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Below is a family biography included in the book,  Portrait and biographical record of Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties, Pennsylvania published in 1894 by Chapman Publishing Company.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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JAMES A. HARPS. The life of this honorable citizen of Northampton County furnishes an example of what may be accomplished by persistence, sagacity and industry. His career, in its practical results, is an encouragement to every struggling young man who has ambition, resolution and a genius for hard work. In his store at Ackermanville he handles a general line of dry goods, groceries, boots and shoes, hardware and glassware, drugs, paints and oils. He has been engaged in business at this place since the spring of 1893, prior to which time he was for over three years similarly occupied in Snydersville, Monroe County, Pa. With the assistance of his clerk he takes entire charge of his establishment, the annual sales of which run from $10,000 to $15,000.

A native of Monroe County, Pa., the subject of this notice was born March 31, 1867, and is a son of Alexander and Susan Harps, residents of that county. He was reared to manhood there, receiving such educational advantages as its schools afforded. Much of his time in boyhood and youth was spent upon a farm, and he gained a thorough knowledge of agricultural pursuits. However, he did not care to follow that occupation for his life work, so secured a position as clerk in a store at Snydersville, Monroe County. While thus employed he became familiar with the details of the business, and, saving his money, was enabled after a time to open a store of his own. In the fall of 1889 he became proprietor of a dry-goods and general mercantile establishment at Snydersville, where he remained between three and four years. Owing to the fact that Ackermanville presented better opportunities for enlarging his store and increasing his facilities for business, he removed hither and has since conducted a lucrative trade among the people of the locality.

Socially Mr. Harps holds membership in Barger Lodge No. 325, F. & A. M., at Stroudsburg, and Neolo Lodge No. 827, 1. O. O. F., at Snydersville. In his political belief he is strongly in favor of the Republican party, and never fails to give his vote for its principles and the men who represent them. The postofflce at Ackermanville is located in his store and he is serving as Deputy Postmaster. His religious connections are with the Methodist Episcopal Church. In his various enterprises he has been assisted by his industrious wife, Tacy, to whom he owes no small share of his success. She is a daughter of Samuel Bittenbender, of Monroe County, Pa., and by her marriage has become the mother of two daughters, named Ruth and Maud.

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This family biography is one of the numerous biographies included in the book, Portrait and biographical record of Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties, Pennsylvania published in 1894 by Chapman Publishing Company. 

View additional Northampton County, Pennsylvania family biographies here: Northampton County, Pennsylvania Biographies

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