Joseph Gillingham Fell (1816-1878)

He was born into a Quaker family at Mechanicsville, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He was educated at the Friend's School, Buckingham, and Samuel Gummere's school in Burlington. At sixteen yers old, he was sent to Hazelton in Lucerne County where he joined the engineering team run by A. Pardee in the Hazelton Coal Company. In 1840, he and Pardee went into business together, co-founding A. Pardee & Co., and in 1845 Fell moved to Philadelphia where he represented the firm, remaining there until his death in 1878. There, he developed large mining interests in coal and iron before branching into railroads that opened up new regions rich in minerals. He was President of the Lehigh Valley Railroad and a director of many other similar institutions. During the Civil War, he was President of the Union League and his collection and knowledge of modern art saw him become a director of the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts. In 1845, he married Amanda, daughter of John Ruckman, of Buckingham. They lived at 1407 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, and were the parents of two children (listed).