield & Surrounding Counties, PA

By
Larry Pearce
12/8/01

I’ve had a suspicion for a number of years that most of the Pearces in West-central Pennsylvania emanated from one or two families somewhere around Clearfield or Jefferson Counties, then radiated like ripples on a pond into surrounding counties: Cambria, Indiana, and Centre, to name a few. Previously, we had told the story of two Pearce families of Portage and Johnstown, Cambria County, near to where I live. [See link below.] I determined that I am probably not directly related to either, though they lived their lives and had a great influence in communities less than 100 miles from our large Pine Creek, Allegheny County, family. More recently, I had the opportunity to explore several items that further convinced me that just a very few Pearce families are responsible for the spread of the surname in Western and Central Pennsylvania and beyond: first, I obtained a copy of the bicentennial booklet produced by Pine Township, Allegheny County, through the generosity of Supervisor McKinney, a descendant of one of her earliest families; and second, I toured the new Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh and reviewed the story of the Clearfield County Pearces as told by the late Helen T. Pearce. It’s a portion of these marvelous experiences I’d like to share with you today as we further delineate the journey of our surname across America.

The Heinz History Center is named after the late Senator John Heinz and is funded partially by the generous ketchup company of the same name under the auspices of the Western Pennsylvania Historical Society. Housed in an old brick ice storage facility, it lies between the glitzy new Pittsburgh Convention Center and the quaint old Lawrenceville strip district. Visible across the Allegheny River are the regions two new stadiums, Heinz Field, the home of the Steelers, and PNC Park, the home of the Pirates. Many questioned the demolition of the old convention center, which was still very useable, and the implosion of Three Rivers Stadium, which was still being paid for. So, the development of the history center near the thriving warehouse, shopping, and restaurant district was the affirmation of the “Old Pittsburgh” the conservationists were looking for. The H.J. Heinz Company, purveyors of fine condiments, celebrated 150 years in business in 2019, and I recently wrote about our families’ connections to that enterprise.

After sampling the ethnic foods of the strip and touring the first five floors of exhibits at the Heinz, my wife and I settled into the open stacks and computers of the sixth floor library and archives until the 5:00 closing. I had learned, for example, in the permanent exhibit on the second floor that Western Pennsylvania was originally part of Virginia and that most of the west-bound river traffic at the time of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase was serviced from the Monongahela Wharf, just around the “point” from Etna and Allegheny City where the Pearces and Austens left the Forbes Road to cross the Allegheny River heading for Pine Creek in 1820. [See our article sharing that age of early 19th century Pittsburgh.] The 1815 Pittsburgh city directory of only 10,000 names contained no Pearces or Austens, but we know from earlier articles here that a number of Pearces, at least, with several different spellings, were to be found outside the city limits at that time. The 1889 History of Allegheny County, PA, on the Heinz open shelf, lists Andrew and James Pearse as early as 1769 and Robert in 1793 all in Forward Township. The two-volume set offers many additional spellings: Parce, Perce, Pears, and Peairs, to name a few. Francis and Amos Pearce were living in Pine Township in 1808 before our family arrived, the home of what was to be Pearce Mill, according to the Pine Township bicentennial booklet of 1996. But, the 1889 history shows an Amos and Eleanor leaving Pine Township for Ohio Township in 1814. Were we related to them? We’ll explore this mystery in a future article. We have posted a story of some Pearces who settled south of Pittsburgh in a community they named “The Jersey Settlement.” Again, any possible relation is a mystery.

Earlier in the day, as we strolled through the Heinz glass exhibit on the fifth floor, we enjoyed excerpts from some of the wonderful letters exchanged between Thomas and Sarah Pears of 1820-22. Thomas was a salesman for the Blakewell and Page Glass Company, founded in Pittsburgh in 1808 and considered to be one of the oldest in America. He led a hard and lonely life as his travels took him all along the Ohio River. We wonder if the Pears might have been related to us. Earlier articles have indicated that our names have the same origin, “son of Peter.”

Fascinating stories from the late Anne Newport Royall (1769-1854), an author of travel books, are available at the push of a button over the giant Pennsylvania map in the permanent exhibit on the second floor. She traveled the National Road from Baltimore to Pittsburgh in 1828. And, as we said in an earlier article, British author Charles Dickens wrote of his experience traveling the Mainline Canal and Portage Railroad in 1842. His journal entries are also available at the map. I didn’t know that passenger boats were transferred from the Allegheny River to a giant aqueduct that carried them away from the river and into Allegheny City, now the North Side, where they could disembark. That giant structure must have been some sight. It was torn down in the 1850s when railroads replaced the canal system in Pennsylvania [See earlier article on Portage, PA, linked below].

