Husband Col. Robert B. McComb 1 2 3 4
Born: 15 Aug 1820 - Mercer Co, PA 2 3
Christened:
Died: 22 Sep 1907 - Sandy Lake, Mercer Co, PA 3
Buried:
Father: Malcolm McComb (1792-1849) 2 3 4
Mother: Jane Summerville ( - ) 2 3 4
Marriage:
Wife Anna L. Guerard 5 6
Born: - Savannah, Chatham Co, GA
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Other Spouse: John N. McGuffin ( - ) 6
Children
1 F Harriet G. McComb 6
Born:
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Lewis B. Hamilton ( - ) 6
Marr: 7 Jan 1891 6
General Notes: Husband - Col. Robert B. McComb
At the age of seventeen he went to learn a trade with S. W. Mitchell, a cabinet-maker in New Castle, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. He continued with Mitchell little more than a year (till 1839), when he left, and in the Fall of 1839, went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he bound himself as an apprentice to learn the trade he had commenced with Mitchell.
He continued to work in Cincinnati until the Winter of 1842-43, when he returned to New Castle and rented from John Wilson, Sr., the old log-house on the northwest corner of "the Diamond." In 1844 he commenced building the house recently occupied by D. Winternitz, on Washington street, and in that building he followed his trade until 1851, when he began the study of law with D. B. Kurtz, Esq. During the time he was studying law, he did the inside work of the offices at the court-house, making the tables, desks and shelving. In March, 1853, he was admitted to practice in the several courts of Lawrence County.
During the same year he was elected to the lower branch of the Legislature. His term in the Legislature commenced with the session of 1854. From the first he took an active part in the business of the House, and soon distinguished himself as an earnest advocate for the sale of the public works, and adoption of the Maine liquor law. During this session the difficulties at Erie, known as the Erie Railroad War, commenced, and Mr. McComb took ground at once against Erie, and in favor of an unbroken railroad line through the State, which position he adhered to until the whole system of a break of gauge was destroyed.
In 1855 he was re-elected to the Legislature, and at the organization of the House was made chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means. The session of 1855 was unusually exciting. The Whigs and "Know-Nothings" had succeeded in electing Governor Pollock, and had a majority in both branches of the Legislature. The Maine liquor law, the Erie Railroad difficulties, the sale of the public works, and the election of a United States Senator were the leading questions. Mr. McComb having been elected as a Whig, refused to support Simon Cameron, who, up to that winter, had been a Democrat, and only came into the party through the "Know-Nothing" organization and influence. In the caucus to nominate a candidate for Senator, however, Cameron took the lead, when Mr. McComb and twenty-eight others withdrew and published a protest drawn up by Mr. McComb, which caused the defeat of Cameron.
His position as chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means caused him to examine into the revenue system of the State, and the inequality of our mode of taxation. He then first conceived the idea of abolishing the tax upon real-estate for State purposes, and proposed to make up the deficiency in the revenue by a tax upon gross receipts, reasoning that real-estate had to bear the burthen of local taxation, which was enough upon that kind of property. The tax on real-estate was ultimately abolished. During this session he wrote the Sunday liquor law.
He was again elected to the Legislature of 1856. At the beginning of the session he received the unanimous vote of his party for Speaker. The Democrats having a majority, he was not successful. This session ended the Erie troubles by restoring to the Erie and Northeast Railroad Company its road upon the condition that it would contribute towards the building of the Erie and Pittsburg Railroad four hundred thousand dollars. The struggle upon this measure was said to be the severest parliamentary contest seen in the House since the "buckshot war."
After his term of service in the Legislature expired, Mr. McComb was employed by the county to contest the right of enforcing the payment of the bonds which had been issued to the Northwestern Railroad Company. A number of suits had been commenced involving the liability of the county; in all of which he appeared and defended the county. It was many years before these cases were disposed of.
In 1862 Mr. McComb was appointed by Governor Curtin on a commission to review the revenue laws of the State. He drew up the report submitted to the Legislature the Winter following. This report contained the first provision to tax the gross receipts of railroad companies, and led to the abolition of the three-mill tax on real-estate. During the year 1862 he served as colonel of the 14th Regiment of Pennsylvania volunteer militia. In 1863 he was at the head of the 55th Regiment of Pennsylvania volunteer militia.
He began his political career as an enthusiastic supporter of Henry Clay, and continued a Whig as long as that party had an existence. Thereafter he was a Republican, and after the war took decided ground against the contraction of the currency, and the substitution of the national bank issues in place of the United States greenback currency. He held that our prosperity depends upon protection of American industry, and a purely national currency adequate to the productive power of the people. [HLC 1877, 189]
In early manhood, Colonel McComb worked as a cabinetmaker, and from 1839 until 1843, resided at Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1851 he entered upon the study of law, his opportunities never having been such as to permit him to follow his natural inclinations until thirty years of age. He was admitted to the bar in 1853 and to practice in the Superior Courts of the United States in 1861. He was an intimate friend of the Hon. Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War in Lincoln's administration, and it was he who introduced Colonel McComb into the U. S. courts at Washington, D. C. Ill health finally compelled him to give up professional life. He was much interested in public affairs and early embraced the principles of the Republican party. In 1853 he was first elected to the State Legislature, was re-elected in 1855 and again in 1856. The record of his work while serving as the representative of the people's interests makes a long story and one full of interest. As chairman of the committee on Ways and Means, he had occasion to look into the subject of taxation, and his trained legal mind soon discovered the in-justice of many of the statutes, and he henceforth made it his care to bring before the legislative body bills to correct many of the existing evils. It was Robert B. McComb who was the father of the Sunday liquor law.
During the early part of the Civil War, Colonel McComb was a strong supporter of the administration, and in 1862 he entered the Union army, as colonel of the Fourteenth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, and later was commissioned colonel of the Fifty-fifth Regiment. He served with distinction and always took pride in his military record. He was a personal friend of Governor Pollock and served on his staff. In local affairs he was particularly interested in the public schools and served on educational boards. Following his death, the Bar Association of New Castle, Pennsylvania, of which he was the Nestor, met and passed resolutions and made speeches in eulogy of their honored comrade.
At the age of seventeen years he began to learn the trade of a cabinet-maker, and in 1839 went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he remained until 1843, when he returned to New Castle, Pennsylvania. In 1851, he undertook the study of law under the direction of D. B. Kurtz, and was admitted to the bar in 1853. During the same year he was elected to the lower branch of the Legislature. In 1855 he was re-elected, and at the organization of the House was made chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means. His position on this committee caused him to examine the revenue system of the state, and the inequality of our mode of taxation; he then first conceived the idea of abolishing the tax on real estate for state purposes, and proposed to make up the deficiency in the revenue by levying a tax on the gross receipts of railroad companies, reasoning that real estate had to bear the burden of local taxation, which was enough on that class of property. The tax on real estate was ultimately abolished. During this session he also drafted the Sunday Liquor Law. In 1856 he was again re-elected. He was a Republican, and held that our prosperity depended upon the protection of American industries, and a purely national currency, adequate to the productive power of the people. In 1862 he served as colonel of the 14th Reg. Pa. Vol. Militia Inf., and in 1863 was at the head of the 55th Reg. Pa. Vol. Inf.