My Genealogy Hound

JACOB HURST was for many years numbered along the leading business men of Mechanicsburg, where he conducted what was the leading dry goods establishment in that city. He was born in Dillsburg, York Co., Pa., Aug. 13, 1832, a son of Jacob B. and Susan (Herchfeldt) Hurst, the former of whom was also born at Dillsburg, Jan. 7, 1808, a son of John and Catherine (Cocklin) Hurst. The grandparents were among the early settlers of York county, and were the parents of four sons and three daughters who grew to maturity.

Jacob B. Hurst, father of Jacob, resided upon the homestead until he was fifteen years of age, when he began to learn the tailoring trade with William Gilberthurp. Four years later he went to Harrisburg and Philadelphia, following his trade for a number of years. Finally, in 1831, he returned to Dillsburg and established a tailoring establishment which he continued to carry on until 1855, when he opened a general store. In the spring of 1866, he removed to Mechanicsburg and established the dry-goods house of J. B. Hurst & Son. He was a director of the First National Bank, and stood high in the community. Both he and his wife were earnest members of the Presbyterian Church, of which he was an elder for a number of years. On Nov. 18, 1875, occurred the death of this most excellent man. His widow survived for some years. The following children were born to this couple: Edwin W., a merchant tailor of Mechanicsburg; Jacob; Lydia B., who married William A. Spahr; Mary E., wife of William B. Nelson, a farmer near Dillsburg, Pa.; Templeton B., an ex-soldier of Company H, Pennsylvania Reserves; Kate M., who married Robert B. Mateer, a hardware merchant of Harrisburg, Pa.; and Melizena M., who married George W. Hackett, a merchant of Sunbury, Pa.

Jacob Hurst attended school until he was sixteen years of age, and then assisted his father in his merchant tailoring establishment and the general store until 1865. He then came to Mechanicsburg, and became the junior member of the firm of J. B. Hurst & Son. Three months after his father’s death he purchased the entire stock, and continued to be the leading merchant of Mechanicsburg until his death.

In 1872 Mr. Hurst married Miss Julia Wilson, of Mechanicsburg, daughter of Robert and Sarah (Shock) Wilson, members of good Cumberland county stock. Two sons were born of this marriage: Wilson of Mechanicsburg, manager of the dry-goods house of the J. Hurst estate, married Miss Bessie Goodyear, of Carlisle, Pa.; Corliss is also with the dry-goods house above mentioned.

The death of Mr. Hurst occurred Feb. 22, 1902, and he passed away firm in the belief of the Lutheran Church, of which he was elder. He was a man of high moral character, successful in business as well as prominent in church circles, and in him Mechanicsburg lost one of its best citizens. Mrs. Hurst and her two sons reside at the family home on West Main street, and are very important factors in the life of Mechanicsburg, of which they are highly honored citizens.