John Beatty BRATTON

1816 - 1892  (76 years)

• Name	John Beatty BRATTON
  Christened	17 Sep 1815	Mifflintown, Juniata Co., PA
  Born	1816	Mifflintown, Juniata Co., PA   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Census	1850	Carlisle, Cumberland Co., PA
  	John B 34 Sarah A 26 Edmund 5
  Census	1860	Carlisle, Cumberland Co., PA
  	John B. 41 Mary E. 28 Edmund 15 Laura 8 Mary 1
  Census	1870	Carlisle, Cumberland Co., PA
  	John B. 51 Mary Ellen 34 Laura L. 17 Mary R. 11 John B. 5
  Died	28 Apr 1892  [2, 3]
  		Will of John B. Bratton
  Buried	Ashland Cemetery, Cumberland Co., PA
  Person ID	I9810	Primary
  Last Modified	26 Oct 2019

  
  

  Father	William BRATTON,   d. Bef 1820
  Mother	Lucretia GALLAHER,   b. Abt 1777,   d. 1851  (Age ~ 74 years)
  Family ID	F2825	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family 1	Sarah Ann BOYD,   b. 29 Mar 1818,   d. 08 Oct 1854  (Age 36 years)
  Children	1. Edmund E. BRATTON,   b. Abt 1847,   d. 27 Apr 1917  (Age ~ 70 years)   2. Laura BRATTON,   b. Abt 1852
  Last Modified	5 Jun 2008
  Family ID	F6305	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family 2	Mary Ellen BOYD,   b. 1832,   d. 13 Mar 1893  (Age 61 years)
  Married	1 Jan 1857
  Children	1. Elizabeth Lucretia BRATTON,   b. 05 Mar 1858,   d. 21 Jun 1858  (Age 0 years)   2. Mary Risk BRATTON,   b. 28 Jun 1860,   d. 7 Aug 1919  (Age 59 years)   3. Bessie BRATTON + 4. John Brisbane BRATTON,   b. 3 Jun 1865, Carlisle, Cumberland Co., PA ,   d. 19 Aug 1921  (Age 56 years) + 5. Georgia Boyd BRATTON,   b. 2 Aug 1870,   d. 31 May 1918  (Age 47 years)
  Last Modified	12 Oct 2010
  Family ID	F2817	Group Sheet

  
  

• Stories

  Attempted Homicide in the Hall and during the Session of the House of Representatives at Harrisburg John Bratton attacked in Capitol

  
  

  Homes

  John's house on South Bedford in Carlisle

  
  

• Sources

  [S115] FHC, IGI (Reliability: 0). [S275] NEWS: Sentinel (Reliability: 3), 29 Apr 1892. John B. Bratton Dead Cumberland County's Veteran Journalist Passes Away Printer, Editor, Postmaster, Private Citizen His Career in Harrisburg and Carlisle Forty Years a Journalist - Thirty Three Years a Carlisle Editor - His Busy Life John B. Bratton, the veteran Cumberland county journalist and one of Carlisle's most distinguished citizens died at his home on South Bedford street, at 2:30 pm, yesterday, aged 76 years. His death was due to heart failure. He had been ill for some weeks but had improved. Sunday a week ago he was taken with a severe attack of vertigo which made his condition serious. On Monday he had a slight paralytic stroke and his death followed from heart failure. He was conscious to the last although extremely weak, and he passed away without a struggle. Sketch of His Life He was a native of Mifflintown, Juniata County and learned printing in the office of the Juniata Free Press. He worked for seven years at this trade and then went to Harrisburg where in 1829 in connection with the late William Henlock, he established the State Capital Gazette, which was continued until 1843, when it and one or two other papers were merged into the Democratic Union, which was published by Henlock, Bratton, and Henlock, until 1845. The Union was then sold to several gentlemen and became what is now the Harrisburg Patriot,and Mr. Bratton, in connection with the late Jerome K. Boyer, purchased the Carlisle American Volunteer. While editor of the Harrisburg Gazette, he was appointed state printer and served three terms. As A Carlisle Journalist About a year after the purchase of the Volunteer, Mr. Bratton purchased Mr. Boyer's interest and assumed entire control. In 1865, he took another partner in the person of William B. Kennedy. In 1871, Mr. Bratton bought back Mr.Kennedy's interest and conducted the business alone until in 1877 when he sold the paper to Hon. S. M. Wherry and retired to private life. It was as editor of the Volunteer that Mr. Bratton achieved his greatest success. FOr thirty years he was the leading figure in journalism in this county and he made that newspaper one of the most influential county weeklies in the state. His ability as an editor was beyond question. He was a keen, incisive writer, by times bitter, yet at all times a man of the people, and his bold, fearless course gave him such a hold upon the citizens of his county as falls to the lot of few men. In Public Life But during these busy years his time was not devoted to his paper alone. He figured prominently in politics as well as local affairs, and was for years a member of the council and at one time president of the council. He was appointed postmaster at Carlisle by President Pierce and was continued in office by President Buchanan. In 1867 he was a candidate for state senator but failed to secure the nomination and afterwards was several times in the field for congress with no better success. In His Busy Days But the history of Mr. Bratton's career is closely identified with the history of his newspaper, the Volunteer. For many years it was issued fro the Graham building, on South Hanover street; than in order to secure for it a permanent home he built Bratton's row, a three story brick structure situated in the rear of the market house. While that was in the course of erection the composing rooms were temporarily in a little frame building back in the Franklin house, and the press rooms where R. H. Owen's marble works are now situated. In the autumn of 1868, the new building was completed and the plant removed into the second story where ti remained as long as Mr. Bratton retaiend teh ownership. During those busy years, he had as contemporaries suchmen as A. Boyd Hmailton, Theophilus Fee, John W. Forney, Geeeroge Sanderson, George W. Bowman, H. J. Stahle, Geo. Bergner, E. Beatty, R. W. Middleton, A. K. McClaure and B. F. Myers, many of which names have now passed into history. He was an ultra democrat, bold and fearless and often indifferent as to results. His war experience is an example. In these troubulous days when party spirit ran high, Mr. Bratton wielded his pen with a freedom that was remarkable, if not judicious, and as a result on one occasion his course was so offensive that his newspaper office was broken into at night by Gen. Anderson's troops and his newspaper forms chopped to fragments on the press. About a week later his paper made its appearance as usual. In Private Life With his retirement from journalism came his retirement to private life. For fourteen years he has lived quietly at his South Bedford street home although he continued to take an active interest in local enterprises and held may offices of trust. He was for many years a leadign member of the Carlisle school board and for a tie its president, was a director in the Gas and Water company, a director in the Deposit Bank, president of the Carlisle Land association and one of the directors of the Hamilton Library. In all of these he exhibited the sterling integrity and good business qualities that were characteristic of him in his private affairs. In person, Mr. Bratton was tall, well built, of fine presence and good address. He leaves a wife and five children. He was twice married, his first wife being the daughter of the late James Boyd, and his second wife the daughter of George W. Boyd, of Harrisburg. Funeral services will be held on Saturday at 2 p.m., interment at Ashland Cemetery. [S247] Newspaper Clipping, 2 May 1892. Patriot (Harrisburg, PA) Funeral of a Journalist The funeral of John B. Bratton, the veteran journalist, took place in Carlisle on Saturday afternoon at two o'clock, interment being made at Ashland Cemetery. Quite a number of Harrisburgers were in attendance. Mr. Bratton was a member of the Second Presbyterian Church.