John W. Hollopeter was one of the early pioneers of Clearfield county, settled on the farm now owned by S.S. Hollopeter, Esq., about the year 1827 coming from York county, Pa. He struck the first ax in making improvements on this farm, when the adjoining country was a complete wilderness.

His only neighbors were Joseph Lyons* and David Laborde, one mile distant, and John Laborde, who resided one and a half miles distant. Tibius Luther at that time resided where Luthersburg Church now stands. The population of the county was yet very small. Union and Brady townships were at that time one township, and only contained seven voters.

Mr. Hollopeter has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for many years. He and his wife became members of the church at the first meeting held in Brady township three others uniting with the church at the same time, and they assisted in the organization of the first church in that township, now located at Luthersburg.

At present [1878] he resides with his son-in-law, Mr. John Pentz,† in Penn township, and is aged seventy-two years. He raised a family of six children four sons and two daughters, only one of whom is dead.

He worked industriously at his task of clearing the untamed forest, and improved by his own labor about sixty acres of land, preparing the way for the comfort of the rising generation. He built one of the first saw-mills on Sandy Creek erecting it about the year 1851.


*Joseph Lines (1796-1870), also of Brady Township?3

†John’s neice Elizabeth, daughter of his brother Matthias was married to a Henry Pentz.3