by Fred Hauck

       Joseph Emory Gearhart still has descendants living in Clearfield, Pennsylvania, where he operated the Gearhart Knitting Machine Company. When the 2001 CSMSA Conference was held in Clearfield, planners of the event included an open house, and made sure that descendants of J. E. Gearhart were invited to visit the conference.
        I had the good fortune of meeting Mary E. Dague and her daughter Dinah, grand daughter and great grand daughter of J. E. Gearhart, and had the opportunity to present Mrs. Dague a scarf made on a Gearhart Knitter. Since that time I have met with Mrs. Dague and Dinah to learn more about the Gearhart history. Dinah is interested in documenting Gearhart genealogy and history of the Gearhart Knitting Machine Company. She consented to having her picture taken with  a framed photograph of J. E. Gearhart for use in this newsletter.
       Several of the Gearhart descendants honored the CSMSA Conference with their presence and I thank them for their visit. I hope to continue working with Dinah as we learn more about the operations of the Gearhart Knitting Machine Company. 

       Dinah Dague with a framed photograph of her great great grandfather, Joseph Emory Gearhart.

Above;  Water operated sharpener, hand operated knife sharpener and lamp designed by J. E. Gearhart.