My Genealogy Hound

BENJAMIN B. COURSIN, McKeesport, was born in East Elizabeth, Allegheny county, Pa., Feb. 22, 1837, a son of Benjamin and Christian (Rhodes) Coursin. His paternal grandparents were Peter and Hannah (Wynn) Coursin. The former was a native of New Jersey, and with his parents came to this county shortly after the Revolution. Benjamin B. removed with his parents to Reynoldton, opposite McKeesport, in 1849. He received a common-school education and spent two terms at Waynesburg College. After leaving college he served two years’ apprenticeship at the printing trade, and for four years thereafter followed the occupation of a steamboat engineer on western rivers. He then embarked in the coal business, and was the proprietor of and operated the Alliquippa mines for five years. In 1864 he located in McKeesport, after disposing of his coal interests, and for the succeeding seven years was engaged in buying and improving property within the borough and building dwelling-houses. For several years he was proprietor of a steam job-printing office, the best appointed job-printing office ever in McKeesport, furnishing all the job work for Allegheny county for three years in addition to the local work for the borough. He was the founder of the McKeesport Times, which for a time he successfully conducted. In 1875 he was appointed one of the commissioners on the enlargement of McKeesport borough, to establish lines and procure a charter from the legislature for and to extend the borough limits to the present boundaries. He was a charter member and procured the charter at Harrisburg for the P. V. & C. R. R. Co., and has always taken an active part in everything tending to promote the growth and development of McKeesport. In 1886 he formed the McKeesport &Youghiogheny Ice company, of which he was manager the first year. In the fall of 1887 he erected the Crystal Ice-house, with a capacity of 4,500 tons, which he is at present managing. He has erected over one hundred dwelling-houses and three business blocks in McKeesport.

June 1, 1859, Mr. Coursin married Sarah P., daughter of John and Sarah (Lewis) Haney, of McKeesport, and by her has seven children living: Virginia M., Benjamin, Edward S., Charles E., Blanche, Clyde C. and Nellie. Mr. Coursin deserves much credit for his assistance in securing the borough water works as a borough investment at a time when a private company had secured a charter and was attempting to supersede the borough in owning and erecting the water works. He has served two terms as council man of the borough, and two terms as burgess. He is a Royal Arch Mason, a member of the I. O. O. F., K. of H. and Heptasophs. In politics he is a republican.