Samuel McCord Linn (Chambersburg, PA)

Photo of Samuel McCord Linn. Courtesy of Findagrave.com

Samuel McCord Linn (Nov 18, 1822 – Aug 14, 1905)

Biography

• Name: Samuel McCord Linn
• Birth: November 18, 1822 Crane's Neck, Madison Township, Perry Co., PA
• Death: August 14, 1905 Chambersburg, PA

At his home on East Market Street on Monday evening at 5 o'clock Samuel M. Linn, one of the most prominent business men of Chambersburg, passed away after a long illness. In the early hours of the day he asked a watcher at his bedside how long it would be until his sufferings were at an end. Receiving the reply he said, "Oh, how I'll welcome the time."

As president of the National Bank of Chambersburg he was, perhaps, as well known as any individual in banking circles in this section of the state. For forty-seven years he had been a member of its board of directors and since 1889 its president, succeeding the late William Chambers. Banking people said that as the head of the institution he was conservative, careful and in all respects trustworthy. He knew every detail of the business and grasped situations and conditions with a certainty that stamped him as a leader in the financial life of the community.

Out of respect to the memory of Mr. Linn, the bank building was draped in black and would remain so for a period of 30 days. There was no immediate action toward the selection of a president of the bank, Hon. W. Rush Gillan, the vice president, acting as the presiding officer in the interim.REF NEEDED from F/G Judge Gillan would be elected president in September, resigning in January 1906 due to his judicial duties.

Mr. Linn's business connections were many. He was a stockholder in many local institutions and for about twenty years was president of the Chambersburg gas company. He was also president of the board of trustees of the Chambersburg Academy and was president of the Franklin Mutual Fire Insurance Company from 1879 until 1904, when he declined re-election because of failing health. He was for many years a member of Falling Spring congregation and was a member of the board of trustees for a long term. Upon the death of Colonel T.B. Kennedy, Mr. Linn was elected president of the board, which position he filled at the time of his death not being able, however, to formally occupy the position.

Samuel M. Linn was born at Crane's Neck, Madison township, Perry County, November 18, 1822, just two years after the county was separated from Cumberland County. On January 10, 1849, he married Miss Martha Jane Brown, daughter of Stephen O. Brown, Esq. of Franklin County, who was born near Fort Loudon, Franklin County, March 1, 1825. To this union were born two daughters, Margaretta B. Linn, born June 25, 1851, and died April 8, 1879, and Annie Mary Linn, born September 29, 1857, and died January 23, 1893. Neither of these daughters was married. For four years he was engaged with his brother John A. Linn at Landisburg, Perry County in merchandising. After that he went to Philadelphia, in September 1849, and was there as salesman in a wholesale house on Market Street, until July 1851.

Samuel M. Linn was the grandson of pioneer divine Rev. John Linn who was born in Adams County, Pennsylvania, in 1749. Rev. Linn's father was also John Linn, born in 1720 in Ireland. Rev. John Linn graduated at Nassau Hall in 1773, studying theology under the Rev. Dr. Robert Cooper and was licensed by the Presbytery of Donegal in December 1776, and soon after was ordained and installed as pastor of the congregations in Sherman's Valley, in Cumberland, now Perry County. Shortly thereafter he married Mary Gettys, a daughter of the founder of Gettysburg.

In January 1862, he bought an interest in the grain, coal and forwarding business of David Oaks of Chambersburg, and continued in partnership with Mr. Oaks until July, 1866, when he purchased his partner's share in the business and conducted it himself until April 1868, when he took as a partner R.E. Coyle. Linn & Coyle conducted the business until 1890 when John A. Diehl was admitted to the firm. The firm operated at Chambersburg, Marion and Richmond Furnace. Later a partnership was formed between S.M. Linn, R.E. Coyle, John A. Diehl and E.B. Diehl, and they conducted a coal and grain businesses at Chambersburg, Marion, Lehmaster, Richmond and East Fayetteville. Mr. Linn retired from the firm in the early nineties. In November 1858, he was elected a director of the Bank of Chambersburg while still in business in St. Thomas and served continually as a director, with the exception of one year, when he was compelled in 1864 to go out of the bank because of a state law and the fact that the institution was then chartered under the state banking statutes. In 1889 he was elected president of the bank. In politics Mr. Linn was always a Republican and his church affiliations were always with the Presbyterian denomination.

On Thursday afternoon, August 17th, the funeral of the late Samuel M. Linn took place from the family residence on East Market Street. Rev. Samuel J. McLanahan, of Lawrenceville, New Jersey, was in charge assisted by Rev. Dr. J. Agnew Crawford, pastor emeritus of Falling Spring Presbyterian Church. Four nephews of Mr. Linn were the active pallbearers and the directors and cashier of the National Bank of Chambersburg the honorary pallbearers. Trustees of the Falling Spring Church and officials of the Franklin County Mutual Insurance Company attended the services, which were simple but impressive.

Bank Officer Summary

During his banking career, Samuel M. Linn was involved with the following bank:

• Bank of Chambersburg: Director 1858
• National Bank, Chambersburg, PA (Charter 593): President 1889-1905

$5 Series 1882 Brown Back bank note with pen signatures of J.S. McIlvaine, Cashier and S.M. Linn, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

Sources

• Samuel McCord Linn on Findagrave.com
• Banks & Bankers Historical Database (1782-1935), https://spmc.org/bank-note-history-project