My Genealogy Hound

GEORGE W. HILTON, who is engaged in a confectionery business at No. 35 West Main street, Carlisle, belongs to one of the leading families of the city. He is a son of George W. and Emeline (Gibbs) Hilton, the former of whom was born in 1818, at Hull, England, and was brought to Manchester, Maine, by his parents, George W. and Mercy (Fuller) Hilton, the latter a cousin of Chief Justice Fuller. Grandfather Hilton was a native of the Isle of Wight and there followed the vocation of ship blacksmith until he emigrated to America with his family, settling on a Maine farm in the vicinity of Manchester. There he remained, dying at the age of ninety-nine years, his widow passing the century mark. Both were members of the Episcopal Church. They were people of education, and gave their thirteen children all advantages possible, and all were taught some self-supporting trade and encouraged to spend their evenings in study.

George W. Hilton (2), son of George, and the father of our subject, was placed with a Boston firm of oil-cloth manufacturers. He soon won his way into the confidence of the firm and was entrusted with a large stock of goods to dispose of traveling by wagon, according to the custom of the times, over the country. His journeyings brought him to Carlisle, and the location and prospects of the city, as well as the encouragement given him by Clement McFarland, then the host of the old “Mansion House,” induced him to consider favorably a proposition to make his home here. Accepting Mr. McFarland’s offer of a position in the hotel, he made his wagon and team the nucleus of a livery, and met with so much success that he continued to increase his transportation facilities until he owned a fine stable and plenty of coaches to meet the demands of trade. He then had the foresight to establish a stage line to Harrisburg and to Baltimore, via Hanover and Gettysburg, and operated the same most prosperously until the building of the railroads.

In the meantime, Mr. Hilton purchased a tract of timber land just east of the city, which he cleared, selling the wood and timber, and adding to his acreage until the amount reached 128 acres of some of the finest land in the county. Here he made an ideal country home. His business instincts had led him to invest in property in and around Carlisle, all of which advanced in value. He was of progressive spirit and worked hard for the development of Carlisle and her commercial interests. Mr. Hilton was the first resident of the city to erect a modern residence here and introduce plumbing, bath and heating apparatus. He was one of the first stockholders in the Cumberland Valley railroad and supplied the ties at this place. At the age of about sixty years he removed to his farm, deciding to spend his last years among congenial rural scenes. He delighted in agriculture and operated his farm with the greatest enjoyment and most satisfactory results. Prior to this time he had erected a four-story building in Carlisle with the idea of using it for manufacturing purposes and he utilized it for the manufacture of a wagon slide seat, under a patent of his own, the business assuming large proportions. The distributing point was in Kansas and large shipments were made to that point for many years. Mr. Hilton died in 1891. In 1847 he married Emeline Gibbs, a daughter of Henry Gibbs, an old and prominent citizen of Lancaster. She died at the age of seventy-three years, in 1899. They reared a family of four children, namely: Miss Mary, a resident of Carlisle; Nannie, wife of J. S. Orrick, of Baltimore, Md.; George W., of this sketch; and Sarah, wife of Samuel C. Boyer, of Port Clinton, Pennsylvania.

George W. Hilton, bearing the family name, was born Jan. 14, 1869 at Carlisle, and was educated in the public schools of the city, later taking an academic course and a business course at Peirce Business College, Philadelphia, Pa. While attending the latter he spent his evenings as a window draper for the millionaire merchant, John Wanamaker. The few hours intervening between his daily studies and evening duties were never wasted, as he acted then as collector, being employed by such business concerns as J. B. Lippincott & Co., Stephen Whitman, Benjamin Teller and W. O. Wilber & Sons. After completing his business course he continued for seven years the occupations referred to, making Philadelphia the scene of his operations. For three summers he was also employed as a window-draper, by Lord & Taylor, of New York, his taste and ingenuity making him very desirable in this position, which required much artistic ability. For the past half dozen years he has had charge of this department of many of the leading houses in the Cumberland Valley.

Upon the death of his father Mr. Hilson was called home to take charge of the estate and act as executor and he gave his mother filial care until the close of her life. On May 1, 1902, he embarked in the confectionery business, operating the only first-class establishment of its kind in the city, which he has fitted up to serve all the delicacies demanded by a most desirable trade, carrying creams of all kinds, Huyler’s and Whitman’s productions, and manufacturing many dainties and sweetmeats himself. He is very popular in Carlisle, his pleasant manner and obliging disposition making him many friends. He remains unmarried, and resides in a pleasant home at No. 14 South Hanover street.