The most remarkable story of the day to me, however, was retrieved from the closed stacks of the sixth floor. As early as 1950, Helen Thomas Pearce of Clearfield wrote about her lineage in a genealogy entitled The Pearce, Klar, Schmehl, Swan, & Smithy Families. A 1968 refinement is simply called The Absolom Pearce Family: Clearfield County, PA, and can be found in the Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society collection at the Carnegie Library. In that time before computers and electronic databases, Helen depended upon first-hand interviews and family records. She didn’t know who Absolom’s father was, but she believed that he came from Northern Ireland in 1770. Like our Great-great grandfather Richard and 3Xgreat Uncle Charles, whose father Ambrose had probably stopped in Western Pennsylvania before settling in Ohio, Absolom’s family came from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. Of course, we wonder if our families are related despite the different origination points. Did this early Pearce contact other family members from other parts of the UK? All that is certain is that sometime between 1790 and 1795 this Pearce and his wife both died in a small pox epidemic in Pittsburgh, leaving seven children, including a teenage son, Absolom Abraham (1777-1860). Several things are remarkable to me: how his lifespan was so close to that of our Richard’s (1782/5-1861), and how seven children could have survived a disease so dreadful that it claimed both parents, one that we still fear today as an agent of terror.

The customary practice of that time, according to Helen, was that the children were “bound out” to various families. Pittsburgh was apparently too new (1758) and too small to have an orphanage, and perhaps seven children was just too many for the immigrant families of Pittsburgh. Records show that John Flegal, of Philipsburg, Clearfield County, legally adopted the 18-year old Absolom in 1795. Absolom became a blacksmith and married Elizabeth Kyler (1778- ) just five years later. Their ten children included:
John (1891-45) married Margaret _____,
Catherine (1804 died in infancy),
Francis (1805-66) married Hannah Livergood,
Elizabeth (1807- ) married John Stites,
Conrad (1808 died in infancy),
Jacob (1810-82) married Catherine Schmehl,
Sarah (1812-33) married George Barger,
Abram (1814-92) married Agnes Leonard,
Absolom Jr. (1818-87) married Mary Smeal,
Polly (1819-48) married William Murray, and
Catherine (1822- ) named for her older deceased sister.

Absolom and Elizabeth first lived in Pleasant Hill near Philipsburg, but about 1814 they built a permanent house in an area known as Bigler and Woodland. In 1836 they purchased 201 acres for $807, and later 100 more adjoining, to literally carve a large farm out of the Central Pennsylvania wilderness that was eventually to be called Bradford Township. Absolom was elected township assessor and justice of the peace. Many of his children lived in the town of Bigler, and all were Presbyterians. Helen Pearce’s half-century old account is today available digitally at Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org (Click on the link above).

Obviously, Absolom’s descendants are many, but several are especially noteworthy. His grandson Russell Pearce moved across the valley to State College and was known for his position as superintendent of the large post office there from the early 1920s until the end of World War II. That facility still serves the Pennsylvania State University. Another grandson, Eugene M. Pearce, became a partner in the Pe-Ro Ice Cream Company of State College. His son Richard and several cousins operated and managed the company, which eventually became Pearce Dairy. I recall the trucks, milk cartons, and large outdoor billboards that all proclaimed the Pearce name when my brother Paul attended Penn State in the early 60s and later when I completed graduate work there in the 70s. We didn’t know then if we were related, but we were proud to say that our milk was “Quality Checked.” The large Pearce Dairy operation was sold and closed sometime in the 70s. A recent telephone conversation with old friend George Lauck, former postmaster of Pine Grove Mills just outside of State College, confirmed all of this. George remembers how one of the milk truck drivers would stop at their family garage and pickup his brother to help the Pearces as they hauled milk from the many prosperous Happy Valley farms to the plant. Recent internet research shows a Pearce Milk Company opening in 2010 and running a successful business since. We assume these are descendants of original State College Pearce family.

We now believe that one or both of the Pearce families of Portage and Johnstown, Cambria County, and most of the others from Indiana and Jefferson Counties, either are descendants of Absolom, the orphan from Pittsburgh, or settled in Clearfield to be near families with the same surname. I telephoned two businesses in Central and West-central Pennsylvania that have Pearces associated with them. Bob Showers Windows and Sunrooms in Philipsburg and Pearce’s Pet Place just south of Indiana, PA. While I didn’t hear from the first, the pet store is owned and managed by Mike Pearce and family. He put me in touch with his father William, who was originally from Burnside, not far from groundhog-famous Punxsutawney, Jefferson County. He’s also doing some checking on his ancestry.

