My Genealogy Hound

JULIUS L. SNYDER was born February 14, 1850, on the Atlantic Ocean. He was the son of Captain Lewis L. and Jane R. Snyder. His father was a sea captain and sailed for many years between New York and Liverpool, being accompanied on all his voyages by his wife until his children were large enough to attend school when they resided in Brooklyn, N. Y., until the year 1865. Captain Snyder then left the sea and with his family removed to West Pithole, Venango county, Pa., where he began operating in the oil business. In 1867 Captain Snyder died, leaving Julius L., the eldest of six children, and the main support of his mother.

Julius began operating for himself at once and was very successful, so much so that at the age of twenty-one he had acquired quite a competency. April 10, 1871, he was married to Jennie, daughter of the late Wm. Gorman, of West Hickory, Pa.

September 4, 1872, his house caught fire from natural gas and burned to the ground, his wife perishing in the flames and Mr. Snyder was burned so badly that his life was despaired of. After recovering from his burns he left Venango county and went to Clarion county, where he met with good success; from there he went to Karns City, Butler county, Pa. April 20, 1874, he was married to Lillie M., daughter of the late Jeoffrey Thornton, of Charlotte Centre, N. Y. The following autumn he lost every dollar he had in the world through the rascality of a business partner. He then went to contracting for other parties and soon accumulated enough to buy a small interest in a well in Butler county, which he sold in 1879 and went to Bradford, McKean county, Pa., and began operating again for himself He met with good success in the Bradford field. In 1881 Mr. Snyder went to Sinclairville, Chautauqua county, N. Y., and purchased a place, where his family have resided more or less ever since. In 1 887 Mr. Snyder left Bradford and went back to Venango county to operate in the same place that he had operated in fifteen years before, and where he is at present operating with very good success.

Mr. Snyder is of German-English descent, and is the father of two sons, George M. and Julius L., Jr. In politics he is a republican, and is a Freemason, as was his father before him.