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WHO WAS WHO in PLUM TOWNSHIP
~ Titusville Herald
By H. W. Strawbridge ~ 1950s - 60s

J. G. Proper

Jacob G. Proper, a lifelong resident of Diamond, was born Jan.3, 1820. He was the second son of Daniel and Margaret Archer Proper, and spent his childhood on the homestead south of Diamond.
At an early age Jacob engaged in the lumber business on Tionesta Creek, Forest County, with two of his brothers, John A. Proper and Joseph R. Proper. John had sold a one-third’s interest of an estate near Tionesta to each Jacob and Joseph for $338 a piece. This took in a total of 1013 acres and 78 perches.
They disposed of a lot of this timber tract in 1855, reserving the pine and hemlock timber and also a right of way into the woods. Jacob was in the lumber industry for eight years and succeeded very well. Then he devoted his time and interests in his home village of Diamond.
It was probably during the mid or latter 1840’s that he married Miss Esther Kightlinger, who may have been from the Meadville area. She was born May 30, 1827. They bought over 32 acres of land just below the Diamond Cemetery from Timothy Rose of Cortlandville, N.Y. in 1855 for $500. Jacob built a fine house on the site of the present Dale Neely house and here the family lived for many years. (This frame house burned down in 1924).
Across the road and up the hill quite a ways (about across from the cemetery), there was either an old well or a spring. It was on land now owned by H.D. Shriver. Jacob dug a ditch from his house up to this source of water, crossing the road, and laid a pine log water line. These logs were six or seven inches in diameter and were bored out in the center. This served for many years. Up until a very few years ago one could still see the end of one of these hollowed logs in the side of the ditch by Mr. Shriver’s front yard where it crossed the road.
Jacob and Esther were the parents of three children, as follows: Mrs. Melvina J. Homan, born June 10, 1850; Warren W. Proper, born Dec. 11, 1853; and Mrs. Flora A. Thompson, born Feb. 3, 1860.
Melvina had married Henry Homan of Oakland Township in 1870, and they lived in Diamond. They had four children, three of whom reached maturity. Melvina died in Diamond on April 5, 1882.
Warren married Miss Samantha Luce and they had seven children. Samantha, a devoted Free Methodist member, died in 1905, and Warren later married Miss Margaret Turner. Three children were born of this union. The only descendent of Warren’s family in the Diamond area today is Warren W. Proper, Jr. who lives with his family between Diamond and Troy Center. Warren, Sr., died Feb. 23, 1924.
Flora married Thomas D. Thompson in 1883. They had four children. One and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Marion C. Thompson of Diamond, have the nice photograph of J.G. Proper shown in this sketch. Flora died July 27, 1951, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Genevieve Smith in Jamestown, N.Y. She was 91 years of age.
Jacob G. Proper at one time owned a one-half interest in the old sawmill at Diamond, located immediately below the bridge. This sawmill with its milldam was build in 1849 by William P. Delong of Warren County on Henry Proper’s land. The agreement was that DeLong was to have one-half interest, and Henry Proper the other half. Around 1855 Jacob G. Proper bought out DeLong’s half and kept it well into the early 1860’s when he sold it to James P. Smith.
Jacob was about six feet tall and was a stoutly built individual. He was quite stylish and was a neat dresser. In fact when he was younger he carried a gold-headed cane with him. He very often lent money to people and had the confidence and esteem of the community in which he lived. He held several positions of trust, having been a justice of the peace for many, many years. Thus did he become commonly known as “Squire Jake” Proper. He was a staunch Republican ever since the founding of that party in the mid 1850’s.
He was the first postmaster of the Diamond postoffice when it was established on June 28, 1870. He undoubtedly kept the postoffice quarters in the Tracy store building. He kept the postmastership for nearly ten years, having been succeeded by J.H. Tracy, whose appointment took effect on Feb. 27, 1880.
