Allegheny Valley Genealogies

The Potter Family of Bradford, Pennsylvania

Old town hall, Allegheny City, torn down in 1863

This article traces the Potter family from John Potter, an early English immigrant to New England, through successive generations in Connecticut and beyond, with detailed notes on marriages, children, occupations, and dates. It follows the line down to Eleazer Potter and his son George Hubbell Potter, who settled in Bradford, Pennsylvania, after military service and a career in the oil industry. Along the way, the narrative highlights physicians, sailors, merchants, and civic leaders, showing how the family moved from colonial Connecticut roots into nineteenth-century life in Illinois and western Pennsylvania.

The Melvin Family of Bradford, Pennsylvania

Old town hall, Allegheny City, torn down in 1863

This genealogical sketch traces the Melvin line from early Massachusetts and New Hampshire roots to the family’s prominence in Bradford, Pennsylvania. It follows several generations, beginning with Patrick Melvin in Chester, New Hampshire, and highlighting Benjamin, John, and John F. Melvin, who became an important pioneer merchant and lumber dealer in McKean County. The article then focuses on Thomas Jefferson Melvin and John Parker Melvin, noting their roles in business, banking, law, and civic life. It also includes detailed family connections, marriages, children, and the related Laney family, placing the Melvins within the broader development of Bradford’s early community.