On the maternal side his great grandfathers, Baruch Thayer and John Ager were both soldiers in the American army in the Revolution, so that four great-grandfathers and one great-great grandfather were in the Patriot army during that war. His maternal grandfather, Col. E. Thayer, was a soldier in the War of 1812, and later a colonel of New York State militia.
Mr. Elwell was educated at the Susquehanna Collegiate Institute, at Towanda; Prof. G. R. Barker's school at Germantown, Philadelphia; the Bloomsburg Literary Institute; and Trinity College, Hartford, Conn., in the class of 1870, later receiving the degree of Master of Arts from that institution. Upon completing his college course, he was elected assistant principal of the Fifth street school in Bloomsburg, then just opened. In January 1872, he was made a member of the Normal school faculty, to teach English literature, German and French, remaining there until July 1873, when he resigned to pursue his legal studies, which he had previously begun under his father's tuition.
He was admitted to the bar of Columbia county Sept. 4, 1874, and at once formed a law partnership with Capt. C. B. Brockway, a prominent lawyer with an established practice. This continued for five years. They were counsel for several corporations including the Lackawanna Railroad Company, Mr. Elwell continuing in that capacity until 1893. In 1877 they were among the seven counsel for the defense of Hester, Tully and McHugh, the Molly Maguires charged with the murder of Alexander Rea. After the conviction of these men, and when appeals to the Supreme court and the board of pardons had failed, Tully voluntarily made a written confession to Mr. Elwell, to be published at his request after the execution. It settled beyond question any doubt as to the guilt of these men.
On Oct. 1, 1875, Brockway and Elwell bought the Columbian printing office of H.L. Dieffenbach, and conducted it for four years while still engaging in active law practice, Frank Cooley being the editor. The history of The Columbian appears in the article on newspapers. <The history of The Columbian was not included in the version of the book that I had access to.> Mr. Elwell discontinued active law practice in 1893. He tried many important cases, among them being Cadow vs, the D. L. & W. R. R. Co.; the removal of the Bloomsburg School Board; and Mercur vs. Patrick et al., in Sullivan county, involving title to valuable coal lands. All of these were carried to the Supreme court and won for his clients.
In his boyhood Mr. Elwell began piano lessons, at the age of eleven, and continued them for about six years, including instruction on the pipe organ for two years. At various times he played the organ in a chapel at Mount Airy, was organist of Trinity College and the Church of the Incarnation, Hartford, Conn.; organist of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Bloomsburg, for twenty years, and choirmaster for fifteen years longer. He has been president of several musical organizations, notably the Bloomsburg Choral Society, which gave some public entertainments of a high character. He also conducted and took part in a number of concerts for charitable purposes, but never for pay.
He was one of the organizers of the Philologian Literary Society at the Normal school. While in college he was president of the Parthenon Literary Society, and of the athletic association, and member of the ball nine; college marshal; chairman of the Junior promenade committee; class historian; an editor of the college paper; member of a German and a theatrical club, and member of the Delta Psi fraternity. While a publisher he was a member of the State editorial association, and a delegate from that body to the national convention at Boston in 1890. He was a member of the executive committee of the State Democratic Editorial Association as long as that body existed.
In town matters, Mr. Elwell showed his interest by membership in the town council in 1876-7-8. He was president of the Winona Fire Company in 1882; fire chief of the Bloomsburg fire department in 1883; member of the joint committee of the several fire companies that prepared the rules of the Bloomsburg fire department. In educational matters he was a trustee of the Normal school for fifteen years, has been a director of Bloom school district since 1909, and has been president of the alumni association of the Normal school since 1907. In church matters he was a vestryman of the Episcopal Church from 1878 to 1911, and frequently a delegate to the diocesan convention.
In business matters he was one of the original directors of the Bloomsburg Water Company; a director of the Gas Company, and of Oak Grove Association, and is now a director of the Industrial Building and Loan Association; a member of the corporation of the Hospital; a trustee of the Public Library; a member of the executive committee of the Civic League, and a member of the Historical Society. He was secretary of the Bar Association for thirty years, librarian of the Law Library for ten years, and secretary of the Bloomsburg Centennial committee in 1902. In January 1915, he was elected president of the Bloomsburg Business Men's Association, to serve for one year.
As a toastmaster his services have been frequently sought after, notably at the banquets of the Normal alumni association; at the banquet given by the bar to Colonel Freeze in 1905, and at those of The Wheelmen club held annually for several years; and has been frequently called upon for after-dinner speeches on other occasions. In politics he was secretary of the Democratic county committee; delegate to county and State conventions; for three years a member of the State committee, and in several Presidential campaigns made speeches through the county.
In 1911 he was appointed by Judge Evans a member of a commission to investigate charges of unlawful practices in the procurement of liquor licenses in the county. The report of this commission after investigation was such that it will for a time at least prevent the recurrence of some practices that prevailed for years.
Mr. Elwell was married to Mary A. McKelvy, daughter of Isaiah W. and Elmira [Barton] McKelvy Oct. 26, 1876. They have one son, G. Edward Elwell, Jr., who is in business with his father.
~ Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Volume II, Published by J. H. Beers & Company, 1915, Page 675 & 676.
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