Most of these articles were published in the late 19th and early 20 century in local histories. If you run across any that are not included below, please consider typing it up and contributing it to the web site. *Note: Although a valuable source, these histories are less accurate as subjects recount more than one or two previous generations.
A. R. Van Tassel
A. R. Van Tassel, president of the Union Banking and Trust Company, at Dubois, Pa., having also other important interests at this place, resides on his magnificent stock farm, a tract of 300 acres, situated near DuBois, in Clearfield County, Pa. Mr. Van Tassel has been a resident of DuBois since 1884 but he was born in the city of New York, March 31, 1853, of Holland ancestry.
Mr. Van Tassel was educated in the public and in a select school at Brooklyn, N. Y., and when he reached manhood he learned the tanning business and served an apprenticeship to it at Woburn, Mass. Subsequently he established a small tannery of his own, at Boliver, N. Y., which he sold in 1884 and then came to DuBois, where he entered into partnership with a brother and John DuBois & Van Tassel Bros. In the above year A. R. Van Tassel retired from the firm and erected his own tannery which has become one of the large industrial plants of the town, employment being given to from seventy-five to 100 men. This private enterprise, as others in which Mr. Van Tassel is interested, has been of public importance to the place, affording remunerative work to a large body of skilled men, serving to solidify capital here and also to exploit DuBois as a favorable point for business investment. Mr. Van Tassel was one of the organizers of the Union Banking and Trust Company, of which he has been president ever since its founding.
In 1879 Mr. Van Tassel was married first to Miss Jennie Thomas, who died in New York. She is survived by one son, Stephen T., who is associated with his father in business. In 1893 Mr. Van Tassel married second, to Miss Alice Henderson, and they have three children, Blanche, Henderson and Lillian. The family home, Hillcrest Farm, is one of the largest and most valuable stock farms in Clearfield County. Mr. Van Tassel gives special attention here to the breeding of Morgan horses. He has exhibited at numerous fairs and stock shows and has won innumerable blue ribbons and cups, the latest triumph in this line being one of his stud, Bob Morgan, won a blue ribbon at the Madison Square Garden exhibition, in 1910. The new residence erected by Mr. Van Tassel, on Hillcrest Farm, is beautifully located and is equipped with all modern comforts and conveniences. Mr. Van Tassel and family attend the Presbyterian church. A Republican from principle, he gives his political support to that party but has never consented to permit his name to be used for office. He is identified with the Masonic fraternity, and is one of the charter member of the Acorn Club, a social club of DuBois, Pa.
Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania and representative
citizens
Chicago Ill.: Swoope, Roland D., Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co., 1911, pgs. 519-520