The Dana Family of Bradford, Pennsylvania

This family springs from French ancestors long seated in Alsace, that much disputed province which France and Germany have owned alternately, but which is now a part of the German Empire.

(I) Anthony Dana

Anthony Dana was born of French parents in Alsace, in 1793. He came to the United States and settled in East Eden, Erie county, New York, where he died in 1865. He was a glazier by trade, but later bought a farm in East Eden. He was a Democrat, but lived a quiet life devoid of participation in public affairs, and was a member of the Roman Catholic church, as was his wife. He married Annie —–, born in Alsace, in 1794, died in East Eden, in 1869. They had ten children:

1. Anthony Dana, left home when a boy and all trace of him has been lost.
2. John Dana, born 1819, died in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, in January, 1911; married Louisa —–, and had issue, including:
   1. Rose Dana, now living in Duluth, Minnesota.
   2. Frank Dana, deceased.
   3. Mary Dana, now living in New York City.
3. Lawrence Dana, drowned in 1848, while engaged in steamboating on the Great Lakes; married Magdalena Phol, born in Alsace, also deceased; children:
   1. Kate Dana, now of Newark, New Jersey.
   2. Elizabeth Dana, died 1910.
   3. George Dana, now of Findlay, Ohio.
   4. Lawrence Dana, now of Kane, Pennsylvania.
   5. Emelia Dana, now of Newark, New Jersey.
4. Kate Dana, died in East Eden, New York, 1897; married Nicholas Bettinger, born in Alsace, now deceased, a farmer of East Eden; child:
   1. Mary Bettinger, now lives in East Eden.
5. Elizabeth Dana, died in 1904; married Pliitail Cetroick, born in Alsace, now living in Buffalo, New York; seven children:
   1. Lawrence Lewis Cetroick, born in Buffalo, August 10, 1845; married, August 9, 1868, Cloe A. Wilcox, born August 30, 1850, at Angola, New York, and has three children:
      1. Pearl Cetroick, born in Angola, December 23, 1871; married Manfred Albert, born in Alabama, and has a child:
         1. Robert Albert, born March 9, 1893.
      2. Louis Cetroick, born in Bradford, Pennsylvania, February 23, 1877; married Grace Park, and has:
         1. Ruth Cetroick, born May 8, 1906.
         2. Dorothy Cetroick, February 5, 1908.
         3. Matilda Cetroick, February 16, 1911.
      3. Frank Eugene Cetroick, born April 28, 1886; now living with his parents.
   2. Frank Cetroick, living in Rochester, New York.
   3. Emil Cetroick, deceased.
   4. William Cetroick, deceased.
   5. Charles Cetroick, deceased.
   6. John Cetroick, lives in Cattaraugus county, New York.
   7. George Cetroick, living in Hamburg, New York.
6. George Dana, of whom further.
7. William Dana, born 1821, died in Oil City, Pennsylvania, 1871; was a hotel proprietor; married Caroline Roth, deceased, without issue.
8. Peter Dana, born 1835, died January, 1911; was a farmer of East Eden, New York; married Abbie Gasper, deceased; children:
   1. Charles Dana, now of Derrick City, Pennsylvania.
   2. Mary Dana, living in Cattaraugus county, New York.
   3. John Dana, deceased.
   4. Delia Dana, now living in Elmira, New York.
   5. Henry Dana, now living in Minnesota.
   6. George Dana, residing in the west.
   7. Lucy Dana, now of Elmira, New York.
   8. Elizabeth Dana, now living in East Eden.
   9. Peter Dana, now living in East Eden.
9. Blass Dana, born 1837, died 1872; was a merchant of East Eden; married Eliza Nolan, deceased; children:
   1. Elizabeth Dana, living in Hamburg, New York.
   2. William Dana, living in Hamburg, New York.
   3. Albert Dana, deceased.
   4. Belle Dana, living in Hamburg, New York.
   5. Clara Dana, living in Hamburg, New York.
10. Nicholas Dana, died in 1900, at Jamestown, New York; was a pensioned veteran of the civil war from New York state.

(II) George Dana

George, son of Anthony Dana, was born in Alsace, now in Germany, December 27, 1824, died in Bradford, Pennsylvania, February 10, 1910. He was four years of age when his parents came to the United States, settling in East Eden, New York, where he was educated and grew to manhood. He secured a position as steward on a lake steamer, sailing out of Buffalo, a position he held several years; afterwards, until 1877, he was engaged in farming. In the latter year he located in Bradford, where he kept a hotel and was interested in the production of oil. He was a member of the Roman Catholic church, as was his wife.

