Joseph E. Newcomer

JOSEPH E. NEWCOMER. The grandfather of Joseph E. Newcomer, of Monessen, was Christian Newcomer, a farmer, who went from Maryland to Fayette county, Pennsylvania, and settled in Tyrone township. His son, David M. Newcomer, spent his life in Fayette county, engaged in agricultural pursuits. He was a member of the Christian church. David M. Newcomer married Mary E. Walter, and they were the parents of three sons: William W., president of the Newcomer School of Expression of Lima College, of Lima, Ohio; Lawrence O., pastor of the Christian church at Eaton, Indiana: and Joseph E., mentioned hereafter. Mr. Newcomer died August 8, 1903, and his widow resides with her son Joseph E. At the time of his death Mr. New-coiner was sixty-five years old.

Joseph E. Newcomer, son of David M. and Mary E. (Walter) Newcomer, was born August 8, 1876, on the homestead, near Dawson. Fayette county. where he received his primary education in the public schools, afterward attending Redstone Academy, Uniontown, and Mount -union College. Ohio. Later he entered the classical department of the Ohio Northern University. whence he graduated, in 1897. He then engaged for two years in teaching, and in 1898 took a business course. He was five years in the school at Ada, taking a thorough course in military tactics, and leaving with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, the highest honor which it is in the power of the school to confer. The first school of which he had charge was his home country school in Fayette county and he was for several years vice-principal of the New Haven public schools. In the autumn of 1898 he took up his abode in Monessen as principal of the schools of that place, a position which he filled for three years, resigning at the end of that time in order to engage in the real estate business. He formed a partnership with Jesse S. Cook, under the firm name of -Newcomer & Cook, real estate agents, and on August 1, 1903, sold out to Luce & Sutman. April 1, 1904, he entered into partnership with Eli H. Wolf, under the firm name of Newcomer & Wolf, successors to Mitchell & Myers who had established the business some two years previously. The present firm carries on a general land agency, limited to Monessen. They have erected several residence properties. during the last year, and expect to construct in 1905 at least half a dozen. Aside from this, Mr. Newcomer has erected personally some seven properties. The firm also handles all kinds of insurance, including fire, life and accident. They have the exclusive management of the business of the Monessen Improvement Company, which is of considerable scope and embraces a large amount of property, and are also special agents for the Essen plan of lots. They do no little business in placing loans on mortgages, and Mr. Newcomer being a notary public, are prepared to execute all legal papers. He is a director in the People's National Bank of Monessen, and was appointed executor of his father's estate, which is of considerable magnitude, lying chiefly in Fayette county. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity, and is an elder in the Disciple church of Monessen, also serving as superintendent of the Sunday school. Mr. Newcomer married, September 10, 1902, Esther N., daughter of John A. and Martha Hunter, the former an attorney at Fort Recovery, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Newcomer have had one child, Clyde H., who died at the age of three months.  

Source: Page(s) 240-241, History of Westmoreland County, Volume II, Pennsylvania by John N Boucher. New York, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1906.
Transcribed August 2008 by Nathan Zipfel for the Westmoreland County History Project
Contributed for use by the Westmoreland County Genealogy Project (http://www.pa-roots.com/westmoreland/)

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