ALVIN HILL has long
been numbered among the prominent merchants of Bethlehem, having
been active in its upbuilding, and owning a great many houses and
pieces of property in the city. He is engaged in the hide and
tallow business, and owns the site of the old Moravian tannery.
He was born in Brownfield, Me., December 9, 1843, and in that
state his father and grandfather, the latter named Henry Hill,
were born and engaged in farming during their active life. Our
subject's father, Benjamin Hill, died in his native state at the
age of forty-two years. His wife, whose maiden name was Hulda
Parker, also of Maine, was the daughter of Caleb Parker, who
fought in the War of 1812, and to obtain a livelihood followed
contracting and building. Mrs. Hulda Hill died in 1870, and four
of her nine children are now living. One of the sons, Joseph,
enlisted in the late Civil War for three years' service, going to
the front with a Massachusetts regiment.
Alvin Hill passed the
days of his boyhood on his father's farm in Maine, giving him his
assistance when not pursuing his studies in the district schools.
When sixteen years of age he went to Boston, Mass., and from that
time he has been dependent entirely upon his own resources. He
was engaged in clerking until the spring of 1864, when he enlisted
for ninety days' service in the company known as the Old Fusileers,
his duty being mainly in Boston Harbor. He was married in that
city in 1864 to Miss Ruth J. Annis, who was born in Benton, N. H.,
and was reared in Stoneham, Mass. Her father, Pearley Annis,
followed the occupation of a farmer. Mr. Hill retired in Stoneham
until 1874, being occupied in that city in the manufacture of
boots and shoes. In the spring of that year he removed to
Bethlehem, where he engaged in the hide and tallow business. His
brother, Joseph Hill, had formerly purchased a tannery on Monocacy
Creek, and in partnership with our subject ran the same
successfully for three years. The death of Joseph Hill occurred
in 1882, and afterward Alvin continued to run the business alone.
In 1875 he and his brother purchased the old Moravian tannery,
which was probably the first tannery located in Pennsylvania, and
is situated near the center or the borough on the Lehigh &
Lackawanna Railroad. Here they continued in the hide and tallow
business, which is now carried on by Alvin Hill alone.
The resilience of Alvin
Hill is located at the corner of North and Main Streets; and in
addition to this he owns twelve residences in West Bethlehem, all
of which he erected, four residences in Bethlehem proper; a store
building at No. 62 South Main Street, formerly the old Lehigh
Valley National Bank building, which is a brick structure three
stories in height, also other property. He is a stockholder and
Director in the Electric Light Company, a stockholder in the First
National Bank, and was one of the first incorporators and
stockholders of the Cutter Silk Mill. Besides those mentioned he
is a stockholder in the Bethlehem Fair and Driving Park
Association. In 1888 he was elected to serve on the Council from
the Third Ward for three years, and in 1891 was re-elected without
opposition for a further term of three years. During this time he
was chairman of the Street Committee, a number of streets being
then macadamized, and he was also chairman of the Water Committee
and other important committees.
The first wife of our
subject died in Bethlehem in 1889, and of their seven children,
three are living: Edward M., who is engaged in business with his
father, Harry and Joseph. The present Mrs. Hill was formerly
Elizabeth Gangewere, and was born in Catasauqua. They have one
child, Lloyd. The parents are members of the Wesleyan Methodist
Episcopal Church, Mr. Hill being a member of the Board of
trustees, in which capacity he has acted since 1877. Fraternally
he is a member of the Royal Arcanum and Heptasoph. In politics he
uses his influence and ballot in support of the Democratic party.
Kindly submitted by
Bill Schmitz page 138