HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 



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1834, on the homestead farm, and was 

 reared thereon to manhood. He received 

 an ordinary education in the public 

 schools, and the school of Rev. Samuel 

 Aaron, in Norristown, Pennsylvania, 

 known as Tremont Seminary. In early 

 manhood he taught school for several 

 years, working on the homestead farm 

 during vacation season. In August, 

 1858, he removed to Mound City, Linn 

 county, Kansas, and engaged in the mer- 

 cantile business in company with his 

 brother, J. Simpson Atkinson, remaining 

 until December, 1859, when he returned 

 to Wrightstown and engaged in the same 

 business at Penn's Park, where he did a 

 large business until 1871, at which time 

 he sold out and removed to Doylestown, 

 his present residence, and engaged in the 

 real estate business. He first formed a 

 partnership with Andrew J. LaRue. un- 

 der the firm name of A. J. LaRue & Co. 

 After the death of Mr. LaRue in 1873 

 be formed a partnership with Samuel A. 

 Firman, under the firm name of T. O. 

 Atkinson & Co. The latter firm did a very 

 extensive business in their line in Bucks 

 and adjoining counties. In 1886 he quit 

 the real estate business, and with the 

 late Judge Richard Watson and others 

 assisted in organizing the Bucks County 

 Trust Company, and became its first 

 treasurer and secretary, and has held 

 that position until the piesent time. Mr. 

 Atkinson is one of the best known busi- 

 ness men in Bucks county, and has al- 

 ways stood deservedly high in the esti- 

 mation of the people. He has held many 

 positions of trust. Like all of his an- 

 cestors he is a member of the Society of 

 Friends. In politics he is a Republican, 

 but has never held other than local of- 

 fices. He is now serving his third term 

 as president of the town council of the 

 borough of Doylestown. 



He married in March, 1861, Mary B. 

 Heston, daughter of Jacob and Sarah 

 <Smith) Heston, who is also a member 

 of the Society of Friends. Their only 

 child, Edmund Russell, died in early 

 manhood. 



T. HOWARD ATKINSON, one of 



the most prominent farmers and busi- 

 ness men of Buckingham township, 

 Bucks county, was born in that township. 

 May 14, 1848, being the son of Mahlon 

 and Sarah (Smith) Atkinson of that 

 township, both deceased. Thomas At- 

 kinson, grandfather of the subject of 

 this sketch, was born on the old Atkin- 

 son homestead in Wrightstown, 10 mo. 

 '8, 1786. In early life he learned the 

 blacksmith trade, which he followed for 

 many years. He was an expert work- 

 man, and did a large and profitable 

 business. He wrought the iron work for 

 the jail built at Doylestown in 1812. On 

 arriving at manhood he located in Buck- 

 ingham, doing business for several years 



at Pineville, and later at other points 

 in lower Buckingham. He was also a 

 farmer, and became a very large land- 

 owner, and prominent business man. He 

 married 10 mo. 16, 1811, Jane, daughter 

 of Thomas and Eleanor Smith, by whom 

 he had nine children, viz: Mahlon, born 

 1812, died II mo. 6, 1879; Joseph S., 

 born August 19, 1823, died 3 mo. 27, 

 1900; Sarah Jane, born 1825, died 10 mo. 

 9, 1899, who married Benjamin W. 

 Smith; and Mary, Martha, Ogborn, 

 Eleanor, Thomas and Timothy, who died 

 young. Thomas, the father, died in 1864, 

 and his widow Jane in 1867, aged sev- 

 enty-eight years. 



Mahlon Atkinson, eldest son of Thom- 

 as and Jane, was born in Buckingham 

 township and received a good comnion 

 school education. He had a special tal- 

 ent for business, and was one of the most 

 successful business men of his day m 

 Bucks county. On attaining manhood 

 he settled on his father's farm m lower 

 Buckingham, and married Sarah, daugh- 

 ter of Thomas and Anna Hicks Smith. 

 He was one of the pioneer sausage mak- 

 ers and pork butchers in that section, 

 hauling his product to Philadelphia. He 

 was for very many years a director in 

 the Doylestown National Bank, and did 

 the banking business for his whole neigh- 

 borhood. He became a large real es- 

 tate owner, and conducted various busi- 

 ness enterprises. He owned and operat- 

 ed for many years the agricultural ma- 

 chinery works at New Hope. He died 

 at the home of his daughter-in-law, Anna 

 C Atkinson, in Buckingham. 11 mo. 6, 

 1897 His children were: Albert, aied 

 in infancy; Charles S., born March 30, 

 1841 married Matilda R. Magill; Silas 

 C born September 20, 1843, died Octo- 

 ber 1876, married Anna C. Wollaston; 

 T Howard, the subject of this sketch; 

 Anna Jane, born December 24, 1849. died 

 1902, married Charles H. Williams. 



T Howard Atkinson was born on his 

 father's farm in Lower Buckingham, 

 May 14, 1848. He received a good edu- 

 cation, and on arriving at manhood as- 

 sumed charge of the homestead farm, 

 where he lived until April, 1882, when he 

 purchased the Anderson farms, near 

 Buckingham village," his present resi- 

 dence and moved thereon. He is a suc- 

 cessful farmer and business man and 

 holds many positions of trust. He was 

 elected justice of the peace in 1890, and 

 has served continuously in that position 

 since. He was elected a trustee and di- 

 rector of the Hughesian Free School in 

 i88r was a director of the public schools 

 of Buckingham from 1886 to 189^5: has 

 been a directoi^ of the Bucks County 

 Trust Company for many years; and is 

 a director of the Buckingham and 

 Doylestown and the Lahaska and New 

 Hope Turnpike Companies. Political y 

 he is a Republican, but has never held 

 or sought other than local offices. He 



