Alpheus Dale (1818-1899): Machinist, Millwright, Mechanicsburg Chief of Police and Constable

Alpheus Dale, born in Centre County, Pennsylvania in 1818,¹ spent the majority of his life in Cumberland County except for at least one excursion to the gold fields of California. Several sources mention that he went to California by wagon in 1849, while a newspaper item indicates that he also began a trip in 1850. The May 30, 1850 edition of Shippensburg’s Weekly News reported that:

“A Telegraphic dispatch was received here a few days ago from Cincinnati stating that Mr. Alpheus Dale, who left here the week before last for California, had been robbed of all his money, and consequently had, with several others of the company, abandoned the idea of going to California, and are pursuing their course to Iowa. It is not stated of what amount Mr. Dale was robbed but it is supposed to be considerable, in as much as he had furnished the money for several of his comrades and doubtless had it still in his possession at the time.”

Dale had married Catharine Thrush,² daughter of Solomon Thrush of Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, and in 1850 they were living in Shippensburg where Dale worked as a machinist.³ By 1860, he and the family had moved to Mechanicsburg where he worked as a millwright.⁴

Dale was “by vocation a machinist and bridge builder,”⁵ and he also held elected offices in Mechanicsburg.⁶ The local newspapers reported an accident that he had in 1867 while in the line of duty.

PAINFUL ACCIDENT. “We unintentionally failed to notice in our last, a serious accident that happened to our townsman, Mr. Alpheus Dale, chief of police. On Monday of last week, he started from (here) in charge of a market car to Philadelphia, and on arriving at Columbia, about half-past three o’clock, the train stopped, and Mr. D. got off his car. In attempting to get on while the train was in motion, his hold slipped from the iron support fixed on the car, and he was thrown down along side of the track, on his face, with his right foot on the track. Two wheels of the car passed diagonally across the front portion of his foot, crushing it terribly. He was brought home on Tuesday, and Dr. P. H. Long, the physician in attendance, amputated the great toe several days afterwards. He still suffers great pain and is very much prostrated from the effects of his injuries.”⁷

Dale’s wife, Catharine, died in 1871. Dale, Catharine and their son Thomas J. are buried in Chestnut Hill Cemetery in Upper Allen Township. On March 30, 1875, Dale married Lydia E. Gardner at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mechanicsburg.⁸

On June 30, 1899, Dale, who suffered from heart trouble, “was seized with an attack while sitting in Pierce’s cigar store on Strawberry Avenue.”⁹ He died on July 7, 1899. Because his son, Dr. James A. Dale, was a prominent and wealthy resident of York, Pennsylvania, the following obituary appeared in York’s Gazette newspaper on July 10:

“Dr. Dale’s Father Dead. Alpheus Dale, father of Dr. James A. Dale, of York, died at his home at Mechanicsburg at 10:45 o’clock Friday night, in his 81^st year. He was stricken with paralysis on June 30 and became semiconscious, in which condition he remained until relieved by death. His son, Dr. James A. Dale, of this city, was on a trip to Duluth, Minnesota, and points of interest in the Northwest, when the fatal attack manifested itself. Efforts were made to communicate with him by wire, but he could not be reached until Wednesday, July 5, when he immediately started east. Dr. Dale arrived at Mechanicsburg four hours before the death of his father. Deceased is survived by a widow and two sons and two daughters. He was a pioneer in the California gold excitement, having crossed the country by wagon in 1849 in search of the precious metal. By vocation he was a machinist and bridge builder. In politics he was an old time Whig and later a Republican, in which party he took an active interest, He was born in Union county. For many years he led a retired life at Mechanicsburg.”