390 



HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 



tinned until 1890, when the present firm 

 of Charles J\I. Eetts & Co. was formed, 

 consisting of Colonel Betts, his son B. 

 Franklin Betts, and C. Walter Betts, 

 son of his brother, Edward T. Betts. 

 Colonel Betts was a charter member of 

 the Lumbermen's Exchange of Phila- 

 delphia, and its president in 1890. He 

 also served for two years as president of 

 the National Wholesale Lumbermen's 

 Association, and several years as presi- 

 dent of the Philadelphia Wholesale Lum- 

 ber Dealers' Association, and has been a 

 director of the Consolidation National 

 Bank and the Trades League of Phila- 

 delphia. He married in 1866, Louisa G. 

 Hance, daughter of David and Sarah J. 

 (Lancaster) Hance, and their children 

 are: B. Franklin, who married Helen D. 

 Furman; William T., who married Flor- 

 ence B. Shaw; Charles L., married Ella 

 F. Lucas; John H., married Mary F. 

 Smith; and Caroline Lancaster, married 

 Joseph Linden Heacock. All are living 

 except John H., who was killed in an 

 elevator accident in March, 1902. 



WILSON W. BEAN, of Ferndale, 

 Bucks county, Pennsylvania, the largest 

 individual shoe manufacturer in Bucks 

 county, was born at Ferndale, February 

 22, 1853, and is a son of Henry and 

 Sarah (Hager) Bean, both of German 

 descent. Henry Bean, the father, was 

 born in Richland township, Bucks county 

 in 1813, his pioneer ancestors having heen 

 early settlers in Rockhill township. Early 

 in life he learned the trade of a shoe- 

 maker and becama very expert at that 

 trade, being able to. make three pairs of 

 shoes in a day, at a time when they wera 

 entirely handmade. By industry and 

 close attention to business he was able 

 to accumulate a considerable estate. He 

 located at Ferndale and manufactured 

 shoes for the wholesale trade, his pro- 

 duct being marketed mainly among the 

 retail merchants of Bucks county, with 

 whom he maintained a high standing for 

 the excellence of his work and conscien- 

 tious business methods. He died at 

 Ferndale, in 1882. He was twice mar- 

 ried. By hi? first wife, who died in 1856, 

 he had nine children, viz.: Andrew J., a 

 shoe manufacturer of Ottsville. Bucks 

 county; Mary, wife of Aaron Lightcap; 

 Catharine, deceased, who was the wife of 

 Joel Tettemer; Henry H., who was also 

 a shoemaker, now deceased; Emeline, 

 wife of John F. Heller; Wilson W.. the 

 subject of this sketch; John A.; and two 

 who died in infancy. Henry Bean mar- 

 ried (second) Sarah Fretz, by whom he 

 had three children; C. H. Bean, a shoe 

 manufacturer at Ferndale; W. R. Bean, 

 and L-win, who is employed in the shoe 

 inanufacturing establishment of his half- 

 brother, Wilson- W. Bean. Mr. Bean and 

 his family were members of the Lu- 

 theran church. 



WILSON W. BEAN was born and 

 reared at Ferndale, and was educated at 

 the common schools and at Muhlenberg 

 College, Allentown. He learned the 

 shoemaker's trade with his father, and 

 in 1872 established himself in the busi- 

 ness of manufacturing shoes at Ferndale 

 in a small way, and annually increased 

 his output until he became one of the 

 largest manufacturers of shoes in the 

 county. In 1901 he opened a general 

 merchandise store at Ferndale, in con- 

 nection with his manufacturing business, 

 and is also engaged in the timber, and 

 hardwood lumber business. He has been 

 an elder in the Lutheran church for ten 

 years. In politics he is a Democrat, but 

 has never sought or held other than local 

 office, filling the position of school di- 

 rector of Nockamixon township for a 

 number of years. Mr. Bean is owner of 

 a very fine home. He married October 

 21, 1880, Ida A. Rufe, daughter of Josiah 

 and Mary (Wyker) Rufe, of Nocka- 

 mixon, both of German extraction and 

 descendants of early settlers in Nocka- 

 mixon and Tinicum townships, respec- 

 tively, and to this union have been born 

 four children: Bertha, born May i, 1883, 

 now wife of John Frankenfield; Ches- 

 ter, born April 22, 1886; Roy R., born 

 October 27, 1889, and one who died in 

 infancy. 



JOSEPH CARRELL, Jr. For many 

 generations the Carrell family has been 

 identified with agricultural interests in 

 Bucks county, and to the same pursuit Jo- 

 seph Carrell has directed his energies, mak- 

 ing his home in Warrington townshin, 

 where he is proprietor of one of the best 

 country estates in this part of the county. 

 He was born March 25, 1850, in Warminster 

 township, a son of Ezra R.' and Margaret 

 L. Carrell. His early education was ac- 

 quired in the public schools, which he at- 

 tended until thirteen years of age, and he 

 completed his course at the Excelsior In- 

 stitute at Hatboro, of which Rev. Hugh 

 Morrow was professor. At tlie time of his 

 marriage he assumed the management of 

 the farm on which he was born, and which 

 remained his place of residence until the 

 spring of 1884, when he removed to his 

 present home in Warrington township, 

 which he had purchased of Conely Hamp- 

 ton in the previous autumn. In the year 

 1897 he built the house which he occupies, 

 and he had previously erected most of the 

 buildings upon the place. He has always 

 been a farmer and attended the Philadel- 

 phia markets, and his business capacity, 

 keen discrimination and marked enterprise 

 are evidenced in the desirable success which 

 has crowned his efforts. His farm is a 

 splendid property, highly improved and the 

 house is a spacious and modern residence, 

 attractive in its appearance, and comfort- 

 able and luxurious in its furnishings. There 

 are beautiful groves of forest and fruit 



