My Genealogy Hound

JOHN P. WESNER, a man universally popular, and one who has achieved great success in life, furnishes the subject of the present sketch, and we are pleased to represent such a public-spirited and courteous gentleman in our volume. Mr. Wesner, who is Superintendent of the Allentown Terminal Railroad, was born in Northampton County, this state, January 20, 1851. He is the son of Ambrose Wesner, who was born in Lehigh County, where he followed his trade of a millwright for many years. He is now retired from active labor and makes his home in Catasauqua.

The mother of our subject was prior to her marriage known as Mary Christman. She likewise was a native of Pennsylvania, and departed this life when our subject was quite young. The paternal grandfather of John P. bore the name of John Wesner; he was a soldier in the Mexican War and died in 1859, in Whitehall, Lehigh County, when in his seventy-fifth year. The first representatives of the family in the United States came from Germany and located in Northampton County in an early day. The maternal grandfather of our subject, John Christman, was born in Monroe County, this state.

The subject of this sketch obtained a good education in the common schools of his native place, and when starting out for himself first found employment as clerk in a canal store in the town of Siegfried. Upon reaching his sixteenth year he engaged to work for the Susquehanna Railroad Company, but abandoned that line of work after a twelvemonth, and a year later apprenticed himself for three years to learn the trade of a millwright. After acquiring a knowledge of that business he worked at his trade for eleven years, or until 1879.

Mr. Wesner, who was never satisfied with standing still in a business way, devoted every spare moment to mastering the art of telegraphy, and in the spring of 1879 became night operator at Siegfried Station. Soon afterward, however, he was made extra operator of the division, and later was given a position in the trainmaster’s office at Mauch Chunk. After six months spent there Mr. Wesner became agent of the New Jersey Central Railroad at Freemansburg, which he held for two years. At the end of that time he took charge of the freight and passenger departments at Bethlehem and conducted affairs in a very paying manner for five years.

Mr. Wesner was placed in charge of the construction of the Allentown Terminal Railroad, and upon its completion was placed in control of the same as Superintendent, which position he has held up to the present time. The road, which is under the entire charge of Mr. Wesner, is a short line of three and one-half miles, on which the Philadelphia & Reading and the Central Railroad of New Jersey have operating privileges, though independent of the corporation. The first train was run March 17, 1890, and the company have in their employ about one hundred men. Mr. Wesner, who is a wide-awake business man, has a thorough knowledge of all matters pertaining to his business and occupies a high position among the railroad men in the state.

On the 14th of September, 1874, John P. Wesner and Miss Emma Hubel, of Northampton County, were united in marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Wesner are members of St. John’s Lutheran Church, and have a fine residence located at No. 727 Linden Street. Their family includes two daughters: Minnie May, aged nineteen years, and Annie Irene, aged fifteen years.

Our subject in politics is a true-blue Republican, and socially is a member of Bethlehem Lodge No. 253, F. & A. M.; Zinzendorf Chapter No. 216, R. A. M.; Allentown Commandery No. 20, K. T.; and Washington Camp No. 406, P. O. S. of A.