Rash's Surname Index
Notes for John Black PACKER
John B. Packer, son of Samuel J. Packer, was born March 21, 1824, at Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa., and received an excellent education, principally at Sunbury Academy, then recently established and under the charge of two classical scholars, men of thorough culture and great ability as teachers. From 1839 to 1842 he was a member of a corps of engineers employed by the State in the survey and construction of public improvements. In 1842 he commenced the study of law under the celebrated Ebenezer Greenough, and was admitted to the Northumberland county bar Aug. 6, 1844. The year following he was appointed deputy attorney general, in which capacity he served three years. Though he attained more than local fame for his ability as a lawyer he was very prominent outside of his profession as well as in legal circles. He was prominent in the organization of and as counsel for many railroad companies launched in his day. In 1851 he assisted in the organization of the Susquehanna Railroad Company, since merged into the Northern Central, and served many years as counsel and one of its directors. It was originally chartered to connect York, Cumberland and Sunbury, and was eventually made a part of the Pennsylvania system. Mr. Packer acted as counsel for the Philadelphia & Erie, the Pennsylvania, the Lackawanna & Bloomsburg and several other railway companies, and was concerned in the sale and reorganization of the railroad properties of the Shamokin Valley & Pottsville railroad; in fact, there were scarcely any cases of the kind of importance in this county - in the litigation resulting from contested land titles and in railroad and other cases - with which he was not professionally connected.
In 1855 Mr. Packer became identified with the Northumberland Bank, of which he was elected president in 1857, serving as such until 1864. That year it was merged into the First National Bank of Sunbury, and Mr. Packer was elected president, continuing to serve in that capacity the remainder of his life. He was also connected as stockholder, director and adviser with the banks of Selinsgrove and Lewisburg Pa. He was one of the largest owners in the state of Pennsylvania. Mr. Packer's public
services formed an important part of his well rounded career. He was a tariff Democrat prior to the formation of the Republican party, and represented his county as such in the State Legislature in 1849-50, serving on important committees both sessions. In 1868 he was elected to Congress, representing the Fourteenth district, and was reelected four times in succession, declining a fifth nomination after receiving it. He was a member of Congress from 1869 to 1877, during which time he did important committee work, the first term as a member of the committee on Banking and Currency, the second on Railroads and Canals (of which he was chairman); the third term on Post Offices and Post Roads (of which he was chairman) and the fourth term on Foreign Affairs. In his public life as in legal practice Mr. Packer always commanded attention as a speaker, his style being lucid and logical, his arguments strong, his eloquence notable on occasion. He died July 7, 1891, honored by all who
had the privilege of his acquaintance, and mourned as a public benefactor whose place was not easy to fill.
On May 22, 1851, Mr. Packer married Mary M. Cameron, who was born July 2, 1831, daughter of William Cameron, of Lewisburg, Pa., and five children were born to their union: William Cameron, Rachel (wife of Ferdinand K. Hill), James Cameron, Mary and Nellie C. The mother survived until Dec. 6, 1905. She was the founder of the Mary M. Packer hospital of Sunbury, named in her honor, an institution that has proved a great blessing to the community, filling a long-felt want. She contributed liberally toward its establishment.
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