John Matthias MacMinn, was born at Milltown, Philadelphia. At the age of eight years, on the first of April, 1828, his father and family moved to Valley Creek. Chester County, where he had purchased a grist mill* and farm; here he carried on the business of milling and farming for thirty-nine years.

John Matthias MacMinn was a student of nature; geology and botany were his favorite studies. He attended the subscription schools of his day, and later on obtained an advanced education in the Friends’ School in West Chester, taught by Joshua Hoopes, and at Unionville, Chester County, taught by Jonathan Cause, renowned instructors in those days. Here he found companionship, mutual thought and touch with nature, with Bayard Taylor, afterwards famous traveler, lecturer, and minister of the United States at the Court of Berlin.

At the age of sixteen John Matthias MacMinn began teaching in his own home school. It was at the beginning of the Public School System; for five years this was his main occupation. While engaged in teaching in the neighborhood of Downingtown he became acquainted with the Pyle family, iron manufacturers. Benjamin Pvle, a member of the family, was partner in the firm of Whittaker & Co., of the Washington Iron Works, Centre County. This was in 1840. Mr. MacMinn was offered the position of bookkeeper for the firm, which he accepted and continued with them for four years.

Mr. Pyle died and the firm failed, when Mr. MacMinn became interested in a tannery with James Hays, who, proving to be dishonest. Mr. MacMinn lost all he had saved and invested in the business. He then went to Milesburg and engaged in teaching school which he continued for about four years, when he went into the lumber business in partnership with Samuel McKean, on the Moshannon, but by forest fires and a great flood in 1849 he lost all, which caused him great embarrassment for a little time.

In 1850, he moved to Unionville six miles away, and took up civil engineering and located and constructed the Bald Eagle and Tyrone Plank Road, in length thirty-one miles, as engineer and superintendent until its completion, during this time he paid off all the claims held against him and acquired a comfortable home.

In September, 1853, he removed with his family to Williamsport. As an engineer, he has claims to be remembered, as his achievements were of large importance in this direction. At Williamsport he took the position of first assistant to the chief engineer in the construction of the Sunbury & Erie Railroad. He did much with his pen to promote the building of this road and that of the Tyrone & Loch Haven R. R., through the Bald Eagle Valley, being the chief engineer in its location.

During sixteen years’ residence in Williamsport he was promotor in other large contracts for the public good. When he moved to Virginia, in October 1869. here he bought a plantation near Norfolk, proposing to retire from professional work and spend his remaining years in comparative ease, but at once seeing the importance of procuring for the City of Norfolk one of its most needed utilities, a system of fresh water supply, he brought the matter before the people by his public writings
and business meetings; its importance was at once seen and acted upon by appointing him chief engineer and general manager. He lived to see his plans well under way, but the treacherous miasma in which his work was environed poisoned his system with malaria, fever followed rapidly and after a few days he died, on the eleventh of September, 1870. His remains were taken to Williamsport, Penna., and buried in “Wildwood” that had been his masterpiece as a city of the dead.

On October 15, 1844, Mr. MacMinn was married to Miss Caroline Youngman, daughter of Elias P. Youngman and Amelia Antes, of Nippenose. John Matthias MacMinn and Caroline Younginan had issue, four sons and three daughters [sic], namely: Joseph H. resides in Williamsport, Pa.: Charles Von Linnaeus, lives in Newberry, Williamsport ; Hernian S. of DuBois. Edwin, pastor of the First Baptist church of Kearney. Nebraska : Mary, married to Isaac M. Grier, lives in Williamsport, Pa. ; Caroline, widow of Stanley Mackey, resides in Philadelphia, and Benjamin F. in the same city.

*A gristmill or grist mill is a building in which grain is ground into flour. In many countries these are referred to as corn mills or flour mills.3