Dr. Houston MIFFLIN

​Houston Mifflin's early days were spent in the old Mifflin home at Second and Walnut streets where he and Lloyd were born. Houston attended the country schools at Norwood, the Washington Classical Institute of Columbia, which became part of the High school, and later he spent one year at Cornell University. Following that he entered the University of Pennsylvania and in 1879 graduated from the medical department with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. The subsequent year he practiced medicine in Philadelphia. For eighteen months he was an intern in the Pennsylvania hospital. 

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In 1882 he went to Kansas City, Missouri, where he specialized in obstetrics and attained a position of affluence and prominence in his profession. For a short time during this period he practiced in Columbia to be near his family. The illness of his father, however, caused him temporarily to abandon the profession in 1884 and return from the west to assume charge of his father’s estate. After the death of his father, in 1888, the Doctor continued to care for the estate. By that time, his brother Lloyd had attained an enviable position in the world of art and literature and a third brother, James Deveaux, was in the west. So it was then—with the exception of a short time in 1910 when Dr. Mifflin went to California and had success in operating an orange grove—he spent the remainder his life in caring for Lloyd (so Lloyd could focus more on his literary career), and the estate near Columbia which came into his possession on the death of Lloyd Mifflin, July 16, 1921.

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At that point, Houston's only direct survivor was another brother, Charles W. Mifflin, who had established himself in West Newton, Massachusetts. Four nieces survived: Miss Alice and Miss Dolly Mifflin in West Newton, Massachusetts, Gladys, wife of Lewis Williams, Boston. And Helen, wife of Phillip Young, also in Boston. A nephew is John Mifllin, Niagara Falls: and, a cousin, Mrs. Henry F. Hiestand of Marietta. 

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Dr. Mifflin had become ill health when, during his last year, the Misses Loretta, Elizabeth, and Grace Minich resided with him. Although he'd kept up his daily interest in the vast estate he loved so much, Dr. Mifflin suffered greatly from heat during the summer, sapping much of his vitality. As he grew worse during the last week, he had special nurses caring for him.

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Dr. Houston Mifflin was perhaps best known for his fine philanthropies, yet his desire for self-effacement kept even his closest associates from knowing many of his deeds of charity. Various sums due him from friends had often been forgiven because of his feeling that his debtor needed it more than he, grants of land had been given to the community, its schools and its hospital. Twenty-eight acres of land were dedicated to the public use for streets and alleys in Columbia without a cent of consideration.

 

Copies of the works of his brother were presented to every collegiate library in the county—many advanced to pupils studying the fine arts. He gave a tract of land adjoining the Norwood school for use as a playground. Childhood memories made him fond of this little red school house and he always manifested a keen interest in its pupils and teacher. He subscribed for magazines for the school and provided book cases to set up a library.The universal love and esteem in which he was held was forcibly shown by the children of the village school, who, each year on his birthday gathered at his home, bringing gifts, greetings and enjoying a social hour with him.

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His gifts were climaxed by the granting of the Cloverton home to the Pennsylvania State Education Association and the granting, at rent free, a field uptown for high school football. The Cloverton home was reverted to his ownership after the retreat was abandoned and eventually sold to the Sisters Adorers of the Most Precious Blood and became known as the St. Elizabeth Home, an adjunct of Gethsemane.
 

Some of his other gifts were a bronze bust of Lloyd Mifflin given to the high school; an oil painting to each school building; a collection of Mifflin sonnets to each school teacher and the furnishing of the Mifflin room at the Taylor building with fine reproductions. He was a liberal contributor of books to the high school library. He also was a liberal contributor to the University of Pennsylvania.

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Houston Mifflin was one of the oldest members of the Presbyterian church and for fifty years sang in the choir. He served for fifty years as president of the Mount Bethel Cemetery Company, taking up the presidency on the death of his father. He was a member and former trustee of the Donegal Historical Society.

 

While his father was a man of letters and arts and later a leader in the founding of Columbia, Dr. Mifflin emulated a great grandfather, Jonathan Houston, who completed his education as a physician in Edinborough and served for seven years as a surgeon in the Revolutionary War. The Mifflin, Wright, and Houston families intermarried in the early days of Columbia. Another great grandfather was an educator and later became bookkeeper in the first bank established here. Still another ancestor was the first governor of Pennsylvania.

 

Dr. Mifllin’s father showed an early fondness for drawing and was a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. This filial trait was best personified by the late Lloyd Mifllin. Giving up art later, his father took an interest in the establishment of Columbia and built many homes. He also laid out the first cemetery which became known as Mount Bethel. 

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Dr. Houston Mifflin never married. He is buried at Mount Bethel Cemetery, Columbia, Pennsylvania, He lies near James Deveaux, Lloyd, his father and mother, and other members of his family.

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