Peter Herdic was an American businessman and inventor. He was a major figure in the development of the lumber industry throughout North Central Pennsylvania.
Background
Peter Herdic was born on December 14, 1824, in Fort Plains, New York, United States, the son of Henry Herdic. His father died when Peter was still an infant and his mother with her seven children moved to Ithaca, New York, in 1826. Four years later upon her second marriage she settled with her family on a farm near Ithaca. Here the boy lived until he was thirteen years old. In 1837 his stepfather died and the family settled on a virgin tract of land on Pipe Creek, New Jersey. Herdic and his brothers cleared and cultivated the land, built a home, and in every way aided in the support of the family.
Education
Peter Herdic attended school for just a few years while he worked on his mother's 50-acre (200, 000 m2) farm.
Career
In 1844 when Peter Herdic was twenty years old he began to work for a lumberman and through earnest application and hard work learned the business and added to his capital as well. Two years later he went to Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, and near Williamsport began the operation of a shingle mill. His earnings in three years enabled him to purchase a farm of 150 acres in the neighborhood and to build a modest home. For the succeeding four years he operated his farm and a steam sawmill as well.
Then in 1853 Herdic moved to Williamsport, and from that time on until his death his seemingly inexhaustible energy was directed toward the development and growth of that city. He purchased hundreds of acres of land on which he erected mills and factories, and he induced manufacturers to establish themselves there. Residences, stores, bank buildings, and hotels rose as if by magic, and municipal projects such as water-works, gas-manufacturing plants, and street-paving jobs became actualities under his guiding hand, especially during his term as mayor following his election in 1869. In 1878 Herdic failed with large liabilities and all of his undertakings in Williamsport had to be abandoned.
Shortly afterward Herdick became interested in city and interurban transportation and turned his attention first to the design of a suitable vehicle. On April 20, 1880, he obtained his first patent for an improved vehicle running-gear and a few months later, on June 8, he patented a fare-collecting box to be used on his proposed coach and cab. He then removed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he organized the Herdic Coach Company and began the construction of coaches and the operation of transport lines. The “Herdic” soon became popular; its inventor continued to improve it, and in a measure his fortune was restored. Unfortunately, however, he met with an accident while on a business trip to New York which caused his death there within a month. He was buried in Williamsport.