My Genealogy Hound

DR. JOHN H. YOUNG. Among the professional men of New Cumberland who have become prominent in the practice of the science of medicine may be mentioned Dr. John H. Young, who is as distinguished in his line as he is respected for his strong stand in favor of Prohibition.

Dr. Young is well known in New Cumberland, where he was born Nov. 24, 1835, a son of Joseph and Hannah (Hickernell) Young. The founder of the Young family in America was Casper Young, the grandfather of Dr. Young, who came from Germany with several brothers, and settled in Lancaster county, Pa. There Joseph Young was born and grew to manhood, coming to Cumberland County with his brothers, John and Lewis. The latter was a blacksmith in New Cumberland for many years, while John followed a coopering business in a suburb of Harrisburg. The father of Dr. Young died in New Cumberland in 179. The mother of Dr. Young was a daughter of John Hickernell, a farmer of Erie county, later of Cumberland county, coming here when his daughter was small. She died here in 1881, aged seventy-five years. In religious faith she was a Lutheran. In his youth Mr. Young was a Catholic, but later was converted to the faith of the Methodist Church, at New Cumberland. Of the seven children born to these worthy parents, five died in infancy, the two survivors being Dr. Young and his sister Margaret, who is the wife of Postmaster Jesse Oren, of New Cumberland.

The early education of Dr. Young was pursued under the preceptorship of John G. Ketterman, Joseph Musser, Daniel Lafferty and his sister, Jemima Lafferty. Later a brother of Daniel and Jemima, Jesse Lafferty, undertook the task of training the youths of the time, who congregated in a large frame building which stood on the present site of the Novelty Works. On account of his father’s feeble health, which interfered with his providing abundantly for his family, our subject was obliged to leave school at the age of fourteen years and endeavor to add to the common purse. After learning the cooper’s trade with his father, and making quite a successful beginning for himself, he decided to put aside personal feelings and loyally to go to the defense of his country. In the summer of 1862 he consequently was enrolled as a private in Company H, 130th P. V. I., for nine months, but served for ten, participating in the battle of Fredericksburg, where he was seriously wounded. He was struck by a piece of shell in his stomach, injuring him internally, and received another wound in the same battle, on his shin bone. On account of these injuries he was sent to the National Hotel Hospital at Baltimore, but was finally discharged at Harrisburg.

Dr. Young was early impressed with the beauties of a religious life and a strong sense of duty. At the age of fifteen he became a member of the M. E. Church, and at the unusual age of nineteen years was licensed to preach and filled the Lewistown circuit prior to enlisting. About 1864 he united with the United Brethren Church at New Cumberland, and for thirty years he continued to preach continuously, through Cumberland, Adams, Franklin, York and Perry counties. For four years he was presiding elder, served most effectively on home missions and stations, and for one year was agent for the Lebanon Valley College. Although his ministerial work kept brain and body busy, he still found time for study and reflection, and turned to the serious study of medicine, pursuing it with practical intentions during his station at Newville and other charges. Dr. Young, like many of the prominent physicians of our country, never graduated. He read medicine under a competent preceptor, and practiced successfully for ten years before the law was enacted that all physicians and surgeons were obliged to graduate from a university or college of medicine. However, a provision to this act was made that such persons who had practiced medicine and surgery for a period of ten years should receive from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and other states a license or certificate to practice their profession. Dr. Young had complied with this provision, and secured certificates of registration in York, Cumberland, Franklin and Perry counties. In 1894 he gave up the ministry and entered into the grave practice of the medical profession, spending three years at Wormleysburg, and then came to New Cumberland, where he has a large and lucrative practice and is a valued member of the community.

In 1857 Dr. Young married Ellen Balsley, who was born in the village of Eberly’s Mills. When she was six years old her parents, John and Mary (Thompson) Balsley, moved to New Cumberland, where the former carried on a blacksmith business, and where both died. Three children were born to Dr. and Mrs. Young: Jennie is Mrs. Aaron Lantz, of New Cumberland; William H., of Harrisburg, assistant superintendent of the Prudential Life Insurance Co., married Jennie Staver; and Ella is Mrs. William Rishel of Wormleysburg.

Dr. Young is an independent voter, but a strong and uncompromising supporter of rohibition principles, and twice consented to become the candidate of the Prohibition party for the Legislature and Congress, his defeat resulting only on account of the party’s great minority. Upon his return to New Cumberland he united with the M. E. Church, and served as pastor of the West Fairview charge two years. He has served for six years on the city school board, and has used his time, voice and pen to advance education, morality and temperance. Fraternally he belongs to the Heptasophs, and is an honorary member of the Junior Order of merican Mechanics.