He married Elizabeth Fisher, born February 14, 1826, in one of the Rhine provinces, Germany, died March 13, 1893; she was brought to the United States when young by her father, who settled in Buffalo, where he died in 1840. Children:

1. George Henry Dana, of whom further.
2. Frank William Dana, born December 5, 1846, died October 9, 1890, at Knapp’s Creek, New York; was a hotel proprietor; married Kate Warner, born in Canada; children:
   1. Minnie Dana, born March 17, 1873, in St. Petersburg, Pennsylvania; married a Mr. Megill, of Bradford, now an architect of Newark, New Jersey, and has
      1. Isabella Megill, born October, 1893.
   2. Susan Dana, born in April, 1874, died in Bradford, in October, 1891.
   3. Frank Dana, born April 4, 1880, at Rixford, Pennsylvania; now in the oil business in California; unmarried.
   4. Ivy M. Dana, born in Rixford, 1884; married John Bushard, of Erie, Pennsylvania, a draughtsman; children:
      1. Margaret Bushard, born in April, 1903.
      2. Frances Bushard, July, 1907.
      3. John Bushard, October, 1911.
   5. Warner John Dana, born in Gilmore, Pennsylvania; now engaged in the oil business in Illinois; married Ruth Schreiber, of Derrick City, and has:
      1. Catherine Mary Dana, born February 28, 1911.
3. Nicholas Dana, born in Buffalo, New York, 1850, died in East Eden, 1862.
4. Lawrence John Dana, born in Buffalo, April 12, 1852; an oil producer at Derrick City, Pennsylvania; belongs to the Roman Catholic church, and Derrick City Lodge, No. 1101, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and Fosterbrook Lodge, No. 11, Knights of Pythias; married (first) April 6, 1875, Louisa Nabor, born in 1854, died November 7, 1889, (second) Margaret Frank, born January 6, 1869, in St. Petersburg, Clarion county, Pennsylvania, daughter of Martin Frank, who served in civil war, was burned to death in March, 1872; married Rachel Perry, born in Mahoning, Pennsylvania, in 1849, died in Derrick City, March 11, 1899; children, all by first wife:
   1. Lawrence George Dana, born in East Eden, New York, March 17, 1876; now an oil producer of Derrick City; married Mary Canfield, of Allegany, New York; children:
      1. Milton Lawrence Dana, born in Goodell, McKean county, Pennsylvania, August 18, 1901.
      2. Helen Dana, born in Derrick City, September 1, 1904.
      3. Richard Dana, born in Derrick City, December 30, 1907.
      4. Margaret Dana, born in Derrick City, August 12, 1910.
   2. Ida Carrie Dana, born at Eden Center, New York, October 6, 1877; married Louis Mack, an oil producer of Bradford.
   3. Milton Dana, born in Derrick City, December, 1878, died November, 1880.
5. Elizabeth M. Dana, born in East Eden, New York, December 20, 1861; now residing unmarried in Bradford.
6. Anne Dana, born in East Eden, New York, March 20, 1864, died June 3, 1905; married Norman Stewart, who survives her, a resident of Robinson, Illinois; children:
   1. Dana Stewart, born January 19, 1889, at Duke Center.
   2. Ray Stewart, February 14, 1891, at Gilmore, Pennsylvania.
7. Emma Dana, twin of Anne, married Elmer Howe, of Elmira, New York, now an oil producer at Red Rock, Pennsylvania, where the family resides; children:
   1. Emma Howe, born March 13, 1887.
   2. Elmer Howe, November 18, 1890.
   3. Elizabeth Howe, January 1, 1894.
   4. George Howe, April 9, 1900.

(III) George Henry Dana

George Henry, eldest son of George and Elizabeth (Fisher) Dana, was born in Buffalo, New York, January 1, 1844, died in Los Angeles, California, February 5, 1905. He obtained his education in the public schools of his native county, and later learned the tinner’s trade at which he worked until 1897, when he moved to Bradford, Pennsylvania, becoming an oil producer and glycerine manufacturer. In the latter business he was very successful and became a director and manager of the High Explosive Company. He was a highly respected, popular member of the community, kind, considerate and generous in all his actions. He married Louise Bergein, born in Boston, Erie county, New York, July 30, 1848, living in Bradford, Pennsylvania, daughter of George “Buergin” (the German form of spelling), born May 6, 1809, in Baden, Germany, emigrated to the United States in 1846, settling on a farm in Hamburg, New York, died in Duke Center, Pennsylvania, May, 1892. He married Mary Wurslin, born in Baden, Germany, 1821, died in Hamburg, New York, July, 1884. Children of George and Mary (Wurslin) “Buergin:”

1. Mary Buergin, born in Baden, Germany, 1844, died in Canada; married William Young, deceased, a tanner from Baden, Germany; daughter:
   1. Henrietta Young, lives in Hamburg, New York.
2. Frederick Buergin, born in Baden, Germany, 1846; came to the United States with his parents.
3. George Buergin, born in Hamburg, New York, died there in 1856.
4. Louise Bergein, of previous mention; married George Henry Dana.
5. Amelia Buergin, born in Hamburg, New York, 1849, died there 1850.
6. Charles Buergin, born in Hamburg, New York, 1851, died there the same year.
7. Julia Buergin, born in Hamburg, New York, 1852; lives in Lewis Run; she married (first) George Piatt, deceased, an oil well shooter from Oil City, Pennsylvania, (second) William C. Decker, an oil well pumper from Elmira, New York.