Gradually, the Pearces of Pennsylvania are being sorted into categories according to their immigrant ancestors. This is an ongoing endeavor and new information is constantly being discovered. We hope that you will join in the quest. Meanwhile, if you’re in Pittsburgh, plan to visit the Heinz History Center. Take along a camera, a notebook, and a pencil – pens are considered dangerous and are forbidden in the library and archives. And while you’re that close, only 12 miles, you may as well visit North Park and the remnants of the Pine Creek Settlement. For that matter, write to me and I’ll go with you.

Last revised 1/27/20

34 Responses to The Pearces of Clearfield & Surrounding Counties, PA

  1. admin says:

    Hello Larry,
    An article you wrote in 2001 was emailed to me and I was reading about Pearce Dairy. Eugene M Pearce was my grandfather. He had two sons, Gene (Sonny) and Richard (Dick) thePearce Milk company was a third generation business as was told to me when I was young.My great grandfather started the company. I used to ride in the milk trucks when i was a kid and help deliver the bottled milk…those were the days. PeRo ice cream was started after the dairy. Pe Ro stood for Pearce and Rosbury. Stan was my grandfathers partner. My dad and uncle worked at the dairy, until my family left State College and went to the Pittsburg area. My uncle stayed and took over when my grandfather became ill. My grandparents lived on Jackson Circle and Joe Paw lived right behind them. Richard had 3 children and Gene had four. None are living in the State College area. Would love to communicate more. Thanks
    Best Regards
    Dorrie Pearce Taber

    • admin says:

      Dorrie,
      Thanks for the enlightening information. I’m sure our readers appreciate hearing from actual Pearce descendants. Please stay in touch.
      Larry

  2. Betsy J Pearce Bracken says:

    Hi
    My father was named after his great uncle Russell. His father had several siblings. They are from Burnside PA Clearfield County. His grandparents were John Miles (born in 1884 to Clark Pearce) & Ruth Emma. Never heard any of the stories about the milk business but I will ask. The gentleman in the Bob Showers commercial is a cousin of my fathers. His father was my grandfathers brother. His name was Benjamin. They also had a brother Russell, Cecil, sister Margaret. not sure of the rest.

    • admin says:

      Hi Betsy,
      Thank you for your names and locations. Beyond Allegheny and Cambria Counties, I’m only familiar with Pearces in Indiana and State College as those are the places where I went to college. Have you read Helen Pearce’s wonderful work on the Clearfield County Pearces who originated from a single orphan from Pittsburgh many years ago? I saw it at the Heinz History Center but you might check your local library. Thanks for writing,
      Larry

    • Ernie says:

      I’m researching the families from my Pap’s hometown of Burnside, PA in hopes of putting together a local history book. I also have an autograph book my pap kept as a kid which contains all of the WWII soldiers from Burnside. I am trying to find out more about the men who signed it. There are several Pearces who left my pap handwritten notes and signed his book: RL Pearce, CE Pearce, Dick Pearce, CG Pearce & a “Mr.” Pearce.

      • admin says:

        Ernie, you don’t say where you live. I’m several hours away from Burnside, in Somerset County, and my knowledge of your family up there is certainly limited and dated. My best advice, if you don’t live in or around Burnside, is to Google “Pearce Burnside PA.” I did and I see all sorts of Pearces there, all available through social media services like FaceBook and MyLife. When I have phone numbers, I always call one or two and can get lots of information. The other suggestion is to contact a post office or funeral home, such as the one in Northern Cambria (Barnesboro) that handled Christopher Pearce’s recent funeral. Hope that helps. Your Pearce family, like mine, has certainly spread out in the past hundred years. Let me know what you find and how I can get a copy of your book.
        Larry

      • sue says:

        Larry, the Pearces you mention sound an awful lot like my uncles Richard, Cecil E., and Russell Pearce. All were WW2 veterans…C.G. sounds like distant cousin, Cort Pearce.
        Sue

      • Georgene Anderson says:

        I found this site when I decided to see if I could find where the Pearce settlement was located. My grandmother was lofty blanch Wright. There was a Native American who was the wife of a Pearce who was moved to the Pearce settlement in Clearfield county in Pennsylvania. Her name was Elizabeth Sports. My grandmother’s mother was a Pearce. She had several Sib!ings who lived in the area of Burnside and other small towns in that area and we we wrights. My great aunt Bertha Wright married her cousin John Pearce. I worked with a Sam Pearce who I think lived around Cherry Tree, Pa. Sam talked of some of the same people I had heard my grandmother. I have photos of the Pearce/Wright family I am related to on my computer.

