PHILIP McGUIRE
Philip McGuire, of Forestport, Oneida County, died October 15, 1894. There was no man in Forestport and few in the county, in fact, who had more thoroughly impressed the community with their character and usefulness. His life of unusual success had been so gradually developed that he had grown to be a marked business man without ostentatious demonstrations or slow in the conduct of his large and varied business affairs. Philip McGuire began life a poor young man, with nothing but his own merits as a resource. He possessed honesty, ambition, and strong capabilities which, against many obstacles won for him more than an ordinary achievement of success.
He came from Ireland to this country at twenty years of age and engaged at farm work at Johnstown, N. Y., for about two years. He then went to Hawkinsville, town of Boonville, where he served two years as a laborer in a tannery. This was followed by a year's experience in lumbering at Lyon's Falls, N. Y. It was immediately after this experience that Mr. McGuire settled permanently in Forestport and entered the lumber business, at first on a moderate scale. This was about 1863. He was born February 2, 1837, and was therefore about twenty-six years old when he began his business career at Forestport. For the first three years his line of industry was confined mostly to the getting out of bark and logs. Later in 1866 he began getting out spars, which were shipped by canal to New York and sold for ship masts and similar uses. This proved to be profitable business and was continued during his life.
In addition to this, he, in 1874, built the grist mill on the east side of the river at Forestport, which he conducted in connection with a large feed store. At the end of three years he sold the mill to W. R. Stanburgh, and in 1881 built another on the west side of the river. This latter mill he conducted till 1886 when he sold it to George Farley.
Soon after this Mr. McGuire built near the village a large wood pulp mill, which proved to be one of the stable manufacturing industries of the town. This property was sold in 1896. In 1892 he purchased a tannery at Bardwelltown in the town of Remsen, which he also operated until the time of his death.
Besides attending to these many enterprises he yet found time to accept in 1889 the contract for building the State dam on the Black River above Forestport. This involved the expenditure of over $45,000. In the mean while he built and put in operation a large hub factory, the mill owned since 1893 by the Forestport Lumber Company. These various industries furnished employment to a large force of men and contributed in a large degree to the prosperity of Forestport and vicinity. His various lumber interests grew to such an extent that at the time of his death he owned 50,000 acres of timber land, extending many miles north from Forestport. And aside from these Mr. McGuire derived great pleasure from carrying on his large farm of 300 acres, lying adjacent to the village. On this farm he kept as many as 125 cows and twenty-five horses, with large numbers of stock fatted for the market. It was his large capacity to carry on at the same time the many different business enterprises that brought his marked success and make him more valuable to the community he lived. He was always an earnest Republican and took a keen interest in the party's success. He never sought office because his mind and time were occupied with business affairs.
In 1864 Mr. McGuire married Mary A. Coughlin, daughter of John and Catherine Coughlin, of the town of Boonville. Mrs. Coughlin died in 1891; Mr. Coughlin is still living.
Mr. and Mrs. McGuire have had seven children: Anna, Catherine, Mary, Frank, Grace, Frances, and Bertha. Anna died in 1882. Frank was educated at Manhattan College, and Mary, Grace and Frances are graduates of St. Peter's Academy, Rome, N. Y.
Pages 62-64