Children of George Henry and Louise Dana:

1. Louisa Henrietta Dana, born in North Collins, New York, March 28, 1870; married Joseph Dean, a shoe dealer in Bradford, Pennsylvania; child:
   1. Shirley Bernice Dean, born in Batavia, New York, August 23, 1895.
2. Arthur George Dana, born in North Collins, New York, January 7, 1872; an oil well producer; married Edith Murray and lives in Sedan, Kansas; daughter:
   1. Dorothy Murray Dana, born in Butler, Pennsylvania, May 10, 1894.
3. Frederick Wurslin Dana, of whom further.
4. Earl Newton Dana, born in Duke Center, Pennsylvania, April 11, 1881; an oil producer of Bradford; married, in Bradford, Pennsylvania, Lillian Crooker; children:
   1. Helen Aline Dana, born April 18, 1910.
   2. Marian Louise Dana, September 18, 1911.

Mrs. Louise Dana survives her husband, a resident of Bradford, and a member of the Presbyterian church.

(IV) Frederick Wurslin Dana

Frederick Wurslin, son of George Henry and Louise (Bergein) Dana, was born in Titusville, Pennsylvania, August 10, 1873. When he was six years of age his parents moved to Duke Center, where he was educated in the public schools. After completing his studies he began working in the oil field as a pumper, continuing until he was twenty-four years of age, residing at Duke Center. In 1897 he located in Bradford and engaged in oil production, a business he has successfully followed until the present date (1912) in the Bradford field. He is a member of Bradford Tent, No. 104, Knights of the Maccabees, and in political action is thoroughly independent. He married, March 24, 1898, Anna M. Caswell, born in New Castle, Pennsylvania, June 1, 1874; educated in the public schools of Duke Center and in the New Castle high school. Children:

1. Reva May Dana, born in Sawyer City, October 13, 1900.
2. George William Dana, born in Bradford, July 13, 1905.

William Homer Caswell, father of Mrs. Dana, was born in Richmond, Virginia, January 6, 1848, now a retired oil producer, living in Bradford. He married Melissa Loraine Clark, born in Leesburg, Pennsylvania, December 29, 1851, died in Bradford, July 30, 1906. Children:

1. Anna M. Caswell, of previous mention; wife of Frederick W. Dana.
2. Charles Homer Caswell, born in Millerstown, Pennsylvania, February 23, 1878; now a contractor in the Oklahoma oil field; married Leonora Dele, of Duke Center, and resides at Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
3. An infant, died unnamed.

William Homer Caswell is a son of George Caswell, born in Wareham, Massachusetts, died in Richmond, Virginia, in 1854. He married Anna Morse, born in England, died in Sharon, Pennsylvania, August 30, 1908, aged eighty years. Children:

1. George Caswell, born 1846, in Richmond, Virginia; now living in Ellsworth, Kansas, retired; married Lavinia White, of New Castle, Pennsylvania; children:
   1. Alma Caswell.
   2. George Caswell.
   3. Charles Caswell, now living in Ellsworth.
   4. May Caswell, now living in Ellsworth.
   5. Margaret Caswell, now living in Ellsworth.
   6. Annie Caswell, now living in Ellsworth.
   7. William Caswell, now living in Ellsworth.
2. William Homer Caswell, of previous mention.
3. Elisha Caswell, born 1850, in Richmond, Virginia; now living in Sharon, Pennsylvania; married Emma Fisher, deceased; children:
   1. Guy Caswell, now living in Sharon.
   2. Bertha Caswell, now living in New Castle, Pennsylvania.
   3. Belle Caswell, now living in Youngstown, Ohio.
   4. Annie Caswell, now living in New Castle.
4. Charles Caswell, born 1852, died in infancy.

See: Genealogy of the Allegheny Valley Pennsylvania

Source

Jordan, J. W. 1840-1921. (1913). Genealogical and personal history of the Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania. New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co.

This genealogy is based upon the source cited above. Only the structure and formatting have been changed for clearer presentation; the genealogical and biographical content has been preserved.