        • admin says:

          Hi Georgene,
          Thanks for the great information. Hope you get some responses from our readers. Could you send me anything pertaining to the history I have in this article, especially pictures? Regards,
          Larry

    • Belinda Pierce (Pearce) Schmidt says:

      Betsy, my grandfather was Benjamin Franklin Pearce 1892-1960, married to Mary Elizabeth Gillen. His grandfather/mother was Miles Clark Pearce/Mahala Catherine Wright, who is the father and mother of John Miles Pearce and my grandfather, Benjamin. I would like to communicate with you if at all possible.

  3. Robert Melvin Pearce says:

    I am interested in any information on my father, Melvin George Pearce. He was born in 1921 in Clearfield Penn.. His father is identified as George Pearce.

    My father in buried in Fort Logan Cemetery Denver Colorado.

    Any information would be appreciated.

    Thank You

    • admin says:

      Dear Robert,
      You’re the second inquiry this week from Clearfield. I’m posting this in hopes of getting you some answers. I would start with the US Census and Pearce family forums at Ancestry.com and Genealogy.com. Have you talked to the oldest members of your family? Please Google your names and location: “Melvin George Pearce Clearfield PA.” Good luck and let me know what you come up with.
      Larry

  4. Betsy j Pearce Bracken says:

    Who was your pap? I was born, raised, and currently still live in Burnside, PA. Dick Pearce is the father to Christopher. The CE or CG Pearce could be my grandfather’s brothers. His name was John. There are numerous Pearces. Yes, they all are related in this town. We have numerous relatives in the Indiana, Jefferson, and Cambria Counties. I do need to read this article more closely. My great great uncle Russell is actually recognized on an honor roll bulletin board in Burnside for his service during the war.

    • admin says:

      Hi Betsy,
      Although the Indiana, Jefferson, and Cambria County Pearces began with Absolom of Pittsburgh, whose parents died and he was adopted out, according to Helen Pearce, my Pearces stayed in Allegheny and Butler Counties. I don’t know of any relation, but there could have been. Thanks for reading my article. Perhaps with your inquiry, someone else will be able to add to our information.
      Larry

  5. Michael - Rochester, NY says:

    Cora Pearce of State College, PA was my great-grandmother (1877-1976). I believe her husband was Diemer T. Pearce who died before my birth. They resided at 328 S. Allen St. in State College and ran the dairy store located behind their home (I believe 107 W Nittnany St.). Both buildings remain standing today as commercial use properties. My father (now 81 years of age) has good knowledge of the family structure for the Pearce family from State Collge, PA.

    • admin says:

      Hi Michael,
      Great information! Thanks for sharing. Most of the information on the State College Pearces I got from a friend, the late George Lauch, Postmaster of Pine Grove Mills, where I lived while completing my Masters at Penn State. I remember as a kid seeing the milk carton with the words “Pearce Dairy” prominently displayed on the side while visiting my brother in State College. He was a 1962 graduate of PSU. Perhaps I can interview your father the next time I’m over that way.
      Larry

  6. Rachel Pearce Higgins says:

    Hi Larry

    I have been looking for my sister. Her father is Robert and her grandmother is Eliza. The only name I have for my sister is Marie. She should be in her 80’s

    • admin says:

      Hi Rachel,
      I have forwarded your inquiry to several Pearce relatives who might be able to help. I believe there was a Higgins who worked at the old Pearce Mill. I’ll write again when/if I hear from family. Best wishes,
      Larry

  7. Dana Pearce Brown says:

    My name is Dana, and my grandfather was Don Pearce. He had a sister Dorothy whose father’s name was Russell Pearce. My great-grandfather was from PA and came to Ohio. I don’t know a lot but wondered if this is a relation.

