Mahlon Munson Searing

NJGenWeb ~ Morris County, New Jersey

Source: History Morris County New Jersey, Volume II, Lewis Publishing Co., 1914

One of the ablest industrial executives of Morris county is Mr. SEARING, owner of the Wharton Textile Company, manufacturers of silk and cotton hosiery, and also superintendent of the Singleton Silk Manufacturing Company of Dover until July 26, 1913. For more than thirty years he has been connected with this line of business, has worked his way up from the bottom, and through his own enterprise has added a great deal to the industrial welfare of Dover and Morris county. He has been connected with the Singleton Company since 1881. The plant had been established only the year before, in 1880, and now through a period of a third of a century has been steadily prospering and manufacturing a product of standard grade and in ready demand over a large territory. The officers of the Singleton Silk Manufacturing Company are: George SINGLETON, president and treasurer; Russell MURRAY, of New York City, vice president; M. M. SEARING, secretary. The company employs about one hundred operatives, while the Wharton Textile Company has about sixty persons on its payroll.

Mahlon Munson SEARING was born at Millbrook, New Jersey, in 1862, son of Martin Van Buren and Emeline (MUNSON) SEARING. Both the parents were also born in New Jersey, and for many years the father was a contractor and builder, associated with his brother, Isaac W. SEARING, in that business. There were only two children: Frank and Mahlon M.

After a common school education, Mahlon M. SEARING took a course in the Magie Private School at Dover, spent two years at Stephens Institute at Hoboken, New Jersey, and took a business course at the Gregory Business College. Having fairly liberal equipment so far as books and schools were concerned, he started in practical life as a grocery clerk, then spent two years with the Morris County Machine Company, and finally in 1881, found an opening with the Singleton Silk Manufacturing Company, where his services have been held in high appreciation ever since. Since July 26, 1913, Mr. SEARING has devoted his entire attention to the conduct of the Wharton Textile Company, which was founded by Mr. SEARING July 1, 1910, for the manufacture of silk and silk and cotton hosiery; the plant is located at Wharton, the output is distributed at present largely in the United States and Canada, but the concern has begun to reach out for foreign trade, and has established a considerable business in the Hawaiian Islands. The business is incorporated, the officers being M. M. SEARING, president; J. Allen CREWS, secretary; M. Augusta SEARING, treasurer.

In 1887 Mr. SEARING married Mary Augusta PYLE, a native of New Jersey, daughter of Campbell and Elizabeth (APPLEGATE) PYLE. Her father was a carpenter and contractor. Mrs. SEARING has a brother and a sister; George and Amanda, wife of Charles OTTO. In politics Mr. SEARING is an independent voter. He and his family attend the Episcopal church.

Transcribed by John Cresseveur (1949-2003)