Husband David Lewis Trax 1 2 3 4
Born: 24 Feb 1836 - Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, PA 1 2
Christened:
Died: 30 Jul 1913 - Oil City, Venango Co, PA 2
Buried: - Grove Hill Cemetery, Oil City, Venango Co, PA
Father: Louis Trax (1794-1883) 1 2 3
Mother: Elizabeth Gass (Abt 1800-Abt 1885) 1 2 3
Marriage: 2 May 1862 - Oil City, Venango Co, PA 5
Wife Sarah Elizabeth Hogue 5 6
Born: 1845 - Cranberry Twp, Butler Co, PA 6
Christened:
Died: 22 May 1921 4
Buried: - Grove Hill Cemetery, Oil City, Venango Co, PA
Father: Ebenezer S. Hogue ( - ) 6
Mother: Julia Anna Klinefelter ( - ) 6
Children
1 M Harry Brady Trax 5 6
Born: 18 May 1865 - Oil City, Venango Co, PA 6
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Ida Bell White ( - ) 6
Marr: 1886 - ? Venango Co, PA
2 M Maxwell P. Trax 5
Born: 1868
Christened:
Died: when three months old
Buried: - Grove Hill Cemetery, Oil City, Venango Co, PA 7
Spouse: Did Not Marry
3 M Judson David Trax 5 6
Born: 24 Dec 1869 - Oil City, Venango Co, PA 6
Christened:
Died: 1954
Buried: - Grove Hill Cemetery, Oil City, Venango Co, PA 7
Spouse: Musa M. Merritt (1874-1959) 8 9
Marr: 22 May 1901 - ? Venango Co, PA 9
4 M Frederick H. Trax 5 8
Born: 22 Aug 1872 8
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Belle Stewart ( - ) 8
Marr: 1898 8
5 M David L. Trax, Jr. 5
Born: 1879
Christened:
Died: 25 Aug 1905 6
Buried: - Grove Hill Cemetery, Oil City, Venango Co, PA 7
6 F Elizabeth A. "Lizzie" Trax 5
Born: 1879
Christened:
Died: when three months old
Buried: - Grove Hill Cemetery, Oil City, Venango Co, PA 7
Spouse: Did Not Marry
General Notes: Husband - David Lewis Trax
Of his father's eight sons, he was the fourth in order of birth and grew to manhood on his father's farm, alternating, with the seasons, his duties of farm life with attendance upon the common schools. In Pittsburgh he learned the blacksmith trade and was there in business a short time for himself when he decided to try his luck in Oil City. He landed there in 1861 and footed his way up Oil creek in search of a job. He drilled wells awhile, then “joured” as a blacksmith, and finally bought his employers out. After carrying on general blacksmithing for some years he sold out and embarked in oil business in McKean County, giving his entire time to this for two years. In 1880 he formed a partnership with W. J. Kramer in the manufacture of wagons. In addition to his manufacturing interests, Mr. Trax is yet in oil production and also carries on some agricultural operations. He has been once a councilman, and in the Methodist Episcopal church is a trustee and class leader, and has been steward. [HVC 1890, 895]
In early life he learned the trade of blacksmith, at Pittsburgh, and it proved to be the foundation of his life work. Before leaving Pittsburgh he had several years’ experience as a journeyman and was in business for himself a short time, until attracted to this region by the activities in the oil fields. When the Civil war broke out he and a number of companions formed a volunteer company of infantry under the command of Capt. William Espey, and after several months of drilling on the old Commons in Allegheny County offered their services to Governor Curtin. Owing to the large number of previous enlistments, they were notified that there were not sufficient funds for the equipment of the company at that time, whereupon most of the boys returned to their homes discouraged by their experience. Mr. Trax, however, came into the oil country, making the trip up the Allegheny in the old river steamer “Allegheny Belle,” landing at what is now Oil City and proceeding up Oil creek on foot, in search of employment. He soon found plenty of work at the wells as an oil well driller and general blacksmith, being first engaged with James Graves, blacksmith, whose shop was located near the corner of Duncomb and Elm streets, and while with him had his first oil well experience, when called upon to devise some sort of implement that would release a string of tools which had “stuck” in an oil well. The appliance he made worked successfully the first time it was tried, and later, after he had acquired a blacksmith shop of his own, he made the first pair of solid steel jars used in the oil country. He worked for John and Francis Halyday, sons of James Halyday (a pioneer in this part of the county), who had purchased the Lew Gordon blacksmith shop, located near the site of the City building in Oil City, and on June 1, 1862, bought them out. It was in a very modest way that he commenced for himself, doing horseshoeing and general blacksmithing, but, the business was thriving, and he was commanding a lucrative patronage, when he lost heavily by the disastrous flood of March 17, 1865, which covered the entire “flats” in Oil City. Only a year later his buildings and property were totally destroyed in the great fire which swept over the same “flats,” on May 25, 1866, so that he had to begin all over again. In spite of these two catastrophes he rebuilt, in 1868, the new shop being much better arranged and equipped, with modern appliances and machinery of all kinds necessary to accommodate the local trade, including a steam hammer and other up-to-date devices. With his new facilities he was able to undertake the manufacture of oil well tools and supplies, in which line he built up a very large patronage, giving employment to from twenty-five to thirty blacksmiths. He gave up this line of manufacture in the spring of 1876 and turned to the making of carriages and heavy wagons, for which there was then a great demand in the oil country, and continued in this business and the manufacture of machinery during the rest of his life. The trade continued to expand, and in 1879 Mr. Trax entered into partnership with W. J. Kramer under the name of Trax & Kramer, forming a close business association with Mr. Kramer which lasted until the close of his life. He moved his establishment across Seneca Street opposite the place of business of Mr. Kramer, who conducted a wagon shop on Elm Street, and they began to build wagons, one supplying the iron work, while the other constructed the wooden part. After they joined forces they followed the business on a larger scale, the establishment so increasing in size and importance that it was incorporated under the name of “Kramer Wagon Company,” and became one of the largest industries of that kind in this part of the country, sending its products to all parts of the United States, Mexico and South America, wherever oil was found. A full share of the credit for the success of the business must be given to him, and he also acquired other important interests in the course of time, principally in the local oil fields as a producer, in which capacity he made extensive Investments; he was associated with the Roess Brothers (Louis and Christian) in successful oil operations in the McKean County fields in 1878-79. He was always interested in agriculture, was a director of the Citizens’ Banking Company for several years, was one of the organizers of the first building and loan association in Oil City, and with Mr. Kramer erected a number of substantial buildings in the city, among them the hall of Oil City Lodge, I. O. O. F., on South Seneca street, and the three-story building on Elm street where the Kramer Wagon Company did business before the construction of the present plant, in West End borough.
Mr. Trax was not only an able business man, but also a broadminded citizen, with definite ideas of his responsibilities toward the community, though he had no special aspirations for the honors of office. However, he served a term in the council, during the administration of Mayor I. M. Sowers. He was an enthusiastic member of the Prohibition Party, and a generous and sympathetic supporter of the local Y. M. C. A., and it was largely through his efforts that its first permanent home was purchased. He was especially interested in the welfare of Trinity M. E. Church, which he served faithfully in the offices of trustee, class leader and steward, being one of its oldest and most prominent members. He discharged all his church duties with the utmost fidelity, acting as president of the board of trustees from Sept. 30, 1873, until his death, a period of almost forty years, and being the last survivor of those who were trustees at the dedication of the present church building, in 1876; his name is one of those cast on the large bell. [CAB, 632]
Notes: Marriage
Date of marriage was May 22. [CAB, 633]