    • admin says:

      Hi Dana,
      I know whose family you belong to. It’s my Pittsburgh Pearces rather than the Central PA family. Yes, we’re related. The copy below is the original family narrative with references to descendants, including Russell. I have a picture of the store in McKay, and I’ve been there. Look for the paragraph beginning with Albert on P.2 and then more on P.6:
      https://e-gen.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/OFN.pdf
      Our common ancestor is my Great-grandfather Charles. He died in 1914. See Our Pearce Family Tree for all the details. You can easily make your own by deleting my people and adding yours. Please share this with others and let me know what’s been happening in Ohio. Thanks for your interest,
      Cousin Larry

  8. joe says:

    My great grandfather was Winfield Pearce. His family lived in Berwinsdale, PA, and he died in 1981. He was a WW I veteran, and we think his family was from Western PA. Also, his family was Irish. Any extra information will be appreciated.
    Joe

  9. joe says:

    He was born in the 1890’s in Jordan Township, near Berwinsdale, to Abraham F and Emma Pearce. This information is from the 1900 Census.

  10. admin says:

    Hi, my name is Jan. I found this site on my computer and it talks a lot about my family. Aunt Bertha, or Bess, as we called her, is my grandfather’s sister. My grandfather is Claude Wright, married to Vella. Aunt Bess has 3 daughters, Flora, who was killed in a fire, Hope who was married to a Bernie Sanders and then there was Dorthy. She also had a son Roy. Aunt Bess was always talking about the Indians and she gave my daughter her Indian name when she was born. She was also a great hunter and lived on a farm and rode horses all the time. Her and Uncle John took kids in from the system. We were all from Burnside. Aunt Bess was in a personal care home in Punxsutawney, Pa. in her later years. I am a nurse and worked at that home when she was there. I have a tape, I had interviewed her so she told me stories about my dad and her years growing up. Her brothers were Sharp Wright, Roy Wright, and she had a sister Ella. Aunt Bess and Uncle John were a part of my family and we were close and lived near. She was a great Christian woman. She also had a sister Blanche, very stout and not much fun, lol. but she had her hair drawn back in a bun and an apron and ran a tight ship. There are so many stories and memories of all those years. Aunt Bess and my grandmother, Vella, were very close and lived side by side in Burnside. Ella lived across town and wrote for the paper, “Barnesboro Star”. If you visited anyone or went shopping, it was in the paper the next week. Everything was news back then. I hope this information helps you piece together some family ties. My dad was Eugene Wright, he passed 14 yrs. ago. My mom is 92 and still lives alone and healthy. She could tell you some stories. I hope you find some of this information helpful.

    • Melissa Fisher says:

      Ella was my great-great grandmother! I would love to know more about this part of my family. My grandmother, Alta Patricia, was Ella’s son’s granddaughter. She only had one brother, Dick, and never talked much about her family. I heard stories passed down about a Native American called Spotted Fawn but never really knew much else. I’ve been researching my genealogy and when I hit the William Wright/ Sarah Elizabeth Spotts connection I hit a wall. I see above someone else mentioned that Sarah Spotts was Native American, so maybe that’s why there are no further records?

      • admin says:

        Hi Melissa,
        I’m having trouble locating your reference, but I think it’s from “The Pearces of Clearfield County”:
        https://e-gen.info/?page_id=997
        I have to apologize for the delay in responding, but I’ve been away from researching and writing for various reasons. Please feel free to send those stories about Spotted Fawn and perhaps we can use them. My story goes back over 20 years but it’s some good information! Regards, Larry

  11. Hello, my name is Benjamin Pearce. My father is the Matthew Pearce of Bob Showers Windows. I’m 27 and married and have one son age 3. My Grandfather is Jack Pearce, son of Benjamin Pearce, who’s brother was Cecil A. Pearce and father was John Miles Pearce.

    • admin says:

      Hello Benjamin. What a pleasure to meet you. I wrote my article years ago, back when Bob Showers still advertised on Johnstown-Altoona TV. My son is named Matthew, and he’s going to be 46. As I said in the essay, having attended Penn State, I was used to seeing the “Pearce Dairy” logos daily in State College, and I believe the postmaster was a relative too. Please let me know if I have everything correct and up to date in the article, and I’ll let your letter here suffice to inform our readers. Thanks again,
      Larry Pearce

  12. Jodie Stites-Huff says:

    Good Morning, I found this information through Google. I am related through John Stites (1803) married to Elizabeth Pearce (1807). They left Clearfield PA in 1850, moving to Stephenson County, IL. Their daughter Polly had a son, prior to her Marriage to John Burnwood. Clarence Stites was my gggrandfather. They settled in Ventura, Cerro Gordo county Iowa.

    • admin says:

      Jodie, I have researched and written about the Pearces of Cleaarfield, Centre, Jefferson, and Cambria counties, PA, none of whom are directly related to me since they first came to Pittsburgh. Thank you for this new information. Larry

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