Biographical Notices - Irving A. Stearns

IRving Ariel Stearns died at his home, 60 South River St., Wilkes-Barre, Pa., on Tuesday morning, Oct. 5, 1920, of pneumonia, after an illness of about a month. In his death, the Wyoming Valley loses one oflits most eminent and best loved citizens, and the loss of so strong a participant in the activities of the Valley will leave a gap most difficult to fill. Despite his more than three score and fifteen years, Mr. Stearns, at the time of his death, was president of the Wilkes-Barre City Hospital, Wyoming National Bank, and the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society, chairman of the Board of the Vulcan Iron Works, and a director of the Spring Brook Water Supply Co., and of the Wilkes-Barre Lace Manufacturing Co. Mr. Stearns came of New England stock, a descendant in the eighth generation of Charles Stearns who was admitted freeman in Watertown in 1646. Irving Ariel Stearns was born Sept. 12, 1845, in Rushville, N. Y., a son of George W. and Miranda (Tufts) Stearns. He was graduated from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute of Troy, N. Y., in the celebrated Class of 1868. After graduation, he was assistant professor of chemistry in charge of the analytical laboratory for a year, then went to Wilkes-Barre in 1869, as engineer in the office of R. P. Rothwell, at that time the leading mining engineer of the region. From 1871 to 1872, he was superintendent of the McNeal Coal & Iron Co. of Schuylkill County, Pa. and in 1872 succeeded to Mr. Rothwell's business when the latter became editor of the Engineering & Mining Journal of New York. From 1872 to 1885, Mr. stearns was in private practice as a mining engineer, handling a great amount of business in the anthracite region, including the building of the bridges at Shickshinny and Pittston, and the surveying and mapping of many of the individually operated mines. His practice extended throughout the country, with numerous examinations and reports upon mining properties in Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Arkansas, Colorado, California, Wyoming, Idaho and Utah; he was responsible for the design and execution of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Co.'s great Tifft Farm improvements at Buffalo, N. Y. including canals, docks, coal stocking plant, etc. He was commissioned Quartermaster of the Ninth Regiment, N. G. P., March 29, 1880, was promoted to Major on May 15, 1884, and resigned Apr. 1, 1885. He always retained his interest in the National Guard and was trustee and president of the Ninth Regiment Armory Association.