Alvin A. Brosius:

John Ruskin, the author and philosopher, said: “The substantial wealth of a man consists in the earth he cultivates, with its plants and animals, and the rightly produced works of his own hands. “In the rush and nervous turmoil of the 20th century that man really makes most of his life who pays generous and unfaltering allegiance to the great basic industry of agriculture, who wins from the willing soil its benefices and who finds his labor rewarded with smiling prosperity.”

One of the substantial citizens of Jefferson County is he whose name introduces this review, and the more interest attaches to his career by reason of his being a native, a member of an old and honored family and the owner of a well improved estate that is a part of the old homestead of his parents. In Beaver township lies this fine farm of Mr. Brosius, and here thrift and prosperity go hand in hand. Here the birth of Alvin A. Brosius occurred April 14, 1859, and he is a son of Michael and Elizabeth (Johns) Brosius, the latter a daughter of Samuel Johns. Michael Brosius was born in Northumberland County, Pa, on the 13th of April, 1824, and passed to his reward in February, 1894, only a few weeks prior to the 70th anniversary of his birth. His widow attained the age of 76, her death occurring in 1904. Michael was a brother of Peter, Jacob and Daniel Brosius, all now deceased, as are also the sisters: Julia, who was the wife of Henry Sowers; Mary (Polly), wife of Benjamin Sowers; and Kate, who was the wife of William Himes.

Michael Brosius was one of the pioneers of Jefferson Co, and reclaimed from the forest the major portion of a farm of 100 acres, this of course involving lumbering operations. He amplified his activities by taking a number of contracts for the clearing of timber and preparing the logs for rafts that were floated down the streams or subjected to manufacture into lumber. In the old house he erected he continued to reside until 1882, when he built the present substantial and commodious one now occupied by his son Alvin A. Brosius. He was influential, served as township supervisor and school director, and both he and his wife were devout communicants of the Lutheran church, he having been one of the organizers of the Berkhouse Church, two miles distant from home, of which he and his wife were active members until their deaths. Of their children the eldest is Emanuel, a representative farmer of Beaver township; Mary Jane is the wife of William Dinger, another of the substantial farmers of this township; Adeline became the wife of Daniel Hetrick and continued her residence in this county until her death in 1900; Maggie is the wife of Daniel Reitz, of Beaver township; Alvin A. was the next in order of birth; Frank is a farmer in Rose township; Emma is the wife of Peter Hetrich, and they live in Iowa; Thomas M. owns and farms part of the old homestead; Alice is the wife of George Spangler, their home being in the village of Ohl.

Alvin A. Brosius early began to lend his aid in the work of reclaiming and cultivating the home farm and helped his father in lumbering. He attended the public schools and remained at the home until his marriage, at the age of twenty-four years, his bride being one year his junior. After marriage Mr. Brosius assumed the practical management of his father's farm, and finally came into possession of 39 acres of it. He cleared this land from timber and stumps, there being but one field under cultivation, which also he assisted in clearing. He is now the owner of a landed estate of 35 acres, and still gives his active supervision to his home farm, four acres of which he sold some time ago to his elder son. His farm is underlaid with coal, one vein of which has been developed. Mr. Brosius is a prosperous and substantial citizen of his native township and receives handsome returns from the coal leases on his land.

His political allegiance is given to the Democratic party and both he and his wife are zealous members of the Lutheran Church of which his father was a charter member. On the 23rd of April, 1883, Mr. Brosius married Sarah Byerly, who also was born in Beaver township, whose parents at the time of her marriage were residents of Worthville. She is a daughter of George and Lydia (Hetrick) Byerly, both born in Northumberland County, and married in Beaver township, where Michael Hetrick, father of Mrs. Byerly, was a pioneer settler in what is known as Pansy Hollow. Both Mr. and Mrs. Byerly were less than forty years of age at the time of their deaths, and were the parents of six children: Polly is the wife of Daniel Weary, of Winslow township; Sarah was the next in order of birth; Brack resides at Falls Creek, Clearfield County; Beal is a resident of Emerickville, Jefferson County; Emma is the wife of Philip Plyler, of Winslow township; Jacob resides at Reynoldsville.

Mr. and Mrs. Brosius have three children: Charles, who resides at Watterson, is a railway employee (the maiden name of his wife is Laura Reitz); Ralph married Osa Lawhead, and they now reside in the state of Arizona, where he is engaged in ranching; Lesta is the wife of John Sowers, who conducts a meat market in the village of Ohl.

from "Jefferson County, Pennsylvania - Her Pioneers and People", Vol. II, by W. J. McKnight, published in 1917 in Chicago by J. H. Beers & Company, page 616.

Transcribed by Steven A. Stahlman