Clay W. Evans (1844-1918), was a veteran of the Civil War and the Indian Wars. He was a successful Schuylkill County businessman who served his community as a public official – as county sheriff and as a member of the Pennsylvania Legislature – in addition to serving as a member and president of the St. Clair Borough Council and a member and president of its school board. He died in September 1918.
_______________________________________________
From the Pottsville Republican and Herald, September 20, 1918:
Death of Former Sheriff
Pottsville, September 20 [1918] – Ex-Sheriff Clay W. Evans died at his home at St. Clair during the night after suffering for some time with a complication of diseases. He was about 75 years of age and was a veteran of the Civil War, ex-Sheriff of the county, and several times a candidate for Congress upon the Republican ticket. He was well-known throughout the entire county and for years was identified with every public movement for the welfare of his fellow men. He served a term as Sheriff of the county from 1907 to 1911, and made an enviable record as a public official. To survive he leaves his wife, who was a sister of the late Robert Allison, of Port Carbon, and two sons, C. M. Evans and Robert Evans.
_______________________________________________
From the Pottsville Republican, September, 1918:
Funeral of Major W. Evans
The funeral of Major Clay W. Evans, of St. Clair, who died the latter part of last week, was held this afternoon from his late home at St. Clair, the funeral being largely attended by friends of the deceased major, who for years held a prominent social and political position in the history of the town. The services at the house were conducted by Rev. Benjamin, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and were attended by a number of the well known political representatives of the county. Following the services the funeral party proceeded to Pottsville by auto where interment was made in the Charles Baber Cemetery. The bearers were H. M. Berger; E. C. Boone; J. M. Boone; Robert A. Brooks; H. L. Daddow; and Thomas I. Thomas. Undertaker Morgans had charge.
____________________________________________
From Schuylkill County Biography, pages 501-501:
Hon. Clay W. Evans, ex-member of the State Legislature from the Fourth District of Schuylkill County, is a son of Thomas W. Evans and Eliza [Tomlinson] Evans, and was born in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, February 10, 1844.
The Evans family are of Welsh descent, but at an early date removed to the United States and settled in Eastern Pennsylvania. Here, in Chester County, now West Chester, Thomas W. Evans, father of Clay W. Evans, was born on November 23, 1821, the son of Lot Evans and Phebe [Baldwin] Evans. Grandfather Evans was a native of Berks County, and in 1824 took up a residence at Catawissa Furnace, Northumberland County. From here he removed in 1829 to Pottsville, and thence in 1932, to St. Clair, same county, where he died in 1858, at the age of seventy-one years. During the early years of his life, he was engaged as a clerk; but upon his removal to Catawissa he erected a forge, a furnace and a grist-mill, and these continued to occupy his attention while he remained there. During his stay in Pottsville, he was in the employ of the Miners National Bank, and continued in that relation until his removal to St. Clair, when he became a superintendent of when of the collieries owned by Mr. Nicholas. In 1853, he was engaged as a clerk by Mr. Whitfield, and continued several years. In the latter part of his life he was town clerk for a time, and was also elected to the office of justice of the peace. He was a Whig and Republican in politics, a Quaker in religious faith, and had a family of six children, four sons and two daughters.
Thomas W. Evans came to St. Clair with his father in 1832, and has resided there continuously since that time, with the exception of four years, 1850 to 1854. His occupation through life has been that of a stationary engineer, in which business he has been engaged for a period of fifty years. He is the oldest resident of the borough of St. Clair, and has been witness to many changes both in the borough and county. His marriage took place on April 14, 1843, his wife being a daughter of Benjamin Tomlinson and Margaret Tomlinson of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania.
This union was blest with a family of four children:
Clay W. Evans, subject;
Charles E. Evans, married to Matilda Schoener, and at present a resident of St. Joseph, Missouri, a tin-smith by trade;
Horace Evans, married to Ella Welsh (deceased) of Pottsville, a resident of St. Clair;
Harry T. Evans, married to Caroline Saylor, of Pottsville and now living in Frackville, where he is engaged in the mercantile business.
Clay W. Evans was two years of age when his father removed to Pottsville, and when the latter went to St. Clair with his family, Clay was placed in the public schools at that place. During the summer months he worked in the mines as a slate packer, and the remainder of the year he spent in school. He continued this dual arrangement for a period of three years, when in 1857 he was employed in the grocery store of Walter Sedgwick. He continued in the latter position until the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, when he ran away from home, went to Harrisburg and enlisted in Company F, 7th Regiment, Pennsylvania Cavalry [7th Pennsylvania Cavalry], for three years. His mother, however, induced him to return home, but he again enlisted in Company B, 129th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, and served for a period of nine months. At the expiration of this time he re-enlisted in Company G, 48th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry [48th Pennsylvania Infantry], for three years. At the Battle of Spotsylvania, he was twice wounded. Subsequently he was taken to Wilmington, Delaware, and shortly afterward went to Washington City, was examined by the military board and received a commission as Second Lieutenant in the 31st Regiment, United States Colored Troops. He served in the Armies of the James, the Potomac, and the Rio Grande, and was finally discharged in December, 1865, with the rank of Captain. During his service he participated in the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness, Spotsylvania, the engagements in front of Petersburg, Poplar Grove Church, Five Forks, and all the other engagements in the Army of the Potomac, down to the surrender of General Lee at Appomattox. After the surrender of Lee he immediately went to Texas, as an officer of the regular army, to take part in quelling some Indian disturbances along the Rio Grande. He was mustered out at Hartford, Connecticut. After his return home, he was, July 21, 1873, commissioned Captain of Company K, 7th Regiment , Pennsylvania National Guard and mustered out on July 31, 1878. He was also aide-de-camp on staff of General Sigfried, former commander of the 3d Brigade, National Guard of Pennsylvania, and was appointed ordnance officer and inspector of rifle practice, with the rank of major in the same brigade on February 8, 1881. He resigned in August, 1883. After his return from the War of the Rebellion, Mr. Evans entered the employ of Boone and Keiter, as a clerk, and continued for a number of years. In May, 1872, he engaged in the mercantile business, which he still continues, dealing extensively in dry goods and groceries.
Politically, he is a Republican of the staunchest type, and as such served as a member of the borough council for two terms, and president one term. He has also been a member and president of the school board, and in the years 1879-1880, was a member of the Pennsylvania State Legislature from the Fourth District of Schuylkill County. During the Blaine campaign he was elected an alternate delegate to the national delegate to the national convention of the Republican Party. Fraternally, he is a member of Anthracite Lodge, No. 285, F. and A. M., of which he is Past Master; Mountain City Chapter, No. 196, R. A. M.; Constantine Commandery, No. 41, Knights Templar; Mineral Lodge, No. 285, I. O. O. F., of which he is Past Grand, and of John Ennis Post No. 47, G. A. R., of which he is Past Commander.
Mr. Evans was united in marriage with Emily E. Allison, a daughter of Joseph Allison and Elizabeth Allison of St. Clair, Pennsylvania, on September 3, 1866. They have three children:
Carl M. Evans, in Denver, Colorado;
Guy H. Evans; and
Robert A. Evans.
_________________________________________________________
News items from Newspapers.com.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.
[PA007-C]; [PA048-I]; PA129-I]; [US-031-CT].
[African American]; [Indians].