My Genealogy Hound

HENRY I. GOURLEY. Mr. Gourley was born Oct. 3, 1838, at Thompsontown, Juniata county, Pa. His father, Joseph Gourley, was a farmer, but in the prime of life was removed by death in 1843, leaving a widow, two sons and one daughter, the children aged, respectively, three, five and seven years. The family soon after removed to Pittsburgh, and Henry was placed under the care of a farmer in Pine township, Allegheny county, where for twelve years he labored diligently, and formed those habits of industry which have proven the ground work of his success in life. Desirous of securing something more of intellectual training than that afforded by the brief winter months of a country school, at the age of eighteen he earned by cutting cordwood, and by day labor upon the farm, sufficient funds to carry him through several months in Witherspoon Institute, at Butler, Pa., and he subsequently completed a course at Duff’s Commercial College, Pittsburgh, graduating in January, 1857.

Believing that a fortune was in store for him in the great west, he went to Dubuque, and subsequently to Davenport, Iowa; but the business misfortunes of this year left little encouragement to the young stranger, and after a few months of bitter experience he returned to Pittsburgh. For a period of four years, from 1857 to 1861, Mr. Gourley gave himself to teaching and to study. At the end of this time he was elected principal of Troy Hill, now Thirteenth ward, Allegheny, public school. After two years of faithful and successful labor here he was promoted to the principalship of the Third ward Grant school, of Pittsburgh, where he remained four years, conducting with eminent success an institution of sixteen hundred pupils, having a corps of sixteen teachers. For a time he presided over private schools at Shadyside, a suburb, and in the city of Pittsburgh; but failing health induced him to seek more active employment, and for a period of five years he represented the great publishing-house of Charles Scribner & Co. in Western Pennsylvania. Again he became principal of the Grant school, Pittsburgh, but at the end of two years he was induced to accept the superintendence of the agency department of the publishing-house of A. H. English & Co., Pittsburgh The unfortunate failure of this house after two years of successful labor brought financial disaster to Mr. Gourley, as he was a creditor to a considerable amount. In 1879 he assumed the management of the publishing business of Messrs. Taintor Bros., Merrill & Co., of New York, which position he still continues to hold, and in 1876-77 assisted Prof. M. B. Goff in the preparation of a series of arithmetics, which have been extensively used in Western Pennsylvania. In conjunction with Mr. J. N. Hunt he prepared, in 1881-82, “The Modern Series of Readers and Spellers,” which are already widely, circulated. In 1864-65 Mr. Gourley commenced the study of the law, for which he had aptitude and special talent, and it has always been to him a source of regret that he did not follow up the practice. Of late he has taken an active and very prominent part in the government of the city. He was elected in 1876 to represent the Seventh ward in the select council, which position he held till April, 1888, receiving at three of these elections the unanimous vote. In 1879 he was chosen president of the select council, which position he held until he retired from the council. In but one decision was he ever overruled by the board, and in that the body subsequently reversed its own authority. Among the subjects of great importance to the city which have been legislated on during his administration have been the new water-works and the paving of the streets. Though involving a vast outlay, the expenditures have been judiciously ordered. At present the introduction of natural gas into the city for heating purposes, and electricity, not only for public but for private illumination, is engaging the attention of the city government. In politics he is a republican and has taken an active part in the canvass for several years past, doing yeoman’s service.

Mr. Gourley was married in 1867 to Miss Jennie Brenneman, of Pittsburgh. In an elaborate article published in the Magazine of Western History for June, 1886, it is said of Mr. Gourley that “even while deep in the cares of business he finds time to keep up with the current thought and literature of the day. All educational matters lie close to his heart, and any measure which has for its purpose the improvement of public schools finds in him an earnest friend. Viewed from all sides Mr. Gourley furnishes us with as fine a specimen as could be found of the successful and self-made representative American.”