This week for Fun Facts, I thought I would write about a well known individual to whom I am distantly related but whom also lived in my maternal grandfather's home which I found out when searching the censuses for family homes.
William Thomas Piper was born in 1881 in Cattaraugus county, New York. After graduating from Harvard in 1903, he went on to the Army Corps of Engineers during WW1 and the also worked in the oil fields of Pennsylvania. While living in Bradford, PA, he became interested in aviation and purchased a bankrupt aircraft company which was later renamed Piper Aircraft Company and moved to Lock Haven, PA. It was here, in 1938, that the famous bright yellow Piper Cub J-3 was introduced. William Piper is often called the "Henry Ford of Aviation" because of the Cub. The company was highly successful for many years. William Piper died in 1970 and is buried on a hilltop in Highland Cemetery above Lock Haven, Pa.
So how did I find out that William Piper and I were related? I've always been interested to know how old various family homes were and who else may have lived in them before my ancestor. I was never sure exactly when my grandfather moved into 9 West Walnut St in Lock Haven, Pa, so I began by searching the 1940 census for the address. I found it fairly quickly and was very surprised by the name of the residents at that time. It appears that William T Piper's son Howard was head of household and Howard's wife Helen and father William were living there also. It shows the family as renting the residence for $40. This was for a first floor 2 bedroom, 1 bath, living & dining rooms and small kitchen residence. The residence was one of a double house with the other residence accessed by steps to the 2nd story. The census also lists William as widowed. He was working 70 hours a week as a manager and engineer. His son working as an engineer with him. In 1935, the family was living in Bradford, PA.
At some point after 1942 when my grandmother died, but before 1949 when my mom graduated from high school, my grandfather bought the building, living on the first floor and renting out the second floor. He owned this home until the early 1970's. Since I've found out about this well known occupant of my grandfather's home, I have often wondered what kind of conversations were had there. Were they planning the future of the eventually very successful company into the wee hours in grandad's living room? It is fascinating to think about. I wonder what my own dad would have thought of this connection to aviation history. He earned his own pilot's license when he was 16 years old and very likely flew a few Piper Cubs. I flew with him in other Piper aircraft when I was young.
Humble beginnings.
But this discovery led me to look at William Piper's ancestry. Just for fun, but I eventually found out that we were 9th cousins 3 times removed. We share my 11th great grandfather and William Piper's 8th great grandfather, Christopher Osgood who was born in 1571in England.
I love these rabbit holes.
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