By Charles Rathbone Stark

Published 1907 Stark Family Association Yearbook, pages 16 thru 19

S. Judson Stark

Tracing back his line of ancestry in the Stark name, S. Judson Stark of West Pittston, Penn., finds himself seventh in descent from Aaron Stark of New London, Conn., who, in the early days of the New England Colonist, had his place among those rugged and brave men who endured the privations and struggles incident to pioneer life, and who, with his sturdy companions, bore an active part in the bloody Indian was of his day, having fought both in the Pequot war of 1637 and King Philip's war of 1675.

His grandson, Christopher Starke, who was the son of "Deacon" William Starke, moved from Groton, Conn., subsequent to 1754 and located at Oblong, Dutchess County, N. Y. Having in the meantime bought a share in the Susquehanna Purchase, in the spring of 1772, with his three sons, he came into the Wyoming Valley, to enter upon his possessions, where he located at Wilkes-Barre. Thus he became the founder of the Pennsylvania branch of the Stark family and his grave is with us to this day. During the perilous days of the Revolutionary period this family paid its tribute in Service, suffering and blood to the defense of home and country. Both Christopher and his son, James, died before the dreadful Massacre of Wyoming on July 3, 1778: the father dying of old age and the son, enlisting in one of the Independent Companies that was sent to the front, fell a victim to small-pox. Upon that fatal day another son fell under the cruel tomahawk and a grandson escaped, wounded, from the field.

Samuel, the son of James above mentioned, then but seven years of age, was taken by his widowed mother back to her people in Dutchess County, where he grew up and was married, and by his son, Samuel, the subject of our sketch ¾ S. Judson Stark ¾ found parentage, being born in Tunkhannock, Wyoming County, Penn., in the year 1850. Aside from his ancestry of the name he draws his ancestral blood from old and well-known New England pioneer stock, such as the Marcys, the Conants, the Careys, the Hardings, the Gardners, the Baldwins, the Walworths, and the Birdsalls. His wife, Eva W. (Keeney), is also of old Connecticut stock, which had its full representative share in Indiana and Revolutionary wars.

Mr. Stark obtained his early education from the schools of his native place, followed by three years at Wyoming Seminary, Kingston, Penn. He is also an alumnus, but not a graduate, of Dickinson College, Carlisle, Penn., class of 1873, his educational career being finished with a commercial college course in Philadelphia, Penn. entering upon his active business career, he has followed the drug business, the furniture business and that of general merchandise and was also Treasurer and General Manager of the Tunkhannock Toy Co. until the plant was destroyed by fire in 1896, and President of the Tunkhannock Bridge Company for upwards of ten years, when Wyoming County purchased the property. Not given to politics, yet he has served for considerable periods on Town Council and School Boards. As a member of the Methodist Episcopal church he has served many years as steward, trustee, Sunday school superintendent, etc. Masonically he has received all the degrees but the 33:1, and from the blue Lodge to the Commandry he has filled the chairs and conferred the degrees. There are two children only in the family, a son, Samuel G., connected with the International Correspondence Schools of Scranton, Penn., for seven years, and a daughter, Elizabeth, at home.

Leaving his native place some years since to become a resident of the beautiful and historic Wyoming Valley, he located at West Pittston, Penn., where he is now engaged in looking after coal interests, the handling of real estate and acting as Secretary-Treasurer of the Stark Land Company of Pittston, Penn.