BIO: WILLIAM BLAIR McCOMMON, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
   
  Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Joe Patterson
  OCRed by Judy Banja

  Copyright 2004.  All rights reserved.
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  >From Biographical Annals of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania,
  Chicago: The Genealogical Publishing Co., 1905, pages 256-257
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    WILLIAM BLAIR McCOMMON, late member of the real estate and insurance firm
  of Stock & McCommon, and for a number of years one of the leading business
    
    CUMBERLAND COUNTY.  257
    
  men of the city of Carlisle, Cumberland county, was born in 1836, a son of
  James and Annie (Cornman) McCommon. His father died when our subject was a
  lad of eight years, in 1844, he being then forty-three. By occupation he was
  a farmer, and spent his life in Cumberland county. The mother died in 1852,
  aged about forty-eight or fifty years. Both were members of the Covenant
  Church. The children born to them were thirteen in number, but only nine grew
  to maturity: John, a school teacher, died in 1852; Ann C. died unmarried;
  Lennox Hogtie is a retired farmer of Missouri; Sarah married A. B. Beisel,
  of Carlisle; William Blair, is mentioned below; James S. (deceased), was a
  resident of Mt. Holly, and was a carpenter; Mary E. (deceased), married
  George Brougher, of Cumberland county; Margaret J. married a Mr. Rambo, of
  Philadelphia; Amos G. is a wood worker of Mt. Holly.
    
    William Blair McCommon was reared on the farm and received but a limited
  education in the common schools, continuing thus until seventeen, when he
  settled in Carlisle and apprenticed himself to the carpenter's trade. He
  afterward worked as a journeyman for some time, and then began business for
  himself- as a contractor and builder, following this branch of commercial
  industry for thirty-five years in Cumberland county. In 1887 he was elected
  to the office of register of Cumberland county, and filled that office very
  acceptably for three years, as the Democratic incumbent. He always took a
  deep interest in politics, was a member of the Democratic county committee
  and served as a member of the hoard of council of Carlisle. He was known far
  and wide as a public-spirited citizen, always willing to assist in everything
  tending toward the betterment of humanity. Fraternally he was a Mason,
  belonging to St. John Lodge, No. 260, St. John Chapter, No. 171, St. John
  Commandery, No. 8, and Rajah Temple, of Reading, and he represented his lodge
  to the Grand Lodge. His death, which occurred March 9, 1904, left a void in
  many circles.
  
    On Oct. 28, 1858, Mr. McCommon married Miss Martha Baker, who was born in
  Cumberland county Feb. 2, 1839, daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth (Glenn)
  Baker, and six children were born of this union, three now living: Ella F.
  married Charles H. Sipe, of Carlisle, who is with the Cumberland Valley
  Railroad Co.; Anna S. is at home; Harry C., who lives at Altoona, married
  Mame Weibley, and is a machinist in the Pennsylvania railroad shops. The
  family all affiliate with the Lutheran Church. They reside at No. 133 East
  Main street, Carlisle, where they show a gracious and pleasing hospitality to
  their many friends.