Humphrey Avery

Humphrey Avery, fourth son of Col. Miles and Elizabeth (Smith) Avery, was born July 4, '25, in Wyoming county, Pa.; received his primary education there and completed his studies at Madison Academy, Abingclon Centre, Luzerne county, Pa. After his father's failure in '43, Mr. Avery was thrown upon his own resources. At this time he was afflicted with the old-fashioned ague, which kept his purse down at low water-mark. He followed the fortunes of the North Branch Canal—running through Wilkesbarre and Pittston for several months, at the same time that the late president Garfield is said to have worked on it. Subsequently he was employed in Boukley & Prices' coal mine, and about this time received, by some accident, the first $100 he ever called his own. He was boarding at Pittston, and found on the street a purse containing over $5,000 in cash and notes. Searching for the owner, he found him in the person of George F. Knapp, of Carbondale, who pressed the $100 on the delighted young Avery. Mr. Knapp's mother proved to be an old friend of Col. Miles Avery, and insisted on a promise from the young man that he would invest the money in lands on which to make a home for himself. This promise was made and carried out. Mr. Avery purchased at sheriff's sale one hundred acres in his own county for ninety-one dollars, which he sold at a profit, and that $100 and the profits arising from its original investment, are in the pleasant home and farm which he owns today in Stark county. On April 27, '54, Mr. Avery arrived at Toulon with $530 in gold. For the first year he made his home with his brother, Samuel G. Avery, who had come hither five years prior to '54. In the fall of '54 he purchased forty acres of land in Osceola township, and in '56 he bought the east one-half of the northeast quarter of section seven, in Penn township. On August 8, '58, he married Miss Emma J., daughter of Chauncey W. and Eliza E. (Wheeler) Davison, both of whom are noticed in other pages. After this marriage Mr. Avery commenced the improvement of his farm in Penn township, engaging in agriculture and stock-growing, was elected constable the same year, which office he held for two years, when he resigned and went westward, in company with thirty men and thirteen teams, to the Rocky Mountains for his health. At Denver the company dispersed, Mr. Avery and a few others going to California Gulch, on the present site of Leadville, where they passed six months. On returning to Stark county he resumed farming, in '68 purchased 115 acres in section one, Toulon township, which is said to be underlaid by a vein of fine coal four and a half feet in depth. In '80 he sunk a double shaft to this vein, which is fifty-two feet below the surface, and introduced machinery of a capacity of 1,000 bushels per day. In '70 he purchased a store-building and lot at Castleton, and in '76 a lot adjoining. The former he rented out until '78, when he established his mercantile house there. This he carried on for three years in connection with his farm. During this time he served as justice of the peace. In '82 he sold his business interests at Castleton to Ackley & Loper, and has since devoted his attention to agriculture and coal-mining. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Avery are named as follows: Clinton, born December 5, '59 ; Etta May, May 7, '62; Sherman, May 25, '64, died May 6, '65; Milo, April 30, '68; Viola Virginia, July 9, '72; Lorance, December 21, '74, and Myron, August 7, '79, died September 9, '80. The eldest daughter, Etta May, married Daniel Bolt, of Castleton, January 5, '83, and is now a resident of Wyoming, Ill.