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| John Blair Linn was born at Lewisburg, Penn., October 15, 1831, and inherited
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| his inclination to genealogy and local history from his father, James F. Linn,
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| whose memorandums and newspaper files were the sources from which much of
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| whatever is valuable in the "Annals of Buffalo Valley" was derived. He was
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| prepared for college at the Lewisburg Academy, under John Robinson, Esq., late
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| of the Philadelphia Bar; entered Marshall College at Mercersburg, Penn., in May,
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| 1846 (sophomore class), half advanced, where he graduated at the age of
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| seventeen in the same class with the Hon. Charles A. Mayer, some years ago
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| president judge of Clinton and Centre counties. He read law in his father's
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| office, and was admitted to the Bar September 16, 1851. The years 1852 and 1853
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| he spent in Sullivan county, which had just been opened out, where he was
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| elected district attorney. He returned to Union county in 1854, where he
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| practiced his profession until his removal to Bellefonte, in April 1871. On
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| April 10, 1873, he was appointed deputy secretary of the Commonwealth by the
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| Hon. M.S. Quay, and May 15, 1878, upon the resignation of Mr. Quay, he was
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| commissioned Secretary of the Commonwealth, in which incumbency he remained
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| until after Gov. Hoyt was inaugurated, and then returned to Bellefonte. Mr.
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| Linn and Dr. Egle were made editors of the Second Series of Pennsylvania
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| Archives, the publication of which was recommended by Gov. Hartranft in his
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| annual message, January 7, 1874, and they were issued in twelve volumes, under
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| Mr. Quay's supervision. In 1879 Mr. Linn published the "Annals of Buffalo
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| Valley," a local work embracing the history of Union county principally. It is
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| a book of 620 pages, replete with interest, though largely local, and involved
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| an immense amount of painstaking labor. While he was Secretary of the
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| Commonwealth, there was published under his direction "Duke of York's laws,
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| 1676-82; and Laws of the Province, 1682-1700." In 1882 he edited a "History of
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| Centre and Clinton counties" in a handsome volume of nearly 700 pages, which has
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| preserved all that is of value of "Men and things in these counties" in a
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| readable and entertaining shape. Mr. Linn has not only inherited from his
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| father his inclination to genealogy and local history, but also that same
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| methodical and systematic manner of looking after his business affairs, and that
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| same sense of right, justice and honor and Christian manhood-characteristic of
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| his father-is posses by him. He is an exemplary citizen, known and beloved by
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| all. His work in the line of history and genealogy has been one of labor and
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| love-he being fond of research and investigation. He possesses that love of
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| books, and a literary taste that has been characteristic of a distinguished
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| ancestry. He is identified with the Presbyterian Church. Politically he is a
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| Republican. During the war of the Rebellion he was a patriot, and served his
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| country.
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| Mr. Linn was twice married; (first) October 22, 1857 to Julia J. Pollock,
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| born February 2, 1831, daughter of F. W. Pollock, of Milton, Penn., and their
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| children were: Sarah P. G., born April 9, 1859; and Bessie W., born September
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| 13, 1860. Was married (second) to Mary E.D. Wilson, daughter of Samuel Hunter
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| and Mary Benner Wilson, and their children are: Mary H., born July 26, 1869, and
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| Henry Sage, born January 18, 1873, at Bellefonte, Penn. The latter is a member
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| of the Society of Cincinnati. He is associated in the office with his father
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| under whom he is preparing himself for the profession of the law. A well-
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| educated, bright, genial and affable young man, he surely has before him a
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| promising future.
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