Phineas Jenks Mahan, in his mid-forties, was very likely the first person to successfully import Italian bees to the United States and he kept them in Philadelphia. At the Annual Pennsylvania State Agricultural Society exhibition at Powelton near Philadelphia on September & October of 1859, P. J. Mahan of Philadelphia was awarded the second premium of $3.00 for the second best ten pounds of honey. He was awarded the first premium of $3.00 for having the best five pounds of honey. But his sweetest accolade was the following: "The committee recommend [sic] a special premium of ten dollars to Mr. P. J. Mahan, of Philadelphia, for two hives of pure Italian bees, said to be the first imported into the United States.…"
P. J. Mahan moved from Philadelphia to Houston, Texas in the early 1860s where he was well known for his skill at both beekeeping and gardening. He died there, at his home, on May 3rd, 1875. He was an honored veteran and survivor of the Texas Revolution.
In November of 1835, Mahan enlisted at New Orleans and, under the command of Captain Thomas Pearson, his company assisted with the transport, to San Antonio, of the eighteen-pounder cannon from the San Felipe, but arrived too late for the siege at the Alamo. He was with the soldiers under the command of Colonel Frank W. Johnson when they were surprised in a cold, driving rain by Centralista Forces lead by General José de Urrea at the abandoned Irish settlement at San Patricio on February 27th, 1836 at 3:30 in the morning. Johnson's encamped men were outnumbered twenty to one—700 Mexicans opposing 35 Texans. No Mexicans died; ten Texans were killed. Eighteen of the captured were about to be executed by the Mexican Army but a priest pleaded on their behalf and instead they were sent down to Matamoros under guard. Among these unfortunate men was a dark-eyed, black haired soldier named Phineas Jenks Mahan, whose signature was first listed on a petition to General Nicholas Bravo written from Matamoros in January of 1837, beseeching him "to consider the woes of our parents and kindred, who have long wept for us as dead, and would view our re-appearance among them as a return from the tomb." Lucky for his family and himself, as well as the future of beekeeping in the United States, Mahan was soon released, having endured the mental anguish of being ordered shot five times, as well as the physical torture of being bayoneted and lanced.
P. J. Mahan moved from Philadelphia to Houston, Texas in the early 1860s where he was well known for his skill at both beekeeping and gardening. He died there, at his home, on May 3rd, 1875. He was an honored veteran and survivor of the Texas Revolution.
In November of 1835, Mahan enlisted at New Orleans and, under the command of Captain Thomas Pearson, his company assisted with the transport, to San Antonio, of the eighteen-pounder cannon from the San Felipe, but arrived too late for the siege at the Alamo. He was with the soldiers under the command of Colonel Frank W. Johnson when they were surprised in a cold, driving rain by Centralista Forces lead by General José de Urrea at the abandoned Irish settlement at San Patricio on February 27th, 1836 at 3:30 in the morning. Johnson's encamped men were outnumbered twenty to one—700 Mexicans opposing 35 Texans. No Mexicans died; ten Texans were killed. Eighteen of the captured were about to be executed by the Mexican Army but a priest pleaded on their behalf and instead they were sent down to Matamoros under guard. Among these unfortunate men was a dark-eyed, black haired soldier named Phineas Jenks Mahan, whose signature was first listed on a petition to General Nicholas Bravo written from Matamoros in January of 1837, beseeching him "to consider the woes of our parents and kindred, who have long wept for us as dead, and would view our re-appearance among them as a return from the tomb." Lucky for his family and himself, as well as the future of beekeeping in the United States, Mahan was soon released, having endured the mental anguish of being ordered shot five times, as well as the physical torture of being bayoneted and lanced.
Phineas Jenks Mahan, in his mid-forties, was very likely the first person to successfully import Italian bees to the United States and he kept them in Philadelphia. At the Annual Pennsylvania State Agricultural Society exhibition at Powelton near Philadelphia on September & October of 1859, P. J. Mahan of Philadelphia was awarded the second premium of $3.00 for the second best ten pounds of honey. He was awarded the first premium of $3.00 for having the best five pounds of honey. But his sweetest accolade was the following: "The committee recommend [sic] a special premium of ten dollars to Mr. P. J. Mahan, of Philadelphia, for two hives of pure Italian bees, said to be the first imported into the United States.…"
P. J. Mahan moved from Philadelphia to Houston, Texas in the early 1860s where he was well known for his skill at both beekeeping and gardening. He died there, at his home, on May 3rd, 1875. He was an honored veteran and survivor of the Texas Revolution.
In November of 1835, Mahan enlisted at New Orleans and, under the command of Captain Thomas Pearson, his company assisted with the transport, to San Antonio, of the eighteen-pounder cannon from the San Felipe, but arrived too late for the siege at the Alamo. He was with the soldiers under the command of Colonel Frank W. Johnson when they were surprised in a cold, driving rain by Centralista Forces lead by General José de Urrea at the abandoned Irish settlement at San Patricio on February 27th, 1836 at 3:30 in the morning. Johnson's encamped men were outnumbered twenty to one—700 Mexicans opposing 35 Texans. No Mexicans died; ten Texans were killed. Eighteen of the captured were about to be executed by the Mexican Army but a priest pleaded on their behalf and instead they were sent down to Matamoros under guard. Among these unfortunate men was a dark-eyed, black haired soldier named Phineas Jenks Mahan, whose signature was first listed on a petition to General Nicholas Bravo written from Matamoros in January of 1837, beseeching him "to consider the woes of our parents and kindred, who have long wept for us as dead, and would view our re-appearance among them as a return from the tomb." Lucky for his family and himself, as well as the future of beekeeping in the United States, Mahan was soon released, having endured the mental anguish of being ordered shot five times, as well as the physical torture of being bayoneted and lanced.
P. J. Mahan moved from Philadelphia to Houston, Texas in the early 1860s where he was well known for his skill at both beekeeping and gardening. He died there, at his home, on May 3rd, 1875. He was an honored veteran and survivor of the Texas Revolution.
In November of 1835, Mahan enlisted at New Orleans and, under the command of Captain Thomas Pearson, his company assisted with the transport, to San Antonio, of the eighteen-pounder cannon from the San Felipe, but arrived too late for the siege at the Alamo. He was with the soldiers under the command of Colonel Frank W. Johnson when they were surprised in a cold, driving rain by Centralista Forces lead by General José de Urrea at the abandoned Irish settlement at San Patricio on February 27th, 1836 at 3:30 in the morning. Johnson's encamped men were outnumbered twenty to one—700 Mexicans opposing 35 Texans. No Mexicans died; ten Texans were killed. Eighteen of the captured were about to be executed by the Mexican Army but a priest pleaded on their behalf and instead they were sent down to Matamoros under guard. Among these unfortunate men was a dark-eyed, black haired soldier named Phineas Jenks Mahan, whose signature was first listed on a petition to General Nicholas Bravo written from Matamoros in January of 1837, beseeching him "to consider the woes of our parents and kindred, who have long wept for us as dead, and would view our re-appearance among them as a return from the tomb." Lucky for his family and himself, as well as the future of beekeeping in the United States, Mahan was soon released, having endured the mental anguish of being ordered shot five times, as well as the physical torture of being bayoneted and lanced.
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