BIOGRAPHICAL AND PORTRAIT
CYCLOPEDIA
OF
CAMBRIA COUNTY,
PENNSYLVANIA
COMPRISING
ABOUT FIVE HUNDRED SKETCHES OF THE PROMINENT
AND
REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS OF THE COUNTY.
ILLUSTRATED
THE
UNION PUBLISHING COMPANY,
PHILADELPHIA,
PA.
1896
Source: http://www.camgenpa.com/books/BP/title.html
ISAAC EATON CHANDLER, deceased, one of the most prominent and respected citizens of Johnstown, was born at Rising Sun, Cecil county, Maryland, July 26th, 1824. While still an infant his parents removed to Chester county, Pennsylvania, and located on a farm in London Grove township.
At an early age Mr. Chandler was apprenticed to learn
the trade of blacksmith. After serving his time he opened a shop in Unionville,
Chester county, where he remained until 1849. In that year he removed to
Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, and with his brother-in-law, Frank Stroud, started a
blacksmith and wheelwright shop. They built and shipped many carriages through
the Lehigh Valley, from Mauch Chunk to Easton. About 1851 they, with John and
George Fritz, built the Union Foundry and Machine works, and continued in
business until 1854, then they sold out. John Fritz having assumed the
management of the Cambria Iron works at Johnstown, Mr. Chandler, in company
with John and George Fritz, Frank Stroud, Dr. W. W. Walters, James Williams,
John E. Fry, Thomas Magee and Jacob Kuhn, removed to Johnstown, just as the
Cambria works were entering a period of prosperity. During the early years of
the operation of the works, he was connected with them in different clerical
capacities.
In 1861 he was appointed postmaster of Johnstown by
President Abraham Lincoln. After leaving the post office, in 1865, he reentered
the service of the Cambria Iron company as receiving clerk, which position he
held until 1892, when he retired.
Mr. Chandler was best known among the older citizens of
Johnstown and Morrellville, in the development of the latter thriving borough.
In 1870 he and his family moved from the corner of Locust street and Court
Place to the residence now owned by Mr. Alex. Stackhouse, on Fairfield avenue.
Mor- 
rellville,
he having purchased about one hundred acres upon which Morrellville now stands,
and having layed it off in building lots, sold them on easy terms, and to a
large number of buyers he furnished the money to erect their houses. The
records at Ebensburg will probably show that Mr. Chandler helped more people to
homes in and about Johnstown than any other one who ever lived there, and it
has been said there never was a difficulty between him and the purchaser, which
illustrates his probity of character. Mr. Chandler built the brick residence at
317 Main street, Johnstown, and removed to it in 1882.
Mr. Chandler was a stalwart republican from the
organization of the party. In 1864 he was sent from Cambria county as a
delegate to the national Republican convention at Baltimore, in which President
Lincoln was nominated for a second term. He represented his ward in the borough
council. He was a member of the Young Men's Republican club. He was a director
of the Citizens' National bank, and a director of the Cambria and Johnstown
Building and Loan associations.
Mr. Chandler was a descendant of very old families in
Pennsylvania. In the year 1687, George Chandler and Jane, his wife, started
from Westshire, England, to America, with their seven children. The father died
at sea. His family continued their journey, landing at Philadelphia in
December, 1687. For a time they lived in a cave on Delaware front, but later
built a house in Apple Tree alley, between Fifth and Sixth, and Arch and Cherry
streets. This house was recently standing, was built of brick and covered with
tile, and was considered one of the oldest houses in the City, there being
probably one older, the Letitia house, formerly the residence of William Penn.
William Chandler, the youngest
About
The Hopkin Thomas Project
Rev.
July 2010