Squire Jake Proper held titles to several pieces of land. In 1856 he bought 100 acres northwest of Diamond from William Grove for $1500. In 1890 he sold this to his son, Warren, although Jacob reserved one-half of the oil interests on it during his lifetime.
In 1864 he bought the main portion of the present Homestead Farm from Miss Rebecca Proper for $2000. This (120) acres had been Rebecca’s share of her late father, William Proper’s estate. Squire Jake finally sold it in 1859 to Mr. and Mrs. William C. Kightlinger for $4000.
He also owned a piece of land in the center of Diamond, and in 1870 sold one-half acre to the United Brethren Church trustees, P. Bennehoff, D.D. Proper and Luke Eddy, on which lot they built the first parsonage.
He owned a 10-acre piece west of Diamond which he sold to Joseph M. Proper; a lot in Diamond which he sold to Nancy Churchill (present Grange lot): and the old oil refinery lot south of Diamond which he and Samuel McAlevy purchased from the U.S. collector of Internal Revenue in 1867. The operator of this refinery had not paid his taxes on refined oil and had lost it. Squire Jake bought out McAlevy’s half in 1869m and he sold the lot for $100 in 1878 to Samuel M. Proper. Bud Herb owns this lot today. Squire Jake gave a portion of the present Diamond Cemetery land for burials in 1877. This was on the extreme eastern edge of his home place.
He used to tell younger people in his time of the original graveyard being situated on the present Raymond Kightlinger farm which had 8 or 10 graves. There were a couple of Revolutionary veterans buried there, one of which was undoubtedly his grandfather’s. He also claimed there was another Revolutionary War veteran’s grave under a large tree on the present Lloyd Kightlinger farm, the tree long since gone. All this he told to the late Albert D. Wright, then a young fellow, who in turn told it to this writer a few years ago.
One day Squire Jake was sitting on the porch of either his house or the store. The late Ben Strawbridge, then a young lad, was there too, talking to him. Soon a fellow from the Fauncetown area, who was known as a fine singer, drove through Diamond with his horse and buggy. Squire Jake watched him go by, shook his head, and said to Ben: “Too bad! Too bad! That fellow could have gone places with the voice he’s got”.
Mrs. Esther Proper, Jacob’s wife, was a heavy built woman. She was also quite stylish and dressed neatly. Very little is recalled about her. One little anecdote is told concerning her. One autumn there were no apples at Diamond. She decided to go to the Meadville Area to get some, so she engaged a neighbor lady, Mrs. Susan Cheney (grandmother of Mrs. May Morse of Chapmanville) to look after her children while she went over to visit relatives and fetch back apples for Mrs. Cheney and herself. She apparently didn’t find any because she brought no apples back.
Mrs. Proper died on Sept.2, 1888. Mr. Proper later married a widow, Mrs. Margaret Seely Hindman, who was a sister to Mrs. Joanna Kightlinger of Diamond.
In March, 1889, Mr. Proper sold his home to John Wright for $1700 and he and his second wife moved upon his son, Warren’s farm northwest of Diamond. They lived in a house not far from Warren’s house. After they lived here a few years Squire Jake bought the parsonage lot in Diamond and lived there. Oddly enough he had bought back the lot from the church trustees that he sold to them 24 years before. This is the present Frank Abrams and I.O.O.F. properties.
The son, Warren, sold his father’s house upon his farm to George Smith for $90, and Smith moved it about 1895 to its present location where the Heffern family now lives., or the former Elmer Kaster house.
In January and February, 1893, the Diamond Free Methodist Church organiz3ed, and Squire Jake Proper was one of its charter members. He was one of the three trustees that received the land for the church building that spring from John Wright.
Mr. Proper died Saturday, March 21, 1896 of infirmities of old age in the upstairs of the home of his daughter, Mrs. Flora Thompson – the present Mrs. Florence Fiely house.

Transcribed by Paula Harry
dharry@pa.rr.com

Disclaimer:there may be errors due to transcription of information from both early and late (current contributors) work.